The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters Page #5

- Is it agreed?

- Yeah.

All right.

We have a Donkey Kong machine here...

that Funspot purchased

in its year of issue.

And it may even be

a little bit tougher to play here.

People complain about

getting too many wild barrels.

Although it is a totally a random element

Eh, if you're going to set a score

you come to Funspot

And set it on their Donkey Kong

that everybody knows about.

They won't give me my record

So they have urged me

to come out and do it live.

I think it is cooler to do it live too so...

I'm pretty amped up about Donkey Kong.

Because I am a serious contender on

Donkey Kong.

I have been trying to actually

beat the score

that Billy Mitchell got back in 1982.

Nicole, she was stressing about

being home this weekend with the kids,

without me.

She's pretty sick of the Donkey Kong thing.

It doesn't seem to die.

This is a big weekend,

and I'm really hoping...

that this fellow shows up

Because he'd like to tell you that

he is the Donkey Kong champion.

And, um, the fact to the matter is

All of us have not seen

him play Donkey Kong.

No one really noticed me at first,

I was kinda looking

to see who I'd pay

the money to get in the tournament

signed in.

I recognized Robert Murzack.

He's got 30 second away from dying.

So I just pretty much walked over to the

Donkey Kong machine.

OK, we might have a good story.

It looks like the mysterious player...

From the west coast,

Steve Wiebe is here...

Eh, playing Donkey Kong.

So maybe I'm gonna stop

watching the tournament

And we'll go over to see him.

- Hey, Walter.

- You did it man.

Yeah.

No, I do not believe so.

A week or a few days ago.

Steve, apparently as I understand...

Is here right now...

To prove to everyone that he's got

what it takes.

But you know with Donkey Kong,

it's a little random.

You could get, um, bad luck

with the barrels.

With the fireballs.

with the conveyor belts or elevators.

Because that's a tough machine.

People think that

the machine is possessed.

Even Bill thinks it's possessed.

But, um, if Steve can pull of

On the machine,

that's a good score.

Well, Billy Mitchell is the champion.

I guess that makes me the prodigy.

So we got the prodigy against the newcomer.

You can make a comparison

between an athletic event and

this, because this is, you know...

This is four days of alertness

And paying attention and, um, you know...

Not as hard as doing a

decathlon or a triathlon...

But still very, very hard.

Would you like to respond?

It's Funspot.

Hello?

Hey, Brian. How are you doing?

Steve Wiebe walked in...

so I've been over at the Donkey Kong

the whole time.

Eh, what do you think?

Eh, I gonna be, um, you know, playing...

Over Steve Wiebe's shoulder.

All right. I talk to you later.

- Ok.

- bye.

Bye.

Brian Kuh came over.

It's one of the guys that

came to my house that fateful afternoon...

To check out my machine.

We are about to pass 520000

On one man.

So we really have, ah...

A memorable game here

at the Funspot tournament.

Maybe I'll skip dinner and

and squeeze in a game.

And come back with a score on there.

- Enter Brian.

- Yes.

That ape is very, very cunning...

And he will do what he needs to,

to stop you.

I couldn't get up fast enough

and it got me on the left.

I scored 229000 points.

Pretty weak game, considering

I have played a few already.

A little bit half of what Steve scored

And Steve's up again.

Okay. You'd said you start with Qbert.

You dedicated time to

You said you give up

some of your other vices...

In order to practice.

We're not gonna lose,

were not gonna be disappointed.

We are going there to win.

But I have one project

One thing far more important.

What I need you to deliver is this

What is this?

This is a score that they wanted to see

for a long time and

I've held it far too long.

You give it to Robert or Walter.

You can lose your luggage,

But don't lose the tape.

I'm doing it just for the fun of it.

When I do an actual score,

I'll do it in person.

He's a very devious person

He works things out to his ends very well.

We are really seeing a great game here.

Hey, almost... Eh, Steve

Almost lost a man right there...

At the end of that court.

He got a lucky break

The randomness went the opposite way

that it usually goes.

And, eh, Steve is still going here.

Steve Wiebe is on his second man.

He's at 696000.

- Who is this?

- What? This is Steve Wiebe.

- I won't bother you any more.

- No problem.

- I wanted to say welcome.

- Yes.

- Yes, equally.

- Agreed.

He could beat it, if he,

if he,

he'd have to have a really good game.

I don't think he knows

the tricks that Billy knows.

But I hear he is really good at the

escalators stage.

Well, right now Steve Wiebe has

On an active game of Donkey Kong.

Hey, if clears a few more boards

he's gonna have a shot

at getting to the kill screen.

As far as I know...

No one has ever achieved the kill screen

On the Donkey Kong machine at Funspot.

Numerous classic games

all have something in common.

They have an end to the game play.

There is not quite enough memory

For the final board.

It is called the "kill screen"

Because, basically...

There is no way to finish the level.

At some sort of random data or code

inside the program

Ends up getting used

for what you see on the screen.

Donkey Kong is really strange,

it actually lets you play

the kill screen level for

maybe five seconds or so.

Everything looks normal...

And then, suddenly, Mario jumps

and dies on you.

The people who could get, besides myself,

That have been seen getting to the end

of Donkey Kong...

Gee, now that I think about it

I don't think anybody has.

If anybody wants to see

there's a Donkey Kong kill screen coming up.

There is a Donkey Kong

kill screen coming up.

If anybody wants to watch.

You got to be able to perform

in the show...

with someone who is a contender.

Staring straight at you,

staring at the game.

Possibly even playing mind games with you.

I mean, it's part of being a champion.

You have to overcome it.

There is a potential Donkey Kong

Kill Screen if you wanna watch.

I can tell you he's not on my side.

He is a disciple of Billy.

He's gonna have to play it perfectly.

He is at the hardest part of Donkey Kong.

And, um, you know,

It's not gonna get any easier.

So we may have an exciting moment here.

Or, you know, the pressure

might get to him.

One of those random element might happen.

Sounds like he just cleared another board.

Or we could have a wild barrel.

Or some aggressive fireball.

I thought I was gonna be

the first Funspot kill screen.

And then I had three fireballs trapped me.

I had the hammer in my hand,

they still got me.

So anything can happen at Donkey Kong.

So for someone else to beat

me to the kill screen would be a let down.

But let's see what happens.

Maybe he'll crack under the pressure...

And maybe I'll get my chance to do it first.

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