Golden Era Game of the Week 11/26/05: Front Line

[Weehawk]

Golden Era Game of the Week

See introduction here

The Game: Front Line

romname: frontlin

Screenshot:

(click to see current MARP scores)

Reward: $50 (usd)

Deadline for submission to MARP: December 2, 2005 2359 hours GMT

Further Bounty: none

I had planned to try to get a real control panel from the arcade machine and hook it up, but I never got around to it. Hard to duplicate the press-to-fire spinner with other controls.

Oh well, you're on your own.

http://www.thelogbook.com/phosphor/frontlin.html

Oh yeah, if there is any leeching possible on this game at all, don't do it. I'll disqualify your recording if I see any sign of it at all, completely at my own discretion.

Use WolfMAME .101 or .102

"On Deck" game: Donkey Kong

[Marco Marocco]

Really a nice game ... also very easy ...

[TRB_MetroidTeam]

Really a nice game ... also very easy ...

This game sux IMO.

Oh yeah, if there is any leeching possible on this game at all, don't do it. I'll disqualify your recording if I see any sign of it at all, completely at my own discretion.

For sure John, this rule need be used to this one. This game is highly-leechable.
However, one important info... sometimes the enemies "force" you to don't advance in the game... and sometimes, to "be safe", the player will return a little.
In the other side, in stage one the enemies get 100 points. In stage 2, 200. I just played some minutes, not reached stage 3, but if the score system is proportional to the number of the stage, it will be fine to reward the players that reach higher levels. But, yet, the leeching question need to be punished if you see any disloyal behavior.

[TRB_MetroidTeam]

I just downloaded the 3 inp where I reached the 2nd stage.

http://marp.retrogames.com/inp/8/c/2/tr ... olf101.zip
http://marp.retrogames.com/inp/4/6/f/tr ... olf101.zip
http://marp.retrogames.com/inp/c/5/d/tr ... olf101.zip

However, one important info... sometimes the enemies "force" you to don't advance in the game... and sometimes, to "be safe", the player will return a little.

In the 21102 inp, please see the 1st part of the stage 2, where the situation above is visible.

[TRB_MetroidTeam]

Deadline for submission to MARP: December 2, 2005 2359 hours GMT

John... I think the countdown is wrong again, like in Armor Attack:
4 Days 20 Hours 43 Minutes... to submit your recordings on Front Line

[Weehawk]

Deadline for submission to MARP: December 2, 2005 2359 hours GMT

John... I think the countdown is wrong again, like in Armor Attack:
4 Days 20 Hours 43 Minutes... to submit your recordings on Front Line

It shows within a minute of being correct here.

Anyway, I set it correctly, there's nothing I can do after that.

[Weehawk]

Sunday's bonus points to Pat33999

[TRB_MetroidTeam]

It shows within a minute of being correct here.

Hmmm... I am GMT -3:00, however, now I am in "Summer Time System", so it is equal to GMT -2:00.
If the deadline is 23:59 GMT 0:00, here will be 21:59.
Just now is 15:20 here, so the time left is 8 hours 40 minutes.
The countdown is reporting 2 hours 40 minutes!

[Weehawk]

If the deadline is 23:59 GMT 0:00, here will be 21:59.
Just now is 15:20 here, so the time left is 8 hours 40 minutes.

I guess you meant 6 hours 40 minutes...

Attached: actual screen capture of the countdown page with my system time (in GMT) pulled up on top of it.

[TRB_MetroidTeam]

I guess you meant 6 hours 40 minutes...

Yes... "6". Sorry!
But something still is wrong with that countdown...

[destructor]

I had planned to try to get a real control panel from the arcade machine and hook it up, but I never got around to it. Hard to duplicate the press-to-fire spinner with other controls.

It's hard to say 'spinner'. On klov.com page we can read:

Controls:

* Joystick: 8-way
* Rotary: 8-position switch with push-down button
* Buttons: 1

It's 8-position switch.
I don't know why Taito didn't use two Top Fire joysticks for this game.
I never play on original panel from Front Line but I'm confused how to fast use GRENADE button and rotary 8-position switch at once

Front Line panel

[The TJT]

Yes, not analog but switch based. It works similarly to Disks of Tron spinner, where spinner works also as a push button. You can push down the spinner, which activates microswitch.

To be exact, at Frontline that push down "spinner" is known as "revolving control assembly (WWK00003)" , as you can see at pages 22 and 23 here: http://www.arcadedocs.com/vidmanuals/F/Frontline.pdf
(pull down microswitch must be part 22 in the list)

[Weehawk]

Tuesday's bonus points to Pat33999.

[BeeJay]

Actually the original controls for this worked much nicer than you can do when running this game under Mame. Other games that have similar problems with "playability" in Mame due to similar combined rotary+button controls include:

StrategyX

Tin Star - I used to love this game but it sucks in Mame without the proper controls.

Ikari Warriors

... and one more that I thought of just before but it escapes me for now....

Oh well....... I guess short of building one of these controllers I guess these games will have to remain as good memories of the old days and not worth the frustration of playing in Mame....

BeeJay.

[TRB_MetroidTeam]

Marco Marroco (I think) used simultaneous keys to the same button (fire+direction). Is it allowed to MARP? Is it allowed to GEGOTW?