Was last year’s Donkey Kong World Championship at LoDo’s 1Up Arcade/Bar a success? Does an ape throw barrels at an Italian plumber?
Kong Off 3, the Donkey Kong world championships, will return to the Denver barcade this year to pit the best classic arcade game players against each other for a shot at the $4,500 purse, as well as bragging rights as the latest/greatest to reach one of the hardest kill screens of all time.
“It’s such an honor to be able to host the Kong Off 3,” Jourdan Adler, owner of the 1up, said in a press release today. “Every year the competition gets stronger as more and more players enter. With 12 players having a top score of 1,000,000+ (last year), we know its going to be an amazing event for both the competitors and fans.”
Denver’s second consecutive Kong Off is slated to take place Nov. 15-17 and will again be overseen by Walter Day, founder of the gaming score-keeping organization Twin Galaxies — which, not coincidentally, relocated last October from its longtime home of Iowa to an office above the 1Up.
The Kong Off 3 is free for spectators on a first come, first serve basis but space is limited. When capacity has been reached, especially in the evening hours, a 1-in, 1-out policy will be in effect. All ages are welcome until 7 p.m., after while the event is only open to 21 and over.
Check out the full press release below, and read more about qualifying rounds and players at Twin Galaxies.
Donkey Kong World Championship Returns to Denver
Kong Off 3 to be Held at The 1up
Denver, CO (August 29, 2013) – World championship events are notorious for riveting action, dramatic outcomes and the biggest names no matter whether the event is held on the gridiron, baseball diamond or in front of a classic arcade game. For the competitors, the goal is the same – to win and be crowned world champion. The Kong Off 3, the Donkey Kong world championship, is no exception.
Considered to be the world’s most prestigious live arcade competition, the Kong Off 3 returns to Denver in 2013. For the second consecutive year, the event is being held at The 1up Arcade/Bar from November 15-17. Last year’s event attracted more than 20 of the world’s best players as well as a capacity crowd.
The Kong Off 3 brings together the world’s greatest classic arcade gamers to battle it out for the title and their share of the $4,500 purse. The competitors will play the arcade classic Donkey Kong during a three-day competition with the highest scorer taking the victory.
“It’s such an honor to be able to host the Kong Off 3,” said Jourdan Adler, owner of The 1up. “The 1up has grown over the past year and so has this incredible championship. Every year the competition gets stronger as more and more players enter. With 12 players having a top score of 1,000,000+, we know its going to be an amazing event for both the competitors and fans.”
This year’s format has been altered to allow additional competitors the opportunity to qualify for the event. The world’s top 12 Donkey Kong scorers automatically qualify for the 22 player field with the final 10 spots determined through four Wild Card Division Qualifier tournaments.
The championship is sanctioned by Twin Galaxies Intergalactic Scoreboard, the foremost adjudicating authority on International Video Game World Record Scores. Walter Day, the company’s founder, will serve as the head official. Twin Galaxies is also responsible for verifying the world’s top 12 Donkey Kong scorers. Those players and their scores can be found at TwinGalaxies.com.
Included in the top 12 is last year’s champion Jeff Willms from Waterloo, ON, who stunned the competitive gaming world with his victory, Kong Off 1 champion and current world record holder Hank Chien from New York, NY, Donkey Kong legends and stars of The King Of Kong Steve Wiebe of Redmond, WA and Billy Mitchell of Hollywood, FL.
“This year’s Kong Off will be the most competitive yet,” said Chien. ” Every year the event seems to get bigger and better. All the players have improved their game over the last year so it’ll be exciting to see who comes up top.”
Perennial challengers Vincent Lemay of Sainte-Croix, Quebec, Dean Saglio of Kingston, RI and Donkey Kong Junior world record holder Mark Kiehl of Edmond, OK are also among the top 12.
“The competition in the Kong Off 3 has grown so much,” said Lemay. “Scores are now ridiculously high and you need to be dedicated to push the game to its limit. Personally, I will go all in and play at a high score pace, which will make it very hard to make it to the end of the game. If I do, there is a good chance that I will finish first.
“Still, there is a lot of randomness in Donkey Kong, and luck can be a big part of a three-day competition,” continued Lemay. “Whatever happens, I will be happy since a big part of the Kong Off 3 is spending time with my Donkey Kong friends.”
The Kong Off 3 is free for spectators on a first come, first serve basis. Space is limited. When capacity has been reached, especially in the evening hours, a ’1-in, 1-out’ policy will be in effect. All ages are welcome until 7:00 p.m. After 7:00 p.m. the event is open to those 21 and over.
The highlight of the Kong Off 3 is the Donkey Kong world championship but it is not the only happening. The largest number of arcade game world record attempts, a 24-hour marathon game of Tron by a single player as well as multiple attempts at completing perfect games on Pac-Man will take place during the three-day event.
The roots of classic arcade games can be traced to 1966 with Sega’s release of Periscope, the first arcade game to cost a quarter. In 1978, Taito released Space Invaders and started the arcade video game craze. Large arcades sprang up in shopping malls, while smaller ones appeared in restaurants, grocery stores, bars and movie theaters all over the world. In 1981, the industry was worth $8 billion but by the late 1980′s, the arcade video game rage faded due to advances in home video game technology.
In 2007, The King Of Kong was released and immediately rose to cult status. The documentary follows Wiebe as he attempts to claim the Donkey Kong high score from Mitchell, the reigning champion. Not only did the film spark controversy, creating a bitter rivalry between the two competitors, it also sparked the rebirth of arcade culture and inspired a new crop of Donkey Kong players.
“Donkey Kong has always played a pivotal role in arcade culture, both historically and in modern times,” said Chien. “Historically, it was the grandfather of all Mario games and the reason why Nintendo exists today. It has always held a mystical status because of its ‘kill screen’ which was only known to have been achieved by one player for nearly 20 years.
“When The King Of Kong was released, Donkey Kong experienced a rebirth. The film brought forward a new generation of players and along with it a renewed interest in arcade gaming. Donkey Kong is the most contended arcade title. In many ways, it’s also the ideal game for a live competition. It’s random enough so that the best player won’t always win. There’s no pattern, so it’s always interesting to watch. The strategy is more complex than just trying to score as high as possible.”
With competitive Donkey Kong on the rise, arcade wizard Richie Knucklez organized the inaugural world championship and The Kong Off was born. It was held at Richie Knucklez Arcade Games in 2011 in Flemington, NJ and featured the world’s top 10 competitors who played live to determine the true king of kong.
Knucklez will serve as the host of The Kong Off 3.
The 1up, located at 1925 Blake St. is open 360 days a year and features more than 45 classic arcade games, 16 Pinball Machines, three lanes of classic Skee-Ball and multiple sets of giant Jenga. With 14 beers on tap, a Hall-of-Fame of vintage cans, a solid selection of 40 oz. bottles of malt liquor, full bar and delicious fare, The 1up has something for everyone.
The 1up is easily accessed by public transportation (Light rail or Bus). Parking is available in the numerous public parking lots nearby. Further information can be found at The-1up.com.
