Film Review: Arcades and Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day

“I’ve known Walter since 2005 and he’s always been someone who yearns for the spotlight and then turns it onto someone else somehow.”

-Ed Cunningham

That’s Walter Day, in a nutshell. Full transparency, I’ve known Walter Day since 2008. He was the first person to call me and congratulate me when my son was born. He mailed me a complimentary, autographed copy of his book of world records even after I insisted on paying for it. When I conducted an interview with someone who was not well-liked at all in the game industry and tried to help him foster a better reputation by keeping his personal feuds out of it and focusing on his gaming feats, Walter was the one to reach out and tell me to be like water and let the negative feedback and harsh criticism I received just flow right through me and not let it sit.

Most readers who know of Walter discovered him from the 2007 Donkey Kong documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. A documentary about two rival gamers that are going after the world record score in Donkey Kong. While not necessarily a documentary because of the way the movie is geared toward a “good vs. evil” narrative, it’s a great film, and contains a lot of history of Walter’s accomplishment of becoming the “Father of eSports.”

Arcades and Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day is the spiritual sequel to the King of Kong. This time, however, the film focuses on Walter’s life after retiring from the video game industry.  

Arcades and Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day is written and directed by Ed Cunningham, who also served as producer of The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, and also won an Oscar for the football documentary Undefeated.  To complete the King of Kong set, Seth Gordon, who produced that film, returns as producer of Arcades and Love Songs.

The film takes place almost ten years after the conclusion of King of Kong, where Walter is preparing to take the stage for the first time, bringing to fruition his decades-long dream of releasing the music he had begun to hear following the heartbreak of losing a woman.

Throughout Arcades and Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day, viewers are given a wide glimpse of the man behind the video games. We get to see the person Walter Day, and in seeing who Walter really is, it’s clear that Walter is someone who always make sure that everyone around him gets the spotlight, even at his own personal expense. Not only does the film portray how giving Walter is, but it also shows how often others attempt to take advantage of him and use him for their own personal gain.

The film flows well, grabbing viewers’ attention from the very beginning and never letting go by balancing the feel, going from exciting to dramatic, and back again. The story is told by not only Walter, but by other stars of The King of Kong such as Billy Mitchell, Steve Wiebe, and Steve Sanders. When Walter admits that his music was inspired by heartbreak, we’re unexpectedly introduced to the heartbreaker. The producers do right by both when they reunite them, bringing closure to the open wound that Walter had carried throughout his life.

Arcades and Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day is a way of giving back to Walter for all the things he’s done for everyone else. When he is embroiled in a lawsuit with the company he started, Twin Galaxies, it’s the Son of Billy Mitchell who reaches out to make sure Walter is properly represented and supported. When the owners of game studio Color Switch found out that Walter’s dream of putting his music out to the world has yet to be realized, they reached out and not only offered to cover all the costs included in creating the record, but all profits made from the album would go directly to Walter.

 The word that kept ringing in my head throughout the film was “emotion.” Every scene evokes emotion, and not only one; viewers will find that not only will they feel the same excitement Walter does as he brings his dream to live, but they’ll also feel the same heartbreak he felt that inspired the music and the pain and sadness that it took for Walter to get to where he is.

The beauty of the music in Arcades and Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day is that while there are a few pieces by other artists, most of the music in the film comes from Walter himself as viewers are taken through the process of the album’s creation. This brings a beauty to the film because as the songs progress through completion, I found myself singing along to them once Walter takes the stage.

The film culminates in Walter’s first public performance. There’s no surprise here, as this is exactly what was teased from the very beginning of the film. The excitement in this is that everyone who’s truly supported him throughout the years are in attendance and viewers will be able to feel the excitement that the attendees feel, knowing that Walter’s dream is finally a reality.

Arcades and Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day is exactly what it says in the title; It’s a love song to Walter and what he’s done for everyone else, giving him the spotlight he so rightfully deserves. I may be bias in that I know Walter personally, but there’s no fluff here. Walter is portrayed as exactly who he is, and that is conveyed to viewers in a way that will make them feel like they know him personally as well.

Arcades and Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day has been shown in film festivals throughout the country over the last few months and will be available on streaming services beginning June 9th. For more information, visit the official Arcades and Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day website.

Accompanying the film is Walter’s debut album, Arcades and Love Songs, which released on June 6th and is available on most streaming platforms and can be purchased here.