Shooting Game Tournament 2006

Post by **Shatterhand** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 3:42 pm

It doesn't matter our team will OWN the retro week.

(Well, at least I hope, after the fiasco with Batrider

)

Beamrider is, in some ways, similar to Juno First (well, the perspective at least), except it's 30 times faster, 50 times more hectic and 100 times better.

But it's a good choice yet

And Galaga is anything but "quickly". Anyone here has played up to level 100 or further? It takes longer than finishing Blazing Star

. It's another good choice anyway...

Post by **Icarus** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 4:01 pm

One vote for Time Pilot '84.
Juno First is also a good choice.
And Xevious.
And Space Invaders '91.^_-

Post by **Shatterhand** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 4:38 pm

Doesn't Time Pilot 84 has some score bug that would allow infinite scoring ?

That's a problem with oldschool shmups... while I love Beamrider, I *think* there may be a way to make an infinite score too, if you are skillfull enough and has the patience of a saint. I'll try to confirm this week, if Edge is actually considering Beamrider as an option.

Post by **Icarus** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 4:40 pm

Shatterhand wrote:Doesn't Time Pilot 84 has some score bug that would allow infinite scoring ?

You sure that isn't the original Time Pilot?

Better get shortlisting those retro games now, so you can sort out which ones have infinite bugs (and thus can be removed from that list). ^_-

Edge · Post by **Edge** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 5:05 pm

What systems is Beamrider available for again, Shatterhand?

I think I won't list home computer only games, because of their accessibility.

And yeah, next week will have more than 3 options again. To list only these 3 was an exception in the Raizing week, because it was hard to list games that have an somewhat evenly chance to getting picked. Well, I'll have to figure how I'll handle this in Cave week as well...

zakk · Post by **zakk** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 5:16 pm

It was the original Time Pilot that had a score exploit. Don't shoot anything on stage 2; parachute men will start dropping. Collect them while not dying. Keep doing so until you can't take it anymore.

Herr Schatten · Post by **Herr Schatten** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 5:30 pm

Edge wrote:What systems is Beamrider available for again, Shatterhand?

Lots of eight-bit systems.

Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Colecovision, Intellivision, Commodore C64, MSX, ZX Spectrum.

I don't know about the rest, but emulators for Atari 2600 and C64 are very easy to set up and run even on the crappiest hardware. As far as I can tell, the versions are pretty much identical. The Atari 2600 version is the best one anyway (although Shatterhand will disagree) and I could play my real cart. That would be awesome.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 6:44 pm

Are Millipede or Centipede ineligible for any reason?

Post by **Shatterhand** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 6:57 pm

Like Herr Schatten said, Beamrider is available for all of those 8 bits systems.

Considering most people are using emulation anyway, I don't think it would be a problem. I could, for example, make a simple file and upload it somewhere, with just the files needed to play Beamrider, and everything configured easily.

Colecovision is VERY easy to emulate, and it's a console, not a home computer

. You can even use MASTER SYSTEM emulator to do it, and I'd say it also has the best version of Beamrider (it's identical to the MSX one, except the control method use 2 buttons, instead of only one, which makes it more playable), though I think Herr Schatten disagrees with me. Also it has some sort of score system going on (There was an MSX site that used to have a hi-score table going on for this game, and there was a point where more than 5 scores ended the game in level 20, but the scores were far apart). If I confirm that there's no way to exploit its system for an infinite score, then I think it would be a great option.

If we have Millipede I'll crush everyone scores BWAHAHAHAHA!

Well, at least in a home version, I never played those games with a trackball

. I

chtimi-CLA · Post by **chtimi-CLA** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:07 pm

I haven't read the rules yet or anything but if there is a dangun week i might participate. Haven't played for ages though..

Edge · Post by **Edge** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:23 pm

chtimi-CLA wrote:I haven't read the rules yet or anything but if there is a dangun week i might participate. Haven't played for ages though..

I am sorry chtimi, the tournament have already begun 2 weeks ago. No joining players after the starting date. We had some controversy about late joining players before.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:55 pm

Is Omega Fighter old enough to qualify for Old-School week, or will it have to wait for Hidden Gems week?

Super Laydock · Post by **Super Laydock** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:18 pm

Once again, I'll never vote for that stupid Beamrider thing in retro week!

It's not even a true shmup!!!
Why not just play Recca, Aleste 2 or (Rob would be surely pissed by this one

) Zanac. And what about Iridium or other c64 classics?

Just to get away from the arcade original stuff it would be nice to see a console exclusive game.

Recca (yeah I am starting to nagg about this game, I know

) is best choice imho competition wise though (caravan goodness).

But of course Edge and/or one of the other tournament organizing ppl will decide the preselection...

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:33 pm

Zanac is a brilliant idea.

I think, the scoring system could be broken.

Super Laydock · Post by **Super Laydock** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:53 pm

Rob wrote:Zanac is a brilliant idea.

I hate losing those few certainties in life...

Post by **nZero** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:02 pm

Is Galaga 88 broken in any meaningful way?

This is galactic dancing!

Nemo · Post by **Nemo** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 3:58 am

If we don't play ThunderForce IV on Maniac for "retro week" that would be very disappointing.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 4:11 am

I second that.

thesuperkillerxxx · Post by **thesuperkillerxxx** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 4:13 am

We need to play Go Go Space Monkey for the Hidden Jem week

Twiddle · Post by **Twiddle** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 6:10 am

BulletMagnet wrote:Is Omega Fighter old enough to qualify for Old-School week, or will it have to wait for Hidden Gems week?

someone listen to this man

DarkWolf7 · Post by **DarkWolf7** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 6:54 am

Isn't Thunder Force IV a little too new for retro week? Cotton was a nominee for horizontal week and it came out three years earlier (that is, if we're going to put "retro" games in other categories, why have a retro week at all). I think pre-1985 would be most appropriate. There are more than enough interesting games to choose from that era.

It's too bad we are spending three weeks choosing games from a single developer (predictable+boring), as a board-wide tournament like this is a perfect opportunity to expose others to a shooter they would have never played otherwise. A C64 week or a doujin week for example would have been much better choices.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 7:10 am

I wouldn't have played Blazing Star or gained an appreciation for APB, so I can't complain. I might even learn to enjoy a Cave scoring system.

Doujin shooters could probably fit in hidden gem week, surely... Since many people ignore them.

Post by **Shatterhand** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 8:32 am

Omega Fighter is amazing. It would probably gain a vote of mine if it comes up in a poll.

Zanac has one problem, you can warp back in the game, so you can keep repeating the same levels over and over and over and over, as much as you can keep your lifes. We can enforce a "no-warp" rule, and there will be no problem. There's also that annoying thing that, your score is basically a reflection of how many lives left you have when you finish the game.

Of course, my best score on it is close to 20 million, so I would LOVE if this game was choosen.....

Aleste 2 has the same 'problem' with the score system, but no warp back. I recently found that there's a secret HARD level in Aleste 2, and I actually NEVER played it. Other than that, I've 1 lifed the game enough times in my life, so it would be a GREAT choice for me, again

Honestly, while everyone knows I just LOVE Compile games, I don't think they are a good option for a score competition. Though if you guys want to play one, I would really appreciate...

Recca would be a great option too

Super Laydock, my friend, what's your problem with Beamrider? Tell me, what Beamrider did to you ? And OF COURSE it is a shmup. If it isn't a shmup, what is it? It's like Galaga, except you play from a 3D perspective (but with only 2 planes, much like Juno First), and your ship has even more restricted movement.

And man, I can't wait for the retro week. For every 10 games suggested, I kick ass in 9

Randorama · Post by **Randorama** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 9:45 am

So we're hoarding for Omega fighter, right?

Post by **Icarus** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 10:38 am

Rob wrote:I wouldn't have played Blazing Star or gained an appreciation for APB, so I can't complain. I might even learn to enjoy a Cave scoring system.

Wow, someone's kidnapped Rob and replaced him with a replicant. ^_-

Post by **Shatterhand** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 12:27 pm

Randorama wrote:So we're hoarding for Omega fighter, right?

Well, if it is between Beamrider, Zanac or Omega Fighter, I'd vote Zanac just because of the advantage I would have at this game

But between Beamrider and Omega Fighter... I dunno, I think I am equally good at both, but I think Beamrider is easier to learn in a week than Omega Fighter... so maybe Omega Fighter would be a better option.

I should evaluate with my team...

Edge · Post by **Edge** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 1:36 pm

Twiddle wrote:
BulletMagnet wrote:Is Omega Fighter old enough to qualify for Old-School week, or will it have to wait for Hidden Gems week?
someone listen to this man

That depends on what the release year of Omega Fighter is. It don't have to be neccessary pre 1985, if the game is quite retro-ish it might qualify even if it is from 1986. But games from the 90s are excluded for the retro week for sure.

The retro week is the one I am most looking forward to.

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 1:58 pm

Herr Schatten wrote:
Edge wrote:What systems is Beamrider available for again, Shatterhand?
Lots of eight-bit systems.

Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Colecovision, Intellivision, Commodore C64, MSX, ZX Spectrum.

I don't know about the rest, but emulators for Atari 2600 and C64 are very easy to set up and run even on the crappiest hardware. As far as I can tell, the versions are pretty much identical. The Atari 2600 version is the best one anyway (although Shatterhand will disagree) and I could play my real cart. That would be awesome.

The 2600 version of Beamrider is missing the red zig bombs and magnetic mines. Oddly enough, it's even stated in the manual.

I looked in other instruction booklets and I know that most versions have the Red Zig Bombs, though the C64, Intellivision, and the 5200 versions don't list the gravity mines. I haven't gotten far enough to know if they have them or not.

I only have the Intellivision and Activision Anthology GBA (emulated, but seems slightly slower) versions of Beamrider. The Intellivision one is very good and controls amazingly well with the disc.

oh yeah, Dreadnaught Factor counts as a shmup, right? It scrolls automatically, though you control the movement speed and try to destroy giant battleships. I have it for the Intellivision and it's one rockin' game.

Twiddle · Post by **Twiddle** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 6:36 pm

Edge wrote:
Twiddle wrote:
BulletMagnet wrote:Is Omega Fighter old enough to qualify for Old-School week, or will it have to wait for Hidden Gems week?
someone listen to this man
That depends on what the release year of Omega Fighter is. It don't have to be neccessary pre 1985, if the game is quite retro-ish it might qualify even if it is from 1986. But games from the 90s are excluded for the retro week for sure.

The retro week is the one I am most looking forward to.

It's from 1988, and has a scoring system and engine in depth that is way ahead of others of its time.

It has to be in either Old School or Hidden Gems, as it's not very talked-about here.

Post by **Shatterhand** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:09 pm

The magnetic mine is the most annoying thing in the game.

Unless when you are after level 20. Then everything is annoying, as the game enjoys send everything at you at the same time.