The Devious Babaas of Your Maths Homework

In this fast and number-filled game, you be the little white Aisha, Imiya, trying to protect your dream from the advancing Babaas by answering maths problems. To get a trophy for this game, you will need to score at least 2000 points. Let us aim for that High Score Table first. The game is broken down into several difficulties, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, and Mixed. You can think of Addition as the cute little prancing Babaa, Subtraction as the cute little frolicking Babaa, Multiplication as the evil Babaa plotting to conquer the world *muhaha*… Divisions as the nice neat little Babaa, and Mixed as the horrible evil mutant Babaa who reeks of Adam’s asparagus and Snowflake’s socks and Donna’s… well, you get the point.

The Levels:

There are some pros and cons with each difficulty:

-Addition and Subtraction are not very good point makers. So, unless you are unwilling to use Mr. Calculator (your one life line) and you are not good with numbers, do not ever play on these two difficulties. But if you are one of those people, I would suggest playing on Subtraction, since your score gets doubled, AND (dun dun dun), subtracting means smaller numbers, which are faster to type. *ooh aah*

-Multiplication and Division are fairly good, but I do not particularly like Multiplication, since you get large numbers, and the bonus is not nearly as high.

-The Mixed level is a very confusing level. If you play here, make sure you read your signs right, or it could cost valuable time. All the signs are used here, which is why your end score is quintupled (x5, for all you not-English-savvy people).

My personal favourite difficulty is Division. There are only two answers in each round (except for the mutant Babaas, which we will get to later on), which makes it pretty easy to complete. Plus, the numbers are shorter, so they will take less time to type. *w00t*

The Basics:

To make a Babaa jump over the fence and disappear, click on one of the advancing Babaas. I suggest asploding the mutant Babaas first, unless there is one in front of it. Sometimes, after you click, the spotlight (fence) changes to another Babaa. Do not panic. This is because the game automatically switches the fence about three seconds after you answer correctly. Do not get nervous because of that. A very important part of this game is SPEED. Type as fast as your little fingers can go. The whole “solve the easy problems first” like your maths teacher always told you DOES NOT apply to Maths Nightmare. The only thing you need to worry about is speed, and Mr. Calculator, for the Mutant Babaas.

How many chances are there to answer correctly? Well, you have three lives, three chances before Imiya awakens. A life is lost if a Babaa hits Imiya’s cloud. However…

If you mistype an answer, the answer box will clear, and you have until the Babaa hits Imiya to reanswer. If you are receiving help from Mr. Calculator and the magical Division Babaas, this should not be a problem.

Throughout the game, you might notice some Neopets popping up once in a spell. They are not magical, like your own Mr. Calculator or the Division Babaas, but they do give you courage. They compliment you and urge you to keep going. I suggest ignoring their good intentions though, as they will get you distracted from the game.

Scoring:

To get onto the High Score Tables, you will need a score of 1000 or above, depending on the day of the month. If you are playing…

-In the Addition level, you will need to score around 1000 points. (1000/1 is 1000, right? *cackle*)

-In the Subtraction level, you will need to score around 500 points. (1000/2 = 500)

-In the Multiplication level, you will need to score around 334 points. (1000/3 = 333.333…)

-In the Division level, you will need to score around 250 points. (1000/4 = 250)

-In the Mixed level, you will need to score around 200 points. (1000/5 = 200)

Do not be so intent on your score that the game loses its fun. Maths Nightmare is ONLY a game, and games are supposed to be for fun. If you do not get the best score at first, go around for a game of Kacheek Seek, then come back later.

*adjusts nerdy glasses* Let the maths begin!

Before the game…

CALM DOWN. Errors are made when you are nervous. Get rid of your washroom needs before the game, and turn on some soothing music. Make sure nothing slows down the game, though. The last thing you need is your high score game freezing before you can send it! Do some cool thumb twiddling in class! Bother your fellow Neopians with random bursts of fast typing! Maybe even have a go at Typing Terror! You and Mr. Calculator will be invincible!

Whatever you do, do not let anything distract you. Keep yourself inside Imiya’s head, and maybe turn off those pesky alerts for an hour or two. If you mess up, do not send your score. You have three sends to get that trophy. No one is perfect at maths, and everyone messes up once in a while. Let those good-willed pets bring up your esteem, and remember everything that you have learned about those magical Division Babaas.

Again, I say, be FAST FAST FAST. Type type type! Type like there’s a Paint Brush on the other side of those clouds!

Hopefully my guide has helped you improve your bad or average score… at least a little. It is a long, slow, and tedious journey, but eventually your efforts will pay off and you will have a shiny new trophy for your cabinet! There are many strategies for this game, and this is just my own. I hope my article has helped raise your nerdyness level, as well as your maths ;). Have fun playing, and enjoy taunting your friends with your new high score!