Jump Start Adventures – 5th Grade

Jump Start Adventures - 5th Grade

Copyright 2000, William Walker. Do not sell for a profit or give
me improper credit. E-mail J-D-Walker@worldnet.att.net

A note to parents: Please read all of this before you allow your
child to have it. This game does require some dexterity, so it
may be a poor idea if your child has less then average skill.
Also, there is some violence in this game. 

Okay, now we'll get down to business.

Introduction sequence: When it starts, there is a strange guy on
top of a building yelling: 

With no one to stop me, revenge is mine!

Now the screen shows a city with buildings sabotaged and at crazy
angles. Eventually you see a kid running down a bridge. Her name
is Jo Hammet. Bombs are exploding behind her. Then she wakes up
from her nightmare with a bloodcurdling scream and then says:

Well, it all started as another bleak day in Hooverville. The
kind of day that - oh no! Not the detective movie marathon!

She tries to watch a show, but it's filled with static. Then a
radio says:

Miraculously, no one was injured in the blast that destroyed the
Hooverville television relay station earlier this morning.
Responsibility is something Dr. X, as he's calling himself, who
has vowed to destroy the city...

one building at a time!

Jo now skateboards to a school bus. This bus takes her, and her
class, to the Hooverville museum of art and geography. At the
museum, Jo is looking at some art when a guy, walking backwards,
bumps into her. Now Jo yells that he dropped his glasses, and
sees him being carried away by some minions of Dr. X. Now the
guy's (name: Martin) uncle comes in. He's the janitor at the
museum. Four lines appear, each a possible thing to say. Now the
game begins. The Toolbar consists of:

Arrow: Click here to exit the game
Question mark: Click here for Jo to give you some help
Progress report: Click here to view how well you're doing
Level badges: Click here to adjust the level of difficulty
Suitcase: Important items are stored here
Map: Click here to view the map of Hooverville
Journal: Jo writes down important information in here

Okay. Now we've got to choose what to say. If you want to get
through ASAP, just say ''What was your nephew doing with thugs
like those?'' Now the janitor replies and you again have a
choice, this time between two lines. Say ''What kind of animal
communication?'' Now you advance to the next point. For fun, see
what the janitor replies to each other line. Remember that you
only have each conversation once in the game.

Now, you see time pass and the janitor comes in, chasing a rat
with his broom. Click on either one of them. Jo yells ''Stop!''.
Now the rat, whose name is B.F.Skinny, starts... talking to you!
While Jo is looking for a soft place to faint, Skinny hands her a
note from Martin. Now, you have to have another conversation. The
way to get rid of him is: First say ''Where did you come from?''
Now, say ''That's it, I'm calling the exterminator.'' The
amnesia-attacked Skinny suddenly tells you that he'll deliver
notes to you whenever Martin needs it. He leaves, and Jo looks at
the note. It's a crossword puzzle.

This is the first ''educational'' activity. Using the clues at
the right, type the correct answer into where it fits. Five of
the answers are artists and five geographic things or places. 

If you don't know the answers, you're ''supposed'' to go to the
globe and art galleries to look them up. But, there is a cheat.
This cheat is so exceedingly simple it's almost funny. The first
time you do the crossword puzzle, type in all the answers you
know. Now, notice that correct letters are green and incorrect
red. If you don't know a word, simply type in each and every
letter in alphabetical order in a space. When one of the letters
turns green, move on to the next space. This is terribly time
consuming. I feel your pain, really I do. Once you get a word
write it down on a piece of paper. The next time you play, simply
copy off your notes. Easy, huh? However, this doesn't work on
level two, because then letters only turn green once the whole
word is correct. On level three they only turn green when the
whole puzzle is correct. Just go back to level one in that event.
You have to set both art and geography to level one. Boy, those
designers are really thick - you can get through here without
learning anything. Yeah!    

When the puzzle is correct, Jo will take out her journal and look
at the letters that the arrows are pointing at, and rearrange
them to make an address. This one is Oak and Main. That means the
first sabotage site is at the intersection of Oak street and Main
street. Click on the journal to put it away. Now the janitor
gives you a map. Once you find Oak & Main, click on it. You can't
find it? Don't worry - this is easy. Just move your mouse to all
the big buildings until you find it. 

Whenever you go somewhere sometimes you just go there. Other
times you have to skate there. The game knows you're a rookie on
your first case so there aren't any goons. Press up and down to
go that way, left to accelerate and right to brake. Press
spacebar to jump. Try not to hit anything. I think that the
number of times you play the game is related to the number of
falls you have. Try not to touch anything. The best way to avoid
things is to move around them. Jumping is tough as you can't stay
in the air too long. There really isn't much more to say, except
that trust me - this is tougher later on. At the far left, the
game ends and you go to where you wanted to go. This is not
educational at all - just pure arcade action. 

Okay, now you're at Oak & Main. There's an electroplating factory
there. Click on the door to reveal a lock. The lock is the first
''challenging'' activity. Click on a question mark and a math
problem appears. On the first lock you have addition problems.
The game will regroup for you. Once you have the answer typed in
press enter. If it's correct, it will appear there. Now click on
another question mark. Once you've solved all the problems, you
must move the four triangles so each number touches another
identical number. This is easy - just find a number and then find
it's matching number on a triangle. Click on a triangle to
activate it. Press spacebar to spin it. Click on another triangle
to switch them. Once all the numbers touch an identical number
the lock opens. Now you must solve another lock, this one with
subtraction problems. Solve this one and the door opens. 

Once inside you find Martin. This conversation is incredibly
funny. Just click on the ''wrong'' things to say and see what
Martin does. Remember you only have this conversation once in the
game. Anyway, here's what to say. What Jo says is what you should
click on. 

Jo: Who is this X you're talking about?
Martin: Dr. X was a brilliant scientist in the field of animal
communication, who actually discovered a link between certain
types of creatures and a neurotransmitter in the human brain that
allows limited but effective cross species communication. During
the course of one of his experiments though, he received a heavy
dose of radioactive toast. And now he's a little bit... crazy. 
Jo: How crazy?
Martin: Crazy enough to force me to sabotage this electroplating
factory. He has some mad idea about getting revenge on the
companies that used to support his research. But, according to
him they cut his funding unfairly. So now...

he plans to blow them all up! 

Quick, hide! They're coming back. Now's a good time to try out
the glasses. 

Jo now hides and puts on the glasses. Martin tells you if you ask
about the glasses that you need them to read thoughts. Notice how
the goons have purple hair? Well, now the hair turns into
octopuses. Dr. X controls them via these octopuses. Jo has an
idea of what they're thinking about, but some words are missing
because she doesn't have an octopus on her head. Okay, this is a
language arts activity. One goon will think of a word. After a
while it disappears and another word appears. Click on the word
that fits in the first blank space in the word box. Notice how
the goons are thinking about how the bomb is defended. Ignore the
part of speech that appears. If it says noun, you can't just put
any noun in there. You must put the right one. Once you click you
move on to the next space. Once you've tried a word for each
space you go back and try to fill the spaces that are still blank
because of a wrong answer. This time if you pick the wrong word
again, your correct answers disappear. The key to this activity
is to be patient and wait for the correct word. 

Oh, and there's also a cheat. The first time you play, write down
all the answers in order. The next time you play, simply copy off
your notes. Easy, huh? Oh, and there are more blanks on higher
levels. Once you complete this activity you are halfway through
the case and well on your way to stopping the sabotage. 

Now, Jo takes out her journal and writes down three things she'll
need to reach the bomb. She'll need a lock to lock down the
control arm, rubber boots to protect herself from the electric
cables on the floor, and some scrap metal to bridge the circuit
and turn off the electricity. Click on the journal to put it
away. 

Now that you're back at the map, choose one of the following
three places to go: the juice bar, the junkyard or the mineshaft.
For now let's go to the juice bar. Once you arrive there you meet
Bernie, an undercover reporter for the Hooverville Daily News.
He's writing an article about drinks and beverages. Now you're in
a conversation. The four lines include one junk line which has
nothing to do with the story, and three lines asking for one of
the things you're looking for. All right, I'll tell you which
object you need - the rubber boots (insulation). Now there are
two more things to say. One of them gets to the point faster. I
won't tell you which one - hey, you're supposed to figure some
things out for yourself, right? Anyway, I do have some guidelines
for this situation - get to the point, tell the truth, don't be
sassy or fresh and try to say what makes sense. Also, write down
the object at each place so you won't have to refer to my tips
each time. Anyway, once Bernie understands what you need he'll
gladly give it to you - if you help him first. 

Don't worry - as Bernie says, mixing juices is a snap. Look on
the menu to see what you need in each pitcher. What you need is
in the form of a fraction. Now, click a measuring cup on the
right. Each measuring cup has a fraction on it telling how much
liquid it will hold. Then move it to the correct dropper at the
top to fill it with liquid. Now, dump it into the pitcher. If you
want to empty a full measuring cup, dump it into the sink to the
right of the six measuring cups. I call them measuring cups, but
they are actually different kinds of things. Try to fill one
pitcher at a time. The individual kind of liquid doesn't matter.
Once a pitcher has the right amount of liquid in it, click on it
and dump it into the blender. Once all three pitchers are correct
the blender makes a juice. Now you must make another juice by
doing it again. The completed drinks appear behind you. 

On level one you get what you need after mixing three drinks. On
levels two and three after you mix three drinks you must serve
the customers. Pick up a glass and fill it with one of the drinks
in the three beakers behind you. (They have really weird names).
On the top is a board telling you how many customers want each
drink. It tells you in the form of a fraction, i.e. 5/12 of them
want jungle juice. Each glass represents one customer. Fill one
glass with each drink for each customer who wants it. On level
two all of the customers want one - and only one - of the drinks.
On level three some of the customers might not want any drinks,
and you can respond to this by leaving an equal number of glasses
empty. Higher levels also mean the fractions are tougher, i.e. if
I need 7/12 I may have to combine 1/4 and 1/3. (Pitchers,
droppers, beakers, measuring cups, glasses - all this is so
confusing! Just play a little while and you'll get the hang of
it). Once you get the boots put them in the suitcase. Click on it
to close it, and then click on the map to get another object.

All right, we've got one object. The next place we should go to
is the junkyard. There you'll meet Jimmy, a shy guy who runs the
local junkyard. He's a bit eccentric and has a weird sense of
humor. You need to get the scrap metal (circuit bridge) here. Of
course, you've got to help Jimmy before he gives you what you
need. 

Ha! This is so easy it's almost like a bonus! Okay, there are
five pieces of junk here. There are two big triangles, two small
triangles and one square. Click on a junk piece to pick it up.
Press spacebar to rotate it. Click again to set it down. You need
to arrange the junk pieces so they match the diagram of junk
pieces in the upper right corner. Once all the junk is correctly
placed you get what you need - it's that simple! On level two
there are seven junk pieces. The extra ones are a medium-sized
triangle and a parallelogram. On level three it becomes quite
hard. The diagram is only a silhouette. You must use your
imagination to match it, while on the other two levels it showed
you where each piece went. Good luck.

Now that you have two objects, it's time to go to the mineshaft
and find the third. The mine is that little dot to the left of
the dam. The ranger at the mine is Maggie Mead. She's a little
eccentric too. Ask her for the third object - the lock. 

Maggie needs you to go down into the mine and find her three
objects for her studies. She'll tell you what she needs. Click on
one of the three layers of the mine to go there. Now that you're
out of the elevator, the fun begins. There is no educational
value here at all. Press left or right to go that way. Press up
or down to go up and down ladders. Click on the question mark to
hear what you're looking for again. Notice those objects in the
wall behind Jo. Press spacebar to go up to one. If the object is
one of the things Maggie needs, click on the green button to keep
it. Then, click the red button to go back into the mine. Time
stops when you read a passage. If the object isn't one that
you're looking for, click the red button. You don't have to read
the passage.  There's only one object per layer, so once you find
an object go back to the elevator to choose another layer. On
higher levels Maggie only gives you a description of the object
she needs, so you have to read the passage to find out if it
matches the description. Just go back to level one in this case.
That's a good way to get out of a puzzle you're stuck on - just
go back to a lower level. 

Oh, and there's another thing that's just for kicks. You have to
dodge falling rocks as you do this. All rocks start is the top
left corner. When they reach the elevator they disappear. If Jo
touches a rock she falls down and takes damage. At the top is a
red bar representing Jo's health. It shrinks each time she's hit.
If it reaches zero Jo faints and you have to start over with a
new set of objects. If you're having problems with rocks, try
these tricks: Press A to jump over a rolling rock. Press Z to
duck under a bouncing rock. If a rock hits you on a ladder you
fall down, so be careful. While you're riding the bucket (which
you do by walking into it) you're invincible. Also, remember that
you always take some hits, and can take about 15 hits before
fainting. If you're finding the rocks too easy to dodge increase
the game level for more rocks. Note that there are two levels: a
game level and a curriculum level. Once you have all the objects
you need, go back to the elevator and click on Maggie's hut. If
your objects are correct you get what you need. 

Now that you have everything you need, return to Oak & Main.
You'll find a technician running around screaming ''We're all
doomed''. This conversation is unnecessary. Just say ''Awww...
never mind''. For fun try talking with him. He can say some
really funny things. Anyway, then click on the door and then the
suitcase. Jo will handle this part about getting to the bomb.
Once she reaches it you're almost home. Just one more thing. 

Ohhh... this is tough. You're the red circuit android. You've got
to make it so that the on batteries equal the target number. Blue
batteries are off and orange ones on. Somewhere on the screen is
a device telling you the current number and the target number.
Both are in decimals. Press the arrow keys to move the android.
Press spacebar when at a circuit point to turn a battery on or
off. Oh, and watch out for black defense androids. If they touch
you the bomb explodes. If this happens you just have to start
over from the beginning with a new target number. I know in real
life you can't get a second chance like that, but you should know
that nobody dies in educational software. If those androids are
giving you problems, then you can deactivate them by pressing
spacebar at an orange circle. This deactivates a section of wire,
as well as any android on that section. Once all the androids are
deactivated you can think about the answer. If you're desperate
just try adding together every combination you think might work.
When manipulating batteries occasionally a stretch of wire is
reactivated, so be careful. If you feel that the androids are too
easy, jack up the game level. On levels two and three there are
three androids. There are two levels, a game level and a
curriculum level.

Once the current number and target numbers match, the bomb is
disarmed! Now there's no time to rest, as Dr. X already has
another bomb planted at another place. There are six total
sabotage sites to save. I will now go through them in order. 

1# Oak & Main - we already did that.

2# Vail & Kent - This case is a little different. First of all
the lock is now multiplication and division. Vail & Kent is the
location of a sabotaged oil refinery. The bomb is defended by
lasers which, if broken, fill the room with oil. You'll need
mirrors to deflect the lasers, a coat hanger to use as a support
structure for the mirrors, and rope to lower yourself down from
the roof with. The mirrors (reflectors) are at the juice bar, the
coat hanger (support structure) is at the junkyard and the
climbing gear at the mineshaft.

The main difference is that from now on, goons chase you in the
skating game. As a goon comes at you, accelerate forward and past
him, and then stay ahead of him and being careful not to fall -
he'll get you if you do. Don't go too far up the screen, or you
won't be able to see what's ahead. If you need breathing room to
drop back then move up and down and the goon follows. Every time
he does this he drops back. You don't want him to hit anything,
as then another goon takes over. When goons first come on is when
you're most vulnerable. If you find the goons too easy increase
the level. 

If a goon catches you you'll find yourself in the dungeon. To get
out, you must make use of the four crates stacked up. You must
restack them on the column with the broken window above it. This
is tough - all the more reason to avoid getting caught. The catch
is that you can only move one crate at a time. Also bigger crates
won't balance on smaller ones. Okay, now 1 means the smallest
crate, 2 the second smallest, 3 the second biggest and 4 the
biggest. S means the column that the crates started on, B means
the column with the broken window, and U means the column with
the window that isn't broken. So 1-U means move the smallest
crate to the column without a broken window. Here's the
directions: 1-U 2-B 1-B 3-U 1-S 2-U 1-U 4-B 1-B 2-S 1-S 3-B 1-U
2-B 1-B. Now you're out of here and can get where you were going.
On level two there are five crates and on level 3 seven. Just go
back to level 1 in that case. 

3# Pico & Mill - You'll notice that several activities are now at
level 2. The game automatically advances levels if you do well on
the earlier level. There isn't much to say, except basic
information. Pico & Mill is the site of a sabotaged chemical
plant. The bomb is at the center of a tank filled with acid. To
disarm the bomb you must get some foot covering to cross the
acid. This comes in the form of eight pairs of socks at the juice
bar. You'll also need a balancing pole to balance. This comes in
the form of a shovel at the mineshaft. Third, you'll need an
object with which to carry the bomb on your head. There's a scarf
at the junkyard that fits the bill. 

Vine & Rye - A few activities that didn't go up to level 2 an the
last sabotage site might do so now. Anyway, at Vine & Rye is a
sabotaged spatula manufacturing plant. The bomb is on top of a
tower. If the tower is jolted in the slightest way, the bomb will
explode. You'll need a springboard to bounce in the air and up to
the bomb. You'll need a rope to control your flight, which can be
found at the mineshaft. You'll need a tweezer-like thing to grab
the bomb in midair, which is at the juice bar in the form of ice
forks. Finally you'll need a soft object to land in. A giant
baseball mitt at the junkyard will do the trick. As for the
springboard, well you'll have to keep talking with the technician
to get him to lower the giant spatula on the roof for you. 

Pine & Bell - Not much to say, except that some activities may be
advanced again. At Pine & Bell is a sabotaged printing press. The
bomb lies at the end of a conveyor belt set to maximum speed.
First of all you'll need oil so that your skateboard's wheels
don't burn out. Oil can be found at the junkyard. And you need a
rope to pull yourself up the conveyor belt with. This can be
found at the mineshaft. Also you'll need climbing hooks to grab
onto the bomb platform, which can be found at the juice bar. 

Dale & Nut - The last site! Stoked! Okay, this place is a
sabotaged steel mill. When B.F.Skinny gives you the note, he
tells you that the janitor has been taken captive by the goons.
To get out of this conversation, well I'll let you figure that
out. I've told you a lot, right? Anyway the bomb is on a platform
above a river of molten steel. First, you'll need two plungers to
use a suction cups to climb up the wall. Look for plungers at the
juice bar and mineshaft. Also you need a fishing pole to swing
over and up to the platform. Look for that at the junkyard. 

The final bomb - You're probably feeling good about yourself
right now. Well, don't get too cocky - now B.F.Skinny tells you
about Dr. X's final plan to blow up the dam. The inflow of water
will then destroy the city. Luckily this is such an emergency
there's no conversation. Go to the dam, and once there click on
the switch. This starts some gears moving and a giant block moves
to block the waterway to the city. Jo spots Martin and the
janitor and is untying them when Dr. X appears. He gets a little
preoccupied and meanwhile, the bomb countdown is running. Jo,
Martin and the janitor escape just before the block closes off
the entrance to the city. Dr. X is presumably killed by the
torrent of water that follows the dam blowing. Now you get to see
what happened to each character. Ta-da! You completed the game!