Golden Era Game of the Week 4/17/04: Cloud 9

Weehawk · Post by **Weehawk** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 2:47 pm

Golden Era Game of the Week

See introduction here

The Game: Cloud 9

romname: cloud9

Reward: $25 (usd)

Deadline for submission to MARP: April 23, 2004 2359 hours GMT

Further Bounty: $25 (usd) for shooting a 500 pt "tornado" by August 1, 2004
Claimed by SJK 4/18/04

Comments: I originally chose this game because the mechanics are much like Centipede, and I wasn't able to get anywhere on it the times I had tried before. I couldn't play back any of the previous submissions, so I couldn't see how anyone else played. Low and behold, the first day I played it for the purpose of this challenge I began to see improvement, and on the second day I was beating the MARP high score. Oh well, let's see what everyone else can do on it.

Use WolfMAME .81
Must be recorded with -nosound

Since there won't be any information out there on playing this one I'll offer my observations:

The object here is to complete waves by shooting all the clouds with your shooter. It works much like Centipede, plus you have a super-zap (one per shooter?) which kill all enemies on screen.

As rain falls from the clouds, it gradually fills your chamber at the bottom of the screen. When it becomes full of water, you die. If you keep your shooter under water too long, you die. You also move more slowly in the water. If you come in contact with any of the enemies, you die.

When wet, your shooter is blue and raindrops do not affect it. If you stay dry too long, the shooter will turn red. When it is red, getting hit by a raindrop will knock it to the bottom, helpless for an second, but cools it off back to blue. Brief contact with a fire will also turn the shooter red.

The only enemy down in the chamber is the "demon". If you take too long to finish a wave, he speeds up drastically, and you are in BIG trouble. This is a good time to use the super-zap to buy a little extra time and desperately try to finish off the clouds.

Once you shoot through the bricks, you can go above the chamber, safe from the demon, but then you are vulnerable to bats and fires set off by lightning bolts.

The game lists a tornado as one of the hazards, but I have never seen one, perhaps because I have not gotten far enough in the game. That is why I offer the bounty for shooting one.

destructor · Post by **destructor** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 7:30 pm

Congrats SJK

Weehawk · Post by **Weehawk** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 7:54 pm

destructor wrote:Congrats SJK

Like I told him in the IRC channel, he could have at least held it for a couple of days just for the sake of my ego.

SJK · Post by **SJK** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 8:04 pm

Weehawk wrote:
destructor wrote:Congrats SJK
Like I told him in the IRC channel, he could have at least held it for a couple of days just for the sake of my ego.

I'm sorry for not being like Destructor

and thanks ^^

Weehawk · Post by **Weehawk** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 8:52 pm

SJK wrote:
Weehawk wrote:
destructor wrote:Congrats SJK
Like I told him in the IRC channel, he could have at least held it for a couple of days just for the sake of my ego.

I'm sorry for not being like Destructor and thanks ^^

Oh, that's the reason he does that?

To avoid embarassing his opponents any longer than necessary...

Weehawk · Post by **Weehawk** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 3:27 am

Verified the tornado thing. They appear first on wave 18, I think.

PM me your paypal address.

Also, watching SJK's recording I take further notice of the backgrounds used.

Wave 1 through 4 is clearly New York City. You can make out the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center Towers (lost on 9/11/2001):

Waves 5 through 8 show a suspension bridge...San Francisco?

Waves 9 through 12 feature a different skyline with skyscrapers. I'll have to look at some photos and see if I recognize anything...anybody know offhand?

Waves 13 through 16 are in a mountain setting.

Waves 17 through 20 are NYC again:

Wave 21 starts an oriental scene, but you can see modern buildings in the background:

Makes you wonder what's next...

Weehawk · Post by **Weehawk** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 3:48 am

Wave 9 through 12 is Chicago:

Phil Lamat · Post by **Phil Lamat** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 7:19 am

If I remember correctly, after you've Egyptian pyramids

JoustGod · Post by **JoustGod** » Mon Apr 19, 2004 2:18 am

My best guess would be that the Asian setting is likely Tokyo or another major city in Japan. Shame on you for not getting Chicago the first time through!

Weehawk · Post by **Weehawk** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 9:47 pm

Congratulations again to SJK, who sort of walked away with this one.

Nobody even bothered to pick up second and third. Somebody may be kicking themselves at the end of the year for this.

Post by **gameboy9** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 10:15 pm

Then he picked up 700 grand... yikes!

Well... I think we all know who the master is in this game and then some. Well done!

Weehawk · Post by **Weehawk** » Sat Apr 24, 2004 2:21 am

Results:
1st: SJK

No one else bothered to upload.

Reminder: I am keeping point totals, awarding 10-7-5 for the top three entries each week. There will be some sort of prize, probably for the top three, I just don't want to commit myself to specific amounts just yet. I'll try to make it interesting though.

Totals

destructor · Post by **destructor** » Sat Apr 24, 2004 5:53 am

FU** 700k!

Excelent.

Weehawk · Post by **Weehawk** » Sat Apr 24, 2004 6:10 am

Phil Lamat wrote:If I remember correctly, after you've Egyptian pyramids

Sure enough, 29 through 32 are here:

NotMan · Post by **NotMan** » Sat Apr 24, 2004 11:53 am

Congrats to SJK for 700k on cloud9.

I thought Don would have marathon this game by sending the inp in the last minute. I guess not! Oh well...

NotMan