Tuesday, August 10, 2010
by Ben Silverman
August 9 4:33 P.M.
Based on his portrayal in the breakout documentary "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters," classic game expert Billy Mitchell isn’t exactly the world's most likable guy. But at the International Video Game Hall of Fame's inaugural event, he proved that when it comes to video game chops, he's still tops.
Mitchell reclaimed the official Donkey Kong world record by amassing 1,062,800 points in the legendary barrel-hopping platformer, putting him ahead of former record holder Hank Chien by a mere 1,100.
But he didn’t stop there. Shortly after setting the new Kong mark, Mitchell went after the ape's lesser known son, racking up 1,270,900 in Donkey Kong, Jr. to claim that record, too. It took Mitchell 2 hours and 42 minutes to set the Donkey Kong mark and 3 hours and 58 minutes to top Donkey Kong, Jr.
Why go after both records? You could say Mitchell was just caught up in the moment.
"I remember a lot of celebration; hugs, kisses and a lot of hooting and hollering," he said in a release. "Once that died down, I stood there looking at Donkey Kong Jr. and thought 'there's one more thing I have to take care of'."
In "King of Kong," Mitchell was portrayed as the bad guy of the competitive classic gaming world, snubbing up-and-coming rival Steve Wiebe, a math teacher from Washington. Wiebe traveled to numerous locations to play Mitchell at Donkey Kong, including Mitchell's home town, but Mitchell repeatedly refused to participate in an organized match.
Undaunted, Wiebe beats Mitchell's existing Donkey Kong record in the movie's closing scenes, a record that would stand until Mitchell retook the crown in 2007. Chien stepped into the pair's to-and-fro battle by taking the crown in February, and his record stood until Mitchell's recent triumph.
Labels: