# **Overcoming the Kill Screen: How a Speedrunner Triumphed Over Donkey Kong’s Notorious Glitch**
For more than forty years, *Donkey Kong* enthusiasts have grappled with a significant hurdle: the notorious “kill screen” at level 22-1. A programming anomaly ensures that Mario is destined to perish mere seconds after the level begins, rendering further progress effectively unattainable. Nevertheless, a recent advancement by speedrunner Kosmic has demonstrated that, with an appropriate mix of glitches, emulator resources, and a dash of fortune, the kill screen can be surpassed.
## **What Is the Donkey Kong Kill Screen?**
If you’ve watched the 2007 film *King of Kong* or followed the debates surrounding score-chaser Billy Mitchell, you might already know about *Donkey Kong*’s kill screen. This event arises from a restriction in the game’s 8-bit register, which calculates the Bonus Timer. At level 22, the register encounters an overflow, shortening the timer to a mere four seconds—far too little for Mario to navigate the stage before dying instantly.
For years, this glitch was deemed an inevitable conclusion to any *Donkey Kong* attempt. However, Kosmic’s recent findings have revealed that, under specific circumstances, it’s possible to circumvent this restriction and continue playing.
## **The Broken Ladder Glitch: A New Avenue Ahead**
Kosmic’s discovery depends on a familiar *Donkey Kong* exploit known as the “broken ladder glitch.” Ordinarily, when Mario reaches the top of a broken ladder, he stops his ascent. However, by pressing down for precisely four frames and then up on the fifth frame, Mario can keep climbing indefinitely.
By executing this maneuver flawlessly multiple times in succession, Mario can ascend to the top of the screen before the kill screen timer expires. This permits the game to acknowledge the level as finished, allowing the player to move on to the next round.
Although this technique could theoretically be performed on real hardware, it necessitates frame-perfect inputs that are nearly impossible for a human to execute consistently. Kosmic employed an emulator to progress the game one frame at a time, guaranteeing flawless execution of the glitch.
## **Serendipity Involved: The Barrel Delay Factor**
Even with the broken ladder glitch, a challenge remained: the kill screen timer was too brief. However, Kosmic enjoyed an unexpected twist of fate.
In *Donkey Kong*, Donkey Kong hurls barrels at predictable intervals, and the Bonus Timer decreases only when a barrel is launched. Yet, there exists a 1-in-32 chance that Donkey Kong will postpone his next barrel throw by half a second. This infrequent delay afforded Kosmic just enough additional time to finish the level.
In theory, should Donkey Kong stall his barrel throws 19 times consecutively, Mario could navigate the kill screen typically without utilizing the ladder glitch. However, the likelihood of this occurring naturally is astronomically slim—around 1 in 40 octillion.
## **Past the Kill Screen: Attaining Level 22-6**
Using the ladder glitch and a bit of fortune, Kosmic managed to advance the game beyond the kill screen and through several more levels, including previously unseen spring and pie factory screens. He ultimately attained level 22-6, where the Bonus Timer issue once again rendered advancement impossible.
Kosmic now regards level 22-6 as *Donkey Kong*’s “true” kill screen, as no known strategy—glitched or otherwise—permits Mario to remove all eight rivets in time to survive. However, since players once thought level 22-1 was insurmountable, it stands to reason that future breakthroughs could enable further progress in the game.
## **Conclusion: A Groundbreaking Moment in Donkey Kong History**
Kosmic’s accomplishment is a historic milestone in *Donkey Kong* history. While his technique relies on emulator tools and precise inputs, it establishes that the kill screen is not an impenetrable barrier. With sufficient time and dedication, players may eventually uncover a method to surpass even the newly recognized kill screen at level 22-6.
For the moment, this revelation serves as a tribute to the commitment and creativity of the gaming community, illustrating that even decades-old games can continue to unveil new surprises.
