High Score competition #38: Bomb Jack

[CrazyKongFan]

The last 37 competitions:

#1 - Shinobi - Winner: Destructor
#2 - Jungle Hunt - Winner: CrazyKongFan
#3 - Zoo Keeper - Winner: DeLuSioNal29
#4 - Q*Bert - Winner: quarterstringer
#5 - Robotron 2084 - Winner: (+_+)
#6 - Joust - Winner: Shoegazer)
#7 - Elevator Action - Winner: FrontyDev
#8 - Mr Do - Winner: DeLuSioNal29
#9 - Hyper Sports - Winner: drawfull
#10 - Wonder Boy - Winner: DrFrag
#11 - Bubble Bobble - Winner: mrclean
#12 - Gun.Smoke - Winner: isucamper
#13 - Ghouls 'n Ghosts - Winner: Ginsu Victim
#14 - Ms Pac-Man (with speedup hac) - Winner: CrazyKongFan
#15 - Frogger - Winner: CrazyKong Fan, Second: Jasonbar
#16 - Grobda - Winner: Mimic, Second: Cornchip
#17 - Bank Panic - Winner: ahofle, Second: Jasonbar
#18 - Juno First - Winner: RayB, Second: Shoegazer
#19 - Rolling Thunder - Winner: DrFrag, Second: isucamper
#20 - Terra Cresta - Winner: isucamper, Second: Jasonbar
#21 - Gladiator - Winner: Jasonbar, Second: Hewskie
#22 - Alcon (Slap Fight) - Winner: DrFrag, Second: Bender
#23 - Galaga - Winner: quarterstringer, Second: ToddH
#24 - Defender - Winner: quarterstringer, Second: tcleary
#25 - Klax - Winner: CrazyKongFan, Second: TAG
#26 - Funny Mouse - Winner: quarterstringer, Second: Epyx
#27 - Rampart - Winner: isucamper, Second: john_abey
#28 - Satan's Hollow - Winner: jasonbar, Second: ummon
#29 - The Speed Rumbler - Winner: Epyx, Second: Mimic
#30 - Black Dragon - Winner: Epyx, Second: CrazyKongFan
#31 - Twin Cobra - Winner: ArcadeNerd, Second: jasonbar
#32 - Tetris - Winner: DrFrag, Second: qlunch
#33 - Gyruss - Winner: Hurray Banana, Second: vorghagen
#34 - Mappy - Winner: Jasonbar, Second: TAG
#35 - Bump 'n' Jump - Winner: Comtek, Second: DrFrag
#36 - Popeye - Winner: CrazyKongFan, Second: isucamper
#37 - Pengo - Winner: CrazyKongFan, Second: MazzMn

Since I chose Pengo and won, 2nd place gets to pick. MazzMn chose Bomb Jack and asked if I could post it. We were talking about TG a few times in PM's, so I've chosen their settings, which I don't think are default. Bird Speed is Easy on default (at least on WolfMAME 106, sometimes defaults change on different versions). They have it set to Hard, so I've chosed that, for anyone who might want to submit a score. The scores are really high though, top score is over 16 million! Remember, if you want to submit a score to TG, you'll have to record with WolfMAME 106. Anyway, here's the rules:

ROMSet: BombJack
Lives: 3
Bird speed: Hard    (Note: Hard, might not be default setting)
Enemies Number & Speed: Medium
Special coin: Easy  

- One credit only.

- No continues! (I don't think Bomb Jack allows them anyway)

- No MAME cheats!

- Last day is Thursday March 4th (11:59:59pm Pacific Daylight Time), 2010.
 
- High score wins.

- No savestates, savestate practices, etc. during the round.

- MAME INP recordings are optional, but encouraged!

- A screenshot is required to enter a score (press F12 to save screenshot showing your final score) or take a photo of the screen if playing on a real machine.

- If you're a MARP competitor on this title, keep in mind this is just a friendly competition amongst forum members, so maybe you shouldn't enter. However, if you're a forum member and this is a game you're good at and nobody knows about it, this is your time to shine!

Good luck!

[CrazyKongFan]

A couple tips, for those who haven't played it before. When you pick up the first bomb, another one will have a lit fuse. If you pick up the lit one, another one will be lit. If you can pick up all the lit ones in order, you'll get a special bonus, up to 50K per level. Also, as you pick up bombs, occasionally a coin will appear. I know of at least 3, P freezes all the enemies which can then be picked up for points, B adds to the multiplier for the board, and E gives you a free man. The P is really important as the screen fills up with enemies. You can use it to clear them out, or if you only have 1 or 2 bombs left, to quickly finish the board. As far as movement, pushing the button makes you jump, and if you tap the button, he'll "float" in the air and you can move sideways. Holding up on the stick while jumping makes you super jump (you can jump from the bottom of the screen all the way to the top). Holding down on the stick makes you fall quickly.

[qlunch]

Geez tough little game, I can't imagine making it into the millions...

I may post a screen if I can break 30000 haha

[bpark42]

Wow I suck at this game...5 games and I have only barely broken 30,000.  On the plus side it doesn't make me quite as angry as Pengo did! 

[bpark42]

Well, I am sure this score will get smashed, but just to start it off...77310

[CrazyKongFan]

I'll add my first entry, just slightly higher, 82480. I made some really stupid mistakes, esp. on the first level. I've been able to snag the 50K special bonus before, but only got 10K this time.

[Hurray Banana]

What are we putting the bonus life setting to?

I propose <none>

Cheers

[Hurray Banana]

Haven't had time to play the competitions lately.

I have moderate ability at this game here's my first couple of goes (with bonus life set to none)

[councilface]

Im getting 200k ish. I need to practice.

Ive been playing this game for 20 odd years. Today was the 1st time I collected the "s" that gives out another credit.

Why couldnt I have got the "s" when I was a kid and needed that 10 pence eh?

[CrazyKongFan]

I don't think it has anything to do with extra lives. You get an extra life when you pick up an "E" coin. What that setting does do though, is set the scores in the high score table. In WolfMAME 106 (which is what TG uses, and TG is where I got the rules from), it says "INITIAL HIGH SCORE" for that dipswitch setting. I don't know what the multiples ones do though. Setting it to "NONE" makes the high score table 10,000. If you set it to 30,000, the high score table is filled with 30,000's.

[allroy1975]

you should list the scores with those games ...just so people can see how they measure up in the community. 

[bradx]

my buddy mark just beat that score, he played it for the first time yesterday

[bpark42]

Note to self: do NOT stop to look up at the score to see if you passed 1st place yet when you are in the middle of the level with an easy bonus in reach.  ...because if you do you will jump into the bird instead of the "P" with 90 points to go. 

I think I need to stop for the night.  So my current best is 260,750.

[bpark42]

Well, I couldn't let it go.  Posting my previous failure motivated me, and I finally had a breakthrough. 

359650

[Flaptop]

Hi,
I would like to say hi to all peepz on this forum and thx for the useful information on these forums for building this thing i'll crush your high scores with   .
I've been following this thread for a  few weeks and I must say pengo was not really my thing + I couldn't afford a short period addiction due to work .

But,
Things Change ..

I have a week off and i'll be in for Tha Bomb Jack!

i played this game in my last holiday in a competition with my brother  a year ago but you'll probably know  such things get a  place in twisted minds.
So I went to the settings of mame and I saw I  wasn't playing these tourney rules ( bird speed etc )

that means my high score(witch is very high btw ) isn't legal so... , you probably hear my first question coming.
How can I reset the highscore  of this game and only  this game  ?

Thx

And greetings

 

[meany]

that means my high score(witch is very high btw ) isn't legal so... , you probably hear my first question coming.
How can I reset the highscore  of this game and only  this game  ?

Open up the mame folder.  then the Hi folder.  look for bombjack.hi.  delete this file

[sk8ersublime]

F3 will reset the game and the hiscores.  But yea...ive never played this game before, pretty fun tho....im only getting around 20k hahaha i need to practice!

edit - F3 not F5

[Hurray Banana]

Well, I couldn't let it go.  Posting my previous failure motivated me, and I finally had a breakthrough. 

359650

Great score mate.

I haven't got time till the weekend to fire up me cab, but it looks like I'll need a bit of practice to get in a groove good enough to best ya.

[DeLuSioNal29]

I played this last night for a bit to practice.  I got close to 300,000 and plan to give you some nice competition tonight when I REALLY get into it.  Heh heh.

Stay tuned.

DeLuSioNaL29

[bpark42]

Out of curiosity, does anyone actually go for the bonus on the 5th level?  I tried initially, but decided that it was safer just to clear that level as fast as possible.  Those spaceship enemies spawn pretty quickly and they are very, very dangerous because of how fast they move.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Out of curiosity, does anyone actually go for the bonus on the 5th level?  I tried initially, but decided that it was safer just to clear that level as fast as possible.  Those spaceship enemies spawn pretty quickly and they are very, very dangerous because of how fast they move.

Yes, I do.  The trick is to find a pattern that minimizes the baddies from touching you.  Then the P will appear and you MUST clear them all in order to have a chance to get the rest of the lit bombs without dying.

D

[bpark42]

Thanks!  I figured there was a good pattern but I had a harder time figuring it out on that level than any of the others I have played so far.  This game was new to me as of the start of the competition, so I am still learning. 

[DeLuSioNal29]

But you have to admit it's a gem of a game.   

[bpark42]

Well, I couldn't let it go.  Posting my previous failure motivated me, and I finally had a breakthrough. 

359650

Great score mate.

I haven't got time till the weekend to fire up me cab, but it looks like I'll need a bit of practice to get in a groove good enough to best ya.

Thanks!  I appreciate you holding off on kicking my butt.  I get to have the high score for a day or two at least. 

[bpark42]

But you have to admit it's a gem of a game.   

This is definitely one for my favorites list!

[Flaptop]

428 000

Here's a vid so U guys can see the pattern.
Make me do Better

[DeLuSioNal29]

Very cool video.  I think you have me beat.  My high at the moment is only 317k or so.  Nice job!

By the way, although I'm playing this on my vertical cabinet, I'd like to run it with the MAME logos on my horizontal cabinet.  Any tips on how you did that?  I remember seeing it here at Kevin Steele's Retroblast, but it's only for .79 or lower.  What version of MAME are you running?

DeLuSioNaL29

[Flaptop]

I think The mame bezel came as an option in gameex( the frontend i'm using)

[sk8ersublime]

i cant get him to jump to the top of the screen :\ I lose.

[Hewskie]

A couple tips, for those who haven't played it before. When you pick up the first bomb, another one will have a lit fuse. If you pick up the lit one, another one will be lit. If you can pick up all the lit ones in order, you'll get a special bonus, up to 50K per level. Also, as you pick up bombs, occasionally a coin will appear. I know of at least 3, P freezes all the enemies which can then be picked up for points, B adds to the multiplier for the board, and E gives you a free man. The P is really important as the screen fills up with enemies. You can use it to clear them out, or if you only have 1 or 2 bombs left, to quickly finish the board. As far as movement, pushing the button makes you jump, and if you tap the button, he'll "float" in the air and you can move sideways. Holding up on the stick while jumping makes you super jump (you can jump from the bottom of the screen all the way to the top). Holding down on the stick makes you fall quickly.

I didn't know the first time I played this game a year or 2 ago so I gave up on it quick, but the OP enlightened all of us in his tips at the top!

Hewskie

[bpark42]

i cant get him to jump to the top of the screen :\ I lose.

Hold up when you jump.

[sk8ersublime]

i cant get him to jump to the top of the screen :\ I lose.

Hold up when you jump.

Haha yea i just figured that out...

I watched that video and tried following....

I die so fast...65k haha

[Flaptop]

461.490

But I made some  stupido mistakes in this game so 500 k is  the target

[DeLuSioNal29]

I think what the best thing about all of these competitions is that we learn about games we never heard of and they end up being great.

Does everyone agree?

D

[sk8ersublime]

I think what the best thing about all of these competitions is that we learn about games we never heard of and they end up being great.

Does everyone agree?

D

+1

I suck at this game, but its still fun! I could see it being a good "I CHALLENGE YOU!" game when drinking with friends

this is also the first Challenge thread i have read on here

[Flaptop]

What challenge  ? :p

But delusional got point when he says it's always nice to discover a good cab friendly game.
I probably spent more time setting up the cab  and finding good  games for it then actually playing them.

back to bombjack  , I keep on hitting scores 400k+ but then i spend time finding out the pattern and they don't become easier.
as in the last round of this vid I almost got 50k bonus for the first time



481 840

What I like at  this game is the fast paced action of it and really bashing the controls to guide jack.
and the fact it's not an easy game. and by that I mean you can't play the first half hour with the first life( like  wonderboy I really like the action but it's a little to long ....)

[bpark42]

I've currently topped out around 400k.  This is starting to feel like work, so I'm not sure how much longer I am going to chase the high score.  Probably just need a break...

[bpark42]

As usual, my stubborn nature won out and I kept playing.  Tried a different strategy.

514140

[dekar24k]

Lol .. I thought I was pretty good at this game so I was preparing to participate, but then I started reading your scores...

I can do maybe 80k hehe..  

Edit: Just watched the above video. Wow, you get 50k bonus pts for grabbing the fire bombs? Ok, I'm gonna play.

[CrazyKongFan]

Edit: Just watched the above video. Wow, you get 50k bonus pts for grabbing the fire bombs? Ok, I'm gonna play.

Guess you didn't read my post immediately after the game announcement?