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100K in Donkey Kong Finally!
- Thread starter paulliadis
- Start date
More Cowbell
New member
Broke my high score last week by getting over 300k. I was down to my last guy at 160k and somehow managed to just keep going. It took me 2 months to go from 270k to 302k, next stop is 350k. 
Broke my high score last week by getting over 300k. I was down to my last guy at 160k and somehow managed to just keep going. It took me 2 months to go from 270k to 302k, next stop is 350k.
What is it with that 270,000 barrier? I've been stuck there for over a month now and it doesn't seem to matter how many lives I have--I nearly always wind up with something in the low to mid 200,000's unless I'm tired or not really trying. Three weeks ago, I had three lives left with 240,000 and then lost two on one barrel board when it started raining wild barrels. Then I lost the last life a couple of boards later and didn't even break 260,000. I feel better knowing that you also hit that same wall. It must just be part of the learning process.
I've also been impressed with how the luck balances out. When I get to the 150M rivet level, I always have something very close to 144,000 points no matter how I may have point pressed or went conservative on early levels. BTW, those fireballs really kick it into a new gear at that 150M level, don't they? Everything you think you know about patterns and how close you can get to them goes out the window. But I found you can use that aggressiveness against them too.
What's hardest for me to learn is the patience.
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What I do to help when they hang around up there it to move up until I'm halfway on the platform. The fireballs won't be able to kill you, and it will only be a quick hop to finish standing. It works very well.
More Cowbell
New member
I actually started thinking that the better I got, the worse I did. If that makes any sense. That 270k barrier was absolutely killing me! I once got exactly 1,000 less than my 270k high score, try sleeping knowing that you were 1,000 points away and couldn't seal the deal! I'm really hoping my scores start to jump up a little now that I got past that mental/psychological/bad luck block.
I think I understand what you mean by having your skills increase, but not your score. I'm playing with more confidence as moves are coming naturally. But the confidence I'm gaining has a downside; I'm being a bit too careless and losing lives unnecessairly through dumb mistakes and needless point pressing.
The elevators now have pretty much ceased to be an issue. Funny how the 3rd and beyond elevators start out being the most feared, then later turn into a welcome sight; they're the only levels on which you have total control--nothing can get you but you yourself.
Things I recently figured out:
1. The "jumping on Kong's foot" point pressing technique works on both sides of Kong's cage--you just reverse the joystick motion. I've found that on the early rivet levels, you can safely gain points there as you wait for the fireballs to get their act together for pounding with the lower hammer. I also figured out (with a little help from watching Hank Chien's vids) that you can clear out the upper right rivet and jump on Kong's foot in the right side of the cage with safety... if any fireballs start coming to the middle, you just go down the ladder and get the upper hammer. You can also run left with that hammer and take out some of the trapped fireballs on the left side. Just so long as you leave enough hammer time to nail the ones that appear on the right side. This has me consistently getting over 16K on the first level (first two screens) without the need for point pressing on the barrels.
2. On the conveyors, if there's a momentary hesitation before the first fireball pops out, you can head right up the left ladders to the 3rd level (above the hammer), grab the vacuum cleaner (or whatever that thing is), and head right with clear sailing. You cannot have the slightest hesitation however or a fireball can catch you coming down the ladder. You also have to run left on the conveyor belt even though it's moving that way for the left ladder. You basically need to haul ass. If the fireballs pop out quickly, then I play it "straight", moving to the left, then often using the hammer for pies and fireballs.
I can see now how some of these guys get scores of 1M... although the game appears to have random factors, there are actually a limited number of scenarios. Once I learn more of those, I expect to die less and rack up more points.
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More Cowbell
New member
I agree with you that carelessness gets the better of me. Also, impatience. When a bold move works you feel great, but when you die you just feel stupid like you took too big of a risk. I have to get in the mindset of protecting my guys at all cost.
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paulliadis
Well-known member
As you mention jumping Kong's foot, am I right that this technique is counter productive on level 5 and beyond? I believe the counter runs fast enough at that point that you can't jump fast enough to double up points. Meaning, in lower levels you can jump twice for every tick of the counter, but on level 5 and on it's more of a 1:1 (jump:counter tick).
This is mostly correct. Unless you're going for a world's record and need every point. If you jump on Kong's foot at the higher levels with say--3800 on the bonus meter, you might wind up with an extra 200 points... the last of which occur when the timer has run to 000 and yet there's still a little time left before you die. 200 points doesn't matter to me but imagine if you fall 100 points short of Chien's record and didn't take those. Still, Wiebe takes no chances on point pressing if fireballs are in the vicinity. He'll just finish the level and move on.
If for some reason we ever hook up in front of a DK--please whack me hard if I start doing that--making bold moves. We're at the level where we need lives. Funny thing--the top players need those lives as much or more. That's how they get the last 10,000-15,000 points... by point pressing but intentionally killing off their extra lives on the last level before the kill screen.
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Jeremy C.
New member
Congrats man!
I can get pretty far in DK on the Nintendo console, but that's a whole 'nother game.
Good luck reaching the kill screen.
I can get pretty far in DK on the Nintendo console, but that's a whole 'nother game.
Good luck reaching the kill screen.
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paulliadis
Well-known member
I'm assuming this is to me. Thanks!
I've never tried Donkey Kong on the NES. I do have a copy of Donkey Kong for the Atari 2600, but probably haven't played that in 20 years.
I've never tried Donkey Kong on the NES. I do have a copy of Donkey Kong for the Atari 2600, but probably haven't played that in 20 years.
JamBurglar
Well-known member
DK on NES really easy compared to the arcade. Same for DK Jr. The DK on the Nintendo is also missing the cement factory board. They never did port DK or DK Jr. correctly, which is why its nice to have a real coin-op version.
xxstatic
Well-known member
javeryh
Active member
I love me some DK. I'm at 250K for my HS. I want to top 300K but I can't seem to develop a consistent strategy. There's not any one spot I can't get past - the unpredictability of the game is what makes it so tough for me. I'm OK on barrels but this is where I lose a lot of my lives. I'm good on rivets. I'm OK on the pie level - it depends how aggressive the fireballs are - if they come right at me I'm usually dead (I wait on the left for them to appear and then I try running up on the right). I'm OK at the springs too - I haven't mastered the retreat if that second spring is on the edge but that probably happens less than 50% of the time.
Sounds like you're about the same level player as I am. I have one score of 276,000, one of 265,000 and the rest in the 250 range. Don't kick yourself too hard; Steve Wiebe also loses most of his lives on the barrel screens. Of course there's a good reason for that beyond just the problems with uncooperative barrels, aggressive fireballs, or wild barrels--most of the screens are barrel screens.
simpsons99
New member
WTG i have been stuck on 281,100 since the Kong Off Event.
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paulliadis
Well-known member
They ported it right to the Nintendo 64, unlockable in DK64.
I have that game and did play DK on there a little bit. That was a long time ago. Makes me want to fire up the Nintendo 64 again.
simpsons99
New member
DK was allso found in Animal Crossing allso for the game cube
