Home Alone FAQ/Walkthrough By Andrew M. Evans aka AndrewM
(
[email protected])
Version 1.00 Released December 29, 2020
Looking for anything NES? Visit my hopefully-but-probably-not comprehensive NES
Site at www.neshq.com!
--== Table of Contents ==--
Section 01 ----- Revision History
Section 02 ----- Disclaimer
Section 03 ----- Introduction/Background
Section 04 ----- Basic Controls
Section 05 ----- Game Objective and Gameplay
Section 06 ----- Map
Section 07 ----- Items/Traps
Section 08 ----- Hiding
Section 09 ----- General Strategy
Section 10 ----- Scoring / Scoring Strategy
Section 11 ----- The Glitches
Section 12 ----- High Scores
Section 13 ----- Acknowledgments and Thanks
Section 14 ----- Closing Notes
--== Section 01 - Revision History ==--
12/29/2020 v1.00 Original FAQ
--== Section 02 - Disclaimer, Legal, and Rant ==--
This FAQ is open and free.
Post it wherever you want, however you want. If you want to post it on your
site, have at it. If you want to translate it, modify it, or do something else
entirely with it, that's up to you. Whatever you do with it please give credit
to me as the original author. And, if you're feeling generous, leave my
shameless plug for NES HQ in there. This FAQ is open and free. Really. Call the
license model whatever you want, but you can post it wherever you want.
Information should be free and open, including NES FAQs.
--== Section 03 - Introduction/Background ==--
I'm Andy, I run NES HQ (www.neshq.com). I don't have any particular attachment
to Home Alone and there's already at least one FAQ already written for this
steaming pile of dung of a game. This is an objectively TERRIBLE game. Seriously
- if you're questioning if you should play this game, DON'T. Read a book, adopt
a pet, help a beaver build a lodge. ANYTHING but this game. However ...
There is a group of NES enthusiasts (more on them in the 'Closing Notes,
Credits, and Thanks' section). Somehow, even after 20+ years these guys are
still hanging around together. At then time of this writing, this is the fabled
#cavern channel. As part of an ongoing series of NES game challenges this game
came up, whereupon I realized that the existing documentation for it is woefully
inadequate, so here I am. Also, for historical purposes, please note that ClawX
is the byproduct of a dolphin mother and horse father. Due to the high number of
humans in the family tree this has actually led to Claw being a Centaur, rather
than a dolphin-horse. Not sure where to fit that in but this seemed like the
right spot.
Also, this is the first FAQ I've written in over eight years, so if I've missed
anything or anyone reading this has any additional contributions, please feel
free to reach out and let me know.
--== Section 04 - Basic Controls ==--
The controls for this game are pretty simple:
A Button - Picks up an item (you can hold a max of three at a time)
B Button - Deploys an item as a trap
Select Button - Cycles through items in inventory
Start button - Pauses game & displays pause screen. Note: Pause screen is
important as it shows locations for any active traps (items) as well as your
current score and how much time is remaining
D-Pad - Controls Kevin's movements
Up button - When in front of a hiding place, pressing up will allow Kevin to
hide in that location (more on this below).
Down + A - When standing above the chandeliers this drops a chandelier (more on
this below).
--== Section 05 - Game Objective and Gameplay ==--
For anyone who's been living under a rock for the ladt thirty years, the NES
game roughly follows the plot of movie, and the objective is to have our
protagonist (Kevin McCallister) outwit two house robbers, Marv and Harry.
In the game, the objective is to last 20 minutes without being caught by Marv
or Harry, until backup can arrive in the form of local law enforcement.
When the game starts, Kevin is at the front of his family's house. As noted
above, the objective is simply to outlast Marv and Harry for 20 minutes. This is
accomplished by running around and using items ('traps' in Home Alone parlance)
to slow the robbers. If either robber touches you, game over. It's really quite
as simple as it is terrible, and doesn't require any more elaboration than that.
--== Section 06 - Map ==--
This is an important aspect of the game to understand in order to beat the game.
The game is effectively five floors - three in the house, the ground, and the
basement. You can think of the map as follows:
THIRD FLOOR: P[S5 ]--ROPE--[ T ]
SECOND FLOOR: [ S5 S4 ] |
FIRST FLOOR S2/P[D S3/S4 S1 ] |
GROUND S2 S3 BS T
BASEMENT [ S1 BS ]
Where:
BS: Basement stairs running from Basement to ground
S1: Stairs running from basement to first floor
S2: Patio stairs running from ground to first floor
S3: Front door stairs running from ground to first floor
S4: Stairs running from first floor to second floor
S5: Stairs running from second floor to third floor
D: Door (only door in game) from first floor to patio
P: Pipe running from first floor to third floor
ROPE: Rope running from 3rd floor to tree house
T: Treehouse stairs running from ground to tree house
* I realize this map is imperfect but as soon as you play the game it'll make
sense, I promise!
--== Section 07 - Items/Traps ==--
Key to winning this game is the effective use of items (traps, in Home Alone-
speak). Each item gives a different score and knocks out the robbers for a
different length of time. Below is a table showing item, the score it gives,
and the length of time it incapacitates a a robber:
Item | Score | Knockout Time
======================================================
Iron | 400 | 5 Seconds
Spider | 1400 | 5 Seconds
Tar Bucket | 400 | 10 Seconds
Tar Bucket | 800 | 10 Seconds
Cars | 1000 | 15 Seconds
Charcoal Coil*| 1000 | 15 Seconds
Chandelier*** | 10000 | 30 Seconds
Soup Cans | 200 | 3 Seconds
Soap | 200 | 3 Seconds
Nails** | 200 | 8 Seconds
Nails** | 800 | 8 Seconds
Paint Can** | 200 | 5 Seconds
Paint Can** | 400 | 5 Seconds
Lamp** | 200 | 5 Seconds
Lamp** | 400 | 5 Seconds
Lamp** | 800 | 5 Seconds
TV | 5000 | 10 Seconds
* Looks like a curling iron, found on the ground level
** There are multiples of these items in different colors that provide different
scores
*** See above for usage: the chandelier is the only item in the game that can't
be picked up, it can only be dropped.
--== Section 08 - Hiding ==--
Kevin is able to hide at various places throughout the house. Hiding works as
follows: the player can hide by pressing the up button at a hiding spot. As
long as neither of the robbers is in the same room, they will go by him twice.
On the third time they will always catch him.
Hiding works great and can prolong a game by helping to save items. The
challenge in hiding, however, is that the game is poorly programmed, so you
can't actually see if the robbers are in the same room. Thus, hiding works best
if you can see the robbers a floor above or below, or otherwise know they're
not in the same room.
There area total of eight hiding places in the game. They are:
Basement:
Right of house steps, between safe and chest of drawers
Left of house steps, left side of blue drawers (to right of radiator)
Left of house steps, grey appliance (to left of radiator)
- First floor:
Christmas tree
- Second floor:
Bed to left of stairs
Bed to right of stairs
- Third floor:
Chest of drawers (1st, either direction)
Chest of drawers (3rd, either direction)
One other note on hiding places: I would recommend always using a hiding place,
and then if a robber shows up a few seconds after hiding you can assume it's
blown and drop an item. If a robber shows up more than a few seconds later it's
probably safe and can save an item.
--== Section 09 - General Strategy ==--
The general strategy for this game should be pretty obvious by now, it entails:
- Always carrying a max item load (three) whenever possible
- Avoiding the robbers wherever possible (i.e. run instead of using an item)
- Using hiding places when possible (see above)
- Running in a giant loop (up the pipe on the left, right across third floor,
across the rope, down the treehouse steps, and left along the ground. Or the
same thing, just in reverse.
Combine running in a loop with hiding where possible, while holding a full item
load, and you should be able to avoid the robbers at ease for quite a while.
Eventually this strategy will result in running out of items and you'll need to
venture into the first and second floor, as well as the basement, to get more
items. This is best accomplished when you can make an educated guess as to where
the robbers are (i.e. not behind you) in order to maximize the possibility of
being able to save your items and not having to use them immediately to fend
off a robber.
Additionally, the pipe and the tree house steps are - by my estimation - two of
the best places to park yourself while waiting for the robbers as they offer a
fairly expansive view of things while avoiding the trap of being surprised by
the robbers inside the house.
--== Section 10 - Scoring / Scoring Strategy ==--
Scoring in Home Alone is achieved by using items/traps and simply surviving.
The point values for items is listed above in the Items section. Additionally,
you'll get 10 pts for every second you persist without falling victim to Marv
and Harry.
There is some strategy for anyone who's insane enough to be playing this for a
high score. To achieve the maximum score possible you'll need to drop the
chandeliers and use all items while lasting as long as possible. I'd recommend
setting a trap near the chandeliers so you can lie in wait, then drop the
chandelier as soon the robbers pop back up.
--== Section 11 - The Glitches ==--
The glitches... I know what you're thinking, hard to believe that such a finely-
programmed game could have glitches. Yes, dear reader, it's true. Even this bit
of 8-bit perfection does have some glitches.
The glitches allow you to trap both robbers in certain places in the game. Once
they're trapped you can effectively run out the clock and win the game.
So far I've seen this in three places:
- Bottom of basement steps: the bottom step of the rightmost (basement-to-
ground) basement steps.
- Pipe: the pipe running from the first floor to the third floor
- Third floor steps: the steps running from the second floor to the third floor
If you're interested in using this glitch to your advantage I'd recommend
looking up a YouTube video so you can see it in action. It's a lot easier to see
this in action than to try to describe it in text, but here goes:
These three areas are poorly programmed (shocking!) and there aren't clean
entrypoints, which is what allows the robbers to get trapped. what you'll want
to do is lay a trap right where the 'glitch envelope is' that effectively traps
them there permanently.
The easiest place to do this in my opinion is the basement stairs. Go down the
rightmost stairs and lay a trap, when the robber gets back up he'll be trapped.
Wait for the second robber, do the same, and now they're trapped for the
duration of the game.
It is possible to execute the glitch on the third floor stairs (actually on the
second floor). I'm not entirely sure how to reproduce it, but I managed to do it
once.
It's also likely that glitch envelopes exist at all the awkward traverse points
- other stairs, the treehouse steps, and the treehouse rope. I expect it to
work in these locations but at this point I'm too sick of playing this terrible
game to try to prove that.
There is another minor glitch in the game, in that it's possible to moonwalk in
the basement and at the ground-level entry to the basement. This is purely due
to bad programming and is cosmetic - it doesn't make you move slower or faster.
--== Section 12 - High Scores ==--
Again, God help you if you're playing this for a high score. But, for
comparison's sake, here's a high score. If you have one to submit sent it to me
and I'll include it in the FAQ.
Score Date Player
45,280 12/29/2020 AndrewM
--== Section 13 - Acknowledgments and Thanks ==--
I'd like to issue a 'thanks' to the Cavern crowd - if not for them I would have
conveniently forgotten about this game forever and not had the amazing
opportunity to write my first FAQ in eight years. May the Bagloaf always be
plentiful, the jerks rare, and may you always find some Heckin' Cheeselogs on
the Crazy Wheel of life.
Special thanks to:
Port[noyd] for talking over some basic strategy points
strx10 for showing me the glitch video
Claw the aforementioned Centaur. Despite his love of Casper he helped
walk and talk through parts of this abomination of a game
--== Section 14 - Closing Notes, ==--
Please be sure to check out NES HQ at www.neshq.com, which is the most popular
NES-specific site on the Internet. Maybe you'll feel compelled to contribute
to it as well and help build the most comprehensive NES resource on the net.
And finally, send any questions to me at
[email protected].
