Mappy FAQ by Andrew Schultz schultza@earthlink.net Version 0.1.0 This FAQ is copyright Andrew Schultz 2000. Its main purpose is to help other people remember a great game that really should have caught on more in the U.S., and on a personal note it's my first real Arcade Game FAQ. Please do not reproduce for profit without my consent. A written request to me(please use my name) is usually enough for me to grant you permission to do so. Mappy and its name are copyright 1982, 1997 Namco. ****AD SPACE**** My home page: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/2762 My games page: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/2762/games/games.htm OUTLINE +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ INTRODUCTION DRAMATIS PERSONAE CONTROLS SCORING STRATEGIES(GENERAL) LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3(BONUS STAGE) LEVEL 4(FIRST IMPRESSIONS) MAPS KEY LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 VERSIONS AND CREDITS +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ INTRODUCTION You control Mappy, a nightstick-wielding mouse who's a member of the Micro Police and has the uniform to go with it. He is hot on the trail of Nyamco("Goro" in some versions,) the boss cat, and his "henchcats" the Meowkies. As the game begins Mappy is seen chasing Goro and three Meowkies across the screen. Then Mappy falls into the house, on a trampoline, and onto a platform to the left. A question mark appears above his head. Then the extremely catch music starts as Mappy tries to recover the loot--generally ten pieces per level--while avoiding the cats, who can kill him in their own place. He can open doors in their faces to score more points, and if he catches them with a "microwave door" he can score points and buy time into the bargain. Meanwhile, catchy music plays throughout in the background. If you survive enough you get a bonus round where even if Mappy falls through a trampoline he still gets points. DRAMATIS PERSONAE Mappy--"Micro Police" and our hero. A mouse with a nightstick that vanishes mysteriously when he jumps. He also lands on his head and his eyes roll about when he dies. Nyamco(Goro in some versions)--"Boss the Big Bit" which seems like a mistranslation. A red cat about as big as Mappy who likes to hide behind treasures(he doesn't hide very well or very long) and jump out at you, but he's not big on chasing you. Sometimes he even takes a break. Some example for his followers! He hides behind a big balloon in bonus rounds. If you dispatch him with the door. Meowkies--"Naughty folks" who are small purple cats. They can follow Mappy vindictively. Because there are a couple of them, they can corner Mappy. They never hide and are constantly on the move. CONTROLS You may move left or right, and there is a button to open/slam doors in the Meowkies' faces and stun them a bit. The button will also close doors but will not restore "microwave doors--" they will become normal doors. In addition, when you are jumping on a trampoline, moving left or right makes an attempt to land. If you run into a door or wall you hit it and bounce back down. This can be useful to throw off the cats, who follow the same rules of movement, although they are controlled by the computer. There are two exceptions--if you bounce three times on a trampoline, it will break and you will fall to your death if there is not another trampoline below, but the cats are not affected that way. Also, cats cannot open microwave doors, and you can open doors from either side, although Mappy or the cats will be stunned and pushed back if they use the handle. If you open a microwave door a sound blast will pick up the cats and drag them across the screen. They'll come back through the chimney over the middle platform. SCORING --extra men are awarded at 20000 and 70000. --you get 10 points for bouncing on a trampoline. --you get 50 points if you open the door in a cat's face, but none if you open it in your face and stun the cat too. --100 points for picking up a radio. --200 points for picking up a TV. --300 points for picking up a computer. --400 points for picking up a picture. --500 points for picking up a safe. --200, 400, 800, or 1200 for catching 1, 2, 3 or 4 cats with the microwave door. This total is doubled if Nyamco is one of the cats caught. --there is a multiplier if you pick up two of the same item in a row. For instance, if you pick up two TV's in a row, you get 200x2=400 for the second, which flashes to indicate it would be a bonus to pick up. If you pick up two pictures in a row next, you get 400x3=1200. The multiplier is reset to one if you lose a life, and if you had picked up one item before you died, you cannot pick up a bonus for the other item. --maximum item points=100*3+200*4+300*5+400*6+500*7=8500. --you get 1000 points for catching Goro behind an item, but beware. He doesn't stay there very long. On the bonus level: --still 10 points for each trampoline, only they are not reset to green after you stop jumping on them. There is no real reason to re-visit a trampoline after bouncing left from it, though. --200 for each balloon(tallied afterwards) --2000 for touching Goro's balloon, which also ends the bonus round --5000 bonus for a perfect round STRATEGIES(GENERAL) You'll need to decide whether you are going for points or levels. If you are going for points, the best way to pick them up is to pick up the stolen goods in order. It is not really that inconvenient, and it's a good way to develop a plan to outfox your opponents, whom you are slightly faster than. However, I feel it is a trap to try to catch Goro behind an item. He stays there so little that you are likely to forget which way he will head afterwards, and you really should be worried more about the Meowkies. In any case, be sure to use the microwave doors to clear out cats. Developing timing can be a big help. Often opening the doors on cats(doors always hit out on the side with the handle) can send them off the platform and down, meaning you may not be able to catch them with a mocrowave. Also you may want to bounce off a wall or jump quickly on a platform and off(to avoid trampoline breakage) in order to distract Meowkies. They will often follow the platform you just jumped on, and they cannot change direction. Don't panic if a Meowky looks like he's going to catch you. If you're close to the edge and you seem to touch, you'll often pass by. Also remember that the Meowkies' main weapon is to trap you from each side, so the more you can keep track of them, the better. LEVEL 1 I prefer to go immediately left, jump on the trampoline, and pick up the other television on the left. I usually have to duck back right to avoid a meowky, after which it is easy to pick up the radio below the second TV. Then pick up the other radio, and the rest should not be too tough. I recommend drawing the Meowkies all to the top(bouncing twice on a trampoline seems to fool them) and then picking up the painting in the lower left and waiting behind the microwave to get them before jumping up to get the painting to the right. In the meantime getting the safes and the computer should not be too tricky. LEVEL 2 The strategy is very similar here, since the treasures are still all in the same places. The doors are moved around a bit, though, and the two extra trampolines next to each wall seem to hamper your movement. Bust them out if you can--the one on the left is particularly nasty, since it may put you in a tight spot when you get the painting in the lower left as the Meowkies will be hard to shake. Still, starting off the same way as level one(wait a bit first to take out a Meowkie) should give you something to build on. And if after picking up the second TV you pick up the radio below it next, you will miss the Meowky below. Then jump to the top right platform, open the microwave door, and bust the trampoline to the right. LEVEL 3(BONUS STAGE) This is a lot harder than the first two, since good timing is required, and there are no second chances. On the bright side you can't lose a life. I can't quite draw up a map but I want to mention a few pitfalls and general tips. 1. Never go back for a balloon if you miss it. Goro's balloon is worth 2000 bonus points and should become top priority if you miss something. 2. If you jump directly left from the lower left trampoline, you will miss Goro's balloon. 3. To break through a trampoline quickly, you should try to jump left a lot if there is a slight wall to the west. It's quicker than jumping right and timing is everything. 4. For the optimum solution, you want to break all trampolines not at the bottom level, if they have balloons below them. 5. You'll be more likely to under-jump a balloon than over-jump it, but there is a pretty good margin for error. 6. It's not really clear when the music ends, so you may get stuck about a half-inch from Goro. 7. Be sure not to break one of the bottom trampolines, since you'll almost certainly lose some free points that way. LEVEL 4(FIRST IMPRESSIONS) There is a solid floor between one trampoline, and the platforms are not as evenly divided. There are also four Meowkies making life tough for Mappy. MAPS KEY C=computer, P=picture, R=radio, S=safe, T=television. -=trampoline X=platform >=door with handle facing right <=door with handle facing left >>=microwave door with handle facing right <<=microwave door with handle facing left Each level seems to have ten doors, four being microwaves, and ten items. On your death the open doors are reset to plain doors. LEVEL 1 C> <> P> XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX S T R< XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX << XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX P >> < C T -XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX- LEVEL 2 "Innovations:" non-microwave doors may be on the edge, blocking Mappy's attempts to jump. Trampolines are not all on the bottom. >C <> < R > -XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX P >> > C <