When aliens misinterpret video feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth in the form of the video games.
In 1982, the boy Sam Brenner disputes the video game arcade championship and loses the title to Eddie "The Fire Blaster" Plant playing Donkey Kong. This defeat affects his life and in the present days, Brenner is an installer of audio and video systems. His best friend Will Cooper is the President of the United States. Brenner is installing a system at the house of Violet Van Patten, who has just divorced, for her son Matty. Out of the blue, he is summoned to the White House and he finds that Violet is a military that works there. Soon he learns that an American base was attacked by aliens. When he meets his friend Ludlow "The Wonder Kid" Lamansoff, he discovers that the aliens have found a time capsule sent by the US Government to the space with a videocassette of videogame and understood that it was a declaration of war. The aliens broadcast a challenge to Earth to play and win a videogame against them; otherwise Earth will be destroyed. Now the last hope on Earth is Brenner, Cooper, Ludlow, Violet and Eddie.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
When aliens misinterpret video feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war against them, they attack the Earth using games like PAC-MAN, Donkey Kong, Galaga, Centipede and Space Invaders as models for their various assaults. President Will Cooper has to call on his childhood best friend, '80s video game champion Sam Brenner, to lead a team of old-school arcaders to defeat aliens and save the planet: Ludlow Lamonsoff (Josh Gad) the "Centipede" champ, and Eddie Plant (Peter Dinklage) the "Donkey Kong" champ.
At a video-game arcade in 1982 with his friend Will Cooper, 13-year-old Sam Brenner discovers he can master the games by spotting patterns. Participating in a video-game championship, he loses in a match with obnoxious arcade player Eddie Plant in Donkey Kong. A videocassette with footage of the event is included in a time capsule that is launched into space. 33 years later, Brenner has become an installer of home-theater systems while Cooper is the President of the United States. In Guam, a U.S. military base is attacked by UFOs of Galaga that turn pieces of the base into small glowing cubes and one of the soldiers is abducted..
Humanity's thirst for making contact with extraterrestrial life forms turns into a real nightmare when a technologically advanced race of aliens misinterprets a friendly transmission as an act of war. Now, as the infuriated otherworldly beings deploy waves of enormous versions of arcade game characters to retaliate, mankind's fate rests in the hands of the former video-game champion and now home-theatre installer, Sam Brenner, and a handful of old-school arcade gamers. Do they have what it takes to stop this pixelated polychromatic menace?—Nick Riganas
In 1982, at an arcade, Will Cooper watches as his friend Sam Brenner competes in a Donkey Kong championship against Eddie "The Fireblaster" Plant. Though Brenner seems to lose, video footage of the event is included in a time capsule launched into space.
In the present, Brenner works as an electronics installer, while Will has become the President of the United States. Chaos erupts when Andersen Air Force Base in Guam is attacked by extraterrestrials resembling the arcade game Galaga. Will summons Brenner and Lieutenant Colonel Violet Van Patten to the White House. After reviewing the attack footage and meeting Ludlow "The Wonder Kid" Lamonsoff, a fellow arcade enthusiast, Brenner concludes that the aliens misinterpreted the time capsule's video as a declaration of war. The aliens challenge Earth to a best-of-five battle, claiming Earth has already lost the first round.
The next attack takes place at the Taj Mahal in the form of Arkanoid. Despite Brenner and Will's warnings, Earth loses the second round. Determined to fight back, Brenner and Ludlow train Navy SEALs to master arcade games while Violet develops advanced energy weapons. The team heads to London, where the aliens attack Hyde Park with Centipede. This time, Brenner and Ludlow successfully defeat the alien threat, and the aliens reward Earth with a trophy resembling the Duck Hunt dog.
The team enlists Eddie, now released from prison, to help in New York City, where the aliens unleash a giant Pac-Man. Using Mini Coopers as the ghosts, the team manages to defeat Pac-Man, and the aliens present Q*Bert as another trophy. However, the aliens soon accuse Earth of cheating. Matty, Violet's son, discovers that Eddie used a cheat code hidden on his glasses, just as he had done during the 1982 Donkey Kong match. When the aliens abduct Matty, Eddie flees in shame.
The aliens launch a massive assault on Washington, D.C., deploying an army of classic video game characters. Ludlow encounters Lady Lisa, his long-time crush, among the invaders and persuades her to join their side. Meanwhile, Eddie returns, determined to make amends. Brenner, Violet, and Will are summoned to the alien mothership for one final showdown: a real-life Donkey Kong match.
Facing Donkey Kong on the iconic construction site, Brenner struggles until Matty's revelation about Eddie's past cheating reignites his confidence. Recognizing the patterns in the game, Brenner ultimately defeats Donkey Kong, saving Matty and the Earth. The aliens withdraw, restoring everything they had destroyed.
As the world celebrates the team's victory, Will negotiates a peace treaty with the aliens. Eddie apologizes to Brenner for his past behavior, acknowledging him as the true Donkey Kong champion. Although Ludlow is heartbroken when Lady Lisa departs with the aliens, Q*Bert transforms into her likeness to comfort him. Brenner and Violet start a romantic relationship, and Eddie strikes up an unlikely friendship with Serena Williams and Martha Stewart.
One year later, Ludlow and "Lisa" are happily married, raising a brood of Q*Bert-like children as Earth enjoys its restored peace.
