Who's scoring in the 200k-500k range and actively trying to get a KS?

[Nitelite]

Awesome man! Grats! What a great Xmas gift!

My PB is 476k and end of top 5 is probably 280k. I really want to own a cab and have recently saved up the money to get one. I think once I do I'll be more motivated to really work on my score but I feel really comfortable playing and think a breakout game is around the corner as long as I put some time into it which I haven't been doing of late. Hopefully this upcoming year I'll get a cab and start seriously and consistently working for a ks.

Merry Xmas all!

[jimhappy]

I used to play every chance I could as a kid back in the 80s.  I could score 200k occasionally as a 13 yr old. I would simply run boards to quickly and safely get the bonus.  I had no idea that the game actually had an end. 

As an adult, I rediscovered it in mame, and playing this way got into the 500's. 

After watching the techniques used to get to a record score, I realized that I was essentially playing a different game and started playing much more aggressively.  Now I'm suddenly a terrible player.  I'll have a great pace, but I'm lucky to make it to 200K, and I can't seem to make myself play more conservatively. Seems like everyone else goes for the killscreen first, then works on point pressing.  I'm getting discouraged.

Also, endurance is an issue for me.  I recently got an arcade machine.  Boy, I miss that pause button on MAME.  My phone rings way more than I realized.

Thank you for the free therapy session.

[M.Schrock]

I've been trying to get a KS for 3 or so years my problem is I'll play a ton and then take big layoffs. I scored my PB (682k) march 2020 but stopped playing. I just recently started up again and I am having trouble even getting to 300k. Stamina seems to be the big issue plus some obvious rust.

[VeryApe121]

Some of the best advice I've been given by the greats  (Gilly, Tecchio, Justin, others not mentioned..... but not David) has been don't worry about points and pace.  At my skill I'm going for a Killscreen, not a WR.  The points will come the deeper in your game you get. I've seen this shit happen.   

FUNDAMENTALS!  NUTS AND BOLTS HOCKEY! BACK TO THE BASICS!  MIRACLE ON ICE! ......shit, wrong sport.

Focusing on smart play and not worrying about extra smashes/leaches/grouping has made my game more consistent, and made me more confident when I get in a sticky situation.  No panicking anymore, just laser-like focus...unless of course Carl is in the chat, then my game is ruined. 

This community is pretty damn great, so listen when these guys who are good players give us advice.  They've been mediocre hacks like us before, and look at them now!  They have all the women  , all the Bitcoins  , and unlimited booze    .......well, maybe they don't have those things, but they have stuff.

If David get's a Killscreen before me, I make a solemn vow to name my next child after him.   

[ww]

They have all the women  , all the Bitcoins  , and unlimited booze    .......well, maybe they don't have those things, but they have stuff.

iirc, the things that helped me the most--

find and use a reliable (and efficient) system, like Justin says, whatever you find that works, and stick to it, stick to your own rules.  this system and rules are there for whatever your goal is, in this case your only concern is to avoid deaths.  do everything you can to avoid deaths.  learn from deaths, figure out how you could've avoided them, as much as possible.  zoning out and surviving for several hundred thousand is a very good thing, though of course you simultaneously need enough focus to do it right.  being in practice is good.  simultaneously caring and not caring too much about a single game is good.  enjoying the game is good.  being mentally tough & optimistic despite bad circumstances is good, don't give up when the timer's running out--always take your best shot at it, it's surprising how many times you can pull one out of the fire.  recover mentally from a death as soon as possible, taking advantage when you still have a good game going.

i came up with a survival philosophy for rivets & pies that seems to work for killscreen hunting.  when things get hairy, i retreat & make the fires come & kill me.  i refuse to panic when surrounded, when panicking would probly lead to killing myself by running into one of them, i'm always retreating, re-evaluating & looking for the safest spot.  on pies, this sometimes means staying on the 1st girder until traffic clears, but when they're making the bottom dangerous, i look for a way through, still making them get me as much as possible, not getting myself, while taking my best shot through when it's necessary.

unlimited booze, you say, Gary?   maybe that should be 

[10yard]

I recorded a score of 252,100 yesterday,  and that's my first time reaching 200K.  I came unstuck with several stupid mistakes on the barrel stage.  Still reasonably happy though.  My confidence is on the up because the elevators did not trouble me on that run. 

I made it to level 8 so a killscreen is miles away for me yet.  I'll keep plugging away.

Oh and hi,  I'm Jon.  First time poster and huge DK fan.

[McBee]

The advice I wish I had been given when I hit 200K and thought "let's work for a kill screen":

[Retro Russ]

Yes, recently I made a point of watching YouTube videos and trying to find out how to progress my game to the next level- I had got to 250,000 on several occasions. So after watching some and asking questions like how to avoid the wild barrel Kong drops at point blank range on you when jumping for the top hammer on the fifth girder on the barrels levels- my game has improved a lot. I know level 5 onwards is the same difficulty and just keeps repeating with the odd random aspect thrown in. So my game is now up to 339,900 and got to L10-4. I thought I had the springs nailed- but I have now put MAME2015 in my scratchbuild cabinet and for some reason the springs are foxing me. Maybe I need to readjust to their timings again. So apparently I am 41% to ks- and want to keep progressing.

[elbee85]

I got my first KS on the May 14, 855,500. I'd been playing on and off for three years. It feels like a boulder has lifted off my shoulders.

For anyone persuing a KS, stop before insanity prevails...

In all seriousness, I found having someone who knows the game and has reached the KS a few times watch my games and give feed back to be invaluable. The community is pretty friendly in that regard.