ON Feb. 26, 2010, a snowstorm canceled Dr. Hank Chien’s surgery schedule, allowing him to sleep in, and the world of competitive Donkey Kong would never be the same.

That night, a well-rested Dr. Chien, 37, fired up the 30-year-old Donkey Kong arcade game that stands next to the television in his small apartment in Midtown Manhattan. He finished just after midnight with a score of 1,061,700.

“New world record,” Dr. Chien, a plastic surgeon, yelled while clapping for himself.

All this was captured by a video camera recording the game for proof of the record, which eclipsed the legendary Billy Mitchell’s longstanding high score, 1,050,200. But Mr. Mitchell struck back, and on July 31 he wrested the title back with 1,062,800. A month later, another Donkey Kong titan, Steve Wiebe, set a record with 1,064,500. In February, Dr. Chien set the current record, 1,090,400, at the Funspot arcade in New Hampshire, lifting him into the Guinness World Records 2012 Gamer’s Edition.

“It is a good feeling to know you’re the best in the world at something,” he said, “but one thing about Donkey Kong, you know there are people out there trying every day to break your record.”