Guiding Mia
Guiding Mia requires a little practice. You must guide Mia using your cursor (the mouse follows the mouse!). To pick up an object, to enter a hole or to climb up or down, you just have to click on the object or the direction desired. Mia acknowledges a directive, with “okay”, indicating that it is something she can do. But every once in a while she balks and indicates her independence. Sometimes it is because she knows something the player doesn't.
Help from Mia
You can get Mia to talk anytime by clicking on her head. If what she says is not a precise enough clue for you, click again. If a clue is not offered then maybe there is nothing left to do where you are and you should keep exploring.
Before Beginning the Game
Before beginning play, there are some options. First, you will have to choose an icon that will represent you when you will want to save a game. Then, type in your name. Four different players can save up to 12 different games each. Finally, you will have to choose the level of difficulty of the activities (the learning games that are offered along the way). There are four levels of difficulty and plenty of variety so that replays are invariably different. Most players will want to try all of the levels.
Playing Only the Activities
If you would like to play just the activities or you want to replay an activity you just played (you should save your game first) go to the Options Screen by pressing the F2 key or during the introduction, wait until the “Options” button appears and then click on it. At the Options Screen click on the “Activities” button. Choose the difficulty level and then the activity you would like to play. After completing an activity you will automatically be returned to the Activities Screen. |
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Picking up Sparklies
Sparklies are the diamond-like stones that are used as currency in Mia land. If a hidden Sparkly is spotted, the player has to click on it and drag it over to Mia. Then she will grab it and put it away in her backpack.
Keyboard Commands
The Arrow Keys - Mia's Skateboard
Mia is a great skateboarder and can use her skateboard in many places to move more quickly. Press and hold the left or right arrow key to indicate the direction. If you hold down the CTRL key while pressing the arrow keys, Mia will get up on her skateboard and glide. If the SHIFT and CTRL keys are held down while the arrow keys are used, then Mia will flip her skateboard. There are places where there is not enough room to use the skateboard — but Mia will let you know. Be careful, when skateboarding, not to zoom past Sparklies and other things Mia might want to pick up.
F1 - Mia's Backpack
Whenever Mia picks something up, she stows it in her backpack. Pressing the F1 key will provide an inventory of the backpack contents as well as the Sparkly count. You will also find Mia’s notebook with the images of the objects you must look for and those already found.
F2 - The Options Screen
To go to the Options Screen during the introduction, wait until the “Options” button appears and then click on it. To go to the Options Screen during the game, press the F2 key. At the Options Screen you can: set the sound volume, turn the background music on or off, go to a screen where you can play activities only, load a saved game, save a game, start a new game, play the instructions movie and see the credits.
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F3 - Saving a Game
Four different players can save up to 12 different games. To save a game, press the F3 key and then click in the circle that you want to represent your saved game. You can save a maximum of 12 games. That way lots of family members can go through Mia at their own pace. You can save over a previously saved game by clicking on any image.
Loading a Saved Game
This can be done either by choosing “Load Game” from the first menu when you start the game or by pressing F2 and clicking on the “Load Game” option while a game is in progress. Once at the Load Game Screen, just click on the circle that represents the game you would like to go back to.
F4 - Turning On/Off Background Music
Use the F4 key to turn on/off background music. You will still be able to hear Mia and her friends.
F5 - The Activities Menu
Use the F5 key to go directly to the activities screen, where you can choose an activity to play.
ESC - Quitting the Game
To quit, press the ESC key. You will be asked to confirm your choice.
Space Bar & F12
Use the Space Bar to skip the introductory movie and many other long movie sequences. The F12 key can be used to skip and automatically win an activity. (This option is available so that younger children can still enjoy the game without any assistance. If older players use it, they are cheating!)
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