DINO EGGS (Micro Fun – Apple II &
Commodore 64)
Pictured here is the preferable kind of starting arrangement; notice the four
pieces of wood. These will enable you – in the guise of Time-Master Tim, of
course – to kindle two fires. These should be consecutive, so you’ll have time
to capture the largest possible amount of baby dinosaurs before their mother
arrives and tries to flatten you. Abducting kids is the only way to rack up a
sizeable score (which isn’t to mention that you’re given an extra life at 200
points). On early levels, pieces of wood are seldom concealed by boulders; if
four pieces aren’t initially visible, restart the game.
To choose a location for your successive fires, look for ledges over which you won’t require later passage. The uppermost are usually the best; a misstep won’t send you into the flames. The spot seen here looks perfect, as you’ll be able to reach all other top-row ledges without setting foot on this one. First, of course, you’ll need to move those three eggs, in order to prevent any babies that might hatch from getting roasted. “Move” is the operative word; actually steal as few eggs as possible on Levels 0 through 2 (i.e. before spiders start grabbing the hatchlings that you haven’t caged). When transferring eggs out of harm’s way, bring them to the row that currently holds the fewest; you want to maximize the hatchlings, and only one at a time can inhabit each row, whether wandering free or caged. Head for the warp portal immediately after caging every third hatchling.
In this case, either spot on the high ledge above the ladder will work. (You
can’t start fires at the tops of ladders, so there’s no chance of being
blocked.) As in the last example, you can reach the other top ledges without
the blaze getting in the way. Granted, you can jump over any fire; but it’s
tricky, as you have to line yourself up perfectly. There’s no sense in creating
an extra hazard. Notice the Power Flower just below center-screen; pick this up
whenever it’s within hasty reach. As long as you don’t collide with a bad guy,
you’ll be able to carry six eggs to the portal at a time, rather than the usual
three.
Made it! Now the mom will stay away. Another useful practice while moving eggs
to lower ledges is to pick destinations to the extreme left or right side of
the screen. This will allow you to quickly grab any remaining eggs when the
second fire goes out and the giant parental leg will no longer be warded off. In
that event, stay as far over as possible, so you’ll easily dodge the leg by
wrapping to the other side of the screen.
Now that the first fire’s been started, it’s time to begin pushing boulders
away (unless you’re beyond Level 2; see below). This exposes any hidden eggs,
increasing the hatching odds and preventing a delayed level-exit once the
mother’s at large; you won’t want to take up the extra time to search under
boulders that might hide nothing at all. (All eggs should be cleared from each level
before you exit, in order to avoid losing points – and to receive the 10-point
bonus, which rises to 50 on Level 9.) Before sending a boulder tumbling down,
look below to make sure that you’re not about to squash a baby or extinguish a
fire.
Since you’re waiting for the other two babies to emerge, there’s time to bring
the latter two pieces of wood as close to the top ledge as possible. This will
allow you to quickly start another fire when the timer beneath the first has
dropped below 3. Later, when the second fire has done likewise, promptly
collect the remaining eggs and warp from the cliff.
Three kids have been caged, so it’s time to get back to the portal. This is a
great place to leave the piece of wood you’ve brought from below; it’s close to
the ledge above, the site chosen for fires. When four pieces aren’t available,
a third can be added to the extant fire to prolong it; but you have to wait
until it’s nearly dead – producing a mere curl of smoke – before leaping it
while holding the wood. The necessary timing reduces your freedom to attend to
more urgent matters; and if you don’t make it to the “merely smoking” version
of the fire before its timer reaches 0, those two logs are gone for good, and
the third is now useless.
While boulders should be removed as early as possible, it’s best to do this as
you pass by each general area, on your way to getting something else done
(moving the latter two pieces of wood closer to the fire ledge, in this case).
It’s a good idea to relocate any eggs found on the uppermost ledges; you won’t
have a chance to get out of the way if a spider leaps toward you, so you’ll
want to spend as little time up there as possible. Speaking of time, some has
been saved here; released boulders knock off those suspended directly below.
There wasn’t time to move that top-ledge egg before it hatched. However, due to
the care taken earlier to select an out-of-the-way spot for the fires, the
baby’s location can be safely accessed.
Considering that this has only been Level 0, that’s a great finishing score –
thanks to having waited for as many eggs to hatch as the two consecutive fires
have allowed.
In the game seen here, two fires can be kindled on Level 1 as well. But it’s
time to move these high eggs, before a baby emerges and gets cooked. Preventing
the loss of points should obviously take equal priority with gaining them.
From Level 3 onward, you don’t have the luxury of waiting for eggs to hatch;
spiders will now land on ledges and lure babies into their clutches, ultimately
carrying them off the bottom of the screen. 10-point losses are huge in Dino
Eggs. Wait until you’re close to a piece of wood before starting to arrange
for the first fire, or at least put it off as long as you can. As soon as the
level begins, grab the nearest eggs and rush back to the portal. Bring about a
screen devoid of eggs as quickly as possible; only boulders should remain. Drop
these one by one, so all hidden eggs can be taken as soon as they’re exposed.
(From now on, you’ll typically need only one fire per level, as you won’t be
waiting for hatchlings.)
That’s more like it! Now the lowest boulders should be removed first; this will
prevent those on higher rows from knocking others away and uncovering eggs that
you won’t swiftly reach. Exposed eggs at the bottom should be taken before any
others, as a spider who happens to ensnare a low hatchling has doomed him,
regardless of your actions; even if you manage to free the baby by breaking the
strand of web, he’ll have nowhere to land before he falls past the bottom of
the screen.
This hatchling has been seized. Running through the web (or, for slightly
faster horizontal movement, jumping) now takes precedence over everything else,
as the newborn has to be freed…
…in time to land on a lower surface, as he will here – or he’ll fall beyond the
screen, and you’ll lose the points anyway.
If fire remains after all eggs have been accounted for, postpone completing the
level; linger on a middle row that can be easily traversed, and hunt spiders.
Breaking the webs only grants you a single point apiece, but these add up
throughout the game, making up for any points lost for poisoned eggs or killed
hatchlings. You can jump through webs while you’re at the top or bottom as
well, of course; but the risk of colliding with a spider is much greater (for
obvious reasons at the top, and owing to the delicate timing required to slay a
spider at the bottom before he leaves the screen).
Remember that on Level 9 – the last, which will repeat indefinitely – you’ll
need two simultaneous fires if you want to keep the massive mother away. You’ll
be given enough wood to achieve this at least once. On the screen seen here,
the second ledge from the top, far right, is perfect for both. A fire directly
above will block access to the ledge next to it, as the gap near the center is
too wide to leap.
©2009 Chris Federico