ZX HSC Round 1 - Bomb Jack / Penetrator

[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

[Freespirit]

I set myself a Bomb Jack final score goal of 100,000 as i was only on 40k, but i just had 165,510 game

I may have peaked too soon.

[R-Tape]

I set myself a Bomb Jack final score goal of 100,000 as i was only on 40k, but i just had 165,510 game

Nice one—quite a jump from your last one!

I managed my best today: 115,180. I think that puts me in a strong last place.

How many rounds are people getting the sparking bomb bonus? and is it the 20, 21, 22 or 23 bomb one? I assume the million pointers will be most rounds.

[Juan F. Ramirez]

I can't beat my Bomb Jack personal record (85,130) and seeing the amazing scores out there, as I said above, I'll focus on Penetrator.

I could beat my record (9,740) reaching 14,560, passing the infamous green level and reaching the last red one. Unfortunatelythis happened: (one milisecond before the tragedy)



I've only reached that point once before, back in the 80s and I thought it was a bug, but checking YT's RZX archive I realized I have to bomb certain point of that level... things that get to know 35 years after!

[Freespirit]

I can't beat my Bomb Jack personal record (85,130) and seeing the amazing scores out there, as I said above, I'll focus on Penetrator.

I could beat my record (9,740) reaching 14,560, passing the infamous green level and reaching the last red one. Unfortunatelythis happened: (one milisecond before the tragedy)



I've only reached that point once before, back in the 80s and I thought it was a bug, but checking YT's RZX archive I realized I have to bomb certain point of that level... things that get to know 35 years after!

Interesting, i've not been to level 5 yet. Only reached level 4 twice. I think if i reach level 5 i will call it a success. I'm really enjoying the 2 games picked.

[Juan F. Ramirez]

Interesting, i've not been to level 5 yet. Only reached level 4 twice. I think if i reach level 5 i will call it a success. I'm really enjoying the 2 games picked.

In my opinion, the problem is the green level. Once you know how to pass the three or four dangerous points, it's easy and the next one, the cyan level is easier. Then, the red one is very short, just bomb! bomb! bomb!

[Mousey]

How many rounds are people getting the sparking bomb bonus? and is it the 20, 21, 22 or 23 bomb one? I assume the million pointers will be most rounds.

With the 1.4 million score I estimate I got 60% 50K (23 bombs), 20% others (10K-30K; 20-22 bombs) and 20% nothing.

For me one massive difference in successfully getting 50K is the start position of the bird. I have strategies for most stages but if the bird starts in a certain corner then it messes that up and I need to go to "plan B" which has a lower success rate. This doesn't really apply until a bit later though - early on the bird moves slowly enough that you only need to adjust some of your movement rather than the order you go in.

Played a bit of Penetrator this morning and somehow managed to get a decent (for me) score: 17,890. The go I had after this netted me less than 8K; it really is one of those games where everything can go wrong fairly quickly!

[Morkin]

Just managed a lunchtime 162,570 on Bomb Jack.

I don't think that does anything whatsoever to the current rankings...

[smurphboy]

Crikey, I better get back to it... I've been concentrating on Penetrator (and not getting very far!) since I posted last.

[akeley]

Quick, and very ugly current table for your reference. Sorry, not sure how to override the silly formatting from the Open Office spreadsheet.

Name BOMB JACK PENETRATOR
R Tape 115180
Alessandro 1171400 19320
smurphboy 178550 11210
Morkin 162570 87290
JFR 85130 14560
Mousey 1423260 12380
clebin -------- 17160
Freespirit 165510 11120
GreenCard 230790 4760
akeley 131410
RyuSan 236060

If you see any mistakes let me know.

Also, please try to stick to this format for score posting:

GAME NAME - SCORE

...on top of your post. This will make scanning the thread for scores much easier for me. Thanks!

[Morkin]

Good idea. So currently I'm at:

Bomb Jack - 162,570
Penetrator - 87,290


I tried the sparkling bomb tactic but kept dying with pitiful scores, so reverted back to just trying to play naturally and did much better.

...I'm now thinking, if I could memorize the sparkling bomb order for just the first 3 or 4 levels I might be able to beat my score in less time...