I Smell a S.M.E.L.T. Guide!

GAMES ROOM – Ah! What is that noise? It sounded like metal being forged and cut! Turns out that’s what it is in Neopia’s latest game, a smoldering game of S.M.E.L.T.! In this game, your objective is to help Tangor, a green Mynci, in his quest to make perfect cuts for his clients, people all around Neopia. Some of these clients include Commodore Rigney Birkin, from Moltara, Iggsah Van Uggamuggah, from Tyrannia, and Sir Migwot Blumpington, from Brightvale. As you can see, these clients really are from everywhere, so it is imperative that Tangor is able to keep up with the demand for business.

However, time and materials are both against him; you must make sure that his cuts all fit inside a rectangular block of metal in the time period allotted for each level. If you can do that, you might just ensure that Tangor (along with yourself) is the greatest smelter in all of Neopia!

Controls and Rules

The controls for this game are quite simple overall, as you use the mouse to maneuver your pieces for the best cut possible into the metal. Clicking the mouse stamps the part into the metal sheet. If you need to rearrange the part in order to better fit it into the metal sheet, the buttons Z and X on the keyboard rotate the part counterclockwise and clockwise respectively.

On each level, you have the option to “smelt” the metal by clicking the Smelt button below the rectangular metal sheet. Smelting takes all of the leftover metal and makes it into a solid rectangle again, making it easier to place parts on it. On some levels, you have one or two free smelts to use, which don’t cost you any penalty in time. However, on other levels, you can use a smelt, but it takes two seconds off of your time. Therefore, it is not very effective to use a smelt that isn’t free unless it is completely necessary.

The game is divided into sections, each containing 9 levels. The first level of each section requires you to make 4 parts, and last level requires you to make 12 parts, each level increasing the requirement by an increment of one. After you complete the section, the parts you need to make will decrease back to 4; however, the time that you are allotted will then decrease, making it much harder to complete the levels overall.

There is only one difficulty level in S.M.E.L.T., so all Neopians have an equal opportunity to help Tangor out. However, that should not stop any players, as the game is fairly simple overall. Here are some tips and strategies that will help you maximize your score:

Tips and Strategies

1. Play on low quality and a small screen size. This will reduce the lag you might encounter in the game, so that you are able to put more parts down within the allotted time period. It will also decrease the distance that you have to move your mouse.

2. Although you may be inclined to go more slowly on the earlier levels to get as many perfect cuts as possible, it is actually beneficial for your score to go as fast as possible, getting the parts down even if they are not perfect cuts. The time bonus is worth more than the bonus for perfect cuts.

3. Always use your free smelts, even when you don’t think you need to! It does not use up any of your time, and you can get at least one more perfect cut out of it. In the later levels, these are especially useful, as you only have a couple seconds to complete a level. If the timer is about to change and you use a free smelt, it will reset the clock to the beginning of the second; essentially you increase your time by a second, which can help enormously if utilized!

4. Sometimes in the levels where 11 and 12 parts are needed, you may find that even after being smelted, you have an extra piece or two that just will not fit. This can be fixed by making sure you use the least amount of metal sheet possible when placing your parts. Put your pieces as close to each other as possible. This will greatly reduce the amount of perfect cuts you get, but if it lets you complete a level that you would otherwise be unable to complete, it is definitely worth it.

5. In the later levels, you will have to rapidly click in order to complete the level. Even if you don’t know which piece you are placing in a location, it will work if you make a circular motion with your mouse and make use of your smelts.

6. After you click “Smelt,” you can rotate the current part to your heart’s content. I would advise rotating it into a good position, so that when smelting is complete, you are ready to place it in a spot where it will help you in placing other parts.

7. You can retry each level as many times as you want until you complete it without any deduction of points. Therefore, it is advantageous to only complete a level when you are satisfied with your performance. If you slightly mess up and it costs you a few seconds and a perfect cut, don’t be afraid to restart!

8. Luck can also be a big factor of whether you can complete a level or not. If all of your parts are large, it might be nearly impossible to fit them on the metal sheet, even when squishing them all together and smelting as often as possible. In addition, when you only have a few seconds (or less) to complete a level, it might only be possible to complete a level when you have mostly smaller parts.

So there you have it! While this game might be a real challenge at first, with some practice and the implementation of the tips and strategies listed above, you can become a master smelter! Maybe you can even get a high enough score for a trophy! Now I hear Tangor calling your name, so go get playing!