Join us for a free screening of "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters." This 2007 documentary follows a rivalry between Donkey Kong players Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell, offering an inside look at the world of competitive gaming.
Arcade games first surged in popularity in the late 1970s, transforming coin-operated machines and high-scores into a cultural phenomenon — where high scores were a badge of honor and competition was fierce.
The recently established Nintendo of America joined the market with Radar Scope in 1980. It was a commercial failure, and with thousands of unused arcade consoles, the company was in financial crisis. Donkey Kong was created to salvage the hardware, but ultimately the game provided Nintendo with its first international smash hit!
When Donkey Kong hit arcades in 1981, players began competing for the highest score. The game quickly became one of Nintendo's best-selling franchises. A pioneer of the platform game genre, it also introduced the beloved Nintendo character, Mario.
In 1982, Billy Mitchell set the first widely recognized Donkey Kong world record of 874,300 points. Years later, Steve Wiebe of Redmond, purchased a Donkey Kong cabinet in hopes of achieving a world record of his own, using his mathematical knowledge to exploit patterns in the game. On July 4, 2004, he became the first player to surpass one million points, with a score of 1,006,600.
Stick around after the show for a Q&A with special guest Steve Wiebe!
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