Atari's Star Wars : the looping of the towers

[kisrael]

I got one of those Arcade1Up Star Wars machines.
It's funny what you learn about the game by playing it so much, and/or doing more research, like I didn't realize the "do the trench run w/o firing until the end for bonus points" trick.

One thing I wonder about is the layout and logic (and from there, best strategies) for the tower tops in the middle level. For a long while I didn't realize how they loop (I thought "destroy all tower tops" was basically impossible, not that you would get second chances)

Also strategies for the trench run. I know some of it is pulling bullets to go where you don't need to be

I dunno if it's sporting but I set it to easy and am seeing if I can finally beat OBI WAN's scores (I've beaten HAN twice)...

[TampaBay]

On 4/24/2024 at 2:06 PM, kisrael said:

I got one of those Arcade1Up Star Wars machines.
It's funny what you learn about the game by playing it so much, and/or doing more research, like I didn't realize the "do the trench run w/o firing until the end for bonus points" trick.

One thing I wonder about is the layout and logic (and from there, best strategies) for the tower tops in the middle level. For a long while I didn't realize how they loop (I thought "destroy all tower tops" was basically impossible, not that you would get second chances)

Also strategies for the trench run. I know some of it is pulling bullets to go where you don't need to be

I dunno if it's sporting but I set it to easy and am seeing if I can finally beat OBI WAN's scores (I've beaten HAN twice)...

 

My strategy for the tower tops is to continually steer in one direction, usually to the right.  So when the round starts, I'll take out the first few towers directly in front of me, and then I'll begin steering toward the right.  I'll continue shooting any towers that appear, while always going rightward the whole time.  Unless my shots miss a tower or two, I will encounter enough towers using that method to get the bonus for clearing all towers.

[kisrael]

15 minutes ago, TampaBay said:

 

My strategy for the tower tops is to continually steer in one direction, usually to the right.  So when the round starts, I'll take out the first few towers directly in front of me, and then I'll begin steering toward the right.  I'll continue shooting any towers that appear, while always going rightward the whole time.  Unless my shots miss a tower or two, I will encounter enough towers using that method to get the bonus for clearing all towers.

Yeah, that seems reasonable.

I would love to see a deconstruction or disassembly deep dive of the level... like I suspect it picks one of 2 or 3 patterns. i wonder if the repeating space is like a square or more like a circle, fundamentally

(sort of like I'm still in awe of how 2600 Battlezone tracks even the offscreen world...

 

[TampaBay]

54 minutes ago, kisrael said:

 like I suspect it picks one of 2 or 3 patterns. 

 

 

Interesting!  It never even occurred to me there might be more than one pattern.   I just assumed it was the same every time.  I'll have to pay attention next time to see if I can determine if it's one layout for every run, or if it changes randomly.

[mr.bill]

On 4/26/2024 at 4:33 AM, TampaBay said:

 

My strategy for the tower tops is to continually steer in one direction, usually to the right.  So when the round starts, I'll take out the first few towers directly in front of me, and then I'll begin steering toward the right.  I'll continue shooting any towers that appear, while always going rightward the whole time.  Unless my shots miss a tower or two, I will encounter enough towers using that method to get the bonus for clearing all towers.

I dont have a 1 up (I have both the sitdown and the ur), but thats how i approached the towers. just keep track of misses and know you might have to steer left to get them. and dont try to fly between tight towers! but I am a below average player. You probably need to talk to an expert to know if there are better tricks.

 

for the trench, dont be sitting where you want to go. dart to the opening last second to draw the shots away. also dont shoot the side cannons to get the use the force bonus. I dont know if the game selects from multiple patterns. Over my years of collecting arcade games, I have met mike hally (game designer), and jed margolin (hardware designer).  mike knows, but I am sure someone some killer star wars player can answer the question. have fun with it..

[SoundGammon]

Here's a pc version of the game. Works with Windows 7, haven't tried it on Windows 10 yet!

Star Wars.zip

[R.Cade]

2 hours ago, SoundGammon said:

Here's a pc version of the game. Works with Windows 7, haven't tried it on Windows 10 yet!

Star Wars.zip 11.85 MB · 0 downloads

It works even in Win11, but it's sluggishly unplayable, even on good CPU and video card.

 

[SoundGammon]

9 hours ago, R.Cade said:

It works even in Win11, but it's sluggishly unplayable, even on good CPU and video card.

 

I have Driver Booster from IOBit and there's a option to turn on Game Mode which shuts down a lot of apps you don't need! I use it on my Win10 for streaming. Sure makes a difference! Video streaming is nice and even. I also have a screensaver of a fish tank and the fish move herky-jerky without it!

[kisrael]

So playing and paying a little more attention... I was definitely over thinking - I didn't know if it was keeping track of towers in a rotational space sort of way, ala Atari 2600 Battlezone... but really it's more like 2600 Worm War I - I think roughly you can fly far left, left, center, right, far right, but roughly your just sliding left and right, you're not REALLY rotating. So if you had a bit left, the towers that were even farther left will be center or at least close to center.

[kisrael]

ahaha just a a goofy follow up and brag...

So I wanted to get to the top of the high score table - knocking off OBI and his 1,285,353
So I cheesed it, and cranked shields to 9 and put it on "easy"

took me a month or so but I finally got it-- and when I did I put it back to 6 shields and moderate.

so then i couldn't crack the high score table I had set for myself!

but i kept at it, and when I did--- I even beat OBI! made it to the third trench run. didn't quite clear all towers the 2nd or 3rd time though

though now that i read the manual (curious about OBI and 1,285,353 ) - i see that "Hard" plus 6 shields might be the default I should use.
Oh and crap maybe I should just go to 1 bonus shield.

Sigh.

Still a great way to blow off some steam.

(Actually looking at the manual I wonder what "F R E E Z E  M O D E" was