FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
BILLY MITCHELL TAKES BACK DONKEY KONG RECORDS
Ottumwa, Iowa – August 7, 2010 – It’s the achievement that has the International Videogame Hall of Fame buzzing. At 2pm today, Billy Mitchell revealed back-to-back verified world records, reclaiming his coveted Donkey Kong (DK) champion status and setting a new Donkey Kong Jr. (DK Jr.) record to boot.
“I can’t think of a better time and place than at the eve of the IVGHOF to have this happen,” says Mitchell, explaining: “I really have to give a nod to my son who prodded me to do something special for this historic event and Boomers-Grand Prix for graciously giving me the place to set my records.”
The scores - 1,062,800 on DK and 1,270,900 on DK Jr. – were verified live at Boomers-Grand Prix Arcade in Florida by veteran Twin Galaxies referees Todd Rogers and MorningDove Mahoney. Though his goal was to simply tackle DK alone over one weekend, Mitchell notes that he simply couldn’t turn down the opportunity to carry on his winning streak to DK Jr. when he found himself with free time to spare. “I remember a lot of celebration; hugs, kisses and a lot of hooting and hollering. Once that died down, stood there looking at Donkey Kong Jr. and thought ‘there’s one more thing I have to take care of’.”
“This has been a landmark event for Twin Galaxies International,” says David Nelson, Director of Adjudication for TGI. “We’re proud and excited to be here in Ottumwa, Iowa, birthplace of Twin Galaxies, celebrating the very first International Video Game Hall and now playing a key role in this significant gaming achievement.”
The final times for Mitchell’s DK and DK Jr. games were 2hrs 42 and 3hrs 58 minutes, respectively. Asked why he stopped as soon as he had slipped past Hank Chien’s previous world record of 1,061,700, Mitchell adds: “Some say I’m being cocky. Some say I’m being lazy. I say, I’m being Billy Mitchell."
Matthew Bradford (TGI), Director of Editorial Services, Twin Galaxies International
Twin Galaxies International is the world's official authority on player rankings, gaming statistics and championship tournaments. Home to over 120,000 verified scores from over 52,000 members around the world, TGI has been featured in 2007's King of Kong' and 'Chasing Ghosts' documentaries, TVs 'Big Bang Theory', 'Chuck' and multiple print publications and as official adjudicators during E3 2009. The TGI team is proud to be a pivotal part of Big Bang 2010. For more information, visit www.twingalaxies.com
About The Big Bang
The Big Bang is Ottumwa's Annual Video Game Festival, co-created by the Citizens of Ottumwa and the International Video Game Hall of Fame. The Big Bang 2010: Making Gaming Matter is a four-day event held concurrently with the Grand Induction Ceremonies for the International Video Game Hall of Fame & Museum (IVGHOF&M). The festival features contests, concerts, dealer showrooms, panel discussions, guest celebrities, costume contests and much more. For more information visit: http://www.ivghof.com
About The International Video Game Hall of Fame
Located in Ottumwa, Iowa, the International Video Game Hall of Fame and Museum is dedicated to honouring excellence in the field of electronic gaming by recognizing the champions, industries and professionals related to this popular activity. We will build and maintain a state-of-the art interactive facility containing historical archive exhibits describing the historic milestones of the video game industry, and preserve significant video gaming relics, memorabilia and artefacts of the times past and present.