Hello!
More things on the best shoot'em ever made: Salamander... I have the
English manual in front, so I'll try to answer some questions made a
long time ago...
Anyway, in a few days I'll try to put an HTML version of the English
manual in my homepage. I have a scanner, so if anybody prefers a scan,
I'll do that, but due to lack of space in my server I prefer to put an
HTML file... I'll send a message to the list when it's on-line.
Rieks W. Torringa wrote:
> Hi,
>
> >This message was originally sent to Rieks W. Torringa's private
> >mail address, but since we've heard nothing since (for two weeks
> >or so), I'm sending this to the list. It concerns our thread on
> >MSX-Salamander. If you got the message already Rieks, then I'm
> >sorry for the extra message, but I thought maybe the previous
> >one got lost in mail, since we tried to send it to you private.
>
> I received it, but I have been away for a couple of weeks. A friend
> of mine from The Netherlands brought a visit to Japan and I
> travelled around Japan with him for some time. I'm sorry my
> reaction is a bit delayed...
>
> >1. Anything more on Twin/Triple/Arming?
These three weapons, as everybody ;-P knows can only be used when the
two players are linked (with the Combination item). The manual says:
Twin Shot: Laser which can fire two shots simultaneously. You can only
select this if you are already equipped with Normal fire.
Triple Shot: Laser which fires three shots simultaneously. You can only
select this if you are already equipped with Twin Shot.
Arming Ball: High frequency energy mine with its firing direction
controlled by the co-pilot. You can only select this if you are already
equipped with Ripple Laser.
> >2. Can the Crystal Breeze be found on Lavinia and if yes, where?
>
> Usually the Crystal Breeze can be found on Kierke. You can obtain
> it only when putting the Nemesis 2 (or Gradius 2) cartridge in the
> second slot. You can find the Crystal Breeze in a hole in which the
> prediction is also hidden sometimes.
If you have Nemesis 2 in slot 2, on Eioneus or Kierke, at a random hole,
you can find a message that says that "In Lavinia you have found a
crystal breeze".
> >3. Is it necessary to have an option or a force field to get past the
> >wall-mounted lasers on the down-scrolling part of Lavinia?
>
> If you're very secure, it's possible to get past it. If you've got missiles,
> you can launch them to destroy the lasers. Otherwise, you have to
> fly right above the laser and shoot the cannon. It's difficult, though,
> so you'd better just try getting an option.
I have as much options as possible, and missiles. Put the options in
front of the lasers while the scroll goes down, and fire -FIRE!-
> >4. How does the difficulty level change depending on your play? (less
> >shooting/less monsters?)
>
> Once there was this story, telling that it depended on the time you took
> for deciding which planet you would go to next (Eioneus/Lavinia/Kierke).
> If this is right or not, I can't tell. Maybe worth the effort to look it up
> in the manual.
I haven't found any difference, except in Kierke (I always choose this
planet as the last one of operation 3); sometimes, the level goes
difficult: every enemy I destroy shoots a little bullet to me. When I
destroy 20 enemies, they shoot 20 little bullets to me. After finishing
the level, it's hard to imagine I still have force field ... :-(
But sometimes the level is not difficult: the enemy is destroyed and
dead and every trace of it disappears (no bullets). And I think I spend
no extra time deciding to which planet should I go, because I always
choose Eioneus-Lavinia-Kierke in this order, so I don't hesitate any
moment.
Once I thought it depends on whether I have Homing Missile active or
not, but I don't know...
> >5. Are there more than two different difficulty levels for each of the
> >operation 3 levels?
>
> Nope, as far as I know there's the normal level and the 'hard' level,
> in which enemies transform into bullets coming your way after
> destroying them and in which enemies fire more bullets than usual.
Ok.
> >6. Is there a specific pattern for the movement and bouncing of the
> >creatures found among other places in the blue tunnel of Latis?
>
> They generally just come your way, but the height of their jumps is
> restricted so if you fly high/low enough they can't touch you anyway.
Use missiles to destroy the enemies that come from the front, and fly
high/low as said before.
> >7. Have you ever completed any of the operation 3 levels in their more
> >difficult mode?
>
> Yes, after completing Eioneus and Kierke, I got the difficult mode of
> Lavinia. I completed it and afterwards also completed Odysseus. There
> was no difference in the ending.
True. And if you choose Kierke as the last one, and the level is 'hard',
the monster is VERY hard to kill.......
> By the way, you know that only one
> level of the three Crush Blow/Leek levels can turn difficult ? It's always
> the last planet you choose.
No; as said before, I think it depends on anything more than the time
you take to decide. Allright, the last planet can go difficult, but I'm
not sure the time is the only reason. If anybody can confirm this,
please ...
> >8. Full names of all the weapons/stuff
The manual says:
Speed Up
Normal Beam
2-Way Missile
Ripple Laser
Laser
Option
Force Shield (not Force Field)
Hawk Wind
Meteo Laser
Screw Laser
Homing Missile
Twin Shot
Triple Shot
Arming Ball
Scroll Stop
Option Hold
Spark Light
Trample Missile
Option Chain
> >9. How much of the appearing and positions of monsters is random and how
> >much depends on the actions and positions of player(s)? (eg. Bouncing
> >balls of Lavinia appearing from the front or the back)
>
> Never paid attention to that, so I can't tell.
I don't know :_(
> >10. To where does the prediction on Lavinia point? (final boss?)
>
> Never thought about that one, but I don't think so.
It's the only one I don't understand.
> On Odysseus is also a
> prediction (which is very hard to get, by the way) of which it's likely that
> it points to Metalslave
Aha !!
> (the final boss - by the way, you know the names
> of the bosses ?).
Manual doesn't talk about names of monsters.
> >11. How did you destroy the first boss on X? Did you fly close in between
> >the middle part and the cannon on the edge and let your option blast it?
>
> Played X only once. Haven't brought my Nemesis 2 cartridge to Japan either.
> Can't answer this question.
Buf! I remember I only finished X once, a long time ago. And that time I
was so inspired that I also finished the game (good ending). But no more
times... I can't remember how did I kill it.
> >12. Anything special about playing alone and anything you might think is
> >interesting.
This time I finished the game with the good ending I played alone. I
think if you plan to finish the game OK, you must play alone, because
the final monster is SO BIG that there is so little space to move in the
screen. And you have to be at the
bottom of the screen, place where some enemies start to appear (those
nice option-eaters...). So, if we look at the probabilities to be dead,
it's easier that an downwards enemy destroys a player if there are two
that are spread across the screen than if there's only one player. It's
my opinion.
But, of course, during the game there is much more fun with two players
simultaneously !!!!!!!
BTW: has anybody ever used the 'Exchange' mode???
See 2.
Apa-siau !!!
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