Ze_ro Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 Important Note: This weeks competition is over and no further scores will be accepted. However, you may still use this thread to discuss Defender and compare future scores and strategies if you wish. Earth's "friendship" signals, beamed into deep space and beyond the Milky Way, have attracted extraterrestrial beings, all right, but not the ones we expected. Now wave after wave of warlike Aliens from some unidentified solar system "home in" and attack. In the cockpit of Universal Space Ship Defender, you wait tensely, watching your scanner for approaching aliens. There they are! First comes a lone Bomber, laying space mines. You pick that off with your laser missiles with no trouble. But an innocent-looking Pod ship explodes when you hit it, releasing clusters of missile-splitting Swarmers. Whew! That was close! Now what? Your Scanner shows a convoy of saucer-shaped Baiters coming fast and escorting a squadron of Landers. Space Intelligence has informed you that the Landers' diabolical mission is to kidnap Earth's Humanoids and transform them into hideous flying Mutants programmed to destroy the cities and take over the Earth. In the city below, Humanoids run helter-skelter through the streets like frightened ants. Some cower in doorways, hoping, no doubt, that the Landers will overlook them. No chance! Look! See that terrified Humanoid wriggling helplessly in the force of the Lander beam? No time to lose! Thrust out and blast that Lander with your laser missiles. There! That got him. Now dive down and catch the Humanoid. Hurry! Hurry! He's falling fast! Game Information Game Name: Defender Released By: Atari, 1981 Left Difficulty: B / Novice - Ship ascends and descends rapidly Right Difficulty: B / Novice - Ship ascends and descends rapidly Game Mode: Default Chosen By: LarcenTyler Post your scores right here in this thread, and I will add them to the list. Remember to play the game with the recommended game mode and difficulty settings as shown above so that your scores will be consistent with everyone elses. The deadline for posting scores is Thursday, July 27th at 1:30 AM (CST). If you want to suggest a game for future weeks, please send me a private message and let me know! I will add your game to the list. One one game per person will be kept on the list, so you will not be able to suggest a game until your first game is played! Anyone can play! Just post a score and I'll add you to the list! Please read the Rules & Information if you haven't already done so! Current High Scores 1,000,000 (SpiceWare) [+11]1,000,000 (Rom Hunter) [+11]1,000,000 (keilbaca) [+11] 544,450 (shawnb) [+10] 422,300 (Deteacher) [+9] 303,700 (Gabriel) [+8] 71,950 (BrianC) [+7] 67,950 (LarcenTyler) [+6] 67,700 (Christophero Sly) [+5] 58,750 (scogey) [+4] 20,800 (vdub_bobby) [+3] Best Tips Deteacher [+2] Bounties and Challenges None yet posted TwinGalaxies Top 3 (Difficulty B)4,717,850 (Ed Semrad) 4,183,500 (Charles OwnJr.) (?) 2,020,400 (Ron Corcoran) Current Standings Rom Hunter [129] keilbaca [104] SpiceWare [90] vdub_bobby [65] shawnb [61] LarcenTyler [49] BrianC [44] scogey [35] the 5th ghost [34] 128bytes [34] Jred [26] Lord Helmet [19] Cybergoth [18] phaxda [17] Random Terrain [15] Lord Thag [15] doctorclu [14] Goochman [13] ResOGlas [11] Deteacher [9] Malc74 [7] Hiryu [7] supercat [5] Christophero Sly [4] Omegamatrix [1] Dan Iacovelli [1] Scoring Points in Defender Pod - 1000 points Swarmer - 500 points Bomber - 250 points Baiter - 200 points Lander - 150 points Mutant - 150 points Human Falls from Lander and lives - 250 points Human Caught but not brought back - 500 points Human Caught and brought back - 1000 points Bonus: Each Humanoid alive at end of wave - 100 points Every 10,000 points, you can earn an additional Defender life and smart bomb. There is no limit to the number of lives and bombs you can earn, but only three lives and three bombs can appear on the television screen at one time. If you have more than three lives or bombs, the computer holds the extra ones in reserve for you until it can display them on the television screen. Hints and Tips As always, you really should read the manual. In case you don't have the manual, AtariAge has a typed copy of it available online. Here are the hints the manual provides: LISTEN TO THE SOUNDS DEFENDER sounds are important to you and a life-and-death matter to the Humanoids. A high-pitched "chatter" like an excited chipmunk is a Humanoids's cry for help. When you hear it, immediately go to the rescue. If you let a Humanoid free-fall to earth and hear "crash" or "crunch" instead of a short happy tune, you know that you Humanoid crash-landed and you did not score 250 bonus points. You don't even have to look at the score counter. USE THE SCANNER Practice using the Scanner to find out where Aliens are coming from, which Humanoid is being kidnapped, and which Humanoids remain to be defended. the Scanner is an important strategic element in any game. When you learn to rely on it, it will help you improve your score. See USING THE SCANNER and RESCUING HUMANOIDS in GAME PLAY for help in reading the Scanner. SPEED IS IMPORTANT Keep Defender moving forward at the highest speed you can manage without losing control. Remember that a moving target is harder to hit. SUDDEN REVERSALS Reversing direction suddenly is a good ploy. It confuses Aliens and stops them in their tracks. In the instant it takes an Alien to recover, you can get Defender into a strategic position, reverse again, and blast the Alien with your laser missiles. SMART BOMBS If you don't want to let loose a lot of Swarmers at the start of a wave, use smart bombs instead of laser missiles to destroy Pods. But use the bombs sparingly. You may need one to save a Humanoid in the nick of time, or to blast enough aliens to cross a 10,000 point boundary and win another life and smart bomb. CATCH AND CARRY If you are in a fast wave, catch and carry a Humanoid. Remember that a Lander can't pick up another Humanoid while Defender is holding one. A good strategy in the later waves is to wait until you've destroyed all but one Alien before you set the Humanoid down. Here are some things I do: (They're pretty much the same tips from the manual.) Don't hoarde your smart bombs. On the faster levels, I'll use one right away to take out both pods. They can be a pain if you shoot them and let them divide. If you get them both at the same time, that's a quick 2,000 points! You might even take out a couple landers at the same time. Quick reversals will stop the enemies in their tracks. This is particularly beneficial when dealing with mutants and baiters. You can fly circles around these guys this way, allowing you to line up your shots. Try not to fly too close to them though or you might either get shot or collide with them. If you're down to your last humanoid and don't want to lose him, stand guard over him and let the baddies come to you. This is actually a pretty boring tactic, but it will keep him safe. Or, you could always let a lander abduct him, kill the lander and hang on to the humanoid until the end of the level. Just remember to drop him off before you kill the last guy, or you lose out on an easy 500 points. If you don't have any smart bombs, I start the level flying to the left. It allows me to take out some landers pretty quickly. It also lets me avoid the pods. Also, without smart bombs, I try to save the pods for last. Need a break? Make sure all the landers are cleared off, then duck under the city! Get a drink/go to the bathroom/regain the feeling in your legs. Then pop up out of the skyline and get back to work! When the city blows up, I will again, fly to the left. Notice how the mutants line up. You won't see two mutants on the same plane. They're always right below the one in front of them. So, flying to the left and working your ship down, you'll be pretty successful in taking the mutants out quickly. If you miss one, do the quick reverse and blow him away! There's nothing too "Earth shattering" (no pun intended) in these hints. This is just how I play. Maybe they'll help someone out. Best of luck! --Ze_ro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauren Tyler Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 (edited) As soon as I get home I'm hooking my Atari 7800 up and playing this on the actual hardware. Edit: I should hook my 7800 up, but I can't find the AC Adaptor (worst time ever!) So here's my first score from Stella. Edited July 20, 2006 by LarcenTyler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vdub_bobby Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 I'll start things off with: 20,800 And ugh, this game is ugly. Doesn't play real well, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rom Hunter Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 (edited) Splendid. My left thumb is falling off now... Edited July 20, 2006 by Rom Hunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SpiceWare Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 106,200 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriel Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 1b? I had enough time to score 303,700 in a warm up game. Hopefully, I'll have time for a proper marathon game over the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keilbaca Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 Defender... I was never great at that game for some odd reason. We'll see how the week goes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scogey Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 What a pick! I love this one (and many people have laughed at me for it) Anyway, great choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christophero Sly Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 67,700 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keilbaca Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 well i played a couple games and couldn't beat 40k. We'll see what the rest of the week holds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deteacher Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 (edited) 422,300! AAAHHHH! Someone's inside the TV, trying to take a picture of me! Shots from the side weren't showing the score very well. Edited July 21, 2006 by Deteacher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keilbaca Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 422,300! AAAHHHH! Someone's inside the TV, trying to take a picture of me! Shots from the side weren't showing the score very well. Wow So, what are all your tips to get to that score? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deteacher Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 Here are some things I do: (They're pretty much the same tips from the manual.) Don't hoarde your smart bombs. On the faster levels, I'll use one right away to take out both pods. They can be a pain if you shoot them and let them divide. If you get them both at the same time, that's a quick 2,000 points! You might even take out a couple landers at the same time. Quick reversals will stop the enemies in their tracks. This is particularly beneficial when dealing with mutants and baiters. You can fly circles around these guys this way, allowing you to line up your shots. Try not to fly too close to them though or you might either get shot or collide with them. If you're down to your last humanoid and don't want to lose him, stand guard over him and let the baddies come to you. This is actually a pretty boring tactic, but it will keep him safe. Or, you could always let a lander abduct him, kill the lander and hang on to the humanoid until the end of the level. Just remember to drop him off before you kill the last guy, or you lose out on an easy 500 points. If you don't have any smart bombs, I start the level flying to the left. It allows me to take out some landers pretty quickly. It also lets me avoid the pods. Also, without smart bombs, I try to save the pods for last. Need a break? Make sure all the landers are cleared off, then duck under the city! Get a drink/go to the bathroom/regain the feeling in your legs. Then pop up out of the skyline and get back to work! When the city blows up, I will again, fly to the left. Notice how the mutants line up. You won't see two mutants on the same plane. They're always right below the one in front of them. So, flying to the left and working your ship down, you'll be pretty successful in taking the mutants out quickly. If you miss one, do the quick reverse and blow him away! There's nothing too "Earth shattering" (no pun intended) in these hints. This is just how I play. Maybe they'll help someone out. Best of luck! ~Pete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SpiceWare Posted July 22, 2006 Share Posted July 22, 2006 Looks like they made it easy to tell you rolled it by putting leading zeros on the score. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rom Hunter Posted July 22, 2006 Share Posted July 22, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keilbaca Posted July 22, 2006 Share Posted July 22, 2006 Looks like they made it easy to tell you rolled it by putting leading zeros on the score. Wow, nice score!! Its really cool how someone can be really good at one game... but yet barely place at another. Perfect example shown here between Spiceware and I. *shrugs* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rom Hunter Posted July 22, 2006 Share Posted July 22, 2006 (edited) Ok, got it now. Before: After: Cracked. Edited July 23, 2006 by Rom Hunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted July 22, 2006 Share Posted July 22, 2006 Why game variation 1? Why not #2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianC Posted July 23, 2006 Share Posted July 23, 2006 (edited) 71,950 Very different from the arcade, but I still love it. I grew up on this and the Entex table top. The Entex table top game is quite awesome. Edited July 23, 2006 by BrianC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keilbaca Posted July 23, 2006 Share Posted July 23, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawnb Posted July 23, 2006 Share Posted July 23, 2006 544,450 ah, memories of the early 80s-everyone had this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SpiceWare Posted July 23, 2006 Share Posted July 23, 2006 422,300! AAAHHHH! Someone's inside the TV, trying to take a picture of me! Shots from the side weren't showing the score very well. hehe - I use a tripod and the 10 second timer on my camera so I'm not in the shots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauren Tyler Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 I may have written a guide for this game, but that doesn't mean I'm number one! (But I try!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keilbaca Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Well, 180 waves and with 20 spare lives, I get: LOL I did have exactly 1 mil (all 0's) but I got hit before I could duck behind the "city" and take the pic, so I have to settle with 1.000.150. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawnb Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Well, 180 waves and with 20 spare lives, I get: LOL I did have exactly 1 mil (all 0's) but I got hit before I could duck behind the "city" and take the pic, so I have to settle with 1.000.150. very impressive progress from 40k to 1000000 in a few days, keilbaca-good job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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