Back in the day, there was nothing that I'd rather do than while away an hour – or 10 – at the local arcade playing video games.
It's no real surprise that 25 years later, there are still hard-core, old-school gamers who continue to try and perfect their scores on the likes of Frogger, Pac-Man and Donkey Kong.
And it's nerds like this who are at the heart of the documentary The King Of Kong.
Back in the early 1980s, Billy Mitchell became a media star for setting world-record scores on a number of games. Since then, he's been acclaimed as the best joystick jockey of all time – and he's grown an ego and yuppie mullet to match.
The King Of Kong chronicles the challenge put to Mitchell's inflated status by Steve Wiebe, a sensitive high-school teacher who wants to beat Mitchell's world-record Donkey Kong score.
You'd think it'd be clear-cut – whoever has the highest score, takes the title. But that'd be discounting game-fixing allegations, rabid fans and other controversies worthy of international cricket.
The King Of Kong looks and sounds rough in places but despite its raw edges, this still packs plenty of drama because we really want to see the underdog have his day.
Tempting though it must have been, director Seth Gordon refuses to sneer at his deeply eccentric subjects – but, that said, there are plenty of giggles to be had from this obsessive bunch.
The King Of Kong doesn't set a new high score as polished filmmaking, but it's definitely worth a fistful of 20-cent pieces and rates three stars. It's in cinemas now.
