MAME ROW #12: Frenzy

meleu

This is the 12th MAME Random Of the Week

UPDATE: the game for this week is "Frenzy"

Fun fact: the first number random.org gave me was 1211 - New Rally-X! I discarded it.

The second number was 1443 - Quiz Gakumon no Susume. It's a japanese quiz game. I discarded it too.

So the three random numbers for this week are: 614, 1279 and 567.

I think it's a great selection to welcome @lilbud back to the game! :-) Check it out:

614
Game Name: Gauntlet (rev 14)
Company: Atari Games
Year: 1985
ROM file name: gauntlet.zip
BIOS: -

1279
Game Name: Gyakuten!! Puzzle Bancho (Japan)
Company: Fuuki
Year: 1996
ROM file name: pbancho.zip
BIOS: -

567
Game Name: Frenzy
Company: Stern
Year: 1982
ROM file name: frenzy.zip
BIOS: -

Please vote: ~~http://www.strawpoll.me/11857145~~

We will check the most voted game on Wednesday. So we have Monday and Tuesday for experimentations.

What is the MAME ROW?

MAME ROW stands for MAME Random Of the Week. We randomly select an arcade game from the 0.78 MAME ROMset to play on the week. The idea is to play games we've never played before, interact with other forum members, post hi-scores, share game strategies, fun facts, and (the most important) HAVE FUN!

There's no need to use RetroPie to join the MAME ROW! You can play it on any platform you want.

Every Monday we create a topic at the "General Discussion and Gaming" forum section with the 3 random games to be voted. And on Wednesday we check the results.

The current week's game thread is just where there are more people interacting/talking about the game(s). Feel free to post your hi-score (or any content about the game) anytime you want on the previous "rounds" topics (links below).

These "rules" are constantly being improved!

Explaining the randomness of the process

I took the 0.78 compatibility list and applied the following filters (in this order):

Parent: (empty)
Rpi 3 Status: (empty), OK, Untested
Rpi 2 Status: OK, Untested
Rpi 1 Status: Untested
Manufacturer: clear the "bootleg" checkbox

Saved a new spreadsheet with only the results of those filters here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13Q7QEqV5lUo662nvAC3zS_AvQvsjspEcGHVhaHcyzbI/edit?usp=sharing

And then went to www.random.org and generated a random number between 2 and 2185 (ignoring 1 because of the column headers).

Links to the previous "rounds"

Phoenix (not randomly chosen)
New Rally-X (not randomly chosen)

mediamogul

@meleu

'Gauntlet' on one life? That could be interesting.

pjft

I'm up for Gauntlet! I don't know the other ones, though, will have to look into them.

GtBFilms

Gauntlet

Gyakuten!! Puzzle Bancho

Frenzy

I'm a big fan of Bezerk, for which Frenzy was the sequel I believe, and they appear to be pretty similar games. Of course I have fond memories of coin-gobbler Gauntlet as well - "Green Elf needs food, badly!" - I ploughed a lot of month into that in the past! It does tend to end up just being a 'use cash to soak up damage' game though.

Gyakuten!! Puzzle Bancho is perhaps a bit to similar to Puyo Puyo, which we had a couple of weeks back.

So I think I'll be voting for Frenzy, but will give them all a try.

meleu

I tried all three and found all fun to play. But for a tournament the Frenzy works better. So I voted for it.

Gauntlet is fun, but I can't resist to put more coins to get more health... :-)

mediamogul

@meleu said in MAME ROW #12:

Gauntlet is fun, but I can't resist to put more coins to get more health.

It's a classic, but back in the day, I made sure I had at least a few dollars before I even attempted this game. I can't even think of a game that is equally as coin hungry, besides 'Gauntlet II' of course.

backstander

@mediamogul

Just last week I loaded up Gauntlet II just for fun and played it for about an hour. I did have to use a lot of quarters. My only complaint with the game is that it's never ending and after the initial 7 or 8 levels it will just randomly recycle these levels by mirroring them horizontally and vertically.

I also searched for strategies for high scores in Gauntlet I & II and came across a page that mentioned just putting one coin into the first player character you want a high score for, then keep dumping quarters into a "mule" 2nd/3rd/4th character(s) who takes all the damage. I guess the scores are based on how many quarters you use and the more you use the lower the scoring.

I haven't confirmed this but I did read that the

does have an ending!

Seven Facts You Never Knew About Gauntlet:
http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/03/08/seven-facts-you-never-knew-about-gauntlet

"An animated commercial was also run in theaters, which was very unusual for arcade games."

GtBFilms

@backstander "See?", I told my wife, "the MAME ROW is not just about playing games, it's EDUCATIONAL as well!"

:-)

mediamogul

@backstander said in MAME ROW #12:

then keep dumping quarters into a "mule"

Wow, so even the advanced strategies involve a gaggle of quarters. I watched a modern gamer try out 'Gauntlet' on YouTube for the first time through the Midway 'Lego Dimensions' arcade pack and the guy was left speechless at just how difficult it was to proceed without losing a life, never really comprehending that it was the very point of the game design to begin with.

All very interesting information. I especially like the commercial. I feel like I've seen that particular animation style before. It's likely the same ad agency used it many times over to sell me all forms of plastic and circuitry when I was a kid.

backstander

@mediamogul

All very interesting information. I especially like the commercial. I feel like I've seen that particular animation style before. It's likely the same ad agency used it many times over to sell me all forms of plastic and circuitry when I was a kid.

Here's what I found about that commercial and this quote is from Brad Fuller (the guy that did the voices & sound for the game):
"Along with Earl Vickers and Hal Canon, I contributed audio to the Gauntlet games. [The video is] a fun, rare promotional video that was used in theaters and TV. Sam Comstock created the animation and I created the music and sound effects."

It looks like Sam Comstock went on to do visual effects & animation for movies like: Look Who's Talking, Top Gun, Star Wars: Episode V & VI, Poltergeist, Star Trek II, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark and the The Sims 2 video game. He also did art & graphics for video games like: Rampart, Race Drivin', S.T.U.N. Runner, Hard Drivin', Gauntlet I & II and Marble Madness.

meleu

@GtBFilms said in MAME ROW #12:

"See?", I told my wife, "the MAME ROW is not just about playing games, it's EDUCATIONAL as well!"

I had a similar situation. My wife said "don't you think you are playing to much?". Then I invited her to chill and drink some beer and explained that I'm coding and helping to improve some features too. I spent some time explaining the retroachievements purpose etc.

I think she is more comprehensive now. "OK, if you are programming then it's fine". Maybe it sounds less childish for non-gamers. :-)

mediamogul

@meleu

I once had a conversation with my girlfriend where I explained the the inner workings of 'Bubble Bobble' and how Bub and Bob came to be bubble dragons tasked with defeating the evil cave monsters. She now dates a karate instructor named Rick.

meleu

@mediamogul should I take this as an advice? :-)
I think next time we go for some drink I'll talk about soccer.

mediamogul

@meleu

Not a bad idea. I need to learn some sports ball talk myself.

backstander

@mediamogul

I need to learn some sports ball talk myself.

mediamogul

@backstander

I'm actually winded from laughing! It's been forever since I've seen those and I had forgotten that entire exchange. I'll be digging this show out for another marathon soon. Thanks for that!

mviars

Yeah Gauntlet seemed more fun when played with others. Frenzy got my vote.

backstander

Even though Gauntlet was one of my all time favorite co-op arcade games, I'm going to have to agree with @mviars

pjft

@backstander Haven't tried any - haven't had the time, and after this week I won't have the chance to play until early January.

Still, for this week I voted Frenzy then - followed your guidance and recommendation. Hopefully I'll get to play it at least once or twice.

meleu

Then let's go frenzy this week!