10 Arcade Game High Scores That Will Never Be Beaten

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I remember the old arcade days – pumping quarters into machines, trying to get the highest score possible with just three lives! It was all about competition, and some players were just unbelievably good. They’d set scores that seemed untouchable, and honestly, most of them still are. Sometimes a record would fall, but usually after years, or even decades. I’ve put together a list of ten scores that I think will never be beaten – either they’re insanely high, or they represent a perfect game, meaning there’s literally no way to improve on them. Unless someone cheats or messes with the game’s code, these records are safe for good!

1) Billy Mitchell’s 1999 Perfect Game of Pac-Man

Billy Mitchell is famous for his high scores in classic arcade games, starting with Donkey Kong and then Pac-Man. In July 1999, he became the first person to achieve a perfect score in Pac-Man, a feat that remains unmatched. He earned a Guinness World Record by reaching 3,333,360 points without losing a life, triggering the game’s ‘Kill Screen’ – a glitch that ends the game. While his record faced some challenges and was briefly removed, it was later reinstated.

2) John McAllister’s 2010 High Score in Asteroids

Arcade game records often stand for years, and in April 2010, John McAllister impressively broke a 28-year-old record in Asteroids. He scored an incredible 41,338,740 points in one game, verified by Twin Galaxies after a 58-hour playing session. He also managed to earn 99 extra lives, giving him short breaks during his marathon. Because the previous record of 41,336,440, set in 1982, lasted almost three decades, McAllister’s score is expected to remain unbroken for a very long time, possibly forever.

3) Robbie Lakeman’s High Score in Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong is a landmark video game that fueled intense competition, particularly in the 1980s. Players like Billy Mitchell would spend hours trying to achieve the highest possible score. In June 2020, Robbie Lakeman broke the record, scoring an impressive 1,272,800 points over four hours, earning him a Guinness World Record. With very little room for improvement—the second-highest score is just 100 points lower—Lakeman’s record appears likely to stand for a long time.

4) Jay Kletecka’s High Score in Pop-a-Shot

While many arcade games are video games, some aren’t. A great example is Pop-a-Shot, a hugely popular game found in arcades worldwide. You’ll often find it next to Skee-Ball machines, and it’s been a favorite for many years. Players try to score as many points as possible within a time limit, and Jay Kletecka set a Guinness World Record in July 2004 playing a standard machine. He made an incredible 139 miniature basketball shots in just one minute – a record that still stands! Trying to beat that – making 140 baskets in 60 seconds – is a daunting thought, and most people quickly realize it’s an almost impossible feat.

5) Steven Kleisath & Stephen Boyer’s High Score in Super Mario Bros.

Most people know Super Mario Bros. as a classic Nintendo Entertainment System game, but Nintendo also created an arcade version for its Vs. System. This arcade version was very similar to the home console game, but adapted for the arcade’s controls. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Steven Kleisath and Stephen Boyer teamed up online to play the hardest difficulty setting (without using POW blocks). They achieved an incredible high score of 1,280,550, which is likely to stand as the record for a very long time.

6) Donald Hayes’ 2017 High Score in Dig Dug

The classic arcade game Dig Dug has been a favorite among players since the 1980s, known for its increasing difficulty. In 2013, Ken House set a high score of 4,446,760, but Donald Hayes shattered that record in April 2017, earning a Guinness World Record with 5,147,610 points – over 700,000 points higher! Twin Galaxies verified his score after a grueling 13.5-hour gameplay session where he successfully navigated the game’s notoriously difficult ‘Kill Screen’ using the original arcade software.

7) Danielle Robbins’ 2020 High Score in Flicky

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people turned to video games, and world records started falling. Danielle Robbins was one of those players, and she dramatically improved her own high score in the arcade game Flicky, increasing it by over a million points. In May 2020, she spent five hours livestreaming her attempt, ultimately reaching a remarkable 24,119,640 points across 701 levels – a feat very few players could accomplish. Because Flicky isn’t a widely played game, Robbins’ record is likely to stand until she manages to beat it herself.

8) Jordan Dorrington’s 2020 High Score in Galaga

I’ve always loved how competitive Galaga is – it gets seriously hard, and you really have to think about whether to risk getting captured. Back in February 2020, this guy Jordan Dorrington, who actually has a full-size Galaga machine in his kitchen, played for an incredible 14 hours straight and smashed the world record with a score of 20,980,450! A TV crew was even there filming it for a Netflix documentary. Then, another player, Armando Gonzalez, says he got a massive 25,000,350 points in marathon mode, but nobody’s officially confirmed it yet.

9) Ryota Wada’s Perfect Game of Dance Dance Revolution

Ryota Wada set a Guinness World Record at just nine years old – a record that’s likely to stand forever. In August 2010, he earned a perfect AAA score on the expert level of the game Dance Dance Revolution, mastering the song Hyper Eurobeat. He started playing at age five, and after some practice (and a special non-slip mat), achieved this incredible feat. While others have achieved perfect scores in Dance Dance Revolution, no one has done it at such a young age – Wada was only nine years and 287 days old when he accomplished it.

10) Richie Knucklez’s High Score in Space Invaders

Like many classic games, people competed for high scores in Space Invaders over the years. Donald Hayes set a record of 55,160 in 2003, but it was broken in October 2011 by Richie Knucklez. Knucklez didn’t just beat the record – he more than doubled it, achieving a score of 110,510. His score was officially verified by Twin Galaxies, and it appears his Space Invaders record will be difficult to surpass.

Ever get a really great score on an arcade game? Share it in the comments below and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-05-05 15:11