Review of The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007) by Rhanda D — 27 Mar 2009

A slick, well-made documentary which is probably extremely eye-opening for a less hardcore geek than me. Though you have to wonder about how neatly the film's "stars" fit into their hero/villain roles, "King of Kong" does do a fantastic job delving into the world of retro record gaming, managing to convey the almost neurotic devotion of recordholders' passions without gleefully joining in on the nostalgia or judging the participants too harshly.

Fellow children of the '80s may experience some swooning over seeing all those vintage games out in an actual *gasp* arcade as they were meant to be, but those of a younger generation may not understand what all the fuss is about.

Try as it might, "King of Kong" never can quite explain why those games of yesteryear are so tough, nor why people seemingly devote their lives to mastering them. That small critique aside, it's a great documentary for people who don't usually like documentaries, and, yes, it will get you cheering for the good guy by the time it's all said and done (and you may dust off that old 2600 or Colecovision to boot!).