15 Video Game Records That Will Never Be Broken

As a gamer, it’s frustrating when a record isn’t broken because of a lack of skill, but because the game itself just won’t allow it. Things like score limits, those crazy kill screen glitches, servers shutting down, or even just a competitive scene ending have permanently locked certain achievements in place. I’ve put together a list of those records – the ones that are basically impossible to beat, not because anyone can’t get better, but because the game or situation won’t let them. I’ll cover each game and the specific record that’s stuck forever, explaining exactly why it can’t be surpassed.

‘Pac-Man’

The highest possible Pac-Man score is 3,333,360 points. A glitch in the game’s code on level 256 causes the screen to split, damaging half of the maze and stopping players from earning any more points. Every dot, fruit, and ghost in the first 255 levels is worth a set amount, so the maximum possible score can be calculated precisely. Once the screen splits, there’s no way to increase the score further.

‘Donkey Kong’

As a fan, I’ve learned that the highest possible score in this game is limited by something called the ‘kill screen’ at level 22. It’s a frustrating bug that basically ends your run and drains your health super fast. We all try to maximize our points by getting safe spots and extending things like barrels and fireballs, but there’s a hard limit to how far you can go. No matter how good you are, or what strategy you use, you just can’t beat that ceiling. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but that’s just how the game is!

‘Tetris’ Game Boy

The game has a limit of 999 lines, as shown by the in-game counter. This counter uses a limited amount of the device’s memory, so it stops increasing once it hits 999, even if you continue to clear lines. While speed and gravity can still increase, the officially recorded line count will never go higher. This memory limit makes 999 the highest line count anyone can ever display in the game.

‘Super Mario Bros.’

The current world record represents the fastest time theoretically possible within the game’s limitations. Because the game only allows transitions between levels on specific frames, even flawless gameplay has to wait for those moments. This creates a minimum time that can’t be beaten, even with perfect, computer-assisted play, and represents the upper limit for human players. Essentially, the game’s internal rules define an unbreakable time barrier.

‘Galaga’

This score represents the highest reliably achievable result before the game becomes unstable or glitches out on certain versions. Older versions of the game are prone to crashing or data corruption during long gameplay sessions, and the score counter itself has a maximum limit. Even advanced strategies eventually hit these limits due to the risk of scoring too high and the game’s technical constraints, effectively setting a maximum possible score.

‘Wii Sports’ Bowling

A perfect game scores 300 points, just like in real bowling. Once you’ve bowled twelve strikes, all scoring opportunities have been used. There’s no way to score more than 300 – any perfect game will always result in a score of 300.

‘Burnout 3: Takedown’

Each level has a maximum possible score in Crash Mode, determined by the number of vehicles, multipliers, and bonus tokens placed within it. Once you achieve the perfect chain of events, your score won’t increase any further because there are no more opportunities to earn points. These carefully designed levels effectively set a hard limit on how high scores can go.

‘Super Mario 64’

This record represents a complete playthrough, collecting all 120 stars, using a genuine game cartridge. The game starts with a set number of Power Stars placed throughout the levels and castle. While players can use glitches and shortcuts to speed things up, these don’t add any new stars to the game. Since there’s a limited number of stars available, no player can ever collect more than 120.

‘Halo 2’ Xbox Live

The highest rank previously achievable on the old matchmaking system was 50. That ranking system is now closed and no longer updated because the servers that supported it are offline. The top rankings from that system will remain as they were when the platform ended.

‘Red Dead Redemption’ Multiplayer

This record represents the highest rank and status players could achieve in an older version of the game, which is no longer available. The game mode used a limited experience system with set goals, and progress is no longer updated. Players who previously reached the maximum rank still show that achievement, but new players can’t compete for it anymore. Essentially, the top score is permanently set because the system is no longer active.

‘The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’

This record represents a 100% completion of the original Nintendo 64 game. The game cartridge includes a specific, unchanging set of items – like heart pieces, upgrades, and collectibles – that define a fully completed save file. While players might find ways to get items in a different order, they can’t collect more than what’s originally included. Because there are no extra features added after the credits roll or random elements, the completion rate can’t go above 100%.

‘Fortnite’ Battle Royale

The records represent the longest winning streaks and highest rankings achieved during the game’s initial seasons, which are now saved in our archives. Each of those early seasons had unique maps, available items, and game balance, and everything reset when a new chapter began. Leaderboards from those seasons were saved as they were, instead of continuing to update. Because newer seasons are tracked separately, those older winning streaks can’t be improved upon.

‘Overwatch’ (2016)

These ratings represent the highest skill levels achieved before the introduction of the role queue system in the original game. That old ranking system and its displayed ratings are no longer used or updated. With the arrival of role queue and the new game, those original peak ratings have been preserved as a historical record.

‘Tetris Effect’ Journey Mode

Each stage in the game has a set highest possible rank and score, determined by the maximum number of tiles you can clear and any bonus opportunities. Stages are designed with a specific number of chances to score points, and there’s a limit to how high your score can go. Once you’ve cleared the stage in the most efficient way, you won’t get any extra points from additional clears or multipliers. These built-in limits mean that every stage has a maximum achievable score.

‘Pokémon GO’

These records represent the very first global achievements from the initial raid events when the game launched. They officially recognize the groups and teams who accomplished these unique feats first. Subsequent raids and seasons are tracked separately, meaning those original accomplishments can’t be claimed later. Because the initial records are now closed, these earliest achievements are permanent and unchangeable.

Tell us about any incredible hunting achievements you think will never be broken, and let us know what other records we should track!

2025-10-22 03:17