Thor Aackerlund | |
---|---|
Born | |
Years active | 1990–2012 |
Era | 1990s and 2010s |
Known for | 1990 Nintendo World Championships Winner [1] [2] [3] |
Competition record | ||
---|---|---|
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 Bjorn Thorlei Aackerlund (born 4 January 1977) is an American esports gamer, considered one of the first to go professional. [4]
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]
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]
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.
Thor Aackerlund | |
---|---|
Born | |
Years active | 1990–2012 |
Era | 1990s and 2010s |
Known for | 1990 Nintendo World Championships Winner [1] [2] [3] |
Competition record | ||
---|---|---|
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 Bjorn Thorlei Aackerlund (born 4 January 1977) is an American esports gamer, considered one of the first to go professional. [4]
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]
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]
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.