NWC Cartridge Challenge (The Pattern Project)

fallenmagefallenmage
in Collector's Corner
I have been hearing a disturbing rumor.  I heard someone say there are only four patterns on the 1990 Nintendo Championship game pack.  I know from personal experience this is incorrect there are many.   Through multiple attempts I found the tetris patterns repeated every 10,000 points in Mario.  So 10,300 was the same as 20,300.  For one exception, I remember the pattern changed every hundred points.

I played over two dozen patterns and witnessed several more from memory and  witnessed other players.  I had a theory there are 101 patterns.

Here is my challenge, I want to know how many patterns there really are.  If you have a gold cart, grey cart or reproduction  I ask your thumbs and minds come into service.

Please respond to this thread with your

Mario Score
Kind of Cartridge:   Gold, Grey, or Reproduction (very important the kind of cart we are using)
First Ten Tetris Pieces

(Notation for pieces)

Long Bar
Z Piece (or S piece)
Reverse Z piece (or Reverse S piece)
Square
L Piece
Reverse L Piece
T Piece

You don't have to say Piece or go strictly by this notation.  What you provide is cool as long as we know the pieces you refer to.

One of the reasons for this is I remember Rich Ambler, JaJim  Winch, Jason Haag, and I would tell about the "Pattern of Death"   A pattern when you are around level 5 or 6, you don't get a long bar for a long long time and you lock out.  I am seeing if we can find it.

All are welcome.   I think this will be a fun experiment.

Comments

  • skylerszskylersz
    I love this guy already! Sorry Robin, your'e still my Number 1. I take it as the nwc repro has the correct guts the patterns should be the same as an original cart?
  • fallenmagefallenmage
    I don't own a grey reproduction but we should know for posterity sake by over-documention.   Just in case anything unexpected pops up we can get a theory quickly.   I spent too many hours in a science classroom for my own good.
  • arch_8ngelarch_8ngel
    The repro should be identical to the original cartridge.



    If you've observed patterns repeating every 10,000 points, then there MIGHT be 101 patterns, but I was pretty sure the 100's digit dependency had been observed as low as the jump from 10,300 to 11,300, for instance.
  • fallenmagefallenmage
    I remember different patterns from 10,000 up to 12,000  It has been two decades since I studiously played this thing.  I would do random samplings from 10,000 to 20,000 and make a note.   And also numerous video tapes of myself and other people playing this contest.  Then I duplicated those same patterns n the 20,000 to 30,000 range.  

    I don't own a grey cart but I presume it would be the same.

    Also, it has been nearly two decades I studiously studied these patterns.   This is all in the name of knowledge.   
  • arch_8ngelarch_8ngel
    Well, as a rough idea, the maximum number of available tables will be dictated by maximum size of the integer used to seed the RNG.



    On an 8-bit machine like the NES, if it exceeds 16, and we expect it to be less than 100-something, I wouldn't be surprised it was 64, or fewer.
  • udisiudisi
    gold and grey's have the same board too, so it shouldn't matter what cart you use.
  • fallenmagefallenmage
    Yep, yours looks just like the one at Jim Winch's.   Zelda casing over total Nintendo goodness.
  • fallenmagefallenmage
    Mario Score:   10,100
    Kind of Cartridge:   Reproduction (Robin's)
    First Ten Tetris Pieces:

    Square
    Z piece
    Square
    L Piece
    T bar
    Long bar
    Reverse Z (S)
    Long Bar
    Z piece
    Long Bar

  • nes_kingnes_king
    im down to help out on this one. but it will probably have to wait until this weekend. when i get the info ill post it.
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