--- GAME HINTS --- This month we start a new feature, a Game Hints article which should help you to solve games from any previous issue. This month we have some hints for our last big game, Papu's Odyssey, published on ODM #81. GENERAL HINTS: Papu moves left, right, up or down when you press the appropriate arrow key on your keyboard. If Papu is facing in a different direction than the key you pressed, the first key press will simply change his direction and the second key press will move him forward. Each "move" is actually one-half of a "tile" distance. In other words, you usually have to move at least twice to move around an obstacle. Here are the main players: Papu - A small fish out to save the reef. Conch shell - Papu can move these around by pushing them with his nose. Papu is only strong enough to move one shell at a time. In other words, Papu can not push a shell onto another shell. In many levels Papu will have to use shells as shields or to trap his attackers. Sea slug - These slow moving critters will kill Papu with a touch, but Papu can usually avoid them easily. They are recognizable by their protruding eye stalks. Electric eel - These creatures do not move, but will fire an electric bolt at Papu if he crosses their line of sight. If Papu is quick enough, he can evade these bolts. Squid - Squids move only up and down, and they too will fire a deadly bolt at Papu if he crosses their line of sight. Unfortunately, these bolts cannot be evaded. Fiddler crab - These crabs don't move, but fire bolts in all four directions. These bolts cannot be evaded either. Hermit crab - These bumbling critters watch for Papu to cross their path. They then roll in that direction until they either capture and kill the fish or run into an obstruction. Gate - This is your goal. You can't open the gate until you find all of the pearls. Speaking of pearls... Oysters - Each level has some number of oysters. Papu must open each oyster to retrieve the pearl inside. When the last pearl is retrieved the gate will open. To open an oyster Papu MUST approach from below, and nudge the oyster as if Papu intended to move into that square. Sea horse and Star - These are "Power Points" that Papu can retrieve. When Papu collects ten of these he will gain an extra life. HOW TO WIN Papu is not a "shoot-em-up" style of game. If you are too hot on the movement keys, you probably won't get very far. You need to examine each level carefully and be sure to locate all of the oysters. Be careful of pushing conch shells into positions that keep you from retrieving a pearl. Many of the levels are designed to mislead you into moving shells into the wrong location. Timing is everything. Some of the levels cannot be solved until you figure out how to make two or more of your enemies actually work for you. This is particularly true of the hermit crabs. They are deadly, but they can also be your allies. If you want to solve each level yourself, read no further. The following text gives hints on how to solve each reef. Reading beyond this point is CHEATING unless you have already solved the reef and want to compare your solution to our own. Okay, here we go. REEF 1: Simple. There is no way to get "locked out," but be sure to avoid the sea slugs. REEF 2: DON'T MOVE UP ON YOUR FIRST MOVE! Try to trap the squids with the seashells located directly below the top left and top right oysters. REEF 3: Avoid the squid, then trap it on the bottom half of the screen. Use a shell as a "shield" to get past the electric eel at the top right of the screen. Sucker the hermit crab right, then up, then trap him with the shell you used as a shield. REEF 4: Trap the sea slug by pushing the shell directly below him up one. Use two shells to block the two electric eels' bolts. REEF 5: Tricky! Use the shells to block off the fiddler crabs. Avoid the hermit crabs as you do this. You will have to "bait" the hermit crabs a lot to get them in the positions you need them. REEF 6: BE VERY CAREFUUL!! Don't poke your nose out until you have timed your run. Go to your left and duck behind the shell on the lower left of the screen. Wait for the left squid to get below you, then trap him with the shell. Remember to watch for the other squid when you try to move to the other side. REEF 7: Timing is everything! First, get the pearl from the oyster. Then move directly to the right of the oyster. Charge across the screen to the right. The hermit crabs will start up the screen. Use them as a shield to protect yourself against the fiddler crabs' death rays as you move up the screen to the gate. REEF 8: The key to solving this level is to use the hermit crab to block the bolts of the fiddler crab while you get the pearl from the oyster at the lower left. REEF 9: If you don't block the oysters, this should be easy to solve. REEF 10: This reef must be solved on timing alone. The path and the solution is clear, but you must dodge the hermit crabs to get there. Good luck. REEF 11: This is a pretty simple level, so long as you avoid the hermit crabs. REEF 12: Use the hermit crab at the top right to trap the squid at the bottom right. REEF 13: This one is too easy to solve to need a hint. REEF 14: Block the left side and the top of the fiddler crab with shells. After getting the pearls, bait a hermit crab to charge across the screen. You'll have to time your run across the bottom of the screen to match the hermit crab's blocking of the fiddler crab's bolts. REEF 15: He who hesitates is lost. No real cleverness is needed to solve this one. REEF 16: You have to block the electric eel with the shell. Dodge the crabs. REEF 17: Use the bottom two shells to trap the squids. Use the top two shells to block their death bolts. REEF 18: Trap the squids with shells at the bottom of the screen. Use the remaining shells to block the fiddler crab's bolts. REEF 19: Use the shells to block the fiddler crab's death bolts. REEF 20: Timing is everything. The only way out is to use a hermit crab to block the fiddler crab's bolts. --END--