+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Spot: The Cool Adventure / McDonaldland (Game Boy) FAQ and Walkthrough by The Unlikely 1 Version 1.1 - March 11th, 2018 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Table of Contents ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ C0 History C1 Introduction C2 Controls C3 Gameplay C4 Items and Objects C5 Enemies C6 Walkthrough C6.1 Carbonated Forest / Grimace's Forest C6.1A Course 1 C6.1B Course 2 C6.1C Course 3 C6.2 Uncola Mountain / Birdie's Mountain C6.2A Course 4 C6.2B Course 5 C6.2C Course 6 C6.2D Course 7 C6.3 Cool Funhouse / Ronald's Funhouse C6.3A Course 8 C6.3B Course 9 C6.3C Course 10 C6.3D Course 11 C7 Credits and Thanks ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ C0 History ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Version 1.00: February 1st, 2018 Initial release. Version 1.1: March 11th, 2018 Realized I forgot to put Ocean (the European publishers) in the credits. Also a note about Morphus and a couple of other minor changes. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ C1 Introduction ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ McDonaldland is a game bearing the license of the McDonald's restaurant chain. It is loosely based on M.C. Kids for the NES, which was also called McDonaldland in Europe. Like that game, it stars two kids named Mick (the kid with the baseball cap) and Mack (the black kid), who walk through platforming courses and toss blocks at enemies. Initially released in 1992 in Europe, the game arrived in North America and Japan in January 1993 and February 1994, respectively, in a somewhat different form. For reasons unknown (presumably the loss of the McDonald's license), Virgin reskinned the game, replacing Mick and Mack with 7up soda mascot Cool Spot and changing a few other details to match, and renamed it Spot: The Cool Adventure. (Note: Going forward, this guide will use the Spot version as the default, partially because that's what the GameFAQs database uses.) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ C2 Controls ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +----------------------------------------------+ | | | -- --- | | | | | | | | -- -- --- | | | | | | | | --- | | -- -- | | A | | | | --- | | -- B | | --- --- | | | | | | SEL STA | | | | | | | +----------------------------------------------+ Left/Right Walk Down Crouch A Jump B Pick up block, throw block Select Super jump (sometimes) Start Pause ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ C3 Basics ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Spot: The Cool Adventure is a fairly basic platformer. The goal is to simply make it to the right boundary or top of each stage, avoiding or killing enemies along the way. ~~~~~ Jumps ~~~~~ Your character can jump fairly high, but the jump has very little horizontal distance. You don't have much air control, especially if you jump while standing still, so make sure you know where you're going to end up. You jump slightly higher if you jump while crouching. Also, if you jump while on a platform that's moving horizontally, you'll actually move with it. You sometimes have access to a super jump performed by pressing Select. It's unknown when exactly it becomes available; you usually have a free super jump at the start of a course, and being hit can add one as well. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Health and Lives ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Touching an enemy removes one heart from your health meter. If you get hit with no hearts left or fall into a pit, you lose a life. You also lose a life if the time runs out on Hard mode. The number of hearts you currently have is carried over between courses. Taking damage causes you to bounce upward, allowing you to "cheat" your way over some jumps. There are no checkpoints or continues. Dying sends you back to the beginning of the current course, and dying with your lives at 0 is a Game Over, followed by a trip to the title screen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bonus Stages ~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you have passed a 10,000 point mark since the beginning of the game or the last bonus stage you visited, finishing the current course will take you to a bonus stage. The bonus stage takes place in a single room with hearts floating around diagonally. There are two buttons on the floor, and standing on one causes its respective barrier to disappear, allowing the hearts to go in or out of the top compartment. When the time runs out, or if you manage to get all of the hearts securely in the top compartment, the game will add the hearts in that area to your health bar. You also get more bonus points if you finish early. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ C4 Items and Objects ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ~~~~~ Coins ~~~~~ These appear floating in place throughout the game's courses. Collecting 100 of them grants you an extra life. These items are instead spinning M icons in McDonaldland. ~~~~~ Heart ~~~~~ This gives you an extra hit point. If you collect a heart when you already have nine, the game will give you an extra life and reset your health meter to six hearts. ~~~~ 1-up ~~~~ This item actually looks like the word 1-up animated. As you'd guess, it gives you an extra life. ~~~~~~ Blocks ~~~~~~ These white blocks appear in every course and are your only means of fighting enemies. Press B while standing on or next to one, or while jumping near it, to pick it up. You can move around normally while carrying a block, though it doesn't protect you from above, unlike in the Donkey Kong games. Press B while holding a block to throw it. To throw it upward or downward, hold Up or Down on the D-pad while pressing B. Upon hitting an enemy, a block bounces backward and can hit other enemies. Note that you can actually damage an enemy when you pick up a block if the enemy is close enough. ~~~~~~ Spring ~~~~~~ This bounces you into the air if you jump on it. Note that it takes a good second to actually bounce off of it. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ C5 Enemies ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The rogues gallery. Their names, and the order of the enemies, are taken from the cast roll in both versions' endings. Unlike items (including blocks), enemies can respawn if you return to where they were. Be mindful of this. ~~~~~~ Belfry ~~~~~~ A large-toothed bat that flies back and forth in a path. ~~~~~~~ Escargo ~~~~~~~ This gastropod simply crawls along at a slow speed, turning around upon reaching a wall or ledge (most of the time). Not much of a threat. ~~~~~~ Nadine ~~~~~~ A bird that is basically the same as Belfry. ~~~~~ Busby ~~~~~ A bee that flies in paths in all directions. ~~~~~~~ Quilkin ~~~~~~~ A sphere with a grumpy expression. Some of them bounce in place, while others bounce forward. The latter type can sometimes appear out of nowhere from the top of the screen, so watch out. ~~~~~~~ Skipper ~~~~~~~ A devious-looking thing covered in spinning blades. These either float in place or travel up and down. ~~~~~~~ Ratliff ~~~~~~~ This legless reptile slithers back and forth in a predetermined path. ~~~~~~~ Zeeatey ~~~~~~~ A living spring that bounces up and down, unaffected by gravity. ~~~~~~~ Morphus ~~~~~~~ This enemy floats back and forth, shifting between a platform and a flying robot with pincers. Jumping on it when it is in its true form damages you and causes you to fall through, usually to your death. Hang back and watch its pattern before you try to jump on it. Alternatively, hit it with a block when it is fully transformed to make it turn into a platform permanently. (The block will pass through it otherwise.) ~~~~~~ Hobbes ~~~~~~ This appears to be a dog that walks back and forth. It's similar to Ratliff, but slightly faster. ~~~~~~~ Ootheca ~~~~~~~ A weird sawblade thing that stays in place. There's only one in the entire game. ~~~~~~~ Clipper ~~~~~~~ A robot-looking head with propellers on the sides. It stays perfectly still. (This thing isn't listed in the ending, but it can be killed like any other enemy except Morphus, so here it is. The name is made up, of course.) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ C6 Walkthrough ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Before you begin, you are given a choice of Easy and Hard difficulties. The stage layouts are the same for both; the only differences are that Hard mode starts you off with three hearts per life instead of five, and it also comes with a timer. The timer starts at four minutes, and you die if it runs out. It's generally more of a threat on vertical stages, due to the risk of falling and losing progress. In McDonaldland, the difficulty screen has a block that you can touch to switch between Mick and Mack, though they play identically. The block was taken out in The Cool Adventure, leaving Spot as the only option. Unlike in M.C. Kids, the courses go in a straight path; there aren't any alternate routes or anything. As such, the map screen is basically useless. The courses themselves are also quite straightforward, and usually pretty short. Because of this, I'm mainly going to go over secrets and things to watch out for. ------------------------------------------ C6.1 Carbonated Forest / Grimace's Forest ------------------------------------------ :::::::::::::::::::::::: C6.1A Course 1 :::::::::::::::::::::::: Direction: Horizontal Enemies: Escargo, Busby, Quilkin *At one point, there's a log with a bunch of blocks lined up below it. There's a heart hidden behind the third block from the left. *A Quilkin awaits above the hill at the end of the course. Try going about halfway up the hill to trigger it from a safe distance. Make sure to hurry past it, because it can respawn. :::::::::::::::::::::::: C6.1B Course 2 :::::::::::::::::::::::: Direction: Horizontal Enemies: Belfry, Quilkin, Nadine, Skipper *There are platforms floating on the water. You can move one by standing on it and holding Left or Right. *The thin line platforms sink when you step on them. They fall fairly quickly, so don't dawdle. *There's a surprise Quilkin right before the 1-up. It appears when you're at the bottom of the hill. This one can respawn, too. *To get said 1-up, go to the end of the water and take the water platform back to the left (be sure to duck under the Belfry). *The small platforms with down arrows move horizontally, and then begin to fall slowly when you stand on them. :::::::::::::::::::::::: C6.1C Course 3 :::::::::::::::::::::::: Direction: Vertical Enemies: Escargo, Busby *Hold Left as soon as the screen fades in to avoid the Escargo that drops in from the right. (Note that if you kill it, it will respawn.) *The leaf platforms fall when you step on them. Keep an eye on the moving platforms, and try jumping to where they're going to be. If you really must, go down a screen or two to respawn the leaf platforms. *There are several leaps that require crouch jumps (or super jumps), with the first one being right after the first set of falling leaf platforms. *Near the top, there are a few moving cloud platforms. If you take them upward, you can reach a 1-up at the very top of the course. *There's a heart on the right side of the course you can get by dropping down and hanging left. This is easier before the section with the cloud platforms. However, after grabbing it, you have to drop down and repeat part of the course (you'll land near the springs), so it isn't really worth it. ------------------------------------------ C6.2 Uncola Mountain / Birdie's Mountain ------------------------------------------ :::::::::::::::::::::::: C6.2A Course 4 :::::::::::::::::::::::: Direction: Horizontal Enemies: Ratliff, Belfry, Clipper, Quilkin, Skipper *There's a floating platform section right at the start, followed by a jump that can just barely be made. For the latter, try landing to the left of the spring and making a walking jump over it. *Touch the arrow buttons to change the rails that the platforms follow. This is a rather unfriendly introduction, as there are lots of pits about. *There's a pit midway through the stage with two blocks at the bottom of the screen. There are actually springs behind both. :::::::::::::::::::::::: C6.2B Course 5 :::::::::::::::::::::::: Direction: Vertical Enemies: Belfry, Ratliff, Nadine, Clipper, Zeeatey *This course is mostly rail platforms and springs. Time can get tight here. Try hitting an arrow switch right as its platform is about to reach the switchable part of its route to save time. *There are two hidden hearts right at the beginning: in the middle block on the left and in the top block on the right. *There are a lot of hearts in this course. They're mostly in plain sight, but you have to time your spring jumps to get most of them. :::::::::::::::::::::::: C6.2C Course 6 :::::::::::::::::::::::: Direction: Horizontal Enemies: Zeeatey, Clipper, Nadine, Belfry, Quilkin, Skipper *More rail platforms! There are also a few you have to pick up and place on their paths. You can't throw them; pressing B while holding one makes it fall in place. They also don't affect enemies. *This course introduces weak points in the platform rails. Jump on a platform while it is passing over one to make it break through. *It's possible to ignore the first set of rails and make the jump without using the platform you can pick up. You can also ignore the second set and get over the wall with a super jump. *For the most part, it isn't actually necessary to break through the rails, as they usually just lead to bonus items. There's a jump over a Belfry later on that you can make from the higher path, but be careful not to overshoot it. The last two jumps can also be made this way; just jump over the midair pillars. *There's a 1-up on the upper path right at the end. :::::::::::::::::::::::: C6.2D Course 7 :::::::::::::::::::::::: Direction: Horizontal Enemies: Clipper, Skipper, Zeeatey, Belfry, Ratliff *This course introduces small platforms that can be picked up. When you release one, it will stay suspended in midair for a few seconds. These are seemingly required to reach most of the hearts floating about, but you don't really need them for the course itself. *There's a rail platform floating in air just after the start. You can connect it to a rail later on to make it over a wall, but it can be hard to weave through the Zeeateys without letting go of the platform to pick up blocks. Save your super jump to make it over if you have trouble here. *In the middle of said section, there are several blocks at the bottom of the screen. Attempting to pick one up will cause you to fall through and die. *This course also introduces umbrellas. Collect one to float to the ground and use Left and Right to steer. It disappears when you land. *Once again, there's a 1-up on the upper path at the end. ------------------------------------------ C6.3 Cool Funhouse / Ronald's Funhouse ------------------------------------------ :::::::::::::::::::::::: C6.3A Course 8 :::::::::::::::::::::::: Direction: Horizontal Enemies: Belfry, Morphus, Hobbes, Clipper, Ootheca, Skipper *To reach the 1-up at the very beginning, pick up the platform a couple of screens down and bring it back. Alternatively, just use a super jump. *The ice floors that first appear in this stage don't have any friction. Once you start sliding on one, there's no way to stop moving without landing on a solid floor. The momentum can also still carry you if you jump or drop onto another platform. Use jumps to adjust yourself. *There are also conveyor belt platforms. They all push you to the left, and some of them move. *Several hearts can be had on the top route at the very end. :::::::::::::::::::::::: C6.3B Course 9 :::::::::::::::::::::::: Direction: Vertical Enemies: Quilkin, Clipper *This course is set in low gravity. There are springs about, and naturally, they bounce you even higher than usual. *The Quilkins bounce around diagonally here. They can be hard to avoid, but as this stage is quite short, you don't need to avoid too many of them. *There's a 1-up near the upper right corner of the map, directly under the exit arrow. *The glowing object in the upper left corner, across from the exit arrow, takes you to a shoot 'em up mini-stage. Up and Down steer, holding Right speeds up the scrolling, and you can use either B or A to fire at the Pac-Man-looking creatures that bob up and down. This is really just a bonus stage for extra coins, hearts, and points. *In the mini-stage, holding Right with Up or Down and then releasing the latter will cause you to continue moving diagonally until Right is released. Probably an oversight. :::::::::::::::::::::::: C6.3C Course 10 :::::::::::::::::::::::: Direction: Horizontal Enemies: Morphus, Clipper, Hobbes, Skipper *Surprisingly enough, there isn't anything behind the block right at the start. *This is essentially one long obstacle course of just about every type of platform in the game (aside from the rail platforms). Missing a jump is usually instant death, so try to be patient. Use the air control you have to avoid falling if you have to. :::::::::::::::::::::::: C6.3D Course 11 :::::::::::::::::::::::: Direction: Horizontal Enemies: Walls, Strongman *Unlike every other course, this is a Battletoads-style jetpack race, though it isn't nearly as harsh. Your only control is pressing Up and Down to avoid the walls in your path. *In Hard mode, the time limit for this course is 10 minutes instead of the usual 4. *An easy way to make it through is to hang low to the ground. If you see a wall in the middle, it will be followed by two walls with a central gap. If you see a high wall, the next few walls will be low, then high, then a very short low wall. *There's a tall low wall right before the 9:10 mark. Go high, then low, then stay in the middle. Once you make it to the end, you come face to face with the game's only boss, a circus strongman in overalls. He simply walks around and jumps randomly. Jumping on him causes you to bounce off without taking damage, and you can hold A while jumping off of him to bounce higher. He apparently never jumps twice in a row, so try staying in the corner and waiting for him to jump, then bounce off of him a couple of times to stay safe. (Be careful not to touch his hands, though.) You must hit the strongman with the blocks that periodically appear from the generator on the left side of the arena. He requires 12 hits to kill... but not necessarily 12 blocks, as there's a trick of sorts to this. As noted in the Items and Objects section, you can damage an enemy while picking up a block. Thus, you can wait until he gets close to the left side, pick up the block to damage him, and throw it to damage him again. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ C7 Credits and Thanks ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Visual Concepts: The game's developers, better known for producing sports titles under 2K Sports. Virgin Interactive: Publishers of the 7up version of this game, and a handful of other games based on both 7up and McDonald's (among many other licenses). Ocean Software: Publishers of the original McDonald's version of the game. GameFAQs: The place where I uploaded this FAQ. Yours truly: The writer of this FAQ. This one took just short of a week. This guide is (c) 2018 The Unlikely 1. For corrections, omissions, and other feedback, e-mail: jaytheunlikely at gmail dot com. ----------------------------------END OF FILE----------------------------------