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PANZER DRAGOON ORTA
A Full FAQ/Walkthrough, ver 1.13; March 13, 2005
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For the Microsoft Xbox
By American Arsenal <americanarsenal4 (at) gmail (dot) com>
(c) 2004-2005 Chris Noonan. All rights reserved.
===============================================================================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
===============================================================================
I. Introduction
II. The Story So Far
a. Characters
b. Story
III. Game Basics
a. Controls
b. The Basics
IV. Walkthrough
a. Scoring Tips
b. City in the Storm
c. Altered Genos
d. The Fallen Ground
e. Gigantic Fleet
f. Eternal Glacies
g. Legacy
h. Forbidden Memories
i. Imperial City
j. Showdown
k. The End of Destiny
V. Sub Scenarios
a. Imperial Boy
b. Missions
VI. Dragon Rankings
a. Rankings
b. Play Styles
VII. Bestiary
a. Common Enemies
b. Bosses
VIII. Unlockables
IX. Original Panzer Dragoon "Mini-FAQ"
X. FAQ
XI. Revision History
XII. Legal Disclaimer
XIII. Closing
WHAT'S NEW?
Thanks to Cham for pointing out yet another Play Style that I missed. In
addition to adding that in, I also made a few aesthetic changes.
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I ------------------------------------------------------ INTRODUCTION
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The legacy began in 1995, when Sega's highly skilled Team Andromeda released
Panzer Dragoon, the first in what would turn out to be a trio of neglected
Saturn shooters. Another year's passing brought forth the first sequel--
Panzer Dragoon Zwei, which fed faithful Sega fans with a second helping of rail
shooting goodness. As the Saturn's unfortunate demise was imminent, however,
Team Andromeda returned for one final encore in two years time: Panzer Dragoon
Saga, an epic adventure that meshed classic Panzer series elements with those
found in typical role-playing games. Improving the classic trademarks of this
series, Panzer Dragoon Orta easily becomes the best game on Xbox, and should
not be missed by anyone.
Before I proceed to the sections that people actually read, however, allow me
to explain exactly what can be located in each chapter of this guide. The
intro, which your eyes are feasting on as I speak, contains a small bit of
useless rambling. Subsequently, you'll find a chapter detailing the storyline,
as well as the characters who will appear throughout. In the Game Basics
section that follows, I'll teach you how to hold the inordinately massive Xbox
controller. Afterward, you'll stumble across a little part of the guide known
as the walkthrough; its purpose is to tell you exactly what to do and when.
Directly following the walkthrough is a section detailing the Sub scenarios,
which are short missions meant to provide a side attraction from the main game.
Next up are the Dragon Rankings, where I have created a list covering all
thirty possible scores, as well as an explanation for the play styles given to
you by the game. In the Bestiary, you'll find in-depth descriptions and
tactics pertaining to each of the various enemies you'll encounter throughout
the game, bosses included. Wrapping things up, I've got sections telling you
how to unlock the game's myriad secrets, explaining the playable version of the
original Panzer Dragoon, and the FAQ, which is a basic Q & A session. With
that, I bring this guide to a close with some boring items that no one reads.
Enjoy!
- American Arsenal
americanarsenal4 (at) gmail (dot) com
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II ------------------------------------------------- THE STORY SO FAR
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Within this chapter, I'll divulge some basic introductory information about the
game's various characters, as well as a prelude to Panzer Dragoon Orta's
storyline.
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a. Characters
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
This sections contains nothing more than some general character biographies
that took me like five minutes to write. That'd probably explain why they suck
so much (and are cheesier than Monterey Jack). In any event, have fun reading
them!
====
ORTA
====
Our young dragon-flying, ancient gun-wielding, prison-escaping, white-haired
heroine, Orta has spent her whole life confined within a tiny prison cell.
Thus, she holds a terrible grudge against all people. However, upon her chance
encounter with Mobo and his fellow Wormriders, she realizes that not everyone
is out to get her. Whilst in the presence of the Wormriders, Orta actually
feels significant for the first time. Panzer Dragoon Orta centers on this
young girl and her attempts to free herself from the cruelty of fate.
======
DRAGON
======
Just as the Empire's Dragonmares prepare to put out the flame of Orta's life,
the legendary Dragon of Destruction appears as if from nowhere to save her.
Using immensely powerful "Arrows of Light"--bio-lasers fired from the mighty
beast's throat--the dragon will be your mount throughout the game, aiding you
in battle. This legendary creature strikes fear in the hearts of most Imperial
soldiers, and using its various powers to their fullest potential will prove
invaluable.
====
MOBO
====
Or "The Mighty Mobo", as he calls himself. The leader of the Wormrider tribe,
Mobo seems, at first, to be no more than an average hunter trying to earn his
keep. Yet, as the story progresses, Orta finds that Mobo burns with an inner
urge to destroy the Empire. This shared vendetta is what keeps the two
fighting together.
=====
ABADD
=====
To avoid spilling any unnecessary beans, I'll just mention that Abadd is Orta's
main adversary throughout the game. Interestingly enough, he also has an
unusual tie to our heroine.
============
IVA DEMILCOL
============
A tragic orphan whose father was killed whilst dabbling with the bio-engineered
creatures that plague the world, Iva is a youth training to join the Imperial
army. Although the two often engaged in belligerent argument, Iva feels empty
following his father's untimely death.
====================
LETRAL NAUS DEMILCOL
====================
A part of the Empire's research unit, Iva's father spent countless hours
studying the bio-engineered creatures. He was killed during a battle involving
the Empire's Dragonmares and the Dragon of Destruction spoken of in legend.
Though he was often cold to Iva, his true motives for working with the object
of his son's hatred were pure.
==============
STRATEI URAMIS
==============
A confident young Imperial soldier, Stratei saves an exhausted and off-guard
Iva from a bio-engineered monster's attack. After their encounter, Stratei
soon becomes Iva's closest and only friend.
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b. Story
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Thanks to PDO's shiny instruction manual for this little snippet providing a
basic backdrop to the story so far!
===================================================
THE ERA OF FALLEN GRACE - Tales of the Three Tribes
===================================================
"The wondrous civilization of the Ancients had long since passed, and the
remaining human population was scattered into a thousand tribes, each seeking
out a marginal existence on the barren land.
"One tribe discovered an ancient ruin containing powerful weapons created by
ancient sciences. Using these weapons, the tribe began to reclaim the land
from the bio-engineered creatures that had hunted them for so many years. An
Empire was formed, and it revived the Ancients' flying machines and
exterminated all opposing tribes. Soon the whole world became dependant on
the Empire's technology to protect them.
"The greed of the Empire spread, and their desire for power led them uncover
the ultimate weapons: the Towers, which held the promise of absolute dominance
over the world. However, the discovery of the Towers awakened the legendary
Dragon of Destruction, which appeared to stop their activation. Three times
this horned dragon appeared, and each time, it bore upon its back a rider
carrying an ancient gun. A fourth dragon, a black dragon ridden by a young
girl named Azel, appeared soon after.
"The appearance of the black dragon marked the beginning of the dragon's final
battle, which lead to the destruction of the Towers, as well as the near
destruction of the Empire itself. With the Towers gone, so, too, were the
last of the dragons.
"That is, until the Empire rose once again and awakened dragons of their own."
=====================================
A NIGHT OF STORMS - The Opening Scene
=====================================
"From a backdrop of seething black clouds, five Dragonmares steered by riders
of the Imperial cavalry descend screeching one by one to unleash a maelstrom
of destruction upon the town. In a crumbling stone tower rising amidst the
flames of the burning town, a young girl with pure white hair clutches the
bars of her prison window. The Dragonmares swoop down to tear down the walls
of the tower. She is surrounded, the monsters' snarling jaws closing in on
her...
"... When an enormous winged shape descends from the sky. A dragon! Long
thought vanished from the surface of the earth, a dragon rescues the girl.
"'Where... where are you taking me?'"
"Borne by the giant beating wings, together they flee the furious pursuit of
the Imperial Army. This is the beginning of an epic journey that will take
them from one world of wonders to the next, and lead them to encounters with
countless enemies and allies, sacred mysteries and secrets.
"What fate awaits the two?
"Who awaits them at their journey's end?"
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III ----------------------------------------------------- GAME BASICS
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The purpose of this handy little section is to cover all the basic information
useful to know before playing Panzer Dragoon Orta. Think of it as a condensed
version of the instruction manual, only written by me, and much tastier than
any kinda condensed soup.
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a. Controls
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Start Button - Pause game
Mashing the Start Button during play will temporarily stop the action and
bring up a menu displaying the current level of all three Dragon forms at
your disposal. On a side note, Start's little brother, the Back Button, has
no use in this game.
Left Thumbstick - Aim / move Dragon
Tilt the left stick in any direction to aim the targeting reticle. This will
also move the Dragon
Right Thumbstick - Berserk Attack
Press the right stick in like a button (click!) to unleash a powerful Berserk
Attack. Only works when the Berserk Gauge is full.
A Button - Fire
Using this button, there are two methods of attack. Tap it lightly to fire
Orta's gun, or hold it down to release the Dragon's homing lasers. The A
Button is also used to confirm selections on the menu screen.
B Button - Decelerate
Tap the B Button during play to slow down, providing more time to make a
decision or defeat a tough enemy. Additionally, pressing it on the menu
screen will cancel a selection or return you to the previous screen.
X Button - Glide Attack
The exact opposite of the B Button's function, a Glide Attack is basically
accelerating. However, accelerating through a group of foes will destroy
them, making the glide ability a valuable weapon in its own right.
Y Button - Change Dragon's morph from
Press this little yellow button a single time to switch your Dragon's type
from Base Wing to Heavy Wing. Hit it a second time to morph into the Glide
Wing form. A third tap of the Y Button will bring you back to Base Wing
form.
Left Trigger - Rotate view left
Give the left trigger a squeeze to swivel the camera 90 degrees to the left,
allowing you to see foes attacking from behind or to the side.
Right Trigger - Rotate view right
Same thing as the left trigger, only this time the camera will spin to the
right. Press the two triggers together to rotate the camera a full 180
degrees.
Black and White Buttons - Berserk Attack
When your Berserk Gauge is at its max, press either button to release a
devastating attack.
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b. The Basics
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In this portion of the FAQ, I'll go over all of the bare-bone basics that you
should know before playing this game.
=========
MAIN MENU
=========
Turn on the game, watch the creator's logos pop up, and soon enough you'll be
greeted with a few options.
New Game
=~~~~~~~~=
To get started with the game, select this. Before moving on, you'll have
to select a difficulty level to play on. There are three choices: Easy,
Normal, and Hard. Choose whatever caters to your skill level, but keep in
mind that the walkthrough is based on Normal mode.
Continue
=~~~~~~~~=
If you have a previously-saved game, you can load it from here.
Pandora's Box
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
A variety of cool unlockables can be viewed from here:
* Flight Records: This displays several different things, including but
not limited to total play time, number of cleared games, play style,
and more. You can also check out your best scores for each episode,
on each difficulty level. Records for the Sub-scenarios are also
available.
* Sub scenarios: Allows you to play two sets of side-missions that
entail gameplay unique from the main game.
* Box Game: Unlocked after beating the game on Hard mode or amassing 15
total hours of play time, Box Game allows you to replay any episode in
the game with special circumstances. For instance, you can change your
mount, rider, or tinker with certain settings, like how often you gain
Berserk Attacks or how large your Life Gauge is. Fun!
* Encyclopedia: Under this heading, you can read snippets of information
pertaining to the game's world or view the myriad enemies found
throughout the game.
* Appendix: Here you can check out art from the game, watch the
cutscenes and other videos, or play the original Panzer Dragoon, first
released on the Sega Saturn (granted that it has been unlocked).
Tutorial
=~~~~~~~~=
There are three tutorials to choose from, each explaining different tidbits
about how to play Panzer Dragoon Orta. Definitely something useful for
newbies to try out.
Options
=~~~~~~~=
Decisions, decisions...
* Up/Down: This choice decides whether you want up to move the aiming
reticle up and down to move it down, or vice versa. Default is
"Normal."
* Vibration: Care to have the controller rumble ever so slightly when
your Dragon is hit? Turn this on, if so. Default is "On."
* Instrument Mode: Toggling between the three selections here allows you
to set what you want to be displayed on-screen and what you don't.
Default is "Normal."
===========
GAME SCREEN
===========
"Hey, what do all those bars on the screen mean?" - Random confused gamer
_____________________________
| |
| ( 3 ) |
| |
| |
| {2} |
| |
| 1 |
| |
| 6 |
| \~~~~~~ 4 7 |
| === 5 (/ /) |
|_____________________________|
What you see above is an admittedly crude representation of the game's screen
during play. The various numbers / symbols stand for the many different
meters, bars, and gauges on the screen at once.
1 - Orta & Dragon
Why, that's you!
2 - Targeting reticle
This is your aiming tool; wherever it's pointed is where Orta will shoot
her gun when you hit the A Button.
3 - Radar
A very handy device, indeed! Using the radar, you can spot enemies coming
at you from all directions.
4 - Life Gauge
When this is completely empty, the game is over, and you're dead. No
funeral, either.
5 - Glide Gauge
This meter determines how often you can decelerate or use the Glide Attack.
If it's empty, there's no chance of that happening. It refills over time.
6 - Berserk Gauge
A gauge that shows how pissed off your Dragon is. It fills up as you
destroy enemies, and allows you to fire a Berserk Attack when it's full.
7 - Gene Base Counter
Every time you grab a Gene Base (explained in-depth below), this will
appear in the corner to show how many more are need before you level up.
===============
SAVING THE GAME
===============
Usually I don't mention something so basic as saving, but recording your data
in Panzer Dragoon Orta can be a wee bit confusing. Basically, should you
choose to save your game via the pause menu, there are a few things to be
aware of. Firstly, you can only have one saved game at a time. Also,
regardless of whether you save the game in the middle of a stage or at the
boss, you'll always begin at the start of the level when you load the data.
==============
ATTACK OPTIONS
==============
Throughout the game, you'll have access to two main weapons: Orta's gun and the
Dragon's lock-on bio-lasers. Orta's gun, which is your basic weapon, must be
manually aimed and can be used by successively tapping the A button. This
weapon is somewhat weak, however, and thus it should not be used as a primary
form of attack.
The bio-laser, on the other hand, is a more powerful weapon that automatically
targets enemies. Simply hold down the A button and run the targeting reticle
over any enemy to lock-on. Release the button to unleash an ultra-powerful
homing laser that can kill most foes in a single hit! Keep in mind that these
lasers are limited to the Base and Heavy Wing morph forms. Additionally, both
of the aforementioned forms have specific limits to how many lock-ons are
allowed at once (see below for more in-depth information on the various morph
forms).
========================
GLIDING AND DECELERATING
========================
Using the Dragon's glide ability is a fundamental part of playing the game that
should soon become second nature, as it is an effective way of avoiding enemy
attacks. During many boss battles, it will be necessary to speed up and slow
down in order to find a safe area where you won't be damaged. The X Button
causes the dragon to speed up (it will also destroy any enemies directly
in front of you) while the B Button will slows the Dragon's pace to a crawl.
There is, of course, a gauge that sets a boundary on how often the Glide
ability can be used. Each morph form has a differently sized gauge, though,
adding more strategy into the mix. Fortunately, the Glide Gauge,
once depleted, slowly refills itself.
===============
USING THE RADAR
===============
Enemies attack from all sides and angles, so it's imperative that you know how
to use your radar to keep track of where they're coming from. With attacks
coming from all sides, rotating your view with the Left and Right Triggers
should become a routine practice. Furthermore, you can actually rotate your
view a full 180 degrees by pulling both triggers at once, allowing you to
quickly target foes who have appeared from behind.
==============
BERSERK ATTACK
==============
As you attack and defeat the myriad enemies that you are bound to encounter,
the Berserk Gauge (located near the Life Gauge)slowly fills. Once it has
reached its maximum capacity, it becomes possible to unleash a massively
powerful attack utilizing the Dragon's sheer rage by pressing either the Black
or White buttons. Not only do these attacks (each morph form has its own)
often cause unrivaled amounts of damage, but they also grant temporary
invulnerability, and, in the case of the Glide Wing, even replenish your life.
Be sure to save them for a time when they are actually needed, instead of
wasting it on something that could easily be defeated by more conventional
means.
==================
DRAGON MORPH FORMS
==================
The latest and greatest feature in the Panzer Dragoon universe is the ability
to switch your dragon's form at will. Each of the three forms comes fully
equipped with their own pros and cons and are most effectively used in certain
situations. So, without further adieu, the morph forms...
Base Wing
=~~~~~~~~~=
As its name suggests, the Base Wing is the basic dragon form; it has
average statistics and you begin each episode in this form. Depending on
its level, the Base Wing can lock onto as many as 8-12 different targets,
which is more than enough in most situations. Also, it has decent
maneuverability and a nice sized Glide Gauge, thus making it a great choice
for many boss battles. Add on a terrific Berserk Attack that is
automatically aimed and causes massive amounts of damage to everything on
screen and you've got a winner.
Heavy Wing
=~~~~~~~~~~=
Your heavy artillery, the Heavy Wing is far and away the most powerful
dragon morph form. And although its bio-lasers are incredibly strong, only
a maximum of 5 lock-ons are possible at one time. Add to that the fact
that it cannot Glide at all and you've got some serious drawbacks. On the
plus side, the Heavy Wing's Berserk Attack is hands down the most potent
weapon you'll have gain access to, although it most be manually aimed.
Despite the various shortcomings, the Heavy Wing is an easy choice for
taking down bosses or a small group of strong foes.
Glide Wing
=~~~~~~~~~~=
The smallest and most agile of the three, the Glide Wing is perfect for
evasive action. Its bulky Glide Gauge allows for several elusive maneuvers
before running dry. Unfortunately, this form has no lock-on homing lasers
whatsoever, though it does have a rapid-fire gun instead. This allows
missiles and other projectiles to be shot down with little to no trouble at
all. Boasting an enlarged targeting reticle, the Glide Wing's lasers will
automatically target anything inside. Additionally, its Berserk Attack,
though not nearly as damaging as the other two, can restore a small portion
of the Dragon's life. Another cool thing about this morph form is that it
can execute a barrel roll--something the other two are not capable of--by
tilting the Left Thumbstick left (or right) twice. In the end, the Glide
Wing is the perfect choice for dodging enemy attacks, but not much else.
===========
LEVELING UP
===========
As in previous games, Orta carries on the ability to level up your dragon. It's
actually done quite similarly to a traditional RPG. However, instead of
experience points, you must collect items known as Gene Bases, which are
dropped by certain enemies when defeated.
Gene Bases are, quite simply, your experience points. Released as you destroy
certain enemies (note that killing a certain amount of enemies does not yield
anything, you must defeat the preset enemies that carry Gene Bases), these add
up to increase the level of your Dragon. As you grab these nifty items, a
counter at the bottom-right of the screen will display how many more are needed
for a level up. Increasing the Dragon's level increases its battle
capabilities: it becomes stronger, can lock-on to more foes at a time, gains
more life, and generally starts to look a lot cooler.
Each of the three dragon morph forms must be leveled up individually, however.
In other words, your Base Wing may be at Level 4, but your Heavy Wing and Glide
Wings may be at a lower level, say 2. It all depends upon which form you were
in when you obtained the Gene Base. You can check the current status of each
of your Dragon forms by pressing start. Keep in mind, though, that the maximum
level for each dragon is 5, so any Gene Bases collected after reaching Level 5
will be wasted. By the way, as you Heavy and Glide Wings level up, they're
appearances will change. Pretty much, they just start looking even cooler.
Unfortunately, the Base Wing retains its initial form throughout the game.
Must have not eaten enough veggies as a kid. Anyway, below is a table that
displays the number of Gene Bases needed to advance to the next level.
Level | Gene Bases needed
------+------------------
2 | 2
3 | 4
4 | 6
5 | 8
Acquiring the said amount of Gene Bases will result in a level up for the
current morph form. You may want to note that the number of Gene Bases is that
many more, not that many total. So if you are at level 2, you need 4 more Gene
Bases to gain another level. Get it? I hope so.
=======
SCORING
=======
After successfully completing each episode, a screen will appear displaying how
well you scored, based on several criteria.
Shot Down Ratio
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
This number is the percentage of enemies that you killed out of the total
number of foes in the level.
Score
=~~~~~=
Based on a variety of things. You can boost this score by shooting certain
non-enemy things in a stage, or by locking-on to as many foes as possible
before shooting your lasers.
Hits Taken
=~~~~~~~~~~=
The total number of times your Dragon was hit throughout the course of the
episode. Pretty self-explanatory.
Boss Clear Time
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
The time it took you to defeat the level's boss.
Based on those four factors, you'll be given a ranking, either S, or A-D (with
S being the best, and D being complete suckage). At the end of the game, all
ten ranks will be put together to form a final ranking; check out chapter VI to
view how to attain each score.
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IV ------------------------------------------------------ WALKTHROUGH
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A few notes boring enough to lull you to asleep before I begin...
* The walkthrough is based on Normal Mode, which is harder than Easy Mode but
not so difficult as Hard Mode. Obviously. The main difference between the
various modes is that foes can take more damage before biting the dust on
the harder difficulty levels, making it a small bit tougher to destroy
them.
* This entire guide is spoiler-free, so don't you dare even consider yelling
at me via e-mail or IM about how I ruined the game for you. I did no such
thing.
* Know of a more effective way to get past a certain part of the game / beat
a boss? Then send it in; I'll gladly credit you for useful findings and
toss them into the guide should they prove worthwhile. Hit me up at
<americanarsenal4 (at) gmail (dot) com>.
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a. Scoring Tips
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of this section is not to provide tips
on how to get laid. Instead I've provided some quick pointers on how to
maximize your points so that the ever elusive S ranks will come a bit easier.
==================================
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR MORPH FORMS
==================================
Don't be afraid to constantly switch between the forms. All three of the
Dragon's morph forms have their own unique abilities that make them useful for
certain situations. For example, the Heavy Wing is the perfect remedy for a
small amount of powerful enemies, where as the Base Wing is much more suited to
taking down a miniature army of weaker foes. Learning to use each form
effectively is integral to obtaining a good score.
=================
ATTACK CONSTANTLY
=================
After unleashing a salvo of homing lasers upon your enemies, don't just sit
back on your heels, waiting for your lasers to hit. Rather, take advantage of
Orta's manually fired gun and start shooting with it the moment you release
the lasers.
=============================
CONSERVE YOUR BERSERK ATTACKS
=============================
Rarely is it a good idea to be gung-ho with your Berserk Attacks and use them
as soon as they become available. Conserve it for large groups of enemies or
bosses where they'll be most useful. Also take to mind which morph form's
Berserk will be most effective; a huge group of foes is best left to the Base
Wing's attack, while a smaller pack or a boss could be dealt with more
efficiently by the Heavy Wing.
=======
LOCK-ON
=======
Generally speaking, it's usually a good idea to lock-on to as many targets as
possible. Not only will this help you defeat your foes quickly, but it also
improves your overall score. The more foes that go down in one wave of lasers,
the more points you'll score. Just be careful not to waste excessive time
trying to lock-on to everything in sight, or may regret it.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
b. City in the Storm
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
You begin this initial stage facing backwards, in the Base Wing form of course.
Four Battleship Bhout (those Imperial planes) and a couple of Dragonmares are
right on your tail, so focus on the Bhout rather than the 'mares, as it's
impossible to destroy them at this point. A second group of Battleship Bhout
will drop in shortly, so take all four out in one blast and prepare yourself
for yet another pack who'll drop in shortly. Continue facing backwards and
still another group of Bhout will appear; lock-on to the first three but don't
fire until the fourth plane shows up a few moments later.
Now, swivel the camera so that you are facing to the left, where four more
Bhout will emerge from a canyon. Shoot down the planes with your lock-on
lasers, then clear out any incoming missiles with fire from Orta's manual
weapon. Taking out that pack should yield your first Gene Base, so switch to
whatever morph form you want to have it and proceed along. Keep in mind that
while it is impossible to damage the Dragonmares at this point, firing at them
builds up your Berserk Gauge, so go pell-mell on them whenever you've got an
opportunity.
As you fly through the canyon ahead, use your Heavy Wing to destroy the three
Hovertank Dahras, dispelling any missiles they fire with your manual gun.
Following the demise of the third Hovertank, keep an eye on the bottom-left
portion of the screen; three Battleship Bhout will fly by, releasing a few
projectiles along the way. Quickly floor the three planes, then shoot down the
incoming bombs. While flying through the canyon just ahead, turn around, as
a couple more Bhout as well as five or six Hovertank Dahra will appear on your
tail. Try to take them all out in one go, but be quick about it, since the
Bhout are gonna fire some missiles at you. Don't miss the pair of Bhout that
come in from above after the fact, either. Shortly after, three more planes
will zoom in from behind, moving toward your front. Shoot them down, then
turn around to the front, grabbing a Gene Base from one of the previously
downed Bhout along the way.
Just ahead are two Hovertank Dahra and a few battleships. Take care of them,
then watch out for the two groups (each consisting of four ships) of Bhout
that will drop in from above. They are gonna be firing missiles like there's
no tomorrow, so be sure to get your shots off quickly so you can be ready for
the incoming barrage. Destroying one of these foes will also yield a Gene
Base, so be on the lookout.
This next part is tough, so hopefully you've got a Berserk Attack ready. If
not, you can still defeat all the enemies, albeit with a little more
difficulty. Ignore the Dragonmare that cuts in front of you, and speed up to
avoid being rammed from behind by a second 'mare. Eight Bhout will dive from
above--lock and load and soon as possible, then get ready for the real toughie.
A group of battleships will come from behind, speeding in front of you as more
Bhout appear from both the left and right sides. Now would be a perfect time
to unload the Base Wing's Berserk Attack, if possible. For those who haven't
built up a Berserk Attack yet, just concentrate on locking onto as many targets
as possible and firing quickly. There will also be a field of incoming
projectiles, so make good use of Orta's manual weapon here. After dodging that
bullet, clear out any remaining Bhout before they fade out of range.
Up ahead, a pair of Dragonmares will speed by, destroying a small building to
the left. Remember, you can't damage them, but you can build up your Berserk
Gauge by firing shots their way. Although the two in front of you will soon
fade away beyond your Dragon's range, another 'mare will drop in behind you.
Unload all you've got before entering the next area.
In the sewer area, keep your Dragon facing backward--five battleships are in
hot pursuit of you. Take them all out, along with another three that appear
after their predecessors are destroyed. At this point, swivel around to the
front view and destroy a third grouping of Bhout. Now then, switch to the
Glide Wing form. Watch out for the massive, turning cogs ahead, and duck to
the side to avoid smashing into one, which would cause unnecessary damage.
Take note that you can shoot the small pegs on the gears to eliminate most of
the danger. After making it past the fourth and final cog, switch back to the
Base form and look out for a pack of Bhout to fly from behind in front of you.
Defeat them, and do the same for a second group that comes in from behind.
With that, Orta's Dragon will emerge from the sewers, and take to the skies.
Boss time!
Assault Carrier Vermana
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
At the start of this battle, you will be hovering in front of the ship.
Aboard the deck, there are four Hovertank Dahra. Using the Heavy Wing
form, destroy each Dahra, one at a time. They'll periodically fire a
barrage of missiles your way, so briefly morph into Glide form to shoot
them down, then switch back and continue the assault. Also, take note that
your attacks aren't doing any direct damage to the ship. Because of this,
you will want to conserve a Berserk Attack for later, if you have one.
Once all four Dahra have been destroyed, the Dragon will sweep across the
ship and duck behind it. Still in Heavy Wing form, fire at the three
cylindrical canisters inside the extension of the ship, the concentrate
your attacks to the left of there, on the airship shutters (the part right
above the red flags). Watch out for a group of Battleship Bhout that will
squeeze out and shoot them down before returning your fire to Vermana.
With that destroyed, you'll move around to the ship's front, where you can
target either the hull or two cannons on either side.
The best course of action here, I think, is to aim for the hull (the large
gray part in the middle). Now is the picture perfect place to unload a
Berserk Attack, so hopefully you've been saving up. The Base Wing's is
the most effective Berserk for this particular battle, by the by. From
time to time, the cannons sandwiching the hull will fire a salvo of
projectiles your way, so morph into Glide form and shoot them down. Once
they've been dealt with, return to the Heavy Wing and continue the assault.
Not long after, you will swing around to Vermana's side, so keep firing
until you see five large canisters--homing missiles--appear on the far side
of the ship. There are two ways to avoid these: either shoot them down in
Glide Wing form or accelerate out of the way, also in Glide Wing form.
Both methods are effective, although I tend to prefer the former. If you
aren't quick enough to destroy all five missiles, you can always glide out
of the way of the last one or two. Either way, use the Heavy Wing to blast
anything you can lock-on to.
Before long, you'll circle back around to Vermana's front. You should also
have another Berserk Attack ready by now, so have the Base Wing let loose.
This should bring Vermana within destruction's vicinity, so finish it off
with fire from the Heavy Wing.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
c. Altered Genos
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
As soon as this episode commences, three Wormriders will appear on your right.
Don't worry about shooting them--they're your friends, and you can't hurt them
anyway. As you cross under the first natural arch, a pack of eight Purnam
(they look just like really big butterflies!) will swoop down from the next
arch. Try to blast them all down in one shot to attain maximum points. Past
them are two more groups, each consisting of nine Purnam. Trying to lock-on to
all of them can be tricky, so instead simply accelerate through them. Easy!
Next up, several Golegs will emerge from the canyon's west wall. They each
take two shots from the Base Wings's lasers to down, so lock-on quickly to
finish them off. Just past them, a pack of blue Yarva will race by. Shot them
down as a massive group of Purnam appears from either side of the canyon. As
with before, the most effective method to defeating them all is to Glide
through. Once you're past, turn around and clear out any survivors.
Now, you'll be heading towards another natural arch, from which a family of
Golegs will drop down. As you cross beneath them, turn backwards and blast
them, twice each remember, as well as the pack of Yarva that follows. Keep in
mind that Golegs can also fire acid balls in mass amounts, so be ready to shoot
down any incoming projectiles. Up ahead is another large vine hiding some
Golegs. Just behind you will be another group of blue Yarva, so include them
in your assault.
After a third group of Golegs, this one even bigger than either of the previous
two, which when destroyed will yield a Gene Base, you're free to turn around.
A giant Yondo-Worm will emerge from the river but, like the Dragonmares in the
first episode, cannot be killed at this point. Even so, shooting it will
charge up your Berserk Gauge, so go for it!
Also up ahead is a crossroads in the river and you've got two choices; you can
either head left and follow the worm or go off to the right along with the
Wormrider buddies. To turn, rotate the camera in the direction you want to
go. If you don't do this, you'll automatically take the left path.
Left Path
=~~~~~~~~~=
After splitting up with the Wormriders, duck down underneath the arch ahead,
then blast the three Yarva that appear into submission. Also beware of
their green energy balls--be ready to use Orta's manual gunfire to defend
yourself. Swerve above the next vine, and watch out for the trio of Yarva
that appear from the right.
Duck under the bridge ahead and quickly lock-on to the three Yarva ahead
before they can escape down the canyon. As you proceed along the narrow
ravine, several more packs will swoop down from above, always in groups of
three. Carefully maneuver around only dangerous territory, such as the
fallen trees seen toward the end of the path.
When the giant Yondo-Worm shows up again, begin firing at it without
relent; the idea here is to build up your Berserk Gauge for an upcoming boss
fight. Move to the bottom-left of the screen to avoid smashing into the
sheer rock face ahead, and you'll be reunited with the Wormriders from
before.
Right Path
=~~~~~~~~~~=
Keeping up with your Wormrider buddies, watch the waters below you for four
small creatures that will jump out. Lock-on to them the first time they
leap out, and seal the deal when they appear a second time. Following that,
you'll begin to move upward, on level with the adjacent plateau. A pack of
Yarva, led by a Carrier Yarva will fly by to the left, so quickly take them
out, using the Heavy Wing to blast down the Carrier and the Base form to
deal with the small fries.
Once you've dealt with them, turn back to the right to find a stampede of
Baturn running along the plateau. By far the easiest way to take care of
this scenario is to blast them all to hell with the Base Wing's Berserk
Attack. Additionally, a second group of Yarva, led by another Carrier, will
drop in, so try to include them in the effects of the Berserk Attack.
If your Berserk Gauge isn't quite full at this point, the Base Wing's myriad
bio-lasers will have to do. Try to neutralize the pack of Baturn first,
then use the Heavy Wing to shoot down the Carrier Yarva and his buddies.
Once they go down, you'll run into the Yondo-Worm again as the two paths
unite.
The Verdict
=~~~~~~~~~~~=
I highly suggest taking the right path; not only is it safer and the
enemies are easier to shoot down, but you'll also have the opportunity to
grab another Gene Base.
When the paths reunite, follow the massive Yondo-Worm into a cave, blasting it
all the while to charge your Berserk Gauge. In the following area, your Glide
Wing form is the most effective. After exiting that introductory cave, look to
the left to spot two small enemies, as well as the brown bases from which they
emerge. A single shot from the Glide Wing will do them in, giving you some
time to glance to the right to find another group with the exact same setup.
You know what to do.
As you dive through the subsequent cavern, target the four spiraling Yarva to
earn another Gene Base. At the bottom, look out for a few more small, bug-like
enemies and their brown bases. From there you'll pull into another headlong
dive through a cave, along with eight Yarva making the journey with you. Shoot
them up and enjoy the Gene Base they drop. Back outside, quickly start
blasting the buggies and their bases, then Glide through them at the last
moment to clear out any survivors.
Sub boss: Yondo-Worms
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
That's right, you're fighting not one but two, count 'em, two Yondo-Worms!
"Uh-oh!" is right! Start off by peppering them with the Heavy Wing's oh-so
mighty bio-lasers. Every so often your foes will blast you with some
nasty green energy balls, which can easily be shot down utilizing Orta's
handgun. If ever the worms get too close and it looks they're gonna crash
into you, make a quick switch to the Glide Wing and accelerate out of there
and into safety. Conserve any Berserk Attacks you may have; they'll prove
more useful in a few.
When the worms try to cross in front of you, turn around so that you are
facing frontwards and get ready to shoot down the imminent acid balls with
the Glide Wing. After that they'll submerge themselves and return to their
position behind you. When they reappear, blast them with the Base Wing's
Berserk Attack (if available) or homing lasers from the Heavy Wing. They
will return to their previous pattern for a bit, just before charging ahead
of you a second time.
Following that, the worms will split up and move to the side of you.
There's no way to damage them at this point, so wait for them to come out
of hiding (be sure to slow down when one cuts right in front of you to
avoid damage). Before long, they'll return to their original position
directly behind you, giving you a chance to deliver the finishing blow.
When you arrive in the following region, take a glance to the left to spot the
jellyfish-esque Morli. Nail him with homing lasers from your Heavy form.
Unfortunately, the various waterfalls in this area provide a disadvantage to
you; though quite pretty, you can't lock-on to a foe through one. Granted,
firing Orta's weapon through one is quite possible, but homing lasers are out
of the questions. Sucks, I know.
In any event, a group of Yarva will ascend from below, meaning you should
temporarily focus your attention on them. Use the Base Wing to track them all
at once, then switch back to the Heavy Wing to deal with the Morli. As you
proceed onward, a sixpack of Yarva will swoop in from the left. Shoot them
down quickly, since another group of six appears just moments later, this one
coming from below.
With that second group of Yarva out of the way, a miniature army of Morli will
flood the skies to the left (Aaaaah! It's raining jellyfish!). As with before,
the best remedy for this tough foes is the Heavy Wing. Pick one and blast it
until it goes down, then focus on another. Also, watch out for the acid balls,
since they'll be coming at you from every which way. Normal gunfire is plenty
good to dispel that danger. Keep in mind that as tempting as it may be to use
a Berserk Attack at this point, a boss battle lurks just 'round the corner, and
it'll prove much more useful at that time.
Ikrakav
=~~~~~~~=
First of all, it's impossible to cause any damage to Ikrakav from your
initial position, so change to the Glide Wing and slow down twice to find
yourself behind this beast. Inside the "cage" is a flower--that is your
target. Go apeshit on it with bio-lasers from your Heavy Wing, but save
any Berserk Attacks you may have for a bit. At this point, Ikrakav has no
way to attack you, so don't worry about that.
When it reaches about 3/4 health, Ikrakav will rise out of the water,
exposing a variety of purple bulbs below the cage portion. Continue to
barrage the flower with Heavy lasers, but wait a bit before using your
Berserk Attack. After it turns around, use the Glide Wing to accelerate
twice back around to the opposite side, giving you a clear shot at the
flower again. Now's your chance to hit it hard with a Berserk move. I
recommend the Heavy Wing's; it's the most powerful move in the game, and
you just need to focus your attention on the flower, as opposed to a wide
area.
You may notice that the purple bulbs beneath Ikrakav are beginning to swell
up. When that happens, pepper it with manual gunfire until it returns to
normal size; if it gets too big, it'll burst, unleashing a myriad of acid
balls, often times too many to shot down in one go. Also, this enemy will
turn around again, meaning you must use the Glide Wing to get in position
behind it again. Continue battering the flower, only pausing to shoot at
the bulbs every so often and this battle will end before you know it.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
d. The Fallen Ground
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Right from the get-go, switch to Heavy Wing form and search the upper-left
corner of the screen for a far-off foe. Quickly blast it and grab the Gene
Base that appears, then prepare for a miniature army of Seba to appear before
you. Although they don't all appear at once, flooring them all can be
difficult, taking into consideration that they require two shots from the Base
Wing before dieing and disappear rather fast. I suggest using the Heavy Wing
so you can clear out a few in one shot before targeting the next group. Shoot
as fast as humanly possible, and use the Base Wing's Berserk Attack if at all
possible. It works wonders for clearing out these pesky guys.
Sub boss: Mobo & Pals
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
This group of four Wormriding foes will drop in from above, then circle to
the left. Go to town on them with bio-lasers from the ever-so trusty
Heavy Wing, constantly rotating the camera to keep a lock on the enemy.
Before long, Mobo will announce that he's gonna use a smoke bomb (don't you
just love it when the enemy tells you what they are going to do?). Keep
firing until the Wormriders charge straight for you, at which point I
recommend morphing into the Glide form to dispel this threat--six missiles.
If you're having trouble shooting them all down in time, try accelerating
just as the bombs are released; you'll fly right past them!
At this point, Mobo will lead his buddies in a circle around you, then
charge a second time, leaving behind six more smoke bombs along the way.
Continue the assault with your Heavy Wing, unleashing a Berserk Attack if
available (the Base Wing's is the most effective in this situation). Soon
enough, the crew will pause in front of you and release a salvo of purple
energy balls. While gunfire from Orta's manual weapon will do just fine
here, the Glide Wing's lasers are more of a sure bet, so use those if you
aren't confident in your ability.
After this, revert to the Heavy Wing and keep blasting Mobo and co. as they
continuously circle around you. If you can't seal the deal quickly, they
will regroup and launch two more rounds of smoke bombs your way, so be
careful of that. Once you've depleted his Life Gauge, Mobo will cease and
desist, realizing that Orta is no Imperial Soldier.
Following the cutscene, quickly switch to the Glide Wing and unload your rapid-
fire lasers on the oyster-esque Kuru ahead. Deal with them as fast as you can,
as a left turn is imminent. Here you'll see another trio of Kuru, two of them
hiding behind the first. There's little time to shoot, so instead accelerate
through them, firing the Glide Wing's lasers as you go.
With the subsequent turn, keep the A Button held down, since three more Kuru
will materialize just ahead. Right behind them is a second group--Glide
through these guys instead of shooting. Next up is a turn, followed by a
downward plummet. Straight ahead is still another pack of Kuru; start firing
at them from far away and they should go down by the time you reach them.
Below and to the left are several more groups. If you begin firing at them now
they should be destroyed by about the time you reach their position. Nice. If
you can't quite take them all out in time, turn around after the last group and
try to take out any survivors before spilling into the next area.
Before long, three Seba will fly in from the right and stop in front of you.
Use the Heavy Wing to send them all to hell, as the Base Wing requires two
shots to defeat one of these guys, if you remember. Almost immediately, a
second trio of Seba will drop in from the left. Apply the same Heavy Wing
tactics, then get ready for some more foes of the same ilk to show up directly
in front of you. Once they've been cleared out, look for a lone Seba floating
above the tunnel just ahead. Blast him to receive a Gene Base.
Inside the aforementioned tunnel, change to the Glide Wing and steer clear of
the energy traps. On the opposite side of the tunnel, morph back to the Heavy
form. Three Seba will fly in from the right, so blast them before focusing to
the left in preparation of another trio appearing in that direction. Following
their demise, more Seba--this time a six-pack--will hover right in front of
you. When they go down, you'll need to make a split-second decision; either
continue along into the tunnel straight ahead or accelerate to the right.
Which will it be!?
Left Path
=~~~~~~~~~=
There are no electricity traps to avoid this time, but three Seba will
follow you in. Take them out with the Heavy Wing and remain facing
backwards, as another group will enter via a hole in the tunnel very soon.
Once outside, Mobo will be caught in a pickle, so be a dear and help him
out by shooting down the Seba above and to the right. Doing so will yield
a Gene Base, providing proof that helping others can indeed be beneficial.
Mobo will express your love for him (yes, you read that right) before
pointing out a group of Seba attacking from the right. Shoot down the duo,
as well as a second one that follows, then rotate the camera all the way to
the left; another duo will soon show up, and you want to be ready to rock
steady on them. Once those first two have been dealt with, five more will
appear, the fifth coming into view a wee bit late. Blast him to attain an
oh-so nifty Gene Base. Sweet!
Now rotate the camera ahead of you. Three foes float just before your
Dragon. However, annoying forcefields prevent any attack from damaging
them at this point. That's no good. So, lock-on to them but don't release
your lasers quite yet. Instead, boost past them, firing the lasers once
behind them. Blammo! Problem solved! Three more will appear from behind,
so lock-on and slow down, allowing them to pass you, exposing their prone
backsides. You know what to do. Enter the tunnel ahead to rejoin the main
path.
Also, you may have a Berserk Attack prepared at this point. As tempting as
it may be to use it on one of the massive jellyfish, it will come in handy
just ahead, so I recommend conserving it.
Right Path
=~~~~~~~~~~=
Boost to the right of the tunnel to take to this semi-hidden path. As with
the previous, tunnel, this one is filled with perilous energy traps.
Maneuver around the first few (preferably in Glide Wing form), but know
that the ones at the end of the tunnel cannot be avoided. Instead, you'll
want to accelerate right through if its open or slow down right in front of
the lasers, sparing yourself from any damage.
Outside, look slightly above to find a Churmachum, which is very large foe
with jellyfish-type tentacles trailing behind. These particular monsters
can absorb a ton of damage before dying, so switch to Heavy form and let
fly with everything you've got (although I'd recommend conserving any
Berserk Attacks you may get for later). Shortly after the first Churmachum
comes into sight, a second will appear to the right. Focus on one at a
time and you should be able to destroy them both.
The following area is a narrow canyon, throughout which a lone Carrier Seba
(who looks just like a normal Seba, but is much stronger) will pursue you.
He's the only enemy in this entire area, so focus all your homing lasers on
him. It's a bit difficult to aim due to the multiple turns, but locking-on
with at least a few lasers shouldn't be expecting too much of you. Just be
on the look out for his green projectiles, which come in several at a time.
The Verdict
=~~~~~~~~~~~=
The left path provides more opportunities to grab Gene Bases and is, in my
views, an easier method; go for it!
Ahead and to the left, you will see a solo Churmachum; y'know, the huge
jellyfish-type creature. With the Heavy Wing, unleash a salvo of homing lasers
his way. Continue blasting him for a while and he'll soon go down, just in
time for you to save Mobo's worthless ass from a pair of unhappy Seba. Take
them out, then focus on a second Churmachum that appears ahead. Keep in mind
that when a Churmachum flies ahead and opens up it's tentacles it is preparing
for a nasty laser attack. Avoid it by accelerating in Glide Wing form.
When Mobo begins talking about how nice the view is, face backwards and enter
Base Wing form. A massive pack of Seba will appear; now you wish you had
followed my advice and not wasted the Berserk Attack earlier, don't you? If
you paid heed to my words of wisdom, let fly with the Berserk Attack and watch
them all die in a matter of moments. If not, you'll have to take them out by
hand--lock-on to as many as possible before firing.
Catharp
=~~~~~~~=
As the fight begins, you will be positioned in front of Catharp, a large
skeleton-type enemy. Switch to Heavy Wing form and aim for the small round
disc on it's "head." Once you've destroyed it, Catharp will lead over you,
so morph to Glide form and accelerate a couple of times to regain your
previous position. Once there, pepper it with Heavy Wing lasers, pausing
every so often to destroy Catharp's green projectiles with manual gunfire.
From there, continue the same pattern--accelerating when needed--until a
cutscene introduces the second stage of this battle.
When his armor breaks off, Catharp will race ahead, leaving your sight for
a few moments. As you catch up to him, accelerate to his frontside and
continue the barrage on his head. This time when he jumps, however, you
will want to accelerate ahead, otherwise he'll land on top of you. Not
good. Anyhoo, attack the head whenever you can, and Catharp will soon race
off again. When his head is open again, you will want to blast it with
either Heavy Wing bio-lasers or a Berserk Attack to finish off this
problematic battle!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
e. Gigantic Fleet
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
From the beginning, three massive warships, referred to as Assault Hovership
Taishak, are positioned right in front of you. The most effective way to deal
with them is, of course, to blast a Berserk Attack their way, preferably a few
moments after you begin, allowing the next wave of foes to absorb the brunt of
the attack, as well. If that option is not available, use the Heavy Wing's
lasers to pound on them, focusing on one ship at a time. Their most vulnerable
portion is the gray curved fin-type protuberance extending from the bottom.
Watch out for their missiles, also--the ships tend to launch them
simultaneously, meaning that you will have a whole salvo coming your way at
once. Quickly switch to Glide form to shoot them down, then return to Heavy
form to seal the deal.
Once you've finished off the Taishak, Mobo will lead you into a downward drop.
Directly ahead you should spot four more Assault Hovership Taishaks. However,
hold off from attacking them for now (unless you've got a Berserk Attack
ready, in which case you should lock and load with the Base Wing at this time).
From behind you, a pack of Battleship Bhout will sweep in front of your
Dragon--target them first. Once they've been destroyed, watch for another
group of planes to sweep in. With them gone, switch to Heavy Wing mode and
unload on the four Taishak.
Try to finish those guys off as fast as possible, providing some time to take
down the massive behemoth ahead: a floating, square-shaped unit called a Homing
Airship Ajati. Thanks to four turrets on each of the ship's four corners, an
Ajati is a brutal force to be reckoned with, even from this great distance.
I suggest battering it down with the Heavy Wing, aiming first for the gold,
curved part at the very top of each corner. Those things are the turrets.
Disable them and the Ajati is a sitting duck. If you can manage to destroy
this thing, a Gene Base is your reward.
From here, Mobo leads you into a steady climb, where you'll be able to spot
a few more Taishak, as well as some new Imperial planes called Airship Kartha,
distinguishable by the flowing red flags that hang behind. Aim for the Kartha
first, taking them out quickly compliments of the Base Wing's multiple locks.
If you are just now getting one, this is the perfect opportunity to let loose
with a Berserk Attack, blowing away just about everything in sight. Otherwise,
you'll want to make sure you've cleared out all of the Kartha before switching
to Heavy form in order to deal with the Taishak.
Despite what Mobo might say, aim for the smaller, Airship Kartha that appear
again first and foremost. Be quick about it, though, because these guys are
in a hurry to speed off and leave you high and dry, but one of the planes is
carrying a Gene Base. When the Kartha have either been destroyed or have flown
off, morph into the Heavy Wing and pound the big guy Ajati--it's another Ajati!
Since you are closer this time than you were the first time out, taking out the
turrets quickly is even more important. With that done, target anything you
can to pull down this monster of an airship. Once it fades away (or you blow
it to pieces), you'll turn right into a field of Taishak. Destroying them is
futile for the most part, but fire at them anyway, if just to build up that
Berserk Gauge of yours.
Now flying right next to the walls of a monstrous Imperial ship, use the Heavy
or Base Wing to blast the missile turrets that pop out of the walls ahead. It
takes two lasers from the Base Wing to destroy these and only one from the
Heavy form, so take your pick. Either way you'll have to fire multiple rounds
of beams, though I recommend the Heavy form. Chances are these missile
launchers will have a chance to fire some missiles before you destroy them all,
so clear out any incoming projectiles with Orta's gun.
Once they've been dealt with, you'll make a slight turn, now flying across the
wall. Look straight ahead and you should spot two dots off on the horizon;
quickly fire at them before it's too late, then focus on the missile turrets
that appear from the wall just ahead. Same thing as before. Not far ahead,
following some twists and turns, a third sixpack of turrets will emerge--you
know what to do. Since you're closer now than you were to either of the
previous turrets, though, it's important that you be wary of the missiles that
are fired.
After still another group of turrets, you'll head upwards, confronting some
Battleship Bhout, as well as a pack of Airship Kartha. In Base Wing form,
target as many ships as possible before unleashing your lasers. Past that,
look to the wall on the right; a total of twenty mounted missile launchers!
Shoot them in Base Wing form, using manual gunfire from Orta's handy gun to
dispel the missiles that they are sure to fire. After that, look around for a
small group of Battleship Bhout. Deal with them quickly.
After dropping to a lower level, aim for the Airship Kartha that appear, and
accelerate to destroy the silver shielded foe off to the right. You'll now
swerve away from the massive warship, so turn right and blast another pack of
Kartha before attending to another twenty missile launchers mounted upon the
wall. Boost ahead to avoid any remaining projectiles afterward, and turn back-
wards to face the twelve or so Kartha that drop out of the ship. Even with the
Base Wing, it'll take two rounds of lasers to clear them all, so aim carefully.
Following that, face forward again and you'll enter a downward plummet,
pursuing a group of nasty Kartha. Despite all the disorienting turns, it's
very important that you destroy this particular group--one of the planes is
hiding a Gene Base. After a short straightaway, your Dragon will ascend again,
meeting up with another shielded foe along the way. Accelerate to destroy it,
and watch for a small pack of Kartha to fly just ahead of you.
With the aforementioned Kartha out of the way, a few Floating Mine Mardai will
emerge from the ship's side. The sole purpose of these guys is to ram into
you, causing much mayhem and distress. Target them from afar with the Base
Wing; don't even give them the light of day to attack. Not far behind them are
two more similar groups; don't let them ram you! At this point, the best
option is to morph to the Glide Wing in preparation of the events to come.
Ahead, two shielded enemies will appear. They cannot be damaged whatsoever
from the front, so accelerate past and pump the Glide Wing's rapidfire lasers
into them until they go down (which should be rather abruptly). A second pair
will appear just ahead, followed by four more of the same foes. Apply the
same tactics; boosting past and finishing them off with rapidfire. Once they
have been defeated, Orta's Dragon will push into the innards of the ship.
After the cutscene, you'll appear on a straight path with a massive statue at
the end. There are no enemies to target at this point, but the statue will
fire lasers every so often. Fortunately, you can see where the laser is going
from a distance, allowing you to easily get in position to avoid it. Use the
Glide Wing for this point; the extra maneuverability will help.
Guardian Statue
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
From the beginning, switch to Heavy Wing form and pound the highlighted
area in the statue's chest. Before long, it'll raise its arms and prepare
to blast you with a nasty laser attack. At this point, change to the Glide
form and duck out of the way, accelerating if necessary. If you can avoid
the laser without boosting, quickly switch to the Heavy Wing between laser
blasts and shoot a bit before ducking out of the way again. If not, just
wait until he stops firing, then slow down and continue the onslaught.
Soon enough, the statue will lower its left arm (although from your
perspective its the right arm). Get in a few last minute lasers blasts
before dashing out of harm's way in Glide form. When the boulders he's
firing from his arm cease, move back into position and revert to the Heavy
Wing. Again, target the highlighted circle in the statue's chest, boosting
twice in Glide Wing form once he punches at you.
At this point, the Guardian Statue will activate it's anti-laser system;
the circular target on its chest will disappear completely! In this
current state, damaging the statue is impossible. Granted that you
accelerated twice before, you should now be hovering above the statue. As
the Base Wing, target the rotating circles along the base of the Guardian.
Once they've all been destroyed, you are free to return to the statue's
front. However, be on the look out for incoming missiles, and shoot them
down with manual gunfire.
With the anti-laser system out of the picture, slow down twice as the Glide
Wing. Switch back to Heavy Wing form and toss everything you've got at the
highlighted circle on the statue's chest, which has returned to view now.
A single Berserk Attack should be enough to finish off this behemoth of a
foe.
He's done with, but this stage isn't--
Dragonmare Squadron
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
At first, this pack of draconic beasts will swoop in behind you, so turn
'round and let loose with shots from the Heavy Wing. Shortly after first
appearing, the Dragonmares will fire a round of burning projectiles your
way. Although shooting them down with Orta's manual gun is indeed
possible, switching to the Glide Wing to destroy them is far easier and
much more feasible. Following this, the 'mares will dive below you and
unleash another salvo of projectiles. Shoot them down quickly, getting in
some hits of your own in between.
From this point onward, the Dragonmares will move to various locations
around you, always stopping to fire flame missiles when they've got the
chance. Be sure to shoot these down in Glide Wing form, but don't forget
to fire upon the 'mares yourself. Now would also be a perfect time to let
fly with a Berserk Attack, preferably from either the Base or Heavy Wing.
After several missiles firings, the pack will group together behind you,
preparing for a devastating ram attack. Switch to the Glide Wing as soon
as they do this, and accelerate the moment you hear them screech. If done
properly, you'll dodge their ramming maneuver.
Now, they'll cross to your front side and bombard you with still more
missiles. Have your Glide form ready to blast them down. Soon after, the
'mares will lead you into a gauntlet of sorts; an upward climb through a
field of flaming projectiles. While blowing right through them with Glide
Wing lasers works, boosting through works even better, so do that instead.
Following this, the Dragonmares will fly ahead of you, firing wisps of
razor-sharp air your way. Remain in Glide form to maneuver around these
deadly blasts, holding down the fire button the whole time to cause some
damage as you dodge.
Once they've finished with the blasts of air, the dragons will split up,
each flying right in front of you, leaving a trail of black air behind
them. Know that colliding with either the 'mare or the trail left behind
will cause damage, so use the Glide Wing to avoid both of the
aforementioned. As with before, you will want to keep the A Button held
down, as it's likely to cause at least some damage during this time.
With that final bullet dodged, the Dragonmares will regroup and return to
their original plan of attack. Basically, that means they'll start the
pattern all over again, starting with the fiery projectiles. Use this time
to cut down their Life Gauge with some Heavy Wing lasers, and perhaps even
a Berserk Attack if applicable.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
f. Eternal Glacies
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"... Everything is so quiet."
Since your Dragon has been heavily damaged, there are a few things you should
know before trying out this stage. First and foremost, the ability to switch
morph forms is temporarily unavailable; you're stuck in Base Wing form until
you reach the boss. Additionally, the Berserk Gauge will not build up at this
point either, so you'll have to make it through with lasers alone.
That said, as you climb over the first hill you should spot the silhouette of
a giant enemy off in the distance, directly in front of you. Target this foe,
known as a Pussa Bubo, with as many lasers as possible and fire. Quickly shoot
it down, watching out for the salvo of projectiles that it will launch toward
you. Just about the time it is destroyed, turn around to face a pack of
dinosaur-like Didar who have appeared right behind you.
What's particularly tricky about this pack of Didar is that they can all fire
green blobs of energy at once, making it difficult to protect yourself from the
barrage. When this happens, don't even bother thinking about attacking the
Didar themselves until their missile attacks have been dealt with via Orta's
manual weapon. Once you've done that, turn your attention toward the Didar and
pound them all with haste before they make an escape.
Just as the Didar either fade away to the side or are defeated, face forward
again to find another Pussa Bubo. Blast it with as many lock-ons as possible,
because two more will soon drop in from behind. When this happens, concentrate
your attacks on one Bubo at a time; otherwise all three make escape alive.
As with the original Pussa Bubo you fought, these guys can shoot rounds of
projectiles at you, so be on the look out for those; they hurt and need to be
shot down immediately.
As you approach a small set of ruins ahead, quickly target the Urimasan that
pop out of the snow before they disappear. At this point, you'll be able to
decide which of the episode's two pathways you want to take. Don't do a thing
to head right or boost left to go in that direction.
Left Path
=~~~~~~~~~=
Right after turning away from the small set of ruins, eight Urimasan will
pop out of the snowbank ahead. Take them all out in one fell swoop, so
they don't have a chance to launch any green energy balls at you. Just
ahead are eight more Urimasan; this group is more likely to get their green
blobs shot before you can destroy them. Shoot down any incoming
projectiles with that handy weapon of Orta's.
Still further ahead, another pack of eight Urimasan will emerge from the
snowy depths. Shortly after you finish with this group, another four will
pop out right in front of you. They're far too close to lock-on to, and
Orta's manual weapon won't prove too useful in this situation either, so
accelerate right through them. From here you'll move onward into the next
area, which is filled with upright columns.
Swooping in from the left will be a rather sizable pack of white Yarva that
will take as many as three separate laser blasts to clear out. Aim
quickly, and watch out for their energy blobs. Coming in right behind them
from the right is another, albeit a bit smaller group. Apply the same
tactics to take them down, noting that they should only require two rounds
of lasers to finish off.
Next up, look above you to find a jellyfish-like Morli floating above.
Unload everything you've got on him, as he's about to release a few Didar
behind him. Even when the aforementioned Didar hit the ground, concentrate
first and foremost on destroying the Morli, since he will disappear in mere
seconds. After he's gone, aim for the dinosaur-esque Didar. Shortly
after, another Morli will cross into view, just before dropping a trio of
Didar. Blast the Morli to hell, then accelerate through the Didar to seal
the deal.
From your left, a third and final Morli will appear, with six Didar ready
to hit the ground. As always, target the Morli first, and only after he's
gone shoot at the Didar, who will duck behind some ruins while releasing
green energy blobs left and right. Be sure to shoot them all down with
Orta's manual gun. Following this, a lone Madidar will appear from behind
and cut in front of you. Blast it, as well as a second Madidar that shows
up, and accelerate through the Urimasan that pop out of the snow just
ahead.
Directly after this, two more Madidar will show up, so fire at them and
accelerate through the next group of Urimasan that appear. After that,
the Dragon will make a headlong sprint toward a narrow bridge, where the
boss lurks.
Right Path
=~~~~~~~~~~=
Just ahead you'll spot a Pussa Bubo fly across the screen. Immediately
begin firing at it, as well as the three others that appear, one from the
right and two from the left. As with before, the best course of action is
to focus on one at a time. The moment one Bubo falls, turn and concentrate
on the next guy. Don't forget about their projectiles attack, because with
four Bubo in the area at one time there will be plenty crashing down from
above. Be sure to boost to avoid those, as shooting them down will simply
consume far too much time. When you destroy all four (or if they happen to
escape behind a hill to the left), you will move onward to the subsequent
area.
In this dark mountainscape, turn your view toward the foothills to the
right, where a herd of Didar will soon emerge. You should know the drill
by now; pump your homing lasers into the dinosaur-esque foes while
dispelling their nasty green projectile attacks with fire from Orta's
manually-operated weapon. Before long, some of the Didar will actually
hop off the mountain and run behind you. Shoot at them, as well as the
guys who remain on the mountain ledge. Be quick with your lasers--the
Didar will turn off to the side and run away if you take too long.
Once that's done with, turn around backward to see a pair of snowsharks, as
I like to call them, or Erkist as the game calls them, burrowing behind
you. While underground, it's impossible to damage or even lock-on to them,
so be patient and wait for them to leap out. When they do, promptly shoot
them down with manual gunfire; the Dragon's lasers take too long to prepare
at this point and as such are much riskier to use. On the tail of those
first two, another trio of Erkist will pull in behind you. Deal with them
as before. Finally, a few more will appear, only to move ahead of you, so
face forward to finish off this last group.
As you proceed through this canyon area, a pack of Didar will drop in from
the mountains above. Begin targeting them, although another group will
soon appear right in front of you, blocking your aim at the original pack.
Basically, all you need to do here is keep the lasers flowing and each
Didar, as well as the Madidar that drop in later, will eventually fall.
Simple! Just watch out for their green blobs, and face left at the end of
the canyon to clear out any survivors.
Just as the Didar/Madidar are finished, another group of Erkist (y'know,
the snowsharks) will show up behind you, only to move in front of you
before emerging. Once they've been dealt with, look above to see some
Didar jumping from side to side at the top of the canyon. Lock-on as they
leap across; you won't have any other opportunity to hit them. Note that
they will fire their trademark green blobs your way, but not as frequently
as previous foes. Rejoice!
Just as the Didar/Madidar fade away to the right (giving you one last
chance to finish off any remaining foes), a sixpack of Erkist will pull in
front of you from the right. They jump out one-by-one, but they don't give
you much time in between jumps, so you'll need to be fast. Once they've
all been dealt with, you will head straight for a narrow bridge, where the
stage's boss lurks.
The Verdict
=~~~~~~~~~~~=
No Gene Bases either way, and the right path is far easier to make it
through undamaged, not to mention shooting down the foes is simpler. Go
right--it just makes more sense.
Els-Enora
=~~~~~~~~~=
During this first stage of the battle, all you can really do is pound
Els-Enora with homing lasers. Immediately begin the laser-blasting process
as soon as this beast appears to the left of the bridge, and only cease
when your foe ducks out of view or blasts some green projectiles your way.
In the case of the latter, all you really need to do is shoot out the
middle projectile with manual gunfire; the others will miss you anyway.
Note that this only applies when he fires three missiles at a time--later
on when Els-Enora fires four or more at a time you'll need to shoot them
all down.
Once you've brought Els-Enora down to about 2/3 health, it will destroy a
portion of the bridge, forcing the Dragon to take to the skies again. At
this point, all three morph forms will be at your disposal once more, along
with their respective Berserk Attacks. Very nice. Begin by peppering Els-
Enora with bio-lasers from the Heavy Wing, making sure you use manual fire
to block the incoming projectiles.
When it seems as though all the targets have disappeared, switch to Glide
Wing form and accelerate ahead to position yourself beneath one of the
beast's wings. Use the Base Wing to quickly fire some homing lasers at
the four targets under the wing, then use manual fire to dispel the pink
energy blobs fired at you, then return your focus to blasting the wings
with lasers. When Els-Enora slows down and you go flying ahead of it,
quickly decelerate to pull underneath it's other wing. Use the same steps
as you did with the first wing. Now would also be a terrific time to use a
Berserk Attack, if at all possible.
At this point, Els-Enora will charge straight ahead, performing a strange
spinning move as it goes. Soon enough, it will release a myriad of white
feather that cause damage should you collide with one. To prevent this,
shoot through them in Glide Wing form, and accelerate forward if necessary.
Next, it will return to its original pattern, allowing you to boost under
its wings again and continue the assault. Keep this up and Els-Enora will
begin to spasm, causing damage to itself and releasing a volley of green
projectiles. Shoot these down to cause even more damage to the creature,
and the battle will end within mere moments.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
g. Legacy
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
As an interesting change of pace, Episode 6 actually kicks off with a mini-boss
battle. Just as a side note, there is no "true" boss in this Episode, as
evidenced by the lack of a score for your boss clear time upon completion of
the stage.
Sub boss: Atish
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
As this confrontation begins, you'll be diving through a narrow tunnel with
Atish, a robotic foe of some sort, in hot pursuit. Start off by switching
to Heavy Wing form and hammering this enemy with bio-lasers. When you see
a small missile appear at any one of Atish's four corners, immediately
morph into Glide form to shoot it down; not only will this eliminate any
danger, but it will also cause some damage to Atish. Nice!
Following the destruction of all eight missiles (two from each corner),
revert to Heavy form and keep firing until you exit the tunnel and enter a
large, open chamber. At this point, quickly switch to the Glide Wing and
accelerate to avoid a ramming attack from Atish. After that, you'll enter
a second tunnel, where Atish will resume its pattern, starting with more
missiles. Don't hesitate to unleash the Heavy Wing's Berserk Attack the
moment it's available; using it will end the battle significantly quicker.
One last thing to note is that Atish's missiles now move noticeably
faster, so you'll want to shoot them down ASAP.
With the conclusion of that interesting boss battle, you'll exit the tunnel and
come into an open room with some unique architecture. From behind you, three
foes will appear: two of which are blue while the third is red. Damaging the
two blue foes is impossible, simply put. Instead, lock-on to the red enemy,
and only the red enemy, using the Heavy Wing for best results. Destroying it
will take out the two blues as well. Good deal. Right on their tail is a
second trio; again aim only for the one that is red in color.
Following their demise, a final pack of three will appear. Don't be afraid to
rotate the camera in order to keep up with the movement of the red foe. Once
he's been defeated, the other two will croak as well, leaving behind a Gene
Base (first one in a while, eh?) as a reward. Sweet! After they fall, look
toward the ceiling--six eyeballs should appear. While these cannot be locked-
on to, nor do they appear on your radar, they can actually be destroyed (use
either the Glide Wing or Orta's manual weapon) to rack up some bonus points.
Switch to Base Wing form and direct your lasers toward the four Nayaks that
materialize at the end of the hall; while each one will fire a green laser,
they conveniently form a circle around you. Upon their defeat, pull a quick
180 to face three more who will, again, blast lasers that miss you. Nice.
With them destroyed, face frontside to witness the wall closing in on you.
This first one should be easy to make it around: just drive hard to the right
side of the screen and you're golden. Accelerating shouldn't be necessary.
Make it around the first wall to meet up with four more Nayaks, two coming
from each side of the wall. Treat them to some Heavy Wing lasers, then morph
into Glide form and accelerate past the next wall before it closes on you.
With more Nayaks appearing from all sides, now wouldn't be a bad time to let
loose with the Base Wing's Berserk Attack. If that isn't an option, just blast
any foes in sight with bio-lasers while pushing hard toward the next wall,
accelerating only if its necessary to avoiding damage.
Once you make it past the first vertically-closing wall, four new enemies will
swoop into sight. These guys, known as Degla to the common man (or common
nerd, in my case) can easily be shot down with a laser or two from the Base
Wing. Be sure to get locks on all four Degla in one shot as you dive beneath
another vertically-closing wall. If you can manage to get past here, Abadd and
his kickass Dragonmare show up. Seems like you're out of the woods... for
now, at least.
As Abadd leads you through this narrow corridor, you'll get to choose which
pathway you care to take it make it through this stage. Face forward the whole
time to split up with Abadd, or look and veer to the left after the first turn
to follow him.
Left Path
=~~~~~~~~~=
At the end of the corridor, you'll enter a squeaky clean room that is
completely white. As the walls begin to close in on you, two packs of
Degla, each comprised of four foes each, will swoop in front of you. Shoot
through them, preferably grabbing all eight in one round of lasers. Just
past there, you'll come into another room, where five enemies will emerge
from the ground ahead. Not giving you a moment's rest, several more groups
of the same foes appear to the left, right, straight ahead on the ground
again, left, and finally on the right one last time. Use the Base Wing to
swiftly sear each group.
With that taken care of, you'll enter another room where the walls are
constantly closing in. It's almost of mirror of the previous room like
this, in fact, with two packs of Degla (four enemies in each pack) dropping
in right on cue, as before. Indeed, even the next chamber is exactly like
it's predecessor. Quickly turn around so you're facing backwards, and get
ready to deal with foes straight ahead, to the left, then right, then
directly in front of you again. After another group to the left, the final
pack will show up on the right.
Hold your position; even though your Dragon will plunge straight ahead, you
want to be facing backwards to deal with the oncoming foes. After one pack
of four Degla are dealt with, a second similar group will appear directly
behind the first. Now face the front, as its time for one last round of
foes coming at you from all directions. Truth be told, this wouldn't be too
bad of a place to unleash the Base Wing's Berserk, if you have it. If not,
focus your lasers first on the foes directly ahead, then to left, in the
center of the screen, and finally to the right. Defeat all the foes and
you'll cruise right along, rejoining the original path.
Right Path
=~~~~~~~~~~=
Subsequent to a few sharp turns, you'll exit the corridor and, aided by a
very brief cutscene, enter a downward plummet. What's tricky about this
portion of the level is not destroying the foes, but rather the disorienting
camera angle. Aiming can be difficult, but just bare with things and you'll
make it through just fine. Nine Degla will line up right in front of you;
move your targeting reticle across them and sweep out all nine in one go.
Upon their defeat, five more Degla will appear, swiftly followed up by
another nine or so who swoop in from above. Aim for the pack of five first,
then the larger group. Don't move the camera just yet--still more Degla
appear, again in a pack of five, from the same direction as their
predecessors. Blast them, and Abadd will lead you into a corridor filled
with twists and turns.
As you exit the tunnel, face backwards and prepare yourself for an
onslaught: Degla are about to start pouring into the chamber. Hopefully
you've got a Berserk Attack ready, otherwise you are in for a rough ride.
Following a few small fries who can easily be shot down, a massive group
will swarm in; unleash the Base Wing's Berserk and watch the results with
glee. With that, you'll return to the main path.
The Verdict
=~~~~~~~~~~~=
Here's the deal: the left path, while easier to blast through, contains no
Gene Bases. The right path is a more difficult route, but a grand total of
two Gene Bases can be obtained should you opt to head in that direction.
Your choice.
Within this large, gold chamber, several Nayaks will congregate ahead of you,
firing their trademark inacurate green lasers. Hastily clear out any
survivors, as well as another group of Nayaks that swoop in, then switch to
Heavy form. Four Degla will drop in from above and fly ahead of you. Shoot
them down, using two separate rounds of lasers if necessary.
Next, you'll swoop into a small corridor, with a bright red circle directly in
front of you. Contrary the popular belief, shooting this does not amass bonus
points that add up to your score at the end of the stage. Instead, it
determines which path you take. Sadly, I've yet to figure out just how this
affects the course of the game, so you'll have to bare with me here.
After passing the first circle, four Degla will speed ahead from behind. Take
them down in Heavy Wing form before settling in front of another circle. Shoot
it if you like, and you'll soon pass it by. Another trio of Degla drop in,
leaving columns of green lasers behind them. Lock-on and fire, veering far to
the right to avoid said laser columns. Just past there is a narrow corridor,
with multiple Nayaks waiting at the far side. Deal with them as fast as
possible, and dive/climb out of the course of their lasers.
Subsequently, you'll come to a set of horizontal bars that you must weave above
and below to avoid. Switch to Glide Wing form and, holding A the entire time
to fire at the enemies who appear, move down and up, down and up to snake
through the bars and escape any damage. A hallway full of Nayaks are waiting
for you on the opposite side--this wouldn't be such a bad place to unleash a
Berserk Attack, though its hardly necessary. Just shoot through the foes in
Heavy Wing form.
On the other side of the hallway, you'll find more bars to avoid, only these
ones are vertical. Even so, the concept is the same, so morph to Glide form
and zigzag left and right to make it through A-OK. A third red circle can be
found at the end, with several Degla flying ahead and paving the way to a
fourth circle. Past there, you will make a sharp right turn and enter a
corridor brimming with Degla. Another good place to let loose a Berserk
Attack. Just target the Degla as you fly through, and use the Glide Wing to
zip through the gaps in the laser columns.
More vertical bars impede the path ahead, so switch to Glide form and snake
through them. Remember to hold A as you go, in order to shoot down the foes
that come from behind you. As you make your way away from there, change to
Base Wing and target everything in sight: foes will start swooping in front of
you like nobody's business. If you can make it through the chaos of that, you
will be done with the stage. Nice!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
h. Forbidden Memories
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
From the beginning, aim for the four Interception Program ver 1.00s that swoop
across in front of you. Then, rapidly turn around to spot another five or so
behind you. Face forward again to spot four more ver 1.00s, arranged in a
diamond shape before you. With that, swing around yet again to find a sixpack
of ver 1.00s--two rows of three each. Once they've been dealt with, swivel
back around frontside to meet an Interception Program ver 2.00. He's
noticeably tougher than the guys you've been dealing with, so pound on him a
bit in Heavy Wing form. Defeat him quickly, since two more ver 1.00s will
appear shortly afterward.
With them taken care of, you encounter a boss of sorts...
Sub boss: Diodopure Lv1
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
For this battle, you'll want to use the Glide Wing to dole out some major
damage. Thanks in no small part to a massive laser beam that the Diodopure
can (and will) fire all the time, you'll need the Glide forms
maneuverability. Anyway, hold down the fire button to keep a continuous
stream of fire headed toward the blue object constantly moving across the
Diodopure.
Now then, as for the Diodopure's laser--it can be evaded, and quite easily
at that. Basically, the laser can only move up or sideways from where it
was last fired, meaning that if you position yourself diagonally across
from the beam it won't be able to hit you. Very nice.
Once the first Life Gauge has been depleted, you'll destroy the Diodopure's
outer barrier and disable its laser. At this point, switch to Heavy form
and start pounding what remains of the Diodopure, all the while dodging its
blue lasers. After a short while, you'll destroy the thing, and receive a
Gene Base as a reward. Sweet!
You'll be transferred to a location known as the "Memory Cell." Look ahead and
(slightly) to the right to see a blue, rotating thing. Shoot it to hear some
random nonsense. Do the same with a second blue object that appears to the
left. You'll be sent to a new room, where yet another sub boss awaits.
Sub boss: Central Data Unit Ofnir
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Your foe here is a giant robotic worm, reminiscent of the Yondo-Worms seen
in the second episode. Note that this enemy cannot be damaged when its
body is completely white; you must wait until the actual worm becomes
visible. From the start, following Ofnir's various movements as he heads
behind you before becoming visible. Be ready to unleash some Heavy Wing
lasers as soon as possible. He'll only be vulnerable for a few seconds, so
make good use of what precious little time you have.
When Ofnir moves in front of you, swivel to face it and continue blasting
without relent. After but a few seconds in front of you, Ofnir moves to
your back, only to execute a nasty ramming attack. Accelerate out of
harm's way in Glide form. It will circle around before coming back for a
second attempt to crash into you; apply the same tactics as before and you
will be golden.
From here on, Ofnir will fly far ahead of you and fire a series of green
projectiles back toward you. Shoot down any incoming missiles with Orta's
manual gun, but don't bother with the ones that will obviously miss their
intended mark (you). Subsequent to a small turn from Ofnir, you should see
a ring off in the distance. Destroy this at all costs! I cannot stress
how important it is that you eliminate this ring; if Ofnir flies through it,
it will regain ALL of its health, forcing you to more or less restart the
battle. Keep firing upon this worm and he'll bite the dust soon.
As soon as that battle ends, you'll immediately be transferred to a new area
where, *gasp*, you get to do battle with yet another sub boss! Shocking!
Sub boss: Diodopure Lv2
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
A perfect mirror of the earlier fight with Diodopure Lv1, apply the same
tactics here to score a win. At first, blast away in Glide Wing form while
dodging the laser cannon (which still cannot move diagonally). Once you've
depleted Lv2's first Life Gauge, switch to the Heavy Wing and slam it with
repeated lasers to end the fight. Easy!
You'll first appear in another Memory Cell (shoot the blue objects when they
appear). Following a short trip through there, you'll be sent to a wide open
area, with white, bird-like Sealance Images crossing into view from the left
and right. Drop them in Base Wing form, as well as another few who appear a
bit later and line up directly in front of you. From this chaotic few seconds,
you should receive a Gene Base.
Next, several Sealance Images will pull ahead of you from the left and right.
Take out as many as you can in one round of lasers, then accelerate through the
rest, hopefully destroying all the foes. If not, swing around backwards and
quickly finish off the survivors. Just after they are done with, about ten or
so more appear right in front of you. Unless you have really swift hands, I
suggest accelerating through them. You'll score another Gene Base from this
particular group.
Off in the distance, a massive pack of Sealance will slowly fade into view.
Now is a great time to unleash the Base Wing's Berserk, as it will take them
all out in one fell swoop. If that isn't an option, simply lock-on to as many
foes as possible and keep blasting until nothing remains. Your reward for this
hellish mess is still another Gene Base. Not bad!
Abadd
=~~~~~=
This battle begins with you facing backwards, your massive adversary right
in front of you. Send him some good will with the Heavy Wing and he'll
zip ahead of you; swing 'round frontside to face him. From this position
Abadd will start firing white beams at you, so veer to the side (in Glide
Wing form if need be) to evade them, returning fire of your own the whole
time.
Following this, Abadd pulls up right next to you, pausing for a moment
before smashing you with his mighty fist. Do yourself a favor and dash out
of the way as the Glide Wing. Pound on him for a while longer, then go
back to the trusty Glide form to avoid another round of nasty white beams.
He'll pull up next to you a second time, again preparing to whack you with
his mighty fist of doom. Be sure to accelerate out of harm's way, eh?
Now, Abadd will move in front of you, revealing a weak spot on his back
(indicated by a handy flashing cursor). Aim for that point with your Heavy
Wing. When he turns to face you and starts charging up an attack, boost
twice to get ahead of him, at which point you can continue your assault.
However, when he leans his head back you'll want to decelerate to escape
any possible danger from laser fire. Accelerate back to the front once he
stops firing.
Eventually, (when he's got less than half his Life Gauge remaining) Abadd
will shift behind you before lunging ahead to grab a triangle of small
stones that have appeared in front. He'll then drop behind you again; be
sure to keep him in plain sight. Soon enough, Abadd will send the three
stones ahead, and they'll form odd shapes before blasting lasers at you.
Use the Glide Wing to veer away from the blasts. Following about six or
seven rounds of lasers, the stones will disappear, so take this opportunity
to hammer Abadd with everything you've got (Heavy Wing lasers or Berserk
Attacks, if applicable).
From here on in, Abadd will repeat this process until either he kills you
or you defeat him. Fortunately, the lasers shot out from Abadd's stones
are insanely easy to avoid, so finishing off this battle shouldn't prove
too difficult a task.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
i. Imperial City
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Right from the start, make the change into Heavy Wing form. Appearing from the
right and pulling in front of you is a Transport Tank Emden; immediately begin
firing at it. Note, however, that you should only be targeting the lead car on
this train, as destroying it will destroy the trailing cars. Be sure to shoot
down any missiles it might fire at you with your manual gun, then swivel the
camera forward.
You should spot another Transport Tank Emden coming into view directly ahead.
Direct your fire at the lead car again, rotating the camera left, then back to
keep the train in your sight. When it is destroyed, continue to face forward
as you rise and a third Emden train will appear. As you are pounding it with
lasers, the fourth and final Emden will pull right into view. Take out the
earlier train first, then focus on the more recent foe. Make sure you clear
out any missiles they fire (preferably using Orta's manually-operated weapon)
before trying to destroy the tanks.
With all four tanks (hopefully) destroyed, you'll move onward into the
subsequent locale. Switch to the Base Wing, and swing around so that you are
facing backwards as you travel through a claustrophobia-inducing corridor. As
you exit, three Imperial battleships will swoop in behind you. Hastily take
care of them, as well as a fourth ship that appears somewhat late. Through a
second narrow corridor, you'll emerge in another large chamber where four more
Imperial ships are waiting to ambush you. Still facing backwards, be sure to
clear them out as fast as possible, since they're going to try to crash into
you.
Inside a third corridor, two planes will pursue you, so make short work of them
before emerging into the next open chamber. There will be a total of four more
enemy planes in here; two drop in almost immediately as you exit the corridor,
where as the other two show up a little late. If you hold off firing for a few
moments you can get all four planes in one round of lasers. Just past the next
corridor, a single battleship will be your only target. Face forward and look
for him right away--he won't be prevalent for very long, so make your lasers
count.
Through the next hallway, you'll enter a massive chamber. Look to your right,
switching to Heavy form along the way, and take note of the many, many
Dragonmare Embyros. Start firing at them right away, watching out for the
Patrol Airship Vayu that appear every once in a while to ruin your fun. You'll
pass by each row of Embryos enough times that destroying each and every one
should not prove too difficult, so long as you can keep a constant flow of
lasers going. Enjoy all the Gene Bases you receive from this particular
escapade, by the way.
Following a few twists and turns, you'll slow down in front of a group of
Floating Mine Mardai. Reduce their numbers greatly with a few rounds of
lasers, then accelerate through to kill off the survivors. In the subsequent
corridor, you'll be accompanied by an Airship Vahra. He can take a surprising
amount of damage before croaking, so go at him hard with the Heavy Wing. At
the end of this tunnel, you'll see four Airship Kartha appear in front of you
before turning off to the side. Lock-on and take them down quickly, then duck
to the bottom left of the screen to avoid their lasers. Two more Kartha will
speed past you at the end of the next tunnel. You know the deal.
In the following room, you'll first see two Hovertank Dahra. Target them as
the Heavy Wing, dispelling the missiles they fire with manual gunfire. Before
long, three Battleship Bhout will swoop in, moving to the right of the Dahra.
Quickly blast them down, then finish off the Dahra as you move long. On the
other side of the area, you'll find still more Dahra. Start firing
immediately, and be on the look out for another trio of Battleship Bhout. You
will circle around the area a few more times, giving you an opportunity to
defeat the remaining Dahra. Also, several more Bhout will fly past, so be
looking for them.
Once the Dahra have all been destroyed/are out of range, focus your attention
to the large skeletal creature confined within the central pillar. BY GOLLY!
Its Catharp, our friendly neighborhood Episode 3 boss! Fortunately, it can't
move anymore, so just smack him with repeated lasers. After ascending along
the pillar for a bit, you'll enter the next area.
Change to the Base Wing, and accelerate just at the end of the corridor you
begin in to destroy a group of Floating Mine Mardai. As you rapidly climb
upward, target the four Airship Kartha before entering the tunnel ahead. Two
more Kartha will chase you inside said tunnel, only to propel themselves ahead
of you. Try to destroy them before they leave behind their laser mines, since
those are quite difficult to avoid.
In the next chamber, another pack of four Kartha speed past before veering off
to the sides. Same deal as last time, really. As you progress into the tunnel
ahead, two more Kartha will fly ahead of you, just like last time. Once you
are outside again, a group of Floating Mine Mardai will gather in front of you.
Shoot as many down as you can, then accelerate through the remaining foes.
Only one Kartha will chase you into the subsequent corridor this time, so take
him out, then prepare yourself for the upcoming sub boss.
Sub boss: Assault Carrier Vermana REVIVED
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Remember this not-so-friendly airship from the very first level? Well, its
back, albeit in a slightly less-maneuverable form. As you pass beneath it,
let loose a few blasts in Heavy Wing form, then change your target to the
multiple sets of Hovertank Dahra on the deck as they enter view. Be sure
to shoot down their missiles as soon as they are fired, since they'll be
too overwhelming if you wait even a moment too long.
Before long, you'll travel to the far side of Vermana, where two cannon
platforms are positioned far below you. Fire away at them, stopping every
so often to dispel the fired missiles with manual gunfire or via the Glide
Wing's rapidfire capabilities. From here, you'll move to Vermana's side,
prompting it to release several remote missiles. Just like the first time
you did battle with this battleship, you can either accelerate out of the
way or shoot them down as the Glide Wing. Whichever floats your boat.
At this point, you'll return to the side of the ship with all the Hovertank
Dahra and the battle will re-begin from the start. Keep up the same
strategy, constantly blasting the ship with bio-lasers whenever you're open
and the battle will soon come to an end.
Once Vermana has been destroyed once and for all, look for a squad of
Battleship Bhout to appear to your left before moving onward. From here on, a
pack of five Airship Vahra will appear and begin antagonizing you. Aim at them
in Heavy form, and be wary of their constant position changing (e.g., from in
front of you to behind you and back). Keep blasting and they'll die soon.
As you enter the corridor ahead, the walls will begin closing in on you. The
Glide Wing is without a doubt the best remedy for this sticky situation. Try
to maneuver around the closing doors without having to accelerate as much as
possible, but don't hesitate to boost if it seems necessary to preventing
damage. Make it through there and the real boss is all yours...
Imperial Defense Unit Bacharsuha
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Right off the bat, change to the Heavy Wing and start pounding the
indicated target on the Bacharsuha's center. When you see the right arm
(the one on your left) coming toward you, quickly duck down to avoid
getting whacked; hold down for a few moments until the left arm (on your
right) passed by, as well. Fire off a few more rounds of lasers before
switching to Glide form to shoot down the incoming missiles fired by the
Bacharsuha.
Now, the massive battleship will turn around completely, so that its back
faces you. Take this opportunity to destroy the two arms with blasts from
your Heavy Wing. After making short work of those, accelerate twice in
Glide form to take up your original position in front of the Bacharsuha
again. Take down any missiles on the way while still in the form of the
Glide Wing, then regress to the Heavy form and keep hammering the cursor-
marked area of your foe.
Once again, it will turn around 180 degrees, so slow down two times to
catch up with it. Deliver some steady blows to the ship (now wouldn't be
a bad time to fire a Berserk), and it will restore its two arms. Repeated
its steps from the beginning of this battle, the Bacharsuha will swing its
two appendages at you, first left (your left, that is) then right. Drive
downward hard to evade this. Just a few more laser blasts and you'll enter
stage two of this fight.
Quickly jump into the Glide Wing form, as you'll need a highly maneuverable
dragon to dodge this next bullet. As the various arms now surrounding your
enemy charge up beams of blue electricity, you will need to dodge under or
over each beam. Generally, all you need to do is rhythmically move the
thumbstick up then down then up and back again. Once you get the timing
down its a snap. Be sure to hold down A while doing this to fire at
anything you can and cause a bit of extra damage.
When the arms stop, quickly target them in Heavy Wing form and destroy them
all. Make sure you watch out for an incoming salvo of missiles from above,
however, otherwise you may be left feeling ambushed. Either way, once the
missiles have all been destroyed/have detonated upon you, the Bacharsuha
will begin to climb upwardly. During this ascension, each of its arms will
fire massive balls of energy at you, so move around in a circle as the
Glide Wing to dodge them.
When you even out again, you will pull in right in front of the battleship.
Cause some quick hell with your Heavy Wing on the three specified
locations, only pausing when you notice spiraling red dots gathering in
front of the ship. This signifies that it is about to unleash a
devastating laser, so accelerate out of the way (you'll have to do it
three times).
Now then, when the laser stops firing, you should take the initiative and
start blasting with your Heavy Wing lasers. Don't be afraid to fire off a
Berserk Attack, also, as it would work wonders here, possibly ending the
battle. Again the laser beam will start up, so slow down a few times to
get out of the way, then repeat the previous steps.
After a third round of lasers, the Bacharsuha will retreat to the bottom of
the battlefield, where it will repeat its pattern, starting with the arms
firing electricity. Hopefully it will have only a sliver of life
remaining, allowing you to end the battle with a few more shots. If not,
apply the same tactics you used earlier; you've seen everything this boss
will throw at you by now.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
j. Showdown
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Right off the bat, switch to Heavy form and aim for the Mare-embryos visible
off in the distance. In addition to the original pack of four embryos, several
more will drop in soon, creating quite a hectic situation. Fortunately, a
fully powered (Level 5) Heavy Wing (which you should have at this point in
time) can floor a single 'mare in one hit. Even if you aren't quite at that
level yet, it shouldn't take too much to clear out these guys. Two of the
'mares in this first group drop Gene Bases in their wake, by the by.
Following their demise, turn to the left and look slightly below you: another
swarm of embryos have come into sight. Aim first for the guys positioned close
to each other, then focus on the foes trailing off to the left afterward. Once
they are all gone, swivel around to face your right side. About four more
'mares have taken up position on this side; try to finish them off before they
circle around to your backside. Also, watch out for the fiery projectiles that
every 'mare can fire; they hurt and come in so many at once that it's hard to
shoot them down with Orta's gun. Use the Glide Wing if necessary.
From here on, a massive swarm of beasts will encircle you; Mare-embryos will be
to all sides. Instead of constantly spinning the camera to keep up with all of
them, simply face forwards and shoot each embryo as they pass in front of you.
Doing so will not only give you a shot at taking down each and every 'mare, but
it will also fetch you some fair Gene Bases. Nice!
Dragonmare Squadron
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
This pack of angry winged beasts from Episode 4 have "wisen fwom their
gwaves" (go go Altered Beast reference!) to haunt you once more. This
battle is a near mirror of the aforementioned one, only a bit more
difficult, and with a mixed up attack pattern. Unlike the first time you
faced these guys, they'll immediately split apart and flying directly in
front of you, leaving dangerous black trails of painful goo behind them.
To avoid this, morph into Glide form and dodge out of the way, holding down
the fire button as you go (in an attempt to dole out at least a small bit
o' damage).
Subsequently, the 'mares will congregate in front of you and unleash a
barrage of razor sharp air blasts. As with the black trails, evade them
compliments of the Glide Wing's sick tight maneuverability. When they've
finished with those, the Dragonmares all move behind you, so quickly turn
to face them and give 'em hell in Heavy form. Note that they will also
pepper you with fiery projectiles during this point; shooting them down
with Orta's handgun can be a wee bit tricky, so use the Glide Wing if you
are having trouble.
After a short round of fiery missiles, the 'mares will lure you into an
upward climb (of doom). Accelerate through to avoid the debris left in
your foes' wake, then turn to face them as they gather behind you. By now,
it should go without saying that you're pounding them with Heavy Wing
lasers at every possible opportunity.
Now then, be ready for a few more shots of fiery projectiles before they
move to your bottom left. From here, they'll let loose on your with many,
many burning missiles. Shoot them down, preferably in Heavy Wing form (or
at the very least as the Base Wing), all the while chipping away at their
Life Gauge with constant laser shots. After a few moments, the pack will
relocate to your upper right, where they'll repeat the same steps as
before. No biggie--you know the deal by now.
Following a quick maneuver behind you, the 'mares will dash ahead, still
using the fiery missiles as their number one means of offense. After one
or two rounds of the projectiles, they'll split up and take it from the
top, starting again with the black trails of painful goo attack. Repeat
the steps you took from the beginning of the battle and you'll end it in no
time flat. Cool beans!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
k. The End of Destiny
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
This last mission is comprised of nothing but the final confrontation with your
ultimate nemesis--Abadd.
Abadd, Stage 1
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
As soon as this battle commences, change to the Heavy Wing and start
smashing the spiky structure ahead with bio-lasers. However, when several
green organisms appear in a circle around the spiky structure, quickly
switch to Glide Wing form to shoot them down. If you let these green guys
stick around for too long, they'll fire a nasty laser that's pretty much
impossible to dodge, so you want to make sure you clear them all out.
Following that, return to Heavy form to continue the barrage, only to
change back to the Glide Wing again to dispel more green organisms. Repeat
this pattern a third time and Abadd will toss something new in your
direction.
The orange spiky things arranged in a circle around the main structure
will fire a powerful laser beam, so change to Glide Wing form and slow down
once to avoid the first round of lasers, then a second time to evade still
more beams of doom. After this, Abadd will launch a myriad of projectiles
high into the air. Hastily shoot these down, then make the switch to Heavy
form to end the battle. A single Berserker blast from your Heavy Wing is
enough to deplete 3/4 of this beast's life, and basic lasers will finish
things off right nice.
Abadd, Stage 2
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Start off hammering this dragon-like form with Heavy Wing lasers, pausing
only when he ducks underwater to avoid the serious heat you're packin'.
When he moves in front of you, he'll soon disappear into the void; this is
your cue to switch to Glide Wing form and accelerate toward the water. If
done correctly, you'll evade a nasty laser attack. Repeat this a second
time when Abadd disappears again.
As he reappears, he'll pull right in front of you, with his lengthy tail
dangling behind. Use the Heavy Wing form to pound on him a bit, all the
while weaving left and right, left and right to avoid getting smacked by
Abadd's tail. Before long, you'll pull ahead of him, so switch to a
smaller form, otherwise you might just collide with one his wings, taking
on some unnecessary damage.
At this point, he'll duck into the water above (the "sky") and move ahead
of you; swivel around to face him as he reappears. Get a few quick blasts
in using the Heavy Wing, then change to Base form and lock-on as many times
as possible, but do NOT shoot yet. Doing so will leave you wide open for
Abadd's most potent attack, a devilish bio-laser of his own that is your
worst nightmare (even scarier than Gene Simmons!). So listen up, hold your
locks until a green sphere encircles your Dragon and you hear a
high-pitched beeping sound. When such occurs, let loose your lasers to
negate his homing capabilities. Repeat this process until he ceases his
attempts to use lock-on lasers.
Now then, if Abadd still hasn't croaked yet, he'll disappear into thin air
and blast a tricky laser beam at you. Fortunately, you've got this nifty
guide sitting right in front of you, so you know exactly what to do! Using
the Glide Wing (y'know, for the righteous maneuverability) and move in a
clockwise circle. Doing so will allow you to dash around his blasts with
the greatest of ease.
When he makes his dreaded reappearance from the void, he'll move behind
you, so swing the camera around and start blasting (with the Heavy Wing, of
course). Very soon, he'll submerge himself and move quickly toward you.
When he jumps out of the water at you, make a swift change to Glide form
and boost out of the way. You'll be able to see his tail/wings sticking
out of the water, so use that as a reference to know when to get out of the
way. Following that, he'll do the exact same thing again, only this time
he'll hide in the sky above you. You can avoid it the same way, however.
Subsequently, Abadd will appear shortly behind you before diving underwater
and plowing ahead. Fortunately, his wings stick out of the water, so
target those to cause some damage. From here on in, he'll return to the
beginning of his pattern. Basically what that means is this: if he isn't
dead yet, start reading the first paragraph of this strategy again.
Abadd, Stage 3
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Throughout the majority of this final stage, you'll want to remain in Base
Wing form, as Abadd likes to use his lock-on lasers moreso than ever
before. You'll be using the same tactics as before to destroy his lock-on
capabilities: get as many locks as you can, but don't fire until you hear
the shrill ringing sound and see the green sphere around your Dragon. You
may also wanna note that a Berserk Attack from the Base Wing will work
wonders in this battle, negating Abadd's lasers and causing insane amounts
of damage. Let it go as soon as possible.
From the start of this fight, you'll want to apply the laser-destroying
tactics I mentioned above. When Abadd makes an abrupt turn, you should
change to Heavy form and start pounding on him with bio-lasers, as he's
going to take a break from his lasers for a moment. Before long, however,
he'll revert to his tactics of old, so make the switch to Base form and
continue the defensive work. Also, note that when your foe pulls right in
front of you, you'll want to veer to the right to avoid being hit by that
long tail of his.
Keep firing, intercepting his lasers, and unleash your Berserk Attack whenever
possible and the battle will be over before you know it. Congratulations, you
have just completed Panzer Dragoon Orta!
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
V ----------------------------------------------------- SUB SCENARIOS
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
Accessible from Pandora's Box, there are two different sets of Sub Scenarios:
those involving a young soldier and a variety of miscellaneous missions where
you play as either Orta's Dragon, Mobo, or an Imperial machine.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
a. Imperial Boy
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
A set of short missions centered on Iva Demilcol, a tormented young soldier in
training out to seek revenge against the "Dragon of Destruction" that murdered
his father. Since he plays rather differently then Orta and her Dragon, allow
me to begin by explaining his controls.
.-----------------.
| IVA'S CONTROLS \________________________________________________________
| ============== |
| Start Button -------------------------------------------- Pause the game |
| Left Thumbstick ----------------------------------------- Aim / Move pod |
| A Button -------------------------------------------------------- Ascend |
| B Button ----------------------------------------------- Lock-on missile |
| X Button ---------------------------------------------------- Machinegun |
| Y Button -------------------------------------------------------- Reload |
| Left Trigger ---------------------------------------- Rotate camera left |
| Right Trigger -------------------------------------- Rotate camera right |
|___________________________________________________________________________|
Now, without further adieu, the mission strategies!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Epeisodion Proto: Death of My Father
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your goal in this simple mission is to make it through an obstacle course of
sorts. At first, you'll probably want to get acquainted with controlling Iva's
pod. Thankfully, there are no enemies to worry about in this mission, so you
can concentrate solely on getting through the course.
From the start, tap the A Button periodically to maintain altitude and
carefully proceed ahead. Be aware of the pipes all over the place; colliding
even once with one will yield a game over. Aim your cursor toward the top
right portion of the screen--a gap in the wall is where you want to guide the
pod. Remember, there is no time limit of any sort, and the number of attempts
it takes you to complete this mission attributes to your final score, so take
it easy as you head through.
On the other side, carefully descend by letting go of the A Button, only
tapping it from time to time to remain airborne. Make sure you don't fall too
quickly or hit the ground, as they is equivalent to instant death. The next
gap in the wall is directly in the center, but it's also very close to the
ground. Don't tap A too rapidly, otherwise you'll fly too high and crash into
the wall, but make sure you don't get too close to the ground whilst proceeding
through.
Next, you'll want to travel to the top-left of the screen. It's a very steep
climb, so tap A quickly, but not so much that you smash into the ceiling. We
don't need no pancakes. Just through the third and final gap, you need to
descend and aim for the red and blue striped landing pad. Ideally, you'll land
right on the front and bounce into the middle. Unfortunately, this is quite
difficult to execute, so just concentrate on landing on the front portion of
the pad and you're done. Plero!
Criteria for S Rank
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Distance from the center - .30ln
Number of tries - 1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Epeisodion Duoba: Imperial Military School
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note that you've gained a few new abilities since the previous mission. Iva's
pod can now fire its machineguns using the X Button. A few seconds after the
mission has commenced, a pack of eight flying monsters will appear before you.
While tapping the A Button to maintain height, hold down X and scroll the
crosshair across them. A single shot from your machinegun will kill every foe
in this stage, so just make sure you hit everything.
Soon after you've dispatched of the aforementioned pack, a second group will
emerge from the right. Take some of them out as they fly toward your front,
then finish them off when they pause. Directly after said group disappears,
another will show up, forming a "W" shape before you. Blast through them, not
leaving a single straggler behind, by moving the targeting reticle in the same
"W" shape. Once they've been dealt with, you'll move to the second stage of
the mission.
Coming from your right, a different type of enemy that you haven't quite
encountered just yet will cross in front of Iva's pod. Blast him, then turn to
the right in anticipation of the trio of similar foes that will show up
momentarily. Once they are gone, turn so you're facing backwards. A final
group of three will appear shortly. As long as you are prepared for them, they
should go down in a snap.
Note that you need to kill at least 42 of the 56 total enemies to pass this
mission.
Criteria for S Rank
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Shot Down Ratio - 100%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Epeisodion Trine: Loneliness
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This mission bears a striking resemblance to the one directly above, only that
there's one huge difference: Iva's pod can now fire lock-on missiles. You can
take advantage of this awesome addition to your arsenal by pressing the B
Button and running the target reticle over any foes. You can lock-on to as
many as three enemies at a time, mind.
At the beginning of the mission, four monsters will sweep in front of your pod.
Lock-on to them and let your missiles do the talking. But wait! There are
four enemies, and only three locks! What to do!? Don't freak on me. Just
clear out the remaining creature with some machinegun fire. He'll go down like
a glass of cherry lemonade; nice and smooth. Don't forget to keep your
altitude by tapping A every so often.
Quickly swivel 90 degrees to the right and prepare yourself for another wave of
four monsters. Apply the same three-missile, one-machinegun tactics as before.
The next thing this mission tosses your way is a four-pack of small, almost
bat-like foes (except they're waaaay bigger than any bat I've ever seen)
accompanied by a massive monster. To surmount this hurdle, quickly lock-on to
big daddy and let loose, all the while spraying the small fries with machinegun
fire. Don't worry about their attacks--they cause minimal damage and won't
count against your score. It may take a fire separate waves of missiles to
bring down Mr. Big, but the others will go down as easy as the cherry lemonade
I referenced before.
When you reach the upper level, a group that mirrors the one you just massacred
emerges. Use the same tactics: hot lead for the Batman-wannabes, heavy
artillery for big guy. Chances are, before you completely finish them off,
the surviving monsters will charge past you, so swivel around and seal the
deal in a hurry. A trio of enemies will appear around this time, right in
front of you, so include them in your onslaught. Either missiles, if you can
spare the locks, or machinegun shots will work. Following their imminent
defeat, about ten or so foes of the same ilk will appear behind you. Turn
around and fire your missiles before clearing out the remaining guys with your
machinegun.
Criteria for S Rank
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Shot Down Ratio - 100%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Epeisodion Quate: Friends
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally a break from the mold of those first three missions. It's like a fresh
burrito! Or a breath of fresh air. Whichever you prefer. Anyhow, this
mission is something that most people would refer to as "laughably easy." Case
in point: your best buddy Stratei will yell which direction the enemy is coming
from. With that, turn in whatever direction he told you, lock-on (with the A
Button), and fire a missile.
Sometimes enemies will be hiding in the corner of the screen, where you can
barely spot them. Just look around carefully if Stratei tells you where the
enemy is located and you don't see anyone. If you still can't find them, you
probably need to ask someone else what the difference between left and right
is. Also, things get a bit hectic toward the end, what with foes attacking at
almost the same time. Just be sure to finish off your attackers in a hurry and
you're golden.
Criteria for S Rank
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Shot Down Ratio - 100%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Epeisodion Quini: Village of the Seekers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Definitely the toughest mission thus far, numero cinco still doesn't provide
too tough of a challenge. The idea is to descend in the canyon so that the
basket hanging underneath Iva's pod dips underwater. Once you've done that,
Iva will circle back around and head for the reservoir. Upon arrival, dip the
basket into the water. Repeat the steps a second time and you are done.
What's tricky about this mission, however, is that you can't so much as touch
the water in the river or the reservoir, otherwise it's game over. Ouch.
Okay, so let's start from the get-go. Iva's pod begins at the apex of a peak,
and slowly begins to crawl towards the entrance to the canyon. Gradually allow
yourself to descend onto the river, ensuring that only the basket goes
underneath. Keep the basket under until the gauge on the right side of the
screen is filled, then ascend as fast as possible to escape the massive worm
that lives in the water. If you see him emerge, pull out no matter what. Keep
in mind, though, that you absolutely need to fill your basket to the top before
you'll be able to drop it off in the reservoir. That's just the way it works,
so you may have to take two trips just to fill the basket. You'll know its
maxed out when it starts to glow.
As soon as you've filled the basket, hold down A to quickly ascend. Iva will
loop past the river a second time en route to the reservoir, giving you another
opportunity to max out the basket by dipping down. If that isn't necessary,
maintain your altitude and clear out any foes that get in the way. When you
reach the reservoir, carefully lower the pod so that only your basket goes
underwater; as with before, so much as touching the wet stuff will end the
game. Repeat these same steps a second time and you're done.
Criteria for S Rank
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Clear Time - Under 3:00 minutes
Shot Down Ratio - 100%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Epeisodion Sexi: Vengeance
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basically, this mission is a chase scene and, as such, it's imperative that you
keep up with the Dragon that you're in pursuit of. With this in mind, taking
too many hits from enemies will slow you down drastically, allowing the Dragon
to get away. Don't want that to happen. Nope. Due to this, you will want to
order your priorities: the ground-bound dinosaur-esque Didars are the most
potent (their energy blasts provide trouble in a bubble), while anything else
is just small time in comparison. Also, don't forget that you can ascend (with
the A Button, of course) to dodge these energy blasts.
From time to time, swarms of blue, winged enemies called Yarva will appear in
front of you. They can easily be blasted through with your pod's machinegun,
while the larger, flying Vont-Morli are best dealt with through the use of
lock-on missiles intermixed with gunfire. Provided that you are neck and neck
with Orta's Dragon by the end of the stage (which can be viewed via the gauge
on the right side of the screen), you'll be successful.
Criteria for S Rank
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Clear Time - Under 1:30
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Epeisodion Septua: Inescapable Fate
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This final mission can be a bit tricky, but if you know what's coming you
should get through. Begin by raising your altitude a bit to pass the first
barrier, though try not to bang your head on the ceiling, then be prepared for
an immediate drop to move beneath the second barrier. The next gap is smack in
the middle of the third barrier, accompanied by two enemies, both easily shot
down. Subsequently, the following barrier has gaps to the upper-left and
right, with the left path guarded by two additional enemies.
Another steep drop to the bottom, with several enemies vying for your attention
follows that. Shoot past the enemies, then ascend to the top-left, where a
stronger enemy will be awaiting you. Take him out with some rapid fire, then
drop to the bottom-right, all the while shooting at the three enemies who have
appeared recently.
Keep your current altitude, but turn to the left to find the next gap in the
barrier. Climb up high again and enter the next chamber, where there'll be a
landing pad, just like in the first level. Slowly proceed toward it; beware
that going too fast may result in bouncing too far and falling off the landing
pad, or you might just miss it completely. And that wouldn't be good. At all.
Successfully land on the pad to be teleported to a an alternate, yet eerily
similar location. A trio enemies will appear before you, so hastily shoot them
down with missiles and regular fire as you head for the gap in the wall. Fire
at a second pack of foes that become prevalent along the way. In this next
room, several enemies project massive green beams across the chamber. Shoot
down as many as possible to make the journey across a bit safer, but try to
keep your position stable. I've found that halfway between the ceiling and
floor is the safest place, though still not completely safe.
Carefully proceed through the room and you'll reach the final area. Destroy
any remaining foes and slowly make your way to the teleporter ahead. Land on
it just as you did the previous one and you will be finished. Lovely.
Criteria for S Rank
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Distance from the center Lv.1 - .30ln
Distance from the center Lv.2 - .30ln
Shot Down Ratio - 100%
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
b. Missions
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
In three of the five following missions, you'll play as Orta and her Dragon.
Mission 1 allows you to take control of a Hovertank Dahra, whereas the second
Mission puts you in the shoes of the Mighty Mobo.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mission 1: A Shot in the Dark
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This mission puts you in control of a Hovertank Dahra, where your goal is to
destroy the enemy anti-aircraft guns before they shoot down your Battleship
Bhout. The setting is Yelico Valley, where the first episode of Orta's game
takes place. Your Hovertank Dahra has few complications in its controls; in
fact, the only buttons you'll need to use are A and B (plus the triggers to
swivel the camera from time to time). Hold down A to fire a continuous stream
of hot lead, and tap B to reload. Simple!
Since your goal in this mission is to protect a squad of Battleship Bhout, you
need to be alert and keep your eyes out for the anti-aircraft guns that serve
as your targets. As soon as you catch sight of one of the yellow-ish guns,
immediately start unloading upon it--they go down fast, allowing you to level
quite a few in a short amount of time. Another thing to be aware of is the
enemy counter at the bottom of the screen. If you check this every so often,
you'll be able to tell when new enemies are within range. Nifty!
In this mission, you'll be ranked upon two different things come completion:
number of enemies defeated and number of squad members remaining. That means
that its important not only to defeat the anti-aircraft guns, but to do it
quickly to ensure that your squad stays alive.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mission 2: The Fury of Mobo
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
===== COMING SOON! =====
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mission 3: Enemy Attack!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
===== COMING SOON! =====
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mission 4: Quick Shooter 1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this mission, Orta and her Dragon (as a cute li'l baby!) will be confined to
a small room. Groups of four Interception Program ver 1.00 appear either in
front, behind, or to the left or right. When you notice one of these groups
(keep your eyes on the radar), quickly turn and fire at them. However, keep in
mind that, while there is a time limit, you have more than enough time to take
out the 15 required enemies. Do not rush things; ONLY fire your lasers if you
have all four targets locked-onto. To clear the stage, all that is required of
you is to destroy 15 foes. Attaining the S Rank expects you to take down quite
a few more, so you'll need to be particularly quick.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mission 5: Quick Shooter 2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Though this mission may at first seem like a carbon copy of its predecessor,
there is actually a tricky catch that makes this version of the Quick Shooter
mission much more difficult. Instead of simply turning and shooting at the
foes that appear, there are now three different types of enemies, all of whom
required the use of a different morph form to destroy. Ugh.
Okay, so there are three different types of enemies: Interception Program Ver
1.00s, Interception Program ver 2.00, and Sealance Images. The Ver 1.00s
appear arranged in a circle, and are best dealt with via the Base Wing. The
Ver 2.00 only show up one at a time, so pound away on them with the Heavy Wing.
Finally, the Sealance Images materialize in large groups, so they are best left
to the Glide Wing. Know that you'll never see the same type of enemy twice in
a row, so its safe to say that every time you swivel the camera to face a new
foe you should also switch morph forms. Keep your eyes on the radar and the
15 enemies will be down for the count before you know it.
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
VI -------------------------------------------------- DRAGON RANKINGS
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
Below, you'll find a list of all the Dragon Rankings and their requirements, in
addition a compendium of the various styles of play as determined by the game.
To check either of these, head into Pandora's Box and select "Flight Records."
There are thirty rankings in all, and I've listed them in order of easiest to
reach to hardest. Please take note that attempting to achieve the "Winged
Death" rank can cause extreme anger and occasional diarrhea*. Consider
yourself warned.
* Not pretty. Use some medication to get rid of it fast.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
a. Rankings
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
* NOTE: Thanks to silverdragon2 for contributing this list.
.---------------.
| THE RANKINGS \__________________________________________________________
| ============ |
| 30. Pigeon --------------- Less than 10% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 29. Weakling ------------ Between 10-19% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 28. Grunt --------------- Between 20-24% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 27. Rookie -------------- Between 25-29% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 26. Peevish ------------- Between 30-34% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 25. Hunter -------------- Between 35-39% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 24. Captain ------------- Between 40-44% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 23. Master -------------- Between 45-49% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 22. Hitman -------------- Between 50-54% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 21. Assassin ------------ Between 55-59% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 20. Exterminator -------- Between 60-64% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 19. Predator ------------ Between 65-69% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 18. Raider -------------- Between 70-74% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 17. Officer ------------- Between 75-79% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 16. General ------------------ 80 or 81% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 15. Defender ----------------- 82 or 83% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 14. Dominator ---------------- 84 or 85% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 13. Gladiator ---------------- 86 or 87% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 12. Destroyer ---------------- 88 or 89% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 11. Lunatic ------------------------ 90% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 10. Dragoon ------------------------ 91% Shot Down Ratio, any difficulty |
| 9. Weaponmaster -------- 92% Shot Down Ratio, Normal or Hard difficulty |
| 8. Vanguard ------------ 93% Shot Down Ratio, Normal or Hard difficulty |
| 7. Sniper -------------- 94% Shot Down Ratio, Normal or Hard difficulty |
| 6. Dragoon Warrior ----- 95% Shot Down Ratio, Normal or Hard difficulty |
| 5. Panzer Leader ------- 96% Shot Down Ratio, Normal or Hard difficulty |
| 4. Dragoon Master ----- 97% Shot Down Ratio, must be on Hard difficulty |
| 3. Perfectionist ------ 98% Shot Down Ratio, must be on Hard difficulty |
| 2. Dragoon Lord ------- 99% Shot Down Ratio, must be on Hard difficulty |
| 1. Winged Death ------ 100% Shot Down Ratio, must be on Hard difficulty |
|___________________________________________________________________________|
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
b. Play Styles
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Play Styles, which can be viewed under "Flight Records", are specific
categories that the game chooses for you depending on how you play the game.
All-Arounder
=~~~~~~~~~~~~=
As a player who takes advantage of all three morph forms--Base, Heavy, and
Glide--and uses the three equally you would be categorized as an
"All-Arounder."
Berserker
=~~~~~~~~~=
If you often use a Berserk Attack to clear out large amounts of enemies in
one go, chances are that you'll be named a "Berserker."
Gunner
=~~~~~~=
Pretty much the opposite of the Berserker. Instead of wiping out massive
packs of foes with Berserk attacks, you rely on your lasers instead to
seal the deal. Thanks to Daniel Hoffman for bringing this style to my
attention.
Seeker
=~~~~~~=
Relying heavily on your lock-on lasers to deal with your foes makes you a
"Seeker." Many thanks to Cham for informing me about this style.
Specialist
=~~~~~~~~~~=
A player who relies moreso on the Heavy Wing and Glide Wing than the Base
form is a "Specialist."
Undead
=~~~~~~=
Someone who uses a dies often and uses many continues is dubbed "Undead."
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
VII -------------------------------------------------------- BESTIARY
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
Within this section, you'll find in-depth information pertaining to both the
normal enemies found all over the game as well as the bosses who dominate each
episode.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
a. Common Enemies
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Below you'll find a vast menagerie of enemies. Descriptions include what a foe
looks like and usually where it can be found.
Abadd's Mare
=~~~~~~~~~~~~=
This beast is seen throughout Episode 6, though you don't actually get a
chance to beat it down. Even so, its a clean white Dragonmare with a long,
whip-like tail useful for whacking things.
Airship Kartha
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Small, flat planes with gray siding sandwiching a black central unit.
There is also a long red flag that trails behind the plane.
Airship Kartha Prototype
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
These planes have the same look of the Airship Kartha described above. The
only difference between the two is that this prototype version has a green
flag hanging off the back, as opposed to a red one.
Airship Vahra
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
This Imperial plane has the same body shape as the commonly-encountered
Battleship Bhout, except that there are two of them. In addition to that,
there is a control unit where a lone pilot can control the ship, and a gold
"half-sun"-shaped design on the front.
Artificial Sun
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
True to its name, the Artificial Sun is golden in color. It is a ground-
based vehicle, with a blue "eye" hidden in the middle of several gold
plates sticking out from the side. They illuminate the area of Episode 8
that is filled with unhatched Dragonmare embryos.
Assault Carrier Vermana
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
The boss of the Episode 1, this Imperial battleship returns as a sub-boss
in Episode 8. It's a pretty standard looking ship; gray-black armoring
and platforms are built around a light gray core. Red flags hang off the
sides and there is a tall unit on it's right side.
Assault Hovership Taishak
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
You encounter these heavy battleships in Episode 4. They are mostly gray,
with a large fin-shaped extension below the hull. Taishaks can take a lot
of damage before bailing out, so they're best left to your Heavy Wing's
powerful bio-lasers.
Atish
=~~~~~=
As Episode 6's friendly neighborhood sub boss, Atish is a mechanical-
looking beast of prey. It has eight appendages protruding from its head,
four of which can fire missiles. It also has a long, flowing tail that
trails behind it, and a deadly laser system that is rarely used.
Battleship Bhout
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
You'll actually get to take control of one of these should you play through
all of Iva's missions. They are pretty much your standard Imperial planes,
encountering during the first episode. Their wings are marked with red
flags, and they have long, slightly curved gray tails.
Baturn
=~~~~~~=
Found on a plateau in the Altered Genos stage, Baturn are ground-bound
monsters with two legs and long, elephant-like tusks on their head. Color-
wise, Baturn are brown, with black legs and tail. They also have a blue,
fin-like item on their heads.
Carrier Bhout
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
These aeroplanes look quite similar to the normal Battleship Bhout. The
only noticeable difference is that these guys have green flags instead of
red ones, and their tail is predominantly black, instead of gray.
Carrier Nayak
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Basically the same thing as your average Nayak, only this guy doesn't have
the horn and it has an overall cleaner look to it.
Carrier Sealance
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
These fellers have the same basic design as the normal Sealances, but have
a red tint as opposed to it's brother's blue one.
Carrier Seba
=~~~~~~~~~~~~=
The only physical difference between Carrier Seba and the standard Seba is
that carriers have blue plates and a whitish tail, as opposed to white
armor and a red tail.
Carrier Yarva
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
While fundamentally similar to normal Yarva, Carriers tend to be much
larger and are red in color, as opposed to blue. They often lead packs of
regular Yarva.
Catharp
=~~~~~~~=
Ah, the good ol' boss from Episode 3. It looks somewhat like a skeleton,
only with spots of black. It has four legs, as well as a circular ring
on it's pelvis and a much bigger one on it's back.
Central Data Unit Ofnir
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
I like to think of this guy as a digital version of the Yondo-Worm you
encountered in Episode 2. Anyway, you'll meet with this digital digger
during Episode 7 in a sub-boss battle. Its got several segments, and is
gold in color, with six tentacles extending from the head.
Ceremonial Turrets
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
These turrets, which have three separate guns each, poke out of the massive
ship found in part two of the fourth episode.
Churmachum
=~~~~~~~~~~=
These massive monsters have gray armored plates covering their head and
eight lengthy, flowing tentacles in back. They can take a lot of damage
before going down, but only show up one at a time, meaning you can easily
deal with them via the Heavy Wing. Catch up with them in Episode 3.
Churook
=~~~~~~~=
Encountered throughout Episode 6, a Churook is a small gray enemy with blue
veins all over its body. It can travel as a small blue shadow, and cannot
be damaged in that form.
Coolia
=~~~~~~=
Tiny ground-based animals, Coolia are a brown color, with brown saddles
strapped to their backs.
Crane
=~~~~~=
Its... y'know... a crane. Like, for lifting and stuff. Not much to
explain, right?
Degla
=~~~~~=
Seen all throughout the sixth Episode, Degla are gray creatures with two
lobster-like claws or pincers. They can travel very fast, and can leave
tall laser columns in their wake.
Didar
=~~~~~=
Not unlike certain dinosaur species in appearance, the Didar runs along the
ground below you with two legs. It has a small pointed head, as well as
a short tail. It is mostly gray in color, though it's tail is blue, and
what appears to be a tuft of brown hair can be found on the back.
Diodopure Lv1
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
The best way to describe this interesting creature would be to call it a
blue jungle gym with four huge green slugs crawling all over it. Okay, so
that was a horrible explanation of it's appearance. There's also a yellow
eyeball of sorts in the center. Meet up with it in Episode 7.
Diodopure Lv2
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
The same basic design as the above foe, but with different colors. The
main "jungle gym" part is now purple and black, where as the slugs and
eyeball are red. Like its little brother above, the Lv2 is encountered in
Episode 7.
Dragonmare
=~~~~~~~~~~=
Seen in the first, fourth, and ninth Episodes, these bad boys are gigantic
red dragons. Their wings have a pinkish tinge to them, and their tails
dangle behind them rather far.
Els-Enora
=~~~~~~~~~=
The boss from Eternal Glacies (Episode 5), Els-Enora is a massive white
creature. Extending from its head are six wings, each smaller in size,
as well as a tail. It's most susceptible from below, though it can fire
deadly blobs of pink goo at anyone who attacks from there.
Erkist
=~~~~~~=
An Erkist, or "snowshark" as I like to call them, is a foe that burrows
beneath the snow and leaps out to attack. It has two fins to either side
of its head, and a large tail that serves as a propeller of sorts. Also,
there is a small horn on the face. Find them in Episode 5: Eternal
Glacies. Nailing it with homing lasers is tough since you can't target
them until they emerge, and at that point they are too close. Just wait
for an Erkist to jump out of the snow, then blast it with manual gunfire.
Floating Mine Mardai
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
These are more or less kamikaze pilots. A Mardai looks like a flying
cylinder, with a few spikes on the side and a single pilot standing inside.
Avoid them like the plague. They appear in Episode 4 and try to ram you,
multiple Mardai at a time. Additionally, they make appearances throughout
Episode 8.
Gat-War & Kot-War
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
These foes, who always appear in groups of three (two blue foes and one red
guy), are connected to each other by chains of electricity. The two blue
enemies are impervious to any attacks you might try, but destroying the
lone red one will kill all three. Good deal! Catch up with these guys in
Episode 6.
Goleg
=~~~~~=
Seen predominantly in Episode 2 (although they also make an appearance in
one of Iva's sub scenarios), a Goleg is a large plant extending from the
wall of a canyon. It has a green stem connecting it to the wall, with
five orange tentacles protruding from it's front. There is also a purple
and green bulb in the front. It can fire nasty bolts of energy, so be
careful around them.
Guardian
=~~~~~~~~=
One of the bosses met in Episode 4, Guardian is a large stone statue with
two distinguishable arms, a head, and several lumps that could very easily
be misconstrued as "boobies." It's protected by an anti-laser system that
must deactivated before any direct damage can be caused.
Homing Airship Ajati
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
These stationary units are encountered several times in Episode 4. They
are very large, square-shaped ships with cannons on each corner, and semi-
triangular protuberances poking out of the bottom.
Hovertank Dahra
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
These weapons are often found planted on the ground. They mostly black,
with a single cannon on the frontside and a small platform for the operator
to stand.
Ikrakav
=~~~~~~~=
As the boss in Episode 2, Ikrakav resembles a giant floating cage, with six
purplish bulbs hanging from the bottom. Attacking it from the front is
futile, so you'll need to swing back behind it and aim for the flower
confined within the "cage."
Imperial Defense Unit Bacharsuha
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
As the boss of Episode 8, the Bacharsuha is an absolutely massive machine
with a single purpose: destruction. It has two arms hanging off the main
body which can be used to "punch" any nearby foes (e.g., you), and it can
fire a deadly laser beams from its "head."
Imperial Family Hovertank Dahra
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
This Imperial version of the Hovertank Dahra has the same design as the
regular type. You'll find the only difference is that this one is paved in
gold, instead of covered in black metal.
Interception Program ver. 1.00
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
These computerized enemies consist of a central globe with three arms
extended out in every which way. At the edge of each arm is a gold hand-
like protuberance.
Interception Program ver. 1.50
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Think Interception Program ver. 1.00, only with more of a blue glow.
Interception Program ver. 2.00
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Take two of the above enemies and slap them together. Now you've got the
Interception Program ver. 2.00! Despite it's gold head and hands, it also
has greenish arms and an eye in the center of the central globe.
Interception Program ver. 2.60
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Again, same thing as above, except with more of a blue color. There is
another anomaly here, though: there is noticeably more space between the
eye and the two head parts.
Kurbek
=~~~~~~=
An interesting looking foe, to say the least. It has a gray "head", along
with several gold protrusions along its backside.
Kuru
=~~~~=
If you look at them right, these guys look almost like an oyster. Anyway,
it consists of a small gray body with two large, leaf-shaped appendages
enclosing a thin needle on the head. They can be found in Episode 3, while
exploring the canyon area after defeating the sub boss.
Madidar
=~~~~~~~=
A relative of the Didar, the resemblance between the two is evident in the
body shape and movement. Really, the only difference is that this type is
a dark purple color.
Mare-embryo
=~~~~~~~~~~~=
This is a half-developed Dragonmare. It has a shorter tail than the normal
flavor, and isn't nearly as potent. Even so, they can blast fiery
projectiles in groups of four. These dragons can be located at the
beginning of Episode 9.
Missile Launcher
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
These are found on the walls of the massive ship in the second part of
Episode 4, always in mass groups. They tend to unleash huge salvos of
missiles all at once, causing a whole bucket of trouble.
Morli
=~~~~~=
A Morli mirrors a stingray in appearance, albeit with a few changes here
and there. For one thing, they fly instead of swimming. Also, their eyes
are attached to their head only by thin, almost tentacle-like strands. In
back, there are six waving tentacles, as well as a much thicker tail.
Morli come in a pale green color.
Nayak
=~~~~~=
These foes, seen throughout Episode 6, have two gray arms, each with three
blue "fingers." They also have a gray ring of sorts on their back, as well
as a long horn extending from its head.
Patrol Airship Vayu
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
An upright battlestation, Patrol Airship Vayu have a gray base, with a
black and brown platform above. There is also a gray column at the very
top, which has a star-shaped piece with unreadable writing on it. They
guard the Dragonmare Embryos in Episode 8.
Peela
=~~~~~=
Peela are flat gray creatures with eight small limbs sticking out from its
body, four on each side. Its tail forms a triangular shape, as does the
head.
Pod
=~~~=
This is the vehicle Iva uses in each and every one of his missions.
Pump
=~~~~=
A very large pump, with a rusty red colored pipeline running from its gray
base.
Purnam
=~~~~~~=
You'll encounter these butterfly-esque foes in Episode 2. They can be
distinguished by their bright, multicolor wings attached to a small, gray
body. The rear side of the Purnam's wings is the same color as it's body.
Pussa Bubo
=~~~~~~~~~~=
These golden foes are a shimmering gold in color, and use their massive
size as a weapon. They have four tentacles atop their "heads", and can
leap rather large distances. See them in Episode 5.
Ramjanaki
=~~~~~~~~~=
This foe can easily be distinguished by its large head that resembles a
flower. In order to damage them, you need to either accelerate or slow
down to gain access to their susceptible backside.
Remote Missiles
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
These heavy missiles are used by the Assault Carrier Vermana, the boss in
Episodes 1 and 8. You can either destroy it with Glide Wing fire or evade
it by speeding up.
Rokpur
=~~~~~~=
The body structure of this creature is actually very similar to that of a
small lizard, only with wings in place of the four legs. Their body is
light orange in color, with red stripes on the wings and tail.
Sealance Image
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Silver and blue in color, these guys look similar to a bird, only with a
third wing extending from the bottom of the head. Introduce them to your
lasers in Episode 7.
Seba
=~~~~=
These heavily-armored foes are black and white, with a red tail used for
movement in back. They feature plates of armor on both sides of the head,
as well as a third plate that stretches back behind the head.
Seeker Anti-Aircraft Cannons
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
These ground-based weapons are bronze-red in color and feature a small
platform in back where the operator is meant to stand.
Seeker Search Light
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
These devices pose no danger to you and your Dragon. Rather, all they do
is shine a light into the sky.
Sham
=~~~~=
These creatures have two fluttering wings and are shaped like a crescent,
or half-moon. They are gray in color, and have a pointed, almost bee-like
stinger on their bottom half.
Shielded Warship Shaiha
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Found in the second part of Episode 4, these enemies are cubicle ships that
can only be damaged from behind. The circular shields on their front
devours all attacks, so boost past to destroy them.
Tamtiti
=~~~~~~~=
These small segmented worms have gold bodies that get wider near the tail.
There are two small horns on the head, and a similar pincer on its rear
side.
Transport Tank Emden
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
This is an Imperial train, always seen with several cars hanging off its
backside, that can be encountered at the beginning of Episode 8. A few
blasts from the Heavy Wing will do it in right nice, and its only mean of
defense is through the basic missiles you'll encounter all throughout the
game.
Urimasan
=~~~~~~~~=
These foes pop up out of the ice to attack. They have a long purple and
silver neck, with three tentacles on either side. Its head is the same
color, with two "arms" extending outward. Also, there is a third "arm"
protruding from the back of the head. Say hi to them in Episode 5,
particularly if you take the Path B.
Vont-Morli
=~~~~~~~~~~=
Yet another member of the Morli species, this flavor are lighter and more
yellow in color than it's brothers.
Wormriders
=~~~~~~~~~~=
This is Mobo and his buddies. You'll get to kick their asses in one of
Iva's missions.
Yarva
=~~~~~=
I like to think of these guys as enlarged bats, although they really don't
look anything like creatures of the night. Anyhoo, they have two pairs of
wings connected to a narrow body. Predominantly, Yarva are blue in color,
though they have flecks of purple in them, as well.
Yarva-Raum
=~~~~~~~~~~=
Another relative of the Yarva, these guys have the same body shape, but
different coloring. Identify a Raum by looking for the red body and blue/
white wings.
Yondo-Morli
=~~~~~~~~~~~=
Almost a mirror image of the typical Morli, Yondos only differ in that they
are significantly larger.
Yondo-Worm
=~~~~~~~~~~=
This is the sub-boss encountered in Episode 2, and also the massive worm
that causes trouble in one of Iva's stages. Basically, it's a giant
segmented worm with claws and an orange tongue at the head.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
b. Bosses
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Yes, that's right. This section, right here, the one that your eyes are
focused upon at this very moment will teach you everything necessary to know
before trying to take down those oh-so tricky bosses.
Assault Carrier Vermana (Episode 1)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
At the start of this battle, you will be hovering in front of the ship.
Aboard the deck, there are four Hovertank Dahra. Using the Heavy Wing
form, destroy each Dahra, one at a time. They'll periodically fire a
barrage of missiles your way, so briefly morph into Glide form to shoot
them down, then switch back and continue the assault. Also, take note that
your attacks aren't doing any direct damage to the ship. Because of this,
you will want to conserve a Berserk Attack for later, if you have one.
Once all four Dahra have been destroyed, the Dragon will sweep across the
ship and duck behind it. Still in Heavy Wing form, fire at the three
cylindrical canisters inside the extension of the ship, the concentrate
your attacks to the left of there, on the airship shutters (the part right
above the red flags). Watch out for a group of Battleship Bhout that will
squeeze out and shoot them down before returning your fire to Vermana.
With that destroyed, you'll move around to the ship's front, where you can
target either the hull or two cannons on either side.
The best course of action here, I think, is to aim for the hull (the large
gray part in the middle). Now is the picture perfect place to unload a
Berserk Attack, so hopefully you've been saving up. The Base Wing's is
the most effective Berserk for this particular battle, by the by. From
time to time, the cannons sandwiching the hull will fire a salvo of
projectiles your way, so morph into Glide form and shoot them down. Once
they've been dealt with, return to the Heavy Wing and continue the assault.
Not long after, you will swing around to Vermana's side, so keep firing
until you see five large canisters--homing missiles--appear on the far side
of the ship. There are two ways to avoid these: either shoot them down in
Glide Wing form or accelerate out of the way, also in Glide Wing form.
Both methods are effective, although I tend to prefer the former. If you
aren't quick enough to destroy all five missiles, you can always glide out
of the way of the last one or two. Either way, use the Heavy Wing to blast
anything you can lock-on to.
Before long, you'll circle back around to Vermana's front. You should also
have another Berserk Attack ready by now, so have the Base Wing let loose.
This should bring Vermana within destruction's vicinity, so finish it off
with fire from the Heavy Wing.
Sub boss: Yondo-Worms (Episode 2)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
That's right, you're fighting not one but two, count 'em, two Yondo-Worms!
"Uh-oh!" is right! Start off by peppering them with the Heavy Wing's oh-so
mighty bio-lasers. Every so often your foes will blast you with some
nasty green energy balls, which can easily be shot down utilizing Orta's
handgun. If ever the worms get too close and it looks they're gonna crash
into you, make a quick switch to the Glide Wing and accelerate out of there
and into safety. Conserve any Berserk Attacks you may have; they'll prove
more useful in a few.
When the worms try to cross in front of you, turn around so that you are
facing frontwards and get ready to shoot down the imminent acid balls with
the Glide Wing. After that they'll submerge themselves and return to their
position behind you. When they reappear, blast them with the Base Wing's
Berserk Attack (if available) or homing lasers from the Heavy Wing. They
will return to their previous pattern for a bit, just before charging ahead
of you a second time.
Following that, the worms will split up and move to the side of you.
There's no way to damage them at this point, so wait for them to come out
of hiding (be sure to slow down when one cuts right in front of you to
avoid damage). Before long, they'll return to their original position
directly behind you, giving you a chance to deliver the finishing blow.
Ikrakav (Episode 2)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
First of all, it's impossible to cause any damage to Ikrakav from your
initial position, so change to the Glide Wing and slow down twice to find
yourself behind this beast. Inside the "cage" is a flower--that is your
target. Go apeshit on it with bio-lasers from your Heavy Wing, but save
any Berserk Attacks you may have for a bit. At this point, Ikrakav has no
way to attack you, so don't worry about that.
When it reaches about 3/4 health, Ikrakav will rise out of the water,
exposing a variety of purple bulbs below the cage portion. Continue to
barrage the flower with Heavy lasers, but wait a bit before using your
Berserk Attack. After it turns around, use the Glide Wing to accelerate
twice back around to the opposite side, giving you a clear shot at the
flower again. Now's your chance to hit it hard with a Berserk move. I
recommend the Heavy Wing's; it's the most powerful move in the game, and
you just need to focus your attention on the flower, as opposed to a wide
area.
You may notice that the purple bulbs beneath Ikrakav are beginning to swell
up. When that happens, pepper it with manual gunfire until it returns to
normal size; if it gets too big, it'll burst, unleashing a myriad of acid
balls, often times too many to shot down in one go. Also, this enemy will
turn around again, meaning you must use the Glide Wing to get in position
behind it again. Continue battering the flower, only pausing to shoot at
the bulbs every so often and this battle will end before you know it.
Sub boss: Mobo & Pals (Episode 3)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
This group of four Wormriding foes will drop in from above, then circle to
the left. Go to town on them with bio-lasers from the ever-so trusty
Heavy Wing, constantly rotating the camera to keep a lock on the enemy.
Before long, Mobo will announce that he's gonna use a smoke bomb (don't you
just love it when the enemy tells you what they are going to do?). Keep
firing until the Wormriders charge straight for you, at which point I
recommend morphing into the Glide form to dispel this threat--six missiles.
At this point, Mobo will lead his buddies in a circle around you, then
charge a second time, leaving behind six more smoke bombs along the way.
Continue the assault with your Heavy Wing, unleashing a Berserk Attack if
available (the Base Wing's is the most effective in this situation). Soon
enough, the crew will pause in front of you and release a salvo of purple
energy balls. While gunfire from Orta's manual weapon will do just fine
here, the Glide Wing's lasers are more of a sure bet, so use those if you
aren't confident in your ability.
After this, revert to the Heavy Wing and keep blasting Mobo and co. as they
continuously circle around you. If you can't seal the deal quickly, they
will regroup and launch two more rounds of smoke bombs your way, so be
careful of that. Once you've depleted his Life Gauge, Mobo will cease and
desist, realizing that Orta is no Imperial Soldier.
Catharp (Episode 3)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
As the fight begins, you will be positioned in front of Catharp, a large
skeleton-type enemy. Switch to Heavy Wing form and aim for the small round
disc on it's "head." Once you've destroyed it, Catharp will lead over you,
so morph to Glide form and accelerate a couple of times to regain your
previous position. Once there, pepper it with Heavy Wing lasers, pausing
every so often to destroy Catharp's green projectiles with manual gunfire.
From there, continue the same pattern--accelerating when needed--until a
cutscene introduces the second stage of this battle.
When his armor breaks off, Catharp will race ahead, leaving your sight for
a few moments. As you catch up to him, accelerate to his frontside and
continue the barrage on his head. This time when he jumps, however, you
will want to accelerate ahead, otherwise he'll land on top of you. Not
good. Anyhoo, attack the head whenever you can, and Catharp will soon race
off again. When his head is open again, you will want to blast it with
either Heavy Wing bio-lasers or a Berserk Attack to finish off this
problematic battle!
Guardian Statue (Episode 4)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
From the beginning, switch to Heavy Wing form and pound the highlighted
area in the statue's chest. Before long, it'll raise its arms and prepare
to blast you with a nasty laser attack. At this point, change to the Glide
form and duck out of the way, accelerating if necessary. If you can avoid
the laser without boosting, quickly switch to the Heavy Wing between laser
blasts and shoot a bit before ducking out of the way again. If not, just
wait until he stops firing, then slow down and continue the onslaught.
Soon enough, the statue will lower its left arm (although from your
perspective its the right arm). Get in a few last minute lasers blasts
before dashing out of harm's way in Glide form. When the boulders he's
firing from his arm cease, move back into position and revert to the Heavy
Wing. Again, target the highlighted circle in the statue's chest, boosting
twice in Glide Wing form once he punches at you.
At this point, the Guardian Statue will activate it's anti-laser system;
the circular target on its chest will disappear completely! In this
current state, damaging the statue is impossible. Granted that you
accelerated twice before, you should now be hovering above the statue. As
the Base Wing, target the rotating circles along the base of the Guardian.
Once they've all been destroyed, you are free to return to the statue's
front. However, be on the look out for incoming missiles, and shoot them
down with manual gunfire.
With the anti-laser system out of the picture, slow down twice as the Glide
Wing. Switch back to Heavy Wing form and toss everything you've got at the
highlighted circle on the statue's chest, which has returned to view now.
A single Berserk Attack should be enough to finish off this behemoth of a
foe.
Dragonmare Squadron (Episode 4)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
At first, this pack of draconic beasts will swoop in behind you, so turn
'round and let loose with shots from the Heavy Wing. Shortly after first
appearing, the Dragonmares will fire a round of burning projectiles your
way. Although shooting them down with Orta's manual gun is indeed
possible, switching to the Glide Wing to destroy them is far easier and
much more feasible. Following this, the 'mares will dive below you and
unleash another salvo of projectiles. Shoot them down quickly, getting in
some hits of your own in between.
From this point onward, the Dragonmares will move to various locations
around you, always stopping to fire flame missiles when they've got the
chance. Be sure to shoot these down in Glide Wing form, but don't forget
to fire upon the 'mares yourself. Now would also be a perfect time to let
fly with a Berserk Attack, preferably from either the Base or Heavy Wing.
After several missiles firings, the pack will group together behind you,
preparing for a devastating ram attack. Switch to the Glide Wing as soon
as they do this, and accelerate the moment you hear them screech. If done
properly, you'll dodge their ramming maneuver.
Now, they'll cross to your front side and bombard you with still more
missiles. Have your Glide form ready to blast them down. Soon after, the
'mares will lead you into a gauntlet of sorts; an upward climb through a
field of flaming projectiles. While blowing right through them with Glide
Wing lasers works, boosting through works even better, so do that instead.
Following this, the Dragonmares will fly ahead of you, firing wisps of
razor-sharp air your way. Remain in Glide form to maneuver around these
deadly blasts, holding down the fire button the whole time to cause some
damage as you dodge.
Once they've finished with the blasts of air, the dragons will split up,
each flying right in front of you, leaving a trail of black air behind
them. Know that colliding with either the 'mare or the trail left behind
will cause damage, so use the Glide Wing to avoid both of the
aforementioned. As with before, you will want to keep the A Button held
down, as it's likely to cause at least some damage during this time.
With that final bullet dodged, the Dragonmares will regroup and return to
their original plan of attack. Basically, that means they'll start the
pattern all over again, starting with the fiery projectiles. Use this time
to cut down their Life Gauge with some Heavy Wing lasers, and perhaps even
a Berserk Attack if applicable.
Els-Enora (Episode 5)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
During this first stage of the battle, all you can really do is pound
Els-Enora with homing lasers. Immediately begin the laser-blasting process
as soon as this beast appears to the left of the bridge, and only cease
when your foe ducks out of view or blasts some green projectiles your way.
In the case of the latter, all you really need to do is shoot out the
middle projectile with manual gunfire; the others will miss you anyway.
Note that this only applies when he fires three missiles at a time--later
on when Els-Enora fires four or more at a time you'll need to shoot them
all down.
Once you've brought Els-Enora down to about 2/3 health, it will destroy a
portion of the bridge, forcing the Dragon to take to the skies again. At
this point, all three morph forms will be at your disposal once more, along
with their respective Berserk Attacks. Very nice. Begin by peppering Els-
Enora with bio-lasers from the Heavy Wing, making sure you use manual fire
to block the incoming projectiles.
When it seems as though all the targets have disappeared, switch to Glide
Wing form and accelerate ahead to position yourself beneath one of the
beast's wings. Use the Base Wing to quickly fire some homing lasers at
the four targets under the wing, then use manual fire to dispel the pink
energy blobs fired at you, then return your focus to blasting the wings
with lasers. When Els-Enora slows down and you go flying ahead of it,
quickly decelerate to pull underneath it's other wing. Use the same steps
as you did with the first wing. Now would also be a terrific time to use a
Berserk Attack, if at all possible.
At this point, Els-Enora will charge straight ahead, performing a strange
spinning move as it goes. Soon enough, it will release a myriad of white
feather that cause damage should you collide with one. To prevent this,
shoot through them in Glide Wing form, and accelerate forward if necessary.
Next, it will return to its original pattern, allowing you to boost under
its wings again and continue the assault. Keep this up and Els-Enora will
begin to spasm, causing damage to itself and releasing a volley of green
projectiles. Shoot these down to cause even more damage to the creature,
and the battle will end within mere moments.
Sub boss: Atish (Episode 6)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
As this confrontation begins, you'll be diving through a narrow tunnel with
Atish, a robotic foe of some sort, in hot pursuit. Start off by switching
to Heavy Wing form and hammering this enemy with bio-lasers. When you see
a small missile appear at any one of Atish's four corners, immediately
morph into Glide form to shoot it down; not only will this eliminate any
danger, but it will also cause some damage to Atish. Nice!
Following the destruction of all eight missiles (two from each corner),
revert to Heavy form and keep firing until you exit the tunnel and enter a
large, open chamber. At this point, quickly switch to the Glide Wing and
accelerate to avoid a ramming attack from Atish. After that, you'll enter
a second tunnel, where Atish will resume its pattern, starting with more
missiles. Don't hesitate to unleash the Heavy Wing's Berserk Attack the
moment it's available; using it will end the battle significantly quicker.
One last thing to note is that Atish's missiles now move noticeably
faster, so you'll want to shoot them down ASAP.
Sub boss: Diodopure Lv1 (Episode 7)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
For this battle, you'll want to use the Glide Wing to dole out some major
damage. Thanks in no small part to a massive laser beam that the Diodopure
can (and will) fire all the time, you'll need the Glide forms
maneuverability. Anyway, hold down the fire button to keep a continuous
stream of fire headed toward the blue object constantly moving across the
Diodopure.
Now then, as for the Diodopure's laser--it can be evaded, and quite easily
at that. Basically, the laser can only move up or sideways from where it
was last fired, meaning that if you position yourself diagonally across
from the beam it won't be able to hit you. Very nice.
Once the first Life Gauge has been depleted, you'll destroy the Diodopure's
outer barrier and disable its laser. At this point, switch to Heavy form
and start pounding what remains of the Diodopure, all the while dodging its
blue lasers. After a short while, you'll destroy the thing, and receive a
Gene Base as a reward. Sweet!
Sub boss: Central Data Unit Ofnir (Episode 7)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Your foe here is a giant robotic worm, reminiscent of the Yondo-Worms seen
in the second episode. Note that this enemy cannot be damaged when its
body is completely white; you must wait until the actual worm becomes
visible. From the start, following Ofnir's various movements as he heads
behind you before becoming visible. Be ready to unleash some Heavy Wing
lasers as soon as possible. He'll only be vulnerable for a few seconds, so
make good use of what precious little time you have.
When Ofnir moves in front of you, swivel to face it and continue blasting
without relent. After but a few seconds in front of you, Ofnir moves to
your back, only to execute a nasty ramming attack. Accelerate out of
harm's way in Glide form. It will circle around before coming back for a
second attempt to crash into you; apply the same tactics as before and you
will be golden.
From here on, Ofnir will fly far ahead of you and fire a series of green
projectiles back toward you. Shoot down any incoming missiles with Orta's
manual gun, but don't bother with the ones that will obviously miss their
intended mark (you). Subsequent to a small turn from Ofnir, you should see
a ring off in the distance. Destroy this at all costs! I cannot stress
how important it is that you eliminate this ring; if Ofnir flies through it,
it will regain ALL of its health, forcing you to more or less restart the
battle. Keep firing upon this worm and he'll bite the dust soon.
Sub boss: Diodopure Lv2 (Episode 7)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
A perfect mirror of the earlier fight with Diodopure Lv1, apply the same
tactics here to score a win. At first, blast away in Glide Wing form while
dodging the laser cannon (which still cannot move diagonally). Once you've
depleted Lv2's first Life Gauge, switch to the Heavy Wing and slam it with
repeated lasers to end the fight. Easy!
Abadd (Episode 7)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
This battle begins with you facing backwards, your massive adversary right
in front of you. Send him some good will with the Heavy Wing and he'll
zip ahead of you; swing 'round frontside to face him. From this position
Abadd will start firing white beams at you, so veer to the side (in Glide
Wing form if need be) to evade them, returning fire of your own the whole
time.
Following this, Abadd pulls up right next to you, pausing for a moment
before smashing you with his mighty fist. Do yourself a favor and dash out
of the way as the Glide Wing. Pound on him for a while longer, then go
back to the trusty Glide form to avoid another round of nasty white beams.
He'll pull up next to you a second time, again preparing to whack you with
his mighty fist of doom. Be sure to accelerate out of harm's way, eh?
Now, Abadd will move in front of you, revealing a weak spot on his back
(indicated by a handy flashing cursor). Aim for that point with your Heavy
Wing. When he turns to face you and starts charging up an attack, boost
twice to get ahead of him, at which point you can continue your assault.
However, when he leans his head back you'll want to decelerate to escape
any possible danger from laser fire. Accelerate back to the front once he
stops firing.
Eventually, (when he's got less than half his Life Gauge remaining) Abadd
will shift behind you before lunging ahead to grab a triangle of small
stones that have appeared in front. He'll then drop behind you again; be
sure to keep him in plain sight. Soon enough, Abadd will send the three
stones ahead, and they'll form odd shapes before blasting lasers at you.
Use the Glide Wing to veer away from the blasts. Following about six or
seven rounds of lasers, the stones will disappear, so take this opportunity
to hammer Abadd with everything you've got (Heavy Wing lasers or Berserk
Attacks, if applicable).
From here on in, Abadd will repeat this process until either he kills you
or you defeat him. Fortunately, the lasers shot out from Abadd's stones
are insanely easy to avoid, so finishing off this battle shouldn't prove
too difficult a task.
Sub boss: Assault Carrier Vermana REVIVED (Episode 8)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Remember this not-so-friendly airship from the very first level? Well, its
back, albeit in a slightly less-maneuverable form. As you pass beneath it,
let loose a few blasts in Heavy Wing form, then change your target to the
multiple sets of Hovertank Dahra on the deck as they enter view. Be sure
to shoot down their missiles as soon as they are fired, since they'll be
too overwhelming if you wait even a moment too long.
Before long, you'll travel to the far side of Vermana, where two cannon
platforms are positioned far below you. Fire away at them, stopping every
so often to dispel the fired missiles with manual gunfire or via the Glide
Wing's rapidfire capabilities. From here, you'll move to Vermana's side,
prompting it to release several remote missiles. Just like the first time
you did battle with this battleship, you can either accelerate out of the
way or shoot them down as the Glide Wing. Whichever floats your boat.
At this point, you'll return to the side of the ship with all the Hovertank
Dahra and the battle will re-begin from the start. Keep up the same
strategy, constantly blasting the ship with bio-lasers whenever you're open
and the battle will soon come to an end.
Imperial Defense Unit Bacharsuha (Episode 8)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Right off the bat, change to the Heavy Wing and start pounding the
indicated target on the Bacharsuha's center. When you see the right arm
(the one on your left) coming toward you, quickly duck down to avoid
getting whacked; hold down for a few moments until the left arm (on your
right) passed by, as well. Fire off a few more rounds of lasers before
switching to Glide form to shoot down the incoming missiles fired by the
Bacharsuha.
Now, the massive battleship will turn around completely, so that its back
faces you. Take this opportunity to destroy the two arms with blasts from
your Heavy Wing. After making short work of those, accelerate twice in
Glide form to take up your original position in front of the Bacharsuha
again. Take down any missiles on the way while still in the form of the
Glide Wing, then regress to the Heavy form and keep hammering the cursor-
marked area of your foe.
Once again, it will turn around 180 degrees, so slow down two times to
catch up with it. Deliver some steady blows to the ship (now wouldn't be
a bad time to fire a Berserk), and it will restore its two arms. Repeated
its steps from the beginning of this battle, the Bacharsuha will swing its
two appendages at you, first left (your left, that is) then right. Drive
downward hard to evade this. Just a few more laser blasts and you'll enter
stage two of this fight.
Quickly jump into the Glide Wing form, as you'll need a highly maneuverable
dragon to dodge this next bullet. As the various arms now surrounding your
enemy charge up beams of blue electricity, you will need to dodge under or
over each beam. Generally, all you need to do is rhythmically move the
thumbstick up then down then up and back again. Once you get the timing
down its a snap. Be sure to hold down A while doing this to fire at
anything you can and cause a bit of extra damage.
When the arms stop, quickly target them in Heavy Wing form and destroy them
all. Make sure you watch out for an incoming salvo of missiles from above,
however, otherwise you may be left feeling ambushed. Either way, once the
missiles have all been destroyed/have detonated upon you, the Bacharsuha
will begin to climb upwardly. During this ascension, each of its arms will
fire massive balls of energy at you, so move around in a circle as the
Glide Wing to dodge them.
When you even out again, you will pull in right in front of the battleship.
Cause some quick hell with your Heavy Wing on the three specified
locations, only pausing when you notice spiraling red dots gathering in
front of the ship. This signifies that it is about to unleash a
devastating laser, so accelerate out of the way (you'll have to do it
three times).
Now then, when the laser stops firing, you should take the initiative and
start blasting with your Heavy Wing lasers. Don't be afraid to fire off a
Berserk Attack, also, as it would work wonders here, possibly ending the
battle. Again the laser beam will start up, so slow down a few times to
get out of the way, then repeat the previous steps.
After a third round of lasers, the Bacharsuha will retreat to the bottom of
the battlefield, where it will repeat its pattern, starting with the arms
firing electricity. Hopefully it will have only a sliver of life
remaining, allowing you to end the battle with a few more shots. If not,
apply the same tactics you used earlier; you've seen everything this boss
will throw at you by now.
Dragonmare Squadron (Episode 9)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
This pack of angry winged beasts from Episode 4 have "wisen fwom their
gwaves" (go go Altered Beast reference!) to haunt you once more. This
battle is a near mirror of the aforementioned one, only a bit more
difficult, and with a mixed up attack pattern. Unlike the first time you
faced these guys, they'll immediately split apart and flying directly in
front of you, leaving dangerous black trails of painful goo behind them.
To avoid this, morph into Glide form and dodge out of the way, holding down
the fire button as you go (in an attempt to dole out at least a small bit
o' damage).
Subsequently, the 'mares will congregate in front of you and unleash a
barrage of razor sharp air blasts. As with the black trails, evade them
compliments of the Glide Wing's sick tight maneuverability. When they've
finished with those, the Dragonmares all move behind you, so quickly turn
to face them and give 'em hell in Heavy form. Note that they will also
pepper you with fiery projectiles during this point; shooting them down
with Orta's handgun can be a wee bit tricky, so use the Glide Wing if you
are having trouble.
After a short round of fiery missiles, the 'mares will lure you into an
upward climb (of doom). Accelerate through to avoid the debris left in
your foes' wake, then turn to face them as they gather behind you. By now,
it should go without saying that you're pounding them with Heavy Wing
lasers at every possible opportunity.
Now then, be ready for a few more shots of fiery projectiles before they
move to your bottom left. From here, they'll let loose on your with many,
many burning missiles. Shoot them down, preferably in Heavy Wing form (or
at the very least as the Base Wing), all the while chipping away at their
Life Gauge with constant laser shots. After a few moments, the pack will
relocate to your upper right, where they'll repeat the same steps as
before. No biggie--you know the deal by now.
Following a quick maneuver behind you, the 'mares will dash ahead, still
using the fiery missiles as their number one means of offense. After one
or two rounds of the projectiles, they'll split up and take it from the
top, starting again with the black trails of painful goo attack. Repeat
the steps you took from the beginning of the battle and you'll end it in no
time flat. Cool beans!
Abadd, Stage 1 (Episode 10)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
As soon as this battle commences, change to the Heavy Wing and start
smashing the spiky structure ahead with bio-lasers. However, when several
green organisms appear in a circle around the spiky structure, quickly
switch to Glide Wing form to shoot them down. If you let these green guys
stick around for too long, they'll fire a nasty laser that's pretty much
impossible to dodge, so you want to make sure you clear them all out.
Following that, return to Heavy form to continue the barrage, only to
change back to the Glide Wing again to dispel more green organisms. Repeat
this pattern a third time and Abadd will toss something new in your
direction.
The orange spiky things arranged in a circle around the main structure
will fire a powerful laser beam, so change to Glide Wing form and slow down
once to avoid the first round of lasers, then a second time to evade still
more beams of doom. After this, Abadd will launch a myriad of projectiles
high into the air. Hastily shoot these down, then make the switch to Heavy
form to end the battle. A single Berserker blast from your Heavy Wing is
enough to deplete 3/4 of this beast's life, and basic lasers will finish
things off right nice.
Abadd, Stage 2 (Episode 10)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Start off hammering this dragon-like form with Heavy Wing lasers, pausing
only when he ducks underwater to avoid the serious heat you're packin'.
When he moves in front of you, he'll soon disappear into the void; this is
your cue to switch to Glide Wing form and accelerate toward the water. If
done correctly, you'll evade a nasty laser attack. Repeat this a second
time when Abadd disappears again.
As he reappears, he'll pull right in front of you, with his lengthy tail
dangling behind. Use the Heavy Wing form to pound on him a bit, all the
while weaving left and right, left and right to avoid getting smacked by
Abadd's tail. Before long, you'll pull ahead of him, so switch to a
smaller form, otherwise you might just collide with one his wings, taking
on some unnecessary damage.
At this point, he'll duck into the water above (the "sky") and move ahead
of you; swivel around to face him as he reappears. Get a few quick blasts
in using the Heavy Wing, then change to Base form and lock-on as many times
as possible, but do NOT shoot yet. Doing so will leave you wide open for
Abadd's most potent attack, a devilish bio-laser of his own that is your
worst nightmare (even scarier than Gene Simmons!). So listen up, hold your
locks until a green sphere encircles your Dragon and you hear a
high-pitched beeping sound. When such occurs, let loose your lasers to
negate his homing capabilities. Repeat this process until he ceases his
attempts to use lock-on lasers.
Now then, if Abadd still hasn't croaked yet, he'll disappear into thin air
and blast a tricky laser beam at you. Fortunately, you've got this nifty
guide sitting right in front of you, so you know exactly what to do! Using
the Glide Wing (y'know, for the righteous maneuverability) and move in a
clockwise circle. Doing so will allow you to dash around his blasts with
the greatest of ease.
When he makes his dreaded reappearance from the void, he'll move behind
you, so swing the camera around and start blasting (with the Heavy Wing, of
course). Very soon, he'll submerge himself and move quickly toward you.
When he jumps out of the water at you, make a swift change to Glide form
and boost out of the way. You'll be able to see his tail/wings sticking
out of the water, so use that as a reference to know when to get out of the
way. Following that, he'll do the exact same thing again, only this time
he'll hide in the sky above you. You can avoid it the same way, however.
Subsequently, Abadd will appear shortly behind you before diving underwater
and plowing ahead. Fortunately, his wings stick out of the water, so
target those to cause some damage. From here on in, he'll return to the
beginning of his pattern. Basically what that means is this: if he isn't
dead yet, start reading the first paragraph of this strategy again.
Abadd, Stage 3 (Episode 10)
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Throughout the majority of this final stage, you'll want to remain in Base
Wing form, as Abadd likes to use his lock-on lasers moreso than ever
before. You'll be using the same tactics as before to destroy his lock-on
capabilities: get as many locks as you can, but don't fire until you hear
the shrill ringing sound and see the green sphere around your Dragon. You
may also wanna note that a Berserk Attack from the Base Wing will work
wonders in this battle, negating Abadd's lasers and causing insane amounts
of damage. Let it go as soon as possible.
From the start of this fight, you'll want to apply the laser-destroying
tactics I mentioned above. When Abadd makes an abrupt turn, you should
change to Heavy form and start pounding on him with bio-lasers, as he's
going to take a break from his lasers for a moment. Before long, however,
he'll revert to his tactics of old, so make the switch to Base form and
continue the defensive work. Also, note that when your foe pulls right in
front of you, you'll want to veer to the right to avoid being hit by that
long tail of his.
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
VIII ---------------------------------------------------- UNLOCKABLES
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
Plenty o' things to unlock, and Jill, the master of unlocking, is nowhere to be
found. Gonna have to do all the legwork yourself.
=======================
ORIGINAL PANZER DRAGOON
=======================
There are two ways to unlock a playable version of the original Panzer Dragoon
game for the Sega Saturn. Either beat the game a single time on (regardless of
the difficulty level--any one will work) or amass five total hours of play
time. Both are relatively simple. Check out chapter IX for more in-depth
information on this totally terrific game.
===============
UNLOCK BOX GAME
===============
Amass 15 total hours of play time (not including time spent on menus) or beat
the main game on Hard mode to unlock Box Game, which allows you to play through
any of the 10 main episodes with special conditions, such as increased or
decreased statistics or different characters.
===================
UNLOCK SUB MISSIONS
===================
Found under the Sub scenarios heading in Pandora's Box, there are five extra
missions to unlock and enjoy.
Mission 1 - Beat the game on Hard mode
Mission 2 - Beat Episode 4 on any difficulty level
Mission 3 - Beat the game on Hard mode
Mission 4 - Beat the game on any difficulty level
Mission 5 - Beat Mission 4 (the one directly above this)
And there you have it.
=====================================
UNLOCK IMPERIAL BOY (IVA'S SCENARIOS)
=====================================
Iva's first mission is unlocked after beating Episode 4: Gigantic Fleet. The
remaining six missions are opened up as you progress through each respective
level in Iva's scenario.
===================
UNLOCK ENCYCLOPEDIA
===================
In order to unlock the three subsections in the Encyclopedia found in Pandora's
Box, you need to complete a few tasks. To unlock "Creatures", you must defeat
90% of the enemies in any episode. The "Empire" option is unlocked by
destroying 90% of the Imperial enemies in an episode (try Episodes 1, 4, or 8).
Finally, "World" is unlocked once you beat the game a single time, regardless
of the difficulty level.
=================
UNLOCK EVERYTHING
=================
To unlock everything in Pandora's Box, simply accumulate 20 total hours of play
time (time spent on menus doesn't count). The best way to do this is to choose
Mission 3: Enemy Attack! (in the Sub scenarios) and leave the game on over
night. This mission automatically restarts, so amassing the appropriate time
will be easy.
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
IX ------------------------------- ORIGINAL PANZER DRAGOON "MINI-FAQ"
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
"Empire is seeking to harness the power of an ancient tower that houses a
devastating arsenal of powerful weapons. With these weapons, Empire hopes to
destroy the menace of the bio-weapons and unite the world under its rule.
Your name is Kyle Fluge. You are traveling on the Great Plains as a member of
a hunting party when you come across a ferocious battle between two great
dragons. As you watch, the rider of the blue dragons is fatally wounded. He
falls to your feet, but before he dies, he charges you with a quest; to take
his place upon the blue dragon and prevent the Dark Dragon from reuniting
with Tower..."
- Instruction manual
Unlocked after beating the game once on any difficulty setting or by amassing
five hours of total play time, the game that began it all returns in all its
glory.
.----------.
| CONTROLS \_______________________________________________________________
| ======== |
| Start -------------------------------------------------------- Pause game |
| Left Thumbstick ----------------- Move targeting reticle / Control Dragon |
| A/B Buttons ------------------------------------- Gunfire / Homing lasers |
| X/Y Buttons ------------------------------------------------- Switch view |
| Left Trigger ----------------------------------------- Rotate camera left |
| Right Trigger --------------------------------------- Rotate camera right |
|___________________________________________________________________________|
=====
CODES
=====
The following codes work ONLY for the original Panzer Dragoon; don't bother
trying to use them for Orta. Go to the original's main screen and enter the
following codes to activate their respective cheats. By the way, L and R stand
for the Left and Right Triggers, respectively. If left and right are written
out, press that direction on the D-Pad. Everything else should be self-
explanatory.
Invincible Mode - Makes you invincible, duh!
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
L, L, R, R, Up, Down, Left, Right
Rolling Mode - Activates Rolling Mode
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Up, Right, Down, Left, Up, Right, Down, Left, Up, Right, Down, Left, Up,
Right, Down, Left
Stage Select - Choose any stage to play
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, X, Y, White
Play Stage 0 - Unlock a secret stage!
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Up, Up, Up, Down, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right, L, R
Wizard Mode - The game plays much faster
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
L, R, L, R, Up, Down, Up, Down, Left, Right
Watch Ending - Watch the game's ending without even beating it!
=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=
Up, Up, Down, Up, Right, Right, Left, Right, Down, Down, Up, Down, Left,
Left, Right, Left
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
X --------------------------------------------------------------- FAQ
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
Frequently Asked Questions...
1. JUST WHAT IS PANZER DRAGOON ORTA? IS IT AN RPG LIKE PD SAGA?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No, Panzer Dragoon Orta is a rail-shooter in the vein of the original Panzer
Dragoon, as well as its first sequel, Zwei. By a rail-shooter, what I mean is
that while you can freely move your Dragon about to evade enemy attacks, you
are confined a one sole path. Other examples of rail-shooters include Ikaruga,
Star Fox, Gradius, and Radiant Silvergun.
2. HOW DO I UNLOCK THE ORIGINAL PANZER DRAGOON?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are two ways to do it: either beat the main game once (on any difficulty
level) or accumulate five total hours of play time (not including time spent
on menus screens).
3. OKAY, SO I UNLOCKED THE ORIGINAL PD. CAN I GET ZWEI AND/OR SAGA?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nope. Unfortunately, neither Zwei nor Saga can be unlocked; just the game that
started it all.
4. WHAT'S WITH THE DIALOGUE? WHAT LANGUAGE ARE THEY SPEAKING? CAN I CHANGE IT?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The language is an imaginary one referred to as "Panzerese" within the Panzer
Dragoon community. From what I know, it's based somewhat off of Latin.
Anyway, there is no way to change it to English, Japanese, or anything else.
Too bad.
5. DO BOX GAME SCORES COUNT TOWARD MY FLIGHT RECORDS?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No, they don't. With the increased Berserk and Life options, attaining the
high-end rankings would be far too easy, lowering the sense of achievement when
someone actually receives a top five or so ranking.
6. WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO AMASS THE 20 HOURS NEEDED TO UNLOCK PANDORA'S BOX?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are two good ways to accumulate all 20 hours needed to unlock everything
in Pandora's Box. Since pausing the game doesn't count towards your time, you
will need to try something else. The best way is to simply play the game over
and over. It's a good game, right? So why would you want to cheat yourself?
Anyway, if you really want to accumulate the time cheaply, just select Mission
3 (Enemy Attack!) in Pandora's Box and let it play by itself. The mission
repeats itself automatically, so you can leave it playing over night and enjoy
your results in the morning.
7. WHICH DRAGON MORPH FORM IS THE BEST?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Truth be told, there is no "best" form. Each of the three really shines under
very different circumstances. The Base Wing is the best choice for destroying
an army of foes, where as the Heavy Wing is the perfect remedy for a tough boss
or small pack of enemies. The Glide Wing, on the other hand, is a defensive
form moreso than anything else--use it to shoot down incoming projectiles.
For anyone who may be interested, though, I apparently use the Base Wing 38%
of the time, whereas the Heavy Wing and Glide Wing have been used 36% and 26%,
respectively. This information can be found within Pandora's Box, under the
heading "Flight Records."
8. IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE SAVED GAME AT A TIME?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunately, the answer to your inquiry is no. Only one saved game can be
recorded at a time, so you either need to beat the game quickly (it's not too
hard to beat it in one sitting, y'know) or make sure someone else doesn't save
over your data.
9. WHILE FIGHTING THE FINAL BOSS, HOW DO I DODGE HIS HOMING LASERS?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is kind of tricky. When you get to the part where he is about ready to
use his homing lasers, switch to your Base Wing form and get as many locks as
possible, but hold them in, don't shoot yet. Wait until you hear a shrill
ringing sound and a green sphere encircles your dragon. That's your cue to
shoot. If done correctly, you'll take out the threat of his lasers. Rinse and
repeat.
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
XI ------------------------------------------------- REVISION HISTORY
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
Care to take a gander at what can be found in this version of the FAQ? If so,
this is the place to be!
===============
CURRENT VERSION
===============
Version 1.13 / March 13, 2005
Allowed <www.honestgamers.com> and <www.gamerhelp.com> to host this FAQ.
=============
PAST VERSIONS
=============
Version 1.13 / February 6, 2005
Thanks to Cham for pointing out yet another Play Style that I missed. In
addition to adding that in, I also made a few aesthetic changes.
Version 1.12 / October 9, 2004
Thanks to Daniel Hoffman for telling me about a Play Style that I somehow
missed. It is no longer missing.
Version 1.11 / July 25, 2004
Spellchecked the entire document, making it easier for you readers to browse
the guide without getting confused by improper spellings. Or something.
Version 1.1 / July 20, 2004
The first, fourth, and fifth Sub scenario Missions have been completed, only
leaving two more before the guide is entirely finished.
Version 1.0 / July 16, 2004
The first version of this guide. The walkthrough is entirely complete, as
well as the vast majority of the remaining chapters. All that needs to be
finished up at this point are the Sub scenarios, where I must get to work on
Mission 1-5. Look for them soon!
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
XII ------------------------------------------------ LEGAL DISCLAIMER
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
This document is copyright (c) 2003-2005 Chris Noonan (American Arsenal). It
is not to be reproduced in any way, shape, or form. However, feel free to
download it, print it out for personal use, or send it to your buddies, as long
as you leave it unaltered and do not make a profit off of it. Doing so would
be very illegal, so I suggest that you do nothing of the sort. One final note:
this document should absolutely *NOT* be found on any websites with the
exception of <www.gamefaqs.com>, <www.ign.com>, <www.neoseeker.com>,
<www.honestgamers.com> and <www.gamerhelp.com>. Don't even bother asking for
permission to use it, as the answer will always be no.
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
XIII -------------------------------------------------------- CLOSING
=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=
Shocking as it may be, it's finally come time for me to shut up and put an end
to this madness. But first, allow me to give props to those who really deserve
it. Fall to your knees and worship for the following people who made the
creation of this guide possible. Worship, I say!
--- CJayC <GameFAQs.com>
Because he dedicates his life to upkeeping the best site in existence. If
I was wearing a hat, I'd tip it to you.
--- <IGN.com> and <Neoseeker.com>
For not stealing my FAQs. And also for hosting them after I said told them
they could.
--- Silverdragon2
S/he contributed the list of Rankings waaaaaay back at the beginning of
this FAQ's lifespan. Thanks a million, guy/gal!
--- Daniel Hoffman and Cham
For informing me about a couple of Play Styles that I happened to miss
(Gunner and Seeker).
--- Thuyker
Without his terrific guide, I never would've located some of the Gene
Bases scattered throughout the game.
And now, although you seem compelled to read these guide from start to end,
I'm afraid I have nothing left to say to you. Sowwy.
T H A N K S F O R R E A D I N G ! !
-----------------------------------------------------------
And that's the end! I certainly hope you found this guide helpful in some way,
and if you did, please check out my CRP for numerous other guides of similar
quality:
--
http://gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/39691.html --
_______________________________________________________________________________
Copyright (c) 2004-2005 Chris Noonan. All rights reserved.
