Timber(Arcade) FAQ
version 1.0.0
copyright 2003 by Andrew Schultz schultza@earthlink.net
Please do not reproduce this FAQ for profit without my permission. It
required a good deal of effort, and I do not look to profit off my work.
However, if you ask me nicely, mentioning my name and this specific
game, I will hopefully be un-lazy enough to reply to you.
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OUTLINE
1. INTRODUCTION
2. CONTROLS
3. ENEMIES AND SCENERY AND SCORING
4. THE LEVEL CYCLE
5. STRATEGIES
6. VERSIONS
7. CREDITS
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1. INTRODUCTION
The Mustachioed Midway Guy featured in three arcade games: Domino Man,
Tapper and Timber. Well, two out of three ain't bad. Timber's premises
is at least as goofy as the other two: cut down a bunch of trees within
a certain time limit to pass the next level, with a bear as
antagonist(oh, the trees can fall on you too.) There's even a log-
balance bonus level in the water, but the only problem is that the game
has no variety or no real strategy to break the randomness. And the
levels are all...the...same. Domino Man introduced new bad guys, or made
them move more deviously. Tapper had the cool new bars to enter, and all
sorts of clientele, and even dancing girls. While Timber provides
affirmative action in the form of a black man in a weird blue plaid
outfit, and a cool big headed cigar smoking boss with powerful
handshakes(bounces you up and down, or on your head, depending how well
you did,) there's really not much of a game. And the 'lose a life' scene
is a bit immature and drawn out. But I wrote this FAQ for reference any
way.
2. CONTROLS
You can't move diagonally in Timber, but you can decide whether to
chop your axe left or right. Five hacks are required to bring a tree
down, although you can get away with four if you push. If you make five
hacks, beware that the tree will fall on you unless you push it.
Swinging your axe can take out a beehive the bear has thrown from the
side, although if the beehive is chest high you're best off ducking, and
often you don't have to line up right with the tree to start taking
whacks--your man will jump a little closer in. This can save a bit of
time.
Trunks of fallen trees trip you, and the tops block your way. You also
get stunned if you walk into a tree, but you should know better than
that, right?
In two player mode, you'll be stunned if you run into your adversary
or try to chop him with an axe(that'll teach you.)
[no default high scores, no meaningful dip switches]
3. ENEMIES AND SCENERY AND SCORING
The board starts out blank, but then trees start sprouting up. Each
tree you cut down presents an obstacle you can trip over or that can
outright block you. When you need to move just above a tree it's just as
efficient to trip over it as to go around it. Every fraction of a second
saved is important on the later rounds. Also note that for each tree you
chop down, at least one new one sprouts up. Sometimes it's far out of
the way but there's nothing you can do about that. Each tree is worth ??
points.
There's a bear that throws beehives from the side, and he appears on
level two. The hives will take you for a life if they get to you, but
there can only be one at a time. But you can also swing at the beehive
if it is near your bottom half, even taking a bit of time from the tree
you're chopping. The beehive is worth 500 points. The side effect of
nailing a beehive is that a new one appears right away. Which is
actually good if you need to move up and take out a tree. The bear will
pop out where it can't hit you.
In addition if you cut down a tree it can fall on you as it wobbles--
but in two player mode you can push the tree and drop timber on your
opponent, losing him time.
There's also a chicken that pops up in some trees and starts running
around randomly and making gobbling noises. He's worth 1000 to catch.
But he is very tough. He can even run off the side of the screen, and if
he reaches the top or bottom, he's gone. Just feel lucky if he runs into
you. There's no point chasing him.
What's really nasty about the game is--in one player mode, one life
lost, and you're toast for the time constraints on later levels(boss
blows his whistle, also annoying,) which costs you another life and
forces you to do it all over again.
10 points for each time you chop a tree, 500 for when it falls over.
You get an extra 500 points if you tip the tree over on the extra
player.
100 * (seconds left) bonus at the end of a level on single player
mode. 100 * (# of trees) for 2 player mode.
Extra guys at 20000 points and each 60000 thereafter. With ~12000
points for the later levels(550 per tree * 19 + 4 honeycombs * 500) this
means an extra guy every five levels, maybe four if you're lucky.
3145 base points for surviving the bonus round even as it gets longer
and harder. You get 1000, 2000, 3000, etc. for each one you survive.
4. THE LEVEL CYCLE
Every second wood cutting level you have a log rolling contest where
the log spins one way and you have to go the other, or you risk falling
in the water. If you stay on long enough you get a bonus, which honestly
isn't worth it. As the levels go up the log shrinks and you get the same
points for staying on, although the bonus grows a bit. You can move
sideways on the log, but it usually kills you off.
Between the bonus levels you have the pedantry of chopping down trees.
There are a fixed time and fixed number of trees to cut. A table is
below. Subtract five seconds when you have a team effort. The monsters
don't seem to get any tougher but the timing gets a bit more demanding.
+-----+-----+----+
|Level|Trees|Time|
+-----+-----+----+
| 1| 5|0:45|
| 2| 7|0:50|
| 3| 11|1:05|
| 4| 15|1:25|
| 5| 19|1:30|
| 6| 19|1:25|
| 7| 19|1:20|
| 8| 19|1:15|
| 9| 19|1:12|
| 10| 19|1:08|
| 11| 19|1:05|
| 12| 19|1:00|
+-----+-----+----+
5. STRATEGIES
There's not a whole lot of positive strategy here. Much of what you
need to do is fairly obvious, i.e. take four hacks at a tree, push it
over, and go directly to the closest one still standing. But there are
some ways to cut your time by a few seconds, which can make all the
difference for one player. With two players it's a bit silly, too easy,
unless you keep running into each other or start playing against each
other.
--First, when you release the chicken, don't bother chasing after him.
He's a big waste of time.
--second, you don't have to be right next to the tree to start chopping
it, and trying to get too close will just stun you anyway. Experience
will teach you how far apart you can be--a bit up and over. It seems to
be one stride horizontally and one vertically. But in essence you can
get a bit of a jump--although when you're fleshing distances out(try it
in the earlier, less intensive levels) you may still swing at air.
--Also, try to move horizontally, then vertically, to get to your tree.
The bear comes out from the side and aims the beehive for your head, and
the less time you're on level with the next tree to cut down, the less
chance the bear will get in a shot that will make you duck. If you moved
up just before the bear threw something, then it'll go under you, and if
you were moving down you'll chop the beehive as well as the tree, which
gets points. Never worry about the bear and beehive otherwise as it's a
bit distracting.
--There's a split second between when you push over the tree(and you
always should, to save time) and when the next one(s) sprout(s). If no
other trees are up, use the time to get back to the center where the
expected distance to the next will be shorter, you being in the center
and all. If you are heading for another tree, be alert for one that may
pop up a bit nearer.
--On the bonus stage, you'll fall in the water just a bit before you
think you will. It's better to be a bit lower on the log than you like
than a bit higher.
--Tripping over a stump isn't a bad idea if you do it deliberately. It
takes time to go right, up and left around it. You also avoid the
beehive that may have just been thrown although there is risk you'll
stand up and 'get it.'
--Generally it should take 3-4 seconds at worst to cut down each tree.
As the stumps and fallen trees pile up the maze you must work through
becomes tougher, and the time goes up. If you must watch the clock, do
so during the rote work of chopping a tree down.
--Don't wait to hack at beehives but on the other hand you can move
horizontally when one is thrown(towards your destination,) hack it and
then move quickly up/down and start hacking away. The next bear will
show up immediately after you get the beehive, and you'll be gone by
then. Beehives are a key distraction and a few half seconds taken to
step out of the way can add up.
--If there are two trees in a row blocking your way up/down, tripping
over one stump will catapult you past the second, if it's the top of a
tree. That's because the game won't ever let you be absolutely trapped.
This is a potentially huge shortcut.
--If you can get in the rhythm of four hacks and a push, or you can hack
five times and run up/down to safety, that's better than pushing the
tree when you see it start to wobble.
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6. VERSIONS
1.0.0: submitted to GameFAQs 09/08/2003, should be complete, not much to
say really.
7. CREDITS
The usual GameFAQs gang. They know who they are, and you should, too,
because they get some SERIOUS good writing done. Good people too--
bloomer, daremo, falsehead, RetroFreak, Snow Dragon, and others I
forgot.
CJayC for having GameFAQs. Hang in there during the move to
CNet/California. I know how backlogged I get with coding that I want to
do, man. Guide writing sometimes gets in the way, you know... :)
The retro sites where I found info on this game.
