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SHOLLY'S TIP SHEETS, CHAPTER XII: Biggest Loser / Kalorie King 1/23/08 1:55 PM
Another ascent to Warrior King, another Tip Sheet. That's how I roll.
Biggest Loser / Kalorie King is based on PopCap's classic, Astro Pop. Put four of the same item together by grabbing items from one column and putting them in another. This game was originally released as Kalorie King, but the US version was delayed as King.com sought the license to tie it to NBC's "Biggest Loser" show. A shame that they decided to run the Royal Cup in this game before it was released in the States, but oh well...
The idea is to make groups of four or more of the same kind of junk food to remove it. However, the challenge doesn't end there--you must also avoid the falling junk food when a match is made, try to catch the good food and good power-ups, and try not to release the bad power-ups as well. The theory is that all this running around and dodging will help you lose weight...
The game is divided into three rounds, each with a set time limit. Try to put groups of the same kind of junk food together by taking it from one column and moving it to another. Move back and forth across the bottom with the mouse, click to grab items when not holding any (you'll grab the bottom 1-3 items of the column, however many match), and click again to throw them back into the board. When you've brought four or more of the same kind of junk food together, it will be removed, your "weight" will drop a little (move closer to the green), you'll score points, and a piece of junk food will fall toward you. Avoid this falling junk food, because if you catch it, you'll lose all the points (and gain back all the weight you lost) for that group, and then some! As the pieces below your match "fall" back up into the board, if any of them form a group of four or more, they'll be removed as well, and so on. Building up chains in this matter can bring you thousands of points if done right! But again, you can lose them all back if you catch the junk food left behind!
Scattered throughout the board are various good foods (fruits and vegetables) and good and bad power-ups. If you remove all the junk food beneath one of these items, it will be released; a good food or good power-up will fall for you to catch, while a bad power-up will take effect immediately. Go figure. Note that the item(s) will not be released until you've released the junk food you picked up beneath it, so that if you change your mind before you release the junk food, you can put it back where you got it without releasing the other item(s).
As the round progresses, more rows are added to the board, pushing the existing rows down closer to your tray. A round ends when time runs out, or if you let any of the junk food on the board reach your tray. When there are about seven seconds left, a 9-note tune will play, and after the ninth note plays, the round ends. However, if you're in the middle of a chain when time runs out, the round will not end until the chain finishes and all items have fallen to the ground, though you will not be allowed to grab or throw any more items. (Grab meaning to take pieces from the board--you still must catch or avoid the falling items.)
The game continues for three rounds, unless you let the board reach your tray or you fail to make a weight target (which hardly ever happens). Successfully completing a round will get you bonus points, and making it to Round 3 will get you an achievement point.
Let's talk a bit about the various power-ups you'll have to contend with:
The good power-ups will fall the same way that junk food and good foods do, and have to be caught to be activated. The Fat Shield and Running Shoe take effect immediately, while the Barbell and the Fat Buster are activated by throwing them up into the board. Here's a brief rundown:
Fat Shield: Protects you from falling junk food for 15 seconds. A shield will appear around you and your tray, and junk food will harmlessly bounce off it. You'll still be able to catch good foods and power-ups. It's a good idea to release one of these if caught in a Feeding Frenzy.
Running Shoe: Doubles all scores for 10 seconds. Best to release this one just before you release several good foods or a Fat Buster, or just before setting off a big chain.
Barbell: Eliminates an entire row of the board, to the immediate left and right of where it hits. If you catch a Barbell, it will be fired the very next time you click. Keep this in mind if you're trying to set up a chain and you catch one.
Fat Buster: A capsule that will eliminate every piece of junk food from the board that matches the next match you make. For instance, if you make a group of pizzas after catching the Fat Buster, it will remove every pizza from the board. Be careful with this one, as this mass elimination will cause several junk foods to fall.
You can't have two of the same power-up at the same time. If you catch a Fat Shield or Running Shoe while the same is still in effect, the timer will reset to 15 or 10 seconds respectively. The power-up time does not accumulate, so you should try not to release another one until the first one runs out. You also can not have two Barbells or Fat Busters at once, though you CAN have one of each at the same time. If you do, the Barbell will be fired on the next click, and the Fat Buster activated on the next match.
The bad power-ups all have a set duration, and hinder your ability to score or put more pressure on you. Unlike good foods and power-ups, a bad power-up is activated as soon as it's released. They are as follows:
Feeding Frenzy: Looks like a face with a big mouth, and for the next 15 seconds, any match you make will cause three pieces of junk food to fall instead of one.
Chewing Gum: Will cause you to stick to the floor, drastically slowing your movement for the next 10 seconds. This can be really annoying, as it can prevent you from catching multiple good items.
Coffee: Speeds up the rate of descent of the board for the next 10 seconds, though I seldom notice the effect myself. Extremely dangerous to release this one if any part of the board is near the bottom, but otherwise it doesn't hurt you too badly.
As with good power-ups, bad power-up time does not accumulate. The timer resets if you release another one of the same kind, so if you must release more than one of the same kind of bad power-up, try to release them as close together as possible, to minimize the duration of the effect.
Let's talk about how you score points (and lose weight) in this game:
Clearing a group of junk food gives you a certain base score. A group of 4 is worth 100 points, 5 is worth 160, 6 is worth 250, 7 is worth 400, and each piece beyond 7 is worth an additional 400 points. Making a chain multiplies the base value of the group: The second group cleared with one move is worth 1.2x the base value, the third group 1.3x, and each subsequent group has a multiplier .1 higher than the previous one. If you catch the junk food falling from a group, you lose 1.2x the value of the group.
Catching good food puts on the points (and takes off the weight) quickly. The first good food you catch is worth 300 points, the second 500, the third 750, and every one beyond the third is worth 250 more than the previous one.
The instructions say that the Barbell is worth 500 points and the Fat Buster 300, but I have never seen these points added to my score, unless they're lumped in with the groups I remove with them.
After successfully clearing a level, you receive a bonus of up to 1000 points, which I believe depends on how many pieces of junk food you remove, though I'm not certain. If you successfully clear all three levels, you get an additional 2000 on top of that.
Now, let's talk about dieting strategy:
There are two main ways to score big points: Dieting (catching fruits and veggies) and exercise (getting rid of large groups of junk food). Which one you should focus on depends on the number of good foods available. The point value of good foods goes up quickly, so if they're plentiful, get as many as you can. If they're rather scarce, you should instead focus on setting up big moves and chains. And as in most King.com games, speed is very important--the faster you go, the more pieces you'll get to clear away, and the more points you can score.
Be very careful about using the Barbell or Fat Buster power-up if you're stuck in a Feeding Frenzy. Both of these power-ups can cause a lot of junk food to drop, and that amount is tripled in a Feeding Frenzy. It doesn't do any good to score a massive combo if you get buried in junk food and lose all the points back. If you do release a Feeding Frenzy, you should immediately release a Shield if one is available. That way, all that junk food can't harm you in any way.
When a Running Shoe becomes available, set yourself up for a big combo or a release of several good foods quickly before dropping it. When you've caught a Shoe, you need to be ready to move quickly and score big in order to maximize its effect. My favorite tactic here is to grab the pieces I need to trigger the big score immediately after releasing the Shoe, then throwing them as soon as I catch it.
Don't sweat the Coffee too much, unless the board is within a few rows of the bottom. Many times I barely notice it's in effect. There is one serious danger involving the Coffee, and that's when you've launched a big chain on one side of the screen when the other is getting low. You can't grab any pieces while a chain is playing itself out, and when you've cleared out most of the top rows, the board will drop several rows to make new pieces available. If part of the board is near the bottom when this happens, you're dead, and powerless to do anything about it. This has happened to me several times, and it's extremely annoying.
If a Barbell is about to become available, it's a good idea to "stagger" your board, which is to leave columns of varying lengths. That way, you can better decide which row you want the Barbell to take out. Use it to take out bad power-ups whenever possible, and don't ever take out fruits and veggies with it!
Keep in mind that unlike a Barbell, a Fat Buster will not activate until you've formed your next match. This allows you to set yourself up for a huge chain when you're ready to activate it. If there's more than one Fat Buster on the screen, activating one often causes the other to drop, which will eliminate lots of pieces in a short time span, thus potentially releasing more good foods.
A tune of nine notes plays when the round is about to end. Once the ninth note has played, the round will end unless a chain is playing itself out, or you've thrown pieces back that will make a match. Note that all scores earned in this "extra" time count, so try to rip off a big chain or release one last good food. However, if a Feeding Frenzy is in effect and you're not shielded, you may end up losing more than you gain, so be careful. In that case, it may be wise to forget about getting that last score.
That's all that comes to mind at the moment. As usual, I'm sure I'll think of more after I post. Feel free to post any questions or comment on your dieting success below. Happy dieting, take care and good luck!
Biggest Loser / Kalorie King is based on PopCap's classic, Astro Pop. Put four of the same item together by grabbing items from one column and putting them in another. This game was originally released as Kalorie King, but the US version was delayed as King.com sought the license to tie it to NBC's "Biggest Loser" show. A shame that they decided to run the Royal Cup in this game before it was released in the States, but oh well...
The idea is to make groups of four or more of the same kind of junk food to remove it. However, the challenge doesn't end there--you must also avoid the falling junk food when a match is made, try to catch the good food and good power-ups, and try not to release the bad power-ups as well. The theory is that all this running around and dodging will help you lose weight...
The game is divided into three rounds, each with a set time limit. Try to put groups of the same kind of junk food together by taking it from one column and moving it to another. Move back and forth across the bottom with the mouse, click to grab items when not holding any (you'll grab the bottom 1-3 items of the column, however many match), and click again to throw them back into the board. When you've brought four or more of the same kind of junk food together, it will be removed, your "weight" will drop a little (move closer to the green), you'll score points, and a piece of junk food will fall toward you. Avoid this falling junk food, because if you catch it, you'll lose all the points (and gain back all the weight you lost) for that group, and then some! As the pieces below your match "fall" back up into the board, if any of them form a group of four or more, they'll be removed as well, and so on. Building up chains in this matter can bring you thousands of points if done right! But again, you can lose them all back if you catch the junk food left behind!
Scattered throughout the board are various good foods (fruits and vegetables) and good and bad power-ups. If you remove all the junk food beneath one of these items, it will be released; a good food or good power-up will fall for you to catch, while a bad power-up will take effect immediately. Go figure. Note that the item(s) will not be released until you've released the junk food you picked up beneath it, so that if you change your mind before you release the junk food, you can put it back where you got it without releasing the other item(s).
As the round progresses, more rows are added to the board, pushing the existing rows down closer to your tray. A round ends when time runs out, or if you let any of the junk food on the board reach your tray. When there are about seven seconds left, a 9-note tune will play, and after the ninth note plays, the round ends. However, if you're in the middle of a chain when time runs out, the round will not end until the chain finishes and all items have fallen to the ground, though you will not be allowed to grab or throw any more items. (Grab meaning to take pieces from the board--you still must catch or avoid the falling items.)
The game continues for three rounds, unless you let the board reach your tray or you fail to make a weight target (which hardly ever happens). Successfully completing a round will get you bonus points, and making it to Round 3 will get you an achievement point.
Let's talk a bit about the various power-ups you'll have to contend with:
The good power-ups will fall the same way that junk food and good foods do, and have to be caught to be activated. The Fat Shield and Running Shoe take effect immediately, while the Barbell and the Fat Buster are activated by throwing them up into the board. Here's a brief rundown:
Fat Shield: Protects you from falling junk food for 15 seconds. A shield will appear around you and your tray, and junk food will harmlessly bounce off it. You'll still be able to catch good foods and power-ups. It's a good idea to release one of these if caught in a Feeding Frenzy.
Running Shoe: Doubles all scores for 10 seconds. Best to release this one just before you release several good foods or a Fat Buster, or just before setting off a big chain.
Barbell: Eliminates an entire row of the board, to the immediate left and right of where it hits. If you catch a Barbell, it will be fired the very next time you click. Keep this in mind if you're trying to set up a chain and you catch one.
Fat Buster: A capsule that will eliminate every piece of junk food from the board that matches the next match you make. For instance, if you make a group of pizzas after catching the Fat Buster, it will remove every pizza from the board. Be careful with this one, as this mass elimination will cause several junk foods to fall.
You can't have two of the same power-up at the same time. If you catch a Fat Shield or Running Shoe while the same is still in effect, the timer will reset to 15 or 10 seconds respectively. The power-up time does not accumulate, so you should try not to release another one until the first one runs out. You also can not have two Barbells or Fat Busters at once, though you CAN have one of each at the same time. If you do, the Barbell will be fired on the next click, and the Fat Buster activated on the next match.
The bad power-ups all have a set duration, and hinder your ability to score or put more pressure on you. Unlike good foods and power-ups, a bad power-up is activated as soon as it's released. They are as follows:
Feeding Frenzy: Looks like a face with a big mouth, and for the next 15 seconds, any match you make will cause three pieces of junk food to fall instead of one.
Chewing Gum: Will cause you to stick to the floor, drastically slowing your movement for the next 10 seconds. This can be really annoying, as it can prevent you from catching multiple good items.
Coffee: Speeds up the rate of descent of the board for the next 10 seconds, though I seldom notice the effect myself. Extremely dangerous to release this one if any part of the board is near the bottom, but otherwise it doesn't hurt you too badly.
As with good power-ups, bad power-up time does not accumulate. The timer resets if you release another one of the same kind, so if you must release more than one of the same kind of bad power-up, try to release them as close together as possible, to minimize the duration of the effect.
Let's talk about how you score points (and lose weight) in this game:
Clearing a group of junk food gives you a certain base score. A group of 4 is worth 100 points, 5 is worth 160, 6 is worth 250, 7 is worth 400, and each piece beyond 7 is worth an additional 400 points. Making a chain multiplies the base value of the group: The second group cleared with one move is worth 1.2x the base value, the third group 1.3x, and each subsequent group has a multiplier .1 higher than the previous one. If you catch the junk food falling from a group, you lose 1.2x the value of the group.
Catching good food puts on the points (and takes off the weight) quickly. The first good food you catch is worth 300 points, the second 500, the third 750, and every one beyond the third is worth 250 more than the previous one.
The instructions say that the Barbell is worth 500 points and the Fat Buster 300, but I have never seen these points added to my score, unless they're lumped in with the groups I remove with them.
After successfully clearing a level, you receive a bonus of up to 1000 points, which I believe depends on how many pieces of junk food you remove, though I'm not certain. If you successfully clear all three levels, you get an additional 2000 on top of that.
Now, let's talk about dieting strategy:
There are two main ways to score big points: Dieting (catching fruits and veggies) and exercise (getting rid of large groups of junk food). Which one you should focus on depends on the number of good foods available. The point value of good foods goes up quickly, so if they're plentiful, get as many as you can. If they're rather scarce, you should instead focus on setting up big moves and chains. And as in most King.com games, speed is very important--the faster you go, the more pieces you'll get to clear away, and the more points you can score.
Be very careful about using the Barbell or Fat Buster power-up if you're stuck in a Feeding Frenzy. Both of these power-ups can cause a lot of junk food to drop, and that amount is tripled in a Feeding Frenzy. It doesn't do any good to score a massive combo if you get buried in junk food and lose all the points back. If you do release a Feeding Frenzy, you should immediately release a Shield if one is available. That way, all that junk food can't harm you in any way.
When a Running Shoe becomes available, set yourself up for a big combo or a release of several good foods quickly before dropping it. When you've caught a Shoe, you need to be ready to move quickly and score big in order to maximize its effect. My favorite tactic here is to grab the pieces I need to trigger the big score immediately after releasing the Shoe, then throwing them as soon as I catch it.
Don't sweat the Coffee too much, unless the board is within a few rows of the bottom. Many times I barely notice it's in effect. There is one serious danger involving the Coffee, and that's when you've launched a big chain on one side of the screen when the other is getting low. You can't grab any pieces while a chain is playing itself out, and when you've cleared out most of the top rows, the board will drop several rows to make new pieces available. If part of the board is near the bottom when this happens, you're dead, and powerless to do anything about it. This has happened to me several times, and it's extremely annoying.
If a Barbell is about to become available, it's a good idea to "stagger" your board, which is to leave columns of varying lengths. That way, you can better decide which row you want the Barbell to take out. Use it to take out bad power-ups whenever possible, and don't ever take out fruits and veggies with it!
Keep in mind that unlike a Barbell, a Fat Buster will not activate until you've formed your next match. This allows you to set yourself up for a huge chain when you're ready to activate it. If there's more than one Fat Buster on the screen, activating one often causes the other to drop, which will eliminate lots of pieces in a short time span, thus potentially releasing more good foods.
A tune of nine notes plays when the round is about to end. Once the ninth note has played, the round will end unless a chain is playing itself out, or you've thrown pieces back that will make a match. Note that all scores earned in this "extra" time count, so try to rip off a big chain or release one last good food. However, if a Feeding Frenzy is in effect and you're not shielded, you may end up losing more than you gain, so be careful. In that case, it may be wise to forget about getting that last score.
That's all that comes to mind at the moment. As usual, I'm sure I'll think of more after I post. Feel free to post any questions or comment on your dieting success below. Happy dieting, take care and good luck!
as always well done and i learned something new. ty and tc kate x