Donkey Kong World Record Broken Once Again

Records are an achievement that many, many, people want. From simple showings of power and strengths, to the endurance to overcome all obstacles to obtain a goal, records prove definitively that you did it.

That holds true for video games as well, as many classic video games have world records, record holders. Arguably the most famous is the Donkey Kong world record. A struggle and contest so fierce that a movie was made about a rivalry between two of the previous record holders. Now, a new champion has been crowned once again, Wes Copeland, who actually held the record once before.

The current record now stands at 1.19 million points. Copeland himself spoke on the Donkey Kong Forums about the record, its previous holders, and all who attempt the record:

“Donkey Kong messes with your mind. It’s the only game I’ve ever played that does,” says Copeland. “Every player, the 1.2m, the 1.1m, the 1m, the 900k, the first-time kill screener, all the way down to even the player who clears their first 3rd elevator, deserves a tremendous amount of praise and respect for their hard work and dedication. It’s one of the few games I’ve played that truly feels like psychological warfare, and requires a unique blend of dedication, imagination, and strong spirit to survive, improve, and progress.

“Robbie, like [former record holders] Dean, Hank, Steve, Billy, Ben Jos, and Tim, wouldn’t have achieved what he did without a tremendous show of endurance, perseverance, and character. Robbie has indicated he wants to step away from the game for a little while, but I know in my heart that whatever he pursues in his life, he’ll apply the same dedication to it as he did to the world record chase. I know he will be successful.”