Tips and Tricks

General Tips

Breakable floors often feature some sections that are thinner than others. When you need to create a hole, you can save a bit of time by attacking these weak spots. This tactic is especially useful when you need to break through terrain before a cloud carries you out of position.

Popo (and Nana) can jump much farther vertically than horizontally. Before you attempt a running leap, check for overhead obstacles that might knock you out of the air mid-jump. Precision jumping is the key to effective climbing, so take some time to master various jumps on early mountains. With a bit of practice, you can learn to identify which footholds offer the easiest route up any mountain.

When you attack an enemy, make sure that only your climber’s hammer makes contact with your target. This is especially important when you use an upward attack to clear out a Nitpicker or icicle.

When a replacement climber first appears on a mountain, he or she is invulnerable to damage. This effect lasts until you take control of your climber, giving you plenty of time to decide when and how to resume your climb.

Just because an obstacle is blocking your path, don’t expect it to hinder your enemies. Toppies can slip right past pillars, and Nitpickers have no problem flying around unbreakable floors.

Smashing Topi ice is a great way to earn some extra points, but it’s sometimes best to let a Topi complete its repairs—new terrain can serve as extra footholds, reducing the chances of a costly fall.

Once it reaches a gap, Topi ice takes the basic form of the surrounding terrain. However, a patched area is always breakable. For example, if a Topi fills an existing gap in an unbreakable moving floor, the patched area appears as a breakable moving floor.

Remember that collecting at least one ear of corn from a bonus stage adds an extra climber to your reserves. The fifth bonus stage you reach always contains corn, and you won’t find more until you reach your fifteenth bonus stage. Your reserves never display more than three climbers, but don’t worry—any additional climbers you manage to earn appear when they’re needed.

During a bonus stage, reaching the Condor is always worth far more points than collecting all the available vegetables. If you’re in danger of running out of time, consider abandoning any remaining vegetables to improve your chances of reaching the top of the bonus stage.

2-Player Tips

Scores for each player are kept separately, so points are awarded only to the player who earned them. If you’re playing cooperatively, consider sharing high-value targets like vegetables with your climbing partner. This is especially important if a bonus stage contains corn—a player who fails to collect at least one ear of corn won’t receive an extra climber.

During cooperative play, try to stay within a floor or two of your climbing partner. The terrain shifts to keep pace with the leading climber—moving too quickly can force your partner off the screen, costing them one of their climbers. Of course, outpacing your opponent is the simplest way to gain an advantage during competitive play.

Two climbers can’t occupy the same space at the same time, and mid-air collisions cause climbing partners to bounce away from each other. During cooperative play, try to give your partner enough space to move freely. During competitive play, you can use this feature to prevent your opponent from reaching his or her intended footholds.

If your partner is having trouble making a high jump, use your climber to give them a boost. Move under an airborne ally and jump straight up—a properly timed collision can launch your partner to new heights.