Elefunk Tips, or the Care and Feeding of Your Video Game Elephants

Written by: Finn Orfano • Edited by: Aaron R.
Updated Oct 6, 2009 • Related Guides: Ps3 Games | Playstation Network | PS3

The PS3 game Elefunk challenges you to safely guide herds of elephants past unbridged chasms, Egyptian pyramid gauntlets, and jungle wildernesses. If your bridge engineering skills aren't up to spec, here are some ideas on how to build bridges that won't fall apart.

Elefunk From The Playstation Network (or PSN)

In the grand tradition of games like The Incredible Machine and Armadillo Run, Elefunk is a bridge building game from the Playstation Network that asks you to get elephants safely from point A to point B. The many girder options at your disposal can be a bit daunting, especially to younger players on the PS3. Many people have trouble even getting past the first level without a lot of trial and error. Here are some basic tips that can give you an edge in getting past difficult stages.

Tip #1: The Select Button is Your Friend

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First, a quick tip to relieve some of the pain of repeated failure. If you've built a bridge that you know is going to fail in Elefunk--maybe because you're trying a structure out that didn't work, or because you've only built half the bridge and are satisfied with its integrity--you don't have to wait for your elephants to fall. Just hit Select and select the Restart Level option, and the runthrough ends immediately. Perfect for getting back to work without delay. This also saves your wonderful little elephants some pain and humiliation.

Tip #2: Girders and Floors Have Mass

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This might not seem important, but in some levels in Elefunk for the PS3, it's the reason why your apparently stable bridges collapse. It is possible to make a bridge collapse because you've overengineered it. Reducing weight is just as valid an option as adding extra supports in many cases, so try to aim for having just enough support rather than using a brute force approach.

Tip #3: Flexibility Sometimes Wins Over Sturdiness

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A lot of levels in this PSN game, can be passed with bridges that look like they'll fall apart. The goal, however, is just to get an elephant across by hook or by crook--it doesn't have to look pretty. Sometimes, bridges actually benefit from sagging floors and lots of sway; too much rigidity and a bridge can collapse while the elephant is walking across. So take your time and get the bridge right without worrying if it looks pretty or not. The goal is to get the elephant across this PS3 game platform safely - and it's not that hard to do when you get the hang of it.

Tip #4: The Bridge Doesn't Have to Remain in One Piece

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Yes, you read that right. When you get to Egypt, the goal of the levels in this area of the PS3 game changes slightly. Instead of elephants walking across your bridges, they get dropped from a height and roll through them, much like in Armadillo Run. One of the keys to making it through Egypt without tearing your hair out is realizing that once the elephant has passed a section of bridge, it doesn't need to stay together--if it falls apart but the elephant still makes it to the end, you'll still pass the level. That means you can use fewer supports in some areas, and place them where they'll count.

Tip #5: Don't Overlap Supports If You Can Help It

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It can be tempting to drop boxed X supports all over the place, assuming they'll do a better job of supporting a bridge than the other pieces at your disposal. But this isn't always the case; in Elefunk, as long as two adjacent points have a support beam connecting them, it's connected, and more supports won't help. As an example, if you have two triangle pieces, it's often better to connect them so that they're facing the same direction, rather than have them share a side; that shared side means one less support beam helping to hold up your bridge.

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