Cheating Methods

Note: These aren't exactly 'cheats' by definition, only ways which you can cheat or hack the game using third party tools. Plus people tend to search for these terms more, so I'll list a variety of ways of cheating here.

Although Zuma Blitz does not enforce cheat detection in the game, be warned that other Zuma groups (especially those with leaderboards) are not like that and can possibly ban you from their group if caught. These cheating methods are for informational purposes only and the author does not condone use of these cheats. You have been warned.

Text in italics indicate important features that distinguishes a cheat game from a non-cheating replay.

Programs Used

These programs can manipulate variables. You can assume downloads here are clean.
MHS 6
Cheat Engine

Web debuggers can manipulate what is sent back to the server. The following programs are used on this page:
Fiddler2

Official List of Cheating Methods (Classic)

These all work for the Classic version of Zuma Blitz (versions prior to Sept 2012).

Score Hack

Example Video
Search for your current score, get more points, then sub search / next scan searching your new score. After around 3-4 times, you should end up with two addresses, this controls your current in-game score.
- One of them is your displayed score and another one is your actual score, if you were wondering. It is possible these scores can be different in rare cases.
Score breakdown will be nowhere near your final score if you use this hack, and there's a line of disbelief that past a certain score many people consider you as clearly cheating. (There are some bugs in the game that lead to scoring discrepancies, however.)
leethax for Zuma Blitz is considered a score hack since the only thing it does (other than freeze time) is give you whatever score you want via a score multiplier. Note both hacks can easily be detected if you post your score breakdown.

Mojo/Idol Hack (Classic)

Example Video
Same as for Score hack, except you are looking for current mojo/idols.
NOTE: There's more than one value when searching for exact mojo/idol counts, one of the variables controls how much mojo/idols you have visually - not how much you actually have. You won't have that when you refresh the game. (Since the game only checks idols visually, it's possible to get 24h potions when you actually have no idols available, although this might be fixed in later versions.)
I personally don't care how much mojo or idols you have, as long as you can put up a good replay...

Speed Hack

Speed the game up for faster mojo/xp collection (only effective with 24h life), or slow it down to improve your reactions. This does NOT affect your regen timer, so you aren't getting back those hearts quicker even though it says you are.
Can also be used to open up those fortune cookies faster.
Use the speed hacking tool on the browser (or plugin-container.exe if that shows up). .5 is half speed. 2 is double speed.
Cannot record sound*
*NOTE: It's possible to get the game back up to normal speed using video editing tools, but the sound would be distorted, and could be resolved by cutting off the sound completely, so this is why I asked that video replays must have sound for it to be legit. But the problem is that many Win7 users who bought a pre-built computer don't have the ability to record directly from computer (stereo mix) instead resorting to the microphone output. So you're on your honor that you didn't use this.

Time Manipulation

Example Video
No, not the time powerup, acually manipulating the game timer.
You will need to search a range here - search for 200 above and below current time. (Example: If your time reads 0:55, search between 5300 and 5700)
This value controls time remaining.
Timer appears frozen in-game
NOTE: Your timer might be frozen but balls will keep coming faster and faster until the game is over. Hardcore players will have a tough time surviving past ten minutes.

Hackable Variables (Classic)

Guaranteed to arouse suspicion anywhere.

Mojo and Idols
Score (values accepted up to 2 billion)
Current chain
Current Multiplier (up to 255)
Time left
Number of Hot Frog Shots
And more...

XP and Mojo Hacks(Fiddler)

Must turn off Facebook Secure Browsing
Example Video
After completing a game, resend requests "ajax.php" as many times as you want XP or mojo. (This even counts the amount you earned from the treasure chest as well, so you can get as many idols as you please.)
Caution: It adds 1 to that spirit animal that you earned that game* and causes power leveling effects if you're not lvl 80. Players can easily detect that you used this method if you use it excessively.
If you really need the mojo (and why not, given outrageous prices of spirit animals), it is strongly recommended you get friends to send fortune cookies to you and use the mass-tab fortune cookie trick in order to get it. 400k mojo per 20 cookies (1M if you opened them on Valentine's day).

A raw profile dump for a person who used Fiddler looks like the following:

"1":"43",       //25K	(3rd)
"2":"43",       //50K	(3rd)
"3":"81",       //75K	(4th)
"4":"8844",     //100K  (GOLD)
"5":"1564",     //150K
"6":"6161",     //200K
"7":"232",      //250K
"8":"17371",    //300K
"9":"7177",     //350K
"10":"19413",   //400K
"11":"1897",    //450K
"12":"1706",    //500K
"13":"996",     //600K
...

{Did someone deliberately avoid 250Ks? I think not.

Start Game with Parameters (Classic) (Fiddler)

There is a *cough* custom script someone made that allows you to fiddle* with any game parameter prior to starting the game. Future spirit animals can probably affect any of these values, so take note.

In my opinion most if not all of the settings that are shown are too radical for practical use, so I have a custom settings file approved for high scores that still maintains game balance.

Set game-scoreMultiplier to 0 if you don't want to save your score when testing these versions. (This paramter has no effect in the Feb 15 2012 build of the game)

If your ball speed is too high your balls can penetrate the curve entirely.

Must have secure browsing turned off.

If you're using the new island, this can also affect the amount of powerups you have on hand as well as coins, so be careful when modifying these settings.

Fortune Cookie Tricks (Classic)

"Illegal method" of getting mojo according to QA, but are you seriously going to play 45 games to get that one chance to use a beetle?
Learning how to do this trick is extremely advised before playing in Add me Top 200 Leaderboard as spirit animals are used on a regular basis (some hardcore players go through hundreds of beetles with full powers to get that one high score)

Official List of Cheating Methods (Kroakatoa)

These all work for the Kroakatoa version of Zuma Blitz (versions past Sept 2012). I'll leave it up to you to figure out how to make it work, though two solutions were publicly released.

What you cannot do in Kroakatoa

Get extra coins or XP via memory hacking
Get coins after any game
Get additional coins / food items from daily gifts from multiple tabs
Send multiple gifts / lives to a person via multiple tabs
Use powers for free (the cost of those powers will be deduced upon starting the game, or will use one from your inventory if you have it) - though you can use powers you haven't unlocked yet, you still have to level up to use higher tier powers.
Retrieve scores from other players using an external API, regardless of whether you're friends with them or not.

What you can do in Kroakatoa

Give away more coins than usual per daily spin bonus (up to 4k)
Accumulate low high scores on purposes (30 points, 40 points, 50 points) to share 1k coin posts.
Repeat a end of game request to quickly accumulate XP and level up faster getting coins in the process for each level (XP Hack), though there's a level cap... (Note: If you got free spins in that game, it will add them to your free spins stock per request repeated. If you overdo this when you hit the cap, you will jump levels when the cap is raised, and you won't get coins for leveling up in between.)
Redirect a webrequest from stats.popcap.com to get an interpretation of extended stats for your last game. (Example: PSSS)
Play a game with multiple copies of the same power, like using 3x fruit power to constantly spawn fruit (though you are still required to pay for it)
Use food items for free (this includes unreleased food items, but will use up one from your inventory if you bought it)
Change your default frogatar to something other than blue, green, or werefrog (If your default is a spirit animal, the costs for using it per game are waived, although you won't be able to share that monument afterward)

Change your Frogatar

For people who got bored of the three given frogatar choices, you can permanantly transform your frog into something else, complete with its benefits. Since people are lacking in coins to use spirit animals reguarly and in most cases this is a visual change, I approve the use of this cheat.

Is not guaranteed to work for some players.

Ensure Fiddler is running
Run Zuma Blitz (secure browsing off)
Change your frogatar
Look for an ajax.php entry that has information that looks something like this:
Right click the selected entry -> 'Unlock for editing'
Where it says frogatarID=### change ### to one of the numbers listed below.
Right click the selected entry -> uncheck 'Unlock for editing'
Press the 'Replay' on the top left.
Refresh the game.
Enjoy your new frogatar (Note: You can't share monument posts until you have paid for it)

Numbers you can use for FrogatarID: (Note: don't use any other number other than the ones listed below or the game will be unplayable)

1 = Basic Green Frog
2 = Spirit Cat (fireball per 13 shots, Blue Spirit Blast)
8 = Spirit Weasel (extra points for cannons, cannon powers appear more frequently, Yellow Spirit Blast)
13 = Classic Golden Frog (note: not designed to work for this game)
15 = Spirit Beetle (12 extra seconds, Red Spirit Blast)
21 = Spirit Eagle (Extra points for fruit, +75% shot speed, Green Spirit Blast)
27 = Spirit Turtle (Hot Frog upon fruit collection, extra speed bonus, Purple Spirit Blast)
101 = Hunter Frog (increased shot speed, speed bonus, and chain bonus)
102 = Gatherer Frog (increased points for fruits and gap shots, each fruit adds a half a second and helps fill up the hot frog meter)
103 = Mystic Frog (increased points for hot frog and curve clears, hot frog meter increases faster and has a bigger explosion, curve clears add half a second)
104 = Wild Frog (increased points for combos and Last Hurrah, increased lifespan of powerups)
201 = Werefrog (released during Halloween Week)
202 = Winter Frog (released during Winter)
203 = St. Patricks Day Frog (released in March, unlocked using this link
204 = Easter Bunny (released in March-April)
301 = Cobalt Blue Frog (released in November)
302 = Pink Frog (released in February, can unlock using this link
401 = Dragon
601 = Normal Kitten
701 = Progressive Frog (unlocked using this link