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Official Blue Book:  This book can be purchased at www.classicarcadegaming.com
Click here to purchase this book from Mark Alpiger Click here to purchase this book from Mark Alpiger

Rules For High Score Submission
[Rules]

High Score Submission Sheet
[Application]

[NEW: June 2004 Tournament]

Walter Day As Official Score Keeper

NOT POSTED ON TWIN GALAXIES SCORE BOARD

MY (Paul Dean) SPY HUNTER HIGH SCORE ACCOMPLISHED ON JUNE 28TH 1985 WAS PULLED IN 2004 UNTIL WITNESS STATEMENTS COULD BE RE-ESTABLISHED.

(FINAL DECISION STILL PENDING)

*PHIL BRITT*, AND *JEFF PETERS* GAVE SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION IN CONVINCING THE FINAL JUDGE, Walter DAY, THAT MY HIGH SCORE IS VALID AND MY SCORE HAS BEEN REESTABLISHED ON 5/18/2004 TO THE TWIN GALAXIES DATA BASE AS THE HIGHEST SCORE EVER RECORDED.

ALWAYS REFER BACK TO THE HARD BACK OR SOFT BACK EDITION OF THE AMERICAN GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS: (1985), (1986), (1987) (1997) FOR ORIGINAL SOURCE OF ALL HIGH SCORES

Funspot Discussion Board/Walter Day Discusses Spy Hunter High Score Reinstatement
http://www.funspotnh.com/discus/http://
www.funspotnh.com/discus/messages/10/636.html?1085265764

Please find the below thread which is correspondence with the referee's which has put my high score back on the Twin Galaxies High Score Record Board and to be published in the next Twin Galaxies Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records for 2004.
Correspondence Below in the following thread: Robert Mruczek, Phil Britt, Mark Alpiger, Mark Longridge, Paul Dean
Darren Harris, Mark Boolman, Cameron Feltner


Reinstatement letter from Robert T Mruczek, Chief Referee (Twin Galaxies): May 18, 2004
E-Mail To: p a u l d e a n 0 0 7 (at) c h a r t e r . n e t
Delete any spaces in above email name of P a u l D e a n: (at)charter.net

Robert Mruczek, Chief Referee Twin Galaxies Intergalactic Scoreboard

Hi Paul:

Your score has been re-appended to the database effective immediately.
Walter Day's direct number is (XXX) XXX-XXXX

Walter Day: (work E-MAIL) Walter(at)twingalaxies.com

Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to work with us for verification,
and for providing information on contacting Phil Britt.

Sorry I could not call you back directly the other day...ask Mark Alpiger, my job
is quite chaotic and I rarely have a free moment to breathe...but I have the free
moment now. Check the database. The score has an entry date of today, but a
submission date of 5.28.85.

Thanks again !!

Robert

Robert T Mruczek
Twin Galaxies - Editor and Chief referee
Star Wars classic arcade champion
rmruczek(at)doremus. (work E-MAIL)


Walter Day - Twin Galaxies Walter(at)twingalaxies.com (work E-MAIL)

2nd Edition Twin Galaxies Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records Intent to Publish Paul Dean's high score:
May 19, 2004

E-Mail To pauldean007(at sign)charter.net


Hi Paul:

I forwarded your previous request to Walter, and am doing so again now.

Your high score has since been restored to the TG database and of course will be
in the 2nd edition Book.

Regards !!

Robert

Robert T Mruczek
Twin Galaxies - Editor and Chief referee
Star Wars classic arcade champion

TG database
http://www.twingalaxies.com/cgi-perl/search_scores.pl

Twin Galaxies Record Keeper
http://www.twingalaxies.com/
rmruczek(at)doremus. (work E-MAIL)




May 15, 2004

John Philip Britt: Witness Statement
E-Mail To pauldean(at sign)charter.net


Hey Paul:

Sorry I didn't get a chance to fill in the info you sent me. I have been
out of town quite a bit lately and I am behind in a lot of things.

They called me though a few days ago - Walter and some other guy
(I can't quite remember). We talked at length about your score and
they approved it.

Do they still need the paperwork? I got the impression that the
talk was good enough.

Phil

John Philip Britt (JPB)
Old Photo of 1985 Coronation Day Champion
Paperboy classic arcade champion


May 18, 2004 - Mark Alpiger Confirmation of Scoreboard Reinstatement Of High Score
E-Mail To pauldean(at sign)charter.net


Hi Paul:

I just got Rob's e-mail, and congratulations to you for getting back on the
scoreboard, as was deserved. I'll be getting the full story from him when I see
him at the Funspot contest (you've GOT to come next year - it's great to meet the
players !), and will advise you on anything new or interesting that he tells me
about the whole process.


Mark
Mark Alpiger (MDA)
Crystal Castle classic arcade champion
www.classicarcadegaming.com



May 21, 2004

[May 20, 2004 - 01:14. Paul Dean's Spy Hunter Record reconfirmed - By Mark Longridge]
http://www.cubeman.org/dru/

Mark Longridge, Twin Galaxies Coin-Op Referee/Canada
E-Mail To pauldean(at sign)charter.net From Mark Longridge at: zero1(at)look.ca


Mark Longridge, Twin Galaxies Video Game Referee/Canada

Hi Paul,

I was quite happy to see your new web site on the golden
age of video games. I had a quick look at your site and
you have a real eye for detail.

One of the questions I had about the Spy Hunter score
was how long it took and how many cars you get total.
I was also curious if the machine rolls over at a million.

I also talked to Jeff Peters and he spoke highly of
your Spy Hunter skills. I even put a small blurb about
it at http://cubeman.org/dru

It would be great to see you in action at Funspot, but
you're probably from the west coast.. that was my
(vague) recollection. I won't be going to this year's
contest but I hope to go next year.

Best regards,
Mark Longridge
zero1(at)look.ca

P.S. Hope you don't mind all the questions, I'm
a detail-man what can I say? :)


Mark Longridge
Wizard of Wor Classic arcade champion
Twin Galaxies Referee, Coin-Op, Mame, Canada
E-mail Address(es): zero1(at)look.ca
                                    http://cubeman.org






Response from Paul Dean to Mark Longridge of the previous questions above:

On May 21, 2004 08:19 pm, Paul Dean wrote:
E-Mail From Paul Dean To Mark Longridge at zero1(at)look.ca

Dear Mark Longridge,

Thank you for the Congratulations it has been a trial to locate Phil Britt
and to get everyone involved in order to get Paul Dean's high score back on to the
scoreboard where it belongs.

I feel that if the Referee's have a problem with any players score they
shouldn't wait 19 years and then pull the score without telling that player
anything about it. It is very hard to find any content about high scores or
in finding the witnesses after 19 years and it was just by luck that I found
Phil Britt's email while searching for his name on Google. I hadn't talked to him in
15 years and he was the main witness who could report how I played the game
and for how long because he watched the whole thing.

Game Settings and Contest Questions:
Game Settings for 3rd Annual Masters Tournament June 28, 1985 Spy Hunter
High Score - 9,512,590
Huish Family Fun, Upland, CA

I played for a little over 11.5 hours on a sit-down Spy Hunter game in
Upland, CA.

Difficulty = 3, First extra base awarded at 30K, Extra base every 30K
(maximum 3), Starting timer - 1.5 minutes of play (90 seconds).
Technically, based on speed of completing the initial time allotment, it is
possible to get an extra car at 14K and another at 18K if you reach these
thresholds before the starting timer expires.

I live in Riverside, Ca and have always been here at the same residence since 1971,
You can look at [My Biography]for my accomplishments.

See my Biography second page to see what I have been doing lately.

Players who helped me develop my skills:

Player             City     State   Guinness World Record

Phil Britt - Riverside, CA Paperboy
Mike Sullivan - Riverside, CA Kung Fu
Mike Querlls - Riverside, CA Crystal Castle
Dave Dean - Riverside, CA Mappy
Jeff Peters - Etiwanda, CA Pole Position

We all played and honed are skills in the same arcades in Riverside, CA
and went to Los Angeles on field trips to show others how to play.

I have never given an interview until this year 2004 after my high score
was pulled and I decided to fight and get it back on the score boards.

Thank you for recording my high score and the high scores of my
friends.

I have had a back surgery and am having a Piriformis Surgery
and have not been doing anything for three years but recovering.

I would like to meet the other Guinness Players at a contest,
but I have not played in years and am unable to play because
of a fall I took at work three years ago.

Three years after I won the Guinness Contest I put video games
in every Little Caesars Pizza chain in Five Counties in Southern
California. 123 locations in all after it was all done.


Thank you for the link, and I will link back to your site as well.
I have talked to Mark Alpiger over the phone many times and
he can let you know the trials I went through in order to get my
score back up.

Also you can look at the threads on my site at questions and answers,
biography, and twin galaxies in order to learn more about my score
and my fight to get back on the board.

Just think, anybody at any time can lose their place on the high
score board just because a referee thinks that score is to high.

I appreciate you hard work,

Thank you kindly,

Paul Dean, Spy Hunter Champion 3rd Annual Masters Tournament 1985 (PMD)
Published:
American Edition Guinness Book of World Records 1986
Twin Galaxies Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records 1997


PS I hope the answers help you and I am glad that people still remember
the golden age.

Thanks!


Paul Dean (PMD)




Spy Hunter arcade champion
  1986 Guinness Book
  1997 Twin Galaxies World Records
E-mail Address(es):





E-Mail To pauldean(at sign)charter.net From Mark Longridge at: zero1(at)look.ca
On May 21, 2004 10:19 pm, Mark Longridge wrote:

Hi Paul,

If Guinness had continued to publish video game contests
I don't think this would have happened. My belated suggestion
to Jeff Peters was that Twin Galaxies hold separate
contests instead of concurrent ones, and work from the
east coast to the west coast with each contest occurring
on a different weekend. That way TG officials could
always be present.

Usually at a game or sports tournament everything is
witnessed by spectators and judges. I think video games
are rather in a class by themselves. You indicated that
your game took 11.5 hours and it is a little demanding
for a judge to stand there and eyeball the entire game.
I can tell you for sure that usually an entire game of
that length is not witnessed all the way through in
modern tournaments.

I can certainly sympathize with the players when a
score is pulled. Surely the player has already proven
themselves within the rules and scope of the contest,
in this case from the year 1985.

I did some calling around and I talked to a guy who
has witnessed scores of over 2 million points and
he said that all 7 digits were on the screen. So clearly
there have been other scores over 2 million, at least
on factory default.

I _think_ those settings mean a maximum of 6 cars
and your game is over on the 7th crash. Please
correct me if I'm wrong.

My own thoughts on this (before you were heard from)
was I couldn't really say the score happened, and I couldn't
really say the score _didn't happen. I had no information
to make a decision on it. But in any case having a
witness like Phil Britt pretty much seals the deal.

There were some issues with rom revisions on
Marble Madness in that it was possible one
contest location had a prototype rom and
the other locations had a later more difficult
rom. It never sat well with me that contestants
were playing in different locations on different
machines. But given the large number of games
I'm at a loss on suggesting a better arrangement.

Let me just say that your comments are exactly
what I would have expected from a champion
player and I hope you fully recover from your
injuries. I'm positive that in 1985 there was a
white cerlox binder with the rules, please let me
know if you ever come across it. I believe the
blue book was for 1986, 1987. Oh and when I
talked to Jeff Peters he also stated his confidence
in your score.

In closing let me just say that I think the major
problem with score challenges and doubt all
stems from the fact that their were many contest
locations back in 1985 that had no TG people
present. The main problem would be verifying that
the games were set to the proper settings. From
what I know, I don't believe that this was/is a
problem with Spy Hunter, but it was a problem for
some of the other games. Also I don't see how
it's possible to be sure that all machines were
using the exact same rom versions. I don't blame
the players but I do wish TG had held a championship
in a central location like Chicago so that all the
record attempts were on the same machines, but
maybe this idea isn't practical. Oh, and I also think
that games which roll over that they should be taped
and the roll-overs and times should be logged :)


Best regards,
Mark Longridge

Mark Longridge
Wizard of Wor Classic arcade champion
Twin Galaxies Referee, Coin-Op, Mame, Canada
E-mail Address(es): zero1(at)look.ca
                                    http://cubeman.org



- Mark Alpiger Posts Paul Dean's Struggle to Get Back on the High Score Board for Spy Hunter

[May 18, 2004 Spy Hunter score is back where it belongs - as a recognized true world record]
http://www.classicarcadegaming.com/news/

May 18, 2004 Mark Alpiger - News Article on Classic Arcade Gaming Web Page (Twin Galaxies reinstates 'pulled' Spy Hunter score)


Mark Alpiger (MDA) World Record Holder of Crystal Castles
Twin Galaxies reinstates 'pulled' Spy Hunter score

I think this is a first - today, after a long-term effort by Paul Dean,
Twin Galaxies has reinstated his 1985 Spy Hunter score of 9,512,590,
which was accomplished on 06-28-1985 at the Upland Family Fun Center
in Upland, California, during the 1985 Video Game Masters Tournament.
The score was originally 'pulled' (even after appearing in print in
Walter Day's 1998 record book) a few years back, along with a number
of others from the VGMT contests of the mid-80's (namely: Star Wars,
Joust, and Robotron). I'll have more on the removal of all these scores,
in a future article.
Well, due to the effort on Paul's part, and thanks also to time spent
by Rob Mruczek, and apparently Walter Day himself, the Spy Hunter score
is back where it belongs - as a recognized true world record. An even
bigger thanks goes out to none other than a very famous CAG HoF'er ,
Phil Britt, for his verbal confirmation of the veracity of Paul's score,
and his play, on that day in 1985. The full story on this accomplishment
(both the original game, and the efforts to gain reinstatement) will be
appearing on CAG very soon, so be sure to check back to get fully informed
on Paul's once-in-a-lifetime game ! In the meantime, you can check out a
lot of gaming information on Paul's web site, at [www.spyhunter007.com]

Mark Alpiger
Mark Alpiger (MDA)
Crystal Castle classic arcade champion

E-mail Address(es):
kept blank for privacy
www.classicarcadegaming.com



Wednesday, May 19, 2004 - 10:48 pm (Fun Spot General Chat Room)
Post From: Mark Alpiger

Some exciting, and unprecedented news. Yesterday, TG reinstated Paul Dean's Spy
Hunter score, which was previously removed from the scoreboard (it had been
published in the book, and was pulled after that).

A number of other scores have also been removed, and I have always been adamantly
against this, as someone is usually always better than what you may think is
possible. In any case, Paul's highly doubted score has been confirmed to Walter Day's
satisfaction, and it's back. For more details, see the top listing on my news page.

I'd like to know what the readers of this forum think about these pulled scores
(including one of the most controversial ones, Star Wars (31M by David Palmer, on
TGTS). Admittedly, second place on this title is far behind (about 15M), but, another
pulled score (it was around 960K) has since been closely approached (893K), so, what
should happen in cases like that ?

My opinion, which I have respectfully submitted to Walter, Rob M., and Mark Longridge
on numerous occasions in the past, is that scores should STAND, unless some proof
(and/or STRONG anecdotal evidence) that they're not legit comes forth. Also, the time
to question these scores was around the time they were made (you know, calling the
player, and the arcade attendant, and asking some questions, etc...). Not feasible,
you say ? Well, Steve Harris personally called me (and, I presume all wr setters) after
my Crystal Castles 881K wr in the 1986 'Guinness' contest. That's the time to ask
questions, if there was doubt !

In any case, I'd like to hear what everyone thinks on this issue. Believe me, I'm
grateful to TG for being open to putting a score back up, and appreciate it. I just
hate to see others (mainly David Palmer, as both I, and Dwayne Richard believe his
score is true) have their 'crown jewel' looked at as a fake, when such is very possibly
not the case (plus, it's not been proven in the least). -

Mark Alpiger / MDA

classicarcadegaming.com - Chronicling the history of the 'Golden Age'...



Post From: Darren Harris
Wednesday, May 19, 2004 - 11:43 pm (Fun Spot General Chat Room)

Well, when speaking on this subject about three years ago, I said that if there was
a good enough reason to eliminate a score, then there was a good enough reason *not*
to re-instate it. Even if someone then comes along and gets close or beats the score
that was removed, it should make no difference at all.

I personally think the score on "Elevator Action" is bogus. But if I were to get very
close to it or surpass it (which I don't believe is possible), I wouldn't change my
mind about it at all. I'd still consider the score bogus.

I remember when the record on Ms. Pac-man was still in the 200,000 point range and being
claimed by someone who had not really achieved it. Now if it had been removed, should it
have been reinstated when players became aware that the score was actually plausible?
Of course not.

That said. You have to remember that verification standards 20-25 years ago were
different than the verification standards of today. Very few people had video cameras
and access to coin-operated games that they could video tape the game play on, and Walter
did the best he could.

Almost all of those scores achieved back then would not be accepted if they were achieved
today thanks to the new rules. Therefore technically most all of them should be thrown out,
right? Well, that will not happen, and my solution to this was to spotlight only the scores
achieved in front of official T.G. judges or video taped. All the other scores should be
displayed much less boldly and the "verification" method noted next to all.

This really is the only way.

Darren Harris
Staten.islander(at)verizon.net

Ms. Pacman Championships Staten Island, New York.



Mark Longridge
Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 01:42 am (Fun Spot General Chat Room)

Mark,

I would have never let the Joust and Robotron situation happen in the first place.
Both those games don't take very long to play out (5 men only with a considerable
degree of unpredictability). For the record, camcorders came out in 1982 so it was
possible to video tape those games _or_ have a TG ref eyeball the game from start
to finish.

I talked to Robert Bonney on the phone about the 960,350 on Robotron and his words
were "I don't think I played on the correct settings."

Now with a game like Spy Hunter going over 11 hours, that's difficult for a judge
to verify obviously. Can some players spike the score? Surely.

With chess, there's a score-sheet that denotes each move. In the Olympics there's
an entire stadium of people watching... in any top level competition there are strict
rules and judges present. In 1985 there weren't always judges present, and that's a
fact. A player can't act as his own judge.

If games that rolled over had records denoting the start time and the time of each
roll over that would really help ease some doubt over some of the scores. If all the
players were in the same arcade at the same time that would also help a great deal.
But when you have players all over the U.S. and Canada and people reporting things
over the phone, then I think you can understand why there is _some_ doubt over _some_ of
the scores.

Mark Longridge


TJT, Track & Field Champion
Tommi J Tiihonen
Helsinki (Helsingfors), Finland

Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 03:25 pm (Fun Spot General Chat Room)

Hi Mark Longridge,
When did you talk with Bonney?
Did you ask him about Tron score published at Joystick magazine Dec -83 of 12 883 638


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Scoreboard Gets Tough: A Look at the elusive game, "Squid Search". Hoax?
New York World Championships
July 26-27, 1980 Gremlin's: Squid Search Video Game World
Championships, New York, New York. Link

Squid Search
Variation: Points
Platform: Arcade
Rules: Difficulty : Hardest. Start Units : 3. No Bonus Man)

Squid Search 1980, Gremlin Flyer Squid Search, Gremlin flyer 1980 (LARGE)
  1  100.00 %  99,999,991  Brien King      07/06/2004 Video
2 100.00 % 99,999,910 Gary Vincent 07/15/2002 Referee
3 0.03 % 34,433 Martin Brodeur 06/11/2004 Referee
4 0.03 % 29,530 Walter A Day 06/11/2004 Referee

TG Leaderboard for Squid Search Link The Giant squid, once believed to be mythical creatures, are squid of the
Architeuthidae family, represented by as many as eight species of the genus
Architeuthis. There suckers are lined with sharp, finely serrated rings of
chitin. The perforation of these teeth and the suction of the cups serve to
attach the squid to its prey.
The byssal gigantism squid is propelled by a jet of water - by pushing water
through its mantle cavity through the funnel, in gentle, rhythmic pulses. They
can also move quickly by expanding the cavity to fill it with water, then
contracting muscles to jet water through the funnel.
July 26-27, 1980 Squid Search Video Game World Championship Madison Square Garden New York, New York Link




Previous Walter Day Post on Twin Galaxies Board Link

The process of cleaning up the scoreboard still continues today. Many older scores
were deleted in preparation for this book. For example, Jason Smith's 2.2 million
points on Gorf has been placed in limbo until someone (hopefully, Jason himself)
proves that a score this high is possible. Also, Mike Mann's score of 4.8 million
points on Frogger and Robert Bonney's 511 million points on Robotron have been put
on temporary probation until they also are proven.

Squid Search is the most contested high score and most rare game of them all, Link
with Walter Day as the Author and High Score of this elusive game. On the eve of a historic expedition,
"In search of the giant squid expedition", an interview with an expert on the earth's most enigmatic
monster, Walter Day. Link.

In addition to offering new creatures, ranging from the great white shark to
the giant squid, "Squid Search: Marine Mania" allows players to enhance their
aquatic environment with customizable aquatic exhibits including a dorsal
fin dolphin.
Link
This author believes that all Squid Search Scores will be deleted in the future
as this is a hoax to catch wood-be tricksters who claim scores they did not achieve.

All other Gamers who claim the high score of this 1980 Gremlin game were
immediately dismissed. Link Forum Link Map Link



Link
Want to join us on our Weasel hunt? There's plenty of Weasel for everybody to enjoy...

Myth Link

The above is an example of claims and scores that have been contested
for various reasons. If a game does not exist then of course, that score
cannot be beat, and a challenge of validity of score is necessary.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walter Day
Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 10:13 pm (Fun Spot General Chat Room)



Walter Day, Twin Galaxies Judge

It was not good that this news was revealed in this manner out of respect for
Mark Little.

I am not even done with my research - a further interview is needed before I can
decide either way. I had failed to tell Robert Mruczek that I was not yet done and
Mark Alpiger chose to leak the news of my inquiries without telling us.

Its bad style that Mark Little has learned of this development on this website
instead of directly from me.

Walter Day



Mark Boolman
Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 11:11 pm (Fun Spot General Chat Room)


Mark Boolman, Champion Star Wars

I'm sure Mark Alpiger didn't mean to offend anyone by breaking this story. Mark
is just really adamant about this particular topic. I also doubt a 9 mil plus on
spy hunter, but I won't say it can't be done; just unlikely. Considering the media
coverage on Mark Little's score, I certainly would not reinstate a purged score, as
that would undermine TG's credibility tremendously with the media and others. I've
been surprised with the media coverage on the recent records being set, but if the
media perceives that these records may be suspect(even one), they may never waste time
covering future one's. The 'doubt' factor(relating to game settings mostly) was why
Guinness stopped publishing video game scores all together.
Why was the SH score pulled anyway?


Mark Boolan

Mark Boolan: Most Recent Star Wars classic arcade champion
E-mail Address(es): wellbee(at)excite.com

Walter Day
Friday, May 21, 2004 - 11:16 am (Fun Spot General Chat Room)

I am very sorry that my post directed intensity at Mark Alpiger. I know that he is
a great person who meant no harm; he's just trying to help this hobby get better.

As for the reinstatement issue. Mark Boolman is right, it could make waves and cause
concern. But it was more important to me that Dean get full credit for his record,
in spite of the confusion this reversal may cause.

There was a time recently when we were purging scores which were inexplicable - scores
which no modern player could replicate nor explain what the "Golden age" player did to
attain such high scores. Spy Hunter was one of those scores. We didn't have evidence it
was false other than it was unmatchable by modern players. In fact, Dean's SpyHunter score
was an anomaly amongst contemporary scores of 1985, too. His performance stood alone, even
verging on becoming a marathon performance. And, he was not found to consult with, so the
score was removed to make room for the modern era of playing.

But, Phil Britt and another famous player (TBA) saw his methodology and verify that his
marathon level score was indeed possible and that Dean did achieve scores like that easily.
He just knows approaches that are not known by today's Spy Hunter players.
And Phil Britt and the other player are unimpeachable in my opinion. So, I reinstated the
score, thinking justice was served.

Everybody's advice and thoughts on this are welcome. The scoreboard exists to serve all
our interests and everybody should always be submitting their ideas to help the process
remain successful.

Walter Day


Post From: Darren Harris
Friday, May 21, 2004 - 01:57 pm (Fun Spot General Chat Room)


Darren Harris, Champion Ms. Pac-Man 910,700 05/10/2001

Next to Jeff Peters, I probably heard Phil Britt's name more than any other player
known out there on the west coast back in the 80s. And going by conversations with
a few players from that time period and area, Phil used to amaze those who watched
him play Track'n Field, because no one would have thought that a big guy like him
could be so fast on those buttons. He was definitely one of the most trusted players
on a very short list.

Getting back to the whole score reversal issue. "Carnival" and "Robotron" represent
two titles in which their respective masters have changed the overall perception of
what can be accomplished on these games just when the consensus was leaning toward
trashing the highest claimed scores on both. So this is obviously one reason why Walter
would be apprehensive about bowing to pressure to remove a score, even when the present
day top players on those games are saying the is not possible to achieve. of course kill
screens and locked scores that occur well before a claimed score can be achieved would
be an exception to the rule, because these things represent irrefutable proof that
certain scores were not achieved.

The integrity of the scoreboard would have been unshakable if the scoreboard had a
videotape requirement back in the 80s.(which would be a positive). But at the same time
the scoreboard would probably be a *lot* smaller than what it is, and may not exist now
as a result.(Which would be a negative).

I'm a proponent of the "all or nothing" principle. So I still say that if there is
going to be controversy over a score because it cannot definitely be proven false, then
leave it alone, but *highlight* the scores achieved under the most astringent standards.
(i.e.: T.G. ref and/or video tape). Of course, this wouldn't make someone who believes the
have the true world record happy.(i.e.: Me and Elevator Action). But again I see no other way.

So I guess it's best to learn from all this and just move on.

Darren Harris
Ms. Pacman Championships Staten Island, New York.


> Walter Day
Friday, May 21, 2004 - 02:51 pm (Fun Spot General Chat Room)

Darren points out important ideas. A few years ago, there was a perception that high
old scores on carnival and wizard of wor were impossible - mainly because no one
currently in the hobby could get anywhere near "golden age" scores. Since then,
higher scores have been proven.

Ideally, I would agree that we should leave the "golden age" scores alone until
it is absolutely apparent that a score must be false.

About two years ago, one of the arguments that was voiced was that the "golden age"
scores -- those that were believed to be false and inflated -- should be removed
because they were unfair to today's players who were unable to capture a world record
on their respective game since an impossible score was being held as the world record.

I held out for a long time because I believed that players should be trying to beat
the older claims instead of throwing them out in order to bring the world title down
to the level of their then current attainment.

Fortunately, however, as a result of the great work of today's players, we dont have to
think much more about older records because they are being displaced quite rapidly.

Walter Day


Mark Alpiger
Friday, May 21, 2004 - 08:14 pm (Fun Spot General Chat Room)

Hello Walter (and, everyone):

I think the timing of how this information unfolded meant that some people were out
of the loop, or assuming things that weren't the case. Here's the timeline: I
received a carbon copy of an e-mail to Paul Dean, from Rob Mruczek, around 6PM ET
on 05-18; it said, in part: "Your score has been re-appended to the database effective
immediately. Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to work with us for
verification, and for providing information on contacting Phil Britt."

Now, of course, I was sure that the score had been approved in full, since it was
now posted (which I confirmed) to the database !! I wrote Rob back within an hour
or so, and thanked him for the update, and for working with Paul on "the successful status"
of the score situation, and then posted the story to my web site's news page. After
that, I waited more than 24 hours later before posting the news to this forum.

If Rob had indicated in any way that it was still not firm, or that notification of
Mark Little was desired before making this public, I would have been glad to wait, of
course. As I said, I think there was a bit of misunderstanding going on, as far as the
status of the score, and I'm not saying either Rob or Walter is at fault (usually no one
really is, in a misunderstanding situation !).

As Mark B. alluded, I am indeed passionate (though always respectful in listening to
other's views !) on the area of doubting scores. As a matter of fact, due to some very
recent research, I'll be glad to publicly state right here in the forums that a score I
doubted in the past is apparently quite plausible, given some new research on my part.
I'm speaking of the infamous Stan Szczepanski score of 187,880 on Marble Madness.
I doubted it when I first heard of it; Phil Britt and company (his fellow gaming group)
doubted it; and a letter sent to me by Stan himself contained a couple of implausible
statements that made me further question the validity of the game. BUT, due to recently
seeing some play on MARP, and knowing a couple of shortcuts that only a handful of
players know, Stan's score
is not only quite doable, but I now believe that a 190K+ score is plausible
(though quite difficult). So... I was wrong to doubt the score, and I'll own up to that.

For just that reason, I've always said to be careful about doubting scores (I needed to
listen to myself a bit more when it came to Stan's score, I'll admit it !), but to
especially be doubly careful about wanting to pull them off the scoreboard. Needless
to say, I was quite excited to see that just what I spoke against so much in the past
had been reasonably shown to be the case, with Spy Hunter - a doubted, pulled-down score
was later confirmed enough to be considered legit, and replaced. So, of course, I
considered (and still do !) this to be huge news, and wanted everyone to know (and, NOT
for the purpose of razzing TG - just the opposite; I respect them even more than before,
and told Rob so !).

Well, this has gone on long enough, but, I didn't want anyone thinking I would ever
release privileged, or speculative, information, which I never would, and I also never
rush anything out before thoroughly checking it (such as the date correction in my
'Life Magazine' gathering story). Thanks to everyone for their input so far on the
'pulled scores' issue, and I think that such dialog will ultimately help determine the
most fair way to deal with the scores that were taken off.

- Mark Alpiger / MDA


Robert T Mruczek At: rmruczek(at)doremus.
Friday, May 21, 2004 - 08:49 pm (Fun Spot General Chat Room)

Hello fellow gamers:

This is strictly an FYI.

Based on current events, and after much consideration, I will personally no longer
be divulging any information on scores past, present or future except by TG site
breaking news announcements of verified incoming scores from submission or contest.

This is my own personal decision.

Robert T Mruczek


Cameron Feltner, Sigel, IL
Saturday, May 22, 2004 - 05:57 am (Fun Spot General Chat Room)



Cameron Feltner, Champion Elevator Action

It looks like there was some confusion here as to the status of the decision on
reinstating the score. Other than that, I didn't see anything "wrong" with the
information "leak".

I don't see how it would be a problem to allow information on pending decisions
to be known. At least that way less people would be out of the loop, and the final
decision wouldn't seem to come suddenly.

As to the whole issue of figuring out which 80's scores are legit and which aren't,
it's tough. I think most of the problems are probably from difficulty settings
rather than outright false scores. Although there were obviously a lot of those
as well. Also, even when a score has been shown to be possible, it doesn't mean
every score lower than that one was true.

Really the games needed to have been made to track scores themselves. If they were
made more like the lottery machines we'd all be pretty sure of the scoreboard.
Players would have a little slip of paper with all the game information on it and
some other coded information that could be checked when they claimed a score. Plus,
we'd know about all the unclaimed scores as well. You could even scan your score
ticket in at the arcade, and it would tell you what rank in the world it was as of
a half-hour ago as well as when the score was achieved.

Cameron Feltner
Elevator Action Champion

Spy Hunter Letter of Replay Injury Dispute TO: Walter Day, Robert T Mruczek At: rmruczek(at)doremus.
Friday, May 27, 2004 - 09:49 pm (E-Mail)



Walter Day, Robert Mruczek, May 27, 2004

Please find that I cannot replay spy hunter at this time and that
the witnesses I have provided are outstanding members of
the community.

Witnesses of My Skill Set: All GUINNESS PLAYERS: Phil Britt, Jeff Peters,
Mike Sullivan.

Please find below my medical condition at this time.

PAUL DEAN'S MEDICAL RECORDS TO BE {PROVIDED} TO WALTER DAY AS PROOF OF
INJURY

Medic Fax System

DIAGNOSIS

1. Piriformis syndrome.
2. Residual sciatic nerve root irritation, status post lumbar
laminectomy/discectomy.
3. Lumber discogenic disease, L5-S1.

DISCUSSION

This patient is here to pursue a recommended course of treatment by Dr.
Chambie, (Neurologist), which is for a piriformis release. The patient is most
symptomatic in this region. He reports that he is eager to seek the suggested
treatment in order to get better. At this point, I do not see that there is anything
else to offer this patient. He appears to be very well informed. As long as the
risks and benefits were discussed by his primary physician the choice to proceed in
this direction should be left up to the patient. I believe he can be helped
with the piriformis release although there are no guarantees. He feels he has no
other choice at this point. He will have to live with his residual symptoms post
surgery.

DISABILITY STATUS

This patient will continue on temporary total disability. Good or bad, to
be declared permanent and stationary after sufficiently recovered.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

I declare under penalty of perjury that I, the signing physician, have
actually performed this examination and the time spent in performing this
evaluation is in compliance with the IMC Guidelines (Section 5307.1 and 4507.6).

I declare under perjury that I have devoted at least 1/3 of my total
practice to providing medical treatment.

Dr. Akmicmajin (Orthopedic Medicine)



Thank you for your consideration in this matter. I, Paul Dean am asking
that I he be reinstated with out any prejustice of any kind.

Thank you for your hard work in this matter.

I kindly wait your reply.

Paul Dean, Spy Hunter Guinness Book Champion




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Paul Dean 
To: Jeff Peters 
Sent: Sunday, July 18, 2004 12:10 AM
Subject: spy hunter


Dear Jeff Peters, (Pole Position Champion)
 
Thank you for supporting my spy hunter score and letting
the Referee's at Twin Galaxies know that I have integrity.
Your email to Mark Longridge went a long way and it enabled
my score to go back on to the scoreboard.
 
I also had Phil Britt talk to Walter Day and this helped as 
well.  Phil was watching my game in the Masters Tournament
and was able to give Walter Day a blow by blow on my
performance.
 
Even after both of you came forward to help me, Walter
had said that I have to replay the game to proof to him
that I am the best.
 
My injuries have kept me out of any type of game playing
and frankly I don't believe I want to give up years of my
time in order to prove to Walter that I did in deed get
the high score.
 
I hope that you are doing well and it is great to be in touch
with my old friends.  

I remember our fun in playing video games.  The good old days...
 
Take care,
 
Your friend,
  Paul Dean    (spy hunter Guinness)
 
 
 
 
Paul Dean 
July 18, 2004
pauldean(at sign)charter.net
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jeff Peters 
To: Paul Dean 
Sent: Sunday, July 18, 2004 12:21 AM
Subject: spy hunter
Paul,
Hey!! Great to hear from ya!!!
 
On the TG stuff, yeah I got wind that there were some scores getting protested
since current players couldn't get as high...  I actually felt insulted that 
certain scores (especially yours [spy hunter]) were getting questioned.
So, yeah, I had to remind Walter and company I actually saw you play...
as did others.
 
I don't think asking you to repeat your score is quite fair...so much has 
changed for everyone since those years.  
 

If you need any other assistance from me in regards to Walter and TG, let me
know what I can do and help ya out  :)  I'll try to keep on their radar
from my end as well.
 
Glad to hear from you again!
 
Take care,
Jeff Peters (Pole Position Champion)
GearWorks Games
http://www.gearworksgames.com/

Jeff Peters


Jeff Peters
Second Place Coronation Day
Captain Video Arcade
Los Angeles, CA
Old Photograph January 12, 1985 
----------------------------------------------------
TWIN GALAXIES RULES
-----------------------------------------------------
8.6 Steps to Challenge

1. Send your challenge in writing. Explain the reasons why you believe
this player should prove their score via a public replay.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. A player's score can be challenged only once. If, during a replay, the
challenged player gets 90% of their claimed score, they are awarded the
score - unless the game in question is a "mature" game.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE SPY HUNTER HIGH SCORE FROM 1985 IS A "Mature" game score, almost two
decades old therefore, WALTER DAY'S/MARK LITTLE CHALLENGE AGAINST CHALLENGE RULES.



[Masters Tournament Article] [Q & A]

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