High score competition #159 Tetris: The Grand Master

[WakiMiko]

High Score Competition Rules and Scoreboard

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Game Name: Tetris: The Grand Master
ROM Name: tgmj
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Settings:
   --

Controls:
    Joystick: 4 way
    Buttons: 3 (counterclockwise rotation, clockwise rotation, counterclockwise rotation)

So there already has been a Tetris game in this high score competition, but I think Tetris the Grand Master is different enough to allow this. Also, TGM just happens to be my favorite arcade game series and I have to get more people to play
What sets TGM apart from other Tetris games is that the speed never stops increasing, until the pieces fall instantly. Furthermore, you don't play for points but to increase your rank.

SCORING:
The game displays a score while you play, but it's of little importance (even more so in the sequels). The highscore table doesn't even show your points. Depending on how good you play, the game assigns you a grade (shown in square in the upper left). The grades are based on the Japanese Kyu/Dan ranking system: They go from 9 to 1, then S1 to S9, and then finally GM (Grand Master).

So please, don't post your points, post your rank and mastering time.

More Info:

Let us review the progression of a game of "normal" Tetris, such as on the Game Boy, for example. It happens like this: the player receives a piece (tetromino, tetramino, piece, mino, @#*$& piece, noooo not that one, etc…) which he must place in the game space in such a way that he fills lines.
When a line is completely filled with blocks, it clears.
As you clear more and more lines, the pieces start falling faster.
Here comes a distinction with TGM: in Game Boy Tetris, for example, the maximum speed is fixed at 1 unit every every 20th of a second (or one unit every 3 frames, with the Game Boy screen running at a refresh rate of approximately 60Hz). In TGM, the pieces never stop falling faster and faster. Putting it another way, the gravity increases until pieces begin to fall instantly (20 units each frame). And this changes everything.



Why? Because this gravity significantly constrains the player's piece placement options, radically changing the way pieces are stacked. It takes more effort than to simply avoid making holes. You must maintain a vaguely pyramid like shape so that pieces can flow to the sides of the screen. In fact, everything is tuned for high speed play.

Continue reading (Tetris the Grand Master: A gameplay essay)

Guides and Info
Tetris Concept Wiki
http://tetrisconcept.net/wiki/TGM_Guide (Good explanation of mechanics and lots of useful tips)
http://kitaru.1101b.com/TGMGUIDE/ (Very in-depth guide)

Last day: Sunday, Feb. 22 2015 midnight Pacific
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- Quest for the Bronze Joystick! The most successful competitor of each calendar year will possess & display the BYOAC Bronze Joystick Trophy. See this thread for details:The BYOAC Bronze Joystick.
Happy Gaming!


Scoring Updates:

• Ex_mosquito - GM - 11:34:53
• WakiMiko - S5 - 6:56:98
• yamatetsu - S1 - 4:27:18
• epetti - 3 - 3:37:00

[lilshawn]

in this thread, you find out you suck at tetris.

[CrazyKongFan]

I don't need this thread to tell me that

[popsicle]

Ugh, that video is depressing. 

My rank  F-

[yamatetsu]

Grade 1, 5:11:33

[WakiMiko]

Ugh, that video is depressing. 

My rank  F-

Haha, wanna get even more depressed? It's actually quite slow when compared to TGM3:



The guy playing is the only western player to become grand master. There are only 6 grand masters world wide. Watch until (or skip forward to) level 999 for a special treat.

In TGM3, you actually can't even get the grand master grade in a single game. The game features an account system (yes an arcade game with user accounts!), and if you consistently play well, the game may decide to give you a "promotional exam" that you have to pass in order to advance to a better rank. Likewise there also are "demotional exams" when you are playing badly, but these are more subtle and can only be noticed by the playfield shaking at random intervals.


Shirase mode (starts at instant gravity and gets faster and adds some other stuff like rising garbage to make it even harder):

Grade 1, 5:11:33

Congrats, so far you are first place!

[Ex_mosquito]

My fav game series or all-time. All Tetris game before it had awkward horrible stiff controls...Atari, Tetris Plus.. Horrible control. Arika nailed it first time, a masterpiece imo. It's a pitty a TAP PCB is still so expensive.



11:34:53 Gm

[WakiMiko]

  so i guess the first place is taken now?

Did you actually get these times during the competition? 

[Ex_mosquito]

Yeah, I got it yesterday. I actually got faster than this the other week in work playing on the Zinc emulator on my dinner break.. but this is my fastest at home on the PCB.

[Vigo]

so i guess the first place is taken now?

I am assuming that anyone who gets GM and has a better time could still take first place.

[DeLuSioNal29]

I don't care what anyone says.  My favorite version was the Atari version (tetrisa rom).

[WakiMiko]

so i guess the first place is taken now?

I am assuming that anyone who gets GM and has a better time could still take first place.

Yeah that's true of course, but GM is quite hard to get

So how long have you been playing TGM mosquito?

[Ex_mosquito]

Hi, I started playing it in 2007 and played it for about a year, then I recently started playing it again properly a few months ago. It can be really depressing at first and can feel impossible, but I does get easier over time. I still have a long way to go, my Gm time is pretty average. My goal for the next few months is a mid 10min Gm. I don't get much time to play games these days so a quick 20min blast on TGM is prefect for me

I would recommend using the 20G code to practice 500+ speed (on titlescreen down 8times - C B A) It made the learning processes a lot easier than playing through the first 500 levels and then dying. When you can consistantly get to level 300 in 20G then try a normal game. That what I did to learn the game anyway.

Here's a 20G Gm vid I made a few years ago.

[jasonbar]

My poor old MAME cab's PC can't run this properly. Super choppy & blecchy. Was there a fix after 115u2, or is my PC just weak sauce?

-J

[pbj]

I played Tetris Grandmaster 2 on my Xbox last night.  It was kind of boring and crap.

 

[Vigo]

I remember I had a Tetris game for the Playstation or Dreamcast (can't remember), If you spun the piece fast enough, the piece would actually start going upward. Great programming, there.

[WakiMiko]

I played Tetris Grandmaster 2 on my Xbox last night.  It was kind of boring and crap.

 

You played Tetris The Grand Master Ace, which is the only bad game in the series due to the rules imposed on it by the Tetris Company. TGM2 aka Tetris The Absolute The Grand Master 2 (Plus) aka TAP  however is great.

[pbj]

That's awfully cute you think I know what I played.

 

[WakiMiko]

Well since that's the only Xbox game in the series and considering there is no game named "Tetris Grandmaster 2" I assumed that's what you played.

[pbj]

http://bit.ly/1DOAVg6

Why so salty, bro?

[Generic Eric]

Well since that's the only Xbox game in the series and considering there is no game named "Tetris Grandmaster 2" I assumed that's what you played.

Coinops

[bfauska]

or just mame.

[popsicle]

http://bit.ly/1DOAVg6

Why so salty, bro?

^That's just funny right there. 

[WakiMiko]

http://bit.ly/1DOAVg6

Why so salty, bro?

Yeah well, like Google shows you,  it's not called "tetris grandmaster 2".

Anyway, what mode did you play?  The first mode is actually "Normal" which indeed is quite boring. It goes to level 300 and then stops. It also gives you items at level 100 and 200 that help clear the field.

The main mode is Master mode.

Also FYI, shortly after the release of the TGM2 PCB Arika released an upgrade that added new modes, while keeping all the original ones, so there is really no point in playing the vanilla version.

[lilshawn]

Yeah well, like Google shows you,  it's not called "tetris grandmaster 2".

seriously? you are going to do this?

[WakiMiko]

Yeah please lets get more hung about the name instead of discussing the games. 
When he said "tetris grandmaster 2", I just thought he might be confusing  ACE with T.A. because a) he was playing on Xbox b) he said its boring an crap and c) nobody who is into the series calls it that, so it was entirely possible, especially with thread being about the first game in the series, that he might think that ACE is the second. I was wrong, I am sorry, he didnt even play ACE.


Ex_mosquito: Great video! I'm jelly of your skills and candy cabinet

[lilshawn]

Yeah please lets get more hung about the name instead of discussing the games. 
When he said "tetris grandmaster 2", I just thought he might be confusing  ACE with T.A. because a) he was playing on Xbox b) he said its boring an crap and c) nobody who is into the series calls it that, so it was entirely possible, especially with thread being about the first game in the series, that he might think that ACE is the second. I was wrong, I am sorry, he didnt even play ACE.


Ex_mosquito: Great video! I'm jelly of your skills and candy cabinet

it's pbj, let's just say, he doesn't like a lot of things. we move on. no biggie.

[pbj]

Buzz off, weeaboo

[lilshawn]

oh it's on like do- erm...tetris.

[popsicle]

oh it's on like do- erm...tetris.

You mean it's on like Ko- erm...tetris.

[bfauska]

oh it's on like do- erm...tetris.

You mean it's on like Ko- erm...tetris.

Does that mean that you think the phrase is "it's on like Kong"? Start typing that into Google and you may find the more common version is the one he said.

[yamatetsu]

Grade S1, 4:27:18

[popsicle]

oh it's on like do- erm...tetris.

You mean it's on like Ko- erm...tetris.

Does that mean that you think the phrase is "it's on like Kong"? Start typing that into Google and you may find the more common version is the one he said.

PBJ, care to explain? 

[pbj]

[WakiMiko]

Buzz off, weeaboo

Yeah looks like Coinops doesn't show the full name. What mode did you play?

[bfauska]

That'll teach me to be a phrase nazi.

[lilshawn]

How do you type out the sound porn music makes? Wakaa bow chicka bow wow?

[bfauska]

How do you type out the sound porn music makes? Wakaa bow chicka bow wow?

brown chicken brown cow, brown chicken brown cow.

[Vigo]

Speaking of music. This Tetris really needs some russian music to go with it. Tetris aint Tetris without it. 

[stripe4]

Speaking of music. This Tetris really needs some russian music to go with it. Tetris aint Tetris without it. 

Here you go!

[Vigo]

Vocals might get old, but I could totally play tetris to that tune. 

[WakiMiko]

*Lyrics don't apply to TGM

[pbj]

[epetti]

I'd echo lilshawn. This is where you find out how much you suck at Tetris. Well, made it to rank 3 after several games (got close to 2) and I think I won't be getting much past that.

[WakiMiko]

Rankings so far:

• Ex_mosquito - GM - 11:34:53
• yamatetsu - S1 - 4:27:18
• epetti - 3 - 3:37:00

pbj: Guess you won't answer my question, I give up.

I'd echo lilshawn. This is where you find out how much you suck at Tetris. Well, made it to rank 3 after several games (got close to 2) and I think I won't be getting much past that.

With only one more line clear to reach level 200 (you need a line clear to go from level x99 to the next section), the gravity would have decreased to almost nothing for a while, giving you time to recover and to reach rank 2. If you keep going at it, you will make it, no doubt.

[epetti]

Thanks for the tip. I assumed it just kept getting faster. So where's your score? I'm guessing it'll be pretty up there.

[pbj]

pbj: Guess you won't answer my question, I give up.

Same here.  After being told I couldn't possibly be playing this game on my Xbox, I posted a pic of the title screen and got an awful lot of *crickets*.

Boring crap.  I'll be happy when this one is over.  Whoever picked this title is bad and should feel bad.

[Vigo]

Let's not mince words. tell him how you really feel, Jim. 

[WakiMiko]

Thanks for the tip. I assumed it just kept getting faster. So where's your score? I'm guessing it'll be pretty up there.

Haha, I'm actually not that good, despite having played for quite a while and loving the game. I got S4 a bunch of times, but not during this competition so far. I'm trying to get it again before I post my score.

So in the meantime, have a secret grade I got recently:



(You get that by making a > shape)

Same here.  After being told I couldn't possibly be playing this game on my Xbox, I posted a pic of the title screen and got an awful lot of *crickets*.

Boring crap.  I'll be happy when this one is over.  Whoever picked this title is bad and should feel bad.

No idea why you are so hostile. I already admitted being wrong about you playing TGM ACE. I'm terribly sorry that I didn't know about Coinops. Anything else I can do to make you feel better and soothe your ego?

About this game being "boring crap": To each his own I guess. Some might enjoy a challenge, others might not. Rest assured that I don't feel bad in the slightest.

[lilshawn]

No idea why you are so hostile.

heh heh. check it out guys, this guy doesn't know about pinballjim 

[pbj]

Can someone please confirm I am playing the right game?  I got something like 298 lines. 

[Vigo]

If you are playing the game you pictured, then no. The game is called Tetris: The Grand Master. You have Tetris: The Absolute Grand Master 2.

[WakiMiko]

The screenshots you posted are from the second game in the series, this thread is about the first.

[pbj]

Is Tetris: The Grand Master that one that isn't boring crap?

 

[epetti]

The title screen is the same picture that's at the top of this thread.

[pbj]

　 　    ＿
     　/～ヽ
　　  （｡・-・）      ｷｬｯｷｬ
　 o(u_　u)っ))ﾊﾟﾀﾊﾟﾀ

Desu desu!

Doki Waku Hai!

[WakiMiko]

Got S5 in 6:56:98!



By the way, the TGM series has become quite popular on the internet recently, after it was played at the Awesome Games Done Quick 2015 charity marathon:

[WakiMiko]

Bump! It's the last day to get your scores in!

[WakiMiko]

Congrats to our grand master Ex_mosquito who (as expected!) wins this round. Yamatetsu, it's your turn to pick the next game!

• Ex_mosquito - GM - 11:34:53 (3 Points)
• WakiMiko - S5 - 6:56:98 (2 Points)
• yamatetsu - S1 - 4:27:18 (1 Point)
• epetti - 3 - 3:37:00

[pbj]

New rule - High score photos need to include a post it with the days date written on it

[yamatetsu]

New thread - High score competition #160 : Hopper Robo