An item is a tile which Chip or Melinda can collect and store in their inventory. Aside from keys and computer chips which have separate inventories, players can hold at most four items in their inventory at once. Although the computer chip is technically an item, it does not appear in the player's inventory like the other items.

There are specific tiles which are not considered items even though Chip can remove them: sockets, dirt, fake blue walls, locks, etc. are not items. Chip can also move blocks, but they are not considered items.

Properties of items in CC1

In the original Chip's Challenge 1, the only items aside from keys and chips are fire boots, flippers, ice skates, and suction boots. Items cannot be moved and can only be collected by Chip. Thieves will only steal boots, not keys.

Items are acting walls to monsters. In the MS ruleset, blocks can be pushed over items; this is impossible in Lynx.

Monsters and blocks can pass over keys in MS. In Lynx, yellow and green keys are acting walls instead, red keys remain acting floor, and blue keys are erased by passing monsters and blocks.

In some circumstances in MS, items can be erased without Chip picking them up in some circumstances. The Non-Existence Glitch at the start of the game can remove them, or generally, other moving objects which pass over squares containing items on the lower layer of the grid: monsters erase any item on the lower layer of any square they enter, and Chip and blocks will only erase items on the lower layer if the upper layer contains a non-floor tile which was not removed by the passage of Chip or the block. Such tile combinations are invalid, rendering such levels unplayable in Lynx.

Properties of items in CC2

Most of the original properties of items apply in Chip's Challenge 2; however, the sequel also included multiple new items and mechanics. If the player attempts to pick up a fifth item, the last item in the player inventory is dropped to accommodate the new item. Players can also choose to rotate through the items in their inventory ('C' on the keyboard by default) and drop the last item in their inventory ('Q' on the keyboard by default).

Another new mechanic in CC2 is certain monsters (ghosts, rovers and player mirrors) and items (dropped time bombs) maintain their own inventory separate from the player inventory and can also pick up items. In many cases, monsters can then use these items as the player would. All monsters have the ability to pick up blue keys.

The solution to a number of CC2 puzzles involve strategically dropping items or passing items to monster inventories, allowing monsters to solve portions of the puzzle on the player's behalf.

Items in both versions

The following items appear in both Chip's Challenge 1 and Chip's Challenge 2:

Fire boots


Fire boots allow Chip or Melinda to walk across fire safely. They do not, however, protect them from any fireballs that may be in the fire.

The original Atari Lynx game also uses a "heat shield" instead of fire boots, as seen by the different hint in Lesson 3.


Flippers


Flippers allow Chip or Melinda to swim through water safely if they are unable to or do not wish to use blocks. Flippers do not, however, protect them from any gliders that may be swimming nearby. In Lynx, instead of flippers, a "water shield" is used, as seen by the different hint in Lesson 3.


Ice skates


Ice skates, or just skates, allow Chip to walk across ice at normal speed the same way he walks on ordinary floors, but have no effect when worn by Melinda. In the MS ruleset only, Chip can also step through ice corners from within the ice space that contains them across to another space, as long as the move is legal.

In Lynx and Chip's Challenge 2, instead of ice skates, ice cleats are used, as seen by the different hint in Lesson 3.


Suction boots


Suction boots or suction shoes allow Chip or Melinda to walk across force floors the same way he walks on ordinary floors, at the expense of moving at his regular speed. In Lynx, instead of Suction boots, magnets are used instead, as seen by the different hint in Lesson 3. In Chip's Challenge 2, magno boots are used.


CC2-only items

The following items appear only in Chip's Challenge 2.

Bowling ball


The bowling ball, once picked up by Chip or Melinda, it remains in the inventory until dropped. Then, it will travel in a direction until it is destroyed by a hazard. It is capable of destroying monsters and blocks, picking up items, pressing buttons, and more.

Bowling balls have an inventory of four tools: if they grab a fifth, the first will be dropped.


Bribe


If Chip or Melinda hold at least one bribe in their inventory and step on a blue or red thief, the bribe will be stolen but the rest of the inventory will be preserved. A thief will take bribes from monsters, other items are not stolen. If a player or monster has multiple bribes in their inventory, only one bribe will be used after stepping on a thief.

It is only used in Lesson 6, Flea Market, and Line and Sinker.


Helmet


The helmet will make Chip or Melinda unable to killed by monsters or moving blocks. Monsters and moving blocks will instead treat Chip and Melinda as acting wall. Similarly, monsters wearing the helmet will not be able to kill Chip or Melinda. Bowling balls are unaffected by helmets.


Hiking boots


The hiking boots allow Melinda and mirror Melinda to walk over dirt and gravel tiles, but have no effect when worn by Chip and all other monsters.


Hook


The hook allows Chip and Melinda to pull blocks, ice blocks, and directional blocks. With the tool equipped, pulling happens automatically if Chip or Melinda walk perpendicularly away from the block and if the block is able to traverse the tile Chip or Melinda are currently standing on. It was first introduced in the level Flea Market and is used in only one level, Line and Sinker, after its introduction.


Lightning bolt


The lightning bolt is a tool introduced in Chip's Challenge 2. When equipped by a moving object, like Chip, Melinda, ghosts, rovers, or bowling balls, they will supply signal to a wire while stopped on one. The lightning bolt has no effect on wires that are already activated.


Railroad sign


The railroad sign, often abbreviated to RR sign allows Chip, Melinda, mirror Chip, mirror Melinda, a bowling ball or a rover to cross railroad tracks as if they were floor. It has no impact on ghosts


Secret eye


The secret eye, when equipped by Chip or Melinda, reveals the identity of invisible walls, hidden walls, blue walls, green walls, content under blocks, and content under canopies, and it gives a unique look to the floor mimic. It has no impact on monsters.


Speed boots


The speed boots allow Chip or Melinda to walk at twice their normal speed. The same is true for their mirrors as well as bowling balls and ghosts. Rovers will walk at five tiles per second, just like regular monsters. Speed boots have no impact when sliding on force floors or ice.

Lesson 6 is the only official level that uses speed boots.


Steel foil


Steel foil, commonly shortened to foil, allows Chip, Melinda, player mirrors, the ghost, and the rover to change normal walls and real blue walls into steel walls by pushing on them. Walls can also have steel slapped onto them.


Time bomb


The time bomb, also known as dynamite, is an item introduced in Chip's Challenge 2. When dropped by Chip or Melinda, the time bomb will count down for about four seconds before exploding; the countdown starts after the player has stepped off it.


Yellow teleport


The yellow teleport is technically a terrain tile, but if the exit directions for all yellow teleports are blocked, the player or moving tile will collect the yellow teleport in their inventory as if it were an item.


See also