High Score Competition # 57: Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters

[upprc04]

The last 56 competitions:

#1 - Shinobi - Winner: Destructor, Second: fixedpigs
#2 - Jungle Hunt - Winner: CrazyKongFan, Second: DeLuSioNal29
#3 - Zoo Keeper - Winner: DeLuSioNal29, Second: Ummon
#4 - Q*Bert - Winner: quarterstringer, Second: CrazyKongFan
#5 - Robotron 2084 - Winner: (+_+), Second: opt2not
#6 - Joust - Winner: (+_+), Second: Shoegazer
#7 - Elevator Action - Winner: FrontyDev, Second: Zebidee
#8 - Mr Do - Winner: DeLuSioNal29, Second: rotheblog
#9 - Hyper Sports - Winner: drawfull, Second: Ummon
#10 - Wonder Boy - Winner: DrFrag, Second: drawfull
#11 - Bubble Bobble - Winner: mrclean, Second: isucamper
#12 - Gun.Smoke - Winner: isucamper, Second: Ummon
#13 - Ghouls 'n Ghosts - Winner: Ginsu Victim, Second: Zebidee
#14 - Ms Pac-Man (with speedup hac) - Winner: CrazyKongFan, Second: wooowman93
#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
#38 - Bomb Jack - Winner: bpark42, Second: Flaptop
#39 - Smash T.V. - Winner: jasonbar, Second: quarterstringer
#40 - Rygar - Winner: Cakemeister, Second: jasonbar
#41 - Krull - Winner: jasonbar, Second: I/O
#42 - Tutankham - Winner: DrFrag, Second: creatine28
#43 - Astro Blaster - Winner: mimic, Second: WhereEaglesDare
#44 - Son of Phoenix - Winner: jasonbar, Second: syph007
#45 - Metal Slug - Winner: doteater, Second: Hewskie
#46 - Puzzle Bobble - Winner: quarterstringer, Second: Benevolance
#47 - Street Fighter 2 - The World Warrior - Winner: isucamper, Second: jordanshadow
#48 - Crazy Climber - Winner: jasonbar, Second: quarterstringer
#49 - Strider - Winner:Jasonbar, Second: Bender
#50 - Donkey Kong - Winner: wweumina, Second: javeryh
#51 - Champion Wrestler - Winner: vorghagen, Second: Bender
#52 - Karnov - Winner: DrFrag, Second: darcyp
#53 - Gauntlet - Winner: quarterstringer, Second: vorghagen
#54 - Tapper - Winner: CapriRS302, Second: quarterstringer
#55 - Namco Classic Collection Vol.2 - Winner: jasonbar, Second: CapriRS302
#56 - Gain Ground - Winner: jasonbar, Second: upprc04

Unless more people speak up, it looks like we are planning on keeping this game.  A hall effect joystick was used by the original game.  Using a 8way joystick is OK, but definitely not as smooth as an original joystick.  If you have a analog joystick that would work pretty well with the game.  I didn't play a bunch of arcade games growing up.  This was a game I vaguely remember getting to play whenever we went to the laundromat.  Hope everyone enjoys!

"The evil Reptilons are holding humans hostage on Planet X; one or two players must warp onto the planet and rescue them, destroying the swathes of enemy robot monsters that bar their way. players are armed with laser guns and a finite number of bombs. Hostages are rescues by simply touching them, but players must be careful not to accidentally shoot the hostages. Food can be found in storage lockers and will increase the players' energy levels. Some robots leave gems behind when they are destroyed, and these can be picked-up to give the players a weapon boost.


Robot Monsters is a colourful, comic book-esque and humorous pastiche of the classic sci-fi B-movie genre. The game has a similar feel to Atari's own arcade legend, "Gauntlet", although the scrolling levels of Robot Monsters are viewed from a 3-D isometric viewpoint."



Good luck!

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ROMSet: eprom, Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters (set 1)

DEFAULT DIP Switch Settings


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- One coin only!

- No continues or adding coins!

- No MAME cheats!

- Last day is Tuesday December 21st (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 your 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!

- Even if you don't have a competitive score or if you don't *think* that you have a competitive score, please post it anyway to keep the thread fun & to give everybody a good sense of score ranges.

Best of luck!


If you are a Twin Galaxies competitor, there is already a place for you, so let this be a friendly competition amoung us mortals.  Please make sure your sores are from games that take place during the competition period (no posting your best score from last year, etc.).

[DirtyDachshunds]

I think I'm going to have to compete in this one based on the name of the game alone.

[Erik]

Never seen this one but looks amusing!

[jasonbar]

I used to have one of these.  I think it was a conversion kit in a Xybots...or maybe I'm just confusing it with the Xybots I had too...

Loved it.  Great art, great theme, great music.  Awkward controls, though.  It had hall effect joysticks--I just played a game w/ my 8-ways & they worked OK.

Opening salvo: 40,500.  I won't bother with a screen shot--that score will be crushed shortly.

-Jason

[RayB]

Hard to play without the proper joystick...

[upprc04]

I played it a little bit last night and noticed the controls weren't really smooth, but OK with an 8-way.  If people are having trouble playing it without the right joystick, then I'll pick a different game.

[opt2not]

Hard to play without the proper joystick...

Yeah, you really need a rotary joystick for this game. It's one of my favourites, but its really lackluster without the proper aiming.

[upprc04]

Sounds like this isn't going to be a good choice for most people to play.  I'll change the game to Raiden.  I'll update the first post for now and add in the details later tonight.

What type of joystick is used by this game?  I've seen hall effect, but it doesn't seem like there is very many hall effect arcade joysticks (if any?) made.  Would an analog joystick work well for this game?

[jasonbar]

I vote for keeping the game, because it's still wicked cool & fun, but if I'm in the minority, that's OK.

It used a hall effect sensor joystick (not a rotary stick), which acted much like an analog joystick, though there weren't moving parts to wear out.  The sensors detect magnetic field & know how close a magnet is to them, once calibrated.

I, Robot & Road Runner also used hall sticks.


Thanks,
-Jason

[DirtyDachshunds]

I'll second the vote to keep it, although I have analog sticks.  It looks fun!

[upprc04]

I'll plan on keeping this game.  Hope most of you enjoy it with an 8way or have an analog joystick.  I may have to try to hook up a PlayStation controller to try an "analog" joystick.

[jasonbar]

Even with proper controls, the game's control is a little awkward.  I don't think all of the awkwardness can be blamed on use of 8-way sticks alone.

Get used to holding down the Duck button & the fire button & sweeping your joystick around to shoot the baddies--it's a little painful on the fingers (depending on how you've laid out your buttons), but it's effective, especially when the robots start shooting back (with bullets at chest height).


Check out the awesome marquee on the dedicated cab! http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7716

-Jason

[opt2not]

It used a hall effect sensor joystick (not a rotary stick), which acted much like an analog joystick, though there weren't moving parts to wear out.  The sensors detect magnetic field & know how close a magnet is to them, once calibrated.

Ahhhh...good to know. I just assumed it was a rotary.

Interesting!

[WhereEaglesDare]

No more Raiden?!?!  Awww....

[vorghagen]

No more Raiden?!?!  Awww....

Perhaps the winner will take on the suggestion............ *hopes*

[bpark42]

Haven't had the time for any of these competitions in a while.  Things have finally slowed down though.  Looking forward to trying the game out this weekend.

[Bender]

Just checked it out

This seems pretty fun
I do have an analog joystick though...
and the controls are still a bit awkward, but workable, probably just have to get used to it

[Bender]

Just tried it out on an 8-way and it's not much harder, I got 53,300 after a try or two

[DirtyDachshunds]

Got to the second level. 69200

[Bender]

me too 70,700

[isucamper]

94,200.  Love this game and it plays great with my Ultimarc 360.

[DirtyDachshunds]

Had a good run.  Even beat the first boss.  Then choked immediately after that. 163100

Tips on boss.  Spam bombs.  Keep him right at the end of your ray beam, no closer.  He isn't too bad.

[yotsuya]

I just played this one! It was fun. I'll give it some more play later this week. Good choice!

[ragnar]

I vote for keeping the game, because it's still wicked cool & fun, but if I'm in the minority, that's OK.

It used a hall effect sensor joystick (not a rotary stick), which acted much like an analog joystick, though there weren't moving parts to wear out.  The sensors detect magnetic field & know how close a magnet is to them, once calibrated.

I, Robot & Road Runner also used hall sticks.


Thanks,
-Jason

That sounds like how the u360s work.

[upprc04]

I keep getting to about 105k right now.  Haven't made it to the boss yet.

I'm glad several people are enjoying the game.  I definitely remember pumping quarters in to this game.

ISUCamper - does the ISU stand for iowa state?

[DirtyDachshunds]

First run of the day.  269,200

I had everything working for me.  I figured out to use bombs defensively, when I'm in trouble, instead of offensively.  This is especially true on the boss.  Ignore my last post, don't spam bombs, save them for when you are in trouble.
I got to the second boss, and he's a bit harder.  Haven't figured him out yet.

Other tips:
Beware of the '?' boxes.  Most are bad and have suicidal robots in the later levels.

[Gray_Area]

Ahhhh...good to know. I just assumed it was a rotary.

Rotary is 8-way that twists. Ikari Warriors, Time Soldiers, etc.

[upprc04]

Last day bump.  I didn't have much time to try to beat DirtyDachshunds' score.  Anyone else going to challenge him?

[jasonbar]

Slipping in with my bronze medal!   

Used an 8-way stick.  Completely forgot about using my analog stick.  Oh well.

95,900

-Jasonj