2024 Spring HSC - Round 2 - Rambo!

[BydoEmpire]

This round features games we've played before, but worth revisiting. One of the best earlier SMS titles - Rambo: First Blood Part 2. I like the game a lot, but I've never made it past the second level, so maybe this is the year!

 

 

This round runs March 11 - March 24

 

For one bonus point, play the light gun game Rambo III.

 

Totals

1. @Dashopepper 296,500 (+1)
2. @wongojack 195,900  (+1)
3. @neogeo1982 41,800 (+1)
4. @BydoEmpire 27,750 (+1)
5. Roland 12,050 (+1)
6. @fakecortex 5,700 (+1)

 

 

Edited March 24 by BydoEmpire

[+neogeo1982]

This is fun! I keep thinking of funny Rocky quotes playing this but can't think of any from the Rambo movies. 13200 

And the gun game

 

 

 

[+wongojack]

Oh man, you've really gotta be on the ball with your camera on this one because it looks like the only time the game will show you the Hi Score is when you complete a level.  So, I captured the picture of my Hi Score after getting through level one and then hurriedly got another pic when I died on level 2.  Only I must have gotten it right at a weird moment because the trailing 3 digits are . . . not there.  So will you accept 43,000 as my first entry?  It was undoubtedly higher than that.  If not then you can use the 41,850 on the level complete screen for level 1.  Oh - another fun thing about the 4 seconds that your score is displayed - on level 2 the tall grass seems to obscure it.  This game is really NOT score friendly.  It is also really not Rambo friendly as they seem to have weighed him down with a ton of lead in his shorts.  He walks like he's already been shot in the leg (slowly).

 

Also, my light phaser seems to work, so that's fun.  Rambo III is pretty great.

[+neogeo1982]

8 hours ago, wongojack said:

weighed him down with a ton of lead in his shorts. 

"Be a rock for me. No pain. No pain" #Rocky4

[+neogeo1982]

Yo, Adrian, I did it!

    Awe man I'm so close too. Well I'll keep trying now. 41800

[BydoEmpire]

It's been a while, and I've never been that good at it, but just getting on the board: 18,350

 

I did play Rambo III, but picture on my phone - I'll upload later.

[BydoEmpire]

On 3/11/2024 at 11:01 AM, neogeo1982 said:

This is fun! I keep thinking of funny Rocky quotes playing this but can't think of any from the Rambo movies. 13200 

Hah, when I posted this round I kept thinking of Rocky quotes as well.

[BydoEmpire]

I got pretty good at Rambo III in a previous round, but it's a game that relies heavily on memorization and I've forgotten it all. Still fun, I need to play some more.

[BydoEmpire]

A bit better, finally made it to round 2: 27,750

[+wongojack]

 

89,700 - Level 2 kicks my A$$, but I got past it once and then made it all the way to the end of level 3.  I thought I was gonna bust through too.

 

There's something genuinely irritating about the speed of this game.  It is like, too slow to take it fast.  You are at your worst when you actually know what is coming.

[Dashopepper]

Dashopepper - 100,400

Roland - 7,550

 

”I never broke the law! I AM THE LAW!”

Definitely a different rhythm to this game. I’m getting a lot better after a rough start.  I need to check out the manual though because I have no clue what some of the items do and I have cart only.

Edited March 18 by Dashopepper

[+wongojack]

I had a bit of a breakthrough yesterday when I realized I was being stingy with my arrows.  I rained that exploding arrow goodness down on level two and got past it 2x in a row.  I even managed to get through level 4 on my first try, but level 5 got me.  I was just below 200k at 195,900.  Oh, and I also figured out that I can just press the PAUSE button on the Game Over screen to take a pic - duh.

@Dashopepper - there are only 5 pickups (I think).  I don't know what they are officially called, but they work like this.  Reference

 

• Two Arrows - gives you more exploding arrows; awarded by destroying a building and saving a hostage
• Single Rocket - increases the arrow explosion to an area effect; awarded by destroying a building and saving a hostage
• Letter 'L' - extends the range of your rifle shots; awarded by killing soldiers
• Letter 'S' - lets your bullets pass through enemies; awarded by killing soldiers
• Symbol '?' - kills all enemies on screen; only works when you do NOT have both rifle power ups active; awarded by destroying a building and saving a hostage

So, getting the max number of arrows and power ups is critical to success.  I've noticed that there will never be 2 power ups on screen waiting for you to pick them up at the same time, so if there is already an 'L' or 'S' sitting there, pick it up before destroying a building and saving a hostage or that hostage will drop nothing.  I've also noticed that the pickups cycle through a predictable pattern.  For killing soldiers, the 'L' is always dropped by soldiers before the 'S' and repeats. The Hostage is harder to figure out.  I think he drops arrows multiple times, then the rocket, then the '?' and starts over.  The exception is the hostage drops '?' 2nd on the very first level.  It may also be true that he only drops a rocket if you already have at least one rifle power up.

 

 

[Dashopepper]

Dashopepper- 296,500 +1

Roland- 12,050 +1

 

I made it to the last level! I’m going to attempt to beat it this weekend, but it is a pretty tough game. It’s definitely growing on me.

 

I watched Rambo II this week in preparation, it didn’t hold up very well. He pretty much just one shots the baddies and is never in real danger. 

[fakecortex]

When we last played this in Sept ‘22, I managed to score 11k. This time, I got 5,700. I didn’t hit pause fast enough to get a photo. Seriously, why bother having a score if they’re not gonna put it on the title screen? You’ll have to take my word for it that I got such a low score. Me and this game just do not click. 
 

Same for Rambo III, tho I did manage to beat my pb by 100 points haha. Easily my least favorite phaser game and my least favorite Sly sms game I have (Rocky’s no Punch-Out, but it does have those sweet training stages).

 

Rambo: FB pt II - 5,700

Rambo III - 2,500

 

[fakecortex]

Btw @Dashopepper sweet shelf. You got a nice lookin game room there. 

[+wongojack]

I played a little more, but I never quite got a higher score.  I'm glad to have played Rambo these past two weeks, but I doubt I'll go back.  I think I liked The Ninja a bit better.

[Dashopepper]

I made it to the last boss with 5 lives but couldn’t figure out how to beat it (pause button being on console and not controller got me).  I think I have a psp somewhere with save states I can beat it on.  Overall I liked it but it was a little too long and difficult and the penalty for dying too high.  The two player is a ton of fun though and a highlight.

Edited March 26 by Dashopepper

[BydoEmpire]

On 3/26/2024 at 7:33 AM, Dashopepper said:

I made it to the last boss with 5 lives but couldn’t figure out how to beat it (pause button being on console and not controller got me).  I think I have a psp somewhere with save states I can beat it on.  Overall I liked it but it was a little too long and difficult and the penalty for dying too high.  The two player is a ton of fun though and a highlight.

Your picture there is the closest I'll come to seeing the ending screen of Rambo, so thanks for that!