Commando High Scores

Gotcha, Paul.
Msg understood and what a nice guy - that's incredibly generous and decent of Rob.
I do hope his life is happier now and he returns to his retro hobby someday.

 

A nice challenge for all the original Atarians. Me, I'm more a Commodorian, and although Commando was very popular for the C64 (and very similar to the A8 version, or is it the other way around, which version came out first?) I've always been useless with this game. At the time it was released, I remember me staring at the screen while my friends kept trying to beat their own high scores, instead of testing myself against the game. I barely could pass the first two levels... Maybe I can find a "trainee/cracked" version with infinite lives or I can prepare myself by studying a long gameplay video on YT...

After all, it is a great motivation to pull out one of my Atari 8-bit computers and have a go at this classic game. Considering my venerable age, my reflexes are more than a little fogged and I can barely kill a dozen enemies before I get shot.

If I ever achieve a respectable result, I will let you know.

 

Hi Alex/Dave/Dazza!

I hear you, mate - Commando can be very very tricky - opponents and deadly bullets/grenades flying in all directions on the EXPERT level and age/time/rusty reactions are against us!

Do please have a go - even if it's just to try out the old Atari 8bit, boot up an old classic and just "experience" that rush you get from meeting an old friend...see if you suffer from the same old "age old" problems as me - my 1st score typically per session ends up being my best score and all the rest are hopeless and in fact get WORSE!!!

Guys, there must be a term for this condition - is it merely "First Time Lucky" syndrome or basically we get crapper as we get older?!

Here we go in words and pictures:


Baz getting "in the mood"

First go and it's a CORKER!


Blasted those gooks to kingdom come and scored a very nice 26,200.

But after this, things went from bad to worse...



19,200 - and lots more lower scores until finally...


5,500... and worse - they got so bad that the air turned blue with expletives and I had to switch off before Bev booted my ass out the front door and into the night...

Guys - a new high score just a little higher than Al's but I sense that it's very beatable - I only reached the "rocks" section after the 1st round when the door opens and there's a road bridge above which a motorcycle comes along but I can not as yet hit it with a grenade... we need a Commando Chief to come on here and give us some EXPERT hints n tips.

Could that guy... BE YOU?!

JOIN US (Daz, Manu, Rich, Matt & co) and let us know how YOU get on.

 

Dang you Andy!

"I'll be back"

 

Commando was C64 first Alex, it never came out officially on the Atari, the folks at Elite decided the Atari wasn't up to it (I know, I asked Mr Wilcox at the time), and they were moving away from the Atari (not that they did hardly anything for it, I think Airwolf was their only contribution). The job was handed to Chris Butler, he was the go-to guy for arcade ports and produced superb versions (considering). Along with a stunning Rob Hubbard soundtrack made Commando an instant C64 classic.

That said, the Atari version is a work of art, it makes me compare it to Space Harrier (oddly another game converted to the C64 by Chris Butler) which was decided to be too much for the Atari, well Sheddy on AtariAge proved them wrong with a simply mind blowing arcade port that knocked spots off the C64 version. Ok, Sheddy had years of coding on the Atari and extra memory to play with that Chris didn't, but the Atari version is amazing.

I sadly, am also rubbish at the game..Now my playing is harder I'm reverting to historian mode

 

I just lurve your rich knowledge, your contacts, your stories, your references back and the links and friendships you've made over the years, Paul, that brings these games and the immense work that went into their coding instantly back to life - you weave a great story fabric and before long we kinda know these amazing guys too - through your words and experiences.

Many many thanks for always chipping in with your amazing rich tapesty of retro micro stories, mate - we'll do the shooting, getting beat and dying - ingloriously as we're bleedin gaming cannon fodder!

Sincerely, c'mon, folks - let's make the comp a bit of fun and something of a success by having a few more efforts at booting up this great conversion and paying a bit of homage to the programmer(s) and getting some more feedback and scores from a few more of our marvellous members - it would make all the difference hearing from yous too.

 

Yep, I love hearing from those times, we have all had our moments with what we would call our heroes, I just happened to be in the right place a lot of times. So if you have a nice story about those times, I'd love to hear it.

 

Been very busy with work since I got back from my holiday but this weekend I'm going to load up Commando and get my joystick wagging!

 

What you do in the comfort of your home is your own business, my mate. A Labour government may look to tax you on joystick waggling but if you wiggle shrewdly you may get a new high score, qualify for tax credits and be entitled to keyboard chaos and trackball bashing. Be bold, grab those grenades and as you pull the pin think of storming those sassenachs. Good luck, Marine!

 

Careful Andy, if you get any more excited, your pisstool might go off by accident..

 

Every night's a firework night here, Paul... if I can remember!!!

 

Odd, Bev said something about "a damp squib"...No idea what she meant..

 

I still can't get above my own 'high score' on Commando. I'll keep bashing that joystick though....

 

Just had another dozen or so cracks at Commando and the scores/feedbacks are in...

Officially I'm shite.

Most games I couldn't get more than 4-6k.

Only twice did I manage a 20K and a 24K:





As Al reports, I can't beat my previous best either (26,200).

C'mon, fellas - this comp is ripe for someone else to come in and show me and Al how to do it... and nick the bragging rights

 

Had a wee try and not only was I awful but the neck just kicked in instantly.

Really annoys as I have about 5 PS4 games I simply will probably never enjoy...

Best of luck to you guys tho, may you smash these scores..My top tip, play while you still can..

 

Sorry I couldn't join in the fun fellas, my Atari's are down atm. But trust me, it wouldn't be a contest. I've finished the game multiple times on expert. I can't say I'd be as good at the C64 version, as I've never played it. My history starts with the 7800 version in the late 80's and I became an expert at Commando, Xevious, Xenophobe, Ikari Warriors, etc. Later I didn't own a 7800 but I did have Commando and Xenophobe on the Atari 8-bit which play pretty much the same, just a slight drop in graphic goodness. And, of course, I used to play the arcade versions before they were home versions. Shooters being one of my favorite genres.

 

Right lads, he's too good, send Commander (Bidens ex dog) over to see him...

 

;-) !!!

 

Hey, hey, hey.... just spotted on a restaurant wall not 5mins from where we inhabit the biome...

THIS:



Yer not telling me whoever is responsible for this wasn't playing Commando (on the Atari of course) not 5mins before commencing his piece de resistance?

Comments, please...

PS> Not sure why Mr Wimpy/Mario appears bottom right. Again, maybe some member on here can enlighten us?

 

There you go - Ray's Place or Commando?

You decide:


ABOVE: New level for Commando discovered not 5mins from ere.

 

Not sure they have crows in palm tree lands And why have you got sonic doing a spin attack in the pic

 

A week to go, I believe, I'm sure we mentioned something about deadline being 31/10/23 for this one when I was away with Bev in France... just saying - a week to go - get yer Atari and this game booted up nice and sweet tonight / today and let's see you HIT THE TOP OF THE SCORE TABLE - 26,200 to beat - a very beatable score.

 

I'll be back....

 

I never arrived!

 

You came too soon, bud...