Do! Run! Run!(Arcade) FAQ
version 1.0.0
copyright 2002 by Andrew Schultz
[email protected]
Please do not redistribute this FAQ for profit without my consent. I
write these documents for the memories and to help others to relive them
as well, and in addition Do! Run! Run! is a pretty tough game on later
levels. However, sending me an e-mail asking me for this game 1. by its
name and 2. by my first name *should* get you a more favorable response,
although I am very bad about responding to e-mails.
** AD SPACE **
My home page:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/2762
========================================
OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION
MONSTER INFO
THE GREENS
THE BLUES
THE LETTER MONSTERS
SCORING
STRATEGY
THE BASICS
AVOIDING FIXES
GETTING RID OF MONSTERS
GETTING THE E-X-T-R-A
CIRCLING THE BOARD
CLEARING THE BOARD
MAXIMIZING POINTS PER LEVEL
A FUNNY QUIRK
THE BREAKDOWN
LEVEL 1 + 10X
LEVEL 2 + 10X
LEVEL 3 + 10X
LEVEL 4 + 10X
LEVEL 5 + 10X
LEVEL 6 + 10X
LEVEL 7 + 10X
LEVEL 8 + 10X
LEVEL 9 + 10X
LEVEL 10 + 10X
11 AND BEYOND ARE TOUGHER BECAUSE...
VERSIONS/CREDITS
========================================
INTRODUCTION
Do! Run! Run! is a nice little action game and in my opinion the
strongest of the Mr. Do canon even if it seems the mellowest. You zap
around on a 9x15 board with three levels collecting dots to build your
powerball, which you can fire at any time. It will bounce back and forth
until it runs out(takes a while) or hits a monster, of which there are
green clam-like things and blue snakey things which launch themselves as
fireballs at you. If your current path(denoted by a white line) traces
out enough of the board(usually 2/3) when you close it, then a circle
with a letter will appear over a random dot. Even if you don't cut
enough of the board out, the dots improve to something better: cherries,
peaches, lemons, and a green pineapple looking thing. Collect it to
release a letter monster, which is similar to those in the earlier Mr.
Do levels. It's actually easier to get an extra Mr. Do in this game than
in any others.
There are also logs to release that roll down the board(it has three
levels) and run over the monsters, which are surprisingly vulnerable;
they don't move out of the way! You can complete the level by killing
all the monsters(the usual,) getting all the dots on the board, or
getting an extra man. However there is a time limit before the monsters
get faster.
MONSTER INFO
In general you start off faster than the monsters but get a bit
slower. This is remedied by climbing between levels, which the monsters
cannot do nearly as fast as you can. In general the monsters do not
change direction between dots. Neither do you, and so if you stop
between two and move perpendicularly, you'll finish your journey before
moving. So always try to anticipate your turning moves a bit, or you
will find you've gone a square too far.
THE GREENS
The green monsters seem to be the dumbest but can also be the most
annoying if you put your mind on cruise control. They get very
unpredictable on the later levels and can reverse or even just sit
around(that is VERY annoying) without warning. A couple randomly walking
around may in fact create a blockade that will annoy you. On later
levels they even grow smart and they may away once you shoot at them
unless they are in close range.
If you wait too long these green/red clam/oysters will turn into weird
blue hedgehogs reminiscent of Mr. Do's Castle. They will also be faster.
But they are just as vulnerable. After a while they will change back but
will not have lost any speed.
THE BLUES
The blue monsters can be nuisances, and the more you can wipe out
earlier, the better. If they are behind and on a level with/above you
they may turn into flames and shoot themselves quickly at you. Although
this is dangerous, you can avoid it pretty easily. The sound that
heralds this is pretty clear, and you can always duck out briefly and
come back. If you hit a flame with a power ball, the ball shifts
direction ninety degrees. This can be great(greens may walk into it
eventually) or annoying(you wanted to nail a monster behind you.)
If you wait too long these snakes will puff up and grow fangs. After a
while they will change back but will not have lost any speed.
THE LETTER MONSTERS
The screen changes color, and the letter monsters are accompanied by a
posse of three blobs if you step on a circle with a letter in it. Letter
monsters also seem to come out a fixed time after you start a level--and
if you finish a level very quickly the letter monster may still come out
on the next level on time. Letter monsters aren't counted in the list of
monsters you need to destroy for the next level and if neglected will
return to the top of the screen where the "Extra" is. Also if you
complete a level with a letter monster about to come out it will be
preserved until the next level. However, if you complete a level with an
extra monster still out there, it will disappear for the start of the
next one.
Monsters with three blobs in front generally try to track you down.
The best bet is to get under a log, knock its support out, and wait for
the blobs to catch up--almost--to you. If you can make it so your trail
is in the log's path, that is good, since the blobs tend to follow your
path. If your path has recently switched between levels, the letter may
get held up and not reach the log's path in time for you. The second
best bet is to try to outflank the blobs using different levels. If you
can make things so you get behind them, you can shoot the letter monster
from behind. When you shoot the letter monster with blobs left, you get
the same value for each blob(which disappears) as you do for the
monster. The second way is not so lucrative or easy, but if you are out
of logs, it is not a bad idea and sometimes makes for a fun action
variant from the first way. It works particularly well at a corner of a
platform where you walk down in one direction and come back in the
other, although of course you only get 500 points per monster, a far cry
from the logs.
Individual letter monsters are a bit more reticent. The best hope is
to try to pin it in a corner and when it moves away, run after it. They
don't outright duck and are loath to bend their path, so this should
work. Also if you hear the siren going off, head for the top center and
try to shoot for the space where they'll re-enter--or just leave a
powerball bouncing across the top.
SCORING
--each time you block off an area with your path(white line,) everything
inside it gets promoted. The point lists for all of it is below:
--10 points for each dot
--20 points for each cherry
--40 points for each peach
--80 points for each lemon
--160 points for each green pineapple thing. In general you get more
of your powerball recharged for each item with more points you pick up.
I think you need 12 dots for a powerball, 8 cherries, 6 peaches, 5
lemons and 4 pineapples.
--blasting any monsters with a powerball gets you 500+500*(# of bounces
off walls) up to a maximum of 3000.
--nailing monsters with a log gets you 1000, increasing by 500 up to
3000 for each subsequent one. (To get a log rolling, walk over the
perpendicular support under it and then walk out from under the log.
Note you can walk away from the log and it will chase you, so you may
want to walk to the side.)
--destroying a letter monster gets you the same points for any trailing
blob as well
--5000 point bonus in addition to the extra guy when you spell E-X-T-R-A
I find I can get 15000-18000 per level.
STRATEGY
THE BASICS
Well, I find a counterclockwise or clockwise circle to start things
off is the best. Once you've roped off a good section of the board, step
on the letter and pick off the letter monster. Then pick off some more
monsters, wait and see if a letter monster will come out, blast it, and
complete the level.
This all seems simple enough, but the details can sometimes be a
hassle. You'll find that monsters may pin you in a corner, you may have
to cut off your path, or you may be short the material you need for a
new power ball. What to do?
AVOIDING FIXES: GOOD STARTS
Well, when you start you may want to gravitate to the part of the
board that's least populous. Also you may want to use a powerball to
take out a monster nearby. Remember, the earlier you shoot it, the
earlier you'll get one back. It's one of those cases where it's ok to
fire away early. Also cut out of a corner if too many monsters creep up
around you. You don't have to encompass the entire board and in fact get
no bonus points for doing so.
Also if you do get killed at the beginning remember to take an
alternate route picking up dots only if you can shoot a bad guy quickly.
And don't go the same way twice if you're killed early.
General video game strategies such as moving all the time are usually
quite good unless you have a very long path that you want to close;
remember that if you go more than one square back on your path, it
disappears. So if you must keep moving, don't trail back. You also want
to watch for narrow stretches where you get trapped in to the side--by a
platform or a green monster above--and a blue fireball comes shooting at
you. Not pretty. A log can also function as a monster since it is lethal
if it runs over you. So you may want to try to avoid running out from
under a log to an edge.
Be sure also not to waste a log until a bunch of monsters are chasing
you. Generally they get mesmerized by the log, which helps to get you
out of a pinch. And also if you are trapped with a log on one side, you
can push it. It has the same effect as taking out the log from under.
GETTING RID OF MONSTERS
Although you can usually pick off a monster to your side with a quick
motion, there are more surefire ways to ambush. Generally if you sneak
up behind a monster it won't see you firing. Similarly if it is climbing
down and you fire at where it's about to go, it is easy picking. Also if
you are just climbing up a platform and the monster is on the square
next to you, you can fire and hit it for an easy kill. On the flip side,
if you are climbing down, you have to be a bit more careful and wait
'til the last minute--or your powerball will bounce harmlessly back past
your dead skeleton.
There are two logs on each level, and although you can push one and
get it rolling if you need an emergency way out of a situation, you
should try to nail at least three monsters per log. They will get you
the majority of the level's points unless you are lucky enough to be
able to circle around a lot. Original monsters are mesmerized by falling
logs but letter monsters are not.
Monsters that trail and gain on you can be annoying. However, shoot a
powerball away from them and just as it is coming back, duck at the last
minute. It's a nice way to get an extra 500 points and you can still
flee a group of monsters--while picking up the dots you need for the
next power ball. Besides, turning around can be lethal if you face a
pack of monsters.
If you can learn where to place a ball so it will bounce back and
forth a lot and likely hit a monster, the extra 3000 points can come in
handy. For instance you will probably want to shoot it vertically for
the simple reason that the game map is wider than it is tall(9x15.) You
can also walk across its area while it is bouncing away to try to goad
the monsters. If the powerball is trapped in a smaller area, hide behind
it if possible.
GETTING THE E-X-T-R-A
For the first few levels it is not so bad. Generally you can encompass
most of the board, get a letter, wait under a log, run the letter
monster over, wait for another letter to come out, and shoot it. I've
gotten an extra man on level three although excessive dawdling and
dodging hasn't turned up a way to get it on level two. You can only grab
one letter in a circle per level, but if you're killed before you can
grab one, you can circle the board and have one appear again. In general
when goading the letter monster into following you, you want to keep the
way clear of other monsters. I recommend getting under a log and letting
the blob follow you. If you duck out at the last instant, the letter
monster should get caught under the log.
Remember that the letter monster doesn't count as a monster you need
to kill to win the level, and if you kill everything else, the level
ends automatically.
CIRCLING THE BOARD
Try for the corners if there are no monsters around, but be sure to
duck if a lot seem to be congregated on the side. Also if there is a
monster or two ahead be sure to shimmy and try to blast any one in your
path. You should be able to make continual progress. I generally just
head counterclockwise but if there are a lot of monsters in that
direction to start out then you can head the other way. I've actually
managed to get a letter to appear without clearing very much of the
board at all. If you have a choice I think you want to clear the area
directly below the EXTRA to increase the likelihood a level will appear.
In order to get lots of points picking up pineapples you may need to
make progressively smaller circles. This is because monsters speed up
and you will need to duck up and down the platforms to shake them off.
It's not physically possible to outrun them and still circle the board
fully given time constraints. But it can potentially net you an extra
5000(a 5x6 square is not out of the question and would net 30
pineapples) points if you play it right.
CLEARING THE BOARD
This is not recommended but is fun to try. Obviously it will take a
while to run over every single square, and the monsters will probably
have seriously sped up in the meantime. It is obviously easiest to pick
up the board without circling it but if you want to get anything
resembling decent points then you probably should convert a bunch of
dots to pineapples. It would also be good to kill all monsters except
one; less distractions that way. You get no bonus for clearing the
board, just a sense of variety, I guess.
MAXIMIZING POINTS PER LEVEL
Remember that most of your points will come from rolling the logs
downhill. So stack up a bunch of monsters there and be sure to use the
two logs productively. Failing that you usually want to try to bounce a
powerball once whenever you get the chance.
Also if you are about to get an extra guy, you may want to get as many
points as you can, since the level ends right away once you get the
final letter in the EXTRA.
It's also a bit risky, but with one monster left, if you can duck up
and down, you can rope off and pick up a lot of points. But it's not as
fun as blasting action.
A FUNNY QUIRK
If you are against one monster, you fire, and it catches you, the
powerball may come back to hit it. You will then revive and not lose the
guy you thought you did. WARNING: over long distances this does not work
so well. The powerball will bounce past everything. Good timing is
needed especially on later levels when the monsters tend to pause a bit,
leaving you holding the powerball when you thought you'd be able to
blast the monster. But it is cute and fun to try.
[does this happen with the 5th letter monster as well?]
THE BREAKDOWN
Each level of DRR has three platforms: top, middle and bottom. They
are labeled *, : and . respectively where they have dots. The logs are
labeled in the direction they fall. Although you can figure it out(logs
roll down) I figured it would be a convenience.
* = top level
: = middle level
. = level
^v = where logs start
<>
Every ten levels the map pattern cycles. Some monsters appear in new
locations not found ten levels ago and sometimes monsters are taken out
of the mix although the net change is nonnegative. The most monsters are
11. I put these notations just to the right of the square where the
monsters are. I didn't go past level twenty because the general monster
formations are the same, and if you get that far consistenly you're
doing better than I can. I lose focus and cop out in the mid-teens--on a
good day.
A = where green monster first materializes(levels 1-10)
a = where blue monster first materializes(levels 1-10)
B = green(11-20)
b = blue(11-20)
[Note monsters materialize at different times.]
The ledger for the maps is as follows:
LEVEL 1 + 10X
. : * * *B* *B* *A* * : . .
. : * * * * * * * * * : . .
vvv vvv
. : : : : *a* *a: : : : . .
. : : :a: * * * : :a: : . .
. : : : : * * * : : : : . .
. : :a: : : : : : : :b: . .
. . : : : : : : : : : . . .
. . . . : : : : : . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LEVEL 2 + 10X
: : * * *a* *B* * * * * * : :
: : * * * * * * * * * * * : :
: : : : : : <a* *A* * * * : :
<
: : : :a: : < * * * * * * : :
: : . . : : : : :a* *B* * : :
vvv
: : . . : :a: : : : : : : : :
: : . . . . : : : : : : : : :
: : . . . . . . : : : : : : :
: : . . . . . . : : : : : : :
LEVEL 3 + 10X
: : * * * * * * * * * * * : :
: : * * * * *A* *A* * * * : :
vvv
: : : : : < * * * * : : : : :
<
: : : : : < *a* *a* : : : : :
: : : : :a: : : : : :a: : : :
: : : : : : : : : : : : :a: :
: : : : : . . . . . : : : : :
: :b. . . . . . . . . . . : :
: :b. . . . . . . . . . . : :
The UR blue monster doesn't appear in scene 13.
LEVEL 4 + 10X
: : : : * * * * * : : : : .
: : : : : *a* *a: : : : : .
vvv
. . . :A: * * * : :A. . . .
. . . : : *a* *a: : . . . .
. . . : : : * : : : . . . .
. . .a. : : : : : . . .b. .
. .b. . . : : :>. . . . . .
>
. . . . . : : :>. . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The UR blue monster doesn't appear in scene 14.
LEVEL 5 + 10X
: : * * * * * * * * *a* * * *
: : * * * * * * * * * * * * *
vvv
: : : : : : * *A* * *A* * *A*
: : : : :a: * * *a* * * * * *
vvv
: : : : : : : : : : : : : : :a
: : :a: : : : : : : : : : : :
: : : : : : . . . . . . . . .
:a: : : :a: . . . . . . . . .
: : : : : : . . . . . . . . .
The UL blue monsterdoesn't appear in scene 15.
LEVEL 6 + 10X
: : * * * * * *a* * * * : : .
: : * * * * * * * * * : :a: .
vvv
: : : : : * * *A* * : : :a. .
: : :A: : * *a* * * : : : . .
vvv
: : : :b: : : : :a: : : : . .
: : : : : : : : : : : : . . .
: : :A: . . . . : : . . . . .
: : : :b. . . . : : . . . . .
: : : : . . . . . . . . . . .
LEVEL 7 + 10X
: : : * * * * *B* * * * * * *
: : : : : < * * * * * *A* * *
<
: : : : : < *a* * *a* * * * *
vvv
: : : : :a: * * : : : : * *
: : :b: : : * *a: : :a: :a*
. . : : : : : : : : : : : :
. . . . . . . . : : : : : :
. . . . . . . . : : : : :B:
. . . . . . . . : : : : : :
LEVEL 8 + 10X
* * * * *a* * *a* * *a* * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
vvv
* * *a* : : : :B: : : * *a* *
* * * * : : : : : : : * * * *
vvv
* : : : : : :b: : : : : : : *
* : :a: : . . . . . : : :B: *
* : :A: . . . . . . . : : : *
* : : : . . . . . . . : : : *
: : : : . . . . . . . : : : :
LEVEL 9 + 10X
: : : : * * * * * * * * * *
: : : : : * * * * * *a*A* *
. . . : :a: *a* *a* * * * *
. . . : : : * *a: : : : : :
. . . : : : * * : : : :A: :
. . . : : : : : : : . . . .
. .a. . < : . . . . . .b. .
<
.b. . . < : . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The DR snake is gone in level 19.
LEVEL 10X
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * > : : : : :
>
* * : : * *a: : *b> : : : : :
: : : : : : : : : :A: : : : :
: : : :a: : :a: :a: : :a: : :
: : . . : : : : : . . : : . .
. . . . . : :b: . . . . . .
A. . . . . : : : . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The UR snake is gone in level 20.
11 AND BEYOND ARE TOUGHER BECAUSE...
--on the first ten levels you almost always get a letter monster you
need to form "EXTRA." Usually the circle with a letter in it will change
until it hits a letter you can use. Past level ten you need to time when
you step on the letter in the circle(which changes) or hope you get
lucky with the monster that drops by. You need to time your step into
the circle very carefully. I think on level 30 the circle letter changes
even more inflexibly--it may get stuck on E and A.
--a few more monsters
--less time to pick up the circle with the letter in it, or the letter
monster for that matter
--green monsters duck you more or stay put or reverse more randomly
So be careful out there!
End of FAQ proper
========================================
VERSIONS
1.0.0 sent to GameFAQs 5/18/2002. Should be reasonably complete although
I don't know when monster positions loop and so forth, so this FAQ is
not exhaustive.
CREDITS
mame.net for the cheats that let me explore this game and for the
screenshots which helped with my text maps.
