Clone machine


The clone machine, often shortened to cloner, is a special wall tile that can clone monsters or blocks. For all other purposes, it functions as a wall.

Connections

More than one red button can activate the same clone machine, but only one clone machine is activated by one red button. In the DAT file of the Microsoft port of the game, the number of connections is limited to a maximum of 31 per level.

Mechanics

A clone machine will only work if a red button is connected to it. When the red button is hit by any object, a copy of the cloned object will spawn one square in the direction of the monster or clone block on top of it, except in special cases with specific monsters (see Controller and Boss Glitch). If this move is barred, it will refuse to clone. A successful clone will be affected by any tile on the space as if it had just stepped on the space from that direction. For example, it will slide on ice and force floors, drown or fill in water, kill Chip if he is standing on that space, or step onto a key.

If a monster is cloned, it will be added to the end of the monster order and act accordingly in monster-collision situations or as a controller or boss. In the case of teeth and blobs, the odd and even step algorithm will determine if the monster immediately comes out or if it waits one move before doing so.

Only monsters and blocks can be cloned; any other tile with a clone machine under it will look like that tile on top of a clone machine if it is transparent, or just that tile if it is not transparent. It will proceed to function as a wall. This can be used to make a type of fake exit.

In Chip's Challenge 2, the player can push ice blocks and directional blocks into empty clone machines and it will dispense clones of that item when activated in the opposite direction it was loaded. The clone machine will also trap bowling balls crossing its tile, forming a bowling ball clone machine. Clone machines connected to wire can dispense items in any available direction if the primary exit is blocked.

See also