Directed by Tom Garland, Jordan Dorrington is one of the best arcade video game players in the world. He holds multiple world records in the classic arcade game, Galaga (1981). Now eager to conquer Donkey Kong (1981), the film follows as he pursues his obscure obsession. Also starring: Mat McGill and Noah Banwarth.
While Arcade Gamer: The True Story does fit the bill as a documentary, there’s something much more casual and conversational about it. Jordan Dorrington and Mat McGill make it feel more as if they’re taking you along for the ride, with Tom Garland’s directorial style being as if there’s just chatting to another friend. It’s nicely simple in that fashion, it dedicates itself to their passions and lets them explore it, rather than attempting to push a structure or ask too many questions.
Those choices come with advantages and disadvantages, it makes for a great atmosphere, it’s cheery and extremely friendly which is charming. However, it can feel like we’re not getting enough detail, missing a bigger backstory to their journeys or bigger insight into their success with the game. Whether that be showing more actual gameplay or delving deeper into the skills and endurance it takes to rack up world record breaking scores.
That said, one of the great choices was to discuss the technical side behind keeping these games alive after so many years. How people like McGill are rescuing discarded games, that just need a little bit of love to be brought back to life. It’s also nice to see things from the family perspective, it certainly takes an understanding person to live with a partner whose interests take up half of your kitchen.
Another big part of Arcade Gamer: The True Story is its sense of humour. That’s perhaps one of the unexpected elements, people might imagine gamers like Jordan Dorrington to be intense and singular minded but it’s simply rooted in a passion and affection for the games. It keeps that outgoing, casual atmosphere going because it does all come from a place of appreciation rather than crazed obsession. Although that’s not to say of course that they don’t go to fairly extreme lengths, playing for hours without a break and travelling miles and miles to visit tournaments and arcades.
Arcade Gamer: The True Story is a charmingly friendly, free-flowing documentary. It has a conversational style, it’s welcoming and natural, inviting you into their pixel driven world. It could use a bit more story to it, to have a slightly firmer hand guiding the way through past to present. As well as perhaps spending additional time showing the record breaking gameplay of Dorrington. Nevertheless, it’s enjoyable viewing whether you’re a gamer or not.
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