Panda Pop is essentially a Bust-A-Move or Puzzle Bobble clone starring a cute mother panda and her little ones. Earn points by reuniting mama and her babies, and travel through the Bamboo Forest as you level up. Are you ready for your next game addiction?
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- Match the colors
- Watch the basket
- Keep throwing
- Bank shots
- Lanterns and fire
- Lanterns and vines
- Dual lanterns
Match the colors
If you're familiar with games like Puzzle Bobble, you should know exactly what you need to do to score major points in Panda Pop. The bubble that the mother panda is holding needs to connect with corresponding colored bubbles above her.
The more bubbles you can take out in one shot, the more likely you are to free a baby panda. Watch for block colors of bubbles where more than one baby is trapped so you can double your points in a single toss.
If you don't aim properly, the bubble will stick to the lowest level and create an obstacle instead of removing any bubbles, so make sure you take the time to line up the shot for the perfect match.
Watch the basket
The basket next to the mother panda is your cue as to what bubble color is coming next. At any given moment you'll want to make note of the bubble the mother is holding and the one that is coming next at the top of the basket.
If you see an opportunity to break up a section with the bubble in the basket, simply tap the throw counter to switch the basket bubble with the bubble in Mama Panda's hands. The counter will also tell you how many bubbles remain for the level, so watch that number as you progress to know whether or not you need to strategically swap out the bubbles.
Throw strategically
Even if you don't have a clear shot to clear bubbles, you have to keep throwing. If it doesn't seem like there's a shot to pop bubbles, try to aim your throw off to a side that won't obstruct a future shot to clear out a bunch of bubbles or free a baby.
In fact, if you've got to throw away a bubble, a good strategy would be to find a spot where you can place the bubble onto a big group of bubbles of the same color. That way, when the right colored bubble comes up, you can clear out the whole lot — including the throw-away bubble you stashed.
As always, swap colors if it will help you make a shot sooner than later so things don't start backing up on you.
Bank shots
As you progress through the game, the bubble formations will become much more complex. In order to take out color sections, you will have to get good at making bank shots off the side of the screen. You'll find that the number of babies might be very low at a higher level, but they are much harder to reach, requiring accurate trick shots and more strategic thinking.
Lanterns and fire
Once you pass level three, new power-ups become available to you. A red lantern will appear on the left of the screen and increase in power as you destroy clusters. When you tap it, your next bubble becomes explosive. When launched, it causes an explosion that will clear out entire sections of multi-colored bubbles.
You'll also start noticing bubbles already alight in the section above Mama Panda . When the lantern connects to one of these tiny fires, the explosion results in a minimum of 1,000 points. If your lantern is empty and you need it to free some bear cubs, it's worth spending some coins between levels to buy lantern fuel as you never know if you'll need it.
Lanterns and vines
When the green lantern appears on the left side of the screen, power it up by taking out sections of bubbles. Once it's reached capacity and it's glowing, tap it to power up the bubble the mother panda is holding. When the balloon is launched, vines will snake up and and take out a vertical row of bubbles wherever you launch the bubble.
This is helpful when you're trying to reach a baby that is stuck a few rows out of reach or if you're trying to get access to a grouping of colored bubbles that are blocked. Use this power up strategically, since three vines are released to take out three vertical rows when it's connected to same-colored bubbles.
Dual lanterns
When both the red and green lanterns appear, every section of balloons that you take out gives them power. Tap both of them once they're glowing to turn the launch bubble into a ball of fire that takes out giant circular sections of bubbles. Use this power-up to aim at stubborn multi-colored sections that would otherwise take too long to clear with regular bubbles — plus, you'll earn up to 1,000 points while you're at it!
Journey through the forest
These tips should help you get through 10 levels, but the rest is up to you. There are over 1000 levels in Panda Pop, with the bubble formations becoming increasingly complex as you go along. Share your journey in the comments below and add your favorite strategies for rescuing these little bears!
