You thought potato counting was boring, eh? Think again. It's back, it's awesome, and its totally tuber-ler!

THE BASICS

Extreme Potato counter is a deceptively simple game, in which the player must count the potatoes as they cross the screen. When all of the potatoes have crossed, the player is given twenty seconds to enter the amount of potatoes they saw. If the player guesses correctly, the next round begins. If he or she guess incorrectly, the game is over.

 

As each level progresses, the total number of potatoes increases, as does the speed at which they cross. To make matters more complicated, other items, such as carrots and stones, begin to fly as well. These do NOT count toward the end total, and must be ignored.

 

ADVANCED GAMEPLAY

Each level has a set range of possible potatoes. In the first round, there will be between 6 and 9 potatoes on the screen. For each additional level, the minimum number of potatoes will increase by 3, and the maximum number by 5. Remembering the possible ranges can help when the only option is to guess.The first twelve levels have the ranges shown below.

Starting in level 3, Carrots will begin to fly across the screen, as well. These serve only as a distraction, and should be ignored. As the game progresses, a new vegetable will be added every other level, and old ones will increase in size, as well. Potatoes come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Here are the vegetables that may appear on the screen, as well as the first level they appear in:

LEVEL	RANGE	ITEMS
1	6 - 10	These are the potatoes you will be counting!
2	9 - 15
3	12 - 20
4	15 - 25
5	18 - 30
6	21 - 35
7	24 - 40
8	27 - 45
9	30 - 50
10	33 - 55
11	36 - 60
12	39 - 65
13	43 - 70

Scoring

Players receive one point for each potato correctly counted. After correctly guessing the number of potatoes in a level, a victory cheer is given.

TIPS TO WIN

• Play on the smallest screen setting. This makes it easier to catch all of the potatoes which clip the corners of the screen.
• Focus on the center of the screen. This goes hand in hand with playing on the smallest possible size. Keep to the center of the screen, and allow your vision to become unfocused. This makes it easier to see all of the potatoes as they enter the screen, and reduces the risk of missing one while concentrating on a specific potato.
• Hit the mute button. The music for Extreme Potato Counter can be very distracting… if it causes problems, just hit “mute”.
• Know Thy Numbers. For each player, certain numbers have a tendency to repeat in each level. For instance, one player may find that the first level has 9 potatoes 3 out of 4 times, while for another that number is 6. While it’s always best to have an accurate count, that simply isn’t possible in the later levels. Educated guesses are the key to success in this game.
• Take Breaks. Don’t be afraid to stop and take breaks here! The only time limit to worry about is the twenty seconds allotted to actually make a guess. So if your eyes are tired, or you’re starting to see potatoes float around your living room, take a break. Sometimes just a couple of minutes to relax is all that is needed to go from a mediocre score to a fantastic one.

 

It takes 200 points to win the EPC avatar… no small feat!

A gold trophy will require about 420 points to obtain, with silver and bronze coming in at about 330 and 320 respectively.

 

Credit:
This guide was written exclusively for NeoLodge.com by Persephone.

Edited by Georgie.

2007-06-03