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54.12.1G.3 - game over
on the bright side you did get further one more level than usual

I can't believe how pathetically tragic I am. I feel like I'm never going to see Tuber again. This is the 3rd (I think) game in a row I have not gone into any difficult PDs, with the intention of getting to Tuber and finally unblocking the items, that I've failed to even see Tuber. It's so frustrating it really makes me want to quit, because I have no idea what I'm doing wrong and somehow I end up in the 90's with 2 freaking lives left and no hope, no hope at all and no progress because of avoiding PDs. I just want to scream. I've been sitting here at the computer crying my eyes out and I'm disgusted with myself. What the hell is wrong with me?

@Neko: Ouch. I really sympathize. Nothing ticks me off more than performing poorly at something -- especially when I KNOW I can do far, far better.

The answer? I've said it before, and I'll probably say it again: If you want to improve, you have to stop reacting to your mistakes. Games like this are all about mental performance, and making yourself angry will not help.

You don't have to take my word for it, either. This is an excerpt from my favorite book on behavior modification, "Don't Shoot the Dog" by Karen Pryor:

Positive reinforcement can even work on yourself. At a Shakespeare study group I once belonged to I met a Wall Street lawyer in his late forties who was an avid squash player. The man had overheard me chatting about training, and on his way out the door afterward he remarked that he thought he would try positive reinforcement on his squash game. Instead of cursing his errors, as was his habit, he would try praising his good shots.

Two weeks later I ran into him again. "How's the squash game?" I asked. A look of wonder and joy crossed his face, an expression not frequently seen on Wall Street lawyers.

"At first I felt like a damned fool," he told me, "saying 'Way to go, Pete, attaboy,' for every good shot. Hell, when I was practicing alone, I even patted myself on the back. And then my game started to get better. I'm four rungs higher on the club ladder than I've ever been. I'm whipping people I could hardly take a point from before. And I'm having more fun. Since I'm not yelling at myself all the time, I don't finish a game feeling angry and disappointed. If I made a bad shot, never mind, good ones will come along. And I find I really enjoy it when the other guy makes a mistake, gets mad, throws his racquet--I know it won't help his game, and I just smile...."

What a fiendish opponent. And just from switching to positive reinforcement.
Personally, I still have a hard time doing this during a game -- but when I do, it WORKS. The first time I managed to keep it up consistently was the first time I saw Tuber.

This is also why I've never posted a complaint or sad story in this thread.

I think a lot of people here would play a lot better if they gave this strategy a serious try. (Or a playful try... since games, after all, are meant to be fun.)

lost only 4 lives in pd 55 this time, could ve broken my record if i hadn't jumped of the map twice at last got my rusty old key, hopefully 1,5mil+ score next game

@Piet: Good point

@Van: Thanks! I'll try to do that, and maybe the first time I do that consistently will be the first time I see (and get) the Snow Bomb

Points: 3.723.940 - You've got a better score in the ranking! - You have beaten your own record!

Position: 2 Pyramid level: 1 - You win 1 position(s) in the level 1!

Level reached: 97

And yet I am not satisfied... Could have gone so much better, with many preventable deaths in the 90s and some in PD 46. Really should have made it to Tuber.

Anyway, I have no chance of making the Hall of Fame this week. SeBBa52 has a score of 5,050,231; enough said.

GT: unblocked and . thats it.
DVT: GO at level 34 AND when i died, i had CRI_TAL and there were, like, 5 enemies left . and when i got to level 30, i killed the lemons, no sweat, just a small wait,(last lemon didnt want to cooperate) and had 2 lives, when the FIREBALL killed me . that has never happened to me before.

i had a great game got that pink hat that doubles your bombs in the beginning, its very usefull then i got to PD 25 for the first time and everytime i kicked a bom away from the button it doulbes, better luck next time

Points: 1.794.160

Level reached: 90

My first attempt at Nightmare mode. Avoided all PDs except 2, 5 and 16. First death on level 49 when I just ran out of time. Can't say there were any real disasters, except arguably levels 88 and 90 when I lost 2 lives each because it's just really hard to land on those 1x1 places. precisely. Mostly, it was just a slow drain as most levels from 80 onwards cost me one life each no matter what I did. More would definitely have helped.

What do you experienced Nightmare players think?

Also, got a new key on level 50. It opens up PD 82. How hard is that?