The Video Game Masters Tournament was an event that was created in 1983 by Twin Galaxies to generate world record high scores for the 1984 U.S. Edition of the Guinness Book of World Records .[ 1] It was the most prestigious contest of that era and the only one that the Guinness book looked to for verified world records on video games at the time.[citation needed ] This contest was conducted under the joint efforts of Twin Galaxies and the U.S. National Video Game Team in 1983, 1984 and 1985 and by the U.S. National Video Game Team alone in 1986 and 1987.[ 2]
During its first year, 1983, the event was called the North America Video Game Challenge (State Teams Tournament), but was changed to the Video Game Masters Tournament by the second year.[ 3]
In order to administer the contest, Twin Galaxies appointed the U.S. National Video Game Team to the task of collecting and verifying scores from the eight cities that participated in the 1983 edition of this event. The cities were Seattle, Washington; Lake Odessa, Michigan; Coeur D'Alene, Idaho; Omaha, Nebraska; Dayton, Ohio; San Jose, California; Upland, California and Chicago, Illinois.[ 4]
The 1984 event was also conducted in eight cities while the 1985 event was conducted in 35 cities.[ 5] [ 6]
1983 Event - August 24–28, 1983
Event Date
Location
Arcade
Winner
8/24/1983 - 8/28/1983
Seattle, WA
Arnold's on the Ave.
TBD
8/24/1983 - 8/28/1983
Coeur D'Alene, ID
Mr. Deli
TBD
8/24/1983 - 8/28/1983
Omaha, NE
Space City
TBD
8/24/1983 - 8/28/1983
Villa Park, IL
Video Wizard
TBD
8/24/1983 - 8/28/1983
Lake Odessa, MI
Lake Odessa Fun Center
TBD
8/24/1983 - 8/28/1983
Dayton, OH
Video City
TBD
8/24/1983 - 8/28/1983
San Jose, CA
Video Paradise
TBD
8/24/1983 - 8/28/1983
Upland, CA
Starship Video
TBD
1984 Event - June 29 - July 1, 1984
Event Date
Location
Arcade
World Records
6/29/1984 - 7/1/1984
Seattle, WA
Arnold's on the Ave.
TBD
6/29/1984 - 7/1/1984
Wilmington, NC
World Class Amusements
TBD
6/29/1984 - 7/1/1984
New York, NY
Broadway Arcade
TBD
6/29/1984 - 7/1/1984
Victoria, BC, Canada
Johnny Zee's
TBD
6/29/1984 - 7/1/1984
Miami, FL
Cloverleaf Golf N Games
TBD
6/29/1984 - 7/1/1984
Anchorage, AK
Space Station Arcade
TBD
6/29/1984 - 7/1/1984
San Jose, CA
Space Shuttle Arcade
TBD
6/29/1984 - 7/1/1984
Oklahoma City, OK
Starbucks Family Fun
TBD
1985 Event - June 28–30, 1985
The 1985 Video Game Masters Tournament was conducted as a fundraiser to raise donations for CARE. The fundraiser set aside half of all entry fees for the CARE/Twin Galaxies African Relief Fund.[ 6] [ 7] [ 8]
Event Date
Location
Arcade
World Records
6/28/1985 - 6/30/1985
Seattle, WA
Arnold's on the Ave.
TBD
6/28/1985 - 6/30/1985
Kansas City, MO
Fun Factory
TBD
6/28/1985 - 6/30/1985
Hilo, Hawaii
Fun Factory
TBD
6/28/1985 - 6/30/1985
Frederick, MD
Fun Factory
TBD
6/28/1985 - 6/30/1985
Honolulu, Hawaii
TBD
6/28/1985 - 6/30/1985
North Bergen, NJ
Big Mouth Pizza
TBD
6/28/1985 - 6/30/1985
Victoria, BC, Canada
Johnny Zee's Arcade
TBD
6/28/1985 - 6/30/1985
Dawson's Creek, BC, Canada
Celebrity Fun Ctr. II
TBD
6/28/1985 - 6/30/1985
San Jose, CA
Space Shuttle Arcade
TBD
6/28/1985 - 6/30/1985
Anchorage, AK
Space Station Arcade
TBD
6/28/1985 - 6/30/1985
Citrus Heights, CA
The Game Room Arcade
TBD
6/28/1985 - 6/30/1985
College Station, TX
Games Galore
TBD
6/28/1985 - 6/30/1985
Riverside, CA
Castle Park Arcade
TBD
6/28/1985 - 6/30/1985
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Amusecorp
TBD
6/28/1985 - 6/30/1985
Montclair, CA
Huish Family Fun Ctr.
TBD
6/28/1985 - 6/30/1985
Valdosta, GA
TBD
TBD
1986 Event - June 27–29, 1986
Event Date
Location
Arcade
World Records
6/27/1986 - 6/29/1986
Virginia Beach, VA
Aladdin's Castle #251
TBD
6/27/1986 - 6/29/1986
Maryland Heights, MO
Aladdin's Castle #462
TBD
6/27/1986 - 6/29/1986
Culver, CA
Aladdin's Castle #91
TBD
6/27/1986 - 6/29/1986
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Galaxy Arcade
TBD
6/27/1986 - 6/29/1986
Citrus Heights, CA
The Game Room
TBD
6/27/1986 - 6/29/1986
Bronx, NY
Playland Arcade
TBD
6/27/1986 - 6/29/1986
San Jose, CA
Space Shuttle Arcade
TBD
6/27/1986 - 6/29/1986
Houston, TX
Aladdin's Castle #120
TBD
6/27/1986 - 6/29/1986
Brea, CA
Flipper Flapper
TBD
6/27/1986 - 6/29/1986
Dublin, GA
Aladdin's Castle
TBD
1987 Event - July 3–5, 1987
Event Date
Location
Arcade
World Records
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
No. Miami Beach, FL
Aladdin's Castle #378
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Annapolis, MD
Aladdin's Castle
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Culver, CA
Aladdin's Castle #91
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Wintersville, OH
Aladdin's Castle
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Bronx, NY
Playland Arcade
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Independence, MO
Aladdin's Castle
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
San Jose, CA
Aladdin's Castle #188
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Middlesboro, KY
Aladdin's Castle
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Lakewood, CA
Aladdin's Castle #283
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Mesa, AZ
Aladdin's Castle
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Etiwanda, CA
Aladdin's Castle
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Beverly Hills, CA
Aladdin's Castle
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Waunakee, WI
Aladdin's Castle
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Fredericksburg, VA
Aladdin's Castle
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Boulder, CO
Aladdin's Castle
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Hollis, NY
Aladdin's Castle
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Meridian, MS
Aladdin's Castle
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Madison, WI
Aladdin's Castle
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Monrovia, CA
Aladdin's Castle
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Marshalltown, IA
Aladdin's Castle
TBD
7/3/1987 - 7/5/1987
Miami Beach, FL
Cloverleaf Golf N Games
TBD
References
↑ " '86 Video Game Masters Tourney Set for June 27–29" (PDF) . Cash Box . 50 (2): 34. June 28, 1986. Retrieved August 20, 2017 .
↑ They're Masters of Video Games - Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA - August 24, 1983 Archived December 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
↑ State Teams Tournament - Poster, August 24-28, 1983 Archived January 2, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
↑ U.S.Video Team Forming; Plans Call for Match with Japan - RePlay Magazine, October, 1983 [dead link ]
↑ 1985 Video Game Masters Tournament - Computer entertainment Magazine, July, 1985
↑ 6.0 6.1 1985 Video Game Masters Tournament - Poster, June, 1985
↑ "Industry Sponsors Ethiopian Fund " Play Meter Magazine , New Orleans, LA. May 1, 1985.
↑ Twin Galaxies Sets 3rd Video masters Tournament - RePlay Magazine, Los Angeles, CA - April 1, 1985
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