In Seth Gordon’s 2007 documentary, The King of Kong, the rivalry between Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell was explored as the two men competed for the world record high score in Nintendo’s Donkey Kong. Eight years later, the sequel is playing out in front of our eyes with two different competitors vying for the record.

On September 17, during the Donkey Kong Online Open 2015, gamer Wes Copeland submitted a score of 1,170,500 in Donkey Kong that eclipsed the record that was previously held by Robbie Lakeman. In 2014, Lakeman had dethroned Hank Chien for the Donkey Kong record, after Chien had eclipsed both Mitchell and Wiebe’s scores.

However, Copeland’s record was short-lived. A mere six hours later, Lakeman submitted a new high score of 1,172,100, which would easily be the highest non-emulator Donkey Kong score if it is verified. According to Twin Galaxies, Copeland has officially turned in his score for verification, but Lakeman’s new score hasn’t been verified yet.

During his latest run for the Donkey Kong record, Copeland made it all the way to the final Donkey Kong screen and 1.1 million points without losing a life. And yet somehow, Lakeman managed to beat that mark by 1,700 points.

Next month, the Twin Galaxies Entertainment Festival in Banning, California, will feature Lakeman and Copeland playing Donkey Kong head-to-head to at least temporarily settle the title of “The King of Kong.” The Twin Galaxies Entertainment Festival will go from October 2 to October 4, and you can find more information at the official site.

Gamers, how far can you get in the original Donkey Kong? Share your scores in the comment section below!

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HT: Polygon

Image: Nintendo