EGG MANIA: EGGSTREME MADNESS STRATEGY GUIDE written by Clark Kent Nielsen ************************ Why am I writing an FAQ for a puzzle game? Well, I'll tell you. There came a time when I was trying to open up all of Egg Mania's secrets, but I naturally got frustrated with this and sought out advice. Finding none, I was forced to figure out all its little quirks on my own. It's not like this game HAS a lot to write about, but anything to assuage the aggravated gamer is better than nothing, right? And since this will be the first FAQ on this website about Egg Mania, I thought... why not! I'll contribute in my own, small, meager way. So here is my walkthrough / strategy guide / FAQ on Egg Mania. ---------------- Contents of FAQ: 1. Basic Information 2. Secrets 3. Tips 4. Misc. Junk ---------------- ready...... go...... ************************ 1. BASIC INFORMATION ************************ Read the manual. If you don't know how to play the game already, then you shouldn't be looking at an FAQ. Can't tell you EVERYTHING, you know... ************************ 3. SECRETS ************************ This game has NO cheat codes. Don't bother looking for them. I have looked everywhere, and couldn't find anything but some Action Replay Codes that don't even help you WIN anything. But Egg Mania DOES have unlockable goodies. I guess THAT'S something to FAQ about. There are five bonus characters and one bonus level. There's nothing real special about the characters. They practically play the same. Well, each character has a different load screen and winner/loser dance, but that's it. I guess it's all about saying, "Hey, I have these new characters!" They are: * Sir Eggolot (an egg in knight's armor) open by completing Bomb Mode on Medium * Poncho (a brown egg with a sombrero) open by completing Bomb Mode on Hard * Spook (an egg dressed as a ghost) open by completing the Egg Mania (main) mode on Medium * Yolkohama (a red egg wearing gold armor; see box art) open by completing the Egg Mania mode on Hard * Angelica (a white egg with a halo and wings) open by getting 1,000,000 points in Solo Mode Unfortunately, there is only one extra level. The other 10 can suffice, but if you want bragging rights, a change of pace, or to rip the full soundtrack, it is: * Eggolopolis Level (city landscape with 80's rock-like music) open along with Yolkohama ************************ 4. TIPS ************************ The purpose of this section is to TRY and help you open up the bonus material. -- Or give you some tips on kicking trash out of your friends. ----------------------------------- BOMB MODE, Sir Eggolot and Poncho ----------------------------------- These characters are a PIECE OF CAKE to open. Bomb Mode is simple. The point is to collapse your opponent's tower before they collapse yours. Bombs, hammers, and the occasional filler fall from the sky... and that's IT. The best thing you can do is run back and forth and CONSTANTLY throw bombs back. Don't try to be cute and hold a bomb to shorten its fuse. Just chuck everything you get. The computer will do the same, but they're more likely to make a mistake than you. And when they do, you have it made. Also, hammers. Don't try to save your tower from a hammer by sacrificing yourself. While you're falling to the water, the computer is loading your tower with bombs. It's better that he/she gets it with a hammer (knocking out anywhere from zero to two rows) than blowing up a big chunk with a bomb. ----------------------------------- EGG MANIA MODE, Spook and Yolkohama ----------------------------------- This is the main mode, where you play 10 rounds against computer players. There is an Over-Easy section and Hard-Boiled section. You won't get anything for beating Over-Easy. When we speak of the "Egg Mania Mode," we talk about playing it Hard-Boiled. This is where the main unlockables are. That also includes the infamous Eggolopolis level, I just didn't include it in the heading because it was too long. ANYway, I don't care WHO you are, this mode will give you ulcers. DO NOT jump into it thinking you are almighty and powerful, because you WILL get frustrated. But I delight to say it IS possible to beat the game on Hard. I have done it, I'm proud of it, but I'll never do it again. BUT.... I'll try to help YOU beat it. Here are some tips: The first thing to remember is: the computer cheats. But you can't. You have to fight fair, but as dirty as possible. Trick blocks are your biggest key to success. If you can't master trick blocks, you'll never make it in the real world. Trick blocks come from completing consecutive rows. Random stacking won't get you that. You have to think ahead, and even wait for the piece you need to finish that fifth row. Trust me, sometimes waiting for the right piece will get you farther ahead then just plunking down whatever comes along. A good way to play at this is to stack up one side of your tower. Don't stack it too high, for that will throw off your stability, but by leaving that gap on the other side, you set yourself up to get a couple of rows, in a row, and get some bonus blocks. There comes a point, though, where you don't need to make perfect rows anymore. That's when you can get away with stacking three or four blocks on top of each other to reach the goal quicker (and if you have super shoes, even quicker than that). Of course, it's easy to get lost in the game and not realize when the end is near. Keep an eye on the diagram in the middle of the screen. On each side of the diagram are two bolts. When your tower (on the diagram, silly) is ALMOST to the second bolt, let go all strategy and start stacking like crazy. Three or four pieces, and you're fit to jump. Weapons. Lightening and hammers are very useful in hindering your opponent. The computer is kind of ATTRACTED to lightening, and almost always hits it. Hammers do damage no matter where they go. But bombs? Don't use them. You'll regret it. Like I said earlier, the computer cheats, and they have a way of making you pay for throwing bombs. Being cute and counting the fuse only wastes YOUR time, and I promise, you'll get antsy, throw it too soon, and it won't even do any good. That's how they work. Always discard bombs by pressing B. Even if they threw the bomb first, discard it. Throwing bombs at the computer VERY RARELY works. Only throw a bomb if they just got knocked off (by a hammer or monster), because that will give your bomb ample time to blow up before they can grab it. Monsters are a pain in the neck. As you play through this mode, you'll grow to hate them for and more. Sometimes you spend more time dodging monsters than you do stacking bricks. But as long as you ARE dodging them, you're good. Don't try to work around a monster if you don't have to, for it WILL find a way to knock you down. This is just something you'll have to practice a lot. But my best -- and perhaps only -- advice is that when you get knocked off, by anything, holding down on the analog stick will make you fall faster. The best way to prepare for beating the Hard-Boiled mode on Hard is to PRACTICE. Hey, I'm serious. It's really the only way. Play a custom game with the following options. Why these options? Because that's what the final match is like. When you get to where you can win as many times as the computer does, you are ready to be done with it. * Trick blocks: on * Water rate: fast * Rounds: infinite * Level: Yolkohama's Palace * Tower height: low * Crate appearance: high * Monsters: high * Bombs: high * Everything else: medium * Difficulty: Elite Don't get discouraged if you start losing quite a bit to one character, and you're only on Round 5. I lost four times to Spook, but beat Yolkohama (the last match) in one try. A lot of it is based on luck, I'm sure, but if you can keep your wits about you and be able to work quickly and accurately 70% of the time... you can do it. I know you can. :) ----------------------------------- SOLO MODE, ANGELICA ----------------------------------- If you haven't touched this area of Egg Mania, Solo Mode is just round after round of stacking blocks... by yourself... with only the approaching water as your rival. Ha, good luck with this one. *I* don't even have any advice for you. Getting Angelica isn't even worth the trouble. The problem with Solo mode is that it starts out really easy, then suddenly turns evil on you. But by then, you've already spent a half hour on it. The best score I've gotten is only 400,000 points, and that's not even half way. But I digress. If you want my advice, play on the Hard setting right off the bat. You'll get much more points than Easy or Normal, and it seems to follow essentially the same pursuit, anyway. Since the first few levels move slower, use that to your advantage! By this, I mean get as many bonus blocks as you can. You have to move somewhat fast, too, as your total score is a compilation of both. You'll need to learn how to work with blocks you don't like, also, because in later levels, that's all they give you. Best of luck with this. If you beat it, let me know. I'd like to think it was possible, but I just don't have the desire to deal with it anymore. ----------------------------------- CUSTOM MODE ----------------------------------- Oh, wait, there's nothing to open in here. BUT--- here's a little, obvious (but often overlooked) trick. Tired of the game resetting your Custom settings when you turn it off? Just remember, there's a hidden save feature in the Options menu. Don't worry, I didn't see it, either, but now that I know, it has saved me a lot of time. ************************ 4. MISC. JUNK ************************ Egg Mania by Kemco and HotGen Studios. (have to say that, you know) Secrets confirmed at http://www.consolecheatcodes.com I guess there isn't much else one can say about Egg Mania. Whether or not this helped you, I hope it has given you a FEW ideas on how to better your egg-skills. I, personally, really liked this game, but.... its single-player mode is boring AND frustrating. That's why I wrote this FAQ. So now you don't have to feel left out in the dark. You aren't the only one playing Egg Mania and losing sleep because a silly game taunts you. ~ FAQ copyright 2003 Clark Kent Nielsen