High Score Club Week 5: Gravitar!

[Ze_ro]

Important note: This weeks competition is over. If you still wish to discuss Gravitar, then feel free to do so, but no further scores will be accepted. Thanks to everyone for all their contributions! Please join in on the latest High Score Club competition!

 

Load up your blasters, strap yourself in, and start the countdown! Because this week we'll be fighting against the laws of gravity in Atari's Gravitar!

 

Game Information
Game	Gravitar
Left Difficulty	Not Applicable
Right Difficulty	Not Applicable
Game Mode	Game 1: 6 Ships, Normal Gravity
Chosen By	Adrian M

 

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 will be approximately Sunday, May 9th at midnight (CST). In case you haven't already done so, please read the High Score Club rules.

 

In case you don't have a copy of this game, feel free to visit AtariAge's Profile Page for this game, where you can not only find the ROM, but also a typed copy of the manual, reviews, screenshots, and other information.

 

If you are not a member of the High Score Club, but would like to be, then all you have to do is post a reply saying so, and I'll add you to the list!

 

Next week's game will be chosen by the 5th ghost. Please send me a private message with your choice as soon as possible 5th ghost!

 

Scores for This Game	Current Rankings
High Score Club:

• 
  [*]999,950 (ToddRogers)

[+12]
[*]999,950 (jedijeff) [+12]
[*]169,900 (bjk7382) [+10]
[*]79,300 (Thomas Jentzsch) [+8]
[*]53,000 (Ze_ro) [+7]
[*]43,250 (Saldo) [+6]
[*]39,050 (Keir) [+5]
[*]32,050 (the 5th ghost) [+4]
[*]24,150 (Numan) [+3]
[*]21,400 (maibock) [+2]
[*]18,750 (Christophero Sly) [+1]
[*]16,550 (ScottHuggins)
[*]15,950 (fsuinnc)
[*]15,850 (Shannon)
[*]15,550 (Adrian M)
[*]15,400 (johnnywc)
[*]14,600 (HermChase)
[*]14,450 (Kurushimi)
[*]14,200 (bobafett07728)
[*]13,350 (chrisbid)
[*]13,250 (stayrunner)
[*]12,650 (LarcenTyler)
[*]11,550 (sku_u)
[*]10,350 (NintendoDieScreaming)
[*]7550 (Kialan)
[*]6800 (Goochman)
[*]6150 (InanimateCarbonRod)
[*]5800 (gamerz)
[*]5630 (iguana)
[*]5150 (Gamemaster_ca_2003)
[*]2850 (homerwannabee)
[*]1050 (Tsukasa)
[*]1050 (gospeedde)
[*]1050 (Scooterb23)
[*]900 (The 8th Passenger)

• 
  

Statistics:

• Average Score: 103,011
  [*]Std. Deviation: 45,984
  [*]Total Score: 3,708,380
  • 
    

Best Tips:

• 
  

TwinGalaxies Top 3:

• 162,850 (Mark Feldt)
  [*]21,550 (James Carter)
  [*]16,800 (Ron Corcoran)
  • 
    [*]the 5th ghost

[44]
[*]Todd Rogers [24]
[*]stayrunner [22]
[*]Ze_ro [21]
[*]sku_u [19]
[*]taxman [19]
[*]jedijeff [18]
[*]Stingray [17]
[*]bobafett07728 [13]
[*]HermChase [13]
[*]homerwannabee [12]
[*]Christophero Sly [11]
[*]Jeffy Arensmeyer [9]
[*]mikeftrevino [7]
[*]Kurushimi [6]
[*]Paul Slocum [6]
[*]Goochman [5]
[*]StanJr [5]
[*]bjk7382 [5]
[*]DeV0 [4]
[*]Numan [4]
[*]Saldo [4]
[*]Chris++ [3]
[*]Keir [2]
[*]Kepone [0]
[*]InanimateCarbonRod [0]
[*]shining slade [0]
[*]chrisbid [0]
[*]Saikyo [0]
[*]moycon [0]
[*]gamerz [0]
[*]Robert M [0]
[*]LarcenTyler [0]
[*]Shannon [0]
[*]video game addict [0]
[*]LU8 [0]
[*]gospeedde [0]
[*]fsuinnc [0]
[*]Albert [0]
[*]pmpddytim [0]
[*]pitfallaimee [0]
[*]Happy_Dude [0]
[*]xmetalhedx [0]
[*]Kialan [0]
[*]Dan Iacovelli [0]
[*]maibock [0]
[*]Scooterb23 [0]
[*]Gamemaster_ca_2003 [0]
[*]intvgene [0]
[*]Adrian M [0]
[*]jeepnut24 [0]
[*]ScottHuggins [0]
[*]figgler [0]
[*]128bytes [0]
[*]Old_Atarian [0]
[*]hobbles [0]
[*]Tsukasa [0]
[*]iguana [0]
[*]PaulEMoz [0]
[*]lost child [0]
[*]Nateo [0]
[*]chadtower [0]
[*]Big Player [0]

Member List

the 5th ghost, johnnywc, jedijeff, maximebeauvais, bjk7382, HermChase, Goochman, NE146, Cootster, 128bytes, Kurushimi, liquid_sky, intvgene, ScottHuggins, InanimateCarbonRod, pmpddytim, Xot, Scooterb23, Dan Iacovelli, LarcenTyler, sku_u, Luigi301, Max-T, adams_ale, gamerz, Christophero Sly, Trooper, Nateo, homerwannabee, lost child, Happy_Dude, video game addict, Spirantho, bobafett07728, mikefrevino, Paul Slocum, fsuinnc, Gamemaster_ca_2003, Robert M, DeV0, Gateway, Mendon, Fretwobbler, PaulEMoz, killersquirel, shining slade, chadtower, gospeedde, stayrunner, Big Player, Swingtown, Chris++, hotpants, hobbles, Ze_ro, maibock, moycon, somePUNK, Saldo, Stingray, Kepone, xmetalhedx, chrisbid, Kialan, Jeffy Arensmeyer, Keir, ToddRogers, Numan, iguana, LU8, jeepnut24, Albert, Tsukasa, Adrian M, dykesr, EricDeLee, Thomas Jentzsch, The 8th Passenger

 

Scoring Points in Gravitar
Action	Point Value
Destroy a Saucer	100 points
Destroy a Rammer	100 points
Destroy a Bunker	250 points
Collect a Fuel Depot	5,000 fuel units
Completing a Solar System (whether by destroying all the bunkers, or by destroying the reactor) will give you a very generous bonus: 4,000 points, 7,000 fuel units, and 2 extra ships!
You also earn an extra ship for every 10,000 points. There is no limit on the number of extra ships you can have... although the game will start to act strangely if you obtain an exceptionally high number of ships (Thus causing the extra ship counter to overflow).
There are three distinct solar systems in Gravitar that you will cycle through over and over again. The second time you go through these solar systems, the gravity will be reversed. The third time you go through them, the terrain will be invisible (although shooting the ground will make it appear for a short while). The fourth time you go through them, the gravity will be reversed AND the terrain will be invisible. After this, the game will revert back to normal gravity and visible terrain, and continue the loop indefinitely
Score Rolls? - Yes, after 999,950

 

Hints and Tips

As always, you really should read the manual. What's that? You don't have the manual? Well no problem, because AtariAge has a typed copy of the manual available online right over here. What's that? You're too damn lazy to click that link? Well fine, here's the hints that that the manual gives: Be careful when using your shields. Although they protect your ship from enemy fire, your shields will not withstand a crash or collision with an enemy ship. [*]When leaving the entry port, rotate the ship to the left or right; then thrust forward to move away from the sun. [*]Use a light touch on your joystick when thrusting. If your ship hits the side of the screen, it will be repelled by a force field and may be hard to control. [*]Since the force of gravity gets stronger as you near a planet's surface, aim the nose of your ship away from the planet when picking up fuel. You can then thrust away from the surface as soon as you have the fuel. [*]To pick up the fuel, steer your ship over the fuel depot and activate the tractor beam by pulling the joystick handle toward you. You can pick up fuel with your ship aimed in any direction. [*]When picking up fuel, pull back on your joystick and quickly release it. You'll use a minimum amount of energy, and your chances of crashing will be reduced. [*]You may want to wait until you have destroyed every bunker on a planet before you beam up the fuel. Be careful not to fly near the top of the screen or you'll enter the solar system before you get all the fuel. [*]When traveling through the dark galaxies, you can find out where the planet surface is by firing missiles. Each time your missile hits, the explosion will briefly illuminate the landscape. This technique works in the alien reactor base as well. (the manual)

If you're a beginner to this game, try playing on some of the other game settings first to get the hang of it. Game 1 is by far the hardest, with the others giving you more lives (up to 100!), removing the gravity, or preventing the gun turrets from shooting at you. See the manual for a description of these other game modes. Consider it a way to practice and experiment before you take a "real" run through the game. (Ze_ro)

If you're anything like me, then you probably suck at that damn spiral level... if so, then simply don't do it! Do all the other planets instead, and when you finish all of them, you go on to the next level without having to do the spiral level. This probably means you miss out on a ton of points, but at least you'll survive. I don't know if later levels allow you to do this or not. (Ze_ro)

First, pick a planet and go or the spaceship will come out of the reactor and attack you. If you do get attacked by the spaceship remember that, when you defeat it, whatever direction you are going will carry over to the planet screen. You can use this to your advantage at times to line yourself up in the right direction to reach a planet and as a result use less fuel. (jedijeff)

When navigating planet surfaces, try to use a bunch of short bursts of your rockets to slow your descent. Doing this makes it a lot easier to control your ship. (jedijeff)

Destroy each of the first set of planets (by shooting all of the gun emplacements on it's surface) picking up as much fuel with your tractor beam as possible. It might take a little while to get used to the gravity that pulls you sideways on some planets but it's worth the effort. The more fuel you collect on the easy levels the better chance of success you will have later on. (jedijeff)

The second set of planets is quite a bit more difficult so I suggest going to the reactor and blowing it up which will take you to the next set of planets. Try not to rush in the reactor, you have more than enough time to get in and out. Once again use short bursts of your rockets to move through the spiral maze. It just takes some practice and you will be zooming through there in no time. Not having any gravity in there sure helps too! The third set of planets is just as bad so you might as well destroy that reactor again. You don't get as much time but as long as you don't panic you should be alright. (jedijeff)

The fourth set of planets will be the same as the first set but with reverse gravity. Once again go through each planet and collect as much fuel as you can. When you get to the invisible planets, just shoot the walls a lot to keep your bearings. Try each planet at least once with regular gravity and with reverse gravity. That way you will know which planet in each set is the easiest for you to do. Then if you start getting low on fuel later on you will know at which planet you have the best chance to collect some fuel. (jedijeff)

Don't forget to use your shield! After a little playtime you will start to see where the greatest areas of danger are, ie. the most shots from the gun emplacements. If you tap your shield in dangerous areas it will be easier to react to a shot coming right at you. (jedijeff)

Unlike the arcade game, you can hold quite a bit of fuel, so after a while you probably won't need to pick up any more. (jedijeff)

Practice the reactor! Some of those planets get pretty tough, but if you practice manuvering around that spiral and get good enough to do it in 25 seconds or less, you will be able to flip the score. Unless of course you are like me and (after sitting on the floor way too long) have to take a break, then make sure you come back before the game times out or you lose all the bonus lives you've accumulated. Make sure you have a comfortable chair, because once you get going you will be playing a loooooong time. (jedijeff)

If you need to pause, hang in there until you hit a reverse gravity galaxy, then just drift to a corner away from the reactor (so the gonad ship won't get you) and take a break. Everything will be there when you get back. (Jeffy Arensmeyer)

Fuel amount is very important, so don't skip any of them, especially the easy ones. Ships come and go, but when the fuel runs out, you're toast. (Jeffy Arensmeyer)

You only get 100 points for shooting the Rammer's that fly around on the planets... so unless one is actually harassing you, don't go out of your way to shoot them, since you'll likely just throw off your momentum and risk crashing. You also don't get points for picking up fuel... so if you already have plenty (as you should), then there's no real point in getting them either. Focus on shooting the bunkers instead. (Ze_ro)

If you're seriously having trouble shooting out a specific bunker, keep in mind that you can crash your ship into it to destroy it. This will (of course) cost you a life, but you might have ended up losing three or four before getting it, so going kamikaze might be a better option. (Ze_ro)

One thing about finishing the reactor quickly is that you have to get a feel for how much to thrust and at what angle. You always want to keep your momentum going, so try not to thrust in the exact opposite direction you are travelling. Once you start moving you should be able to make it to the core by keeping your ship pointed slightly toward the center of the screen and using the right amount of thrust. Also, if you just hold down on the thrust you will definitely crash. Hope that helps. (jedijeff)

Whew. Here's my tough-learned lessons [After rolling the score using only reactor planets]... It takes about 10 minutes to make 48,000 points. That's with about 30-40% ship loses. [*]When in the reactor, never let off the thrust. By controlling every move the ship makes, gravity has almost no effect (In fact, there is NO gravity in reactor levels! --Ze_ro). [*]After the first 4 galaxies, you shouldn't need to go to any more planets for fuel. As you can see, my fuel stockpile was massive. [*]From about 315K thru 725K, your ship counter disappears. Well, it's actually probably replaced with blank characters, but there's nothing there, but don't panic; The game keeps up with you number of ships. [*]It took about 20 minutes to lose all of the remaining ships, so be sure to take that into account when planning your session. [*]Watch your score carefully, because it will creep up on you towards 1 mil, and the score will roll. [*]You can take a break on the reverse gravity galaxy, but not too long. I lost 177K last night, because I left the game too long. The game ended and changed to the final screen, but losing 177K hurts. [*]Scores like this will take about 4 hours, so be prepared and be comfortable. (Jeffy Arensmeyer)

You'd better be ready to thrust when you finish one galaxy, because the next one is starting immediately. (Jeffy Arensmeyer)

A lot of the landscapes seem to be designed around the particular angles that the missiles travel... You can use this to your advantage to shoot bunkers from farther away without having to navigate some of the more tricky terrain. (Jeffy Arensmeyer, Ze_ro)

Although the reactors are probably the easiest and quickest way to tear through this game, you really don't get a lot of points for them... only the 4,000 points for completing a galaxy. A quicker way to build your score is to play the easier planets when possible, and use the reactor as a means of skipping the difficult levels (ie, all of the second galaxy). This will also help break the monotony of constantly attacking reactors. (Ze_ro)

Although this may not help much, it's worth pointing out that you can leave the reactor levels at any time, regardless of whether you shot the reactor or not. You can't do this with any of the other planets, but if you went to the reactor by accident, you can always back out if you're not ready. Also, while we're on the topic of the reactor planets, it's also worth pointing out that there is NO gravity whatsoever on these worlds. It's just you and your own momentum. (Ze_ro)

Here's some maps of the various levels in Gravitar. After you finish all three, you'll have to do them again with reverse gravity, then again with invisible terrain, and then again with both reverse gravity and invisible terrain! (jedijeff)

Here's some maneuvers that I've found very handy: - Give yourself enough horizontal and vertical momentum so that you'll arc over a bunker. Then point your ship straight down and fire at it when you're directly above. Make sure to turn around and thrust before you hit the ground! Once you get good at this, try shooting at a slight angle to hit the bunkers that are too sheltered to hit from directly above. This strategy also works very well on the reverse gravity levels, since you don't need to worry about hitting the ground. [*] Shooting from the Hip - For bunkers that are on a ledge, here's a trick that works nicely: Stay below and to the side of the ledge, and eliminate all your horizontal momentum. Then thrust straight up just enough so that you'll rise up to about the same level as the bunker... then turn sideways and shoot him just as gravity starts to pull you back down. If you do this properly, the bunker will have very little opportunity to shoot at you. [*]Avoiding Collisions - If you're worried that you might clip the edge of the terrain as you're going around a corner, but it's too late or dangerous to try to thrust away from it, try instead to turn your ship so that you're pointed in the direction that you're moving. This will often be enough to prevent you from smashing the nose of your ship into the ground.   Good luck everyone!   --Zero (Ze_ro)

[gamerz]

Never had played this one before. 3150

[Scooterb23]

I'm no good at this game:

 

1000

 

Personal Best!!

[Kuddy]

Bah, Gravitar sucks. Or at least the 2600 version does.

[sku_u]

I suck at this one: 1400.

[bjk7382]

Here is my first score. I got to the big spiral level and killed off all my ships.

 

Edit- A little better score

[maibock]

Fun game - My first real go at this game

 

5850

 

Can you gain points from the blue squares?

 

The obvious point earning is in the time bonuses I've found.

[Goochman]

3050 - Not much into this game - not sure how much more Ill play.

 

Can someone explain what you need to do in each 'world'? The one with the spiral I died and dont understand what to do with the pink thing in the middle.

[Ze_ro]

You might want to read through the manual. It explains all this. The object at the middle of the spiral level is a reactor... you have to get to it, shoot it, and then get out before it explodes. Not easy. Oh, and the blue things are fuel. Hold down on the joystick to activate your tractor beam to pick them up. You have a fuel guage at the top of the screen which goes down as you thrust... if it hits zero, you'll crash to the ground, so try to get as much fuel as you need.

 

Personally, I've always thought the 2600 version of Gravitar was quite impressive. It may not look like much compared to the arcade version, but I think they did a very good job on it considering the hardware constraints.

 

I haven't had any time to play this one yet... but here's a hint of mine: If you're a beginner to this game, try playing on some of the other game settings first to get the hang of it. Game 1 is by far the hardest, with the others giving you more lives (up to 100!), removing the gravity, or preventing the gun turrets from shooting at you. See the manual for a description of these other game modes. Consider it a way to practice and experiment before you take a "real" run through the game.

 

--Zero

[Stingray]

I don't have this one. I guess I'll have to play this one on Stella.

 

-S

[Gamemaster_ca_2003]

3050 is best so far for me.

[Adrian M]

Hehe!

This is great! A game I actually have a shot at doing well at!

Lovely selection!

[stayrunner]

4700

 

Not a bad game at all!

[bobafett07728]

Emulation again for this one. I've never played it, so I am looking forward to checking it out! I hope it won't be too difficult to play with the keyboard. :wink:

[taxman]

Damn I think I have 2 of these carts, but they're sealed in box. What to do? I think I'll scour my carts to see if I have a loose one. I hate emulation.

[dykesr]

PUT me down as a new memeber of the CLUB i am GAME.

[chrisbid]

7000

 

these finesse games are frustrating

[gamerz]

5800

 

Not bad for never playing this in my life before this contest.

[maibock]

Ok, this game is worthy of a purchase. If anyone would have a spare cart lying around, I'd be interested in buying

[Numan]

I have no idea where my copy of Gravitar is.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Here is my first score.

Your extensive Thrust training shows.

[Chris++]

This week we'll be fighting against the laws of gravity in Atari's Gravitar!

 

YEEEAAAARRRRGGHHH!!!!!

 

(Running from thread and not looking back)

[bjk7382]

Here is my first score.

Your extensive Thrust training shows.

 

Yes it does play a big part

 

Here is a little bit better one

 

I know someone will come along and put my scores to shame, but it is nice being on the top at least for a little while.

[chrisbid]

13,350

 

im pretty happy with that score, i got past the first set of planets and got a fairly big bonus

[maibock]

12,850