Anyone have the video of Steve Wiebe's 1.006M game of Donkey Kong?

[mushmouth]

I'm dying to see that.

[BUCKETHEAD]

You mean the movie the KING OF KONG ?

[mushmouth]

No. There's actually a videotape of his 1.006M game, the game itself, out there. I know someone is selling it on DVD. I've already ordered it, but I was hoping to find some online while I'm waiting. I'm impatient.

[Level42]

No. There's actually a videotape of his 1.006M game, the game itself, out there. I know someone is selling it on DVD. I've already ordered it, but I was hoping to find some online while I'm waiting. I'm impatient.

I hope he's selling it himself then !

[fjl]

Is it him playing or simply in game video?

[BUCKETHEAD]

Where did you order your DVD from ?

[mushmouth]

http://www.classicarcadegaming.com/tos/DVDs/index.htm

According to Mark Alpiger who sells it, Wiebe gave his permission and makes a cut.

It's a dvd of Steve's actual 1.006M game being played start to finish, camera shooting the game screen.

[DonkeyKong]

Has anyone received this video yet?  How's the quality?  I'm thinking about ordering today if it looks decent.  I've seen King of Kong 4 times now and there is just not enough gameplay footage in the movie.  I've developed strategies for DK, but it would be cool to watch a pro.

[Kevin Mullins]

I'd like to see actual footage of Billy Mitchells games..... none of what is shown in the movie is very valid in my opinion. It all looks strictly like a screenshot.
I was under the assumption all submitted videos had to include the "player" as well as a view of the screen.   

[DonkeyKong]

I'd like to see actual footage of Billy Mitchells games...

Here ya go... this is some footage of Billy Mitchell's current record game:
http://chasingghoststhemovie.com/billy.htm

I'm not questioning either player's ability to achieve great scores in Donkey Kong, I just wanna learn to improve my game.

For some more insight on how the movie was biased, check out this interview in GameRoom magazine (in particular, Walter Day's part):
GAMEROOM_AUG2007_low_res_The_King_of_Kong_p21_27.pdf
(This is a consolidated version of the free upload gameroom magazine has on their website, but the one they have eats up your system memory with all of it's images - still, it's [HERE] if you want it)

All said, I really like the story of the movie whether or not it's biased.  And of course, Donkey Kong is just awexome!

[Level42]

http://www.classicarcadegaming.com/tos/DVDs/index.htm

According to Mark Alpiger who sells it, Wiebe gave his permission and makes a cut.

It's a dvd of Steve's actual 1.006M game being played start to finish, camera shooting the game screen.

The previews on that site don't seem to work ?Anyone got the Atari DVD from that site ? Is it any good ? I'm an Atari fan so I'd like to see this one.

[DonkeyKong]

The various clips on that site work for me... which one specifically are you trying to view?

So I just ordered the Steve Wiebe Donkey Kong DVD.  I'll let you know if I get it (I don't have any doubt, just unsure when it will come) and what the quality is.

[Level42]

The various clips on that site work for me... which one specifically are you trying to view?

I just saw them. Probably Windows media files or something....watched them under Fusion...regretfully no preview of the Atari DVD...

[DonkeyKong]

So I just ordered the Steve Wiebe Donkey Kong DVD.  I'll let you know if I get it (I don't have any doubt, just unsure when it will come) and what the quality is.

So I just got my DVD in the mail today.  The DVD looks nice with an inkjet printed label, but it wouldn't play in my computer.  Actually it locked explorer up and crashed my computer, but I found out why later.  I tried it in a portable DVD player, and it worked fine but the screen was too small to properly view something like this.  So then I tried it in my wife's Vista computer and it worked, so I decided to make an archival copy of it so I could preserve the original.  I have a 2 year old and I do this with ALL DVDs.  Well it turns out I couldn't even copy it because it had a read error.  I look at the disk and it's got finger prints and dust on it.  I didn't touch it... I NEVER DO! I'm way too anal about this.  Actually I remember looking at it the moment I pulled it from the case to inspect it (a process I've learned with Blockbuster over the years - always check it before you take it all of the way home), and I noticed some light finger prints but thought that they wouldn't be a problem... well they are, the media must be ---smurfy--- or something.  It's a memorex disk, but I don't have a strong feeling for or against them.

Long story short, I'm still trying to get the disc clean enough to copy it but it's giving me problems.  I usually wash the DVD with soap and water, but with a paper inkjet label it's just going to get trashed under the water.  I tried moistened lens towelettes and they are cleaning the disc, but adding faint scratches!!  Damn DVDR's are garbage!

I think I'm just going to ask Mark to send me a new one.

From what I can view on the DVD, the video is alright... it's watchable but worse than the footage of Billy and Steve playing donkey kong in the movie KoK.  So far just from watching  Steve play the first two boards I've learned some tricks that I didn't think would increase your score but apparently they do.  One thing I've always questioned in the movie when watching any DK footage was how fast Jumpman can jump straight up after landing a jump over a barrel, and now in Steve's video the same thing is true.  I have been playing DK on several real machines and in MAME and for me Jumpman just doesn't want to jump right after landing a jump, there's a delay.  I'll investigate this more, but it's a huge advantage however it's done.

I'm pretty new to this stand-up arcade hobby, but so far it seems like it's a very patient type of hobby ;-)  I've been doing a lot of waiting for things in the mail and researching before doing anything.  I'm a very patient and tolerant person, but C'MON LETS DO THIS THING!!!! LOL.

It's freaking ON like Donkey Kong now!

[Level42]

Labels on CDs / DVDs SUCK !!!!

NEVER use them !!!

They are NEVER centered 100% so they cause the disc to swing in your drive. This is especialy true if you try reading (copying) it on a computer. The drive will spin it multiple times as fast as a CD/DVD player so it is worse on those.

Ask Mark to send you a copy without a label.

Fingerprints are sometimes a problem, but I use the soap and water method too with great succes. But indeed, that is another problem when using those  inkjet labels, you can't wash them anymore. Or leave them overnight in your car....

Direct inkjet printing on the disc is a much better choice.

[shardian]

Spit and Charmin Ultra is my cleaner of choice.

Also, If you are gonna buy dvd-r's get Taiyo Yudens. They are hands down the most reliable. I have a 100 pack and haven't had a bad disc ever.

[DonkeyKong]

Labels on CDs / DVDs SUCK !!!!

NEVER use them !!!

They are NEVER centered 100% so they cause the disc to swing in your drive. This is especialy true if you try reading (copying) it on a computer. The drive will spin it multiple times as fast as a CD/DVD player so it is worse on those.

Ask Mark to send you a copy without a label.

Fingerprints are sometimes a problem, but I use the soap and water method too with great succes. But indeed, that is another problem when using those  inkjet labels, you can't wash them anymore. Or leave them overnight in your car....

Direct inkjet printing on the disc is a much better choice.

Yes, I realized that as well last night when I was trying to play this disc in my portable DVD player AFTER I had washed it and totally ruined the artwork on the label.  I dried it off good with a blowdryer and the disc looked good enough to play!  Hell I've seen discs that look like they were dragged down the sidewalk and still play.  Well it would spin up and glitch, and if I put pressure on the cover of the portable DVD player, it would slow the disc down and the glitching would go away!  It was VERY frustrating to have this happen... and the pressure trick was short lived.

So I did infact ask Mark to send me one without a label because I figured it was the only thing that could be messing it up.  Hmm, I might try to remove the label in a mineral spirits bath (good gravy).

I guess my advice would be to burn it on a good quality, non branded with names a logos disc, and print a little artwork for the case sleeve.  It looked nice with the label, but I'd rather watch the video than look at the disc.

Spit and Charmin Ultra is my cleaner of choice.

Also, If you are gonna buy dvd-r's get Taiyo Yudens. They are hands down the most reliable. I have a 100 pack and haven't had a bad disc ever.

Yes I've heard great things about them, and I've used Ritek Data discs myself with the same results, but I cannot control what disc Mark burns these on.

Beggers really can't be choosers when you are trying to get a copy of Steve Wiebe playing Donkey Kong, but it should freaking play when you get it.  Especially if you paid for it ;-)

[DonkeyKong]

A little bit of an update.

I soaked the disc with the label in soapy water and scraped it off, then removed the rest of the goo with mineral spirits, then washed the disc with soap and water and let it dry.  It runs perfectly fine now, even though I put some faint scratches on it from before.  Labels are evil.

Mark from classicarcadegaming is sending me another labeled one (for collecting) and an unlabeled one.  This is the first time he's had a problem.  Ding ding ding I win!  Uh, well not really but at least the video is cool and I'm not ripping my hair out anymore.

So for those of you who may be wondering, this is NOT the video where Steve's son is screaming in the background.  I'm sure I could go dig up the history but for right now I'm going to let it go. 



*** VERY MINOR SPOILERS (really, just keep reading) ***



Steve says like one thing at the beginning of the game stages, and then a few things when he hits 1,000,000 and more at the end.  Then he flips on the lights in his garage and talks about the machine a little and zooms in on the scores and controls and stuff.  I was REALLY amazed by what seemed like so much luck throughout the game.  There is an incredible amount of skill needed to make that luck though ;-)  Also, when Steve would die, not a peep out of him! I'm sitting on the couch cursing my head off, and do quite a bit under my breath at the arcade.  When a rouge barrel takes my head off, I'm like, "F U Donkey Kong!!! Damn you."      LOL.

Anyhoo, steve's techniques will surprise you, and if you are looking for an edge - he will definitely give it to you.  Still though, without MUCH practice you too will lose again and again.  I'm very good dodging the springese, and have a routine down much like Steve's - but it's actually hard for me to follow what he's doing some of the times.  On the faster levels I think there is more to it than just going up the ladder on a particular springese... well I'm giving too much away now.

Oh, it's very nice in the DVD that the chapters are divided up in sync with the levels of the game.  So if you skip to chapter 16, it is the start of level 16.  Nice.

If you are serious about improving your game, get this video.  Otherwise wait until it's on some downloading network and steal it... but you'll feel so bad doing it, won't you.  I'm actually glad Steve is making a little off of each of these DVD sales.  Who knows if he even got paid to be in the movie The King of Kong.