Tips of a Gamer - The Buzzer Game

You’ve lost, again. The shiny avatar that seemed so close is suddenly right out of the question, let alone the trophies.

On the contrary, the Buzzer Game avatar and trophies aren’t all that hard to obtain. Like almost every game, there are certain tips and tricks that will make your life much easier when it comes to beating the Buzzer Game.

Basics of the Game:

For those who haven’t played the game before, the Buzzer Game is very similar to other games that can be found in real life. The aim of the game is to guide a hoop along a metal wire without letting the two parts touch – otherwise a loud ‘BUZZ!’ will be set off, and the game is over.

The Buzzer Game has fifteen different levels and wire shapes for you to try guiding your hoop through, and is hosted by an Island Techo who will do anything to try and throw his ‘apprentice’ (that’s you) off your game and distract you.

Things he tries include:

• Random noises during the game.
• Making his eyes glow red.
• A falling chokato from the top of the screen.
• The leaves change colour.
• His eyes widen.

The falling chokato and the red eyes usually occur from about level three onwards, and can be distracting. The main point to remember when playing the Buzzer Game is to be calm and relaxed; being too eager can set you up for a nasty scare when the Techo decides to pull one of his tricks.

To connect your hoop to the wire, just click on the green dot at the far left hand side of the loop, and to finish the level, simply move your hoop over the red dot at the far right of the loop.

You are given three lives at the start of each game, and when you run out, I’m afraid that means game over.

There are codes for this game!

• ‘cheese’ – this allows you to see your cursor during the entire game – making it a lot easier.
• ‘salamander’ – this allows you to skip a level, although its not really needed.

Apart from points being awarded for passing levels, there is an extra ‘bonus’ timer which will award bonus points. The timer will countdown at the beginning of each level, and according to what time you have left on the clock when you finish you will be awarded points.

For example, you finish the level with 12 seconds left on the bonus timer – you receive an extra 12 points on top of the points for the level. NOTE: The bonus timer is not always a good thing. It’s really just another of the Techo’s tricks to make you fail – trying for bonus points makes you rush and easily mess up, so don’t bother with the timer unless you know the level well.

Again, to beat the game, you must be calm and relaxed but also patient and resilient.

Setup and Preparation:

Whoa! Take your hands away from the play button! You're not ready to start yet - setting up the game just right is what makes getting the avatar easier.

Under 'Game Options', on the main game screen, select the largest possible screen size for your computer and the best quality option. If the bonus timer is cut of from your view, even better as that’s one less distraction.

First things first: clear a nice, unobstructed area so that your mouse can zoom around the place. Yes, mouse. Unfortunately, using the mouse pad on laptops is harder to control, and therefore, it’s harder to get the avatar. You can still try with a mouse pad, though - it'll just take a little more practice. If you are using an optical mouse, use a large flat surface, or if you have a normal mouse, use a mouse pad to stop it slipping.

Next, turn off all messengers, mute your computer and your surroundings. This avoids you getting distracted by any sudden sounds, which can mean losing a life, or even Game Over.

Relax. I can’t stress this enough. Shake out your limbs, play the tuba, whatever relaxes you; as long as you calm down and concentrate, that Techo won’t make a dent in your performance.

Gameplay

Connect your hoop to the wire by clicking the green button at the left hand side of the wire. Once your hoop is connected, navigate the wire, making sure your cursor NEVER leaves the confines of the black wire. Don’t rush yourself – take all the time you need for each level, and pay extra caution on sharp corners and even slight bends that might not be noticeable at first. A level is finished when you successfully navigate your hoop around the loop and pass over the red button at the end.

Get comfortable, and don’t be afraid to take breaks in between levels. If you run out of space in the area you have cleared, lift your mouse carefully off the surface you’re using and relocate it, equally carefully.

The difference between playing for the avatar and playing for trophies is this: Bonus Time just became your new best friend and you must complete all levels to ensure a placing on the table.

Each level only gives you 30 seconds to clock in any bonus time, so lots and lots of practice is needed here. It’s totally worth it, though, as the trophies look amazing.

Use this guide, and you’ll soon be a Buzzer Game master yourself. No longer will you be haunted by the elusive avatar or the grand trophies, and that annoying ‘BUZZ!’ will only be a memory.

Good luck, my apprentices!