Chip's Challenge/Levels 81-100

This is a continuation of the walkthrough for Chip's Challenge. Levels 81 (WRITERS BLOCK) through 100 (COLONY) will be discussed on this page.

Level 81: WRITERS BLOCK


Every block except eight which aren't usable and one that needs to go in a different water space needs to be pushed into water, either to get a chip or to clear out a corner to get one. The blocks spell THINK, so think!

Shove T, block 7, 2R, then move URU to free a pathway up and allow the use of the rest of the T. To free the H, knock H, block 3, 2R, and move 3D to free the left of the H. With the left side free, knock block 6 2R to completely free the H. Now, head to the K and use the six loose blocks, then throw K, block 6, 2L to use the rest of it. You cannot get the eight blocks that are in the two clumps of the N, so move N, block 5, 2L, then continue 2D-L 3D 3R and use this block. This frees the rest of the N's east side. Push the remaining loose block 3D U and east, and then move I, block 4, to free all the blocks. Now, just push around and take the remaining chips. The exit is to the north of this area.

This is by no means a speed route, but the fastest route is unavailable, and the best available route is a monster which is outside the bounds of this guide.

Level 82: SOCIALIST ACTION
If you're following this guide, you'll find that Socialist Action is the first of the three Cypher levels. It's all too easy to get lost in Socialist Action due to the many hidden walls, but when you start to poke around a little bit, you'll figure out how to approach the exit. The hardest part may be getting through the bug area, because you can't see the walls! This route was tested in even step.

Move block 8 in the level, just above Chip, 2U, then follow the bugs to the gravel space and move 12D to the southwest edge of the gravel. To time the approach correct, move [1] 12U 4R D [3] 15D 21R [1]. This leads you to an approaching teeth which is also boxing in a bug; the placement of the teeth in the exit corridor determines the state of the bug, which will run out as you dodge the teeth: 4U D 2L 2R 3D, which leads to the exit on the right. On this site in 1989.....Chip scored 969 seconds.

Level 83: UP THE BLOCK
Up the Block's construction allows for many interesting and artful ways to save time, while making your own kamikaze-pilot documentary at the same time.

Collect the block on the left and move it 7L 3U 7R, walk through the glider room and continue pushing D 6R 5D, then circle all the way to the far right side and move the block one space into the glider room. When the glider moving in this direction is forced to turn back to the left, continue to flick the block L to send each glider behind that one. When all six are thrown west, move the block D 2L and wait to see one of the most spectacular bomb displays ever!

As the last glider turns to its doom, shove the block R and down to follow them and remove the seventh bomb. With this gone, take the chips in the room to the left, and then drop to the extreme south. Ignore the first two chips for now, take the next two, and then the two behind the block to the north of those two.

Now, move this block 5D 4L to catch a glider in the same way, then continue to send gliders left until the block itself explodes a bomb. This final glider opens a shortcut to the south; take the chips, walk out through the shortcut, then remove the last two chips below. The exit is above the first glider room, which scores 297 for you.

Level 84: WARS
This level is another simple level, because although the bug area is Invincible Champion with the monster order fixed, a block is given to Chip which allows him to use the same sort of plan. The original solution, and the reason for the name, was the idea of throwing the cloning fireballs into the bugs, causing a "war".

Throw the block 3L [3] 12L 8U [3] UL to jam the bugs up, and then take the chips and run 4U L and around the walls to exit the level. This time, 580 remains on the clock.

Level 85: TELENET
Telenet is easy to complete if you can find the safe areas, difficult to complete well, but there is a 15-teleport lightspeed sequence that makes the bold of 236 an extremely challenging quest.

Run all the way west, then move to the southwest corner to take the blue key, and then turn right, up, and east to the telenet's entrance. Take the chip, and follow this guideline through the telenet, sliding in brackets and moving in normal text:

[U] 3R D [L] 3U R [L] 3U R [D] 3R U [L] 3U R [D] 3R U [U] 3L D [U] L 2U R [R] U 2R D [U] 3L D [R] 3U L [R] U 2R D [L] 3D R [UD] 3L U. Now, to infinity and beyond.... >UDUDUDU [1] >DUDU [1] >DUDU, and take the last chip and escape. With no more chips to collect, head towards the entrance to the telenet again, but instead of east to the entrance, go up to reach the exit.

Level 86: SUICIDE
This is a very easy fireworks display of gliders committing suicide, and despite that name, it's a very cheery level.

Move the block 2L 6U R, then touch the red button twice, hide, twice again, hide, and three times, then move the block 3D 6L and south to save one bomb. After the three gliders remove the remaining bombs, exit the level for 381 seconds.

Level 87: CITYBLOCK


The full solution to Cityblock is hopelessly long and winded, and it is untimed, so I will compact the biggest time-savers into the least room possible. If you want to see the level done as fast as possible, watch the YouTube video.

Begin by moving 13U, then reach the chips on the right, (2L 3U (3L 2D) 2R-U) and to the southwest (DLD 4L 2D 3L ULULD, hit the green button, LUDL, and switch again to open the chip).

The next phase is to build the bridges around the edges to take the chips; you will need 28 blocks for the first part of this. Thus, use the two blocks that are available above you, and the other 26 blocks that are loose in the center of the level, in a row of 3, then 5, then 7, then a 4 and 3, and finally two rows of 2. Also, be sure to collect the four chips in the toggle wall wedges. Lay these blocks as such: 3L from the toggle wall entrance, 3L D from the entrance, two above to reach a chip, six blocks along the top to take out the six chips, and eight for a double bridge across the east side, leaving you with 10 more. This part becomes more complicated: two blocks on the upper of the bottom two rows, and only one on the bottom. (Leave the second dirt where it is until you return upwards.) Repeat this a second time, then put only one block on both rows, and take the chip, which should leave you with 18 chips left. Now comes a new part: take the path to the bottom, next to the socket, and use these blocks to extend the bridge as far as possible.

From where you land, step U R L, run all the way up, and then R U 2L to lock the block in place. Shove block 2 on the left side out of the way, take chip 1, and use the first block on the water above it. Now, collect a block from the start area and put it on the top row (more on this later), and then repeat the pattern used below to churn out another three blocks. Collect a second block from the start, put that on the bottom row, and then complete the across bridge with the last block on the very bottom of the west side. Remove two final blocks from the start room, and then go back to the bottom and to the top of the east side. Take each of the chips and move each block L, until the last of the chips and the block moves south. Slide on two force segments, remove the block on the top, and take the next chip; repeat with the last two blocks to take the last two chips.

The above text references to four blocks that need to come out of the beginning room; there is a simple solution. The SW corner, if still undisturbed from the chip raid, is shown on the right side when the entrance to this room is closed:



Take blocks 1 and 2, then push block 4 L, the imprisoned block 6 U, and swap the walls to free it. Block 9 will finish the requirement.

The level now ends with a difficult maze of blocks, also notable because it is at the end of the level, making it even more difficult! Enter the socket and run 4R D 2R U 3R D 3R UR 3D L 5D R 3D (you can now see the exit) U 2L DR 2D RDRURDR. Not that hard, right?

Level 88: SPIRALS
This extremely simple level not only offers a tough choice of paths, but there are two different versions of it, which are different in not only Windows and Atari versions of the game, but also between Windows versions! Some copies of WEP 4 feature the "corrupted" version, which is extremely hard due to having to pass through highly populated walker territory.

In the "real" version, follow the paths and move 2D LR 2D L 5R at each intersection, which puts you near the exit with the final chip visible. This route will count for 317.

However, in the "corrupted" version, that final move is blocked by another thin wall at coordinate [29, 13], which is 2U 2L from the exit, and requires a much different path. Instead, play 3D UDL 2R DR 3L. If you do not die, which is unlikely (sorry!), your score will be 303 with as much as four waits. However, it is suggested that you simply edit the wall out of your CC copy, which is a special exception to the prohibition on editing any level (T-chip edits, with time added to untimed levels, are the others.)

Level 89: BLOCK BUSTER


This level could be possibly the most difficult to complete in the entire set, and Block Buster's bold is certainly the toughest aside from extreme luck-based routes. So you know what kind of task will be faced. Pauses will be frequent!

Play U 2R D 2U to move the first block directly up, RD to prepare a push up, and then run 2U. This block will not be used, but instead it has distorted the other blocks to your advantage. Wait 1/2 move to allow the block to land, then move RD 2R U to catch the bouncing block and open the water above that. Continue D L to access another block and bridge to the red key, then slide all the way over both ice panels and then 3L UL to create another block. Wait two moves, then play R [1/2 to allow safe passage] U 2D [1/2 to allow the use of the block] UDR [1/2 to allow passage] U L (this causes the blocks to pile up, allowing the use of a stuck block on the left) 2D LUL [1/2, to minimize block echo], and then use the block to collect the green key.

Use the key to collect the chip, play all the way through the doors to collect another chip, and run down the red buttons: [1/2] 4D [1/2] 2D [1/2] 2D 3R. From here, you are to play up and down through the ice tracks without touching any blocks; one touch and you can no longer get through. Start with 2U [1/2, to avoid the block], and continue through the rest of the area unhindered. If you can turn west along the top with 422 remaining on the clock, you are safe. Further down the path is a second mesh, just tougher! Turn 10D [1/2] and then play through the rest to reach a third mesh. In this area, you need to push the blocks off after cloning them to reach the exit.

Clone all four blocks to the very bottom of the level, play 3R [1/2] 2U [1/2] U to take the fourth block all the way into the water, and then play the first, second, and then third blocks up to the water (no further pauses will be necessary.) The blocks will bring you to the exit with a score of 402.

This route, due to its extreme complexity and start-stop motions, may be easier to use after watching the YouTube video. To make them slightly easier, Chip can use the ram on the lowest block of both ice grids.

Level 90: PLAYHOUSE
In Playhouse, you have to play around a little bit with balls; a few blocks add zest to the mixture. There are seven extra chips in Playhouse; two of them are at the start, one is inaccessible, and four are inaccessible without already collecting all the chips.

Instead, move block 3 on the start island R 2U into the water, and block 1 U 3R, in order to jump onto the force floors. From the end of this spot, go to the six-block water wedge above you, move the fourth block U and hit the dirt, the sixth block U, the fifth one L 2U, the third one U and hit the dirt, and then take a break to head to the left through the blue walls for some goodies. On the way back through, move the first block U and the second one R 2U. This allows you to reach the top area, to collect the blue key and the chips, and also get back alive. Also, you see the exit.

From here, enter the fake blue wall, and then run to the right for some chips, and finally crawl along the bottom to reach the final two balls in the way of the blue lock. Open that, slide on the ice, then step L and run to the north of the room to take the nine chips and blue key. The ice skates and tenth chip cannot be taken because of hidden walls blocking the way back out. Retreat back to the left of the wedges to use the new green key.

To bridge the water, shove the block all the way to the west, which links it up with the other block, and you also collect fire boots. Now, from the second water space, collect the "GOOD JOB" as such: 3U R 4U 2R 4D L (G), and the same for both Os, and also for the D except for the one chip above the green lock. Continue 4R 3U L 2R (most of the J) 2R 4D 2R 4U L (O) 5R D 2L D 2R D 2L DR (B).

Now, wait a move for the ball, collect the chips beyond the fire, and then collect the remaining four chips from the D and J on the way to the green lock. Take the chips on the left, then on the right, and finish this level with 318 seconds of play time. GOOD JOB! As a reward, the next decade message is given: ''"I can do it! I know I can!" Chip thinks as the going gets tougher. Besides, Melinda the Mental Marvel waits at the end!''

Level 91: JUMPING SWARM
Jumping Swarm really doesn't deserve all the hype that comes from it; if you can just play the bold route shown here, you'll come out alive almost every time until you are down to the last chip, which is slightly harder, but really not tough. The frustration that most people have with Jumping Swarm comes from the fact that they don't have a map, and start looking randomly, which means more walkers and more collisions.

Collect the two visible chips above, the two on the very top row, and then the chip just below that as you walk to the left. Hug the very left side, taking one chip, one chip three rows to the right, and two more chips below. Seven rows up is the next chip to the near east, and then one visible just north, and then one more above that. The walkers, on average, are visible about now; continue walking northeast for another two, and then from that chip, east to one more, and south for another visible chip.

Now, walk 3L, ram south for two more chips, and then take the pair of chips. Stroll 4U to bring another chip into view, then further up for another chip, and then south to the next one. Finally, head towards the string of walkers on the far right, remove the chip against the wall, and then exit a few spaces south. This route is worth 367 if used with one or no mistakes. You also have acres of wiggle-room to dodge, sneak behind, or otherwise outwit approaching walkers, and straight paths are not required; there are possibly millions of routes that yield 367.

Trivia: The lowest CC1 score theoretically possible, solving all the levels, is 67,554. However, on Jumping Swarm, Chip cannot survive for 399 seconds, which makes this score experimentally impossible. Slo Mo is the only other timed level without a confirmed score of 1.

Level 92: VORTEX
In the first section of Vortex, there are a lot of blue walls interwoven with blocks; begin L 2U 2R DR around the start, then move to the recessed wall and 2U L 2U L. First, turn to the north and reach the bouncing walker. The combination of the fireball guard and the walker will not allow you to escape if Chip moves directly in, so instead move [1] R and 2L 5U 2R 5U to the key. Now, the walker will be messing around, hopefully not heading north, and you can sneak back out. While this run is also not guaranteed to work, Chip has one spare move to wait for the walker with.

Now, from the intersection, collect the (unnecessary) green key, dive into the "vortex", and grab the chips when you reach them. Eventually, you will find the center; slide UDU to take the chip, then play to the right, then down, then left out into the outer ring, and then run all the way around to the last chip and exit the level past that. 444 seconds are left.

Level 93: ROADSIGN
Roadsign's name comes not only from the force floor "directions", but from the stop sign area in the northwest, containing the level's last chip.

Move to the far right, collect block 5 in the peninsula, and move it 2L 2U 5R 5D 9L 6U 2L 3U 11R 2U 16L. Continue U 3L D and touch the green button twice, and then push block 4 3D 8R and 2D. To reach the block for a 2R move, walk 2U RD and LDL, according to a principle of boosting. When this is done, sidle block 5 D, in the above section push both blocks over the force floor, and then slide up over the ice space to the right, which leads to a new area at the left.

When you spot block 1, take the chip, then move the block 3U 3R U 3R, go back to the left and collect the chip from the room with the trapped balls. The time that you pressed the green button blocked the pink balls directly. To get the block out, continue with it 2D 4R 10D (walk, don't slide) 2L 4U 4L 2D 2R 2D, all the way west and 3D2L. Blocks 1, 4 and 5 will now move in an interplay through the force floors and some ice to reach the remaining chips.

Throw block 5 3L and then stuff block 1 5D on the way around to block 5, which removes the first water. In this situation, perfect boosting would lead to Chip having to wait. As Chip will continue to pass north, wait on the chip to the east. From the gravel, move DRURURD from the gravel and move block 4 also 3L.

On the way over to block 4, move block 1 through the maze below: 2L 3U 2L 2D 6L 2D 3R 3U, and then walk back to the southwest corner and out to block 4, which will remove the next dirt. Now, you can pick up the chip in the thin corridor; come back and move block 1 2L, then walk 3R D 3L, speeding up the path to the remaining moves of 2U 4R. Move this block all the way north to the water in the northwest for the last chip, and then walk and slide back out to the exit. All roads now lead to 650.

Level 94: NOW YOU SEE IT
The route through Now You See It is 93 seconds long, but there are few intersections, the walls are hidden, and you have a map. For the quickest way to each chip, go south at the start, north first just above the start, and then to the northeast for one chip and south for another two. Continue to the west, pick up the chip just below, and all the way to the northwest and walk east to chip six. Finally, finish down through the long corridor, west to the final chip, and drop south to the exit. Now you see it!

Level 95: FOUR SQUARE
This level will fool most players on their first few runs; eight chips are scattered through the level, and you need only two. The fastest route is as such: 2D L, take the red key, throw block 2 into the water ignoring the dirt, and then enter the walker room to collect the chip on the right side (good luck...)

Use the second red key to access the yellow key, with the help of block 1, and then use this key on the east side to collect the second chip, and exit below that. You have become the king and score 335.

Level 96: PARANOIA
Paranoia's password is identical (BIFQ) to the one for Four Square, which likely led to the change to BIFA for the Lynx version.

Paranoia, named for the likely result of all the failed experiments at winning it, requires the player to cancel a blue button in order to escape the beginning area. The tanks are set up such that you cannot hit the button, grab even the red key (the fire boots save 17 seconds, but aren't required to win), and safely escape.

Chase the tank to two chips, wait, and then touch the button three times as you take the blue key, then hide by taking the third chip. Now, you can sneak into the second room. Here, pick up the first chip, touch the button, hide by taking the second chip, and then wait one move before touching the button, which causes the tanks to go dead as the tank on top hit the button on the same turn. Collect the remaining items, swap the tanks, hide in the second alcove, and then escape.

Slide over the fire (quicker than just ice) and move from the recessed wall DR 5D and into the ball section. You can take the first three chips without waiting, but wait to take the next three. Chip can also take the chip and hide in the fire, but it is slower.

In the next room are four paramecia; go to the center, take the chips, and then take the ice slide to another room. Wait, fit into the left side, and take four chips only before you pop to the right side and take all six chips there. Now, take the other two chips on the left from below, the red key in the channel to the right, and then go to the extreme right, which leads to the red lock. Finish the level by moving to the south, then center and east, around to the top, and then to the left which houses the exit in a corridor. You score 320 seconds for scaring everything.

Level 97: METASTABLE TO CHAOS
It begins metastable, then turns chaos the moment you invade the circling bugs. Fortunately, there's a quick solution: D 4U 9R DR 2D, move the block to the start, then walk 2D LD 4R DR 2U [1] 3R. Despite the huge instability, you are safe in the exit and score 290 seconds.

Level 98: SHRINKING
You won't need any of the blocks; they are designed to make travel through the increasingly harder sections easier. Spiral through the circling balls, R 2D 2L 2U 2R through each room, and wait 1/2 move when leaving the first area, 1/2 move when entering the 5th area, 1 move before entering the sixth and seventh areas, and 1/2 move when leaving the eighth area.

Hurry, the clock is shrinking! You need perfect execution to collect the 338 bold.

Level 99: CATACOMBS
This is a speed solution to Catacombs, requiring a lot of luck, but easy to use and quite quick. Walk through the block and blue key, chip and blue lock, then move the trapped block U and walk R 2U to the first junction (hope for Chip east). Now, collect the chips in the far north, go through the two yellow locks in the center and pick up a red key and chips, then use this key to reach more keys and the two far southern chips. More luck comes in: push the block onto the force floor, hoping for block up, Chip east, and then take the keys. Open the yellow lock, then the green lock, and do the same thing above that. If it works this time, continue to the exit on the right for a score of 380 seconds.

Note that the bugs in the traps will rarely, if ever, be released in casual play, as monsters on clone machines do not work as controllers.

Level 100: COLONY
Colony is composed of a 7x7 square-within-a-square area with 48 chips and Chip, alternately peppered with glider and fireball, and also a gnomon border to the southwest, with only a 3x2 cell and no chip, very similar to the basic structure of Cellblocked. The map illustrates this unusual structure.

The level can be completed in 89 seconds as thus: Move through each cell to the next one in the directions provided, and take the chip unless directed not to for a reason such as an unfavorable monster position in the next room, while Chip is going through the current room at some later point anyways.

DLUL (no chip) DU 3L DLUL 3D R (no chip) DULU 3R URD 3R LD (no chip) R (no chip) 2D 2U 2L DR 2D RLULDUL (no chip) DU (no chip) L (no chip) UDR 2U 2L 3D RLDL 2U L 2D, which is the exit. This elicits the next decade message: Besides being an angel on earth, Melinda is the top scorer in the Challenge—and the president of the Bit Busters.