Darwin 4078 Power-Up Evolution FAQ v 1.2 6-30-06 author: Dimetric Houston e-mail: dhousto6@bellsouth.net CONTENTS: Introduction Updates Story Controls Evolution Tree Form Descriptions and Evaluations Tips, Tricks and Secrets Credits ------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTRODUCTION: Hello all. This FAQ covers the power-up evolution-tree for the game Darwin 4078 for the Arcade. It is a vertical-scrolling shooting game. I am not going to bother with the copyright stuff. If you are low enough to try to bank a profit off of this, or you decide to plagiarize it, that's your wretched morality. The newest version of this FAQ can be found at the following sites: GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATES: v 1.0 9-6-03 -First edition. v 1.1 9-7-03 -added drawings of firepower for most forms. v 1.2 6-30-06 -updated Evolution Tree section -updated Credits section NOTE: If anyone knows how to contact the webmasters of Arcade-History (see the URL in the Credits section), please let me know! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- STORY I have absolutely no idea. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTROLS Button 1: Fire regular shots (hits aerial targets) Button 2: Fire ground shots (hits ground targets) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- EVOLUTION TREE Your "ship" (or creature) powers up by going through various forms as you gain power-ups. Each form has different firepower that is effective in different situations. You start in "Beas" form. Pister is the lowest form you can get. If you are in any form above Pister and get hit by enemy fire, you will de-evolve all the way into Pister. I say "de-evolve all the way" because you will watch your ship change into every form all the way down into Pister. All forms except Pister (and perhaps Beas) have a time limit to them. When that time limit is about to be reached, you will hear a series a tones. Once the time limit has expired, you will de-evolve into one form below the one you were at, with some exceptions (see Note). Note: Suppurate and Black Deame de-evolve into Pister. This is immediate. There is no changing into various forms like with the other forms. Laysper de-evolves into Basum. In addition, I don't believe Beas has the de-evolution time limit. Special Evolution Tree 1 Evolution Tree 2 Suppurate Pister | | Beas* | / | Laysper -----------Basum \ | | Sharru | | Miseave | | Twipet | | Dodok | | Zugau |_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _\ Measu | / | Kues | | Malto | | Shasuem | | Seas | | Zugoga | | Deame | || Gyasharru Black Deame** **Black Deame is a special evolution as you gain it by allowing yourself to be hit by an enemy shot while in Deame form.** "Suppurate" is a really special form. It is not in the evolution tree. Thanks to Arcade-History, I now know exactly how to get this form. It involves the large dark ships with wings that occasionally fly into the screen from the screen bottom. Occasionally these ships release an orange explosion. If you let yourself get hit by this explosion, you become Supparate. Big, BIG thanks to Arcade-History for this! Yet, their greatness doesn't stop there. This website also has the evolution method for Laysper. Evolve into Sharru, then let your ship de-evolve into Basum. Now get a power-up. You will become Laysper. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- FORM DESCRIPTIONS AND EVALUATIONS This section will give some comments for each form. * * * * * EVOLUTION TREE 1 * * * * * * ============================================================================ PISTER: ====== The lowest and weakest form you have. Evolve from this quickly!! Firepower: | Pros: ---- -grasping for straws here. The only good thing about Pister is that it is really small, making it a much less likely target. Cons: ---- -everything *************************************************************************** BEAS: ==== Your starting form. Actually has decent power for a beginning form. Firepower: || Pros: ---- -good power Cons: ---- -no spread range *************************************************************************** BASUM: ===== "Beas" with sideways fire. Firepower: || ---- ---- ---- ---- Pros: ---- -sideways firepower gives this form good protection against enemies at your side. Cons: ---- -no good frontal spread fire *************************************************************************** SHARRU: ====== Basically "Beas" with stronger shots. Firepower: / \ / Pros: ---- -stronger firepower Cons: ---- -No spread range *************************************************************************** MISEAVE: ======= "Beas" with wings and guns. Triples firepower. Firepower: || || || Pros: ---- -better spread range than previous forms. Cons: ---- -larger target. Easier to get hit. *************************************************************************** TWIPET: ====== "Miseave" with wings closer to body and stronger, slower, shots. Firepower: v v -----> ^ ^ v ^ Pros: ---- -stronger firepower than previous forms -shots travel a ways, then "flip" before going on. This actually gives you a better chance of hitting foes as your shots stay on screen longer. -slightly smaller target. Less chance of getting hit, but not by much. Cons: ---- -none really, other than it is not the best form. *************************************************************************** DODOK: ===== Can't remember how the form looks. Basically "Beas" with much stronger shots. _ Firepower: | __|__| | | |_ Pros: ---- -Strong firepower (larger version of Sharru's firepower) Cons: ---- -No spread range (like Beas) *************************************************************************** ZUGAU: ===== "Twipet" with fantastic firepower. Firepower: / \ / \ | | | | - - - - Pros: ---- -"guided shots" give excellent control over firepower -firepower can fire rapidly, almost forming a stream of continuous fire. -firepower is very strong Cons: ---- -Not much spread range *************************************************************************** KUES: ==== Very large "Miseave" with awesome laser fire. Firepower: || || || || || || Pros: ---- -again, very strong firepower Cons: ---- -really large target. Can get hit easily if not careful -space between lasers makes it necessary to be more precise to hit foes. *************************************************************************** SHASUEM: ======= Very large "Miseave" with a few rear additions. Firepower: ---- ---- / \ / \ | | | | | | | | \ / \ / || || || || || || Pros: ---- -rapid, strong fire-power (pun intended) -firepower has larger coverage area than Kues, so you can be a little more reckless and not have to worry so much about accuracy. Cons: ---- -really large target. Can get hit easier. *************************************************************************** ZUGOGA: ====== Upgraded "Shasuem." Incrediblely strong firepower. Firepower: / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pros: ---- -Extremely strong firepower -First form with actually good spread range (even though it is still vertical) Cons: ---- -same as Shasuem *************************************************************************** GYASHARRU: ========= Final form in first evolution tree. Has the strongest firepower of this tree's forms. Firepower: Can't draw this. Picture green rings slightly smaller than your fighter. Pros: ---- -ring firepower can bounce off of enemies and strike others (I think) Cons: ---- -same as previous two forms. * * * * * EVOLUTION TREE 2 * * * * * * ============================================================================ To reach the second evolution tree, evolve into Kues form, then wait until you de-evolve into Zugau form. Now get a power-up. You are now in the second evolution tree, on to the ultimate form--Black Deame. (thanks to Coin-Op Museum for this information) MEASU: ===== A metal version of "Beas", but with MUCH better firepower. | Firepower: \ / \ _ - / _ \ / _ - / - _ \ \_ _ / / \ / \ | Pros: ---- -strong firepower -firepower has good area coverage Cons: ---- -Bad spread range (better than Beas) *************************************************************************** SEAS: ==== "Measu" with really thin lasers Firepower: | | | | | | Pros: ---- -unknown. Firepower may be stronger than "Measu." Cons: ---- -No spread range (I mean "N-O-N-E") -Must be very precise to hit foes. *************************************************************************** MALTO: ===== "Measu" with the third-best spread range of all forms (both trees) Firepower: Balls. Can't draw round shapes here. This form shoots balls in a cone-shaped area in front of you. The balls are not all shot at once, they come out about a second apart. Pros: ---- -really good spread range Cons: ---- -spread of firepower doesn't allow for concentrated fire. This can let some foes slip in on you. *************************************************************************** DEAME: ===== Technically the "final" form of the second evolutionary tree. At least it is not as large as Gyasharru, so you won't be an easily hit target. Firepower: Another ball. Picture a gray sphere with electricity coming out of the sides. Pros: ---- -firepower has good area coverage Cons: ---- -can't really get rapid, consistent fire *************************************************************************** **BLACK DEAME**: ============== THE BEST FORM, PERIOD!! Black Deame is definitely your goal for the forms to get. This form has it all--the best spread fire, the strongest fire, and best of all--NEAR INVINICIBILITY!! Black Deame can NOT be harmed by enemy fire! You can get shot all day long while in the form with no harmful effect to you. The ONLY way you can die in this form is to collide with an enemy. Firepower: You shoot versions of yourself (large black bats) Pros: ---- -supreme firpower -supreme spread range -impervious to enemy shots Cons: ---- -none (other than the time-limit) * * * * * * SPECIAL * * * * * * ============================================================================ SUPPURATE: ========= Special form. An orange ball with metallic wings. Firepower: Your shots look like Malto's, you just shoot them faster and in a "pendulum" fashion, swinging left and right as you fire. Pros: ---- -second-best spread fire of all forms Cons: ---- -spacing and stream of shots makes it harder to hit foes as the "pendulum" of your firepower may not be in a particular foe's direction. *************************************************************************** LAYSPER: ======== Special form. Looks like "Basum" but with a larger red ball in the center, separating the two halves of the ship. Firepower: Your frontal shots are invisible, and you shoot electrical blasts to both sides of your ship. Essentially, you are a slightly stronger "Basum." Pros: ---- -same as Basum Cons: ---- -same as Basum -------------------------------------------------------------------------- TIPS, TRICKS, AND SECRETS The following is from Killer List of Video Games (http://www.klov.com/) {quoted verbatim}: "Pick power-up capsules until you've become "Kues". Next, do not pick any more capsules until you've shrunk to "Zugau". Then, start picking them up again and you will enter another branch on the "tree of evolution". At the top of this tree, you will be "Deame". If you get hit, you become "Black Deame", and are invulnerable to shots. This will last as long as you pick power-up capsules." The following trick is from Arcade-History (http://www.klov.com/): {quoted verbatim} * Bomb upgrade : 1) Shoot horizontal stick aliens the right number of times and they will drift slowly down the screen. Dock with this to get extra firepower. This also works with the aliens that have extendible poles that spring out from their sides : just shoot them until they flash and dock with them. 2) You can also dock with the rectangular aliens (after you have shot them a few times). These appear close to the start of the game. It seems anything you shoot that then drifts slowly down, you can dock with (which increases the bomb power). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- CREDITS God--for the strength, life, and intellect to do this FAQ CJayc--for creating the grand site known as Gamefaqs and just being a great fellow. Killer List of Video Games (http://www.klov.com/)--for the trick on getting to the second evolutionary tree and becoming Black Deame. Arcade-History (http://www.arcade-history.com/)--for the Laysper form and the bomb powerup information. This site explains the whole game and evolution system in great detail. Definitely go here! I hope you have enjoyed this FAQ. If there are any corrections, additions, etc. that you see that need to be put here, please e-mail me and let me know. Thanks for reading. dhousto6@bellsouth.net Dimetric Houston The End