RetroHub games

M. Jap

A plate on every pole, and don't drop one.

Fetch a plate from the wings, and climb up to set it.
Spin the wobbling ones again before they fall.
Jump the ball, duck under the bird.

A game of M. Jap: the bottom row full, one plate wobbling, and M. Jap climbing the tall center pole toward the middle row, a plate over his head.

What is on stage

M. Jap

That is you. He walks the floors, climbs the poles, jumps and ducks.

The plate in hand

He picks it up in the wings, at either end of the floor, empty-handed. One at a time.

The spinning plate

Set on top of a pole, it spins, but slows down.

The wobbling plate

It is weakening: it rocks from side to side, faster and faster. Climb up and spin it again.

The ball

It rolls along the floor. Jump over it.

The bird

It flies at head height. Duck under it.

Setting the plates

Walk to the end of the floor, left or right: M. Jap picks up a plate there and holds it over his head.

In front of an empty pole, ▲ makes him climb. At the top, he sets the plate, and it starts spinning. ▼ brings him back down.

A board has three floors. Once every pole in the row holds its plate, one pole rises to the next floor and a new row opens. Once all three rows are full, the board is done.

The first board done: all three rows hold their plates, M. Jap at the top of the last pole on the top floor, and the “Board 1 done” banner.

Spinning them again

A plate spins for sixty-eight seconds at first, then falls. Before that, it wobbles: that is the warning. Climb its pole and reach the top; it spins like new.

Spinning a plate that is slowing down scores points; spinning one that still turns well scores nothing, though it still gets its full spin back.

100per plate set

100per plate spun in time

1500per board done

Going up a floor

Once the bottom row is full, one of its poles rises with its plate through a gap in the middle floor. It is the only way up. Once the middle row is full, one of its poles rises the same way to the top floor.

Climb it to the floor above, then step sideways to get off. To come back, walk toward the gap: M. Jap grabs the pole, and ▼ takes him down.

The plates below keep spinning. While you fill the rows above, go back down and spin the wobbling ones. The wings are at the ends of every floor: you can pick up a plate without going back down.

The second board with all three floors open: the left pole risen from the bottom through the middle floor, the fifth risen from the middle through the top floor, the bottom and middle rows full.

The ball and the bird

From the second board on, they cross the stage one at a time, from either side, on the floor where M. Jap is. The first comes after four seconds, the next ones every five to nine seconds.

M. Jap in mid-jump, the orange ball rolling right under his feet. — **The ball**: `✓` to jump.

M. Jap ducking, the blue bird coming at head height. — **The bird**: `▼` to duck.

Ducking, M. Jap cannot walk; jumping, he still moves. High enough up a pole, nothing can touch him.

Lives

Four lives. You lose one when a plate falls, or when the ball or the bird touches M. Jap.

The plates stay where they are; the wobbling ones get a little respite. M. Jap starts again from the middle of the bottom floor, empty-handed. The game ends when none are left.

The first board: an empty pole, its plate falling toward the floor.

Boards

A series has five boards. On each one, M. Jap and the obstacles move a little faster. After the fifth, the series starts over from the first, and the plates spin for less time — a fifth less every series, never under twenty seconds.

Board 1: The center pole rises, then the third. No obstacles. — **Board 1** — The center pole rises, then the third. No obstacles.

Board 2: The left pole rises, then the fifth. The ball and the bird arrive. — **Board 2** — The left pole rises, then the fifth. The ball and the bird arrive.

Board 3: The right pole rises, then the center one. The ball. — **Board 3** — The right pole rises, then the center one. The ball.

Board 4: The third pole rises, then the sixth. The ball and the bird. — **Board 4** — The third pole rises, then the sixth. The ball and the bird.

Board 5: The fifth pole rises, then the second. The ball and the bird. — **Board 5** — The fifth pole rises, then the second. The ball and the bird.

Controls

Phone and tablet

The touch pad: four arrows, the check mark, F1 and the star.

`◀` `▶`	walk
`▲`	climb a pole
`▼`	climb down; on the floor, duck
`✓`	jump; once the game is over, play again
`✱`	leave the game

Touching the stage on screen jumps too.

Computer

`←` `→`	walk
`↑`	climb a pole
`↓`	climb down; on the floor, duck
`Space` `Enter`	jump; once the game is over, play again
`Esc` `*`	leave the game

2 4 6 8 work as the arrows, and 5 jumps.

Television

the arrows	walk, climb, duck
`OK`	jump; once the game is over, play again
`Back`	leave the game

M. Jap is still being broken in: it has no masters' board yet. To beat, top right, shows the best score made on this device since RetroHub was opened.