ZX HSC Round 1 - Bomb Jack / Penetrator

[clebin]

Both games are new for me. Just managed 17,160 on Penetrator. The double-thrust fire is pretty weird and whenever I get a bit cocky with it, I end up making a stupid mistake. Pretty good game though for the time. Haven't had a go at Bomb Jack yet.

[Morkin]

Playing on a laptop using the keys. I think it'd be a bit easier with a proper PC keyboard but it's OK I guess.

One tip with Penetrator is that you can move backwards while you fire your laser, if you're finding prodding the forward button is moving you towards danger - the advantage of playing on keyboard!

[clebin]

One tip with Penetrator is that you can move backwards while you fire your laser, if you're finding prodding the forward button is moving you towards danger.

That's a good tip!

Something weird just happened. I got to Stage 5 and the big blockage. Fired a bit, bombed a bit then flew straight into it. With 1 life remaining, I started another attempt but suddenly got a rainbow screen, followed by what seemed like 5 minutes of fireworks, then 'BONUS POINTS 1000 WOW' and got chucked back to Stage 4. I have no idea why!

[Morkin]

You have to bomb the neutron bomb store in that bit, you have one chance to drop a couple of bombs with pretty exact timing so they land at the bottom of the deep hole, Luke Skywalker style but vertical..

If you miss you'll crash into the blockage bit. But the victory screen is triggered as soon as one of your bombs hits the store - one of your bombs must have hit the spot.

[clebin]

But the victory screen is triggered as soon as one of your bombs hits the store - one of your bombs must have hit the spot.

Aha, I see - thanks! My first thought was "oh great, what a time for it to crash!"

[Freespirit]

First time playing these games:

Bomb Jack: 33520
Penetrator: 4570

Just warming up! (Hopefully)

[Juan F. Ramirez]

I see too many points on Bomb Jack, I'm sure I won't reach them so my strategy would be focusing on Penetrator (and passing the green level!)

[Morkin]

Yeah, [mention]Alessandro[/mention] and [mention]Mousey[/mention] seem to be way, way out in front of the rest of the pack with their Bomb Jack scores.

Am enjoying people posting their scores as they go, it'll be interesting to see if there are any 'tactical' last minute submissions, in dramatic Billy Mitchell style..! Oh, and feel free to take that as meaning either the arcade master or the Eastenders character.

Am wondering whether to stage an assault on [mention]smurphboy[/mention]'s 178k Bomb Jack score, but like [mention]R-Tape[/mention], the more I play it the worse I seem to get.

Do I get any extra points for making the most mentions in one post? No? Ah, well...

[smurphboy]

Am wondering whether to stage an assault on @smurphboy's 178k Bomb Jack score, but like @R-Tape, the more I play it the worse I seem to get.

It is definitely reachable. My strategy isn't to go deep into the game but to maximise the score on each sheet. So I'm taking more risks to get the maximum bonus on each screen, I seem to score higher when I get a few extra lives tokens (E). You might do better taking less risk. But the battle for third is well and truely joined.

[GreenCard]

My score for Bomb Jack: 107,320.

It took some doing, and I was quite pleased with myself until I reminded myself of Alessandro and Mousey's scores! Jeeeeez guys! Skynet called and wants it's Bomb Jack-playing cyborgs back!

I'll give Penetrator a go at lunch. Never played it before.

[Juan F. Ramirez]

I'll give Penetrator a go at lunch. Never played it before.

[Morkin]

That green level in Penetrator is a right git of a level...

One thing I noticed was that if your danger level is insanely high, some of the rockets' lateral movement causes them to hit the walls and explode before they reach you. Though conversely it makes some of the other closer rockets more challenging.

Another thing I'd forgotten about is that you can blow yourself up with your own bombs..

[Mousey]

Another thing I'd forgotten about is that you can blow yourself up with your own bombs..

I'm glad you said that - there were a couple of times I seemed to die for no reason, but it must have been my own bombs!

I've managed to beat my Bomb Jack score and edge slightly into the lead with 1,128,060 (I know it won't last though!) but was gutted to have fallen short of my HARP score by just 30,260 points!

[Alessandro]

Another thing I'd forgotten about is that you can blow yourself up with your own bombs..

That should explain some deaths that occurred to me without any apparent reason...

I am not at ease with Penetrator as with Bomb Jack. First of all, I ignored its existence until the begin of the "emulator era" in the late 1990s. Then I played it just a couple of times because I was, and still am, appalled at the choice of controls. Being one of those rare individuals who abhores the QAOPM scheme, I found it extremely uncomfortable to play, especially on a PC keyboard where I end up pressing the wrong keys at the wrong moment. And that forward-fire key combination is simply absurd

That said, I managed to overcome level 3 but did not pass through level 4. My latest score is 19,320.

[akeley]

Jeez, only two days in and y'all have already produced some ker-razy scores So much for my hopes for HS table domination. Seems I'll be fighting not even for the Europa League but to avoid the drop zone spots.

Finally had some time to actually play these games.

Bomb Jack - 131,410



First time played in ~3 decades, what a blast from the past. Extremely addictive, a genius of the early arcade game design. Now I see why I've loved it so much back then. Got lucky with that score, seems my good runs are heavily dependent on the power-up distribution (unless you are one of the Million Points Club boys of course...not sure how they do that)...got like 3 extra lives in this one. Still, how to beat the no-platforms level? I couldn't reach the top bombs :/

Penetrator - a few thousand
Not even noting a score yet, it was so rubbish. I must admit that the ludicrous decision to combine shoot/forward on one button spoils this game heavily for me. I'm too used to playing total-control arcade shoot'em ups. Here I don't feel i can trust the controls at all. Shame, because it's a brilliant game apart from that...fast and furious, one of the better Scramble clones I've played (and in 1982!)

Need to deal with it somehow. First tried to play on my rubber Spectrum, it was impossible . Then tried on MiSTer, where I can remap the keys to my joypad...bit better. We'll see, but will probably concentrate on BJ more.

There are some worthy tips in the Inlay, for those who haven't seen it yet:

STRATEGIES
[...]
* In Stage Three, where you must maneuver through narrow vertical and
horizontal passages, stay as far to the right as your thrust will allow.
* In Stage Four, the enemy paratroopers will be hiding and waiting in ambush.
Try to lure them out of their hiding place and then either shoot them while
braking, or thrust quickly while going up to fly over them.
* In difficult situations, use the up/down keys for evasive action, and press
the right arrow key and the space bar (simultaneous missile firing and bomb
dropping) to destroy the enemy.
* If you wish to abort a mission completely, press ENTER and 0 simutaneously.
This teleports you back to Control Centre.

Plus it also says that destroying a lot of the radars makes the game easier, at least later (related to the "Danger' meter). Interesting.

[Mousey]

Still, how to beat the no-platforms level? I couldn't reach the top bombs :/

To do a higher jump you have to hold UP as you press fire. 131,410 is actually a great first score after all these years, especially as you weren't using the higher jump.

As to how Alessandro and I get 1 million+ scores, I assume I can speak for both of us when I say it's simply years and years of playing. I am as much in awe of Alessandro's 3 million+ score on HARP as you probably are of 1 million+. The "secret" (that most people know) is to get the sparkling bombs in the right order as much as possible, to get either a 50K, 30K, 20K or 10K bonus, and they quickly add up. But what most people don't realise is how much the enemies speed up later on. The normal baddies go straight for the floor to transform, and the bird ends up moving way faster than you (mainly left and right - a well timed vertical jump can still leave him for dust).

One strategy I have is that on some later levels I just don't bother going for sparkling bombs at all because I know (from long experience) how very hard it is to collect enough for a bonus, no matter what order you try. As the bombs don't start sparkling until you collect one, you can dictate (to a degree) the order in which to collect them. I know somewhere you can look up these patterns but I never have - mainly because I've been playing Bomb Jack for 15 years before I even had the internet, and found the best patterns that work for me.

Thanks for the Penetrator tips - I definitely need them!

[Alessandro]

Bomb Jack: 1,171,400. With a very stupid death at the last bomb and a potential bonus of 20,000 lost. I guess I am getting too old to keep this pace...

[GreenCard]

Still, how to beat the no-platforms level? I couldn't reach the top bombs :/

There's a "turbo" mode accessible from the main menu that let's you fly right to the top of the screen without having to hold "up" like Mousey explained. That's how I've been playing it.

My Penetrator score: 4760. Yup. That's it. Tough game!
New Bomb Jack score: 230,790

[Morkin]

Managed a lunchtime Penetrator score of 87,290.

Slightly annoyingly, I died right at the end of the cyan level on my fifth run - a few more seconds and an accurate bomb drop and I would've got a hefty 5000 bonus (WOW)...

Not getting much better at Bomb Jack, so may just hope that I can hold onto a precarious Champions League spot without doing much more...

[Edit] Morkin's tips:

• particularly at the start of the blue level and most of the green level (but in general where possible), don't just mash the bomb key - you may need them to take out some well-timed missiles. Aim your bombs as much as you can.

• when you have a breather (i.e. nothing is immediately flying at you), take the opportunity to fire a volley of random laser shots. On the cyan level these can get the floating alien things just as they spawn, but on other levels they can take out problematic missiles sitting on 'hills' in the distance

• (as mentioned earlier) - play on keyboard. With a joystick you can't fire your laser while moving backwards, which is sometimes essential

[GreenCard]

Wowzer! I'll be amazed if I even get to reach 5000 in Penetrator!

I might have a go on a real Speccy later. See if immersing myself in nostalgia helps my score a bit.

[Freespirit]

Doubled my penetrator score today and had my first extra man and sparkling bomb bonus on Bomb Jack:

Bomb Jack: 46530
Penetrator: 11120

[RuySan]

Hi everyone. I've been feeling nostalgic of the Spectrum, and what better way to play than this?

Even though my parents bought me an Amiga when I was 8, and that's the machine i'm most attached to, I had a 48k+ before that. Bomb Jack is one of the games I probably most played back then, and still hold up. It's so incredibly smooth and fun.

Here's my current best:

236060

[Mousey]

Managed a lunchtime Penetrator score of 87,290

That's a fantastic score, well done! Way beyond my skill level.

There's a "turbo" mode accessible from the main menu that let's you fly right to the top of the screen without having to hold "up" like Mousey explained.

Oh yeah! As I don't play this way I had completely forgotten that option was there.

I've improved my Bomb Jack score: 1,423,260. I'm really pleased as I beat my HARP score, and it's the best score I've got in over 20 years, but I was just 38,810 short of Frankie's 2nd place score on HARP. Gonna concentrate more on Penetrator now, but am not hopeful!

[Morkin]

Flippin eck...

Out of interest, roughly how long are these 1 million+ runs taking?

[Mousey]

Out of interest, roughly how long are these 1 million+ runs taking?

Roughly about 30 minutes. That's another reason I love Bomb Jack - it doesn't take forever to rack up a big score.

I'm pretty good at Paradroid on the C64 (for the same reason as Bomb Jack - played it for decades!) but it takes ages to get a decent score; I've had games on Paradroid last over 2 hours!

[EDIT] Just realised how I can give you a more accurate answer. On HARP it took Frankie 22:22 to score 1,462,070, and it took me 27:07 for 1,158,320:
http://www.homeactionreplay.org/search. ... &tourney=2