In the Arctic, the Mighty Spelling River has flooded its banks, threatening the local people, plants, and animals. The local people have turned to an old and magical wizard named Yobi for help. Yobi is known for his wisdom and sense of humor.
Yobi needs your help. He must paddle upstream 100 miles on his raft to discover the cause of the flood. However, he is too old to undertake such a physically demanding quest. As Walk his young protege, you must make the trek for him.
Your mission is to step on lettered stones to spell tricky spelling words. Along the way, you will meet animals, ice, fire tricksters, glaciers and the dreaded abominable snowman. If you run into a tricky spelling word that's too hard for you to spell, don't worry. Yobi will be at your side to make your spelling life easier by giving you a MagicSpell, a special spelling memory trick (called a mnemonic). You can use Yobi's MagicSpells to help you remember how to spell tricky spelling words long after your journey is over.
After correctly spelling the tricky spelling word, you will be challenged to a Spell Down along the river. For each correctly spelled word, you move upstream. For each incorrectly spelled word, you stand still. After you correctly spell several words, you will face another tricky spelling word.
You continue your journey, meeting one tricky spelling word followed by a variety of Spell Down words until you reach the end of the river. At the end of the river... well, it's up to you to find out why the river is flooding.
Main screen / the map
After loading Spelling Blizzard, the first screen of the game is a map. Yobi uses this map to keep track of your progress. As you play the game a red line appears showing the course you have traveled upstream of the Mighty Spelling River. Each time you correctly spell a tricky spelling word, Yobi will place a red dot on the map. At the beginning of the game, Yobi will ask you to choose a stone. You may select one of several stones.
New Game: to start a new game - a dialog box box will appear for you to type in your name. Press enter to proceed and return to the map screen where you'll start from the beginning.
Play: to play the game of the currently selected profile (either a newly created profile or a restored game)
Restore game: to continue an existing game - a dialog box box will appear for you to select the name of one of the saved players.
Quit: To leave the game.
Note that you can replay any of the tricky spelling words you've already completed by selecting one of the red dots on the map.
Trinkets occur every tenth tricky spelling word puzzle. When acquired, it will appear in color on the map. If not they will appear transparent on the map. Collecting them is not required, but offers an extra challenge.
The other explorers: Yobi keeps track of the top ten explorers (game players). To see how many miles you and others have traveled, just look at the number to the right of your name. The total distance to travel is 100 miles.
Tricky Spelling Word Game play
As the game begins, Yobi tells you the word you must spell. He will give you a verbal clue to its correct spelling. You can also use the mnemonic at the bottom of the screen to help you correctly spell the word and recall how to spell it after the game is over.
If you feel you have made a mistake while playing a tricky spelling word and wish to replay it, click on the restart lever on top of Yobi's hut. To quit the game, click on the map sign to return to the main menu where you can click the Quit stone.
Moving Wali
You can move Wali three different ways: with your arrow keys, your mouse, or your joystick.
Arrow keys: press any of the arrow keys to make Wali move in that direction, holding the key to make him continue walking in that direction.
Mouse: Wali will move one step in the direction of the mouse where you click it - hold the mouse button to make him continue walking.
Joystick: Press the joystick in the direction you want Wali to walk.
Customized keys: You can reassign directional keys. From the map screen, click in the middle of the compass and then press the keys you want for each direction (eg. N, S, W and E).
Collecting lettered stones and other objects
Collecting a letter stone is easy: Just step on it. The letter of the stone appears above Yobi's head on the reader board. Along the way you can gather other objects to use during the game. Just step on any object to collect it. These objects will also show above Yobi's head on the reader board. You can always ask Yobi for information by clicking on the object in Pause mode or refer to the list below.
How to use the Ice Block as a bridge or throw a Fish
To use the ice block as a bridge, simply slide the ice block into the water. Be certain to do this at the narrow area of the river. If you try to use the ice block as a bridge on an area where the river is wide, it won't span across.
To throw a fish to feed an animal, press the space bar. Be careful not to be too close or it will go over the animal's head.
The obstacles and objects
You will face many obstacles while collecting lettered stones. If you need a clue about an obstacle, ask Yobi.
Moose: The moose has big antlers that can hurt you. Don't get too close! The moose paces back and forth and does not turn. It is harmless unless you get too close to it. A moose cannot be bribed with a fish.
Walrus: While swimming in the Mighty Spelling River, the walrus hugs the wall. Watch it closely, for it is always moving. If you get too close, it will come out of the water and annoy you. The walrus will not hurt you but it will make things difficult for you. It can be bribed when it is out of the water and once he is satisfied by a fish he cannot move.
Polar Bear: The polar bear guards its den. However, if you get too close, it will charge. The key to the polar bear's movements is that it doesn't like to go too far from home. Once you are no longer a threat to it the polar bear's only goal is to get back to its starting position. The polar bear can be bribed with a fish, allowing you to push it away.
Wolf: Once you have captured the wolf's attention, it will align with you and mimic your every movement. If you turn left, the wolf will turn left. If you walk away from the wolf, it will follow. If you walk towards a wolf, it will walk towards you. If you get too close it will chase you. You cannot bribe a wolf with a fish.
Killer Whale: A killer whale moves continually in the water. You can stand on the shore and throw a fish at it for a bribe. You must time this just right or your bribe will be wasted. At this point you can get on its back and ride it to another location along the river. Be quick! When the bribe wears off the killer whale will swim away, leaving you in the middle of the river.
Penguin: Penguins are always moving at top speed in the water and on land. A penguin may be annoying but it presents no hazard to you. Running into it will cause you no harm. And, of course, a penguin can be bribed with a fish to stop it from running or swimming. Once you have bribed a penguin, you can push it out of your way. However, after the bribe has worn off, the penguin will be back to running and swimming at top speed. The penguin will also steal your fish if you have not yet picked it up. The penguin is fast so watch out for it.
Abonimable Snowman: The abominable snowman will stalk you anytime you get close to it. It will annoy you by throwing snowballs at you. If you are hit by one of the abominable snowman's snowballs, it will daze you and make you stumble. This could be dangerous if you stumble into trouble. The abominable snowman is also the only animal that can walk on snow.
Fire Trickster: The fire trickster will throw fire balls at you if you get too close. It can throw fire balls in any direction, also diagonally, however the range of the fire balls is relatively short. The fire trickster can be neutralized with a fire potion (orange bottle) or blocked by an animal, a block of ice or a big snowball.
Wind Trickster: The wind trickster watches your every move and blows you across the playing field. Use the wind's strength to move where you want to go. The wind trickster can be neutralized with a wind potion (light blue bottle) or blocked by an animal, a stone wall, a block of ice or a big snow ball.
Dart Trickster: The dart trickster also follows your every move and blows darts at you horizontally and vertically across the playing field and even over trees. When at sufficient distance, you can avoid the darts. The dart trickster can be neutralized with a dart potion (yellow bottle) or blocked
by an animal, a block of ice or a big snowball.
Ice: The ice is a very interesting element on which to maneuver. You will continue in the direction you are moving until an object stops your movement. Only after you have stopped can you change your direction. Here's a helpful hint... use your sliding movement on the ice to collect letters. Animals will not go onto the ice. You can push a big snowball onto the ice and it will continue to travel in the direction that you pushed it until an object stops its momentum.
Glacial crevasse: No animal will go into a glacial crevasse... and neither should you. Everything disappears when it gets too close to the edge.
Stone Wall: Stone walls are helpful obstacles against tricksters. Also animals and you cannot cross it. Nothing can otherwise be done with them.
Water's Edge: You can't go any farther than the water's edge unless you get on the raft, walk across a killer whale, ride a killer whale, or use a block of ice or a big snowball as a bridge.
Snow: The snow is a protected area for you. Except for the abominable snowman, no animal will come on the snow unless you push the animal onto it. The fact that this is a protected area for you is a helpful hint with many of the puzzles. However, you are NOT protected from tricksters on the snow.
Land: The land has a grey color. You and all animals can walk across it, except for the killer whale which is always in the water and the walrus which can only move onto it a limited distance from the water.
Fir Trees: The trees are dark green in color. You and the animals cannot walk on the trees. They are an obstacle much like the stone wall except that trees don't block tricksters.
Big Snowballs: The big snowballs can be pushed. When pushed on land, they serve as an excellent barrier to tricksters and when pushed into the water, they serve well as a stepping stone to the other side of the river. Be careful! The snowball in the water will melt after a very short time, so you must be quick. After a word is spelled, all obstacles disappear from the playing field except snowballs.
Ice Block: The ice block is useful when crossing water. When you push the block of ice it will keep going until it hits the opposite bank. You can hop on the block of ice and use it to navigate on the river. Once it is in motion you can't change the direction until it stops.
Letter Tablets: All of the letters of the tricky spelling words are found on letter tablets scattered on the playing field. Be careful... there may be extra letters to throw you off course.
Mackerel: A mackerel (fish) is used to bribe animals. A mackerel will cause a changed behavior in the animal for approximately 10 seconds. After 10 seconds, the effects of the fish wear off. An animal can be bribed with more than one mackerel. For example, three mackerel will result in changed animal behavior for 30 seconds. Note that you can also throw a mackerel to counter a snowball from the Abominable Snowman.
Time Stop: The little red bottle represents the time stopping potion. When you walk over it, everything ceases to move except you. Move quickly, because it wears off within approximately 10 seconds.
Walk Over Water: The little dark blue bottle represents the ability for you to walk over water. When you step on it, you will be able to walk across the river without the aid of a hippo or bridge. Move quickly, because it wears off within approximately 10 seconds.
Fire Ball Protection: When you step on this little orange bottle, you are protected from the fire trickster's balls of fire. Move quickly, because it wears off within approximately 10 seconds.
Dart Protection: When you step on this little yellow bottle, you are protected from the dart trickster's red darts. Move quickly, because it wears off within approximately 10 seconds.
Wind Protection: When you step on this little light blue bottle, you are protected from the wind trickster. Move quickly, because it wears off within approximately 10 seconds.
Trinket: Trinkets appear in every tenth tricky spelling word puzzle. When acquired, it will appear in color on the map. If not they will appear transparent on the map. Collecting them is not required, but offers an extra challenge. No hints are given on how to collect them.
Wali: That's you playing as Wali.
Raft: The raft delivers you to each tricky spelling word puzzle and takes you away to the Spell Down Challenge. Hint: getting back to the raft after you have spelled the tricky word correctly can also be a challenge. Leave yourself a way out. Remember, only snowballs remain available to return to the raft.
Asking Yobi for help
To ask Yobi for help, click on the pause sign at his feet. The game will stop. Yobi will then give you a clue about anything you click on. Click Play to continue the game. Also, each time you click on Yobi, he will repeat the tricky spelling word.
The Mighty River Spell Down Game play
When you have successfully completed a tricky spelling word, you will face several spell down words. The number of words you will have to spell increases the further up the river you go. You start with 3 words, adding an additional word every 10th level, until 10 words need to be spelled. You can use your keyboard or mouse to spell them, clicking the stones at the bottom of the screen.
When you spell a word correctly, you move up the river. When you spell a word incorrectly, you stay in place and Yobi corrects your mistake. Each time you click on Yobi, he will repeat the spell down word.
Note that you need to complete both the tricky spelling word AND the spell down word for the tricky spelling word and dot to appear on the main map.
