I hate the orange guy.

you're like the kid from "The Wizard", Airlock78

I was just informed that I should edit my initial post instead of posting any progress as I go. Sorry everybody, I didn't know! This is the first NESruler™ contest I've taken part in. I've always personally enjoyed seeing people progress and explain how they got killed etc, but I guess the rules have changed since I last spectated. Should I delete my first two scores and commentary?

Edit: Found the rules thread and edited previous posts to adhere to them. I'm a noob!

1,022,600

I was doing awesome on Mega Man tonight.  Only had to point farm a little bit at a couple of spots before fighting Cut Man and Fire Man because I got really low on life.  Made it all the way to the yellow, one-eyed monster in the first Wily stage and finally died.  I'm totally amazed I got through the jumping part in Ice Man's stage.  The positions of the moving platforms and my timing was really good and I made it through with ease.  In fact, I've only gotten through that part one other time without dying.  Also got some really good clear bonuses from the robot masters.  100,000 twice, 90,000 twice, 80,000 once, & 50,000 once.  I'm not sure if I'm going to attempt this again.  I don't think I'll get as lucky on Ice Man's stage next time, plus there's the chance that the bonuses from the robot masters might not be as good as they were during this attempt.

Nice score! I'll have to give this a shot later tonight. Looks like I've got my work cut out for me!

I always like seeing the progress myself, but I think in the end it makes it easier for Herb to compile the leaderboard.  No rule against making a new post when you do better and putting your commentary there though. 

Just delete the bolded score, replace it with "I beat this score later" or something. Leave the rest. Surely Herbalist can scroll by posts that say it isn't the final score at the top

Dang, I forgot you have to fight your clone in this game. Unless I can get to that room with full life, I have no chance of getting beyond that! Until then, I'm golden... still can't beat 1 Million, though. That's some lucky boss bonuses there! A perfect storm, so to speak.

Health farming invariably leads to extra points as well, which is why I've refused to do it. If the game is being stingy with health (as it almost always is when you need health), you could literally rack up points all day hoping for an energy pellet. This will be my downfall in this contest, I'm afraid.

Oh well. It's been fun! I appreciate that NESruler chose this game despite the farming possibilites. It's one of my favorites, and it was fun to give a no-death run a few shots today.

Even when I do get to the clone with full life (ie. using a second life after he kills me and continuing from just before it just to see if I can beat him) it's still only a 50/50 chance depending on how often he jumps toward me instead of away from me.

If anyone ends up doing a no-death run on this game, they deserve mega-kudos.

Edit: I may do a video capture of a run tomorrow, just for the heck of it... hopefully I can at least get by the orange guy again.

WhatULive4 - thanks. I think I would have a hard time topping my score. I almost always lose a life in Ice Man's stage. I just got lucky that time.

airlock78 - Dang, I wish I could get to the clones without dying. At the rate you're going, I bet you could do a no-death run on this game. I got real lucky with my boss bonuses. Fire Man gave me the worst one, but all the others were perfect. I hated to have to health farm, but it did help me a little bit at Cut Man & Fire Man when I was low on health. I tried to pick enemies that I knew didn't have big point totals so I wouldn't run my score up too much. And I agree with you, this is a great game for the contest. Lots of fun! Thanks for choosing this, Jeremy.

New score, updated above. Still can't beat bimmy, though. Caught this one on video. May publish later if I can't do better. Got to the orange guy with one HP, due to a couple of bad run-ins with the jumping robots at the beginning of Wily 1. Orange guy killed me again, of course!

bimmy: I ain't mad at ya, hope ya know... the rules say health farming is ok, so it's all good. I'm just a stubborn cuss about this game in particular. I get a huge rush out of beating a boss when I'm seriously injured and I like to keep moving forward with a head of steam despite everything, so I kind of ask for trouble in this game. Fireman is tough without good health though, even when you do have the ice weapon. Can't say I blame you! I'm screwed unless I can maintain my health on the Fireman stage. I always did Cutman first, so he's old hat for me. I think he's the easiest.

I've been going in this order, though: Guts, Bomb, Cut, Elec, Ice, Fire. Mainly because it's real easy to die on those damn conveyor belt things at the start of Guts. Best to get it out of the way before anything decent is on the line, I figure!

was wondering if there would be a megaman game this year and when i saw the title i was firguing i woudl have to use a rom then i realized i have mm1-5 in the closet som im gonna have to play this sucker to hell and back

Thanks for the encouragement on trying to 1 life this, bimmy.

Updated score on page 3. Crappy points for pretty much all of the bosses. Made it to Wily with about 4 ticks on my health. Had him down to one tick until his second form, but then he hit me with a single pellet and killed me. Just about killed the orange guy without getting hit at all, but he hit me once. Clone is no longer a problem. Again, I got this on video but I'm pretty determined to 1 life this biotch now!

QFT.  I was going Bomb then Guts, but those damn belts quickly made me reconsider.  Guts stage is pathetically short anyway, it's a great place to start.

That, and I normally die at least once trying to kill him with the stupid bombs, unless he jumps backwards first. Much easier to just blast him.

Yeah, good call.

2,618,000

Had to throw in one more run, this score reflects absolutely camping and whoring points, I'm fairly disgusted to resort to it honestly.

1,778,700

It's amazing how quickly a game will come back to you after a few hours.  I definately ended up stopped a few times killing for health (I swear the drop rate for energy in this one is lower than all the other ones put together).  Got incredibly lucky with boss bonuses (100k for 4 of the 6).  Restarting when you die sucks, the block monster got me my first run, the second attempt I fell off a platform on Gutsman's stage (that wasn't so bad, he was the second level I attempted).  My third attempt, my NES randomly screwed up, I was in the corridor heading to Iceman, and the screen just started blinking...  gotta love the toaster.

For play-through, I hit Fireman first.  His weapon, to me, is pretty much the MM version of the Metal Blade (does great against those eyeball things in Cutman's level).  After him it's Gutsman (because if I'm going to fall stupidly, that's where it'll happen).  Then Cut, Elec, Ice, and Bomb. 

edit to add - After the credits the game takes you back to the stage select screen, I assume it would count as replaying a level to do Dr. Wily again, so I left it alone, even though I didn't die. 

Impressive score, congrats on being the first to one life this game.

You do bring up an interesting point though. Would we be allowed to infinitely repeat the Dr. Wily stage if the game lets you continue without resetting your score? That's how high scores were achieved in games like Contra and Sqoon...

Otherwise, this is basically going to boil down to someone who can beat the game with skill who also camps a bit to kill a boatload of enemies.

I'm guessing we can't, if only because you actually do select the level and we've got a no-replay rule in effect. Contra and Sqoon (and Stinger, for that matter), don't really leave you much choice.

114800

very nice score there randy. congrats on one-lifing the game.

damn nice score, here i thought i was doing good. lol

Still trying to cap a video without any farming involved, just to prove it can be done. Beating the game even with energy farming in 1 life is still a feat, as there isn't any way to farm during the final gauntlet. The stages are relatively cake, but the last gauntlet is still screwing me up.

Fireman just before Wily is my main obstacle. Invariably, he causes good damage. I've come SO close a few times. I can definitely say that without stopping to farm energy (points collaterally) it's completely impossible to get anywhere near 2 mil.

In this sense, you're better served as far as the contest to take damage than to avoid it... so, at this point I concede and am focusing on a personal goal. I'm disregarding points for the most part and just trying to get 1 life sans energy farming on vid cap.

No problem, man.  I knew you weren't mad.  I just hope I didn't sound like I was being defensive.  I hated to have to health farm, but it helped me get just a little bit farther in the game.  I agree, Fire Man can be tough even with the ice weapon.  I usually don't have a problem with Cut Man's stage, but I got jumped on twice by that big, red hopping robot because I got greedy for points and hardly had any energy for Cut Man, so I health farmed a little bit to ensure I didn't die at Cut Man.  It was probably a good thing I did too!  I usually don't have a problem with Cut Man, but I missed hitting him with one of the blocks while using Guts Man's weapon and then he jumped on me twice.  I got out of that fight with only a few hit points left.  Congrats on getting to Wily with one life!  You'll be beating this game with one life before you know it.

And congrats to Randy on one-lifing Mega Man!  A very impressive feat!

Wow! Incredible score tall guy! I can't believe you beat it in one life!

after playing this game for 5 minutes or so, i respect your scores much more. i forgot how difficult this game is to not die in on some parts.