HSC Season 5 Week 6: Bank Heist

[Ze_ro]

Your goal is to rob as many Banks as possible before running out of Getaway Cars. Disabling Cop Cars with dynamite increases your score and causes more banks to appear in the town. Running into Cop Cars or accidentally dynamiting your own car will abruptly halt your little joy ride.

 

 

Game Information

• Game Name: Bank Heist
  
• Released By: 20th Century Fox, 1983
  
• Left Difficulty: A / Expert - Smart Cops
  
• Right Difficulty: A / Expert - Banks Appear in Random Order
  
• Game Mode: Game 1
  
• Chosen By: PressureCooker2600
  

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 Wednesday, Oct 24th at 1:00 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. $78,228 (toymailman) [+11]
   
2. $62,184 (SpiceWare) [+10]
   
3. $35,763 (Deteacher) [+9]
   
4. $35,450 (rheffera) [+8]
   
5. $24,204 (Captain Beard) [+7]
   
6. $22,650 (PressureCooker2600) [+6]
   
7. $19,884 (Blackjack) [+5]
   
8. $10,655 (Nathan Strum) [+4]
   
9. $10,544 (Kurt_Woloch) [+3]
   
10. $9683 (Phantom) [+2]
    
11. $8693 (Impaler_26) [+1]
    
12. $5230 (theking21083) [+1]
    
13. $3758 (Butterwasp) [+1]
    
14. $1440 (Artlover) [+1]
    

Best Tips

• PressureCooker2600 [+2]
  

Bounties and Challenges

• None yet
  

TwinGalaxies Top 3

(Game 1, Difficulty B)

• 45,899 (Rodrigo Lopes) (Emulator)
  
• 24,390 (Jeffrey D. Lowe Jr) (Emulator)
  
• 23,995 (Micheal Ryan)
  

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. Deteacher [56]
2. keilbaca [47]
3. theking21083 [42]
4. toymailman [35]
5. Blackjack [28]
6. Pressurecooker2600 [26]
7. SpiceWare [26]
8. homerwannabee [25]
9. Nathan Strum [25]
10. Captain Beard [24]
11. Rom Hunter [23]
12. Impaler_26 [16]
13. rheffera [16]
14. Christophero Sly [13]
15. Recycled [12]
16. LarcenTyler [11]
17. godzillajoe [11]

• theKLT [10]
• Kurt_Woloch [8]
• Artlover [7]
• keitaro [7]
• Butterwasp [5]
• Nognir [5]
• ed1475 [4]
• midnight magicman [4]
• atari2600land [3]
• Goochman [2]
• Crazy Climber [2]
• shadow460 [2]
• gospeedde [2]
• RJ [1]
• phaxda [1]
• KaeruYojimbo [1]

Scoring Points in Bank Heist

• First Bank - $10
  
• Bank value increases by $10 for every subsequent bank up to the 9th.
  
• One Cop Car in pursuit - $10.00
  
• Two Cop Cars in pursuit - $30.00
  
• Three Cop Cars in pursuit - $50.00
  
• Bonus Points for Level 1:
  • Bankersfield - $93.00
    
  • Silver Dollar = $186.00
    
  • Flat Broke = $279.00
    
  • Heistown = $372.00
    
  • Add $372.00 per level to these values for the other sevel levels.
    

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, though it doesn't have any specific hints.

Some tips:

 

- Use dynamite only when you are absolutely sure you will get a hit.....remember that dynamite uses up precious gas.

 

- NEVER leave a city until you are finished with the one you are in......it will refill your gas tank and you need that gasoline.

 

- Since the cops come out of the bank you just robbed, that's a good way of ambushing them. Just wait and fire the dynamite....then you won't have to worry about running.

 

- Never get caught in a squared area with only one or two ways out. Those are the death traps when a cops on your tail and you can't risk using dynamite. (remember that dynamite will blow YOU up, too.)

 

- To know the exact second another bank or cop car will appear...just watch the score on the bank you just robbed or car you just blew up. The second the score disappears is when they will appear. Also, I find it easier to take out all three cop cars and then get the three banks at once. Less confusion in my opinion.

 

- Even though they are "smart" cops, they are still predictable...so use that to your advantage. Learn to stay out of corners because they are notorious for cops double-teaming you.

 

- Learn to play dead. Run up against a wall and just wait.....when a cop comes close enough, lay some dynamite and scoot.

A couple of tips:

 

* Don't double back after robbing a bank. You'll end up on top of a cop, since they'll appear right where you just were.

 

* You can use the wrap-around exits to your advantage. If you're low on gas, and near the left side of the screen, duck out of the top exit, and immediately turn around. You'll instantly exit to the next town. Don't waste time driving across town.

 

* The key to keep going is building up your gas tank's potential, so keep robbing those banks until the gas line is up to the top. If you've got more gas left, keep robbing in the same city until you're almost out. You'll earn more points.

 

* You also earn more points per cop depending on how many are chasing you at once. So rob all three banks before taking out any of the cops.

 

* Since the cops follow you in this setting, you can lure them into following you, to dynamite them. Also, it's easier to time using the dynamite in horizontal paths.

If you're good enough and don't need as many extra cars, I'd try to rob as many banks as possible on each level until your car starts to flash. The reason for this is that difficulty seems to increase with each town cleared, not as a function of the score. In other words, if you make it to rob some extra banks per level, you can get to the "impossible" level with a higher score on your counter.

 

I do agree that it gets harder to rob more than 9 banks with each level because overall game speed seems to increase with every other level (that is, on rounds 1 and 3 for each level). That is, the cops get faster, your car gets faster too and fuel is consumed faster as well.

 

Oh, and I think I've made out some of the enemy AI. It seems like enemy cars first try to line up with you horizontally, then vertically. For instance:

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XX  XX    XXXXXX  XXXXXX
XX    XXXXXX  XXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

If 1 is your car, and 2 is an enemy car, 2 will reach the intersection, but continue to drive left (passing you in the wrong lane) because it will first try to line up vertically by going left, not horizontally by going up. Unfortunately, it won't reach you this way. However, it will turn around the corners on the left and appear to the left of you (where you can bomb it) when it reaches the corner. It would also do so if the lane would continue to the left, because in this case it's not allowed to take a U-turn, and out of the directions left and up, up is the better one because it leads the enemy car closer to your position, while left would lead it away from you. All the enemy cars seem to have the same AI, though they vary in speed (at least in later levels). It's a bit like Pac Man, in a way...

 

--Zero

[theking21083]

My first time playing this game and my first score is $2203.

[rheffera]

Does playing a hack of the game in question count?

[PressureCooker2600]

Ahh....finally.

 

Can't wait to start a game of this tonight. Enjoy guys.

[Osbo]

I'm gonna get some gaming done today, I love Bank Heist!

[PressureCooker2600]

$4268

 

Couldn't help myself......I had to play a quick game before I left.

 

I'll be back with tips galore later.

[Kurt_Woloch]

Seems like my first entry isn't that bad...

$8073.

 

[PressureCooker2600]

Some tips:

 

Use dynamite only when you are absolutely sure you will get a hit.....remember that dynamite uses up precious gas.

 

NEVER leave a city until you are finished with the one you are in......it will refill your gas tank and you need that gasoline.

 

Since the cops come out of the bank you just robbed, that's a good way of ambushing them. Just wait and fire the dynamite....then you won't have to worry about running.

 

Never get caught in a squared area with only one or two ways out. Those are the death traps when a cops on your tail and you can't risk using dynamite. (remember that dynamite will blow YOU up, too.)

[Impaler_26]

This game is not bad!

 

$4978.

[Deteacher]

I got a couple games in. No score worth reporting thus far.

 

This is my first time playing this game and I have to say GREAT CHOICE! This one is a lot of fun! Each week keeps getting better and better.

Edited October 17, 2007 by Deteacher

[PressureCooker2600]

$6663

 

I picked Bank Heist because it is one of the best Atari VCS games and most people don't know about it. 20th Century Fox made some of the best VCS games around.....and most of them went unsung mainly because most people were paying attention to the big boys: Activision, Atari, and Imagic.

 

I'll quite ranting and give another tip: To know the exact second another bank or cop car will appear...just watch the score on the bank you just robbed or car you just blew up. The second the score disappears is when they will appear.

Also, I find it easier to take out all three cop cars and then get the three banks at once. Less confusion in my opinion.

[Deteacher]

After spending some time learning the ins and outs: $8,493. This one is addictive! I just wish I had the actual cart.

 

I agree with you, Pressure, about blowing up all three cop cars. Sure, you lose a few points, but it's a lot easier to rob the banks when nobody is chasing you.

[Blackjack]

Gave about 5 tries, never played before.

 

Pretty decent game.

 

2963

[+SpiceWare]

$6613 on the first try - fun game! I recall reading somewhere that this was originally going to be titled Bonnie and Clyde.

[Artlover]

$1440

[toymailman]

Another great choice. I loved this game as a kid. I beat my score as a child and now I need to beat my older brothers score too!

 

So far...

 

$53,711

 

Edited October 18, 2007 by toymailman

[+Nathan Strum]

Very cool game! Makes me wish I'd bought it back in the day.

 

$10,655

 

A couple of tips:

• Don't double back after robbing a bank. You'll end up on top of a cop, since they'll appear right where you just were.
  
• You can use the wrap-around exits to your advantage. If you're low on gas, and near the left side of the screen, duck out of the top exit, and immediately turn around. You'll instantly exit to the next town. Don't waste time driving across town.
  
• The key to keep going is building up your gas tank's potential, so keep robbing those banks until the gas line is up to the top. If you've got more gas left, keep robbing in the same city until you're almost out. You'll earn more points.
  
• You also earn more points per cop depending on how many are chasing you at once. So rob all three banks before taking out any of the cops.
  
• Since the cops follow you in this setting, you can lure them into following you, to dynamite them. Also, it's easier to time using the dynamite in horizontal paths.
  

[homerwannabee]

Another great choice. I loved this game as a kid. I beat my score as a child and now I need to beat my older brothers score too!

 

So far...

 

$53,711

 

Wow, congrats Toymailman. It seems like you now have the world record high score for this game

[toymailman]

Wow, congrats Toymailman. It seems like you now have the world record high score for this game

 

Thanks man! But actually the highest score I know of is my brother's best of ~$62,000. I wasn't kidding when I said my plan was to top that one! I find I am a little bit better player as an adult than when I was a kid. Is this true for anyone else?

 

Anywho, how does one submit something to TwinGalaxies out of curiosity? I see players here in the HSC routinely get one of the top three, if not thee top. It would be cool to have a certificate for the collection.

[theking21083]

$4,926

Getting better but I'll have to sit down one day and really play this game.

[Blackjack]

Looks like I've got to get some practice time in on this one.

 

9,878

[toymailman]

A new best, and my goal is met.

 

$66,555

 

 

I don't think a person can get much higher. In this game the difficulty gradually keeps scaling upward. It doesn't peak out like Atlantis did. The delay between cop cars appearing after a bank is grabbed keeps getting shorter. Also, the cop car speed keeps getting faster. On the level I died on there was virtually no more delay and the cops are faster. So, pretty much as soon as I grab a bank then I'm busted. Lost all 6 of my back-up cars on this last level alone.

[PressureCooker2600]

If you look at the TG scores, those high scores were on Difficulty B.....which means it was easier than the difficulty we're playing on. If toymailman were to play on Difficulty B.....he would probably quadruple some of those TG scores.

[Deteacher]

$26,575! I'm really starting to get the hang of this one. I'm really enjoying this week and I'm looking forward to having the weekend to devote to this game.

[Deteacher]

$31,644. Getting better.