______ / ____ \ / __ \ / \ Soundvoyager \__/ \____/ \______/ Play guide and bad ASCII by AlbeyAmakiir (zergling270@hotmail.com It's really hard to change an email address, you know?) Version 1.0 -----------------------------------o))) Contents -----------------------------------o))) Title Contents Version History Philosophical Intro Game Start Map How To Do Stuff --Sound Catcher --Sound Drive --Sound Chase --Sound Slalom --Sound Cannon --Sound Picker --Sound Cock Secret Unlockable Stuff Closing Legal Stuff -----------------------------------o))) Version History -----------------------------------o))) 1.0 10/11/2006 I think it's done. It's got: intro, setup, map, walkthrough, secrets, closing and even one of those annoying disclaimer things. But this is a first version. We'll see. BTW, I'm Australian. That date is dd/mm/yyyy (which makes more sense than the American way, doncha think?) -----------------------------------o))) Philosophical Intro -----------------------------------o))) I'm writing a guide about what would be the dullest game in history. If you have never heard of Soundvoyager, ignore that last sentance. If you have, you may have realised by now that the game would be really dull, if not for the one factor that most games take for granted. Well, actually there are many factors, but anyway. If you have a huge surround sound system so you can hear that some alien is left or right, you don't really notice unless it's been set backwards. It also really doesn't matter. Yes, my laptop speakers are just as good as your five giant black boxes that you have to step around every day. Why? Most of the time, you can see whatever is going on with your eyes. If you hear something, you don't need sound to pinpoint it's location. You just look. Even you "surround speaker" people move your avater to see what's going on. What if suddenly there was no use? What if not only your enemy was invisible, but so was everything else? What if all you could see were little flashing lights? You might be an addict of some kind or another. Or you might be playing Soundvoyager, one of the great "bit Generations". Two things to note about Soundvoyager. First, don't read this guide till you've tried it. In fact, don't even read the manual. It's all in Japanese. The game isn't, but the manual is. The point is, though, that I knew next to nothing about the game when I got it, and I have 100% completed it (I believe) without resorting to anyone else for help. Few games allow you to do this nowadays. I find it fun. However, if you don't, read on. The second thing to know is this: Soundvoyager was not made for the blind. It was made for people who rely on sight too much. Sure, the blind can play it with a little help to start them off so they actually know what they are doing. I also could be getting this completely wrong (I don't know Japanese), but this is the basic idea I get. So, without further ramblings, I present the Soundvoyager Play Guide. -----------------------------------o))) Game Start -----------------------------------o))) First things first. Equipment! Despite my ranting at the start, you actually do need either sterio speakers or headphones to play this game (speaking of which, it's rather fun to hook up a tiny gameboy to large speakers. Sort of overkill...) You, of course, need a GBA, NDS or GCN Gameboy Player. Next, import your game. Next, location! You just can't play it with your brother in the next room with his collection of CDs being audiable from Mars. You need a quiet place like a bomb shelter to play this game. Luckily, all you need do in a noisy situation is press Start to pause and either move or yell at the offending persons. Upon running the game, you get what appears to be a garbled screen, but is in fact, to the highly trained eye, a Japanese health and safety warning. You get that whenever you turn on your DS as well. Skip it. Shortly after, you get a little animation that leads up to the title screen. Not even worth skipping, it's so short. Leave it to sit and to plays a repeating sound-scape type thing at different pitches and horizontal locations. Press Start here (like it says). You come to a tree of dots and dotted lines of two colours, purple and blue, with a white one at the bottom. Feel free to roam around the tree now. You won't learn much except the shape. The white dot at the bottom is called "adjust volume". You should also hear beeps alternating left and right. Go here if they seem uneven. The only other selectable option is the first level that all young voyagers of sound must travel through to learn how to play... -----------------------------------o))) Map -----------------------------------o))) Where would you be without a map? 32 33 | | 29 30 31 \ | / 24 25 26 27 28 \ \ ___|___ / / 20 21 22 23 \ \ / / 14 15 16 17 18 19 \ \ / \ / / 10 11 12 13 \ \ / / 6 7 8 9 \ / \ / 4 5 \ / 2 3 \ / 1 | A 0 B C KEY (Note: There are actually no capitals) NO|Name |Sound when selected 0 adjust volume (alternative beeps) 1 sound catcher (generic sound-scape) 2 sound drive-1 (footstep*3 "huh!") 3 sound slalom-1 (low beep, high beep) 4 sound catcher (two "ahh"s) 5 sound catcher (drumset beat) 6 sound drive-2 [see no. 2] 7 sound chase-1 (car horn) 8 sound cannon-1 (odd dingly lazer sound) 9 sound slalom-2 [see no. 3] 10 sound catcher (odd buzz tune) 11 sound catcher (almost Japanese flute) 12 sound catcher ("BAAAAAAAAAAAAA") 13 sound catcher (classic crystal sound*) 14 sound drive-3 [see no. 2] 15 sound chase-2 [see no. 7] 16 sound cock-1* (chickens) 17 sound picker-1 (buzz-beep) 18 sound cannon-2 [see no. 8] 19 sound slalom-3 [see no. 3] 20 sound catcher (atmospheric sound*) 21 sound catcher (nomad-ish percission?) 22 sound catcher (muted guitar-ish?) 23 sound catcher (metal and buzz) 24 sound chase-3 [see no. 7] 25 sound cock-2 [see no. 16] 26 sound catcher (water) 27 sound picker-2 [see no. 17] 28 sound slalom-3 [see no. 8] 29 sound catcher (footsteps on wood) 30 sound catcher (air*) 31 sound catcher (odd beat) 32 sound cock-3 [see no. 16] 33 sound picker-3 [see no. 17] A sound catcher (classic level complete) B sound catcher (level complete with UFO) C staff credits* (*) * Notes: 13) "Classic crystal sound" refers to the sort of music you usually hear in games that have a level set in a crystal cave or something similar. 16) Get your mind out of the gutter! 20) If air could sing. 30) I'm running out of names for the crystal sound. C) The most complete one yet. A fast beat with another atmosphere sound. -----------------------------------o))) How To Do Stuff -----------------------------------o))) That's great and all, but how do I play? Fear not, says I! For this is the section that explains all. ---Sound Catcher---o))) Left: Go left Right: I'll let you figure this one out on your own. As with all of these, the first level shows you what to do. In you should see green pulsing circles slowly making their way down the screen. Just grab them. See what I meant when I said this was a dull game? Wait a sec... the circles are getting darker. Ok. Where's the next one now? I can't see it! PANIC!!! Not so dull anymore, yes? This has happened before. It's an understandable first reaction. You might vaguely notice that each circle you catch adds a sound to the background music (hence the name), but you may ignore it because it's just noise. But it's not. As a circle (hereafter called a "sound") falls, it gets louder as you get closer to it. When you can still see it, you may move to it's horizontal position too quickly to notice that it also is louder on the side it's on, like in real life. Like I said earlier, it's a game for those who rely on their eyes too much. Once you have the hang of it, close your eyes. You don't need them. At the end, the sounds you collected will fade away and be replaced by two new ones (any time there is a fork on the map). See the connection? Pick a sound and head to the next minigame! ---Sound Drive-----o))) Left: Do I really Right: need to say? A: Accelerate This time you are confined to five lanes. This should be easy. CRASH! Game over... Oh. maybe you should dodge them instead... It is actually more difficult to hear when something is not in your lane and it is far away. I reccommend staying in the centre and shifting all the way to the side when you hear one, just to be sure. At this point, you may notice that the walls make a low grinding noise when close. You can still close your eyes. Also, for all these other challenges, you get a time high score. ---Sound Chase-----o))) Left: This way! Right: That way! A: Faster!!! Ah, this looks the same. Hmm, there is a green sound running away... Driver! Follow that piano!!! And STEP ON IT! ---Sound Slalom----o))) Left: Something witty! Right: Or not. A: Pedal to the metal! Hey. This looks like Sound Catcher! Oh, wait... blue beepy sounds. That's a bit like the Ajust Volume map sound. If you don't get it from the name and what you see, let me tell you. Go in between the sounds. Isn't this like sound catcher without music but with an accelerate button? No. Notice the timer at the top? It's counting down. Beat it. ---Sound Cannon----o))) Left: Rotate left (Ooooh! variety!!!) Right: Rotate right A: FIRE I SAY!!! For all you FPS (or third-person in this case) nuts, here's something you can understand. BLAST THOSE EVIL SOUNDS TO OBLIVION!!!!!!!!!! (which is actually a game where they would be rather out of place.) ---Sound Picker----o))) Left: Anti-clockwise Right: Clocks aren't wise... A: GO! Shhh. Be vewy vewy quiet! I'm hunting sownds! Pity you don't actually have a shotgun. Anyways! Once again, the walls make a grinding noise when you're close. However, for this one and the next, it seems to harder to close you eyes. Silly, I know. But there you go. ---Sound Cock------o))) Left: Spin! Right: Spun... A: GO! Essentially the same, except these are LIVE CHICKENS! (Or at least as live as a GBA will allow.) It's Zelda all over again. Except you can't attack the chickens and they won't retaliate with thousands of invincible killer chooks. Ah, good times... -----------------------------------o))) Secret Unlockable Stuff -----------------------------------o))) I'll list it simply for you. Finish a dead end on the map for the first time: Recieve sound catcher . This is basically endless mode. Finish the rest of the dead ends: For each one, you recieve another set of sounds for . Finish ALL of them: Recieve sound catcher . Randomly go through the sound catcher levels. My fave. Recieve staff credits. Dull dull dull... Does the Super Mario Club get everywhere? -----------------------------------o))) Closing -----------------------------------o))) Did I get anything wrong? Have I not found something? Do you want to thank me or shower me in money? Just email me and I'll check it out. If you have a valid point, I'll add or change something in this guide and give your name (real or whatever you give me) in reference. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a voyage to go on... -----------------------------------o))) Legal Stuff -----------------------------------o))) You probably know the drill by now. (c) Rowan Bartel, 2006 Don't reproduce on a personal website except unaltered and the only major website allowed to have this guide is currently www.gamefaqs.com. Don't try to make money out of this. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders.