Bulk Slash FAQ by SuperDeadite
Version: 1.0
This guide will only be posted at GameFAQs. If you have a website you
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Disclaimer: Bulk Slash is copyright Hudson Soft, 1997. This guide
is a fan work, and is not endorsed, nor authorized by
Hudson Soft nor Sega. All characters are copyrighted by
their own specific owners and companies and I take no
responsibility for anything that may result in using this
guide.
Introduction: Bulk Slash is one of the many great Sega Saturn
games that never made it out of Japan. It is a a fast
moving, free roaming 3D transformable robot action
game. Hudson Soft became quite famous for their great
PC-Engine shooters featuring very fun anime-style
characters and themes. Bulk Slash seems to be Hudson
Soft's attempt to take this style of game and make it
fully 3D. I'd say they succeded quite well, as
Bulk Slash is a blast to play.
Story: Its just the typical story of two childhood friends
who grew up into soldiers for opposite armies in
a war. You naturally control the male soldier
Chres Dori as he fights to save the galaxy from the
evil empire. Hey its a shooter, and shooters don't
need stories so who cares anyway right?
Character Designer: Natsume Kunihiko
Characters:
Chres Dori
VA: Takahito Koyasu
This is you. For most of the game Chres is
silent, but he does have some spoken lines
towards the end.
Riisen Lavia
VA: Yuri Amano
Chres' childhood friend. Long ago he promised
to come to her resuce if she was ever in
trouble, current wherabouts unknown.
Navigators:
Reone Rhodes
VA: Miki Nagasawa
Age: 16
Job: S.D.F.A.
Lira Hart
VA: Kyoko Hikami
Age: 18
Job: Pop Idol
Meticul Flair
VA: Michiko Neya
Age: 16
Job: Princess
Naira Savage
VA: Ai Orikasa
Age: 22
Job: S.D.F. Officer
Lupia Rude
VA: Naoko Matsui
Age: 20
Job: Thief
Colon Steiner
VA: Yuko Mizutani
Age: S.D.F. Sergeant
Kina Dibiase
VA: Satomi Koorogi
Age: 12
Job: ????
Controls: Your robot has both a robot and a fighter
mode, you can transform at will and controls
vary depending on which form your in.
Robot Mode:
Directional Pad: Forward and back move you
forward and back. Left
and right lets you strafe
left and right without turning.
A: Transform into Fighter mode.
B: Shoot
C: Jump
X,Y, or Z: Zooms out minimap.
L: Turn left
R: Turn Right
Fighter Mode:
Directional Pad: Since you're flying, the down
direction is "pull up" and
the forward direction is "dive."
Left and right still move you
left and right without actually
turning like in Robot mode.
A: Transform in Robot mode.
B: Shoot
C: Change Speed. Note if you tap C, your throttle
will cycle between 25%, 50%, 75%,
and 99% speed. If you hold C, your
speed will increase 1% at a time,
giving you custom throttle control
when the 1/4 presets are either too
fast or too slow for your needs.
X,Y, or Z: Zooms out minimap. Also auto steers you
toward the boss (only during
bossfights, and only if you have
a navigator with you.)
L: Turn left
R: Turn Right
Start: Pause
Starting Up:
Start the game and the title screen will appear.
If you let it sit without pressing any buttons
for a few seconds the animated intro will play.
All menues in Bulk Slash are in English and
shouldn't need any explanations except the
VISUAL BONUS option. This lets you view the
bonus images once you've unlocked them in the
game so picking it now will not actually do
anything. Also the VOICE TEST is updated
everytime you finish the game with a Navigator
(adding their voices), so at first there is
only about 15 voice samples available, but
once you've fully completed the game, there
will be almost 600.
Saving:
Bulk Slash automatically saves what you have done
everytime you beat the game. If you play all the
way to the final boss and die and choose not to
continue, your score will be saved but any
experience your Navigator has earned will be lost.
Also only the Navigator you finished the game with
will get to keep her levels. Note, you can NOT save
between stages, and must start fresh every
time. (If you do continue, you can keep your
Navigator's levels, the only penalty for
continuing,is that your score will be reset to
zero.)
Manageable Intelligent Support SystemA(M.I.S.S.):
Unlike most shooters, Chres doesn't have to take
up the fight alone. On each of the 7 stages,
there is a Navigator to be found. If you have
one join you, she will make big orange guide
arrows appear to point you toward your targets
(otherwise you need to use the minimap) She
will also appear and inform you of just about
anything that occurs, and will get upset when
you get hit. Also when fighting a boss and in
Fighter mode, hitting X, Y, or Z will auto-turn
you so the boss is in your sight. Finally,
each of the 7 Navigators have there own secret
bonus abilities that stregthen your own. I'll
let you figure out these yourself since
experimenting with the Navigators is what makes
this game fun. :D Note, each Navigator starts
at Level 1 and maxes out her personal abilities
at level 3. When you beat the game, your
Navigator will get to keep her levels, and you
can choose to start with her right from the
start (she will no longer be in the stage you
first found her in).
Weapons:
Main:You have several different attacks available
to you. You have a weapon meter, when
in Robot mode and fully charaged, you'll
toss a powerful grenade that can kill
several targets. If not charged, you will
fire a simple forward shot. At close range,
you'll swing your beam sword. When
in Fighter mode and charged, you can fire
powerful homing missiles. Otherwise you
fire a double foreward shot (like the
robot's but more powerful).
Optional: There are three optional weapons, that
can only be used in Robot mode. They
have limited ammo and have their own
ammo meter above your normal weapon
charge meter. Simply hold down the shot
button "B" and you will fire them instead
of your normal non-charged shot. Note
there is only one optional weapon pickup.
It will cycle between the three possible
optional weapons (just look at the letter
to tell what it is)
Fire Blaster: Fires a continous flame-thrower,
VERY POWERFUL but goes quick,
makes quick work of ground-based
bosses. My optional weapon of choice.
Bezier Blaster: Fires a chain laser beam that
"catches" on everything it
hits and keeps hitting everything
for as long as you hold the fire
button and have ammo. It
auto-homes, but is very weak.
Almost identical to the purple shot
from Raiden II in function.
Napalm Blaster: Shoots out three circles of naplam
in a spread-fire pattern. Decently
powerful, but the range is so short
that you're much better off with
the far stronger Fire Blaster unless
you suck at aiming.
Heads Up Display: Once in game you'll see several meters and
gauges. The one that looks like the Superman symbol
is your shields, if it empties its Game Over. You
can pickup items to refil it. Above it you'll see a
small rectangular box, it is your weapon charge meter.
If you have an optional weapon, its ammo meter will
appear above it. The percentage on the right is your
speed (only maters in Fighter mode). The minimap is
in the upper right, and the big number at the bottom
is naturally your score. Lastly the mission timer is
in the bottom right. You have exactly 10 minuets to
complete your goals on each stage or its Game Over.
Note the timer will freeze when the boss comes out.
Tips: Learn how to properly manuver. When in Fighter mode
you have both strafe turning and normal turning.
By combining the two and changing your speed, you
can turn at all kinds of different angles. This
will help a lot when playing on Hard mode and and
especially against certain bosses. Also always
keep an eye on your minimap. All enemy bullets
that are headed toward you will be white dots,
by watching your minimap, you would be amazed just
how much you can dodge. Finally experiment with
the navigators, some are better for certain
situations then others.
New Game: When you choose START from the main menu, you
will first be taken to the Navigator select
screen. From here, you can choose to begin the
game with any of the Navigators you've
previously completed the game with and they
will start at the level they finished with.
If you haven't beaten the game yet, you won't
get this screen at all.
Stage Select: There are seven stages in Bulk Slash,
they get progressively more difficult if
you play them in order. However you can do
Stages 1-3 then 4-6 in any order you choose
(Stage 7 must be done last). This is mainly
due to the Navigator love-point system
(see Endings section).
Mission Briefing: After selecting your stage, you'll
be given a briefing on your goals. These are
in Japanese so just skip through them
(unless you can read Japanese, but in that
case you shouldn't need this guide :P).
Note, you must pick up the Navigator on a level
before you complete the goals, once the boss
comes out, she is no longer attainable.
Stage 1: Goal: Destroy Targets.
Navigator: Reone.
Being the first stage its quite simple.
You'll find Reone (the first Navigator)
right in front of you at the start.
Simply walk into the pink helmut that
says M.I.S.S. on top of it in order to
pick her up. Then just fly/run around
and get used to shooting and hitting
multiple targets. Reone will guide you
to your goals, once you've destroyed
them all the boss will come out.
Simply lock on and shoot, it doesn't
get any simpler.
Stage 2: Goal: Destroy Targets.
Navigator: Lira
This plays a lot like Stage 1, just
at night and a lot more enemies. Look
out for the anti-aircraft turrets while
in Fighter mode. Also the targets here
are shielded. Simply destroy the little
shield generators that circle the targets
(one grenade should do it) and then you
can blow up the targets. You'll find
Lira behind the concert stadium that the
last target is in the middle of.
The boss flies and might seem a bit
tricky to follow, but adjust your
speed and hit the auto-target button
(assuming your playing with a
Navigator) and it should be an easy win.
Stage 3: Goal: Escort the Ship to safety.
Navigator: Meticul
This is an escort mission. From the start
you'll see a big ship in front of you with
a pink indicator above it. Your goal is to
keep it alive as it flies around the map until
it reaches its exit point. The best strategy
is to go ahead of it and blow up the
anti-aircraft guns that totally liter this
level. However don't neglect it too much though
because enemy fighters will randomly spawn. Just
keep an eye on its health meter at the top of
the screen. You will have to abandon it at some
point though to pick up Meticul, she is right
behind the castle (inside the wall). Oh and for
the record Meticul and Colon are my favorites. :D
After the ship flees to safety the boss will
attack. It has a nasty 360 degree attack that
can really hurt, but otherwise treat it like
you did with Stage 2's boss and its easy.
Stage 4: Goal: Deliver Bombs to Target Points.
Navigator: Naira
The idea here is to pick up 1 of the 4 bombs
at the start then drop it off at its target
point. Simply enter Fighter mode and fly into
one to pick it up. When carrying a bomb its
health will appear. There are mine fields
everywhere, and one direct hit is enough to
blow up your bomb. (If it does, a new one
will replace it at the start). Its a good
idea to leave the bombs where they are and
go take out some of the satelites and turrets
that will be firing at you. The mines will
respawn though so don't worry about them.
Also you are in space in this mission, so you
can transform into Robot mode at anytime,
but you won't be able to move unless your on
a piece of ground or on top of one of the
giant ships. From the start point, the far
right corner has a small capital ship in it.
On this ship you will find your new Navigator.
The boss is a giant capital ship that looks
kind of like a Star Destroyer. You have to
blow it up piece by piece. Look out for the
golden TIE Inercepters it launches after you :P
Stage 5: Goal: Aquire the 5 ID Cards and reach the bottom room.
Navigator: Lupia
This mission is completely indoors, so Robot mode
is prefered here (just how Fighter mode was better
in Stage 4). The stage is multiple levels and
elevators connect them. Simply grab the ID card
on each floor then head for the elevator to get
the next one. Lupia can be found close to the
start of Floor 4. There are some platforms you
can jump on, Lupia is on the highest one almost
right above the elevator you just got off of
(its eaiser just to fly up there as opposed to
jumping).
This level has a 2-stage boss. I recommend Fighter
mode for both, as some well timed homing missiles
will quickly destroy both of them. The spider
form does have some nifty laser beam attacks if
you let it live long enough.
Stage 6: Goal: Destroy Targets.
Navigator: Colon
This mission plays like Stage 1 and 2 where its
a large outdoor enviroment with targets to
destroy. However the targets here are actually
minibosses. They are easy to dispatch, just look
out for their beam cannons that can really mess
you up on Hard. Also this stage has a ton of
bright orange kamikaze flyers that will annoy
the hell out of you. Colon can be found under
the GIANT tree, which one of the targets is by.
If you can't find it, just follow the river as
it completely encircles the tree at one end.
The boss here is your clone, he can transform
between Robot and Fighter mode you like you
and has similer moves (although he is actually
polygons unlike you :P). Just dodge the
missiles and don't get rammed and you'll win
with ease.
Stage 7: Goal: Reach the bottom room.
Navigator: Kina
This is the final mission, it is indoors, but
there are many paths you can take through it.
Some are above and will need to flied to.
Look out for the giant rolling cyclinders, as
you can not destroy them, only dodge. From the
start point turn around and there is a closed
door. If and only if you have completed the
game with all 6 of the other navigators, then
this door will be open, and Kina is waiting
inside. If you haven't its locked and you
have more work to do :P. Kina being the
"secret" Navigator is unquestionably the best.
She will make your shot meter charge REALLY
fast, and also if you pick up an optional
weapon with her, the ammo is now unlimited.
Being the final battle, you have to fight
3 bosses, on your way to the real one.
Boss 1: Really easy, just jump at him and
shoot, if you have the Fire
Blaster armed, you shouldn't even take
damage.
Boss 2: This one can get tricky. He likes
to retreat and then charge at you.
The key to beating him quickly is
to launch a grenade when he is in
the middle of the explosive barrels.
Also when he rushes you, JUMP! If you
try to transform it will take too
long and you'll get nailed. Finally,
never use Fighter mode on him, because
he can fly too, and there are no
explosive barrels at the top to help you.
Boss 3: Another easy win, just jump and shoot
him. Time your jumps so that you are
not on the ground when he does his
"ground pound shockwave" move and its
a pathetic fight. After dispatching
him, I would HIGHLY recommend picking
up the Fire Blaster out of one of the
many boxes in the room before going
on to the final room.
Final Shodown: When entering the room, you will
meet your final opponent. Surprise, its
your childhood friend Riizen! Ok, who
didn't see that one comming? Anyway
Chres will finally get to speak here
and after a short talk, Riizen will
attack you. If you took my advice and
have the Fire Blaster, run straight at
her and flame her first form down to
ashes. You probably will take some
damage, but you need to beat her as
quickly as possible because her second
form is tough and you can't afford to
take much damage here. After you beat
her, her true form will appear. This
thing is huge, really fast and has
tons of attacks including multiple
laser beams, and sending out explosive
laser blasts out in every concievable
direction at once. If you have Kina,
this fight is a joke, as you have
unlimited Fire Blaster, and you can
just run up and waste her with ease.
If you don't, then the easiest way is
to go into Fighter mode, set speed to
max and fly around in circles at the
top of the screen until your missiles
are charged. Then when it appears safe
fly lower and nail her head on with
them. Then repeat till shes dead. Just
be careful not to phyiscally ram into
her, cause it will do a TON of damage
to you, on Hard 3 solid rams will kill you.
After she dies, there will be a final
conversation with Riizen, then she will
die for good. Then go into the door
that opened and approach the crystal in
the center to finish the game.
Congratulations, you've beaten Bulk Slash!
Endings: After stopping the weapon in Stage 7 the generic
ending anime will play, and then the
credits. After they finish you will get
to see your Navigator's personal love ending,
assuming you scored enough love-points
with her. Basically just pick one
Navigator and stick with her till the end.
If she levels up during the game, you will
have enough points to get the ending.
But say you play the stages in order,
and pickup Colon in Stage 6, there is no
possible way to get her ending, which is
why you can play the Stages out of order.
Note, if you can't get the ending with a
girl just finish the game with her and
then choose to use her from the very start
of your next play and you'll get her
ending every time. You will have to do
this with Kina since you find her on the
last stage, and it is impossible to get
enough points with her on just that one
stage no matter how good you are.
Every Navigator has her own animated ending
sequence (just like Sakura Taisen), they
are all quite nicely done and well worth
your time seeing all of them. After all,
the girls are one of the best reasons to play
this game! :D
Its sad to say, but from what I can tell
there is no way to save Riizen. Even
playing through on Hard with no Navigator
results in her death. I've even scanned
the disk, and she doesn't have an ending
so it looks like she is dead no matter
what you do. :(
Finally the game will tally your score,
if it reaches Bonus Level 2 you will get
your Navigator's first pic in the visual
bonus gallery. If you reach Bonus Level
3 you will get more pics, and other
extras like special icons for the high
score page and even an ending viewer once
you've gotten all of them. Note, the best
way to get high scores is to finish the
Stages as quckly as possible, without
taking any damage. These two bonuses will
be far higher then if you take your time
and kill everything. Of course it helps
to get big combo kills on the way to your
goals and pick up any gold bars or medals
you can find on the way.
Well thats about it for this FAQ, I hope you find it
useful and enjoy Bulk Slash as much as I did.
Thanks go to the makers of the RetroCore Saturn
Shooting Special, as that video is what got me
interested in this game to begin with. Also
thanks to Hudson Soft for making one of the few 3D
action games on Saturn thats actually really good,
and of course Sega for giving us one of the greatest
videogame consoles in history and then leaving
90% of its great games in Japan. :P
If you must contact me, drop me an email at
[email protected].
(delete the slashes, they are just to divert
spam.) Be sure to put BULK SLASH in the
subject bar, or I won't read it. Otherwise
thanks for reading my guide, and have fun!
