Big orange plane in Combat: did you win?

[Spector]

The silliest game variation in Combat - the giant orange plane against the three small green planes. I never won as the orange plane, never ever. I never saw anyone else win either. The odds were totally against you.

Can anyone here honestly say that they won as the orange plane in Combat?

[maibock]

There's a trick where you can hide your giant plane at the top of the screen so only a small part shows and you can still shoot

 

Yes, I've won plenty of games as the Bomber

[Foxsolo2000]

I could win using the bomber for although the three planes had wide firepower they still made a big target to aim for. It was just a matter fo out turning your opponent and hitting them with long range shots for once hit you then possessed the advantage required to get the first shot in again.

[moycon]

Good as a handicap playing against younger opponents.

[HP Atari King of Michigan]

There is a challenge in trying to play with the bigger plane, but it can be pulled off. It's all about keeping on the three other planes and tricky maneuvering.

[bowser724]

I won against my dad when I was the bomber. I guess that he's either too old, or can't remember how to play.

[Emehr]

LOL, as kids my brothers and I would try to get dibs on being the triple planes. Kinda like calling shotgun. "You have to be the bomber!" Ahh, the memories.

 

- Jason

[supercat]

There is a challenge in trying to play with the bigger plane, but it can be pulled off.  It's all about keeping on the three other planes and tricky maneuvering.

932845[/snapback]

 

If the bomber were a double-width sprite instead of quad, the game would be a bit nicer IMHO (bomber could barely sneak through between enemy shots at some angles). As it is, though, the biplanes get an advantage which is significant but not completely overwhelming. In some ways, it's too bad they didn't include more handicapping options (unless planes are different sizes, the number of planes had by a player doesn't affect the difficulty; a single plane shooting at three will score hits under exactly the same circumstances as three planes shooting at one).

[Zwackery]

If the bomber were a double-width sprite instead of quad, the game would be a bit nicer IMHO (bomber could barely sneak through between enemy shots at some angles).  As it is, though, the biplanes get an advantage which is significant but not completely overwhelming.  In some ways, it's too bad they didn't include more handicapping options (unless planes are different sizes, the number of planes had by a player doesn't affect the difficulty; a single plane shooting at three will score hits under exactly the same circumstances as three planes shooting at one).

932932[/snapback]

Hmmm, I smell a sequel.

All you programmers, get crackin'!

[Spector]

Hmmm, I smell a sequel.

All you programmers, get crackin'!

933098[/snapback]

 

Well, there's always the unreleased Combat Two. So it would have to be called something else.

Perhaps "Combat III: Big Orange's Revenge"

[candiru]

Yeah that one's good as a handicap level to even the playing field a little -- at least in most cases. That Combat variation takes me back to my first apartment away from home. Bringing the old 2600 with me was what got me back into Atari.

 

I was living with my best friend since 1st grade and we were re-acquainting ourselves with some of the old games. He was getting so he could beat me sometimes at the tank levels so we moved on to the airplane variations. When we did the 3 planes vs. bomber variation he ended up being the bomber. He spent a lot of time spinning and swearing. After a few games like that he demanded to switch, stating something to the effect of, "It's impossible, there's no way anyone could win with that stupid blob!"

 

So we switched and I commenced with the beating. That particular variation always seemed to hang him up. Months later, even after he got pretty good at a lot of the Atari games I could still beat him more than half the time with the bomber. Pissed him off to no end.