<<< WARNING/DISCLAIMER >>> PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS GUIDE/FAQ IS STILL VERY MUCH INCOMPLETE, AND IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REWRITTEN, REVAMPED, REFORMATTED, AND RE-WHATEVER IN THE SMALL AMOUNTS OF FREE TIME THAT I HAVE. *PLEASE* DO NOT E-MAIL ME IF YOU'RE TRYING TO TELL ME THAT I FORGOT TO FINISH SOMETHING - I AM WELL AWARE OF THIS. THANK YOU. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== == MEGA MAN X COMMAND MISSION guide, version 0.6 ================================================ written by Tim | last updated on 10/30/04 >> tim@megaman-network.com :: http://mmxo.megaman-network.com/ ----------------------------------- =============== /SECTION INDEX/ =============== 1. Introduction 2. Controls and Setup 2.1 PlayStation 2 2.2 GameCube 2.3 Abbreviations Key 3. Version Differences 3.1 Mega Man X8 Trial Demo 3.2 Treasure Radar & Tokens 4. EXP/Zenny/Leveling Up 5. Characters 5.1 Playable Characters 5.2 Other Characters 6. Field/Battle Mode 6.1 Exploring Stages 6.2 Random Combat 6.3 Strategy 7. Chapter Walkthroughs 7.1 Hunter Base/New Hope 7.2 Infiltrate Giga City! 7.3 Recapture Central Tower! 7.4 The Paper Hero 7.5 Gaudile Laboratory 7.6 Maverick Hunters Join Forces 7.7 The Meaning of Friendship 7.8 Block Transmissions! 7.9 The Ultimate Weapon 7.10 When Giants Duel 7.11 In the Name of JUSTICE 8. Secret Areas & Enemies 8.1 Second Hypers 8.2 The Eternal Forest 8.3 The Tails Clan 9. Weapons & Items 9.1 Main Weapons 9.2 Sub Weapons 9.3 Key Items 9.4 Field/Battle Items 10. The Sky Room 10.1 Figure Sets 10.2 Sketches 10.3 Data Files 10.4 Posters 10.5 Music 10.6 Video Files 10.7 Customizing 10.8 Game Data 11. Deployment Center 11.1 Deploying to Areas 11.2 Spoils of War 11.3 Mechaniloid List 12. Item Merchants 12.1 Lagrano Ruins Shops 12.2 Central Tower Shops 12.3 Far East HQ Shops 13. Force Metal & FM Generator 14. Secrets and Tips 15. Legal /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ------------------- == 1. INTRODUCTION: =================== Welcome to Mega Man Network's official guide for Mega Man X Command Mission, the first RPG starring the characters from the X series. Use the index above for a handy reference guide, and go to http://mmxo.megaman-network.com/guides/ to find an HTML version of this guide along with guides for the other games in the Mega Man X series. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ------------------------- == 2. CONTROLS AND SETUP: ========================= Mega Man X Command Mission is multi-platformed on both the PlayStation 2 and the GameCube, so naturally the controls for each game differ a bit. Here's a quick rundown on the control schemes for each version and the major and minor points of gameplay. ++ 2.1 PLAYSTATION 2 -------------------- Below is a quick rundown on the controls for the PlayStation 2 version. Left Analog Stick/Control Pad - Move character/cursor, Cycle through menus L1 Button - Zoom Mini-Map in/out (field), Defend (battle) R1 Button - Zoom Mini-Mp in/out (field) L2 Button - Rotate party members (battle) R2 Button - Reset camera behind character (field), AT (battle) Triangle button - Dash (field), Cancel, Open X Menu Circle button - Open/Close Sub Screen (field), Sub Weapon Attack (battle) Square button - Sub Weapon Attack (battle) X button - Investigate/Speak/Select (field), Main Weapon Attack (battle) Right Analog Stick - Move camera (field), Use Cinnamon's AT (battle) Select button - Open Block Map (field) Start button - Pause Menu (field/battle) Other functions: L1+R1+L2+R2+Start+Select = Soft Reset Note: You can assign L1 to various functions from the X Menu via Options Notes: I've played a bit of the GC version, and honestly found the PlayStation version to be better in terms of play control, perhaps because I've mostly played games using the PS2 setup (which, as everyone knows, is an evolved model of the old SNES setup). It comes in particular handy having an extra button available for "Defend" as opposed to the GCN version where I understand you have to open your X Menu. The Right Analog Stick is also far more workable in using Cinnamon's Action Trigger. Control-wise, however, these are the only things worth picking about. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 2.2 GAMECUBE --------------- Below is a quick rundown on the controls for the GameCube version. L Button - Reset camera behind character (field), Rotate party members (battle) R Button - Reset camera behind character (field), Action Trigger (battle) START/PAUSE - Pause (battle) Z Button - Zoom Mini-Map in/out, Open X Menu (field) Y Button - Open/close Sub Screen, Fire Sub Weapon Y (battle) X Button - Open Block Menu (field), Fire Sub Weapon X (battle) A Button - Select, Examine, Speak, Fire Main Weapon (battle) B Button - Cancel, Dash (field), Open X Menu (Battle) Control Stick - Move character, cursor + Control Pad - Move cursor C Stick - Move camera (field), Use Cinnamon's Action Trigger (battle) Other functions: START/PAUSE+X+B = Soft Reset Note: You can assign Z to various functions from the X Menu via Options Notes: As stated above, I prefer the PS2 version, but I have that leeway since I own both systems. Those with one or the other, however... Anyway, the GC controller, while an intuitive design, is a tad bit clunky when trying to play certain aspects of this game, particularly Cinnamon and Zero's Action Triggers (the small Control Pad is very unwieldy at times, and the Stick is ... well, let's just say I prefer the increased directional accuracy a D-Pad provides). It's also a bit of a hassle in battle having to open your X Menu to use Defend when the PS2 version provides you the option of assigning it to a single but- ton (well, you can in the GC version as well, but I understand it involves sacrificing Z to open your X Menu, or something). Aside from these bits and pieces, though, there aren't any other major control problems. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 2.3 ABBREVIATIONS KEY ------------------------ Throughout the course of this guide, many abbreviations and acronyms will be used to denote various aspects of the game. Below is the short list of the major and minor terms. LE - Life Energy WE - Weapon Energy EXP - EXperience Points AT - Action Trigger DEF - Defense PWR - Power ARM - Armor SHL - Shield SPD - Speed DOA - Death on Arrival (means attack dealing instant kill) FS - Final Strike /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// -------------------------- == 3. VERSION DIFFERENCES: ========================== Apart from the simple control scheme differences, Capcom has once again made parts of the titles different from each other. The main draw of the PS2 version is that it contains an unlockable Mega Man X8 demo (which is very good, by the way). The GameCube one, on the other hand, contains GBA to GCN connectivity so you can use your GBA as an extra radar to hunt out "Treasure Tokens" which you can use at another vending machine to purchase six extra sets of figures (72 tokens in all). ++ 3.1 MEGA MAN X8 TRIAL DEMO ----------------------------- As will be pointed out in more detail later on in the walkthrough, the special X8 Trial Demo can be found in the PS2 version pretty much near the beginning of Chapter 2. In fact, you'd almost be blind to miss it. Once you pick it up, the option will be available via your Main Menu. == DEMO CONTROLS: ================= Left Analog Stick/Control Pad - Move character/Aim (Axl) L1/L2 Button - Character change/Rescue Change R1/R2 Button - Double Team Attack Triangle Button - (Not Used) Circle - Dash/Select Item Square - Attack X - Jump Right Analog Stick - (Not Used) Select Button - (Not Used) Start Buton - Start Game/Pause == SHORT WALKTHROUGH: ===================== The demo itself is fairly straightforward. You'll begin as X in the lush forest intro stage. Move along defeating the enemies and picking up the metals that they drop. Eventually, you'll reach the first boss. Spinning Clawbot, Phase 1 ========================= As X, jump the first set of three shots and work on firing charged shots at the thing's head. When it starts moving backwards, get in close so the oncoming claw attack doesn't get you (if it does, hit L1 or L2 to perform Rescue Change). Five charged shots to the head will bring it down. When the boss is beaten, continue to the right to trigger a dialogue sequence, after which you'll control Axl. He can hover in the air and shoot in multiple directions; use this to your advantage as you avoid the enemies in the area. Fly across the pit, defeat the missile-firing enemies, and proceed to the stone gate. Head inside and hang out as far left as you can to blow away all the bats as they come down (one of them will force you to fire upwards). When you've taken them all out, exit the room and you'll meet Zero. Zero has his trademark triple slash and double-jump to aid him in combat. From the start, jump to the area above you to grab some crystals, then switch back to Axl (it makes the next fight easier). Fall off the edge to enter the fight. Spinning Clawbot, Phase 2 ========================= The mechaniloid attacks from behind a waterfall this time, and can be a great deal more difficult. First, it'll deploy two small mechaniloids. You can des- troy both of them and work on dodging the boss' remaining attacks (try and use Double Attack with R2 when it's head emerges from the water), or take the cheap route. Destroy one of the mechaniloids and just keep hopping over the remaining one while staying directly underneath the boss. When its head emerges from the water, have Axl stand still and rapidly fire straight up to cause damage. Do this multiple times to defeat it. Head to the right to trigger another dialogue sequence, after which you'll be left in control of Zero again. Keep going to the right to fight a host of small Mettaurs, weird giant mechaniloids, and Bladeys. Eventually, you'll reach a vertical area. Use your double jump to get up, and fight the large Bee at the top. Go forward and enter the next door to engage in another bee-slashing fest. After this, you'll take control of X again. Have X destroy the next group of enemies by charging his X-Buster. When you can't go any further, switch to Zero and slash the switch in front of you. Double jump up to clear the compressor section. Head right and double jump to the area above you. Clear the enemies and hit the next switch, then drop back down and collect the full-life refill. Then enter the door to reach another dialogue sequence. Go in as X, but have your trigger finger ready to switch to Zero. Spinning Clawbot, Phase 3 ========================= Use Zero and lure the Clawbot over to you. Slash like mad to weaken its shield, and wait for the boss to "lunge" at you. At this point, either jump-slash with Zero, or switch to X and fire a quick charge shot at the head. Rinse and repeat until dead, or try Double Attack if you feel like it (it'll take out half the boss' life meter). After you defeat the boss, you'll complete the demo. No special reward or any- thing, just a "MISSION EXECUTE!" screen, then back to the X8 demo title screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 3.2 TREASURE RADAR/TREASURE TOKENS ------------------------------------ GAAH I DON'T HAVE THE GCN VERSION, AND NONE OF MY STAFFERS WANT TO BE COOL AND WRITE THIS SECTION! /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ---------------------------- == 4. EXP/ZENNY/LEVELING UP: ============================ Every RPG usually has some system of leveling up your characters (often done by fighting enemies to gain EXP, or Experience Points). Increasing EXP in turn allows more abilities to be used, more powerful weapons, and most importantly, more LE (Life Energy). At first, characters level up quite easily, but they get increasingly tougher to do so as the game progresses. A tip for gaining easy EXP is to either spend inordinate amounts of time in a particular level you haven't completed (you will always get the highest amounts in the last level you were in or the mission you're currently on), or visit the Shopping Arcade to travel to the area you completed last. Additionally, by the time you're a decent way into the game, you'll be distributing gained EXP amongst six to seven characters. So you can gain 1900 EXP in a fight and each character will only get about 300 (give or take...) Zenny is the currency you use. It first appeared in Mega Man Legends, and then appeared later in Mega Man Battle Network. Since MMXCM makes use of item shops, X and the crew obviously have to have money to spend. So enters Zenny into the realm of Mega Man X. You'll gain zenny from just about every boss battle, and if you build up enough, you can get some really nice items (just be aware that the really spiffy weapons cost a fortune - like X's Turbo Buster). You'll also gain quite a bit from defeating chapter bosses, but you can also gain insane amounts once you reach Chapter 6 by hunting out the Gold Mettaurs and using Marino's Zenny+ move. In typical RPGs, leveling up allows for more magic to be cast as "spells". Since this is a Mega Man game, it really relies on no such form of magic; instead, a combination of WE and other ability deterrents are used. Virus, the most prominent one, causes damage to the character every time they attack. There are other negative status effects, such as Bind, Blind, Anti-lock, etc. Upgraded attacks, which would usually consist of magic in other RPGs like Final Fantasy, are coordinated via a WE meter. As it increases, the power of your attacks increases as well. Once you get past 50%, you enable a special move called "Action Trigger". Additionally, each character has a special Hyper Mode which increases their stats and gives them a new armor for a set number of rounds (up to 9). More information on each of the characters' unique attacks is given in the section below. Combining shrewd use of your Action Triggers and Hyper Modes is a key to victory, as this game places heavy emphasis on attack strategy. You may get lucky, but you won't get terribly far just relying on "guns blazin'" techniques. So all in all, Command Mission operates like a typical RPG without some of the "standard fare" such as spells and magic. As explained above, the Action Trig- gers and Hyper Modes more than compensate for this. And now, a description of each of the party members you'll be using on your quest. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ----------------- == 5. CHARACTERS: ================= RPGs by nature have many characters in them, and Command Mission is certainly no exception. It quite possibly has the largest number of new "main" characters than any previous Mega Man X title (who am I kidding? Of course it does). This section will give a brief introduction to the major players in the game (excluding the bosses and the Rebellion Cadres - I don't feel like writing biographical info on them here.http://mmxo.megaman-network.com/charbios/ will eventually have character biographies written up, however. ++ 5.1 PLAYABLE CHARACTERS ========================== You have a total of seven playable characters to use in battles throughout the game, but you must find and befriend them as you progress. You have only X at the start (and Zero for the latter part of the chapter), but after that you're on your own - until the end of Chapter 2, at which point Spider will decide to hang with you. After that, Massimo will join in Chapter 3, Marino in Chapter 4 (Cinnamon joins at the end of 4), Axl will join in Chapter 5, and Zero will join again, then leave again (...), finally joining you full-time halfway through Chapter 6. Below is a listing of the characters, basic statistical information, and notes on their weapons and attacks. Key: - Available: When you can use them in the game - Weapon of Choice: Their starting weapon - Description: Short character info file - Hyper Modes: Descriptions of characters' Hyper Modes - Action Triggers: Info on their upgraded attacks MEGA MAN X == ============== - AVAILABLE: Chapters 1-10. - WEAPON OF CHOICE: X-Buster (refer to Section 9: Weapons & Items for a com- plete list of available weapons for X). - DESCRIPTION: X is the leader of Maverick Hunter unit 17, and a special S- Class Hunter to boot. Though he sometimes disagrees with the methods, he knows that his duty is to defeat the Mavericks, and he does so with distinct- ion. - HYPER MODES: X has two available Hyper Mode attacks. The first one, X Fire, is available from the start. With this attack, X equips a set of heavy armor with a clawed appendage on his Buster. The higher his WE when he attacks, the more powerful the chosen attack will be. His second Hyper Mode, the Ultimate Armor, is gained by defeating Rafflesian in the Tianna Prison. - ACTION TRIGGERS: X has three available Action Trigger attacks. The first one is his normal Charge Shot. This attack charges up energy and releases it in a wide spread attack that hits all enemies. His second Action Trigger, the Charge Collider, is activated in X Fire mode. This is a power-dashing attack where X uses his clawed Buster to discharge vicious amounts of energy into his chosen enemy. His third Action Trigger, the Nova Strike, is activated when the Ultimate Armor is in use. This powerful attack targets all enemies on screen and unleashes the approximate equivalent of a thermonuclear blast in terms of raw damage. ZERO == ======= - AVAILABLE: Chapter 1 Boss, Chapter 5 Boss, Chapters 6 (after Shadow) -10 Chapter 6 Boss, Chapters 7-10 - WEAPON OF CHOICE: Z-Saber (refer to Section 9: Weapons & Items for a com- plete list of available weapons for Zero). - DESCRIPTION: Zero is a powerful S-Class Maverick Hunter who leads Special Forces Unit 0. He's a relaxed Hunter who always approaches situations with a cool, collected demeanor. Despite having lost friends close to him in the past, he's only grown stronger as he's vowed to fight harder for justice each time. - HYPER MODES: Like X, Zero has two available Hyper Modes. His first one, Black Zero, gives him heavy black armor and nearly doubles the amount of damage he can inflict. His defense is increased in this mode. His second one, Absolute Zero, is gained by defeating the hidden boss, Duckbill Mole, in the Melda Ore Plant. This powerful attack transforms Zero into a hovering... thing that resembles Bass merged with Treble, and allows him to use powerful melee strike moves. - ACTION TRIGGERS: Zero has two Action Triggers available. His first Trigger, Command Arts, is available in normal or Black Zero modes, and enables Zero to use powerful attacks based on a series of button combinations. Initially, this Action Trigger has three attacks available, but you gain another attack after inputting 300 successful commands, and the fifth after inputting 999 successful cOmmands. Below is a list of the available Command Arts attacks: • ZERO SLASH - 1-hit slash for every command input. PS2: Down-Right-X GCN: Down-Right-A • ZERO BREAKTHROUGH - 1-hit forward-thrust attack for every command input. PS2: Down-Down+Left-Left-X GCN: Down-Down+Left-Left-A • ZERO DRAGON SLASH - 1-hit rising slash for every command input. PS2: Right-Down-Down+Right-X GCN: Right-Down-Down+Right-A • ZERO WAVE SLASH - 1-hit diving strike @ 200% powwr for every command input. PS2: Right-Down+Right-Down+Left-Right-X GCN: Right-Down+Right-Down+Left-Right-A • ZERO SKULL CRUSH - Guaranteed Critical Strike for every command input. PS2: Right-Down+Right-Down-Down+Left-Left-Up+Left-Up-X GCN: Right-Down+Right-Down-Down+Left-Left-Up+Left-Up-A His second Action Trigger, Calamitous Arts, is activated by using Absolute Zero mode. BEWARE of this one in certain cases as it is Water-elemental, and will heal any Water-element bosses (like Silver Horn, or Incentas in water- phase). This time, short one or two button combos will randomly appear on the screen, and Zero will activate powerful striking moves based on the combin- ation used (the commands listed below are listed as PS2|GCN in terms of buttons): • X|A - Zero executes a left or right-hand power kick. • D-Button+Square|Y - Zero executes a left-handed strike. • D-Button+Circle|X - Zero executes a right-handed strike. • Square+Circle|X+Y - Zero executes a somersaulting Critical Strike. AXL == ====== - AVAILABLE: Chapters 5-10 - WEAPON OF CHOICE: Axl Bullets (refer to Section 9: Weapons & Items for a complete list of available weapons for Axl). - DESCRIPTION: Axl was once a member of the Red Alert bounty hunting organi- zation, but joined the Maverick Hunters and has risen through the ranks to become a highly-skilled S-Class Hunter. He carefully balances his youthful optimism with controlled aggression. He has traveled to Giga City alone under the pretense of discovering the secret behind his creation. - HYPER MODE: Axl's only Hyper Mode is the Stealth Form, which lets him turn invisible and thus invincible to any attacks. Combined with the Sub Weapon, Bait, this Hyper Mode can be extremely valuable. - ACTION TRIGGER: Axl has a single Action Trigger, but it has multiple var0 iations of the attacks. His powerful DNA Change upgrades each time a boss is defeated. By inputting (sometimes rather complex) button combinations, Axl can transform into a defeated boss and mimic its attacks. However, if your button combo ends up at a blank line (for an undefeated boss), Axl will merely shoot the enemy and deal less-than-impressive damage. Below is a list of the available attacks: • WILD JANGO - Divebomb targeted enemy with Rolling Assault attack. PS2: X-O-X-X-Triangle-Triangle-X-Square-Triangle-X GCN: A-X-A-A-B-Y-B-A • MAD NAUTILUS - Uses Mad Cocktail attack to induce random status effects. PS2: X-Square-Square-O-O-X-O-O GCN: A-X-B-X-X-A-X-X • INCENTAS - Hits all enemies 2x with Asura Knuckle. PS2: X-O-X-X-Triangle-X-O-Triangle GCN: A-X-A-A-B-A-Y-B • RAFFLESIAN - Hits all enemies with Sunburst (10x hits; 200 damage per hit). PS2: X-O-Square-O-O-X-Square-Square GCN: A-X-A-A-X-Y-Y-Y • NINETAILS - Hits 1 enemy with Nine Fragments (9 hits; 999 damage per hit). PS2: X-O-X-O-O-Square-X-X GCN: A-X-B-X-B-Y-A-A • DEPTH DRAGOON - Hits all enemies 1x with Thunder Brigade attack. PS2: X-O-Triangle-X-Square-X-Triangle-Triangle GCN: A-Y-X-A-Y-A-B-B • MACH JENTRA - Hits all enemies 1x with Flames of Gehenna. PS2: X-O-Triangle-X-Square-Square-O-O GCN: A-X-B-Y-Y-Y-X-X • SILVER HORN - Sweeps all enemies away with Tidal Wave. PS2: X-Square-Circle-Square-Triangle-X-Square-X GCN: A-Y-X-Y-B-A-Y-A SPIDER == ========= - AVAILABLE: Chapters 2-6 - WEAPON OF CHOICE: King of Clubs (refer to Section 9: Weapons & Items for a complete list of available weapons for Spider). - DESCRIPTION: An off-putting and often selfish bounty hunter, Spider is never- theless a valuable friend in times of crisis. He puts aside his opportunities for personal gain to fight for the right cause. - HYPER MODE: Spider has only one Hyper Mode, Trickstar, and it acts pretty much like Axl's in that it renders him invulnerable to attacks. Obviously it becomes somewhat useless once Axl joins the party. - ACTION TRIGGER: Spider's Action Trigger, Fortune Card, involves a quick game of 5-Card Draw Poker, but due to its randomness, isn't nearly as useful as some of the other ATs. You are given 5 cards to start (the higher your WE, the better your hand is). Use D-Buttons to select cards to take out, and use R2 (PS2) or R (GCN) to exchange those for new cards. The important thing here is to know how to play. There are 13 ranks in a full deck, for instance, all Jacks is one rank. A suit is a type of card (Club, Spade, Heart, Diamond). A low card is anything between 2 and 9; a high card is a 10, Jack, Queen, King, or Ace (Spider can also draw a Joker card, which randomizes the result re- gardless of your hand. Below is a list of the hands Spider can draw, the required cards, and the outcome of each hand: • FUMBLE - 80% chance of Miss/20% chance of Critical Strike. (Any 5 cards not adding up to any one of the below hands) • PAIR - 2-hit atk on 1x enemy at 50% damage. (Any 2 cards of the same rank; i.e. 2x Kings) • TWO PAIR - 2-hit atk on 1x enemy; last hit 50% chance of Critical Strike. (2 cards of one suit & 2 cards of another; i.e. 2x Kings and 2x Jacks) • TRI CARD - 3-hit atk on 1x enemy with Fire, Water, and Thunder cards. (Any 3 cards of the same rank; i.e. 3x Queens) • STRAIGHT - 5-hit atk on 1x enemy; last hit guaranteed Critical Strike. (Any 5 cards in numerical sequence; i.e. 2/3/4/5/6) • FLUSH - Hits all enemies 1x for Blind effect. (Any 5 cards of the same suit; i.e. 2/J/7/4/Q of Diamonds) • DEATH HOUSE - Hits all enemies for high chance of DOA. (A Pair and a Tri Card in a single hand; i.e. J/J/J/K/K) • FOUR PENALTY - Hits all enemies 1x for 25% drop in all stats. (Any 4 cards of the same suit; i.e. J/7/4/A/6 of Spades) • STRAIGHT FLUSH - Hits all enemies 3x; last hit guaranteed Critical Strike. (5 sequential cards of the same suit; i.e. 7/8/9/10/J of Hearts) • RSF (ROYAL STRAIGHT FLUSH) - Hits all with 300% attack; high chance of DOA. (10/J/Q/K/A of Spades; any other suit *might* work) STEEL MASSIMO == ================ - AVAILABLE: Chapters 3-10 - WEAPON OF CHOICE: Massive Lance (refer to Section 9: Weapons & Items for a complete list of available weapons for Massimo). - DESCRIPTION: Massimo isn't the "real" Massimo as you'll learn, but that matters not to the Resistance. Though he's cowardly inside that tough armor, his resolve for defeating evil rivals that of X and Zero. - HYPER MODE: Massimo has one Hyper Mode, the Glint Armor. Like most of the other characters, this simply gives him special armor which drastically in- creases the power of his attacks. With this one, he gains a shiny gold armor and his chances of striking aerial enemies is improved, I think. - ACTION TRIGGER: Massimo's initial Action Trigger, Berserk Charge, isn't very powerful. When you activate it, it goes to a screen where you have to literally mash buttons (the one you're supposed to use is listed at the top of each of the columns. You can initially use two levels of power, one to power your beam up and the second to induce random status effects, like virus, anti-lock, etc. If you inflict 3000 LE of damage with it, you'll gain the third level, which ups your chances of scoring a critical blow to 80%. After scoring 10,000 LE of damage in a single attack with it*, you'll gain the fourth level which allows you to strike more times. Naturally, the more WE you have, the more time you have to input the commands. * Achieving 10,000 LE of damage can be a bit tough, but you're almost guaran- teed a victory against really any enemy (I did it against a Preon Gunner :P) with this combination: For Sub-Weapons, equip a Generator and a Power Charge, equip the Interceptor for Main Weapon, and equip WE +10 and Power +10 (Power +5 works just as well) in his Force Metal slots. Now build him up to 100% WE, transform into your Glint Armor Hyper, and pound away at the buttons. MARINO == ========= - AVAILABLE: Chapter 4 Boss, Chapters 5-10 - WEAPON OF CHOICE: Beam Knife (refer to Section 9: Weapons & Items for a com- plete list of available weapons for Marino). - DESCRIPTION: Marino is a thief by trade, but still has a strong set of con- victions. She believes in honorable theft (if there is such a thing), and despises crookedness. Marino is always upbeat and never worries. - HYPER MODE: Marino's single Hyper Mode, Quicksilver, is very useful indeed. It rearranges the turn order so that Marino gets consecutive turns for as long as she remains in Hyper Mode. If you have (and are willing to use) Gain Hypers, you can really put some hurt on your opponent with this attack. - ACTION TRIGGER: Marino's Action Trigger is an interesting little piece called the Emotional Reel which acts like a Slots game. The higher your WE when you begin, the slower the reel will go. Your goal is to line up three matching icons to execute various moves. Lining up non-matching icons results in the simple "Marino Stamp", a move that deals minor damage to a single enemy. Here is a list of the other attacks she can use after leveling up all the way. • HYPER DIVE - hits 1x enemy with diving attack at 200% power. (line up three consecutive Boot Icons) • I'LL TAKE THAT! - hits 1x enemy for guaranteed Item Steal. (line up three consecutive Treasure Chest Icons) • YOUR LIFE, PLEASE! - hits 1x enemy and steals LE equal to enemy's damage. (line up three consecutive Heart Icons) • SCATTERED FLOWER - hits 1x enemy 3x for guaranteed CS/high chance of DOA. (line up three consecutive Reaper Icons) • MIRAGE DIVE - hits all enemies with diving attack at 250% power. (line up thre consecutive Marino Icons) CINNAMON == =========== - AVAILABLE: Chapters 5-10 - WEAPON OF CHOICE: Angel's Hand (refer to Section 9: Weapons & Items for a complete list of available weapons for Cinnamon). - DESCRIPTION: She's a warm-hearted nurse Reploid who regards Dr. Gaudile as her "father". Lovingly cared in his lab her entire life, she's rather out of touch with the world. Even though she's independent and goes her own way, her inner core is solid. - HYPER MODE: Cinnamon may not look like much, but her Iron Maiden Hyper is not something to shy away from. Not only does it dramatically boost stats and give her the ability to inflict loads of damage, when combined with the Kitty Gloves and a relatively high level (22+), there isn't much that will stand up to her 5,000-10,000 LE power attack. - ACTION TRIGGER: If used properly (or exploited, either one), Cinnamon can act as something of a permanent Sub Tank. Her AT, Angelic Aide, levels up based on her level, so keep using her for a while to gain its full potential. To use it, you must rotate the Right Analog Stick or C-Stick to create hearts. The greater the number you create, the more Cinnamon will heal the party. She can create a total of 10 hearts, with the final one being one in the middle with her face. If you get this one, it's a guaranteed MAX health restore for all members. ================== /OTHER CHARACTERS/ ================== There are hundreds of NPCs (non-player characters) in the game, the vast maj- ority of which are fairly nonessential to the plotline (you know, those oh-so- intriguing ones such as "Girl Who Dreams of Zero" and "Boy Who Wants to be a Maverick Hunter". Whee. Anyway, this section will go over the major NPCs and their roles. So without further adeiu... COLONEL REDIPS == ================= The Colonel is the commander who sent X, Zero, and Shadow to Giga City. After Shadow's betrayal, he has remained in contact with X and the Resistance Army, issuing commands from the Federation HQ. AILE == ======= Aile is a commander in the Resistance Army who sacrifices himself to save X. Before giving up his life, he entrusts X with his personal ID, which X uses to rescue the Resistance commander, Chief R. CHIEF R == ========== Chief R is the leader of the Resistance Army who was captured by the Rebellion Forces. He is being held captive by one of the Rebellion Cadres, Wild Jango, near the Central Tower control facility. NANA == ======= Nana is a skilled operator who was kidnapped and is being held prisoner at the Tianna Camp. It's up to X and his friends to rescue her from the malevolent Silver Horn. PROFESSOR GAUDILE == ==================== Dr. Gaudile is the "father" of Cinnamon, and he hides in a remote laboratory. He refuses to help either the Rebellion or the Resistance because of his be- liefs about war, but the Rebellion doesn't intend to let him sit idly by for long... /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ------------------------ == 6. FIELD/BATTLE MODE: ======================== There are two main modes of gameplay within Command Mission. The first one, Field Mode, is what you do when you're not fighting, obviously. This is the part of the game where X just wanders around working towards some goal that will eventually lead him and the party to the stage boss. Battle Mode is, well, the battles of the game. Both are detailed below. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 6.1 THE GAME FLOW -------------------- As you progress through the game, there is a certain flow, or order of events that you go through. They include: • Hunter Base - this is your base of operations; you begin (almost) every stage from this central location by speaking with Nana (once you rescue her). • The Stages - there are 10 stages, or chapters, that you must clear. They are chock-full of enemies and traps that obstruct your progress. Clear these and go on to battle. • Battle - this occurs either randomly or against a boss character. The in- stage battles will occur usually at random, though in many areas there are preset enemy battles. When you fight the boss, you'll be able to use multiple characters to assist you. • Experience - when you win a battle, you gain EXP that will increase the power of your characters and allow you to customize them. • Deployment - starting with Chapter 4, you can recover deactivated mechanil- oids and use them in optional missions to recover more items. • The Sky Room - go here to check up on the special items you've acquired from deployment missions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 6.1 FIELD AND SUB SCREEN --------------------------- The Field Screen displays current location, items, and other information. • Your character is always in the center of the Field Screen. • Check the map to find location in the stage. Be on the lookout of little blue dots on the radar map; these are the various items you need to obtain. • Press the Select/X button to view the Block Map. • Press the Circle/Y button to open the Sub Screen. [Screenshot of the Sub Screen is shown, with labels to important parts] - Command Menu - Sub Tank Meter - Zenny - Unit Cards SUB SCREEN ELEMENTS • COMMAND MENU -- Here you can select the following commands: - SUB TANK: Each Sub Tank holds 100% of your character's Life Energy (LE). The Sub Tanks's contents are consumed when you regenerate LE, and restored when you return to Hunter Base. You can get more Sub Tanks from your Carry Items. Collect four to obtain one Sub Tank Part. - ITEMS: This command uses your items. Press the L1 or R1 button to cycle through CONSUME ITEM, MAIN WEAPON, SUB WEAPON, FORCE METAL, and KEY ITEMS. - EQUIP WEAPON: This equips the Main Weapon and Sub Weapon. Select an equipped weapon and then select from the the other available weapons on the list. Con- firm the switch by checking the Ability Points Window. - FORCE METAL: This equips Force Metal, a metal alloy with mysterious powers. When equipped, it significantly increases a character's abilities. However, the stronger the Force Metal, the greater the burden on the user, so equip] Force Metals with care. - FMG: Use FMG (Force Metal Generator) to refine Force Metal. You can only do this after befriending Cinnamon. Sometimes unknown Force Metals will be re- fined...! - STATUS: Check here to confirm each character's status, level, ability, current status, equipment, attributes, etc. (See page 10 for more details.) - FORMATION: Use this to change the turn lineup of your party, substituting an alternate member for the in-battle character. - OPTIONS: Change game options. (See page 6 for information.) - HELP: Stuck? Try this. • SUB TANK METER - remaining LE (Life Energy) in the Sub Tank. • ZENNY - Your cash on hand. • UNIT CARDS - Check the status of X and friends. • DATA - Displays a brief explanation of the selected item. • FME - (not shown) Force Metal Energy. It displays points used to refine Force Metals. STATUS You can check the following abilities and levels for each character in the Sub Screen's Status Window: • LV - The level of the character's strength. The higher the level, the higher the character's ability. • LE - The Life Energy that moves the character. If LE drops to zero, the charac- ter is unable to mvoe. A character's LE is stored in Sub Tanks. When the charac- ter moves up one level, the LE is regenerated. • WE - This is Weapon Energy, required for using a skill or technique (up to 100%). It is regenerated every time the character's turn comes around in battle. In a battle, the WE Regenerative Amount is determined by the WE Gain. • ABILITY - The character's ability level changes depending on the weapon, Force Metal, or LV. The higher the level, the more usefule ach one will be. - POWER: Increases damage inflicted on the enemy. - ARMOR: Lowers damage from hand-to-hand attacks. - SHIELD: Lowers damage from shooting attacks. - SPEED: Speeds up the action turns in mid-battle. • ATTRIBUTES - The higher the level of the attribute, the higher the level of res- istance against attacks that have that attribute. - FIRE: Level of resistance against fire attacks. - WATER: Level of resistance against water and water attacks. - THUNDER: Level of resistance against electric attacks. • EXP - Shows a character's required/acquired Experience Points. The character must gain the required number in order to move up one level. You collect EXP by defeating enemies. In the Status Window, press the R2 button to switch between Hyper Mode Number dis- plays. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 6.2 BATTLE SCREEN -------------------- When you encounter an enemy, you automatically switch to the Battle Screen. • TARGET CURSOR - Shows the attack target. • FS METER - (Not shown.) Shows conditions for initiating a Final Strike. • DATA COCKPIT - Shows the in-battle character's status. LE is Life Energy, the character's physical power. When this drops to zero, the character can no longer fight. WE is Weapon Energy, which fluctuates between 0%-100%. • COMMAND NAVI - Shows attack button controls. (See page 12.) • ACTION CURSOR - Appears above the currently active cursor. • X ORDERS - Show the X Order and Battle Status for each character in real time. (See page 13.) Press the Triangle BUTTON during battle to open the X Menu. (See page 12.) FINAL STRIKE • WHAT IT IS - Final Strike (FS) is an incredible attack that three characters to- gether can perform with powerful special weapons. - When you press the X button, three characters can simultaneously execute a continuous attack with the main weapon! - By pressing the Circle and Square buttons simultaneously, you can use the pow- erful Micro Missile to make an overall attack. • HOW TO GET IT - If in one turn you manage to decrease your enemy's physical power by 75%, you'll receive a Final Strike as a bonus turn! For example, when your enemy's remaining LE is at 80%, if you can reduce the meter to 20% (the meter turns orange) in one turn, you'll summon the power of FS! - You must have three battle members together to start up FS. - You cannot use FS if your command input is affected by a Berserk or Freeze condition. - FS can only be used one time per character in a single battle. • FS METER - On the Battle Screen, this shows the enemy's remaining LE as a full meter (100%). If in one attack you manage to decrease the meter to the orange level, you'll be able to set FS in motion. Completely destroy all enemies at once! • FS TIME LIMIT DISPLAY - WHen you get a Final Strike opportunity, you have 3 sec- onds to signal your acceptance by pressing the FS Startup button. The FS Time Limit Display then appears and you can initiate your FS. Once the meter is dep- leted, the FS is over. (See below for more information.) COMMAND NAVI On the Battle Screen, the Command Navi shows the button controls and actions you can perform. • SUB WEAPON ATTACKS - Using a Sub Weapon (default Square and Circle buttons) consumes WE and ends your turn. The COmmand Navi shows the Sub Weapon technique name and WE consumption. • ACTION TRIGGER - This special weapon (default R2 button) is different for each character (see page 14). Using the Action Trigger consumes WE and ends your turn. You cannot use the Action Trigger when your WE is at less than 50%. • X MENU - Use the Triangle button (default) to open the X Menu and using its commands: - SUB TANK: Use a Sub Tank to regenerate your LE. Once you use it, your charac- ter's turn is finished. - ITEMS: Use certain items. - DEFENSE: Cut an enemy's attack by 75% for that turn. This commadn also fully protects against abnormal circumstances. - HYPER MODE: Lets you battle with all the character's abilities powered up. Hyper Mode is limited; after a certain period of time it will wear off. You can turn Hyper Mode off manually with the Cool Down command. Regenerate a charac- ter's Hyper Mode usage time by resting at Hunter Base or increasing a level. - RUN: Retreat before you're defeated! • MAIN WEAPON ATTACK/FS STARTUP - Use the X button (default) to attack with your Main Weapon and end your turn. To start up a Final Strike, press the X button during the 3 seconds allowed for acceptance input. A Final Strike meter will appear and you can initiate your FS. X ORDERS Check this section of the Battle Screen to see the X Order and Battle Status of each character in real time. This allows you to control each character's action turn. Read the orders horizontally for a forecast of actions that will occur during the next eight turns. Read the meters vertically to see current LE levels. • FACE ICONS - Show the characters who will respond to the orders. • LE LEVELS - Display each character's remaining LE. • CURSOR FRAME - Marks the character currently selected. Each character is allowed one action per turn. SPOILS OF BATTLE Defeating enemies is the way to acquire Zenny, FME, EXP and items. Even if you de- feat only one enemy, you can still gain some of these essentials. ROTATION You can change warriors in mid-battle. If you want to replace a character, press the L2 button at the beginning of that character's turn. You'll then be able to rotate in an alternate character to take the turn. ESCAPE! You can retreat from battle with the RUN command. Until you run away, even if you just defeat one enemy you can acquire battle spoils. However, the Zenny, FME, and EXP will only be 1/4 of what they would be if you had defeated the enemy. ++ 6.1 Exploring Stages ----------------------- Below are some basic topics of information about what makes up the Field Mode of the game. 6.1 Exploring Stages 6.2 Random Combat 6.3 Strategy When on the Field Screen, you use the Control Stick/Left Analog Stick (depend- ing on your console) to navigate around the areas. You can dash around (you have to dash to pick up items), and mostly, it's fairly st blah blah more shit here at some point, copy out of game or some damn thing. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// --------------------------- == 7. CHAPTER WALKTHROUGHS: =========================== Breaking the standard Mega Man formula of choosing your stage order (which, needless to say, wouldn't work too well given the format of Command Mission), the gameplay here is divided up into "chapters" which equate out to stages. There are 10 in all, beginning from your infiltration of the island to the final confrontation, but there is much, much more to do in-between. Leveling your characters up, earning money, buying items, visiting shops, and exploring is all part of what you'll spend time doing throughout the game in-between the missions. The first two are automatically assigned to you; once you regain control of the base, you'll speak to Chief R to take on Chapter 3, and then speak to Nana for all subsequent Chapters (except 10, which is discussed later on). Here's a list of the chapters along with the bosses of each. Chapter 1 - Infiltrate Giga City! (Boss: Hippopressor) Chapter 2 - Recapture Central Tower! (Boss: Wild Jango) Chapter 3 - The Paper Hero (Boss: Silver Horn) Chapter 4 - Gaudile Laboratory (Bosses: Dr. Psyche/Mad Nautilus) Chapter 5 - Maverick Hunters Join Forces (Bosses: Mach Jentra/Duboar) Chapter 6 - The Meaning of Friendship (Bosses: Shadow/Incentas) Chapter 7 - Block Transmissions! (Boss: Botos) Chapter 8 - The Ultimate Weapon (Boss: Ferham) Chapter 9 - When Giants Duel! (Bosses: Scarface/Epsilon) Chapter 10 - In the Name of JUSTICE! (Bosses: Redips/Great Redips) As is typical with an RPG, many of the bosses are very strong, and will require a great deal of skill and effort to defeat in some cases. Be sure to make wise use of your characters' unique skills in order to level them up faster. The following 10 sections of this guide consist of heavily-detailed item-by-item walkthroughs of each stage, including special sections detailing return trips. Please note beforehand that some of these areas are incomplete as of this writing, including Gaudile's Laboratory, Vanallia Desert, and Grave Ruins Base. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 7.1 HUNTER BASE/NEW HOPE --------------------------- Upon defeating Wild Jango in Chapter 2, you'll gain a base of operations in the Central Tower's control room. Chief R will be able to give you some information to transport to Chapter 3, and the base will become more open as you clear more of the game. Clearing Chapter 2 also opens up the Sky Transport one room to the left of the control area. Here you can revisit the main areas of Central Tower and visit the shops and other such stuff. Completing Chapter 3 allows you to use the Deployment Mode and visit the Sky Room by talking to Nana, and clearing Chapter 4 will allow you to talk to Dr. Gaudile (located one room to the right of the control area. As you gain more members, they'll be scattered about the vicinity for you to chat with. "New Hope" is the name given to the area the Resistance occupies, and after Chapter 2, comprises just about the entirety of the Central Tower area. This area has the password machine and the three Figure Token machine, as well as the Shopping Arcade that you'll visit often to buy upgrades and teleport to previous areas. Here's some other important infor- mation about this area. > This is your central base of operations. Talk to Chief R for hints and ad- vice, and speak with Nana to visit the Sky Room, use Deployment, and start missions. > Outside the control room, you can go straight, left, or right. The left-hand path leads to the Sky Transport, the right-hand path leads to the medical bay, and straight ahead leads to a conference room where you can explore other parts of Central Tower that you previously visited in Ch. 2. > As you clear more parts of the game, more areas of the Tower may open up, so be sure to explore. In addition to just being an overly huge area, Central Tower contains the long- winded Special Sealed Area which becomes available after you complete the game. Here you'll find many Sky Room prizes as well as repetitious battle with the nine members of the Tails Clan. Password Machine: You can use this to gain extra figures for your collection. Here is a collection of the passwords used to gain the ones in the two Special Password Sets: Password 1 Premium Collection ----------------------------- - X Fire: 19690831 - Marino: 02098772 - X: 73001472 - Zero: 29290141 - Axl: 38184155 - Cinnamon: 92106548 Password 2 Secret Collection ---------------------------- - Massimo: 47722361 - Axl, Action Trigger: 91327856 - X, Victory: 44162918 - Marino: 87352041 - Black Zero: 72443102 - Cinnamon: 19837556 Figure Token Machines: these machines contains figures for Sets 1-10. There are a total of three machines in Central Tower. Early in the game, the first one will have figures for sets 1-4, but after Chapter 5, this machine gets reloc- ated and a new one contains Sets 5-8. The one for 9-10 is well-hidden deep in Central Tower. Buying figures costs 2 token each, and you can find tokens scattered about the stages, or earn them from defeating bosses/exploring secret areas, etc. Here are their locations: Figure Machine 1: in hallway just past the AirBus departure gate. Figure Machine 2: in 2nd hallway past entrance back to Central Tower. Figure Machine 3: at the bottom of CT, found near Ninetails. Treasure Tokens: As stated previously, the GameCube version has a special feat- ure called "Treasure Radar". If you connect your GBA to your GCN via the Link Cable, you can use the GBA as the Treasure Radar. The game describes it as a super high-performance radar that searches for items based on powerful electro- magnetic signature waves. So I guess it's like normal... radar, in a way. Any- way, it allows you to hunt out these things called Treasure Tokens. There are 72 in all, which amounts to six new sets (you can find the details for these under Section 10: The Sky Room). When using Treasure Navi, you can use the L and R Buttons to shrink or expand the screen, and the A and B Buttons to brighten or darken the screen. Treasure Token Machine 1 in hallway near North Square. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 7.2: CH. 1 - INFILTRATE GIGA CITY! ------------------------------------- BOSS: Hippopressor KEY ITEMS: Tank Parts MECHANILOIDS: Killer Mantis NEW MEMBERS: Zero The introduction to the game consists of Colonel Redips narrating your mission orders as you (as X), Zero, and a new Maverick Hunter named Shadow infiltrate the island of Giga City. After making it inside, an accident separates you from Zero and Shadow, and the group decides to split up and meet up top. From your starting position head to the door in front of you, and hang a right at the intersection. In the first door to the right is a Save Station, and inside the next is the console you need to activate in order to turn off security in Area 1F-West. After doing so, Zero will contact you and you'll learn you need to disable more of these security outposts. Back out in the hallway, you'll find two blue "mystery data crystals". These contain items, and you pick them up by Dashing into them. Below is a quick guide to the contents of each type of crystal: • Blue Crystals: Items/Force Metals/Figure Tokens • Yellow Crystals: Energy refills • Green Crystals: Sub-Weapons/Main Weapons/Special Items • Pink Crystals: Key Items/Tank Parts Pick up the [50Z] and [BUILD LE] and head to the left through the newly- unlocked door. Head up the staircase and enter the next door to reach an area with a small intersection. Here you'll find your first yellow crystal; keep in mind that since these are Sub Tank refills, they only count as "picked up" if you actually have a Tank to refill. So if you need to, wander around until you enter a battle, and make sure you take a hit at some point. Win and refill your energy, then pick up the crystal. This first one is a [TANK ENERGY 25]; pick it up and head into the room in front of you to reach some capsules. Inspect each of them to trigger another conversation with Zero. He'll unlock Area 2F-West for you, but before heading there, stop first and check out the two rooms out- side the Reploid storage area to pick up an [ANTI-LOCK] and [30Z/70Z]. Now head into the next stairwell to find another [TANK ENERGY 25] and the second Reploid storage area. Examine the capsules here to trigger another conversation, then exit and check out the two rooms to the right to find A [MELT MISSILE] and another security panel. For this one, you'll have to work cooperatively with Zero to disable Area 3F-West's security. Just before you hear the third chime, hit your action button to trigger the activation, and the synchronization should be complete. After Zero and you chat again, try to leave, and you'll encounter your first Preon Chaser. Blow it to hell and read about the Force Metal that you acquired from the battle (you'll get "X-Heart" and "LE+100" from this one), then go and equip it on X. Head through the unlocked door into the next stairwell and grab the [TANK ENERGY 50] near the door. Head up the stairs and enter the next room. Before heading into the central door, run down to the far end to pick up a [BUILD SHIELD], [BACKUP], and [TANK ENERGY ALL]. You can also save here if you need to. Take note of the locked door here as you can come back here later once you find the [LAGRANO KEY]* to unlock a hidden area. Go back and take the door down the hallway you bypassed to meet up with Zero again, and the two of you will square off against the boss. * Lagrano Key is found via Deployment; see Section 11: Deployment Center for more information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER BOSS: Hippopressor (5000 LE | 250Z | 200 EXP | 0 FME) >> ELEMENT: Neutral >> ITEM DROP: Guard Buster, Fire Missile >> ITEM STEAL: N/A >> STRATEGY: As far as introductory bosses go, Hippopressor is fairly easy. It has a few attacks that you should watch out for - here's a quick list of its moves and how much damage they inflict. ATTACKS: 1. Shark Missile Charge: readies its Shark Missile 2. Shark Missile: launches a huge missile that deals 500 damage 3. S-Counter: head guards against Shooting attacks 4. Hippoppo Vulcan: targets one character and blasts them eight times for up to 270 damage 5. Heavy Flier: Hippopressor jumps and tries to stomp on you 6. Hippo Particle Cannon: powerful Thunder blast; minor damage Get into the pattern of defending until you reach 100% WE for your characters - you do the most damage when fully powered up. When both of them have reached full power, transform into respective Hyper Modes (X Fire and Black Zero) and pound away. Try to input as many commands into Zero's Command Arts for more damage; X's attack will destroy Hippopressor's head (destroying the Hippoppo Vulcan and his ability to defend against Shot attacks, but this in turn enables the Particle Cannon). If Hippopressor starts to use the Shark Missile, you can attack it (it has 500 LE), but you're better off keeping your attacks focused on the Hippopressor it- self. With X-Heart equipped, you need not worry about X being cut down (at least once), but do keep in mind that your Sub Tanks are there to help you if you find yourself on the wrong end of the fight. Just keep hammering away and you should bring this boss down within about 20 or so turns. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your victory, you'll gain the [FIRE MISSILE] and [GUARD BUSTER]. After the EXP screen is over, dash forward and grab the [POWER+1] and [SPEED+1] Force Metals, equip them, and head through the next door. In front of you is your first pink crystal of the game; grab the [TANK PARTS] from it as well as the [80Z] further down the left-hand path, then take the next door and head up to the next level. Grab the [VACCINE PROGRAM] and [REBOOT] from the right-hand corner, then head through the door in the center to reach the final area, where Shadow awaits you. He'll point out Epsilon, who's "come out just to meet you". He tries to convert you to his cause, Shadow gives in, and X/Zero are left to fend for themselves. The whole Rebellion Cadre shows up next, Zero gets owned by Shadow, and X creates a diversion to escape from Epsilon, Ferham, Scarface, Botos, and of course, Shadow. After the cutscene is over, you'll be prompted to save the chapter data. ... INFORMATION FOR RETURN TRIPS -------------------------------- After completing Chapter 2, you can return here via the Teleport Station in the Shopping Arcade. After using Deployment to find the [LAGRANO KEY], return to the door that was by the second save station, and you'll gain access to a new stairwell that leads into the Lagrano Secret Shop. Grab the [TANK PARTS], the 2x [FIGURE TOKEN] items, and check out the "Deerball Mechaniloid" lying on the ground. Send it to the Deployment Center, then check out the shop in the next room for Jasmine, Saffron, and Cumin's stash of rare weapons, items, and Force Metals. Buy stuff if you like, then return to New Hope, as you should now have 100% of the items from here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 7.3. CH. 2 - RECAPTURE CENTRAL TOWER! ---------------------------------------- BOSSES: Spider, Wild Jango KEY ITEMS: X8 Trial Key (PS2), Aile's ID, Security Card MECHANILOIDS: N/A NEW MEMBERS: Spider After the cutscene, X will wake up inside a medical bay. The Reploid attending to you will explain where you are, as well as the situation with the Resistance members and the Rebellion Army. Once you regain control, go to the merchant in this room and buy a few things, then exit out into the main area, Shaft 999F. The path to the right is blocked off by a Degraver at the moment - and it'll only become available to you once you've cleared the game, so for now, head to the left. Keep heading up the spiraling ramps through the multiple doors to grab items along the way, including a [CLEAR VISION], [VACCINE PROGRAM], and a [BUILD POWER]. Be sure to chat with everyone that you see as well; talking to the citizens 100 times is one of the in-game challenges. Eventually you will reach the Air City Gate and a construction worker guarding a blocked passage. Talk to him, then take the path leading off behind and to your right to reach Access Tunnel E1. Run through here and grab the [GAIN HYPER] and a [TANK ENERGY 100], as well as the pink crystal in the alcove to your left, the [X8 TRIAL KEY] (this one item is ONLY in the PS2 version of the game). Now head through the next door into Air City East Square to trigger a cutscene where X tries to establish contact with Colonel Redips. He fails, and he listens to the security briefing alerting the Giga City denizens to your illegal entry. Fortunately for you, they either didn't pay much attention or don't care. Talk to everyone and you'll find that the right-hand path (leading to the Shopping Arcade) is lock- ed, so take the left-hand path to find a Save Station. Continue up past 3rd Street and through the small maintenance bay to reach the North Square. Here, a cutscene will take place where a really goofy-looking Reploid tries to threaten X, it seems. He gets wasted by Spider, a bounty hunter who not only has one of the best lines in the game right here, but who also wants to challenge you to a duel. "Let's rumble!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER SUB-BOSS: Spider (1800 LE | 0Z | 0 EXP | 0 FME) >> ELEMENT: Neutral >> ITEM DROP: N/A >> ITEM STEAL: N/A >> STRATEGY: Fighting Spider is pretty simple. He only has a few moves, and what he does use preps you for knowing his attacks when you do get to use him in battle. ATTACKS: 1. Fortune Card: 1-hit attack. 2. Rush: 2-hit attack. 3. Tri Card: three-card elemental (Fire/Thunder/Water) attack. 4. Four Penalty: decreases all your stats by -25% 5. Straight Flush: 3-hit attack. 6. Counter Card: Creates a card shield that is fired off at you on the next round if it isn't destroyed. OK, seriously, if you lose this fight, turn the game off - you won't be getting much farther if you do beat him on a retry. All you really need to do is Defend (or attack if you wish) until you reach 100% WE, then have X pull out X Fire and teach Spider a severe lesson in "aggressive negotiations". ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spider remarks that he wanted to finish you off, but he can't at the moment, due to the blaring alarms and such. Take the door adjacent to where you fought Spider to reach another access tunnel (and take note of the Password Machine here - this is where you can use those Passwords listed in Section 7: Hunter Base/New Hope to acquire the two special Password Figure Sets. Also pick up the [POWER CHARGE], [TANK ENERGY 50], and [100Z] before heading into the next room. Here, the path to your left is blocked, so go up to the right to reach the upper area of Central Tower's spiraling cooridors. Head through the darkened area at the top and wind your way around until you eventually trigger a cut- scene where you meet Chief R's assistant, Aile. After a short conversation, he'll tear out his [AILE'S ID] and hand it off to you as a way of giving you access to the Governor's Precinct. Just then, a group of Preon Chasers will approach, and Aile will shove you through the door behind him. Despite X's mighty protesting, Aile self-destructs to destroy the Preons, giving X the chance to find the Chief. Once you're back in control, head through the winding Tower Base Access Tun- nels. Grab the [GAIN HYPER] and [MEGA FIRE] from the first tunnel, and the [100Z] and [TANK ENERGY ALL] from the second one. Keep going through the tunnel to reach Equipment Maintenance B on the other side of Central Tower. There are two items behind the storage lockers here; a [BUILD ARMOR] and a [BUILD SPEED]. Grab them and take the door to reach another spiraling tower area. Work your way up the shafts to Equipment Maintenance A, where you can save and pick up the [100Z] from the left-hand room. Continue to the right and head up the tunnel until you reach a Resistance soldier. Talk to him and he'll ask you to save his friends. Go inside to the Base Security Station and take down the two Preon Chasers guarding them. After defeating them, you'll trigger a cutscene where Wild Jango sneers about your formidable abilities as a Maverick Hunter, and Spider appears with him. Spider offers to put X on ice in return for a blank check from the Rebellion, and Jango promises him whatever he wants. Once you're back in control of X, one of the soldiers will give you his [SECURITY CARD], which you can use to access the area where Chief R's being held captive. You'll also be able to purchase some items from Jasmine, Saffron, and Cumin, three female shopkeeper Reploids who make numerous appearances in the game. Another Reploid in here will also recharge your LE, Sub Tanks, and refresh your Hyper Modes. Collect the [ULTRA FIRE] and [200Z] from the side rooms, then head up the next spiraling tunnel to reach Data Backup Room, Hall A. This room has a two-way split to the left and right. Grab the [TANK ENERGY 25] from the middle, and head left (the right-hand path leads to a locked door that you can't access yet). In this new tunnel is another two-way path. Go left real quick to pick up the [EAGLE EYE] Force Metal, then backtrack and take the right-hand path to reach Data Backup Room, Hall B. Run forward to hit another cutscene with the bounty hunter, Spider. Spider knocks X out and comments about his lack of speed, then sees the ID that X dropped. X gets genuinely angry (!), and points his Buster at Spider. Spider becomes noticeably perturbed at news of this Reploid's death, then stares at a security camera and essentially tells Jango to go screw off. This naturally irritates Jango, and he orders a couple of Preons to off the both of you. Spider makes a comment about not defiling a friend's soul, and blows up the Preons for you. Now go through the door Spider cut you off at before and rescue Chief R (of course, you'll have to fight to free him). - Battle 1: 2x Preon Spark After another small cutscene where X introduces himself and explains about Aile, Jango will set the self-destruct sequence and taunt you by laying waste to Spider. With only a scant amount of time, follow R's instructions and race back the opposite way, taking the right-hand path that I mentioned was locked before. Along the way you'll fight three battles. They're spread apart, but you won't have to worry about any random encounters in between them. - Battle 1: 2x Preon Bitmaster - Battle 2: 2x Preon Chaser - Battle 3: 2x Preon Chaser, 1x Preon Spark Just before the Command Room, grab the [TANK ENERGY 25], then go in and tackle the final three Preons so you can shut off the self-destruct. With it disarmed, go back and collect a few items, including a [TANK PARTS] from the Command Center Staff Room, and the [100Z] from a blue gem back past where you rescued Chief R. If you haven't already, I suggest going back down to where the shop- keepers were to buy the Fire Buster, a Thunder Guard, and any other items you want. Also, refresh your LE/Sub Tanks/Hypers before returning to the Helipad. When you reach the top, grab the [BACKUP] and the [TANK ENERGY 100] items lying outside the door, then head outside where Jango waits. A cutscene will then take place where X once again drops the ID, but this time, a blast from the shadows knocks Jango off his feet. Seems Spider wasn't as dead as he left him for - he drags himself out of the doorway and comes to X's aid. Together, it's up to the two of you to bring Jango down. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER BOSS: Wild Jango (9000 LE | 500Z | 1000 EXP | 0 FME) >> ELEMENT: Neutral >> ITEM DROP: Sub Tank, Thunder Buster >> ITEM STEAL: Thunder Guard, Protect +1 >> STRATEGY: Wild Jango is pretty easy, which is good given the levels you're probably at. His attacks are fairly straightforward, but they can be damaging nonetheless. ATTACKS: 1. Ultra Thunder: hits all characters with thunder attack. 2. Rolling Assault: hits 1 character with diving attack. 3. Lightning Rod: hits 1 character and lowers Speed by -25% 4. Shock Nail - hits 1 character and inflicts Virus state. You should've bought the Fire Buster by now, so use X to stun him so he doesn't do many successive attacks, and work on building up X and Spider's WE levels. If you're crafty and good at Draw Poker, you can attempt to damage him, but at this stage, you're better off trying to wail on him with powered up attacks. When X reaches his limit, transform into X Fire and let Jango have it with the Charge Collider. Cool Down afterwards, and charge up using another few rounds until you can unleash it again. Keep in mind that you can use Spider's Trickstar to temporarily make him invulnerable. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After Wild Jango explodes, a cutscene will follow where R thanks X and Spider for their hard work. Spider mentions that Aile used to be his partner back when he started bounty hunting, and that a mistake of his led to Aile's "being wasted" (a possible reference to why Aile was in a floating wheelchair of sorts). ... INFORMATION FOR RETURN TRIPS -------------------------------- After you clear Chapter 2, the rest of Central Tower will be open to you now (except for the Secret Sealed Area, which is unlocked by clearing the game). Before hitting Chapter 3, return via the Air Bus and head to the right. Just past the first door will be 3x [FIGURE TOKEN] items right next to the first Figure Token machine. Keep going along the main path of the city to reach the Air City Shopping Arcade. There'll be an Item Shop, a Weapons Shop, an Items Dealer (who is essentially a jack-of-all-trades merchant in that he sells every kind of item), and a Force Metal merchant. You'll also find the Transport Station where you can teleport to previously cleared areas. The rest of what you explored, except for a few areas that were decimated by explosions during Chapter 2, is still available, but this is all that you couldn't explore during your first run. For now, return to the Base and talk to Chief R to start Chapter 3. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 7.4 CH. 3 - THE PAPER HERO ----------------------------- BOSS: Silver Horn KEY ITEMS: N/A MECHANILOIDS: N/A NEW MEMBERS: Massimo Talk to Chief R, and he'll inform you of a POW Camp in Tianna. Step into the teleport to warp to the Camp, and head through the doors on your path until you reach a large open room. Inside, a cutscene will occur where you meet Massimo for the first time. He'll join your party, giving you the ability to use Final Strike, a devastating attack you can use when you reduce any enemy's LE by 75% or more in a single turn. Move on through the next hallway, save if you want, and take the lift down to the second floor. Go through the next door to reach a room where security drones patrol back and forth. To clear them, you need to stay outside their range of sight. You can duck into the alcoves to hide when necessary, but if you get caught by one of them, you get dumped back at the beginning of this area. So rule of thumb: don't get caught. As you make your way down, grab the [FIGURE TOKEN] and the [300Z] from the first two alcoves, and head into the next room. Here, grab another [FIGURE TOKEN] and a [DECOY] from the next two, then go into the next room. A door off to the left holds a [THUNDER MISSILE], but it's a bit tricky to reach. If you can't get it, simply come back here after you've cleared the stage so the drones are turned off. You will likely get snared by the drones exiting the room, so come back to this area and dash to the door on the far side of the room to reach the lift going down to the third floor. Just inside is the Prisoner Admission Area. Head to the right and pick up the [BOOST ARMOR] and [FIGURE TOKEN] before reaching the only unlocked door in the next area. Head through and use the console to unlock the security, then go back out and explore the rooms to find a [BUILD SPEED] and [MEGA THUNDER] from the newly- unlocked rooms. Then go back and take the door across from the security room to reach the elevator going down to the fourth floor. Just inside the next doorway, you'll have to fight some guardians. Laugh for a bit at Big Monkey's animation, then tear them apart. - Battle: 2x Dober Men, 1x Big Monkey Now proceed straight ahead to unlock more prison gates. Some of the doors lead to fights; others to real prisoners. Pick up the [WATER GUARD] Force Metal from one of the prisoners, a [REBOOT] from a blue gem, and the [JACK OF HEARTS] weapon for Spider from the far end. Now return to the main room and head through the other unlocked door. Grab the [TANK ENERGY 100] in here, and go through the next door to reach more guardians. - Battle: 3x Big Monkey Once you defeat them, you can head through and unlock another set of security. One room contains another enemy, two more rooms hold a [FIGURE TOKEN] and [400Z], and the last room has a Reploid who gives you a [PRISON ID] which you can use to unlock the other door from earlier. Now backtrack to the large open room and save, or go back to Hunter Base to recharge for a bit. Whenever you come back, go through the newly unlocked door to reach the elevat- or going down to the 5th floor. Inside Maze Area 1, head right and grab the [TANK ENERGY 50], then head through the next door to reach a cutscene where Silver Horn threatens the prisoner you've been sent to rescue, Nana. After the scene inspires the desire to tear Horn apart, head through and grab the [200Z] at the far end, then hang a right and grab the [BUILD ARMOR] and [BUILD SHIELD] from the next room. Go back and head through the door into Maze Area 2 and take the path leading off to the right. Run into the room at the end to pick up a [WARM-UP], [BOOST SHIELD], and [BOOST POWER], then backtrack to where you entered Area 2. Go forward and take the door to the left to reach another area of the maze, then head right to reach a room holding a [TOMAHAWK] sub-weapon. Backtrack now and grab the [TANK ENERGY 50] and run through the next door to reach the lift going down to the sixth floor. Head through the door and the "emergency" music will cue. Run into the next room to reach Nana. The guards, though, aren't going down too easily (Or are they?) - Battle: 2x Preon spark, 1x Preon Pod After they've been destroyed, X and Spider will free Nana from her prisoner's chair, triggering a small cutscene will take place where the party introduces themselves, and Massimo will inquire about his own prisoner status. Nana relays some stunning information about Massimo supposedly having been executed. After the cutscene, run through the next few rooms and save (if you're going to return to Hunter Base to recharge and buy more items, now's the time to do it). Just inside the next door is a series of light-panel puzzles. Nana will illustrate the correct sequences to unlock the next area, but some of them also have rewards for inputting a different sequence. Input a wrong sequence (the lights will illuminate and you'll hear a buzz), and you'll have to fight. Below is a list of the prize solutions and your rewards for each. • Puzzle 1 - Blue/Red: Unlock next door • Puzzle 2 - Blue/Red/Yellow: Unlock next door - Yellow/Red/Blue: [BUILD LE/POWER/SHIELD/ARMOR/SPEED] • Puzzle 3 - Yellow/Blue/Red: Unlock next door - Blue/Yellow/Red: [TANK PARTS] - Red/Yellow/Blue: 4x [FIGURE TOKEN], [100/200Z/300Z/400Z] • Puzzle 4 - Yellow/Red/Green/Blue: Unlock final door - Green/Blue/Red/Yellow: [QUEEN OF DIAMONDS] In the final area, you'll find another save point. Head towards the door at the end to get another small cutscene where Nana will contact you and deliver some more detailed information on Massimo. It appears the Massimo you're with might not be the "real" one, and your Massimo has conveniently disappeared. Nana men- tions a secret locked door leading to the lowest depths of the prison, and Spider recalls seeing that door. After this, a cutscene occurs where your Massimo runs into the real Massimo... the one chained to the ceiling in an isolation cell at the bottom of the prison. The real Massimo, near death, tries to convince the new Massimo that he too can be strong. After this scene is over, you'l be back in control of X. Backtrack and you'll find the previously- locked door open, with the two guards from before moaning about having had their tails handed to them by that "green-armored Reploid". Take the lift down and talk to Massimo. After the short cutscene, head back up, and you'll hear Nana scream. Take off to the left through the newly-unlocked door, grab the [TANK ENERGY 100] and [GAIN HYPER], and equip your characters with Resist Water Force Metals and Thunder weapons before heading in to face Silver Horn. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER BOSS: Silver Horn (XXX LE) >> ATTACKS: >> ELEMENT: Water >> STRATEGY: It's best if your characters are all above level 10 at this point. For X and Spider, this shouldn't be a problem, but make sure you fight a lot of enemies to boost Massimo's levels. If you have them, be sure to equip your characters with water damage-reducing Force Metal, and equip X with the Thunder Buster you got from Jango. Spider can use the Thunder Missile if you have it, as well. The best strategy involves using your characters' main attacks or defending until their WE gauges read 100%. Spider's Action Trigger is, again, fairly useless, so I recommend keeping him at high WE for enhanced normal attack power (or Hyper Mode). Massimo's Hyper Mode is highly effective for sheer damage, but I wouldn't waste his WE using it in an Action Trigger; it won't do that much damage anyway. Keep building X up to 100% WE and hammer away with X Fire's Charge Collider. Eventually you should be able to knock him into the orange bar and execute a Final Strike to finish him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another cutscene will ensue as Massimo explains to X and Spider that he's not the real Massimo, but the two of them put his doubts to rest by proceeding to call him "Massimo". He regains his confidence and thus ends the chapter. Save when you're given the option, then return to Hunter Base. Talking to Nana after this point will reveal to you that the Deployment Center has been reactivated, so you can hunt out damaged Mechaniloids and use them to find hidden items in the areas you've visited. The Sky Room is also available to visit for you to check up on items you've found. See Section 10: The Sky Room, and Section 11: Deployment Center for more information. ... INFORMATION FOR RETURN TRIPS -------------------------------- After clearing Chapter 3, the only other items to be acquired here are the "Blowfish Mechaniloid". You'll find this in the room where you battled Silver Horn, but you must first have a [MINI-BATTERY] to operate it. The other items include those found in the room with Rafflesian (unlocked by the Tianna Key). See Section 8.1 "Second Hypers" for more information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 7.5 CH. 4 - GAUDILE LABORATORY --------------------------------- BOSSES: Dr. Psyche, Mad Nautilus KEY ITEMS: Bone Key MECHANILOIDS: Preon, Big Monkey, Mettaur, Dober Man NEW MEMBERS: Marino, Cinnamon Nana and R brief you on "Professor Gaudile", a brilliant scientist who retreat- ed to his laboratory when the Rebellion conflict began. Infiltrating a guarded arboreal fortress isn't going to be easy, but you have to do it. Take the tele- port to Gaudile's laboratory, and head to the entrance gate. Unfortunately, it's guarded by two Preon Gunners and a Preon Elite. You'll have to defeat them before being allowed to proceed. Once you do, a cutscene will take over where your party heads through... along with an uninvited guest. Marino, the petty thief, has an agenda here as well, and is pretty much just happy you took care of the guards for her. When you regain control of X, continue down the main path and take the first door to the elevator. Go up to the next floor and grab the "Preon Mechaniloid" to your right before heading to the next door, behind the elevator shaft. Run into the next hallway and take the short passage off to the left to grab 2x [FIGURE TOKEN], then continue on into the door at the far end of the hallway. Grab the [COOLER], [CURE ONE], and [VACCINE PROGRAM], then head into the next door to reach the East Deck Main Route. This area is covered with security sensors on the floors; time X's dashing to run across them (unless you want to rack up EXP/Zenny by fighting). At the top waits a Save Station and a [TANK ENERGY 25], as well as a two-way split. Take the right hand path into East Residential District, and explore the two avenues for some items. The right-hand path includes a [TANK ENERGY 50], [PROTECT +1], [TANK PARTS], [600Z], and the "Big Monkey Mechaniloid"; and the left-hand path holds 5x [FIGURE TOKEN] items. Return to the path split again and take the left path this time to continue on in the level. Avoid the now-moving security alarms (or fight the enemies) and you'll trigger a cutscene where X and the party confronts Dr. Psyche for the first time. Then you'll have to fight his two Preon Elites before you can follow him. After you beat them, a cutscene will trigger where Marino encounters Cinnamon. Marino mentions the Force Metal Generator, and Cinnamon knows exactly what she's talk- ing about. The scene will then switch to Psyche confronting Professor Gaudile. After these scenes are over, you'll assume control of X again and move on. Grab the [BUILD WE], [BUILD LE], and [LE +100] items before moving on, and dodge more of the moving security sensors in the next hallway. The door beyond leads into the Observation Deck area - just inside, hang a right and grab the [QUEEN OF HEARTS] weapon and 2x [FIGURE TOKEN] before proceeding on down the hallway. Head up the ramp, grab the [TANK ENERGY 50] from the next room, and head down the left-hand path. Follow it around the bend and take the elevator up to the next floor, then circle around and take the next door. Head up and around this next bend and head in the next door to grab the 2x [500Z] and the [CURE ALL], then run through the next left to reach the Laboratory Approach. Run up this last slope to reach a Save Station and the distraught Dr. Gaudile. A cutscene will take place where Gaudile explains the situation (and still refuses to help out). Ignore him for now and run into the next hallway to grab the [BUILD ARMOR], [BUILD SPEED], and [GAIN WE+5] items, and head through the next door- way. As you progress, a cutscene will take place where Psyche catches up to Cinnamon and Marino. Psyche's Preons brutally assault Marino, and she falls to the ground, nearly dead. Cinnamon reacts and uses her powers to revive Marino, all to Psyche's delight. The cutscene ends, and you'll regain control of X. Run forward a bit more to grab 2x [FIGURE TOKEN] items, then head through the next door to reach an area Gaudile calls the "Eternal Forest"*. The paths split left and right, and, when used in the right combinations, will lead to some very valuable items. Each path, either Strong or Weak, leads to an encounter with a set group of enemies. At this point, you can only take one path, so I suggest the easiest of the bunch. Take the Right path, then take three Left paths, and you'll go up against the following enemy encounters. - Battle 1: 4x Bat Bone - Battle 2: 2x Preon Chaser - Battle 3: 2x Preon Chaser, 1x Preon Spark - Battle 4: 3x Preon Spark At the end of this sequence, you'll wind up in an area called the Rare Item Storage Room. The occupant will hand over two random items, and you can grab the [JOKER] weapon for Spider. Immediately equip it, and run straight ahead to reach the rest of the Laboratory. From here, it's a straight shot down to the room where Psyche left Marino. A short cutscene will ensue where Marino joins the party, thus granting you the ability to change party line rotation during battle. Take Massimo out and rotate Marino in so she can level up as well as help you out by stealing items from enemies. When you run into a Killer Man- tis, Defend until Marino reaches 100% WE, then use her Action Trigger to steal a [GATLING BUSTER] from the Mantis. Equip it on X, and move on. In the next room, you'll find a [REBOOT], a [CURE ONE], [TANK ENERGY 50], and the "Mettaur Mechaniloid". Grab these and continue on the path. Eventually you'll reach a Save Station. You can choose to return to Base to refresh, and then come back for more leveling up, or run on to face Psyche. In the next room, pick up the [TANK ENERGY 100] and [GAIN HYPER], then head on past the Stump Approach to reach Psyche himself. * See Section 8.2 "Secret Areas and Enemies" for battle listings in the Eternal Forest area. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER BOSS, PHASE I: DR. PSYCHE (XXX LE) >> ELEMENT: Neutral >> ITEM DROP: Sub Tank, >> ITEM STEAL: Smoke Missile, Virus Missile >> STRATEGY: Dr. Psyche's main attack is to surround himself with Needles. If your party members don't destroy these, they'll determine the pattern for the remainder of the battle. Here's a list of the other attacks you'll see. ATTACKS: 1. Summon Needles - Psyche summons three sets of Needles. 2. Needle Shower - Needles rain down, causing random effects. 3. Doom Blaster - Twin laser on one character. 4. Smokeout - Needles cause Blind/Virus status to one character. 5. 4th Dimension Slow - Reduces Speed for one character. You can choose to forgo destroying the Needles if you want, as many times they might just boost your speed or power, etc. Which- ever you use, however, have X use his new Gatling Buster to fire normal shots until he reaches 100% WE. Marino can use striking or stealing attacks, and Spider should just keep his WE at 100% to wreak havoc with the Poker weapon. When X is at 100% WE, switch to X Fire and beat Psyche into submission. With fully charged att- acks at your disposal, Psyche won't be difficult at all. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thought you were done, eh? Dr. Psyche's head floats up and attaches to a giant mechaniloid (this sequence remind you of anything *coughvelguadersigmacough*?) So begins phase 2 of the battle, and it's surprisingly easy if you know what to do. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER BOSS, PHASE II: MAD NAUTILUS (XXX LE) >> ELEMENT: Neutral >> ITEM DROP: >> ITEM STEAL: Tractor Net, >> STRATEGY: Mad Nautilus may appear menacing, but he's really a pushover once you know how to deal with him. Pay attention to his various att- acks, and Defend until he becomes vulnerable. ATTACKS: 1. Infusion Core - Fires three-way laser at all characters. 2. Mad Cocktail - Hits one character and causes adverse status. 3. Mad Ecstasy - More powerful version of above. 4. Penetration - More powerful version of above. Mad Nautilus' primary power is to either repeatedly slam your characters with energy blasts, or he'll fire his Mad Ecstasy which will induce random effects (Blind, Virus, Bind, Freeze, etc.) on your character. Unfortunately, you cannot harm him until he opens up his Infusion Core, but when he does, your goal is to hammer away with everything you have. Make sure you use Marino to steal a [TRACTOR NET] from him, because getting it later on is extremely difficult. Defend to build up WE percentage, and then let loose with X, Marino, and Massimo's Hyper'd Action Triggers. With the right amount of straight-up firepower, you'll bring Mad Nautilus down for good within a few rounds. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You'll get another Sub Tank for beating Psyche, and Cinnamon will join your party, giving you the ability to now use the Force Metal Generator to forge Force Metals. See Section 13 "Force Metal & FM Generator" for more information on this topic. With Gaudile and Cinnamon on board, your mission is complete. Save your data and return to the Base. ... INFORMATION FOR RETURN TRIPS -------------------------------- After completing Chapter 4, you can return here later on for a great deal of item acquisition in the Eternal Forest. See Section 8.2 "Secret Areas and Enemies" for more information on this subject. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 7.6 CH. 5 - MAVERICK HUNTERS JOIN FORCES ------------------------------------------- BOSSES: Mach Jentra, Duboar KEY ITEMS: None MECHANILOIDS: Rush Loader, Einhammer, Killer Mantis NEW MEMBERS: Axl, Zero After Gaudile boosts the transmitter power, X is able to make contact with Colonel Redips. Redips informs X that Zero's signal was picked up at Point A6, but then the transmission breaks up. Nana briefs X on the situation, and Spider finally shows back up. With everything ready, head to Ulfat Factory to begin your hunt for Zero. Upon teleporting here, run forward a bit until the alarms start going off - seems like Zero's making his presence well known. Ahead of you is a room with hovering alarm devices. You can move about when they're in the air (and the room isn't red). If they detect you moving, you'll have to fight a battle. Not too difficult, really, but there are many of these rooms, and they get more and more complicated in the layouts. Pay attention to your radar to check for any blue dots so you can locate the items. From the first room, however, grab the [FIRE GUARD] and [FIGURE TOKEN] from the corners of the room, then head through the door. Head through the north door, going down the tunnel to reach the first foundry area. Run around this area to the other side to grab the [300FME] and [1000Z], as well as the "Rush Loader Mechaniloid". Now head back to the door you came in at, and take the other path to reach another room. Grab the [BUILD LE], [FIGURE TOKEN], and [ULTRA BLIZZARD] from this room, and proceed into the door on the right to reach the pathway to Smelting Furnace 2. Head into this security room and grab the [TANK PARTS] and [FIGURE TOKEN] from the corners while evading the droids, then head through the other door (the only one not blocked off) and grab the [FIGURE TOKEN], [TANK ENERGY 50], and the [BUILD WE] from this room before taking the passage off to the left of the entryway. Circle around the second foundry area and head down the next hallway. You'll find the "Einhorn Mechaniloid" here, but you can't pick it up just yet as you need a [BALL AND CHAIN HAMMER] (you'll find this in the Van- allia Desert - Chapter 6). Ignore it for now and grab the [KING OF HEARTS] weapon and give it to Spider, then backtrack your way to the security room you came from. Head to the door on the left now and grab the [800Z] before reaching the hallway leading to Smelting Furnace 3. There aren't any security drones in this room, but make sure you circle around to the back to grab the [BUILD SPEED] from the back corner. Head through the next room and immediately head left. Pick up the [BOOST SPEED] and go through the next door. Run into the next foundry area and snag the [AERO BUSTER] and a [MINI BATTERY] from this room. Return and go around the bend in the previous room, and a cutscene will take over where a security Reploid confronts X. But no worry, it's not really a security Reploid. Axl's been hanging out on this island trying to find clues. After a brilliantly dumbassed statement by him concerning Zero, Axl agrees to join the party. Run around the other set of stacked crates and grab the [TANK ENERGY 50], then head through the next door and use the Save Station. The next door leads into the large Freight area. Head down the inactive con- veyor belt and hang a left to reach the Parts Intake line. This next part does involve a winding maze of directions, switching consoles, fighting enemies, and grabbing items, so try to follow this diagram. 1) Run straight ahead to grab the [1000Z]. 2) Head forward and fight the first mandatory battle. - Battle: 1x Preon Gunner, 2x Preon Soldier 3) Pick up the [TANK ENERGY 25] the Preon was guarding. 4) Head down the path to your right for a [GAIN HYPER]. 5) Activate the console to change the conveyor belt directions. 6) Take the new path to reach another battle. - Battle: 3x Preon Shielder 7) Pick up the [WE +5] the Preon was guarding. 8) Take the next conveyor path to reach the end of this area. This door leads into the Parts Delivery Line. It's quite a bit bigger than the previous area and has more enemies and items. Again, pay attention to the order of things. 9) Proceed straight ahead for a [FIGURE TOKEN]. 10) Take the right-hand path for another [FIGURE TOKEN]. 11) Take the next path straight ahead for another battle. - Battle: 3x Preon Soldier 12) Grab the [FIGURE TOKEN] the Preon was guarding. 13) Take the left-hand path for another [FIGURE TOKEN]. 14) Activate the console to change the directions of the belts. 15) Go straight for another [FIGURE TOKEN]. 16) Go straight again to reach another battle. - Battle: 1x Preon Nurse, 2x Preon Shielder 17) Grab the [FIGURE TOKEN] the Preon was guarding. 18) Head down the left path for another battle. - Battle: 2x Preon Shielders, 1x Preon Soldier 19) Activate the next belt switch console. 20) Take the following path on the belts: Left, Right, Left, Left. 21) Grab the [FIGURE TOKEN]. 22) Activate the next belt switch console. 23) Head right for another battle. - Battle: 2x Preon Soldier, 1x Preon Nurse 24) Grab the final [FIGURE TOKEN]. 25) Head left to reach the next area. Once you've cleared this area, you'll end up in the Freight Lift areas. A small cutscene will take place where Cinnamon determines that the casualties scatter- ed about the area died from Saber-inflicted wounds. This removes any suspicion that Zero might've been dead, and the scene cuts to Zero strutting determinedly down the final passageway. Mach Jentra, just inside, receives information about the intruder, just as Zero breaks in. A heated conversation ensues, and the two prepare for battle. Once you have control again, head up the first freight elevator. Right near the lift, you'll find the "Killer Mantis Mechaniloid" as well as four more dead Security Reploids. The first one on the right holds a [FIRE GUARD] Force Metal, and the second one on the left holds an [ICE MISSILE] Sub Weapon. Collect them and head into the Computer Room just ahead. Grab the [BUILD SHIELD], [BUILD ARMOR], and [HUNTER MISSILE] from the crystals here, and if you plan on returning to Base to refresh, do so now. The battle with Jentra is just ahead. When you return, head through the door on the left-hand side of the Computer Room and head up the second freight elevator. Take the next door into the Ass- embly Line Monitor Room and head down this hallway to reach the first cutscene with Mach Jentra, who's almost defeated Zero. Just then, X and Axl burst onto the scene and Jentra flees. After an... erm, emotional reunion, you'll be back in control of X. Turn around and grab the [BACKUP] and [BUILD POWER], then head back down to the Computer Room. This time, take the now-unlocked path to your left and head into the last corridor to grab the 2x [TANK ENERGY 100] items and the [GAIN HYPER], then head in to challenge Mach Jentra. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER BOSS, PHASE I: MACH JENTRA (XXX LE) >> ELEMENT: Fire >> ITEM DROP: Sub Tank, Fire Buster MK-II >> ITEM STEAL: Tank Energy 100, >> STRATEGY: The biggest annoyance in this fight against Jentra isn't so much that he hovers out of range or that his fire attacks can inflict massive damage, but that his Preons can and will heal him. Here's the rundown on his major attacks. ATTACKS: 1. Smash: Simple diving attack hits one character. 2. Flames of Gehenna: Attacks all characters w/ flame burst. 3. Gentle Call: Summons two types of Preon as attack aides. 4. Super Hold Gum: Hits all characters and drains 25% Speed. 5. Leak WE: Attacks all characters and drains 25% WE 6. Fire Burst - Hits one character with Mega or Giga Fire attack. The best way to deal with Jentra is to employ basically the same strategy you used against Mad Nautilus. Have X, Zero, and Axl in the party and simply defend until you reach 100% WE with all of them. IF, however, he uses Gentle Call and summons any Preon Sol- diers, forget Defending and attack them constantly. These are the Preons who will heal him given the opportunity. When Jentra is struck by a powerful enough attack, he'll be grounded. This does you no good if you ground him and his turn is next, as he'll rec- over his balance. Ideally, you want to have Axl attack first by using his DNA Change power to attack as Silver Horn. This water- element attack will surely ground him, and if X or Zero's next, have the both of them attack in Hyper Modes. Try to nail as many Command Arts combos and lay into him with the Charge Collider. Cooldown, Defend, and repeat until he's beaten, and don't forget to use a Sub Tank if necessary. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once again, you're not getting off easy. Jentra laughs about how his destruct- ion will trigger a few hundred frenzied mechaniloids. This is what we call "a bad thing". Gear up for another few (Okay, many) fights. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER BOSS, PHASE II: DUBOAR (Variable LE) >> ELEMENT: Variable >> ITEM DROP: Variable >> ITEM STEAL: Variable >> STRATEGY: The reason everything's listed as variable is because you won't fight any one enemy or group of enemy for that matter. In total, you'll have to defeat 16 individual Preons. Four rounds with four per round, obviously. Here's the battle structure below: BATTLES: - Round 1: 2x Preon Chaser, 2x Preon Spark - Round 2: 2x Preon Spark, 2x Preon Shielder - Round 3: 1x Preon Hybrid, 1x Preon Shield, 1x Preon Chaser, 1x Preon Spark (Berserk mode) - Round 4: 4x Preon Hybrid (Berserk mode) Since your LE is refilled from the last battle, don't worry about getting defeated right away. Simply use the same battle tactics you've used when facing these enemies previously. The only ones that present a mild problem are the Berserk ones, but it's been my experience that they'll more often than not attack their own party. Still, you must make it through all four survival rounds before the cutscene will take over and end it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 Mechaniloids down, and more on the way. This is even worse. Axl murmurs to himself that "It's all or nothing", and leaps into the air, changing into his new Mach Jentra form. Amazingly, he's able to convince the Duboar computer to halt the mechaniloid attack long enough for X and Zero to lay waste to the machine. Congratulate yourself on a job well done, save your game, and return to base. After you return, Zero and X will confront each other over X's choice of new friends. Zero gets uppity and takes off to work alone, much to X and Axl's dismay. Speak with Nana, and you'll receive a transmission from Colonel Redips. He informs you of a hidden Rebellion Army lab, and Nana works on pinpointing the location. For now, leave the Command Room to trigger a cutscene where X sees a bright glow from just out of his view. Spider reappears, and X (being the aloof person he sometimes is) doesn't think anything of it. At this point, you can either follow the information below on extra quests or talk to Nana to open up the path to Chapter 6. After completing Chapter 5, you can return to Tianna Camp and grab the "Blow- fish Mechaniloid" from Silver Horn's room (or you can wait until you're ready to challenge Rafflesian later), or head over to New Hope's Shopping Arcade to pick up some items. Start buying items to forge Force Metals using the Gener- ator from the merchants, and start spending your Figure Tokens if you haven't already. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 7.7 CH. 6 - THE MEANING OF FRIENDSHIP ---------------------------------------- BOSSES: Shadow, Incentas KEY ITEMS: Booster Parts, Electric Parts, Trade Sheet MECHANILOIDS: Mega Mantor, Bat Bone, Degraver, Gold B Blader NEW MEMBERS: Zero (again) After getting the transporter coordinates for the Gimialla Mine, transfer to the area and Spider and X will converse about the location of the lab. Soon, you see Shadow peeking out from behind a ventilation grate... it's about time, indeed. From the start, head through the first few doors until you reach the wide-open area. Grab the [ULTRA FIRE], [ULTRA THUNDER], and [ULTRA BLIZZARD], and save if you wish. Head into the next room to reach the elevator shaft, and take it down to the Level 2 Main Tunnel. The next room holds three more items; an [ANTI-LOCK], [1200Z], and a [DOA PRO- TECTION] Force Metal. Head left and grab the 2x [FIGURE TOKEN] crystals, then explore the mining shafts on the left and right sides of this room. The one on the right contains some boulders, so head through the path you can access into another shaft. Enter the room on the right to engage in a short battle. - Battle: 3x Rush Loaders By defeating them, you'll gain the [BOOSTER PARTS] for X, which allow you to destroy the boulders mentioned previously. A rather humorous cutscene will then occur with Axl and X starting to argue over who gets to use the upgrade (the Prof breaks in and puts an end to it, stating that only X can use them). Once the parts are equipped, use it to break the boulders in the area (one in the tunnel your in guards a handy [MINI MOTOR]. Return to the tunnel and explore the other mineshaft now. Grab the [ACE OF SPADES] weapon from the first door, then use the Booster Parts to blast through some boulders blocking access to a [FIGURE TOKEN]. Now return to the main hallway and head into the other side. Hit the first mineshaft on the right and explore the area to reach a room containing [800FME], and more boulders. Break through them and, if you didn't use it to get the "Blowfish" already, use your Mini Motor to pick up the "Mega Mantor Mechaniloid" in the next room. Also grab the [TANK PARTS] and [BUILD LE] from the side rooms, then return to the side room and explore the other mine- shaft on the left. Inside, explore the right fork to pick up a [FIGURE TOKEN], then exit out to explore the other two rooms. Grab the [FIGURE TOKEN] and the "Bat Bone Mechaniloid" from the center fork, and another [FIGURE TOKEN] from the left fork. Exit back out and break through the boulders guarding the final door in the main passageway, and activate the console to add Basement 3 to the elevator. Take the lift down, grab the [TANK ENERGY 100], and prep your party for the first battle against your old friend, Shadow. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER SUB-BOSS, PHASE I: SHADOW (XXX LE) >> ELEMENT: Neutral >> ITEM DROP: None >> ITEM STEAL: Gain Hyper, Unlock Limiter >> STRATEGY: This battle takes place over two rounds - the first one is merely an endurance battle over, I believe, 30 turns. For the most part, he'll go easy on you, and use weak versions of his normal attack patterns: ATTACKS (both forms): 1. Energy Charge 2. Pulverizer Cannon 3. Fatal Attack 4. Fragmenting Cannon 5. Ultra Blizzard - hits all characters for up to 1000 dmg. I mostly wailed away with X Fire's Charge Collider, Axl's DNA moves, and Marino's Action Trigger to take decent damage. After stealing his two items, I had Massimo pound him a few times. Just keep hitting him until the cutscene takes over. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Epsilon cackles about his new power, and comes within inches of chopping X to little pieces, as he promised, when he's suddenly sent reeling by Zero, who's arrived just in time to save your tail. Zero's back for good now, so make the most of it while you use him to mop the floor with Shadow. Time for Round 2! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER SUB-BOSS, PHASE II: SHADOW (XXX LE) >> ELEMENT: Neutral >> ITEM DROP: Z-Ichimonji, Figure Token >> ITEM STEAL: Build Armor, Build Shield >> STRATEGY: This battle takes place over two rounds - the first one is merely an endurance battle over, I believe, 30 turns. For the most part, he'll go easy on you, and use weak versions of his normal attack patterns: ATTACKS (both forms): 1. Energy Charge 2. Pulverizer Cannon 3. Fatal Attack 4. Fragmenting Cannon 5. Ultra Blizzard - hits all characters for up to 1000 dmg. I mostly wailed away with X Fire's Charge Collider, Axl's DNA moves, and Marino's Action Trigger to take decent damage. After stealing his two items, I had Massimo pound him a few times. Just keep hitting him until the cutscene takes over. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With Shadow beaten, Zero turns to patronize X about his naivete and trust. As Zero turns his back, Shadow tries to fire off one last blast square at Zero's head, but Spider leaps and takes the blast for Zero, absorbing it and sending it right back at Shadow. The recoil destroys Shadow, and Spider and Zero start to have a heated exchange (can't ya say thanks, Zero?). Explore the two avenues to find a mining Reploid in a console room at the far end, and talk to him. He'll tell you about his missing [ELECTRIC PARTS] and give you a [RED PICKAXE]. Your job is to find the Red Degraver and give him the pickaxe, take his item, and give it to the corresponding Degraver until you finish rearranging all of them. Here's the order: Reploid Give Get ------- ---- --- R. Degraver R. Pickaxe Y. Pickaxe, Electric Parts Y. Degraver Y. Pickaxe B. Pickaxe B. Degraver B. Pickaxe G. Pickaxe G. Degraver G. Pickaxe W. Pickaxe, Trade Sheet Check out the doors in the area, too. You can get a [FIGURE TOKEN] from near the Red Degraver, and pick up the "Degraver Mechaniloid" as well as the [ACE OF HEARTS] from the room nearby. The room next to the Yellow Degraver contains [1300Z]. On the other end of the hall, there are 2x [FIGURE TOKEN] crystals near the Blue Degraver. Finally, the room near the Green Degraver contains a new Sub Weapon, the [FORCE MISSILE]. Take the White Pickaxe back to the chief Reploid when you're finished and give him the Trade Sheet and Electric Parts. Out of thanks, he'll unlock Basement level 4 and give you an [INFINITE RESIST] Force Metal. When you're ready, head down to Level 4 of the Mine. Level 4 is an item-fest when you first arrive. Grab the [BUILD ARMOR], [BUILD LE], [BUILD POWER], [BUILD SHIELD], and [BUILD SPEED] items, and save if you wish, then head through the door to the left. Ahead of you is a gate guarded by three beams. For now, grab the [GAIN HYPER] near the door, and take the right door to reach the Durability Lab, where you can gain a [FIRE GUARD], a [THUNDER GUARD], and a [WATER GUARD]. Exit and take the opposite door to reach more doors. Here you have to challenge enemies to battle to unlock each of the beams. - Battle 1: 2x Plasma Glob, Fire Glob - unlocks yellow beam - Battle 2: 2x Fire Glob, Liquid Glob - unlocks red beam - Battle 3: 2x Liquid Glob, 1x Plasma Glob - unlocks blue beam Once they've all been taken down, exit back to Level 4 Main Tunnel and refill your party's LE with a Sub Tank, then grab the [TANK ENERGY 100]. I recommend saving outside this room before tackling Incentas in the newly-unlocked room. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER BOSS: INCENTAS (XXX LE) >> ELEMENT: Fire/Thunder/Water >> ITEM DROP: Build Power, Build Speed >> ITEM STEAL: >> STRATEGY: Incentas can be tough because of his varying elemental weapons. In such a case, your best strategy beforehand is to unequip any kind of elemental weapons or protections your characters might have, because they could easily become an impairment. Below is a brief summary of Incentas' attacks. ATTACKS: 1. Elemental Change: Changes his elemental attribute every round. 2. Asura Knuckle: Hits all characters four times. 3. Super Ice: Hits one or all characters with powerful ice shot. 4. Super Thunder: Hits one/all characters with huge Thunder shot. 5. Super Fire: Hits one or all characters with powerful fire shot. I recommend either spending your time Defending to gain more WE, or spend time using Boost (Speed, Power, Armor, Shield) items to temporarily build all your stats. Incentas himself isn't very tough at all; the trick here lies in outlasting his elemental attacks. Once you're up at 100%, have Spider just keep hammering away with the Ace of Clubs, and slam him with fully powered Charge Collider and Command Arts Action Triggers. When Incentas is begin- ning to fall very low, put Spider into Hyper Mode to finish him off a bit faster. If need be, you can also use Axl's DNA Change AT for counter-element attacks. Overall, Incentas isn't *that* difficult, but he can be frustrating due to his element switching. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like most bosses, Incentas will threaten you some more when you beat him. In this instance, he locks you in and sets the base to self-destruct just before attempting his escape. Certain doom awaits our heroes... that is, until Spider decides to play hero again and tackles Incentas. He forces Incentas towards the energy gate and goes kamikaze in an effort to blow the gate apart. With Incentas destroyed, X, Zero, and the rest of the party is able to make it back to the base. It's sad, too - I was actually hoping for a Metroid-like "Escape!" sequence). Zero will apologize for his behavior earlier and vow to fight to avenge Spider. After saving, Colonel Redips manages to reestablish contact, but he soon fades out when Nana learns that their transmissions are being jammed. She pinpoints the signals to the deadly Vanallia Desert, and you'll have another (rather complicated, at that) mission on your hands. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 7.8 CH. 7 - BLOCK TRANSMISSIONS! ----------------------------------- BOSS: Botos KEY ITEMS: Ball and Chain Hammer, Cyber Liquid, Mini Battery MECHANILOIDS: Mega Tortoise, Liquid Glob NEW MEMBERS: N/A Before tackling this mission, I suggest going to some previous areas to level your characters up a bit, and if you have the Zenny, go to the Lagrano Secret Shop (you have been deploying your mechaniloids, haven't you?) and purchase the Soul Saber for Zero and the Kitty Gloves for Cinnamon. Whenever you're ready, return to Hunter Base and speak to Nana and she'll brief you on the harsh conditions of the Vanallia Desert. When you arrive, sand will be blowing *everywhere*, and you can't see very far in front of you. Trouble is, there's quite a few items you need to pick up out here. Immediately to your right should be a Silver Mettaur. Inspect it and the thing will give you a [FIGURE TOKEN]. Move northeast a bit to find an Emission Machine which is emitting a jamming signal at 15%. Right next to it you'll find another Silver Mettaur that holds another [FIGURE TOKEN]. From the starting point, you can head northwest to the boundary to find the "Mega Tortoise" mech- aniloid, but you need a [MINI-BATTERY] to operate it. Explore the area to find a Gold Mettaur that has the item. Now, if you look around the area, you'll eventually see lights off in the dis- tance. I believe there's a minimum of three or so jamming posts you need to inspect, so pick out a few along the way, and head towards the lights to reach the jammer control booth. It's locked at the moment, so Zero will suggest that you investigate the area nearby. Head to the left to find the final jammer - inspect it, then follow its cables straight out into the desert until a cutscene takes over. Ferham is impressed that you made it this far, and shows it by knocking X and Massimo into a quicksand pit. While Zero struggles to rescue them, Ferham gives off some serious dominatrix vibes as she coos in her sultry voice while beating Zero with her energy whip. Okay... Anyway, after it's all said and done, Zero sinks as well and you all end up... whee, in a hidden underground base! You can save in this room as well. The next few areas are somewhat similar to the maze in Tianna Camp. Giving exact cardinal directions here is somewhat difficult (and besides, it's better to explore on your own), but your goal here is to explore the areas, and locate the colored switches (there's one blue, two yellow, and three red ones). The blue one is fairly easy as it's opposite the blue door. Once you unlock it, head inside to pick up some items and take note of the Liquid Glob mechaniloid in the corner. You'll need the [CYBER LIQUID] (found later in this level) to activate it, so for now, leave it behind. Locate the remaining switches and collect the goodies from their respective doors (the yellow one holds 2x [400FME] crystals, and the red one holds some Zenny as well as the [BALL & CHAIN HAMMER] that you can use to reactivate the broken-down Einhammer in the Ulfat Factory), then wander around to pick up more random items until you reach a door leading into an elevator shaft. Save again if you want, then take the elevator up to Level 1F. A cutscene will take over where Botos chuckles about the Hunters surviving Ferham's attack, and Scarface appears to tell him that the Resistance 'roids are his responsibility now. Once you hit 1F, you'll have doors leading north, south, east and west. Explor- ing a bit will reveal that the majority of doors are locked in this area. Wander around a bit until you find a room with a laser puzzle (remember this sort of thing back in Mega Man X6?). The idea here is to change the course of the laser beam so it reflects onto a wall panel and sends energy through the wall conduits. Now play with the lasers some more to reflect on the various other green wall panels (some have red borders, and some have blue borders). Hitting these will release locks on some item crystals on the floor above you. When you've succeeded, Axl will congratulate you, so head back to the elevator room and go up to 2F. Proceed directly ahead and turn left at the hallway. Pick up the items in here and go through the next door. There's a power console here you can operate; play with it to unlock the doors on the level below you (yay!). Now return to the elevator and go back down to 1F. Now you can do some hardcore reconnaiss- ance to find even more laser puzzles. The same principle applies in each case - reflect the lasers so they energize the wall conduits. When you're finished exploring and picking up the items, return to 2F. Now you should systematically go around to the newly-unlocked doors up here, picking up the items you find while deactivating security in each of the areas via the power consoles. When the last one's been deactivated, Botos will call you and issue a challenge. Floor 3F will now be available, but I recommend running down to B1F and saving as well as preparing your party and weapons for the boss fight. When you're ready, go up to 3F and you'll automatically challenge Botos. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER BOSS: BOTOS (XXX LE) >> ELEMENT: Fire >> ITEM DROP: Build Power, Build Speed >> ITEM STEAL: >> STRATEGY: He not only has an annoying Southern accent, but his wide range of musical (not to mention healing) attacks can be highly annoying. Bring tons of Mega and Ultra Blizzards to this battle, as it will help immensely. ATTACKS: 1. Botos Trio 2. Battle Rhapsody I recommend equipping X with the Scope Buster Mk-II (if you have it, if not, go buy it from the Shopping Arcade in Central Tower. While there, pick up weapons for Axl and Zero too). For the fight, I equipped Axl with the Mechanical Bullets and Ice Missile as a Sub Weapon, I gave Zero the Z-Rapier and Heat Haze as well. Botos starts the fight by summoning his Botos Trio. These little punks should really be your primary concern as they can, without notice, heal any damage you inflict on Botos if given the chance. Axl's Ice Missile + Mechanical Bullet can damage one enough for a Final Strike, as can his Silver Horn DNA Change. This is primarily what you want to use Axl for. When his WE gauge reaches 100%, let loose with his DNA Change AT (Silver Horn), then proceed to Final Strike the two Botos bits if they're around. Zero should hold off on most attacks until reaching 100% so he can whip out the Command Arts, and X should do the same for his Charge Collider, but be sure to cool down between rounds so you don't waste Hyper modes. Keep following this basic pattern (the bits will probably heal him at least once) and you'll defeat him soon enough. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Botos will tumble backwards and drop the Supra-Force Metal he was taunting you with. Stripped of his power, he beats a hasty retreat, and X, Zero, and the rest of the party decide to head back to the base so Dr. Gaudile can analyze the piece of Supra-Force Metal. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 7.9 CH. 8 - THE ULTIMATE WEAPON ---------------------------------- In this chapter, you'll journey to the Melda Mining Facility and stop Ferham from launching a deadly Force Metal-powered missile! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER BOSS: FERHAM (XXX LE) >> ATTACKS: >> ELEMENT: Fire >> STRATEGY: Ferham's got that whip and she isn't afraid to use it - cue even more dominatrix jokes. Despite her hovering in the air, you can still easily hit her with the the Charge Collider attack, so don't hesitate to use it. Having ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whee, end of chapter text. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 7.10 CH. 9 - WHEN GIANTS DUEL -------------------------------- This stage has a record three bosses - you'll fight Scarface twice, and then the man himself, Epsilon. The very start of the mission has New Hope under attack - take the Air Bus to reach the city area and you'll challenge Scarface right as you exit. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER BOSS: SCARFACE, PHASE I (XXX LE) >> ELEMENT: Thunder >> ITEM DROP: >> ITEM STEAL: >> STRATEGY: This is a battle that mostly only shows what's to come. Don't fret about using your Hypers - you have to return to the Base anyway, so you'll have a shot at refilling them. ATTACKS: 1. 2. 3. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scarface flees after making some menacing remarks, and it's back to Hunter Base (that is, unless you want to do a shopping spree, or go gather EXP. It's up to you, really. When you're ready, go back and talk to Nana to warp to the Grave Ruins Base. Directly in front of you is a Save Station. Save if you want, then head through the door on your left (the one on the right can't be unlocked anyway, so leave it alone). Your goal in this area is to deactivate all the red security bar- riers so you can enter the various doors - one of which contains a console which will unlock another door near the beginning. The energy barriers regen- erate after a set amount of time - these ones take about 20 seconds to complete their cycle, so use your Dash ability as much as you can - you won't have to worry about any random encounters in these areas. Work your way around in systematic patterns, checking at every turn for newly-unlocked doors so you can claim the items hidden behind them. Eventually, you'll reach a room with the computer console. Deactivate it and work your way back to the beginning of the area. Save if you want, then head through the door directly ahead of you to reach a teleport. Transfer into the Level B security area, and go straight ahead for another room with security beams. These regenerate much faster; fortunately there are only three of them. Still, you'll want to make the rounds to collect items from the other doors. The door in the center of the back hallway will lead you out of this area, but only once all three security beams are offline - you will have to be quick. The door inside leads you to a semi-circular hallway with two more security beams. The idea is to get them both deactivated in such a manner that you can access the door that each beam is adjacent to in order to collect the items. It's rather simple, really. Once you've collected the pickups from these two rooms, deactivate the beams again and head through the door in the center of the area to reach another teleport. Transfer into the Level A security area and save at the Save Station. Head into the next room where there are oogles of items for you to collect from the area below you. Grab them and head up the ramp on the other side to reach the door to the next teleport. Transfer into the next area to reach the Revolver Shaft area. This section is a bit tricky. First, head to the far end of the tunnel after grabbing the [TANK ENERGY 50], where you'll find two consoles. Here's where you'll understand why this area is named as it is - playing with the left console rotates the room backwards three times, while playing with the console on the right rotates the rooms forward two times. The list below outlines what items and enemies are in each room: - Door 1: Start Room - Door 2: 2x Preon S Ferham, 1x Preon S Epsilon - Door 3: Exit Room - Door 4: Items! - Door 5: 2x Preon S Botos, 1x Preon S Epsilon - Door 6: Items! - Door 7: Items! - Door 8: 2x Preon S Face, 1x Preon S Epsilon Once you've used your brilliant skills of addition and subtraction to reach the exit, make your way out of the Revolver Shaft area and head through the next door to reach another teleport. Transfer into the Level S Top Security Zone and save at the Save Station if you wish. Ahead of you is the final area, but it's predictably locked. Head up the stairs on the sides and run down the hallways to reach the rooms with the con- soles to unlock parts of the main door. Pick up the items along the way, and head through the center door once you've unlocked it to reach another teleport. Transfer into the final area, grab the items, and head through the door to reach the scene with Epsilon himself ... only you won't face off against him just yet - Scarface wants a rematch first. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER BOSS: SCARFACE, PHASE II (XXX LE) >> ELEMENT: Thunder >> ITEM DROP: >> ITEM STEAL: >> STRATEGY: Scarface is really just a more powerful version than the first time. His attacks are mostly the same, though he gains one or two more. You'll want to end this fight quickly, but without wasting Hypers as you don't get a break between this and Epsilon. The best way to go about it is to equip everyone with either Reverse Thunder or Resist Thunder Force Metals to reduce damage, and attack or defend while building up to 100% WE. Have Marino come it at some point to steal some items, and pound away at Scarface using both the Ultimate Armor and Absolute Zero. He'll go down soon enough. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scarface dies as he proclaims glory to the Rebellion's cause. After this, a short cutscene will take place where Epsilon swears to avenge his death. You don't get any chances to switch out weapons, but fortunately, your LE does get regenerated. Epsilon can be a bit tricky, so watch out. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER BOSS: EPSILON (XXX LE) >> ELEMENT: Neutral >> ITEM DROP: >> ITEM STEAL: >> STRATEGY: Epsilon is rather easy until he powers up mid-way through the fight with his Supra-Force Metal, which increases his stats by about 100%. Attack normally until this point, defending as you see fit, and pull out the Ultimate Armor and Absolute Zero after he gets his second wind. ATTACKS: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interesting note: Coming back here will reveal a room behind Epsilon. But this room contains nothing. What is it's purpose? What was it there for? Was it Epsilon's bedroom? No one may ever know... anyway, after you defeat Epsilon, he'll try to energize something, and X will blow him away for good. X then picks up the Supra-Force Metal Epsilon was using. As the Hunters examine it, Colonel Redips approaches from behind. After receiving a commendation from Redips, X hands over the chunk of Supra-Force Metal, and explains that the warhead was never completed. Redips again congratulates you and tells you that a ship will arrive at Central Tower shortly to take you home. After the cut- scene you'll be given the option to save your chapter data. ... Oh, you only think it's over. Play around a bit, level up, buy weapons, say goodbye to everyone - basically, screw around for a while. When you're ready to start the final chapter, head up the Helipad again and talk to Zero. When you finish, head through the door to trigger the cutscene where the ship arrives. Funny, though, I don't think the ship X and his friends had in mind was stocked full of guns and war mach- ines that suddenly want to blow you to pieces. After totally pwning Chief R, a vicious battle begins, and eventually, X and his friends pull a fast retreat, just in time for Redips to announce to the citizens of "X's betrayal". Redips has framed you for his crimes, and it's apparent that you've been manipulated. From here, your party will automatically escape to the Far East HQ area of Giga City - the place where you first received your mission orders in the first place. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 7.11 CH. 10 - IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE --------------------------------------- BOSSES: Depth Dragoon, Redips, Great Redips KEY ITEMS: N/A MECHANILOIDS: N/A NEW MEMBERS: N/A From the start you'll see a Save Point. DO NOT SAVE HERE unless you plan on beating the game right now. Once you do, you cannot go back to previous areas until you've completed the game. Also ahead is a merchant. You can buy some stuff from him, or wait until you get inside to find Saffron, Cumin, and Jas- mine setting up shop again. You can buy some of the most powerful items in the game here (or visit the Secret Shop in Lagrano for the most powerful), so if you have the Zenny to blow, go ahead and spend it here. I picked up weapons for Marino and Axl since I already had Z-Rapier+, Z-Saber+++, and Turbo Buster (all three of which are not sold here, haha), but pick whatever you think you might need. When you're through, head through the next door and take the elevator up to the next floor. Through the next door, you'll hit a battle with a copy of Wild Jango. Take him out with Fire-based weapons (or just own him quickly with X and Zero's new Hyper Modes), then move on once the cutscenes are over up to the next level. Run through this room collecting the items, then take a detour through the door on the left (at the intersection) to find a nurse who will heal you, refill Sub Tanks, and restore your Hyper Mode charges. Next to her is another jack-of-all-trades merchant. You should come back here after every battle to recharge and save your game. Once you get back out into the hallway, you'll find four teleports. Below is a grid showing the locations of the bosses (from the perspective of having just entered the room). Exit Mach Jentra Incentas Silver Horn Mad Nautilus Recharge Room Teleport Device Entryway After clearing the room of these four bosses, recharge again and head up to the third level. Right inside the next doorway, you'll run into a new boss, one named Depth Dragoon. He's thunder-element, and fairly easy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> CHAPTER BOSS: DEPTH DRAGOON (64500 LE | 10000Z | 23000 EXP | 2000 FME) >> ELEMENT: Thunder >> ITEM DROP: Force Tomahawks, Build LE >> ITEM STEAL: Beast Lancer >> STRATEGY: Equip X with a Reverse Thunder Force Metal to ensure that you don't take damage from his thunder attacks, and if you have it, give Zero the Flame Saber (or Flame Saber+), then equip Axl with a Bait Sub Weapon and prepare to battle (bring Marino in at some point to steal the [BEAST LANCER] weapon for Massimo). ATTACKS: 1. Thunder Clap: hits 1 character; causes loss of next turn. 2. Electromagnetic Field: inflicts Bind status on all. 3. Hell Gravity: reduces all LE by 50%. 4. Ultra Giga Thunder: hits all characters with Thunder attack. 5. Terra Thunder: hits all characters with Thunder attack. 6. Destructive Blow: crash attack on all characters. 7. Thunder Brigade: hits all 3x with powerful Thunder attack. As soon as Axl's turn comes up, activate his Hyper Mode and use Bait to make him invincible while ensuring that the most of Depth Dragoon's attacks center on him. When you're powered up, just let loose with X and Zero's second Hypers, and, if you feel lucky, slam Dragoon with Axl's DNA Change (use Mach Jentra). If somehow he survives this kind of onslaught, Cooldown and Defend until the WE meters are built back up, then whale on him some more (try to stop in time for a Final Strike for a shot at mega EXP bonus). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Hyper Modes will make them fold easily - Don't use Absolute Zero on Silver Horn as it'll power him up immensely - Equipping Reverse-Element Force Metals = Fun - Let loose with your most powerful attacks; you can recharge between battles With Dragoon out of the way, run back down and recharge again, and run around trying to encounter Cannon Driver enemies. If you're extremely lucky, you might nab the [X-BUSTER MK-III] from one of them (1% Drop rate though...), which out- classes the Turbo Buster by a long shot. Whenever you're ready, though, the path to Redips is wide open. Head up the next elevator and run through the room collecting all the items, and save your game at the Save Station. The door at the far end leads to the final encounter with Redips. After some lengthy cutscenes, the battle will begin. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER BOSS: COLONEL REDIPS (51500 LE | 15000Z | 30000 EXP | 3000 FME) >> ELEMENT: Neutral >> ITEM DROP: Beam Sword, Limit Buster MK-II (from the Hubcaps) >> ITEM STEAL: Rei Ichimonji >> STRATEGY: The first round with Redips is against his regular form. He uses powerful lances that don't do much in blocking attacks, but he will use Defense moves that cut your attacks by 75% if given the chance. Make this battle fast but furious. ATTACKS: 1. Code Red: summons 2x Red Hubcaps 2. Grand Cross: 2-hit attack 3. Ballistic: 2-hit attack; chance of DOA 4. Violence Assault: hits 1 character 5-8x Your goal is to power both X and Zero up to 100% WE so they can pull out the big guns with their second Hyper Modes. Use the same strategy of making Axl invincible with the Bait Sub Weapon, then attack without mercy. Work on destroying his Red Hubcaps as fast as you can or else your attacks might fail when he defends. If you're lucky, you can finish him off quickly with a Final Strike, and possibly gain a 100% EXP bonus! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another cutscene occurs where Redips reveals the truth (get it? Haha, Redips backwards is SPIDER!) that he was Spider spying on "you twerps" the whole time, and that he orchestrated the raid on Giga City just to use X and Zero to eliminate Epsilon. The nerve! Redips soon escapes to his HIDDEN SPACE FORT OF ULTIMATE DOOM (so clichι), where you'll face him down in a less-than-terrifying duel. The final part of this level has you racing up a gigantic ramp into Redips' inner chambers, where the crazy Reploid has wired himself to a giant machine with the Supra-Force Metal powering it. He declares himself Great Redips and the world goes to hell, that is, until you save it again. Ready for a fight? Here goes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER BOSS: GREAT REDIPS, PHASE I (99999 LE | 0Z | 0 EXP | 0 FME) >> ELEMENT: Neutral >> ITEM DROP: N/A >> ITEM STEAL: Supra-Force Metal fragment-Alpha >> STRATEGY: This is something of an endurance battle (much like the first one with Shadow) in that Great Redips won't actually take any real damage. I recommend switching X, Zero, and Axl out for this fight and bringing in the other three. Focus attacks on the SFM chunks and have Marino steal some SFM-alpha (from the center part), and defend/attack with the others. ATTACKS: 1. Element Attack: SFM generates Mega Fire/Thunder/Blizzard. 2. Deep Impact: Powerful swiping punch attack. 3. Phalanx: 4. Deus ex Machina: hits everyone 3x with powerful meteors. 5. Memento Mori: inflicts every status ailment on all characters. The most annoying part of this battle is when he uses the Memento Mori attack. Keep defending until Marino's built up 100% WE, then concentrate on attacking once you've stolen some SFM. Eventually, the cutscene will take over. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Redips will cackle about how he's beating the junk out of you, even if you're doing a fine job against him. Ferham will appear on the scene and steal (after expending quite some effort) the chunk of Supra-Force Metal from Great Redips' right shoulder. He knocks her to the ground, and Zero calls out to X to renew the attack. Now it's back to the battle, but Redips is a bit more teed off this time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> CHAPTER BOSS: GREAT REDIPS, PHASE II (72500 LE | 0Z | 0 EXP | 0 FME) >> ELEMENT: Neutral >> ITEM DROP: N/A >> ITEM STEAL: Supra-Force Metal fragment-Beta >> STRATEGY: This is it, the *real* final battle. Have Marino ready to steal a chunk of the beneficial SFM-beta, and hammer away with X and Zero as hard and as often as you can. ATTACKS: 1. Element Attack: SFM generates Mega Fire/Thunder/Blizzard. 2. Deep Impact: powerful swiping punch attack. 3. Codebreaker: powered-up swipe that inflicts DOA. 4. Carpe Diem: drains your party's WE. 5. Phalanx: 6. Format: Removes all support effects from you *and* himself. 7. Deus Ex Machina: hits everyone 3x with powerful meteors. 8. Memento Mori: inflicts every status ailment on all characters. If you want to work on stealing some SFM from him, use Defend a lot until Marino builds up to 100%. After that, switch her out and start pounding away. Axl's Hyper Mode+Bait is worthless here as almost all of Great Redips' attacks hit all characters, so don't bother with trying to use it. First, target the remaining SFM to weaken his barrier, then launch all you have with Absolute Zero and X's Ultimate Armor, while Axl takes occasional potshots (Rafflesian's DNA attack is useful, too). If you keep hammering away, you should eventually be able to finish him off with a Final Strike. Above all else, keep an eye on your LE gauges so no one ends up getting KO'd (use Backups if they do, and then refill w/ Sub Tanks). This is the final battle, so don't be afraid to use those Tanks now. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like every villain in the history of video games, Redips screams in frustration at his defeat, and as he lays dying, he has enough strength to call X a Maver- ick for his actions. Redips dies after he wonders if the Reploids will ever truly evolve and not be considered Maverick. Following his destruction, the three Hunters run into Ferham, who's still holding the Supra-Force Metal she stole from Redips. Ferham vows to take the SFM where it can never be found, but to X's shock, she leaps off into space holding the SFM. The ship that they're on then begins entering the atmosphere, and X is forced to join his partners inside. Regretfully, he casts a glance up at the closed hatch. Meanwhile, Ferham clutches the SFM and murmurs about joining Epsilon and Scarface in death. Then Ferham self-destructs, taking the SFM with her. The game ends with some other characters gazing at the explosion in the sky, and with X, Zero, and Axl crashing into the ocean. They emerge and gaze at the sun as the scene fades out. End of the heart-wrenching story. ... Well, not yet. Yes, you still have plenty more to do. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ------------------------------- == 8. SECRET AREAS AND ENEMIES: =============================== Come on now, you didn't really think that was it? What about all the stuff still missing from your Sky Room collection? Since by now you should already have the Ultimate Armor and Absolute Zero (though this section will cover them anyway), you have a couple options - challenging Gaudile's Eternal Forest, or returning to Central Tower to fight the Tails Clan. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- == 8.1: SECOND HYPERS --------------------- X and Zero can gain extra Hyper Modes by being vigilant and hunting them out. X can pick up the Ultimate Armor, whose Action Trigger destroys just about everything that isn't nailed down (and like the Metal Blade of years past, most of what is nailed down as well), and Zero can grab the Absolute Zero, a odd armor that makes him look kind of like Bass. This would normally be immed- iate grounds for suckage except for the fact that it deals insane damage. So the Bass-lookalike deal is forgiven. Anyway, read below for more detailed in- formation as well as boss strategies for these (you didn't think you were just going to stumble across them, did you?) powered-up armors. >> ULTIMATE ARMOR ================= To get this bad boy piece of armored equipment, you need to send your mechan- iloids on Deployment missions to the Tianna POW camp. Eventually they'll return with the Tianna Key. With this in hand, return to Tianna (obviously), and head down to the Maze levels. From the start, hang a left and use the key on the locked door. In here, you can run around and grab some items, including the "Radar Killer" mechaniloid. But the real prize lies at the far-right corner. Take note first that the upcoming battles are easier if you already have Absolute Zero, but they are doable. Just don't tackle these until you're at least Level 23 or in that vicinity. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> SECRET BOSS 1: RAFFLESIAN (31500 LE | 10000Z | 22000 EXP | 3000 FME) BELLADONNA (20500 LE | 2000Z | 4000 EXP | 600 FME) >> ELEMENT: Neutral >> ITEM DROP: Tank Parts, Figure Token | Resist, Turbo Clock >> ITEM STEAL: Build LE, Force Tomahawk | Force Missiles, Build Speed >> STRATEGY: The gimmick here is that with each round, Rafflesian heals half her remaining LE and then powers up a bit, giving her the ability to launch devastating attacks. At the same time, Belladonna will do the same, but power up with each time she's attacked. ATTACKS: 1. Deep Impact: hits 1 character with deadly attack. 2. Riot: turns unprotected characters Berserk. 3. Terra Thunder: attacks all characters with deadly Thunder. 4. Ultra Giga Blizzard: attacks all with deadly Blizzard. 3. Sunburst: hits everyone 10x at 200 damage per hit. Not pretty. 1. Fatal Attack: guaranteed Critical Strike on 1 character. 2. Electromagnetic Field: chance to inflict Bind on all members. 3. Ultra Giga Blizzard: attacks all with deadly Blizzard. 4. Energy Capture: attempts to restore LE by stealing yours. 5. Bold Beam: deadly laser attack on 1 character. However, there is a simple way of eliminating this deadly trio. Deploy to Vanallia until you gain a Bait Sub Weapon, and equip it on Axl. Then have him activate his Stealth Mode and the Bait so that all attacks are focused on him (and being invisible, he'll receive no damage at all). Then, commence to whaling away on Rafflesian *only*. As mentioned previously, this task is easier if you already have Absolute Zero, as it will deal massive damage. If not, switch to Black Zero and pound away using the Command Arts. X should naturally use X Fire at full power to deal as much damage as possible. Eventually, Rafflesian will be destroyed, and you'll be left to face her two Belladonnas. These won't be a problem now that their regenerative power source has been destroy- ed, but they'll still increase in power with every round. Cool down and Defend until back at 100% WE, then launch your powered- up attacks on them individually. Eventually, you'll take them out as well, and you'll be free to claim the Ultimate Armor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> ABSOLUTE ZERO ================ Absolute Zero (nice play on the mathematical terms) can be found in the hidden area of the Melda Ore Plant. Deploy your mechaniloids until they bring back the Melda Key, then return to the area and use it to access the locked door right near the beginning. Move upwards on the elevator and go into the room to face off against the Duckbill Mole brothers and their helper mechaniloid, K-Ball. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> SECRET BOSS 2: 2x DUCKBILL MOLE (58000 LE | 4000Z | 15000 EXP | 1800 FME) >> ELEMENT: Fire >> ITEM DROP: Power Charge, Figure Token >> ITEM STEAL: Ultra Fire, Fire Resist >> STRATEGY: urgh. Attacks: Ultra Giga Fire, Mega Fire, Break Shield, Kamikaze Drill, Quake Hammer, Mantle Assault (Fire attack vs. all) Special Notes: Powers up when hit with fire, weakens with water attacks and prevents use of other moves ATTACKS: 1. Mega Fire 2. Ultra Giga Fire 3. Break Shield 4. Kamikaze Drill 5. Quake Hammer 6. Mantle Assault: hits all characters with powerful Fire attack. Duckbill Mole is sort of like a Mega Mantor in that most of its fire-based attacks can be disabled via water attacks. Pack your- self full of Mega and Ultra Blizzards for this fight, and just let loose until you build X and Zero up to 100% WE, at which point you can let loose with X Fire and Black Zero Hyper Modes. Using Marino's Quicksilver is also highly beneficial since it gives you multiple turns in a row. Concentrate attacks on one of the Moles, then focus on attacking the other, using Gain Hypers if you must. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That's it for the second Hyper Modes. With these in hand, the final battles will be far, far easier. Once you're leveled up enough (in the mid-30s), you will also be in prime condition to tackle the Tails Clan (section 8.3). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- == 8.2: THE ETERNAL FOREST -------------------------- The Eternal Forest is that... well, almost eternal area sandwiched 3/4 of the way through Gaudile's Laboratory. It's expansive (multiple pathways leading to about 21 individual item rooms), and very time-consuming; but on the other hand, it gets you 100% of the items from this area (and remember, clearing all areas of items IS one of the game challenges). When you first reach the area (the music will change), bring up your Map Screen and you'll see a map readout of all the paths. On this screen, take note that the directions are reversed. If a path leads off to the left on the screen, you'll need to take a right to get there. In total, there are 16 rooms which contain the various item crystals you're attempting to uncover. The other five simply have a Reploid who will give you some kind of Sub Tank refill and another item (usually a Cure item or some Zenny). Refer to the listing below to find a quick guide to each path that contains items, the enemies you'll fight, and the items you'll retrieve. Path #1: RIGHT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT ============================= - Battle 1: 4x Bat Bone - Battle 2: 2x Preon Chaser - Battle 3: 3x Preon Chaser, 1x Preon Spark - Battle 4: 3x Preon Spark REWARD: [JOKER], [TANK ENERGY 25]*, [CURE ONE]* Path #2: LEFT/RIGHT/LEFT/LEFT ============================= - Battle 1: 1x Preon Bitmaster - Battle 2: 1x D-Shark - Battle 3: 4x Preon Pod - Battle 4: 2x Preon Gunner, 1x Preon Elite REWARD: [FIGURE TOKEN], [TANK ENERGY 50]*, [CURE ALL]* Path #3: LEFT/LEFT/RIGHT/RIGHT ============================== - Battle 1: 1x Preon Bitmaster - Battle 2: 2x Preon Pod, 1x Preon Spark - Battle 3: 2x Killer Mantis, 1x Pararoid - Battle 4: 2x Super Tripuffer, 1x Gulpfast REWARD: [FIGURE TOKEN], [TANK ENERGY 50]*, [CURE ALL]* Path #4: LEFT/LEFT/RIGHT/LEFT/RIGHT =================================== - Battle 1: 1x Preon Bitmaster - Battle 2: 2x Preon Pod, 1x Preon Spark - Battle 3: 2x Killer Mantis, 1x Pararoid - Battle 4: 1x Preon Hybrid (Berserk), 1x Preon Soldier, 1x Preon Nurse - Battle 5: 2x Preon Tank, 1x Mega Mantor REWARD: [FIGURE TOKEN], [TANK ENERGY 50]*, [BACKUP]* Path #5: LEFT/LEFT/RIGHT/LEFT/LEFT ================================== - Battle 1: 1x Preon Bitmaster - Battle 2: 2x Preon Pod, 1x Preon Spark - Battle 3: 2x Killer Mantis, 1x Pararoid - Battle 4: 1x Preon Hybrid (Berserk), 1x Preon Soldier, 1x Preon Nurse - Battle 5: 3x Preon Shielder REWARD: [BUILD ARMOR], [TANK ENERGY 50]*, [1000Z]* Path #6: LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/RIGHT/RIGHT =================================== - Battle 1: 1x Preon Bitmaster - Battle 2: 2x Preon Pod, 1x Preon Spark - Battle 3: 2x Pararoid, 2x Preon Gunner - Battle 4: 3x Rush Loader - Battle 5: 2x Mettaur Counter REWARD: [BUILD SHIELD], [TANK ENERGY 50]*, [1000Z]* Path #7: LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/RIGHT/LEFT/RIGHT ======================================== - Battle 1: 1x Preon Bitmaster - Battle 2: 2x Preon Pod, 1x Preon Spark - Battle 3: 2x Pararoid, 2x Preon Gunner - Battle 4: 3x Rush Loader - Battle 5: 1x Plasma Glob, 1x Liquid Glob, 1x Fire Glob - Battle 6: 1x Mega Tortoise REWARD: [BUILD POWER], [TANK ENERGY 100]*, [1000Z]* Path #8: LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/RIGHT/LEFT/LEFT ======================================= - Battle 1: 1x Preon Bitmaster - Battle 2: 2x Preon Pod, 1x Preon Spark - Battle 3: 2x Pararoid, 2x Preon Gunner - Battle 4: 3x Rush Loader - Battle 5: 1x Plasma Glob, 1x Liquid Glob, 1x Fire Glob - Battle 6: 2x Preon S Botos REWARD: [BUILD SPEED], [FIGURE TOKEN], [TANK ENERGY 100]*, [1000Z]* Path #9: LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/RIGHT/RIGHT ======================================== - Battle 1: 1x Preon Bitmaster - Battle 2: 2x Preon Pod, 1x Preon Spark - Battle 3: 2x Pararoid, 2x Preon Gunner - Battle 4: 1x Mettaurcure, 1x Mettaur Counter, 1x Silver Mettaur 1x Gold Mettaur - Battle 5: 4x Wild Dog - Battle 6: 2x D-Rex REWARD: [BUILD LE], [FIGURE TOKEN], [TANK ENERGY 100]*, [1000Z]* Path #10: LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/RIGHT/LEFT/RIGHT ============================================== - Battle 1: 1x Preon Bitmaster - Battle 2: 2x Preon Pod, 1x Preon Spark - Battle 3: 2x Pararoid, 2x Preon Gunner - Battle 4: 1x Mettaurcure, 1x Mettaur Counter, 1x Silver Mettaur 1x Gold Mettaur - Battle 5: 4x Wild Dog - Battle 6: 2x Preon Gunner, 1x Preon Doc - Battle 7: 4x Wolfloid REWARD: [BUILD ARMOR], [FIGURE TOKEN], [ITEM CAPTURE], [TANK ENERGY 100]*, [1500Z]* Path #11: LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/RIGHT/LEFT/LEFT ============================================= - Battle 1: 1x Preon Bitmaster - Battle 2: 2x Preon Pod, 1x Preon Spark - Battle 3: 2x Pararoid, 2x Preon Gunner - Battle 4: 1x Mettaurcure, 1x Mettaur Counter, 1x Silver Mettaur, 1x Gold Mettaur - Battle 5: 4x Wild Dog - Battle 6: 2x Preon Gunner, 1x Preon Doc - Battle 7: 3x Preon Pressure REWARD: [BUILD SHIELD], [FIGURE TOKEN], [GET ZENNY+], [TANK ENERGY 100]*, [1500Z]* Path #12: LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/RIGHT/RIGHT ============================================== - Battle 1: 1x Preon Bitmaster - Battle 2: 2x Preon Pod, 1x Preon Spark - Battle 3: 2x Pararoid, 2x Preon Gunner - Battle 4: 1x Mettaurcure, 1x Mettaur Counter, 1x Silver Mettaur, 1x Gold Mettaur - Battle 5: 2x Preon S Botos, 2x Preon S Ferham - Battle 6: 1x Meltdown - Battle 7: 1x B Blader (possibility of 2x Deerball) REWARD: [BUILD WE], [FIGURE TOKEN], [GET EXP+], [TANK ENERGY 100]*, [1500Z]* Path #13: LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/RIGHT/LEFT ============================================= - Battle 1: 1x Preon Bitmaster - Battle 2: 2x Preon Pod, 1x Preon Spark - Battle 3: 2x Pararoid, 2x Preon Gunner - Battle 4: 1x Mettaurcure, 1x Mettaur Counter, 1x Silver Mettaur, 1x Gold Mettaur - Battle 5: 2x Preon S Botos, 2x Preon S Ferham - Battle 6: 1x Meltdown - Battle 7: 3x Preon S Epsilon REWARD: [BUILD SHIELD], [BUILD ARMOR], [POWER CHARGE], [TANK ENERGY 100]*, [1500Z]* Path #14: LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/RIGHT ============================================= - Battle 1: 1x Preon Bitmaster - Battle 2: 2x Preon Pod, 1x Preon Spark - Battle 3: 2x Pararoid, 2x Preon Gunner - Battle 4: 1x Mettaurcure, 1x Mettaur Counter, 1x Silver Mettaur, 1x Gold Mettaur - Battle 5: 2x Preon S Botos, 2x Preon S Ferham - Battle 6: 1x Preon S Epsilon, 1x Preon S Face, 1x Preon S Botos, 1x Preon S Ferham - Battle 7: 3x Red Hubcap REWARD: [BUILD SPEED], [BUILD POWER], [TURBO CLOCK], [TANK ENERGY 100]*, [1500Z]* Path #15: LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/RIGHT ================================================== - Battle 1: 1x Preon Bitmaster - Battle 2: 2x Preon Pod, 1x Preon Spark - Battle 3: 2x Pararoid, 2x Preon Gunner - Battle 4: 1x Mettaurcure, 1x Mettaur Counter, 1x Silver Mettaur, 1x Gold Mettaur - Battle 5: 2x Preon S Botos, 2x Preon S Ferham - Battle 6: 1x Preon S Epsilon, 1x Preon S Face, 1x Preon S Botos, 1x Preon S Ferham - Battle 7: 3x Redips Guard - Battle 8: 3x Red Stinger REWARD: [CRYOGENIC], [BUILD WE], [BONE KEY] Path #16: LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT/LEFT ================================================= - Battle 1: 1x Preon Bitmaster - Battle 2: 2x Preon Pod, 1x Preon Spark - Battle 3: 2x Pararoid, 2x Preon Gunner - Battle 4: 1x Mettaurcure, 1x Mettaur Counter, 1x Silver Mettaur, 1x Gold Mettaur - Battle 5: 2x Preon S Botos, 2x Preon S Ferham - Battle 6: 1x Preon S Epsilon, 1x Preon S Face, 1x Preon S Botos, 1x Preon S Ferham - Battle 7: 3x Redips Guard - Battle 8: 3x Belladonnas REWARD: [STAMINA MISSILE], [BUILD HYPER], [TANK PARTS] After completing all these paths, you should not only have 100% of the items out of this stage, but you will probably also have a load of Zenny and FME, so try using it to buy stuff or refine more Force Metals. When that's done and over with, it'll be time to tackle the 100% completion of Central Tower -- by battling the "violent prisoner" kept in isolation at the bottom, Ninetails and his eight lovable family members. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- == 8.3: THE TAILS CLAN ---------------------- Upon completing the game the first time, you are rewarded with the [CENTRAL KEY] and given instructions to use it to open up a hidden door in Central Tow- er. Remember that door that was guarded by the Degraver at the very beginning of the game? Yeah, go there. Cruise your way on down, and the new Key will grant you access to the Special Sealed Area. This doozy contains nine secret bosses and everything you need left to complete your music and video collect- ions. Grab the [ITEM HERE] from the center, and continue on down. The first boss, Onetail, awaits you at the bottom. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> SECRET BOSS 3: ONETAIL (72500 LE | 20000Z | 40000 EXP | 6000 FME) >> ELEMENT: Neutral >> ITEM DROP: Tank Parts, Figure Token >> ITEM STEAL: Build LE, Build WE >> STRATEGY: Onetail lets you off easy (well, he *is* the first boss in this area) by only regenerating half his LE every turn (give or take). His attacks are pretty powerful, though. Make sure you have the strength to survive them. ATTACKS: 1. Annihilator Hadoken: hits all characters, high chance of DOA. 2. Tail Strike: hits one character 2x with tail whip. 3. Terra Fire: powerful Fire attack on all characters. 4. Terra Blizzard: powerful Blizzard attack on all characters. 5. Terra Thunder: powerful Thunder attack on all characters. 6. Pressure Needle: drains all WE from 1 character. 7. Regeneration: will actually revive your KO'd members @ 25% LE. Now, given that Onetail heals half of his remaining energy with every turn, you'll probably want to start off using Marino to soften him up with her Quicksilver Hyper Mode. After that, switch Cinnamon in to use Iron Maide plus her Kitty Gloves, and have X and Zero finish the job with their Ultimate Armor and Absolute Zero Hyper Modes. If this attack doesn't defeat him, it will at least put him in range for a Final Strike, allowing you to easily finish him off from there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One down, eight to go. Head through the door and grab the [ITEM HERE] A good idea to get into is to beat each member individually, then return to Hunter Base, heal and save. It's lengthy and wastes time, but the Tails boys can get pretty unpredictable, especially so the further you go down. Whenever you're ready, head back to the area where you were, and meet Twotails at the bottom of the next corridor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> SECRET BOSS 4: TWOTAILS (XXX LE) >> ELEMENT: Fire/Water/Thunder >> ITEM DROP: >> ITEM STEAL: >> STRATEGY: The battle against Twotails is pretty much a double dose of the first battle with Onetail with a catch - Twotails won't heal that often, but the two of them will switch elemental properties every turn, sort of like Incentas. ATTACKS: 1. Annihilator Hadoken: Hits all characters, high chance of DOA. 2. Rapid Punch: Hits one character 4-5 times with rapid punches. 3. All Elemental: Will summon any Ultra-elemental attack to use. 4. Elemental Change: Changes elemental attributes mid-battle. The key here is to attack each one separately, that is, have your characters concentrate on one enemy before attacking the next. Defend until you have three turns in a row AND your target has switched to Fire elemental - this almost guarantees a death blow as Zero's Calamitous Arts are Water-elemental, and will thus deal double damage. Unleash three rounds of pain upon one of the Twotails, then repeat the strategy for the second one. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two down, seven to do. Rock on and grab the This time you will DEFINITELY want to refresh at Hunter Base - the next Tails fight is a very mean gimmick, and you want to be at full strength. If you don't have Cinnamon in your party, switch someone out so you have X, Zero, and Cinn- amon fighting. Keep Marino on standby for theft, and Axl in reserve for the Tails to beat up on (you do still have him equipped with a Bait, don't you?). Next stop, Threetails. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> SECRET BOSS 5: THREETAILS (XXX LE) >> ELEMENT: Neutral >> ITEM DROP: >> ITEM STEAL: >> STRATEGY: Threetails' gimmick is a pain because each of the three enemies is using an Armor +100 item. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be a prob- lem, but you'll have to deal with the other Threetails often heal- ing the one you were attacking. Each one also has fairly powerful attacks, upping the ante. ATTACKS: 1. Annihilator Hadoken: Hits all characters, high chance of DOA. 2. Rapid Punch: Hits one character 4-5 times with rapid punches. 3. All Elemental: Will summon any Giga-elemental attack to use. Attacking all in a single round with full Hypers (Ultimate Armor, Absolute Zero, and Iron Maiden) won't even be enough to complete- ly destroy one unless you're past level 45 or so). The single best strategy is to rely on Hyper Modes (and Gain Hypers if you must) to defeat two of the Threetail enemies, then work on healing and defending while using power attacks to bring the final one down. Using a lot of Build Hypers helps in this fight (and the fights to come as well). For Zero, do consider equipping him with the Z- Rapier+ and Generator/HeatHaze, as it'll boost your attacking abilities. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The door Threetails was guarding is now open, so you can go into the next hallway to grab the .... Fourtail awaits at the bottom of the ramp, but you will likely be massacred if you're not properly prepared. Have plenty of Zenny on hand, and head back to the Lagrano Shop. Stock up on Neutralizer Force Metals and purchase Backups from another vendor. Now give X the Supra-Force Metal-alpha (restores 100% WE every turn and recovers LE) fragment with 2x Neutralizer -30s and 1x Neutral- izer -20. Give Axl the Supra-Force Metal-beta (increases almost all stats by 100%) with the same balance, and give Zero some Power +X and a Reboot. If you can spare it, give X the X-Heart FM too. Give Zero 2x Generator Sub Weapons and the most powerful sword you have, and give Axl a Bait Sub Weapon and the Man- hunter for his Main Weapon. Now you'll be in tip-top shape for Fourtail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> SECRET BOSS 6: FOURTAIL (XXX LE) >> ELEMENT: Neutral >> ITEM DROP: Red Lotus Saber >> ITEM STEAL: >> STRATEGY: Unlike the previous three enemies, beating Fourtail relies on pure power - no gimmick to exploit this time. His attacks are heavily strengthened, probably due to the Armor +200 and Power +200 Force Metals he's packing. ATTACKS: 1. Annihilator Hadoken: Hits all characters, high chance of DOA. 2. Rapid Punch: Hits one character 4-5 times with rapid punches. 3. All Elemental: Will summon any elemental attack to use. 4. Puncture Arrows: Rapid-fire arrows hit one character. Fourtail will probably use an opening attack that will rip your party to shreds, but if everyone is above level 36, the attack shouldn't be enough to kill anyone (if it does, you'll have to rely on Reboots and/or Backups). Whoever has the first turn (hope- fully not X) needs to use a Sub Tank to refresh the party. When you reach Axl, have him transform into Hyper Mode and activate the Bait Sub Weapon. Have Zero use his two Generators to build his WE, and when you reach X again, the SFM-alpha will boost him to 100% WE (this happens every turn as well). Immediately transform into the Ultimate Armor and begin hammering away at Fourtail; each round of this should do in the neighborhood of 20,000+ LE of dam- age. Whenever Zero reaches 100%, turn him into Absolute Zero and have him unleash his Calamitous Arts. As long as Axl remains in Hyper w/ Bait, almost all of Fourtail's attacks will be directed at him, and having a weapon designed for boss fights be amplified by 100% also doesn't hurt. Keep this up and you should be able to take him down in about 10-15 turns. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fourtail is nice enough to drop the Red Lotus Saber. Go ahead and cancel any plans for using Z-Saber+++ or Z-Rapier. This weapon is hands-down the best one Zero can use, as it initially hits an enemy 3 times for around 3000dmg per hit. Yes... and it only gets more powerful as your level increases, because it con- verts all your other stat energy into Attack power. While using it, I suggest stocking Zero with Stat Plus Force Metals to balance the effects out. deals roughly 3000 LE of damage per hit (and it hits three times). Go back to the base now, recharge, and save, then come back to fight Fivetails when you're ready. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [BOSS: FIVETAILS] Element: Neutral Attacks: Ultra Thunder, Ultra Fire, Ultra Blizzard, Ultra Giga Thunder, Ultra Giga Fire, Ultra Giga Blizzard, Annihilator Hadoken, Rapid Punch, Puncture Arrows, Self-Destruct, SOS Combat Strategy: ================ Fivetails attacks you in a trio again, though they're far weaker than the previous iterations. However, there is a rhyme and reason to their weakness - every time you destroy one, another will use SOS and summon a replacement. Add to this the fact that they'll randomly use Self-Destruct, and you get a major annoyance of a fight. The trick is to attack each one with normal attacks (I used X Fire and Black Zero quite a bit, in addition to my regular attacks) until they're almost all within range of being killed at once. MAKE SURE you activate Axl's Hyper Mode and use his Bait sub-weapon here to draw any fire from the Fivetails, particularly their Self-Destruct moves. Once you've beaten them up enough, activate X's Ulti- mate Armor and blast away with the Nova Strike. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The pattern just goes on and on. Run into the next room, grab items, go back to Hunter Base and recharge (you will HAVE to for this fight. And if for some reason you unequipped X's Supra-Force Metal from Fourtails, put it back on for the next fight - you have a time limit here). After you've rested or whatever, run back down the long tunnels to challenge Sixtails. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [BOSS: SIXTAILS] Element: Neutral Attacks: Ultra Thunder, Ultra Fire, Ultra Blizzard, Ultra Giga Thunder, Ultra Giga Fire, Ultra Giga Blizzard, Annihilator Hadoken, Rapid Punch, Puncture Arrows Combat Strategy: ================ Sixtails, thankfully, is a one-boss battle. Be thankful because you have only a 10-turn limit to defeat him. If you took off the SFM-A piece you equipped on X for the battle with Fourtails, it's a good idea to re-equip it here. You WILL need X to be able to knock off 100% Nova Strikes every turn he gets. Equipping Zero with two Generators also helps so he can use Absolute Zero at least once or twice dur- ing the fight. As long as you attack at high WE levels with X and Zero while keep- ing Axl in Hyper Mode with Bait activated, you shouldn't have any real problems taking this one down. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You know the drill by now. Return here to fight Seventails when you're ready. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [BOSS: SEVENTAILS] Element: Neutral Attacks: Ultra Thunder, Ultra Fire, Ultra Blizzard, Ultra Giga Thunder, Ultra Giga Fire, Ultra Giga Blizzard, Annihilator Hadoken, Rapid Punch, Coercion, Puncture Arrows Combat Strategy: ================ Remember the Belladonnas (or Rafflesian + Bellas if you haven't cleared the Eter- nal Forest yet)? This fight is similar to the battles against them in that the two Seventails will get stronger as their turns pass. Therefore, it's imperative that you blast away as much as humanly possible. This involves the same setup as before - X with SFM-a + Ultimate Armor, Axl with Hyper Mode + Bait, and Zero using his second Hyper + Calamitous Arts for an efficient victory. If you find yourself having to change characters at any point, switch Zero out for Marino, and have Marino activate Quicksilver so you can score repeated and successive attacks with her powerful moves. Alternately, Cinnamon's Hyper Mode is also always a good choice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yeah, yeah. Why not check out the Sky Room since you've collected a ton of rare stuff you couldn't get your grubby little hands on before? Recharge and save while you're at it, then come back for a slightly easier fight against Eighttails. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [BOSS: EIGHTTAILS] Element: Neutral Attacks: Ultra Thunder, Ultra Fire, Ultra Blizzard, Ultra Giga Thunder, Ultra Giga Fire, Ultra Giga Blizzard, Annihilator Hadoken, Rapid Punch, Coercion, Puncture Arrows, SOS Combat Strategy: ================ Eighttails is the last of the multiple-enemy fights (the next and final one is a single Tails enemy), and is a slightly easier version of the fight with Five- tails. Eighttails still uses SOS to call up backups, so you need to strategically attack. I mostly unleashed a few rounds of Calamitous Arts and Nova Strikes until they both eventually died, but if you don't wish to prolong the battle, have X attack one and Zero attack the other, then use the Nova Strike to finish them both off at the same time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The path to Ninetails is surprisingly more rewarding. Two hallways with three crystals each, then keep going down the tunnel to reach a vending machine holding the last two figure series (from 1-10). When you've spent your tokens, go back up and take the path branch to the left to find a room with more items, and your last battle here with Ninetails. Before battling him, rearrange some Force Metals here and there. I gave Axl the Manhunter weapon as well as two Neutralizer-30s and one Neutralizer-20 along with some Supra-Force Metal-B. Equip Zero with the Red Lotus Saber and give him an LE+500 along with Reboot, then challenge Ninetails. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [BOSS: NINETAILS] Element: Neutral Attacks: Ultra Thunder, Ultra Fire, Ultra Blizzard, Ultra Giga Thunder, Ultra Giga Fire, Ultra Giga Blizzard, Annihilator Hadoken, Rapid Punch, Coercion, Puncture Arrows, Nine Fragments Combat Strategy: ================ Ninetails is the most powerful of the bunch, and he's certainly not afraid to show it. If by some random chance he doesn't wipe you out on his opening attack (I started off with X, Massimo, and Zero for the boosted LE). Hopefully he'll attack someone with Nine Fragments. In this case, when you reach Massimo, switch him out with Axl and use his Hyper Mode+Bait to draw Ninetails' attacks. With the other character, use a Backup on the defeated one, and proceed to build WE for high- powered Action Triggers. X should still have the Alpha fragment, so unleashing fully-powered Nova Strikes every time shouldn't be a problem. Use Sub-Tanks if you need to heal, and break out with Zero's Calamitous Arts when you can inflict some heavy damage. On Axl's turns, have him use Bait, then fire on Ninetails with the Manhunter. If you survive and all, you should be able to take Ninetails down in around 10 or so turns. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Congratulations! You beat all nine of the secret bosses and completed the music & movie collections (unless you missed some on earlier missions via Deploy- ment), thus completing another two Challenges! If you haven't done the Eternal Forest by now, I don't know what you're waiting for - at this point nothing will be able to come close to bringing you to your knees unless you just get dumb and forget how to fight. Now about the only thing left is to complete all the Figure Sets, finish the Deployment missions, and finish forging all your Force Metals (go for that Monopoly one and give all EXP in battle to one char- acter). At this point, you can say that you've totally bitched this game. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ------------------------ == 9. WEAPONS AND ITEMS: ======================== Each character in the game has a multitude of Main Weapons that they can use, as well as a host of Sub Weapons. All Main Weapons are unique to their partic- ular characters, while most of the Sub Weapons are universal (some, like the Heat Haze, are for one character only). Below you'll find a detailed break- down of the Main Weapons, Sub Weapons, various Key Items, and the Field and Battle Items you'll find throughout the quest. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ++ 9.1 MAIN WEAPONS ------------------- The Main Weapons go under each character's "Main Weapon" slot via the "Equip Weapon" option on the Sub Screen menu. The list goes first by X, then Zero, Axl, Massimo, Marino, Cinnamon, and finally Spider (remember that Spider's weapons are useless after Chapter 6, so I wouldn't waste Zenny buying him any upgrades), and are further divided into weapon "classes". ----------------------------------------------------------- ABBREVIATION KEY: | ----------------- | P - Power (how much damage you can inflict) | A - Armor (how much it can boost your combat protection) | S - Shield (how much it can boost your shot protection) | W - Weight (how much it decreases your speed) | S *under Unit* - Single (means it targets one enemy) | S *under Att* - Shot-type attack | C - Contact-type attack | ----------------------------------------------------------- A) X's Weapons ============== • X-BUSTER (P: 10 | A: 5 | S: 5 | W: 8) - X's starting weapon [Unit: S | Att: S] • X-BUSTER MKII (P: 30 | A: 12 | S: 12 | W: 12) - Weapon Shop (Ch. 4) [Unit: S | Att: S] • X-BUSTER MKIII (P: 110 | A: 30 | S: 30 | W: 20) - Dropped by Cannon Driver [Unit: S | Att: S] • GUARD BUSTER (P: 12 | A: 10 | S: 10 | W: 16) - Dropped by Hippopressor [Unit: S | Att: S] • GUARD BUSTER MKII (P: 20 | A: 18 | S: 18 | W: 20) - Weapon Shop (Ch. 5) [Unit: S | Att: S] • GUARD BUSTER MKIII (P: 60 | A: 30 | S: 30 | W: 26) - Weapon Shop (Ch. 9) [Unit: S | Att: S] • SCOPE BUSTER (P: 20 | A: 9 | S: 9 | W: 9) - Weapon Shop (Ch. 3) [Unit: S | Att: S; High hit rate; Critical strike +4%] • SCOPE BUSTER MKII (P: 43 | A: 17 | S: 17 | W: 13) - Weapon Shop (Ch. 7) [Unit: S | Att: S; High hit rate; Critical strike +4%] • LIMIT BUSTER (P: 53 | A: 16 | S: 16 | W: 16) - Weapon Shop (Ch. 8) [Unit: S | Att: S; Rarely deals finishing blow] • LIMIT BUSTER MKII (P: 96 | A: 24 | S: 24 | W: 20) - Dropped by Red Hubcap [Unit: S | Att: S; Rarely deals finishing blow] • FIRE BUSTER (P: 15 | A: 7 | S: 7 | W: 9) - Cumin's Weapon Shop (Ch. 2) [Unit: S | Att: Fire S] • FIRE BUSTER MKII (P: 37 | A: 14 | S: 14 | W: 10) - Dropped by Mach Jentra [Unit: S | Att: Fire S] • FIRE BUSTER MKIII (P: 80 | A: 23 | S: 23 | W: 13) - Weapon Shop (Ch. 10) [Unit: S | Att: Fire S] • ICE BUSTER (P: 22 | A: 10 | S: 10 | W: 11) - Dropped by Silver Horn [Unit: S | Att: Water S] • ICE BUSTER MKII (P: 39 | A: 14 | S: 14 | W: 12) - Weapon Shop (Ch. 6) [Unit: S | Att: Water S] • ICE BUSTER MKIII (P: 83 | A: 23 | S: 23 | W: 16) - Weapon Shop (Ch. 10) [Unit: S | Att: Water S] • THUNDER BUSTER (P: 18 | A: 9 | S: 9 | W: 10) - Dropped by Wild Jango [Unit: S | Att: Thunder S] • THUNDER BUSTER MKII (P: 38 | A: 15 | S: 15 | W: 12) - Weapon Shop (Ch. 6) [Unit: S | Att: Thunder S] • THUNDER BUSTER MKIII (P: 81 | A: 25 | S: 25 | W: 16) - Weapon Shop (Ch. 10) [Unit: S | Att: Thunder S] • GATLING BUSTER (P: 15 | A: 5 | S: 5 | W: 22) - Steal from Killer Mantis [Unit: S | Att: 8-hit S; Hit ratio -30%] • GATLING BUSTER II (P: 20 | A: 8 | S: 8 | W: 23) - Melda Ore Plant item [Unit: S | Att: 8-hit S; Hit ratio -30%] • AERO BUSTER (P: 34 | A: 1 | S: 1 | W: 2) - Ulfat Factory item crystal [Unit: S | Att: S; C/S evasion +5%] • AERO BUSTER MKII (P: 72 | A: 3 | S: 3 | W: 5) - Weapon Shop (after Ch. 8) [Unit: S | Att: S; C/S evasion +5%] • BRAVE BUSTER (P: 80 | A: 20 | S: 20 | W: 24) - Steal from Metaroid [Unit: S | Att: S; Higher damage taken deals more damage] • TURBO BUSTER (P: 90 | A: 10 | S: 10 | W: 0) - Cumin's Secret Shop [Unit: S | Att: S; Higher WE deals more damage] B) Zero's Weapons ================= • Z-SABER (P: 2 | A: 5 | S: 4 | W: 8) - Zero's starting weapon [Unit: S | Att: 2-hit C attack] • Z-SABER+ (P: 10 | A: 12 | S: 10 | W: 11) - Norm. Weapon in Ch. 5 [Unit: S | Att: 2-hit C attack] • Z-SABER++ (P: 24 | A: 17 | S: 15 | W: 13) - Weapon Shop (Ch. 8) [Unit: S | Att: 2-hit C attack] • Z-SABER+++ (P: 50 | A: 30 | S: 25 | W: 25) - Grave Ruins Base item [Unit: S | Att: 2-hit C attack] • Z-ICHIMONJI (P: 60 | A: 20 | S: 25 | W: 9) - Dropped by Shadow [Unit: S | Att: 2-hit C attack;