In the early 1980s, legendary Billy Mitchell set a Donkey Kong record that stood for almost 25 years. This documentary follows the assault on the record by Steve Wiebe, an earnest teacher from Washington who took up the game while unemployed. The top scores are monitored by a cadre of players and fans associated with Walter Day, an Iowan who runs Funspot, an annual tournament. Wiebe breaks Mitchell's record in public at Funspot, and Mitchell promptly mails a controversial video tape of himself setting a new record. So Wiebe travels to Florida hoping Mitchell will face him for the 2007 Guinness World Records. Will the mind-game-playing Mitchell engage; who will end up holding the record? Written by jhailey@hotmail.com
1984. One shiny quarter. 44.5 hours of continuous play. The race to be the first gamer in history to score one BILLION points. Until recently, Timothy McVey (not the terrorist) thought he had — for all these years — held the world record on Nibbler. Note: a Nibbler cabinet will be available in the lobby for the duration of Fantastic Fest for attendees to attempt to break the current world record.
Homer's Odyssey meets King of Kong as two über geeks try to collect all 700+ Nintendo Entertainment System cartridges in 30 days, WITHOUT the aid of online purchasing.
Starting as a passion project, this movie launched the team on an unexpected journey; from discovering the historic past in Ralph Baer's personal workshop, to capturing the present as the Smithsonian Museum recognizes gaming as art. Along the way, the crew encountered an interesting cast of characters including game developers, high score players, and arcade enthusiasts.