GEARHEADS - Tips from the Programmers It's easy to play Gearheads, but it's difficult to become a Gearmaster. At first it may seem like chaos, but just keep at it. After several games, the gears in YOUR brain should start turning. Winding: The Hidden art In Gearheads, we've made things simple for you. All you can do is pick a toy, let it wind up, and then release it somewhere along your side of the playfield. Of course choosing the right toy for the job is important. So is releasing it in the right position. But the secret art of Gearheads dueling is the wind. Keep an eye on your wind- up gauge at the bottom of the screen. A toy isn't any good to you if it dies halfway across. On the other hand, you shouldn't hold on to a fully wound toy: let it go and start winding another. Of course there are always exceptions. Sometimes a short-wind defensive toy is all you need for that last-ditch reversal. Just the Toys, Ma'am Discovering the secret uses of each toy takes time. But to help you on your way to Gearmastery, we've compiled this compendium of helpful hints. The suggestions below certainly don't exhaust the possibilities of each toy. But they are a good place to start. Orbit Orbit's one power is the ability to scoot around other toys. Unfortunately, he's completely open to destruction or reversal by toys like Disasteroid or Deadhead. To make him less vulnerable, aim Orbit at oncoming toys that won't have any nasty effects, such as a Handy, a Big Al or even a Disasteroid with its guns raised. When Orbit sidesteps the toy, it will end up midway between release points and it will be harder for your opponent to hit. Krush Kringle Perhaps the most difficult toy to use well, Krush can be unstoppable if deployed correctly. The biggest problem in using Krush is to keep him from reversing himself. For maximum effectiveness, release well-wound Krushes on rows 2 and 4 or on rows 1, 3, and 5, always keeping at least one open row between toys. Walking Timebomb & Disasteroid You may or may not know this, but the Walking Timebomb is the only toy that can't destroy Disasteroid. The Timebomb is also one of the best pushing toys in the game. Put these two facts together and you've got a mighty fighting force: a well-wound Disasteroid with a well-wound Timebomb right behind. This combo will push just about anything, and Disasteroid's laser cannons can take out any oncoming threats. If the Timebomb winds down before the pair reaches the goal line, don't worry: Disasteroid is immune to the blast. For longer lasting power, try throwing a Handy into the mix. Deadhead Even though Deadhead makes the perfect short-wind defensive toy, he is completely underrated as an offensive toy. There are few sights as frightening for your opponent as an oncoming Deadhead. So if you're holding onto a half-wound Deadhead, let it wind all the way before releasing. Presto The disappearing act of Presto makes him hard to stop. But it also makes him a great defense against Handy. If you've got a Handy coming at you, release a few unwound Prestos. When Handy hits Presto, it'll wind up the mechanical magician, who will then disappear and make way for Handy to wind up the next Presto. Not only have you stopped your opponent's Handy, you're getting it to do some work for you! Kanga & Clucketta or Kanga & Ziggy Kangaruffian can be a great defensive toy, punching back enemy toys that are just about to score. But she is also a terrific offensive weapon, punching toys across your opponent's side of the screen. The lighter the toy, the farther she punches it, so Kanga is particularly effective with Ziggy and Small Fry. For Ziggy, the best setup is to "clump" a bunch of them together and release Kanga at the group. For a Small Fry-Kanga combo, release three or four Cluckettas from the same release point and then let a Kanga go so she'll get stuck behind them. As soon as those Small Frys hatch, Kanga will shoot them across the screen. Handy Don't you hate how long it takes to wind up a toy all the way? If only there was a shortcut. Well, there is! And its name is Handy. To save yourself some winding time, release a barely-wound toy and then immediately switch to Handy. Let it wind for a bit, and then hit the release before the first toy disappears from the screen. If you can time it right, you'll have two well-wound toys rolling across the screen, all for the winding time of just one! But remember: only try this with toys like Big Al, Kangaruffian, Disasteroid, or Zap-Bot that won't destroy or reverse Handy. (Yes, Zap-Bot too!) Big Al Do you avoid sending out your Big Als when your opponent starts winding a Krush Kringle or Deadhead? Well, there's a way to use the slow and steady bulldozer to beat those reversal toys. First send out a partly- wound Big Al directly at the reversal toy. Let another one wind and send it out behind the other one. And then send out a third. Your first Big Al will create a "buffer zone," protecting the second and third Big Als, who should be able to push the whole mess across the screen. If you try this and like it, you might some other "buffer zone" strategies that work well with other toys. . . . Zap-Bot Believe It or not, Zap-Bot is one of the best all- around Gearheads. He beats more characters one-on-one than any other toy in the game. So go for Zap-Bot when you can't think of anything else to do.