[NES] Tetris Score Statistics

I got interested in how to get a higher score in Tetris for the NES, so I started thinking at what level to start to get the highest possible score. I also wondered how the line penalties after level 9 affected the final score outcome. I wrote some code to calculate the maximum possible score for each level. This is what came out of it:

START LEVEL: 0
--------------
LEVEL 0: 4800
LEVEL 1: 10800
LEVEL 2: 22800
LEVEL 3: 33600
LEVEL 4: 52800
LEVEL 5: 68400
LEVEL 6: 94800
LEVEL 7: 115200
LEVEL 8: 148800
LEVEL 9: 174000
LEVEL 10: 214800
LEVEL 11: 244800
LEVEL 12: 292800
LEVEL 13: 327600
LEVEL 14: 382800
LEVEL 15: 422400
LEVEL 16: 484800
LEVEL 17: 529200
LEVEL 18: 598800
LEVEL 19: 648000
LEVEL 20: 724800
LEVEL 21: 778800
LEVEL 22: 862800
LEVEL 23: 921600
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 1
--------------
LEVEL 1: 13200
LEVEL 2: 25200
LEVEL 3: 36000
LEVEL 4: 55200
LEVEL 5: 70800
LEVEL 6: 97200
LEVEL 7: 117600
LEVEL 8: 151200
LEVEL 9: 176400
LEVEL 10: 217200
LEVEL 11: 247200
LEVEL 12: 295200
LEVEL 13: 330000
LEVEL 14: 385200
LEVEL 15: 424800
LEVEL 16: 487200
LEVEL 17: 531600
LEVEL 18: 601200
LEVEL 19: 650400
LEVEL 20: 727200
LEVEL 21: 781200
LEVEL 22: 865200
LEVEL 23: 924000
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 2
--------------
LEVEL 2: 30000
LEVEL 3: 40800
LEVEL 4: 60000
LEVEL 5: 75600
LEVEL 6: 102000
LEVEL 7: 122400
LEVEL 8: 156000
LEVEL 9: 181200
LEVEL 10: 222000
LEVEL 11: 252000
LEVEL 12: 300000
LEVEL 13: 334800
LEVEL 14: 390000
LEVEL 15: 429600
LEVEL 16: 492000
LEVEL 17: 536400
LEVEL 18: 606000
LEVEL 19: 655200
LEVEL 20: 732000
LEVEL 21: 786000
LEVEL 22: 870000
LEVEL 23: 928800
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 3
--------------
LEVEL 3: 49200
LEVEL 4: 68400
LEVEL 5: 84000
LEVEL 6: 110400
LEVEL 7: 130800
LEVEL 8: 164400
LEVEL 9: 189600
LEVEL 10: 230400
LEVEL 11: 260400
LEVEL 12: 308400
LEVEL 13: 343200
LEVEL 14: 398400
LEVEL 15: 438000
LEVEL 16: 500400
LEVEL 17: 544800
LEVEL 18: 614400
LEVEL 19: 663600
LEVEL 20: 740400
LEVEL 21: 794400
LEVEL 22: 878400
LEVEL 23: 937200
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 4
--------------
LEVEL 4: 79200
LEVEL 5: 94800
LEVEL 6: 121200
LEVEL 7: 141600
LEVEL 8: 175200
LEVEL 9: 200400
LEVEL 10: 241200
LEVEL 11: 271200
LEVEL 12: 319200
LEVEL 13: 354000
LEVEL 14: 409200
LEVEL 15: 448800
LEVEL 16: 511200
LEVEL 17: 555600
LEVEL 18: 625200
LEVEL 19: 674400
LEVEL 20: 751200
LEVEL 21: 805200
LEVEL 22: 889200
LEVEL 23: 948000
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 5
--------------
LEVEL 5: 109200
LEVEL 6: 135600
LEVEL 7: 156000
LEVEL 8: 189600
LEVEL 9: 214800
LEVEL 10: 255600
LEVEL 11: 285600
LEVEL 12: 333600
LEVEL 13: 368400
LEVEL 14: 423600
LEVEL 15: 463200
LEVEL 16: 525600
LEVEL 17: 570000
LEVEL 18: 639600
LEVEL 19: 688800
LEVEL 20: 765600
LEVEL 21: 819600
LEVEL 22: 903600
LEVEL 23: 962400
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 6
--------------
LEVEL 6: 152400
LEVEL 7: 172800
LEVEL 8: 206400
LEVEL 9: 231600
LEVEL 10: 272400
LEVEL 11: 302400
LEVEL 12: 350400
LEVEL 13: 385200
LEVEL 14: 440400
LEVEL 15: 480000
LEVEL 16: 542400
LEVEL 17: 586800
LEVEL 18: 656400
LEVEL 19: 705600
LEVEL 20: 782400
LEVEL 21: 836400
LEVEL 22: 920400
LEVEL 23: 979200
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 7
--------------
LEVEL 7: 193200
LEVEL 8: 226800
LEVEL 9: 252000
LEVEL 10: 292800
LEVEL 11: 322800
LEVEL 12: 370800
LEVEL 13: 405600
LEVEL 14: 460800
LEVEL 15: 500400
LEVEL 16: 562800
LEVEL 17: 607200
LEVEL 18: 676800
LEVEL 19: 726000
LEVEL 20: 802800
LEVEL 21: 856800
LEVEL 22: 940800
LEVEL 23: 999600
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 8
--------------
LEVEL 8: 249600
LEVEL 9: 274800
LEVEL 10: 315600
LEVEL 11: 345600
LEVEL 12: 393600
LEVEL 13: 428400
LEVEL 14: 483600
LEVEL 15: 523200
LEVEL 16: 585600
LEVEL 17: 630000
LEVEL 18: 699600
LEVEL 19: 748800
LEVEL 20: 825600
LEVEL 21: 879600
LEVEL 22: 963600
LEVEL 23: 999999
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 9
--------------
LEVEL 9: 301200
LEVEL 10: 342000
LEVEL 11: 372000
LEVEL 12: 420000
LEVEL 13: 454800
LEVEL 14: 510000
LEVEL 15: 549600
LEVEL 16: 612000
LEVEL 17: 656400
LEVEL 18: 726000
LEVEL 19: 775200
LEVEL 20: 852000
LEVEL 21: 906000
LEVEL 22: 990000
LEVEL 23: 999999
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 10
--------------
LEVEL 10: 331200
LEVEL 11: 361200
LEVEL 12: 409200
LEVEL 13: 444000
LEVEL 14: 499200
LEVEL 15: 538800
LEVEL 16: 601200
LEVEL 17: 645600
LEVEL 18: 715200
LEVEL 19: 764400
LEVEL 20: 841200
LEVEL 21: 895200
LEVEL 22: 979200
LEVEL 23: 999999
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 11
--------------
LEVEL 11: 361200
LEVEL 12: 409200
LEVEL 13: 444000
LEVEL 14: 499200
LEVEL 15: 538800
LEVEL 16: 601200
LEVEL 17: 645600
LEVEL 18: 715200
LEVEL 19: 764400
LEVEL 20: 841200
LEVEL 21: 895200
LEVEL 22: 979200
LEVEL 23: 999999
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 12
--------------
LEVEL 12: 391200
LEVEL 13: 426000
LEVEL 14: 481200
LEVEL 15: 520800
LEVEL 16: 583200
LEVEL 17: 627600
LEVEL 18: 697200
LEVEL 19: 746400
LEVEL 20: 823200
LEVEL 21: 877200
LEVEL 22: 961200
LEVEL 23: 999999
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 13
--------------
LEVEL 13: 421200
LEVEL 14: 476400
LEVEL 15: 516000
LEVEL 16: 578400
LEVEL 17: 622800
LEVEL 18: 692400
LEVEL 19: 741600
LEVEL 20: 818400
LEVEL 21: 872400
LEVEL 22: 956400
LEVEL 23: 999999
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 14
--------------
LEVEL 14: 451200
LEVEL 15: 490800
LEVEL 16: 553200
LEVEL 17: 597600
LEVEL 18: 667200
LEVEL 19: 716400
LEVEL 20: 793200
LEVEL 21: 847200
LEVEL 22: 931200
LEVEL 23: 990000
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 15
--------------
LEVEL 15: 481200
LEVEL 16: 543600
LEVEL 17: 588000
LEVEL 18: 657600
LEVEL 19: 706800
LEVEL 20: 783600
LEVEL 21: 837600
LEVEL 22: 921600
LEVEL 23: 980400
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 16
--------------
LEVEL 16: 572400
LEVEL 17: 616800
LEVEL 18: 686400
LEVEL 19: 735600
LEVEL 20: 812400
LEVEL 21: 866400
LEVEL 22: 950400
LEVEL 23: 999999
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 17
--------------
LEVEL 17: 649200
LEVEL 18: 718800
LEVEL 19: 768000
LEVEL 20: 844800
LEVEL 21: 898800
LEVEL 22: 982800
LEVEL 23: 999999
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 18
--------------
LEVEL 18: 753600
LEVEL 19: 802800
LEVEL 20: 879600
LEVEL 21: 933600
LEVEL 22: 999999
LEVEL 23: 999999
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

START LEVEL: 19
--------------
LEVEL 19: 841200
LEVEL 20: 918000
LEVEL 21: 972000
LEVEL 22: 999999
LEVEL 23: 999999
LEVEL 24: 999999
LEVEL 25: 999999
LEVEL 26: 999999
LEVEL 27: 999999
LEVEL 28: 999999

Notes:
Soft drop points are ignored.
The scores are calculated at the end of each level.
A perfect game of all tetrises is so unlikely that we can say it's impossible.

 

Slight corrections:

When you advance to the next level with a line score, you do get the points for the newly attained level, rather than the level you were on when you got it.

So for example on a level 9 start, the 25th tetris would get you 100 lines, taking you to level 10, and you get the level 10 points for it. So you'd get 288,000 at level 9, and 301,200 at 100 lines entering level 10 (not to mention the addition of soft drop points, but nevermind that).

Also, if you start on level 10-19, the level advance does not happen at 100 lines. They calibrated it so that you would get a little bit of a bonus for starting higher, but not so much of a bonus that it was easy to max the score out.

Here are the level-advance # of lines for each starting level after 9:

10 100
11 100
12 100
13 100
14 100
15 100
16 110
17 120
18 130
19 140

 

Incidentally the best start I've ever had is a level 9 start where I missed only 1 possible tetris before getting to level 10. Eventually I'd love to record a perfect level 9 game. I'd estimate it's no better than a 1 in 100 chance if you play perfectly.

 

Thank you for the corrections! I'll poke around in the code and try to get this corrected and add that soft drop points are ignored in the notes.

 

If you ever get a perfect level 9, then I hope you record it. It would be an amazing watch.

 

Sure. Since I was on a roll, I went ahead and did some calcs myself. Fun fact - a level 15 start has the latest earliest possible maxout level of the level 9+ starts at 24.4.

Code:

Strt	#Tetr	LvMx	TotSc
9	59	23.6	 1,020,000 
10	56	23.4	 1,000,800 
11	54	23.6	 1,008,000 
12	52	23.8	 1,012,800 
13	50	24.0	 1,015,200 
14	48	24.2	 1,014,000 
15	46	24.4	 1,010,400 
16	45	24.0	 1,009,200 
17	44	23.6	 1,011,600 
18	43	23.2	 1,017,600 
19	42	22.8	 1,027,200 

Intriguingly, you could do it with one fewer tetris on a level 19 start by "soft-dropping" every block! But good luck with all that.

Also interesting is that level 19 is the only level where you could max it out quicker by making your final score a non-tetris - even a single line would suffice. So it would be level 22 5 lines in, instead of 8. So there you go - you only need 41 tetrises in a row starting on level 19!

 

I will definitely record - that would be quite a tragedy not to have on record!

 

That's some nice calculations, Chad!

 

I've had this spreadsheet called Tetris100% kicking around for a while -- of note, it also highlights perfect transition and kill-screen scores.

 

Very nice, though I see it does make a couple of mistakes.

One is the thing I mentioned about when you reach a new level, it's not giving you the points for a tetris on the newly attained level, which the game does. To fix the code you could just add 4 to your cell reference, eg. INT((a3+4)/10.

Also, starting at level 10, you need to add 1 to your index for 'before normal progression', and then you'll be in good shape.

 

I remember thinking about scoring at the level reached rather than the one you were on before, but I must not have finished that line of thinking and implemented it in the spreadsheet. I took this opportunity to clean up the spreadsheet logic significantly. If you notice any other errors, please let me know.

 

I think it's interesting. Thanks for posting!

 

whoa. i had a 660k transition starting at 18 today- i was only 90k off the highest possible?!? i promptly proceeded to fuck the game up and ended w/708k but man that was close.

 

I have found this to be a valuable resource for reference.

 

For me to remember and handily copy and paste the order of scoring potential:

19, 18, 9, 17, 11, 10, 8, 12, 13, 16, 7, 14, 15.