NANOBREAKER FAQ/WALKTHROUGH VERSION 1.25 by Angelo Pineda(rpger77@yahoo.ca) VERSION HISTORY 19-3-2005(1.25) - Hard Mode, Splatter Mode guides added, few stuff left to do. 26-2-2005(1.10) - Added contributed material, might add guide for Splatter. 6-2-2005(1.00) - All parts finished. Will fix/add some stuff later. *This walkthrough is based on the Japanese version. However, Capcom included dual-language support(English) and since the NA release is not too far, the versions might be the exact same as the Jp. version.* TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 2. GAME MECHANICS -Controls -Battle System 3. WALKTHROUGH -Downtown -Port Facility -East St./Sewers -West St./Power Plant -Nanomachine Lab -Runway -Research Complex -Nanomachine Tower -Hard Mode 4. BOOSTERS 5. COMBO SYSTEM 6. ENEMIES 7. SECRETS -Splatter Mode 8. FAQ 9. CREDITS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. INTRODUCTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nanobreaker is the latest project from Konami's infamous IGA. This guide will cover material from the game. Note that this is from the Japanese version but it has dual language feature(English-Japanese) so the NTSC version should be the same in terms of translation and names. The game takes place in the near future when nanotechnology evolves at a tremendous pace. Chaos ensues on an island when the computer controlling the nanomachines malfunctions. Now, onto the characters. Jake Warren - the protagonist of Nanobreakers. He's a cyborg militant and goes by the nickname of Genocide Hero. He was to be executed for killing women and other civilians indiscriminately. He was spared by General Raymond, who only froze his body. He awakens only to face a new mission: help disable the main computer. His weapon is the shape-shifting Plasma Blade. General Raymond - Jake's superior and the man who spared his life rather than execute him. He entrusts Jake with a Plasma Blade to help finish his mission. Michelle Baker - the scientist sent to the island. Her mission is to disable the main computer that controls the nanomachines. Keith Spencer - a fellow cyborg militant and rival of Jake. He hates Jake for unknown reasons and is also sent to the island. Norman Baker - an unemployed man living in the island sewers(a bum). He likes to repair things. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. GAME MECHANICS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTROLS Left analog stick -> Move Right analog stick -> Move camera R3(push right analog stick down) -> Reset camera angle R1 -> Guard/Shift(for attack purposes) Square button -> Horizontal attack Triangle button -> Vertical attack X button -> Jump O button -> Capture/Open Door L2/R2 -> Scroll through available Booster equipment Start -> Menu Select -> Map controls ADVANCED CONTROLS R1 + O -> Activate Booster R1 + X + left analog stick -> Dodge Roll X + X -> Double Jump(must unlock) R1 + X(while in mid-air) -> Glide(must unlock) Square(while in mid-air) -> Air Slash(horizontal) Triangle(while in mid-air) -> Air Slash(vertical) R1 + Square(while in mid-air) -> Ground Stab R1 + Triangle(while in mid-air) -> Ground Slash R1 + X(while Jake is in mid-air after being 'blown' away) -> Recovery Roll MENU CONTROLS L1/R1 -> Scroll through menus O button -> Confirm/Equip/Remove X button -> Back Square button -> Default/Remove All(on combo screen) Start -> Back to game ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BATTLE SYSTEM The battle system is in real-time for starters. It is reminiscent of the recent Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, but differs from that game's system enough that it's not a carbon copy. The basics: There are two main attacks: horizontal and vertical. Horizontal attacks are able to affect multiple enemies and best for crowd clearing. Vertical attacks affect only one enemy regardless of height, and are effective in dispatching a lone enemy. These two can be used for Aerial attacks and Ground attacks, in which Jake does downward attacks towards the ground. These can be combined with the Shift(R1) button for Thrust and Juggle attacks. Thrust attacks are very effective against armored Orgamechs, while Juggle does what it says: to juggle and attack enemies in mid-air. Last but not least is the Capture skill. This allows you to lasso an enemy and drag them towards you for a free shot. If you Capture an enemy then press one of the two attack buttons once close enough, a Capture-counter may result. This is a deathblow attack and slices an enemy in half, horizontally or vertically. Do practice the technique; it comes in handy throughout the whole game. The last technique is Laser Reflect, which reflects green lasers back at an enemy. Not quite as effective as the previous technique, but still useful against projectile firing enemies. These normal attacks are used in the combo system, which transforms the Plasma Blade into one of the following weapons: Axe, Hammer, Scythe, Spear, Great Sword, and Boomerang. Please read the combo section for more details. When Jake damages enemies, the Plasma Blade turns more red in color. After you have damaged or killed enough enemies, Jake's limiter will be released. During this temporary state, Jake's attacks become very strong, and any special effect that a combo normally cannot do activates, assuming that it is able to hit an enemy. Go all-out whenever the limiter is off. The sign for this is when Jake's wings are revealed. Defensively, Jake can block with the Shift(R1) button. Jake can also execute a Perfect Guard, which is blocking a green projectile as it connects.(Laser Reflect) Jake can also do Dodge Rolls, which involves pressing R1 + X + a direction on the analog stick. Due to the lack of healing options, it is a big help to master how to play defensively. If an enemy sends Jake flying, try the Recovery Roll technique. This allows Jake to quickly get back onto the ground safely and prevents him from being attacked while on the ground. Last but not least is the Booster system. To activate a Booster, have enough Booster Points(BP) and press Shift(R1) + O. Read the Boosters section for more details. Nanobreaker also includes an rpg-like experience system. Gallons(equivalent of EXP) are rewarded for harming, slicing, smashing, and defeating enemies. At every 2,000 gallons, a bonus is rewarded. The bonuses are: -Life recovery(30 life) -Booster recovery(20 BP) -Life MAX Up(+ 5 life) -Booster MAX Up(+ 5 BP) Life and Booster MAX Up are only given every 10,000 gallons or so. Odd numbers give the Life MAX Up bonus, while even numbers give the Booster MAX Up bonus. *****READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE YOU MOVE ON***** One last important note: There is no way to heal except through the gallon bonuses, finding life-ups in the game, and beating an area. Keep this in mind as you play. The Booster recovers as you fight enemies though. ****READ ABOVE BEFORE YOU MOVE ON***** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. WALKTHROUGH ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *****PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE READING THE WALKTHROUGH***** *Only puzzles and tough spots will be covered in the walkthrough. Items will be listed, but how to find them will not be covered.(the map will show them anyways) Some items aren't on the map but in boxes so keep an eye out for those.* *For bosses, their data, attacks and how to dodge them, and strategy will be covered. No need to panic.* *****PLEASE READ ABOVE BEFORE READING THE WALKTHROUGH***** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DOWNTOWN Items: Capture Critical, Combo Chip Lv.1 x 2 Get used to the controls first before moving on. Fight a few enemies to get a hang of the battle system. Move towards the big space in the road for.. *BOSS* Venus(Fly Trap) Life bars: One Weakness: Great Sword attacks Difficulty: Easy ATTACKS Lunge - Dodge roll to evade. Or run to the sides. Downwards Lunge - Dodge roll sideways as it prepares to lunge. STRATEGY Venus is a pretty easy boss if you played with the controls prior to the battle. To damage it, just use the Great Sword(game will help if you don't know) attacks on the mouth. If Venus's mouth is close, use a Great Sword attack to open it. Towards the end, it drops a Combo Chip lv.1. Grab it and it'll automatically be equipped. Use the Axe lv.1 combo(game will help here too) to finish the fight. *END BOSS* There's a life-up afterwards if you need to recover. The next few areas will introduce the Fly and Dog enemies. The Human enemies are also present for more practice. For the Fly, practice Perfect Guard for a Laser Reflect. Once you get the Capture Critical booster, try it out if you have enough Booster Points. I recommend you try to Capture-counter without the Booster though, as it will help tremendously later. The next few areas have a floating wheel that guards the next section. To break it, kill all enemies in the area. Once you reach the save point, I suggest you save. After more floating wheels, you fight the real boss. *BOSS* Keith Life bars: One Weakness: Vertical attacks Difficulty: Medium ATTACKS Gatling Gun - Circle strafe to dodge. Scythe Charge - Stay out of the way(look at the map), don't dodge roll. Capture - Dodge roll sideways if possible/only does it if your Capture fails. Capture-counter - CANNOT dodge or block. Counter Shot - CANNOT dodge or block/counters when he is blocking. Combos(Great Sword/Axe/Spear/Hammer/Scythe)- Dodge roll or strafe. STRATEGY Keith is a decent foe, able to attack from afar or up close. From afar, he uses his Gatling Gun or Scythe Charge. Gatling Gun is used more often than Scythe Charge. Up close, he tries to use a combo, ending with one of the weapons listed above. To defeat him, attack when he is done attacking. Keith takes little damage from the default 3-hit combos so try to avoid doing that. Attacking with one of the weapon combos will do more damage but he can quickly block due to the delay when the blade transforms. If he does do this, get out of there unless you want him to use Counter Shot, which will fling you across the field for his long-range attacks. Don't try to parry his attacks, he will counter them. To make things easier, you can Capture him for a free shot at him. If you are low on life, let him use the Gatling Gun. It's his only weak spot since he's a sitting duck while he shoots. Keith never Captures unless you try it and it fails(not attacking). Rinse and repeat until he's done for. If you are still unfamiliar with the combos, stick with the default 3-hit vertical combo. Keith is weak against these attacks. *END BOSS* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PORT FACILITY Items: Auto-Laser Reflect, Combo Chip Lv.2 x 2, Booster MAX Up Save point is up ahead so save if you need to. The first part involves getting past the broken bridge parts. If you fall, you won't die but will have to start over so take caution. Fly types are here, if you wish to try out the new Booster. Before exiting the area, there are Leech enemies on the small bridge. Use vertical attacks to kill them(and ensure you don't fall off). Bee types make their appearance after getting past the area. Vertical attacks, as well as Capture-counter (vertical), should be used here. BLOCK PUZZLE Huge blocks are in the way of the exit and save point. To move them, use the Capture technique. Make sure you Capture the block in front of you(position yourself) otherwise Capture fails. Another save point is up ahead. I suggest saving. Hopefully you've been practicing Capture-counter or have enough BP to use Capture Critical.. *BOSS* Human Orgamech x n Difficulty: Easy STRATEGY Basically kill as much Humans as you can. You also have to protect Michelle so watch where you swing. Vertical attacks help here since it avoids the risk of accidentally harming her that a horizontal attack would do. Capture-counter makes this fight easier, especially when Capture Critical is used. *END BOSS* You can't go to the top door for now(marked in purple arrows) so head south. If you need some life or booster recovery, kill the enemies in the area. Equip Auto-Laser Reflect and enter the door. *BOSS* Octopus Life bars: One Weakness: Vertical attacks Difficulty: Medium ATTACKS Laser(green) - Laser Reflect or dodge roll. Laser(red) - Dodge roll depending on where laser starts. Tentacle Slam - Jump if on ground and stand still if not. Head Bash - Dodge roll sideways. Fire Wave - Stay in the center. STRATEGY It's heart, the target, is protected by the rib cage. To open the rib cage, use vertical attacks on the head. It usually takes three to open it up. Once open, attack it with any fast hitting combo. Stop once the rib cage is closed and dodge roll as Octopus always counters with Head Bash. Also, watch out for Tentacle Slam while dodging Head Bash. Another way to open up the rib cage is to Laser Reflect the green one it fires. Auto-Laser Reflect is helpful here. The red laser is easy to dodge and Fire Wave is too as long as you're in the center. The signal for this attack is when it pulls backwards. Do avoid it as it takes off a large portion of life. *END BOSS* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EAST ST./SEWERS Items: Status Boost, Combo Chip Lv.3 x 2, Booster MAX Up Once the Octopus is defeated, pick up the Combo Chip nearby and save if you must. By now, you should be proficient with Capture-counters and with the combo system. Anyways, the path to the sewers is fairly straightforward. Along the way, the Scorpion makes its debut. Scorpions are immune to any normal attack so let's try something new. Put a Lv.2 Chip on the Thrust slot in front of the Shift + Square button. This unlocks the Lv.1 Spear combo. The Scorpion's armor can't protect against thrust attacks well so use it to your advantage. Once in the sewers, you encounter 4 new enemies: Lv.2 Fly, Fish, Spider, and Cocoon. Lv.2 Fly types are similar to the regular Fly, except they move and fire faster. Cocoons are really big, but fortunately don't attack. However, they have heavy armor so either a Lv.1 or 2 Spear attack is effective. Lv.2 recommended since it deals more damage and pushes it back(since all they can do is push you back to the entrance). Fish are annoying little critters. Fish can fly and do a spinning attack and while on ground, are hard to hit. Vertical attacks work well against them. Last but not least is the Spider. They are as hard to hit as Fish and attach to Jake and self-destruct if they are not taken out. Mash the buttons to force them out of Jake. Kill them the same way you do with the Fish. In the sewers, head for the room and don't fall over the ledge/water unless you want to go and start over. Once you're in the room with a big circle on the map, make sure Status Boost is ready for use and head towards it. *BOSS* Snail x 2 Life bars: One x 2 Weakness: Vertical attacks Difficulty: Medium ATTACKS Spin - Stay in one of the corners and jump whenever one shell gets close. Spike Spread - Stay in-between the spikes. Spike Mines - Do not touch the spikes. STRATEGY There isn't one, but two bosses to fight at once. Also, until the shells stop spinning, the Snails are immune to any kind of attack. Both shells spin for a while and hurts if you get hit. The shells move faster than you run so it's best to jump and stay in a corner until the shells stop moving. When they do, run away and wait until Spike Spread is done. Once the shells stop, it will open up. Look for the opening and see if the snail is there(brown). If so, Capture it and start attacking. The shell will continue to spin regardless of the snail isn't dead. Repeat the process until one shell is destroyed. The other will then use Spike Mines while it moves. The spikes can only be hit if you jump so avoid that, but also watch out for the shell's movements. *END BOSS* You gain Double Jump after beating the boss. A Booster MAX Up is in the room but cannot be obtained. Run up to the walkway and use your new Double Jump skill to get onto the shelf and the power-up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WEST ST./POWER PLANT Items: Plasma Storm, Combo Chip Lv.1/2/(3 x 2) After the fight, you meet Norman, an unemployed man living in the sewers.(yes, he is a bum) He tells you where to find the Power Plant. Fortunately, the way there is in the next room, so no need to worry. PLATFORM JUMPING This part is a bit annoying mainly due to bad camera angle. Hit the switch nearby(Vertical) and start jumping. For the first section, jump until you reach the top and jump onto the moving floor. The second part is harder: the platforms fall after landing on one and the exit isn't exactly visible. Keep jumping until he see a platform on the right(that doesn't look like the other platforms). Once that's over with, search the place for items. Head to the south for the entrance to the Power Plant. New enemies in the area are Lv.2 Dog, Lv.2 Human, and Ogre. Lv.2 Dog is basically a Dog with jumping ability. Lv.2 Human can do a nasty uppercut besides what a Human can do. A special note is if you Capture-counter these horizontally, they will continue to attack so kill with vertical instead. Ogre are big enemies that are immune to Capture so don't bother using that. To kill them, slash until they drop then do a Ground Stab. One last new enemy is the Flying Eye. These are immune to normal attacks, but like Scorpions, they are weak against thrust/Spear attacks. You can try to attack when their eye is open, but it always attacks then closes so Spear combos are better in this case. DOOR PUZZLE You'll notice that you won't be able to progress further due to no exit in the room with the big crane. How to solve the problem? Lure it towards the area where it says "Emergency Exit" and wait for it to drop. After about two drops, the surface in the area will collapse and reveal the exit. The Ground Stab attack can also break the floor, except it takes a bit longer to do. JUMP PUZZLE #2 After reaching the save point, the next area is filled with heat and lots of it. To get through without dying, jump on the falling blocks. The blocks are melted away after a while so keep jumping. If you hit the floor, quickly jump to a block to minimize damage. Halfway through is a fence, double jump to get over it. CRUSHER PUZZLE The crusher hurts a lot but it damages the Lv.2 Humans in the room. To break the crusher(and get to the exit), knock down the Humans and hope the crusher kills them before they get up. Does this enough times and the crusher will be destroyed. Use the initial Great Sword(horizontal) to knock the enemies down. Climb up the walkway and walk backwards to find a Combo Chip Lv.3.(hidden) Afterwards, be prepared to fight a boss.. *BOSS* Golem(2 parts) Life bars: Half(both parts) Weakness: Lower part - vertical Capture-counter, Upper part - Spear attacks Difficulty: Medium ATTACKS *when together* Multi-laser - Dodge roll or double jump. Multi-swing - Stay out of range. *when apart* Laser(green) - Laser Reflect or dodge roll. Drill Claw - Stay out of line-of-sight. Swing - Dodge roll. STRATEGY First, Capture-critical(vertical) the lower part to immediately kill it. This leaves only the upper part to deal with. It's fairly easy to beat the upper part since it's all by itself. However, do evade its attacks as they can deal some decent damage. Use Spear combos to defeat the upper part, but it can also block, making it immune to any attack. Wait until his guard drops then attack. You can also Laser Reflect his green lasers if you prefer to beat it from afar. *END BOSS* CRUSHER PUZZLE #2 Wow, 3 puzzles, a boss, and now another tough spot. There are 2 crushers on the bottom floor and will move if you land down there. A Combo Chip Lv.2 is there and you will almost always get squashed if you try to get it. How to get the Chip without getting squashed? Kill all the Flying Eyes and go to the left side of the Y-shaped platform towards the exit. Go a bit forward and drop down(do not move when you jump). If lucky, you'll land on the Chip and can concentrate on running towards the exit. Once you're close to the end, double jump to avoid death. JUMP PUZZLE #3 These puzzles and tough spots never end, do they? In the three rooms, you have to activate the consoles at the top of the room. Jump onto moving platforms to reach it, but watch out for the yellow laser that moves the blocks. One room has suspended platforms so you won't risk getting injured. There are life-ups in the rooms if you need to heal and you should after all of those tough spots. Save because you know what's next.. *BOSS* Turtle Life bars: One Weakness: Spear attacks Difficulty: Medium ATTACKS Green Pod - varies based on number of Green Pods; jump or dodge roll. Red Pod - same as Green Pod, except circle strafe to keep some distance. STRATEGY Basically, this is a game of hide-and-seek. The Turtle hides behind one of the energy pillars and you have to Capture to lure him out. If you miss, one of two things can happen. The green pods, its main method of attack, increase in size. Or, a pod monster comes out and the green pods turn red. While this happens the pod monster equips and attacks with all the pods currently out. Stay away until the pod monster disappears. As for the Turtle, it's shell is heavily armored, but like armored enemies, it is weak against Spear. A Lv.2 Spear combo is extremely effective and will take out half of Turtle's life bar if all hits connect. Remember to dodge the moving pods at all times. *END BOSS* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NANOMACHINE LAB Items: Plasma Orbs, Combo Chip Lv.1/(2 x 2)/4/Ultra Since the power is restored, let's go back and pay a visit to the bum Norman. For your efforts, he rewards you with a Combo Chip Lv.2. Not much of a prize really. But, since you're in the area, there is a better reward waiting. Go to the room where you fought the Snails and enter the pit. Get ready for your first cage match! *BOSS* Cage Match Enemies: Human, Dog, Scorpion Difficulty: Easy STRATEGY This is a very easy cage match to win. The enemies are only low level ones and pose no threat at all. Dispose of them in any way you wish. *END BOSS* You get Combo Chip Lv.Ultra for your efforts. This special chip allows you to activate ANY slot, from Lv.1 to 5. Now you can really have fun causing carnage with the highest Lv. weapon combos with this! Now, let's head for the Nanomachine Lab. Do you remember the room in the top east corner on West St. previously locked? It's now open to search. Go to the door on the bottom of the next room. New enemies? Lv.2 Scorpion, Lv.3 Fly, Magic Orb, Lv.2 Ogre are the new roommates. Lv.2 Scorpion has more range than the average Scorpion so beware. Lv.3 Fly can teleport, fire 3 red lasers in a row, fire a green laser, and can zoom in your location with its drill attack. Again, These don't last very long so Laser Reflect them on their green shots. Magic Orb is the most heavily armored Orgamech in the whole game that's an enemy. These things take very little damage from any attack. They also attract Capture and are immune to it. If you are going to Capture an enemy, make sure it's not towards the Magic Orb. Otherwise, it will always Capture it, fail and leave you open for free hits while you try to let go. Dodge them; they're not worth the effort. Lv.2 Ogres can actually attack. Well, they try to ram into you and that's it. As with the weaker Ogre, knock them down and use Ground Stab or Slash to kill them. Last but not forgotten is the Lv.2 Bee. They can carry one enemy(Fly or Spider), but that's it for new abilities. Again, any vertical combos will best the Bees. Nanomachine Lab is a one-way trip; there's not much to do except move forward. There are some trick spots though. After a while, you'll notice the next area is covered in acid. Go to the 2 rooms close by and kill all of the Leeches to get rid of the acid outside. Grab the Lv.4 Combo Chip nearby by and enter the next room. *BOSS* Defender x 2 Life bars: Half x 2 Weakness: Spear attacks Difficulty: Easy ATTACKS Shield Swing - Dodge roll. Shield Bash - Dodge roll. Acid(if shield is destroyed) - Avoid affected area. STRATEGY Defenders automatically block anything in front of their shields. Their weak spot is behind it, if you can reach them. Lucky for you, Plasma Orbs helps out if you took it in the beginning of the area. After using that, get close and start using Spear combos. If you have the Ultra Combo Chip, activate the Lv.4 Scythe combo. Use this correctly will destroy their shields but not them. Without their shields, the Defenders are helpless to your assaults. *END BOSS* The next few rooms are filled with acid that can harm you as long as you stay in it. There are moving platforms where you can jump on to move to the next room. Travel around and gather the Combo Chips scattered in these rooms and make sure you have enough BP for Capture Critical when you reach the room that leads further into the Lab. *BOSS* Cage match #2 Enemies: Lv.2 Human, Lv.2 Ogre Difficulty: Easy STRATEGY Notice the bottom of the room is in acid. You will drop in it if you leave enemies alive since their weight will bring down the cage. Capture Critical will help you deal with the Humans, so you can focus on the Ogres once they're dead. *END BOSS* Pick up the life-up nearby and prepare yourself for yet another battle. *BOSS* Gold Golem Life bars: A bit more than half Weakness: Spear attacks Difficulty: Medium ATTACKS Shotgun Blast - Stay in-between the shots. Homing Laser - Dodge roll or get behind it. Ground Shockwave - Jump or stay out of range. Double Fist - Dodge roll. Counter Fist - Dodge roll sideways quickly. STRATEGY The Gold Golem is a tough customer. Its able to attack in quick succession and from afar or up close. By now, you should have mastered the battle system so it's an even playing field with it. Get close as soon as possible as its Shotgun Blast and Homing Laser are moderately damaging but it's able to fire up to 3 in a row, which will deal huge damage to your life. At close range, it will try to use Ground Shockwave to knock you down for its Double Fist attack. Jump when he lands, and keep some distance for its strong Double Fist. Frontal attacks only provoke it to use Counter Fist, which knocks you a good 10 or so feet and back to long range. Use Plasma Orbs if you have enough BP and get close. It will keep it from attacking, so use the time to unleash a Spear combo. Keep doing this until it dies.(it has slightly more life than the Defenders) It drops a life-up, and more if you destroy all of its parts. *END BOSS* If you are badly injured, I suggest repeating the fight or fight some enemies and hope to get an life-up or life-up bonus. Guess who's in the last room.. *BOSS* Keith(Second round) Life bars: One Weakness: None Difficulty: Medium ATTACKS Gatling Gun - Circle strafe to dodge. Scythe Charge - Stay out of the way(look at the map), don't dodge roll. Capture - Dodge roll sideways if possible/only does it if your Capture fails. Capture-counter - CANNOT dodge or block. Counter Shot - CANNOT dodge or block/counters when he is blocking. Combos(Great Sword/Axe/Spear/Hammer/Scythe)- Dodge roll or strafe. Laser Storm - Watch the crosshairs on the ground. STRATEGY Keith is the same, except with a new attack and better at attacking, blocking, uses Capture normally, and takes less damage from attacks. He is no longer weak against vertical attacks so don't rely on it too much. His new attack is Laser Storm, which fires multiple lasers that target the area crosshairs are on. This is quite painful and will knock you down for most blasts, which can spell death. As long as you are away from the crosshairs, you're fine. It's not too accurate so take that as a blessing. Other than that, use combos to finish him off. *END BOSS* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ RUNWAY Items: Fauchard Rampage, Combo Chip Lv.1/2/3/4, Booster MAX Up Before you exit the boss room, look around for the Fauchard Rampage Booster. Let's go back to the Snail room and see if there's anything new to do first. And there is.. *BOSS* Cage Match #3 Enemies: Lv.2 Scorpion, Lv.2 Human, Defender Difficulty: Medium STRATEGY The Lv.2 Scorpions are annoying but as long as you keep using Spear on them, they won't be too annoying. As for the Lv.2 Humans, go crazy and send them to their doom. The Defenders are the biggest threat and you fight four of them at once. Hopefully you have enough BP for to activate Plasma Orbs. If you have the Ultra Combo Chip, you should activate the Lv.4 Scythe combo. This will mow down the Scorpions and Humans easily and destroy the shields of the Defenders, rendering them helpless against the might of the Plasma Blade. *END BOSS* You get a Booster MAX Up for winning this cage match. Next, let's take a trek back to the Sewers and see if there's new stuff to be had since we're so close to the area. Check until you find a room with a Lv.1, Lv.2, and Lv.3 Combo Chip. The door leading to them is open so grab the free goodies. Now, it's time to actually get down to business. The entrance to the Runway is located in the East St. area, in the same area you went through for the Nanomachine Lab. Not much to do except the appearance of Lv.3 Humans. These are one of the hardest enemies to beat. They can combo, take less damage from normal attacks, and send that life bar of yours down to 0 in a hurry. They have some resistance to Capture-counters, unless Capture Critical is used. Again, they can still attack after Capture-counter, except they can still do so even with a vertical attack. Anyways, get enough BP for a Capture Critical and save before proceeding. *BOSS* Human type x n Difficulty: Medium STRATEGY Just like in the Port Facility, protect Michelle while killing the Humans. This time though, you have to protect her until she activates all consoles in the area. Do try to finish the fight with full life and Booster gauges as you'll receive a nasty surprise. *END BOSS* *BOSS #2* Tank Life bars: Two(that's right, TWO) Weakness: None Difficulty: Hard ATTACKS Laser(blue) - Get on top of the Tank. Laser Storm - Watch out for crosshairs on the ground. Machine Gun - Double jump. Cannon - Dodge roll. Wall Ram - Jump right before the tank hits a wall. Ram - Double jump out of the way. *Stage 2* Laser(orange) - Dodge roll or double jump. Spinning Disc - Jump off the Tank. STRATEGY The Tank is tough, with 2 full life bars and a whole lot of weapons. The way to victory involves destroying all the weapon compartments on-board the Tank. There are 4 Cannons, Machine Guns, Laser Storm ports, and 2 other ports. You can expect many of those attacks going off at the same time and they all hurt so watch how long your attacks are. While on the ground, the Tank will try to ram you so be careful and watch the map closely. While on the Tank, it is going to try and ram a wall so you fall off the Tank. Fortunately, you will not take damage from this. Attack it in any way you see fit. After all but one cannon is destroyed, the remaining cannon will detach and attack where you go. Reserve blowing up the cannons(at least spare 2) and go for the Laser Storm ports and Machine Guns. Then blow up the cannons. It's easier to take down the lone cannon without the interference of Laser Storm and Machine Gun attacks. Afterwards, get ready for stage 2.. *STAGE 2* You didn't really think it any soldiers were actually driving the Tank, did you? The Orgamech controlling it, is revealed. There are life-ups located on the map if you didn't take them from the previous battle. By this point, you are most likely low on life so go and take them. Anyways, this stage is easier than the first. The core is the attack target and any fast-hitting combo works here. Once you get on the Tank, it will begin to use it's Spinning Disc and/or orange laser. Double jump and run out of harm's way when the core is glowing. Rinse and repeat until finished. *WARNING: Once you destroy all of the weapons and the part covering the core of the Orgamech, stay away from the Tank until it the transformation is done. If you are close to the Tank but not on it, there is a chance you will get flattened by the Tank and die.* *END BOSS* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ RESEARCH COMPLEX Items: Speed Up, Combo Chip Lv.5 x 2 You gain Glide after the FMV is finished. Before we go any further, let's find the last Booster. By now, you should have 6 and there are 7 total. So where to find it? Go right through the exit to the Snail boss room and enter the pit for another cage fight.(Lucky you have full life since you start so close after the boss fight) *BOSS* Cage Match #4 Enemies: Gold Golem, Lv.2 Scorpion, Lv.2 Ogre Difficulty: Medium STRATEGY Just like the last cage match, except harder. Gold Golem is problematic and strong but you only fight one of them. Spear combos are once again the way to send these machines back into the junkyard. Lv.2 Scorpions are also here, so continue doing them Spear attacks. Lastly are Lv.2 Ogres; dispose of them the same way you do with the other Ogres. *END BOSS* You get Speed Up after winning this cage match. *WARNING: If you decide to continue onto the Research Complex, you will NOT be able to return to the city. If you need to collect anything, now's the time to do so.* Remember the area with the platforms and unreachable door? Now, with Glide, that door can be reached. Before heading for the Research Complex, check your stats. By now, life should at least be around 250 and Booster around 150. As for the Booster equipment, Status Boost should be at Lv.2 by now. If not, fight enemies until it is levelled up. If you've been fighting almost every enemy you see and using Boosters a lot, Status Boost should be close to Lv.3. Try to get it to that level before proceeding further. You can get some help on the platforms, which have big Booster-ups and use Status Boost without having to fight. Lv.3 may take a while if you haven't been fighting a lot, but you'll soon see why it's vital. Once prepared, use Glide to reach the door at the top of the plaform room. Dodge all enemies and make sure Status Boost is on the Booster slot and you have full life and Booster. If your life is not at 250 and Booster not at 150, do some fighting first. Go to the light for one last fight.. *BOSS* Keith(Final round) Life bars: One Weakness: None Difficulty: Hard ATTACKS Gatling Gun - Circle strafe to dodge. Scythe Charge - Stay out of the way(look at the map), don't dodge roll. Capture - Dodge roll sideways if possible Capture-counter - CANNOT dodge or block. Counter Shot - CANNOT dodge or block/counters when he is blocking. Combos(Great Sword/Axe/Spear/Hammer/Scythe)- Dodge roll or strafe. Laser Storm - Watch out for the crosshairs on the ground. Beam Slice - Dodge roll or Glide at the right time.(difficult) STRATEGY Keith improves even more: he counters faster, blocks more, and takes even less damage from attacks. Laser Storm also has increased accuracy and amount, and Keith can execute the highest level of the weapon combos, plus almost always Capture-counters whenever he uses Capture and succeeds. His biggest threat is his Beam Slice(seen in FMV), mainly since it can potentially kill in one hit because of the insane damage it deals. It's difficult to dodge the attack due to his ability to change the beam's direction at the last second so timing is crucial. The distance dodge roll covers is only a bit more than the beam's width so direction is important too. Glide is risky due to the slight delay before the Glide activates as well. If you have more than 250 life, you will survive with only a very small portion of the life bar left. This is where Status Boost comes in. Since the attack has a long start-up time, transform immediately. If you get hit, the damage is reduced, more at Lv.2 and 3. At Lv.3, the life bar will be around 1/4 remaining which is safe to eat some hits and still emerge the winner. The problem is you cannot withstand a second hit from that attack. Take every opportunity to pound Keith into submission: knock him down with a combo and attack him while he's still on the ground. Avoid staying at long-range as much as possible, it only provokes him to use more Beam Slices. If he uses Gatling Gun, take it as a free opportunity to combo him. Keith rarely ever uses it so stay up close to lessen the chances of a Beam Slice coming your way. Easily the hardest boss yet so don't be too surprised to see plenty of Game Overs. It is possible to cancel out his Beam Slice, but only a few(the highest Lv. of a weapon combo) can do that. Timing is also key here, it can only be done after he begins the power-up(wait for half a second). *contributed by Jay Square* Beam Slice can be interrupted by Plasma Orbs. Activate it and run to Keith's position. He should immediately block it and retreat temporarily. *END BOSS* Save now because the exit won't appear anytime soon. The following path is very straightforward, but has lots of Orgamech types. Most dangerous are the Golems, which are now normal enemies. Dodge these at all costs, you'll need to save as much life as possible. At the end, you will be stopped be another floating wheel barrier. Avoid getting hit and use Capture-counters a lot. Head north and be ready to face the.. *BOSS* Mammoth Life bars: Two(yes again, TWO) Weakness: None Difficulty: Hard ATTACKS Orb Laser - Jump as it moves close by. *stage 2* Blue Missile - Avoid/mash buttons to get free from goo. Red Missile - Dodge roll. Orb Shockwave - Get off the platform. Tentacle Slam - Dodge roll at the right moment. Laser Wall - Stand by one of the tentacles. STRATEGY The first part is simple enough; just destroy all the orbs. It will fire Blue Missiles so do watch where you go. If you get caught by the goo, mash the buttons to get free. The lasers spin faster and stay longer the more you take down. Attack once it's stopped. *STAGE 2* Now the real battle begins. Unlike Tank who enters stage 2 with only half a life bar remaining, Mammoth enters stage 2 still in the second(blue) life bar. It will fire Blue and Red Missiles so watch the goo and do not get hit. The Red Missiles hurt as much as Keith or the Tank's Laser Storm. The core orb is the target. Attack it as much as possible before it starts to attack again. If you see energy swirling around the orb, get down immediately. It will fire a strong shockwave soon. Once the attack is done, it will start using Tentacle Slam. Unlike Octopus' Tentacle Slam, these ones are annoyingly accurate and more painful. As with Keith's Beam Slice, dodge roll at the right moment to avoid getting pounded. After a few of those, it will use Laser Wall, another powerful attack. Fortunately, the Tentacles won't move and you can stand by one to completely escape harm. Damage the orb as much as possible than get out of the platform once it attacks. The reason why I said to preserve your life is due to Mammoth's powerful attacks. You can find yourself from 200 life to less than 50 quickly so Status Boost is a big help here. *END BOSS* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NANOMACHINE TOWER Items: Combo Chip Lv.2/3/(5 x 2), Booster MAX Up Welcome to the final area of the game. Save point is nearby and you'll want to save after those difficult spots and bosses. The next few areas are all about jumping. You will find some blocks in the area that might be blocking your path. Use Capture to pull them away or slash them. Find the teleporters to reach other sections of the current area. While in the room, you must beat all of the enemies to open up the teleporter. Lv.4 Scythe is the best solution for crowd clearing, though Lv.4 Hammer isn't a bad alternative. Next, the way to the exit is to follow the moving lights. The lights move and while on them, you will not fall down. It's a bit tricky, but it's not too difficult to figure how to stay on it. At the end of these rooms are battles and once again it's kill-all-enemies before the teleporter opens up. Soon, a room with a colored block and colored walls will show up. To get to the next area, you have to light up all of the blocks. In order to complete the task, swing the blade until the colors match.(the matching wall block is on the walkway) In the rooms, kill all the enemies and hit the block until the exit appears. After lighting all the blocks, hit the colored block until it's back to white and the white block wall is on the walkway. Get the life-up, ready Status Boost and prepare for the hardest(and final) segment of the game. *BOSS* Main Computer Life bars: One Weakness: None Difficulty: Hard ATTACKS Snake Acid - Avoid. Ground Laser - Jump or dodge roll. Eye Electric Blast - Dodge roll. Head Bash - Dodge roll. STRATEGY The Main Computer is comprised of 3 parts, the head, snakes, and eyes. It is invincible as long as the snakes are still alive and will always Head Bash if you try to attack. Kill the snakes with an Aerial Slash, but watch out for the acid. The head always fires Ground Lasers so be on the lookout for them too. The eyes aren't mandatory to render the head vulnerable but constantly fire electric blasts and with power. They can only be killed by Capture-counters but are quite resistant to it. As for the head, it is armor is taken to the extreme, all attacks deal very low damage. Even a Lv.4 Scythe will not deal big damage. Attack it as much as possible then stop if you see a red dot then dodge or eat a nasty Head Bash. Kill the snakes as they regenerate and attack again. The important thing to remember in this fight is to preserve as much life as possible so eliminating all the minor targets is key to victory. *END BOSS* After you destroy the Main Computer, the controller of the Computer(and the Orgamechs) is revealed at last.. *BOSS #2* Mother Life bars: One Weakness: None Difficulty: Easy ATTACKS Human Summon - Lv.4 Scythe combo. STRATEGY The Mother has no real method of attack except to summon endless amounts of Human Orgamechs. They are dangerous if you let them pile up(and they will when Mother is close to death) so use Lv.4 Scythe combo to kill them. Again, life preservation is important so try not to take too much hits. *END BOSS* *FINAL BATTLE* Raymond(transformed) Life bars: One Weakness: None Difficulty: Medium ATTACKS Spinning Kick(x1/2/3/4) - Glide or dodge roll. Head Spin - Glide or dodge roll/counter attack. Ground Slam - Glide. Shadow Charge - Glide. Uppercut->Ground Slam - Dodge roll/when clones are around. Multiply - Attack all clones/Avoid until it is done. Multiply: Energy Shot - Glide/avoid until it is done. STRATEGY It's the third and final boss fight, now do you see why I told you to preserve your life? Glide is the only thing you need to dodge all of Raymond's attacks. Raymond moves pretty fast, but he won't always charge at every second. All of his attacks will deal huge damage, and if you entered this fight with only a small portion of the bar remaining, you're as good as dead. Raymond isn't without flaws though, he tends to stand still and not act. Use this time to hit him hard and fast. The Speed Up Booster will help here if you have it. Raymond can be Captured but if he charges, you won't be able to do so. Keep up the assault, avoid taking damage, and victory is yours. *contributed by Thomas Boyer* When Raymond multiplies(not the energy shot multiply), use the initial Great Sword horizontal combo to destroy the clones easily. *END FINAL BATTLE* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ HARD MODE Hard Mode is basically almost the same as Normal Mode, except harder. This section will quickly talk about the changes of each area, boss, and enemy. Do save since this mode is quite a challenge and death is common. DOWNTOWN Enemy - Humans(and its Lv.2/3 counterparts) can now do an arm stretch attack. This is rather easy to deal with since the enemy has to wait for 1-2 seconds before the stretch proceeds. Capture-counter is the best way to deal with the new attack. Do keep your distance if you don't plan to Capture-counter. Dogs also get a bit better in the sense that their charges take longer to finish and they can folow up with kicks if their charge connects. Flys don't get any upgrades. Area - None. Boss - Venus doesn't change. Do away with the flytrap in the same manner as before. Keith makes changes though. Keith now has a nasty habit of using his Capture move, then into a Capture-counter, a lot. Keith also may attack Jake if he is still on the ground so Recovery Roll is important if he sends Jake flying. Does more damage, but still beatable. PORT FACILITY Enemy - Bees now do the flying circles that Lv.2 Bees do. Leeches don't get a boost. Area - None. Boss - The Human barrage is still easy, but be careful about Capture-counters. If you Capture Michelle and press an attack button when she's close, she will instantly die from the attack. Unlike in Normal, combo/Capture-counter skills now affect her so keep your distance. Octopus gets plenty of boosts and is considerably much harder than Normal Octopus. Every time you hit Octopus's head, it will not faze it. It takes 4 hits, instead of 3, to faze it and open up the rib cage. It only does one green laser this time around, uses tentacle slam MUCH more often, rib cage closes sooner, the red laser moves in two, not one, directions, and its Fire Wave attack is extremely powerful. Lastly, once Octopus's life bar is gone, it does one final Fire Wave. ALWAYS stay in the middle and far from the head when not attacking to survive. Two Fire Waves is enought to kill you so be careful. EAST ST./SEWERS Enemy - Scorpions, Cocoons remain the same. Lv.2 Flys fire more often but are still easy to kill. Fish stay in their spinning fin attack longer now though they will fall in one hit as in Normal. Spiders are still weak as always. Area - None. Boss - Some changes with the Snails. The shells close a lot sooner than usual and does a spike machine gun attack when it begins to spin again. Capture the Snails inside quickly to hasten the battle. Spike Mines also appear after you Capture one of the two possible Snails inside a shell. Not as dangerous as the new Octopus. WEST ST./POWER PLANT Enemy - Ogres now use Lv.2 Ogre's charge attack; still easy to kill the hefty Orgamech. Lv.2 Dogs do their jumping attack more often and dodge your attacks as you swing. Get close and slice these mutts to prevent them from dodging the Plasma Blade. Lv.2 Humans are the same as Humans except with arm stretch. Flying Eyes now do a laser cross move, which is a combination of its vertical and horizontal purple lasers. Jump if you're too close to one. Area - In the generator rooms, do not stay too close to the generator walls. They are now electrified and you will take damage if you stay too close. Boss - Golem doesn't change. Turtle is pretty much the same, except its defense is better. NANOMACHINE LAB Enemy - Lv.2 Scorpions/Lv.2 Bees/Magic Orbs don't change at all. Lv.2 Ogres now do their charge attacks consecutively if you dodge one. Lv.3 Flys tend to fire more often even if they aren't on-screen. Take care around them. Area - None. Boss - Defenders still are as easy as ever. If you destroy their shields, it will fire a multiple red lasers before the acid spit. The cage match has not changed significantly. Neither does Gold Golem. Nor Keith's return. RUNWAY Enemy - Lv.3 Humans; see Human and Lv.2 Human upgrades. Area - None. Boss - Human barrage #2: watch who you Capture-counter please. Now, onto the Tank. The weapons on the Tank attack more often so don't be afraid to block or double jump. Stage 2 features no extras. RESEARCH COMPLEX Enemy - No new enemies here. Area - None. Boss - Keith's Beam Slice does even more damage so keep your life bar maxed and at 300. If not, good luck since any combo after one Beam Slice will send Jake to the junkyard. Mammoth makes only one change: two tentacles when using Laser Wall. NANOMACHINE TOWER Enemy - None. Area - When you are in the moving light rooms, the floor is completely dark. Still not too hard since you have the map to help you out. Boss - Main Computer recovers the snakes more quickly and the eyes fire more. Mother will summon an ENDLESS amount of Humans once they start appearing. You know what that means? Smashing/slicing time! Do make sure the Mother is within the area of effect if you plan on using Hammer or Scythe. Raymond is certainly tougher. Raymond resists Capture a lot, blocks a lot, moves and dodges a lot, and counters a lot. Good luck with Raymond and hope you have at least 150 life left going into the fight. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. BOOSTERS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jake gains special items he can use through the game. These are Boosters, an item that lets Jake do special things. If you don't know it already, press Shift(R1) and O button to activate the currently equipped Booster. Boosters can also level up and become more effective based on the number of times it was used. To next Lv. Lv.1 20 Lv.2 50 Lv.3 MAX Let's move onto the Boosters. Each will be rated on a scale from * to ***. * means the Booster is useless, and *** means the Booster is very helpful. *To access higher levels of a Booster, press the O button more than once and have enough BP for the lv increase when you activate the Booster.* CAPTURE CRITICAL Increases chance of critical hits during Capture.(Capture-counter) Booster usage: 80/level Rating: *** Though in video games the first power is the weakest in most cases, Capture Critical is very effective in the whole game. It is a transformation Booster, which bathes Jake with purple aura for the time being. This is the way to avoid taking huge damage while gaining gallons for bonuses. Lv.2 - Longer duration and higher chance of Capture-counter. More damage to other enemies in area of effect. Lv.3 - Longer duration and even greater chances of Capture-counter. The chance of a Capture-counter is almost 100% guaranteed at this level. Instantly kills all other enemies in area of effect, which also increases. Very useful indeed. AUTO-LASER REFLECT Automatically reflects all green lasers.(Laser Reflect) Booster usage: 60/level Rating: * This Booster is another transformation type, with blue aura bathing Jake's body. This is the most useless Booster for a number of reasons. First, the number of projectile-firing enemies are small. Second, a Perfect Guard doesn't eat BP and can Laser Reflect as well. It's okay at some parts of the game where there are projectile-firing enemies, but avoid this. Lv.2 - Longer duration. Fires more lasers. Lv.3 - Longer duration. Fires even more lasers. Still useless. STATUS BOOST Prevents combos from being interrupted by attacks, while reducing the damage received. Booster usage: 50/level Rating: *** Yet, another transformation Booster, this time in a light blue aura. This is the Booster to use against bosses. Due to the fact that there are limited ways to heal, reducing damage is important. Damage reduction starts at 10%. The ability to use combos with no interruption is a nice addition, but this is all about preserving life. Lv.2 - Longer duration and 20% damage reduction. Lv.3 - Longer duration and 30% damage reduction. PLASMA STORM Creates an energy explosion that damages and knocks down all nearby. Booster usage: 100/level Rating: * This is an attack Booster rather than a transformation kind. Basically, it's not that great. The Booster requirements are high at 100 BP per level, so do not use unless you are completely surrounded. The damage is okay, but combos are better in every situation. The range is also a bit lacking, meaning the enemies have to be very close for the blast to affect them. Still better than Auto-Laser Reflect. Lv.2 - Range is doubled, and damage increases greatly. You won't be able to use this unless you have 200 BP. Meaning you have to find all Booster MAX Up power-ups and have at least 240,000 gallons to meet the minimum requirements. Lv.3 - Range and damage increase further. You won't be able to use this unless you found all Booster MAX Up power-ups and have at least 640,000 gallons. You will most likely never hit this amount unless you really enjoy fighting a lot. This attack destroys all normal enemies instantly, except for used-to-be boss enemies. It nearly kills those enemies though. PLASMA ORBS Creates energy orbs that circle around and attack enemies. Booster usage: 50/level Rating: ** Another attack Booster, this one is for defense unlike Plasma Storm. It makes 2 orbs at first and they don't disappear until it hits an enemy enough times. The damage isn't great, but it's a nice defense at close range. Lv.2 - Creates 4 orbs. Lv.3 - Creates a sphere of 9 energy orbs. Enemies will pretty much never land a blow with this activated until the orbs vanish. FAUCHARD RAMPAGE Transforms the Plasma Blade into a dual-sided Plasma Blade temporarily. Booster usage: Variable(minimum of 25) Rating: ** Simply stated, this Booster transforms the Plasma Blade into a weapon similar to Chrono Cross Serge's dual-sided sword. You automatically attack as well once activated. The pro is that Booster amount is irrelevant and the damage is good. The con is that it won't get any stronger due to the fact this is the only Booster lacking levels. SPEED UP Boosts attack and movement speed temporarily. Booster usage: 80/level Rating: ** The final Booster is the fourth transformation one. Basically, it lets you move fast and attack fast. Very helpful when using a Lv.4 Scythe combo which takes quite a while to finish. Also good when you need to retreat quickly. The drawback is that you get it so late in the game that it's not that effective. Lv.2 - Longer duration, increased damage, and slightly increased speed. Lv.3 - Longer duration, increased damage, and speed increased further. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. COMBO SYSTEM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The combo system is the big seller in Nanobreaker. The following details the combos and their uses. To activate a certain combo, activate the level slot next to it. Please look at the combo menu in the game for combo buttons. Great Sword - These combos are only a bit stronger and better than the normal combos. Great if you just want to button mash though. Notes: Great Sword is alright, but not that spectacular. It is better than the Boomerang though, and can be combined with Capture and other non-combo techniques for some doom dealing. Axe - These combos are great against lone enemies and those weak against a vertical assault. Lv.1 - Slices enemy in half when limiter is released. Requirements: Lv.1 Combo Chip Lv.2 - Slices enemy in half. Requirements: Lv.2/3 Combo Chip Lv.3 - Slices multiple enemies in half. Requirements: Lv.3/4 Combo Chip Notes: Axe is great at the beginning of the game and against flying or small enemies. It pales in comparison to the other weapons during the end, where it loses its effectiveness due to unability to affect an area of enemies. Hammer - Crowd clearing tool. Hammer combos have great range and damage but the last hit usually will miss if an enemy is too close. Lv.1 - Smashes enemies in area when limiter is released. Requirements: Lv.1 Combo Chip Lv.2 - Knocks down nearby enemies. Requirements: Lv.1/2 Combo Chip Lv.3 - Knocks down and smashes nearby enemies in area. Requirements: Lv.3/5 Combo Chip Lv.4 - Stuns and smashes nearby enemies in area. Requirements: Lv.4/5 Combo Chip Notes: Any unlucky victim hit by the Hammer's smash is beyond recovery as it will literally smash them into pieces. Its much better towards the end, where the focus is on mass group devastation instead of individual torture. Scythe - Great for crowd clearing and lone enemies. It loses to the Hammer in range, but it's guaranteed to hit anyone in range regardless how close they are. Lv.1 - Slices enemy in half when limiter is released. Requirements: Lv.1 Combo Chip Lv.2 - Slices multiple enemies in half when limiter is released. Requirements: Lv.2 Combo Chip Lv.3 - Slice enemy in half. Requirements: Lv.1/2/3 Combo Chip Lv.4 - Slices multiple enemies in half. Requirements: Lv.1/3/5 Combo Chip Notes: The Scythe is great for a variety of uses, though its use in the start is limited and Axe is better. At the end, Scythe becomes very useful when you need to mow down hordes of enemies. Spear - Extremely powerful attacks. Due to its thrusting nature, it breaks the armor of an Orgamech and heavily damages them. All Orgamechs that are heavily armored or immune to normal attacks will fall rather quickly. Also great for boss fights. Lv.1 - Knocks back enemy. Requirements: Lv.2 Combo Chip Lv.2 - Knocks back multiple enemies. Requirements: Lv.2/3 Combo Chip Lv.3 - Heavy damage on enemy. Requirements: Lv.2/3/4 Combo Chip Lv.4 - Kills enemies. Requirements: Lv.2/3/5 Combo Chip Notes: Axe, Scythe, and Hammer vertically/horizontally slices in half and can smash things into pieces respectively. All of those techniques are 1 hit kill attacks limiter on or off. Spear cannot do this, except for Lv.4, but breaks through any enemy guard and armor like Swiss cheese. Boomerang - The only long-range weapon. Not that great in terms of damage but it's the only way to attack from afar. Requirements: Lv.5 Combo Chip Notes: This is horrible since you can use it only during the end and it cannot do any serious harm to enemies. It is only useful for some Fly/Leech/Spider swatting. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. ENEMIES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This section will talk about the enemies(Orgamechs) briefly. The walkthrough will talk more about them. Human - The basic Orgamech enemy. They appear in big numbers but are easily defeated. Lv.2 and 3's can survive horizontal Capture-counters so avoid that and stick with vertical. Dog - Another low class Orgamech in terms of threat. Their attacks are easy to see from miles away and are weak against vertical attacks. Lv.2's can jump from point to point pretty quickly though. Fly - Projectile-firing enemy. Fires green lasers which can be reflected back at them. Lv.3's can teleport, attack with red lasers, and charge towards you. Laser Reflect is good enough to give them a one-way ticket to doom. Leech - Small fry enemies. They pose no threat and only attack by releasing poison mist and jumping. Vertical attacks are good. Bee - Huge insect enemies. Vertical attacks are excellent at disposing them as are vertical Capture-counters. Lv.2's can carry small enemies but it's no big deal. Scorpion - First heavy armor foe. Normal attacks are nullified so use thrust and Spear attacks. Lv.2's attacks have greater range. Cocoon - Heavy armor enemy. They do not attack and are weak against the wrath of your Spear. Spider - Small critters that attach onto you and try to self-destruct. Mash the buttons to shake them off and use vertical attacks to kill them. Fish - Fish that can fly and stay underwater. Their only attack is to spin around like a helicopter's blades. Otherwise, any attack works well on them. Ogre - Big enemies that are immune to Capture. Slash them until they drop to the ground, then do a Ground Stab or Slash to slay them. Lv.2's attack by charging at you. Flying Eye - Another armored freak. Immune as long as the eye is closed, but is not immune when it is open. Spear combo to best these foes. Magic Orb - Strongest defense Orgamech. Immune to Capture and is attracted to the whip whenever it's on-screen. Golem - A boss enemy at first, but becomes a normal enemy at the end. Able to attack at any range with both of its parts. The lower part is weak against a vertical Capture-counter. Defender - Another boss enemy turned into normal at the end. Their shields are immune to all attacks, but can be destroyed by a Lv.4 Scythe combo. Gold Golem - Boss enemy that becomes normal enemy later. Toughest normal enemy due to multi-shot projectiles, counter ability, and damage potential. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. SECRETS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ HARD MODE - beat the game. As the name implies, this mode is clearly harder than the default setting. Since the default setting is hard enough, this mode is only for the skilled. Personally, the lack of healing options is hard enough, increased difficulty only makes it much worse. Notes.. -Increased strength, defense for all enemies. -Capture-counter resistance increased for all enemies. -New attacks/attack patterns for all enemies. -Smarter AI, evident in some boss fights. PLAY AS KEITH - beat the game. Yes, Keith becomes playable after beating the game. As with other Konami action/adventure games, the secret character is either much easier to beat the game with or harder. In Keith's case, it's easier. Keith starts off with all of his combos unlocked. Scythe and Spear combos are unavailable for Keith though. Keith also comes equipped with 2 Boosters: Laser Storm and Gatling Gun. Both are the exact same attacks he uses in the game, but Laser Storm is MUCH better than Gatling Gun. Keith's attacks also deal more damage than Jake's. Notes.. -Both Laser Storm and Gatling Gun are good for crowd clearing and attack interruption, respectively. -With the exception of Nanomachine Tower, all of the Booster MAX Ups can be found by winning cage matches' 1/3/4. -Lv.4 Hammer is great for stun purposes, even if the final smash misses the targets. PLAY AS JAGUAR - beat the game with Keith. The red samurai from Neo Contra is a playable character here, which makes sense since he is a cyborg himself and wields a katana. Jaguar is the most powerful of the 3 cyborgs due to his incredible strength. He also has permanent Speed Up effects as he is able to move and attack quickly. Jaguar has flaws, especially this huge one: Jaguar starts off with 40 life. Basically, a few hits and you're dead. What's worst is that Jaguar does not get any life MAX Ups unless you beat the boss. This mode is easier in the sense that Jaguar can beat someone to a bloody pulp rather quickly. However, overall, it's harder than any mode since 1-3 hits from enemies and it's off to the junkyard for this cyborg. Jaguar is able to use all Boosters, including the very important Status Boost. Notes.. -Status Boost is a must for all boss fights and until you get Plasma Orbs for normal fights. -Plasma Orbs should be used as much as possible, as enemies will have a hard time landing a blow. Especially at Lv.3. -Fight as much if you are low on life; you don't want to enter the next room low on life and lots of Orgamechs to fight. Not for life and Booster recovery bonuses, but for the important Booster MAX Up. SPLATTER MODE - beat the game. If you are the type who prefers to kill all enemies, this is the mode to play. The objective of the mode is to rack up as much gallons in one stage(basically kill as much enemies as possible). At the end of a stage, a password is revealed for Internet use(world rankings). Try it, it's a lot of fun! *ALTERNATIVE METHOD* *contributed by Kensyu, Ashley Winchester* If you didn't finish the runway, return to the area in the Sewers with the 3 Combo Chips. There will be a special chip that unlocks it. This can only be done if you did not unlock it or have it on your save file. NEW GAME + - beat the game, make a save file, and load it. In this mode, you get to keep all of the Boosters, Combo Chips you obtained and your stats are retained as well. Notes.. EASY GALLONS AND BOOSTER LEVEL UPS - Want to increase your life MAX to survive or want a quick way to level up your Boosters? There are spots where you can do so quickly. You need to activate Lv.4 Scythe, which needs a Lv.5 Combo Chip or Ultra besides the other Lv. Chips. Practice the combo until you are very familiar with it. Now, find a spot during the game where a LOT of Humans pop up. Stay there, activate the combo to slice them, then get close and vertical slash them. As you do this, you should use any Booster as much as possible. After all of the slaying is done, you should gain roughly 10,000 gallons or more. Not to mention 2-10 Booster uses. The earliest you can do this is right after completing the Power Plant area, as the Ultra Combo Chip can be obtained in this timeframe. A number of spots: -Port Facility after beating Power Plant -Room in West St. that leads to upper part of East St. -West St. main road ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SPLATTER MODE There are 11 stages of fun and splattering blood. Each stage is unlocked if you are in the top 15 of each stage(not too hard). Stages 8, 10, 11 are only unlocked by meeting certain conditions then collecting the item in the Sewer room with many bonuses. *All combos are unlocked for Jake, as well as Double Jump and the Boosters.* Difficulty is in terms of finishing the stage by the way. Not how to get the high score. STAGE ONE Milky Way Time: 3 minutes High Score: 12,000 Enemies: Human Difficulty: Easy Objective: Destroy all enemies. STRATEGY Easy enough, just kill all the Humans. Have fun! STAGE TWO Train Yard Time: 9 minutes, 30 seconds High Score: 50,000 Enemies: Human/Cocoon/Magic Orb Difficulty: Easy Objective: Destroy all enemies in last room. STRATEGY Again, simple. Work your way through the tunnels and destroy all enemies. Once you are in the last room, destroy all enemies and you are done. STAGE THREE Garbage Dump Time: 6 minutes High Score: 17,000 Enemies: Lv.2 Scorpion/Ogre/Fly, Human/Leech Difficulty: Easy Objective: Destroy all enemies. STRATEGY Welcome back to the crane room! You can either slay all the Orgamechs with the trusty crane's help or let it kill some of the enemies. Easy. STAGE FOUR Pier Time: 10 minutes High Score: 40,000 Enemies: Ogre/Leech/Dog, Lv.1/2 Human/Fly, Octopus(boss) Difficulty: Medium Objective: Defeat the Octopus. STRATEGY You have ten minutes to wreck havoc AND kill Octopus. Fight for about eight minutes then head to the area before the Octopus. Fight for a bit then enter the boss room around the 1 minute->1 minute, 30 seconds timeframe. You should know how to slay the Octopus by now. If you're running low on time, use the Lv.2 Spear combo once the rib cage is open. It deals plenty of damage. STAGE FIVE East St. Time: 8 minutes High Score: 20,000 Enemies: Bee/Leech/Spider/Ogre, Lv.1/2/3 Fly, Lv.1/2 Human, Lv.2 Dog, Gold Golem(boss) Difficulty: Easy Objective: Defeat the Gold Golem. STRATEGY Again, have fun torturing your enemies. The Gold Golem only shows up in the final room. Again, Spear combos + stay behind it = victory. STAGE SIX Downtown Time: 2 minutes, 30 seconds High Score: 9,500 Enemies: Human/Fish/Dog/Spider, Venus(boss) Difficulty: Easy Objective: Defeat Venus. STRATEGY Similar to stage four, except all you have to do is reach the end. With all of the combos at your disposal, Venus will fall VERY quickly. STAGE SEVEN Nanomachine Tower Time: 3 minutes High Score: 15,000 Enemies: Leech/Human, Lv.2 Fly Difficulty: Hard Objective: Destroy all enemies. STRATEGY This stage is HARD, seriously. The best advice to finish the stage is the useless Boomerang. That's right, in the normal game, the Boomerang sucked big time. Here, it is your saving grace from seeing Game Over. ALWAYS use the Boomerang and make sure you're facing all of the enemies. For the Humans, just Capture-counter them quickly. Personally, I don't like this stage. It took me plenty of attempts and barely finished with 2 seconds left. Good luck if you are attempting to best the high score, you'll need it. STAGE EIGHT Milky Way II Time: 1 hour(60 minutes) High Score: 320,000 Enemies: Human/Ogre/Dog Difficulty: Medium Objective: Destroy 777 enemies. STRATEGY You get a full hour to slay 777 enemies. Sounds easy right? Wrong. You have to slay 777 enemies in the correct way. This means aiming for their weakpoints. Human kills count when you vertically attack them, Dog kills for horizontal, and Ogre kills for smash or horizontal. Basically, you need to kill at least 130 enemies for every 10 minutes. Enemy pattern is as follows: Human, Dog, Ogre. Enemy type changes with every 100 kills. Towards the end, the kills to switch enemy type lowers. This is the easiest stage to beat the high score since you have so much time. STAGE NINE Suika Island Time: 1 minute High Score: 15,000 Enemies: Watermelon Difficulty: Easy Objective: Destroy all enemies. STRATEGY Time for some fun in the sun don't you agree? Basically chop all Watermelons that drop. This is another easy stage to beat the high score. STAGE TEN Suika Island II Time: 2 minutes High Score: 15,000 Enemies: Watermelon/Watermelon Baby Difficulty: Easy Objective: Destroy all enemies. STRATEGY More fun in the sun! Yet again, another easy stage to get the high score. STAGE ELEVEN Suika Island III Time: 2 minutes High Score: 7,500 Enemies: Watermelon/Watermelon Baby, Papa Watermelon(boss) Difficulty: Medium Objective: Defeat Papa Watermelon STRATEGY Time to chop up more Watermelons(don't they look tasty)! Anyways, once you beat all of the Watermelons, Papa Watermelon shows up. To beat it, just slash the Watermelon Babies it spits out back at it. Watch the time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. FAQ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: Is there a way to heal in the menu? A: NO. There is no way to heal in the menu. ZERO. Blame the infamous IGA if you're having trouble without healing options. Q: What is the maximum stats(gallon/Life/Booster)? A: 9,999,999 gallons is the max. Max life is 400, and the max for Booster is 300. You can reach max life at 630,000 gallons and max Booster at 640,000 if you collected all Booster MAX Ups. Q: How do you activate the higher levels of a Booster? I can only get Lv.1 and my Capture Critical is at Lv.2. A: Press the O button more than once after activating the Booster. Q: Is it possible for enemies to drop life-ups? I could really use it right about now. A: Yes, but don't expect it to just pop up. It's rare but apparently from my own playthroughs the chances are higher if you finish an enemy with a weapon combo. Only one enemy has a 100% chance of drop and that's a Gold Golem, which you can get up to 2 if you destroy all of its parts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. CREDITS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thanks to: -Ashley Winchester, dsfsa for providing some info about certain things in the game -everyone else who contributed info for this guide -IGA, for making a flawed but fun game This FAQ copyright 2005 to Angelo Pineda. Redistrubition in any form, including reprinting in electronic or print media, without express permission of the author is strictly forbidden.