________ __________ ___. __ .__ __ \______ \_______ \______ \ ____\_ |__ _____/ |_ ____ |__| | __ ______ | | \_ __ \ | _// _ \| __ \ / _ \ __\/ \| | |/ / / ___/ | ` \ | \/ | | ( <_> ) \_\ ( <_> ) | | | \ | < \___ \ /_______ /__| |____|_ /\____/|___ /\____/|__| |___| /__|__|_ \/____ > \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ _____ __________ / \ ____ _____ ____ \______ \ ____ _____ ____ / \ / \_/ __ \\__ \ / \ | | _// __ \\__ \ / \ / Y \ ___/ / __ \| | \ | | \ ___/ / __ \| | \ \____|__ /\___ >____ /___| / |______ /\___ >____ /___| / \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ _____ .__ .__ / \ _____ ____ | |__ |__| ____ ____ / \ / \\__ \ _/ ___\| | \| |/ \_/ __ \ / Y \/ __ \\ \___| Y \ | | \ ___/ \____|__ (____ /\___ >___| /__|___| /\___ > \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ Title of Game: Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine Name of System: Genesis/Mega Drive Type of Guide: FAQ Number of Version: Version 1.3 Last Revision Date: 30-04-13 Name of Writer: Tails333 Table of Contents ----------------- 1. Introduction 2. Version History 3. Story 4. Game Overview 4.01 - Game Controls 4.02 - Main Menu 4.03 - Game Screen 4.04 - Bean Diagrams 5. Scenario Mode Guide 6. Hints and Tips 7. Frequently Asked Questions 8. Credits 9. Contact Information 10. Copyright Information TIP: If you want to find a section in the Table of Contents more quickly and easily, press Ctrl + F simultaneously to bring up the 'Find' function menu. Type or paste the name/number of the section into the menu. Click on 'Find Next' to go to the section you've typed or pasted. NOTE: This FAQ was written using Sonic Compilation's version, but it can be used with all versions of the game. ############################################################################### 1. Introduction ############################################################################### Thank you for choosing to read my Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine FAQ. I hope this guide gives you some assistance in completing this game. I've written a Game Overview, Scenario Mode Guide, Hints and Tips, and much more. Beware of the spoilers, though. The game's storyline is based on Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, an old American Sonic animated television series. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine is a modified version of the Japanese Puyo Puyo puzzle game series. Since the latter was not at the time a well-known franchise in the West, the Sonic-related game was released in an attempt to turn things around. The attempt proved to be successful, as many western Puyo Puyo players started playing the series when they played this game. Although the game was never released in Japan for the Mega Drive (it was probably too similar to Puyo Puyo), it was finally released on Sonic Mega Collection. ############################################################################### 2. Version History ############################################################################### Version 1.0, 14th August 2006: ------------------------------ *Submitted the FAQ. Version 1.1, 19th August 2006: ------------------------------ *Added ASCII art to the top of the FAQ. Version 1.2, 2nd September 2006: -------------------------------- *Changed the Credits section. Version 1.3, 30th April 2013: ----------------------------- *Tidied up "Version History". *Rewrote "Scenario Mode Guide". ############################################################################### 3. Story ############################################################################### Dr. Robotnik, that malicious mastermind of planet Mobius, is always coming up with new ways to menace the world and its inhabitants. Witness his newest plan: the Mean Bean-Steaming Machine, a nasty device that changes the jolly folk of Beanville into devious little robots that will help the deranged doctor rid Mobius of music and fun forever! Robotnik's henchbots are rounding up all the unfortunate bean folk they can find and grouping them together in dark dungeons. Once four or more beans are grouped together, they are sent to the Mean Bean Machine and a horrible fate! Here's where you come in: You can group the bean folk together and allow them to escape! However, there is only a short time before the holding area overfills and bursts open. To make matters worse, the henchbots have noticed you, and are trying to short-circuit your plans for good! You must move more beans through your dungeon than the henchbot jailer next to you, and at the same time bust your enemy's dungeon wide open. If you succeed, you'll be sent up the line to deal with the wilier henchbots, and eventually with that rotten Robotnik himself! The beans are counting on you! (Taken from Instruction Manual) ############################################################################### 4. Game Overview ############################################################################### This section overviews everything you should know prior to starting this game. =============================================================================== 4.01 - GAME CONTROLS =============================================================================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Menu Screen Controls ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Name | Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- +Control Pad | Choose selections Start Button | Make selections A Button | Make selections B Button | Same as A C Button | Same as A ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Game Screen Controls ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Name | Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Left/Right | Move your beans left or right Down | Move your beans down faster Start Button | Pause/resume the game A Button | Arrange your beans B Button | Same as A C Button | Same as A ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =============================================================================== 4.02 - MAIN MENU =============================================================================== When you press the Start Button at the Title Screen, you'll be sent to the Main Menu. There are 4 options (Scenario Mode, 1P Vs 2P Mode, Exercise Mode, and Options) to choose from. Scenario Mode ------------- If you want to begin the 1-Player Mode, select Scenario Mode. Choose Start if you want to start a new game. If you want to continue a game, select Continue. This mode is divided into 13 stages. After you clear a stage, you can play the next one. Passwords allow you to continue at the stage where you left off. At the Options screen, there are four difficulty levels (Easy, Normal, Hard, and Hardest) to choose from. 1P Vs 2P Mode ------------- If you want to begin the 2-Player Mode, select 1P Vs 2P Mode and you'll be sent to the Level Selection screen. There are five difficulty levels (Easiest, Easy, Normal, Hard, and Hardest) to choose from. Since players can pick their own difficulty level, beginners and veterans of this game can have great matches against each other. When one player wins a majority of the matches, your wins and losses are tallied. Exercise Mode ------------- If you want to practice, select Exercise Mode to improve your skills, alone or with a friend. There are three difficulty levels (Easiest, Normal, and Hardest) and three bonus settings (No bonus, 40,000 point bonus, and 90,000 point bonus) to choose from. Unlike Scenario Mode and 1P Vs 2P Mode, no garbage beans will be dropped into your dungeon. Two characters named Has Bean and Big Bean can drop down to help you out. When the former walks over beans, they will change to the same colour and disappear. If the latter drops onto them, they'll immediately vanish. Options ------- If you want to see the options, select Options and you'll be sent to the Options Selection screen. You can customize the functions of Buttons A, B and C on your Control Pad for the 1-Player and 2-Player Modes. You can also change the difficulty level for 1-Player Mode, adjust the number of game matches for 2-Player Mode, turn sound effects on/off, and see if the buttons on your Control Pad are working correctly. =============================================================================== 4.03 - GAME SCREEN =============================================================================== This section gives information about the Game Screen. Normal Beans ------------ Normal Beans will drop from the top of your dungeon in pairs. If two beans of the same colour touch each other, they link together. You can make the beans disappear by linking up four or more beans of the same colour vertically or horizontally. If you drop a pair of beans on an uneven surface, any bean left hanging will seperate from the pair and drop to the lowest point. When a group of beans disappears, any beans left on top drop into the remaining space. You can exploit this to create chain reactions. Garbage Beans ------------- When you make your beans disappear, they are dropped into your opponent's dungeon as Garbage Beans. These beans can only vanish if they are linked to a neighbouring group of four or more Normal Beans. Use chain reactions to dump more Garbage Beans into his/her dungeon. Score System ------------ The Score System consists of points and bonus points. Pick up the former by speeding up the descent rate of the beans dropping into your dungeon. Pick up the latter when your beans vanish and create chain reactions. If you win a game within a certain amount of time in Scenario Mode (110 seconds for a normal game), you receive a Time Bonus for each second remaining. Watch the game's demos to see examples of the above actions. Next Meter ---------- This is displayed in the centre of the screen. It indicates the colour of beans that will be dropped into your dungeon. For example, if a pair of yellow beans is shown on the meter, a pair of yellow beans will be dropped into your dungeon. Game Over --------- When you play the game, beans will start dropping faster and faster into your dungeon. The dungeon is a 12x6 grid, so it can only hold 72 beans. If they reach the top of your dungeon's third column, the bottom collapses and you lose the game. When the Game Over screen appears, you can choose to quit or continue the game. =============================================================================== 4.04 - BEAN DIAGRAMS =============================================================================== This section lists bean diagrams of normal linking, chain reactions and garbage erasing. Bs represent blue beans, Gs green, Ps purple, Rs red, Ys yellow, and Os garbage. More examples can be seen in the game's demos. Normal Linking -------------- B P R Y BB B P Y BB B PP Y B Y GGGG Chain Reactions --------------- B P R Y G G G G B P R Y B P R Y B P R Y Garbage Erasing --------------- B OP R Y BB B OP Y BB B PP Y O OO BO Y O O O GGGGO ############################################################################### 5. Scenario Mode Guide ############################################################################### This section lists the stages in Scenario Mode. As you clear stages, you'll face tougher opponents and beans will fall faster. Stage 1 ------- Opponent: Arms Difficulty: Easy Opening Quote: "Beans, beans let me give you a hand - or two. I've to prepare Dr. Robotnik a beautiful bean feast. Come to Arms my beauties." Note: Arms is basically a warm-up for all the opponents you'll face in the later stages. Stage 2 ------- Opponent: Frankly Difficulty: Easy Opening Quote: "Arms is always too wrapped up in himself to do anything useful. I'm a bright spark though and I reckon I know how to beat you." Note: Frankly will fill up half of his dungeon with beans for a few minutes and then concentrate on setting off chain reactions to finish you. Stage 3 ------- Opponent: Humpty Difficulty: Hard Opening Quote: "Gracious! You're here already. I'm shell shocked! But please eggscuse me if I scramble your chances of seeing Dr. R." Note: BIG difficulty spike. Humpty always seems to get the best of me. Be prepared to lose a few times. This henchbot always makes a comeback when I least expect it. Just as I'm about to win, he sets off loads of chain reactions to dump dozens of Garbage Beans into my dungeon. Your best bet is to use his own strategy. The longer the battle goes on, the more likely Humpty will win, so try to dump loads of Garbage Beans into his dungeon as soon as possible. Stage 4 ------- Opponent: Coconuts Difficulty: Easy Opening Quote: "I'm Coconuts and I'm Dr. Robotnik's favorite robot, because I'm gonna finish you in a flash." Note: Coconuts is easy to beat in comparison to Humpty. The henchbot concentrates on filling up the far left and far right corners of his dungeon with beans. While he's doing this, he won't have time to set off chain reactions, so you can set off yours first to dump his dungeon with Garbage Beans. By the time Coconuts can recover from your onslaught, you should be able to defeat him after a while. Stage 5 ------- Opponent: Davy Sprocket Difficulty: Normal Opening Quote: "A squirt like you has been reuniting too many beans. I reckon I'll have to pioneer some new techniques." Stage 6 ------- Opponent: Skweel Difficulty: Normal Opening Quote: "I've got more sizzle than a rasher of bacon. I'm hungry and it ain't meals on wheels I'm after - it's you." Stage 7 ------- Opponent: Dynamight Difficulty: Normal Opening Quote: "Well blow me away! As if Dr. R hasn't had enough stick already. Here I am to provide a fireworks display." Stage 8 ------- Opponent: Grounder Difficulty: Normal Opening Quote: "I'm Grounder, but you can call me SAM, 'cos I'm like a Surface to Air Missile and I'm gonna have you for launch." Stage 9 ------- Opponent: Spike Difficulty: Hard Opening Quote: "C'mon squirt, let's see what you're made of. Forget those rivet-brains you've seen. I'm Spike and I'm gonna stick it to ya!" Stage 10 -------- Opponent: Sir Ffuzy-Logik Difficulty: Hard Opening Quote: "Milord is troubled by thy success, Sire. But thou art destined to proceed no further. Prepare to duel Lord Robotnik's champion." Stage 11 -------- Opponent: Dragon Breath Difficulty: Hard Opening Quote: "Ol' Ffuzy Fface got tied in knots, huh? I guess that's why the Doc's sending the boys 'round. So long sucker!" Stage 12 -------- Opponent: Scratch Difficulty: Hard Opening Quote: "You've been scratching around here for too long, worm-bait. Time to cross the road and head home, pal. I'm winning this by fair means or fowl." Stage 13 -------- Opponent: Dr. Robotnik Difficulty: Very Hard Opening Quote: "You dopey duncebots - Can't you do anything right? Now I'll have to do my own dirty work and blend those beans." When you beat the Final Boss, you can see the ending and watch the credits. The Mean Bean Machine is destroyed, freeing the jolly folk of Beanville in the process. Robotnik flies away in his Egg Pod and escapes from his exploding fortress. The character cast appear in this order: Arms, Frankly, Humpty, Coconuts, Davy Sprocket, Skweel, Dynamight, Grounder, Spike, Sir Ffuzy-Logik, Dragon Breath, Scratch, Dr. Robotnik, and finally, Has Bean. Congrats on completing this game. ############################################################################### 6. Hints and Tips ############################################################################### This section lists hints and tips on how to progress through this game. They are useful to know if you want to have an easier time completing this game. *If two beans of the same colour touch each other, they link together. You can make the beans disappear by linking up four or more beans of the same colour vertically or horizontally. If you drop a pair of beans on an uneven surface, any bean left hanging will seperate from the pair and drop to the lowest point. When a group of beans disappears, any beans left on top drop into the remaining space. You can exploit this to create chain reactions. *Check the top of your dungeon for a warning of how many Garbage Beans are about to drop in. If you see one small clear bean, one garbage drops in. If you see one big clear bean, six garbages drop in a row. If you see one big red bean, thirty garbages drop in five rows. *Sometimes the descend rate of the beans speeds up suddenly. It happens even in the early stages. This is only temporary, so don't worry. *If you're having trouble with an opponent, taking a break and resting may be a good idea. Be prepared to lose a few times and keep in mind that practice makes perfect. Keep trying, and don't give up. *When you are progressing through Scenario Mode, I advice writing down the passwords you receive after defeating an opponent. With the exception of the PlayStation 2 and XBox versions, this game doesn't have a save function, so you must take note of the passwords to record your progress. *Check the Next Meter to see what colour of beans will be dropped into your dungeon. You can use this information to set up beans in positions where you can initiate chain reactions. Your Scenario Mode opponents will use this strategy in the later stages, so it's best to learn it. It's essential for completing Scenario Mode on the higher difficulty levels. *If you're winning a match, don't get too complacent - your opponent can make make a comeback when you least expect it. When I face the opponents in the later stages of Scenario Mode, they somehow manage to get very lucky and are able to set off chain reactions, even when I've dropped dozens of Garbage Beans into their dungeons. ############################################################################### 7. Frequently Asked Questions ############################################################################### Q: Can I permanently save my High Scores? A: In the PlayStation 2 and XBox versions, yes. In the other versions, no. To save your High Scores in the PlayStation 2 and XBox versions, go to the game's menu and select "Save Game Data". By Saving Game Data, you can permanently record the High Scores to your Memory Card or Hard Drive. Q: What's the difference between the Scenario Mode's difficulty levels? A: Beans descend faster, opponents set off chain reactions quicker, garbage beans appear more frequently, etc. Q: I'm stuck. How do I defeat [name of opponent]? A: Read the Hints and Tips section. Keep trying, and don't give up. Remember, practice makes perfect! Q: I have the Genesis/Mega Drive Multi-Game Unit's version of this game. I can't access 1P Vs 2P Mode. Why? A: The Genesis/Mega Drive Multi-Game Unit is designed for 1-Player only. Therefore, you can't play 1P Vs 2P Mode on its version of the game. Q: How do I input my High Score? A: When you get a Game Over, you can input your High Score, if you've achieved a greater score than the ones on the High Score screen. You can enter three initials to represent your High Score. Note that your High Scores will be erased each time you turn off the game, unless you select "Save Game Data" in the PlayStation 2 and XBox versions. By Saving Game Data, you can permanently record the High Scores to your Memory Card or Hard Drive. Q: How do I input my password? A: When you choose Scenario Mode, select Continue and you'll be sent to the Password screen. Once you've entered your password, press the Start Button, or select End and press Button A or C. The Opponent Lineup will appear and you can continue on the stage where you left off. Note that passwords save your progress but not your score. If you select "Save Game Data" in the PlayStation 2 and XBox versions, you can record your progress and score to your Memory Card or Hard Drive. ############################################################################### 8. Credits ############################################################################### - Thanks to me for writing this FAQ. - Thanks to you for reading this FAQ. - Thanks to GameFAQs for hosting this FAQ. - Thanks to Instruction Manual for information regarding the Game Overview section. - Thanks to Compile for developing this game. - Thanks to Sega for publishing this game. - Thanks to en.wikipedia.org for information about this game regarding its background and the Game Overview section. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Robotnik's_Mean_Bean_Machine . - Thanks to www.network-science.de/ascii for the ASCII art at the top of this FAQ. ############################################################################### 9. Contact Information ############################################################################### If you have any questions, comments or corrections regarding my walkthrough, I can be contacted by posting a topic on the GameFAQs message board of this game (I prefer not using an e-mail address). Contributions to this guide are appreciated. ############################################################################### 10. Copyright Information ############################################################################### This may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. GameFAQs and its affiliates are the ONLY websites that have permission to host this document. Copyright 2006-2013 David Lucey