The King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters is a fascinating documentary detailing the little known world of classic arcade gaming, and the personalities hard-coded into that culture. Rated 96% by RottenTomatoes.com, the movie presents the history of two competing interests looking to capture the world’s highest score on Donkey Kong.
Billy Mitchell, the long time record holder, ties his very personality and apparent self-worth to the title, while up-and-coming Steve Wiebe looks to challenge not only the incumbent, but also the culture. The documentary takes us through the journey of self-absorbed, sometimes geeky individuals, who place far too much worth on the hallowed ground which is FunSpot, the Mecah of all things classic arcade. Steve Wiebe brings a somewhat normal presence and bucks the trend.
Worth watching, this documentary DVD doesn’t take itself too seriously, and frequently mocks the participants. Levity, drama, and even some injustice combine to make this an interesting viewing. From my perspective, it’s certainly worth a rental. I thoroughly enjoyed it.