8BIT 1337

Might not be possible, but we would have 3 polls, one for each letter. The top letter from each makes the final 3, and then during the round you have to pick one of those 3. It's complicated but that's what Brainstorming gives us sometimes

I guessed Universal Hero might have been ported from somewhere else when I saw that it was a UK cassette game from Mastertronic. Sure enough it came from the Spectrum: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Hero I'll come clean - I went from that link to the World of Spectrum link. It has a link that says 'English Instructions' so of course I opened it ... and it's basically a walk through of how to beat the game. Oh yeah, and it mentions that the controls are customizable but doesn't say how to do that (or what the default controls actually are) LOL. So anyway, I am withdrawing from that competition, since in theory I could get to the end pretty easily. I did keep searching and haven't found out what the controls are. If I do find them I will post them. There are some great scans of reviews of the game from back when it was released though.

What about W? Is that it's own round? Random brainstorms: I was thinking having one game per letter, but you can only choose to play one of the 3 games (once you've submitted a score you can't switch, and everyone has to submit a score or declare their game sometime in the first few days). Full scoring per game. Or you do another team event where you have groups of 3 or 4 (depending on whether W is included in this round or not) and each team member tackles a game in each letter.

I actually got a score in Upward - 70. It shows up after the game is over, and your high score flashes on the attract screen. Sorry about the photo of an emulated version - it wouldn't let me save a screenshot and I haven't had a chance to play anything on my real Atari just yet. As you can possibly tell I forgot to switch to NTSC but won't submit any more emulator scores on PAL (and of course I'll play this until I beat 70). I quite like Upward.

First time playing T&T ever, got about 7000 or so. For those playing it for the first time - to jump up a platform you have to push up to jump in the right spot. When you push up to jump in the right spot your jump goes higher. (I mention this because I must have spent 3 minutes trying to figure out how to exit the first screen ) EDIT: Might as well post my scores for today here: TODAC: 9000 T&T: 50300 TODAC seems buggy to me, but it might be the bios I'm using (I've got a Steven Tuckerized 1200XL, so I can change between OSB and XL or whatever). I can't see the floor of the first screen and when I got to the top of the first screen the graphics got all screwy.

38730 The thing I like about this game is that I always come away from it thinking I can do better, and in general I get a little further each time. I felt the same about Quasimodo.

26410 Beat the first level! After seeing the screen full of explosions (at least, I think that's what they were supposed to be - looked more like clouds ) you start again at Ensign level.

12320 I'm killing myself because I got to the very end of the tunnel (the screen stops scrolling and you have to shoot your way through two shields). I got through the first shield but forgot myself and got shot by a freaking laser. If I had been patient I could have easily finished the level. Ugh

So I went back after my last post and played Admiral because I had forgotten to the first time around - holy s#!t is that fast!!! But you get 4 times the points I think and even though I only made it to the first set of tunnels (and got a good chunk through) I scored better - 10400 I think I like the faster speed better. It's harder for sure, but Yeoman is so *slow*. I don't know how you PAL players can stand it

I like Sea Dragon, but man does the sound get to you after awhile. I scored 4000 on my first game, then 6300, and finally 8900 (after a few games between 4000 and 6500 points) The first time through I totally forgot I had to keep enough air. Not that I didn't die anyway *way* before I ran out of air

Sweet! It bothered me that I was too busy to try and improve my scores but I will have some time tonight

I did manage to get to the 2nd level of Repair Man. I started with the lower 3 items and worked my way up from there on level 1 until I got to the top. Of course level 2 is the same exact screens and Holy s#!t was it faster. I think I got one item and that was about it. You just don't have time to react at the best of times in level 1 - level 2 is downright unfair. And I was probably a little unfair to the other 2 games. I can see myself trying them again, it's always hard to play games where the controls are so loose after playing something like Quasimodo which has such *great* controls. And I'm impressed by the homebrew in general - I love seeing new games for the 8bits.

Required listening this week! And much more engaging than the games. I'm not sure I'll bother playing them a 2nd time. Although I did actually play Rocket Repairman twice because I didn't get a screen shot and I couldn't remember my score. Made all the more painful because I dislike that game more than the other 2. Repairman: 7551 (sorry for the rushed photo, but that score disappears fast ) Rescue: 5 saved Rocket Man: 3800 I'm not complaining too hard though - I did vote for them (in my defence, it was because I enjoy trying new games, and I forget that trying new games does not always mean they will be good games )

River Raid comes to mind first, as it's probably my favourite 8Bit Activision game (H.E.R.O might disagree) Realm of Impossibility also comes up when I look through my own personal favourites folder. Don't remember how scoring goes or anything in that one, just remember it is the same as Zombies and don't know the details as to why.

New High Score - got 7 jewels and then got my ass kicked by the next stage. They move up the ladders *so* much quicker and fire *so* many bullets it would be a *huge* accomplishment to get past it. 191,350 The game before this I missed my previous high score by 200 and told myself one more and then I'll go make breakfast

I believe that when you finish any level without dying you get a bell. Once you have 5 bells you get the bonus. Doesn't matter (like I had previously thought) if you clear the first 5 without dying, just that you survive long enough to clear 5 in total without dying Speaking of dying, I'm dying to find out if anyone can get to that castle too

Slight score improvement: 138660 Again I got a long way without dying the first time, and was on my way down with the 3rd jewel when I died. Argh. I seem to get the Skill Bonus message a lot on my way to the 3rd jewel. And the levels after. Don't think I've ever seen it on the 1st or 2nd jewel. I am off to Winnipeg for a few days so no playing on a real Atari for me, but I might try this on my OpenPandora or PC. It's not nearly the same as using the real joystick but I don't have a Atari USB joystick interface (yet )

And last but not least (I actually like all 3 games, but prefer Des Bells to Hunchback): 2755 I get to the screen with the moving platforms and the rocks and think I know how to get by but haven't been able to yet. Managed to get 410 once on the first screen, but usually get 400 or 405. I think that's why I like this game - for each screen you want to figure out the fastest way to complete it to max your score. Then it's a matter of just perfecting it.

The guys at the top of the castle never leave either, although I don't know how much they are worth. Once I figured out I didn't need to kill them (I shot maybe 5?) I just grabbed the gem and ran back down - and didn't stop until I got to the bottom (I just wanted to return that 3rd gem) Hunchback: 3880. Got shot by those back stabbing arrows and said forget this, I'm done. But I wasn't sure I remembered the score right and was too slow for a picture so of course now I say okay, I'll play once more and low and behold, discovered the bonus after finishing the screens without dying My Hunchback score is now 30220. I was still too slow to get a picture, but I'm giving up on this one - I don't want to throw my controller at my TV

First a small improvement (to 39250) and then a *massive* one: $129,830! The breakthrough (and this will sound stupid) was figuring out how to hop from that 3rd bell to the 4th without dying half the time. It was in the small improvement game where I figured out where I was going wrong. I made it all the way through to the 2nd last screen in the 3rd round without dying. *Finally* got the 3rd gem, raced my ass down, and finallysaw Quasi juming for joy ... until of course all 3 jewels were stolen again! Made it back to the 3rd round again, but died ... jumping from 3rd bell to the 4th. Bah! (The throwing the barrels round is a *lot* more challenging the second time around. Some guys made it half way up the ladders - it's a lot more fun the 2nd go through).

Well since you shamed me in to it, I'll admit that I scored maybe 3000 the first time, got it to 15500 this morning (Mostly I don't bother because I either don't have a camera or do and can't be bothered to take a picture LOL). Made it to the 3rd set of screens, which I don't think I've seen before. Blew it so I'll definitely try again to get further. Current High: 36690

I just tried this out briefly and don't yet have a score I'm willing to post After clearing away the guys on the ladders I grabbed the jewel. You put the jewel back and then start back at the guys on the ladder stage, but this time after clearing them you have to get up the bells. Is that right? I remember liking this as a kid (and pretty much all Synapse games), but I can't quite remember if that's correct or not. I couldn't land that last jump off the bell to the ladder on the right, and I just want to make sure I'm not forgetting something or doing something wrong. I've got lots of time this weekend so expect a score from me well before the last day this time

I've always liked Pitfall but never played it because I find it kind of boring. This is probably the longest Pitfall game I have *ever* played - or at least I don't recall getting excited about only having 3 minutes left (usually I'm more worried about being safe than I am of running out of time, although I am impatient so I usually rush to my death anyway). Pitfall: 70253

Agreed! I can't imagine how you would have had time to do anything else if there was more than 6 of us racing I guess lucky for you I've had my kids full time over the last few days or I might have sat down and given you some more scores to keep up with LOL. On to the next round!

Last One. Sebring Paved: 10:27 My 'secret' is that I *never* use my brakes. And like I said, I played this a lot as a teenager so I'm not new at this one. As was already said, the key is to go straight N/S/E/W as much as possible, as you go fastest that way. It's something I picked up on back in the 80s as well, as the car even *looks* like it's going faster. Sorry about the multi-post spamming