Chip's Challenge/Levels 41-60

This is a continuation of the walkthrough for Chip's Challenge. Levels 41 (I. C. YOU) through 60 (SCOUNDREL) will be discussed here.

Level 41: I.C. YOU
The key to I.C. You is the shown hint near a teleport, which says "Teleport direction sequence 1st rdul 2nd lulu." There are two ways to teleport to each section, and only one will let Chip take the chips. Teleport U first, then R, D, U, and L through the next teleports, then slide UD and begin the L, U, L, and U. The only set of chips that may pose a question is the second L; in the circle of eight, collect one part on the way over and the other on the way out. Now, slide L to return to the start, then circle clockwise around with the bugs to take the remaining chips, and duck into the exit near the first teleport. You score up 172 seconds.

Level 42: BEWARE OF BUG
In Beware of Bug, a series of monsters will be thrown at Chip, and he has to dodge them with one of two moves: into the chip corner, or out. The latter is done only for paramecia in this case.

Take one chip and avoid the paramecium, one chip from the fireball, and then three chips before the bug, and finally one chip before the glider and one chip before another paramecium. Now, because the glider will survive the water, he's going to intercept the second paramecium and slowly chase you. However, he's way too far away. Just keep running to the center and exit for 187 seconds.

Level 43: LOCK BLOCK
The theme of levels like this are the blocks of four with a lock as one corner; the key is needed to use the three blocks.

Move right and take the red key from the ball, then turn to the left, move the block out of the way, and move block 3 north to access the goodies. Now, use the red key to open the first "lock block" and use the blocks in order of 2, 3 and 1. Though there is no red key next to you, there is one to the left; do not push the block, because it cannot be used. Open the red lock, move block 2 D, then use in the order 1, 3 and 2.

The red key for this lock is located below you; slide past the ball to collect it and then open the red lock. Use in the order of 2, 1 and 3 to reach another lock; take the red key first, then open the lock, move block 3 R, and use 1, 2 and 3. Finish the fifth lock by moving block 2 D, then use blocks 1, 2 and 3 to exit the level with 126 seconds left.

Level 44: REFRACTION
Refraction is of simple design, with four quadrants containing eight chips apiece, with four on each side of the quadrant, separated by toggle walls, but only two of the chips on each side available at any one time because of the tanks. It is named Refraction for its symmetry excepting the refracted line through the center.

Move to the southeast quadrant, take the 2 chips on the left, the 2 chips on the right, and then switch the toggle walls to access the northeast quadrant. Remove the chips on the right, then on the left, and swap the tanks to access the other two chips on the right and left. Swap the walls again and go to the southeast, then take only chip 3 on the left, and divert to the right before collecting chip 1. Normally, such a venture would waste a lot of time, but because of the extreme wait that would result if both 3 and 1 were taken, it works out to a greater sum.

Now, follow the balls to the left side, swap the walls, and enter the northwest, where you take the right and then left chips, and then transpose to the southwest to take chips 4, 1 and 3, and then 2. Now, swap the tanks and take the left, then right, and also the left and right to the northwest. The exit is in the middle, and 146 seconds remain.

Level 45: MONSTER LAB
There are two routes to complete this level, one a very nifty neutralization reaction influenced by Perfect Match, and one 8-second straight-ahead route requiring more luck to pass than a repealing of the 5th Amendment.

The goal in this level, using the longer route, is to cause all the monsters to clone in patterns such that the toggle walls stay in one position all the time. You can stop all the clone machines, but it takes significantly longer.

Clone two blocks near the bug clone machine, shove them 5L D and 5L, and L and 4U 5L. Now, take a detour to the top section, build a bridge to the blue button and touch it, and then [1] U D to switch them again. Now, move two more blocks 3U 4L and 3U 5L to access the fire boots (ignore the suction boots) and take the path to the eastern section of the level, where another clone block awaits to the east. Move the block outwards 6L, then 6D 5R D onto the red button to stop the cloning and cause the toggle walls to stay where they are. Return to the beginning of the level and move south, clone a block, and step 2D 3R 2U, then move this block out to the exit.

To get the bold route of 292, simply clone a block, move it to the left, and dive into the pool of walkers. It's so unlikely that it almost assuredly will take hours. It took me eight hours of continuous work, on a day I was luckily alone, and an estimated 3,650 attempts, on the day when I really gave it a shot. Go for the 226 before you try the 292. And don't try for a 291 - just get the 292 done with.

Level 46: THREE DOORS
As can be seen at the top of the map, there is a secret "back door" route over the force floors which was unaccounted for in the Lynx version, where sideways steps from sliding on force floors were allowed, but backwards steps and all steps when previously sliding ice or teleports disallowed.

From the given landing, move 2L DULD, then return to the start and move D, and go through the blue lock, green lock, and then toggle wall to reach the monster room. Avoid the monsters any way you can, giving up one move if you have to, reach the force floor, and ride to a choice of three paths, the exit being on the left. Programmer error in your favor...your score is thus 222.

Level 47: PIER SEVEN
Seven blocks are scattered around this level, with a few ice patches thrown in to shake things up a bit. The goal is to find the one area where you can bridge to the chips in the center with only the seven blocks given. The map shows that this spot is about at the very south edge.

The blocks are presented in order of appearance; follow each instruction in order.

Block 3: Move 2D 3R 13D R 3D 8L to set the block for use, and go back for...

Block 6: Move this 9L and use it, and follow by moving block 3 2U R and on the next spot.

Block 7: Use the ice as a shortcut to under this; shove it 4U 5R and onto the bridge.

Block 5: 4D, left to the block, and then push it right and onto the bridge.

Block 4: 5D 9L 6U, where it's located 2L from you, and pass this by for now.

Block 2: Shove this block 7D, then retrieve block 4 and move it 6D, then block 2 2R.

Block 1: From there, move 9U R and move the block U 4L 12D, then right and up to the water. Slide over the ice, then step 3U L 2D to use block 2. Finish with 8D, west, and use block 4 to reach the chips. Drop to the very bottom of the level, then run to the exit in the southeast for a score of 231.

Level 48: MUGGER SQUARE
Thieves will repeatedly pop up through this four-sectioned metropolis, which means you have to be a bit thrifty with your tools.

Take the chip above you, then return to the start and touch the first down force floor, followed by L 2D to slide to an ice rink. Continue 2U L to take a chip, then U and R over the up force floor, and 2U L to reach a pool area. Remove the two chips, then continue 5R D 2R U to reach a fire room. Again, take the chip, but ignore the suction boots; you're not going to need them, assuming MS rules. Instead, step on the east force floor near the thieves, and continue R 2D and slide U out of the teleport to the ice rink. Steal the flippers, then slide D back through the teleport and L, overriding the down force floor, to return to the pool and the exit. Steal this: 277 seconds!

The reason the name of this level is called "Mugger Square" is because the name Mugger refers to the spies or thieves in the level that steals your equipments.

Another way of working this level is that from where you begin, get the one chip in the ordinary floor area, but do not get the skates in the center of the ordinary floor area, go directly to the thieves, you have nothing for them to take at this moment. From where you are next, get the skates that are adjacent to the thieves you first encounter, then press the "Down" button to be teleported to the ice rink. When you are at the ice rink, grab the one chip, but do not get the flippers in the middle of the ice rink just yet because those need to be saved for the end, once you have collected the chip, go to the thieves and for now, you may let them take your ice skates. From this point, get the flippers that are adjacent to the thieves, then move left to teleport to the water area, swim across the water and grab the two chips in the center of the water, then go to the thieves and let them take your flippers for now. Next, from where you are, get the fire boots adjacent to the thieves, then go up one space to be teleported to the fire area, in the fire area, get the one chip and the suction shoes. From here and on, you have the suction shoes and you can safely avoid the spies or thieves that will take your equipments and allow you to walk on the force floors the same way you walk on ordinary floors; safely pick up all the remaining chips, walk to the ordinary floor area and grab the ice skates, then head to the ice rink and get the flippers in the center of the ice rink, and now you will have all four gears and you can go to any area safely by simply avoiding the spies and the monsters and swim to the exit.

Level 49: PROBLEMS
Problems could be a bit of a problem if it worked the way it was supposed to, but in the transition from the original Lynx version to the Microsoft MS version, some glitches turned up. One of those is the way that paramecia, bugs, and teeth exit traps or clone machines, officially known as the Controller and Boss Glitch.

In the case of traps, the monster created directly before the trapped monster's direction is the way the monster will exit the trap. For clone machines, it is the most recent monster created. This can nowadays be altered in level editors without erasing all the monsters, but when these levels were made, there was no such thing as a level editor.

In the first room, you have to take the keys and escape before the paramecium releases a bunch of pink balls that would make the collection of the keys problematical, not to mention possible occasions of the Transparency Glitch. To speed out, move 3L 3D 6L 4U 8L 4D U 5L DL, up, and east to escape the room. The paramecium releases the balls on the top and prepares to release a second set of balls in the lower room, which would be annoying...except it never gets there, because the "controller" for the trap is a ball. Like all the balls in this level, it moves only horizontally, and the paramecium cannot move horizontally out of the trap. Therefore, it will never come out!

From the brown button, move as such, unimpeded, to collect the chips: 2D 9L 5D 2R 2U 3R 3D L 3D R 7L 3U 2L 4D 5L 2U 5L 4U 5R 2D 2R U 3R 5U 8L D, and exit above. 162 seconds...no problem!

Chip doesn't have to dodge any pink balls in the lower section of the maze, because when he runs over the bear trap release near the middle right side it fails to release a paramecia.

Level 50: DIGDIRT
This level isn't a difficult one, but you have to watch where the monsters are moving and also to note where to move to keep them from being right on you.

Step 2R 5U 2R to take the first chip, then down to a chip, left to two, down to a chip (wait one), right to three more (enter from the bottom on the third), up to three more (wait two entering the second, and enter from the right on the third), left to three more (enter from the top on the third), and then down to one, and right to one, entering from the bottom. Now, drop to the exit below for 318 seconds!

Starting from level 50 and at every ten levels, plus 144 and 149, a special message, known as the decade message, is delivered to Chip. For Digdirt, the message reads: ''Picking up chips is what the challenge is all about. But on the ice, Chip gets chapped and feels like a chump instead of a champ.''

In Lynx, however, the messages begin directly from level 10, and the first four were lost in translation.

Level 51: I SLIDE
The route through I Slide is almost completely sliding on ice, which means although there aren't many choices for Chip, a wrong choice can cost a lot of time.

The correct route is 2D U 4L 2D L 3R 2D URUDL 4U RDL 2U RDR 2U, worth 655.

Level 52: THE LAST LAUGH
Whenever you move across the level to the other side, the teeth will follow you, and continue to block passage to the top area. The only way to get there is to use the force floors to move faster than the slower teeth can handle, and get the button to be hit twice in one passage. Meanwhile, however, Chip must avoid the bugs.

This is done, in even step, by 3R 3D 2R, then D off the third force floor, and LU. Now, speed past the open gap above, take the chip, switch the walls, and move 3U 3L 2U 6L [1] 6R, which will cause the teeth to touch the red button once while remaining on the east side. Now, you can escape the area, slide to the left, switch the walls and take the chip, and then move the block L D to escape and score 382.

Level 53: TRAFFIC COP
Although you already know that you can override a force floor in any direction, this is the level you're likely to find it on. The hint suggests you direct the walkers to the green button, which is slow and unreliable.

For a quicker long route, push blocks onto the water U and UL from the green button. For the full 478 route, move 2D 3L and all the way south, which will create a big shortcut. Return to the exit when the walls are open to score 478 seconds.

Level 54: GRAIL
When you've recovered from the exquisite design of Grail, move to the right and onto the random force floor, hoping for a south move. Take the green key, play R, then R and D off the two other random floors and past the teleport. Circle around the chips, hopefully not bothering the walker (you can take the circle in either direction, so choose carefully if you can see a danger), teleport left, and take the other chips from this walker in a similar manner. The inevitable dead end of the double-wide chip stack to the west side allows for greater manipulation of the random elements to Chip's advantage.

Now, slide R through the teleport again, U onto a fake wall, and now D and hold the east key all the way to, hopefully, the exit. If the random force floors in front of the green lock waste as little as one move, Chip can score 326.

In Lynx, Grail requires a drastically different method of solving, as Chip cannot go backwards over force floors. Here, Chip would have to use the area to the northwest, which is very unreliable due to random force floors, even under the structured Lynx rules for random force floor movement.

Level 55: POTPOURRI
Potpourri is just what it sounds like, even though there is a limit to the amount of things that can be contained in it.

Move 6R to take a chip, then 2L 3U [1] R 2U L [2] R 2D RD and collect the fire boots, and walk around the tanks and continue to the south, moving block 4 specifically to avoid the thieves. Push the block in the fire section for one chip, then collect the curl of the "G" chips and walk around to the blue lock. The toughest part of the level is this boosting section; only three of these chips are required, and you already have fire boots.

The fastest way through is RDR 2D 2U R 3U, leaving behind the one behind the fire boots, as there is one accessible but extra chip. In the ball section, Chip climbs the ladder of chips with 4L U 2L UD. Take a break 5L to uncover this hidden chip, then move R 3U 2D-L to collect the wedge chip, and 2R [1] 2R U [1] and all the way east to the exit. Alas! A potpourri of 70 seconds!

Level 56: DEEPFREEZE
Deepfreeze is generally easy, but you can make it even easier by using the MS-exclusive ice override.

Start with the chip to the right, pass the gravel in the center, and take the very bottom entrance to the right to reach one chip. Come back out, move 10U through the corridor, and slide L to the green button and back out to the center. Duck into the entrance just under the chip to the northeast (you'll collect it on the way out), move 4R through the corridor on the right as the ball slips west, and turn up to the three chips behind the toggle wall. When you come back, you can just slip to the right, collect this chip, and then move 5L 2D to reach the chip on the other side of this teleport. Now, go back to the start, taking the final chip, and enter the second socket to the left to reach the ice skates, allowing you to exit in the northeast corner. Brrr...162 seconds.

Level 57: STRANGE MAZE
Strange Maze is simply a good old maze with some strange walls: trapped teeth and walkers, sockets, water, fire, doors, bombs, normal walls, and fake walls. To beat it, turn west first and move left at every intersection, and then turn to the right side of the level and turn right at every intersection. This collects the last chip within the sockets, and since the sockets can now be opened, Chip saves one second and scores 229.

Level 58: LOOP AROUND
A secret easter egg in Loop Around is that the water spells "DUNG". Looking for a clue? Nope. That's just one of the playtesters' names (Dung Dang, as odd as that is!) Nevertheless, Loop Around isn't difficult to understand: loop around the four sections to collect some chips, and watch out for pink balls. However, it is actually quite difficult.

Begin with R 2U LU, hold the east key to bust into the N, and quickly run 7U 2R to avoid a good squashing! Move 2R and down to the flippers, then swim to the chip, and bust east out of the N. Keep holding north until you bust through two walls, and turn west to circle to the east side of the G. While on the east side, start to hold west, which will move you through the wall. Join the ball for 5D, then swim to three chips, retreat back around, and then walk out to the east and slide back out to the force track, which takes you finally back to the center again.

From the landing, slide to the west and around to the D. Now, you have to be careful about holding south because of the ball below you; enter the sixth wall, and then move [1] D 4L 5D 4R U and back to the force track. Finish by holding west as you reach the U, and swim to pick up the remaining chips. A little further down the track is the exit; your goal is 550.

Level 59: HIDDEN DANGER
This level is another one of the "busted" levels because you don't need the chips due to a secret "back door" route. In addition, this route doesn't require bothering the walkers, and works every time, so it is the only route provided.

Slide on the ice all the way down, left, up, and right, but hold south to override the force floor and avoid collecting the red key (important!). Now, make the turn all the way to the left, pass by the chips, tools, teeth, fake wall, and 5R, then up to the teleport. Because you didn't get the red key, with no other teleport in the level, you slide directly over the teleport and can exit with D. The game is up...368 seconds are yours.

Note that even in Lynx, Hidden Danger is still busted, because Chip can go up through the second corridor, with a little walker dodging, and then D into the teleport, still reaching the same conclusion but only slightly later.

Level 60: SCOUNDREL
Scoundrel is also busted, allowing you to complete it in six (!) seconds, because of the different boosting rules in MS. Move 11D 2R 6D 2L 9D to reach the exit area; can you spot it? Continue 2L 2D 2R (a route of 2D R is slightly faster, but it's less likely to work) which will get you to the exit at 288 provided the random floor sends you east.

As we are at level 60, the decade message pops up again: ''Chip hits the ice and decides to chill out. Then he runs into a fake wall and turns the maze into a thrash-a-thon!'' Get ready, because one of those is coming up next!