PART I
Oct. 16, 2004 Steve Wiebe Donkey Kong Score
Not Accepted
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Twin Galaxies: http://www.twingalaxies.com |
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Rules For High Score Submission |
NOT POSTED ON TWIN GALAXIES SCORE BOARD
Why has Steve Wiebe's 947,200 Donkey Kong high score gone into inactive STATUS? He now has a 1,006,600 on July 4, 2004 on tape and delivered to Twin Galaxies. Same problem with the Referee's being that they think the ROMS are incorrect. The timing is said to be different than the timing on other Donkey Kong boards according to Twin Galaxies Referee's who viewed the tape. However, all the technicians in Washington say the board is real and on correct ROMs and correct settings. Is it true that this score has been moved to a different list as not to be compared to Billy Mitchell's Donkey Kong high score in the next Twin Galaxies book?
ALWAYS REFER BACK TO THE HARD BACK OR SOFT BACK EDITION OF THE AMERICAN GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS: (1985), (1986), (1987) (1997) FOR ORIGINAL SOURCE OF ALL HIGH SCORES
RMRUCZEK: Robert T Mruczek TG Board of Directors - Link to Original Text on Twin Galaxies Board Posts: 3316 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2004 9:12 pm Post subject: TG Reply - DK Performance -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello MKM: At this time, the verification process is still underway. The performance in question, if the score and ROMset combination is legitmate could be a significant scoring achievement, and therefore TG is doing everything within our experience and with the tools available to us, in order to ascertain the legitimacy of the score, in fairness to the gamer in question and to the gaming community. The verification process has been underway for some time, and it is our position that until complete verification is attained, no official pre-announcement of this performance could be made. That would be jumping the gun. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at my at-work E-MAIL address. I will be happy to answer. Thank you. Robert _________________ Robert T Mruczek Twin Galaxies - Editor and Chief referee Star Wars classic arcade marathon champion rmruczek@doremus.com (work E-MAIL) ****************************** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MKM TG Advisor Posts: 1597 Location: $C000 - $CFFF Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:05 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I didn't know Steve had broke 1 mil! WOW!!!!! Billy has got a lot of work to do to retake the Donkey Kong title as Steve had broke 1 mil on both! Impressive! Billy still can be the first to break a million on Ms. Pac-man! _________________ Please send me a Private Message to get my email for TG/game questions. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gregory Erway Tuesday, April 27, 2004 - 02:08 pm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scootie, I'm very familar with this situation and can probably shine a lot of light on the situation. I think my info is 100% correct BUT I'm sure if I make a mistake I will welcome corrections. First of all a description of the move is in order. On the "Barrell Boards" (first board of the game and the board that shows up most often) the player can climb a ladder and make sure both of Jumpmans hands are on the girder above him. In this position, normal rolling barrels cannot turn and come down that ladder. Wayward thrown barrels can and will still occasionally hit Jumpan. This trick was only available on some versions of the Donkey Kong release. Other versions, the ones we almost always play today and the only ones accepted by Twin Galaxies toward record logging do not allow the trick. The very first Donkey Kong machines released were typically red in color. This is because left over game cabinets were used from a previously released game called Radar Scope. Most or all of these cabinets shipped with the first version of the ROMs which DID allow the trick. Later, some say in order to make the game harder, Nintendo released a newer ROM version that was shipped to arcade operators who swapped the chips to the new versions and discarded the old ROMchips. This new version did NOT allow the trick. Later released versions of the DK cabinet were blue. These are the most commonly found machines. They were all shipped with the newer ROMs that did not contain the trick (as far as I know). An easy way to identify if the game has the older ROMs (with trick) or the newer ROMs (without trick) is to watch the attract mode. At the point where the words DONKEY KONG appear, there is a copyright notice for Nintendo of America listed on the version of ROMs WITHOUT the trick. I believe the version of ROMs with the trick did not have this copyright listed but may have just listed Nintendo. I'm not sure. DK boards and ROMchips are labled with a version number. The version we almost always find today, and the only version Twin Galaxies tracks for record purposes, is one labled TKG-4. I have bought a set of TKG-3 ROMs in the hopes they contained the trick. They did not. I suspect there is a TKG-2 or TKG-1 version of the ROMs out there that may contain the trick. I would like to get my hands on such a set or board. I have purchased a set of DK PCBs that contained the Japan ROMs and these DO allow the trick. The main give away that this is the Japan ROMs is that all 4 versions of the boards (barrels, conveyors, elevators, and rivits) are present of every level (including Level 1) exactly one time each. Therefore a game to the kill screen contains 85 boards (including the kill screen) consisting of 21 of each board then adding one more barrel screen as the kill screen. A normal US set of ROMs (TKG-4) will consist of 117 boards to reach the kill screen (consisting of 57 barrel boards, 19 conveyor boards, 20 elevator boards, and 21 rivet boards). Thus if you wanted to go for a record, and Japan ROMs were allowed, it wouldn't make much sense to use them anyways. In addition, I have around 6 working DK boardsets and many have different hardware release variants even within the TKG-4 artwork. I do not know the differences and never looked close enough to figure it out. yet anyways. MAME ROMreleases, to date, do not seem to include any earlier version of ROMs that would include the trick. I was at an auction in 1997 where two Donkey Kong machines were sold. One you could do the trick on and the other you could not. The one that included the trick had a cabinet serial number in the 3000 range. The other was in the 50,000 range. I tried to purchase the trick version but failed. I did buy the other machine for $325 (the trick machine sold for $375). It was sold to someone that had no idea of the difference. He would have let me have the game but he liked the firmer controls on the one he bought. It was to be located in a bar in Brockport, NY somwhere near the SUNY school. I have often thought of tracking this guy down and trying to work out a trade for another working boardset or machine. I'm not even sure the bar would be in business any longer as it was a newly opening bar at the time and many don't make it through a single year.
Steve Wiebe - Donkey Kong High Score - One Million Six Thousand Six Hundred PointsYou can buy this DVD on EBAY and see the entire game. Link Steve Wiebe: Donkey Kong High Score of 1,006,000 Points on July 4, 2004 Nintendo Arcade Donkey Kong DVD - 1,006,600 Point Game! Item number: 8143397647 Winning bid: US $32.57 Ended: Oct-31-04 07:52:26 PST Start time: Oct-24-04 08:52:26 PDT History: 12 bids (US $0.99 starting bid) Winning bidder: zotmeister ( 8 ) Current bid: US $7.50 Time left: 14 hours 29 mins 7-day listing Ends Nov-08-04 12:05:11 PST Start time: Nov-01-04 12:05:11 PST History: 3 bids (US $5.99 starting bid) High bidder: eastbanksaloon ( 9 ) Item location: Redmond, Washington United States Ships to: United States, Canada Shipping costs: FREE - US Postal Service Media MailTM (within United States) Description Hello fellow gamers, My name is Steve Wiebe and in July, 2003, I broke the 20 year old record on the classic arcade video game, Donkey Kong, by being the first to crack the 900,000 point milestone with a score of 947,200. This achievement was highlighted on CNN, Sports Illustrated, Ripley's Believe or Not, and referenced on Conan O'Brien's late night show. Since this time I have been working on achieving what was previously thought by all, including myself, as impossible - Breaking the 1,000,000 point barrier! Almost a year later, I bring the exciting news that I have broken 1,000,000 points with a mighty score of 1,006,600! Last August, at the Classic Gaming Expo in San Jose, the official video game and pinball score tracking organization, Twin Galaxies, presented a poster at the banquet honoring this great achievement in classic video gaming. This score is the very first 1,000,000 point game to ever be submitted to Twin Galaxies and is awaiting final verification. Now you can own a piece of history by obtaining your very own DVD copy of this historic 1,000,000 plus point game! Learn all the strategies, tips, and techniques in conquering the awesome ape known as Donkey Kong and witness for yourself the legendary "kill screen" in action. Shipping of this item is absolutely free! The DVD will be well packaged and shipped in a lightweight jewel case at a remarkably low Buy It Now price of $9.99, including shipping/handling! Donkey Kong and video game enthusiasts, don't miss out on this limited time opportunity to own your personal DVD copy. Trust my feedback and bid with confidence! Thank you, Steve Wiebe - Donkey Kong Classic Arcade World Record Holder
Steve Wiebe in Front of Donkey Kong Jr.Steve Wiebe has #1 Score for Donkey Kong and #1 Score for Donkey Kong Jr.
Billy Mitchell gives a thumbs up Billy Mitchell - Perfact Pacman score and Donkey Kong World Record
THIS IS AN UNVARIFIED RUMOR, PLEASE DO NOT TAKE AS FACT UNTIL YOU SPEAK TO THOSE PERSONALLY INVOLVED. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The below is a rumor and you must contact the people involved to find out why Steve Wiebe's score is now considered INACTIVE by chief referees. According to this rumor, Billy Mitchell is Contesting the Steve Wiebe Donkey Kong Motherboard ROMS on Steve Wiebe's Coin operated video game as having the incorrect ROM settings. Billy Mitchell has not seen the DONKEY KONG tape but was told by other referres that the timing of the game seemed to be not correct when doing a mathamatical analysis of the game play. Steve Wiebe's Score is on the Inactive List? It seems that Billy Mitchell was very concerned that his high score was broken on an incorrect Donkey Kong ROM Chips. I have been told via the grapevine that Twin Galaxies people (Perry Rogers, and Brian Kuh.) showed up at Steve Wiebe's house to see the Donkey Kong Board in question. Brian Kuh, a banking officer from Manhattan, is a significant competitor on Brian Kuh: Donkey Kong, Food Fight and Bump n’ Jump. Brian Kuh, Referee score on Donkey Kong and Steve Wiebe Score on Donkey Kong: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Rank % Score Points Player Date Verified Method 1 100.00 % 947,200 Steve J Wiebe 07/06/2003 Video 4 60.01 % 568,400 Brian Kuh 05/11/2001 Referee -----------------------------------------------------------------------Apparently, Billy Mitchell thinks that the board has incorrect ROM's and wants that board to go to the technician "Spike" of Mike's Arcade (435)-577-2258 a technician who knows about all versions of Donkey Kong to make sure all the ROMS are correct. This is an unvarified rumor but leads one to believe that more reseach should be done. Spike is considered the best technician in the country and he would be the best one suited to find out if the board has any strange glitches or any other problems with it. Billy Mitchell thinks that Steve Wiebe is indeed a champion and is paying for all board consultations of the Donkey Kong Board in question. Billy Mitchell has respect for steve Wiebe's game play. In the mean time, Steve Wiebe's high score status is not active, because the board has not been analyzed by the professional "Spike" professional technician of the game. Billy Mitchell was told that the timing was wrong in the video taped game that was sent to Twin Galaxies. Hopefully everything will work out in the end. I do beleive the Donkey Kong board will be found to be in perfecly good working order with no added or deleted ROMS. If the ROMchips are incorrect Steve Wiebe must replay on a correct board to take down Billy Mitchell's score. Rumors come and go so lets hope there is a good reason that Steve Wiebe's score is on the inactive list with Twin Galaxies. www.twingalaxies.com Billy Mitchell is a partner in Twin Galaxies and has the power to do things you and I cannot do. He does have the right to question a ROM problem if one does indeed exist. This is still a third party rumor that needs to be looked into so please think of this as a story until the actual parties involved can be directly spoken with. The below are the original articles that accepted Steve Wiebe's high score, and Billy Mitchell's defeat, until now in the year 2004 when many new questions have been brought to my attention regarding ROM SETTINGS and not accepting Steve Wiebe's high score as the best score ever on Donkey Kong. I think that if a score is valid, and nothing can be found wrong with that score then that score must stand and not be tampered with in any way. Otherwise, it looks like fairness is not in play. Thank you. Statistics: Steve J. Wiebe High Scores Steve J Wiebe Redmond, WA United States Game Score Rank Donkey Kong 947,200 1 Donkey Kong Jr. 1,004,000 1 Atari 2600 Stampede 2,193 9 ------------------------------------------------------------ Billy Mitchell's Past Records Link Billy Mitchell / B M, b 07-16-1965, Ft. Lauderdale, FL contest results: 1984 Video Game Masters Tournament: wr set on Burgertime, Donkey Kong Jr., Ms. Pac-man, Pac-man 1985 Video Game Masters Tournament: wr set on Donkey Kong wr kept on Burgertime, Donkey Kong Jr. 1986 Video Game Masters Tournament: wr kept on Burgertime, Donkey Kong Jr., Donkey Kong 1987 Video Game Masters Tournament: wr kept on Burgertime, Donkey Kong Jr., Donkey Kong world records: Pac-man score (3-way tie) contender: Burgertime, Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Ms. Pac-man ------------------------------------------------------------ Donkey Kong - High Score Variation: 3 Men, Extra at 7K [Default,TGTS] Platform: Arcade Rules: 3 men to start, one extra man at 7,000 Rank % Score Points Player Date Verified 1 100.00 % 947,200 Steve J Wiebe 07/06/2003 2 98.60 % 933,900 Billy Mitchell 05/27/2004 ------------------------------------------------------------- Donkey Kong Jr. High Score Variation: Tournament Platform: Arcade Rules: 3 men to start, one extra at 10,000 Rank % Score Score Player DateVerified 1 100.00 % 1,004,000 Steve J Wiebe 09/10/2002 Video 2 95.35 % 957,300 Billy Mitchell 06/11/2004 Referee ------------------------------------------------------------- Ms. Pac-Man High Score Variation: Factory Settings Platform: Arcade Rules: Difficulty : None. Start Units : 3. Rank % Score Score Player Date Verified 1 100.00 % 920,310 Chris Ayra 05/10/2001 Video 2 98.96 % 910,700 Darren Harris 05/10/2001 Referee 3 98.92 % 910,350 Rick D Fothergill 10/02/2001 Referee 4 76.45 % 703,560 Billy Mitchell 06/11/2004 Referee ------------------------------------------------------------- Burgertime High Score Variation: Factory Settings Platform: Arcade Rules: 3 men to start, bonus man every 20,000 points, end of level pepper set ON, Number of enemies on first screen: 4 Rank % Score Score Player DateVerified 1 100.00 % 8,417,500 Bryan L Wagner 07/13/2003 Video 2 69.89 % 5,882,950 Darren Kennedy 06/11/2004 Referee 3 59.15 % 4,978,550 Billy Mitchell 06/11/2004 Referee Billy has been playing at a very high level for over 20 years, and was crowned the Video Game Player of the Century while at the Tokyo Game Show in September, 1999 (and also had the honor of being selected co-player of the year at the 1984 Twin Galaxies' Coronation Day ceremony). While his mainstay DK and DKJ records were eclipsed in 2003, after being held for two decades, insiders tell me that he has some things 'cooking'. It's been reported that he's "planning something big and unprecedented" in response to Steve Wiebe, the person who now officially holds these two records. Rumor has it that he's already topped 1 million on Donkey Kong, and has also pushed DKJ to 1.2M+. In addition, the idea's been circulating about the possibility of someone (could it be him ?) getting past the split-screen on Pac-man. Keep in mind that this is the player who delivered history's first perfect Pac-man score, so, we'll see if he can next deliver... the impossible. Twin Galaxies References: Link Billy Mitchell was proclaimed the "Player-of-the-Century" at the 1999 Tokyo Game Show and was the first person to accomplish a "perfect" game on Pac-Man. He was also a founding member of the famous U.S. National Video Game Team in 1983 and appeared in the 1984 Guinness Book of World Records with five world record listings: Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Burgertime, Centipede, Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong, Jr. ------------------------------ Classic Games High Score List: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RMRUCZEK : From Funspot Message Board Older thread of New Steve Wiebe High Score TG Board of Directors Joined: 25 Sep 2002 Posts: 3247 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2003 3:36 pm Post subject: Donkey Kong (Arcade) - NEW WORLD RECORD !! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BREAKING NEWS - NEW WORLD RECORD ON DONKEY KONG (ARCADE) As reported July 5th, 2003 BREAKING NEWS - NEW WORLD RECORD ON DONKEY KONG (ARCADE) As reported July 5th, 2003 Hello fellow gamers: One of the most revered classic arcade records has fallen !! On June 30th, 2003, Steve Wiebe who hails from Redmond, Washington, has done it again. Last year he Kong Junior". This year, Steve's focus was on none other than it's venerable predecessor, "Donkey Kong" itself. The new world record, as verified by Twin Galaxies, now stands at a lofty 947,200 points. I had the pleasure of watching Steve's achievement as captured on videotape, and this was the first time ever that I had personally witnessed the "kill screen" in action. Most players have no idea whether "Donkey Kong" actually ends, but let me tell you, it does when you reach level 22, Stage 117 you start with a timer so low that it is absolutely impossible to make it up to the top of the screen, let alone the third girder up. In total, there are 116 playable screens that you can complete before reaching the "kill screen"...level one has two (2) stages, level two has three (3) stages. level three has four (4) stages, level four has five (5) stages, and levels 6 thru 21 have six (6) stages each, and of these (not including the "kill screen"), over half are "barrel" stages. The 117th and final stage (level 22-1, a "barrel" stage) offers few opportunities for points...perhaps 400-500 at most, before the timer expires. The name "Donkey Kong", when literally translated into colloquial English, roughly means stupid ape". Well, I beg to differ...this "stupid ape" is tough enough that only a small handful of players worldwide are documented in having beaten the game by reaching the "kill screen". Not so stupid after all, it seems !!The game allows you three (3) lives to start and an extra life earned at the 10K mark, which Steve easily earned. Steve's achievement took nearly 2 hours of game play, and although he had lost his third life relatively early in the game, he kept things going for a remarkable period of time, reminding gamers everywhere "Never give up, never say die", classic advice from another "Donkey Kong" master, legendary gamer Bill Mitchell. Owning the world record on a title such as "Donkey Kong" is quite an achievement, as the title has not changed hands much over the past few years. Only one other gamer in recorded Twin Galaxies history, Bill Mitchell, has simultaneously owned world records on both "Donkey Kong" and it's sequel, "Donkey Kong Junior", so Steve is part of a very elite group of gamers for sure. Congratulations to Steve Wiebe on behalf of the entire staff of the Twin Galaxies Intergalactic Scorereboard on a job well done !! Robert T Mruczek Twin Galaxies - Editor and Chief referee Star Wars classic arcade champion rmruczek@doremus.com (work E-MAIL) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- stevejwiebe Guest: Twin Galaxies Message Board Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 3:16 am Post subject: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Donkey Kong (Arcade) - NEW WORLD RECORD !! Link It's great to see all the interest and I appreciate the support. I personally think it's the best game of all time and I'm glad others feel the same. This score was achieved just a couple of weeks ago in my garage. The ROM chip is the newer standard version that does not allow mario to safely hang out on the ladder in the barrel stages. As far as random thrown barrels - interestingly enough, these barrels are most dangerous in levels 2 through 4 where they seem to heat seak and pick up high speeds. There's so many situations that a generic defense is hard to put in words. I usually just try to steer the barrel away by moving mario left and right. Then when the barrel is right on mario I'll jump to avoid it or move forward and have it sail overhead (and pray). Sometimes death is ineviteable.
The good thing is that the higher levels (5 and up) do not have such visciously thrown barrels. On these levels it's just a matter of knowing donkey kong's tendencies and watching out for the thrown barrels. The main barrels to watch for are the ones dropped around the ladder just under the upper hammer. If the path up the ladder is too clear, then there's a good chance that donkey kong will drop a barrel in this zone. Just pause a split second before proceeding up this ladder to make sure that a barrel is not thrown. The next danger zone is right under donkey kong while hammering. After grabbing the hammer I always hesistate to make sure there is no barrel dropped on mario. Sometimes I have to back pedal to hit thrown barrels. Anyway I've probably gone into much more detail than cared for but I enjoy sharing playing tips and information I've gathered over the years. Hope this helps. 
Boyfriend (Mario) Needs to save Pauline from the big Ape, (Donkey Kong) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Below are Twin Galaxies Statistics regarding Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell Donkey Kong standings. LINK --------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Wiebe - Donkey Kong Champion --------------------------------------------------------------- Search by Player Donkey Kong High Scores List:
Link Name: Steve J Wiebe Donkey Kong Variation: 3 Men, Extra at 7K [Default,TGTS] Platform: Arcade Rules: 3 men to start, one extra man at 7,000 Rank % Score Points Player Date Verified 1 100.00 % 947,200 Steve J Wiebe 07/06/2003 2 98.60 % 933,900 Billy Mitchell 05/27/2004 3 92.82 % 879,200 Timothy F Sczerby 04/23/2001 4 60.01 % 568,400 Brian Kuh 05/11/2001 5 42.02 % 398,000 Leo Daniels 06/11/2004 6 40.26 % 381,300 Eric Henckel 06/11/2004 7 36.83 % 348,900 Rick D Fothergill 06/06/2001 8 31.46 % 298,000 David Nelson 06/06/2001 9 31.07 % 294,300 Neil Chapman 06/27/2002 10 28.51 % 270,000 Steve Sanders 06/11/2004 --------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Wiebe --------------------------------------------------------------- Search by Game: Donkey Kong Search by Player: Steve Wiebe Donkey Kong, Arcade, 3 Men, Extra at 7K Rank 1 Score 947,200 Score Type Points Player Steve Wiebe Redmond, WA United States Date Achieved Saturday, March 02, 2002 Date Verified Sunday, July 06, 2003 Verification Method Video TGTS Variation Yes Default Variation Yes Rules 3 Men, Extra at 7K 3 men to start, one extra man at 7,000 Score Status: NOT ACTIVE Last Found: October 16, 2004 ---------------------------------------------------- Search by Game: ALL Search by Player: Steve Wiebe Rank % Game Score 1 Donkey Kong 947,200 1 Donkey Kong Jr. 1,004,000 9 Stampede 2,193 ----------------------------------------------------- Billy Mitchell - Donkey Kong Statistics - Donkey Kong ----------------------------------------------------- Search by Player: Billy Mitchell Name Donkey Kong, Arcade, 3 Men, Extra at 7K Rank 2 Score 933,900 Score Type Points Player Billy Mitchell Fort Lauderdale, FL United States Date Achieved Thursday, May 27, 2004 Date Verified Thursday, May 27, 2004 Verification Method Referee Score Status: Active TGTS Variation Yes Default Variation Yes Rules 3 Men, Extra at 7K 3 men to start, one extra man at 7,000 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Let's see if Steve Wiebe's score will become active in the future but for now it is not. When I find out more from Steve Wiebe himself, over in Redmond, WA, I will pass on the infomation regarding the ROMS on his Donkey Kong Board. Thank you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archived Article: Donkey Kong World Record Smashed ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gaming Age News: Donkey Kong World Record Smashed Tim Lewinson Date 7/8/2003 The world record for one of history's most revered classic arcade games has fallen. Steve Wiebe of Redmond, Washington, has scored 947,200 points on Donkey Kong, leaving in the dust noted rivals like the legendary Billy Mitchell and Timothy Sczerby of Auburn, NY. "The feat was recorded on videotape so future generations can see how it was done," explains Walter Day, Chief Editor of the forthcoming edition of Twin Galaxies' Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records. Wiebe is not a newcomer to video game royalty: last year he became the first player in Twin Galaxies' 23-year-history to pass the one million-point barrier on Donkey Kong Junior. "Donkey Kong was one of the top three most hotly contested titles in arcade history, the other two being Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man," says Robert Mruczek, Chief Referee for Twin Galaxies. Mruczek was the Twin Galaxies employee who viewed Wiebe's 2-hour long videotape in order to verify the legitimacy of the claim to the Donkey Kong title. An extensive analysis of Wiebe's accomplishment, including many scoring milestones, has been prepared by Robert Mruczek and can be found at the link. LINK
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fun & Games Tech News ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Man sets new Donkey Kong record REDMOND, Washington (AP) -- Steve Wiebe now rules as the Donkey Kong king after setting a new world record with more than 900,000 points in the classic video game. The victory was a solitary one. A few times a week, after his two young kids had gone to bed and his wife, Nicole, was busy working, the 34-year-old would head to the garage and turn on the video camera that would prove his score. He diligently set to work maneuvering Mario to dodge objects thrown by an angry ape. "Since I'd been trying so long, it wasn't like I jumped out of my chair or anything (when I got that score)," he said. Record stood for 20 years Finally last week, the Redmond resident broke an 879,200-point record set last year by a New York man, which edged past one set nearly 20 years ago by Billy Mitchell, a Florida man generally consider the Don of the Arcade Game. Mitchell's mark was 874,300. Wiebe scored 947,200 points in the 22 levels, and 117 stages of the game. He sent a videotape documenting his feat to Twin Galaxies, the definitive scorekeeping organization for gamers. The record was big enough news to video-game enthusiasts that they crashed the organization's Web site, said Robert Mruczek, chief referee at Twin Galaxies. "If you beat a gamer with the caliber of Billy Mitchell, that's a feather in your cap," he said. "They're the cream of the crop when it comes to video gaming." Despite all the points, Donkey Kong is not a game players can win. It ends with what's known as a kill screen, a final level that's impossible to beat. Even if a character could run headlong through the course with no obstacles, it never could make it in the time allotted. Wiebe has been hooked on the game since college. Mitchell, 37, says he only counts his scores if they're played in a public venue, and he won't say if he can beat his cross-country competitor. He'll only say that he's planning something big and unprecedented in response to Wiebe's win.
Nintendo smiles The competition is just fine by Nintendo, which created Donkey Kong. "We always smile when we hear about these kinds of things," company spokeswoman Perrin Kaplan said. "Donkey Kong means 'stubborn monkey' (in one rough translation from Japanese), and the fact that (Wiebe) was able to achieve this many points against a stubborn monkey says something." Wiebe said he'll keep striving for the million-point mark, then retire. The former Boeing engineer and computer-software tester plans to head back to school to become a high-school math and science teacher.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Age: Donkey Kong Article August 8, 2003 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Donkey Kong enthusiast earns record-setting score Seattle August 8, 2003 In the video game world, it's the equivalent of a coup. Displaying a singular talent for leaping over barrels thrown by a cartoon ape, American Steve Wiebe set a world record at Donkey Kong recently, netting nearly a million points at the classic video game and unseating both a record and a legendary player. The score to beat had been set nearly 20 years ago by Billy Mitchell, a Florida man largely considered the Don of the Arcade Game. Though a New York man squeaked by last year with a slightly higher score than Mitchell, Wiebe dethroned the king and quietly weighed in with a hefty 947,200 points in a tape sent in to the definitive scorekeeping organisation, Twin Galaxies. The record is the biggest news of the year to video game enthusiasts, said Robert Mruczek, chief referee at Twin Galaxies. So many people checked in for the score, he said, that the organisation's website crashed. "If you beat a gamer with the calibre of Billy Mitchell, that's a feather in your cap," he said. "They're the cream of the crop when it comes to video gaming." Though Wiebe's win might have seemed sudden to the gaming community, the victory was a month in the making in the 34-year-old's garage at his home in Redmond, Washington. A few times a week, after his two young kids had gone to bed and wife Nicole was busy working, Wiebe would go to the garage and turn on the video camera that would prove his score and set to work.
Sometimes he'd barely pass the halfway mark, other times he was achingly close to the golden score. There was a point when he hit the low 900,000s, but that wasn't going to be good enough. It wasn't until June 30 that he was satisfied. "Since I'd been trying so long, it wasn't like I jumped out of my chair or anything (when I got that score)," he said. "I was getting burned out playing so much, but I was determined to go for it." He has been hooked on the game since college, when he'd bang away on the arcade game that he sold after he graduated. But his passion reignited when he learned that a score he'd informally set years ago would be enough to beat the world record. Though any record is significant in the gaming world, it seems there's something about a Donkey Kong record that carries a little more prestige than the scores of scores that deluge Twin Galaxies each month. For starters, it's a classic - right up there with PacMan as the game with the most old-school credibility. But the angry ape is a mightier foe than a few gliding ghosts, Mruczek said, and high scores at Donkey Kong are much harder won. In fact, Donkey Kong is a game players can't actually win. Instead, it ends with what's known as a kill screen - a final level that's impossible to beat. Even if a character could run headlong through the course with no obstacles, it never could make it in the time allowed. Though Wiebe broke the current record, it's the million-point mark that would be the true prize.
"It's a tremendous thing to be the first person to get a million on a game like this," Mruczek said. "It's sort of like being the first person to get a ticket at a first baseball game for a gamer to achieve a threshold on such a respected title." Wiebe, however, is no stranger in the online chat rooms and countless websites that make up the far-flung gamer community. Last year he became the first player to get a million points on Donkey Kong Junior, the sequel to the popular game. He beat out Mitchell for that record as well, though the well-known player still retains the record at Pac-Man and several other games. "I can't tell you how many players told me they would reach the kill screen (of Donkey Kong) and became so frustrated that they just sold their machines," Mitchell said. "That's a credit to Steve." Mitchell, 37, says he only counts his scores if they're played in a public venue, and he won't say if he's able to best his competitor. He'll only say that he's planning something big and unprecedented in the video-game world as a response to Wiebe's win. That kind of fire is just fine by Nintendo, which created Donkey Kong. The company loves. Donkey Kong facts
Birth: Created in 1981 by Nintendo, the game is considered a classic. Object: Mario must climb several levels to save his girlfriend, Pauline, from Donkey Kong (an angry ape) before time runs out. To thwart Mario, the ape throws down a series of objects that Mario must avoid. Points are won when Mario gathers objects along the way or smashes those that Donkey Kong throws down. There is no known point maximum, and the game ends with a level that's impossible to beat. Demographic: Because the game is a classic, Donkey Kong fans tend to be a bit older than the average so-called "serious gamer". They range from 30 to 38, the theory being that they've had more years to excel at a game they discovered in their early teens. Sources: Twin Galaxies and www.klov.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Donkey Kong World Record Broken! 7/8/2003 at 2:26 PM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Those crazy guys at Twin Galaxies have done it again! Standing at a lofty 947,200 points, Steve Wiebe now holds the world record on the classic arcade, Donkey Kong. Hailing from Redmond, Washington, Steve had previously broken the Donkey Kong Jr. million point threshold last year. On June 20, 2003 he set his sights on and broke the record on the parent machine. Steve joins the only other person to hold simultaneous records on DK and DK Jr., Twin Galaxies legend, Bill Mitchell. A rare group, indeed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New world record on Donkey Kong written: July 1, 2003 It took a story this big to snap me out of my writing slump. Steve Wiebe, a man who has rightfully earned himself a place next to Billy Mitchell in the video game Hall of Fame, set a new world record on Donkey Kong on June 30th: One of the most revered classic arcade records has fallen !! On June 30th, 2003, Steve Wiebe who hails from Redmond, Washington, has done it again. Last year he became the first player in Twin Galaxies history to pass the one million-point barrier on "Donkey Kong Junior". This year, Steve's focus was on none other than it's venerable predecessor, "Donkey Kong" itself. The new world record, as verified by Twin Galaxies, now stands at a lofty 947,200 points. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Man sets new Donkey Kong record Thursday, July 17, 2003 Posted: 11:59 AM EDT (1559 GMT) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Man sets new Donkey Kong record Steve Wiebe became the first player to get a million points on Donkey Kong Junior, the sequel to the original game. He beat out Billy Mitchell for that record as well. -- Steve Wiebe, Kong king REDMOND, Washington (AP) -- Steve Wiebe now rules as the Donkey Kong king after setting a new world record with more than 900,000 points in the classic video game. The victory was a solitary one. A few times a week, after his two young kids had gone to bed and his wife, Nicole, was busy working, the 34-year-old would head to the garage and turn on the video camera that would prove his score. He diligently set to work maneuvering Mario to dodge objects thrown by an angry ape. "Since I'd been trying so long, it wasn't like I jumped out of my chair or anything (when I got that score)," he said. Record stood for 20 years Finally last week, the Redmond resident broke an 879,200-point record set last year by a New York man, which edged past one set nearly 20 years ago by Billy Mitchell, a Florida man generally consider the Don of the Arcade Game. Mitchell's mark was 874,300.
Mario prepares to climb several levels to save Pauline from the big ape, (Donkey Kong). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ How to Play Donkey Kong: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the original appearance of Mario, the famous Italian plumber featured in many of Nintendo's later games. Your mission is to resuce the princess, taken captive by the evil Kong. The name of the game comes from a mis-translation or spelling error, as it was originally to be called Monkey Kong. Can you find the Donkey? The game is played on 4 levels: 25m, 50m, 75m and 100m high. On the first 3 levels your aim is simply to reach to top of the screen, and on the final level you must remove the rivets from the girders, causing Kong to fall to his doom, and then it starts all over again. On every level there is a bonus counter, and you must complete the level before the counter reaches zero, or you die. You are awared the score of the bonus counter on completion of the level. On level one you must make your way across the girders and up the ladders to the top of the screen, avoiding the barrels thrown down by Kong. The first barrel ignites the oil, and turns into a fireball which follows you up the ladders. You can jump over the barrels, and collect the hammer to smash the barrels for bonus points. On level two your aim is to make it to the level where Kong moves back and forth. There are no barrels on this level, just fireballs to avoid and moving conveyor belts filled with pies(!). Again collect the hammer to smash the fireballs and pies for extra points. You can also collect the bonus items, the hat, the umbrella and the handbag for extra points. On level three you must use the ladders and elevators to make your way to where the princess is standing. Avoid the fireballs and the bouncing springs. Timing is more important on this level, especially to get to the princess and not be hit by a bouncing spring. You can also collect the bonus items, the hat, the umbrella and the handbag for extra points. There are no hammers on this level. The fourth and final level is where you get to do some damage to Kong. Remove the eight rivets which connect the four upper levels by walking across them or jumping over them. Avoid the five fireballs which appear periodically on the opposite side of the level to where you are standing. Use the hammers to smash the fireballs, and collect the usual bonus items for extra points. Once you knock out the final rivet, Kong falls to the ground and you are briefly reunited with the princess, before Kong whisks her away once more and it starts all over again! On level 4, Donkey KongUS will go to 125 meters, with the progression being : barrels -> pies -> barrels -> elevators -> rivets. On level 5+, Donkey Kong US will go to 150 meters, with the progression being: barrels -> pies -> barrels -> elevators -> barrels -> rivets. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scoring: Jumping over a barrel/fireball: 100 points. Jumping 2 barrels at once: 300 points. Jumping 3 barrels at once: 800 points. Hammering barrel or fireball: 300 or 500 points. Collecting bonus item: 300, 500 or 800 points. Removing rivet on 100m level: 100 points. Jumping close to Kong on 100m level: 100 points. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clones Japanese nintendo version . In this version barrels do not come down a ladder when you are standing at the top of it, and the levels play in the order barrels-pies- elevators-girders instead of barrels-girders-barrels-elevators -girders... Crazy Kong - Donkey Kong clone which runs on the same hardware as Crazy Climber. The most notable differences are a larger character set and the display rotated 90 degrees. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Playing hints/tips On the 50m level collect the handbag and go up the ladder to the right. Then get to the next level using whichever ladder keeps you away from the fireballs. Jump to the far edge platform and up to the next level as soon as possible. Then get onto the extending ladder as soon as you can, and hold up to get level with Kong as soon as the ladder extends. Kong does not move above your ladder so he can't kill you. Any fireballs on Kong's level do not come back down, but you will have to wait if one is waiting for you at the top of the extending ladder. On the 75m level take the up elevator to the top and jump right, avoiding the fireball. Then jump onto the down elevator and as soon as possible jump to the platform on the right, landing on either the upper or lower of the two platforms (lower is much easier). Once you make this jump, you have made a good shortcut, not having to worry about making your way all round the bottom of the screen. Climb to the platform where the springs move across, and they will not hit you at the right hand side of this platform. Then make your way left to the middle of this platform, and after the 2nd spring passes you run right and up the ladder without stopping. The next spring will seemingly pass through your feet as you climb the final ladder, but will not kill you, and you will complete the level. It will take some practise to master this, but once successful it should not be a problem again. On the 100m level remove the left side rivets first snaking from bottom to top, and then collect the hammer in the middle of the screen. Smash as many fireballs as you can and stay right of the centre of the screen. New fireballs will then appear on the left, cut off from you by the removed rivets. Then you can remov e the right side rivets with much less to worry about. It IS posible to jump a fireball. Just a matter of timing, and hoping the fireball does not change direction when you are in mid-air! On Crazy Kong on the 25m level you can jump from the first girder on the right hand side off to the right and fall through the floor, thus completing the level very quickly. On Crazy Kong on the 50m level you can drop the first hammer on the right hand edge of the conveyor belt (press jump while holding the hammer). When the hammer disappears you still get points for any pies which hit the spot where you left it. The above is how to play is from Retro Games, here is the Link -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gaming Age: Donkey Kong World Record Smashed Brief: Nearly one million points. That's a lot of jumping. Reporter: Tim Lewinson Date: 7/8/2003 The world record for one of history's most revered classic arcade games has fallen. Steve Wiebe of Redmond, Washington, has scored 947,200 points on Donkey Kong, leaving in the dust noted rivals like the legendary Billy Mitchell and Timothy Sczerby of Auburn, NY. "The feat was recorded on videotape so future generations can see how it was done," explains Walter Day, Chief Editor of the forthcoming edition of Twin Galaxies' Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records. Wiebe is not a newcomer to video game royalty: last year he became the first player in Twin Galaxies' 23-year-history to pass the one million-point barrier on Donkey Kong Junior. "Donkey Kong was one of the top three most hotly contested titles in arcade history, the other two being Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man," says Robert Mruczek, Chief Referee for Twin Galaxies. Mruczek was the Twin Galaxies employee who viewed Wiebe's 2-hour long videotape in order to verify the legitimacy of the claim to the Donkey Kong title. An extensive analysis of Wiebe's accomplishment, including many scoring milestones, has been prepared by Robert Mruczek and can be found at the link above. -- Tim Lewinson End of Page =========
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