HSC Season 4 Week 68: Threshold

[Ze_ro]

Important Note: This weeks competition is over and no further scores will be accepted.

 

You are patrolling an unknown sector of the galaxy, armed only with your ship's phaser and your skill as a flyer when suddenly you are fired upon by unidentified alien attackers. Quickly you maneuver to avoid their missiles as you return their fire. You fight them off, six against one, to find they were only the vanguard. Wave after wave of aliens attack, each more threatening than the first.

 

Game Information

• Game Name: Threshold
  
• Released By: Tigervision, 1982
  
• Left Difficulty: A / Expert - Enemies fire guided missiles
  
• Right Difficulty: N/A
  
• Game Mode: Game 2 - Medium Difficulty
  
• Chosen By: Nathan Strum
  

Post your scores right here in this thread, and I will add them to the list. Remember to play the game with the recommended game mode and difficulty settings as shown above so that your scores will be consistent with everyone elses. The deadline for posting scores is Thursday, Aug 23rd at 1:30 AM (CST).

 

If you want to suggest a game for future weeks, please send me a private message and let me know! I will add your game to the list. One one game per person will be kept on the list, so you will not be able to suggest a game until your first game is played! (Please note that due to time constraints, I very rarely reply to private messages... but I do read them all!)

 

Anyone can play! Just post a score and I'll add you to the list! Please read the Rules & Information if you haven't already done so!

 

Current High Scores

1. 84,130 (Rom Hunter) [+11]
   
2. 76,410 (SpiceWare) [+10]
   
3. 75,000 (rheffera) [+9]
   
4. 65,600 (Nognir) [+8]
   
5. 56,210 (toymailman) [+7]
   
6. 46,120 (Impaler_26) [+6]
   
7. 45,380 (Nathan Strum) [+5]
   
8. 43,540 (godzillajoe) [+4]
   
9. 42,680 (Deteacher) [+3]
   
10. 5580 (LarcenTyler) [+2]
    

Best Tips

• rheffera [+2]
  

Bounties and Challenges

• None yet posted
  

TwinGalaxies Top 3

(Game 1, Difficulty B)

• 54,250 (Robert T Mruczek)
  
• 9910 (Stephen Knox) (Emulator)
  
• 9550 (Rodrigo Lopes)
  

Current Standings

(Note: These scores reflect the standing as of the beginning of this week, and do not include points scored from this game.)

1. Coming Soon

Scoring Points in Threshold

• WAVE	POINT SCORE OF EACH ALIEN
  1	50 POINTS
  2	80 POINTS
  3	100 POINTS
  4	130 POINTS
  5	150 POINTS
  6	180 POINTS
  7	200 POINTS
  8	250 POINTS
  9	300 POINTS
  10	400 POINTS
  11	500 POINTS

  
  
• The bonus gauge at the lower left of the TV screen is worth 3200 points at the start of each wave. As the gauge moves, the number of bonus points decreases. When all six aliens in a wave are destroyed the number of points remaining in the bonus gauge is added to the score. The faster you are able to destroy all six aliens in a wave the higher your bonus score will be. An additional bonus of 50 points is awarded after each wave, even if the bonus gauge has reached zero.
  
• When your score reaches 20,000 points you will be awarded an extra ship, up to a maximum of three. When your score reaches 40,000 points, again, you will be awarded an extra ship.
  

Hints and Tips

As always, you really should read the manual. In case you don't have the manual, AtariAge has a typed copy available. Unfortunately, it doesn't provide any real hints.

Guided missiles respond to your movements by moving diagonally in your direction, the missiles don't move in any other direction so if you constantly move in the horizontal direction away from the missile it wont hit you.

You can move your ship vertically. It took me awhile to realize this, since most shooters of this type only have horizontal movement. So this makes it easier to dodge (or shoot) the enemy. However, when you shoot the last enemy in a level, make sure you're at the bottom of the screen - otherwise the next enemies may appear right on top of you.

My only tip is to not hold down the fire button. Some of the waves move in patterns, so learn the patterns and time your shots well. For anyone that hasn't read the manual, you get an extra life every 20,000.

 

--Zero

[+Nathan Strum]

Woo hoo! My game got picked!

 

A note on the game settings - it is indeed Game 2, Difficulty A (Expert), but the enemies fire normal missiles until you reach 40,000 points. Then they fire guided missiles. (I found the game too frustrating to start out with them firing guided missiles.)

 

Of course, if anyone wants to play on B, they're more than welcomed to.

Edited August 16, 2007 by Nathan Strum

[Christophero Sly]

Great pick. Too bad I don't have a VCS hooked up right now.

Edited August 16, 2007 by Christophero Sly

[Impaler_26]

Great Game! I'll start off with 19,220

[rheffera]

Great Game! I'll start off with 19,220

 

And ill be first to beat it: 57,730.

Is it me or does this game have dodgy collision detection?

 

TIP: Guided missiles respond to your movements by moving diagonally in your direction, the missiles don't move in any other direction so if you constantly move in the horizontal direction away from the missile it wont hit you.

Edited August 17, 2007 by rheffera

[+Nathan Strum]

Is it me or does this game have dodgy collision detection?

Yep. Sometimes your shots will pass right through them.

 

Here's a tip:

You can move your ship vertically. It took me awhile to realize this, since most shooters of this type only have horizontal movement. So this makes it easier to dodge (or shoot) the enemy. However, when you shoot the last enemy in a level, make sure you're at the bottom of the screen - otherwise the next enemies may appear right on top of you.

[Impaler_26]

Getting better! The guided missiles brought me down pretty fast...

 

46,120

[Deteacher]

42,680. My only tip is to not hold down the fire button. Some of the waves move in patterns, so learn the patterns and time your shots well. For anyone that hasn't read the manual, you get an extra life every 20,000.

[+SpiceWare]

45,730

 

I like the different enemies

Edited August 18, 2007 by SpiceWare

[Nognir]

Is it me or does this game have dodgy collision detection?

 

I also thought of this in my first game ^^

 

so here's my first contribution to this entry:

 

43.690

 

 

EDIT:

 

2nd attampt and a far better score:

 

 

65.600

Edited August 18, 2007 by Nognir

[+Nathan Strum]

My first shot.

 

45,380

 

[+SpiceWare]

76,410

[toymailman]

For me, the games goes from super easy to super hard when the enemies start guiding their shots. It'll take some practice learning to dodge them better.

 

54,030

 

[rheffera]

For me, the games goes from super easy to super hard when the enemies start guiding their shots.

Amen brother

 

75,000

*still looking for cameras drivers*

[Rom Hunter]

 

My highest score.

 

These guided missiles are frustrating to say the least.

 

[Lauren Tyler]

5,580

[+Nathan Strum]

These guided missiles are frustrating to say the least.

That's why I had the competition start without them. That way, I figured everyone would have a chance to play for a while before getting killed.

[godzillajoe]

Crap, I've been playing game 1 all week. No wonder I suck. And what's with the score not fitting on my TV screen?

[godzillajoe]

Finally a decent score after playing the correct variation

 

43,540

 

[toymailman]

A little better, but not much.

 

56,210

 

 

My screen fits even less of the score. They must have used the Vblank area? Isn't this the first 70-ish lines that are normally left blank for TV compatability?

[Ze_ro]

That's the end of this weeks competition. Join us again next time for more high scoring action!

 

--Zero