An Amateur's Guide to Pterattack (II)

Part I: Enemies

Brown Pterodactyls - These are the weakest enemies in the entire game. They can be destroyed in one shot with any level weapon. Try and hit as many as you can in the first level as they are the easiest to destroy and give you a great score in the beginning. But later in the game they will become pretty uncommon.

Green Pterodactyls - These appear on the first level also. They can be destroyed with two shots from a level one weapon and 1 shot with a level two weapon and above. Only shoot these in the beginning when they are secluded so you can shoot them quickly and then move on to another one. If some are grouped together then you should better avoid them unless you already have a level two weapon already.

Blue Pterodactyls - These are tough to destroy with a low level weapon. If your weapon is at least level two then you should at least try and destroy it instead of avoiding it.

Grey Pterodactyls - At least I think they’re grey. :) They come in from the side. As far as I know it’s the left side so stay to the right so at least you can destroy them. If your weapon is already at level four, then destroying it is no problem, but keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn’t fly into you. They will likely end the game for you.

Orange Pterodactyls - These come late in the game so by then your weapon should be level four so these are a piece of cake...

Red Pterodactyls - These are the toughest to destroy so it’s best just to leave them and dodge them unless you just want to destroy them.

Grarrls - These are huge beasts and they come from the bottom so I suggest you stay away from there and positioned in the center of the screen. They can’t be destroyed but shooting it will make it leave the screen faster. Later in the game you won’t have enough time to try and hit it because there are like a million things flying around so it just to let it be.

Part II: Weapons

PterShot - This is the basic weapon that you start out with. It’s not a good choice late in the game. It’s just a straight shot that will clear a path but not a great range for getting enemies that are left to right so it’s probably not a great choice in later levels.

PterPod - This weapon has a nice range when it's levels one to three. It’s great for getting enemies but when it’s level four it's a straight endless beam. Not similar to PterShot but a bad weapon.

PterBoom - A rapid boomerang that destroys enemies fast, which you need in the early levels, but not as big a range as you need. When it’s level four it turns into two giant boomerangs which can destroy multiple Pterodactyls.

FireBall - A fast moving fireball that can destroy enemies fast. When it is upgraded to level two you’ll be able to shoot two fireballs at a time and then three when it’s a level three. When it’s at its max level it fires three bolts that have a huge range and racks you some points further in the game.

Note: When your weapon is at level four don’t stop collecting that power-up as it will give your weapon an extra speed boost for a short amount of time. Also, try not to pick up a different power-up or it is definitely game over. Avoid them even if you have to lose a life!!

Part III: Scoring

Scoring points is very hard when you're in level seven or higher. I recommend the FireBall shooter throughout the whole game.

No matter what color the Pterodactyl is it will give you 5 points for destroying it. Try destroying as many as possible to get a higher score. You can’t destroy a Grarrl, but by just shooting it you will get 10 points. Shouldn’t we give the programmer of that game a thanks... :D

Part IV: The Extra Miscellaneous Gigantic Fun Stuff :)

It’s just what the title says. Not really, though...It is just some extra bits of information you should know.

Extra Lives - During the game you’ll find some extra lives when you reach a certain amount of points. When you reach five hundred points a heart will appear in front of the Pteri which means you will have obtained an extra life. You will also get one when you reach 1500 points, which you definitely need with all those Pterodactyls flying around. I haven’t found any other extra lives but I just need to progress in the game more.

Positioning and Maneuvering - When you're at, suppose, level nine, you cannot really rely on left to right (horizontal) movement so it’s mainly vertical movement you need. Avoid grey and red enemies as they are extremely tough to get rid of. When you see a Grarrl hurry down to the bottom of the screen to get more vertical movement because there can only be one of them on the screen. Try not to move too far left or right or you will lose a life.

Boring Stuff That Makes Me Sleepy :) - In the early levels you don’t really need to hold down the space bar as there are only a few enemies to be destroyed. Later, keep it pressed and just press directional buttons to move around. Also, try shooter brighter colored enemies because they tend to be the fastest to be destroyed. Avoid dark, bold enemies because they usually tend to be the toughest to destroy.

Well, that’s my guide to Pterattack. Not very good but it is sure to help you. If it doesn’t I’m sure you’ll find me hiding in a cave somewhere. Well here is your insane writer, that you all know, finishing this article.