4. Meet The Players: Billy

In the long-haired red corner, Billy Mitchell.

A true legend in the classic video game world, he's best known for chalking up a series of record high scores in the Golden Age Of Arcade Games, dated roughly around 1979-1983, as the machines moved from traditional spots like bowling alleys into their own facilities.

Billy began playing games at the age of 16, following a successful run as a pinball wizard. At first, he wasn't interested in the flashy new cabinets, but realised everyone was paying attention to them, and wanted in - particularly on Donkey Kong.

Discovering a passion, he became a fervent player and was soon notching up scores, becoming selected in 1983 as one of that year's Video Game Players Of The Year by games monitoring board Twin Galaxies.

"I had heard of Billy," recalls Gordon.  "When I started researching the film, Billy Mitchell came up everywhere. He was the Gamer of the Century.

"He posted the perfect Pac-Man score. He held all the records since day one basically. He vanquished Steve Sanders when Sanders lied about his Donkey Kong score and by doing so, sort of created a reason to found Twin Galaxies, which is essential to the self-government of the players.

"We went to him to talk to him and he was fascinating and genius, which I think comes across. He was just extraordinary. One of the most remarkable things was his passion about Donkey Kong.

"It was clearly his favorite record, partly because that's what earned him permanent fame in that world."
 
Best known for his patriotic ties and long mullet hairstyle, not to mention his flamboyant style, he splits his time between running a sauce business (Rickey's World Famous Sauces, which earned him the title The Sauce King Of Florida) and constantly defending his world records.

Next: Meet Steve