Twin Galaxies Intergalactic Scoreboard

What a Combo!

5/5/2008

It takes a lot to be a successful World-Class gamer – skill, dedication, and determination come to mind. One man who truly demonstrates these traits is Aaron Clark of England, a winner in Twin Galaxies’ Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 Combo Contest and a long time World Record holder in the same game. Although his record score was eventually surpassed, Aaron’s style and accomplishments are worth celebrating today.

Guitar Hero National Championships

5/4/2008

Reading, Pennsylvania -- May 4, 2008 -- TooManyGames.com is holding a Video Game Convention at the Greater Reading Expo Center in Reading, Pennsylvania on Sunday, May 4, 2008, and is holding tournaments on all versions of Guitar Hero.

And, Twin Galaxies will be verifying the resulting high-scores for inclusion in its world-famous Online Database. Plus, the results will be sent off to the Guinness World Records - Gamer's Edition for consideration for the forthcoming 2009 edition.

At left is Twin Galaxies poster #113, created by the Hoose Family.

Click on the story link above to learn more about this big event.

Lost (In translation)

4/30/2008

As a long time Lost fan I feel obliged to begin this review on a positive note. So here it goes: Lost: Via Domus comes with a hard outer casing that is perfect for balancing wobbly dining room tables in a pinch...

The Strange and Rare of Gaming #4

4/28/2008

A fourth, steaming hot helping of The Strange & Rare of Video Gaming is about to be served. Are you ready? Featured in this installment are Spiritual Warfare (NES, Gameboy, PC, Sega Mega Drive) and the Panasonic M2.

Guinness Gamer's Edition 2008 Book Review

4/26/2008

Gaming trivia? Yeah, bring it on.

Check out this new review of the 2008 Gamer's World Record book. Does it make the grade?

Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown This Weekend!

4/24/2008

At the Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown, pinball fans play over 100 modern and electromechanical pinball machines and video games set on freeplay. No Quarters Needed.

Come celebrate the event's 5-year anniversary this weekend in Golden, Colorado, just minutes from downtown Denver.

USA Today - 25 Years Ago Today

4/22/2008

Fairfield, Iowa -- April 22, 2008 -- At a time when the Golden Age of Arcade Gaming was at its height, USA Today published a listing of Twin Galaxies' top arcade records. Click on the story link above to see the original news clipping.

Twin Galaxies Featured in "Frag"

4/21/2008

It's become increasingly clear over the past year that a new [genre] has emerged in the documentary realm. Videogame players, now a multi-generation phenomenon with a subculture as dense as any other, are held under the anthropological microscope of the camera lens in a flurry of strong works. Last year's Slamdance Film Festival surveyed arcade champions in "King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters," this year's South by Southwest Film Festival contained the RPG profile "Second Skin," and now AFI Dallas brings the world premiere of "Frag," quite possibly the best of the bunch.

Tony Temple Still Missile Command Champ

4/17/2008

Fairfield, Iowa - March 23, 2008 - Yes, in case you were wondering, Tony Temple is still the world champion on Missile Command.

The Missile Command listing in the newly-released Guinness World Records - Gamer's Edition 2008 has caussed a little bit of confusion, but a little bit of extra information directly from Guinness World Records clears things up and cements his status as the "official" Guinness World Records Missile Command champion.

Click on the story link above to learn more.

Twin Galaxies, Guinness Share Gaming Records With the World

4/16/2008

Think your video game scores are the best? Find out just how far you need to go in the "Guinness World Records — Gamer's Edition 2008.”

The book includes profiles of top gamers and game producers, information on top-selling games, and lots of other trivia and tidbits.

Twin Galaxies Featured at GameTap.com

4/11/2008

Take a trip back through time with Twin Galaxies and GameTap! On April 11, 2008, GameTap.com, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., added a new feature video to their popular video series, “Tapped In”, featuring the classic 1980 Atari arcade game Missile Command. Twin Galaxies Chief Referee Blaine Locklair was interviewed as part of the nostalgic look at the creation of the game, the immense popularity it has received and the ongoing interest this game continues to garner.

Twin Galaxies To Attend Barcade Event With Guinness World Records

4/10/2008

Are you interested in getting into the next edition of the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition? Here's a great chance! On April 10, 2008 Guinness World Records and Barcade are hosting an event in celebration of the release of the first Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition book. Twin Galaxies Senior Referee Terence O'Neill will be attending the event and will be assisting with verifying scores collected at the contest for inclusion on the Twin Galaxies Scoreboard and the next edition of the GWR gamer's Edition.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

4/9/2008

The curse of most any pop culture classic is that the more they’re loved, the less they’re left alone. Sooner or later, someone always takes a stab at cashing in on that original success and more often than not the resulting sequel, prequel or cameo appearance winds up chipping away at the integrity, mystique and magic of its source material.

And then there are games like Final Fantasy VII. By all accounts, Square Enix’s milking of its 1997 masterpiece should have killed our love for spiky hair and doomed flower girls years ago and yet here we are ten years later...

A New Pac-Man Kill Screen Player Emerges

4/6/2008

For over a quarter of a century, Twin Galaxies has collected scores for the 1980 arcade classic Pac-Man. Today, a new kill screen score from over 25 years ago has been found and added to the Twin Galaxies scoreboard.

Back in 1982, then 14 year old Jon Stoodley was one of the premier Pac-Man players of the Golden Age of Video Game Arcades. Jon was so good, in fact, that he could reach the kill screen - a nearly five hour playing marathon that culminates in the game ending due to the inability of the game to advance any further than level 256. Jon was also an avid reader of Computer & Video Games Magazine at the time, and remembered reading that they were looking for the best arcade gamers in the world to submit their scores to the magazine.

Twin Galaxies Goes to Planet ComiCon

4/3/2008

April 3, 2008 -- Overland Park, KS -- Video Game Collector Magazine and Twin Galaxies will share a booth together at Planet ComiCon, the Midwest's largest comic book show this weekend, creating video game contests and unveiling the new Guinness World Records- Gamer's Edition, which was released last mnonth.

Shawn Paul Jones, of Video Game Collector Magazine and Walter Day of Twin Galaxies will announce the contest titles at the show. They are expected to be on classic home consoles but may include something very new, too.

The Strange and Rare of Video Gaming #3

3/31/2008

The Strange and Rare of Video Gaming is here once again and to celebrate my recent move out of my parent’s attic we’re going to change up this article a bit. This time around you’re going to get an extra helping of strange. Strange like that time some friends told me chicks dig assertive men and that I should take the initiative and ask the girl I like out…man the school bus driver was ticked.

Arcade Volume Now Available

3/28/2008

Twin Galaxies' Official Video Game & Pinball Book of world Records - 2nd Edition.

Click on story link above to see more details.

Check Out The Twin Galaxies Gift Shop!

3/28/2008

Dear Twin Galaxies Visitors,

The staff of Twin Galaxies hopes you are enjoying 2008.

Twin Galaxies is honored to serve the worldwide gaming community and hope you get the chance to participate in the many contests that we plan for this coming year.

Since Twin Galaxies offers its services to the gaming community as a free gift, we pay our expenses through the sale of merchandise like the high-score certificates, T-shirts, mugs and record books found at the links found within this message. Just click on the story link above.

Any purchase helps us continue making our programs available, as we have for the last 26 years.

Hope you find something here that makes a great gift for that special someone.

Merry Christmas

Midwest Gaming Classic, March 29-30, 2008

3/28/2008

Oconowoc, WI - March 29-30, 2008 -- Midwest Gaming Classic enjoys its seventh year as the Midwest's premiere classic gaming event.

Twin Galaxies' Walter Day will attend the event, giving a public presentation on Saturday at 2:00PM. Plus TG will conduct a high-score contest on the classic arcade game, Rally-X.

Click on story link above for more information.

Third Annual Classic Arcade Gaming (dot com) Tournament March 28-30

3/27/2008

The third annual Classic Arcade Gaming (dot com) Tournament will be held this year at Pro Putt Family Fun Center, from 2 PM Friday, March 28th through 4 PM Sunday, March 30th.

Wilmington's Leo Daniels Still Sits Atop Some Arcade Hit Lists

3/27/2008

No PlayStation 3, X-Box or Wii for Wilmington's Leo Daniels. He's not a classic case of arrested development, sitting around his bedroom toggling game controls until all hours of the day and night. No sirree, Leo Daniels is proudly old school: Give him a good arcade game like Ms. Pac-Man, a Star Wars pinball machine or a shot at Donkey Kong, and he'll play it as long as he can stand up.

Billy Mitchell Creates Another Hot Sauce Label

3/25/2008

Hollywood, FL - March 25, 2008 -- Only 50 copies of this latest commemorative bottle will be produced to celebrate the forthcoming Midwest Gaming Classic 2008, slated for Oconowoc, WI (near Milwaukee), March 29-30, 2008.

"Each bottle will have its own unique registration number on the front, making it a limited edition collector's edition," explained Mitchell from his business in Hollywood, FL.

Earlier this month, Mitchell created another rare collector's hot sauce label that said: "Steve Wiebe Attempts Donkey Kong World Record," which was handed out to patrons of the TAO Nightclub in Las Vegas,where Steve attempted the world record at an event hosted by Microsoft.

To see more of the labels and posters created by Billy to honor the history of gaming, click on story link above.

Bigger is Better: The World’s Largest Arcade Machine

3/24/2008

Back in November of 2007, the folks at G4’s Attack of the Show! made another dramatic entry into video game World Records with the construction of The World’s Largest Arcade Machine. Standing at an incredible thirteen and a half feet tall and loaded with 150 classic titles, the console is sure to hold its place in history for years to come.

Jeremy Haché, Segment Producer for Attack of the Show!, chatted with Twin Galaxies about this extraordinary feat of engineering. Learn everything you need to know about The World’s Largest Arcade Machine, from construction to future plans, giant quarters, and everything in between!

Game Review: Wii's Super Smash Bros. Brawl

3/22/2008

Finally, the wait is over and nine years after the release of the "smash" hit Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64, Super Smash Bros Brawl has arrived in style.

Easily the most awaited entry in the Nintendo Wii’s line up, the amount of content in Brawl is literally awe-inspiring once you see that just about everything in the Nintendo universe has found a comfy home in this blockbuster title.

King of the Couch Coming to Philly Saturday!

3/21/2008

The GameStop King of the Couch tournament is coming to the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA, on Saturday, March 22, for what should prove to be a day of fun and competition. The event will feature contests in seven events on four current console smash hits: NBA 2K8 (PS2, PS3, Xbox 360), Madden 08 (PS2, Xbox 360), Halo 3 (Xbox 360), and Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii).

Twin Galaxies Appears in Another Documentary Film

3/20/2008

World Premiere of "FRAG" at AFI Dallas International Film Festival in Dallas, April 1, 2008. Twin Galaxies' role as the pioneer of organized video game playing is featured in this new documentary, scheduled for Tuesday, April 1, 2008 at 10:30 PM.

Click on the story link above to learn more.

Twenty-Five years Ago Today: Video Game Capital

3/19/2008

Today is the 25th Anniversary of a great event. On March 19, 1983, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad Proclaimed Ottumwa the "Video Game Capiital."

Click on the story link above and read a few old news clippings that covered the event at that time.

The Strange & Rare of Video Gaming #2

3/17/2008

Well, it’s time for the second edition of “The Strange and Rare of Video Gaming”. This article is going to be even better than that time I got a used Super Nintendo for Christmas…man, X-mas 2007 was a good one!

Gaming on the Cheap

3/15/2008

Ok, let’s face it: times are tough. Unemployment is up, the dollar is down, economic growth is stagnant, and severe cuts in the interest rate by the Federal Government have failed to boost a sagging real estate market. Consumer costs are on the rise everywhere—even the President was taken aback by the prospect of $4 a gallon gasoline during his term. With new video game prices coming in at $50-60 each, something’s gotta give. What’s a gamer to do?

Madden's Best Come Out To Play

3/13/2008

6:27A.M. - It is a cold Saturday morning in Philadelphia. Wheeled carts stacked with equipment quietly glide over the carpeted halls and into the main venue which on this day will host the top players in the sport of Madden in the 5th installment of The Players Bowl. Robert Morgan and his crew are hard at work and familiar to the circumstances as they prepare for what will be a long, 20+ hour day.

No One Can Tell Me To Stop Playing Video Games

3/12/2008

One of Our Biggest Sellers in the TG Gift Shop at CafePress.com. Click on story link above to see them all...

Texas Pinball Festival 2008 - Don't Miss it!

3/10/2008

Twin Galaxies issues TG Poster # 109 to celebrate the event. Don't miss it. March 14-16, 2008

Click on story link above to see poster and link to event.

Steve Wiebe Tries Twice - But Falls short

3/9/2008

Las Vegas, NV -- March 6, 2008 - Playing in front of a fluctuating crowd of 1,900 party attendees in the TAO Nightclub (Venetian Casino), Steve Wiebe made two attempts at the DK record, first scoring 929,800 points and reaching the "Kill Screen" and then 579,300 points on the second try. According to Twin Galaxies records this is the sixth time someone has reached the "Kill Screen" during a public gaming performance (3 times by Billy Mitchell and 3 times by Steve Wiebe).

Click on story link above to read the news.

Twin Galaxies "High-Score" Certificates

3/9/2008

Twin Galaxies "High-Score" Certificates are available for players who have registered scores in the Twin Galaxies online database.

To learn more, click on the story link above.

When the Digging's Good...

3/8/2008

Donald Hayes is no stranger to championship gaming. Holder of sixty World Record titles at Twin Galaxies, the New Hampshire native made headlines again in January when he reclaimed the top spot on the arcade classic Dig Dug, after losing it only a month before. Taking time from his gaming pursuits and software engineering career to chat with Twin Galaxies, Donald shares some insights and experiences with the gaming community

Steve Wiebe Attempts Donkey Kong Record

3/5/2008

March 4, 2008 -- Las Vegas, NV -- Noted Donkey Kong competitor, Steve Wiebe, of Redmond, Washington, rolls up his sleeves at The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas on the night of March 5th and tries to make history by taking back the highly-coveted Donkey Kong Crown.

Right now, Steve and the equally-as-famous Billy Mitchell, are running neck-and-neck on the high-score circuit, with Billy currently in the lead with 1,050,200 points to Steve's 1,049,100 points. With only 1,100 points separating them, Steve poses a serious threat to take back the world title.

And, in the referee's outfit, performing Master of Ceremonies duties, is Walter Day, Twin Galaxies' Chief Evangelist, who will monitor Steve's record-breaking attempt while ensuring that the strictest Twin Galaxies Tournament Settings are enforced.

The event takes place during Microsoft's TAO NIGHTCLUB PARTY from 6:00pm to10:00pm in The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino. Hosted by Microsoft, the high-score challenge is one of the cultural highlights of this year's MIX08 gathering, an annual techological smorgasbord titled MIX08: THE NEXT WEB NOW. Click on link above for more information

Classic Gamer Documents Attempts for TG World Records

3/4/2008

Way before Scott ever collected arcade video games or even thought of owning a business anything like Hyperspace Arcade, he was known around town as one of the best in playing video games.

He played his first video arcade game in 1981, a Pac-Man machine at a coin laundry in his hometown of Garland, TX. He was only 6 years old at the time, but quickly became hooked and able to play.

He never heard of Twin Galaxies until 1987, when he found a 1982 issue of Life Magazine at a garage sale. Now over 25 years later, Scott is gunning for his first world records with Twin Galaxies, and is documenting his quest on his web site.

Game Review: Devil May Cry 4 for Xbox 360

2/22/2008

3 days, 10 hours and umpteen restarts later and I’m still twitching. A weekend alone with Dante, Nero and company has left me jumpy, restless and – while nicely entertained - just a little bit frustrated.

But let me back up…

Last week, I had the chance to clock time with Devil May Cry 4...

Blaine Locklair Assigned Chief Referee Chores

2/21/2008

Blaine Locklair, a police detective during the day in Summerville, SC, takes over the top position in Twin Galaxies as Walter Day focuses on his role as "Chief Evangelist" for Twin Galaxies.

Blaine's long history with Twin Galaxies and his expertise in gaming knowledge are going to be used to develop many more programs that benefit the gamer.

Click on story link above to read more.

Funspot X Poster Unveiled

2/16/2008

First draft of special Commemorative poster is unveiled. Created by Twin Galaxies for 10th Anniversary of Classic Gaming's most famous event: The 10th Annual Funspot Classic Video & Pinball Tournament.

Click on story link above to learn more

Madden's Best to go Head-to-Head

2/13/2008

This weekend at the Philadelphia Convention Center, some of the nation’s best Madden players will converge for the fifth installment of Da Players Bowl. The independent tournament is sponsored by Game Crazy and the GTP and BBFL Ballers Clubs, and the marathon event should prove to be an exciting test of skill and passion.

Retroware TV Interviews Walter Day at Funspot IX

2/13/2008

On Sunday, June 3, 2007 Walter Day interviewed with Retroware TV at the Funspot arcade in Weirs Beach, NH. Click on the story headline to learn more and to see the video interview.

The Strange & Rare of Video Gaming #1

2/11/2008

Here we are the first article of The Strange and Rare of Video Gaming. The internet is flooded with articles about “big budget” and “super hyped” games and I feel its time we turn over the stone that is gaming to uncover some of the rarest games ever created. Games that are so rare I’d have a better chance at meeting my real dad than playing them.

To kick of this first article I’ve decided to jump back to the days of the original Nintendo where a lot of great game franchises have their roots planted. Well let’s be off then.