Those other gamers can't deny

Tetris is a brand that will forever be in the history of handheld gaming in particular, as it's credited by many as being the key title to launching the Game Boy to popularity. It had appeared on various consoles before Nintendo's handheld, but found its home on the system and became a phenomenon.

The second part of this history lesson is about Steve Wozniak, co-founder of technology giant Apple. Though he left the company long ago, he designed — sometimes on his own — Apple's earliest projects that led to the company's initial success. He's also a rather large Tetris nerd, and is known to have occupied the top spot in Nintendo Power's high score table for the game for a long period. He still, apparently, carries Game Boy Light systems — exclusive to Japan — and copies of the game, and when answering a Q&A on Gizmodo shared a tale of changing his name and town so that Nintendo Power would still list his score.

I only play the original Gameboy Tetris. I buy cartridges on eBay when needed. I have had some stolen and lost. My kids got too good at newer games so I only focus on a few puzzle-like games to be good at them. I was always #1 in the Nintendo Power listings in 1988 and after they said my name had been in there too many times and wouldn't print it again, I spelled my name backwards (Evets Kainzow) and sent in a photo of my score. When I got the magazine I'd forgotten doing this and was worried that a foreigner from the next city over (I used Saratoga instead of Los Gatos so they wouldn't catch on) had a score up in my range. I got worried but then remembered my joke. Whew! It's in some old issue of Nintendo Power Magazine - Gameboy Tetris score, name Evets Kainzow).

Courtesy of user polar0ids on Reddit, there's a scan (below) showing that the fictional Evets Kainzow was indeed top of the Tetris tree. So, do any of you have a particular gaming obsession or high score that you want to share?