MIT Completes the “Holy Grail of Hacks,” Turning the Green Building into a Game of Tetris

[Ian David]

MIT Completes the “Holy Grail of Hacks,” Turning the Green Building into a Game of Tetris {Slideshow + Video}

We all know the students at MIT love a good hack, but what’s better than playing a game while doing it? Last night, a team took over the side of MIT’s Green Building and turned it into a giant, playable, multi-color Tetris game.

Home of the Institute’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science, the Green Building lends itself as an ideal grid for the game. According to the IHTFP Hack Gallery, “MIT hackers have long considered ‘Tetris on the Green Building’ to be the Holy Grail of hacks.”

The game started off by scrolling the word “Tetris,” and as the players moved on, the levels became progressively harder. The second level kicked off with more pale colors, while the third involved the colors shifting on-screen. Once someone lost the game, all of the blocks would fall to the bottom of the building. Just check out the cleverness for yourself. (Bonus: There’s a video beneath the slideshow.)

More:
http://bostinno.com/2012/04/21/mit-completes-the-holy-grail-of-hacks-turning-the-green-building-into-a-game-of-tetris-slideshow/#ss__139833_1_0__ss

[Capt. Obvious]

1. That is awesome

And to think people were impressed when the balloon popped out at the 50 yd line during the Harvard-Yale game

[VWolf]

2. I started at MIT

the following year. The "balloon" hack was all the rage at the time.

I'm thinking TPTB at MIT were somewhat complicit in this one, though.

IHTFP!!!

[Ian David]

4. I went to Emerson, but MIT had the best frat parties.

First of all, they served hard liquor punch.

Secondly, they had TV monitors all over the place showing funky computer graphics stuff on a continuous loop.

They also had big rooms with large, open spaces.

But in order to get in, you had to be one dude with a group of several women, who would all be willing to leave if you didn't get in with them.

[VWolf]

5. Yes, we did.

I was Phi Sigma Kappa, and our parties always rocked. We had an old TV that we modified to respond to music. The left and right channels were hooked up to the vertical and horizonal deflection plates, respectively. Produced a cool effect (back then, anyways).

Our sound system was unparalleled at the time, designed by a grad student who was living in the area.

The mid-80's were the last wild years, though. Liability issues killed off the crazy parties.

[CrispyQ]

3. Cool!

I've wasted hours playing Tetris. This would be a blast.