Blue Max

[doctorclu]

I have looked for an online resource to get the most out Blue Max, however, I have yet to find one.

 

I was first drawn to this game when it first same out. I remember seeing a magazine ad and noticing the screen shots that looked full of detail and very Zaxxon-like. Loved the game ever since.

 

Luckily when the XEGS came out the game was granted a catridge, which I abuse to no end to this day.

 

All and all, I'm striving to reach the top level in this game, being Blue Max: Class 1. So far I have only reached Blue Max Class 4 and can't seem to pass that.

 

 

From what I understand of the game, you need to win the game in the least amount of time while scoring the most points possible.

 

I have tried two tactics so far:

 

1) Hit primary and enemy targets for the most points, ignoring unmarked buildings and civilian targets.

2) Hit everything.

 

Well... so far both have strangely landed me in the Blue Max Class 4.

 

One thing is for sure, if you can get through the main city within 4 visits and bomb the three bunkers in the middle of the city, you will likely make Blue Max. Anything over that will land you Squadron Leader.

 

I have tried to avoid civilian targets (buses, unmarked buildings, etc). and while there is not a marked difference I can say that such targets are not worth much. 10 points basically.

 

And if it is a issue of time, bombs used for civilian targets are would be ones that would take time getting replaced later. So you are better off hitting the marked (with cross hairs) targets.

 

Anyway, I'm a bit stuck and wondering if anyone can give advice on how to improve my game and get a higher rank?

 

(Attached is the only copy of the Blue Max manual I have seen online yet).

Edited July 26, 2013 by doctorclu

[RickR]

I'm not sure how to achieve the highest ranking, but if you want a manual, you might look for the Commodore 64 version. The manual should be the same, and probably more plentiful.

[graywest]

According to the manual that you posted pictures of, Blue Max Class 4 is the highest rank.

 

"Within each rank you are also given a class rating from 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest)."

 

So congratuations, A WINNAR IS YOU!!

 

Oddly, the manual doesn't mention anything about the Squadron Leader rank, though I've seen it too. Whoops.

[Creature XL]

According to the manual that you posted pictures of, Blue Max Class 4 is the highest rank.

 

"Within each rank you are also given a class rating from 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest)."

 

 

After spotting this fact, I wondered if I should post or let him try to play the perfect game

[doctorclu]

According to the manual that you posted pictures of, Blue Max Class 4 is the highest rank.

 

"Within each rank you are also given a class rating from 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest)."

 

So congratuations, A WINNAR IS YOU!!

 

Oddly, the manual doesn't mention anything about the Squadron Leader rank, though I've seen it too. Whoops.

 

Woot!!

 

Alright, cool, I've actually won. You know, I am actually wondering sometimes if there is different classes. I have seen Kamakazee class 1, Cadet Class 1, Squadron Leader Class 1, Flying Tiger I believe Class 1 or 2, and many times lately Blue Max Class 4. And I did see a Squadron Leader class 3 once.

 

Confusing is the rank of the Star Raiders ranking where Class 1 is the highest, but it appears that most normal rank tends to count up.

 

Attached is a text copy of the manual I was able to find searching the Commodore manual sites as suggested.

 

Still would like to find share tips on this game here.

bluemax.txt

[graywest]

Confusing is the rank of the Star Raiders ranking where Class 1 is the highest, but it appears that most normal rank tends to count up.

 

Agreed - it seems like Blue Max Class 1 SHOULD have been the highest rank.

 

Still would like to find share tips on this game here.

 

Don't bomb your own (friendly) airplane hangar - it tears a hole in the fabric of reality. Makes me wonder what exactly they are storing in there.

 

One thing that I've found helpful is to remember: in addition to your plane's two "normal" axes of movement (up/down and left/right) you can also fly FORWARD/BACKWARD. It's tricky though, because you must use the diagonal directions and if you are flying low and your joystick is a bit off, your plane will tip straight into the ground. Pushing up + left or up + right will move your plane forward, while down + left or down + right will move your plane backward. This is most useful for bombing targets that are at the edges of the screen, like the enemy airplane hangars in the second stage, or chasing down a flashing blue airplane that is out of your normal line-of-fire.

 

Shooting those tiny cars and trucks with the machine gun is hard. PROTIP: fly forward, drop a bomb on the bridge in front of them, and watch them explode when they fall into the hole.

 

You've probably noticed this already, but you should try to fly at strafing altitude about 95% of the time. This lets you blow up tanks, gun turrets, boats, cars, etc. with little effort. The only time I rise above 25 feet is when I need to bomb a flashing building or bridge, or when I need to avoid or shoot another plane. Flying low also seems to help avoid anti-aircraft fire, unless you fly directly over a gun turret.

 

Don't forget that buildings and bridges with red crosshairs aren't the only "primary" targets. You can also shoot flashing blue cars and planes, as well as red boats to advance to the city stage.

 

If you're almost out of fuel, climb as high as you can and hope like hell that there is a friendly airstrip somewhere ahead. I remember playing this game as a kid and landing my plane at least once while coasting with no fuel. Felt like a king for a day.

 

I find that flying as far forward (toward the top of the screen) as I can before landing helps me avoid being destroyed by bomb-dropping enemies while I sit on the airstrip. They tend to fly diagonally from left to right, so I think their flight paths will miss the area at the top of the screen.

[graywest]

Alright, cool, I've actually won.

 

Now for a real challenge: before you start the game, push option and turn on "Gravity" and set the difficulty level to "Advanced".

[doctorclu]

Advanced! Nice. Might get used to that and turn on the gravity later.

 

That was some nice advice on the flying backwards and forwards. I will definately try that.

 

Crying shame you can't fly under bridges. I remember trying that when I first got the game years ago. To answer all that were curious, I have flown 1 foot off the ground in between the pillars of the bridge and still crashed. There is no barnstorming the bridges.

 

(though if someone tries to alter the code at some point I think that would be an awesome addition.)

[oky2000]

I just play it (on both systems) for the atmosphere. Playing Blue Max brings back dual memories, use to play it after school on my friends pimped out (happy copier dual drives etc) A800 and of course at home on my own 64.

 

I wonder if anyone would consider doing a pseudo sequel for Windows but keeping the graphics and audio the same (with an option to select Atari or C64 flavour on the main menu maybe) just like the guy who programmed Bruce Lee II

[doctorclu]

I know what you mean about the atmosphere of the game. It is just fun to kick back and play the game and all the destruction that goes along with it.

 

I managed to make Blue Max class 4 under Advanced, only with no gravity. With gravity is just laborious and too me not worth it.

Edited July 29, 2013 by doctorclu

[Benighted]

I'm also a big fan of this game on the XEGS. I have one tip that I haven't read in the previous posts. A bit difficult to explain though, but I'll try. When you land on the airstrip, make sure that you delay your landing so that the screen scrolls slightly passed the hangar. Because if you leave a bit of the hangar hidden by the lower corner of the screen, it will prevent enemy airplanes from appearing.

[Scooter83]

In the final stage I know u need to bomb the 3 center objects. But also can you bomb the tall buildings to each side I thought I remembered doing so 20+ yrs ago but I'm not positive. Anyone try this or have done so lately

[+David_P]

In the final stage I know u need to bomb the 3 center objects. But also can you bomb the tall buildings to each side I thought I remembered doing so 20+ yrs ago but I'm not positive. Anyone try this or have done so lately

 

Yes, you can bomb them, but I don't recall it giving you any significant amount of points - and you must be near the maximum altitude or else Mr Airplane turns into Mr Fireball.

[graywest]

Yes, you can bomb them, but I don't recall it giving you any significant amount of points - and you must be near the maximum altitude or else Mr Airplane turns into Mr Fireball.

 

REALLY!? In the Atari 8-bit version you can do this? I could have sworn that I tried it when I was a kid and decided that it was impossible after exploding multiple times. I'll have to give it another shot, if only to see a massive explosion.

[oky2000]

There is a great two page bit of coverage of the original launch of this game on the Atari at the CES in TV Gamer magazine. I'd post the scans here but I don't have them on this machine and I was flicking through the real magazines when I stumbled on it. I think it's issue 9 (underwater sea arcade on the cover).

[+David_P]

REALLY!? In the Atari 8-bit version you can do this? I could have sworn that I tried it when I was a kid and decided that it was impossible after exploding multiple times. I'll have to give it another shot, if only to see a massive explosion.

 

No massive explosion, as I recall - just a small explosion on the roof. Not really worth the effort, except to say that you've done it.

[doctorclu]

I flew into the city tonight to gauge the height of the buildings. The highest your plane can go is 105. I didn't crash into the TOP of a building till I was at 79 feet. Now looking at the buildings they have 10 levels on them. So the people in those buildings have 8 feet to walk around in. And I guess no false ceilings or anything to hide the wiring and ductwork in those buildings. Those are some bare bones buildings.

[graywest]

No massive explosion, as I recall - just a small explosion on the roof. Not really worth the effort, except to say that you've done it.

Well I'll be damned. You are right. I tried it this evening, and you can bomb the roofs of the city buildings for a whopping 30 points each.

 

I love it when I learn about new things to try in games that I've been playing for decades.

[+therealbountybob]

Nice thread

would be nice to see some of you guys post in the HSC, stick any games you fancy playing on the list and vote them in

[doctorclu]

Ok, one thing I have noticed is you can control what kind of terrain you will get, either along the river or more inland by how much fuel you have.

 

Generally if you have about 140-150 units of fuel you can go without refueling. And generally with half a tank you will get to fly along the river front since that is a shorter course.

 

If you manage not to hit the button when the landing strip comes up you will fly past it at 200 mph rather than the runway approach speed of 100 mph.

[+CharlieChaplin]

Hmm,

 

found two XEX file versions of Blue Max that seem to be both uncompressed, but one is 22kbytes in length, the other one is 31kbytes in length. Were there different tape/disk versions (different in length/size, e.g. 32k RAM vs. 48k RAM versions) or is the 22k version packed somehow ?!?

 

-Andreas Koch.

BLUEMAX4.XEX

BLUEMAX8.XEX

Edited August 18, 2013 by CharlieChaplin

[BillyHW]

I just play it (on both systems) for the atmosphere. Playing Blue Max brings back dual memories, use to play it after school on my friends pimped out (happy copier dual drives etc) A800 and of course at home on my own 64.

 

I wonder if anyone would consider doing a pseudo sequel for Windows but keeping the graphics and audio the same (with an option to select Atari or C64 flavour on the main menu maybe) just like the guy who programmed Bruce Lee II

 

OMG, there's a Bruce Lee II?

[+CharlieChaplin]

Yep,

 

there is something, named "Bruce Lee`s Return" for the A8. It was programmed by german Atari Basic and TB XL programmer Michael Guntersdorfer and it is just a lame TB XL program no one really needs. Why it is called Bruce Lee is easy - the author used the Bruce Lee character (player) from the well known game. If he had used another character and thus another title for the game, no-one would ever talk about this lame game.

 

The game has nothing to do with Bruce Lee, except for stealing the main character. All you have to do is fight with a light Bruce Lee against a dark Bruce Lee, using some kicks. This idea may have worked for a Basic type-in listing with 4-8 kbytes in length but here it is a game that requires TB XL (18kbytes) and has a length of more than 20kbytes, so a single file-version (*.XEX) from Homesoft on disk 294 has a length of over 40kbytes...ouch.

 

-Andreas Koch.

[+Adam+]

Oky2000 was rather talking about this "pseudo sequel for Windows": Bruce Lee II

[oky2000]

Oky2000 was rather talking about this "pseudo sequel for Windows": Bruce Lee II

 

Yup which is currently being worked on for a proper C64 conversion. I am sure the guy working on it over at Lemon64 would be happy to help out if anyone wants to try porting it to native 800XL etc game too seeing as the 65xx code would be the same and the graphics would be the same pretty much.

 

Look up the longplay on youtube, the sprites for williams and the other pal of his (I forget the names of Enter the Dragon characters) look really cool too