High Score Club Week 3: Mario Bros.!

[bjk7382]

My first game today I got 97,100.

 

I will post a picture once a get over 100k.

[chrisbid]

id like to join the club, but late

 

my first score is 75,100

[stayrunner]

77,400!

 

That fireball is doing me in.

[bjk7382]

Okay my first tip:

 

When the fireballs start going across without warning, stay at the top in the middle. It is pretty easy to stand on the top platform and drop down quickly when a fireball shoots across, also there is room to jump up quickly if needed. I would stay away from the sides of the screen in the higher levels because the fireball gives you no warning.

[Ze_ro]

So far I've had to buy every single game for the High Score club, and this is no exception. Promise me you will never pick Quadrun =(

 

I promise nothing Anyways, you can always use an emulator if you want.

 

To be honest, this is one of those games that I never much cared for. Back when I was a kid, it was always "that game I kept finding when I was looking for Super Mario Bros", so almost every time I actually played it, I was already disappointed... but I'm glad I finally have an excuse to get good at it, because it's a fun game in it's own right.

 

I'm actually rather impressed by the quality of this game. The graphics are a little lacking, but it seems to have just about all the elements of the original. I was a little worried that this would turn into another marathon run like Circus Atari, but the game has enough variety that I think it will be less monotonous at least. Oh, and for those of you who REALLY like this game, you might want to pick up Return of Mario Bros from the AtariAge store. It's a graphical hack of Mario Bros to try and make the graphics more closely match the arcade version.

 

After two games, I managed to score 82,300. Here's some tips of my own:

• In the first few levels, immediately run up to the third floor and sit below the opening in the top level. The turtles come out so slow that you can just sit here and pick them off without any trouble at all, and without missing any coins (yes, those square things are coins). This is probably a good place to sit most of the time, although later on when things start getting hairy, it might be a better idea to retreat down to the 2nd floor (below one of the openings in the third floor) where you have a quicker escape route if something goes wrong.

[*]Anytime you kill an enemy (not counting the last one), a coin will come out of one of the pipes. Not only can you pick it up for extra points, but you can also collect it by hitting it from below the same way you would to an enemy.

[*]Here's what the manual has to say about your enemies:

• Shellcreepers (Turtles): To eliminate a shellcreeper, hit it once from below, then kick it off the floor before it starts crawling again.

[*]Sidesteppers (Crabs): Sidesteppers are harder to knock off. The first time you hit one, it becomes enrages and moves faster than before. Hit it again, and it will flip over

[*]Fighterflies (Purple Flies): Fighterflies hop from one section of the floor to another; the only time you can flip one over is when its body is touching the floor.

[*]Slipice (the Ice Monsters): In higher levels of game play you'll encounter Slipice, an evil iceman who can freeze floors into slippery ice (they'll turn blue). Prevent him from freezing floors by punching him from below. You may also kick Slipice when he's melting into the floor.

[*]Fireballs: During the game you'll encounter blazing-hot fireballs that can fry Mario or Luigi to a crisp. Avoid fireballs by jumping over them, or jumping to another level.

[*]Although you'd never know it from the graphics, the middle block at the bottom that you can't jump on is the "POW Block". If you hit this from below, it'll knock over everyone on the level (only one hit to crabs)... but you can only use it three times before it disappears entirely. Note that, like hitting anyone from below, if they are already knocked over, hitting the POW block will right them again.

[*]Remember that the sides of the screen wrap around, so if you run off the screen, you'll appear on the other side. This makes the bonus level a lot easier... just run to the left and jump to collect the two tokens on either side, then run over and jump straight up beside the POW block to collect one of the tokens, and then a diagonal jump to collect the next one while jumping up onto the next ledge, then jump again and wrap to the left to get both side tokens, and then use another wrap to get the two at the top.

 

--Zero

[Saikyo]

UPDATE:

Just when you thought it couldn't get any better here comes

114,100

 

Sorry but im really good at Mario Bros.!

 

EDIT Wait until the silpice starts melting then kick him doing so will give you

an extra coin!

[bjk7382]

So far I've had to buy every single game for the High Score club, and this is no exception. Promise me you will never pick Quadrun =(

 

I promise nothing Anyways, you can always use an emulator if you want.

 

I was seriously thinking of choosing Quadrun for my game.

 

I have been playing it in the emulator (of course) and it is a GREAT game that has gone unnoticed because of its rarity. Be prepared when my turn comes around.

[Stingray]

Actually I think the manual refers to the square things as "wafers" and the round ones in the bonus levels as "coins". When I was a kid I always thought the round ones were albums and the square ones were were album covers.

 

-S

[Brad2600]

The game is mighty frustrating. I might play it again later.

 

Anyway, here's my high score screenshot:

 

I hate those fireballs!

[xmetalhedx]

my second attempt: 56,700

[Kuddy]

I'll get you one day, Saikyo.

[maibock]

20,000 even.. watch out!

[Chris++]

77,700.

[Brad2600]

I'm going for 100,000 soon!

 

Just need some caffeine first!

[bjk7382]

Ze_ro- you might want to look at This Thread and put it on the tips list and tell people not to use it. I just got a large score using this and I think it would be unfair to the contest.

 

It happens best on level 9. When you get down to the last acual enemy and he drops off of the top platform. Then the mr. Ice guys come out of the tubes one after another. You can sit there hitting them from below getting 500 points a piece for them. You still have to dodge the one enemy and the fireball, so it isn't just giving points away, but you never go to the next level either and it makes it pretty easy.

 

I am just pointing this out because we seemed to point out the bad shortcuts on superman also (x-ray cheat)

[InanimateCarbonRod]

87,100

 

Fun Game, I used to play it on NES.

 

Jerry

 

***EDIT*** New High Score 109,200

 

[Lauren Tyler]

I don't know why, but Z26 won't let me take screen shots.

 

At any rate, I made it to wave 13, and earned a score of 89,800 points.

[Brad2600]

Highest I've gotten.

 

The frustrating part is the fireballs. Arghh!

[gamerz]

I don't know why, but Z26 won't let me take screen shots.

 

At any rate, I made it to wave 13, and earned a score of 89,800 points.

 

Works fine for me, use the = . The only problem is that I have to change the format on the Z26, it only saves in .BMP or .PCX which neither of them are usable on the forums.

[Saikyo]

bjk7382 i noticed that too i dont try to stay on the same level though

but sometimes you have no choice but to kill them over and over

for eg when you keep missing the last enemie also you still have to survive

 

BTW i only partially did this not on purpose but for some weird reason i kept missing the enemies and when they started to fall i didn't want a slippy

floor so i had to kill them and so on!

 

This doesn't count that i have cheated though does it? It would be stupid if you said

i was!

[xmetalhedx]

After a few short hours of nonstop mario, i somehow managed this....

85,400

[Brad2600]

Not done yet!

 

Mark my words. I will surpass the top 3!

 

*evil laugh*

[Ze_ro]

Ze_ro- you might want to look at This Thread and put it on the tips list and tell people not to use it. I just got a large score using this and I think it would be unfair to the contest.

 

I noticed this too on my most recent score of 98,000 (D'oh! So close to the 100k mark). I kept accidentally missing out on a crab, and Slipice's were pouring out of the pipes.

 

I agree that this is a little unfair, and I've noted it in the hints list. "Point scumming" kind of ruins high scores in my opinions, and using it here would almost certainly take all the fun out of this, so please don't abuse this tactic.

 

--Zero

[bobafett07728]

Well here is my first submission. Once again, I am emulator bound (although I am hoping to acquire a copy of this my weeks end ) Pretty sweet game. I'm hoping by mid-week I'll crack the 100K barrier.

 

If there's one thing this club has shown me. . . I need to "beef-up" my Atari cartridge library!!!!

 

77600

[Brad2600]

:D