Black Widow

[hansolo77]

April 2017 GOTM Winner:  Cynicaster - 125,025 (link)

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Black Widow Leaderboard

 

POSITION	USER NAME	TOTAL SCORE
1	Luigimaker	147,300
2	millerbrad	138,875
3	Cynicaster	125,025
4	ExedExes	114,800
5	hansolo77	56,800
6	rtkiii	55,950
7	GimmeClassics	46,650
8	Floyd Turbo	17,875

Last Updated by hansolo77: 01-19-2020

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Please use these settings when submitting a hi-score for Black Widow:

ROMSet: BWidow
Service Mode: Off
Lives: 5
Difficulty: Medium
Bonus Life: None
Maximum Start: Lev 21
Special Rules: None

The green coloured default values match the Twin Galaxies settings.
The red coloured values need to be changed!

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# you can change your Mame dip switch settings by following this guide:
# you can make a printscreen of your hi-score screen by following this guide:
# general rules for submitting your hi-score:

 

[hansolo77]

Black Widow is a vector arcade game developed by Atari released in 1982. The player takes the role of a Black widow spider defending a web from invading bugs. The player must move the spider around the web while simultaneously shooting/avoiding various bugs and collecting the bonuses that appear after the enemies are eliminated. The game is a twin-stick shooter in the vein of Robotron: 2084 by Williams, but with fewer enemies on-screen.

Black Widow was offered as a conversion kit for Gravitar, which met poor commercial success.^{[citation needed]} The kit used the original Gravitar PCB with a few small modifications and a new set of ROM chips. Many factory-built Black Widows were produced using unsold Gravitar cabinets with Black Widow sideart applied over the Gravitar sideart.

To destroy certain enemies, the player must lure other enemies into destroying them. There is also the Bug Slayer, a bug that helps the player eliminate enemies, with only loss of potential points being the only consequence. The Bug Slayer can help the player in tough situations, but can also prevent the player from achieving the number of extra lives necessary to endure later, more difficult, rounds. Also, other enemies appear on the playing field as eggs, laid by other enemies. The player can move these eggs off the playing field to both eliminate the enemy and receive points, before it reaches maturity.

Enemies and Scoring

• Mosquito - If shot, becomes '$'.
• Beetle - Eats '$', but if shot, becomes '$'.
• Hornet - Lays an egg on '$', but if shot, becomes '$'.
• Egg - Grows to become hornet or spoiler. Must be pushed off the web to score 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, or even 2500 points.
• Grub Steak - Tag for 500, 250, 100, or 50 points—the sooner the better.
• Spoiler - Invulnerable. Can only be destroyed by a grenade bug, bug slayer or rocket bug.
• Grenade Bug - Explodes if shot. Bugs and eggs within the kill zone score 500 points each.
• Rocket Bug - Invulnerable. Launches "rockettes" at black widow from the other bugs it tags. Shoot rockettes to score 1000 points each.
• Thunderbug - If shot, it breaks formation and attacks. If shot again, it explodes all other T-bugs for 5000 points. Keep away from all T-bugs to earn 10000 points. The resulting chain reaction from multiple thunderbugs is very dangerous and can encompass over 80% of the level at some times, depending on how many T-bugs are involved.
• Bug Slayer - Harmless to the player and invulnerable. The Bug Slayer competes with the Black Widow for food. Beat it to its flashing prey for points

James Vollandt holds the official record for this game with a maximum 930,100 points.^[2]

- Quote from Wikipedia

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And here it is!  Our April 2017 GOTM!  This game was voted on, so I don't wanna hear no complaints lol!  Actually, I vaguely remember hearing about this game, but have never played it until today when I was checking the DIPs.  It's actually pretty good, and highly addictive!  Can't wait to see what kind of contest we have in store.  No cheaters!  Even Wikipedia says the official record is only 930,100!  Remember, we're just having fun here!

Another quick side note.. there are some settings you need to change.  There are 2 different competitions over at Twin Galaxies for this game, a Marathon mode, and a Tournament mode.  While I know a bunch of our guys are REALLY good, and can probably play this forever... I felt like the Tournament settings were better.  Rather than giving you less lives but the option of earning more, the Tournament settings limit you to just 5 and no chance to earn more.  That way we won't have a run away circus on our hands.

Lets get those scores coming in!  And thanks to all who participate and keep this forum alive! 

[hansolo77]

Here's my first entry. 

Score: 56,800
Initials: HAN
Wave: 14

[Cynicaster]

Cool... never played this with free lives turned off.  I'll have to see what I can do under these new constraints!

[patrickfx]

OK, 

On 01/04/2017 at 0:40 PM, Cynicaster said:

Cool... never played this with free lives turned off.  I'll have to see what I can do under these new constraints!

daaaaa!

We will have to to some hour to beat you man.  can we ?

Who can ?  Join us to beat Cynicaster

That game look so fun !  

Just like that, who have lcd monitor ?

[Mame Offender]

Let the games begin.

 

This one is fun!!  This GOTM requires me to dust off the X Arcade console, as it is a twin-stick game.  I feel sorry for fellows that will attempt this game on an analog setup.  

[hansolo77]

I hope to see some scores soon.  This is unprecedented.. 8 days in and no scores.  Are the controls the reason we're not seeing anything?  I just used an Xbox controller with 2 analog sticks, and it worked great.

@MO - close, but that's not a Black Widow.. still pretty nasty looking.  Possibly a wolf spider.

[Cynicaster]

 

107,375

In the photo, this is score #7 in the table.  All the higher scores were done with different settings. 

After playing a lot of Robotron, this game is tough to get used to again.  The red barriers drive me nuts, and it is very frustrating getting killed on the bonus stage because you can't fire fast enough.  Cool game, though.   

 

[hansolo77]

Wow I can actually read your screen shot.  Do I need to change the settings in my MAME?  It looks like your lines are thicker or something.  And yes, those red barriers (parts of the web that are missing) are annoying as hell.  I don't know why they just didn't render them, or make them black.  Oh well.  Thanks for posting a score.  I was getting worried!

Updated OP, DB, RSS

[patrickfx]

How did you play it.  With 2 sticks?  I mean, me I have a custom arcade with 2 joy with 6 buttons each.

Controller not work at all!!!

[Mame Offender]

@ Patfx - try inputting the joystick controls: hit tab, then general.

 

Look for left up left down left right left left.  That will be the input for character movement

Look for right up right down right right right left.  That will be the input for shooting.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

 

MO

[patrickfx]

Yes i will help. I just forget you can see control mapping under dip setting.

[Cynicaster]

On 4/9/2017 at 2:12 PM, hansolo77 said:

Wow I can actually read your screen shot.  Do I need to change the settings in my MAME?  It looks like your lines are thicker or something.  And yes, those red barriers (parts of the web that are missing) are annoying as hell.  I don't know why they just didn't render them, or make them black.  Oh well.  Thanks for posting a score.  I was getting worried!

Updated OP, DB, RSS

Yes, there are MAME settings specifically for vector graphics that allow you to make the lines thicker, etc.  

[Cynicaster]

125,025 (4th score on table)

[hansolo77]

Thanks Cyn for trying to keep this months competition alive!    Nice improvement too!

Updated OP, DB, RSS

[ExedExes]

Eventually this game would make it.

The best twin-stick solution I have is the 8bitdo NES30PRO classic controller with its own dual analog sticks. It's useful here.

ExedExes - 114,800

[GeorgeT]

I do like this game, unfortunately my cab is down, monitor needs replaced

 

[rtkiii]

13 hours ago, GeorgeT said:

I do like this game, unfortunately my cab is down, monitor needs replaced

 

Yeah I never played this before but alas my cabinet is in storage because of moving.  Hope to be back up in June.  If you have an old school arcade monitor I have a dig dug one that I am not using.  Located in Indiana.

[hansolo77]

Thanks for submitting a score Exed!  I'm glad to see your post, as I was afraid we'd actually get a month in with only 2 players!  As for that controller.. I was considering getting one of those before everybody here convinced me that an Xbox360 controller was the way to go.  I might still get one, I dunno.

Updated OP, DB, RSS

[GeorgeT]

On 4/24/2017 at 11:40 AM, rtkiii said:

Yeah I never played this before but alas my cabinet is in storage because of moving.  Hope to be back up in June.  If you have an old school arcade monitor I have a dig dug one that I am not using.  Located in Indiana.

nope, just need to find a cheap 19" 4x3 that'll fit my cab.  Thanks tho

 

[hansolo77]

Thanks everybody who participated this month.  Sorry it turned out to be such a let down drag.  I'm not giving up hope though.  I suspect a big part of the reason we didn't see more participation this month is because of the dual-stick requirements.  The only reason I myself was able to make it work was because I'm using a joypad that has 2 thumbsticks.  Next month's game is a sure fire game though.  Everybody's played it, and CAN play it.  There's no excuse (other than rtkiii's moving one!).

So with that said, lets all gather round and congratulate this month's GOTM winner!

Cynicaster - 125,025 (link)

Congrats buddy!  You earned it!  As for everyone else... don't forget you can still submit scores for this game!  I say it every month, and it's still true.  Just because the showcase is over, that doesn't mean your chances of greatness are over.  We absolutely want to see Cynicaster de-throwned.  That's the best part about high scores!  Not only that, but simply submitting a score will earn you points in the overall leaderboard.  We created that so you can climb the ranks quickly without being very good.  So keep those scores coming in!

 

[patrickfx]

Just to keep in touch. For myself i didn't quit this fun competition. It's just less time this month. 3 kids 😆 keep me sometimes busy. Yes the 2 joysticks won't help but it's not only that. Also, i need to clean the area where i play. It's more fun when it's not the bordel.

 

Felicitation to the winner

 

Envoyé de mon SM-G920W8 en utilisant Tapatalk

 

 

[hansolo77]

@patrickfx  It's cool man.  April is over, time for a new GOTM.  People can come back and post scores on this game whenever they want.  No hard feelings.  It's a good time for spring cleaning anyway.  Hope to see you in Frogger!

[Luigimaker]

There is no rule saying the difficulty (in game not dip switch)

[hansolo77]

Yeah, it's in the first post.  Unless you purposely changed it, the default is fine.  I think the IN GAME difficulty is just a level select more or less.  Lets you start off at a higher level.  But you still start with 0 points, so it makes no sense to not start at the beginning.