Skies Over Meridell: the Complete Guide

As you can probably assume from the title, this article is about the game Skies Over Meridell. Why Skies Over Meridell, you ask? Firstly, it is one of my favorite games and secondly there aren’t many articles about this game. With this article, hopefully you will one day get on the high scores. If you do not know what the rules for the game are, the next paragraph should help clarify things.

Bandits have taken over the sky, and it is your job to shoot them down. Armed with only a slingshot, you have to chase them down and shoot them out of the sky. However, the bandits have their slingshots too, and you only have three lives so be careful. As you progress through the game, the bandits have more lives, and their planes become much faster.

To control your plane, use the left and right arrow buttons. The right will make the plane go in a clockwise direction while the left will go counter clockwise. Use the m , . / buttons to shoot. I find it much easier to stick to one button.

The layout of the game is quite simple. Aside from the blimps, the only obstacle in the game is the red farmhouse. There is also a barrier at the ceiling, and planes can fly in one direction and come out of the opposite side.

Power ups

Occasionally, Kiko blimps will drop out of the skies and provide you with power ups. However, you will have to burst the blimp, and the hanging baskets from the blimp can be very dangerous obstacles. The followings are all the available power ups in the game.

A whole stack of cannonballs

This power up will give you more bullets every time you shoot. Personally, this is not my favorite power up unless you pair it up with the next one.

A single cannonball

This useful power up will let your bullets travel further before they disappear. By itself, this power up can let you shoot down the bandits from a safe distance, but paired with the above power up, they can be a devastating combo.

A translucent airplane

The best power up of all; it grants you an extra life. Need I say more?

Propeller

This power up gives you more speed, and it becomes highly useful at the higher levels. However, having too much speed can be a bit dangerous since it is harder to control the plane.

Wooden board

Even though I have playing this game for a long time, I am still not sure what this power up does. Supposedly, it will let you turn quicker, but I have never seen a great deal of difference. Still, I guess it would not hurt to pick this one up.

Yellow circle

This handy power up gives you an extra ten points. You might scorn this power up since it doesn’t improve the quality of your plane, but remember, the goal of any game is to score the most points.

Tips

1. Since both you and the computer have weapons, it is vital that you are always behind the bandits shooting at them and not the other way around. Sound easy, right? Wrong! Because the bandits have better planes than you do, you can’t just expect to always be chasing them. They might even start chasing you. If you find yourself being hunted, just do a 180 degree turn, and start chasing them instead. Never and I repeat never try to outfly them because they are a whole lot faster than you. Just start turning around, and facing them if you find yourself being chased. At least then, you would be firing at them too. Note: this is not foolproof but it will give you a decent shot at surviving.

2. Try not to charge head on towards the bandit. Sure, you might be able to shoot them down, but there is a chance of both of you crashing or even worse, the bandit might shoot you down. Just shoot them from behind and if they turn around turn around too. Stick to them as much as possible following everything they do.

3. Unless the power ups are in your way, do not get them. Trying to acquire a power up will just distract you from sticking to the bandits. The only exception to this rule is the power up that gives you an extra life. Even if you die after you get it, no damage will be done, and you still get five points.

4. Use the ceiling to your advantage. Unless you have been getting a lot of power ups, you probably can’t turn on a dime, but at the right angle, flying to the ceiling can let you make a sharp turn which can be advantageous if you need to shake off a bandit.

5. Whenever you shoot a bandit down, it will start from the bottom, and it will be invincible for a few seconds. This is the most dangerous part of the game. They will be able to shoot at you while you can’t do a single thing. Your best bet is to fly near the ground at their side and follow them when they take off. If everything goes perfectly, they will be shot down right away once their invincibility wears off.

6. Since you will always be the last one to take off, use it to your advantage. By being last, you will know where the bandits are, so you can follow them. However, they can do the same thing to you once you shoot them down so make sure to read tip number 5.

7. Whenever you make a turn, the bullets will come out in an arc which means that you can shoot in a wide range. However, if you are quite close to a bandit or you are forced to charge head on, try not to turn since all your bullets will come out in a straight line.

8. If you are flying close to the ground, and it seems like you are about to crash towards the ground or the house, keeping turning in the same direction you were going. I can’t tell you how many times I turn the other direction and still crash to the ground. By turning in the same direction, there is a chance that you might make it.

This is my first article ever, and I would greatly appreciate it if you would give me some feedback. Thank you.