Official Xbox 360 Achievements Thread (Otherwise known as "You all suck.")

[Dave Long]

So I finally got around to test driving the arcade games and whatnot and the scores you guys have posted in Joust and Gauntlet among others are just atrocious.

I'm heading out now to get a card with 2000 points on it to get Geometry Wars and Joust at the very least. I expect to see some scores worth beating by the time I get back.

I mean, I got more points in the Gauntlet DEMO than just about everyone on my friends list!

[Kalle]

Shouldn't this thread be titled "I guess there really weren't any good launch games on the 360, but I can have fun spending cash on 20-year old Arcade games instead"?

[Qenan]

No kidding. Wake me up when there's a good RPG on it.

[Wholly Schmidt]

Hey chet, how do I delete the posts? Not mine, Kalle's and Qenans. If you don't like what the thread's about, get out and quit complaining.

My roommate's put in more time than me with Geometery Wars and has broken 100,000, so far all I've done is manage the pacifism achievement.

[Kalle]

Hey Wholly, threadjacking is a well established tradition in these forums.

[Dave Long]

Um... the reason I didn't get around to trying these arcade games yet was basically because PGR3 was plenty good and I didn't even feel like trying something else.

Anyway, for those interested in showing me up, go to Circuit City for the Microsoft Points. You can get 1600 for $17.99 which is a small savings over the online price of $24.99 for 2000. That's the best price I've seen so far.

Kids are playing Pokémon now so I won't be setting records until a little later.

[Ben Sones]

Kids are playing Pokémon now so I won't be setting records until a little later.

Translation: "I tried to beat the records and discovered that I suck, so I need more time to practice."

Ah, crap. Where are the damn smileys when you need them? Well, whatever. You just wait until I get my 360, Long. I'll whup your ass in Calculus Battle, or whatever it is you losers are playing.

[Dave Long]

Dude, you want me to take a picture of my son sitting and playing Pokémon XD? My wife is reading it to him right as I type this.

I'll be sure to put up some scores tonight and I'll post 'em here.

[TomChick]

Ah, crap. Where are the damn smileys when you need them?

They above the semi colon and zero keys, like so -- :)

I suppose the arcade games are pretty neat, but I just feel like I'm really missing the point if I'm sitting in front of my new HDTV with my previously hard-to-find 360, holding my fancy wireless controllers...and I'm playing Joust or Gauntlet or some hexagonal Tetris variant.

Hey, Microsoft. 1980 just called. They want their cut.

-Tom

[Simpilot]

Hey, wake me up when you have my Gamerscore beat. 2240 and counting babeee! ;)

[Simpilot]

Also, why is everyone else a romantic and I'm "Hustle"? Are you saying I'm like Charlie Hustle or that I'm a hustler or that I read Hustler???

[BDGE]

Hey, wake me up when you have my Gamerscore beat. 2240 and counting babeee! ;)

Wow. I should rent the EA sports games sometime, I hear you get 500+ achievment points just for turning their game on!

[Dave Long]

Gamerscore is only half about skill though. A lot of your Gamerscore comes from just hanging out playing different modes. Like the points you get for watching Gotham TV. Yay.

I'm talking actual score comparisons. That's what really gets me excited about the new Live. I can see how much most of you suck at games. ;)

[Dave Long]

They above the semi colon and zero keys, like so -- :)

I suppose the arcade games are pretty neat, but I just feel like I'm really missing the point if I'm sitting in front of my new HDTV with my previously hard-to-find 360, holding my fancy wireless controllers...and I'm playing Joust or Gauntlet or some hexagonal Tetris variant.

Hey, Microsoft. 1980 just called. They want their cut.

-Tom

Yeah, I agree. They need better games in the main lineup. This is no system selling feature by any means. I've told everyone that would listen to just skip the 360 for now based on what I've seen, especially if they don't want to get on Live Gold. If you're not going to participate in the e-penis comparisons, there's really not a whole lot of reason to be spending the money, unless you're filthy rich.

[Ben Sones]

I suppose the arcade games are pretty neat, but I just feel like I'm really missing the point if I'm sitting in front of my new HDTV with my previously hard-to-find 360, holding my fancy wireless controllers...and I'm playing Joust or Gauntlet or some hexagonal Tetris variant.

You aren't wrong, but you come dangerously close to dissing Joust here, so tread carefully, Mr. Chick.

>:D

[Dave Long]

Set the top score in Joust. It's not great, but I really didn't have as much time to play tonight as I'd hoped. I also got up above everyone but BobJustBob from Qt3 that's on my friends list in Geometry Wars Evolved. That was after about eight to ten plays. I'm pretty sure I can get much higher. :)

I tried the Robotron demo. It seems fine in those first two levels. Is the performance worse as the game goes on or something? Analog sticks take some getting used to, but it's definitely good enough that I might download the full. Gauntlet will probably be next though.

[Sockpuppet]

I do think it's pretty funny that the best launch title of the first "next-gen" console is Geometry Wars.

[Andrew Mayer]

They above the semi colon and zero keys, like so -- :)
...

Hey, Microsoft. 1980 just called. They want their cut.


And 1990 is on hold on line 2 about those smilies Tom...

[EFlannum]

Shouldn't this thread be titled "I guess there really weren't any good launch games on the 360, but I can have fun spending cash on 20-year old Arcade games instead"?

Maybe it's just me but I've been having a lot of fun with Kameo, PGR3, Call of Duty 2, and Perfect Dark Zero... imo the 360 launch lineup is far and away better than any launch lineups for a system in quite some time.

[fuzzyslug]

Maybe it's just me but I've been having a lot of fun with Kameo, PGR3, Call of Duty 2, and Perfect Dark Zero... imo the 360 launch lineup is far and away better than any launch lineups for a system in quite some time.

It's not just you. There are some good games available for the 360, some worthy of being a system seller (PGR3).

[Jason McMaster]

Yeah, I really like the launch lineup but I'm part of the XBox nation-state.

I really freaking want Oblivion.

[GregB]

Set the top score in Joust.


Oh, I don't think so, Dave. :)

[Dave Long]

Nice score, Greg! That's what I'm talking about! That score seems doable, but I've got to get better at Pterodactyl killing before that becomes a reality.

I'm coming for you BobJustBob. Broke through 300,000 in Geometry Wars today. The blackhole thingies are the key to high scores. Making that first ship last as long as possible is also a major concern.

This online scoreboard stuff is really the best part of the new Live and 360 for me, BTW. I just love comparing to everyone. I'm comfortable with not being the highest score, but I'm NOT comfortable when I'm out of the top three to five.

[GregB]

I'm stuck on the third pteradactyl wave. Two at once is just painful and I only know of one safe place to take them out.

I'm getting better at Hexic, but it still feels like I'm just getting lucky most of the time.

I love mutant storm even though I suck at it.

[Dave Long]

I went past 400,000 in Geometry Wars earlier. Man, that's intense. I'm determined to knock BobJustBob off the top of the list. That's been more than worth the $405 it cost to play it. ;)

[BobJustBob]

If you keep playing it at this rate, you'll absolutely pass me. I can only ever stand to play it twice consecutively, and at that point my heart is racing and my nerves are shot and my hands are shaking from all the adrenaline pumping through my body, and I have to stay away for a couple of days.

(Aside: JESUS FUCKING CHRIST a giant spider just lowered itself from the ceiling two inches in front of my face... it was just a blur and then my eyes focused on it and I reflexively jumped back and away... talk about your shot nerves.)

Anyway, I played Geometry Wars earlier and passed my old high score, finally getting the "survived 250k" achievement in the process. I ended at about 698k which was annoying. In the following game, I did horribly. I nearly lost before getting 250k, but managed to turn it around and pass 700k. A big help were the jack spawns that I was able to successfully deal with for the first (and, in the same game, second) time. It really is a fun game.

And Dave, what happened to your Hexic Survival score? I saw you playing a night or two ago, and you had gotten up to 97k, but your final score doesn't show up on my leaderboard. You didn't quit did you? Your playing motivated me to try and beat my old Survival score, which I did. It still hasn't taken me back to the top 100 yet; that milestone might be lost to me forever.

[Dave Long]

I had to quit the Hexic game. My wife wanted to watch a movie and I just threw in the towel since you have to clear the screen to win, right? By the time I got to that score, I was finally figuring out how to do it. Made a bunch of flowers and I think I was at like ten pieces or less before the refill on one board.

I like the way Geometry Wars ramps up and I like that just when you think you've hit a wall, you suddenly see the one true path. Some of the escapes I had tonight had me laughing out loud and then later when I bit it through stupidity I was cursing like a mofo. It doesn't wig me out when I play. I can go at it for game after game. Usually I hit a point of diminishing returns and then move on to something else, but when I get in the zone, look out.

I'm determined to get that 1,000,000 score. I have to take a break tomorrow to finish up some review stuff and probably through the weekend I won't get to play so much, but I really want to be in the top 1000 players at least. :)

Me and BDGE had some back and forth today on Live via messages. He said he was going to beat me to 400,000. Didn't happen. ;)

Greg's Joust score will take a herculean effort.

[BobJustBob]

I had to quit the Hexic game. My wife wanted to watch a movie and I just threw in the towel since you have to clear the screen to win, right?

No no no no. You can win the game by clearing the screen, but the far more common and easy way is to simply pass level 50. Then the game ends.

[Dave Long]

Heh... yeah, I figured that out tonight. You probably saw that I got a higher score than last night. It saves the game in progress when you quit out like I did. That was cool. :)

I think I can beat that 120,000 in Hexic HD I just put up.

Also, I saw you upped the GW score again to over 700,000 now. I managed to break through 500,000. :)

[BDGE]

Me and BDGE had some back and forth today on Live via messages. He said he was going to beat me to 400,000. Didn't happen. ;)

Yea, about that...

Have you seen that chick in Most Wanted? I just had to postpone your eventual embarrassment to get a better glimpse at that perfect smile, also something about 'rep' and 'rides', but Mia dude! ;)

[zabuni]

Heh... yeah, I figured that out tonight. You probably saw that I got a higher score than last night. It saves the game in progress when you quit out like I did. That was cool. :)

I think I can beat that 120,000 in Hexic HD I just put up.

Also, I saw you upped the GW score again to over 700,000 now. I managed to break through 500,000. :)

God, I can't even break 200k. A stupid mistake, or at the very late stages, getting lost in the midst of 4-5 black holes. Seeing BobJustBob 700K score is like looking up at Everest. It's all of the agony and the ectasy of a local arcade leader board. Just like back in the day.

Although there is one thing missing, the ability to clear a board with all of your scores. Nothing like seeing "ZAB" multiple times down the leaderboard.

[Dave Long]

Yea, about that...

Have you seen that chick in Most Wanted? I just had to postpone your eventual embarrassment to get a better glimpse at that perfect smile, also something about 'rep' and 'rides', but Mia dude!

It's always the girls that get in the way of manly pursuits... ;)

I can understand. She had me captivated on PS2 also.

God, I can't even break 200k. A stupid mistake, or at the very late stages, getting lost in the midst of 4-5 black holes. Seeing BobJustBob 700K score is like looking up at Everest. It's all of the agony and the ectasy of a local arcade leader board. Just like back in the day.

Although there is one thing missing, the ability to clear a board with all of your scores. Nothing like seeing "ZAB" multiple times down the leaderboard.

You'll get it. I was stuck on 2xx,xxx for a day or so. It was hard to get to nearly 150,000 without losing that first ship. Once I did that one time I added another 200,000 and was up to like 360,000.

I'm still strategizing the early game, but it seems best to hold those bombs until you absolutely need them and they're sometimes even more useful once you've lost a ship and need to get your Multiplier ringing in the new year again with a 4X at the least. You really can't score fast enough when you're only getting 1 or 2X late in the game. At that point, staying alive is paramount because you need to get the Multiplier rolling quickly. Bombs can get you going again fast.

That said, it's even more important not to die on that first ship so if you get cornered early, it's better to waste the bomb and keep your multiplier. The really big scores come when you stay alive a long, long time.

EDIT! Here's a thread at GAF with good discussion of Geometry Wars strategy.
http://www.ga-forum.com/showthread.php?t=77391

[Dave Long]

RISE, MY THREAD!

Hit 1.2 million in Geometry Wars tonight. That was after a game of 550k and then 960k. I knew I could break through a million once I played that 960k game. Still need to get to 500k without dying and rack up 9 bombs. I'm not sure I can make it to 1 mil without dying though. That particular Achievement may stay locked to me forever.

Anyway, good luck, weaksauce gamers! :D

[BDGE]

Total congrats Dave! I got your messages later tonight about that. Embarrassingly enough, I've even been practicing the past couple nights, but still haven't quite nailed 300k.

I seem to get close to surviving 250k on the first ship, but once that goes, my morale fades and the reserves fumble like dominoes. Well done though.

[Dave Long]

Thanks, man. I think the key to staying alive longer is all in how you do crowd control as well as rotational movement around the screen. I go counter-clockwise, but I think you could probably go either direction.

What tends to kill me most are the pink guys that split into two. I try hard not to hit them until I'm ready to deal with their spawn. You also need to make good use of the gravity wells. It's gotten to where I'm consciously not hitting them until I'm ready to dump all my pursuers into the hole and cause it to implode. That's a great way of controlling the crowd as well.

As you saw over at GAF though, I'm not nearly as good as I thought I was... haha.

http://www.realm32.com/hypoetical/images/geo_3.6mil.jpg

I think I'm like 741 so I'd at least be on the screen there.

[fuzzyslug]

RISE, MY THREAD!

Hit 1.2 million in Geometry Wars tonight. That was after a game of 550k and then 960k. I knew I could break through a million once I played that 960k game. Still need to get to 500k without dying and rack up 9 bombs. I'm not sure I can make it to 1 mil without dying though. That particular Achievement may stay locked to me forever.

Anyway, good luck, weaksauce gamers! :D

That's freakin insane Dave. I too got your message after the Wedding Crashers ended. I imagine breaking 1 million will remain locked for me forever. I still haven't hit 250 k.

[Dave Long]

Got some decent scores in Hexic tonight while the kids were still up. Can't play Perfect Dark Zero while they're watching. Anyway, I hopped up the list in all modes and only BobJustBob has me beat from here. You guys have work to do. :)

I also unlocked a lot of achievements. Got my first Black Pearl. Got Marathon Mogul (150,000 in Marathon), Collapse Master (5000 Total Combos... an easy one) and Millionaire Extraordinaire (another easy one... 1,000,000 across all game types). Pretty cool stuff. I have a much better handle on buildling flowers, even in timed mode which is tough when you're under that time pressure. The game seems even better now that I'm more aware of the strategy involved.

I couldn't bring myself to download Crystal Quest though. I'm still having fun with all this other stuff. No point getting something else yet. Every now and then PDZ is decent, but it's really a huge missed opportunity and makes me wonder just WTF Rare was doing for the last three years. *sigh*