NES High Score Club 2nd Season Week #8 - Donkey Kong

[vdub_bobby]

You saved April, now save Pauline! Yes, it's time for Donkey Kong!

 

Post a score and let's get this thing rolling!

 

Please post any tips you may have - best tip gets 1 bonus point!

 

And if anyone has a link to the manual, please post it.

 

Notes: Play difficulty A. Looks like the score rolls at 1,000,000 so for our purposes scores will be capped at that point for the rankings.

 

Bonus!: For folks who want an extra challenge, roll the score twice for one bonus point! Please take appropriate before and after pictures.

 

This week's competition ends next Tuesday (May 1) morning at approximately 8:00 am PST.

 

This week's standings:

 

100,300 bust3dstr8 (+10 pts)

96,200 vdub_bobby (+8 pts)

77,100 gdement (+6 pts)

74,900 Jibbajaba (+4 pts +1 pt for best tip)

 

 

Twin Galaxies High Scores

 

2,682,300 Tom Votava

1,627,500 Todd Rogers

267,600 David B Yancey

185,000 Stephen Krogman

 

 

Overall standings:

 

1. rjchamp3 (44 pts)

2. vdub_bobby (36 pts)

3. bust3dstr8 (29 pts)

4. LarcenTyler (27 pts)

5. gdement (23 pts)

6. MetalSlime23 (21 pts)

7. 8th lutz (16 pts)

8. duncantoml (10 pts)

9. Slayer (8 pts)

10. Bucket (7 pts)

11. Cybergoth (2 pts)

12. Jibbajaba (1 pts)

 

 

Game Info

 

Original coin-op game developed by Nintendo in 1981, ported to the NES by Nintendo in 1986.

 

Other platforms: Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, Game Boy Advance, Intellivision, MSX, PC Booter, TI-99/4A, VIC-20, Wii, ZX Spectrum

 

Prequels/Sequels/Spinoffs: Uncountable! A few highlights: Donkey Kong Jr. (Arcade, 1982, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, ColecoVision, Game Boy Advance, Intellivision, NES, Wii), Donkey Kong 3 (Arcade, 1983, Game Boy Advance, NES), Donkey Kong Jr. Math (NES, Wii 1985), Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, SNES, Wii, 1994), Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (Game Boy Advance, Gameboy, SNES, 1995), Donkey Kong Land (Gameboy, 1995), Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (Game Boy Advance, SNES 1996), plus many many more, as well as all the Mario-themed games.

 

Donkey Kong 3 is notable for not starring Mario but, rather, featuring the only appearance of Stanley.

 

 

Tips

 

Me: I've found that I score best when I only use the hammers when I have to.

 

gdement: (technique for getting by springs)

I don't know any special technique for it, but on the 3rd lap I know I cut it pretty close. You basically have to run Mario's nose against the spring as it comes by, then you'll just barely have enough time to make it. There might even be a luck factor - I'm not sure if the springs follow the same path each time.

 

Jibbajaba:

My best tip is to use both hammers on the first screen. Even if you only get 4 barrels with each hammer, that's an extra 4,000 points on the screen, which more than makes up for the hit you'll take on the bonus. As DK starts to throw more barrels as the game goes on, you can whack even more of them with each hammer. Racing straight to the top without smashing the barrels is just leaving points on the screen unnecessarily.

Edited May 1, 2007 by vdub_bobby

[vdub_bobby]

32,300

[CGQuarterly]

43,600 for today. On the second screen, I don't understand how to get to the top once those little springy things start coming faster. I can't make it to the top of the final ladder before I get hit. I think I'll have to consult a strategy guide...

 

Chris

[vdub_bobby]

This port (and the NES DK Jr.) seem to ramp up in difficulty very slowly.

 

Anyway, got a couple games in last night: 63,500

[bust3dstr8]

Is there a difference between the two Nes versions of DK?

[vdub_bobby]

Which two versions? The standalone cart and the "Classics" multicart (w/ DK and DKJr)?

 

And I have no idea.

[CGQuarterly]

I just dug out my Donkey Kong Classics cart, and I don't see a difference. The difference between the carts, of course, is that DKC comes with Donkey Kong Jr. But the versions of Donkey Kong appear identical to me on both carts.

 

Chris

[gdement]

I think I was on the 4th lap. The platforms on the 2nd screen started moving too quickly that time for me to follow my normal pattern, and I had trouble doing it differently. I felt lucky to get past the last few screens before I lost my guys on that one.

 

This is a really good version. One difference I noticed from the 7800 is this version gives you 500 points for smashing barrels. I got quite a bit of points that way.

 

77,100

 

I don't understand how to get to the top once those little springy things start coming faster. I can't make it to the top of the final ladder before I get hit.

I don't know any special technique for it, but on the 3rd lap I know I cut it pretty close. You basically have to run Mario's nose against the spring as it comes by, then you'll just barely have enough time to make it. There might even be a luck factor - I'm not sure if the springs follow the same path each time.

[CGQuarterly]

 

74,900

 

If I can best it, I'll edit this post. Otherwise, this will be my final score.

 

My best tip is to use both hammers on the first screen. Even if you only get 4 barrels with each hammer, that's an extra 4,000 points on the screen, which more than makes up for the hit you'll take on the bonus. As DK starts to throw more barrels as the game goes on, you can whack even more of them with each hammer. Racing straight to the top without smashing the barrels is just leaving points on the screen unnecessarily.

 

Chris

[bust3dstr8]

 

 

100,300

Edited May 1, 2007 by bust3dstr8

[vdub_bobby]

96,200

[vdub_bobby]

We're done!

[tendo]

Just brought out the old NES...

 

Here's my high score.

 

145,800.

 

I will be back for more

 

Tendo

[bretthorror]

Sorry to bump, but been playing this a lot lately and can't get past the third elevator; spring gets me every time. Anyone got any good advice or more detailed than what was posted before?

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

177,600

 

[DuggerVideoGames]

I used an emulator once to see if there was indeed a kill screen in the NES version of Donkey Kong, and sure enough, there was. Had over 3 million points before finally reaching that kill screen. Obviously, that would not count as a high score in a high scores club.

 

However, without the use of emulators, I did manage to get 212,300 points once; unfortunately, I did not take a picture of that (I keep logs of high scores in my files). I do, however, have an image of a high score that is very close to my highest NES Donkey Kong score. In this image, I have 210,200 points. I usually get up to 100,000 points before losing a single life. Once you get over 100,000 points, the timing on the spring level becomes very tricky.

[DuggerVideoGames]

Yes, USE BOTH HAMMERS on the first screen every time. If you don't use the hammers or you just do the stupid glitch to get yourself to the top, you're wasting a tremendous amount of points! At 500 points a pop, you can easily get about 4,000 points or more with the hammers and you will still have plenty of bonus time left over. As for the level with the firefoxes: use the hammers at your own discretion. If you have only one side left to deal with and you can get many of them, then go for it; otherwise, you're just wasting time when you grab the hammers and nail none of them.

[S.BAZ]

a kill-screen, wow!

[DuggerVideoGames]

a kill-screen, wow!

 

Yep. Here is the image from the Game Over at the kill screen on the NES version of Donkey Kong. Had over 3 million points before finally reaching this level (used save states for the sake of journeying far enough to see the kill screen for myself).

 

[DuggerVideoGames]

And here is how much - or little, rather - time you have at the start of the kill screen. Like I said, over 3 million points were scored before finally reaching this darn level. Had to use save states to do it, though. Without emulators, I've hit 212,000+ points and 210,000+ points. But reaching 3 million without save states... only in my wildest dreams! It's the damn spring level that makes it so difficult.