The puzzle presents six rows of two images linked with an arithmetic operation. The structure of the title (“X & Y”) hints at the Sonic & Knuckles module. Each image references the name of an object (hero, badnik, or monitor) from that module.
By finding the Base Code value for each identified object in the Sonic & Knuckles manual and applying the arithmetic operator, we obtain a series of numbers which, when converted to letters, reveal the answer.
| Image 1 | Image 2 | Calculation | Letter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image: | Spirit Airlines logo | Squeak (from Garfield) | 16 + 3 = 19 | S |
| Object: | Ghost = 16 | Technosqueak = 3 | ||
| Image: | Burning wall | Green shoes | 13 + 7 = 20 | T |
| Object: | Fire Shield = 13 | Running Boots = 7 | ||
| Image: | Butter | Android | 6 ÷ 6 = 1 | A |
| Object: | Butterdroid = 6 | Butterdroid = 6 | ||
| Image: | Spike (Super Mario) | Glitter | 8 × 2 = 16 | P |
| Object: | Spike Bonker = 8 | Invincibility = 2 | ||
| Image: | Bonkers (from Kirby) | Speedometer | 8 + 4 = 12 | L |
| Object: | Spike Bonker = 8 | Miles Prower = 4 | ||
| Image: | Hen | 1-Up mushroom (Mario Bros.) | 14 − 9 = 5 | E |
| Object: | Cluckoid = 14 | Knuckles Extra Life = 9 |
The resulting letters spell the answer.
STAPLE