Pop n' Pop - Checkmate Mode

Round 81
OK. Caption #81. On the home stretch now.

#1 - Switch to Vertical Dark-Blue-Red, aim for the Red and Blue column on the right.
#2 - Switch to Vertical hammer-g, aim for the exposed Green balloon to the right.
#3 - change to Vertical Blue-Red, aim for the lone Blue.

Round 82
I suppose- as I always do when this kind of thing comes up- these captions are pointless.

I suppose- as I always do when this kind of thing comes up- these captions are pointless.

#1 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim for the Green on the left so the Pink lands on the base of the cloud.
#2 - Switch to Vertical Red-Yellow, aim for the 'corridor' down the middle of the field.
#3 - Switch to Horizontal Green-Yellow, aim so the Green lands on the Green on the left next to the Hammer.

Round 83
And yet...

#1 - Switch to Vertical Red-Green, aim for the lone Pink on the base of the cloud.
#2 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim for the Right you just shot so that the Green drops to base
#3 - Switch to Vertical g-r, shoot on to your little g column

Round 84
As much as I moan about them...

#1 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Red is above the column of Reds.
#2 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Blue is above the column of Blues on the right side.
#3 - Switch to Horizontal Yellow-Pink, aim so the Pink goes in the hole and the Yellow ends up on the Pink above the Yellow.
#4 - Switch to Horizontal Yellow-Green, aim so the Yellow and Green balloons are destroyed.

Round 85
I am quite attached to these captions.

#1 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Pink sticks with the Pink exposed on the column closest to the deadline, and the Arrow takes out the Pink-Red-Red column.
#2 - Switch to Horizontal Blue-Yellow, aim for the Yellows to the right to make them explode.
#3 - Switch to Vertical Blue-Green, aim for the remaining Blue balloons.
#4 - Switch to Horizontal Green-Yellow, aim so the Green balloons are destroyed and the Yellow falls down to the clump of Yellow balloons.

Round 86
It's weird.

#1 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Pink lands on the Green in the centre.
#2 - Switch to Vertical Pink-Green, aim for the middle column.
#3 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim for the left so the Green touches the Green at the bottom of the middle column, and the Red takes out the Red balloons on the left side.
#4 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Red destroys the Red balloons and red bubbles and the Brown joins the two Brown clumps.

Round 87
It's like... The text on the page is just out there, in the open.

It's like... The text on the page is just out there, in the open.

#1 - Switch to Horizontal Yellow-Red, aim so the Red lands on the Green on top of the column on the left side.
#2 - Switch to Horizontal Green-Dark-Blue, aim so the Dark-Blue lands on to the exposed Yellow on top of the column on the right.
#3 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Red touches the Red on the left side and the Blue falls on the Blues at the bottom.
#4 - Switch to Horizontal Dark-Blue-Red, aim so all the remaining balloons are destroyed.

Round 88
But these captions? You have to find them. Yes, you, the reader. Like a secret.

But these captions? You have to find them. Yes, you, the reader. Like a secret.

#1 - Switch to Vertical Pink-Blue, aim for the exposed Pink on the right side.
#2 - Switch to Vertical Yellow-Hammer, aim for the column you just created to destroy the red bubbles.
#3 - Switch to Vertical Blue-Yellow, aim for the exposed Blue on the left side.

Round 89
There may be a computer screen and several thousand miles between you and me, but here we are, having this secret one-sided conversation, on a website few will ever see.

There may be a computer screen and several thousand miles between you and me, but here we are, having this secret one-sided conversation, on a website few will ever see.

#1 - Switch to Vertical Yellow-Pink, aim for the 'corridor' on the right.
#2 - Switch to Vertical Blue-Pink, aim for the 'corridor' on the right.
#3 - Switch to Vertical Red-Pink, aim for the Reds in the 'corridor'.

Round 90
Something quite strange about that, isn't there?

Something quite strange about that, isn't there?

#1 - Switch to Vertical Red-Hammer, aim for the lone Dark Blue on the right side.
#2 - Switch to Horizontal Red-Dark-Blue, fire so the Dark-Blue hits the Dark-Blue column on the left side.

Round 91
[Are you actually reading what you're typing right now? - Ed]

[Are you actually reading what you're typing right now? - Ed]

#1 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Red balloons are next to each other
#2 - Switch to Vertical Yellow-Blue, aim for the on top of the Yellow furthest to the left.
#3 - Switch to Horizontal Red-Blue, aim for the Blue balloons on the left so the Red flies away.
#4 - Switch to Vertical Yellow-Brown, aim for the Yellow balloons on the right.

Round 92
Of course not.

#1 - Switch to Vertical Red-Dark-Blue, aim for the empty space on the right.
#2 - Switch to Horizontal Dark-Blue-Green, aim for the same spot so the Green flies away.
#3 - Switch to Horizontal Dark-Blue-Green, aim for the column of Dark-Blue balloons on the left and the Green lands on top of the Yellow.
#4 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim for the Blue balloons so the Green lands on top of the Green you just fired.

Round 93
[I tell you what, let's have a secret conversation, shall we? Here we go- GET BACK TO MAKING PROPER CAPTIONS - Ed]

[I tell you what, let's have a secret conversation, shall we? Here we go- GET BACK TO MAKING PROPER CAPTIONS - Ed]

#1 - Switch to Vertical Arrow-Blue, aim for the Pink-Yellow-red bubble column on the left side.
#2 - Switch to Vertical Red-Pink, aim for the Red-Red-red bubble on the right side.
#3 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Yellow hits the two Yellows to the side and the Blue hits the Blue balloons on the base.

Round 94
Don't spoil my fun, asshole! Get back into your corner until April Fools' Day!

Don't spoil my fun, asshole! Get back into your corner until April Fools' Day!

#1 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Red goes on the right Blue in the middle section and the Blue falls down to the other Blue column.
#2 - Switch to Horizontal Red-Hammer, aim at the left edge so the Red balloons at the bottom in the corner go off and the Hammer destroys the third row.
#3 - Keep the balloons as they are, fire so the Yellow rests on top of the Red in the middle.

Round 95
[NO. I AM AN ASSASSAIN OF FUN AND JOY. - Ed]

[NO. I AM AN ASSASSAIN OF FUN AND JOY. - Ed]

#1 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so they cover the two Dark-Blue balloons.
#2 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the Yellow hits the Yellow balloons on the right and the Hammer sits on the Blue above the Yellows.
#3 - Switch to Vertical Red-Hammer, aim for the gap on the left that's right next to the balloon clump

Round 96
You're so mean.

#1 - Switch to Horizontal Pink-Yellow, aim so the Yellow lands on the Yellow to the left and the Pink lands on the base of the cloud.
#2 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim for the lone Red so the Green balloons blow up.
#3 - Switch to Vertical Arrow-Brown, aim for the only column that has any Green balloons left.

Round 97
Besides, I'm about to put an actual caption here- when I beat this stage at about 4 in the morning, I said 'Detergent!' quite loudly. I, er, hadn't had much sleep, so...

Besides, I'm about to put an actual caption here- when I beat this stage at about 4 in the morning, I said 'Detergent!' quite loudly. I, er, hadn't had much sleep, so...

#1 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim so the two balloons fit into the 'pit' in the middle of the balloon cluster.
#2 - Switch to Vertical Red-Hammer, aim for the Red balloon in the 'pit'.
#3 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim for the gap between the two balloon pairs.

Incidentally, this was the final stage I cleared in Checkmate Mode. I was rather pleased when I did it.

Round 98
[That doesn't count. - Ed]

#1 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim at the right edge of the balloon cluster so that the Dark-Blue rests on the Dark-Blue, and the Red falls down to the other Red.
#2 - Keep the balloons as they are, aim for the Yellow balloons on the left side of the balloon cluster.
#3 - Switch to Vertical Dark-Blue-Dark-Blue, aim so that they end up on top of the Red you fired for your first shot.
#4 - Switch to Vertical Dark-Blue-Hammer, aim for the same place as the last shot.

Round 99
It SO does. And hey, check it out...

#1 - Switch to Horizontal Yellow-Pink, aim so the Yellow lands on top of the Pink on the left side, and the Yellow lands on top of the Yellow in the adjacent column.
#2 - AS THIS IS HAPPENING... Switch to Vertical Pink-Yellow, aim at the column to the right of one where the last Pink landed. You must be quick! Fortunately, this is the only time where a 'cheating' combo is needed in Checkmate Mode.
#3 - Switch to Vertical Yellow-Pink, aim for the Pink-Yellow-Yellow column so the remaining balloons are taken out.

Round 100
Caption #100! Wahoo!

#1 - Switch to Horizontal Yellow-Red, aim for the Red balloons to the right so the Yellow lands on top of the Pink balloons.
#2 - Switch to Vertical Arrow-Yellow, aim for the red balloon furthest to the left on the Red Bubble.
#3 - Wait until the chain reaction finishes, then switch to Vertical Ofuda-Pink, aim for the Blue balloons on the Red Bubble.

And when you've done that, what do you get?

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU SUCCESS! See? That's a real caption. definitely.

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU SUCCESS! See? That's a real caption. definitely.

[I don't care. I'm going home now. - Ed]

You get a pretty crappy Congratulations screen (the same one from Vs. Com mode, just without a picture of your character), a sense of relief, and if you haven't been cheating, then Dreg joins the fray. You don't need to have unlocked the other two secret characters to unlock Dreg this way (unlike the cheat code- which, by the way, is Up, Down, Left, Right, Triangle, X, Start on the title screen) as Checkmate Mode is available from the start of the game..

OK then. Cheerio, Ed!

I guess you get bragging rights too, but that's your lot. Checkmate Mode's been defeated.

Well, that's done. Back to the main Checkmate Mode page!