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ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Donkey Kong is considered one of, if not THE, hardest arcade game. Is there a game whose record we might find easier to break?
I think Pac-Man. To get a perfect Pac-Man score takes an above-average gamer, but there's patterns that you can get books on. Or, at least back in the day, I remember reading books that gave me the patterns. You're maneuvering the Pac-Man character through the maze, so if you have a pattern, that will help you play for a pretty long time. And it's just a single joystick, there's no buttons or anything, so it's pretty simple.

How do we decide which game is right for us?
I think some people have more of an inclination toward the shooter-type games. The Asteroids, Space Invaders, or Defender. I think you just experiment. If you don't have any experience, then try 'em all. Some you'll find come easier to you than others. And some you'll just like the concepts better. I kinda liked the idea of Donkey Kong or Pac-Man, where you're maneuvering something and avoiding obstacles.

The world of gaming is seriously competitive. As evidenced by when you were playing in that one arcade in the movie, and a guy kept calling Billy to give him reports. How do you deal with that — having people who clearly don't want you to succeed so in your face?
I didn't realize he was on the phone, because he'd go somewhere else in the building. I did realize he was trying to disrupt my rhythm because he would want to jump in and play a game every time I'd finished one. So I just kinda looked at thwarting his efforts as another challenge. I knew he was going head-to-head with me in his own way. So I just thought, I'm gonna put up a really high score and really discourage him. And eventually he stopped playing.

Finally, what sacrifices should people be prepared to make?
Be prepared to invest time and energy. If you're married and have a family and they can be supportive, work out some time frame that's suitable so you're not neglecting the family. [To his daughter, Jillian] Jillian, no, we're not.

Are you gonna be late for the movie?
No, we're not. They don't even know what time the movie's at. [To Jillian] Jillian, the movie's at 3:30. [To EW] They're just freakin'. We have plenty of time, don't worry. But yeah, I think most families can agree on just a little bit of time every day. Like in my case, my wife said 10 o'clock or when the kids are in bed. [Kids arguing] First day back from New York, and they're fighting. [Laughs] We're all ready for school to start, I think.

For more on our favorite old-school arcade games, click here.


Posted Aug 20, 2007 | Order Article Reprints
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