High Score Club 8.04 - Phoenix

[Ze_ro]

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

 

As commander of the desert crawler, Phoenix, your mission is bizarre yet vital. Flocks of fierce, mutating birds protect a giant spacecraft that is slowly draining your planet's resources. Shoot through the birds to reach the spaceship and stop the parasite within.

 

 

Game Information

• Game Name: Phoenix
• Released By: Atari, 1988
• Left Difficulty: Your Choice (toggles bird sounds)
• Right Difficulty: N/A
• Game Mode: Default

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 September 1st at 1:00 AM (Central Time, UTC-6).

 

Challenges

• Beat The High Score - For this week, every time someone beats the current high score (as long as they don't already hold it), they'll get 1 point! Note that these points will add up over the week.
  
  • Scrabbler15 [+1]
  • toymailman [+1]
  • JacubZu7zu7 [+1]
  • Deteacher [+1]
  • oyamafamily [+1]

 

Current High Scores 999,990 (oyamafamily) [+11] 685,950 (toymailman) [+10] 274,340 (zylon) [+9] 268,090 (Jifremok) [+8] 264,450 (Deteacher) [+7] 215,090 (roadrunner) [+6] 170,320 (JacobZu7zu7) [+5] 125,190 (Scrabbler15) [+4] 87,170 (pis) [+3] 79,840 (ed1475) [+2] 68,320 (Zoyx) [+1] 66,820 (Austin) [+1] 66,360 (Miss 2600) [+1] 51,580 (Mister VCS) [+1] 48,170 (rmaerz) [+1] 48,150 (Pioneer4x4) [+1] 19,630 (littleman jack) [+1] 19,280 (Chuck D. Head) [+1] 18,260 (LarcenTyler) [+1] 17,160 (ClassicGMR) [+1] 15,540 (SeaGtGruff) [+1] Best Tips Scrabbler15 [+2] TwinGalaxies Top 3 4,014,440 (Paul Zimmerman) 521,960 (Frankie Cardulla) 251,180 (Giovanni Flamand) (Emulator) (Game 1, Difficulty B)

Current Standings Jifremok [40] Scrabber15 [36] toymailman [31] JacobZu7zu7 [30] Deteacher [21] HatefulGravey [17] oyamafamily [15] Chuck D. Head [13] roadrunner [13] zylon [12] Pioneer4x4 [11] LarcenTyler [11] ClassicGMR [9] MrJimbo [8] satan165 [7] 4Ks [4] Mister VCS [4] SeaGtGruff [3] MIKE5200 [1]

 

Scoring Points in Phoenix

• Point values are identical for the first two waves of attack by the small phoenix birds. You get 20 points for each small bird you hit while it is moving in a horizontal pattern; you get 80 points for each bird you shoot while it is actually swooping in at you.
• Point values are also identical for the last two waves of attack by the large phoenix birds. You get between 100 and 500 points for each large phoenix you eliminate, depending on its proximity to you when you destroy it. The closer the bird is, the more points you get. If you only wing one of the large birds, you get 20 points.
• The alien spaceship counts between 1,000 and 4,000 points in the first round - depending on its proximity to you when you vaporize the alien. In this case, the quicker you destroy the ship, the more points you'll score. If you survive long enough to confront the spaceship again, the highest score you can achieve increases by a thousand points in each round to a maximum of 9,000 points.

 

Hints and Tips

The Manual

 

As always, you really should read the manual. In case you don't have the manual, AtariAge has a typed copy and a scanned copy available online. Here are the hints it provides:

• Overcome the temptation to fire away the first time the small birds appear. Instead, take a few moments to study their patterns. Observe what happens when you are positioned directly beneath the birds, and when you are not. Study the attack patterns of the lower birds. Learn how to move your laser cannon between the bombs without getting blown apart.
  
• In all phases of the game except for the second wave of small birds, you must press the red fire button each time you want to squeeze off a shot. However, in the second wave of small birds, you'll get continuous firing if you hold the button down.
  
• Don't waste lives trying to accumulate a lot of points in the early waves. Play it safe. Save your stamina for the large birds and for the spaceship, where the real big points are scored.
  
• For the first two times you encounter the alien spaceship, you can chip away the blue layer of the spaceship without getting bombed if you fire close to the edges furthest from the cockpit. Starting with the third encounter with the spaceship, however, bombs will fall from those edges and the alien's shots will be faster-paced and more accurate - just to make things more challenging for advanced players! At all times, you need two shots at the same point to create a hole in the blue layer.
  
• Use your force field sparingly and as a strategic device in emergency situations. If a bird brushes up against your force field, it will be disintegrated; but if a bird crashes into your unprotected laser cannon, you're both "dead ducks." The moral: Keep a watchful eye for low flying birds!

 

We played this game once before in the High Score Club, you might want to check out that thread for more hints.

 

Scrabbler15

 

On the first two wave levels, try to get all the baddies on one side of the screen. Shoot them as they move across the screen toward your ship. This works especially well on the second wave where you have auto-fire by holding the button down. Also, this method helps in always having space to move away from the bombs.

 

On the first bird wave, move to the left when the level starts. Then get the bird on the third level first. Then the second level, then the first. These three lowest birds can be cleared before the birds can finish their first left to right pass. Always aim for the middle of the bird, but it's even more important here to clear the lower birds quickly.

 

I think Deteachers tip from last time is probably the most important for scoring well (I do it the same way). After 4 or 5 shots at the mother ship, pull back on the stick to activate the shield. Keep shooting while the shield is on. Doing this makes it possible to get a hole all the way to the blue barrier before moving to the edge of the mother ship to shoot holes in the barrier. When ready to go for the kill of the mother ship, move back to the hole in the middle and activate the shield immediately. Then shoot while protected by the shield.

 

I only use the shield on screens 3 and 4 in crisis situations (e.g. In the corner, three birds overhead, lots of bombs falling). Every time the shield is pulled on, there's a chance that the shield will go away at the same time a bomb is about to crash into the ship. Also, I think these screens are counter-intuitive, in that they require more patience than just shooting a lot. After I clear the bottom three birds, I really pick my shots more.

 

I just clear screens 1 and 2 as quickly and as carefully as I can. If I lose a ship on one of the first two screens, I don't like myself much after that. Survival is everything.

 

Miss 2600

 

I feel it is a real wasted life to lose one on the first two screens. I knock them out as quickly as I can whether they are diving or not. In the V formation, sometimes I can knock out half of them right off the bat. I can see the strategy of waiting for them to dive to get more points, but that would also increase the risk of losing a life that is needed more on the more difficult screens.

 

Does anyone else find that the big-winged birds are easier to kill when they have both their wings? You have to hit them in the same spot regardless but for some reason I have a much harder time when their wings are clipped.

 

I find I'm using the shield a lot more often then when I started. While the shield is on, I hold the joystick to one side so my ship will move immediately after the shield turns off and, hopefully, out of the way of bullets. It's not full-proof but it has worked for me. I also find myself using the shield to take out the final bird, although sometimes they fly in the opposite direction.

 

zylon

 

For what it's worth, I just blast through the first 2 screens as quick as possible. The difference in points isn't worth that much to me. The 3rd screen I start with first bird on right, then the 3 lower left ones. The 4th screen I fire just as soon as they appear and score a free kill in the center. Next I go left killing the lowest one as it passes over and kill the top one when it's by itself at upper left. Then, I head right taking out the other 2 low ones. On the mother ship, I just stay near the center firing away till I've got a through lane. Then use the shield and take it out.

 

--Zero

[Mister VCS]

"16. 4Ks [4]

17. Mister VCS [4]"

 

@Ze_ro: same total-points but different positions in the "Current Standings" list. Why are we (and others) not ranked at the same position (16.)?

Edited August 25, 2010 by Mister VCS

[Scrabbler15]

I'll get it started.

 

22,290 [beats the Current High Score of 0]

[Scrabbler15]

I played the arcade version of this at the student union in college. Also, my uncle bought this when it was newly released, so I played it back in the day, too.

 

Here's some of my tips.

 

On the first two wave levels, try to get all the baddies on one side of the screen. Shoot them as they move across the screen toward your ship. This works especially well on the second wave where you have auto-fire by holding the button down. Also, this method helps in always having space to move away from the bombs.

 

On the first bird wave, move to the left when the level starts. Then get the bird on the third level first. Then the second level, then the first. These three lowest birds can be cleared before the birds can finish their first left to right pass. Always aim for the middle of the bird, but it's even more important here to clear the lower birds quickly.

 

I think Deteachers tip from last time is probably the most important for scoring well (I do it the same way). After 4 or 5 shots at the mother ship, pull back on the stick to activate the shield. Keep shooting while the shield is on. Doing this makes it possible to get a hole all the way to the blue barrier before moving to the edge of the mother ship to shoot holes in the barrier. When ready to go for the kill of the mother ship, move back to the hole in the middle and activate the shield immediately. Then shoot while protected by the shield.

Edited August 25, 2010 by Scrabbler15

[toymailman]

I'll grab the first bonus point.

 

59,730 [beats the current high score of 22,290]

[HatefulGravey]

Not to be a downer but wont these bonus points serve to put those at the top of the score card even more out of reach? Just a thought. It certainly rewards quantity of play over quality of play.

[MrJimbo]

One of my all-time favorites! Will be playing tonight!

[JacobZu7zu7]

HMM, Phoenix. I don't play this one often so, this will be interesting.

 

on my 3rd attempt. 41,380

 

 

5TH TRY (NEW SCORE LEADER) 103,260 [beats the current high score of 59,730]

Edited August 25, 2010 by Ze_ro

[JacobZu7zu7]

Not to be a downer but wont these bonus points serve to put those at the top of the score card even more out of reach? Just a thought. It certainly rewards quantity of play over quality of play.

 

I kinda agree. Seems like players such as myself, who play early and happen to

(get a big score) will benefit better then those who cannot catch up or reach passed the current high score, and the top of the leaderboard gamers will likely be able to top each other over and over.

[Austin]

First time playing here. I don't have this cart, so Stella was used. After a few rounds of practice, my score is 58,050.

 

**edit: uh-oh, it looks like I am a little late to the party. I guess I will have to try and better my score.

[Ze_ro]

"16. 4Ks [4]

17. Mister VCS [4]"

 

@Ze_ro: same total-points but different positions in the "Current Standings" list. Why are we (and others) not ranked at the same position (16.)?

For ranking purposes, ties are broken by a sort of "score percentile", which is only visible in the spreadsheet that I keep track of things.

 

Not to be a downer but wont these bonus points serve to put those at the top of the score card even more out of reach? Just a thought. It certainly rewards quantity of play over quality of play.

It might! But we'll see how it goes.

 

--Zero

[Chuck D. Head]

 

For ranking purposes, ties are broken by a sort of "score percentile", which is only visible in the spreadsheet that I keep track of things.

 

--Zero

 

Whatever, Walter! (100% JK)

 

 

Not to be a downer but wont these bonus points serve to put those at the top of the score card even more out of reach? Just a thought. It certainly rewards quantity of play over quality of play.

 

I don't think he's planning on doing it every week. I like the bonuses this season; makes it more fun and that's the whole point..... Morgan

[Miss 2600]

Just got my Atari set up and, fortunately, I have Phoenix. After a trial run I'm only at 12,330. I'll have to try those tips mentioned above.

[Chuck D. Head]

Just got my Atari set up and, fortunately, I have Phoenix. After a trial run I'm only at 12,330. I'll have to try those tips mentioned above.

Welcome! Glad you finally made it..... Morgan

[Scrabbler15]

Just got my Atari set up and, fortunately, I have Phoenix. After a trial run I'm only at 12,330. I'll have to try those tips mentioned above.

 

Welcome! Welcome! Glad you made it.

[Zoyx]

28700 29750

 

53030

 

Edited August 25, 2010 by Zoyx

[Scrabbler15]

First time playing here. I don't have this cart, so Stella was used. After a few rounds of practice, my score is 58,050.

 

**edit: uh-oh, it looks like I am a little late to the party. I guess I will have to try and better my score.

 

Another new face

 

Awesome. We're glad you're here.

[Scrabbler15]

32,500

[JacobZu7zu7]

Just got my Atari set up and, fortunately, I have Phoenix. After a trial run I'm only at 12,330. I'll have to try those tips mentioned above.

 

Hey, welcome Miss.

 

12ks is a pretty good start, my first tries today were 15ks and 18ks... untill I got the hang of the Mothership rounds. So with practice (got a weeks time) you should see a nice improvement.

 

Fun Fact:

I may be wrong but I think this is the first score EVER from a female Atari gamer at 2600 HSC??

[Miss 2600]

 

 

Fun Fact:

I may be wrong but I think this is the first score EVER from a female Atari gamer at 2600 HSC??

 

Really??? Well I guess I should do some recruiting!

 

I've used the tips on shooting the mother ship (I'm still dodging bullets on the bird rounds) and have more than doubled my score so far. I think I've only managed to defeat the mother ship once without losing a life.

[Miss 2600]

The screen shot didn't turn out too good. The above score is 28,020.

[Zoyx]

We've had women participate... just not full time. Very rare.

[Mister VCS]

30,660

 

 

[roadrunner]

Just got my Atari set up and, fortunately, I have Phoenix. After a trial run I'm only at 12,330. I'll have to try those tips mentioned above.

 

Welcome!

[ClassicGMR]

17,160

 

I like this game but it's no Demon Attack!

 

Looks like participation points again this week.