Billy Mitchell reclaims Donkey Kong world record

[XYXZYZ]

So much for the "King of Kong" outcome.

http://www.twingalaxies.com/index.aspx?c=19&id=1465

Fairfield, Iowa - July 26, 2007 - Even though he was proclaimed the "Video Game Player of the Century" in Tokyo in 1999, that doesn't stop Billy Mitchell from adding more glory to his legendary reputation. On Friday, July 13, 2007, exactly 25 years after setting the original world record, Billy scored a high-score on the legendary Donkey Kong arcade game that has been verified to be the new world record.

In front of an audience of hundreds, including Twin Galaxies Senior referee Todd Rogers, Mitchell scored 1,050,200 points – a new world record.

"The accomplishment, backed up by video tape of his gameplay, provides further supporting evidence of his record," explains Walter Day, Chief Scorekeeper at Twin Galaxies and editor of Twin Galaxies' Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records. "After two top Twin Galaxies referees-- all experts at Donkey Kong -- have reviewed his tape, we will publish the highlights of his accomplishment on the Twin Galaxies website at www.twingalaxies.com."

Highlights of Billy Mitchell's new Donkey Kong score are already published on the website for the Chasing Ghosts documentary film. Mitchell was one of the featured stars in Chasing Ghosts - a documentary that studied history's first video gaming superstars who were brought together by Twin Galaxies and LIFE Magazine on November 7, 1982 for a famous group photograph. Mitchell is one of 16 gaming stars who appeared in the photograph who are now recognized by video game historians as being the pioneers of professional gaming.

Chasing Ghosts, an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival documentary feature competition, follows the lives of the LIFE Magazine gamers from 1982 to present. Viewers can watch samples of Mitchell's Donkey Kong skill on the Chasing Ghosts website at http://www.chasingghoststhemovie.com

To further support growing interest in classic arcade gaming, Billy Mitchell is personally offering a $10,000 cash prize to the first person who can break his new score while at the Classic Gaming Expo, at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, NV, July 28-29, 2007.

[DreamTR]

This is not surprising. THe whole King of Kong thing is a mess. If you guys actually knew about the guy who did this film, and how ridiculous he is, making Billy look like the bad guy, you would not take anything this guy says with a grain of salt. I had issues with the guy when I was working at Tips & Tricks, he wouldn't leave me alone. WHat everyone did NOT know what that Billy had Steve Wiebe's record broken a long time ago, just not in public. That's not even his best score.

[Kitsune Sniper]

So what's going to happen to the King of Kong documentary?

Something tells me it won't get a DVD release after this.

[Ed Oscuro]

"...we will publish the highlights of his accomplishment on the Twin Galaxies website..."

Highlights? How can Donkey Kong have highlights?

That said, a cool record and it's awesome the guy has kept at it right along. This is the first I've heard about "King of Kong," and...sounds like something that needs to die.

[Bojay1997]

I've met Billy Mitchell and I can honestly say he's one of the most arrogant people I have ever met in my whole life. Not charming and frankly sorta creepy. Let's be honest here, he has dedicated his life to beating video game high scores on games that haven't even been played by most of the public in two decades. I find him kind of sad and as slanted as the documentary may be, I could care less about Twin Galaxies or some dude who is caught up in the glory of long irrelevant accomplishments that most people, including those of us who enjoy video games, could care less about.

[Barbarianoutkast85]

Thats cool that he beat his own record after 25 years. I wonder what my high score is in Donkey Kong......

[boatofcar]

For some reason, everything associated with Twin Galaxies strikes me as arrogant and irrelevant.

[MF_Luder]

This is not surprising. THe whole King of Kong thing is a mess. If you guys actually knew about the guy who did this film, and how ridiculous he is, making Billy look like the bad guy, you would not take anything this guy says with a grain of salt. I had issues with the guy when I was working at Tips & Tricks, he wouldn't leave me alone. WHat everyone did NOT know what that Billy had Steve Wiebe's record broken a long time ago, just not in public. That's not even his best score.

Right, but the point is to be entertaining first and foremost. It's not a Discovery Channel special, it's a major motion picture, and the movie works better if there's a "bad guy". The reviews on this thing are crazy high right now (check RottenTomatoes.com, where it has 97% positive reviews, something even the great movies barely ever get), and I'm sure that has something to do with the highly entertaining good guy/bad guy portrayal of the characters. I understand that it's a documentary, but even documentaries have "slants" and biases. I enjoy some of Michael Moore's documentaries, but I enjoy while under the understanding that I'm not watching a 100% objective and accurate film. And yeah, the guy who made the King of Kong movie probably is a douche bag just like you say... but I'm sure that most filmmakers are not the most pleasant people to be around. And Billy Mitchell doesn't strike as someone who's usually pleasant to be around either. His only real claim to fame is the Geico commercials.

[rbudrick]

I've never met Mitchell, but what I've seen and read of him, his reputation of arrogance, pomposity, and conceitedness holds true and knows no bounds. This is why he is the greatest videogame boss ever. He is indeed a real world super villian; one your puny, worthless powers of good shall never, ever defeat. Bowser, Red Falcon, Ganon, and all other bosses are all pussies compared to Mitchell and bow down to him in servitude as the reigning king of darkness.

-Rob

[MachineGex]

For some reason, everything associated with Twin Galaxies strikes me as arrogant and irrelevant.

Has Twin Galaxies ever fixed all the problems with emulation and the PAL/NTSC issue? I never took those records seriously because of the claims of cheating. If they haven't fixed those problems, I don't see how anyone could take those records seriously. I mean beating a game on a console/system is far different than emulation. I never understood how they could allow scores from emulation and mixing PAL/NTSC scores seem silly also.

[Rob2600]

So much for the "King of Kong" outcome. ... In front of an audience of hundreds, including Twin Galaxies Senior referee Todd Rogers, Mitchell scored 1,050,200 points – a new world record.

If that's true, how come twingalaxies.com lists Steve Wiebe as number one? Go here:

http://www.twingalaxies.com/index.as...&gi=3852&vi=22

[InsaneDavid]

If that's true, how come twingalaxies.com lists Steve Wiebe as number one? Go here:

http://www.twingalaxies.com/index.as...&gi=3852&vi=22

Reading is fundamental...

"The accomplishment, backed up by video tape of his gameplay, provides further supporting evidence of his record," explains Walter Day, Chief Scorekeeper at Twin Galaxies and editor of Twin Galaxies' Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records. "After two top Twin Galaxies referees-- all experts at Donkey Kong -- have reviewed his tape, we will publish the highlights of his accomplishment on the Twin Galaxies website at www.twingalaxies.com."

[Rob2600]

Reading is fundamental...

Originally Posted by XYXZYZ:
"The accomplishment, backed up by video tape of his gameplay, provides further supporting evidence of his record," explains Walter Day, Chief Scorekeeper at Twin Galaxies and editor of Twin Galaxies' Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records. "After two top Twin Galaxies referees-- all experts at Donkey Kong -- have reviewed his tape, we will publish the highlights of his accomplishment on the Twin Galaxies website at www.twingalaxies.com."

Billy Mitchell supposedly set the new Donkey Kong record on Friday, July 13, 2007. Almost six weeks later, Sunday, August 19, 2007, Steve Wiebe is still listed as having the highest score. How long does it take two guys to watch a video tape? Or did they already watch it and decide the footage was unusable?

[Snapple]

So what's going to happen to the King of Kong documentary?

Something tells me it won't get a DVD release after this.

That's ridiculous. It's supposed to be an entertaining documentary about two guys fighting over Donkey Kong. Whether the record stands or not doesn't change that, and I'm still going to see it.

I don't know about King of Kong being a "mess." DreamTR clearly has personal issues with the guy who made the movie, but the film got a lot of praise from the film festivals where it was shown.

[Gapporin]

Billy Mitchell supposedly set the new Donkey Kong record on Friday, July 13, 2007. Almost six weeks later, Sunday, August 19, 2007, Steve Wiebe is still listed as having the highest score. How long does it take two guys to watch a video tape? Or did they already watch it and decide the footage was unusable?

Why don't you see for yourself?

And if you still have doubts, here's an 8 page on thread on the subject, from the TG forums.

[Rob2600]

Why don't you see for yourself?

And if you still have doubts, here's an 8 page on thread on the subject, from the TG forums.

Seeing as how this has recently become such an important, high profile score, shouldn't the judges at twingalaxies.com make reviewing Billy Mitchell's video tape a priority? It's been over five weeks. What are they waiting for?

Regardless, as of today, August 19, 2007, Steve Wiebe is officially listed as having the highest score in Donkey Kong.

[s1lence]

Maybe no one has updated the scores over at Twin, but I think its pretty evident that Mitchel has the record again......

[megamaniaman]

Guess what Steve Wiebe has just struck back and reclaimed his world record. The way this is going we may have a King of Kong 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAIUb...hp%3Fid%3D6983

[Technosis]

Well I just checked Twin Galaxies website and Billy Mitchell still holds the Donkey Kong Jr title, so that makes them 1 for 1. Oh yeah, neither of them hold the Donkey Kong 3 title, so how about a winner take all challenge on DK3? !

[kainemaxwell]

There was an article about this in USA Today (or was it one of my local papers?) last week.