January 15, 2009 -

Last year Guinness World Records released its first Gamer's Edition, a giant tome filled with videogame high scores and speed run times. The 2009 edition will be released on February 4 and we've gotten our mitts on an early copy. In addition to high scores, it also details world records for industry firsts and achievements (most expensive games, longest-running franchises, things like that). Flipping through it, you'll find thousands of random (and often esoteric) factoids you can pull out at your next videogame trivia party. For instance, did you know Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom is the most expensive space combat game ($14 million)? Well, now you do.

Some of these records might seem a little...unimpressive. Sure, Rob the Robot was the first robot peripheral for a game console -- but he's the only robot peripheral (that's actually in the book). Why not declare Guinness World Records 2009: Gamer's Edition to be the first videogame world record book of 2009?

Allow us to share some of the more interesting tidbits found within the pages of this bizarre coffee table book.



New records achieved in 2008

Most hotly contested record:
Getting the highest score for a single track on Guitar Hero III.
  • Chris Chike (Minnesota) finally scored 899,703 on "Through the Fire and Flames," Guitar Hero III's hardest song.


Best-selling launch for an XBLA title:
Rez HD (25,000 downloads in May 2008, its launch month)

Longest drum marathon in Rock Band:
26 hr 40 min, set by Sean Feica (Canada). He played through every song at the time (243 tracks) from July 26-28, 2008.


Fastest Portal completion:
14 min 27 sec, Michael Yanni, 2/26/08

Fastest Castlevania: Dracula X (SNES) completion time:
29 min 53 sec, Rudy Feretti (USA), 2/1/08

Ghosts N Goblins high score:
277,900 Chris Whiteside (USA), 5/30/08

Link's Crossbow Training high score:
83,930 Michael Estep (USA) 8/2/08

Mario Party 8 (Alpine Assault mini-game fastest time):
32.03 sec, William Willemstyn III (USA), 4/18/08

Fastest Mortal Kombat II (SNES) completion time:
13 min 54 sec, Dustin Dionizio, 4/10/08

Fastest Shadowgate (NES) completion:
16 min 6 sec, Jim Hanson (USA), 7/15/08

Super Empire Strikes Back (SNES) high score:
59,945 Joseph D. Smith (USA), 7/1/08

Highest score for Bejewelled 2:
148,350 set by Nik Meeks (USA) on 2/4/08

Highest score for Bust-A-Move:
Sweden's Kim Korpilahti, 16,013,660 5/21/08



Long-standing records

Bubble Bobble high score (normal mode):
5,823,600 Tom Gault (USA) 1988

Ikari Warriors (arcade):
1,414,500 Walt Price (USA) 3/24/87

Karnov (arcade):
855,540 R. Hastings (UK) 4/24/87

Mario Bros. (arcade):
3,481,550 Perry Rodgers (USA) 7/2/85