High Score Competition #184: Donkey Kong 3

[acvieluf]

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Game Name: Donkey Kong 3
ROM Name: dkong3
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Settings:
    Lives: 3
    Difficulty: Easy (default)
    Bonus Life: Every 30,000

Controls:
    Joystick: 4 Way
    Buttons: 1 Spray

There's no good description on KLOV, so here is from Wikipedia:

"Donkey Kong hangs from vines at the center of the screen, and the player-controlled Stanley the exterminator runs and jumps on platforms beneath him. Stanley can fire bug spray at both Donkey Kong and insects flying around the levels. A level is completed by continually using bug spray on Donkey Kong, forcing him to the top of the screen, or by killing all of the bugs. A super spray can on the vines falls down when Donkey Kong is sprayed past it. The super spray only lasts for a limited number of shots, but it pushes Donkey Kong upward at a much faster rate, making it easier to complete the level. It only appears at the start of each life."





This is one of my all time favorites, as we had it in our house growing up (late 80s-early 90s)  It made me one of the "cool kids", haha.

My biggest tip is to protect the flowers at the bottom of the screen.  By the third stage, they are giving you a 5000 pt. bonus when completing a stage. 

Last Day: Sunday Feb 7th, 2016 at Midnight Pacific time


Since this is my first post of this nature, please advise if i missed anything.  Have fun!

[vwalbridge]

People tend to bag on DK3 like it's the black-sheep of the Donkey Kongs. I too never understood it for the longest time until a wise man told me to start playing it like a shmup.

...needless to say, DK3 quickly became one of my favorite games after that realization.

[yotsuya]

I might do this one. I remember seeing DK3 in the wild BITD and thinking it was cool. Plus, who doesn't love Stanley's goofy grin as he dances the level away.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Great game choice!

[johnrt]

Okay! Even I'm gonna join this on my not yet finished DK cab! 

Edit: Man, this is not an easy game!
Score so far: 104100

[yamatetsu]

Okay! Even I'm gonna join this on my not yet finished DK cab! 

Nooo ! You fool ! Now this cab is never going to be finished !

[leapinlew]

Oh, big fan of this one. I may give it a go.

[acvieluf]

My name has been "registrated", haha.

194,800



Sent from my Atari 2600

[Mr. Peabody]

It's a cute game. There's too much disparity between the super soaker and plain, resulting in quick rounds with one, and very difficult rounds with the other - especially later on. A lot of times I'm holding on until the bugs run out. It doesn't seem a decisive win, you know?

[johnrt]

I've been playing this for hours now, but I can't seem to beat my personal best of 104100. It's incredibly hard!

[acvieluf]

It's a cute game. There's too much disparity between the super soaker and plain, resulting in quick rounds with one, and very difficult rounds with the other - especially later on. A lot of times I'm holding on until the bugs run out. It doesn't seem a decisive win, you know?

It may not feel like a decisive win, but i've never figured out which one gives you more points.  Early on, i'd say using the super sprayer and going fast is the most points.  But as the bugs change, and become worth more, i'd be curious to know if eliminating them actually gives you the higher score. After reading your post, i went looking online, and didn't find much.  But i plan a deeper search at some point.

[leapinlew]

The trick is to use the sprayer only when needed and to blast through the harder levels at higher difficulties (like the boss stage). Give up trying to get far per life and focus on getting a bonus life before dying. Keep all 5 flowers at all cost.

I'll post a score soon. I routinely get over 300k.

[acvieluf]

Small bump.



And on the new setup too! A little ghetto at the moment, haha.



Sent from my Atari 2600

[markc74]

I suck at this game. I can't work out if i like it or hate it yet...

42100 just to prop the rest of the leaderboard up (and give me a personal target) 

[Token]

I suck at this game. I can't work out if i like it or hate it yet...

I also suck at this one. I definitely love the game, though. Was lingering in the 40Ks, until I got one crazy game and cracked 100K. Came to post here and realized I still suck.

Back to the cab!

[acvieluf]

I suck at this game. I can't work out if i like it or hate it yet...

I also suck at this one. I definitely love the game, though. Was lingering in the 40Ks, until I got one crazy game and cracked 100K. Came to post here and realized I still suck.

Back to the cab!

But, over 100k puts you in third at least! Let's see it!

[RTyper56]

Im pretty bad at this too, but a little practice makes a bit of a difference.
Just think of it as a varietized 4 way galaga
66700

[yamatetsu]

235,800. Seems like I'm the only one who thinks that this is utter crap.

[acvieluf]

As in, you don't like it, or its "too easy" for you?

Sent from my Atari 2600

[yamatetsu]

As in, I don't like smups and I HATE Space Invaders/Galaga-type games in particular.

[acvieluf]

Ahh, I see. With a score like that, you're like a 7 foot tall kid that hates basketball. Haha

Sent from my Atari 2600

[leapinlew]

My entry -

289,700

[acvieluf]

My entry -

289,700

   any tips besides limited sprays? Are you purposefully dying anywhere, or just pushing through?

[leapinlew]

My entry -

289,700

   any tips besides limited sprays? Are you purposefully dying anywhere, or just pushing through?

Lets see...

I try not to use the spray till I'm past level 7. I then try to use the spray on the gray level, and on the boss stage (you should be able to get 2 wins out of 1 spray). On the blue level, I always try to beat the level without spray. Keep all your flower pots and you get a free man every other level.

One you hit level 19 though, everything changes. I don't know how much further I could go. I went into level 19 with 5 lives and lost all of them on the blue level.

Level 19 is the start of a much harder difficulty. I don't know how much further I could go. Donkey Kong throws coconuts at you

[acvieluf]

My personal best: 230,200

[popsicle]

137,000

[Token]

Can't seem to do any better than 102,700.

[acvieluf]

248600!
Spike Lee: "Is it the controls? It's gotta' be the controls!"



Sent from my Atari 2600

[leapinlew]

What are those? Magstiks?

[acvieluf]

What are those? Magstiks?

Yes.

Sent from my Atari 2600

[leapinlew]

What are those? Magstiks?

Yes.

Sent from my Atari 2600

I'm using a Wico 4 way. I had a pair of Magsticks on my first machine. The throw was just too short for me.

[acvieluf]

So far (I've only had 2 days of testing with them), but I really like the short throws, as change of direction happens much quicker and easier. But 8-way is a little tricky.

Sent from my Atari 2600

[leapinlew]

So far (I've only had 2 days of testing with them), but I really like the short throws, as change of direction happens much quicker and easier. But 8-way is a little tricky.

Sent from my Atari 2600

That was my deal breaker. I couldn't throw a fireball in streetfighter.

[acvieluf]

So far (I've only had 2 days of testing with them), but I really like the short throws, as change of direction happens much quicker and easier. But 8-way is a little tricky.

Sent from my Atari 2600

That was my deal breaker. I couldn't throw a fireball in streetfighter.

Really? I tested it with SFIICE, and fireballs were no problem. Dragon punches were a little finicky, but doable.

But we all play differently, and I am no fighting game aficionado.  If I played more, I may have more refined taste in my joysticks.

Sent from my Atari 2600

[popsicle]

Mildly better 178,200

[acvieluf]

So going into the last day, we have:

Leapinlew - 289,700
acvieluf - 248,600
Yamatetsu - 235,800
Popsicle - 178,200
Johnrt - 140,100
Tomen - 102,700
Rtyper56 - 66,700
Markc74 - 42,100


I'm doing this on my phone, so if I missed a score, let me know.

Still time left!




Sent from my Atari 2600

[leapinlew]

I don't keep up with the gaming competition, so how does this work? If I win do I pick a game? If anyone has a suggestion for the next game, send me a PM. I'll pick one of the suggestions and not reveal who sent me the PM.

[Token]

I don't keep up with the gaming competition, so how does this work? If I win do I pick a game? If anyone has a suggestion for the next game, send me a PM. I'll pick one of the suggestions and not reveal who sent me the PM.

Third place will choose the next game.

[leapinlew]

I don't keep up with the gaming competition, so how does this work? If I win do I pick a game? If anyone has a suggestion for the next game, send me a PM. I'll pick one of the suggestions and not reveal who sent me the PM.

Third place will choose the next game.

Ok, cool.

[yamatetsu]

254,400.