*****************************************************
*** ***
*** X-Men: The Gamesmaster's Legacy ***
*** For Sega Game Gear ***
*** ***
*** Game Guide and Walkthrough - Version 1.00 ***
*** By A.L.T., Copyright March 2004 ***
*** ***
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Table Of Contents
=================
Part 1 - Introduction
Part 2 - Controls And Game Play
Part 3 - Character Analysis
Part 4 - Tips For Success
Part 5 - The Hellfire Club
Part 6 - The Danger Room
Part 7 - Avalon
Part 8 - Genosha
Part 9 - Arctic
Part 10 - Egyptian Base Part 1
Part 11 - Egyptian Base Part 2
Part 12 - Stryfe's Moon Base
Part 13 - Afterthoughts
Part 1 - Introduction
=====================
I'm not a hard-core X-Men fan, so please forgive me if my information about
the characters and story isn't entirely accurate.
The Gamesmaster's Legacy is the second of three X-Men games that made their
way to the Sega Game Gear during the 1990s. It showcases eight playable
characters and eight levels of classic platforming action. The story is
about the Legacy Virus. Presumably, this is an ailment that threatens
mankind. The mysterious Gamesmaster has the cure for the virus. How he got
it remains unknown. But he has it, and he's apparently not a philanthropist.
He has promised to hand over the cure to the X-Men if they meet his terms.
Considering that this guy calls himself "the Gamesmaster", it should come as
no surprise that he's less than trustworthy. But our heroes have no choice
but to play by his rules. Five of the X-Men travel to various locales, per
his instructions. When Wolverine, Rogue, Jean Grey, Bishop, and Gambit don't
return, it becomes apparent to Cyclops and Storm that the whole thing was a
trap. The Gamesmaster has also promised to give the cure to the X-Mens'
arch enemies if they can defeat the X-Men. Strangely, Magneto doesn't make
an appearance here, but Apocalypse and Sinister are present and accounted
for.
Cyclops and Storm, the only two remaining members of the team, have to set out
on a quest to rescue their friends from captivity, reunite the team, and
meet their enemies head-on in order to get the cure for the Legacy Virus.
Part 2 - Controls and Game Play
===============================
I suggest playing this game on the "Way Wicked" difficulty setting, as the
"Mental" setting is very difficult. Try it out and go "Mental" if you're
feeling suicidal.
You start out at the X-Mens' headquarters. Press the D-Pad left or right to
cycle through your available characters. Press up or down to cycle through
the available levels you can play. Initially, only Cyclops and Storm are
playable, and you can select from the first five levels. Each of these levels
houses an imprisoned character and a boss who guards him/her. After all of
these levels are conquered, you'll play through the last three levels in
sequence.
Press the Start button to enter the selected level with your character of
choice and begin the carnage.
While in the game, you can hold down the Start button to pause the game. Then
press Button 1 to retreat back to headquarters. You don't lose anything for
doing this, so do it if you get in trouble. You'll have to replay the
current level from the beginning, but that's better than suffering defeat.
If your character is defeated in battle, he/she is out of the game and is no
longer selectable.
Use the D-Pad to move your character left and right, and press up to enter a
doorway while standing in front of it. Press Button 1, and your character
will throw a punch. Press Button 2, and your character will jump. Press
Button 2 twice to perform a double jump. You can't hold Button 2 and then
press it again at the height of your jump; you have to press it twice quickly.
This doesn't allow for double jumping as high as you might sometimes want to,
but we gotta deal with it. Naturally, you can jump and then attack while in
midair, but you won't have to do this often, if at all.
Push down to crouch. Naturally, you can attack while crouched. Some
characters have a longer reach while crouched, while others perform better
while standing. I'll cover these details in the "Character Analysis" section.
Press the Start button to activate your character's mutant power. Each
character has a different special power. Attacking with your mutant power
does more damage than a normal punch, but it also uses up some of your power.
For the most part, you can leave your mutant power activated throughout the
entire game, and it'll only drain when you use it. There is one exception to
this, which I'll cover in the "Character Analysis" section. To turn off your
mutant power, press Start again.
Some characters can fly while their mutant power is activated. Press Button 2
twice to fly, and use the D-Pad to move in any direction. To stop flying,
either land on the ground or turn off your mutant power.
There are two considerations in this game. Health and power. Your health
bar is the yellow bar at the upper left corner of the screen. Your power
bar is the blue bar that appears underneath the health bar when your mutant
power is activated. If you use up all of your power, you won't be able to
use your special powers anymore. If your health bar is depleted, your
character is defeated.
Scattered about the levels are red hearts and X-Power-Ups (a circle of four
red X's). Hearts replenish some of your health. X-Power-Ups replenish some
of your power.
That about covers the basics. Let's meet our cast of characters.
Part 3 - Character Analysis
===========================
There are two archetypes of characters here. The abundant shooters, and the
powerful (and probably much overlooked) melee combatants. Most of the bad
guys in this game fire bullets or lasers at you, so it may seem
counterproductive to walk up to a well-armed gunman and punch him in the nose
when you could just attack him from a safe distance. Well, such logic
doesn't always prevail here. Let's have a look at the two melee combatants
first.
Rogue
=====
She has red hair and wears a green and yellow outfit. To play as her, you
have to complete the Hellfire Club level (it appears as a staircase and
chandelier on the level-select screen).
Rogue has two mutant powers. She can fly, and she has super strength. She
also has the most health of anyone in the game. Her health bar looks the
same as everyone else's, but she takes much less damage from hits than the
other characters. She also has the most power of anyone in the game, and
she can remain airborne much longer than Storm or Jean Grey. In fact, you'll
barely notice her power bar draining ever so slowly as you fly around. Rogue
is the strongest character in the game, in terms of both health and power.
Leave her mutant power activated throughout the game. Three powerful
punches will defeat the various bad guys (as opposed to eight normal punches).
Rogue can take a hit or two without flinching while she's advancing on a
gunman to take him out. Don't worry about it.
Rogue has a longer reach while crouched. Her standing punches work fine, but
I get better results while attacking from a crouch. For some reason, her
airborne punches have difficulty connecting, so make sure you're standing on
a platform before you start punching a guy. For best results, advance to
striking distance, crouch, and punch away.
Rogue can easily defeat all but one of the eight bosses. Remember, she's
the healthiest character in the game, so don't be shy. Get up in the guy's
face and let him have it. Be aggressive!
Rogue's Advantages
+ She can fly
+ Healthiest character
+ Most powerful
+ Can remain airborne longer than other fliers
Rogue's Disadvantages
- No ranged attack
Wolverine
=========
He wears a blue and yellow outfit, and he has adamantium claws that extend
from his hands when his mutant power is activated. To play as him, you have
to complete the Danger Room level (it appears as a ledge against a gray
backdrop on the level-select screen).
If Rogue is dangerous, Wolverine is an absolute wrecking machine. This guy
is tough! He can't fly, but he more than makes up for it with two awesome
mutant powers. He has adamantium claws for shredding of his hapless
adversaries, and he can heal. While his claws are extended, he will slowly
regain health if he's wounded.
Wolverine is the only character whose power bar will regularly drain while
his mutant power is activated. If you only extend the claws when you need
to attack someone or heal for a bit, you shouldn't have any problems. But
don't leave his mutant power activated throughout the entire game. If you
do so, you'll find your precious power draining away.
Three swipes from Wolverine's claws will defeat a bad guy (as opposed to
eight normal punches). Wolverine has a longer reach with his claws while
standing, but he has a longer reach with normal punches while crouching.
You may want to use normal punches on a few occasions to conserve power.
Don't worry about the damage you'll take from engaging enemies with normal
punches. You can heal it back at will.
Take full advantage of the hearts, grabbing them for healing instead of using
your power. If you see an X-Power-Up nearby and Wolverine is wounded,
extend the claws and heal for a bit, then grab the X-Power-Up to get back
the power you used.
Wolverine almost effortlessly plows his way through this game, and he makes
quick work of all of the bosses. Extend your claws, get up in the guy's face,
and start clawing away. It'll be over before you know it. In spite of his
disadvantages, Wolverine is probably the best character in the game.
Wolverine's Advantages
+ He can heal
+ Boss-beating powerhouse
Wolverine's Disadvantages
- He can't fly
- No ranged attack
- Power drains regularly while claws are extended
The rest of the characters are all shooters. Let's have a look at them.
Jean Grey
=========
She has brown hair and wears a blue and orange outfit. To play as her, you
have to complete the Avalon level (it appears as a platform with a mounted gun
on the level-select screen).
For the most part, Jean Grey performs better than Rogue, but she has some
notable disadvantages. For starters, Jean is fragile. She takes more damage
from hits than Rogue and Wolverine do. She also runs through ammo at a
moderate pace. You'll find her running low on power more often than Rogue
and Wolverine do. Jean has two mutant powers. She can fly, and she can
launch a blast of kinetic energy at her opponents. She can't remain airborne
as long as Rogue can. You'll see her power draining much quicker while she
flies around.
Leave her mutant power activated throughout the game. Two hits of kinetic
energy will defeat a bad guy (or eight normal punches). Yes, it only takes
two hits, but she tends to run through ammo rather quickly, and a miss is
costly during a boss encounter. Still, you shouldn't need to resort to
normal punches as long as you collect X-Power-Ups regularly. Just try not
to miss, and don't waste your power flying around too much.
Jean performs very well against all but one of the eight bosses. She's a
"play it safe" character, attacking at range. If you're not comfortable with
Rogue's melee attacks, Jean makes the game somewhat easier. In spite of her
disadvantages, she probably ties with Storm for second best character.
Jean Grey's Advantages
+ She can fly
+ Ranged attack
Jean Grey's Disadvantages
- Fragile character
- Runs through ammo at a moderate pace
- Can't remain aiborne as long as Rogue can
Storm
=====
She wears a white outfit and white cape. She's available at the beginning of
the game.
As far as I can tell, Storm and Jean Grey are virtually identical. They're
equally fragile. They run through ammo at the same pace. Neither can
remain airbone as long as Rogue can. They're twin sisters. Storm has two
mutant powers. She can fly, and she can fire a lightning bolt at her foes.
Playing Storm is pretty much the same as playing Jean Grey.
Storm's Advantages
+ She can fly
+ Ranged attack
Storm's Disadvantages
- Fragile character
- Runs through ammo at a moderate pace
- Can't remain airborne as long as Rogue can
Gambit
======
He wears a brown cloak and wields a quarterstaff. To play as him, you have to
complete the Arctic level (it appears as a frozen glacier on the level-select
screen).
Gambit is a character of medium-level strength and power. He's not a wimp,
nor is he a powerhouse. He has one mutant power. He can charge objects
with kinetic energy and turn them into makeshift grenades. He carries
around a deck of playing cards, which he charges and tosses at his foes. He
can't fly, which makes the game a bit more difficult in some areas, but he's
still a viable combatant. He runs through ammo at a moderate pace, has a
little bit more power than Storm and Jean Grey, and he's slightly more
healthy.
Leave his mutant power activated throughout the game. Two hits from a charged
playing card will defeat a bad guy (or eight strikes with his quarterstaff).
He has a longer reach with the quarterstaff when standing
Against bosses, Gambit is about as good as Storm and Jean Grey. He can
easily compete with all but one of them.
Gambit's Advantages
+ Ranged attack
+ Good health
+ Good power
Gambit's Disadvantages
- He can't fly
Cyclops
=======
He wears a blue outfit. He's available at the beginning of the game.
Beyond all doubt, Cyclops is the worst character in the game. He's the leader
of the X-Men. One would think he'd be ultra-powerful. But here he is a
complete wimp. And then some. He's about as fragile as Jean and Storm, and
he runs through ammo at light speed. You'll find your power quickly draining
as he uses his only mutant power, the optic blast. He can aim in any
direction. Hold down Button 1 and aim with the D-Pad, then release Button 1
to fire.
You'll have to use normal punches half the time to conserve power. And to
add insult to injury, Cyclops can't safely fall as far as the other
characters. You'll find him taking damage from long falls that don't affect
his fellow team mates. Is that wimpy or what?
Against bosses, Cyclops is the worst. Because he runs through ammo so
quickly, he's reduced to normal punches to finish off the fight. And I remind
you, he's as fragile as Jean and Storm. Most of these battles are going to
be very close matches, if you win at all. Misses are deadly here. If you
miss a shot, that's some good damage you'll have to make up for with normal
punches after your power runs out. And your power will inevitably run out
because Cyclops has the least power of anyone in the game.
Cyclops' Advantages
+ Ranged attack
+ Can fire in any direction
Cyclops' Disadvantages
- He can't fly
- A frail combatant
- Runs through ammo very quickly
Bishop
======
He's a big burly guy with a big gun. To play as him, you have to complete the
Genosha level (it appears as a white building against a forest backdrop on
the level-select screen).
Bishop is a mixed bag, but he's a fun character to play. He has an
interesting mutant power. He can absorb the energy from bullets and lasers,
channel it into his gun, and then fire it back at his opponents. Bishop's
only weakness is that if he takes a hit while he has full power, he gets
overloaded and loses all of his power. At the start of each level, turn on
your mutant power and fire off your gun once or twice, just in case you take
a hit before you're able to get off a shot. If you do get overloaded and lose
all of your power, hits from bullets and laser fire will damage you. Find
an X-Power-Up to regain your absorb ability.
Bishop is about as healthy as Gambit, but you're not likely to notice
because he doesn't take damage from hits unless he has no power. As long as
he has some power, the damage is absorbed into his power bar. Two hits
from Bishop's gun will defeat a bad guy (or eight normal punches). He runs
through ammo rather quickly, but this isn't a problem. If you find yourself
low on power, find a bad guy, stand there, and let him shoot you for a while.
Very cool.
Bishop has a longer reach with normal punches while standing.
Unfortunately, Bishop falters badly during most boss match-ups. As already
mentioned, he runs through ammo rather quickly and is reduced to using
normal punches to finish off the fight. It's doable, but some of these
are tough fights. There are two bosses that Bishop is nigh invulnerable
against (including the hardest boss in the game). It is here that Bishop
redeems himself and reminds us of just how cool he is.
Bishop's Advantages
+ Ranged attack
+ Absorbs bullets and laser fire
+ Is almost invulnerable against the hardest boss in the game
Bishop's Disadvantages
- He can't fly
- Loses all of his power if he takes a hit at full power
Cyborg
======
I don't know this guy's name, but he looks like a cyborg, and he carries a
big gun. To play as him, you have to find him in the Egyptian Base Part 1
level. I'll tell you how to find him in that section.
This guy is pretty healthy and decently powerful. Two hits from his gun will
defeat a bad guy. He runs through ammo about as fast as Bishop does. His
melee reach is equally short, whether standing or crouching. Use the gun on
most of your foes, only resorting to normal punches when you have to conserve
power.
Cyborg is almost evenly matched with the hardest boss in the game (and he
doesn't even have Bishop's absorb power! Now that's impressive!). Because
he appears so late in the game, he only gets to fight three of the bosses.
He does very well against all three.
Cyborg's Advantages
+ Ranged attack
+ Good health
+ Good against the hardest boss in the game
Cyborg's Disadvantages
- He can't fly
- Runs through ammo rather quickly
Character Ranking
=================
Here's my ranking of the eight characters, from best to worst.
Trust me, I am not biased in favor of Wolverine or against Cyclops. I've
never cared much for Wolverine and have virtually no opinion about Cyclops,
one way or the other. The analysis and ranking here are based on how well
each character performed for me in this game.
Wolverine consistently out-performed everyone else by a wide margin. Jean
Grey and Storm are better against some of the bosses than Rogue is. The
ability to fly makes some of the levels with dangerous terrain easier to
navigate. Gambit is better against some of the bosses than Rogue is, but
first he has to get there (which in some cases means traversing dangerous
terrain). Wolverine isn't bothered much by dangerous terrain, as he can heal
on demand. Bishop and the beleaguered Cyclops both run through ammo very
quickly and have difficulty with some of the bosses. Cyborg performs very
well on the three levels that he can play, ranking just below Bishop.
There's a big performance gap between Cyborg and Cyclops.
There is one consideration that changes this picture: the hardest boss in
the game. On his level, covered in Part 11 of this guide, our ranking looks
much different.
While Bishop ranks low throughout most of the game, he's in his element on
this one level. Wolverine maintains his viability, and Cyborg performs
very well. There's a huge performance gap here between Cyborg and the rest
of the team.
In terms of consistent performance, Wolverine takes the prize for best
character. Jean Grey and Storm out-perform Rogue in some situations. Gambit
sometimes out-performs Rogue, but Rogue can fly (a great advantage that ranks
her above him). Bishop out-performs everyone except Wolverine and the three
fliers in most of the levels, but he has difficulty with some of the bosses
(it's not really helpful if making it through the level is a cakewalk only to
face a tough fight with a boss). Cyborg does well in the three levels that
he can play. Finally, Cyclops consistently finds himself banished to the
realm of the ineffective.
For an easy game, rescue Wolverine and play as him. For a moderately
difficult game, Jean Grey, Storm, Rogue, and Gambit should be your characters
of choice. For an easy time of it during the levels and a few difficult
boss-matches, Bishop is your guy. For a moderately difficult game and an
even match-up with the hardest boss, give Cyborg a try. For a hard game,
play Cyclops.
Of course, you could always mix and match, using characters who are best
suited to the current level you're playing.
Part 4 - Tips for Success
=========================
Here are some general tips that work for every character.
Men With Guns
=============
Most of the bad guys wield some sort of gun and will fire bullets or lasers
at you. If you're playing as Bishop, who cares? Otherwise, here are some
ideas on how to deal with these gun-toting thugs.
The bullets and lasers only travel a certain distance. If you're walking
along and you hear the sound of a gunshot, immediately turn around and back
off. If you're fast enough, you'll see the shot disappear behind you.
The gunman (who is off-screen at this point) will advance on you (because
you're not in his firing range anymore). Advance on him and take him out.
If there's adequate clearance overhead, you can also jump over the shot
and land close to the gunman. This works wonders if you're playing as Rogue
or Wolverine. Jump over the bullet or laser, land close to the guy, and
start punching/clawing away.
Some of the gunmen will be stunned when you score a hit on them. For
example, a gunman fires a shot at you, you advance and hit him, and he
appears to be stunned for a moment, unable to fire his gun again. Don't
hesitate or back off. Keep hitting him.
Others will keep firing regardless of anything. Be aggressive on these guys
and get rid of them as quickly as you can.
Do Not Touch
============
Running into a bad guy does a lot of damage to you. Try not to touch anyone.
This goes double for boss battles. I've lost many boss fights because I
accidentally ran into him once or twice (or let him walk into me). When
fighting melee, try to stay at the maximum range you can be from him while
still being able to hit him. If he moves away, advance on him. If he moves
toward you, get out of there quickly!
Walkthrough
===========
You can play the first five levels in any order you wish. The last three
must be played sequentially. I've devoted an entire section to each level
and the boss who resides there. Some of the levels have quick routes that
will get you to the boss without dilly dallying around. Many of these
levels are mazes full of extraneous areas. Explore them at your leisure.
For bosses, I provide an in-depth analysis of each character's performance
against him.
Part 5 - The Hellfire Club
==========================
This level appears as a staircase and chandelier on the level-select screen.
You'll see a picture of Rogue before the game begins. Completing this level
will rescue Rogue and add her to your team.
The Hellfire Club is split into two parts: a maze of hallways and staircases,
and the dungeon underneath. Prowling the hallways of the mansion are
numerous gunmen. The chandeliers drop daggers that can hurt you. Once you
enter the dungeon, you have to traverse a gauntlet of pendulums and moving
axes. I like to explore this level one floor at a time and take out all of
the gunmen before entering the dungeon. There are plenty of hearts and
X-Power-Ups scattered about. It's an easy level, even for wimpy Cyclops.
It's also a fun level for Bishop to play. He absorbs the daggers from the
chandeliers. The Hellfire Club has two quick routes you can use.
Quick Route A
=============
There are two ways to get into the dungeon. This is the quickest way.
You start in front of a bookcase. Head right, past an elevator (it looks like
a large doorway with vertical bars). Go past a fireplace and a chandelier.
At another fireplace, a gunman attacks. Proceed past some bookshelves and
chandeliers until you find a staircase. Go down and head right, defeating
the gunman here. Head right to another staircase. Go down and head left.
A gunman attacks in front of a tall bookcase. Go up the staircase to your
left and head left to find an elevator. Take this elevator (stand in front
of it and press up). You'll be taken to the ground floor of the mansion.
There's a gunman to your right. Take him out and head right until you find
yourself at a brick wall. Double jump or fly through the wall to enter the
dungeon. Jump over to the right-hand ledge. Drop off and angle right to
land on a ledge below. Do it again, then drop down to a ledge directly
beneath you. Across a gap to your left is a heart and an X-Power-Up. Drop
down the gap to the bottom floor of the dungeon, taking some fall damage
(if you're playing a flier, drop off the ledge and press button 2 to fly,
then just fly down). Head left, proceeding through some pendulums. When
the pendulum looks like it's the farthest away from you, it's safe to move
past it. Beyond the pendulums is a moving axe. Beyond that is a wall.
Go through the wall, past two more axes and a pendulum to find the boss
chamber. At the ledge, jump up to a platform, across to another, and up to
a ledge at the far end of the chamber for a heart.
Quick Route B
=============
Here's another quick route to the boss. But don't you feel wimpy using a
quick route? C'mon! Explore the level and beat up all those gunmen!
Anyway, head right and take the elevator down. There's a gunman to your
right. Take him out and head right to another elevator. Take this elevator
down. A gunman attacks as you emerge from the elevator. Head right, down
a staircase, and head left, proceeding under a chandelier. Go down the
staircase here, deal with a gunman who's waiting for you, and head left to
a brick wall. Just walk through the wall. Proceed through the swinging
pendulum traps and past an axe. Drop off the ledge and angle your fall to
your right to land on another ledge. You're in a long shaft, and it's a long
way down. To avoid taking fall damage, angle your fall to your right as you
drop off each ledge. On the fourth ledge, angle your fall to your left to
land on a ledge on the other side of the shaft. Otherwise you'll take fall
damage. Drop down to the floor and head right, through some pendulums.
You'll arrive at a gap in the floor. Drop down and angle your fall to your
left to avoid falling into the fire below. Proceed left. If you're playing
a flier, you can fly across the gap here to find a heart. Drop down to the
next floor. Proceed through the various axes and pendulums. None of them
are hard to avoid. Eventually, you'll arrive at a shaft where you can go
up or down. Above you is the heart and X-Power-Up you got on Quick Route A.
Jump up (or fly) to get them. From here, follow Quick Route A from this
point to find the boss.
Shinobi Shaw
============
With the abundance of shooters on the X-Men team, one has to wonder why this
fool thought he'd stand a chance. He's a melee combatant. Apparently, he
can pass his hand through solid objects. If you get hit by his sparkling
hand, you'll take a lot of damage. This is the one boss that Rogue might
have some difficulty beating, but I'll bet she could take him. He's a wimp.
Versus Wolverine
================
Extend your claws, get up in his face, and start clawing away. Don't worry
about his sparkling hand. You can take the damage. Just try not to run
into him or let him walk into you. If he jumps away, you know what to do.
Be aggressive! Get in character. You're playing Wolverine, after all.
Keep clawing away, and it'll be over before you know it. Easy victory.
Versus Storm, Jean Grey, Or Gambit
==================================
Keep at a safe distance from him and fire away. Beware if you get too far
away from him, for he'll jump up high and land on or nearby you. There's
not much else to say. Easy victory.
Versus Bishop Or Cyclops
========================
You're gonna run out of ammo before this is over. This is where Bishop
falters and Cyclops meets his doom. Shinobi Shaw's attack is very damaging,
and it's hard to avoid while you're attacking him with normal punches.
Still, you can prevail with patience. There are usually long intervals
between his attempts to hit you. Get in there, hit him a couple times, then
back off while he attacks. You'll probably take a couple hits in the
process, as his attacks are difficult to predict. Hopefully you've already
done the majority of the needed damage with your ranged attack before you
ran out of ammo, and hopefully you didn't miss a shot due to him jumping
over it.
Shinobi Shaw's Lethality Rating - 1 out of 5
Part 6 - The Danger Room
========================
This level appears as a ledge against a gray backdrop on the level-select
screen. You'll see a picture of Wolverine before the game begins.
Completing this level will rescue Wolverine and add him to your team.
The Danger Room is a maze of rooms connected by teleporters. It's infested
with laser-shooting robots and large winged scorpions. There aren't any
traps or hazardous terrain here. The robots shoot in eight directions, and
the scorpions advance and try to hit you with their stinger tails. This is
an easy level that even wimpy Cyclops can navigate without much trouble.
There are a few notable extraneous areas. Some of them are mentioned below.
Explore a bit and find the rest at your leisure. There is no quick route
through this level.
To start out with, head left and slay the scorpion. Then enter the blue
teleporter (stand in front of it and press up). You'll be taken to a room
with a robot, a scorpion, and an X-Power-Up on a ledge in the upper right
corner of the room. Go back through the teleporter. Jump up to the
platform to your left and deal with the robot there. Drop into the next
room. A scorpion and robot are guarding the teleporter to the next room.
As you emerge from the teleporter, turn to your right and dispatch the
scorpion that's advancing. There's an X-Power-Up in the air near a ledge to
your right. Head right, deal with the robot here, and jump up to a ledge
above for another teleporter.
Emerging from this teleporter in a new room, head right and take out the
robot here. Proceed right into another room with a scorpion, then a room
with a robot. There's a heart concealed on a ledge at the upper right
corner of the room.
Enter the teleporter here and proceed up through the tall room full of
platforms, dispatching a scorpion and robot along the way. At the top, head
left, deal with a scorpion who's advancing on you, and drop into a room with
a robot. In the next room is an X-Power-Up on a ledge at the left side of
the room. After getting the power-up, drop down and deal with a scorpion
who's coming after you. Head left into the next room, where a robot lies
in wait. A heart and X-Power-Up are above the teleporter here.
Emerging from yet another teleporter, jump up to the platform above you and
dispatch the scorpion there. Drop down a couple platforms to find a robot.
Head right into an empty room. Proceed right into another tall room with
lots of platforms. There's a scorpion on a platform below you. Deal with
him, then drop down to the ground floor to face another scorpion and a robot.
If you have plenty of health and power left, proceed right to the final
teleporter and boss chamber. Otherwise, go back up through the tall room and
back through the empty room. You'll emerge in a large room that you passed
up earlier. Jump up a couple platforms. At the left side of this large
room is a heart and X-Power-Up. Drop down to the ground floor. There's a
teleporter here that leads to a secret room with two hearts and an
X-Power-Up. Go back through the portal and jump up the small platforms.
You'll arrive at a platform in the middle of the large room. Head right,
through the empty room, and down through the tall room. Proceed right from
here to the final teleporter.
Fitzroy
=======
This guy has an interesting ability. He's only vulnerable when he fires
his gun at you. The rest of the time your attacks will have no affect on
him. He's the one guy who might be able to give Wolverine a decent
workout, but I doubt he'd last much longer than the rest of his buddies.
Versus Rogue
============
Rogue is mean against this poor sap. I almost feel sorry for him. Almost.
Get up close and watch Fitzroy carefully. When he draws his gun, crouch.
He'll fire his gun right over your head. Punch him two or three times while
he's vulnerable. If you crouch too soon, he'll get wise to your strategy
and fire from a crouching position (but he's still vulnerable while firing,
so punch away). He moves around a lot, so adjust your position relative to
his. He never fires his gun while moving. He'll move, draw his gun, then
fire. You have plenty of time to get ready for his next moment of
vulnerability. Even if he does hit you once or twice, his doom is sealed.
Easy victory for Rogue.
Versus Storm, Jean Grey, Or Gambit
==================================
Pretty much the same scenario as Rogue, except you don't have to get up
close and you're likely to get hit on a regular basis, especially if you're
playing Gambit (who is taller than Rogue while crouching). If you happen
to be launching your projectile while Fitzroy fires his gun, the bullet will
pass over your head, but the timing is tricky. Just unload on him when he's
vulnerable, and even if you get hit regularly, you're still likely to
prevail. It takes a bit of practice to not waste ammo while he's
invulnerable (timing your shots is more difficult than getting up close with
Rogue).
Versus Bishop
=============
Again, Bishop falters, but this time he manages to save himself from disgrace.
You're gonna run out of ammo, and Fitz's bullets aren't the absorbable kind.
However, Bishop can get under Fitz's line of fire just like Rogue (at least
the Bish-meister has the smarts to keep his head low). After you've unloaded
your gun into Fitz, use normal punches. You'll take longer to finish him
off than Rogue does, but eventually Fitz will drop.
Versus Cyclops
==============
The Wimp-O-Rama is at it again, putting on display for us one of his key
weaknesses and proving what a moron he is. Cyclops can't shoot straight
while in a crouch. He shoots downward, which doesn't help us at all. This
guy is a total loser. I played through the game once with him and never
thought about playing him again. Anyway, get up close and crouch. Then,
while still crouching, push toward Fitz and fire twice when he's vulnerable.
If you're close enough to him, your optic blasts will fire diagonally and
nail him in the feet. Do this until you're out of ammo, then finish it with
normal punches. I say again: Wimp-O-Rama.
Fitzroy's Lethality Rating - 2 out of 5
Part 7 - Avalon
===============
This level appears as a dark platform with a mounted gun on the level-select
screen. You'll see a picture of Jean Grey before the game begins.
Completing this level will rescue Jean Grey and add her to your team.
Avalon is a maze with no quick path. Gunmen are all over the place. On
some of the platforms and walls are mounted guns. For some reason, Bishop
cannot absorb the laser fire from these guns. He'll take damage if he gets
hit. He can absorb the laser fire from the gunmen. This is a moderately
difficult level with a couple of extraneous areas that you may want to visit.
Drop to the platform to your right and defeat the gunman who's shooting at
you. Head across another platform and beat down another gunman. A small
ledge to your right has a heart. Go back left, crawl under the platform to
your left, and drop down. There's another gunman here. Head right and jump
up to a ledge with an X-Power-Up under a mounted gun. Drop down a couple
platforms and head left. There's a gunman above and to your left. Drop
down and beat up the gunman below you. Head left. Across the gap is a
heart. Drop down to find another gunman laying in wait. Head right and
down. Guess what! There's another gunman here. Head right a bit. Wait
for the gunman below you to fire his weapon, then drop down and nail him.
Left and down from here is a platform with a mounted gun on the right side.
Up and to your left is an X-Power-Up. Drop down to find another gunman.
Dispatch this guy, then proceed right and down. A heart is to your left.
Head right and deal with yet another gun-toting thug. Jump on the elevator
platform, avoiding the mounted guns as best you can, and jump up and to
your left to land on a platform above with an X-Power-Up. Head up and right
to enter an area with a heart. Keep going up as far as you can go,
getting rid of the myriad gunmen along the way. A heart is concealed on a
small ledge at the upper left corner of this area. Proceed right, across
some platforms with patrolling gunmen. There's an X-Power-Up here. Across
two more platforms is a ledge with a heart. Drop down, head left, and drop
down as far as you can go. Deal with a gunman at the bottom and head left
to meet another. Above you is an extraneous area with a heart and two
X-Power-Ups. It might be worth exploring if you need the stuff.
Otherwise, drop down to a platform above a gunman. Head right and drop
down. Nail the gunman here and snatch the heart to your right if you need
it. Drop down a couple platforms. There are a lot of gunmen in this area.
At the lower left corner of the area is an X-Power-Up. From there, head
right, plowing through a gunman for a heart. Get on the platform above and
head right, dropping down to the ground floor once more. Head right and
deal with an advancing gunman.
Across a platform, jump over to a ledge and fight a gunman at close quarters.
Be aggressive in this area, as we will only be finding one more heart before
the boss. Above and to your left is a platform with another gunman. Get up
there and deal with him fast. Head left until you see a mounted gun above
you. Go up to the platform above, slinking between the gun's rapid shots,
and proceed right. Crouch as you approach a ledge here, and take out the
gunman there. Proceed up and to your left, dusting another gunman. To your
left is an X-Power-Up. Head up and right for another gunman. Above you is
the last gunman. Get up there and take him out.
We're almost there. Go up as far as you can go for a heart and X-Power-Up.
Drop back down and head left to find a downward shaft. Ride the elevator
platform down through the firing mounted guns, then ride another elevator
up. Get on the top of the pillar and wait for the third elevator. At the
bottom of the third shaft, drop down, crawl under the platform on your left,
and drop down to the floor of the boss chamber.
Exodus
======
This guy looks tough, but he's only dangerous if you make a lot of wrong
moves. He floats in midair, firing lasers in every direction. He'll fire
off his lasers, then move diagonally to his left or right, then fire the
lasers again, and so on. Because Jean Grey and Storm are pretty much the
same person, Jean could easily take this guy.
Versus Bishop
=============
Guess what! Exodus ain't the smartest of villains. His lasers are of the
absorbable persuasion. Yep, that's right! Time to have some fun. Let him
have a taste of your gun, but don't use up all of your power. When your
power gets low, stand there and let Exodork shoot you until you have enough
power to go at him again. Just don't let him run into you. Bishop redeems
himself! He's nigh invulnerable here.
Versus Wolverine
================
About as easy as Bishop's cakewalk. Get in character. You're Wolverine!
Get up close and claw this guy to death. Lasers shmasers. Who cares! Be
ultra-aggressive. It'll be over before you know it. When he moves above
you, position yourself so that you won't get hit by his diagonal laser.
Back off when he moves up and away from you. Follow his movements and get
up in his face whenever he's at floor level or in striking distance.
Wolverine makes quick work of this guy.
Versus Rogue
============
Pretty much the same deal as Wolverine, really. Be aggressive, and don't
worry about taking damage from his lasers. Rogue is the healthiest character
in the game. Another quick victory.
Versus Storm Or Gambit
======================
Fire away when you have a clear shot at him, but remember that this guy
moves around a lot. It's easy to miss (and thus waste some ammo). Same
strategy as Wolverine, except you're attacking at range and have to be
cautious of wasting ammo.
Versus Cyclops
==============
Uber-Moron strikes again. Try not to waste any of your precious ammo. When
you run out of power, you're gonna have to get up close for the wimpy punches,
which makes this battle much more difficult than it should be.
Exodus's Lethality Rating - 2 out of 5
Part 8 - Genosha
================
This level appears as a white building against a forest backdrop on the
level-select screen. You'll see a picture of the Bish-meister before the
game begins. Completing this level rescues Bishop and adds him to your
team.
Genosha is a long, linear, left-to-right level. You'll have frequent
encounters with gunmen. Some of these guys get stunned when you hit them.
Others will keep firing their guns regardless. Falling into pits of water
is hazardous to your health. Nearby some of the pits are hidden areas that
house X-Power-Ups or hearts. If you drop off the ledge and angle toward
the wall, you'll fall into a small cave with a power-up. If the terrain
slants upward and it looks like there might be room for a hidden cave
underneath you, there probably is one. Experiment to find them. Atop most
of the buildings are power-ups. Some power-ups are also in the air above
pillars. Look around to find them all. There are plenty of power-ups here.
This is an easy but long level.
Quick Route
===========
Play as Storm, Jean Grey, or Rogue, and jump up to the roof of the first
building you see. From there, fly across the skyline, always remaining at
roof level. You'll find plenty of X-Power-Ups on rooftops to remain aloft
and fly over all the badness going on below. I usually just play through at
ground level, as it's more fun to beat up all the gunmen.
Fabian Cortez
=============
This guy is probably the second hardest boss in the game. He's on a platform
with a pit to either side, and he'll send out shock waves that push you away
from him. Apparently, his goal is to push you into one of the pits, but
considering how damaging his shock waves are, one has to wonder why he'd
bother with such a convoluted strategy. Don't bother to fly away from him
to pick up a heart you left somewhere back in the terrain you passed through
to get here. Fabian can hit you while you're airborne, regardless of where
you are. Like most boss match-ups, this is a fight to the death. I could
easily see Fabian making life difficult for the Bish-Meister. He makes
life difficult enough for everyone else.
Versus Storm, Jean Grey, Or Gambit
==================================
Fly over Fabian's head and land to his right. If you're Gambit, jump down
to the platform and double jump over him. Unload on him as he moves to the
left side of the platform. When he starts pushing you back with his attack,
just make sure you don't get pushed into the pit to your right. If you're
running out of room, jump or fly over him and attack from the left. Keep
firing away, and you'll get him.
Versus Wolverine Or Rogue
=========================
Our two melee combatants have a problem here. Fabian doesn't like to get all
close and snuggly with you. If you're Rogue, fly over him, land to his
right, and get in as many punches as you can as he steps to the left side of
the platform. As Wolverine, jump down to the platform, double jump over
him, and start clawing away. When he pushes you back, angle your fall so
that you land as close to him as possible. Don't let this guy get away
from you! If he gets distance on you, he'll get in some free attacks while
you're trying to advance. Still, Wolverine can make quick work of this guy
as long as you stay in his face. Rogue can beat him with plenty of health
to spare (I can beat him with four or five health units left).
Versus Cyclops
==============
Everyone's favorite dip is up to his old antics again. Oh, this guy is such
a ham! Jump down to the platform (you take fall damage, no less). Double
jump over Fabian and unload on him as he steps to the left side of the arena.
After your ammo's gone (and it inevitably will be), you're stuck with normal
punches. You're facing the same problem that makes this a somewhat
challenging match for Rogue and Wolverine, but they're both using mutant
powers and all you've got are wimpy punches. A very close match.
Wimp-asaurus barely wins this bout.
Fabian Cortez's Lethality Rating - 4 out of 5
Part 9 - Arctic
===============
This level appears as a frozen glacier on the level-select screen. You'll
see a picture of Gambit before the game begins. Completing this level will
rescue Gambit and add him to your team.
The Arctic is probably the hardest level in this game. There aren't very
many power-ups here, and dangers abound. Staying healthy is a challenge,
even for Rogue. When the most healthy character in the game is having a
rough time of it, you know it's time to leave the wimps at headquarters
(*cough* Cyclops *cough*). Little tank robots crawl along the ground, firing
lasers. Gun-toting psychos ride snowmobiles. And worst of all are this
level's four well-defended fortresses, all armed to the teeth with lethal
cannons. As if all of that weren't enough, the freezing water is hazardous
to your health, and there's lots of it here. The Arctic is a long, difficult,
linear, left-to-right level with no quick route or extraneous areas.
As you start out, drop onto the bridge and take out the little robot (or fly
over him). Jumping over him isn't going to work because he'll just turn
and shoot you as you walk away. Better to get rid of him. Notice how you
slide on the ice. Get a good feel for your momentum on the ice, as it will
be used against you later. Across some ice floes and damaging water, you'll
meet a snowmobile. Dispatch him fast. You need all the health you can
keep, and taking a hit from this guy isn't gonna help. Another bridge and
robot, then another snowmobile, and you're at the first fortress. Head up
onto the platform and quickly get rid of the cannon there. There's another
one above you. Get rid of that, too. Continuing onward, there's another
cannon. If you're playing as Rogue, fly toward these cannons (don't walk!).
Land, crouch, and attack. If you're Bishop, watch your power! Getting
overloaded here is extremely dangerous. Drop down to a platform below and
head right to dispatch another cannon. Go to the left side of the platform
you're on, and drop down (fly if you can). Across the water to your left
is an X-Power-Up. If you can't fly, you're going to take damage on the way
back up. Try your best to get across the water, jumping onto the ice floes
when you can. To your right is a heart. Go back up to the top of the
fortress and proceed right to find another cannon. Drop down and left.
There's a heart under the platform here.
Continuing onward, there's another robot and bridge, and a snowmobile at the
bottom of a steep slope. Keep going and jump on an ice floe to arrive at
the second fortress. Ride the elevator platform up to confront a robot and
cannon at the same time. Be aggressive. There's another cannon on the
other side of the fortress.
As you leave the second fortress, a snowmobile lies in wait. Trek onward
to find two more. Then it's another lake with ice floes to jump (or fly)
across. You'll collect a heart along the way. Across a bridge is yet
another snowmobile. Down a steep slope is the third fortress. At the bottom
of the fortress, head right across an ice floe for an X-Power-Up. There's
a cannon at the top of the fortress, and another one on the other side.
Leaving the third fortress, jump left across the water for another
X-Power-Up. Trekking onward, three bridges lie ahead. Two of them have
robots. The third has an X-Power-Up. There's a snowmobile waiting at the
last fortress. Head up and face off with the mean cannon. There's another
one above you, and another to the right. There's a heart here. Finally,
drop down and take out the last cannon. From here, drop down and fly (press
Button 2 in midair). Fly left across the water for a heart and an
X-Power-Up. Fly back to the right. It's a long flight, but there's another
X-Power-Up before you meet the boss. If you're Bishop, don't bother with
going after the heart and power-up. You'll take damage as you try to cross
the water and get back to solid ground. If you're Wolverine, it might be
worth going after if you're low on power. Wolverine's tough, and he can
pause to heal a bit before the boss encounter.
Siena Blaze
===========
With a name like "Blaze", I'm wondering why this guy is tossing out small
tornadoes. Slide right across the ice to meet him. He'll advance on you
for a while, then he'll stick his chest out and send a whirlwind at you.
The whirlwinds only travel a certain distance, so back off and watch them
disappear behind you. After he sends out a couple whirlwinds, he'll jump
up in the air and try to land on you. This match-up is a simple matter of
avoiding his whirlwinds and not running into him. Gambit could easily put
this guy down.
Versus Wolverine
================
Who cares about whirlwinds? Get up in this dip's face and give him a taste
of the claw! Stand toe to toe with him. When he tries to jump on you,
back off. Then... well, you know what to do. Wolverine strikes again,
walking away with Siena Blaze's head as a trophy.
Versus Rogue
============
The Rogue-inator can make it through the Arctic level with, say, perhaps
four or maybe five health units left. She can't complete this level with
full health, but she doesn't really need it. Punch this guy until you see
him sticking out his chest, then back off from the whirlwind. Keep him in
sight as much as possible, advancing and backing off from the whirlwinds
until he jumps up. When he lands, be nearby and let him have it. As you
near victory, just stand toe to toe with him and get it over with.
Versus Storm Or Jean Grey
=========================
Similar to Rogue's strategy, except you have a ranged attack. Because
you're sliding on the ice, you'll often find yourself sliding close to him.
There's not much difference here between using a melee combatant or ranged
attacker.
Versus Bishop
=============
The Bish-meister falters again. Oh well. It was great being able to absorb
the laser fire from all those mean cannons. After you've run though your
ammo, you're stuck with a Rogue strategy with normal punches. The Bish can
pull this off if he doesn't take too many hits.
Versus Cyclops
==============
Didn't I tell you to leave this moron at headquarters? What's he doing out
here in the forboding Arctic?! This is no place for Wimp-O-Matic! Ah-hem.
If you actually made it through the Arctic level, you're probably low on
both health and power. Cyclops engaging a boss with less than full power is
like a chimp facing off with a T-Rex. Chump is more like it. Nevertheless,
Wimp-asaurus barely scraped by without getting his butt handed to him.
Siena Blaze's Lethality Rating - 3 out of 5
(Wimp-O-Rama brings this rating up by one point by sheer force of his
overpowering wimpiness.)
Part 10 - Egyptian Base Part 1
==============================
Having reunited the team, our heroes set out to confront their enemies and
get the cure for the Legacy Virus. This level appears as an egyptian temple
on the level-select screen. You'll see a picture of Apocalypse before the
game begins.
The Egyptian Base is a maze of catacombs underneath an ancient temple. The
place is infested with mummies who attack at close range with a swirl of
green energy. All of your shooters are safe here, except Bishop, who finds
himself out of his element. With no bullets or lasers to absorb, he has to
find a lot of X-Power-Ups to stay viable. Rogue and Wolverine aren't in much
danger in spite of engaging the mummies at close quarters (remember, Rogue
has a longer reach while crouched, and Wolverine can just heal).
Beds of spikes present a threat to your health. The fliers are absolutely
gorgeous here. I consider it sweet revenge for all those nasty spikes in
games like Sonic 2. The countless lives lost to abundant, evil spikes...
The frustration... Now it's payback time.
Mwahahahaha!!!
Trust me, it's very satisfying. :)
Rescue Cyborg
=============
Er. Anyway. Back to the Egyptian Base. You can get Cyborg here, return to
headquarters, then play this level with him if you want. Here's how. At the
first temple, you'll face some birds. *Shrug* I have no idea what that's
all about. Just get rid of the birds. There's a doorway in the middle of
the temple. Enter it. You'll start to fall. Angle your fall to the left,
and you'll land at the edge of a platform. Above you is the right-hand wall
of a room. Attack this wall several times to destroy it. This is the
only place in the game where the Uber-Wimp earns his keep. Stand under the
wall and aim upward with Cyclops' optic blasts to easily destroy the wall.
Wolverine, Gambit, and Bishop can also do it by double jumping next to the
wall and attacking in midair. Storm can do it too, but Rogue and Jean Grey
cannot. Their midair attacks do not connect with the wall, for some
glitchy reason. After the wall is gone, jump up into the room and proceed
left until you see Cyborg. Walk into him to add him to your team. There
are also two hearts and an X-Power-Up here. Return to headquarters, and
Cyborg is now playable.
This level has a lot of extraneous areas. Explore them at your leisure.
Quick Route
===========
Get rid of the birds at the first temple. There are hearts and power-ups
on the temple roof. Head right across the desert to find a second temple.
There are more birds here, and more power-ups on the temple roof. At the
second temple, enter the doorway in the middle and head right. The thin
floor will disappear when you stand on it. Do so, and drop down to an itty
bitty ledge between two beds of spikes. Head right and drop off the ledge,
angling your fall to the left. You'll land on another ledge below. Follow
this leftward, confront a mummy, and hit the switch in the wall.
Go back to the top where you appeared when you entered the temple doorway.
Proceed down the slanted corridor. Through an opening is an area with a
heart that leads to the left side of the catacombs. Down a bit further is
an opening to an area with two X-Power-Ups. Proceed down the slanted
corridor and drop into the bed of spikes at the bottom (or fly over it).
Get on the small ledge to the left of the spikes and double jump over the
gap (or fly across). There's a mummy to your left. Dispatch him with
normal punches to conserve power. Another mummy guards an X-Power-Up in
the corridor above, but the jump across the spikes here is difficult to
make. Head left until you arrive at a gap. An elevator platform is moving
here. Go down and take care of the mummy on the ground floor. The entrance
to the boss chamber is directly to your right. Jump through the wall to
start the fight.
Apocalypse
==========
Somebody should've told this chump to get a gun or something. He's a melee
combatant, and much like his buddy Shinobi Shaw, he's completely out of his
element. As you enter his chamber, he'll advance on you. Fly or jump over
him. Apocalypse will throw a punch, advance, and throw another punch.
Sometimes, he phases out and disappears. He'll reappear nearby and come
after you again. He's invulnerable while phasing out and reappearing. If
he does hit you, his fist does massive damage.
Versus Wolverine
================
Let's see, we've stood toe to toe with lasers, shock waves, and whirlwinds.
I think we can handle this dork's fist. As always, be aggressive! Teach
this moron to bring a gun the next time.
Versus Rogue
============
She can take a couple hits here and there. Don't be afraid of him. Go after
him with confidence. You are healthy, powerful Rogue. Get up close, crouch,
and punch away for best results. As always, try not to run into him or let
him walk into you. Rogue out-punches a big guy with a big fist, proving
that size doesn't matter.
Versus Storm, Jean Grey, Or Gambit
==================================
It's a mercy killing.
Versus Bishop
=============
Bish! Dude! You're lettin' me down, man! Again! After he runs through
his ammo, the Bish is facing a tough fight. Pick your battles. Get a
couple punches in, then get away from his fist. Hit-n-run.
Versus Cyborg
=============
This guy will also run through his ammo before it's over. For the
remainder of the battle he can stand toe to toe with Apocalypse, and he does
it well.
Versus Cyclops
==============
Why is this dip even here? He's already contributed his one useful talent
to the game (rescuing Cyborg). My advice: leave him at headquarters where
he belongs. If you must, you will run through the ol' ammo and then have
to play the Bish's hit-n-run game to stay alive.
Apocalypse's Lethality Rating - 2 out of 5
(The Bish and Wimp-O-Rama brought this rating up by one point.)
Part 11 - Egyptian Base Part 2
==============================
Exploring deeper in their arch enemies' base of operations, the X-Men meet
this game's hardest boss. This level appears as a ledge, wall with mounted
gun, and sarcophagus on the level-select screen. You'll see a picture of
Sinister before the game begins.
This level is a lethal labyrinth that is filled with all sorts of harmful
things. Mounted guns on the walls fire lasers. Mounted guns on vertical
pillars will descend from the ceiling and sear your flesh with rapid fire.
Spider droids prowl the corridors. Just getting to the boss chamber in one
piece is a gauntlet of challenges. There is no easy or quick route.
Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Lasers galore! Bishop is completely in
the zone here. This is where he belongs, but there's one catch. Do not
under any circumstances allow him to get overloaded. The rest of our
characters all have a moderately difficult time of it here.
For starters, drop down and dispatch the spider droid who's advancing on
you. Head through the crawlspace, taking a hit from a mounted gun in the
process. Jump up and head right. Destroy the mounted gun that descends on
the vertical pillar. These are the only mounted guns here that you can
damage. Jump up to a ledge above where the pillar-gun was (above its
pillar), and double jump (or fly) left, up to another ledge with a heart
and pillar-gun. There's another heart in the air to your right, but you
need to save it for later.
Go back down to where you defeated the first pillar-gun and head right.
Use the elevator platform here to proceed upward through a shaft filled with
indestructable wall-mounted guns. At the top, jump to your right and proceed
up some steps. On the ledge to your left is a heart, but you need to save
it for later. Jump up to the high platform to your right. There's a spider
droid up here. Proceed right and drop down. There's a fire pit to your
right. You can ride a moving platform across the pit, but jumping over to
it is tricky. If you land in the pit, quickly jump across and get to the
other side. By all means, fly across if you're Rogue, Jean, or Storm.
Drop down some steps. At floor level, a spider droid advances from your
right.
Head left and get the X-Power-Up in this area. Drop down some ledges to
land on the floor of a large room. There's a spider droid here. At the
other side of the room, jump up to the platform here and wait for some
small platforms to appear, one at a time. Head left across them. There's
a heart above. You can get it with a double jump. If you don't need it,
save it for later. Head through the opening and into a shaft with ledges.
There's a heart above the left-hand ledge, but you need to save it for later.
Drop down some ledges to land at a junction. You can go left or right from
here. Get rid of the advancing spider droid before making your decision.
You're above the boss chamber right now. To get to it, you can circle
around, down, and under to your left; or around, down, and under to your
right. If you're Bishop, either way works fine. If you're anyone else,
head right. The left path is more treacherous.
Proceed right from the junction and through a crawlspace. A pillar-gun
will fire on you as you crawl through. Get rid of it as soon as you can.
You'll grab a heart and X-Power-Up before arriving at another pillar-gun.
Dispatch it quickly. Down the slope, a spider droid lies in wait. As you
proceed, you'll pass under an opening in the ceiling above. Remember where
this is for later. Drop down into the slanted corridor and make your way
through the gauntlet of wall-mounted guns here. If you're Rogue, Jean, or
Storm, quickly fly through the crawlspaces. Head down to the ground floor.
To your left is a pillar-gun. Get rid of it, then go back right and jump
over a wall-mounted gun to enter a small room with a spider droid and
heart. You should be at or near full health at this point. Go back left,
past the pillar-gun you recently got rid of. An elevator platform will
take you up through a shaft of wall-mounted guns to the boss chamber. Jump
off to the left.
Sinister
========
Here he is, the hardest boss in the game. Sinister is immune to all mutant
powers. Yes, you heard correctly. This limits you to normal, wimpy punches.
Turn off your mutant power, as Rogue's super strength, Wolverine's claws,
and everyone else's ranged attacks are useless here. Sinister attacks with
powerful energy blasts that will make quick work of you as you try in vain
to damage him with your wimpy punches. He also moves around a lot, advancing
and attacking, then backing off a bit, then advancing again. Be fast and
alert, and try hard not to let him run into you.
There are two characters who can stand toe to toe with Sinister. The rest
of the team will find themselves close to defeat about half-way through
the confrontation. That's why we passed up all of those hearts earlier.
Retreat, drop down the left side of the shaft, and explore the level,
grabbing hearts to replenish your much-needed health. The guns are no
longer firing, so you have full run of the place.
On the right-hand path that you took to get here, there's a heart in that
opening in the ceiling that you passed by earlier. There's a heart above
the junction, and another one in the upper left corner of the large room
(if you didn't claim it earlier). There is one heart on the left-hand path
that you didn't take. Explore to find it. If all else fails, there are
two hearts you passed up near the beginning of the level. You'll have to
cross the fire pit to claim them.
With your health back at max (or as close to it as you can get), take the
left path from the junction, going down and around to the opening underneath
the boss chamber. Get up there and try to finish off Sinister. If you take
the right-hand path from the junction, Sinister will be waiting for you
when you jump up into the boss chamber, and you'll take damage from running
into him.
Versus Bishop
=============
Guess what! The Great Bish is nigh invulnerable against this guy! If you
do it right, the Bish will barely take a scratch. Before you go up to
engage Sinister, make sure you're dangerously low on power (one or two
power units). The awesome Bish will absorb Sinister's energy blasts. Be
fast and aggressive on this guy, pounding him with punches. As you near
victory, Bishop will get overloaded, and he'll start taking damage from
Sinister's attacks. The Bish redeems himself here in an awesome way!
Versus Wolverine
================
Another cakewalk. Wolverine can heal on the spot. Make sure he's at full
power before going up to engage Sinister. When your health gets low, just
retreat and jump across to the other side of the chamber where Sinister
can't get you. Extend the claws, heal, go back and finish him off.
Versus Cyborg
=============
These two guys are almost evenly matched. Cyborg can stand toe to toe with
Sinister, and he won't take as much damage as everyone else does. It's a
close match. As you near victory, you'll also be near defeat. Probably
a good idea to retreat and grab some hearts before finishing it off.
Versus Rogue, Jean Grey, Storm, Gambit, Or Cyclops
==================================================
The rest of the team members have to go heart-hunting in order to compete.
All of them can defeat Sinister. Rogue and Jean have a longer reach while
crouched. The rest have a longer reach while standing. Gambit performs
particularly well with his quarterstaff.
Sinister's Lethality Rating - 5 out of 5
Part 12 - Stryfe's Moon Base
============================
Stryfe must be a rich man. He has his own moon base. Pretty impressive.
The X-Mens' quest ends here as they confront the Gamesmaster himself and
put an end to his nefarious plans. This level appears as a green and yellow
platform on the level-select screen. You'll see a picture of Stryfe in his
silver armor before the game begins.
Stryfe's Moon Base is a large spiral. You start at the upper left corner of
the spiral, make your way across to the right, drop down to the bottom floor,
make your way across to the left, ascend to the middle of the left side, and
proceed right again to find the boss chamber in the middle of the spiral.
Scattered about the spiral are myriad platforms of all sizes. They're
patrolled by equally myriad gunmen. Rogue, Jean, and Storm all perform the
best here, as their flying ability comes in handy throughout the level.
On the top corridor of the spiral, there are two basic routes you can take.
Upper and lower. As you start out, try to stay close to the top as often
as possible. Underneath the lower route is an electrocuted floor that will
damage you if you fall in. Soon you'll reach a large gap that you can't
jump across. Wait here for small platforms to start appearing, one at a
time. Use these to get across the gap, then keep going right until you
reach the right-most wall of the level. You'll find plenty of hearts and
X-Power-Ups along the way.
In the right-side corridor of the spiral, you have to drop down until you
reach the floor of the level. There are a lot of gunmen prowling this
area, and you won't get a heart until you reach the bottom. At the lower
right corner of the level is a heart.
In the bottom corridor of the spiral, you can choose from two basic routes.
Upper and lower. Part of the ground floor is electrocuted in areas.
There are plenty of X-Power-Ups and a few hearts in this corridor. At the
lower left corner of the level is a heart.
In the left-side corridor of the spiral, you have to ascend to the top.
There are plenty of hearts and X-Power-Ups on the platforms near the
left-most wall.
Finally, head right through the middle of the spiral. Before you reach the
boss, you'll find a gap in the floor that you have to jump over. If you
fall down, you'll have to traverse the lower corridor and left-side corridor
to get back up. Make sure you have enough clearance to make the jump. Do
a standing jump. If you hit your head on the platform that is almost
directly above you, inch a bit to the right and try again. When you have
enough clearance, proceed across the gap and right a bit further to drop
into the final boss chamber.
Stryfe
======
This guy is Fabian Cortez's distant cousin. As he approaches, he'll jump
over you and land to your left. Then he'll attack with shock waves and try
to push you into the electrocuted pit to your right. He's not as dangerous
as Fabian was. He looks big and tough, but he's pretty easy to beat.
Versus Storm, Jean Grey, Or Gambit
==================================
Pretty much a less lethal version of Fabian Cortez. Just don't get pushed
into the pit. If you find yourself getting pushed toward the edge, jump
or fly over Stryfe. He'll jump over you, land to your left, and resume his
assault. Easy victory.
Versus Wolverine Or Rogue
=========================
Stryfe isn't as problematic as Fabian Cortez. It's much easier to stay
close to him and claw/punch away. Wolverine and Rogue both make quick work
of him.
Versus Bishop Or Cyborg
=======================
Bishop falters here, but Cyborg does well with his stronger health. You'll
run out of ammo, but provided that you entered this contest with full health,
you should be able to nail him with normal punches.
Versus Cyclops
==============
Why is Uber-Wimp here?! I told you, he's already contributed his one useful
ability to the game! (the rescue of Cyborg, which four other characters can
just as easily do)
Stryfe's Lethality Rating - 3 out of 5
Congratulations! The X-Men have vanquished their foes and acquired the
cure for the Legacy Virus.
Part 13 - Afterthoughts
=======================
All said and done, this is an enjoyable game. I gained a new appreciation
for Wolverine here, and the Bish-meister really impressed me with that ace
he's got up his sleeve. Very cool stuff. I find Rogue interesting and
unique. She's a refreshing change from the abundant shooters who are all
so alike. The X-Men could use more characters like her, who bring unique
talents into the mix.
Okay, so we did have a bit of fun at poor Cyclops's expense, but he's a
stand-up guy for grinning and bearing it. I give him props for that (if
nothing else). ;)
Long live the Game Gear! A great portable gaming system.
This guide is copyrighted material and cannot be reproduced in part or in
full without permission from the author.
