We've all heard the news, seen the depressing documentaries about endangered species being hauled off for one reason or another, but it just breaks your heart to see an alien dragon all netted up by some unscrupulous starcruiser to make a cheap space-buck. And a mommy alien dragon, no less! Thankfully, this alien dragon just happened to be sitting on a precious little alien dragon egg, and Momma Dralien didn't hatch a coward. You're in for a grand adventure, a precarious rescue operation, and all in all, something of A Dralien Day, the newest point-and-click quest from Robin Vencel of PencilKids.
Gameplay takes place across a series of scenes, each infested by dangerous foes, puzzling mechanisms, and other varied points of interest. Any and all clickable hot spots are highlighted with little white circles, drawing your attention to anything you might need to solve the situation at hand. There's also some action-packed minigames linking a couple of the scenes; they're a fun, cheesy little diversion from the puzzles, although you can skip them if you so desire (for a penalty to your final score, of course).
None of the puzzles are really super-challenging, although a link at the top of the page can whisk you to a video walkthrough should you ever become truly stuck. The glowing hot spots are appreciated, but take away a certain element of "puzzliness" from the affair. Instead of scouring the screen for that which might be of some use, the circles merely invite you to find whatever order you're supposed to click them in, and then you're onto the next challenge. This isn't a bad thing; it just means that the game is more casual fare.
The art's as cartoony as ever, and that baby Dralien has got to be one of the darn cutest extraterrestrials I've ever laid eyes on. The game still manages to maintain that PencilKids charm, of biological Rube-Goldberg machines that push an unlikely hero through the toughest odds. And let's be honest here, you can't stand the thought of that poor little guy being separated from his mom. Can you?
Walkthrough Guide
Walkthrough (for those who, like me, appreciate the safety net):
Nest
Click on the egg until it falls off the ledge.
Cannon
Click on the upper left contraption x4 and the bottom right x1. Click on the wheel at the bottom x2 to move the cannon. Click on the pile of cannonballs to load the cannon, then click on the lever top right. The gremlin in the hole runs away and you can move Dralien on
Blowfly
Find and click on the four cogs hidden around the scene. Click on the small lever underneath the flower, then click on the broken bridge underneath the small lever. Click on the flower. When the blowfly lands on the flower nectar, click on Dralien and he'll jump on the fly's back. This will cause the fly to vomit and release a fifth cog. As the fly flies back to the left, click on the fifth cog. Then click and hold on the large wheel to raise Dralien right to the top. Send him on his way
Spaceship
Enter ship. Open the powerbox and click on each circle until all are facing up/down. Look at the panel to the left and note the pattern. Exit the spaceship and go to the panel on the far right. Replicate the pattern from inside the spaceship by pushing the buttons. Go back to spaceship and click lever on the far left. The spaceship will try to depart but a chain stops it. Click on the chain, then pull lever again.
Mini Game #1
Shoot the metal eaters. Takes about 4 shots to blow-up each one. Holding the mouse down gives a constant stream of ammunition
Pylons
Pull the lever at the far left x4. Adjust the socket on the stick so it's at the same level as the plug. Pull lever one more time and the machine starts up. Using the controls pick up the pylon the right and then click on Dralien to move him between pylons. Release right pylon, move left and pick up left pylon. Move Dralien on
Doors
Check out graffiti. Note the pattern on the door while it is closed. Enter. Each screen you'll be presented with a choice of doors. Take the door which has a pattern that is different from the rest. Try to remember the different pattern as that is the one you need to pick each time. If you pick the wrong doors, Dralien will eventually succumb to the poisonous gas, but you can always restart. Eventually Dralien will emerge outside and enter another spaceship
Mini Game #2
Use your mouse to manouvre the spacecraft through the cavern, trying to avoid hitting anything. I gladly sacrificed 20,000 points to skip this level
Giant Robot
Note the colour sequence in the upright barrier, from top to bottom then enter that sequence into the control panel
Red, Purple, Yellow, Green
A giant robot will enter and you'll need to go to the gun in the middle of the screen. You can try to shoot the robot, but it will keep swiping Dralien backwards. If you want to beat the robot, shoot the stlagtite above it's head until it collapses
Yay, it's Mother!
Click on the levers in the right sequence to activate the release buttons on Mum's cage.
3rd from left, left, right, 2nd from left
Fly off into the sunset...
Posted by: Chiktionary
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October 23, 2009 7:51 PM