==============================Code of the Samurai=============================
=General Walkthrough=
Created by Ethel
Copyright (c) Ethel
[email protected]
Author's note: This FAQ is to appear strictly on GameFAQs website ONLY. No
part of this FAQ is to be copied or used anywhere else without my permission.
Version 1.0: 12th September 2008
***********************************CONTENTS***********************************
--Introduction
--Basic game mechanics
--Missions
-->Main [MM01]
-->Optional [OM01]
--Combos and ougis [CO01]
--Main characters [MC01]
--Frequently asked questions [FQ01]
--Credits
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<===INTRODUCTION===>
Code of the Samurai(in EU) or Shinsengumi Gunrou den(in JP) is a hack-and-
slash game that first came out in 2005 in Japan and then in 2007 in Europe.
This walkthrough is not meant to be a fully detailed one as it's best to
explore and beat the game on your own to fully enjoy this kind of games. This
walkthrough is to provide some "help" for those who need an extra reference
for getting the mechanics of how to hack-and-slash or when "stuck" at certain
parts of the game.
Please take note that the walkthrough is based on the EU version of the game
and apart from controller button functions, there's bound to be some other
differences if you are playing the JPN version. Also, I have not gotten around
to finishing the game in other difficulties so let's just say this game faq is
based on the NORMAL difficulty as according to my own personal gameplay
experience. Lastly, suggestions on ways to fight bosses etc are solely my own
and if you have better strategies, feel free to use yours and bother not about
mine.
<===BASIC GAME MECHANICS==>
This game is mainly about running around places and attacking enemies.
->1)FIXING CAMERA ONTO ENEMIES
When you approach an enemy, you will want to keep him in your view the entire
time you fight him. Simply press the L1 button once when you are nearing an
enemy and you'll see a small yellow triangle on top of the enemy's head. In
case you are wondering, there's no need to hold down the L1 button anymore.
One tap is enough. When there are multiple enemies, tap the L1 button to
rotate among them.
->2)NORMAL ATTACKS
To have Okita Souji(your main character) attack, press the SQUARE button. The
game allows you to execute normal attacks up to 3 times == press the SQUARE
button 3 times. You can stop anywhere in between. Normal attacks take off very
little HP and I suggest only using them when the enemy's not attacking you.
Pressing the TRIANGLE button will launch an attack which takes time to execute
but will break an enemy's defense(if enemy is blocking) or knock the enemy
down(if enemy's not blocking). This little TRIANGLE attack can be useful when
fighting multiple enemies to buy some time to finish off an enemy while the
other is down.
->3)BLOCK
To block an enemy's attack, press the R1 button and hold it down and Okita
will be in the blocking stance.
->4)DODGE AND COMBOS
Dodging and Combo attacks are linked. In other words, you cannot execute Combo
attacks unless you dodge an enemy's attack. This is really the main way you
should use to fight the enemies through the entire game.
When an enemy is about to attack Okita, you will see mainly two items. An
exclamation mark and a D-pad look-alike thing on the screen. In order to make
a successfuly dodge, you are supposed to see which arrow on the D-pad is
blinking and move the analogue stick in that direction and press the X button
as quickly as possible. There are really just four main directions: up, down,
left and right. I'll give an example to make things clearer.
E.g: Down arrow on screen is blinking.
To dodge, move the analogue stick down and press the X button at the same
time.
There are cases where you have two blinking arrows(e.g: left and right) and
you can move your analogue stick in either direction and press the X button.
Now once you managed to have Okita dodge, you'll be able to execute Combo
attacks.
**SIDE NOTE**: Enemies using thrust attacks(unlike slash/shoot) tend to give
you a shorter reaction time period to dodge. If you're not sure
whether you can dodge in time, it's best to keep a certain
distance and use DOWN+X(move Okita down) to see the enemy's
pattern(most normal enemies have a fixed one) so you can get
the direction of the dodge correctly.
Combos attacks are really pressing the SQUARE button with the correct timing.
You can verify the different combos as well as their button timing at the
in-game screen under the "Status" option. To link combos(up to 4 of them),
simply press TRIANGLE button(instead of SQUARE) at the very last input of your
combo string. You will then get to input the next combo string.
E.g: SQUARE SQUARE SQUARE [TRIANGLE] SQUARE SQUARE SQUARE SQUARE will give you
two Oboro naru ni combos.
->5)OUGIS
Ougis are linked to Combo attacks as well. To perfom an Ougi, complete at
least one Combo string and then press the R2 button. A bar will come up near
the bottom and you are supposed to input the Ougi's button combination(same
as Combos, you'll need to verify what are the combinations and remember them,
thankfully unlike Combos, Ougis have no button timing required), once you
managed to do it before the time limit's up, Okita will perform the Ougi.
->6)MASTER MODE
Master mode can be activated when the crescent shaped bar at the top left
of the screen fills up. Press the L2 button. In this mode, attack range is
larger and penetrating enemy's defense with normal attacks is possible.
->7)BACKUP OFFICERS AND SPECIAL ATTACKS
At the start of every mission, you will get to choose which backup officer
you want to...well, serve as backup for Okita. Different characters give
different effects so choose one that suits your preferred fighting style
as well as mission's difficulty and requirement. As you fight enemies, the
bar below Okita's HP bar will start to fill up. Once it is completely filled
(becomes a fiery bar), you can press the L2 and R2 button together to do a
Special(sorta like an ougi performed by Okita and the Backup officer). The
special attack hits all enemies on the screen.
->8)MAP
Pressing START button pauses the game and also allows you to view the map.
->9)SPECIAL MARKS ON MAP
Sometimes you will see yellow or red marks on your map. They come in the form
of yellow or red blinking squares and they are actually "guides" to where you
should head to next. Red usually imply the final destination and yellow
usually to the next screen/screens leading to important places. These are
very helpful and together with the handy map, you probably won't ever get
really lost.
->10)ITEMS
As you run around different places and fight enemies, you will find items
lying casually around, hidden in breakable items such as crates and barrels
as well as drops from enemies. You just need to have Okita touch the item to
pick it up.
==Pearl of Wisdom(small, big): A blue circle with "Makoto" written on it.
Usually in enemy drops. Gathering these will play a part in your mission
evaluation, so gather as much as you can.
==Dumplings(small, large): Different colored dango on a tray
These will refill Okita's HP bar when you pick them up. Large ones refill
more HP. Since it's an immediate effect(you can't store it in an inventory
to manually use it later on or what), only pick one up when you need the
healing.
==Sword(silver, gold): Two swords crossed over each other
These will increase Okita's attack strength for a limited period of time.
Gold gives a longer time period.
==Helmet(silver, gold): A helmet
These will increase Okita's defense for a limited period of time.
Gold gives a longer time period.
==Resurrection amulet: A red pouch
The name and in-game description pretty much explains everything. Revives
Okita once.
->11)MISSION EVALUATION
Your overall rating for a mission depends on:
==Number of kills: how many enemies you killed
==Dodges: how skilful you were at making dodges while fighting enemies
==Combos: skilfulness and frequency of you executing combos
==Pearls: number of Pearls of Wisdom you've gathered
==Time: how much time you've used to clear the mission
To get a good rating, the "common sense" rule of thumb is really to complete
the mission in the quickest time possible while including the following:
-fight enemies as skilfully as possible and kill as much as you can afford to
-pick up as much pearls as possible
->12)OPTIONAL MISSONS AND RANKS
Each time you complete a mission, you'll gain experience points. This EXP is
actually used to increase Okita's rank, which in turn increases his stats as
well as allow him to learn new ougis. You cannot replay main missions but
you can replay optional missions for as many times as you want, and that is
where you gain EXP to increase his rank. Along the way, you'll realize that
there will be times where a "max" is reached and you cannot increase Okita's
rank anymore. That's to prevent you from making him uber-powerful right from
the beginning. When this happens, you have no choice but to continue with the
main mission. Everytime time you complete a main mission, the max rank Okita
can reach will increase. In other words, follow this pattern and you'll be
fine:
A)Finish a main mission
B)Do optional missions until you reach a "max"
C)Repeat steps A to B
->13)CLASH
There will be times during fighting where Okita will clash swords with the
enemy. You will get a blue/red bar and in order to get the enemy off guard,
tap the SQUARE button. If you don't, Okita will be knocked back and you run
the risk of being attacked during that short moment.
<===MAIN MISSIONS==> [MM01]
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[CHAPTER 1: ASSASSINATION OF SERIZAWA]
Overall: A simple mission and a good place to practice your dodging
techniques, combos, timing etc. A very short tutorial at the
beginning.
Clearing the mission:
1) Head to the court indicated by the red marker(on map)
2) Defeat Hirayama
3) Follow the yellow markers to room indicated by red marker
4) Defeat Niimi
5) Head to the final red marker for Serizawa's room
6) Defeat Serizawa to end the mission
Boss battles: 1)Hirayama Goro
(sub/main) -Fight as you would with a normal enemy. Link combos and
he'll down in no time.
2)Niimi Nishiki
-Niimi doesn't block for most parts so you can pair normal
attacks with combos and ougi to finish him off easily.
3)Serizawa Kamo
-Comes with 2 other normal enemies. Kill both first
before you tackle Serizawa. Anytime you see his cut-off
portrait at the bottom of the screen, step away from
the other enemies and be prepared to dodge his flying fan.
Then return to fighting. Once only Serizawa's remaining,
move nearer until you can lock the camera onto him but
remain at the distance from him. Wait for him to use his
flying fan trick again, dodge it and launch your combos.
Move back to original position. Repeat the steps and that
"duck" will be dead meat sooner or later.
Anything to : -At the screen before Serizawa's room, break the crates and
look out for barrels on the right side. There's a resurrection amulet
hidden there.
Recommended
Backup officer: Any. As said before, this mission is real simple and with
no time limitations or whatsoever, you can choose any.
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[CHAPTER 2: IZOU THE KILLER]
Overall: Nothing you can't cope with. Just requires a bit of patience.
Map: ______
| |
____ ________________________ | |
| |__| __________ ______O_|| |
| X _____| | | | |
______ |____| ______| | | |
| | | ______| | |
_________| |_______________| |________________| |_____________
|_________ ______ ______________________ _____________|
| | |____| | |
| | | |
| | |______|
| M |
| A |
| I |
| N |
| |_____________ ______
| S |_____ _____| | |
| T | | | | X |
| R | | |________| |
| E | |X|______C_| |
| E | | | |______|
| T |_____|_|__ __
| |________ |___________|X |
| | |________________|
| |
| |
|______|
Clearing the mission:
1) Go to sections with "X" marked in the map above and defeat all of the
enemies in black
2) Go to the main street and follow the yellow markers
3) Defeat hatted enemies
4) Head towards area indicated by the red marker
5) Defeat Izou to end the mission
Boss Battles: 1)Hatted enemies
(sub/main) -Aim for the one wielding the sword while be prepared to
dodge any shots from those with the rifles. Once the one
with the sword is down, get rid of the remaining two.
2)Okada Izou
-Together with 3 other hatted sword enemies. Lure the
hatted enemies one by one, defeating one before you lure
the next. While fighting them, look out for Izo's shock-
wave look-alike attack and get out of the way when
needed. Once all 3 hatted enemies are dead, you can lock
your camera onto Izou. My suggestion is to stay near him
and perform your usual dodge and combo. That's because
the shockwave attack(which he uses when you are far away)
is harder to dodge imo. When fighting close to him, use
normal attacks to attack him immediately whenever you see
his cut-off portrait at the bottom of the screen. I find
that in my case, it actually prevents him from
successfully performing his ougi and you can get some of
his HP off at the same time. If you still have your
master mode and special attack bars filled, use them for
a quicker end to the fight.
Anything to: - Break the crates at "C" in the map above to gain access to
look out for the backyard area.
- The resurrection amulet is located at "O" in the map above.
- Enemies on the main street won't deplete so if you want to
gain some kills, keep wandering around there.
Recommended
Backup officer: Since enemies are neverending on the main street, we don't
really need Saitou to gain points on the combos and dodge
areas. To save time for more and faster kills and pearls,
I'd go with Kondou or Nagakura for parameters with more
attack and average defense.
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[CHAPTER 3: THE IKEDAYA INCIDENT]
Overall: Make sure you have already gotten the gist of the fighting
techniques as well as how to look at the in-game map =)
Map:
1st floor
_____________________________________________
| |
___|_____________________________________________|_
| | | B2 |
| | | |
| MR | | |
| | | |
|________________________| |___________________|
| |
|_______________________________________________|__
| | | |
| | | |
|____________________|_________|___________________|
| | |
| | |
| INNER COURT |___________________|
|B _______________________ | |
| | | | |
| | SR _______| | |
|______|_______________| /S\ |____________|
| | |
| |____________|
| |
| |
|______________________|___________________________|
2nd floor
_____________________________________________________
| |
| _________________________________|
|___________________| |
| | |
| | |
| |__________________________|_____
| | |
____|___________________|________________________________|
| | | |
|__________________ | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | |______________|_________________|
| | |
| |______________________________________|
|__________________| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
_____|_________________|____________________|
| |
| __________________________________|
| | \F/ | |
______________| | | |
| | | |SE |
| | | | |
|R | | | |
|______________|_________| |_______________|
Basement
_______________
| |_|
| |
| |
_______________________| |
| |
| _______________________________|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |_______
| |
| |
| |
|_ |
|_|_____ |
| |
| |
|___BO__|____
| |
| |
|_____ |
| |
| |
__________________________________| |
|_| <---TIC |
| |
| _|
|_______________________________________|_| <---TSR
Clearing the mission:
1) Defeat all 25 enemies on the 2nd floor
2) Follow yellow marker to head to the rooftop
3) Defeat all enemies on the rooftop
4) Follow yellow markers to go down to the 1st floor
5) Head to the meeting room indicated by the red marker
6) Defeat Yoshida Toshimaro to end the mission
Boss Battles: 1)Rooftop enemies
(sub/main) -Men in black have higher HP and have a wider attack range
as well as faster speed. Only fight one at each time. The
normal dodge and combos will get the job done.
2)Yoshida Toshimaro
-A lone boss battle. Do not stray too far away nor go too
near. Normal dodge and combos. Use normal attacks to cut
his execution off if you see that he's gonna use an ougi.
There's a dumpling in one of the breakable items. An
average fight, shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Anything to: Refer to the maps above for the symbol locations.
look out for 1)MR: Meeting room(final destination)
2)B: Destroy the breakable tanks and plank to gain access
to the basement
3)B2: Break the breakable items to gain access to the
basement
4)SR: Storeroom
5)S: Stairs to the 2nd floor
6)F: Stairs to the 1st floor
7)R: Ladder to the rooftop
8)SE: Examine the wall to enter a secret room with pearls
9)TIC: Ladder to the Inner Court on the 1st floor
10)TSR: Ladder to the Storeroom on the 1st floor
11)BO: There is a blockade here which prevents you from
proceeding further into the basement so you have
to reach that area from another ladder(indicated
by "B2" on the map above)
Recommended
Backup officer: Any. Not many difficult enemies, sub-bosses and main boss
are average.
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[CHAPTER 4: REBELLION AT HAMAGURI GATE]
Overall: Definitely the toughest mission as yet. Remember to break all
existing breakable items(when you can afford the time to) such as crates
and whatnot. You'll find hidden items in many and of which you are going
to need. The first part of the mission is the critical one because you
have to prevent enemies from going past the gate and once they are in, you
can't chase after them(lame). If more than 4 enemies make it past the gate,
it's mission failed and you have to start over again.
One advice I can give is to look at the behavior of enemies. Aim for those
focused on running because those are the ones who will get past the gate
when you are not looking. From my experience, those enemies who choose to
fight instead of run will always be there in the fighting stance. In other
words, they won't try and head for the gate even if you are far away from
them. Don't take that for certain though and make sure to be on the alert
at all times. There are two periods of fighting and guarding gates in this
entire mission. The 2nd period is easier because the enemies will fight
instead of going past you(so you don't have to fear too much about failing
the mission as with the first period). One thing I have noticed is that
most of the dodges for normal enemies' attacks are DOWN+X, especially those
using spears. Nevertheless, do keep a close eye on which direction the
arrow is blinking.
Clearing the mission:
1) Guard the gate while defeating 30 enemies
2) Defeat Katsura Kogorou
3) Follow yellow markers and head towards the palace
4) Guard the gate while defeating 20 enemies
5) Defeat Kusaka Genzui to end mission
Boss Battles: 1)Katsura Kogorou
(sub/main) -Together with 2 other rifle-using enemies. As always,
lure the small fries towards you and kill them first.
As for Katsura, he's a headache for some parts. He has
this annoying habit of running away and you have to chase
after him. I would recommend saving up your master mode
and special attack bars for use in this fight. If not,
fight at a slight distance away from him and do the usual
dodge and combos. If you are quick enough, it's definitely
possible to link combos even though he's quite good at
dodging. If you wish to fight at a very close distance,
the same thing applies, only that you may have to make
use of a couple of normal attacks as well as faster
reaction for your dodges to succeed.
2)Kusaka Genzui
-With 3 other spear-wielding enemies. While you are
fighting the other enemies, make sure you stay very very
far away from Kusaka. This fight is seriously much easier
than the earlier one with Katsura for me. Once only
Kusaka is left, fight very close to him. You'll realize
that he has this weird ability to not stagger/waver even
when you are hitting at him(the green kinda aura). That
renders using master mode quite useless. Therefore, just
stick close to him and do the dodge->half-combo string.
If you are fast enough(the Oboro combo), try for an added
ougi at the end. Since using ougi stops time, you don't
have to worry about reciprocals for that time period.
Anything to: -There's a resurrection amulet at the screen before you fight
look out for Kusaka Genzui. It's hidden inside one of the crates.
Recommended
Backup officer: Kondou Isami. You need a decent attack(to kill enemies as
fast as possible while guarding the gates) and a decent
defense(in case you got hit by the cannon and also for
when you fight Katsura), the bonus in extended master mode
will also help a bit. Todou Heisuke or Hijikata are also
good options.
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[CHAPTER 5: DEATH MATCH IN THE MOONLIGHT]
Overall: No exploration. Just a deathmatch which will probably have Okita
die 3 times to have Izou die once...well, put it simply, you'll
most likely fail the mission a couple of times before you come up
a fighting strategy to defeat him if you are new to the game.
Clearing the mission: defeat Okada Izou
You can't choose for a backup officer since this is a one-on-one match,
which means you can't use Special attacks. That makes this battle well...
somewhat difficult. There are two dumplings, one on each side of the
bridge. Save them for when you are really low on HP. Anyway, I'll give
some advice here on how I defeat him as well as some stuff to look out for.
1)Make sure to practice using the "Oboro naru ni" combo. Izou gets much
faster as his HP drops and you'll want to be fast as well and Oboro is
the fastest combo.
2)Fight at a finger's(your finger) length away from him. The dodge->combo
->dodge->combo works but the most important thing is to always keep a
close eye on the D-pad popping up. The moment you see the blinking
arrow, stop your combo execution and dodge immediately, don't ever delay.
There are times where the string will end up being: dodge->1/4 combo->
dodge->1/4 combo instead because he's really fast in his countering.
3)When Izou's HP drops below half, the "purple aura" will emerge. Although
this will have him executing his moves and ougi even faster, it's a
good chance to link your combos and ougis because he does not block as
much so if you are quick enough, you'll spend lesser time depleting the
2nd half of his HP bar than you did with the first half.
4)Izou has five main moves:
A)Shockwaves - We already saw this in our first fight with him back in
mission 2. Keep a distance from him and he will use this. Dodge this
move by LEFT+X or RIGHT+X. It's fixed. There's a variation of this
move in that he will execute 3 shockwaves one after another instead of
the normal 1 but that's only when you are VERY far away from him.
So each time you see him run in a insane speed away from you(usually
to the other end of the bridge), chase after him for a short while and
stop(keep around half a bridge's distance away) to dodge his shockwave
attack. He will pause for quite some time once he finishes the move so
that's when you can run up to him to continue the fight.
B)Thrusts - He may use this move if you are near him. He will do some
bizzare actions before executing this move. Unless you are very
"unlucky" or poor at playing this game, there's no way you will get
hit because the range of this attack is very small as well. Dodge
with LEFT+X or DOWN+X.
C)Chain attacks - Another move he will use when you are near him. This
may be a real killer for many because it's lightning quick. You have
less than one second to dodge and if you fail to, you suffer big
damage because it's a chain attack. That's why the moment you see a
blinking left and right arrow, stop whatever you are doing and dodge
as fast as you can afford to. I guess I should make a note here that
this is the move that I met with the most while I'm fighting him so
it may be the same for you as well.
D)Quick run and slash - Same as (C), this move is very fast. He may use
this move when you are far from him. If you see him running towards
you at an insane speed, be prepared to dodge with LEFT+X or RIGHT+X
the moment you see the D-pad pop up on the screen.
E)Ougi - The only move where his cut-off portrait will show at the
bottom of the screen. For the first half of the fight, it's very easy
to dodge this move because he will take a few seconds after the
showing of the portrait to execute the ougi. However, once his HP is
below half or so, the execution will happen around the same time the
portrait pops up. Since this is an ougi, it will take off a lot of HP
if you can't dodge in time. Dodge with DOWN+X.
The fighting style I used was to lure him to execute shockwaves, then have
Okita dodge and do combos linking. When his HP dropped below half, I'm
forced to juggle between dodging his shockwave+chain attacks+ougi and
doing my half or sometimes even full combos. As far as Master mode goes, I
use it for the first half of the fight because as mentioned earlier, he
does not block so much when his HP is low and imo range is not the real
issue for this fight so that makes Master mode pretty much useless then.
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[CHAPTER 6: SATSUMA-CHOUSHUU ALLIANCE]
Overall: I seriously think this mission is made to show what happens when
"ryou"(dragon) and "ma"(horse) comes together. We get Sakamoto
Ryouma running away for most parts and you'll have to chase after
him. Nah, just a lame joke there. Anyway, this is an easy mission
to be cleared within 12 minutes and you should get at least an
"A" or "B" rating on your first attempt.
Clearing the mission:
1)Defeat all enemies on section
2)Follow yellow marker
3)Defeat all 9 enemies
4)Follow yellow marker
5)Defeat all 5 enemies
6)Follow yellow marker
7)Defeat all 4 enemies
8)Follow yellow marker
9)Defeat all 6 enemies
10)Go to area indicated by red marker
11)Defeat Sakamoto to end mission
Boss Battles: 1)Sakamoto Ryouma
(sub/main) -Sakamoto has three main moves. The first is when you are
very near him. He will use sheathed sword to do an upper
swipe. I suggest not tempting him to use this move because
it's more difficult to dodge(DOWN+X) as compared to his
other attacks. The 2nd is using his gun. That's when you
are a finger's length(or further) away from him. Dodge
simply with RIGHT+X or LEFT+X and do your combo links.
The 3rd is his ougi. He will run away into the woods.
No need to chase after him though. After a while, a small
fiery shot will crash in your direction. It's actually
really easy to dodge that.
Anything to: -Remember to pick up the resurrection amulet on the first
look out for section of the map. I think it's not necessary but let's
just play safe.
Recommended
Backup officer: Any. When making your choice, just remember that this
mission has a time limit.
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[CHAPTER 7: ASSASSINATION OF RYOUMA]
Overall: This mission can be long or short depending on how much time you
spend exploring the areas. Since there's another Izou fight at
the end, try not to spend too much time searching every nook and
cranny...well, you can, but don't expect an "S" rating for time
used on first try.
Clearing the mission:
1)Follow yellow markers until the Omi-ya inner court
2)Instead of heading to the next yellow marker to the west, go up north to
to the graveyard
3)Continue to the back alley(next section of map)
4)Grab old key behind the crates and return back to Omi-ya inner court
5)Follow yellow markers to the 2nd floor
6)Head to room indicated by red marker
7)Defeat Okada Izou to end mission
Boss Battles: 1)Okada Izou
(sub/main) -My my, will this ever end? After exchanging a few blows,
Izou should run away somewhere. Take that time to cut
down some paper doors(you'll need the space to fight him).
There is one small dumpling and one big dumpling in the
compartments. Make sure you open a route to them for when
you need it later on. When done, it's time to return to
fighting Izou. He lost his shockwave move, but the guy's
faster and stronger than before. His chain attacks have
more hits as well(don't ever get hit by the somersault
slashes). Lastly. he has a different ougi this time round.
The ougi is separated into two parts so if you are not
very fast and good at dodging, stop after you make the
first dodge and be prepared to dodge the 2nd part of the
ougi(both parts can be dodged with LEFT+X or RIGHT+X).
Only after the second dodge then do I recommend you to
execute your combos. Apart from the differences and points
stated above, use the same method in fighting him as you
did back in mission 5 and his HP bar will be gone sooner
or later.
Anything to: -The resurrection amulet's in the graveyard. It's easy to
look out for spot so there's no way to miss it.
Recommended
Backup officer: When fighting tough bosses, a balance in attack and defense
is always good. I'd say Kondou or Hijikata.
******************************************************************************
| |
******************************************************************************
[CHAPTER 8: FIGHT TO THE DEATH IN ABURA KOUJI
Overall: You'll spend more time chasing after Itou than what you did for
Sakamoto in mission 6.
Clearing the mission:
1)Follow yellow markers
2)Fight Itou for a short while and deplete his HP bit by bit. He will
escape, chase after him
3)Repeat steps 1-2 until the game leads you to the final area(your backup
officer will make an obvious comment)
4)Defeat Itou
5)Defeat Todou to end the mission
Boss Battles: 1)Kashitarou Itou
(sub/main) -He has two other subordinates with him in the final
battle, kill them first. Itou's real easy when you are
fighting him one-on-one because he succumbs to combos
rather easily. If you manage to make it this far in the
game, this kind of boss should be a piece of cake.
2)Todou Heisuke
-Surprisingly, Todou is tougher than his master Itou.
Still, not much of any challenge here. Just make sure you
practice your dodging skills, it's quite impossible to
do a lot of combos linking because he dodges and counters
often, so you will probably end up with the usual dodge->
half-combo->dodge->half-combo for most of the time when
fighting up front. Use this fight to practice your
reflexes as well as eye-hand coordination. You'll need
to get your uber fast dodging and countering mastered for
a fight in the next mission. Compared to that one, this
is really nothing much. Yes, I'm not kidding.
Recommended
Backup officer: Instead of recommending, I'd say I won't recommend Saitou.
I'd imagine some trouble in the two boss fights if you were
to choose him.
******************************************************************************
| |
******************************************************************************
[CHAPTER 9: BATTLE BETWEEN TOBA AND FUSHIMI]
Overall: The toughest mission in the entire game for me but I still managed
to clear it with an "A' on my first try so it definitely shouldn't
be difficult for you all. I think this mission gives us players
an idea of how the real Shinsengumi must have felt in their last
days fighting against enemy armies equipped with advanced weapons
such as guns and cannons. Anyway, to play safe, just remember to
make a save data beforehand.
Clearing the mission:
1)Follow yellow markers to back alley
2)Defeat the 8 elites
3)Follow yellow markers to the shrine compounds
4)Defeat all 15 enemies
5)Destroy the cannon and head to next section indicated by the red marker
6)Defeat Oyama Yasuke
7)Defeat Katsura Kogorou
Boss Battles: 1)Oyama Yasuke
(sub/main) -The enemy soldiers will keep coming in so there is no
point defeating them unless they are blocking your way or
being a real annoyance while you are fighting against the
Oyama guy. Fight close to Oyama with the dodge->combo
string. His red "aura"(or whatever that is called) keeps
him from staggering(similar to Kusaka Genzui in chapter 4)
and that's why you must be careful while you link combos.
Don't be so engrossed in comboing until you miss dodging.
2)Katsura Kogorou
-After finishing the entire game, without a doubt, this
battle gets "the toughest boss battle" award in my book.
Obviously, this is what I was talking about in the
previous mission's battle with Todou Heisuke. It's
finally the time for the ultimate dodge and counter game!
Katsura Kogorou has gotten much better from mission 4,
be it whether his ideals for the country being realized
one by one has been giving him strength or is it that
extra white fur-wig which makes him look better and thus
allowing him to fight better, be prepared for a rather
tedious match. He has three main attacks here:
A)Run towards you and attack - dodge with DOWN+X
B)Chain attacks - most commonly used by him, dodge with
LEFT+X or RIGHT+X
C)Ougi - LEFT+X or RIGHT+X. The easiest attack for you to
dodge and combo and get some frutiful hits without him
blocking. Whenever you see him performing this move,
rejoice.
As said earlier. The main thing here is really to dodge as
as quickly as you can and immediately do a combo. Chances
are really very low that you can link many combos so I'd
suggest doing a half or 3/4 Oboro combo before you stop
and dodge his reciprocals. Continue the process and
victory will be in sight.
Anything to: 1)The resurrection amulet is at the Fushimi bridge(destroy the
look out for cannon at the north main street and the blue transparent
shield will disappear)
2)Destroy cannons by slashing at them(takes 12 normal slashes)
3)Always first eliminate any enemies using rifles, ignoring
a group of 2 or 3 enemies using rifles = big trouble
4)Normal wooden blockades can be destroyed by slashing at them
Recommended
Backup officer: Kondou Isami. The bonuses and pair techniques he comes
with are really useful for this mission.
******************************************************************************
| |
******************************************************************************
[FINAL CHAPTER: THE BURNING OF OSAKA CASTLE]
Overall: This is a long mission. You have to go back and forth between
various map sections but don't worry about getting lost as the game
will give you proper directions.
Clearing the mission:
1)Defeat all 3 enemies
2)Follow yellow marker
3)Defeat all 6 enemies
4)Follow yellow marker
5)Defeat all 6 enemies
6)Follow yellow marker
7)Defeat all 4 enemies and the cannon
8)Proceed to the final section(on the eastern end) of the map
9)Destroy the 2nd cannon
10)Follow yellow markers to the underground passage
11)You are supposed to reach the keep(the yellow marker at the very end of
the map) within 5 minutes
12)Once at the keep, continue to follow yellow markers and finally to the
room indicated by the red marker at the North Hallway
13)Defeat Izou
14)Follow yellow markers to top floor of castle and then to room indicated
by the red marker
15)Defeat Takamori Saigou
16)Defeat the real Takamori Saigou to end the mission
Boss Battles: 1)Okada Izou
-Weaker this time round(his attacks and moves are pretty
much the same as in mission 7). Remember the deathmatch in
mission 5? Just fight him using the same method and he'll
fall soon.
2)Takamori Saigou(1st)
-Same as Oyama in the previous mission, enemies won't stop
coming in. Therefore, just concentrate on defeating the
boss. He has two ougis. One can be dodge normally, the
other is actually a series of rotating attacks and you'll
have to keep dodging(with LEFT+X, RIGHT+X OR DOWN+X)
until he finishes the move before countering back. Apart
that, he's nothing too strong.
3)Takamori Saigou(2nd)
-An easy last. Just be very sure to try and stay close to
him and do the normal dodge->combos, dodging and
countering whenever necessary. His "teleportation" trick
can be annoying but the RIGHT+X or LEFT+X dodge(most of
his moves have the same dodge direction) is not too
difficult to execute.
Anything to: 1)There are traps(fixed spears and the sort) on some of the
look out for walls in the castle. You don't really need to dodge each
and every time the traps activates, just keep your distance
away from them and you won't get hurt
2)Break the brown statues inside a few of the castle rooms to
discover big pearls of wisdom
Recommended
Backup officer: Any. Choose the one you are the most comfortable with.
******************************************************************************
<==OPTIONAL MISSIONS==> [OM01]
Difficulty of optional missions range from 1(easiest) to 5(hardest).
******************************************************************************
[ROAD RACE, DIFFICULTY: 1 ]
Overall: One word, easy. Another good place to practice your fighting
techniques. Remember to pick up every pearl the enemies drop to
get a good rating because there are not a lot enemies to fight
here.
Clearing the mission:
-Follow the yellow markers and fight enemies along the way until you reach
the final destination(a house indicated by the final yellow marker)
Recommended
Backup officer: Any.
******************************************************************************
| |
******************************************************************************
[GOJOU STREET PATROL, DIFFICULTY: 2]
Overall: A run and hack-and-slash mission to be completed within 15 minutes.
Very simple actually.
Clearing the mission:
1)Explore all sections of the map and defeat 30 enemies
2)Follow yellow markers back to the backyard
Recommended
Backup officer: Sanosuke. High attack makes for faster kills and finish.
******************************************************************************
| |
******************************************************************************
[HIDDEN SECRET, DIFFICULTY: 3]
Overall: Difficulty lies in getting a good rating for pearls obtained.
you need to explore around and break breakable items(which takes
time) to get hidden pearls. Enemies does not deplete as well so
gather 9/10 documents first, then concentrate on killing enemies
and obtaining pearls before grabbing the last document before
the timer goes below 3-4 minutes left to get a decent rating.
Clearing the mission: Search around Ikeda-ya and gather all 10 documents
Map and where the documents(marked as "D") are located:
1st floor
_____________________________________________
| D |
|_____________________________________________|_
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
____________________| |___________________|
| |
|_______________________________________________|__
| | | |
| D | | |
|____________________|_________|___________________|
| | |
| | |
| |___________________|
| _______________________ | |
| | | | D |
| | _______| | |
|______|_______________| /\ |____________|
| | |
| |____________|
| |
| |
|______________________|___________________________|
2nd floor
_____________________________________________________
| D |
| _________________________________|
|___________________| |
| | BB| D
| | |
| |__________________________|_____
| | |
____|___________________|________________________________|
| | | |
|__________________ | | |
| | | D | |
| | | | |
| D | |______________|_________________|
| | |
| |______________________________________|
|__________________| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
_____|_________________|____________________|
| |
| __________________________________|
| | \/ | |
______________| | | |
| | | | D |
| D | | | |
| | | | |
|______________|_________| |_______________|
Basement
_______________
| |_|
| |
| D |
_______________________| |
| |
| _______________________________|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |_______
| |
| |
| |
|_ |
|_|_____ |
| |
| |
| |____
| |
| |
|_____ |
| |
| |
__________________________________| |
|_| |
| |
| _|
|_______________________________________|_|
Anything to: - There's a hidden room on the 2nd floor containing one of
look out for the documents. Refer to map above. Break the paper door
marked as "BB" to gain access to the room.
Recommended
Backup officer: Sanosuke or Kondou. That's only because time is very
crucial here and unless you are very good at linking quick
combos, choosing Saitou is out of question.
******************************************************************************
| |
******************************************************************************
[SERIZAWA'S SCRATCHMARKS, DIFFICULTY: 3]
Overall: Rather easy mission you have to complete within 15 minutes. Just
don't dilly-dally and make sure you are familiar with the map. Run
around the accessible areas when you don't see any new enemies,
they will appear sooner or later.
Clearing the mission:
1)Defeat first batch of 13 enemies
2)Backup officer will give a reminder. Follow yellow marker to next
section of map
3)Defeat 2nd batch consisting of 4 enemies
4)Backup officer will give reminder. Follow yellow marker to next section
5)Defeat 3rd batch consisting of 11 enemies
6)Backup officer will give reminder. Follow yellow marker to last section
of the map
7)Defeat last batch consisting of 7 enemies to end mission
Anything to
look out for: -If you find that you missing the final 35th enemy, refer to
the map of the final section below, you'll need to break
the paper door indicated by "W" to gain access to the
secret room:
______________________________________________
| |
___| |___
| _|_
| |
| W |
| ___|
| ___|
____| ___________________________________ |
| | |
|__________________ |_________|____
|__ __| |
|____________________| | |
| |
|______________|
Recommended
Backup officer: Any. Just remember to use Special attacks whenever the bar
is filled.
******************************************************************************
| |
******************************************************************************
[ONE HUNDRED BATTLES, DIFFICULTY: 5]
Overall: Don't be cheated, they lied. It's not one hundred battles,
probably only fifty. If you are slow in getting rid of enemies,
it will become two-on-one, three-on-one and then four-on-one.
Thankfully, the maximum number of enemies you have to fight
at any one time is 4. I recommend Okita to be at least rank 15 or
16 before you even attempt this challenge. That's because I
easily cleared this(with Kondou Isami) with more than 4 minutes
left at rank 18 so there shouldn't be any major problems with
anything >= rank 15. The key is actually decent attack coupled
with quick combo links.
Clearing the mission: defeat all 100 enemies
HP and difficulty of enemies increase as you move on. Dumplings dropped by
enemies will remain there forever so only pick one up when you really need
the HP recovery. The first 99 enemies consist of mainly:
1)Normal sword-wielding enemies: These are really the same as the enemies
you met with in earlier missions so there should be no problems.
2)Normal sword-wielding enemies with higher HP: these are good at dodging.
Only appear at the later half of the match(after around the 60th one) so
they can be annoying in groups.
3)Spear-wielding enemies: Always kill enemies using spear asap whenever
possible. That's because they have this irritating lunge attack which
have a huge range but a rather short time period for you to dodge. The
lunge attack can be dodged by LEFT+X or RIGHT+X and their only other move
is performed when you are near them and can easily be dodged by a simple
DOWN+X(always).
4)Hatted enemies: Most annoying of the bunch after the spearmen. Hatted
enemies are not only chocked full of hit points, they are fast. Link
quick combos and ougis when up against a group of them. Otherwise, you
are in for some trouble.
Remember to use Master mode and Special attacks whenever the bars are
filled, don't hesitate or try to save them for later. They fill up real
quick so just use them to injure all enemies on the screen to save some
time fighting them or to save your hide when the situation's bad.
The 100th enemy is called "swordsman"...well, he's basically really a
swordsman with a brown paper bag/basket over his head. He's real easy to
fight against(probably only as difficult as your first group of normal
enemies, but take note that he knows how to dodge though so don't happily
link combos without looking at the screen) it will be a real shame to
reach this point and lose to someone like him but the thorn lies in that
he has got a boss-like bar of HP, so if you waste too much time fighting
the earlier 99 enemies, you will most likely run out of time here. We
don't want that happening, so make sure Okita's rank is high enough for a
higher dmg rate so you can deplete his HP sooner.
Recommended
Backup officer: Nagakura Shinpachi. I feel that a high defense is one of
the most important factors in this mission. You might want
to choose Kondou for the HP and ATK boost or Hijikata's
dodging from behind though(which may prove helpful when
the enemy numbers increase).
******************************************************************************
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******************************************************************************
[BRIDGE DEFENSE, DIFFICULTY: 3]
Overall: You've got 15 minutes to clear this easy mission.
Clearing the mission:
1)Defeat all 20 enemies on accessible sections of the map
2)Destroy the 3 cannons on the other side of the bridge
3)Go under the bridge and search for the commander
4)Defeat commander to end mission
Anything to: 1)Just keep slashing at the cannon until it's destroyed
take note 2)The enemy's commander is under the bridge where the boat is
docked at(the T-shape section on the map). He has a boss
HP bar but easy to defeat with simple dodges and combo
links
Recommended
Backup officer: Any. Saitou is a pretty good choice because some enemies
here have rather high HP and combo links are usually
needed to kill them.
******************************************************************************
| |
******************************************************************************
[LAIR OF VILLIANS, DIFFICULTY: 3]
Overall: Always first kill enemies using rifles where possible. They can
shoot from afar and can cut off your combo links if you can't
dodge in time. Shots from a distance can be dodged by LEFT+X or
RIGHT+X.
Clearing the mission:
1)Defeat all 50 enemies in the bamboo grove
2)Follow yellow markers to return to the shed
3)Examine the red marker at the shed to bring out the gang leader
4)Defeat gang leader to end mission
VERY ROUGH Map of the bamboo grove:
1st section(no enemies here apart from the final battle)
,...
,-' ``.
.''````'''''''''-. ,_' `:
2 : `'---.__ _,,- `.
: -'''''''''-. ''''''''` :`
'....-` `'-_ ._-'
,_- ,.....-'
_,' _,,`
: ; .'
: ; :
: SHED ; : _.-'''''''''',
: ; `_ .'` ;
: ; ''^'`` ; 1
: ; _.'
: ; __.-'
`''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''`
2nd section(Total of 20 enemies here, 10 at area marked "B", 10 are
spread out around other areas)
.._-'''''''''''-.
,:` .`
.' ;
.` B `.
,,^^ ;
_.,` :
_,.-''' ..-'', ,'
.` ...---.-' `'...._ _.'
: .' `, ```````
: `:
: `:
`. _..'
_......'-. '-...
,' `'-.....'```'-..,
4 : '''-.
:.._ '-.
`'''-,_ :
`'._ ....... :
'-..''''''''` `, :
; :
.: :`
;..../
3
3rd section(Total of 15 enemies here, 10 at area marked "C", 5 are
spread out around other areas)
..-'''''''''''''-.
.'` `.
: :
: :
'. C :
.''```````````` :
..' ...... :
;` .'''''` : :
: : : :
.' : `'''''''''''''''`
.' ;
.'''''-._ .' ''''':
: `. _.' ..;........: 5
'._ ''' ..'`
:.... ...'`
`; \
; `.
_.' `.
.-'''''''''' ..'```: `;
: _........-` : :
'''` :_..-'-'
6
4th section(Total of 15 enemies here)
7
,.-``. _ 8
: '. ; ````''-...._ _._
; ; :._ `' :
'. `. ``''-. :
; `; _...-'`'''''-..-'''``` ``''-...
: ; _.'``` _._ _._ _....._ ...
'. `'''``'''```''` -._ ``'` `''''```` `. `.
.-''''' _.-''.'` `''._ `._.-'`
.'''`` ...'``'''''''' `-._ .:
'....-''-'` `'-..-'`
Refer to maps above:
-Path "4" in the 2nd section is linked to Path "1" in the 1st section
-Path "2" of the 1st section is linked to Path "5" in the 3rd section
-Path "6" of the 3rd section is linked to Path "7" in the 4th section
-Path "8" in the 4th section is linked to Path "3" in the 2nd section
******************************************************************************
| |
******************************************************************************
[ASSAULT ON OMI-YA, DIFFICULTY: 4]
Overall: A 15 minute mission. If you want a good rating, you will have to
explore every accessible area(for kills and pearls) even though
the mission doesn't require you to do that.
Clearing the mission:
1)Follow the yellow markers to the 2nd floor
2)Head to room indicated by red marker
3)Defeat the Shogunate patriot(boss HP bar but really easy to beat)
Anything to: -The key to the annex(where big pearls and the resurrection
look out for amulet are located) is in the soy sauce storehouse
-The resurrection amulet is hidden inside the right barrel
at the annex end
******************************************************************************
| |
******************************************************************************
[UNAVOIDABLE BATTLE, DIFFICULTY: 5]
Overall: The only thing that makes it a difficulty 5 is really lack of
casual time to slowly explore around, the enemies deal quite some
damage as well. Make sure you know your map well.
Clearing the mission:
1)Defeat all 10 enemies in first accessible map section
2)Go to area indicated by red marker
3)Defeat all 4 enemies(including 1 former 4th officer)
4)Pick up key dropped by officer and follow yellow markers
5)Defeat all 14 enemies in second area(accessible after using the key)
6)Go to area marked with red marker
7)Defeat all 6 enemies(including 1 former 4th officer)
8)Pick up key dropped by officer and follow yellow markers
9)Defeat all 6 enemies in third area(accessible after using key)
10)Go to area indicated by red marker
11)Defeat last 5 enemies(including 1 former 4th corporal)
Anything to: 1)The officers and corporals have a boss HP bar
take note 2)In the last fight with the corporal, I suggest killing him
first(instead of the other weaker enemies) because he uses a
spear and the wide range will be a disadvantage to you. If
possible, you can try luring the other enemies to you and
get rid of them before you tackle the corporal, but that's
only if he didn't spot you when you make your entrance.
******************************************************************************
| |
******************************************************************************
[NON-NEGOTIABLE VICTORY, DIFFICULTY: 5]
Overall: You are supposed to kill all 55 enemies in 20 minutes. The enemies
here are the same as your main mission 9. Therefore, do be
careful when facing the enemies using rifles. Not too many path
splits = pretty simple map.
Clearing the mission:
1)Defeat all 6 enemies
2)Follow yellow markers
3)Defeat all 11 enemies
4)Follow yellow markers
5)Defeat all 7 enemies
6)Follow yellow markers
7)Defeat the 2 enemies
8)Follow the yellow markers
9)Defeat all 13 enemies
10)Follow yellow markers
11)Defeat the 3 enemies
12)Follow last yellow marker
13)Defeat the final 3 enemies
Anything to: -A good trick to use here is to lure enemies to a safer place
to fight when there are cannons/soldiers who use rifles.
Recommended
Backup officer: Kondou or Sanosuke. Since this mission is mainly about
defeating enemies, your no.of kills is fixed, your pearls
are also pretty much fixed(only a few breakable items as
compared to other missions), what remains is really how
skilful you are in dodging, doing combos and the time used.
Since the combos section is the easiest to get a "S"(you
don't need to do 3 combo links for every enemy) and I can't
do anything about how good you are at dodging, all that's
left to talk about is how much time you use and faster
kills (higher attack) means faster clearing of the mission.
******************************************************************************
<==COMBOS AND OUGIS==> [CO01]
A very short section on the combos and ougis. You need to have mastered them
to be able to use them.
===COMBOS===
*Sakigake no ichi*
SQUARE . SQUARE . SQUARE . SQUARE
This combo is the easiest to perform and link. However, it's too slow for
bosses and the like.
*Oboro naru ni*
SQUARE SQUARE SQUARE SQUARE
As mentioned multiple times in the walkthrough, this combo is the fastest.
Many may have difficulty linking 4 of this combo. Nevertheless, for your own
sake, practice until you can do that. 4 Oboro naru ni combos + Rutensou ougi
is what I always use and in my opinion, it's the best combination for
fighting all types of enemies with high HP.
*Hajin no san*
SQUARE SQUARE . SQUARE . SQUARE
This combo deals more damage than the earlier ones. It can be somewhat tough
to execute because of the timing though. You can use this as the finishing
combo.
*Kouga yobushi*
SQUARE . SQUARE SQUARE . SQUARE
When I was starting out on this game, I tend to get this while I'm trying to
link the Sakigake combo with the Oboro one. As with Hajin, the damage done is
somewhat higher.
*Tsui no rasen*
SQUARE . SQUARE SQUARE SQUARE
You get this when you clear the "100 battles" optional mission. It's a much
faster combo than the previous two and the damage is decent. You can use this
to quickly end fights with weak enemies instead of linking combos which takes
more time.
===OUGIS===
*Shikuuha*
SQUARE CIRCLE TRIANGLE
The first and only ougi you start with. It's a very simply circle slash which
you'll probably not use later on in the game.
*Fuuzanjin*
TRIANGLE CIRCLE SQUARE
A thrust attack. Slightly higher damage than Shikuuha but that's really all
there is to it.
*Rutensou*
TRIANGLE TRIANGLE CIRCLE CIRCLE SQUARE SQUARE
A real useful ougi for me. What this ougi does is actually repeat the earlier
combos. E.g: if you perform 2 Sakigake combos on an enemy and then execute
this ougi, Okita will automatically perform another 2 Sakigake combos. That
means if you perform 4 Sakigake combos and use this ougi, Okita will
automatically execute yet another 4 Sakigake combos without need for you
pressing any buttons(as said, it's auto). The best thing about this is that
while Okita's performing this ougi, enemies can't hit you so you don't need
to worry about dodging and so on. Take note though that it's directed towards
a single enemy so don't expect to kill a lot of enemies at one go using this
ougi.
*Bakukonshin*
SQUARE SQUARE CIRCLE CIRCLE TRIANGLE TRIANGLE
This is a wide area shockwave which will damage all enemies within around a
finger's range. If enemies are hit by it, there's possibility of stun effect.
Which practically means that it's good for use when fighting multiple enemies.
*Mugen ryuugajin*
CIRCLE TRIANGLE SQUARE CIRCLE SQUARE TRIANGLE CIRCLE
The ultimate ougi. This is difficult to execute because you need to be fast.
So far, I have only been able to perform it with Kondou as the backup officer.
I haven't gotten around to testing it with other officers(which tells you how
low is the frequency of me using this ougi). Multiple quick thrusts and upper
slashes with plenty of "blue lightning" effects, it deals real damage.
<==MAIN CHARACTERS==> [MC01]
Just a short profile section providing some info on the main Shinsengumi
characters in this game, for those interested.
++Okita Souji++
Your main character in this game. Said to be a child prodigy in kenjutsu,
earned his certificate in the Tennen Rishin style at a young age. The
first division under Okita was said to be involved in important tasks and also
one of the Shinsengumi divisions which killed the most amount of people.
Okita was recognized as one of the strongest in the Shinsengumi by many with
Nagakura Shinpachi saying that Okita's able to defeat even his master Kondou
Isami if he's serious. Sadly, he died young in his late twenties due to
tuberculosis.
++Kondou Isami++
Shinsengumi's kyokuchou(chief), a solemn man for most parts. As a backup
officer in the game, he's good to pair up with when you need to complete a
rather difficult mission in the shortest time possible because with him,
Okita receives an attack and HP boost as well as longer time period for
Master mode and Ougi timer.
++Hijikata Toshizou++
A close friend of Kondou Isami and a very strict man. Nicknamed the "Oni no
fukuchou"("demon vice chief") and greatly feared by others. As a backup
officer in the game, he's pretty much average(small amount of boost) but
allows dodging attacks from behind.
++Nagakura Shinpachi++
Using the Shindou Munen style and in charge of the Shinsengumi's 2nd division,
he was said to be one of the strongest in the Shinengumi along with Okita and
Saitou but apparently that's not really depicted in the game, giving only a
large boost in defense and reduction in HP.
++Harada Sanosuke++
Often depicted as a hot-headed/loud person. As a backup officer in the game,
he gives the highest boost in attack but causes a slight reduction in
defense.
++Saitou Hajime++
Low-profile to most people until the manga Rurouni Kenshin came out. He's one
of the very few Shinsengumi "main personnel" along with Nagakura Shinpachi to
remain alive after the fall of the group. In the game, he's good as a backup
officer when you don't need to rush with time because in exchange for a large
reduction in all parameters, the more combos you link, the higher the damage.
In other words, good for fighting easy bosses and the like.
++Todou Heisuke++
A young Shinsengumi member. In the game as backup officer, he's pretty
decent(gives slight boosts).
<==FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS==> [FQ01]
Q: What are the characters and story in this game about?
A: This game focuses on the group Shinsengumi which existed in reality and
some of the events they were involved in during the late 1800s in Japan.
Q: Are the happenings in the game similar to the original?
A: Some. Don't expect complete adherence to the historical facts, persons and
figures because this is really just a game.
Q: What is half combo and 1/4 combo in your faq about?
A: If you play the game, you will know what is a combo, how to execute a combo
as well as what a full combo is like: 4 SQUARE button presses in correct
timing = 4 hits. Half-combo = 2 hits(first 2 SQUARE button presses),
1/4 combo = 1 hit(first SQUARE button). As the game progresses, you'll realize
it gets harder and harder to dodge and do a full combo when fighting bosses
because enemies can dodge and counter as well. The scenario will become as
below:
Enemy attack->you dodge and begin doing a combo->enemy dodge and counter
before you can finish your full 4 hit combos->you have to stop halfway through
and dodge the enemy's counter and begin a new combo
The process continues. That's why in most cases, you'll only end up dealing 1
or 2 combo hits before you have to dodge again. That's what it means by
half-combo and 1/4 combo.
Q: Why are there maps for some missions and none for the others in this
walkthrough?
A: I do brief maps here only when I deem it necessary to use them to
provide more information on clearing the mission.
Q: Some portions of your maps are not completely similar to the original. They
are ugly.
A: I apologize. I ain't good with such things. They are meant to be brief
maps though(layout-based and not totally exact to scale) and as far as I can
see, they fulfill their intended purpose: show where certain items/places/
persons are located.
Q: What is the max rank?
A: After clearing the final mission, the experience points I obtained
allowed Okita to advance to rank 30 and I remember seeing the points turning
blue. I'd say 30, at least for the NORMAL difficulty.
Q: What's the highest rating?
A: "S". Getting "S" requires extra effort(e.g: if the total pearls are not
enough, you may have to get more by defeating enemies in the master mode) and
you will only get an overall "S" when you get "S" for every section(kills,
dodge etc). Not entirely necessary to show you've mastered the game but you
can always strive for them if you can't sleep unless you get them.
Q: Any extras?
A: Clear the entire game once and save your clear data. You can begin a new
game by loading that data. You get to keep all your learnt combos and ougis.
Better yet, you can choose to use Hijikata...but there is only one backup
officer(Okita) for Hijikata's play. Also, Hijikata has the same combos and
ougis(well both of them use the Tennen Rishin style so that can't be helped)
but you are able to attack enemies lying on the ground with the TRIANGLE
button(very useful for enemies who fall back on their butts when they spot
you).
Q: *Spoiler* Who is Gorou Fujita?
A: That wasn't the first time he changed his name. He's actually Saitou.
Q: I'm playing the JPN version. Can I email you to ask questions?
A: Yeah. I won't say for sure I can answer everything though, even if you are
playing the EU version ^.^
Q: Errors. What to do?
A: Please direct any mistakes and whatsoever to my email.
<==CREDITS==>
-Gamefaqs for posting this walkthrough
-All persons involved in creating this really enjoyable great game
-The articles at ja.wikipedia for some of the info under the profile section
