bradtech blog

[bradtech519]

Been playing DK as of last Friday 8/10/2018. . Today(8/17/2018) I went back to the arcade and scored 78,700 & 72,300.  Which both beat 70,300 from yesterday. My best on a keyboard in wolfmame is 72,000 and can be found on my twitch feed https://www.twitch.tv/bradtech519/videos .   I tried recording arcade games but phone moves around in my shirt pocket.  I'm thinking of buying either the Hori Real Arcade for PS4/PS3/PC or x-arcade solo for home to practice on. I find the joystick better for my style of play than keyboard.  Today was the first time I made it to the 3rd elevator/flying spring board. Man I wasn't prepared for the speed of the spring & lost 2 men on it. If I had been prepared for that I think it would have had a good shot at 100k.  This was my 78k game. I'm going to have to watch how people deal with it. My pattern for the first couple of spring/elevator boards won't work.   Seems like I am now consistently putting up more 50-70k games instead of 10-30k.  The barrel throws wiped me out on the 72k game.  I lost 2 men to random throws that didn't go my way. Seemed like yesterday was barrel flame aggro day.  My 70k game had a couple deaths to flames.  I'd like to buy a cabinet but they seem to be going for $1500+ in this area. But I also seem to be doing as good on an arcade with not much play time compared to the keyboard. I find the joystick way easier to do backjumps.

[bradtech519]

I changed my mame keyboard config around and I like it much better.  I am using w to move up ladders, d to move down, a to move left, and d to move right. I am using the numlocks enter key.  This layout is more in line with playing on a DK cabinet.  I am slamming the Enter key like it's an actual button.  I plan on buying a stick for home to play mame on.  I improved my Mame by 1,900 points to 73,900 and lost 3 men on the same level. Seems to be a mental & skills issue so far on jumping certain patterns of barrels. I am improving somewhat on barrel movement.  But I am still dying "junk deaths" as I call them on some easy things as well that I shouldn't die on.  I imagine it's just lack of experience.

I studied the 3rd elevator board last night on youtube.  Watching key things that other players bring up.  Watching where the spring lands between kongs legs and when to run for the ladder or wait.  If I had known this yesterday I would have at least broke beyond the 78,700 & with bonus got 80k+.  My goal is to hit 100k by the end of week 2.  But if I don't hit that goal I won't be disappointed & will press on. I imagine plateauing will occur & possibly even some regression like with anything.

 

[bradtech519]

I made it to the 3rd elevator stage today on the arcade cabinet.  I totally choked with all 3 lives left up to that point. My score was 84,100 with all 3 lives left. The spring nailed me all three times  . My mind was fried after that game . I scored 77k and died on the barrel stage prior next try. I think it was because I knew 3rd elevator was next & thinking more about what the heck I was going to do. Going over all the strats I've read to beat it & videos I've watched showing how to beat it.   Was like a punch in the gut. It is a new personal best on the cabinet which is great. But I was on a roll and could have rolled beyond 100k.   I'm going to break down & use save states tonight and play nothing but that stage. That's the 2nd time it's defeated me. I even had a mental break & died on elevator stage #2 with all my lives which I never done before on my final attempts & scored 50k

On a positive note my barrel control is coming together. on the later barrel boards  I still can't avoid about half of the barrels kong throws wild. I try to remember safe spots to stay in to avoid them. But you can't sit there forever & have to move.  I enjoy playing on the cabinet more than mame.  The stick for me is superior to the keyboard.  I feel like I play better on the cabinet than mame. I was going to buy a cabinet but the seller doesn't want to ship.  I am going to have to get a good stick to play on mame/PC.  The 3rd elevator stage is what stands in my way of getting to 100k+.  Along with wild barrels & barrel flames that go insane.

I'm doing well on the pie factory boards. I've Watched Robbie Lakeman &  movements at the beginning of that board. Where you don't move until they spawn & move to the left.  That has lead to fewer deaths there. Still pushing to hit 100k by my 14th day of playing DK. 

[bradtech519]

Can't stand playing on keyboard at home.  It's driving me nuts. I'm missing jumps I'm pulling off on a stick.   I choked tonight at home after getting past 3rd spring and died twice on level after.  97k on mame tonight.  I hit 120k, 110k, and 100k on the three games at the arcade. Before my 97k chokefest on mame tonight. I had some horrible games around 30-50k.  I'm glad I hit 100k+ finally today though. 

[bradtech519]

Little over 4 weeks playing.  Personal best 220k and some change.  I hit another 200k game. Games between 150-190k are becoming normal now.  Dying around 80-100k is becoming less normal but still happens.  I had a personal best start without dying up to 163k on a DK cabinet at arcade. But got wiped out by 180-190k.  I feel like the biggest gain is being more confident on the latest springs boards.  I developed a bad habit of dying before I get to the safe spot.  Right after I got the other part down on when to go and retreat. Hoping to break 220k soon. I feel like I am better now than I was when I got 220k.  I am getting higher averages. I am better on the spring board.