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