Bug in Tempest?

[unixdude]

Hey, all.  I'm wondering if I found a bug in the cartridge (AA retail) version of Tempest.

I was on the "avoid spikes" level (level 5 I think...?), and when I finished the level, my "character" was above a spike (the spike was toward the far end of the play field), so after I finished the level and the game was zooming to the next level, my character hit the spike -- and it ended that life.  Then the game started my next life at the level I had just completed -- and since that level was finished, the game immediately zoomed to the next level again, hitting the spike again, which ended my game.

 

I did a quick search here and didn't find any mention of this.  Anybody seen it?  I wonder what the chances are of getting this fixed.  I assume this is not how the game is supposed to work.

Edited December 9, 2021 by unixdude

[+x=usr(1536)]

15 hours ago, unixdude said:

Hey, all.  I'm wondering if I found a bug in the cartridge (AA retail) version of Tempest.

I was on the "avoid spikes" level (level 5 I think...?), and when I finished the level, my "character" was above a spike (the spike was toward the far end of the play field), so after I finished the level and the game was zooming to the next level, my character hit the spike -- and it ended that life.  Then the game started my next life at the level I had just completed -- and since that level was finished, the game immediately zoomed to the next level again, hitting the spike again, which ended my game.

This is a bug-that's-not-a-bug.  More:

Quote

I did a quick search here and didn't find any mention of this.  Anybody seen it?  I wonder what the chances are of getting this fixed.  I assume this is not how the game is supposed to work.

IIRC, that's the same behaviour the arcade game has.  If you die while being sucked down the tube en route to the next level, you're sent back to the level that you were on before you died but at the point where you're about to be sent down the tube. You don't have to play the whole level again, but you will need to survive the tube in order to get to the next level.

 

The level counter doesn't increment until you successfully make it all the way down the tube, so dodging or destroying whatever it was that killed you on the first trip down the tube will be necessary in order to complete the level.

[unixdude]

Thanks, that's very interesting.  I thought the level was cleared when it started zooming to the next level -- I didn't realize that I would have to do anything during the zoom itself. ?

[BIGHMW]

4 hours ago, x=usr(1536) said:

This is a bug-that's-not-a-bug.  More:

IIRC, that's the same behaviour the arcade game has.  If you die while being sucked down the tube en route to the next level, you're sent back to the level that you were on before you died but at the point where you're heading down the tube. You don't have to play the whole level again, but you will need to survive the tube in order to get to the next level.

 

The level counter doesn't increment until you successfully make it all the way down the tube, so dodging or destroying whatever it was that killed you on the first trip down the tube will be necessary in order to complete the level.

 

Interesting point, I never knew that.

[+discotronic]

I asked this same general question a few years ago. Not a bug. Good thing is it becomes second nature after a while. Those spikes have been a nightmare before when for some reason I can't get out of the lane to avoid the spike and I lose a couple lives. It sure adds to the difficulty. 

[fiddlepaddle]

In the coin op, you can usually shoot fast enough to eliminate the spike directly in front of you. Sometimes, shooting at a spike actually helps by allowing faster rapid-fire when bad guy(s) is/are already at the surface in the lane immediately to your right and left. The biggest problem usually occurs when you accidentally wiggle between two lanes with spikes. One strategy is to keep at least one lane mostly spike-free whenever possible.

[ledzep]

8 hours ago, fiddlepaddle said:

In the coin op, you can usually shoot fast enough to eliminate the spike directly in front of you. Sometimes, shooting at a spike actually helps by allowing faster rapid-fire when bad guy(s) is/are already at the surface in the lane immediately to your right and left. The biggest problem usually occurs when you accidentally wiggle between two lanes with spikes. One strategy is to keep at least one lane mostly spike-free whenever possible.

 

Agreed.  On the harder levels, I usually leave a spike or two alone and when I get overrun by flippers at the top I spin over, sit on top of the spike and just start firing, the flippers cannot kill me.  Actually, they can if the row I'm on is only like a 90 degree flip from the neighboring row (like a corner of a square), then even shooting at max speed ain't enough.

 

But the spikes killing you on the way down is one last little screw you from the game, can't relax yet!  Hahaaha, it's so embarrassing to die that way after pwning the whole level up until that point.  Same goes with actually getting shot (is it the spikers that shoot up at you?) or spinning right into a flipper and dying, although spinning past one as it flips is a cool move but I usually do that accidentally.

 

There's no way to wipe out a full spike as you go down the tube to the next level, it takes too many shots.  A spike about half length is maybe the biggest you can clear out as you fly down, maybe less, I can't remember.

[trapperkeeper]

On 12/8/2021 at 9:23 PM, unixdude said:

Hey, all.  I'm wondering if I found a bug in the cartridge (AA retail) version of Tempest.

I was on the "avoid spikes" level (level 5 I think...?), and when I finished the level, my "character" was above a spike (the spike was toward the far end of the play field), so after I finished the level and the game was zooming to the next level, my character hit the spike -- and it ended that life.  Then the game started my next life at the level I had just completed -- and since that level was finished, the game immediately zoomed to the next level again, hitting the spike again, which ended my game.

 

I did a quick search here and didn't find any mention of this.  Anybody seen it?  I wonder what the chances are of getting this fixed.  I assume this is not how the game is supposed to work.

It tells you on the screen to avoid the spikes right before you zoom down a tube, and you didn't, and you think there's a bug in the game? lol

[+x=usr(1536)]

1 hour ago, trapperkeeper said:

It tells you on the screen to avoid the spikes right before you zoom down a tube, and you didn't, and you think there's a bug in the game? lol

Not everyone interprets these things the same way, and I strongly doubt that you're so perfect as to have never wondered about what's going on with a game mechanic.

 

Don't be a turd.

[phuzaxeman]

On 12/8/2021 at 8:23 PM, unixdude said:

Hey, all.  I'm wondering if I found a bug in the cartridge (AA retail) version of Tempest.

I was on the "avoid spikes" level (level 5 I think...?), and when I finished the level, my "character" was above a spike (the spike was toward the far end of the play field), so after I finished the level and the game was zooming to the next level, my character hit the spike -- and it ended that life.  Then the game started my next life at the level I had just completed -- and since that level was finished, the game immediately zoomed to the next level again, hitting the spike again, which ended my game.

 

I did a quick search here and didn't find any mention of this.  Anybody seen it?  I wonder what the chances are of getting this fixed.  I assume this is not how the game is supposed to work.

Definitely not a bug. In transition, you have to avoid the spikes.  If you die from the spikes, you have to avoid it again in transition. That's what happens in the arcade too. This game is pretty amazing and a 5200 version exclusive. 

[Keatah]

On 12/10/2021 at 5:17 AM, ledzep said:

Agreed.  On the harder levels, I usually leave a spike or two alone and when I get overrun by flippers at the top I spin over, sit on top of the spike and just start firing, the flippers cannot kill me.  Actually, they can if the row I'm on is only like a 90 degree flip from the neighboring row (like a corner of a square), then even shooting at max speed ain't enough.

That's right

On 12/10/2021 at 5:17 AM, ledzep said:

There's no way to wipe out a full spike as you go down the tube to the next level, it takes too many shots.  A spike about half length is maybe the biggest you can clear out as you fly down, maybe less, I can't remember.

On the training levels, 4 and 5, you can wipe out a complete full-length spike. But yes after that it's around half at best.

[unixdude]

Thanks, all.  I'm (obviously) not super familiar with the game.  I enjoy it, but don't really know that much about it.  I guess I've been lucky before now and just never hit a spike when zooming past that level.

[ledzep]

6 hours ago, unixdude said:

Thanks, all.  I'm (obviously) not super familiar with the game.  I enjoy it, but don't really know that much about it.  I guess I've been lucky before now and just never hit a spike when zooming past that level.

 

If you were super familiar with the game, I mean growing up playing it in the arcades and thinking it was one of the greatest games you've ever played ever, it would bother you, pain you, to play the game without a spinner.  To even see a version of Tempest without the spinner, aaugh, my head is pounding!  No!  I applaud the programmers for getting the 5200 trak-ball wired into the home version since that allows for the possibility of a home-built spinner to be used and it's far better than a joystick but... it's wrong.  It goes against all that is pure in arcade games.  Hahaaha.  I also feel this way about playing Major Havoc with a trak-ball (or Tempest spinner) instead of the roller controller.  Or paddle games with joysticks.  Stop this!  End this torture!  To paraphrase Spock, as with all dedicated cabinets, to each according to its hardwired controller inputs.

 

7 hours ago, Keatah said:

On the training levels, 4 and 5, you can wipe out a complete full-length spike. But yes after that it's around half at best.

 

Oh, ok.  I can't remember the last time I started at the 1st level.  I always spin up to wherever it lets me go, usually level 7 or 9 or something on a fresh game?

[unixdude]

59 minutes ago, ledzep said:

 

If you were super familiar with the game, I mean growing up playing it in the arcades and thinking it was one of the greatest games you've ever played ever, it would bother you, pain you, to play the game without a spinner.  To even see a version of Tempest without the spinner, aaugh, my head is pounding!  No!  I applaud the programmers for getting the 5200 trak-ball wired into the home version since that allows for the possibility of a home-built spinner to be used and it's far better than a joystick but... it's wrong.  It goes against all that is pure in arcade games.  Hahaaha.  I also feel this way about playing Major Havoc with a trak-ball (or Tempest spinner) instead of the roller controller.  Or paddle games with joysticks.  Stop this!  End this torture!  To paraphrase Spock, as with all dedicated cabinets, to each according to its hardwired controller inputs.

I did play Tempest with the spinner, and I agree that a spinner would be a lot better, but at least it works with the CX53. I've said it before, and I'll say it here: the CX53 is the reason I bought a 5200.  I enjoyed Tempest in the arcade, and I'm glad to have it on my 5200.

[Keatah]

I'm sure someone's gonna smack me for it, but I got my personal hi-score by using a mouse and scissors keyboard. The short throw and high sensitivity is a good thing.

[RJ]

15 hours ago, trapperkeeper said:

It tells you on the screen to avoid the spikes right before you zoom down a tube, and you didn't, and you think there's a bug in the game? lol

Agreed