The pop-pop Unofficial Guide

All guide content @ pop-popx
Htmlilized and images added by Frinkruds

Contents

• Intro
• Installing the game
• Why register?
• How to play
  • The controls
  • Energy units
  • Special brick types
  • Power downs and power ups
  • Objectives in each game
  • Losing
• Networking
  • How to network a game
  • Networking Lounge
• Pop-Pop Characters
  • Bombastic
  • Ducky
  • Ioni
  • Mini-T
  • Mr Man
  • Tex
  • Zap
• Technical Support
• Links

Intro

Welcome to the pop-pop unofficial guide. This takes you through the entire game. The help advice in the game will help, too. With over 100 levels, excellent gameplay, and network capability, pop-pop is 100% sure satisfying alright.

Installing the game

Download the game at Ambrosia Software's website.

To install Pop-pop:

• 1. Go to www.ambrosiasw.com/games/pop-pop
  
• 2. Click on Mac Download (if you have a Mac) or Windows Download (if you have a Windows). (You can click on the mirrors too.)
  
• 3. Wait until the download's done.
  
• 4. Find the installer and do all its steps.
  
  

Why register?

-It's only $25!
-Get all 7 characters!
-Unlimited game play!
-You can do everything you wanted to do including host your game for an unlimited time, join a network game, and choose your favorite pop-pop!

To buy this, go to Ambrosia Software and click on store.

To register, Use the Ambrosia Software Registration Program listed as "Register pop-pop".

How to play

The game's advice is in the game itself located in the menu with a question mark. There you'll find everything. But those who prefer better advice and strategies, you'll find it here.

The controls

Moving the mouse
Move the mouse to move the paddle. Make sure the ball hits it or the bricks will down.

Holding The Mouse button
It will activate your magnet. But in solo mode, use it very carefully or your score will drop down to 0.

Clicking the mouse button
While your ball's still bouncing, use this to make your ball more powerful to hit the bricks easier. A perfect one costs five energy units. Each one costs one energy unit.

Option (Mac) and Right Mouse button (Windows)
Although it costs four energy units and only can be used in versus mode, it will cause wrath on your opponent and make sure it works! If your ball hits the paddle while its charging up, it will cancel. But if your ball hits it after charging up, the attack will happen and use the magnet to attach it to the paddle before the glow wears off after a period of time. Each one has its own specialty.

Energy units

Every time your ball hits a brick, the energy unit number will increase by one. Whenever you get a power charge, the energy unit number will increase by 5.

Read the section above for more info.

Note for the energy units: You can have a maximum of 50 energy units

Special brick types

• Steel Brick: More common in solo (puzzle) mode's expert levels. This is indestructible, literally!
  
• Metal Brick: This needs two hits to make it vanish. Whenever a player (in versus mode) hits a hollow brick while its flashing, it turns into a metal brick. But it also can be found in solo (puzzle) mode.
  
• Red Metal Brick: This is found only in puzzle mode. This takes three hits to make it vanish and it can be found more likely in expert levels.
  
• Hollow Brick: This only is in versus mode. Whenever your opponent hits more than one brick, hit it before the black on it (that displays that brick is a hollow brick) disappears, and metal bricks will appear on your opponent's screen, literally!
  
  

Power-downs and power-ups

Power-downs have spikes around their bubbles while power-ups don't.

Avoid power-downs if you can or will be in big trouble! The master of all the power-downs, is the V-Lock bubble, which cause your paddle to only move horizontally.

Power-ups

• Upper: Raises all bricks one to three rows.
  
• Grow: Makes paddle bigger and adds one power slot.
  
• Power Charge: Adds five energy units to your supply.
  
• Super Smash: The next time your ball hits the paddle, this will smash through all the bricks in one column.
  
  

Power-downs

• Downer: Drops all bricks one to three rows.
  
• Shrink: Makes your paddle smaller and removes one energy slot.
  
• V-Lock: Restricts your paddle to horizontal movement.
  
  

Objectives

Solo (Puzzle) Mode: Hit all the targets in the level to win. In the demo version, you only can play 6 out of all the levels in full version.

Versus Computer (Versus Mode): Win as many matches as you can. In the demo version, you can only play 2 matches or for 15 minutes.

Network Mode (Versus Mode): Whoever wins the required amount of rounds
to get first is the winner of the match. In the demo version, you can only play 1 match or if play continues longer than 3 minutes, then a message pops up.

Losing

If you cross the line, you automatically lose the game.

Networking

How to network a game

Make sure you do these following steps:

• 1. Open your online program that's right for you.
  
• 2. Open up pop-pop.
  
• 3. Go to play.
  
• 4. Select Versus.
  
• 5. Click on Network.
  
• 6. Join or host a game. If you want to join, there's a 50/50 that you'll go to that game. For hosting, wait until a player comes and select: "Play Now!".
  
  

Network lounge

The person in front is the host. The person in the back is the person that joined the game.

About Hosting:This only lasts for 30 days in the unregistered version. After that, you have to register.

You're hosting games are colored in yellow. Games that are hosted under an NAT or Firewall are colored pink. If their's a game neither of these, it is colored white (if there's still room) or gray (if it's during its game time).

Game levels

• N=Novice
  
• P=Pro
  
• M=Master
  
• N+=Novice Elite
  
• P+=Pro Elite
  
• M+=Master Elite
  

The Pop-Pop Characters Encyclopedia

Bombastic

Big, Bad and Loud. The heavyweight of the competition. He's going to drop bombs.

Bombs- Death from above. Catch the bombs or watch your bricks fall.

Ducky

Dim? Daft? A little off? Or the most cunning trickster you've ever met? Hmm...

Ducks-Rubber Ducky you're the one! That bounces balls and never goes away!

Ioni

Big head, bigger mouth. Opinionated, stubborn and a little full of herself.

Flowers-A beautiful bouquet of flowers. Too bad you can't see the board any more.

Mini-T

A little over the top. Makes a big deal out of everything. Including crushing all who oppose him.

Blow-Mini-T sends a little of his hot air your way, blowing your paddle away.

Mr Man (Not available in demo)

The Don. Mess with him and you'll sleep with the fishes. Treat him right and you're
family.

Brick Bot-The little bot spews bricks as it walks all over your board.

Tex (Not available in demo)

A rootin-tootin cowboy and a gentleman too. Watch out for the six-shooters though.

Stun Gun- Spinning six-shooters fire off paddle stunning rounds.

Zap (Not available in demo)

Jackie? Neo? Old Ben? All punks. Zap's the man. His kung-foo is strong (or so he thinks).

Sparks- Glowing orbs of pure energy warp space time and the path of balls.

Technical Support

Macintosh System Requirements

Mac OS 8.6 or later (Mac OS X Native!)
G3 or better

Windows System Requirements

DirectX 7 or higher
Quicktime 5.0 or higher
Pentium 400mhz or higher
Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, or XP
64 megs for Windows 95 and 98
128 megs for Windows 2000 and XP

Online Help

For the latest version of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), technical help or just a chat with other gamers, please visit Ambrosia Software support.

Links

MacGamer.net
AmbrosiaSW/pop-pop