Dino Eggs
(Micro Fun - Apple II & Commodore 64)
by Chris Federico
Pictured here is a starting arrangement that provides four pieces of wood. These will enable you -- in the guise of Time-Master Tim, of course -- to kindle three fires throughout the level, as an extra piece can be added when each fire nears exhaustion. You should only have to start one fire from scratch (i.e. use up two fresh pieces of wood).
After the fire's time indicator drops to 2, the flames are replaced with smoke, which can now be walked through, but which continues to keep the dinosaur mom away. This is when the extra wood can be added. Contemplate restarting the game if you see only three pieces at the beginning. Two fires usually give you enough time to attain the highest possible score before exiting the level, but not always.
Your fires 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 her kids -- well, "rescuing" them, in order to deposit them in a safer era, as the story goes -- is the only way to rack up a sizeable score, which isn't to mention that you're given an extra Tim at 200 points.
On early levels, pieces of wood are seldom concealed by boulders; increasingly, more wood is ultimately available than what's immediately visible.
To choose a location for your successive fires, look for ledges over which you won't require later passage (Fig. 2). The uppermost are usually the best; there can be no misstep from above to send you into the flames. The spot seen here looks perfect, as you'll later be able to reach both of the 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; as few eggs as possible should actually be taken away (warped with) on Levels 0 through 2. After that, spiders start grabbing the hatchlings that you haven't caged, so the priority changes. This will be covered below.
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 your 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; there's no chance of being blocked.) As in the last example, you'll be able to 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 and lose the power, you'll be able to carry six eggs to the portal at a time, rather than the usual three. This helps when you have to swiftly depart from a level -- i.e. if eggs remain after all fires have burnt out and the mother's at large. The power is also useful throughout each later level, when you want to minimize the amount of hatched eggs.
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 last fire has gone out. In that event, stay as far over as possible, so you'll easily dodge the giant 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. When the mother shows up, you won't want to take 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 you send a boulder tumbling down, look below to make sure that you're not about to squash a baby or extinguish a fire. Of course, the latter won't be a concern if you've built the fire at the top of the screen.
Got him! The baby at the bottom has been captured. Since you're waiting for two more to emerge, you have 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 last possible fire has done likewise, you'll want to promptly collect the remaining eggs and warp to the next cliff.
Three children 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, as it's close to the ledge above, the site that we've chosen for fires.
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 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 as possible that far up. Speaking of time, some has been saved here; releasing upper boulders knocks off those suspended directly below.
There wasn't time to move that top-ledge egg before it hatched. However, due to the care we took to select an out-of-the-way spot for the fire, the baby's location can be safely accessed.
Considering that this has only been Level 0, that's a terrific finishing score -- thanks to having waited for as many eggs to hatch as the consecutive fires have allowed.
In the game seen here, three fires can be kindled on Level 1 as well. But we should move these high eggs before doing anything else, lest a baby emerge and get cooked. Preventing the loss of points should obviously take priority over anything except losing a life.
From Level 3 onward, we don't have the luxury of waiting for eggs to hatch; spiders 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 your portal appears near a piece of wood before taking it and arranging for the first fire -- or at least put off the project as long as you can. From now on, you'll typically need only one fire per level, as you won't be waiting for hatchlings.
When the level begins, grab the nearest eggs and rush back to the portal. The screen should be devoid of eggs as soon as possible. Dislodge the boulders one by one, so you won't expose hidden eggs that you cannot yet grab.
That's more like it! Now the lowest boulders should be dropped first; this will prevent those on higher rows from knocking others away and uncovering eggs that you can't promptly 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; even if you manage to free the baby by breaking the web, he'll have nowhere to land before he falls off the cliff.
This hatchling has been seized! Running (or jumping, for slightly faster horizontal movement) through the web now takes precedence over everything but Tim-preservation, 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.
On any level, if fire remains after all eggs have been accounted for, postpone your departure from the cliff; linger on a middle row that can be easily traversed, and hunt spiders! Breaking a web only grants you a single point, 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 at the bottom to slay him before he descends out of sight).
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. On the screen pictured here, the second ledge from the top, far to the right, is perfect for both. A fire directly above would be problematic, as it would block access to the ledge next to it.