Jeff Peters, 1985 Classic Era Twin Galaxies Referee 
Mark Longridge, 2005 Current Era Twin Galaxies Referee

ORIGINAL EMAIL DATE: AUGUST 13, 2003

{Jeff Peters comment on the Paul Dean spy hunter high score from
Upland Arcade, Ca, on June 28, 1985 Master Tournament and Roy Shildt
July 2, 1985 Missile Command High Score, Johnny Zee’s in Victoria,
BC, Canada}

From: Mark Longridge mark(at)cubeman.org
Date: 12 Nov 06:51 (PST)
  To: royawesome(at)royawesome.com
Subject: Fwd: Re: Regarding the Roy Shildt score on MC
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Twin Galaxies Referee

Mark Longridge

-------- Forwarded Message --------

Subject: Mark Longridge mark(at)cubeman.org
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 16:07:45 - 0600
From: "Jeff Peters" jppandy
To: "Mark Longridge \(general\)" mark(at)cubeman.org

>On Friday 08 August 2003 16:01, you wrote:
>>Mark,
>>
>>Glad everything arrived in great shape :)
>>materials (I did have everything at one time). Each time I moved, I
>>downsized the amount of paperwork that moved with me (too many filing
>>cabinets and boxes), so it could very well be that I just got rid of it all
>>since it was all carried forward to the 1986 and beyond stuff. I do know
>>that we used the 1985 rule book as the starting basis for the 1986 book.
>>Did we change some dip switch settings or make certain rules harder? Don't 
>>remember (I don't think we did as that would have made earlier scores
>>obsolete and thus invalid). I do know that we did add new bugs and tricks
>>to watch out for.
>>
>>I hope the listings of score sheets I sent help to update the new TG book
>>and score listings with new names and depth of high scores :) I have
>>known some of the best players on each machine, and none of them have ever
>>come close on the settings we listed in the rules book. 

{Jeff Peters comment on the Paul Dean spy hunter high score from Upland
Arcade, Ca, on June 28, 1985 Master Tournament}

>>On Spy Hunter, that score is indeed valid. I watched Paul Dean get it. He
>>has that game dialed to a point no one else ever did. He could even make
>>the enemy cars appear and disappear if he wanted to (an interesting trick,
>>but not used on his world record score.) He liked putting up all 9,999,999s
>>at Castle Park in Riverside, CA where he played it most often (sit down
>>version.) Believe me, this guy had the game dialed...no question. Was he
>>that far above other players?....yes. I will go on the record to defend
>>that one...no question.
>
>Ok Jeff that's great, I want to know about stuff like that. How long do you
>figure it takes to get all 9's on Spy Hunter. Also how many cars or crashes 
>occurred? Link
>
{Paul Dean - Questions and Answers for Spy Hunter}

{Jeff Peters comment on the Roy Shildt missile command high score done from 
Johnny Zee's Arcade, Canada July 2, 1985}

John Zanic was the owner of Johnny Zee's Arcade in the Golden Era of Arcades.
JOHNNY ZEE'S FAMILY FUN CENTRE

Johnny Zee's Amusements
Shelbourne Street
Victoria, BC Canada V8W3J4
Phone: (250) 384-7215
Canada (250) 384-3077
Business Types: Amusement Parks, Video Games Arcades

Johnny Zee's Family Fun Ctr
Po Box 5939 Stn B
Victoria BC, V8R 6S8

Phone: 250-384-7215
Fax: 250-388-5668
(NOTE: Above Address is the current address and historical information
could not be found on the above address.)

>>On Missile Command, I watched (his accuracy is awesome). I can understand why
>>he wants to prove the record and get it on video tape for everyone. From
>>watching his play, I do believe he can do it on those settings.

{Mark Longridge comments on Roy Shildt turning Missile Command High
Score over to zero}
>
>Unfortunately there's a big fight going on over Roy's Missile Command score.
>Bill Mitchell is adamant that Roy never rolled the machine on TG settings,
>that is 6 cities, no extras. Did you see Roy roll the machine on TG
>settings?
>
>>Your suggestions about how to run the Guinness contest is great. At the
>>time we didn't have the funds or time to organize it that way...but that
>>would have been ideal. Most of the high scorers, we spoke to in person or
>>on the phone as well as the managers on site and tried to verify scores by
>>asking them questions about the scores (trying to trip them up with bugs
>>and tricks and such.) We discounted many scores this way.
>>
>>Please let me know if there's anything else I can do to help out. Glad
>>that information is now in hands that can make use of it instead of
>>collecting dust in my filing cabinets.
>
>Any info on Roy's Missile Command score from 1985, or from the previous
>year would be highly appreciated :) My gut instinct on this one is that
>Roy is legit,

 I can say for the record I have seen him play, and he was the most accurate 
 MC player I've  ever seen.


Walter A. Day, Twin Galaxies Founder

>I have a photocopy of a notarized document from Walter A Day (also signed
>by Steve Harris and Jerry L Parker, the mayor of Ottumwa at the time) which
>pretty clearly states that Walter witnessed the score. So it seems to me 
>there is lots of evidence to support Roy's claim. Of course getting a
>score on tape would be the slam dunk so to speak.

{Steve Harris, founder of Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine  
    which debuted in 1988}

   {Steve Harris, 1987, Founder APA (Amusement Players Association)   }


Jerry L. Parker, Mayor Of Ottumwa, IA (1985) 


Jery L. Parker, Mayor Of Ottumwa, IA (Video Game Capital Of The World)

I know it's a pain, but if I were Roy, I'd be happy to get a similar score on
tape. Basically, all he'd need to do is to get close in order to prove it
in my book (just break a million or so). He gets close, I think all
questions and scrutiny disappears.

>With your permission I would like to cc any remarks about Roy Shildt
>to the TG rules committee.

Feel free to use my name and remarks whenever needed, and yeah, I'd love
to see the dialog going back and forth about it...perhaps it may jog a
memory that I can add to help out :)

Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help out.
take care,
Jeff Peters



Added Note: Dwayne Richard is making a documentary which refutes
Roy Shildt's 1985 score done at Johnny Z's.

Dwayne Richard has said it never happened because there were no keys
to change the Missile Command settings on Missile Command to the
tournament mode.

Dr. Dread Productions video snippet by Dwayne Richard:
http://drdreadproductions.com/walter-day-video.html


1985 Video Game Masters Tournament


The 1986 Guinness Book of World Records
Has requested the results of this tournament for publication

1985 Video Game Masters Tournament

NEWS RELEASE
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: CARE (Nate Adams (212) 686-3110
TWIN GALAXIES (Walter Day (515) 472-4624)

Selection of the following family amusement center as an official contest site
for 1985 Video Game Masters Tournament and CARE Fund Raiser:

Fun Factory
c/o Francis Scott Key Mall
5500 Buckeystown Pike
Frederick, MD 21701
ATTN: Joe Wolf

CARE, the international relief and development agency and the Twin Galaxies International
Scoreboard are pleased to announce the selection of the above-mentioned family arcade a
an official contest site for the 1985 Video Game Masters Tournament and CARE Fund Raiser.
One of only 25 and-picked sites in North America, this arcade will be the only contest site
in the area at which contestants can compete for listings in the Guinness Book of World Records.

To raise money for CARE’S CAMPAIGN FOR AFRICA, players will be donating $2.50 each to CARE
and special pre-selected contest games will be used to raise pledges from the local area.
Three video games: Cheyenne Gun) (Exidy, Inc.), Kung-Fu Master (Data East USA, Inc.) and
Cerberus (Cinematronics, Inc.) have been offered by the respective video game manufacturers
as the primary fund raising games and the prizes for the highest scores in the nation during
the event.

Appearing in Guinness for the 3rd consecutive year, the 1985 Video Game Masters Tournament 
features high-score competition on the 90 most popular videos of all time. Each year, individual
arcades are selected as the “regional head-quarters” for the competition and all players must
travel to these selected arcades to compete in front of qualified judges. Special game playing
rules and game settings have been devised for the competition by the Twin Galaxies International
Scoreboard and are the only “tournament settings” recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Scheduled for the weekend of June 28-30, 1985, this tournament expects to bring donations for 
CARE from the entire video game and coin-operated amusement industry. Potential donors are
welcome to contact Nate Adams, at CARE, for more information.

Computer Entertainment: The official magazine of the 1985 Video Game Masters Tournament


1985 Video Game Masters Tournament


-----
Advertisement:
Music Software Makes Your Mozart 

Computer Entertainment Magazine
$2.95               June 1985

HIGH SCORE FOR HUNTER

Few have done more for the arcade game industry than Walter Day, the diminutive and determined 
top dog at the Twin Galaxies International Scoreboard. Despite declining arcade revenues, Day’s 
organization is sponsoring yet another high-score shootout (the 1985 Video Game Masters Tournament) 
from June 28-30, 1985. But Day has more than world records on his mind this time around: world
hunger will be addressed when players take their turns on several games (Cinematronics’ Cerbrus,
SNK’s Hal 2 and Exidy’s Cheyenne). Funds raised during these competitions will go directly to 
CARE’s Campaign for Africa. 

While scoring points for Ethiopia and other starving African nations should b\prove to be sufficient 
motivation on this weekend, players will have the added incentive of winning free arcades games and
the distinction of being listed in the 1986 Guinness Book of World Records. Eighty-five different 
records will be up for grabs at the contest sites all over the country. For more information call: 
(816) 435-5785.

Twin Galaxies also recently announced its “Achievement Award” winners for 1985. They are: Nintendo’s 
Punch-Out (best video game), Cinematronics’ Space Ace (best laserdisc game), Atari’s I, Robot (most 
innovative game and best visual enhanced game), Bally’s Spy Hunter (best audio enhance game). Atari
was named the “manufacturer of the year.”

-----
Johnny Zee's Family Fun Centre on Shelbourne Street

Twin Galaxies in the News Link
6/30/1984

Title: Video Wizards Compete Here 
Times-Colonist
Victoria, BC, Canada
June 30, 1984

This weekend for a North American title and the chance of getting their names
into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Thousands of contestants are taking part simultaneously in nine cities across
North America today and Sunday, said Guinness video game editor Walter Day, in
Wilmington, North Carolina.

Johnny Zee's Family Fun Centre on Shelbourne Street is the only Canadian site for
the challenge.

It was selected, said Day, because of the variety and newness of euipment and
because of it's "good following among local kids and excellent rapport with the
community."

More than 50 out-of-town experts are matching their wits and stamina in the
three-day marathon, which includes 60 different electronic games.

Superstar players Chris Emery, 15, or Winnipeg, Dwayne Richards, 15, or Grande
Prairie, Alta., and Darren Olson, 21, of Calgary, who together have about half a
dozen world records, are seeking more.

Olsen was recently seen on the TV program That's Incredible, where he took third
prize among some of America' best.

He took second place recently at the North American Video Olympics in Iowa and
racked up 1.2 million points Friday on Centipede game - a world record.

"It's a real challenge," said Olson.  "It's you against the computer.  You've got
to look for flaws in the system, analyze them and try to exploit them."

He said the video games helped him with math and physics courses at school and
will be an advantage at the computer science course he plans to take at
university.

"I look upon the brain as a muscle.  This is great exercise for it."

According to John Zanic, owner of Johnny Zee's, there are a couple of Victoria
teenagers in contention as well, but it's a question of how they will hold up
under stiff competition and stress.

After hosting the North American Guinness challenge, he intends making his arcade
a site for the World Video Game Challenge which draws contestants from as far away
as Italy and Japan.

Most of the approved games have been set to levels of increased difficulty with
limits on the number of lives, or mistakes, a player can have.

The contests are testing skill and endurance, said Zanic.

The only exception is the Nibbler game which will focus on all-out stamina. 
Competitors must beat a billion-point record established recently.  It could 
take hours.

While old favorites such as Bubbles, Berzerk, Defender and Frogger are among the
60 contest games, it is the new co-ordination benders such as Mappy, Centipede 
and Crossbow that have drawn most attention.

The competition, which started Friday, continues at 1 p.m. today and Sunday. 
Today's play will finish at 11:30 p.m. and the competition will end at 10 p.m.
Sunday.


{Jeff Peters, Twin Galaxies Referee 1985}

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Darren Harris Link
 

Darren Harris
 D_Harris
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2005 8:16 pm    Post subject: Tournament or Videotape   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I haven't had motivation to try to move up my Ms.Pac-man score at home, because
a score submitted via a recording doesn't have the status of one achieved at an 
actual T.G. tournament. And since I already have the "tournament record", a higher
submission via a recording would only erase the more credible score that I achieved
at Funspot. 

I was just wondering what others would do in my position. If you already had a 
tournament record, would you even bother to try to submit a higher score from home? 

Darren Harris 
Staten Island, New York. 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D_Harris 
Darren Harris Link
 Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2005 9:36 pm    Post subject:  Tournament or Videotape 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
To clarify the reason for this thread. Many feel that a live record at a tournament 
is more resistant to debunking, because it is less likely that someone will question
whether the correct roms were used. Roms cannot be verified via a recording. 

So if the rom issue becomes a bigger factor as far as score validity, then I'd
have the tournament score to fall back on. But if the tournament score is replaced
by a score that is recorded, then it may not be worth it to bother submitting one. 

Darren Harris 
Staten Island, New York. 
--------
Tournament or Videotape  Link
Darren Harris
D_Harris
 Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2005 8:16 pm    Post subject: Tournament or Videotape   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I haven't had motivation to try to move up my Ms.Pac-man score at home,
because a score submitted via a recording doesn't have the status of one
achieved at an actual T.G. tournament. And since I already have the "tournament 
record", a higher submission via a recording would only erase the more credible
score that I achieved at Funspot. 

I was just wondering what others would do in my position. If you already had a
tournament record, would you even bother to try to submit a higher score from home? 

Darren Harris 
Staten Island, New York. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D_Harris
Darren Harris Link
 Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2005 9:36 pm    Post subject: Tournament or Videotape    

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
To clarify the reason for this thread. Many feel that a live record at a tournament 
is more resistant to debunking, because it is less likely that someone will question 
whether the correct ROMs were used. ROMs cannot be verified via a recording. 

So if the rom issue becomes a bigger factor as far as score validity, then I'd have
the tournament score to fall back on. But if the tournament score is replaced by a 
score that is recorded, then it may not be worth it to bother submitting one. 

Darren Harris 
Staten Island, New York. 
 
=======================================================================
D_Harris
Darren Harris
 Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2005 10:34 pm        
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Greg Erway: awesome wrote: 
Yes. But with a recording you can watch for the little differences between ROMs 
and figure out what was used. In a tournament you have to know for sure what ROMs 
were present some 20 years ago possibly. Do you know exactly which ROMs are present 
at Funspot right now? I bet most of us don't on most of the games. 

The biggest argument for playing in public I've seen is that other players can
walk up to the game after a record performance was made and play a game themselves
thus proving, at least in their mind, there was nothing "fishy" with the game. 

Personally, when I record a game at home, I include on the video tape, uncut from 
the game recording, a shot around to the back of the machine, open up the game,
show all the boardset, zoom in on the ROMs to show any labels that may exist still,
show all the wires to prove that a computer feed somewhere wasn't feeding MAME or
something like that to the monitor, go back to the front of the game and show the 
score is still there, turn off the game and back on to show the rug pattern on 
bootup (something that would be harder to mimic in a MAME setup). But when at
Funspot I have little choice when it comes to shooting the inside of the game.
I do however usually request if someone can open the game to show the settings 
on the tape. Usually if not too busy Gary has been willing to do this for WR games
anyways. 

In my mind, the recorded game allows for more detailed investigation (even years after
the fact if new information comes out). The tournament game does not. My first choice is
to provide both. A video tape of a game played at a tournament. 

Darren Harris Wrote:
Well, I've said many times in the past that I prefer video over everything, because
recordings don't lie or forget. 

But who knows how the wind will blow with everyone else in the future? 

You're forgetting that a recording cannot tell you whether the ROMs of a game are altered.
There are many "random" factors that can be changed in your favor by manipulating the ROMs.

At a live tournament it comes down to the credibility of the contest holders, and those
down the line who will say "I was there" help to reinforce validity. It is as good as
impossible to use altered ROMs at a tournament. 

Darren Harris 
Staten Island, New York. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
awesome, Greg Erway

Location: Rochester, NY
 Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2005 11:06 pm    Post subject:    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
D_Harris wrote: 

At a live tournament it comes down to the credibility of the contest holders, 
and those down the line who will say "I was there" help to reinforce validity.
It is as good as impossible to use altered ROMs at a tournament. 

Darren Harris 
Staten Island, New York.


Greg Erway

Greg Erway Wrote;
The only problem is, people do not have perfect memories. There were some top 
players I used to play with back in the early 80's. They have never known anything 
outside the little arcade we used to play in. I recently was talking with one of
these guys when I ran into him by chance. He swears that one of the other friends 
that recently passed away "Still hold the world record on Ms. Pac-Man at just over
3 million points." Now I know that guy seriously believes that. We all know here 
that isn't possible. But the mind plays tricks on you as you get older and the
memories fade. Sometimes you actually can talk yourself into believe things that
didn't happen. The video doesn't lie. At least in the video you can watch for 
"unusual" activity and compare it with statistical information to see if it falls
under a certain number of standard deviations. I'm not saying its perfect (you
and I both know of a recent situation INSERTED: Steve Wiebe Score pulled on ROM
Dispute). But you can rewatch videos, time things, keep accurate stats, compare 
them to other known examples and go from there. Your right that it is far less likely
to find altered ROMs at a tournament (at least altered to gain an advantage). But 
it's not out of the question. And mistakes can happen with fixing boardsets by burning
new ROMs. Really the only way to prove (and I use that term loosely here) is to do a 
checksum of the ROMs. 



When you get into games that roll over (Roy Shildt- Missile Command Quandary) you 
get into a whole other problem area at live tournaments as the same witnesses rarely
see every roll-over and death. They could leave for a short while, come back to see 
you at a low score and easily accept your explanation that a rollover just occurred.
I usually try to call over a ref to witness a rollover. But even with that it usually
is a different ref for each rollover. They could get together and compare notes but
do they? 

Thus my recommendation of video taping games played at tournaments when a record
is highly possible. I'm not saying you have to record every second of every game.
Just record the games you know you are trying for a record on.
_________________
Gregory S. Erway 

#1 Tapper TGMS 9,100,175 31May03 
#1 Tapper TGTS 1,821,325 01Jun02 **Beaten 05Jun05** 
#1 Rootbeer Tapper TGMS 1,959,200 28Jul86 
#1 Wild Western 826,900 07Jun04 
#2 Pepper II 505,980 13Jun04 
#3 M.A.C.H. 3 - Bomber 353,200 22Mar86 
 
---------------------
---------
Paul Dean
- First Place, Spy Hunter, June 28, 1985

3rd Annual Masters Tournament, Huish Arcade, Upland, CA. 

Spy Hunter, Arcade, default settings 

Difficulty = 3, First extra base awarded at 30K, Extra base every 30K
(maximum 3), Starting timer - 1.5 minutes of play (90 seconds).
Technically, based on speed of completing the initial time allotment,
it is possible to get an extra car at 14K and another at 18K if
you reach these thresholds before the starting timer expires.

World Rank 1 
Score 9,512,590 
Player Paul Dean
Upland Family Fun Center
1500 West Seventh Street
Upland, CA 91876
(909) 985-1313
Home Town: Riverside, CA
United States 
Date Achieved Thursday, May 27, 2004 
Date Verified Thursday, May 27, 2004 
Verification Method Referee 
Score Status Active 




Mark Little - Second Place, Spy Hunter

Spy Hunter, Arcade, default settings 

Difficulty = 3, First extra base awarded at 30K, Extra base every 30K
(maximum 3), Starting timer - 1.5 minutes of play (90 seconds).
Technically, based on speed of completing the initial time allotment,
it is possible to get an extra car at 14K and another at 18K if
you reach these thresholds before the starting timer expires.
 
World Rank 2 
Score 832,620 
Player Mark Little
New Britain, PA
United States 
Date Achieved Monday, May 05, 2003 
Date Verified Monday, May 05, 2003 
Verification Method Video 
Score Status Active 
Rules default settings

Paul Dean Spy Hunter Biography 

Paul Dean Spy Hunter Classic Era Web Site 


Roy Shildt - Missile Command High Score,
Third Annual Masters Tournament Extension, July 2, 1985,
Canada.

Missile Command, Arcade, Tournament 
 World Rank 1 
Score 1,695,265 
Player Roy Shildt
Westwood, CA
United States 
Date Achieved Friday, June 11, 2004 
Date Verified Friday, June 11, 2004 
Verification Method Referee 
Verified By Walter Day 
Score Status Active 
Rules Tournament
Difficulty : Hardest. Start Units : 6.
 
 Roy Shildt Link
 Westwood, CA
United States  

Choose a platform
 (all) Arcade  
   Game                 Score     Rank   
Cheyenne Gun          8,899,200     6   
Karate Champ             87,400    25   
Mad Crasher              47,044    18   
Missile Command       1,695,265     1   
Return of the Jedi      703,410    17   
   


  

Paul Dean, Spy Hunter Certificate from Walter Day of Twin Galaxies

 Roy Shildt (Missile Command  Champion) - Golden Era Missile
 Command Score from 1985 Re-Confirmed on August 3, 2004 
 Walter Day posts report, [August 3, 2004] Roy Shildt's 
 will be published as a World Champion.  Link