VIC Game Club No. 1 – Qix Inspired Games

[litody]

The Wizard and the Princess is one that comes to mind, five BASIC games one of which is in the Innovative Computing book. Quite enjoyable little games but not particularly difficult apart from the 3d maze.

I was surprised to see Shark Attack was by Clifford Ramshaw because I always associated him with BASIC programming.

[Ola H]

When I was a kid I used to write down the authors of all the games in my collection. Consulting my old handwritten notes I find Clifford Ramshaw under also the following games:

• Martian Raider
  Sea Invasion
  Starfighter
  Time Destroyers

All by Romik, but I know he also did Cosmonaut for Melbourne House. And according to Lemon's database, he also did a C64 game for them: Star Trooper.

[akator]

My new high in Squeeze is 2383.

[Boray]

New Squeeze high score: 4277, yellow track with red lines.

[litody]

I am finally getting somewhere with Squeeze, not very far mind you but certainly improving, my current best is 1313. Haven't tried Shark Attack again, but will give it another chance and keep moving as suggested. Tried Slap Dab again, got over 100,000 but couldn't beat my previous best.

EDIT: So after a few more rounds of Squeeze I have pushed my high score up to 3445 I think I have a strategy now that will allow me to push it up higher with a bit more practice.

This game club is a great idea, without it I probably wouldn't have given any of these games any serious play time, now it is quite the opposite, soon I am going to get in trouble with the wife for spending too much time on them.

[Ola H]

After hours of fiddling with the Azimuth and trying 3 different datasettes, I finally managed to get Shark Attack running on my Vic - At last I could play with a real joystick. And, wow, what a difference! I crushed, first, my modern-day VICE personal best, then my old 80s personal best: 14555p

It was much easier than playing with a keyboard on VICE for two reasons:

• Easier to move just one step at a time. On VICE I much more frequently happen to move two steps even though I tap the keys as briefly as I can.
  
  Much easier to improvise when dodging the sharks on later screens when the sharks move so fast that you can't paint strategically. Just keep dodging them, eventually you'll get points enough to move up another screen. I reached screen 7 and managed to amass quite a lot of points there. That would have been entirely beyond my capabilities on a PC keyboard.

I lost a life on purpose on screen 2 when I had amassed 1800 p there so that I could play an easy screen again and gather poinst there (1815 p on a screen advances you one level and gives you 200 bonus p). I did this to not waste two lives with very few points on level 6 or 7 where I know I was eventually going to perish.

15000 might be possible - English Invaders seems to have attained something like that back in the days - but I think I've had enough for now... The sharks really get the pulse going on screen 7!

Anyhow, I've gained new appreciation for the game. I always thought it was one of the best unexpanded Vic games, but now I'm almost in awe of how good it plays and how original it is though it can be described as just a hybrid of Qix and snake games.

[litody]

My new Squeeze high score is 4077, but I'm still making silly mistakes which is letting me down, so I think it can be improved on.

I did notice one interesting glitch on one of the games (not the high scoring one ) One of the chasers seemed to get stuck in the top-left corner, moving left and right between the two same squares for no apparent reason. If I knew how to trigger that it could be a great advantage

[litody]

I have become addicted to Squeeze, I have spent way too much time on it again this evening.

First I pushed my high score up to 4149, only missing out on clearing the level by two squares, thought I would have one last go and absolutely smashed my high score achieving 6216.

6216.png (1.09 KiB) Viewed 6002 times

I have a screenshot and a video of the whole thing, but to show you that would reveal my strategy

A couple of interesting things I noticed playing this evening. Firstly that glitch I notice before happened again, this time in the top-right corner. Secondly it is possible to get an extra life, I am not sure whether it was score based (around 2,750) or level based (around level 6 or 7), I was glad of that extra life because I lost two early on.

When I first played this game it seemed practically impossible, way too fast for me, but as others had achieved decent scores I knew it had to be possible to get somewhere in the game with a bit of practice, that practice paid off

[hasseapa]

11375 on Shark Attack - it was much harder than expected. I play on Vice with keyboard and definitely feel I would do better with a joystick on the later and faster levels.

I also know I can score somewhat higher because I did not utilize the lose-two-lives-on-purpose tactic. The role of that tactic is the only design flaw of the game IMO (it could, for example, be avoided by a life-meter instead of lives).

All in all, I really like the game. A remake for the expanded VIC with better, bigger, and smoother graphics could be truly great.

Still, I think my vote will go to Squeeze but it is a tough call. Shark Attack makes me want to try out Snake Pit, another great UK-game for the unexpanded VIC that combines fast action with depth.

[hasseapa]

I have become addicted to Squeeze, I have spent way too much time on it again this evening.

It IS very addictive. Just one more time to get a higher score, just one more time to try a new tactic...

First I pushed my high score up to 4149, only missing out on clearing the level by two squares, thought I would have one last go and absolutely smashed my high score achieving 6216.

6216.png

I have a screenshot and a video of the whole thing, but to show you that would reveal my strategy

I have improved to 4753. I refined my original strategy a bit but I have come to the conclusion that I have reached a dead end and must try something more simple (and less of a chore).

A couple of interesting things I noticed playing this evening. Firstly that glitch I notice before happened again, this time in the top-right corner. Secondly it is possible to get an extra life, I am not sure whether it was score based (around 2,750) or level based (around level 6 or 7), I was glad of that extra life because I lost two early on.

I have also encountered enemies stuck in loops but I have not been able to reproduce it deliberately. I am not sure of the extra life occurrence either!

I am really happy to have discovered this little gem of a game

[Boray]

6216.png

I am a bit surprised over the colors in this shot. Cyan with red lines? Was that the level right after the all red track? My highscore was on a yellow track with red lines, which would be 4 levels higher than the cyan with red lines...?

[litody]

The colours do repeat themselves, I do have a list at home which I will add to this later. From memory this was level twelve, and I had been through the red/red level twice.

After the first three or four levels the tracks were always red, they never went back to white. The thought did occur to me that it might just be random after a certain level, but haven't compared this to other attempts.

[hasseapa]

New strategy and a new PB: 5496. I was just shy of completing the 2nd red/red-level. Will give the 6000 barrier a new try tonight.

Points per level vary quite a bit as you get more points per area unit for enclosing small areas. Minimum is 470? I don't think I have ever scored above 700 on the first level.

[litody]

Below are the different colours (lines/fill) that I went through up to level 12:

white/green
white/blue
white/yellow
red/white
red/red
red/cyan
red/green
red/blue
red/yellow
red/white
red/red
red/cyan

If it is repeating then I would expect red/green next, maybe hasseapa will be able to tell us.

I haven't worked out the scoring system, it has been more a case of survival than trying to accumulate points. The more I play this the more I appreciate this game, so much speed and challenge for an unexpanded game. Probably will give it a few rounds tonight

EDIT: Those few rounds turned out to be 45 minutes and added a few more points to my high score taking it up to 6254. I made the mistake of changing my strategy halfway through level 7 and lost a couple of lives as a result. Couldn't get beyond the twelfth level.

[hasseapa]

If it is repeating then I would expect red/green next, maybe hasseapa will be able to tell us.

Indeed Red lines, green fills. But I am disappointed to not make it further. 6531

I haven't worked out the scoring system, it has been more a case of survival than trying to accumulate points. The more I play this the more I appreciate this game, so much speed and challenge for an unexpanded game. Probably will give it a few rounds tonight

I also focus altogether on survival but if there is space/time at the end of the level, I try to fill as many 1x1 squares as possible.

Lovely game. I'll take a break from it now. I may return to it if someone pushes me to. I'm sure many can.