Dark Cloud 2’s Steve the Ridepod FAQ

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dark Cloud 2’s Steve the Ridepod FAQ
(Or, ‘How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love My Steampunk Mecha’.)
By Shannon Spencer Fox ([email protected])
Version 0.95

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

==================
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
==================

1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [stv_intro]
2. General Fighting Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [stv_fight]
3. Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [stv_parts]
3a. Cores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [stv_cores]
3b. Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [stv_arms]
3c. Body-Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [stv_body]
3d. Feet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [stv_feet]
3e. Energy Packs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [stv_packs]
3f. Miscellaneous Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [stv_misc]
4. Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [stv_faqs]
5. Closing and Thanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [stv_close]
6. Change Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [stv_chgs]
7. Copyright Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [stv_copy]

=============
INTRODUCTION: [stv_intro]
=============

Hello, everyone, and welcome to my up-and-coming comprehensive guide on
information related to everyone’s favorite rideable robot friend, Steve the
Ridepod in Sony’s ‘Dark Cloud 2’. My name’s Shannon Spencer Fox, as you’ve
already noticed, and this is my first attempt at writing a walkthrough for a
game, but I hope you’ll certainly find it informative and useful. Please, if
you have any comments or questions, or something to add to this, feel free to
email me.

Before we get into the guide itself, though, first the usual copyright
mumbo-jumbo:

‘Dark Cloud 2’s Steve the Ridepod FAQ’ is copyright 2003 Shannon Magnuson,
Fractured Reality, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any
format without the author’s express permission is strictly prohibited.
(Seriously, if you want to use any part of this, just ask me.)

Alright. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get on with it. First, there’s
the obvious question: ‘Why the heck should I bother with the Ridepod? Max and
Monica do just fine by themselves!’ There are quite a few answers to that
question, actually:

1) You have the fun and frivolity of rampaging around the random dungeons
in the game in what looks and feels like a V-Tech fighter (or, for those
that prefer it, Gundam) from the Victorian Era. Tell me that isn’t cool.
2) Building said robot up however you want. Everyone loves to be creative.
And, if you don’t, why the heck are you playing DC2?
3) Steve is a LOT easier to build up defensive power on, and so therefore
will be a lot tougher in a fight than Monica and Max will, especially
earlier in the game.
4) Like 3), Steve’s weapons are usually more powerful than what you can
build up Monica and Max’s weapons to, again especially at the beginning
of the game.
5) It’s quicker to get Steve’s better weapons earlier on in the game if you
get into DC2’s Photo/Invention system, which gives him an even further
edge in the ‘power’ department over Monica and Max.
6) Most importantly, Steve can be INCREDIBLY fast if you get some of his
more advanced legs, like the Roller Skate or Propeller feet. Not only
does this cut down on travel time through the dungeons, it’s especially
useful for completing those ‘Wipe-Out Time’ medal goals, killing all the
monsters in even HALF the time you’re given. If you’re going to complete
everything, this makes it almost painfully easy.
7) A small but potentially overlooked fact: Steve has the advantage of
being able to move and attack at the same time, making ‘hit and run’
techniques against enemies much easier than with Monica and Max. Humans
don’t have 360-degree articulation of their lower bodies, after all.

However, given I’ve listed the advantages of Steve, I’d be remiss not to
mention his drawbacks as well:

1) When you first get him halfway through Chapter 1, Steve is slow, not
terribly powerful, and pretty weak; both in energy and defense. It takes
some work to get him into a lean, mean, fighting machine, and that tends
to turn some people off quickly. Regrettable, but true.
2) Some of Steve’s weapons chew through their allotment of WHP points like
it’s going out of style; the ranged arms especially: Machine Gun,
Missile Pod, Barrel Cannon, and so forth. His melee ones have a tendency
to get worn down quickly as well, like the Samurai Arms.
3) In relation to 2), there’s no way to build up the durability of his
weapons through Synthing. You have to get the next version higher to get
more WHP and durability.
4) In relation to 3), you can’t level up Steve’s weapons period, or give
them better elemental stats on them. You’re stuck with the abilities
they have from the start.
5) Using Repair Powder on his arms only fills it up halfway, so you need
two of them to bring them back up to full durability again. Granted,
Repair Powder is both dirt-cheap and very plentiful, but still.
6) Getting Steve’s better body types, and thereby raising his defense
level, involves getting deep into the Photo/Invention system; another
thing that may turn people off. Cedric, your source for buying a lot of
Ridepod parts, doesn’t start selling them until late in the game.
7) If you want to complete everything in the game, including getting all
the medals, you have to use Steve on some floors, and so therefore it’s
yet another character to worry about leveling up.
8) A small point, but still: some of the body-types you can get are just
plain ODD. The Clown Body, for example? Who thought of that? (Though I
suppose if you got the complete set for Steve and the complete Clown
outfit set for Max...)

So, as you can see, there are a lot of advantages and disadvantages to using
Steve, but he’s very useful in the right situations. And, let’s face it,
giant robots are always fun, right? Why do you think there’s so many Japanese
anime shows about them?

So then, that’s the purpose of this guide: to help you get the most out of
the Ridepod, including detailed stats and information about all the parts you
can get for him: how powerful they are, how you get them, my personal and
educated opinion on them, and so forth. Any other information perhaps
pertinent in relation to Steve will be included (such as general fighting
strategy) as either requested or personally thought up. If you have an idea
that you think I could include, email me!

And now, on with the guide!

============================
GENERAL FIGHTING STRATEGIES: [stv_fight]
============================

(This section will probably be under construction for quite some time, so bear
with me.)

As you've probably noticed, fighting with Steve isn't that much different than
fighting with Monica and Max, so there's not a whole lot to go into here.
However, there are a few interesting differences that you should keep in mind.

First of all, as I mentioned before in the introduction, Steve has the
advantage of being able to move while he's attacking, even with his close-
combat arms. Take advantage of this, especially when you're just starting out
with him! It's easy to swing around to the enemy's side and even get behind
them while continuing to hammer away with whatever arms you have equipped.

Second, Steve's melee-based arms have a lot of trouble hitting airborne
enemies, like the Bats you find in the Underground Channel. You either have to
wait until they get down, usually to attack you, or switch to a ranged-based
set of arms, preferably the Barrel Cannon Arm.

Third, if you're using any of the ranged arms, you can't use the Block button
(R1 by default) to block enemy attacks, which leaves you at a bit of a
disadvantage. Use Steve's natural mobility to maneuver around incoming ranged
and melee attacks while returning your own.

Fourth, lock-on targeting is somewhat more important with Steve than it is
with Monica and Max, given his aforementioned maneuverability; you can be
facing one direction while moving in another. Call it 'Robotron 2084 Syndrome',
if you will. :) This is especially important with his ranged weapons, as
without being locked-on an enemy will cause you to miss most of the time. It's
ESPECIALLY important with the Missile Pod Arms, since you'll probably hit
jack without a lock-on.

Any specific information about strategies with specific arms will be covered
under the particular arm's section.

*UPDATE* You may have noticed that Steve also has another problem: he can't do
anything with the assorted crates/rocks/vases scattered around the level that
hold some nifty stuff, most importantly (and ironically) Ridepod Fuel. However,
it was pointed out on the GameFAQs message board by one Xanthus179 that Steve
does have the ability to kick them open and thereby negate the need to disboard
Steve to break them! However, only the actual feet-style leg parts can do this
(Iron Leg, Bucket Leg, Clown Foot), and they also happen to be Steve's three
saddest feet parts, so its usefulness is questionable... but it's still good
to know. To use it, just press the X button in front of the rock/crate/vase,
and Steve'll kick it open.

======
PARTS: [stv_parts]
======

This is perhaps the most important part of this guide: a detailed description
of all of various body forms, arms, cores, and feet there are for Steve.
Hopefully everything you can possibly want to know, I'll have covered here. :)

The format for this listing is fairly simple:

<name> Cost: ?xp Make: ? <Specific Stats>

<Description and personal observation>

Appearance: ---
Available: ---
Ideas: ---
Make: ---

The name part is obvious, of course. 'Cost' is how much it costs in eXperience
Points (that you get from picking up ABS spheres while in Steve; 1 ABS point
= 2 XP, FYI), if it's a part you can buy from Cedric. 'Make' indicates if you
can make it through the Photo/Invention system. The description/observation
is also obvious: how it works exactly and how it operates from a 'real world'
perspective (i.e., my opinion) so you can see if it's worth the money or
effort. 'Appearance' is how the item actually looks, from either the Inventory
screen or on Steve himself, for those who're curious about such things.
'Available' is the first Chapter where Cedric will start selling the part to
you, if applicable, and when you can first get the Photo Ideas to Make it.
'Ideas'/'Make' section describes the photo Ideas you need, along with what
material components you need to actually make it, if you can Invent it.

All clear? Then let's start with the basics!

==============
PARTS - CORES: [stv_cores]
==============

Steve's Cores are, literally and figuratively, the heart of our robotic friend.
The Core determines how much 'capacity' you have to attach arms, feet, and
body types, as well as the maximum amount of defense it can have. Cores, along
with Shield Kits (which I'll cover later), can only be purchased through Cedric
and not made through Invention. Both should be your top priority when it comes
to spending XPs.

Core Cost: 0xp Make: No Armor: */12 Capacity: */60

Steve starts the game with this, so there's not much to say about it. Upgrade
from this as soon as you can, because 60 points of capacity isn't going to
let you use squat, and it's easy to fill up to the max of 12 armor. :P

Appearance: A little artichoke heart with horns.
Available: Chapter 1
Ideas: --
Make: --

Improved Core Cost: 900xp Make: No Armor: */24 Capacity: */90

A little better, though not by much. With the additional 30 points of
capacity, you may be able to afford your first arm upgrade, or maybe a new
body-type. Still nothing exciting, though.

Appearance: A little artichoke heart with electric plugs coming out of the
sides.
Available: Chapter 1
Ideas: --
Make: --

Core II Cost: 1400xp Make: No Armor: */36 Capacity: */120

Getting up there now, both in price and in quality.

Appearance: A robot's head with red eyes.
Available: Chapter 1
Ideas: --
Make: --

Core III Cost: 2000xp Make: No Armor: */48 Capacity: */160

Not much else to say anymore.

Appearance: A teal-colored eye on a stick.
Available: Chapter 1
Ideas: --
Make: --

Super Core Cost: 3500xp Make: No Armor: */60 Capacity: */200

Well, at least they stopped with the Roman numerals. Probably a core to last
you for a while until you get the really good parts, unless you have XP to
burn. And if you use Steve a lot, you will. :)

Appearance: Interestingly enough, Donny with that hat of his.
Available: Chapter 1
Ideas: --
Make: --

Hyper Core Cost: 5000xp Make: No Armor: */72 Capacity: */240

Almost there, folks, second from the greatest.

Appearance: A little golden rocketship.
Available: Chapter 1
Ideas: --
Make: --

Master Grade Core Cost: 6500xp Make: No Armor: */84 Capacity: */300

The top-of-the line core in the game. Buy this when you've got the XP to burn
and never worry about running out of capacity again!

Appearance: An old oil lantern, actually.
Available: Chapter 1
Ideas: --
Make: --

=============
PARTS - ARMS: [stv_arms]
=============

Steve's arms are arguably the most varied and downright cool part of working
with him followed by his legs and then his body-types (though it's a hard
call, to be honest). Ranging from the Cannonball Arm you start with, to almost
fantastic weapons like mecha-ese missile-swarms and beam cannons, there's a lot
of fun toys to play with, so to speak. :)

A few general notes: all the arm parts can be broken down into two categories:
ranged-attack arms and melee-attack arms. Both have their uses as I hinted at
in the 'General Fighting Strategies' section. Also, all of Steve's weapons
have four versions, each more powerful than the one before it.

(Note that this section is going to be updated as I go through the game, as to
make sure I get every detail possible, and test it out in the field. Again,
bear with me.)

Cannonball Arm Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 15 WHP: */40

'Arm part with a steel ball. A mean one-two punch.'
These are the arms that Steve start the game with, as I mentioned before, and
as such, they're the weakest series of arms in the game, and nothing terribly
exciting about them beyond that. Might be useful if you want something with a
good Smash rating that's faster than the Hammer Arms, though. It attacks with
a vicious right hook, a swing with the left, then a slam with both arms at
once.

Stats: Attack: 60 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 50 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of thin snake-like arms with a black steel ball on the
right, and a metal hook on the left.
Available: Chapter 1 (Starting Arms)
Ideas: Manhole - Old-Style Robot - Post
Make: Scrap of Metal (15), Rolling Log (2), Destruction Crystal (1)

Cannonball Arm II Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 43 WHP: */53

Stats: Attack: 100 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 80 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of thin black snake-like arms with a black steel ball on
the right, and a metal hook on the left.
Available: Chapter 1 (Make)
Ideas: Constructor - Post - Rock
Make: Scrap of Metal (20), Silver Ball (5), Destruction Crystal (1)

Cannonball Arm III Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 70 WHP: */64

Stats: Attack: 145 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 100 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of thin gold-banded embellished
arms with a black steel
ball on the right, and a metal hook on the left.

Available: Chapter 3 (Make)
Ideas: Constructor - Moon Crystal - Post
Make: Silver Ball (10), Hunk of Copper (20), Destruction Crystal (2)

Cannonball Arm IV Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 110 WHP: */70

Stats: Attack: 190 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 100 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of thin golden arms with a black steel ball on the right,
and a golden hook on the left.
(Must be all that Gold.)

Available: Chapter 4 (Make)
Ideas: Constructor - Egg Chair - Rock
Make: Gold Bar (3), Silver Ball (5), Destruction Crystal (4)

Clown Hand Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 23 WHP: */52

'Ridepod arm part made to look like a clown's hand.'
This series of arms I think were put into the game to satisfy the rather
large clown-fetish that some unknown game designer had. I mean, seriously:
clown enemies at the start of the game, clowns popping out of chests, a
complete set of clown gear for both Steve AND Max... it's enough to make
anyone afraid of clowns, I say. :p Regardless, the only thing these have over
the Cannonball Arms is a slightly higher attack, and the only set of melee
arms that have a Chill stat. Still rather unremarkable, in my opinion. It
attacks like the Cannonball Arms: right hook, left hook, double-smash.

Stats: Attack: 100 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 50
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: Two big white fists in clown gloves on a pair of thin snake-like
black-and-yellow arms
Available: Chapter 1 (Make)
Ideas: Clown Robo's Attack - Parasol - Pipe
Make: Hunk of Copper (10), Paint [Black] (10), Paint [Green] (5)

Clown Hand II Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 50 WHP: */60

Stats: Attack: 140 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 80
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: Two red fists with yellow palms in clown gloves on a pair of thin
snake-like red-and-yellow-striped arms. Ugh.
Available: Chapter 3 (Make)
Ideas: Clown Robo's Attack - Parasol - Scale
Make: Hunk of Copper (12), Paint [Red] (10), Paint [Yellow] (10)

Clown Hand III Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 80 WHP: */70

Stats: Attack: 180 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 100
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: Two greenish fists in clown gloves on a pair of thin snake-like
purplish arms. Getting better...
Available: Chapter 4 (Make)
Ideas: Clown Robo's Attack - Flag - Work Arm
Make: Silver Ball (5), Paint [Purple] (20), Paint [Green] (20)

Clown Hand IV Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 120 WHP: */82

Stats: Attack: 245 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 100
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: Two golden fists in clown gloves on a pair of thin snake-like
silvery arms. Okay, I guess.
Available: Chapter 5 (Make)
Ideas: Clown Robo's Attack - Paints - Power Arm
Make: Silver Ball (10), Paint [Red] (6), Gold Bar (2)

Samurai Arm Cost: 1100xp Make: Yes Capacity: 30 WHP: */63

'Powerful arm equipped with a Japanese sword. Very sweet!'
Definitely worth your Make efforts or XP, as this is the best melee arms in
the game, hands down: not only the most powerful, but gracefully fast as
well; the multiple stats is certainly nice as well. It does tend to get worn
down quickly in the WHP department, though; must be the sharp sword edges.
It attacks with a right sword slash, a quick left sword slash, then a
360-degree spin attack with the right sword from behind.

Stats: Attack: 145 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 50 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 50 Scale: 50

Appearance: A pair of huge katanas with red hilts held in both hands, on arms
covered in red samurai bracers.
Available: Chapter 4 (Buy), Chapter 3 (Make)
Ideas: Barrel - Crescent-Shaped Light - Weapon
Make: Scrap of Metal (10), Rolling Log (10), Thick Hide (10)

Samurai Arm II Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 70 WHP: */80

Stats: Attack: 260 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 50 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 50 Scale: 50

Appearance: A pair of huge katanas with blue hilts held in both hands, on
arms covered in blue samurai bracers.
Available: Chapter 5 (Make)
Ideas: Runaway Dragon - Weapon - Work Crane
Make: Scrap of Metal (15), Rolling Log (15), Silver Ball (5)

Samurai Arm III Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 130 WHP: */99

Stats: Attack: 460 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 50 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 50 Scale: 50

Appearance: A pair of huge blood-covered katanas with blue hilts held in both
hands, on arms covered in purplish samurai bracers. Definitely
VERY cool-looking.
Available: Chapter 7 (Make)
Ideas: Deer Horn - Moon Column - Weapon
Make: Scrap of Metal (20), Rolling Log (20), Life Element (30)

Samurai Arm IV Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 160 WHP: */100

Stats: Attack: 1800 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 50 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 50 Scale: 50

Appearance: A pair of huge katanas with golden-bronze hilts held in both
hands, on arms covered in elegant red and gold-highlighted
samurai bracers. Very pretty.
Available: Chapter 8 (Make)
Ideas: A Surviving Soldier - Flotsam Revived! - Legend of the Moon
Make: Diamond (2), Rolling Log (25), Scrap of Metal (25)

Hammer Arm Cost: 800xp Make: Yes Capacity: 40 WHP: */70

'This arm crushes enemies with its tremendous hammer.'
Something of a casualty of arm parts that look impressive, but lose something
in execution, the Hammer Arm is as powerful as the name implies, but you'll
probably find its lack of speed and its rather bizarre attack pattern to
be rather hard to use. However, its high power and Smash rating makes it a
good weapon to use against Mimics, King Mimics, and any mecha-enemies, like
the Vanguard and Neo-Vanguard. It attacks by a downward smash with the right
arm, a downward smash with the left arm a bit away, then a double-smash with
both hammers in front.

Stats: Attack: 192 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 50 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of giant grey mallets with ringed copper heads on a pair
of stubby barrel-shaped arms.
Available: Chapter 6 (Buy), Chapter 4 (Make)
Invent: Barrel - Post - Work Robot
Make: Scrap of Metal (50), Hunk of Copper (10)

Hammer Arm II Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 70 WHP: */83

Stats: Attack: 250 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 80 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: Same look as Hammer Arm, except the sides and heads of the
hammers have a bit more embellishment to them.
Available: Chapter 5 (Make)
Invent: Hammer - Post - Work Arm
Make: Scrap of Metal (50), Rough Rock (20), Silver Ball (1)

Hammer Arm III Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 100 WHP: */80

Stats: Attack: 315 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 100 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: Same look as Hammer Arm, but the arms, hammer sides and hammer
heads have a blue scaled pattern to them. Rather pretty.

Available: Chapter 6 (Make)
Invent: Chimney - Earth Gem Altar - Hammer
Make: Scrap of Metal (50), Hunk of Copper (30), Protector Crystal (5)

Hammer Arm IV Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 140 WHP: */99

Stats: Attack: 450 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 100 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: Same look as Hammer Arm, but the hammer sides and arms are a
shiny silver, and the heads are ringed in gold. Fancy, but
given its cost...
Available: Chapter 7 (Make)
Invent: Moon Column - Power Arm - Tiny Hammer
Make: Scrap of Metal (20), Protector Crystal (7), Diamond (1)

Drill Arm Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 40 WHP: */72

'Arm part with a drill on the end. Bores into any enemy!'
Much like the Hammer Arm, this one also is quite cool to see, but is rather
weak, as well as being slow to attack. It does, however, have the advantage
of hitting the enemy multiple times if you happen to catch one in its first
two attacks, and its unique Smash and Cyclone stats make it a good arm to use
on stone enemies, though (which makes sense, of course). It attacks with a
continual grinding of the right arm, another of the left arm, then both arms
held close together (Ouch!).

Stats: Attack: 80 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 50
Smash: 50 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A huge pair of steel-grey cone-shaped drills on stubby arms.
Available: Chapter 4 (Make)
Invent: Auto Book Reader - Fan - Windmill
Make: Scrap of Metal (20), Destruction Crystal (3),
Protector Crystal (1)

Drill Arm II Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 70 WHP: */82

Stats: Attack: 128 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 50
Smash: 50 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: Same look as Drill Arm, except the drills are a steel-blue. Nice!
Available: Chapter 5 (Make)
Invent: Electric Sesame - Horn - Work Arm
Make: Scrap of Metal (2), Destruction Crystal (4), Power Crystal (2)

Drill Arm III Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 100 WHP: */90

Stats: Attack: 155 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 50
Smash: 50 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: Same look as Drill Arm, except the drills are shiny gold. Very
pretty indeed.
Available: Chapter 5 (Make)
Invent: Ixion - Luna Stone Shards - Work Arm
Make: Gold Bar (2), Destruction Crystal (5), Power Crystal (4)

Drill Arm IV Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 140 WHP: */98

Stats: Attack: 225 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 50
Smash: 50 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: Same look as Drill Arm, except the drills are a burnished reddish
metallic color, with brighter red and blue circles around the
back. Very polished indeed. Given the cost, though...
Available: Chapter 7 (Make)
Invent: Deer Horn - Flower of the Sun - Work Arm
Make: Silver Ball (15), Diamond (1), Indestructible Coin (1)

Barrel Cannon Cost: 400xp Make: Yes Capacity: 23 WHP: */50

'Made from a water barrel, but it doesn't shoot water!'
This will almost assuredly be the first ranged arm part you can get for
Steve, either through buying it from Cedric in Chapter 3 or inventing it.
(The idea 'recipe' for it's in Cedric's workshop back in Palm Brinks.. hint,
hint.) As such, its the weakest of the ranged arms in the game, but it is
one of the quickest and most accurate, so it's still rather useful. It fires
out a pair of glowing white bullets from the right cannon, then the left.

Stats: Attack: 95 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 50
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of water barrels with bladders on their backs, and thin
cannons on the front, held up by blue metal arms.
Available: Chapter 2 (Buy, Make)
Ideas: Barrel - Fountain - Mushroom
Make: Rolling Log (10), Gunpowder (10)

Barrel Cannon II Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 50 WHP: */60

Stats: Attack: 140 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 80
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: Same as the Barrel Cannon, except the bladders in the back are
bluish-grey in color, and the metal arms are a rust-red.
Available: Chapter 3 (Make)
Ideas: Barrel - Fountain - Well
Make: Rolling Log (10), Gunpowder (20), Sturdy Cloth (4)

Barrel Cannon III Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 80 WHP: */72

Stats: Attack: 180 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 100
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: Same as the Barrel Cannon, except the bladders are a more golden-
yellow in color, and the water barrels and cannons are a light
grey.
Available: Chapter 4 (Make)
Ideas: Barrel - Water Tank - Waterfall
Make: Rolling Log (17), Gunpowder (25), Hunter Crystal (4)

Barrel Cannon IV Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 120 WHP: */81

Stats: Attack: 240 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 100
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: Same look as Barrel Cannon, except the whole thing looks
more golden in color.
Available: Chapter 5 (Make)
Ideas: Air Cleaner - Barrel - Fire Squall
Make: Rolling Log (20), Gunpowder (40), Bull's-Eye Coin (1)

Machine Gun Arm Cost: 900xp Make: Yes Capacity: 30 WHP: */62

'Ridepod arm equipped with a machine gun.'
Now we're starting to get into the cooler arm parts. I mean, what's sweeter
than a pair of chain guns? Spray and pray, people! Just be sure to have a
lock on an enemy before you start these up, or else you'll just waste shots.
And that's important, given how quickly these things chew through WHP points.
Looks like, ; how it attacks should be obvious. Spray and pray!

Stats: Attack: 138 Durable: 0
Flame: 50 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 50
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of dark-grey six-barrel chainguns in wooden cylinders,
with ammo clips sticking out of the top, and dark-red metal
arms holding them to Steve's sides.
Available: Chapter 5 [Future] (Buy), Chapter 3 (Make)
Ideas: Fan - Rifle - Runaway Dragon
Make: Rolling Log (15), Gunpowder (15), Scrap of Metal (10)

Machine Gun Arm II Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 60 WHP: */71

Stats: Attack: 180 Durable: 0
Flame: 50 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 50
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: Same look as Machine Gun Arm, except the chainguns and ammo
clips are a much ligher grey color, and the arms are blue.
Available: Chapter 4 (Make)
Ideas: Fan - Telescope - Windmill
Make: Silver Ball (8), Gunpowder (20), Scrap of Metal (15)

Machine Gun Arm III Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 90 WHP: */80

Stats: Attack: 230 Durable: 0
Flame: 50 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 50
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: Same look as Machine Gun Arm, except the chainguns are a gold
color, the ammo clips are almost white, and the wooden
cylinders are a matt-black
Stylish!
Available: Chapter 5 (Make)
Ideas: Propeller - Rifle - Windmill
Make: Silver Ball (5), Thunder Element (30), Gold Bar (1)

Machine Gun Arm IV Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 130 WHP: */90

Stats: Attack: 295 Durable: 0
Flame: 50 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 50
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: Same look as Machine Gun Arm, except the wooden cylinders are a
ruby-red in color (no surprise) and the arms are matt-black in
color this time. Rather stylish, but not quite as much as the
Machine Gun Arm III.
Available: Chapter 6 (Make)
Ideas: Drum Can - Propeller - Wind Gem Altar
Make: Silver Ball (10), Thunder Element (40), Ruby (1)

Missile Pod Arm Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 30 WHP: */61

'Fires missiles. Effective on many enemies at once.'
This is arguably my favorite ranged arm part of them all: not just missiles,
people, but missile swarms! No less than a dozen of them at once, to be
exact. Unfortunately, it's only cool in practice; in execution, you'll find
that even with you locked onto an enemy, there's a good chance most of the
missiles will miss and barely damage your foe; don't even THINK about doing
it without a lock-on. Still worth getting just to use a few times for the
'cool' factor, though. It attacks by the doors opening up and all 12 missiles
flying out, arching behind your foe, and slamming into them. (Some of them
hitting your foe, anyway... sigh.)

Stats: Attack: 138 Durable: 0
Flame: 50 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of wooden boxes with hazard-yellow doors.
Available: Chapter 3 (Make)
Ideas: Mushroom - Rotating Sign - Wooden Box
Make: Rolling Log (10), Gunpowder (20), Scrap of Metal (10)

Missile Pod Arm II Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 60 WHP: */70

Stats: Attack: 185 Durable: 0
Flame: 80 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of pale-tan tiled boxes with light-grey metal doors on
a pair of bluish metal arms.
Available: Chapter 4 (Make)
Ideas: Fountain - Symbol of Luna Lab - Wooden Box
Make: Hunk of Copper (20), Gunpowder (30), Scrap of Metal (10)

Missile Pod Arm III Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 90 WHP: */81

Stats: Attack: 242 Durable: 0
Flame: 100 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of harsh-looking steel-grey boxes with matching doors
on a pair of similar-looking arms.
Available: Chapter 5 (Make)
Ideas: Deer Horn - Generator - Gold Store
Make: Scrap of Metal (20), Flame Stone (3), Silver Ball (5)

Missile Pod Arm IV Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 130 WHP: */91

Stats: Attack: 300 Durable: 0
Flame: 100 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of golden boxes with light-grey doors, on a pair of
light-grey metal arms.
Available: Chapter 6 (Make)
Ideas: Fire Gem Altar - Gold Store - Mount Gundor
Make: Gold Bar (3), Flame Stone (8), Silver Ball (3)

Nova Cannon Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 50 WHP: */83

'Changes the sun's energy into a powerful attack beam.'
As you might expect from what's basically a big laser beam, this ranged arm
can do an impressive amount of damage quickly... however, it also suffers
from the drawback of being terribly slow to fire; there's a bit of a
charge-up time involved. This can cause you to easily miss your target if
you're not careful. Still, it's a worthy ranged arm to use (and a worthy arm
period) from when you get it. It attacks with the right pod stretching open
and shooting out a huge yellow laser, then the left pod. Sometimes

Stats: Attack: 240 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 50
Lightning: 50 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of golden urn-shaped pods on a pair of spindly black-grey
arms.
Available: End of Chapter 4 (Georama Reward), Chapter 5 (Make)
Invent: Generator - Rapper - The Sun
Make: Sticky Clay (10), Sun Stone (1), Fire Element (10)

Nova Cannon II Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 80 WHP: */91

Stats: Attack: 300 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 50
Lightning: 50 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of dark-bronze urn-shaped pods on grey and black spindly
arms.
Available: Chapter 6 (Make)
Invent: Fire Gem Altar - Streetlight - The Sun
Make: Sticky Clay (12), Holy Element (50), Fire Element (20)

Nova Cannon III Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 110 WHP: */99

Stats: Attack: 435 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 50
Lightning: 50 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of purplish urn-shaped pods on dark-brown and purplish
spindly arms.
Available: Chapter 7 (Make)
Invent: Moon Column - Stove - The Sun
Make: Sticky Clay (14), Holy Element (99), Holy Stone (3)

Nova Cannon IV Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 165 WHP: */100

Stats: Attack: 1600 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 50
Lightning: 50 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 0
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of dark scale-patterned urn-shaped pods on black and
bronze spindly arms.
Available: Chapter 8 (Make)
Invent: Flotsam Revived! - Pot Torch - The Sun
Make: Sun Stone (1), Holy Stone (5), Sticky Clay (15)

Laser Arm Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 50 WHP: */80

'Arm fires homing lasers. Great on flying enemies!'
I have to admit my feelings on the Laser Arms is rather mixed, as they've got
their good and bad points: on one hand, they're rather powerful, and the
Laser Arm IV is the most powerful weapon you'll have going through the first
part of Chapter 8... however, they're only slightly more accurate than its
distant cousin the Missile Pod Arms ('homing lasers' my ***!), and it chews
up its WHP points like it's going out of style, since each of the four lasers
that fire out use up a point. Still, it has a certain coolness factor like
the Missile Pod Arms, and it does hit more often than them as well... so it
does have its use. It attacks by the split-barrels tilting back and folding
out at the middle, then four lasers fire out of hidden tubes, curving around
to hit your opponent from behind. (Again, a target-lock is ESSENTIAL!)

Stats: Attack: 235 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 50
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of barrels split in half, on dark-grey metal arms.
Available: Chapter 5 (Make)
Invent: Barrel - Energy Pipe - Geyser
Make: Silver Ball (5), Light Element (10), Rolling Log (10)

Laser Arm II Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 80 WHP: */92

Stats: Attack: 295 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 80
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of silver-colored barrels split in half, on silvery metal
arms.
Available: Chapter 5 (Make)
Invent: Crescent-Shaped Light - Energy Pipe - Ixion
Make: Silver Ball (5), Light Element (20), Rolling Log (12)

Laser Arm III Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 115 WHP: */98

Stats: Attack: 430 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 100
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of ruby-red-colored barrels split in half, on silvery
metal arms.
Available: Chapter 7 (Make)
Invent: Energy Pipe - Relaxation Fountain - Search Light
Make: Silver Ball (9), Light Element (15), Hunk of Copper (20)

Laser Arm IV Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 140 WHP: */100

Stats: Attack: 800 Durable: 0
Flame: 0 Chill: 0
Lightning: 0 Cyclone: 0
Smash: 0 Exorcism: 100
Beast: 0 Scale: 0

Appearance: A pair of golden barrels split in half, on dark-grey metal arms.
Available: Chapter 7 (Make)
Invent: Blue Lantern - Energy Pipe - Legend of the Moon
Make: Gold Bar (4), Holy Stone (4), Diamond (1)

===================
PARTS - BODY-TYPES: [stv_body]
===================

Steve's body has two functions: this is where a good chunk of his defense will
come from, and also it's the main determinant of how he looks in general; an
important factor for the true Steve-lovers out there, including me. Body-types
range from your standard-issue Wooden Box and Drum Can varieties, to the
more... strange ones like the Clown Body. I still don't know what they were
thinking when they came up with that one. Maybe the game designers had some
Pennywise fetish going on or something... anyway.

Body-types can be bought from Cedric, but only starting in Chapter Five.
Invention is your much better bet to get them quickly.

(You'll also notice a slight change in this section: since appearance is almost
nine-tenths of what makes Steve's body-types important, I've included that
in my personal description of the part. The 'Appearance' section, then, is
reserved for my significant other Necros' personal comments on how Steve looks
with the part on, because he specifically asked me to, and they usually ARE
rather funny. ;) )

Drum Can Body Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 10 Armor: 6

'Torso part made out of a Drum Can.'
Steve, once again, starts the game with this, and you'd do best to junk it
as soon as you get the opportunity; either for the Milk Can Body or the
(shudder) Clown Body. 6 points of Armor isn't even enough really against the
enemies in the Underground Channel. One of Steve's cuter bodies, though,
since the headlights on the front along with the grill make it look like a
face. Max himself sits on top in front of the controls.

Appearance: --
Available: Chapter 1 (Start)
Ideas: Chair - Drum Can - Lamp
Make: Scrap of Metal (40), Rolling Log (5), Glass Material (4)

Milk Can Body Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 14 Armor: 12

'Torso part in the shape of a huge Milk Can.'
Definitely one of the more disturbing Body-Types; it really DOES look like
a giant Milk Can... a mutant Milk Can with a single giant glowing eye to
blind its foes with. :) The 'eye', of course, is this body-type's
headlight, and Max himself is poking out of the opening, with the lid
right behind his emerged head. Still, an improvement over the Drum Can Body,
so get it when you can. Chances are you'll find the Clown Body 'recipe'
first, though, like I did.

Appearance: --
Available: Chapter 3 (Make)
Ideas: Chimney - Milk Can - Peeping Pole
Make: Glass Material (10), Scrap of Metal (40)

Clown Body Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 19 Armor: 12

'Torso made to look like a clown.'
"Can't sleep... clown'll eat me. Can't sleep... clown'll eat me." If you
have similar fears yourself, you're going to want to steer clear of this
body-type. Heck, even if you love clowns, you'll probably still want to do
that too. Of course, it is a marked improvement over the Drum Can body, so...
sigh. What can you do? This looks like, well, a giant CLOWN; complete with
rubber nose, big red lips, green-yellow poofy collar, and blue-white suit.
Max himself pokes out of the very top of it. Combine this with the Roller
Feet for extra absurdity.

Appearance: --
Available: Chapter 1 (Make)
Ideas: Cup - Paints - Parasol
Make: Scrap of Metal (50), Hunk of Copper (25), Paint [Green] (10)

Wooden Box Body Cost: 800xp Make: Yes Capacity: 20 Armor: 18

'Wooden Box torso part. Surprisingly sturdy.'
YES! THANK GOD! A NORMAL-LOOKING BODY-TYPE! *cough* Anyway. The next upgrade
from the Clown and Milk Can body, you'll probably be relishing the return to
normality as well as the increased armor, much like I did. This looks like a
square wooden box with a single headlight in front and a strange curved metal
section that kind of looks like a toothy mouth. Max once again sits just on
top at the controls. A good solid body-type. Not like its freak cousins...
c_c;

Appearance: --
Available: Chapter 5 (Buy), Chapter 3 (Make)
Ideas: Giant Yorda Tree - Hmmmm! Jurak - Wooden Box
Make: Rolling Log (20), Scrap of Metal (30), Hunk of Copper (10)

Samurai Body Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 24 Armor: 19

'Torso part made to look like a samurai of the East.'
This one also is a bit of misnomer, as I almost thought it looked like the
bow of a red ship rather than the torso-armor of a samurai the first time I
saw it in the Invent screen. Still, this is a rather elegant body-type, and,
as you probably expect, looks especially good with the Samurai Arms equipped
as well. Looks like the rounded chest of a Samurai wearing red banded mail
(or perhaps the bow of a red wooden ship) with a golden crescent swish just
below the headlight. Max sits on top, per usual.

Appearance: 'Looks like an orange on crack.'
Available: Chapter 3 (Buy)
Invent: Cedric's Shop Sign - Crescent-Shaped Light - Telescope
Make: Paint [Red] (10), Rolling Log (40), Gold Bar (1)

Refrigerator Body Cost: 700xp Make: Yes Capacity: 24 Armor: 22

'It's made out of a Refrigerator, so it's cold.'
Ironically enough, as strange as you may think this body-type may look like,
it's surprisingly normal, since it doesn't much resemble a refrigerator at
all; more like what you'd think an actual mech would look like. It's also
the next step above the Wooden Body, so you'll want to make this as soon
as you can. (You can find the idea 'recipe' for this at the very start of
the game, but you won't be able to make it for a LONG time...) Looks like a
roughly cylindrical silver body with a door on the front, latch and all, and
the requisite headlight right on top. Max himself just barely pokes out of
the top.

Appearance: 'IT'S SUPER-KEG!'
Available: Chapter 5 [Future] (Buy), Chapter 4 (Make)
Ideas: Refrigerator - Small Generator - Traffic Light
Make: Scrap of Metal (50), Hunk of Copper (10), Chill Crystal (1)

Super-Alloy Body Cost: 1100xp Make: Yes Capacity: 30 Armor: 24

'Super-alloy torso. Defends against almost any attack.'
This one took me a bit by surprise, to be honest, as I didn't expect it to look
quite as good as it did... but it certainly makes Steve look very robot-like,
especially with the pair of glowing red eyes for the headlights right in the
front. This is also the best armor you can buy for Steve from Cedric, so those
people who've been ignoring the Photo/Invention system'll want to snap this
up. (On a side note, this is also the best part you can buy from Cedric if
you're trying to get rid of excess XP on Steve and want to make some money
in the process, as it sells higher than the Samurai Arms he sells.) Looks like
an steel-grey octagonal metal block with the aforementioned glowing red eyes,
and Max on top.

Appearance: --
Available: Chapter 7 (Buy), Chapter 4 (Make)
Invent: Gold Store - Search Light - Work Equipment
Make: Gold Bar (1), Silver Ball (5), Hunk of Copper (10)

Sun & Moon Armor Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 40 Armor: 30

'Strongest torso of all. Contains ancient strength.'
Here it is, folks: the best armor in the game, period, and frankly my
favorite of them all, since it just looks so bloody graceful and elegant.
Invent this as soon as you can! Looks like a egg-shaped chair colored a
golden bronze, with a pair of oval slitted headlights that sort of remind me
of Oriental eyes. Max sits comfortably in front of the controls.

Appearance: 'Looks like a wicker chair with guns.'
Available: Chapter 5 (Make)
Invent: The Sun - The Moon - Electric Sesame
Make: Light Element (50), Holy Element (50), Sticky Clay (50)

=============
PARTS - FEET: [stv_feet]
=============

Steve's feet are probably his second-most important group of parts, especially
if he's your main tool for completing the 'Wipe-Out Time' medal goals; his
feet parts are what determine how quickly he's able to move and maneuver. Much
like the rest of him, there's quite a selection, from the rather plain Iron
Feet he starts with to centipede-like devices and futuristic hover-jets. True
Steve-fans will want to make sure they have the best and fastest feet they
can get.

Feet can both be bought from Cedric and invented through Photo/Invent.

Iron Leg Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 10

'Leg part made out of iron. It's strong, but slow.'
The third part that Steve starts the game with, and yet again one you want to
replace ASAP; they're not kidding about it being 'slow'. With these Steve
is easily slower than Monica and Max, and we can't have that, can we? These
are easily my least-favorite part for Steve. Ever.

Appearance: A pair of old-style cowboy boots, complete with the spurs on the
back.
Available: Chapter 1 (Start)
Ideas: Fence - Old-Style Robot - Trashcan
OR Constructor - Phonograph - Saw
Make: Scrap of Metal (20), Hunk of Copper (2)

Caterpillar Cost: 600xp Make: Yes Capacity: 15

'Travels smoothly over the bumpiest of roads, but slow.'
This leg part you can easily make while even looking for the photo ideas to
build the Energy Pack during the game's Photo/Invention tutorial (hint: look
in the Station.) Ironically enough, they're about as fast as the Iron Feet
are, so they may be worth your time to make so you can get rid of the
craptacular Iron Feet. As for their claim of 'traveling smoothly over the
bumpiest of roads', I've yet to see it done myself.

Appearance: A pair of, unsurprisingly, caterpillar treads with three rollers
on each side.
Available: Chapter 2 (Buy), Chapter 1 (Make)
Ideas: Car - Cart - Wheel
Make: Scrap of Metal (30), Thick Hide (3)

Bucket Leg Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 15

'Unique part made of buckets. Won't rust, either.'
This, quite honestly, is probably even more useless than the Iron Leg,
because they're not any faster than the Iron Leg, and don't have any other
redeeming features besides that whatsoever. Get these if you just want
something different than the Irong Leg, because.. uh, I guess they look
nicer. Or something. :p

Appearance: A pair of simple upturned metal buckets with four bronze studs
bolted along the edges for added stability.
Available: Chapter 3 (Make)
Invent: Can - River - Well
OR River - Trashcan - Water Tank
Make: Water Element (5), Scrap of Metal (30)

Clown Foot Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 20

'Ridepod foot part made to look like a clown's foot.'
I suppose, really, if you have Clown Arms and a Clown Body, you gotta have
Feet to match, right? Besides their rather outlandish appearance, they're no
better than the Iron Leg or Bucket Leg in terms of speed, so I guess their
only use is for those people who want to make Steve look like a mechanized
version of Bozo rampaging around the dungeon grounds. (Admittedly, that does
have some appeal, if you think about it.)

Appearance: A pair of red pointy clown shoes, with white pom-poms on the tips
and poofy green and yellow collars at the top. Festive!
Available: Chapter 1 (Make)
Invent: Clown Robo's Attack - Egg - Scale
OR Clown Robo's Attack - Eyeball - Paints
Make: Scrap of Metal (30), Paint [Red] (10)

Roller Foot Cost: 700xp Make: Yes Capacity: 20

'Foot that lets you glide along like on roller skates.'
Alright, now this is what I'm talking about! Admittedly it is kind of goofy
to see Steve roller-skating around the dungeon floors, but these are MUCH
faster than either the Caterpillar or Iron Feet, and much more maneuverable
as well. Make or buy these as soon as you can, as they'll prove to be
the first feet you can start crushing 'Wipe-Out Time' goals with.

Appearance: A pair of roller skates with two large wheels.
Available: Chapter 4 (Buy), Chapter 3 (Make)
Ideas: Freight Train - Rotating Sign - Wheel
OR Freight Train - Ventilation - Wheel
Make: Scrap of Metal (30), Rolling Log (10)

Multi Feet Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 30

'Hey, four have got to be better than two, right?'
Definitely one of the more strange feet Steve can wear, but that's what makes
them so cool: for all intents and purposes, they look and move like spider
legs, actually, so Steve basically skitters about the level. They're just a
BIT slower than the Roller Feet, though, but given the niftier appearance,
it may be a worthy trade-off. Try them out yourself and see!

Appearance: Two pairs of thin futuristic-looking spider-legs coming out of
Steve's base with teal-colored joints.
Available: Chapter 4 (Make)
Invent: Deer Horn & Post & Work Robot
Make: Silver Ball (15), Scrap of Metal (30)

Buggy Cost: 800xp Make: Yes Capacity: 30

'High speeds over any surface! Whee!'
Ahhh, yes, the infamous Buggy... by far the speedy feet part for Steve in the
entire game, which you'd think would make it the best one available. Right?
Wrong. The reason it's so infamous is that it's probably the most AWFUL feet
part to try and control, making the Propeller Leg and Jet Hover seem like
a breeze in comparison. Needless to say, I was quite surprised myself the
first time I installed them and a INSTRUCTION BOX pops up explaining how to
make them work... oy. They may be useful if there isn't any enemies around
and you simply must get from Point A to Point B in a dungeon super-quick,
but otherwise stick with the superior Propeller Feet.

(For the curious, the Buggy works like a tank, so to speak, or the control
system from the 'Resident Evil' games: you push Up on the Left Analog Stick
to start moving forward, press Down to slow down, and turn left and right
by tilting the Stick the appropriate direction. Needless to say, trying to
turn without moving doesn't work too well... I believe there's more, but
I can't seem to get the instruction box to come up again. Anyone willing
to inform me about the specifics of that would be very appreciated. u_u)

Appearance: Much like an actual motorcycle, with two rubber wheels (the one
in the rear being bigger) and a small engine between the two.
Available: Chapter 7 (Buy), Chapter 4 (Make)
Invent: Belt - Car - System 5WP2
Make: Scrap of Metal (30), Fire Element (7), Thick Hide (8)

Propeller Leg Cost: 900xp Make: Yes Capacity: 35

'Spins round and round and lifts you into the air.'
One of my favorite leg parts, and one of my favorite parts for Steve period,
this is markedly faster than even the Roller Feet and one of the fastest
feet that you can get for Steve, making it a definite favorite for Steve
speed-freaks. However, given the fact that Steve is no longer on the ground,
things like 'friction' don't apply anymore; it's a lot harder to control
Steve, and he'll slip and slide around more. Still, with some practice,
you'll be zipping along in no time.

Appearance: A pair of propeller blades at different angles underneath a
metal gear.
Available: Chapter 5 [Future] (Buy), Chapter 4 (Make)
Invent: Fan - Cart - Windmill Feather
Make: Silver Ball (10), Wind Element (7)

Jet Hover Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 40

'Yippee! Whoosh! It's invigorating to go so fast!'
Now this, hands down, is the best feet that Steve can have, both in terms of
speed and in appearance, especially when you combine it with the Sun & Moon
Armor. It also seems to handle a lot better than the Propeller Leg; I guess
it's something to do with it being more technological or something. Get this
as soon as you can, obviously.

Appearance: A bronze-metal rounded base with three rounded jets sticking out
at various angles, with ice-blue flames spurting out of them
constantly.
Available: Chapter 7 (Make)
Invent: Relaxation Fountain - Fire House - Candle
Make: Sticky Clay (30), Fire Element (6), Hunk of Copper (15)

=====================
PARTS - ENERGY PACKS: [stv_packs]
=====================

You should be quite familiar with the importance of Steve's Energy Packs after
you watch the scene where he's introduced with Cedric riding him in the first
fight against Brave Little Linda. Needless to say, the Energy Pack is what
determines what Steve's 'hit points' are, so the bigger the better. Also keep
in mind that Steve loses a unit of energy roughly every half a minute in real
time just by riding him, so you want as much energy as possible.

Energy packs can be both bought from Cedric and invented through
Photo/Invention.

Energy Pack Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 15 Energy: */80

'Max's first invention. Now the Ridepod is all set!'
Indeed, so you should be intimately familiar with this part, since the
game has you make it from scratch. On the whole, 80 points of energy may
sound like a lot, but it's quite easy to lose it all even in the Underground
Channel, so upgrade to something else ASAP.

Appearance: A pair of SCUBA air tanks put together with a metal hose along
the back of them.
Available: Chapter 1 (Start)
Invent: Belt - Milk Can - Pipe
Make: Scrap of Metal (20), Thick Hide (1), Hunk of Copper (2)

Energy Pack (Barrel) Cost: 600xp Make: Yes Capacity: 30 Energy: */120

'Improved Energy Pack. Has more capacity.'
A lot more capacity, actually, since that 40 more points helps out quite a
bit. You can make this Energy Pack before you even leave Palm Brinks, and I'd
suggest that you do, since it'll be a big help; this along with one of the
better-body types will make Steve almost invincible through Chapter 3 and 4.

Appearance: A barrel on its side with tubes coming out of both ends to lead
into Steve.
Available: Chapter 4 (Buy), Chapter 1 (Make)
Invent: Barrel - Belt - Tree
Make: Rolling Log (10), Thick Hide (2), Scrap of Metal (30)

Bucket Pack Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 35 Energy: */160

'Based on a steel bucket. Will this actually work?'
This one's a bit of a misnomer, actually, as it looks almost exactly like a
gas can (or petrol can, for any European readers out there) strapped to
Steve's back. Outlandish and yet strangely appropriate, really. Past that,
it's the next step up, so make this as soon as you can.

Appearance: As mentioned, a bright-red gas/petrol can with a brown leather
belt, complete with buckle, holding it on, and a hose poking out
of the cap to run into Steve proper.
Available: Chapter 3 (Make)
Invent: Mailbox - Trashcan - Warehouse
Make: Scrap of Metal (40), Thick Hide (2), Paint [Red] (30)

Cleaner Pack Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 45 Energy: */200

'Energy pack made out of an empty vacuum cleaner.'
Now this is just rather strange, to be honest, as it of course looks like a
vacuum cleaner... though, really, it looks more like an air-tank with one of
those wide thin attachments at the very top. Again, though, it's the next
step up, so invent it when you can, blah blah blah.

Appearance: A dull-beige upright tank with an vacuum attachment stuck on top.
I GUESS it looks vacuum-like...
Available: Chapter 4 (Make)
Invent: Air Cleaner - Belt - Vacuum
OR Can - Vacuum Bag - Water Tank
Make: Scrap of Metal (50), Thick Hide (4), Silver Ball (8)

Energy Pack (Urn) Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 50 Energy: */240

'Energy pack made out of an urn. Don't break it!'
I suppose this is a little more appropriate-looking than the Cleaner Pack,
but not by much. The second from the best energy-pack in the game, though,
so get as soon as possible, and so forth. You should know the drill by now.

Appearance: An actual black urn, complete with cap, with two purple pipes
running out of the sides.
Available: Chapter 5 (Make)
Invent: Energy Pipe - Generator - Pot
Make: Sticky Clay (20), Sturdy Rock (20), Earth Element (10)

Triple Urn Pack Cost: 0xp Make: Yes Capacity: 60 Energy: */300

'Energy pack made out of three urns.'
And here it is, the best energy pack in the game. You'll prolly be hard-
pressed to run out of 300 units of energy (unless you're in Chapter 8, at
which point the enemies'll shred through 300 points of energy in almost two
or three hits, so there you go. ^_^) Regardless, though, this looks just
wonderful when put together with the Sun & Moon Armor and the Jet Hover.

Appearance: A dark-bronze cone with two smaller similar-shaped and colored
cones sticking out of the upper-right and left corners. Looks
much like a jet pack, actually.
Available: Chapter 7 (Make)
Invent: Flower Chandelier - Light of Luna Stone - Pot
Make: Sticky Clay (40), Earth Element (20), Sturdy Rock (40)

======================
PARTS - MISCELLANEOUS: [stv_misc]
======================

There's not going to be much to this section, as there's only two parts that
don't fall under the auspices of the other groups: the Shield Kits that add
more armor to Steve's Core, and the rather infamous 'Voice Unit'. More talk
about the latter in a bit...

Shield Kits and the Voice Unit can only be bought from Cedric.

Shield Kit Cost: **xp Make: No

'Attach this to body parts to raise defense.'
Almost exactly as the description says; this item adds another 4 points of
defense to the Core. Of course, you may be asking 'why does Steve have
defense on both his core and his body? What's the difference between the
two?' I was confused about this too, but the game's very extensive help
system answers it: they both add together to form his base defense, so it's
worth your time to upgrade both.

There's no less than 21 Shield Kits you can buy, and the cost goes up every
time by a small amount: 600, 660, 726, 798, 878, 966, 1062, 1169, 1286, 1414,
1556, 1711, 1883, 2071, 2278, 2506, 2756, 3032, 3335, 3669, and finally
4036 XP. (Gotta catch 'em all!)

Appearance: A wench on a cloth-wrapped parcel.
Available: Chapter 1
Invent: --
Make: --

Voice Unit Cost: 1000xp Make: No (Thank God!)

'Voice unit for Ridepod. Quite a chatterbox.'
Ahhh, the Voice Unit: arguably the most useless and annoying part you can buy
from Cedric. The name and game description states it all: it gives Steve
the ability to quip spoken lines randomly while going through the dungeons.
Unfortunately, if you were expecting anything he says to be PERTINENT (like
the Steve in the first Dark Cloud), you're going to be sadly mistaken.
He does says different things when he starts getting hurt, but otherwise
it'll probably just annoy the crap out of you. Spend the rather steep 1000xp
if you've bought everything else and have it to burn, since it's fun to
listen to for about 10 minutes.

If you did buy this and want to know how to turn the blasted thing off,
look at the start of the FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS of this guide.

Appearance: A golden coin with a speaker on the front.
Available: Chapter One
Invent: --
Make: --

===========================
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: [stv_faqs]
===========================

This is, of course, the section of my walkthrough should be pretty obvious:
it's to answer any questions that people seem to keep asking about both Steve
in general, and anything about my guide in particular. So, if there's something
you want to know that isn't covered elsewhere, check here first. If it's not
covered here, feel free to email me at [email protected] and I'll help
you the best I can. :)

Q: Aaagh! The voices! The terrible voices! I bought the Voice Unit and now
how do I make Steve shut the **** UP?!

A: Heh. This was actually a request made by several people on the GameFAQs
message board when I punted the idea of writing this guide. The simple
answer is, look for Steve's Core in your inventory window, and hit the X
button. It'll bring up a menu with both 'Status' and 'Voice On/Off' on it.
Select 'Voice Off' and you'll never have to hear Steve's... charming
vernacular again.

Q: Hey, I just got this part and it won't let me put it on Steve! Is there
something wrong with my game?

A: Nope. Almost assuredly the problem is you're lacking enough capacity to
install the part. Every part has a certain number of capacity points that
it takes up on Steve, and the max capacity you can have is determined by
what core you have. This is why it's super-important to buy the biggest
core you can get the first chance you get, as otherwise you're gonna have
a lot of parts just taking up precious space in your inventory screen.

Q: How do you install a new core?

A: Simply put, you don't. Once you buy one from Cedric, it automatically
replaces the old one. Cedric's a nice guy like that. And there's never a
point when you can't buy them, so don't worry about that. (Though anyone
going into, say, Chapter 7 with the original Core is just ASKING for
trouble...)

Q: Hey, I can't install the Nova Cannon IV! It says I don't have enough
capacity, but I have the Master Grade Core... that should be enough,
right?

A: Ah, no. The Nova Cannon IV is the most expensive part when it comes to
capacity points; specifically 165 points. And that means if you have the
other 'ultimate' Steve parts (the Sun & Moon Armor, the Triple-Urn Pack,
and the Jet Hover), that adds up to 305 capacity points... 5 more than
the max. So you've got to either downgrade one of the other parts (to the
Super-Alloy Body, the Energy Pack (Urn), or the Propeller Leg) or go with
the slightly less-expensive Samurai Arms IV. Personally I'd suggest going
with the Propeller Leg option, as they're still plenty maneuverable... and
going into the Zelmite Mine with less armor or energy is going to get
Steve destroyed. Well, destroyed quicker than he'd normally be by the
creatures in there. Bloody heck, those guys HURT!

Q: Pennywise? What or who the heck is that?

A: This is a bit of a cryptic literary reference, actually: Pennywise was a
incredibly diabolical clown that was part of the creature known as It
in Stephen King's novel 'It'. Some messed-up stuff, yo. Gave the book to
my father as a Christmas present and he never made it past page 12,
actually...

Q: Okay, what about 'Can't sleep... clown'll eat me'? Pennywise again?

A: No, that's actually from an episode of 'The Simpsons', one of my favorite
shows of all time (along with a lot of other people, I'm sure).
Specifically, it's from the episode 'Lisa's First Word', which was a
flashback episode dealing with, obviously, Lisa's first word. Bart was
having separation-anxiety with his previous bed, the crib, so Homer built
him a bed... a TERRIBLY grotesque bed in the shape of a clown; its head
and body forming the headboard and its arms stretched out to form the
sides. To be honest, I doubt anyone wouldn't find it scary just looking
at it, much less sleeping in the damn thing. After Bart has an image of
the bed singing to him in an eerie chant 'If you should die before you
wake...', followed by a really creepy laugh, you next see Bart curled up
in front of the couch chanting 'Can't sleep... clown'll eat me.
Can't sleep... clown'll eat me'.

Q: ... You sure like making a lot of obscure quotes, don't you?

A: Yup. I like to think it gives me my unique writing style. Or I'm just
insane. Whichever. ;-)

===================
CLOSING AND THANKS: [stv_close]
===================

Well, that's everything for right now, everyone. I do hope you've enjoyed my
guide, and found it useful and informative. And, if you didn't... well, I more
than welcome constructive criticism if you want to give it, but any flames or
insults are going to be almost immediately deleted, so there wouldn't be much
point in sending them. Unless they're really entertaining in a stupid or
ignorant way, then I'll more than gladly put them in my guide here and mock you
publicly. ;-) Fair warning and all of that.

Anyway, here's a few words of thanks for various people:

Sony and Level 5: for making this game in the first place, obviously. They
took a fairly inventive action-RPG that came out at the launch of the PS2
and made it into an truly exceptional game. :-)

CJayC and GameFAQs.com: for one of the most informative and useful
websites on the Web period. I've been going to it now for several years and
I'm not sure what I'd do without it.

nightmaresabin on GameFAQs: for first posting the question if someone was
thinking of making a Steve FAQ and giving me the idea for writing this in
the first place. Thanks so much!

Dark Ryder and AngelKnight on GameFAQs: for their INCREDIBLY exceptional
Photo/Invention FAQ. I personally used it several times writing this guide
so I'd have the specific Photo Ideas one needs to make the parts through
Invention, as well as make a few of Steve's older parts after I'd long ago
sold them (such as the Iron Leg). Thanks, you two.

JungleJim on GameFAQs: for just the excellent work he's done in relation to
Dark Cloud 2 period. Anyone willing to bust out the hardcore math skills to
find out how the weapon upgrades system works in a game deserves thanks in
my book. ;-) Not to mention he also wrote the quite excellent Gummi Ship FAQ
for Squaresoft's 'Kingdom Hearts'... beating me to it, truth be told.

Xanthus179 on GameFAQs: for pointing out the useful point that Steve can
(sometimes) kick over the rocks/crates/vases in the dungeon floors if he
has certain feet equipped. I'm not sure how well-known this information is,
but it was news to me. Thanks!

Everyone reading this: for (hopefully) enjoying this guide and finding it
useful. :-)

========
CHANGES: [stv_chgs]
========

Version 0.95 (April 29th, 2003):
Whew! Been a little while since the last update... but I can't say it hasn't
been worth it, actually. Quite a lot of changes, actually, not the least of
which is the addition of every part there is for Steve. Yay! I also
restructured the Arms part section to be more generalistic in relation to the
different versions of each weapon (as my previous strategy of making their
own sections, complete with personal opinion, wasn't working... I was adding
parts as I found them in the game, and simply put, I was missing some parts
outright). I also added in the 'Appearance' field to further standardize
things, added in a few more questions to the 'Frequently Asked Questions'
field, and made some changes to the 'Thanks' and 'General Fighting
Strategies' sections. The only thing that's TECHNICALLY missing is the
'Appearance' comments in the Body-Types section from Necros, and I'm just
going to add those in at a later date (AKA 'whenever I can prod his lazy
butt into getting them from him').

Version 0.2a (April 6th, 2003):
The first version of this guide! Approximately a quarter of Steve's parts
written in, and hopefully more to come as I continue to play through the
game. Things are nowhere NEAR complete, though.

===============
COPYRIGHT INFO: [stv_copy]
===============

Once again, since it's very important, here's the copyright information again:

‘Dark Cloud 2’s Steve the Ridepod FAQ’ is copyright 2003 Shannon Magnuson,
Fractured Reality, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any
format without the author’s express permission is strictly prohibited.
(Seriously, if you want to use any part of this, just ask me.)

Currently the only website permitted to host this guide is GameFAQs.com, which
you should be reading this on now. If it's on someplace else, please email me
and let me know.

'Dark Cloud 2' itself and any characters or such related to it is copyright
2003 by Level-5 and Sony Entertainment Corporation.

Thanks again, everyone! Hope you enjoyed this!

Shannon Spencer Fox

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------