Interview with champion Donkey Kong player Billy Mitchell
Last week I saw the excellent documentary The King of Kong and heartily recommended it to everyone who’s even moderately interested in videogames. You don’t even have to have ever played the titular game, Nintendo’s Donkey Kong arcade cabinet, to enjoy the film (I haven’t). Now, The Onion’s A.V. Club has an excellent interview with Billy Mitchell, the Donkey Kong champion portrayed as a cheater, coward, and all-around jerk in the documentary (as a foil to the hero of the story, Steve Wiebe).
Well I knew something about the characterization and framing of Billy Mitchell seemed off. The documentary isn’t close to impartial, though I suspect that’s only to make it even more entertaining. And now in this interview Billy Mitchell has fired back, confirming a lot of the initial suspicions I had about the film. Is Billy Mitchell quirky? Hell yes. But is he a bad man? No, I don’t think so. He still holds the Donkey Kong world record, and to my mind, he deserves it.
June 4th, 2008 at 09:03
I watched the movie also and beleive Billy Mitchell to be a FAKE! He talked alot crap about scores counting when played in public and when Steve Wiebe did it, Billy Mitchell sends in a video game. It seems to me Billy Mitchell is too scared to play Steve Wiebe head to head in Donkey Kong. That documentary, The King of Kong, really showed how Billy is, “A FAKE”. Maybe one day Billy will have the balls to play Steve Wiebe head to head in Donkey Kong.
June 5th, 2008 at 19:44
The thing is, after that documentary came out, Billy Mitchell did reclaim the high score in Donkey Kong, in live play. I think he was anxious to play in public, but in the end, he was able to put his money where his mouth was and perform. So he’s not just all talk.
Also, the movie really is quite biased against Mitchell. The story isn’t all that interesting in real life, so they painted on an epic David versus Goliath (or King Kong, as it were) under-current, and Mitchell played the part of Goliath.
July 2nd, 2008 at 16:14
Quirky means a bit eccentric. He isn’t quirky, he’s a self-absorbed douche and an egomaniac. The documentary may seem biased, but his real life persona isn’t far from it by most accounts.
The interview you linked pretty much makes him out to be the laughable twit the documentary made him out to be.
How you missed something so obvious is anybody’s guess.
July 2nd, 2008 at 16:20
You actually saw the MTV interview linked in the interview and you don’t think he’s a nitwit?
Here’s a helpful suggestion; don’t take your own advice when sizing up people, get a second opinion.
July 2nd, 2008 at 16:33
You know, ad hominems aren’t particularly convincing. Especially when you have no other evidence. Just saying.
July 7th, 2008 at 19:39
Yeah, he might have one his record back, but that still doesn’t mean he isn’t a douche. Judging simply by the statements he makes about himself, comparing himself to the abortion issue, not even saying hello to Steve Wiebe, show that he is a spineless self absorbed loser.
July 7th, 2008 at 20:06
I think you’re being a little too eager to hate on him. The whole “hello” thing could’ve simply been part of the way the film was edited.