This 3-part guide will help you to learn how to play Biotronic:

1. Step 1: Getting Started - Biotronics
2. Step 2: Modes of play
3. Step 3: Being status

In addition a number of tips are provided in a tips section.

Biotronic is a free online Facebook game developed by Metro Games that was released in 2009. Gameplay requires that you are logged into Facebook via a variety of web browsers. Therefore, to play Biotronic you will need a Facebook account.

Biotronic is a puzzle game that is part of a sub genre referred to as "match three" games. Features of the Biotronic game include:

1. Colorful biotechnology
2. Easy mouse controls
3. Exploding combos
4. Beautiful animations
5. A mix of music scores. These add an interesting dimension to the game

The basic game strategy of Biotronic is to make matches of 3 or more like-colored "biotronics" before the power bar runs out of energy. In most "match three" games, users create a three-in-a-row line of identical pieces http://rabidgamer.livejournal.com/1269.html. Other examples of "match three" games on Facebook include:

1. Bejeweled Blitzhttp://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=40343401983
2. Bricks Breakinghttp://www.mindjolt.com/games/bricks-breaking
3. Jungle Jewelshttp://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=87409181318

Biotronic is one of the more popular free online games, having been listed tenth of all Facebook games by Lions Web on December 9, 2009http://thelionsweb.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/top-10-facebook-games/. The game was also ranked tenth most popular Facebook game by Segment Next on November 1, 2009.http://segmentnext.com/index.php/2009/11/01/best-20-most-popular-games-facebook/.

Biotronic may be played alone, or by challenging your friends. The choice is yours!

Facebook Registration The game is one of many Facebook applications. To begin gameplay, you will need to register for a Facebook account. The Facebook registration process is very simple. Enter your name, email address, desired password, gender and date of birth on the main facebook.com page and click the sign up button. Once registration is complete, you will be able to play Biotronic.

Should you need further assistance with Facebook registration, please visit the Mahalo guide to How to Use Facebook. The Mahalo Facebook guide includes a detailed explanation of all the steps required to register a new Facebook account.

Launch the Biotronic Application The Biotronic application had 82,393 fans in the official Biotronic Facebook Group as of January 13, 2010. http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=27178406486. Within its Facebook Group is a link to initiate the Biotronic application. Simply click on the Biotronic icon at the top left of the screen or on the "Go to Application" button to launch Biotronic.http://apps.facebook.com/biotronic/.

Once you have clicked the button, you will find yourself at the home page of the Biotronic game itself. Select one of the options: Play, Practice or Challenge, and you are ready to play. Biotronic works through your selected Internet browser, requiring no downloads or installation.

There are three main modes of play for the Biotronic Facebook game. These are:

1. Play mode
2. Practice mode
3. Challenge mode

Essentially the game is the same, whichever mode you select. However, there are some subtle differences detailed below.

Play Mode Click on the Play button to enter play mode. A 10 x 8 grid will display, containing 80 Biotronics.

Find groups of three and match the biotronic patterns. Once a group of three is matched to form a chain, those three biotronics will disappear from the board. As the matched biotronics disappear, new ones will fall in from the top to fill the gaps created by the missing biotronics. Matches are credited with energy and points. Even more points and energy are awarded when formed chains trigger multiple chain reactions. Multiples can be planned or lucky! They are awarded extra energy and points either way.

Find matches as quickly as you can. As your energy depletes while the time in the game continues to run out. If you can form chains of longer than three biotronics, special biotronic items display. For example, chains of 4 will form into a bomb, chains of 5 will become multicolored. If you can not see any available matches you can use the Hint button, however, points and energy diminish whenever the Hint button is used.

Once the power bar is complete for any level, you will pass to the next level. As you complete a level, you will receive a message stating that the level is complete along with:

1. A time bonus (if you completed the level quickly enough)
2. Number of combinations
3. Max combos (ones 4 or higher)

Generally as you progress to higher levels, energy depletes quicker and that it is more difficult to find chains.

Once you run out of energy, you "die". This is indicated with a standard "game over" message and a notification of your status. The lowest player level is an Amoeba.

Throughout the game, a creepy very atmospheric type of music is played, similar to the soundtrack from an old horror film. Once a game is completed, a more optimistic sounding "dance track" plays, perhaps trying to instill an optimistic "there's always next time" attitude.

Practice Mode The practice mode gameplay is identical to play mode. When you click practice, all of the practice levels will display. For example, if the highest level you have reached in play mode is level 5 then you will have an option of clicking any level to practice from 1 through to 5.

The main difference with practice mode is that you can not die. Your energy level will never deplete to 0%. Practice mode is good if you can not progress through a level in play mode and you want to practice it before trying play mode again.

Challenge Mode Challenge mode will let you issue a challenge to any of your Facebook friends who already play Biotronic. When you click on challenge, the challenge leaderboard displays. This leaderboard will show you the amount of wins and losses you have had against any of your friends that play the game.

The icons of your Facebook friends who do not play Biotronic are listed at the bottom of the page. Clicking on any of these icons would prompt an invitation for them to play the game. Statistics for weekly, monthly and all time records are shown towards the bottom of the screen.

Once invited, a friend can either accept or run away from the challenge. When you gain an acceptance, the game plays out in the normal manner. You will proceed to play the game exactly as you would in Play mode. Once both you and your friend have completed the game both players will be notified of who had the better score. Inter player records are then updated.

When you finish a game you will be given a being status. Starting off from the lowly Amoeba to the Spiritual entity. With each status will also come a catchphrase, e.g. if you are a worm then "at least you know how to crawl".

The further you progress in the game then the higher a being status you will be given. I have completed some of the lower levels for you but to fill in the rest of the gaps you will need to complete the levels yourself!

1. Amoeba: "you barely exist."
2. Fish: "you open your mouth to eat." ---- level 2
3. Worm: "at least you know how to crawl."
4. Amphibian: "at least you know how to walk."
5. Pterodactyl: "you escape flying."
6. Mammoth: "pure brute force, just that." -----level 3
7. Primate: "you are a few steps from being human."
8. Tyrannosaurus rex: "people respect you as well as fear you."
9. Triceratops: "you are as big as slow."
10. Caveman: "a stick is the solution of all your problems."
11. Homosapiens: "at least you can talk"
12. Roman soldier: "you can dominate but not with words."
13. Viking: "you are primitive but you have some talent." ---- level 5
14. Courtesan: ---- level 6
15. Space man: ---- level 7
16. Alien: ---- level 8
17. Modern age man:
18. Cyborg:
19. Robot:
20. Alien:
21. Uber Alien:
22. Spiritual Entity: