O o--o o-o o-O-o o-O-o o-o
/ \ | | / | | /
o---oO-Oo O | | O
| || \ \ | | \
o oo o o-o o o-O-o o-o
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Arctic - Active Rail Playing
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for the Famicom
- A Guide by 'CJ' Lagoona -
Table of Contents:
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* Introduction........................[_0100_]
* Game Mechanics......................[_0200_]
* Game Controls.......................[_0300_]
* Map Elements........................[_0400_]
* General Tips........................[_0500_]
* Maps guide..........................[_0600_]
* Hidden Stuff........................[_0700_]
* Questions...........................[_0800_]
* Version History.....................[_0900_]
* Legal Stuff / Donations.............[_1000_]
* Credits.............................[_1100_]
Use the search codes in brackets (Ctrl + F) to quickly jump to your desired
chapter.
------------------------------++++++++++++++++---------------------------------
+ Introduction + [_0100_]
------------------------------++++++++++++++++---------------------------------
Welcome to my guide covering the somewhat obscure Famicom title Arctic -
Active Rail Playing. I decided to write one after writing a review for it, as
on one hand, this is quite a good puzzle game and on the other hand, there was
no FAQ available before this one... :-)
As already mentioned, this is a puzzle game. And its subtitle 'Rail Playing
Game' implies something along the lines of a train simulator. And indeed, it
has some similarities. The maps you need to solve look like the screen of a
train supervision or steering screen of a track network. You have tracks,
bumpers, switches and balls that race along these tracks. The goal is to guide
the blue balls and the yellow balls - once deployed - back to a dock of their
respective color. Of course, that's easier said than done as there are a few
obstacles and twists to it. But I hope I can help you out with this guide.
-----------------------------++++++++++++++++++--------------------------------
+ Game Mechanics + [_0200_]
-----------------------------++++++++++++++++++--------------------------------
First of all a warning. Get your remote ready to turn down the music volume
and be prepared to turn on the radio or to put a CD you like in your stereo...
Well, turn on your game and press Start at the intro screen, this will
directly take you to the first map. You'll see a maze of tracks and balls of
different colors.
The balls travel along the tracks and follow them around curves. When they
reach a fork, they will continue straight on (or as straight as possible).
When they hit a green bumper, their movement direction will be inversed and
they travel back in the opposite direction at the same speed.
But there are also forks that have switches. These switches can have two
orientations (and you control them), and depending on that, the balls get
directed to where the switch points to. Just like with trains. There are
switches of two different colors, each assigned to one of your pad buttons.
You can only change the orientation of all switches of the same color
together. (Don't forget that, it's important.)
Now, it will happen that two balls will 'touch' each other, either because
they collide head on or because a faster ball gets to a slower ball. In both
cases, the balls separate in opposite directions, giving their momentum to the
other ball (a faster ball will be slowed down, a slow ball will get faster).
On some maps you will find other elements, such as arrows or ramps
(differently colored tracks). They all have the same effect, they accelerate
the balls in one direction and slow them down (or even inverse their direction
if already very slow) in the other direction.
But now for the actual aim - how to win a map. At the start of the map, all
blue and yellow balls are deployed from a grayish blue or grayish yellow
blocks, I call them their home docks. When a ball (of any color) reaches one,
it will stick to it and block it for others. To finish a map successfully, you
must direct all yellow balls to a yellow dock and all blue balls to a blue
dock.
-----------------------------+++++++++++++++++---------------------------------
+ Game Controls + [_0300_]
-----------------------------+++++++++++++++++---------------------------------
On a map:
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(To start a map: Pressing 'Start' will deploy all balls.)
Start - Deploys all balls that are docked to the blue and yellow blocks
Select - Stops the current map and brings up the Config menu that let's you
choose the map (0 - 28) you want to play and the speed (1 - 3) of
the balls' movement.
A button - Change position of blue switches (all of them together)
B button - Change position of yellow switches (all of them together)
Right on the direction pad - Release all balls docked to the blue blocks
Left on the direction pad - Release all balls docked to the yellow blocks
In the Config menu:
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(Opens upon pressing 'Select' on a map)
Right on the direction pad - Increase ball speed
Left on the direction pad - Decrease ball speed
Up and Down on the direction pad - Choose map number (0 - 28)
Start or Select - Start the chosen map (or restart current)
------------------------------++++++++++++++++---------------------------------
+ Map Elements + [_0400_]
------------------------------++++++++++++++++---------------------------------
This section covers all the elements you see or encounter on the maps.
Tracks:
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White - Your basic 'rails', all balls travel along them.
Brown - Act as a ramp, slowing the balls down in one direction and
accelerating them in the other one. The longer the ramp, the bigger
the effect.
Green - Same as the brown ones.
Blue - Same as the brown ones.
Purple - Same as the brown ones.
Balls:
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Blue - Once deployed, they travel along the tracks. The aim is to bring them
back to a blue docking block.
Yellow - Like the blue ones, but their home dock color is yellow.
White - They just travel along, but they don't have a home dock. They can be
helpful or annoying. They can dock to a colored home base, thus
blocking it for others.
Red - They travel along the tracks normally. But avoid a collision of a
blue or yellow ball with it, or you will instantly lose the map.
Other:
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Docks - They come in gray-blue and gray-yellow. Starting points and home
bases for the balls of their corresponding color.
Switches - They guide your balls between one of two possible tracks, depending
on their position and orientation. There are switches of two
different colors, blue and yellow. The 'A' button controls the blue
ones, 'B' the yellow ones. Pushing one of these buttons changes the
orientation of ALL switches of the corresponding color.
Bumpers - They are placed on 'dead ends'. They shoot back any ball that hits
them, thus reversing their movement direction. No speed is gained
or lost during this.
Arrows - White triangle symbols forming sort of a gate. They act as
accelerators in the direction they point to. Balls that pass
between those in the wrong direction lose some speed, those passing
in the right direction take up speed.
------------------------------++++++++++++++++---------------------------------
+ General Tips + [_0500_]
------------------------------++++++++++++++++---------------------------------
I recommend that you spend some time at the very first map to get used to the
game mechanics, it won't take too long.
Take your time before the start of a map to get an overview of what expects
you and what might be needed to get the balls back home.
Use the white balls to your advantage, sometimes collisions with them are
needed get your balls to where you want them.
On the maps with a red ball, try to 'lock' it in a loop where it can't hurt
you. This can also be applied for white balls when they get in your way.
Concerning the use of the switches: It is most often advisable to just open
them quickly, let the ball you want to pass through, then immediately close
them again. Thus your ball pattern will not get disturbed by other balls
passing through other open switches.
Don't forget, you can always re-deploy wrongly docked balls. And not only all
of them together which would often make you lose some balls that were docked
correctly, but you can at least reduce the losses by only re-deploying all
balls placed on docks of one of the two colors.
-------------------------------++++++++++++++----------------------------------
+ Maps Guide + [_0600_]
-------------------------------++++++++++++++----------------------------------
Due to the nature of this game, this will of course not be a step-by-step
walkthrough. But I will try to help with each map as much as I can by giving
you the key strategies for them.
Map 0
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2 blue balls
2 yellow balls
2 white balls
A very basic map with only switches and bumpers. Everything is arranged in 4
circles, with the innermost one having two bumpers. Try to get one or more
balls back to a home dock already at the start by opening the corresponding
switches leading to a home dock only shortly for the correctly colored ball.
Then guide one ball at a time to the center (again, by opening the switches
only shortly and closing them again quickly), where it turns its direction at
a bumper. Guide it back outside. There, it will make a collision and give this
momentum to one of the outer balls. Now you can just wait and time the opening
of the corresponding switches when the good color passes the entry to the
correct dock. Rinse and repeat until you're done.
My best time: 0:43
Map 1
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2 blue balls
2 yellow balls
3 white balls
This is the first map where you find some accelerator/decelerator arrows. Get
your balls from the big loop up to the connected straight tracks. Even better
if you manage to get all of them up before they catch speed at the arrows
inside the big loop. To get a ball back to the home docks, make it leave the
uppermost straight line very slowly - the arrows will then push them back up
'home'. If this should happen with a white ball, you can always let it pass
the home docks and get it kicked back by the bumper at the end.
If the balls are too fast, they'll pass the arrow without being pushed back
up. But if you get them directly up to the straight line again without letting
them take speed in the loop, that wasn't a bad thing, because you want them
slow.
My best time: 1:52
Map 2
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3 blue balls
3 yellow balls
3 white balls
This map is already a bit tricky. As a new element, there's a brown ramp on
the track, which basically has the same effect as the speed arrows. There are
two main loops, one of them (to the left, that looks like a toppled "T") has
two arrows in it, the other one has a small inner loop (more on the right
side, which also contains two arrows, but opposite to each other).
For the uppermost blue dock, collisions are needed to get there, so I'd
recommend 'filling' this one first. The upper 4 docks (2 blue, 2 yellow) are
generally relatively easy, so fill the remaining three of them afterwards (the
two yellow ones are straightforward, the blue one is easily accessed through
the T-shaped loop). For the remaining two docks that are placed inside the
inner loop of the second bigger loop, you need to get a slow ball into the
inner circle, such as that the arrows can repel it and you can guide it to its
goal.
As you can make the balls enter the T-shaped loop in both directions, you can
use it to slow the balls down if needed. Or trap any ball that bothers you in
it (and worry for its speed afterwards) and slow down your 'good' ball by
guiding it through the inner circle over and over again until it's slow enough
to be pushed back to its home dock.
My best time: 3:27
Map 3
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2 blue balls
2 yellow balls
1 white ball
This map features a track spiral with green ramps to the left (they're a new
element, but basically the same as the brown ones), a big zig-zag to the right
(where your home docks are) and a small loop at the bottom. Both the zig-zag
and the loop have arrows.
You need to enter the home docks from the direction opposite to where the zig-
zag arrows point to and the green ramps go down to. So here the trick is to
use the small loop with its arrow to first slow down your balls and change
their direction, then even accelerating them so much that they get up the
spiral and manage to pass the arrows in the zig-zag. You can do this with the
white ball before you deploy the color balls, thus you get an easy first ball
home. But take care that while you accelerate a ball in the small loop, you
don't allow a ball into a wrong dock...
My best time: 4:09
Map 4
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3 blue balls
3 yellow balls
4 white balls
This map has basically two circular loops, one inside the other, and two short
straight lines stacked between, all connected by switches. On the top right
and left are two antenna-like things, one with a yellow dock, the other one
with a blue one.
At the start, deploy and redeploy the balls without using the switches until
all of the upper ones (on yellow, one blue and the four white ones) are in the
big circle. The best thing come then - you don't actually have to worry about
the middle balls (one blue and one yellow), because they'll automatically go
back to their home dock. That's why I said to not use the switches yet.
With these two 'out of the way', you best concentrate on getting a yellow ball
to the upper left and a blue ball to the upper right dock. There should be
enough collisions to make the good balls pass the switches in the right
direction. Time it that way and let them in one after the other. If it's
getting too hectic, try to trap one or two or the white balls temporarily in
the first inner straight line. And wherever your last two color balls may be
now, get them to one of the straight lines (maybe you'll have to guide a white
ball in the outer loop first) and adjust their direction if needed so you can
easily get them home, too.
My best time: 1:49
Map 5
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2 blue balls
2 yellow balls
2 white balls
This map has the shape of a cross, with one dock in each corner. There are
always two balls that will get no dock. Here it's all about timing your start
button, maybe mixing a 'right' or 'left' once or twice. There are no switches,
so that's all you can do. A general rule is that you try to first get the
order of the colored balls correct, meaning blue-yellow-blue-yellow. But I
cannot give you a surefire way to make this work. I always made this work by
having the two free balls move synchronously. One more helpful thing:
Deploy the balls just after that the color you want in one of the docks has
hit the previous one.
My best time: 1:07
Map 6
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3 blue balls
3 yellow balls
4 white balls
Here you've got one main line going from the top right corner (with the blue
docks) to the top left corner (with the yellow docks) going through a middle
curve. This middle is surrounded by two other 3/4-circles. You somehow need to
get the color balls past the white ones. The best strategy here is trapping
the annoying white balls in the middle one of these surrounding circles so
they don't zoom around the home docks anymore. Once this is done, you've got a
very easy job of getting your balls home to a correct dock.
If you have trouble getting all the white to the middle, try having them
rebound on already docked balls to shorten their way and change the movement
pattern.
My best time: 1:50
Map 7
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3 blue balls
3 yellow balls
1 white ball
This map consists mainly of a network of vertical straight lines being crossed
by horizontal tracks. Well, they actually are 'bridges' over the vertical
lines. There's a new element, some short blue track parts, but they are
exactly the same as the green ramps.
At the start, guide the big bunch of blue and yellow balls to the bumper in
the upper right corner and make the go back the exact same way they came from.
Now you only have one yellow ball left. Make it change its direction so it
travels along the big square loop anti-clockwise, either by quickly guiding it
outwards to a bumper of by making it collide with the white ball, and easily
guide it back home. If you want to have the white ball out of your way, keep
it locked between the two bumpers forming a reversed S.
My best time: 2:00
Map 8
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2 blue balls
2 yellow balls
2 white balls
This map is quite easy. The two middle balls can't be missed as they are on
their own short track with a bumper always pushing them back home. But you
need to use them with a well timed 'shot' (relaunch them with Start) to change
the direction of the other balls that are otherwise trapped in the circle
above them. Depending on when you deployed the outer balls, it is best to try
to hit the white ones. They then reverse the color balls' direction and
directly guide them home.
My best time: 0:19
Map 9
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1 blue ball
1 yellow ball
1 white ball
Another relatively easy one. There's one new element, a purple track part
connecting different loops, and it's basically the same ramp type as e.g. the
brown one. Deploy the balls and guide the yellow into the loop where the blue
one is. Have them collide and take the blue one home to its dock. Now wait
until the white one reverses its direction in the small circular loop in the
bottom right corner. Then wait three or for rounds so it can gain some speed
at the arrow. Then release it and directly guide it to the loop the yellow one
is in. After they collide, guide the yellow one out of this loop back the way
it came towards its home dock. Just make sure the switch right before it
points to the dock.
My best time: 1:31
Map 10
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4 blue balls
4 yellow balls
1 white ball
This map is a bit more complicated, and it has no evident easy loops. Well,
however you have the switches in the beginning, you'll always end up with one
yellow ball directly going back home to the yellow dock in the bottom right
corner. One ball less to worry about. You can also directly guide the second
yellow ball starting in the lower right corner to the yellow dock in the lower
left. And without having to do much, also the blue one a bit left of the
center of the map will be pushed towards its home dock, you only need to use
one switch.
For the remaining balls, the strategy is to make the balls turn around so they
pass the rightmost track part (and the rightmost arrows) going upwards. From
this general direction you can always deviate a single color ball to a
corresponding home dock. It's up to you to decide, if you first want to fill
the docks in the upper (left) part of the map or the ones remaining in the
lower right part. (I always did the upper ones first.)
In this map, the white ball can get quite annoying, as you have no place or
loop to 'store' it safely. So operate your switches quickly such that only the
balls you want leave the general tracks. Also take care to not let a ball that
is too slow to up left, as the long blue part can trap it (there are basically
to opposite ramps directly beside each other).
My best time: 2:51
Map 11
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4 blue balls
4 yellow balls
2 white balls
Here we have an arrangement of interconnected horizontal straight tracks, with
all blue docks to the right and all yellow ones to the left. If you don't plan
this one in advance, you'll end up in a big mess. But there's a strategy that
works wonders. Start the map with the blue switches 'open'. Now close them
again right before the second yellow ball from the top would go down a track
toward the second blue dock from the bottom. That way, the only ball that
doesn't directly turn around and go to its home dock again is bottom the
yellow ball. Make sure you guide it back through the forward arrow for it to
get the speed needed to get home (all you actually need to do is operate one
yellow and one blue switch). Voilà, easy.
My best time: 0:21
Map 12
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4 blue balls
4 yellow balls
2 white balls
This map looks quite complicated. You have one bigger loop in the right part
of the screen. It has a 'shortcut' with two speed arrows, and it has a
connection to a smaller square loop inside of it. There's another small loop
in the center that looks like a finger pointing to the right, and there's the
part to the left of the map with a bumper that acts as both a connection to
the 'finger loop' and as a direction inversing element.
When you deploy the balls, without having changed a switch, the middle blue
ball will hit a bumper, a yellow ball and again a bumper, then turn back
towards its home dock. Quickly operate the blue switch(es) to guide it home.
All other balls will circle around the same way infinitely if you get the
switches back to their original position.
Next thing to do is to guide one of the three balls out of the finger loop to
the right. Have it hit the bumper and get back into the loop. Thus you can
bring one of the ball home (to one of the three middle docks). Rinse and
repeat for the two other balls in this loop. Remember to open the switches for
a short time only and always close them behind the passing ball again.
Now you can lock away the two white balls by guiding them to the left part
where they will go forth and back between the two bumpers. The remaining color
balls are quite easy. You will need to inverse their direction by making them
hit the already docked blue ball in the middle of the map (the first one you
docked) once or twice, but that's all that's to it.
My best time: 1:39
Map 13
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2 blue balls
2 yellow balls
2 white balls
1 red ball
Hah, the first map with a ball of a new color, the RED BALL OF DOOM! :-)
Make sure none or your blue or yellow balls touch it, or you'll lose the map.
It's not too difficult here, as the red ball will be locked in the small
circular loop once it's deployed. Keep the red ball locked in the circle on
the left side. Also, don't guide one of the white balls to the red one, as
this can cause it to get out of the loop.
Right after you deploy the balls, you'll get a few collisions in the center
part (where two of your balls start. After these, directly guide the yellow
ball home to the yellow dock to the right, and if you're fast, you can also
get one (or even both if you play with the one already docked to the right) of
the other two back home to the dock in the center. From here on, get a second
ball to the small loop in the upper right corner to cause a collision with the
blue ball that's trapped there, and guide that one home to the blue dock to
the right.
If you still have a ball that need guiding home (to the center), you can now
trap the white balls either in the small loop in the upper middle part of the
map or in the one to the upper right corner. Then easily guide your ball to
the middle - and if needed reverse its direction using the already trapped
yellow ball to the right.
My best time: 0:31
Map 14
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3 blue balls
3 yellow balls
4 white balls
This map has a step-like arrangement of the home docks to the left, an arc
going all the way over to the right side, which then leads in to a small
circular loop. Then there's a short section with switches connecting the
circle with the home docks.
Right at the start, when you deploy all balls, get all white balls together
into the small circle (you'll need to play around with the switches a bit).
Then again deploy all balls (by pressing Start). You now have all but one blue
and one yellow ball in a correct home dock, while the other two will end up
trapped together with the white balls in the small loop. Now filter out the
color balls by using the blue switch quickly twice and guide them in the right
order to their home docks (first yellow, then blue). If a wrong ball passes
(gets out of the circle), just leave the yellow switch blocked and send the
ball back into the circle.
My best time: 0:57
Map 15
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3 blue balls
3 yellow balls
4 white balls
This map looks like an inversed 'C', with a line of track completely going
around it, and a few connections to a center line that has a bumper on both
ends. And this map is indeed a bit more difficult.
A good overall strategy is to get all balls (especially the white ones) to the
middle so they only travel between the two bumpers. Then select your color
balls and guide them out in the direction you need them. Two more things that
help: right at the beginning you can directly get a yellow ball back home to
the yellow dock to the lower right. And don't bother filling a blue dock other
than the uppermost one (the one on the inside track) if you haven't done that
one first. You'll for sure get a white or yellow ball stick to it, so you'll
need to redeploy all balls at the blue docks (press right on the d-pad). Once
that one is filled correctly, the map gets much easier.
My best time: 1:42
Map 16
¯¯¯¯¯¯
3 blue balls
3 yellow balls
1 white ball
Here's another symmetric map. You have a circular loop in the center and a few
dead ends with the blue docks to the right and the yellow docks to the left at
its ends. Playing with the switches, you can also create small loops to either
side with a bumper and a speed arrow.
The annoying thing is that you can only reach the outer docks by guiding a
ball to the bumper and making it collide with a ball inside the center loop
when getting back to it. So you'll want to fill the center docks as soon as
possible, afterwards it's basically the same procedure as last year, Miss
Sophie? ;-) Umh, sorry, I got carried away... I mean, the same strategy over
and over again. Guide a blue ball in the bumper-arrow loop to the right and
hope it gets pushed back to the blue docks. Fill both docks that way. Then do
the same thing with the yellow balls towards the left side. Probably you'll
get lucky in the beginning and directly get one or two balls home.
My best time: 1:20
Map 17
¯¯¯¯¯¯
3 blue balls
3 yellow balls
3 white balls
This map is very similar to map 7. You've got three similar parts, with always
a home dock connected to a loop with a white ball inside, and a shorter arc
with a ball of the other color that you need to reverse the direction of the
ball in the loop. The upper two element have exactly the same arrangement
(with the colors exchanged) while the bottom element is a bit different.
The balls on the short arcs go home automatically. Time them so they hit a
ball in the opposing loop on the go for the upper to elements, and on its way
back from the bumper for the bottom element. All you actually need is the
'Start' button. Either just experiment with the timing or follow my
instructions for an easy win.
Deploy all balls when the upper white ball passes the first small curve
(guiding it in the vertical direction). The yellow ball on the bottom element
will thus directly go home again. Now redeploy all balls right BEFORE the
bottom yellow ball actually sticks to its home dock - and watch the rest of
the color balls get home.
My best time: 0:27
Map 18
¯¯¯¯¯¯
1 blue ball
1 yellow ball
1 red
Uh-oh, a red ball again. The layout of this map is a follows. You have a stack
of interconnected straight line and u-turn tracks to the right. The last one
leads to a bigger upside down u-turn to the left. In the top left corner is a
separated loop with the yellow ball. The loop comes close to the top part of
the just mentioned u-turn.
To win this map, you need to get the blue ball to that big u-turn to the left
in order for it to collide with the yellow one. That way, yellow changes its
direction and can get back to its home dock. But for this, you need the blue
ball and the red one to cross paths. Guide red somewhere safe in the middle of
the stack to the right (best on a short straight line between two bumpers,
where it can't come out again), and only then start the blue and yellow balls.
Then guide the blue ball past the red one and lock blue in the area where red
was initially at the start until it collides with yellow and yellow is docked.
Then you need to cross red again with your blue ball to get back to its
starting point. Voilà.
My best time: 1:22
Map 19
¯¯¯¯¯¯
2 blue balls
5 yellow balls
1 red ball
This map is again somewhat similar to map 7. You've got no switches and you
need the blue ball starting at the left to collide with the yellow ones that
are trapped in their small loops in order to get them home. One more twist to
it is the red ball waiting at the end of the blue ball's curvy track. The key
here is the second blue ball in the bottom right part on a short separated
track. Use it by timing its launch to push back the first blue ball before it
gets to the right, to the red ball. So basically, once you've started the map,
you'll only need to press 'right' on the direction pad. But you need to do so
in a well timed manner, it's always right when the first blue is at the end of
the curve directly after the second speed arrow. Make the left blue ball
collide with one yellow ball after the other until all five are home - and use
the second blue ball to save the first one from the red ball.
I've found the movement of the yellows balls (thus also the timing to hit
them) and of the left blue ball to be somewhat inconsistent, due to the speed
changes upon a collision. Thus it was always try and error, which can get
quite annoying.
My best time: 1:13 (Man, I got lucky there)
Map 20
¯¯¯¯¯¯
2 blue balls
2 yellow balls
This is one very annoying map! You've got no white balls. Then there's a small
maze with many switches and bumpers at the left, with a lonely blue dock at
the bottom. And there's one connection to the three other docks (2 yellow, 1
blue).
The main problem is that you have two fast balls, one slower ball and one very
slow one. Thanks to the speed arrow to the right, the very slow ball will not
be able to pass through to the docks. So you need the two yellows and one blue
ball to be the faster ones. Additionally you can only access the connection by
collisions at the right spot (in the upper left part of the tracks).
Considering all this it becomes clear that the lonely blue dock will have to
be filled last with the slowest ball.
At least there's one thing that's a bit helpful. Put the switches to the
'open' positions, meaning the don't let the ball pass straight on the tracks,
and you'll be able to keep all balls in the upper left part of the tracks. Now
you need to play around a bit (shortening and deviating the balls' paths) to
get the well timed collisions that will get the balls over to the triple
docks. Good luck and a lot of patience! Once you managed to fill the three
docks in the bottom right corner, the last blue ball is a piece of cake.
My best time: 3:40 (and I don't care improving that one)
Map 21
¯¯¯¯¯¯
3 blue balls
3 yellow balls
There are two homologous parts of square loops inside each other, both
connected via one track only terminated with a bumper on both ends. Generally,
again a tricky map, even if the pattern is clear. The two docks to the bottom
right will be the last ones to be filled, they are also easiest. The reason
for this is that you need the additional balls for collisions. The only way to
get a ball to its home dock inside one of the circles is by making it travel
through the inner circle and making it collide right before getting back to
the outer one. Thus it turns in the right direction to enter a dock (this also
needs some good reflexes when the balls become faster).
In order to evade that one of the balls gets to one of the docks to the right
I found it easiest to guide all 6 balls into one of the circle parts. After
you've docked a blue and a yellow ball correctly, get the remaining four balls
to the other circle system and there repeat the general process. If you need a
ball to change its direction, take it out to the connecting track with the
bumpers and let it re-enter the circle system the way you want it. Once you've
filled the pair of docks in the second circle system, the tricky part is over
and the last two are straightforward and very easy to dock.
My best time: 4:41 (dang, this one's hard)
Map 22
¯¯¯¯¯¯
4 blue balls
4 yellow balls
2 white balls
This map has many semicircles of decreasing radius inside each other, with the
innermost one being connected to the outermost one via a bumper. The yellow
docks are the right ends of the semicircles, the blue docks the left ends.
This map can get very tedious if you don't start well. First start the map and
wait. All blue balls will go to yellow docks and mostly vice versa, but the
outermost yellow ball will get to the bumper and come back to the center of
the semicircles. Now, right before it touches the white ball that is docked to
the innermost blue dock, redeploy all balls from the yellow docks (by pressing
Left on the direction pad), and right after its collision with the white ball,
deploy all balls from to the blue docks (by pressing Right on the direction
pad). Now you'll get all blue docks occupied by blue balls. From now on it's a
matter of only deploying the balls from the yellow docks and getting the two
white balls as close together as possible. Keeping these to close together
will eventually get all the yellow balls to their home docks. (If you do it
right the first time, you only need to redeploy the yellows once more.)
My best time: 1:17
Map 23
¯¯¯¯¯¯
4 blue balls
4 yellow balls
This map is so easy you really shouldn't need any help... The tracks, which
are mainly horizontal lines, form three separate parts with one pair of yellow
and blue balls in the upper and the lower parts each, and two pairs in the
middle.
The only small challenge is in the upper part, where you have to redeploy the
fast yellow ball (press Left on the direction pad) to make it collide with the
blue one right before it gets down to the line the yellow one is on (or it
will never get back up!). One yellow switch in the middle part needs to be
operated to guide the last yellow ball home, all others get home on their own.
My best time: 0:16
Map 24
¯¯¯¯¯¯
2 blue balls
2 yellow balls
2 white balls
One of the most tedious maps... You have a broad loop at the bottom, with
another partial one inside of it. Connected via some horizontal straight
tracks are two circular loops in the top right and left corners, respectively.
Don't bother with the upper loops in the beginning, because you need the white
ball to get the respective ball in there home. And once a ball is in there, it
will not come out again. And as you need the white for the lower two docks,
too, you need to do these first. The general strategy is (like in others
before) to get one color ball inside the inner loop part and have it collide
with another ball right before it comes out again. Thus it gets the right
direction to get to its home dock. This is the most tedious part of the map,
so you might want to play around with the direction and speed of the balls a
bit.
Once you have these two get one white ball to the upper straight horizontal
track. Time its release into one of the upper small loops such that it pushes
the color ball to its home dock. Then rinse and repeat for the second white
ball and the remaining ball. May god have mercy on you if you screw up now,
because you'll basically have to start the map over again...
My best time: 9:13 (I know this one is bad, but I will not bother improving
it)
Map 25
¯¯¯¯¯¯
1 blue ball
1 yellow ball
2 red balls
This is actually a fun map. There are two separate parts. In the upper right
part there's a blue ball and its dock, in the lower left part a yellow ball
with its dock. Both parts also contain a red ball. *shivers* But as long as
you pay a bit attention and don't let them out, they are well contained in
their loop and between two bumpers, respectively.
When you deploy the balls you will first have to prevent the blue ball from
going down to the red one. Doing this will get it to the triple arrows at the
top, where it can't pass because it isn't fast enough. Simply leave blue on
this track going back and forth between the arrows and a bumper.
On the other part, redeploy the yellow ball and guide it to the left and up
into the small circular loop. It's important that you only open up the
switches for a very short time while doing so, or you'll risk setting the red
balls free. Now simply wait until the yellow and blue balls collide. This
allows the blue ball to pass the arrows and get home, and it makes the yellow
ball leave the its loop. Now quickly get the yellow ball back to its starting
dock, and you're done.
My best time: 0:33
Map 26
¯¯¯¯¯¯
3 blue balls
3 yellow balls
1 red ball
This map again has a red ball, but it is safely turning inside its small loop
to the left. To be honest, this level is a joke. All you have to worry about
is that you guide the yellow ball in the lower left corner down to the right
when you deploy your balls. Else the yellow one at the bottom right will never
get back to its home dock. And of course, don't let your balls get to the
circle with the red ball.
Basically, all you need to do is to turn the yellow switches to 'open'
(meaning that they will deviate the balls) before you start. Now deploy the
balls and watch all yellows go back to their home dock. Keep waiting while
doing nothing until the blue balls, too, get back towards their home docks at
the top of the map. (With the yellow switches open they will not get to the
red ball but be pushed back by a bumper.) Now quickly operate the blue
switches such that you pick one blue ball after the other to get to its home
dock. Too easy, really! Even if you missed a blue ball the first time, the
double arrows will prevent that your blues come out at all, so simply dock
them when they come again.
My best time: 0:35
Map 27
¯¯¯¯¯¯
2 blue balls
2 yellow balls
2 red balls
Again a map with two red balls. And this one really is a bit tricky. You've
got a yellow and a blue dock in the top left corner, both having a long brown
ramp and two arrows in front of them. The two tracks merge and end at a
bumper. They are connected to a stack of horizontal tracks, one long one and
two short ones, each of them ends at a bumper on both sides. At the bottom is
a broad loop with another blue and yellow dock pair.
The main problem is that one of the upper two balls isn't fast enough to
directly get back up the ramp. So you need to get past the red balls to get
some speed from a collision with one of the faster balls from the bottom.
First thing, before you start, trap the two red balls in the longest
horizontal line in the middle, as close to each other as possible. Then start
the map. Let the upper yellow ball go back to its home dock, but not the blue
one. Immediately guide it down two, or even better, three stages (to the short
part right above the bottom loop), past the red balls. (If you can't get by
the red ones, you need to time the deploying of the balls differently.)
Now get the blue ball from the bottom loop up to the first blue one. Now guide
the faster of the two blues up one stage again, and then again two stages up,
past the two red balls to the topmost track. (The closer the two red balls are
together, the easier this gets.) And simply guide it up to its home dock.
The bottom two balls are easier. Get both balls to the track directly above
the loop (probably one of them is already there) and let them back down. They
now have the right direction for reaching their respective home docks.
My best time: 0:50
Map 28
¯¯¯¯¯¯
1 blue ball
1 yellow ball
1 white ball
1 red ball
Again a map that looks more complicated than it is. But it combines a series
of tricky elements. But you should actually already have got used to them,
anyways. You have a red ball, but as long as you leave it where it is, it
won't hurt you. But the most important thing is that as soon as you start the
map, you need to guide the white ball immediately down to the bottom
horizontal track with two bumpers. Thus it can directly push the yellow ball
back to its home dock, or else it will never get there again. The rest
(meaning the blue ball) is rather easy. Just time your use of switches such
that the red ball can't get out of the two starting lines, and simply guide
the blue ball home via the two arrows and the bumper in the top right corner.
If you want to accelerate the blue one, get the white ball up after its
collision with the yellow one and make it follow the blue's track and give it
its speed.
My best time: 0:26
Congratulations, you've now beaten all the maps - and you'll get nothing for
it except for the satisfaction of having beaten the game.
------------------------------++++++++++++++++---------------------------------
+ Hidden stuff + [_0700_]
------------------------------++++++++++++++++---------------------------------
Sound test - at the start screen press select to be able to listen to all the
sounds featured in the game. Press 'A' to switch to the next one. Most of them
are not really worth listening to, but that's my opinion (though I quite like
'Fighting Ball!' and 'Final Touch Down'). Anyway, here's the list of all
tracks:
- Arctic Main BGM
- Arctic Game BGM
- Game Over BGM
- Winner BGM
- Ran Ran Ran
- One Night King
- Fighting Ball!
- Nori! Nori!
- City Route XYZ
- Final Touch Down
- Children Plaza
- Pri Pri Hips!
------------------------------+++++++++++++------------------------------------
+ Questions + [_0800_]
------------------------------+++++++++++++------------------------------------
This section is dedicated to commonly asked questions. So far, it is empty.
But I will update it whenever I feel the need of it - which means as soon as
somebody asks a question that isn't already answered in this guide.
So if you have a question, or have found a mistake or would like to have
something added, don't hesitate to contact me at:
DrLagoona (at) hotmail (dot) com.
----------------------------+++++++++++++++++++--------------------------------
+ Version history + [_0900_]
----------------------------+++++++++++++++++++--------------------------------
Version 0.9 - Added the 'Where found' sections, added a table of contents and
(2006) adjusted the general structure. This is the first official,
accepted version.
Version 1.0 - Added the Sound Test Section after finding out about it.
(Nov. 2006)
Version 1.1 - Updated contact info, fixed some minor spelling issues and
(03/12/07) updated my fastest time for Map 0.
Version 1.11 - Did some slight format adaptations, added search codes to the
(08/07/09) chapters and added PayPal donations info.
------------------------+++++++++++++++++++++++++++----------------------------
+ Legal Stuff / Donations + [_1000_]
------------------------+++++++++++++++++++++++++++----------------------------
This guide is copyrighted 2006-2009 by 'CJ' Lagoona.
The only websites allowed for hosting and public display are up to now
www.gamefaqs.com
www.neoseeker.com
No part of this file can be used without the permission of the author and
credits to the author. To get permission to host this guide on your website,
drop a line to chrigu_l (at) hotmail (dot) com. Make sure you have
<Arctic> in the subject line, or else I'll shred and eat the e-mail
without reading it. ;-)
Arctic is a trademark of Pony Canyon Inc.
Donations
---------
If you'd like to make a donation, even a small one, showing your appreciation
of my work, I will of course gladly accept it. For this, best do it via PayPal
to (the same address given above):
DrLagoona (at) hotmail (dot) com
Of course, replace the (at) with the @ symbol and the (dot) with a .
Much thanks in advance.
-------------------------------+++++++++++-------------------------------------
+ Credits + [_1100_]
-------------------------------+++++++++++-------------------------------------
..to Artdink (?) and Pony Canyon for creating and publishing this game.
Thanks to me for writing this... ;-)
Thanks to selmiak for proofreading this guide.
And thanks to CJayC for running GameFAQs. Well, actually, as things have
changes since the last update, for having created GameFAQs - and to Sailor
Bacon (aka SBAllen) for taking over and doing a great job.
