Former Donkey Kong Champ Chats With Twin Galaxies
Timothy Sczerby of Auburn, NY Still #3 In The World!
Tim Sczerby of Auburn, NY made video game history on August 17, 2000 when he scored 879,200 points on the classic arcade game Donkey Kong. Tim broke a long standing previous world record that had been held by former (and now current) DK champ Billy Mitchell. Tim's record stood unbeaten for three years until it was eclipsed by Steve Wiebe of Redmond, WA and Billy Mitchell of Hollywood, FL.
Tim has a great deal of passion for Donkey Kong and the recent events surrounding the game, and shared his memories of world championship fame with Twin Galaxies.
TG: Tim, first of all, thanks for taking the time to share your gaming experiences with us. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
TS: I'm 35, single, no children and most importantly....I'm now old enough to appreciate it!
TG: What first inspired you to start playing video games?
TS: I can remember playing games like Space Invaders and Asteroids at the Fingerlakes Mall Time-Out Amusement Center starting in the late 1970's at which time these games were brand new "state of the art" technology. Being about 8 years old, I was curious and drawn to them like so many other children at the time. Back in the early to mid 80's, you could go in that arcade on any Friday or Saturday night, and there'd be at least 50 people in there playing the games.
This arcade is still there today (same location under a different name) and is now filled with mostly large, bulky redemption games and a few of the standard "cookie cutter" games that mostly just sit there wasting electricity running their attract modes over and over and over for people who aren't there anymore to hear them. It's a very far cry from what it used to be 20+ years ago.
TG: What is it that you like so much about Donkey Kong?
TS: The game concept, as well as the design and gameplay are fun, unique, challenging, and I had a knack for it right from the start at 9 years old.
TG: When did you first decide to try to beat the DK world record?
TS: I first started trying to beat the Donkey Kong score around the late fall of 1999. Billy was issuing cash bounty on a few select games at that time and one was Donkey Kong. A couple months before, I rescued my Donkey Kong Upright machine serial # 45676 (standard Blue cabinet) that was bound for the dumpster because it didn't work. Physically it was in extremely nice shape, some light cabinet wear on a few edges, completely intact "original" side decals and artwork. The control panel still even had the clear plastic ring around the base of the joystick. A few years before that, I had the cocktail model version in my bedroom so I was already very familiar with the game play mechanics so I thought I had a chance at what Billy was offering.
TG: What were some of the memorable things that happened during your world record performance?
TS: I scored over 600,000 on one life! I wasn't really point pressing and knew the game essentially ended at the start of level 22 which is the infamous "KILL SCREEN". The technique that I had to use to beat Billy was the same technique I use at the end of Dragon's Lair or Space Ace. I purposely die at the last move then repeat the board again… accumulating more points in the process. Toward the end of what would be my record breaking game, I thought my score might run just shy of Billy's, and knowing the game would just kill me off within in 10 seconds after start level 22, (no chance for racking up points there), I accumulated all the points I could on the last board of level 21 and then did what most people would consider unthinkable....I purposely killed off my last extra life before clearing level 21. It paid off because it was only by doing this last level over again that I accumulated enough points to edge by Billy for the record. In my opinion, that is the type of plot ending certain movies should be made of.
TG: How did it feel to beat one of the best players in the history of gaming, Billy Mitchell?
TS: To beat someone like Billy, who is extremely well known in the industry and had just recently achieved media attention for a perfect Pac-Man Score at the time, was a thrill.
TG: When you broke the Donkey Kong world record and your score was verified, how did Twin Galaxies and Billy Mitchell respond?
TS: Shortly after my record WAS VERIFIED, Walter Day, and Billy Mitchell himself, called to congratulate me. I find this to be in stark contrast as how I've heard Billy is portrayed in the movie The King of Kong.
TG: How did you feel when your world record score was eclipsed?
TS: I was disappointed at first but I kind of figured it was coming. The old axiom is correct, what goes up must come down.
TG: When The King of Kong documentary first hit the scene, and you were not included in it, how did you feel about that?
TS: I've been overlooked for important, meaningful ideas and contributions on the job and in life in general for most of my 35 years, so one more time wasn't going to make a difference. I think you should view a Simpsons episode titled "Homers Enemy" (season 8) if you really want to understand what kind of resentment a person can harbor after a lifetime of working twice as hard for half as much as the other guy can have on someone. A person can get very cynical.
TG: Now that Billy Mitchell is the champion of Donkey Kong again, and Steve is second and you are third, do you think you will compete again to try to reclaim the world record, or at least second place?
TS: To be honest, at this time, I could never break a million points. I still at times have a hard time accepting the fact that a score of 1,000,000+ is even possible. I played a couple serious games tonight after nearly 2 years and scored 610,700. One game I scored 400,000+ on one life and it always comes down to the same thing. I start level 5 with about 110,000 and average 50,000 points per level until the start of level 22. The best I could possibly do before the game "ends" is a 960,000 or 970,000 game, this was the best pace I can set. My personal best is 937,000 set a couple years ago. One million points… not gonna happen.
If a technique does exist for point pressing over one million, I don't know about it nor do I ever expect to be informed of it because trust me, no one would ever, ever, want to compete against me if I did!
TG: You've been playing video games for a long time. What are your favorite memories of the Golden Age of Video Game Arcades?
TS: I can remember raiding my grandmother’s change purse on occasion for pennies, nickels and dimes which I would exchange for quarters and then ride my bike to the Arnold Palmer mini Golf course (they had a game Room there at the time) and play the Space Ace in the "inverted" style cabinet. I can remember, like it was yesterday, hearing Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" and Bananarama's "Cruel Summer" being played through the park’s speaker system while I played this game in the summer of 1985.
On the weekly grocery shopping outing, I'd always insist on going to Wegman’s because they had a Dragon's Lair, Crystal Castles and Donkey Kong there. Or the Ground Round restaurant for dinner… because there was a small game room containing an inverted Space Ace which I was just learning to play in the summer of 1984. Arcade games were everywhere at that time.
I remember When The Time-Out at the Fingerlakes Mall first got Dragon's Lair in the early fall of 1983 and the crowd of at least a dozen people at almost any given time of day watching the game being played on the 19 inch T.V placed on top of the cabinet. They also had 2 different Donkey Kong games which I always got the high score of the week on. This would earn me 10 tokens or "reds" (quarters painted red). The reds could be used on all the games, even the games that were new and weren't set for tokens yet. I won 2 free movie passes for high score of the week on Dragon's Lair in the summer of 1984 to see the first Karate Kid movie.
The main thing I like about games of that era is the variety. Nearly every single game was a different concept and cabinet design. Starting around late 1985 into 1986, the JAMMA based "cookie cutter" games started appearing on the scene and it seemed the only variety the games shared was the different cabinet styles they were originally converted from. The Dragon's Lair I played at that Time-Out was converted to a Rush'n Attack in late 1985, but I was given the original 3-sided Dragon's Lair marquee header from that game when it was converted, which still hangs on my bedroom wall to this day.
TG: Are there any other games that you feel you can compete for the world record on?
TS: I have, at one time, scored about 1,500,000 on Galaga (1st life at 30,000 and additional ones every 70,000) but it's tough when you’re not awarded bonus ships after 1,000,000 points. I've scored about 680,000 on Pac-Land (1984 Bally/Midway version, not a bootleg) but I don't think I could ever find one, nor do I have the room. I scored over 4,000,000 on Track and Field (factory marathon settings with extra lives awarded) but had to stop when my fingers literally started going numb. I have, on several occasions, tied the current world record of 770,866 on Space Ace. This is the highest score possible on 5 lives. I have also scored 495,859 on a "single" 5 life game of Dragon's Lair, a score which I haven't beaten myself in over 16 years.
TG: Do you own any video games? If so, which ones?
TS: I currently own Dragon's Lair, (the pic on KLOV of the Dragon's Lair with side art as well as the pic of the PR7820 player are of mine) Space Ace (early Dragon's Lair conversion), Cobra Command (1984 laserdisc version on Astron Belt hardware), Donkey Kong, of course, and Track & Field. Out of all the games I had, I miss my Major Havoc the most. This is in my opinion is the best vector game made. Excellent design and game play, one of the underrated, yet best games of that era. Hats off to Owen Ruben! I learned to play this when the LD player crapped out for a month in the Dragon's Lair at Time-Out. I have every single piece for an "inverted" style Space Ace machine. I mean everything! All the original fasteners, mounting brackets, mounting hardware, fan, WG 4900 series monitor, Pioneer LD-V1000 (This player actually came from the same inverted Space Ace I learned to play on 23 years ago!) marquee, annunciator with lamps, control panel, score board plexi, original un-hacked wiring harness… everything, and I do mean everything is there and it all works. I just need to finish restoring an inverted cabinet to install it all in.
TG: From your perspective as a former world champ, who is the best video game player in the world?
TS: I think anyone who holds (or held) multiple records might qualify, but with so many very talented people each specializing in one or even a few different titles, I don't think it would be fair to pick and choose. Billy Mitchell is the best known.
TG: What things make you unique from other gamers?
TS: Unlike a lot of gamers or "elite" moneybag collectors, I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty and actually doing filthy dirty warehouse searches or major work on my games when need be. To some "elite" collectors, the thought of changing a fuse or simply plugging the machine into a wall outlet is too technically challenging and they might just have "Jeeves the Butler” do it for them. Everything I got I did myself or took the time to learn it myself - even the optical axis alignment on my PR7820 and LD-V1000 laser players. You will be extremely hard pressed to find anyone, if at all, who could do this procedure. Some of these repair facilities get $50+ just for scratching their butts and telling you, "Yep, it's broke alright", let alone doing any troubleshooting or repair work afterwards.
TG: Are there any tips or strategies for Donkey Kong that you can share with us?
TS: Sorry, but until I get some new tips and strategies myself, (i.e. the 1,000,000 point pressing technique) I will no longer disclose any of my own playing techniques. I find it very coincidental that on my last interview with Twin Galaxies in the fall of 2000, on which I did publicly disclose a couple of very key playing tips, that more and more people since then have started achieving higher scores. I'm sure I unwittingly gave Steve Wiebe some insight....my bad.
TG: How do you feel about arcade emulation, such as M.A.M.E.?
TS: Emulators such as M.A.M.E. and DAPHNE are the greatest contributions to classic gaming since the invention of the Cathode Ray Picture tube! Take it from me, troubleshooting and repairing this 20 to 30 year old equipment, especially the PR7820 and LD-V1000 LD players is a HUGE, and I can't stress this enough… a HUGE pain in the butt, and it’s only going to get worse as the years go by! I myself am currently assembling a M.A.M.E./Daphne machine. You get all the enjoyment and authenticity of hundreds if not thousands of classic games in one cabinet with none of the hassle, frustration and expense that comes with the inevitable losing battle of trying to find and/or maintain the original 25+ year old hardware.
TG: What's next for you in the video game world?
TS: Currently, in addition to the M.A.M.E./Daphne multi machine, I'm also restoring an "inverted" Space Ace cabinet (serial LDS #1284) which I will finish with all the parts I mentioned previously. After this, aside from playing them, I think I'll be done. The 1980's are long gone and I'm starting to feel my age. You can't stay 12 years old forever… unfortunately.
TG: Tim, thanks so much for sharing your experiences with us. It's been great getting to know more about you and your accomplishments.
You can view Tim's scores with Twin Galaxies by clicking here.