HSC Season 5 Week 1: Berzerk

[toymailman]

A modest improvement for me too.

 

6,860

 

[Captain Beard]

A major improvement! -- 12130

 

After playing this game, I decided to play a round on Level 3 (bonus life every 1000 pts.) since my previous high score at that level was 15000-something. On my first guy, I scored 12000!!! D'oh! (Ended up with 30000-something - I knew this week's HSC would be good training.)

[Captain Beard]

ALWAYS try to go down to up. Evil otto can't catch you, and that's the easiest way to pick off pesky turtling robots, you can shoot their feet.

I nominate this for best tip, although up to down works just as well. Otto can't catch you as long as you're moving in the same direction, so side-to-side works too, there's just fewer escape routes that way. Anyway, this tip is definitely what allowed me to improve my score so much.

 

I disagree with those who say to always start the level out shooting, however.

As often as not, when I do that, my shot doesn't hit anything and I have to wait until it's traveled the entire length of the screen before I can shoot again, often resulting in death from a quick moving, nearby robot. I think your best bet at the start of each screen is to assess the entire room and plot a course of maximum destruction.

[theking21083]

I disagree with those who say to always start the level out shooting, however.

As often as not, when I do that, my shot doesn't hit anything and I have to wait until it's traveled the entire length of the screen before I can shoot again, often resulting in death from a quick moving, nearby robot. I think your best bet at the start of each screen is to assess the entire room and plot a course of maximum destruction.

I 100% agree. If you start out shooting and don't hit anything then you just screwed yourself. Just wait until you can see what mess you are in and then do some quick shooting.

[+Nathan Strum]

Getting a little better - but the computer got me twice with cheap shots in this one.

 

8,030

 

[RJ]

Well can an official chime in on the "cheats", if the're deemed illegal I have to play again. They certainly are an advantage over someone who doesnt know about them.

 

I think your best bet at the start of each screen is to assess the entire room and plot a course of maximum destruction.

 

& in the time you've done that the nearby robot has already moved into/fried you, which is what kielbaca & PressureCooker were talking about in the 1st place.

Edited September 15, 2007 by RJ

[keilbaca]

If a trick is listed in the manual as a "feature", it's hard for me to see how it can be considered a "cheat".

So if the Windows manual called IE's security holes to be "features" that allow 3rd parties to upgrade your computer, that would make it ok?

 

Actually, they do. Its called ActiveX, in which they do call a feature, when in reality, is a gigantic hole that anyone can use to get into your system files. This "feature" is the most dangerous, and the most common when your computer gets things nicely auto installed for you, desktops changed, etc. Which is why you should NEVER run IE.

 

Back on topic, thank you, and yes that tip that I gave has been the one to net me my 24k run, and other runs. I very rarely have a run that's less than 10k. Sadly, for me now, its just the random robot spawns.

Edited September 15, 2007 by keilbaca

[Captain Beard]

I think your best bet at the start of each screen is to assess the entire room and plot a course of maximum destruction.

& in the time you've done that the nearby robot has already moved into/fried you, which is what kielbaca & PressureCooker were talking about in the 1st place.

True, but it's still just a crap shoot - you might hit the nearby robot or you might miss completely and then be unable to shoot for the time it takes your random blast to make its way across the entire length of the room. The latter seems to happen more often to me but if you feel you have greater success firing randomly, by all means, do so.

[PressureCooker2600]

Finally made it to the 10k mark.....10640

 

And to RJ....I've only had 1 robot spawn in a maze once. I was shocked when it happened because of all the times I played Berzerk, it had never happened.

[Captain Beard]

And to RJ....I've only had 1 robot spawn in a maze once. I was shocked when it happened because of all the times I played Berzerk, it had never happened.

On a similar note, is 7 the maximum # of robots?

I've never seen more.

[keilbaca]

FINALLY!

 

A game with almost no death respawns. Lost two lives stupidly, and one due to a respawn.

 

39,770

 

And of course, I wasn't recording. It was under 15 minutes, and would have been a new world record.. *sighs*

Edited September 15, 2007 by keilbaca

[+SpiceWare]

Congrats keilbaca! I do see a typo in your score - the photo has 39,770

 

12,340

Edited September 15, 2007 by SpiceWare

[keilbaca]

Thank you, nice eye! Score edited in post.

[Blackjack]

Minor improvement..... I have to take a break for a couple days, I'm getting too frustrated with it.

 

6410

[shadow460]

I vote for assessing the room before firing. If you're quick with it, you can still nail four robots before they start shooting at you.

*looks for another 9 volt battery*

 

EDIT: No improvement here. The game is too inconsistent, and I am done. It wasn't the battery in my stick, either. I put a fresh one in and the thing still cut out, although moving the receiver helped a bit until another bug started getting me.

 

Anyone notice that if you shoot a robot point blank, it doesn't register?

Edited September 16, 2007 by shadow460

[Butterwasp]

3870

one place up

[Christophero Sly]

Anyone notice that if you shoot a robot point blank, it doesn't register?

Yeah, but I think it's because they fire simultaneously and nullify your shot.

[Impaler_26]

Game 9 is pretty tough but also fun to play! My first entry for this:

 

5,020

[Kurt_Woloch]

OK, here's mine... 4060 (played with Z26 and keyboard control).

 

[gospeedde]

Finally got a decent score (for me).

5640

[shadow460]

Notice that there can only be one robot missile on the screen at once. Get a robot to shoot at you from the other side of the screen, and then you have a couple of seconds to do as you wish.

 

EDIT: This wasn't me playing--it was ricky29, but the screenshot was taken on my computer.

Edited September 17, 2007 by shadow460

[shadow460]

OK, I played one more...7,340

[Rom Hunter]

Come on, guys.

 

You can do better than that.

 

Beat this:

 

 

[keitaro]

16890

 

 

One of my favorite games for the 2600. Variation 9 is very challenging and fun

[Deteacher]

15,130! I have to agree that using the wraparound tip should not be considered cheating. It is posted in the manual as a feature, therefore it should be fair game. Besides, could it really be used THAT many times for it to really make a difference? I think it should be allowed. Here is a copy/paste from the manual:

 

There is a special horizontal laser beam wraparound feature that will help you destroy robots. In mazes that have a right and left exit, you can stand just inside the right exit and shoot through it. Your laser beams will then "wrap around" the screen (as shown in Figure 7) and reenter on the left side through that opening. Any robots standing in your line of fire will be struck.

 

Someone mentioned that sometimes, they would shoot a robot but it wouldn't register as a hit. In the manual it states that every now and then, you'll meet up with a super robot that takes 2 shots to destroy. Again, I quote the manual:

 

"Occasionally you will meet a super strong robot who is merely stunned by your first shot. Be brave, it will take a second hit to destroy this tough enemy."

 

Now, for my tip: If you have to confront a robot without any wall to protect you, try to confront him vertically, not horizontally. Their shots are much easier to avoid when they're firing up and down. When they're firing at full speed, left and right shots are VERY tough to avoid.

Edited September 18, 2007 by Deteacher