8-----------------------------------------------------------------8 xxxxxxxxxx 8---------------------------8 xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx S-U-P-E-R S-O-U-K-O-B-A-N xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx 8---------------------------8 xxxxxxxxxx Super Famicom/SNES (c) 1982/1992 Thinking Rabbit (c) 1993/1996 Pack-In-Video FAQ version 0.8 by: JV "jaspertine" Despres 8---------------------------8 L-E-G-A-L C-R-A-P 8---------------------------8 This FAQ is published under a Creative Commons Attribution/Non Commercial licence. As such, it may be modified, copied, and/or redistributed on the condition that all original sources are properly credited for their contribution. This FAQ may NOT be redistributed for profit. Doing so will bring shame upon your family and make your mother cry. 8---------------------------8 C-O-N-T-E-N-T-S 8---------------------------8 1 - Legal Crap 2 - Contents 3 - Introduction 4 - Gameplay --- controls --- 1 player game rules --- 2 player game rules 5 - Menu Navigation --- title screen --- puzzle selection menu --- 2 player menu --- level editor menu (see section below) --- in game menu 6 - Level Editor 7 - Strategies --- deadlock --- inevitable deadlock --- unlock --- step efficiency --- lateral moves --- sequence --- planning 8 - Solutions --- 1-1 --- 1-2 --- 1-3 --- 1-4 9 - Acknowledgements 8---------------------------8 I-N-T-R-O-D-U-C-T-I-O-N 8---------------------------8 (author's note: being a Japanese word, the exact spelling of the game's title varies. Most sources refer to the game as Sokoban, but for sake of continuity, I will refer to is as Soukoban) Soukoban was created in 1980 by a man named Hiroyuki Imabayashi. The game featured a combination of simple rules with highly intellegent and sophisticated gameplay, and would become vastly popular throughout Asia within a fairly short period of time. Unfortunately for those of us over in the western hemisphere, the game never really seemed to make the leap across the pacific. While there have been versions ported to just about every computer OS and many game consoles, the title still seems oddly under the radar when if comes to localized console games, save for the Sega Genesis version, in which the title was bafflingly changed to Shove It. While it's not much of a surprise that Shove It didn't catch on, it's still somewhat of a mystery how a game can be classic to some and completely unknown to others. Thankfully, however, the simplicity of the game's design makes for a fairly import friendly title. After playing a handful of different ports, I must say that there is something about the SNES version that stands out. The control is smooth, the music is decent, and the pace of the game stays fairly consistent throughout, and the non-linear aspect keeps the game from feeling like a mental chore. It's simply a great version of a great game. What more could you ask for. So what is it about this game that sets it apart? Well, the word that seems come up most often when describing Soukoban is "elegant." There truly is an inherent elegance to the way in which the game plays itself out. There exists at every turn the possibility of rendering the puzzle unsolvable through poor planning or execution. Unlike other puzzle games, however, you don't have the option eliminating wrong moves and thus solving the puzzle through trial and error. The game is simply far too vast, the number of moves far too open, and the number of lateral moves required to clear each stage can be, at times, completely staggering. This is a game that will challenge you to think, learn, and react, all while the main task at hand never becomes more complicated than pushing boxes over specific spaces. Since individual puzzles can require upwards of 2000 moves to clear, and since the SNES port contains 300 individual puzzles, I will not be walking you through the entire game. Instead, it is my goal that this FAQ will act as a kind of primer, giving just enough information to get you into the game, and then leaving the rest for you to discover on your own, as well as offer strategic advice, and perhaps a couple of solutions, just to give you an idea of what lies ahead. 8---------------------------8 G-A-M-E-P-L-A-Y 8---------------------------8 --CONTROLS ARE AS FOLLOWS-- D-pad = moves you character, navigates menus A = confirm menu selection, access menu during game B = acts as "back" button on menus, resets puzzle in 2 player mode Y = hides the step counter/limit display X = changes the light level, navigate puzzle editor L = undo recent moves, navigates puzzle selection menu R = redo undone moves, navigates puzzle selection menu Select = navigates menus Start = confirms menu selections --THE RULES-- --1 PlAYER GAME-- You will be controlling a warehouse porter as he moves large crates around in various, labyrinthine stock rooms. The object of the game is to push said boxes over target spaces, which are shown to have small red circles over them. You control the porter using the D-pad, and push the boxes by simply walking up against them in the desired direction. Any box may be placed over any target space. The thing to keep in mind is that, since a box can only be pushed from the side opposite to the direction you wish to travel, you will need to move each box around the room strategically in order to prevent them from getting stuck, thus rendering the puzzle unsolvable. This is usually referred to as "deadlock" and I will speak about it more in the strategies section of this FAQ. Once all the boxes have been pushed over the red circles, the puzzle has been solved. A menu will come up asking if you wish to move on to the next puzzle or try again. Choose the first option and press A to retry the current puzzle, choose the second option and press A, or simply press B to move on to the next puzzle. There is also a step limit in place, meaning that every time the player moves one space (each space is roughly the size of a box) it is counted as a step. If the player exceeds the step limit, he/she must must start over. Step efficiency will also be discussed in strategies. If the display showing the step count and limit is in your way, you may press Y to hide it, however, as soon as you make your next move, it will reappear. Pressing X toggles between low light and normal. As far as I can tell, this function has no effect on the gameplay. Pressing A brings up an in-game menu, which I'll discuss in greater detail later. If, any any point, you wish to take back one or more recent moves, you may do so by holding down the L button. This will act as a kind of "rewind" and allow you to return the puzzle to a previous state. The step counter will also roll back when you do this. If you wish to redo one or more moves that you have recently undone, you may do so by holding down R button. It is possible to rewind all the way back to the beginning of the puzzle, but it would be more convenient to simply press A twice for the same effect. --2 PLAYER GAME-- Both players start by choosing their sprite. You are each given an identical puzzle to solve. The winner is the person who does so first. Be warned, however, that every now and then, the computer will randomly rotate your puzzle by 90 degrees. A point is awarded to the player who solves his/her puzzle first, and the winner is the first player to get 3 points. After a winner is decided, you will have the choice to either keep playing with same sprites, or with different ones. Be warned, however, that you cannot rewind the puzzle in this mode, so if you accidentally end up in a deadlock, you must press B button and reset the puzzle back to it's original state. There is a display at the top of the screen showing each players progress, as well as a porter running back and forth with a box in hand. He will randomly fall over and whichever half of the display he lands on will determine which player is about to have their puzzle rotated. Since the name of the game is speed, these puzzles tend to be a little more open in their design, and can be solves more than one way. 8---------------------------8 M-E-N-U N-A-V-I-G-A-T-I-O-N 8---------------------------8 All of the menus in this game are in Japanese. This can be a bit of a problem for those of us who have no understanding of the language. To get around this problem, I will be describing each menu option in terms of it's placement on said menu. --TITLE SCREEN-- The title screen contains 3 menu options, which are as follows: -1- 1 player game -2- 2 player game -3- level editor You may press either Start or A to make a selection. --PUZZLE SELECTION MENU-- If you choose to play a 1 player game, you will be sent to the puzzle selection menu. You may return to the title screen at any time by pressing B. There are 6 sets of puzzles, each of which contains 50 individual puzzles to choose from, all of which are available as soon as you begin. Use the L and R buttons to choose which set you wish to play, and the D-pad allows you move your cursor over the individual puzzle. Once you've chosen your puzzle, press A to start playing. There is a password at the bottom of this screen that allows you save your progress. If at any point during the game, you return to the Puzzle selection menu, your password will be updated to show those puzzles that you have solved. To enter a different password. Move the cursor to the bottom of the menu and press down. Thankfully, the passwords use characters from the Latin alphabet. Select the characters and press A to enter them. Press B to cancel. --2 PLAYER MENU-- The two player menu is pretty simple. Each player chooses his/her sprite and presses A to confirm. Player 1's cursor is on the above the sprites, and player 2's is below them. Once both players choose a sprite, the game begins. Either player can return the game to the title screen by pressing B --LEVEL EDITOR MENU-- (see next section) --IN GAME MENU-- If, at any point during the game, you press A button, if will bring up a menu box containing 4 options. Press A again to select an option, or B to get rid of the menu box. The options are as follows: 1 - reverts the puzzle back to it's original state 2 - returns player to puzzle selection menu 3 - shows a demonstration of the puzzle's solution (This feature is only available after the puzzle has already been solved) 4 - return to the title screen 8---------------------------8 L-E-V-E-L E-D-I-T-O-R 8---------------------------8 The third option on the title screen is the level editor, giving players a chance to try their hands at creating their own unique puzzles. As of this point in time, I've yet to find any way to save these puzzles for later use. Given the amount of time and energy put into level design, I personally am of the opinion that this feature serves mostly to demonstrate just how elegant the level design really is, though I suppose there is some fun to be had in trying to design a puzzle to stump your friends. --LEVEL EDITOR MENU-- The level editor menu is divided into 5 options, which are as follows. 1 - edit current map 2 - play current map 3 - load existing map 4 - clear map 5 - return to the title screen --EDIT CURRENT MAP-- If you choose the first option on the list, you will be able edit the current map. A small cursor should appear on the screen. Place the cursor over the appropriate square on the map and press A to place an object there. To remove an object, place the cursor over it and press B. You may place either a wall, target space, box or your starting point on the map. A small box in the corner will display whichever item you currently have selected for placement, and you may press either L or R to cycle through them. Pressing Select will allow you to show/hide the square grid over the floor. --PLAY CURRENT MAP-- You are not allowed to play your current map until you've established your starting point. Once you have done this, you may choose the second option in the list to give your newly designed level a try. Wile the starting point is the only actual requirement, It does help, to also have at least one box, one target and some walls to enclose the puzzle you wish to create. If you successfully push each box over a target, you are returned to the level editor menu. If you are unable to solve the puzzle, or simply wish to make additional edits, you may return to the level editor menu at any time by pressing A --LOAD EXISTING MAP-- From the third option on the menu you are allowed to choose one of the 300 official game maps, and change it around. Press L and R to cycle through the six sets, left and right to cycle through the individual puzzles ten at a time, or up and down to cycle cone at a time. Press A to select a puzzle, and press B to cancel. --CLEAR MAP-- If you wish to wipe the map clean and try again, choose the fourth option. You will be asked if you are sure. Select the first option and press A to confirm. To cancel, select the second option and press A, or simply press B. --RETURN TO TITLE SCREEN-- Choose the fifth option when you are done playing with the level editor. 8---------------------------8 S-T-R-A-T-E-G-I-E-S 8---------------------------8 While the cornerstone of the game is pure logic and the ability to plan ahead, there are a number of basic points that come back every time. Once you have identified these elements, you stand a much greater chance of successfully planning future moves without all the hassle of trial and error. The following key elements are just a few of the points that must be kept in mind as you progress. (author's note: The names given to different elements within this section are mostly just terms I've made up. If you use them in conversation and no one knows what you're talking about, that would be the reason why.) --DEADLOCK-- At any point during the game, you might push the boxes in such a way that they become stuck, or "deadlocked." When this happens, you have no choice but to either take back your most recent moves, or start over, as the situation would require. The most obvious form of deadlock occurs when a box is pushed into a corner. At this point, there is simply no way to get in behind a box to push it out of it's current position. Another common deadlock is when 4 boxes are pushed up against one another in a 2x2 pattern. If it appears as if these patterns are about to occur, you will need to rethink your approach, and possibly take back a few moves to accommodate this. Other deadlocks are not quite so easy to spot, the key to remember is that a box can only be pushed from one of it's exposed sides, provided that the opposite side is open. Plot moves in such a way that keeps the mobility of the boxes open, and if you must block a box temporarily, make sure that there is a way to clear a path for it later on. --INEVITABLE DEADLOCK-- After you get the hang of spotting deadlocks, you should begin to notice boxes that are in a position where they are free to move, but where all possible moves will inevitably lead to a deadlock situation. This situation is a little more delicate, and requires a great deal of finesse. The thing to remember is that no box on the puzzle starts off in an inevitable deadlock position, otherwise the puzzle would be unsolvable. The trick to dealing with this situation is to backtrack to a point before the box was put into an inevitable deadlock, and begin plotting other moves that prevent the situation from coming up at all. This is where it becomes necessary to plan many moves in advance, and to spot boxes that start off in precarious situations. --UNLOCK-- In later puzzles, it will seem like every possible move leads to either a deadlock, or at best, no progress whatsoever. In these situations, there is often a single box that, when moved out of the way, allows the rest of the puzzle to be solved with relative ease. This is what I like to call the unlock move. Once an unlock has been established, it offers, at the very least, a plan of action that may be taken in order to solve a puzzle. --STEP EFFICIENCY-- Also of great significance is that you try not to waste individual steps as you work towards your goal. Waste too many steps before solving the puzzle and you run the real risk of being told to start over. Also, since many puzzles can be solved more than one way, try to find the one that wastes the least amount of steps. The most common cause of wasteful steps is a failure to plan moves in advance. It is important for many reasons to keep future moves in mind as you plot the best course of action. As you get better, it should become increasingly apparent what pre-emptive moves ought to be made in order to prevent you from wandering back and forth needlessly later on. --LATERAL MOVES-- A lateral move is any move that doesn't bring the puzzle any closer to being solved, but is otherwise necessary to prevent deadlock. As the game progresses, the percentage of moves that one could consider lateral increases greatly. It is very tricky to plan these moves in advance, and it would sometimes be a better strategy to simply make a few educated guesses, just to see if you can keep the game from going into deadlock. --SEQUENCE-- In most stages, the boxes must be placed over the targets in a very particular order, otherwise, certain target spaces might no longer be accessible. Also, the targets themselves might also need to be covered in a specific order. This part of the game can become fairly elaborate. The key here is to think about future accessibility issues, sometimes as early when the first box reaches a target. Much like lateral moves, the exactness of the sequence increases exponentially as the game progresses. --PLANNING-- As is fairly apparent, planning comes into play in just about every aspect of this game. The very nature of the game requires that you repeatedly update your mental picture of potential moves. The sooner you can catch mistakes, the sooner you'll be able to take measures to prevent them from happening. The downside of this is that you could find yourself in a situation where there are seemingly no potential moves from the very start. It would be wise to remember that there are no unsolvable puzzles in this game. If you get stuck, try not looking quite so far ahead, and dealing with one issue at a time, then plotting a way to put it all together. 8---------------------------8 S-O-L-U-T-I-O-N-S 8---------------------------8 If is my belief that this game has a fairly reasonable learning curve, but in the interest of getting the ball rolling, I will offer solutions to the first four puzzles of the first set. Each solution will be offered in the form of a basic explanation, followed by the precise directional sequence needed. While this will clearly take care of the how, it is my opinion that neither solution nor sequence truly explains the why. Instead of simply following the solution in a rigid, step by step form, I would advise that you observe how it is that these solutions untangle the mess of boxes on the screen. Much of what you need to know later on can be learned in the first few puzzles. (for the sequence section, each letter will correspond to a direction on the d-pad. U=up D=down L=left R=right) --PUZZLE 1 - 1-- solution - Start with the box directly below you, and push it downward by exactly two spaces, giving you just enough room to walk around the lower box, then push first one back upwards against the top wall. Now push it into the far right corner. Head back down and push the lower box one space to the right, then push it back up and to the right, so that it is directly beside the first box. Now, walk all the way around the last box and push it up from below. Walk around it again and push it to the left. It should end up in the same space as the first box. Just like the first box, push it downward, walk around it and then push it back up into position. sequence - D D D L L D D R R U U U U L U R R R L L D D D L L D R D R U U U U L U R R D D R R R D D L L U D R R U U L L L U L D D L D D R U U U U L U R --PUZZLE 1 - 2-- solution - Take two steps to the right and push the box downward, stop when there is only one space between the box and the lower wall. Walk all the way around the box and push it to the right until the wall stops it. Now get below the box and push it upwards one space. Now push it to the right again, then up into the top right corner. Repeat this process for the other two boxes, one at a time. sequence - R R D D D D R D D L L U R D R U L U R R R D R U U D L L L L U U U U L L D R U R D D D D R D D L L U R D R U L U R R R D R U L L L L U U U L L D R U R D D D R D D L L U R D R U L U R R R --PUZZLE 1 - 3-- solution - Push the first box one space to the right, then push the box directly below you one space down. Walk another space to the right and push the box below you one space down. Walk around the boxes and push the lowermost box into the bottom-left corner. Walk two spaces to the right, two spaces up, one space to the left and push the box directly below you down one space. Now, push the box to your left up against the left wall. Move down one space and push the box to your right into the bottom right corner, then simply push the remaining two boxes against the bottom wall. sequence - R D R D R D D L L R R U U L D L D R U U U L D D U U U U R D D D D --PUZZLE 1 - 4-- solution - Walk to the right and push the box as far right as it can go. Walk around the boxes and push the box to the far right up one space, then the box to your left one space to the left. This should give you a clear path through the upper corridor. Push the box at the upper-left end down two spaces, push it to the right once, then down onto the bottom right target. Move up once and to the right once. Push the box that is blocking you path one space to the right, then walk around and push it back to the left until it is below the left opening of the top corridor. Head back to the right. Enter the corridor through the right entrance and move all the way to the left. Now, push the box down as far as you can. Move up one space and head three spaces to the right, two spaces down and one more right. Push this box up exactly one space then push it to the left until it is (like the previous box) directly below the left opening in the top corridor. Walk all the way back to the right entrance, through the corridor, then push the box down as far as it will go, then walk around it and push it to the right. Walk all the way back to the right and push the remaining box one space to the left. It should be under the right entrance to the top corridor. Walk through the corridor from the left entrance, push the box down one space, then to the right until it's under the left entrance to the top corridor. Walk all the way around yet again, through the corridor, then push the box down as far as it will go. sequence - R R R D D R R U U L U U L L L L D D L D R U R D U R R D D R R U U L L L L R R R U U L L L L D D D U R R R D D R U R U L L L L R R R U U L L L L D D L D R U R R R R R R U L D L L L L L U U R R R R D R D L L L L R R R U U L L L L D D (for fear of writing a novel, I'll leave the rest of the puzzles for you to solve on your own.) 8---------------------------8 Acknowledgements: 8---------------------------8 University of Alberta website. For offering all kinds of insight into the "elegance" of the game, as well as it's colourful history. Wikipedia Without which I'd never have known about the many legitimate versions of this game. Also for directing me to the U of A website mentioned above. Caltron 6 in 1 Had it not been for the sub-standard, bootleg version found on this cart. I would likely have gone my whole life without ever even finding out about Soukoban. Alexey Pajitnov For Tetris. and of course, GameFAQs For giving me a soapbox, upon which to stand and sing the glory of old school puzzle games like this one. (cc)2007/2008 jaspertine 8-----------------------------------------------------------------8