Donkey Kong crown reclaimed: World record score breaks 1.2 million

By Danny Cowan May 9, 2016

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.

Topics

Contributor

Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…

Gaming

Is Payday 3 cross-platform?

Four players fight in Payday 3.

The PayDay series made a name for itself among the other contemporary co-op shooters of the time by putting players in the role of criminals attempting to pull off various heists. Each game in the series has upped the ante on more creative and fun places to burgle, break into, and extort for the titular payday. The latest entry, PayDay 3, offers plenty of new content as expected, but retains that core formula of teaming up with friends to coordinate the perfect job. However, it has been many years since the last entry so this will be the first exposure to the series for many players. With the game being available on all platforms, and even included at launch on Game Pass, you may want to stake out this article to learn if PayDay 3 supports cross-play.
Does Payday 3 have crossplay?

Yes, PayDay 3 fully supports crossplay between all platforms, including PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. When booting up the game for the first time you will be prompted on whether or not you want to enable cross-play, so simply accept it and you will be good to go. If you select to not enable it, you can always switch it back on in the settings menu.

Gaming

Starfield: Red Mile location and how to survive

Talking to Mei about the Red Mile in Starfield.

What space game would be complete without a seedy casino somewhere in the galaxy? In Starfield, that is best represented by The Red Mile casino and hotel where those willing to risk their Credits, and their lives, have the chance to strike it rich. Of all the games and entertainment available, the Red Mile challenge is no doubt the most deadly. You're free to visit this planet almost immediately after getting your ship, but this challenge isn't made for a fresh character. Even after you've leveled up, get some decent gear, and feel up to the challenge, the Red Mile Run has a lot of surprises that can cut your run short in the worst possible ways. If you think you're tough enough to make it to the end, here's where to find the Red Mile and the best tips on surviving it.
Where to find the Red Mile

The Red Mile is technically the name of the entire casino-hotel resort, not just the challenge. It is found on the planet Porrima III, which is of course in the Porrima system. You can jump there manually anytime you're exploring, but will also be tasked with going there if you're following the Freestar Collective faction questline.

Gaming

The best weapons in Lies of P

Lies of P boss fight

This interpretation of the classic Pinocchio is nothing like the friendly (if a little creepy) original. Your puppet brought to life is sent out into a world of dangers around every corner, and only your weapons and reflexes will see you through. Lies of P is a Soulslike, after all, so finding and testing out new weapons is all part of the experience. That and dying, of course. Still, if you want to avoid doing the latter as much as possible, a strong weapon will come in handy. This game uses a system where you can customize your arsenal by swapping out the blades and handles, giving you tons of possibilities, but we'll focus on which weapons are the best out of the box in Lies of P and let you do the tweaking from there.
The best weapons in Lies of P

Puppet Saber
Because you can get the Puppet Saber right at the start of Lies of P, you might write it off as something that's only viable in the early game and should be dumped ASAP. That's not the case, as this fast-hitting sword can stay competitive at least until the midgame. It has a good range, is fast, and has a great charge attack you can use to zone enemies with. It scales at rank C in both Motivity and Technique, and comes with the fable art of Storm Slash, which unleashes a flurry of strikes on a target ahead of you. The other art it packs is Concentrate, which gives you a temporary attack buff.
Salamander Dagger
If you are going for a build focused on doing a lot of quick hits rather than long, heavy strikes, daggers like the Salamander Dagger are your best friend. This dagger's real advantage is that it deals fire damage, which many enemies are weak against. It scales at a B in Advance, C in Technique, and D in Motivity. It also has the Ignite ability to give it even more firepower (literally), and the guard ability of doing a fast stab before automatically retreating.
Booster Glaive
There aren't a ton of area-control weapons in Lies of P, which makes the Booster Glaive stand out as a unique pick. You get good range, and the arc on each swing is perfect for crowd control. In tighter, more linear spaces, you can use the charge attack for a forward thrust. This is a Technique weapon, scaling at B, but it also has D scaling in Motivity. It shares the Storm Slash skill with the Puppet Saber, but also has the Patient Slash, which lets you charge up one large, powerful strikes.
Acidic Crystal Spear
Despite the word "Spear" being in the weapon's name, the Acidic Crystal Spear technically falls under the Dagger category of weapons. Regardless, this has the looks, range, and feel of a spear. It can do fast, poking attacks, and will deal acid damage on each strike as well. You get great A-level scaling with Advance, as well as D level in Technique and Motivity. The Radiate art is just like the Salamander Dagger's Ignite, only for acid, and Single Stab is a more powerful forward lunge attack.
Two Dragons Sword
With a name like the Two Dragons Sword, who could resist at least trying this katana out? This boss weapon gives you all the flair and speed of a katana, but it unfortunately cannot be disassembled or modified. Still, with A scaling in Technique and D in Motivity, you won't be wanting for much with this blade. Your two skills are Link Emergency Dodge, which has you dodge forward and gives you the option to use a Fable slot to do two follow-up attacks, and Wind of Swords, which unleashes a torrent of swords in an area of effect.