Miner 2049er/Level 4: The Lillipads

Note: The screen presented here is from the Atari 5200 and Atari 800 versions of the game. If you are playing the game on a different system, some of the points mentioned below may not apply.

General Strategy
The Lillipads tests your ability to successfully guide Bounty Bob from island to island. Understanding the way Bob jumps is critical to your success in this stage. Understanding how far Bob can safely fall will also benefit you here. This stage doesn't present the most difficult jumps in the game, but it will prepare you for what's to come.

To quickly progress through this stage, try to complete the right half of the screen (any platform to the right of the flower pot) from the floor to the top, cross the highest platform to the left, and make the long jump to the little platform directly beneath the center of the large platform that you just crossed. Then safely drop down the right side of the screen, and work your way up the center. Jump over to the high platform just beneath the platform connected to the ladder, and work your way down to the last two platforms before climbing the ladder to finish the stage.

Critical Points

 * 1) The biggest danger, besides the risk of jumping and falling to your death, is the placement of the mutants.  From the very start in the lower left corner, you can run, pick up the dollar bill, and capture two happy mutants before even jumping.  You have just enough time to jump up three platforms and capture the far right mutant next to the joystick before he becomes unhappy and kills you.
 * 2) Once you capture that mutant and collect the joystick, you have just enough time to jump all the way up and capture the happy mutant next to the cake.  Any hesitation however will cause you to arrive too late and you will be killed if your head touches the mutant while he's unhappy.
 * 3) The little platform positioned between the wine glass and the hamburger is the hardest to reach.  You must approach it by jumping from the platform to the left.  Walk to the very edge of that platform so that your feet are hanging off the right edge, and jump to the right.  You should just make the jump and arrive safely.  From there, you can safely fall to the right.