Author: Jason "nimerjm" Nimer
Version: .01
Version Start Date: 6/25/07
Version Completion Date: 6/25/07


Croket! DS: Tenkuu No Yuusha Tachi for Nintendo DS
FAQ/Walkthrough

By nimerjm
(Jason Nimer)


Author's Note:

Hello reader! If you are reading this, chances are you were referred to this
game, and in turn this FAQ, by one of Croket's many dedicated fans on the DS
General board on GameFAQs.com. Whether or not that is the case, you've now
heard of this amazing game and it is your duty, as a discerning DS owner and
importer, to give it a shot.

Before we get to anything, some thanks and recognition are in order. First off,
HateAndPlague has been this amazing game's greatest supporter and nearly
everything in this FAQ and any widespread recognition the game has received in
the states is most likely his doing. If this FAQ doesn't answer a question you
have about the game, HateAndPlague can help you out. He is a credit to GameFAQs
and I'm using this space to thank him for getting both myself, and a number of
others, to try something new beyond the "Bleach/Jump" import standards.

Thanks also go to housemonkey and TowelFight for supporting this game and
helping with this FAQ. They, like HateAndPlague, are some of the most valuable
posters on the GameFAQs message boards and you, dear reader, would do well to
take any and all of their advice to heart (except when TowelFight tells you
that Rondo Of Blood is a good Castlevania game...we'll never agree on that
one!).

With all that stuff out of the way, let me add another small disclaimer of my
own: I do not speak Japanese and, most likely, I'll never learn. Croket! DS is
a game that is only available in Japan (or from online importers) and thus, all
the menus, dialogue, story... well, everything, as in all the text, in this
game is in Japanese. This guide is my love letter to a great game I'll never
understand fully so it, by no means, will ever be perfect or complete. The
purpose of this guide is to make the game playable by others who don't speak
Japanese. By hitting all the main points that would be the roadblocks to the
non-Japanese speaker's enjoyment and ability to play, we hope that this guide
and these simple explanations will open up a great new world to those who would
have been reluctant in the past.

Is it nuts to think that four people who can't even read a game's text will be
able to explain said game to others? Maybe. If this FAQ helps out even one new
player, then I think myself, TowelFight, HateAndPlague and housemonkey have
done our jobs well. Ok... on to the FAQ!




FAQ Version History

6/25/07 - Info gathered and FAQ started
6/25/07 - FAQ completed except for the info I can't get



Legal Junk

Sorry, but this is necessary so people don't just go around taking my work.
This FAQ, in whole or in part, is not to be used without my express written
permission. If you or your site is granted permission to use this FAQ, it is
not to be altered in any way, shape or form. Also, like I've said before,
stealing my FAQ would only be beneficial to me, as I'd love to take your money
in some kind of "theft of intellectual property" suit. If you do want to use
this FAQ, or have anything to add, email me at nimerjm at hotmail dot com.




Table Of Contents

You'll notice that there is a number/letter combo for each part of the FAQ.
Simply use CTRL - F (or Apple - F for all my Mac users out there) and type in
the (letter/number) code to skip to the section you are interested in.

(W-1) Introduction
(W-2) Story
(W-3) Characters
       (C-1) The Good Guys
       (C-2) The Bad Guys
(W-4) Controls
       (M-1) World Map
       (M-2) Mission Map
       (M-3) Battle Arena
(W-5) Menu Translations
       (T-1) Main Menu
       (T-2) World Map Menu
       (T-3) Mission Map Menu
(W-6) Extra Info That Won't Fit Anywhere Else
(W-7) Story Mode FAQ/Walkthrough
       (S-1) Missions
       (S-2) Special Missions/Conditions
       (S-3) Bosses
       (S-4) The Coin Quest
(W-8) Other Modes
       (O-1) Elimination Bracket Challenge
       (O-2) Exhibition
       (O-3) Multiplayer
(W-9) Secrets/Unlockables
(W-10) Other Croket Information
(W-11) Endgame
(W-12) Thanks and Anti-Thanks




(W-1) Introduction

Croket! DS: Tenkuu No Yuusha Tachi is a gem of a game based on a popular manga
from Japan. The game was developed by Konami and as of now has only been
released in Japan. It is considered to be the fourth game in the Croket series,
but all previous games were for the GBA. We'll call this the Boktai/Lunar
Knights factor.

The game plays like an ingenious mix of a tactics RPG and a 2D Smash Bros (or
Jump!) game. You'll move your main character around a World Map and enter into
missions one by one. A mission gives you a board split into a grid pattern
where you'll be moving members of your team around, looking for hidden coins
and attempting to finish off your enemies.

On the surface, Croket DS is a Final Fantasy Tactics or Tactics Ogre clone.
What sets it apart is the fighting. While other tactical RPGs force you to rely
on strength, attacks and numbers, Croket gives you the chance to actually wail
on your opponents. Upon encountering an enemy, you'll be thrust into a 2D dual
screen battlefield. The fighting is very simplistic - jump, attack, block and
special attacks. Up to four characters can rumble at once, making for some very
intense action.

Sounds awesome, right? You're not mistaken - it is awesome.




(W-2) Story

This information will give you a decent understanding of the Croket! universe.
The game's story is in Japanese, but my basic understanding is that your
characters want to collect Kinkas and end up dealing with some bad guys along
the way. Here is a little bit more background:
"Scattered throughout the planet are magical gold tokens called Kinkas, which
hold vast and mysterious powers. Fill your Kinka Bank, and the great and
powerful Bank Wizard will appear to grant your wildest wish! A group of strong
and fearless warriors travels the lands with a common mission - to obtain as
many Kinkas as possible. The warriors call themselves Bankers!
Croket is an energetic and scrappy little Banker. He may be small, but he
possesses awesome strength. He joins the Banker ranks consumed with one quest:
If he can win enough Kinkas, he may be able to bring his father back to the
world of the living. When Croket was just a small boy, his father-the legendary
Banker known as Burger-was destroyed in a horrible duel with the evil "Black
Gown Man." It is now up to Croket to get his father back!
Soon after setting out on his journey, Croket is ambushed by Worcester, another
aspiring Banker. Despite their initial rivalry, the two quickly become faithful
companions. They learn that all of the world's leading Bankers will soon
converge on the small and treacherous Macadamia Island. It is here that world's
premier Banker tournament, "The Banker Survival Quest," is scheduled to take
place. The winner of this ultimate test will be granted enough Kinkas to fill
even the largest Kinka Bank.
So set your sights for Macadamia Island, and get ready for adventure, comedy
and non-stop Kinka Battles. The Banker Survival Quest is about to begin!!!
Oh....and don't forget your Kinka Bank!"

This info was taken directly from the shopro-entertainment website, which can
be found a this address:

http://www.shopro-entertainment.com/croket.html




(W-3) Characters

Croket DS has a cast of unforgettable characters, both good and bad. Here is a
list of the good guys and the bad guys...and there are a lot of them! Again,
the language difference poses some problems, but in the cases where a
character's name is unknown, a simple explanation will be substituted
(appearance, attributes, etc.) for a name.




(C-1) The Good Guys

*Croket - The game's main character. He wears an old-timey football helmet
adorned with a small yellow pig. Croket's uses an oversized hammer for a weapon.

*Risotto - Croket's mentor and voice of reason. He wears a green karate uniform
and attacks mostly with punches and kicks.

*Fond De Veau - A vampire with sharp claws and a blue overcoat/yellow ascot
combination. Most of his attacks have him swinging his own casket.

*Worchester - A very large cat in a purple pinstriped suit and my favorite
character in the game. He attacks with his claws and is extremely fast.

*Pudding Pudding - A small Mexican wrestler who attacks with poo on a stick.

*T-Bone - A guy with a beanie and green overalls who attacks using some giant
bone nunchucks.

*Cabbage - A small child in some frog pajamas who attacks using a freakishly
long tongue for most of his attacks.

*Zucchini - A warrior with pointy blue hair and shoulder pads. His attacks are
mostly sword based.

There are a few more good guys that join and leave your team it certain points
in the game, but I'll leave them out for now.




(C-2) The Bad Guys

*Grunt - The most abundant enemy in the game. He has a tiny mohawk and attacks
with an axe.

*Flying Grunt - The second most abundant enemy in the game. He looks and
attacks just like the Grunt except he has wings and a yellow uniform.

*Red Haired Angel - One of the three main enemy leaders.

*Blue Haired Angel - The second of the three main enemy leaders.

*White Haired Angel - The final boss and the third of the main enemy leaders.
He holds a degree from the Institute of Looking Like Sephiroth.

There are a bunch more bad guys, but most of them play minor roles and/or only
show up once or twice.




(W-4) Controls

Most guides list the controls as a bit of and afterthought, but with Croket
being in Japanese and all, you might need a little explanation.




(M-1) World Map

D-pad: Move Croket around the map
A Button: Make selection
B Button: Cancel selection or back
L and R Triggers: View available characters (top screen)




(M-2) Mission Map

D-pad: Move cursor around map grid
A Button: Make selection
B Button: Cancel selection or back
X Button: Return cursor to main team member
L and R Triggers: Spin map 90 degrees




(M-3) Battle Arena

D-pad: Move character
A Button: Jump (twice for double jump)
B Button: Attack (hit repeatedly for combos)
L Trigger: Block
R Trigger: Special (When pressed in conjunction with A and a d-pad direction)




(W-5) Menu Translation

Let me start by admitting this: I still don't speak Japanese. These menu
translations are by no means ACTUAL translations. Instead, they are descriptors
of what each menu option does. I'll try to explain as easily as I can but
without pictures, it might be a bit confusing.




(T-1) Main Menu

- Press Start -

*Menu: Press Start

- New Game
- Load Game

*Menu: Load Game:

Save File 1     Save File 2      Save File 3

Saved game info displayed at bottom of screen (two boxes)

*Menu: Save File

- Continue Main Story Mode
- Elimination Bracket Challenge
- Exhibition Match
- Special Stuff

*Menu: Continue Main Story Mode

- Story Mode
- ??? (Must be unlocked...somehow)

*Menu: Elimination Bracket Challenge

- Character Select
*After you select your character, the game will auto-cycle through                      four
options - hit A to stop cursor.

*Menu: Exhibition Match

- Select # of fighters
       *Followed by the 2 player, 3 player and 4 player options
- Select your fighter and three computer opponents
- ???
       (Has something to do with linking DS systems for multiplayer)

*Menu: Special Stuff

- Enter Numerical Code (more on this later in the FAQ...)
- ???
       (Has something to do with GBA connectivity to past games)
- ???
       (Has something to do with transferring data from other DS systems)




(T-2) World Map Menu

*Press A Button on World Map to bring up World Map Menu

- Select Character(s) For Mission
- Select Item(s) To Give To Characters (Up to 3 items per character)
- Customize Character Stats
- Mission Description
- Save Game
- Item Shop


- Close World Map Menu

*Menu: Item Shop

- Buy Items
- Sell Items
- Return To World Map Menu




(T-3) Mission Map Menu

*Press A Button on Mission Map to bring up Mission Map Menu

- Move Character
       *Brings up green grid - move anywhere colored green
- Attack
       *Brings up red grid - attack enemies in red squares
- Use Ability
       *Abilities are gained by customizing character levels
- Use Item
- ??? (Maybe a quick save feature?)
- Mission Objectives
- End Turn (Enemy Goes Next)

- Close Mission Map Menu

*If you can add to any of this or have any info not listed, please email me and
I'll credit you for the discovery.




(W-6) Extra Info That Won't Fit Anywhere Else

This is just a quick word or two about a few things that don't fit anywhere
else. This is important stuff so I hope you take the time to read this section.




*Customizing Character Stats

This can be a bit confusing. From what I can gather, each time you win a fight
or mission, you'll be awarded some points. When you bring up the Customize
Character Stats menu, you'll get a grid of all the characters on your team.

On the top screen, you'll see a picture of your character with three stats next
to him and another stat by itself to the right. The three stats next to you are
the ones you can upgrade. The number to the right is the number of points
you've earned to spend. Choose the character you want to customize and you'll
bring up an overwhelming amount of information. Don't panic...I'll explain.

The three bars at the bottom are the stats you can add points to. Up on the top
screen, you'll see five categories of three things with Japanese characters and
numbers. As you upgrade your stats and they reach these pre-set numbers, you'll
get a gold coin next to that item. This means you've unlocked that item/skill.

Get it? I hope so. If not, fiddle around with the levels of the bars at the
bottom and watch the coins appear next to the numbers you've reached. After
fiddling with the levels and setting them where you want them, hit A (or OK on
the touch screen) to make the stat changes permanent. If you plan on getting to
99 with all stats on all your characters...you probably won't be playing any
other DS games for quite some time.




*Items

Sadly, I won't be able to do this topic justice because I don't speak Japanese,
but I'll take a stab at it.

Each character can carry three items. These items come in three different
types: Health power ups, special power ups and, for lack of a better term,
everything else. When in the shop, you'll be able to tell the difference
because health items have a HP, special items have a TP and all the other items
don't have any English letters in them at all.

In my experience, you'll want to give each character one of each type of item.
There are a couple of spots in the game where having a specific item will help
immensely, but for the most part you can just use items whenever you feel like
it or deem it necessary. If you don't take away ANYTHING ELSE from this FAQ,
take this - remember this paragraph when you make it to the mission on the
stairs. That is all.




*Branching Paths

This isn't that big of an issue but if you are a completist like me, this
little discrepancy will keep you awake at night. There are two places in the
Story Mode where you'll have to choose between two paths. Though it seems like
you've missed out on those extra stages on the path you didn't take, you'll
have the chance to play them after you complete the game once.




(W-7) Story Mode FAQ/Walkthrough

For this section, I won't be going through each mission one by one. You should
be able to make it through most of the game's missions without any help. It
will take a few practice rounds to get the hang of everything, but once you do,
you'll be will be off to the races. I'll just be giving you the high points,
but if someone wants to do a mission-by-mission breakdown, be my guest. I'll
add it here and credit the section to you.




(S-1) Missions

Depending on your branching path choices, you'll have somewhere in the
neighborhood of thirty missions from the beginning of the game to the end. The
last six take place on a different map than the ones at the beginning, so keep
that in mind.

There are two main things to remember when playing missions. The first is that
there is ALWAYS safety in numbers. The second is that if you find yourself in a
tight spot or dead, losing has no penalty except for having to scroll through
the mountains upon mountains of Japanese text that you won't understand and
can't skip.

Lets get back to the safety in numbers bit for a second. If you are having
problems with a particular mission, there is a strategy that will get you
through -literally- every single time.

Pack every single character you have control of into a massive blob of
characters on the grid and wait for the enemies to come to you. This way, when
you need to fight, you'll get to bring in at least two fighters, and in some
cases, as many as three. If for some reason you need to move anyone, move as a
school of fish would - in a solid group. This will get you through most, if not
all, the missions.

Before we move on, a word about treasure chests. These contain an item and
usually require some movement away from the group. In nearly all cases, the
item is available at the game's store and not worth your time and/or risk.
Finish the level first and come back for them later if you absolutely feel the
need to.

One more thing - power leveling in Story Mode is nearly impossible. Your first
run of a mission will net you a ton of experience points, but each subsequent
run through of that level will net you next to no experience. Don't worry about
your levels though, if you are skilled enough at the fighting, you can bring
down nearly every opponent, no matter how high a level they might be.




(S-2) Special Missions/Conditions

By missions, I actually mean mission - singular. Mission 31. Your first mission
on the second World Map. Dear lord this took me For-Ev-Er to figure out. In
this mission, your characters will be on a large staircase. A bad guy who looks
like grey Frankenstein with a Green Bay Packers cheese helmet will be running
away from your team. If he makes it to the top of the stairs, you lose and the
mission is over.

To complete this mission, you'll need to make sure the party you select has
either the cat (Worchester) or the Taffy Man (real name unknown) in it. When
the battle starts, the first thing you'll need to do is give either of these
characters an item. You'll have to "trial and error" it, but the desired item,
when used, will bring up a little sneaker next to that character's stats. This
will give you the ability to move 2x farther than you would on a normal turn.
Catch up to the Frankenstein and defeat him to win the level.

Sure...it sounds easy here when it is explained, but it took me over a week of
trying to figure this out. Also, you might need to give it a few tries because
the enemy is one tough cookie. Taking him down without help can be trying but a
little practice will make him easier to bring down.

If there are any other special missions or conditions I forgot, let me know and
I'll credit you for the info.




(S-3) Bosses

Most of the bosses in the game are very similar to all the Grunts you'll be
fighting. Most are a bit taller and/or have more health than the average bad
guy but for the most part, they are identical.

The one boss that is an exception to this rule is the last boss - a giant blue
dragon that is controlled by our Sephiroth look-alike. I didn't realize it
until a week or two ago, but I have completely forgotten how to beat this boss.
If you know how, email me and I'll add it here.




(S-4) The Coin Quest

If you've played the game at all, you will have noticed that on the World Map,
for every mission there is a coin icon and 0/1 next to it. What does this mean?
It means that there is one Kinka coin in each mission. To uncover the hidden
coin, you simply need to place a character on the appropriate square and wait
one turn. I've found a few by accident and I'm currently attempting to find
them all, but as you can imagine, it is slow, deliberate work. I'm working on a
separate FAQ with locations but with all the great DS games out now, don't
expect it to be finished for quite some time.

If you find any coins and have a basic grasp of graphing, send me the
coordinates and I'll add it to my upcoming file.




(W-8) Other Modes

Aside from the lengthy single player campaign, there are three other modes to
keep you coming back for more: Elimination Bracket Challenge, Exhibition and
Multiplayer. These modes have no tactics portions




(O-1) Elimination Bracket Challenge

If you've ever played an elimination bracket in any fighting game, this should
be old hat to you. The main draw to this mode is the ability to gain and keep
any experience or stat points you earn from fighting. These translate back into
the single player game. If you insist on leveling up, this is the quickest way
to do so. This also earns you a handful of Kinkas each time you win so...if you
figure out what those can be exchanged for, let me know.




(O-2) Exhibition

This is just what it sounds like - exhibition matches. You have the option of
controlling the characters and choosing the number of players, but on the other
hand, you can also make the computer do all the work if you feel like watching
a few rounds.




(O-3) Multiplayer

I won't say anything about this mode because I've never played it and probably
will never get to (you need two copies of the game). Whatever.




(W-9) Secrets/Unlockables

Before I list the secrets and unlockables I've attained, know this: There a
probably a whole lot more than what is listed. Again if you figure it out, let
me know.

*If you beat the game once, you get the ability to revisit areas and play any
missions you might have skipped by taking the other routes.

*Under the last item on the Continue Main Story Mode menu (check up in the menu
section to see what I mean) is a yellow bar with four question marks. I have NO
IDEA what this is or how to unlock it.

*A numerical keypad can be found under the first option in the Special Stuff
(see above) menu. The codes can be found at the Croket DS website. Before I
even give the link, though, consider this a warning. One of the codes, I'm
sorry I don't know which one, literally resets your save file. You keep all
your levels and stats, but you'll need to start from the first mission again.
DO NOT ENTER A SINGLE CODE UNTIL YOU DECIDE IT IS WORTH THE RISK OF LOSING YOUR
PROGRESS. With that warning in place, here is the url...

http://www.konami.jp/gs/game/croket/ds/

Even if you decide not to use the codes, check out the rest of the site. It has
some pretty cool stuff.

Aww heck...I guess I'll just give you the codes here - but only if you promise
to go check out the site for yourself. Here they are:

*104734
*828282
*569814
*162603
*193123
*109031
*867934
*235786
*371274
*941356
*695743
*593939
*810401

Some of these unlock new characters, some give special power up or coins but
one will reset your progress. BE CAREFUL!




(W-10) Other Croket Info

If the game isn't fuel enough for your newfound Croket love, he are some links
to Croket merchandise you can order.

*www.play-asia.com - They sell this game and the three previous GBA games.

*www.shopro-entertainment.com - I (think) that this may be the company with the
rights to publish Croket in English. It is the site I got my story section from
and the have some cool artwork.

*...sorry guys... I just spent an hour looking for a link to a place where you
could order Croket manga, but alas, I couldn't seem to find one. Sorry.




(W-11) Endgame

So you've beaten the game. Congrats. What now? Well, you can still do a few
things.

*If you have a friend with the game, you can always play multiplayer. I don't
have any idea what that entails but I'm sure it is good for a laugh.

*You can begin the tedious yet rewarding task of finding each level's coin but
most people won't feel the need to do this.

*The missions you skipped are now available, so you can go finish them.

*You could use the Elimination Bracket Challenge to level up your character and
gain stat points.

*You could also go back to some stages and collect the treasure chests.

*...or, you could always figure out an answer to something that I didn't or
couldn't and let me know...that would be super sweet.




(W-12) Thanks and Anti-Thanks

A big thanks to...

*HateAndPlague, housemonkey and TowelFight for helping me with this FAQ
*Konami for making this great game
*GameFAQs for posting my FAQs and giving me something to do
*Nintendo for being the only 1st party left who knows how to make fun games
*the French band Heavenly for Virus, the best CD so far this year
*Wendi for allowing me some quiet time to work
*to all the websites that published my Time Ace and Transformers FAQs
*...and to you, for reading this guide.

A big anti-thanks to...

*that goober who tried to convince me that I was guilty of prejudice and
stereotyping simply because I hate the GTA games and their portrayal of various
ethinc groups. I pointed it out, so I'm the one with the problem I guess...
*Konami for not localizing Croket so everyone can enjoy it
*the trolls on the Wii message board who can't stand its popularity
*everyone who equates M rated games and actual maturity or adulthood (it is
quite the opposite in fact - the only people who think that are teens and
pre-teens. Adults know that violence doesn't equal a great game. Actual
maturity = sees no need for violent games and instead, spends money on the fun
ones
*Gamestop for doing everything wrong
*Target for not updating their DS download station




That's the end. I can't believe I wrote this whole thing in an afternoon...

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