Spyro 2: Gateway To Glimmer Skill Points Guide

There are a total of 16 Skill Points to obtain in Spyro 2 Gateway To Glimmer/Ripto's Rage. Each one will reward you with an extra life upon completion and collecting them all will allow you to view an amusing game epilogue upon completion as well as some scrapped art concepts for in-game enemies. Here's how to get them all.

Idol Springs - Land on Idol
In the area with the dancing hula girls is a large idol with a flat head... Go around the back of this area using the path to the left of the exit portal. Jump across the building with a straw roof and then glide across and land on its head.


Colossus - Perfect in Hockey

During the orb quest where you play a game of one-on-one hockey against the player in the red jersey, you must not let him score and end the match with the scores 0-5. Just keep flaming him and knocking him down.


Hurricos - All Windmills

In the Hurricos level, there are several wooden windmills dotted around. Destroy them all with Spyro's flame breath for a skill point.


Aquaria Towers - All Seaweed
In the Aquaria Towers level, there are several pieces of seaweed dotted around both the upper and lower parts of the level. As you are underwater, you will need to use the superflame power-up to destroy them.



Ocean Speedway - Under 1:10

This skill point is obtained by beating the speedway challenge in under 1:10. It is considerably easier if you have obtained the 100% superflame reward from Dragon Shores. (Here's a video of how I did it.)



Crush's Dungeon - Perfect

This skill point is obtained by defeating the boss without taking any damage. It is easier if you have already obtained the superflame reward from Dragon Shores, but is simple enough without it. 



Skelos Badlands - All Cacti

In the Skelos Badlands level, there are several tall cacti dotted around. Destroy them all with Spyro's flame breath for a skill point.


Skelos Badlands - Catbat Quartet
Behind the exit portal in Skelos Badlands, there is a concealed area that can be gotten to by climbing some steps. Up here are four catbats - they are flying so it is easier to hit them with lava rocks than using flame breath. Defeat them all for a skill point.



Scorch - All Trees
In the Scorch level, there are several palm trees dotted around. Charge into them and they will drop a coconut. Hit them all for a skill point.



Fracture Hills - 3 Laps of Supercharge
During the orb quest where you break the trapped faun out of the locked building with supercharge, you run around a distinct track. This skill point is obtained by completing 3 laps of this track without crashing or stopping. Simply veer off to the left and go through the supercharge powerup instead of charging into the building's doors.



Metro Speedway - Under 1:15
This skill point is obtained by beating the speedway challenge in under 1:15. It is considerably easier if you have obtained the 100% superflame reward from Dragon Shores. (Here's a video of how I did it.)



Icy Speedway - Under 1:10
This skill point is obtained by beating the speedway challenge in under 1:10. It is considerably easier if you have obtained the 100% superflame reward from Dragon Shores. (Here's a video of how I did it.)



Gulp's Overlook - Hit Ripto
Ripto is watching this boss battle from a throne at the side of the arena. To get this rather funny skill point, fire a rocket at him or shoot him with the 100% superflame reward from Dragon Shores.



Gulp's Overlook - Perfect
This skill point is obtained by defeating the boss without taking any damage. It is easier if you have already obtained the superflame reward from Dragon Shores, but it can be obtained without it. 



Canyon Speedway - Under 1:15

This skill point is obtained by beating the speedway challenge in under 1:15. It is considerably easier if you have obtained the 100% superflame reward from Dragon Shores. (Here's a video of how I did it.)



Ripto's Arena - Perfect
This skill point is obtained by defeating the boss without taking any damage. It is easier if you have already obtained the superflame reward from Dragon Shores, but it can be obtained without it. You cannot take damage in ANY of the three phases of this boss fight.

Viscera Cleanup Detail: Athena's Wrath Paperwork & PID Guide

If you're a completionist (like me) and want to squeeze every single possible % completion out of each level in Viscera Cleanup Detail, you've come to the right blog. Percentage is awarded based on the overall cleanliness of a level, up to the total of 100%. However, there is additional points to be earned by completing the additional objectives, namely the stacking zones and the dreaded PAPERWORK.

Here's a little guide to help you achieve the maximum percentage score on the Athena's Wrath level.

In order to award you the full percentage ALL of the text boxes (EXCEPT the Union Report at the very bottom) must be COMPLETELY filled in. In order to accomplish this, I simply CTRL+V'd in a Notepad document of full stops I prepared earlier. You're welcome to copy this method, mash random keyboard buttons or paste in a block of Lorem Ipsum text - whatever fills the box up completely.

For your employee ID number, mash the number pad with random numbers until that too is filled completely.

The tick boxes regarding your personal opinions can be ticked with whatever you please, as long as SOMETHING is ticked.

The following boxes in the Incident Particulars section must be ticked: 
ALIENS, DEADLY FLORA, GUNS, MILITARY and MUTATIONS

In the text boxes, fill out the following:

• Number of Dead Aliens: 4
• Number of Shell Casings: 31
• Number of Bullet Holes: 44

To find the number of incinerated items (as this number will differ from player to player) follow this file path:

Local disk > Program files (x86) > Steam > SteamApps > Common > Viscera > Saves

Find the save file of the level you are currently playing and open it with Notepad. CTRL+F "NumIncineratedItems" and you will find the number to enter in the "Number of Items Incinerated" column.

There are a total of 10 dead employees found on this level whose PIDs must be collected and scanned at the Punch-O-Matic machine.

I recommend as you clean the level and dispose of body parts and viscera to leave the PIDs exactly where you find them and collect them at the end of the level before filling out the WTF forms and their cause of death - if you move them around, they may become mixed up. Also please note, I do not refer to the employees by name, as in this level, the names are randomised and will differ from player to player.

This employee found on top of a glass panel very close to where you start the level and close to the What-a-Load dispenser shows signs of being BITTEN, DISMEMBERED, EVISCERATED, HALVED, SLAIN and SLICED.

This employee found at the bottom of the stairs close to the Big Banger radio shows signs of being EVISCERATED, IMPACT, SLAIN and THROWN.

This employee who is found against the wall at the top of the stairs in the alcove beyond the Big Banger radio shows signs of being EVISCERATED, HALVED, IMPACT, SLAIN and THROWN.

There are two dead employees beside the Punch-O-Matic machine. The one on the left shows signs of being BITTEN, EVISCERATED, HALVED and SLAIN.

There are two dead employees beside the Punch-O-Matic machine. The one on the right shows signs of being BITTEN, DISMEMBERED, HALVED and SLAIN.

This employee is found at the end of the trail of blood that spells out "Everything is permitted." It shows signs of being EVISCERATED and SLAIN.

This employee, who is found close to the incinerator between two piles of crates, barrels and trash shows signs of being BITTEN, EVISCERATED, HALVED and SLAIN.

This employee, who is found behind the incinerator next to a large blood smear across the wall shows signs of being DISMEMBERED, EVISCERATED, IMPACT, HALVED, SLAIN and THROWN. 

This employee is found on the upper ledge on the right above the Slosh-O-Matic bucket machine. It shows signs of being EVISCERATED, HALVED, IMPACT, SLAIN and THROWN.

This employee is found in the window bay accessible by using the J-HARM. It shows signs of being BITTEN, DECAPITATED, DISMEMBERED, EVISCERATED, HALVED, SLAIN and SLICED.

Review: Tropicats

Tropicats is a free-to-play app match-3 style app available to download on the Google Play Store. Similar to Gardenscapes and the slew of solve-the-puzzle-repair-the-area clones - as you complete levels, you will earn coins and gems that you can use to build houses, trees, flowers and decorations needed to rebuild a tropical island inhabited by a tribe of cats.

The storyline of Tropicats revolves around an island being devastated by an earthquake, as the magic totem of the village that normally protected the village and its inhabitants from harm was chopped down by an unknown vandal - and it’s up to you as chief of the village to find the culprit, rebuild the island and restore order to the cats.

Though similar to Gardenscapes in the respect that you complete missions and tasks to repair and rebuild - Tropicats has many differences, some I believe make it a better, easier and overall more enjoyable experience. After a while, Gardenscapes felt like it was becoming obnoxiously difficult just for the sake of it, forcing players to buy boosters in order to progress. Tropicats however allows players numerous opportunities to continue playing even if they are stuck on a hard level.

For example, there is a roulette wheel you can spin in order to win lives, coins or gems. Instead of getting one spin per day, you are given a spin every 10 minutes after watching a 30 second ad - and after you’ve span the wheel 5 times, you’re rewarded with a bonus prize. You can frequently win infinite lives for 5, 10, 15 or even 30 minute periods.

If you connect your game to the internet you can also take part in the Tropicats tournaments and compete against other players to win prizes. These tournaments are simple enough, points are awarded by making the special fruit the tournament asks for - either fruit bombs, fruit lines or butterflies. If you place within the top 10, you will win boosters and other prizes. I’ve won the first place prize twice - which was 3 of each type of booster and special hammer.

Remember how in Gardenscapes I mentioned that you couldn’t replay levels? Well guess what you can do in Tropicats? Each level has an easy, medium and hard variant - the differences being more obstacles, larger numbers to reach the objective or less moves in which to complete the objective. You can replay the hard mode level an infinite number of times in order to earn coins, diamonds and triple or even quintuple the points you can win in the current tournament.

The art style is bright and colourful - the cats themselves have somewhat of an anime inspired look to them with the big eyes and exaggerated facial expressions - but each one has a different personality and their dialogue with both you and the other cats is well written and often quite entertaining. 

Like many free-to-play games, there is the option to spend real world money on coins and diamonds. However - you aren’t encouraged to buy boosters or life refills - instead, the focus is on “making your village pawsome,” both coins and diamonds can be spent on the various decorations needed to restore life back to the village, increase your overall village rank and contribute to the happiness of your cats.

What makes Tropicats stand out from the other endless slew of match 3 style games is the game’s sweet sense of humour. A lot of the dialogue between the cats centres around feline puns - such as “you’ve got to be kitten me,” or describing your actions as “purrfect” or “pawsome.” Numerous jokes are made about kitty litter, peeing in the bushes, catnip and being either a brave tom cat or a scaredy cat. Amusingly however, the cats subsist on a diet of grilled bananas and other fruit. Weird, considering how they’re on an island - they could easily go fishing.