that's not how they explained it in the movie, but i'll take your word for it

The springs are on the Elevator level. I believe its the 3rd elevator (maybe 4th) where they are just super fast. There is a pattern on the springs, but they go so fast I never could time them right. I would get lucky if I got past them...you have a 1 in 3 chance

According to wikipedia-
Donkey Kong also featured a kill screen in the 22nd stage, the 117th screen. This is an example of a kill screen that is not due to an integer overflow, but rather oversight on the part of the designers. The amount of time allowed for any given screen is determined algorithmically during play, decreasing slowly as the player progresses. By the time the player reaches the 117th screen, there is simply not enough time for the screen to be completed.

You might be confused with Pac-Man, where the boards screw up due to some kind of memory problem.

reason for donkey kong kill screen

isn't this basically a memory limitation?

Looks like it.

i knew i heard something like that from the movie, so it looks like due to a limit on memory available the time runs out fast.. i want to play this game so bad now.

Horribly nerdy response:

Though it might depend on the definition of the term, this (I would imagine) would not be called a memory limitation, and certainly wouldnt be called "running out of memory"


Generally, to say that something ran out of memory means that the program tried to set aside space for a variable and there wasnt any room left.

That didnt happen here (the variable was already created) And, its unlikely that if the programmers forsaw this problem, they would not have been able to allocate a second byte to make the variable's range 256 times bigger. So, basically, it was a programming error not a memory limitation.


EDIT: even more completely useless posting: if you wanted to say that the fact they didnt have a logic check for the overflow was a memory limitation (since these additional instructions would have taken up more, and perhaps too much, memory) I would agree

I saw a movie "High Score" at SXSW the year before KoK. It featured some guy who was trying to set a marathon record on Missle Command (A game which I think Mr. Awesome has a record for, but not this particular record). He was trying to play for ~80 hours. He was having problems where he'd play for 20 some hours (or something ridiculous) and the game would freeze.
They actually tracked down the programmer and figured out why this was happening. I forget exactly what the problem was, but I think it was that some variable tracked the number of cities left, and this guy was saving too many cities along the way and it caused an overflow, or overloaded the space for this variable. I can't imagine playing the same classic arcade game for 80 hours.

It's more like a bug in deciding to only use one byte to store the variable. Obviously they had more physical memory available.

so is there a real ending to the game programmed (at the end of level xx), yet inaccessible, or was it supposed to just go on forever without the kill screen glitch? and am i right in understanding that the levels are just the same 4 screens over and over but with less time and more randomized and faster stuff to dodge? and if that's right, why is the kill screen (first screen of level 22) screen number 117? wouldn't it be screen 85?

I loved this movie. After watching it, I checked out this interview on Twin Galaxies with a third Donkey Kong contender.

Simpsons fans may recognize that he's talking about Frank Grimes. I didn't know that anyone sympathized with Grimey!

Sounds like this guy is trying to pitch himself as a character in a documentary.

Just saw this flick. Awesome.

RE: posting spoilers in a movie thread.

What in the heck is going to be posted if you can't talk about what happens in the movie? There will a couple posts of "I CANT WATE 2 SE THES RILLY AEWSOMA MOVEI
!!!!1!!1! LOL" and then the thread becomes worthless because no can actually talk about the flick. I thought it was common knowledge not to read the flick threads until after you see the movie.

Boris,

Where its a movie that's highly anticipated but only available in a couple cities, like this one, then completely disagree. People will want to talk about when they can see it, read general reviews, etc. Both starting a spoilers thread and putting your spoiler in white are simple things to do that preserve the thread for those that haven't been able to watch it.

I mean, if someone started a thread right after "The Usual Suspects" came out and you posted third with, "Holy [censored], I can't believe Sozay is Spacey!" you'd understand why people would be pissed at you, right?

Its even worse when it comes from someone who has been specifically warned about posting major spoilers before and doesn't typically seem like a mouth-breathing ******.

Again RDH I'm sorry...normally wouldn't do it or discuss it unless it was in white. [censored] happens.

I've been warned about talking about future episodes in the LOST threads and anything that is related to the production of the show without putting it in white. Don't recall ever being warned about posting a major spoiler.

Most of the OOT movie threads are always no spoilers...back when I first used to check out OOT I'm pretty sure it was how you described Boris aka Don't read unless you want to know what happens in the movie.

If you've seen the movie...I don't u think u can compare what I posted to saying Spacey is Keyser or Ed Norton & Brad Pitt are the same person...but they are both still spoilers that should be in white

boris, do you think movie reviews published in papers/internet sites are composed of either l33t jibberish or spoilers?

im not saying posts on 2+2 are the same quality as published articles but it demonstrates there's plenty of fertile ground in between the two styles you suggest.

I have only seen the trailer, but it seems to me this is only a few ad-libbed non-sequitors away from being a Will Ferrell comedy.

Very excited to see this documentary. The trick may be getting my wife to go.

bd - A good movie review is pretty difficult to write. I would say that 99.9% aren't even worth reading. A couple years ago there was an OOT poster who would post these long, well thought out movie reviews and nobody gave a rat's azz.

Just saw it for the 1st time yesterday. Loved it as much as I thought I would. Everyone should see it.

The movie was enjoyable, laugh out loud funny at times.

And this thread is a great companion reader for the movie.

Possible spoiler:

Naturally, I assume the film makers would edit for maximum effect, and that Billy might not be as spiteful (although I have a feeling he is that egotistical). But it is disappointing that they painted Mitchell's attitude to Wiebe as so cold.

To me, the main point of Wiebe's effort is not that he beat the record, but that he was able to win over so many in Billy Mitchell's cult of personality. That he was als able to have a civil relationship with Billy would only emphasize that.

But if you are trying to demonize Billy, that doesn't help. So they cut it out.

A shame. It would have still been a good movie, and Billy still would have come across as clueless and egotistical.

Also, very cool that so many posts in the thread used white text to hide spoilers, but it became annoying to read after a while.

So I came up with a bookmarklet to turn white text into black text.

Then I just used "show all" executed the bookmarklet, and could read without highlighting all the white text.

A high school buddy of mine, Ben Falls, hit the Donkey Kong kill screen tonight at Barcade in Brooklyn. His score was only 858,400 though. He is a real contender for the world record in my opinion. A true master.

Bumping this because I just saw this movie finally and it was ****ing awesome.

Anyone know if "Bang the Machine" was ever released? It is the documentary on SF2 players.