Roy Shildt, Missile Command Champion, July 2, 1985
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
1225 Blanshard 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
{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
(1998) Twin Galaxies Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records (First Edition)
Steve Harris (1986)
Steve Harris, Founder Electronic Gaming Monthly
Founder APA (Amusement Players Association)
Steve Harris Review: Link
Founder of EGM Magazine Loses Title on Classic Video Game After 21 Years.
Fairfield, Iowa -- August 5, 2004 -- Legendary magazine magnate, Steve Harris,
founder of Electronic Gaming Monthly and nearly one dozen other gaming publications,
is no longer the world record holder on Cliff Hanger, a classic laser disc game
popular in the arcades in 1983.
Steve Harris, Founder, 1988
Electronic Gaming Monthly Magazine
Steve Harris took over Twin Galaxies for one year in 1987 and the new Association
was called the APA (Amusement Players Association, run by Steve Harris). No results
were published in the Guinness Book from that Aladdin's Castle Masters Tournament.
And, according to Twin Galaxies, the official scorekeepers for the electronic
gaming hobby, this is the first time Harris has lost a high-score title since
1983, even though he has held world records on six different titles.
But now, Chip Sbrogna has come along and got history's first verified "perfect"
score on Cliff Hanger, eclipsing Harris' score of 1,180,000 points attained in
Kansas City, MO on November 5, 1983.
Sbrogna, a software programmer specializing in daphne development in California,
attained the maximum possible score on Cliff Hanger, reaching 1,310,000 points,
a score originally presumed to be unreachable.
See scoreboard database at www.twingalaxies.com for more information on this
score or any other world record.
Attained during the 2003 Classic Gaming Expo, held August 11, 2003 in Las Vegas,
Sbrogna's score was the culmination of meticulous experimentation with the game.
In a report given to Twin Galaxies, Chip says: "I actually don't remember ever
seeing Cliff Hanger in the arcades when I was younger, probably due to the fact
that so few machines were made. However, when I joined the daphne team around 1999,
I quickly became very involved with Cliff Hanger. It didn't take long to realize
that Cliff Hanger had very fixed patterns and that there was definitely a possible
way to get the maximum possible score. My friend Bo Ayers (who runs Cliffhangerfan.com
and owns an original Cliff cabinet) and I sat down one weekend and figured out,
via lots of experimenting, which bit of the film sequence has the most number of
moves between "respawn" points."
Chip Sbrogna will be recognized as the new world record holder on Cliff Hanger
in the forthcoming edition of Twin Galaxies' Official Video Game & Pinball Book
of World Records.
As for Mr. Steve Harris? He was not available for comment and it is uncertain
if he will try to regain his title. Twin Galaxies still recognizes Harris as
the undisputed world record holder on Swimmer, Red Alert, Popeye, Wacko and
Bega's Battle -- all classic games form the early 80s.
Harris was one of Twin Galaxies' superstar players during the early 80s. He was
a founding member of Twin Galaxies' U.S. National Video Game Team and competed
in Twin Galaxies' North American Video Game Olympics, which was televised by
ABC-TV's That's Incredible on February 21, 1983.
In 1989 Harris founded Electronic Gaming Monthly as part of an extensive chain
of magazines, which included EGM2 and Expert Gamer. Harris eventually sold the
chain to Ziff-Davis in the late 90s and retired from the gaming world.
Video Game News: February 19, 2001
Link
The MAME world record for Donkey Kong 3 has been smashed to smithereens by
none other than Steve Harris, one of history's greatest gamers. In over two
hours of play, Steve reached the 128th round with a final score of 2,594,400
points. Incidentally, Steve reports that he has also broken the Two Tigers
record held by Dwayne Richard, surpassing the 900,000 mark.
The United States
National Video Game Team
"We found ourselves in the unbelievable position of being
the world's only video game attraction."
Excerpt from an Associated Press wire story
(October 9, 1983)
The First U.S. National Video Game Team with Steve Harris, Tim McVey, Jay Kim
Ben Gold, Billy Mitchell: By Walter Day Full Article: Link
U.S. National Video Game Team,
"Wait a minute, that didn't really exist, did it?"
"The U.S. National Video Game Team was just fiction, wasn't it? Something
made up by a magazine called Electronic Gaming Monthly?"
The last eight years EGM had constantly referred to a fabled cadre of
players called the U.S. National Video Game Team, but never identified
the individuals in the team. "Nobody ever believed the team really
existed,"
Understanding dawned on me. "Oh! EGM! That's Steve Harris, isn't it? Yes,
that's the U.S. National Video Game Team - and it does exist. I know
because I started it, explained Walter Day, Founder of Twin Galaxies.
What about the U.S. National Video Game Team? The team continued onward.
It went to the AMOA Expo (September of 1983) in Chicago and did a special
report for Playmeter magazine.
Playmeter agreed to publish game reviews prepared by five of our top players,
analyzing cabinet art, game graphics and the game play of new titles released
at the show.
I invited Eric Ginner, Mark Hoff, Leo Daniels, Billy Mitchell, Steve Harris,
Ben Gold, Tad Perry (Seattle, WA) and Chris Emery (Winnipeg, Canada) to come
with me. Nine games were ranked in this order from best to worst: TX-1,
Star Rider, Track N Field, M.A.C.H. 3, Blaster, Marvin's Maze, Cube Quest
and Major Havoc
I thought, sponsorship would emerge that would help the U.S. National Video
Game Team becomes a major attraction. This idea had come to a quick death.
It wouldn't be much longer before I went into retirement while the team
continued to exist under Steve Harris' direction.
Full Article
Steve Harris High Scores
Steve Harris
Kansas City, MO
USA
Choose a platform (All) Link
(all) Arcade Sega Genesis Vectrex
Game Score Rank
Bega's Battle 120,000 1
Bubbles 871,520 6
Cliffhanger 1,180,020 2
Congo Bongo 379,500 3
Discs of Tron 138,600 3
Dragon's Lair 454,974 6
Firefox 9,000 Mile Mission 376,052 6
Food Fight (revision 3) 895,140 8
Frogger 74,450 13
Motorace USA 1,214,400 3
Popeye 1,232,250 1 11/15/83
Red Alert 24,260 1
Sinistar 468,670 2
Space Tactics 398,300 2
Super Pac-Man 156,310 20
Swimmer 92,430 1
Wacko 1,608,100 1
Sega Genesis 3871 Ghouls & Ghosts 498,500 11
Vectrex 2408 Star Rider 309,890 1
---------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you,
Paul Dean, spy hunter champion, Millennium June 28, 1985
www.spyhunter007.com
Ionic Air Filter
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[Coin-Op World Records]
Click At Desired Graphic Text For Each Introduction
Biography Commentary Questions
Click On Below Graphic Text For Spy Hunter Introduction
Tournament and Guinness Book Results From 1983-2004
Click On Below Graphic Text For All Video High Scores thru 2004
The Golden Era
Click On Below Graphic Text For Material On
The Golden Years Of Video Games 1980's
Click the Below Graphic Text to read my Conversations With Walter Day
June 9, 2004 Walter Day states, "No Replay Necessary" for Paul Dean
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