Thor Aackerlund
Thor Aackerlund | |
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![]() Aackerlund in 2010 | |
Born | Houston, Texas, United States[1] |
Years active | 1990–2012 |
Era | 1990s and 2010s |
Known for | 1990 Nintendo World Championships Winner[1][2][3] |
Competition record | ||
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Classic Tetris | ||
Nintendo World Championships | ||
1st | 1990 Houston Championship age 12–17 | |
1st | 1990 World Finals age 12–17 | |
Classic Tetris World Championship | ||
5th | 2010 Tetris World Championship |
Thor Aackerlund is an American esports gamer, considered one of the first to go professional.[4]
Early life
As a child, Aackerlund started playing computer games while waiting for a new school year to begin after having missed one due to his mother being hospitalized after a fire.[5] He couldn't afford a Nintendo Entertainment System, so he bought a Game Boy but didn't have the money for any extra games, which put him on the path of playing Tetris, as it was included for free.[5]
Gaming career
He was one of the winners of the 1990 Nintendo World Championships, for which he won a $10,000 U.S. savings bond, a 1990 Geo Metro Convertible, a 40-inch rear-projection television, and a golden Mario trophy.[1][2][3] Soon after the competition, Camerica, a producer of unlicensed Nintendo Entertainment System games, signed a deal with Aackerlund to make him the official spokesman for their games.[2] Aackerlund then became the poster child for the game, featured in commercials and fairs.[6]
As a child, he felt pressured to play, as the prize money and endorsements were financially important for his family.[5] At the time, he was known as the only player to claim to have reached level 30 in Tetris[6]Aackerlund soon disappeared from the scene but remained known as perhaps the most well-known name in Tetris prior to the domination of 7-time World Champion Jonas Neubauer.[7]
Other works
Aackerlund is a featured player in the 2011 documentary film Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters, which covers his second effort in competitive video gaming at the 2010 Classic Tetris World Championship.
References
- ^ a b c "The Warp Zone". TheWarpZone.com. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
- ^ a b c "Nintendo - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly". I-Mockery.com. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
- ^ a b "NES Player". NESPlayer.com. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
- ^ "How Nintendo And A Band Of Teenage High Score Obsessives Created The Idea Of The Pro Gamer". Nintendo Life. 2020-12-26. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
- ^ a b c Norström, Tobias. "Legenden om Thor Aackerlund", P3 Spel, Sveriges Radio. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- ^ a b Jersenius, Erik. "Tetris är det ultimata tidsfördrivet", Vestmanlands Läns Tidning. 18 April 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020. Pages 6–7.
- ^ Säfström, Orvar. "Den mästerlige spelnörden", Sydsvenskan. 10 February 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2020. Page 15.
Further reading
- "Nintendo King Champ Says Game a Challenge but Anyone Can Play." Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
- "Thor Aackerlund was born to play and win at Tetris." The Dallas Morning News.
- "Business Notebook." The Dallas Morning News.
- v
- t
- e
- Tetris (Atari Games)
- Tetris (NES)
- Tetris Classic
- Tetris Battle Gaiden
- Tetris & Dr. Mario
- Tetris Plus
- The Grand Master
- Magical Tetris Challenge
- Tetris 64
- The New Tetris
- The Next Tetris
- Tetris Worlds
- Tetris Evolution
- Tetris Zone
- Tetris Splash
- Tetris Friends
- Tetris Party
- Tetris Ultimate
- Puyo Puyo Tetris
- Tetris Effect
- Tetris 99
- Puyo Puyo Tetris 2
Handheld |
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- Blockout
- Welltris
- Hatris
- Faces...tris III
- Wordtris
- Tetris 2 (Nintendo)
- Tetris Attack
- TetriNET
- Tetrisphere
- BreakThru!
- Pokémon Tetris
- Tetris Giant
Players |
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- Classic Tetris World Championship
- Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters
- ELORG
- "Korobeiniki"
- Nintendo World Championships
- Spectrum HoloByte
- Tetris (film)
- soundtrack
- The Tetris Company
- Blue Planet Software
- Tetris effect
- Tetris Holding, LLC v. Xio Interactive, Inc.
- Tetris Online, Inc.
- Tetris: The Games People Play
- Tetromino
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