On Like Donkey Kong Two die-hard video gamers duke it out for Kong supremacy in fascinating documentary

By Phillip Valys Entertainment Writer

Video gamer-philes everywhere have at some point splintered their thumbs grappling with the tree trunk-muscled ape known as Donkey Kong.

Modeled after that first terrifying fictional primate King Kong, 1981’s arcade-goers saw the overgrown gorilla hurl barrels and fireballs at a familiar red-suited plumber, only to have a Fay Wray-look-alike whisked to the next level before Mario reached the top scaffold.

And art imitated life, apparently, for the good-vs.-evil documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. Mustachioed and mullet-headed Billy Mitchell nabbed the highest score ever recorded for Donkey Kong in 1982 (874,300), but refused to publicly compete again against contenders. Instead, he hid, managing his father’s hot sauce business while moonlighting as a referee for Twin Galaxies, a tribunal which officially tallies gaming high scores.

Mitchell”s arrogance-thick rhetoric is self-explanatory: “I’m not God. I don’t have all the answers. So I have to be real careful when I share my opinions.” What a wanker.

That is, until a downtrodden Boeing employee-layoff named Steve Wiebe – unbeknownst to his wife and son – indiscriminately crammed a beat-up Donkey Kong arcade machine into his suburban garage, flicked the switch, and videotaped himself scoring a whopping 1,000,000 points.

Should Mitchell, the sinister Donkey Kong to underdog Wiebe’s Mario, wanly accept defeat, or reemerge from the shadows to reclaim Kong supremacy?

Of course, this documentary could string viewers along that meaty premise alone, but Kong blazes past conventionality to present a fully-immersive, arresting showdown between two polar opposites.

Watch these game enthusiasts lock joysticks all next week at Las Olas Riverfront (300 SW 1st Ave., Fort Lauderdale). Call 954761-9400 for show times.

Review: Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (*** out of ****)

By: Daniel Alexander Nigro Contributor

Yeah, it’s a long name, but Puzzle Fighter is a good game.

The game-play mechanics are simple enough, as it involves matching up same-color gems with exploding gems to clear your area and send it over to your opponents’ area. The hook here is how competitive things can get. Your opponent can counter any gems that are sent to their area by clearing their area and sending back some gems of their own. What this creates is fast and frantic game play where players are rewarded for thinking on their feet, even more so when compared to other puzzle games.

Another unique hook involves character selection. You have a choice between eight super-deformed characters, as well as three hidden characters. Each character has a different way of countering gems being sent into their area, adding another layer of strategy, as the gems being sent into an opponents’ area is never the same.

Replay value is high, as the game can be played against friends locally or online. On top of that, there are a few alternate modes that balance the characters’ gem counters, and mix up the rules slightly. Overall, Puzzle Fighter has enough variety and excellent game play hooks to be recommended.

Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix

PS3 and Xbox 360

“Halloween” 2007 Trailer

Trick Or Treat: Halloween Comes Early This Year

By Anthony A. Choman

Shock-rocker turned writer/director Rob Zombie has resurrected America’s favorite dysfunctional son, Michael Myers, from the depths of a genre wherein the only true horror has been low box office numbers and agonizingly-bland franchises (Hostel, Saw).

Mr. Zombie was given a full blessing by Michael Myers’ true father, John Carpenter – the creator, writer, and director of the original Halloween (1978), to revisit the first installment of the famed franchise in efforts to modernize it. Diehard fans of this slasher franchise, which made Jamie Lee Curtis a household name, will get to peek behind the “mask” of Myers during his formative years. Despite any and all detractors, namely fans of Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street, Mr. Zombie’s revision delivers on many levels, but mainly on the plot and gore factors.

With the lone exception of the film’s initial 30-45 minutes, wherein we’re taken into the Myer’s house of dysfunctionality, Halloween is not exactly a prequel nor is it an entirely new approach to the franchise. What Rob Zombie has done however is answer a litany of questions that were sheepishly skirted around in the previous installments of the Halloween franchise. Chief among these answered questions are the myriad of factors that sum up the making of a psychopath.

Throughout the film however there are many nods to the original, including countless mirroring shots that mimic scenes from Mr. Carpenter’s version, such as the famed closet scene where Jamie Lee Curtis stuck Myers in the eye with a wire hanger and the high school that the characters attend, complete with the famous walking-home shot(s) in the neighborhood.

Other than solidifying Mr. Zombie’s foothold in the horror genre Halloween has also mercilessly carved out its own place atop the record books by slashing its way to an all-time box office record for the end of summer – making over $31 million over the Labor Day holiday. Previously, the all-time record was held by 1999’s Sixth Sense with $29.3 million.