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Author Topic: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender  (Read 13629 times)

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Todd H

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Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« on: July 30, 2009, 07:47:23 am »
The last 23 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: Todd H

Since I've been nominated to pick the next game, I thought I'd choose a game that I've never been good at: Defender.zip (Red Label). Make sure to use the default settings with no cheats.

I used to play this on my old Atari 5200 and on the hardest level could roll the score every time. For some reason I've never been good at the arcade version. Let's see what some of the experts here can do.  :)

The last day is August 12th (11:59:59pm Pacific Daylight Time), 2009.
« Last Edit: August 11, 2009, 07:37:14 am by Todd H »

Ginsu Victim

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2009, 09:11:51 am »
So.....who is actually set up to play this right? My layout keeps me from playing it.

Great game, though. I look forward to seeing how this goes.

mj147

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2009, 06:23:07 pm »
I always loved the sounds and grafics of defender.....heck its got the best  coin insert sound (not sure what its called)

But ill admit Im terrible at it,  most my games end in under a minute  :embarassed: :embarassed:

So Ill be following but not playing  ;D


mj147

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2009, 12:15:14 am »
So.....who is actually set up to play this right? My layout keeps me from playing it.

Great game, though. I look forward to seeing how this goes.

I do!  Too bad my panel is all taken apart for some "improvements."

I use the the left most stick on my 4 player panel for up/down, a button close to the left most stick for reverse, and then 3 buttons on the neo-geo button layout I have setup up for my main player for the rest of the buttons.

Hmm... kinda hard to explain, but it works pretty good for Defender and Stargate.

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2009, 12:30:18 am »
I always loved the sounds and grafics of defender.....heck its got the best  coin insert sound (not sure what its called)

mj147

Yea, it's almost as good as the Robotron insert sound. ;)
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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2009, 09:04:28 am »
ok if I use the actual arcade game instead of mame?  it's actually using a multiboard that is suppose to be arcade perfect, made by jrok

i don't know how you can play this game without the proper controls, it's so much more fun with the real control panel


Todd H

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #6 on: July 31, 2009, 09:17:47 am »
Sure. Fine by me unless someone else disagrees.

My panel actually works pretty well for Defender. The seventh button on player one's joystick is about where the reverse button is on a real panel. My only problem is I just suck at it.

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #7 on: July 31, 2009, 09:28:58 am »
Real arcade machines are definitely allowed, just take a photo of the score.

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #8 on: July 31, 2009, 10:01:16 am »
Oh no, tcleary has the actual game. We should force him to have a handicap such as playing with criss crossed hands or something.

No. Seriously I don't mind. I am jealous though. Either way I suck at Defender, but deep down inside still want to be able to roll it like some of the pros.

Good luck everybody!
 
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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #9 on: July 31, 2009, 11:58:21 am »
I'm not any good at it.  i just got the machine a few months ago and have been dealing with replacing the monitor, I finally have that taken care of so I can play it now, i'm still a newbie at it, think my high score is low 30,000s

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #10 on: July 31, 2009, 02:20:15 pm »
I gave a half-hearted stab at Defender last night.  Didn't even break 7,000.  Even if my control panel were better suited to a Defender layout, I'd still stink mightily.

I played some Dig Dug II instead.  :]


In the future, I'd like to see an effort to select competition games that have pretty "standard" controls.  (not bashing on Todd H--just inserting my $0.02).


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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #11 on: July 31, 2009, 02:35:27 pm »
I was much happier when MAME supported hacked controls to control Defender more like the 2600 version. I've had to add an older version into my FE just to play it how I like.

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #12 on: July 31, 2009, 03:51:31 pm »
Never played this before.  Here's my first attempt:

8,450.

I'm just gonna enjoy this brief moment of being ahead before it's taken from me for the next 2 weeks.  :cheers:

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #13 on: July 31, 2009, 11:30:17 pm »
I always loved the sounds and grafics of defender.....heck its got the best  coin insert sound (not sure what its called)

mj147

Yea, it's almost as good as the Robotron insert sound. ;)

Which one?

I'm really surprised none of the champs have chimed in on this. Everyone forget TOK's Defender thread? Anyways, a two-player, six-button-each panel can accomodate this easily. I have mine set up in general fashion for games that have three or more buttons - thrust is lower-left, fire is upper-middle, smart bomb is lower left. Reverse is upper-left, and hyperspace is upper-right (though I rarely have enough mind to use it).

After about ten games, this is what I got. (Progressively better, then the last game was only eighteen grand, so I knew it was time to quit.)

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #14 on: August 01, 2009, 12:46:45 am »
Yo. Chocolate.


"Theoretical physics has been the most successful and cost-effective in all of science."

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People often confuse expressed observations with complaint, ridicule, or - even worse - self-pity.

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #15 on: August 01, 2009, 08:11:53 am »
Thanks for reposting that. Even when that thread was new, there were active users capable of rolling the game. I didn't want to post an old score and don't have near enough time to just sit and play the game over and over.

I've noticed the trend in all the high score threads that my scores are usually right up there in the first few days, but totally blown away by the end. Being that there are a few members here with actual Defender machines, I don't expect this one to be any different.  ;)

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #16 on: August 01, 2009, 08:25:28 am »
No matter what game your play, there's always someone better than yourself.  How many of use have thought ourselves to be supreme masters of a game, only to download an INP from MARP and be so discouraged at how far we are from being the best?

The most satisfying way to play is against your own personal best.  Or if you're lucky, against someone with equal skill, determination, and time to commit to competition.  :)

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #17 on: August 01, 2009, 08:29:22 am »
I've played a few times and have yet to finish the first wave. God do I suck at this game!  :lol

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #18 on: August 01, 2009, 09:20:37 am »
Well, only managed about 9,000 so far.   Those little red guys in the second wave always get me.

Is Hyperspace supposed to kill you every time you use it?  Is there a trick to using it successfully?

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #19 on: August 01, 2009, 10:53:05 am »
Well, only managed about 9,000 so far.   Those little red guys in the second wave always get me.

Is Hyperspace supposed to kill you every time you use it?  Is there a trick to using it successfully?


I rarely use it for exactly the reason you cited.

If you use hyperspace on a level crowded with enemies, you have a pretty large chance of dying by warping back in on top of something. When the level is nearly empty, you can often hyperspace multiple times in a row with no problem. Of course, you don't usually need it on an empty level.

Use your Smart Bombs on crowded levels, Hyperspace when there are just a few mutants or something that you need to distance yourself from.

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #20 on: August 01, 2009, 04:28:39 pm »
No matter what game your play, there's always someone better than yourself.  How many of use have thought ourselves to be supreme masters of a game, only to download an INP from MARP and be so discouraged at how far we are from being the best?

There are some people here that hold records on Twin Galaxies, or MARP, or whatever.

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #21 on: August 03, 2009, 12:29:41 am »
Is Hyperspace supposed to kill you every time you use it?  Is there a trick to using it successfully?


....mmm-hmmm, I noticed the same ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, and then it re-curring a bit frequently. There were no uglies round, many times, either. I'm wondering if there's an Asteriod-like hyperspace bug, but I don't see nothin in the history.dat.
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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #22 on: August 03, 2009, 05:17:21 am »
I use Hyperspace to kill off a bad game. Playing a little bit yesterday, on two occasions I was able to Hyperspace 9 times before being killed. The more typical result is 3.

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #23 on: August 03, 2009, 06:29:45 am »
Yeah, see, that's just ---fudgesicle---. Anyways, I've gotten to the point where maneuvering isn't that difficult. What remains is the old issue of shot accuracy. Collision detection is certainly stacked against the player. Getting close to something universally results in death. I can't ---smurfin--- think of any near misses I've ever witnessed. However, baddies easily just ---smurfing--- miss getting hit by many a shot. I don't think so.

By the way, there are/were 31 days in July.....
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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #24 on: August 04, 2009, 05:07:25 am »
Wait, I ---fouled up beyond all recognition--- up. I've long wondered why I didn't hear that 'wahrrr' sound when coining up. I was usin the damn green label rom! The ---fudgesicle--- sure is harder. And hyperspace is still a ---Bad words, bad words, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when saint censors you?---. But I persevered some and here's a new score.
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People often confuse expressed observations with complaint, ridicule, or - even worse - self-pity.

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #25 on: August 05, 2009, 01:11:06 pm »
I've played some and have yet to break 10,000 or make it past stage 2.  :lol

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #26 on: August 06, 2009, 10:59:13 am »
Just over 12k last night but did gain a rekindled appreciation for this classic...I have a long weekend starting tonight and will put some more time into this...here's hoping the scores don't go over 30k soon ;)
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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #27 on: August 06, 2009, 02:55:34 pm »
24K for me so far.  I do love this game (but I'm not good)
My current collection:  Arkanoid^3, Asteroids Deluxe, Centipede, Donkey Kong w/DIIK, Frenzy w/Berzerk multi, Galaga, Galaxian, Gyruss, Mappy,  Missile Command, Multi-Williams, O'Boyles Arcade (Mame), Pac-man,  Sinistar, Star Wars, Tempest, War Gods

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #28 on: August 07, 2009, 12:54:01 am »
Well. Took me about twenty or so tries, and after a few games I wasn't even bothering if I died on the first wave, and would just kill 'em off (you know, it's really hard to not miss them when you're trying...??) and start again....I think this is faster than resetting....and, finally, persevering....it really helps when I'm fed....I don't get all uptight and wanting to kill the machine.....um, persevering, I finally got the top score on da board. Yay, team.
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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #29 on: August 07, 2009, 07:09:45 am »
Well, I never woulda ---smurfin--- thunk it....but I'm startin ta get into this game. And I'm startin ta get kinda decent. ---fudgesicle--- me.
Yo. Chocolate.


"Theoretical physics has been the most successful and cost-effective in all of science."

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People often confuse expressed observations with complaint, ridicule, or - even worse - self-pity.

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #30 on: August 07, 2009, 05:17:40 pm »
I still can't break 20k consistently but ya the game gets addicting the more you play it...gloves are off tonight though and Ill spend a few more hours on it.
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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #31 on: August 09, 2009, 12:58:46 am »
welliguessimdonehereijustcantseemtogetbetterthanmylastandimburntonthisgamebutaprettygoodrungodyouknowhowharditisnottous espaces
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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #32 on: August 09, 2009, 02:42:09 pm »
24,025.

I think that's it from me.  It's too frustrating to play a game with such biased collision detection.


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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #33 on: August 09, 2009, 09:10:07 pm »
Ive been playing a bit and my high score is arond 56k so far.  interestingly one of my friends came to visit this weekend and had never played the game before.  he played it some friday, sat, and sunday and got up to around 29k I think.  I'm sure having the real machine/controls and some friendly competition helps (my brother plays it too) 

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #34 on: August 10, 2009, 01:01:58 am »
time for some tips.

1.  a lot of the time I hit thrust and fire at the same time to shoot really fast and keep moving at a good clip. when you want to slow down just stop pressing thrust and hit fire really fast, but still move both fingers really fast, just don't hit thrust.   take a quick glance at the radar to get an idea of what is coming up, then get in position to take care of it and go up and down slightly shooting a ton of shots where stuff should be in relation to the radar.  if you are focusing on the landers they typically go down, so if you see one in the radar a little ways away it will probably be a little lower by the time you get to it.  or it might go for a human.

2.  whenever you hear the infamous sound, go try to save the human if you are within distance to do so.  you get a lot of points for rescuing and returning humans to the ground, so do it whenever you can.  also it gets really nasty when all the humans are dead.

3.  when you are out of smart bombs and things get crazy, stay low.,  take quick glances at the radar then focus on the main screen.  don't go full throttle unless it is clear.  take caution and when there are a lot of enemies around watch your ship and slow down/speed up to aviod shots.  once you start encountering enemies take it a little slower and try to shoot them.  sometimes I find myself doing a quick reverse/reverse to slow down an still be going in the same direction, this works pretty well.  don't be afraid to smart bomb if things get too hairy, or try hyperspace if you are in a really crazy situation and out of smart bombs.  i still really rarely use hyperspace but in a really crazy situation with a ton of enemies and no smart bomb it has saved me a few times.

4.  focus on what is important.  kill the green landers first.  the boxes and pods are really not that threatening, the green landers are, mutants are nasty, especially when you have a few of them after you.  so take out the green guys first, especially ones that are near humans.   when you glance at the radar take note of where most of the green guys are and go in that direction and take them out asap.

5.  whenever there are 2 or more pods in your screen, smart bomb them.  this is the easiest way to get a lot of points.  if you can get 3 pods in the screen and smart bomb them you'll get around 5,000 points for one button press.  if there is only one pod, and you are not confident enough to kill all the little red ships in it, shoot it then quickly smart bomb.  if you smart bomb when there is only one pod, a lot of the time it will not destroy the ships in it, but if you smart bomb 2 or more, most of the time it will destroy everything, so I doin't recommend smart bombing one pod, although sometimes it does work.  shoot it then smart bomb.  2 or more, just smart bomb away.

6.  when you are out of smart bombs and things get hairy, go to the bottom part of the screen and fire like a mad man.  don't thrust at full speed, but keep going in one direction at a good pace, shooting all you can.  if you can get to the next 10k and get another life/smart bomb you will be in good shape.  whenever a level ends you really want to have a smart bomb so you can destroy a few pods at the same time for quick easy points. 

7.  this game takes a while to really get a handle of the controls.  I don't think anyone can get the hang of this game quickly.  if you keep dying without many points, it's still all good, you're getting skills simply manuvering the way you want to.  eventually you will be able to control the ship how you want and it becomes a lot more natural.  this took me a while, but now I'm pretty fluid with the controls, the ship does what I want it to do, at first this was a real struggle, but it's pretty awesome once you get the hang of it.

8.  on the first level, be a point whore.  on this level when the landers take up humans they go a lot slower than on the later levels.  so you can use this to your advantage.  if you just keep your distance and take out some landers and go slowly and then go for any that capute humans you can rack up around 6-7k on the first level without much trouble, this makes it pretty easy to get up to 10k on wave 2 so you have an extra life/smart bomb right away.  if you just destroy all the aliens on sight on this level and don't die you get around 3200 points, but you can easily double this if you just have some patience and save some humans.   

9.  the radar is essential in this game, but you can't dawdle, to make the best use of it you glance at it and get an idea of what is where and what you should do next, then act and pay attention to the main screen.  at first I think I was paying too much attention to the radar and would get hit by stray shots from landers and emenies I didnt' notice on the radar, especially ones that go from the top of the screen to the bottom, which is a bit weird at first since the enemies can do that but you cannot.  eventually I learned to take a quick look at it and get an idea of the situation then act in the main screen.  when things get really hairy the radar won't help you much, you have to pay attention to the main screen to live, but it's great for getting an idea of a plan of action when you are not in a really crazy situation. 
« Last Edit: August 10, 2009, 01:26:21 am by tcleary »

Epyx

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #35 on: August 10, 2009, 11:06:39 am »
Thanks for the tips...

This game is one that brings out the worst in me...im a pretty calm, even keel kind of guy...but this game honestly makes me want to drive my fists through the wall at times hehe...Im talking pure blind rage type of anger.   :badmood:

With that said, I still can't get higher than about 26k and with only a few days left high doubt ill make the 60k+ but will certainly keep trying! :)
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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #36 on: August 10, 2009, 07:54:13 pm »
Just going by the rules here, screenshots are required.

Also, since there were 31 days in July, are you all going by the 12th or 13th?
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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #37 on: August 10, 2009, 08:18:09 pm »
56,800


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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #38 on: August 10, 2009, 09:59:58 pm »
Defender was another one of my favorites in the arcade, so I have a layout on my control panel that's designed for Asteroids, Defender and Stargate.

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Re: Hi Score Competition #24: Defender
« Reply #39 on: August 11, 2009, 07:37:53 am »
Also, since there were 31 days in July, are you all going by the 12th or 13th?

I edited the original post and changed it to the 12th.