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HERMIE HOPPERHEAD: SCRAP PANIC The Original FAQ
FAQ Version 1.02 by Matthew Sephton
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CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
1.1 The Game
1.2 Graphics
1.3 Gameplay
2.0 Playing Concepts
2.1 The Joypad
2.2 Friends
2.3 Baddies
2.4 Levels
3.0 Cheats
3.1 Hidden Options
3.2 Bonus Levels
4.0 What Do You Know?
4.1 Contacting The Author
4.2 Release
4.3 E&OE
4.4 Thanks
5.0 Version history
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
This FAQ aims to be the definitive source of information for the PlayStation
game Hermie Hopperhead: Scrap Panic, henceforth HHH. It serves no other
purpose. At this time no manual in any language has been seen by the author.
1.1 THE GAME
HHH is a platform game in a similar vein the the various Mario platformers on
the NES or SNES. It may seem a bit strange or bizzare at first, but getting
to known the game will reveal its hidden depths. The game is made by Sony
Creative Products Inc.
1.2 GRAPHICS
You wouldn't really choose a platform game to show off what your PlayStation
can do, but you will gasp in amazement at what the game gets up to in terms
of graphics. At time there are tens of sprites on screen at once, multi-layer
parallax scrolling and a graphical effect such as water, heat haze or snow!
1.3 GAMEPLAY
Platformers are a starnge type of game. They require precise hand to eye co-
ordination as well as the ability to plan routes through levels and solve
puzzles. The only way to better these skills is to practice and experiment.
Try different things with Hermie - see just what he is capable of.
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2.0 PLAYING CONCEPTS
As with any other game playing skills will improve over time. Perseverence is
the key. Once you have done a few levels and started to get to grips with the
controls and gameplay restart the game from scratch. You will find that your
skills gained will let you race through the first few levels coming out with
a better score and better friends.
It may be worth noting that you jump higher if you run or even higher still
if you bounce of an airborne baddie's head. You can also slide down slopes
and kill any baddies on them.
2.1 THE JOYPAD
Here is a list of the default joypad buttons and their functions.
BUTTON GAME STARS SCREEN MAP
Up Up Up Up
Down Down/duck Down Down
Left Left Left Left
Right Right Right Right
Cross Jump x1
Square Run x10 Run
Triangle Release/catch x100
Circle Continue
L1 Release/catch
R1
L2
R2
Start Pause menu Continue Start level
Select
2.2 FRIENDS
Friends are gained by hatching the eggs you collect. You do this by feeding
them coins at the end of each level. See controls above.
There are four different types of friends available, each having their own
characteristics. They are the Penguin, Turtle, Chicken and Dragon. In my
opinion this is the order of ranking. Dragons are definitely the best as they
can fly - meaning that they don't fall of the bottom of the screen every
chance they get. They also spit fireballs to kill baddies as well as jumping
on them. Chickens are similar but without the fireball capability. Turtles
are interesting as when they are released they simply go into their shell!
This is better than it sounds, as they can then be kicked into baddies or
left on the floor as make-shift mines. Penguins are the most humble friend.
blue green orange pink
SIZE PENGUIN TURTLE CHICKEN DRAGON
Hatchling 100 ??? ??? 160
Grown up 200 ??? ??? 400
Diver 2000 ???? ???? 4000
Use you friends to your advantage, that's what they are there for. Let them
follow you and release them at key moments to kill the baddies. This is even
more true when on the underwater levels where you can make your friends
follow you and loop around so they come between you and the baddies, then
releasing them at this moment will cause almost certain death to the baddies.
Beware that you can lose friends by not catching them in hazardous parts of
levels, look out for clenched fist signs. This can be costly if you have built
them up quite a bit. But, as they grow up they do look after themselves more.
2.3 BADDIES
The are numerous baddies all with their own attack methods. Take time to
learn them as only then will you be able to kill them properly.
Not the differences between similar baddies. For example, red sneakers run
twice as fast as blue ones. Green pins can be jumped on, unlike their red or
blue counterparts. Be careful.
Most other baddies can be killed by jumping on their heads, or by sliding into
them. You can do this most effectively by sliding down hills.
Maybe a table of baddies if demand is enough?
2.4 LEVELS
A level is shown on the game map by a coloured circle or square. The colour
refers to the world the level belongs to. Circles refer to normal levels and
squares to end of world levels. There are nine levels per world.
When you compelete a level it will be filled in red, but if the red flashes
then there is another exit on that level, most likely a shortcut exit, that
you haven't found. Play the level again looking for hard to reach places.
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3.0 CHEATS
HHH seems to rely on button presses to activate cheats
HEAD START
If you hold SELECT whilst on the main menu, until the map screen is
displayed, and press START on NEW GAME when Hermie is halfway across the
screen you will start on World 0 - Level 0 - The Main Menu Screen! Here you
can get three friends in egg form - a penguin, a turtle and a chicken.
You can then use the game menu options to start a new game with these or load
an existing savegame in to be played with these characters.
FALLING STARS
If you hold TRIANGLE+SQUARE+CROSS and start a NEW GAME you can press and hold
SELECT and press START to make lots of starts fall from the sky. These can
then be used as normal, to gain extra lives or for growing your egg friends.
Also holding SELECT and pressing START will clear the stage. This is a sort
of debug mode - you access a completed map to play on.
3.1 HIDDEN OPTIONS
Apart from the cheats above I am not aware of any hidden options. But this
game is so big who knows - there may be some?
3.2 BONUS LEVELS
if you come across a red bin then prepare yourself. They are quite hard to
find but well worth the effort - they lead to 3D bonus levels. The aim of
which is to collect all the stars and the golden egg to finish the level. On
your way around you can collect clocks to increase the time left but avoid
any eggs with skulls on as they lead to instant death.
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4.0 WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
If you have any additions which you think should be included in this FAQ then
please send them to me as below. Already there are a number of questions
that need answering.
1 Are there any other cheats known?
2 Are there any hidden levels accessed via walkthrough walls or such?
3 Is there any way to play the 3D levels only?
4.1 CONTACTING THE AUTHOR
The author of this FAQ, Matthew Sephton, can be contacted by e-mail or
through his web page (which contains information about Björk, other music,
Monkey (Magic), the Sony PlayStation and is the place to download some of my
Windows 95 shareware).
This FAQ is obtainable from various places on the Internet, but the latest
version can always be downloaded from this URL:
http://www.ewtoo.org/~matt/PS/
I have written FAQs for Choro Q Racing/Penny Racers, Micro Machines V3, Motor
Toon GP 2 and WipeOut 2097/XL which are also available.
4.3 E&OE
All errors and omissions excluded. As far as I know the information in this
document is accurate. Correct me if I'm wrong. Use at your own risk.
4.4 THANKS
Original FAQ by Matthew Sephton. Falling stars cheat from unknown source. Kill
by sliding omission spotted by Dr Chris Harback ,
more omissons hinted by Jeff .
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5.0 VERSION HISTORY
1.00, 04 Sep 1996 Original release.
1.01, 28 Oct 1996 Killing by sliding added.
1.02, 18 Apr 1997 Various sections added to, some typos removed.
