Arcade - Mortal Kombat - Points [Tournament Settings] - 25,402,000 - Patrick Maher

Points [Tournament Settings]
Score Track	https://www.twingalaxies.com/scores.php?scores=11356
Rules	Dip Switch Bank 1: 1-4 = OFF 5 = OFF/ON [Comic Book Offer On/Off] 6-8 = OFF/UNUSED Dip Switch Bank 2: 1 = ON/OFF [Dip Switch Coin/CMOS Determined Coin] 2-6 = OFF 7 = OFF/ON [1 Counter/2 Counters] 8 = OFF/ON [Game Mode/Test Mode - Set Options Here] Test Mode--------- Computer Difficulty = 5 Very Hard Note: The above Dip Switches, when properly designated, will give the following Twin Galaxies Tournament Settings, used for this title; Blood, Violence & Low Blows = On Difficulty: 5 Very Hard
Submission Message	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce0AaJzVCp4 Video includes Reptile and Test Your Might prereqs. Run starts at 43:45.

Ok, I'll be the first respond and bring up what everyone should be noticing - It appears the that game is a continuation of the game with Johnny Cage that preceded the submitted run.

I believe this is done to manipulate the secret battle with Reptile, as he a random chance encounter but must be beaten on player 2 side for the large 10 million point bonus. I'm assuming the current top leaderboard score by Triforce was played on player 2 side, as well.

While I'm not sure how everyone else would see this (not letting the continue counter reach zero) does it count as continuing that game...even though the score is reset? Other things that are manipulated by doing this are the "test your might" mini-game bonuses, which start at much higher values than "fresh start", i.e. wood = 100k points is the first test your might in a new run, in this run the first test your might is steel worth 500k, and the values go up from there: 2nd test your might in fresh run = stone worth 200k, 2nd test your might in this run = ruby worth 1 million, final test your might in fresh run = steel worth 500k, final test your might in this run = diamond worth 2 million. As you can see, this is a large chunk of points that aren't obtainable in a fresh run.

I'm still not sure how I'm voting, but I wanted to point out the things that some adjudicators that haven't played the game before should know to look at and consider while voting - hope this helps in everyone's adjudicating!
@The Kombat King - feel free to correct any of my information, as it been awhile since I've played MK 1.

- Pete

The MAME and some of the other Arcade ports say "No Continues" under their rules. It's not mentioned on the rules for this variation. I would assume Triforce broke the higher point blocks as well. So if Triforce's counted shouldn't The Kombat King's count too? Maybe the previous era of TG forgot to add certain rules to the Arcade rule set after permitting Reptile into the rule set on that platform. The MAME rule set is as follows:

ROMSet: MK
Test Switch: Off
Counters: Two
Coinage: USA-1
Coinage Source: CMOS
Skip Post Test: On
Unused: Off [Both]
Attract Sound: On
Low Blows: On
Blood: On
Violence: OnInternal Settings
-----------------Free Play: No
Computer Difficulty: 5 - Very HardSpecial Rules: This is a Single Player ONLY Variation! You may freely choose from any available character.In an effort to allow players the opportunity to earn the bonus for beating the secret character Reptile, an amendment to the standard rules for recording MAME inps applies to this title. Specifically, the player may play more than one game in the same inp recording to allow for the criteria required for Reptile to appear can occur. To this end the player may repeatedly play the game while winning. Verification stops with the first loss. If the player succeeds in completing the game without a loss, they may insert another credit and play again.Only the highest scoring single game in the inp will count, and must not utilize continues. Use of continues will void the inp recording; likewise, all other standard rules of MAME recording and submission still apply. Furthermore, once the option to fight Reptile occurs, this must be the last game of the inp recording (whether you get to fight Reptile or not, whether you beat him or not). Once the "criteria" to possibly fight Reptile has occurred, you may not begin another game on the same inp; you must start a new inp recording if you want to try again.To avoid disqualification of your MAME inp recording for this title, please refer any questions you might have, to a referee, before recording/submitting, if this rule amendment is unclear to you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Riot Chaos

The MAME and some of the other Arcade ports say "No Continues" under their rules. It's not mentioned on the rules for this variation. I would assume Triforce broke the higher point blocks as well. So if Triforce's counted shouldn't The Kombat King's count too? Maybe the previous era of TG forgot to add certain rules to the Arcade rule set after permitting Reptile into the rule set on that platform. The MAME rule set is as follows:

ROMSet: MK
Test Switch: Off
Counters: Two
Coinage: USA-1
Coinage Source: CMOS
Skip Post Test: On
Unused: Off [Both]
Attract Sound: On
Low Blows: On
Blood: On
Violence: OnInternal Settings
-----------------Free Play: No
Computer Difficulty: 5 - Very HardSpecial Rules: This is a Single Player ONLY Variation! You may freely choose from any available character.In an effort to allow players the opportunity to earn the bonus for beating the secret character Reptile, an amendment to the standard rules for recording MAME inps applies to this title. Specifically, the player may play more than one game in the same inp recording to allow for the criteria required for Reptile to appear can occur. To this end the player may repeatedly play the game while winning. Verification stops with the first loss. If the player succeeds in completing the game without a loss, they may insert another credit and play again.Only the highest scoring single game in the inp will count, and must not utilize continues. Use of continues will void the inp recording; likewise, all other standard rules of MAME recording and submission still apply. Furthermore, once the option to fight Reptile occurs, this must be the last game of the inp recording (whether you get to fight Reptile or not, whether you beat him or not). Once the "criteria" to possibly fight Reptile has occurred, you may not begin another game on the same inp; you must start a new inp recording if you want to try again.To avoid disqualification of your MAME inp recording for this title, please refer any questions you might have, to a referee, before recording/submitting, if this rule amendment is unclear to you.

---

Interesting by the rules for MAME this submission is invalid as its a continue. Im certain Triforce did the same thing as its really the only way to get this score but did he "continue" or play 1 game over and over and over until Reptile showed up? Pretty dicey here but I don't really see anything wrong here. The game is from the first man on and manipulating the game to get the Test your Might and Reptile bonuses are ok. I think the "continue" rule for MAME seems pretty silly all things considered. Anyone wonder why its so against continues?? Shouldn't the actual GAME from first player to Shang Tsung matter? I want to accept this as overall its an awesome game and i doubt he couldnt just play it with scorpion over and over and over if necessary.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by danman1234

Interesting by the rules for MAME this submission is invalid as its a continue. Im certain Triforce did the same thing as its really the only way to get this score but did he "continue" or play 1 game over and over and over until Reptile showed up? Pretty dicey here but I don't really see anything wrong here. The game is from the first man on and manipulating the game to get the Test your Might and Reptile bonuses are ok. I think the "continue" rule for MAME seems pretty silly all things considered. Anyone wonder why its so against continues?? Shouldn't the actual GAME from first player to Shang Tsung matter? I want to accept this as overall its an awesome game and i doubt he couldnt just play it with scorpion over and over and over if necessary.

---

Looking at the top MARP score, the player was able to achieve 15 million on a "fresh run" without starting with the higher test your might bonuses, but not fighting into reptile for the extra 10M; I don't know if you want to factor that into your decision.

I'm a bit foggy on remembering how often the Reptile battle randomly occurs. I do know as much as you have to get a double flawless victory and fatality on "The Pit" level, but Reptile only comes out to challenge you if there is an object (Santa w/reindeer, a witch, ect) flying past the moon at the start of the battle.

I think Triforce is still somewhat active here, maybe we should hear what the current record holder thinks? @TriForce

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GGA HAN

I'm a bit foggy on remembering how often the Reptile battle randomly occurs.

---

40 Fights. One player or two player. Doesn't matter. There are 12 fights in the tower. The pit stage is the 4th fight. So after completing the game 3 times, the reptile pre-reqs will be met by the 4th match of your 4th playthrough. At that point, all you've got to do is get a double flawless and a fatality without blocking. Easy ;)

In my case, I wanted the Ruby and Diamond bonuses too. So after fighting through the tower twice, I defeated player 2 ten times to get the first 2 "Test Your Might" stages out of the way. This does require hitting continue. The ruleset for this game doesn't say I can't continue (understandably so, since it wipes your score after each continue).

I was intentionally defeated in a round after that, so my points would wipe back to zero. Carrying over points from a 2 player match is something I think we would all take issue with, so of course I didn't do that. I started my run with a clean slate.

Oh, and the player 2 side... I had to use it because Reptile only gives you a 2m point bonus on the player 1 side (even thought it will say 10,000,000 on screen). You can't go over 20m without being player 2, period.

Thanks for respectfully adjudicating this one folks! You guys are making me spoil all the secrets! :(

I played on player 2 side for the max points
Killed myself at a certain part of the game, so when I start over from scratch (no continues as stated by rules and ref at the time. However this is a different TG so I don't know if that changed) the "Test Your Might" continues to get harder as if the game was still playing (secret, not telling anyone)
Keep doing this till you run into Reptile, when you get reptile, hope that you have Ruby and Diamond.
Beat Game, should have anywhere from 22 million - 26 million.
Don't assume I do anything to make your opinion on what was done valid.

That's all I will say on the matter.

Don't message me either. This is should be sufficient information.

No, I'm not voting either.

I really wasn't going to say anythig about this as I didn't know how Triforce achieved this record but after reading his post, If Triforce did not continue then I don't see how this attempt is acceptble. Unless you make a new variation that allows you to continue because of the different rom set then that's a different story. However I personally can't accept a continuation of a arcade game.

That grecord attempt started from a continue. Had he started a new game I wouldn't have an issue but it was from a continue instead.

Track doesn't say no continues.

You folks are welcome to create a new track that specifically disallows continues and submit there.

Last guy who took issue with how I beat his score did just that.