Tuesday, February 19, 2008

King of Kong

I didn't post this weekend because I saw the most incredible film, saw it three times actually. It's a documentary called "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters", and I highly recommend it for everyone of all ages. It's basically a David V. Goliath tale, having to do with getting the all-time top score in Donkey Kong. Billy Mitchell had held the all-time DK record for many, many years, and is a semi-celebrity (he's known as Gamer of the Century or something). Steve Wiebe is a regular guy who'd just gotten laid off from his job, and with the spare time available, played Donkey Kong and realized that he was very, very good at it. Bookending this story are a legion of nerd gamers that make up Twin Galaxies, an organization that keeps track of top scores. They clearly favor the Goliath of the story, Mitchell, giving Wiebe yet another huge obstacle to overcome.

I'll leave my summary there, I don't want to spoil too much. Maybe I already did. But anyway, watch this movie. You could never have played a game in your life and still really enjoy it.

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