Skip to main content

Donkey Kong crown reclaimed: World record score breaks 1.2 million

Donkey Kong (1981) World Record - 1,218,000 Wes Copeland
Competition over a world record score in Nintendo’s 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong grew to a fever pitch this week, with former champ Wes Copeland has reclaiming his title with a nigh-unbeatable score of 1,218,000.

The record-breaking run is captured in the video above, in which newly crowned champion Copeland plays a single credit of Donkey Kong for more than three hours straight, with no pauses or breaks.

“This will be my last record score,” Copeland wrote in a celebratory Facebook post. “I don’t believe I can put up a game any higher than this.”

Copeland’s latest achievement will be difficult to reproduce, given that several luck-based factors pushed his score past all other previously held records. Arcade gaming enthusiasts note that there is still room for improvement with regard to specific strategies, but competitors will face an uphill battle in getting consistent luck on their side.

Copeland previously claimed the Donkey Kong world record crown in January with a score of 1,190,000. The achievement ranked as the highest Donkey Kong score ever recorded for a scant few months before competitor Robbie Lakeman logged a score of 1,190,200 in April.

The chase for a world record Donkey Kong score earned widespread notoriety following the 2007 release of The King of Kong, a documentary film that captured the trials arcade fanatic Steve Wiebe faced in dethroning then-world champ Billy Mitchell. Currently, Wiebe and Mitchell rank at No. 18 and No. 19, respectively, in the worldwide Donkey Kong leaderboards.

Competition for the world’s top Donkey Kong score reignited in 2015, which saw the world record title changing hands twice in the span of 24 hours. Other high-ranking competitors vying for the honor over the past several months include plastic surgeon Hank Chien, MAME enthusiast John McCurdy, and longtime player Jason Wade.

Danny Cowan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…
Earth Defense Force 6 just removed its controversial requirement
The Diver class in Earth Defense Force 6.

While the response to Earth Defense Force 6, the latest in the gory sci-fi shooter series, has been generally positive, many PC users had complaints, specifically about how they were required to sign in with an Epic Games account to play online co-op.

The developers have good news for those players. On Thursday, developer Sandlot released a small update on Steam that removed that requirement. Now you can play online missions without the account. "This application has been modified so that you can play online missions without signing into your Epic Games Account," the post reads.

Read more
3 new Xbox Game Pass games you should play this weekend (October 4-6)
Sifu's main character at age 70 in Sifu.

Later this month, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will receive its biggest day-one release ever with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Until then, we'll have to bide the time with other recently added Xbox Game Pass games. Thankfully, multiple games came to Microsoft's subscription service during Tokyo Game Show in September and one particular highlight just landed this week. If you're looking for something to play this weekend, these are the games you should be looking for on Xbox Game Pass.
Sifu
Sifu | Sloclap | Night Club Gameplay Teaser | PS4, PS5 & PC

Sloclap's Sifu is an intense action game with intricate hand-to-hand combat that feels like it could've been pulled right out of John Wick or a classic kung fu movie. It's incredibly satisfying for that reason alone, but Sifu's most unique hook happens when players die. With each death, players get a little more powerful but age up and lose a bit of health. This gives Sifu a one-of-a-kind difficulty curve because it gets easier and more difficult in different ways with each death. With lots of content and accessibility updates under its belt at this point, you'll have a fantastic time checking out the complete version of Sifu now if you've never played it before. Sifu is available to Game Pass subscribers across PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. It's also on PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.
We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie
We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie - Xbox Game Pass Trailer

Read more
3 new PS Plus games you should play this weekend (October 4-6)
Ellie and Riley look at each other in The Last of Us Part 1's version of Left Behind.

It's October, so it's finally time to start watching more horror movies and playing more horror video games to get in a spooky mood. Thankfully, recent additions to PS Plus are making it very easy to settle into that vibe. On top of that, a wrestling video game has just hit PlayStation Plus Essential ahead of the last big WWE events of the year. All of that has informed my picks for the three games PS Plus subscribers should check out this weekend.
The Last of Us Part I
The Last of Us Part I - Announce Trailer | PS5 Games

At this point, The Last of Us is so iconic that it needs little introduction. It was a landmark horror video game that set new standards for video game narrative with its tale about Joel and Ellie. It was originally released for PS3 in 2013 and remastered for PS4 in 2014. The Last of Us Part I is a remake built for PS5. It gives the entire game a visual overhaul and adds accessibility features and an overall game feel to bring the adventure more in line with its 2020 sequel. If you haven’t played The Last of Us yet, you need to try it out now that the definitive version of it is on PS Plus.

Read more