the_wizard_666

And a superior player will do both, maximizing where they can, but sacrificing where needed for the larger goal.

They're right near the start of the level and only available on the second loop of the stage. So without looping the level, you won't get a free horse. My guess is the dude who made the maps didn't loop the stages more than once, so they wouldn't have shown up. I've tried hitting them at the start of the level, but the horse only spawns on the second loop. I would guess the later levels would do the same thing, but I've only played them on games that I'd died, so I was collecting posters and never got to the point where the horse would appear.

Hey, further reading of the rules raises another question - not one I'm likely to require, but someone may get there at some point. Basically, the way it sounds (take a picture during the ending and then at the start of level 1 to get the score), am I correct in assuming we're to only play through one game loop? Research shows it takes three to beat the game 100% (it no longer allows you to continue after three loops, per a video on YouTube that plays through all three), but I would understand not having to do all three for the purpose of the competition. I just want to make it clear that the run actually ends after one loop in case someone manages to pull it off.

I did read it, and it sounds like you're right. I posted in the post that I made it to the third boss, but it is indeed progress first, then score...so I'll edit in where I died.

I checked on the ROM site I use because they usually have major ROM revisions, and I found nothing. So then I checked Bootgod's database, and every variant posted had either NES-GK-0 or PAL-GK-0 on the mask ROM. So in this case, it's solely a variation to the label and not the actual game. There would be a revision to the mask ROM otherwise, as the -0 refers to the revision. So a REV A would be -1, a REV B would be -2, etc. Note that for games with separate PRG and CHR ROMs though, that the revision doesn't have to apply to both. SMB 3 for example has a -1 on the PRG but NOT the CHR, as only the PRG was modified for the revision. So TL/DR - No, there are no (known) ROM revisions for Gun.Smoke that I can find.

I found the one in the first stage. Never found one on stage 2 (still haven't made it on one life, but I've played out my games). I know you can buy one, but 20K just isn't worth it...and I only really have issues when there's a shitton on the screen at once, so a few smart bombs probably couldn't hurt. 8K for an extra hit that clears the screen? Sign me up EDIT: Well, the horse is a requirement for me on level 2, and since there isn't actually one to be found, I had to spend the points...but then I never would've beat the boss without it (took too many hits...gotta learn his pattern). Having to buy the poster makes it tough to maintain a solid score too, but then that's what makes it a challenge I suppose. I'm just glad to have a valid participation score.

Well shit, I guess my new score won't either I still haven't made it to level 2 on one life. Been playing through anyway, but yeah, I always seem to die at least once. Maybe I'll buy a smart bomb to get an extra hit though...

@BeaIank I need a ruling before I update my score. I accidentally picked up the Wanted poster on level 1, but I did so after I had already paid for it. I know it's supposed to kill the run, but because I did take the 20K point hit shortly before snagging it. I feel like it's a minor issue, but something that should probably be addressed early on.

Well, I'm gonna enjoy my time at the top of the leaderboard, since this is gonna be the only time I'm there on this game

Speaking of which, what's the skull do?

Well, the level won't loop, that'd be the first clue. I'm not sure where they are to pick them up for free though, so I'm not certain on that, but I believe it'll look like a wanted poster when you pick it up, so if it spawns, don't pick it up?

So I just discovered that you can shoot forward by hitting A and B at the same time...not sure if that's gonna make a huge difference or not, but it definitely helps on some spots

It's not a poster, it's the full label. Just like having both Metroids. Unlike something like Untouchables, which had some game modifications to go with the label change (iirc it's just the title screen, but it's still a change), I don't think there was a modification to the ROM on this one, just the label itself.

You mean you're NOT done with Capcom? Damn dude, get on it! Anyway, no score update...there would've been one, but I bought the shotgun on my first run through. Definitely makes a huge difference on the back half of the stage. Anyway, screen stopped scrolling, and got shot by one of the final enemies before the boss...yeah, I suck

He has both. Who's the loser?

Which cover do you have? There's two different ones...

Stage 5; 120,060 Third Score - Well, playing out my runs has paid off, as I somehow managed to get through level 4 without dying. I feel I got lucky though, more than anything...but I did capitalize on it. I had not had a death on the level 4 boss prior, and didn't start this time around either, beating him handily. Sadly, level 5 combines a shitton of enemies coming from behind and reduced mobility in the level proper, so I didn't get terribly far into it, but I got much further than I thought I could already. Maybe a full loop is possible. Hell, maybe I can get level 4 as down as I did the first three so I can do more than a single loop without risk of my run going south. Doubtful, but who knows. Second Score - So it's weird...I've never lost on level 2, but have more runs than I can count that don't make it past the first stage. Anyway, this run I found a horse on both levels 2 and 3, helping me last a LOT longer than normal. Got as far as the third boss. I'm starting to think I'd be better served, both in terms of practice and score, if I maximize my loops, at least on the first two stages. I haven't done more than one loop on each stage - in this run, I did only two loops on each stage, so there's definitely room for improvement. But not having to pay $20K for the horses helps a ton. First Valid Score - Well, finally managed to beat level 1, and beat level 2 on my first shot, albeit by purchasing a horse on level 2. A smart bomb on level 3 kept me going for a bit, but not far enough to matter unfortunately. The fact that I'm not a shooter guy means this may be the peak of my abilities, but the game is decent enough that I'll give it a good honest go. Gonna keep playing through my games to get better at it, and hopefully be able to put together a much longer no-death run...maybe even without having to buy extra horses along the way to get the distance... First Score - Yeah, I suck at this game. Note that it costs 20K to buy the first poster, so you'll likely have to do at least one loop (I didn't miss much, and was only half way there). On level 1, it's the dude...not sure if that's uniform through the entire game, but it's true for the first stage. Anyway, I don't expect to do much more than a participation score this week, but I do intend to try and improve on this regardless.

Honestly, I'd love to get my hands on a copy of Family Basic and the tape deck so I can try this out. While none of the games look spectacular, they all look like otherwise unreleased games (the tug-of-war one with two Marios against two Luigis looks like it could be a fun party game ). All told, I think it's kind of a neat little novelty!

And a 1% chance some dude swapped his 5 screw board into my 3 screw shell But that's okay, I was fine with it

That's assuming that the cart has never received a back swap during it's lifetime.

Oh yeah, they're all English translations, including MSG. That one is pricey for a few reasons - expensive donor, expensive chips, and tons of work to make it happen. My costs to make it are more than double what other repros cost. Also, I still have to get around to making that label happen for your SimCity repro. Been pretty busy inventorying things and deciding what fat to trim off the collection shelves, but it's definitely on the to-do list.

His argument is that the manufacturing of the game came in 2001. Not the programming. The definition fits.

Having played all three console releases of Uncharted Waters, I can honestly say that the NES version is the best. Sure, there's aspects of each that are better than the others - the Genesis version's sailing speed is far better, and the SNES audio does it's magic, but the gameplay feels best on the NES.

Yeah, I agree with it being a US release in this case, but it's a touchy subject that has been beat to death But the reason I say it's a release is because Sachen themselves released it. Sachen is a real company, and a known publisher/developer. While the quantities are smaller than many homebrew runs, they also didn't make a finite run of them - if there was a fifth person who called and ordered 100 copies, there would've been a fifth print run and more than double the number of copies floating around than there already are. A side note on Huge Insect though - it was released without a manual, which actually aids the consideration of Cheetahmen II as a release without a manual...that said, the fact that it wasn't Active distributing it kills that one in my view, but for those that don't care who released it, then it's not even the only release without a manual

Huge Insect was released by Sachen, and like most of the Sachen 72 pin games, they were made to order and shipped to whoever would order them. That said, since all four printings were commissioned by people in the US and distributed by them, it's one of the only Sachen releases that can be definitively pinned as a specific US release. That said, due to Sachen's publishing history, if someone in PAL-land had made an order, they likely would've made the exact same carts and shipped them the exact same way, as they did with every other release of theirs. If anything, I think Sachen being region-free is the best option for them, as they didn't differentiate their games based on where the games were being sold. As such, Huge Insect is a proper release as it was distributed by the actual publisher, and predates the homebrew era, however it can reasonably be counted as part of it's own set rather than any regional set, as there was no differentiation between regional releases by Sachen themselves. Nice try shoehorning that dead horse back into the discussion though