HSC Season 6 Week 34: Miner 2049er

[Ze_ro]

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

 

The cleaning woman was diligently dusting the Hall of Fame wall in the office of Headmaster Mounty Monty. Monty was quietly doing the boring paperwork that all mounties must attend to. "Excuse me Sir, but why is there a big black wreath around this one picture?" inquired the cleaning woman. Slowly removing his glasses, he looked up and studied the picture she was referring to. "That is the famous mounty "Bounty Bob" answered Monty. "Bounty Bob was considered by all to be the most loyal, heroic, and charismatic mounty that our province has ever known."

 

The cleaning woman was entranced. "Well, if he was so wonderful, then what is that blooming black wreath doin' up there?"

 

Monty reclined back in his chair as he said, "We sent ol' Bounty out one wintery day to find Yukon Yohan, a ruthless, conniving fur trapper from Sweden."

 

The cleaning woman gulped. Nervously, she asked "What was this evil slime of a man wanted for?"

 

A blank stare appeared on Mounty Monty's face. In a whisper he muttered, "Murder".

 

The cleaning woman was horrified. "Did Bounty Bob ever find this Yohan fellow?" she wondered.

 

"Apparently he did" replied the headmaster. "We found his dogsled stopped outside an abandoned uranium mine once owned by Nuclear Ned. Two sets of tracks led into the mine. We followed them into the dark passages of the mine when suddenly there was a massive explosion. A huge cave-in occurred. We were barely able to escape with our lives."

 

"No" answered Monty. He's still in there looking for Yukon Yohan. Old Nuclear Ned was a survivalist and stocked up on supplies so Bounty Bob won't have to worry about food ... if he survives the radiation."

 

 

Game Information

• Game Name: Miner 2049er
• Released By: Tigervision, 1982
• Left Difficulty: N / A
• Right Difficulty: N / A
• Game Mode: Default
• Chosen By: Mister VCS

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 April 29th at 1:00 AM (CST).

 

Current High Scores 5137 (shadow460) [+11] 4422 (toymailman) [+10] 2381 (vjames) [+9] 2275 (Kurt_Woloch) [+8] 2136 (mcge0053) [+7] 1945 (Impaler_26) [+6] 1808 (darthkur) [+5] 1618 (aftermac) [+4] 1450 (Mister VCS) [+3] 1276 (SpiceWare) [+2] 646 (LarcenTyler) [+1] Best Tips shadow460 [+2] Challenges None yet TwinGalaxies Top 3 10,173 (Douglas C Korekach) 4746 (Jonathan A Ewing) 3061 (Robert Macauley) (Emulator) (Game 1, Difficulty B)

Current Standings toymailman [327] Deteacher [290] darthkur [236] aftermac [231] Kurt_Woloch [161] Impaler_26 [148] DarthCalvin [117] jjd [87] Mister VCS [80] shadow460 [68] SpiceWare [67] LarcenTyler [66] Hornpipe2 [55] the 5th ghost [47] Nathan Strum [46] doctorclu [34] mcge0053 [32] SeaGtGruff [29] Jess Ragan [26] theKLT [25] homerwannabee [22] Zoyx [22] Jred [20] Spector [20] Omegamatrix [19] ClassicGMR [18] IHATETHEBEARS [16] iangamer [15] MrBeefy [14] Shannon [13] LoneWolfSeth [12] roadrunner [11] midnight magicman [11] vdub_bobby [11] ed1475 [10] Random Terrain [10] maf [9] TimsterAA [9] DtY [8] godzillajoe [8] missioncontrol [8] chuckwalla [7] LS_Dracon [7] LaserHawk3000 [7] BSA Starfire's girlfriend [7] RJ [6] lucifershalo [5] phaxda [5] Vectorman0 [4] vintagegamecrazy [4] Wickeycolumbus [3] joeypsp [2] rheffera [2] ratfink [2] Lendorien [1] Cafeman [1] Yar76 [1] Artlover [1] holgibo [1]

 

Scoring Points in Miner 2049er

• Block of uranium ore - 2 points
• Mutants - 30 points
• Possessions - 10 points
• Bonus Points - time left on clock

 

Hints and Tips

• You can fall one level through an open mine shaft in Screen One and Screen Two without being killed.

The Manual
As always, you really should read the manual. In case you don't have the manual, AtariAge has a typed copy available online, though unfortunately, the formatting is screwed up. Here is the only hint it seems to provide:
shadow460
Safe Jumping: Get to the end of a platform and stop. Jump straight up, hold the button, then lean the stick while Bob is in the air. On the next bounce, Bob will jump across the gap. This costs you time, though. Jumping the mutants: Simple, jump through their nose. Always begin a jump over a mutant with Bob's feet together. Bob's foot should actually touch their nose when he jumps. Other jumps are programmed to succeed or fail no matter how you time them. The upper right mutant in Level 1 will always kill you if you jump right while standing right next to the diagonal shaft. Move a couple steps left of the shaft, then jump. In stage 3, Bob will need to jump a little short on the leftmost platforms. You'll be too close to the edge to make a full jump. Bob will fall right through the mutant, and survive. Touching mutants while falling straight down or through a mine shaft is never lethal. Detailed instructions for mutant killing in level 2: Imagine the transporters numbered 1 to 4 starting at the bottom. Go to #2 and walk all the way to the left so that Bob's toes hang over the edge but he does not fall. Jump so that his feet are together. Watch the mutant nearby, and when he walks under the mug, use the safe jumping technique above to hop over and grab the mug. Never let off the button. Keep bouncing. Usually he will die just after you grab the mug. Bounce right and bounce onto the platform at #2. Take two steps left and transport to #3. Now you decide. Way 1, which is easier but requires one tricky jump, or Way 2 which is harder but eliminates the need to jump any mutants at all. Way 1: Bounce right as soon as you get to #3. Keep bouncing over the gap until you kill the mutant at the top right. Mask the platform then safe jump back to #3. Transport up to #4 and line Bob up with the left wall of the transporter. Jump the mutant, mask the platform, and kill the mutant on your way back. Way 2: Hold the stick up as you transport into #3 for the first time. Kill the mutant at #4 and walk left. It does not matter if you fall down the shaft or not. Walk to the far left until Bob is exactly two squares away from the leftmost edge of the top most platform with his feet together. Wait for the mutant at the upper right to turn to the right and begin walking. When it does, walk to the next block (two steps), grab the lamp, then bounce back to the block just left of the transporter. Take two steps, pull the stick down, and bounce right until you kill the mutant. You have to be fast. It will look like he's turned back, but if you are fast enough, you will kill him. Now finish masking the platforms adjacent to #3 and #4. Go down to #2 and walk to the right edge. Use the safe jump technique to cross the gap to your right and go down the ladder. Walk off of that platform toward the mutant below and drop in right on top of him. Finish the level with safe jumping techniques and you are good to go. #3 is very forgiving with the collision detection, so just concentrate on jumping through the mutants' noses. If you find yourself in a jam, drop down the shaft (you are invincible while inside) and try again. either that, or just move toward the center if you're on the bottom or middle cannon levels. Oh, and I don't have to remind you, these tips apply only to the 2600 port of Miner 2049er. Try them on any other platform and you will die swiftly... The Sloppy Jump: Get within three blocks of the edge of the screen. Jump anytime as soon as the mutant faces you. As soon as Bob hits the edge of the screen, he becomes invincible for a split second. Use this to jump mutants while they are up to a full block away. Works on all mutants in 3 and half the ones in 6, works on the top right mutant in 2 and 5 as well. The Precise Jump: Jump through the nose as stated above.

 

--Zero

[toymailman]

I remember it is almost impossible to jump the mutants successfully in this version. Makes the 3rd level super-hard! I don't think I've ever got by it.

[Impaler_26]

The 2600 version sucks ass!

 

First try:

 

1,069

[Impaler_26]

I found better versions of the manual over at DP:

 

Text

PDF

[darthkur]

1,783

 

Yes, jumping over the monsters is ridiculously hard. The collision detection isn't exactly precise making it all the more difficult. I actually cleared the one on the top floor on the second board but was so surprised that I actually succeeded that I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and fell down the slide. Needless to say that when I attempted to jump it the second time I didn't make it.

 

 

 

 

"Minor Update" (pun intended)

 

1,808

 

Edited April 22, 2009 by darthkur

[Impaler_26]

1,353

[Rev]

i have never payed this game.there is too many games i need to get!

[shadow460]

OK, kids, time for trainin'. 3252, fourth level, and I am just warmin' up. It's a lot easier to just kill the mutant in the upper right of level 2 than it is to jump him. Matter of fact, you don't have to jump any of them if you're quick.

 

Safe Jumping: Get to the end of a platform and stop. Jump straight up, hold the button, then lean the stick while Bob is in the air. On the next bounce, Bob will jump across the gap. This costs you time, though.

 

Jumping the mutants: Simple, jump through their nose. Always begin a jump over a mutant with Bob's feet together. Bob's foot should actually touch their nose when he jumps. Other jumps are programmed to succeed or fail no matter how you time them. The upper right mutant in Level 1 will always kill you if you jump right while standing right next to the diagonal shaft. Move a couple steps left of the shaft, then jump. In stage 3, Bob will need to jump a little short on the leftmost platforms. You'll be too close to the edge to make a full jump. Bob will fall right through the mutant, and survive.

 

Touching mutants while falling straight down or through a mine shaft is never lethal.

 

Detailed instructions for mutant killing in level 2:

 

Imagine the transporters numbered 1 to 4 starting at the bottom. Go to #2 and walk all the way to the left so that Bob's toes hang over the edge but he does not fall. Jump so that his feet are together. Watch the mutant nearby, and when he walks under the mug, use the safe jumping technique above to hop over and grab the mug. Never let off the button. Keep bouncing. Usually he will die just after you grab the mug. Bounce right and bounce onto the platform at #2. Take two steps left and transport to #3. Now you decide. Way 1, which is easier but requires one tricky jump, or Way 2 which is harder but eliminates the need to jump any mutants at all.

 

Way 1: Bounce right as soon as you get to #3. Keep bouncing over the gap until you kill the mutant at the top right. Mask the platform then safe jump back to #3. Transport up to #4 and line Bob up with the left wall of the transporter. Jump the mutant, mask the platform, and kill the mutant on your way back.

 

Way 2: Hold the stick up as you transport into #3 for the first time. Kill the mutant at #4 and walk left. It does not matter if you fall down the shaft or not. Walk to the far left until Bob is exactly two squares away from the leftmost edge of the top most platform with his feet together. Wait for the mutant at the upper right to turn to the right and begin walking. When it does, walk to the next block (two steps), grab the lamp, then bounce back to the block just left of the transporter. Take two steps, pull the stick down, and bounce right until you kill the mutant. You have to be fast. It will look like he's turned back, but if you are fast enough, you will kill him.

 

Now finish masking the platforms adjacent to #3 and #4. Go down to #2 and walk to the right edge. Use the safe jump technique to cross the gap to your right and go down the ladder. Walk off of that platform toward the mutant below and drop in right on top of him.

 

Finish the level with safe jumping techniques and you are good to go. #3 is very forgiving with the collision detection, so just concentrate on jumping through the mutants' noses. If you find yourself in a jam, drop down the shaft (you are invincible while inside) and try again. either that, or just move toward the center if you're on the bottom or middle cannon levels.

 

Oh, and I don't have to remind you, these tips apply only to the 2600 port of Miner 2049er. Try them on any other platform and you will die swiftly...

Edited April 23, 2009 by shadow460

[IHATETHEBEARS]

3252? That's quite a score. How long did it take? I'm going to guess your game lasted an hour. That is one slow-moving miner.

[toymailman]

Figured out how to jump a little easier, and it looks like shadow got it too. Now I'm fighting Level 4.

 

3,445

 

My best on Level 1 without losing a life is 1,126. Hard to make a challenge as it can't be proven with a photo because the number of lives isn't displayed anywhere.

[Kurt_Woloch]

Here's my best... 2275.

 

This is one of the games which have a recognizable title tune... "Clementine", and it fits too with the first lines being...

 

In a cavern, in a canyon,

Excavating for a mine

Dwelt a miner forty niner,

And his darling Clementine.

 

Only they could have improved on the bass notes...

[shadow460]

3252? That's quite a score. How long did it take? I'm going to guess your game lasted an hour. That is one slow-moving miner.

 

It took about ten minutes. If you bounce everywhere he moves a tad faster.

[shadow460]

I'm not sure if I'm going to keep going. I'm sick of the game not responding to the controls. I think it only reads the stick intermittently. I've played with two totally different joysticks and although I can hear the contacts clicking in the sticks, sometimes nothing happens on the screen.

 

I can't study level 4 after having to fight the controls for three levels prior. Maybe later in the week, but for now, I'm out.

[toymailman]

I'm not sure if I'm going to keep going. I'm sick of the game not responding to the controls. I think it only reads the stick intermittently. I've played with two totally different joysticks and although I can hear the contacts clicking in the sticks, sometimes nothing happens on the screen.

 

I can't study level 4 after having to fight the controls for three levels prior. Maybe later in the week, but for now, I'm out.

I'm gonna try to get by level 4.

 

For the controls, recently I've been using the Best Electronics upgraded gold joystick with the sturdier inner handle. However, the flashback 2 joysticks work fantastic too. I've been using the FB2 sticks more and more now.

[shadow460]

I used a CX-10 and a Flashback 2 stick. The CX-10's spring contacts are not predictable enough to time the jumps in this game. The Flashback 2 stick is pretty good. I found myself shoving the handles left and right on each stick during the jumps, and I cant imagine that a 30 year old joystick likes that too much.

[Lauren Tyler]

646

 

I think I'll sit this one out this week.

[mcge0053]

1270

 

So if you look at the screen shot here, I was killed by a mutant WHILE HE WAS YELLOW! I thought I finally had the bastard, but he won out in the end. I'm ready to give up on this game!

 

[shadow460]

That's one of those jumps that's pre programmed to fail. It appears you took a half step right after your last jump.

 

Every port I've played of Miner 2049er is all about patterns. The sad thing is that the patterns are different from port to port.

[Kurt_Woloch]

Yes, this game seems to have a lot of bugs and glitches. It would be far more playable if you could actually jump over the mutants without touching them, and if the collisions would register exactly as shown on screen. Oh, and if the mutants could still be picked up while they flash red and yellow.

 

I had some weird cases where I bounced and landed just to the left of a mutant (with 1 pixel distance), but still died although I never had touched that mutant.

Edited April 24, 2009 by Kurt_Woloch

[toymailman]

Better collision detction would be nice. Also, I turned on my computer to see the ROM size; it is 8k. I imagine a better game could be made with 16k and with added levels too.

 

I'm not past Level 4 yet, but a bit better score.

 

3,637

[the 5th ghost]

Score rolls at 9,999

 

Just so you know...

[shadow460]

Score rolls at 9,999

 

Just so you know...

 

I seem to remember a battle between myself and a couple of others to determine who could do this faster the last time this game was played.

 

@toymailman: Are you trying to jump that one mutant in the upper left? There's no need to jump over him at all. Simply walk as far to the left as possible toward him, then go underneath and do the same thing from the other side. The areas you walk over will almost overlap. You can just walk away from him when he turns around.

Edited April 24, 2009 by shadow460

[Impaler_26]

1,945

[aftermac]

1,618

 

[toymailman]

toymailman: Are you trying to jump that one mutant in the upper left? There's no need to jump over him at all. Simply walk as far to the left as possible toward him, then go underneath and do the same thing from the other side. The areas you walk over will almost overlap. You can just walk away from him when he turns around.

No, not jumping; just the walking from each side. Not much room for error though.