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
Author unknown. ‘A statement from Guinness World Records: Billy Mitchell.’ Guinness World Records, 2020.
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2020/6/a-statement-from-guinness-world-records-billy-mitchell-621053Author unknown. ‘Mitchell v. Twin Galaxies LLC - Court of Appeal, Second District, Division 8, California.’ FindLaw, 2021.
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ca-court-of-appeal/2148766.htmlGood, Owen S. ‘King of Kong’s Billy Mitchell’s high scores wiped out by Twin Galaxies.’ Polygon, 2018.
https://www.polygon.com/2018/4/12/17228994/billy-mitchell-king-of-kong-high-scores-vacated-banishedVigliarolo, Brandon. ‘Boss fight between Donkey Kong champ and leaderboard org ends with settlement.’ The Register, 2024.
https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/17/twin_galaxies_billy_mitchell_kong/Williams, Hayley. ‘Twin Galaxies Has Reinstated Billy Mitchell's Donkey Kong Records, Kind Of.’ GameSpot, 2024.
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/twin-galaxies-has-reinstated-billy-mitchells-donkey-kong-records-kind-of/1100-6520365/
Documentary & Archival
Alpiger, Mark. ‘November 1982, Ottumwa, Iowa: LIFE magazine gathering / contest.’ Classic Arcade Gaming (archival material), n.d.
https://www.classicarcadegaming.com/contests/Nov1982/Author unknown. ‘The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters.’ IMDb, 2007.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0923752/
Technical Analysis & Community Investigations
Donkey Kong Forum Archives
https://donkeykongforum.net/Franceschi-Bicchierai, Lorenzo. ‘Forensic Analysts Accuse Billy Mitchell of Cheating for Donkey Kong Record.’ Vice, 2022.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/forensic-analysts-accuse-billy-mitchell-of-cheating-for-donkey-kong-record/Karl Jobst YouTube Channel (various technical breakdowns)
https://www.youtube.com/@karljobst/search?query=Billy%20Mitchell
Media & News Coverage
Alexandra, Heather. ‘Twin Galaxies Removes Former Donkey Kong Champ Billy Mitchell’s High Scores.’ Kotaku, 2018.
https://kotaku.com/twin-galaxies-removes-former-donkey-kong-champ-billy-mi-1825211232Aron, Hillel. ‘Judge sides with arcade gamer in dispute over terms of settlement with Twin Galaxies.’ Courthouse News, 2024.
https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-sides-with-arcade-gamer-in-dispute-over-terms-of-settlement-with-twin-galaxies/Author unknown. ‘Billy Mitchell (Gamer).’ Wikipedia, n.d.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Mitchell_(gamer)Author unknown. ‘“The King of Kong” Director Seth Gordon.’ IndieWire, 2007
https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/indiewire-interview-the-king-of-kong-director-seth-gordon-74094/White, James. ‘The Story Behind King of Kong.’ GamesRadar+, 2009.
https://www.gamesradar.com/the-story-behind-king-of-kong/
