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Cake Mania

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Table of Contents
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1. Introduction [Int]
2. Version Information [Info]
3. Legal Information [Leg]
4. Controls [Ctrls]
5. Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ]
6. Walkthrough/Guide [WalkB]
          Getting Started [Wlk1]
          Customer Satisfaction [Wlk2]
          Maximizing Profit +� [Wlk3]
          Becoming Efficient [Wlk4]
7. Contact Information [Cont]

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1. Introduction [Int]
==============

Hello, everybody, and welcome to my first FAQ ever. Clearly, I'm new at this,
so if there is any right of initiation you feel I've...bypassed, please: let
me know! In all seriousness, now, if there are any problems that you find, or
would like to offer some constructive criticism, by all means, please do so!

Now, regarding the game at hand: Cake Mania. If you've ever played a game 
like Diner Dash, then you'll have a very good idea of exactly how Cake Mania 
plays out. You are the owner of a bakery that's gone out of business; now, it's
up to you to work through a variety of locations and eventually gain back the 
bakery. 

Cake Mania is a very simple game at heart, but like many simple games, it 
quickly grows more complicated and more difficult. Thus, the purpose for this 
guide. This being my first ever attempt at a guide, I decided that I would 
write for fairly straightforward game. So...onward, brave bakers!

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2. Version Information [Info]
=====================

-Wednesday, 5/30/07; Ver. 0.1: finished table of contents and introduction.
-Tuesday, 9/407; Ver. 0.3: completed controls, working on FAQ
-Saturday, 9/22/07; Ver. 1.0: completed walkthrough (finished walkthrough/tips, 
contact information, and legal information)

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3. Legal Information [Leg]
===================

Copyright 2007 Joseph Catalanotto (BlueJ33)

This work may not be reproduced under any circumstances other than personal, 
private use without express permission of the author. It may not be modified 
or changed and reposted without my permission. If you wish to display this 
guide for use other that is personal or private, please let me know (note: I 
will not approve any reproduction that is for financial use). Use of this 
guide on any website or for any unapproved use is strictly prohibited and is 
a violation of copyright. If you see this guide reproduced without a statement 
that the poster has express permission of the author, please contact me (see 
contact information [Cont]).

All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their 
respective trademark and copyright holders.



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3. Controls [Ctrls]
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Cake Mania is semi-unique in that it uses the touch screen almost exclusively 
to control the game. Now, a brief walkthrough of exactly what to do when you 
need something from the bakery, just in case you were asleep when the tutorial 
was running.

Touch one of the four icons on the cake machine (top of the touch screen). The 
four most common cake shapes are Square, Circle, Triangle, and Star, but 
that's an incomplete list. There are other seasonal shapes that are only 
present during certain months, such as the Pumpkin, Christmas Tree, and Heart. 

When you see a customer first, they will have a speech bubble with a menu 
insidethe bubble. Touch the bubble to hand the customer a menu. Once they've 
glanced over the menu for a few moments, their order will appear in the speech
bubble. Look carefully at the bubble to see which shape of cake the customer 
wants, along with the icing, how many layers, and any decorations. Then, touch
the corresponding icon on the oven to bake it. 

Once the cake is done, you'll want to take a look-see at the color frosting 
they want. Unlike cake shapes, the frosting colors never change; they are 
white, red, gray, and brown. Once the cake is finished, touch the cake, and
then touch the color of the frosting your customer wants on the frosting 
machines (mechanisms on the bottom of the touch screen). The cake will be 
automatically frosted. 

Decorations come into play a bit later in the game, but the control concept is 
identical to that of baking and frosting. Once the cake is frosted, touch it, 
and then touch the decoration that the customer wants. Wait for the decoration 
to be completed, then touch the cake, and touch the customer to bring the cake 
to the person. The cake is automatically gift-wrapped, the customer leaves, and 
you're free to pick up your cash. 

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4. Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ]
============================

1.) Is it true that Cake Mania is just a DS iteration of the online game?

Yep, that's true. It's just the Cake Mania that you would download online, plus 
it comes with an expansion pack. The DS game costs $19.99, whereas the online 
game plus the expansion pack comes to about $15 total. Essentially, then, 
you're paying five bucks to be able to play the game wherever you want. To me,
it's a pretty good deal. 

2.) Do you actually get to interactively bake and frost cakes, as in Cooking 
Mama?

Sadly, no, though this was the impression I had when I purchased the game. 
Despite what the back of the box may imply, there isn't an actual cooking 
interaction. Machines control all aspects of the bakery; you, the baker, simply 
must direct the machines. 

3.) How long is Cake Mania? 

Cake Mania has 83 levels, each progressively harder. Though there are quite a 
few levels, none of them are that long; you'll rarely spend more than about 
seven minutes on a level. Still, though, you will have to retry many levels, 
because the game can be tough. 

4.) So, the question we all care about: Is Cake Mania worth my money?

That depends, really, on how much you know and what you're looking for. If 
you're going to buy Cake Mania, it's critical you know what you're getting 
yourself into. I was actually expecting something like Cooking Mama (sadly, 
I didn�t do my research). It�s nothing at all like that; instead, it�s very 
similar to Cake Mania (online game) or Diner Dash. It�s a fun, addictive 
game play concept, but be forewarned: it�s by no means the deepest game 
you�ve ever played. Still, it�s a fun way to pass time, and if you�ve got a 
spare twenty dollars and can�t find a game you�re interested in, you may 
want to check out Cake Mania. 

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5. Walkthrough [WalkB]
==================

Okay, now: the part that you may (or may not) be interested in. Cake Mania is 
nice in that it has a very gradual learning curve; at first, you�ll likely 
have no problem filling your few customers orders and quickly progressing 
through levels. As you get deeper and deeper into the game, however, things 
are going to become more difficult. 

While I can�t give a specific walkthrough for all 83 levels (that is, 
because all the levels are essentially the same), I can give you a good 
overview and some tips that may help you get past the levels that are truly 
difficult -- and trust me, the last 10 or 15 levels will likely have you 
frustrated beyond all belief. 

==================
Getting Started [Walk1]
==================

As I�ve said countless times already, Cake Mania starts out rather simply. 
The game begins with Jill, the main character, working out of her bakery. 
Her customers consist mostly of construction workers stopping by on their 
way home from work (it�s horrible, isn�t it?). Additionally, your customers 
will be sparse; at this point in the game, you won�t have to worry much in 
terms of being overrun with customers.

Anyway, the game revolves around, essentially, making money. Each game play 
session is considered one month; each month, there is a certain quota you 
must fulfill. At first in the game, your main goal should really just be 
not to lose any customers. The number of hearts over a customer�s head will 
indicate their level of happiness. If they run out of hearts, they�ll leave 
the bakery, and you�re missing out on money. Miss too many customers, and 
you�ll find it impossible to reach your monthly quota. 

If you find that you�re losing customers, even early in the game, then I�ve 
got a few tips for you. One of the most critical things to remember is that 
it�s a bad idea to leave any customers dangling. As soon as you see someone 
enter the bakery, hand them a menu. As soon as possible, you should enter 
their order at the oven. Also, early in the game, it�s a good idea to enter 
orders in the same progression of customer�s in the line. For example, don�t 
place the third customer in line�s order before the second�s. 

======================
Customer Satisfaction [Wlk2]
======================

Placing orders quickly can only take you so far; at some point in the game, 
you�re going to have to rely on additional ways to keep your customer�s happy 
long enough for you to get them their cake. 

One simple way to do this is to purchase a Microwave, which will produce 
cupcakes six at a time. If you see that a customer is running low on hearts 
and you�re afraid that you�re not going to be able to get their cake in time, 
give them a hot cupcake. It�ll restore hearts (the amount of hearts restored 
depends upon type of customer), giving you a little longer to provide their 
order. 

Another good idea is to purchase a television. The TV will rest on a stand 
above the ordering counter, so that everyone in line can see what�s being 
broadcasted. The television is slightly less effective than the cupcakes, at 
least in terms of restoring hearts. Still, though, when things are getting 
down to the wire, every little bit counts. Hit the L and R buttons to switch 
channels; there are only three channels. Also important to remember is the 
fact that certain channels make certain customers happy. If there�s a 
customer low on hearts, be sure to cater the television channel to that 
customer. Generally, women prefer the food channel, men prefer the news, and 
children prefer cartoons. 

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Maximizing Profit and Progressing through the Game [Wlk3]
=============================================

As I mentioned earlier, clearing levels all has to do with meeting the quota 
(in dollars) for that month. At first, this is no real issue; as long as no 
customers leave the bakery, you will usually automatically make enough money. 
However, as levels progress, you�ll find that sometimes simply fulfilling every 
customer�s order isn�t going to cut it. In that case�you�re going to have to 
employ some special tactics. 

First off is to upgrade as much as you possibly can. In Cake Mania, though, 
quantity trumps quality. That is, you�ll want to buy all three ovens and all 
three frosting machines before upgrading the speed of any of them. The more 
ovens you have, the more cakes you�ll be able to simultaneously bake, and thus 
the more customer�s you�ll be able to simultaneously satisfy. 

Really, the whole idea here is to quickly provide customers the product they 
want. The more hearts they�ve got when they receive their product, the larger 
a tip they�ll leave -- these tips, then, can help you reach your previously 
unattainable quota. 

Once you�ve upgraded your ovens and frosting machines (in terms of both 
quantity and quality), then consider purchasing some decorators. Decorating a 
cake takes a little bit longer, but it�ll pay off once you�ve given the cake 
to your customer. 

A tip that you may find useful is when you�ve completed a cake, rather than 
immediately giving it to a customer, check out their heart level. If they�re 
low (one or two hearts), first give them a cupcake. This will immediately up 
their heart level; now you can give them the cake. The point of all this? 
Upping their heart level before you give them the cake will ensure that you 
receive a larger tip. 

Another wise addition is the display case. At the beginning of the level, if 
there�s a slight lull, bake a cake. Ice it, and decorate it, if you want. 
This process has two separate benefits. The first is that when customer�s see 
your beautiful cake sitting in its display case, they�ll be more inclined to 
purchase similar decorations -- which can add to the overall cost of the 
cake. Also, there�s a very good chance that sometime over the course of the 
level, someone will request a cake that is in the case. In this situation, 
simply grab the cake from the case and hand it to them; your astoundingly 
quick service will net you a nice tip. 

Finally, with regards to the display case: if it�s empty (because you�ve 
already sold the cake that was initially there), do not place anything new 
in it. Instead, if you make a mistake with a customer�s order (which you 
will eventually do), rather than throwing the cake away, place it in the 
cake display. There�s a chance that somebody will come along and request the 
cake, which will save you from losing any money on the mistake cake (rhyme?!).

The final upgradeable item, which will prove to be incredibly useful, are 
your shoes. I�d recommend upgrading your shoes as quickly as possible to the 
highest speed. Quick shoes may not seem incredibly important at first, but 
as you receive more customers and become more and more overwhelmed, you�ll 
see how very useful it is to be able to scoot around the bakery with speed 
and ease. 

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Becoming Efficient [Wlk4]
====================

The final difficulty of Cake Mania really just lies in staying calm and 
collected when things really start to get hectic (and trust me, they will). 
Beyond money-making tips and paying for upgrades, you�re going to need to 
develop a routine, of sorts. 

If you merely go about your necessary tasks in a random order, you�re going 
to be screwed -- very, very quickly. Instead, develop a pattern, and plan 
ahead. For example, if there�s a full line, give menus to everybody in line. 
As they�re looking over the menus, go over to the ovens, and immediately 
punch in the first three cakes that customers request. 

Then, continuing this example, when the first cake finishes, before taking 
it to be iced, enter in the next cake in line. Take your current cake to 
be iced, then return to the ovens. Pick up the next cake in line, and punch 
in another. Take your new cake to the frosters. By this time, the first 
cake will be done; take it to be decorated. 

Continuing along with a pattern like this can become somewhat stressing 
(because making a mistake can often get you very confused), but it is the 
best way to go about the game. Developing a pattern that you play 
consistently will ensure that you never sit around thinking what to do next 
as the clock is quickly ticking away. It also ensures that every customer�s 
order is systematically carried out, and that you don�t accidentally forget 
anybody. 

Good luck, and happy baking!

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Contact Information [Cont]
====================

Need help with a particular level? Want to comment on the guide, or have 
additional questions? Feel free to email me!

Bluej33 (at) gmail(dot)com