Arcade gaming as we know is something that has become restricted to beaches and carnivals in most people eyes, with the 50p a play slot now covered in cobwebs as Wii’s and Xbox’s sit comfortably in the warmth of our living rooms. Though many may prefer to experience gaming this way, there are still a fair few others who take retro gaming very seriously, which we found out in The King Of Kong: A Fistful Of Quarters.
What transpires is one of the greatest stories ever seen to unravel in a documentary as the film begins to explore the real world of the true video game nerds and the empire they have built around a select few, and the one man who infiltrates their safe haven.
The documentary opens with an introduction to the two main characters, Billy Mitchell, the reigning world champion of Donkey Kong and a host of other arcade games, the centre of adulation by all video game enthusiasts around him and probably the most horrifying persona of an American patriot ever seen on screen. Then, there’s Steve Wiebe, the family man and a nearly man of everything he has tried to succeed in, the epitome of the word underdog, who one day decided to try and become the world champion of Donkey Kong.
The film itself is as inspiring as it is funny, with most of the humour derived from the world of video gaming as we meet some of the great characters most notably, Walter Day, a video games referee with a burgeoning music career of sorts (don’t look for his album in any major record stores.) We are also confronted with the hero’s turmoil’s as he painstakingly and crushingly travels the country in pursuit of the prize that he and his family have been chasing so fairly for so long, which often leaves you truly sympathetic at his journey.
The King Of Kong keeps you constantly absorbed in the adventures of the “hero” as he beats the world record not once, but twice only to be knocked back by Billy Mitchell’s gang of snivelling sidekicks, in cruel twists of fate (notably the inclusion of a very corrupt video tape.) As the film builds up to its head to head finale we are not only left in anticipation of the potential climax but at the aftermath of what truly happens, which leaves the audience completely open mouthed at the sheer childishness of the encounter (we see Steve Wiebe constantly harassed and isolated at the World Video Game championships whilst Billy Mitchell is nowhere to be seen.)
What concludes is a documentary with so many well rounded characters and a storyline which rivals that of Rocky, it’s impossible to not think that some of the events of this film are fabricated because it’s almost too perfect. The King Of Kong is truly a brilliant story with a wonderful blend of humour and heartache. The world of competitive gaming will never be seen in the same light again.
