Pro Tip of the Day - puzzle league http://protipoftheday.com/taxonomy/term/26/0 en Pro tip: A medium difficulty skill chain in Tetris Attack http://protipoftheday.com/node/459 <p>Today we're going to look at one of the slightly more advanced skill chains you can do in Tetris Attack / Puzzle League, something that I'm going to call a Delayed Skill Chain.</p> <p>Starting with this puzzle here</p> <div align="center"><img src="http://protipoftheday.com/sites/default/files/ta_adv1.jpg" /></div> <p>we first slide the Green Tile to the right so that it falls down and creates a 4-combo</p> <div align="center"><img src="http://protipoftheday.com/sites/default/files/ta_adv2.jpg" /></div> <p>Then, moving quickly, we move the first Yellow Tile over so that it falls on the Green Tiles as they clear</p> <div align="center"><img src="http://protipoftheday.com/sites/default/files/ta_adv3.jpg" /></div> <p>Then we (quickly!) move the second Yellow Tile over to the gap between the two that are already there</p> <div align="center"><img src="http://protipoftheday.com/sites/default/files/ta_adv4.jpg" /></div> <p>So that it falls to where the Green Tiles were before the other Yellow Tiles fall</p> <div align="center"><img src="http://protipoftheday.com/sites/default/files/ta_adv5.jpg" /></div> <p>So when they do fall, you get a quick chain!</p> <div align="center"><img src="http://protipoftheday.com/sites/default/files/ta_adv6.jpg" /></div> <p>And since it's a little bit easier to see the timing in video form, I've prepared a short clip for you</p> <div align="center"> <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hK6Tj5qEYYM&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hK6Tj5qEYYM&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div> ds game boy n64 pro tip puzzle league shes technique tetris attack Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:55:16 +0000 Will 459 at http://protipoftheday.com Pro tip: Tetris Attack: Skill Chains http://protipoftheday.com/node/393 <p>A huge part of Tetris Attack and its descendants is performing chain reactions of clears. That's when you you clear three or more blocks, and the ones that fall clear some more.</p> <p>But I have trouble thinking far enough ahead, especially once the pile starts rising quickly or in a heated battle, to set up more than one chain in a row, so I use something called Skill Chains. Skill Chains are chain reactions that you set up on the fly, usually while the previous clear is... erm... clearing.</p> <p>For example, take this puzzle and clear the stars in the vertical column in the middle</p> <div align="center"><img src="http://protipoftheday.com/sites/default/files/ta_skillchain1.jpg" /></div> <p>And while those are clearing, move that triangle in the bottom-right corner two columns to the left</p> <div align="center"><img src="http://protipoftheday.com/sites/default/files/ta_skillchain2.jpg" /></div> <p>For an instant 2-chain!</p> <p>This is actually much easier to show in animated .gif form, so you can do that <a href="http://protipoftheday.com/sites/default/files/ta_skillchain_ani.gif">here</a> (2MB file warning, dial-up users).</p> <p>You can extend these as long as you can find the correct blocks to do them with, and with enough practice this essential skill will become second nature.</p> <p>Good luck!</p> pro tip puzzle league technique tetris attack Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:32:40 +0000 Will 393 at http://protipoftheday.com Pro tip: Tetris Attack... STOP! http://protipoftheday.com/node/13 <p>Tetris Attack is a game that's all about matching up colored tiles to make them disappear before they hit the top of the screen and ruin your day. After a while the game speeds up, and your reflexes slow down (well, they seem to, anyway). Wouldn't it be great if there was some kind of way to arrest the geyser of blocks so you could think about your next move? </p> <p>Other than pause, smart guy.</p> <p>Right before your game ends, you'll notice that the tiles do a little panic dance just before your game ends and you off pouting in the corner. But! That's the time to strike!</p> <p>Right when the tiles are doing their Dance of Doom, you need to make a clear of 4 or more tiles or a chain of at least two clears. Do that, and you'll hear a voice yell, "STOP!"</p> <div align="center"><img src="http://protipoftheday.com/sites/default/files/tetris_attack_stop.jpg" title="STOP!, man, STOP!" /></div> <p>Then you'll notice the little clock-guy over there on the right. He gives you a few seconds where the stack doesn't move and you get to take a little breather. Keep the blocks just licking the top of the screen while you make combos and chains and you can extend the stop for quite some time. </p> <p>Just make sure you have a clear waiting in the wings so you can reinstate the STOP! when the time runs out.</p> <p>Oh, and this works on Pokémon Puzzle League, Puzzle Challenge, and Planet Puzzle League.</p> ds game boy pro tip puzzle league SNES tetris attack Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:00:00 +0000 Will 13 at http://protipoftheday.com