Golden Era Game of the Week 8/28/04: Black Widow

Weehawk · Post by **Weehawk** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 2:57 pm

Golden Era Game of the Week

See introduction here

The Game: Black Widow

romname: bwidow

Screenshot:

(click to see current MARP scores)

Reward: $100 (usd)

Deadline for submission to MARP: September 3, 2004 2359 hours GMT

Further Bounties: $250 (usd) for exceeding 930,100 by December 15, 2004

Been wanting to do this one for a few weeks, but I was waiting until I got a two joystick controller.

Probably the most physically demanding game so far in the Game of the Week series, I really wore my wrists out playing this for a few days.

No idea how the people listed at TG scored so much on this title back in the 80's. Perhaps one of you heroes can show us.

The record listed at TG for the arcade machine is 930,100 by James Vollandt.

Use WolfMAME .83 or .86

The TJT · Post by **The TJT** » Sun Aug 29, 2004 4:22 pm

Try find Atari team names "hidden" in the game.

Semi-easter-egg?

The TJT · Post by **The TJT** » Sun Aug 29, 2004 9:35 pm

Nobody solved it yet???
...Found programmers names at Black Widow...
Can't believe it! Ok, hint: you don't have to even insert coin. Tell you later if nobody finds 'em...

tar · Post by **tar** » Sun Aug 29, 2004 10:53 pm

tjt , i guess that you are very skillful at this title.
zektor knowledge will avail you well
will you be sending a replay for us to see ?
i still want to watch the tac-scan .inp upload it .

Weehawk · Post by **Weehawk** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 3:03 am

The TJT wrote:Nobody solved it yet???
...Found programmers names at Black Widow...
Can't believe it! Ok, hint: you don't have to even insert coin. Tell you later if nobody finds 'em...

Easter eggs are usually something hidden.

Bruce is obviously Bruce Merritt, credited with designing and programming the game.

Dennis and Morgan are possibly Dennis Harper and Morgan Hoff, also programmers for Atari. (I think Morgan Hoff did Battlezone)

The TJT · Post by **The TJT** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 9:41 am

tar wrote:tjt , i guess that you are very skillful at this title.
zektor knowledge will avail you well
will you be sending a replay for us to see ?

Nah, not good

...only played it about 20 games.
I think Zektor don't help a bit, robotron might.
...Unless you think that I like vector games, and if you like a game -you'll be more motivated at it. I DO like vector games, how they look. Have to also admit that many vector games have that kind of quick-action-gameplay that I especially like...

i still want to watch the tac-scan .inp upload it .

Ok, ok, yes sir! ...
I was hoping to make better inp before submission. I'm better now. Should be able to make 1-2M. Have made previously few times 1,5M at practice, couple times 2M(Starting at 350 or 500k, savestate practice)Hopefully I'll get back to it later, now interested at other (vector) games

Weehawk,
I said semi-easter-egg. You're right those names are not really hidden...But took me couple times to watch demo to start wonder why initials were so strange. Surely not everybody notice those names right away, unless you're chinese...

The TJT · Post by **The TJT** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 9:50 am

Another Atari easter egg. Starwars, when you're flying into deathstar(towers). You would have to adjust your arcade monitor to notice this one.

Weehawk · Post by **Weehawk** » Thu Sep 02, 2004 10:49 pm

Tommi,

Great score...look forward to watching it later.

If you want to be eligible for the bounty, however, you will have to use WolfMAME .83 or .86, as stated in the original post.

The TJT · Post by **The TJT** » Thu Sep 02, 2004 10:56 pm

Yes, edited, actually I did use wolf83.
Nowadays play so much with 82...
I would not use wolf86/85, if there are other alternatives, inp size/harddisk swapping bothers me. Which also makes mame slower when recording.

Was not easy to break score of Notman, I got lucky...Allthough not lucky to get 8 waves further, but only 25k better.

Weehawk · Post by **Weehawk** » Fri Sep 03, 2004 1:53 am

The TJT wrote:Yes, edited, actually I did use wolf83.
Nowadays play so much with 82...
I would not use wolf86/85, if there are other alternatives, inp size/harddisk swapping bothers me. Which also makes mame slower when recording.

Was not easy to break score of Notman, I got lucky...Allthough not lucky to get 8 waves further, but only 25k better.

It was indeed .83, and is confirmed.

King of the hill so far....but there's 19 hours left.

Weehawk · Post by **Weehawk** » Sat Sep 04, 2004 2:46 am

Results:
1st: Ian Sutton
2nd: The_Pro
3rd: TJT

WOW!

Some really outstanding play this week.

I am impressed...and humbled. Faster reflexes? Sharper eyesight? You guys have something I don't. Wonder if I had it and lost it, or never had it at all?

Same email address, Ian?

Destructor: Did you try this one, or were you too busy showing 'em how it was done on Psycho Soldiers?

Also, I'd be curious to know what type of controls you guys used, if you don't mind sharing a little trade secret. Please don't anyone tell me they used the keyboard...

The_Pro · Post by **The_Pro** » Sat Sep 04, 2004 4:21 am

I used an N64 controller, left cross movement, yellow buttons for shooting.
Too bad mouse+keyboard isn't an option for this game, seems to me like it would help.

Ian Sutton · Post by **Ian Sutton** » Sat Sep 04, 2004 4:46 am

Same email address. Cheers John!

I know you asked us not to tell, but I used keyboard.

I use the qwerty for all my mameing except for fighting games when I use a gamepad.

destructor · Post by **destructor** » Sat Sep 04, 2004 6:25 am

Weehawk wrote:Destructor: Did you try this one, or were you too busy showing 'em how it was done on Psycho Soldiers?

Yes I try. This game is not for me. I don't like games where is 'strange control' (two joy or so).
I don't understand how is possible to make 900k score. Where is secret?

The TJT · Post by **The TJT** » Sat Sep 04, 2004 11:27 am

Wow 2!

Gongrats Ian for great win. Also congrats to Martin and Donald for great play. I guess you guys are not bad at Robotron either. Tough competition this time. I played game 5 days, started at Monday, which was not enough to win.

At friday I felt this game is all about luck, not being able to improve my thursday score...Then at very last hour or so, my game took a leap forward, scoring over 300k about 4 times instead of usual 220k...And I felt that my control of spidey was better and playing was better and more satisfying. So in end I was happy with my progress, Hopefully I can reach same level of play later and maybe even better...And playing BW shouldn't be bad for Robotron skills either...

If John chooses Robotron at some point, please don't choose 5man score, that is waste of time. At mame Robotron is harder than arcade, and nobody hasn't marathoned the game, allthough SLA was quite close getting there.

destructor wrote:I don't understand how is possible to make 900k score. Where is secret?

Game freezes at wave 104...IMO it's possible to get around 800k points if played to the end. It is possible that TG record was played using buy-in-option(multiple credits). At BW you can continue-and-start at later level -and get big bonus, as at Tempest

Des, it takes very much play to learn perfect control at Robotron or BW, not something that you learn in one week. I do like very much games that have somekind of different control, find them challenging...Well, it's matter of taste

Oh, and played with Hotrod SE

Tommi