The Petpet Protection League doesn't always devote their spare time to saving Petpets from becoming a Snow Beast's dinner. As a matter of fact, one of their top undercover agents, Samuel, has been hard at work to free Petpets from the evil clutches of Gargrall the Grarrl.
Gargrall imprisons these Petpets and forces them to work within his ruby mines, deep below Neopia. Your job, as Samuel, is to find these Petpets and lead them to safety, without getting killed in the process.
How To Play
Each level of Petpet Rescue is composed of two types of areas: carts and boulders. In cart areas, you need to avoid the lava (and the edges of the screen) by moving from cart to cart. In boulder areas, you need to avoid coming into contact with the flying rocks. Hitting the lava, the edge of the screen while on a cart, a flying boulder, or a flying stalactite will cause you to lose a life.
You navigate using the arrow keys. To save a Petpet, pick it up by walking over to it and return it to the entrance. The entrance is the doorway at the bottom of each level where you start the game. You can only carry one Petpet at a time.
Petpets
The different types of Petpets that you will encounter during the game are shown below. All of them are worth the same number of points.
Obstacles
Lava: The lava river that the mine carts run over. If you move off of a cart and into the river, you will die. The only way to avoid this is by hopping into another cart that is adjacent to yours. Additionally, attempting to ride the carts off the edge of the screen will also cause you to lose a life.
Boulders: Flying rocks in rows of four. The good thing about the boulders is each row has its own pattern. For example, one row may consist of two boulders that move from left to right, and the next row may consist of only one boulder that moves from right to left. By taking a second to observe how each row moves, you can predict when it will be safe to cross the pathway.
Stalactites: The sharp, pointy rocks lining the top of the game screen. The stalactites shake before they fall, giving you some time to get out of the way. They can only move in a straight line and will disappear when they reach the bottom of the screen. If you notice a falling stalactite early enough, you should have plenty of time to get out of the way.
Time: A metaphorical obstacle! You have 100 seconds to complete each level. If you run out of time, you lose a life. Each time you lose a life, this timer resets. This is actually a decent amount of time for the first couple levels, but a true challenge after that.
Scoring
There are five levels to the game, each with its own objective. Once you meet this objective you can advance to the next level. You cannot rescue more Petpets than is required for a specific level—the instant you rescue the last one you will advance to the next level. Each Petpet will net you 10 points, and each level completion will net you 25 points. There is not a time bonus.
Level |
# Petpets |
Points Available (without gems) |
1 |
4 |
65 |
2 |
6 |
85 |
3 |
8 |
105 |
4 |
10 |
125 |
5 |
10 |
125 |
Each level has two to four coloured gems scattered throughout the boulder zones. The exact number of gems is random with each level, so some luck is involved; there is a 50% chance a level will have two gems, a ~33.3% chance it will have three gems, and a ~16.7% chance it will have four gems. While it is possible to earn the avatar or get a high score without collecting any gems, you will obtain it much easier if you do.
Gem |
Value |
Level 1 Chances |
Level 2 Chances |
Level 3 Chances |
Level 4 Chances |
Level 5 Chances |
 |
5 points |
100% |
45% |
45% |
45% |
45% |
 |
10 points |
- |
55% |
30% |
30% |
30% |
 |
15 points |
- |
- |
25% |
20% |
20% |
 |
25 points |
- |
- |
- |
5% |
4% |
 |
50 points |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1% |
Gems can appear at any position in any row that also contains boulders.
Level Difficulty
With each level, in addition to there being more Petpets to rescue, various aspects of the game become more difficult.
- Boulders move faster
- More boulders are present
- Carts move faster
- Some rows of carts have fewer carts
- Stalactites fall more often
- Stalactites fall more quickly
Level Maps
Quick Tips
- Restart your game if you lose a life on the first level if you are trying for the avatar. You will want the maximum number of lives for future levels.
- You actually have four lives: the one you begin with and 3 additional ones.
- The game does not tell you how many Petpets you have rescued—you need to count yourself.
- If you are trying for the avatar, try to collect all of the gems in each level. Gems are easy points.
- You do not get bonus points for finishing the level early, so take all the time you need.
- When you are standing within the doorway the stalactites cannot harm you.