# Chip's Challenge Level Pack 5

“Chip!” Melinda shouted excitedly.

Chip McCallahan dashed into the Bit Busters Clubhouse’s control room, where his high school sweetheart was waiting to greet him. As he and Melinda embraced, his briefcase snapped open, and the papers inside flew about. It felt like Chip was experiencing slow motion as they floated to the ground.

“Oh,” he said bashfully with a knowing chuckle. “Guess I should’ve set that down first.”

“No worries!” Melinda replied. “It’s so good to see you. What’ve you got in here anyway?”

As they picked up the papers, a wave of memories swept over Chip. It had been years since he first set foot in the clubhouse and completed Melinda’s original challenge. He had periodically returned for more as the ranks of the Bit Busters grew, and new levels were made. But life often pulled him and Melinda in different directions. She was still supervising the level design guild of the club, while after a period of solitude at Mental Marvel Monastery, he landed himself a modest job as a teacher at Chip Grove City High School. His new position had brought the two of them together again.

“Are all these tests from your students?” Melinda asked.

“Yeah. As much as it can feel tedious to grade these, it’s nothing like pushing blocks around in your first clubhouse, you know!” Chip said teasingly.

“Hey, now,” she said. “We’ve both come a long way since then! And as a teacher, you get to be the new faculty sponsor for the Bit Busters’ chapter at Chip Grove City High, right?”

“That is true,” Chip said. The melancholy in his voice was evident. “I love welcoming new recruits into the club and seeing them grow. But sometimes I wish I could come back here more to test out all these new amazing levels you all have worked so hard on.”

“Well… you might just have your chance. We’ve been working on a new challenge for some of our most dedicated members! But… there’s been an incident.”

“Really?” The spark returned to Chip’s voice. “How can I help?”

“We’ve started doing something new,” explained Melinda. “You know how you used to have to deal with those blobs smothering you when my lab experiments went awry? Now the Bit Busters don’t have to worry about that! All the levels have been converted into virtual reality spaces. They’re stored in these.” Melinda held up something that looked like a miniature crystal ball.

“What’s that thing?” Chip asked.

“It’s a storage device and a portal of sorts, all in one,” said Melinda. “Whenever you push this little button here, you get transported into a level! It’s kind of like a virtual pocket dimension. You can go through a challenge as many times as you need to, and now without any bodily harm!” Melinda was especially proud of that development.

“So today’s Bit Busters don’t have to get clobbered by those pesky walkers anymore?” Chip wasn’t sure how to feel. “I kinda wish this technology was around back in the day!”

“Me too,” Melinda mused as her thoughts also started drifting into the past. Much had happened since she and Chip first went to the e-prom after he completed her first clubhouse all those years ago. “But all we can do is improve what we can and move forward. Right now, the problem is… all the virtual reality bubbles for our new clubhouse got scattered throughout Chip Grove City and the surrounding areas.

“Really?!” Chip was shocked. “How did that happen?”

“Well…” Melinda replied sheepishly, “It was my fault. I learned pretty quickly not to store these things out in the open and all in one place. Especially not on the rooftop! They’re still in development and can be a little unstable around each other. The combined force was so much that they pushed each other away! But the good news is they can be safely put into these little boxes."

“Oooh, shiny!” Chip felt like a little kid holding a new toy as he examined the box.

“Think of them like little Faraday cages for the bubbles,” said Melinda. “They’re safe when they’re in here. And what’s even better is that the bubbles are designed to teleport back into these boxes once the level inside has been completed.”

“I think I got it!” The wheels were starting to turn in Chip’s head. “Are you saying that if I go out and find the bubbles and complete the levels inside each one, they’ll be zapped back here into these things?”

“Precisely!” Melinda replied with a smile. “The good news is, most of our Bit Busters have been honing their creativity with these new levels. They’re trying out new aesthetics and even experimenting with the layouts of our old designs!”

“That’s cool! But how does that help us?” Chip asked.

“Because the designs can be a clue to where the bubbles ended up! I’ve been able to find them using this.” Melinda held up another device that looked like a handmade Geiger counter. “I made this little tracker to make sure we didn’t lose our new virtual level library to thieves. You remember that incident with Jude, right?”

“How could I forget?” Chip started having flashbacks of Melinda’s ex, who had infiltrated the Bit Busters many years ago while he was going through one of their new clubhouses.

“I started discovering the places where the bubbles ended up were very similar to what the levels themselves looked and felt like,” she continued. “Maybe they were drawn there like magnets. But because of this, I’ve been able to map out a route you can take to collect all of them and teleport them back here. Think of it like going through a new clubhouse, just world tour-style!”

“That sounds like fun!” said Chip. “Where do we get started? Where are we going?”

“Everything starts and ends here,” Melinda responded. “You’ll find the first few bubbles in our training area for new recruits, then you’ll need to explore Chip Grove City. Beyond that, there’s mountains, caves, factories, and even our server room. Then, at the end, you’ll venture into… the Mental Marvel Maelstrom. It’s my new secret project: a big tower with a gauntlet where we can house our hardest challenges. That’s where the last few levels are located.”

“That secret tower project sounds amazing! How many floors are you planning to build? Maybe 264?”

“That’s a great number, but no, not even close to that many. I just have nine for now. But we’ll get there one day. Let’s start off with the basics and get you back into action first. I’ll keep in touch here and continue supervising the Bit Busters while making sure the bubbles arrive in good condition.” Melinda handed Chip an earpiece, which he put on.

The two looked at each other longingly and basked in the moment. Knowing that the two of them always had each other was such a comforting thought.

Then Melinda broke the silence. “Good luck, Chip. If anyone can collect these levels and bring them back home, I know you can!”

Chip began running down the stairs to the training area with a newfound confidence in his step. Seeing Melinda again was always the best motivator, no matter how hard the challenge in front of him was. As he approached the door to the training area he had first experienced so long ago, he saw the first bubble on the ground.

“This is it,” Chip said. He took a deep breath and pushed the button. His latest and greatest adventure was about to begin.

## Welcome

Welcome to Chip’s Challenge Level Pack 5! As you journey throughout Chip Grove City and its surrounding environs to collect the missing level bubbles, you’ll visit several different areas called worlds. These worlds have 10 levels each and a different overall aesthetic and feel. Think of them as episodes with their own individual difficulty curve, though among each other, they’ll steadily grow more difficult. You’ll also find keys to warp points via secret hints that can place you at a later part of Melinda’s route!

Here’s what you can expect to find on your travels:

- World 1: Origin Outpost - The often-reconverted training grounds for new Bit Busters, this section of the clubhouse was once home to eight “lesson” levels but is now a gymnasium where recruits learn how to move in a virtual reality context.
- World 2: Chip Grove City - Outside the clubhouse are shops, offices, and quiet neighborhoods where the residents of the city live and work each day. Most of the levels here are simple and easy-going, though a mysterious small island off the shore of the city looms in the distance.
- World 3: Mountain Mayhem - Once you return back to the mainland, you’ll start a vertical climb up a small mountain. There are little villages and plenty of bite-sized challenges to discover along the way, but the top of the mountain holds its own secrets!
- World 4: Treasure Temple - At the top of the mountain is a set of abandoned ruins that some have speculated to be ancient temples. No one knows who lived here, but the temples themselves were explored long ago and the treasure inside long gone. Thankfully, it’s now (mostly) safe to investigate, and the environment outside is peaceful and serene.
- World 5: Caverns of Curiosity - After you’re done finding the bubbles in the temple, the journey back down the mountain will take you through a series of caves. Legend says there’s a particularly dangerous serpentine challenge at the end of the journey, so pace yourself well and get ready for the puzzles that await.
- World 6: Factory Frolics - Chip Grove City’s industrial sector houses this set of levels where you’ll go through fire, gravel, smoke, and even a few warehouses. This is where the difficulty picks up a bit. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to use the skills you’ve built up so far, culminating in an ironworks complex that will put your knowledge to the test.
- World 7: Wonderous Wasteland - While the industrial sector has provided plenty of jobs for Chip Grove City’s economy, it’s also not the most pleasant part of the city to live in. The surrounding area is home to a landfill. Various level bubbles without a consistent theme or aesthetic ended up here. But beyond that is another mountain, this time a popular tourist spot in the winter.
- World 8: Painted Mines - Inside the mountain are colorful caves that many have referred to as the “painted mines” outside the city. You’ll find levels of all kinds of wild color schemes here as you dig through the rocks - er, locks.
- World 9: Bit Busters Mainframe - After you’re done at the mines, Melinda has more in store for you back at the clubhouse! The Bit Busters’ server room is home to plenty of level bubbles featuring challenges from the students in the computer science class Chip now teaches, which is probably why they fit right into this space.
- World 10: Colorful Compound - The more artistic members of the Bit Busters’ level design guild have crafted levels where variety meets function and a colorful aesthetic. Since then, Melinda has constructed new clubhouse wings where these levels can be showcased. This is the first of the two. You’ll find some of these colorful challenges here, but don’t get too distracted by the scenery!
- World 11: Pattern Palace - The second of the two artistic showcase wings for the clubhouse, this one contains a plethora of design patterns that the Bit Busters have experimented with. This is where the final third of the challenge begins, so don’t let your guard down!
- World 12: Ambitious Archipelago - Venturing back outside the clubhouse, you’ll find a series of little islands and challenges along the coastline. Despite the relaxing environment, the puzzles here will keep your brain engaged!
- World 13: Dusty Dry Ruins - Melinda’s bubble-tracking device indicated that some levels landed in the inhospitable desert area far outside Chip Grove City. This may have been a thriving village when this area was a frontier being settled, but now everything’s been run down and abandoned, leaving behind an old ghost town.
- World 14: Puzzle Precipice - Returning to the clubhouse for the final time, this new wing will one day hold a trial gauntlet where Bit Busters who wish to undertake the Mental Marvel Maelstrom will have to pass. For now, it’s home to the first wave of the new clubhouse’s final series of challenging levels!
- World 15: Mental Marvel Maelstrom - This is it! The mysterious tower where Melinda is building her ultimate challenge holds the hardest trials in this new clubhouse. Everything you know will be put to the test here as you take on these nine levels.

## How to Play

The CCLP5 package contains the following files:

`data/CCLP5.dat` | The main levelset data file
`data/CCLP5.ccx` | Story and author information file for Tile World 2
`sets/*.dac` | Configuration files for Tile World
`CCLP5.html` | This documentation file
`cclp5res/` | Images and other supporting files for this documentation

### Using Tile World

To play CCLP5 using Tile World 2 or Tile World, just copy the `data` and `sets` directories to Tile World's standard location for these files. On Windows, this is the directory where Tile World has been installed. On Linux, the default location is `/usr/local/share/tworld`.

With Tile World, you have the choice of playing CCLP5 under either the original Lynx ruleset (which also features animated gameplay), or under the MS ruleset (as in Microsoft Chip's Challenge). Tile World also records your solutions automatically and lets you play them back later.

### Using Microsoft Chip's Challenge (MSCC)

To play CCLP5 using the Microsoft version of Chip's Challenge, all you need is the `CCLP5.dat` file from the `data` folder. To make MSCC use this file, you will need a program such as CCTools, Chip's Controls or MyChips.

## Links

Stuck on a level? Want to report your scores? Or just discuss the game? Then check out the links below.

- CCLP5 Homepage: The official information and download page for CCLP5.
- CC Scoreboards: The official CC1, CCLP1, CCLP2, CCLP3, CCLP4, CCLP5, CC2, and CC2LP1 high score tables.
- CC Zone: Modern message board and multi-functional Chip's Challenge site.
- CC Wiki: Detailed information about the game and levels.

## Thanks to...

The CCLP5 Staff:
Josh Lee, J. B. Lewis, A Sickly Silver Moon, chipster1059, VT, mmoraleta, and Jeremy Christman
DeltaCore and Tyler Sontag:
for setting up the voting site and providing the staff with very detailed voting results.
Everyone in the Chip's Challenge community:
whose votes, feedback, continuous encouragement and occasional nagging helped make this project a success.
Aaron Farmer, Andrew Baker, Andrew Menzies, Andrew Raykowski, Archie Pusaka, Bouncycles, Calica, chipster1059, ChosenId, Craig Vilbig, Cybersmack, Daniel Bouwmeester, Dave Varberg, David Stolp, Derek Bowser, Drew Roen, Earthling, Eddy Limb, Eric Schmidt, Ernest Bartulović, Francesco & Matteo R., Gavin Duncan, Henry Potts, Ida R, Indyindeed, J.B. Lewis, Jacques Smith, Jeffrey Bardon, Jeremy Christman, Jonathan Birchall, Josh Lee, Joshua Bone, Kacper Leszczynski, Lessinath, magic, Markus O., ncrecc, random8, RB3ProKeys, Rock Généreux, Rolf Redford, Ruben Spaans, ruogoat, Scott Feeney, snacksforsale, Tom Brown, Trevor Hedges, Tyler Sontag, Victor Tsukamoto, VT, Xaser, and Zane Kuecks:
for designing levels and offering them for inclusion in CCLP5. Due to the number of levels in the set being limited, some designers could not have their creations included in CCLP5, but they certainly offered some stiff competition to the ones that did. The detailed list of levels and authors can be found here.
John Elion, Michael Hansen, Christopher Elsby, and Yongyi Chen:
for developing the excellent level editors using which these levels could be made.
Brian Raiter, Madhav Shanbhag, and Eric Schmidt:
for developing Tile World, thereby making both the Lynx and MS modes of Chip's Challenge available for playing on the various operating systems in use today.
Chuck Sommerville:
for creating that amazing, timeless, classic game called Chip's Challenge.

## Change Log

2024-05-06

- Third release of CCLP5 to correct errors in Crux of the Matter, Another Perspective, and World Revolution.

2024-03-12

- Second release of CCLP5 to correct a flaw in Axis Point.

2024-03-01

- Original release of CCLP5.

This package was last updated on 2024-05-06.
It may be distributed freely, as long as its contents are left intact and unmodified.

® Chip's Challenge is a registered trademark of Glynlyon, Inc.