/============================================================================\ | Star Soldier | /****************************************************************************\ .:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:..:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:. Version 1.0 (08/8/2005) Version History: -3/27/2006, added 1up as a host. 1.0: Basic Guide Complete - (08/8/2005) .:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:..:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:. Legality: This Guide is Copyright, 2005, Matthew McIntyre This guide may not be used on a website or in any public forum where it is protected by copyright without the consent of the author. To contact me: entropiclobo(at)yahoo(dot)ca or chaos(dot)wolf(at)gmail(dot)com Websites with permission to use this Guide: www.GameFAQS.com www.neoseeker.com faqs.IGN.com www.1up.com Game by Hudson ****************************************************************************** * Table of Contents * ****************************************************************************** *To jump to a section, hold the Control Key and press F, then type in the section number as it appears (ie type N1) S1: Intro S2: Basics S3: Blocks and Items S4: Levels S5: Enemies S6: Star Brains S7: Tips S8: Credits -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | S1: Intro | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= There's a game just like this you know? No, I don't mean one of the hundreds of shooters that are flying around, I'm talking about the game Star Force. These games are so similar, if you've played one for a long time then played the other, you'd be rather surprised. And for some reason, I had my first taste of Star Soldier two years ago when I'd bought it second hand. I popped it in an NES and I swear I thought I was playing Star Force. Well nevermind for a second that Hudson has hands in both games, it's the striking similarity that possibly makes me such a fan of Star Soldier. While Star Force holds a place in my heart that stems from my childhood, Star Soldier is rad enough to woo me with its fun. Star Soldier is a vertically scrolling shooter that features wave after wave after wave of enemies. If you aren't a fan of that kind of game, you certainly won't like this. If you don't want to work to complete a game, this isn't for you either. The enemies at later levels are just perverse with size and speed of assault they'll launch. But hey, if you're up for the challenge Star Soldier can be a very rewarding game to play. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | S2: Basics | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Control Pad: Move Ship Start: Pause A/B: Fire Powering Up: When you powerup, you'll be able to fire in front and back of yourself, plus gain rapid fire. You will also gain a shield. Powering up all the way initally gives you a five-way shot and some special music will play. If you're hit you will go back to a two-way, but you won't be able to go back to five-way until you're powered down enough that the music stops. Your HUD: +----------------------+ | A C | | B | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +----------------------+ A: Current stage, displayed like: S1, S2, S3... (Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3...) B: Score C: Lives Terrain: Some terrain will make your ship go under it. IF you decide to go under, you can't shoot but also can't be harmed. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | S3: Blocks and Items | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -~Blocks~- Eyes: Keep firing to make them close over. Close it completely over for 2000 points. Large Dragon Block: Worth 200 points. Large Pheonix Block: Worth 300 points. P-Block: Releases a powerup. Skull: Worth 200 points. Skull 2: Shooting it causes it to shrink, but destroy it for 400 points. Snake Block: Worth 100 points. Star Block: Worth 100 points. Z-Block: Appears randomly on the ground as you shoot, destroy it for 500 Bonus Points. -~Items~- Powerup: The only item to speak of, looking like this ( S ). It will power your ship up. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | S4: Stages | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Star Soldier kind of differs from other games that are laid out in this manner, having discrete stages and a definite end rather than having the game loop. However, at teh same time these stages can't truly be dfined in words in a way that will help you to any great extent. Why? Well, the levels are basically wave after wave of enemy. And to be honest, while my information on enemies or the Star Brains could proove helpful, in a game like this it is ultimately your skill that determines if you will prevail. So I was surprised to see an ending myself, I wanted to beat enough stages to proove that Bigstar Brains appear every four stages. Well, that was proven well enough. The Star Brains are bosses of the level. You know they are coming when "ATTACK STAR BRAIN" appears towards the top of the screen. If you don't defeat them in time, they can escape. It's not odd for a Big Star Brain, or Star Brain in later stages for that matter, to escape your initial assault. My data from a run through the game: Stage 1: Star Brain, Blue Big Face. Stage 2: Star Brain. Stage 3: Star Brain. Stage 4: Big Star Brain. Stage 5: Star Brain, Big Eyes. Stage 6: Star Brain, Blue Big Face. Stage 7: Star Brain. Stage 8: Big Star Brain, Big Eyes. Stage 9: Star Brain. Stage 10: Star Brain. Stage 11: Star Brain. Stage 12: Big Star Brain, Blue Big Face. Stage 13: Star Brain (Ex), Big Eyes, Blue Big Face. Stage 14: Star Brain (Ex), Big Eyes. Stage 15: Star Brain (Ex), Blue Big Face. Stage 16: Big Star Brain (Ex), Big Eyes. The other listed enemies are minibosses or at least "rather big enemies" (in relation to others) which assault you during parts of the stage. Note that while I have them listed like this, more could appear especially if a Star Brain escapes. If a Brain escapes, you will be sent back in the stage and have to fight your way back to it. During this time, other minibosses may appear. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | S5: Enemies | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Enemies, since I do not know the official name, will be described based on colour and shape, then I'll comment on patterns. *Big Eyes 1000 points -Miniboss that is just two lare eyes that fire shtos at you. Easy to dispatch really. *Blue Big Face 1000 Points -Forms from four pieces and takes multiple hits. It's really not a huge trouble as it stays relatively still and fires shots at you. Fill it full of space lead and be on your way. *Blue Circle 300 points -They fly to a point on the screen, and start followinga circling path very quickly. They will keep this up for a while and then fly straight down, off the screen. They are relatively easy points if you aren't under the stage, but look out for crowding. *Blue Circle 2 100 points -When shot they turn into the large curving shot of a star brain. Once you know this enemy, beware of shooting too many. They shoot at you if you leave them, however, so it is your choice entirely. They will later fly around more viciously, actually seeking you out. If they exhibit this behaviour then pal, you'd better take them out. *Blue Circle 3 100 points | Looking like a disc with four protrusions, they quickly crowd the upper _/ \_ portion of the screen and fire shots. They are only a problem because of \ / the abrupt arrival, they aren't difficult to destroy or avoid if you're | low on the screen. They fly away shortly after arriving. *Blue Cluster 100 points /\ /\ <- Looks like that. They move in a large curve down and then up the \//\\/ screen. /\\//\ \//\\/ /\\//\ \/ \/ *Blue I 100 points Have a slow descent witha curving path that makes them look like they're bouncing. They fire shots but they're sitting ducks themselves. *Blue Ship 300 point ()()() Well that;s pretty rough, but the "Ship" for lack of a better term looks /\ like three circles on top, a large oval on bottom. They kind of look /\/\ like a spaceship. Anyways, they fly down the screen and take a few hits to off. They're only a problem if they crowd you. *Blue X: 200 points -This enemy has some tough skin, should take around three shots from a ship lacking powerups to take out. They have a general area they tend to move around erratically in, like they are restricted to a little circle. They also fire at you and come in large numbers. If you don't have powerups, you could be hard pressed to take many of them out. *Blue Rhomboid 100 points -Diamond shaped enemies. When they come on the screen, they make a quick loop and then leave the screen in straight lines. They can fire as well. They are only a problem if they appear with other waves. *Orange Circle 400 points. These fly quickly from corners of the stage and then escape. If you know that they are coming, stay perhaps in the bottom centre of the screen. *Orange Circle 2: 100 points Seem to split into more as you attack, if you notice this happen either pass it or reap the points as long as you mind the shots. They take a few shots to destroy so they aren't really worth it. They have slight player tracking. *Orange "Claws" 200 points (\./) Looking sort of like the diagram, this relatively simple enemy starts a (-|-) curvy path down the screen with its chums. When it reaches the end, it | flies back and away. They all follow the same path, so they are easy to deal with. *Orange Disc with Prongs: 200 points -This enemy that looks like an orange circle with a tuning fork tuck out of it attacks by flying in an arc. This arc stretched from the top of the screen to about the midpoint, then again to the top of the sreen. They may launch a shot at you at the apex of their arc, but it should be easy to dodge. They could be tricky but they actually come fairly isolated from one another. Yes, they are one after the other but at least tehy don't come all at once. *Oange/Red Flame 400 points. -They look like fireballs. They fly a distance down teh screen, then head for you, and then plit to heading horizontally while keeping some downward momentum which becomes dangerous if they wrap aroudn the screen and surprise you. *Purple Butterfly 100 points -A simple enemy that makes a loop from the top of the screen to offscreen and fires a shot. *Red, Angled, Insect Heads -200 points That description is vague, I know. Well you know how the head of a praying mantis looks? Well tilt it and you have this enemy. They fly away after being hit once so fire fast to kill. Otherwise they follow a tight curve down the screen firing shots. They can be very spread out, so they do pose a threat. *Red, Angled, Ovals: 100 points -These guys sweep the screen from side to side while travelling towards you. They are the first enemy you'll encounter and aren't much of a threat. While there may be groups of them sweeping one direction while others sweep the opposite direction, they should still go down fast. *Red Barbells 100 points -Simple enemy that is two spheres connected by a rod. They simply fly down and off the screen. Easy points? Well, they do come in a fairly large group but their dispersion is fairly random. You might not be able to get them all with no powerups. The only problem they cause is, while they do have momentum that carries them off the screen, they try to get at you. Later on, they will fire at you (at least by S6). *Red Bats/Bugs 300 points -Another vague enemy to describe, but recognize it by the behaviour. They come from the bottom of the screen almost in the corners, move up and then loop back at you. When they've looped back, they'll fire. If you're out of reach they will move towards you slightly before escaping off the bottom of the stage. *Red Bee 100 points -Nothing of a threatm these senemies that look like sideways enemies will just move back in forth with quick changes between these directions while heading down teh screen. There can be a few groups on screen at once, but they mainly follow the leader. *Red Circle 100 points -They fly down, most often in a line, and coil around the ship, circling it until they fly away or you destroy them. They also fire shots whiel circling so take soem care. With a powered up ship, this formation is easy to exploit. *Red Dragonfly 200 points -Potentailly dangerous, they fly straight down then hit a diagonal while firing a shot. The good thing is that they all come down down in a straight line. They split before reaching the bottom, so if you can get under them relatively quickly you could take them all out. Could be tricky though. *Red Humanoid Power Armors 100 points -Dangerous enemy. They sweep onto the screen from lower corners and then start firing at you. They then start approaching you for a while until they fly away. They can come in large numbers. When you notice them coming, stay out fo the bottoms corners and take them out as they arrive. *Red Rays 300 points -Look like stingrays to an extent. They come in single file from the bottom of the screen and inch their way upwards before flying straight towards you and off the screen. *Red Star 100 points -Well, a star with six protrusions. They will come in large numbers down either side of the stage and then move across it when they're near the bottom. *Red Swirl Snails/Nautilus 100 Points -Well, definitely a Mollusc of some sorts. They kind of look like cinnamon rolls I suppose. They fly onto the screen and fire, then leave. Multiple will come onto the screen at once, they fall into formation and fire. This means you can take out a few for easy points. That's never a bad thing. Because they don't stick around and have a predictable way of fallinto place, they are only a minor threat at best. *Red, Three Balls 200 points -Essentially two smaller balls placed in front of a large one. These enemies fly in from the sides of the screen - one from the left and one from the right in an effort to crush you. Because of the sudden nature of the assault, they can be considered a threat and after the initial two you should stay clear of the sides of the screen. *Red X 400 points -These things which are an X made of five red balls fly down the screen at an alarming rate. They are a large threat and if you don't have the firepower to deal with them then I suggest you try to take cover. Otherwise, stick to the bottom of the screen and keep firing, give yourself a little back and forth movement if possible. *Yellow Flower 100 points -Look like a blooming flower. Linger on the screen for a while following a circular loop firing. Because they linger, you should consider them a priority target. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | S6: Star Brains | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ***Star Brain*** A large starship with a pulsating brain in the centre. You must fire at this Brain until the boss is destroyed. The Star Brain attacks you in two ways, by firing the standard enemy shots at you or by firing large orbs at you. The orbs Move down teh screen with a curvy path. Hitting them is treated as a collision and will probably destroy you. The Star Brain has a relatively simple pattern and can be defeated quiet easily, by just firing at the Brain and avoiding the shots. ***Big Star Brain*** Now we're talking bub. This huge lord of the stars is vicious and will probably escape on you the first time you fight it, in fact I think they're meant to escape. This is a huge starship with a large brain in the centre. It also has four rotating turrets which fire standard enemy shots at you. Like the Star Brain, it also fires orbs from its brain. There's a lot of firepower on screen at once so I do hope you have experience weaving between shots. Take out the cannons, either by concentrating on one or strafing multiple. After you've taken out the cannons, start attacking the Brain. It will probably escape. On the second time through, the cannons are back. So take them out as quickly as possible. After teh cannons are destroyed this time, the Brain will keep firing orbs but also a new large red bullet. This is very, very dangerous as it tracks your position, it has some momentum so that it travels in a direction, then changes to pursue you. You will either need to stay in place, then dodge teh shots, or attempt to fly around the Star Brain, whiich could end in grave disaster. Tempting the shots then didging is your best bet. Concentrate your fire on teh brain and you'll eventually win. ***Star Brain (EX)*** This is just a regular Star Brain, or at least the game calls it that. I've added the EX because this guy loves to escape, they give you hardly any time on its first encounter, and it fires those same tracking shots as the Big Star brain. Now, thankfully there is plenty of room to dodge, so tempt the shots like you would any Big Star Brain's, and fire at teh core... er brain. I should note that sometimes on the second encounter they will not fire tracking shots. Ah well, don't complain. ***Big Star Brain (EX)*** I've added the EX for a very special reason. This is the last boss of the game, and he has earned his status but good. The first encounter will be like any Big Star Brain, but if you make it to the second encounter, it's much harder than any other Star Brain you've faced. This is because the four cannons will be firing tracking shots! Yep, pretty sick. The bets way to dodge them is to go to one side of teh screen close to the front of the Star Brain, then dodge to the other side as they approach. If you manage to take out the cannons, it will be like any other Star Brain. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | S7: Tips | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= *Big Face Arrival: You'd think its segments fly in towards the centre but they don't. They first fly horiztonally to form the top and bottom, then fly vertically to form the head, so don't think you're safe from being crushed at the bottom of the stage! *Enemy Advancement: During the later stages, enemies that normally don't shoot may start shooting. Typically, enemies become stronger, faster, and more aggressive. *Enemy Advancement 2: By level 13, enemies will be firing the same tracking shots as a Big Star Brain. *Extra Ships: 50000, 200000, 500000 points. That's pretty spaced out and really not enough for 16 stages if you aren't adept at the game. These are probably the only extra lives you'll see, as the game ends and 500000 could take you a while to reach. *Minibosses: While you fight the eyes or face, no other enemies will appear on the screen. They leave after some time, however, but may come back after you. *Orange is Nasty: Remember those Orange Circles that divide? They are bloody nasty and should be avoided at all costs in the later stages. This is because of Overlap and the fact that they do shoot at you and follow you to some degree. If you notice an enemy dividing, try not to lead your shots into that area. *Overlap: Enemies don't normally overlap, but by at least level 13, you can get two or three waves onscreen at one time. Yikes! So when you're in the later stages, you are going to need to take elaborate evasions, but mind the fact that other waves could be coming down as well. *Power Up: Common sense, right? Well, believe me you need to powerup on later levels so you can cover multiple sides of your ship. Otherwise, you'll be taken down very quickly. *Power Up Clear: If you pick up a powerup while the powerup music is playing, every enemy onscreen will be destroyed. *Power Up Sacrifice: The best powerup to have during the stage is the Five way, However, this is not very effective against the Star Brains. If you get the two way fire with the two streams in front, one in back for battling a Star Brain then it will be defeated much faster. Take a hit during the Star Brains to be reduced. Then if you want 5-way in the next Stage, take a few hits until the powerup music stops then grab a powerup. That's quite dangerous, however, and especially on later stages shouldn't be attempted as much. *Terrain: Don't be afraid to try and get under terrain when a particularly heinous wave of enemies is onscreen. Just be sure you're able to pick a decent point of exit taht won't wind up having you destroyed. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | S8: Credits | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Thanks go out to my hosts for letting you see this, and Hudson for making the game. It delivers the challenge I like and teh Star Brains are pretty snazzy. Websites with permission to use this Guide: www.GameFAQS.com www.neoseeker.com faqs.IGN.com www.1up.com Game by Hudson