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Snowmuncher: the Frozen Frontier


by lemonlovingcutie

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A small Polarchuck named Dieter is all alone (or so he believes) in a hidden cave located somewhere in the height of Terror Mountain, with nothing but snow around him. Grumble…Grumble… Mumble… Though familiar, these sounds can be quite worrisome to the untrained ear. Where are those eerie sounds coming from? You may wonder. The giddy petpet looks down as his lips rise into a light smile; what a silly worry. He is simply hungry! The sudden relief vanishes as he realizes that there is nothing but snow for miles to see. When in doubt, take that snow out!

Objective

In the game you play as Dieter, the hungry Polarchuck. Your main goal is to eat the colored blocks to create a downward path to ground level; when reached you will then travel to the next level and gain many points in the process.

You will use the Space Key (on your keyboard); to take a bite of the snow you are facing, and the Arrow Keys to make Dieter dart in either direction.

*** You can only move in the "up" direction if you have a single block to step up on. To create a stair-type formations simply munch on the blocks below where you would like to go, so that the top block sinks down to Dieter's height. (The poor little fellow is a little vertically challenged.)

You can move under falling blocks, but only for a limited amount of time. If a block falls on top of Dieter's head he has to take a break and come back to his senses, and in turn you lose a life.

*** Note: There is a way around this pesky problem. Say you have a stack to the left side of Dieter, with a pink block on top, a blue block in the middle, and a green block resting beside Dieter, and a blue block is falling from above; have no fear, for the blue block will not land on you! Why, you ask? Because the blue block decides to clump with the other blue block on the side. (You will learn more about clumps as you read along.) That silly snow, out to fool you again!

Learn the Screen

The top notch shows a massive amount of numbers (Alright… this is only if you have played for a little) which is your score. Your score will increase with practice of the game. Keep in mind that there are players scoring from 20,000 to 24,000 points on this game, so for those avatar seekers out there it is not too complicated to gain a good score.

Under your score there is a percentage beside an adorable picture of Dieter. This you may want to refer to as Dieter's Bloat Indicator. Why do you need to know this? Every time Dieter munches a block of snow he gets a little bit bloated (5% per munch to be exact).

***WARNING: When Dieter's Bloat Level reached 100% he will lose a life!***

To decrease your bloat level you need to gobble down a Bloat-Be-Gone potion, which will decrease your Bloat level by 50% each time you drink one. These potions are spread throughout the level and tend to appear on different sides of the screen. Make a habit of moving in the direction of the potion; you will need each potion given to make it to the ground level.

Under the Bloat Indicator is the time. Each level is allotted an amount of time to make it to the ground level. Poor little Dieter must hustle and scurry to the bottom for a chance to make it to the next level and to prevent losing a life.

Last but most definitely not least is Dieter's Life Scale. Each darling picture of Dieter signifies one life. Be sure not to lose lives early on, for you will need them in later levels. Keep in mind that you are only given three lives for the game. There is not any way to earn more lives, so use them wisely.

Learn to Love Them

For each block you munch, you will receive one point. If you see a clump of like-colored blocks take advantage of the situation and eat them! The amount of blocks in a single clump is the amount of points you receive when eaten, and to make a good situation better you only gain the normal 5% more bloat as if you were eating only a single block.

More is less when it comes to clumps. Remember clumps are friends, not foes. (Do not let the owner of the Grooming Parlor know that I said this!)

In the later levels, fruit and eyeballs are a delightful treat to a hungry Dieter, and it will be simply dandy to receive the extra points for these storage blocks. But do not worry; you will read more about them below.

In between each level there is a waiting screen. To proceed on towards the next level you must hit the Space Bar. Before you do so, take a moment to compose your thoughts and let your eyes rest. If you are wanting to gain a shiny trophy you will need to take short breaks now and then to collect your thoughts and keep a strategy of your plans for the next level. There is also a fantastic pause feature to help if you are in a sticky situation and need some time to ponder the possibilities, although once paused the screen changes so you can no longer see where you left off.

Level Breakdown

Level One: This level is the introduction level. Each level begins with Dieter standing on an upside down pyramid of blocks, each row of blocks is clumped with a like-color. Simply eat through them to gain a dainty sum of points, while you urge your way down helping you to scoot to the ground level. In this level you are introduced to green gems. These green gems are worth about 100 points each. I would suggest setting a goal of getting all the gems in this level; it is quite a simple level and you should gain a mass amount of points in the beginning.

*** Restart the game if you do not score at least 500 to 600 points in the first level, or if a life is lost.

Level Two: This level introduces you to those ferocious Snow Wurms and the outstanding purple gems. To release a Snow Wurm, simply munch on the ice block beneath the creature and like magic the Snow Wurm is back in its natural habitat. Be warned, although you would think that releasing the Snow Wurm would make him kind towards you… think again. Once the Snow Wurm is released he will come after you, and he will leave an unguarded treasure behind; the treasure being a purple gem (now is the time to be in awe) that is worth roughly 200 points. The Snow Wurms are fast, but if you eat in a down direction fast enough you can outrun them for good.

To get rid of the Snow Wurm you have to make a snow block fall on top of it. A simple tip for starters: When you are beside a Snow Wurm, go two blocks below it, eat one block to release it, then immediately eat the next block below it to send the snow block above the Snow Wurm toppling down sending the Snow Wurm to an early demise.

*** A standing tip for those who have a hard time gathering points at the beginning is to redo this level; meaning that you make your way to the bottom on the level without making it to the ground level, fill your Bloat Indicator to maximum capacity, and then let the time run out. Replay the level since it is one of the more simple levels to help raise a score.

Level Three: This level introduces you to the containing blocks. These blocks contain various items such as an eyeball, a bundle of grapes, and a ticking clock. They mean the following:

1.) Eyeball: A block containing an eyeball will give you 20 extra points.

2.) Bundle of grapes: A block containing a bundle of grapes will give you 50 extra points.

3.) Ticking Clock: A block containing a ticking clock will stop the clock for a few seconds; helping you reach the bottom level fashionably early!

Level Four and above: These levels contain the same as the following levels but will gain a few different colors of snow which will make clumping sparse.

***As you increase in level, the space between Bloat-Be-Gone potions will also increase.

Techniques

At the beginning you may remember me speaking about the upside pyramid that starts off each level. This proven trick will help save your bloat level and is 100% guaranteed to work. When four of the same color snow blocks fall onto each other they will disappear and you will get some more points so with that being said munch down the first horizontal row of blocks then jump as far down as you can; following that, simply munch the very bottom horizontal row and scurry out from under the falling snow blocks to make the rows above it disappear.

This technique I like to call "Path Finder"; the name describes the action. Say you are on in the middle of the screen but the Bloat-Be-Gone potion is four snow blocks to the left of your location. Take a running start (not really needed but fun to say) and munch left as quickly as you can until you hit the potion, then continue to much as quickly as Dieter possibly can and then choose to either head in a downward direction, or head back the direction you came from.

*** Note: This technique does not always work, but if you are in a tight situation, this may be the move to win you the avatar.

Snazzy Tips and Tricks

When you are in a hurry and do not have time to directly look at the Bloat Indicator, note the size of Dieter's tummy. As Dieter eats more, and inevitably becomes more bloated, his tummy will gain a bulge.

For a maximum point score, reach 50% on your Bloat Level before you allow Dieter to gulp down the Bloat-Be-Gone potion. By doing so you are allowing yourself to dust off a much longed for spot on the High Score Table. (You can possibly get a high score by making use of this tip; this does not guarantee you a spot.)

If you find yourself near ground level with a low Bloat Level, take this time to eat to Dieter's full capacity. Be sure to leave enough room on your Bloat Level to finally reach the bottom.

La La La…. Do not like my singing? Well, then use the music that is provided on the game for your benefit. The music not only helps to keep a weary mind off of stress, but it also alerts a player when time is about to run out with a different tune.

On Your Way to Victory

I hope this Snowmuncher Guide leads you to great success in the future! Keep in mind that it take a great amount of practice to master any such thing. Be patient and have fun! Thank you for your time.

 
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