tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10351090869864262392024-03-12T21:49:41.007-05:00Tom's Tips, Trials, and TriumphsOfficial website of gaming hobbyist, Tom VotavaTom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-47612374726506323972014-03-15T09:46:00.003-05:002014-03-15T09:46:26.474-05:00Study Hall - Challenge Mode With Zero DeathsThis is Study Hall, a new NES homebrew game that was released in February 2014. It plays similar to Donkey Kong Junior, but it has enough of its own material to make it unique. Definitely worth checking out for anyone so still has their NES and wants to play something different.<br /><br />Anyway, this is me playing through the special Challenge Mode that is unlocked when you beat the game. It's a very unforgiving set of 8 levels where you get unlimited lives to try and beat the game before the clock runs out. It took a bit of practice, luck, and plenty of resets, but I managed to play through all of the levels without a single death.<br /><br />Hope you enjoy it!<br />
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<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://i1.ytimg.com/vi/EnDPi9eR_ak/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/EnDPi9eR_ak?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/v/EnDPi9eR_ak?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-6301394625499666432014-02-02T14:25:00.002-06:002014-02-02T14:25:17.708-06:00Cobra Triangle - My First WinFinally beat Cobra Triangle without continues for the first time recently. This game had frustrated me to no end as a kid, but no longer!<br /><br />This was actually a really clean run, particularly during the second half of the game. I think I went deathless from stage 14 on. Only major hiccups were a few bonehead mistakes on stage 9 and missing all of the 1ups in the bonus stages, which also cost me a few hundred thousand points. Still very happy with the run!<br />
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<br />Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-88503719042534652432013-12-15T14:04:00.002-06:002014-01-28T09:45:26.001-06:00Jumpman Junior Revisited(Sorry, I know I should post more often. Hoping to turn this around starting now.) <br />
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I had some spare time last night and decided to see just how quickly the points get out of control on Jumpman Junior (Atari 800). The game features a system where you get bonus points after every level based on the number of lives you have remaining. If you can bank enough extra lives, these bonus points can make it so that you gain and extra life after every completed stage. Play on beyond that and it soon becomes two or three.<br />
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I played a three-hour game last night. It took about an hour to reach 150,000 points. By that time, I had banked roughly 15 lives (it would have been more, but I was a bit rusty and died a lot :) ). However, I put together a winning streak and suddenly the bank was at 20 lives, then 30, then 40. By the three-hour mark (just before actually), that count was 105!<br />
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This was also where I reached a million points, which seemed like a good place to stop. The scoreboard rolled over and I was able to get a good screen shot of the lives count, thanks to ending on a level with a nice round bonus (just divide the 10,500 bonus by 100 to get 105).<br />
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Here are a few screenshots:<br />
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Just before the rollover...<br />
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<a href="http://i1317.photobucket.com/albums/t631/tvotava/JumpmanJunior-BeforeRollover_zps6282ce7c.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1317.photobucket.com/albums/t631/tvotava/JumpmanJunior-BeforeRollover_zps6282ce7c.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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And just after... <br />
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Finally, my last lives bonus: <br />
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<br />Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-71767230447538631242013-06-21T23:57:00.000-05:002013-06-21T23:57:19.096-05:00New Video: Ice Climber - 1,665,550<br />I recently put together a nice run on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PrEAWXEcrc" target="_blank">Ice Climber</a> for the NintendoAge weekly challenge. I had a good run that was worth uploading, though I plan to do better.<br />
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This game has a bit of a funny memory for me. It was my very first world record with Twin Galaxies. However, at the time, they were new to the idea of videotaped submissions. Because of this, I didn't know that I was allowed to keep playing after I rolled over the score. I just took 999,990, quit, and sent in the tape. I then got a call asking why in the world I stopped. Oops. :)<br />
<br />Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-31840027397415993692013-05-31T07:38:00.000-05:002013-05-31T07:38:04.855-05:00New Video: TMNT 3 - 999,990, Zero Deaths With MikeThanks to a recent NintendoAge contest, I went back to one of my old favorites, TMNT 3. We were playing with special rules where you had to quit after your first death. No problem, I'll just beat the game without dying. :)<br />
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This is actually only the second time that I've beaten TMNT 3 deathless. The way that special moves drains the player's life meter makes boss battles ridiculously tough to survive. That just makes beating the game that much more satisfying!<br />
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The video can be found <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvWA5ZAqjuQ" target="_blank">here</a>. Enjoy!<br />
<br />Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-27724144970001677652013-02-18T12:31:00.004-06:002013-02-18T12:33:45.029-06:00New Q*Bert World Record by George LeutzCongratulations to George Leutz on breaking the world record on the classic arcade game, Q*Bert. His score of 37,163,080 breaks a record that has stood for almost 30 years, mostly due to how long it takes to get there. George's game lasted just over 3 1/2 days!<br />
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You can read more about this monumental accomplishment <a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/gamers-hops-for-almost-85-hours-to-set-new-q-bert-world-record" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-87576855457071390692012-12-20T12:16:00.000-06:002012-12-20T12:16:12.321-06:00Name That Tune Episode 3 - Game OverTime for another game of Name That Tune. This time every tune is from a Game Over screen. A fitting way to close out the year, I think. :)<br />
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The link to the contest can be found <a href="http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=31&threadid=91810" target="_blank">here</a>. Enjoy!<br />
Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-25260634895973237162012-12-18T17:24:00.001-06:002012-12-18T17:30:32.166-06:00NES Fun at NintendoAge<a href="http://www.nintendoage.com/" target="_blank">NintendoAge</a> is a great website that all NES players should join, if they haven't already. While it is mostly a haven for collectors, it is also home to some of the best gamers you'll find anywhere. Among other things, they are currently teaming up to <a href="http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=31&threadid=61651" target="_blank">beat every licensed NES game in existence before the first of the year</a> (10 games to go!). Check out the <a href="http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/categories.cfm?catid=31" target="_blank">Gamer's Gauntlet</a> area of the forums to find a host of topics related to everyone's gaming exploits.<br />
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This forum is also home to a <a href="http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=31&threadid=62520" target="_blank">weekly NES contest</a>. I have participated in this contest a lot this year and have had a blast. And it's soooo easy to participate. Just play the game, take a photo, and post it on the forum thread. Do you not own the game they are playing? No problem, they allow emulators too! For those of you that are used to "official" play where you usually have to videotape yourself, you'll find this to be much more relaxed and a LOT more fun!<br />
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The NES contest has just finished 2012 with a bang, by holding a year-end tournament that pitted the year's top players against each other in a series of head-to-head matchups. In each round, players would challenge each other to their favorite games, with the player with the most top scores in each matchup advancing to the next round. This ended up becoming a bit of a grind, but I loved the concept. It also gave me the chance to improve some of my scores on my favorite games!<br />
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For the interested, here are the links to the tournament threads (one for each round). The results are posted near the end of each thread.<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=31&threadid=88935" target="_blank">Round 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=31&threadid=90008" target="_blank">Round 2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=31&threadid=90547" target="_blank">Final Round</a></li>
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The weekly contests are over for the holidays, but they will resume in January for another year of fun. I highly recommend them to any avid NES players that have not already played!<br />
<br />Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-52797408383148263102012-09-16T21:31:00.001-05:002012-09-16T21:31:36.347-05:00Name That Tune Episode 2 - NESI went almost 3 months between posts, now here's two in one day! :)<br />
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I just started another game of Name That Tune. 30 new tunes to solve, this time all from my favorite system, the NES! Take a listen, enjoy the music, see what you know!<br />
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHYrmkeFny0Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-51919917274947165372012-09-16T21:29:00.002-05:002012-09-16T21:29:21.288-05:00Busy Summer!Finally getting back to the blog after taking almost the entire summer off. I've had a lot going on in my real life and haven't had much time for gaming. Hoping to change that soon!<br />
<br />Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-87088511372302040872012-06-29T23:44:00.003-05:002012-06-29T23:48:08.243-05:00Ben Falls CRUSHES Popeye for ArcadeSlightly older news, but I just heard about this... <br />
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My good friend (and fellow Moon Patrol player) Ben Falls is in the news following a SPECTACULAR performance on the arcade version of Popeye. He posted a score of 3,023,060 points, which almost triples the previous record!<br />
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The article can be found <a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/brooklyn-s-ben-falls-fights-to-the-finish-setting-new-popeye-arcade-record" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
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Ben, congratulations on a great score on such a difficult game. I've only really played the NES version, but have tried the arcade a few times. The arcade version is definitely way harder!<br />
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Good luck with Satan's Hollow too!<br />
<br />Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-47807854420284894632012-06-15T08:24:00.000-05:002012-06-15T08:24:04.523-05:00Donkey Kong (NES) Kill Screen...As a Speed Run?!Better late than never: Twin Galaxies has just verified my kill screen run on NES Donkey Kong! It is listed under a new variation called Fastest Completion (kill screen), where I have posted a "blazing" time of 5 hours 44 minutes. :)<br />
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Making this long affair into a "speed run" allows me and future kill screen gamers to be recognized for having reached the kill screen, without having to worry about points as they play. Special thanks to TGI referee Tim Stodden for his help in creating this variation. Without it, there would have been no way for me to submit this run to the record books.Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-18414500614548473562012-05-25T00:08:00.002-05:002012-05-25T00:08:53.637-05:00Name That Tune Gamers Edition Returns!For the past 4 years, I have conducted a game show-style contest for my
friends during the Funspot/ACAM Tournament. Due to time constraints
this year, I've decided to go with an online format instead.<br />
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The link below leads to a short video containing 30 tunes (erm, Voices
this time) from classic video games. Gaming platforms include Arcade,
NES, SNES, Genesis, and maybe a couple of other surprises.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5UF3CKcB4o" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5UF3CKcB4o</a><br />
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Want to get in on the action? Do you have a NintendoAge account? If the answer to both questions is yes, just post your answers in the message board thread below. It's just for fun, but see how many you can get! :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=31&threadid=71153" target="_blank">http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=31&threadid=71153</a><br />
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This will be what I hope is the first of many episodes of Name That Tune throughout the coming year. I hope you enjoy it<span id="goog_612511525"></span><span id="goog_612511526"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a>!Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-27789612706645153242012-05-24T23:59:00.002-05:002012-05-24T23:59:26.302-05:00"Bro-Off" Results - 10,777,770!Wow, am I ever behind on posts!<br />
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Sorry for the delay, but I'm guessing most of you have already heard the news on how my NES Mario Bros. game went.<br />
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In case you didn't, I managed to break the world record with a score of 10,777,770 points! The game took over 11 hours to play, but I only lost 2 lives before intentionally ending the game.<br />
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I think I could have kept playing all night, but honestly, marathoning video games isn't my thing. Once I master a game to the point where I can never lose, I get bored. :)<br />
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The only reason I kept playing so long was for the cause. In the process of playing my game, the Bro-Off charity event raised a bunch of money for the American Cancer Society! It was great to be a part of something bigger than myself, being able to do something I love at the same time.<br />
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And I didn't lose too much sleep after the long game either, so it was a win-win. :)<br />
<br />Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-22099928673251096292012-05-02T21:17:00.000-05:002012-05-05T09:40:10.619-05:00This Saturday (Noon EST): NES Mario Bros. "Bro-Off" Charity EventPlease join me this weekend while several other prominent Mario Bros. players attempt to raise money for the American Cancer Society by simultaneously going for the world record on this classic game.<br />
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We will be streaming live from each of our respective online channels, but you can catch all the action in "split screen" style at the link below.<br />
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Please give generously, and enjoy the show! :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.gamingworldwide.org/bro-off/" target="_blank">http://www.gamingworldwide.org/bro-off/</a><br />
<br />Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-87401190596887407132012-04-18T14:02:00.003-05:002012-04-18T14:02:39.525-05:00New (ish) Video: Mario Bros Hints and TipsHere it is: Everything you need to know in order to learn and master this arcade gem! :)<br />
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I put this video together for my friends a few weeks ago to help them with a contest. Now that that is over, it's time to share it with the world.<br />
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Hope you like it!<br />
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<br />Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-67966108899825529492012-04-05T13:58:00.004-05:002012-04-05T13:58:43.525-05:00Gaming World Wide BeginsI just saw that my friends at Gaming World Wide have launched their new website and had to give them a shout out. They are an organization of gamers dedicated to making the gaming community a better place to be for all of us.<br />
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Great to see how far you've come in such a short period of time. You guys rock! :)<br />
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<a href="http://gamingworldwide.org/" target="_blank">http://gamingworldwide.org/</a><br />
<br />Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-10738167486132263052012-03-30T23:29:00.002-05:002012-03-31T09:39:57.561-05:00New Video: Castlevania 3 - Second Loop With AlucardBy request, here's a new and different look at the second loop through Castlevania 3. I've posted a second loop video before, but that one showed more ideal circumstances that don't necessarily tell the whole story. It's easy to get into a serious jam in this game if you lose the best powerups (Holy Water, Watch). What then? Watch for some ideas.<br />
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Man, it's been a long time since I've played this. I needed quite a few continues, particularly on the level with the triple-coffin boss.<br />
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No commentary this time. :( Still, the video shows what it needs to show, so hopefully you'll enjoy it. <br />
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<br />Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-37644132835161723002012-03-23T19:36:00.000-05:002012-03-23T19:44:58.786-05:00New Video: Donkey Kong (NES) Kill ScreenIt's taken a lot longer than I planned, but here it is finally: The highlight video from my Donkey Kong kill screen on the NES, which I completed on New Years Eve, 2011.<br />
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Bear with me on the intro. It's worth the wait! ;)<br />
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<br />Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1035109086986426239.post-89905580789883787912012-03-16T21:00:00.000-05:002012-03-23T19:33:40.740-05:00Hello!Well, it finally happened. I finally joined the 21st century and created a blog. :)<br />
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Join me as I share my tips on my favorite video games, past, present, and future. I will also keep you posted on the latest happenings in the world of competitive gaming, both for myself and others.<br />
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You can use the menu at the top of the page to access my blog, high scores page, YouTube channel, and live stream.<br />
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Enjoy! :)<br />
<br />Tom Votavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06837102801880354202noreply@blogger.com0