Primitive Nightmare Play Hints

Home Games Contact Links

Primitive Nightmare Play Hints

- Primitive Nightmare isn't a typical shooter. There are some strategic elements in the game that come into play, that must be taken into consideration if you are to master the game. Of these elements, hoarding your blasters is probably the most important. They are limited, and you can build them up by collecting the red orbs that periodically drop (5 blasters per orb). Dodging and using your orbmag to attract the silver orbs is another important play strategy. See more below for tips on how to handle this play mechanic.

- Don't dilly-dally while playing! The less you collect and shoot, and the longer you take to finish a wave, the faster the mutant primitives arrive to destroy you!

- The wave selection screen will allow you to select up to Wave 7 when starting the game, and up to two waves below the last one you died on when starting your next game. The max wave that the wave select will let you start on is Wave 41. All waves after that, you're on your own!

- The early waves are extremely easy. Starting in the early waves will build more points faster, and allow you to build up the number of blasters and shields in your arsenal, build up your speed (VERY important for those times that you have no Orbmag and need to madly dodge!) and more easily build up your player level for better weapons. Since the perfect chain bonuses are pretty low in the early waves, one way to build up your arsenal is to grab all but one of your quota of silver orbs, then collect the powerup orbs as they drop, at least until WARNING! appears and the mutant primitives arrive. You can also collect the yellow levelup crystals from the periodic primitive that flies by at the top of the screen to build up your weapons level earlier than if you were to select a higher starting level.

- Dodge as much as possible, and use your orbmag and shields sparingly while collecting white orbs. Your blasters and shields are limited and the orbmag has limited energy (it recharges when not in use), so save them up. In higher waves, you can score big points by building up your chain, then blasting primitives! Plus, the blasters will come in handy when dodging becomes nearly impossible in higher waves.

- The higher your chain of collected white orbs, the higher the points you'll score when blasting primitives. The ratio of orb chain to primitive score is higher as the waves progress. So save those blasters for higher levels!

- Survival waves are a good way to build up big points. These waves show up at wave 6, wave 10, and every ten waves thereafter (for a while; eventually they no longer appear). Your shields don't work on these waves, but your blasters are unlimited, so blast away! If you collect a plasma beam powerup crystal (cyan, "Plasma Beam Ready" will appear at the top of the playfield), save it for these survival waves, blast away while building your chain, then unleash it on the horde of primitives raining down on you for big points! Once the survival wave is finished, your energy is replenished to full for the next wave.

- Extra ships are awarded at 100,000, and every doubled score after (200,000; 400,000; etc). In higher waves, scores build faster due to the higher point values in these waves, so getting those extra ships isn't as difficult as it may seem.

- There are a few special hidden bonuses throughout the game. They won't be revealed in this guide, but here's one hint: collect the Warp (silver) crystal at just the right time and you'll score a HUGE bonus.

- There's also something else hidden... somewhere... that awards you a huge bonus. Just watch for something weird to happen upon finishing a particular wave and you just may figure it out...