›
This forum is in permanent archive mode. Our new active community can be found here.

Grand Prix Round 3 - Galaga

MrPeriodMrPeriod
edited May 2013 in GeekNights
The long awaited round 3 has begun, and it is Galaga! At least for one round I'm just going to play favorites and pick a game I personally like, and this is it. This round will be testing skills of pattern recognition and manual dexterity.

This will be a standard high score competition, with only one catch. It's a one-chance competition! Practice all you want, but only one game counts. You must schedule a time with me, and I will watch you play one game of Galaga. Your score in that game will be your score with no re-dos of any kind. This will require most participants to use a streaming service like twitch.tv/XSplit or use a webcam with a Google+ Hangout, Skype, etc. Anyone with an Internet connection should be able to do this, which is everybody. You may also play your game for me in person at Anime Boston, Connecticon, PAX AUS, or plain old New York City. The deadline for streaming will be July 9th, before I leave for Connecticon and PAX AUS. The round will actually end when I return from Australia probably around August 1st.

Now, there are many many versions of Galaga out there for many platforms. That should make it accessible to almost everybody. However, because there are so many versions of Galaga, there is going to be confusion about which ones are valid. They are not all the same. We will be using the NES version of Galaga as the baseline. If you want to play the original arcade version, perhaps through MAME, you need to make sure it is configured properly. The player should start with three lives at the default difficulty of rank B (medium). And the player should not be able to have more than two shots on the screen at the same time. Any other version of Galaga for another platform that is configured the same way will also be valid per my judgement. Also, be careful not to accidentally play Galaxian, GaPlus, Galaga '88, Galaga Legions (DX), etc. Regular old Galaga is the game we are playing.

Start practicing and be sure to send an email to grandprix@frontrowcrew.com to schedule an appointment for your one chance. Good luck.

Source Link
Post edited by Apreche on
«134567

Comments

  • AprecheApreche
    I'm going to preempt here, because I know someone will ask about the "stop shooting" glitch. It is possible to do some trickery to get the bugs to stop shooting at you for the rest of the game. If you can pull it off in your one chance game, more power to you. It's not easy.
  • usrNameusrName
    The movie theater in town has a Galaga/Ms. Pac-Man machine but I'll probably set up MAME.
  • AprecheApreche
    The movie theater in town has a Galaga/Ms. Pac-Man machine but I'll probably set up MAME.
    You can't necessarily trust a machine that is not under your control. What if the movie theater put it on the hardest difficulty setting to eat more quarters? What if some employee put it on easy so they could win?
  • Anthony HemanAnthony Heman
    Are you possibly setting yourself up to watch lots of 20 minute stop shooting glitched starts?
  • DromaroDromaro
    I hadn't known about the glitch. Interesting stuff. For those who want more information, check the link below.

    http://www.computerarcheology.com/wiki/wiki/Arcade/Galaga
    Are you possibly setting yourself up to watch lots of 20 minute stop shooting glitched starts?
    I had similar thoughts. Not only will it take ~15 minutes to execute the bug but then playing out the 255 levels.

    It is what Game Master wants as this is what game master gets.

    As a person who was 2 at the time of Galagas release, it gives me a happy feels knowing some of you punk kids will finally force yourselves to play it.
  • RymRym
    I dislike classic arcade challenges that are basically just endurance tests once you've mastered the core skills of the game.
  • ninjarabbininjarabbi
    I haven't played in the other rounds or signed up at all. Can I still participate?
  • DromaroDromaro
    edited May 2013
    I haven't played in the other rounds or signed up at all. Can I still participate?
    Yep. Per Game Master Scott's rules, you can join. You just have to outright win the remaining rounds and hope some of us get hit by a bus and drop out. ;-)
    I dislike classic arcade challenges that are basically just endurance tests once you've mastered the core skills of the game.

    I find it tedious and boring as well. However, in the context of a competition?


    Post edited by Dromaro on
  • RymRym
    Oh, yeah, play to win the game. ;^)

    The fact that it's a one-shot is better than the cannabalt-style "play forever and take your best" model.

    I encourage all of you to use the timing trick.

    Also, if you're a dick, use an emulator and download someone's awesome score run input stream. Fake the whole thing. Unless Scott finds that input stream on the Internet and verifies it against your play, it'll probably work. ;^)
  • Anthony HemanAnthony Heman
    Better yet, make a tool-assisted run of your own, then play it back.
  • DromaroDromaro
    Best ever? We all use the same input stream and then he has to decide what to do with all of us!

    Trollface.jpg
  • ApsupApsup
    Also, if you're a dick, use an emulator and download someone's awesome score run input stream. Fake the whole thing. Unless Scott finds that input stream on the Internet and verifies it against your play, it'll probably work. ;^)
    Prevention of that should be easy. In most (all) streaming services there is a way for viewer to communicate with the streamer, Scott just needs to establish a rule where person playing have to let the game be in the start screen until he gives a sing to start playing. I'm not 100% sure how prerecorded inputs work on emulator, but I assume that they start playing as soon as you start the game thus making sitting in start screen impossible.

    Or only start the emulator after Scott is spectating showing that you only start the game and not any kind of recording.
  • AprecheApreche
    Oh, yeah, play to win the game. ;^)

    The fact that it's a one-shot is better than the cannabalt-style "play forever and take your best" model.

    I encourage all of you to use the timing trick.

    Also, if you're a dick, use an emulator and download someone's awesome score run input stream. Fake the whole thing. Unless Scott finds that input stream on the Internet and verifies it against your play, it'll probably work. ;^)
    I already have a plan to detect emulator replays. I actually thought of that well in advance.

    Here is a video of how to do the glitch.



    If you can manage to not shoot those left two bees, you've already got skills. If you can dodge for 20 minutes without getting hit, you've got skills. Even then, you still have to play after that with no guys shooting at you. After that, you still have to get a high score, which also takes skills. Sure, nobody will shoot at you, which makes it much easier, but not super easy. You won't hit all the guys in the challenging stage. Game over will happen eventually when the bad guys get fast. None of you are going to be that good. If one of you are, Twin Galaxies submission. Congratulations!
  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    edited May 2013
    I already have a plan to detect emulator replays. I actually thought of that well in advance.
    Well, in essence the thing to do is to tell them to do something specific that doesn't hurt them in-game, but would disrupt the precise timing of an input stream.
    Post edited by lackofcheese on
  • AprecheApreche
    I already have a plan to detect emulator replays. I actually thought of that well in advance.
    Well, in essence the thing to do is to tell them to do something specific that doesn't hurt them in-game, but would disrupt the precise timing of an input stream.
    Exactly. Pause/unpause on command.
  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    Ah, but I could code something that pauses both the game and the input stream simultaneously.
  • AprecheApreche
    edited May 2013
    Ah, but I could code something that pauses both the game and the input stream simultaneously.
    Obviously my skepticism will greatly increase if someone is playing super perfectly. If you put in that crazy amount of effort to cheat, you are crazy.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • RochelleRochelle
    Would it just be easier to get Galaga via Virtual Console?
  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    edited May 2013
    Ah, but I could code something that pauses both the game and the input stream simultaneously.
    Obviously my skepticism will greatly increase if someone is playing super perfectly. If you put in that crazy amount of effort to cheat, you are crazy.
    Not really a crazy amount of effort compared to just practicing a lot.
    Best ever? We all use the same input stream and then he has to decide what to do with all of us!
    Let's do it! ^_~
    Post edited by lackofcheese on
  • AprecheApreche
    Would it just be easier to get Galaga via Virtual Console?
    Perfectly legit.
  • DromaroDromaro
    Would anyone be kind enough to post a link to a ROM that will run with MAME 0.148, please? I'm a bit busy today to try and track it down on my own.
  • no fun girlno fun girl
    edited May 2013
    I dislike classic arcade challenges that are basically just endurance tests once you've mastered the core skills of the game.
    Agreed. Heads up, I will not be playing this round.
    Post edited by no fun girl on
  • RochelleRochelle
    Hmm. I'm almost sure I can get this for my 3DS via VC. That would be convenient for me to play more since it would be portable. If anyone can confirm this, much appreciation.
  • AprecheApreche
    edited May 2013
    All of the following releases of Galaga are approved:

    Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions - 3DS
    Pac-Man Party - 3DS (has a classic game mode which includes Galaga)
    Virtual Console releases of Galaga for Wii or 3DS
    Galaga Remix - iOS (not recommended)

    Also, any game collection titled "Namco Museum" is legal. There have been Galaga rereleases via Namco Museum on the following platforms:

    N64, GBA, NDS, GameCube, Wii, PSX, PS2, PSP, PS3, Xbox, XBox360 Arcade, Dreamcast, and Windows

    According to Wikipedia, even the Roku can play Galaga. If so, go for it.

    Also, keep in mind that some of those games contain multiple versions of Galaga. For example, Galaga Remix has a remix of Galaga in it, hence the name. But it also contains the original Galaga, The original is the one you have to play.

    Seriously, if you own any video game system whatsoever, there is a version of Galaga for it.

    I am going to rule out the Galaga + Galaxian cartridges for the original GameBoy and GameBoy Color since they are too simplified. They aren't as bad as say, the Pac-Man for the Atari 2600, but they are a little bit "demaked".

    I'm sure there are more Galaga releases. If you want to suggest one I haven't mentioned just link it.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • CremlianCremlian
    http://www.galagagame.net/galaga.php ?
  • AprecheApreche
    http://www.galagagame.net/galaga.php ?
    Nope, that's not legit. It's an unofficial clone. Impressive, but not quite the same as the original. In fact, it's way faster and harder than the original, making me almost want to allow it. But no. I can already tell you that any Galaga I approve will be one that is a legit release by Namco.
  • iruuliruul
    Just curious, why not use the same submission model as cannabalt?
  • RymRym
    Just curious, why not use the same submission model as cannabalt?
    It's not the same kind of test.

    Being able to perform once under pressure is very different from "keep trying over and over forever."
  • SailSail
    Does the glitch work on the newer releases of Galaga? I'd assume not.
  • AprecheApreche
    Does the glitch work on the newer releases of Galaga? I'd assume not.
    Go for it :)
Sign In or Register to comment.