Chip's Challenge
puzzle game for Commodore 64, 1990
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GO BIT BUSTER
Chip would do anything for Melinda the Mental Marvel. More than
anything becoz he wanted to join Melinda's exclusive computer club
- the Bit Busters. So you can imagine how Chip felt when Melinda
sat down next to him in the school cafeteria and offered him
membership.... on one condition.
Take control of Chip as he does some heavy interfacing with a few
interesting puzzles. Melinda will monitor your progress as you
enter and work your way through 144 levels of challenging maze-
like paths and puzzles. Once you accept the challenge, there is
no escape. Monsters, traps and the ticking of the clock all
conspire to delete you before a level is completed.
You must ram blocks of soil together to create bridges over water
traps, or use them as buffers against cherry bombs. Invisible
partitions will impede your progress. Colored keys will open
doors that lead to other keys that will open still more doors!
To make it through, you must keep puzzle sequences stored in your
memory.
Most levels have a specific number of chips that you must collect
before you can progress to the next level. Sometimes you must
snatch those chips from under the very noses of deadly bugs who
are just aching to take a byte out of you!
Well Chip, are you still up for the challenge? You can't get that
Bit-Buster T-shirt out of your system, can you?
Ok buddy, make tracks for level one of:
"CHIP'S CHALLENGE!"
PLAYING THE GAME:
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The object of the game is to enter and explore each level, solve
the puzzle (usually involving the collection of a number of
microchips) and progress to the next, slightly more difficult,
level.
As you wander through each maze, there will be items to collect
and objects to use. For example, keys to open doors and teleport
squares to move you from place to place.
Each level contains challenges such as obstacles, traps, and
monsters, with the additional challenge on some levels of a race
against the clock.
The first eight levels intoduce you to most puzzle components and
they give you a chance to gain experience of the game's basic
concepts. A question mark appears next to Chip at the beginning of
each level. Move Chip over the question mark to receive
information about that level. For more detailed information about
the obstacles and special items you can find, see HELPFUL ITEMS
below.
Useful items such as keys and shields must be picked up and added
to Chip's inventory. To pick up items, move Chip over them.
The item will disappear from the action window and an icon
representing it will appear in the inventory section of the
information window.
Most levels have a specific number of microchips that must be
collected as part of the puzzle's solution before you can pass
the microchip socket and progress to the next level.
When you first enter a level, the number of microchips to be
collected appears under CHIPS LEFT in the status panel. On these
levels you must solve part of the puzzle to gain access to the
chips.
On some levels the CHIPS LEFT indicator is set to zero when you
enter the level. This means that no microchips are needed to
solve the puzzle.
The Information window (left to right)
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CHIPS LEFT- Number of chips to be found
TIME - Seconds left to solve puzzle
LEVEL - Number of current level
The INVENTORY BOX displays icons of the items you have picked up
and have not yet used.
HELPFUL ITEMS:
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KEYS open doors of the key color. Most keys will disappear from
inventory after use.
DOORS (see keys) once opened a door stays open.
MICROCHIPS enable you to pass each level's microchip socket. Most
levels have a required number of microchips you must collect
before you can pass through the microchip socket to the exit
square.
EXIT SQUARES are flashing squares found on every level. Step on
an exit square to proceed to the next level. Exit squares are
usually blocked by microchip sockets.
DIRT BLOCKS can be linked together to form a bridge over water,
pushed against a bomb to explode it harmlessly, or used as blocks
against monsters, deadly lightning balls, and other moving
obstacles.
You can only move one dirt block at a time. If you place a dirt
block to make a bridge over water, you must stamp down the dirt
to turn it into a regular floor square. Do this by stepping on
the block after pushing it into the water.
NOTE: You may find things hidden under some dirt blocks.
Sometimes the things are valuable, like microchips. However you
may find that a block is covering something unpleasant...
TRIP BUTTONS are linked to toggle blocks, clone machines, and
other obstacles. A trip button's color matches the color of the
linked trap or obstacle. Stepping onto a trip button triggers
the linked item. For example, moving over a green trip button
square will open (or close) all linked green toggle blocks or
moving over a red trip button square will cause a red linked
clone machine to begin releasing fireballs!
MAGNETS neutralize the effect of force floor traps. With a magnet
in the inventory, you can walk over a force floor normally!
FIRE SHIELDS - Walk through fire
WATER SHIELD - Walk on water
CLEATS:Travel over ice without slipping
NOTE: Magnets, Fire & Water shields, and Cleats stay in
inventory. They do not disappear after use.
TRAPS, MONSTERS, and OBSTACLES
--------------------------------
TRAPS must be disarmed before you can pass through them. There
are various sorts of traps. For example some hold you prisoner
until your time runs out, while others destroy you as you step on
them.
You can disarm traps with strategic placement of dirt blocks.
FORCE FLOOR TRAPS propel you with lightning speed from one area
to another without allowing you to stop. Sometimes you can use
this force to propel you to a desired location, however most of
the time you will need to collect a magnet to neutralize the
effect.
FIRE TRAPS are impassable bonfires laid out to block your
progress. Use a fire shield to walk through fire traps.
WATER TRAPS can be crossed in two ways. Either build a bridge of
dirt blocks or have a water shield in your inventory.
ICE TRAPS are slippery obstacles that make you slide right past
your goal. Cleats are required to be able to walk over ice traps.
MONSTERS want to destroy you and will show no mercy. One touch
from a monster and you'll cash in your chips.
TANKS block the way through crucial paths in some levels. Tanks
are always linked to trip buttons, activate the correct trip
button, so they move out of your way.
THIEVES: Touching a thief wipes your inventory of all items.
Make sure you use the tools you need to collect micro-chips
before trying to pass a thief.
TELEPORT SQUARES move you to another location on the level.
Some squares teleport you in the direction you were facing when
you stepped on them. Others teleport you in random directions.
Beware! if you step on the only teleport square that is
accessible, you will be trapped.
TOGGLE BLOCKS are outlined with broken colored lines. These
block can be solid or transparent. When the toggle block is
solid, you cannot pass through. These blocks are linked to trip
buttons. When you activate a trip button, the toggle blocks
linked to it will switch to the other state (solid or
transparent).
BLUE BLOCKS can be real walls or just an illusion. To figure
out what a block is, try to pass through it (illusions vanish).
MICROCHIP SOCKETS are special obstacles found on most
levels. You must (usually) pass through a microchip socket to
reach the Exit Square, but only after you have collected the
required number of microchips for that level.
CLONE MACHINES discharge fireballs, dirt blocks and other
items. Most clone machines are linked to trip buttons. If you
wish to start/stop a clone machine, activate the linked trip
button.
STRATEGY
--------
Take notes and draw maps of difficult levels.
Leave yourself an escape route whenever possible.
Timing is crucial on some levels.
Use the PAUSE key to give you time to think.
If the obvious solution doesn't work, try a bizarre solution.
The later will usually put you through!
Monsters often move in predictable patterns.
Most objects affect monsters the same way, as they affect you.
Finally, if you get stuck in an impossible situation, use RESTART
to resume the level.
CONTROLS:
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Use joystick to move Chip.
R - Restart level
X - Exit game
F1/F3 - Music on/off
Run/Stop - Pause Game
LEVEL CODES:
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level code name
001 bdhp lesson one
002 jmxj lesson two
003 ecbq lesson three
004 ymcj lesson four
005 tqkb lesson five
006 wnlp lesson six
007 fxqo lesson seven
008 nhag lesson eight
009 kcre nuts and bolts
010 vuws brushfire
011 cnpe trinity
012 wvhi hunt
013 ocks southpole
014 btdy teleblock
015 cozq elementary
016 skkk cellblocked
017 ajmg nice day
018 hmjl castle moat
019 mrhr digger
020 kgfp tossed salad
021 ugrw iceberg
022 wzin forced entry
023 huve blobnet
024 uniz oortogeld
025 pqgv blink
026 yvyj chchchips
027 iggz go with the flow
028 ujdd ping pong
029 qgol arcticflow
030 bqzp mishmesh
031 ryms knot
032 pefs scavenger hunt
033 bqsn on the rocks
034 nqfi cypher
035 vdtm lemmings(!)
036 nxis ladder
037 vqnk seeing stars
038 bifa sampler
039 icxy glut
040 ywfh floorgasborg
041 gkwd i. c. you
042 lmfu beware of bug
043 ujdp lock block
044 txhl refraction
045 uvpz monster lab
046 hdqj three doors
047 lxpp pier seven
048 jysf mugger square
049 ppxi problems
050 qbdh digdirt
051 iggj i slide
052 ppht the last laugh
053 cgnx traffic cop
054 zmgc grail
055 sjes potpourri
056 fcje deepfreeze
057 ubxu strange maze
058 yblt loop around
059 bldm hidden danger
060 zyvi scoundred
061 rmow rink
062 tigw slo mo
063 gohx block factory
064 ijpq spooks
065 upun amsterdam
066 zikz victim
067 ggja chipmine
068 ridi eeny miny mop
069 nlly bounce city
070 gccg nightmare
071 lajm corridor
072 ekft reverse alley
073 qcca morton
074 mknh playtime
075 mjdv steam
076 nmrh four plex
077 fhic invincible champion
078 grmo force square
079 jinu ered
080 evug vanishing act
081 scwf writters block
082 llio socialist action
083 ovpj up the block
084 uveo wars
085 lebx telenet
086 flhh suicide
087 yjys cityblock
088 wzyv spirals
089 vczo block buster
090 0llm playhouse
091 jpqg jumping swarm
092 dtmi vortex
093 rekf roadsign
094 ewcs now you see it
095 bifq four square
096 wvhy paranoia
097 iocs metastable to chaos
098 tkwd shrinking
099 xuvu catacombs
100 qjxr colony
101 rpir apartment
102 vddu icehouse
103 ptac memory
104 kwnl jailer
105 yneg short circuit
106 nxyb kablam
107 ecre balls o fire
108 lioc block out
109 kzqr torturechamber
110 xbao chiller
111 krqj time lapse
112 njla fortune favours the
113 ptas open question
114 jwnl deception
115 egrw oversea delivery
116 hxmf block buster ii
117 fpzt marsh
118 oscw miss direction
119 phty slide step
120 flxp alphabet soup
121 bpys perfect match
122 sjum totally unfair(!)
123 ykze prisoner
124 tasx firetrap
125 myrt mixed nuts
126 qrld block'n'roll
127 jmwz skelzie
128 ftla all full
129 hean lobster trap
130 xhiz ice cube
131 fird totally unfair(!)
132 zyfa mix up
133 tigg blobdance
134 xpph pain
135 lywo trust me
136 luzl doublemaze
137 hppx goldkey
138 lujt partial post
139 vlhh yorkhouse
140 sjuk icedeath
141 mcje underground
142 ucry pentagram
143 okor stripes
144 gvxq fireflies
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Some useful keyboard shortcuts
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[PAUSE] - stop/continue game
[F9] - quick load game state
[F12] - quick save game state (still stored after leaving the site)
[F11] - toggle fullscreen mode
[ScrollLock] - quick switch control ports
[PageDown] - make a screenshot (320x200)