13th April 2006 - 16:00 GMT, 8:00 NST.

Welcome, guest, to a game guide for one of my favourite games on Neopets: Ice Cream Machine (Hey! It rhymes, Neo are poets, and they do not, do not even know it!)

Before we go on with the guide, let's start with introductions. My name is Mike and my username is sheepmad4eva -shameful plug to userlookup-, there is nothing more that I like than spending hours playing Neopets games. It's brilliant fun, and very rewarding in the neopoints stakes.

Just a little note before I begin, this guide is simply a place which contains tips and techniques to maximise your performance in Neopets' Ice Cream Machine. This guide is not here to help you to cheat, or do anything wrong that may be frowned upon in Neopia.

Ice Cream Machine is a wonderfully simple game that doesn't take much to play. It is based entirely on how good you can control your mouse, a little bit of skill and a tiny amount of luck.

It follows Adee the Chia who has eaten far too much ice cream. For breakfast, dinner and tea apparently! Unfortunately, she's started having strange dreams about ice cream. This one happens to be set in a giant Ice Cream Machine! It's rather ironic, because after you play the game excessively, you may have the same sort of dreams.

The instructions according to Neopets are:

So, to put it simply, you just have to dodge the ice cream scoops that are being blasted at you!

There are 13 rounds to the game, and each level has a different colour and flavour of ice cream. The scoops are as follows:

V/C/C=Vanilla Chocolate Chip

S/V/C=Strawberry, Chocolate and Vanilla

There are also the delicious strawberry, chocolate and caramel covered scoops:

NOTE: Do NOT eat these ice cream scoops. These have to go off the top of the screen in order for you to receive the points. Each of these scoops is worth x2 the amount of points of a regular scoop.

Finally, the game contains SPECIAL scoops which you are allowed to digest, but not all of them do wonderful things.

Okay, so we've gotten the basics out of the way. There is just one thing to do before you go onto play the game. GO AND DO YOUR THINGS. Go let your hamster out of his cage, or wash the dishes, or anything that may interfere with your game. I had the wonderful luck of playing with TEN lives on Double Chocolate and then the phone rang and I had to leave the game. So unplug that phone and let's get going!

There are several things you can do that will improve your game. Here is a bulleted list on what you should do to improve. (Note: All of these will come with practise, and will not guarantee you the top scores)

• Try to keep your eyes open. I know it sounds silly, but sometimes if I blink, I get thwacked with an ice cream scoop. Use shields wisely, and when you get a shield, take a long blink, then get back into position.

• Concentrate, don't check how many lives you've got left, and do not check how many scoops there are to go. This can make you lose your concentration and SPLAT: life lost!

• Try to stay in the centre of the game board. I know that it says that in every guide you read, but I can't stress how important this is. If you're at the sides, you only have one way to move, whereas if you're in the centre, you can move every which way!

• Look at Adee! I know it's another obvious one. But, for-flaming-ever, I looked at the scoops coming off the cones, and whereabouts they were heading. But I decided to change tact one day, and I started to look at Adee, and work around the scoops. This helped tremendously and gained me an extra level experience.

• DO NOT RIGHT-CLICK - If you right-click during the game, it's an automatic game over I'm afraid. So just make sure you don't do it, either by mistake or on purpose.

• I tend to play with music in the background. Sometimes, I play with the classic Ice Cream Machine music, because it's my favourite music in all of Neopia. But sometimes I get carried away and started jigging Adee around, and then I die. Other recommendations are Kelly Osbourne - Papa Don't Preach and Natasha Bedingfield - These Words. If you want to concentrate, I'd stick with just the sounds and no music. But make sure you have no distractions.

• If you have IM windows open, make sure you can't see any messages as you're playing. For ages, it distracted me when I tried to see what somebody had said to me, whilst still playing. This tip will help immensely.

• Build up your lives, if you lose a life in the early games, I'd advise you to restart. If you want the big scores, or the avatar, you cannot afford to lose the lives at these stages.

• Try to get the bonuses at ALL times, except if you know you're going to die. Believe me, the points will add up if you're playing for the avatar.

• Take breaks! Have, say three games, then go play something else or go make a nice cup of tea or a Top Eldoon (name changed to protect copyright). This is basically so you aren't playing all the time. Oh, and it rests your neck!

• Be confident! If you say you'll complete this level, then you probably will. If you're thinking to yourself, "I'll never be able to do this, so very hard, Mint level" ... then you probably won't.

• Throwing this quote from Sister Act 2 into good measure, "If you wanna be somebody, you wanna go somewhere. You better wake up and pay attention." I thought that this was quite relevant to the game.

• Take chances, once you get particularly confident, don't be afraid to do moves you don't think will work. You may lose a life, but eventually you'll get better at these moves and they'll become easier and easier to do!

• Again, another one that just has to be stressed. Practise, Practise, PRACTISE! When I first started trying for the avatar, I was achieving not far past Vanilla Chocolate Swirl, now I'm getting onto Tigersquash and Rainbowberry almost every time.

There is also the code that TNT have implemented into the game. If you type in strawberryvanillachocolate into one of the level screens, it will give you an extra life. I tend to do this later in the game, but it's fine if you want to do it at the beginning.

There is also the apparent Orange T-Shirt Guy. I'm not going to go into great depth, because I haven't experienced the wonderful Orange T-Shirt Guy scoop yet. But, when on the level-up screen, wait a couple of minutes and Adee will be replaced with the Orange T-Shirt Guy. This is said to bring lots of luck, and may earn you an extra 1,000np. I'm not so sure, as I'm yet to see this scoop, but I do know it exists. Although, I'm not entirely sure whether it will appear if you didn't wait for the Orange T-Shirt Guy to appear. Still, until I experience it... I cannot comment.

If you have anymore tips or techniques for Ice Cream Machine, feel free to Neomail me at sheepmad4eva.

So you want step-by-step guides for each individual level? Well, it'll take up a lot of space, but I'm prepared to do it. Besides, I've seen longer petpages! Plus, you want the help right, or you wouldn't be here!

LEVEL ONE

Scoop flavour: Strawberry

Scoop colour: Pink

Number of scoops to dodge: 25

Difficulty: Easy peasy, pudding and pie, kissed the girls and made them cry!

Comments: The easiest level. Go for the green plus scoops to speed up, because let's face it, the scoops are coming at you slow. Don't bother with shields, small Adees, or anything like that. The only special scoops you should go for are cherry, fish and extra life! Oh, and make sure you don't lose any lives please.

LEVEL TWO

Scoop flavour: Vanilla

Scoop colour: Creamy yellow

Number of scoops to dodge: 50

Difficulty: Simple!

Comments: Okay, so this is another easy level! Just keep out of the way of the scoops and you'll be fine. Treat this as a second go at level one! Get the fish, cherry and extra lives. Don't bother with the other kinds, unless it's a speed up scoop. You can get that one.

LEVEL THREE

Scoop flavour: Chocolate

Scoop colour: Brown

Number of scoops to dodge: 75

Difficulty: Getting harder, but you should still be able to do it.

Comments: This level is still very easy, albeit a few more scoops. If you want, you can now go for the minus speed scoops. Still go for the bonuses, they'll give you more points! Get used to making good moves, because you'll need to use them in later rounds.

LEVEL FOUR

Scoop flavour: Mint

Scoop colour: Mint green

Number of scoops to dodge: 100

Difficulty: Not that hard, but you have to be careful

Comments: Be careful with this round, you can think you're doing good so far, but boom... you've lost a life! Start taking the game seriously from this round, because it can catch you out, especially if you're playing for the first time.

LEVEL FIVE

Scoop flavour: Blueberry

Scoop colour: Blue

Number of scoops to dodge: 125

Difficulty: Again, reasonably intermediate, but you should have no problems.

Comments: This is one of my favourite rounds, next to peach. I dunno, it's just a pretty colour. This level, in my opinion, is easier than Mint. Mainly because you're used to the speeds of Mint, and so you play this level. It isn't hugely difficult. You still don't want to have dropped a life by this point. This is still a level that if you lose a life, you quit... unless you have lots of lives acquired from the extra life scoops.

LEVEL SIX

Scoop flavour: Vanilla Chocolate Chip

Scoop colour: Creamy yellow with brown spots

Number of scoops to dodge: 150

Difficulty: This is a toughie, it took me a while to get past this level.

Comments: If you haven't played before, you might get stuck on this level for a while. The key is perseverance. You'll most likely lose a life on this round if you're not used to it. It's okay, you can still go on, but be confident! Eventually, you'll get the hang of it, and be able to get through this level without losing a life.

LEVEL SEVEN

Scoop flavour: Strawberry, Vanilla and Chocolate

Scoop colour: Classic Italian Neapolitan - Pink, Creamy Yellow and Brown!

Number of scoops to dodge: 175

Difficulty: Tricky

Comments: This level still catches me out now and again. Again, if you're playing first time, keep practising, you'll get past it, and eventually will get the hang of it. Hopefully, you'll have went through the game without losing a life, or you may have lost only one or two. That's good, and keep trying!

LEVEL EIGHT

Scoop flavour: Peach

Scoop colour: Orange

Number of scoops to dodge: 200

Difficulty: Very tough

Comments: This is the last round where I expect you to keep all your lives. It's great if you do, and I've done it a few times before. By this round, I'm praying for purple Adees to crop up, if you can get two or three down-sizing scoops, you'll make it out of this level unscarred. That goes for all future levels. By this point, if the bonuses are out of reach, don't get them. If they're a tricky move away, give them a go. But don't risk anything you don't think you can do. Just leave them and go on.

LEVEL NINE

Scoop flavour: Vanilla Chocolate Swirl

Scoop colour: Brown with creamy yellow swirls running throughout

Number of scoops to dodge: 225

Difficulty: VERY HARD! But you'll do fine.. I'm sure!

Comments: This is always where I have a break, a bit of a pit-stop, and use the strawberryvanillachocolate game code. It'll give you an extra life, because sometimes I can slip up on this level and lose a few lives. You're doing brilliantly if you can get this far! Just remember to keep looking at Adee!

LEVEL TEN

Scoop flavour: Double Chocolate

Scoop colour: Brown with dark brown spots

Number of scoops to dodge: 250

Difficulty: To quote Velma, "YIKES!

Comments: Ah, the dreaded Double Chocolate Level. I'm totally rubbish at this one. I think it's even harder than Tigersquash. All I can say, is get the size-reducing scoop, and as many bonuses and lives that are within reach, and go for it. Keep on practising. It'll come eventually, I'm even starting to make my way past it!

LEVEL ELEVEN

Scoop flavour: Tigersquash

Scoop colour: Purple with the typical Neopets Orange zigzagging throughout

Number of scoops to dodge: 275(!)

Difficulty: Giving that it's the 3rd to last level: Very, very hard indeed.

Comments: Keep composure. Be confident. Let loose. Hopefully you'll have salvaged as many lives as possible from the dreaded Double Chocolate round. Just stay calm, and try and practise as much as you possibly can. I know I've said it before, but it's important to play lots of games. Hopefully the tips will help.

LEVEL TWELVE

Scoop flavour: Rainbowberry

Scoop colour: RAINBOW (Red, Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet)

Number of scoops to dodge: 300 (!!)

Difficulty: Intense!!!

Comments: Having only reached this level a handful of times, I can say that it's very hard to do. The scoops are flying thick and fast. Just try your best. I don't have many things to say about the later levels except that they're hard and practise makes perfect. Remember to keep looking at Adee and not the scoops coming out!

LEVEL THIRTEEN

Scoop flavour: Garlicy Bratwurst

Scoop colour: Blood red

Number of scoops to dodge: A whopping 325

Difficulty: Intense, but not as difficult as Rainbowberry

Comments: I've only ever gotten onto Garlicy Bratwurst once (which happened to be the time I got the avatar) and it was very tricky. Although, personally, I didn't think it was hard as Rainbowberry. Still, it's very tough but if you've got at least three lives, you should be able to get past this no bother. Good luck!

Remember to stay absolutely calm, and collected whilst playing. I, myself, got the avatar after perseverance, patience and practise. My current top score is 15,540 but you only need 14,500+ by the end of the game, to get the avatar:

Plus, look at the wonderful trophies you can win:

Good Luck, and get playing!!

If you liked the guide, don't forget you can always neomail with your comments and tips. Did I help you to get the avatar? Well tell me. You can also link to mike_ames's petpage. You can use one of the buttons below to link to the page:

<a href="http://www.neopets.com/~mike_ames"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v186/sheepmad4eva/icecream/link.jpg" border="0"></a>

<a href="http://www.neopets.com/~mike_ames"><img src="http://img61.photobucket.com/albums/v186/sheepmad4eva/gameguide2.gif" border="0"></a>