High score

References

1. ^ abSpace Invaders keeps one high score, four BCD digits at $20F4–$20F5. When a player's game ends, it compares that player's score with it, upper digits first, and copies the score over it if the score is higher.CodeComputer Archeology, Space Invaders
   How we know

   3304166E: CD 8B 1A        CALL    $1A8B               ; {} Print ZERO ships remain
   33051671: CD 10 19        CALL    $1910               ; {code.CurPlyAlive} Get active-flag ptr for current player
   33061674: 36 00           LD      (HL),$00            ; Flag player is dead
   33071676: CD CA 09        CALL    $09CA               ; {} Get score descriptor for current player
   33081679: 23              INC     HL                  ; Point to high two digits
   3309167A: 11 F5 20        LD      DE,$20F5            ; Current high score upper two digits
   3310167D: 1A              LD      A,(DE)              ; Is player score greater ...
   3311167E: BE              CP      (HL)                ; ... than high score?
   3312167F: 1B              DEC     DE                  ; Point to LSB
   33131680: 2B              DEC     HL                  ; Point to LSB
   33141681: 1A              LD      A,(DE)              ; Go ahead and fetch high score lower two digits
   33151682: CA 8B 16        JP      Z,$168B             ; {} Upper two are the same ... have to check lower two
   ⋮
   

   Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-25.

   Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

   Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-25.

   In the claim ledger

2. ^ abPac-Man keeps one high score, three BCD bytes at $4E88. After every change to a player's score it compares the score with it from the top byte down and, if the score is higher, copies the 3 bytes over and redraws it.Codemburkley/pacman-crevised
   How we know

   12392    /*  Get Ptr to MSD of high score */
   12393    uint8_t *highScore = HIGH_SCORE;
   ⋮
   12405        if (score[b] < highScore[b])
   12406            return;
   ⋮
   12424        return;
   ⋮
   12434    highScore = HIGH_SCORE;
   ⋮
   12440    memcpy (highScore, score, 3);
   

   Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

   Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

   In the claim ledger

3. ^ abcDonkey Kong keeps a five-place high-score table in RAM at $6100, copied from a default table in ROM at power-on, each entry holding its place, its score, and room for a name. A player who places enters initials on a "NAME REGISTRATION" screen.Codefurrykef/dkdasm
   How we know

   132401DF  CD0702    CALL    #0207           ; set all dip switch settings and create default high score table from ROM
   

   1404025A  216535    LD      HL,#3565        ; source = #3565 = default high score table
   1405025D  110061    LD      DE,#6100        ; dest = #6100 = high score RAM
   14060260  01AA00    LD      BC,#00AA        ; byte counter = #AA
   14070263  EDB0      LDIR                    ; copy high score table into RAM
   

   104223565:  94 77 01 23 24 10 10 00 00 07 06 05 00 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 3F 00 50 76 00 F4 76
   104233587:  96 77 02 1E 14 10 10 00 00 06 01 00 00 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 3F 00 00 61 00 F6 76
   1042435A9:  98 77 03 22 14 10 10 00 00 05 09 05 00 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 3F 00 50 59 00 F8 76
   1042535CB:  9A 77 04 24 18 10 10 00 00 05 00 05 00 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 3F 00 50 50 00 FA 76
   1042635EE:  9C 77 05 24 18 10 10 00 00 04 03 00 00 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 3F 00 00 43 00 FC 76
   

   4547142D  211C61    LD      HL,#611C        ; load HL with high score entry indicator
   45481430  112200    LD      DE,#0022        ; offset to add is #22
   45491433  0605      LD      B,#05           ; for B = 1 to 5
   45501435  3E01      LD      A,#01           ; A := 1 = code for a new high score for player 1
   ⋮
   45521437  BE        CP      (HL)            ; compare (HL) to 1 .  equal ?
   45531438  CA5914    JP      Z,#1459         ; yes, jump to high score entry for player 1
   ⋮
   4568144C  C37514    JP      #1475           ; skip ahead, no high score was achieved
   ⋮
   45821465  210A60    LD      HL,GameMode2        ; load HL with game mode2 address
   45831468  34        INC     (HL)            ; increase game mode2 to #15
   45841469  110D03    LD      DE,#030D        ; load task data for text #D "NAME REGISTRATION"
   

   104823710:  24 24 1F 1E 3F 27 76 20 25 23 18 3F 06 77 1E 11  TTON...PUSH...NA
   104833720:  1D 15 10 22 15 17 19 23 24 22 11 24 19 1F 1E 3F  ME.REGISTRATION.
   

   2363072C  86 14                             ; (15) #1486    ; player enters initials in high score table
   

   Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-25.

   Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

   Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-25.

   In the claim ledger

4. ^ abcAsteroids keeps a table of ten high scores, two BCD bytes each, with three initials apiece (computed from the 20-byte and 30-byte tables), and tells a player who makes it "YOUR SCORE IS ONE OF THE TEN BEST".CodeComputer Archeology, Asteroids
   How we know

   38| 1D:30     | highScores         | High Score Table (Scores) 2 Byte Format In Decimal. Byte 1 Tens, Byte 2 Thousands (In Decimal) |
   

   LDY #$02 ; Offset For "YOUR SCORE IS ONE OF THE TEN BEST" … LDY #$03 ; Offset For "PLEASE ENTER YOUR INITIALS"

   Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-22.

   Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-22.

   In the claim ledger

5. ^Computer Archeology credits Mikael Agren with patching the original Space Invaders ROMs to add a high-score table.Code notesComputer Archeology, Space Invaders
   How we know

   Mikael Agren patched the original ROMs to add a [high-score table]

   The quote matches our archived copy.

   Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

   In the claim ledger