74 replies to this topic

[roadrunner]

My new high score is 85,925 - normal

[AB Positive]

Guh... Fandal wins


the fight for 2nd begins~!

[Cebus Capucinis]

114500 for a second try! I am playing in normal mode for all of these scores.

[_Fandal_]

therealbountybob, on Tue Jan 26, 2010 4:10 PM, said:

Here is my strategy before reaching level 99: I usually don't hunt enemies, I wait for them to come as I protect just a small area with at least two astronauts...

F.

[therealbountybob]

_Fandal_, on Wed Jan 27, 2010 4:11 AM, said:

therealbountybob, on Tue Jan 26, 2010 4:10 PM, said:

Here is my strategy before reaching level 99: I usually don't hunt enemies, I wait for them to come as I protect just a small area with at least two astronauts...

F.

OK Fandal has to play on Hard I was flying head on into them and smart bombing when it got tricky... doesn't the space-ship get you if you hang around Thanks for the tips
There's a load of help in the Strategy Guide on atarimania
Time for me to read the manual me thinks

[atariksi]

therealbountybob, on Wed Jan 27, 2010 5:51 AM, said:

_Fandal_, on Wed Jan 27, 2010 4:11 AM, said:

therealbountybob, on Tue Jan 26, 2010 4:10 PM, said:

Here is my strategy before reaching level 99: I usually don't hunt enemies, I wait for them to come as I protect just a small area with at least two astronauts...

F.

OK Fandal has to play on Hard I was flying head on into them and smart bombing when it got tricky... doesn't the space-ship get you if you hang around Thanks for the tips
There's a load of help in the Strategy Guide on atarimania
Time for me to read the manual me thinks

We can bias the grand universal scoring equation given previously so that Fandal's score gets zeroed out. Take "I" to be the first letter of your user ID and ASC("I") is the ASCII value of that letter (L is the level #):

Score' = Score*(PI^L/3^L)*(ASC("I")-95)/(ASC("I")-95+0.0001)

[atariksi]

Benjamin Matlock, on Tue Jan 26, 2010 6:19 PM, said:

114500 for a second try!

268,675.

I gave it a few tries at easy, normal and hard (last picture is of hard):

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[jetset]

I'm B-a-c-k!
Ok, first try...not bad considering it's the first time I've played in forever and my 2&1/2 yr old was climbing all over my back!

I gotta say though (not to start a fight with the 8-bit v 5200 camp) the control scheme is HORRIBLE. I just gotta get some practice in, but half of why I (only) got the score I did was my hand was cramping BIG time! The 2600 stock sticks were NOT made for "free-roaming" games like Defender. Ugh! I can easily max out on my score with the 5200 sticks. A little practice I'll be there though.

Still..is there any home version of Defender from this era that's near as awesome a game? Wow! I forgot how spot on the graphics and sound really were!

Question...is there a pause feature with the keyboard? Every time I tried hitting "p" I hyperspaced

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[Cebus Capucinis]

jetset, on Wed Jan 27, 2010 5:54 PM, said:

Question...is there a pause feature with the keyboard? Every time I "p" I hyperspaced

I think they make a medication for that these days. I've heard drinking cranberry juice helps too.

[atariksi]

jetset, on Wed Jan 27, 2010 5:54 PM, said:

I'm B-a-c-k!
Ok, first try...not bad considering it's the first time I've played in forever and my 2&1/2 yr old was climbing all over my back!
...

Someone could argue that that the 2.5 year old climbing all over your back helped you score higher.

Quote

I gotta say though (not to start a fight with the 8-bit v 5200 camp) the control scheme is HORRIBLE. I just gotta get some practice in, but half of why I (only) got the score I did was my hand was cramping BIG time! The 2600 stock sticks were NOT made for "free-roaming" games like Defender. Ugh! I can easily max out on my score with the 5200 sticks. A little practice I'll be there though.
...

I get lower scores using A5200 sticks. My hand didn't cramp using A2600 stick. The buttons are too small on A5200 stick and on the side and requires getting used to. I think the controls are fine on this A800 version as long as you are near the space-bar. Hyperspace isn't that useful-- rarely needed and should be avoided as it's like playing a lottery.

Quote

Still..is there any home version of Defender from this era that's near as awesome a game? Wow! I forgot how spot on the graphics and sound really were!

Question...is there a pause feature with the keyboard? Every time I tried hitting "p" I hyperspaced

It's ESC key to pause. While you're paused, if you press space-bar or other key and then ESC to unpause that key is still buffered (will take effect).

[therealbountybob]

Played again yesterday but no improvement; I decided to turn to YouTube for inspiration this guy was pretty good (swears alot under pressure thou!). Emphasises the importance of holding onto one of the men

[Divya16]

_Fandal_, on Wed Jan 27, 2010 4:11 AM, said:

therealbountybob, on Tue Jan 26, 2010 4:10 PM, said:

Here is my strategy before reaching level 99: I usually don't hunt enemies, I wait for them to come as I protect just a small area with at least two astronauts...

F.

You better get playing. I'm catching up:

My strategy is to keep firing and if there's one or more of those nasty red alien craft use the smart bomb.

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[therealbountybob]

Get Divya calling out Fandal

307,475 (level 23ish on Normal) I'm starting to get this game sussed... guarding the men is key If only there was a clue in the name of the game

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[AB Positive]

Funny, I tend to get my best scores when I hit lvl 8 or 9 and all my men are dead, then the screen explodes and turns into a bullet-hell horizontal shmup.

Oddly, yes, that's when I do my best. Don't even need smartbombs then. I think it's all the Gradius I've been playing on GBA lately.

[therealbountybob]

Ok 1st attempt at a provisional table (think all scores are on normal difficulty)

1st Fandal 99,999,999,999999,,999,9,99,9,9,9,9,99999999... (still on his first go )
2nd therealbountybob 307,475
3rd atariksi 268,675
4th jetset 268,500
5th AB positive 208,775
6th Benjamin Matlock 114,500
7th divya16 87,075
8th roadrunner 85,925
9th 4Ks 17,725
10th bluecat 9,075

[MaPa]

82,950

Edited by MaPa, Thu Jan 28, 2010 12:04 PM.

[Divya16]

therealbountybob, on Thu Jan 28, 2010 10:45 AM, said:

Get Divya calling out Fandal

307,475 (level 23ish on Normal) I'm starting to get this game sussed... guarding the men is key If only there was a clue in the name of the game

It's hard to guard a man in later waves as the action is too fast. Didn't quite get that strategy on Atarimania either suggesting approaching the enemy and be behind it so you can shoot it. Approach and be behind it seem contradictory.

Perhaps, we should have two scores-- one with arrow keys and one using joystick. So Fandal may need to take another shot at it.

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[mimo]

22175-normal
Think I am getting too old

[mimo]

31450-normal, getting better

[therealbountybob]

Preppie!!, on Fri Jan 29, 2010 3:13 AM, said:

22175-normal
Think I am getting too old

am sure atariksi can add an age related equation to the high-score fomulae plus keybord vs joystick equalising factor

Divya - Think the strat guide meant to fly past them then turn and shoot 'em in the back

[chuckwalla]

One of THE best arcade translations.

Just played a couple of games with a high of 1,002,850

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[Goochman]

178755 - wish I had more time to play this

Normal Difficulty

[Divya16]

therealbountybob, on Fri Jan 29, 2010 5:26 AM, said:

Preppie!!, on Fri Jan 29, 2010 3:13 AM, said:

22175-normal
Think I am getting too old

am sure atariksi can add an age related equation to the high-score fomulae plus keybord vs joystick equalising factor

Divya - Think the strat guide meant to fly past them then turn and shoot 'em in the back

They attack you directly like a suicide or kamikazee attack so it's kind of hard to fly past them. There must be a way as some people seem to be getting scores in the millions.

[Divya16]

Preppie!!, on Fri Jan 29, 2010 3:17 AM, said:

31450-normal, getting better

"Getting better" as in age (getting younger) or in score. If former, let me know the strategy.

[Cebus Capucinis]

BLARG! I am just no good at this game! Can't get past 114,000. Oh well, keep trying!