%%@@# O@o%%%%# @OO%%#% O@O%o@ @@O%@ %#O%%@ @#%%%%%%%%@O#%%%%%@ %#%%%%@ %@%%%O O@%%%%@ O@%%%%%%%%%%%%@#%%%%@% #%%%@ @%%%%@ o%%%O@O %o%%%%%%%%O@@oo#%%%%@ #@@ #%%%%O OO@ @%%%%%%#O @%%%%oo @## o@@O@# O#%%O#O #%%%O@ @o%O #%%%%%# #%%%O@%#O@@#%@%%%@#@ %%%o#O#@@ @%%%%%%%#@#%%%%@%### #%%%O @%%%%%# @%%%@#o%%%%#@%%%%%@o#%%%o%%%%%@ O%%%%%%%%O#%%%%#o%%%##%%%%%# %#%%%%%%o#@ #%%%@O%%%%%##O%%%%# O%%%%%#%%%%@@%%#@@%%%%@%%%%###%%%##o%%%%@ @Oo%%%%% O#o%%O%%O%%%%##@%%%O O%%%%O@#%%%%@@%%#@#O%%@#%%%%@@o%%#@ O%%%%# @ @@%%%%%@o%%%%#o@%%%# @%%%@ @%%%%@ @%%%o @%%%%%%%# %O%%%@%%%%@ O%%%%O o@#@o@o%%%%%%O#@%%o#% o@%%@ @%%%@ @%%%@ @%%# @%%%%#@ o#%%%%%o @%%%@ #@O%%%%#@# ##@ o%@@ O@#O %O@#O @@ @O@@@ O#@@ %@@ @@@@@# Shinobi F A Q / Walkthrough Written by AdrenalineSL Version 1.2: Released March 5, 2003 The very latest versions and updates can be found at GameFAQs: http://www.gamefaqs.com _____________________________________________________________________________ This is currently [Version 1.2] of Adrenaline's Shinobi strategy guide and walkthrough for the Playstation®2 console. The guide is as complete as it can be. I have no desire to add anything else to it. However, I'm always willing to accept new contributions that append to what I already have, suggestions for improvement, corrections, and whatever other things you have floating around in that zany brain of yours. The e-mail lines are open. Send away! Contact me: toiletrabbit(at)hotmail(dot)com --------------------------------- ----- VERSION HISTORY ----- --------------------------------- Version 1.2 | March 5, 2003 Corrected some minor errors. Many thanks to Newtype for submitting Super and Hard mode boss strategies. Version 1.1 | February 3, 2003 Wow, it's been awhile. Sorry for the long delay, folks. Let me tell you that the wait has been worth it. The guide is totally complete with all the locations of the Oboro Coins written down, and tons of other stuff. Check it out in the Appendix section! I also reformatted the guide and did a proofread through it. Whew, it's been a lot of work. I'm proud. =) I want to give my cordial thanks to David for helping me out. Yay! Version 1.0 | December 2, 2002 The basic walkthrough for all stages is complete. As far as I can see, you have the necessary tools to help you complete the game on Normal. I will update whenever there is a need to until it is fully complete. That doesn't mean it will be done within the next week or even close. If you are familiar with my work, then you know that it takes a LONG time before I am completely done. Please be patient. Your patience will pay off. I guarantee it. If you find any grammar errors or awkward sentences, don't tell me about them. I'll proofread the guide another time. _____________________________________________________________________________ C O N T E N T S -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 01. Introduction 02. Story 03. Game Basics Controls Overview 04. General Tips 05. Stage Guide 06. Appendix Oboro Coin Locations Bonus Stuff 07. Outro Legal Junk Contributor Credits Special Thanks Closing | | -+-\________________--------------------------------------_______________/-+- | \ 01. Introduction / | -+-/________________--------------------------------------_______________\-+- | | Have you seen my socks? I last saw them on my feet, but after I inserted the brand new Shinobi disk in my purring PS2, they suddenly vanished! There I was sitting there, sock-less and cold, and pondering what could have happened to them. Finally, I have come to the conclusion that, perchance, Shinobi may have knocked them off. After all, it's not every day, week, month, or even year that you get to see a 2D-based franchise, which has been absent for the past seven or so years, don a whole new mask and blossom into a 3D world filled with twitching life and breath-taking graphics. SEGA's prized franchise is finally back; this time taking full advantage of Playstation2's "Emotions Engine" and exploding into a work of art. What is Shinobi? It is not surprising that one would ask such a question, considering that the very first game of the franchise predates the Mesozoic era. At its core Shinobi had always been a straightforward action beat 'em up--gameplay which was strictly centered around 2D movement and attacks. SEGA knew that with the advent of 3D games Shinobi's main foundation wouldn't appeal to the new generation of gamers. They needed style. They needed gore. It was time to elevate the franchise to new heights. And opportunity knocked, in the form of the PS2's powerful hardware and unanimous popularity. Game production began apace. Now seven years after the last Shinobi graced the Sega Saturn, a new generation Shinobi rose from the ashes to capture a new legion of fans. Without completely departing from its main formula, Shinobi remains as a pure action, kill everything type game that oozes with style and beauty. The game puts you in the boots of young Hotsuma, the leader of the notorious but disbanded Oboro Clan. With only revenge set on his mind, Hotsuma hopes to find the one responsible for the death of his comrades. And so for the millionth time in video game history, we join our protagonist on a journey driven by vengeance to settle his vendettas. | | -+-\________________--------------------------------------_______________/-+- | \ 02. Story / | -+-/________________--------------------------------------_______________\-+- | | The following was taken from the instruction manual, word-for-word. Raised together within the Oboro Clan, Hotsuma and Moritsune were seldom apart during their youth. Being younger of the two, Hotsuma looked up to Moritsune, and considered his older brother to be a superior warrior. Eventually, the Oboro Clan commandment was revealed to the two boys after they discovered Akujiki, the sword that would be used in the ritual to decide the clan's leader. The commandment deems that the next clan leader must be determined by a duel to the death between the eldest clan heirs--in this case, Moritsune and Hotsuma. Aware of their destiny, the brothers trained incessantly, instructed by their foster parent, Kobushi. 10 years have passed as the brothers refined their techniques and honed their senses. The duel occurred beneath a full moon as cherry blossom billowed in the wind. Not long after, a massive earthquake struck Tokyo, and a mysterious Golden Palace appear in the center of the city. With the appearance of the palace came the arrival of a self-proclaimed sorcerer who summoned Hellspawn to wreak havoc upon the city. Capital members were reported dead, and the city's residents became paralyzed with fear. With the Oboro Clan ravaged and Tokyo on the verge of collapse, Hotsuma places himself at the heart of the chaos, determined to reach the mysterious Golden Palace and avenge the death of his clan. | | -+-\________________--------------------------------------_______________/-+- | \ 03. Game Basics / | -+-/________________--------------------------------------_______________\-+- | | The single coolest feature in the entire game is Hotsuma's scarf. The physics are viscerally striking, especially the way it flows with every movement. Man, I'm so impressed. You better g'damn believe that this was the ONLY thing that kept me coming back for more. Anyway, this section is pretty long, but everything contained within this section is for your own good especially if you don't have the manual. Plus you never know when you may find something interesting. --= Controls =-- D-Pad - Switch among three different types of ninjutsu Left Analog Stick - Move Hotsuma around Right Analog Stick - Rotate camera view Circle Button - * Jump or double jump * Confirm selection on certain screens Cross Button - * Confirm selections * Stealth-dash Triangle Button - * Cancel selections * Throw Shuriken Square Button - Attack with Akujiki L1 Button - Quick camera view change L2 Button - Use ninjutsu R1 Button - Target nearest enemy R2 Button - Switch lock-on targets START Button - Pause game SELECT Button - Not used --= Overview =-- Shinobi's core gameplay holds true to its predecessors. It revolves mainly around employing some super ninja moves and beating the crap out of your opponents. (In fact, with one included feature you are encouraged to kill as many enemies as possible.) The only difference is that you now work with a fully adjustable 3D camera, which follows the action quite well. Shinobi can be compared to another of SEGA's recent underrated masterpiece, Gungrave. They both star dark and moody bad-asses. They both involve a lot of killing. They both overall just kick a lot of butt! The basic feel of the game is like this: you go through eight stages; each stage is made up of two "levels". So, if you multiply 8 by 2, you get 16! That makes sixteen levels of blood-spewing enjoyment! There are no puzzles or silly village people with whom to talk; just pure, unadulterated action. There are, however, barriers called "kekkais" (which I believe carries the same meaning) you need to release in order to progress through the level. You must either kill all the enemies that appear, or destroy locking mechanisms I tend to call sealing devices dispersed throughout the area. Nicely colored kekkais represent those which you still need to dispel. Black ones form once you pass through certain "checkpoints". These black kekkais prevent any unnecessary backtracking should you somehow get lost and forget which direction you need to go to reach the level's end. Shinobi still hasn't lost its lust for making your trek through a level very frustrating. Shinobi is rife with pitfalls, and battles with hordes of ninjas and alien creatures should be expected. You fight a foreign entity known as Hellspawn, or shikigami, which comes in all shapes and sizes, each type of enemy having its own strengths and weaknesses. Every level concludes with a tough boss. The boss is usually one of your undead former comrades (how ironic). Defeating the boss allows you to advance to the next level. Die, and you just have to try again and again. The most frustrating part is that if you happen to kill yourself en route to the boss, you need to start all over from the beginning of the level. Hotsuma's mind is sharp like the blade of his clan's heirloom, so make use of his wits, techniques and ninja reflexes to overcome each and every level. Good luck; who knows what destiny has in store for you. INDICATORS -=-=-=-=-=- You may notice that the screen is divided into several interfaces: * Life Gauge : This appears in the lower left corner of the screen. Your life is represented by ten flames. If they all get extinguished, you die. * Shuriken Bar : The row of daggers off to the right represents the number of Shurikens you still have remaining. You will get fewer than what you would normally begin with if you restart a boss fight. Use them wisely; you never know when they are really needed. * Slash Gauge : This keeps track of Akujiki's current appetite. Akujiki gets hungry fast and that's represented by the depletion of each red piece. Once it's empty, Akujiki begins feeding on its wielder. * Ninjutsu : Hotsuma has mastered the art of using ninjutsu, so you immediately have three different types at his disposal. It is located next to the Life and Slash Gauge. You can choose from Ka'en (fire), Kamaitachi (air missiles) and Raijin (makes you invincible). * Tate Icons : The number of orbs represents the number of enemies that are in the vicinity. The orbs burn as the enemies are defeated. ITEMS -=-=-= While playing the game, you may encounter a few items scattered around the levels. Here are what they are and what they do: * Yin : Red balls that are used to feed Akujiki. Can be obtained from defeated enemies. You get one Yin for each enemy you kill. Certain enemies give two. * Yang : White balls that restore one slot of your life gauge. Can be obtained from defeated enemies. * Shurikens : Ninja daggers that are used to throw at enemies. Shurikens can momentarily paralyze enemies. These are effective against only those who can actually be hit by them. Very effective against all aerial opponents. * Makimono : A special item that allows you to use ninjutsu. There are two of these on almost every level. You always begin the level or a boss fight initially with one. * Oboro Coin : A gold coin with the Oboro Clan emblem on it. Collect as many of these as possible to unlock goodies. You have to COMPLETE the level to confirm that you found these coins. STEALTH-DASH -=-=-=-=-=-=- This move was designed to befuddle. Basically, Hotsuma dashes to wherever you direct him and leaves a ghostly image of himself at the last place he's been. This convinces his enemies that this double is actually him, so they would go to it and attack, giving the real him enough room to effortlessly dispose of them. For the first few levels, your silhouette can easily fool them. As you get to harder levels, it without a doubt becomes harder to deceive your opponents. However, no enemy is able to outstrip your speed. Therefore, the same strategy (which is to get behind the enemy and attack) can be recycled over and over again and still work like a charm. To move behind your enemy, target and stand in front of him, then press left or right and stealth-dash simultaneously. Hotsuma is very athletic, as he can double jump and stealth-dash whilst in the air, but only once! As long as Hotsuma touches something solid before returning to the ground, he can continue to stealth-dash for as long as he wants. And here's a tip you should never forget (though it's common sense, I tend to overestimate the intelligence of some of my readers): You should ALWAYS push the analog stick in the direction in which YOU want Hotsuma to move. Let me remind you that although this is a 3D game, SEGA implemented 2D controls on a 3D plane. The controls respond somewhat differently depending on where the camera is. If you want to move to Hotsuma's upper-left, then move the stick in a 45-degree angle to the, well, upper-left. Huzzah! TATE -=-=- A Tate (pronounced ta-tay) occurs when Hotsuma manages to strike four or more enemies before the first enemy crumbles. When a Tate occurs, you're rewarded with a sweet ass cut-scene of Hotsuma sheathing his sword (or other variations), and as he does your enemies literally separate into pieces. You can even Tate bosses, but that's not as easy as it sounds. COMBOS -=-=-=- There are a few attacks which you can string together to form a devastating combo. Hotsuma's basic sword combo is pretty effective by itself, but if you add a touch of variation you can make it much more powerful. The following are other moves which Hotsuma can use to eviscerate his foes. THUNDER KICK Controls: Back + Square Hotsuma kicks his opponent to break the opponent's guard. This should be used only to break his guard; don't use it to down your opponent! ROUNDHOUSE SLASH Controls: 360-degree turn on analog stick + Square Just as the controls indicate, Hotsuma does a 360-degree swipe with Akujiki. This attack is his most powerful normal attack. It is performed on the third or fourth slash. The drawback is that Hotsuma becomes vulnerable for a short period of time after using this move. AIR COMBO (OR AIR TATE) Controls: R1 + Cross + Square What this does is that it keeps Hotsuma aloft for as long as there are still enemies present and within his reach. He dashes to the nearest enemy and strikes it until it drops dead, then he continues on to the next. This is very, very effective against a slew of aerial opponents. Target a nearby enemy, jump up, then dash, attack, dash, attack, etc. Continue this button pattern until all the enemies in the vicinity are vanquished. Simple, clean and easy. No more will you have to tediously jump up and slash to eliminate enemies again. SPECIAL ATTACKS -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Hotsuma is capable of pulling off special attacks: both melee and long-range. To execute a special melee attack, you must first have a surplus of Yin in the Slash Gauge because performing this attack burns 'em up like gas. Have an enemy targeted, then press and hold Square to charge up Akujiki. While you charge it, you cannot move nor receive any damage. Otherwise the process will be interrupted and will not be executed properly. If it is pulled off successfully, this move could easily penetrate a straight line of enemies and instantly finish off the weaklings. To perform the long-range attack, called the Shuriken Burst, you must have an abundant Shurikens. This attack uses not one, not two, but eight Shurikens at once. Double jump into the air and press Triangle. Hotsuma remains aloft for a split instant and ejects a dozen or so Shurikens in all directions. This attack does not kill; it merely paralyzes and weakens whomever the Shurikens hit. On a full supply of Shurikens, you can use this attack a total of three times. WALL RUN -=-=-=-=- One of the coolest features in the game. To wall run jump toward a wall, and Hotsuma automatically sinks his spikes into them for a firm hold. His shoes were specially designed to cling to walls, so he could run wildly around without falling off. Some levels limit which walls you can and cannot climb. Other levels were designed to give you wall-running bliss. Usually, walls you can cling to are lighter in color, and many a time you can utilize your brain cells to determine whether a wall is climbable or not, given the situation. AKUJIKI -=-=-=-= Your primary companion is a living and breathing sword named Akujiki, which literally translates into "evil eat" in Japanese. When you begin the game, Akujiki's powers aren't realized yet. It's not until the beginning of the second stage that its powers are finally revealed. When it's awakened, you need to constantly feed it with the souls of creatures you slay because if you don't take life, then it take yours to make up for the deficiency. Each time an enemy perishes at Akujiki's blade, a red glowing ball called Yin sprouts from the corpse. Akujiki resonates with it and eats it up. A single Yin refills one portion of the Slash Gauge. If you are in dire need of some Yin, the best way to save yourself is to execute a Tate. By performing a Tate, you not only witness an extremely cool and violent sequence, you can also completely refill the Slash Gauge! You may think that Akujiki is a useless sword since all it does is drain your life when it's unsatisfied, but you have never been so wrong. Akujiki is the very tool you need to win bosses. It feeds on souls not only to appease its appetite, but to also increase its cutting power. By killing enemies Akujiki builds up its power. This technique is called Zan. Akujiki's power is reflected by three colors: blue, purple and fuchsia. Common sense dictates that the last color represents its final and most powerful state. When in this state, it can cut anything asunder and deal three times more damage than it normally can when in a neutral state. The downside to this is that Akujiki maintains a charged status for only a very short period of time. It doesn't take much for it to revert to a neutral state again. Receiving damage while it's charged is one of these causes; doing nothing with it is the other. At any rate, making full use of its power is the key to conquering Shinobi. RANKING -=-=-=-= At the end of every stage, you get a screen showing your ranking. These are the components that determine your ranking: * Time : The time you took to complete the stage; boss battle time included. * Kill : Percent of enemies you killed. * Tate Points : Points accumulated based on the number of Tates you were able to perform. * Boss Points : Points are based on the number of attacks you used to defeat the boss. The fewer, the better. * Makimono : The number of Makimono (scrolls) remaining in the stage. Your score will be better if you do not use any. * No Damage : Points given only if you complete the stage without incurring any damage. * Total : Totaled points. * Rank : You will be graded based on the scores of the above categories. You can get a C, B, A, or S rank with "S" rank being the best. See Appendix section for ranking guide. | | -+-\________________--------------------------------------_______________/-+- | \ 04. General Tips / | -+-/________________--------------------------------------_______________\-+- | | Here are a few things that I think should be discussed, so that you may become a better Shinobi player. If you have anything to add, feel free to send me whatever's on your mind. The true way to play Shinobi is to crush everything you come across. Akujiki was created for this reason. Instead of allowing you to chicken out and flee the scene, you're forced to quench Akujiki's thirst for carnage by killing enemies. Even though this is true, you don't have to fight EVERY enemy that comes your way. Use your ninja intuition and judge the situation. If you're low on Yang, you want to fight minimal battles. If you're low on Yin, you want to fight more. If you're low on both, that's always a tough situation to get out of unless you have mastered using Tate. For any sticky situation using Tate at the right time saves your skin. You do have to remember, though, that Tate is possible only when there are four or more enemies on screen. No less. Tate instantly mutilates all enemies on screen and fully restores your Slash Gauge. It works to your advantage on both accounts. To execute a Tate every time means that you have to defeat the enemies pretty quickly. Button-mashing is not the smartest way to accomplish that. You have to be able to beat down your opponents with as little hits as possible. Ground enemies are always more vulnerable in the back. All enemies are most vulnerable if you attack them AS they attack you. Knowing these key points will greatly improve your game. - - - Taking advantage of Akujiki will greatly increase your chances of survival. In order to defeat tough enemies and bosses, you must charge up Akujiki. By doing so you can inflict more damage upon the enemy. As I mentioned in the basics, each enemy Akujiki slays increases its cutting power. Its power is indicated by the color of the blade. Usually it takes about five enemies to build its power to maximum. By then you can kill regular enemies in one hit and bosses in a few. - - - Whether you agree or not Shurikens are a vital tool and contribute a lot to the gameplay. Don't waste them like you do with your parent's money. =) I was watching my friend play the other day and noticed that he used five to six Shurikens at one time on ONE enemy. Bear in mind that if a Shuriken can affect the enemy, ONE Shuriken is enough! I should also suggest that you use your last resort, a Shuriken Burst, only if the screen is overcrowded with enemies. You have to remember that each time you use Shuriken Burst, a whole bundle is expended! - - - Using stealth-dash should be second nature by now. You easily have the upper- hand by making use of it. It's like a self-defense mechanism. None of your foes can match your agility, so use it wisely and to your advantage. Don't do some nonsensical stealth-dashing only to impress yourself or others. Believe me, you are not a good player. It only seems that way. - - - Use your Makimonos very sparingly. Like the Shuriken Burst, use one only if you are backed up into a corner, or if you're near the end of the level and you don't give a damn. On another note, if you want to conserve your Makimonos for the boss but always end up dying and losing all of them, you can simply press START and retry BEFORE Hotsuma falls to the floor and you get the Game Over screen. You will reset the battle with a full inventory of Makimonos! - - - Ka'en ninjutsu does three times more damage when you use it on your opponent from the back. That's the most powerful offensive ninjutsu you have. - - - Xybreed's advice to anyone who wants to beat Super: If you can assure that you will not be hit and you can kill almost any enemy in one hit, play Moritsune, otherwise play as Joe Musashi. Also, don't bother with Joe's Shurikens, unless you use them for my "Cheap Trick against Benisuzume", which is described in the respective strategy section (4-B boss). - - - All in all, have fun...or try anyway! | | -+-\________________--------------------------------------_______________/-+- | \ 05. Stage Guide / | -+-/________________--------------------------------------_______________\-+- | | You're thinking that why would anyone in her right mind make a walkthrough--a long one at that--for such a straightforward game. The answer is quite simple. Even though you are the consummate Shinobi master, there still are a lot who are new and completely struggling with the stages themselves. Although there aren't very many, I aim to help those few breeze through the game and fully enjoy Shinobi as the epic masterpiece that it is. For those who don't need guidance on navigating through the levels, but are seeking some hints on how to defeat the enemies, your needs have been accommodated as well (though they aren't great tips). At the end of every level walkthrough, you will find addenda called "Level Notes". There I talk about the enemies found in the level. This guide is at your disposal, so I hope you use it well! NOTES: o Let me stress that this walkthrough wasn't designed to help you attain the coveted S-rank on every level! It just helps you get THROUGH the level. Some people just don't get it. o Oboro Coin locations are found in the APPENDIX section! o I obviously don't know all the official boss names. Thanks to my creative license, I came up with TOTALLY ORIGINAL (hyuk) names for some bosses. Really. I did. o If you guys were hoping to get a good read, be prepared to be disappointed. There's only so much you can jest about with a game whose game mechanics are limited to "jump and kill stuff". So it's purely a no-nonsense guide. |>-------------------------------------------------------------------------<| | STAGE 1-A | |>-------------------------------------------------------------------------<| Although this is the very first level of the game, you will be able to jump right in on the action. This game is relentless when it comes to intense battles and out-of-your-goddamn-seat action. The streets are, for now, empty and quiet. Take this chance to acclimate to the controls, acquaint yourself with the walls, and above all, learn the art of Hotsuma's stealth-dash. You start out on the streets. Head forward, and the first batch of ninja scum appears. Simply kill everyone to dispel the kekkai (barrier) blocking the alley. Keep in mind that the same must be done for every kekkai you come across in the future. They can be broken either by eliminating all the enemies in the immediate area or by destroying special sealing devices, which you will see in later levels. Head through the alley and into the next area, where vicious rabid dogs cover every inch of the street. After picking up the Makimono floating above the debris, you may notice a row of kanji characters appear on the upper-right corner of the screen. This represents the number of enemies that are in the vicinity. Eliminate all the enemies in the alley ahead before the first enemy disappears to perform Hotsuma's signature Tate move. Everything else is simple stuff. Just follow the route. Once you reach the first unmanned tank firing projectiles at you, it's time to switch strategies. Plow through the enemies and head straight for the tank. Hop on top of the turret and begin whacking it. Don't stand next to the turret, or it will knock you off. In a few slashes, the tank will be history. Clean up the rest of the baddies to break the kekkai. This alley's equipped with vent-like things that intermittently spout streams of black gas that are harmful to the health. Wait for the mist to die off, then head past them or run along the walls above them. At the small maze of crumbled buildings, there is a small alley booby-trapped with those vents, but you could easily bypass them via the walls. At the end of the alley is a Makimono. If you peek around the corners and explore the other places, you may find other items of interest. Finally, to leave head toward the orange kekkai. Here three warriors pop out from the ground as you get near, so deal with them to release the kekkai. The path leads through a short alley occupied by some dogs and the usual. As you enter the last area, head to your right to find another Oboro Coin in an alcove. Now you have to deal with another tank. After crushing it, the second wave of enemies appears. You must defeat them in order to break the kekkai at the end of the street. Afterward, hop over the ledge located along the east buildings and into an alley, where you will find the last Oboro Coin hidden among some debris. Entering the slum parking lot, Hotsuma is surprised by a sudden ray of light being shined upon him. Enter... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ STAGE BOSS: HELICOPTER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is a normal helicopter outfitted with a bunch of missiles. It also comes equipped with side winders. There's not much of a strategy to discuss here. Keep up with the chopper until it stops. Then get under it and slash at its underside. This is the easiest way to destroy this unsound helicopter. Don't mind the ground troops. If you try to attack the "nose", its fast, spinning propeller blades will slice you up. You can deal double the damage by attacking a missile as it is released from its compartment. As an interesting note, you can destroy the missiles as they come at you by timing them right and slashing with Akujiki. In no time at all this aircraft will go down with minimal effort. ============================================================================= LEVEL NOTES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies ~~~~~~~~~ This is the introductory level, which allows you to get used to the controls and the scheme of things. As such, the enemies just give you a taste of what you will be going up against in the later levels. Most of the enemies are very weak. The toughest enemy is the tank, which you can safely destroy by hitting the part which connects the turret. The dogs are hardly worth your effort. The normal blue samurai warriors are one type of enemy you will be seeing throughout the entire game in different variations. Heck, you pretty much will be seeing the same (sometimes different) enemies, except they become progressively stronger. Their increased strength and abilities are usually denoted by a change in color and/or extra equipment. |>-------------------------------------------------------------------------<| | STAGE 1-B | |>-------------------------------------------------------------------------<| This level takes place on a series of high ground. Pitfalls are abound. In addition, you will be introduced to your first aerial opponent. It doesn't pose too much of a threat unless you let it live for too long. In the same area, on a high rooftop off to the left is a Makimono. To snag this bad boy, you need to travel to where the sealing device is and use the nearby wall to wall run and get you across without falling into the abysmal pits. Afterward, destroy the sealing device to proceed. In the next area, don't jump down the steps. Cling to the walls instead and use them to avoid the hell-geysers. Plus it's the only way you will be able to reach the ledge on the other side. Simply refrain from going down the steps at the alley entrance and jump toward the wall. Alternate between the left and right walls and continue along the bare walls to get past the columns on each side. Shortly afterward, you encounter your first wall-crawler. Right now, they can hardly be considered dangerous. They just throw Shurikens to stun you, and if you stay by the wall at one spot for too long, they can hurt you somewhat. Simply paralyze them with your own Shuriken and slash them. The following open area is where the first Oboro Coin of this level resides. It's on an isolated rooftop, which you can reach only by clinging to the walls and running around to it. Then just break the sealing device to head into the next alley. After coming out of that long alley, look to your right to find a high ledge with the second Oboro Coin sitting atop it. Hop on the wall and double jump, then dash to it. Now the rest of the way is pretty straightforward. The second Makimono to be found is resting on another rooftop separated from the rest. You won't see it until you reach the fourth or fifth kekkai. Again, use the wall to help you reach it. Your presence there will draw out some Hellspawn, so be careful! If you want to avoid the rest of the battles in the area, use the next wall; it leads you straight to the sealing device and in front of the kekkai. However, if you want a good ranking, you had better not chicken out! The final kekkai is reinforced with two sealing devices instead of the usual one. Expect to see this setup more often in the future. There can be as many as four in the same area. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ STAGE BOSS: AOMIZUCHI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Your ultimate weapon is using his own attacks against him. Whenever he starts his attack, a blue light surrounds him for a brief moment. Then he rears back and lunges forward, covering a great distance in front of him. At the start of the fight, refrain from doing any drastic movements and slowly back up to the edge. He approaches you very slowly, so you have to wait. He has to come in moderately close range for this to work. Just as he is about to pierce your heart with a powerful stab attack, stealth-dash behind him or to the side. When he charges while you're standing near the edge, the momentum of his attack pushes him over the edge. Let me stress that you should never move the analog stick in his direction when you dodge, or dash backward. Each time he falls off the roof, about 1/8 of his life diminishes. Repeat this until he is left with the last bit of his health. Now it appears as if SEGA knew we would pull this trick off, so they decided that the last chunk of his health must be stolen by Hotsuma's own hands. Simply use Ka'en ninjutsu magic (fire) to finish him off. /-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/ [BOSS STRATEGIES FOR ALL MODES] Submitted by Newtype Ace Basic strategy: Stealth-dash to the side or behind him, but it doesn't work if he starts one thrust from his starting position and then immediately does a second thrust - he will push you towards your death if you don't move away, and he doesn't fall if you move away. The most effective thing to do when you see this is to jump once during his second thrust, and then when you're about to fall jump once again. When you're about to fall again, stealth-dash towards his back. That will certainly make him fall to the edge and is quite easier to do. Be watchful though because sometimes he doesn't do a second thrust right away but runs towards you. If he does this, just do nothing and wait for the thrust (he WILL do it whenever you're close to him). HARD (Moritsune): start with basic strategy. When he starts summoning his lackeys, fill up your Tate gauge to 4 and give him the final slash from behind him. One hit miracle. You could also use your shield while filling up your Tate gauge. HARD (Hotsuma): Same strategy as Moritsune and it's two-hit miracle this time unless it's a critical blow. SUPER (Joe): Start with basic strategy. But when he starts summoning distractions your job will be a lot harder coz it's very difficult for Joe to collect Tate points with his weak sword and even kill the boss with one slash. My strategy is to keep on making the boss fall over the edge by getting close to him and making him chase you to the edge. You'll need to do a lot of dashing to keep his lackeys from tracking down your movements. You can also use his attack to make him kill his own men which is very effective. If you find yourself cornered, just do a shuriken burst to cancel the opponents' moves. for the finishing blow, choose one: shuriken, shuriken burst, flame scroll. SUPER (Moritsune): Same as Hard /-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/ ============================================================================= LEVEL NOTES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies ~~~~~~~~~ This level introduces you to some aerial opponents. They are not too tough. The only thing worth noting is that they can spit fireballs. Even so, your health hardly budges when damaged. Nothing to worry about. A few slashes to the head usually finishes one off. |>-------------------------------------------------------------------------<| | STAGE 2-A | |>-------------------------------------------------------------------------<| Akujiki has awakened. It now depends on you to satiate its craving for malice and blood. More details on that in the basics section. Remember that you can now take full advantage of Zan. The first area brings forth four warriors for you to deal with. Kill all of them to open up the kekkai. The following area is the same thing. Just go nuts and kill everything. The path that branches to the left, however, leads to a dog statue and a Shuriken lying in front of it. Going near it causes the statue to spring to life. This will happen much more often as you head deeper into the level. A formidable foe drops in on the arena ahead. Quite simply, attack him mainly from behind. He puts up quite a challenge, especially if this is your first time through. Dart away when he takes to the air. Don't stick around and let him crush you underfoot or shake up the ground. Defeating him opens the path to the next area. To obtain the Makimono floating above the last archway, double jump to the crest embedded in the center and kick off the crest to perform an extra double jump, then stealth-dash to the item to pocket it. After collecting the item, proceed to the platform ahead to face off against four fighters. Follow the path the rest of the way to do routine stuff: hacking enemies, breaking kekkais and moving toward the boss. In the area where there are three different ground levels, go to the highest level and stand near the two dog statues. Look out into the vista, toward the archway from which you came, and you will see the Oboro Coin floating in mid-air. Simply double jump and stealth-dash directly to it. That's the only one this level offers. The second Makimono is hidden inside a red, mini-house object here. Smash the one on the left when you enter the last area. Before you can move past the final kekkai, you must eliminate a pack of white mongrels and two bird warriors wielding huge spears. Only then will you be able to finally confront the boss of the level. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ STAGE BOSSES: SHIROGANE & AKAGANE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Akagane (the girl) and Shirogane (the guy) form a fearsome duo. Akagane is the agile one, while Shirogane stays mostly in one place and swings his weapon over his head to create an oscillating blade that is always in constant motion. He can also stretch out his chain and hurl it in your direction. It could break through obstructions and has a reach of over a yard or two. Avoid getting close to him, or you will suffer terrible whiplash. Akagane, on the other hand, prefers close-range combat. The only time you should attack her is when she is about to perform an attack of her own. Even then, you must attack in moderation because she can break free and retaliate. Always be ready to dodge away. Though it may seem logical to remove Akagane first, you will have a better chance at surviving if you eliminate Shirogane. While it's hard to get past his weapon, it's not impossible. You can easily freeze him in place with a Shuriken. Afterward, quickly get up all in his face and deliver unrelenting pokes to his belly. He can't attack if you're too close, so he will try to run farther away from you. Therefore, you need to stealth-dash up to him to keep in his face with continued flurries of slashes. In the meantime, be on the look-out for Akagane. Akagane is much easier to deal with. Hotsuma's stealth-dash technique EASILY discombobulates her, giving you a wide opening to hack her up. However, most of the time, she appears to be unfazed by your attacks and could return a few attacks of her own. In any case, she still shouldn't be taken so lightly. If you don't eliminate either Shirogane or Akagane in time, they will come together and send out a slew of white mongrels to distract you. While you are busy dealing with those rabid dogs, they combine their powers to create a powerful fire ball. Once you hear Akagane yell out "Catch this!" be ready to move away, or be ready to be roasted. Keep in mind that you shouldn't totally ignore the dogs, or Akujiki will drain your waning health. /-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/ [BOSS STRATEGIES FOR HARD/SUPER] Submitted by Newtype Ace HARD (Moritsune): Wait for the dogs. Use Raijin (optional), make everybody gather up close to you and do Shuriken Burst (also optional), fill up Tate points to max, slash Akagane (one hit will most often do ^_^), and then slash Shirogane. Easy...oh, Shirogane might survive one slash if it's not critical. HARD (Hotsuma): Same strategy as Moritsune, but I believe you need to slash them a little more if you're not doing critical hits. SUPER (Joe): Run (dash if you like) back and forth above the fence on either side of the arena until the dogs show up, or keep doing Shuriken Bursts above the two (Shurikens can hurt them too). Just make sure you dash before you land or Akagane's retaliation might hit you. When the dogs come out, get close to Akagane and Shirogane and do a Shuriken Burst to stop them from doing their combination attack, then attack the dogs while dashing like crazy to prevent Shirogane from tracking your movements. You can use Raijin now if you like, just make sure you land two or three hits on Akagane to hurt her or kill her (most preferable pattern is: dash towards a dog, slash once, then dash again, then slash, and so forth until it dies). When you kill Akagane, Shirogane will be easy. Just keep throwing Shurikens at him while waiting for the dogs, or practice on how you would slash him when you fill your Tate gauge. The best way to be able to land a sword slash at him is to hit him with a Shuriken first so that he'll stop swinging his weapon and roll somewhere else. So stop in front of him when he's about to stand up, then slash him and follow him to where he's escaping while slashing (you can land two or maybe even three hits on him before your Tate gauge fades if you're lucky). Keep repeating the pattern until he dies. Another strategy is to run towards him then jump or double jump, lock-on and slash (but sometimes, he gets to hit you first). SUPER (Moritsune): Use same strategy as in Hard. /-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/ [ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES] Submitted by ShadowNemises The girl Shirogane is easy to beat if you wait for the dogs to appear and Tate her. I have also found that they both occasionally double over and yell "No!" I'm assuming they're fighting the curse of the talisman, but it gives you an opportunity. I suggest taking her out first by dancing around the edge and dodging the fire ball, which also hurts the devil dogs (go figure). Akagane the boy is easy after she's dead, just shadow dash in and give a slash before he roles away. They both freeze for about three seconds if you hit them with a shuriken. /-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/ Submitted by Christopher Richards During the stage, if you search all the small red houses like things you can find different items that are useful. One such one is another Makimono. I found that saving the two Makimonos, the one you picked up and the one you start with, for the boss helps out a lot. When you get into the battle, all you have to do is do a stealth-dash as soon as they appear and press L2 twice using both Makimonos with the bursting inferno (the fire attack). This right- off-the-bat kills the girl and leaves the guy almost drained. Now all you have to do is hold down the R1 lock on for him since there are no other enemies in the area and use stealth-dash to get up into his face. This turns the battle into a very short battle. /-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/ Submitted by Zallonzio Immediately at the beginning of the fight walk up to Akagane and Shirogane as she is moving away from him. Use the Ka'en (fire ninjutsu) it will kill Akagane right-off-the-bat and take out more than half Shirogane's life. Then use Kamaitachi (Shoots out blue waves from the sword) to quickly finish off Shirogane. /-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/ ============================================================================= LEVEL NOTES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemies ~~~~~~~~~ A new addition to the Hellspawn family are these cute, little white pups that can tear you apart if you're not careful. They're no different from the dogs from Stage 1-A. They just might be a tad faster. Not too far into the level, you will also encounter the first type of bird warrior. These guys usually like to drop in and create a tremendous shockwave on their landing. They are one of the toughest enemies in the game, so exercise caution when dealing with them. They can sustain a great amount of damage if you continue to attack them from the front. However, they instantly bite the dust upon a few lethal blows from the back. |>-------------------------------------------------------------------------<| | STAGE 2-B | |>-------------------------------------------------------------------------<| The normal samurai guys that you could easily mutilate in two seconds before