----------------- S T I N G E R ----------------- GAME: STINGER PLATFORM: ARCADE GENRE: SHOOT 'EM UP CREATOR: SEIBU DENSHI Copyright 1983 AUTHOR OF THIS FAQ: erling1000 E-MAIL: erling1000(at)gmail(dot)com FAQ VERSION: 1.00 _______________________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 1.1 The Controls 1.2 Friends 1.3 Small Flying Enemies 1.4 Big Flying Enemies 1.5 Enemies On Platforms 1.6 Boss 1.7 Bonuses etc. 2. Walkthrough 2.1 Stage 1 2.2 Stage 2 2.3 Further stages 3. Conclusion 3.1 Legal Stuff 3.2 Version Information 3.3 Acknowledgements 3.4 Links _______________________________________________________________________________ 1. Introduction ================ Stinger is a horizontally scrolling shooter with a vertically oriented screen. It's a 1- or 2-player (2-player game is alternating) arcade game. The game features background music besides the sound effects - the music is a bit hectic and looping - a bit like Spanish or Irish folk music, but very nice. At Endbase the music becomes more like electronica drums. You control a spaceship through space and along space stations. Your goal is to shoot up as many enemies as possible, fuel energy and at the end: kill the Boss. There's a lot of enemies and different types of enemies. Each with its own behavior. This FAQ covers how to deal with the enemies, how to fly safely through the different areas and the rules of the game. Most of the names are my invention, there are no names to be found (except Bongo and Sting Wolf), so things are named as to what they look like, and the order of the list is like the order of appearance in the game. _______________________________________________________________________________ 1.1 The Controls ================= You control your spaceship (Sting Wolf), using the joystick. The game scrolls and you fly through the areas, moving to your right. You fly through space, bypassing space stations and along spaceports. You shoot your 2 lasers with button 1 and release your power-item ("Bongo") with button 2. If you have 5 Bongos and a full tank of energy, your lasers will fire wide backfire as well as forwards. Backfire can destroy enemies as well as bullets from enemies. There's no auto fire, which means if you push and hold the fire button nothing happens. You will pass several landing platforms. These are different parts of the gameplay, where you hover above the platforms, controlling your spaceship and still scrolling. While hovering you can bomb enemies at the platform, aiming with your crosshair and pushing button 1. You can also use your Bongo here, pushing button 2. You can't hit flying enemies, when hovering. _______________________________________________________________________________ 1.2 Friends ============ Crab - 600 p A yellow refuel-robot, with a pinging sound. When hovering above the platforms you refuel your energy when touching the crab, but beware of enemies on the platform - they harm both you and the Crab. The Crab can also disappear when you scroll - or fall of the platform, if it turns to much to the left. You must refuel 16+1 marks on the fuel meter: 13 yellow, 3 red, and one more to get a Bongo - then the fuel meter resets to 0 and you get 600 p, and a small fanfare. Max. number of Bongos you can have is 5. If you refuel more you will fill your tank double-up: 13 yellow+3 red, then backwards: the 13 yellow ones becomes red, in all 29 blocks on the fuel meter, and the fanfare sounds twice. Now you have backfire for a while. It's impossible to say for how long - maybe until you die, maybe very short time, maybe longer. Then the fuel meter resets to 13 yellow + 3 red, and you have to refuel 13 blocks again, in order to regain backfire. Maybe it's an error in the game - hard to say, as it's so random when it resets, sometimes just as you have refueled. Sometimes an extra refuel when already full tank gives a "blip", sometimes the single- or double-fanfare. Refuel every time it's possible, even if full, is my best advice. You can't shoot or bomb the Crab. Bongo - power item Bongo can be used as a weapon. When pushing button 2, it will fly around the screen, killing enemies for some seconds, and then fly away. Only use Bongos if in real hard danger, save them for backfire and Bonus instead. _______________________________________________________________________________ 1.3 Small Flying Enemies ========================= Bullets - 160 p Shots fired from different flying enemies. Can only be shot with backfire. Flowers - 30 p In flocks, slowly zigzagging towards you, rarely shooting. Purple Clam UFOs - 30 p Few, looping, hovers and fly away, regular shooting. Purple Flashing Probes - 80 p Few, fly horizontally, changes direction, often towards you, regular shooting. There will be no more than 4 Purple Clam UFOs and Purple Flashing Probes together. Cubes - 50 p 6 at a time, Fly in horizontally formation from top right corner, expands to the middle and fly away in bottom right corner. Rarely shooting. Or fly in vertically formation from top right corner, expands to the middle and fly away going up and left. Regular shooting at you when flying away. Sinus Probes - 110 p Fly to the left in sinus waves. Can lock on to you if they get too close, changing color from white / yellow to white / red. Will hang on for some seconds above or below. Often shooting, straight down. Pearl Necklaces - 500 p Fly in from the right, flying up and down at the right hand. Explodes when shot and shoots up to 6 bullets at you, in fan shape. They can't fill up the screen with bullets - max. number they can shoot together is 6, so shoot them all together, then some of them won't shoot. White Spinners - 100 p Fly in small flocks, horizontally to the left. They shoot a lot, the bullets fly straight to the left too. Beware of standing in their way, they can shoot more often when coming closer to left side of the screen, because the bullets disappear faster, at left side. Red Hail - 50 p Fly fast in flocks, directly in lines at you. Silver Energy-bullets - 100 p Birdbase cannons them at you in trajectory showers. Shoots only when you are medium or close range from the Birdbase. Can be shot with laser or backfire. Small Magnet-Eggs - 400 p Few, fly homing at you, shoot them when their shields open. Shots reflected from the shields can kill other enemies. Grey Hedgehogs - 80 p Fly diagonally in flocks to the left. Changes direction, crossing in before you steeply up or down. Shoots a lot, bullets fly horizontally to the left if fired at top of the screen, or diagonally down-left if fired at bottom of the screen. Pearl-missiles - 300 p Fly in flocks, horizontally to the left, stops, fires a bullet and fly away to the right (or through the screen to the left). Atom-serpents - 300 p 6 in formation. Fly in from top left corner to the right, then down and out at bottom right. Or from top or bottom right corner, flying up and down once, then leaving from where they came in. Regular shooting, when flying out. Because of them, Big UFOs and Guardians you should never be at top or bottom left corners, if not necessary, as these airborne enemies can appear from the left (Energy-bullets, that can be fired in many directions, also can appear from behind). Atoms - 200 p Fly singularly in from the right, zigzagging horizontally and going downwards. Shoot a lot: 2 shots at a time. The bullets fly to the left and diagonally left-up. Purple Energy-bullets - 50 p Comes up the missile siloes at the Endbase after the missile has peaked up (aiming at you?) Fly in straight lines at you. Can be shot with laser and backfire. (The missiles that peak up aren't dangerous.) They can't aim in all angles, meaning you can find blind spots at the end after shooting the Guardians and the other flying enemies. Then you can leech points forever, exploiting the error. It's not cheating, you follow the rules, but it's regarded as poor sportsmanship! (If interested, se my screenshot of Blind Spot uploaded to GameFAQ's) Blue Runners - 80 p Fly in flocks, fast, diagonally from bottom right to top left corners. They shoot a lot, bullets flying diagonally down-left. _______________________________________________________________________________ 1.4 Big Flying Enemies ======================= Big Magnet-egg - 2550 p Appears from the right upper corner, stops, uses a tractor-beam to pull you in, crushing you against it or at other flying enemies. Shoot it when the shield opens. Shots reflected from the shields can kill other enemies. Don't fight against the tractor-beam, you will crash into other enemies. Fly with the beam (or faster than the beam) towards the egg, give a precise shot when real close and the shield is open, stopping before crushing into the egg. That way the danger is gone, fast. Start at a low position, trying to lure enemies at you / away from the egg, before it starts pulling, giving you a more secure route to the egg. When it pulls, fly up and right, passing real close by in front of the egg and finish it off. Big UFO - 2000 p Appears at certain places (see walkthrough), sometimes a bit random if it appears or not, but it seems like it only appears if you aren't at the top part of the screen. It appears from left or right at the top of the screen, horizontally. If from the left (not by platform), it moves fast through to the right and you must hurry to shoot it. If from the right (by platforms), it'll fly slowly in, pauses, shooting bullets in many directions, and even releasing Small UFOs that lands onto the platforms. If you go for it, it flees fast to the right. If not, it flyes slowly through to the left. If it flees before it comes to center-position from the right, it might reappear after a short while. It gives a sirene-sound while on screen. Guardians - 200 p 6 of them appear when you arrive at the Boss. They fly in from left top and bottom corners. Kill them quick, they have speed and changes direction fast. _______________________________________________________________________________ 1.5 Enemies On Platforms ========================= Tower - 300 p Lethal obstacles. Bomb them or fly along the platform, shooting them with laser. Small UFO - 80 p Hovering / patrolling the platform, tries to kill you and the Crab. It might take a while before it reacts, flying in straight lines, then changing direction. They can be almost hidden, in right edge of screen, and still kill off your crabs. Sometimes you can fly up in space / off the platform, to gain speed and overtake it if it hides in the right edge. Bomb or shoot, like against Towers. _______________________________________________________________________________ 1.6 Boss ========= The Boss is a big Plasma ball, resting high on a big tower. When you reach the Boss, the game stops scrolling and the 6 Guardians fly in from the left - 4 from above and 2 from below. Shoot the Guardians (the top 4 first, then you get rid of them faster), minding the other enemies. Shoot the Boss many times, until it changes color to dark red. Then it dies and the game slow motions, flashing with red, the last enemies fly away / towards you and the bonus screen comes up, before next stage starts. Note: You die by touching the Boss, but not by touching the tower. When the Boss is dead you can touch it without dying. _______________________________________________________________________________ 1.7 Bonuses etc. ================= Normal end-of-stage-bonus 10.000 p for completing stage 10.000 p for every Bongo you have Max bonus is 60.000 Big end-of-stage-bonus after every 2nd stage 8 Crabs crawls in on a black screen, dragging a golden sign with your prize: 100.000 p and one bonus life Bonus-lives You get bonus life at 20.000 p 50.000 p and after every Big end-of-stage-bonus (every 2nd stage). You start the game with 2 Bongos (and 3 lives). Next stages with the number of Bongos you have at end-of-stage, meaning backfire is easy to achieve yet again. _______________________________________________________________________________ 2. Walkthrough =============== The walkthrough covering the areas will list what enemies you will encounter there, and some strategies. After dying it you start off with flowers as 1st enemy. _______________________________________________________________________________ 2.1 Stage 1 ============ Before 1st platform Enemies: Flowers, Purple Clam UFOs, Purple Flashing Probes, Big Magnet-Egg. Strategy: Keep center-left, except against Big Magnet-Egg, see above. 1st Platform Enemies: Towers, Small UFOs, Sinus Probes, Atom-serpents, Flowers, Cubes Strategy: Generally on platforms: Land instead of flying. You'll be safe from flying enemies and bullets there. Note: Sometimes there is an error in the game and you WILL be hit by a bypassing enemy or bullet - this happens rarely, but keep away from them anyway. Avoid enemies on platform. Best position is at the top-center of the platform. Bomb Small UFOs and Towers. If they are near the top of the platform, leave the platform and shoot them with lasers instead, flying a bit above the platform, minding flying enemies. Land on platform again. If you hear a Crab pinging, leave the platform, gaining speed and fly to the Crab, touching down. If possible get in front of Crab, halt and push it back ALMOST until left edge of screen (leaving space to watch out for Small UFOs from the left). Let go and scroll, still refueling. That way you save some platform space and might find more Crabs (1st platform can give you 3 Bongos), and you have an overview over enemies. Beware of UFOs from behind. If necessary push your Crab in front of you instead, or move it around enemies, still refueling. Remember the Crab also dies when touching UFOs, Towers or falling of the platform. Don't fly all the way above / along the platform, as it seems there are more Crabs if you land / hover instead of flying. When you reach the end of the platform, the crab won't refuel anymore, but the enemies are still deadly. Before 2nd Platform Enemies: Sinus Probes, Flowers, Purple Flashing Probes, Pearl Necklaces, Purple Clam UFOs, White Spinners. Big UFO short before 2nd Platform, going right. Strategy: You pass Birdbase (space station shaped as a rooster) in long range, it's not shooting. Keep center-left near next spaceport, ready to shoot the Big UFO. 2nd Platform Enemies: Towers, Small UFOs, White Spinners, Sinus Probes, Cubes. Strategy: General platform strategy. Before 3rd Platform Enemies: White Spinners, Red Hail, Silver Energy-bullets, Purple Clam UFOs, Cubes, Atom Serpents, Flowers, Big Magnet-egg, Small Magnet-eggs. Strategy: You pass Birdbase in medium range, it shoots at you. Keep low and left. 3rd Platform Enemies: Towers, Small UFOs, Cubes, Sinus Probes. Strategy: General platform strategy. Before 4th Platform Enemies: Flowers, Cubes, Sinus Probes, Grey Hedgehogs, Atoms, Silver Energy- bullets, Pearl-missiles, Big UFO. Strategy: You pass birdbase at close range. Big UFO appears from the left just at Birdbase / before 4th platform. Stay center-left. 4th Platform Enemies: Towers, Small UFOs, Pearl-missiles, Sinus Probes, Small Magnet-eggs. Strategy: General platform strategy. Before Endbase Enemies: White Spinners, Pearl-missiles, Red Hail, Atoms, Flowers Strategy: Stay center-left or lower. Endbase Enemies: Purple Energy-bullets, Purple Flashing Probes, Flowers, Guardians, Boss Strategy: Be awake, move around, making it difficult to aim at you, shooting all the time. Don't try shoot all Energy-bullets, but kill of enemies standing in your way. When you reach the Boss, stay center-left. Kill Guardians first, starting with the top 4 and then bottom 2. Be awake, Kill other enemies and some Energy-bullets, but focus on shooting the Boss quickly in showers, then dodging / shooting Bullets. Remember you die by touching the Boss if it isn't dead yet. And that you must dodge or shoot final Bullets in slow motion. _______________________________________________________________________________ 2.1 Stage 2 ============ Before 1st platform Enemies: Grey Hedgehogs, Blue Runners, Red Hail, White Spinners, Flowers, Pearl Necklaces. Strategy: Stay center-left or lower. 1st Platform Enemies: Towers, Small UFOs, White Spinners, 2x Big UFO. Strategy: General platform strategy. Stay alert and be quick to kill the Big UFOs, when it's in top-center. Dodging all the Bullets. Before 2nd Platform Enemies: White Spinners, Pearl-missiles, Blue Runners, Big Magnet-egg, Atoms. Strategy: Stay center-left or lower. And Big Magnet-egg-strategy. 2nd Platform Enemies: Towers, Small UFOs, Flowers, Pearl-missiles, 2x Big UFO. Strategy: Like 1st platform, Stage 2. Before 3rd Platform Enemies: Blue Runners, Pearl-missiles, Silver Energy-bullets, Flowers, Red Hail, Purple Clam UFOs, Sinus Probes, Pearl Necklaces, Small Magnet-eggs, Cubes, Atom-serpents, Big Magnet-egg. Strategy: Birdbase at medium range. Keep low and left. Big Egg-strategy. 3rd Platform Enemies: Towers, Small UFOs, Pearl-missiles, Red Hail, up to 3x big UFO. Strategy: Like 1st platform, Stage 2. Before 4th Platform Enemies: Flowers, Sinus Probes, Small Magnet-eggs, Silver Energy-bullets, Pearl-missiles, Purple Flashing Probes, Grey Hedgehogs, Atom-serpents, Atoms, Red Hail Strategy: You pass Birdbase at close range. Stay low-left. 4th Platform Enemies: Towers, Small UFOs, White Spinners, Pearl Necklaces, 1x Big UFO. Strategy: Like 1st platform, Stage 2. Before Endbase Enemies: Pearl Necklaces, Pearl-missiles, Grey Hedgehogs, Blue Runners, Sinus Probes. Strategy: Stay left-center or low. Endbase Enemies: Purple Energy-bullets, Atoms, Cubes, Guardians, Boss. Strategy: Like Endbase, 1st Stage. Beware of Atom-serpents from behind. _______________________________________________________________________________ 2.3 Further stages ================== By now you have encountered all the different enemies, so now it's the combination of enemies that makes it harder. It seems the pattern with the Big UFOs repeat them selves from Stage 2 and on. The small enemies come rushing at you. Be one step ahead of them all the time. Note that the Big Magnet-egg appears other places, also by the landing platforms, which means you will be pulled off the platform. _______________________________________________________________________________ 3 Conclusion ============= When this came to the arcades it wasn't very popular. Not like Xevious (January 1983 by Namco) or other popular shooters. As I recall most people gave up on it, because it was to hard to get past the Big Magnet-egg, so they were killed off early in the game every time. And not many did get past Endbase at Stage 1. Then they saved their coins for other arcade machines. But if you take your time and learn the strategies, Stinger is an exciting, fun, challenging and fast game. Although there are some errors in the game, as mentioned, SEIBU DENSHI did a good job on Stinger, especially when you consider, it's their 1. videogame. If you want to try the game, I'll have to say it's almost impossible, unless you buy the arcade machine (Stinger is very rare) or use an emulator like MAME (see Links). Please e-mail me if you have input or questions regarding this FAQ. _______________________________________________________________________________ 3.1 Legal Stuff ================ This guide may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advanced permission from the author. Use of this guide on any other web site or as part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. All content in this guide is Copyright 2013 by Erling Rohard / erling1000. Only the sites listed below have permission to publish this work or to display it: www.gamefaqs.com If you wish to put this guide on your site, e-mail me and ask. If you wish to use info in this guide, please acknowledge that you have done so. If you see this guide on any other site then the one listed above, please e-mail me. _______________________________________________________________________________ 3.2 Version information ======================== Version 1.00 Nov. 27th 2013: 1st GameFAQ by erling1000. _______________________________________________________________________________ 3.3 Acknowledgements ====================== Kevin Butler AKA War Doc (author of the GameFAQ for the arcade game Scramble and many others) - thanks for inspiration for the setup / layout of this FAQ, as it's my first one. Wikipedia's article on Stinger, for some info about the creators of Stinger and trivia about the game, although I know it very well from back in 1983 and the following years of arcade-gaming. SEIBU DENSHI for making a great arcade game GameFAQ's for putting up this FAQ _______________________________________________________________________________ 3.4 Links ========== Wikipedia article on Stinger: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinger_(arcade_game) Killer List Of Videogames' info about: Stinger http://www.klov.net/game_detail.php?game_id=9788 A huge portal for MAME emulator-stuff: http://mameworld.info/