Back to the Cubeture: Era 2
If you played Edible Castle's last Cuboy point-and-click adventure game, back in 2009, you may be wondering why it's taken them so long to release Back to the Cubeture: Era 2. Apparently, someone didn't send the developer the memo that sequels are supposed to be derivative and rushed out as soon as possible to grab the flaky eyeballs of Flash gaming fans before they wander off to some new thing. Instead, not only does Cubeture 2 feature the same excellent voice-acting, cheeky humor, and quirky art as its predecessor, but it's five times as long and offers a much more non-linear experience. If you haven't played the earlier game, the opening cutscene neatly summarizes it, so you won't be lost. In short: Cuboy ultimate friend good. Esquire Padrino nefarious cat bad. Suspiciously cardboard box-like time warper causing temporal chaos. Got it clear? Good. This time you'll be rollicking through Cubathens, a sort of boxy Roman/Greek mish-mash.
You'll use your mouse to play most of the game. If your cursor changes to a volume symbol, you can chat up the daft peasant, Olympian god, nasty little ginger girl or whoever it is. A downward claw icon means you can pick up an object and add it to your inventory. A gear icon is an indication that either the object itself can be used in someway, or you can use something from your inventory on it. Arrows at edges and doors can be clicked on to move between rooms. Your inventory screen (in the top right corner) allows you to change outfits, check on your quests, and combine (by dragging) or use (by double clicking) objects.
Play all the Back to the Cubeture games:
While the last game relied a little too heavily on your spacebar for its mini-games, Cubeture 2 features seven unique minigames, all of which can be played on their own from the main menu as well. Most of these are keyboard controlled, and range from a head-stomping gladiator platform battle, to jump-and-duck reflex tests, to... deity armpit hair munching. Look, saving the world isn't pretty, alright?
Analysis: If the idea of deity armpit hair munching makes you purse your lips and shake your head about kids today, and you are not one bit amused, no sir, then Cuboy isn't going to be your thing. At the same time, however, the game is not a dull crass-fest resorting to sex and body function humor to cover up a lack of wit. Rather, the game has an infectiously cheerful enthusiasm for the ridiculous.
The game also gets everything right from a game play perspective. The interface is ridiculously user-friendly, and the in-game tutorial shows you clearly how to use all of it. Skippable cut-scenes (well, except for one hilarious counterexample), easy muting, a quest list that provides gentle hints, no pixel hunting: the game thought of all the pet peeves of point-and-click fans and forestalled them. This is just pure (if occasionally hairy) silly fun, so box yourself into your seat and enjoy it.
Walkthrough Guide
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Back to the Cubeture: Era 2 Mini-Games Tips
Oh Ship!
Despite the instructions only mentioning arrow keys, you can use [WASD] as well, which will be easier to do while also controlling the mouse for most right-handed people.
The AI is fairly stupid, so your main concern should be keeping yourself in ammo so you can take him down faster.
Watch out for other ammo besides tridents. The dynamite in particular is great: you only get one shot of it, but if it hits, it not only hits him for a large amount of damage, but it sends him up into the air, giving you an opportunity to grab boxes.
Gladiator Stompinator
This game takes a fairly broad view of what constitutes jumping on someone's head. You can jump into someone's feet and take yourself out that way if you're not careful.
You'll need to win three times in the arena. The number of enemies increases, but it is never really that difficult.
An amusing thing to do in the mini-games menu is set all the fighters to CPU-controlled and then watch them duke it out.
Fly High Mountain Guy!
Don't worry at all about getting hit by the small objects. You can't really avoid them, and you have so much health that they don't really impact you at all.
The large objects are where you want to be careful. Remember that they are quite wide and when you see the flashing warning arrow, give that area a wide berth. However, you can be hit several times and still make it to the top.
The "falling" mini-game is just a joke. You can't win or lose, so just enjoy it.
Cuboy Cupid
This is a simple matching game, and the timer is rather generous. Just start spearing people and match their faces.
Poseidon's Pipeline
Up arrow to jump over objects, and down arrow to duck from seagulls. Timing is everything. You have to wait until the very last moment in order to succeed. The timing is tighter on the seagulls than on the floating objects, so if you don't succeed at first, try again, because the enemy pattern is random.
Atlas's Armpit
Simple if you know how it works. You have to click everytime to chew; you can't drag yourself over a couple of blocks. You must completely get rid of all the stubble. If you start to chew on the wrong square, Atlas will yell instead of giggling.
Battle Fort Battle
This is essentially the same as Gladiator Stompinator, only with a capture the flag component. You have infinite lives, so the only thing that dying does is send you back to your own side. Kill the other team therefore only when it will either allow you to capture their flag more easily, or will prevent them from getting your flag. Don't forget to go back to the flag once you kill someone who's carrying it, because once you (or another team member) touches it, it'll it automatically go back to your base. (The same applies to the other side, but your teammates are so hopeless that it's doubtful that anyone but you will ever get the flag.)
Posted by: joye | January 27, 2012 2:09 AM
Cuboy: Back to the Cubeture: Era 2 Walkthrough
Escaping the sheep
Head east and speak to the boy. Ask him about his sheep, and he'll tell you they scare easily. Ask him for a glass of water, then while his back is turned go into his house to steal the knife, straw, and rope. Wait for him to give you the water then go back to the sheep field.
Talk to the sheep and they'll run away from you. scare them until they run into the tree twice, knocking the branch to the ground. Pick the branch up, then use the rope on it (drag the rope over to it in the inventory screen.) Wearing you new hat, speak to the ram and it'll run away, allowing you to leave.
Stealing the evil plans
On the world map, pick up the torn flyer (at the top near the mountain,) and head to the town to the south.
In the town, follow the peasant to the theatre and listen to the speech. Once it's finished, follow the thief east and talk to him. Threaten to tell on him, and he'll steal your boss back for you.
Find the thief (to the west of the town entrance,) and ask him about breaking into the palace. He'll mention a master trickster who lives in the woods. Ask him to make you a into the best thief in a five-mile radius and he'll also give you the ninja costume.
Go west to the docks, and talk to the man in the stripy shirt. He'll challenge you to a sea battle.
Once you've won the mini-game, pick up his toothpick and the can of paint next to him. Head north and give the toothpick to the weapons merchant - he'll give you an axe in exchange.
Leave the town and head to the forest. Use the axe on the tree, then pick up the axe handle and wood, and also the odd fish mushrooms to the right of the screen.
Go north, and give the axe handle to the woodcutter - he'll carve it into a wooden sword for you. Speak to him again, and ask him about trickery. He'll agree to help and ask for some items.
Give him the knife, straw, wood, and paint and he'll build the trojan babe for you.
Go back to the city and find the soldier in the green uniform who wanders about. Wait for a moment and he'll whistle a six-note tune - try to remember it.
Go to the palace (just north of the city entrance.) Use the trojan babe on the guards, then head north into the palace.
There are six statues here - each plays a musical note when you use them. Use them to play the tune the soldier was whistling and the door will open. Put on the ninja outfit (hat, shirt, and pants,) then enter.
Sneak past the guards, then grab the evil plans. You'll be temporarily banned from the city.
Becoming a hero
Head to the mountain, and pick up the other half of the flyer. Combine them in your inventory, then head back to the forest.
Head east, and you'll see a stack of wood. Rotate each section until the front looks like a crudely drawn picture of a woman and it'll become a wood nymph. If you've put the flyer back together, Hercusneeze will appear. Ask him to train you and he'll give you the gladiator's mark.
Head to the coliseum, and talk to the old man until he goes inside. follow him, pick up the armored pants, and then ask him about the mark of the gladiator. Tell him you have it, and he'll give you the gladiator's outfit. Put it on, then talk to him again to start the gladiator mini-game.
You have to win three rounds of this - once you've done so, you'll be hailed as a hero and allowed back into the town.
First though, go to the cave at the right hand corner of the world map and talk to Cerberus. Ask to enter Hades, and Cerberus will tell you that you need to look like a corpse and have a permission slip from Zeus.
Meeting the gods
First off - the permission slip:
In the town, find the young boy and ask him to give you his action figure - As long as you're wearing the gladiator outfit he'll gladly do so. Give the action figure to the woman who sells rare items and she'll give you Perseus' helmet. Give the armored pants to the weapon seller and he'll give you a magic stone.
Go to the forest, then head north from the room with Hercusneeze. Use the stone on the pond, and the ginger girl will be impressed. Give her the stone and she'll give you her inhaler. Leave the room then re-enter, and you'll find that she's managed to kill herself with the stone. Push her in the pond and grab your stone back.
Head back to town and give the inhaler and the bloody stone to the weapon seller - he'll give you a spear and a pair of garden shears.
Go to the mountain and climb it. You'll have to beat the flying mini-game.
Once you're at the top, talk to Zeus and he'll ask you to solve his gods' problems. Ask him how to find them and he'll give you the coordinates to find Poseidon and open the route to find Atlas. Go east and talk to Aphrodite. Offer to be her cupid, and play the Cupid mini-game. Once you've won she'll give you her autograph.
Go back to the world map and click the newly-appeared arrow in the bottom corner to meet Atlas. Talk to him, and you'll start his armpit-shaving mini-game. Once you've beaten this he'll give you a coin.
Go to the town and talk to the captain in the docks. Tell him the coordinates Zeus gave you and you'll meet Poseidon. Talk to Poseidon and beat his surfing mini-game.
Climb back up to Olympus and tell Zeus you've cheered up all his gods. He'll give you permission to enter Hades.
Entering Hades
Now you just need a corpse costume:
Back at the town, go to the north end of the market, and speak to the fish merchant. Ask him about bathing, then use the fish mushrooms on him. Eventually he'll give you some fish bones. Go to the theatre to the north of the town and give Aphrodite's autograph to the actor - he'll let you take his makeup box. Finally, go back to the northern end of the market and talk to the tailor. Ask him to make you a corpse outfit, then give him the make-up and fish bones.
Hooray! There's just one more thing you need - leave the town for good, and head to the coliseum. Use the shears on the gold leaf bush, then combine the gold leaf and coin in your inventory to make a gold coin.
Go to the cave at the top-right of the world map and talk to Cerberus. Cerberus will let you enter if you look like a corpse and have permission. Wear the corpse outfit and talk to him again.
Enter Hades and give the gold coin to the ferryman. After you've crossed the river, go east into Hades' playroom.
Talk to Hades to start the final mini-game. Beat this, then talk to Hades to end the game.
Posted by: David S | January 27, 2012 11:55 AM
Back to the Cubeture: Era 2 Easter Eggs and Secrets
Outfits:
This does not include the outfits you get automatically through the main plot of the game.
Satyr outfit:
After training with Herc, talk to the wood nymph and choose the options which flatter her (there are several possible paths; one is "lovely tree lady", "everything", and "enchanting presence"). If you get through the conversation successfully, she'll bless you with this outfit. Try again if you don't get it right.
Toga outfit:
Go to the bathhouse (west and south from the city entrance) and talk to the bather. Choose the options "Lara Croft" "night" and "stop this poem". He'll give you his clothes.
Other Easter Eggs and Secrets:
After beating the final mini-game, go back out to the entrance. Cerberus will sing two new songs for you.
You can "use" your glass of water on any tile to make a puddle. If you leave the room and come back it'll be gone. If you want to refill the glass you'll have to go back to the peasant. (The glass of water isn't used for anything in-game.)
Most characters have an idle animation and/or comment that they make if you hang out in a room. Some have more than one.
Please share any other easter eggs or secrets you have found in the comments! This is a work in progress.
Posted by: joye | January 28, 2012 1:26 AM