Puzzle Bobble/Bust-A-Move FAQ v1.24 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi there, this is Poln. I've decided to take over this FAQ with Carl Chavez's help since C. Chavez has other things that he needs to take care of. I (as myself) and/or We (the general audience) thought that his website and e-mail address was down for good.. Nope, it did not. After almost a year of the unknown, his site came up. However, when he changed his website, hardly anybody knows where the new site is until Chavez call up one of the search sites and requested the change. He then e-mail me telling me his site was changed, NOT gone. He game me permission to continue updating this FAQ as necessary. You can e-mail C. Chavez or Poln (at the address below) for questions regarding this game, but _still_ the best advice is to go to the arcade(s) (that have this game) at a community college or university and ask around. They can help you get better at it. You can also take the time and watch the monitor as it will show you how to play (which is common on many if not all of the games made by Tatio). This FAQ is just to give you details of the game and a helping hand (scoring, techniques, rules, etc). *Why did I say cc or univ? Because (in my experience), there are people who played that game a lot and may help you with this game. You can still go to other arcades that has it as well. For home systems, check your game manual. Thank you for your time. Enjoy reading this FAQ. Have Fun! FINAL NOTE: THIS WILL BE THE FINAL VERSION OF THIS FAQ (for now). I'VE TRIED TO PUT EVERY INFORMATION POSSIBLE TO MAKE THIS COMPLETE. HOWEVER, I WILL ACCEPT ANY NEW STRATEGIES FOR COMPLETING ROUND X (X - ANY ROUND) (e.g. what is the best way to complete round X). THAT WOULD BE IT. IF YOU E-MAIL ME ABOUT ANYTHING THAT CAN BE FOUND IN THIS FAQ, IT WILL BE IGNORED. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bust a Move/Puzzle Bobble FAQ v1.1 / v1.24 Compiled by Poln (psu19257@odin.pdx.edu) and Carl Chavez (foregone@bubandbob.org) Authored by: Carl Chavez (foregone@bubandbob.com) Tiri (anastos@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.DE) Rick Banghart (banghar4@studentb.msu.edu) Matt Tom (dethwish@mit.edu) Bonus points added by Poln (psu19257@odin.pdx.edu) + added stuff on game rules and other stuff that careful eyes could catch. + added bonus section + added setting for 2 player best of 3 or 5 + Carl Chavez's e-mail and site has been changed + Poln's website changed Please e-mail corrections to foregone@bubandbob.com *or* psu19257@odin.pdx.edu This FAQ is also available at: The Bub and Bob Page at http://www.bubandbob.com/puzzlebobble Gamefaq's at http://www.gamefaqs.com or at this site http://i.am/poln Please use this method of acquisition if possible instead of requesting the FAQ through e-mail. *** This FAQ is extremely long ***. There are two other files which may include all the information you need: Bust-A-Move MiniFAQ Bust-A-Move Levels FAQ Both files may be acquired from Tiri (anastos@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.DE) or http://www.bubandbob.com Again, I emphasize that the WWW page should be used as a primary source instead of e-mail. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vocabulary: launcher - the wooden catapult thing Bub and Bob use pair - a pair of similar colors next to each other triple - when three bubbles are put together and pop quad - four bubbles popped together quint - five bubbles popped together hanging - connecting a bubble to a pair because there's no better place to put it, in the hope that you can pop the pair and drop the extra bubble with it ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: What are the controls? A: The obvious controls are: Left turns the launcher left, right turns the launcher right, and fire fires.:) Less obvious, though, is that up centers the launcher, and down will bring it further in the direction it is pointing. Holding it down will do nothing if it is centered. (Banghart) Q: How quickly does the screen drop? A: It depends on how many colors are on the screen. If all eight colors are on the playfield, the screen drops after a certain number of bubbles ("b") have been fired from the launcher. For each missing color, the screen drops every b-missing colors bubbles. So if only red, green and blue are on the screen (like round 13), the screen will drop every b-3 bubbles. Also, after a certain amount of bubbles have been fired the level will drop anyway. This is easily observed on levels like 13 which seems to drop after every fired bubble if you take too many shots to finish it. Remember..if the ball goes over the line, game is over (unless you want to continue). If you wish to continue, you'll get started with a line that will help you to where you want the ball to go. The drawback is when you start to where you left off, the score resets to zero (0). so there's a give and take here. You can determine how close to the line is by the music. As the balls get closer to the line, the music plays faster. Of course, it will go slower when the balls drop and you have a big space available (like a big gap). Q: How is scoring calculated when more than three bubbles of the same color are popped? A: Each bubble is worth 10 points. A triple is worth 30 points, a quad is 40, etc. Q: How is scoring calculated when multiple bubbles drop? A: The first bubble is 20, and each additional bubble scores double. Thus: Bubbles dropped Score 1 20 2 40 3 80 4 160 5 320 6 640 7 1280 8 2560 9 5120 10 10240 11 20480 12 40960 13 81920 14 163840 15 327680 16 655360 17 or more 1310720 Q: What are some good techniques? A: Here are some - 1. To figure out how a bubble will bounce, look at the background. On some levels, you can count how many squares over and up a ball will go by looking at the slope of the arrow. On others rounds, it may be zigzags or diamonds. Look at the angle of the zigzag vs. angle of launcher to figure out where the bubble will go. 2. If you're getting consecutive similarly-colored bubbles, try to leave space so that you can pop more than three at once. This becomes critical when only two colors are left, the ceiling is really low and making a triple would actually hurt you. Example: (R - red G - green) ceiling ------ RR G ? And how can I get lots of points? A: Here are strategies for certain levels. If a level strategy is missing, please submit one! Nicknames of levels are appreciated, too. --- 8: There are several strategies for beating this level. These are the ones that have been submitted: Pairs, pairs, pairs. I always make sure that the colors are paired before I pop 'em. This way I rarely get stuck with a bubble that can't go anywhere. Whenever I can, I try to make sure that I am eliminating a triple that exposes an unpaired color. Because I form pairs, it becomes easy to cope with the times when the same color appears again and again because I can pop 4 or 5 of the same bubble at once. The pairs technique also helps me to avoid having to hang unpaired bubbles off a pair so that it would drop when I popped the pair. I hate 'hanging' because it decreases the amount of space a fired bubble can manuever in. (Chavez) As mentioned above, try to keep one of every color exposed. Attack the middle, and try to undermine rather than use a triple on the left and right bubbles of the third row. This is especially true when all you have on the left side is that purple hanging from a red hanging from a purple. Slip a purple between the other two and the red falls. Attack the purples in the corners from the outside. That first one should be up against the wall, and the second one better hit it. If you go inside with that purple, sometimes the computer will give you the wrong colors and you'll end up trapping a blue or yellow in the middle. (Tiri) 9: (Orange Road) This can sometimes be nervewracking. If that left overhang gets a little too close, one way of getting that million is to kill it and dump random bubbles in the big cavity in the middle. Use that line of orange on the left side as a target to finish the level. (Tom) 12: (Christmas Tree) Try working at the middle so the board looks like an upside-down V, then pop off the arms. Whenever possible, attempt bounce shots, aimed at the top of the tree, with red and green bubbles. 15: The most important thing to remember is that a shot to the tops of any of the three stems is impossible. Attack the middle stalk so you can get better aiming angles, or attack one of the sides so that you can get better deflections. 16: It looks like round 8, but it is a bit harder because similar colors are more spread out, thus making quads or quints harder. Attack that yellow on the right from the outside. (Tiri) update.. In other words, try to use a similar strategy in round 8. Always try to have the color exposed or use pairs. 17: There are only four colors, so the ceiling will drop a bit faster on this one. Try to hollow out the sides of the bubble masses so that you can pop the top of a mass all at once. (Chavez) 24: Like 17, but there's only one mass of bubbles instead of two. The ceiling drops a bit faster than 17's also. Erode the bottom of the mass, but use deflection shots to pop the side pairs whenever possible so you can eventually drop many bubbles at once. (Chavez) 26: Try to use the same method as in Round 8 and/or 16. --- Q: How do I get lots of points? And what do the levels look like? A: Thanks to Tiri, Bust-A-Move players now have ASCII diagrams of all the levels, and an aid to getting huge points! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PUZZLE BOBBLE STAGES and their MILLIONS v1.0 ............................................. by Anastos "Tiri" Sotiris Preface ======= The stages marked with 2xM and 3xM (2, 3 Millions) are confirmed. So if you have lots of nerves, a little bit of luck and get all the possible millions till stage 30, you should have a hiscore of appr. 30.000.000 (my personal is currently at 25.152.280, stage 27 with 4 Millions missed). Good Luck... LEGEND: ------- a-d: colours; usually these are "attack spots" for a Million X: balls, where you should find an "attack spot" for a Million O: ball of any colour [1-3]xM: indicates how many "Millions" in the current stage are possible survive: don't try any Millions, just survive Note: You usually have to "unhang" one "attack spot" (e.g. Lvl3, Lvl10, Lvl5) 01: 1xM easy 02: 1xM easy 03: 2xM easy 04: 1xM _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ |a a b b c c d d| | a a | |O O| | a a b b | | a a b b c c d | | O | | a O O O O O b | | O O | |O O O O O O O O| | O | |O O| | O O | | O O O O O O O | | O | | a O O O O O b | | O O | | | | O | | O | | O O | | | | O | | O | | O O | | | | O | | O | | O O | | | | O | | | | O O | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |_______________| |_______________| |_______________| |_______________| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| 4 colours 6 colours 5 colours 5 colours 05: 1xM risky 06: survive 07: 1xM 08: survive _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ | O O O O| |O O O O O O O O| | X X | |O O O O O O O O| | O O d b | | O O O O | | X X X | | O O O O O O O | |O O O O | | O O O O O O | | X X | |O O O O O O O O| | O O O | | O O O | | O O O O | | O O O O O O O | | O O O | | O O O O O O | | O O O O O O | | | | c O | | O O O O | | O O O O | | | | a | |O O O O O O O O| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |_______________| |_______________| |_______________| |_______________| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| 6 colours 6 colours 6 colours 5 colours 09: 1xM 10: 3xM 11: 1xM 12: survive _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ |a a a a a a a a| |O O| | X X | | O O | | a a | | a O O O O O b | | X X X | | O O O | |a O O O O O| |O O| | O X X O | | O O O O | | a O O O | | a O O O O O b | | O O O O O | | O O O O O | |a O O| |O O| | O O O O | | O O O O O O | | O O | | a O O O O O b | | O O O | | O O O O O O O | |O O O O | | | | O O | |O O O O O O O O| | O O O O O | | | | O | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |_______________| |_______________| |_______________| |_______________| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| 7 colours 7 colours 8 colours 3 colours 13: 2xM (2nd hard) 14: 1xM 15: survive 16: survive _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ |a a b O O b a a| |O O O O| |a a b b c c| |O O O O O O O O| | O a b O b a O | | O O O O O | | O O O | | O O O O O O O | |O O a b b a O O| | O O O O | |O O O | |O O O O O O O O| | O O a b a O O | | O O O | | O O O | | O O O O O O O | |O O O a a O O O| |O O O O O O| |O O O | | | | O O O a O O O | | a O | | O O O | | | |O O O O O O O O| | O O O O O O | |O O O | | | | | | | | O O O | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |_______________| |_______________| |_______________| |_______________| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| 8 colours 7 colours 8 colours 7 colours 17: survive 18: 1xM 19: survive 20: survive _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ |O O O O O O| | a | |O O O O O O O O| |O O O O| | O O O O | | a | | O O O O O O | | O O O O | |O O O O O O| | O a O | | O O O O | |O O O O| | O O O O | | O a O | | O O | | O O O O O | |O O O O O O| | O a O | | O O O O | |O O O O| | | | O a O | | O O O O O O | | O O O O | | | | O O O O | |O O O O O O O O| |O O O O| | | | | | | | O O | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |_______________| |_______________| |_______________| |_______________| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| 4 colours 7 colours 3 colours 7 colours 21: survive 22: 3xM (3rd hard) 23: 2xM (2nd risky) 24: survive _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ |O O O O O O O O| |c c c c c c c c| | b O | |O O O O | | O O O O O O | | b | | a b c | | O O O | | O O O O | | O O O O O O O| | O a c O | |O O O O | | O O | | a | | O O O O | | O O O | | O O O O | | O O O O O O| | O O O O | |O O O O | | O O O O O O | | O | | O O O O | | O O O | |O O O O O O O O| | O O O O O| |O O O O| | | | | | | | O O | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |_______________| |_______________| |_______________| |_______________| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| 4 colours 6 colours 7 colours 7 colours 25: survive 26: survive 27: 1xM (risky) 28: survive _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ |a b| |O O O O O O O O| |a a a a a a| |O O O O O O O | | a b | | O O O O O O O | | a a | | O O O O O O | | O O O O O O | |O O O O O O O O| | O O O O | | O O O O O | | O O | | O O O O O O O | | O O O | | O O O O | | O O O O O O | | | | O O O O | | O O O | | O O | | | | O O O | | O O | | O O O O O O | | | | O O O O O O | | O | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |_______________| |_______________| |_______________| |_______________| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| 7 colours 8 colours 6 colours 6 colours 29: 1xM (risky) 30: survive _______________ _______________ | a a | |O O O O | | a a | | O O O O | | a a | |O O O O | | O O a O O | | O O O O | | O O O O | |O O O O | | O O O O O | | O O O O | |O O O O| |O O O O | | | | | | | | | | | | | |_______________| |_______________| |______(|)______| |______(|)______| 7 colours 8 colours ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: What is the ending to the 1-player game? A: Spoiler follows: The dinosaurs go home with their catapult, leaving behind a pile of depressed bad guys. The camera pans to the stars which are displayed in levels 25-27. Credits scroll, then contest information is displayed for a T-Shirt drawing. Unfortunately, the contest ended 28 Feb 95. Many people are pissed, having beaten the game after March...:( ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- History: 6 April 95 - v0.1 - first release 14 April 95 - v0.2 - first contributions sent in - round order fixed (I hope) 21 April 95 - v1.0 - first full version - strategy guide revamped - ASCII diagrams by Tiri added 30 March 96 - v1.1 - e-mail address for Chavez changed 6 February 98 - v1.15 - added bonus section. 26 March 98 - v1.20 - added 2P settings [best of 3 or 5] If your local arcade has this option. 6 July 98 - v1.22 - Carl Chavez's e-mail and website has been changed (again) 8 August 98 - v1.23C - Poln's website/e-mail changed. - Minor fixes. 20 November 2000 v1.24 - Fixed Strategy Section Possible final update - - - - - - - - - Thanks to: Game Space - Seattle, WA - Bust-a-Move level 6 University of Washington Game Room (HUB) - Seattle, WA - Bust-a-Move level 6 U-Ave Pool Hall - Seattle, WA - Bust-a-Move level unknown Funplex - Seattle, WA - Bust-a-Move level 6 c. 1998-2000 ---"anti-mag" copyright declaration, v1.1--- Copyright 1995, 1998-2000 by Carl Chavez and aforementioned contributors. This document may not be reprinted or reproduced for sale or profit without permission from ALL contributors. This document may be freely distributed via hard copy, WWW link, or other electronic means, but all writers retain their copyrights. Other restrictions may apply. --translation for the lay person: You can print this or send it to your friends for free, but don't sell copies of it at the arcade or at school! And don't print it in your commercial magazine. This FAQ cannot be put in a commerical and/or profitable website so don't ask. This "anti-mag" work may be freely copied and used by all FAQ writers to avoid copyright infringement by any publication. It is hoped that it is legally binding (if you're a lawyer, help me out here!). EGM has changed its name to a different one, but the legal notice will *still* apply. Peace...