Fisher Price: I Can Remember - FAQ/Walkthrough Nintendo Entertainment System Version 1.01 Contributed by Shifty50fs E-Mail - Shifty50fs@msn.com ************* * CONTENTS * ************* 1. Legal 2. Timeline 3. Introduction 4. Controls 5. Getting Started a. Title Screen b. Selection Screen 1 c. Selection Screen 2: Number of Players d. Single Player Mode of Play Selection Screen e. Name Input Screen f. Level Selection Screen 6. Gameplay a. Rules b. Scoring c. Game Screen d. How To e. Pictures f. Music g. Game Approaches 1. What Not To Do 2. What To Do h. Walkthrough i. Tips and Tricks 7. Concluding Remarks 8. Special Thanks ********* * LEGAL * ********* This document is copyright (c) by Dan Boyer in 2003. This document may not be used in any public item, including websites, without permission from Dan Boyer. Permission may be attained via E-Mail (shifty50fs@msn.com). This document may not be reproduced or distributed for profit. All Fisher Price names, products, and designs are copyright (c) Fisher Price in 1990. ************ * TIMELINE * ************ November 14, 2003 - 6:09:04 PM - got my hands on this great game from Fisher Price...is there anything they make that isn't totally awesome? November 14, 2003 - 6:15:07 PM - beat the game and entered the hall of fame holding the coveted first slot. November 14, 2003 - 6:29:42 PM - started typing this faq, typed controls. November 15, 2003 - 1:33:39 PM - continued typing this faq, typed getting started sections a through f and the introduction. November 15, 2003 - 8:33:29 PM - continued typing this faq, typed gameplay sections a through e. November 16, 2003 - 12:43:53 PM - continued typing this faq, typed walkthrough, re-did formatting. November 17, 2003 - 5:11:45 PM - continued typing this faq, reformatted a bit, deleted some excess, added some details, concluding remarks, and special thanks. November 17, 2003 - 5:54:35 PM - completed this faq. ****************** * INTRODUCTION * ****************** Memory, according to the tenth addition of the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, is the power or process of reproducing or recalling what has been learned and retained especially through associative mechanisms. One aspect of memory is the ability to remember a certain object's previous location. This ability is what allows a person to find their way to the refrigerator day after day, get their favorite food out and cook it without being talked through the steps of doing so. The ability to remember location also helps a person to get home from school, work, or a store. Without this ability, information would have to constantly be relearned, wasting time and making life incredibly slow and unproductive. This raises the question, "How can I increase my memory's capacity for information?" The answer to this, simply, is practice. Just like any other muscle, the brain must be constantly conditioned and strengthened. Each time you are presented with a piece of information, your brain attempts to store it in such a way that it can be recalled later. The more times your brain does this, the more efficient it will become and the faster and more complete your memory recall will become. To use a cliche, practice makes perfect. And, just as you wouldn't practice your boxing skills by picking fights on the street, it is best to practice your memory skills in a controlled situation allowing you to focus on the singular task of increasing your memory's capacity for information. In other words: gaming. Games are not merely for entertainment. Games expand the abilities of the mind and body by confronting the player with new situations or difficult concepts. Football, for instance, forces the body to absorb impact, run fast, accelerate and decelerate quickly, catch moving objects, and throw accurately. Video games increase thinking skills with puzzles and improve hand-eye-coordination by forcing the player to perform complex acts of timing. The game commonly referred to as 'Memory' or 'Concentration' is the simplest way to improve one's memory. It is a set of picture cards, each card having a partner with the same picture. The cards are spread out and overturned and a player may turn over two cards, look at their picture, and turn them back over. The player's goal is to find matches, and, other than getting lucky, the only way to find matches is to use one's memory. The game is over when all cards have been paired up. The game is very beneficial to the memory of the player, especially if the player is very young. With faith in the game's ability to improve a person's memory, Fisher Price, in naming their video game version of the game 'Memory,' boldly stated "I Can Remember." ************* * CONTROLS * ************* Throughout most of the game (exceptions will be noted in later sections) the controls are as follows: D - Pad: move selection box Select - End game Start - Pause game A - Select current target B - Select current target ********************* * GETTING STARTED * ********************* (|A|) Title Screen (|A|) Upon inserting the Fisher Price: I Can Remember cartridge and hitting the power button on your NES, you will see the copyright information followed by a screen stating "Fisher Price presents." During this, the song 'Old MacDonald" is played. Two times through the melody and you see a screen full of numbered blocks that soon disappear revealing the game title: I CAN REMEMBER. This is your first taste of the game, as the actual game involves revealing a picture by removing matching blocks, so I hope you liked what you saw. You are then prompted to hit any button. Hit a button on your controller to be on your way. (|B|) Selection Screen 1 (|B|) After pressing any button at the title screen, you will encounter a screen that allows you to either continue on to the game itself, or view the instructions for gameplay. Use the up and down directional buttons to choose between playing the game and learning how to play. Once you've highlighted the desired choice, press any button (other than the D-pad...the game's use of the term 'any button' is a bit deceptive here and inconsistent throughout the game). After explaining the actions necessary to set up the game, I will regress to the instructions (game play) and fully explain the rules and scoring of the game. (|C|) Selection Screen 2: Number of Players (|C|) The following screen, once again, offers you two choices. You can choose between playing by yourself, or playing against a friend...or enemy. As before, you use the up and down directional buttons to choose and, once you've highlighted the appropriate choice, press any button other than the D-pad to make your selection and move to the next screen. If you happen to have a second controller and a person to play against, I recommend setting the game for two players, as this will (depending on the intelligence of your partner) offer you a much more difficult and entertaining game. However, playing by yourself is also enjoyable. (|D|) Single Player Mode of Play Selection Screen (|D|) If you choose one player, you will be given two choices: play alone or play against the computer. Playing alone gives you the chance to practice your memory skills without any competition. There is no limit to the number of guesses you can make, allowing you to finish even the most challenging puzzles. Playing against the computer pits you against Electro, a super-computer of sorts with an impeccable memory for Fisher Price toys. (|E|) Name Input Screen (|E|) After choosing the single player mode of play or if you chose two players, the next screen you see will be the nameinput screen for player 1. Player 1 must use the controller in slot one to select the letters in his/her name/nickname. The name can be up to eight characters long including any spaces. Numbers and symbols are unavailable to the player. Upon entering the screen, the letter 'A' will be selected by a selection box. The D-pad will move the selector from letter to letter. Pressing the A or B buttons will enter the currently selected letter into the next available spot in the name. If a mistake is made along the way, moving the selection box to highlight the DEL option and pressing the A or B buttons will delete the previously selected letter. It can be selected multiple times to delete multiple letters. The space after Z and the space after DEL can be used to insert a space in player 1's name. When the desired name has been entered, moving the selection box to the bottom right corner, thereby highlighting the END option, and pressing the A or B buttons will select the inputted name as player 1's name for the rest of the game. If the two player mode of play has been selected, player two will then be prompted to follow these same instructions using the second player controller to enter his/her name. (|F|) Level Selection Screen (|F|) Once the name(s) have been entered, the level selection screen appears. There are three levels of play with increasing difficulty due to an increasing number of picture cards. The numbers of picture cards per level are as follows: Level 1 - 12 picture cards, organized in a rectangle, with 6 matches to be made Level 2 - 16 picture cards, organized in an octagon (the four corner cards of a square organization of cards are removed), with 8 matches to be made Level 3 - 20 picture cards, organized in a square, with 10 matches to be made For beginners or the very young, levels 1 and 2 are appropriate, but level 3 may become a bit overwhelming. However, with practice, everyone should be able to complete a level 3 puzzle. ************* * GAMEPLAY * ************* (|A|) Rules (|A|) This game has the same rules as the classic memory game it is based upon. An even number of picture cards, each having a matching card, are mixed up, set out, and overturned to hide the pictures. Players then take turns flipping a set of two over and viewing the pictures. If the cards match, they are removed, the player earns a certain number of points, and the player takes another turn. If they do not, they are overturned and returned to their spot. The next player then gets a chance to go, following the same rules. In the Fisher Price video game version of the game there are three rounds of play. Each round is over when all matches have been made and the background picture has been uncovered. The player with the highest score after all three rounds is deemed the winner. (|B|) Scoring (|B|) Each match made is worth a certain number of valuable points. Removing the last pair and uncovering the entire background picture is also worth a number of bonus points. The scoring is as follows: 1st match....................500 points 2nd match....................400 points 3rd match....................350 points 4th match....................300 points 5th match....................250 points 6th match....................200 points 7th match....................175 points 8th match....................150 points 9th match....................125 points 10th match...................100 points Last Pair Bonus..............300 points The decreasing worth of each match as the game goes on is due to the decreasing difficulty in finding matches as cards are eliminated. In the beginning there are many choices, but in the end it becomes much less probable to make a mistake. When a three round game has been completed, the scores are compared with those of the current Hall of Fame. If they are higher than any of them, they are added to the hall of fame along with the name of the player who accumulated the points. Having one's name atop the list is a definite bonus as it gives you the most bragging rights. These bragging rights come in handy with this very true formula: personal best score + amount of bragging (bragging rights) = # of chicks (|C|) Game Screen (|C|) Here it is...the game you've been waiting for. At first, it may seem a bit overwhelming, but don't be frightened, you'll soon be navigating it like a pro. The majority of the screen is filled with numbered and unnumbered blocks. These are the picture cards overturned. The numbered ones are in play and the unnumbered ones are out of play. In Level 3, all cards are in play and numbered. On card 1 there is a green box. This box is your selector. In the bottom left of the screen is a picture of a boy and a girl with your name on top. This represents player 1. Next to the picture are two numbers; a white one and a green one. The white one is your score so far this round and the green one is your total score accumulated throughout the previously played rounds of the current game. In the middle of the lower portion of the screen is a bit of text that states the round number you are currently playing. In the bottom right corner lies your opponent's information. (|D|) How To (|D|) Playing the game is really very simple. You control a selection box that can be positioned over a numbered card using the D-Pad. When it is selecting the desired card, press A or B to flip the card over. When you have flipped two cards over, they will be turned back over, unless the pictures on the other side match, at which point they will be removed from the screen and replaced with a piece of the background picture. The appropriate number of points is then added to that player's white score. If they did not match, the next player will have control of the selection box. If you would like to pause the game, pressing the start button will do so, though it will not work until all cards are overturned so you cannot cheat. If you decide the game is not going well or you would like to change your name, the players, or the level, pressing the select button will end the current game and send you to the play again option screen that gives you two choices. Starting a new game with the same names, players, and level, or starting a new game and re-entering all information to change the settings. It is just like any other menu selection screen in the game (D-Pad up or down moves selection arrow, any other button aside from left and right will select the currently highlighted item). When a round of play is completed, a new screen will appear with the following text: *name of winner*, You did very well in this round. Press any button to continue. Press any button to move on to the next round of play. The rules are the same, but you'll notice some changes to the screen. The white scores will be reset to 0 and the green scores will have been updated to include the last rounds score for each player. After the third round a screen will appear stating the name of the person with the highest total score for all three rounds. The text displayed will be as follows: *name of winner* Wonderful! You have a great total! Press any button to continue. Pressing any button will send you to the hall of fame screen which has a list of high scores and the names of those who made them. By pressing any button you will be taken to the play again option screen mentioned earlier in this section. (|E|) Pictures (|E|) Each card has a picture on one side which you use to match them up. These pictures are all toys made by Fisher Price in 1990. The 8-bit drawings are pretty sketchy and the toys are all 13 years old so the official names are uncertain in many cases, but this section will attempt to list most of the toys for those who are curious. Burger, Miniature Golf, Ball Popper, Red Car, Mixer, Yellow Car, Cash Register, Xylophone, Penguin, Humpty Dumpty, Drum, Teddy Bear, Music Maker, Bubble Lawnmower, Cassette Tape, Bowling Pins, Phone, People, Stacking Rings, Blue Camera, Horse, Table, Firetruck, Airplane. This is far from complete and I'm very aware. I excluded any that I could not name due to picture quality. When a puzzle is completed, a large background picture is revealed. They include the following: Oven, Jet Plane, Check-out Line, Microphone, Vacuum, T-ball, Movie Camera. (|F|) Music (|F|) This game has a soundtrack of several traditional children's tunes. They are as follows, listed next to the place they are played: Title Screen: Old MacDonald Game: Mary Had A Little Lamb, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or the Alphabet Song, a variation on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or the Alphabet Song Win Game or Win Round: Pop Goes the Weasel Hall of Fame: Three Blind Mice (|G|) Game Approaches (|G|) 1. Approaches Fisher Price: I Can Remember is a game that combines memory and luck to produce an entertaining and educational experience. Unfortunately, each game is set up randomly, making writing any information for aiding one's gameplay difficult. There are many ways to improve one's efficiency and ability to remember the location of the pictures, and I have decided that the best way to illustrate these tricks is a walkthrough. Keep in mind, the game is randomly set up so it is almost guaranteed that you will never see this set up of cards. However, by describing the way I handle various situations, I hope to reveal some tricks for improving your game. After setting up my game as a Level 1 single player game, I view my challenge: 16 numbered cards with 8 different pictures, all hidden from my sight. The way I see it, I have three ways to go about solving this puzzle: the slow methodical way that relies on neither luck nor memory - solely the fact that by turning over all possible combinations the game will eventually be won, the occasionally fast, irradic way that is fit for the person who can guess the right answer to any question, and my way - the right way....or so I like to think. Actually there are many methods and all are right depending on the situation (level, opponent, etc.). 2. What Not To Do Method 1: Begin by turning over number 1 and number 2. If they do not match, turn over numbers 1 and 3. Continue increasing the second number until you find the matching picture. Then increase the first number and begin the process again. Using this method, you will definitely complete the puzzle, but at the cost of speed. Losing speed of completion will cause you to miss out on valuable points that could be being gobbled up by your opponent. Method 2: Begin by choosing 2 cards. Next a different combination of cards. Follow that up with a completely different set of cards. And another. Oh yea...this is gonna work. Don't ever do this, please. It's an insult to the game as the point of the game is to remember things....its not Fisher Price: I Can Guess. 3. What To Do This is how I choose to approach the game. Systematically move from numbers 1 to 12, 16, 20, depending on the level, never choosing the same card unless you have discovered a card that matches a previous card. By moving in a pattern, it becomes easier to remember the location of the pictures. By not repeating the same card more than once unless it is found to match another, you eliminate a lot of wasted turns. (|H|) Walkthrough (|H|) Keep in mind, each game is set up completely randomly so this is simply an example game and shows how I would approach the game. It is unlikely that you will ever see this same game, but hopefully, seeing me in action illustrates the tactics I use. Firstly, I turn over cards 1 and 2 and find them to be a fire truck and humpty dumpty, respectively. After they are overturned, I flip card 3. It happens to be a firetruck, and, using my memory, I flip card 1 again to find the pair. The cards are removed and I move on to card 4, bowling pins, and card 5, an airplane. Having no matches with these I flip card 6 which is the second set of bowling pins, so I go back to card 4 to make the pair. Card 7 happens to be the airplane, so I go back to find yet another match. Cards 8 and 9 are new: the ball popper and a teddy bear. Card 10 is a popper, so I go back to card 8 for a match. Card 11 matches with the teddy bear, and the final two cards, numbers 12 and 2, are humpty dumpty portraits. In a level 1 game the least number of turns the game can be completed in is 6 and I managed to win in 9. Analysis: I kept a consistent pattern to the way I moved through the cards, this helped me to remember the locations of the pictures. I didn't repeatedly flip the same card, increasing my efficiency. (|I|) Tips And Tricks (|I|) If you thing the second card you flip matches a previously flipped card, in the next turn, go back to the previously flipped card first so that just in case you thought wrong you still have a chance to guess another card. Sometimes you'll get lucky. If you do it the other way, it will simply be a wasted turn. Always be vigilant as another player is taking their turn. Not only is it giving them a chance to see the cards, but it is also a chance for you to find matches that they happen to miss. If you see a pair while another player is going, there are several ways to remember where that match is. You can rely on your memory, which will be more successful for some than others, or you can use some type of memory aiding device. I find it helpful to make a larger number out of the two numbers. Say that matching cards are 1 and 6, I would remember the number 61. Remember to put the larger number first since if i had remembered the number 16, I could have become confused and flipped card 16, missing a great opportunity. For those of you who like to cheat...if you find it impossibly difficult to remember locations of pictures, make a notebook and jot down the numbers and their pictures as they are revealed. ************************* * CONCLUDING REMARKS * ************************* This is a great teaching tool and games like this should be more widespread. Memory is a key factor in the intelligence of a person and games like this will help you increase your memory's capacity greatly. However, being made for children, the game is slow paced and lacks variety, so I doubt many people over 5 will find much enjoyment in it. But, if you do play the game, it will be accompanied by a nostalgic wave that will take you back to your roots of innocent fun and gaming, a time when you didn't have to blow up someone's head to enjoy a game, a time when you could sit for hours with 2 buttons, a 4 track melody, and a game with the name Fisher Price on it. Ahhh...those were the days. ******************** * SPECIALS THANKS * ******************** gamefaqs.com and CJayC, Fisher Price, Tool, The New Deal. send comments to shifty50fs@msn.com This document is copyrighted by Dan Boyer in 2003.