MMMC - Phoenix

[scooterb23]

All right, how's it going everyone?

I hope you had a good Easter, ironically...I had to work today. I thought my goal with changing game release time was to avoid having to post them after work. Ah well.

Anyway, this week's game is the classic shooter Phoenix

http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9004

http://www.arcade-museum.com/images/11/118124215054.png

I'll have to admit this. I'm not a big fan of Phoenix. I don't know what it is, but this and Demon Attack were two games that were very popular that I never really liked. I will give it another run this week though. Anyone have any good strategy hints? I suspect somebody out there knows how to destroy this game.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

That person is not me. I had played this on the 2600 only up until tonight. Well maybe one other time. I just got creamed. I wasn't even able to register a high score. I don't know at what point the question marks go away but 4700 wasn't high enough. Oddly enough, my highest score was my first attempt. It reminds me a lot of Galaxian, but with more variety. I was only able to blow up the mothership once, by a lucky shot right before a bullet hit me. It's on my 60-in-1 so I'll be playing this a lot this week. Please if anyone has any strategy tips, please share.

[diskoboy]

This game, and Pleadies drive me batshit crazy.

I suck at them both, and no matter how hard I practice, I never seem to get any better.

[Rifter01]

I have this on Taito Legends.. I've always had a love for this game and I'll give it a shot! The only tip I can offer is using the shield(s) wisely... Pulling down on the joystick does the shield once for a few seconds, but, I don't remember how to activate the shield multiple times unless it only recharges again after each screen/level.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

Oh shit! There's a shield? I'll give a try later again today.

[scooterb23]

BTW, I forgot to upload the rom, will be doing that in a few minutes...

http://drop.io/dpmameclub

if you need it.

[Nature Boy]

Does anybody keep a folder up to date of all the MMMC roms past and present? If so, would you mind sharing it?

(I promise to participate in this week's challenge - honest! I love Phoenix, although I'm seriously not that good at it).

[Arcade Antics]

I have this on Taito Legends.. I've always had a love for this game and I'll give it a shot! The only tip I can offer is using the shield(s) wisely... Pulling down on the joystick does the shield once for a few seconds, but, I don't remember how to activate the shield multiple times unless it only recharges again after each screen/level.
The shield is unlimited, but it locks you out for a few seconds between each use. It should only be used as a last resort to dodging because your ship is frozen once it's activated and it only lasts a few seconds. The shield is also useful for destroying the final enemy on a screen. Activate the shield and let them fly into it.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

Thanks for the shield tip. It allowed me to get 6930, which still isn't enough to register a high score, but I'll keep trying.


UPDATE: 7970! I still suck! Still not enough to replace the "????."

[TripppsK]

Great game, it is one I play quite often on MAME. The shield is good, but often I seem to feel it doesnt go up as soon as I push the button. It is also needed when killing the mother ship. I find it best to 1st clear a lane up the middle and then work on the left hand edge to open up a shot for it.

[IronBuddha]

Sorry for the late late post.

I've played this game quite a bit for years now and I still cannot get good at this game, but for some reason I still play it here and there. I think the difficulty of this game is all the enemies don't really have a pattern.Most times the enemies just fly around all whacked out.

I remember getting my name on the high score once a while ago but I can't remember what my score was back then. Now that I've been playing around with this game for the MMMC my best scores were around 5500-6000ish. A very hard game indeed.

[Nature Boy]

I totally forgot there was a shield. I managed 300 points in my first game because of it, then worked my way up to 4,000 which is where I stand now.

Back to the gaming board!

[Rifter01]

I was able to get 8580 before the 2nd boss took me out.. I remember getting past the 2nd boss awhile back, yet, somehow now I can't.. aaahh!

One tip on the boss is I've noticed that it only shoots bullets when you are directly below it. If you side-step out of the vertical line there isn't any bullets coming from it.

[jb143]

I've only been able to get up to 3990 so far.

I did however find this game in one of my old "Mastering Arcade Games" books. Haven't tried putting anything to use yet but here's some of the tips they suggest.

Attackers only drop bombs when directly overhead but don't try shooting the bombs, it will have no effect.
Each Warbird makes a sound to indicate how it's flying, this fact can be used to develop strategies.

Warbirds are worth 20 points upright, 40 when attacking, and 200 when ascending with wings outspread.

Phoenix eggs are worth 50 points, full grown birds are worth a random amount in multiples of 10 from 100 to 900. 20 points for each wing (which doesn't disable the Phoenix when hit)

Phoenixes slow down at the edges of the screen where they are most vulnerable.

Bonus ship at 5000 points.

There's some more in depth stuff but most of it consists of "Instead of shooting where I was, you should have shot where I was going to be. Muahahahaha!"

[stargate]

I remember this one from waaaaaay back in the day. I think I was 10 whe it was released. I played it a lot in the local arcade. Definitely a difficult game, but not in an unfair way. This one holds a lot of memories for me and I still find the gameplay addicting.

[Rendclaw]

Last time I played it I think I got 39,000. The trick with it is to not panic when the last three or four enemies are on the screen and they go into frenzy mode.

The secret to beating the Phoenixes is to stay near one edge of the screen, and they follow you over there. You can kill or wound them fairly easily, but don't stay there so long that they trap you there with their shots. Stick and Move is the plan.

The score you get for destroying the space station is prevalent to how many enemies you destroy and how love the station is when you finally destroy it. I have gotten 9,700 points or better by letting it get really low, and then destroy the alien in the middle. Best thing to do is shoot a channel to it through the orange hul early on, dodging their shots aas you go.

[scooterb23]

God I still really, really, really hate this game. Hate hate hate this game. Hated it.