Go see The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

[jpj]

Well - this doc's getting a June DVD release in the UK. I blagged an early copy and did really enjoy it. I think when it's authenticity/balance did come into slight question was at the point when they simultaneously realised they could play up the comedy side, and that they were there as the story was happening.

They obviously played up Billy Mitchell as some kind of oddball (which he really does seem) and Wiebe as a real wholesome good guy (which I also felt was true), but the doc didn't take itself too seriously as it developed so I felt it got away with a slight un-centered balance in favour of humour and a little drama.

They also got some magic moments, (like the TG founder whispering into Wiebe's ear about 'Mr Awesome' turning up, and the same guy doing his 'music'). Some of the talking heads were great too.

What really struck me is how much like an oddball cult Mitchell and his gang at TG are. Like that terrifying little self-proclaimed 'prodigy' slimeball and Mitchell's demeanor as some heaven-sent messiah. Creepy, but I loved watching it.

I particularly loved the guy who wore a glove and played marble madness with his feet. I'd be his friend!

Mainly though, it struck me how into 'America as the whole world' they were. too wondered what they'd make of Hey arcade, and if they'd ever seen a proper shmup. Are they right that Donkey Kong is 'the hardest game there possibly is'? Surely not? I admire TG's enthusiasm and dedication alot, but they seem pretty introverted.

Are they that respected by any of you?

it's an awesome movie. i'm really tying to track down chase the ghost (sp?) and bang the machine now, but no joy.

this is my sig on cave-stg: (walter day)
I wanted to be a hero. I wanted to be the center of attention. I wanted the glory. I wanted the fame. I wanted the pretty girls to come up to me and say 'Hi... I see that you're good at Centipede'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5Q3JgNQARs

fucking legendary quote. and trackball dude (pegger) is plain hilarious. here's him talking about crystal caaastles (full version; dvd edited it down a bit):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3zQtURu4pY

christ, i'd forgotten about "Mr. Awesome"

as for the whole "world record" thing, as there isn't a single organisation that deals with every country, it should just be referred to as TG Record (or North American Record), and Arcadia Record (or asian record), etc. i respect them for what they did during the eighties though. their mistake has been trying to move with the times (and failing).

while the movie ends on a good note, billy beat steve's score by about 1k before the guiness book of world records came out. 1,050,xxx i think.

it doesn't mention though that steve DID beat billy's dk junior score (at the same time that he first overtook billy's score on DK- which was "disqualified" or whatever). that's why you see steve playing on a dk junior cab right near the start. go steve!

oh, and the clip with billy in the supermarket is well funny too. that dude is just a quote factory.

and regarding the difficulty, they say it's *one* of the hardest games ever made. specifically, that the average credit on DK lasts less then 2 minutes

& Yes jpj he IS 40 !

[Udderdude]

There is a wonderfully insular Giga Wing thread over at the TG forums that you should read. They all just meander through games patting themselves on the back and awarding world records to each other.

Imagine this forum minus google, youtube, superplay, anyone who doesn't speak english as a first language, and your pretty close to what planet they are on.

I don't know much about these guys, but if they are as hilariously inept as you say, it would be even more comical to start posting superplay vids on there and watch their jaws drop .. and/or pretend they don't exist. :O

[jpj]

i was interested in beating their super puzzle fighter scores, 'til i saw that the rules allow PAUSING THE GAME.

um, what?

[Lordstar]

yeah thats pretty much them. Like world records mean anything. You see the one in the UK with the most people dressed as a computer game character?

I'm fairly confident that theres been more in one place than they had then.

[spadgy]

yeah thats pretty much them. Like world records mean anything. You see the one in the UK with the most people dressed as a computer game character?

I'm fairly confident that theres been more in one place than they had then.

I know the people who set that PR stunt up. Bloody embarrassing really...

[Daigohji]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0GFCzMk ... re=related

I know there are a fair few parents on the forums. Guys, is it normal for a kid to be of an age where he can walk around the house, talk coherently, but be incapable of wiping his butt?! Seriously, if ever proof were needed of the satanic origin of children, it would come in that hoarse shriek of, "Don't play Donkey Koooooong! Wipe my buuuuuutt!" I can just imagine the blazing-eyed demon-goat cackling with smug satisfaction at the work of his infernal spawn.

[freddiebamboo]

i was interested in beating their super puzzle fighter scores, 'til i saw that the rules allow PAUSING THE GAME.

um, what?

[Ed Oscuro]

the game shouldv had a pause button

"Don't play Donkey Koooooong! Wipe my buuuuuutt!"

Somebody drop a bomb on their house now.

[Hulkcore]

I liked this film a lot. I've been referring to it as the best sports movie I've ever seen. As someone who doesn't really give a shit about TG and world records, I found it to be a very fun ride with a very satisfying ending.

[Shatterhand]

There is a wonderfully insular Giga Wing thread over at the TG forums that you should read. They all just meander through games patting themselves on the back and awarding world records to each other.

Imagine this forum minus google, youtube, superplay, anyone who doesn't speak english as a first language, and your pretty close to what planet they are on.

I don't know much about these guys, but if they are as hilariously inept as you say, it would be even more comical to start posting superplay vids on there and watch their jaws drop .. and/or pretend they don't exist. :O

They will claim the players of those videos cheated and will disqualify the video.

[postman]

Just saw this on G4, and even if you aren't into professional gaming, it's a great movie. What it boils down to is two different attitudes in life: win at all costs or play by the rules.....

I'm dying to make a shmups parody version of this now.......maybe featuring DJ Incompetent

[spadgy]

Just saw this on G4, and even if you aren't into professional gaming, it's a great movie. What it boils down to is two different attitudes in life: win at all costs or play by the rules.....

I'm dying to make a shmups parody version of this now.......maybe featuring DJ Incompetent

Me, DEL and a few Casino Arcade faces like Craig, Jon, Wayne and Sun went to the UK launch event for this last night. It was good fun, but pretty obvious the PR/marketing guys who had done the event weren't used to running game events. There was a DK play-off, on a big screen, but it was the NES version and we had to play through a pad. And they chose and MC who simultaneously disliked videogames and the gathered crowd, which quickly thinned.

Still, there were worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon, and there was a free bar for a very brief period!

Out of the top eight players to make the final, four were from our arcade, or ex-members of the arcade, but we still got beaten by a guy claiming to be a drunk newbie that DEL thinks was a secret expert player. To be honest he can't have been that newbie, but I'm sure he was drunk!

[bakaichi]

It's a fun movie anyone can enjoy it, I know I did, and it really doesn't matter if it's up to date or if it is a real world record. It may be some sort of documentary but it doesn't take itself to serious.

[DEL]

Me, DEL and a few Casino Arcade faces like Craig, Jon, Wayne and Sun went to the UK launch event for this last night. It was good fun, but pretty obvious the PR/marketing guys who had done the event weren't used to running game events. There was a DK play-off, pn a big screen, but it was the NES version and we had to play through a pad. And they chose and MC who simultaneously dislike videogames and the gathered crowd, which quickly thinned.

Still, there were worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon, and there was a free bar for a very breif period!

Out of the top eight players to make the final, four were from our arcade, or ex-members of the arcade, but we still got beaten by a guy claiming to be a drunk newbie that DEL thinks was a secret expert player. To be honest he can't have been that newbie, but I'm sure he was drunk!

RE: The Donkey Kong Battle Party in the East End last night.
It was a damn shame that they had the contestants playing on a PAD ! Craig kill screened all 256 stages of Donkey Kong in 1983 (in under two months), but he's an arcade player and has never used a pad.
The MC was funny, but made it clear that he was more into weed and rapping than video games.
I'll link up some film footage when it surfaces. There's an on screen challenge to Billy Mitchell from Wayne "Billy Mitchell I'm coming for you! Donkey's Kong's not my game, its Pac Man, I'm coming for you!"

[DEL]

It is a Proud Day!

Twin Galaxies wrote;

Miami, Florida - June 3, 2008 -- Billy Mitchell, Video Game Player of the Century, has attained a goal that few gamers will ever enjoy -- he has been chosen by TOPPS as the first video game player to appear on a TOPPS gum card.

[Ed Oscuro]

With the gum stuck right to his face?

[postman]

Anyone who saw the movie will appreciate this:

http://www.retroblast.com/20080602637/L ... Sequel.php

[spadgy]

With the gum stuck right to his face?

Or tangled in his beautiful, glossy hair....

[escadrille]

Fun doc. Anything that delves into some kind of "nerd" subculture is entertaining (e.g. Trekkies).


I can't speak to how they are in "real life" but Billy Mitchell and his TG fanboys come off as the grossest asshole losers ever.

Mind you, when Billy first saw the film he was probably just thinking "I'm so cool. My hair is sweet!"

[JoshF]

Speaking of TG fanboys, I remember someone on MARP say that the Donkey Kong record was most import and hardest to achieve and screw Japanese record holders because as far as he is concerned all the shooting and fighting games are the same game.

[spadgy]

Anyone who saw the movie will appreciate this:

http://www.retroblast.com/20080602637/L ... Sequel.php

That was genius. Certainly a bit naff, but I bloody loved it!

[DEL]

JoshF wrote;

Speaking of TG fanboys, I remember someone on MARP say that the Donkey Kong record was most import and hardest to achieve and screw Japanese players because as far as he is concerned all the shooting and fighting games are the same game.

If the Donkey Kong record is the hardest to achieve, then how come my mate Craig managed to 1 credit to the kill screen in under two months in 1983.

I have posted Craig's 1983 kill screen achievement on the Twin Galaxies forums. I'll be keeping an eye on how the news is received (considering he's not an All American Hero like Billy ).

[postman]

If I had an American flag tie, I could win @ video games too

[DEL]

Thanks for the link postman http://www.retroblast.com/20080602637/L ... Sequel.php

I have that exact same American Flag tie. Good for peacocking in bars.

[jpj]

just been lendin' this badboy on dvd, and the extras are just amazing. my favourite three at the moment are:

"pacman... if you go to zimbabwe and say WOKKA-WOKKA, they know what you're talking about!" [robert myruzcek]

joel, aka the Xybots freak. loves the game so much, he walks IN REAL LIFE like he exists on an isometric plane see him making 90 degree turns and walking backwards in the supermarket

and the fucking legend that is burger time

"they're watching you. they're always watching you. you think you're safe...but you're never safe. if that pepper isn't tight... i'm gonna know about it."

lent it out to about 10 people so far, and three thought it was a movie

might have already posted this, but has anyone got any info/links on:

High Score
Chasing Ghosts
Bang the Machine

?

[adversity1]

Bang the Machine

?

The studio who made it was wiped out on 9/11.

Apparently the only copy of this movie is hoarded by the admins at shoryuken, who show it once a year at the Evolution tournament only. There are apparently some 'rights problems' with releasing it, which is probably nice talk for uh...OURS!

[undamned]

Finally watched this, last night.

I was mortified when the guys who were "verifying" Steve's PCB were content to discredit his score because of a little gummy spot on the board? If these guys knew a crap about PCB's they'd know that you can't verify a game just by looking at it. You'd have to dump every ROM and compare it to a factory board to verify it. All those TG guys need a good crotch punching.

For those who didn't notice, Billy claimed the high score once again after the film was released (by a mere 1,100 points... that's gotta hurt).

Steve Weibe on Late Night, mentioning this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F85Uy2yWsGg

What really struck me is how much like an oddball cult Mitchell and his gang at TG are. Like that terrifying little self-proclaimed 'prodigy' slimeball...

This kid needed a few extra crotch punches.

"Don't play Donkey Koooooong! Wipe my buuuuuutt!"

I would be so mad if my kid pulled that while I was recording a superplay!

For those of you who haven't seen the film, it's up on youtube (9 parts): [removed links, 'cause it's still copyrighted material]
-ud

[Lordstar]

Bang the Machine

?

The studio who made it was wiped out on 9/11.

Apparently the only copy of this movie is hoarded by the admins at shoryuken, who show it once a year at the Evolution tournament only. There are apparently some 'rights problems' with releasing it, which is probably nice talk for uh...OURS!

Yeeeah bunch of bellends if you ask me. something like that should be shared with the world.

[iatneH]

Thanks for the YouTube links, UD.

This Billy dude seems like an egocentric twat. I can't believe that "prodigy" kid (who agreed, needs a crotch punching) wants to hang out with him. If somebody handed me a tape of his video game world record and told me it's worth more than my life, I'd tell him where to stuff it.

Hats off to Mr.Weibe for being a true sportsman, and F U to Mr.Mitchell. Fight with honour and win humbly and graciously, or lose with dignity.

[caldwert]

Funny to see someone else say it, but I thought the same thing about the roms. If you guys are so hardcore, dump the fucking roms and verify them, or put the roms up for download that are the set standard for the record so everyone has the same version, but then again that'd make too much damn sense.