Billy Mitchell (gamer): Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 23: | Line 23: | ||
Mitchell is known for his [[mullet (haircut)|mullet haircut]]<ref name="tanooki">http://www.thetanooki.com/2008/01/29/billy-mitchell-the-man-behind-the-mullet/</ref> and wearing neckties betokening American patriotism during game competitions. The ties stem from his 1999 race to become the first person to achieve a perfect game of ''Pac-Man''. One of his competitors, Rick Fothergill, wore a Canadian flag cape and called himself "Captain Canada". Mitchell began wearing his patriotic ties in response.<ref name="avclub"/> |
Mitchell is known for his [[mullet (haircut)|mullet haircut]]<ref name="tanooki">http://www.thetanooki.com/2008/01/29/billy-mitchell-the-man-behind-the-mullet/</ref> and wearing neckties betokening American patriotism during game competitions. The ties stem from his 1999 race to become the first person to achieve a perfect game of ''Pac-Man''. One of his competitors, Rick Fothergill, wore a Canadian flag cape and called himself "Captain Canada". Mitchell began wearing his patriotic ties in response.<ref name="avclub"/> |
||
Mitchell has been a subject in two documentaries about classic arcade gaming. The 2007 documentary ''[[The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters]]'' tells the story of newcomer [[Steve Wiebe]]'s attempt to surpass Billy Mitchell's high score at the game ''[[Donkey Kong (video game)|Donkey Kong]]'', which Mitchell had set in 1982. Also from 2007, [[Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade]] tells the story superstar gamers of the 80s (Mitchell being among them) and revisits them to see what has become of them. |
Mitchell has been a subject in two documentaries about classic arcade gaming. The 2007 documentary ''[[The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters]]'' tells the story of newcomer [[Steve Wiebe]]'s attempt to surpass Billy Mitchell's high score at the game ''[[Donkey Kong (video game)|Donkey Kong]]'', which Mitchell had set in 1982. Also from 2007, [[Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade]] tells the story superstar gamers of the 80s (Mitchell being among them) and revisits them to see what has become of them. Recently, Mitchell has been the subject of much controvery. Pro Gamer Dave "Gary" Fitzgerald (Nintendo Wii MarioKart world record holder), claims to have seen Mitchell in the alley beside Fun Spot servicing fellow gamer and Twin Galaxy founder Walter Day. "Gary" claims also claims that Mitchell's own "Rickeys Hot Sauce" was being used in the exotic foray behind the dumpster. Mitchell has yet to respond to the controversial accusations, but it is believed that he has prepared a VHS video response that will be sent to Fun Spot and played for all of his gamer minions. |
||
Mitchell currently lives in Hollywood, Florida with his wife Evelyn and their two children. Evelyn has another daughter who is currently attending [[Florida State University]].<ref name="tanooki"/> |
Mitchell currently lives in Hollywood, Florida with his wife Evelyn and their two children. Evelyn has another daughter who is currently attending [[Florida State University]].<ref name="tanooki"/> |
||
Revision as of 14:09, 19 November 2009
| Famous Scores | |
|---|---|
| Pac-Man | 3,333,360[1] |
| Donkey Kong | 1,050,200[2] |
| Burgertime | 7,881,050[1] |
Billy L. Mitchell, born July 16, 1965, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, is a video game player, best known for recording high scores in classics from the Golden Age of Arcade Games. He has been described as the "greatest arcade-video-game player of all time".[3][4] His achievements include the first perfect score in Pac-Man. He owns the "Rickey's World Famous Restaurant" chain, based in Hollywood, Florida. He uses the same brand to sell a line of hot sauces, "Rickey's World Famous Sauces".[5] Mitchell has been a controversial figure since the 2007 documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters.
Biography
Mitchell grew up in South Florida and began playing games at age sixteen. Already a dominant pinball player, he was at first uninterested in video games appearing in the early 80s until he noticed that "everyone was standing around the Donkey Kong machine and wanted attention".[4]
Mitchell attended the Chaminade Catholic High School in 1983 and soon began work as a manager in the kitchen of his parents' restaurant, "Rickey's World Famous Restaurant". Mitchell assumed ownership of the Rickey's chain in the mid-1980s, continuing to own and manage it as of 2009. In the mid 90s, Mitchell had a short stint as a video game tester at Crystal Dynamics, in Menlo Park, California.
Mitchell is known for his mullet haircut[6] and wearing neckties betokening American patriotism during game competitions. The ties stem from his 1999 race to become the first person to achieve a perfect game of Pac-Man. One of his competitors, Rick Fothergill, wore a Canadian flag cape and called himself "Captain Canada". Mitchell began wearing his patriotic ties in response.[5]
Mitchell has been a subject in two documentaries about classic arcade gaming. The 2007 documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters tells the story of newcomer Steve Wiebe's attempt to surpass Billy Mitchell's high score at the game Donkey Kong, which Mitchell had set in 1982. Also from 2007, Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade tells the story superstar gamers of the 80s (Mitchell being among them) and revisits them to see what has become of them. Recently, Mitchell has been the subject of much controvery. Pro Gamer Dave "Gary" Fitzgerald (Nintendo Wii MarioKart world record holder), claims to have seen Mitchell in the alley beside Fun Spot servicing fellow gamer and Twin Galaxy founder Walter Day. "Gary" claims also claims that Mitchell's own "Rickeys Hot Sauce" was being used in the exotic foray behind the dumpster. Mitchell has yet to respond to the controversial accusations, but it is believed that he has prepared a VHS video response that will be sent to Fun Spot and played for all of his gamer minions.
Mitchell currently lives in Hollywood, Florida with his wife Evelyn and their two children. Evelyn has another daughter who is currently attending Florida State University.[6]
Notable scores
- First person to achieve a perfect Pac-Man score of 3,333,360, achieved July 4, 1999 at Funspot Family Fun Center in New Hampshire. [4]
- Achieved a score on Donkey Kong Jr. of 957,300 in 2004.[1]
- Achieved a score on Donkey Kong of 1,050,200 in 2007.[2]
- Achieved a score on BurgerTime of 7,881,050 in 1984. The score was beaten in 2006 by Bryan L Wagner.[1]
Honors
On January 14, 1984, he was selected as one of the 1983 "Video Game Players of the Year" by Twin Galaxies and the U.S. National Video Game Team. [7]
On September 17, 1999, he was proclaimed the "Video Game Player of the Century" while at the 1999 Tokyo Game Show. In a ceremony on the Namco stage, company founder Masaya Nakamura presented Mitchell with an award commemorating the first "perfect" game on Pac-Man.[4]
On November 24, 1999, he offered US$100,000 to the first person who could get through Pac-Man's "split-screen level".[8]
On June 21, 2006, MTV selected Mitchell one of "The 10 Most Influential Video Gamers Of All Time."[9]
Mitchell placed eighth in the Microsoft Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championships on June 4, 2007. [10]
In the December 2007 issue of Maxim, Mitchell was named "Dweebus Maximus Dorkus of both the 20th and 21st centuries".[11]
In 2008 Mitchell became the first video game player to be honored with a Topps Allen & Ginter trading card.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d Billy Mitchell high scores, care of Twin Galaxies
- ^ a b "Man Shatters Donkey Kong World Record Exactly 25 Years After First Setting It in 1982"
- ^ village voice > film > Tracking Shots: The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters by Robert Wilonsky
- ^ a b c d Oxford American (no date): "The Perfect Man: How Billy Mitchell became a video-game superstar and achieved Pac-Man bliss", by David Ramsey
- ^ a b Billy Mitchell interview - Onion AV Club
- ^ a b http://www.thetanooki.com/2008/01/29/billy-mitchell-the-man-behind-the-mullet/
- ^ "Twin Galaxies' Coronation Day Crowns Video's Best of '83"
- ^ Billy Mitchell Offers $100,000 for solving Pac-Man "Split-Screen"
- ^ "MTV selects Billy Mitchell one of "The 10 Most Influential Video Gamers Of All Time"
- ^ Joystiq.com (June 7, 2007): "Chasing pellets: Pac-Man tries to make history again". by James Ransom-Wiley
- ^ [Maxim Magazine, December 2007]
- ^ (July, 2008): "Chris Olds' Sportstuff". by Chris Olds