MAME ROW #120 - Cabal
-
@pjft Basically what you said. I was about writing the same thing. ... are you from the future?
-
@thelostsoul Stay away from the steak for lunch today. You'll thank me later.
Signed: future thelostsoul .
:)
-
We've not had a selection as polarised as this for a while.
Unfortunately I couldn't find Guided Missile to try it, I did try Minesweeper but it appeared to be a two player game - basically snake with the two players laying mines behind their ships in an attempt to make their opponent crash into their trail.
However, there was only going to be one choice for me this week - Cabal, it's something of a minor classic, and I remember it from the arcade. It was also one of the few arcade games that had a really accurate conversion on the ZX Spectrum that I had at home. I believe Jim Bagley (who goes to a lot of the UK retro gaming conventions these days, and recently got himself into the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest game on the ZX81 - he wrote a version of Dragon's Lair for it!) actually wrote the Spectrum version I mainly played.
Anyway, it's a great fun game, so I've voted for Cabal.
-
@GtBFilms yup, the ZX Spectrum version is also where I know Cabal from. Only several years later did I play it on Mame.
-
Cabal is a good game even with the joystick. Granted it'd be more fun if we could use a light gun, but there are a few good "light gun games" that are fun with a joystick. I enjoy Cabal and Beast Busters even though I feel there's some more fun out of my reach.
-
A comment, if I may. If memory serves me right, I believe the original Cabal on MAME doesn't allow you to to the roll move with the joystick - this was accomplished by spinning the trackball really fast.
I believe that there's a bootleg version on MAME that adds that move to a button, and perhaps FBA also has it mapped to a button in the original Cabal. I can't check right now, but will try tomorrow.
My suggestion is, if others approve, to run it in FBA (if it does have that move mapped to a button - needs confirmation) or, alternatively, to play the bootleg version which I believe is cabalbl if FBA doesn't have that setup for the original Cabal.
If not, we can also agree to play it as is, though it'll become somewhat harder than intended.
Thanks!
-
@pjft The base version in FBA is actually a patched version working with joysticks. The roll is done through button press, I tested it. On FBA everything works fine. Mame2003 seems to be a prior base version without Joystick support, but did not test it. Mame2010 seems to be the same version as FBA, did not test it. I might change it back to Mame2010, as I like older games to be on Mame and newer games to be on FBA.
FBA = Cabal (World, Joystick)
Mame2003 = Cabal (US set 1)
Mame2010 = Cabal (World, Joystick version) -
I'm actually playing this one on my PC, which is running MAME 0.146.
On that my third button is mapped to the roll action.
Although by the time I remember to use it, it's generally too late!
The only tactics I have so far are:
When I see a helicopter, I concentrate on that.
Ignore the grey grenade throwers running around until they start to throw as you can't shoot them until then.
Shoot the stretcher bearers multiple times to stock up on grenades.
When I see the plane, I get well out the way.
On the third area, I always destroy those KEEP OUT gates at the back first, as once they are destroyed, you don't get the two grenade throwing guys popping out from behind them any more. -
Cabal is another of my all time faves, but played the trackball version in arcade. There are more 'sudden' moves than just the roll. You can also jump left, right, and straight up, as well as roll in place without moving left or right.
-
This week's winner is Cabal
-
I'll set the cabal(l) rolling...
884170 (stage 3-1)
-
@GtBFilms you could at least have waited a bit for us novices to give it a shot before posting this score. This way we're starting with our hopes already crushed :D
That's a fantastic score!
-
@GtBFilms Wow, that looks awesome score! To be fair, I never played the game and don't know if its high, but I believe in @pjft when he says it is fantastic. 😂 Let's see how long you can stand there until we tear apart your score.
(Google translator was used, if something sounds weird, that's even better.) -
To be fair, it seemed a bit easier than I remember from the arcade. Probably having roll as a button instead of needing a spin on the trackball makes it easier - you are immune to everything, including tank shells, while rolling.
It's a shame this game reveals all its tricks (powerups and destroyable terrain) on the first stage, apart from the end of level boss, nothing much changes - and even the level 2 boss just seems to be a variation of the level 1 one.
My new tactic is to take out the trucks full of enemy soldiers before they get a chance to deploy - those are more trouble than even helicopters and tanks, as they have multiple enemies shooting in various directions, the helicopters and tanks shoot in a predictable manner and can be avoided (although it's still best to take them out before they get to shoot if possible)
I stockpiled grenades by shooting stretcher bearers then used as many as required on the bosses - throwing three grenades as a time in bursts meant the level 1 boss didn't even get a chance to return fire .
It just got too hectic by the third level to keep track of everything going on!
A great fun blaster though. I remember thinking at the time in the arcades that the comical run and music atbthebsend of each stage was out of place for such a game, but now I quite like it - gives the game a bit of character!
-
@GtBFilms thanks for the precious tips!
My first attempt are a measly 212k, stage 1-4, even before the first boss. I'll try more in the coming days!
-
@GtBFilms so, today I played a few more times and reached stage 2-1, scoring 440,630. Still nowhere close to your score :D
I'm curious about your statement about "I stockpiled grenades by shooting stretcher bearers then used as many as required on the bosses - throwing three grenades as a time in bursts meant the level 1 boss didn't even get a chance to return fire .".
It takes quite a few grenades to kill the level 1 boss, though, right? That was more of a figure of speech than anything else, I assume?
To be fair, though, the level 1 boss probably didn't need grenades, I feel?
I'll give it a couple more tries. :)
-
So hello guys, I had a few runs now and still try to get to stage 1-4. My current score is 144'040 and a screen follows if I improve. It is the first time I play this game, I quite like it (especially the title screen). Let's see if I can catch up. :D
EDIT: Ah, now I got it. I have to press fast and short to shoot and if I hold the button, he stops moving. That makes sense, then its fine and the cursor speed is no issue.
If I shoot, my character is not able to move. So shooting and moving at same time seems not possible. I have a second question about the cursor speed. I don't know the original game and don't know if my cursor is slow. Did you guys change it somehow or is the default speed authentic? -
Finally it is playable to me. Here is what i got, stage: 2-2, score: 518'350
First screenshot to capture the moment when i died and second one for my name.
Something which bugs me: I use autofire, as this is allowed here. -
Hello, here comes my improvement. Made it to stage 3-2, even when I lost a life very early in game.
Score: 1'001'440 😎
Now I like the game.
@pjft said in MAME ROW #120 - Cabal:
@thelostsoul Stay away from the steak for lunch today. You'll thank me later.
Signed: future thelostsoul .
Thank you. ;-)
-
Those are some HARDCORE scores, great job!
Contributions to the project are always appreciated, so if you would like to support us with a donation you can do so here.
Hosting provided by Mythic-Beasts. See the Hosting Information page for more information.