Nimmo's Pond Guide

So I created the following guide, in hopes Neopians from all over can understand and master this fun and, at times, frustrating game.

Nimmo's Pond is a neverending battle to clear the Nimmo pond! The object is to destroy all the lily pads in each level without running out of health or "paddle power". I do not know if there is an end to the number of levels. I've gone past level 32 myself before I stopped paying attention.

Of course, first we need to explain how to use the controls. The controls to this game are quite simple.

The left and right arrow buttons rotate your Nimmo. The right arrow rotates him clockwise, while the left arrow rotates him counterclockwise (remember those so you don't get confused trying to rotate!!).

Spacebar is what you use to shoot. Shots come out as fast as you can hit the spacebar, so be ready to abuse it!

V extends the Nimmo's tongue so you can grab powerups. It only extends about half an inch, so you have to wait for the powerup to get close to you.

B launches a bomb which destroys the lily pad closest to your Nimmo. You only get three at the start of the game, so use them wisely!

The up arrow propels your Nimmo forward. Forget this control now... this guide does not use it whatsoever.

The game screen is relatively self-explanatory. It shows your level and score at the top of the screen, as well as a bubble that shows what color ammo you're using and what level that ammo is at (more on that later). On the bottom left of the screen is your health meter. Once it runs out, it's game over! The bottom right is your paddle power. If you run out of paddle power, your game ends as well... but if you use the strategy in this guide, you won't have to worry about it. In the center of the screen is a Nimmo face, with three bombs above it. Each time you use a bomb, one of those three goes away (ah... a bomb meter!).

Be aware that the screen wraps around. When a lily pad goes off the right edge of the screen, it will wander itself back on the left side of the screen. The same goes from top to bottom. Pay special attention to the bottom of the screen, where the screen is opaque and has various things blocking your view of oncoming lily pads.

Much like other Neopian games such as Pterattack, Nimmo's Pond offers you various powerups and different types of ammo to get you through the game. Powerups appear as you destroy lily pads. Again, powerups are grabbed by pressing the "V" key when they are near your Nimmo.

Be aware that once a powerup shows on the screen, it will remain floating about until you collect it or the game is over. That means you can save them for when you need them.

The powerup that looks like a red + increases your health. Do not collect if you have a full health bar.

The powerup that basically puts the brakes on your moving Nimmo looks sort of like... I don't know. A harmonica, I guess. It's pale blue and oblong. You shouldn't need this powerup, so feel free to collect it merely to get it out of the way.

The powerup that resembles a turdle shell (green and gold) increases your paddle power bar. Again, you shouldn't really need it, so collect it merely to get it out of the way.

The powerup that looks like a bomb (it's round and red) gives you one bomb. Do not collect it if you already have three bombs, because then it does nothing. The maximum bombs you can have at a time is three.

There are three different types of ammunition in this game. There are five different "levels" to the ammo (the sixth level does not change the ammo, and magically disappears not long after collecting it). I will go over all three types of ammo. Most folks seem to like using the yellow shot. I can get the avatar score using either yellow or green without issue. The important thing to remember is to AVOID RED AT ALL COSTS. Understood? If you wind up with red shot by accident later in the game, close it out and get ready to start all over again.

Green Shot

The green shot is the first ammo you start with in the game. Once it hits two (level three) or three (level five) rows, it really is not too shabby to play with. It gives you a straight shot, which many people have found easier to work with than the yellow.

Yellow Shot

Folks seem to swear by this one. There are pros and cons to it, in my opinion. Granted, it gives a broader spectrum for shooting, but it also leaves gaps in the center where lily pads can sneak in to attack you. It does, however, get the job done. Wiggle back and forth if lily pads sneak in the space between the shots to get them.

Red Shot

The red shot is completely useless. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT get this one. It is short range, and only attacks where the shot lands in the water, not the area between your Nimmo and the "landing zone". Use this and die swiftly.

Now the big enemy... the lily pads! There are three different sizes of "Stage 1" lily pads in the game: Small, Medium, and Large. When you destroy the first stage, they break down to "Stage 2" lily pads. Stage 2 occurs in a group of three that you must destroy.

Each lily pad is worth 10 points. That means 120 points per level in the first 9 levels, and 240 points per level at level 10 and later (add 40 points for every new lily pad that starts in the level). I received avatar score while playing level 27.

Oh yes. You start with 3 Stage 1 lily pads. At level 10, you start with 4 Stage 1 lily pads. That number even further on increases to 5 lily pads, and then 6 (after that, it's all moving so fast that I didn't catch when more would start the level). They move faster as the levels progress, so stay alert!

Once all of the lily pads are clear, you move on to the next level.

Game Play and Tips

-Do NOT use the up arrow to propel yourself forward. If you move, start over. Trying to control your speed and movement merely complicates the game. Rotation is all you need.

-Once you pick green or yellow ammo, stick to it. Resetting the ammo color later in the game is super dangerous, and may cause your demise.

-Destroy lily pads in order... first the ones coming straight at you, then the ones moving the fastest. Finally just pick and choose which to get.

-If you lose health or use a bomb in the first two levels, restart.

-There is no pause button in the game. If you need to rest, get all of the lily pads except for one Stage 2 lily pad, and let it float around the screen lazily until it heads in your Nimmo's direction.

-Rest time is also a good time to get powerups you need.

-Once in a while, you get a changing powerup... it switches between all of the powerups every few seconds. Collect with care... you may catch it on something you don't want to have!

-If you have a lily pad coming at you too fast to shoot down, use the bomb and it will destroy the lily pad one stage.

-I find it best to play the game on the largest screen possible with best resolution. If you have a slower computer, try lowering the resolution until the game runs comfortably for you.

The Avatar

On Friday, August 14, 2009, TNT released this in the news..

"Can you figure out how to get this new Nimmo avatar?"

This avatar can be yours if you score high enough in Nimmo's Pond.

If your highest score is well below what is required, do not fear! In four games, my high score went from 360 to 6000, using the techniques I discovered and have put in this guide.

The other upside? If you go nuts like I did and hit review score, you are still automatically awarded the avatar, though you miss out on the spiffy SHH that goes with it.

Best of luck to everyone! I hope this guide helps you improve your score and become a happy user of the Nimmo's Pond avatar.