Crystal Castles FAQ(Atari 2600) version 1.0.0
copyright 2002 by Andrew Schultz
[email protected]
Please do not reproduce for profit without my consent. If you wish to do
so then please write to me asking for specific games and addressing my
by my first name. Thanks!
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================================
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. FLUFF AND STUFF
1.2. IN-FAQ TERMINOLOGY AND MEA CULPA
2. CONTROLS
3. POINTS
4. YOUR ENEMIES AND SLOWING THEM DOWN
4.1. TREES
4.2. GEM EATERS
4.3. CRYSTAL BALLS
4.4. THE UNDEAD
4.5. BEES
4.6. BERTHILDA
5. STRATEGIES FOR MOVING AROUND
6. LEVEL BY LEVEL
6.1. LEVEL 1
6.1.1. LEVEL 1-1
6.1.2. LEVEL 1-2
6.1.3. LEVEL 1-3
6.1.4. LEVEL 1-4
6.2. LEVEL 2
6.2.1. LEVEL 2-1
6.2.2. LEVEL 2-2
6.2.3. LEVEL 2-3
6.2.4. LEVEL 2-4
6.3. LEVEL 3
6.3.1. LEVEL 3-1
6.3.2. LEVEL 3-2
6.3.3. LEVEL 3-3
6.3.4. LEVEL 3-4
6.4. LEVEL 4
6.4.1. LEVEL 4-1
6.4.2. LEVEL 4-2
6.4.3. LEVEL 4-3
6.4.4. LEVEL 4-4
6.5. LEVEL 5
6.5.1. LEVEL 5-1
6.5.2. LEVEL 5-2
6.5.3. LEVEL 5-3
6.5.4. LEVEL 5-4
6.6. LEVEL 6
6.6.1. LEVEL 6-1
6.6.2. LEVEL 6-2
6.6.3. LEVEL 6-3
6.6.4. LEVEL 6-4
6.7. LEVEL 7
6.7.1. LEVEL 7-1
6.7.2. LEVEL 7-2
6.7.3. LEVEL 7-3
6.7.4. LEVEL 7-4
6.8. LEVEL 8
6.8.1. LEVEL 8-1
6.8.2. LEVEL 8-2
6.8.3. LEVEL 8-3
6.8.4. LEVEL 8-4
6.9. LEVEL 9
6.9.1. LEVEL 9-1
6.9.2. LEVEL 9-2
7. LEVEL DUPLICATION CHART
8. VERSIONS
9. CREDITS
================================
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. FLUFF AND STUFF
Crystal Castles was originally a quirky--if a bit unfair--video game.
It did so many things right and had so many good ideas, but it also had
super-monsters which could wipe you out and hellish controls where you
used a trak-ball to move in a 2-d grid. The Atari 2600 version is a bit
toned down; a lot of the special effects(between-level and dying
pyrotechnics as well as the cool titles) were well beyond its capacity,
and the 3-d view is gone. In place are reasonable controls, fair rules,
and some surprisingly thought-provoking puzzles. You still have some
nice geometric shapes for levels and although there is a bit more level
repetition here in terms of maze design, the repeated levels often add
new and tougher monsters, requiring a substantially different approach.
Add this to your ability to start on a very easy to very hard level and
the game's quite good. Even the controls' quirkiness worked in its favor
in the long term; it brands this game as a genuine original and forces
considerable non-linear thought. Often I found myself saying 'This level
is impossible to win without tanking a life or two.' Most of the time I
was proved wrong. I think this is one of the best Atari games out there
although I'm a bit biased towards maze games.
I'm honestly not sure quite how many levels there are; if I can find a
way to hack to get infinite lives, I'll definitely give it a shot.
However there seem to be 12 maps up to wave 9-1 as opposed to 15 maps
total in Crystal Castles(arcade.) With a few more maps this would have
been a wonderful game and I would have cared even less about some of the
game's nuisances. But you can only do so much with 8k and the ones that
are there are quite clever.
1.2. IN-FAQ TERMINOLOGY AND MEA CULPA
I use several terms interchangeably, which the reader may find
annoying. Sorry, but I can only warn you.
wave/level: technically a level in general is a scene that disappears
when you've picked everything up. Here the levels are divided into four
waves as in the video game. Usually when I say level I mean wave.
crystal ball/bowling ball:
gem eater/centipede:
--both of these are my names for the original monsters in the Arcade
version. Blissfully unaware of the demo screen, I just called them what
I thought they looked like and never have kicked the habit.
2. CONTROLS
Controlling Bentley is a bit odd. He can go in any eight of the
standard directions and jump as well, but you need to be aware of a few
of the game's nuances.
Moving up/down: It's easier for Bentley to pick up gems in the general
vicinity since they are wide and he takes out a good horizontal span
too, but Bentley's vertical movements are slow. He can still outrun
monsters on the lower levels this way, but by level six it's pretty much
curtains if he tries this. He'll need to get used to moving diagonally.
Moving left/right: Bentley moves quickly this way, but it can be
irritating to pick up a bunch of gems at once. If he walks just above a
gem or a bit below, he misses it.
Moving diagonally: this is the best way for Bentley to move. Of course
it is not obvious to the beginner, and Bentley doesn't even move at a 45
degree angle. It's more like 30 degrees from the horizontal. However,
most gems are aligned at this queer angle as well, and with a bit of
faith you can learn to control Bentley through them. Some are aligned at
60 degrees though and for them you may need to jiggle between up/down
and the appropriate diagonal to run through them. This is a good
strategy for vertical walking as well.
Jumping: There are quirks in this that help and hurt Bentley. First of
all, he cannot jump over an obstacle that blocks him or an enemy from
walking. This is a problem if an enemy is at the edge and Bentley tried
to jump over it. Oops!
The best trick Bentley has at his disposal is when he is on an elevator
or about to board one. If a monster is coming for him and he really
wants to catch the elevator, he can jump to freeze the monster and give
himself an easier ride. Also if a monster is waiting at the bottom of an
elevator ride, Bentley can jump just before he touches ground and over
the monster. Be warned that Bentley can never change direction in mid-
jump, though.
Beware of jumping vertically. It doesn't get you far as Bentley jumps
vertically as slowly as he moves.
3. POINTS
Tallying points is pretty simple.
3000 for capturing Berthilda while you have the hat
1000 for the honey
500 for getting the hat of invisibility
500 for each gem eater you nail while they are eating
1 points for the first gem you eat
2 for the 2nd
and so on up to 99. In the arcade game the maximum per gem is 99 but the
boards aren't big enough on the Atari to verify this.
1000 + (wave # -1)*100 for getting the last gem. You should usually be
able to do this.
You get an extra Bentley at every 20000 points, and one thing to note is
that you should get at least 20000 points per level cycle after the
first.
Approximate point totals for level 1:
(1500 for the board + 500 for a gem eater you walk over while eating it)
* 4 = 8000
Berthilda = 3000
Some honey and the hat = 3000(increases during later levels)
1000+1100+1200+1300 for solving the waves = 4600
Total=18600
The final gem bonus increases by 1600 per level on each successive wave.
These are all conservative estimates.
4. YOUR ENEMIES AND SLOWING THEM DOWN
In general enemies get faster on higher levels, forcing your
strategies to become more precise. But you can still always outrun them
4.1. TREES
Trees eat gems they walk over with no delay. You can jump back and
forth over these characters to pause them, especially handy if you're
waiting for an elevator. As they head for you, you can often freeze them
and maneuver behind an obstacle; they'll try to run at you and get
stuck. Often with several trees you can dupe all but one of them. If you
still need to wait for an elevator, just jump back and forth over the
lone straggler. It's best to line up a tree horizontally to jump over it
as it's a bit tricky to judge things diagonally. Also be careful about
jumping over a tree when it is near an edge. You will freeze it, drop on
it...and die. Trees also wait by elevators and you may need to use the
jump timing trick to get past them. It's possible to jump over a tree
diagonally but the Atari doesn't lend itself to 3-d vision too well so I
prefer to line them up horizontally(vertically? Forget it, too slow and
jumps don't cover enough ground.)
Jumping over trees while wearing the hat of invisibility does not slow
them down.
4.2. GEM EATERS
Try to get rid of these guys as early as you can. That's right, get
rid of them. When a gem eater digests a gem you can walk over it, kill
it, and get 500 points in the process. The risk is of course that if you
are too late Berthilda may be able to make herself a new bearskin rug,
and you will probably need practice with diagonal movement to reduce
this possibility. Since the gem eaters move randomly but generally
gravitate towards you slowly, the beginning of the level is the best
time to try to nail one--the most gems are still around. They eat gems
more quickly on later levels so beware.
You can also freeze them by jumping over them.
Note that, the earlier in the level it is, the more likely gem eaters
may find gems, and the easier it is to get to them. Plus once they find
a gem they seem to develop a scent for others. Don't waste time getting
settled in, but if the monster is going through a row of gems, don't be
ashamed to time your run for your own safety.
Also note that if you have the hat of invincibility you cannot eat gem
eaters. Another reason to save it.
4.3. CRYSTAL BALLS
Crystal balls eat gems they walk across but are swayed by the laws of
momentum and are much slower than everyone else. They chase after you
rather slowly and screech a bit to a halt. So although you don't freeze
them jumping over them, they still need a lot of time to recover. They
are not particularly common or dangerous although they can get to be
nuisances in tandem with other monsters. Best thing to do is to get them
to follow you behind a barrier and run to the other side. They'll then
run into the barrier trying to chase you.
4.4. THE UNDEAD
These guys move randomly and don't seem to follow you. They don't eat
gems either. They're the least annoying of the monsters; you have
skeletons or ghosts.
4.5. BEES
Bees start off not coming down much and staying for a short time
before temporarily disappearing. If you take too long on the level,
though, they will start to move around and even appear in different
spots. Often they will start off confined or near the honey, which you
can pick up to discourage later appearances as well. They are rather
fast and cannot be slowed down although they don't eat gems. Jumping
tends to shoo them. On one castle level they are a particular annoyance
as they move around a honey pot over a sole gem at the top of a tower--a
bit of timing luck may be required.
4.6. BERTHILDA
Berthilda only appears on the fourth wave of a level and always moves
in a predictable cyclic pattern. She's easy to nab in the first few
levels; you can destroy her by wearing the hat and touching her. Later
on you'll need to time an elevator so you can climb down and get to her
before invincibility wears off.
5. STRATEGIES FOR MOVING AROUND
Beware monsters as they drop down to start the level. Don't move
around unless you know where they'll drop. You're relatively safe where
you land, but if you move, the Atari is merciless.
Note that if a gem eater is eating below you, or you need to get to an
eleavtor above, a straight line is not the quickest distance between two
points. Judicious zigzagging should cut down the time needed. Pure
diagonal zigzagging(i.e. downright/downleft/etc.) is good for experts
but down/diagonal works OK as well.
Don't ever feel you have to clear the whole board on your own or even
touch every region. Often monsters will clear a certain part by the
elevators leaving you with less of a job to do. Remember you're not
graded on how many gems you get as much as on if you got the last one.
Higher levels have annoying graphic flicker. Monsters can seem to
vanish. Keep track of roughly where all of them are to avoid nasty
surprises.
Elevators are the TOUGHEST PART OF THE GAME TO JUDGE. Obviously it's a
bit easier to go down than up as the elevator appears at the bottom and
goes up shortly thereafter. However when more become operational they
can move around randomly on some levels. You'll often have to wait a bit
or even sucker monsters away and return later. Crystal balls should be
suckered to a place where they'll be blocked from you. You'll also want
to time jumping back and forth over any trees chasing you so that you
are at the foot of the elevator when it might be going up(i.e. the same
time another elevator seems to be going down.) Caterpillars are actually
the toughest; on an elevator-heavy level you'll want to get rid of them
ASAP.
It's also tough to land from an elevator with a monster waiting, but
remember you can jump before you land. Once the elevator lands, the game
will allow your jump to have direction. I'm not sure if this is a bug
but it is a handy and elegant solution to some problems this game poses.
6. LEVEL BY LEVEL
Monsters get faster each level, bees drop down more quickly, trees
recover in less time, and gem eaters eat faster in each subsequent
level.
Note: I often don't map out elevators that don't work.
There's no real cohesion among waves in any one level, and from what I
know there are 12 unique maps.
LEDGER FOR MAPS
+ = gem
/\* = wall
^v = working elevator
(honey, hat not shown yet)
6.1. LEVEL 1
6.1.1. LEVEL 1-1
*** ***
* + *** + *
* +*+ +*+ *
* +*** ***+ *
* +**** ****+ *
* +***** *****+ *
* +***** *****+ *
* +*** + + ***+ *
* +**+ +**+ *
* ++ + + ++ *
* +**+ +**+ *
* +****+ +****+ *
* +*****+ +*****+ *
* +*****+ +*****+ *
* +***+ *** +***+ *
* +*+ ***** +*+ *
* + ******* + *
* + ***** + *
* + *** + *
* *
*******
Enemies: 3 crystal balls
Background: blue
This level is easy enough to muddle your way through as the crystal
balls are very slow and get stuck a lot; however, you can learn some
important strategies here. The first one is to try to get as many gems
as you can with an obstacle between you and the crystal balls. This is a
good place to practice diagonal movement as you can often move halfway
around an obstacle to avoid a chasing ball. Frequently you can block out
all three crystal balls.
As for picking up the gems the ones on the edge are pretty easy. You
may have a small problem with the ones in the center as the crystal
balls may be trapped there, but you can sucker the crystal balls to come
chasing after you by coming out from behind your barrier. Jump over them
and less around in the middle.
You may also have to pick up a gem on one of the paths to the center;
you should be able to cut in and pick up a gem and go back to the edge,
or you can jump any ball that decides to chase you.
6.1.2. LEVEL 1-2
Enemies: 4 trees
Background: grey
***
*+ +*
*+ +*
*+ + + +*
*+ + + +*
*+ + + + + +*
*+ + + + + +*
*+ + + + + +*
*+ + + +*
*+ + + +*
*+ +*
*+ + + +*
* + ^ + *
* + *^* + *
* + * ^ * + *
* + * + + * + *
* + * + + * + *
* + * + + + + * + *
* +* + + + + * + *
* + * + + + + * + *
* ++* + + *++ *
* + * + + * + *
* + * * + *
* ++* *++ *
* + + *
* + + *
*****
The corridors provide free points and a great way to perfect your
diagonal movements picking up a lot of gems in a row, especially timing
the zig-zags. You'll also want to see if you can trap the trees; they
are a bit tougher than the caterpillars, and you may want to practice
jumping back and forth over a tree to paralyze it, picking up some gems,
and repeating the process. There's a lot of gems diagonally from each
other in a row at the top and bottom of the elevator, so try diagonal
moves there as well.
Just to get through the level you may want to clear out the top, go
around a corridor to the bottom, get all the gems, and go around the
other corridor back to the top to complete the level. Don't worry about
trees coming down the elevator. They'll try to line up vertically and
most of the time you won't be under the elevator.
6.1.3. LEVEL 1-3
* *
* * * *
* + * * + *
* + + * * + + *
* + + + *** + + + *
* + + + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + *
* + + + + *
* + + **v** + + *
* + + ***v*** + + *
* + + ****v**** + + *
* + *** *** + *
*v***+ +***v*
v**+ + + +**v
**v*+ + *** + +*v**
* + + + * * + + + *
* + + * * + + *
* + * * + *
* * * *
* *
Background: blue
Enemies: 1 skeleton, 3 gem eaters
Here is the first level where you have to use the elevators. It's also
the first one where you'll face a skeleton. It's a good idea here to try
to wipe out the caterpillars as they eat stuff. You can then have a free
ride through the top part except for a few seconds where a skeleton
might be too close to you. Learn to combine 1)timing when the gem eaters
eat the gem(they tend to go after gems in a row) with 2)taking the right
diagonal movement towards them. If you don't have this down try the
following. For instance, if you see one eating a gem, go and take a gem
that is diagonal(as you move) from them. Then wait for them to eat the
next gem and run diagonally at them; if you think you'll wind up a bit
above or below then switch your diagonal movement accordingly.
The elevator pattern is left/center/right/center/etc. If the gem eater
below is hanging around too much, jump before you are about to leave and
direct yourself away. You'll land with lots of breathing space.
Obviously if you wipe out the gem eaters above you should have no
problem getting down(be sure to have cleared the gems first as well) but
if they're still around, wait 'til they're on one side and run all the
way to the other.
First, go where the caterpillars ain't--to the lower right. This will
give them something to eat easily, and you'll be more likely to
eliminate them quickly.
Note this level is something of a regular grid, but rotated 45 degrees
and stretched horizontally. So if you change your diagonal direction
when you step on a gem, you'll probably still run into a place where a
gem is(or was) for a bit.
6.1.4. LEVEL 1-4
* *
* * * *
* + * * + *
* + + * + + *
* + + + + + + *
* + * + + * + *
* + + + + + + *
* + * * + *
* **+ +** *
***+ +***
*+*v*+*
*+ *v* +*
*+ *v* +*
*+ **v** +*
*+ **v** +*
*+ ***v*** +*
*+ *** *** +*
*+ ** ** +*
*+ + + +*
*+ + + + + +*
* *
** + + **
* + + *
*************
Background: darkish blue
Enemies: Berthilda, 2 caterpillars
This is actually an easy level compared to the other three once you
have some familiarity with diagonal movement. Avoiding the hat of
invincibility right away may maximize ease and total points; Berthilda's
not up to much, so focus on getting rid of the caterpillars. The rows of
gems on the sides of the elevator are the toughest bit. You'll need to
stagger between down and down/right(or down/left) to pick them up in one
swoop. It's not too bad and there is more room for error than you might
think. For the rest of the gems below you can probably just move
straight left/right. Once that's done just get the hat and anticipate
where Berthilda will wind up. 'Greet' her for an extra 3000 points. Oh
yeah, and get the honey too.
6.2. LEVEL 2
6.2.1. LEVEL 2-1
***
* *
* *
* + + *
* + *^* + *
* + **^** + *
* + * + + * + *
* + * + + * + *
* * + + + + * *
* + + + + *
* + + + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + * * + *
* + ***^*** + *
* + ****^**** + *
* + *****^***** + *
* + *****^***** + *
* + ** + ^ + ** + *
* + + + + + + *
* ++ + + ++ *
* + + + + *
* + + *
* + + *
*******
Enemies: 3 caterpillars
First of all note how the elevators go: top one, bottom one, top one,
bottom one. Nothing random yet.
Watch for picking up the invincibility hat too soon. I suggest going
right and then down/right and trying to pick off both the caterpillars
in the lower part before taking it. You should be able to clear all the
gems on the bottom away with the caterpillars nowhere near you(if indeed
you don't just walk over them--but they are a bit quicker now) although
you may have to dodge a few times to make this happen. If you've passed
through the first level it should be no problem to get the corridors of
gem.
Getting the last gem here may be a bit of a nuisance. The caterpillar
at the top may eat all of his before you can get there--if so, great. If
not, and it has one or two left, you may wish to leave one below
especially if the caterpillars below are wiped out. If you must go
upstairs, try to jump over the caterpillar to get the gems on his side
first before going to the other--that clears you for the last-gem bonus
and you'll have to face him anyway.
Also be sure you get the invincibility hat before all gems are gone.
6.2.2. LEVEL 2-2
***
* *
* + + *
* ++ ++ *
* * + + * *
* + * * + *
* + + *^* + + *
* + + + + + + *
* + + + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + *
* + + *
* + ^ + *
* + *^* + *
* + * ^ * + *
* + * + + * + *
* + * + + * + *
*+ * + + + + * +*
*+ *+ + + +* +*
*+ * + + + + * +*
* + * + + * + *
* + * + + * + *
* + * * + *
*+ * * +*
*+ +*
*+ +*
*+ +*
***
Enemies: 5 caterpillars.
The corridors here are a bit odd and although this seems similar to 2-
1 or 1-2 the number of caterpillars can be annoying. However one seems
to come diagonally up each corridor, making it easy picking if you time
things right. The main thing about this level is that if you
compartmentalize it seems a bit easier, e.g.:
--clear out bottom enclosed part
--clear out corridors
--clear out left upper
--clear out right upper
--clear out 'top' i.e. small part accessible only by elevator
Since these areas are relatively compartmentalized you shouldn't have
caterpillars chasing you around too much, although even if you're not an
expert at killing them, you have some responsibility to go after the
greediest one(there's always one, often two, at the start of the level)
and kill it while it's eating so your life isn't too hectic.
The honey at the top of the bottom part is worth getting of course.
That will also stop the bees from mucking about in that area. They can
get annoying.
The top part should be left to last as in such tight quarters the
caterpillar may walk over you while you're waiting for an elevator down.
This may cause you to miss the last-gem bonus but it seems the safest
way.
6.2.3. LEVEL 2-3
* *
* * * *
* + ***** + *
* + + + + *
* + * +*^*+ * + *
* + **+ *^* +** + *
* + ** +**^**+ ** + *
* ** + * ^ * + ** *
* * +* + + *+ * *
* + *+ * +* + *
* + + *** + + *
* + + *** + + *
* + * + * + * + *
* + *+* + + *+* + *
* + +* *+ + *
* + +*^*+ + *
* + +^+ + *
* + + *
* + + *
*******
Enemies: 4 caterpillars
The hat of invisibility at the base of the elevator should be avoided
while starting out. Try to knock off caterpillars in the bottom
corridors. There's another long line of gems on a diagonal that you
can't quite move through. Again, move down half the time and down-
diagonally the other half. There should be no need to use the central
elevator(the others don't work.) Early on you may be able to catch
caterpillars in the upper diagonal parts as they are eating gems as
well. You'll need to loop around the bottom middle a bit but the hat is
great for cleaning up random gems if caterpillars seem to be hanging
around.
6.2.4. LEVEL 2-4
*** ***
* + *** + *
* +*+ +*+ *
* +*** ***+ *
* +**** ****+ *
* +***** *****+ *
* +***** *****+ *
* +*** + + ***+ *
* +**+ +**+ *
* ++ + + ++ *
* +**+ +**+ *
* +****+ +****+ *
* +*****+ +*****+ *
* +*****+ +*****+ *
* +***+ *** +***+ *
* +*+ ***** +*+ *
* + ******* + *
* + ***** + *
* + *** + *
* *
*******
Enemies: 2 crystal balls, 1 caterpillar, Berthilda
This level is structurally equivalent to level 1-1 but the appearance
of Berthilda makes it a bit more lucrative, and the different monsters
allow a different approach. Save her 'til last, memorizing her regular
pattern and anticipating it after you sucker the bowling balls well
away; in the meantime the caterpillar should have found a corridor where
you can run it down for 500 points. You may want to save the middle 'til
last because Berthilda is there, but in the meantime you can duck into
the side corridors and out to clear all of them. Again practice your
diagonal movements on the side corridors.
6.3. LEVEL 3
6.3.1. LEVEL 3-1
* *
* * * *
* + * * + *
* + + * * + + *
* + + + *** + + + *
* + + + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + *
* + + + + *
* + + **v** + + *
* + + ***v*** + + *
* + + ****v**** + + *
* + *** *** + *
*v***+ +***v*
v**+ + + +**v
**v*+ + *** + +*v**
* + + + * * + + + *
* + + * * + + *
* + * * + *
* * * *
* *
Enemies: 4 caterpillars, 1 tree
Elevator pattern: Left, Center, Right, Center, etc.
This level's map is equivalent to 1-3.
The second 'crossroad' level features a tree, and this is the first
time a new monster definitely changes a level's complexion for the
harder. The tree actively chases you, and as you must once wait for an
elevator where it waits at the bottom, this can be a drag.
As in level 1-3 you will want to look for caterpillars who are moving
from gem to gem and eating constantly. Wipe them out. Once the top is
done, you have three ways to get past the tree. (The caterpillar below
may be wandering around too any you'll want to avoid that, and a similar
strategy works.)
1. take the hat of invincibility before going down an elevator. Be sure
it's coming up soon first. This is the first case where use of a hat of
invincibility may be judicious.
2. Pin the tree by the center elevator. Since it tries to run after you
as if there were no barriers, it will usually gravitate towards the
center. You can then move to a side elevator. If it follows you too
much, go to the center, pin it there, and go to the sides. It won't
follow.
3. Climb down the elevator the tree is next to and jump before you hit
the ground. You can jump over the tree to freeze it or jump away.
4. Let the tree up(move back and forth at the top of the elevator while
it's at the bottom.)
All three of these methods may be worth trying just so you get the
hang of them as they can come in handy
Expert players may forget to pick up the hat before they drop to the
bottom, thus not maximizing their score.
6.3.2. LEVEL 3-2
Enemies: 1 tree, 3 caterpillars
This level is a map duplicate of 2-1.
Not much to add to 2-1. The tree adds a sense of urgency and in fact
when you go to clear out the top, or even after you've cleared out the
bottom sectioned off part, you may want to stick the tree in the bottom
part. Lure it in, jump over it, and run out.
6.3.3. LEVEL 3-3
*
* *
* *+ +* *
* * *+ +* * *
* + *+ + + +* + *
*^** + + **^*
* ^ * + + * ^ *
* + + * * + + *
* + + *^* + + *
* + + ^ + + *
* + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + ** ** + *
* + **** **** + *
* + ** + + ** + *
* +* + + *+ *
* ++ + + ++ *
* + + *
* + + *
*******
Enemies: 1 ghost, 1 bowling ball, 2 caterpillars
Your first experience with 'the two towers' may be a daunting one. But
there are ways of making it even more daunting, and the
programmers/designers exploit them on later waves.
You'll probably expend the most mental energy on how to get to the top
of the towers and back without getting killed. The bowling ball comes
after you to prevent you from an easy wait for the things, and the
caterpillars can chase you randomly as well. The bowling ball is best
disposed of by running to the bottom, letting it follow, and running to
the top. You may have to do this a few times so be prepared.
The first order of business is to clear the main part. The
caterpillars are particularly unpredictable here so try to nail them
quickly as they eat gems--of which there aren't many, and that works
against you. Try not to touch the hat at the start or your work may be
more difficult.
6.3.4. LEVEL 3-4
Enemies: 3 caterpillars, Berthilda
This level's map is a duplicate of 1-2.
This level presents a nice challenge in the form of getting Berthilda.
Obviously it's quite a trek to run around the horn and get her after
you've picked up the hat. It's a bit easier to pick up the hat, take the
elevator down(don't go straight down--zigzag,) and knock her out. Of
course first you may wish to clear the top part and get the caterpillar
there too(watch out--you start close to the hat so if you pick it up,
zigzag down to the elevator immediately.) Other than that you should
know how to deal with caterpillars, so there is no further challenge. If
you don't get Berthilda, just follow her at a safe distance to get the
gems she walks over. Her cyclical path is big enough that this shouldn't
be a problem.
6.4. LEVEL 4
Not only are the monsters getting faster, but the hat of invincibility
is now more elusive! It bounces around which means you may need to time
a run to get it. Fortunately you don't have to do anything too drastic
but it is just another distraction to throw into the mix.
Around this level it becomes virtually impossible to get the gem
eaters while they're eating if you travel vertically. You should already
have a grasp of diagonals if you've completed the first three levels,
but they are very important now.
Trees are becoming more prominent in these levels but when there is
only one you can frequently trap it somewhere for a good portion of the
level.
6.4.1. LEVEL 4-1
Duplicate map of 2-3.
Enemies: 1 tree, 3 caterpillars
This is a very easy level if you take steps to block the tree right
away. Go left, up and around. The upper part of the level is now all
yours and chances are a caterpillar will be hogging gems where you can
get him easily. You can then go to the right(make sure you catch the
tree again--maybe by the elevator--before moving further, as it may get
loose.)
6.4.2. LEVEL 4-2
Duplicate map of 1-1 and 2-4.
Enemies: 4 caterpillars, tree
This is the first level where the flickering really gets annoying. I
think the flickering is caused by the enemies going faster AND the
number of them as this was not the case in previous waves with five or
in 4-1.
Going upper right is a good way to start. Nailing caterpillars is
particularly nice here as it kills the flicker. You'll have to duck in
and out even more than in 2-4 and 1-1. The tree is nastier at chasing
you than the bowling ball, and you probably won't get all the
caterpillars either. Jump to freeze them if you get in a bit of trouble.
6.4.3. LEVEL 4-3
Duplicate map of 1-4
Enemies: 2 trees, 2 caterpillars
Going quickly to the left traps the trees. That leaves almost all of
the bottom part open for you to hunt the caterpillars and so forth. Even
when you must go to the top you can duck down quickly in the upper right
area to get the trees stuck. You can go back to the left, jump over the
trees to freeze them, and hide in the bottom of the upper left area to
goad them into another dead end. Pick up the stray gems at will and you
are done.
6.4.4. LEVEL 4-4
*****
* *
* + + *
* + + *
* + + *
*v* *v*
* v**^**v *
* + **^** + *
* + * + + * + *
* * + + * *
*** + + + + ***
* + + * + + *
* + *** + *
**^***^**
* ^ ^ *
* + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + * + + * + *
* + * + + * + *
* + + + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + *
* + + *
*****
Enemies: 2 caterpillars, Berthilda, ghost
This is the first genuinely nasty level and that is largely due to the
design. There's a lot of stuff you need to do to get just a few gems.
'This puzzle is its own reward.' The first thing you must realize is
that knocking off the caterpillars is in your best interest. Avoid the
hat as you prey on the caterpillar in the middle level. It will be a
nuisance if you can't kill it off. Then wait for an elevator down. This
is not easy because you don't know which will pop up, so stand in the
middle and when one starts to rise, get on it(if the caterpillar's there
do the usual jump back and forth over it to freeze it.) Descend. Get the
caterpillar there and go back up. Now with an elevator halfway down pick
up the hat and wait for an elevator to the top. Hopefully you'll get
lucky and get to Berthilda before the hat wears off. If not you need to
tiptoe around her a bit to get all the gems. It's especially tricky to
climb down the elevator with her waiting around. Here I suggest moving
horizontally and quickly between the two elevators to get out of her
way. Try to wait for the one on the left as the area on the right poses
more problems, but if this takes too long(bees get really nasty here
with ability to track you,) move to whichever one starts to go up first-
-should have no problem catching it. Jump if you have to avoid
Berthilda.
Now there's a bit of chance involved in waiting to climb back up--you
may again need to jump over her before you've reached the top, and it
may also be necessary to jump over the ghost as you finish descending
the elevator. If you are unfortunate and finish the right side of the
top before the left, the ghost may be tough to tiptoe around in general
and you may need to diagonal jump down-right and back if it gets too
close to where you're waiting for the elevator back.
6.5. LEVEL 5
Again these levels are mostly copies of before but with emphasis on
technique. You may find that since the monsters move around so quickly
it is not so easy to get the end-of-level last-gem bonus. Watch
concealed areas carefully for this.
6.5.1. LEVEL 5-1
This is a duplicate map of 2-2.
Enemies: 5 caterpillars
The bouncing hat may bug you. I think it's a good idea here to go
diagonally down immediately and save the hat for if you need to go up to
the top part; you may not. Other than that you can follow the advice in
2-2. Just be sure to time your runs at the gem eaters well and check the
very top part to see if there is one gem left(you don't want to lose the
last gem bonus.)
6.5.2. LEVEL 5-2
This is a duplicate map of 2-1 and 3-2.
Enemies: 1 tree, 3 gem eaters
Again, you just need to sharpen your technique here, using the
barriers to block the tree out. Also you want to watch the very top--
don't clear the bottom out if there is just one gem on the top. That may
forfeit your bonus.
The elevators still move the same way too: left, center, right,
center, repeat.
6.5.3. LEVEL 5-3
*****
* *
* + + *
* + *** + *
* + * * + *
* + * * + *
* + * * + *
*^** + + **^*
*^* + *** + *^*
*^* + * * + *^*
* + * * + *
* + * + + * + *
*^* + + *^*
*^*+ + + +*^*
*^* + + *^*
* * + + * *
* + * * + *
* + **^** + *
* + *^* + *
* + + *
* + + *
* + + *
*******
Enemies: 1 tree, 4 gem eaters
The first new level design in a few. First note the elevator paths:
Near right, far right, center, near left, far left, center, repeat. Note
the center top elevator is non-operational.
This will help you decide when to go where. You probably don't need to
clear the top out and it is a bit of a risk as well. In fact if you
proceed through the bottom slowly, the top will be cleared and you
should have the last-gem bonus easily without having to go anywhere
much.
If you go down/right quickly you'll make it to the bottom level. This
should be easy to clear if you wait for the first center elevator; worry
about the center area first, then clean out the bottom. Use the rule
above to figure out the first elevators that will come up. Jump before
you get off the first elevator and you might be able to get to the
second(i.e. near right connecting to far right.) Getting the last gem is
nontrivial here but if there is only one gem left in an area(i.e. the
narrow strip where you access all of the elevators but one) you may want
to head for that; if you get most of the other gems you may watch
helplessly waiting for an elevator as the monsters get theirs.
Judicious use of the hat here can work wonders. It can help you out of
a jam as you take the elevator to the top, so you don't want to use it
right away. Also when waiting for the far right elevator, don't wait
under it, as the tree may follow you there.
6.5.4. LEVEL 5-4
Enemies: Berthilda, 4 caterpillars
These towers are maybe not as bad as the first one. The reason is
because the caterpillar on the very top will likely eat the gem on the
left tower. This leaves you with one less elevator trip to deal with,
and they are very risky. You can probably even afford to be fast and
loose with when you pick up the hat although of course it would be nice
to nail Berthilda. When using the elevator remember to jump in a
direction away from the monsters before you land. I also recommend
watching the caterpillar in the top center; if you haven't traveled to
the center yet and he is close to eating all the gems you may want to
wait in the upper right tower until he does.
I'm not sure if you can jump, get the gem, and retreat from the right
tower but as I recommend (this time around) going to the right tower
last I won't worry about that too much.
Recommended pattern: bottom part, get Berthilda, upper center(jump off
elevator,) right tower after caterpillar eats gem in left tower, which
should be very soon
6.6. LEVEL 6
Although this level seems to Git Tuff with a lot of trees, it is not soo
bad. Too many trees gives you an advantage to focus on the trees'
weaknesses.
6.6.1. LEVEL 6-1
Duplicate of 1-4 map.
Enemies: 1 tree and 4 caterpillars
As usual the tree can be goaded to beneath the false elevator. Then
you systematically loot the various areas. The tree can always be re-
lost and when you clear out the bottom you may want to freeze the tree
in the center first to make sure it doesn't creep around. Annoying gem
eaters floating around a gem are your biggest concern here if you've
gotten this far without selecting level 6 to start.
6.6.2. LEVEL 6-2
Enemies: 5 trees
Although trees are overall more annoying than caterpillars it helps
the computer to have a blend of monsters to throw against you. Here you
can just line up the trees, jump all over them, and run around to get
gems for free. Caterpillars would at least force you to go to the
'ground game' to eat them up. Wait for trees to come at you and jump;
the main problem here is if you freeze a tree too close to a gem. And be
sure to leave a gem or two in a nook where you can pick it up to be the
last one.
6.6.3. LEVEL 6-3
Duplicate of 1-3 map.
Enemies: 5 trees
This level is almost obscenely easy if you can survive the first
couple of seconds when the trees are dropped. Hint: go right briefly and
then down/right to give yourself some immediate breathing room. Now once
all gems are gone from the top, lure all the trees to you. Stand around
in the middle of the crossroad if necessary. Jump back and forth until
all in the upper portion are frozen. Then head into a corner, lower left
or right. Jump over them and head to the lower right or left. Now they
won't annoy you as you wait for an elevator down. Once you've got it
prepare to jump as you leave. Also watch the elevators above and be sure
you don't cross them while they are at their peak; otherwise trees may
come down to the bottom area and chase you. One is easy enough to deal
with in the cramped quarters, but two can be tricky. You may also need
to get back behind the lower tree you jumped to pick up the remaining
gems as well. Goad it over to your side, jump, and go down. It's now
trapped.
6.6.4. LEVEL 6-4
Duplicate of 2-3 map.
Enemies: berthilda, tree, caterpillar, ghost
Feel free to take out Berthilda with the hat right away if you'd like
or if you're the cautious type, try to remove the caterpillar. There's
only one caterpillar anyway and it is a crap shoot as to how dangerous
it is. This level is no tougher than the other two like it once you're
comfortable with the pace. Again, the tree can be trapped easily; try
trapping it below when you're above, and above while you're below.
6.7. LEVEL 7
There's a new level here, but the first two waves are a bit on the easy
side. Nevertheless the new one invites some serious strategic planning
and wave three is an equally nasty repeat of the chancy 4-4.
6.7.1. LEVEL 7-1
This is a duplicate map of 3-3.
This is another level not as tough as the original, although the
bowling ball may cause some timing issues, and you don't have Berthilda
for an easy 3000 points. You can goad the ball to the south and wrap
around for when you want to ascend a tower. Again you should only need
to ascend the right. The ball can make timing to climb elevators tricky
as if it escapes you may have to jump over it twice to buy some time.
Remember it's a bit different from jumping over a tree; let it build
momentum so that when you switch positions, it has to slow down. Also
you may need to move away from the elevator to time your return to
synchronize your arrival to be just enough time before the elevator
rises so that you are comfortable getting on and comfortable avoiding
the ball. Exercise patience and perseverance to get the timing down.
6.7.2. LEVEL 7-2
Duplicate map of 1-2.
Enemies: 1 tree, 3 caterpillars
The same strategy applies here as before: swoop down and to the side,
take out the bottom enclave, go up the other way, clear the top. With
the tree(and bees that protect the honey if your timing is unlucky) your
main opposition you should roll through this level.
6.7.3. LEVEL 7-3
Duplicate map of 4-4.
Enemies: 2 caterpillars, bowling ball, cauldron
Ah, return of the random(it seems to me) ups-and-downs! Now you have a
bowling ball in the middle, which gets in your way. After you clear out
the center area, you'll need some good timing here to capture the center
for your move down. Once you've moved down and cleared the area out,
you'll want to goad the bowling ball down(stand beneath an elevator and,
as it goes up, cross left and right over it.) Once the bowling ball is
down there you'll want to go back up; I recommend trapping it on the
left or right side and going to the other. It's usually a safe bet that
of the lower left and lower right elevators, neither will go twice
before the other has gone once, so you can guess at when they will come
up that way and by when the elevator curertly in use is about to come
down.
Once you're back at the cleared center, wait to go up. Try to get the
hat so that you can climb up if you are fortunate enough to have the
center elevator move next. This will make it easy around the cauldron,
which is lethal to touch without the hat, and if the upper right is the
next elevator, you can get the honey without worrying about the bees.
Otherwise you must tiptoe around the cauldron and clear out the upper
left two gems(you can be careless here) and wait a bit. Then you'll have
to jump quite a bit to shoo off the bees guarding the honey--and the two
gems in the upper right. This takes longer than it might sound due to
the uncooperative elevator system.
6.7.4. LEVEL 7-4
*******
* *
* + + *
* + *v* + *
* + *v* + *
* + * * + *
* + * * + *
* + *+ +* + *
* *+ + + +* *
*^* + + + + *^*
*^* + + *^*
****^**** + + ****^****
* + + + **^** + + + *
* + + + *^* + + + *
* + + + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + + + + + *
* + + + + + + *
* + + + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + *
* + + *
* *
*****
A new level! It's a bit more logical than the previous but still by no
means easy to the uninitiated. You can probably take out Berthilda
easily enough but waiting for the elevators can be a pain...and you will
have to go through a few several times. My advice is to proceed as
follows:
1. clear out the bottom part
2. take an elevator to the larger middle part
3. go back to the bottom, clear out the top
4. wind up in the middle part with two gems
The elevator pattern is up, down, right, left. This should help ease
your worries and give you confidence about just how long you'll have to
jump over that bowling ball and back anyways.
6.8. LEVEL 8
6.8.1. LEVEL 8-1
Duplicate map of 5-3
Enemies: 4 caterpillars, 1 ghost
This level is a bit fast paced and compartmented so it may be tough to
get the last gem but the same strategy as in 5-3 works here to get
through it painlessly. Go hard down/right, take the stairs down, clear
out the part in the center, go back up, clear out the other center if
you'd like, get the hat and go to the top, and sweep that area out.
While waiting for elevators be sure to jup over caterpillars that are
loitering around you.
6.8.2. LEVEL 8-2
Duplicate map of 3-3
Enemies: 3 caterpillars, tree
Less is more in this level--as in less monsters, more challenge. There's
no-one manning the upper left tower, and in fact there's a jar of honey
up there. You'll have to be quick to snatch it and also have good
timing. No-one is going to eat that gem for you. So you have two long
rides up the tower on the side. You'll also probably have to cope with
jumping over a tree unless you manage to get it stuck(lead it down and
to a corner, jump over it, run to beneath the stairs.) Instead of just
waiting for an elevator, though, be sure to jump a lot while waiting--
and on the elevator. You'll also want to jump just before you get off,
say 3 colored rungs. You should land close to the gem there.
Pattern:
1. cover bottom part
2. cover upper center, if anything is left
3. go up right tower and back down
4. get gem in left tower
Even with the honey gone, the left tower may still be dangerous, and
you may be stuck there for a while. You don't need to press your luck
twice there.
6.8.3. LEVEL 8-3
Enemies: 2 trees, 2 caterpillars
Another less is more paradigm. The monsters are more strategically
placed here.
The map is the same as 3-1 although the hat bounces around. The
combination of trees and caterpillars is also annoying; the dual defense
at the bottom makes it so that the top may be easy, but you can't just
freeze your opposition on the bottom as before(one tree.) Try to see if
you can interrupt a caterpillar's meal, but if not, quickly reverse so
that the tree is on the other side, get all the gems you can, reverse
and get the gems again.
6.8.4. LEVEL 8-4
* *
* * * *
* * + * + * *
* * *^* *^* * *
* + ***^***^*** + *
*^** *^* *^* **^*
*^* + + + + *^*
*^* + + + + *^*
* + + + + + + *
** + + + + **
* + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + + + + + *
* + + + + + + *
* + + + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + + + *
* + + *
* + + *
*****
Oh, look! A new map! Now this level is very tough for a variety of
reasons. First of all, you will need to keep the tree on top contained
in its tower for a good long while. In the meantime you'll need to
collect as much else as you can. I recommend clearing the right half of
the board off first, to keep the tree from stepping in the area where it
can descend. Then you may wish to jump over to the left. If the elevator
for the tree goes up, try to go into the area between the two middle
towers to push the tree back up. This may require a certain amount of
timing and luck; you may even have to sacrifice a life to get by the
tree as if it does come down you will need to jump over it and back a
lot while waiting for elevators to come up and down. If you are lucky
perhaps you can trap it in the lower left as you pick up the gem in the
left tower but in order to pick up the gem in the tower where the tree
was(too bad you can't make the tree do so on its own) you'll need to
time the descent of the elevators and delay jumping back and forth over
the tree to wait at the foot of the elevator in the one-in-three chance
that the next one will be the one you want.
It all takes a bit of patience and the bee swarm may come down and
nail you anyway, but you will feel a sense of accomplishment getting
through this level.
6.9. LEVEL 9
6.9.1. LEVEL 9-1
This map is similar to level 7-4. However you can goad a bowling ball
into the critical areas with the two gems, making less work for
yourself.
Enemies: ?
6.9.2. LEVEL 9-2+
Uhh...maybe later. I haven't gotten this far yet! I suspect every
level after this is a repeat although 9-4 may be something new. If you
can find it and send me a screenshot to map(if it is indeed different)
please do mail me!
7. LEVEL DUPLICATION CHART
1-1: 2-4, 4-2, 6-2
1-2: 3-4, 7-2
1-3: 3-1, 6-3, 8-3
1-4: 4-3, 6-1
2-1: 3-2, 5-2
2-2: 5-1
2-3: 4-1, 6-4
3-3: 5-4, 7-1, 8-2
4-4: 7-3
5-3: 8-1
7-4: 9-1
8-4: [none known]
End of FAQ proper
================================
8. VERSIONS
1.0.0 submitted to GameFAQs 8/14/2002.
9. CREDITS
z26 and stella for being awesome emulators even if the sound can conk
out after a bit
Greg Chance's History of Video Games home page for the manual among
other stuff and for being a cool site in general
RetroFreak on GameFAQs for encouraging me to finish this FAQ--and
review.
