Category: Xbox Achievements

Tips & Tricks for The Harvest for WP7

the harvest logo

I’ve finished 100% of the achievements for The Harvest for Windows Phone 7. These are a few Tips and Tricks I wish I had known earlier

Dying

There’s only one place in the entire game where you are likely to die. I played through the game with all three characters and I only died twice, both time in this same spot. It’s amazing that despite this the game can still be fun (I guess Farmville does ok). There’s an achievement for finishing the game without dying so you’ll want to avoid dying here.

The spot-o-death is in the first level at the top of the map when you’re asked to go “Investigate the energy source” after picking up the Asp. There you will suddenly encounter a group of much higher level enemies that will deal much MUCH higher damager than anything you’ve encountered or will encounter for a long time. Keep your finger on your health pack button and be ready to run away.

Destructible Elements

There’s an achievement for destroying all the destructible elements in an area and destructible elements give you repair kits and other power-ups, plus it’s just fun to break stuff. The game’s graphic designers made it hard to guess what’s destructible which is kind of lame (yes I’m talking to you graphic designer #1). The problem is there are lots of things that look destructible, but aren’t. Examples: Those flimsy looking hovels in the first level? Yeah, apparently they’re made of titanium. That door that’s just hanging on by one hinge? Not going anywhere. So here’s what’s destructible in each level in addition to what you are asked to destroy:

  • Level 1: The dinosaur rib bones and the radar detectors
  • Level 2: The monk statues and the larger scaffolding
  • Level 3: The AIM signs and …. not sure.
  • Level 4: The hand trucks and the fork lifts.

Anything you need to destroy, whether it is a digger, a monk statue, or a gate; you do it with your yellow strength ability.

Power ups

The power up system is just way more confusing than it should be (these guys should also have their pay docked). The numbers and letter of a chip tell you nothing. Here’s the best high level advice I can give:

  • Power ups basically fall into two levels of goodness. Ones that can be cashed in for a +1 attribute increase and ones that can be cashed in for a +2 attribute increase. The 2+ chips are always better. I’ve gotten a few 3+, but they seem to be very rare.
  • The auto placement, is pretty smart, but not wicked smart. Earlier in the game it’s worth repair up chips that give you extra XP. Generally I would ignore chips that give more HP or energy and use my repair kits on chips that increase energy or HP regen.
  • Use major upgrade immediately. It makes no sense that it warns you no to.

Locked Areas

If you like to play through a game completely it might bug you that there are areas that you never are be able to get to. From my experience there are a few areas that are only accessible to a particular character. For instance, in level three there is a damaged terminal that can only be activated with the Falcon’s blast. In the same level there is a security gate that only the Asp can walk through. And in the same level there is a barrier that only the Scarab can charge through. Each area only includes some enemies and a few chests with some power-ups so don’t sweat that you are missing something important.

Characters

The game starts you out as a Scarab, but I found the game easiest to beat with the Falcon. Of course the Scarab is the slowest so it might be too painful to play through with him after experiencing the other characters…

Max and the Magic Marker WP7 Secrets

I’ve loved this game. For me it’s been second only to Ilo Milo on WP7. I’ve been working my way towards the Sherlock achievement – aka – “Found all the Secrets”. Done! I haven’t been able to find any walkthroughs so I’m posting my tips.

Most secrets are easy to find, so I’m not going to post about all of them, but I’ll help you find the trickiest ones in case they are driving you nuts (like they were me).

Level 3 Rolling Stone

  • There’s one right at the start of the level just above the tree house.

Level 4 Ole Ole Ole

  • Beginning of the level, block the goal! J

Level 9 – Thar she blows! 

  • The first secret is behind the octopus. Push him off the ledge first.
  • The  hardest one to find on this level is on the ship just after Mustacho fires a canon to sink ship. The secret is on the deck of the sunken ship just above the water line. The ship’s railing obscures the secret. This one was very hard to find.

Level 10 – Fire Ye Cannons!

  • The secret that I couldn’t find was right at the beginning of the level. You can’t see it when you start, but after you run over to the side of the volcano and grab some paint, head back to the start of the level and you’ll see a secret hanging in the sky.

Level 12 – The sound of Lasers. This is one of the trickier secret levels.

  • The first one should be obvious.
  • The second one, down the narrow shaft, needs to be knocked out with some ink.
  • The third one, which you’ll see under the floor as you run by, requires jumping down the next hole – it looks like a pit o’ death, but it isn’t.
  • The fourth one, under the diagonal laser is awesome. You have to create a safe path for the robots below the floor to turn off the laser. Very cool way to mix it up.
  • The fifth one was the one I kept missing. To get it, when you get to the place where there are two lasers shooting downwards and a platform you can move with switch, drop down the side of the pit below the lasers and you’ll see the secret.
  • For the sixth one, make sure you don’t ride up between the double gears, but instead continue passed them.

Level 13 – Green Goo Corp.

  • The first secret really had me stymied. It’s at the very beginning of the level. In the first room jump up to the top right corner. You’ll see a switch on the other side of the wall.
  • Later in the level you’ll see a passage headed up, but the laser will turn on when you get close. As far as I can tell that’s just a red herring. Ignore it.