Where did September go? We're already staring down our first full week of October achievements and the calendar change-over hasn't slowed down the pace of competition. This week the Scoreboard Spotlight has selected an assortment of performances that were peer-reviewed through the Twin Galaxies Submission and Adjudication Process (TGSAP), which span arcade, console, handheld, and mobile games - something for everyone! So let's begin!
David Goss - Galaxians Part 4 (MAME) - Points
David Goss joined the TG community in 2017 so he's no stranger to witnessing remarkable video game achievements. But unlike some members who sent in their first submission shortly after registering, David focused on supporting fellow members by adjudicating their high score runs. That changed this year when he made a splash on the leaderboards with a big score on a big arcade title - the retro shooter Galaxian Part 4. In a classic "human versus alien" showdown, David commanded his own starfighter as he defended himself against successive waves of agile and determined aliens intent on his destruction. For over an hour, David weathered the onslaught with a quick trigger finger as well as patience so he could maximize his score, like when he held his fire until the alien convey began its descent to attack so he could earn bigger points. Forty seven attack waves later, David's game ended with 247,050 points where he beat a 5 year old TG record to take first place on the emulation leaderboard.
Luke Norman - Fast and Furious Super Cars (Arcade) - Fastest Race - Florida
It's easy to tell two things about Luke Norman when it comes to competitive gaming - he loves arcades, and he loves the arcade racer Fast and Furious Super Cars. In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Luke has established himself as a prolific competitor thanks to his 25 TG world records on the game. And with his most recent submission, Luke earned another claim to first place with a fastest race time on the Florida track. Surrounded by the sights and sounds of a busy arcade, Luke kept his focus on the screen and the finish line. What made this outing a fun-filled visit to the Sunshine State was a race course that ran through a variety of Florida landmarks, including the crazy spectacle of racing underneath a couple of space shuttles as they were blasting off. But the real action was ultimately Luke's driving as he broke the laws of physics and deftly handled a series of car backflips and helicopter spins as he sped through the course, along with an ample helping of drifting for that added edge. When Luke crossed the finish line in 1:26.05, he broke a record set in August and claimed his own for a spectacular result.
Kireeti Phani Devarakonda - Candy Crush Saga (iOS) - Level 162
With over 170 TG world records and counting on the iOS game Candy Crush Saga, it's clear that Kireeti Phani Devarakonda isn't worried about getting a sugar high. And he isn't alone - since its debut in 2012, the game has been downloaded over 3 billion times with a community of 94 million players at its peak in 2014. With a giant field of competition, perhaps it's inevitable that Kireeti would step up with some giant moves of his own. For the latest track he crushed, we turn our attention to his recent submission on Level 162. With 9 tactical moves on the candy playfield, Kireeti not only fulfilled all of the level's candy order requirements but he completed his task with a giant 19 moves to spare. With that many unused moves to cash in, Kireeti set himself up for a nice big point haul and a final score of 168,120 points for a new leaderboard record.
Peter Johansson - Summer Games (Commodore 64) - EMU - Skeet Shooting - Points
Peter Johansson excels as a competitor and a record holder on one of the greatest computer platforms ever released, the Commodore 64. When Jack Trameil launched the system in 1982, he unleashed an unrivaled gaming machine that earned millions of devoted followers over the years, including Peter. Among his growing roster of C64 records, Peter recently took aim at a first place finish playing Summer Games in emulation. His chosen field of competition was Skeet Shooting - an event already populated with a distinguished list of TG gamers tied for first place - and Peter was determined to join them. Training his virtual cross-hairs on a volley of blue and red pixelated clay targets, Peter worked his way through several attempts until he took aim and hit all 25 targets for a maximum score on the event and another TG world record.
Jeff Adkins - Choplifter! (ColecoVision) - Skill 4
With 15 TG world records and counting on the ColecoVision video game system, you can safely say that Jeff Adkins is just getting started. In fact, all of Jeff's records save one are found on the silver-and-black console that debuted back in 1982. For his latest foray, Jeff went all in to save the hostages on the multi-platform title Choplifter! But Jeff had his work cut out for him - the record he was looking to beat was an impressive 61 successful rescues set all the way back in 2000. And with the added challenge of playing the game on its maximum difficulty, the enemy jets and tanks were going to be especially keen to take down Jeff's rescue helicopter and his world record aspirations with it. But where there's ColecoVision history to be made, Jeff was going to make every attempt count. And so it happened on his final attempt - dodging tank fire with his last group of hostages, Jeff made a critical split-second manoeuver to avoid an incoming missile just as he was preparing to land at his base with 16 rescues to end his game with a new TG record run of 64.
This covers our Scoreboard Spotlight for this week. As a reminder, these were just a few of exceptional records that were adjudicated and accepted recently. Every record that made it through verification and landed on our leaderboards has a well-deserved place in the Twin Galaxies gaming pantheon.
Keep scoring high, finishing fast, and game on!
