Nooooo, my hero is 2nd.. again....
Hank Chien reclaims Donkey Kong high score
If you can say anything about Hank Chien, it’s that he evidently doesn’t take defeat
very well. Sure, he knew not so deep down that his Donkey Kong World Record score
wouldn’t last forever, but he couldn’t have foreseen that it would have been toppled
so quickly. Twice, even. But he also knew that more Kong competition would be coming
his way; namely Richie Knucklez Kong-Off in March.
So Hank had something to prove, and prove he did. Scoring a massive 1,068,000 points
in less than three hours, Hank has officially reclaimed the high score in Nintendo’s 1981
arcade classic. We took a second to catch up with Hank to see what’s what in all things
Jumpman.
First off, Hank, congratulations on reclaiming the title belt. How does it feel to get it, lose
it to Billy Mitchell, only to have that beaten by Steve Wiebe, and then reclaim it? Was it
harder this time?Thank you! I was obviously very excited to claim the title the first time. However, I knew
it was only a matter of time before Billy Mitchell or Steve Wiebe reclaimed it. However I
did not expect it to happen on my birthday! Yes, Billy Mitchell's score was announced on
my birthday. I also knew Steve Wiebe was trying over the summer but heard he was
having some vertigo issues. When the summer was over, I thought the vertigo had gotten
the best of him and was surprised when it was announced in September. I knew the score
was still within my reach. Although I was excited to reclaim it, nothing beats the first time!
Of course it was harder this time, however I have gotten better since last time so relatively
speaking it was a bit easier.
How long did the record attempt take?The attempt itself took 2 hours and 45 minutes. It was my 2nd attempt of the day.
Wow, only the second? What kind of preparation did it take, then? Did you approach things
differently since doing it the first time?I actually had not been playing much during the several months prior. However, there is a
Donkey Kong competition coming up, "The Kong Off", which is being organized by Billy Mitchell
and Richie Knucklez. A lot of players started playing again in preparation, so I started to play
myself to try to get back in shape. My approach was very similar to last time. I played more
aggressively in the beginning to put my pace well above the world record score and then played
more conservatively towards the end of the game. The score is getting high enough now that
you will have to play fairly aggressively all the way through the game to get the world record.
If the score is pushed up much higher, I will have to revamp my playing style next time for a
higher risk/higher reward.
So you’re planning on attending the "Kong-Off" in New Jersey in March?Yes, I'm very excited about the "Kong-Off" in March. It will be the first time all the former
Donkey Kong world record holders will be under one roof along with some of the world's best
players. It's also the first Donkey Kong competition I'm aware of that has attracted such
high caliber participants. I'm looking forward to meeting my fellow players, sharing tips and
watching varying styles of play.
On that note -and you know that I was going to ask you this- but you do realize that you're
a three-way melee for the top honors for this game. Are you practicing still in case either
Wiebe or Mitchell (or a new comer) overturns this in the next few months?Like last time, I know it will only be a matter of time before Steve Wiebe, Billy Mitchell or
another competitor beats my score. I will be practicing, but it's a fine balance between
staying in shape and getting burned out. I think breaks are a necessary part of training
much like training for a marathon. I don't think I will hold the title forever, but it is fun to
see "How High Can You Get?"
We know that there must be a maximum score for Kong. Do you think that it's the next
great challenge?There is definitely a maximum score for Donkey Kong. However, the game is so complex
and there are so many ways to play the game, I don't think anybody has figured out
exactly was that score is. In fact I don't think anybody has even figured out the maximum
score for the first board! Since there is so much randomness and luck involved no one will
ever get the maximum score. I know that the current score still has much room for
improvement, so it is likely that this back and forth will continue for a while longer.
Any words of encouragement for the new Donkey Kong competitors out there?There has definitely been a lot of interest in this game recently with all the back and
forth. For all the new competitors out there, keep practicing and good luck!
-John Learned, Senior Editor
http://www.twingalaxies.com/index.aspx?c=27&id=2343
