So, exhausted after running, and while avoiding writing some code yesterday, I fired it up. My 14 year old self had trained up to be able to complete Level 9 High 5 (the most fupping hardcore level the game has) fairly regularly. I played it until this skill returned. It took about 3 hours solid!
Eventually, I got to see the treat Tetris has for completing this level:
There's also some funky Russian music. And I was RELEIVED, and a little proud to see it finally, because I was beginning to doubt my ability to beat 14 year old Conor.
Strangely though, while my fingers remembered how to twitch at the appropriate speed to achieve this, I realised that I had a very different view of the game now compared to when I played it all those years ago. Then, and now, I sort of anthromorphisise the blocks, but whereas previously, I thought of some of them as being friendly, and others out to get me, and make sure I failed to complete the level, this time I thought that they were ALL out to get me. I didn't like a single one of them. Previously I would be relieved to get the simplest shapes, the square block or the long block, but now I could see the disadvantages of all of them, and I didn't see any of them as being "good". Does this mean I am more cynical and paranoid now? Does it mean I was a dumbass when I was 14?
I think it does mean I should stop playing again. At least this time I'm not seeing little blocks falling every time I close my eyes.