Figure out Save Mary yet?

[Atarifever1]

I was just wondering if you figured out "Save Mary" on the Flashback 2 yet critic.  I couldn't understand it at first either, but earlier today I read an interview with Nolan Bushnell about it (his company made it) where he described it.  I started it up and had no problems at all with it.  It's a real gem of a 2600 puzzle game. 

You lower your crane rope thing down to the blocks that move in at the sides.  When you're ready to pick up a block you press the button.  You release the block by releasing the button.  The block has to hit dirt on the bottom, or land with a certain percentage of the block on another block.  The point is to keep Mary from drowning by building her a structure she can climb out on.  However, like the guys in "This Planet Sucks", she likes to move a lot, and you can crush her.  You can also build a structure she can't climb up on, because the jump is too high for her, and then she's out o luck, as you have to watch her drown.  Once Mary is up high enough she can be pulled away just like one of the blocks, and depositied safely on the ground.  Trying to position the oddly shaped blocks in the later levels feels a lot like Tetris.  You really should give this one a go.  Once you learn the basics though, you'll want to play on advanced, as it feels slow redoing the early stages.

[Funkmaster V]

Save Mary is a great game indeed. I own a 7800 cart of the game and the one on the Flashback 2. They are identical. Here are the links to my reviews of the game that might help explain the mechanics further for those who are still stuck or lost interest:

 

Save Mary (7800 cart)

http://www.flipsiderunner.com/7800/savemaryr.html

 

Flashback 2

http://www.flipsiderunner.com/7800/flashback2r.html

 

Cousin V

[VideoGameCritic]

Atarifever: I have not gone back to play Save Mary, but now that I'm armed with the knowledge you've empowered me with, I will give it another shot!  Stay tuned.

Has anybody else ever played this obscure game???

[Atarifever1]

One more thing.  Here are Atari's instructions.  On the second page they explain the power-ups.  I just got to this, so I can't vouche for if they work well.
http://www.atari.com/us/images/games/FBK2/manual/savemary.htm

[Funkmaster V]

[QUOTE=Atarifever]One more thing.  Here are Atari's instructions.  On the second page they explain the power-ups.  I just got to this, so I can't vouche for if they work well.
http://www.atari.com/us/images/games/FBK2/manual/savemary.htm
[/QUOTE]

 

Errrrr... those aren't accurate power-up descriptions. That is weird. There is no Mary doll, nothing gold, and nothing makes her invincible.

 

Very odd

 

Funk