80 replies to this topic

[Ze_ro]

Important Note: This weeks competition is over and no further scores will be accepted.

It's dangerous. It's mean. It's WAR! And now, you are there!

Your mission? Invade enemy territory and knock out the fortress. To do it, you'll have to travel over tricky terrain and fight against overwhelming odds at every step.

Evade attacks, search and destroy lumbering tanks! Storm the river bridge to face your most difficult challenge: the enemy fort! You must demolish it or die. And if you succeed? A new assignment is yours on another front, against a more experienced army. There's no rest, no relaxation, no letting down your guard. You're in the Army now!

Game Information

Game Name: Front Line Released By: Coleco, 1984 Left Difficulty: N / A Right Difficulty: N / A Game Mode: Skill 1 (Default) 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 Wednesday July 27th at 1:00 AM (Central Time, UTC-6).

Challenges

Military Heroes - Post a picture of a friend or family member in their military uniform, and you get 2 bonus points. Miss 2600 [+2] Frostbite76 [+2] DT Kofoed [+2] Progress - For everyone who posted a score before Saturday, improve on your score for bonus points (Not cumulative) : Very Easy - 10% improvement - 1 bonus point Easy - 25% improvement - 3 bonus point Hard - 50% improvement - 6 bonus point Dante Must Die - 100% improvement - 10 bonus point As you reach them, scores will turn green: Gorfy - 29,900 - 33,900 - 40,700 - 54,200 [+3] Stan - 25,800 - 29,300 - 35,100 - 46,800 [+6] JacobZu7zu7 - 25,500 - 28,900 - 34,700 - 46,200 [+6] Frostbite76 - 20,200 - 22,900 - 27,500 - 36,600 [+6] roadrunner - 17,000 - 19,300 - 23,100 - 30,800 Jifremok - 11,900 - 13,500 - 16,200 - 21,600 [+1] DT Kofoed - 8800 - 10,000 - 12,000 - 16,000 [+6] LarcenTyler - 7500 - 8500 - 10,200 - 13,600 oyamafamily - 7500 - 8500 - 10,200 - 13,600 [+10] Scrabbler15 - 4300 - 4900 - 5900 - 7800 [+6]

Current High Scores 40,100 (Stan) [+11] 38,900 (JacobZu7zu7) [+10] 34,800 (Gorfy) [+9] 34,100 (Frostbite76) [+8] 27,400 (toymailman) [+7] 15,400 (roadrunner) [+6] 14,300 (DT Kofoed) [+5] 14,000 (oyamafamily) [+4] 13,400 (Jifremok) [+3] 10,900 (Miss 2600) [+2] 10,100 (chuckwalla) [+1] 7000 (Scrabbler15) [+1] 6800 (LarcenTyler) [+1] 5300 (Amstari) [+1] 2900 (Vocelli) [+1] 1600 (Darth Kinzer) [+1] 1300 (classicgamer_27330) [+1] Best Tips Stan [+2] TwinGalaxies Top 3 (Game 1, Difficulty B) 98,250 (Todd Rogers) 36,300 (Alan W Hewston) 8700 (Pete Rocha)

Current Standings JacobZu7zu7 [294] toymailman [280] oyamafamily [268] Frostbite76 [221] Gorfy [212] Vocelli [182] DT Kofoed [148] Stan [124] Deteacher [122] Jifremok [119] classicgamer_27330 [106] Scrabbler15 [105] Miss 2600 [100] theKLT [99] Amstari [89] LarcenTyler [84] cparsley [73] roadrunner [72] pokeplayer984 [65] SpiceWare [48] pis [38] keilbaca [37] ed1475 [36] Mister VCS [35] centiqueen81 [33] zylon [33] Krytol [28] Chuck D. Head [27] Wickeycolumbus [21] Cynicaster [20] SeaGtGruff [20] HatefulGravey [17] Curious Sofa [16] Torr [13] littleman jack [7] Darth Kinzer [6] atarigal [5] Cortat G [5] bennybingo [5] rmaerz [3] Zach [3] atariUCLA24 [3] dwane413 [3] SpaceDice2010 [2] MIKE5200 [2] Mangia-Boy [1] Buck [1] 4Ks [1] Cream147 [1] DickNixonArisen [1] leematari [1] Zoyx [1] Mingy Jongo [1]

Scoring Points in Front Line

You earn 100 points for every enemy eliminated. When you complete a round (by destroying the fort), you receive an additional 1000 points times the number of the skill level just completed. You start the game with five friendly soldiers and receive a bonus soldier when you complete a round (up to a maximum of five soldiers in all).

Hints and Tips

The Manual

As always, you really should read the manual. In case you don't have the manual, AtariAge has a typed copy available online. Unfortunately, it doesn't provide any specific hints.

We played this game once before in the High Score Club, you might want to check out that thread for more hints.

Stan

• I found that avoiding the enemies behind you allows you to progress much further. They have an advantage on you. I like to tie them up in trees, rocks, etc. and keep moving, taking out enemies that appear above. Don't bother with the enemies that appear below you unless they start to get close. It's especially useful in later levels.
  
• Try to avoid shooting straight on for the most part, unless you're certain you can move out of the way quickly (IE, you're not close to any hazards that slow you down). If you shoot straight on, quickly move out of the way. Later level enemies will fire right back. Angles work best most of the time.
  
• Soldiers slowed and in trees can't shoot out of them, but you can get them, though typically right before they exit. Use that to your advantage, especially if a lower enemy starts to gain on you.
  
• Slow tanks are fun, and they give you an extra hit, but I always lose them for the speedy gun tanks.
  
• When your tank is hit, hold the fire button, you'll exit unscathed.
  
• The boss on every level cannot be killed by a tank. Hold the fire button to exit, and then toss a grenade at it.
  
• All enemies do not shoot until they're fully on the screen. You usually have a few quick moments to get in a shot before they enter the screen. This is why the ones that appear behind are at an advantage. Focus on those upper ones, and you will often take them out before they're even fully in view.
  
• Don't worry about avoiding the bottom-appearing enemies until level 3 or 4. Definitely level 4. It's best in that level to just keep pushing forward. The enemies move and shoot too damn fast and you're too slow. Level 3 is still manageable to get the bottom-appearing enemies, but by 4 forget it in most cases unless you're in Speedy (the small tank).
  
• Jacob's approach is VERY useful for score collecting. Any time enemy swarms appear on screen, spend time carefully taking out EVERY enemy you see. After each wave is killed you have a few moments before another is going to appear, and you can progress during those times. This enables you a generally safe run through levels 1 and 2, and somewhat safe but occasionally dangerous run through 3, and an impossible run through 4.
  
• If you get to level 4, JUST RUN. Take out upper-appearing enemies and don't even bother with those below. Run for your dear life. I just ALMOST beat level 4, so I don't know what comes after, but if it's like Gorfy says you can rack up serious points afterwards. Just RUN. Find Speedy, and fly!!!

JacobZu7zu7

At the starting forest, go up the middle most of the time so you can shoot either up/left or up/right at the troopers. If they are in tree... go up to their eye level, stay even with them and shoot into the tree untill it takes. Don't overwalk! the second you see an enemy soldier, stop moving and fire diagonal/up.

Sometimes a tactic for Tanks AND enemy troops is, when moving... wiggle the joystick left/right. So, you will be harder to focus on. (In a big tank don't) normally if you are in a scary spot, it's better to circle a lot, or move away in a hurry, upward.

When driving a tank in level 3.. try to stay in the middle at the desert zone and watch out for tanks already shooting diagonal on arrival. This is usually what does me in.

--Zero

[Gorfy]

Made it to level 3, but died before I could get to the tanks at that level.
Score: 15,500

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[Scrabbler15]

3200

Someday, I hope to see the inside of a tank. This walking around keeps getting me shot.

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[Stan]

Wait, how can Fire Fighter be on the next list? I seem to remember it's pretty basic and for children. You just save the people and such and that's it. It's a really, really easy game and has no real scoring system per se.

[Stan]

Also, can we add a no 'point stacking' rule to this particular challenge? You can simply stay on the first screen, killing the two soldiers that keep appearing, until you roll the game, but there isn't much challenge in that. Scores should be from playing straight through.

[Ze_ro]

Stan, on Wed Jul 20, 2011 12:55 PM, said:

Also, can we add a no 'point stacking' rule to this particular challenge?

That is already a general rule with all HSC games.

--Zero

[LarcenTyler]

6,800

[oyamafamily]

2700

[DT Kofoed]

Stan, on Wed Jul 20, 2011 8:19 AM, said:

Wait, how can Fire Fighter be on the next list? I seem to remember it's pretty basic and for children. You just save the people and such and that's it. It's a really, really easy game and has no real scoring system per se.

Second that. I have literally tried to lose, and you cannot; I have set the joystick on the floor and stepped back, only to watch the flames die out all on their own. I can neither see, nor care to know, how that competition would play out

[DT Kofoed]

Zero,
not that it's terribly important, since most of us qualified last round, but it appears that the Plant Manager Certification bonus +4 thingy wasn't applied to the standings.

[Frostbite76]

Great to see this game win. I thought we were going to play the awful looking Spikes Peak. BTW, this week my votes went to qb and Entombed because they look like fun.

Edited by Frostbite76, Wed Jul 20, 2011 9:59 PM.

[Stan]

Entombed is highly underrated and very challenging. Well, first go at Front Line. I have to say, I find this version better than the original arcade and the Famicom port I've played. I always thought that VC guy looked kind of silly. Pretty good starter score:

23,400

Now for my...

ULTRA MEGA SUPER AWESOME HEAD EXPLOSION TIPS OF KEWL

1. I found that avoiding the enemies behind you allows you to progress much further. They have an advantage on you. I like to tie them up in trees, rocks, etc. and keep moving, taking out enemies that appear above. Don't bother with the enemies that appear below you unless they start to get close. It's especially useful in later levels.

2. Try to avoid shooting straight on for the most part, unless you're certain you can move out of the way quickly (IE, you're not close to any hazards that slow you down). If you shoot straight on, quickly move out of the way. Later level enemies will fire right back. Angles work best most of the time.

3. Soldiers slowed and in trees can't shoot out of them, but you can get them, though typically right before they exit. Use that to your advantage, especially if a lower enemy starts to gain on you.

4. Slow tanks are fun, and they give you an extra hit, but I always lose them for the speedy gun tanks.

5. When your tank is hit, hold the fire button, you'll exit unscathed.

6. The boss on every level cannot be killed by a tank. Hold the fire button to exit, and then toss a grenade at it.

7. All enemies do not shoot until they're fully on the screen. You usually have a few quick moments to get in a shot before they enter the screen. This is why the ones that appear behind are at an advantage. Focus on those upper ones, and you will often take them out before they're even fully in view.

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Edited by Stan, Wed Jul 20, 2011 10:47 PM.

[Jifremok]

10800
I'm liking this one. I'm having trouble shooting in diagonals for some reason though.

[JacobZu7zu7]

11,300

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[Gorfy]

Made it to the tanks on the fourth level......... 27,100

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[oyamafamily]

5,900

[DT Kofoed]

6100, and a scout camping trip the next 3 days...

Anyone know the trick to destroying the fortress thingy? I know tank fire isn't supposed to work, but neither does my soldier's "Anti-tank missile" seem to have any effect... UNLESS, that is, I DIE as I fire! I have only ever destroyed the fort when 1) my tank was hit as I fired, where I jump to safety and the fort blows up, or 2) I get shot and die and the fort blows up. I have never yet destroyed the fort with any shot from the soldier or tank EXCEPT for when I myself am hit by the fort, in which case both tank and soldier fire work. We both fire at each other, I get hit, and THEN my shot kills the fort. Only AFTER the hit registers on me will the fort blow up.

So.

Either my ROM is flawed, or I'm missing something terribly obvious as to what triggers the destruction. Help?

[Frostbite76]

made it pretty far in level 3. 18,000 Great game that I only played once before.

Also, I just got China Syndrome in the mail today. Great Timing,lol.

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[JacobZu7zu7]

DT Kofoed, on Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:30 PM, said:

Anyone know the trick to destroying the fortress thingy?

Either my ROM is flawed, or I'm missing something terribly obvious as to what triggers the destruction. Help?

I'll try to help, first hold button down, to leave your tank, then move into the middle of the fort, (best odds of hitting it) now make sure you are "close" enough to the fort for your FIRING TO HIT!

In this game, sometimes you have to get closer to the enemy, even
if you rather not... one straight in middle hit, should blow the fort up.

If it doesn't work, its the rom or emulator that is messed.

[JacobZu7zu7]

14,500

This Frontline game is causing some major middle finger points at the screen,
I didn't use to do that...

Still stuck on level 3, now at the middle tank section. The tanks that shoot angles before you even roll up yet, so I just roll into the firing, and only notice the second I'm blown up!

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[DT Kofoed]

JacobZu7zu7, on Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:34 PM, said:

I'll try to help, first hold button down, to leave your tank, then move into the middle of the fort, (best odds of hitting it) now make sure you are "close" enough to the fort for your FIRING TO HIT!

In this game, sometimes you have to get closer to the enemy, even
if you rather not... one straight in middle hit, should blow the fort up.

If it doesn't work, its the rom or emulator that is messed.

Groovy, I'll give it another go here. Thanks.

[Frostbite76]

3 things about this game that frustrates me

1.I keep sticking to trees and bushes. Causes a lot of deaths on level 3
2. It's hard as hell to get in and out of the tanks after round 1 without getting hit.
3. The better I get the worse my scores for each level seem to get.

Edited by Frostbite76, Thu Jul 21, 2011 10:49 PM.

[Frostbite76]

small improvement. 18,300

[Scrabbler15]

Frostbite76, on Thu Jul 21, 2011 10:47 PM, said:

1.I keep sticking to trees and bushes.

I thought the same thing. It feels like Shark Attack from a few months ago (but not quite as sticky.)

[Scrabbler15]

3900

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