Category Archives: Tips and Tricks

Tricks & Tips: CycloManiacs

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Posted by Ben De Ayora on November 4, 2009 – 11:51 am
Filed under Online Games, Tips and Tricks



CycloManiacs is just plain awesome! This game has everything you could ask for, from its crazy selection of 20 unlockable characters, to its perfectly balanced tracks set in 6 brilliantly illustrated worlds. Long story short: it looks good and plays even better! To unlock all of the secret goodies that this game has to offer, you not only have to play well, but you have to play smart. This is why I have come up with a few tricks and tips that may help you get your times down and your tires across the finish line first.

- Control is key when you are flying through the air and I have discovered that Sir Colon has a really tight flip radius which makes him spin a lot faster. This, my friends, can help you shave valuable seconds from your race time! I also found out that he is an ace when it comes to popping wheelies, which means more than just sticking sweet stunts — it can also send your score soaring. So give Sir Colon a try and see if you don’t start winning more races!

- Chose your upgrades wisely! When you get the opportunity to tweak your bike, focus on the important upgrades first. In this game, speed and agility rule, so upgrade your speed and spin first before worrying about other upgrades, like your brakes.

- Stay focused and keep your hands steady. Try not to anticipate too much, and instead, focus on the obstacle in front of you. A clear mind and steady hand will lead you to victory lane!

I hope these tips will help you unlock at least some of the game’s sweet extra features – and even more of its amazing potential. Keep on riding and racing and I’ll be back with more tricks and tips soon!

Play CycloManiacs

Tricks & Tips: R.I.P

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Posted by Ben De Ayora on October 23, 2009 – 1:34 pm
Filed under Online Games, Tips and Tricks

With Halloween only a week away, I thought I’d help you get your ghouly game on with some tips for the game R.I.P. In this spooky puzzle game, lost souls represented as ghosts are trying to get to their final resting space. With the help of some spider webs and some scissors, you must guide them to their graves and set them free. The game looks easy enough, but trust me it gets tough. There is a lot going on, but I have a couple of tips that may help you get it all done just a little faster.

- Don’t pass up the scissors. When you collect a set of scissors and don’t use them in that level, they carry over to the next level. As you get further in the game, things get more and more tricky, meaning you may need those scissors to cut your way out of a mistake!
- Draw your lines up. Just because the souls are drifting down doesn’t mean you can’t get them back up to catch some bonus points! Shoot your lines up to make sure you cover the whole level. You will get higher scores for sure!
- More points means more rewards! To max out your tokens in this game, you’ll need super high scores, and the only way to get a really high score is to collect all of the bonus points. Leaving precious points behind can cost you in the end.

I hope you found these tips to be helpful! You should have all the help you need now, so I expect to see you haunting R.I.P’s high score board soon! Thanks for playing and have a Spooky and Safe Halloween!

MONOPOLY™ Build-A-lot™ Edition Issue Resolved

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Posted by Justine on October 9, 2009 – 2:35 pm
Filed under Customer Service, Download Games, Tips and Tricks

Hey Everyone,

We would like to inform you that the sign-in trial issue you may have been experiencing with MONOPOLY™ Build-A-lot™ Edition has been resolved. If you’ve already purchased the game or if you are a Shockwave UNLIMITED Member, please uninstall the old version of the game and reinstall the latest version currently available on Shockwave.com. Start buying, flipping and selling all of the Monopoly properties the Build-a-lot way!

In need of a helpful hint to get things rolling? When you’re playing, remember that train stations will bring new business to a neighborhood. When new business arrives you are rewarded a prize bonus from the town investors.

Do you have a tip for your fellow Shockwave players? Post your comments!

Tricks and Tips: 2 Minute Football 3D X

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Posted by Ben De Ayora on September 24, 2009 – 11:25 am
Filed under Online Games, Tips and Tricks

Score quick to win big!

The return of football season is one of my favorite times of the year. For me, this means more tailgating, more mud football with my friends, and more of my favorite Shockwave football game, 2 Minute Football 3D X.

This awesome 3-D football game puts you on the field with only 2 minutes left, giving you the chance to score big points with even bigger plays. But after the college mode, how can you really be sure to shut down the defense? This blog post will dive into a few tips and tricks that just may help you win the big game and boost your overall score.

- You only have 2 minutes to score in the game, so clock management means everything! Long runs eat up lots of clock, so try throwing diagonal passes towards the sidelines. If your player can get out of bounds with the ball, then the clock will stop!

- Don’t forget about the field goal! I know we all want to throw that Hail Mary pass for an extra 6, but you have to remember that a field goal is an automatic 3 if you are close enough! In a close game, those points could come in handy at the end! Also, there is no shame in throwing the ball away! Avoid the sack and loss of yards! You’ll get them on the next down!

- Practice makes perfect: use the practice mode ‘til you can linkup perfectly with your receivers. It doesn’t take long to master, and you will enjoy the bigger game scores!

- Finally, speed matters: you might be able to connect with the long pass, but you will need speed to break that last tackle. Building up speed will help you find the end zone, so take that into account once you have the ball in your hands!

Use these tips to your advantage, and you just might excel in this fast paced football challenge. The high score is currently at 2010 in College mode. Think you can beat it? Test your gridiron skill with 2 Minute Football 3D X and find out!

Tricks & Tips: Fishdom H2O: Hidden Odyssey™

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Posted by Ben De Ayora on August 6, 2009 – 4:26 pm
Filed under Download Games, Tips and Tricks

Fishdom H2O: Hidden Odyssey™ is an incredibly addictive download game with some of the coolest visuals under the sea! It’s up to you to build up your aquarium by collecting cash that can be found hidden throughout the visually stunning areas that make up the game. There are a lot of really cool items to collect which make the Fishdom H2O: Hidden Odyssey super customizable and even more enjoyable! The levels are fully interactive which allows you to use your imagination for a totally unique gaming experience. The developers of Fishdom H2O: Hidden Odyssey have sent us over some tips and tricks that will help you on your way as you begin to build your under water habitat. Check them out below and get the most out of the great under sea adventure!


Tips and Tricks:
• Click on the Options button in the main menu to switch between ”Relaxed” and ”Against the Clock” game modes any time you wish.
• Fill up Fish, Beauty and Comfort meters to 100% to earn a trophy and unlock a new tank.
• If you keep buying the same fish and accessories over and over again, it will take much longer to fill up the relevant meters.
• A purchased ornament can be sold back. To do so, drag and drop it into the bin. The bin appears in the lower right-hand corner of the screen when you start dragging the item.
• A purchased fish can be sold back. Just click on the ”-” button next to the fish icon in the shop.
• Keep your eyes peeled for seahorses in the levels. Click on them to collect an extra hint.
• Videotapes on “My Tanks” screen contain the cut scenes of the game. You can recap the storyline and watch them any time you wish.
• Note that the game doesn’t end even when you win the Best Aquarium Award. You can keep working on your tanks and take care of your finny pals.

Tricks & Tips: Big Mouth Bass 3D

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Posted by Ben De Ayora on July 9, 2009 – 9:29 am
Filed under Download Games, Online Games, Tips and Tricks


To me, there is nothing I like more than a quiet afternoon out on the boat fishing for big mouths with my friends. Sadly, with life in the big city, I don’t really have the chance to get out on the lake too often. Luckily, Shockwave has Big Mouth Bass 3D: a very fun 3-D fishing game that is sure to bring out your inner angler.
For this episode of Tricks and Tips, I will take you out on the water with a couple of helpful hints that will help you reel in those lunkers.

In Big Mouth Bass 3D, there are a couple key factors that will help you get bigger fish, faster.

Location: In this game you may see a few fish out in the open, but the key for catching trophy bass is to find the big ones. The only way you can do that is to test the waters. With a variety of fishing spots available, you’ll want to figure out which fish are biting where. Try each of the spots several times and throw your lure all over the place. This will help you when you play in tournament mode and you need to find the big fish fast.

Equipment: Lure selection is vital in this game. Use the wrong bait in the wrong spot and the fish will just look away. Just like with your locations, test out the different lures and figure out which ones perform where you are fishing. Remember that the lures are all weighted differently, so you may need a heavier guy to get the fish that like to hang out near the bottom.

Find your Fish: The easiest way to find fish in this game is to spot them before you cast. Often times you will see small groups of bass swimming together. Throwing your lure into these groups greatly improves your chance for a bite!

Technique: What really separates the pros from the Joes in fishing is the technique the angler uses when hooking and reeling in his or her catch. This remains true in Big Mouth Bass 3D as well. It’s vital that you hook the bass quickly to have any chance of bringing it out of the water. Practice this by quickly pulling your mouse back. Once that becomes second nature, you will find yourself getting a lot more fish on the line.
Finally, be sure to keep an eye on your tension after you have hooked your fish, and have patience when you are reeling. Too much tension on the line will mean more fish getting away!

I hope you found my tips helpful and I’ll see you out on the water!

Tricks and Tips: 5 Ways To Win @ Risk®

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Posted by Ben De Ayora on June 25, 2009 – 4:15 pm
Filed under Online Games, Tips and Tricks

Risk®, the ultimate flash game of global domination has been a favorite on Shockwave.com for a while now. I have been playing the game myself since I was a kid, and no matter who I’m playing against (be it the computer or my best friend) it remains challenging. And it’s a great way to exercise your brain. With that said, I want you to know that winning at Risk® is not easy! There are many things you have to think about in order to finish on top in a game of Risk®, and I hope that with these simple tips you too can keep your troops strong and your victories glorious! 

Here are my 5 tips to help you win at Risk®!

1. Keep a strong front: when setting up your line of defense, make sure that you don’t leave any holes. The AI will invade any vacant countries around your stronghold, and move in to try to weaken your force.

2. Patience Pays Off: a lot of times with this online version, you’ll want to rush through turns and play quickly. However, this could lead to compromising your strategy. Play with patience, take your time, and calculate your attacks to end with more wins.

3. Chose Your Targets Wisely: unless you think you can hold it down for an entire turn, don’t bother conquering an entire continent. Doing this is sure to attract unwanted enemies, and when they gang up on you, it’s hard to keep order.

4. Stay In Control: when you have full control of a continent, it’s best to set up your armies so that they can protect the points of attack, rather than wasting troops guarding the less vulnerable countries that make up the area’s interior.

5. Finally, don’t spread yourself too thin. Keep your troops as well distributed as possible. If you don’t, other players will reek havoc on your low numbers. 

OverSize XXL: Tips & Tricks

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Posted by Ben De Ayora on June 12, 2009 – 1:55 pm
Filed under Online Games, Tips and Tricks

Hello fellow monster truck junkies. It is I, Big Ben, the baddest bro to ever take on a mud course. Today I’m here to talk about a game that’s a bit larger than life. In fact it’s XXL Larger than life. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then check out one of the most popular games on our site, Over Size XXL.

For those of you who are ready to rumble, let’s get down to business. monster truck racing is tough. You have to be able to handle powerful machines at top speeds while avoiding a variety of obstacles that will cross your path. Here are a few tips that I have used to turn me into a better racer and I’m sure they can do the same for you.


Stay straight: when your truck starts to pick up speed and boost forward with power, it’s important to stay as straight as you can for as long as you can. You can do this by picking out a line on the track and using the right and left arrow keys to balance your monster as it tears through the mud. This will keep you going faster longer and give you an edge when you come out of turns.

The air up there: since these big guys blast off with major power, it’s important to use your jumps to fly over as much of the course as you can. Be careful though! It’s very easy to lose control of your tuck in the air, which could result in a serious disaster for your first place dreams. 

Stay away from obstacles: this game has some amazing artwork, but with beautiful scenery comes many well drawn obstacles that will put your vehicle in instant park on contact. It doesn’t matter if it’s a rock or a cactus,  if you happen to slide off the road and hit anything in the background, your Truck will stop right away and all your momentum will be long gone. The best advice for this problem is to stay on the road. Follow cars closely to get the hang of how the turns work, and then work your way up to passing. Before you know it, you will be leading the pack.

Finally, the inside will take you home: once you have worked on your steering and jumping abilities, it’s important to keep any advantage you can get on the other cars racing against you. Once you have a lead, keep to the inside of the track. Use less gas on turns and cut corners sharper. This can slash valuable seconds from your time and help you get a killer score!

Hopefully my words of wisdom will help your next Over Size XXL adventure. I started off slow once too, but now I’m blasting by the best of them. If you have any specific problems with your trucking abilities, feel free to post them in a comment and I’ll do my best to get you across that finish line first!

Keep on monster truckin’!

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