Hey Chief, sorry that I posted a Bust-A-Move score so soon after you did. I meant to submit those scores several days ago but I never got around to it, so the timing was totally coincidental!
Yeah, if you’re going for a BAM high score you should understand the scoring system. When you pop a group of 3 of the same color bubbles you get a measly 30 points, but the clearing of extra bubbles that are attached to what you pop is the key. The first extra bubble you clear is only worth 20 points, but each additional bubble you clear doubles that score, so 2 extra bubbles = 40 points, 3 = 80 points, 4 = 160 points, and so on until you reach 17 bubbles which gives you 1,310,720 points. 17 is the max, so any number of bubbles higher than that will still give you 1,310,720. Rounds 9 & 13 set up a 17+ combo for you, but on other rounds you have to create the combos yourself. Occasionally you can do this 2 or 3 times in a single round.
Another tip is that you should never rush yourself. There IS a time limit for shooting each individual bubble, but the screen will drop down a level based on number of bubbles shot (and how many colors are remaining), not on time. The bonus points you get from a quick completion are far inferior to what you get from a large combo, so the time bonus really isn’t worth going after. Better to take your time and carefully aim your shots.
Chief, using the 17 bubble combo technique, try getting 1.3 mil on round 1, 1.3 mil on round 2, and 2.6 mil on round 3. Then you will have beaten your own high score after just three rounds. You're obviously good if you’ve completed all 30 rounds on 1 credit, so this shouldn’t be so tough…