Bushwhacker - A Simple Fun Game

Bushwhacker is a very simple, casual, fun game.  It plays a lot like the first couple Zelda games, walking around a flat map, whacking bushes and monsters to find gems and items.  In this guide, I will only focus on the things you won’t learn through the in-game tutorials.  Bottom line: make smart purchases, use your energy and power wisely, and move through zones smartly.  I hope you find this brief information helpful, as you get to try a very fun and low-commitment game.


Shopping!
Here are your priorities for purchase:

Fishing Pole – Allows you to fish up useful gold and HP items which allow you to continue playing if you choose to.  It is also the least expensive item on the list.
Sugar Packet – You now get 2 energy per tick, which is better than the…
Rusty Stopwatch
Magical Trinket – Purchase this item AFTER you are into the zones with only level 2-3 bushes.
Speedy Shoes – This is more of a nice-to-have item… doesn’t help in game play

Buy the 25 and 75 energy refils as often as possible.  You will soon have more of those small gems than you know what to do with, and not enough energy to sate your thirst for whacking bushes.

After these items, start to purchase the items that unlock new zones as you can afford them.


Using Power and Magic
Power should be used only on monsters.  Monsters generally drop two items at a time, and thus have a lower chance of giving you nothing.  You also have a good chance of getting a ton of loot with one well-placed whack.  On several occasions so far I have gotten lucky and won 24x Fruit or 11x Gems etc.  A pretty great feeling.  The feeling is not so good when you waste 54 power and hit a monster that gives you 2x Nothing…

Magic should generally be used early on to clear out a whole zone of bushes and monsters which are the SAME level.  If you have upgraded with a Magical Trinket it makes no sense to waste your 8 magic attack on a zone with level 1 bushes.  Conversely, if you haven’t upgraded, why waste the attack on a zone with only 1-2 level 1 trees.


Customization Items and Puzzles
On the bottom right of your screen there are two tracking bars.  The first is for Puzzle Pieces (which are found right above your gold) and the second is Customization Items.  I recommend farming each zone until you have found 100% of the puzzle pieces, and possibly all the Customization Items too.  This menthod will alow you to move through at a steady pace.  The one difference is if you get enough gold to unlock the distant zones, you may want to go to those zones and skip some middles ones to get better gems and other drops.  Typically, puzzles create monsters which add to your score, and sometimes come with keys to open gates.

Customization items are purely esthetic.  They can be hats or capes for your character, or things for your house.  I personally am only level 11, but I have already collected 4 hats, 3 capes, and 7 items for the house.  This sets me apart from my peers on my friend list, so I feel pretty good about that.  Maybe one day in the future these wearable items will add to the way we play, or the items in the house will help you rest and regain energy.

I would value any requests for information or topics you want me to cover on this game.  Imput from higher level layers is also requested.


Leveling up
Dawn mentioned something I had been considering posting so I thought I would add it here. Leveling up should be a magical event for you! You shouldn't be upset over all the energy you didn't get to spend, and instead look forward to the full energy bar you now enjoy. That being said...

When you are close to a level and out of energy, finish up! Do a little fishing. Dump your magic in a zone with five of the highest level bushes or monsters that will be affected by it. This minimum amount of effort will let you finish your level with as close to ZERO left over energy as possible and move on to the next one. Another consideration that I haven't tested yet is getting as close to a level as possible, and when you only need 1 more EXP hitting a level 4+ bush to get you over... this might cut down on the EXP you need in the next level.

One thing you do not want to do is use a large energy pack when you are about to level... it would just be a waste. Keep in mind that the small packs give 25% energy, and the large ones give 100%. Use them often, but only when it will not be a waste!