o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o | Cobra Command | | NES Edition | | | | FAQ/WALKTHROUGH | | Version 1.0 (January 25, 2007) | | | | By The Admiral | | Email: Admiral1018@yahoo.com | o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o Introduction ------------ Lost in the flood of great NES actions games is Cobra Command, a surprisingly entertaining helicopter-based side-scroller. Set in Southeast Asia during the mid-twentieth century, Cobra Command takes you through numerous islands and other locations to rescue hostages and destroy enemy strongholds. This game stands out in that it combines a traditional action game with some adventure elements, like customizing your helicopter with different gear and piecing together clues from hostages to find enemy locations. The customization element of the game was somewhat ahead of its time, allowing players to vary their weapons and accessories to meet the changing terrain or enemy mix. If you are reading this guide, you are probably playing Cobra Command without access to an instruction manual or any other source of information. As was the problem with many NES games, it can sometimes be extremely difficult to figure out what to do or how things should work. In addition, Cobra Command can be very challenging if you do not have good combat strategies or cannot locate the enemy depots where valuable equipment upgrades are held. That's where this guide comes in. Whether being used to learn the bare basics, find the location of every hidden item, or refine a strategy at a particular stage, this guide should help you. ============================================================================== D I S C L A I M E R CC01 ============================================================================== This FAQ is meant for personal use only and cannot be reproduced for commercial use under any circumstances. No portions of this guide may be reproduced, in part or in entirety, without the written consent of the author. If you would like to use any part of this guide in your FAQ or website, I will probably give you permission if you ask, but you must ask first (Email: Admiral1018@yahoo.com). The Cobra Command title, as well as all contents within, is copyright of Data East. ============================================================================== T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S CC02 ============================================================================== To jump to any section of this guide quickly, click the Edit option on the toolbar, then go to Find and type in the index number listed in the right column. You can also press Ctrl+F to bring up the search box in most browsers and text editors. DISCLAIMER................................................................CC01 TABLE OF CONTENTS.........................................................CC02 STORY AND OBJECTIVE.......................................................CC03 THE BASICS................................................................CC04 CONTROLS..................................................................CC05 MAIN MENU.................................................................CC06 HELICOPTER UPGRADES.......................................................CC07 TIPS AND STRATEGIES.......................................................CC08 WALKTHROUGH STAGE 1 - SUMATRA.........................................................CC0A STAGE 2 - JAVA............................................................CC0B STAGE 3 – BORNEO..........................................................CC0C STAGE 4 – SOUTH CHINA SEA.................................................CC04 STAGE 5 – SIAM............................................................CC05 STAGE 6 – ENEMY HEADQUARTERS..............................................CC06 ENEMIES...................................................................CC09 LOCATIONS IN THE GAME.....................................................CC10 CONTACT INFORMATION.......................................................CC11 REVISION HISTORY..........................................................CC12 CREDITS...................................................................CC13 ============================================================================== S T O R Y A N D O B J E C T I V E CC03 ============================================================================== It is the mid-twentieth century and the United States is at war in Southeast Asia. Many hostages have been taken by the enemy and brought to hidden underground bases. You are General Steven Power. You command the attack- helicopter that will single-handedly take on the entire South Asian military force. No pressure there. Your primary mission is to rescue all the hostages captured in each stage. Your secondary mission is to raid enemy supply depots for helicopter upgrades. ============================================================================== T H E B A S I C S CC04 ============================================================================== The following are some of the basic items and statistics in the game. These terms will be referred to throughout this guide and are essential to understanding the game. This section is useful if you are playing through the game for the first time and do not have the instruction manual. MENU ITEMS ========== SCORE You receive points for each enemy you kill. Other than for personal competition purposes, the Score has no effect on the game. LIVES This is number of lives you have remaining. You begin the game with 4 lives. Once all 4 lives are lost, you will receive a Game Over and the option to continue (you can continue up to three times). You Score is reset to zero when you continue. You receive an additional life each time you raid an enemy depot. DAMAGE The Damage total shows the number of hits you can sustain from bullets and projectiles before crashing. When Damage gets to one, the helicopter will catch on fire and slowly descend if left on its own. When damage gets to zero, the helicopter will engulf in flames and begin to crash – losing a life at that point is unavoidable. Your maximum damage can be boosted by collecting Armour upgrades. Note that collisions with any enemy/wall/surface will destroy your helicopter regardless of Damage remaining. HOSTAGES The Hostages total on the menu shows the number of hostages rescued, missing, and in total for the current stage. GAME OBJECTS ============ HOSTAGES The Hostages appear as a little gold men who wave their arm to signal you. Some hostages will be above ground, while most will be hidden in underground enemy fortresses. To rescue a hostage, simply fly down towards him and a rope will descend from the helicopter, allowing him to climb onboard. UNDERGROUND BASES The enemy is sophisticated enough not to leave its bases and weapon depots above ground, where there are easy target for an air attack. Instead, most bases are hidden and covered by some external structure. Finding these bases is one of the goals of each stage. Note that some bases cannot be uncovered unless you have rescued the hostages that are above ground first. ENEMY FORTRESSES Hidden deep within the underground bases are enemy fortresses. These are the command centers where many hostages are kept. In most cases, fortresses contain an abundant supply of attack vehicles that will emerge after rescuing three hostages. You will need to eliminate the attacking force before saving any additional hostages. ENEMY DEPOTS Also within underground bases are enemy depots. These depots contain enemy weapon caches that can be used to upgrade your helicopter. Depots are usually flat surfaces within the base that stand out from the surroundings, often times with different colors or texture types. You need to land the helicopter on top of the depot to obtain the upgrades. It is easy to miss the depots if you are not looking out for them, so try to find one in every underground area. There are two enemy depots in each stage. ============================================================================= C O N T R O L S CC05 ============================================================================= The controls for Cobra Command can take some getting used to, particularly when it comes to horizontal movement. See the Tips and Strategies section for a few useful tricks on how to move around more effectively. || _______||____________________________ | | | _ Nintendo | | _| |_ | | | O | SELECT START | | ¯|_|¯ (¯¯) (¯¯) ( ) ( ) | | ¯¯ ¯¯ B A | | | ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ UP Moves the helicopter vertically upward. DOWN Moves the helicopter vertically downward. You can move the helicopter all the way down and "land" on any surface. When attempting this, you need to perform a stationary descent so that the helicopter remains parallel to the ground. LEFT/RIGHT Moves forwards and backwards, depending on which direction the helicopter is pointed. A couple of things to note about movement. First, when moving forward, the helicopter's nose will point downward (as will your gun shots). Conversely, the nose will point up when moving backwards. You will have to take this into account when attacking enemies. Second, when moving forward, the game will slow the helicopter movement when you approach the middle of the screen as the screen scrolls. This is referred to as "scroll drag" and can make it very difficult to get past quick moving objects. You can bypass this by flying backwards. SELECT This brings up the main menu. See the next section for more information. START Causes the helicopter to turn around. This can be used to backtrack or move quickly through certain areas. B-BUTTON The B-button is used to fire the helicopter's main guns. You need to repeatedly press the B-button to shoot for all weapons except the Rapid Fire Gun, which fires as long as the B-button is depressed. A-BUTTON The A-button is used to fire the helicopter's missiles. ============================================================================== M A I N M E N U CC06 ============================================================================== The main menu allows you to configure your helicopter's equipment and receive useful status information. The box on the left lists equipment and the box on the right leads to additional screens with more information. o-------------------------------------------------o | | | o---------------------o | | | | | | o------------o | | | | | | | | | | | | | Helicopter | | | | Soldier's | | Picture | | | | Picture | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | o------------o o---------------------o | | | | o===========o o---------------------o | | []| GUN | []| SCORE | | | |===========| | | | | []| MISSILE | []| HOSTAGES | | | |===========| | | | | []| ARMOUR | []| MESSAGES | | | |===========| | | | | []| ENGINE | []| EXIT | | | |===========| | | | | []| RESCUE | | | | | o-----------o o---------------------o | | | o-------------------------------------------------o EQUIPMENT STATUS ================ The box on the left displays your current equipment. You can select each item and toggle through the list of available gear by pressing the A-button. The location of each piece of equipment will be highlighted on the helicopter picture when selected. More detailed information on these items is presented in the next section. MISSION STATUS ============== The box on the right provides information on your mission and game status. Each option displays the following information: SCORE Shows the number of points you have collected, number of remaining lives, and amount of damage your armor can still sustain. HOSTAGES Shows the number of total, collected, and remaining hostages in the current stage. MESSAGES Occasionally hostages will give you messages about the current stage when rescued. This usually occurs when rescuing outdoor hostages and is signaled by a small sound once the hostage is aboard the helicopter. Almost all messages are something like "the enemy base is nearby." You never need to listen to them to proceed in the game. EXIT Exits the main menu and returns to the game. ============================================================================== H E L I C O P T E R U P G R A D E S CC07 ============================================================================== Below are the different upgrades you can collect in the game. All upgrades are found in enemy supply depots within the underground bases. GUNS ==== Yoru most basic offensive equipment is the primary helicopter guns. The guns can be upgraded to fire in different spreads and directions to improve your ability to combat enemies. SINGLE You begin the game with the Single gun. This is a pretty basic machine gun that will suffice for a short time, but should be abandoned once an upgrade is found. DUAL The Dual guns are a very nice upgrade from the Single, as they widen the range of your attack and make it much easier to kill moving enemies. Once obtained, you can probably use these guns for the remainder of the game. ATG ATG is an abbreviation for Anti-Tank Gun. This gun takes out all tanks and vehicles in one shot. It is an extremely useful indoor weapon and excellent at enemy fortresses. However, it is not as useful outdoors where tanks are less numerous. RAPID Rapid is similar to Single, except that it fires continuously while the B-button is held down. This is a pretty crummy upgrade that offers less killing potential than the Dual Guns or ATG. There is never really a compelling point in the game to use this weapon. 3-WAY The 3-Way gun fires 3 shots simultaneously, with one going straight and the other two at roughly 45 degree angles to the first. The 3-way allows you to kill targets at a decent distance above and below your helicopter. The 3-Way is better used as a short range weapon since it becomes difficult to hit targets with the top or bottom bullets from afar. This gun has some decent uses indoors, but is probably no better than the Dual guns. No clear cut verdict, so use whichever weapon you feel more comfortable with. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MISSILES ======== Missiles (which included air-to-ground bombs) are the "knock out" punch in your arsenal. Missiles fire slower than guns but pack a much harder blow. In general, all missiles (except the Firebomb) are equivalent to 3-4 shots from your gun. They are also much more specialized, and should be changed frequently to match the stage environment. You have an unlimited supply of missiles, so use them very liberally. MONO You begin the game with Mono missiles. These missiles fire in a straight path and launch from just below your helicopter. These missiles make a good compliment to your Single gun at the start of the first stage, as using the two in tandem helps increase the width of your attack. Still, this weapon is inferior to all other missile types. TWIN Twin Missiles are similar to the Mono missiles, except you can have two on the screen at once. This is a good weapon to have if you want to destroy an object directly beneath your helicopter. For example, these can be used to hit tanks and land infantry while you hover slightly off the ground. FIREBOMB The Firebomb is the most powerful weapon in the game. It is equivalent to more than 10 regular bullets and is more than twice as powerful as all other missiles. The firebomb is an excellent air-to-ground attack, which is invaluable in taking out artillery cannons and tanks. The one downside to the Firebomb is that it's relatively slow. You can only have one on the screen at a time, so this limits your ability to quickly destroy ground targets. HOMING These Homing missiles don't exactly work the way you might expect from the name. They do not home in on enemies, but they do allow you some control over where their trajectory. Hold down the A-button and the missile will descend from the bottom of the helicopter. Once you release the A-button, the missile quickly blasts forward. The Homing missiles allow you to precisely attack any target in front and below your helicopter, as well as enemies directly below. These missiles have great strategic uses but are too slow for the majority of combat. MINES The Mines are similar to the Firebomb, though not quite as powerful. The advantage is that you can fire two mines at once, which make for an excellent way to combat land units. By the time you acquire these you will be under heavy fire from both ground and air targets, so they come in very handy. One downside to the Mines is that they float in water, making them a poor choice in Stage 4. You are better off using the Firebomb or Homing 1 missiles in that instance. HOMING 1 The Homing 1 missiles actually live up to their name. When fired, a single missile will move about the screen until it finds a target. The homing is not perfect (the missile will occasionally circle an enemy without killing it), but it makes for a great way to kill enemies that are outside the reach of your gun. The Homing 1 missiles can "feel" slow since it sometimes takes a while for the missile to find a target. Still, this is the best missile you can use at the time it's acquired. HOMING 2 Homing 2 missiles are similar to Homing 1 missiles, except you can have two on screen at once. This additional missile makes a huge difference as far as effectiveness goes. Once acquired, these should be your missile of choice for the remainder of the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ARMOUR ====== Armour (note that the game uses the British spelling) refers to the protective plating that covers your helicopter. It protects you from bullets and projectiles, but collisions with enemy targets or terrain will still destroy your helicopter instantly. Unlike the other upgrades, you cannot choose which type of armour you want to use. The most protective armour is the default once it has been acquired. NORMAL This is the standard plating that covers your helicopter at the beginning of the game. It allows you to sustain 4 attacks from enemy bullets. ARMOUR By the time you receive this upgrade, you will appreciate the additional protection. The Armour allows you to endure 5 attacks from enemy fire. SUPER The Super Armour is another great step up in defense, allowing you to receive 7 attacks from bullets and projectiles before crashing. HYPER The Hyper Armour offers you the best protection in the game. It blocks an incredible 9 attacks from enemy fire. This upgrade is available near the end of the game and should not be missed, as its added protection is invaluable. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ENGINE ====== The type of engine you use controls your movement speed. The higher the upgrade, the faster you move. More speed is not always better, however. There is a fine balance between moving fast enough to evade enemies and moving too fast that you lose control. This is especially the case in underground bases, where the narrow passageways are easy to crash into if you're moving too fast. As with your guns and missiles, adjust your engine to match the environment NORMAL You begin the game with Normal engines. These engines are fast enough to evade the slow moving enemies in the first stage, but they become outdated very quickly. You may occasionally want to switch back to this engine when underground if your are navigating very tight passageways. TURBO Turbo engines are a great upgrade, offering enough speed and maneuverability to escape most enemies and projectiles. This is probably a good default engine for underground movement as well. SUPER The Super engines add a noticeable burst of speed that allows for quick maneuvers between numerous moving targets. They are excellent outdoor engines, but might be too powerful for underground levels. HYPER The Hyper engines provide you with an incredible amount of speed. Some players may find that this causes the helicopter to move too quickly to control when outdoors, but others will find it just right. This engine is probably too powerful for underground use, as you will end up smashing into walls and ceilings with light taps to the control pad. The one exception to this is the final stage, which requires a lot of speed to evade traps and obstacles. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ RESCUE Rescue devices are lowered from the helicopter to rescue hostages. ROPE The Rope is your beginning rescue device. When you near a hostage, the Rope will be dropped and the hostage will climb up onto the helicopter once he has hold. LADDER The Ladder is not much different from the Rope and does not make a significant difference when rescuing hostages. On the downside, the ladder is shorter than the rope, so you will need to move closer to the ground for hostages to board. However, the Ladder is also wider than the Rope, which allows hostages to board from a larger area. This difference is pretty insignificant, however. The Ladder also seems to lower faster than the Rope, but, again, not by much. The choice is yours as to which rescue device you want to use. Neither one is clearly better than the other. ============================================================================== T I P S A N D S T R A T E G I E S CC08 ============================================================================== Cobra Command can have a very steep learning curve if you are unfamiliar with some of the game's nuances. Below are a few tips that can make the game much easier to handle. 1. FIRE GUN AND MISSILES SIMULTANEOUSLY You should get into the habit of tapping the A- and B-buttons at the same time, as this is the best way to attack enemies in the game. This widens your firing path and gives you the greatest chance to kill any oncoming foes. The exception to this is when you are using air-to-ground missiles (the Firebomb and Mines), as you may wish to time these to kill specific ground targets. 2. UNDERSTAND HOW THE HELICOPTER MOVES The helicopter will tilt downward when moving forward and upward when moving backwards. This alters the direction in which your guns (and possibly missiles) will shoot. It is important to adjust for this when attacking enemies. If you need to kill an enemy directly in front, stop moving forward so that the helicopter levels out and gives you a clear shot. Also, do not move forwards or backwards when attempting to land. If the cockpit or tail hit the ground, the helicopter will be destroyed. Go straight down so that the landing rig is all that makes contact with the surface. 3. SLOW SPEED INDOORS Outdoor levels are fast-paced and throw enemies at you constantly. There is a huge advantage to additional speed offered by engine upgrades in helping dodge bullets and maneuver between enemies. However, underground levels are much slower paced and more tightly packed. When inside, change your engine to Normal or Turbo. If you move too quickly, it is easy to crash into the walls or accidentally hit the enemy fortress. Since the enemies are much more limited, control is more important than blazing speed. 4. LEARN HOW TO MOVE BACKWARDS EFFECTIVELY It can take a while to understand and adjust to how your helicopter moves relative to the screen scroll. The game is designed so that you cannot move beyond mid-screen during forward movement. Behind mid-screen you can move around as fast as your engines will let you, but, once you hit mid-screen, the scroll will seem to "drag" you along. This makes it very difficult to get past certain areas where missiles or projectiles are being shot up in a continuous interval. The trick is to turn around and move backwards. Since you are facing the other direction, the game does not count this as moving forward and does not drag your motion. This can be risky if you are flying low, as it is possible to collide with objects. Learning how to effectively fly backwards is an excellent skill that will allow you to get past many of the trickier parts in the game. 5. CHOOSE WEAPONS TO MATCH THE TERRAIN Cobra Command allows you a great deal of freedom in customizing the helicopter as you wish. While some equipment choices are a matter of taste, others are clearly more effective in certain areas than others. For example, the Dual Guns are excellent outdoors as they allow you to better handle the numerous enemies that approach, whereas the ATG is preferred inside when powerful tanks guard the enemy fortress. Similarly, it does not make sense to use Mines on the sea levels since they float, but they are a good choice on land levels with heavy ground unit concentrations. Never be afraid to mix up your gear, and always think of ways a different piece of equipment can benefit you in the current area. ______________________________________________________________________________ W A L K T H R O U G H ______________________________________________________________________________ The following section includes a full walkthrough for all six stages of the game. Before each stage, there is a description listing the number of hostages, available upgrades, and types of enemies. ============================================================================== S T A G E 1 - S U M A T R A CC0A ============================================================================== Hostages: 20 Upgrades: Dual Guns, Turbo Engines, Twin Missiles Enemies: Damage Points ------ ------ Artillery Cannon 2 100 Helicopter 1 100 ICBM F N/A Missile Launcher 1 150 Truck (Missiles) Missile Launcher 2 200 Truck (Red Missiles) Soldier (Grenade) 1 100 Soldier (Gun) 1 100 Tank (Cannon) 2 200 Turret Gun 2 200 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sumatra begins with a relatively light attack of individual helicopters. Use this time to get used to the movement and firing rate of your helicopter. The best place to position the helicopter is in the top left corner. You should be able to take out most enemy choppers as they enter the screen. Move up or down as needed to dodge any stray bullets. You will face all enemy helicopters until the first small cliff, where an enemy soldier is stationed. The easiest way to kill soldiers, as well as most land enemies, is to land your helicopter on the ground and fire your main guns. You need to be careful when doing this to make sure you descend without moving forward. If any part of your helicopter hits the ground other than the landing rig, it will crash and be destroyed. On top of the cliff, you will find the first hostage. Once he is aboard the helicopter, you will hear a small signal, indicating that he has a message. Go to main menu and select Messages. He informs you that another hostage is hiding in the marsh and has information on the enemy location. As with almost all hostage messages, this tip is fairly useless (there are no hostages in the swamp). Pass over the aforementioned swamp and take out the enemy helicopters from the top left corner again. At the end of the swamp is another small cliff with another hostage. This hostage informs you that the enemy base is nearby. The structure he is referring to is the building half a screen away. To enter the base, blast the top of the building (the circle) with 5-6 missiles until the structure is leveled. You will know you are hitting the right spot when the screen shakes slightly. This will open a giant hole in the ground. Land your helicopter on the hole and you will descend into the underground base. Once inside the underground base, the music will change and the surroundings become much more claustrophobic. Unlike the aboveground fire fights, you can be much slower and more deliberate in these underground passages. After descending into the base, move to the right, then turn around and head downward. A wall will be blocking your path, but a steady stream of missiles into the window will take it down quickly. The window stands out against the bricks and is more brightly colored. There is an artillery cannon and soldier after the wall that can be taken out by staying low and near the back of the screen. Once the cave opens up, a powerful missile launcher truck will be nearing. You can avoid danger by flying backwards, bypassing the truck directly. You can also point downwards with guns blazing in attempts to destroy it before it launches missiles your way. Once cleared, there is a large, bright orange platform just before another pitfall. This platform is an enemy depot. Land on it to receive some equipment upgrades. In addition to the following upgrades, you will receive an extra life and have any damage repaired. o---------------------o | ENEMY DEPOT 1 | | ============= | | DUAL GUNS | | TURBO ENGINES | o---------------------o Equip both new upgrades immediately on the main menu. The Dual Guns are an excellent improvement over your relatively narrow Single Gun. They should become your default weapon while aboveground. The Turbo Engines also offer a nice speed boost. If you find that they make the helicopter a little too hard to control while underground, hold off on using them until you leave the base. Turn around again so that you are facing right and descend down the hole just past the depot. Begin firing immediately, as two turret guns will attack you. There is also a large tank along the ground that will fire bullets in your direction. Take it out by landing on the ground and firing your dual guns. The structure against the far wall is an enemy fortress. Approach the platform and hostages will begin emerging. Once you rescue three, an enemy tank will come out of the bottom of the base and begin attacking. No additional hostages will surface until the tank is destroyed. This is a pattern you will see a lot at enemy fortresses: three hostages, enemy, three hostages, enemy, etc. Destroy the tank once again by landing on the ground level. You can be preemptive and begin moving while the third hostage is still climbing the rope. This will allow you to be in offensive position before the tank even emerges. There are a total of seven hostage in this enemy fortress. You will know you have rescued them all because the music tempo will increase. Head back through the caves towards the surface. You will need to handle all the enemies again, but they can be killed in similar ways as before. Exit the base and proceed to the right. A steady influx of helicopters will attack you and there will also be a missile truck along the way. Just after the truck, you will find another hostage in front of a small lookout tower. This hostage has no message but needs to be rescued before you can enter the next underground base. Head past a few more watch towers until you come to the radar dishes in the background. Just after this point, there will be three missile bays on the ground that launch a stream of ICBMs into the sky. These missiles are fatal if you make contact. This can be very difficult to navigate, since you are slowed by the screen's scroll drag. The easiest way to bypass this section is to fly backwards until all the missile bays are cleared. Once past the ICBMs, you will be at another structure that covers the underground base. Try to take out the two turret cannons quickly by firing the dual guns and missiles, then aim for the star decoration on top of the building. A few missile blasts will clear the way to the underground. Head left once you arrive underground. The first enemy will be a large tank with heavy armor. It will take several gun blasts to take it out. Either land on the ground and fire quickly, or position yourself above and drop missiles. Once defeated, concentrate your attention on the large missile silo. Fire missiles at the small circle just below the round of the silo. Once destroyed, head back and a new hole will have opened in the previous room. After descending, you will see a large enemy depot against the right wall and another tank guarding the way. If you have a few damage points left, take out the tank first and then land on the depot. Once again, you pick up an additional life and repair any damage. o---------------------o | ENEMY DEPOT 2 | | ============= | | TWIN MISSILES | o---------------------o Equip the new Twin Missiles right away. They are similar to your current missiles, but can be fired two at a time. The enemy fortress is just after the supply depot. A large missile launcher truck is guarding the structure. This one fires red missiles and is a bit tougher than the other missile trucks. You can still take it out by landing and blasting with guns or hovering just above ground a shooting missiles. Once destroyed, near the platform and rescue three hostages. The same events will transpire as at the other fortress where a new tank will emerge after every three hostages have been rescued. This time, the missile launcher truck with red missiles appears. Take it out with missiles of your own and repeat until all the remaining hostages are saved. The stage ends when the final hostage is aboard the helicopter. ============================================================================== S T A G E 2 - J A V A CC0B ============================================================================== Hostages: 28 Upgrades: Super Engines Firebomb, Armour, Homing Missile Enemies: Damage Points ------ ------ Artillery Cannon 2 100 Helicopter 1 100 Kamikaze Fighter 1 150 Mini-Tank (Red Missiles) 2 150 Mini-Tank (Homing Missiles) 2 200 Missile Launcher 1 150 Truck (Missiles) Moving Artillery Cannon 2 150 Soldier (Grenade) 1 100 Soldier (Gun) 1 100 Soldier (Rocket) 1 100 Turret Gun 2 200 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The terrain in Java is rocky and more arid than the previous stage. Helicopters will still be the staple enemy for a while, but pesky artillery cannons now provide ground support. Their shots are lobbed into the sky and then return downward, making them very difficult to avoid. You can breeze right by them by flying backwards. Fortunately, these cannons cannot turn around once they are on the screen, so you are completely safe once behind them. The first hostage can be found at the gold ruins a few screens into the stage. There are artillery cannons just before and after these ruins, so be careful when moving down the collect the hostage. This hostage tells you that an enemy base is close by. After this hostage is rescued, Kamikaze Fighters will start to attack. Kamikaze fighters move quickly across the screen and will either fire a bullet or attempt to crash into you, making them very dangerous aerial foes. They always start by moving straight before veering up or down. This first portion of their movement is the best time to attack; once they start veering towards you, it may be too late to avoid a fatal collision. About one screen after the hostage, you will see a large gold building. Blast the orb on top with missiles and the underground base will be revealed. Proceed downward into an enclosed room with a patrolling mini-tank. Do not be fooled by this tank's small size; its red missiles can inflict two units of damage. Land on the ground and take it out quickly. Once destroyed, blast the orb on the right-hand wall to clear the way. Stay very close to the ground after the wall is destroyed, as this gives you the upper hand against the couple of soldiers and additional mini-tank. Again, shoot the orb to clear the structure blocking the end of the passageway and head down. A mini-tank awaits you at the bottom, followed by another enemy depot. Be sure not to overlook this depot, as the landing zone is small and blends in somewhat. o---------------------o | ENEMY DEPOT 1 | | ============= | | SUPER ENGINES | | FIREBOMB | o---------------------o Equip the Firebomb right away. It provides an excellent ground attack that you have been lacking. You might want to wait before equipping the Super Engines, as they make it a little hard to control the helicopter when indoors. The enemy fortress is just beyond the depot. The resident guardian is the powerful mini-tank. You can use the Firebomb to take the tank out relatively safely. Rescue all ten hostages from the fortress and head back. The Firebomb will make the return trip a bit easier, as you no longer need to land the helicopter to get a good shot. At the surface, be prepared for a flurry of Kamikaze Fighters from the air and mini-tanks along the ground. This upcoming stretch can be quite difficult if you do not take out the enemies as soon as they appear. If the Kamikazes begin to veer towards you and attempt a collision, stop moving forward and focus you firepower straight ahead to thwart them. After a few screens, a blue structure will rise out of the ground. There is nothing special about this building, so ignore it and proceed onward. The enemy mix now changes a little. You will be attacked by moving artillery cannons and missile launcher trucks. These are trickier than the mini-tanks, as their firing pattern is more aggressive. You will eventually see a red tower with a hostage on the roof. This hostage tells you that enemy base is nearby (what a surprise). At this point, keep near the top left corner and keep unleashing Firebombs and Dual Gun blasts. Pass by the gold columns and you will come to a large fort. The defenses include a soldier firing rockets and a couple of turrets. All of them can be neutralized with a steady bombardment of Firebombs. Once the stationary enemies are removed, Blast the orb on top of the fort to reveal the underground base. You will descend into an enclosed room with a mini-tank and winged statue. Firebomb the mini-tank from the left side of the screen, then blast the statue until it opens a new passageway. Land on the blue platform and you will be transported into another enclosed room with a mini-tank. On the left side of this room is an enemy depot. Take out the tank first, then make a landing. o---------------------o | ENEMY DEPOT 2 | | ============= | | ARMOUR | | HOMING MISSILE | o---------------------o The Armour is an excellent upgrade and is auto-equipped once you pick it up. This increases your damage allowance to five. The Homing Missiles do not live true to their name -- they do not actually home in on the enemies. Instead, these missiles allow you to control how far they drop before firing ahead. They have some strategic uses later on, but are far too slow and manual to be the default. Keep your Firebomb. Bomb the barricade on the right wall and proceed into the next room, which contains the enemy fortress. Once inside the room, the wall collapses behind you and ceiling begins dropping. In addition, the room is patrolled by a mini-tank that fires homing missiles. That's right, these missiles will actively chase you around, and there is little room to maneuver. Do not waste any time in heading to the platform and rescuing the hostages. You will need to be fast, as you will be killed if you wait too long and the ceiling collapses all the way. Once the third hostage is climbing the rope, preemptively move back and get in position to destroy the tank with a well timed Firebomb. If the tank does get off a homing missile, you can probably avoid contact by quickly moving towards the ground. Continue until all the hostages are recovered. If the ceiling gets too low, remember, you can land on the platform and the hostages will still climb on board. ============================================================================== S T A G E 3 - B O R N E O CC0C ============================================================================== Hostages: 20 Upgrades: Hyper Engines, Mines, Ladder, ATG, Homing Missile 1 Enemies: Damage Points ------ ------ Armored Truck (3-Way Guns) 1 150 Artillery Cannon 2 100 Helicopter 1 100 Helicopter (Red Missiles) 2 200 Homing Missile Launcher 1 N/A Mini-Tank (Red Missiles) 2 150 Moving Artillery Cannon 2 150 Retracting Columns F N/A Soldier (Gun) 1 100 Soldier (Rocket) 1 100 Turret Gun 2 200 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Borneo takes you into the heated jungles at nighttime and throws some of the game's toughest challenges your way. At the outset of the stage, you are told in that a secret weapons facility is located underground. In case you are wondering, this does not refer to any hidden supply depots. It is in reference to a helicopter manufacturing plant. This stage begins with helicopters as the primary aerial attacker. Unlike the previous stages, these helicopters are a bit faster and move aggressive. The best way to kill them is to fire guns and missiles continuously and try to destroy them as soon as they appear. The ground assault will consist of some soldiers, artillery cannons, and mini-tanks. All can be taken out using Firebombs. A decent position is in the center left side of the screen. Continue hitting both A- and B-button repeatedly as you fly to get the heads up. When you see a large palace in the background, it's time to slow down and fly towards the bottom of the screen. Just ahead of this point is a large homing missile launcher. If you are in the sky, it will unleash a wave of missiles that are very hard to evade. If you stay low, you can (usually) fly right over the launcher without coming under fire. Stay near the ground until the launcher is off the screen. Helicopters will continue to assault you, but you will soon come to a large log cabin. Just after the cabin, there is an artillery cannon on the ground. This cannon can be quite tricky to defeat given the obstacle in front of it, so move back slightly and try to line up an angle from just above the log cabin. Once defeated, a hostage will pop on the screen. Swoop down to rescue him, but be ready to move back up in a hurry. Now, this part usually confuses most players. You need to turn around and head back. Beyond the log cabin as you head left, there is a small, red building. Take out the turret on top of it and a hostage will emerge. Once this hostage has been recovered, you will now be able to uncover the enemy base. Turn around again (you should be heading right) and proceed past the log cabin. You will soon come to a large red deployment structure that keeps spawning helicopters. These helicopters are even tougher than the usual, as they fire red missiles that inflict two points of damage. This building can be destroyed by targeting the outer lip on the right side (aim for the edge with the Firebomb). You will be under constant fire from emerging helicopters, so focus primarily on avoiding them while dropping Firebombs. A few well placed hits and the structure will collapse, ending the immediate helicopter threat. Descend into the underground base. You enter into a small room with a mini- tank, but the tank usually moves away through the wall on the left. Bomb the small platform on the floor on the right to open a path leading down. The room below contains an armored truck that fires a 3-way cannon. Its shots are not very damaging but are difficult to avoid. Land on the enemy depot on the left once the threat is removed. o---------------------o | ENEMY DEPOT 1 | | ============= | | HYPER ENGINES | | MINES | | LADDER | o---------------------o This is the only depot to contain three upgrades. Switch to the Mines right away, as they provide a similar ground attack as the Firebomb but can be fired two at a time. The Ladder is no better or worse than the rope, so you may or may not wish to use it. Finally, the Hyper Engines are great but make it very difficult to navigate while inside. Wait until leaving this base to equip it. After refueling, destroy the platform on the left wall and navigate through the small tunnel. Use the mines to take out the boxes at the bottom. An artillery cannon is against the far left wall. Move down the tunnel in between the cannon's shots and take it out using your dual guns while positioned on the ground. Move to the end of the screen, then head up the shaft. You will enter a small room with the enemy fortress at the right. The local guard is a mini-tank, so use the mines to take it out. There are twelve hostages in this fortress. Head back down the shaft and proceed to the surface. The only really threat on the way out is the artillery cannon at the bottom of the shaft again. If you move close to the left side wall before you descend, you can get the cannon to face left when you pass between screens. This renders it harmless and allows you to exit safely. Once up top, be sure to equip the Hyper Engines if you did not do so below. Shortly after the moving right, the entire bottom of the screen fills with fire. Needless to say, the fire is fatal, so you are left with only a third of the screen for maneuvering. Fortunately, you will only be facing helicopters until the blaze clears. Once you see solid land again, you are almost at the next underground base. Make judicious use of mines to take out the two artillery cannons and mini-tank. The large research facility rests on top of the underground base. Bomb the tallest part of the structure to bring it down. Once underground, blast the red platform against the left wall to open the passageway. Proceed forward very carefully, as three retracting columns will attempt to crush you. You can edge forward enough that they will retract before you get there, allowing you to pass safely. It's a very good idea at this point for you to switch to Normal or Turbo engines to help navigate the tight passages. Proceed down the shaft and blast the small red platform on the left again. This opens a VERY narrow passage that you need to navigate carefully. You enter into a small room that has a mini-tank and two turrets. There is also a red gate at the top right side of the screen. Move up and into the gate and you will enter an enemy supply depot. This is the most often missed depot in the game. o---------------------o | ENEMY DEPOT 2 | | ============= | | ATG | | HOMING MISSILES 1 | o---------------------o The ATG (Anti-Tank Gun) is an excellent indoor weapon. It allows you to destroy tanks and vehicles in a single shot. Equip it right away, but switch back to Dual Guns when back outdoors. Homing Missiles 1 are another great find. This version lives up to its name and will actively target enemies when fired. It should now be your default missile until the next upgrade. For some reason, you do not get an extra life or armour repair at this depot. Even worse, you are placed back in the middle of the room with all enemies revived. Make use of your new homing missiles right away to destroy the turrets. Once cleared, land next to the mini-tank and blast it away with the ATG. Hostages will emerge at about the center of the stage. The mini-tank will reappear after every three hostages, but it can be handled easily with your new gear. ============================================================================== S T A G E 4 - S O U T H C H I N A S E A CC0D ============================================================================== Hostages: 27 Upgrades: Rapid Fire, Homing Missiles 2, Super Armour Enemies: Damage Points ------ ------ Artillery Cannon 2 100 Armored Truck (3-Way Guns) 1 150 Battleship (Cannon) 2 200 Battleship (Homing Missiles) 2 200 Destroyer (Red Missiles) 2 200 Frigate Cannon 2 N/A Homing Missile Launcher 1 N/A Kamikaze Fighter 1 150 Mini-Tank (Red Missiles) 2 150 Molten Volcano Rocks 2 N/A Soldier (Grenade) 1 100 Soldier (Rocket) 1 100 Submarine 2 200 Tank (3-Way Guns) 1 200 Turret Gun 2 200 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ South Sea China is a big departure from the previous stages. Combat will now take place over water, and you will need to deal with the enemy's navy in addition to its aerial attackers. You will be bombarded with Kamikaze Fighters in this stage, and they approach you right from the start. Equip the Dual Guns and Homing Missile 1 to take them out most easily. Ground units have been replaced by equally deadly nautical ones. You will initially encounter a couple of small destroyers and a battleship. All can be taken out with the homing missiles. The first enemy base is only a few screens away from the start. Once you approach the first large frigate, blast the back to blow open the ship's cargo hold. Proceed inside. There are a couple of mini-tanks and an artillery cannon on the floor. Switch to the ATG for a slightly easier time. When rescuing the hostages, you can hover the helicopter directly over the enemy fortress and face left. When the guardian tanks emerge, just use the homing missiles to take them out before they even fire a shot. You can save all the hostages here without even needing to move. Exit once all 10 are safely rescued. Upon exiting the ship, proceed above the large frigate. You will continue to be bombarded by Kamikazes and may run into a turret gun on the deck. The Homing missiles will help a lot at this point, but they cannot help avoid a collision with the Kamikazes. Once you have cleared the frigate, slow down and move forward inch by inch until a submerged ship comes into view. This is an enemy submarine. At this point, it can be killed while underwater and you will be safe -- a homing missile will do the job. If you let it surface, it will fire homing missiles of its own at you, which can be very difficult to avoid. After three submarines, you will come to a small outpost on an isolated island. This seemingly abandon structure is covering an underground base. Blast the green shutter with missiles until the building crumbles and head down. You will pass into a sea cave and will be met by an artillery cannon and soldier. The artillery cannon will be able to hit you from your initial position, so move quickly back or forward once you enter. Homing missiles work well here. Just ahead, there is a powerful Tank armed with a 3-way gun and strong armor. It might make sense to use the ATG here. Head to the end of the screen and descend once more. This next room has an enemy supply depot and a large submarine in the water that will launch homing missiles from numerous bays. This is one of the toughest parts of the game to avoid receiving damage. You may wish to attempt the hostage rescue first if you have full Damage remaining. Otherwise, land on the depot and collect the upgrades. o---------------------o | ENEMY DEPOT 1 | | ============= | | RAPID FIRE | | HOMING MISSILES 2 | o---------------------o Homing Missiles 2 are the real gem here. These are the same as Homing Missiles 1, but allow you to fire two missiles at the same time. This is an amazing offensive weapon that should remain your default missile for the rest of the game. The Rapid Fire Gun is essentially the same as the Single Gun, only it will fire by holding the B-button instead of having to press it repeatedly. It is an utter waste that should not be used. The submarine in front of the depot will launch homing missiles from three separate missile bays. It is almost impossible to avoid taking damage here without incredible luck. The past way to avoid getting hit it to start with your helicopter landed on the supply depot. Press left and you begin flying at about the mid point in the screen. For some reason, this puts you at the proper altitude so that the missiles will sail just over the top of your helicopter. Once across, move down slightly and begin saving the three hostages located here. As soon as they are all aboard, move away as fast as you can. Flying backwards works very well for a quikc exit. This may take a few attempts, but head back to the surface once the room is clear. The new homing missiles should handle all the foes in the first cavern. A slew of Kamikazes will once again attack as you leave the enemy base. The seas will be occupied by a couple of regular battleships, a destroyer, a new battleship that fires homing missiles. This battleship will be the second or third ship you come upon, so have the homing missiles ready as soon as it creeps onto the screen. After passing a small destroyer, you will come to another frigate. This ship is armed with onboard cannons that attempt to blast you as you past overhead. If you stay in the top left corner, you should be able to bypass them all without being hit. Just after the ship is a new island. Unfortunately, this island is volcanic and begins spewing molten rocks in into the air when come inland. Use the homing missiles to take out the turrets and proceed until you come to a couple of green radar towers. The second, larger tower is vulnerable to attack. Creep forward enough until you notice this structure is taking damage, then unleash. You need to be quick so as to avoid the falling debris. The eruption stops once you destroy the structure. Descend into the enemy base. You emerge in a small room with an armored truck. Use the homing missiles quickly before it has the chance to fire its 3-way gun. Blast the red structure on the lower left to open the passageway downward. Do a bit of a U-turn and blast the two orb-like structures on the bottom wall to continue. After a couple more armored trucks, you will be at the enemy depot. There is no other way to proceed without landing, so touch down and pick up the upgrade. o---------------------o | ENEMY DEPOT 2 | | ============= | | SUPER ARMOUR | o---------------------o The Super Armour is a great find, increasing you maximum damage to 7. You are automatically transported up the shaft into the room above. Fire a couple of homing missile right away to take out the artillery cannon and rocket soldier. Destroy the blockade at the top right by attacking the two orbs and proceed through the gate. You pass into a single screen room with the enemy fortress on the far right. This room is very dangerous, as the top-right, top-left, and bottom-left corners all have red missile launchers that file continuously. There are "blind spots" in their firing zone, and you will need to find one of these to survive. The best one is found right above the enemy fortress platform where the hostages appear. You should position the helicopter just slightly off the launch pad and far enough right that all the missiles whiz by you safely. You should also be facing left, as this will allow you to take out the mini-tank guardians using the homing missiles. If you move quickly and position yourself carefully, you can rescue all the hostages without taking any damage. ============================================================================== S T A G E 5 - S I A M CC0E ============================================================================== Hostages: 7 Upgrades: 3-Way Guns, Hyper Armour Enemies: Damage Points ------ ------ Fireball 2 N/A Giant Bullets F N/A Homing Missile Launcher 1 N/A Kamikaze Fighter 1 150 Mini-Tank (Red Missiles) 2 150 Turret Gun 2 200 Tank (3-Way Guns) 1 200 Zeppelin 4 N/A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Siam is the final enemy destination. This stage only contains only 7 hostages and is relatively straight forward, but the enemy action is extremely intense. Given the strong anti-air defenses in this region, you begin the stage above the clouds. You will face numerous Kamikazes Fighters, but the entire section can be cleared easily from the top left corner. The ground portion continues throwing Kamikazes at you. These Fighters are a bit faster and more aggressive than in the last stage. They also seem to remain on the screen for a longer time, looping back to circle around. This can make them tricky, but you have homing missiles on your side. There are mini-tanks all along the ground here, but they are not very dangerous and can generally be ignored. You will eventually come to a giant zeppelin floating at the top of the screen. The zeppelin drops devastating firebombs that hit for four points of damage. Fortunately, if you blast the zeppelin a few times, it stops dropping bombs. The Homing Missiles will usually accomplish this for you. Once they stop targeting the Zeppelin, it's safe to pass underneath. Located about half a screen after the Zeppelin is a blue Homing Missile Launcher. As with all such launchers, it is very difficult to avoid damage due to the scroll drag. Turn backwards and fly right as fast as you can until the launcher is off the screen. You will soon come across another Zeppelin and another launcher just behind it. At this point, the stage is nearly over. There is a large orange palace beyond the launcher that covers the enemy base. Fire at the orb at the top and descend into the darkness. The first room in the base has a divider across the middle of the screen and another hole on the bottom-right. Move down into a small room with a Tank. This tank fires a 3-way gun when you get near, so stay closer to the top to allow more room to dodge the bullets. Use homing missiles and move quickly, especially if you only have a single point in damage remaining. The gray structure against the left way may look like an enemy depot, but it's not. Head directly up from this facility and carefully ascend through the shaft on the next screen. You will definitely want to switch to Normal or Turbo engines at this point for some added control. Once the passageway breaks left, there are a couple of poorly-positioned artillery cannons. These can be difficult to take out even with homing missiles due to the shape of the passage. You might have some luck by remaining in the shaft and firing homing missiles as you move up and down; usually, at least one of the missiles will make contact. Just beyond this point is another gray structure. This time, the building is an enemy depot. These are the final upgrades you will get in the game. o---------------------o | ENEMY DEPOT 1 | | ============= | | 3-WAY GUNS | | HYPER ARMOUR | o---------------------o These last two upgrades are both excellent ones. The 3-Way gun will be very useful for expanding your radius of attack for the rest of the level. The Hyper Armour increases the damage you can sustain to 9, which will be an invaluable boost for the final stretch run. Descend into the hole on the right. The next room will begin with a few launchers that hurl giant bullets up and down. Strangely, these bullets seem to stop as you pass through and are relatively harmless. Just beyond this is the enemy fortress. The local guardian is a Tank with 3-way gun. It is pesky but can be defeated by using homing missiles from above the fortress. This facility contains all seven hostages, but the stage does not end when they are rescued. Instead, the wall above the fortress collapses, revealing a hidden passageway. Supposedly General Power believes that this route leads to the heart of the enemy stronghold... Proceed down the passageway and you will soon come across a few openings on the ground and ceiling that look like a pair of ram's horns. These openings spew fireballs at fixed intervals. Watch the pattern and time your movement carefully. Slow down once you pass the first stream of fireballs, as a couple of lion's head statues should begin appearing on the left. Once in view, the top statue will begin shooting fireballs. At this point, there will be three streams of fireballs on the screen at once. Fortunately, there are several safe spots available. The best one is just below the center of the screen. You should be in between the two vertical fireball streams and just underneath the lion's stream. Now that you're safe, you need to shoot the bottom lion head. Make sure you are over enough to the left so that both lion's heads (and manes) are fully visible. There are a couple of easy ways to attack the statue. First, you can use the 3-Way Gun you recently acquired. This will take a little while but works nicely. Second, you can use the Homing Missiles (no number at the end). Hold the A-button until they drop to the same level as the statue, then release. The stage ends once the status is destroyed. ============================================================================== S T A G E 6 - E N E M Y H E A D Q U A R T E R S CC0F ============================================================================== Hostages: None Equipment: None Enemies: Damage Points ------ ------ Fire Chain F N/A Fireball 2 N/A Giant Fireball F N/A Helicopter 1 100 Mini-Tank (Red Missiles) 2 150 Molten Volcano Rock 2 N/A Retractable Gray Ball Chain F N/A Turret Gun 2 200 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ All the hostages have been saved, but the hidden passage you uncovered in Siam has revealed the secret location of the enemy headquarters. Seeing the opportunity to deliver a deathblow to the enemy, your new mission is to proceed through the stronghold and destroy whatever you can. This final stage is has a much different setting than all the previous ones. Gone are the infantry and tanks (mostly). The foes here are much closer to a final castle in Super Mario Brothers – fireballs, spinning fire chains, numerous traps, etc. While you usually want to slow down the speed when indoors, you are best off using the Hyper Engines here to avoid all the obstacles. The first floor of this headquarters has three valves that spew giant fireballs into the air at constant intervals. The fireballs are fatal and move extremely fast. You can avoid a lot of frustration by turning around as soon as you enter the stage, moving near the top of the screen, and flying backwards at full speed. Once you have passed the three fireball traps, slow down and turn around. Blast the bottom head statue and proceed to the level below. This next floor has numerous traps that need to be navigated. You will immediately come across a difficult stretch that contains a fireball spout and several fire chains. Fly past the first fireball stream, then head immediately downward once the tall, red tower has been cleared. You should see the fire chain rotating near the top of the screen at this point. Pass by near the ground until you come to a second red tower and fireball stream. While staying as close to the tower as you can, pass over it then head immediately back towards the ground. There are a series of three fire chains ahead of this point. If you stay absolutely on the ground the entire time, you can pass all three unscathed. Be careful around the middle chain, as this one will give you the closest call. There are a few gun turrets along the ceiling that can be taken out with homing missiles quite easily. At the end of the hallway, there is a tall column with some kind of statue at the top. Attack this statue while maintaining some distance, as molten rocks shoot out of the piston on the left side. Once the statue is destroyed, a hole will open to the level below. This last floor has some excessively difficult traps involving the retractable gray ball chains. You will know exactly what this description refers to if you have ever been here. Long, yo-yo like chains shoot forth from the floor and ceiling and strike you down immediately. The image below shows the layout of these chains. _____ ___ ______ ___ ________ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O _ _ _ _ ________/ \___/ \______/ \___/ \______ The circles (O) represent the chains. They can stretch to little over half the screen. Also, unlike as shown above, they can travel in a full 180 degree range of motion. There is a somewhat cheap way to bypass this section safely. If you line up in the middle of the screen and fly backwards without stopping, you can clear this entire area unharmed (you need the Hyper Engines equipped to do this). After clearing the final chain, turn back around. Also, try to fire off homing missiles every now and again to take out the helicopters, which have all of a sudden reappeared. Once these chains are clear, you can take a deep breath for a few seconds while you face routine helicopters and tanks. When you get to a fireball stream coming down from the ceiling, it's time to slow down, as the final "boss" is approaching. Before passing the fireball stream, move as close to the top of the screen as you can. You need to be REALLY close, as in less than one helicopter width away. This probably means switching gear to the normal engine so you don't crash. Move past the fireballs (possibly backwards if the scroll drag is bad) and use homing missiles to take out the ceiling turret. Edge slightly forward until you see a large statue face. Once enough of it is visible, it begins blasting huge fireballs. These are insta-kill, so positioning is everything. One safe spot is the position at the top of the screen just to the right of the fireball stream. A good indicator for this spot is the small triangle/pyramid shape sticking out the ceiling.. Once you are in position, you need to attack the statue’s face. It is important that you have scrolled far enough right so that the entire face and full chamber behind it are on the screen. You cannot inflict damage until it is in full view, even though it can begin attacking you well before this. Switch to the Homing Missile (no number after it). Control this missile so that it shoots into the statue's forehead. That is the vulnerable spot. It will take 30 missile blasts to destroy this foe. Once defeated, the game ends, rather anti-climactically. No idea what that thing was suppose to be, but apparently it was in charge of the enemy forces. Congratulations General Power, you must continue your fight for liberty and peace! Enjoy the ending of Cobra Command. ============================================================================== E N E M I E S CC09 ============================================================================== Below is a description of all the enemies you encounter in the game along with strategies for defeating them. These enemies are sorted by order of appearance in the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Helicopter DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 100 STAGES: 1, 2, 3, 6 Helicopters are the staple aerial unit in the enemy military. Their movements are very deliberate once they appear on the screen -- move forward, shoot, move up or down, fly forward and off the screen. The best way to combat the helicopters is during their initial movement when they first enter the screen. You do not want to get pinned in the corner with a bullet heading your way. The helicopters are also known for some kamikaze maneuvers, so avoid getting too close once they enter your side of the screen. On later stages, the helicopters get a speed boost and become slightly more aggressive. You do can avoid any problems by taking them out on their initial arrival, however. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Soldier (Gun) DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 100 STAGES: 1, 2, 3 The basic infantry unit in the enemy army. Solders move along a small area on the ground and attempt to shoot you. They are not much of a threat but can be tricky to take out given their small size. In the early stages, the best bet is to land your helicopter on the ground near them and pick them off with your guns. In later stages, use Firebombs and Mines instead. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Artillery Cannon DAMAGE: 2 POINTS: 100 STAGES: 1, 2, 3, 4 Artillery Cannons are probably the most annoying staple enemy, appearing in every early stage. They launch arcing projectiles from various angles that can be very difficult to maneuver between. In addition, their projectiles inflict 2 units of damage. Their biggest weakness is their immobility. These cannons cannot change direction, so you are safe once you fly past them. In the early stages, this is most easily done by flying backwards. Once you have a decent air-to-ground attack (like Firebombs or Mines), you can be more deliberate in taking out these opponents from afar. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Missile Launcher Truck (Missiles) DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 150 STAGES: 1, 2 Missile Launcher Trucks are relatively slow moving foes that drive back and forth firing a steady stream of missiles. The truck does not have the ability to turn around, so you are safe once you have passed it. The missiles it fires can be dodged with some quick maneuvering (though you probably need at least the Turbo Engines to do so effectively). Defeat these foes by angling down and firing missiles or moving towards the ground and blasting while landed or hovering. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Turret Gun DAMAGE: 2 POINTS: 200 STAGES: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Turret Guns commonly guard important enemy structures. Their presence above ground can sometimes be a good indicator that a hostage or enemy base is very near. Their projectiles are lobbed at you like the artillery cannon's, but they can be dodged more easily as the rate of fire is slower. The turret guns are also quite small, so the toughest part of defeating them is lining up a shot. Still, using missiles in the early stages or Firebomb/Mines a bit later is a good strategy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Tank (Cannon) DAMAGE: 2 POINTS: 200 STAGES: 1 This Tank version is slow moving and slow firing. It is still heavily plated and can cause some noticeable damage if contact is made. The easiest way to combat them is to land the helicopter and attack from ground level. You should be able to fly out of the way of any shots without too much effort. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Soldier (Grenade) DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 100 STAGES: 1, 2, 4 Like their gun-toting brethren, these brave soldiers walk along a small stretch of ground and throw grenades. Grenades have a similar trajectory to the projectiles fired by the artillery cannons. Fortunately, the soldier's attack only inflicts 1 unit of damage. Land the helicopter and take them out quickly with your guns. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: ICBM DAMAGE: Fatal POINTS: N/A STAGES: 1 ICBMs are potent long range missiles that fire from the missile bays in stage 1. They cannot be defeated and are fatal if even slight contact is made. The only defense is speed. These missiles travel straight upward at regular intervals. You can fly past the bays by timing your movement, but the biggest threat will be "scroll drag" as the screen inches forward. You can avoid all that by flying backwards over all three missiles bays. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Missile Launcher Truck (Red Missiles) DAMAGE: 2 POINTS: 200 STAGES: 1 These Missile Launcher Trucks have the same speed and movement as the earlier version. However, they fire more potent red missiles, which inflict two units of damage. Just as before, land the helicopter on the ground and fire with your primary guns. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Kamikaze Fighter DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 150 STAGES: 2, 4, 5 Kamikaze Fighters are the primary aerial unit in areas that don't contain helicopters. These jets are very nimble, moving in quickly and veering up or down to get in better position to attack. The kamikaze will usually fire a bullet during its upward movement. These fighters are notorious for trying to collide with you, and this usually happens as they are flying upwards or after they have straightened out again. They usually appear from the middle of the screen, so continuously fire in that area to take most out before they become dangerous. Later in the game, they become much easier if you equip Homing Missiles. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Moving Artillery Cannon DAMAGE: 2 POINTS: 150 STAGES: 2, 3 A relatively rare foe, the moving artillery cannon has a similar attack to its stationary counterpart. This version can slowly move, but still cannot turn. Also, this cannon is slightly larger than the stationary type, making it somewhat easier to hit. It's a good idea to fly right over this opponent or use your air-to-ground missiles. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Mini-Tank (Red Missiles) DAMAGE: 2 POINTS: 150 STAGES: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Mini-tanks become fairly common foes beginning in stage 2. They are quite maneuverable and fire at a decent rate. They also boast an armament of red missiles, which inflicts two units of damage. In the early stages, the best strategy is either to land and attack with guns or to hover slightly and use missiles. Once you have air-to-ground missiles, swap these for the standard missiles. Also, switch to the ATG when combating these foes indoors. It makes a significant difference. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Soldier (Rocket) DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 100 STAGES: 2, 3, 4 The RPG wielding soldiers are slightly harder than their combat brethren, as the rockets fire a bit faster than the other attacks. These soldiers are usually stationed near an important facility, like the turret guns are. Take them out using any sort of missile from afar. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Mini-Tank (Homing Missiles) DAMAGE: 2 POINTS: 200 STAGES: 2 This mini-tank has all the drawbacks of the "red missile" version, but its arsenal contains the dreaded homing missiles. These missiles make this foe one of the most lethal in the game. As soon as homing missiles are fired, move towards the ground and land. This will usually cause them to lose target lock. From the ground, proceed to take out the tank using your primary guns. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Homing Missile Launcher POINTS: N/A DAMAGE: 1 STAGES: 3, 4, 5 Homing missile launchers are platforms that spray deadly homing missiles at you once you get within half a screen or so. With one exception, they can sometimes be "tricked" into not firing if you stay close to the ground and pass right over them. If they do begin firing, turn backwards and fly by as fast as you can. It is very difficult to avoid damage any other way. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Helicopter (Red Missile) DAMAGE: 2 POINTS: 200 STAGES: 3 Ultra-powerful red helicopters are manufactured in a secret weapons lab in Borneo. Luckily, they only appear in a small area. Unfortunately, they are still very dangerous. Try to take them out with your primary guns and focus your ground missiles on destroying the launch facility where they originate. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Armored Truck (3-Way Gun) DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 150 STAGES: 3, 4 Armored trucks are rather large, fairly slow moving vehicles armed with a 3- way cannon. While not especially deadly, it is very difficult to move into attacking position while avoiding the bullets, especially in tight, underground rooms. A well timed Firebomb or Mine are probably better than trying to land and shoot from a horizontal position. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Retracting Columns DAMAGE: Fatal POINTS: N/A Stage: 3 The second underground base in stage 3 has a narrow passageway where three retractable columns attempt to crush you before you pass. You can avoid any harm by staying back and letting the screen scroll ahead of you to reveal them. These columns will only retract once, so, if you've seen them already, you should be safe. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Destroyer (Red Missile) DAMAGE: 2 POINTS: 200 STAGES: 4 Destroyers are smallest ships in the fleet guarding the South China Sea. They launch red missiles at you when you approach and do a nasty two points of damage. The best defense is an early attack with either a firebomb or homing missile. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Battleship (Cannon) DAMAGE: 2 POINTS: 200 STAGES: 4 Battleships are about twice as long as destroyers. The type armed with a cannon are relatively easy, as they are big enough targets to be hit by most attacks. As with the Destroyer, Firebombs or Homing Missiles work best. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Submarine DAMAGE: 2 POINTS: 200 STAGES: 4 Submarines are the most dangerous enemy in the entire navy. They begin submerged but surface once you approach to unleash potent homing missiles. The best way to take them out is to move onto the screen slowly and file while they are still underwater. If they do get off a homing missile, quickly move downward towards the water and you may be able to shake it. Homing missiles are definitely your weapon of choice against them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Tank (3-Way Guns) DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 200 STAGES: 4, 5 This variety of tank comes armed with a 3-way gun, capable of firing three bullets simultaneously (and at 45 degree angles relative to one another). This foe is quite pesky since the bullets are hard to dodge. Fortunately, they do not inflict too much damage. Attack this tank using either the ATG or homing missiles. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Battleship (Homing Missiles) DAMAGE: 2 POINTS: 200 STAGES: 4 The Battleship armed with homing missiles is the king of the enemy fleet. This enemy only appears once in the game, but can still make your life unhappy. The weapon of choice is homing missiles of your own. Try to fire before the battleship is all the way on screen and you can probably take it out before it fires a shot. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Frigate Cannon POINTS: N/A DAMAGE: 2 STAGES: 4 The last frigate on the South China Sea is armed with a few stationary cannons. These guns cannot be destroyed but are fairly easy to evade. Just stay in the top left corner of the screen as you fly forward. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Molten Volcano Rocks DAMAGE: 2 POINTS: N/A STAGES: 4, 6 These molten volcano rocks spew forth from the ground. It's always best to stay away from whatever the source is. These rocks appear twice in the game, and, in both locations, you can put an end to them by destroying whatever structure is emitting them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Zeppelin DAMAGE: 4 POINTS: 0 STAGES: 5 Zeppelins are large, stationary blimps that drop insanely powerful firebombs onto anything passing below. The zeppelins themselves cannot be destroyed, but they do seem to cease attacking if hit with 3-4 homing missiles. It is definitely recommended that you try to neutralize their attacks before passing underneath. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Giant Bullets DAMAGE: Fatal POINTS: N/A STAGES: 5 Giant bullets fire from launch pads in the floor and ceiling and try to impede your passage. Fortunately for you, these bullets do not launch consistently or aggressively. You can fly right past the launch pads without much fear. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Fireball DAMAGE: 2 POINTS: N/A STAGES: 5, 6 Fireball traps become common near the end of the game. A small spout in the floor or ceiling will shoot fireballs in a continuous stream. There is nothing you can do to stop this. You will need to time your movement to pass them at just the right interval. This is easier done if you fly backwards. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Giant Fireball DAMAGE: Fatal POINTS: N/A STAGES: 6 Giant fireballs live up to their name. They are wider than your ship and move incredibly fast. They only appear in the last stage and shoot from three large spouts in the ground. The safest (and possibly only) way to pass them is to fly backwards until all three have been bypassed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Fire Chain DAMAGE: Fatal POINTS: N/A STAGES: 6 These chains come straight from the dungeon levels of Super Mario Bothers. Several connected fireballs make up a chain that rotates around a fixed platform. You will need to navigate around these chains, as they cannot be destroyed. In all cases, staying near the floor is the ideal route. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: Retractable Gray Ball Chain DAMAGE: Fatal POINTS: N/A STAGES: 6 Like a giant yo-yo, these chains shoot from the ceiling in a blink and recoil just as quickly. They line the floor and ceiling of the final cavern. You can bypass them all by moving to the center of the screen and flying backwards until you have cleared all four. There are more deliberate (and less cheap) approaches, but none work anywhere near as well. ============================================================================== L O C A T I O N S I N T H E G A M E CC10 ============================================================================== All of the locations mentioned in this game are real places in Southeast Asia. The game makes a fair attempt at trying to accurately recreate the common terrain at these places. In case you are not familiar with region, below is a brief description of the islands and destinations you visit. SUMATRA Sumatra is part of Indonesia and is the sixth largest island in the world. Sumatra is directly south of the city of Singapore. The island is at the heart of many India-China trade routes, so numerous trading towns have flourished along its coasts. JAVA Java is also part of Indonesia and is the thirteenth largest island in the world. Java is southeast of Sumatra. The island's capital city of Jakarta is probably better known than the island itself is. Java is a volcanic island and is characterized by numerous mountain terrains. BORNEO Borneo is part of Indonesia as well and is the third largest island in the world. Borneo is positioned north of Java and south of the South China Sea. Borneo has often been at the center of many regional confrontations and fell under Japanese control during the Second World War. Borneo's terrain is characterized by large, expansive rain forests. SOUTH CHINA SEA The South China Sea is the largest body of water in the world after the five oceans. It is surrounded by China on the north, Vietnam and Cambodia on the west, Indonesia on the south, and the Philippines on the east. The Sea is an integral part of many shipping and trade routes in Asia. SIAM Siam was the name given to Thailand until 1949. Thailand is south of China and northwest of Indonesia and the islands mentioned above. Thailand is the only country is Southeast Asia not colonized by England or any other European power. ============================================================================= C O N T A C T I N F O R M A T I O N CC11 ============================================================================= Thank you for taking the time to read through this guide. I hope you found it informative and useful in your adventures through Cobra Command. If you have any comments on the guide, whether they be corrections, suggestions for future revisions, spelling/grammar mistakes, formatting problems, additional strategies, or any other type of feedback, please let me know. Anything contributed will be credited in detail to the sender. I can be reached regularly at the following email address: Admiral1018@yahoo.com. Please include "Cobra Command" or something along those lines in the email subject heading if you can, so I don't accidentally delete the email. ============================================================================= R E V I S I O N H I S T O R Y CC12 ============================================================================= Version 0.99 – January 24, 2007 - Preview Version Version 1.0 – January 25, 2007 • Initial Release ============================================================================= C R E D I T S CC13 ============================================================================= This FAQ/Walkthrough was completed as part of the NES Completion Project, an ongoing effort to make sure every Nintendo game ever created has a useful guide. Big thanks to everyone at the FAQ General Board at GameFAQs.com for starting this initiative, without which this guide would not exist. ================================END OF GUIDE=================================