Part nostalgia-bomb, part note-taking and part FAQ, what started in GameTrailers as a video game blog is now on Blogger. This blog is a look back at video games, both popular and obscure, from the video game industry's infancy all the way to the previous console generation.
This level has a maze-like layout, but it's nothing like the previous level. There are a few slime buckets to the left of the start if you need them.
Level 16 - Shade in the Desert
This level is pretty wide open. If you're playing on Hard, you'll have your fair share of Gruzzles, but you can easily take them down.
Level 17 - The Rock Maze
There is a maze-like corridor to the left of the door, and there will be plenty
There are cloud platforms above the house near the start, and if you jump to the left off the top-most one, you'll find the level's lone bucket of slime.
All of the words and pictures will be near the house at the start.
Level 18 - The Outlaws' Hideout
If you're playing on Hard, you're going to be surrounded by Gruzzles at the start, and if you don't have any slime, you're going to have difficulty staying away from the enemies. At least the level
Level 19 - Pueblo by the Spring
Once again, you'll have your fair share of Gruzzles near the start, but you also won't have trouble getting around once you get rid of them.
Level 20 - Another Cavern
Use the ladders to go down instead of dropping down so you don't touch a secret word letter before you need to. Other than that, it's easy to get around here and take care of the Gruzzles, and the exit is at the top of the level.
Once you beat this level, you'll complete Part Three, you'll complete the game, the Gruzzles will have learned to read and will have stopped stealing things...until Math Rescue happens. For now, you've just beaten Word Rescue!
Be careful on the way down; you might find some Gruzzles on the way.
There are a lot of places that you can go in this level. There are a lot of branches and clouds to land on and jump off, but there are also a few pools of water at the bottom that you do not want to land in.
Level 12 - Cliff Houses
Comb the bottom of the levels first for Gruzzles, and watch the sky at the houses. Thankfully, you don't have a lot of hazards here.
Level 13 - In The Tree Tops
Once again, you have a lot of clouds and branches that act as platforms. There are roofs of houses at the bottom, but you can still fall off in the gaps at the bottom. The exit is at the upper-left corner of the level.
Level 14 - The Underground Pueblo
Coming in here with a full bucket of slime is recommended, as there will be plenty of Gruzzles not just above ground, but also in the underground maze below. You'll need to go underground for the letters for the secret word, and you'll need to stay above ground to match the words and pictures.
Watch out for Gruzzles hiding behind some of the rocks. There are also some ceilings you can hit your head on as well as some paths you can drop through. If you're playing on Hard, there will be Gruzzles swarming around at the top of the level.
Level 10 - The Cloudy Castle
Thankfully, getting around in this level is significantly easier. There are a few Gruzzles on the top on Hard, but the Gruzzles are easier to avoid here than they are in Levels 8 and 9.
Be careful at the top of the ladder on Hard mode; a Gruzzle will drop down from out of nowhere over there. Also, all the books on one of the lower corners is enough to make the secret word appear on the bottom on Hard.
Level 5 - The Haunted City
This time around, you have two big buildings, and you'll have to go between them both to get all the words and pictures matched up. Not much to this one as long as you're careful looking everywhere.
Level 6 - The Old Neighborhood
This time, there's just two small houses and a lower stone area. Once again, there's not much to this one as long as you're careful.
Level 7 - The Pipe Room
That's the haunted house areas complete! From here on, you'll be heading to other areas. Watch out for the slime droplets in the center of the level, as there will be quite a few of them. Also, watch out for Gruzzles, as they can show up just about anywhere here.
Level 8 - Backpacking in the Sierras
The higher you go in this area, the more likely a Gruzzle is going to drop down from out of nowhere. The waterfalls that act as pits don't help much either. I had to use the "quit and restart" trick to get all my slime back, because there was no way I was not clearing this without a full bucket of slime.
Here, you're in a simple house. Thankfully, getting around here is pretty simple. The ghosts in the background do not hurt you. Any part with a grey background is a part of the house that you can move around in. Don't forget to check out the roof for those ? boxes!
Level 2 - The Haunted Condo
Now you're inside a three story condo. The right side of the building has a ladder you can climb. If you're playing on Hard, Gruzzles will fall down from the sky on the higher floors.
Level 3 - Secret Passages
While you have a house above ground, there is an underground maze below the exit, which you can enter through the chimney and the right hand wall on the lower floor. This is where all of the books and secret word letters will be, and there are also a few secret passages you can find in the maze if you just feel your way around.
Be careful as you make your way down on the Hard difficulty, as you'll never know when you'll have to deal with any Gruzzles. The only pit in this area will be at the bottom of the waterfall.
With that, that's Part Two finished! Stay tuned for Part Three!
We're close to the end of Part 2, but the second to last level is really, really bad on Hard due to the placement of the Gruzzles and the secret word levels.
Well, at least this level is a little bit easier compared to the last one that we were in. It's also more linear, too. If you're playing on the hard difficulty, watch for Gruzzles as you jump among the clouds, as you'll definitely find some at the top of the level.
Level 16 - The Waterfalls
Watch our where the danger signs are, as there are plenty of places to fall down at on the bottom. Also, don't even bother going past the long waterfall all the way to the right, as there is nothing there. On Hard, most of the Gruzzles will show up at the top of the mountain.
Level 17 - Table Rock Desert
Amazingly, there are no Gruzzles waiting to drop down from the top of the screen in this level, so getting through here is pretty easy as long as you're careful at the waterfall. The next level is even worse, though.
Level 18 - Hole-in-the-Wall
This one is a bit of a maze, but it's a fun level. Once you get rid of the Gruzzles, it's easier to get through this place.
Level 19 - New Mexico Pueblo
You'd better show up here with a full bucket of slime if you're playing on the hard difficulty, or else the Gruzzles will really overwhelm you. It's a fun looking level, but the placement of the Gruzzles - and the secret word letters - was absolutely frustrating and I played this for minutes on end before quitting to DOS and coming back just to refill the slime bucket. It was embarrassing, to say the least.
Amazingly, the mostly slime tank itself does not kill you, but the fully purple ones do.
Be careful where you are going, as Gruzzles can definitely drop down from above here.
Level 12 - Cooking in the Slime Factory
Once again, you're going to be in a bit of a maze, so keep an eye out for Gruzzles as you explore each level of this area. Also, watch out for the slime droplet in the upper-left corner.
Level 13 - The Forest House
This level has a couple of tall trees, and you'll need to carefully explore them all in order to find all the pictures and secret word letters as well as some slime and the Gruzzles.
Level 14 - The Hill Houses
If you're playing on the hard difficulty, you will need to be very careful where you go, as the Gruzzles here will be absolutely relentless and the game expects you to have a lot of slime to take care of them all, and jumping off a slope that is going down is impossible. You can climb up and down the hills, but so can the Gruzzles.
There are a lot of platforms here, hence why this place is called The Platform Cave. Keep a good eye out for Gruzzles wherever you go if you're playing on the Hard difficulty, as they can pop up when you least expect him.
Level 8 - The Cave of Rubble
Once again, there will be a lot of places to jump, and - if you are playing on Hard - a lot of Gruzzles. Watch out for the slime droplets, too.
Level 9 - A Neighbor's Castle
This level is doable with less than a full level of slime if you know how to get around in this level.
Level 10 - The Tower Castle
You'll be going up and down a lot in this level, especially if you're looking for some slime for your bucket. At least the letters for the secret word are easy to get in order if you're not fooling around.
If you've beaten Part 1, your name will be remembered in Part 2. The same is with Part 3 if you beat Part 2.
Compared to past levels, this one simply loops around itself. You shouldn't have trouble going through this one at all.
Level 2 - The Maze Cave
Be ready to slime Gruzzles when you jump up from where you start if you're on Hard, as the Gruzzles will be in your way at the start. Be ready to slime a Gruzzle near the exit!
Also, this is a maze, but it's a simple one.
The music goes silent here. This will happen if you buy the game off Steam, but the music we're missing is music we've already heard before.
Level 3 - The Slime Cave
Be careful where you are going, as there are a few low ceilings in some spots and some Gruzzles will come down from above. At least the game goes back to being simple to play through at the start, but that's not going to last long.
Level 4 - Gruzzlebad Cavern
This area has a lower level and an upper level. Once again, you'll want to be careful as you advance towards the exit for any Gruzzles that might show up.
Level 5 - The Miner's Cave
There will be slime droplets in addition to the slime pits. Most of the pictures that you'll need to match up to the words will be at the top where you start with a few at the bottom.
Level 6 - The Mushroom Cave
This is another area where you can go around in a circle much like with Levels 1 and 5, but there will be a slime droplet in the center, so be careful around there.
The rattlesnake is just part of the background; it won't hurt you.
Be careful near the pit at the bottom where the secret word letters and the books are; it's possible to accidentally get one of the let
Level 13 - Construction Site
This level is much more difficult on Hard more due to the level layout and how the Gruzzles are spread around, and at that difficulty, you're expected to come in with full slime. No wonder I had so much trouble with it.
Level 14 - Slime Factory: Bottling
Well, at least this area is a little more open. Too bad it's still possible to get grabbed by a Gruzzle. Don't forget that you can press Down to drop down when you need to, and watch out for the slime pits and the slime droplets.
Level 15 - Tank Room
Believe it or not, you can drop into the tanks with Down. This is how you'll get a ton of books as well as a few pictures and letters. You can also get out at the bottom by going towards where the opening at the bottom is.
Once you beat this level, you'll beat Part 1! See you in Part 2!
This still doesn't look much like a dungeon. It looks more like a stone basement.
Compared to the last few levels, this one is much more open.
Level 9 - The Waterfall
Be careful in the tree on the right side of the level. There will be a Gruzzle dropping down from above at the top of the tree in hard mode.
There are bottomless pits where the waterfall is, by the way.
Level 10 - The Outskirts of Gruzzleville
Be areful near the bottom, as there are bottomless pits and a few places for the Gruzzls to be. If you haven't already noticed, you can press Down on certain floors to drop down, but be careful not to fall where you shouldn't.
Level 11 - The Pueblo 1
Watch the skies on the hard difficulty: some Gruzzles will drop down when you least expect them to.
At least I didn't have much trouble spelling the secret word to get all my slime back.
Be ready to jump over the waterfalls. Also, there might be an enemy upwards of where you start, especially on Hard, so be careful.
Level 4 - Castle MacGruzzle: Entrance
There are a lot of ladders here as well as a lot of places to go. Keep an eye out for any Gruzzles that show up, especially if you're playing on Hard, so that Gruzzles don't get the drop on you.
Level 5 - The Island Castle
If you're playing on Hard, keep an eye out for enemies dropping down from above.
The clouds in the sky act as platforms, and this will not be the first level where this will prove true.
Level 6 - Castle Complex
Once again, you're in a castle setting with a lot of ladders. There will be a few places where Gruzzles can drop down on you.
Level 7 - Dungeon Entrance
This doesn't look like much of a dungeon.
The game really expects you to come to this level with a full load of slime. You can either quit to DOS and restart the game to get your slime, or you can get some slime, run into something you shouldn't, then get back to the slime and refill until your slime bucket is full. While I'm able to pull some levels back to the brink, I had to use the quit cheat to get my slime back.
Watch out for the slime droplets dropping out of pipes in the background, as those things can hurt you and force you to restart the level.
When you start the game, you'll type your name (eight characters max), and if it's a new game, you'll choose between the boy and the girl. From there, you'll learn the story: the mean ol' Gruzzles can't read and don't want anyone else to, so they take their anger out on the human race by stealing all the words from all of the books instead of trying to get help learning to read. This is where you come in. You'll need to match words to pictures in order to get a key to the door leading to the next level, and you'll also need to point at Gruzzles in order to slime them with help from Benny the Bookworm. Whatever you do, don't let the Gruzzles touch you, or else they will steal all your words and you'll have to start the level over. Also, you'll only have so much slime, so you'll need to keep your slime bucket filled up. You'll have to do this for three whole episodes, but once you complete all three episodes, you'll beat the Gruzzles.
Pressing W will show you the word list for the level, while pressing H takes you to the help screen. Here are the controls:
Right Arrow: go right
Left Arrow: go left
Down Arrow: go down
Up Arrow or Alt: jump and climb
Space, Ctrl: slime
+ Key: speed game up
- Key: slow game down
S: toggle sound
W: word list
Esc: go to menu/return to game from menu
Q: quit game
The Keyboard Redefine option will let you set the keys to whatever you want, but I stick to the default keyboard controls here.
As you go through the game, you'll need to jump into the boxes with the "?" on them to get a word, and you'll need to find the picture that matches the word. If you get it right, you'll get the picture. If you get it wrong, a Gruzzle appears and you'll need to avoid it or slime it.
You have only five slimes in your slime bucket. On Easy, grabbing a slime bucket completely refills the slime, but on Medium, you only get three extra slimes, and on Hard, you'll only get two.
There is a secret word at the bottom of the screen in each level. You'll need to find the yellow letters for the words in order to get a lot of points and completely refill your slime bucket...no exceptions! So be careful where you go. Also, while the secret word is right there at the start on Easy and Medium, you'll need to collect twenty of the many purple books lying around the stage to unlock it on Hard.
Part 1
Level 1 - Main Street: Gruzzleville
Your slime meter is up at the upper-left corner, followed by your current word that you are looking for the picture of, your current score, and the pictures that you've matched the words to. The secret word is at the bottom.
Things you can stand on include tree branches, the roofs of houses and even the squirrel popping out of the hole at the tree at the start.
Regardless of what a Gruzzle looks like, it will always approach you and sometimes jump when you do. Don't touch them. Also, be careful when going up. This is especially true on Hard, for the harder you set the difficulty on the main menu, the more Gruzzles you'll have to deal with.
Hold Up or Alt as long as possible for the highest jump. If you let go of the button prematurely, you'll start dropping back down.
When you match all the words with their pictures, you'll get a key from Benny after he gets the words back in the book. You'll then have to find the red door leading to the next level. Be careful when doing this, as it is still possible to get touched by a Gruzzle or go down a bottomless pit and be forced to get the key for the door all over again.
Level 2 - Gruzzleville Waterworks
Don't fall down the bottom of the waterfall or into the pit of slime to the left of it; both of those drops will cause you to start over.
To climb a ladder, stand in front of it and hold Up to climb up. You can also climb down while on a ladder with Down.
You can stand on the "Danger" signs, believe it or not.
