HSC Season 6 Week 16: Toyshop Trouble

[Ze_ro]

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

 

Ah, the Bahamas. Toyshop elves Patrick, Quincy, and Robert are laying on the beach, relaxing in the sun. Nothing could be finer than listening to the surf while enjoying a cold drink. A great reward for having gotten all of Santa's toys painted in record time. Unfortunately for you, Patrick's idea of "painting" toys was dumping them all in a bucket of gray paint. While this technically fulfilled his associates' obligations (thus their trip to the Bahamas), the toys--alas--still have to be painted properly.

 

It's now your job to clean up their mess, which means properly painting the toys in time for Santa's departure Christmas Eve. You must paint the toys as they move along five conveyor belts. Ahh, but only if it were as easy as it sounds! Toys must be painted the proper color, and some toys require two coats of paint (with different colors), and if that wasn't bad enough, some must have their coats applied in the proper order! And not that you needed the additional pressure, but you also have a daily quota to meet. You must properly paint all the toys that appear on the conveyor belts each day before the whistle at the end of your shift sounds!

 

Santa's counting on you to ensure that all the toys are painted correctly! Can you get the job done before Santa's sleigh is loaded up on Christmas Eve? You don't want to be responsible for children waking up Christmas morning without toys under their trees, do you? Time to juggle those cans of paint and get moving!

 

 

Game Information

• Game Name: Toyshop Trouble
• Released By: AtariAge, 2006
• Left Difficulty: N/A
• Right Difficulty: N/A
• Game Mode: Game 1
• Chosen By: Deteacher

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 December 24th at 1:00 AM (CST).

 

Current High Scores 81,326 (toymailman) [+11] 46,318 (Deteacher) [+10] 20,081 (Impaler_26) [+9] 17,777 (Kurt_Woloch) [+8] 14,701 (aftermac) [+7] 4625 (jjd) [+6] 4492 (Jess Ragan) [+5] Best Tips None yet Challenges None yet TwinGalaxies Top 3 TwinGalaxies has no scores for this game (Game 1, Difficulty B)

Current Standings toymailman [152] Deteacher [151] DarthCalvin [117] darthkur [100] aftermac [98] jjd [76] SpiceWare [52] Impaler_26 [52] Kurt_Woloch [52] the 5th ghost [47] Hornpipe2 [47] Mister VCS [35] Nathan Strum [30] LarcenTyler [30] shadow460 [22] Zoyx [22] Spector [20] Omegamatrix [19] Jess Ragan [18] ClassicGMR [18] iangamer [14] LoneWolfSeth [12] homerwannabee [11] midnight magicman [11] Random Terrain [10] maf [9] missioncontrol [8] SeaGtGruff [8] chuckwalla [7] LS_Dracon [7] LaserHawk3000 [7] phaxda [5] vintagegamecrazy [4] rheffera [2] ratfink [2] Yar76 [1] Artlover [1]

 

Scoring Points in Toyshop Trouble

• Points rewarded for painting a toy successfully range from 10 to 100 points.
• Points are awarded when the painted toys leave the conveyor belt.
• A time bonus is awarded on the completion of a level, with multipliers added on consecutive levels.
• Any painted toys on the conveyor belts at level end score double.

 

Hints and Tips

• You won't be penalized for painting a toy the wrong color (as long as you correct it before the time runs out) so it can sometimes be an idea to cut a swathe of paint across the screen if it means getting a whole block of toys painted a little faster.

The Manual
As always, you really should read the manual. Unfortunately, AtariAge doesn't have the manual available online, but here is the hint it provides:

 

--Zero

[Deteacher]

I'm sure most of us saw this one coming! EXCELLENT GAME!!! Can't wait to get home and start playing!

Edited December 17, 2008 by Deteacher

[Ze_ro]

Yep. Lets give it another go. The ROM is now available, so things should go a little smoother this time around. I don't think AtariAge has the ROM available, so click here to download.

 

If I get some time tomorrow, I'll see if I can scan my manual and put it up somewhere too.

 

--Zero

[aftermac]

I'm sure most of us saw this one coming! EXCELLENT GAME!!! Can't wait to get home and start playing!

 

Hmm... thought that was just my finely tuned intuition...

 

I've been looking for an excuse to play this game... I'm usually too wrapped up in the game of the week.

[toymailman]

Excellent! Finally we get to finish this one off.

[Kurt_Woloch]

OK, here's my best so far... 11451.

[supercat]

A few bits of advice from the author:

 

(1) Until you get to the point that you can consistently play through December 24, I would suggest that you may want to make use of practice mode. You may practice any level up to the last one you've reached in normal play. The game will exit when a level is cleared in practice mode, but you can practice each level as many times as you like until you feel that you've mastered it, rather than having to play through e.g. the first twelve levels every time you want to try level 13.

 

(2) In the first level that uses any particular toy, the toy-selection logic is guaranteed to choose lots of that toy. It is thus useful to run immediately to a color that can be used on that toy, even before any toys appear on the screen. You will nearly always benefit by doing so. If the new toy is a two-color either-order one, chose the color that will work best with other toys (e.g. on the first ship level, run immediately to the white since it will be useful to paint the first ship that comes out, but may also be useful if a candy cane or NIMROD appears).

 

(3) Many of the two-color fixed-sequence toys have the same second color; it may be useful to do the first color of each of them, and then do a run of black or white to hit everything that needs it.

 

(4) The conveyor belts will speed up each time a correctly-painted toy is cleared, and slow down every time a toy has to be wrapped around. If some conveyors are ignored for too long, they may become quite slow and it may take awhile for them to get up to speed again.

 

(5) I tend to find it useful to pick one of the left-side colors, zig-zag to the right painting whatever toys need that color, then pick a right-side color and zig-zag to the left.

 

(6) It's possible to paint a toy even if all but one pixel has scrolled off the screen. Chasing after a toy to catch it before it wraps will often be successful.

 

(7) There is enough clearance between rows of toys to run between them without hitting any, but in some cases it may be easier to release the fire button just before passing over a toy that should not be painted. The elf does have some inertia, so this need not waste much time.

 

( Have fun!

[Lauren Tyler]

2128

[toymailman]

New best for me!

 

55,103

[Impaler_26]

12,913

[toymailman]

Found a couple more thousand.

 

57,115

[supercat]

Found a couple more thousand.

 

I think you've got me beat. I wonder if anyone will clear the second duck wave? I know I've never gotten that far. What's your secret?

[toymailman]

Add another 1k! I finally got a higher score than Dauber posted for last year's submissions (57,561). Would be nice to break 60k, but Jan. 14th is hard!!

 

58,268

 

I don't really have any secrets or tips on this game. For me its just careful concentration, planning and try not to make any mistakes that eat up precious time on the higher levels.

 

How do we play the easter egg game. Might be a good challenge game!

[Ze_ro]

As promised, here is the manual scan. It's pretty short... in fact, it's just one piece of folded paper, so the first scan is the front and back, while the second is the inside.

 

--Zero

[toymailman]

Still stuck on Jan. 14th.

 

59,650

[supercat]

Still stuck on Jan. 14th.

 

Best of luck to you. I just hacked things so I could test out levels after the second duck wave. The first level after the second duck wave is hard (too hard for me--don't know if it's possible), but the next one is easy enough that I could clear it with time to spare. Then hard, then easy. Then more hard levels. I really don't think anyone's going to clear Jan 25. But from Jan. 26 until the 'wrap' are all pretty easy.

[Deteacher]

You'll break 60K, Toy. I'm sure of that.

 

My best so far is 46K and change. I'm up to Jan. 9th. I'll post a screenshot once my camera batteries are charged up again.

 

My tip is to try to leave the higher scoring toys for last. Since any toys left on the conveyor belt at the end of the round score double, those are the ones you want to finish the round with.

 

I'll sit down this afternoon and figure out as much of the scoring as I can. That'll help boost some scores, I'm sure.

[toymailman]

You'll break 60K, Toy. I'm sure of that.

 

Thanks for the encouragement 'teach! I did it!

 

61,636

 

The scoring is pretty straight forward too. Points are awarded as follows.

Firetruck = 10

French Horn = 15

Dinosaur = 20

AT-AT = 25

Candy Cane = 50

Ship = 55

Rocket = 60

Lincoln Logs = 65

Joystick = 30

Truck = 75

Train = 80

Car = 85

Castle = 90

Plane = 95

Ducky = 100

 

These points are awarded as soon as the correctly painted toy leaves the conveyor belt. The above amounts double if they are on the screen when finishing a level.

 

There is also a time bonus awarded for each second remining when finishing a level. This is as follows.

(1 point / second) x (level)

[toymailman]

The level progression is as follows:

Firetruck = (Dec. 1)

French Horn = (Dec. 2)

Dinosaur = (Dec. 3)

AT-AT = (Dec. 4)

Candy Cane = (Dec. 5, 6)

Ship = (Dec. 7, 8 )

Rocket = (Dec. 9, 10; Jan. 2, 3)

Lincoln Logs = (Dec. 11, 12; Jan. 4, 5)

Joystick = (Dec. 13; Jan. 6)

Truck = (Dec. 14, 15; Jan. 7, 8 )

Train = (Dec. 16, 17; Jan. 9, 10)

Car = (Dec. 18, 19; Jan. 11, 12)

Castle = (Dec. 20, 21; Jan. 13, 14) <--- farthest I've got.

Plane = (Dec. 22, 23; Jan. 15, 16)

Ducky = (Dec. 24; Jan. 17)

 

There is a fancy screen for Christmas Dec. 25th!! Really cool.

 

Then Dec. 26-Jan 1 is skipped for the holidays and work resumes on Jan. 2 with rockets again.

 

Don't know what happens after Jan. 17th, and I don't think I will find out either. I have high hopes of getting to Jan. 15th but as far as completing it (or the 16th and 17th for that matter) may take a true Christmas miracle.

Edited December 19, 2008 by toymailman

[toymailman]

Still stuck on Jan. 14th.

 

Best of luck to you. I just hacked things so I could test out levels after the second duck wave. The first level after the second duck wave is hard (too hard for me--don't know if it's possible), but the next one is easy enough that I could clear it with time to spare. Then hard, then easy. Then more hard levels. I really don't think anyone's going to clear Jan 25. But from Jan. 26 until the 'wrap' are all pretty easy.

I'll need it. Also, by what I've found out would the second Duck level be Jan 17th?

 

Also, thank you for making this game!! It is one of the best all time on the 2600. It has nice music, great colorful graphics, variety, fast challenging gameplay with planning and strategy, and its not too hard or too easy. WOW!! The closest thing to it would be Pressure Cooker (another one of my favs). If this game had been released back in 1984 the crash would have been averted.

[supercat]

Also, thank you for making this game!! It is one of the best all time on the 2600. It has nice music, great colorful graphics, variety, fast challenging gameplay with planning and strategy, and its not too hard or too easy. WOW!! The closest thing to it would be Pressure Cooker (another one of my favs). If this game had been released back in 1984 the crash would have been averted.

 

I'm glad you like it. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I got in a time machine and showed up at Atari in, say, 1979 and asked them to release the game. To start with, just show them some screen shots, etc. Don't mention what system it's for (they'd probably guess 400/800). Then ask if they thought a 2600 version would sell, or if there would have to be too many compromises to make it a workable game.

[aftermac]

Also, thank you for making this game!! It is one of the best all time on the 2600. It has nice music, great colorful graphics, variety, fast challenging gameplay with planning and strategy, and its not too hard or too easy. WOW!! The closest thing to it would be Pressure Cooker (another one of my favs). If this game had been released back in 1984 the crash would have been averted.

 

I'm glad you like it. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I got in a time machine and showed up at Atari in, say, 1979 and asked them to release the game. To start with, just show them some screen shots, etc. Don't mention what system it's for (they'd probably guess 400/800). Then ask if they thought a 2600 version would sell, or if there would have to be too many compromises to make it a workable game.

 

I've got a pretty good idea what they would say...

This game is unbelievable! I've never seen anything like it! We didn't even know this was possible! We'll crush the competition! Can you do it in 4K?

 

Seriously, awesome game Supercat! I have to agree that if we had the quality of games back then, as are being made today, Atari's fate may have been different.

[Deteacher]

I'll jump on this bandwagon! I totally agree that TT is one of the best games ever made for the VCS. In fact, I stated in the "What 3 games would you take" thread that TT would be one of them.

 

Not only is the gameplay superb and the replay value high, I love the title screen. The way the lights dance to the music...very nice effect. I also love how the 'loser' music is set in the minor key, as opposed to the intro music, which is in major (Hey, I'm a music teacher. I live for this stuff.)

[toymailman]

I'll jump on this bandwagon! I totally agree that TT is one of the best games ever made for the VCS. In fact, I stated in the "What 3 games would you take" thread that TT would be one of them.

 

Me too!

 

I got to Jan 15. That day is super hard. Still had 8 toys to go.

67,043

 

The only thing I could think of to make an ever so slight improvement would be to implement something similar to Solar Fox with regards to the difficulty switches. I find I play constantly with the button pressed. If I could toggle that then my thumb would be so happy!

[supercat]

I'll jump on this bandwagon! I totally agree that TT is one of the best games ever made for the VCS. In fact, I stated in the "What 3 games would you take" thread that TT would be one of them.

 

Not only is the gameplay superb and the replay value high, I love the title screen. The way the lights dance to the music...very nice effect. I also love how the 'loser' music is set in the minor key, as opposed to the intro music, which is in major (Hey, I'm a music teacher. I live for this stuff.)

The Toyshop Trouble music is interesting from a coding perspective. It's divided up into groups of four eight-quarter-note-long phrases; each phrase has two bass notes (an octave apart) and four melody notes, and the pattern of bass and melody notes repeats every four phrases. The bass and melody notes for the whole tune, both major- and minor-key versions, fit in 20 bytes.

 

BTW, the major version of the song is in "melodic major" sort of--the memody voice has a rather sharp B natural and an even more flat B natural. When I use the B natural as a leading tone (phrase 4), I use the sharp one; when it's not a leading tone (phrase 3) I use the flat one. I don't particularly like the horrible intonation in the major-key version, but it's the best the 2600 can do without some serious magic. In the minor-key variation, I like the intonation a bit better. I think the B-kinda-flat note works very nicely in phrase 3 of the minor-key version. Better than a proper B-flat or B-natural would.

Can you do it in 4K?

I tried to do a mini-game version. If I'd started out targeting 4K, I might have managed something decent, but squishing everything into 4K would be hard. On the other hand, if Atari could have had that game in Christmas 1979 I don't think they would have balked at the extra cost of 8K cartridges.

I find I play constantly with the button pressed. If I could toggle that then my thumb would be so happy!

I seriously considered doing that, but I was afraid that people would too likely end up confused since many people don't know the state of their difficulty switches at any given time (some may not even know where they are!) Somehow the idea of pushing the fire button to not paint toys doesn't seem very intuitive.

 

Besides, when people complain about sore thumbs, that's how I know I have a good game.