Some of us think we’re the Big Cheese if we make it to the last level in Tetris.
Others actually make a living – and set incredible world records – by playing old-school games in the public eye. Dr. Hank Chien is one of these rare people, and is the original record holder for the Donkey Kong arcade game.
While there’s ongoing competition from a few other retro-game competitors (Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe, to name a few), Dr. Chien has actually improved his game score from over one million points on the classic title. What’s his new high score?
1,110,100 points.
And the man even told video game historian Patrick Scott Patterson that he knows he can do better and will do better so that he can keep his title.
Here’s what he said:
“This was not a killscreen game. I died two screens shy of the killscreen so my score would have been a little higher, perhaps 1.12 million points. I had a spare man going into Level 21 and was mentally preparing to sacrifice it on the last barrel board and my game was over a few minutes later. That’s how Donkey Kong rolls sometimes.
I know currently there are several players who are capable of beating that score. If there was still a Donkey Kong in every pizza parlor I’m sure I wouldn’t have the record. I don’t know what my limits are on this game. Right now it’s about 1.15 million points.”
Now that’s the voice of a confident but honest man!
