The King of Kong

[Sparty]

Great, great documentary. Its almost like watching a 2 hour version of "The Office".
Only, these people are the real deal and its based in the retro gaming world.
Like all great documentaries, the filmmakers got extremely lucky. The film takes many hilarious, thrilling, and emotional turns.

While, Im confident that most people will thoroughly enjoy this film, it has become something more for me.
I found that I had a ton in common with main character of the film (Steve Wiebe), and this movie has become a kind of meditation for me.

Anyway, check it out when you get a chance.
http://imdb.com/title/tt0923752/

[Winnow]

I heard good things about this awhile back but couldn't locate a copy to watch. Will look again!

[Fairweather Pure]

Rumor on the street is that this is already slated for a major studio remake with lots of big names wanting to play one of the 2 leads. I guess it hit all the right buttons with some VIPs.

[Sparty]

Not that I would know, but this can easily be found on the news groups. Im sure theres a torrent out there as well.
I also heard the feature film rumors. I think it could be a slightly above average comedy in the vain of Talladega Nights and Blades of Glory, but I can almost guarantee that it wont do the documentary justice. The documentary to me is a masterpiece.
In my first post, I didnt really credit the director, but he did do a wonderful job of laying this movie out.
yay!

My name is Sparty

[Dregor Thule]

Saw this on your recommendation, Sparty, and was quite entertained. It really did have a bit of everything. Drama, comedy, competition, extreme embarassment over some human beings..

[Show]

I checked out that Twin Galaxies website and looks like Billy "the Creep" Mitchell is back in first.

http://www.twingalaxies.com/index.aspx? ... 3852&vi=22

Interestingly enough, it says that his score is with a referee there, not via video. Hmm! King of Kong 2??

[Winnow]

Steve Wiebe > Billy Mitchell

Good documentary. Nice recommendation Sparty.

This is a great one for old school (and I mean old) gamers. I felt for Wiebe as the documentary went on as they did a great job of fleshing out his life.

[Show]

Billy Mitchell is a huge cock. He's incredibly arrogant yet backed up nothing.

Twin Galaxies as a whole, were asses to Wiebe. I think they only apologized in the end because they knew the documentary would make them look like bafoons if they didn't.

I still remember exactly where I played Donkey Kong! It was just inside the Base Exchange to the right in a little room that held four arcade games. I could make it past the first screen but that was about it. I remember the first level barrel navigation pattern though and could see it as they played. : ) Star Castles over at the Bowling Alley was my game! (as was Asteroids and later the little known Food Fight game)

Worth watching if you come from that era and even if you don't kinda.

[Aslanna]

Was interesting.

[Show]

That was pretty bogus that they invalidated Steve's original score he submitted yet had no trouble instantly recognizing Billy's score especially considering the dodgy tape with the static over the score. What were the odds of it happening at that exact point where it rolled over? Oh I'm thinking pretty damn low.

That Billy guy is an egotistical ass. No other way to put that. If you've watched the documentary you know it's true!

[Sparty]

Just some spoiling observations.

[Show]

This is my first ever spoiler, so I hope it works. Anyway, yeah, Billy Mitchell is an absolute deutsch. It baffles the fuck out of me that these people exist (Mitchell and the Twin Galaxies gang). Or, at least that they all found each other. My girlfriend compared them all to a bunch of gossipy high school girls, which I though was funny.
Its not so much the fact that these guys were so nerdy that baffled me. Im pretty nerdy myself.
Its mostly the immature, gossipy, and conniving behavior of these fellas that threw me for a loop. With that said, I found each and every one of them extremely intriguing and interesting. Ide much rather have a beer with one of the Twin Galaxies guys, then just another shitty uninteresting frat boy/girl with no brain. Steve, the one guy in the film who seemed sincere and genuine, or course gets bullied. Its just hilarious that the bullies are a bunch of retro gaming nerds.

[Boogahz]

Anyway, yeah, Billy Mitchell is an absolute deutsch. It baffles the fuck out of me that these people exist.

What do you have against ze Germans?

[Sparty]

Lol, meant duesh!

[Aslanna]

Douche?

[Sparty]

Thank you, my god im an douche today.
I certainly wouldn't want to offend the Germans. They are wonderful people im sure. As their track record shows. I kid, I kid.

My name is anyone have a bag?

[Boogahz]

Thank you, my god im an douche today.
I certainly wouldn't want to offend the Germans. They are wonderful people im sure. As their track record shows. I kid, I kid.

My name is anyone have a bag?

nur für dich

[Sparty]

Bless you.

My name is Sparcastic

[Fairweather Pure]

Good flick. If I were that Wiebe guy, I would've lost it a long time ago and been kicking so much nerd ass they would've made my documentary into a goddamn snuff film. Seriously, if some motherucker is going to sit 2 inches behind me during my record breaking attempt at Donkey Kong and talk to me even once, I am going to have some issues.

My wife really didn't care for the movie. She thought the whoe thing was pretty stupid, and full of people she didn't like.

Btw, the extras on the disc were really good. It had a part explaining all that has happened since the movie was released in theaters. These two are still going at it apparently. Mitchell is the current record holder by setting a new record, in public, in 2007. Wiebe just failed to beat his score on 3/6/08, despite getting a kill screen.

In the aftermath of this attempt, the two Donkey Kong stars still stand at 1,050,200 (Billy) and 1,049,100 (Steve), with only 1,100 points separating them.

To get a kill screen they say it takes almost 3 hours. These guys are nuts.

8/10 Highly enjoyable for anyone who has ever worked thier ass off for a score, level, or any other intangible video game goal that no one else gives 2 shits about.

[Fairweather Pure]

I edited my above post that didn't have text and it didn't bump

[Spang]

I had no idea what a kill screen was, so I looked it up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_screen

Donkey Kong also featured a kill screen in the 22nd stage, the 117th screen. This is an example of a kill screen that is not due to an integer overflow in a level counter, but a different oversight on the part of the designers. The amount of time allowed for any given screen is determined algorithmically during play, decreasing slowly as the player progresses. By the time the player reaches the 117th screen, the algorithm that determines the amount of time at the start of the level results in overflow, which causes the time to be set so low that there is simply not enough time for the screen to be completed.

I want to see this documentary.

[Spang]

I want to see this documentary.

I saw it.

[Show]

Billy Mitchell is a douchebag.

Also, great documentary.

[Aslanna]

If you haven't seen King of Kong, I won't spoil it for you. Let's just say that Steve Wiebe has a Donkey Kong record he'd like to claim. And at E3, he's taking a crack.

All the relevant authorities will be on-hand - including arcade score-keepers Twin Galaxies - as well as TV types G4, so if Wiebe is able to break Billy Mitchell's record, there'll be no disputing it. He'll be the undisputed King of Kong.

The attempt will be made on June 2. Good luck Steve!

[Spang]

I hope Wiebe breaks the record and Billy Mitchell dies of dysentery.

[Keverian FireCry]

Awesome!

[Winnow]

He's getting old. The reflexes got to go at some point!

I hope he does well though.

[Lynks]

[Show]

Billy Mitchell is a douchebag.

Looks a lot like the review I told my friends.

[Show]

I wanted to punch this Billy guy on the nose by the end of this.

[Winnow]

Billy Mitchell is once again the King of Kong!

http://kotaku.com/5607238/billy-mitchel ... and-jr-too

On the day he was to be enshrined with the inaugural class of the International Video Game Hall of Fame, Billy Mitchell was once again certified as the world record holder in Donkey Kong - and also Donkey Kong Jr.

The certifications, timed to coincide with the IVGHOF's "Big Bang" celebration this weekend in Ottumwa, Iowa, returns Mitchell to the top spot in Donkey Kong with 1,062,800, and gives him the Donkey Kong Jr. crown with 1,270,900. Twin Galaxies, the global sanctioning authority for video game high scores, certified Mitchell achieved the marks at Boomers-Grand Prix Arcade in Dania, Fla.

Mitchell's Donkey Kong record unseats Hank Chien, whose 1,061,700 took the top spot in early March. The Donkey Kong, Jr. record tops Mark Kiehl's 1,253,000, which in April topped Mitchell's rival and fellow IVGHOF inductee Steve Wiebe in a back-and-forth.

In a statement released by Twin Galaxies, Mitchell said that he originally intended to beat the Donkey Kong score, then decided to go after the Donkey Kong Jr. mark on the spur of the moment. "I remember a lot of celebration; hugs, kisses and a lot of hooting and hollering," Mitchell said. "Once that died down, stood there looking at Donkey Kong Jr. and thought ‘there's one more thing I have to take care of'."

His time on Donkey Kong was two hours, 42 minutes; on Donkey Kong, Jr. it was three hours, 58 minutes.

Mitchell evidently quit his Donkey Kong game immediately after beating Chien's mark. Asked why, Mitchell said: "Some say I'm being cocky. Some say I'm being lazy. I say, I'm being Billy Mitchell."

Reading the comments on Kotaku, some are saying the Billy is a weird, self centered, egomaniac but that he's not as bad as the Movie made him out to be.

[Aslanna]

Mitchell reclaimed his title in July with a score of 1,062,800. This month, Steve Wiebe beat Mitchell's score by hitting 1,064,500.

Fuck you, Billy!

[Winnow]

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.

Wiebe's got it back!

[Aslanna]

omg I just said that!

[Winnow]

[Aslanna]

And the drama continues!

Billy had all his scores taken away. Supposedly the tapes he submitted were of him playing via MAME. He recently released a statement saying he'll prove all his scores were legitimate.. I look forward to seeing what that entails!