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Sholly73 has been a member since 11/9/05 and was last logged in on 10/2/18

The Diploma Guide Archive, Volume V 11/12/09 12:41 PM

And now, for your viewing pleasure, the entire fifth season of Sholly's Diploma Guide. Enjoy!

201. Crescendo Catcher II: 2 of 3
TASK: Make a chain of 5 or more matches
POINTS REQUIRED: 300
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Remember that you don't have to wait for a chain to finish before making another move. Making several such moves at one time makes this piece easy to claim.

202. Marble Matchup: 3 of 3
TASK: Win a round with at least two marbles remaining
POINTS REQUIRED: 12
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Variable (depends on opponent's skill)
TIP: Look for carom and combo shots every time you shoot. Taking out multiple marbles whenever possible is key to picking up this piece, as is keeping your own marbles as far apart as possible.

203. Solitaire Swing: 1 of 3
TASK: Complete a level
POINTS REQUIRED: 30
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Pyramid experience comes in handy in this game, with its "one up-one down" game play. Build sequences until you see the flag turn green and hear the audio cue, then click it off immediately.

204. Zuma II: 2 of 2
TASK: Complete Level 3!
POINTS REQUIRED: 12
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 12
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Just remove balls as fast as you can. The quicker you fill the progress bar, the fewer balls you'll have to deal with, so the more likely you'll be able to clear the level.

205. Crescendo Catcher II: 3 of 3
TASK: Reach Level 4!
POINTS REQUIRED: 12
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 12
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Knowing when - and when NOT, in the case of area bombs - to wait for the crescendo is critical. If you have a bunch of unchanged tiles in a corner with an area bomb in the vicinity, don't wait for the crescendo. Also, don't forget about your Sun power; learn the various patterns available, and use it as soon as it's available, so that you'll be able to charge it up again.

206. Pyramid Quest II: 1 of 2
TASK: Collect a stone
POINTS REQUIRED: 120
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: When you have a choice between sequences, take the cards that have the best "leave"--in other words, that leave a sequence of cards free whenever possible. Always prefer cards covering other cards, except when stringing together a long sequence. Try to save your Wild Card until you have just two single cards (or sequences) covering stones; once you've freed up and removed one, use the Wild Card to remove the other and advance to the next level.

207. Webracer GP: 1 of 1
TASK: Win a race
POINTS REQUIRED: 15
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: The hardest part is getting clear of the other cars at the start of the race. You can outrun them, but they'll bump you and slow you down in the beginning. If you have trouble getting free and manage to grab a turbo early, go ahead and use it; otherwise, save your turbos for relatively straight sections of track.

208. Solitaire Swing: 2 of 3
TASK: Score at least 6000 in time bonus
POINTS REQUIRED: 10
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: You can get 6000 in time bonus in the first two levels if you're really fast. Just complete each stack as quickly as you can, and click it off as soon as it turns green, unless you have a stray card that isn't close to any other stack (for instance, a 6 when all the other stacks are showing face cards).

209. Pyramid Quest II: 2 of 2
TASK: Remove at least 100 cards in one game
POINTS REQUIRED: 7
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: You'll have to get just about through Level 4 to get a point in this one. Nothing special to say here really.

210. Amazon Survival: 1 of 3
TASK: Complete a level
POINTS REQUIRED: 70
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Set up chains and groups of six or more of the same color to make color and line bombs, respectively. Do this as often as possible.

211. Solitaire Swing: 3 of 3
TASK: Complete a level without getting a shuffle penalty
POINTS REQUIRED: 27
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Quickly scan the columns when you think you've run out of moves, and be aware of any "blind spots" you have in your thinking. Mine is Ace-King; over 90% of my errors here are because I missed a King going onto an Ace, or vice versa.

212. Biggest Loser (Kalorie King) II: 1 of 3
TASK: Collect a "good" food with the Running Shoe active
POINTS REQUIRED: 44
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: When you have a Shoe on the screen, be careful not to release any of the "good" foods until you release the Shoe. Once you've released the Shoe, quickly make your way up to the "good" foods. When I say quickly, I mean it--you only have ten seconds of power-up time.

213. Amazing Adventures: 1 of 2
TASK: Complete the game without any misclicks!
POINTS REQUIRED: 10
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Hard (Moderate for those who know the boards and item descriptions well)
TIP: For the first level, click on all the items you're sure of before using the Hint button (if you need it) to get one you're stuck on. For the second level, make sure you're lined up reasonably well with the correct spot before clicking. If it's Spot the Difference, try to have part of the "difference" item in the center of the circle, if it's on that side.

214. Amazon Survival: 2 of 3
TASK: Remove a black block
POINTS REQUIRED: 52
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Black blocks can only be removed by Row Blasts. Create a Row Blast by making a match of six or more blocks, then either drop it as far down as you can, or try to line it up with a black block higher up. I recommend dropping them low, as the relative heights of columns can shift whenever you make a match lower on the board.

215. KicKing: 1 of 1
TASK: Score a goal
POINTS REQUIRED: 60
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 9
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Pass the ball up the field quickly. When you pass, be sure to aim it so that your player is between the ball's landing spot and the opponent. Try to set up a shot from the center of the penalty box, as it's easiest to score from there.

216. Biggest Loser (Kalorie King) II: 2 of 3
TASK: Use a Fat Buster (pill)
POINTS REQUIRED: 22
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: It's pretty basic, really: Release a pill, then make a match with it. If pills are hard to come by, keep making matches and pushing the bottom of the board up higher. This will cause new rows to come in sooner.

217. Amazon Survival: 3 of 3
TASK: Complete a level with at least one empty row
POINTS REQUIRED: 50
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: No easy way to describe how to do this, except for columns with an animal on top. The level is not complete if an animal is sticking out of the water, even if all the blocks are submerged. However, when you remove a block from the column, the animal disappears too, leaving you with an empty spot on top.

218. Midas Solitaire II: 1 of 2
TASK: Score at least 3800 points!
POINTS REQUIRED: 8
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Maximum deck value is 2320 (cards up to suit piles) + 420 (turning table cards over) + 480 (cards up from talon to table) = 3220 points. Time bonus is 2 points per second when you complete the layup, which means you'll have to finish with at least 4:50 left if you don't flip the deck. Each flip requires you to finish 1:40 faster, so you'll need 6:30 left if you flip once, 8:10 left if you flip twice, and if you flip a third time, forget it.

219. Biggest Loser (Kalorie King) II: 3 of 3
TASK: Make a chain of at least four matches
POINTS REQUIRED: 88
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: The easiest way to make chains is to make your way well up a column, then make a match somewhere up the length of that column.

220. Amazing Adventures: 2 of 2
TASK: Earn at least 110 points in Speed Bonus on a level
POINTS REQUIRED: 10
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Just find as many items as you can remember before you start clicking, then click them off as closely together as possible. Ideally, you should find over half the list before you start clicking.

221. Twist Me Silly II: 1 of 2
TASK: Activate a Row Bomb
POINTS REQUIRED: 67
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: I don't like this piece, because it discourages you from playing well. To make a Row Bomb, you must form a chain of exactly three matches. I usually do this by finding a match that will chain into another one, then quickly setting off a match elsewhere while the two-step chain is going off.

222. Abracadabra: 1 of 3
TASK: Make a chain of at least 20 items
POINTS REQUIRED: 12
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: You'll get most of your points on Level 2 for this one. There aren't any to get in Level 1, and by the time you reach Level 3 and clear the locks out of the way, you'll likely not have much time left. Use the double and flower pieces to connect chains of different items to get this one, but before you do, try to remove items you're not planning to use for that purpose.

223. Midas Solitaire II: 2 of 2
TASK: Score at least 800 bonus points
POINTS REQUIRED: 6
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Hard
TIP: It might be possible to collect a point here without solving the layup, but I doubt it. The bonus is based on the time remaining, and to get a point here, you need to finish with at least 6:40 left. In other words, solve it in no more than 3 minutes, 20 seconds.

224. Scrabble Zing: 1 of 2
TASK: Make a word of five or more letters
POINTS REQUIRED: 27
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: ?
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Always look for the opportunity to add a prefix or suffix to an already made word, including plurals. I can't give much more advice, as this game is unavailable to North America.

225. Abracadabra: 2 of 3
TASK: Remove all of one kind of piece with one chain
POINTS REQUIRED: 77
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: You can usually get several points on Level 1 if you look carefully. Points are harder to come by on Levels 2 and 3, but if you remove as many of the less-frequent pieces as you can beforehand, you may be able to put a few together.

226. Twist Me Silly II: 2 of 2
TASK: Reach Level 4!
POINTS REQUIRED: 10
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: You have to remove 50 tiles to reach Level 2, then 75 more for Level 3, then 100 more for Level 4. Easy enough if you make a few power-ups on the way.

227. Scrabble Zing: 2 of 2
TASK: Use all seven tiles in a round
POINTS REQUIRED: 40
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: ?
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Again, look for prefixes and suffixes. This is easiest to do when you have a good balance of vowels and consonants (for your language).

228. Monkey Quest: 1 of 3
TASK: Score at least 15500 in a mini-game
POINTS REQUIRED: 27
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: In Survival, keep aiming for groups holding up low-hanging groups, and remember that bonus is measured from the lowest bubble. In Marksman, accuracy is more important than speed, but if the bubble is falling nearly vertical, be sure to get it quickly. In Mining, think before you click, as bonus is measured by how far up you get.

229. Abracadabra: 3 of 3
TASK: Make a chain worth at least 10,000 points
POINTS REQUIRED: 14
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: You'll need to join at least three different kinds of pieces together, probably four if you can't manage to use all of at least one group. Look at the double pieces you have, and plan your long chain around them. Then remove as much of the groups you're not going to use as possible. Ideally, this will make enough room for you to hook entire groups together in your big chain.

230. Bacteria Hysteria II: 1 of 2
TASK: Boost a pill "piece" (group of 1-3 pills)
POINTS REQUIRED: 188
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: You'll get a pill "piece" whenever you click off a group of 10 or more. Just make sure there's enough power in the booster before you activate it.

231. Monkey Quest: 2 of 3
TASK: Get Shot Bonus of at least 75000 points
POINTS REQUIRED: 5
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Just play the game as you would play a round of Jungle Bubble. Just be aware that the bubbles in Monkey Quest are not quite as forgiving.

232. Monkey Quest: 3 of 3
TASK: Complete all five mini-games
POINTS REQUIRED: 10
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: When a mini-game bubble appears, concentrate on dropping it--if you remove too many other bubbles after it appears, you may not be able to get all five mini-games. In the mini-games themselves, just don't let any bubbles come down and touch the line.

233. Storm Chaser: 1 of 3
TASK: Complete a country
POINTS REQUIRED: 40
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Make as many groups of 5 or more as you can, to create hail. Use hail near the end of a level when you're finding the last few spaces difficult to reach.

234. Orchido: 1 of 3
TASK: Clear a level
POINTS REQUIRED: 77
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 9
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Pieces of this type are pretty straightforward. Just keep twisting and making matches. Any twist that doesn't make a match reduces your progress bar, so try not to do that any more than necessary.

235. Bacteria Hysteria II: 2 of 2
TASK: Launch five or more columns at once
POINTS REQUIRED: 25
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 9
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: I've found that I'm not quite fast enough to launch five columns at once manually. Thankfully, the end of level launch counts as a task. Maybe you have a quicker clicker finger and can boost five at a time...

236. Storm Chaser: 2 of 3
TASK: Activate a super power-up
POINTS REQUIRED: 111
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Creating the super versions of the power-ups is the hard part. You have to either make a combo of six or more matches with one move (for the Lightning or Cyclone) or match a group of seven or more (for the Hail). Try to make moves that make matches in more than one spot--the more different matches that are made at once, the more likely that you'll chain together enough for a super power-up.

237. Orchido: 2 of 3
TASK: Make a chain of at least three moves
POINTS REQUIRED: 333
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: This is just like many other pieces of its type for different games. Find places where you can make three quick matches, then make the moves in quick succession.

238. Jelly Swelly II: 1 of 3
TASK: Splash at least 100 jellyfish in a game
POINTS REQUIRED: 10
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Look for areas that are solid in one color around a line (not necessarily straight) of jellies of the other color, and draw along that line. If the area is completely solid, then draw a crooked line through it, then retrace it. Oh, and get the chalk as soon as you can, so you can splash more jellies in one move.

239. Amazon Survival II: 1 of 2
TASK: Make a group of 7 or more stones
POINTS REQUIRED: 150
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Probably the best way to do this is by making a color bomb, which you do by making a move that causes a chain of three or more matches. The best time to pick up points for this piece is when activating a color bomb, and a few moves right after it. With one fewer color on the screen, it becomes easier for big groups to come together.

240. Storm Chaser: 3 of 3
TASK: Collect an endangered item
POINTS REQUIRED: 44
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Fill the meter at the top by making matches, and when you hear the appropriate sound, make a group of five or more clouds.

241. Orchido: 3 of 3
TASK: Collect a Golden Seed
POINTS REQUIRED: 43
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: There are two ways to collect Golden Seeds. Either bring three or more of them together, or collect individual seeds by putting them in the path of a power-up, then activating it. (In other words, next to a Firefly Flower, or in the same row as a Power Vine.)

242. Jelly Swelly II: 2 of 3
TASK: Get the bonus meter up to at least 4x
POINTS REQUIRED: 20
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: You have to collect at least four stars without running out of bonus time. For the best chance to do this, don't activate any stars until you have three on the board, or at least two on the board and one about to be released. You then have 13 seconds for each star activated to get another one. By the way, if you can make higher multiples of 4, you get more points. (8x gives two points, 12x three, etc.)

243. Amazon Survival II: 2 of 2
TASK: Drop a bonus critter into the water
POINTS REQUIRED: 188
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Using both kinds of bombs makes this one easier, but if you're having trouble getting them, then pay attention to the colors in the bottom of the critter's column, and drop matching colored blocks there. Be careful not to wipe critters out with a Row Bomb.

244. Seashell Squeeze: 1 of 3
TASK: Complete a level
POINTS REQUIRED: 33
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Make lots of Column Blasts by making matches of two different kinds of shells at the same time, or by chaining two or more matches. Make sure to also use the Shell Bomb, which appears halfway through the level, and also if you use two Area Bombs (made by making a match of four or five shells) in the same match.

245. Jelly Swelly II: 3 of 3
TASK: Have a color vial left at the end of the game!
POINTS REQUIRED: 77
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Just don't use the vials you collect any more than you have to, and if a color starts flashing, be sure to draw on the other color (thus making a group of the flashing color). You get a point for each vial left, so these can add up quickly.

246. Attaqua II: 1 of 2
TASK: Make a chain of two or more steps
POINTS REQUIRED: 66
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: The easy way to get a point is to aim for a group of three or more pieces of the same color bracketed by the same (another) color on either side. The harder way is to find a A B C B A color pattern, and hit C.

247. Seashell Squeeze: 2 of 3
TASK: Activate a Column Blast
POINTS REQUIRED: 250
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Check out #244 for tips on making Column Blasts. It also helps to make the other powerups, as they will activate each other if one is in the other's blast zone.

248. Firefly Fantasies: 1 of 3
TASK: Make a chain of 20 or more pieces
POINTS REQUIRED: 27
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Of the three different kinds of pieces you get in each level, remove as many as you can of two of them. Eventually, you'll be able to string together a massive chain of the third piece. Also, for every chain you make that's worth 1000 or more points, you'll get a powerup--if you get a Wild piece, you can use it to connect two long chains of different types, and if you get a Bomb, you'll also get credit for the pieces it removes.

249. Mahjong Golden Path: 1 of 3
TASK: Unlock all three Rune Tiles on a level
POINTS REQUIRED: 77
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Watch the tiles fall in at the beginning of the level, so that you know where the Rune Tiles are. Be careful when removing tiles, that you don't leave the last two of a tile stacked on top of each other AND blocking a Rune Tile.

250. Attaqua II: 2 of 2
TASK: Complete a level
POINTS REQUIRED: 40
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Grab all the power-ups you can find, and use them. Destroy eels as quickly as you can. That's all there is to it.

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