+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | IIIII RRRR OOO N N TTTTT AAA N N K K | | I R R O O NN N T A A NN N K K | | I RRRR O O N N N T AAAAA N N N KKK | | I R R O O N NN T A A N NN K K | | IIIII R R OOO N N T A A N N K K | +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ .:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:..:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:. Version 1.01 (10/3/2005) Version History: -3/27/2006, added 1up as a host. 1.01: Fixed a problem I noticed. - (10/3/2005) 1.0: Basic Guide Complete - (08/19/2005) .:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:..:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:. 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 SNK ****************************************************************************** * 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 I1) I1: Intro I2: Basics I3: Walkthrough I3.1: Map I3.2: Walkthrough I4: Items I5: Enemies I5.1: Tanks I5.2: Aircraft I5.3: Water I5.4: Automation I5.5: Soldiers I5.6: Railroad I6: Tips I6.1: General I6.2: Tank Behaviour I7: Credits -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | I1: Intro | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Tanks are pretty rad, and how could you get much radder than the Iron Tank? If you haven't noticed, Iron is pretty strong on the NES. The Iron Tank is the Allies' greatest weapon and the IronSword was the signature weapon in Wizards and Warriors 2. I will admit that when I picked this game up to write for it, I'd forgotten a few key facts about it. First of all, it is fairly lond. You have multiple path choices and the map itself ensures that you'll pass trhough a number of areas before reaching the enemy headquarters. Second of all, it's hard. This is attributed to the enemy behaviour and placement, along with the sometimes sluggish movement of the Iron Tank. But that just makes it all the more satisfying to complete, it's a great game if you can get into it. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | I2: Basics | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Control Pad: Move around A Button: Fire Turret B Button: Machine Gun Select: Subscreen Start: Pause Angling your Turret: Hold B and use the control pad. You can point your turret in eight directions. NW N NE Note that these directions are arbitrary. Magnetic north \ | / is given on the subscreen Map. \ | / | | W --- ( ) --- E / | \ / | \ SW S SE Subscreen: Allows you to see teh remaining capacity of items, your position on the map, and allows you to answer calls. When you get a call, just press A on the call icon and the info will be given -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | I3: Walkthrough | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= For the record: Light I = LigI Light II = LigII Medium I = MedI Medium II = MedII Troopers = Soldiers = Infantry = Foot Soldiers Soldier with Grenade = Grenadier Soldier with Machine Gun = Machine Gunner Boss startegies are pretty straigtforward, and the same bosses appear on multiple routes so bosses are presented totally on eacha rea tehy appear in. ============================================================================== I3.1: Map ============================================================================== Map +----------------------------+ | 19 | This map is not precisely to scale, but it is | __/ | close enough to the map given ingame for me to | / | | make my point. | / /\ | | __/ / \ | In Iron Tank, you invade Normandy, and it's not | 12 14 | | exactly set in stone _how_ you are going to get | / / 18 | there. In other words, there are branching | / / | | paths. | / 13 / | | 11 / / | However, while the areas are marked with numbers | / / 17 | what I mean here is that say the space between | \ \ | | 1 and 2 is area 2. Basically, I've used the large | / \ \ | Red dots and Blue dots found on the ingame map | 10 | / | for partitioning the map. | | | | | | \ / 16 | Area X is at a multiple intersection, it's from | \ / __15 / | 4->X, 9->X, and 5->X. Area Y is similar in that | | |/ / \/ | it is also a multiple intersection, and I've | \Y/ \ | added it in there for convenience. | | | | | | __/ | The area divisions I've made do not reflect | _|X/ | anything official. They are arbitrary divisions | _/ / \_ | I've placed to help divide the guide properly. | 5 | \ | | / | 9 | | / 4 / | | | / \ | | / / | | | 3 |\___ 8 | If you want to jump to an area, press Control+F | /___/ \ | | to bring up a search box. Then type a code in | 2 7 | this format: | / / | | | / | ITAZ -> Iron Tank Area "Z" | \ _ 6 | |---1_/ \ / | Where Z is a variable which you can replace with | \_/ | any number or letter an area is represented by | | on the map. +----------------------------+ ============================================================================== I3.2: Walkthrough ============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA1 "Mission orders are to find and destroy the Enemy's long range firign turret!" The Iron Tank is dropped off on the shores, and your transport destroyed. Mac, only one way to go from here. Immediately north are some grenade infantry. Shoot a few rounds but back up when they throw their grenades. There's an "L" here which is good for some long-range fire. When you go for the long range, you'll likely see some officers and infantry running south. Destroy them officers frop "V" items for rapid fire. If you want you could swing your turret to the northwest or northeast, and stick to the sides while you fire at the soldiers for maybe two waves, but eventually you will come across a large group of officers. Make sure your turret is swung north and maybe work your way across their flanks. Great, take their V's and head to the north, taking note when you reach a grey wall. A Light Armored Tank will be waiting here. A Northwest turret while you stick to the right of the screen could be useful here. These tanks lack heavy turrets, and only have the same machine gun as you. After dispatching it, swing your turret to the Northeast and take out the next Light I that appears. There will be a captive nearby, he will tell you "Thanks" when you rescue him. Swing your turret North to intercept the next Light I if you need, then take the V. There are foot soldiers throwing grenades from the left of the screen, you can't hit them so stay as far to the right as possible. *If you cannot see the troops on the screen you won't be hit* Get ready for yet another Light I. Grab the B near here for an increase in explosive power. There will be a Light I north of the B and to the west. Heading west, grab another B then head north. Make sure you've swung your turret north because a Light will immediately follow three foot soldiers. Next is a Light I on top of an "E." E is used for restoring your energy. A bomb will drop impeding movement for a moment. There's going to be Light I's and a LigII up here. If your turret is facing the north, you can probably take the LII out during the explosion. Head North to the Bridge, take the F which is armor piercing shots. Beware of Light I's from the west. On the Bridge, Werners will fly down either side. Head North for an F, mind the LII. An L, two V's, a Werner, and some LII await you to the North. When the path draws close together, some foot soldiers will be tossing grenades. Charge through the narrow corridor firing your heavy weapon as some LigII are waiting. You may get a call about now... "SNAKE!" "Watch out -use radar- gigantic enemy objects up ahead!" Head north past the LigII and you'll hear some different sounds. ****************************************************************************** Folten Heavy Armored Tank With Multiple Turrets ****************************************************************************** This thing is intimidating, yes it is. A large, heavy tank with seven turrets. However, it is not exactly terrifying. The Folten moves around, shooting a few shots forward and then a spread. If you're in front of the tank, move to the left or right of where the single shots were and you should be able to avoid the spread. Just keep blasting it with your heavy cannon and it will go down. Afterwards head North to fight some officers and get some E's. You will also encounter your first Medium Tank, MedI, which is grey with a green turret. It will take at least two hits to destroy. They're faster and more deadly than the LigII before them. Farther north you may notice a fully orange tank. This is a MedII, a tank with similar endurance to the MedI, but possessing a three way spread shot. Try not to get too close. Your path splits here, either go left or right at the signpost. Left is 2, Right is 6. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA2 If you chose left, this is the path you will experience. As you head up, there's going to be some LightI's so get ready with your turret swung north. North, past the L and some Werners you get a call. "Contact our spy 'TOMMY J'. He is in prisoners camp. He will give you info on long range bullet ability." *On Tracks, _do not_ scroll the screen unless you're prepared for trains* You're going to notice some train tracks to the North, you will notice a B and a red circle flashing. This red circle is a landmine, and will destroy you instantly. Coming from the north are some trains, which shoot horizontal shots. Make sure you take these out. Past the bridge is a MedII, but perhaps staying on the bridge would be the safest way to dispatch it. Past the next bridge, two Med II's. Another bridge and you come to an area with three tracks leading north. At the top of this area are two J-Type Armored Trains. You'd best take one out from the front, then the other diagonally. Use some powerups for this. You don't _need_ to destroy both, so if you're having some problems, just go on ahead. LightI's attack as you're heading north, so keep an eye out. Head north to the POW camp. There's some machine gun foot oldiers here, so swing your turret and use some long range if you want. Use your heavy turret on the doors of buildings that say "HELP!" One of the prisoners will tell you: "I'm your friend. Stay on the railroad straight through the town. The enemy Train is there. Shoot it." The path diverges here again. Go through the town to reach area 3, go to the left and up a Forest path to get to area 4. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA3 Head straight up the rails, immediately you will face some LIIs, machine gunner infantry and grenadiers. Take this slow and use some L if you have any. Take care to avoid the grenadiers in the bushes to either side of the tracks. Head North, some infantry will run up from below, and there will be a LigII waiting near the top of the screen. Take what you can out and you'll notice that a call is coming through. "Snake! Found the Train firing bullets by radar! Be careful!" After the call, swing your turret south and take out the LigII that will arrive as you head north. A MedII will also arrive from the North so be careful that you don't get hit by the three-way fire. The Northern tank will likely retreat just a bit up. Take out the MedII beside the B,V,and F and take the items when it's downed. As you travel north, a Light I and a LigII will appear from the south and north, respectively. Going between the cliffs will cause some gunner trains to come down the tracks, and you will also notice a MedI. It is on top of a V, there's an L and B around here too. Be careful of the LigII that will appear here from the bottom and tops of the screen. Stay to the left of the track before the B and the train will likely miss you. You'll notice that the track becomes more 'gold' as you scroll northward. Take out the foot soldiers you see on the hills, then engage the Fritz Firing Train. You should be able to get them all before you scroll the train onscreen. If you stay near the bottom left corner of the Valley then the Train shouldn't be too big of a problem, just move right a tad to hit it as it comes down, then retreat to the left to dodge the missiles. It will drop an E, but then you probably didn't get hit anyways. You will get a Call: "Snake! Found the Train firing bullets by radar! Be careful!" Same Call as before eh? Go east, get the L. Then go North. There are V's on the track, but don't get too tempted... the gunner train that arrives will have one turret to the left and one to the right, so there's no safe side of the tracks in this case. Just tilt your turret to face Northeast or Northwest, depending on what side of the tracks you are on and drive backwards while firing at the train. The tracks become that goldish colour again... Another train like the one you'd just faced arrives. I suggest having your turret north and drive backwards firing from straight in front of it. A bit farther North and there's two MedI. They are stationary, so destroy them from a distance. When they're down, head north into the tunnel but mind the landmine on the gold track, and the train as well. Outside of the tunnel pull to the West as a J-Type is to the North. Take out the foot soldier on the cliff north of you, then swing the turret East or NE and concentrate on shooting the J-Type and dodging its shots. Use a V and B combo if available. Destroy the Med I on the North cliff then start back up the tracks. When you see the three tracks adjacent to one another, you geta call: "Iron Snake, this is backup unit. Find the target, destroy it! Enemy's long range bullets are awesome! Allies are destroyed." Head to teh west, then up into the building. Look out for the LightIs and collect the E,V, and B. LigII will arrive from the south, be ready. Though with two LightI coming from the west and east, it could be best to just charge North, firing a few shots behind you. After the split in the building, a MedII awaits you North. Some LigII will come from the south, and some LightI from the east/west. North past the first girder will be two LigII coming from either side. Farther north, two MedII's, just retreat for those. A Med II from the west and two LigII from the South when you leave the building. Outside, there are two MedII. Past them, three LigII. Past this, three MedII so I suggest using an F and B combo. Past them, some more Med II, then after that wave one will charge down the central railroad. Take it out before it gets into position and starts to fire. The next trio, take them out with a V,B,L combo. A call should be coming through: "Snake! Found the Train firing bullets by radar! Be careful!" Yep, got it again. Go north to where the left/right tracks stop but the centre continues. Two MedIIs will be flanking the tracks but they don't move - just fire. Before engaging them, scroll a little north and take out the train on its way down. Take out the tanks on a diagonal but don't scroll too far north or a second train will come. Travel up the tracks, taking out he trains as they come by retreating and firing. When you reach the town (bricked) area, two MedIs will be patrolling the area. Take them out. Head up towards the town, there's machine gunners and grenadiers bunkered down near the entrance and a MedI will be guarding the entrance personally. Take out the infantry before scrolling the tank onscreen. Head North, get the R and the E. Swing your turret south to destroy the LigII that will be approaching shortly after the letters. Another follows shortly. Okay, the wall turrets. They fire ahead but turn in on you if you get too close to them. If you have an L, you're set. Otherwise, you will need to just charge on by and you may only be hit once. Of course, you could try to confront them with some heavier artillery, if you aren't adverse to damage. Use a combo with your L, probably B. Turn on VBF if you have them. There's a Fritz to the North and almost no way to dodge its shots, and grenadiers on teh rooftops. The best bet? Blast the train wuickly before it fires too much. It will drop an E. The music changes, and there is a wall in the way. Blast the wall, then the grenade infantry, and then grab the B. Blast the next wall, grab the F and V. By now, you've entered Area 5. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA4 This is from Area 2. You can enter Area 4 from the beginning of Area 7, it's not much different. As you make your way into the woods, machine gunners will jump in and out of the trees to the south. You will get a call: "Iron Snake, this is backup unit. Find the target, destroy it! Enemy's long range bullets are awesome! Allies are destroyed." Continue north, some LightI approach from the South, and there's a Med1 a bit north. There should also be an R and an E around here. Head north to the three tunnels under the bridge. A MedI approaches from the left tunnel, a MedII from the right. Go up afterwards, you can only enter the right tunnel. Charge up through the infantry, be ready foir a MedII. Keep going North to fight a LigI then a few MedII. Grab the L along the way. At the second L, there will be some MedII coming down from the north. There's plenty more MedII, but take your time because of the mines. There's an F and V here, but don't risk your life for them. Alright, head nroth to the narrow cliff. There will first be a MedII and then a stationary MedI firing on a diagonal. It's actually pretty pukey and difficult to hit. Don't be too tempted by that B, a MedI guards it and a MedII comes charging down after you. When these are clear you can also get an E, which will tempt another MedII. Alright, so head north but beware the landmines as the passage tightens. See those machine gunners? Aim at them so you can take out the MedII that will charge towards you. Do this until you can get to the V, and don't back into a mine. When you exit the canyon, there's some V's and a few MedI. MedI and MedII guard the path to the next canyon. Take out the infantry flanking the entrance before you enter. Charge on through hugging the left wall to avoid the mine. Two LightII should appear. Take out the light tanks then proceed to the west, if a turret does not appear, head north until it does. OK, wait for it to stop firing then attack it and retreat. There's two more turrets like this further up, these are Hans turret. As you approach them, some MedII will arrive, fire and leave. So, how do you survive survive this onslaught? Stay just to the right of the left Hans' south firing stream, then get into position to didge the threeway fire of the tanks. Grab the E if you needed then head right after taking out the left turret and take this turret out. I guess you don't _need_ to destruy them, but it would be nice not to get shot in the back, tyes? Ok, so north of the turrets you'll find three tanks. To destroy the left one, you can basically stand right in front of it and shoot. The two on the right: fire head on at the top one, the bottom seems to be well protected from your shots and can't shoot you either. Head north, but beware the MedI's that will arrive. You're heading towards area X right about now. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA5 Alright, you could have only come here from Area 3, the music is in the "boss mood" I guess you could say. You get a Call: "Look out ahead, there is the long range firing bullet. Destroy it immediately. The safety of the back up unit is your goal." There's a MedII here, destroy it and continue. Take out the next MedII and grab the L - but watch out for the MedI as you approach it. After this, a MedII. ****************************************************************************** Long Range Firing Turret Base ****************************************************************************** Okay, now the long range Firing Turret. It's situated on top of this base. Two turrets flank the left and right sides of the base. If you move up to the door, these turrets can not shoot you but you can hit them. Destroy them and the door without resorting to any combos. They aren't needed for this. The turret will move back and forth firing missiles at you. Again, you don't actually need combos here but use them if you're worried. Hit the turret repeatedly in the red core to destroy it. It always shoots with alternating missiles - right, left, right, left. You can get into a fighting groove fairly readily. When it is destroyed, move into the base. You arrive outside, however. On the Map you're halfway to the "5." You get a Call: "The landing was a success. We'll start the next operation now. Thank you, Snake. We avoided total wipeout." You may get the call a second time. Anyways, head north and take out the two LightI found here. Head North, get that V and take out the grenadiers and machine gunners. When you go up the thin incline, three LigII will attack you. Drive backwards while firing, you should get the top and and the two firing at you from diagonals should fall back. Up by the L, there's a LigII firing diagonally. It is stationary so it's not big threat. To the East, there is an E with a nearby Grenadier and LigII. Up North, a MedII and some LigII, as well as an E and V. You should receive a call soon: "Additional orders: New contact, named Ichiban" Destroy the two LigII as they emerge from the right on the way to the V. When you see the next E, two LigII will emerge from the woods to the westm and retreat after launching an attack. As you make your way to the next E, you will face more. You come to a bridge with a V. Start to the north - there are plenty of LightIs here and grenadiers out on the sides. You won't be able to hit any of the grenadiers outside of the bridge, but these lightI retreat following an attack so just concentrate on them. At the second set of infantry, which are perched on the bridge, there will be a MedII up ahead, near a landmine and a V. LightIs approach from the bottom now. Up ahead are some LigII and plenty of LightI from the bottom and top. There's also a prisoner near a V. This is Ichiban, he tells you: "I will help you get into the enemy's base and destroy their secret weapons." Don't rush ahead after getting him because a MedII is just to the north and there's two mine sin the way. Tank the tank out then go around the mines. Tilt your turret south to take out one of the LigII that approach from below. As you approach the infantry, some LightII pour in from below. Up past the next two mines is a trio of two medI and a medII. The MedI go up and down, the MedII fire sin sequence. Take out a MedI from below then point the turret at a diagonal to hit the other. Then, wait for the MEdII to stop firing to sneak a shot or two off on it. Above these mines: a V and "?." The ? is a very powerful attack which cannot be combined with other weapons. It's a fullscreen crash. Head to the north. There's two MedII immediately north, maybe retreat so that they will also retreat - with that landmine and the thin bridge there isn't much room to move around. Go north, look out for the LigIIs and MedIIs. All of them will retreat. You get a call: "SNAKE! Watch out -use radar- gigantic enemy objects up ahead!" Run up and get the E and F, there will be some light tanks of either variety from down below. Be careful of the mines as you head north, and watch out for the MedI that appear as you get near the mines. The music changes... pelnty of medium tanks will come out as you head north, all can be avoided. ****************************************************************************** Puma Heavy Armored Tank With Three Turrets ****************************************************************************** Only three turrets? Surely this must be easier than the Folten? Well, in some respects it is, but in others it isn't. Consider the way it shoots: One shot forward, and three at diagonals. However, these shots loop back. I'd suggest getting in close to it, so that the shots loop around you and the forward shot misses. Attack the Puma with a combo if you want, though it isn't necessary. This can be harder than the Folten from a distance, as it will rake you to pieces with its shots. There's lots of troops to the North, run over some of them for energy. You can basically just charge straight up to the town through the officers and infantry but watch out for the LigII. When in the town, mind the grenadiers and get the "?". LigII will move in on you from above and below. Move up to the V, watch out for the MedII. Over the bridge and past the ouses, there's a Medium I around here. You should eb able to find an E and ?. Alright, you may get a call: "SNAKE! Watch it! Found Enemy's secret base by radar." Keep to the North and you should fight a few Medium Is, then both types of Light Tank. The next E is guarded by a MedII. Leave the town to enter Area X. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA6 Take the right path from Area 1. You should soon get a call: "Additional orders: New contact, named Ichiban." Head north, take out the LightII's. Follow the path and collect E's, V's, and an L. Alright, when the path starts north for the first time, there's a MedII, not to mention LigII all over the place. Whenever you come to an incline leading north, be ready for a MedII. After an E, V, and another E you will be arriving at a large cliff. The bridge here is home to many LigI which come from the north, such as when you attempt to get the V. Past the firsts ystem of Girders, a medII and some lights from the south. Head north, collecting items, and you'll find Ichiban. "I will help you get into the enemy's base and destroy their secret weapons." Righteous! Let's move farther north, but not too far. Just enough to get that MedII onto the screen. It will move up and down, so hit it while it is moving. It only fires when it stops. Towards the end of the bridge, you fight a MedI and MedII at the same time. Take the MedI out by shooting diagonally from the side of teh bridge opposite the one it is patrolling. The MedII is stationary, so just take your time. Afterwards, you can get a V and a "?." The ? item is a fullscreen bomb. Use it wisely. Head north, picking up the E if need be. There's a MedII and plenty of lights. There's also a nice arrangement of mines. Head North past the mines, fend off the mediums. The music changes and you will geta call: "SNAKE! Watch out -use radar- gigantic enemy objects up ahead!" ****************************************************************************** Puma Heavy Armored Tank With Three Turrets ****************************************************************************** This is different than the Puma in area 5, this one can't be hit without the Long Raneg Shot unless it charges down. Notice how the Puma shoots, one shot down, two that arc out then in. Stay to one side of the central shots, as far as you can go up on the screen. the arc shots should miss you. If you're getting hit, this thing can rake you to pieces so try to keep steady. After a few shots, it will charge down, shoot it as it does. Try to stay somewhat in the centre of the stage so you can dodge its charge if necessary. The central shot will arc towards you, but will still miss you. If it stops partway on the screen, it will fire. Head north to enter area 7. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA7 After the Puma, there will be a ton of infantry and some officers. Run them over if you need some energy. When the LigII's attack you, tou will soon be entering a town. Head into town, take out the LigIIs and then get the ? on the left side of the first building. Beyond this head up, to the water. There's going to be plenty of LigIIs, probably from the south. Also, watch out for MedIIs coming from the north. When you reach the bridge, watch out for the MedI firing at you from a little square in the water. After passing the water, find the passage with the E, take it then head towards the next ?. MedIs attack you approach it. Make your way towards the L, then you may see an E. A MedII will approach from the north. Head north, watch the Light I's and get the call: "SNAKE! Watch it, found enemy's base by radar." Head north, there is a stationary MedII by an E. Destroy it, take the item. Head north, there is a MedII that moves left and right, stopping to fire, near an F. Destroy it and take the item. The music changes as you head north. Watch for enemy tanks and collect the E's on the way. ****************************************************************************** Enemy Base (Four Turrets) ****************************************************************************** Difficult. I suggest getting your powerups active, especially any L's and B's, so you can be sure to hit the boss. This is essentially a base with four large turrets firing at you. Do _NOT_ scroll them all on screen at once. You will royally screw yourself over. If you want to try this without powerups: scroll only two turrets onscreen completely. Alright, now pick a turret. Stand to forest side of its shots when it shoots straight down (right on the right, left on the left). You will notice that the turrets cannot shoot when they are facing a direction that's not a 45 degree angle. So while the turret can point at you when it's between 225 and 270, or between 270 and 315, it cannot shoot you. Wait for the _other_ turret to pause, then move across the firing path of the turret you picked. Fire while doing this. Of course, if you have a B you wouldn't need to actually move into a dangerous area. As for the other turret, attack it after it pauses and get out of the way. After both are destroyed, head north until the LightII's come onscreen, retreat out of the range of the top turrets and destroy the tanks. This is a major pain in the ass. The tanks will be coming from the south, east, and west. Take two out by swinging your cannon horizontal and travelling down past them, shooting. Then take out the others. If you have a ?, you mgiht want to use it. The top turrets are easier than the bottom. They cannot hit youw hen you're close to the door, so just get there, strafe one while getting a shot in, then go to the bottom of the screen and up the middle again. Repeat until they are destroyed, then blast the door if it hasn't been already and enter the base. As soon as you enter the base, you get a call: "Iron Snake, this is the back up unit. Find the target. Destroy it! Enemy's long range bullets are awesome. Allies are destroyed." *Watch out for a train on the rails* Up north, a LightII is patrolling the end of the passage, it's easy enough to take out. There's a MEdII after the first bridge, after the music changes again you are forced to the right. There's a MedII here viciously guarding a bridge. Get above it's shot and shot to the east at it. You should hit it. Heading to the right,start firing while retreating when the MedI appears. Take out the Lig and head north. You will come to a building at the top, destroy it for a V,R, and an E. These domes are actually turrets, so destroy that building! They cannot fire at you from a 270 degree position. Collect your items and head up into the darkness... ****************************************************************************** Think Tank (F-Type) ****************************************************************************** Pretty big bugger, this is one of a few "think tanks." It is also pretty tough a boss for fighting it this soon. It launches fireballs out of the middle of the front and moves around teh stage - you will be destroyed upon collison with the F-Type. I suggest using items in this fight, it's possible without them though you will sustain heavy damage. Ok, so this is how it moves: When it moves to the right, there's a space between the top of the tank and top of the screen. Move past the tank in this. When it moves to the left, it is tight to the top of the screen. You have to move across the front, quite possibly taking some damage. Maybe switch on R if you're having trouble surviving. When the tank reaches a side, it moves down to the bottom of the screen, then back up to head to the other side. Alright, so when it is moving past you, fire at it. Keep your turret tilted one direction, West works well. Fire at it as you move up. Eventually it will be destroyed. You can destroy it with fullscreen bombs but that's kind of a waste since it takes at least two. The important thing to remember is to always keep moving, the think tank does so you're always in danger. If you have some V and F, the tank should go down fairly easily. Head North after the tank to get a call: "Contact our spy "TOMMY J". He is in the prisoner's camp. He will give you info on long range bullet ability." Head North onto the tracks, when a train arrives, move backwards firing. There are some items around here, pick them up to start replenishing if you used any against the Think Tank. A MedII patrols the area after the first bridge. After a few brdiges you get a call: "Snake! Found the train firing bullets by radar. Be careful!" The B,B,V will be gaurded by two MedII, and train coems as you approach them. Before you go onto the bridge following this area, get off the tracks and go north as far as possible. A Train firing straight ahead should pass by - if that thing shot and rammed you, quite a large chunk of energy would be depleted from the Iron Tank. You'll come to an area with three tracks and an E. Take the left track and head north firing. Trains on the middle track fire straight ahead - nasty. Trains on left fire to the right. Trains to the right fire to the left, but you will more than likely be just out of reach. At the top, two J-Type trains. And you've just entered Area 8. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA8 There are two J-Type trains in your way, take out one from straight on with Rapid Fire, then take out the other however you please. You can skip it, but with the light tanks and infantry, you will take more damage then you'd like. Drive up through the middle tunnel, destroying all LigI that appear in front of you. When these are gone, take out the one that was following you. Alright, the path branches here. First shoot the doors that say "help" and rescue the prisoners. One is Tommy J: "I'm your friend. Stay on the railroad straight through the town. The enemy Train is there. Shoot it." Head north, take the Train Tracks to continue into Area 8, the forest path to enter Area 4. If you want to stay in 8, then concern yourself with the tracks. Head North, you will receive a call when you approach the stationary LightII: "Snake! Found the train firing bullets by radar. Be careful!" Destroy the stationary LigII. there was a B under it. When you approach the B, a LigII comes from the south and MedII from the north. Take out the Light tank first as it seems to hit you more often than the Med, which will retreat after firing. F,V are found a little North, soem LigIIs will be around here as well, coming from the South and North. Around the F and V, Trains will start coming from the north. A LigII and MedI are guarding a V and L to the northwest of the F and V, take them out on a diagonal. Keep going to the North, always minding the trains and getting any items along the way. When you come to a little valley, take out the Infantry lining the walls. Then head upwards to fight a Fritz firing train. If you stay in the bottom left area of the valley, it will be easy to dodge the missiles of the Fritz. Attack it on a diagonal from this corner. Proceed North to enter Area 9. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA9 Head North after destroying the Fritz. The train should drop an E and there will be plenty of troops for health anyways. Head east and grab the L. Heading north on the tracks, tehre should be two trains, and when the track turns gold you'll face two stationary MEdI. There's a train after the tanks, but that mine in the middle of the tracks could cause some problems, eh? Well, what you do is drive up beside the tracks with your turret at a diagonal pointing up and in. That way, you can retreat from the train yet still destroy it without blowing yourself up. Righteous. Go up through the tunnel, when you see the E head to the Left as to the north is a J-Type train. Destroy this then take the E. There are MedI on ledges over the tracks. Shoot them when they aren't friing at you. Exit the cliffs and take the L along the way. Head west, there's plenty of infantry to run over it. Head north. Head up to the first break in these buildings, keep in mind that light tanks will be attacking you. Afte rthe first that may appear ahead of you, just charge on up to the break and hide in an alcove. After the break, you will see an E. Above it is a MEdII, and two LigII approach from the bottom. Take care of the tanks then grab the energy. After you exit the building you can basically make a break for it or fight all the MedII. I do not often recommend running away in this game, but it's cleanly possible here. Otherwise, be ready to fight MedIIs and LigIIs. Afte rthis area you get a call: "Snake! Found the train firing bullets by radar. Be careful!" Head to where the railroad becomes just one again. You will see two MedII up there. But first tempt a train down after you. Then take the tanks out, attacking when they stop firing. Head north but be ready for a train. Continue dispatching trains until you reach an area with gold tiles. There are two MedI guarding the entrance to this area. They move around a lot so don't be afraid to combine F and L for this. As you approach this area, another train will come down. Take out the infantry bunkered in at the entrance. This is so that you won't take needless hits entering the town. Ok, so in the entrance to the town you'll find a MedI an E, and an R. Swing your turret south to take out the LigIIs coming from behind. There's two wall turrets up here so don't go too far. You'd better use an L and B on these, evasion is not worht the hits you will take. Arm yourself now with at least a V. Head up the tracks - when you see the Fritz train, get off the tracks. It will fire a missile straight forward if you were on the tracks. Take the opportunity to go as far north as possible. When it comes up beside you, it won't be able to hit you. Destroy it at your leisure but watch out for the Grenadiers. You will geta call when you are this far North as well: "Look out ahead, there is the long range firing bullet. Destroy it immediately. The safety of the back up unit is your goal." Grab the E the Fritz left and head up through the walls, blasting them down as you go. Now, when the music changes, there will be MEdII patrolling the areas to the north, not to mention a nice array of items. There's also a MedI. ****************************************************************************** Long Range Firing Turret Base ****************************************************************************** Head straight north to the door of the base, blast it. If you go into the door you can shoot the turrets without being hit. When the turret starts moving, keep shooting it in the red "core" between the guns. It moves back and forth shooting missiles from alternating turrets. You can beat this without items, but if you want to use them go ahead. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Areas X and Y ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITAX ITAY ITAXY4 - From Area 4 ITAXY5 - From Area 5 ITAXY9 - From Area 9 ITAXYR - The Road ******************* From Area 4: ******************* ITAXY4 Head north into the POW camp. Rescue the prisoners and one will tell you: "Help! I'm only survivor! All allies were destroyed. Iron Snake...... get to enemy headquarters and blow it to bits!" Wow, I guess the long range bullets were too awesome for the allies. Take heed of the plight of this prisoner and press on with renewed determination. You will also get a call around this time: "There is a powerstation ahead. Blow it up and cutoff electrical supply." Head north to enter Area 15. ******************* From Area 5: ******************* ITAXY5 Head up, collecting items and defeating the tanks. ****************************************************************************** Enemy Base (Four Turrets) ****************************************************************************** I suggest getting your powerups active, especially any L's and B's, so you can be sure to hit the boss. This is essentially a base with four large turrets firing at you. Do _NOT_ scroll them all on screen at once. You will royally screw yourself over. If you want to try this without powerups: scroll only two turrets onscreen completely. Alright, now pick a turret. Stand to forest side of its shots when it shoots straight down (right on the right, left on the left). You will notice that the turrets cannot shoot when they are facing a direction that's not a 45 degree angle. So while the turret can point at you when it's between 225 and 270, or between 270 and 315, it cannot shoot you. Wait for the _other_ turret to pause, then move across the firing path of the turret you picked. Fire while doing this. Of course, if you have a B you wouldn't need to actually move into a dangerous area. As for the other turret, attack it after it pauses and get out of the way. After both are destroyed, head north until the LightII's come onscreen, retreat out of the range of the top turrets and destroy the tanks. This is a major pain in the ass. The tanks will be coming from the south, east, and west. Take two out by swinging your cannon horizontal and travelling down past them, shooting. Then take out the others. If you have a ?, you mgiht want to use it. The top turrets are easier than the bottom. They cannot hit you when you're close to the door, so just get there, strafe one while getting a shot in, then go to the bottom of the screen and up the middle again. Repeat until they are destroyed, then blast the door if it hasn't been already and enter the base. Enter the base, head north. Fight the light tanks, the first bridge is guarded by a MedII. Head north to the bunker, and destroy it. Don't try to sneak around it as it will shoot you. After destroying it from head-on, collect the V,R,E and head into the exposed door. ****************************************************************************** Think Tank (F-Type) ****************************************************************************** Pretty big bugger, this is one of a few "think tanks." It is also pretty tough a boss for fighting it this soon. It launches fireballs out of the middle of the front and moves around teh stage - you will be destroyed upon collison with the F-Type. I suggest using items in this fight, it's possible without them though you will sustain heavy damage. Ok, so this is how it moves: When it moves to the right, there's a space between the top of the tank and top of the screen. Move past the tank in this. When it moves to the left, it is tight to the top of the screen. You have to move across the front, quite possibly taking some damage. Maybe switch on R if you're having trouble surviving. When the tank reaches a side, it moves down to the bottom of the screen, then back up to head to the other side. Alright, so when it is moving past you, fire at it. Keep your turret tilted one direction, West works well. Fire at it as you move up. Eventually it will be destroyed. You can destroy it with fullscreen bombs but that's kind of a waste since it takes at least two. The important thing to remember is to always keep moving, the think tank does so you're always in danger. If you have some V and F, the tank should go down fairly easily. After the Think Tank F-Type, you will soon get a call: "Operation was successful. We now occupy the station. Moving onto the next operations." Head North and you'll arrive after the "Y" on the map. Head to the section of the FAQ concerning the road (ITAXYR). ******************* From Area 9: ******************* ITAXY9 After destroying the turret, head into the base. You get a call: "Operation was successful. We now occupy the station. Moving onto the next operations." Look out for the train as you scroll north then head east. Marvellous. Now you have passed X and Y, just leapt all the way to Y, covering so much ground in so little time. Anyways, you're at Y on the map. From this area you will eventually be able to go to either Area 10,13, or 15. Scroll to the writing concerning the road. ******************* The Road ******************* ITAXYR This is a large, diagonal road that ultimately leads to the three branches of the upper half of the map. There are plenty of LigII here, and soon a few E's. In fact, it's just infantry, ligIIs, and E's with a sprinkling of landmines. There's a stationary MedI at the forking of the road. There's a sign here, which points to the Airport, City, or Lake. Take the left route to enter Area 10. Going up from the sign, you will face a few tanks and Yunkel bombers. You will eventually come to a sign post. Head right from here to make your way past multiple missile bombs and enter area 16. Head left to enter Area 13. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA10 Head left and up past the signpost, and collect the E. Travel along this road, taking out the MedI as you go. You will soon get a call: "Unit calling.......... we are being attacked from a bomber. Iron Snake, get to the enemy's air force base and turn it to rubble!" Head north, there's quite a few LigIIs in the way, but they are pretty easy to dispatch. Just keep heading north, keeping an ear out for approaching bombers as you approach the area with large white stones. This is a pretty beat up air strip, and there's going to be constant Werners here. Just take it easy, scroll the screen shortly and don't get too excited when you see an item. Get the Werners to fly by and dodge them before moving on. Don't move too fast or you'll get them coming very quickly, which isn't pleasant. When you come to a Medium I, use the barricades as cover and don't scroll the screen up too much. At this point the Werners will be coming from the top of the screen, rather than the bottom. By the next E, Yunkels will be coming from the sides. They usually appear around the centre - right about where you're driving. This sounds like a problem but you should be able to get out of the way if you're not too close to the sides of the runway. Towards the portion of the airstrip where it widens, a Medium II will drive into position and park to start firing at you. Now, you'll probably be best to use a B if you want to hit it. Keep at it to the north, medium tanks await you. You've entered Area 11. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA11 Alright, so keep on heading up the airstrip. There will be a Medium II guarding an L. Destroy the tank, then take the item. You're right below a hangar. Blow the door up and head inside. ****************************************************************************** Base Station ****************************************************************************** The boss is really just this hangar full of grounded planes. First two: Charge straight up between them, shots should miss you. Alright, get just out of range then destroy them from behind. Easy. Stay in the centre and tilt your turret directly west or east. Charge up past all of the medium tanks, they just fire and leave. Get past the two grounded planes but don't go too far to the north. Destroy them from behind/beside. During the explosion of the second plane, get beside the large plane to the North. Because the explosion wipes out its bullets, use it as cover. But the shots should be easy enough to evade, so concentrate on destroying this plane. Take your time with the tanks to the north, and you'll come to a similar setup of planes. Use the same strategy. Destroy this big plane to gain the exit of the hangar. Head north off of the airstrip, dodging the Werners that appear from the top top and bottom of the screen. You will get this call: "The bombs have stopped. Cannot find your position................ radar is blocked! Snake...... stay alive! Go for it!" You're on your own now pal. There's a little outpost to the north, guarded by a MedII. Take out the troops behind the sandbags then blast through the door. Blast through the next door to enter Area 12. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA12 Two MedII's patrol north of the outpost, and some tanks will come from the south. You can avoid the MedII shots easy enough, so any southern tanks should be priority. as you head north, there are plenty of infantry and a MedI. Head north fighting the LigIIs as you go. You will come to two concrete walls. head through these defeating the light tanks as you go. At the other end, kill the infantry then take out the two immobile MedIIs. Next, take out the Medium I that arrives from the west, then head west. Use the bridge with the E to cross the river. There's a Medium II guarding the other end, and another Medium I may come at you from the southwest. After the bridge, take out any tanks near you. Now head to those trees. Scroll up just enough for the Medium Tank to arrive and stop. Take it out. Drive in and pull of to one side. Two LigIIs will drive up to the entrance, shoot, and retreat. Kill the foot soldiers guarding the entrance, and run over any others. Destroy the LigII guarding the next tree path. Do it from a distance, as you approach a MedI will enter from the south. When you see the lines of soldiers, run over the entire right line and either charge past or fight the tanks, approach the town, find the door, and blast it. Keep heading north, destroy the LightIs and Medium I. Head through the next door. Destroy the lightIIs and the MedI. Head north through an alleyway. Shoot the foot soldier on the roof as he will whip grenades at you. There are a few MedIIs up here, destroy any in your way, take out the next wall. Destroy the next few tanks, then take out the next wall. Just one more wall and you're out of town. Alright, when out destroy the LigIIs. Then the stationary MedII. Some infantry line up behind the tank to form a machine gunner squad, but they shouldn't be a very big problem. Head up to the next town, destroy the soldiers behind the sandbags. The LightI in front of the door, take it out and then the door. A LigII guards the next door, destroy the tank and the door. You're back outside, head up to the left of that F, a group of three MediumIs appears right above it so take them out. LigIs appear in the same manner a little afterwards. Head north to collect F's and fight a four-turret base. ****************************************************************************** Enemy Base (Four Turrets) ****************************************************************************** Ok, this fight is a little easier than the enemy base you may have fought previously. You don't need powerups here, and there's no LigIIs to harass you. Good. Take the bottom two turrets out either by strafing when they stop firing or possibly on a diagonal. To get the top, head north to the door. The cannons should not fire at you, and if you strafe one it should not hit you. Keep strafing from the centre while firing to take them out. Destroy the door and enter the base. Head north, run over the infantry and take the V. This base is a little more complex than others. There are doors you must blast, and Hans turrets on many of them. Blast the turrets when they stop firing. After they are destroyed you can blast the door. Head north and take out the tanks en route. You'll notice that the music's changed to boss mode, enter the door at teh end of the base. ****************************************************************************** Think Tank (C-Type) ****************************************************************************** Smaller than the F-Type Tank. The think tank has one large turret. It moves from side to side quickly firing a missile out of the turret. You can basically keep ahead of it and fire at it on a diagonal. F and V items are highly recommended, however, as it is hard to get past the Tank's turret without taking a hit, and it is rather fast. Don't let it reach the bottom right corner of the stage, take it on from the left. I have found it will go into the corner and explode, but the fight won't end. You will be stuck. When it blows up, you're in the field. Head north. You're at a lake, which will mean submarines, which will mean trouble. Take this area slowly, you do not want many subs on the screen at once because they fire homing shots. The first sub appears to the left of a V. Keep to the north, you will face a stationary Medium I and a patrolling Medium II. When you see the LigII, snipe it then head up the bridge to the north of it. Another LigII will charge down the bridge so shoot it as it comes. When you come to the Fs, look out for the Medium Is. One of them guards the exit of this bridge along with two subs. After this there are two POWs. They both tell you "Thanks" when you collect them. Head north to the bridge. To the left of the bottom horizontal portion of this bridge, a sub will attack. After the bridge, you will fight a MedI and MedII. The next bridge has a few MedI and a sub to the right and left of it. After this, a stationary medI and then an E. At the far end of the bridge with the E is an F, but this is just to bait you in to fighting the two subs that appear as you approach the end. Another stationary MedI guards the path north. After this bridge, take out the subs at the upper left and right areas of this little island. Now, head left but not straight onto a bridge. Just coming to the extremes of the little island will cause a MedII to charge on through, and stop to become a stationary target. Take it out. Go across the bridge, and take out the MedI patrolling the island. Head north, there are subs to the left and right of this bridge. A stationary MedI and MedII guard the next island. Use some long if you have it. The two tanks likely are _not_ in synch. So while one will stop, another will still be firing. A few L's are little sacrifice to avoid heavy damage. A patrolling MedII appears after the MedI. There's a stationary MedI on the bridge to the north. After this, you can get another L, among other items, in an area with patrolling MedIs. The third tank to the north also has a few LigI nearby. Just take these all out before the Med comes to a stop. Soon, you will see a stationary MedII near an E. Scroll a MedI onscreen first, take it out. Now, procure your E's and take out the MedII if you want. You'll see some F's. You may want to activate it as there's plenty of MedIs around here. There's also subs to the left. Near the top, when you see three light tanks one afte rthe other, there will be a MEdI afterwards. This is a dangerous foe because it comes toward you firing. So use an F to silence it fast. Near the top, a MedII will come from the top, take it out before it can either fire at or ram you. A MedII, a MedI and a sub (to the right) are next. In the centre of the "Y" shaped bridge, there's a sub. Also, soem MedIs patrol this area and the land directly above. You may want to use some F, as they are tightly packed and aggressive. Afterwards, there's some stationary MedII and approaching LigIs. Then three MedI best handled by strafing and firing with V and F. Past the trees, a stationary MedII and two apporaching MedI. Don't use all of your V and F though as you may need them coming up. Go up past the next trees and you're in Area 19 at last. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA13 Alright so heading left at the second sign after the roadway, head up while blasting the tanks in your way. It usually goes one from the bottom/two from the top alternating. If you have any weapons stockpiled - consider them because this can get pretty rough. Noth near the outpost, you will find a MedII. Take it out then defeat the infantry behind the sandbags. Blast down the wall and enter the outpost. Collect the V, bust down the next wall and leave the outpost to the north. a few infantry and two MedII are waiting for you. As you head north, there will be plenty of infantry to run over appearing from the north and south. There's a few LigIs to the north, then these two concrete walls with a little path between them. After the gates, take out the two foot soldiers, then the two stationary MedII to your north. You come to a river after these tanks. Watch out for the MedI as you head west, it charges out after you, stops, and begins firing. So appraoch from low on the screen so it passes over you or at least you have time to respond. After you cross the bridge, destroy the light tank in the forest path, drive up through the forest smashing teh troops with the Iron Tank. Keep heading North until you come to the town. When you break into the town, fight off the LigIs. Head up through the next walla nd there should be LigIIs up here. Keep heading north. Head right at the MedII to reach the next wall. Breach it and continue. Beyond this, a patrolling MedII and LigI await you. Blast through the two walls in a row to exit the town and return to the wilderness. Two LigII and a MedII and then you're at another town. The gate is guarded by a LigI. Blast through the tank and the wall. Get through the next wall to leave this outpost of a town. Up north is polluted with LigIs but also Fs. The music has changed, so prepare for battle. ****************************************************************************** Enemy Base (Four Turrets) ****************************************************************************** Ok, this fight is a little easier than the enemy base you may have fought previously. You don't need powerups here, and there's no LigIIs to harass you. Good. Take the bottom two turrets out either by strafing when they stop firing or possibly ona diagonal. To get the top, head north to the door. The cannons should not fire at you, and if you strafe one it should not hit you. Keep strafing from the centre while firing to take them out. Enter the door to enter the base. Head straight up through the troops and get the Vs. Head up through the gate, and destroy any LigIIs that come after you. Head Northeast and collect the Fs en route. A stationary MedI guards teh door. Take it out, and enter the door. ****************************************************************************** Think Tank (C-Type) ****************************************************************************** Smaller than the F-Type Tank. The think tank has one large turret. It moves from side to side quickly firing a missile out of the turret. You can basically keep ahead of it and fire at it on a diagonal. F and V items are highly recommended, however, as it is hard to get past the Tank's turret without taking a hit, and it is rather fast. Don't let it reach the bottom right corner of the stage, take it on from the left. I have found it will go into the corner and explode, but the fight won't end. You will be stuck. When it's destroyed, you're back in the field. Head north, some infantry will attack and then you'll be at a lake. The lakes are the hardest environments in the game because they're so congested. Run over teh infantry that will come out as you approach the lake. You can essentially refill your energy bar with them. Head over the bridge, collect the E if need be and destroy the LigII. Keep on going and you'll get a string of B's. A few LigIs and you're out of the lakes. Compared to the others, that was an absolute cakewalk. While you could take a few unfair hits, there's no huge threats and no submarines or gunboats. Get the L, take care of the infantry and head out onto another lake. Fight your way through light tanks and infantry, getting Vs and Bs. Head north and get the Ls throught he constant stampedes of soldiers and the occassional light tank. Afte rthe Ls, there's a branch to the East where you can get an E. Head north to fight a MedI and the east to fight a LigII. Might your way again through troopers and Light I's. Head north out of the lake, which might I remark was probably the easiest area in the game despite the rough environment. Kind of an oxymoron. As you head north, you will get at least one of each weapon item (turret, not bomb). Right from the get go, the next lake doesn't bode entirely well. There is a MedII guarding the first island with rapid fire. Use a B to hit it accurately. A few Fs and then there are some rapid fire LigIs. After these tanks, a patrolling MedII. However, this lake as well shows itself to be none too big of a threat as it ends quickly after a line of infantry and a MedI at the end. Lo, as you leave this lake, there is a MedI above you, Take them out, and watch out for any sneaky infantry coming down and around the bridges after you. After leaving, you'll encounter a high incidence of LigI. They come from roughly the centre of the screen, so don't drive straight into them. When you arrive at the tree passages, a MedII is stationary, waiting for you. Keep heading north and you shall enter Area 14. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA14 Boss music, yes? Head on north. ******************************************************************************* Long Range Firing Turret Base 2 ******************************************************************************* The turrets are very, very easy to take out this time, they only fire straight forward. Take all the turrets out in a sweep from side to side on a diagonal. After destroying the four turrets on the base, the big guy activates. This is different from the bases on the bottom half of the map because it has four guns - two on either side rather than the standard two. Fight it the same way you fight the others - move with it and dodge the missiles. It fires a missile from both guns on one side, then two from the other guns. It's just like the smaller turret. This is possible without items, but use them if you want. Limit them to V,B,F, though - you can get close enough not to need L. After you've destroyed the long-raneg turret, blast the door and head on in. Alright, there's bases like this on the other two paths. However, this one is much easier. Head north and snipe the MedI that are out on those little islands before getting too far ahead of yourself. They are slow enough that you can pass them without much worry, however. Find the path north. drive up this path, you'll get a number of items including a ?. There's a big sub up here, however it does not attack you like others do, instead of three turrets it has a bunch of infantry on top. If you just want to avoid them, head up the rightmost side of the bridge keeping in mind that a LigI will come from the bottom. Keep heading past the big subs, getting any items you see. Destroy the light tanks that appear and just drive by the MedI. When you come to the two big subs side by side, just drive between them straight up unless you want to try and kill them all I suppose. When you're past the subs, grab the L, then fight the MedII to the west. Grab the E then head north. Head north to fight the boss. ****************************************************************************** Battleship with Two Turrets ****************************************************************************** While you can use some buildings as cover, this usually leads in your tank taking undue hits. You can try this without items if you wish, but the damage you cans sustain just isn't worth it. You snagged an L just previously, and should have come across the Vs. L and V, and any F if you have them will do you good in this fight. After destroying both turrets, blast down the door and exit the base. Head to the north. You've entered Area 19. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA15 Alright, you're moving in on that station that the allies captured if you took out the long-range turret and the one you were told to attack back in area X. Head to the North, destroy any light tank that appears behind you, they will seriosuly compromise your performance in this area. Ok, when you're ready to proceed North, wait for the electrical charge to stop, then travel past it. Do the same for the rest of them, but watch out for the mines. Don't get hit by electricity, as it will majorly drain your energy. Alright, when you reach the area with pits of water, you can get some E's. There'll be some LigII around here, so watch your step. Near the Watch out for the Mediums, which patrol some of the areas. One of the big problems you face in this entire area is that some fields won't drop, and enemeis can shoot at you while you can't get past. Major bummer, thummer down! You know you're approaching the end of this section when you come to an area that looks like the beginning of this area. Heading north after the end, expect a MediumI right above that E and two MedII from the south. After another MedI, two MedII gaurd an E. From here, at least four MedI to the north. When you reach water, start onto the bridge. Ok, there's some Subs here, and their shots home in on you. Take them out as they appear. I would advice you to scroll only one the subs onscreen if possible. It is very difficult to dodge multiple homing shots on a narrow bridge with a tank. There are also some gunboats patrolling the waters, you'll find your first near the E. They are much like the trains you had to fight already. Keep in mind that there are also some Medium tanks around this area. You'll be soon in Area 16. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA16 After the part of the bridge with little branches witht he F's, a Werner comes up the bridge firing. Stay to one side of the bridge, then move to the other when the plane comes. After this, two medium I's. When you head up the bridge after this, another Werner attacks you. There are more medium tanks to the North. After teh bridge, look out for the Yunkels. These planes usually crisscross one-another with their shots. Head north, I warn you that the bridge is a royal pain, there's medium tanks coming from the north and south, so just take your time, and don't be afraid to use a powerup or two. Don't be too gung-ho about that E you might see, guarded by a edII. At least two Werners will attack you here. Always be careful going over bridges, when your path is interfered with by a mine, you will need to head left and then up a bridge. However, there are two subs here. You will come to an area guarded by a MedI and MedII, stationary. Another MedII patrols tot he north. Destroy the stationaries when they stop firing. When you coem to the next area with little branches like an E, if a boat drives by to the left, its shots will fall short if you go to the end of a branch. Luckily, you will find two E's in this area anyways. You will come to an area with multiple subs on either side of a bridge. You're best just running through this, then taking the branch of the bridge that does not have a tank. If you are fast and evasive enough, you will not be hit. You may want to use a few F's in this area as there will be plenty of medium tanks, but keep at least a quarter of a bar and don't waste any. There are some trees you can drive under to the north, you're entering Area 17. Area 16 was very short but also very difficult, just be thankful you're on dry land again! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 17 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA17 Keep heading north and the Music will change. ******************************************************************************* Long Range Firing Turret Base 2 ******************************************************************************* The turrets are very, very easy to take out this time, they only fire straight forward. Take all the turrets out in a sweep from side to side on a diagonal. After destroying the four turrets on the base, the big guy activates. This is different from the bases on the bottom half of the map because it has four guns - two on either side rather than the standard two. Fight it the same way you fight the others - move with it and dodge the missiles. It fires a missile from both guns on one side, then two from the other guns. It's just like the smaller turret. This is possible without items, but use them if you want. Limit them to V,B,F, though - you can get close enough not to need L. Head into the base after destroying the door (which has likely already been destroyed). Charge straight through the troops, getting your energy refilled. There is an E to the north, but it is guarded by three stationary MedI. Drive up, so te two to the left and right cannot hit you and quickly dispatch the one at the top. Now, Take out the two side guardians between their shots. Go left or right, both paths lead to the same bridge. Ok, head up and collect, among other things, the ?. Watch out for the large submarine here. Big Subs can really dish out the punishment with their rapid turrets. So how do you handle this monster? Tilt your turret diagonally towards it. When a turret stops firing, squeeze out a shot. The bottom and top turrets fire the same shells as most tanks, while the middle turret is a machine gun. The one thing to always remember is that when scrolling the screen up, there could be a tank from the north ot south. For inctance, scrolling up near this sub will likely bring a MedII from the bottom of the screen. After the sub, you should be sandwiched between a MedI and MedII. This isn't too bad since they will probably leave. Snag that R then head up to fight another big sub. There is a ? near it, if you want to risk procuring it before destroying all turrets, I highly recommend you take out at least two of them first. By the time you scroll up to this ?, a MedII will appear at the top of the screen. A few MedI and then a B, then another big sub. This time, there is a MedII on a little area left of the sub. There's a ? by that MedII, so if you want to pass this sub quickly, use a bomb then get the replacement. There are many MedI to contend with from the north while doing this, however, so you may want to turn an F or B on. The next sub, a MedI comes rushing down after you geta V. Take it out as it arrives, possible with some V. Now, there's a MedI to the Northwest. Destroy it with some L if possible. There's an L right in front of you, but you need to destroy some of the sub turrets first. When you grab the L, a Med I comes from the north. Quite frankly, all of the MedI that arrive here are priority. As soon as you see one, fall back and get ready to take it out. The next area is particularly dangerous. There's two subs on either side of you and it isn't likely that their turrets are synchronized. So what's an Iron Tank to do? Well, if you're really worried, a ? could work but I wouldn't waste it personally. An L can be used to take the turrets out at a distance, or a B to ensure you hit. All you really need to do is use some items on one sub, then you can take out the other without. For instance, activate items for one turret and thend eactivate them for the same turret on the other sub. You really shouldn't use too many items and at least you'll save a bomb. Grab whatever V's are left then head north taking out tanksa s you go. Two stationary MedII guard the exit of the bridge. Alright, the music changes, but what's this? A big wall in your way? Head to the right, grab the E, and destroy the MedII. Head north, destroy the door on that building. ****************************************************************************** Battleship with Two Turrets ****************************************************************************** Well, I hope you have a few L to spare... otherwise you will have to play duck and cover behind the buildings, firing and getting to safety. If you play it that way, you will probablt sustain some heavy damage. L and F, possibly B are the way to go. Just destroy both turrets and the Battleship is down for the count. The buildings I spoke of are to the far left and right, but one turret will fire at you diagonally so it isn't really worth the trouble. After the ship, head into the door you blew up. Head north past the many LigIIs and you get a call: "Snake! Bombers are everywhere. We are having a tough time hanging on! If only one of us lives, we will do our best to support you. Good luck." Bombers? Doesn't bode well, no? Continue your way north past the long line of LigIIs. You will see some stones. This area is where the bombers will start, a few Werners to begin with. There's a few E's here to lick you battleship wounds with, and many Werners. This is kind of like a wrecked airstrip I guess. Werners will begin to come from behind soon... those that come from behind have a little horizontal movement towards the top of the screen. When you come to a MedI, use the blockades as cover to fight it, but again mind the bombers. At this point, you'll be entering Area 18. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 18 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA18 Any tanks you come across, try to dispatch without scrolling the screen too much. At the first E, some horizontal Yunkels will begin attacking. A MedII will arrive and stop in place to begin shooting. Maybe use a B to hit it as it will not desist in firing. There's a patrolling MedII above this, a lot easier to take out. You will eventually come to this large building with an L in front of it. Get the item, blast the door, and proceed inside. Inside, there's some boss music. ****************************************************************************** Base Station ****************************************************************************** The boss is really just this hangar full of grounded planes. First two: Charge straight up between them, shots should miss you. Alright, get just out of range then destroy them from behind. Easy. Stay in the centre and tilt your turret directly west or east. Charge up past all of the medium tanks, they just fire and leave. Get past the two grounded planes but don't go too far to the north. Destroy them from behind/beside. During the explosion of the second plane, get beside the large plane to the North. Because the explosion wipes out its bullets, use it as cover. Pretty nifty, eh? Well, don't get too comfortable as there are some Tanks to the north that may fire at you. Bummer! But the shots should be easy enough to evade, so concentrate on destroying this plane. Take your time with the tanks to the north, and you'll come to a similar setup of planes. Use the same strategy. Destroy this big plane to gain the exit of the hangar. You're back out on the airstrip now, so take care. Head north slow enough that you can dodge the Werners as they come. Towards the end of the airstrip, you get this call: "The bombs have stopped. Cannot find your position................ radar is blocked! Snake...... stay alive! Go for it!" Well, you saved yor comrades from the bombers but you're all alone now. We're rounding the bend now, so just hold tight. Now, here's something totally out of the ordinary... you have a long passage through some woods with absolutely no enemies. This close to the Headquarters! Youc oem to this little outpost, destroy the MedII then just storm your way through the destructible walls until you're past it. The Hans turrets here just aren't worth the trouble, so just do the counter-intuitive thing and run! Outside, take out the two MedII. Has you head north, be sure to take out the LigII's that tail you. There are some MedI's that appear from the North as well. At the stone alls between the trees, a LigII will be between the walls, but as you head north a MedI attacks from behind. Head north past the walls, with an F and B if possible, blasting the tanks that get in your way. Otherwsie, you'll have to bait the tanks that appear above and below you. When you coem to the river, head left and take out the MedI. Grab the E. There's some MedII after this bridge. Alright so you're ready to enter the trees? There will be LigII coming down from the woods and a MedII waiting in the patch for you. There will also be a LigII from the South. Alright, so head North after this and run over a few troops for energy. Destroy the two MedIIs, watch out for the MedI from below. Scroll up to enter Area 19. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Area 19 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ITA19 ITA1912: From Area 12 ITA1914: From Area 14 ITA1918: From Area 18 ITA1919: Area 19 Continued ******************* From Area 12 ******************* ITA1912 Alright, you're finally in Area 19, but pal, get ready to fight! Head north and you're going to hear the boss music. ******************************************************************************* Long Range Firing Turret Base 2 ******************************************************************************* The turrets are very, very easy to take out this time, they only fire straight forward. Take all the turrets out in a sweep from side to side on a diagonal. After destroying the four turrets on the base, the big guy activates. This is different from the bases on the bottom half of the map because it has four guns - two on either side rather than the standard two. Fight it the same way you fight the others - move with it and dodge the missiles. It fires a missile from both guns on one side, then two from the other guns. It's just like the smaller turret. This is possible without items, but use them if you want. Limit them to V,B,F, though - you can get close enough not to need L. After destroying the turret, enter the base. Head up and North, run over all troops in your way for energy. Three stationary MedI wait for you at the end of this tunnel, perched on little islands. Shoot them when they stop firing. Head left or right, it doesn't matter, and then head north. Get the E and the ?. Snag as many V's as possible too - but look out! There's some Venglar big subs here and they can be nasty if you rush. Aim diagonally at their turrets and fire when their turrets stop. When you reach teh top V of this area, a MedII will rush up, shoot, then retreat. You can just avoid this mook altogether. Finish off the sub and continue north. After the sub,a LigII from the south, two MedII from the north. There's an R nearby, take it if you've used any previous R's already. Near the next sub is a ?. Well, if you've been saving your bombs, use one and get this as a replacement. Otherwise, battle the sub and get it ASAP. A MedII is to the north, destroy it before it can attack. At the next sub, grab the B. There's a MedII to your upper Left, maybe use a long to hit it. It's possible to get through without using a long, so do what you will. You want to get past as quickly as possible, however, if you want the next ?. Otherwise it will likely vanish. Don't be upset, you can probably do without, as long as you have one in reserve. Though if you have some you can do like the previous sum and just bomb and replace. Gead north, get the v. That L sure looks nice, doesn't it? Well, if you rush to get it, a big sub will likely tear you apart. Head up. taking your time to get it. There's a Medium I to the upper left which is behaving in a style similar to that of teh prior MedII so deal with it how you'd like. As you head north, a MedI will approach you. Alright, get the F and the V, then you come to an area with two big subs. If you want to use your turret, use a long to dispose of one side and the regular turret to get the other. This is the best way to handle it because the turrets don't synchronize. Head north past the subs and get the V's. There's soon a MedII pair, both stationary so you should pass them easily. Get the L afterwards, and the music will change to the boss tune. Head in a horizontal direction until you find an F and a MedII. Head north here. At the end, you find the boss. ****************************************************************************** Battleship with Two Turrets ****************************************************************************** You can use teh buildings as cover in this fight if you absolutely need to, but as you mgiht recall, you found some Vs, Ls, and Fs recently. Well, do them up because this guy can be a real pain if you try to duck out od the way of its shots. So pulverise both turrets, blast teh door, and enter it. Alright, now proceed to the Area 19 Continued section (ITA1919). ******************* From Area 14 ******************* ITA1914 Head north, destroying LigIIs as you go. This is a pretty easy area, just scroll the tank one at a time. You eventually get this call: "Unit calling.......... we are being attacked from a bomber. Iron Snake, get to the enemy's air force base and turn it to rubble!" Right, so keep on heading north destroying the light tanks. You will come to some big white rocks. At this point, you'd better watch out for bombers as this is a fairly beatup airstrip. Head north collecting items, but take your time. As you scroll north, Werners fly down from the top of the screen. So scroll a plane onscreen, dodge, and repeat. The Werners will eventually come from the bottom. Again - take it slow, you do not want multiple planes onscreen at once. When you come to a MedI, there's a barricade right there for you to use as cover. Head up, take out the next MedI, when you arrive at the MedI patrolling an E, Yunkels will start to arrive from the side. still take it slow and stay toward the centre of the screen as much as you can to ensure you will respond in time. Soon a MedII rushes down and stops to fire. Take it out with a B if need be. After the next two MedII, the planes will be Werners again. Get the F and E. Take out that MedI. Collect soem items, destroy the next MedI. Now, take out the MedII near the large building. Collect the L, blast the doors and enter the building. This is a hangar. ****************************************************************************** Base Station ****************************************************************************** There's plenty of planes here that will fire at you as you get closer. You'll need to use some sneaky tactics here. First two: Charge straight up between them, shots should miss you. Alright, get just out of range then destroy them from behind. Easy. Stay in the centre and tilt your turret directly west or east. Charge up past all of the medium tanks, they just fire and leave. Get past the two grounded planes but don't go too far to the north. Destroy them from behind/beside. During the explosion of the second plane, get beside the large plane to the North. Because the explosion wipes out its bullets, use it as cover. But the shots should be easy enough to evade, so concentrate on destroying this plane. Take your time with the tanks to the north, and you'll come to a similar setup of planes. Use the same strategy. Destroy this big plane to gain the exit of the hangar. This plane is more dangerous than the last plane of the other base stations. It fires very quickly so be sure to use the explosion as cover. Exit the base, leave the airstrip while dodging the Werners. You will get a call as you leave the strip: "The bombs have stopped. Cannot find your position................ radar is blocked! Snake...... stay alive! Go for it!" I suppose you're on your own, but you're almost there so don't sweat it. Go to the section concerning the rest of Area 19, ITA1919. ******************* From Area 18 ******************* ITA1918 Bust through the wall and enter the town, fight off the three MedIs. Possibly a combo of VF will do you good. Keep on gunning and bust your way through the town, most tanks will be appearing above you. Head on up to the next town, take out the MedII and infantry that try to stall you. Head to the gate, take out the LigI then take out the gate. Take out the LigII, then the next gate. Head north, you'll be assaulted by at least three groups of MedIs. Consider a VF combo. There's a MedII north, it is stationary. As you get close to it, some Medium Is will attack you, however. There's more groups of the MedI next, the music will change soon. Another MedII near two Fs. Keep inching your way north past the mediums. ****************************************************************************** Enemy Base (Four Turrets) ****************************************************************************** Take the bottom two turrets out either by strafing when they stop firing or possibly on a diagonal. To get the top, head north to the door. The cannons should not fire at you, and if you strafe one it should not hit you. Keep strafing from the centre while firing to take them out. When the turrets are destroyed, enter the base. Run over the troops and take the V, then head north. Take out the Hans turret when it stops firing, then blast the door. You're assaulted by MedIIs as you head north. When you reach the end, destroy the guardian MedI. ****************************************************************************** Think Tank (C-Type) ****************************************************************************** Smaller than the F-Type Tank. The think tank has one large turret. It moves from side to side quickly firing a missile out of the turret. You can basically keep ahead of it and fire at it on a diagonal. F and V items are highly recommended, however, as it is hard to get past the Tank's turret without taking a hit, and it is rather fast. Don't let it reach the bottom right corner of the stage, take it on from the left. I have found it will go into the corner and explode, but the fight won't end. You will be stuck. After the Think Tank, you're left in a field. You can now proceed with the rest of Area 19 (ITA1919). ******************* Area 19 Continued ******************* ITA1919 Well, head North. When you see the MedII patrolling near an E, watch out for the two LigII arriving from below. They becoem stationary. There's two Medium Is after this tank, the you get a call: "Surrender immediately! No way you can win! Drop all arms and weapons! Otherwise.... we wipe you out!" Now, there's no way you're going to take that. Head up and destroy the next MedII. After this tank, a LigII fromt he north, a MedII from the south, and the Werners return. Some light tanks are near that R. Take both Rs, if only to restore your eneegy completely, and take out the light tanks. You can get a few as the bombs are dropping. Head north, there's a few Medium tanks but the bombs that are dropping will stop their shots. So really, if you want to take them out they're very, very vulnerable. Keep to the north and there'll be two onscreen Es. Destroy the MedII to the norht and two MedI to the south before taking these. Head north to the outpost. Bait the two MedIs on screen and take them out. Run over the troops and then blast through the wall. Get the F, then use it to blast the MedII directly ahead. Switch it off, blast the next wall, and continue out of the ourpost. On the map, you're in the large Square at the top of the screen. Head north and shoot the LigIIs from the north, MedI from the south. Head north, blast into the next area and take the R, V, and F. Alright, blast through the next wall and start eliminating the foot soldiers. They maybe fire a little too much to make running them over worthwhile. Destroy the MedII in front of the next wall, then blast through the wall. Ok, there's some rapid fire stationary MedIIs to the north, and two Hans near where you entered. Use items here, you'll be devastated without them. There's two more tanks like this just norht, but they aren't nearly as big a problem as there's no Hans nearby. Another MedII will approach you here as well. Turn your F on as you arriev on the tracks, destroy the two MedIs that appear. Nevermind teh tanks below you, scroll them offscreen. Get the items. As you approach the alley with the B, a train will come. Take it out while retreating. There are two MedIIs that can arrive on the scene near that B. Don't rush in and get rammed. Take out two trains to the north, you'll see a Hans and a stationary MedI. As you head north, another MedI will arrive on the scene. take out this tank, then the other and the Hans. Another MEdI attacks as you proceed North, take the B. You will see an E and a B. A MedI will attack you, destroy it. If you do need them, grab the items when the Hans stops firing. Head North, taking out the MedI on your way. The two turrets, they're tricky. Swing your turret west and head north so that you are just below the bullets of the left turret when it is firing right. Both turrets will miss you, attack the left when it stops firing. Use an F and B to hit it. Take hte next turret out on a diagonal. Head north and duck intot hat little space with the mine (don't touch the mine, obviously) and wait out the next train as it fires staright forward. Head to the northmost part of this space, and another train just like this should drive by. Head north, get the F and V. Take out all of these turrets with an F and L each. Head north, destroy the three MedIs and take the F and B. When you between the two mines, a MEdI will appear from the norht and south. Take whatever one you want out first while dodging the other's shots. To the north, another MedI, two LigII, and you'll see two B's. Grab em' minding any trains then take out the MedI to the northeast of the mine. Now drive up to the corner formed by the house and wall. The train won't be able to hit you as you pass. Head right and up. The train coming down is shooting straigh ahead, so stay to the side. Cross over the tracks and get the items. Destroy the Medium I to the north, then grab the items to the northeast. Just to the north is the tarck's end, with a few B's for you to pick up, and a number of LigIIs guarding the exit. Take these otu carefully. Grab the L, you'll see a B. Well, there's two Hans in the trees near this. Use an L and F to take them out easily. Again, get by the next set of turrets and medium tanks. If you want to fight, F is almost necessary. Head up to the buildings, take out this Hans. Again, use an L so you don't take much damage. One F for each of these turrets should suffice. Though you'd better be able to hit them anyways. If you try to run, you will take an inordinate amount of damage. The next gauntlet of Hans, work your way up. You don't need to destroy these, in fact I'd suggest you save your items. Head north past the few mediums and the boss music will start playing. ****************************************************************************** Headquarters ****************************************************************************** At last, the headquarters! Before you approach it, take out any tanks. Now head north to the headquarters. Start from the left. The turret should be pointed so taht it won't shoot. Move up, turret to the northeast. When the turret snaps to firing position, shoot and move away. Keep at it until the turret blows. You can blast the turrets when they're out of firing position with a B. They don't take many hits so consider it. Blast the door after taking down the turrets, then take the V and L. You'll be taken to the next battle. ****************************************************************************** Think Tank Main Body ****************************************************************************** This is it, the ultimate contest between behemoth tank and valiant tank of iron. Any items you have, activate. This starts off with a turret that can rotate to any direction and fire at you. Move here and there, blasting the think tank and avoiding its shots. The shots are homing shots so take this form out as quickly as possible. Stay at a distance that will help you avoid shots from the Tank. After it blows up, it becomes an F-Type. Just pulverise it. It will behave the same as previous F-Types. You can only go behind it when it is moving to the right. So riddle it with shots and avoid moving in front of it too much. When it blows up, it becomes a C-Type. This shoots missiles just like the previous C-Types. Shoot it froma diagonal and try to stay on the left side of the screen - you sure as hell don't want to get stuck at this point in the game. Dodge the missiles and use rapid fire to defeat it. If your rapid runs out, as it probably will, play a little more on the safe side, and even attack from the right but try to stay on the left for the most part. When it is destroyed, you are treated to a kickin' victory theme, then the ending. Mission complete! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | I4: Items | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ******************* Bullet Items ******************* Items that influence your turret, you will be using combos of these all through the game. Picking up a bullet item restores a sliver of energy as well. V: This is the rapid fire item. While holding down the A button will cause your tank to fire continuously, this is very slow and the V makes it a lot quicker. Ideal for bosses. F: Armor Piercing: These allow your turret shots to deal more damage to a foe, and pass through some objects that other bullets cannot. The extra damage capacity of the F bullets is crucial in some areas with a congestion of strong enemies, and against bosses. B: Explosive power. This doesn't relate to damage necessarily, but rather the area of effect of your shots. This causes them to make an explosion, which can hit enemies mroe easily. L: Long Range. Essential against some targets, this increases the length your shots can travel before hitting the ground. Allows you to stay out of the reach of the enemy. ******************* Others ******************* E: Energy item, restores a nice bit of energy. ?: Full screen bomb. This is a devastatign attack which clears out most enemies and damages bosses. You can store up to three, and it cannot be combined with other items. R: Reserve Energy. This will fill your energy bar when you pick it up, and give youa pretty helpful item that you can activate: turn the 'R' on in the subscreen and you will have your energy refilled when you run out. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | I5: Enemies | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ******************* I5.1: Tanks ******************* I gave tanks their rating (Medium or Light) based on how many hits they take. Light Tank I: "Louis Light Armored Tank" A tank with purely machine gun capabilties. The biggest threat is running into it. Light Tank II: "Gustafu Medium Armored Tank" A tank with similar armour to the Louis, but a turret like yours. Because of the turret, a well placed Gustafu can be a real pain. Medium Tank I: "Waltar Medium Armored Tank" A tank similar in behaviour to the Gustafu, albeit a little quicker. Takes two hits, making it a threat. Medium Tank II: "Becks Haus Heavy Armored Tank" Takes two hits, but has a spread fire cannon. You will need to learn how to move in between the shots. ******************* I5.2: Aircraft ******************* Werner 190K Fighter Plane: Moves either up or down the screen riddlign the ground with shots. You can't defeat them, so just learn to avoid them. Yunkel JU88r-1 Fighter Bomber: Moves across teh screen horizontally, sometimes on a diagonal. Again, just learn to avoid it. V-II Missile: Missile that drops and causes the screen to flash and shake. Really can't harm you so use its explosion as cover to attack other enemies. ******************* I5.3: Water ******************* Gunboat: Travels down firing at you. Aim diagonally up to hit it, you usually can't get out of the way on a bridge anyhow. Submarine: Pops in and out of the water firing homing shots. Try to only get one on screen at any one time, shoot as it emerges and then retreat from its shot. Venglar-Rank Fighting Submarine: Big sub with three turrets, two use shells and the other is a machine gun. Attack a turret on a diagonal when it stops firing. ******************* I5.4: Automation ******************* Hans Turret: A fairly rapid turret that can fire in all directions. You'll often need an F to even hit these. Wall Turret: Locked into a column of sorts, the disadvantage in their design is that they have a limited degree of movement. ******************* I5.5: Soldiers ******************* All of the humans can be run over for energy. Infantry can also often switch between weapons. Grenadier: Tosses grenades at you, often from a secure position. Machine Gunner: Fires a machien gun at you. Officer: Has a machine gun, destroy ti and it may drop a V. ******************* I5.6: Railroad ******************* Fritz Firing Train: Shoots a missile towards you, this long train is an easy target. If you can, attack from above the range of its missile. Gun Car: The stanard train you will mostly fight. Two turrets that can be pointed in different directions. Unless it has the turrets pointed straight down, the best way to approach it is to move back while firing once it appears. J-Type Armored Train: The turrets can point at you, firing. Treat it like a patrolling tank. Shoot it as it moves and dodge when it stops. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | I6: Tips | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ******************** General ******************** Items: While most items can be saved for later use, if the situation is looking particularly grim, then don't be afraid to use items. B, F, and L all have many practical uses in the main game. If you can avoid using the items, the do so. Energy: Run over humans and collect any item to get a little energy back. Big groups of troops are there for a reason, bulldoze them. Environments: Recognize what appears where. If you're on a lake, look for subs. If you're on some tracks, always mind the trains. Genadiers: Do _not_ underestimate them. They are often protected from your shots to some degree and can deal out damage in droves when there's a few placed around. Machine Gun: Your machine gun really isn't a practical weapon, it could be useful for mowing down troops though. You could split your fire in two directions with both weapons, but the machine gun isn't really effective otherwise. Never Rush: Well, almost never. Usually, if you rush you'll run into an enemy or be blasted to bits. A slow, methodical process will lead you to victory in the end. Turrets: Turrets are often the hardest enemies to approach accutately. Know their weaknesses and snipe them when you get the chance. Many never really let up, however, so you may need to deal with them with an L. Watch the screen: Enemies can appear from anywhere. Inch your way up the screen keeping an eye out for everything. ******************** Tank Behaviour ******************** Right, so tanks have a few ways of attacking you: Approaching: Coems after you, firing. Probably the most dangerous style of tank you should attack on a diagonal as it approaches, especially when it makes a small diagonal movement. You may want to consider an F and B in some fo these cases, as it can be very difficult to hit the approaching tank. Patrolling: Move ina definite path, firing at any stops. Attacking during their movement. Random: Some tanks just move around, just don't underestimate them. Line up a good shot and take it out. Shoot and Retreat: Charges onto the screen, fires, then retreats. Most of these can be bypassed, but they can take you by surprise. If you know they're in the area, act accordingly. Stationary: Tanks that sit still, firing. Most pause between shots, hit them when you get the chance. If they don't pause, try to get parallel to their shots or possibly use a B. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | I7: Credits | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Thanks to the hosts whom make it possible for you to see my writing. Thanks to SNK for the long, yet fun game. It get maybe a little too methodical at times, but it's fun and offers a great challenge. Websites with permission to use this Guide: www.GameFAQS.com www.neoseeker.com faqs.IGN.com www.1up.com Game by SNK