Anyone seen King of Kong?

edited March 2008 in Chit chat
It's a full-length documentary made last year about an attempt on the world record for arcade Donkey Kong (which has stood since 1982).

It sounds boring but I can assure you its not. It's about a guy who was laid off by Boeing and whilst out of work came across the Twin Galaxies website and thought that he could beat the Donkey Kong record.

It's a fascinating study of rivalry and is really worth watching. Some of the geeks in it are so obviously geeks its funny. It highlights the current record holder as a bit of an arrogant bastard to be honest, although I've since read that the film deliberately portrays him in this light.
Post edited by Vampyre on

Comments

  • edited March 2008
    I've heard of it, but I've not seen it, or at least I don't think I have? I may have watched a few mins of it on youtube, whilst I was in the midst of doing something?

    I dunno.

    I'll watch it one day I'm sure, as I like things like that even if they're only worth watching once just to say you've seen it basically.
    Every night is curry night!
  • edited March 2008
    ping pong balls? i though you said king kongs balls!!
  • edited March 2008
    Seeing the movie has got me interested in these records so I've just had a look at the Twin Galaxies website to see if there are any for the Speccy. I put in a few games (MM, Knight Lore, Atic Atac) and nope, there are none at all.

    If you've seen the film you'll know that Twin Galaxies is now recognised by Guinness as the official world record hosts for video games. That means you could get your name in the Guinness Book of Records! I might send them an email and see what rules we have to adhere to (judging by the film, a video recording is required) - I wouldn't mind my name in that book!

    Hmm! How about loading Jetpac and camping on the plane level for a couple of days? That should give a pretty high score!
  • edited March 2008
    Vampyre wrote: »
    If you've seen the film you'll know that Twin Galaxies is now recognised by Guinness as the official world record hosts for video games. That means you could get your name in the Guinness Book of Records! I might send them an email and see what rules we have to adhere to (judging by the film, a video recording is required) - I wouldn't mind my name in that book!

    Hmmm, I'm thinking SPIN, rollback, cheating at world records, haha! Rollback will become the steroids of the videogame olypics :lol:
    Every night is curry night!
  • edited March 2008
    It is quite fun to watch but boy oh boy theres some super geeks in it. One of the guys who spends hours and hours watching the VHS tapes to see if records are being set is 100% a virgin and lives with his parents still (hes about 40 odd).

    That Billy bloke with the stupid hair, hes so arrogant its quite funny. Still think the bloke who set that record should have spent more time with his kids who were crying out for attention than constantly playing Donkey Kong non stop just to set a record !
  • edited March 2008
    I just wanted to punch that geek who was on Billy Mitchells side and was phoning him every five seconds whilst Weibe was attempting the record.

    Oh, and when Mitchell walks into the arcade and responds to Wiebe's "Hi Billy" by saying to his wife "There's some people you just don't want to talk to." I wouldn't have blamed Wiebe for getting off his stool and smacking him one - what an arrogant wanker!
  • edited March 2008
    Vampyre wrote: »
    Oh, and when Mitchell walks into the arcade and responds to Wiebe's "Hi Billy" by saying to his wife "There's some people you just don't want to talk to." I wouldn't have blamed Wiebe for getting off his stool and smacking him one - what an arrogant wanker!

    See my wife thinks I'm a bit of a nerd cos' I play retro games, but I still live the life of a human being which means I'll probably never in my life ever again be good at games like I used to be when I was a kid, because sometime in my teen years I was fortunate to not be some grotesque anemic fatty who locked himself away in a 8x10 room playing Doom all day. I actually unplugged on occasion, which meant I became a normal person.

    If some full blown freak said something like that to my wife at some place like that regardless of the cameras or the location I'd have sparked the bastard out right there and then. Sometimes there's a place to be smarmy and a bit clever, but using someones wife at an event to disrespect your opposition is stupidity.

    The only thing I can think motivated him is that he thought he was actually some kind of important person in the real world, because he was good at Donkey Kong, which in reality is very sad and deluded.
    Every night is curry night!
  • edited March 2008
    I actually unplugged on occasion, which meant I became a normal person.

    What are you doing here then? :-P
  • edited March 2008
    Aspiring to...
    I wanna tell you a story 'bout a woman I know...
  • edited March 2008
    karingal wrote: »
    Aspiring to...

    You mean "conspiring against...!" :o

    *hides behind the couch*
  • edited March 2008
    I became a normal person.
    Then I went back to my seat emptied the contents of my bag on the floor, and put the bag over my head and zipped it closed around my neck, and I sat through the entire lecture with it on my head.

    C Nonsense in BASIC, 0:1 :D
  • edited March 2008
    Ha ha! Good one XTM of TMG :grin:
  • edited March 2008
    If some full blown freak said something like that to my wife at some place like that regardless of the cameras or the location I'd have sparked the bastard out right there and then. Sometimes there's a place to be smarmy and a bit clever, but using someones wife at an event to disrespect your opposition is stupidity.

    Sorry, I made it sound like he said it to the other guys wife when he in fact said it to his own. Still totally out of order though.

    Apparently Billy Mitchell is quite successful outside of videogames. He owns a restaurant franchise and has some hot-sauce that is distributed globally, so he's not short of a bob or two.

    I've read up a bit more on the film and it seems that the director/producers to dramatise the story really painted Billy Mitchell as the bad guy and Steve Wiebe as the underdog. The film makes out that they only ever meet in that arcade but according to many that is not true - they had met and played against each other many times. There's obviously a lot we don't see so you have to take some of it with a pinch of salt. It's still a fascinating study of rivalry though.
  • edited March 2008
    Shows that money doesnt breed intelligence. Why on earth does he have that crazy mullet and that weird 'pointy' type hair ! Bizarre look
  • edited March 2008
    XTM of TMG wrote: »
    C Nonsense in BASIC, 0:1 :D

    Oi! I am normal, I am, I am.

    Well as normal as can be expected :D
    Every night is curry night!
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