The Controls
This is one of the games which has fairly simple controls: Just the space bar (or mouse) in between levels and the left and right arrow keys!
What Neopets Wants You to Know
You use the right arrow key to paddle your right arm (as seen from your screen) and your vice versa with your left arm. Paddling with your right arm sends you left, paddling with your left sends you right! Pretty simple, huh? Anyway, now you must move your way through a river trying to hit as many yellow/gold orbs as you can!
You can also hit tree trunks for points too! The umbrellas give you a shield from the enemy (don’t worry, I am about to explain) but not from the whirlpools that pop your tube, making you lose a valuable life! Anyway, the enemy I mentioned earlier is the wild, spear-throwing Kiko!
They are very plentiful in the game and throw spears which pop your tube, only deflected by your umbrella shield. Don’t worry, they stay on the land, and don’t follow you into the water. Oh, and going into a waterfall gives you a slight speed boost, only really necessary to escape spears as the game is not timed. Make your way to the end of the 3rd level and the game is complete!
What Neopets Doesn’t Want You to Know
The entire game can be played by just holding down both the left and right arrow keys at once! You may be thinking: ‘Yeah, but you’d die straight away!’ Wrong! You don’t even have to look! For some bizarre reason, when you hold both keys down at once, the Kikos that throw spears at you don’t see you, and just keep looking upward for the entire game! No kidding! Here is a rough analysis of what you shall encounter if you just hold both keys down for the entire game:
Level One
- You hit an umbrella and can use it as a shield! (If you are on the left side, which comes by default.)
Level Two
- You narrowly miss 2 whirlpools.
- You will most likely hit one whirlpool, third whirlpool you see, but you can avoid it if you really try!
Level Three
- A few bonuses!
- A waterfall (maybe).
Secrets and Tips!
- When doing the “both arrow buttons” technique, press them down at the same time at the beginning of the game for best results.
- The first level is in most cases completely harmless if using the “both arrow buttons” trick, so even if you don’t want to risk it for the other levels, do it for level one!
- Try keeping to the right side (a good choice if you get caught out by the second level whirlpools a lot).
- The third level is swamp land and therefore… HAS NO WHIRLPOOLS! If you are using the “both arrow buttons” technique, feel free to look away!
- When you get past the FINISH banner, the game does not automatically end straight away, so don’t get worried! I usually just keep both left and right keys down in case, but after about 2 – 3 seconds the game screen fades to white.
Thanks for reading my first guide, and remember something very helpful: I have found that Tubular Kiko Racing is one of the games that is Featured (x2 NP!) quite a lot! Often more than once in a month! Good luck! – Alexmajor9