Who is Todd Rogers - My Take

[ROBERT]

Hello fellow gamers:

 

My apologies to my good friend Todd for not chiming in now, but things have been ultra busy at my job.

 

I am the chief referee for the Twin Galaxies Intergalactic Scoreboard, and it has been brought to my attention that a thread on the Atari Age site had questioned who Todd was, and apparently generated quite a few responses as to that and his many accomplishments on our scoreboard.

 

Well, time still does not permit me to search for this thread, so I'll start a new one, and hopefully won't sound too preachy in the process.

 

I've known OF Todd Rogers only since Walter first announced on the TG site that a classic era gamer has resurfaced and claimed literally hundreds of top-notch high scores, largely home console, but a few arcade as well.

 

Since at the time I was a player only, and not yet a referee, I was mostly interested in two of his scores, and voiced my opinions to senior TG referee and worldwide Atari editor, Ron Corcoran, with whom I had dealt with extensively for the preceeding year or so on the Atari 2600 front.

 

One thing lead to another, and Todd initiated contact with me and we became good friends since. I have witnessed a few of his gaming feats to date, but Ron has had the genuine pleasure of seeing first-hand some of the eye-popping achievements that Todd had performed from years back, as well as in the here and present.

 

Todd's scores range from the short-duration records all the way up to the double-digit hour marathon sessions, and I do believe that unofficially, Todd holds the record for the most DIFFERENT marathoned world record titles in TG history, and by that I don't mean playing 20 different marathons on the same game...I mean he's marathoned 20+ games, and probably more like 40-50 by now, if not more.

 

He possesses a skillset that only the finest of players does...an intuitive insight into the behaviour of the game AI, and an astute pattern-evaluation ability that most gamers can only dream of. Combine that with the perseverance that is evident in his many, many marathon attempts, as well as the thousands of hours devoted to the hundreds if not thousands of titles that he has tried over the years, and you inevitably have a player who will, by dedication and determination, set dozens upon dozens of stellar world record scores, and in Todd's case, hundreds.

 

Now, onto some specific scores that will give you a very broad picture of what Todd has accomplished.

 

SPEED

 

Todd has mastered some of the fastest 2600 titles out there, including these few gems...

 

-> 1M+ on Dragonfire

-> 1M on Fast Food and Kaboom B

-> Over 100K on Kaboom A

-> 1M+ on Cosmic Ark

-> 1M+ (I believe) on Turmoil

 

Great gamers excel at both strategy as well as adjusting for speed, and with that, here are a few of his most impressive strategy scores...

 

-> Over 800K on "Gopher", an extremely hard title

-> Maxing out just about all the Activision titles including "Oink!!", "Dolphin" and more

-> 1M+ on Dark Caverns

 

And to top it all off, what great gamer doesn't burn the midnight oil on at least a few occassions...

 

-> 40+ hours on Enduro

-> 70+ hours on Journey Escape

-> 30+ hours on Donkey Kong (2600)

 

And last but not least, I'll bet many of you did not know that recently, he achieved over a half million on "River Raid" on just a single life !! Consider how many people have achieved a half million to date on any number of ships, let alone one. Not too many, I have to say.

 

Todd is a dedicated gamer who is also, I am proud to say, a valuable TG asset, both as an informational resource, as a participating gamer and referee, and as a competitor, and on top of it all, he's a personal friend of mine these past two years. He's the real deal as far as gaming is concerned, and if you ever have the opportunity to visit either the Mall of America, CGE or Funspot in 2003, you might even see Todd at one of these events doing his thing in person !!

 

Just my two cents.

 

Robert T Mruczek

Twin Galaxies - Editor and Chief referee

Star Wars classic arcade champion

rmruczek@doremus.com (work E-MAIL)

 

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[joy panzoukis]

Hello Robert , I didnt realize that Todd Rogers knew so many players or for that fact that so many players known him . The way it sounded to me was that other players from prevoius threads were'nt quite sure who he really was and infact thought he was a made up player to some and yet an Icon to others. I stand corrected by both you and Ron on who these REAL PLAYERS are thanks.

 

 

Joy

[Cupcakus]

I posted the other thread... and as a huge sceptic in almost everything, I had a hard time believing someone was THAT good. However it's hard to dispute the evidence.

 

One problem I still have though is the few "impossible" scores we have found from him that I feel shake the reliability of TG's database. TG has been prompt at fixing these scores once found, but that is what inspired me to post the thread originally.

 

BTW... did we ever explain his impossible Barnstorming time? Or did we just leave it at "It must have been a PAL cart?"

 

I have no doubt Todd can't out barnstorm anyone alive, but I wonder if it was just recorded wrong in the DB.

[DeV0]

I just gotta ask,

 

Does todd just play games? I mean his his life / hobby / job, just playing games?

 

I'd love to tell my parents "In your face!" They are so anti games and me playing them.

 

Anyways, todd seems to be a pretty amazing kinda person who i'd love to meet or at least see play. Are there any downloadable Todd recordings?

 

Cheers

[Happy_Dude]

Yeah! I'd also love to see the champ in action.

I have his scores for all the games I own taped

to my Atari. If I can get half of any score I'll be

quite happy.

[RCorcoran]

BTW... did we ever explain his impossible Barnstorming time?  Or did we just leave it at "It must have been a PAL cart?"

 

I have no doubt Todd can't out barnstorm anyone alive, but I wonder if it was just recorded wrong in the DB.

 

Actually, after investigating the score more closely, it was discovered Todd accomplished his score using a promo cart the folks from Activision brought to the Chicago CES in 1982. It was for that reason I removed the score from the dBase and posted a more current, legit score using a commercial cart.

[RCorcoran]

I just gotta ask,

 

Does todd just play games? I mean his his life / hobby / job, just playing games?

 

I'd love to tell my parents "In your face!" They are so anti games and me playing them.

 

Anyways, todd seems to be a pretty amazing kinda person who i'd love to meet or at least see  play. Are there any downloadable Todd recordings?

 

Cheers

 

Todd actually does many different things. He called me two nights ago from Austin, TX (casting call) to tell me he may end up moving to TX from FLA very soon. Great news for me since I'm only a few hours away in Phoenix, AZ. To answer your question, yes, he spends LOTS of time playing games when not at work, etc.

[RCorcoran]

Yeah! I'd also love to see the champ in action.  

I have his scores for all the games I own taped  

to my Atari. If I can get half of any score I'll be  

quite happy.

 

If you can find a way to come to CGE or Fun Spot, you will be able to not only witness his gameplay but you can also play side-by-side with him. One of the great things about Todd is, while playing side-by-side, he'll share techniques and tips with you. I was able to improve my Dragster time from 6.5x secs to 5.81 secs in a matter of hours using his tips and techniques.

[Snider-man]

I met Todd in passing at CGE 2002. Nice approachable guy. I do not doubt that he's earned each and every score you see.

[Cupcakus]

BTW... did we ever explain his impossible Barnstorming time?  Or did we just leave it at "It must have been a PAL cart?"

 

I have no doubt Todd can't out barnstorm anyone alive, but I wonder if it was just recorded wrong in the DB.

 

Actually, after investigating the score more closely, it was discovered Todd accomplished his score using a promo cart the folks from Activision brought to the Chicago CES in 1982. It was for that reason I removed the score from the dBase and posted a more current, legit score using a commercial cart.

 

Great, it's good to know we might be able to tie him at some things :-)

[slapdash]

I didnt realize that Todd Rogers knew so many players or for that fact that so many players known him.

 

To anyone who grew up during the classic era and read the newsletters and magazines closely saw his name all over the place... I don't know him beyond that, but certainly remember him.

[DeV0]

Its just really pleasing for me to know that there are other people out there who play games a lot, I sometimes worry about the ammount of games i play,,,, Like before work, like when i get home before ive even taken the suit off.

 

I sometimes feel stupid in a suit playing games???

 

Anyway, love to make it to the states in the near future.

[ROBERT]

Hello fellow gamers:

 

Todd does what many gamers, if time permitted, would like to do...he plays his heart out at whatever titles capture his interest, and I don't just mean an hour here or an hour there, as evidenced by some of his marathons.

 

Twin Galaxies regards Todd as an "Ambassador of Good Will" in the world of competetive gaming, due to his experience, longevity, prominence and sportsmanship in the hobby.

 

Outside of the gaming world, Todd has various personal interests and talents. He's a great conversationalist for those who have had the pleasure, and when it comes to talking about gaming, he's in his element for sure.

 

Now...the big questions...(A) what does it take to "be like Todd", and (B) who is the "next Todd" ?

 

That's not too tough to answer. As far as (A) goes, dedication and perseverance is the key, moreso than anything else. Any gamer, no matter what level of expertise, inevitably gets better via experience. Never giving up is another trait, as evidenced by the great gamers when they are perhaps on their last ship with x-points to go for a personal best...and they hold steady.

 

Hand in hand with my answer to (A) comes the next part...(B). Not to slight any gamers, I won't mention names, but in the world of modern console gaming, I have seen quite a few players determined to achieve a better score, learning from their mistakes and making adjustments to their skills on the title, and quite simply, it all pays off.

 

To be a great gamer like Todd, or Billy Mitchell, or the many, MANY other classic-era gamers out there (I won't make 'em embarrassed by naming them..and the list would be long indeed), you don't have to have several hundred top records out there, and you don't have to be THE best at every title you play. Making a presence in the world of gaming does take time, I admit, but noticing a presence happens on it's own accord, by word of mouth, reports of achievements on forum threads, and maybe even participating in and doing all right in a competition or two.

 

And most importantly, a great gamer must also be a great person. I have to admit that when I used to meet some of the truly stuck up "I'm better than you" gamers in the mid 1980's, that was a major turn off, so I guess a great gamer has to recognize and appreciate that, and not carry an attitude about it. Poise is also a trait among the best gamers.

 

Well, I digress...as usual !!

 

Robert T Mruczek

Twin Galaxies - Editor and Chief referee

Star Wars classic arcade champion

rmruczek@doremus.com

 

******************************

[joy panzoukis]

Very interesting on all these players commenting on Todd . But there is one question that comes to mind when it reguards Todd. What are the other players opinions when he enters a contest , Do they just give up because he enters a contest or actually feel like its more competition when he does enter a contest. Does T.G. pay him to be a ref. at these competitions that he observes or is it T.G.'s way of keeping the other players in line so they feel like they are having a level game field of game play? Todd may be a great player so to speak but again i would be intimidated if i was to play against him at a contest talk about pressure only to be in second place.

 

 

Joy

[ToddRogers]

Hello Fellow Gamers

 

To the post of me always getting first place in contests.. Thats not always true ....Even though most of the contests that i do enter usually end up in first place does'nt always mean i get it ..Like for instance im in second place to Ron Corcoran's MsPacman scores on ALL platforms and i would amount to even a blink against Robert Mruczeks marathonable StarWars games.. Yes i do have my plate full as i compete against anybody on any and all platforms and as well as the arcade level of game play... I compete against people like Ron Corcoran , David Yancey ,and the Morrow Brothers on most classic consoles . I compete against people like Robert Mruczek, Billy Mitchell , Darren Harris and others on the Arcade level and i compete against the newer generation of gamers on modern consoles PS2, GameCube , X-Box such as the play offs at the MALL of America "Sky Gunner " contest 2002 in Minnesota in which the first place was a score of 400k while i was a T.G. ref knowing i had over 600k but yet couldnt enter. It has been fun over the years seeing the variety of players and competing with and against them sharing tips and tricks on how to achieve better levels of game play. It wouldnt be the same if we had only ourselves to compete against that would be indeed boring....

 

Todd Mr.Activision Rogers

[RCorcoran]

Very interesting on all these players commenting on Todd .   But there is one question that comes to mind when it reguards Todd.    What are the other players opinions when he enters a contest ,   Do they just give up because he enters a contest or actually feel like its more competition when he does enter a contest.  Does T.G. pay him to be a ref. at these competitions that he observes or is it T.G.'s way of keeping the other players in line so they feel like they are having a level game field of game play?  Todd may be a great player so to speak but again i would be intimidated if i was to play against him at a contest talk about pressure only to be in second place.

 

 

Joy

 

I for one do not just give up. If you look at the results from the Atari 7800 World Championship last year, Todd came in 2nd place... Yes, that 1st Place cert looks great on my gameroom wall...

[joy panzoukis]

So i take it as a Great feather in the cap when anyone beats Todd Rogers. Hats off to you Ron how many other certifications do you have and do any of the other players you mentioned earlier have certifications like Robert , David , or Alan???? I see their names mentioned quit a bit too. Do you ever have teams of players in competition against each other like perhaps Ron/Todd vs Robert/David or Alan/Mike vs Wolffe/Snider man or even East Coast vs West Coast just an idea .

 

 

Joy

[RCorcoran]

So i take it as a Great feather in the cap when anyone beats Todd Rogers.  Hats off to you Ron  how many other certifications do you have and do any of the other players you mentioned earlier have certifications like Robert , David , or Alan????  I see their names mentioned quit a bit too.  Do you ever have teams of players in competition against each other like perhaps Ron/Todd  vs Robert/David  or  Alan/Mike  vs Wolffe/Snider man  or even East Coast  vs West Coast just an idea .  

 

 

Joy

 

Other certs I have (that I can think of anyways):

 

3rd Place - MAME Robotron Championship (2002)

2nd Place - Atari 2600 Racing Days Dragster Competition (2002)

1st Place - Atari 7800 World Championship (2001)

3rd Place - Space Duel World Championship (Brien King partner)(2001)

Lifetime Videogame Achievement Award (2000)

1st Place - Atari 2600 World Championship (2000)

1st Place - Atari/Coleco World Championship (2000)

1st Place - Atari World Championship (1999)

Activision World Class Dragster Club (5.81) (1982)

 

 

To this point, we have not formed teams to compete against other teams. We do have private challenges against each other in addition to open tournaments. In fact, Todd and I have been going back and forth on Ms. Pacman (all platforms) for a couple of years now. I have finally beaten him on all platforms (as he mentioned above).

 

Back in the mid 80's, Twin Galaxies had a competition that was "East-vs-West", or more accurately, "California vs. North Carolina" on coin-op games. Perhaps we should put together an "East vs. West" competition for the VCS... ? Although, we would need to consider non-North America gamers too.

[D.Yancey]

Don't forget Jonathan Ewing. I've never spoken to him, but I've noticed that he's racked up some killer Activision scores!!! The same goes for Doug Korekach! Both are from the East. If you have an East vs. West... the East is shaping up pretty well!!

[RCorcoran]

Don't forget Jonathan Ewing.  I've never spoken to him, but I've noticed that he's racked up some killer Activision scores!!!   The same goes for Doug Korekach!  Both are from the East.  If you have an East vs. West... the East is shaping up pretty well!!    

 

Yes, until Todd moves to Austin, TX. Then he'll be a west coaster with me. That is until my daughter graduates from HS next year and I move back east.

[Albert]

Yes, until Todd moves to Austin, TX.  Then he'll be a west coaster with me.  That is until my daughter graduates from HS next year and I move back east.  

 

Todd's moving to Austin??

 

..Al

[ToddRogers]

Hello all

Whats this I hear about East vs West or for that matter paring up players to compete against each other....Maybe a good idea but gathering the players from there real jobs might be a problem with the lack of funding "any fund sponcers out there?????" But i would be more then happy to compete against anyone anytime anywhere and with a partner "cool".... Does anyone have any more ideas on these contest I would love to hear them ...

Todd Mr Activision Rogers

[the 5th ghost]

Hey folks!

 

First off, MY take on Todd Rogers: simply a great person, super talented gamer but most importantly a great friend, period.

 

Still looking forward to meeting him in person!

 

This talk of an East/West tournament sounds like fun too. I'd be very interested in attending but mainly to meet all of you other gamers in person (Ron Corcoran, David Yancy, Robert Mruczek, etc)

 

How's your Kaboom! game coming along David??

 

Doug

[D.Yancey]

This talk of an East/West tournament sounds like fun too. I'd be very interested in attending but mainly to meet all of you other gamers in person (Ron Corcoran, David Yancey, Robert Mruczek, etc)

 

How's your Kaboom! game coming along David??

 

Yeah, I'd love to meet everyone also. As for Kaboom!, your hints have seemed to help. I've gotten sidetracked on a few other games lately. I set a few other records too. I'll get back to Kaboom! soon. It is very addictive, but one of the most difficult games I've ever played. Thanks for asking.