--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elemental Gearbolt FAQ v0.5 Last revision: 24/4/99 by Jonathan Weeks (jon@animejin.demon.co.uk) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LEGAL NOTICE ============ Copyright 1998 by Jonathan Weeks. All Rights Reserved. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, no guarantee can be given. You are granted the following rights: To make copies of this work in original form, so long as 1. the copies are exact and complete; 2. the copies include the copyright notice and these paragraphs in their entirety; 3. the copies give obvious credit to the author; 4. the copies are in electronic form. To distribute this work, or copies made under the provisions above, so long as 1. this is the original work and not a derivative form; 2. you do not charge a fee for copying or for distribution; 3. you ensure that the distributed form includes the copyright notice, this paragraph, and credit to the author; 4. the distributed form is not in an electronic magazine or within computer software; 5. the distributed form is the newest version of the article to the best of the knowledge of the distributor; 6. the distributed form is electronic. You may not distribute this work by any non-electronic media, including but not limited to books, newsletters, magazines, manuals, catalogues, and speech. You may not distribute this work in electronic magazines or within computer software without prior written explicit permission. These rights are temporary and revocable upon written, oral, or other notice by Jonathan Weeks. If you would like additional rights beyond those granted above, please contact Jonathan Weeks. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contents ======== Contents...............................................................here Introduction.....................................................just below Revision History...........................................a bit further on Game Mechanics...................................................after that Scoring.............................................in the middle somewhere Secret Chalices.....................................most of the way through Strategy Guide.................................................near the end So you want to win the $10,000 contest.........................almost there Acknowledgements..............................................at the bottom --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction ============ This is a FAQ for the US edition of the Playstation game 'Elemental Gearbolt'. As this FAQ is intended for people who own the game, I have not included any information that can be found in the manual. Suggestions for further information to include or more strategies would be gratefully received. The latest version of this file is available from GameFAQs at http://www.gamefaqs.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revision History ================ v0.1 - 19/10/98 - first release v0.2 - 5/11/98 - fixed lots of typing and spelling errors - figured out how the score multiplier works and added a table for it - removed the continuation trick, as it doesn't improve your score in light of how the multiplier works - added notes on the difference between one and two player modes - found out that chalices do have a point value - added a scoring table - added a level/experience chart - added a note on the hit bonus v0.3 - 23/11/98 - clarified the hit bonus - filled in all the blanks in the scoring table - filled in all but one blank in the score multiplier table - added 'So you want to win the $10,000 contest' section - switched to the proper boss names throughout - found out that maximum level is 16 - added a separate note on the conditions required to get the x10 multiplier - found the last chalice v0.4 - 22/1/99 - spotted that there is no score multiplier using the Water Snake - fixed some spelling errors - a few adjustments to contest section - added a note on invunerability mode - clarified the relationship between level and health v0.5 - 24/4/99 - added a note that the $10,000 contest is now closed and listed the highest scores submitted according to Working Designs --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Game Mechanics ============== Controllers ----------- The manual has illustrations for the use of the Standard Control Pad, Analogue pad, Namco Guncon and Konami Justifier. Other controllers that are compatible with these are presumably supported. The one detail missing is the control method for the Analogue Pad. This operates in a similar way to the standard controller, but in analogue mode the speed the crosshair moves changes according to the angle of the joystick. Levelling up ------------ The trade off screen in-between acts gives you the opportunity to take bonus points as either score or experience. Beginners are recommended to choose experience as this advances your level, increasing weapon power and maximum health so that you have a better chance of completing the game. As you improve, you should be able to complete the game at lower levels, reducing the need to trade off and increasing your score. The maximum level that can be reached is 16. The level chart in the manual gives the experience required to move from one level to the next, not the total experience required. Here is a chart of the total experience required for each level: Level Next lvl Total 1 0 0 2 50,000 50,000 3 120,000 170,000 4 300,000 470,000 5 520,000 990,000 6 820,000 1,810,000 7 1,170,000 2,980,000 8 1,570,000 4,550,000 9 2,000,000 6,550,000 10 2,500,000 9,050,000 11 3,000,000 12,050,000 12 3,500,000 15,550,000 13 4,000,000 19,550,000 14 4,500,000 24,050,000 15 5,000,000 29,050,000 16 6,000,000 35,050,000 The level chart also gives the 'Physical Strength' for each level. This is the maximum health of your character which is displayed in the game as crystals. Each large crystal represents 100 health and each small crystal represents 20 health. E.g. at level one, strength is 280 - two large crystals and four small ones. Invunverability Mode -------------------- The manual describes an invunerability mode but does not give any details of the conditions required for it. The only thing that I have been able to figure out is that it only occurs when a player's health is very low. Continuing ---------- In normal mode you have four credits, so that you can continue after being killed three times. Each time you continue your score is halved but your level is increased by one. Two player mode --------------- Two player mode is the same as one player mode except that: All the enemies (including bosses) have twice as much health as in one player mode. You can continue without returning to the start of a level, providing the other player is still alive. If all fairies in an act are shot, both players receive the 100,000 point bonus. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scoring ======= The manual has names, descriptions and point values for most of the enemies in the first three acts. Here is a complete table of the point values for all destroyable targets in the game. Enemies marked * are not named in the manual or game, so I have given a description instead. All acts -------- orb 10 fairy 120 silver coin 500 gold coin 3,000 small potion 10 large potion 10 chalice 100,000 Opening Act ----------- Tyrl 150 Tiashi 120 *blue hopping thing 170 Vidal 240 *Vidal missile 1,000 Saferimniru 230 *Saferimniru missile 1,000 Wardom 20,000 *Wardom missile 1,000 Act 2 ----- *orange walker 240 Flig 240 Tiashi 120 Ozle 270 *Ozle shot 2,500 Berge Mill 240 *Berge Mill bomb 2,500 *thin green flying thing !!! Redmag 180 Midguld 30,000 *Midguld spike 1,000 *Midguld bubble 2,340 Act 3 ----- Hadeline 180 Tyrl 150 Tiashi 120 Halemod 310 *Halemod shot 2,700 *big soldier 320 *big soldier shot 3,800 *small brown wall thing 190 *wall thing shot 1,700 Neethog 36,000 *Neethog shot 2,500 Act 4 ----- *small beige soldier 280 *thin green flying thing !!! *big brown armoured thing 230 *big armoured thing missile 1,000 *big spidery thing 230 *big spidery thing shot 1,800 *small dark red floaty thing 310 *small floaty thing bomb 2,500 Audmra 40,000 *small grey spinning thing 2,000 *Audmra shot 2,400 Act 5 ----- *small rock 3,000 *winged flyer 320 *winged flyer bomb 4,500 *small dark floaty thing 310 *small floaty thing bomb 2,500 *dark blue/yellow soldier 190 *blue ball on pole 50 *winged statue 50 *brown flying thing 350 *big red scythe wielder 260 *scythe wielder shot 3,700 Idon 50,000 *Idon bubble 20,000 *Idon shot 750 Finale ------ *corridor statue 50 *dark blue/yellow soldier 190 *red Tiashi 120 *red soldier with shield 290 *red soldier shot 3,800 Maldel 60,000 *Maldel shot 1,400 *Maldel column 25,000 Reftraseal 70,000 *Reftraseal white shot 1,200 *Reftraseal orange shot 2,000 *final boss 100,000 *final boss dagger 5,000 *final boss green mist 2,000 *final boss orange shot 2,000 *final boss blue bubble 1,500 !!! - The thin green flying things are worth 240 points if destroyed close up, or 1,100 points if destroyed while far away. The Score Multiplier -------------------- Destroying consecutive targets without missing a shot or taking damage increases the 'combo' value displayed at the top left of the screen. When using the Blaze Phoenix or Thunder Tiger, the score awarded for destroying a target is multiplied by a factor that depends on the combo value and the level of the player. The multipliers that occur are x2, x3, x4, x5 and x10. This table gives the combo needed for each multiplier at each level: Level: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 --------------------------------------------------------------------- x2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 15 18 x3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 15 17 19 21 25 29 33 x4 7 9 10 11 13 15 17 19 22 25 29 33 38 44 50 57 x5 11 13 15 17 20 23 26 30 34 39 45 52 59 68 78 ?? [I have achieved a combo of 88 on level 16 but I was still getting x4.] To get the x10 multiplier you must use the Blaze Phoenix at level 1 with a combo of at least 50. The Hit Bonus ------------- Hitting targets consecutively without missing or taking a hit, even if you don't destroy them earns a hit bonus. The bonus is 15 points per hit, multiplied by the hit counter, up to a maximum of 450 points (30 hits). However, there is no bonus when using the Blaze Phoenix, so you must use one of the other weapons to get the bonus. There is also no bonus awarded when hitting a chalice. For example, if you shoot the first Tyrl in the game with the Blaze Phoenix you score 150 points, but if you shoot it with the Thunder Tiger it takes 7 hits so you get an extra 0 + 30 + 45 + 60 + 75 + 90 + 105 = 405 points for a total of 555 points in all. If you then go on to shoot the second Tyrl as well without missing, you get 120 + 135 + 150 + 165 + 180 + 195 + 210 = 1305 bonus points. Weapon change bonus ------------------- You get 10 points every time you change weapons. I don't recommend pursuing this, as even if you take every opportunity to use it, you're not going to add more than a few thousand points to your overall score. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Secret Chalices =============== The manual mentions the presence of twelve hidden chalices in the game. Chalices are worth finding as they are worth 100,000 points and one of the conditions of the high score contest detailed in the back of the manual is that you must find all of the chalices to qualify. Of course, since there's $10,000 at stake, players are understandably reluctant to divulge what they know. Luckily, not being a resident of the US or Canada disqualifies me immediately so I can blab all I want (ha ha!). To obtain a chalice, you must shoot it twice with the weapon specified, once to reveal it and then again to claim it. The other weapons will register a hit, but will not reveal or claim it. Opening Act : Grieving Angel's Descent -------------------------------------- About a third of the way through the level, you jump down into the main part of the city. You then move forward and briefly face left. While you are facing left, there is a fairy and an orb (small potion) in front of you. Shoot the door of the building on the left hand side of the screen with the Blaze Phoenix. Just before you approach the boss, you jump over a high gate and then pass through a large open area with two orbs (coins and large potion). Shoot the door on the right hand side of the building on the left hand side of the screen with the Thunder Tiger. Act 2 : Enter the Dragon ------------------------ While making your way through the forest at the beginning of this level, you come to a small rise, with a fairy and orb (coins) together in from of it. Shoot the base of the bush to the right of the fairy/orb with the Water Snake. Near the end of this level you pass under two bridges and then over a third. There are now a number of spires in front of you and Redmags in the water. One of the spires has a fairy in front of it. Shoot just above the tip of this spire with the Blaze Phoenix. Act 3 : The Crypt of Despair ---------------------------- Most of the way through this level there is a long fall after which you pass over three Ari rising out of the sand. Shoot the mouth of the first Ari (between its pincers) with the Blaze Phoenix. Immediately before you reach Neethog, you pass over a bridge and then pause briefly before turning left to face it. During that brief pause, shoot straight ahead at the centre of the roof of the corridor with the Water Snake. Act 4 : Plains of Regret ------------------------ There are several spider-like enemies in the first part of this act. At one point you pass three of them on your right and then immediately circle a rock formation to come face to face with the third one. Shoot the area immediately above this spider's head with the Blaze Phoenix. After the initial approach to the boss, you turn around and fly backwards for a while. A fairy appears to the left of a rock formation. Shoot the gap between the fairy and the rock formation with the Thunder Tiger. Act 5 : The Palace Ruins ------------------------ After you jump the palace gate you move forward, up some steps, forward again and then through some trees. Just before you enter the trees, there are some larger trees on the left side of the screen. Shoot the centre of the rightmost of these trees with the Blaze Phoenix. Once inside the palace you pass through two large chambers, connected by a vertical section. In the vertical section, there are two ledges with enemies on them. At the second ledge, shoot the middle of the first pillar to the right of the back of the ledge with the Water Snake. Finale : Purposed to Perish --------------------------- The first part of this level consists of two corridors separated by a large room. At the start of the second corridor there is an alcove on the left. Shoot the centre of this alcove with the Thunder Tiger. After defeating maldel you pass through a tunnel and then up through the roof onto a plain. Before Reftraseal appears, shoot the base of the rock formation on the far right of the screen with the Water Snake. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Strategy Guide ============== General ------- Weapon choice : Despite the manual's claim that different weapons work better on different enemies, I have found that The Blaze Phoenix works best for almost everything. The one exception is using the Thunder Tiger to destroy missiles. Coin orbs : To hit all the coins in a coin orb use the Blaze Pheonix and fire twice, first at the ball and then second at the area immediately above it. The second shot should hit all the coins as they fly up before they can scatter. This will not work if you are too close to the orb, so try and do it when you are as far away from a ball as possible. Opening Act ----------- Immediately after the first chalice, you move to the right and then onto a small bridge with a fairy in front of it. There is a small potion orb hidden behind the bridge, at the same screen position as the fairy. While you are fighting the Wardom, hidden coin orbs appear in the two trees on the right, one behind the Wardom and one that comes into view as you move back. Wardom: Just pound on him with the Blaze Phoenix until he blows up. Shoot other enemies when they appear and use the Thunder Tiger on any missiles. Act 2 ----- As you rise up to the plateau section, you can see a large, multi-segment ship flying in the air. This is the Sltole mentioned in the manual, which registers hits when you shoot it, but appears to be impossible to destroy. When you rise to the upper level of the plateau, there is a large spire in front of you. The second time the top of the spire is visible, a potion orb appears at its tip. Midguld: Alternate between Blaze Phoenix for the boss, and Thunder Tiger for everything else. The end of it's tail does not register hits. When it swims around with only its fins showing, you can still hit it. Act 3 ----- Near the start, there is a chamber with two fairies. As you move to the right out of this area, there are two Tyrls behind low barriers. There is a hidden coin orb behind the right-hand barrier. As far as I can tell, the Ari are invulnerable and don't register hits. Neethog: Keep shooting the head/brain continuously and any Hadelines as soon as they appear. When the boss raises it's arm to swipe at you, you have to shoot the end of the arm. Act 4 ----- The most important thing about this act is that the enemies are smaller than other acts, but take longer to attack you. If you wait until they approach you before shooting them, you may be overwhelmed, so shoot then as soon as they appear, even when they are a long way off. Audmra: Just keep pounding away with the Blaze Phoenix at its central area until it runs out of health. It blows up when you take out the green sphere that appears underneath it, but don't forget to wait until you've hit all the fairies (the last three are in a group together). Act 5 ----- You overtake three Sltoles during the first part of this act, but as in Act 2, they register hits but I've never been able to destroy one. Just before you approach the palace gate, you fly past several large arches. Two of these arches have potion orbs under them. When you jump the palace gate, there are two fairies and a small potion orb on top of the gate and a hidden large potion orb in the trees on the ground to your right. You only have enough time to shoot the fairies and one orb, so shoot the one in the trees (unless you have at least 75% health remaining). There is a coin orb hidden in the tree to the left of the tree containing the first chalice. Idon: He tends to fire at you from very close range, so you have to anticipate and fire simultaneously to avoid being hit. Finale ------ The statues lining the corridor at the start of this act can be destroyed. Red soldiers: These guys have shields that make them invulnerable until they raise their swords to fire. Time your shots carefully. After the initial corridor you enter an large room with balconies on each side. There is a hidden coin orb behind the second pillar from the left on the far side of the room. Mardel: When he materialises in the central area, he releases a number of purple spheres. You take damage if you hit them, so stop firing while they are on screen. Reftraseal: This one just lumbers around the screen, firing slow shots at you. The only point would seem to be to lull you into a false sense of security before what comes next. Final Boss: This boss has several attacks, all of which can be countered with accurately timed Blaze Phoenix or Thunder Tiger shots. Anticipate the attack patterns and counter as he fires. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- So you want to win the $10,000 contest... ========================================= Unfortunately the closing date for the contest has now passed, so the contest is over. According to the Working designs website the three highest (unverified) scores were submitted by: Douglas Quinn - 49,739,365 Gerald Guess - 44,142,510 Hector Rodriguez - 44,068,104 The secret to a top score is simple - never level up, shoot EVERYTHING without missing and don't get hit. But if you want to win the contest you have to be the best, so that's not enough. The winner will also be grabbing hit bonuses at every opportunity, waiting for enemies to shoot first so that they can shoot all the shots and missiles out of the air and dragging all the boss fights out as long as possible. Opening Act: Use the Thunder Tiger on the Tyrls and Tiashis where possible, except where coin orbs are too close. Against the Wardom, get both coin orbs, wait until it fires its second missile barrage before killing it and use the Thunder Tiger as much as possible on it. Act 2: Use the Thunder Tiger on the orange walkers and Tiashis where possible. Shoot the Berge Mill bombs, not the Berge Mills. Shoot the Redmags in the water and the Ozles on the bridges. Act 3: Wait until the soldiers and Halemods fire before shooting them and shoot their shots. Shoot as many Hadelines and Halemods as possible, even the ones that don't attack you. Act 4: Hit everything, even the targets that don't attack you. It is important to do this at the start so that the combo value will reach 50 before the first chalice. Remember that the spider's shots are worth more points than the spiders themselves. Act 5: Use the Water Snake on the Sltoles and big rocks for hit bonuses. Finale: Shoot the statues in the starting corridor to maximise the score multiplier as soon as possible. Time your shots at the red soldiers so that you hit their shots and kill them at the same time. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgements ================ Most of the chalice locations are taken from various postings to the Working Designs Discussion Forum (http://www.workingdesigns.com), notably those of Radhil Trebors. The contest scores are also taken from the Working Designs web site. Special thanks to Aaron R for being the only person to give me any feedback on this FAQ. He suggested adding a note on invunerability mode and clarifying the relationship between level and health. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------