Pop n' Pop - Checkmate Mode

Round 41
POINTLESS STORY TO FILL UP CAPTIONS #2 - WHY THIS TOOK SO LONG TO MAKE

#1 - Switch to Vertical Green-Hammer, aim for the exposed Greens on the left.
#2 - Switch to Vertical Pink-Dark-Blue, aim for the Pink cluster.
#3 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so that the Brown goes into the gap between the other two Brown balloons.

Round 42
The screenshots you're seeing here are actually some of the oldest taken for the site.

The screenshots you're seeing here are actually some of the oldest taken for the site.

#1 - Switch to Horizontal Blue-Dark-Blue, aim so the Blue lands on top of the middle column, and the Dark-Blue lands on the right side of the column.
#2 - Switch to Vertical Red-Blue, aim to take out the Red balloons.
#3 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Blue balloons are taken out and the Pink floats away.

Round 43
In fact, they come to us all the way from 2008.

In fact, they come to us all the way from 2008.

#1 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Yellow lands on the Dark-Blue on the right, and the Pink lands on the base of the cloud, near the other Pink balloons.
#2 - Keep the balloons as they are, make the exact same shot.
#3 - Switch to Vertical Red-Dark-Blue, aim for the Red balloons.

Round 44
Back when this site was considerably shittier than it is now, I had ~plans~ for Pop n' Pop.

Back when this site was considerably shittier than it is now, I had ~plans~ for Pop n' Pop.

#1 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Pink lands on the Blue and the Green falls down to the base of the cloud.
#2 - Switch to Horizontal Yellow-pink, make the same shot on the other side.
#3 - Switch to Vertical Red-Blue, aim for the Red balloons at the bottom.

Round 45
I'm talkin' ~big~, son. An entire shrine dedicated to this game!

I'm talkin' ~big~, son. An entire shrine dedicated to this game!

#1 - Switch to Vertical Yellow-Dark-Blue, aim at the left edge of the cloud.
#2 - Switch to Vertical Dark-Blue-Yellow, aim at the right edge of the Dark-Blue cluster to the right.

Round 46
Had I actually finished what I'd planned, it would've been the biggest section on the entire site.

Had I actually finished what I'd planned, it would've been the biggest section on the entire site.

#1 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim at the middle so the Red latches on and the Blue falls down the left gap.
#2 - Switch to Horizontal Red-Blue, make exactly the same shot.
#3 - Switch to Vertical Red-Blue, aim at the Red cluster on the right, so that the two balloons on the right are connected to the one in the middle.

Round 47
Full playthroughs of all the possible routes in the arcade and PS1 versions, character discussion, a full guide to the Taito game references...

Full playthroughs of all the possible routes in the arcade and PS1 versions, character discussion, a full guide to the Taito game references...

#1 - Switch to Vertical Green-Yellow, aim at the gap on the left side.
#2 - Switch to Vertical Green-Green, aim at the same spot so that you take out the Green balloons in the middle of the cluster.
#3 - Switch to Vertical Green-Red, aim into the only gap remaining.

Round 48
It would've been intense, for sure!

#1 - Switch to Vertical Pink-Green, aim for the the middle, on top of the Dark-Blue.
#2 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Dark-Blue goes on top of the Dark-Blue on the red bubble to the left and the Green goes down the middle and lands on top of the Green you just fired.
#3 - Switch to Vertical Yellow-Pink, aim at the remaining exposed Yellow.

Round 49
Like all big things I plan, though, it fell by the wayside somewhat. It was a lot of work...

Like all big things I plan, though, it fell by the wayside somewhat. It was a lot of work...

#1 - Switch to Horizontal Green-Dark-Blue, aim to hit the Green on the left side.
#2 - Switch to Horizontal Dark-Blue-Arrow, aim so the Arrow takes out the Green Balloons on the right, and the Dark-Blue rests on the Dark-Blue.
#3 - Switch to Vertical Yellow-Dark-Blue, aim for the gap on the left in the middle cloud.

Round 50
... And, in some respects, the skills and resources I had back then weren't really up to the task.

... And, in some respects, the skills and resources I had back then weren't really up to the task.

#1 - Switch to Vertical Ofuda-Dark-Blue, aim at the right-most exposed Green so that the Ofuda takes care of them.
#2 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Dark-Blue lands on the remaining Red balloons on the right, and the Yellow goes down the new gap in the middle.

Round 51
(Besides, having full playthroughs of the one-player mode felt a bit redundant. Only so much you can say about each stage).

(Besides, having full playthroughs of the one-player mode felt a bit redundant. Only so much you can say about each stage).

#1 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Dark-Blue hits the Red in the middle, and the Yellow takes out the Yellow cluster to the left.
#2 - Switch to Horizontal Red-Pink, aim so the Red gets on the middle column, and the Pink takes out the Pink cluster to the left.
#3 - Switch to Horizontal Red-Green, make exactly the same shot.

Round 52
So, resigned to having all this effort for nothing, I dumped what I had in a folder that, to this day, is still on my computer's desktop..

So, resigned to having all this effort for nothing, I dumped what I had in a folder that, to this day, is still on my computer's desktop..

#1 - Switch to Vertical Ofuda-Red, fire at the two Pink balloons so the left Red balloons explode and all the Pink balloons are taken out by the Ofuda.
#2 - Switch to Horizontal Pink-Green, fire at the edge of the cloud so the Green touches the other Green balloons, and the Pink drifts away.

Round 53
I've changed computers a few times since then, but it's always been there. Waiting to be used.

I've changed computers a few times since then, but it's always been there. Waiting to be used.

#1 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Dark-Blue sticks to the Dark-Blue on the far right, and the Red falls to the base of the cloud.
#2 - Switch to Vertical Arrow-Pink, aim at the column in the middle (the one consisting entirely of Green and Dark-Blue balloons).
#3 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Yellow falls down the new gap in the middle.

Round 54
Originally, I thought the only reference to all this stuff I did on it was the use of the ripped Tremi/Rodomi art and the screenshots seen in the Fairyland Story article.

Originally, I thought the only reference to all this stuff I did on it was the use of the ripped Tremi/Rodomi art and the screenshots seen in the Fairyland Story article.

#1 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Red lands on the middle column.
#2 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Brown falls into the gap on the right, and the Yellow rests on the Green.
#3 - Switch to Vertical Arrow-Brown, aim at the middle column.

Round 55
But years later I finally found the PC version of the game by chance, and thought, 'Hey, is there anything, anything at all I can salvage from all that crap I gathered?'

But years later I finally found the PC version of the game by chance, and thought, 'Hey, is there anything, anything at all I can salvage from all that crap I gathered?'

#1 - Switch to Horizontal Blue-Red, aim at the left edge of the cloud, letting the Blue fly away
#2 - Switch to Vertical Red-Blue, aim at the same spot as the last shot.
#3 - Switch to Vertical Blue-Blue, aim at the right edge of the cloud.
#4 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim for the remaining Blue balloons.

Round 56
Of the stuff we had, the Checkmate Mode and References guides seemed to be the best ones to go for, so...

Of the stuff we had, the Checkmate Mode and References guides seemed to be the best ones to go for, so...

#1 - Switch to Vertical Yellow-Blue, aim for the Yellow on the left side.
#2 - Switch to Vertical Yellow-Blue, aim for the spot next to the spot you just fired at, so the Yellow balloons will explode.
#3 - Switch to Horizontal Blue-Red, aim for the Blue balloons on the left.
#4 - Switch to Vertical Pink-Yellow, aim for the middle gap between the two Pink clusters.

Round 57
For the record, this one holds the record for 'longest time between initial inception and actual article produced'.

For the record, this one holds the record for 'longest time between initial inception and actual article produced'.

#1 - Switch to Horizontal Yellow-Green, aim for the middle Yellow column so the Green goes down the gap on the right.
#2 - Switch to Horizontal Pink-Yellow, aim for the left Yellow column so the Pink goes down the gap on the left.
#3 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Yellow hits the Yellow column.

Round 58
The only one that may beat it is XEXEX, if I ever finish that article, which was started around the same time. But don't hold your breath.

The only one that may beat it is XEXEX, if I ever finish that article, which was started around the same time. But don't hold your breath.

#1 - Switch to Horizontal Red-Green, aim for the gap to the right of the Red balloons on the left so that they and the Green cluster to the right explode- do NOT blow up the green balloons on the left side with the gap between them!
#2 - Switch to Vertical Red-Blue, aim at the remaining Red balloons to the right.
#3 - Switch to Horizontal Blue-Green, aim at the gap between the Green balloons.

Round 59
So there you are! That's why I basically had this stuff to hand off-the-cuff.

So there you are! That's why I basically had this stuff to hand off-the-cuff.

#1 - Switch to Vertical Green-Brown, aim at the red bubble on the left.
#2 - Switch to Horizontal Green-Brown, aim so the Green goes on the red bubble on the right.
#3 - Switch to Vertical Dark-Blue-Green, aim at the new gap in the middle.

Round 60
... I've run out of stories now.

#1 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Blue goes into the Blue cluster in the middle and the Pink sticks to the tall Red column.
#2 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Red goes into the Red column on the right, and the Pink sticks to the tall Dark-Blue column.
#3 - Switch to Vertical Green-Blue, aim at the Green in the middle so the Blue drops down to connect to the other Blues.

To the next set, Rounds 61-80!
Nah, back to the main Checkmate Mode page!