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HSC Season 2 Week 24: The Empire Strikes Back


Ze_ro

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Important note: This weeks competition is over. If you still wish to discuss this game, then feel free to do so, but no further scores will be accepted. Thanks to everyone for all their contributions! Please join in on the latest High Score Club competition!

 

The Empire's revenge has begun! Right now an army of Imperial Walkers is marching toward the Rebels' power generator on the Ice Planet Hoth. If they reach it, the entire Rebel base will blow sky high! To stop them, the Rebels must rely on their missile-firing Snowspeeders. The Snowspeeders may be tiny (compared to the gigantic Imperial Walkers) but they're quick and agile. And in the hands of a skillful commander, they can destroy the mighty Walkers! So climb into your Snowspeeder and be prepared to meet the first of your deadly enemies, because this week's game is Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back!

 

Game Information

  • Game Name: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
  • Released By: Parker Bros, 1982
  • Left Difficulty: B / Novice - Landing Pad is Larger
  • Right Difficulty: Not Applicable in 1 Player Mode
  • Game Mode: Game 5 - Easiest / Smart Bombs
  • Chosen By: khryssun

Post your scores right here in this thread, and I will add them to the list. Remember to play the game with the recommended game mode and difficulty settings as shown above so that your scores will be consistent with everyone elses. The deadline for posting scores will be approximately Tuesday, July 5th at 1:30 AM (CST). In case you haven't already done so, please read the High Score Club rules. There is other useful information contained in that previous link, including a list of previous High Score Club games!

 

As before, next week's game will be chosen by the next person in the member list, which happens to be Malc74! Please send me a private message with your choice of game for next week!

 

If you are not a member of the High Score Club, but would like to be, then all you have to do is post a score for this week's game, and I'll add you to the list!

 

Current High Scores

  1. goldfuji.gif9999 (the 5th ghost) [+11]
  2. silverfuji.gif9068 (khryssun) [+10]
  3. bronzefuji.gif7926 (davepesc) [+9]
  4. 7422 (SpiceWare) [+8]
  5. 6276 (StanJr) [+7]
  6. 5828 (Robert M) [+6]
  7. 4822 (Cybergoth) [+5]
  8. 4557 (Osbo) [+4]
  9. 3577 (Lord Thag) [+3]
  10. 3554 (xeex) [+2]
  11. 3290 (LarcenTyler) [+1]
  12. 3065 (vgcollector666) [+1]
  13. 2923 (Fellow Atari Man) [+1]
  14. 2797 (vdub_bobby) [+1]
  15. 2555 (Goochman) [+1]
  16. 2257 (moycon) [+1]
  17. 2105 (Keir) [+1]
  18. 1997 (chadtower) [+1]
  19. 1973 (Malc74) [+1]
  20. 1249 (Xebec's Demise) [+1]
  21. 1027 (scogey) [+1]

Best Tips

  • ribbon.gifdavepesc [+2]

Bounties and Challenges

  • None yet

Current Standings

  1. StanJr [206]
  2. keilbaca [179]
  3. the 5th ghost [160]
  4. Osbo [108]
  5. SpiceWare [87]
  6. Malc74 [82]
  7. sku_u [71]
  8. vdub_bobby [68]
  9. gospeedde [55]
  10. Fellow Atari Man [52]
  11. video game addict [49]
  12. KaeruYojimbo [47]
  13. LarcenTyler [44]
  14. khryssun [43]
  15. Christophero Sly [41]
  16. Numan [39]
  17. Mad Scientist [38]
  18. Robert M [33]
  19. xeex [32]
  20. Keir [32]
  21. Goochman [30]
  22. Lord Thag [30]
  23. racer raul [29]
  24. Cybergoth [29]
  25. Blackjack [28]
  26. chrisbid [28]
  27. Philflound [27]
  28. panda_racer [26]
  29. pitfallaimee [24]
  30. Dones [24]
  31. Lord Helmet [21]
  32. Dan Iacovelli [20]
  • mikeftrevino [18]
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  • cyberneticimplant [15]
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  • candiru [14]
  • davepesc [13]
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  • Damon Plus [2]
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  • Xebec's Demise [1]
  • awsomo3000 [1]
  • madbutscher [1]
  • Scooterb23 [1]
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Member List

    Malc74, chubsta, Keir, Philflound, candiru, kemsted, keilbaca, Cybergoth, sku_u, Chris++, cvga, LarcenTyler, 128bytes, Goochman, mikeftrevino, StanJr, Osbo, Numan, vdub_bobby, Dones, Gamemaster_ca_2003, awsomo3000, Voch, Stingray, scogey, Bubbledragon, video game addict, pitfallaimee, Blackjack, racer raul, SpiceWare, Robert M, Lord Helmet, Lord Thag, Mad Scientist, Dan Iacovelli, iguana, Luigi301, Gateway, Damon Plus, gospeedde, Kepone, internetotaku, panda_racer, KaeruYojimbo, cyberneticimplant, bjk7382, davepesc, neotokeo2001, xeex, bmlbytes, Omegamatrix, the 5th ghost, Xebec's Demise, khryssun, vgcollector666, chadtower, moycon

Scoring Points in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

  • Hitting Imperial Walker with missille: 1 point
  • Shooting down a Walker's missile in flight: 10 points
  • Crashing Snowspeeder into walker without destroying Walker: 25 points
  • Destroying an Imperial Walker: 50 points
  • Hitting a bomb hatch that destroys an Imperial Walker: 100 points
  • Shooting down a smart bomb: 100 points

Hints and Tips

As always, you really should read the manual.

 

What's that? You don't have the manual? Well, luckily for you, AtariAge has a typed copy of it online for your reading pleasure. Unfortunately, it seems to suffer some serious formatting issues. Luckily, khryssun has retyped the manual. Scroll down a few posts and you'll see it. Here's the hints it provides:


     
  • Remember to watch the radar band for the positions of all Walkers (especially the lead one) and to keep track of which Walker you're battling on the screen.
     
  • Try to weaken the LEAD Walker WITHOUT DESTROYING IT. If you do, the lead Walker will slow down the walking speed of all the others. This will give you more time to weaken and destroy the other Walkers before the lead one reaches the power generator.
    Also try to weaken and slow down the LAST Imperial Wallker on the radar band WITHOUT DESTROYING IT. This will help delay the entrance of new and "tougher" Walkers that replace the ones you destroy.
     
  • Try to get the Walker to track your Snowspeeder in one position, then quickly move out of its line of fire and attack it from a safe position.
     
  • In a game with Solid Walkers, you may want to crash your Snowspeeder into the Walker's Body if you know you can't destroy the Walker before it reaches the power generator. By doing so, you score 25 points and stay in the game - if you have Snowspeeders remaining in the battle.
     

The manual is ... well... kinda short, here's a link with some tips about the this particular game.

 

http://www.classicgaming.com/2600ce/gotw/starwarsempire.html

My tip - Strike from the back - I found this out too late in my second game - Hover near the rear and pump with bullets, fly down to bottom and after walker shoots come back up and continue. I nailed 6 walkers in a row with 1 ship doing this.

 

I was never lucky with the bomb hacthes but your mileage may vary.

First tip: If you have your ship sitting right at the background color change and then move under a walkers head, its shots can't hit you...
No big secrets, The walkers speed up every 2,000 points, so try to make sure you are in a good position when you hit the marks.

 

Weaken the lead walker, then the last one, then kill them off back to front, leaving what was the last walker already weakened in front.

 

Of course, go for the bomb hatches, especially when under the influence ot The Force and missiles can't hurt you. And go for the smart bombs by alternating left and right, taking shots at it "Chopper Command" style.

 

For one game, I quickly blew through the first 6 or so walkers so there was only one left at the far left of the screen. Bomb hatches help a lot.

 

Now that there is only one walker, keep killing it until the lead walker reaches about the halfway point, then start the "weaken lead walker to slow the chain" routine.

 

You get two rebuilds per ship, but they reset every time you get the Force.

I'm a little sloppy avoiding shots, too, but they shoot in a rhythm, so you can get a feel for cracking off 5 or 6 shots high, then moving low, shoot, move repeat.

 

Also, you want to move slowly so that you're not constantly swooping in and pulling out (heh heh). You can't shoot if you're not facing the walker, so you want to maximize the time between repositioning your ship.

 

I'm sure this isn't news to anyone, but remember that the screen wraps. Time and space be damned! If you keep going left, you'll come out on the right. Take the shortest route after getting blowed up.

 

Also, I haven't had much luck attacking from the rear, as some people are trying. You are just too close to dodge shots. I get shot a lot more attacking from the back, but the bomb ports are unguarded. With the front ports, the head can shield them.

Once I destroyed all the walkers, I just waited at the left side for each new one to appear and took it out as quickly as possible, hitting bomb hatches, etc.

 

My problem is that I'm sloppy avoiding the AT-AT's shots, I tend to kamikaze them :D

 

Use the rebuilding function as a precaution when you get weakened. I think you get more than two rebuilds though per ship depending on certain conditions?

 

I try to draw the AT-AT's head up if the lower bomb hatch openes, and vice versa if the upper bomb hatch opens. I also noticed that you can hit the back bomb hatch from the front, as well as hitting the two front bomb hatches from the back.

There is no difference between attacking from the front or back. The AT-AT attacks the same way from either side. I prefer to attack from the front, because there are two bomb hatch locations there and more of a chance of hitting them.

 

 

Good luck everyone!

 

--Ze_ro

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Ze_ro wrote :

 

...

You don't have the manual? Well, luckily for you, AtariAge has a typed copy of it online for your reading pleasure. Unfortunately, it seems to suffer some serious formatting issues.

 

Indeed.. it's very short and incomplete,

So finally I decided to type the full manual (of course, Atariage is free to include it into the manual database).

 

Here it is : ;)

 

 

 

STAR WARS - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

-------------------------------------------------

 

A Video Game Cartridge From PARKER for the ATARI VIDEO COMPUTER SYSTEM

 

English instructions

 

 

(Text manual typed by Christian Bogey from the original Instructions Manual. June 28, 2005)

 

 

 

The Empire's revenge has begun ! Right now an army of Imperial Walkers is marching toward the Rebel's power generator on the Ice Planet Hoth. If they reach it, the entire Rebel base will blow sky high ! To stop them, the Rebels must rely on their missile-firing Snowspeeders. The Snowspeeders may be tiny (compared to the gigantic Imperial Walkers) but they're quick and agile. And in the hands of a skillful commander, they can destroy the mighty Walkers !

So climb into your Snowspeeder and be prepared to meet the first of your deadly enemies !

 

 

 

Object :

-------

 

The object of the game is to destroy as many of the Imperial Walkers as you can before they reach the power generator at the end of the battlefield or before the Imperial Walkers destroy your fleet of Snowspeeders.

 

 

 

Setting The Console Controls :

---------------------------------

 

1. To select a game number (see Game Selection Box), press down on the GAME SELECT switch. To quickly change the number, hold down both the GAME SELECT and GAME RESET switches at the same time. The game number will appear at the bottom of the screen.

 

2. Press down the GAME RESET switch - and you're ready to start the action.

 

3. Set the DIFFICULTY switch :

Position A - The landing pad where you repair your Snowspeeder is made

smaller.

Position B - The landing pad is made larger.

In one-player game, use the left DIFFICULTY switch. In a two-player game, the 1st player uses the left DIFFICULTY switch and the 2nd player uses the right DIFFICULTY switch.

 

 

 

The Joystick Controllers :

---------------------------

Make sure you plug the Joystick controllers firmly into the jacks at the back of your video system. Use the LEFT controller jack for one-player games.

Use the Joystick to fly your Snowspeeder. Snowspeeders can fly left, right, up and down. Your Snowspeeder can accelerate in all four directions, too. To slow it down simply change directions. Press the red button to fire your missiles.

 

 

 

The Battlefield :

----------------

This is the battlefield on the Ice Planet Hoth. The entire battlefield is 8 TV screens wide. The radar band monitors the entire battlefield

 

 

 

Playing :

--------

 

A Rebel Commander receives 5 Snowspeeders per game. At the start of the game, the first Snowspeeder is displayed in the Ice Zone. The remaining "on deck" Snowspeeders are displayed just under the radar band.

 

* To Start the Action :

 

Fly your snowspeeder down screen (move left) to meet the oncoming imperial walkers. The walkers approach in a single file from left to right. They can get bunched up one behind the other but they can never pass one another.

Althought up to 5 Walkers can be seen on the battlefield at a time, only 1 Walker will appear on the TV Screen at a time.

 

 

* Radar Band :

 

Use the radar band to keep an eye on the positions off all 5 Walkers and to see which Walker you're presently battling on screen.

Note : When your snowspeeder flies off one end of the radar band, it will reappear at the other end.

 

REMEMBER, As soon as the lead Walker reaches the right end of the radar band, it blows up the power generator and ends the game. Just before this happens, however, you'll ear a "warning" sound, the the sky will begin flashing.

 

 

 

Destroying The Imperial Walkers :

-------------------------------------

 

It takes 48 "hits" to the body to destroy an imperial walker.

Each group of 8 hits weakens the Walker one stage and changes its colour. Each colour change means that the Walker is walking slower, firing less offten, and aiming less accurately.

An Imperial Walker may go through 5 colour changes before it's finally destroyed : From black to grey, blue, purple, red, yellow, the - POW! - it's gone !

 

A snow speeder can fly around to the back of a Walker and attack from the rear. A Snowspeeder cannot weaken or destroy a Walker by hitting its legs.

 

There is a quicker way to destroy an Imperial Walker - by firing a missile into a "bomb hatch".

 

 

 

Bomb Hatches :

----------------

 

Bomb hatches are flashing coloured squares that appear from time to time on a weakened Imperial Walker. Bomb hatches will appear one at a time in one of three places : just above its head, just below its head, or on its back. Hit a bomb hatch, and it's instant destruction of the Imperial Walker !

 

When you destroy an Imperial Walker, a new one will enter the battlefield. Each new Walker will be ever tougher than the last. It will walk faster, fire its missiles more rapidly, and aim its fire more accurately. So, the longer you stay in the game, the more difficult the battle becomes !

 

 

 

Attack Of The Imperial Walkers :

------------------------------------

 

Imperial Walkers fire deadly missiles at Snowspeeders. They even have the ability to "track" your Snowspeeder and can aim their missiles by raising or lowering their heads. They can fire at Snowspeeders approaching them from behind as well as head on.

 

 

 

Damaged Snowspeeders :

----------------------------

 

When a Snowspeeder is hit by a Walker's missile, it becomes "damaged". Damage is indicated by a colour change. In a damaged state, each succeeding hit increases the chances that the Snowspeeder will be destroyed. A Snowspeeder can take up to 5 hits before its destroyed. However, it can be destroyed in fewer than 5.

 

 

 

Repairs :

--------

 

Land a damaged Snowspeeder in a "valley" and within a second, it's repaired ! The Snowspeeder will change back to its original colour to show that it has its full power again. Each Snowspeeder is allowed two repairs.

When your Snowspeeder is destroyed, it explodes. The NEXT Snowspeeder will appear on screen. (You can start again whenever you're ready by moving the joystick.)

The new Snowspeeder will pick up the battle where the last on left off. That is, Walkers will be in the same positions and will show any damage they've already received.

So try to stay out of the Walker's line of fire. Or, if you can, try to shoot down the Walker's missiles. That's right ! If you can shoot down a missile (or get very close to it without it hitting you), then the walker's missile will explode. But watch out ! Sometimes the explosion can backfire and damage your Snowspeeder !

 

 

 

The Force :

-----------

 

If you can keep your Snowspeeder alive for two minutes, "The Force will be with you". Your Snowspeeder will begin flashing. The Force will be with you for 20 seconds. During this time, your Snowspeeder is all-powerfull. It cannot be damage ; it cannot be destroyed. So when you gain The Force, move right in on an Imperial Walker and fire away !

 

Note : If you've already had your Snowspeeder repaired, and you gain The Force, you can have your Snowspeeder repaired twice more.

 

 

 

End Of The Game :

--------------------

 

The game ends when the lead Imperial Walker reaches the power generator, or, when the last Snowspeeder is destroyed.

 

 

 

Game Variations :

-------------------

 

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK has 32 game variations. Games 1-16 are one-player games. Games 17-32 are two-player games. See the Game Selection Box for game number variations. Game variations are described as follows :

 

* Smart Bombs

Sometimes a bomb hatch will release a "smart bomb".

Smart bombs fly in a looping pattern and will actually follow your Snowspeeder. You can try to shoot it down for points or you can try to outfit it until it disappears from the screen.

If a smart bomb hits your Snowspeeder it will either damage or destroy the Snowspeeder. (Smart bombs do more damage than Walker missiles. So, if your Snowspeeder is already damaged when hit by a smart bomb, the smart bomb will probably destroy it !)

 

* Solid Walkers

When you play a game with solid Walkers, you're in for some precision flying. With Solid Walkers, you CANNOT fly your Snowspeeder into the Walker's body (although you can fly through its legs). If you do, your Snowspeeder will blow up - but not without weakening the Walker three colours. Fly into a Walker weakened to purple or beyond, and the Walker is destroyed !

 

 

 

Two Player Games :

---------------------

 

Games 17-32 are two-player games. In a two-player game, players alternate as Rebel Snowspeeder commanders, flying one Snowspeeder on a turn. The left player goes first. Each player's score is displayed throughout his or her turn. At the end of the game, the final scores are displayed alternately.

 

* In a two-player game, when your lead Walker blows up the power generator, you're out of game. Your opponent, however, may continue to play as long as he or she can defend the power generator.

 

* In a two-player game, you'll start the game over again with each new Snowspeeder. (Five Walkers will begin approaching from the left.) In other words, unlike the one-player games, your second Snowspeeder can't pick up where the first one left off.

 

 

 

Rebel's Strategy Hints :

-------------------------

 

a) Remember to watch the radar band for the positions of all Walkers (especially the lead one) and to keep track of which Walker you're battling on the screen.

 

b) Try to weaken the LEAD Walker WITHOUT DESTROYING IT. If you do, the lead Walker will slow down the walking speed of all the others. This will give you more time to weaken and destroy the other Walkers before the lead one reaches the power generator.

Also try to weaken and slow down the LAST Imperial Wallker on the radar band WITHOUT DESTROYING IT. This will help delay the entrance of new and "tougher" Walkers that replace the ones you destroy.

 

c) Try to get the Walker to track your Snowspeeder in one position, then quickly move out of its line of fire and attack it from a safe position.

 

d) In a game with Solid Walkers, you may want to crash your Snowspeeder into the Walker's Body if you know you can't destroy the Walker before it reaches the power generator. By doing so, you score 25 points and stay in the game - if you have Snowspeeders remaining in the battle.

 

 

 

Scoring :

--------

 

Your score is displayed at the bottom of the screen throughout each Snowspeeder's battle. Points accumulate with each additionnal Snowspeeder. You'll receive your final score at the end of the game.

 

Here's now how points are scored :

 

- Hitting Imperial Walker with missille....................... 1 point

- Shooting down a Walker's missile in flight............ 10 points

- Crashing Snowspeeder into walker without

destroying Walker................................................... 25 points

- Destroying an Imperial Walker.............................. 50 points

- Hitting a bomb hatch that destroys an

Imperial Walker....................................................... 100 points

- Shooting down a smart bomb............................... 100 points

 

 

 

Game Selection Box :

-----------------------

 

The level of difficulty increases within each group of 4 games. The higher game number, the faster the Walkers approach, the more rapidly they fire their missiles, and the better they aim their fire.

 

Once you've selected a game number, one of these symbols will appear on the screen :

 

I (Stylized human's silhouette symbol) indicates a one-player game

II (Stylized human's silhouettes symbols) indicates a two-player game

 

 

Game Numbers

-------------------------------------------------------

one-player

 

01 - easiest - No Game Variation

02 -------------- No Game Variation

03 -------------- No Game Variation

04 - hardest - No Game Variation

-------------------------------------------------------

05 - easiest - Smart Bombs

06 -------------- Smart Bombs

07 -------------- Smart Bombs

08 - hardest - Smart Bombs

-------------------------------------------------------

09 - easiest - Solid Walkers

10 -------------- Solid Walkers

11 -------------- Solid Walkers

12 - hardest - Solid Walkers

-------------------------------------------------------

13 - easiest - Smart Bombs & Solid Walkers

14 -------------- Smart Bombs & Solid Walkers

15 -------------- Smart Bombs & Solid Walkers

16 - hardest - Smart Bombs & Solid Walkers

-------------------------------------------------------

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------

two-player

 

17 - easiest - No Game Variation

18 -------------- No Game Variation

19 -------------- No Game Variation

20 - hardest - No Game Variation

-------------------------------------------------------

21 - easiest - Smart Bombs

22 -------------- Smart Bombs

23 -------------- Smart Bombs

24 - hardest - Smart Bombs

-------------------------------------------------------

25 - easiest - Solid Walkers

26 -------------- Solid Walkers

27 -------------- Solid Walkers

28 - hardest - Solid Walkers

-------------------------------------------------------

29 - easiest - Smart Bombs & Solid Walkers

30 -------------- Smart Bombs & Solid Walkers

31 -------------- Smart Bombs & Solid Walkers

32 - hardest - Smart Bombs & Solid Walkers

-------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

Good game and have Fun,

Chris

 

 

Note : You can view/download the text file version of this manual here :

 

http://khryssun.free.fr/Star_Wars_-_The_Em...Back_Manual.txt

Edited by khryssun
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870

 

My tip - Strike from the back - I found this out too late in my second game - Hover near the rear and pump with bullets, fly down to bottom and after walker shoots come back up and continue. I nailed 6 walkers in a row with 1 ship doing this.

 

I was never lucky with the bomb hacthes but your mileage may vary.

empire_sb_s1_sck_2600_870.JPG

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First tip: If you have your ship sitting right at the background color change and then move under a walkers head, its shots can't hit you...

882478[/snapback]

 

Will this strategy work on the smart bombs level? I haven't played the game in a few years, so I'm not sure.

 

I won't be able to play until Saturday, unfortunately, so I have to go on theory. I'd start by wounding the rearmost walker since that apparently slows it down and no walker behind it can pass it. Then I'd take out the first few, and repeat the process. I really don't know if this is practical or not, but it makes sense after reading the manual.

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Hi there!

 

First tip: If you have your ship sitting right at the background color change and then move under a walkers head, its shots can't hit you...

882478[/snapback]

 

Will this strategy work on the smart bombs level? I haven't played the game in a few years, so I'm not sure.

 

It works as long as there's no smart bomb chasing you ;)

 

Greetings,

Manuel

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First game: 6,296

No big secrets, The walkers speed up every 2,000 points, so try to make sure you are in a good position when you hit the marks.

Weaken the lead walker, then the last one, then kill them off back to front, leaving what was the last walker already weakened in front.

Of course, go for the bomb hatches, especially when under the influence ot The Force and missiles can't hurt you. And go for the smart bombs by alternating left and right, taking shots at it "Chopper Command" style.

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First game: 5646

 

The speed is what eventually kills me. I can't kill them fast enough once I get over 4K, before they start to advance. I have to get better at hitting the bomb hatches.

 

Fun, but it hurts my hand after awhile.

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