Astroblast Difficulty

[NovaXpress]

The most notable feature of Intellivision's Astrosmash was its variable difficulty. If you lost several ships in rapid succession, the game would slow down. If you were on a hot streak, the action would speed up. This was a violation of the standard "gets harder as it goes along" policy. I think it blows, as it makes the game far too easy. This is a great trick for Children's variations, though,

 

Was this trick put into Astroblast? It doesn't seem like it, but I don't think I would have identified this element in Astrosmash either if it wasn't pointed out to me.

[StanJr]

not in as much. When you die, you lose some points so the difficulty resets a little bit, but not that much. Thus, if you die a lot, you lose more points and the diff drops a bit more dramatically.

 

As you get better and live longer the diff does increase as you get new things to shoot at, and new things to kill you. Plus, and maybe its all psychological, but the action does seem to speed up.

[elviticus]

I like Astroblast a lot better for just that reason... Astrosmash is cool, but it's ENDLESS!!

[+FujiSkunk]

The most notable feature of Intellivision's Astrosmash was its variable difficulty. If you lost several ships in rapid succession, the game would slow down. If you were on a hot streak, the action would speed up. This was a violation of the standard "gets harder as it goes along" policy. I think it blows, as it makes the game far too easy. This is a great trick for Children's variations, though,

 

As StanJr mentioned, you actually lose points when you die. The game's difficulty is based on your score, which explains why the game gets easier when you lose lives. I don't think it makes the game too easy, because when you're working on beating your high score, it can become very challenging (and/or frustrating) to keep from falling back. Also, you only get an extra life for passing a certain score once. For example, if you earn an extra life at 10,000, then your score falls back to 9,500, then passes 10,000 again, you will not get another extra life for hitting 10,000 the second time. Lose enough lives, and it suddenly becomes a hefty feat to earn enough points to get to the next extra life.

 

Was this trick put into Astroblast? It doesn't seem like it, but I don't think I would have identified this element in Astrosmash either if it wasn't pointed out to me.

 

Yes, Astroblast does the same thing.

Edited June 29, 2006 by skunkworx

[shadow460]

If Astroblast is too easy, move the difficulty switch to A and use a joystick.

Then come talk to me.

[StanJr]

we didn't have paddles when I was a kid, so the stick is the only way I can play Astroblast. I have tried with paddles and it just isn't the same.

[Spector]

I dont know what the deal is with this game. The opening screen comes up... and nothing happens. None of the switches do anything, and I can't play it. I'm assuming you start a game by pressing start, but when I try, zero.

[D.Yancey]

Push fire button to begin.