If you're a classic gamer you probably have a high score binder like mine:
When my friends come over and we play an older game, they'll ask what the high score is and we'll consult this ancient tome. For games that have multiple variations, I usually designate one particular one for high scores, usually one of the more challenging variations. I will also keep track of scores for other variations and also use the book to write down passwords. It's an informal system and some pages are very messy. This is one of the cleaner pages. I just wish I had included the dates with each score, since some go back 20 years.
Anyway this weekend I transcribed the scores in this book to the site, so most score-oriented games will have a recommended variation and/or high score. So now you can play along at home - beat the VGC's scores. Most are mine, but otherwise they will have initials. Have fun.
Here's another page:
High Score Book
- Retro STrife
- Posts: 2531
- Joined: August 3rd, 2015, 7:40 pm
Re: High Score Book
Ha, at first I thought you were going to say that you bought the book "High Score" (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0072231726/), which is the best coffee table book ever made about video games IMO. Maybe next time...
But this book of yours is very cool too. How far back to these scores date? i.e., have you been tracking this since the 80s, or did it only become a thing when you started retro gaming?
Good thing you had the forethought to do that years ago. I've never thought to do anything like that. Admittedly though, playing games for high score never appealed to me much... I never had the attention span for playing the same game over and over just for score. I did keep notebooks like this for sports games growing up though... The computer was always too easy, so instead I spent each season trying to get really high stats, and then play another season trying to beat those. Today, the only high score I actively track is for my Pac-Man arcade machine.. we have a little chalkboard next to it with all the high scores.
But this book of yours is very cool too. How far back to these scores date? i.e., have you been tracking this since the 80s, or did it only become a thing when you started retro gaming?
Good thing you had the forethought to do that years ago. I've never thought to do anything like that. Admittedly though, playing games for high score never appealed to me much... I never had the attention span for playing the same game over and over just for score. I did keep notebooks like this for sports games growing up though... The computer was always too easy, so instead I spent each season trying to get really high stats, and then play another season trying to beat those. Today, the only high score I actively track is for my Pac-Man arcade machine.. we have a little chalkboard next to it with all the high scores.
- LuckyMan
- Posts: 108
- Joined: April 7th, 2015, 7:32 pm
Re: High Score Book
I've never been a very competitive gamer. I just play for fun. So I haven't ever recorded my high scores. However, I did recently acquire an older flash cart for my 7800 that saves high scores for some of the games and it's been kind of interesting to check my current score against past scores. I'm still indifferent to it, but it is satisfying when I beat my old score.
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- Posts: 290
- Joined: August 14th, 2015, 5:16 pm
Re: High Score Book
This is great! I used to do this as a kid, but I think I'll start up a book again. This will motivate me to play more 2600 games.
- VideoGameCritic
- Site Admin
- Posts: 18102
- Joined: April 1st, 2015, 7:23 pm
Re: High Score Book
I also had a binder as a kid. Sadly I tossed it in the mid-90's when I was doing some spring cleaning. What the hell was I thinking? I would love to have that one back, with scores dating back to the early 80s.
Yeah, something like this makes playing games from the 2600-era a lot more fun. In fact, I couldn't imagine not having it. My friends love it too.
Yeah, something like this makes playing games from the 2600-era a lot more fun. In fact, I couldn't imagine not having it. My friends love it too.
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- Posts: 845
- Joined: April 8th, 2015, 4:23 pm
Re: High Score Book
I have a game book but only use it for retro games to track my high scores as I generally play a score based game enough times to fill a page.
Also use it for passwords and making notes
Also use it for passwords and making notes