Spacerocked! – A Guide to the Game

Overview

There are three levels to this game. On the first level you are armed with a handy pocket slingshot, ideal for throwing small rocks at the smaller spaceships. On the second level you are allowed to take control of a larger, floor mounted slingshot which will fire larger rocks at the bigger ships. On level three you get to control an even larger slingshot which is operated by remote control. These will sling the biggest moon rocks at the biggest of the spaceships. In order to advance to the next level, you have to hit Sloth’s spaceship with the ammunition you have fired. To win the game, you have to destroy Sloth’s spaceships on all three levels and stop the invading fleet.

The Controls

At the start of each level you have three items of ammunition (indicated by the rocks in the top, left-hand corner of the screen) and three purple Grundos boosts (indicated by the three Grundo heads just below the rocks). It is possible to earn bonus ammo and purple Grundos boosts; details below.

On starting the game you will find that the angle of the slingshot can be altered, so that the ammo can be aimed higher or lower. This is adjusted through the use of the up and down arrow keys. The power of the slingshot also alters. The brighter green the slingshot the more power it has, the darker red the least power.

Once fired, if the ammo starts to slow down and not bounce so high, you can use a purple Grundo to boost it back into the air again. To do this press the B button on the keyboard. The ammo will then stop in its tracks and a purple Grundo, with a rocker booster strapped to its back, flies across the screen, punches the ammo into the air and then flies into the sky after it. Tips on when to use the power Grundos will be given later in this guide.

When the ammo flies high into the sky, it disappears off the top of the screen. Its movement is tracked by an arrow with a number inside which counts the height up and then back down again until the ammo reappears at the top of the screen and continues its descent to the ground.

Ammunition

Generally the moon Grundos use handy moon rocks to fire from their catapults. There are times, however, when these are not available and they are known to use other items in their attempt to thwart Sloth’s plans, such as empty neocola cans, lumps of metal, books, etc. These are generally less effective than the lumps of rock, but can be made to travel farther with the aid of purple Grundo boosts.

Obstacles

Sloth’s spaceships are a random distance from the starting point, although they are always farther away the higher the level you are on. Along the way there are many obstacles, some good and some bad. In the worst cases the obstacle will stop or destroy the ammunition on impact.

Details of the obstacles are as follows:

Beneficial Obstacles

Magma Pits: These angle the ammunition up at a fairly sharp angle and boost the power slightly. You also gain 100 points.

Green Meteors: These angle the ammo up at a slight angle and boost the power significantly. You also gain 200 points.

Purple Grundos: These will punch the ammo into the air. The angle and speed of this punch is random. You also gain 500 points.

Dirt Patches: These slow the ammo considerably but give a bonus of either an additional purple Grundo boost or an extra item of ammo. You also gain 1000 points.

Detrimental Obstacles

Pipes: If your ammo hits a pipe, it will slow significantly and stop when it next touches the ground.

Craters: If your ammunition hits a crater, it will disappear inside and be lost.

Steam Vents: These shoot a blast of steam into the air which will take your ammo with it and stop its progress.

Red Meteors: If it hits a red hot meteor, your ammunition will be destroyed.

Scoring

In addition to the points earned from the obstacles, as listed above, points are also awarded for the distance the ammo travels. There is also a bonus for hitting the spaceship at the end of each level:

2000 bonus points for hitting the spaceship on level 1.

3500 bonus points for hitting the spaceship on level 2.

5000 bonus points for hitting the spaceship on level 3.

The higher the points scored, the more neopoints earned.

Tips

There is no time limit on this game, so it is best to take your time when firing the slingshot, making sure you have the required angle and power. It is a good idea to point the slingshot up high into the sky and wait for it to go bright green. This way the ammunition will travel further and bounce higher.

Press the space bar to release the ammo and then keep your finger positioned above the B button in case you need to use a purple Grundo boost. I use the index finger of my left hand to operate the space bar and the second finger of that hand hovers above the B button. That way I do not need to look at the keyboard and can keep my eyes on the progress of the ammunition. Even if you have used all three boosts, it is a good idea to keep your finger in the same position as you may obtain an extra boost from a dirt patch.

When you fire your ammo, you have no indication of what obstacles lie ahead, or how far away the spaceship is. Keep a watch on the momentum of the ammunition and the obstacles as they come into view. With practice you will be able to judge whether the ammo will hit the obstacle and when it is prudent to intervene with a purple Grundo boost.

If you hit a dirt patch, you will need to use a purple Grundo boost if you want the ammo to continue towards the spaceship as it will be slowed down considerably. It is a good idea to hit the B button as soon as the ammo hits the dirt patch as it quite quickly comes to a stop. Do not hit the B button before the ammo hits the ground or the ammo will be punched into the air before it hits the dirt patch and you will not get the bonus or the 1000 points.

If the ammo hits the pipes, it will stop when it next hits the ground. If the ammo is positioned to the left of the pipes once it has hit, then using a boost may not help as the punch may just cause the ammo to hit the pipe again and then fall to the ground. If the ammo is above the pipe then the purple Grundo should successfully punch it into the air. Alternatively, use the Grundo boost before the ammo hits the pipe on the downwards journey.

If there is a steam vent ahead and the ammo is moving slowly, it is a good idea to use a purple Grundo to speed the ammo back into the air and away from the obstacle. If the steam catches the ammo before the B button is pressed, then it will be carried away and lost.

If the ammo is heading for a crater, it is best to boost it into the air before it reaches the ground. The same applies if the ammo is heading towards a red meteor. In either case if the ammo hits the obstacle it will be lost from play. Be careful, though, not to use a purple Grundo boost if you are below a red meteor as that may cause the ammo to be punched directly into the meteor and destroyed.

Even if the ammo travels far enough to reach the spaceship, it is possible during a high bounce for it to overshoot the target. It can also bounce too low, in which case it will usually come to a stop below the spaceship without hitting it. In the latter case, before the ammo stops, it may be possible to use a purple Grundo boost to drive it back into the air so that it hits the spaceship, causing it to crash.

You will probably need at least two purple Grundo boosts for the ammo to reach the spaceship on the first level, three on second levels, and it is unlikely that the ammunition will reach the spaceship on the third level if sufficient obstacle boosts are not gained in addition to three Grundo boosts.

Conclusion

This game involves both luck and skill. If you complete the game by destroying all three spaceships then a good score will be achieved, giving a high neopoints rewards.

I hope this guide will help you beat the levels and that luck will be with you along the way. Have fun playing the game, and together with the moon Grundos we can stop the evil Dr Sloth from taking over Neopia!