Figuring out the hardest levels in CCLP3

[hkn]

For a long time, I had completed 138 out of the 149 levels in CCLP3. Recently solved 135, leaving ten: 134, 135, 137, 139, 140, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 149.

I insist on actually figuring out the puzzles (not copying solutions), but am not above asking for hints (which retains the fun).

Trying to determine which few to focus on for now. How would you rank them by difficulty? Of course, none are easy, but there are some where I cannot even make sense of what is going on (still do not quite get the mechanism for 139).

134: We'll Be Right Back

Correct or wrong?

1. Once the bug is left alone, it will close [20, 20], after which Chip cannot access the green button. 

2. To prevent this, move the block to [23, 4] to make the bug change direction (placing the block at [20, 15] takes too long).

3. The solution cannot have the fireball enter via teleport at [18, 6] as Chip must place a block on fire, after which he cannot retrieve it (no fire boots). 

137: Vulcan

I have two yellow keys. If I use them on [17, 14] to free green key and [18, 16] (after opening [20, 15] for keys on right) to access green button, I cannot access the left side of the level. I see no way to bring block at [7, 11] over or an extra block down from top section.

146: Suspended Animation

With the flippers and fire boots, I can build a bridge across the water area and collect all the chips, but seems like a large portion of the level lies after the socket.

149: Mr. McCallahan Presents

Yet to find a way through the pink balls in the bottom-left room (to get the blue key).

[Ihavenoname248]

Here's the order I would rate these for difficulty:
10. Yet Another Yet Another Puzzle (140)
9. Rotation (139) with these three all being pretty close, for different reasons. The hint here explains the mechanism well enough.
8. Mr. McCallahan Presents (149) though this could be seen as easier than the ones above. If I remember right, the ball pattern in the bottom left is impossible to pass through in its initial state, though I haven't checked the level.
7. We'll Be Right Back (134)
6. Recurring Dream (145)
(large spike)
5. Same Game (143)
4. Avalanche (147) I got these two pretty quick- they could be easy or hard depending on what you find.
(another large spike)
3. Suspended Animation (146)
2. Vulcan (137)
(yet another large spike)
1. You Can't Teach an Old Frog New Tricks (144)

[hkn]

Thanks for the response! Surprised you ranked Avalanche as easier than Suspended Animation and Vulcan when the wiki would suggest otherwise. Guess this means that even if I can collect all the chips (and build the bridge across the water) in Suspended Animation, I am nowhere near completing the level. 

139 (Rotation)

For the mechanism of 139 (Rotation), I understand that the traps are numbered and pressing the button switches the open traps in this cycle:
1&3 → 2&4 → 3&5 → 1&4 → 2&5 → back to 1&3
What I do not get is the actual number of each trap. Starting clockwise from the hint and noticing trap [17, 21] (nearest to Chip) is open, I would think it is trap 3, while trap 1 is [13, 22] (leading to room with two pink balls and red key) and trap 2 is [14, 11] (guarding the yellow door).

140 (YAYAP) 

True or false?

1. The pink ball prevents the two blocks just above it from being pushed into the area below it (such as onto the horizontal ice slide). Hence both blocks must be used in the leftmost area.

2. From the area below the green door, it is not possible to push a block leftwards towards the corridors below the blue button.

3. There is no way to explode the bomb guarding the flippers. Chip cannot push a block L through the teleport just below the exit. Neither the pink ball nor the tanks can be lured to that teleport. Hence the flippers and suction boots are inaccessible.

4. Due to the wall at [26, 10], the blocks in the room above cannot be pushed below and onto the ice slide.

143 (Same Game)
The first two rooms seem really easy...or is the "obvious" solution wrong?

[vortex178]

Thanks for the response! Surprised you ranked Avalanche as easier than Suspended Animation and Vulcan when the wiki would suggest otherwise. Guess this means that even if I can collect all the chips (and build the bridge across the water) in Suspended Animation, I am nowhere near completing the level. 

139 (Rotation)

For the mechanism of 139 (Rotation), I understand that the traps are numbered and pressing the button switches the open traps in this cycle:
1&3 → 2&4 → 3&5 → 1&4 → 2&5 → back to 1&3
What I do not get is the actual number of each trap. Starting clockwise from the hint and noticing trap [17, 21] (nearest to Chip) is open, I would think it is trap 3, while trap 1 is [13, 22] (leading to room with two pink balls and red key) and trap 2 is [14, 11] (guarding the yellow door).

140 (YAYAP) 

True or false?

1. The pink ball prevents the two blocks just above it from being pushed into the area below it (such as onto the horizontal ice slide). Hence both blocks must be used in the leftmost area.

2. From the area below the green door, it is not possible to push a block leftwards towards the corridors below the blue button.

3. There is no way to explode the bomb guarding the flippers. Chip cannot push a block L through the teleport just below the exit. Neither the pink ball nor the tanks can be lured to that teleport. Hence the flippers and suction boots are inaccessible.

4. Due to the wall at [26, 10], the blocks in the room above cannot be pushed below and onto the ice slide.

143 (Same Game)
The first two rooms seem really easy...or is the "obvious" solution wrong?

Rotation: The hint states that you start at trap 1. The nearest trap is at [17, 21], which is safe to assume as the trap the hint is referring to. Going clockwise, trap 2 is the one near the balls, 3 is the one near the yellow key, and so on. The area in the middle allows you to view all the traps, so that it is easier to visualise which traps are open.

Same Game: The final room should give you an indication of why this level is so notorious.

[Ihavenoname248]

The exact numbering of the traps in Rotation doesn't really matter- the open pair rotate clockwise every time a tank button is pressed. Once you know which two are open once, you can keep that information in mind.

YAYAP: all of those statements appear to be true. Playing Torturechamber again might help a bit, and it might not.

Same Game: This is easily one of the hardest levels to puzzle out- though from my experience, I wouldn't even put it in the top 10. I put it 5th because I know people have struggled with it a lot. As for Avalanche being rated easier than Suspended Animation or Vulcan... it's much more straightforward about what it's asking than either of those levels.

[hkn]

Thanks for explaining the trap numbers! Once I got that, I made a lot of progress. An update on where I stand with each of the ten levels:

134 (We’ll Be Right Back)
First two steps are to make the bug change direction so it does not touch the green button again (which would make the green button inaccessible to Chip), then use the block to redirect the fireball to the top-left room and downwards. Then I am stuck because I cannot bring the block down to continue directing the fireball.

One possibility I can rule out is making the fireball go through the teleport between fire. Without fire boots, I would be unable to recover the block.

137 (Vulcan)
Solved the initial section, the bottom-right section (except the two chips each guarded by a single bomb) and the top section. The lock section has me stumped.

If I immediately clone to explode bomb at [18, 10], then remove yellow lock at [17, 14] to free green key, then remove red lock at [20, 15] to free up keys on the right, then open lock at [18, 16] to free green button and blue key, then I have no yellow key to access the left side. I considered opening [11, 11] first but I see no way to bring the block over (or the extra block in the top section down).

139 (Rotation)
Almost there! Only two chips and green key left. Need to figure out how to lure teeth onto remaining bombs.

140 (YAYAP)
My first thought was to use a block to fill the water space just above the exit. This requires three blocks: one for the ice slide and two to keep it there.

However, I see no way to achieve this. The pink ball prevents me from pushing the two blocks just above it to the area below it. Due to the wall at [26, 10], the blocks in the room above cannot be pushed below. There is also no way to push a block from the area below the green door to the area leftwards of it.

Even if I can unlock all three doors, I see no way to bring the five blocks out.

143 (Same Game)
The obvious solution to the first two rooms is probably wrong.

144 (Old Frog)
I have no idea what is even going on.

145 (Recurring Dream)
Made good progress yesterday and today. Almost there! Figuring out how I can stop the bug from cloning balls and then escape the room safely (thief takes fire boots, sockets still impassable).

146 (Suspended Animation)
With flippers, I can get the fire boots and top-left skates, build a bridge across the water section and collect all chips. How much of the level lies beyond the socket?

147 (Avalanche)
First six rooms are easy. A long time ago, I got as far as the room with the tank and fire boots.

149 (Mr. McCallahan Presents)
I have gotten the yellow key, green key and fire boots. Going up the teleport at [21, 6], I have built a bridge to collect the chip. Then I am stuck at how to get a blue key. Yet to find a way past the balls at the bottom-left. A thin wall prevents me from pushing the block at [15, 10] onto the bomb at [17, 11] so I can get the tank to hold down the brown button (and I see no way to bring a second block into that section).

[hkn]

Update: Finally conquered level 145 (Recurring Dream)!

Expecting level 139 (Rotation) to fall soon as I once "got lucky" with the teeth only to be unable to exit due to the toggle doors. Figured out the toggle doors but now need to remember and successfully repeat that trick with the teeth.

Awaiting hints to 134, 140 and 149.

For 134, I also worked out that the first bomb must be exploded by the fireball and the second bomb by the bug. The block must fill the water space, after which it cannot be used to direct the remaining monster onto the second bomb. Due to how these monsters move, the bug (but not the fireball) can be directed to take a long path to the bomb.

[hkn]

Updates:

• Level 139 (Rotation) beaten too!
  
• Found the obvious solution to the third room in 143 (Same Game).
  
• Had a brainwave for 134 (We'll Be Right Back). See point 4 below.
  

134 (We’ll Be Right Back)

True or false?

1. The first bomb must be exploded by the fireball and the second bomb by the bug. Logic is that the block must fill the water space, after which it cannot be used to direct the fireball or bug. Due to how the bug moves, I can direct it to take a long route to the second bomb, giving me enough time to use the block on the water.

2. The first step is to remove the dirt above the teleported block and use it to direct the bug so it does not head to the green button (which then becomes inaccessible. The second step is to use the block to direct the fireball to the top-left room, then downwards.

3. The teleport between the fire is not useful. Bugs walk around fire. To send the fireball through that teleport, I must place the block on fire, after which I cannot recover it because there are no fire boots in the level.

4. To bring the block down, immediately after the bug passes, place the block U of the closed toggle door. There is a way to run to L of the block and still keep the bug off the green button.

5. At some point in the solution, the bug circles only the block and I must push the block to actively direct the bug.

[hkn]

I think I am close to solving level 134 (We'll Be Right Back). Steps:
1. Use the block to prevent the bug from entering the top-right room, so it circles a different direction and does not touch the green button.
2. Use the block to direct the fireball to the top-left room, then downwards.
3. Place the block just above the closed toggle door. Teleport to the top-right area and run back to L of the block.
4. Push the block towards the corridor leading to the green button. Let the fireball into the corridor so it explodes the first bomb.
5. Push the block along with the bug so its left wall leads to the bottom-left teleport. This is the only teleport it can use as the others are blocked by fire, gravel or a closed toggle door.
The last step should be to push the block D through a teleport to fill the water space near the exit, then teleport out before the bug teleports in to explode the second bomb. However, I am two moves too slow and I do not see how I can do it faster. Even if I could hold up the bug, it would drown.

For 140 (Yet Another Yet Another Puzzle), the wiki indicates that I have the right idea: to use three blocks to keep one on the horizontal ice space. I have four usable blocks (excluding the two above the ball). There is no way to directly push a block from the area below the green door to the area to its left, but...could I push the block through the teleport just below the exit? I tried and found that I could, but would then have no way out of the room. I did consider using a nail on the upwards force floor, but would then have not enough blocks. Any hints?

Figured out that in 149 (Mr. McCallahan Presents), once I get the fire boots and teleport back to the area with dirt and blocks, instead of building a bridge downwards to the chip, I can build a bridge upwards to the gravel, in order to get a second block to explode the second bomb below the tanks. The next step is working out how to explode the second bomb without the tanks getting in the way. I can keep the fireball-cloning pink ball alive with well-timed presses of the green button.

[hkn]

Level 134 (We'll Be Right Back) complete! Turns out that "even if I could hold up the bug, it will drown" in the last step is not true.

I have pretty much figured out how to solve level 149 but yet to actually reach the exit. I keep dying in the room with eight pink balls and ten chips. Will keep practising and find better ball dodging techniques.