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Guinness reinstates Billy ‘King of Kong’ Mitchell’s world records
Guinness World Records reinstates Billy "Video Game Player of the Century" Mitchell's 'Donkey Kong' and 'Pac-Man' records.
Billy Mitchell is taking his ‘Donkey Kong’ cheating saga to court
Former Donkey Kong world record holder Billy Mitchell is taking the scorekeeping organization Twin Galaxies to court.
King of Kong remake has a new script, penned as a mockumentary
Director Seth Gordon launched his first major film back in 2007, King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, and has since gone on to a successful career in directing several feature films and major television shows. He's even pinned to the forthcoming remake of '80s hacking classic, WarGames. His next move, however, could be a return to the documentary that launched his career, with Gordon telling The Playlist that he's still hard at work on a New Line Cinema-backed remake. Bizarrely, said remake may actually take on a mockumentary feel. Gordon credits his recent television work as inspiration: "There's a few different avenues. I've done some work on 'Modern Family' and 'The Office' and have worked in this doc style, and so that inspired me to say, instead of doing a traditional narrative feature script, what if we did the remake in the doc style?" Black List contestant Melissa Stack penned the most recent draft of the script, which Gordon takes as confirmation that the project is still "quite real." We can't imagine Billy Mitchell being too responsive to direction in Gordon's remake, but then again that tumultuous interaction could turn out to be a hilarious documentary unto itself.
Billy Mitchell opens 'King of Kong' arcade at Orlando airport
Apparently, Billy Mitchell isn't too concerned with his portrayal as a professional bastard in the acclaimed gaming documentary, The King of Kong: A Fist Full of Quarters. The film's star-spangled villain has opened up a "King of Kong Arcade" in the Orlando International Airport, which possesses the aesthetic charm of the film -- yet, puzzlingly, there's not a Donkey Kong arcade machine to be found within the joint. We can't fathom why the machine is absent -- but, if we were to guess, we'd assume that Billy doesn't want his establishment to sire any more potential usurpers of the high score throne. Check out the video after the jump for a brief tour of Billy Mitchell's decidedly modern airport arcade.
Hank Chien reclaims King of Kong title
This is one of those stories we scarcely need to report, as we're sure you felt it somewhere deep in your bones, but there's a new (old) King of Kong. As the unmistakable feeling of the tectonic plates shifting below your feet will attest, the honor was taken by plastic surgeon Hank Chien with a Donkey Kong score of 1,068,000 in two hours and 45 minutes. Chien takes the title from Steve Wiebe (1,064,500) who took it from Billy Mitchell in September (1,062,800) who took it from Chien (1,061,700) who won the title in March of 2010, besting Mitchell's 1,050,200, which had stood for three years. In related news, Joystiq has recently broken its own record for "Most Stories About the Donkey Kong High Score in One Year" and you don't see anybody writing a frigging blog post about that.
Steve Wiebe publicly attempting to best his own Donkey Kong high score
After much back and forth earlier this year, currently, Steve Wiebe is sitting comfortably atop Twin Galaxies' worldwide leaderboard in Donkey Kong. But that's not enough for Chicago's Logan Hardware. The soon to be re-opened hardware store has hired Wiebe to not just teach a Donkey Kong class, but also to spend nearly five hours attempting to best his own high score on January 15. The public is free to attend the attempt, whereas the class costs $12 -- if you're looking to snap a pic with Wiebe or to have him sign your ultra limited edition laserdisc copy of King of Kong, ponying up the $12 is probably your best option. If that weren't enough, Logan's throwing in a free t-shirt and the chance to ask Wiebe what he really thinks of Billy Mitchell's hot sauce brand. And, surely, the answer to that last question is priceless.
Billy Mitchell's tie makes cameo in Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong Country Returns developer Retro Studios doesn't just have a knack for successfully rebooting beloved Nintendo franchises, it's also got a wicked eye for bold fashion statements. For instance, the star-spangled signature necktie of Donkey Kong high-score contender Billy Mitchell (pictured right; from The King of Kong film) must have ensnared the attention of somebody at Retro, as the familiar pattern managed to sneak its way into DKC Returns, hidden in the backdrop of World 3-2 (pictured left). Now, if only the developer could have found a way to sneak in Mitchell's undying admiration of hot sauce, or, you know, his overall winning personality.
Steve Wiebe is the King of Kong again
Billy Mitchell must be pissed. The certified "Video Game Player of the [20th] Century" has lost the Donkey Kong world record -- again -- to longtime rival Steve Wiebe. Wiebe nudged Billy's July 31 record of 1,062,800 points with a masterful 1,064,500-point effort, achieved on August 20 and confirmed today by score authority Twin Galaxies. The two rivals memorably starred in the 2007 documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. Hank Chien, who ever so briefly enjoyed the limelight, falls to third on the all-time leaderboard. [Pictured: Billy Mitchell; photo credit: Joshuah Bearman]
There is a new King of Kong
Sorry, it's not a sequel to King of Kong, the documentary that showed the battle between ruthless Billy Mitchell and nice guy Steve Wiebe to become the world's best Donkey Kong player. This is a new guy on the scene, 35-year-old plastic surgeon Hank Chien, who's just taken the world record in the game according to Twin Galaxies with 1,061,700 points after a two-and-a-half-hour session. Chien says he expects that the honor will keep him "pelvis-deep in cocaine and highly-desirable sexual partners for all of my days." Or at least we bet he was thinking that.
Ottumwa, Iowa says it's the world video game capital
You, of course, know Ottumwa, Iowa as the birthplace of actor/raconteur Tom Arnold and M*A*S*H*'s Radar O'Reilly. But were you aware that it's also "The Video Game Capital of the World"? It's true! How did they nab such a lofty distinction? Well, basically, they just called it yesterday afternoon. Yeah, that's apparently all there is to it. Just calling dibs. The next step they want to take on is, apparently, building a Video Game Hall of Fame.Their basis for the claim? Billy Mitchell scored a Donkey Kong world record at an Ottumwa arcade in 1982. In fact, you can now see that machine for yourself, as The Mitch donated it to the city yesterday. Book your summer holiday early folks! [Via GamePolitics]
Steve Wiebe to go for Donkey Kong hi-score at E3
Amidst the lights, glitz and elbows to the face at this year's E3 will be Steve Wiebe, who will use the spectacle as the backdrop for his latest attempt to reclaim his Donkey Kong arcade scoring title. Wiebe will take joystick in hand June 2nd at the show, marking his fourth attempt to break the record since he was outscored by fellow quarter jockey Billy Mitchell at the end of manufactured biopic, King of Kong. The undertaking will be nationally televised by G4 as audiences crowd in front of their sets, pining for a chance to catch a glimpse of Wiebe's sweaty palms and maybe, just maybe, the classic's infamous 'kill screen.'
Joyswag - The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
You know we loved it, you know the critics loved it, but unfortunately we're not in control of every movie theater in the US (... yet) so we imagine the vast majority of you didn't have a chance to catch King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. Thankfully, the democratizing influence of the DVD format will be felt when the film comes out next Tuesday and, as great as that is, it still wasn't enough to appease the persnickety staff here at Joystiq. No, we'll only be happy after we mail out five copies of the DVD to readers of the site which (lucky for us and our group therapy bill) is exactly what we're doing! Well, not just like that, of course there are rules: To enter this giveaway, leave a comment on this post letting us know if you approve or disapprove of Billy Mitchell's righteous mullet. (We totally approve.) You must be a US resident, 18 years or older. (We don't make the laws, folks, and we feel just as indignant as you do ... we think.) Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day. If you enter this giveaway more than once a day you'll be automatically disqualified, etc.! This entry period ends a week from today at 1:59pm ET next Friday 2/1/08. For complete rules you can crochet on a throw pillow, click here (and if you do, be sure to share your needlework with us)
Last minute Halloween costume idea: Billy Mitchell
If you're still searching your soul (and your closet) for a last-minute Halloween costume idea, then you could probably do a lot worse than dressing up as Billy Mitchell. Or, as Mr. Awesome likes to call him, "Silly Bitchell".If you want to talk cheap gaming costumes, then check out MTV's Multiplayer blog. Looks like all you need access to are a mullet-y wig, facial hair and a patriotic necktie of some sort. Plus you need to have attitude in spades and the ability to drop cheesy lines left and right. You can accessorize with bottles of hot sauce, arcade tokens, and a sneer.Halloween on the cheap. Get a friend to dress up like Steve Wiebe, and you're set.
King of Kong opens in four cities today
Supporters of game-based movies have had to suffer through a lot in recent months. Dead or Alive, Postal and the DVD release of Game Box 1.0 have all assaulted our senses and our sensibilities since the start of the year. Now, finally, a good game-based movie has come along and, unfortunately, it's only viewable in five theaters nationwide.The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters opens today in New York (two theaters), LA, Seattle and Austin, Texas. The movie's limited release extends to seven more cities next week and four more the week after on its way to eventual release in 25 total cities.Reviews of the film continue to be overwhelmingly positive, with only one bad review among the 25 currently listed on Rotten Tomatoes (not quite 100% fresh anymore, but still close). If you want to encourage quality, non-fiction video game film-making and you're lucky enough to live in one of the above cities, vote with your wallets and buy tickets for the opening weekend. You'll be glad you did.
Chasing pellets: Pac-Man tries to make history again
Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Champion Carlos Romero (Pachuca, México) var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/xbox_360/Chasing_pellets_A_profile_of_seven_Pac_Man_champions'; On Monday, Microsoft was struggling to generate interest in the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship partly because those in-the-know had kept their mouths shut about the Iwatani-made Pac-Man sequel to be unveiled during the event, and partly because, well, this was just Pac-Man. Fearing that the championship would be ignored -- and the game announcement unnoticed -- Xbox 360 group product manager Aaron Greenberg let it be known that "video game history" would be made through a surprise revelation during the competition. Though Greenberg would later back out of his overstatement, word had spread, rumors ignited, and, for a moment, all eyes were watching for a megaton out of SupperClub in Manhattan's Times Square. The news came and went with a few groans and a shrug.But someone was listening with eager anticipation last September when Microsoft announced plans to co-host a Pac-Man World Championship with the game's creator Toru Iwatani. Most of us were too busy tracking Sony and Nintendo's last-minute moves to notice -- just about everything Microsoft dragged overseas to Tokyo Game Show seemed irrelevant at the time. But when Microsoft again talked "World Championship" in mid-April, this time with a date and details, a few more ears perked up and a few more Xbox 360s were sold (yeah, just for Pac-Man -- and just a few). And then, on Wednesday, April 25th, some of us started competing.
Billy Mitchell ain't no 'son of a gun,' ex-champ speaks on King of Kong
Billy "Video Game Player of the Century" Mitchell has broken his silence, speaking out against the documentary The King of Kong, which casts the former Donkey Kong high score holder as the film's villain. "I guess they paint me as a son of a gun," reflects Mitchell, who hasn't seen the movie. He guesses right.Mitchell and cohorts recently spoke to MTV about Seth Gordon's reality-based film. Gordon and crew whittled away more than 300 hours of footage to forge a playful drama detailing Donkey Konger Steve Wiebe's journey to the top of the record books -- all, of course, at the expense of Mitchell's image. And, according to former Twin Galaxies referee Robert Mruczek, The King of Kong is also "full of holes." For example, Mitchell and Wiebe had rubbed shoulders back in 2004 (before the documentary was filmed), during the Classic Gaming Expo -- they even played Donkey Kong! Whereas, the film implies that Mitchell has avoided almost all public interaction with Wiebe and has shied away from playing Donkey Kong in his rival's presence. More surprising is that Billy Mitchell wasn't even the Donkey King high score holder at the time shooting for the movie began. That honor had belonged to no-name Tim Sczerby, who is conspicuously absent from Gordon's film.It's easy to confuse documentary filmmaking with fact-based accounts. But don't be fooled, these cost-effective movies can be just as contrived as VH1's next B-list reality gimmick. Unfortunately, the "actors" can end up being the victims. But maybe Mitchell should heed a friend's advice and cash in on his new reputation. America loves its villains ( ...and loves to pay to see 'em villainate).
Joystiq review: The King of Kong (film)
Truth is stranger than fiction. And while it needs to be threaded by a capable hand, even Donkey Kong can be woven into a compelling canvas that examines the comically-profound idiosyncrasies that drive human competition. The King of Kong, director Seth Gordon's first feature, is a remarkable film that documents the little-seen niche of competitive gaming, as waged on '80s-era, coin-op arcade machines. "That ape is very, very cunning, and he will do what he needs to, to stop you," warns a Funspot regular, squeezed into a t-shirt emblazoned with a geeky kung fu joke. The same could be said of Billy Mitchell, the film's antagonist, a blown-dry Machismo americanus and heir to the Rickey's World Famous [Hot] Sauce empire. Mitchell (above), whose 3-letter high score handle (typically one's initials) is U-S-A (notice the Liberty tie?), is stiff and threatening, at least to the mild-mannered circle he maintains a firm grip on. He regards his "Video Game Player of the [20th] Century" title as a symbol of patriotic heroism. Speaking of symbols, Mitchell's wife's cleavage is paraded on screen like a tangible manifestation of his ballooned ego, which is predictably deflated by Gordon's touching narrative of the first true challenger of the Donkey Kong high score; a score set by Mitchell more than two decades ago.
Video game documentary premiering at Sundance
A documentary detailing the 1982 World Video Game Championships will be hitting the screens at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. It's called Chasing Ghosts or Rulers of the Galaxy depending on which source you read (Variety calls it Chasing Ghosts, but the Sundance site calls it Rulers of the Galaxy. They probably had to change the title since a film called Chasing Ghosts was released last year starring Michael Madsen) and is directed by Lincoln Ruchti ... perfect for an Xbox Live Marketplace download, right?The movie focuses on the championships held at the Twin Galaxies Arcade in Ottumwa, Iowa, which was declared the "Video Game Capital of the World" in 1982 by the mayor of Ottumwa, and then later made official by the governor at a special ceremony in 1983. So, if you've been wondering where the capital is, now you know. Start planning your trip now. It also stars top video gamers like Billy Mitchell and Darren Olsen, and contains plenty of retro-gaming action.Twin Galaxies opened in 1981 after founder Walter Day toured over 100 arcades in four months, recording high scores on all the video games, and then brought them to his arcade as the "Twin Galaxies National Scoreboard." Although the arcade closed down in 1984 (wow, video game capital of the world doesn't hold much staying power, does it?) they still track high scores. Check out their Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records published in 1997. In today's day and age they live on the web, where you can search to your heart's content on their site. For instance, we just found out that Donald Hayes set the current official high score of 589,350 for Frogger in 2005. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.We'll be checking the flick out at Sundance and talking to cast & crew, so look for that in January.
TGS: XBLA Pac-Man World Championship in '07
Microsoft and Toru Iwatani (he's the creator of Pac-Man) announced plans for a World Championship where the top 10 Xbox Live Arcade ranked Pac-Man players in the world will be flown to New York City to do battle. There'll be cherries and pretzels flying everywhere folks, it won't be pretty. There's not much info yet except that the contest will begin in "early 2007" and will presumably be won by someone with a lot of free time and abnormal reflexes.Initial response: Will players be allowed to use their own controllers? What if the one of the top 10 players was rocking something like this, and the others weren't? It's no secret that the otherwise stellar Xbox 360 gamepad has a serious weakness in the D-pad department. Weak D-pad or not, just make sure Billy Mitchell (pictured) doesn't get his robotic mitts on an Xbox 360 between now and then, or you can kiss your chances of winning goodbye. Perfect. Score.Microsoft's TGS press briefing:XBLA hits Tokyo with Contra and friendsXbox 360 to add 1080p support, PS3 to lose bullet pointHD-DVD add-on hits Japan Nov. 17th for ¥19,800Blue Dragon hits Japan this holiday
