41 replies to this topic

[Jibbajaba]

Welcome to round 5 of the 7th season of the Atari Age NES High Score League!

Again, I apologize for the tardiness in getting this round posted.  

Twin Galaxies now requires people to create an account and log in if they wish to view high scores.  I object to this, and as a result I will no longer be listing TG high scores with each round's game.

This week's game is going to be Ninja Gaiden

Title: Ninja Gaiden
Developer: Tecmo
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: March 1989 (US)

[NightSprinter]

Act Six.. I don't wanna..    

[Mark T]

Any details on rules? How many continues we can use? Doesn't this game have infinite continues?  etc.

It's been awhile since I played it lol

[Jibbajaba]

You shouldn't use any continues.  That goes for any game that we play unless we decide otherwise beforehand.  Doesn't the game reset your score when you continue, anyway?

Any other rules that we should discuss now?  I've never played this for score, so I dunno.  As usual, try to just play the game and get as far as possible, as opposed to point-pressing.  Point-pressing isn't cheating, but it also isn't very sportsmanlike.  

Chris

[NightSprinter]

I STILL don't wanna do Act-6, but what about the Final Boss Gauntlet (where you have to face the Masked Devil with a special technique, then Jaquio and finall Jyashin without one) if people want to get a "game-clear" high score under that rule?

[Jibbajaba]

Explain to me what the problem is with the final boss gauntlet.  Are you talking about the "no continues" rule, or the "don't point press" thing?

Chris

Edited by Jibbajaba, Thu Jul 7, 2011 9:19 AM.

[LarcenTyler]

I believe if you die during any of the bosses, you're thrown all the way back to the beginning of the level.

First Score: 85,300

Edited by LarcenTyler, Thu Jul 7, 2011 9:29 AM.

[NightSprinter]

You're right, Larcen.  Whereas normally defeat by a boss sends you back to the previous section, Act-6 PUNISHES you by sending you all the way back to 6-1 (watch Retro Game Master Ep. 1 on Kotaku to see this).  For all but the most hardcore NG players this is where people decide to turn the game off.  It's hard enough to get to the boss room alone, but when you have to do it again after losing to a boss..  

[HatefulGravey]

Who is really worried about act 6? Hell I have been playing this game for years and by act 4-3 I'm starting to think bad thoughts. I don't know that I have ever made act 6 without a continue or 757,234,763 of em.

That said I love this game and can't wait to get to my NES to play away. I have never played for score but I'll be taking the "get as far as I can, check the score when it says 'game over'" tactic on this one.

[bigbee99]

OHOHOH!  Can I post TGI's scoreboard then?  I was chasing this score for a while.

1. 2,072,000 Kristian Emanuelsen
2  1,880,600 Juan M Castellanos
3. 247,700 Robert S Ferguson
4. 227,600 Cory R Sexton
5. 209,500 Daryl Kiddey
6. 199,700 Brent T Coffman
7. 183,600 Matthew Corsi
8. 165,400 David R Archey
9. 164,300 Mickey L Thomas
10. 110,900 Jon Taber

Since all levels are timed, you can point press them to the MAX!  My problem, pressing this game bores me to tears.  Maybe I will dust it off for one more run.  I have been playing it casually from time to time still.  Seems like I hit 200k without pressing anything.  Such a great game!

1M or bust?
B

[HatefulGravey]

136,600

This is going to be a hard game to get a picture of. It goes right to the game over screen when you die the last time. So there is no chance to bring up your camera to take a picture in time. Hell, you are lucky to get a good luck at that score, you just start looking at it every time you die to make sure you get it.

[bigbee99]

HatefulGravey, on Thu Jul 7, 2011 7:16 PM, said:

This is going to be a hard game to get a picture of. It goes right to the game over screen when you die the last time. So there is no chance to bring up your camera to take a picture in time. Hell, you are lucky to get a good luck at that score, you just start looking at it every time you die to make sure you get it.

You ain't kidding!  I even had my camera ready and all I got was the Game Over screen.  Maybe record the game and get the SS from the playback?  I would put I have enough on my deck as it is.  I'm not adding a VCR   But my NES looks really good on this Flat CRT

345,100

Run ended on 5-2.  A bat caught me in a jump.  There was some a little point pressing  

B

Edited by bigbee99, Sat Jul 9, 2011 10:56 AM.

[HatefulGravey]

I guess I'll point press some too . I don't really like to do that, but if thats the name of the game I'm down.

What is the trick to the level 4 boss. I just can't seem to kill that mother^!#$er or would that be those mother^@#$ers?

[bigbee99]

HatefulGravey, on Sat Jul 9, 2011 11:48 AM, said:

What is the trick to the level 4 boss. I just can't seem to kill that mother^!#$er or would that be those mother^@#$ers?

The slow boss is a dummy.  Hitting him does nothing.  You can pretty much hide under the platforms to hit the fast one when he passes by.

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[bigbee99]

I just noticed what Jibbajaba said.

Quote

As usual, try to just play the game and get as far as possible, as opposed to point-pressing. Point-pressing isn't cheating, but it also isn't very sportsmanlike.

So if we are not gonna point press, I retract my score.

My bad.  That will teach me to read the whole thread  

Back to the drawing board.

B

[Jibbajaba]

It's really up to you guys.  But either everyone should point press, or no one should do it.  Like I said it isn't cheating, but it just doesn't seem sportsmanlike to me.

As far as the screenshots go, remember that they aren't required.  The game doesn't display the high score at the top of the screen if you play again without shutting off the console?

Chris

[Mark T]

what exactly does point pressing mean?

I'm assuming its when you get a game over and continue that resets your score and you just keep playing to get the highest score?

[bigbee99]

Mark T, on Sat Jul 9, 2011 1:02 PM, said:

what exactly does point pressing mean?

Since this game has timed levels, you stay in the level until time is almost up killing the re-spawning enemies.  Take 1-1 for example.  The best scoring enemy in that level is 200 points, the spider/dog thing.  When you get to the end of the level, there is one that comes from behind you right before you get to the signs and the last 2 boxers.  This is less than 10 secs from the exit door.  You can rack up another 20k or so off of that spider before time runs out.  Since Ninja Gaiden's timer resets at the beginning of each level, and the boss rooms are a separate level, this can be a number of time in the game.

I'm game either way.  Without pressing, the games are shorter and less annoying.

B

[Mark T]

Oh ok...awesome! Thanks for clarifying

So has there been a FINAL decision of the rules? Or is it still up in the air?

Cos I wanna try this game out but don't wanna start until the rules have been finalized.

bigbee99, on Sat Jul 9, 2011 1:14 PM, said:

Mark T, on Sat Jul 9, 2011 1:02 PM, said:

what exactly does point pressing mean?

Since this game has timed levels, you stay in the level until time is almost up killing the re-spawning enemies.  Take 1-1 for example.  The best scoring enemy in that level is 200 points, the spider/dog thing.  When you get to the end of the level, there is one that comes from behind you right before you get to the signs and the last 2 boxers.  This is less than 10 secs from the exit door.  You can rack up another 20k or so off of that spider before time runs out.  Since Ninja Gaiden's timer resets at the beginning of each level, and the boss rooms are a separate level, this can be a number of time in the game.

I'm game either way.  Without pressing, the games are shorter and less annoying.

B

[bigbee99]

Jibbajaba, on Sat Jul 9, 2011 1:01 PM, said:

As far as the screenshots go, remember that they aren't required.  The game doesn't display the high score at the top of the screen if you play again without shutting off the console?

When you die the last time and the game plays it's little "You Died" music it the last time you see your score.  No in game high score saver.

B

[NightSprinter]

As far as the Act 4 boss (Kelbeross) is concerned, only one of them can be damaged at first.  Once you find out which one it is, keep attacking until the boss is at half its life.  The one you could hit dies, and the other one should become vulnerable.

[HatefulGravey]

I vote no pressing, just because the game gets long that way. Getting the best score without pressing will be a combo of speed through the level, and collecting the most items instead of just killing one thing over and over.

[bigbee99]

I'll second that notion.  No Point pressing, just to keep things simple.

B

[HatefulGravey]

168,700 is my new top score.

The advice on the level 4 boss certainly helped, as I was able to clear him and move forward to the next level. Now, level 5-1 was brutal and I'm starting to wonder if I really want to try to beat this game at all.... at this point I would like to, but I'm afraid I might break my own face if I try too much too often. Time will tell.

[bigbee99]

My updated score w/o point pressing.

329,000

A cool even number.  I almost beat the game on one continue.  I got the tail off the demon, the head, started jabbing at the heart to no avail.  I did manage to nab a pic right after I killed the Jaquio.  Look at how close it was!  And I was on my last man too!

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