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NOT ONLINE Sholly73

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

SHOLLY'S DIPLOMA GUIDE (updated 2/5) 2/5/11 7:46 AM

This week, we connect four, or five, or make Ls and Ts. Next week, we zip through the pyramids one more time...

NOTE: Work has begun on the NEW Diploma Guide. Thanks to all of you who took the time to give me your input. I can't say for sure when it will be finished, but I'm hoping you'll find it easier to use, as I've decided to put the games in alphabetical order. Oh, and I threw something else in as well that I think you'll like. Stay tuned!

Note: A task marked with an exclamation point means that completing the task will also give you an achievement point toward the Awards for that game. Sometimes the task matches the Award task exactly, and sometimes the Diploma task contains the Award task within it (such as #319).

The minimum number of games listed is an absolute minimum, as close as I could figure it; it's seldom possible to hit this number, so don't fret if it takes you more games than I have listed.

The tips in this Guide assume that you're only interested in the Diploma piece when you're playing, so they often depart from optimal winning strategy. However, you'll find in many cases that the ideas you learn in Diploma Hunts can often be used to better your overall performance in that game.

I don't have helpful information for every piece, but here's what I can tell you. I haven't listed the name of every Diploma and every piece; if you really want that info, go look it up.

385. Farm King: 2 of 3
TASK: Make a match of more than three pieces
POINTS REQUIRED: 199
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Look for a row of four or five of the same piece with the middle different, or L or T shapes. What else can I say? If you've played match-3 games before, you know what you're looking for.

384. Pyramid Speed: 2 of 3
TASK: Remove 30 cards
POINTS REQUIRED: 11
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: The game is Pyramid "Speed", right? Well, speed is what you need. Remove cards as quickly as you can, and try to make your way up to the scarabs so you can keep going.

383. Farm King: 1 of 3
TASK: Collect more than the goal amounts
POINTS REQUIRED: 999
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: This game is all about thinking ahead. Look for where your target pieces line up, and if there's a way to make a match next to one or more of them before you take them, make it to increase the amount you collect. If you have a lot of one item on the screen, you can focus on that one at the expense of the others, but you won't win that way if you don't reach the goals for the other items. Oh, and when in doubt, match at the bottom of the board, to shift things around more.

382. Pyramid Speed: 1 of 3
TASK: Release a scarab
POINTS REQUIRED: 30
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: The scarabs are at the tips of the pyramids. Just work your way up, and be sure not to miss anything. Don't really know what else to tell you.

381. Bubble Witch: 3 of 3
TASK: Drop a bubble into the 1000 point pot
POINTS REQUIRED: 333
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: One way to rack up points in this one is to clear the sides of the board all the way to the top, removing as little from the middle as possible. That way, when you clear the ninth space on top to release all remaining bubbles, most of them will drop toward the 1000 point pot in the middle.

380. Miner Speed: 3 of 3
TASK: Make a color bomb
POINTS REQUIRED: 15
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 2
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: The one you get at the start of the game doesn't count. Look for the A A X A A pattern with a gem of color A next to the X. You have to be a bit more careful about it in this game though, because you'll often have gems moving around all over the place.

379. Bubble Witch: 2 of 3
TASK: Drop a group of 10 or more bubbles
POINTS REQUIRED: 50
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: It's hard to do right at the beginning of the level, but the theme is familiar: Create a cluster of bubbles held up by a few of just one color, then match that color to drop the cluster.

378. Aztec Drop: 2 of 2
TASK: Complete a level within 15 seconds
POINTS REQUIRED: 25
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Child's Play
TIP: Just click away all the blocks in the way. Complicated, huh?

377. Bubble Witch: 1 of 3
TASK: Bounce a bubble off a spider
POINTS REQUIRED: 7000 (yes, really)
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Build up your spider count by making chains of matching shots, then drop a bunch of bubbles for maximum impact. That's about it, really.

376. Miner Speed: 2 of 3
TASK: Add 10 to the multiplier
POINTS REQUIRED: 15
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Keep matching to generate multiplier stones. Using a multiplier stone in a regular match is +1 to the multiplier; catching one in the explosion of a match of four is +2; zapping one with a T or L shaped match is +3; and removing one with a color bomb is +4.

375. Crescendo Tempo: 3 of 3
TASK: Activate the Super Crescendo
POINTS REQUIRED: 20
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Try not to use the bomb pieces until the crescendo arrives. Just before it does, sneak a glance at the bottom left and take note of which pieces you still have to activate. You only get four crescendos per game, so make them count!

374. Aztec Drop: 1 of 2
TASK: Touch the doubler block
POINTS REQUIRED: 15
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Remove the blocks between the orb and the doubler block, being careful not to remove the doubler block in the process.

373. Flash Diamond II: 3 of 3
TASK: Score at least 20,000 before claiming diamonds or ending the game
POINTS REQUIRED: 10
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Just keep clicking off groups until you reach 20,000. Watch the sides, because that's where you tend to jam up the most.

372. Miner Speed: 1 of 3
TASK: Make a T or L shaped match
POINTS REQUIRED: 25
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 2
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: It's hard to describe how to set the pieces up, but you'll recognize it eventually. I suggest playing your normal game and waiting for the points to come to you.

371. Crescendo Tempo: 2 of 3
TASK: Collect a coin
POINTS REQUIRED: 100
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Move the coins to the bottom to collect them. Activating a Super Crescendo will collect all coins on that board.

370. Flash Diamond II: 2 of 3
TASK: Make a non-diamond combo worth at least 5000 points
POINTS REQUIRED: 8
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 1
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: A Color Bomb move is only worth 500 points, so you won't get any diploma points for using one, but they're still important to getting this piece. Fill the screen with the space bar, then if you have one or two Color Bombs, use them. Join the pieces of the remaining color together if you have to, then click it off. You'll get a point if there are at least 25. It's easiest to get points early in the game, before there are too many diamonds cluttering the screen.

369. Animal Parade: 3 of 3
TASK: Send at least one pig to each of the three foods
POINTS REQUIRED: 8
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Each time a pig appears, just send it to the nearest plate that hasn't gotten a visit from a pig yet.

368. Crescendo Tempo: 1 of 3
TASK: Complete a level
POINTS REQUIRED: 40
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Just make every match you see, except don't use the area bombs until the crescendo starts and they become Color Bombs. Unlike Crescendo Catcher, it only counts how many pieces you match, not where you match them.

367. Domino Lineup III: 2 of 2
TASK: Make a line of 15 or more tiles
POINTS REQUIRED: 10
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 2
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: When the bell becomes active, you have 10. Just add five more, then hit the bell.

366. Flash Diamond II: 1 of 3
TASK: Get Flash Diamond Bonus!
POINTS REQUIRED: 4
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Hard
TIP: Plays exactly like #342, except after you've removed everything else, QUICKLY click on the diamond group before the next line pops up.

365. Animal Parade: 2 of 3
TASK: Score at least 960 for a zebra
POINTS REQUIRED: 40
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Substitute the word "zebra" for "penguin" in #362, and you've got the idea. Oh, and you're going for the carrots this time, instead of the fish.

364. Domino Lineup III: 1 of 2
TASK: Play tiles in all four legal positions off a double tile
POINTS REQUIRED: 25
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: You can play off the sides of a double as well as the ends. Just don't play the double too close to the edge of the board, and keep in mind that you can get a point off a double-blank with ANY four tiles.

363. African Rainmaker: 3 of 3
TASK: Activate a Line Blast
POINTS REQUIRED: 80
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Form a Line Blast by matching a group of 8 or more clouds, then match the Line Blast to three more of its color. That's all there is to it.

362. Animal Parade: 1 of 3
TASK: Score at least 960 for a penguin
POINTS REQUIRED: 20
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Variable
TIP: Either the penguin enters the screen close enough to make it to the fish in time, or it doesn't. If it's close, just draw as straight a line as you can to the fish, and if another animal is on a collision course with the penguin, steer the other animal around it.

361. Hens' Defense II: 2 of 2
TASK: Kill an enemy with an apple tree
POINTS REQUIRED: 199
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Buy all the apple trees you can, and put them where they can cover the most road. This piece will practically fall into your lap.

360. Soccer (Football) Star II: 1 of 1
TASK: Score at least one goal before the 1:30 mark
POINTS REQUIRED: 5
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Do the same thing as #355, but do it early. If the red team gets the ball to start the game, highlight your center, then point him between the two players taking the kick-off, then rush the ball. You won't usually get it right away, but it'll force them to pass it forward, where you can steal or intercept as in #351.

359. African Rainmaker: 2 of 3
TASK: Make a group of 10 or more clouds
POINTS REQUIRED: 65
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: This is another one that's easiest not to concern yourself with, as most of the points you'll get here will come from chains playing themselves out. Just don't fire again until the chain is finished.

358. Hens' Defense II: 1 of 2
TASK: Kill an enemy with a fish
POINTS REQUIRED: 125
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 2
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Buy only fish and put them at points where the road turns, so that they can shoot up the road and kill several enemies at once.

357. Jungle Speed: 3 of 3
TASK: Drop (not pop) an X bubble
POINTS REQUIRED: 65
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: As with the other Jungle Speed pieces, just play your normal game and wait for the points to come. If you think about what you're doing, you won't have time to do it.

356. African Rainmaker: 1 of 3
TASK: Activate a drum
POINTS REQUIRED: 40
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Create a drum by making a group of clouds in a square, then activate it by bouncing a gem on it of the same color. Don't worry about trying to match up the gems to the drums--just make as many drums as you can, and let the gems take care of themselves. Note that you only get a point for activating a previously inactive drum--once you've entered Rainmaker Mode, you can't get any more points.

355. Soccer (Football) Star: 3 of 3
TASK: Score a goal
POINTS REQUIRED: 33
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Here's how I score most of my goals: Bring the ball up with your center while holding the mouse button, on a line even with one of the goal posts, then just before you reach the penalty box, quickly aim for the opposite post and fire. It gets easier the more you do it, and it's better if the opposing middle defender doesn't position himself in your line of fire, as he will in the higher difficulties.

354. Jungle Speed: 2 of 3
TASK: Drop a group of 20 or more bubbles
POINTS REQUIRED: 40
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Nothing out of the ordinary here. Just play your normal game and the points will come in time. Thinking will only slow you down.

353. Letter Swap: 3 of 3
TASK: Make a word worth at least 350 points
POINTS REQUIRED: 22
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 2
DIFFICULTY: Hard
TIP: You'll need to get some use out of the high-scoring letters, and focus on four-letter words. A qualifying three-letter word would have to be made with numbers totaling at least 12 (ZOO would work, but not much else), but the numbers only have to add up to 9 for a four-letter word.

352. Amazon Speed: 3 of 3
TASK: Leave an empty row under the water's surface
POINTS REQUIRED: 25
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 2
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Make powerups and use them often, and the empty rows will come eventually. Nothing else I can suggest that you can think out and use effectively in a one-minute game.

351. Soccer (Football) Star: 2 of 3
TASK: Take possession of the ball while it's red
POINTS REQUIRED: 60
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: A good time to steal is when the ball carrier is changing direction. Also, when a red winger has the ball, switch to your center defender and go right at him. Between him and the defender covering that winger, one of them will likely come up with the ball while the other cuts off the passing lane.

350. Jungle Speed: 1 of 3
TASK: Increase your multiplier
POINTS REQUIRED: 200
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Each X that's in a group you POP is worth 1, and each X in a group you DROP is worth 2. That's about all that's worth mentioning here. Oh, and go fast.

349. Letter Swap: 2 of 3
TASK: Get a bonus
POINTS REQUIRED: 50
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: To get a bonus, make a swap that forms words that intersect. You'll get one bonus for each letter that is part of both an across and a down word formed by that swap. This is a maximum of four per turn, because you can only get one bonus per letter, regardless of how many words are formed with that letter on that turn.

348. Soccer (Football) Star: 1 of 3
TASK: Pass to a teammate
POINTS REQUIRED: 250
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Aim at a teammate, make sure there's no defender in the way, then click. Hold down the button for a stronger kick. Note that when changing direction, you have to wait for the ball to come to your front if you want an accurate pass.

347. Amazon Speed: 2 of 3
TASK: Increase your multiplier
POINTS REQUIRED: 100
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: You get multipliers by removing black blocks. You can only remove black blocks with Row Bombs, which you get by making a group of six or more.

346. Letter Swap: 1 of 3
TASK: Make at least three words with one swap
POINTS REQUIRED: 30
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Look for four-letter words that contain a three-letter word in them. If you find one, your swap only has to make one word elsewhere, if that. For instance, making the word TEND will give you a point all by itself. (TEN, END)

345. Hens' Defense: 3 of 3
TASK: Make a row of five symbols in the mini-game
POINTS REQUIRED: 35
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 2
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Look for a A A B A A pattern in a row or column, with another A next to the B. This happens more often than in other switching games, because there are only four different symbols in this game.

344. Domino Lineup II: 1 of 1
TASK: Place a domino
POINTS REQUIRED: 500
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Child's Play
TIP: Find a domino on the left that matches ends with one on the board, and drop it there. Blanks are wild. If you're running out of space, ring the bell and start a new board. What else can I tell you?

343. Amazon Speed: 1 of 3
TASK: Complete a level
POINTS REQUIRED: 50
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Row Bombs (made by making a match of 6 or more pieces) and Color Bombs (made by making a chain of 3 or more matches) will make this piece much easier. Well, it's already easy, but you know what I mean.

342. Flash Diamond: 3 of 3
TASK: Clear the board of everything except diamonds
POINTS REQUIRED: 15
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Hard
TIP: Again, Color Bombs are the key to getting this piece, so it combines well with an old one for those of you who like to play two at once. Ideally, you'll have Color Bombs in two or all three colors, but even if you only have one, you may be able to manage it. Once a color is removed, quickly go through and try to match up the rest of the board, and don't forget to get rid of the Black Bombs too.

341. Hens' Defense: 2 of 3
TASK: Build a level 3 defense
POINTS REQUIRED: 45
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: The Fool explains it at least as well as I can, if not better. Check out his Hens' Defense Strategy Guide at http:++www.king.com+community+foolentry.jsp?language=enUS&fid=4066 (Substitute a slash for each plus sign in the URL. I had to do that because this blog uses slashes as toggles for italics.)

340. Flash Diamond: 2 of 3
TASK: Collect 20 or more diamonds!
POINTS REQUIRED: 7
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Make good use of Color Bombs to generate diamonds, as discussed in #335. Once you have enough diamonds (they would fill two whole rows if evened out), the important thing is to keep the group together. Stop using the space bar if you're having trouble linking them all together, and think before you click. Once you've linked your group together, click it away. Don't get greedy! If you scored 200,000 or more for the group, you'll get a point.

339. Kitty Boom III: 3 of 3
TASK: Create the Mega-ball
POINTS REQUIRED: 40
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: Variable (depends on board selection)
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Find the red peg with the + on it, and hit it. Note that not all levels have one, and some have two. You only get a point for changing a small ball to a big one; hitting the Mega-Peg several times when the ball is already big doesn't give you any points.

338. Hens' Defense: 1 of 3
TASK: Kill all enemies!
POINTS REQUIRED: 7
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: If you have money, you need to be planting. Don't stop for anything! Be sure to put your defenses at bends and corners of the route, where they can do the most damage. The most difficult part of getting this piece is killing the boss, which is why you must plant all the defenses you can.

337. Love Me Love Me Not II: 2 of 2
TASK: Score at least 20,000 in Level Bonus
POINTS REQUIRED: 25
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: The starting size of the bonus depends on how many bubbles are on the screen, so this is easiest to do on levels with lots of bubbles. Don't waste ammo, because each shot you take decreases the bonus. Watch for places where you can drop a group with one shot.

336. Kitty Boom III: 2 of 3
TASK: Catch a Time Bonus peg
POINTS REQUIRED: 3
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 1
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Look for the yellowish peg with a 10 on it. Be sure to hit it early in the level, because nothing is more frustrating than hitting it well into the level, then completing the level before the bonus drops down to your paddle. Oh, and some levels (Anger Management and Unpleasant Events, that I can think of) have two of them.

335. Flash Diamond: 1 of 3
TASK: Create three or more diamonds with one click
POINTS REQUIRED: 20
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 2
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: You can make three diamonds in one move by clicking off a group of 30 or more pieces (20 or more, if you got any diamonds with your last click), or by clearing the board of everything except diamonds. Color bombs are the easiest way to get this piece; if you get two color bombs of different colors on the screen at once, activate the one, then the other quickly, then immediately click off the remaining group(s). Note that a black bomb counts as a click, but the space bar does not, so use the space bar to fill up the board before activating a color bomb.

334. Love Me Love Me Not II: 1 of 2
TASK: Complete a level with a full bonus meter
POINTS REQUIRED: 30
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Pair up all the stray bubbles you can before clearing several groups at a time. That way, you don't end up with only the color of a stray bubble in the cannon, screwing up your combo.

333. Abacus Alley: 2 of 2
TASK: Make a chain of 3 or more with one shot
POINTS REQUIRED: 22
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Set up a A A B B C C C B B A A or A A B B A A A B B A A or similar pattern in any row, then shoot a matching cube into the middle group. You can also do it with a row that's already set up, if you have a cube under the middle section that's the same color and you knock it up into the row.

332. Quiz King II: 2 of 2
TASK: Complete the board!
POINTS REQUIRED: 4
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Variable (depends on your knowledge base and the categories you get)
TIP: Like most pieces in this game, either you know your stuff or you don't. The official description of this piece says to "answer all questions", which implies that you have to do it without a miss. Don't worry, such is not the case. However, I've noticed that as an American, some word and multiplayer games cause my language to change to UK English, so check your language before playing.

331. Kitty Boom III: 1 of 3
TASK: Complete a level without losing the ball
POINTS REQUIRED: 25
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Just follow the advice that every kid who's ever played a sport has received: Keep your eye on the ball. Be especially wary of balls hitting pegs low on the screen, especially bounce pegs--you probably lose more balls that way than any other.

330. Abacus Alley: 1 of 2
TASK: Clear a level 100%
POINTS REQUIRED: 21
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: You just have to avoid reducing all colors to one or two blocks. If you have such "stray" blocks, push them all into the same row, then replace them with a color you have enough of to take them all out. Doing this on Level 4 gets you an award point.

329. Domino Lineup: 2 of 2
TASK: Complete a line with a gold domino in it!
POINTS REQUIRED: 13
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Just keep placing dominoes until a gold one shows up, then place it and ring the bell. I don't like either piece of this diploma, as it's one of those that encourages you to use a losing strategy.

328. Quiz King II: 1 of 2
TASK: Answer a Golden Question correctly!
POINTS REQUIRED: 5
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Variable (depends on how much you know)
TIP: Clear one pyramid, then take on the Golden Question before going after the other pyramid. This way, you won't lose any lives unnecessarily before you get to the Golden Question.

327. Seashell Speed: 2 of 2
TASK: Get the multiplier up to at least 4x!
POINTS REQUIRED: 9
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 9
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: See #323. It's played exactly the same way--just be sure to move quickly enough to hit three multipliers.

326. Domino Lineup: 1 of 2
TASK: Complete a line!
POINTS REQUIRED: 15
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 2
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Just keep placing dominoes until the bell lights up, then hit it. You won't win this way, but you'll pick up several points per game.

325. Graceful Jewels II: 3 of 3
TASK: Get at least one more necklace than the level goal!
POINTS REQUIRED: 20
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: This is almost exactly the same as #321, except that you need one more necklace. Play it the same way.

324. Monkey Quest III: 3 of 3
TASK: Get gold in all five mini-games (purple jewels)
POINTS REQUIRED: 4
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: See #314 for how to play the Mining mini-game, #320 for Marksman, and go back to #277 for Survival. Be sure not to clear too much of the board while a mini-game bubble is sitting there waiting to be dropped, as you might miss out on the last mini-game then.

323. Seashell Speed: 1 of 2
TASK: Collect a multiplier
POINTS REQUIRED: 70
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: A multiplier is formed whenever you make a move that results in a chain of three or more matches. They're easier to hear than to see; when you hear the sound of a multiplier being formed, take a quick look around and find it.

322. Pet Rescue III: 1 of 1
TASK: Get a helicopter
POINTS REQUIRED: 45
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Every ten floors you clear will give you a helicopter; there are two available on Level 1, and four on Level 2. On Level 2, remove a group from the highest column(s) to make the screen scroll down.

321. Graceful Jewels II: 2 of 3
TASK: Complete Level 3!
POINTS REQUIRED: 9
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 9
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: You need to make at least one necklace in Level 1, two in Level 2, and three in Level 3. The Mirror and Missile powerups can get you through necklaces quickly if you're having trouble. Don't forget to juggle them and increase their power first.

320. Monkey Quest III: 2 of 3
TASK: Get a gold statue piece in the Marksman mini-game
POINTS REQUIRED: 12
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: For bubbles that fall straight down or almost vertically, hit them as quickly as you can. If it's not nearly vertical, take your time and make sure you don't miss.

319. Amazing Adventures The Lost Tomb II: 2 of 2
TASK: Complete the game without using the hint!
POINTS REQUIRED: 9
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 9
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Try to be systematic in your search. Check one area at a time, then move on to the next.

318. Kitty Boom II: 2 of 2
TASK: Launch a Fireball
POINTS REQUIRED: 20
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 2
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Hit the Fire peg, catch the powerup, right-click, then hit the ball. That's all there is to it. Not all levels have Fire pegs, but most of them do.

317. Graceful Jewels II: 1 of 3
TASK: Juggle a powerup until it reaches full power
POINTS REQUIRED: 30
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 1 (yes, really--I got 29 in my first game)
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: The Multiplier gem requires four juggles, and the Mirror, Eyeball, and Missile powerups require two. The Jewel and Clock can't be powered up, so no juggling is necessary.

316. Amazing Adventures The Lost Tomb II: 1 of 2
TASK: Score at least 1600 in Time Bonus!
POINTS REQUIRED: 8
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Variable (depends on your knowledge of the boards)
TIP: When you see it, click it. Use the hint if you have any trouble at all finding the last item. You have to finish both rounds in a little over two minutes.

315. UNO³ II: 2 of 2
TASK: Score at least 125 points in a round!
POINTS REQUIRED: 12
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4 (good luck with that)
DIFFICULTY: Extreme!
TIP: Try saving your Draw Twos and Wild Draw Fours for as long as you can. If you play one of these as your last card, the next player still has to draw. Playing one second-last (don't forget to press the Uno button) is effective too, as it means computer players only have one chance to screw up your last play, instead of two.

314. Monkey Quest III: 1 of 3
TASK: Collect a gold statue piece in the Mining mini-game
POINTS REQUIRED: 12
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: As always, think before you click. You only have five bubbles to shoot and plenty of time to shoot them, so study the board and your bubbles before firing. Note that this mini-game is scored based on how high you open the path, so if you block the path with a later shot, you'll lose points.

313. Ali Baba: 3 of 3
TASK: Complete the game without flipping the deck!
POINTS REQUIRED: 8
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Always make all possible moves on the board before flipping a card. If the card you flip is the same suit and higher rank than a card already in the pile, you'll have to move it to the board. This is easier if you leave an empty column before flipping, though I wouldn't necessarily recommend doing that for maximum score.

312. Kitty Boom II: 1 of 2
TASK: Hit the Rockets
POINTS REQUIRED: 40
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Not all boards have Rockets--some do, some don't, and some offer both Rockets and Teleporter. If the board has Rockets, they will usually appear after roughly 20 bounces.

311. Quiz King: 2 of 2
TASK: Correctly answer consecutive questions in Entertainment, Geography, and Nature
POINTS REQUIRED: 11
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Variable (depends on your areas of knowledge)
TIP: This is exactly the same as #308, except that it uses the three categories not used in that one.

310. Love Me Love Me Not: 2 of 2
TASK: Take out 20 or more bubbles in one shot
POINTS REQUIRED: 80
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Work your way to the surface of the flower. Clear bubbles away until just one color is holding a large bunch (in only one place), then hit that "anchor" bunch. Don't forget to switch colors with the space bar if you need to.

309. UNO³ II: 1 of 2
TASK: Play a Wild Draw Four
POINTS REQUIRED: 25
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 2
DIFFICULTY: Child's Play
TIP: When you get one, play it. Duh. (The Wild Draw Four is the card with a black border that has a picture of a card of each color in the middle--not to be confused with the ordinary Wild, which has an oval divided into quarters, one of each color.)

308. Quiz King: 1 of 2
TASK: Correctly answer consecutive questions in sports, history, and science in some order
POINTS REQUIRED: 15
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Variable (depends on your areas of knowledge)
TIP: Sports is orange, history is yellow, and science is brown. Be sure to pick them all together. I suggest picking the one you have the hardest time with first--that way, if you miss it, you won't screw up the chain of three correct answers.

307. Ali Baba: 2 of 3
TASK: Score more than 7250 in Move Bonus!
POINTS REQUIRED: 7
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Don't flip the deck if you don't have to (and most of the time, you don't). Watch the Possible Moves counter to make sure you don't miss any moves, and before you make a move, study the board and make sure you have to make that move before you make it.

306. Love Me Love Me Not: 1 of 2
TASK: Complete a level
POINTS REQUIRED: 40
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: This one's not too tough--just be aware of any "danger" bubbles, and don't spin the flower much if you have any.

305. Bric-a-Brac II: 2 of 2
TASK: Make five matches in a row with Speed Bonus
POINTS REQUIRED: 90
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Think out your moves beforehand, as you would with any other diploma of this nature. Note that shuffling does not cancel your Speed Bonus in this game, as it does in others.

304. Amazing Adventures The Lost Tomb: 2 of 2
TASK: Score at least 110 in Speed Bonus
POINTS REQUIRED: 8
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: This one is exactly the same as #220, except in orange button games instead of green.

303. Ali Baba: 1 of 3
TASK: Score at least 3500 in Time Bonus!
POINTS REQUIRED: 10
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Finish in just a bit over two minutes. The possible moves counter is a great help in this game--keep an eye on it, and if it goes to 0, it's time to hit the deck.

302. Bric-a-Brac II: 1 of 2
TASK: Complete a level
POINTS REQUIRED: 53
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Just make matches as fast as you can. Concentrate on the edges, and on matching pieces next to each other.

301. Firefly Fantasies II: 3 of 3
TASK: Activate a Bomb
POINTS REQUIRED: 40
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Making a 1000 point move (chain of 8, if none of them are already lit) will give you either a Bomb or a Wild powerup. You can figure it out from there.

Comments

  • pjoseph1

    I think Alphabetic would be the easiest for players to find a game. Wanted to thank you for all the time you put in doing this for us. Without your help, there was several diploma's I would have never got. Again thanks Sholly, Pj ☺