The hunt for the Star Fire champ

There are always a lot of discussions about world record scores in video games, from the first perfect this to the first kill screen that… it’s all documented and discussed.

Outside of one:  The oldest standing video game world record.

Now, realistically I always feel a big asterisk should be put with such things, as before 1982 there was no central locations keeping track of such things in video gaming, and from 1988 until the late 1990s there wasn’t one, either.  Therefore the “oldest score” is really subject to being the “oldest during which time records were kept or could be challenged”… as there was no way for them to be challenged for a ten year period as noted.

That being said, according to existing records, the oldest standing video game record is on Exidy’s Star Fire, with a score of 9,780 points.  The name attached to this record, set on January 4, 1982, is Laura Curran, a person I’d very much like to chat with.

Is the score for real?  The emulated versions of Star Fire scores are nowhere close to this score, though scores for Star Fire II do approach those levels.  This could be another case of a mistake in the correct title for a game, or perhaps another typo score.  Given how early it was done in video game scorekeeping history, and how obscure the game really was, I doubt it could be a fabrication as some old school scores were, but who can really tell on that, either?

The score is stated to have taken place in a North Carolina video arcade, but Las Vegas is attached to the name of the player.  Again, perhaps incorrect transfer of old information as I can understand why someone from North Carolina would visit Vegas but not the other way around.

Social media searches don’t yield much help, either.  Many Laura Curran’s come up in a Facebook search, but most are far too young to have been playing an arcade game in January 1982 and/or state they have origins in foreign countries.

I could do a more detailed search but time ticks fast for me these days, so I thought it might be fun to toss this out there.  Social media sharing might bring this one to light.

Laura Curran… Star Fire champ… you out there?  This historian of gaming would like to speak with you.

Put the word out.  This info must be known.