End of month high scores - 30 June 2013

My top 5 scores since comeback:

   1.   1,017,250   8 June 2013

   2.   1,005,030   26 May 2013

   3.   991,350   5 May 2013

   4.   806,980   22 June 2013

   5.   684,970   7 April 2013

 

Fastest Act clearance - 11 seconds

Fastest Act clearance with 10,000 bonus - 24 seconds

Total scores over 500,000 - 14

 

Top 5 official Twin Galaxies high scores:

 

   1.   1,217,650   Paul Hornitzky   10 July 2012

   2.   1,110,370   Rodney Day   13 August 1983
   3.   809,990   Kevin Leisner   25 February 1983
   4.   723,950   Frank Lupia   20 September 2008
   5.   694,030   Paul Elia   31 March 1983

 

As you will see, I decided to add to these statistics the total number of times I’ve scored over 500,000 since my comeback, given that the half million mark seems to be a barrier of sorts for the more skilled Pengo player. I note particularly that the sixth highest score on Pengo - as recorded by Twin Galaxies - is only 460,650 made by a gentleman named Terry Tanaka on 2 July 1985. This is some 200,000 behind the fifth highest scorer.

 

So with that in mind, I am now up to 14 scores over 500,000. The two most recent occurred yesterday, with a 594,730 (ending in Act 13 of the 4^th set), and a 568,860 (ending in Act 9 of the 4^th set). Reasonably good scores, I suppose, but both were a few steps down from my more substantial efforts earlier in the month.

 

Now with an otherwise quiet June out of the way, I am looking forward to a significantly more active and productive PengoQuest in July and August.

 

And finally, a very happy anniversary, in advance, to Paul Hornitsky. His world record Pengo score turns one on 10 July 2013. I doubt very much that I'll get the opportunity to play - or blog - again before that date, so your record is safe from me, at least.

 

Good job!

 

Chipping away

Managing to fit in just one game of Pengo in over two weeks - which is what I did yesterday - has been a little disappointing, although I suppose you take it when you can get it.

The moment I finished the opening Act in yesterday’s game in a new record time (for me) of 11 seconds, I could feel immediately I was onto something. Perhaps the two week break had freshened me up. Whatever it was, I ended up with a very respectable final score of 806,980.

What’s more, as I sensed going along, it turned out to be quite an aggressive scoring game. My average Act score of about 10,090 points sustained over 80 Acts for this game compares very favourably with an average Act score of slightly under 9,250 points in my highest scoring game of 1,017, 250, which lasted for 110 Acts. An average of over 10,000 points per Act for that length of game is no mean feat (even if I say so myself!), and requires the diamond blocks to be lined up (to get the 10,000 point bonus) in just about three out of every four Acts.

The individual set scores this time around were 171,700 for the first 16 Acts, 136,960 for the second, 176,700 for the third, 173,690 for the fourth and 147,930 for the incomplete fifth set.

This time, the machine ‘clocked’ at 655,350, slightly higher than the high-score on its counter of 655,310, which I'd set previously. So the final score was 655,350 + 151,630.

I lost my Pengos at Act 6 in the third set, Act 16 in the fourth set, and - annoyingly - twice in Act 16 just as I was about to make a start on the sixth set and perhaps get my third seven-figure score in almost as many games.

Overall, it was a strong effort, and with my heavy scoring over the last six weeks whilst having only played a handful of games, I am quietly confident of soon eclipsing Mr Hornitsky’s 1,217,650 world mark (the first anniversary of which is coming up). That is, as soon as (a) I can get a bit more time to focus on it, and (b) I get my hands on a machine that has the regulation six Pengos, not the four I’ve been confined to on the museum’s machine since this quest began a few short months ago.

And on both those fronts, dear reader, I expect to be able to report to you some very good news in the very near future.

Another million

A new high score, and my second million point game since the comeback. This time - 1,017,250.

 

It came in the fourth game I’d played in the past week or so. On the first weekend, I reached scores of just 289,560 and 294,430, and in the first game this weekend, scored a very modest 331,990. I gave myself one more game to get a decent score, and that’s what happened.

 

That million point game ended in Act 14 of the seventh set. Overall, I’d completed 109 Acts and died for the fourth and final time in the 110^th. While I didn’t make a note of it, the entire game must have lasted around two and a half hours.

 

It was also probably the biggest winning margin in the history of Pengo. Zackomba was Player 2 in the game, but when his turn came around, he was engrossed in his iPad game. He did manage to break himself away when his third and final Pengo came up, and chewed an ice-block just to get some points on the board. But I’d be surprised if there’s been a more lop-sided scoreline in a two-player game than 1,017,250 to 30!

 

For the aficionados, the set scores were 131,760 for the first 16 Acts, 150,500 for the second, 173,840 for the third, 132,090 for the fourth and 151,010 for the fifth. Probably because I was so relieved to have cleared it, I forgot to record the score at the end of the sixth set, albeit it was 900,890 after Act 2 of the seventh set. Again the machine ‘clocked’ at 655,310, so the final score was 655,310 + 361,940.

 

I lost my Pengos at Act 14 in the first set, Act 13 in the third set, Act 6 in the sixth set (a stupid mistake - too greedy looking for the 10,000 bonus), and finally at Act 14 in the seventh set. As it happened, the end of the game coincided with chucking-out time at the museum, so if I hadn’t died when I did, the increasingly stern look on the security guard’s face suggested that the machine was going to be switched off very quickly afterwards.

 

The icing on the cake during the game was breaking my record for the fastest completed Act while achieving the 10,000 point bonus. My new record of 24 seconds (down from 25 seconds) was achieved during Act 2 of the fifth set.

End of month high scores - 31 May 2013

My top 5 scores since comeback:

1.  1,005,030   26 May 2013
2.  991,350   5 May 2013
3.  684,970   7 April 2013
4.  621,400   25 May 2013
5.  617,430   27 April 2013

Fastest Act clearance - 12 seconds
Fastest Act clearance with 10,000 bonus - 25 seconds

Top 5 official Twin Galaxies high scores:

1.   1,217,650  Paul Hornitzky  10 July 2012
2.   1,110,370  Rodney Day  13 August 1983
3.   809,990  Kevin Leisner  25 February 1983
4.   723,950  Frank Lupia  20 September 2008
5.   694,030  Paul Elia  31 March 1983

I recently stumbled upon an interview with the man himself - Rodney Day - conducted by the (Australian) ABC television program, Good Game, in 2009.

The Good Game website for episodes shown in 2009 is here - http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/episodes/date_2009.htm Just click on the 19 October 2009 episode and scroll through to the relevant segment, "Australia's Best Gamers - Rodney Day".

While it only runs for a few minutes, Rodney tells the story of his obsession with Pengo all those years ago and how he came to set his 1983 world record in Canberra. He was probably the same age I was when I first came across the game in that year, although he started playing when it came out in 1982. Seems like a very decent guy - with a story that is eerily familiar.

If you're out there Rod, feel free to drop by the Powerhouse museum some weekend ...

Pengo explained

For some reason, it occurred to me that at least some of the readers of this blog might not have a good grasp of the game of Pengo.

And presumably there are more than just a handful of you (316 page hits actually, as of a few minutes ago - I’m waiting anxiously for the moment when I’ll have to decide whether or not to accept an extremely lucrative offer from an airline, or a car company, or maybe even a maker of old men’s health products, to advertise on this thing).

Sure, you’ve probably picked up a few things along the way in reading these various entries, but I realised I haven’t actually explained the basics.

Having thought about it, I really can’t go past the Wikipedia entry for Pengo. When I grow up, I want to be able to write just like those guys.

Anyway, a slightly edited version of their explanation - fully endorsed by the author of this blog! - follows. I hope it makes sense:

Pengo is an arcade game developed by Coreland and published by Sega in 1982. The player controls Pengo, a red penguin that resides in the Antarctic. The game takes place in an overhead maze made of ice blocks, where Pengo fights the patrolling, blob-like Sno-Bees. The objective of the game is for Pengo to survive a series of rounds by eliminating all Sno-Bees, while amassing bonuses by bringing together the three diamonds dispersed in the maze.

The player uses a joystick and a single button as controls. Pressing the button while pushing the joystick will cause Pengo to push forward the ice block he is facing, which will slide until it hits a wall or another ice block, crushing any intervening Sno-Bees. Crushing more than one Sno-Bee at once will increase the number of points awarded. There are a total of sixteen levels, which repeat in order starting on the seventeenth round.

As the player crushes those on patrol, new Sno-Bees hatch from eggs located within ice blocks. At the start of each level, blocks that contain these eggs are briefly identified by flashing the color of that level's Sno-Bees. Eggs can be eliminated by crushing the ice blocks that contain them. If Pengo pushes a side wall the water "vibrates", any adjacent Sno-Bees will be briefly stunned, and are eliminated (for 100 points) if Pengo walks over them in this state. Eliminating all Sno-Bees in a round will progress the player to the next.

Diamond blocks are unbreakable; when connected in a horizontal or vertical line the player earns bonus points: 10,000 points if aligned without being against a wall or if only one diamond block is touching a wall, 5,000 points if all three are against the wall. Alignment will also temporarily stun all Sno-Bees.

After 60 seconds elapse in a round without a death, the game enters into sudden death mode; the music tempo and movement of the Sno-Bees accelerates. If a single Sno-Bee remains in the round, a jingle plays and the Sno-Bee accelerates in an attempt to reach a corner where it safely fades away.

The game will always start with the same maze on power up. Once the game has gone through the attract mode, the maze will change.

The point award for crushing Sno-Bees depends on the number crushed in one push of an ice block:

• 400 for 1 Sno-Bee
• 1,600 for 2 Sno-Bees
• 3,200 for 3 Sno-Bees
• 6,400 for 4 Sno-Bees

Walking over a stunned Sno-Bee awards 100 points.

 

10,000 points are awarded for aligning the three diamond blocks together if at least one is not touching a wall, but only 5,000 if all are against the walls.

 

Crushing an ice block will award 30 points, or 500 points if it contains a Sno-Bee egg.

 

A bonus is awarded upon round completion, depending on time elapsed:
 

• 5,000 points for under 20 seconds
• 2,000 points for between 20–29 seconds
• 1,000 points for between 30–39 seconds
• 500 points for between 40–49 seconds
• 10 points for between 50–59 seconds
• 0 points for 60 seconds or more

By default, Pengo begins with three lives and a bonus life is awarded at 30,000 points; these numbers can be changed (anywhere from 2 to 5 lives, and the bonus life can be awarded at 50,000 instead) through DIP switch settings.

 

In a manner similar to Pac-Man, one of six brief intermissions plays on even-numbered rounds after the bonus is awarded. The intermissions feature six penguins performing various routines. In the first the penguins perform a small marching routine. In the second they "shake their booty". In the third each penguin stops and salutes the player. In the fourth the penguins turn to face the player and then exit the screen in a line, reminiscent of the aliens in Space Invaders. In the fifth the source of the game's background music is revealed: Pengo himself, playing piano. In the sixth intermission, Pengo appears from behind the piano to play "peek-a-boo" with the player. These intermissions then repeat in order throughout the remainder of the game.

And if you want to see a game being played, there are a few recordings on youtube. This one only goes for a couple of minutes but is well worth a look for first timers - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6OsalAZX_A

 

ONE MILLION!!!

Only just, but I made it. The score - 1,005,030.

It came at the end of a weekend where I played a total of seven games. On the Saturday, I managed just three - with scores of 308,920, 621,400 and 413,000. The last one, which was going quite well, ended a little involuntarily as we (Zackomba, Lolcakes123 and me) were politely ushered out of the museum on closing time.

No risk of that happening today, as I got there in plenty of time to see where today’s installment of this quest would take me. It started with an appalling 144,250, followed by an inauspicious 267,410. The next game was a more promising 439,170, with the one million marathon being the last.

I happened to be jotting down some additional scores and other bits and pieces as I was going along for all of these games. On the one million game, I was 160,100 after the first set of 16 Acts; 285,270 (and one Pengo down - in Act 10) after the second set; 430,500 after the third set; and 559,350 after the fourth set - still with only one Pengo lost.

By the end of the fifth set, I was 714,290, but had lost another two Pengos during it - one as the result of complacency in Act 7 and another during Act 15. The machine also ‘clocked’ at 655,310 - the same high score it had clocked at during my 900K effort a couple of weeks back.

With the final Pengo battling away, I cleared the sixth set with a score of 865,780 (655,310 + 210,470). And then somewhere in Act 13 in the seventh set, when I noticed the accumulating score had just clicked past 345,000, I knew I’d broken the magical seven figures. The loss of the final Pengo during the next Act (14) was almost an anti-climax, and probably pay-back for managing to escape a few very close shaves along the way.

In terms of individual sets during that game, I did feel I was getting more and more defensive as the game wore on and not worrying too much about the 10,000 bonuses. On the basis that a reasonable, or par, score for a set is 160,000, my ‘splits’ for each set were (1) 160,100, (2) 125,170, (3) 145,230, (4) 128,850, (5) 154,940, (6) 151,490, and (7 - up to Act 14) 139,250.

For those of who you are very careful readers of this blog, you will also have noted that the one million score also represented my 10^th score over 500,000 since this comeback - all achieved using just four penguins, not the regulation six (as explained in an earlier post on the rules that need to be complied with before a high score can be officially recognised).

And as icing on the cake, over the course of the weekend, I also equalled my fastest clearance (12 seconds, on an Act 1) and my fastest clearance with a 10,000 bonus (25 seconds on an Act 3, during the million point game).

Onward and upward.

Pengo Overnighter

Happened to spend last Saturday night overnight at the museum.

Ostensibly it was a kid's writing event organised by the museum called “Writer Overnighter". Zackomba, Lolcakes123 and many other 8 to 13 year olds, each with a parent in tow, went along. But of course it also offered the very real prospect of getting in several hours of uninterrupted, after hours, Pengo-ing.

I did manage a few disappointing games (in the region of 200K and 300K) in the late afternoon before it kicked off. The bright spot was equalling my 25 second record for a clearance with the 10,000 bonus, which happened in Act 6.

But when the writing event started, what with checking in, dinner, and a few other activities (all of which were actually quite entertaining), I just couldn’t get away. And when it finally came time for us all to bunk down in the aircraft gallery - looking up at a few reasonably large aeroplanes dating from the 1930’s or 1940’s that were suspended from the ceiling - I quickly fell asleep.

I did fit in a couple more games as we were on our way out early the next morning, but by that time I just needed a shower and the scores were as poor as the afternoon before.

All in all, a very good night - but also an opportunity missed.