Chip's Challenge/Levels 141-149

This is the conclusion of the walkthrough for Chip's Challenge. Levels 141 (UNDERGROUND) through 149 (SPECIAL) will be discussed on this page.

Level 141: UNDERGROUND
The structure of Underground is composed of 32 strips of four to six floor spaces, with paramecia bouncing around them, and chips in 15 of them. Chip must use what he knows about paramecia, and also what the dirt and chips do, to play through Underground. The level, however, can be completed in 31 seconds!

The route through this level is D8LD [chip] 6U (releasing another paramecium out of the way) 2R [chip] 4UL (as U would cause a collision) 5U2RU [chip] 2U2L4U [chip] 5U [chip] D (the paramecium holds to the north, so go south!) 6RD4R [chip] L6D (to release the paramecium from the blunt side) R [chip] 2R2DRD2R (this paramecium is out of the way now) 3D [chip] D2L (allows the paramecia to circle around without chasing you!) 2D3L [1] 2LD (chip) 2D4R5D [chip] 2U6R2U (this path to the chip allows the paramecia to move somewhere else) 2R2D2R (this allows safe entry for you and safe exit for them) 2DRD [chip] R5UL5UR [chip] UL7U [chip] 4U2LUL [chip] 2U5R (this is the blunt side; with paramecia directly behind you, any wait would be fatal) 2U2R, and you have won!

Level 142: PENTAGRAM
Begin the route through the pentagram with 2R2DLDL2D, and then play all the way to the east, zigzag northwest, then DLD and left to another chip. Now, continue playing all the way to the far left of the level, then up to the north-west corner, and then east to the top center. Finally, play all the way down to the bottom for another two chips, and then zigzag northwest again, which leads to the exit.

Level 143: STRIPES?
The entire level is composed of invisible walls that are not a maze, but a collection of "stripes" that move from north-west to south-east, with occasional breaks in between that allow you to either pick up a chip and then retreat, or to break through the stripe altogether.

Many moves in this level will be diagonal moves; therefore, on this level guide specifically, each change of direction will be separated. The specific direction for a zigzag is two letters, with the number of diagonal squares in front: 2UR = URUR. The usual lettered base spots are also used.

The entire route is as such: D 5L U L 6RD U 4L 4UL L 2D 3DR 3UL 2U 2R 6DR 2D 2L U 2L D 5DR 13LU 4DR 2D 2L 3UL 3L 3UL 3DR 3R 13DR 4D R D 11UL L D 4DR 4LU U R 6RD 3D 4RD D 2L 8UL L (A) 2L 3UL 4U 7LU U 2R 7DR 7LU 3L 2D L 3UL. Go back to A. 5D 7RD D 2L 2R U 22UL 2L D U 3R 2DR 2D (B) 2D 11RD 3D R 2D 2L 7UL. Go back to B. 3L 2D R 11DR 9LU 2L 2D 3RD D L 4LU 2DR 4D 5RD 4R 3DR 3LU 5L 2D R D 7UL R 4D R 3D 3L, which exits the level.

Level 144: FIREFLIES
This is the last level...or is it? Remember Cypher.

The trick to Fireflies is that it is mostly symmetrical, so you should collect the chips on the top end and then play around clockwise to the next. There are only eight fireballs, but they are on very long tracks, which makes it quite difficult to tell when one is attacking you on the road ahead. Therefore, the time going counterclockwise is minimal.

Start moving counterclockwise, ignoring the chips, until a fireball blocks your path on the turn west. Here, take the chip above, then continue to walk all the way around and collect the chip at (2, 10). Now, backtrack all the way to the start and collect the chips on the way, and now turn right from the first intersection and continue to walk through, this time collecting each chip as you reach it. The exit is opposite Chip, and at the end of this level, the game "ends" with an animation that includes the exit expanding to "deposit" Chip into Melinda's club - although the Challenge is not actually finished! Either type TONY to see level 145, or use JHEN from Cypher to skip to level 146.

Level 145: Thanks to...
Thanks to... is notable for being the only level without outside borders, the only CC1 level not in all capitals, the fastest untimed level in existence, and being a commemorative composition - as well as being completely omitted from the Lynx version of CC. Instead, the password MAND will bring you to a Mandelbrot generator, and you have to use the JHEN password from Cypher in order to access the remaining levels of the game.

The password (TONY) could be Tony Garcia or Tony Krueger, and is generally assumed to be the former, although Tony K. was the author of the game. Ed H. (in random force floors) is probably Ed Halley, who was the artist. The other three names are Doug T. (toggle doors), Rob D. (in floor spaces with monsters inside the letters) and Lisa F. (in dirt) receive no other mention.

Now, to complete the level: Step onto the ice, and then exit the teleport either all the way past DOUG and take the fire boots, then slide to the exit, or for a speed solution, walk between the D and O, over Rob's R, and onto Ed's E, which will cause death quite often! Just continue to hold down, and you will succeed about 1/64 of the time. In addition to the faster force floor moves, you can start sliding east faster (at 20 squares a second for perpendicular moving!) and reach the exit in eight seconds. Beside the exit is a hint which also thanks the WEP 4 test team!

Level 146: CAKE WALK
Cake Walk. What a malapropism! Cake Walk is extremely tedious, very long, and full of block-pushing. This guide will be stretched to its limits describing this route.

33 blocks are required to collect the eight chips and red and blue keys below, and you have exactly 33 in the east section, plus one to the right of the start. You will need to use one to block out the fireball cloner, but since you are going to the left side anyway to collect the chips, you can use the one to the left of the start as an extra, allowing Chip to waste one block on the right side. The blocks in the east section will be referred to by number, in their original reading order from northwest to southeast, if no other method is feasible.

Begin by moving the first extra 2R2D to cover the first water, then play 2U8R6UR (this is the block wasted) U8LRDLUL7D, which sends the fireballs into the ball room, messing up their moves a bit and allowing Chip to get through it quicker. Block the cloner out at the top with block 1, then play D5RD2L2DLRU2LUL and then down; both blocks open the water below them. Play block 3 (the loose block) into the water below it, then block 6 L, block 5 2L, block 6 4D, and then block 5 into the water to allow block 6 to move R; leave the dirt alone. Do the same thing with blocks 12 and 13 to open up the water spaces underneath the other two, remove all the dirt, and now move blocks 20 and 19 5L each. Now, collect the green key and continue 3U2L3DU2LDUL2DL4D, move the block on the left next to the other, and play RDLD2R. Play the block furthest south L, the one UR from that 2L, and continue 2U3RU2LUL4DL4D, the block to the left 6D, and then continue RD2LU to free up the path to the left. Collect a block from the top, move it all the way south, and play 2RD and left to begin bridging to the west. Now, whenever you are in this position, or later D from here, play RUR instead of U2R across the ice, which maximizes the boosts collected. At this point, do so with RU2R, play to the far north and collect this block, stuff it into the floor hole in the water, and now play to the ball area. Thanks to the fireball diversion, it's a bit easier to sneak in on the right side.

Collect the yellow key on the top end, then continue 2LD, take the five chips on the left, and play the extra block on the left of the start 6R4D3R to begin turning south. Continue by moving the nearest block L, the block on the row above 5L, the first one 4D, the second 5D3L into the water to the left, and then play the loose block under that into the water under that. Since you have a yellow key, play RU4R to begin the next phase. Move to the next tower on the right side, play blocks 26 and 25 7L, then play 5R2U3LDU2L5RU4L2RU3L4DL to begin the next block move. Play the block under you 4D, the one on the west edge 6D, and then onto the fifth water to the left of the ice track. Go back to the top, take the second block on the second column all the way down, then play 2RD and the other block 4L2D onto the fifth row, ready to begin bridging to the west. Take the block on the far north and wedge it under the top dirt and D to continue the bridge east, then play the near two blocks L and 4L, 4D and 5D, then play RD and west to fill in the top water and then start moving the bridge west. Use the other block to fill in the water on the right side; at this point, the remaining blocks will continue to move to the right and left in order to collect the remaining chips.

Play blocks 33 and 32 9L, then continue 7RULRU7L7RU6L6RU7L to create the five-block stack again. Continue with 4DL, use the block D and block L on their respective bridges, then the second block on the top to the left and the top block to the right. Now, play the single loose block L, then move all the way to the right, 3U4L2DU5L5RU6L, and use this block and the lower stacked block on the left, then finish the right side with the other stacked block. You now have a red key and four more chips. Only three blocks remain; play the one on the bottom 6L, the one above that 9L, and the top one 10L, and use the top block, the lower block, and then the center block to finish the run. You now have all the chips; the final stage is exiting the level.

Play through the two remaining doors, shove the block on the right R and U, and then play it north as it slides back, after half a move. After this, wait half a move again because the block will push itself over the force floor if you don't, to (17, 19), and then follow it and collect the suction boots. Continue to play 2LD2LD to reach the fire boots, waiting in the same way, then move the block under this 2D14L and up to reach a red key. Play out of this 2D and to the right, then step on the force floors and open the fourth red door on the bottom. Now, shove the block R, where it will take a path right to the open red door, allowing you to bridge to the exit for a time of 712.


 * NB: Instead of going out to open the door and then coming back, it is thinly possible to play the block onto the random force floors and that it will stay on them long enough for you to open the door and play DL safely, allowing it through the door and saving up to five seconds. This is a very unlikely route, and just one attempt at it takes about 4 1/2 minutes. You could play it your whole lifetime and not get it. But it's nice to speculate...

Level 147: FORCE FIELD
As mentioned in one of Melinda's special dispatches, this level is not referred to by number, only by "XXX", by a reference to its title, and that it will come near the very end. It should therefore come as no surprise that Force Field was the last of all levels to be completed for a large section of the major players of the game. Reports of somebody leaving their computer on overnight with Force Field half-finished (!) exist in CC lore; fortunately, this solution plays out in twenty-nine seconds (!).

In this guide, the force floor sliding will be referred to in brackets, in a 1:2 scale: [L] = 2L, etc. If there are no numbers, just do nothing.

Immediately play RD, hold to the second chip, and then play L. Step R onto the first chip's location, then RD [3DR] U to the next chip, then 2R [U] R [2R] D2LD to the next two. Continue with L [L2U] R [chip] 2L [chip] 2U [chip] D [chip] L [LUL] U2L [chip] U. This section is a critical jump to the east side of the level; continue to slide UL2D, then step on the east key full-throttle to break through four vertical force fields. Land on the chip above, then continue DR [2R] 2DR [RD] R2U [chip], and then drop back down with L [L4D]. Finish the top section with R2D [chip] R [chip] U [UL] U [2UR] U2R [chip] R [R2D] LD [chip]. Break through two more force fields below, take the chip in the corner, and clear out the bottom area with UL [2L] L [LU] L3D, which leaves one chip left. This chip is in the very top right, which was left behind because it leads directly to the suction boots. Reach this chip with L [L2U2RU] U [slide to floor] U [UL] U [2UR] U3R [chip]. Finally, take the suction boots; U [U5L5D] 2LD will access them on the right side, and then clamp to the exit on the far left.

Level 148: MIND BLOCK
Noticably, Mind Block is a symmetrical square except for a couple off-kilter chips and the squares around them, and the clone machine and button in the center.

The simplest solution to Mind Block is to build double bridges in all four directions, starting from the eight bombs nearest to the center, to collect five chips and also to free the two side paths to seven more chips. Start by removing the bomb UR from the cloner, then L from the cloner, start building south, and then return one of the blocks north to knock out the block 2U2L from the cloner and then the block 2L from the cloner. You can now build bridges in all four directions with ease. On the turn right in the north section is the exit, so finish that section last. I advise south, east, west, north. For a fully detailed solution, watch the video link.

Level 149: SPECIAL
The grand finale of CC1 has a secret trick to it. First, swap the keys through the doors until you can teleport west, and take stock of the situation: The area outside of the keys and doors has nine islands with water separating them from each other, and not all the blocks are usable - some are rather hot.

But where is the exit? It's not in any of the other corners. In fact, if you build there, one of the blocks in each corner has a hint that says "This spot would be too obvious!"

Therefore, other means must be tried. Build up to the center island first as thus: Play 2D3R3U, use the two blocks on the water above to reach the next spot above, and then play UL4U and shove this block R4UR to begin the bridge, accompanied by the block next to it. You are now in the center of the level; since the corners of the level don't work, the center doesn't, the sides must have the exit somewhere. You are near the top edge (seen from the red door pathway), so build there first; the block you see right when you land belongs R5U, and then play 2D3RD2L to make this block join the bridge. Continue to slide to the north, and then slide the first block on the top side L, which has the exit under it (the only level that this occurs on!)

When this happens, as seen in Fireflies, the exit enlarges, Chip does a bit of a victory dance, and Melinda tells Chip congratulations. Chip is then lifted by the club members en masse, and the following message is displayed: "Melinda herself offers Chip membership in the exclusive Bit Busters computer club, and gives him access to the club's computer system. Chip is in heaven!"

The game then also specifies how many levels were completed, your current score, and then allows you to then go back to improve your score if you desire. Then, the game shows the ending image, shown at the bottom of the page, until you select a different level or end your session.

And thus ends a fabulous game. Happy Chipping.