94 replies to this topic

[therealbountybob]

Welcome *everyone* to the first game of Season 9!

If you're reading this and thinking of joining in please do, just play the game and post a score

Ok Dextral Dodgers' the first game is the awesome  DROPZONE

This is the game that the A8 Defender never was; played a couple of times in the HSC but never with a proper NTSC/USA version being available, so now you guys can get some higher scores

You're going to need a good joystick for this one and the keyboard needs to be just in front of it - press space for smart bombs and any other key for the invincibility cloak. Escape is pause.
NO AUTOFIRE! If you really struggle with the game you can play with autofire on, but you are capped to a maximum score of 25,000 pts.

Links to the game:

• atarimania has instructions and a nice interview with the author
  
• fandal XEX
  
• atariage NTSC patched XEXs
  
• atarionline.pl XEX & ATRs
  
• I've put together an ATR  MYDOS453-DropZone.atr   130.02K   77 downloads (1050 density) with all the versions (PAL / NTSC / NTSC brighter colours)

Standard HSC scoring, 12pts for 1st place - other scores will depend on how many players we have. One bonus point for beating Fandal's HSC record 599,070

This game will close on Sunday 12th February @ 10am GMT (a bit longer to play than normal)

It's more fun if you post scores as you play, not just on the last day! I know we have at least three other strong title contenders this season, so please don't be put off if you struggle to make it into the top 10 - HSC points are going to be more valuable than ever before We encourage all abilities of players and there will be rounds where things are handicapped or the team event where things get shaken up a bit.

Good Luck & Get Blasting!

p.s. one little tip (hopes certain players aren't reading this     )  the secret of the game is to keep a little guy with you until the end - if all the guys are killed then the planet turns hostile and you'll need to hide under your blanket... a real blanket not the cloak

[Joey Z]

therealbountybob, on Tue Jan 24, 2012 8:08 PM, said:

Links to the game:
atarimania has instructions and a nice interview with the author
fandal XEX
atariage NTSC patched XEXs
atarionline.pl XEX & ATRs

trbb, those top three links are broken (part of the link is replaced with ...)

[therealbountybob]

Joey Z, on Tue Jan 24, 2012 8:21 PM, said:

...
trbb, those top three links are broken (part of the link is replaced with ...)

That's a great start to the new season... (if you think that's bad just wait 'til I do the scoring!) In my defense I was up 'til 2am waiting for the votes to come in! Should be ok now folks

[Scalak]

to a good start: 24350

[Caco]

Today this is my the best record:

[McKong]

Crap at this game, never was any good at Defender either

36560

[roadrunner]

7,780


Interesting Defender clone.
I think the guy i play as is a bit too big. He's an easy target to get shot.

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[innuendo]

For start: 6580

[therealbountybob]

1st session - took me three goes to get onto the scoreboard
69,840


Some tips:  take it easy - really, crazy flying too fast is not good for you! - master looking at the radar when it's clear(!) - rescue a few guys at the start - keep one with you until the end, use the cloak, especially for the trailer invasion waves - use smart bombs only if you have a screen full of baddies or are about to die - extra men [&bombs] every 10k so practice practice practice

p.s. Good score Caco

[Joey Z]

17490

heh, that doesn't show all the times I reset the game in anger...

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Edited by Joey Z, Wed Jan 25, 2012 7:06 PM.

[therealbountybob]

Joey Z, on Wed Jan 25, 2012 6:59 PM, said:

17490

heh, that doesn't show all the times I reset the game in anger...

and we're only on day 1

[Deteacher]

32,310!

My tip is to get to level 4, the trailer invasion.  Looks like you get huge points in that wave...if you can survive it.  Yikes!

[innuendo]

trbb, smart bombs?

[therealbountybob]

innuendo, on Thu Jan 26, 2012 2:21 AM, said:

trbb, smart bombs?

they're in the post ok STRATA bombs sorry there was a mix up with your order
(press space for bombs - other key for cloak/shield on/off)

Extra man and Strata bomb every 10k, 7 seconds extra cloak after each wave - all the scoring details here

[Caco]

Hi. My new highscore:

[firestorm]

Just started

Edited by firestorm, Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:55 AM.

[Caco]

New record

[firestorm]

Bit better

[DieMON]

My record so far

74750

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[twh/f2]

Dropzone is a really difficult game. So far 31560 .. not worth a screenshot.

just training for the official HSC Munich session next week

Are there any general strategies worth to know when playing Dropzone? For me, the game has some annoying and very hard elements like that crazy fast alien which hunt you ...

[therealbountybob]

twh/f2, on Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:06 PM, said:

Dropzone is a really difficult game. So far 31560 .. not worth a screenshot.

just training for the official HSC Munich session next week

Are there any general strategies worth to know when playing Dropzone? For me, the game has some annoying and very hard elements like that crazy fast alien which hunt you ...

Yes lots of strategy - read the hints on previous posts plus checkout the atarimaina link there's lots of there too... use your cloak for the fast green aliens... if it's the NMeye guy (at the end) just complete the wave as quick as you can! Wiith an extra man every 10k the scores soon mount up as you get a bit better:

138,360 (Wave 10 - got to 8 before planet went hostile but survived and luckily got another batch of men on 9)


p.s. Start posting your rankings too folks

p.p.s. Firestorm that's a nice looking display

p.p.p.s Yes DZ is probably one of the toughest games we will play this season!

Edited by therealbountybob, Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:35 PM.

[McKong]

Improving

105330

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[innuendo]

Today: 61690

[Deteacher]

I'm just not getting the hang of this one yet.  I logged at least a solid hour of play on this last night and struggled to crack 20K.  I think I broke 34K in one run, but that's not much of an improvement...not worth posting it when top scores are in the 100K's.

I'll keep at it, but I'm feeling I'm going to start this season toward the back of the pack.  Good thing it's only week 1.  

[therealbountybob]

Deteacher, on Fri Jan 27, 2012 7:26 AM, said:

I'm just not getting the hang of this one yet.  I logged at least a solid hour of play on this last night and struggled to crack 20K.  I think I broke 34K in one run, but that's not much of an improvement...not worth posting it when top scores are in the 100K's.

I'll keep at it, but I'm feeling I'm going to start this season toward the back of the pack.  Good thing it's only week 1.  

All scores are worth posting - plenty of time to master this classic game   you must bank a few men at the start of each level and KEEP one with you - if you die he is replaced that way you avoid the killer 'hostile' planet... don't scroll too fast, fly in stages clearing out, do a U patttern under the trailers and take them out at the top of the screen... use up cloak on every level as it's replenished. It's a sin to be out when you still have a Strata bomb.... and practice more

p.s. Make sure you're using the new NTSC ver!