Ok, I bought yesterday Tempest, because the demo convinced me, but I´m a bit lost. Each play is too short, and too confusing...

• When can you kill enemies in the border? Sometimes I kill them, sometimes they kill me.
• What should be the order to shoot down enemies? I´ve tried lots of strategies, but they doesn´t seem to work.
• How can I select levels after 9 one? I can´t. Yesterday I died at the 11th, and I couldn´t start from there.
• Is it better to play from the beginning or from the last level? There is a huge point difference, but it seems the game get harder too.
• How in the name of *** can I erase all spikes in Level 5? I´ve tried anything, but it seems impossible.
• Is there someone who can actually PLAY at throttle monkey? It´s just horrible.
• Why can´t I get the 9th level achievement when I have finished it? Have I to start from level 1?
• Can I get achievements in old mode? I like it more than the new one, and it shows better graphics for me :)

When can you kill enemies in the border? Sometimes I kill them, sometimes they kill me.

Killing enemies that have made it to the rim (border) it mostly done by "timed firing". As the enemy reaches the rim of the tube(s) on either side of you - just a quick firing burst should kill any close by flippers and pulsars. It is also possible to move (avoid) underneath enemies too, though it is very difficult to do this consistently at the higher waves. Note: fuseballs that remain at rim can only be killed by super zapper charge – though I have moved under a fuseball on more than one occasion.

What should be the order to shoot down enemies? I’ve tried lots of strategies, but they doesn’t seem to work.

I just aim for clusters of enemies and try to pick off what I can as the come down the tube. I try to be aware of how enemies are moving so I a prepare my next attacks. When pulsars come into play at wave 16 you have to listen (audio que) for look (tube break) before you can attack as you will die if you’re on a tube that breaks during their pulse. I also use the spikes quite a bit to increase my firing rate - though be careful when a pulsar is on the spike too. And by all means kill fuseball as quickly as you can.

How can I select levels after 9 one? I can’t. Yesterday I died at the 11th, and I couldn’t start from there.

When you’re selecting a bonus start wave, there is a wave you can't select until you clear it i.e. to have the 74,000 wave 11 bonus available you must have cleared wave 11; to have the 94,000 available you must have cleared wave 13 and so on. If you don’t clear a bonus start wave you go back to one bonus wave.  

Is it better to play from the beginning or from the last level? There is a huge point difference, but it seems the game get harder too.

Always select your highest available bonus wave for maximum points - of course the game get harder; wait till you see the Invisible waves, if they actually put them in that is.

How in the name of *** can I erase all spikes in Level 5? I´ve tried anything, but it seems impossible.

Still working on this one too.

Is there someone who can actually PLAY at throttle monkey? It´s just horrible.

There is a trick to it - i.e., use spikes and try not to move widely.

Why can´t I get the 9th level achievement when I have finished it? Have I to start from level 1?

Yes, you must start at level 1. There are a couple of APs that have this requirement.

Ok, really thanks for your help, I´ve improved greatly from yesterday :) (I´ve been so close of clearing 9th from the 1st and clear 13th...)

When you’re selecting a bonus start wave, there is a wave you can't select until you clear it i.e. to have the 74,000 wave 11 bonus available you must have cleared wave 11; to have the 94,000 available you must have cleared wave 13 and so on. If you don’t clear a bonus start wave you go back to one bonus wave. 

I´ve ended level 11, and I could restart from there, but if I quit the game, I can´t play from there anymore... Do I have to play again at 9th every time I quit the game?

Always select your highest available bonus wave for maximum points - of course the game get harder; wait till you see the Invisible waves, if they actually put them in that is.

Pfffff, this game is pretty hard :) All levels past 7th are tough, and I think that´s nothing comparing to later.

I´ve seen you in the top of the leaderboards, congratulations ;) I´m at 55th or something like that, and I´m still pretty bad! xD

How in the name of *** can I erase all spikes in Level 5? I´ve tried anything, but it seems impossible.

K...figured it out, pretty simple actually.

What you have to do is - - on your first life (starting at wave 5) try an clear as many and as much of the spikes that you can. When the last flipper reaches the rim, ending the wave, and as you shoot down the tube, die on purpose against any remaining spikes. When wave 5 starts again, you'll have time to clear any left over spikes. If you still haven't cleared them all die again, and finish clearing the spikes with your last life.

Takes a bit of practice, but its as easy as that. =)

 KMetalmind wrote:

I´ve ended level 11, and I could restart from there, but if I quit the game, I can´t play from there anymore... Do I have to play again at 9th every time I quit the game?

Yep, that is the way Tempest works; once a game is ended the bonus rounds you had gotten to are not availabe and have to be re-earned

Pfffff, this game is pretty hard :) All levels past 7th are tough, and I think that´s nothing comparing to later.

hehe... yeah the levels I'm playing are pretty difficult - just a matter of practice though; as I can restart and make it to bonus round 32 in less than an hour play time.

I´ve seen you in the top of the leaderboards, congratulations ;)

Thanks.

Wow, it will take a while to have 200/200 in this one xD

I´ll try all your tips, probably today. I like this game, but I hate it too xD I´ll probably be here asking more things in less than a day, anyway.

Since its not described in the Tempest controller options, and in case any were wondering, other than the "A - Fire", "B - Super Zapper" and "Left Thumb Stick - Move Left/Right". The other controller buttons function as listed below.

Left Bumper - Move Left

Right Bumper - Move Right

D-Pad Move Left/Right

Right Thumb Stick - Move Left/Right

Left Trigger -  Super Zapper

X, Y, Buttons -  Super Zapper

Right Trigger - Fire

 KMetalmind wrote:

Wow, it will take a while to have 200/200 in this one xD

Yeah "Turmoil - Reach the random waves Evolved game - Normal difficulty" might be near impossible unless I figure out a different technique to attack level 36 on. Also, if evolved levels are anything like the original Tempest (coin-op) waves, the random waves don't start until wave 81 - - so I have a long way to go for this AP.

The Throttle Monkey one is doable with practice and a bit of luck.

 Virtua V wrote:

 KMetalmind wrote:

Wow, it will take a while to have 200/200 in this one xD

Yeah "Turmoil - Reach the random waves Evolved game - Normal difficulty" might be near impossible unless I figure out a different technique to attack level 36 on. Also, if evolved levels are anything like the original Tempest (coin-op) waves, the random waves don't start until wave 81 - - so I have a long way to go for this AP.

The Throttle Monkey one is doable with practice and a bit of luck.

Lol.  Well Virtua V.  Your at least gifted at these Atari games.  You got Centipede and Millipede, Missile Command done in like 2 days.  They figured they should put some challenge on you for that :).  It took me hours on end to finish those.  Now asteroids is pissing me off.  Takes to much work to get the damn achievements and it gets boring after doing the same thing over and over and falling short by barely every time.

Ok, I have three more achievements now I´m starting to play better.

Level 13 is a pain, I have ended it, I die in 14th, and if I start from 13th, I lose all my lives!!! And then I have to start from 11th I absolutely hate 7th and 13th levels, it´s hard to know where the enemies, shots and everything are. Most times I can´t see what killed me, or I end with lots of enemies in the border.

Fuseballs are a pain too, I hate when they start going up just in a line, so you can´t hit them (but they can!).

If you didn´t lose your progress every time you quit the game or lose a level where you have started or restart from Level 0, then it would be a lot easier. I get tired from playing the same levels, just to die in a level I always die on.

Really fun anyways

O... I had it in my mind that Level 81 (start of Green level and first bonus hole) was where random level started. ***, it seems that level 97 is a pipe dream even for the best Tempest players!

Also, if I recall, there is a bonus hole at level 73 (Invisable stairstep wave (same layout as lvl 9)); but its highly unlikely any will ever see it, as I (Virtua V) and OnaBeamOfL1ght only been to level 39 in Evolved normal mode.