Walker Boh's Guide to:

Walker Boh's Guide to:
Life Force on Nes
Author: Walker Boh
Real Name: Bryan Peterson
E-mail: [email protected]
Life Force Technical Data:
Name of Game: Life Force
Medium: Cartridge
Platform: NES
Number of Players: 2
Genre: Action
Save Ram: no
What's in This FAQ?
Author's Note
Legal Mumbo-jumbo
Intro
Item/Powerup list
Controls
Story
Walkthrough
Cheats
Comments
Author's Note
Most of you know me as Magic Emperor Ghaleon. Well, I changed that alias
after reading the Shannara trilogies by Terry Brooks. Walker Boh is a Druid in
said series. Besides, I felt it was time for a change, so now I'm Walker Boh.
Then also, Hotmail has an unbelievably bad junk mail filter and their security
isn't much better.
Legal mumbo-jumbo
This document is copyright 2000-2003 by Walker Boh. Don't do
anything with this FAQ unless you make no profit from it. The consequences of
such actions aren't worth it, believe me! The good people at Gamefaqs I'm sure
will let me know of any attempts to rip off one of my contributions, and even if
they don't I'll learn of it somehow, so don't try anything smart! However,
you are welcome to distribute this among friends for free or post this on
your webpage. Feel free to E-mail me about any mistakes I may make here,
just don't remove my name from the document when you post it on your site
or I'll have to electronically kick your ass! However, you are free to E-mail
me concerning questions, mistakes and suggestions.
Intro
Life Force is part of the Gradius series, which has seen life on many
different consoles. I've heard it's a direct sequel to Gradius for NES (which
was originally an Arcade game), and though there is a Gradius 2 for NES, it was
never released in the US as far as I know. So most people just say that Life
Force is the sequel and leave it at that.
Item/powerup list
There really aren't that many items in this game, but they're there for the
taking. When you kill enemies they will oftentimes drop a
small power capsule. Collecting these will allow you to power up your
weapons and speed. Here's how that system works. With each capsule you
collect it'll show an icon for laser, ripple laser, missiles, speed
booster or forcefield. When the one you want lights up hit A to equip it.
Anyway, let's get on with the items.
6. Speed Booster: These are just great! Equip one and you can go faster for a
while. Be careful though, if you equip too many at one time you can cause
serious problems with maneuverability and get yourself killed.
7. Missile: Fires twin destructo missiles.
8. Laser: A plutonic laser beam, (my favorite weapon).
9. Ripple Laser: A more powerful laser which will take out enemies that are
scattered. I also try to get this whenever possible.
10. Forcefield: Protection against enemies.
11. Note: you lose any powerups you have when you die, so be careful.
12. 4. Controls
13. Directional pad: moves your ship around the screen.
14. A button: power up your ship, (need power capsules to do this).
15. B button: fire weapon.
16. Start Button: Pause while in a game or start a game.
17. Select button: Select one or two players
18. 5. Story and Walkthrough
19. A long time ago a pair of aliens gave birth to a savage little son-of-
a-bitch they named Zelos. As he grew older he got mean, and finally left
the nest to go on an eating spree. He devoured a total of 400 planets and
solar systems before anyone could stop him. Now it's your turn to become
Zelos's next meal. Go and destroy Zelos before it's too late!
20. Full Walkthrough
21. OK, now that we know about the controls, items and plot of the game,
let's get down to business! We gotta universe to save! I can't guide you
through this game step by step, (not in the same way someone like Dingo
Jellybean probably could anyway), but I will do my best to do it in my own
way. Since this is to my knowledge one of the first FAQs for Life Force
I'll try to be as detailed as possible, but you readers are free to E-mail
me concerning any mistakes, and I'll try to correct them. Anyway, I think
I'd better get on to the game itself or this will be very boring for you,
and I don't want that! Here's what each section of the walkthrough will
look like.
22. Level
23. Name of Stage
24. Enemies in this Level
25. Stage 1:
26. Cell Stage 1
27. Enemies in This Level: Balheim, Sharpcrosser, Death Hand, Octa
28. Oh Yeah! I just love the music in this level. Anyway, just work your
way through the level and kill any enemies you meet, (trying not to get
killed (, and be sure to collect the powerups and equip them by pressing
the A button. Note: staying alive isn't going to be easy here, so don't
get mad if you lose the first time, I myself can't complete this game
without cheating, and I would recommend a Game Genie so you can have
infinite lives, as even the thirty lives you get from the Conami Code will
quickly wear thin. Anyway, you'll eventually reach a boss.
29. Stage 1 Boss: Golem
30. This guy's a wimp! Just get positioned where you can hit him and keep
firing. Want a cool trick for playing two-player? Want to irritate player
one? Well then player two, here's how ya do it! Get all the way to the
right and then hold up and keep firing! Golem will die in an instant, and
player one won't be able to do any damage! However, don't do this if
you've got a friend who's got a temper.
31. Stage 2:
32. Volcanic Stage
33. Enemies in This Level: Ug, Balganis, Gremlin
Same strategy as stage 1, but those flames are going to pose a real threat to
you, so watch it! Kill off the monsters and get ready for the next boss, it
sometimes takes a long time to die.
34. Stage 2 boss: Cruiser Tetron
35. Another easy one, just don't get close to those arms or you'll die.
Keep firing at him and avoiding his arms and he'll eventually die. Note:
The boss music in this game is just perfect, wouldn't you say? Anyway,
after the battle you go on to stage 3, woo-hoo!
36. Stage 3:
37. The Prominence Stage
38. Enemies in This Level: Spitball, Prowler, Phoenix, Fire Sphere
39. This one can be kinda hard, since there's more of those flames from
level 2. Just avoid them, (easier said than done), and kill off the
enemies. Remember that if you have any powerups you will lose them when
you die, so be careful, especially if your new weapon is one you really
like. I know it always makes me mad when I lose the ripple laser. D'oh!
Anyway, on to boss 3!
40. Stage 3 boss: Intruder
41. This guy's absolutely pathetic. Just keep up a constant stream of
laserfire. The fireballs may take a few of your lives but if you are using
a Game Genie and you keep up firing it won't matter, because you can take
this guy down in way under a minute! Note: If you are not using a Game
Genie then avoid the Intruder's fireballs in whatever way works best for
you. After the battle it's time for stage 4, yippee!
42. Stage 4:
43. Cell Stage 2
44. Enemies in This Level: Bamuda, Jellyp
This one's kinda annoying, but it really isn't any different from the other
stages. The same rule applies, just fly through the level and kill stuff.
Power up if you want to. Eventually you will come to a laser. Avoid it,
(actually I think there are a few of them and they're spaced along the
walls). Just avoid them, (I don't know if you can destroy them), and soon
you'll fight the stage 4 boss.
45. Stage 4 boss: Tutanhamanattack
46. Easy as hell. Just fire away and don't get killed! After this you've
reached stage 5, Woo-hoo!
47. Stage 5:
48. Temple Stage
49. Enemies in This Level: Crash Bam, Lash
50. Yuck! I hate this one! To me it always seems longer than the others,
probably because of that damn mini-boss! By now you know the routine, fly
around and kill stuff. Soon the music will change to a familiar tune.
Recognize it? Have you played Gradius? This is the boss theme from that game.
51. Mini-boss:
52. This one's an absolute bastard as far as I'm concerned. He may be easy
for you but I have trouble with him and so he annoys me. Try to take as
little time as possible to kill him, since even though this is a good tune
it'll get very annoying if you take too long. The general strategy is the
same, just avoid him and fire away and you'll get him. After the battle
you don't get to go on to stage 6! Doh!
53. Stage 5 Section b: Not much further. Kill what you can and don't die.
Eventually you'll reach the boss.
54. Stage 5 Boss: Giga
55. This guy's easy, you just can't hit him until the ceiling stops
falling. Shoot him with whatever you have and you will defeat him. After
the battle you do get to go to stage 6! Woo-hoo!
56. Stage 6:
57. Mechanical City Stage:
58. Enemies in This Level: Amarkhand Heads, Iron Maiden, Glopter, Moay
59. This is it. You're at the final stage! Aren't you proud? You should be!
This is no easy game by any means! Proceed, (as if I need to say it
again), and you will soon reach your final battle!
60. Final Battle: Zelos!
61. Zelos has two forms, but first you have to fight his last barriers,
which look to me like Easter Island heads. It's not always easy to destroy
them, but it isn't super hard either.
62. Final Battle: Zelos's heart and soul
63. Form 1: The soul
64. This dragon-like being is easy, although he can be hard if you don't
know what you're doing. Just avoid him, (I think you have to take kind of
a long time on this guy to give his second form time to develop, but I
could be wrong). Anyway, avoid its attacks and fire away at it to destroy
it.
65. Form 2: The heart
66. Huh? The heart? Looks to me like a big giant eyeball. Just fire away at
it and it'll be gone! Important note!! YOU
MUST DESTROY BOTH THE DRAGON AND THE EYE OR YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BEAT
THE GAME!
67. Note: The following information will spoil the ending of the game, but
then I'm not forcing you to read ahead now, am I? Of course you don't have
to continue reading!
68. Ending: After you destroy Zelos's two forms you wait a few seconds and
a bunch of lasers will come out of the walls. If you use a Game Genie you
don't have to avoid them, since even if you keep dying you will beat the
game. If you aren't cheating though, avoid them in whatever way is best
for you. After you escape it flashes back to the planet as it explodes. It
also shows your jets flying away from the explosion. Then, to the
accompaniment of rather weird music, the credits roll. Note: If you do not
destroy both of Zelos's forms the lasers will still appear, but even if
you avoid them you will be sent back to stage 4, so be sure you knock them
both out.
69. Cheats:
70. I will provide the Game Genie codes I use most frequently when playing
this game, as well as one other useful cheat.
71. Game Genie Codes:
72. GZKZILVI Infinite lives, (invaluable in my opinion
73. Peutstaa start at stage 2
74. Zeutstaa start at stage 3
75. Leutstaa start at stage 4
76. Geutstaa start at stage 5
77. Ieutstaa start at stage 6
78. 30-life code: At the title screen you can get 30 lives by pressing up,
up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, and start. Note: For two
players to have 30 lives, press up twice, down twice, left, right, left,
right, B, A, Select and start.
79. Comments:
80. This has to be one of my all-time favorite NES games. I played it once
when I was 14 and only recently found a copy of my very
own.
I wouldn't sell this game for anything, not even a million bucks! Anyway,
I submitted a review for this game, and you can check it out at
HTTP://www.gamefaqs.com. This is my second try at posting a FAQ for Life Force
on Gamefaqs, (my first one was probably very unspecific), and that's probably
why I didn't get posted. Of course, the only really new thing I put here was
that I found the names of
the bosses and enemies. The first time I played this game, I didn't know
that Zelos had two parts, and so I would only kill one. It drove me insane
when I could never beat the game. The ending music was a little weird but
it did make one feel as if one was floating in outer space after a savage
battle. Though a little weird it sounded very good to me after many years
of not hearing it, (Yes, I just bought the game last year). Anyway, if
anyone's interested I do know where you can get MIDI renditions of this
game's excellent music, and they're very well-done in my opinion. To get
your own copy of the MIDI collection visit the following web site: Video
Game Music HTTP://www.vgmusic.com. And, as I said above, suggestions can be
sent to [email protected]. If you wantI'll credit you. However, unless
you say otherwise in your message, I will put your name and/or E-mail address
in the FAQ.
You gotta let me know if you don't want to be reachable! Anyway, enjoy
Life Force, and hopefully this FAQ was helpful to you!