==============================Code of the Samurai============================= =General Walkthrough= Created by Ethel Copyright (c) Ethel gkane84@yahoo.com Author's note: This FAQ is to appear strictly on GameFAQs website ONLY. No part of this FAQ is to be copied or used anywhere else without my permission. Version 1.0: 12th September 2008 ***********************************CONTENTS*********************************** --Introduction --Basic game mechanics --Missions -->Main [MM01] -->Optional [OM01] --Combos and ougis [CO01] --Main characters [MC01] --Frequently asked questions [FQ01] --Credits ****************************************************************************** <===INTRODUCTION===> Code of the Samurai(in EU) or Shinsengumi Gunrou den(in JP) is a hack-and- slash game that first came out in 2005 in Japan and then in 2007 in Europe. This walkthrough is not meant to be a fully detailed one as it's best to explore and beat the game on your own to fully enjoy this kind of games. This walkthrough is to provide some "help" for those who need an extra reference for getting the mechanics of how to hack-and-slash or when "stuck" at certain parts of the game. Please take note that the walkthrough is based on the EU version of the game and apart from controller button functions, there's bound to be some other differences if you are playing the JPN version. Also, I have not gotten around to finishing the game in other difficulties so let's just say this game faq is based on the NORMAL difficulty as according to my own personal gameplay experience. Lastly, suggestions on ways to fight bosses etc are solely my own and if you have better strategies, feel free to use yours and bother not about mine. <===BASIC GAME MECHANICS==> This game is mainly about running around places and attacking enemies. ->1)FIXING CAMERA ONTO ENEMIES When you approach an enemy, you will want to keep him in your view the entire time you fight him. Simply press the L1 button once when you are nearing an enemy and you'll see a small yellow triangle on top of the enemy's head. In case you are wondering, there's no need to hold down the L1 button anymore. One tap is enough. When there are multiple enemies, tap the L1 button to rotate among them. ->2)NORMAL ATTACKS To have Okita Souji(your main character) attack, press the SQUARE button. The game allows you to execute normal attacks up to 3 times == press the SQUARE button 3 times. You can stop anywhere in between. Normal attacks take off very little HP and I suggest only using them when the enemy's not attacking you. Pressing the TRIANGLE button will launch an attack which takes time to execute but will break an enemy's defense(if enemy is blocking) or knock the enemy down(if enemy's not blocking). This little TRIANGLE attack can be useful when fighting multiple enemies to buy some time to finish off an enemy while the other is down. ->3)BLOCK To block an enemy's attack, press the R1 button and hold it down and Okita will be in the blocking stance. ->4)DODGE AND COMBOS Dodging and Combo attacks are linked. In other words, you cannot execute Combo attacks unless you dodge an enemy's attack. This is really the main way you should use to fight the enemies through the entire game. When an enemy is about to attack Okita, you will see mainly two items. An exclamation mark and a D-pad look-alike thing on the screen. In order to make a successfuly dodge, you are supposed to see which arrow on the D-pad is blinking and move the analogue stick in that direction and press the X button as quickly as possible. There are really just four main directions: up, down, left and right. I'll give an example to make things clearer. E.g: Down arrow on screen is blinking. To dodge, move the analogue stick down and press the X button at the same time. There are cases where you have two blinking arrows(e.g: left and right) and you can move your analogue stick in either direction and press the X button. Now once you managed to have Okita dodge, you'll be able to execute Combo attacks. **SIDE NOTE**: Enemies using thrust attacks(unlike slash/shoot) tend to give you a shorter reaction time period to dodge. If you're not sure whether you can dodge in time, it's best to keep a certain distance and use DOWN+X(move Okita down) to see the enemy's pattern(most normal enemies have a fixed one) so you can get the direction of the dodge correctly. Combos attacks are really pressing the SQUARE button with the correct timing. You can verify the different combos as well as their button timing at the in-game screen under the "Status" option. To link combos(up to 4 of them), simply press TRIANGLE button(instead of SQUARE) at the very last input of your combo string. You will then get to input the next combo string. E.g: SQUARE SQUARE SQUARE [TRIANGLE] SQUARE SQUARE SQUARE SQUARE will give you two Oboro naru ni combos. ->5)OUGIS Ougis are linked to Combo attacks as well. To perfom an Ougi, complete at least one Combo string and then press the R2 button. A bar will come up near the bottom and you are supposed to input the Ougi's button combination(same as Combos, you'll need to verify what are the combinations and remember them, thankfully unlike Combos, Ougis have no button timing required), once you managed to do it before the time limit's up, Okita will perform the Ougi. ->6)MASTER MODE Master mode can be activated when the crescent shaped bar at the top left of the screen fills up. Press the L2 button. In this mode, attack range is larger and penetrating enemy's defense with normal attacks is possible. ->7)BACKUP OFFICERS AND SPECIAL ATTACKS At the start of every mission, you will get to choose which backup officer you want to...well, serve as backup for Okita. Different characters give different effects so choose one that suits your preferred fighting style as well as mission's difficulty and requirement. As you fight enemies, the bar below Okita's HP bar will start to fill up. Once it is completely filled (becomes a fiery bar), you can press the L2 and R2 button together to do a Special(sorta like an ougi performed by Okita and the Backup officer). The special attack hits all enemies on the screen. ->8)MAP Pressing START button pauses the game and also allows you to view the map. ->9)SPECIAL MARKS ON MAP Sometimes you will see yellow or red marks on your map. They come in the form of yellow or red blinking squares and they are actually "guides" to where you should head to next. Red usually imply the final destination and yellow usually to the next screen/screens leading to important places. These are very helpful and together with the handy map, you probably won't ever get really lost. ->10)ITEMS As you run around different places and fight enemies, you will find items lying casually around, hidden in breakable items such as crates and barrels as well as drops from enemies. You just need to have Okita touch the item to pick it up. ==Pearl of Wisdom(small, big): A blue circle with "Makoto" written on it. Usually in enemy drops. Gathering these will play a part in your mission evaluation, so gather as much as you can. ==Dumplings(small, large): Different colored dango on a tray These will refill Okita's HP bar when you pick them up. Large ones refill more HP. Since it's an immediate effect(you can't store it in an inventory to manually use it later on or what), only pick one up when you need the healing. ==Sword(silver, gold): Two swords crossed over each other These will increase Okita's attack strength for a limited period of time. Gold gives a longer time period. ==Helmet(silver, gold): A helmet These will increase Okita's defense for a limited period of time. Gold gives a longer time period. ==Resurrection amulet: A red pouch The name and in-game description pretty much explains everything. Revives Okita once. ->11)MISSION EVALUATION Your overall rating for a mission depends on: ==Number of kills: how many enemies you killed ==Dodges: how skilful you were at making dodges while fighting enemies ==Combos: skilfulness and frequency of you executing combos ==Pearls: number of Pearls of Wisdom you've gathered ==Time: how much time you've used to clear the mission To get a good rating, the "common sense" rule of thumb is really to complete the mission in the quickest time possible while including the following: -fight enemies as skilfully as possible and kill as much as you can afford to -pick up as much pearls as possible ->12)OPTIONAL MISSONS AND RANKS Each time you complete a mission, you'll gain experience points. This EXP is actually used to increase Okita's rank, which in turn increases his stats as well as allow him to learn new ougis. You cannot replay main missions but you can replay optional missions for as many times as you want, and that is where you gain EXP to increase his rank. Along the way, you'll realize that there will be times where a "max" is reached and you cannot increase Okita's rank anymore. That's to prevent you from making him uber-powerful right from the beginning. When this happens, you have no choice but to continue with the main mission. Everytime time you complete a main mission, the max rank Okita can reach will increase. In other words, follow this pattern and you'll be fine: A)Finish a main mission B)Do optional missions until you reach a "max" C)Repeat steps A to B ->13)CLASH There will be times during fighting where Okita will clash swords with the enemy. You will get a blue/red bar and in order to get the enemy off guard, tap the SQUARE button. If you don't, Okita will be knocked back and you run the risk of being attacked during that short moment. <===MAIN MISSIONS==> [MM01] ****************************************************************************** [CHAPTER 1: ASSASSINATION OF SERIZAWA] Overall: A simple mission and a good place to practice your dodging techniques, combos, timing etc. A very short tutorial at the beginning. Clearing the mission: 1) Head to the court indicated by the red marker(on map) 2) Defeat Hirayama 3) Follow the yellow markers to room indicated by red marker 4) Defeat Niimi 5) Head to the final red marker for Serizawa's room 6) Defeat Serizawa to end the mission Boss battles: 1)Hirayama Goro (sub/main) -Fight as you would with a normal enemy. Link combos and he'll down in no time. 2)Niimi Nishiki -Niimi doesn't block for most parts so you can pair normal attacks with combos and ougi to finish him off easily. 3)Serizawa Kamo -Comes with 2 other normal enemies. Kill both first before you tackle Serizawa. Anytime you see his cut-off portrait at the bottom of the screen, step away from the other enemies and be prepared to dodge his flying fan. Then return to fighting. Once only Serizawa's remaining, move nearer until you can lock the camera onto him but remain at the distance from him. Wait for him to use his flying fan trick again, dodge it and launch your combos. Move back to original position. Repeat the steps and that "duck" will be dead meat sooner or later. Anything to : -At the screen before Serizawa's room, break the crates and look out for barrels on the right side. There's a resurrection amulet hidden there. Recommended Backup officer: Any. As said before, this mission is real simple and with no time limitations or whatsoever, you can choose any. ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [CHAPTER 2: IZOU THE KILLER] Overall: Nothing you can't cope with. Just requires a bit of patience. Map: ______ | | ____ ________________________ | | | |__| __________ ______O_|| | | X _____| | | | | ______ |____| ______| | | | | | | ______| | | _________| |_______________| |________________| |_____________ |_________ ______ ______________________ _____________| | | |____| | | | | | | | | |______| | M | | A | | I | | N | | |_____________ ______ | S |_____ _____| | | | T | | | | X | | R | | |________| | | E | |X|______C_| | | E | | | |______| | T |_____|_|__ __ | |________ |___________|X | | | |________________| | | | | |______| Clearing the mission: 1) Go to sections with "X" marked in the map above and defeat all of the enemies in black 2) Go to the main street and follow the yellow markers 3) Defeat hatted enemies 4) Head towards area indicated by the red marker 5) Defeat Izou to end the mission Boss Battles: 1)Hatted enemies (sub/main) -Aim for the one wielding the sword while be prepared to dodge any shots from those with the rifles. Once the one with the sword is down, get rid of the remaining two. 2)Okada Izou -Together with 3 other hatted sword enemies. Lure the hatted enemies one by one, defeating one before you lure the next. While fighting them, look out for Izo's shock- wave look-alike attack and get out of the way when needed. Once all 3 hatted enemies are dead, you can lock your camera onto Izou. My suggestion is to stay near him and perform your usual dodge and combo. That's because the shockwave attack(which he uses when you are far away) is harder to dodge imo. When fighting close to him, use normal attacks to attack him immediately whenever you see his cut-off portrait at the bottom of the screen. I find that in my case, it actually prevents him from successfully performing his ougi and you can get some of his HP off at the same time. If you still have your master mode and special attack bars filled, use them for a quicker end to the fight. Anything to: - Break the crates at "C" in the map above to gain access to look out for the backyard area. - The resurrection amulet is located at "O" in the map above. - Enemies on the main street won't deplete so if you want to gain some kills, keep wandering around there. Recommended Backup officer: Since enemies are neverending on the main street, we don't really need Saitou to gain points on the combos and dodge areas. To save time for more and faster kills and pearls, I'd go with Kondou or Nagakura for parameters with more attack and average defense. ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [CHAPTER 3: THE IKEDAYA INCIDENT] Overall: Make sure you have already gotten the gist of the fighting techniques as well as how to look at the in-game map =) Map: 1st floor _____________________________________________ | | ___|_____________________________________________|_ | | | B2 | | | | | | MR | | | | | | | |________________________| |___________________| | | |_______________________________________________|__ | | | | | | | | |____________________|_________|___________________| | | | | | | | INNER COURT |___________________| |B _______________________ | | | | | | | | | SR _______| | | |______|_______________| /S\ |____________| | | | | |____________| | | | | |______________________|___________________________| 2nd floor _____________________________________________________ | | | _________________________________| |___________________| | | | | | | | | |__________________________|_____ | | | ____|___________________|________________________________| | | | | |__________________ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |______________|_________________| | | | | |______________________________________| |__________________| | | | | | | | | | | | _____|_________________|____________________| | | | __________________________________| | | \F/ | | ______________| | | | | | | |SE | | | | | | |R | | | | |______________|_________| |_______________| Basement _______________ | |_| | | | | _______________________| | | | | _______________________________| | | | | | | | | | |_______ | | | | | | |_ | |_|_____ | | | | | |___BO__|____ | | | | |_____ | | | | | __________________________________| | |_| <---TIC | | | | _| |_______________________________________|_| <---TSR Clearing the mission: 1) Defeat all 25 enemies on the 2nd floor 2) Follow yellow marker to head to the rooftop 3) Defeat all enemies on the rooftop 4) Follow yellow markers to go down to the 1st floor 5) Head to the meeting room indicated by the red marker 6) Defeat Yoshida Toshimaro to end the mission Boss Battles: 1)Rooftop enemies (sub/main) -Men in black have higher HP and have a wider attack range as well as faster speed. Only fight one at each time. The normal dodge and combos will get the job done. 2)Yoshida Toshimaro -A lone boss battle. Do not stray too far away nor go too near. Normal dodge and combos. Use normal attacks to cut his execution off if you see that he's gonna use an ougi. There's a dumpling in one of the breakable items. An average fight, shouldn't be too much of a problem. Anything to: Refer to the maps above for the symbol locations. look out for 1)MR: Meeting room(final destination) 2)B: Destroy the breakable tanks and plank to gain access to the basement 3)B2: Break the breakable items to gain access to the basement 4)SR: Storeroom 5)S: Stairs to the 2nd floor 6)F: Stairs to the 1st floor 7)R: Ladder to the rooftop 8)SE: Examine the wall to enter a secret room with pearls 9)TIC: Ladder to the Inner Court on the 1st floor 10)TSR: Ladder to the Storeroom on the 1st floor 11)BO: There is a blockade here which prevents you from proceeding further into the basement so you have to reach that area from another ladder(indicated by "B2" on the map above) Recommended Backup officer: Any. Not many difficult enemies, sub-bosses and main boss are average. ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [CHAPTER 4: REBELLION AT HAMAGURI GATE] Overall: Definitely the toughest mission as yet. Remember to break all existing breakable items(when you can afford the time to) such as crates and whatnot. You'll find hidden items in many and of which you are going to need. The first part of the mission is the critical one because you have to prevent enemies from going past the gate and once they are in, you can't chase after them(lame). If more than 4 enemies make it past the gate, it's mission failed and you have to start over again. One advice I can give is to look at the behavior of enemies. Aim for those focused on running because those are the ones who will get past the gate when you are not looking. From my experience, those enemies who choose to fight instead of run will always be there in the fighting stance. In other words, they won't try and head for the gate even if you are far away from them. Don't take that for certain though and make sure to be on the alert at all times. There are two periods of fighting and guarding gates in this entire mission. The 2nd period is easier because the enemies will fight instead of going past you(so you don't have to fear too much about failing the mission as with the first period). One thing I have noticed is that most of the dodges for normal enemies' attacks are DOWN+X, especially those using spears. Nevertheless, do keep a close eye on which direction the arrow is blinking. Clearing the mission: 1) Guard the gate while defeating 30 enemies 2) Defeat Katsura Kogorou 3) Follow yellow markers and head towards the palace 4) Guard the gate while defeating 20 enemies 5) Defeat Kusaka Genzui to end mission Boss Battles: 1)Katsura Kogorou (sub/main) -Together with 2 other rifle-using enemies. As always, lure the small fries towards you and kill them first. As for Katsura, he's a headache for some parts. He has this annoying habit of running away and you have to chase after him. I would recommend saving up your master mode and special attack bars for use in this fight. If not, fight at a slight distance away from him and do the usual dodge and combos. If you are quick enough, it's definitely possible to link combos even though he's quite good at dodging. If you wish to fight at a very close distance, the same thing applies, only that you may have to make use of a couple of normal attacks as well as faster reaction for your dodges to succeed. 2)Kusaka Genzui -With 3 other spear-wielding enemies. While you are fighting the other enemies, make sure you stay very very far away from Kusaka. This fight is seriously much easier than the earlier one with Katsura for me. Once only Kusaka is left, fight very close to him. You'll realize that he has this weird ability to not stagger/waver even when you are hitting at him(the green kinda aura). That renders using master mode quite useless. Therefore, just stick close to him and do the dodge->half-combo string. If you are fast enough(the Oboro combo), try for an added ougi at the end. Since using ougi stops time, you don't have to worry about reciprocals for that time period. Anything to: -There's a resurrection amulet at the screen before you fight look out for Kusaka Genzui. It's hidden inside one of the crates. Recommended Backup officer: Kondou Isami. You need a decent attack(to kill enemies as fast as possible while guarding the gates) and a decent defense(in case you got hit by the cannon and also for when you fight Katsura), the bonus in extended master mode will also help a bit. Todou Heisuke or Hijikata are also good options. ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [CHAPTER 5: DEATH MATCH IN THE MOONLIGHT] Overall: No exploration. Just a deathmatch which will probably have Okita die 3 times to have Izou die once...well, put it simply, you'll most likely fail the mission a couple of times before you come up a fighting strategy to defeat him if you are new to the game. Clearing the mission: defeat Okada Izou You can't choose for a backup officer since this is a one-on-one match, which means you can't use Special attacks. That makes this battle well... somewhat difficult. There are two dumplings, one on each side of the bridge. Save them for when you are really low on HP. Anyway, I'll give some advice here on how I defeat him as well as some stuff to look out for. 1)Make sure to practice using the "Oboro naru ni" combo. Izou gets much faster as his HP drops and you'll want to be fast as well and Oboro is the fastest combo. 2)Fight at a finger's(your finger) length away from him. The dodge->combo ->dodge->combo works but the most important thing is to always keep a close eye on the D-pad popping up. The moment you see the blinking arrow, stop your combo execution and dodge immediately, don't ever delay. There are times where the string will end up being: dodge->1/4 combo-> dodge->1/4 combo instead because he's really fast in his countering. 3)When Izou's HP drops below half, the "purple aura" will emerge. Although this will have him executing his moves and ougi even faster, it's a good chance to link your combos and ougis because he does not block as much so if you are quick enough, you'll spend lesser time depleting the 2nd half of his HP bar than you did with the first half. 4)Izou has five main moves: A)Shockwaves - We already saw this in our first fight with him back in mission 2. Keep a distance from him and he will use this. Dodge this move by LEFT+X or RIGHT+X. It's fixed. There's a variation of this move in that he will execute 3 shockwaves one after another instead of the normal 1 but that's only when you are VERY far away from him. So each time you see him run in a insane speed away from you(usually to the other end of the bridge), chase after him for a short while and stop(keep around half a bridge's distance away) to dodge his shockwave attack. He will pause for quite some time once he finishes the move so that's when you can run up to him to continue the fight. B)Thrusts - He may use this move if you are near him. He will do some bizzare actions before executing this move. Unless you are very "unlucky" or poor at playing this game, there's no way you will get hit because the range of this attack is very small as well. Dodge with LEFT+X or DOWN+X. C)Chain attacks - Another move he will use when you are near him. This may be a real killer for many because it's lightning quick. You have less than one second to dodge and if you fail to, you suffer big damage because it's a chain attack. That's why the moment you see a blinking left and right arrow, stop whatever you are doing and dodge as fast as you can afford to. I guess I should make a note here that this is the move that I met with the most while I'm fighting him so it may be the same for you as well. D)Quick run and slash - Same as (C), this move is very fast. He may use this move when you are far from him. If you see him running towards you at an insane speed, be prepared to dodge with LEFT+X or RIGHT+X the moment you see the D-pad pop up on the screen. E)Ougi - The only move where his cut-off portrait will show at the bottom of the screen. For the first half of the fight, it's very easy to dodge this move because he will take a few seconds after the showing of the portrait to execute the ougi. However, once his HP is below half or so, the execution will happen around the same time the portrait pops up. Since this is an ougi, it will take off a lot of HP if you can't dodge in time. Dodge with DOWN+X. The fighting style I used was to lure him to execute shockwaves, then have Okita dodge and do combos linking. When his HP dropped below half, I'm forced to juggle between dodging his shockwave+chain attacks+ougi and doing my half or sometimes even full combos. As far as Master mode goes, I use it for the first half of the fight because as mentioned earlier, he does not block so much when his HP is low and imo range is not the real issue for this fight so that makes Master mode pretty much useless then. ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [CHAPTER 6: SATSUMA-CHOUSHUU ALLIANCE] Overall: I seriously think this mission is made to show what happens when "ryou"(dragon) and "ma"(horse) comes together. We get Sakamoto Ryouma running away for most parts and you'll have to chase after him. Nah, just a lame joke there. Anyway, this is an easy mission to be cleared within 12 minutes and you should get at least an "A" or "B" rating on your first attempt. Clearing the mission: 1)Defeat all enemies on section 2)Follow yellow marker 3)Defeat all 9 enemies 4)Follow yellow marker 5)Defeat all 5 enemies 6)Follow yellow marker 7)Defeat all 4 enemies 8)Follow yellow marker 9)Defeat all 6 enemies 10)Go to area indicated by red marker 11)Defeat Sakamoto to end mission Boss Battles: 1)Sakamoto Ryouma (sub/main) -Sakamoto has three main moves. The first is when you are very near him. He will use sheathed sword to do an upper swipe. I suggest not tempting him to use this move because it's more difficult to dodge(DOWN+X) as compared to his other attacks. The 2nd is using his gun. That's when you are a finger's length(or further) away from him. Dodge simply with RIGHT+X or LEFT+X and do your combo links. The 3rd is his ougi. He will run away into the woods. No need to chase after him though. After a while, a small fiery shot will crash in your direction. It's actually really easy to dodge that. Anything to: -Remember to pick up the resurrection amulet on the first look out for section of the map. I think it's not necessary but let's just play safe. Recommended Backup officer: Any. When making your choice, just remember that this mission has a time limit. ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [CHAPTER 7: ASSASSINATION OF RYOUMA] Overall: This mission can be long or short depending on how much time you spend exploring the areas. Since there's another Izou fight at the end, try not to spend too much time searching every nook and cranny...well, you can, but don't expect an "S" rating for time used on first try. Clearing the mission: 1)Follow yellow markers until the Omi-ya inner court 2)Instead of heading to the next yellow marker to the west, go up north to to the graveyard 3)Continue to the back alley(next section of map) 4)Grab old key behind the crates and return back to Omi-ya inner court 5)Follow yellow markers to the 2nd floor 6)Head to room indicated by red marker 7)Defeat Okada Izou to end mission Boss Battles: 1)Okada Izou (sub/main) -My my, will this ever end? After exchanging a few blows, Izou should run away somewhere. Take that time to cut down some paper doors(you'll need the space to fight him). There is one small dumpling and one big dumpling in the compartments. Make sure you open a route to them for when you need it later on. When done, it's time to return to fighting Izou. He lost his shockwave move, but the guy's faster and stronger than before. His chain attacks have more hits as well(don't ever get hit by the somersault slashes). Lastly. he has a different ougi this time round. The ougi is separated into two parts so if you are not very fast and good at dodging, stop after you make the first dodge and be prepared to dodge the 2nd part of the ougi(both parts can be dodged with LEFT+X or RIGHT+X). Only after the second dodge then do I recommend you to execute your combos. Apart from the differences and points stated above, use the same method in fighting him as you did back in mission 5 and his HP bar will be gone sooner or later. Anything to: -The resurrection amulet's in the graveyard. It's easy to look out for spot so there's no way to miss it. Recommended Backup officer: When fighting tough bosses, a balance in attack and defense is always good. I'd say Kondou or Hijikata. ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [CHAPTER 8: FIGHT TO THE DEATH IN ABURA KOUJI Overall: You'll spend more time chasing after Itou than what you did for Sakamoto in mission 6. Clearing the mission: 1)Follow yellow markers 2)Fight Itou for a short while and deplete his HP bit by bit. He will escape, chase after him 3)Repeat steps 1-2 until the game leads you to the final area(your backup officer will make an obvious comment) 4)Defeat Itou 5)Defeat Todou to end the mission Boss Battles: 1)Kashitarou Itou (sub/main) -He has two other subordinates with him in the final battle, kill them first. Itou's real easy when you are fighting him one-on-one because he succumbs to combos rather easily. If you manage to make it this far in the game, this kind of boss should be a piece of cake. 2)Todou Heisuke -Surprisingly, Todou is tougher than his master Itou. Still, not much of any challenge here. Just make sure you practice your dodging skills, it's quite impossible to do a lot of combos linking because he dodges and counters often, so you will probably end up with the usual dodge-> half-combo->dodge->half-combo for most of the time when fighting up front. Use this fight to practice your reflexes as well as eye-hand coordination. You'll need to get your uber fast dodging and countering mastered for a fight in the next mission. Compared to that one, this is really nothing much. Yes, I'm not kidding. Recommended Backup officer: Instead of recommending, I'd say I won't recommend Saitou. I'd imagine some trouble in the two boss fights if you were to choose him. ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [CHAPTER 9: BATTLE BETWEEN TOBA AND FUSHIMI] Overall: The toughest mission in the entire game for me but I still managed to clear it with an "A' on my first try so it definitely shouldn't be difficult for you all. I think this mission gives us players an idea of how the real Shinsengumi must have felt in their last days fighting against enemy armies equipped with advanced weapons such as guns and cannons. Anyway, to play safe, just remember to make a save data beforehand. Clearing the mission: 1)Follow yellow markers to back alley 2)Defeat the 8 elites 3)Follow yellow markers to the shrine compounds 4)Defeat all 15 enemies 5)Destroy the cannon and head to next section indicated by the red marker 6)Defeat Oyama Yasuke 7)Defeat Katsura Kogorou Boss Battles: 1)Oyama Yasuke (sub/main) -The enemy soldiers will keep coming in so there is no point defeating them unless they are blocking your way or being a real annoyance while you are fighting against the Oyama guy. Fight close to Oyama with the dodge->combo string. His red "aura"(or whatever that is called) keeps him from staggering(similar to Kusaka Genzui in chapter 4) and that's why you must be careful while you link combos. Don't be so engrossed in comboing until you miss dodging. 2)Katsura Kogorou -After finishing the entire game, without a doubt, this battle gets "the toughest boss battle" award in my book. Obviously, this is what I was talking about in the previous mission's battle with Todou Heisuke. It's finally the time for the ultimate dodge and counter game! Katsura Kogorou has gotten much better from mission 4, be it whether his ideals for the country being realized one by one has been giving him strength or is it that extra white fur-wig which makes him look better and thus allowing him to fight better, be prepared for a rather tedious match. He has three main attacks here: A)Run towards you and attack - dodge with DOWN+X B)Chain attacks - most commonly used by him, dodge with LEFT+X or RIGHT+X C)Ougi - LEFT+X or RIGHT+X. The easiest attack for you to dodge and combo and get some frutiful hits without him blocking. Whenever you see him performing this move, rejoice. As said earlier. The main thing here is really to dodge as as quickly as you can and immediately do a combo. Chances are really very low that you can link many combos so I'd suggest doing a half or 3/4 Oboro combo before you stop and dodge his reciprocals. Continue the process and victory will be in sight. Anything to: 1)The resurrection amulet is at the Fushimi bridge(destroy the look out for cannon at the north main street and the blue transparent shield will disappear) 2)Destroy cannons by slashing at them(takes 12 normal slashes) 3)Always first eliminate any enemies using rifles, ignoring a group of 2 or 3 enemies using rifles = big trouble 4)Normal wooden blockades can be destroyed by slashing at them Recommended Backup officer: Kondou Isami. The bonuses and pair techniques he comes with are really useful for this mission. ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [FINAL CHAPTER: THE BURNING OF OSAKA CASTLE] Overall: This is a long mission. You have to go back and forth between various map sections but don't worry about getting lost as the game will give you proper directions. Clearing the mission: 1)Defeat all 3 enemies 2)Follow yellow marker 3)Defeat all 6 enemies 4)Follow yellow marker 5)Defeat all 6 enemies 6)Follow yellow marker 7)Defeat all 4 enemies and the cannon 8)Proceed to the final section(on the eastern end) of the map 9)Destroy the 2nd cannon 10)Follow yellow markers to the underground passage 11)You are supposed to reach the keep(the yellow marker at the very end of the map) within 5 minutes 12)Once at the keep, continue to follow yellow markers and finally to the room indicated by the red marker at the North Hallway 13)Defeat Izou 14)Follow yellow markers to top floor of castle and then to room indicated by the red marker 15)Defeat Takamori Saigou 16)Defeat the real Takamori Saigou to end the mission Boss Battles: 1)Okada Izou -Weaker this time round(his attacks and moves are pretty much the same as in mission 7). Remember the deathmatch in mission 5? Just fight him using the same method and he'll fall soon. 2)Takamori Saigou(1st) -Same as Oyama in the previous mission, enemies won't stop coming in. Therefore, just concentrate on defeating the boss. He has two ougis. One can be dodge normally, the other is actually a series of rotating attacks and you'll have to keep dodging(with LEFT+X, RIGHT+X OR DOWN+X) until he finishes the move before countering back. Apart that, he's nothing too strong. 3)Takamori Saigou(2nd) -An easy last. Just be very sure to try and stay close to him and do the normal dodge->combos, dodging and countering whenever necessary. His "teleportation" trick can be annoying but the RIGHT+X or LEFT+X dodge(most of his moves have the same dodge direction) is not too difficult to execute. Anything to: 1)There are traps(fixed spears and the sort) on some of the look out for walls in the castle. You don't really need to dodge each and every time the traps activates, just keep your distance away from them and you won't get hurt 2)Break the brown statues inside a few of the castle rooms to discover big pearls of wisdom Recommended Backup officer: Any. Choose the one you are the most comfortable with. ****************************************************************************** <==OPTIONAL MISSIONS==> [OM01] Difficulty of optional missions range from 1(easiest) to 5(hardest). ****************************************************************************** [ROAD RACE, DIFFICULTY: 1 ] Overall: One word, easy. Another good place to practice your fighting techniques. Remember to pick up every pearl the enemies drop to get a good rating because there are not a lot enemies to fight here. Clearing the mission: -Follow the yellow markers and fight enemies along the way until you reach the final destination(a house indicated by the final yellow marker) Recommended Backup officer: Any. ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [GOJOU STREET PATROL, DIFFICULTY: 2] Overall: A run and hack-and-slash mission to be completed within 15 minutes. Very simple actually. Clearing the mission: 1)Explore all sections of the map and defeat 30 enemies 2)Follow yellow markers back to the backyard Recommended Backup officer: Sanosuke. High attack makes for faster kills and finish. ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [HIDDEN SECRET, DIFFICULTY: 3] Overall: Difficulty lies in getting a good rating for pearls obtained. you need to explore around and break breakable items(which takes time) to get hidden pearls. Enemies does not deplete as well so gather 9/10 documents first, then concentrate on killing enemies and obtaining pearls before grabbing the last document before the timer goes below 3-4 minutes left to get a decent rating. Clearing the mission: Search around Ikeda-ya and gather all 10 documents Map and where the documents(marked as "D") are located: 1st floor _____________________________________________ | D | |_____________________________________________|_ | | | | | | | | | | | | ____________________| |___________________| | | |_______________________________________________|__ | | | | | D | | | |____________________|_________|___________________| | | | | | | | |___________________| | _______________________ | | | | | | D | | | _______| | | |______|_______________| /\ |____________| | | | | |____________| | | | | |______________________|___________________________| 2nd floor _____________________________________________________ | D | | _________________________________| |___________________| | | | BB| D | | | | |__________________________|_____ | | | ____|___________________|________________________________| | | | | |__________________ | | | | | | D | | | | | | | | D | |______________|_________________| | | | | |______________________________________| |__________________| | | | | | | | | | | | _____|_________________|____________________| | | | __________________________________| | | \/ | | ______________| | | | | | | | D | | D | | | | | | | | | |______________|_________| |_______________| Basement _______________ | |_| | | | D | _______________________| | | | | _______________________________| | | | | | | | | | |_______ | | | | | | |_ | |_|_____ | | | | | | |____ | | | | |_____ | | | | | __________________________________| | |_| | | | | _| |_______________________________________|_| Anything to: - There's a hidden room on the 2nd floor containing one of look out for the documents. Refer to map above. Break the paper door marked as "BB" to gain access to the room. Recommended Backup officer: Sanosuke or Kondou. That's only because time is very crucial here and unless you are very good at linking quick combos, choosing Saitou is out of question. ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [SERIZAWA'S SCRATCHMARKS, DIFFICULTY: 3] Overall: Rather easy mission you have to complete within 15 minutes. Just don't dilly-dally and make sure you are familiar with the map. Run around the accessible areas when you don't see any new enemies, they will appear sooner or later. Clearing the mission: 1)Defeat first batch of 13 enemies 2)Backup officer will give a reminder. Follow yellow marker to next section of map 3)Defeat 2nd batch consisting of 4 enemies 4)Backup officer will give reminder. Follow yellow marker to next section 5)Defeat 3rd batch consisting of 11 enemies 6)Backup officer will give reminder. Follow yellow marker to last section of the map 7)Defeat last batch consisting of 7 enemies to end mission Anything to look out for: -If you find that you missing the final 35th enemy, refer to the map of the final section below, you'll need to break the paper door indicated by "W" to gain access to the secret room: ______________________________________________ | | ___| |___ | _|_ | | | W | | ___| | ___| ____| ___________________________________ | | | | |__________________ |_________|____ |__ __| | |____________________| | | | | |______________| Recommended Backup officer: Any. Just remember to use Special attacks whenever the bar is filled. ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [ONE HUNDRED BATTLES, DIFFICULTY: 5] Overall: Don't be cheated, they lied. It's not one hundred battles, probably only fifty. If you are slow in getting rid of enemies, it will become two-on-one, three-on-one and then four-on-one. Thankfully, the maximum number of enemies you have to fight at any one time is 4. I recommend Okita to be at least rank 15 or 16 before you even attempt this challenge. That's because I easily cleared this(with Kondou Isami) with more than 4 minutes left at rank 18 so there shouldn't be any major problems with anything >= rank 15. The key is actually decent attack coupled with quick combo links. Clearing the mission: defeat all 100 enemies HP and difficulty of enemies increase as you move on. Dumplings dropped by enemies will remain there forever so only pick one up when you really need the HP recovery. The first 99 enemies consist of mainly: 1)Normal sword-wielding enemies: These are really the same as the enemies you met with in earlier missions so there should be no problems. 2)Normal sword-wielding enemies with higher HP: these are good at dodging. Only appear at the later half of the match(after around the 60th one) so they can be annoying in groups. 3)Spear-wielding enemies: Always kill enemies using spear asap whenever possible. That's because they have this irritating lunge attack which have a huge range but a rather short time period for you to dodge. The lunge attack can be dodged by LEFT+X or RIGHT+X and their only other move is performed when you are near them and can easily be dodged by a simple DOWN+X(always). 4)Hatted enemies: Most annoying of the bunch after the spearmen. Hatted enemies are not only chocked full of hit points, they are fast. Link quick combos and ougis when up against a group of them. Otherwise, you are in for some trouble. Remember to use Master mode and Special attacks whenever the bars are filled, don't hesitate or try to save them for later. They fill up real quick so just use them to injure all enemies on the screen to save some time fighting them or to save your hide when the situation's bad. The 100th enemy is called "swordsman"...well, he's basically really a swordsman with a brown paper bag/basket over his head. He's real easy to fight against(probably only as difficult as your first group of normal enemies, but take note that he knows how to dodge though so don't happily link combos without looking at the screen) it will be a real shame to reach this point and lose to someone like him but the thorn lies in that he has got a boss-like bar of HP, so if you waste too much time fighting the earlier 99 enemies, you will most likely run out of time here. We don't want that happening, so make sure Okita's rank is high enough for a higher dmg rate so you can deplete his HP sooner. Recommended Backup officer: Nagakura Shinpachi. I feel that a high defense is one of the most important factors in this mission. You might want to choose Kondou for the HP and ATK boost or Hijikata's dodging from behind though(which may prove helpful when the enemy numbers increase). ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [BRIDGE DEFENSE, DIFFICULTY: 3] Overall: You've got 15 minutes to clear this easy mission. Clearing the mission: 1)Defeat all 20 enemies on accessible sections of the map 2)Destroy the 3 cannons on the other side of the bridge 3)Go under the bridge and search for the commander 4)Defeat commander to end mission Anything to: 1)Just keep slashing at the cannon until it's destroyed take note 2)The enemy's commander is under the bridge where the boat is docked at(the T-shape section on the map). He has a boss HP bar but easy to defeat with simple dodges and combo links Recommended Backup officer: Any. Saitou is a pretty good choice because some enemies here have rather high HP and combo links are usually needed to kill them. ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [LAIR OF VILLIANS, DIFFICULTY: 3] Overall: Always first kill enemies using rifles where possible. They can shoot from afar and can cut off your combo links if you can't dodge in time. Shots from a distance can be dodged by LEFT+X or RIGHT+X. Clearing the mission: 1)Defeat all 50 enemies in the bamboo grove 2)Follow yellow markers to return to the shed 3)Examine the red marker at the shed to bring out the gang leader 4)Defeat gang leader to end mission VERY ROUGH Map of the bamboo grove: 1st section(no enemies here apart from the final battle) ,... ,-' ``. .''````'''''''''-. ,_' `: 2 : `'---.__ _,,- `. : -'''''''''-. ''''''''` :` '....-` `'-_ ._-' ,_- ,.....-' _,' _,,` : ; .' : ; : : SHED ; : _.-'''''''''', : ; `_ .'` ; : ; ''^'`` ; 1 : ; _.' : ; __.-' `''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''` 2nd section(Total of 20 enemies here, 10 at area marked "B", 10 are spread out around other areas) .._-'''''''''''-. ,:` .` .' ; .` B `. ,,^^ ; _.,` : _,.-''' ..-'', ,' .` ...---.-' `'...._ _.' : .' `, ``````` : `: : `: `. _..' _......'-. '-... ,' `'-.....'```'-.., 4 : '''-. :.._ '-. `'''-,_ : `'._ ....... : '-..''''''''` `, : ; : .: :` ;..../ 3 3rd section(Total of 15 enemies here, 10 at area marked "C", 5 are spread out around other areas) ..-'''''''''''''-. .'` `. : : : : '. C : .''```````````` : ..' ...... : ;` .'''''` : : : : : : .' : `'''''''''''''''` .' ; .'''''-._ .' ''''': : `. _.' ..;........: 5 '._ ''' ..'` :.... ...'` `; \ ; `. _.' `. .-'''''''''' ..'```: `; : _........-` : : '''` :_..-'-' 6 4th section(Total of 15 enemies here) 7 ,.-``. _ 8 : '. ; ````''-...._ _._ ; ; :._ `' : '. `. ``''-. : ; `; _...-'`'''''-..-'''``` ``''-... : ; _.'``` _._ _._ _....._ ... '. `'''``'''```''` -._ ``'` `''''```` `. `. .-''''' _.-''.'` `''._ `._.-'` .'''`` ...'``'''''''' `-._ .: '....-''-'` `'-..-'` Refer to maps above: -Path "4" in the 2nd section is linked to Path "1" in the 1st section -Path "2" of the 1st section is linked to Path "5" in the 3rd section -Path "6" of the 3rd section is linked to Path "7" in the 4th section -Path "8" in the 4th section is linked to Path "3" in the 2nd section ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [ASSAULT ON OMI-YA, DIFFICULTY: 4] Overall: A 15 minute mission. If you want a good rating, you will have to explore every accessible area(for kills and pearls) even though the mission doesn't require you to do that. Clearing the mission: 1)Follow the yellow markers to the 2nd floor 2)Head to room indicated by red marker 3)Defeat the Shogunate patriot(boss HP bar but really easy to beat) Anything to: -The key to the annex(where big pearls and the resurrection look out for amulet are located) is in the soy sauce storehouse -The resurrection amulet is hidden inside the right barrel at the annex end ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [UNAVOIDABLE BATTLE, DIFFICULTY: 5] Overall: The only thing that makes it a difficulty 5 is really lack of casual time to slowly explore around, the enemies deal quite some damage as well. Make sure you know your map well. Clearing the mission: 1)Defeat all 10 enemies in first accessible map section 2)Go to area indicated by red marker 3)Defeat all 4 enemies(including 1 former 4th officer) 4)Pick up key dropped by officer and follow yellow markers 5)Defeat all 14 enemies in second area(accessible after using the key) 6)Go to area marked with red marker 7)Defeat all 6 enemies(including 1 former 4th officer) 8)Pick up key dropped by officer and follow yellow markers 9)Defeat all 6 enemies in third area(accessible after using key) 10)Go to area indicated by red marker 11)Defeat last 5 enemies(including 1 former 4th corporal) Anything to: 1)The officers and corporals have a boss HP bar take note 2)In the last fight with the corporal, I suggest killing him first(instead of the other weaker enemies) because he uses a spear and the wide range will be a disadvantage to you. If possible, you can try luring the other enemies to you and get rid of them before you tackle the corporal, but that's only if he didn't spot you when you make your entrance. ****************************************************************************** | | ****************************************************************************** [NON-NEGOTIABLE VICTORY, DIFFICULTY: 5] Overall: You are supposed to kill all 55 enemies in 20 minutes. The enemies here are the same as your main mission 9. Therefore, do be careful when facing the enemies using rifles. Not too many path splits = pretty simple map. Clearing the mission: 1)Defeat all 6 enemies 2)Follow yellow markers 3)Defeat all 11 enemies 4)Follow yellow markers 5)Defeat all 7 enemies 6)Follow yellow markers 7)Defeat the 2 enemies 8)Follow the yellow markers 9)Defeat all 13 enemies 10)Follow yellow markers 11)Defeat the 3 enemies 12)Follow last yellow marker 13)Defeat the final 3 enemies Anything to: -A good trick to use here is to lure enemies to a safer place to fight when there are cannons/soldiers who use rifles. Recommended Backup officer: Kondou or Sanosuke. Since this mission is mainly about defeating enemies, your no.of kills is fixed, your pearls are also pretty much fixed(only a few breakable items as compared to other missions), what remains is really how skilful you are in dodging, doing combos and the time used. Since the combos section is the easiest to get a "S"(you don't need to do 3 combo links for every enemy) and I can't do anything about how good you are at dodging, all that's left to talk about is how much time you use and faster kills (higher attack) means faster clearing of the mission. ****************************************************************************** <==COMBOS AND OUGIS==> [CO01] A very short section on the combos and ougis. You need to have mastered them to be able to use them. ===COMBOS=== *Sakigake no ichi* SQUARE . SQUARE . SQUARE . SQUARE This combo is the easiest to perform and link. However, it's too slow for bosses and the like. *Oboro naru ni* SQUARE SQUARE SQUARE SQUARE As mentioned multiple times in the walkthrough, this combo is the fastest. Many may have difficulty linking 4 of this combo. Nevertheless, for your own sake, practice until you can do that. 4 Oboro naru ni combos + Rutensou ougi is what I always use and in my opinion, it's the best combination for fighting all types of enemies with high HP. *Hajin no san* SQUARE SQUARE . SQUARE . SQUARE This combo deals more damage than the earlier ones. It can be somewhat tough to execute because of the timing though. You can use this as the finishing combo. *Kouga yobushi* SQUARE . SQUARE SQUARE . SQUARE When I was starting out on this game, I tend to get this while I'm trying to link the Sakigake combo with the Oboro one. As with Hajin, the damage done is somewhat higher. *Tsui no rasen* SQUARE . SQUARE SQUARE SQUARE You get this when you clear the "100 battles" optional mission. It's a much faster combo than the previous two and the damage is decent. You can use this to quickly end fights with weak enemies instead of linking combos which takes more time. ===OUGIS=== *Shikuuha* SQUARE CIRCLE TRIANGLE The first and only ougi you start with. It's a very simply circle slash which you'll probably not use later on in the game. *Fuuzanjin* TRIANGLE CIRCLE SQUARE A thrust attack. Slightly higher damage than Shikuuha but that's really all there is to it. *Rutensou* TRIANGLE TRIANGLE CIRCLE CIRCLE SQUARE SQUARE A real useful ougi for me. What this ougi does is actually repeat the earlier combos. E.g: if you perform 2 Sakigake combos on an enemy and then execute this ougi, Okita will automatically perform another 2 Sakigake combos. That means if you perform 4 Sakigake combos and use this ougi, Okita will automatically execute yet another 4 Sakigake combos without need for you pressing any buttons(as said, it's auto). The best thing about this is that while Okita's performing this ougi, enemies can't hit you so you don't need to worry about dodging and so on. Take note though that it's directed towards a single enemy so don't expect to kill a lot of enemies at one go using this ougi. *Bakukonshin* SQUARE SQUARE CIRCLE CIRCLE TRIANGLE TRIANGLE This is a wide area shockwave which will damage all enemies within around a finger's range. If enemies are hit by it, there's possibility of stun effect. Which practically means that it's good for use when fighting multiple enemies. *Mugen ryuugajin* CIRCLE TRIANGLE SQUARE CIRCLE SQUARE TRIANGLE CIRCLE The ultimate ougi. This is difficult to execute because you need to be fast. So far, I have only been able to perform it with Kondou as the backup officer. I haven't gotten around to testing it with other officers(which tells you how low is the frequency of me using this ougi). Multiple quick thrusts and upper slashes with plenty of "blue lightning" effects, it deals real damage. <==MAIN CHARACTERS==> [MC01] Just a short profile section providing some info on the main Shinsengumi characters in this game, for those interested. ++Okita Souji++ Your main character in this game. Said to be a child prodigy in kenjutsu, earned his certificate in the Tennen Rishin style at a young age. The first division under Okita was said to be involved in important tasks and also one of the Shinsengumi divisions which killed the most amount of people. Okita was recognized as one of the strongest in the Shinsengumi by many with Nagakura Shinpachi saying that Okita's able to defeat even his master Kondou Isami if he's serious. Sadly, he died young in his late twenties due to tuberculosis. ++Kondou Isami++ Shinsengumi's kyokuchou(chief), a solemn man for most parts. As a backup officer in the game, he's good to pair up with when you need to complete a rather difficult mission in the shortest time possible because with him, Okita receives an attack and HP boost as well as longer time period for Master mode and Ougi timer. ++Hijikata Toshizou++ A close friend of Kondou Isami and a very strict man. Nicknamed the "Oni no fukuchou"("demon vice chief") and greatly feared by others. As a backup officer in the game, he's pretty much average(small amount of boost) but allows dodging attacks from behind. ++Nagakura Shinpachi++ Using the Shindou Munen style and in charge of the Shinsengumi's 2nd division, he was said to be one of the strongest in the Shinengumi along with Okita and Saitou but apparently that's not really depicted in the game, giving only a large boost in defense and reduction in HP. ++Harada Sanosuke++ Often depicted as a hot-headed/loud person. As a backup officer in the game, he gives the highest boost in attack but causes a slight reduction in defense. ++Saitou Hajime++ Low-profile to most people until the manga Rurouni Kenshin came out. He's one of the very few Shinsengumi "main personnel" along with Nagakura Shinpachi to remain alive after the fall of the group. In the game, he's good as a backup officer when you don't need to rush with time because in exchange for a large reduction in all parameters, the more combos you link, the higher the damage. In other words, good for fighting easy bosses and the like. ++Todou Heisuke++ A young Shinsengumi member. In the game as backup officer, he's pretty decent(gives slight boosts). <==FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS==> [FQ01] Q: What are the characters and story in this game about? A: This game focuses on the group Shinsengumi which existed in reality and some of the events they were involved in during the late 1800s in Japan. Q: Are the happenings in the game similar to the original? A: Some. Don't expect complete adherence to the historical facts, persons and figures because this is really just a game. Q: What is half combo and 1/4 combo in your faq about? A: If you play the game, you will know what is a combo, how to execute a combo as well as what a full combo is like: 4 SQUARE button presses in correct timing = 4 hits. Half-combo = 2 hits(first 2 SQUARE button presses), 1/4 combo = 1 hit(first SQUARE button). As the game progresses, you'll realize it gets harder and harder to dodge and do a full combo when fighting bosses because enemies can dodge and counter as well. The scenario will become as below: Enemy attack->you dodge and begin doing a combo->enemy dodge and counter before you can finish your full 4 hit combos->you have to stop halfway through and dodge the enemy's counter and begin a new combo The process continues. That's why in most cases, you'll only end up dealing 1 or 2 combo hits before you have to dodge again. That's what it means by half-combo and 1/4 combo. Q: Why are there maps for some missions and none for the others in this walkthrough? A: I do brief maps here only when I deem it necessary to use them to provide more information on clearing the mission. Q: Some portions of your maps are not completely similar to the original. They are ugly. A: I apologize. I ain't good with such things. They are meant to be brief maps though(layout-based and not totally exact to scale) and as far as I can see, they fulfill their intended purpose: show where certain items/places/ persons are located. Q: What is the max rank? A: After clearing the final mission, the experience points I obtained allowed Okita to advance to rank 30 and I remember seeing the points turning blue. I'd say 30, at least for the NORMAL difficulty. Q: What's the highest rating? A: "S". Getting "S" requires extra effort(e.g: if the total pearls are not enough, you may have to get more by defeating enemies in the master mode) and you will only get an overall "S" when you get "S" for every section(kills, dodge etc). Not entirely necessary to show you've mastered the game but you can always strive for them if you can't sleep unless you get them. Q: Any extras? A: Clear the entire game once and save your clear data. You can begin a new game by loading that data. You get to keep all your learnt combos and ougis. Better yet, you can choose to use Hijikata...but there is only one backup officer(Okita) for Hijikata's play. Also, Hijikata has the same combos and ougis(well both of them use the Tennen Rishin style so that can't be helped) but you are able to attack enemies lying on the ground with the TRIANGLE button(very useful for enemies who fall back on their butts when they spot you). Q: *Spoiler* Who is Gorou Fujita? A: That wasn't the first time he changed his name. He's actually Saitou. Q: I'm playing the JPN version. Can I email you to ask questions? A: Yeah. I won't say for sure I can answer everything though, even if you are playing the EU version ^.^ Q: Errors. What to do? A: Please direct any mistakes and whatsoever to my email. <==CREDITS==> -Gamefaqs for posting this walkthrough -All persons involved in creating this really enjoyable great game -The articles at ja.wikipedia for some of the info under the profile section