=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Rolling Thunder FAQ/Walkthrough By: Dark Vortex (Quan Jin) darkvortexfaqs@ymail.com Version 1.0 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This guide may be found on the following sites: [http://www.gamefaqs.com]--------------------------------------------[GameFAQs] [http://www.gamespot.com]--------------------------------------------[GameSpot] [http://faqs.ign.com]------------------------------------------------[IGN FAQs] [http://www.neoseeker.com]------------------------------------------[Neoseeker] [http://www.dlh.net]--------------------------------------[Dirty Little Helper] [http://www.cheats.de]----------------------------------------------[Cheats.de] [http://www.supercheats.com]--------------------------------------[SuperCheats] [http://www.honestgamers.com]------------------------------------[HonestGamers] This guide is copyright (c)2007 Quan Jin =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -==- Table of Contents -==- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1. Introduction...............................................[1000] 2. FAQ........................................................[2000] 3. Controls...................................................[3000] 4. Walkthrough................................................[4000] 5. Enemy List.................................................[5000] 6. Version History............................................[6000] 7. Legal Information..........................................[7000] 8. Credits and Closing........................................[8000] To find a section quickly, press Ctrl-F and type in either the name of the section along with its content number (ie. 1., 2., 3., etc.) OR you can use the codes on the far right. Simply type in the brackets with the code number to get a jump. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -==- 1. Introduction -==- [1000] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Rolling Thunder is a side-scroller shoot 'em up that was originally ported to the NES from an Arcade game. The NES version was considerably toned down graphics-wise but otherwise, the frustratingly difficult gameplay was still intact. Yes, the quirky controls and the lack of overall versatility is still there (not being able to shoot upwards, not being able to control jumps, etc). This guide is designed to walk you through every segment of the game as specifically as possible. I hope you find it helpful. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -==- 2. FAQ -==- [2000] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ [Q] When I used a passcode, I somehow ended up in Story 3-4. What are these levels? [A] These extra levels are essentially the same things as the main campaign. However, there are some noticeable differences including color schemes, enemy placements, etc. Whether or not these levels were put in intentionally (or just a glitch) is beyond me though. +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ [Q] How do you shoot up? [A] You can't. +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ [Q] How can you control where your jumps? [A] You can't. +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ [Q] How do you jump to those high ledges? [A] You ca-... just kidding. In order to perform a high jump, first look upwards by pressing up on the Control Pad. Then press the jump button. Note that you can only jump up using this method. +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -==- 3. Controls -==- [3000] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ## ## _____##_____________________________ | | | _ | | _| |_ ,----------- B Button ,--------|_ _| _| _ | | | |_| == == |_| |_|------ A Button Control Pad | | | | |________________|____|______________| ,--' `--. | | Select Button Start Button Control Pad ~ ----------- ~ Moves your character through the level. ~ Press Up to go through doors. ~ Press Up + A Button to perform a high jump. ~ Moves the cursor on the menu. Select Button ~ ------------- ~ Unused. Start Button ~ ------------ ~ Makes selections on the menu. ~ Pause. B Button ~ -------- ~ Shoots pistol/machine gun. A Button ~ -------- ~ Jump. ~ Makes selections on the menu. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -==- 4. Walthrough -==- [4000] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Rolling Thunder puts you in the role of an agent by the name of Albatross. Armed with a single handgun (you'll eventually be able to wield a machine gun), it becomes your duty to stop an underground conspiracy bent on taking over the world... and save the girl of course. Before you start on the walkthrough, there are a few points to be aware of. Yes, Rolling Thunder is mostly running and gunning; however, consider these tips before you begin. - You'll pass by many doors as you progress through the game. You can attempt to enter them by pressing Up on the Control Pad. Doing so allows you to get out of the way of bullets. Note that you'll only pop back out in a second. You can stay in the door longer by holding the Up button. - Doors marked with 'Bullets' or 'Arms' obviously contain bullets and arms. Apparently, these terrorists are smart enough to mark exactly where they keep their wares with a huge sign over each door. - Yes, you have limited ammunition. However, don't fret if you happen to run your ammo count to zero. You will still be able to fire, albeit at a much slower rate. When you're running on "0" bullets, you can only have one bullet on the screen at a time. It's a huge disadvantage but at least you can still survive. - Just remember this: If you get physically hit, you lose half of your health bar. If you get shot once, then you die no matter how much health you have. Simple enough, right? ==================== STORY ONE - Area One ==================== Passcode : 7567651 You start the game in an corridor of some sort. Move forward and gun down the few Maskers that attempt to run at you. Be wary of the ones attired in purple because they take two shots to put down. Don't worry about dodging bullets for now because the first few enemies are unarmed. Proceed down the hallway until you reach a Bullets depository. Kill any remaining enemies in the area and enter the room to gain 50 more bullets. Advance down the hallway, paying close attention to the ledge above you. There will be plenty of Maskers that will try to drop down on you. Jump over the box that is in your way and continue. The next few doors are hiding more enemies so approach them with caution. A bit past that, you'll encounter a Masker with a handgun. Duck, jump, do whatever you need to do to dodge the bullet and kill him quickly. The next area has a lot of enemies on the upper ledge. Consider jumping up there and proceeding along it. Watch out for the enemies with handguns. Eventually, you'll pass along an Arms depository. Head inside and you'll obtain a machine gun and 100 bullets. A bit past is a stack of boxes that you can't traverse through. Jump up to the ledge and continue that way. The next segment is rather unremarkable. Again, take caution around the doors - enemies may be hiding inside. Soon, you'll arrive at another stack of boxes that you can't jump over. Jump up to the ledge again and kill any enemies on top. Enter the 'Bullet' depository you find there for another 50 bullets. Once you've picked that up, follow the path until you reach a huge set of steps. Follow it down until you reach a gray door. Wait for the enemy to pop out before proceeding. Continue past a few more doors (again, watch out for enemies hiding behind them) and you'll eventually reach a huge stack of tires. First, clear out any enemies on top of the tires. Just past the first stack is a Masker firing off volleys from inside another tire stack. Hide behind the tire stack on the left and pop up when you can get a good shot on him. From here, just make your way to the end over a few sandbags. ==================== STORY ONE - Area Two ==================== Passcode : 4023399 Walk forward and kill the first Masker that approaches you. Just past him is a Grenadier. Approach him with caution and avoid any grenades he chucks at you - he'll only need one shot to be killed. Walk a few steps and you'll see another Grenadier atop a high ledge. You can't jump up to him (even doing that would be suicide because you'll just get hit by the grenades) so walk under him and the one after as well. The next ledge, luckily, is in your reach. Jump up and gun down the enemies on top of it. The Grenadiers will quickly react to you and begin throwing grenades your way. Jump your way to the left where there's an Arms depository for you. If you are having trouble with the Grenadier standing in front if throwing grenades before you can jump, aim for the very edge of the ledge where you're out of the grenade's range. Once you have your machine gun, jump off the ledge and continue. You'll pass by a bunch of crates and some enemies here and there. Eventually, you'll come to another Grenadier and a Masker at the far end firing off shots at you. Jump up the crates and kill the Grenadier first. Then jump down and catch the gunner off guard before he can fire off a shot at you. Continue to jump up the crates. At the top is a ledge you can reach. Get on it and advance. At the first gap is another gunner Masker on the other side. Kill him quickly and jump across the hole. You'll soon come a ramp with steel slabs for steps. Here's a trick you can use to skip over enemies and save time: Jump down from the steps to avoid having to traverse the entire ramp. Before you jump though, make sure there aren't any enemies below you for obvious reasons. Use this strategy for the ramps that follow. Gun down anyone that directly threatens you and clear this area. When you reach the bottom, head to the right and you'll be ambushed by three more Maskers that appear to just warp in. As soon as they drop, let loose a barrage of bullets to kill them before they even manage to do anything. Just beyond that is the exit. ====================== STORY ONE - Area Three ====================== Passcode : 6426099 This mission sets you off in some sort of rocky area. At the start, walk forward and kill the Maskers that pop out of the doors. A bit past that is a Bullets depository. Restock and leave. Around here, you'll meet a new enemy. It's a short impish creature that hops around in an attempt to knock you down. The best way to deal with them would be to kill them before they get too close. Should they start hopping at you, duck immediately and stand up only to shoot back. Luckily, they only take one hit to die. A bit further past a stack of oil drums is an Arms depository. Reclaim your trusty machine gun and proceed down the path. Again, be wary of Maskers jumping down at you from the ledge above. Up ahead are a few more Imps. Use the stack of oil drums to your advantage because the Imps cannot jump over it. However, they will try and their head barely goes over the top of the oil drum. Aim your shot right and pick it off. A bit past that, you'll be ambushed by three Imps that drop from the ceiling. Kill them before they can get too close and advance. There are a few more doors in the next area followed by a big stack of oil drums. Wait for any Imps to come down from it and then climb to the top. Kill the handgun-wielding Masker there and proceed. A bit past that is another Arms depository that'll give you 80 more bullets. Up ahead will be Panthers, which in all respects, are almost identical to Imps. They lie down low and can only be hit by crouching shots from the ground. They will jump at you when they get close, so it's best to kill them from far away. Continue and engage the enemies up ahead. Watch out for the gun-toting Masker hanging out behind the rock. Atop the ledge is yet another Bullets depository. Be careful because there's another Masker just past the door with a handgun. Restock and continue. Kill the Grenadier on top of the ledge quickly and then jump back down. Eliminate any Panthers here that try to approach you. You'll soon come across a huge cage holding some more Panthers. You can enter the cage if you feel like it. From here, it's just a short walk to the level exit. There are a few remaining Maskers up ahead. At least two of them are armed. You shouldn't have any trouble with them by now. ===================== STORY ONE - Area Four ===================== Passcode : 3009912 Make your way forward past two Maskers before reaching a Bullets depository. Continue after restocking your ammunition and you'll eventually reach a stone hill with an enemy on top. Jump to the second step just before the top and shoot his feet to take him out. The next area has a few Bats perched up. They will take off and basically hover above you, attacking without warning. Since there's no option to shoot up, you'll just have to deal with them flying ominously above you. As soon as one swoops down, take a shot and kill it. A bit further ahead is an Arms depository and another Bullets depository after it. Watch out for the Maskers carrying handguns in this area. There are a lot of enemies in this area so take your time and carefully weed through them. When the area is clear, proceed down some steps and you'll arrive at a vertical line of ledges. Be careful of the Maskers jumping up. Don't let them touch you. Make your way down these series of ledges past some more doors. Be wary of enemies dropping from the ceiling here. Get more ammunition at the Bullets repository you find. When you reach an open field, watch your head as Maskers warp in out of nowhere. The next area is a lava field of some sort. Be careful of the Flameman that jump out of the lava. They will bounce around the screen in an attempt to kill you. One shot will break them apart but after they die, they will split up into four separate fireballs that fly away. Touching one of these fireballs will still hurt you. Jump across the platforms until you reach a stone platform. A Masker will warp in here. As soon as you touch the platform, two Flamemen will jump out at you. Dispose of both of them accordingly and continue. It should be noted that platform jumping in this game is a harder task than it may seem. Because you cannot control yourself after jumping, you have to time your jumps right in order to make sure that you actually land on the platform. Couple that with the constant appearance of those irritating Flamemen and you're in for quite a hair-pulling nightmare. It's best to make sure that the screen is clear of any enemies before jumping. Once you finish the course, the exit will be a short walk from there. Take your time (unless you're running out of time) accurately jumping and you'll eventually make it to the exit. ===================== STORY ONE - Area Five ===================== Passcode : 1450064 At the start, you'll be approached by two Maskers. Duck and shoot both of them before they can fire back. Up ahead, jump to the upper ledge and gun down any enemies around. Ahead is a Bullets depository. After restocking your ammo, Jump off the end of the ledge. You'll have to kill a Masker behind a crate firing at you before you can continue. Duck behind the box and shoot him as soon as he pops up. The next area has a Grenadier dropping grenades down grenades. Slip past and jump up onto the ledge and shoot him off. Take out the other enemies that approach and continue down the ledge. Watch out for the Imp that pops out from behind the crate. Up ahead is an Arms depository with 80 machine gun bullets. You'll need to kill another Masker shooting from behind a box though to get through. When you reach a stack of boxes, wait for the Masker on top to step down before shooting him from the ground. If you attempt to jump onto the stack of boxes, you'll likely be mowed down before you get a chance to shoot. Watch out for the Grenadier standing on the ledge ahead. A bit further ahead is another Bullets repository. Eliminate the Grenadier by jumping up to his ledge and shooting him off. Advance until you reach a stack of two boxes. Jump up to the ledge and kill the single Masker up there. Past the crates is another Bullets depository. Wow, there sure are a lot of those in this level. Continue through the area by alternating ledges whenever you're stopped by crates in your path. At the end is another Masker behind a crate shooting at you. This one will take two shots to kill so make it count. The next area is full of enemies. Watch out for them dropping from the ceiling and coming from behind you. Kill the Imp you come across as well. I find it best just to move cautiously through the area to avoid getting overrun by incoming Maskers. Eventually, you'll pass by the huge computer that you saw in the game's opening. There are plenty of Maskers in this area. Just stay in the middle and shoot all around, eliminating everyone that approaches. The exit is just a short walk from there. ==================== STORY TWO - Area Six ==================== Passcode : 8511502 You'll notice that Area Six is very similar in design to the first level of the game. There's a huge huge prison cell of some sort ahead. You can actually walk inside if you want. It's useful to avoid bullet fire and the like. Anyway, jump up to the ledge and restock at the Bullets depository there. Walk all the way to the end of the ledge and jump down. There's a small group of Maskers around here. Be wary of any Grenadiers wandering in the area. Walk through the next segment. Watch out for Maskers running out of the doors. Up ahead is another Bullets depository on a ledge. There's a Grenadier chucking grenades though; take him out first. You'll find another one just past him, along with a Masker hiding behind a crate. There's an Arms depository on the lower level that you should go for. However, you only get a measly 40 bullets for your machine gun. In the next area, there's a line of doors up above that don't have a floor (???). Maskers that walk out will fall down to you. Wait for them to land and then let loose. When you're impeded by a stack of crates, jump up to the higher ledge. You'll notice another Bullets depository here as well. Before you go in, wait for the Maskers to come out of the doors first. Shoot them quickly because most of them are armed. When the area is clear, restock your ammunition and proceed. You will eventually come to a huge set of steps reminiscent to that found in the first level. Make your way down slowly, making sure that the floor below is clear before jumping. When you hit the bottom, kill any enemies in the area and continue. A huge Laser will be your next obstacle. It fires a laser down to the ground in a rather predictable pattern. This one shouldn't be tough to get past - just time it right and you'll slip right under. Further ahead is a stack of tires (Wow, this is just a blatant rip-off of level one). Watch out for the Laser in the middle of it. Kill the Maskers that approach you first and then try to get under the Laser. Timing is everything here. At the next stack of tires, you'll need to fight off two Masker behind some tires with handguns. Hide behind the first tire stack and then pop up to shoot. The next Laser is a lot more troublesome to get through. The key is to jump just as soon as the laser hits the tire. Make your way through the sandbags. There are plenty of Grenadiers here that you should watch out for. Stay out of the range of the grenades and shoot the Grenadiers from a distance. Watch out for the other enemies here as well. Many of them are armed and will a bullet right through you if you aren't careful. Once you clear the sandbags, you'll need to contend with a few more Maskers before you reach the exit. ====================== STORY TWO - Area Seven ====================== Passcode : 6609809 A few Maskers will approach you at the very start. Be careful of the second one because he will crouch and shoot at you. Hit him before he gets a chance to fire off a bullet. Up ahead, there are two Grenadiers standing on a high ledge that you can't jump. Go under, avoiding the grenades, and jump on the following ledge. Shoot the other Grenadiers off the top and jump over to the left - there's an Arms depository here with 80 bullets. Make your way forward past a few more Maskers. You'll eventually come to an area full of crates. There's a single Bat perched here that'll come and swoop down at you. Aim your shot right and hit it before it can touch you. Now, jump onto the crates all the way to the top. Jump to the ledge and proceed down this way. At the gap, kill the two Maskers at the opposite side before jumping over. From here, proceed to some steps that you fall over by jumping down from the railings. Make sure that the floor is clear of enemies before you actually let yourself fall. Repeat this process with the next few steps until you reach the bottom. Continue by walking over to the right. In this area, be ready to take on three more Maskers that'll warp in. As soon as they drop down, let loose a stream of bullets to take them out. Note that all three will take two hits to kill. From here, just walk to the exit at the end. ====================== STORY TWO - Area Eight ====================== Passcode : 6127306 Walk forward but stop just before you pass the door. Some Maskers will walk right out and attempt to run into you. Kill everyone here and keep going. There is a Bullets depository here for you to restock your ammo. Try to stay on the bottom because if you attempt to jump to the upper ledge with an armed enemy nearby, there's a good chance you'll be shot before you manage to land. When you reach a stack of oil drums, jump over it to find an Arms depository. Collect some more machine gun ammo and continue. You'll want to be more cautious for the length of the entire mission. Enemies will begin to pop out of doors just as you pass by them, making them that much more of a problem. When the high ledge ends, be prepared to fight off some rather strong Maskers falling from the sky. As soon as they land, let loose a stream of bullets to put them down before they get a chance to fight back. Once they're taken care of, continue past another stack of oil drums. Ahead is another Masker hiding behind a tree stump. Wait for him to rear his ugly head and then shoot him in the face. The next area has a lot more doors. Again, watch out for enemies coming out of the doors. Avoid jumping on the high ledge as well because of the enemies up there. Stay on the bottom and shoot them if they try to follow you down. When you come to a large stack of oil drums, quickly jump to the second step and shoot the Masker trying to come up before he manages to pull off a shot. From the oil drums, jump up to the high ledge and kill the enemy that comes out of the door. There's another Arms depository on this ledge that you should pillage before continuing. When you get past the big stone steps, you'll meet some Panthers. Shoot them before they manage to get too close and proceed. Past a few more stone outcroppings will be a 'Bullets' depository atop a ledge. Collect the ammo before leaving. There may be a few more Panthers in the area ahead so keep your eyes peeled. When you reach the cage, shoot the Grenadier standing in the second doorway. Because there's a large stone slab blocking the path, you will have to walk into the cage and go around. Be wary of enemies following you into the cage. Just beyond that, you'll be ambushed by an Imp and some more Maskers falling from the ceiling again. Dispose of all of them and continue to the end of the platform. Some stone steps will lead down to a lava pool. There are a number of enemies in this area - take your time and clear the area before advancing any further. When you reach the lava field, walk along the metal pathway. There will be more Flamemen bouncing around this area. Remember, kill them from a distance to avoid getting hit by their fireballs. Even worse, there are Bats in the area that you'll need to contend with as well. Before doing any jumping, take out the enemies first. Yay, more platform jumping. You have to aim your jumps correctly in order to survive this portion. Kill any enemies before you jump to remove any distractions. The platforms with the doors are fairly tough because enemies will try to come out just as you touch the ground. Along the way, you'll come to another Arm depository. Past that is the toughest jumping portion of this level. The platforms you're faced with are about as skinny as Albatross himself (and that's pretty skinny!). It's very important that you jump accurately to get across. (Hint: You'll need jump to the right from the very left edge of each platform preceding it except for the last one because that one is two pillars thick). Once you finish that nightmare of a course (luckily, it's short), you'd have completed the course. ===================== STORY TWO - Area Nine ===================== Passcode : 3495242 You start the mission on a high ledge. Walk forward to the edge of it. Here, you will be met by a few Maskers and a Flameman. Dispose of each of them and jump the gap. The next area has a Laser impeding your path along with a Grenadier on the far side. While staying on the left side of the Laser, aim a shot for the Grenadier to take him out. Make your way past the Laser and continue. When you reach a large gap in the ground, jump down. Watch out for any more enemies hanging out on the ledges below and jump your way to the left. There's a Bullets depository located here. Kill the enemy in front of it before using it. After that, jump down to the very bottom. Here, two Lasers are positioned right next to each other, firing down in an alternating fashion. Get through by first waiting for an opening under the first Laser. Stand in the middle and wait for the second one. There's another Laser up ahead. This one isn't too tough to get through. In the next area, you'll encounter a single Masker that's easily dispatched. Up ahead is another Laser just before an Arms depository. Jump through the Laser just as its beam hits the ground to get through unscathed. Steal some bullets from the Arms closet and continue. There will be two more Lasers ahead. Note that the Laser on the right fires faster than the one on the left. Time it properly and jump for middle in-between the two Lasers. Then from there, jump through the second one. The Laser ahead can be completely avoided by simply dropping to the lower level. This area is full of Maskers walking in and coming out of doors. Rely on your reflexes to get through, gunning down any enemy that tries to take you out. Many of them will take two hits to put down - make sure that an enemy is dead before forgetting about him. At the end of this area is another gap. Hop down the following sets of ledges until you hit the bottom. Make sure you get the ammo from the Bullets depository along the way. Also, be careful of the Lasers on the last platform. When you reach the bottom, walk over to the right until you reach two Lasers firing right next to each other. Wait for an opening in the first one and then jump for the middle. From here, you can gun down any enemies that are coming in. The ones ahead of you aren't too smart - they'll just jump up right into your bullet fire. From here, step through the second Laser and advance. There's another Bat ahead. Luckily, you're at an advantage because it'll have to rise up past your platform before it can fly over you. If you shoot it as it flies up, you'll save yourself a lot of trouble. Don't jump down into the pile of enemies below though - if you try that, I can guarantee you'll die before you land. Instead, walk a bit back until you're down one step. The enemies ahead will try to jump up (though they won't make it because the ledge is too high). From your position, you can shoot them as they try to jump up. Don't worry if you don't manage to lure them all there. Continue when the ground is a bit less crowded. Don't worry if you accidentally bounce of one as you fall. As long as you don't do a bounce into another enemy, you'll be fine because the exit is just a few short steps away. ==================== STORY TWO - Area Ten ==================== Passcode : 6765136 At the start, move forward and jump up to the ledge. Kill the enemy here and get some more ammunition from the Bullets depository nearby. Jump off the ledge at the end and kill the two enemies hanging around down here. There's another one hiding behind a crate further ahead. Shoot him before he can shoot you can. He'll take two shots before he dies. Ahead, you'll find a Panther that you should kill immediately. Now, jump to the upper ledge and proceed until you find an Arms depository that'll give you about 80 machine gun rounds. Hop off the ledge. Watch out for any Maskers dropping from the ceiling on you though. At the bottom, kill the two Maskers up ahead before they can fire off a shot at you. Ahead, jump on top of the stack of crates and shoot the Grenadier off of his little ledge. There are more than a few trigger-happy Maskers in the area to follow. Make sure you watch where you jump lest you happen to fall right into someone's bullets. Once you manage to get past that area, you'll encounter an Imp. Kill it and use the Bullets depository located nearby. As you progress, watch out for more Imps dropping on your head from the ceiling. Up ahead, you'll be stopped by a stack of two crates. Jump to the upper ledge and shoot everyone nearby. Jump back down to another Bullets depository. This one, however, only provides a measly 20 rounds. From here, just alternate between the upper and lower ledges everytime you're blocked by crates. Keep an eye on on the doors - watch for any enemies that attempt to ambush you through them. Use the next Arms depository you come across and proceed. Eventually, you'll walk past the computer shown on the opening title screen (again?). There are plenty of enemies in this area. Rely on your superior reflexes to get you through this area. Expect a lot of ducking and shooting to take out most of the gun-toting Maskerss around here. Once you've cleared the area, proceed to some steps. Jump off the end of it and kill the enemies up ahead. Watch out for the ones donning a white cloak because they'll take four hits to kill. At the end, you'll reach Maboo's lair. Leila is chained up in the back. You'll be treated with a few random enemies popping up. Most of these will just be Imps, Maskers, and Flamemen. You should not have too much trouble with these weaklings by now. Eventually, Maboo will appear to take you on. BOSS : MABOO ~ O----------O I'll admit, this isn't an easy fight. However, if you had the reflexes to get through through the game thus far, you have no excuse to screw up here. Maboo attacks by throwing balls of energy at you. He will stand in one spot and shoot them at you. The only ways to avoid them is to jump or shoot them out of the air. The best way to finish this battle would be to get as far away from Maboo as possible. Maboo will constantly alternate between standing and ducking. I find it easiest to shoot him just as he ducks. Then, by the time he stands back up, your bullet will hit him. Don't shoot him while he's standing or else you'll be hit. Maboo's robe will gradually change color as you deal more and more damage. It'll slowly turn from purple, to pink, to orange. Once it's at its final stage, a few more hits will take him down. And that wraps it up for the game. Albatross gets the girl and the world is saved from the evil clutches of Maboo's nefarious corporation. Congratulations on completing Rolling Thunder! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -==- 5. Enemy List -==- [5000] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Below is a list and description of all the enemies you'll face throughout Rolling Thunder. [-----------------------------------------------------------------------------] Masker ~ =----= Maskers are easily the most common enemy you'll encounter in all of Rolling Thunder. They come in many different colors and forms, but they're all generally the same. Some wield odd-looking masks and others don KKK-esque attire. Most of them are taken out in 1-2 hits with your gun, though some can take 3-4 hits before actually falling. The ones that are unarmed are significantly easier to kill than the ones that actually wield handguns. Grenadier ~ =-------= Grenadiers just stand in one spot and chuck grenades most of the time. Some of them will occasionally move to get a better arc but for the most part, they're very predictable. Their grenades can kill in one hit. Imp ~ =-= These short, stocky creatures are about half your height. However, they're extremely versatile and can jump at you before you can get a shot in edgewise. Killing them requires that you duck down and take a shot because they're too short to be hit by a normal volley. If one gets in close proximity of you, duck immediately and stand up again only to fire back. Panther ~ =-----= Panthers are nearly identical to Imps in most respects. They lay low so it's impossible to take them out with a standing shot. Once a Panther gets close, it'll leap up and tear your throat out. The best way to counter this would be to duck and take a shot when an opportunity presents itself. Avoid getting ganged by Panthers. Bat ~ =-= Bats are probably the most irritating enemy in all of Rolling Thunder. Luckily, they don't appear all that much. When you encounter one, you'll notice it perched above you. It'll fly up and hover ominously over you before swooping down to attack. The only way to kill a bat is by shooting it while it's in its swooping motion. Flameman ~ =------= Flamemen are roughly humanoid-shaped balls of fire. They typically appear in levels (though not limited to) with with lava. They try to hurt you by bouncing around the room. One shot will take one out; however, once a Flameman is hit, it will split up into four separate fireballs that fall to the ground or go for the ceiling. If you get touched by one of those fireballs, you'll still be damaged. It's best to shoot at one of these from a distance to avoid that. Laser ~ =---= Lasers are defense mechanisms that are installed in the ceiling of the facilities. They shoot down a laser beam at regular intervals. Getting touched will kill you instantly. Lasers cannot be destroyed and the proper way of getting through is to time your movement right. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -==- 6. Version History -==- [6000] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Version 0.3 - The walkthrough is completed up to Story 2 - Stage 7. 27 KB Version 1.0 - The guide is complete. 40 KB =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -==- 7. Legal Information -==- [7000] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This FAQ is the property of its author, Quan Jin. All rights reserved. Any stealing, selling for profit or altering of this document without the author's expressed consent is strictly prohibited. You may download this file for personal and private use only. Rolling Thunder is a registered trademark of Namco/Tengen. The author (Quan Jin) is not affiliated with Namco or Tengen in any way or form. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -==- 8. Credits and Closing -==- [8000] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= That's it for the guide. I hope you found it useful in getting through this insanely difficult game. [-----------------------------------------------------------------------------] GameFAQs - I've been with this site for almost four years now. Don't plan on quitting anytime soon. The FCSB - They didn't help too much but what can I say, where would I be without a few of them? Major props to these great board members who are also prized FAQ writers. [-----------------------------------------------------------------------------] ____ __ _ __ __ / __ \____ ______/ /__ | | / /___ _____/ /____ _ __ / / / / __ `/ ___/ //_/ | | / / __ \/ ___/ __/ _ \| |/_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / ,< | |/ / /_/ / / / /_/ __/> < /____.'\__,_/_/ /_/|_| |___/\____/_/ \__/\___/_/|_| -= Game on Forever =-