GEARHEADS
Tips from the Programmers
It's easy to play Gearheads, but it's difficult to become
a Gearmaster. At first it may seem like chaos, but just
keep at it. After several games, the gears in YOUR brain
should start turning.
Winding: The Hidden art
In Gearheads, we've made things simple for you. All
you can do is pick a toy, let it wind up, and then
release it somewhere along your side of the playfield. Of
course choosing the right toy for the job is important.
So is releasing it in the right position. But the secret
art of Gearheads dueling is the wind. Keep an eye on your
wind- up gauge at the bottom of the screen. A toy isn't
any good to you if it dies halfway across. On the other
hand, you shouldn't hold on to a fully wound toy: let it
go and start winding another. Of course there are always
exceptions. Sometimes a short-wind defensive toy is all
you need for that last-ditch reversal.
Just the Toys, Ma'am
Discovering the secret uses of each toy takes time.
But to help you on your way to Gearmastery, we've
compiled this compendium of helpful hints. The
suggestions below certainly don't exhaust the
possibilities of each toy. But they are a good place to
start.
Orbit
Orbit's one power is the ability to scoot around
other toys. Unfortunately, he's completely open to
destruction or reversal by toys like Disasteroid or
Deadhead. To make him less vulnerable, aim Orbit at
oncoming toys that won't have any nasty effects, such as
a Handy, a Big Al or even a Disasteroid with its guns
raised. When Orbit sidesteps the toy, it will end up
midway between release points and it will be harder for
your opponent to hit.
Krush Kringle
Perhaps the most difficult toy to use well, Krush
can be unstoppable if deployed correctly. The biggest
problem in using Krush is to keep him from reversing
himself. For maximum effectiveness, release well-wound
Krushes on rows 2 and 4 or on rows 1, 3, and 5, always
keeping at least one open row between toys.
Walking Timebomb & Disasteroid
You may or may not know this, but the Walking
Timebomb is the only toy that can't destroy Disasteroid.
The Timebomb is also one of the best pushing toys in the
game. Put these two facts together and you've got a
mighty fighting force: a well-wound Disasteroid with a
well-wound Timebomb right behind. This combo will push
just about anything, and Disasteroid's laser cannons can
take out any oncoming threats. If the Timebomb winds down
before the pair reaches the goal line, don't worry:
Disasteroid is immune to the blast. For longer lasting
power, try throwing a Handy into the mix.
Deadhead
Even though Deadhead makes the perfect short-wind
defensive toy, he is completely underrated as an
offensive toy. There are few sights as frightening for
your opponent as an oncoming Deadhead. So if you're
holding onto a half-wound Deadhead, let it wind all the
way before releasing.
Presto
The disappearing act of Presto makes him hard to
stop. But it also makes him a great defense against
Handy. If you've got a Handy coming at you, release a few
unwound Prestos. When Handy hits Presto, it'll wind up
the mechanical magician, who will then disappear and make
way for Handy to wind up the next Presto. Not only have
you stopped your opponent's Handy, you're getting it to
do some work for you!
Kanga & Clucketta or Kanga & Ziggy
Kangaruffian can be a great defensive toy, punching
back enemy toys that are just about to score. But she is
also a terrific offensive weapon, punching toys across
your opponent's side of the screen. The lighter the toy,
the farther she punches it, so Kanga is particularly
effective with Ziggy and Small Fry. For Ziggy, the best
setup is to "clump" a bunch of them together and release
Kanga at the group. For a Small Fry-Kanga combo, release
three or four Cluckettas from the same release point and
then let a Kanga go so she'll get stuck behind them. As
soon as those Small Frys hatch, Kanga will shoot them
across the screen.
Handy
Don't you hate how long it takes to wind up a toy
all the way? If only there was a shortcut. Well, there
is! And its name is Handy. To save yourself some winding
time, release a barely-wound toy and then immediately
switch to Handy. Let it wind for a bit, and then hit the
release before the first toy disappears from the screen.
If you can time it right, you'll have two well-wound toys
rolling across the screen, all for the winding time of
just one! But remember: only try this with toys like Big
Al, Kangaruffian, Disasteroid, or Zap-Bot that won't
destroy or reverse Handy. (Yes, Zap-Bot too!)
Big Al
Do you avoid sending out your Big Als when your
opponent starts winding a Krush Kringle or Deadhead?
Well, there's a way to use the slow and steady bulldozer
to beat those reversal toys. First send out a partly-
wound Big Al directly at the reversal toy. Let another
one wind and send it out behind the other one. And then
send out a third. Your first Big Al will create a "buffer
zone," protecting the second and third Big Als, who
should be able to push the whole mess across the screen.
If you try this and like it, you might some other "buffer
zone" strategies that work well with other toys. . . .
Zap-Bot
Believe It or not, Zap-Bot is one of the best all-
around Gearheads. He beats more characters one-on-one
than any other toy in the game. So go for Zap-Bot when
you can't think of anything else to do.
