Contra NES scores thread

indstr · Post by **indstr** » Sun May 18, 2008 1:41 am

Before I go and create an NES Contra score thread, I wanted to make sure it would be OK to have on this forum. Since it's not a scrolling shooter, technically not a "shmup". If it's not OK for scores area, maybe I will have an unofficial scores thread here in off topic

Edit:

Since there's already a thread, anybody interested, just start posting scores.

Format: score - name - loop-level. (optionally post what controller you used as well

)

Lordstar · Post by **Lordstar** » Sun May 18, 2008 1:54 am

indstr wrote:Before I go and create an NES Contra score thread, I wanted to make sure it would be OK to have on this forum. Since it's not a scrolling shooter, technically not a "shmup". If it's not OK for scores area, maybe I will have an unofficial scores thread here in off topic

Anyone even interested in this anyway?

I dont think so because its a run and gun. I dunno if they will even let it in Off topic

JoshF · Post by **JoshF** » Sun May 18, 2008 1:57 am

Infinite scoring

UnscathedFlyingObject · Sun May 18, 2008 2:07 am

Waiting for Ceph to bust through the door now.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Sun May 18, 2008 2:40 am

Generally everyone folllows the terminology "shmup" and not "shooting game". So most likely no.

Ruldra · Post by **Ruldra** » Sun May 18, 2008 2:46 am

If this is approved, soon enough people will make other unofficial score threads here. It could become a big mess.

Ceph will probably ask you to make your thread at his place.

Udderdude · Post by **Udderdude** » Sun May 18, 2008 2:51 am

JoshF wrote:Infinite scoring

I got 1st place!

UDD - ∞

TWITCHDOCTOR · Post by **TWITCHDOCTOR** » Sun May 18, 2008 4:18 am

Well, the fact that its not a shmup per say, I would say no...but I really cannot see starting a scoring thread here in off topic a harmfull thing.
I guess, just don't expect it to be a sticky ,"Top Ten Contra Players" or something. If nobody has any scores to reply with, the thread could become burried faster than you think.

Years ago I 1CC the first loops in Contra I,II, and III.(no cheats, just precise practice)
I really didn't care to keep playing through the second loop etc etc, as my goal was completed. Sorry to say, but I didn't write down my scores.

Andi · Post by **Andi** » Sun May 18, 2008 4:33 am

About a year ago the mods said no to a Robotron 2084 high score thread. Seems like the interpretation of "shoot-em-up" is pretty strict.

JoshF · Post by **JoshF** » Sun May 18, 2008 4:51 am

Yep, no schlonts allowed.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Sun May 18, 2008 4:55 am

Not a shmup, per se

Define a shmup. Therein lies the issue.

TWITCHDOCTOR wrote: Years ago I 1CC the first loops in Contra I,II, and III.(no cheats, just precise practice)

I found the first one quite easy. The second, not so since I seemed to be waiting for my bullet to go offscreen to shoot another. III... drawing a blank, console?

JoshF · Post by **JoshF** » Sun May 18, 2008 5:11 am

In Super Contra you have to wait for the bullet direction to catch up with you.

TWITCHDOCTOR · Post by **TWITCHDOCTOR** » Sun May 18, 2008 5:21 am

GaijinPunch wrote:
Not a shmup, per se
Define a shmup. Therein lies the issue.

TWITCHDOCTOR wrote: Years ago I 1CC the first loops in Contra I,II, and III.(no cheats, just precise practice)
I found the first one quite easy. The second, not so since I seemed to be waiting for my bullet to go offscreen to shoot another. III... drawing a blank, console?

Contra III "Alien Wars" for Super Nintendo.

cigsthecat · Post by **cigsthecat** » Sun May 18, 2008 6:24 am

Contra NES is bad for scoring competition no matter where the thread is posted. First, it's super easy. Second it stops increasing in difficulty after the third loop or so. After that the only thing is that you stop earning extends in the sixth loop I believe, at least it seemed that way last time I played it.

Great game, but it just becomes a time wasting marathon.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Sun May 18, 2008 9:09 am

JoshF wrote:In Super Contra you have to wait for the bullet direction to catch up with you.

Knowing is half the battle! With a bit of practice, though, you can send individual bullets up and down.

By the way, I've been planning to set up a high scores section on the Contra HQ, even though the games aren't especially amazing for scoring play.

JoshF · Post by **JoshF** » Sun May 18, 2008 9:41 am

Don't bother, there are no Contra games that are good for scoring. Super Contra maybe, but it has an invisible timer that makes it no fun. The rest have infinite scoring.

Acid King · Post by **Acid King** » Sun May 18, 2008 11:59 am

Andi wrote:About a year ago the mods said no to a Robotron 2084 high score thread. Seems like the interpretation of "shoot-em-up" is pretty strict.

That's kinda stupid that we can vote for it in the top 25 poll but a high score thread is out of the question.

indstr · Post by **indstr** » Sun May 18, 2008 3:34 pm

cigsthecat wrote:Contra NES is bad for scoring competition no matter where the thread is posted. First, it's super easy. Second it stops increasing in difficulty after the third loop or so. After that the only thing is that you stop earning extends in the sixth loop I believe, at least it seemed that way last time I played it.

Great game, but it just becomes a time wasting marathon.

I think it does keep increasing difficulty, as in adding more enemies (not 100% on this though).. Although with the NES slowdown, that doesn't always equate to making it harder. I think there's a maximum score the counter goes to - 6553500. Which I've never gotten to, but I played the crap out of the game about a year ago and I've been wanting to make one more marathon run to see how high I can go

Just thought it might be fun to compare against other shmuppers.

Since there's already a thread, anybody interested, just start posting scores.

Format: score - name - loop-level. (optionally post what controller you used as well

)

Kyper · Post by **Kyper** » Sun May 18, 2008 10:28 pm

I faintly remember an old post on GameFAQs that had a high score table. I definitely know that the maximum was reached (6553500), but I can't remember how many loops it was. I'm guessing 7 or 8.

As for increasing difficulty, I don't know if it ever stops but I did notice that those monsters at the very end of the game take more shots to kill than usual. Damn, maybe I should go through the game again to get my stuff straight.

indstr · Post by **indstr** » Mon May 19, 2008 2:26 am

I remember I only had about 2.5 mil on the 4th or so loop so I estimated that it is around the 12 loop before you reach the max score. Probably at least past the 10th. Although I don't think I would be able to last that far since it gets a lot harder when it stops giving you extra lives. Thing gives you extra lives like crazy. I guess anyone who can get the top score can compete by getting to further levels.

I haven't done my marathon run yet though, I only will if other people start posting scores. If not, I'll save it for when I play on Ubernes so I can upload my score on there

Erinu · Post by **Erinu** » Mon May 19, 2008 5:31 am

cigsthecat wrote:Great game, but it just becomes a time wasting marathon.

This basically sums up gaming as a whole.

Udderdude · Post by **Udderdude** » Mon May 19, 2008 6:00 am

Erinu wrote:
cigsthecat wrote:Great game, but it just becomes a time wasting marathon.
This basically sums up gaming as a whole.

But you enjoy wasting your time this way .. as opposed to wasting your time while bored

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Mon May 19, 2008 3:48 pm

JoshF wrote:Don't bother, there are no Contra games that are good for scoring. Super Contra maybe, but it has an invisible timer that makes it no fun. The rest have infinite scoring.

The idle protection doesn't make Super Contra scoring play non-fun; sitting on your arse milking enemies makes it non-fun. Given the broken nature of the basic game for scoring, the insta-kill is about all the game does to force you to move onto new scenarios. I guess they got tired of the old fashioned timer...to be honest that little timer stuck onto the corner of the screen is not my favorite game mechanic; Outzone's energy timer wouldn't make sense in Contra (it doesn't in OutZone either but that's getting off the point).

Personally, I think hardware is improved enough that there should be ways of forcing the player along without invisible timers and that doesn't involve Rygar style cloud monsters or walls of flames or Splatterhouse-style blue giants or...

Well, I suppose there's some caravan mode-style excitement to figuring out how you can get two million points in the original Contra (and whatever the figure is for Super Contra), but that's only for special people.

Lordstar · Post by **Lordstar** » Mon May 19, 2008 3:54 pm

I love games with mutiple modes.
Arcade mode, score attack time attack and so on.

I must admit im not a big fan of the score attack modes. Ive never really got time to sit down with a game and "really play it"

zinger · Post by **zinger** » Mon May 19, 2008 9:11 pm

Ed Oscuro wrote:Well, I suppose there's some caravan mode-style excitement to figuring out how you can get two million points in the original Contra (and whatever the figure is for Super Contra), but that's only for special people.

http://forum.insomnia.ac/viewtopic.php?t=2302

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Tue May 20, 2008 7:51 am

holy sheiit lol

I noticed that enemy scores aren't added immediately, but from my experiments they seemed to increase by a set amount per enemy (i.e. score on the counter would be just points per items destroyed * number such things destroyed); I was trying to figure out individual point items for objects.

I'm guessing the game still doesn't have a Donpachi style combo timer (lol), but are you saying that the points per popcorn enemy increases when you hit a bunch in a row?

zinger · Post by **zinger** » Tue May 20, 2008 10:04 pm

No, that's not what I'm saying. But maybe you're right, but it doesn't really matter anyway. Still a mystery why it works like that.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Wed May 21, 2008 10:35 am

I was rushed and didn't read that post carefully. From what I can tell, the game just keeps the score counter from increasing for a while - score might accumulate somewhere or other and be calculated+added to the main counter as a cycle-saving measure. It definitely is unusual.

I should also disavow most of that rot I wrote earlier about preventing milking; I just wonder if any major game developer has the guts to institute a timer again.

JoshF · Post by **JoshF** » Wed May 21, 2008 10:47 am

lol just shoot the rolling bombs

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Wed May 21, 2008 10:52 am

JoshF wrote:lol just shoot the rolling bombs

lül

shmups.system11.org

Contra NES scores thread

Contra NES scores thread

Re: Contra scores thread - OK in hi score section?