Hard to believe the DK record hasnt changed hands since 12/2010

[LMDAVE]

Given the amount of knowledge known on the game now and the amount playing at a higher level, Hank still has this record since 12.2010.

We all know Billy held it for 18 years, but the second longest was Tim Szcerby just 18 days shy of 3 years, Looks like Hank will have to hang on to his until December 10th 2013 to top Tim as the second longest record holder.

Of course Billy and Tim didn't have the competition that exists now.

[ChrisP]

What's really interesting to think about is the way the competition would have gone if "alternate universe Hank" had left it at 1,068,000 and gone with a "leave it until someone takes it" policy. Everything would have gone differently.

Without a doubt, at least one other person would have held the record, and probably more like two or three.

Mark's TG score, for example, is only 15K away (and he finished that game super-conservatively, which, obviously, he wouldn't have if he was that close to the record). Both Dean and Jeff beat that score at the Kong Off 2.

And then of course there's Vincent. Actually, if Hank hadn't pushed it up from 1,127,700 at the last minute before the Kong Off, Vincent would have taken the record in January!

As for what's "better" I could seriously argue it both ways. It would have been neat to see different players get the publicity and whatnot. On the other hand, it's kind of cool that Hank is the only person (post KoK) to take the record from Billy and Steve. If the record had changed hands too many times it might have "cheapened" it somehow, at least in the eyes of the public. Now it's going to be a lot more exciting when someone new takes it!

[Xermon54]

Yeah, I also think it's funny.

But the only reason why it hasn't changed hand is because, right now, only me and Dave has been trying to beat the record on arcade. I don't think anyone else has been even trying to seriously play at that pace.

Dean/Ross/Jeff/Phil all play on MAME, they don't play on arcade, and each one of them could've beaten Hank's score over the time.

And we can also take into consideration Dean, and says that the score hasn't changed hand since 3 years, since nobody has beaten Dean score since he did 1,051,500 on MAME (he only has beaten himself by beating his own score).

I think this is cool, because the general public will see it as if Hank has beaten his own score 4-5 times because nobody could beat it except him. Then, when someone will break the record, it will give more credibility!

The record is, in my opinion, would be beaten without that much problems if Dean/Ross/Jeff/Phil would play on arcade a little bit. And Hank can obviously beat his own record without that much pain also. I'm a pretty good DK players, but I still struggle with my pace sometime, so if even me got a 1.15m+ pace on my 1,135,900 high score, then a bunch of people could get the record if they tried to!

When the record will reach 1.175m, it will start to be very tricky to beat!

[LMDAVE]

I'm not an advocate of leave to someone takes it, but I have had the "alternate world" thought before.

I still kick myself to this day for my 1.026M ending on 21-2, because it would have ended right around 1.068-1.07M, which would have been enough to take the record in the "alternate world".

Then afterwards Vincent had a game with the "ghost barrels" on his machine and got 1,084,500.

Then Jeff at KO2 got 1,105,400

and of course Vincent's big game of 1,135,900.

Its interesting thoughts, but this isn't the alternate world, and nothing wrong with updating your personal best even if you have the record. Actually it would be silly not to.

[homerwannabee]

I think it's too bad Dean doesn't get more credit for his score.   I think those who can't acknowledge what Dean has done on MAME themselves lack the ability themselves to ever reach Dean's score on Arcade.  Yes, that is not a misprint.  I meant Arcade even though his Arcade score is almost 100,000 points lower than MAME

I mean the Kong Off II was won by a MAME player, and the second highest score was a MAME player. Don't forget that Hank was originally a MAME player.

This elitist we only mention Arcade scores has to stop.

[hchien]

It's hard to say what would have happened in an alternate universe because of the "Butterfly effect".  A small ripple in the past may have set things on a very different course.

It was never my intention when I started playing to even aim for the WR.  There were many points along the way where I almost retired.  If I had not seen KoK when I did (at a slow point in my life) I may have never even started or perhaps I would have been a 3rd generation player, or perhaps just a casual 100K player.  I almost certainly would have never had the arcade record.

Another thing to consider which may have altered things greatly is: Would the 1M live rule still be in effect?  That rule I believe was the main reason the record stood at 1.05M for a while.  That was a difficult score to beat at the time let alone in a live environment.  It would have been nearly impossible for Wiebe to break it (at the time) live.  I'm pretty sure when I broke 1M on arcade, Dean had already done it in MAME.  1M+ scores were accepted on MAME, however arcade players at the time were getting close to 1M as well.  I believe I was the first to submit a 1M score on arcade after Billy/Steve (Tim and Scott never submitted because of the rule) and almost certainly the first to do it in a live environment (at RK's).  I only submitted the score because everyone pressured me to do so.  I knew it was in violation of TGs rules.  There was no senior TG referee present despite there being dozens of well known CAG witnesses, 100% recorded and our own ad hoc recording rules which were eerily similar to the eventual official recording rules.  I believe TG felt increasing pressure as a result of that incident as well as numerous upcoming players and changed the rule.  I do believe the rule would have been eventually changed with or without me, but at a later date.

It is also not my intention to "hog" the record.  I get accused of being a bully when I break my own scores (can you imagine if someone called you a bully because you broke your own PB?).  Dean has broken his own score about as many (or more?) times yet I don't really hear people complaining about that.  Case in point, I've only played about 3 games (and not very serious ones) of DK since KO2 knowing very well that Vincent, Dave or anyone else could have broken it at any time.  If someone beats my score, I will not be in a rush to beat it back (unless it's Vincent hahaha).  I've come to the conclusion that no matter what I do I cannot make everyone happy, so I just do what I would naturally to do-- play when I have time/feel like it and submit if I happen to beat my own score.

[LMDAVE]

I think it's too bad Dean doesn't get more credit for his score.   I think those who can't acknowledge what Dean has done on MAME themselves lack the ability themselves to ever reach Dean's score on Arcade.  Yes, that is not a misprint.  I meant Arcade even though his Arcade score is almost 100,000 points lower than MAME

I mean the Kong Off II was won by a MAME player, and the second highest score was a MAME player. Don't forget that Hank was originally a MAME player.

This elitist we only mention Arcade scores has to stop.

Dean is considered a god among arcade and MAME players, what more acknowledgement can you need from that? The original arcade machine that represents the game in it's natural state will always be recognized as the official...nothing elitist intended.

And after that, the only other two MAME players who had major scores (Vincent and Jeff) already matched or surpassed it on arcade. (And yes Jeff's 1.105M on arcade is considered matching 1.107M on MAME in my opinion). The rest is all arcade scores with the recent addition of two lower 1 million MAME scores.

But, other than the acknowledgment Dean already has, the fact is, there isn't a MAME score out there that surpasses the next top 12 known scores of arcade and MAME combined.

1167   Dean Saglio
1138   Hank Chien
1135   Vincent Lemay
1107   Jeff Willms* (matched on arcade with 1.105M)
1064   Steve Wiebe
1062   Billy Mitchell
1052   Mark Kiehl
1037   Tim Sczerby
1037   Shaun Boyd
1026   David McCrary
1019   Steve Wiltshire
1012   Kyle Goewert
1010   Benjamin Falls
1007   Robbie Lakeman
1005   Phil Tudose

[Xermon54]

But, other than the acknowledgment Dean already has, the fact is, there isn't a MAME score out there that surpasses the next top 12 known scores of arcade and MAME combined.

Haha, that's funny! I never realized that.

It's funny that the MAME score is the highest score ever MAME/arcade combined, but all the 11 high scores below are Arcade scores, and none of them are MAME scores (if we include Jeff's 1,105m as being a top score on arcade instead of his 1,107m on MAME).

That's pretty ironic, but cool.

[ChrisP]

It is also not my intention to "hog" the record.  I get accused of being a bully when I break my own scores (can you imagine if someone called you a bully because you broke your own PB?).  Dean has broken his own score about as many (or more?) times yet I don't really hear people complaining about that.

Hank, I think the reason for this is that beating the DK arcade world record is a major event.

People are under the impression that getting the record will earn a new record holder "15 minutes of fame", whereas if you just beat the score over and over until it's maxed out, you're denying any other "first timers" the possibility of ever holding the record and having their moment in the limelight.

That consideration doesn't apply in Dean's case because the MAME record doesn't get media attention.

I don't agree with this view, because it's unethical for the record holder to fail to submit a score that beats his own record (and for other reasons), but I think that's basically where they're coming from.

[hchien]

Vince, didn't you get 1.050M in MAME?  That'd be in the top 12.

I guess Dave means scores that haven't been matched or beaten by the same player on arcade.  It seems to me most of the 2nd generation players started out on MAME but slowly transitioned to arcade whereas most of the 3rd generation players started on arcade.  So I suspect this trend will continue.

[mikegmi2]

Speaking of the Butterfly Effect...

"And if anyone can beat the score on this tape...by about 4 o-clock pm tomorrow afternoon...Billy will pay them $10,000...and we all know Billy can pay these promises, ok."

In walks Vincent...

[hooch66]

Hank, that sucks if you get called a "bully" for breaking your own record.

I mean, what point is it in beating a record if there is somebody out there pulling their punches, right?