Author Topic: After 7 years I reached the kill screen for the first time!  (Read 4157 times)

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Offline cryo

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After 7 years I reached the kill screen for the first time!
« on: November 13, 2020, 06:40:11 am »
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I got my first kill screen three days ago on Donkey Kong!  I picked up Donkey Kong about 7 years ago with a homemade setup with retropie, I did OK on that, getting up to 354K once on a fluke but usually scoring around 220K.  I also played dozens of times at a local cabinet and at PAX where I would also get in the 220K range of scores.

I eventually settled in on the Arcade Archives version on the Nintendo Switch about a year ago.  I enjoy this version because I could play on the train going to work and back every day which is how I developed my abilities on L5+ levels.

Early 2020 I made a bet with a friend that I could reach the kill screen before the end of 2020.  I let the bet sit for most of 2020 (the coronavirus WFH policies left me with no time on the train) but come October 2020 I started grinding to achieve the kill screen.  My Switch profile says I have played 165 hours.

During the kill screen game I lost my first life on level 16 barrels, then level 18 conveyor, then level 20 barrels.  I started recording on my iPhone when I made it to level 21.  I played pretty sloppy on level 21, I made three errors that I probably wouldn't have made if I wasn't making commentary for the video.  BUT, I didn't die so who cares!

The final score was 812,900 on the International setting of High Score mode on the Switch, that puts me at position 7 on the global high score list in that version.  I am "Mike" in case anyone is checking.

I was not doing anything special to deliberately collect points, I was only trying to run the boards to get my first "kill screen".  I pasted a link to the video above, I cropped in close up until I finished the kill screen and then you can see me checking out the scoreboard and typing in my initials.

Thank you for reading my adventure, I am so happy and content to have reached this goal.
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Offline homerwannabee

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Re: After 7 years I reached the kill screen for the first time!
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2020, 08:06:06 am »
Huge congratulations!  Getting it on the Switch is no easy feat, considering the controllers aren't that precise.   Kreygasm
"Perception forged in delusion and refined by pain"

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"It's like we are able to play beautiful music out there, but no one can hear the instruments"

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Member for 11 Years Former DK3 World Record Holder DK Masters - Rank D DK Killscreener CK Killscreener Blogger Twitch Streamer Former DKJR World Record Holder - MAME DKJR Killscreener DK3 Repetitive Blue Screener

Offline cryo

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Re: After 7 years I reached the kill screen for the first time!
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2020, 08:13:06 am »
Thank you!

You are right about the controls, the Pro Controller d-pad was completely un-usable for me on the Switch!  I exclusively used the joy cons attached to the joy-con grip, that worked pretty well for me.
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Offline dknetter

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Re: After 7 years I reached the kill screen for the first time!
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2020, 02:12:39 pm »
Congrats on the KS! I second the notion that doing this on the Switch is tough due to the controllers. I started playing DK on the Switch last xmas until I achieved my first goal of getting on the top 100 list there, which I think was the limit of where anyone looking could scroll and see your name. After a while, it seemed my score reset or something though...it wasn't there when I checked some weeks later (it's possible my kids played on my account and accidentally reset it). I actually bought a pro controller specifically to play DK because I couldn't get consistent on the regular ones. Even with that though, I always ended up walking off an edge on rivets or else missing a ladder. Anyway, I'm impressed you could play that precise with the Switch controllers in any configuration!
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Offline cryo

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Re: After 7 years I reached the kill screen for the first time!
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2020, 06:37:04 pm »
Thank you!

My main frustration with the pro controller is when you walk past a ladder and end up grabbing it and going up instead of continuing to walk.  THAT is frustrating.
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