Surgeon crowned new ‘King of Kong’

Donkey Kong

A screenshot from Donkey Kong. Picture: Supplied. Source: news.com.au

Donkey Kong Billy Mitchell

Previous Donkey Kong record-holder Billy Mitchell (L) with “King of Kong” rival Steve Sanders (R). Picture: AFP Source: AFP

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Plastic surgeon sets new world record Top score of 1,061,700 in 2.5 hours Beat the man featured in King of Kong doco

THE new king of Donkey Kong is a plastic surgeon who lives in Queens, New York, according to reports.

Dr Hank Chien, 35, racked up a score of 1,061,700 on the classic arcade video game, smashing the old record by 10,000 points.

Dr Chien’s dazzling feat was confirmed by Twin Galaxies, the official scorer of electronic games.

The doctor, who holds a computer science and mathematics degree from Harvard University and is a graduate of Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, stated the world record was a thrill.

"It’s something to add to my resume and it’s something I can be proud of," Dr Chien told the New York Daily News.

Dr Chien set the world record during a 2.5-hour game he started late on February 26 and ended in the early hours of February 27, after he was forced inside due to a snowstorm.

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He set the record on his own personal Donkey Kong machine at the East Side apartment he shares with his brother.

"That was the day of a large snowstorm in the city," Dr Chien said.

"I actually took the day off from work and slept most of the day; so I was completely caught up on sleep."

Dr Chien videotaped the machine inside and out before and after the game, and finished a 39-point checklist in keeping with Twin Galaxies’ regulations.

"I remember the exact day I knew I could get the world record: September 13, 2009," Dr Chien told Twin Galaxies.

"That was the day I first broke a million on Donkey Kong to reach 1,037,700. I did not even realize how close I was to the world record.

"I was going on a business trip that day and had a flight to catch, but I had about two hours to kill and figured I had enough time for one game."

Dr Chien decided to attempt to defeat the game after viewing the documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters.

The 2007 documentary closely followed the journey between high school algebra instructor Steve Wiebe, 41 and restaurateur Billy Mitchell, 44 as they travelled around the US and competed with one another.

Dr Chien’s new scoring mark beat the 1,050,200 point record score set by Mr Mitchell at a live event in Florida in July 2007.

source : www.news.com.au