HSC Season 5 Week 37: Name This Game

[Ze_ro]

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

 

You have discovered a long-sought-after buried treasure, and just when you thought your ou have discovered a long-sought-after troubles were over, things get really tough! There's a persistent shark who thinks that the treasure belongs to him, and he is after you! As if that were not enough to contend with, there's a big old octopus sitting right above your trove who keeps reaching down to check things out.

 

There you are, shooting at the shark, fighting off the octopus tentacles, and you realize your oxygen supply is running low. Your partner, in the boat, keeps dropping you a line, and you better run over and fill up.

 

It is not going to be easy to hold on to your treasure now that you've found it, but we're sure you are not going to give it up without a fight.

 

 

Game Information

• Game Name: Name This Game
• Released By: U.S. Games, 1987
• Left Difficulty: A / Expert - Normal Difficulty
• Right Difficulty: A / Expert - Normal Difficulty
• Game Mode: Game 1 - 1 Player, Average Skill
• Chosen By: theking21083

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 May 28th at 1:00 AM (CST).

 

Current High Scores 23,200 (toymailman) [+11] 21,180 (Deteacher) [+10] 17,420 (aftermac) [+9] 15,880 (keilbaca) [+8] 14,870 (jjd) [+7] 14,520 (SpiceWare) [+6] 12,250 (Kurt_Woloch) [+5] 12,230 (Impaler_26) [+4] 12,180 (Krytol) [+3] 12,170 (theking21083) [+2] 7190 (LarcenTyler) [+1] Best Tips Kurt_Woloch [+2] Challenges Name This Game - Suggest an actual name for this game. A vote will take place in a thread in the normal Atari 2600 forum throughout next week (Wednesday to Tuesday). The winner will receive 2 points, and second and third place will receive 1 point each. Only one entry per person, though you can replace your choice anytime before the end of this weeks competition. Entries: Shit In A Cartridge (Impaler_26) [+2] Shark Bait! (SpiceWare) [+1] Dawn of the Tentacle: Scuba Steve's Aquatic Adventure (theking21083) [+1] Scuba-Dooba-Do (toymailman) Mollusk Command (aftermac) James Bond as seen in Octopussy (Nathan Strum) The Lost Treasure of Atlantis (jjd) Jacques Cousteau's Wild Adventure! (Deteacher) Shark Invaders (Kurt_Woloch) TwinGalaxies Top 3 19,730 (Stephen R Riesenberger) 16,680 (Rodrigo Lopes) (Emulator) 15,540 (Robert T Mruczek) Game 1, Difficulty B)

Current Standings Deteacher [358] toymailman [313] keilbaca [198] aftermac [157] Captain Beard [155] Impaler_26 [137] theking21083 [129] Kurt_Woloch [118] SpiceWare [108] homerwannabee [90] Nathan Strum [88] PressureCooker2600 [87] phaxda [83] StanJr [75] Gemini [75] rheffera [65] Mister VCS [60] midnight magicman [46] godzillajoe [45] Recycled [44] Bentley Bear! [44] LarcenTyler [42] DarthCalvin [36] Blackjack [35] Christophero Sly [35] the 5th ghost [30] shadow460 [27] Rom Hunter [23] opeygon [21] ed1475 [19] Butterwasp [18] jimdandy75 [17] darthkur [16] jjd [15] doctorclu [13] tremoloman2006 [12] RJ [12] theKLT [12] lucifershalo [12] cosmosiss [10] Shannon [9] Artlover [9] atariwarrior [9] Dauber [9] atari2600land [8] vintagegamecrazy [8] Vectorman0 [7] keitaro [7] lonewolfette9847 [6] Goochman [6] Omegamatrix [6] chuckwalla [5] Nognir [5] MrBeefy [5] Elerach [3] Crazy Climber [3] SeaGtGruff [3] Krytol [2] hrecker [2] gospeedde [2] Phantom [2] Snider-man [2] EricDeLee [1] Whickeycolumbus [1] jboypacman [1] [d2f]Iggy*SJB [1] HatNJ [1] KaeruYojimbo [1]

 

Scoring Points in Name This Game

• Hit tentacle - 50 points
• Units of air taken in after tank is full - 10 points
• Hit shart - From 10 to 100 points (the deeper you are, the higher you score)
• You lose treasure when you run out of air, are bitten by a shark, or allow a tentacle from the octopus to touch the bottom surface.

 

Hints and Tips

• During the early waves, concentrate on getting as many points as possible. Continuously fire at the descending tentacles while waiting for the shark to swing to deeper levels. (You get more points if he is deeper; but don't wait too long, or you're shark bait!) Keep an eye on your air supply (red bar at bottom of screen); but at early levels, you can last longer on a recharge.
• Later waves (3-4) require more concentration on imminent dangers; for instance, the sharks are hungrier, and therefore, faster--especially approaching the diver's depth. Tentacles also descend more quickly, and air supply is depleted faster. Try to combine shooting of the tentacles and the shark in the same area of the water. This will save you time in moving about the sea floor.
• The advanced waves are rather frantic and involve concentration on one thing--saving your treasure. For those of you who can't walk and chew gum at the same time, these will prove to be very challenging levels. The most enduring strategy is to attempt shooting at the shark and tentacles at the same time, all the while trying to move with the boat to stay near your air supply line.

The Manual
As always, you really should read the manual. In case you don't have a copy of this game's manual, AtariAge has a typed copy available online for your reading pleasure. Here are the hints it provides:
Kurt_Woloch
Here are some tips... - You can anticipate where the tentacles of the octopus move. They all move at once, and basically, after each move, each block of a tentacle will be on the column where the block above it was in the previous move. - You only can shoot the tentacles at the bottom, that is, at the lowest block of each tentacle. However, you don't have to shoow the tentacle that reaches the furthest down. - I found it useful doing autofire by keeping the button depressed. Even if you don't reach a tentale every time, you might just hit the shark instead (it's a 10% chance you will hit it with each shot). Release the fire button when the shark comes below the lowest tentacle in order to give of a timed shot to kill of the shark. - Always keep an eye on what your most imminent danger is... the oxygen, the shark or the tentacles coming down, and react accordingly - The small bar above the oxygen bar shows how much of the level is left. If there's not much of it left, chances are you won't need to take in any more oxygen before the level ends, or that the octoups won't be able to stretch out any tentacle fully, or that the shark won't be able to come down again (but that chance probably is the slimmest because the shark is the fastest). - It seems like the levels are timed, i.e. they always have the same duration regardless how much hits you make.
Deteacher
My only tip is DON'T PANIC. Keep your cool on the fast levels and work on placing accurate shots, especially on the shark.

 

--Zero

[toymailman]

I'll start off this week. Never played this game before, but got into it after a few tries. It grew on me.

 

14,800

 

 

My name suggestion is: Scuba-Dooba-Do

[Lauren Tyler]

7,190

[aftermac]

9,850

 

I pressed the fire button before I got a screen shot. Shouldn't matter though, I hope to beat this score very soon.

 

My name suggestion is: Scuba-Dooba-Do

 

Ha, I like that! This game does seem like a situation the "gang" would get into.

 

Can we make more than one suggestion? If so, I've got two right now:

 

-Mollusk Command (an octopus is a mollusk... shooting the tentacles reminds me of Missile Command... Octopus Command didn't sound right)

 

-Seaman! Get Him! (an anagram for "Name this game" )

 

If you happen to read this (you've been AWOL from the HSC lately), happy birthday, Captain Beard!

Edited May 22, 2008 by aftermac

[Kurt_Woloch]

OK, here's my first score... 12250.

 

 

Here are some tips...

 

- You can anticipate where the tentacles of the octopus move. They all move at once, and basically, after each move, each block of a tentacle will be on the column where the block above it was in the previous move.

- You only can shoot the tentacles at the bottom, that is, at the lowest block of each tentacle. However, you don't have to shoow the tentacle that reaches the furthest down.

- I found it useful doing autofire by keeping the button depressed. Even if you don't reach a tentale every time, you might just hit the shark instead (it's a 10% chance you will hit it with each shot). Release the fire button when the shark comes below the lowest tentacle in order to give of a timed shot to kill of the shark.

- Always keep an eye on what your most imminent danger is... the oxygen, the shark or the tentacles coming down, and react accordingly

- The small bar above the oxygen bar shows how much of the level is left. If there's not much of it left, chances are you won't need to take in any more oxygen before the level ends, or that the octoups won't be able to stretch out any tentacle fully, or that the shark won't be able to come down again (but that chance probably is the slimmest because the shark is the fastest).

- It seems like the levels are timed, i.e. they always have the same duration regardless how much hits you make.

 

And here's my suggestion for a name:

 

SHARK INVADERS

 

(because the shark moves much like the enemies in Space Invaders, and you also lose a life if it comes completely down)

[theking21083]

I shall name it...

Dawn of the Tentacle: Scuba Steve's Amazing Adventures

 

UPDATE: Dawn of the Tentacle: Scuba Steve's Aquatic Adventure

 

I got the name from the games Day of the Tentacle and Crystal Castles, and the movies Big Daddy and Dawn of the Dead.

Edited May 23, 2008 by theking21083

[Impaler_26]

Yuck! This game sucks!

 

12,230.

[jjd]

Eh. At least there are no sticky diagonal controls in this game.

 

14,870

 

Lets call it The Lost Treasure of Atlantis. That fits with the 2600 style.

Edited May 21, 2008 by jjd

[+SpiceWare]

14,520

[theking21083]

12,170 for me.

[Krytol]

8330

12180

 

Edited May 22, 2008 by Krytol

[Impaler_26]

Name suggestion: S.I.C. (Shit In a Cartridge).

[theking21083]

Name suggestion: S.I.C. (Shit In a Cartridge).

Man you really dislike this game. I just don't see what is wrong with it.

[+SpiceWare]

Agreed - it's fun, challenging and unique!

 

Freezepop just came up on shuffle in iTunes so I was going to suggest

, but I see Apollo beat me too it

 

So, my name suggestion is: Shark Bait!

[Impaler_26]

Name suggestion: S.I.C. (Shit In a Cartridge).

Man you really dislike this game. I just don't see what is wrong with it.

What i really don't like about the game is that the tentacles are kinda hard to hit and the shark also get's too fast too soon.

It may be a somewhat unique idea but it just ain't no fun to play for me.

 

But it doesn't matter, i guess i'll just take a break for this week and play some better games instead.

[aftermac]

15,120

 

Had another idea for a name: Where's the rum? (based on the opening tune... I believe that's what's playing, "yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum" and Johnny Depp's line from Pirates of the Caribbean, and the fact that there is no rum in this game, though there should be. )

 

If we are limited to one pick, I still like Mollusk Command.

 

Edited May 23, 2008 by aftermac

[Deteacher]

17,810.

 

Here's my title submission: Jacques Cousteau's Wild Adventure!

Edited May 23, 2008 by Deteacher

[Ze_ro]

I added more information regarding the Name challenge, as well as awards for 2nd and 3rd place. It'll be held as a vote in the 2600 forum, so everyone on AtariAge will be able to vote. I also think it's only fair to limit things to one entry per person.

 

--Zero

[+Nathan Strum]

My title entry:

 

James Bond as seen in Octopussy

[theking21083]

I would like to update my name entry. I now would like to call it.....

Dawn of the Tentacle: Scuba Steve's Aquatic Adventure.

 

I think it sounds slightly better, and more fitting to the aquatic enviroment.

[aftermac]

17,420

 

So close. So very, very close...

 

[Deteacher]

19,480.

 

My only tip is DON'T PANIC. Keep your cool on the fast levels and work on placing accurate shots, especially on the shark.

[toymailman]

Wooo Hooo!! New Record...at least for now.

 

21,140

 

Edited May 24, 2008 by toymailman

[Deteacher]

Wow! Great score, Toy!

 

Did you get extra treasure at 20K? I was hoping I was gonna find out on my own last night, but since you broke that threshold first, I thought I'd ask.

[aftermac]

You guys just aren't making this very easy.

 

Nice scores, Toy and Deteacher!

 

Another name for this game could be Air-Sea Battle... nevermind...