There will always be the argument ...
Belive me some of them are a lot of fun.
Believe me, some are very funny.
Videogames are meant to be played at home.
Relaxing on the couch, between friends.
and they are, and that's fun.
But to play for competition ...
If you want to get the world record...
When you want you name written in to history...
You have to pay the price.
With this it's like me and the machine
Doesn't matter If you let me down...
Or if somone else doesn't come through.
I can always go out there, I'm in control.
I am glad that it touch on this. We think it is important.
Everybody, even grandmother ...
Games, checkers, cards, Present and past.
Show me even a nun or a hermit
Who has not played cards or checkers.
I do not drink. Do not smoke. I do not take drugs.
I play video games
Which I think is a far superior addiction
Than any of the others.
I wanted to be a hero.
I wanted to be the center of attention.
I wanted the glory. I wanted fame.
I wanted the beautiful girls to say ...
"Hello. I see you are good at Centipede ."
I have somone draw a analogy for me once
that I always remember.
The top French pilot in World War One shot down 24 enemy planes.
The top american pilot, you don't know his name do you?
Nobody knows, But it is Eddie Rickenbacker.
He shot down 26 enemy planes.
The best German, the Red Baron.
Everyone knows the Red Baron.
That because he shot down 87 enemy planes.
I mean he was the best.
There is a level of difference between people...
And it translates into some games.
Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Defender ...
These are the games that caught the public eye.
These are the games that people cared about.
If you want to be knowned as being world class.
You gonna master one of those games.
I like its simplicity ...
And that's what you will probably hear from lots of people that like retro games
They like simplicity.
Those games challenged eye and hands coordination...
Mind, body coordination
Fast reaction time and comprehensive thinking
On a level at which modern games don't..
Memorisation and pattern recognization is key.
For you to get a single point further
in an old game from the eightes
Meant a large increase of skills.
If you do not know the next pattern coming up...
in a tron cycle event you will lose your life.
Only the die hards, who for some reason...
really loved those games, continued to stick with them.
What we have done is that had mayor tie up the entire street...
so the Life magazine could come to town...
and photographed the world's greatest video game players...
Who have been flown in specially for this Life photographic session.
All these great superstars are coming from North Carolina ...
California, Canada And many other places ...
To be photographed as the official world champions...
On many different games.
That was the first time Two world-class players ...
Went head-to-head for a competion. Was in Life magazine.
Without a doubt I met players that were among the best in the world.
And maybe even with say or do whatever they could
To make people believe They were the best in the world.
Well, at that time ...
He had the world record on Centipide.
But also at that time...
He had the world record on Donkey Kong .
But we didn't know that, because someone else...
was invited to Kansas City ...
Who because of a claim they had made
It was pressumed they were the Donkey Kong Champion.
Donkey Kong was the one that I first lied about.
He had submitted a bogus score ...
And I finally met him there with Life magazine...
And I finally sat down to play him.
We have not been there long and Bill said "Come on, let's play."
I went in to the arcade and sat down with Donkey Kong
And beat him to a pulp.
Well, I was better than the best.
I got 200 000 against Bill.
Bill got 800 000 on his first man in that game.
He shalacked me.
Basically he walked away with his head down and humbled.
And that brought him to the truth.
and from there we worked together.
Well, the Bible proverb says
"that iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another"
Bill made me a better person...
And did so by making me confess.
I pointed out to Steve that he is the person he is today
because he came under the wrath of Bill Mitchell.
In front of the 19 top players in the nation ...
actually, North America ...
He did the highest Donkey Kong score possible
And found out that the game ends on the 22 board.
Since I so called debut on the scene
in Life in the magazine in 1982 ...
There hasn't been anybody who played even close.
When Billy Mitchell walks in to an arcade...
You know, everything stops.
There is electricity around Billy Mitchell.
Everybody want to crowd around him.
Everybody wants to see him.
You know, everything about him is perfect.
Billy is just that person. He wants to represent.
If you could hack in to the machine
an programmed it to play it self
you couldn't even programme it that well.
There is a glamour to Billy There is a specialness to Billy.
He was the first great, great player.
The fact to the matter is...
Bill IS THE best classic arcade gamer of our era.
It has actually carved a part of my personality.
It benefits me every day.
A burning passion for never settle with what I have.
In my buisness, in my family.
That is what we compete has done for me.
He is a winner.
Billy Mitchell is absolutely a winner.
It's sort of like being in a maze...
But everything you see is actually sauce.
The all-around most seasoning person
In the hot sauce chicken wings industry. Yeah, for sure, me.
There is a production end of it. It's the preparation.
When there is a sales end of it...
There is not somebody who accomplishes
all those areas like me I never met.
He sells is hot sauce and himself.
Because he's so charming And a good ambassador ...
For all gaming because he is positive.
There is no reason in my opinion why Billy Mitchell couldn't end up on weenies box someday.
The video arcade classic has finally been conquered.
On July 4, on a New Hampshire arcade...
34, Billy Mitchell, Became the first person...
To master Pac-Man By recording the first ever perfect game.
To get through every board, getting every dot
Every energizer, Every ghost that applicaple...
To reach to the final 256 screen without dying?
It's impressive, in it's on rights.
The success was not just because someone got a perfect pacman score.
But because Billy Mitchell got a perfect pacman score.
If I have allthis good fortune. If everythings rolling my way.
If all these balls have bounced in my favor ...
There is some poor bastard...
who is getting his screws put to him.
When I got laid off. And had time on my hands
I was thinking: "What can I do? ...
To kinda feel that I have control of something?."
I looked at the website Twin Galaxies.
Well, I typed in Donkey Kong world record
Some scratchy came up and saw what the score was.
It was held by Billy Mitchell it was like 874 000.
and I go: "yeah, I can beat that."
We're almost there.
I am not the kind of wife that's needy. That I need him sit with me on the couch every night.
I don't need that.
What I need is himbeing in the house helping me with the kids
or I need him being with the kids.
So he would want to come out here to play
And that would drive me crazy. He is definitely OCD
When he is obsessed with something...
He is so focused and I have to be like "Hello!"
So then I just said: "You will have to it at night."
Is level 2 easy?
Yes, it's pretty easy.
I've dreamed of being a musican for a living.
That what's my dream was.
It was brought back to me, he was smart...
...he was an athlete, he was talented...
and, for whatever reason, he could never get those to fit.
Steve was one of the original starving grunge bands
Here in Seattle, just starving.
The only people who came to see him was us.
With his music it's almost like...
he didn't want people to know he was doing it.
He is a total paradox.
He has maybe a little social hangups here and there, that...
that haven't allowed him to be as succesful
in one end as in other ends.
They got to the state finals, and Steve couldn't pitch.
I have probably seen Steve with tears in his eyes
More than any other guy I know...
becuase of the frustration that build in him.
and half the time it was on the pitching ground.
He had hurt his arm. I had pitched him too much.
I was the manager of the team.
It was a chance for him to shine in front of thousands of people.
That killed him that he couldn't pitch,
Because it is that competitiveness in him.
I envisioned him as an engineer at Boeing.
My dad worked for Boeing 30 some years ...
And the plan was to go to Boeing and be a "lifer".
As they call them.
But things didn't work out.
I don't know if he told you he was laid off the day we bought our house, yeah.
He never have quite reached that pennacle.
He never quite in any of his endevours
Was regaled as the number one guy.
That was better then the rest.
And was on top of the mountain.
Oh, has just come up short in a lot of things in his life
And just I think, you know ...
nobody wants to do that all the time.
It has my highest score saved up there, since last.
What plunged me in to competitive gaming
never to come out, was Donkey Kong.
Donkey Kong . Well that was THE first ever Mario game.
The whole thing is a construction sight.
There are all these girders and elevators with ladders.
Going from one girder to the next.
The whole goal the whole time is to get passed the obstacle
that Kong is throwing at you. And get the girl.
Donkey Kong is, without question, is the hardest game.
it's ridocolsy diffucult on the first screen.
Donkey Kong is relasing these barrels.
You got to jump over the barrels.
You got to duck to the barrels.
You can grab a hammer, and hammer the barrels.
Well, the secret about the barrel board
is that you can actually control the barrels.
It's just above this ladder...
Turn a quick left then a hard right.
See how it went down, it went down again.
We got to get passed all the barrels,
get up the ladder.
and as soon as you get to her
Donkey Kong takes her away to the next level.
The average Donkey Kong game does not last a minute.
It's absolute brutality.
Each of the 18 elveator boards
...represents the greatest challenge in video game playing.
The average gamer of Donkey Kong...
Will never get passed the third elevator stage.
The slighest touch from one of these springs kills you.
There is no hammer for them, there is no way to defeat them.
All you can do is avoid them. That's it.
The secret to the third elevators
is knowing which spring to go on.
And knowing which spring to move up the ladder on.
And recognizing when to you must retreat.
If you don't time just exactly right you will die.
It boils down to hardcore skill.
So I go on that one,
Because it is lined up with the dashed line.
I now I'm waiting for one to line up with the sawed line.
I have said that from the day I met Steve
that his talent is in his hands.
he pitched. He played basketball.
He is a fenomal drawer.
And if you ever seen pictures of his drawings...
But he is very artistic.
It's operating on some subconcious level with him, I think.
When we were driving to Kansas or whatever family trip.
He would sit there for over a 100 miles with bang his head
Four-four times against the back of the seat.
Five, six, seven, eight, nine ...
Well I have often thought that maybe he is a little autistic.
It's just this obsessive compulsive...
Becuase he would get something on his mind.
He wanted to play drums
I do not know where he got that idea.
This is Dereks drum set.
And is's not too bad.
It's does the trick.
The actual gameplay involves so much eye, hand coordination,
mind and body coordination
Fast reaction time and comprehensive thinking.
And such a high level of precise execution
so much skill...
involve so much learning
you have to have deep comprehensive intelligence.
For years and years it was believed...
that Billys record of 874 000 in 1982
was really the highest score anyone would ever get.
In fact, some of us have played this game...
Every day, or week, or every month since then
and no one has gotten even close to that.
No one across that big length of time
will never be able to beat his world record.
Derek, look. You are on TV.
Do you see all? Say Hi.
No.
I was having the game of my life
I think 600 000, and I haven't died yet.
And I started hearing som noises
coming downstairs screaming...
It's all on tape.
That's the tape I had to send in to Twin Galaxies.
Everything in all about...
by practising transcendental meditation...
And I like to see that mirriored
In the way I apply myself to the videogame world.
that I seek to find champions
And watch them grow and become even greater...
as they begin to unfold more and more of their full potential.
Which is what we do when we do TM!
If Walter, through all these years since 1982 ...
Would not have continued as a labour of love,
then there would be no central orginaztion for competetive video game playing.
Why do we do it? Because we love this.
Because we enjoy this. We are fascinated by this.
it is just something in our genes,
That my group, Twin Galaxies, raise the bander high to do this
And move orginized video game playing in to the future.
Walter opened the door...
But at the very least national competetive gaming.
We just happened to call it Twin Galaxies.
The name burst in to my brain.
Walter Day didn't do that by accident
He didn't get lucky. He created his own empire.
Joining us again for videogame news update,
I am Walter Day ...
At the Twin Galaxies international score board.
Being the warying thing being the score keeper
Because I really get picked on you know.
Because I am the man, you know? I am a police officer.
Video games need a guy like Bush who will say:
"Look, this is the way we're going to do it"
"This is the rule, and if you don't like it, tough".
You got to have that.
If you didn't have it in football, Who would win?
How do you declare a champion unless there are rules?
and if you break em, you lose.
The best features about him is also his biggest downfall.
People can just run over him beacuse he is so nice.
Twin Galaxies survives becuase people like Walter ...
Like Robert. People like me...
Who participate all for a passion of competitive gaming.
Nobody draws a paycheck.
I do not see details. I see big pictures, you know?
I see the big concept that lies behind the whole issue
and then I tweak that.
I can't do details and details.
Twin Galaxies needs a staff of detail orientated people
like Robert.
Anything that is unexplanable, out of the ordinary ...
We have to keep our eyes out for it.
that is not to say we are infallible.
When I have to watch that pile of eight tapes over there
For Dwayne Richards two days Nibble performance...
that is 48 staright hours of paying attention...
To make sure that he is doing everthing correctly.
Package from the Metroid team in Brazil ...
Some Atari 2600 records.
I got to watch that.
These things take time to verify.
And I have to look at every single one of these.
like I showed you over here.
This is just 200 video tapes. That's nothing.
This is the real stuff that I have to do.
I see world records set in my room just about every single day.
Some people think a world record is what is set at the olympics
Or at the end of a baseball season.
I see this every single day. An not just sometimes once.
It's exciting.
Yes, almost.
That's actually good.
Derek, stop it. No.
Stop playing Donkey Kong .
-- Is Derek? -- Stop playing Donkey Kong .
I'm gonna throw away you're rest if you don't stop it.
Somebody has acchomplished something...
That not only I can't do ...
But nobody else has done before...
And it's exciting to see that first hand.
That's how you play Donkey Kong .
Welcome back.
Bill Gates is not necessarily The most famous ...
In Redmond tonight.
Coming up, you're going to meet the man who is at the top of his game
A Donkey Kong world record.
He was a big celebrity there for a bit in Seattle.
I just thought it would be a good achivment. I didn't think it would blow up to be a big story.
I'm like: "Oh, my God!".
Although it was this silly video game thing
It's not many of us who has a buddy
Who is the best in the world at something.
That was a godsend to him that lasted a couple of years.
We are at Kamakin Junior High...
And this is the seventh and eight grade science classroom
This is my first year of teaching...
And has been a challenge, But very enjoyable so far.
I went to the city university...
Which had a program for one year master's degree ...
And so we roughed it out for a year.
And here I am today, so it finally worked out.
It's fun and he's not making it so, like:
"This is is science. This is boring."
he talk to us about stuff thats not just
like homework and schoolwork
Well, here is...
My history with Donkey Kong Is that I have the world record.
Well, I did not know it was a world record.
it's for Donkey Kong? Oh my...
There ... It's ...
All science teachers here are wierd.
Steve deserves a lot of credit for that...
because he also
also broke the record of Donkey Kong Jr.
He took two of Billys titles
right away from him.
I don't mean to sound, you know, crude or anything.
Bu he did, he did, Officially, he did.
He was the last world record that Bill ever had.
That was the last one to go.
He had five records in 1985 ...
He had the Donkey Kong and then Steve Wiebe took it away.
It is far more difficult when you are on top
anyone who's on top, to stay on top.
Billy has a lot of things up his sleeves.
He likes to keep quiet in situations like that.
So you know somebody may have taken him down now
but behind closed doors Billy has something planned.
That's Billy Mitchell.
In my phone it says: "Never surrender."
If someone beat his record ...
He have a plan to beat it back.
I am sure.
The worst thing that could happen ...
To give someone the credibility of a score ...
That doesn't deserve it.
But even far worse than that would be to deny somebody
the credibility when they deserved it.
If I am not there, I don't know.
Get this.
I came home one day And there was two people in my garage...
looking at my machine.
They wanted ...
They were spies.
It was a Saturday in July or August.
My mom was here. and I was getting ready to go to work.
These guys knocked on the door...
And I don't think I knew they were going to be here at all.
They said who they were ...
And they wanted to come in to look at the machine.
I knew I had to leave and I said ...
"I'm not comfortble in letting you do that"
"I have to go to work. My mom is here."
Steve is going to be home shortly.
You just need to wait.
To find out at an ultra elite level
wheter or not a score is good.
Sometimes we have no choice to call in the pros.
Brian Kuh, the Donkey Kong player
Went to Steves place.
Bill asked me to do it.
But I had no time to do, so Brian did it.
I went there with one of the most respected player of all time,
Perry Rodgers to back him up.
Billy Mitchell and Twin Galaxies asked me to
because I live in the area near him ...
to go investigate in it.
So we went out to his house.
I mean I'm the home owner. It is my house.
I am the wife of the Donkey Kong guy.
They should have respected my wishes...
And left my mom alone and not come in, but they didn't.
They took apart his Donkey Kong machine
And started taking pictures of everything.
Trying looking for an excuse...
to try invalidate a score.
They saw this box
That has Roy Shildt return adress on it.
They looked over and they said
Roy Shildt? Why is that name on there?".
Roy Shildt is the type of gamer that would like nothing more
than to see Twin Galaxies get an egg on it's face.
I want you to remember that no punk bastard ever
Got a narly piece of poon tang.
By being sensitive and considerate.
He calls himself Mr. Awsome.
He drives the Awsome mobile to fame and fortune...
As it says on its website.
He is jealous of Billy Because Billy get attention from beautiful
women wherever he goes.
Basically, he wants to be like Billy.
I have seen the world champion cherry spitter on the Tonight Show
with Jay Leno.
And if that guy should be on the Tonight Show
At least I could be a celebrity for a day.
I did not even get that. I did not receive recognition.
I didn't get to be on any television show.
It's like I was a ghost...
And I just don't feel it's right.
I just want a little recognition.
not neccecarly to become a celebrity.
Hey, Billy. How you doin'?
- How are you?
I'm perfect. Haven't you read?
Twin Galaxies does a lot to promote Billy.
It is very much to Twin Galaxies advantage
And very much to the whole gaming hobby advantage
for Billy to become a star.
When Walter Day published that book in -97 ...
With all those agredous errors in there
Bill Mitchell saw it.
He knew they were wrong. He knew they were mistakes.
But he tried to pretend that they were real ...
To take my Missile Command score down.
Roy and I met California Extreme
And I knew that I had the capabality
to beat Billy in Donkey Kong .
Steve Wiebe is the one who unlocked the
secrets of Donkey Kong.
To figure out how to get a million points.
He offered to buy me a board, a Donkey Kong board...
because mine had been broken.
I did not have the money.
So it was a mutual beneficial relationship .
He would buy me a board.
I would have the opportunity to beat Billys record.
And at the same time I would take Billy down.
And seek Roys revenge on Billy.
And it seemed good at the time, you know?
Unknowing to me I didn't know the history
beetween the, bad blood, Roy and Billy.
To attempt something like this for the sole purpose of
taking down one of Bills scores
Is like... a slap in the face.
They would say I somehow monkeyed with the board, or something...
But wouldn't have any evidence.
They looked at the board,
they took pictures of the board.
and they couldn't find anything wrong with it.
The right gummy substance
On the right chip, out of all these chips.
On the right spot On the right board
I mean I have to say there is a conspiracy here.
Any board that's worked on, could have a problem.
To find out that this gamer potentially
Have a fraudlent score has upset Billys master plan for what he wants to do.
I mean when you come home and see two guys in your garage
And you know why, and you have learned why
they are there, you gotta stop
From a guy like Bill Mitchell, I mean, you know...
Who has done crazy thing after crazy thing
After next crazy thing, you know?
Billy Mitchell was one of the evaluators ...
Which seems a little strange.
That the guy whose records Steve is competing against
is deciding whether or not Steves record are valid.
Even if that board is a completely legimate board
Roy taint on it is too strong.
"Roy is liar, Roy is a cheater"
"Roy Shildt is full of crap, Roy is out to get me"
"He's crazy, blah, blah, blah, blah."
Well, he has threatned Bill Mitchell physically.
Hey, in fact, he has threated Bill Mitchells life.
No, I did not. I did not. I did not.
He threatened his own life to make it look like me...
For... To gain leverage...
With the other... The other people, I don't know.
He figured
He knows that my Missile Command score is genuine.
No matter what I say, It draws controversy.
Sort of like the abortion issue.
If you're for it, you are a son of a gun.
If you are against it, you are a son of a gun.
Eh, I am not God, I don't have all the answers.
So I have to be careful how I share my opinion.
Roy was trying to help me out...
And I accepted his offer.
I just, you know ... It was just too bad...
That association with him...
I never thought that would hurt me.
We could not accept a pretender board so to speak.
So we could not accept the score.
I would encouarge Steve just to leave that board behind
Leave Roy behind and only play on other Donkey Kong machines...
like the one at funspot, for example.
To me most important is you travel to a sanction
location like funspot
Eh, that makes it official.
If tomorrow Tiger Woods goes and golfs a 59, big deal.
If he does that in Augusta that's where it counts.
He has never really certed himself in a way
that I think he should.
It's been just disappointed so many times
You kinda just throws you're hands up and go
"Well, let's move on to the next thing."
Everything would have fell right in to place
But he forgot about one thing...
Convincing Steve Wiebe not to be a chump.
I didn't think twice about sending them to back east.
I was like: "Absolutley go kick some ass."
Hello. My name is Justine Barker And I am Miss Winnipesaukee.
Welcome to the seventh annual tournament ...
Museum of Classic Games Funspot in the USA.
Funspot has become the best recognized place world wide
For those who want to set a world record on a classic game.
Funspot is the Mecca Of the classic arcade games.
That place is awsome.
Funspot is the primere place...
Where media comes to mix with the superstars.
You don't see a lot of DDG...
Which is rotten gorgeuos if you don't know, Girls...
Who are playing the games.
The worlds best players of classic games.
Are coming to do what they do best.
Play well.
Very recently, just a few months back...
I turned 30 and I retired...
And I moved here to New Hampshire.
I live right close to Funspot.
I play games at funspot every day now.
When I have 10 pieces of bacon
I'm gonna have four hardboiled eggs.
I'm going to have three pancakes...
And hopefully to play some great games.
Here, I am in my garage.
We're gonna give Billy Mitchell a call...
see if he's up to a challenge at Funspot.
Let's go ahead and dial him up.
Hi. You've reached Bill Mitchell.
Sorry I'm unable to take your call.
Please leave your name and phone number...
And I cal you back as soon as possible. Thanks.
I got a phone message.
Hello, Billy. This is Steve Wiebe.
Just calling to see how you are doing.
I'm hoping everthings OK with you.
I'm just seeing what your plans are for Funspot.
Walter Day invited me out there.
I wondered if it be cool if we could
maybe, kinda, have a friendly competion.
I help a lot of people who wants to go to contest.
When I look at diffrent people who are my favorites.
Who'd I wanna help, she is at the top of the list.
-- Surprise. -- Oh, my god.
And at the right age of 80, She's gonna go to Funspot...
And she's going to set a world record on Q'bert
Okay.
-- That's the challenge. -- Oh, right.
-- Is it agreed? -- Yeah.
All right.
We have a Donkey Kong machine here...
that Funspot purchased...
And it may be a little tougher to play here.
People complain about getting too many wild barrels.
Although it is a totally a random element
Eh, if you're going to set a score you come to Funspot
And set it on their Donkey Kong that everybody knows about.
They won't give me my record
So they have urged me to come out and do it live.
I think it is cooler to do it live to so...
I'm pretty amped up about Donkey Kong.
Because I am a serious contender on Donkey Kong .
I have been trying to beat the score
that Billy Mitchell got back in 1982.
Nicole, she was stressing me about
being home this weekend with the kids, without me.
She's pretty sick of the Donkey Kong thing.
It doesn't seem to die.
This is a big weekend, I really hope...
that this fellow shows up
Because he like to tell you that
he is the Donkey Kong champion.
And, um, the fact to the matter is
All of us have not seen him play Donkey Kong.
Nobody really noticed me at first, I was kinda looking
who I'd pay
the money to get in the tournament.
I recognized Robert Murzack.
He's got 30 second away from dying.
So I pretty much walked over to the Donkey Kong machine.
Well, we might have a good story.
It looks like the mysterious player...
On the west coast, Steve Wiebe are here ...
Eh, playing Donkey Kong .
So maybe I'll stop watching the tournament
And we'll go over to see him.
-- Hello, Walter. -- You did it man.
Yes.
No, I do not think so.
A week or a few days ago.
Steve, apparently as I understand...
Is here right now...
To prove to everyone that he gets what it takes.
But you know with Donkey Kong, it's a little random.
You could, um, bad luck With the barrels.
With the fireballs.
with the transport or elevators.
Because that's a tough machine.
People think that the machine is possessed.
Even Bill thinks it's possessed.
But, um, if Steve pulls 850 000 or hisgher...
On this machine, that's a good score.
Billy Mitchell is the champion.
I guess that makes me the prodigy.
So we got the prodigy against the newcomer.
You can make a comparison between an athletic event and
With this, because this is, you know ...
This is four days of alertness
And paying attention and, um, you know ...
Not as hard as doing a decathlon or a triathlon ...
But still very, very hard.
Would you like to respond?
It's Funspot.
Hello?
Hello, Brian. How are you doing?
Steve Wiebe walked in...
so I've been over at the Donkey Kong the whole time.
Eh, what do you think?
Eh, I gonna be, um, you know, playing...
Over Steve Wiebes shoulder.
All right. I talk to you later.
-- Ok. -- bye.
Bye.
Brian Kuh came over. It is one of the guys that
came to my house that fateful afternoon...
To check out my machine.
We are about to pass 520 000 On one man.
So we really have, ah...
A memorable game here at the Funspot tournament.
Maybe I'll skip dinner and
and squeeze in a game.
And come back with a score on there.
-- Enter Brian. -- Yes.
That ape is very, very cunning ...
And he will do what he needs to, to stop you.
I could'nt get up fast enough and it got me on the left.
I scored 229 000 points.
Pretty weak game, considering I have played a few already.
A little bit half of what Steve scored
And Steve is up again.
Okay. You'd said you start with Qbert .
You dedicated time to
You said you give up some of you other vices ...
In order to practise.
We're not gonna lose, were not gonna be dissappointed.
We are going there to win.
But I have one project One thing far more important.
What I need you to deliver is this
What is this?
It is the score they wanted to see for a long time and
I've held it far too long.
You give it to Robert or Walter.
You can lose your luggage, But don't lose the tape.
I'm doing it just for the fun of it.
When I do an actual score I do it in person.
He's a very devious person
He works things out to his ends very well.
We are really seeing a great game here.
Hey, almost ... Eh, Steve Almost lost a man right there...
At the end of that court.
He got a lucky break
The randomness went the opposite way that it usally goes.
And, eh, Steve is still going here.
Steve Wiebe is on his second man.
He's at 696 000.
-- Who is this? -- What? This is Steve Wiebe.
-- I won't bother you any more. -- No problem.
-- I wanted to say welcome. -- Yes.
-- Yes, equally. -- Agreed.
He could beat if he
he got to have a really good game.
I don't think he knows the tricks that Billy knows.
But I hear he is really good at the escalators stage.
Well, right now Steve Wiebe has 870 000 points ...
On an active game of Donkey Kong.
Hey, if clears a few more boards
he's gonna have a shot at getting to the kill screen.
As far as I know ...
No one has ever acheived the kill screen
On the Donkey Kong machine at Funspot.
Numerous classic games all have something in common.
They have an end to the game play.
There is not quite enough memory For the final board.
It is called the "kill screen" Because, basically ...
There is no way to finish the level.
At som sort of random data or code inside the program
Ends up getting used for what you see on the screen.
Donkey Kong is really strange, it actually lets you play
the kill screen level for about five seconds or so.
Everything looks normal ...
And, suddenly, Mario jumps and dies on you.
The people who could get, besides myself,
That have been seen getting to the end of Donkey Kong...
Gee, now that I think about it I don't think anybody has.
If anybody want to see there
is a Donkey Kong kill screen coming up.
There is a Donkey Kong kill screen coming up.
If anybody wants to watch.
You got to be able to perform in the show ...
with someone who is a contender.
Staring straight at you, staring at the game.
Possible even playing mind games with you.
I mean, it's part of being a champion.
You have to overcome it.
There is a potential Donkey Kong Kill Screen if you wanna watch.
I can tell you he's not on my side.
He is a disciple of Billy.
He's gonna have to play it perfectly.
He is at the hardest part at Donkey Kong.
And, um, you know, It's not gonna be any easier.
So we may have an exciting moment here.
Or, you know, the pressure might get to him.
One of those random element might happen.
Sounds like he just cleared another board.
Or we could have a wild barrel. Or some aggressive fireball.
I thought I was gonna be the first Funspot kill screen.
And the I had three fireballs trapped me.
I had the hammer in my hand, they still got me.
So anything can happen at Donkey Kong.
So for someone else to beat me to the kill screen would be a let down.
But let's see what happens.
Maybe he'll crack under the pressure...
And maybe I'll get my chance to do it first.
There is a Donkey Kong kill screen coming up
If anybody wants to see it.
Hey, Todd, if you are interested ...
There is a might be a Donkey Kong kill screen...
In a couple of minutes.
I think the energy kind a hit me,
I feeling kind a like a zombie.
In the middle of the game.
But towards the end, I got...
A little bit of a natural rush going from the crowd.
And the excitment.
So that kind a boosted me
And put me over the top, to complete the game.
The kill screen kicked in.
This is the highest Donkey Kong score done in public.
Hey, Walter Day stated that this
was the highest score ever done
and this is the first kill screen achieved
On Funspots machine.
Steve Wiebe has become the third person
to reach a Donkey Kong kill screen.
This is completly hard verification.
You know what I mean?
There is nothing stronger than having it be done
in front of a crowd.
The process it's stands for itself.
He did in front of all of us, and this solves any kind of
doubt that there have ever been.
Now you will get all the praise you deserve
and that's just the way it is.
And guess there was kinda like an impron to
the press conferance
After the score happened.
There were cameras during the game.
There were cameras on Steve Wiebe.
There were cameras on the crowd looking at Steve Wiebe.
There were a lot of other witnesses in the crowd.
And people watching it, so ...
We have a verified score on a legitmate Donkey Kong machine.
for Steve Wiebe now.
We just got off the Internet
Where a log on the front page of Twin Galaxies ...
The news story that Steve Wiebe Just scored 985 600 points ...
Which essentially recogonized
is officially a first place score.
So he have been announced as a world champion.
We'll see what happens now with Steve
putting the pressure back on Billy Mitchell.
Thank you.
I think it hit him pretty hard.
Thank you for voluntering your phone
this was an important call...
Oh, no, no. I understand.
Yes, I can imagine.
He probably wasn't real thrilled.
Yes, he saying that the tape
-- I guess don't share that with everybody. -- No, well.
We got everybody on the invation only list.
And, um, you know what? Walter is here.
We are just telling jokes and having fun.
Eh, who is there? Like Todd and Duane?
Yes.
What I mean is probably a good idea
if I say hi to Todd.
Actully would you believe he's in a middle
of a Lady Bug game.
I do not think we wanna interupt.
We have a Lady Bug cabaret in the cabin.
And Todd got a score going.
Well, okay, can I get Walter on the phone.
Eh, a couple of hours we were all at the Funspot
And, um, Brian Kuh said ...
that Billy had a delivery for us here at the cabin.
Oh!
Brian Kuh he is kinda like
a really good friend with Billy.
He talks to him all the time.
Eh, he said everybody is gonna want to see what's on the tape.
Brian Kuh is there?
He knows everything to do with the tape.
He knows to guard the tape with his life.
I explained to him
he could lose life, but don't lose the tape.
Who wants to hear the announcement?
So even in Florida the long arm of Billy Mitchell.
Has reached in here to Funspot seven ...
To cause more interesting developments.
Now we're gonna start on this TV screen, the video tape.
And essientilly Steve Wiebe or Brian Kuh ...
Or anybody else can also beat the score on that tape
about four'a'clock tomorrow afternoon.
He will give them 10 000 dollars, okay?
We know that Billy Mitchell can pay these promises too, okay?
So he has it, while I'm trying to get a million live
He has it said out so that people at Funspot
Can gather around. And look at his tape..
Well, here we are. We got cameras on the screen ...
Cameras on the crowd.
No one is gonna miss this moment.
998 2.
Here we go.
We have every eye in the crowd focused on the screen.
Everybodys looking, every cameras on here.
We are not gonna miss this for anything.
I don't think there is any distractions.
That can pull everone away right now.
Oh, look at that.
With the bonus, we have the first million point game of Donkey Kong
And the result says zero.
And the score reach zeros all the way across.
Not even Helena of Troy had that much attention.
Billy kinda steal the show and is not even there.
It's kinda the way they, you know ...
Was kinda diffusing what I was going for
And hyping up Billys videotape
1 047 200 points...
It is the highest score that has ever been.
I do not know. I suppose that Walter Must go to the office ...
To that computer, now, does he?
Okay, go and hand Walter the phone real quick.
Hello, Billy.
Pretty good, it's all been wonderful.
Billy is probably the closest person
to being a Jedi than any of the players.
And he refers to it, with homour as Obi-Wan Konobian people
Steve Wiebe Not having the opportunity...
to view everything that Bill Mitchell does
I mean Bill Mitchell plays at a great advantage.
When Billy Mitchell is watching Steves world record winning tape
He is in a postition to study Steves technique.
When the man said: "I wanna see your papers"
And Obi-Wan Kenobi goes
"You don't need to see our papers"
And, suddenly, the guy says: "you can go"
"I do not need to see your papers."
You saw the tape, which is no doubt a copy.
Because I am sure he didn't send the master.
He is going to send a copy or the master to Rob Murczak
Who is the chief referee of Twin Galaxies.
I tried to promote Twin Galaxies As: "integrity above all."
Eh, I will do that with my dying breath.
And if a gamer knowingly cheats or tries to pull anything past us
We will make sure that the score is not recognised.
Did the gamer pause at any time?
Illiegal glitches or glitch abuse
Did they cheat?
Did they paused the game after load-up
For the purpose of using a flying razor head
And reload the game with different settings?
I got to look at things like that.
This tape might be done in a week, a week and a half,
to answer your question.
Walter is entering us in to the internet as we speak.
Well, Billy Mitchell is being upgraded
we are officially submitting his score.
Eh, 1 047 000 and, how much Billy?
It is kinda ironic that he went
He was a guy that always pushed for live scores.
And now here I am at Funspot, busting my ass
To do a live score...
And he just send these tape scores now.
And then beats the record.
World Record head quarters, can I help you?
If this score Donkey Kong defines Billy Mitchell
Then why could he not find his time to go to Funspot?
Steve did. Steve has a job.
Steve has a family. Steve has kids.
He went. Why can't Billy?
I think he feels that pressure, to...
Meet people's expectations of him...
And he put a lot of preassure on himself
And if he does'nt succeed
I think he feels like he has failed them.
And he feels that deeply, I think.
If I were to break a million he would maybe show that...
you know, I have already done it.
Because no one knows that I have done it too.
I have'nt really thought too much about, eh ...
You know, the controversy.
I kinda let it go since I went to Funspot.
Did my best, got my score up.
I have been killing myself at school, like, 12 or 14 hours...
Preping three classes And grading..
every day after school.
I'm there until eight.
A lot of my songs are like big rocksongs
with lots of guitars and lots of layers of vocals.
Here is one called three lies, I'm gonna sing this to you guys
In the midst of this cold summer day.
This is who I really am.
I'm some glap who are supposed to be an artist
who is up there just getting wild and crazy.
Because I am -- I am being Mr. Scorekeeper...
I've been doing it for 25 years so...
there is a lot of this automatan that get turned on.
"Well, yes. and the reason for that is"
"and the reason for that is this," you know?
Now I am ready to...
I am ready to let it go.
No matter how many people get involved in this
It is still my child,
because it came right out of my psyche, you know.
But still the others are more attached to it.
And they belive they need it more.
Part of the reason I'm still here doing it
is them to help them have the benefit of this
or happiness of this...
So it could go on and continue to benefit people.
Because it is in such a place
that I dont have to do Twin Galaxies
But I really would like to see it
have closure that's positive.
Boy, I got cold fingers. It's cold.
I often have people asking me what my handle is. What my three intials are.
I mean, come on. I tell people: "Look at me."
What do you think my three initials were?
If you do not know, you are not looking hard enough.
T.I.E.?
No.
Which one was I wearing yeasterday?
- The flag - - U.S.A.
U.S.A. So I have had Latin friends, canadian friends
And I always had to keep the americans on top.
Hello. This is a message for Walter.
I am Craig Glenday calling from Guinness World Records.
Guinness from England called, they want me to call them back immedietly.
Hello. Craig speaking.
Craig, this is Walter Day from Twin Galaxies, how are you?
They are announcing to the world that they trust everything we do.
And that they rely on everything we do
as being true and honest, and so that's why they are going with us
as the official scorekeepers
and providers of electronic game industry content
for their upcoming books.
It has become very complicated.
So to have someone like Walter and his team...
They know everything there is to know ...
about computer games, Eh, it was for us a godsend.
Since older people also read you're book
a certain number of people would care
what the world record is on Donkey Kong.
We look forward being a part of Guinness.
Yes, yes. Being here is already a reward.
You know, working with Twin Galaxies.
You just recorded a big piece of Twin Galaxies history, you know.
There are announcing to the world that we are the official scorekeepers
And people will have to be verified by us.
Wait till you see the poster upstairs I just did
To turn the process of submitting to Guiness.
In to a contest.
When you want to put our score up.
And you wanna have the title of world champion.
You're competing against everybody in the world.
You want a title for your own living room?
Man, I'll send you that title. You're own arcade
I'll sign it and make up a paper
and I'll send you a plack.
You want your name in Guinness Book of world records...
And the Twin Galaxies international scoreboard?
You have to earn it. I have to earn it.
There is a lot of scores I gotten.
When the time comes And the pressure is that hard...
I will have to do it in public for them. As I always have.
Is that truthfull?
Is that true? Then I better get practising.
The only thing to do...
is to go somewhere and brake 1 047 000 live.
That would be the only way to do it for sure, you know?
There would be no getting screwed over.
I have been kicked like the dog for so long
I don't trust referees.
This is the contest that getis them in to the Guiness Book of World Records.
So they will have that inspiration.
As far as my skills...
Yeah, I'm feeling like I'm at the top of my game.
I would love to see Bill defend his title...
against Steve Wiebe head-to-head.
That be great. It's all about head-to-head competion.
It's kinda like my top four students to go:
"Yeah. When are you going to kick that guys ass?"
And I go: "Watch your language". I go: "I'm gonna do it here soon".
If someone is going to break a classic arcade game record.
They gonna have to come prepared.
That's what I need.
So I could be at my best, have him there.
I was hoping Billy would be there so we can compete head-to-head.
He has always been an applicant to live scores.
But now all of a sudden he is Mr. Videotape.
I mean, to win is like so important.
But obviously do things that are against the rules...
And knowing your heart you did not do it correctly...
And get credit for it...
What kind of?... Is there any satisfaction in that?
I do not see any.
I just need one favor from you.
I know that after all you done for me...
...give me a shoot at it without you...
being my backbone.
I need to attack by myself.
It says: "Good luck, Steve, in Donkey Kong."
-- Well. -- Knocke them dead.
-- I will.
"Work is for people who can't play video games.
--"Billy Mitchell." -- That's right.
Out of the entire global classic gaming hobby.
There is one significant rivalry...
That's equaelient to the big rivalries in history...
Yankees - Red Socks, Maris - Mantle, The Heckle and Jeckle.
All big rivalries of history.
This is up that on that level.
Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe...
are going for the top spot
in the forthcoming book of world records on Donkey Kong.
Hello, Billy. This is Steve Wiebe.
Really think We need to settle this thing.
May the best man win.
We'll be seeing you next week.
He knows I'm going to be there.
It's just a skip away.
Hops, skips and jumps froms his house...
There is really no excuse for him not to be there.
Never leave home without it: How to win at "Donkey Kong."
Yes, so ...
The Guinness... A lot of people are...
Yes, a lot of people read that book.
Thi is technically a weight lifting glove...
Because I discovered in the eighties...
That you could buy...
a weight lifting glove that was fingerless
and I used it to play Marble Madness.
Do you see the double padding?
Occasinally I use this to avoid calluses...
from certain joystick games.
You can do Marble Madness track all day long.
Excuse me guys. I got a celebrity in this car.
-- Can I cut in front of you?
-- Did you get dropped off? -- I got dropped off.
-- Was Billy driving? -- Billy was driving.
Well anyway, welcome to The Dodge City of videogames.
Thank you, Walter. I am happy to be here.
I get you some out of there.
What do you need?
In order: 693500...
Okay.
Yes. Nicole.
Hello. I am Nicole.
And that is the little Derek, huh?
Yes.
-- The faster, yeah.
I'm afraid that if he can't do it. He's gonna beat himself up about it
I do not know if that's the forum in which he will be succesful.
I'm mean, I know he can be succesful.
I'm jus afraid, what if it doesn't happen.
-- Goodbye, Derek. -- Derek, give daddy a hug.
What are guys gonna do?
-- We just gonna go home. -- Go swimming.
Go swimming? That sounds fun.
Okay. Let's go.
-- Goodbye. -- I love you.
Goodbye. Thanks.
Yes, the longer I wait, the more I'm...
pressing, I get more nervous.
If I get it the first night, I will be eary.
Steve Wiebe is a trooper.
Steve Wiebe has come to three events...
To proof himself in the fire of in person competion.
And under the stress of having all eyes on him.
Yeah.
-- Is"Wib"or"Wibi"? --"Wibi."
-- Well. -- Sorry.
Twin Galaxies calls me Wib, so...
Okay.
-- And that's a common mistake. -- Yes?
either that or "Waib".
At least, you get the correct presentation...
Steve Wiebe is who I wanted to be...
when I grew up playing Donkey Kong .
he is quite the player.
Maybe they like it if I lose, I got to try losing sometimes.
Oh, I can break a million. I've done it.
I've been on pace. In two games I got to 850...
I thought I was gonna do it but... I just got in a bind.
Does this have my name on the back or something?
What does it say?
It says: "You have a yearning for perfection."
Because he is in his own business...
Is very flexible for him.
He can go over to the schools for events.
He was at an Easter egg hunt the other day.
He will come in the office someday...
And you'll say: "Gee, where is Billy?".
"Billy is not here."
I told him last night that he had to come...
That there was o reason for him not to be here.
He said: "I have 15 reasons why I can't come".
I said they are all Bullshit.
This is after one thirty in the morning.
I said: "they are all bullshit because I have 15 reasons why you have to be here tomorrow"
He had a chance to play him at Funspot this year.
He had a chance to play him in Pompano Beach.
He had a chance to play him at California Extreme.
There is three of them I can think of right there.
Why wouldn't he play against Steve?
Because he is afraid he is gonna lose.
I traveled 3000 miles to give myself a chance...
to get the world record and be in Guinness.
I hope he can at least come 10 miles...
and put his game on the line. So you make the call?
Where are you?
Well, we are all here.
We are all seated, ready to order so...
Eh, well, I can't make out a list here.
We got Tom Rogers and his girl.
We got Shawn, Fran, Jason and..
That's fair, is'n it?
Okay.
I am really sorry that he did not come.
-- Bill? -- Yes.
Well, you know Mark and Steve came...
unexpectadly and without invitation, Hard to keep them away.
Yes.
And Bill just don't want anything to do with him.
Yes.
Oh, right see you.
He has got a plan, so when he comes out...
Because Billy is Billy, you know.
And he is gonna come out with a bat.
Oh, Billy Mitchell always has a plan.
-- He likes to keep secrets. -- Yes.
He likes surprising people.
He likes people seeing him do the unexpected...
And say: "Oh, boy, I did not realise ...
--"That you was gonna do something like that, Bill." -- Yes.
That's how he is.
It is annoying when somebody is ahead of you.
When you are not the lead dog
the view does not change, And I always wanted the view...
He has got the Roy Shildt excuse.
He's got... He is not gonna show up.
I have heard a lot of talk about Billy Mitchell ...
And I've heard a lot of talk of strange videos and things.
But I have not heard much in a way of him...
Getting in front of a camera crew or people...
And winning a record in front of people.
I have not heard about that yet maybe he did that 25 years ago.
But I have not heard of him doing it lately...
And makes you wonder why not.
What have we got here. It's here.
Hello, Billy.
Vdeo games are meant to be played...
In a competitive environment, Under pressure, organised...
Where, you have to perform, literally, on demand
Never. Never.
And when you do that you have far more credibility...
Then someone who says: "Oh, I did that last week."
No matter how good you play tennis.
No matter how good you play golf...
if you don't play when you have to play
If you don't play when the preassures on
You really are not good enough.
I can handle losing If he would at least compete against me.
I'm not afraid to lose.
I'm some no name guy from Washington.
Billy tries to live up to this image...
Of being the greatest ever...
And so he's afraid of that if he loses, it will remove his shine.
I have spent three days now...
the fatigue is starting to set in...
Mentally, you know...
Starting over it takes a toll on you.
Steve Wiebe I think is a very straight shooter.
This is the last day, right?
I think that he gets influenced sometimes by people
And that is probably one of his lessons.
To be stronger in himself.
You know what I mean? We all have lessons.
- Okay.
Oh, there it is. This is the last shot.
I'm done.
So heartbreaking.
I guees it's not even about Donkey Kong anymore.
-- What is this about?
Just... I do not know.
It has become just a game in trying
For me, trying to get a score recognized...
And trying to beat this empire that I've
been trying to break through.
He is not cunning and manipulative and mean
He is a decent person in the heart.
In the end, that's all that matters.
In a funny sort of way it's like being the king...
and having the advisers speak your opinions
but the trying to choose the right answer
And the right path of action based on the advise.
I think that Steve Wiebe has to be viewed on his own merit ...
Without anything alleged which may have happened
Steve Wiebe feels fine to me Doesn't he to you?
Steve Wiebe, could you come up here?
For some reason I keep on thinking of "Wib". Sorry.
Steve is special.
Steve has gone through a long history...
That I don't need to burden you with...
But I just wanted to tell you that...
I wanted to congratulate you
and shake your hand again, Because, as far as I am concerned...
You are a top player...
Worthy of the highest regard of Twin Galaxies ...
And we are very honored to recive your video tapes...
at any time you want to record them
Because we think, you're...
skill set is on the highest level and
you are a member of the family You are great.
So you are okay, you're great.
-- You are a great performer.
I can only speak for myself, but I have talked to Steve...
I talked to his wife, I talked to his kids
I've met with him. Talked to him in detail.
And speaking for myself I have no question about
his integrity, his abality. Or anything else.
He has proven himself not just as a Donkey Kong player...
but as a person of...
someone who really desires to do the right thing.
Do you agree with ...?
I am not familiar with this situation.
I feel that I have won and I tried...
And I hope people will remember, you know...
and these name tag over here.
After I returned from the trip Walter e-mailed me...
And it had these words...
"Steve, your Donkey Kong acchomplichments were fantastic".
"After soulsearching, we at Twin Galaxies"
"wish to apologize to you for such inconsederate treatment"
"We look forward to your future exploits"
"And are excited about the"
"amazing high score breakthrough"
"you will be bringing to the Donkey Kong community".
"Blessings and friendship. Walter Day."
So that's his,
way he wanted to bring peace to this situation.
--! Dad! --! Dad!
Are you cold?
He was searching, you know? He wanted something...
And wanted that for him cause I wanted him to be happy.
So now I see that.
Do not do that.
Subtitle made by: JoeZ Sweden