Let me tell you a tale of long ago,
In the late 1990's into 2000 MAME was in its infancy and I dont think DK was supported in mame untill about 1998, 1999? The recording rules for DK were very simple.
I found an old set of rules from TG that I followed when setting up my game.
Either Upright , Mini, or cocktail were acceptable as long as they had the title screen state "1981 Nintendo Of America" and NOT "Nintendo 1981", ( this indicates they were aware of the barrel trick on the earlier roms) 3 lives to start and an extra life at 10k.
Both the screen and audio needed to be seen clearly and heard. (obviously)
You did not have to even show the game powering up at the start nor where there any requirement for interior shots of the game. A joystick requirement was not even a thought and neither was the power supply or monitor. Mame was still new and not wide spread at the time and was not on the DK radar.
Pretty simple rules for late 1998 to 2000.
Fast foward to 2007.............a "fictional" film based on one mans quest to beat Billy Mitchells 1982 Donkey Kong record was released. However, TG, the "official" keepers of all things knowledgeable and historic in arcade gaming............" forgot"............ to mention to the "documentarians" that someone else had already beat Billys 1982 record a few years prior and was "NOT" the same person mentioned or portrayed in the fictional film as doing so. (I won't mention any names here
The release of this Fictional film generated new interest in the game. In order to keep the competition between the two main "actors" while TG squeezed every bit of PR out of the subject they were exploiting, TG imposed strict rules put in place for DK submissions, most likely to discourage newcomers or the few out there that could still score as good as the two "actors" featured in the film.
I myself had a hell of a time following these imbecilic rules and because the camera shut off when I was attempting to video tape the "inside" of my DK game... "AFTER"... a 1,034,xxx game play which was a few boards away from the KS. I could not submit the score to TG because the camera shut off breaking continuity,...........but only AFTER the game was complete.
Fed up with the space shuttle level flight check list requirements DK was subject to , I stopped playing the game. Yep, TG knew what they were doing and that was what ever it takes to keep Steve and Billy on top.
Fortunately, a couple weeks latter, Hank Chien breaks the WR of 1,050,xxx following all of TG's protective rules in place to keep billy and steve on top.
TG and Picture House entertainment rode a profitable wave of media attention for a few years and select TG insiders received 5 figure contracts.
Fast Foward to 2013. The fictional film released in 2007 with a couple guys playing DK is now a cult favorite among gamer's.........some of which actually and firmly believe the film is 100% true and based in fact. The money gained by allowing TG to exploit someone else's gaming accomplishment long since spent. TG suffering a permanent black eye and loss of credibility for outright and openly selling one gamer's accomplishment to another and profiting as a result seems to matter little in the gaming community from what I have seen. The people behind the fictional film of a couple guys playing DK have laughed all the way to the bank and even turned the game from a fictional movie to an annual debacle where "starry-eyed" gamer's can "hob-knob" shoulder to shoulder with some of the greatest hucksters in arcade history!
Many new players as good as or better than the two "actors" portrayed in the fictional film have spawned thinking they will one day get crumbs from the same table as the same "actors" featured in the 2007 fictional film about a couple guys playing DK. I have already some of the contracts they got and believe me there is NO room for anyone but Steve and Billy when it comes to DK, never has been ...never will be.
