Game competition #3: Mame - Zoo Keeper

[Ummon]

Well, seems CrazyKongFan has been away a little while, so I've picked the next game.

Zoo Keeper

- parent set, default settings

- use any mame version or variant you wish

- period is two weeks from today
 
- high score wins (a tie means there's more than one winner)

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

[DeLuSioNal29]

My favorite game!  :-)

First Pic:  Level 1 (using only 1 man)   
Second Pic:  Final Score.   

I'm sure I can do better, but I just wanted to set the bar high.

~ D

[CrazyKongFan]

Ah, sorry about that. Hadn't checked the board for a few days. Didn't know I got to choose the next game Zookeeper is a fun one. Just one caution. There's a point leeching tactic on the coconut boards. I assume this not allowed? (although it'd be hard to prove without an INP to view)

[DeLuSioNal29]

I say that you allow it.  It's tough as hell to stay alive on those boards, and you usually end up losing 1 or 2 men in the process.  If people choose to do it... good luck!  It's not worth it, when you can score 30,000 points in later boards with the lions.

[RayB]

Deadline. MONDAY Sept 29

[Ummon]

That's cool, DeL. I figured there'd be some people good at this. I've done a really miraculous game of 399k, but haven't broken 300k since then.

point leech: I don't consider it a leech. It can be damn hard, and it's not like simply jumping up and down next to Kong, you have to leave the pedestal and come back. I can actually do this more easily than catching lions, but not much. Haven't really practiced it.

Deadline. MONDAY Sept 29

Heh, yeah I thought of typing that.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Pic # 1 - My all time high score on ROUND 1 WITHOUT DYING - Beat that!!!    4,190!
Pic # 2 - I had an amazing round 4!  164,700 including the score still being calculated on screen (I hit the screenshot key during the calculation)  I thought I would have the game of my life.  Then I died quickly on the lion board...   
Pic # 3 - Not my best score but still respectable: 231,200

But try replicating Pic # 1... it's near impossible.

~DeLuSioNaL

[CrazyKongFan]

It's funny you mention Kong. The coconut board leeching is banned by TG, but the Kong foot-jump isn't. The latter is because the game is timed, so you can only do it for a short time, whereas the former, if someone is good enough, can rack up rediculous scores. There's even a scene in King of Kong talking about it. I agree it's really hard to do though. I can get to about 40K for the jump, and get hit by a coconut.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Yeah, the best strategy in my opinion is to jump tons of animals at the same time.  I got lucky on round 4 and jumped for 60,000 points twice.  I tried to attempt this later in future games and failed.

~ D

[RayB]

OH you get points for jumping animals? Good to know. I guess there's no point in containing them. har har

This is a tough game. I can barely crack 30,000

[DeLuSioNal29]

The trick is to get points by letting them out, then grab the net near the end to put them all back in so that they will count towards your bonus points before the time runs out.

[FrizzleFried]

Thats a net?  I thought it was a shovel or something.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Yep, I always thought so too, since it's solid white, but it is indeed a net.  Gotta love 8-bit graphics.

[pinballwizard79]

count me in on the next game................speaking of...........what is it going to be?

anyway I will give this one a shot tomorrow.......watch out!

[Ummon]

pbw79: depends on who wins....


Yeah, Ray, haven't you watched the attract mode?...or even the intro to each game?

the net: it does look more like a hopper than something flexible and all. After about the sixth board, though, they game cheats you. If you get a whole bunch in the cage, the animals eat faster than you could ever put blocks back. So I just try to survive, and get some large animal group jumps in there for mega points. Read the game info on that, it's pretty neat how it multiplies. (Actually, the whole game info is pretty neat.)

I generally can get at least one jump on the top platform of the first two platform screens but any more than that is courting death. Big points if you can manage more. Anyways, here's my latest high score. On your heels DeL. Arrrr.

Oh, and how the hell did you manage that first board?

[DeLuSioNal29]

I'll give you a hint on the 1st board... you'll have to get the two beers first for 320 points (don't jump) and then purposefully run into the elephant... all within the first 10 seconds.  It will give you "1 more try" and tell you that you need to jump over animals.  So you don't really die. 

~ D

[pinballwizard79]

There are beers in this game?

Nice!

Looks like I have to temporarily map a screen shot button to prove my worthiness.

[Ummon]

Hey, something I thought to add to the rules, effective immediately.

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


DeL: ohhhhh. That's easy then. Not a big deal so early on. Still, I need to read up on the games presented to think about such things being used. Or not.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Well,

I was playing on my desktop PC all of this time with the keyboard, and then I decided... hey, might as well play on my arcade.  So, I plug a USB drive into my arcade PC to save my screenshots on and go at it.  What a difference the joystick made!

Here's my first attempt.  I got super lucky and managed to jump 8 animals in 1 shot for an instant 120,000 points.  Oh yeah, and I also upped the ante for max points on level 1 without dying.  4,190 points. 

~ DeLuSioNaL

[DeLuSioNal29]

DeL: ohhhhh. That's easy then. Not a big deal so early on.

It's easier said than done.  Took me forever to max the points out.  I've only managed to tie it ever since, on rare occasions.

~ D

[DeLuSioNal29]

Anyone know how to "record" and "playback" gameplay?  I'd like to make a recording.  Sometimes when I am playing I get away with murder and if a whole crowd was behind me, everyone would go, "Whoah! So lucky!".  But I'm usually alone after the Kideo is asleep.  I'd like to see other BYOACers recordings as well.

~ D

[Ummon]

Yeah, you're right, not easy. But not too hard to get close. I can't get more than 3990, and that's the end of my patience on that. But, look back, you got the same both times - 4190. Nice new score.

Recording depends on what mame you're using. If it's mame32 then it's easy. Cmd line way isn't too hard I guess though a bother. And there are in-game commands but I forget what they are. The thing with recording is playing back. Some versions and variants of mame don't play nice playing back, even though the same recorded has to be used for playback.

[Ummon]

Okay. One last score. HAH.  I didn't record it, though. This was my best run in a while. I mananged to dodge the coconuts both platform screens and get some extra fruit, plus got the first bonus on both. I swear, I got to the lions with all my dudes and then lost two of them, else I would've gotten more.

[RayB]

Anyone know how to "record" and "playback" gameplay?  I'd like to make a recording.

Use Wolfmame?

[destructor]

I'd like to see other BYOACers recordings as well.

Go to MARP and download MAME replays.

[DeLuSioNal29]

OK.  335,090. 

And Yes, I killed my own record on round 1.  4,390.   

Your Turn.

~ D

[Ummon]

Nice. I thought it might spur ya. I might be able to top that - though not even on the first board. I don't know how you did the first score. Not that I care to figure it out. Just WAY beyond my interest. I'll watch your video though.

[Ummon]

Well. This game started off the total underdog, because I only had eighty thousand by the second platform screen. And though I had all my guys, I lost three of them on through the lion screens - but on my last one, I managed to last long enough and get some jump bonuses and be right where the net was such that I ended up with three lions in the cage at end time.

That netted me probably a hundred grand. Then I got some good items on the third platform, including one of those dollar signs, plus the twenty thou bonus (no way was I fool enough to try for a leap and back on), and I was so confident I could pass the elevators, and as you can see was that damn close. Ah well. In any case, a new score for here, a new score for myself.

[protokatie]

Game comp#4 is gonna have to be defender. Since I havent even HEARD of the game you guys are competing on right now...

DEFENDER FOR #4!
Start date is the 30th and will last a month!

(Unless that was already done.... of course)

Defender for the win!

[Antix]

great idea this one.... Makes me want to get my arcade machine actually working again... might be a mission before the end of the month!!

[Ummon]

Game comp#4 is gonna have to be defender. Since I havent even HEARD of the game you guys are competing on right now...

DEFENDER FOR #4!
Start date is the 30th and will last a month!

(Unless that was already done.... of course)

Defender for the win!

Well, if my score stays tops, then I get to decide again. Except, by default, I've been decideing, so I'll defer to the runner up. Still have six days, though.

[protokatie]

Game comp#4 is gonna have to be defender. Since I havent even HEARD of the game you guys are competing on right now...

DEFENDER FOR #4!
Start date is the 30th and will last a month!

(Unless that was already done.... of course)

Defender for the win!

Well, if my score stays tops, then I get to decide again. Except, by default, I've been decideing, so I'll defer to the runner up. Still have six days, though.

Well, since you are the dues ex machina in carna:

SURVEY SAYS!: :cough cough: defender :cough: def :cough: ender :cough:


If not, I will sprout an un-official defender (red label only) competition. (I will not partake for many reasons, one being I am in the middle of moving, and two is that I love the game, but suck at it.) I just wanna see how well you guys do with it.

[Ummon]

   .....feel free to do so. Really, a separate thread I think would be better.

[protokatie]

   .....feel free to do so. Really, a separate thread I think would be better.

Okies.

Just poking at you anyways

Regardless, get your defender hats ready once the current comp is done. There is nothing wrong with being good at that game

[Ummon]

No need to wait. Start whenever you wish.

Also, nobody else have any scores? I'd figure DeL might have something as he obviously has the game more figured out than I do. I'm pretty decent but mostly I got lucky.

[DeLuSioNal29]

OK, here's my best...

-  Round 1... topped it again.  4,390!

-  Round 2... 41,920.... lucky on round 2 with jumps!

-  1st Lion Board... 253,880 to start the round with men still left.

-  Second bonus board...  496,480 upon completion with extra men still left.

Final Score... 584,480!

[Twin-X]

Hahaha i cannot even get past level 2!

Stiil i enjoy these competitions and one day i will be winner to pick my game!

[Ummon]

Killer, DeL. I knew you had it in you.....though......and I have to laugh at this.....you keep saying you beat your board one score while repeating the score you had the time before. Anyways, now I don't have to worry about deferring to the runner up.

[DeLuSioNal29]

LOL!  You're right about the score for round 1.  Duh.  I didn't realize...

[DeLuSioNal29]

This time I really topped it.  :-)

Level 1 that is.  4,690

~ D

[Ummon]

So, um, where's your vid?

[DeLuSioNal29]

How would I go about making one?  I had thought that screenshots were sufficient.  I tried messing around with inp files, but they never play back correctly and after a while the zoo keeper guy does crazy stuff and then dies.

Anyone figure out how to record and playback perfectly?  I checked out the MARP website and tried their scripts, but they still don't play back correctly.  I give up.  Been trying all week.

Note:  I also tried recording MNG and AVI files and the game slowed to a crawl at times.  So that didn't work.

~ D

[protokatie]

How would I go about making one?  I had thought that screenshots were sufficient.  I tried messing around with inp files, but they never play back correctly and after a while the zoo keeper guy does crazy stuff and then dies.

Anyone figure out how to record and playback perfectly?  I checked out the MARP website and tried their scripts, but they still don't play back correctly.  I give up.  Been trying all week.

Note:  I also tried recording MNG and AVI files and the game slowed to a crawl at times.  So that didn't work.

~ D

Have you tried FRAPS? It works for mame games, and doesnt have a high overhead (just hope you have a lot of HD space while recording)

[DeLuSioNal29]

Yeah, I tried the demo version of FRAPS and the game stuttered for 30 seconds and then got better.  But then I realized that the demo version only lasts for 30 seconds of record time, so it was the recording that caused the problems.  I have tons of hard drive space running a quad core CPU.  I don't get it.

[protokatie]

Yeah, I tried the demo version of FRAPS and the game stuttered for 30 seconds and then got better.  But then I realized that the demo version only lasts for 30 seconds of record time, so it was the recording that caused the problems.  I have tons of hard drive space running a quad core CPU.  I don't get it.

In this case "quad core" = mono or dual core. Do you have SV out or similar and a DVR? Dunno what more to say... Maybe a VHS recorder and an import card... (yeah, I know: So 90's!)

[Ummon]

DeL, I can't figure out how you got those scores, so I was curious if you could vid them is all. I don't have problems with older versions of mame. I know .125 was screwy at least for playback. I suggest trying Mame32, either say .104 or the current version and see what happens. Mame32/UI is easy in that all you have to do is right-click on the game in the list and select 'play and record', the game starts in record mode and off you go. Then for playback, right-click and select 'playback' and it should playback correctly. I know .104 does, anyway. Then post your inp file and say which version you used.

Anyways, time's been up, DeL's the winner so he has to pick a game.

[leapinlew]

DeL, I can't figure out how you got those scores, so I was curious if you could vid them is all. I don't have problems with older versions of mame. I know .125 was screwy at least for playback. I suggest trying Mame32, either say .104 or the current version and see what happens. Mame32/UI is easy in that all you have to do is right-click on the game in the list and select 'play and record', the game starts in record mode and off you go. Then for playback, right-click and select 'playback' and it should playback correctly. I know .104 does, anyway. Then post your inp file and say which version you used.

Anyways, time's been up, DeL's the winner so he has to pick a game.

I also would like to see the vids. Not for any reason but I think it would be cool to watch someone else play and to see their strategies. If you guys can figure a way to do that, that would be cool.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Well, thanks to the MARP forums, I was able to make a vid!  (see attached .zip below) I am using MAME32 .119.

The problem was, I was hitting F3 to bypass the maintenance screen, when I should have been hitting F1 instead.

So, when you play the video, once in the game, you type "OK" to bypass the disclaimer. Hit "enter" to bypass the game info and then let the .inp file automatically do the rest to bypass everything.

I know the contest is over, but I managed to score a whopping 625,670!

I only scored 4,240 on the first level (4,690 is my hi), but it shows the technique that I use to score higher without losing a life.

~ DeLuSioNaL

[DeLuSioNal29]

Here's another inp file that show a high score on level 1 if you are curious on how I do it.

[DeLuSioNal29]

To play my .inf file I made:

-  Download the matching MAME version the .inf recording was made on. (I recorded mine on .119)
-  Download the files below and unzip to the mame directory
-  Download the .inf file and place it in a folder name "inf" in the MAME directory.  Create the directory if it's not already there.
-  Copy the zookeeper.zip rom to the rom folder in the mame directory.
-  go to the c:\ prompt and navigate to the MAME directory.  To do this in Windows:  Click on Start, Run, type in "cmd" (no quotes) and hit enter.  Type in "cd c:\mame" (no quotes) (or wherever you have mame .119 installed).  The prompt should now be in the mame directory.
-  Type: playback zookeep delusional29.inp (hit enter)

You can do the same to record .inf files:
-  Type: record zookeep (hit enter)
It will automatically create an .inp file in the inp folder called zookeep

Hope this helps!

~ DeLuSioNaL

[Ummon]

I just tried the maneuvers shown in your playback, and it won't let me. For some reason, when you play it, either the timer runs slower or the elephant runs faster, because I looked at the timer length during various points in the game (when you got your freebie death, as well as the second time around when you jumped the elephant after collecting the second mug) and compared your playback and when I play the game in any version, even .119, and they aren't the same. The timer has more left to it in both those points in your playback.

[DeLuSioNal29]

It's actually a built in feature in the game.  Sometimes the elephant "runs" faster depending on where you land.  The AI does this so that it will "kill you" faster.  The trick to getting him to run faster is to jump nearer to him and then when you land in front of him  he tries to run faster to kill you, then you jump again.  It's all about timing.  There is nothing wrong with the clock, it runs at the same speed every time.  It's the elephant's positioning that changes.

~ D

[Ummon]

Mmmm. I wondered about that kind of factor but didn't pick it up when viewing your vid. Good enough for me.

[DeLuSioNal29]

So, I fired up my new arcade machine and decided to give it a go on Zookeeper again.  What a way to initiate the new machine!  

I scored my personal highest ever in my life.  896,330

Below are some shots of the screen on my new arcade.

DeLuSioNaL29

[DeLuSioNal29]

Resurrecting this old topic, because it's one of my favorite games of all time.

I posted a video on my channel.  I've since topped that high score in the video, but thought you guys would get a kick out of seeing the game in action.  Enjoy!



DeL

[leapinlew]

First time watcher of Last Credit. Loved it! Good job Delusional.

For some reason, I pictured you having an accent... and being a hippy.

[yotsuya]

First time watcher of Last Credit. Loved it! Good job Delusional.

For some reason, I pictured you having an accent... and being a hippy.

I kind of hoped he sounded like John Leguizamo in "To Wong Foo..."

[DeLuSioNal29]

Thanks Lew.  LOL.  One of my comments in my first videos way back when (10 years already?  Whoah!) a guy commented that I sounded like Ray Romano.

Sorry to disappoint Yots.   

DeL

[DeLuSioNal29]

So, um, where's your vid?

Resurrecting this topic. So it's been years, but I finally got my hands on a real machine. And I've improved a bit. 
Here's a vid of my gameplay (with an 8 mil point jump included at the end).  I missed the 30 mil by 2 animals!

Enjoy!

Del

[leapinlew]

Nice! What's the record for that game?