A 1980s-era video game has propelled seven-time Classic Tetris world champion Jonas Neubauer into a burgeoning Internet star whose blindingly fast contests are watched on his own channel by paying subscribers from around the world on the gaming app and website Twitch.tv.

The 30-something tasting room manager for Torrance’s Strand Brewing claimed his third consecutive world championship — and seventh overall — last month in Portland, Oregon.

Indeed, during the last seven years competitive video gaming has grown from niche geek hobby into cool mainstream spectator sport — yes, sport, insist devotees — with retro Tetris leading the way.

The deceptively simple, yet addictive video game involves stacking block-shaped tiles as they randomly fall at ever-greater speeds against an opponent, tapping into the human desire to create order from chaos.

If you were unaware of Tetris until now, you probably are virtually alone; Tetris is the world’s top-selling downloaded video game, its place in history cemented by the ubiquitous Nintendo Gameboy that has sold more than 100 million units since its 1989 introduction.

Its modern-day allure — there are newer versions of Tetris, but it’s the classic version that holds the most appeal — involves an element of childhood nostalgia, much like watching a brand-new “Star Wars” movie, but recalling the beloved original at the same time, said Highland Park resident BJ Handelman, a subscriber to Neubauer’s Twitch channel.

“If you grew up playing Tetris, then that’s the Tetris you identify with,” he said. “When I was a kid, everyone knew Tetris, everyone played Tetris. I played Tetris, my parents played Tetris, my grandparents played Tetris.

“(Tetris has) the same allure to watching basketball,” Handelman added. “Everyone knows how to play basketball, but you can’t play basketball like LeBron James. I could never play Tetris like Jonas, but it’s fun watching him do it.”

Indeed, elite Tetris players almost literally pick up where mere enthusiasts leave off.

Handelman said he’s able to progress from level nine to 19; that’s when the likes of Neubauer are just getting warmed up and move from there to level 29 at ever-dizzying speeds that require intense concentration.

Neubauer, for example, overcame his blink reflex during competition, which leaves him in a state of what he describes as “decision-making exhaustion” afterward.

An eye doctor and Tetris fan even warned him about the possible physical dangers of that so Neubauer now incorporates the regular use of eye drops into his training regimen.

Online,Tetris streaming has exploded in popularity in the last couple of years.

Much like poker, simple improvements like putting a camera on each competitor’s face and video game screen at the same time has heightened the drama, while expert commentary helps newbies clue in.

Last year, YouTube gave the world championships a boost with a recommendation, which resulted in millions in views.

Incidentally, this year’s final, which involved an unprecedented Neubauer come back will go up online Nov. 29.

“It would be like the Dodgers coming back from their five-run deficit in the World Series in the ninth inning,” he said. “I was down by 160,000-something points in the first game of the final and charged back to win it.

“It was an an emotional, very tense, win,” Neubauer added.

Strand Brewing will host at 1 p.m. Dec. 2 an informal gathering of gamers that will play Tetris games streamed on Neubauer’s NubbinsGoody channel. Spectators are welcome. And, for a modest fee, the world champ will evaluate your Tetris game online, offering tips and insights on ways to improve.

“I will evaluate Tetris games that you upload to YouTube or Twitch and give you play by play analysis,” Neubauer said. “I never thought I’d have have subscribers, so on the fly I had to come up with a benefit to somebody paying me $5 a month to watch me.

“It’s just a really tight-knit community; its a bunch of like-minded individuals,” he added. “I’ve noticed that a lot of my viewers are Rubik’s Cube experts so there’s just something about puzzles that resonates with my fan base. It’s international — there’s a strong amount of people from Turkey, Belgium, Australia, Indonesia, England and a Scandinavian contingent.”

One donated $1,500 to Neubauer via Twitch, so while he’s not quitting his day job to turn pro full time, it’s handy pocket money.

Not surprisingly, Neubauer has no immediate plans to quit playing competitively, although it’s getting more difficult by the year to continue his string of world titles that began in 2010 and were only interrupted once — in the year he got married.

“Because of the exposure of the tournament the pressure has just been increasing,” Neubauer said. “It was inevitable it would draw in an audience because the drama is right there in front of you. Each match is not too long and you get involved, you get invested in the players.

“My goals have changed over the years,” he added. “I used to want to win every time, but now I really just want to show what I can do what’s possible in Tetris and have fun. I don’t need to win, but winning is usually a byproduct of those two things.”