PrinceWatercress plays Gumby vs. The Astrobots - Part 4 of 6

This is easily the quickest level to get through...and not a wild animal in sight!

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African Safari

Chapter 1

There are plenty of places to look for ice cream cones, so take a good look around. Also, the purple bouncing Astrobots are back with a vengeance.

To use the curved ramps, get in ball form, then use L or R (depending on which direction you're going) to rocket up the ramp for some big air.

Chapter 2

Here, you'll find Minga. Thankfully, there is no boss. Just jump up the tree from one branch to another to rescue her. That's all there is to it. When you get to her, she will mention that the Blockheads are behind Professor Kapp's kidnapping, the theft of the remote and the sudden change in the Astrobots' attitude, as she ran past them while trying to seek safety. Now that Gumby knows what is going on, it's time to get serious.

PrinceWatercress plays Gumby vs. The Astrobots - Part 3 of 6

The third level of the game gets a little interesting with the ability to wall jump.

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Transylvania Tales

Chapter 1

Time to save Goo. As soon as you head to the right, you'll find another lollipop which will give you the ability to stick to walls in ball form. Jump towards the wall to stick to it, then hold the D-Pad up and left or up and right (depending on what the opposite direction is) and jump. This will allow you to wall jump your way to higher areas. You can also use Left or Right to switch walls without ascending.

To use the ziplines, just walk into them. You'll stop whenever you either reach the end of the zipline or if you jump off partway through. At the fourth and last zipline of the level, jump off and drop left as soon as you get on for a big ice cream.

Chapter 2

In Chapter 2, you'll meet Goo as soon as you show up. Goo will almost tell Gumby about the Blockheads kidnapping Professor Kapp and taking his remote control when Count Dracula suddenly shows up...and his singing voice is absolutely horrific. Gumby will turn into a flying platform for Goo to stand on and drop bombs from.

The D-Pad lets you fly in eight directions while A drops bombs. You'll need to use the bombs to destroy the notes that Count Dracula sends at you. Dracula will not only send notes at you, but he will also send pie pieces at you, and while you can grab those pie pieces, you can also accidentally destroy them with the bombs. Also, while there are thirty ice cream cones to grab here, you'll have to go up and down the entire level just to find them all, and getting them all was a pain to do. Eventually, you'll reach the end of the area, and when you do, you'll evade Dracula and head back to the library. 

Next up is African Safari...

PrinceWatercress plays Gumby vs. The Astrobots - Part 2 of 6

Now that Pokey has been rescued, let's go save Prickle!

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Tales of North Pole

Chapter 1

As soon as you start the level, Pokey will leave due to the cold.

The lollipop at the start of the level will teach you a new move: the roll attack. While in ball form, you can press L or R to perform a ball charge. L charges to the left, while R charges to the right, and if you are moving when you press either of the shoulder buttons, you'll charge even further. The charge not only speeds you up briefly, but lets you smash through the enemy in front of you.

The brown Astrobot is on wheels and can slide down slopes. The yellow Astrobots hover, and they sometimes move around in patterns in mid-air.

There are plenty of moving platforms in this level, so pay attention to where you are you going when on one.

The big ice cream is worth ten ice cream cones.

When in icy cave areas, watch out for icicles. They will shake and fall if you get in front of them, and they hurt regardless of whether they are falling or not if you run into them.

Chapter 2

At the start of the chapter, you'll find another lollipop. This will give you the ability to double jump by pressing A in mid-air. Instead of being a traditional double jump, pressing and holding A in mid-air allows Gumby to turn his feet into a propellor and hover.

The purple Astrobots bounce up and down with the springs on the bottom of their bodies. You'll need to jump from one to another and then double jump to get a big ice cream cone.

Chapter 3

When you find Prickle, you'll find out that he is being held against his will by an abominable snowman. To beat the abominable snowman, take the platform upwards, then head right and jump into the cannon to shoot yourself into the abominable snowman. All the while, you'll want to watch out for icicles as you make your way to the cannon, as they will show up in droves. After three hits, the abominable snowman will be defeated. Up next is Transylvania Tales on the second floor...

PrinceWatercress plays Gumby vs. The Astrobots - Part 1 of 6

Of all the kids' characters I've known in my lifetime...Gumby is the last one I would ever have expected to receive a platformer.

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The game begins with Professor Kapp creating a remote control that allows him to control his Astrobots. As he realizes that this remote control should not be in the wrong hands, he is rolled into some sort of metallic closet and locked into it by those no-good Blockheads, who then run off the remote.

Meanwhile, Gumby is having a picnic with family and friends, with Prickle using his flame breath to toast some bread. As Pokey and Gumby wish something exciting would happen for once, Goo shows up and tells everyone that Professor Kapp has been kidnapped and that he and his remote control are missing. Not long after this, the Astrobots show up and chase everyone into the nearby books, with Pokey running into the Wild West book. This will be the first stage you will enter.

Left and Right let you move around, and A lets you jump. You'll be using this to explore the hub world, but the only place you can go is into the Wild West book.

Wild West

Chapter 1

When you start the first chapter, you'll end up in the Wild West, where the game gives you a tutorial as you head to the right.

Trampolines help you reach high places. You can move them by walking into them, and jumping on them allows you to bounce higher. Thankfully, you don't have to hold A to increase your jump height.

Jump on Astrobots' heads twice to defeat them. One hit will merely stun them, and if left unchecked, they will get back up from being stunned. The ones here just move back and forth, but there will be other types of Astrobots that you will encounter later.

Every chapter has a certain amount of ice cream cones. Collecting them all nets you nothing but bragging rights, but at least you'll know that you've been everywhere in the level. However, it is worth noting that if you get enough in a chapter, you'll get an extra life.

Green lollipops unlock special moves. The one here allows you to turn into a ball. To do that, press B. B will let you go in and out of ball form, and while in ball form, you can roll down narrow corridors.

The book in the upper-right corner shows how many lives you have left, and collecting more books gets you move lives. The pie plate shows how many hits you have out of four, and if you get hit without any pie, you will lose a life and get sent back to the beginning of the chapter. However, if you find a green flag, you'll get a checkpoint that takes you to the midway point of the current section, so you won't get sent back as far.

To refill health, look for a piece of pie. Here's a fun thing to note: if you find one, move back a bit once you grab it and then go back to where you found the pie. The pie will return. This is useful if you need health badly. Just keep in mind that you'll have to go back a little bit and not just move the location of where the pie was off-screen to get the pie to re-spawn.

Up and Down on the D-Pad allow you to look up and down, respectively. 

If you see a sign with a skull and crossbones, be careful in the area where you are, as there will be a bottomless pit that you will not want to fall into. Falling into it leads to the instant loss of a life and being sent back in the level. 

There are moving platforms, but they move slowly. This is the first level, after all.

If you see any raised planks on the floor, you will not be able to move trampolines past them.

Chapter 2

There is a dead end where you can re-create the "echo" scene with Gumby if you go to it.

You'll soon find out where Pokey is: cornered by a cowboy named Ricochet Pete, who wants to make Pokey a steed against his will so he does not have to ride a mine cart. This leads to Pete wagering Pokey's free will in a race to the end of the mine shaft where the winner gets Pokey. 

You'll then control Pokey in a mine cart racing against Pete. A lets you jump, and L and R lets you perform a charge attack to get past the green Astrobots that are floating around. It also gives you a speed boost, which should keep Ricochet Pete at bay. You can also press Right to perform the speed boost, but the shoulder buttons are better.

Be ready to jump over pits and off the heads of Astrobots to get to higher places, as there are still ice cream cones to pick up in this area.

Be mindful of signs. The X signs tell you not to jump, and the skull and crossbones signs will warn you of bottomless pits.

Chapter 3

This is more or less another racing section, much like Chapter 2. As long as you take this are aslowly while still staying ahead of Ricochet Pete, you should not have much trouble getting some of the ice cream cones that are tricky to get.

When you reach the end, you'll be flying right out of the book and back in the hub world.

PrinceWatercress plays Berzerk (Atari 2600) - Game 12 Longplay

Once again, I save the easiest mode for last.

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Game 12 is the easiest game variation of all. The robots don't shoot at you, the game gives you an extra life every 1,000 points, and Evil Otto does not show up at all. As a result, this is a very good game mode to play for young children or anyone who is not used to how the game plays.

PrinceWatercress plays Frankenstein: The Monster Returns - Part 4 of 4

You'd better be ready for the final stage, as this stage is chockful of boss fights. Once you get through all of them, though, you'll save Emily!

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Last Stage

Map (by KingKuros)

At the start, keep heading to the right. You'll want to destroy the yellow things that look like stumps with the sword immediately before they shoot projectiles. As for the green alien skulls, they will fly up and float downwards at you when you get the chance. You'll want to jump kick them when they float upwards When you defeat the enemies around here, they will sometimes drop purple potions. DO NOT pick these up, as they actually DECREASE your maximum health by one unit and you will need all the health you can get.

You'll then fight some flying brain enemies. You'll need to jump up and hit them with the sword while avoiding the eyeball projectiles that they shoot out, which travel to your current position at the time of firing. It takes two sword strikes in mid-air to take out each one.

Head further to the right to face the Man-Wolf. You'll want to jump back and forth and jump-kick, and you'll also want to hit him with the sword if he leaps at you and happens to be low to the ground at the time. Keep in mind that if he is jumping at you when you hit him, his jump attack will continue when he comes out of being stunned. Beating him will net you three-way fire, which works much like it did in Stage III: it fires one shot upwards, one forward, and one diagonally forwards and upwards.

In the next section, head left, and use the three-way fire to take out the green balls that fly around and gradually descend to your level. If any of them drop any blue potions, grab them; they'll increase your maximum health up to eight units while fully healing you at the same time. As for the yellow worm enemies that stay to the ground, hit them with a jump kick, then keep hitting them with crouching sword strikes until they die. Make sure you don't get hit, as you'll lose the three-way fire if you do.

You'll then fight a series of orange balls that similar to the green ones. If you have the three-way fire, this is easy. If you don't, you'll want to strike them with the sword when they lower. Just hitting them once will stop their descent just long enough for you to get yourself re-situated. Three hits will do them in.

Further to the left is the Vampire. There are two times when you can hit him: when his cape is open and when he is flying around in bat form. If he fires any small bats out of his cape, you'll want to destroy them, too. Just stay to the ground and keep striking him with the sword, and you'll eventually take him down. Beating him will net you a bomb, which works much like the thunder magic from Stage III: just hold Up and press B to perform a powerful screen-clearing magic attack. Head left to enter the next section.

In the next section, you'll need to swing from one vine to the next, and the vines will swing back and forth at varying speeds. Make sure the vine you are on is all the way to the right and that the next vine is swinging towards you at the same time to ensure that you don't fall into the life-draining pool of sludge below. If you do fall down, keep jumping to the right and grab a vine immediately. As for the headless armor with the spear, just keep moving back and forth in mid-air while jump kicking to take it down.

You'll then face the Dark Warrior again. Since you don't have the whip, you'll need to jump to avoid the magical attack that travels along the ground and jump kick the Dark Warrior when he gets close. Other than that, he fights the same way that he did in Stage III. You'll also want to use the bomb to do some damage on him immediately in case you still have it, so you don't lose it. When you defeat him, he leaves a heart behind, you'll definitely need to get it. Also, don't be surprised if you have to press Select to use a potion in this battle.

Further to the right is Frankenstein's first form. Frankenstein will hop around, and you'll want to give yourself some distance between yourself and Frankenstein. Sometimes he makes small hops; other times, he makes big ones. If he takes small hops, you can easily jump kick him. Just keep striking him and then backing off immediately when you do to ensure some space. Also, do not stand at the sides of the screen; you will potentially get popped with no way to escape it if you do. With that said, if you need to move through him after hitting him to get that distance, do it. It is also better to take contact damage from the hops than from the punches he throws afterwards, as the punches takes off two units of health instead of one. If he manages to hit you, hit him back with the sword.

After beating Frankenstein, go up to the door that opens to the left and press Up. You're not done yet. Emily will give you a fireball just like the one you got in Stage II - except it doesn't disappear when you get hit, then Frankenstein will come back stronger than ever. Avoid all the fireballs that Frankenstein spits at you by staying on the move, as they fly at your current position at the time of firing, and shoot fireballs at both his hand and all of his weak points. When you destroy all of the weak points, Frankenstein's head will float back and forth spitting projectiles. If you walk under Frankenstein's head, it will stop moving, and you'll want to get behind him to avoid the projectiles so they just move down. After that, strike at the head when it drops down and do some damage before it makes its way back up. From there, you'll want to keep walking under him to avoid all the projectiles and strike him when he dives down.

After you beat Frankenstein's second form, you'll beat Frankenstein for good and you'll save Emily! Congratulations! Afterwards, you'll get an image of some evil eyes opening and closing, but sadly, the game never got a sequel. You'll get your final score, then you'll go back to the title screen when you press A. You just beat Frankenstein: The Monster Returns!

PrinceWatercress plays Frankenstein: The Monster Returns - Part 3 of 4

Things get more difficult here...but you ain't seen nothin' yet.

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Stage III

Map (by KingKuros)

The third stage starts in a graveyard. Some of the tombstones will jump back and forth, and you may need to duck down to avoid some of them. As for the orange demons that fly towards you, strike them when they get close to kill them and take the orbs that they leave. This time around, the orbs will not give you a projectile, but instead, they will give you thunder magic that you can perform once by holding Up and pressing B. You'll want to save this for the next section!

When you get to the castle entrance, a green flying demon will show up that looks much like the orange ones. If you have the thunder magic from earlier, use it to get rid of the guy immediately. If you don't have it, you'll have to fight it with your sword like you did with the flying demons from earlier in the stage.

Inside the castle, you'll want to explore the lower floor and enter the doorways that you see. This will net you some clues as to what to do on the upper floor. You'll need to get a key, which is on the far end, and press Up at the background walls between the columns with the keys on them on the upper floor to find some hidden treasures: a blue potion, a three-way fire projectile you can fire out of the sword and a life potion. The spots where you'll have to press Up are a little more pronounced, and if you pay attention, you'll know where they're at.

When getting the key, make sure to use the openings on the way back, as it helps clear out the enemies. The skeletons are better off avoided than fought, and you'll need to jump over the bars to avoid the blue tentacles that come out to grab at you.

Once you go up the stairs, keep going right to avoid the tridents that fall down, then use jump kicks to take out the statue enemies that come to life and try to hit you with their whips as well as to avoid their attacks. When they drop a whip upon defeat, grab it; you're going to need it for the rest of the castle. 

You'll soon find a staircase leading up. Go up the stairs, then head left. You can either use the jump kick or use the whip; you'll want to move back to the right a little bit and strike to the whip so you can knock them off-screen to the left side and out of existence. Keep doing this on the way left, and slowly make your way left as you do so. At the fourth statue, watch the sky for the tridents that fall, and back away to the right as soon as you see them. Do the same at the empty podium at the end where there is no statue.

You'll soon face the Gatekeeper. It is possible to get a free shot with the whip enemy before you get the text box. To beat the Gatekeeper, you'll want to destroy the hand first, as they will be source of all of the Gatekeeper's attacks. You'll want to strike at the head as it moves up and down and spits projectiles at your current position. The whip makes it easier, but if you can't hit with it, try using jump kicks. Use a potion before opening the chest after if you have four life potions, as you won't be able to carry more than four and the chest will contain the last one you can get in the game.

Head back to the right, then go up the stairs. You'll soon meet the Dark Warrior, and in order to face him, you'll need to face all of his servants, who fight just like the statues from earlier in the stage. Thankfully, it is easy to use jump kicks to avoid their strikes and corner them on the side of the screen to hit them endlessly. You can use the whip if you want, but the jump kick strategy may end up being a little easier. If your jump kick somehow misses, use the whip immediately. 

You'll then face the Dark Warrior himself. Use the whip to hit him as soon as he appears, and make sure you're not too close to him as he teleports in and out so you don't get hit with the sword. He can also hit you with thunder magic, so you'll want to hit him with the whip when he pops back up and stops flashing.

When you beat the Dark Warrior, the Dark Warrior will take you to the Evil Dimension, where Frankenstein's most powerful monsters dwell. He will tell you that Emily is in grave danger and that Frankenstein is nigh invincible, but if you have beaten him, then you may have a chance. He will give you another sword, then take you to the Evil Dimension.