Post your Exidy Circus scores, tips & tricks

jimbodeanny

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@CarrieZ had the idea that we should each focus on one game in the garage to try to improve upon. The idea is to play one particular game every day for 10-15 minutes. It's a great idea as it's an excuse to get us out there more frequently and (hopefully) actually get better at whatever game we're focused on. Right now, she's working on Shadow Dancer and I'm getting into Circus. After tuning the game up a bit (new spinner POT, nicer bezel, readjusted monitor, tweaked sounds) the game is dialed in reeeeeaaal niiiiice and I'm enjoying the hell out of it.


Since there doesn't appear to be any world record on Twin Galaxies, I'm going by the Aurcade settings, which is pretty much the default. 3 lives and bonus on single rows.

It's been a slow, steady progression with scores gradually climbing. I started with a best at around 18,900 a couple weeks ago, and currently just under 70k. I'd love to hit 100k one day.


54808511026_54fecfc623_c.jpg


I'm definitely learning some strategies and a few of the game's nuances.

One major one is in regards to bonus jumps. Despite what the game says, you CANNOT stack bonus jumps. You only get one bonus jump at a time. For example, if you have two jumps remaining and you pop all of the blue balloons, you earn one bonus jump. So in theory, you now have 2+1 (3) jumps remaining. If you proceed to do it again, the game will tell you that you earned another bonus jump, implying that you now have 2+2 (4) jumps remaining, when in reality you still only have 2+1 jumps. So while you can't stack bonus jumps, you can continue to earn one bonus jump as long as your current jump isn't a bonus jump.

Learning about the lack of stacking bonus jumps really changed how I play the game. My strategy now is that if I've earned a bonus jump, I'll do my best to pop all but just a few blue balloons, while still going after the green and yellow balloons. I'll keep doing that until I die and am using the bonus jump I earned. Then I'll try to pop the last blue balloons and earn a new bonus jump. That way I capitalize on earning points while not wasting potential bonus jumps. For example, if I have 2 remaining jumps, and earn a bonus jump after popping all blue balloons, I'll do my best to pop all but just a few blue balloons (and go after the green & yellow ballons.) Then once I die and am using the bonus jump (with just the 2 jumps left), I can go after those last few blue balloons, thus earning a new bonus jump (with less effort), and making it 2+1 jumps remaining again. Hopefully that makes sense.


Anyways, that's where I'm currently at right now. What are your scores? Anyone have other tips & tricks?

This game is hella fun and addicting. A perfect game for the collection and masses.

Cheers!
 
Tonight definitely wasn't the night. I was off and missing dumb stuff. Sometimes it's just one of those days. I did manage 65k, but it should have been my best game. The challenge continues.
 
One major one is in regards to bonus jumps. Despite what the game says, you CANNOT stack bonus jumps. You only get one bonus jump at a time.

That's inherent in the programming -- it doesn't keep track of jumps left for each player, just one number for both, and bonus jump is just a flag for the current player -- once it's set it stay set until it's used.

That's certainly fixable...
 
That's inherent in the programming -- it doesn't keep track of jumps left for each player, just one number for both, and bonus jump is just a flag for the current player -- once it's set it stay set until it's used.

That's certainly fixable...

Thanks for the fact nugget!
 
It's been a while since I've put up a new personal best, but tonight was [unexpectedly] the night I guess!

I was trying out different spinner knobs and testing an old NOS one I found (I think from the 60s or 70s) that's slightly smaller in diameter than the one that was on it. I really dig it though - the grip is really nice and the set screw is easy to tighten and adjust.

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Anyhow, I was just doing a test game and it ended up turning into my best game. I hadn't even attached the wingnuts that hold down the control panel.

Ended up with 101,010, shattering my old record of 69k and even breaking my goal of hitting 100k.

54862281578_dbff49faca_b.jpg



And no, that isn't the wrong photo. During that game, I discovered that the scores roll at 100k. Yep. The game doesn't even keep scores over five digits! :LOL:

I guess I learned something new, yet again, about this awesome game!
 
It's about time I went for High Score tonight. I'm just so amazed at how much better that new Bezel looks than the one that came with the game I sold you guys. After sitting in the Outer Limits for an undisclosed amount of years, that game sat in an old Machine shed at a junkyard for who knows how many more years.
 
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