Restock the Ammunition - The Bugs Strike Back

The History of Swarm

In order to even think about making it far in this game, the first thing we need to view is the history of the game. A lot of new players may not be familiar with the history of Neopets, but luckily for you guys I’ve been around since the beginning. The original Swarm started off very similar to the Swarm that you may know today, but with many differences that doesn’t give it the lasting quality that the newer version has.

Power ups: the original didn’t really put that much of a distinction between the types of coloring for their power ups. They basically just threw out a bunch of colors, slapped a name on them and called it good. This problem, however, doesn’t exist in the newer version. What were once just floating balls of color are now pretty pictures, detailing exactly what each power up would grant to you. This is what will be your key to mastering the game.

No more extra lives? Not in the new version. In the original, there would be a power up that would grant the user and extra life is obtained. I think TNT might have been catching onto this so in the new version, they upped the difficulty by removing it. Let’s show them that we didn’t need that puny extra life to show those bugs who's boss.

…but anyways, that's enough about the history. You came to read a guide, not get a history lesson! Now on to the help!

Scoring System

As opposed to the previous scoring system in the original Swarm where every hit was worth 5 points, Swarm-The Bugs Strike Back has revised this and put a new spin on scoring. The scoring for this game works with successful consecutive shots. The first hit of any of the chains will give you three points. If the next shot is successful, you will get four points for the hit. Each successful shot after that will increase until it hits thirteen points per hit, which will result in thirteen points per hit for every successful shot after that. If you however miss a shot, then the whole chain gets reset back to the beginning of the chain and the next hit will give you three points. Basic logic, less misses=more points. Keep a thirteen point chain for as long as you can; it'll be helpful once you get to the later levels.

A fact you need to learn before you venture too far into the game: Power ups don’t always equal your best friend. In terms of completing the game, I’d say so, but not for your overall total score. And here are my top two reasons for how a power up can ruin your day!

1. Restoring the wall: Alright, let’s say for examples you are making your way through each way you see, racking up a really long chain of hits in the process. You go to shoot your next shot, but what’s this? You mean you didn’t notice the wall rebuilding power up coming right at you? Walls can either make you, or break you. Nothing ruins a mood faster than losing a chain because a wall appeared right in front of you.

2. Slow and steady wins the race: I know what you’re all thinking, but forget it! Going faster doesn’t always mean you’re going to get a higher score. I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve reached wave 9 or 10 and then just lose it because I couldn’t control the speed and went straight into a wave of fire. Don’t make the same mistake; take it nice and slow.

Small note: Green bugs don't add anything to your current red bug point chain. They have a completely different scoring on their own. For the first green bug hit on a level it'll give you 20 points. The next hits after that will continue to divide in half until they hit 1 point and then they will only award the power ups.

Other Tips to Know:

1. Know the speed: Before you risk losing a long chain of hits, time how fast your opponents are moving. Time how long it takes them to get to a certain point from the wall, and also how long is takes a missile to reach that spot. Knowing those things will help ensure that you maintain a large amount of points.

2. Only use AP Slugs to go after Green Bugs: Play on the safe side; try only using the AP Slugs to go after the green bugs. This is the safer way to go since they cover a greater width and move a lot faster than normal missiles.

3. Know what power up is more valuable: Make smart choices when going for power ups. If there is a shield power up right in front of a bunch of flames, don't even try for it. It would be a waste and you actually endanger yourself in the process. Also think about how valuable the power up is. If there is an AP Slug power up and a Shield power up on two different sides of the screen, decide which one would be more useful in the current situation.

Conclusion: Congrats if you made it through this article without falling asleep!! Don’t get discouraged if you aren’t achieving the score that you’d like to be; all it’ll take is practice. Please, don’t be afraid to Neomail me anytime. “A Neofriend in need is a Neofriend indeed.”