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I. CONTROLS [CNTR]
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Controls can be changed on the title screen's "Key Configuration" option.
There are only two functions, with the expert being the best one to try out,
but unfortunately, analog function is not compatible with this game due to
how early in the Playstation's life it came out.
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| BUTTON | "NOVICE" SETUP FUNCTION | "EXPERT" SETUP FUNCTION |
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| D-Pad | Turn in chosen direction | Roll in chosen direction |
| Start | Un/pause game | Un/pause game |
| Select | Toggle first/third-person POV | Toggle first/third person POV |
| Circle | Fire missiles | Fire missiles |
| Square | (Hold) view large area map | (Hold) view large area map |
| Triangle | Cycle available targets | Cycle available targets |
| X-Button | Fire machine-gun | Fire machine-gun |
| L1 Button | Air brake (decelerator) | Air brake (decelerator) |
| L2 Button | ----------------------------- | Yaw left |
| R1 Button | Afterburner (accelerator) | Afterburner (accelerator) |
| R2 Button | ----------------------------- | Yaw right |
|___________|_______________________________|_______________________________|
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II. TIPS N' TRICKS [TPST]
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• Watch your fuel gauges! Other AC games may generally ignore this aspect,
or downplay it, but in some missions, the player starts off with a half
tank so dawdling is out of the question if y'wanna finish!
• When prioritizing targets, ground ("GRND") ones always give the highest
bonuses, often even compared to the target planes. Don't leave any of the
generic AA guns or non-essential targets left behind 'cause that cash can
go to better purposes.
• Do not shoot at planes flying perpendicular to your own flightpath. This
will just waste missiles. The most opportune position to defeat enemies is
the "six o'clock" position, or directly behind them -- and even then, it's
when they're not turning but cruising in a reasonably straight-ahead way.
Missiles don't have much maneuvering room, y'see. [The twelve o'clock
position (oncoming plane) works as well, as long as the player gets outta
the way before a collision happens.]
• If you're shot down, whatever plane you're flying is trashed and must be
rebought! Rather than shell out extra moolah, just load up the last save to
get back in shape.
• Without the fancy-schmancy controls of later AC games, one has to do a few
things old-school, especially locating the enemy. If you try to turn upward
and chase the enemy, the plane's direction sensors will go buggaboo and it
won't be very expedient. Instead, level out the plane and locate the plane
while on "stable footing," which is a good way to avoid any wasted time or
explosive contretemps (like flying into a skyscraper).
The first mission is typically the easiest for learning the craft and earning
one's wings, so either available plane can work here, although the F-14 might
be the better of the two choices despite mobility issues.
Luckily, mobility ain't much of a problem in this fight as the target supply
planes lumber through the skies in pairs, having no offensive capabilities.
However, for long-time fans of pilot games, the adjustment to having no
analog function may take a little while to overcome. Additionally, make sure
to lock-on before firing missiles or they'll go "dumb" (non-homing) right out
of the gate.
Now it's time to scramble to meet the inbound B-52 bomber squadron. Out of
all available planes, the F-14 is probably the most capable. Remember that
these enemies will be packing heavy payloads and won't be that maneuverable
either. However, since there's only half a tank of fuel for this mission, be
sure not to be wasteful...
Okay, so the squadron has the B-52 targets sandwiched between the escorters,
and while they aren't slow about retaliation, they'll be flying around trying
to coax the player into shooting them, ignoring the real threats. Like before,
it takes three missiles up the ol' tailpipe to sink these bad boys, so should
y'start running low, try to use machine-gun fire to get in a few hits. When
the first half of the squadron's downed, the second appears. It'll be the
same kind of scenario (or thereabouts) -- with them flying head-on toward
the player, so put a few missiles in their windshield.
When the enemies come a-knockin' in the sector, your plane's diverted to go
intercept and dogfight the unknown assailants. These guys will encircle the
player and try to go right for the advantageous "six o'clock" position, which
is right behind the player, for the uninitiated. Luckily, some loudmouth will
say "bogey on your six!" when the situation arises so pay attention to him
and the navmap (Square button) to see the whereabouts of the oncomers. Should
a missile lock-on prove fruitful for the enemy, the best way to evade is by
making a sharp turn -- missiles have a hard time dealing with such maneuvers
as you've probably found out. Most will recommend diving to evade, since it
has no break in speed, whereas lateral movements do and upturns may not be
fast enough.
Also, since these guys are rather mobile, it helps to not concentrate on one
target -- that sets up positions for the others to attack. Basically, if you
miss a shot, follow the target, and if another plane comes into view, try for
that one. [This strategy's employed in Ace Combat 4 as well.]
Now Unlocked (A'Craft): MIG-31, TNDF-2, F-15
Now Unlocked (Wingmen): William, Baron, Philip, Sergeo, Yully
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04) Night Attack on a Coastal City! [WK04]
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Reward ----: $7,000,000
Recommended: F/A-18
Difficulty : 4/10
As the briefing explains, this mission will be about neutralizing the enemy
threat in Donet City, which includes fighters, of course, but also two HQ
buildings -- ground targets! The option to "launch with support" is also
available, giving the player a wingman (AI-controlled plan) to watch his
back. They're payed on a per-mission basis, and frankly, they're not worth
the $$$ outflow as they rarely do anything but act as a meat shield. They can
be told to: guard my tail, secure the construct, or on your own, each having
a different agenda.
Once the mission begins, the interception will start. Ground targets appear
as yellow dots on the map and have AA Guns (or a SAM), so fire missiles and
pull up to avoid needless damage. Because movement in this game isn't quite
as refined as later installments, it helps to take out fringe ground targets
to avoid drawing the others' fire -- that means perhaps playing the mission a
few times to get the hang of it. [The skyscrapers have no means of returning
fire, though...they're skyscrapers...] Upriver, the situation is much the
same as it is on the waterfront.
Luckily, an entire tank of fuel is devoted to this mission so one can lollygag
a bit in getting it done. If you want to conserve missiles, though, remember
that buildings and ground targets only need one missile to be destroyed.
NOTE: It shouldn't need to be said, but because it's night, sea level looks
like a big sheet of black, so always pay attention to the altimeter so
y'don't park the plane right into a hillside or Davy Jones' Locker.
[Target buildings also do not glow red like on the minimap like planes
do!]
Now Unlocked (A'Craft): F-4 (yes, again -- this one's green and inferior)
Now Unlocked (Wingmen): Riho
Now Unlocked (Mission): #5, #6
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05) Destroy Pipe-Lines! [WK05]
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Reward ----: $120,000,000
Recommended: F/A-18 (or: any plane with good defense)
Difficulty : 4.5/10
To cripple the enemy's infrastructure, it's time to let the black gold flow!
The target: the oil fields and refinery at the pipeline's end. The F/A-18
multirole is really the best for the job here, too, so don't bother shelling
out for any mediocre crap (that includes wingmen, although Riho is available
for a hefty 5mil sum if y'need his assistance).
This mission is essentially a festival of ground targets in close proximity,
with a few planes circling overhead. Take out the few AA guns and the sky's
security, then ravage the oil tankers when they're all alone. This raiding's
repeated three times on the other oil fields/derricks, which don't initially
appear on the map but can be located by following the pipelines away from
the refinery. [The northern pipeline leads to no targets, for reference.]
Watch out for SAMs strung along the longest of the pipelines -- they're able
to pick off injured planes quite easily!
As a tip, it's best not to fly too low on this level. Yeah, it's a flat ol'
desert, but when turning, it's quite easy to lose altitude and hit a giant
dune on the upswing.
NOTE: Ground targets can be destroyed with one missile, so don't double-fire
if you can help it. And if you can't help it, contact a psychiatrist. :P
Now Unlocked (A'Craft): A-10
Now Unlocked (Wingmen): Timothy
Now Unlocked (Mission): #7
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06) Destroy Production Site [WK06]
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Reward ----: $8,400,000
Recommended: F/A-14 -or- A-10
Difficulty : 4/10
This sortie to destroy the enemy's resources and power plant seems like a
run-of-the-mill excursion, but the briefing says that there are stealth
fighters operating in the area. What this means is, they won't appear on the
radar -- visual identification is key! Of course, if you've seen the F-117
Stealth craft available for purchase, you'll know these types of craft give
up all their usefulness in exchange for fooling radar, so it's not like they
pose much of a threat.
There's really two things to take care of in this mission: (1) construction
and refinery equipment rises above the landscape, so be careful not to crash
into it when doing blind turns -- it's quite embarrassing (2) the F-117s may
get some missile locks in, so be careful not to get sandwiched between them
and groundfire.
And because the ground forces cluster, it's important to not get too greedy.
Prioritize the AA guns over the targets, or you'll just open yourself up to
unnecessary damage. Play it wisely and the foes' stealth bombers will end
up below the radar...way, way below the radar. Like subsea levels. ;p
This is quite a fun machine, because it requires precision flying -- thus,
the player should pick an aircraft with good mobility over clunky bombers or
similar. The entire mission takes place in a ravine which the player has to
carefully navigate, less he crash nose-first into one of the scenic canyon
walls. A few copters are scattered around here but since one can't fly very
fast here (for safety reasons), they're often sitting ducks facing the wrong
way. At the end, shoot the radar dish to end the mission.
In order to navigate carefully, don't even hit the speed button and don't
do any weird maneuvers -- simply pressing left/right to go around corners'll
suffice. Overcomplicate this and you'll be seeing the 'mission failure' tag
quite a lot! [NOTE: If you fly out of the canyon, it's also a failure, just
in a funnier way.] Also, make sure to fly in first-person POV; anything else
may be harder.
You're not gettin' much scratch for this mission's reward, so let out your
frustration on the upcoming bomber-bashing bonanza! The goal is to strike a
squadron of B-2s as they're inbound to make some new victims. As we've seen
many times before, these bombers are slow as molasses so any plane available
can help bring 'em down -- the F/14 or A-2 is recommended, just for their
high mobility.
Once the mission start over the gravy sea (well, it's brown enough...), some
plane groups will be flying, these ones normal fighters -- make it their
last training exercise. The stealth bombers in particular put up little
fight. The real "oomph" of this level is the island runway in the north,
where the geography rises all above it, making it hard to get good missile
trajectories. The tiny breaks in the sheer cliff walls allow one to fly low
and get the unused planes good. It's still a good idea to take out all of the
cliff AA guns and circling fighters first, though. Just remember to take it
slow -- y'got a full tank of gas for this sucker.
Now Unlocked (A'Craft): F-16, MiG-31
Now Unlocked (Wingmen): ---
Now Unlocked (Mission): #12, #15
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09) Destroy Military Port Facilities! [WK09]
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Reward ----: $8,400,000
Recommended: F/A-14 (A-10 may be too slow)
Difficulty : 3/10
This is another run-of-the-mill mission, although it's set in the sunny west
ocean. Like usual, there are a few squadrons en route to the main target,
this time being the refinery island used by the enemy's navy. It consists of
two ports on either side of the mountain, with a manmade trench cut through
the to connect the two -- of course, this offers easy access to and from.
The eastern refinery's defenses are slim and they only have a few ack-acks
to protect the tanks, while the western shipyard is a lot more fortified.
The objective in the shipyard is to take out the warships which have a new
sophisticated missile system. If y'haven't gotten a missile lock in awhile,
you almost definitely will here -- unless you stay far away and pick at the
defenses. If the current plane has low defense, this mission can actually end
in failure _not_ due to pilot error! You'll also notice some of the planes
using a bit more advanced tactics, such as the begining MiGs doing the old
bait routine, where one flies far out in front and the other tries to come
up behind.
This is a change of pace, in that there's an allied (NPC) plane to guard as
it tries to land on the enemy runway for the VIP extraction. Thus, there's a
big rule: don't fly far away from the friendly! It'll be the white dot on the
map, so be its escort and shoot down the first couple of waves, which are
just "grunt" AV-8s and such (although for poor-mobility planes, they'll seem
like speed demons). The friendly aircraft stays at a constant northbound
flightpath, so if you're trying to maximize the score -- some targets are a
bit out-of-the-way -- take care of local fighters first. [There's also only
a half-full fuel tank for this...lame.]
Mission ends when all fighters are defeated. A player should be able to
sleepwalk through these kinds of excursions by now, huh?
Now Unlocked (A'Craft): SU-27, R-C01
Now Unlocked (Wingmen): Juliette
Now Unlocked (Mission): #12
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11) Repel Enemy from Captured Port [WK11]
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Reward ----: $1,200,000
Recommended: SU-27
Difficulty : 4/10
After capturing the enemy's resupply port in mission #9, now the enemy's come
around to its old haunt, looking to recapture. As the general says during the
briefing, even one stealth bomber can spell disaster, so in addition to the
normal "game over" rules, letting the bombers reach the island also applies.
The new SU-27 should've already been bought by now, and it'll be the current
fave for awhile.
Luckily for the player, the enemy's bomber fleet is slow (as usual!) and its
escorts are two-shot kills (like usual!), so there's not any new tactics to
employ a la mission #7. However, since the enemy comes in one huge gaggle, as
opposed to separate far-spaced squadrons, be careful not to let the enemies
get missile locks just 'cause you're too lazy to switch targets! The bombers
will be constantly northwest-bound, so if you stop to play with the escorts,
be careful not to let 'em get too far away.
This time, it's about bringing chaos to the enemy's naval theater, where the
vessels are the main targets and the escort fighters are just meant to be
swatted around like flies. Like before, some ships are equipped with that
fancy-schmancy missile defense system, and flying near them activates it with
alarming accuracy (even if one flies low). Thus, to avoid any nasty midair
mishaps, pick off ships one by one, doing high-speed fly-bys. [Other ships
just have AA guns, so they're less damaging.]
Squadron-wise, two are flying around the southernmost fleet, while the north
warship apart from the others has its own F-14 detail. When all of the navy
is waterlogged, then it's time to ATB!
Somehow that pesky enemy force manages to keep their troops supplied, despite
the allied forces bustin' up their refineries, so it's the player's job to
reconnoiter the enemy's region and see what's going on. Any bogey patrols're
supposed to be destroyed as well, which makes this hands-on spy mission less
different from the others. [Using a stealth plane may be fun but their low
defenses make this mission harder than need be.]
When the player reaches the big black blotch on the map, being the barren
mesa area, a pack of F-15s and YF-23s will converge, and if you're level with
the former they can actually shoot y'down quite easily -- play it safe! When
all planes are done, that's it...pretty short mission.
Recon work has identified the final fuel depot, and the enemy's prizefighters
are out for this theater of operations. Choose a plane suitable for quick
fighting, basically anything with good mobility and decent defense (SU-27,
for instance). Any slowtastic bomber or something will probably get shot up
a bit.
Each of the targets, two bases and power stations, are guarded by a group of
fighters. Along the pipeline, often before reaching each refinery section,
a few helicopters can be found (they only take one missile like before). As
long as one's patient, scrapping each section and its protectors, then there
isn't much to fret about. Just remember that the solar panels are irregular-
-shaped and y'may have to come at the pillbox/AA guns at different angles,
or the missile shots may trash into the scenery. Also, watch out for stealth
craft (YF-23s) who may suddenly appear and get a missile lock!
The northern section is the most dangerous, with the enemy SU-27s flying
around the launch pad (!?) structure, which has about five AA guns around
it. Either fly high enough that they don't get in potshots (especially if
one's highly damaged) or let the planes fly outside the guns' range. That
about wraps it up, although the targets on the central structure itself need
precision firing, or the missile shots just detonate on obstructions.
[This mission also gets the privelege of being one of the few where one may
end up emptying the entire missile supply!]
Now Unlocked (A'Craft): EF-2000
Now Unlocked (Wingmen): Fritz
Now Unlocked (Mission): ---
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15) Take a Fortress! [WK15]
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Reward ----: $28,500,000
Recommended: SU-27 (or the defense-heavy A-10)
Difficulty : 6/10
Commandeering a stronghold is the next mission, which will be done by kayoing
the suspension bridge, then going through its airport like a tornado! There
will be plenty of SAMs (surface-to-air missiles) so be sure to bring a mobile
craft in, not some old-age clunker valuing defense over speed.
The flight south to the airport starts with a bunch of inbound pairs of
SF-39s and F-14s, flying around the lone highway's starting point. This is
no difficulty in itself (although they're agile), but there are some AA guns
stationed around here so take those out first. The highway south to Scorpion
Island will have a few planes intercepting the player, and some of the tinier
islands have AA guns entrenched on the hillside -- only certain trajectories
will hit 'em! Note that the planes will split up and one will try to get on
the player's six, so be ready to shake off any lock-ons!
The suspension bridge has emplacements on its two-lane, but flying underneath
can work better for cover -- take care not to hit the pylons below or the
trusswork above. Take out all the AA guns at either end before bothering with
the highway's destruction...that tactic should be obvious by now.
Toward the final island, there will be a lot of SAMs to deal with, and the
only safe way is picking them off one at a time while avoiding the others'
sights. As long as y'don't fly through the thick of things, it shouldn't be
that hard to get through -- and really, the worst is over by this point. When
all targets are done, the mission ends.
This will be the hardest mission so far: the fighter pilots are slippery and
y'may waste missiles, and the ground emplacements are annoyances. It's quite
easy to find out you're in missile lock without seeing anyone around, so be
sure to look out for stealth crafts.
NOTE: By the time you reach the suspension bridge, the enemy will probably
get in a free missile hit if you don't maneuver out of it -- and this
is actually quite hard! The best idea is to fly south straight for the
suspension bridge, which often breaks the lock-ons. Don't dally!
Another ravine mission! Like the previous one, flying out of the canyon is
an instant SAM-delivered game over, so navigating the valley is the only
option (no wingman available). And, also similar to before, only helicopters
are patrolling that area. The speed is locked in at 475 miles per hour and
use first-person POV for precision flying. The dearth of challenging enemies
means this mission's quite bland compared to the immediate predecessor. If
y'want a dogfighting ravine level, you'll have to buy Ace Combat 5! Mission
accomplished once y'reach the tunnel exit.
PS: Try not to blindly turn into any corners! Don't fiddle too much with the
altitude either, or you'll hit the ceiling.
Here's the climax of the game: the final mission! Ominously, the general
says this may be your "final task"... Pick a plane with good mobility and
defense! The SU-27/A-10 warhorses should be sufficient for this task, like
usual. With the huge cash reserve you've undoubtedly built up, hire a good
wingman for this one, such as Hal or Rhio
So, the final plane is a gigantic flying ship with a plethora of targets to
shoot down on its back -- AA guns, adjunct parts, engines, the whole works.
What's worse, the targets regenerate after about 10 seconds! However, the
true targets (engines) will not regenerate, and each is destroyed after four
missile shots. Although trailing the craft and just taking it easy sounds
like a winning gameplan, the SAMs and such will continually pester, so at
least keep up some movement.
When all engines are done, the plane will slow glide towards the ocean. But,
it still has gun capabilities! Destroy the underside of its hull, then when
the target switches to the top, hammer the bridge until the entire thing is
a explosion-makin', slowdive-performin', hunkajunk scrap heap!
(If you played on hard, mission selecting will now be available!)
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VI. UNLOCKABLES [UNLK]
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When a mission is completed, sometimes a new plane or wingman is available
for purchase/hiring. Some missions don't allow wingmen to accompany, and they
can only be hired on a per-mission basis. Only one craft of each type can be
purchased at a time, except for duplicates shown in the showroom -- dunno why
this happens (related to fought enemies?). Also, when a plane is destroyed in
battle, it can't be used again -- a replacement of sorts must be rebought and
it seems to increase the price each time.
____ _______________________ _____________________________________________
| M# | PLANE (PRICE) | WINGMEN (RANK/PLANE/WAGE) |
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| -- | F-4 ($ 750,000) | ------------------------------------------- |
| -- | F-14 ($3,000,000) | ------------------------------------------- |
| 01 | F-117 ($2,400,000) | ------------------------------------------- |
| 02 | F/A-18 ($?????????) | ------------------------------------------- |
| 03 | MiG-31 ($3,600,000) | William (Rookie - F-4 - $1,000,000) |
| | TNDF-2 ($2,400,000) | Baron (Veteran - F-117 - $1,000,000) |
| | F-15 ($2,400,000) | Philip (Rookie - TNDF-2 - $2,000,000) |
| | | Sergeo (Rookie - F-14 - $3,000,000) |
| | | Yully (Veteran - MiG-31 - $3,000,000) |
| 04 | F-4 ($ 750,000) | Riho (Veteran - F/A-18 - $5,000,000) |
| 05 | A-10 ($?????????) | Timothy (Veteran - MiG-29 - $5,000,000) |
| 06 | MiG-29 ($1,500,000) | Sally (Veteran - A-10 - $6,000,000) |
| 07 | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| 08 | F-16 ($1,500,000) | ------------------------------------------- |
| | MiG-31 ($3,600,000) | ------------------------------------------- |
| 09 | YF-23 ($5,400,000) | Joe (Veteran - F-15 - $7,000,000) |
| | | Bill (Veteran - F-16 - $8,000,000) |
| 10 | SU-27 ($2,400,000) | Juliette (Veteran - EF-2000 - $9,000,000) |
| | R-C01 ($3,900,000) | ------------------------------------------- |
| 11 | R-C01 ($3,900,000) | Martin (Ace - YF-23 - $10,000,000) |
| 12 | SF-39 ($3,000,000) | Ana (Ace - R-C01 - $10,000,000) |
| | | Yang (Ace - SU-27 - $11,000,000) |
| 13 | SF-39 ($3,000,000) | ------------------------------------------- |
| 14 | EF-2000 ($1,500,000) | Fritz (Ace - SF-39 - $13,000,000) |
| 15 | F-22 ($5,400,000) | Hal (Ace - F-22 - $15,000,000) |
| 16 | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| 17 | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
|____|_______________________|_____________________________________________|
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V. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS [FAQZ]
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[Q] - How do I unlock mission select?
[A] - Beat all missions on 'Hard Mode'.
[Q] - What's the point of hiring wingmen?
[A] - Wingmen aren't that useful in the long run (or at all, depending on
who you ask) but they can occasionally score a kill or act as a "meat
shield" to draw fire away from the player. The level of their ability
correlates to how good they perform, naturally, but the gap between
Rookie and Ace doesn't seem that big, noticeably.
[Q] - What's so good about stealth planes?
[A] - They trade in (often) crappy stats for stealth capabilities, which
allows them to get closer to the enemy without them becoming aware of
it. This works for the enemy too, and they'll occasionally be able to
get in some potshots or disappear from the radar due to that function.
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VI. UPDATES & CONTRIBUTORS [UPDT]
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09-20-09 ------------------------+ Started walkthrough
09-23-09 ------------------------+ Finished walkthrough
THANKS TO...
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• Sailor/Ceej, for hostin' my crap
• Namco, for sating my appetite for airplane games. AC f0r Lyfe!
NOTES TO SELF/THINGS I NEED
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• F/A-18, A-10 initial pricings
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VII. LEGALITY [LGLT]
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This document is intended for private home use ONLY, and may not be reproduced
through electronic or commercial means without the expressed consent of the
author (P. Summers). It cannot be hosted, edited, or distributed for profit,
and may not be given away as an add-in/gift to bought items. All rights are
reserved to respective parties, even those not explicitly stated herein. Those
who find this document on sites not listed below should e-mail the author (me).
Thanks for reading this, and thanks for respectin' FAQ authors.
