The King Has No Quarters
Billy Mitchell didn’t just play arcade games—he played the system. Crowned the “Video Game Player of the Century” and immortalized in the documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, Mitchell became a legend of the joystick era. But when online sleuths revisited his high scores, the legacy glitched.
In this episode, we dive into how performance, perception, and pixel-perfect scrutiny collided in the strange saga of Donkey Kong’s most controversial champion. From VHS tapes and signature hot sauce to emulator accusations and internet reckonings, this is the story of how a man became an analog legend—and what happens when that legend meets the modern age.
Sources & References
Legal Cases & Official Statements
Mitchell v. Twin Galaxies – Court of Appeal of California (2024)
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ca-court-of-appeal/2148766.htmlTwin Galaxies Score Removal Announcement (2018)
https://www.polygon.com/2018/4/12/17228994/billy-mitchell-king-of-kong-high-scores-vacated-banishedTwin Galaxies Historical Score Reinstatement (2024)
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/twin-galaxies-has-reinstated-billy-mitchells-donkey-kong-records-kind-of/1100-6520365/Guinness World Records Reinstatement (2020)
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2020/6/a-statement-from-guinness-world-records-billy-mitchell-621053The Register – Settlement Coverage (2024)
https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/17/twin_galaxies_billy_mitchell_kong/
Documentary & Archival
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0923752/Life Magazine Arcade Champions Feature (1982)
https://www.classicarcadegaming.com/contests/Nov1982/
Technical Analysis & Community Investigations
Donkey Kong Emulator Evidence (MAME Detection)
https://www.vice.com/en/article/forensic-analysts-accuse-billy-mitchell-of-cheating-for-donkey-kong-record/Karl Jobst YouTube Channel – Technical Breakdowns
https://www.youtube.com/@karljobstDonkey Kong Forum Archives
https://donkeykongforum.net/
Media & News Coverage
Kotaku – “Twin Galaxies Removes Former Donkey Kong Champ Billy Mitchell’s High Scores” (2018)
https://kotaku.com/twin-galaxies-removes-former-donkey-kong-champ-billy-mi-1825211232Courthouse News – Karl Jobst Defamation Suit Outcome (2025)
https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-sides-with-arcade-gamer-in-dispute-over-terms-of-settlement-with-twin-galaxies/Wikipedia – Billy Mitchell (Gamer)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Mitchell_(gamer)Seth Gordon Interview – The King of Kong
IndieWire: “‘The King of Kong’ Director Seth Gordon” (August 13, 2007)
https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/indiewire-interview-the-king-of-kong-director-seth-gordon-74094/GamesRadar+ Feature on the Making of The King of Kong
GamesRadar+: “The Story Behind King of Kong” (September 9, 2009)
https://www.gamesradar.com/the-story-behind-king-of-kong/
Music Credits
Lester Woodward (Blue Fox Music):
Moire (Uppbeat):
