Are You Extreme Enough? A Guide to Extreme Herder 2!

Introduction to Game

Like the original version, you play Samrin the Kacheek, whose job it is to gather all the petpets and place them safely in the paddock before Balthazar reaches them. As a petpet herder, you are bound to come across obstacles and enemies, but you will find a few helpful power-ups along the way as well!

Game Controls

You will use the arrow keys in this game to control Samrin and move him around the screen. In order to pick up a petpet (and place it on top of your head) all you need to do is pass over it; you will automatically pick it up! The spacebar is another control that will be useful. If you pick up a petpet but need to put it down again for any reason, just press the spacebar and you will gently place said petpet back on the ground and be free to pick up another. :)

Playing the Game

Once you start the game, you will notice that there will be petpets spread throughout the screen around a paddock in the middle. You will also see Balthazar walking aimlessly around the paddock, ready to pounce on any petpet in his path! You are the Blue Kacheek and you want to move Samrin around gathering petpets one by one. Once you pick up a petpet (remember, it’s automatic once you run over one), you will want to go to the nearest opening in the paddock and drop it off in there. Just by getting Samrin to the opening of the paddock, you will automatically drop off your petpet in hand. Aren’t you loving the automatic controls? ;) Once you drop off your petpet, you will want to repeat this process until all petpets on the screen are safely placed in the paddock! Sounds simple, right? Well, of course, there are things to make your game harder! Read on...

During the first five levels you will have an opening on each side of the paddock. This makes it the easiest for you since you can drop off a petpet from whichever side you are on. However, in level six you lose the top opening to the paddock and are left with the side and bottom openings. Starting with level eleven, you lose the bottom opening and will only have the side openings. In level sixteen, you will lose the right side opening and only be left with one opening on the left for the rest of the levels, eek!

During the first three levels, you will also have access to passageways on each edge of the screen. Going through a passage will bring you out on the other side of the screen. These are useful for quick getaways from Balthazar. In level four you will lose access to the top and bottom passageway and at level seven you will lose all the passageways, so use them while you can!

Now let's move on and talk about the power-ups and obstacles.

Power-ups:

White Gem: Grab this power-up and you will freeze Balthazar temporarily right in his place! Fortunately this power-up lasts longer in this game version than it did previously, yay!

Orange Gem: Pick up this power-up and receive a boost of speed that enables you to save those petpets more quickly!

X2: This wonderful power-up will allow you to pick up two petpets at a time rather than just one!! This is my personal favorite power-up and I think it is always a good idea to pick this one up. Not only does it save you time but it gives Balthazar less of a chance of scooping up one of your petpets.

Red Apple: This power-up will enable you to gather all your petpets in one spot. Once you pick it up, guide Samrin to where you want all the petpets to gather, then press spacebar to drop it. I suggest gathering them near a paddock opening. ;)

A note on power-ups: Every power-up is temporary and only lasts a few seconds, so use them while you have them! Also, when a power-up is flashing on your screen, pick it up as quickly as you can without losing a life in the process, since it will disappear after a little bit. Lastly, you can keep track of when your power-up runs out since it blinks on the top bar of the screen when you pick it up. When it stops blinking, this means the power-up has run out.

Obstacles/Enemies:

Balthazar: Well, this is pretty obvious! Balthazar will eat your petpets and every one he eats costs you a life! You only get three lives, so keep this guy far away!

Rocks/Puddles: These are obstacles placed in your path around the paddock that you will need to go around in order to get to your petpets. Sometimes it can increase the time it takes to get a petpet, no fun. :(

So, what’s Different?

So, you may be asking, what’s different in this version compared to the original version of Extreme Herder? Well, a lot of things!

Balthazar is much smarter in this version! Whereas in the previous game he most likely just paced back and forth, now Balthazar will actively come after you and the petpets. So beware!

There are more (and different) power-ups in this game, as mentioned earlier.

In this new version you better be careful not to go anywhere close to Balthazar! Whereas before if you came close, you just lost a life, now if you come to close he will move like he’s going to eat you, but if he doesn’t get close enough to actually eat you, you will still lose a life AND be placed somewhere random on the screen. In short, stay far away from Balthazar!

You are no longer able to move Samrin around between levels. Whereas before you might have ended the level where you wanted to start the next one, in this version you will be randomly placed to start each level.

Once you catch the last petpet (and before you place it in the paddock), you are no longer safe from Balthazar. Before Balthazar used to cower away but now he will continue chasing you until the last minute (or, when the level ends). However, now you get an actual break between levels and must click ‘continue’ to move on.

Tips

When starting each level, take a quick (and I mean quick) second at the beginning to evaluate the level. Where is Balthazar? Where are you? Are the petpets close to Balthazar? You want to quickly run over and save the petpets closest to Balthazar’s reach first.

Don’t try to slip by Balthazar and risk losing a life. Instead, if you have to, walk all the way around the screen to use a different opening to place your petpet in the paddock. It takes more time, yes, but it will save you life.

There is no longer a “special” petpet in this version that gives you extra points for saving it. Instead, all petpets are equally special (aww) and need your saving!

Use the spacebar to your advantage. If you are in the midst of saving a petpet but you see another about to get snatched up from under Balthazar’s claws, act quick! Drop the petpet you're currently holding (trust me, I think it will understand) and run to save the one near death instead! You can always save the other petpet later.

Just like how you can’t walk through rocks and puddles, neither can Balthazar. Use this to your advantage. Piggybacking on the previous tip, if you need to drop off a petpet to save another, try to place it behind a rock or puddle on the opposite side of Balthazar. This will give you enough time to run to an opening, drop off your petpet, and run back to save the other one... all before Balthazar walks around the puddle! (I know, he’s slow.)

Conclusion

Well, that’s about it, folks! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my guide and have fun playing the new game. Those petpets need you! See you in the games room.