Twin Galaxies Reinstates Billy Mitchell's World Records

In 2018, Billy Mitchell's world records were scrubbed from the Twin Galaxies website following accusations of cheating. Twin Galaxies acted after a community member made the claim that Mitchell's video tape scores for Donkey Kong were made by using a modified arcade board, which is a violation of the organization's rules. After conducting its own investigation, Twin Galaxies initially concluded that images shown in the videos could not have been produced by an arcade board that wasn't modified. However, Mitchell has spent the last 6 years working to clear his name, and has finally been able to get his scores reinstated. This came as a result of his enlistment of Dr. Michael Zyda, who is an Emeritus Professor of engineering practice and the founding director for the Games Program at University of Southern California. 

Dr. Zyda's Opinion

Last November, Zyda wrote a two-page response to the accusations leveled against Billy Mitchell. Zyda cannot definitively answer whether or not Mitchell's score is authentic, but does conclude that "the video tapes could depict game play on original Donkey Kong hardware despite the anomalies depicted." In other words, even though the investigation could not replicate the images found in Mitchell's video, there are logical explanations other than it being a modified arcade board. Zyda asserts that "component aging" is one potential cause, as well as the quality of the video tapes that were used. 

After taking Zyda's opinion into consideration, Twin Galaxies decided to reinstate Mitchell's scores. In a statement published today on the Twin Galaxies website, the organization writes that it "takes no official stance on the creation of submitted content but can recognize and acknowledge Dr. Zyda's expert opinion." Further, Twin Galaxies notes that the organization's "mandate is to verify that submissions meet verification guidelines, not to investigate how they are produced." 

Twin Galaxies Statement

"In fair consideration of the expert opinion provided by Dr. Zyda on behalf of Mr. Mitchell, and consistent with Twin Galaxies' dedication to the meticulous documentation and preservation of video game score history, Twin Galaxies shall heretofore reinstate all of Mr. Mitchell's scores as part of the official historical database on Twin Galaxies' website."

Unsurprisingly, Mitchell has shared that single paragraph on social media and sees this as a major victory. The move comes four years after Guinness World Records similarly reinstated Mitchell's records for Donkey Kong and Pac-Man. While Mitchell has been known for decades among the video game record community, he gained a lot more notoriety following the release of The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. The 2007 documentary chronicled the competition between Mitchell and Steve Wiebe over the world record for Donkey Kong. That documentary ended with Wiebe beating Mitchell's record, but the top score has changed multiple times in the years since. 

Did you watch The King of Kong? How do you feel about Mitchell's scores being reinstated? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!