They may have beat the game, though yeah, the letter bonuses are huge.  My best run was to Argentum in Class 4 last night and I ended up with about 1.5M.  In that one, I had all but one letter, being the apostrophe as well.

I also know I left a lot of points on the board too.  Mississippi is extremely fast and trying to avoid the hunters and the mosquitoes caused me to miss a lot and other levels, like Black Forest, I just did a speed run through since I felt they were too tough to try to point gather.

Also, if you can get to Class 4, at the beginning of the first rapid, Nevada, there is one of those floating point things (sorry, I don't know the technical term) which is worth an instant 25k.

1,030,900. I am not that good at this game but at least its fun. Made it only to class 3 (nightmare stage).
Wow, didn't realize my TV went all trippy with the picture.

D...D...Did I just hear an 8-bit rendition of Bedřich Smetana's Vltava in this game?!
As a Czech retro gamer, this has to be one of the best surprises in NES games! (You probably can't understand if you're not Czech).
That was really a pleasant surprise! If I didn't play this for the contests, I'd never hear it! Thank you so much for organizing this Bimmy. Also, score coming soon

1770900 - This is a game I really enjoy. Definitely need to snag a copy when I get the chance

What level did you reach?

I got stuck on Canals of Mars with about that score. Unfortunately it is a relatively low points-per-life level.

Also, I found it helpful to find out that the little black things are patches NOT spikes waiting to kill me

UPDATE 11/23/14
3,847,900

This run ended at Okefenokee in Class 5, with over 200K added to my previous score.  Collecting the "TOOBIN'" letters = 1M in points.

Well, it looks like I had to finish the Canals of Mars, and then beat Styx to get to Class 4 (which would award a 210k letter bonus for the transition)

That won't match 2.2MM, but it would probably break 2 million.


Class 5 seems like a hell of a run.

This is the first time I've ever played the game, so I don't really have  context for a "good" game, in terms of progress.

I'm guess some of you guys grew up with this one?

This was actually among the first NES games I ever owned.  Back in '91 when my brother and I got our first NES for Christmas, this was one of the games we received with it as a gift.  I haven't played this in years, but I had a fair amount of experience in it.  I'm glad it came up in the contests because I love my own personal nostalgia factor with this one.

I'm unsure what would be considered a "good run" in this game, but this is by far the best I've ever done in it without warp assistance.  Before this contest, I think my personal best was somewhere in Class 3 maybe.  All I know is the speed of the enemies and their projectiles can get to ridiculous speeds as the game advances.

EDIT: Removed old score of 1,923,300 ... updated score below!

My contribution so far.  Made it to Canals of Mars with priority given to keeping that multiplier!

We are all within a couple hundred thousand points of each other, currently.

Makes me wonder where this one is going to end up!

It's my first time really playing this game. I enjoy it more than I thought I would. My thumb, however, not so much! You know how some people lean in the direction they are going when they move? I guess my version of that is pushing hard on the D-pad.

Yeah, the sluggish response REALLY makes you want to crush the d-pad on this one.

Glad I'm not the only one.

I did on alot of parts and missed out on points 'cause I wanted to just finish the stage. I had some problems getting past those seeking spike bombs (can't remember which stage).

Shoot them to sink them.

Lol, I did but man, if you don't get them early enough. I lost a life there not hitting one immediately.
On a side note...that start of the penuin level is probably the most annoying part (no offense penguins).

Yeah, those penguins are annoying, for the sound if nothing else.


My strategy on the moving mines is to get as far to one side as a I can immediately, so I can make the diagonal shot and take them out.  They have really aggressive trajectory following, so the closer they get the harder it is to get a shot at them.

Ditto on the penguins!  My wife was cringing at the sound of them, lol.

And yeah, those mines on the Cuprum river are a pain.  They really aren't that bad, except for the part in that stage with the three narrow lanes with the point gate in the middle.  To get the last mine in particular, I have to go part way down one of the lanes to bait it and go back out and around to get the angle to shoot it.  Then I pass backwards through the gate to keep the multipier. 

Yup, I think we do pretty much the same thing.

I updated my score to over 3.6 million.

I got to the same part where I ended my previous posted run, but I did better on the multipliers and, most importantly, I found out if you collect all of the TOOBIN' letters, you get an option to give them up in exchange for 1 million in points. I had the option for the exchange or to keep them, and naturally I did the exchange. For the apostrophe, I received it in American, near the end of Class 4.

As for Cuprum, when I got to that narrow area, I just went through the middle fast, passing the seeking spike bombs and moving under them. I take them out after I get into that open area underneath.  The one that comes after them I try to take out as I pass it, or try to avoid it until I'm in the open area as well.

Also, as for the penguins and their annoyance, they return in the first rapids of Class 5, so that's something you get to look forward to

Wow, big bonus for getting the apostrophe! Looks like we have some searching to do on Mississippi, right?

Any idea what the letter bonus is for having the whole word if you don't trade it in (when you are between classes)? Does it just go from 210k to 250k?

It caught me by surprise it was that big of a bonus. I figured the game would do something for all the letters, but I didn't think it would be that much, not that I'm complaining!

Yeah, I think Mississippi now may turn into a cut off point for some who are looking for that apostrophe who don't think they can reach Class 4, meaning a lot of reset buttons could be pressed if they don't find it. I myself have no idea where it would be there, but the level being so fast and cans being limited (I haven't found a six-pack there yet) makes it tough to explore. I may do some searching too since I don't think I can improve my score other than somehow getting the bonus twice, assuming that's even possible.

As for keeping the letters, I don't know how it would advance as far as the Class bonuses. I would think it would go over 250K, since I thought the jump from 5 to 6 letters was 150K to 210K, but I may be mistaken. At the point where I was at, I didn't know if I'd get a second chance to trade in the letters (I still don't know) and I was approaching Class 5 where I didn't think I'd last long anyway (and I didn't), so I had no choice but to trade in the letters then. Either way, I'll keep exploring and I wish the rest of you luck too!

EDIT: I just finished an exploration run using many continues and I found out some more information.  There is an apostrophe in Mississippi, HOWEVER take it with discretion.  I found out through the 4th rapid of Class 5 (Styx) there are no B's in any rapids up to that point (the only B I found so far in the game was the one in the Yukon in Class 2).  So if you turn in the letters immediately after the Mississippi, you'll be forgoing the 6 letter bonus after Class 2 and Class 3 as well (there are no I's (I think) or apostrophes (for certain) until Class 4).   This information only effects those who think they can get through Class 4 I'm guessing. 

Also, if you bypass turning in the letters after you have them all, you won't get a second chance to do so (the bonuses at the end of the Classes then would be 280K).  I hope that helps.

Well, taking the cool million is worth more than two class-jumps worth of 210k (without the apostrophe) or 280k (with the full word), considering that you will still get some kind of bonus at each class conversion after.

The only reason not to take the million is if you were saving letters for continues.  There is no score-motivation that I can see.



In terms of the speed of the Mississippi, I did find that if you hold "up" you will stop moving, you just can't move backwards without getting to the edge.

So it is possible to carefully target every tree, since almost all of them appear to have a single replacement can in that level.



BOOOO!!!! for not giving clues on the location though

Taking the million is a better option overall, but I guess I was looking at my point of view a little too, which is based off of my longer runs.  If I skip taking the apostrophe until Class 4, I can get 210K bonuses for Class 2 and Class 3, then collect the million for 4.  If I take the apostrophe and the million in Class 2, then Class 3 would for sure be under 210K for its bonus and for 4 it may or may not get that high either, that is from the info I gathered from the runs I made.  It adds up more in the long run but it factors in if you can get to Class 4 or not and if you wish to take the chance that you'll be able to get the apostrophe in Class 4 for sure.  If you can't get to the end of Class 4, then take the apostrophe in Class 2 and take the million there.

I know about the waterfalls and pressing up, it doesn't mean it still isn't a struggle at times for myself.  I don't know how many times I've hit reset on the Nile after missing the two patches near the end, but that tornado didn't help either.

I guess I can give a hint to the location of the apostrophe on the Mississippi...it's near the end of the level   All seriousness, it's in a group of obsticles, one of the sets with four lined up in it that you encounter.  The problem is, I don't remember which set exactly nor which one in the line it is, I just know its in one of the sets of four.  Hey, it was late when I found out, so cut me some slack

1,064,050

I took my pictures on the game over and high score screens because Toobin makes my TV trip balls and it was hard to make out my score. I would definitely benefit from reading the instruction manual on this one. I had no idea what those little red and green diamond spinner things were, among other things...