Look over there! In your browser window! It's an RPG! It's a platformer! It's... an elephant? Yes, it's Elephant Quest, which is both of these genres lovingly baked together into an adorable JIMP-drawn pachyderm shape for you by jmtb02 with a sprinkling of shooter goodness on top. Wooly the Mammoth has stolen your hat, and in order to get it back, you're going to need to get some epic questing going on, exploring a huge, non-linear environment, completing side-quests, collecting keys, and shooting cute but evil monsters in the face with your laser.
Either the [WASD] or [arrow] keys will control your elephant's movement, and aim and fire with the mouse. When you first start the game, you'll notice that your character handles like... well, an elephant. An elephant who just ate a huge meal of peanuts. He can hardly jump, he's fairly slow, and his laser is not exactly impressive. As you kill enemies and complete quests, you'll gain experience points and level up. When that happens, click the button in the upper right corner, or hit the [spacebar].
In this menu, you'll first and foremost be able to spend the "credits" you earn from leveling up on a maze-like skill tree. You'll earn skill points in 5, 10, 15 and 50 point increments in four areas: dexterity, agility, charisma, and intelligence. In turn, you can use these points on the skill window (in the same menu) to buy and upgrade important skills like your jumping ability, and your cuteness. Every 25 points increases a skill by one level, so keep that in mind when spending your points. There are two other important menus in this area. The level map shows where you have and haven't been yet, marks NPCs with stars, and shows exits and connections between screens. The quest menu shows which quests you've unlocked, what you have to do next for quests in progress, and which quests you've completed as well. There are 11 regular quests, and if you log in to your free Armor Games account, Sushi Cat, another game featuring JIMP art, makes an appearance in a bonus quest.
At the bottom, you can resume the game, and in the lower right you'll notice controls for quality and sound as well as a pause button. The game also automatically pauses anytime you click outside the game window.
Analysis: A lot can be happening on screen at once, and this can be a drag on older computers, especially once you unlock a flock of minions to hover around you. If you notice serious lag issues, definitely try closing other browser tabs and adjusting the quality. Since my usual lean mean game-chewing machine is awaiting a warranty swap, I'm currently stuck on a 2006-era MacBook. Even so, I was able to beat the game and complete all the quests, so don't think you have to pass this one up if your computer's on the old side. I even was able to keep the quality on high much of the time.
The game has a freewheeling spirit of exploration akin in some ways to the classic Fancy Pants series, and JIMP's art perfectly fits the sweet yet witty humor of the plot. There are certain comparisons to be made in girth, greed and attitude between Wooly and the canine villain of the latest Sushi Cat game, so if you liked the style and atmosphere of that game, you're bound to be tickled by Elephant Quest as well.
In Sushi Cat, you defeat the villain in a cutscene, and the villain of Elephant Quest might as well have been a cutscene for all the difficulty I had defeating him in the final boss fight. That part was a little anticlimactic. Even though I hadn't actually leveled up fully, I still beat the boss without my hitpoints ever getting lower than 260/275.
I had many much more challenging sections in the regular game itself, especially because I ventured into a certain locked area a little earlier than I think the game-maker intended, and then got spooked and ran away from the enemies deeper into the more difficult area (oops). By the time I figured out I was really in trouble, I had gotten myself into an area where I couldn't backtrack because platforming back was more difficult than platforming forward had been. I thus was stuck with my rather pathetic low-level elephant in an area where flying enemies swarmed you almost immediately. It was hectic but fun. I died a lot, but I leveled up fairly quickly too (it helps that dying has no experience penalty), and pretty soon I had beefed up my elephant enough to laser-blast my way out of there, and when I got to that point I felt the satisfaction of accomplishment.
Then again, there is something to be said for the satisfaction when the 97-pound-weakling runs up and kicks sand in the face of the former bully, so maybe this total curb-stomping of a boss battle fits the narrative arc of the game better than a victory you have to struggle to achieve by the skin of your teeth (or tusks). Perhaps the fight would have been more challenging if I hadn't completed all the sidequests first (this is the problem I always run into with Final Fantasy games, too). The game does try to appeal to many different styles of gamer, from fanatical completionists like myself to "what's the most direct way to the boss" speed demons. The game also offers an additional "come get some" to speedrunners in the form of the "new game plus" option, which enables you to start the game over with all your experiences and upgrades already unlocked.
Whimsical and with wide-appeal, this is certain to be another major hit.
Walkthrough Guide
(Please allow page to fully load for spoiler tags to be functional.)
Elephant Quest Walkthrough
Maps
A level map with all areas numbered: Labeled Map of Elephant Quest.
A map showing all the balloon locations, marked with red Xs: Balloon location map.
Main Quest/Speedrunner Map:
This map shows the locations of the six keys and six doors needed to access the main boss.
Blue keys are marked with blue circles and the word "key" in blue.
The yellow and green key are marked with circles and the word "key" in yellow or green respectively.
The yellow door is on the right hand side of main area 15, and the green door is on the left hand side. Both are marked with "door" in yellow or green depending.
The four blue doors are marked with "door" in blue.
Finally, everything is numbered with a suggested speedrunning order:
Enter the caves and get the yellow key.
Unlock and go through the yellow door, taking the downward branch to the ruins.
Pick up the ruins' blue key.
Go up into the forest and pick up the green key.
Go up and pick up the forest's blue key.
Go back to the main area and unlock open the green door.
Go up and get the upper cloud blue key.
Get the lower cloud blue key.
Go back to the caves and unlock all four blue doors with the blue keys and fight the boss.
Elephant Quest Walkthrough - 100% Completion Style:
Since the game is non-linear, there are many possible orders for completing the quests. Therefore, this guide has two parts: a quest guide, and an overview of the contents of every area, divided by category.
All numbers refer to the official room numbers (as seen in the mini-map in the upper left corner when you play the game). Please look at the numbered map if you are confused about where something is.
Quest Guide:
Wooly's Flight: The main storyline quest, culminates in collecting blue keys to open four doors to find Wooly, which is the boss fight.
Please see the main quest/speedrunner map and guide.
Bearish Means: Collect and deliver a teddy bear to Mark.
Mark is in area 15, and the teddy bear is in area 26.
Chance of Rain: Collect and deliver an umbrella to Mr Tooty.
Mr Tooty is in area 16, and the umbrella is in area 17.
First Place Trophy Chase: Find a missing trophy, then deliver it to its rightful owner.
First, talk to Nancy in area 41. Then, collect the trophy in area 3. Go back and talk to Nancy again, then talk to Sam to complete the quest.
Mr W's Throwdown: Deliver Mr W's message to The Duke.
Mr W is in the main area 15. The Duke is in area 28.
I HAS HUNGER: Find Ella's friend Bethany in the Ruins.
First, Ella in area 5, then Bethany in area 42.
Three Luftbalons: Find 3 balloons and show them to Bob.
Check the balloon map for balloon locations. Bob is in main area 15.
Time For a New Watch: Ask Mr Doo to fix Nate's watch in the Clouds.
Both Nate and Mr Doo are in area 10. Nate is lower than Mr Doo.
Seven Times Lighter Than Air: Find 7 balloons and show them to Bobby.
Bobby is in area 2. Check the balloon map for balloon locations.
All Overblown: Find 10 balloons and show them to Bobbington.
Bobbington is in area 27. Check the balloon map for balloon locations.
Buffalo's Identity Crisis: Do a lot of messages between elephants to find out who Buffalo is.
First, Buffalo in area 23. Then Dave in area 13. Then Steve in area 12. Finally, go to Pokey in the main area 15 to complete the quest.
Sushi Society Fan Club: Find 3 sushi cat dolls for Joey. This is a bonus quest only available to people who have logged in on Armor Games.
Joey is in area 22. The three cats are in areas 7, 21 and 43.
Area Guide:
Areas are arranged by category, and arranged within category in numerical order. The numerical order is kind of strange, so check the main numbered map to get your bearings.
Grasslands:
Area 4:
Starting area
Sprouts (gives instructions)
Area 5:
a balloon
Ella (quest giver)
Area 11:
Tasselphant (gives instructions)
Cormyn (gives instructions)
Area 12:
Contains Steve
Area 15:
This is the main branching off area.
Pokey (part of a quest)
Mark (quest giver)
Bob (quest giver)
Mr W (quest giver)
Larry (flavor text)
a balloon
yellow and green locked doors
Area 16:
Mr Tooty (quest giver)
Area 19:
enemies only
The Caves:
Area 20:
enemies only
Area 21:
a sushi cat doll (if logged in on Armor Games)
Area 22:
Joey (quest giver, only appears if you are logged in on Armor Games)
Area 26:
a teddy bear
Area 27:
Bobbington (quest giver)
locked blue door (path to the boss area)
Area 32:
yellow key
The Forest:
Area 7:
balloon
a sushi cat doll (if logged in on Armor Games)
Area 8:
only enemies
Area 13:
a balloon
Dave (part of a quest)
Area 17:
umbrella
Area 23:
Buffalo (quest giver)
Area 24:
only enemies
Area 29:
green key
Area 46:
blue key
The Ruins:
Area 28:
a balloon
The Duke (part of a quest)
Area 35:
enemies only
Area 36:
balloon
Area 41:
Nancy (quest giver)
Area 42:
Bethany (part of a quest)
Area 43:
a sushi cat doll (if logged in on Armor Games)
Area 44:
enemies only
Area 45:
blue key
The Clouds:
Area 1:
blue key
Area 2:
Bobby (quest giver)
Area 3,
trophy
Area 6:
only enemies
Area 10:
a balloon
Mr Doo (part of a quest)
Nate (quest giver)
Area 14:
a balloon
Area 18:
Sam (part of a quest)
Area 25:
only enemies
Area 30:
blue key
Area 31:
a balloon
Path to the Boss:
The way to the boss is behind a locked door in area 27 (in the caves). Every room from there to the boss has a door with a lock. The rooms are numbered 34, 37, 39, and 40. These rooms are totally empty, except for room 40, which contains James, who warns you if you go through the door, you can't come back out. Going forward from 40 takes you to the boss battle.
Skill Tree and Abilities Guide
You can complete the skill tree without having enough points to fully upgrade every skill. The random squares (marked with question marks) give upgrade a random area, so you may end up with 300 points in dexterity but only 250 in agility or vice versa. You need to put 25 points into an ability to move it up one rank, to a max of 4 ranks or 100 points. Points between no ranks don't make any difference, so you might want to only spend points once you've got 25 to spend.
Here is an ugly, but functional, full-sized version of the skill tree. You can use this to more easily figure out the best path to take. I suggest first going up from the start and taking the path to the +15 INT square; that will get you enough INT to go up a rank in "Credit Junkie", which will speed up your time on the skill tree.
AGL (agility):
Overview: Every skill in agility is useful, so if you get shortchanged here by the random squares, that's a real bummer. Upgrading Acrobatics fully is a must in order to reach some things.
Acrobatics: Each rank increases ability to jump by one square, to a max of four. Extremely useful skill, necessary to reach some areas.
Hide Armor: Damage deflection, 25% per rank. Useful.
Constitution: Total hit point increase, 25% per rank. Probably the least useful of the three.
INT (intelligence):
Overview: This is the most important trait to develop in the beginning, as the "Credit Junkie" skill enables you to traverse the skill tree much faster.
Weapon Targeting: This says it increases the ability to aim your weapon, but I have to say I didn't notice too much improvement. I would consider this one the least useful.
Credit Junkie: Credits awarded per levelup. This is the priority skill to unlock if you want to get through the game faster. You get an extra credit per rank, up to a total of six credits per level up (including the base two).
Spike-Readiness: Decreases damage taken from spikes, useful, especially if you want to speed run and just get through places quickly without having to use platforming skills to avoid spikes.
DEX (dexterity)
Overview: Only one of the skills here is really worth maxing out, so if you're like me, naturally this will be the area where the random numbers give you lots of points. Sad.
Weapons: Damage done by weapons, up to a max of 12 dmg/sec. Very, very useful, of course.
Swiftness: How fast your elephant goes. I'll be frank: I upgraded my elephant to only 50 points worth and I found him plenty fast. I think extra speed might make him too hard to handle. It's up to you.
Adrenaline: It appears this affects how much you regain from the hearts monsters drop. Since death is so low-penalty, this is not that useful of a skill.
CHA (charisma)
Overview: The best skill here can actually backfire on you if your machine is prone to lag, so those with slow machines can consider charisma to be low priority.
Miniphant Swarm: Per rank, you will be accompanied by more little floating elephants that independently attack monsters. They are extremely useful because you get the same experience for their kills as for kills you make yourself. If you have a slow computer, you may find that the miniphants cause too much lag, however.
Quest Uptake: Increases XP bonuses per rank, I think by 25% per rank. Mezzo for usefulness.
Cantering: Makes your avatar toddle and look "+1 cuter" per rank. Totally useless, of course, but fun!
Posted by: joye
|
February 22, 2011 8:36 PM