Twinkle Star Sprites Guide Version 1.0 (12/12/2001) By Kurt Linsenbardt Dead81436@AOL.com This document Copyright 2001 Kurt Linsenbardt. You are not to use this document for profit, but please contact me if you wish to use it on your site. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Contents: I Updates II Controls III Game Overview IV Weapons and Hazards V Character Guide VI Stages VII Strategies VIII Secrets IX FAQ X Recognition ----------------------------------------------------------------------- I Updates: 12/6/2001 v1.0 First Edition ----------------------------------------------------------------------- II Controls Joystick - Move character A Button - Shoot Hold A, Release - Power Shot B Button - Bomb ----------------------------------------------------------------------- III Game Overview Twinkle Star Sprites was an unusual hybrid shooter/puzzle/fighter game that was released by SNK in 1996 as a Japanese arcade game. It was then ported onto the Dreamcast, Saturn, and Neo-Geo. You can play it in English language mode, however the translation is abysmal. All of the action takes place in a vertically scrolling shooter mode. It is split-screen between the players, and the goal is to knock out all of your opponent's five hearts. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- IV Weapons and Hazards A. Normal Shots These are done by pressing the A Button. These can be done quite rapidly, but you cannot directly attack your opponent with them. B. Charged Shots These can be done by holding down A to charge up, then releasing. The charge meter at the bottom of the screen starts off at a maximum charge of level one. You can increase the maximum power level by killing the stage enemies (covered later) with normal shots. A level one shot is basically a more powerful version of the normal shot, the level two shots send three special attacks (more on these later) to the opponent's side, and a level three shot sends a boss (covered later) over to attack the opponent. C. Bombs In each battle you start off with two bombs. These destroy all enemies on screen, regardless of whether the on screen graphic of the explosion touches them. You can pick up more bombs from the coins that are occasionally dropped off by flying pigs. D. Stage Enemies Each stage of the game has different kind of enemy, such as birds in the first stage, clams in the second, snowmen in the third, and so on. The difference is purely cosmetic, as they all have the same properties. Contact with a stage enemy will take off one life heart, restore one-half heart of the enemy's life, and temporarily stun you. That is the bad news. The good news is that they cannot take the last bit of your life away. Stage enemies come in different colors, which represents their amount of life. The colors from highest life to lowest life are: Purple-Blue-Green-Yellow-Red E. Chain Explosions Each time you shoot an enemy, it drops a color, and when you shoot a red enemy, it explodes. This explosion can destroy the surrounding enemies, which then explode, and this is a chain explosion. Unfortunately, some enemies are surrounded by bubbles that can absorb one explosion or shot. When the chain of explosions end, a number of fireball (orange for player 1, blue for player 2 or the computer) are sent to the opponent. The number of fireballs sent increases as the length of the chain grows. The fireballs either go to the top of the screen and drop or they travel in an arc to the opposite corner. F. Reflecting Shots If you can shoot the fireballs that your opponent sends at you, they will be sent back as a flashing fireball. You can use the aforementioned chain explosions, level one charged shots, or normal shots to do this. If you can manage to hit back a flashing fireball, it will be either a special attack, or a boss attack if you can send enough of them back at once. G. Special Attacks Each character has a different special attack. These send a small creature over to your opponent's side to attack them. These will be covered more in the character section. These are caused by level 2 charged shots or by reflecting flashing fireballs. H. Boss Attacks Each character also has a different boss attack. These send a large creature to attack the opponent. The boss usually has a number of different attacks, but they can be destroyed. It takes the equivalent of 2 bombs plus a few normal shots. The boss also leaves after around 10-20 seconds. You can summon bosses with a level 3 charged attack or by reflecting a large number of flashing fireballs at once. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- V Character Guide Key ------------- Name: Character's name Speed: Speed of the character's movement Power: Power of the character's normal shot Bomb: Description of their bomb attack C. Shot: Description of the level 1 charged shot Special: Description of the special attack Boss: Description of the boss attack Comments: Misc. comments ------------- Name: Load Ran Description: The young, blond heroine Speed: 2 Power: 2 Bomb: A large star fills the screen C. Shot: A forward energy blast Special: A spinning, slightly homing Rabicat Boss: A large Rabicat Comments: A good all-around choice. ------------- Name: Kim Description: A wizard cat riding a robot Speed: 3 Power: 1 Bomb: Tidal Wave C. Shot: A short range 1-2-3 punch Special: A descending rocket arm Boss: A large Robot Comments: I don't care for him, his charge shot is close-range only and his special is easy to dodge. ------------- Name: Nanja Monja Description: A group of multicolored furballs Speed: 2 Power: 3 Bomb: Furball comet C. Shot: lightning strike that can be angled right or left Special: a furball bounces down the screen Boss: a large, spiky furball Comments: Their charge shot is not so good, but their special is one of the hardest to dodge. ------------- Name: Tinker and Linker Description: Two blond fairies Speed: 2 Power: 2 Bomb: a giant laser blast C. Shot: a crystal is fired (can be shot horizontally) Special: a slightly tracking blue fairy Boss: A giant blue fairy Comments: The bomb looks like it only shoots forward, but it still destroys all enemies onscreen. ------------- Name: Really Till Description: A green-haired girl with a dragon Speed: 3 Power: 2 Bomb: Flames shoot up and down the screen C. Shot: A flame-thrower Special: A dragon drops down, then flies off the side Boss: A large green dragon Comments: You can move around while the flame-thrower is shooting. ------------- Name: Griffon Description: A group of three guys in white suits Speed: 2 Power: 1 Bomb: A large rising blade of wind C. Shot: Two sawblades are sent out at 45 degrees, and then return Special: A descending griffin Boss: A large griffin Comments: The charged shot is pretty hard to hit with. ------------- Name: Yan Yanyung Description: A young green-haired girl with flying pigs Speed: 1 Power: 1 Bomb: Pig comets C. Shot: A large green energy wave Special: Descending pigs Boss: A giant flying pig Comments: Her charge shot covers most of the screen. ------------- Name: Arthur Schmitt Description: A red-haired guy with a jetpack Speed: 3 Power: 1 Bomb: A laser sweeps over the battlefield C. Shot: A vertical laser blast Special: An ascending mini-UFO Boss: A large UFO Comments: He can sweep the screen with his charged laser blast by moving horizontally while it is going off. ------------- Name: Macky and Pentell Description: A lavender-hair girl and a younger pink-haired girl Speed: 1 Power: 3 Bomb: A chomper bear sweeps upward C. Shot: An explosive chomper bear Special: A tracking chomper bear Boss: A giant chomper bear Comments: You can detonate the charged shot early by pressing shot again. This team is one my personal favorites. ------------- Name: Sprites Description: An older version of Load Ran Speed: 2 Power: 3 Bomb: A glowing picture of Sprites with angel wings C. Shot: A triple energy blast Special: A faster version of Rabicat Boss: Large Rabicat Comments: You play as her in the last 2 story battles, but you can also use her in other modes with a code. ------------- Name: Memory Description: A women in a white robe with long pink hair Speed: 3 Power: 3 Bomb: A close-up of Memory's face fills the screen C. Shot: Bouncing balls Special: Homing food Boss: A giant cake Comments: The final boss (Her charged shot hits everything onscreen!), and also a secret character. ------------- Name: Dark Ran Description: An evil version of Load Ran Speed: 2 Power: 2 Bomb: An evil looking star fills the screen C. Shot: A dark energy blast Special: A dark, slightly homing Rabicat Boss: A large, dark Rabicat Comments: The fifth story battle and a secret character, she plays the same as normal Ran. ------------- Name: Mevious Description: Evil looking witch woman Speed: 3 Power: 3 Bomb: A black hole C. Shot: A red three-way shot Special: Fluttering bats Boss: A large bat Comments: The sixth story battle and a hidden character. It is kind of hard to hit with her charged shot. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- VI Stages Opponent Stage Enemy ----------------------------------------------------------------- Stage 1: Yan Yanyung or Really Till : Birds Stage 2: Kim or Nanja Monja : Clams Stage 3: Tinker & Linker or Arthur Schmitt : Clouds Stage 4: Griffon or Macky & Pentell : Snowmen Stage 5: Dark Ran : Chests Stage 6: Mevious : Chests Stage 7: Memory : Stars ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- VII Strategies Use the normal shot on the stage enemies as much as possible, it is the best way to start chains. Try set up a chain combo when your opponent is about to launch a massive attack on you. That way most of the attacks will be sent right back at them. If you can't set up a chain when a large assault is sent, either dodge it or use a bomb. Some characters can use their level one charge shots, but this should only be done if you already have the charge stored up. Bombs give you temporary invincibility, so use them when the situation becomes too hectic. Bombs are also good for when there are large groups of enemies in bubbles. To dodge the arcing attack, try to move towards the outer edge and up. It is very dangerous to try and knock back the arcing fireballs with normal shots. Try to learn the different enemy wave patterns there are. The enemies use these from stage to stage. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- VIII Secrets Play as Sprites - Put the selector on Ran and press up up up up A. Play as Memory - Same as Sprites code, only use down Play as Mevious - Put selector on Griffon and press up up up up A Play as Dark Ran - Same as Mevious code, only use down ----------------------------------------------------------------------- IX FAQ None yet, so feel free to send in your questions. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- X Recognition My brothers - for always being there to be the second player Zany Video Game Quotes - http://zanyvg.overclocked.org/ - for exposing me to this game GameSages.com - for providing the codes for the hidden characters