Operation: Eco-Nightmare Walkthrough
(Discovery Multimedia, 1997)

By Alexander Tait

19 December 2001

This little known adventure game from Discovery Multimedia holds several leisurely days' worth of puzzles with an environmental theme. It has a very similar structure to the Cryo historical games, with 360-degree panning, an in game database, and primarily inventory-based puzzles. It has a couple of arcade sequences also but these are not difficult. The game itself is not hard, and on line hints are available (three levels of hints for each puzzle). The movie cutscenes are a little grainy because of their low-resolution. They can be viewed in a much smaller window if you explore the disk and they look far better. Although this game breaks no new ground in the adventure area, it is refreshing that it features puzzles that are "green" or environmental. I am sure I will never again use a CD the way you do in one puzzle! Another plus, again similar to the Cryo games, is that the game is a teaching tool: if you didn't know anything about the ozone layer before starting the game, you will be a different person after it. The sound, while clear, is nothing special. There are ambient sound effects and dialog, for the most part, is clear. One exception is Gaia, the helper robot (a little like Arthur in the Journeyman Project series), who is very difficult to understand. The acting is a mixture of over the top histrionics from the Garbageman and earnest, though implausible, seriousness from Team Xtreme. Graphics are clear and not grainy (except in cutscenes) though many would say outdated and my initial impressions were that it seemed very similar to the game Chaos. I picked this up for $10 at a computer fair and I more than got my money's worth. I'd recommend it to any adventure lover, especially if they are fairly new to adventure gaming and certainly anyone with an interest in the environment. It's one of those games that you won't list in your top ten, but while you are playing you will be happily in another world…

WARNING: Be careful not to have too many items in your inventory. If you have a full inventory and don't have the item you need, there is no way of dropping an item. (This happened to me only once during the game).

Part I: TEAM XTREME

Introduction to the Story
The opening cutscene reveals the evil genius, the Weatherman (Jonah Rainwater from the previous Team Xtreme adventure Operation: Weather Disaster), has been rehabilitated and released. He claims to have changed his outlook and, with it, his name to Jonah Greenstreet. Nice Jack Nicholson impersonation! Could the leopard have changed his spots? What do you think? Over time, Greenstreet becomes president of MUCC, an energy company featured throughout the game. At the end of his speech, it is obvious that he is still a villain. Fade out.

Start
You are in a grassy area in front of a path. Read the letter in your inventory to find out you have been chosen to join Team Xtreme, an ecological clean-up group. Pan 360 degrees to see a dam, a windmill, solar reflectors, and a cornfield. Go down the path to the entrance of a bunker.

Entrance
Approach the computer panel at left. Answer 5 questions correctly for entrance (use the database if necessary). Enter the Team Xtreme HQ.

Team Xtreme HQ
A cutscene immediately plays where you meet Ivy, the head of Team Xtreme. Someone broke in and damaged the natural energy generators. Pan 360 degrees to see the hangar, land bio-center, aqua bio-center, and front desk. There is also a green holotank in the center of the room. Go to the hangar.

Hangar
Meet Ozone. His biobot is broken. Enter the work area and put the robot back together. The pieces click in when correct. The leftmost piece goes first, then the wing. The large oval follows and then the belt. The eye is the last piece. Gaia is fixed. A cutscene between Ozone and Gaia ensues. Gaia goes with you. Ozone asks that you fix the windmill and gives you his wrench to help. Go to the aqua bio-center.

Aqua Bio-Center
Take the fishnet, saline crystals, and water conditioner. Turn off the music. Now Riptide can hear you. He asks you to move the fish from the freshwater tank to the pond outside and then move the saltwater fish to the freshwater tank. You can catch the freshwater fish but you don't have any way to transport them. Head back toward the exit.

Exit
Get the bucket under the sink. Use it in the sink to fill it up. Return to the aqua bio-center.

Aqua Bio-Center
Use the net to catch the freshwater fish one by one. Put them in the bucket. Put the salt crystals in the empty tank. Transfer the fish from the cracked tank to the newly made saltwater tank. Go outside to the dam.

Dam
Use the wrench on the hatch to open it. Try to take the bottle-it's broken and sharp. Put the fish in the pond at left of the dam. Return to the aqua bio-center.

Aqua Bio-Center
Riptide returns, thanks you, and gives you a pair of gloves. Go to the land bio-center.

Land Bio-Center
Meet Sunshine. She tells you the intruder damaged the plumbing. She asks you to check the irrigation outside. Go back to the dam.

Dam
Use the gloves to remove the bottle. Fill the bucket with pond water. Go to the crop.

Crop
Pour the water on the crop. It returns to health. Examine the solar panels.

Solar Panels
Use the broken bottle to cut off the trash bags that are on the solar panels. Return to the entrance.

Entrance
Place the bottle in the recycle bin. Go back to the land bio-center.

Land Bio-Center
Sunshine thanks you and gives you her shovel. Return to the dam.

Dam
Clear away the dirt with the shovel. Close the hatch. The hydro-generator is functional! Go to the windmill.

Windmill
Use the trash bags on the torn blade. It's fixed. Return to the aqua bio-center.

Aqua Bio-Center
Riptide thanks you, takes the bucket, and gives you a CD in exchange. Go to the hangar.

Hangar
Ozone thanks you and takes his wrench back. Return to the solar panels.

Solar Panels
Use the CD to block the leaky pipe. Return to HQ. A cutscene of Sludge, an MUCC truck driver ensues. Return to the land bio-center.

Land Bio-Center
Sunshine takes her shovel back. Exit the room. Gaia appears and requests that all Team Xtreme operatives meet at the holotank. Go to the holotank.

Holotank
A cutscene of an oil spill in the North Sea is shown. Jonah Greenstreet asks for the bacteria culture to help vitrify the oil spill. You are sent to deliver it. Go to the hangar.

Hangar
Get in the Eco-Skimmer. Click on "North Sea Oil Spill" to go there. A cutscene shows the destruction that is occurring in Brazil and you arrive on an oil tanker.

Part II: NORTH SEA OIL SPILL

Tanker
Another Eco-Skimmer blasts a hole in the tanker. Team Xtreme is being set up! Pick up the bolts on deck. Go toward the oil rig. The gang plank is unstable. Use the bolts to secure it and go across to the oil rig.

Oil Rig
Go to the table. Pick up the blow torch. Use it in the padlock. The locker opens. Take the toothbrush, industrial adhesive, and soap. A door to the control area is locked. Use the blow torch on the hinges. The door falls off. Go to the control area.

Oil Rig Control Area
Take a blade of the fan. Exit, taking the door as you do.

Oil Rig
Go to the well cap bot. Its claw is rusty. Use the soap with the toothbrush. Return to the tanker. Just before you get back on board, use the blow torch to cut a section of railing to make a ladder. DO NOT USE THE BLOW TORCH WITH THE BARRELS OF OIL!

Tanker
Go to the edge where the oil is spilling out. Use the ladder to climb down to it. Combine the adhesive with the door. Use the door on the breach of the hull. Climb back up. Go to the two other bots: the boom bot and the skimmer bot. Hook the cable to the boom bot. Use the fan blade on the skimmer bot to repair it. Push the button to lower the bots. Go to the tanker control area. Return to the spill and use the petro-dispenser with the oil.

Tanker Control Area
Access the control panel. Choose the correct sequence as follows: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Control the boom bot to contain the oil spill. The following works but there are many variations that will: left, up, left, down, right, up. You now have three minutes of real time to clean up the spill by moving the skimmer bot on the screen. Go in diagonal patterns from a certain point and you'll get it after a few tries. Return to the bots.

Bots
Raise the bots up. An otter comes up with the bots, covered in oil. Use the soapy brush on it until it is clean (you'll need to soap the brush while you're doing to). Take the shell it leaves you. Return to the oil rig oil barrels.

Oil Barrels
Use the shell to open the oil barrel. Use the vial with the barrel. Go to the well cap bot.

Well Cap Bot
Use the oil with the rusted claw to repair it. Lower the well bot. Go to the oil rig control panel.

Oil Rig Control Panel
Access the left console. Use the arrow keys to guide the well cap bot to the bottom. You are best using the arrow keys on the keyboard rather than the mouse. Be sure to lower it to the bottom gently. Return to the Eco-Skimmer.

Eco-Skimmer
You are led to the Brazilian rainforest by a clue. On the way there, you see a news report-you have been framed for the attack on the tanker. Choose "Brazil" on the destination list. You arrive in a cleared area.

Part III: BRAZILIAN RAINFOREST

Cleared Area
A deforestation machine is clearing the area. Take a path to the right of the Eco-Skimmer. Ensure you take a palm frond from the palms along the path. Follow the path to a lean-to hut.

Lean-to Hut
Read the journal. Take the beaker (actually a flask), two containers, butterfly net, broken beaker, and soil-core sampler. Use the beaker to collect a water sample. Go to the village.

Village
Catch a butterfly (alternatively, you could catch one at the lean-to hut). Put it in the jar. Take the herbal medicine, rubber tap, and cup. Use the palm frond to rekindle the fire. Go to the path.

Path
Collect a sample of soil using the soil-core sampler. Put it in the other container. Go to the rubber tree.

Rubber Tree
Use the rubber tap on the tree. Use the cup on the tree to collect rubber sap. Take a stick from the tree. Return to the village.

Village
Use the cup of rubber with the fire. Use the softened rubber with the broken flask to fix it. Return to the starting clearing.

Clearing
Go to the water.

Water
Collect the stagnant water with the repaired flask. Take the rock. Go to the cleared hill.

Cleared Hill
Climb up to the top of the hill. Put the rock down. Use the sick on the rock to roll the boulder down the hill. Take the pot that was under it. Return to the clearing.

Clearing
The deforestation machine has been stopped by the boulder. Go over to it. A cutscene of Ozone plays (showing him trapped inside). He advises you to bring samples of the pristine and damaged rainforest to the machine computer to convince it to stop destroying the forest. Go to the control panel. Put the two types of soil in the analyzer. Press the button. It needs more information to analyze it. Choose "Rainforests deprive soil of nutrients". Next, put the water samples in. Choose "Tree roots erode the land". Put the pottery in. Choose "Rainforests home to indigenous tribes". Put herbal medicine in. Choose "Rainforests provide beneficial products". Return to the village.

Village
Empty the containers. Catch a butterfly. Go to the deforested hill.

Deforested Hill
Catch a butterfly. Return to the control panel.

Control Panel
Put the two butterfly samples in. Choose "Trees provide natural habitats". Go to the path.

Path
Empty the containers. Use the to catch a bee and get orchid samples. Return to the control panel.

Control Panel
Put the containers in the analyzer. Choose "Trees endanger animal populations". A cutscene plays where the machine computer realizes its error. The door opens. Rescue Ozone. A cutscene of Jonah Greenstreet and a news bulletin is shown. Return to the Eco-Skimmer.

Eco-Skimmer
You receive a message from Antarctica. Choose the research station as the next destination.

Part IV: ANTARCTICA RESEARCH STATION

Start
Go to the area where a man is frozen in the ice.

Cache
Grab the rope. Use the blowtorch to thaw the rope, then use it to thaw Sludge! He tells you a penguin stole his access card. Take the sunglasses. Go to the tank-like transport.

Transport
Take the pole. Climb up. Get the parka from the storage door at right. DO NOT GO IN THE TRANSPORT OR YOU WILL BE TRAPPED. Go to the chair in the middle of the ice.

Chair
Use the blowtorch to cut a hole. Use the pole to snag a fish. Go to the ice floe.

Ice Floe
Use the rope on the killer whale's fin. It goes around the ice floe and pulls it to where you are. Use the blowtorch to seal the fissure. Give the penguin the fish. Take the card. Go to the building.

Lab Building
Sludge appears and takes a photo of you in a cutscene. Use the vault access card. Use the pole to free the door. Open the door. An aerosol-bot comes out. Use the blowtorch on the bot until it explodes. Enter the lab.

Lab
Go to each of the three screens to learn about ozone depletion and formation. Go to the bookshelf. Read the journal (very sinister story…). You learn that Charmichael's passcode is 071366. Approach the computer. More information is required. Get it from the database and journal. The answers are:

-100,000 (look up "CFC" in the database)
-320 ("ozone layer" in the database)
-85 ("CFC" in the database)
-stratosphere (in the journal)

A new screen comes up. Click to arm the missiles. Go down the corridor and up a ladder to a missile silo.

Missile Silo
Push the button to open the missile. Click on the wire. OH NO, You've set it off (are you surprised?)! Go outside to the transport.

Transport
Climb into the tank. Enter Charmichael's code (071366) to access the laser. Your goal is to shoot the missiles down. The solution is just to keep clicking really quickly without moving the sight-the computer has auto aiming. A cutscene plays showing how you have foiled Jonah Greenstreet again. Return to the Eco-Skimmer.

Eco-Skimmer
Choose MUCC factory as the next destination. Watch a cutscene of Ivy.

Part V: MUCC FACTORY

Factory Entrance
Go to the round gas tank. Shut off the gas line. Go to the refinery (the building with smoke coming out of the chimney).

Refinery
Pick up the three cans. Go up the steps to the pool of water. Pick up the scrub brush. Go down the gangway to the pipe dumping polluted water into the sea. Pick up the cans. Go to the caustic scrubber.

Caustic Scrubber
Open the door. The nozzles are blocked. Use the brush to clean them. Close the door. Go to the MUCC building.

MUCC Building
A hungry trashbot guards the entrance. Give it all your cans. It becomes full and disappears. Access the control panel. Check your database for the answers to the questions. The percentage of garbage that is metal is 10%. You are allowed access. Go in.

Inside MUCC Building
A cutscene where Jonah Greenstreet finally reveals his true intentions plays. Attempt to go outside to put out the fire that he sets. The door is broken. Pick up the water scanner and air scanner. Switch on the fans. Go to the furnace area.

Furnace
The furnace is too cold. Looking up "furnace" in the database reveals that the correct temperature for the furnace is 660 degrees Celsius. Set the air to 66% and fuel to 40%. Go to the equipment storage area.

Equipment Storage Area
Take the respirator, tongs, and hammer. Go to the electrostatic precipitator.

Electrostatic Precipitator
The ESP is blocked. Take the gloves. Open the tray. Take the baffle. Go to the turbine.

Turbine
Use the tongs to pick up the acid. Go to the ladder area. Take an ingot using the gloves. Go to the door to the CEO's room.

CEO's Door
Show the CEO the ingot. Go to the metal sorter.

Metal Sorter
Notice the moving parts on the metal sorter? When the magnet faces you, take it. Go to the exit.

Exit
Use the acid on the door to burn a hole through it. Exit to the tank.

Tank
Use the magnet on the tank to seal the gas leak. Go to the refinery

Refinery
Go up the ladder. Use the water scanner on the water: alkalinity too high. Add acid to the water. Scan again to find it's A-OK. Now clean the baffle in the water. Go to the tower.

Tower
Climb up. Use the air scanner on the emissions. Carbon level is too high. Go to the ESP.

Electrostatic Precipitator
Open the top panel. Use the hammer to clean the plates. Return the clean baffle to the tray and close it. Return to scan the air emissions-everything's back to normal. Return to the CEO's door.

CEO's Door
Use the water scanner and air scanner with the door. The CEO congratulates you on your efforts. Click on the door again. Your efforts have flown in your face. Go through the door and up to a slatted door. Break the left most slats to go to a room of computers.

Computer Room
Go to the computer. Watch the video that shows evidence of Jonah Greenstreet's treachery! The computer informs you that Hawaii is the next target. Cutscene: you meet up with the others and each fills you in on new developments. You arrive in Hawaii.

Part VI: HAWAII

Beach
You arrive on a beach. Go to the effluent pipe.

Effluent Pipe
Get the Geiger counter. Take a reading: 4789. Go to the flotsam washed up on the beach.

Flotsam
Take the golf club, spool of wire, and net. Take a reading: 3142. Go to the cabana.

Cabana
Take the emergency beacon. Take a reading: 1762. Combine the spool of wire and the emergency beacon. Go forward to learn how the power plant works. Go to the cargo area.

Cargo Area
Use the net with the crab bot. Use the golf club to knock it in the water. Use the hammer to open the crate. Get in. You are transported onto the ship.

Ship
Take the mask and empty scuba tanks. Go in the cabin.

Cabin
Take the knife and telescope. Take a reading: 984. Approach the journal. Use the hammer with the telescope to get the lens. Use the lens to burn through the leather strap on the journal. Read the journal. Return to the crate and then back to the cabana.

Cabana
Use the knife on the knob on the damaged scuba tank. Fill the empty tank from the damaged tank. Go to the sea.

Sea
Take the anchor. Take a reading: 12431. The radioactivity is rising! Go to the sub.

Sub
Cut the net to free the crab bot (and retrieve your net). Take a reading of the toxic waste: 14598. Getting closer. Go to the passage just to the left of the exit to the toxic waste dumping ground.

Dumping Ground
Take a reading: 31765! You need to place your beacon here but you can't because the sub is still dumping waste. Go back one screen. When the sub approaches from the right, use the net on it to snag it. Return the dumping ground area. Drop the anchor. Connect the beacon to the anchor. You get an audio transmission revealing that they now have enough information to put Jonah Greenstreet away. Return to the surface.

Beach
Take the water pump. Go back to the toxic waste dumping ground (after filling your tanks).

Dumping Ground
Use the water pump to dissipate the toxins. Take the starfish. Go to the minisub.

Minisub
Enter the password (KARI, from the journal on the ship). Use the starfish to turn the handle. Go in the minisub. Use the mechanical arm to cut the net. Go back to the pipe. Follow it down to the ocean floor.

Ocean Floor
Take a reading: 465235623!!! Return to the control panel at the effluent pipe on the surface.

Effluent Pipe Control Panel
Use the hammer to remove the cover of the control panel. Enter the code (the reading at the ocean floor): 465235623. The water is reversed. Return to the ocean floor.

Ocean Floor
Use the mechanical arm to place the lids on the cans. Then use the welding arm to secure the lids. A cutscene plays wherein you blackout and come to in a cell.

Part VII: NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

Cell
Pick up the blanket. Pull the loose brick from the wall. Use the brick to break the mirror. Pick up a shard of glass. Use it to cut the bed. Take a spring. Use the brick to shape the spring and then use the spring to pick the lock. Exit the cell. A cutscene of Jonah Greenstreet reveals he has reprogrammed Gaia. Wet the blanket in the sink. Use the wet blanket with Gaia to short her out and return her to her "senses". Take the chain from the wall. Back away to level 35.

Level 35
Take the fire hose. Go to the elevator.

Elevator
Go to the panel. Use the spring to rewire the elevator. Enter the elevator. Go to the ground floor. Go out into the compound. Immediately pick up sand. Go to the pool area.

Pool
Use the chain to repair the hydraulics. Raise the fuel rods from the pool. Take one and lower the tray. Return to the elevator.

Elevator
Take the elevator up to the core.

Core
Go up to the panel. Unload the rods. Unlock the storage vault. Go down to storage.

Storage
Take the radiation suit, lead vest, and pillowcases. Go to the vault.

Vault
Go to the end of the room. Open the vault door and take the uranium dioxide pellets. Combine the pellets with the rods. Go back up to ground level and the disposal area.

Disposal Area
Mix the pellets and sand. Put it in the furnace-input hopper. Take the glass log. Put the vest in the hopper. Take the lead ore. Return to the vault.

Vault
Put the glass log in the radiation unit. Put the lead ore on it to seal it. An access card is dislodged. Take it. Return to the waste pile at the ground level, collecting sand along the way.

Waste Pile
Combine the sand and pillowcases to make sandbags. Sandbag the pile. Collect some more sand and go into the area where Sludge's Eco-Skimmer is kept and leaking drums are stored.

Leaking Drums
Put the sand on the leak. Sludge is saved. Go to the core.

Core
Open the door at left (opposite the pipe handle). Take out the inactive rods. Put the active rods in. Close the hatch. Reload the rods using the control panel. Lock the storage vault. An active reaction starts. Go back to the ground level to the transmutation area.

Transmutation Area
Use the access card on the hatch doors. Put the spent rods in the transmuter. Close the hatch. Access the computer. Move the positive and negative electrodes to clear the rods. A core meltdown is triggered. No, it's not the end of the game. Return to the core.

Core
Attach the hose. Turn the handle. The meltdown has been averted! Return to the elevator and go to the cells.

Cells
Free Ivy. Return to the Eco-Skimmer.

Eco-Skimmer
Return to Team Xtreme headquarters. A cutscene reveals that Jonah Greenstreet has been trashing Team Xtreme headquarters to get control of satellites.

Part VIII: TEAM XTREME HEADQUARTERS

Clearing
You arrive where it all started: in the clearing. You must defend yourself against a barrage of aerosol bots. Just keep clicking your blowtorch on them. When you have destroyed them all, go to the cornfield.

Cornfield
Take the corn. Go to the dam.

Dam
Dip the corn in the sludgy water. Go to the solar panels.

Solar Panels
Take the CD. Go to the entrance to Team Xtreme.

Entrance
Take a bottle from the recycle box. Take some gum from the note. Go to the control panel. Again you have to answer five questions to enter. The door opens and you can enter. Approach the holotank. A cutscene plays revealing Jonah Greenstreet's new incarnation is the Garbageman. Go to the front desk.

Desk
Take the pencil holder. Go to the land bio-center.

Land Bio-Center
Sunshine is at the land bio-center. A cutscene plays. Use the poisoned corn to kill the mutant Venus flytrap. Go in the greenhouse.

Greenhouse
Take the chemistry set. Back away. A cutscene plays. Go to the exit.

Exit
Use the sink to fill up the pencil holder with water. Go out to the windmill.

Windmill
Use the CD to cut the blade down. Go to the aqua bio-center.

Aqua Bio-Center
Use the gum to foil the bot. Take the salt crystals. Go to the hangar.

Hangar
Add the salt crystals to the pencil holder of water. Use the saltwater on the trashbot to rust it. Enter the hangar and take the boot disk. Return to the front desk.

Desk
Use the boot disk in the computer. You need genetic codes for air, land, and water. Return to the dam.

Dam
Collect some scummy water with the pencil holder. Test it with the chemistry set. The genetic code for the water is 3019860444. Use the chemistry set on the windmill blade. The code for the air is 2022083100. Go to the land bio-center.

Land Bio-Center
Use the chemistry set on the Venus flytrap. The genetic code for the land is 5124775455. Return to the front desk.

Desk
Enter the codes: 2022083100 (air), 5124775455 (land), 3019860444 (water). Click to execute the command. A cutscene of the Garbageman plays. You now have to move quickly to thwart his land and water viral outbreaks in order to save the world. You have to deal with each outbreak by "zapping" it with the antiviral ray. When you have (finally) completed this task, the final cutscene plays where Team Xtreme defeats Garbageman with his own garbage. Team Xtreme and you receive the recognition you deserve. Not too bad a conclusion (though no surprises) but the acting and dialog is close to excruciating in this final cutscene! (Did they think no one would get this far?).

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