Porky's FAQ(Atari 2600)
by Andrew Schultz schultza@earthlink.net
version 1.0.0
Porky's is copyright 1983 Fox Video Games. I am not associated with
Atari or Fox Video Games in any fashion. I am just trying to preserve
the memory of distinctive games--if you wish to post this on your own
website, ask me by name(that's my rule, to weed out the less scrupulous)
and I will probably respond favorably.
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AD SPACE:
Visit my fledgling Atari tribute page at:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/2762/games/atari.htm
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OUTLINE
WHAT'S PORKY'S ABOUT?
ITEMS YOU DUMP IN THE SWAMP
SCORING
STRATEGY
MAXIMUM SCORE
VERSIONS/CREDITS
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WHAT'S PORKY'S ABOUT?
In the movie, a bunch of rich kids in Florida try to procure a bunch
of prostitutes at a seedy place called Porky's, an hour's ride away.
The owner, Porky, tricks them and embarrasses them. Amidst further
escapades, the kids go back and cleverly raze Porky's establishment to
the ground. Pee-Wee, the hero of the game, is the "loser" in the group
who wants to, err, do more with women. In the movie, the boys only look
into the girls' shower, but in the game, Pee-Wee gets in the shower
room.
In the game, you must cross the highway successfully(each time you get
hit, a band slows down the next time through, but you only have half the
maximum potential points) form stairs while jumping over the swamp with
a pole, avoid Mrs. Balbricker in the locker room while dumping bomb
components into the swamp, and get to the top of the scaffolding.
ITEMS YOU DUMP IN THE SWAMP
Cow skull (?)
Wrench
Bomb
Tuning Fork
Top Hat[I think]
Pig
Detonator[the detonator keeps coming up until you win the game]
These change each time you successfully negotiate the locker room
scene. If Balbricker catches you or you fall, you will repeat the
previous item.
SCORING
The manual(search for it at atarinexus.org) is incorrect, actually.
For some bizarre reason, one is added to almost all scoring events.
This includes negative events like falling into the swamp, so instead of
losing 200, you lose 199. Also, each time you cross the highway your
total is cut in half, eventually down to 1. If you don't make it across
the highway, your score depends on how many moving lanes you've crossed.
You also get 50 points more for everything you do past the highway in
difficult mode.
STRATEGY
HIGHWAY: go up the right side and then to the center. Duck behind
the pigs as they pass and go up. You'll need a bit of luck and
practice, but if you attack immediately, you have a great chance of
getting to the top. It's a lot easier after the first pass, when the
boat doesn't move any more. Everything else slows down. Also note
that, on the first level, you are as fast as the pigs.
SWAMP: Don't hold on for too long if you want to jump on the ledge
above, but don't let go right away(you won't go anywhere.) If you fall
down towards the swamp(especially from the locker room) always move the
joystick away from the swamp, or falling in may cost you 200 points. To
get from one side of the swamp to the ledge above it where a piece of
ladder is, jump to the other side(run to the pole, hit the button, and
hold it down. Then run to the edge, back to the pole, and hold the
button a bit. Pee-Wee will pole-vault on the ledge.) When you have the
piece, climb on the ladder, hit the button, and the ladder will grow.
Then jump down and over the swamp to get the next piece, etc. If you
are kicked back to the swamp, just avoid Porky. You'll start on the
left, and he'll be on the right. Jump past the swamp, holding the
button down, then jump over the swamp to the ledge before you climb up.
In difficult mode, it's hard to take hold of the pole to vault
across the swamp. You must be more careful when you hit the button, so
expect frustration. Also note that Porky moves back and forth before
moving to the other side. You'll need to time the jump, but not
perfectly. If you are on the ladder at all when he switches sides,
Porky will not get you.
LOCKER ROOM: Not too tough. Go towards the middle, then climb up.
Go left, up, a bit left, and jump right over the gap. Push the item
right, fall, push it left, fall, push it into the swamp, and very
quickly run left and jump. This is the trickiest part of the locker
room. Balbricker is probably chasing you now, but don't worry. You can
let her follow you(climb down from the shower level) because you can
outrun her, but this time follow your previous path and climb up.
In difficult mode, you can use the same pattern, but you are
probably toast if you look at Wendy(the girl in the shower) before you
drop the item to the shower level. Still, without any major slip-ups,
you can make it past Balbricker out of the locker room. You'll always
go back to the highway afterwards.
PORKY'S: If this is on the easy setting, you're in luck. Simply
climb up each scaffold(you have to stand on the right spot) on a given
level until you get a green arrow(i.e. it's the right one in the
pattern, so keep climbing.) Then keep climbing up the one above
it(using the same pattern that got you the green arrows) 'til you get to
the top and enjoy the finale. Often you'll need to fake Porky out by
going to one edge and running to the other. It's a bit tedious, but you
can figure it out.
LEFT & 2ND-RIGHT: climb from left.
RIGHT & 2ND-LEFT: climb from right.
On the difficult level, mental fatigue is your biggest opponent.
You may even need paper to keep track of the right pattern, since you
can't go straight up like the easy version. You may need sixteen tries
to find the right path. In addition, Porky is tougher to shake off. On
the easy level, he only changed directions at the scaffold roots. On
difficult, he'll change when you run by him on top. If you get the
wrong scaffold, run to one side, wait for Porky to catch up, run to the
other, drop down, and try again. You may have to circle around Porky
after you've fallen to get to the green-arrow scaffold, so don't try to
do everything at once. Also, before the very top, you will find
yourself scrambling if your first choice is wrong. If so, pull down on
the joystick and hit diagonally left or right as you climb down.
Otherwise, you may fall, and Porky will be waiting. Outfox Porky and
try again.
The pattern also changes if Porky catches you, so you really do want
to avoid him if you want the game to take a sane amount of time.
MAXIMUM SCORE
In a reasonable amount of time, I got 7942. I also jumped back and
forth across the swamp(-48) so I had a total possible of 7827. I don't
think it's possible to get much more without a shocking amount of
repetition.
My initial high score was 7401. To get this, you get past all the
obstacles, adding 3201 points to your score. It's best done by going up
the left side, then timing a run from the third band up the center.
This requires timing, but it's easy enough to re-start the game
continually. You'll find yourself on the scaffolding, after which it's
pretty easy to get past Porky. That's 3200 points. It would seem this
is a "perfect game."
But wait! Here's a catcher-drops-the-third-strike-so-you-get-four-
strikeouts-in-an-inning-deal. You can get caught by the car just as you
make it past the top band, or better yet, get to the top and walk down
into the car. You'll still get the 3201 points, and you'll fall into
the swamp. From there, four bricks and six jumps(+404-144) and entering
the girls' locker room(+100) get you more points. You get another 100
for kicking the skull in the swamp, and it's another 100 for escaping
Balbricker. Outwitting Porky gets you 3200, so the total is
1000+3201+260+100+100+100+3200=7960, not counting time lost in the
locker room. Call it 108, meaning that 7850 or so is an upper limit.
Now, if you really have nothing better to do, you can rack up over
eight thousand. Here's my solution. There is actually a way to score
points continually. You can get about 130 points per cycle if you:
1)cross the highway, but at the final belt, walk down into the
car(minimum 1 point.) Although the total points you get for this are
halved, the overall sum will be 3201+1601+801+401+201+101+1=7307, which
is not bad. Then, 2)Jump twice over the swamp to get to the girls'
locker room(+53 points.) Drop the bomb in the lake(+202-117 points.)
Then, you will be sent to the county line scene instead of Porky's.
Just be sure not to cross all the way, or the Porky's scene will wait
for you, and you'll have to lose 200 points to get out of that. Even if
you're playing the difficult mode, you should get 160 or so--Pee-Wee
just kicks the object a bit more slowly, but you get a difficulty bonus.
To assure the best score, make the shower difficult but leave the swamp
easy(or pole vaulting is impossible!)
******** END OF FAQ PROPER
VERSIONS/CREDITS
1.0.0: Submitted to GameFAQs.com(I watched the movie in full 3/31/2001,
2AM or so)
Duane and Jeff Taylor, for introducing me to the cartridge so many years
ago.
"Moral turpitude! Moral turpitude!"
