The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is a documentary about an unusual hobby: trying to break world records on classic 8-bit arcade games (in this case, Nintendo’s classic Donkey Kong). Make no mistake: this is a cut-throat world, with good guys and bad guys, heroes and villains. There are even those who are willing to cheat to get credited with the world’s highest score.
You definitely need to be into computer games or arcade games to enjoy this DVD. Nevertheless it is an enjoyable enough insight into a strange, obsessive, and slightly scary world. (Interestingly, the protagonist is a high school teacher…).
The King of Kong isn’t as serious as some ITGS-related films. However, it is a good lesson starter and discussion prompter. ITGS issues such as the psychological impacts of IT and the health impacts of gaming are very relevant here. Watching the commitment the players make to their games, it is easy to see the impacts on themselves, their friends, and their families.
You can buy The King of Kong here. Another related film is High Score, which focuses on another classic arcade game, Missile Command.
Leave a Reply