ENCORE: Billy Mitchell: Truth or Kong-sequences
1/12/202650 min
We’ll be back next week with a brand new episode. In the meantime, we’re taking you back to a time when arcades were sacred – and Donkey Kong was king.
Billy Mitchell became the king of arcade games when he achieved a perfect Pac Man score, and held the highest score in Donkey Kong. But in the early 2000s, a documentary about an upstart trying to be the best at Donkey Kong leads fans to examine how Billy actually achieved those high scores. Nearly two decades later, the jury is still out on whethe...
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First 90 secondsScaachi Koul· Host0:00
... Hey, Scamfluencers listeners, if you're as hooked on these jaw-dropping schemes as we are, you'll love Wondery Plus. Think of it as your all-access pass to the world of scams, ad-free episodes, early access, and exclusive deep dives that uncover even more shocking details. Don't just listen, immerse yourself in the chaos with Wondery Plus. We'll be back next week with a brand-new episode of Scamfluencers, but today, we're rewinding the tape back to our episode on Billy Mitchell, the video game king whose Donkey Kong record sparked one of the messiest scandals in competitive gaming.
Sarah Hagi· Host0:34
Billy was an arcade legend accused of faking his high scores and using emulators instead of real arcade hardware. His story set the gaming world on fire and split the community into believers and skeptics.
Scaachi Koul· Host0:46
Well, since our episode first aired, there's been a major update. Earlier this year, Billy Mitchell won his defamation case against Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst. A judge ruled that Karl's video accusing Billy of cheating was recklessly based on a false claim, and the ruling wasn't small. The court ordered Karl to pay $350,000, plus interest and costs.
Sarah Hagi· Host1:09
That is truly insane. I mean, just this has been going on for so long.
Scaachi Koul· Host1:15
Yeah, and, I mean, the case became its own kind of boss battle but with legal filings instead of fireballs and expert testimony instead of high scores. In this round, Billy came out on top.
Sarah Hagi· Host1:28
You know, if there's one thing gamers love, it's