 Let's Get Ready To Bumble!
by lab_it
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Introduction
The game Bumble Beams is definitely a Neopian favorite. Okay, that may be a bit biased, but nonetheless it is a favorite of many, many Neopians. How could you not enjoy saving adorable Robot Petpets from certain doom?! Anyway, enough rambling. It's a given that the object of the game is to save as many Robot Petpets as possible, but the real secret you need to learn is how to get as many points as possible. Hopefully this guide will help you accomplish that.
Object
The object of Bumble Beams is to save the appropriate amount of Robot Petpets from the Recycling Centre. You need to move the "beams" back and fourth, guiding the Robot Petpets into the bins at the bottom of the page. The farther you get into the game, the faster the bins move, and the more Robot Petpets you need to save. Controls
The only controls in Bumble Beams are the left and right arrow keys. You have to guide the Robot Petpets left and right down the screen, using the beams provided, to get the Petpets into the bins. Be sure not to press down too hard or you'll break the keys! Power-ups & Bonuses
Most of the bonuses/Power-ups you can receive in Bumble Beams are little items that appear on the screen during certain levels. Some of them are red stars, gold stars, and Extra Robot Petpets. Gold stars give you an additional 3 points toward your score. Red stars will give you an additional 10 points toward your score. The "Extra Robot Petpets" basically look like little version of a Robot Petpet and are either blue or green. They basically give you an "extra life", so if you lose a Robot Petpet, it will use the "Extra Robot Petpet", rather than give you a lost Petpet. The green one will give you 1 Extra Robot Petpet, and the Blue will give you 3 Extra Robot Petpets. If you don't lose any Petpets in levels with Extra Robot Petpet power-ups, then the extra petpets will go toward your score.
In addition to the item power-ups and bonuses, there is the "2x" bonus. This is extremely important to get when trying for a high score in Bumble Beams. Without the 2x bonus, a Petpet that has been successfully saved in a bin is worth 5 points. With the 2x bonus, the Petpet is worth 15 points, so it really is worth going for. To get the 2x bonus, you have to aim the Petpets so they fall straight into the bins. Much like a "swoosh" in basketball, it has to be a pretty perfect drop. This gets much easier to accomplish with a lot of practice. The Beams
There are 5 types of beams in the game. The light blue beams are basically the "normal" beams. They are pretty easy to control, and have a neutral feel to them. The dark blue beams move a little slower, and the Petpets won't fall off of them as fast. Though, I don't recommend letting a Petpet stay on any beam for more than a second. The silver beams will drop the Petpets very quickly, and can be a bit more difficult to control. The beams with a blinking light on them is basically a bomb, and will shoot off as soon as a Petpet lands on it. Try to aim these beams straight up so when the Petpet lands it will land on one of the other beams. Last but not least, we have the wooden beams. These are my personal favorite, because they are the easiest to control in my opinion. On many levels, the wooden beams are the last beam for the Robot Petpets to land on. This works to your advantage. To control the wooden beams, you must hold down the opposite arrow to which the Petpet is landing on. For example, if the Robot Petpet is landing on the left side of a wooden beam, I would hold down my right arrow until I wanted the Petpet to fall into a bin. This can be a bit tricky, but with practice you should get the technique down in no time. Specialty Levels
The specialty Levels basically separate the different stages of the Recycling Centre. They are The Sorter, The Grinder, and The Incinerator. The Sorter consists of the beginning levels and will get you acquainted with the controls and the basics of the game. It is pretty much simple, and easy to get a perfect score. The Grinder is can get a little hectic. The bins begin to move much faster, and the beams are harder to control. The Incinerator has the most difficult levels of the game. The Robot Petpets start to get a mind of their own, and you can't really control where they go as much as you could in earlier levels. The beams also lose support, and are harder to control. Tips & Tricks
The most helpful piece of advice I can give you is to practice. You have to learn how all five of the beams work, and master them. After you feel you can control the beams to your liking, you should try to get the 2x bonus every single time. This is easier in certain levels, but is very easily accomplished with practice, and knowledge of the levels. I recommend getting all of the possible bonuses and power-ups to get the most amount of points possible. The least amount of Petpets you let fall, the more points you will get, as well. Conclusion
Well, there you have it! The ins and the outs of Bumble Beams. I hope this guide will help many Neopians fall in love with this game I love so dearly. I hope that one day all of Neopia's Robot Petpets will be safe from the wrath of the Recycling Centre! So take off those finger covers and let's get ready to Bumble! Good luck! *Remember to reduce, reuse, and recycle!*
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