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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 IV 8/6/09 11:22 AM

Without further ado, now that I've finally gotten around to it, Volume IV of the Diploma Guide Archive:

151. Mahjong Masquerade: 2 of 3
TASK: Complete Level 1 with at least half the time remaining
POINTS REQUIRED: 10
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Hard
TIP: This is exactly the same as #43, except that you have to work just a little bit faster, as there are a few more pairs to match than in Masquerade Maze.

152. Crescendo Catcher: 1 of 3
TASK: Complete a level
POINTS REQUIRED: 40
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Work on the corners and sides first. Don't forget about using your Sun power to clear difficult spaces when necessary.

153. Zuma: 3 of 3
TASK: Finish a level with at least 20 seconds left
POINTS REQUIRED: 27
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Don't worry about setting up any combos. Just match the color of the frog's ball to the same color in the line, and do it as quickly as you can. Don't forget to shoot slightly ahead of where you want the ball to go when the line is moving at full speed.

154. Funny Safari: 1 of 2 (deluxe Funny Farm - orange button games only)
TASK: Make a pair with a gold tile third or later in a run of the same animal
POINTS REQUIRED: 23
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Hard
TIP: Pick out one animal to save--ideally the one you have the most of. Match away as many of the other tiles as you can. When you have six or more of the same animal on the screen with at least one gold tile, carefully pair them off, being sure to pay attention to the pattern that the tiles follow when a match is made.

155. Mahjong Masquerade: 3 of 3
TASK: Just play the freakin' game
POINTS REQUIRED: 10
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Child's Play
TIP: Do you really need help with this one? If so, it's just like #133, just a different game.

156. Crescendo Catcher: 2 of 3
TASK: Collect a golden note
POINTS REQUIRED: 99
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: You collect golden notes by making them drop out the bottom of the board. You can set up moves to drop them manually, but it's just as effective to use power-ups, especially during the crescendo. Note that if you make a move that finishes the level but doesn't drop out a note that's near the bottom, you won't be able to make another move to get the note.

157. Funny Safari: 2 of 2
TASK: Complete a level without using the Rhino
POINTS REQUIRED: 12
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: When the Rhino appears, try to remove all tiles "ahead" of it on the board (meaning, if you numbered the spaces from 1 to 20 going left to right starting at the top left corner, remove tiles that would have a lower number than the Rhino). This will prevent the Rhino from blocking pairs at the end of a level, but as always, think before you click.

158. Top Ace II: 1 of 2
TASK: Clear both of the first two levels!
POINTS REQUIRED: 10
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Check out my Tip Sheet for this game. In short, remember three things: Remove as many cards as possible before dealing the next row, put only one suit in the sports bag, and keep the fourth column empty once you've locked three Aces in.

159. Crescendo Catcher: 3 of 3
TASK: Trigger two lightning power-ups at the same time (in other words, activate one so it hits another one)
POINTS REQUIRED: 75
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Hard
TIP: Points are easier to collect during the crescendo, when lightning pieces will fire both horizontally and vertically at the same time. Just watch for two lightning power-ups to appear within one row or column of each other, and try to make a match that will trigger one to hit the other.

160. Cake Mania 2: 1 of 3
TASK: Sell at least $200 worth of cakes in a level (not including tips)
POINTS REQUIRED: 17
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: This is very hard to do in the first level, but Levels 2 and 3 should be easier due to having more customers. Try to get into a rhythm with your actions, and on Levels 2 and 3, be sure to grab the tips as quickly as possible, in order to free up space for more customers. If you start each level by baking a random cake before the first customer orders, leave it on the table if the first customer doesn't order it, and unless you're unlucky, another customer will probably order that shape and you can get it out quickly.

161. Top Ace II: 2 of 2
TASK: Score at least 6000 points
POINTS REQUIRED: 10
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Child's Play
TIP: Completing one round will get you just about all the points you need. Always eliminate as many cards as you can.

162. Graceful Jewels: 1 of 3
TASK: Complete a necklace
POINTS REQUIRED: 88
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Pay attention to the necklace on the top of the screen to know what jewel to shoot next, or catch the "eye" power-up, which will show you where the correct jewel(s) is in the chain.

163. Cake Mania 2: 2 of 3
TASK: Collect at least $70 in tips on a level
POINTS REQUIRED: 27
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 9
DIFFICULTY: Hard
TIP: To keep the tips high, serve customers as quickly as possible, and try to eliminate unnecessary back and forth movement.

164. Cat Corner: 1 of 3
TASK: Make a move worth at least 5000 points
POINTS REQUIRED: 33
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Hard
TIP: You'll need a big rectangle or a herring in a corner to pick up a point with this one. You may have to make several small moves to set up a big one.

165. Bacteria Hysteria: 1 of 2
TASK: Make a pill or group of pills
POINTS REQUIRED: 222
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Every time you click off a group of 10 or more bacteria, you'll make a pill and receive a point. Using a color bomb to eliminate one color will make it easier to make pills from the other two colors.

166. Graceful Jewels: 2 of 3
TASK: Hit five correct jewels in a row
POINTS REQUIRED: 333
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Put your mouse pointer on the jewel you're trying to hit, and make sure there aren't any jewels in between you and your target. Be sure to lead your target a bit if it's more than about 2/3 of the way up the screen. I'm not sure if Homing Missiles count toward this task or not, but be sure to use all you have before the game ends.

167. Bacteria Hysteria: 2 of 2
TASK: Boost a double or triple gold pill
POINTS REQUIRED: 47
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Start hitting the space bar to move the screen up. If there's any color bomb on the screen or if one appears within the first few space bar hits, keep hitting the space bar until you fill the screen, then quickly use a color bomb. With only two colors left on the screen, you're sure to be able to make a huge group, which will create a double or triple gold pill. You can usually create a second one right away with the remaining color. Boost these pills immediately. Be careful with this strategy--lay off the space bar if there are no color bombs, and just start clicking off groups to prevent a premature end to your game.

168. Boneyard Bonanza: 1 of 3
TASK: Make a complete skeleton
POINTS REQUIRED: 177
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Pick a spot to start at. Start filling it in until you get a duplicate piece. Put any duplicates in the next space over, then the next, etc. as needed, until you start finishing skeletons, then go back to the newly emptied spots and start again.

169. Graceful Jewels: 3 of 3
TASK: Finish a necklace with at least six jewels remaining in the line
POINTS REQUIRED: 133
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Shoot carefully, as you would for Hunt #166. Use the Eye power-up if you need it to help you find the next correct jewel. Be sure to grab the Magic Mirror power-ups when they appear, as they will conserve many jewels by splitting them when necessary.

170. Boneyard Bonanza: 2 of 3
TASK: Make a skeleton of a single color
POINTS REQUIRED: 69
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Pick three spaces to form a skeleton of each color (I usually use the three top spaces). Sort pieces by color into these three spaces until you get a duplicate, which you can put into one of the other three spaces. I recommend consolidating all duplicate pieces into as few spaces as possible, regardless of color--this makes it less likely that you'll have to break up a "good" skeleton with a piece you can't otherwise place. Note that as you complete skeletons, you'll have to use different spaces to form your "good" skeletons.

171. Cake Mania 2: 3 of 3
TASK: Complete a level without any customer getting angry
POINTS REQUIRED: 20
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: This shouldn't pose a problem on Level 1, and on Level 3, it's likely to be very difficult if you have to decorate any cakes. On Level 2, give menus to the first two customers, then start both of their cakes at the same time if you can. Work through the entire level two at a time, and as long as you don't make any mistakes, you should do fine.

172. Cat Corner: 2 of 3
TASK: Collect a Time Bonus
POINTS REQUIRED: 27
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: You get a Time Bonus by making a rectangle with a clock in a corner. If you have clocks in two corners, you get two points, etc. Whenever you see a clock, check its row and column for cats of the same color, then if you can't make a rectangle right away, try to make rectangles that will change the fourth corner of the clock rectangle until you get the matching color.

173. Boneyard Bonanza: 3 of 3
TASK: Throw at least five bones into a bonus vortex!
POINTS REQUIRED: 25
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: You can get several points quickly if you can manage to make three single-color skeletons at once. If you can only make one at a time, then try to whip through pieces as quickly as you can when you have a vortex open. Remember that the color of the timer is the color of the next piece, so if you get several in a row, you can move very fast.

174. Cookie Rookie II: 1 of 3
TASK: Reach Level 6!
POINTS REQUIRED: 8
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Ignore the numbers on the cookies and match them by shapes only. This will get you through the level a large majority of the time.

175. Cat Corner: 3 of 3
TASK: Collect a Herring Bonus
POINTS REQUIRED: 17
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Play this one exactly the same as Hunt #172, except substitute "Herring" for "Clock". The difficulty is slightly higher because herrings are slightly harder to come by.

176. Midas Mahjong II: 1 of 3
TASK: Complete a level without shuffling!
POINTS REQUIRED: 7
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: When presented with a choice of matches, always make the match that unblocks the most tiles. Also, be alert for stacked tiles, so that if two matching tiles are stacked one atop the other, you don't inadvertently pair off the other two.

177. Twist Me Silly: 1 of 3
TASK: Complete a level
POINTS REQUIRED: 47
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Make matches as quickly as you can. That's about all I got.

178. Cookie Rookie II: 2 of 3
TASK: Complete a level
POINTS REQUIRED: 55
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Play this one exactly the same as #174.

179. Midas Mahjong II: 2 of 3
TASK: Complete the first level!
POINTS REQUIRED: 10
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Just find matching pairs and click them off as quickly as you can. It's most important to work on stacks, because if anything's going to trip you up, it's having the last two tiles stacked on top of each other.

180. Attaqua: 1 of 2
TASK: Destroy an eel
POINTS REQUIRED: 100
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: The easy way to get this one is to play it like Centipede. You can easily destroy all 13 eels in a game, but you won't score much that way.

181. Cookie Rookie: 3 of 3
TASK: Make the third cake
POINTS REQUIRED: 7
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: If you stick to matching just shapes most of the time, you can usually make the first two cakes in the first two levels. Try to match the cookie from the jar to a matching shape on the table whenever possible, and if there's no shape to match the cookie from the jar, there might be enough shape pairs on the board to finish the cake.

182. Twist Me Silly: 2 of 3
TASK: Activate a Color Bomb
POINTS REQUIRED: 111
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 11
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: A Color Bomb is created when you make a chain of at least four matches. Once you create and activate the first one, it gets easier to create more, because the sheer number of pieces removed by a Color Bomb usually causes several other matches to fall into place. Even so, don't forget that like Crescendo Catcher, you can work on a match while another one is playing out.

183. Midas Mahjong II: 3 of 3
TASK: Make four consecutive matches within five seconds of each other
POINTS REQUIRED: 248
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Just plan ahead. Find four pairs to take before you start clicking.

184. Chuzzle II: 1 of 3
TASK: Activate a Super Chuzzle
POINTS REQUIRED: 69
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Form a Super Chuzzle (not to be confused with Giant Chuzzles) by making a match of five or more of the same color. I find it easiest to do this when two pairs of the same color are a row or column apart, when you can pull one in between to connect them.

185. Twist Me Silly: 3 of 3
TASK: Make a chain of three or more matches
POINTS REQUIRED: 222
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 2
DIFFICULTY: Child's Play
TIP: The first chain is the hardest. Look several moves in advance as you did with the last piece. Whenever you activate a Color Bomb, a large chain is sure to follow.

186. Jelly Swelly: 1 of 2
TASK: Remove 25 or more jellyfish in one move
POINTS REQUIRED: 47
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: You can remove a maximum of four rows and three columns (or three rows and four columns) in one move. If you have a large cluster of one color, try drawing a winding path through it that spans as many rows and columns as possible, then trace it again to switch it back and remove the cluster.

187. Attaqua: 2 of 2
TASK: Catch a seashell
POINTS REQUIRED: 70
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 3
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: A seashell will appear whenever you cause an eel to collapse, which you do by shooting out one or more of its segments so that the segments on either side of the gap are the same color. The seashell will drop faster than any power-up(s) that may appear, so watch for it.

188. Chuzzle II: 2 of 3
TASK: Remove three or more groups of Chuzzles with one move
POINTS REQUIRED: 33
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 4
DIFFICULTY: Hard
TIP: When you're in the process of making a move, a group of Chuzzles will shake if they will be removed by that move. Not that this is much help for this piece; your best bet is not to bother trying to set up these "triple combos", but just play your normal game and take the points as they come.

189. Jelly Swelly: 2 of 2
TASK: Make a move worth 1500 or more points
POINTS REQUIRED: 27
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 2
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: This is easier to do while you have one or more stars active. Draw a path across several rows and columns to include as many jellyfish in the move as possible, and the more splashes (jellies used in both a row and column match) you make, the more your score gets boosted.

190. Spider King: 1 of 3
TASK: Complete a set from King down to Ace
POINTS REQUIRED: 75
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 10
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Make all the moves you can find, and try to empty out one or more columns. This will make it easier to rearrange sequences. Don't forget that you can move part of a sequence, if you don't need the whole thing to complete a set.

191. Chuzzle II: 3 of 3
TASK: Earn a trophy
POINTS REQUIRED: 30
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: This is the trophy list, from top left to bottom: Blast 4 Super Chuzzles at once, blast 3 Supers at once, make a triple combo (Hunt #188), make a 7-step cascade, make a quadruple combo, and pop a group of 7 Chuzzles. Some of these are darn near impossible (4x combo, 4 supers) and some you have little control over (cascade), so concentrate on setting up the ones you can.

192. Pyramid II: 1 of 2 (classic Pyramid--green button games only)
TASK: Collect a scarab
POINTS REQUIRED: 150
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Not much to tell you here if you know how to play Pyramid. Just play quickly, but not so quickly that you screw up.

193. Marble Matchup: 1 of 3
TASK: Win a round
POINTS REQUIRED: 23
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Variable (depends on opponent's skill)
TIP: Unless you've already lost two rounds, you should be able to take out two or more of your opponent's marbles with each of your first two shots if you aim correctly. Once you've done that, don't do anything crazy--just pick off the remaining marbles one at a time, unless a combo shot presents itself.

194. Spider King: 2 of 3
TASK: Score at least 1504 in move bonus! (Not a typo--it's reported that exactly 1500 is not enough)
POINTS REQUIRED: 8
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: Don't make any unnecessary moves. In other words, don't break up any correctly formed sequences unless you absolutely have to (for instance, if you have no more deals and you have to complete a sequence to get to a card underneath it).

195. Crescendo Catcher II: 1 of 3
TASK: Activate a color bomb
POINTS REQUIRED: 111
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Wait for the crescendo before matching any piece that has a pulsing circle on it. That's about all there is to it.

196. Pyramid II: 2 of 2
TASK: Complete a level in 45 seconds or less
POINTS REQUIRED: 44
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 5
DIFFICULTY: Hard
TIP: Look for sequences of cards before you start, then when you deal a card that will remove that sequence, click through it as quickly as possible. You simply have to think and act quickly for this one.

197. Marble Matchup: 2 of 3
TASK: Knock out two or marbles with one shot
POINTS REQUIRED: 66
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 6
DIFFICULTY: Variable (depends on opponent's skill)
TIP: You can almost always take out two of your opponents' marbles on your first shot of each round if you aim correctly. If your opponent started the round with 6 or 7 marbles, aim between the second and third marble from one end. You'll get two marbles at least, three if your aim is perfect. If opponent starts with only five marbles, aim between an end marble and the second one, which should get you two marbles.

198. Duck Pond Dash: 1 of 1
TASK: Collect at least 20 flowers of the same color in a row
POINTS REQUIRED: 50
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 7
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Move slowly and carefully when approaching a group containing flowers of both colors. The number to watch for is 69--if you score that much for a flower, you just earned a point.

199. Spider King: 3 of 3
TASK: Score at least 200 in time bonus!
POINTS REQUIRED: 8
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: 8
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TIP: Ummm...Go fast. Yeah, that's about it for this one.

200. Zuma II: 1 of 2
TASK: Remove a group of balls by shooting through a gap
POINTS REQUIRED: 30
APPROX. MINIMUM GAMES NEEDED: Variable (depends on levels played)
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
TIP: You'll create a gap whenever you remove a fairly large group, or take out a group containing an Explosion Ball. When you have a gap and the line runs behind it, watch for the colors the frog is holding to appear through the gap.

Comments

  • gsleader1471

    just checking #200 for some guy on the fool's blog who is frustrated by it....seeing if you had better advice for him.

  • alotudo

    Chuzzle #188. Wow, so glad to see that you think it is hard, too! Thank you so much for these tips, there are really helping my games! Susan