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Millipede
FAQ V 1.0
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By Mariner, 2004
Latest Addition - 8/21/04
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Table of Contents
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I. Pseudo Legal Stuff
II. Updates
III. The Basics
A. Introduction
B. Modes of Play
IV. Enemies and Point Values
A. The Millipede
B. Ground Enemies
1. Spiders
2. Ladybugs
C. Aerial Bombardment
1. Mayflies
2. Mosquitos
3. Dragonflies
D. Bonus Creatures
1. Inch worms
2. Longicorns
V. Miscellaneous
A. Special Levels
B. Extra Lives
C. Hints and Tips
VI. Contact Information
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I. Pseudo Legal Stuff
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You know the drill...
This FAQ is written by Mariner for
http://www.gamefaqs.com only.
Do not use without permission
If you would like to use this FAQ in any way, email me first
Email:
[email protected]
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II. Updates
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Version Sections Description Date
------- -------- ----------- ----
V 1.0 I-VI Finished everything, basically 8 - 21 - 03
No more updates of FAQ planned. If you think anything should be added, please
let me know at
[email protected]
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III. The Basics
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A. INTRODUCTION
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I hope most of you have heard of Millipede before, or at least Centipede. In
any case, Millipede is the sequel to the classic arcade hit Centipede. Its
predecessor had been around since the 70s, and was ported to numerous machines,
including the Atari, Commodore 64, and Intellivision. Millipede hit the
arcades in 1982, providing a much needed update to the series. HAL Labs was
responsible for porting it to the NES, and it arrived in 1988. Or at least
that's the copyright date.
So what is it about these games? Basically, it's a top down shooter with a
static screen. In other words, there is two dimensional movement, and the
screen does not scroll like, say 1942. You control a spaceship or an archer or
something (no, you really can't tell), and your goal is to destroy the bugs you
see around you. Your movement is limited to only the bottom fourth of the
screen, but that should be all you need. Although there are all sorts of bugs
around you, you should focus on the millipede. Its body is segmented into
multiple parts, and you must destroy them all to move on to the next level.
Play continues in this manner, becoming more hectic all the time. It should
also be noted that mushrooms block your path as well, and must be shot to be
eliminated.
Millipede offers a variety of improvements over Centipede. In short:
- More enemies. All sorts of different creatures attack you constantly, vastly
increasing the difficulty and hectic-ness of play.
- The area you can move in has a grey background, as opposed to simply black.
In other words, it's a slight cosmetic change that lets you know your
boundaries.
- Variety of play. Certain levels change in style from the basic "kill every
piece of Millipede you can find." Slightly refreshing.
- Mushrooms take more hits to kill. DDT bombs have also been added.
B. MODES OF PLAY
-----------------
You have a choice of four options when you begin the game. You can play single
player mode in mode A or B, or 2 player mode in A or B. In 2 player mode, each
player takes turns playing, with separate scores counted for each. Sadly, no
co-op play here. A and B simply refers to the level of difficulty. The main
differences between these two levels are:
- In mode A, you start with only one spider on the screen at any given time.
At level 9, two will start to appear at a time, and finally three will be on
screen at any given time when you hit level 13. In mode B, however, three
spiders will be present from the beginning.
- In mode A, only one type of flying bug is present from the very beginning.
Other types will start to appear as you move forward through the game. In mode
B, two types will be present in the beginning, and the third will later appear.
- Enemies will occur more frequently in the early levels of mode B than they do
in mode A.
So basically, mode B simply speeds you into the game. Once you get to around
level 13 or so, there is no discernable difference between the two types. If
you like a learning curve to start you out, choose A. If you want to rush
headlong into the dangers, choose B.
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IV. The Enemies
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A. THE MILLIPEDE
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Points: 100 per segment
The main enemy of the game. This guy is segmented into 8 parts, and all
must be killed in order to advance to the next level. His movements are
simple. He enters at the top of the screen and moves either left or right.
When he hits either a wall or a mushroom, he reverses his direction and drops
down one row closer to you. If you knock out some pieces, the remaining ones
will continue in the same fashion as before. It is quite possible then to
knock out the middle, and watching the front and back go their separate ways.
In any case, how quickly they move down depends upon the concentration of
mushrooms; the less there are, the longer they stay in the safe area.
When a segment reaches the very bottom of the screen, it moves up one row.
However, a new segment also appears, coming from either the top left or top
right corner of the grey area. A new one will continue to appear for every row
that the segment moves up. In other words, if you don't kill them all before
they reach the bottom, you're pretty much screwed.
It should also be noted that, in the later levels, the millipede often appears
already fragmented. Instead of all the segments being together in one straight
line, they are all over the place, making it harder to kill the entire
millipede in a few quick shots.
When you kill a segment, it leaves behind a mushroom.
You should definitely focus on killing these guys in every moment that you are
not in mortal danger. After all, the quicker you kill them, the quicker you
can advance to the next level. You definitely want to knock them out before
they hit the grey area, as the mushrooms they leave behind are annoying to move
around (not to mention the problem once they hit the bottom). Use whatever you
can to kill them all, it's the main focus of the game after all!
B. GROUND TROOPS
-----------------
These folk tend to spend most of their time in the grey area, wasting valuable
space and giving you something else to worry about. Chances are, these are the
guys that kill you most often.
1. SPIDERS
Points: 300, 600, 900, or 1200
Spiders are the largest enemies in the game. They're also the deadliest. They
enter and exit randomly through the sides of the stage, and a maximum of three
will be around at any time. They move in a W like pattern - consistently
moving around diagonally. Occasionally they will also move vertically, but
never solely horizontally. Their maximum height appears to be above the grey
area, and so will not always be in your way.
The point value, by the way, appears to be random.
Spiders also eat mushrooms, and so can be very useful in cleaning up down in
the grey area. But since they constantly reappear, there's no reason to keep
them alive. Kill them whenever you can, and watch them always. They kill you
far more often than anything else, and so should be your biggest concern,
besides the millipede, of course. You can also rack up a lot of points by
focusing on them.
2. LADYBUGS
Points: 300
These gals are quite annoying. They enter through one of the sides and
immediately move down. They then continue their trek across the stage, but
they often move up into the black area first. Then they simply walk off. Up
to two of them can be on the stage at a time.
What's annoying about them, however, is that any mushroom they walk over turns
into a flower. Flowers cannot be destroyed, and your arrows cannot go through
them. In other words, they act as barriers, and annoying ones at that. Also,
any time you kill a ladybug, the screen shifts downwards one space. In other
words, all of the mushrooms and DDT will move down one space, although all
enemies stay put. The only other item of note is that they are the only bug
that doesn't have a sound effect. So you'll have to look out for them.
Because of the annoyances that these flowers bring you, I recommend watching
these guys closely. Since they immediately move down after entering the stage,
it's sometimes tough to get under them in time to kill them. If that is the
case, just wait until they start moving up again and blast them. Spiders and
DDT will still destroy the flowers, but why give them time to appear?
C. AERIAL BOMBARDMENT
----------------------
These critters fly from the top of the screen to the bottom, attempting to kill
you in the process. They move pretty quickly too, so you better watch out.
These guys come in three different types, and you'll be meeting them often in
your journey. Also, these types of bugs leave behind mushrooms, so you may
want to kill them before they make the playing field too dense. Even worse,
you cannot finish the level and move on to the next until they are all off the
screen. So don't say I didn't warn you when you wiped out the millipede, yet
still died and restarted the same level. Annoying, eh?
1. MAYFLIES
Points: 200
These guys are actually rather boring. All they do is make a bee-line for
land. In other words, they will appear at the top of the screen and simply
fall straight down. This means that they are both easy to avoid and easy to
hit. Take your pick. On the other hand, because they only move straight down,
they are also the fastest of this type. Mayflies will appear on level 1 and
continue to harass you for a long time, so keep your eyes peeled. Also, it
should be noted that they are the only enemy in level 4 (see section V. A).
2. MOSQUITOS
Points: 500
The second group of aerial killers, and these guys will give you more than an
itch. Mosquitos are bluish creatures that basically zigzag their way down the
screen. As such, they are harder to hit then the mayflies, and have a greater
chance at killing you. On the other hand, they are still predictable (there
is no randomness to their motion), and they are also the slowest. As such, I'd
say they are easier than the mayflies, and shouldn't pose a problem. You'll
start to see them early on, and a whole host of them will greet you when you
reach level 8.
3. DRAGONFLIES
Points: 400
Finally, a flying creature that actually looks like the thing it's supposed to
represent. Anyways, these are the last, but not the deadliest, of the winged
bugs. They will fly at a diagonal, and switch directions when they hit a wall.
Sure, one can easily predict where they will end up, but you do have to watch
them. And, occasionally, one will manage to surprise you, so be careful. They
are slightly slower than mosquitos, but a bit harder to hit. You will meet
these guys in force on level 12, but they start to appear around level 10.
D. BONUS CREATURES
-------------------
Well, this is nice. For once, these bugs aren't trying to kill you! These
guys are outside of the grey area, and merely walk from right to left. They
can't hurt you, but they do give you lots of points if you smack them.
1. INCHWORMS
Points: 300
Inchworms will appear fairly close to the grey area, but never in it. They
appear from one side and move to the other, but never move vertically. Thus,
they are perfectly harmless yet still fairly easy to kill. However, they are
only worth 300 points, and you'll have a hard enough time staying alive. Kill
them if you can, but I wouldn't focus on it. It's just not worth it.
2. LONGICORNS
Points: 1000
No, I'm not making that name up. That's actually what they call these guys in
the instruction manual. Anyways, longicorns tend to appear higher up on the
screen than the inchworms do, thereby making them harder to hit. Like the
inchworms, they enter from one side of the screen and leave on the other side.
In any case, I do suggest you pay attention to these guys. 1000 points is a
lot, and it only requires a momentary break in concentration. Unless you're
getting swamped by baddies, try to kill them when you get the chance.
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V. Miscellaneous
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A. SPECIAL LEVELS
------------------
To break up the mood, Millipede has a few bonus levels scattered throughout.
Basically, every four levels (4,8,12), there is no millipede. Instead,
you get bombarded by one of the different types of flying bugs listed above.
Mayflies attack on level 4, mosquitos on level 8, and dragonflies on level 12.
Then, the pattern repeats itself. They simply fall down towards you for
awhile, and then the game moves on. A couple things to note:
If you die during one of these levels, you automatically move on to the next
level. Kind of nice, eh?
There's no chance in heck of you killing them all, and they leave behind lots
of mushrooms. In other words, these levels are made to restock the forest, so
to speak. So I suggest trying to kill as many of them as you can (and not just
avoiding them) so as to keep the playing field somewhat clear.
The other special level of note is level 10. Basically, the screen gets all
screwed up for a few seconds at the beginning, with mushrooms apparantly
winking in and out of existence, not to mention appearing larger or smaller.
Actually, what is happening is that all the mushrooms are shifting one space to
the left. You can still move around during this, and shoot and all, but the
mushrooms are invincible. Also, there's massive slowdown involved as well.
This only happens on level 10, only once per game, so don't worry about it too
much.
B. EXTRA LIVES
---------------
Yes, there are extra lives in this game. In both modes, you start with three
extra lives. Every 20,000 points, you get an extra one. And, in case you
forgot how to multiply, the game tells you when the next one's coming up at the
bottom of the screen. Naturally, you'll be too busy to be looking down there
most of the time, so a pleasant charm rings when you make it to your goal.
C. TIPS
--------
First thing's first. Keep firing. Always. Even if there's no enemies around
you, you can at least clear mushrooms. Just hold down the fire button and
never let go; it makes life easier.
Spiders will undoubtedly be your worst enemy, causing the most damage. So
always be on the lookout for them. Unfortunately, they respawn quickly, and so
killing them off is almost useless. Still, try to get rid of them while you
have the chance.
Use the DDT bombs to your advantage! It is not unheard of to wipe out the
entire millipede with one DDT shot. Just make sure you get a clear opening to
it, and time your shot carefully. You even get 300 points per millipede killed
rather than the usual 100.
Speaking of killing millipedes easily, it will occasionally get stuck between a
wall and a row of mushrooms, allowing it to move downward relatively quickly.
On the other hand, it's rather simple to just wipe it out when its stuck there.
Keep on a lookout for when this happens. Of course, this only applies to the
earlier levels when the millipede is all in one piece.
When the millipede is in the grey area bearing down on you and there are at
least two pieces connected, watch out. When you kill one, it turns into a
mushroom. So if you hit the one in front, it will become a mushroom, causing
the ones behind it to turn around and drop down. So if you're under it when
that happens, you could get smacked. Thus, I recommend trying to hit the back
ones first and work your way forward.
When you die, all partially destroyed mushrooms become whole, and all flowers
turn into mushrooms. When you kill a ladybug or finish a level, the mushrooms
all drop down one level. Just thought you might like to know.
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VI. Contact Information
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Questions? Comments? Complaints? Suggestions? Errors? Anything else?
Email me at
[email protected] Thanks.
There's a good chance you will get a reply.
