 Sorry to Burst Your Faerie Bubbles!
by jirachi68106
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After sending your score for the umpteenth time, only to fall short once again, it's clear that Faerie Bubbles must be a game created by none other than the evil Jhudora herself. It wouldn't be so bad if Neopians could just submit a lowly score of 708, collect some neopoints, and be on with their day. For most, this is the case. But for a select few Neopians, they won't stop until their username is placed next to the coveted #1 position on the high score tablet. But, how do you do it? WELP, you could visit Jhudora's Bluff in Faerieland and do some quests for her with hopes of her giving you an edge in the game, or you could keep reading to learn the tricks of the trade.
General Information
There are 20 levels in all, with each level more difficult than the last. There are 6 different basic bubbles, as well as 2 "special" bubbles that will not show up on the board by default, but are extremely helpful when making an appearance in your cannon. Regular bubbles: air, dark, earth, fire, light, water Special bubbles: rainbow, nova Each level always has the same amount of bubbles organized in the same exact way. The only difference is that the type of bubbles of the screen may change. Level 1 may start off with fire, grass, and dark bubbles or with fire, light and water bubbles (and so on), but there will always be the same amount of bubbles in the same position for each level. You move the cannon with your left and right arrow keys, and you shoot a bubble by pressing the space bar. Hit the "up" arrow key to return your cannon to center – very useful for those shots straight down the middle.
Basics
So, how do you get through all these levels? By popping, destroying, and doing all that is possible to get rid of those bubbles! To do this, you're going to want to group together three or more of the same type of bubble. Getting together three bubbles will make them immediately fall down, leaving you 3 points (one from each bubble). Grouping together four of more of the same bubbles will activate a combo, which varies from bubble to bubble, but every combo will give you an additional 5 points. On top of the three or more you have grouped together, bubbles will fall down if they're either not touching the top of the screen, or not touching other bubbles that are touching the top. So, if you eliminate bubbles at or near the top of the screen, the bubbles below them will fall down, provided that they are not attached to another bubble touching the top. The only types of bubbles that will appear in your cannon will be the same types that are already on the screen, along with the possibility of those two special bubbles appearing. It's usually worth it to finish a level in as few moves as possible rather than stretch the game out like silly putty – when finished under 35 moves, you are awarded a point bonus! The fewer shots you take, the more points you make! Combos
Air – fills in the empty spaces for each line that the combo is apart of with random bubbles, and after doing so, the bubbles responsible for the combo fall down. If there is a full line of air bubbles, this combo becomes a great way to rack up points, even if there are many random bubbles below this line, as the line of air bubbles will fall down, taking all bubbles below with it. Dark – bubbles in the combo all turn into random types (note that this combo won't turn into dark or special bubbles). Earth – a new line of random bubbles appear at the top of the screen. Fire – destroys all touching bubbles (aside from water). Light – changes all bubbles touching the combo into one random color before falling down (note that these can turn surrounding bubbles into more light bubbles!) Water – destroys all water bubbles on the screen. (especially useful if there is a line of water bubbles at or near the top) Note that all combos can be helpful with a bit of luck (aside from earth combos – avoid those like the plague!) Conversely, water and fire combos will always be helpful.
Cheat Codes
Let me clue you in on a few secrets to beating all twenty levels, hopefully netting you between 2,500 and 3,000 points, subsequently earning you anywhere from a bronze to gold trophy. Now, unless you're a master at the game (and if you are, what are you doing here?), you're going to need a little extra help in the form of cheat codes. To activate these codes, simply type them in while playing the game. Each code can only be used once per game, so use them wisely!
"Faerieland" – turns the top bubble in your cannon into a rainbow bubble.
Rainbow bubble – essentially an "all-in-one" bubble as it will turn into whichever bubble it hits "stardust" – turns the top bubble in your cannon into a nova bubble Nova bubble – pops all of the bubbles within a two bubble radius of wherever it lands. "bubbles" – turns all of the bubbles on the board into one type "slumberberry" – see that dark, taunting bar at the top whose only purpose is to shove those bubbles into your cannon's personal space and end your game? This code pushes that bar alllll the way to the top!
Strategy
For the first few levels, restart if you're getting setups dominated by air, grass and/or dark bubbles. These will make you lose bonus points by taking longer to complete – first you'll have to set off the combo and then deal with all those random bubbles they produce. To maximize points, restart until you're getting combos (fire, light, water) that allow you to finish by only shooting a few bubbles. By level 4 or 5, even if you are getting "bad" bubbles, you should be able to destroy them using fire bubbles, and if not, just activate those combos and move on, otherwise the game becomes even more tedious. The first ¾ or so of the game should be fairly easy to complete, but once you get to level 14, you'll be using cheat codes like your trophy depends on it... oh wait... it does... On level 14 , use the "stardust" code to put a nova bubble in place of your first bubble. From here, do a straight shot down the middle. This will allow the level to be cleared faster and thus earn you more points.
Next is level 15; use the "bubbles" code before shooting any bubbles. If the bubble type on the screen is not the same as the top bubble in your cannon, this is where the "Faerieland" code comes into play. Use it and then shoot anywhere – done in one turn!
Bubbles you'll want on the board: air, fire, light, rainbow, star, water Best bubble: air – creates additional bubbles on screen before falling down, giving an additional point for each bubble Restart the game if either of these types appear: dark, earth (unless you are doing exceptionally well) This level will net you a base value of 250 points by destroying all the bubbles in one shot. You also get 1 point for each bubble on the screen, as well as 5 points for the combo! From level 16 onward, hold off on using the "slumberberry" code for as long as possible (hopefully not until level 19 or 20), but if you must use it sooner in order to keep the game rolling, then use it! And there you have it! Hopefully, with just a little practice, a few bribes to Jhudora, and a thorough reading of this guide, you'll have a shiny trophy on your user look-up! Good luck!
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