Be Excellent To Each Other

And that's a wrap :

Scores for week 1 :

1) Malc74: 12,690,840
2) Atrocity Exhibition: 11,405,170
3) Zen-Chan: 9,673,870
4) devilman: 9,396,840
5) Ruysan 7,528,910
6) Klatrymadon: 7,081,005
7) zaphod79: 5,723,380
TheVision: 5,658,740
9) Zio: 5,578,970
10) Zardoz: 4,089,910
11) chinnyhill10: 988,670

Scores for Week 2 :

1) Klatrymadon: 670,400
2) devilman: 607,700
3) chinnyhill10: 395,200
4) Atrocity Exhibition: 314,000
5) Malc74: 310,400
6) Zen-Chan: 297,300
7) Zio: 274,900
TheVision: 266,000
9) zaphod79: 244,700
10) Zardoz: 180,200

Scores for week 3 :

1) Zaphod79: 5,550
2) Klatrymadon: 4,750
3) devilman: 4,290
4) Zen-Chan: 3,980
5) Atrocity Exhibition: 3,760
6) Malc74: 3,740
7) TheVision: 2,960
Zio: 1,920
9) chinnyhill10: 1,390
10) Zardoz: 1,160

Scores for week 4 :

1) Klatrymadon: 4,864,510
2) devilman: 3,441,920
3) Malc74: 3,351,340
4) Atrocity Exhibition: 2,981,500
5) Zen-Chan: 1,409,240
6) zaphod79: 428,840
7) Zardoz: 309,730
TheVision: 226,220
9) chinnyhill10: 216,900

Scores for week 5 :

1) Klatrymadon: 415,700
2) Zen-Chan: 179,900
3) Atrocity Exhibition: 174,400
4) zaphod79: 167,400
5) devilman: 118,100
6) Malc74: 68,100
7) chinnyhill10: 55,900
Zardoz: 47,800
9) TheVision: 35,400

Scores for Week 6 :

1) Atrocity Exhibition: 2,883,840
2) Klatrymadon: 1,845,290
3) Zen-Chan: 1,490,660
4) devilman: 1,045,640
5) zaphod79: 789,450
6) Malc74: 785,520
7) Zardoz: 436,400
TheVision: 309,860
9) chinnyhill10: 241,280

Scores for Week 7 :

1) Atrocity Exhibition: 265,940
2) devilman: 225,810
3) Klatrymadon: 224,730
4) Malc74: 204,480
5) TheVision: 183,610
6) Zen-Chan: 132,060
7) zaphod79: 110,900
Zardoz: 79,260
9) chinnyhill10: 36,340

Final Table

1) Klatrymadon - 61
2) Atrocity Exhibition - 57
3) devilman - 55
4) Zen-Chan - 48
5) Malc74 - 46
6) zaphod79 - 38
7) TheVision - 24
chinnyhill10 - 20
9) Zardoz - 17
10) Zio - 9
11) RuySan - 6

***
Each game will run for 1 week , starting at 00:01 on Monday and finishing at 23:59 on Sunday

Play the game , press F12 to grab a screenshot (dropped into the /snaps folder in mame) and upload it here , you should also post your score in <> brackets so Grim...'s counter can see it.

10 points for first place , 9 for second etc

To see current standings you can use the magic counter which Grim... has created by clicking here :

http://www.beexcellenttoeachother.com/counter/shmup.php

You can practice the games beforehand but you should only post scores for the week the game is being played , Autofire is *not* allowed (I understand Mr Chris will start a class action law suit for those suffering with RSI afterwards)

If you know what you are doing in MAME the rom links are at the bottom of this post , if you dont download the zip file attached to this post , unzip it and double click on MAMEUI32 to start up , the games are loaded and you just double click them to start - when they begin the default is 5 to insert a coin , 1 to start the game , arrow keys to move , left CTRL / left ALT / space bar for the first 3 fire buttons (to change this press <TAB> when the game is loaded)

The games we are playing are :




The order of the games (chosen at random is)

Week 1 : DoDonPachi
Week 2 : R-Type Leo
Week 3 : Space Invaders
Week 4 : Esp Ra. De
Week 5 : Gradius
Week 6 : Darius Gaiden
Week 7 : Raiden

Tested and working rom links below :

Ooft, I've not played DoDonPachi in years but I recall it not being one of my strong points!

Don't worry, mate - I doubt anybody will be playing it properly in terms of scoring. Just learning how to chain the first level takes ages. It'll be good craic, though.

By the way, folks, even if we do need both Nemesis and Gradius, we should make sure we're all playing the same version. I can't recall whether or not there are any real differences between them, but we should stick to the same one in the interest of fairness...

I would recommend we all use the download pack as provided by zaphod and play it on 'out of the box' settings.

I fired up DoDonPachi on my version of MAME, and found that I needed to flip both the X and Y axis, it was set to 'VERY HARD' with no extend, and provided for an autofire option on button C (this is from within the game itself, nothing configured within MAME or with a cheat or anything like that), and it only gave me one life.

The download however is set to normal difficulty with three lives and no autofire - so I've just created a new folder for the BEEX MAME CHALLENGE and will run the challenges from there with the files supplied by zaphod.

Unfortunately it seems that DoDonPachi doesn't save high scores either, (or the new version of MAME doesn't), so make sure you get a screenshot before quitting the game!

As per my post above, to make sure we're doing this fairly, I vote that we all use the files supplied by zaphod, therefore ensuring we'll all be using the same ROMs running in the same way with the same version of MAME.

My old version of MAME supports all the games in the challenge, and I've got all the ROMs too, but DoDonPachi was set completely differently in my version of MAME compared to that provided by zaphod.

Aye, that's probably the best thing to do. Even then, though, we should make sure we're all clicking on either Nemesis or Gradius. As I say, I can't remember whether or not there are any differences, but there usually are, and an attack wave comprising six popcorn enemies instead of seven is enough to warrant a completely different high score table. I must sound like the most horrendous stickler on the planet, but... y'know...

Ed: you need hiscore.dat for it to save scores, by the way. Have you got that, chap?

I'm presuming the start and end times are GMT, right?
If that's the case then I present the first score <7665690> (even though it's 9pm on Sunday here).

Still quite a bit away from my best, but I'll be having another few (hundred) goes on this one.

Ya cheatin' bast!

Looking good, mate.

A quick go before I leave for work (oops.. I'm running late now)

<5905370>

Yes times are listed as GMT - Far too confusing otherwise.

Best of luck everyone!

Going to have a couple of short weeks for the first 2 games as I'll be away over each weekend (and a bit). So that's my excuse, ok?

Had a few goes, got to the fourth boss.

<9322240>

I'm just not rocking the charts on this one at all, current best is just over 6 million which I failed to get a screenshot of because I pressed PrtScrn instead of F12, so for now I'll have to make do with 5.85 million.

Not even decided which ship and super shot I like best yet either......

Probably only played it about 10 times up to now though, may have a proper session tonight.

<5853810>

The third (blue) one definitely seems best for a beginner due to it's options shooting diagonally. YMMV.

Ahhhh yes, better. I think I like the blue ship the best, makes chaining easiest I reckon.

<11405170>

EDIT - Just saw your post Zen-Chan, the blue ship is working for me with its diagonal firing and also the fact its normal attack is a bit weaker which I'm finding it makes keeping the chain going easier.

<7528910>

Well, this was my best today. And possible whole week because Civ V is arriving in the mail at any moment.

<5723380>

<988670>

Only got 3 runs at it due to time. And sadly due to current work pressures it might be the best I do this week.

Pretty certain this is my best score ever at DDP. It's certainly the first time I've ever seen Level 5.
<12690840>

Bloody hell, you guys are leagues ahead!

<3679550>

I must be doing something wrong with that third level boss - it seems to take a huge amount of ammo and several smart bombs to finish it off. Still, made decent progress score-wise.
<9192320>

Nah, the bosses do all have more health the further you play, and plenty of scoring targets that don't do as much damage as just aiming at the middle, etc.

I haven't even had a go, yet. Too tired after work, too hung over in the mornings.

This is my first run and I got <3415050>

I doubt that's any good.

Can we get a link to Grims... score board in the first post please?

I'd imagine that Grim would have to set something up first.

Ahhh.. right.

I thought he had already.

Carry on!

I WILL be taking part in this. Haven't had a chance to get playing so far this week, but I shall be submitting a score of some description this very evening!

Nice score man, I can't beat this, so my previous entry to this thread will have to stand as my best for this round.

(In fact, the more I try, the shitter I get, as I take increasingly stupid risks to maximise my score.)

I'll have a go at beating my score tonight. It's my last free night before the start of the next game.

Good work Grim...

This highlights exactly how rubbish I am doing though.

Nice one. Wrong scoring system though.

What? Fuck off - no-one told me about any scoring system.

/hunts down the first post

HAPPY NOW?

Will you be joining us Grim...?

Absolutely.

Yes thank you - added the counter to the first post.

<4089910>

A bit better.

A reminder you have until the end of Sunday to get your scores in ....

I've got one average-ish score already which I can post when I'm home if I get a chance before heading pubward bound. But I'll be spending between now and Sunday night trying to improve upon it.

Haven't had time for another proper few games since Monday, but will try and get some in on Sunday.

<0>

I'm so awesome.

You'll need a screenshot to backup that amazing score :-)

Still haven't had more than a couple of goes, yet, but here's a wee scoring tip: if you destroy the first boss' two turrets while they're moving around, they'll drop loads of the big stars. I can't really offer any general scoring techniques, though, as I've never played this one very seriously, despite it being one of my faves. You never know, though - big stars could give someone the edge here!

Had a few games this morning, probably my final submission. Beat my previous entry but won't change my actual position on the table.

<9673870>

I have the sneaking suspicion that Grim...s counter isn't working properly, seeing as it's registered that score for R-Type Leo.

Just had another go... I haven't had chance to give this my best shot yet so I'm hoping I can improve on it.

<3821040>

Ace! I have a head start on R Type Leo!

I'm far too drunk to be a formidable adversary.

Seriously, like. If I don't submit a score, can I still play next week?