0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Tails' Sky Patrol - Walkthrough Written by Clifton Caleb Jewett snowflakepillow@gmail.com -------------------------------- This is a walkthrough for Tails' Sky Patrol, for the Sega Game Gear. I'm a bit of a Tails fan, so when I saw this game on the FAQs bounty list, I jumped at the opportunity to write this guide. CONTROLS -------- Start Button - Pauses the game and gets you past the title screen. A and B Buttons - This is used to throw the ring that Tails carries around in this game. It can also be used to drop items or let go of items that Tails is holding (such as mine carts). If you get hit by an enemy, jam on this button! You might recover, though you'll lose some stamina and be slowed down. Directional Pad - Left won't let you go backward, you're stuck going forward. Left will slow you down, however. Right will speed you up so you can sneak through obstacles. Up and Down will move you Up and Down. STAMINA BASICS -------------- You've got a stamina bar in the top left. This slowly ticks down as you fly and it drops when you get hit by an enemy. If it runs out, you will plummet and lose a life. When you get hit by an enemy, tap the attack button (A or B) to recover. If you hit the ground or a wall while reeling from an attack, you'll lose a life. To refill the bar, you'll need to find candy. You can't get through a level without getting some candy, even if you hurry and don't get hit. So keep an eye out. The candies come in singles, two-packs, and three-packs. The three-packs will fully refill your stamina. WALKTHROUGH ----------- ---LEVEL 1 - TRAINING AREA--- This level is pretty simple and gets you acquainted with the controls. Ignore the first blue pole and grab the diamonds on the steps by hitting them with your ring. Don't hit the steps! Hitting any solid walls will lose you a life. Don't touch the weight at the top of the steps, it will only weigh you down. If you manage to get snagged on it, you can hit A or B to let go. Don't mess with the blue sign and ring the checkpoint bell so that you can start from it if you mess up later in the level. You'll see a mine cart - don't touch it. You really don't have to do anything with this one, so you can just fly over it. If you do touch it, it'll just slow you down a bit, and you can let go of it with A or B. Up ahead is another blue pole with accompanying signage. You can probably avoid this one, too. You'll see a spinning yellow wall. You have to cross this wall while it is parallel with the screen. Use right on the control pad to speed up and make it easier to sneak through. Grab the candy in the tower room by touching it. This will refill your stamina. You'll lose if you run out of this. Then, run into the blue star at the top of the blue pole. This will spin you around and throw you safely through the next tunnel. Use right on the control pad to sneak through the next spinning wall. Now you'll have to run into the next mine cart, so fit into that tunnel. You'll grab onto the mine cart, so hit A or B quickly to let go of the cart before it drags you to your doom. Fly up so you don't hit the wall you're approaching. You'll meet a new obstacle: spiked pillars that open and close. You'll have to use timed presses of Right on the Control Pad again to sneak through without hitting the pillars. Now you'll see walls of blue and yellow blocks between pillars. The key here is to throw the ring at the yellow block in each group, this will destroy all of the blocks in the group. If you hit a blue one, only that block will be destroyed, so make sure to quickly throw the ring again to clear a path if you miss the yellow block. In the next room, float down and touch the balloon on the floor, then float up while pressing Left a few times to get up to the ledge before you hit the wall. Don't forget to grab the candy to refill your stamina after breaking another yellow block. Once again, you'll have to get attached to a mine cart. Quickly bail from it, then fly up to the ledge with another candy and a 1up. Then just follow the tunnel and don't worry about the cart. Grab the star sign above the next obstacle for a temporary invincibility powerup, then ring the checkpoint bell and sneak past the next spiked column. This next part is a bit tricky, because you'll have to dodge walls as they appear. Quickly go down below the first wall, then above the second, then below the next (here you'll definetly have to hold left to make sure you slow down). Go above one more of these walls, then take the lower tunnel to be launched out of the cave. Congrats! You've beaten the Training Area. --- LEVEL 2 - RAILCANYON AREA --- Ignore the first two birds that appear. Dodge the shooting enemies that appear next (they look like cannons hung from parachutes). It's easy to avoid them if you press Right to boost past them. Go above the next tunnel and boost through the spiraling yellow wall (you've seen these before. You can fly above the next one, then fly down to go through the lower of the next two to avoid the cannon behind them. Boost past another cannon. Fly down to the ground to get the candy and refill your stamina. Go through the lower tunnel, boosting under the ball (bomb?) thrown by the terrapin enemy, then throwing your ring at it before you hit it. You'll boost out of the tunnel. This next part is tricky. The easiest way to get through here is to boost under the birds, then fly up. One of the birds will try to attack you from behind but should fly under you. You have to carefully fly above the terrapin but below the parachute cannon. Then follow the lower patch into the next tunnel and throw your ring at the fly enemy. Hit the second fly, too, then hit the checkpoint bell and fly upward to get ready to hit a third fly as you exit the tunnel. Fly even higher after defeating the third fly to go above the terrapins' projectiles and grab the mine cart past them. Immediately ditch the mine cart (A or B), fly high, and boost (Right on the pad) through the yellow wall, grab the 1up, and time your boost through the second yellow spinning wall. If you hang back, you won't have to worry about the next 3 sets of the 3 blue bird enemies. Fly to the ground and pick up the candy and stay there to enter the lower tunnel. You'll have to boost under another terrapin ball and ring the terrapin before you run into it. Grab the balloon, float up (while holding left to avoid hitting a wall) and then grab the items above. The hit the center of the second blue bar to be flung backward. As you move forward again, grab the weight to be pulled back down; fling your ring to drop the weight and hit the check point bell. Boost ahead and fling your ring at the terrapin. More birds will appear; you can avoid them if you don't boost to far ahead. Fly to the ground, grab the candy to refill your stamina, then boost below the terrapin's ledge and grab the balloon. Hold down and right to get to the vertical shaft, then hold left and up to float up to the opening. Ditch the balloon like you would a cart and exit to the right. Dodge the spiked ball, flip the switch on top of the next platform, then hit your ring on the blue pole to be flung down so you can flip the second switch (by touching it). Then be flung back up, hit the terrapin and dodge it's projectiles, then slip down and grab the candy. Exit and go to the above tunnel. Take out the fly, grab the weight and go down to grab the items. Hit the first blue bar boost and it will bring you back around to grab some more diamonds and grab a balloon to get back up. Take the weight at the exit down to be led to another series of boosts. Through the next section, just follow the boost bars. The fly will be buzzing around, but, if you are quick enough, you won't even have to ring it. You'll have to boost up to a blue bar and slide down it (make sure you avoid the spiked ball spinning around). Then take the weight down, ditch it, grab the balloon, ride it up, and ditch that, too. When you ride the balloon up, hold left and up to go directly up, this way you can avoid the terrapin and fly above it and the spinning spiked ball. Exit through the high opening and hit the checkpoint bell outside. You'll meet the first boss! He's a blue wolf looking-character! He'll throw bombs at you, so you can hit them with your ring throw to blow them up. But the way to hurt the boss is to take the bombs that fly from below at you, and grab them by letting them hit your ring from below. Then you can throw them at the wolf! You can also grab the wolf boss and throw him at hills in the rail below you or the tops of the arches you're flying through. If you are running low on stamina, fly above the arches, candy appears above at times. 3 hits and this boss is toast! Way to go! You've beaten Railcanyon Area! --- LEVEL 3 - RUINWOOD AREA --- Sneak under the spinning spiked ball, ride the boost bars down and ride the cart up the hill. Ditch the cart, fly up, and start chucking that ring again and again at the brown squares above to break a patch through to the candy and out the other side, dodging the bones thrown by the skeletons below. Keep high until you hit the blue boost bars and fly down and back. Grab the diamonds and time your boosts and slow downs through the green drill obstacles. Start chucking you ring quickly, because the skeleton up ahead will throw bones that you'll have to break. Get past the drill, ring the balloon cannon and get past the next drill. Grab the candy, then keep chucking the ring to take out the falling orange balls. Take the balloon up, grab the candy and hit the checkpoint bell. Grab the mine cart and chuck it. Avoid the spinning spiked ball and grab the 1up, then grab the star sign and go through the drills. Grab the cart again at the end and let it drag you down the shaft to the exit of this area. Keep throwing that ring. You'll have to clear your way through three jumping skeletons and then walls will start showing up. Chuck that ring to clear a whole through those brown circles! The easiest way through is to stick to the very bottom set of circles and tap, tap, tap that A (or B) button. You'll have to go up one step at one point. At the end, fly up quick to hit the checkpoint bell. Avoid the spinning spiked ball, go up and past two drills then grab the cart. Ride it out and jam on the ring as you exit to take out the balloon cannon. In the next area, hit the cocoon enemies with your rings and then dodge the spiked ball. Hit the blue boost and jam on the ring button to take out the robot dogs and hit the next cart. Ditch the cart at the end. Don't hit the fly traps with your ring; do hit the cocoons. Get the candy on the steps on the way out. Grab more candy under the next spiked ball. Hey! It's the yellow blocks from the training area! Hit them to clear the walls and hit the cocoon enemies and cannon. Clear the upcoming walls by jamming on the ring button and trying to hit the yellow blocks when you can, while snagging the candy on the stairs. Use your ring to alternately take out cannons and cocoons, then jam on it to take out the skeleton bones. Duck under the spinning spiked ball, then hit the diamonds and checkpoint bell. Grab the triple candy to fill your stamina. You've reached the third boss! It's a bear! Try to dodge or destroy with your ring the balls the bear throws at you. Then try to grab the bear with your ring (descend on him from above). The easiest way to set this up is to stop the boss by hitting it with a ring. Then check him at walls. Five hits and this boss is history! Huzzah! Ruinwood Area is complete! --- LEVEL 4 - METAL ISLAND AREA --- Work your way up and right, jam on the ring attack to take out the birds, and grab the blue boost ramp to be launched forward and down; go right and grab the candy. Follow the boosts to the right after dodging rotating enemies. Grab the balloon and go up. It will float you up to another candy. Jam on the attack to take out birds that will ambush you here. Keep on that attack button: cannons and more birds await you ahead. A seeming maze of blue poles will lead you to more candy if you grab one of them. Go up and right again, dodge a rotating robot, take out a fly and tap attack to take out the cannon balls coming at you. Go down and right here, dodge the robot, take out the fly, and hit the checkpoint bell. Go up and right and boost toward the terrapin to avoid it's attack and take it out. Keep going up to avoid the next terrapin and take out the cannon. Grab the blue bar here to be flung to candy and a diamond. Jam on the attack as you drift up and to the right to protect yourself from the skeletons and balloon cannons. This enemy combination (plus a spiked ball) will continue for a bit. Boost to get past the next robot. Boost through the balloon cannons and boost past the next robot. Dodge through the spiked balls, take the blue pole down and grab the candy then take the weight down to grab the boost strip while holding right to avoid the blue birds and go right to another weight. Take this weight and go up and right for candy, a star sign, and the next checkpoint bell. Boost up and right to attack the terrapin and fly above the next one. Go up and right and grab the boost strip and hold down to hit some more candy. Avoid the boost bars here and jam on the attack to take out the balloon cannon and terrapin, then sneak through the gap between the fans behind them. Ring the fly and the cannon in front of you and go up and right. Grab the triple candy and the bell at the end. You've made it to the boss! It's a rabbit! It'll shoot carrot missles at you. It'll also blow kisses. Attack the carrots to destroy them. Attack the kisses to deflect them. Attack the boss to slow it down so you can grab it to throw it at any solid wall. Even hitting the boss with your ring will hurt the boss some. If you need more stamina, grab candy off the platforms. Keep jamming on the attack if you get hit and you should be able to survive if you keep grabbing that candy. Eventually, you'll hit the boss enough times to defeat it! Awesome! You're done with Metal Island Area! --- Level 5 - Darkcastle Area --- Jam attack to take out the first few enemies, do the same to take out the enemy with the ball up ahead. With this enemy, you have to take out the enemy first, then the ball. Hit the cannon, switch the switch on the floor and fly up hit the boost strip,jamming on attack to take out the cannons. Fly over the weight and swoop down on the candy. Take out the enemy and grab the mine cart and ditch it to go up. Jam attack to take out the brown circles as they appear, grab the 1up, and boost and attack through the second set of circles. Boost up an right past the red drill. Avoid the chomping dog and stay high and level while you jam attack to carve a patch through the circles. You're going to want to boost through here, you can get through before most of the circles appear. Grab the candy at the exit of this part. Dodge the spinning spikes and attack the balloon cannons. Grab the one up by splitting the blue poles, then sharply go up and time your way through the red drills. Then attack through the enemies as you go behind the yellow grating. Grab the weight, drop down, and attack and boost your way through the circles while grabbing the candy. The next bellcheckpoint is up ahead. Go up sharply and grab the cart. Stick with it and let it drag you down when it falls. Jettison it at the last second and take out the orange balls in your path. Grab the balloon, go up and grab a pole to be launched back into the candy up above and take the weight back down. Grab the diamonds and candy and ride the pole up. Attack the pole at the top so it doesn't throw you back and you can get through the red drill. Now you'll be put in a hallway with a bunch of terrapins and skeletons. If you pick up the pace, you can get under the terrapin attacks and take out the skeletons before they can attack. Take out the cannon floating at the exit. Go under the wall, come up and take out the next balloon cannon, then take the top path and take out the terrapin. Continue to the right. It's your pal, the revoling yellow wall again! Take out a few volleys of birds, then go through another yellow wall. There's 5 enemies at the exit! It'll be tough to exit here without a scratch. If you get it, regroup and clear the way out with attacks. What follows next is ridiculous. You have to go through a yellow door, then drop through a yellow door with a weight and exit it. I've tried it 50 times and never got this to work. Here's what does: Let the last terrapin before this section hit you and go through the wall and then the bottom yellow door while flashing after being hit. Luckilly a triple candy after this section will refill your stamina, so you'll recover. Ring the bell. The final boss is a witch! She's riding in a cart and she'll throw projectiles at you - you can attack these to destroy them. One key to this battle is to keep above the boss - the easiest way to die is have the boss pin you against a wall. If you get hit by a projectile, you can recover by tapping attack. So stay high in the air. Attack the boss to stun her, grab her with the ring, hit attack to spin her, and then again to throw, just like the other bosses. This boss has a new blue sparkly projectile that's a bit faster and more homing than the ball projectiles, but you can still destroy it with the attack. If you keep on the heat and keep grabbing candy to recover from projectile attacks, you'll soon beat the witch! Stupendous! You've cleared Darkcastle Area! And the game! The credits will roll. Apparently, the people don't even get to put down their real names in the credits. I believe this is because, in this time period, game companies tried to hide their employee's names to prevent poaching by competitors. Sorry to burst your bubble, but the game was not programmed by an AT-AT... FAQ --- Q: I have 9 lives, and I got another one, but it still says I only have 9! A: That's not a question... In any case, I noticed this, too. But if you have more than 9 and use one, you won't go down to 8, you'll go down to however many you have. But 9 is as high as the counter will show you. So that's it! This has been a guide by Clifton Caleb Jewett snowflakepillow@gmail.com May 2008