ATARI VCS/2600 High Score Contest 

 

I'm offering a $25 bounty for anyone who can break any score listed below. The requirements (subject to change) are:

The game must be played on an original Atari-made NTSC VCS/2600 console - no 3rd-party systems or modules.  No emulators allowed.

Only original cartridges allowed for the contest - no hacks or pirate versions (unless the original versions were never archived).  No Cuttle Carts, Harmony carts, Krokodile carts, modified Superchargers, or similar devices allowed, unless complete video of the game is made available - reason being, it's too easy to use a modified ROM file. 

Games designed for use with a specific type of controller must use that controller.  For example, using a Trak-ball controller for Track & Field is not allowed; only a joystick or a button controller may be used.

Custom controllers are allowed, as long as they don't alter or modify the directional controls for speed in games like Decathlon and Track & Field.

Nobody can assist you with playing the game (i.e. taking control of the game for you).

Pausing is allowed, either with a hardware mod or a game software feature.

Point-pressing is allowed, but not through exploiting glitches or scoring anomalies.  Check the Easter egg page for the most recent listing of them.  It's about getting the highest score, not the most screens/levels or longest playing time.

Auto-firing (either with 3rd-party controllers or add-on devices) is also allowed for all but a few games (which aren't tracked, like Kung-Fu Master and RealSports Boxing).

All contest submissions must be recorded and include footage showing the system, controller(s), and cartridge.  The footage also needs to show the game being powered up and started, along with the difficulty switch settings and what game variation is being used, as well as the controller in use during the game.  The footage can either be transferred to DVD and sent to me, or uploaded to sites like YouTube or Vimeo and accessible to everyone.  It should include a card onscreen with your full name (or the video watermarked with your name).

Any player found to have cheated or lied about what format or version they used will have all their scores removed and be permanently banned from the site. 

If you have any additions, suggestions, or corrections, please email me.

 

2023

Ulisses Patriota Marauded across Brazil and claimed the first bounties of 2023 for Marauder and Planet Patrol!

2022

Peter Nadalin stormed the castle and rescued the bounty for Smurf: Rescue in Gargamel's Castle!

2020

Greg Degeneffe claimed the first bounty of 2020 with an adventurous performance on Venture!

Peter Nadalin is out of this world on Cosmic Commuter!

Fernando Salvio put Frostbite on ice!

Christian Keilback endured the longest road trip in Enduro!

Roger Blair claimed the bounty for Espial!

Greg Degeneffe escaped with the bounty for Escape from Supercade!

2019

Garrett Holland claimed a double bounty for Tutankham!

Greg Degeneffe has a Blue-Print for success that includes Tac-Scan!

Garrett Holland commands the Gorfian empire, and does his own striking back at Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back!

Peter Nadalin commanded his way through Commando!

Steve Germershausen snaked his way to the bounty for Sssnake!

Greg Degeneffe claimed the bounty for Save the Whales!

Garrett Holland commanded a double bounty for Missile Command!

2018

Greg Degeneffe claimed the bounty for Warplock!

Greg Degeneffe raced to a record in game 3 for Grand Prix!

Greg Degeneffe claimed the bounty for Steeplechase!

Greg Degeneffe shot down the bounty for Shootin' Gallery!

Glen Sampson rolled the score for Flash Gordon!

Greg Degeneffe is hardly swimming with the fishes in Aquaventure!

John McAllister chased down the bounty for Chase the Chuck Wagon!

Glen Sampson hopped to it with nabbing the bounty for Rabbit Transit!

Glen Sampson is simply super at Super Cobra!

Glen Sampson is rockin' at Rocky and Bullwinkle!

Greg Degeneffe climbed to the top Climber 5!

2017

Steve Germershausen rolled the score for Adventures of Tron!

Greg Degeneffe claimed the bounties for Riddle of the Sphinx, Grand Prix, Frog Pond, Rabbit Transit, Asterix, Qb, and Pick Up!

Glen Sampson rolled the score for Space Cavern, maxed out Wabbit (and in the process found a kill screen), and rolled Nexar twice!

Jeff Adkins showed everyone how to really drive a race car by tying the world record in Pole Position!

2016

Steve Germershausen claimed the bounty for Adventures of Tron!

2015

Jeff Adkins claimed the Mr. Do! bounty!

Greg Degeneffe set a new high score for Skiing!

Steve Germershausen claimed the bounty for Sssnake!

2014

Steve Germershausen claimed the bounties for Circus Atari, Donkey Kong (1 million w/o losing a life), Roc 'N Rope, and Mountain King (rolling score)!

 

GAME SCORE/TIME TO BEAT NOTES
Alien 256,000 Double bounty.
Atari Climber 26,600  
Boxing 1:42  
Buck Rogers 2 million  
Bugs 500 Double bounty for 1,000.
Coconuts break 20,000  
Communist Mutants From Space break 200k  
Cosmic Ark 1,264,850  
Crazy Climber reach building #9 Double bounty.
Cross Force 127,560  
Crystal Castles 1 million  
Death Trap 35,218  
Decathlon 12,704  
Demons to Diamonds 15,127  
Dragonfire 1,265,310  
Entity, The (prototype) 20k  
Entombed 311  
Espial 80k Double bounty.
Exocet (PAL) 20k  
Fall Down (homebrew) 153  
Fireball – cascade 75,000  
Fireball – firetrap 100,000  
Frankenstein’s Monster 4,920  
Frog Pond (prototype) 1,195  
Frogger, The Official (Starpath) 100k  
Front Line 125k  
Funky Fish (prototype) 29,710  
G.I. Joe: Cobra Strike 1 million  
Glacier Patrol 59,250  
Gopher 1 million  
Grand Prix 01:34.33 - game 4  
Gremlins 2 million  
Indy 500 3 seconds left game 6. Difficulty A. Max score is 50.
  17 seconds left game 8, Difficulty A. Max score is 50.
Jr. Pac-Man 902,660 Double bounty.
Jawbreaker 44,500 Double bounty.
Kamikazi Saucers 5,583  
Lady Bug 750k Double bounty for rolling score.
Lock 'N' Chase 1 million Double bounty.
M.A.D. 17,000  
Mega Force 1 million  
Meltdown 29,498  
Mines of Minos 11,450  
Ms Pac-Man 1,596,930  
Name This Game 35,980  
Nuts 20k  
Out Of Control under 1 minute  
Pengo 332,400 Double bounty for rolling score.
Pitfall! 114k (1:42 left) Double bounty
Pitfall II: Lost Caverns 199k (9:47) Double bounty
Plaque Attack 100k  
Popeye 805,750 Double bounty for rolling score.
Qb (homebrew) 64,150  
Quadrun 999,990 Match score.
Quickstep 5,770  
Reactor 1,615,526  
Robot Tank 100 tanks Double bounty for 144 tanks.
Seaquest max score Double bounty.
Sinistar 563,445 * Must use latest prototype version 2-13-84.
Sky Jinks 34.49 Double bounty.
Springer 7,909  
Starmaster 3,971 Ensign
  5,935 Leader
  7,820 Wing Commander
  9,790 Starmaster
Stay Frosty (homebrew) 276,518  
Stay Frosty 2: Stay Frostier (homebrew) 378,853  
Tapper 1 million Double bounty.
Threshold 80,270  
Turmoil 300k Double bounty.
Wizard of Wor 621k Double bounty.
Zaxxon 100k  


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