MMMMMMMM MMMM MMMM MMMM MMMM MM MMM MMM MMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMM M MMMMM MMMMM M MMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMM M MMMM MMMM M M MMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMM MMMM MMMM MMMMM M MMMM MMMMMM MM MM M MM MMM MMMMM MMMM MMMMMM MMMM M MMMMMMM M MMM M M MM MMM MMMMM MMMM MMMM MMM M MMMMMMMMM M MMMMMM M MMMM MMMMM MMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM M MMM MMMM M MMMMMMM M MMMM MMMMM MMMMMM MMMM MMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM M MMM MMM M MMMMMM MM M MMMM MMMMM MMMMM MMMM MMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM M MMMMM MMM M MMM MM M M MMMMMMMMMM M M MMM MM M M MMMMMMM M MM MMM M M MMM MMM MMMM M MM MMM MMM MMMMMMMMM MMMMMMM MMMM MM M MM MMM MMMMMMMMMMMMM MMM MMMMMM MMMM M MMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMM MMM MMMMMM MMMMMMMMM MMMMMMM MMMM MMMMMMMMM / MMMMM MMM MMMMMM / MMMM MMMMMMMM / MMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM / MMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMM / MMMM MMMMMMM MMMMMMMMM / MMMM MMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMM / MMMM MMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMM / MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMM / MMMMMMM MMM / MMM M / / / ____________________________________________________/ C U S T O M R O B O G X A guide to Custom Robo GX for the Gameboy Advance Written by Adam King (aka Terotrous) Version 1.0 This FAQ is intended for personal use only. You are free to save or print this guide for your own use in playing the game, but it is not to be reproduced or redistributed without the express permission of Adam King. This guide is best viewed using a fixed-width font, with at least 79 characters per row. The most up to date version of this guide may always be found at http://www.gamefaqs.com =============================================================================== =============================================================================== Table of Contents: You can search using the code listed before the titles to jump right to that section. Just press Ctrl-F and type in the code. F-0 FAQ information F-1 Version History F-2 Preface F-3 You Can Help! G-00 Game Basics G-01 About Custom Robo G-02 Main Menu Translation G-03 Controls G-04 Ingame Menu Translation G-05 Battle Basics W-00 Walkthrough W-01 The Beginning - Here We Go Again... In Zero-G! W-02 C-Rank Tournaments - The Master Competition Begins W-03 B-Rank Tournaments - Secret Agent Kids W-04 A-Rank Tournaments - More of the Same W-05 Illegal Tournaments - Challenge of the Four Heavenly Lords W-06 Creepy Mansion - The Great Escape W-07 The Finale - Showdowns Upon Showdowns W-08 Lady P's Lab - The Battle Continues W-09 S-Rank Tournaments - Are You Not Entertained? W-10 GX-Rank Tournaments - The Best of the Best W-11 Dark Station - He Who Fights Demons W-12 Game Link and Rising Chimera P-0 Parts Catalogue P-1 Body Parts P-2 Gun Parts P-3 Bomb Parts P-4 Pod and Gunner Parts P-5 Action Chips Z-0 Contact and Credits Z-1 Contacting Me Z-2 Credits Z-3 Closing Information =============================================================================== =============================================================================== F-0 FAQ Information: ############################################################################### F-1 Version History: 1.0 - August 13, 2014 First draft. Covers the entire game, probably final. ############################################################################### F-2 Preface: It should be obvious, but this is a guide for a game that was never released in America, which is designed to help people who don't speak Japanese to play the game. That being said, being able to read Katakana is a big help as it will allow to read the customization screen. You could just fumble along using the Parts Test feature to figure out what you have equipped, but it's kind of a waste. Note that a few of the characters in this game reappear in Custom Robo Arena and were given localized names there. I'm using the original Japanese games so as not to confuse people who haven't played that game. ############################################################################### F-3 You Can Help! The guide is mostly done, I've obtained all the parts in the game and beaten every tournament, but if anyone wants to capture a video of the battle against Rising Chimera and post it to Youtube that would be awesome. Alternatively if there's any big corrections about the plot or if I'm somehow way off on the functions of some of the parts that would be useful to know. If you contribute anything to this guide, you'll be appropriately credited. =============================================================================== =============================================================================== G-00 Game Basics: This sections goes over the basics of the game. ############################################################################### G-01 About Custom Robo GX: Custom Robo GX is a spinoff to the Custom Robo series. Unlike the rest of the games, it's completely 2D, so the gameplay had to be tweaked a bit, it's now kind of a weird hybrid between an action game and a shmup. You can freely move about all over the 2D battlefield, but since you can no longer jump you have to be even more mindful of your positioning to avoid being hit or forced into a corner. It still retains the strategic collect and battle gameplay that makes the main series addictive, though, so fans of the series should still feel right at home. Like the first two games in the series, this game wasn't ever localized either. Changes from the other Custom Robo games ---------------------------------------- Of all the Custom Robo titles, GX deviates most substantially from the core formula. Here are the main changes: - The game is 2D and takes place in "Zero-G", so there's no jumping, you can just move freely in all four directions. - As such, Leg Parts are totally gone. They've been replaced by Action Chips, which can either be melee attacks or a new type of shield move. - Since you can't jump anymore, you now activate your gun's alternate shot by using a separate command, these are called "Beta Shots". This means you can access your "ground" and "aerial" shots at any time, making some guns a lot more versatile. - There's also no longer any real momentum to your movements. You can continue to fly around freely when shooting most guns, which makes fast reflexes more important than ever. - You also can no longer be hurt by your own explosions. They're colour-coded so you can tell which is which. - This is the first Custom Robo game to feature money. You now have to buy most of your parts, though some of them are still given to you for free for accomplishing various tasks. - The knockdown mechanic works the same way, but you take less damage when knocked down in this game, in particular most guns do almost no damage to downed Robos. It's better to use down time to set up pods. - Speaking of which, there's a new type of Pod-like weapon called Gunners, which are like Pods that shoot. - The story mode is almost 100% tournaments this time around, like The Grand Battle mode in the other Custom Robo games. Thankfully, you don't have to deal with the annoying scoring system until the post-game. ############################################################################### G-02 Main Menu Translation: Unlike the previous games, the main menu begins with the File Select menu, then gets into the main options. Your file options will vary depending on the state of the files, but assuming all four options are available, they read as follows from top to bottom: Continue New Game Copy Delete If you have no files, only New Game will be available. Continue and Delete are available if at least one file has data. Should one file be full, but not both, Copy is available. When starting a new file, you're first asked to give it a name. On the far right are language options, pick the second from the top to use English. Once you select your file you go to the main menu, which has the following options: Scenario Mode Vs Battle Records Options Scenario Mode is the main story mode. In Vs Battle, you can play against a friend, though you need a link cable, another system, and another copy of the game. In Records you can see some data about how much you've used each part. In Options, you can change the controls. More on that below. ############################################################################### G-03 Controls: Finally, remapping the battle controls is possible. I've listed the default controls, but you can change them around if you like. I've listed the battle controls in the same order as the game, except for the DPad and Start Button, which the game does not list at all. Menus: ------ DPad - Make Selection A - Accept B - Cancel Battle: ------- DPad - Move A - Dash B - Gun R - Bomb L - Sub Weapon R + B - Beta Shot L + A - Action Chip Start - Pause If you're coming from Custom Robo or Custom Robo V2, you'll notice some changes here, see the Battle Basics section to see how this game works. ############################################################################### G-04 Ingame Menu Translation: The following is a translation of the various in-game menus: Pause Menu: ----------- Customize Menu Status Advice Options Return to Title Status Menu: ------------ Parts List Items Results Data Before a Robo Battle: --------------------- Customize Menu Opponent Data Holosseum Data Tournament Progress (only in Tournaments) Quit Tournament (only in Tournaments) Advice Quick Save Start Battle (you can also press Start) (Note that quick saving does not save your tournament progress, if you reset the game you'll have to restart. No save scumming for you!) Customize Menu: --------------- Robo Gun Bomb Pod / Gunner Action Chip Battle Menu: ------------ Return to Battle Give Up ############################################################################### G-05 Battle Basics: Launching: ---------- Custom Robo battles begin in an unusual way - with Robo cubes being launched into the arena with a cannon. This is not just for show, you can aim the cannon to choose roughly where you'll start the battle. The cubes bounce around a lot before finally stopping, and when they do a number will be displayed, which has to count down to 0 before you can act. You can mash buttons and the Dpad to get up faster, which is important because the first one to get up can shoot the other before they can defend themselves. Movement: --------- Movement in Custom Robo GX is totally different from the other Custom Robo games. The battles now take place in a Zero-G environment, so you can freely move in all directions, but you can no longer jump. Your movements are also a bit smoother than in the other games, in particular you no longer have to commit to a direction when attacking, with most weapons you can still move freely even while firing. Dashing: -------- Although jumping is gone, Robos still possess the ability to perform a dash, it's just a grounded dash this time. As before, the type of dash performed varies depending on the Robo type, but they actually vary much more now, with each class having a completely different type of dash. Some are cancellable, some have invincibility, some can pass through walls, and so on. You'll want to check the Parts Compendium at the end of the guide to learn the specific function of each Robo's dash. Attacking: ---------- Each Robo is equipped with 3-4 types of attacks. A gun, which is generally used for quick, weak attacks, a bomb, which is used for stronger but slower attacks, a subweapon, which is used to provide battlefield support, and potentially also a melee attack, which is used at close range and is invincible while moving, though the melee attack can now be replaced by a new shield move. All of these attacks reduce the opponent's HP bar if they connect, and a winner is declared once one Robo's HP bar is depleted. Note that unlike the previous games, it is now impossible to inflict damage upon yourself with any of your own weapons. When attacking with your gun, bomb, or melee attack, your Robo will automatically aim towards the opponent, the only weapon you can aim manually is your subweapon, which is fired in the direction that you press on the Dpad when you press the subweapon button. Note that pressing no direction always aims towards the opponent. There's a lot of strategy involved in setting up your Robo and utilizing your attacks to land hits upon your opponent, which is too complex to fully discuss in this guide. The walkthrough gives a little advice, but you'll just have to experiment with various parts and strategies to see what works best. Down and Rebirth: ----------------- After being hit several times (the exact amount varies per Robo), a Robo will be knocked off its feet and put into the Down status. During this time, they are briefly vulnerable to further attack (though attacks dealt in this state deal significantly lesser damage), after which they will recover themselves and enter the Rebirth state, which grants a few seconds of invincibility. Note that while downed, Robos slowly fall to the bottom of the arena, this is the only instance of gravity in the entire game. In general, you always want to get a follow-up attack on a downed Robo if you can, usually a Bomb or a Melee attack depending on distance because a few extra gun shots doesn't usually add a lot of damage, especially in Custom Robo GX where most seem to only deal a quarter of their usual damage. Note that there is also a special mechanic called Vanishing whereby any shots on screen will disappear if the Robo that fired them is downed by a gun. This makes spamming gun shots when a bomb or something else powerful is about to hit you a very poor idea. Note that bombs and pods don't trigger vanishing, and they also aren't affected by it. =============================================================================== =============================================================================== W-00 Walkthrough: This section explains how to get through the game. It's divided up into sections based on the progression of the plot, though in this game they aren't separated as clearly as they are in the other games and you can actually deviate from the order I've presented here to some extent. Here's a map of Makno Town, so you can find the various locations. It's not 100% to scale but it should be close enough. Makno Town Master Isle ------------------------------- ------------------------------- To Marsh | Creepy Police | | Dark Dark | Mountain | Mansion Station | | Station Shop | | Makno | | Battle | / | Mall | \ | Tower | /--- | Robo | ---\ | | \--- | Station | ---/ | Lady Ultimate | \ | Your | / | Marvellous P's Battle | | House | | Shop Lab Fort | ------------------------------- ------------------------------| ############################################################################### W-01 The Beginning - Here We Go Again... In Zero-G! The third game begins just as the first two did, with you falling out of bed, only this time you can see that the interface has changed a lot. There's no field map in this game, instead there's just text windows overlayed on static pictures and you pick your commands from a menu. Anyway, your mother has a Custom Robo for you in the Living Room, so pick the second option to head down there (alternatively, the first option has you stay in bed, causing this scene to repeat a few seconds later). Downstairs, you're given your birthday present, a brand new Custom Robo, X-Ray. You also get some basic parts to go along with it. Note that Leg Parts are not in this game, instead we have Action Chips, which replace melee attacks, though not all of them are used for attacking. A goofy-looking guy comes in, this is your friend Yusuke, who will serve as your guide to the world of Custom Robo GX. He explains how to do the Eye-Scan Registration, so pick the first option to do it. You now have access to the System Menu, which you can access by pressing Start, but there's nothing to do there right now. As always, it's time to head to Robo Station to learn to control our new Robo. Custom Robo GX's map screen is a lot more simplistic than the previous games. Just press right and then A to go to Robo Station. You can see the map above for when other locations open up. After we arrive, Yusuke explains that Robo Station is a place for commanders to have Robo Battles. After registering at the counter we head to the Communication Lounge, which is where we wait between battles. The receptionist explains that in this game we participate in Zero-G Robo Battles, which is totally a cool new thing and not just a way to work around the fact that the GBA can't display 3D graphics very well. Since there's no gravity there's no jumping, but you can freely move and dash in all directions. Yusuke hops in to explain the buttons, and we're into our first training battle. Robo Battle: Yusuke ------------------- Photon / Basic Gun / Standard Bomb P / Standard Pod P / Shoulder Tackle Yusuke doesn't fight back at all here, just take some time to learn how the game controls. If you want, you can practice your Beta Shot and Action Chip, which are performed with B + R and L + R respectively, under default controls. After the battle we meet up with one of Yusuke's friends, Hitomi. Her entire life revolves around taking baths, and she's much more concerned with whether or not Yusuke has been bathing regularly than having a Robo battle. Eventually he manages to shift the conversation over to your status as a new commander and we get to battle her. Robo Battle: Hitomi ------------------- Luna / Basic Gun / Standard Bomb P / Trap Gunner / Shoulder Tackle You'll notice one of the big changes from the first game right off the bat. Hitomi's subweapon isn't a conventional pod, it's a stationary turret that she can place on the ground. The turret significantly increases the amount of damage she can do, so try to lead the fight away from the turret when she puts it down. We quickly meet another friend of Yusuke's. This snappy-looking gent is Hikomaro. He's the grandson of the president of the Lambda Corporation and the cousin of Katrea from the previous Custom Robo games. Lambda creates Custom Robo parts, including your X-Ray and his Masakado. He wants to battle us, but first he inquires about what parts we have. Upon telling him that we only have the Basic Gun, he gives us the Gatling Gun part to reward us for being Lambda customers and to make it a fair battle. What a guy! Anyway, Yusuke explains that Masakado is a Misty Mirage Robo. Their dash move makes them invisible for a little while and lets them pass through walls, but they can still be hit, so fire away if you think he's close by. Robo Battle: Hikomaro --------------------- Masakado / Gatling Cannon / Standard Bomb P / Standard Pod P / Shoulder Tackle You'll probably want to equip that new Gatling Cannon before we start. As Yusuke mentioned, his Robo can turn invisible, but you can still hit him. Watch your Robo's gun to know where he is, it always points to the opponent. As long as you don't get too thrown off by the cloaking you should be fine. Note that the Beta Shot of Gatling Cannon goes through walls, but has huge cooldown afterwards. After the battle Hikomoro tells us about the Master Competition, a series of Tournaments to determine the strongest commander. The competition is divided into various ranks, starting at C-Rank. He recommends we start by trying to win the C-Rank Tournament, of which he is the administrator. Yusuke explains that each Commander is given a rank, and the ranks go all the way up to S. Hitomi reappears to let us know that S-Rank Commanders can enter the Great Robo Cup, and the winner of that tournament is crowned the Champion of Custom Robo. Anyway, Robo Station is closing for the day, so it's time to head home. The real game begins now. ############################################################################### W-02 C-Rank Tournaments - The Master Competition Begins As soon as you arrive home it's already the next day, this game really doesn't waste any time getting you into the thick of it. We return to Robo Station with Yusuke to pick up a Robo License. With this, we can not only participate in the Master Competition, we can also participate in Free Battles and earn Silver (Sv), which we can spend at shops to get new parts. The Receptionist offers to explain some various concepts to us, but I've already gone over them so you can just choose the last option. We now have access to the main Robo Station menu, which has the following options. Tournaments Free Battle Explanation Lounge Leave The first thing I'd recommend that you do is leave and return to your house. Select the first option to go to your room, then pick the second option to Save the game. Unlike the previous Custom Robo games, Custom Robo GX does not prompt you to save, you need to return here to save your game. If you wish, you can visit the Lounge and pick the first option to learn about Creepy Mansion, a place we can visit on the map, though we can't do anything here yet. When you're ready, pick Tournaments. The vast majority of the game content in Custom Robo GX takes place in Tournaments. There are a variety of tournament formats, but you'll always face a series of opponents in one-on-one last man standing battles, and if you win you'll earn money and a Robo part. The basic game flow is that you need to win all of the tournaments at each level to graduate to the next, until you can finally participate in the Great Robo Cup, but don't be surprised if a few other events happen along the way. =================================================== C-Rank Tournament 1 - Makno Mall Cup 4-Person Tournament Entry Cost : Free Prize Money : 500 Extra Prize : Wide Vulcan Our first tournament occurs at a local mall, and only four people enter. The "Tournament" format is standard elimination-style, so we won't face all of the opponents listed below, instead we'll face two opponents at random (if there were 8 participants, it'd be 3, and 16 is 4). Note that in some tournaments, the order of the opponents is fixed the first time you do the tournament, but becomes random on all subsequent attempts. We meet Shinsaku here, another friend of Yusuke's. His is a real sob story, he comes from a large family who are so poor that he can't even afford a proper Custom Robo, instead he uses Garapon, a Robo he built himself out of garbage. He's trying to win tournaments so he can make some money for his siblings, but we're forced to shoot him down time and time again. Oh well, it's a video game, there's no time for pity. Robo Battle: Yusuke ------------------- Photon / Basic Gun / Standard Bomb R / Standard Pod R / Shoulder Tackle Nothing fancy about this one, Gatling Cannon gives you a huge edge over Basic Gun, just weave in and out while blasting him and watch out for the Xs on the battlefield, those indicate where he's aiming his bomb. Robo Battle: Shinsaku --------------------- Garapon / Basic Gun / Standard Bomb P / Trap Gunner / Shoulder Tackle Shinsaku also possesses that stationary turret, so wait for him to place it, then lure him away from it to limit his offensive capabilities. Robo Battle: Hitomi ------------------- Luna / Gatling Cannon / Standard Bomb P / Standard Pod P / Shoulder Tackle Gatling Cannon is a lot more dangerous than Basic Gun, keep moving and try not to get pinned down. If she uses her Beta Shot, avoid it and punish, it leaves her vulnerable for a long time. End of Tournament =================================================== For winning the tournament, we receive the Wide Vulcan and 500 Sv. Of course, there's only one thing to do now, go blow all that money on new Robo parts! Yusuke and Hitomi take us to Makno Mall so we can visit the parts shop. Here's its inventory: Basic Shop: ----------- Shotgun - 1700 Energy Dagger - 1000 Standard Bomb R - 200 Lizard Bomb R - 300 Standard Pod R - 200 Speed Pod R - 300 Of the parts available, the Shotgun is the real winner, but it's expensive, you won't have that money for a while. The Lizard Bomb and Speed Pod are also both useful, but you can get a free one of each from upcoming tournaments, so you might want to save up. Whatever you decide, make sure to save at least 50 Sv so you can enter the next tournament, as all tournaments after the first have a small entry fee. When you're done, press B twice to leave then leave the mall via the bottom option. Makno Mall is now available on your map, so you can come back here any time you want. On to the next tournament. =================================================== C-Rank Tournament 2 - Marine Park Cup 4-Person Tournament Entry Cost : 50 Prize Money : 700 Extra Prize : Trap Gunner The second tournament occurs at Marine Park. The prize is higher, but you have to pay 50 Sv to enter. You can repeat the previous tournament if you don't have enough. We also meet Ikeda here, an popular athlete. He even has his own cheering squad that follows him everywhere, but he's not a snob, he just wants everyone to have a good time. Robo Battle: Shinsaku --------------------- Garapon / Basic Gun / Standard Bomb R / Standard Pod P / Shoulder Tackle He's traded out his Turret for a Pod, somehow making him even easier to beat. Robo Battle: Ikeda ------------------ Iron Leo / Energy Dagger / Standard Bomb P / Standard Pod R / Shoulder Tackle Energy Dagger is a mid range weapon that shoots very quick daggers with moderate tracking. They're weak, but if you get hit by one they stun you for such a long time that you can't get out, allowing him to follow up with a Bomb or his melee attack for heavy damage. The best approach is just not to let him get close to you, stick to long range combat with your Gatling Gun and use Bombs and Pods to discourage him from coming too close. Robo Battle: Yusuke ------------------- Photon / Bubble Smasher / Standard Bomb P / Standard Pod P / Shoulder Tackle Bubble Smasher is just like the Bubble Gun from the previous games, it fires a mid-range projectile that homes in on you. However, since we can now move about freely, even while firing, it's not really a big threat. Just focus on running away from him while you blast him with Gatling Gun. End of Tournament =================================================== Afterwards we meet Mayuzumi, an A-Rank commander. She's not particularly friendly, though, not even bothering to speak to us. At this point you can either choose to move on to the next tournament or go buy something with your money, just remember to save at least 100 Sv. =================================================== C-Rank Tournament 3 - Fresh Robo League 4-Person League Entry Cost : 100 Prize Money : 800 / 500 Extra Prize : Lizard Bomb P This is your first league battle. League battles are round-robin, so you have to face all of the opponents here. Since the winner is the one with the highest score, you could theoretically lose a battle and still win, but it's best to just guarantee the win by winning every match. You can also get prize money for second place here, but to progress in the game you'll have to win eventually. Robo Battle: Hitomi ------------------- Luna / Wide Vulcan / Standard Bomb P / Standard Pod P / Shoulder Tackle Wide Vulcan is similar to 3-Way Gun from the past games, it splits into two streams of shots (three for its Beta Shot) which then track a bit. You can fire it around the wall and it's decent from long range, but Gatling Gun is more powerful and if you knock her down with your gun her shots will disappear. Robo Battle: Yusuke ------------------- Photon / Gatling Cannon / Standard Bomb P / Trap Gunner / Shoulder Tackle As before, try to draw him away from the his turret. Remember that you can shoot through walls with Gatling Cannon's beta shot, though so can he. Robo Battle: Ikeda ------------------ Iron Leo / Energy Dagger / Standard Bomb R / Standard Pod R / Shoulder Tackle He's upgraded his set so that he can potentially do even bigger combos now, and you have to be aware that his Robo can dash through walls, so even if there's a wall between you it doesn't mean you're safe. You should still focus on staying away from him and blasting him with Gatling Gun, and you should make sure to use a lot of Bombs and Pods to further make it hard for him to get close. End of Tournament =================================================== Yusuke and Hitomi can't take a hint, so they try to get Mayuzumi's attention again. She finally says hello, but she's still quite brief with us. However, in the process we meet someone else, 3-time Great Robo Cup champion, Mamoru. Several years have passed since Custom Robo V2 and he's super tall now. Yusuke wants to know how they know each other, but an A-Rank Tournament starts and she has to go. On to the next tournament for us, too. =================================================== C-Rank Tournament 4 - Makno Carnival Cup 8-Person Tournament Entry Cost : 150 Prize Money: 1200 / 600 Extra Prize: Speed Pod P This is an 8-person tournament, so there's quite a few people we haven't met yet. Well, you may have met a few of them if you played Custom Robo V2. Karin is an enthusiastic commander and a bit of a tomboy who doesn't take losing well. Tsurugi and Yaiba are two twins with polar opposite personalities who combine their powers to control a single Robo using the Dual Commander technique. Takehiro is a friend of Yusuke. He loves Custom Robos, but his mom wants him to stay home and study, so he's always sneaking out of the house, sometimes in disguise. Robo Battle: Yusuke ------------------- Photon / Bubble Smasher / Lizard Bomb P / Seeker Gunner / Shoulder Tackle He's gotten a fair bit tougher. Seeker Gunner is another turret, though rather than standing still it actively chases you. Lizard Bomb is similar to the Standard Bomb, but faster. However, it can't go over walls, it has to go around them, so you can use that to your advantage. Robo Battle: Shinsaku --------------------- Garapon / Basic Gun / Standard Bomb R / Speed Pod R / Shoulder Tackle Poor Shinsaku seems not to improve at all. By now you should barely take any damage battling him. Robo Battle: Tsurugi and Yaiba ------------------------------ Javelin Mk 2 / Wide Vulcan / Standard Bomb P / Seeker Gunner / Shoulder Tackle Javelin's dash has some invincibility, but other than that there's not a lot to worry about here. If you have it, you could try Shotgun here, a single shot will knock them down and erase their shots, but watch out for melee attacks. Robo Battle: Hitomi ------------------- Luna / Gatling Cannon / Lizard Bomb P / Standard Pod P / Shoulder Tackle Her setup has a ton of power from the front, so try not to face her head on. The Trap Gunner could help a lot here to prevent her from chasing you down. Robo Battle: Ikeda ------------------ Iron Leo / Energy Dagger / Standard Bomb R / Speed Pod R / Shoulder Tackle This is basically the same setup as last time, but we now have the Trap Gunner so we can keep him away from us more easily, just place it down and then retreat behind it while firing your Gatling Gun to keep him at bay. Robo Battle: Takehiro --------------------- Javelin Mk 2 / Shotgun / Lizard Bomb R / Standard Pod R / Shoulder Tackle He's going to attempt to close in and blast you, and Shotgun is quite strong, so you'll want Gatling Cannon and Lizard Bomb to shut down any direct approach. Note that his dashes have invincibility, but he can't get through a full stream of Gatling Shots. Robo Battle: Karin ------------------ Flare Mk 2 / Bubble Smasher / Standard Bomb P / Seeker Cannon / Shoulder Tackle Her whole set is about tracking you down, so make sure to stay mobile. Once again, Trap Gunner is useful for playing keep away, drop it in a thin passageway and it can be hard to avoid. End of Tournament =================================================== Afterwards you meet Koushirou, the reigning Great Robo Cup Champion. Unlike Mayuzumi, he's quite interested in your progress and thinks you have potential. Yusuke likes his attitude a lot better, but then he says he wants us to get much stronger so we can entertain him, and his intensity kinda freaks Yusuke out. Well, I guess it takes all kinds to reach that level. =================================================== C-Rank Tournament 5 - C-Rank Tournament 3-Battle Gauntlet Entry Cost : 300 Prize Money : 1500 Extra Prize : Seeker Gunner This is it, if we win this tournament we can graduate to B-Rank. Unlike previous tournaments there's no randomness here, you just fight the three opponents in a row and have to beat them all. Robo Battle: Hitomi ------------------- Luna / Gatling Cannon / Lizard Bomb R / Seeker Gunner / Shoulder Tackle This is probably the strongest setup you've seen so far, it basically has all of the best parts currently available. There aren't any great counters to this yet, just try to use walls to your advantage and make good use of your own Gatling Cannon and Standard Bomb. Try to put some distance between yourself and the Seeker Gunner when she uses it so it won't be a factor for a while. Robo Battle: Ikeda ------------------ Iron Leo / Bubble Smasher / Standard Bomb P / Speed Pod P / Shoulder Tackle This is far easier than the last battle. There's really nothing strong about this setup, a fast Robo with Bubble Smasher is generally a bad combination, it doesn't make use of its mobility. Just use Gatling Cannon here. Robo Battle: Hikomaro --------------------- Masakado / Shotgun / Standard Bomb R / Speed Pod P / Energy Protector He's going to try to rush you down, so make use of the Trap Gunner and the Gatling Cannon. Note that he has the first different Action Chip that we've seen. He can use that chip to put up a barrier and completely ignore your attacks, which can be dangerous when combined with his Shotgun, but luckily it has a fixed amount of durability, after which it takes a while to recharge. Note that when he goes invisible he can go through walls, so watch the camera to know where he is. If it zooms in a lot, he's right beside you, so get firing! End of Tournament =================================================== After winning, we're promoted to B-Rank. Yusuke, Hitomi, and Mamoru congratulate you on your success. It seems like after being involved in so many incidents, Mamoru is now working with the police to help prevent Robo crime. He wants us to come down to the Police Station and help him with an investigation he's working on. Once we arrive, he quickly introduces you to the chief of police. He tells you about the Nikaidou Group, an electronics company from Europe which produces everything from Custom Robo parts to home appliances. Recently, it's been rumoured that they're working on autonomous Robos, which they plan to market to the military as a battlefield technology. That's interesting information, but what does this have to do with the police? Next Mamoru tells us about a theft that recently occurred at a nearby research lab a few days ago. No one was injured in the attack, but a top-secret piece of technology called the Quantum Chip was stolen. Yusuke wants to know what all of this has to do with Robo Crime, but Mamoru is just getting to that. Luckily, the theft was caught on a security camera, so Mamoru plays back the footage for us. At first glance, the room appears to be totally empty, but then something flashes by on screen. Slowing down the footage reveals that it's a Custom Robo! Hitomi thinks it must have been a Lightning Skyer or Strike Vanisher Robo, and Yusuke thinks it looks like a model called "Patriot". But where's the commander? That's the interesting thing, no footage of a commander was captured on any of the cameras, it looks like the Robo must have been acting autonomously. The presence of an autonomous Robo makes the police suspicious that the Nikaidou Group might be involved, particularly because the Quantum Chip represents a potentially huge breakthrough to the field of artificial intelligence, which could make their autonomous Robo technology far more powerful. Of course, it's a pretty serious matter to accuse a large company of being involved in such a crime, and the police have no solid evidence against them beyond conjecture. However, Mamoru reveals that the police have actually been suspicious of the Nikaidou Group for some time even before the theft, as it is believed that they are involved in the production of Illegal Custom Robo Parts. It seems like illegal Parts have been popping up around Robo Station lately, so some spies from the Nikaidou Group may be hiding out there. After all, with all the commanders around it's basically the perfect cover and a great place to secretly distribute Illegal Parts. Right now, he would just like us to continue with the Master Competition and keep an eye out for any suspicious people. Oh, and we shouldn't tell anyone about this, except for Mayuzumi, who is also working with the Police. Anyway, that's it for now, we can now leave the Police Station and resume our quest to become S-Rank commanders. ############################################################################### W-03 B-Rank Tournaments - Secret Agent Kids: We could head back to Robo Station and start the B-Rank tournaments, but before that we should return to Makno Mall, where we can now access a new shop. Medium Shop: ------------ Rayfall Gun - 2600 Eagle Cutter - 1800 Reflect Laser - 1500 Fang Blow - 1500 Standard Bomb U - 240 Standard Bomb D - 240 Pillar Bomb D - 720 Gemini Bomb U - 600 Gemini Bomb D - 600 Cross Gunner - 600 Seeker Pod P - 700 Seeker Pod R - 700 Sideways Pod P - 500 Tornado Beat - 2000 Loads of interesting stuff here. Seeker Pod P, Gemini Bomb, and Fang Blow immediately stand out, Seeker Pod is ludicrously versatile and a huge upgrade over what we have now, Gemini Bomb is vital to some trapping setups, and Fang Blow is one of the strongest guns in the game. Beyond this, Rayfall Gun is back to being pretty ridiculous if combined with the right parts, and Eagle Cutter is also very useful. The one thing I really wouldn't recommend is Tornado Beat, it's not very different from Shoulder Tackle and it's expensive, that money is better spent elsewhere. Note also that from this point onwards, the shops do not sell all of their inventory at once, the available items are chosen randomly from among the full list. To change the available items, clear a tournament or save and reset the game. When you're ready head to Robo Stadium to start the B-Rank Tournaments. =================================================== B-Rank Tournament 1 - Noise Company Cup 8-Person Tournament Entry Cost : Free Prize Money : 1200 / 500 Extra Prize : Pillar Bomb U Another 8-person tournament, mostly against people you've already battled. There is one new person here, Toraji, he's one of the instructors from Takuma Academy, a private school for Robo Commanders (Tsurugi and Yaiba were students there). He's big and loud and built like a tank, but he's actually a really nice guy. Incidentally, "Noise" is the developer of the Custom Robo series. Robo Battle: Takehiro --------------------- Javelin Mk 2 / Wide Vulcan / Pillar Bomb U / Twin Gunner / Shoulder Tackle The opponents have a lot of new parts now. You'll want to fight this one at long range, so go for Gatling Cannon and Standard Bomb D if you bought it already. Seeker Pods can be useful too. Robo Battle: Karin ------------------ Flare Mk 2 / Gatling Cannon / Gemini Bomb D / Satellite Pod P / Tornado Beat Gemini Bomb strikes at the sides rather than hitting you directly, and when combined with Gatling Cannon it can really limit your mobility. Try to play the range game using Pods and Bombs to avoid getting trapped by her. If you bought Fang Blow, it's extremely powerful from long range, just sit right behind a wall and blast away for huge damage. Robo Battle: Toraji ------------------- Tiger Glare / Burning Shot / Lizard Bomb R / Sideways Pod R / Shoulder Tackle Burning Shot is a pretty bad weapon that's only strong if you're pushed against a wall, otherwise you can just escape after being hit by one flame by holding away on the Dpad. Be warned that Tiger Glare can dash through walls, though, so be wary of the corners lest you get pushed into a wall for huge damage. Robo Battle: Hikomaro --------------------- Masakado / Fang Blow / Lizard Bomb P / Seeker Pod P / Energy Protector Fang Blow does immense damage from range, but it travels on an arc, leaving it vulnerable to attacks from the front, so you could try the Shotgun here, but be wary of his Lizard Bomb. Robo Battle: Ikeda ------------------ Iron Leo / Reflect Laser / Pillar Bomb U / Cross Gunner / Tornado Beat Reflect Laser is a new weapon that bounces off walls and stays active for a long time. If you let him get too many shots out, he can really clog up the stage, so try to knock him down with Fang Blow before that happens. Robo Battle: Shinsaku --------------------- Garapon / Gatling Cannon / Standard Bomb U / Trap Gunner / Shoulder Tackle This is a fairly weak set for this point. You can use this as an excuse to try out your new parts Robo Battle: Tsurugi and Yaiba ------------------------------ Javelin Mk 2 / Eagle Cutter / Lizard Bomb P / Cross Gunner / Energy Protector Eagle Cutter is used to place traps that fly towards you a moment later. Its beta shot can also go through walls with surprising speed. You really just have to stay mobile here, so I'd probably recommend sticking with Gatling Cannon. Seeker Pods also help you increase your offense without requiring any commitment, which is good for when you have to be evasive. End of Tournament =================================================== After the tournament ends they buzz you over the intercom. Someone named Isao is here to see you, so pick the first option twice to go to reception. It turns out it's actually Mamoru working undercover under a false name. He can't explain the situation here, so head to the Police Station. When we arrive, Mamoru tells us that he's discovered an illegal tournament going on somewhere in Makno City and he wants us to infiltrate it. Besides possibly yielding evidence of Nikaidou's involvement in the theft of the Quantum Chip, the proceeds from illegal gambling on these matches is being used to fund criminal activity, so they want to find it and shut it down ASAP. The police have been able to obtain a Membership Card, which should get us into the venue where they hold the illegal tournaments if we can find it. Mamoru also gives us the Police Mobile Terminal, or PMT. Besides being a phone, this fancy gadget also has a camera and a GPS. Okay, it's just a run-of-the mill smartphone these days, but it probably seemed impressive in 2002. Afterwards, Yusuke quizzes you on your mission, to make sure you got it all, the answers are 2, 2, 3, 3, 1, 1, 2. We head home, then Yusuke and Hitomi come and collect us the next morning. If you haven't done so already, the first thing you have to do is go to the Lounge in Robo Station and pick the first option to listen to gossip and hear about some strange battles going on in Creepy Mansion, then go back to the map and go there. Pick the second option to knock, then the first option twice to meet the creepy butler and go inside. Pick the first option and the tall green dude will tell us about the Illegal Battles, so listen to each selection. The gist of it is they hold four tournaments here, Water, Earth, Air, and Fire, each one is ruled by one of the Four Heavenly Kings, and Illegal Parts are allowed. Also, while anyone who has a Membership Card can watch and gamble on the battles, a special entry code is needed if you want to participate. After listening to everything, pick the second option to check out the arena. It's totally packed. Pick the second option to listen to gossip until you hear someone talk about the owner of this place. Yusuke thinks it might be Nikaidou, but the guy has never heard that name. Afterwards, choose the third option to head back out, then pick the first option to go watch one of the tournaments. It doesn't matter which one you pick, we can't participate without the code. Yusuke tries to call Mamoru on the PMT, but we can't seem to reach him from here, so pick the second option twice, then the top option, then the second option to finally get out of here. Head back to the police station. Pick the second option to see Mamoru. We automatically tell him what we saw, and he says he'll try to figure out a way to get us into the tournaments. After we finish talking we can finally get back to our the tournaments at Robo Station. =================================================== B-Rank Tournament 2 - Robokichi's Crazy Cup 4-Person League Entry Cost : 200 Prize Money : 2000 / 1000 Extra Prize : Burning Shot Robokichi (Kichi = "Maniac" in Japanese) is a wacky old man who is crazy about Custom Robos. He also has cool theme music and does awesome somersaults, though not in this game unfortunately. Fukashi also makes his first appearance here, he's an... interesting character, to say the least. His hilarious antics are too numerous to list here, but in general he's a loudmouthed idiot who gets on everyone's nerves. Robo Battle: Tsurugi and Yaiba ------------------------------ Javelin Mk 2 / Shotgun / Standard Bomb R / Seeker Pod R / Energy Protector A pretty solid rushdown setup. You just picked up Pillar Bomb, which is great for putting up a wall if you're above or below the opponent, so use that and Trap Gunner to keep them out of your face. Robo Battle: Fukashi -------------------- Dodecane Turbo / Reflect Laser / Lizard Bomb P / Satellite Pod P / Shoulder Tackle Satellite Pod makes any form of direct attack inadvisable, so stick to Gatling Cannon and Seeker Pods here. If you bought the Eagle Cutter, you could try that out here as well, Fukashi's Robo is a huge target and he isn't very fast. Mix it up between regular shots, Beta Shots, and Seeker Pods to make it harder to avoid. Robo Battle: Robokichi ---------------------- Cross Bone / Burning Shot / Gemini Bomb D / Speed Pod R / Tornado Beat His whole setup is about covering the front, so you'll want to just stay away and blast him. Once again Trap Gunner and Gatling Cannon is a good combo. Lizard Bomb can also help. He can go invisible, so focus on putting up a solid wall at all times even if you can't see him, and don't hide out in a corner lest you get trapped. End of Tournament =================================================== After the tournament we receive a call from Mamoru. He's got more information on the theft, so head to the Police Station and pick the second option. Mamoru tells us that they have determined that the people participating in the Illegal Tournaments are using Nanomachines to boost their performance as commanders. Seeing our confused expression, he explains that Nanomachines are microscopic machines that can operate inside the human body. They were originally developed to treat disease, like the one possessed by his sister, Yurie, but various criminal organizations have had their eye on that technology because it could also be used to boost human performance beyond its normal limits. They were aware that this technology might one day fall into the wrong hands, so Mamoru gives you a special device called the Nano Scanner that can detect the presence of these machines. He's also now positive that Nikaidou has spies in Robo Station and that they're participating in the Illegal Battles. Mamoru recommends that we snoop around the lounge at Robo Station to see if we can dig up any new information, so let's head there now. Koushirou and Mayuzumi are here, as well as Takehiro and Hikomaro. It seems Hikomaro challenged Koushirou to a battle and got stomped, which isn't a big surprise considering he is a champion and all, but Koushirou just wouldn't stop attacking Hikomaro even after he was defeated, and in the end Hikomaro's Robo was severely damaged. Upon seeing this, Mayuzumi broke up the battle, but now Koushirou has turned his frightening power on her. Yusuke tries to intercede, but Koushirou isn't interested in such a small fry. Then he spots us, and that catches his interest, and he wants to battle us instead. You can agree or decline, either way Jirou shows up. He's the second-best commander, after Mamoru (though he hates the fact that everyone always calls him "second-best"). Jirou tells Koushirou that if he wants a challenge, he will be his opponent, and furthermore he admonishes him for letting himself be consumed by darkness. Koushirou doesn't seem keen to battle Jirou, so he leaves without further incident. Afterwards, Jirou tells us a bit about Koushirou's backstory: Mamoru, Jirou, and Koushirou were all childhood friends who all loved Robo battles. Unfortunately, one day Koushirou's father was killed in an accident, so he was forced to get a job to support himself and his ailing mother. From that day on, he was never the same again, becoming obsessed with getting stronger and being better than Mamoru. He eventually managed to defeat Mamoru in a battle, but even that was not enough, after that he disappeared to travel the world in search of strong opponents. Recently, he reappeared and won the Great Robo Cup, but now he's like a completely different person. Jirou is worried he might have gotten mixed up in something bad and warns us to steer clear of him. Afterwards, Yusuke remembers why we came, so choose the top option to listen to what people in the lounge have to say. One of them tells us about Kanzaki, a suspicious person. Apparently they overheard him talking about some kind of password, which involves the R button. That'll be important much later. We can now resume our tournaments. =================================================== B-Rank Tournament 3 - Katrea's Party 8-Person Tournament Entry Cost : 300 Prize Money : 2300 Extra Prize : Sideways Pod R Another 3 round tournament... wait, is that Kotengu?! She was one of the generals of the Goliath Organization! That Kanzaki guy that we heard about is here too, and they're both bad news. If you were paying attention when you went to Creepy Mansion, you might have noticed that they're participants in those tournaments, so they must know the password to get in. We also meet Katrea, who is the granddaughter of the president of the Lambda Corporation (she and Hikomaro are cousins), and a designer of Custom Robos. She's also incredibly full of herself, even by rich noblewoman standards. Robo Battle: Hikomaro --------------------- Masakado / Bubble Smasher / Pillar Bomb D / Twin Gunner / Energy Protector It's a keepaway setup, so it's best to fight at long range. If you bought the Gemini Bomb, you can combine that with Gatling Gun's beta shot for a nasty trapping shot which is deadly at long range, if not you can just go with Eagle Cutter and lame him out with a mixture of alpha and beta shots. Robo Battle: Kanzaki -------------------- Sol Mk 2 / Wide Vulcan / Gemini Bomb U / Speed Pod P / Tornado Beat Wide Vulcan and Gemini Bomb both target the sides, so you could either go in with Shotgun or just use something like Gatling Cannon to attack from range. Robo Battle: Katrea ------------------- Kunai / Hornet Buster / Standard Bomb R / Seeker Pod P / Energy Protector Hornet Buster isn't quite as fast as Hornet Gun from the previous games, but you'll still want Gatling Cannon or Eagle Cutter so you can stay mobile. Alternatively, Fang Blow can overwhelm her Robo and cancel out the bees. Robo Battle: Takehiro --------------------- Javelin Mk 2 / Energy Dagger / Pillar Bomb U / Sideways Pod R / Shoulder Tackle This is a pretty weak set, his parts don't combo well and Sideways Pod just isn't a bit threat. You can use this battle to try out new parts. Robo Battle: Toraji ------------------- Tiger Glare / Shotgun / Gemini Bomb D / Seeker Gunner / Tornado Beat Once again he's going to try to rush down, so use Eagle Cutter or Gatling Cannon and the Trap Gunner to keep him away. Always just back off when he comes at you so you don't get caught in his bomb. Robo Battle: Kotengu -------------------- Night / Reflect Laser / Standard Bomb P / Satellite Pod P / Energy Protector You'll want to fight this one from long range because of that Satellite Pod. Gatling Gun or Fang Blow will easily beat her in the range game. Robo Battle: Karin ------------------ Flare Mk 2 / Burning Shot / Standard Bomb D / Seeker Pod R / Shoulder Tackle This is a fairly weak mid-range setup that you should be able to beat fairly easily with Rayfall Gun or Eagle Cutter. End of Tournament =================================================== The first time you do this tournament you'll always fight Kanzaki, and after the battle the Nano Searcher will pick something up from him. He refuses to admit to his involvement in the Illegal Battles, so Yusuke apprehends us and we call Mamoru on the PMT. He tells us to bring Kanzaki to the Police Station, so choose the second option to visit him and he'll provide you with the entry code that they seized from him. You can now enter the first Illegal Tournament, but you need four codes in total, so you might as well keep going. =================================================== B-Rank Tournament 4 - Takuma Academy Showdown 16-Person Tournament Entry Cost : 400 Prize Money : 2600 / 1300 Extra Prize : Energy Protector You'll encounter two more participants in the Illegal Tournaments here, though only Robert has a code fragment, Samuel is just another loser who isn't good enough to win using legal parts. You'll also meet Nanase here, like Toraji she's also one of the leaders of Takuma Academy, but her personality is totally different. She's very cold and mysterious and rarely opens up to people, but she and Takuma are very close. Be warned that there's a massive difficulty spike with this tournament, largely because the opponents are starting to use strong setups and we don't have the Energy Protector yet. Robo Battle: Karin ------------------ Flare Mk 2 / Eagle Cutter / Standard Bomb P / Twin Gunner / Tornado Beat This is the first time you've had to fight against Eagle Cutter. You'll want something that lets you stay mobile, like Gatling Cannon or Energy Dagger. Seeker Pod is also a good choice here because she's going to try to camp. Robo Battle: Robert ------------------- Iron Leo / Sonic Rifle / Standard Bomb U / Seeker Pod R / Shoulder Tackle This is your first time seeing Sonic Rifle. It's basically Sniper Gun from the old games, it shoots a fast and powerful shot straight ahead, but you can block it with walls. This is a job for Rayfall Gun if you've got it, you can just stay behind walls and set up shots on him all day. Robo Battle: Toraji ------------------- Tiger Glare / Gatling Cannon / Gemini Bomb D / Seeker Gunner / Tornado Beat This is nasty. I previously mentioned a trapping strategy you can do with Gatling Cannon's beta shot and the Gemini Bomb, and you're going to see it in action here, as Toraji will constantly try to trap you in the corners and nail you with Gatling Cannon's wall-piercing shot when you can't get out of the way. The smart thing is to stay out in the open and set Eagle Shots on him, limiting his ability to set traps, or use Fang Blow to overpower him before he can set stuff up. Robo Battle: Nanase ------------------- Pluto / Fang Blow / Lizard Bomb P / Speed Pod P / Energy Protector This is by far the hardest battle you've encountered yet. She's insanely mobile and Fang Blow hits for absurd damage. It can even curve around walls, leaving almost no place to hide. The trick to this battle is at short range there's a little deadzone that the Fang Blow doesn't hit, you have to work your way in there and then take her out with the Shotgun. It's still extremely tough, though, and you may lose this a few times until you have Energy Protector. Robo Battle: Ikeda ------------------ Iron Leo / Reflect Laser / Pillar Bomb U / Satellite Pod P / Shoulder Tackle This is easily beaten by any long-range set, just stick with Fang Blow and try not to stick right to the back walls. Robo Battle: Shinsaku --------------------- Garapon / Burning Shot / Lizard Bomb P / Cross Gunner / Energy Protector This is a pretty weak set, Burning Shot and Gunners aren't a great combo, just stay away from his gun and force him to chase you down. Weapons like Eagle Cutter and Gatling Cannon can give him a lot of trouble. Robo Battle: Tsurugi and Yaiba ------------------------------ Javelin Mk 2 / Eagle Cutter / Lizard Bomb P / Seeker Pod P / Light Protector Eagle Cutter is a pretty well-balanced weapon, and they've got strong support for it too. I'd recommend Trap Gunner and Fang Blow so you can overwhelm them at range and prevent them from setting up too many traps. Robo Battle: Robokichi ---------------------- Cross Bone / Energy Dagger / Lizard Bomb R / Cross Gunner / Tornado Beat Cross Gunner doesn't really work well with a mid range weapon, so just just use something like Gatling Cannon or Eagle Cutter to keep him away. Robo Battle: Takehiro --------------------- Javelin Mk 2 / Gatling Cannon / Pillar Bomb R / Speed Pod R / Shoulder Tackle There's nothing particularly dangerous about this setup, you could try rushing him down with Shotgun or just outgun him with your own Gatling Cannon or Fang Blow. Robo Battle: Fukashi -------------------- Dodecane Turbo / Bubble Smasher / Gemini Bomb U / Twin Gunner / Shoulder Tackle Fukashi's trying to do the same kind of setup as Toraji, but it doesn't work nearly as well with Bubble Smasher. You can take him out with any weapon that is powerful from the front, like Eagle Gun, Fang Blow, Gatling Cannon. Robo Battle: Katrea ------------------- Kunai / Hornet Buster / Pillar Bomb R / Sideways Pod R / Energy Protector Hornet Buster remains threatening, so make sure to use a setup that lets you remain mobile. I like Seeker Pods or Seeker Gunner since they're fire and forget, which lets you focus on avoiding her shots. Robo Battle: Hikomaro --------------------- Masakado / Fang Blow / Lizard Bomb P / Sideways Pod P / Shoulder Tackle This is almost identical to the Nanase battle above, though thankfully he doesn't have energy protector. I'd still recommend countering with Shotgun. Robo Battle: Samuel ------------------- Yoshitsune / Wide Vulcan / Standard Bomb D / Trap Gunner / Energy Protector This is an easy win for the Shotgun, just keep an eye on your gun when he disappears. Robo Battle: Kotengu -------------------- Night / Burning Shot / Pillar Bomb R / Standard Pod R / Tornado Beat It's not hard to keep your distance from this set. Use Trap Gunner or something similar and drop it in front of you to keep her out. Robo Battle: Yusuke ------------------- Photon / Shotgun / Lizard Bomb R / Twin Gunner / Light Protector This is a really easy win with any long-range setup. Rayfall Gun allows you to stay mobile while doing damage. End of Tournament =================================================== Halfway through this tournament the first time you'll battle Robert. After you beat him, the Nano Searcher goes off again. Unlike Kanzaki, he admits to being a part of the Nikaidou Group and coughs up his entry code willingly because he wants a rematch where he'll use his real power. That does it for the B-Rank qualifiers, it's on to the next promotion tournament. =================================================== B-Rank Tournament 5 - B-Rank Tournament 3-Battle Gauntlet Entry Cost : 700 Prize Money : 3000 Extra Prize : Twin Gunner It's a Takuma Academy roundup in the B-Rank tournament. Toraji and Nanase have actually gotten weaker, but this time they've brought their boss along. Takuma is the leader of the Takuma Academy, a really tough training school for promising commanders. You might expect him to be super strict, and he can be, but deep down he's a big softy who deeply cares for his friends, especially Nanase. This tournament is not nearly as tough as the previous one, particularly since we've got the Energy Protector now. Robo Battle: Toraji ------------------- Tiger Glare / Energy Dagger / Standard Bomb R / Speed Pod R / Shoulder Tackle This setup is far weaker than the last time you fought him. Energy Dagger is a mid range weapon, so pick Lizard Bomb P, Trap Gunner, and any long range gun to blow him away. Robo Battle: Nanase ------------------- Pluto / Bubble Smasher / Standard Bomb P / Cross Gunner / Tornado Beat This is an anti-rushdown setup, but it lacks any solid way to force you to approach, so just pick Rayfall Gun and play lame. Seeker Pods are a good form of support as well. Robo Battle: Takuma ------------------- Patriot / Gatling Cannon / Lizard Bomb R / Yajyuu Pod P / Energy Protector Takuma has solid parts, but there's no real cohesiveness to this set. He's basically just going to float around and shoot Beta Shots at you, so make sure you stay mobile and you can get easy punishes. Eagle Cutter is pretty solid choice here, particularly since you can Dash Cancel now. Just equip Energy Protector, dash, then activate it and immediately drop your shield and attack. There's a little downtime, but it lets you set up shots with a lot more overall mobility. End of Tournament =================================================== Afterwards, we're promoted to A-Rank and we meet Khan, the European Custom Robo champion. He'll be the one to battle us at the end of the A-Rank Tournaments. He also wants to know what's going on with Koushirou, whom he battled back in Europe. Yusuke is surprised that he would know Koushirou, but it seems all three of Mamoru, Jirou, and Koushirou have travelled the world to participate in Custom Robo Tournaments. Sadly for Jirou, he still finished second even in Europe. It really is his destiny to be second-best. ############################################################################### W-04 A-Rank Tournaments - More of the Same: It's new parts store time again, so head to Makno Mall. Master Shop: ------------ Luna - 2100 Iron Leo - 2550 Javelin Mk 2 - 3180 Cross Bone - 4600 Sonic Rifle - 1250 Bubble Smasher - 1200 5-Way Laser - 1800 Spread Shell - 1050 Wall Bomb P - 600 Pillar Bomb R - 600 Submarine Bomb D - 840 Idling Bomb P - 700 Idling Bomb D - 700 Lizard Bomb U - 360 Lizard Bomb D - 360 4-Way Gunner - 1000 Yajyuu Pod P - 800 Yajyuu Pod R - 800 Feint Pod D - 720 Light Protector - 2000 The most obvious thing to note is that we can now buy different Robo bodies. Of particular note is Iron Leo, whose dash can go through walls, which is absolutely vital on some stages. Light Protector is interesting too, it's like Energy Protector, but you can move while using it. There is a downside, though, it has a little more downtime when you drop the shield. Buy either of those two if you see them. Beyond this, the Yajyuu Pod P and Wall Bomb P are powerful defensive options that you may wish to invest in if you're having trouble with aggressive opponents. =================================================== A-Rank Tournament 1 - Makno Tower Cup 8-Person Tournament Entry Cost : Free Prize Money : 1600 / 800 Extra Prize : Ninja Bullet Another 8-person tournament here with a few new faces. Akane is another member of the Nikaidou Group. You can also now battle Jirou here, who is a highly skilled commander, former leader at Takuma Academy, and all-around heroic dude, but he's always playing second fiddle to his friend Mamoru, so everyone calls him the "second-best commander", which annoys him to no end. Robo Battle: Robokichi ---------------------- Cross Bone / Eagle Cutter / Gemini Bomb D / Feint Pod U / Energy Protector This is fundamentally the same setup that Toraji was using a few tournaments ago, he's going to try to limit your mobility with Gemini Bomb and use Beta Shots to hit you through walls. However, you have Energy Protector now, so you can just block that nonsense. If you got Light Protector you can just shield your way through the Gemini Bombs to escape the traps. Robo Battle: Akane ------------------ Pluto / Spread Shell / Standard Bomb P / Twin Gunner / Short Slash This is the first time you've seen Spread Shell, it fires a shot that breaks into a cluster of bullets, but it's slow and generally pretty easy to avoid. This stage is really well suited to Fang Blow if you've got it, just sit a little bit behind a wall and blast away. Robo Battle: Jirou ------------------ Neo Metal Bear / Rayfall Gun / Idling Bomb U / Satellite Pod / Energy Protector Jirou may have spent Custom Robo V2 not using his classic setup, but Rayfall lameness is back in full force here. You won't be able to get very close due to his Satellite Pod, so you'll want to fight from long range. You should have Gemini Bomb by now, so you can use the Gemini Bomb + Gatling Cannon beta shot setup that the computer was using on you a while back, and it's very effective. Even if you don't have Gemini Bomb or Idling Bomb (which works just as well) yet you can just hide behind walls and use Fang Blow, Rayfall Gun has no way of hitting you through walls. Robo Battle: Toraji ------------------- Tiger Glare / Shotgun / Gemini Bomb D / Sideways Pod R / Shoulder Tackle Nothing tricky here, just pick some solid ranged option with a Gunner and a mid to long range weapon. Robo Battle: Nanase ------------------- Pluto / 5-Way Laser / Standard Bomb P / 4-Way Gunner / Tornado Beat 5-Way Laser is very hard to avoid in the open, so stay behind the walls for cover and fire away with a weapon like Rayfall or Gatling Cannon's Beta Shot. Seeker or Yajyuu Pods can help prevent her from slipping through the cracks in the walls. Robo Battle: Karin ------------------ Flare Mk 2 / Wide Vulcan / Pillar Bomb D / Seeker Pod P / Short Slash This is a pretty easy one, the walls will stop most of her Vulcan shots, so just hide behind them and shoot through them with Gatling or Rayfall. Robo Battle: Katrea ------------------- Kunai / Hornet Buster / Lizard Bomb D / Sideways Pod P / Energy Protector Hornet Buster is nasty here because you don't have a lot of room to move. Make sure to pick Iron Leo so you can slip through the walls to escape. Try to go with something powerful like Gatling Cannon to score knockdowns. End of Tournament =================================================== Akane is kind of a money-grubber, so she agrees to sell your her entry code for 300 Sv after you beat her. That's 3, just one more to go. =================================================== A-Rank Tournament 2 - Robo Masters 8-Person Tournament Entry Cost : 600 Prize Money : 2600 Extra Prize : Idling Bomb U A few new faces here. Ryou is the final Nikaidou Spy, and clearly the coolest one. We also finally get the return of Hayao, a stuffy kid who was the rival from the first game. Holy heck, what have they done to his portrait? He looks completely terrible. Robo Battle: Nanase ------------------- Pluto / Eagle Cutter / Standard Bomb P / Feint Pod U / Energy Protector This is a solid setup, but it's just not as threatening anymore now that we have Energy Protector. This is a good stage to try out your new Ninja Bullet, which has huge knockdown power and you can fire it around walls. It normally curves downwards, but you can use the beta shot to curve it upwards. Robo Battle: Jirou ------------------ Metal Bear / Rayfall Gun / Pillar Bomb U / Speed Pod P / Shoulder Tackle You still don't want to attempt to rush him down, just stick with a lame Gatling Cannon and Gemini Bomb setup. The corner walls are huge and offer great protection against Rayfall Gun. Robo Battle: Ryou ----------------- Patriot / Reflect Laser / Gemini Bomb U / Reflect Pod / Energy Protector This can be nasty, he can really clog the screen and the explosions can really bounce you around like a ping-pong ball. I'd use Rayfall Gun and Standard Bomb and just lame him out behind walls, but it's still not a free win. If he goes into jet mode you basically just have to focus on finding a new hiding spot. Robo Battle: Takehiro --------------------- Javelin Mk 2 / Energy Dagger / Standard Bomb R / Sideways Pod R / Tornado Beat He's going to attempt to pull you in so he can use Energy Dagger, so pick a weapon that lets you stay mobile like the Gatling Cannon and focus on dodging those bombs. Robo Battle: Samuel ------------------- Yoshitsune / Bubble Smasher / Idling Bomb D / Seeker Pod P / Energy Protector Bubble Smasher is never terribly strong, and Idling Bomb D lacks any way to force you out from behind your cover. Just lame him out with Rayfall Gun. Robo Battle: Takuma ------------------- Patriot / Burning Shot / Lizard Bomb R / Yajyuu Pod R / Short Slash Burning Shot is only dangerous if he can pin you against a wall, so try to stay out in the open and fight it out with something like Eagle Gun. Robo Battle: Hayao ------------------ Sol Mk 2 / Fang Blow / Geo Trap Bomb / Dolphin Pod P / Shoulder Tackle He may look stupid now, but Hayao is packing some pretty serious parts. Luckily this is not a good stage for Fang Blow since it can't get around those corner walls. Stay behind them and use Rayfall Gun. End of Tournament =================================================== The Nano Searcher is out of batteries, but Yusuke bluffs his way to the final entry code anyway. Now that we have all four codes, we can go to Creepy Mansion and start participating in the Illegal Tournaments, but we might as well finish up the A-Rank Tournaments first. =================================================== A-Rank Tournament 3 - Super Robo League 4-Person League Entry Cost : 500 Prize Money : 3000 / 2000 Extra Prize : Feint Pod U This is the first time you get to face Mayuzumi in a Robo Battle. As you've probably realized, she's pretty reserved, but she's a kind person at heart. Speaking of kind, this league is easy if you know how to play it. The stage is absurdly clogged with walls, so stuff that goes through walls is essential here. If you bought Iron Leo from the store, use it here to dash through walls. This is a great place to build up money if you need it. Robo Battle: Katrea ------------------- Kunai / Hornet Buster / Gemini Bomb U / Dolphin Pod P / Energy Protector That setup might be threatening on a normal stage, but here the regular hornets can't go anywhere, so only the beta shot matters and they're weak at range. Just pick Gatling Cannon and Gemini Bomb and use the beta shot over and over. Robo Battle: Takuma ------------------- Patriot / Burning Shot / Standard Bomb R / Sideways Pod R / Tornado Beat Burning Shot's beta shot does go through walls, but Gatling Cannon has more range and with Iron Leo's dash that goes through walls he should never be able to pin you down. Use a Trap Gunner to frustrate him even more. Robo Battle: Mayuzumi --------------------- Stingray / Bubble Smasher / Pillar Bomb U / Feint Pod D / Energy Protector Bubble Smasher is complete trash here, just continue with the same setup you've been using for another easy win. End of Tournament =================================================== No story stuff this time, buy new parts if you need them and move on to the next tournament. =================================================== A-Rank Tournament 4 - Champion's Cup 16-Person Tournament Entry Cost : 800 Prize Money : 4000 / 2000 Extra Prize : Round Gunner No new faces here, it's just a gauntlet of most of the people you've battled so far. Robo Battle: Takehiro --------------------- Javelin Mk 2 / Gatling Cannon / Pillar Bomb D / Speed Pod P / Energy Protector Nothing fancy about this set or this stage. Pick whatever setup you're comfortable using and punish beta shots. Robo Battle: Robokichi ---------------------- Cross Bone / Ninja Bullet / Gemini Bomb U / Seeker Gunner / Shoulder Tackle Ninja Bullet tracks pretty well and does decent damage, but it can't go through walls, it has to go around them, so you've got an edge at long range. I'd try either Rayfall Gun or the Gemini Bomb / Gatling Cannon setup here. Use Energy Protector to block if you get caught out in the open. Robo Battle: Takuma ------------------- Patriot / Burning Shot / Wall Bomb P / Throwing Pod D / Shoulder Tackle Keep him out with Trap Gunner and Eagle Cutter or Gatling Cannon. Lizard Bomb is a solid option here as well. You might want Iron Leo in case you have to escape through a wall. Robo Battle: Hayao ------------------ Sol Mk 2 / 5-Way Laser / Idling Bomb D / Feint Pod D / Tornado Beat 5-Way Laser shoots a fan of 5 Laser shots that can be hard to avoid out in the open, so hide behind walls with either Rayfall Gun or Gatling Cannon's beta shot. Since neither his bomb nor his pod aim at you directly, you should be able to win this battle by barely moving at all. Robo Battle: Tsurugi and Yaiba ------------------------------ Javelin Mk 2 / Sonic Rifle / Lizard Bomb D / Throwing Pod U / Shoulder Tackle Sonic Rifle can't go through walls and neither can their bomb, so just lame them out with Rayfall Gun. Robo Battle: Nanase ------------------- Pluto / Bubble Smasher / Submarine Bomb U / Dolphin Pod P / Light Protector This is another easy win for Fang Blow or Gatling Cannon. Dolphin Pods can be fired through walls, but otherwise her set is very slow and easily avoided. Robo Battle: Kotengu -------------------- Night / Shotgun / Lizard Bomb U / Standard Pod P / Shoulder Tackle She has nothing to help her get in and blast you, so any mid to long range setup will win this easily. Robo Battle: Karin ------------------ Flare Mk 2 / Wide Vulcan / Standard Bomb D / 4-Way Gunner / Light Protector Fang Blow dominates Wide Vulcan at range, so I'd just stick to long-range combat and avoid having to deal with that gunner. Robo Battle: Toraji ------------------- Tiger Glare / Spread Shell / Gemini Bomb D / Yajyuu Pod P / Shoulder Tackle Spread Shell is generally weak, and with Gemini Bomb and Yajyuu Pod he has nothing to force you to come out from behind walls. Lame him out with Gatling Cannon and your own Gemini Bomb. Robo Battle: Katrea ------------------- Kunai / Hornet Buster / Lizard Bomb R / Cross Gunner / Energy Protector Hornet Buster can be kind of nasty since there's not a lot of room to dodge here, stick to something powerful like Ninja Bullet to get quick knockdowns. Robo Battle: Fukashi -------------------- Dodecane Turbo / Eagle Cutter / Idling Bomb P / Twin Gunner / Short Slash This is actually a pretty good setup, Eagle Cutter is nicely varied and the Twin Gunner will make your life more difficult. You'll probably want to use Fang Blow and try to overwhelm him from a distance. Robo Battle: Samuel ------------------- Yoshitsune / Reflect Laser / Pillar Bomb U / Sideways Pod P / Light Protector You don't want to be near the walls with Reflect Laser since they travel along them. Stay towards the middle and use Eagle Cutter instead. Robo Battle: Hikomaro --------------------- Masakado / Energy Dagger / Standard Bomb U / Seeker Pod P / Tornado Beat This is an easy one, just pick any long range setup and watch your gun to see where he goes. You could use Rayfall for this one if you don't want to bother following him since it's such a fire and forget weapon. Robo Battle: Jirou ------------------ Neo Metal Bear / Rayfall Gun / Twin Snake Bomb D / Dolphin Pod P / Break Tornado Fang Blow or the Gatling Cannon / Gemini Bomb setup should be able to pin him down at long range and prevent him setting up shots. He also can't easily get his attacks around the walls, either. Robo Battle: Mayuzumi --------------------- Stingray / Ninja Bullet / Pillar Bomb D / Feint Pod D / Energy Protector This is another fairly tricky one, Ninja Bullet is a good choice here and her equipment restricts your mobility. This is probably another job for Fang Blow's incredible power. End of Tournament =================================================== No new story stuff here either. On to the A-Rank tournament. =================================================== A-Rank Tournament 5 - A-Rank Tournament 3-Battle Gauntlet Entry Cost : 1000 Prize Money: 5000 Extra Prize: Submarine Bomb U This is it, it's time to earn our S-Rank license. We'll have to face Kahn here, who is a very polite and well-mannered man, but he still possesses the battle-hardened disposition of a true champion. However, this tournament is actually pretty anticlimactic after how hard we worked to get here. Robo Battle: Jirou ------------------ Neo Metal Bear / Rayfall Gun / Submarine Bomb D / Yajyuu Pod P / Energy Protector Submarine Bomb is so slow that it barely forces you to move at all, so we can freely hide out behind walls and lame him out with the Gemini Bomb and Gatling Gun combo. Robo Battle: Hayao ------------------ Sol Mk 2 / Burning Shot / Standard Bomb R / Speed Pod R / Short Slash He's going to try to use his Bomb and Pod to pull you in for burning, but as long as you watch the X symbol and don't let him get close he really can't do much of anything to you. Just pick your favourite long-range setup and stay as far away from him as possible. Robo Battle: Kahn ----------------- Falchion / Bubble Smasher / Pillar Bomb R / 4-Way Gunner / Shoulder Tackle I'm not exactly sure how he became a champion using Bubble Smasher. You can use pretty much any setup to take him down, something like Ninja Bullet or Fang Blow will make this easy. End of Tournament =================================================== And with that, the S-Rank License is ours, and we can participate in the Great Robo Cup. Or we will be able to, once it opens up, which it hasn't yet. First we've got to take out the Illegal Tournaments and clean up this Nikaidou Group business. ############################################################################### W-05 Illegal Tournaments - Challenge of the Four Heavenly Lords: There's no new parts store this time, we just need to proceed to the Creepy Mansion to start doing the Illegal Tournaments. =================================================== Illegal Tournament 1 - Tournament of Water 3-Battle Gauntlet Entry Cost : 500 Prize Money: 3000 This is the first of the illegal tournaments, and as you'd expect, the opponents here are using Illegal Parts, though they're not especially threatening just yet. Robo Battle: Kanzaki -------------------- Dark Sam / Blizzard Rain / Standard Bomb D / Satellite Pod P / Shoulder Tackle Blizzard Rain is technically an improved Wide Vulcan, but it functions so differently it's almost like a different weapon. It fires a hail of shots at moderate range, and Kanzaki is going to come in on you relentlessly, so make sure you've got Eagle Cutter to keep him out and be prepared to run if you have to. Dark Sam also has very good stats, so you'll have to significantly outdamage him to win. Robo Battle: Kotengu -------------------- Night / Energy Dagger / Gemini Bomb U / I Seeker Gunner / Shoulder Tackle Another rushdown setup, so I'd just stick with Eagle Cutter. The Illegal Seeker Gunner fires bullets in a V-shape, which is harder to avoid if it gets close, so stay on the move and don't let her pin you down. Robo Battle: Camilla -------------------- Claymore / Bubble Smasher / Pillar Bomb U / I 4-Way Gunner / Energy Protector Another easy Bubble Smasher battle. Fang Blow will make short work of her. The Illegal 4-Way Gunner seems to fire its shots in a tighter fan, so try not to get too close to it. End of Tournament =================================================== You probably noticed before the battle that Camilla's picture was just a shadow. You might have expected that she would show up for the battle, but she was never actually in the arena, instead she battled us in absentia via remote control. That sounds familiar, so we need to head back to the Police Station and tell Mamoru about this. He agrees with what we're thinking, which is that it was probably the same way they controlled the Robo we saw in the security video. He asks us to keep digging around, so it's on to the next one. =================================================== Illegal Tournament 2 - Tournament of Earth 3-Battle Gauntlet Entry Cost : 800 Prize Money: 4000 This one isn't too tough either, largely because you can play the stage to your advantage. Robo Battle: Robert ------------------- Devil Legs / Viking Axe / Gemini Pod U / I Seeker Gunner / Shoulder Tackle Viking Axe is an upgrade to Traction Ring, which you also haven't seen yet, but it's basically a forward-firing mid-range weapon similar to Burning Shot, except it pulls you closer rather than knocking you away. This can lead to big combos, so you'll want to keep him out with Trap Gunner and a long range weapon, like Eagle Cutter or Fang Blow. Robo Battle: Samuel ------------------- Yoshitsune / Reflect Laser / I Wall Bomb / I Cross Gunner / Tornado Beat Fang Blow is still a strong choice here, it just works really well on this stage. Be aware that his Robo can dash through those walls in the middle, so he can chase you down in ways you may not expect. Be ready with Energy Protector in case he gets on top of you. Robo Battle: Gaiou ------------------ Bigfoot / Shotgun / Pillar Bomb R / Sideways Pod R / Shoulder Tackle Once again Fang Blow gets it done. He's pretty quick, though, and you don't want him in your face, so you might want to try the Wall Bomb here. It'll get him out of your face if he ever gets in. End of Tournament =================================================== Another remote control battle won. There's not much else to say now, on to the next one. =================================================== Illegal Tournament 3 - Tournament of Wind 3-Battle Gauntlet Entry Cost : 1000 Prize Money: 5000 The enemies are really heavily kitted out with illegal parts now, you're going to have to play carefully to avoid getting overwhelmed. Robo Battle: Akane ------------------ Messier / Darkness Blow / I Geo Trap Bomb / I Smash Gunner / Short Slash Darkness Blow is an upgraded Fang Blow, which we already know is strong on this stage, so be very afraid. I'd definitely use Iron Leo for this, just stay near the middle so she can't use her alpha shot and you can dash through the walls to escape if you have to. You can attack with Eagle Cutter's Beta Shot and let Seeker Gunner do most of the work. Watch out for that Illegal Geo Trap Bomb, though, it's powerful and stays out there for ages. Robo Battle: Kanzaki -------------------- Dark Sam / Blizzard Rain / I Wall Bomb / I 4-Way Gun / Shoulder Tackle He's barely changed at all since the last fight, so make sure you stay mobile and have a setup that can keep him away. Sticking with Iron Leo for those escapes might not be a bad idea. Watch that Illegal Wall Bomb, it has decent range and power. Robo Battle: Yanai ------------------ Demon Blaze / Ninja Bullet / Bound Bomb U / Yajyuu Pod P / Light Protector Finally, after those hard battles we just went through we can go back to using Fang Blow. As long as you stay at range his weapons aren't very hard to avoid. End of Tournament =================================================== One left. Time to shut this place down. =================================================== Illegal Tournament 4 - Tournament of Fire 3-Battle Gauntlet Entry Cost : 1500 Prize Money: 6000 Note that the arena has finally changed! There's virtually no cover now, so we have to adjust our strategies. Also, is it just me, or does Ryuujin look and sound familiar... Robo Battle: Samuel ------------------- Yoshitsune / 5-Way Laser / Standard Bomb P / I 4 Way Gunner / Shoulder Tackle 5-Way Laser is hard to avoid out in the open, but there's virtually no cover here, so you'll just have to make do with shield and try to overpower him with Fang Blow, which there's also no good way to avoid without cover. Seeker Gunner is also strong here since there's nothing to get in its way. Robo Battle: Robert ------------------- Devil Legs / Viking Axe / Lizard Bomb R / Seeker Pod R / Short Slash Nothing complicated here, Fang Blow can win this easily. Pack Wall Bomb P in case he gets close. Robo Battle: Ryuujin -------------------- Hellfire / Reflect Laser / I Wall Bomb / I Smash Gunner / Energy Protector After all that buildup, this is not very hard, just use Fang Blow and Seeker Gunner again to take him down easily. He does hit extremely hard, but as long as you avoid the walls Reflect Laser isn't too dangerous. End of Tournament =================================================== Before the battle against Ryuujin can commence, Yusuke realizes that the Robo we're about to fight is the same one that stole the Quantum Chip! He pretends to have to go to the bathroom as an excuse to run to the lobby and call Mamoru, but unfortunately the bouncer catches us and tosses us back in there. It looks like we have no choice but to fight him. After you win the bouncer congratulates you on winning all four of their tournaments, and tells you that the owner would like to meet with the one who defeated the Four Heavenly Kings. Uh oh. But he apparently has a present for us so who are we to say no? Pick the first option when you're outside to meet him. After climbing up a lot of stairs, we finally arrive in the owner's throne room. He's a man with a mask and blue hair, and he's very impressed with your combat skills. His organization can always use promising young commanders, so he offers to let us join him. While Yusuke and Hitomi are discussing what to do, there's a sudden commotion, and our meeting is unexpectedly interrupted by Fukashi of all people. Fukashi knows all about our little mission with Mamoru and the Police, and he's very unhappy that we didn't involve him, considering he single-handedly took down the Dread Army and Goliath Organization (wait, something about that doesn't sound right). Either way he's here to lend us a hand in taking this guy down. Unfortunately, while he's busy blabbing the bouncer grabs him and drags him off to the dungeon. Furthermore, he just completely blew our cover, so now we're really in hot water. Yusuke makes a last desperate effort to call Mamoru on the PMT, but we can't get a signal in here! The masked man laughs at our incompetence, looks like it's off to the dungeon for us, too. Thanks Fukashi. ############################################################################### W-06 Creepy Mansion - The Great Escape: Swell. Not only have we been imprisoned, but they took all of our parts away. Pick the first option, then the second option twice. It turns out there's someone else in here, a badly battered and bruised Mayuzumi. Pick the first option to talk to her, it seems she was trying to tack down the Four Heavenly Kings of Nikaidou, but she was captured and tortured here. Mamoru knew what she was up to, so he might be on his way to rescue us, but the defenses here are really strong and he might not be able to do it all on his own, we need to try to find a way out. Mayuzumi points us towards a button on the wall, which we can use to call the guard. Hitomi wants to tell him that we have to go to the bathroom and then jump him when we he lets us out, but Mayuzumi quickly shuts her down. (Hilariously Yusuke accuses her of playing too many RPGs). Her revised plan is to tell him that we're willing to talk about what we know. You can now press the button, but neither strategy works, they say we can go to the bathroom in the corner and if we have anything to tell them we can do so over the intercom. Crap. Buzz them a third time. Yusuke will completely fail to come up with another excuse, but while they're telling him off we hear a weird noise on the other end and the speaker goes quiet. Moments later we hear the sounds of a robo battle! Mamoru's come to save us! Or not! It was actually Fukashi who defeated the guards! After three freaking games he finally did something useful! Choose the second option and let's blow this joint! Fukashi does make us promise to put in a good word for him with the police before we go, though. We're in the hall now. Pick the first option to take the nearby staircase. Unfortunately it leads to the main floor, and all of the Nikaidou members are there. We quickly duck back into the stairwell because Fukashi can't take them all on by himself. We have to find some Robos to fight with! We return to the hall, so this time you should pick the second option. We find ourselves in a computer room. There's a dismantled Robo on the desk. Check it twice and you'll realize it's your X-Ray, broken beyond repair. Choose the first option to check the desk, and you'll find a locked box and a keypad that requires a password. Talk to Mayuzumi a few times, and another option will pop up about the computer. We discover a journal on the computer, keep selecting the third option to read it. At the behest of their boss, the researchers here have been trying to create a new Lightning Skyer Robo. They believe X-Ray is the perfect Robo to use as a base for its balanced attributes, so they've been trying to convert an X-Ray into a new Robo class. Finally they achieved a breakthrough. That's the end of the journal, but there's also a handwritten memo on the desk, so keep picking the third option. It's a bunch of potential names for the new Robo, like "SkyRay" and "Raybird", but most of them are crossed out. It seems the one they finally agreed upon is "Ray S__er", but part of the text is smudged. Hitomi brilliantly guesses that the name of the Robo is likely what they used as the password for the keypad, but since some of the memo is missing we have to fill in the blanks. This new model is a Lightning Skyer model... Hmm, what could it be? Anyway, once you think you've figured it out, choose the second option to input the password. The correct answer is "Ray Skyer". This has to be inputted in Katakana, the correct spelling is Re I Su Ka I Ya -. Press the R button once to access Katakana (Aha! That's what that note we got back in the lounge was about!), then type in those letters. In the event that you cannot read Katakana, here's some help: Number the characters on the screen from A-F vertically and 1-0 horizontally like so: A1 A1 A2 A3 ... A8 A9 A0 B1 B1 B2 A4 ... B8 B9 B0 ... F1 F1 F2 F3 ... F8 F9 F0 Then type in the following characters: D9, A2, C7, C3, B1, A2, C6, F0 (don't forget to press R once first) Success! A compartment opens up next to the keypad, containing the Ray Skyer Robo. There's also a few parts with it, Rayfall Gun, Standard Bomb P, Seeker Pod P, and Energy Protector. Now we can fight our way out of here! Choose the last option to leave this room. Yusuke is still a bit concerned about whether or not you and Fukashi will be able to take the entire Nikaidou Group on your own, but Fukashi is confident, and we don't really have any other choice. Yusuke reminds you to do the Eye Scan Registration with Ray Skyer before we go up there, but it seems not to be necessary, perhaps it was retained from the original parts that came from your X-Ray. It would still be nice if we had a Robo for Mayuzumi to use. Well, it turns out we do. Fukashi also recovered her Stingray when he got his Dodecane Turbo back, he just didn't tell us until now because he didn't think it would be necessary. What an idiot. Anyway, before we head up there, Fukashi thinks it would be a good idea for you to practice using Ray Skyer just so you don't embarrass yourself, and he has a portable holosseum with him, so it's time to battle him first. Robo Battle: Fukashi -------------------- Dodecane Turbo / Blizzard Rain / Pillar Bomb D / Yajyuu Pod P / Break Tornado Well, we only have one set of parts, so setup has never been easier. Wait, why does he have illegal parts? I guess he must have ripped them off Kanzaki. Anyway, what sets Lightning Skyer models apart from other Robos is that their dash is a unique Jet Mode, which grants them boosted mobility but without sacrificing the ability to use your gun (you can't use bombs or pods though). If you've played Custom Robo for GC, you know just how absurdly broken this can be, so just fly around in Jet Mode constantly while dropping Rayfall Shots. Fukashi won't even stand a chance. Fukashi is amazed at Ray Skyer's power, and he hands Stingray over to Mayuzumi. The time has come to bust out of here, so pick the first option to storm the main floor! We're immediately thrown into a battle with some Nikaidou guys. Robo Battle: Nikaidou Goon -------------------------- Phoenix / Shotgun / Standard Bomb R / I Seeker Gunner / Energy Protector Be warned that this battle starts immediately, there's no launching out of the cannon here, so don't be caught off guard. Your opponent is using a Lightning Skyer model too, but I'll take Rayfall Gun to beat Shotgun any day. Just watch out if he goes into Jet Mode, he can close the distance fast. Use your own Jet Mode to escape. Unsurprisingly, Fukashi was immediately beaten by the goons. Looks like he's back to his regular self again. At least Mayuzumi is still competent, even in her injured state. An alarm sounds, warning everyone that we've escaped. The building is going to be locked down in 30 seconds. Time to make a mad dash for the exit! Unfortunately the front door is locked, and time is quickly running out! 3, 2, 1....... At the very last possible second, someone shuts the alarm down, and the door opens! It's Mamoru and the police at last, and they've seized the building, it's all over. Mamoru's glad that we're all okay, and he calls an ambulance for Mayuzumi. He also wonders that Fukashi is doing here, and Yusuke tells him that he helped out. Yusuke tells him about the Ray Skyer Robo we picked up, and Mamoru takes it for now because the Police would like to examine it. On the plus side the police will replace all of our parts for us, so at least we'll get those back. We head home and get scooped up by your mother, who heard about the whole thing from the police and was worried sick. Apparently they've been covering the events at the Creepy Mansion on the news, and they've dubbed us "The Three Heroes". She also informs us that Mamoru has 3 things to talk to us about, so we need to go see him later. Later, at the police station, we meet up with Mamoru and he makes good on his offer of part replacement, including a brand new X-Ray Model. First, we discuss Nikaidou. Since the bosses of Nikaidou were never actually in the Creepy Mansion, they remain at large. Mamoru tells us that they're glad the Illegal Battles were shut down, but they fear they were only a small part of a much larger plan. As for Ray Skyer, you need to talk to the police chief about that, so leave Mamoru and choose the third option to go see him. First, some good news. The police have had it checked out and Lambda Corp says Ray Skyer is safe to use! He then asks you who you think should have it. You can pick all of the other options to have them graciously refused, or just pick the last one to choose yourself, which is obviously the best option. He hands Ray Skyer to us, sweet. We're done here, pick the third option to leave and then leave the police station. Outside we have a talk about our adventure. Nikaidou remains at large, but at least we've flushed them out of Robo Station for now. That means we can now proceed with the Great Robo Cup! If you somehow aren't S-Rank yet, you'll have to finish off the A-Rank Tournaments, otherwise it's time to save the game and get this show on the road. ############################################################################### W-07 The Finale - Showdowns Upon Showdowns: It's time for the Great Robo Cup, so pick that option from the menu. To get the tournament underway, pick the second and third option, then pick the first option over and over to meet everyone. Mayuzumi is out of the hospital, and Jirou and Kahn are ready to throw down. Koushirou is the reigning champion, so whomever wins the tournament will get to face him. Finally, pick the second option again to get things underway. Since we're both competing, Yusuke can't give us advice this time, so Hitomi will do it. =================================================== Final Tournament - Great Robo Cup 16-Person Tournament Entry Cost : Free Prize Money: 10000 Extra Prize: Patriot This is it, the final Tournament. You're going to have to battle a lot of the hardest enemies here, but you should be up to it by now. Of course, Koushirou is the champion, he was once a kind young man and the friend of Mamoru and Jirou, but something changed inside him after his father died, and he has become vicious and cruel, always seeking out stronger commanders to defeat, as though he's searching for something that no one can give him. Note that although there are technically 16 people in this tournament, you always battle the four listed below, and it's impossible to rematch this tournament after winning it, so I believe it's impossible to ever fight the others. Robo Battle: Yusuke ------------------- Photon / Spread Shell / Gemini Bomb U / Round Gunner / Tornado Beat Spread Shell isn't very strong on this stage since you've got so many walls to work with. Something that can fire around walls like Ninja Bullet or Rayfall Gun would be a good choice here. Robo Battle: Jirou ------------------ Neo Metal Bear / Rayfall Gun / Wall Bomb P / Throwing Pod U / Energy Protector Rayfall is strong here, but with the Gemini Bomb and Gatling Cannon setup you can force him to approach you, which he can't do especially well. Robo Battle: Kahn ----------------- Falchion / Shotgun / Standard Bomb S / Dolphin Pod R / Shoulder Tackle Falchion is fast, and that Standard Bomb S can stun you, allow him to land easy followups. I'd probably recommend Gatling Cannon and the Trap Gunner anyway, just make sure you stay moving. Lizard Bomb will also help. Robo Battle: Mayuzumi --------------------- Stingray / Sonic Rifle / Idling Bomb P / Sideways Pod P / Light Protector This is much like the first battle. Sonic Rifle is easily stopped by walls, so guns like Rayfall Gun or Ninja Bullet are good for staying mobile while draining her health. End of Tournament =================================================== After you beat Jirou, Yusuke comes up with a great joke, but Jirou isn't around so he has to save it for now. Hitomi strangely disappears before the semi-final match. Also, it turns out that Mayuzumi wasn't as fully healed as she let on. Takehiro helps her so we can continue with the tournament. Koushirou taunts Mayuzumi for still being hurt after something small like that, saying that he has endured much worse and he just used it to become stronger, and expresses disappointment that she didn't live up to his expectations. Mayuzumi reminds him that he still has to battle us, and he says he can't wait to completely destroy us in the final match, which will be held on the main stage tomorrow afternoon. He tells us to go home to our mother and get one last night of rest, then disappears. What a creepy guy. Later that night, Yusuke wakes us up by throwing rocks at our window. Pick the first option to let him in. It seems that Hitomi still hasn't shown up, and now the police are searching for her. Pick the first option to hear his theory, which is that the Nikaidou Group has taken her. Just then, the PMT rings. It's the masked man from the Creepy Manor! Yusuke calls him Nikaidou, but he still claims not to know that name. Either way, he has Hitomi. He tells us not to go to the police if we care about her safety, instead he wants us to come to Marsh Mountain alone. It's obviously a trap, but what choice do we have? Unfortunately, we have no way to get there. Pick the first option, then the second option to hear Yusuke's idea. He goes to wake Hikomaro, and he tells him about the situation. He wants Hikomaro to get us there in the Lambda Corp helicopter. He's shocked, but he agrees to help, and we wind up at Marsh Mountain. The Helicopter lands in a clearing in the woods. Note that if you wish to return to your home and save, you can select the third option from this screen, then return here from the arrow that points to the left. When you're ready, pick the first option twice to scan the area. Yusuke will spot the Hellfire Robo in the distance. Choose the second option to follow it. It leads us to a strange stone slab deep in the forest. Choose the first option to check the slab, then the second to lift it up. There's a passageway underneath! It leads to an underground complex, not unlike the one from the Creepy Mansion. There's a door to the right, and a door ahead. Pick the third option to check the door ahead. It's locked, and requires a card key for access. Now pick the second option twice to try the door on the right. It opens to reveal a another Robo development room. Pick the third option to check the desk. There's a note for us from Nikaidou. Looks like now that they have us, they no longer care that we know who they are. They say that if we want to see Hitomi again we're going to have to play a game. In the tunnels ahead there are four doors, containing the four Heavenly Lords of Nikaidou. If we want to see Hitomi again, we have to face them in battle, where they will use the special technology that Nikaidou has developed. Pick the third option again to find the card key they've left for us. Pick the last option to return to the previous room, then the first option to use the card key. After using the Card Key, we end up a sequence of tunnels. It splits into many directions, some of which loop back onto each other. Within the sequence of tunnels lie five doors. Here's the directions to take to reach them. Note that the choices are always listed from left to right, though the option to go back is sometimes the last choice, and sometimes the second last. All directions are given from the entrance, so you should keep going back until you get out after finding each door. Star Door: Left Comet Door: Middle, Left, Left Flame Door: Right, Right Aqua Door: Middle, Left, Right, Right Master Door: Middle, Left, Middle, Left You can't open any of the 5 doors. After finding the first four (you can also find the fifth door, but it's not necessary), return to the hallway and Yusuke will hear a noise. Pick the first option twice to talk about what to do. He thinks it might be one of the Heavenly Lords, but aren't they waiting for us in the tunnels? Choose the second option to open the door. It's Mayuzumi! Choose the first option and you'll find out that Hikomaro went and got her after he dropped us off. Pick the first option again and she'll tell you that Mamoru and the Police know we're here, but they won't interfere until we confirm that Hitomi is safe. Now, go find the master door. Choose the first option to check it. Yusuke will realize that there are four card slots in the door. Leave to find Hellfire again. Pursue it to the Fire Door, which is now open. Pick the first option to go inside. The door locks behind you. Exhaust all of the options in this text window, and Ryou will appear. Or perhaps we should say, Ryuujin, the Heavenly Lord of Fire! He's the main engineer for the Nikaidou Group, and the one who developed the remote control technology they used to steal the Quantum Chip. Pick the first option repeatedly and he'll tell you that his boss is very interested in you and that he has the first card key, so prepare for battle! Robo Battle: Ryuujin -------------------- Hellfire / Ryuujin Gun / Ryuujin Bomb / Ryuujin Pod / Light Protector This is a very strange holosseum, it's much wider than tall, and there's a lot of big walls. I'd probably go with the Gatling Cannon and Gemini Bomb and try to stay away from him. His weapon shoots bouncing balls around the arena, and they're much easier to dodge from a distance. You might also want Iron Leo so you can escape through the walls if he gets too close. After his defeat he forks over the Fire Card Key. One down, three to go. The door opens again, so we return to the tunnels. Find the Aqua Door to continue. Once again, keep picking things until Camilla shows up. She's much quieter than Ryuujin, so keep picking the first option to get the battle underway. Before we can start, though, Mayuzumi shows up. Shockingly, she identifies Camilla as her older sister, Yuuki! Camilla won't explain her reasons for joining Nikaidou, so Mayuzumi challenges her to a battle instead! However, she is defeated, so it's our turn! Robo Battle: Camilla -------------------- Claymore / Camilla Gun / Camilla Bomb / Camilla Pod / Energy Protector This is another new arena. It's more open than the previous one, and it's quite large, so this time I'd try the Fang Blow and shoot it from the ends of the walls. Camilla's weapon shoots two shots that then quickly strike at mid range, but as long as you stay away she has few options against you. Just watch those Xs because her bomb stuns you for a long time if it hits. The Card Key of Water is ours. Camilla still won't explain her reasons for joining Nikaidou, though Mayuzumi thinks it has to do with nanomachines. It seems Yuuki published a paper on nanomachines, but she didn't have the funding to continue her research. The Nikaidou Group all use Nanomachines to boost their combat performance, so they must have sponsored Yuuki's research in exchange for her cooperation with their goals. Camilla disappears, and Mayuzumi chases after her, so we're alone again. Time to head back into the maze. Return to the entrance to hear a roaring sound, which Yusuke thinks is a lion. Head to the Star Door, which is now open. This area seems like some kind of prison, but whatever was being kept here has escaped. Exhaust all of your text choices to be confronted by a terrifying looking man in a mask. He merely roars and growls at us, but it seems he wants to battle. Robo Battle: Gaiou ------------------ Bigfoot / Gaiou Gun / Gaiou Bomb / Gaiou Pod / Short Slash Gaiou's set is pure rushdown, and this is a small stage where he'll be hard to avoid, particularly since he can dash through walls. I would probably try to camp it up with Eagle Cutter and Trap Gunner, but you have to be prepared to disappear at a moment's notice, so pick Iron Leo or Ray Skyer for escaping purposes. He still doesn't say anything intelligible even after we beat him, he just hands over the Card Key of Earth. Oh well, time to leave. However, Gaiou refuses to let us exit! Then Kahn shows up! It seems Hikomaro got him too, and like Mayuzumi, he's here to help. He'll keep Gaiou busy while we escape. Leave the room and head to the Comet door. Keep talking until the fourth Heavenly Lord shows up... Wait, the Butler? Yes, it seems he is actually the fourth Heavenly Lord, Yanai. Unlike the others, he is perfectly polite, and welcomes us to his arena. Yusuke wants to know what the heck was up with Gaiou, and he says that Gaiou was a murderer from a foreign country who was going to be sentenced to death. Nikaidou bought his freedom and used him for their experiments with Nanomachines. It turns out that Yanai has been experimented upon as well, which explains his appearance. It's time to battle him for the final Card Key. Robo Battle: Yanai ------------------ Demon Blaze / Yanai Gun / Yanai Bomb / Yanai Pod / Shoulder Tackle This stage is full of vertical walls, so I'd go Fang Blow again. He can also shoot around walls with his gun, which is a variant of Ninja Bullet, so make sure you stay mobile and watch out for bombs. Seeker Pods help a lot here. You'll probably take a fair amount of damage, but you outdamage his weapon. The fourth Card Key is finally ours. It's time to find the Master Door, but before we go Yanai warns us that we haven't seen the true power of Nikaidou yet. Upon arriving at the Master Door, pick the first option to insert the Card Keys. The door opens, and we find ourselves in another long dark staircase. Yusuke reminds us that we're doing all this to save Hitomi. When we finally reach the top, we find the masked man from the Creepy Mansion, unmasked. He's Nikaidou, the chairman of the Nikaidou Group, as if we didn't already know. Also, he has Hitomi with him. Choose the various options to speak to him, and he reveals much of what has going on behind the scenes. As we already surmised, they have created technology that allows for a Robo to act autonomously via remote control. They believe this technology has great militaristic applications, as they demonstrated when they broke into the Research Lab without any direct human involvement. However, it's currently limited by the fact that they still need a commander to control the Robo, so they stole the Quantum Chip to aid in the creation of an Artificial Intelligence program that could mimic the abilities of a powerful commander and be copied thousands of times, creating a limitless army of powerful Robos. They then sent spies to Robo Station and held the Illegal Battles to try to find the most powerful commander, and they have, you. Nikaidou wishes for you to battle using the special machine he has set up in this room, which will create a copy of your brain for use by the AI program. If we do so, he'll let Hitomi go and we can all walk out of here like nothing ever happened. Yusuke tells him we need a moment to think about it, so we duck back into the stairwell. He says that we can discuss it all we like, but if we try to contact the police we know what will happen to Hitomi. Back in the stairwell, we run into Takehiro. It seems Hikomaro has really been busy ferrying people over here. He's already run into Kahn, who appears to have subdued Gaiou for now. Also, it seems that the Police have already infiltrated the base, but they're waiting for our signal. We decide to make a surprise attack against Nikaidou. We claim to accept his offer, but rather than connect to the brain scan machine, we use the chance to get close and attack! Robo Battle: Nikaidou --------------------- Excalibur / Nikaidou Gun / Nikaidou Bomb / Nikaidou Pod / Light Protector Be warned that this battle starts immediately, there's no launch sequence. This stage is pretty big and open, so I'd definitely go with Fang Blow here. Be warned that both his Bomb and Pod have the S-type stun effect, so you'll want to keep moving. His gun is kind of like a super version of Basic Gun, though its Beta Shot is a bit more like Wide Vulcan. Either way, you'll want to stay away from it or block it if you must, though it can deplete your shield in a single shot. If you can keep away from him you should be able to outlast him, but don't expect an easy win. We got him, but he still has Hitomi and he refuses to release her. Making matters worse, Yanai arrives and warns Nikaidou that the police have infiltrated their base. Yusuke believes we've won, but it seems Nikaidou isn't done yet, he activates some special nanomachines that increase his commanding ability three times over, and claims he will destroy us with his new power. Before he can do so, Koushirou arrives. Nikaidou demands to know who he is, and ironically he calls him a small fry, the same thing Koushirou always calls Yusuke. Seeing someone with such absolute confidence in their own power piques his interest, and he decides to go all out against Nikaidou. Even with his nanomachines, Koushirou proves too much for him. However, it seems Nikaidou has one more trick up his sleeve. Behind his throne lies the ultimate product of Nikaidou's work, the Dark Chimera Robo. Koushirou is more than willing to give him the chance to try it out, but he quickly beats him, and now it's our turn. Yanai helpfully turns out the lights for dramatic effect. Robo Battle: Nikaidou --------------------- Dark Chimera / Dark Plasma / Dark Bomb / Dark Pod / Dark Slide Once again there's no cannon here, the fight begins automatically. Fight him for a few seconds, and you'll quickly notice that he's completely invincible. Yusuke repeats what we just realized, Dark Chimera can't be damaged at all. Realizing that we're in trouble, Mamoru busts in. He tells Nikaidou that the police have the place surrounded and to give up. Nikaidou isn't worried, though, the police are powerless against the power of the Dark Chimera. However, Mamoru came prepared, and he quickly hands us a new Robo, AIRS. It's based on Ray Skyer, but it's been substantially enhanced by the police, and it should have enough power to challenge Dark Chimera. Robo Battle: Nikaidou --------------------- Dark Chimera / Dark Plasma / Dark Bomb / Dark Pod / Dark Slide This one is for real. We can't choose our robo here, we're stuck with AIRS. However, AIRS' ARS-G02 gun is so ludicrously overpowered that this battle is actually an absolute cinch, just jet around and keep firing its beta shot, which is like Rayfall Gun but with 6 shots. So THAT's where the ridiculously broken Lightning Sky + Accel Gun combo from the Gamecube game came from! Ideally you should probably try to dodge but it doesn't really matter. All of your other parts are fantastic too, but they really aren't needed. After we win, Nikaidou passes out from the strain of using Dark Chimera and an alarm goes off. It seems like this place is going to self-destruct. Yanai acknowledges us as the winner and frees Hitomi for us. Yusuke tells him to escape with us, but he refuses, stating it is his destiny to go down with Nikaidou. You can try to talk him out of it, but he won't budge. The Nikaidou Group was once a legitimate business, and Yanai was there from the very start, working in a small factory for Nikaidou's father, and with a lot of hard work they eventually built it into a prosperous and prestigious company. Unfortunately, Nikaidou's father died young, passing control of the company to his son, who was not yet ready to lead. Faced with the prospect of having the company collapse, they turned to criminal activity to keep the Nikaidou Group running, but Yanai has realized for a long time that Nikaidou's father would never have approved of their actions. He feels that it is their punishment to die here for the shame they have brought upon their family and themselves, but as thanks for listening to his story he tells us to seek out the Comet Room. You can try to further convince him to leave, but he's resigned to his fate, and there's no more time left. Unfortunately, the door leading back has been locked, so we have to find another way out. You can check the Aqua, Star, and Flame Doors, but Mayuzumi, Ryuujin, Kahn, Camilla, and Gaiou have all disappeared. Our goal is the Comet Room. There's sunlight coming in here! Choose the first option 3 times to discover a ladder that we can use to escape. Outside, we meet the police chief, and he picks us up in the helicopter. Hitomi thanks us for saving her, and we wind up back at the police station. The police are very impressed with us for taking down the Nikaidou Group. Yusuke wants to know what happened to Koushirou, but Mamoru is sure we haven't seen the last of him. Also, we're forced to return AIRS. Dang. Oh well, at least we finally get to go home and get some sleep. The next morning, Yusuke comes to collect us. Your mother tells you that you're wanted at the police station again. We meet with the Police Chief, and he tells us that he has a surprise for us. We find ourselves at the Great Robo Cup again. It's Koushirou! It looks like we'll get to finish this tournament after all. Koushirou has mellowed out a lot since yesterday, so it seems like it'll really be a good match. Jirou and Kahn are here too to cheer us on. Let's get this final show on the road! Robo Battle: Koushirou ---------------------- Dead Face / Ninja Bullet / Wall Bomb P / Dolphin Pod P / Light Protector This battle is actually an absolute joke, his setup has no way to hit behind walls, so just camp the corners with Rayfall Gun and he shouldn't even be able to hit you. But wait! The final is actually a best two out of three! This time, Koushirou is serious. If we want to be the champion, we'll have to earn it. Robo Battle: Koushirou ---------------------- Dead Face / Cross Scissors / Gemini Bomb U / Feint Pod D / Break Tackle Okay, this time it's a real match. Cross Scissors is kind of like Fang Gun, but unlike Fang Gun it's not garbage from short range. Once again, you'll want to lame him out behind walls with Rayfall Gun, but it'll definitely be a bit tougher this time since his Bomb and Pod can restrict your escapes. And that's the end of it all. Having beaten Koushirou again, we're crowned the new Champion. Yusuke crowns himself the Champion Navigator. Jirou comes to congratulate us on our victory and for stopping Nikaidou, and Yusuke finally gets to make his joke that Jirou finally stopped being the second-best commander, because this time he placed eighth! He doesn't see the humour in it. Hikomaro, Takuma, and Kahn also give us their congratulations. Yusuke thanks Kahn for his help with Gaiou, and he says that's what friends are for. Wait, he considers us his friends now? Mayuzumi is next, and Yusuke asks her what happened to her sister. Unfortunately, it seems that she has disappeared, but Mayuzumi knows they'll meet again. Last is Hitomi, who says that the three heroes have done it again. The announcer calls us to the podium along with Koushirou, but he disappeared after the final match. We head outside to look for him. Yusuke notes that he always seemed to be looking for something, first he was obsessed with becoming better than Mamoru, then he wanted to be the best in the world, and then finally he wanted to challenge Nikaidou. We finally catch up with him. He thanks us for giving him a good battle and tells us that he finally realized that life is about more than just strength, when we fought against Nikaidou and all seemed lost yet we refused to give up he finally remembered the importance of friendship. He then tells us to keep training and never make the same mistakes he did. He notes that Mamoru and Jirou tried to teach him that lesson a long time ago and he should have listened. He leaves to continue his journey, but not before acknowledging us as a friend and rival in his own way. Thus ends the story of Custom Robo GX. When the final picture shows up, press B and choose the first option to save your game. ############################################################################### W-08 Lady P's Lab - The Battle Continues: Some time after the Great Robo Cup, Yusuke comes to collect us in the morning again. He's worried that we might be going soft since we haven't been battling for a while. Well, he's got just the cure for that, so he installs something new on our computer. It's a new menu that allows us to trade parts with other players using a link cable, you can access it from the menu in your room (it's now the second option). He also takes us to the police station to see Mamoru. Mamoru asks us how our training has been going. He tells us he has something to show us, and we head back towards the world map. You'll notice there's now a second arrow to the right that takes us to a new area, Master Isle. There's only one area open here right now, Lady P's Lab, so head there. Lady P welcomes us to Master's Isle. Mamoru introduces us to Lady P, who flirts with him incessantly, much to his dismay. Besides being a shameless flirt, Lady P is also an expert in Robotics, and the daughter of Professor Kusama (aka Robodoc) from Captain Robo V2, which explains her hairstyle and general temperament. She's also the older sister of Robodoc's son, Pitarou. Anyway, Lady P tells us about what we can find on Master's Isle. In the Battle Tower we can participate in very challenging tournaments, and here in her Lab she holds the Limit Battles, where we can face tournaments we've done already while subject to various limitations, and her lab also houses the Commander Checks and the Password machine, which can yield additional parts. She gives us three new Robos, Luna, Javelin Mk 2, and Cross Bone so we can try out the Limit Battles if we wish. The Marvellous Shop also opens up on the map. Marvellous Shop: ---------------- Tiger Glare - 2600 Glider Wing - 3200 Star Layer - 4500 Traction Ring - 3200 Pulse Knuckle - 6000 Meteor Flicker - 9990 Standard Bomb P - 200 Submarine Bomb S - 2800 Bound Bomb U - 960 Bound Bomb D - 960 Twin Snake Bomb U - 1080 Twin Snake Bomb D - 1080 Satellite Gunner - 1400 Throwing Gunner - 1200 Smash Gunner - 3000 Satellite Pod U - 1920 Break Tackle - 4000 Break Tornado - 4000 There's loads of good stuff here, but you shouldn't binge too much until you get 100000 Sv so you can unlock Garapon through the Commander Checks (more on that below). At this point, you can either go to Battle Tower and proceed with the tournaments, or start clearing the challenges in Lady P's Lab. At the very least, I'd enter the Passwords and take any Commander Checks that you've already accomplished, as those yield free parts. The menu inside the lab reads as follows: Limit Battles Commander Check Password Talk to Lady P Donation (not initially available) Leave More detail on those choices will be provided below/ =================================================== Lady P's Lab - Limit Battles These are tournaments you've done already, but subject to special limitations. After you win you're given your choice of prizes. They unlock in sets, complete the challenges in the previous set to unlock the next one. The challenges are listed by what tournament you must win and what part you must use. Set 1: ====== Robo Limitation Level 1 - Fresh Robo League / Any Aerial Beauty Robo Robo Limitation Level 2 - Makno Carnival Cup / Any Metal Grappler Robo Robo Limitation Level 3 - C-Rank Tournament / Any Strike Vanisher Robo Robo Limitation Level 4 - Noise Company Cup / Any Lightning Sky Robo Robo Limitation Level 5 - Katrea's Mansion / Any Misty Mirage Robo The prizes for the above are Photon, Pluto, Neo Metal Bear, Kunai, and Masakado. These are all easy. Just remember that you cannot use illegal parts in standard tournaments. Set 2: ====== Parts Limitation Level 1 - Fresh Robo League / Burning Shot Parts Limitation Level 2 - Makno Carnival Cup / Gatling Cannon Parts Limitation Level 3 - C-Rank Tournament / Ninja Bullet The prizes for the above are Wall Bomb U, Wall Bomb D, Gemini Bomb U, Lizard Bomb S, Strike Bomb, Twin Snake Bomb P, and Geo Trap Bomb. Also pretty easy. The only one that might be trouble is Burning Shot. To make Burning Shot effective, pair it up with Wall Bomb P and trap them against the back wall. Set 3: ====== Fixed Customization Level 1 - C-Rank Tournament / Can't change customization The prizes for the above are Rayfall Gun, Hornet Buster, Glider Wing, and 5-Way Laser. The way this one works is that you can choose your setup on the first battle, then you're forced to stick with it the rest of the way though. Not really a problem at this point, any decent long range set should win easily. Set 4: ====== Parts Limitation Level 4 - Noise Company Cup / Shotgun Parts Limitation Level 5 - Katrea's Mansion / Eagle Cutter Parts Limitation Level 6 - Robokichi's Crazy Cup / Bubble Smasher The prizes for the above are Wall Bomb U, Wall Bomb D, Gemini Bomb U, Lizard Bomb S, Strike Bomb, Twin Snake Bomb P, and Geo Trap Bomb. These ones are a bit trickier. You'll want to use an S-Type bomb when using the Shotgun, it lets you get in close for a free blast, and the Energy Protector is also very helpful. For the Bubble Smasher one, equip your lamest keepaway set, something like Geo Trap and Seeker Pod P, then just stay near the middle and blast away. Perfect Challenge Level 1 - Makno Mall Cup / Win with no damage The prizes for the above are Gaiou Gun, Gaiou Bomb, and Gaiou Pod. As the name implies, to win this challenge you must not take any damage at all. Safe, long-range setups are key here. Note that, for fairness, you do not launch out of the cannon here. Take your time and don't commit to anything risky. Hopefully you won't battle Hitomi, who is hard to perfect. Set 5: ====== Robo Limitation Level 6 - A-Rank Tournament / Any Aerial Beauty Robo Robo Limitation Level 7 - Makno Tower Cup / Any Metal Grappler Robo Robo Limitation Level 8 - Super Robo League / Any Strike Vanisher Robo Robo Limitation Level 9 - Robo Masters / Any Lightning Sky Robo Robo Limitation Level 10 - Champion's Cup / Any Misty Mirage Robo The prizes for the above are Phoebe, Tiger Glare, Death Metal Bear, Patriot, and Feint Gunner. These are harder tournaments, but having to use a specific Robo isn't a huge limitation. Consult the main walkthrough if you need help winning the battles. Fixed Customization Level 2 - B-Rank Tournament / Can't change customization The prizes for the above are Rayfall Gun, Hornet Buster, Glider Wing, and 5-Way Laser. This is a really easy tournament so there's still nothing to worry about. Rayfall Gun blows this place up easily. Set 6: ====== Parts Limitation Level 7 - Takuma Academy Showdown / Wide Vulcan Parts Limitation Level 8 - B-Rank Tournament / Sonic Rifle Parts Limitation Level 9 - Makno Tower Cup / Glider Wing Parts Limitation Level 10 - Super Robo League / Reflect Laser Parts Limitation Level 11 - Robo Masters / Star Layer Parts Limitation Level 12 - Champion's Cup / Basic Gun The prizes for the above are are Reflect Pod R, Dolphin Pod P, Dolphin Pod R, Throwing Pod U, Throwing Pod D, Satellite Pod P, and Smash Pod P. This is where it gets serious. For Wide Vulcan, use stuff like Gemini Bomb and Gunners to clog up the screen. Use the beta shot when you need to hit Robos directly in front of you. For Sonic Rifle, you just have to stay mobile and take shots where you can, Gunners will help create opportunities for you. For Reflect Laser, stay near the bottom of the stage and use D bombs to push opponents into the lasers. For Star Layer, use a Lightning Skyer and plant the things during the Jet Dash, using Idling Bombs to further make things difficult. Glider Gun is strong, you can just spam its regular shot over and over. For Basic Gun, you're just going to need to make smart use of your bombs and pods to win. Fixed Customization Level 3 - A-Rank Tournament / Can't change customization The prizes for the above are Rayfall Gun, Hornet Buster, Glider Wing, and 5-Way Laser. This isn't nearly as bad as that Basic Gun tournament. I'd go with the Gatling Cannon and Gemini Bomb setup here, it's very versatile. Set 7: ====== Perfect Challenge Level 2 - Marine Park Festival / Win with no damage The prizes for the above are Gaiou Gun, Gaiou Bomb, and Gaiou Pod. Much the same as the previous one, you need to pick a set that allows for great mobility. I'd recommend Eagle Cutter, Standard Bomb P, and Seeker Pod P. It's not fancy, but it works. Garapon Challenge - A-Rank Tournament / Garapon Set The prizes for the above are Gatling Cannon and Short Slash. To participate in this one, you need the full Garapon Set. Garapon is obtained by getting 10000 Sv, the other parts are won randomly from the Emperor's Cup. So if you haven't proceeded to that point yet, you need to do so now. There's not much to say about this one since you can't customize your Robo at all, just bring Energy / Light Protector and focus on evasion, getting in little hits where you can. Thankfully this isn't a terribly hard tournament. End Limit Battles =================================================== =================================================== Lady P's Lab - Commander Check These are kind of like achievements, when you meet the following conditions, you unlock various things. Play 10 hours: Ryuujin Pod Play 20 hours: Yanai Bomb Play 30 hours: Camilla Gun 5 Link Battles: Sudden Death Stage 50 Link Battles: Plain Stage 100 Link Battles: Gigantic Stage 5 Link Battles vs Different People: Dodecane Turbo 100000 Sv: Garapon 70 Total Parts: Practice Stage There's nothing really that complicated here. Obviously, playing against other people will likely be a problem if you're not from Japan, but there is another way to unlock these things, see the section about Game Link for details. You should get all of the others eventually. End Commander Check =================================================== =================================================== Lady P's Lab - Password Machine Lady P's lab also has a password machine where you can enter special codes to earn exclusive Robo parts. For the sake of making them easier to spell, I'm providing both the literal translation and the romanized translation. Note that Japanese has two alphabets, and it's necessary to enter the right words in the right alphabet, so if the text is in capitals, it's Katakana (press R once), if not, it's Hiragana (the default option, or press L from Katakana). You also occasionally have to use English letters, which you reach by pressing R twice. I've included the same numbering system for the characters that I used when we entered the Ray Skyer password for anyone who can't read these letters, so see up there to figure out how to number the characters (A-F vertically, 1-0 horizontally). Here's the list of passwords: X-REI kudasai (X-Ray, please) C4, C9, D9, A2, B3, D1, E6, C1, A2 Gives X-Ray. Note the X and Dash are in English Letters (R twice). CHAMPU no GAN (Champ's Gun) D2, F6, E0, A8, E7, E5, B1, E6, E0 Gives Cross Scissors. JIGOKU no gouka (Wonderful Accident) C2, E6, B5, E6, B3, E5, B5, E6, A3, B1 Gives Hellfire. yuki no KYOJIN (Snow Giant) C8, B2, E5, B2, F8, C2, E6, E0 Gives Bigfoot. AKUMA no TOIKI (Devil's Breath) A1, B3, B6, E5, D5, A2, B2 Gives Demon Blaze. HIMITSU no gan (Secret Gun) A7, B7, D3, E5, B1, E6, E0 Gives Nikaidou Gun. kakusareta bomu (Hidden Bomb) B1, B3, C1, D9, D1, A0, E6, Gives Nikaidou Bomb. OSORUBEKI poddo (Dreadful Pod) A5, C5, D8, A9, E6, B2, A0, E7, F9, D5, E6 Gives Nikaidou Pod. CHIKETTO KR2 (KR 2 Ticket) D2, B4, F9, D5, B1, B8, A2 Gives the Corocoro Cup Entry Ticket. Note that the K, R, and 2 are all in English Letters. End Password Machine =================================================== =================================================== Lady P's Lab - Donations and Ultimate Battle Fort After you beat some tournaments at Battle Tower, Lady P will ask you for donations to her new project, the Ultimate Battle Fort. The Ultimate Battle Fort is a survival challenge that you can access from the map. Each level is a 10-battle gauntlet where your health is not fully recovered between battles. The amount of money you can win goes up with each battle, but if you lose you get nothing, so you may wish to take the money and abort the challenge if you think your chances of winning the next match are not high. Note that illegal parts are allowed here, but if you use them you only get to keep 10% of your winnings, rendering them largely worthless. In the Parts Confiscation Battles, you have to use a different set of parts every time (Except the Chip, which is exempt), so don't waste your good parts on easy matches. I'm not going to cover the Ultimate Battle Fort in great detail because the battles you face are random and the only thing you can earn here is money, even if you clear all 10 battles you don't earn any new parts (yes, I won all 10 battles on all 6 levels, there's no reward but bragging rights). It is by far the best place to earn money if you're very good at the game, though, clearing the Parts Confiscation Level 3 Battle earned me 260000 Sv. Every time you select the donation option, she asks for a bit of money. Every 5 donations will unlock a new option for the Ultimate Battle Fort. No Limit Battle Level 1 costs 10000 in donations No Limit Battle Level 2 costs 20000 in donations No Limit Battle Level 3 costs 20000 in donations One more donation of 20000 gets you all 3 Parts Confiscation Battles There's also no reward for completing the construction of the Ultimate Battle Fort, but after you do you can't give her money anymore. End Donations =================================================== Once you've had your fill of the lab, head over to Battle Tower to continue with the tournaments. ############################################################################### W-09 S-Rank Tournaments - Are You Not Entertained? Battle Tower is almost identical to Robo Station, but they have different levels of tournaments here, starting with the S-Rank Tournaments. These are much like the tournaments you've been doing before, but with a couple changes. First of all, they're now scored. The scoring system is as follows: Health is scored out of 30000 by percentage remaining. If you take no damage at all, you get an additional 10000 point bonus. The time remaining is multiplied by 10, for a maximum of 12000 points. If you had to retry the battle, you lose 5% of your total score per retry. If you lowered the opponent's health, your score is multiplied by the amount of health that they had, so 75% would give you only 75% of the points. Unlike in previous games, using Illegal Parts does not directly affect your score, but if you use them in a standard tournament you'll be disqualified at the end and lose any potential prize. Additionally, after each tournament your prize is selected from among three prizes. To win the third prize, you seem to need to score over 120000 points. If you don't, you'll receive either the first or second prize at random. This means if you want those prizes you may have to sandbag a bit. =================================================== S-Rank Tournament 1 - Challenge Cup 5-Battle Gauntlet Entry Cost : 1000 Prize Money: 10000 / 5000 Extra Prize: Iron Leo / Flare Mk 2 / Sol Mk 2 This is the first S-Rank tournament, so make sure you read the section above to know what's changed from the normal tournaments. Also be aware that unlike previous tournaments, the battle arena now sometimes changes in-between battles, so be sure to check it before each battle begins. We also meet Yurie here, she's the younger sister of Mamoru, a spirited young lady who has a bit of a chip on her shoulder about living up to her famous older brother. Robo Battle: Yusuke ------------------- Photon / Ninja Bullet / Bound Bomb P / 4-Way Gunner / Break Tackle There's not a lot of room on this stage, so avoiding Ninja Bullet can be tough. Fang Blow is a good natural counter to Ninja Bullet, when you're in the kind of spots you want to be to fire Fang Blow around a wall Ninja Bullet usually won't hit. Keep in mind that these battles are now timed, and how fast you win is relevant, but don't go too crazy because remaining health matters too. Robo Battle: Hikomaro --------------------- Masakado / Plasma Ball / Standard Bomb S / Seeker Pod P / Break Tornado This is our first time seeing Plasma Ball. It's like Dark Chimera's weapon in that it puts out a little ball that chases you after a moment, though there's only one. Still, it barely matters on this stage. It's full of walls, so the Gatling Cannon and Gemini Bomb set is very strong here. Robo Battle: Yurie ------------------ Phoebe / Energy Dagger / Strike Bomb / Dolphin Pod R / Energy Protector I would just use Rayfall Gun and lame this one out using the corner walls. With careful play you should take almost no damage, which yields a ton of points. Robo Battle: Fukashi -------------------- Dodecane Turbo / Wide Vulcan / Wall Bomb P / Feint Gunner / Energy Protector This is another battle for Rayfall Gun, just try to keep the Feint Gunner on the other side of the wall. Robo Battle: Takehiro --------------------- Javelin Mk 2 / Eagle Cutter / Gemini Bomb D / Yajyuu Pod P / Energy Protector This is a very small stage. I'd probably go with Ninja Bullet to shut down Eagle Cutter shenanigans, but you could also try something like Hornet Buster or Reflect Laser. End of Tournament =================================================== There's no story in the game anymore, we just keep on fighting until we reach the very end. =================================================== S-Rank Tournament 2 - Starry Cup 5-Battle Gauntlet Entry Cost : 1000 Prize Money: 10000 / 5000 Extra Prize: Multiple Missile / Pulse Knuckle / Plasma Ball It's the same basic idea here. All of these tournaments have some nice prizes, so you'll probably be doing them more than once. Note that sometimes some of their prizes are things that you can buy, so you can either buy them so you don't have to do the tournament again, or skip them so you can save money. Robo Battle: Shinsaku --------------------- Garapon / Garapon Gun / Garapon Bomb / Garapon Pod / Shoulder Tackle This is literally the weakest set of parts possible, so you shouldn't need any help tearing him apart. Robo Battle: Ikeda ------------------ Iron Leo / Spread Shell / Pillar Bomb D / Smash Pod P / Energy Protector Smash Pod basically creates a wall in front of you, so don't try to rush him down, use something like Rayfall or Eagle to fight from a distance. Robo Battle: Robokichi ---------------------- Cross Bone / Rayfall Gun / Lizard Bomb P / Throwing Gunner / Light Protector This is actually a pretty bad stage for Rayfall Gun because it's full of walls. I'd bring out either the Gatling Cannon Set or Fang Blow to take him down. Robo Battle: Yusuke ------------------- Photon / Multiple Missile / Submarine Bomb U / Feint Pod D / Break Tackle This is your first time seeing Multiple Missile. It fires a single missile that splits into a lot of little missiles after it travels a short distance. It's dangerous out in the open, but thankfully this stage has a fair bit of cover that you can use to block the missiles. Make sure to pick a Metal Grappler so you can escape if he gets too close, and use something like Fang Blow or Rayfall to attack from behind cover. Robo Battle: Hitomi ------------------- Luna / Glider Wing / Idling Bomb U / Smash Gunner / Shoulder Tackle This one is nasty. This is your first time fighting against Glider Wing, it arcs outward to a massive degree then homes in with great precision, even if walls get in the way, and it's quite dangerous on this stage. You might want to mirror match with your own Glider Wing or use a very mobile weapon like Eagle Cutter so you can focus on avoiding her shots. End of Tournament =================================================== =================================================== S-Rank Tournament 3 - Bomber Cup 5-Battle Gauntlet Entry Cost : 1000 Prize Money: 10000 / 5000 Extra Prize: Bound Bomb P / Lizard Bomb P / Standard Bomb S You really want that Standard Bomb S, so try to do well here. It's getting more difficult, but you can use the money to pick up some strong new parts from the Marvellous Shop if you need the help. Robo Battle: Karin ------------------ Flare Mk 2 / Burning Shot / Wall Bomb D / Sideways Pod P / Shoulder Tackle Burning Shot is generally bad, but it can be somewhat potent if paired up with Wall Bomb because you can use that to force the opponent into a wall, where it does big damage. I'd generally use Wall Bomb P for this setup, though. At any rate, the key to victory is just to keep here away from you, Wall Bomb can only be used at close range, so any kind of keepaway setup will beat her easily. Robo Battle: Robokichi ---------------------- Cross Bone / Pulse Knuckle / Twin Snake Bomb P / Feint Gunner / Break Tackle This is your first time facing Pulse Knuckle. It's a very short range weapon that does huge damage if they can get in on you, and Robokichi is going to try to sneak up to you by going invisible, so keep a close eye on the camera to know when he gets close. A Metal Grappler or Misty Mirage Robo is highly recommended on this stage so the walls won't trap you, beyond that either try to clog up the screen with shots and explosions or use the Shotgun and blast him when he tries to get close enough to punch you. Robo Battle: Ikeda ------------------ Iron Leo / Energy Dagger / Standard Bomb R / Reflect Pod R / Shoulder Tackle This is a great stage for Rayfall or Ninja Bullet, both should beat this set easily. You'll probably want a defensive Pod like Seeker Pod or Smash Gunner in case he actually does get close enough to hit you. Robo Battle: Toraji ------------------- Tiger Glare / Bubble Smasher / Geo Trap Bomb / Feint Pod U / Energy Protector This is a fantastic stage for Fang Blow, which should knock him down before his bubbles can ever be a threat. Just make sure you have a Metal Grappler so you can get through those walls if you have to. Robo Battle: Tsurugi and Yaiba ------------------------------ Javelin Mk 2 / Meteor Flicker / Idling Bomb P / Speed Pod P / Short Slash This is your first time fighting Meteor Flicker. It's like Rayfall Gun, but it sets up the shots behind the robo, so you can't fire it through a wall. It does shoot more shots, though, so you'll have to keep moving. I'd recommend Fang Blow here too, there's not much cover for them to hide from it and you can use it from behind a wall. End of Tournament =================================================== =================================================== S-Rank Tournament 4 - Queen Cup 5-Battle Gauntlet Entry Cost : 1000 Prize Money: 10000 / 5000 Extra Prize: Satellite Pod D / Speed Pod R / Reflect Pod P It's another all-female tournament, just like in Custom Robo V2, but at least we don't have to dress up as a woman this time. The prizes here are actually pretty junky, so don't worry if you don't do that well. Robo Battle: Hitomi ------------------- Luna / Gatling Cannon / Twin Snake Bomb D / Throwing Pod U / Tornado Beat This is a variant of the Gatling Cannon setup, but it's not nearly as effective with Twin Snake Bomb. I would actually go for a rushdown setup against this one, her set isn't strong at close range and now that we have the Straight Bomb S we can get in much more easily. If you have the Pulse Knuckle, it can do immense damage once you get close since you can hit them multiple times. Robo Battle: Katrea ------------------- Kunai / Ninja Bullet / Bound Bomb P / Feint Pod U / Light Protector This is a pretty well-balanced setup, but on this stage Rayfall Gun is very strong, so go with that and you should emerge victorious. Robo Battle: Karin ------------------ Flare Mk 2 / Traction Ring / Strike Bomb / Seeker Pod R / Shoulder Tackle This is your first time seeing Traction Ring, though you have fought its Illegal Variant, Viking Axe. It basically just shoots a bunch of shots straight ahead that pull you closer for combos if they hit but luckily they don't go through walls. I'd pick Fang Blow and exploit the cover here, though her setup is pretty solid so you'll need to stay mobile. Robo Battle: Nanase ------------------- Pluto / Wide Vulcan / Bound Bomb D / Seeker Pod P / Light Protector This is a weak set, just pick Fang Blow for an easy win here. Robo Battle: Yurie ------------------ Phoebe / Multiple Missile / Gemini Bomb U / Smash Gunner / Break Tackle This can be nasty, Gemini Bomb and Multiple Missile really limit your mobility, and Smash Gunner makes close-range combat an impractical option. I'd probably go with Eagle Cutter here for its unparallelled mobility and just focus on evasion while the Eagles chip her down. End of Tournament =================================================== And thus ends the S-Rank Tournaments. There is another rank above this, but in order to access it we have to complete some stuff from Lady P's Lab. The first tournament needs you to complete 12 of her Limit Battles, so if you haven't done that yet, head there now. ############################################################################### W-10 GX-Rank Tournaments - The Best of the Best: As with the S-Rank tournaments, these are scored and there's 3 possible prizes each time. However, this time these are the only ways to obtain those prizes, so you'll want to get them all eventually. To open the first tournament, you must complete 12 of Lady P's Limit Battles. This is not especially tough, see the Lady P's Lab section for details. =================================================== GX-Rank Tournament 1 - Wild Cup 5-Battle Gauntlet Entry Cost : 1000 Prize Money: 10000 / 5000 Extra Prize: Dead Face / Falchion / Stingray Now things are getting serious. Almost everyone here has very strong setups that will force you to play the stage effectively. Also, the Police Chief makes his first appearance as an opponent. When he was younger he was a real hotshot known as the Demon of Makno City, and he's intent to show that he hasn't lost it yet. Robo Battle: Takuma ------------------- Patriot / Star Layer / Standard Bomb P / Seeker Gunner / Break Tackle This is your first time fighting Star Layer. It's kind of like Eagle Cutter, it shoots out a little projectile that attacks a moment later, but here it bursts into 3 shots that travel in a fan shape. The best defense is to stay mobile, but of course this is a stage that restricts your movement. I'd go with Ninja Bullet to score quick knockdowns and erase the shots, or if you've got it pick Glider Wing and just focus on running away. Robo Battle: Mayuzumi --------------------- Stingray / Eagle Cutter / Submarine Bomb S / Satellite Pod U / Energy Protector This isn't quite as tricky as the previous battle. You'll want to fight from long range, likely with Fang Blow as it's powerful here. Just watch the Xs and don't let those Submarine Bomb S's catch you. Robo Battle: Toraji ------------------- Tiger Glare / Reflect Laser / Pillar Bomb R / Reflect Pod P / Break Tornado This is a tiny stage where those Reflect Lasers can quickly become a problem. Use Ninja Bullet to score quick knockdowns and get rid of them. Robo Battle: Jirou ------------------ Neo Metal Bear / Energy Dagger / Gemini Bomb D / Dolphin Pod R / Shoulder Tackle Jirou finally dropped Rayfall Gun? Oh well, it's a poor choice, just use Fang Blow and Seeker Pods to blast him from a distance. Robo Battle: Police Chief ------------------------- Death Metal Bear / Bubble Smasher / Twin Snake Bomb P / Sideways Pod P / Energy Protector Why is it that all of the commanders in this game who seem intimidating at first glance think Bubble Smasher is a good weapon? Oh well, a simple Gatling Cannon and Gemini Bomb setup will show him that times have changed since he was on active duty. End of Tournament =================================================== To open the next tournament, you must complete 3 of Lady P's Commander Checks. This takes a bit more work, but by now you've probably played 20 hours, which is 2 of the checks, and the third can be either the 100000 Sv or the 70 total parts, neither of which is hard to get at this point. =================================================== GX-Rank Tournament 2 - Emperor Cup 5-Battle Gauntlet Entry Cost : 1000 Prize Money: 10000 / 5000 Extra Prize: Garapon Pod / Garapon Bomb / Garapon Gun Here we go, this is the true test of GX Rank Commanders. We finally get to have a showdown with the legendary Mamoru, as well as a host of other strong trainers. And the great prize we're all battling for is... the Garapon set, the worst set of parts in the game? Oh well, we do need to get the full set to enter one of Lady P's challenges, so I guess we have no choice. Robo Battle: Hayao ------------------ Sol Mk 2 / Plasma Ball / Gemini Bomb U / Feint Gunner / Light Protector This one is pretty dangerous, his set is good at reducing your mobility and there's not a lot of cover here. I'd probably recommend Eagle Cutter for runaway, or you could try to overwhelm him with Cross Scissors. Robo Battle: Jirou ------------------ Neo Metal Bear / 5-Way Laser / Twin Snake Bomb / Yajyuu Pod P / Short Slash This is a wide open stage with almost no cover to dodge 5-Way Laser. As such I would probably just counter with Glider Wing and hope you win the damage war. A Lightning Skyer model works well with Glider Wing since you can fire them from any direction. Make sure to exit Jet Mode occasionally to drop Pods or Gunners. Robo Battle: Mayuzumi --------------------- Stingray / Fang Blow / Bound Bomb U / Smash Gunner / Energy Protector This stage is completely empty, so there's absolutely nowhere to hide from Fang Blow, and virtually nothing can match it for power at distance. You can either counter with your own Fang Blow and just trade shots, or try to go melee with Pulse Knuckle and Lizard Bomb S. Either way you're probably going to take quite a lot of damage here. Robo Battle: Kahn ----------------- Falchion / Burning Shot / Twin Snake Bomb D / Speed Pod P / Break Tackle Finally, a fairly easy one. Use Rayfall Gun and lame this one out in the corners. He should never be able to get close. Robo Battle: Mamoru ------------------- Patriot / Traction Ring / Wall Bomb U / Satellite Pod U / Tornado Beat After all we've been through to get here, this isn't as hard as you'd expect. Pick Eagle Cutter and use the walls for cover when he gets close and you should be able to win without all that much damage. End of Tournament =================================================== After you win this one, the Dark Shop and Dark Station open up, but we're not quite done with the GX Tournaments yet. There's one more, which requires you to input a Password in Lady P's Lab to unlock. This one has an absolutely stellar prize, so you definitely want to do this one. =================================================== GX-Rank Tournament 3 - Corocoro Cup 5-Battle Gauntlet Entry Cost : 1000 Prize Money: 10000 / 5000 Extra Prize: Basic Gun / Shoulder Tackle / Ray Sky This tournament is technically optional, but when you win it the first time you'll be given the AIRS set, so there's no way you'd want to skip it. You'll meet Eiji here, the engineer who designed AIRS. He seemingly modelled it after himself, as he has similarly cool sunglasses and golden hair. Robo Battle: Tsurugi and Yaiba ------------------------------ Javelin Mk 2 / Fang Blow / Standard Bomb S / Reflect Pod P / Break Tornado This is a probably the single hardest battle in the entire game. Their setup is just perfect for this stage and shuts down almost any possible counterplay. You can either Mirror Match with the exact same parts or try to work your way in using Pulse Knuckle and Light Protector, but either way it'll be a heck of a battle. You might have to use the handicap option that appears after you lose a bunch of times just to have a chance. Robo Battle: Karin ------------------ Flare Mk 2 / Multiple Missile / Strike Bomb / Sideways Pod P / Short Slash This is not nearly as tough as the last match, you can just Rayfall Gun this one. Multiple Missile is not good at getting past walls. Robo Battle: Jirou ------------------ Neo Metal Bear / Glider Wing / Twin Snake Bomb / Feint Pod U / Shoulder Tackle This is another battle for Rayfall, though you do have to pay some attention this time as he can shoot around walls too. Be prepared to zip between walls or activate shield when the Gliders get close. Robo Battle: Takuma ------------------- Patriot / Shotgun / Pillar Bomb R / Dolphin Pod R / Light Protector This is an easy one, just bring Iron Leo and Fang Blow and keep him out. Trap Gunners or Seeker Pods will easily clog up the small passageways on this stage. Robo Battle: Eiji ----------------- AIRS / Meteor Flicker / Wall Bomb D / Satellite Pod U / Energy Protector Here we go. Thankfully he isn't using the full AIRS set, but AIRS is still really strong and Meteor Flicker is quite dangerous when used by Lightning Skyers because it can be fired in any direction. You'll wand to just overwhelm him with something like Fang Blow to take him down before the screen gets too clogged up. Remember that Meteor Flicker can't pierce walls, so make use of what little cover this stage has to defend yourself. End of Tournament =================================================== After you win, the Police Chief decides that you've proven yourself capable of handling the power of AIRS, and they could use extra battle data for it, so they give you the AIRS set. Note that AIRS is considered illegal, but we're just about to go somewhere where that won't matter. ############################################################################### W-11 Dark Station - He Who Fights Demons: After beating the Emperor Cup, a new area appeared, containing Dark Station and the Dark Shop. The Dark Shop is a new parts shop that sells Illegal Parts. Note that everything here is ludicrously expensive. Dark Shop: ---------- Dark Sam - 100000 Messier - 105000 Devil Rex - 125000 Claymore - 280000 Darkness Blow - 60000 Blizzard Rain - 50000 Ryuujin Gun - 100000 Yanai Gun - 100000 Ryuujin Bomb - 70000 Camilla Bomb - 70000 I Seeker Gunner - 30000 Camilla Pod - 80000 Yanai Pod - 80000 Of the things sold here, Dark Sam, the Yanai Gun, Camilla Bomb, and I Seeker Gunner are the best value. Good luck affording it all, though, it's going to take several trips to the Ultimate Battle Fort to pay for all of this. Afterwards we can head to Dark Station, which is like Robo Station for criminals. The receptionist here looks suspiciously like Minamo from the previous games, but she's never identified as such. At any rate, unlike the other tournaments, illegal parts are allowed here (and you're even rewarded with double prize money for using them!), so feel free to go crazy with the various illegal parts you've acquired up until now. You can also use AIRS, which will make all these battles a complete joke, but I'll assume you're not going to. Even without it, the fact that you can now use all the Illegal Parts you want will generally give you a big edge here, particularly as you collect more of them through the Dark Shop and by winning these tournaments. =================================================== Dark Tournament 1 - Bloody Cup 5-Battle Gauntlet Entry Cost : 1000 Prize Money: 10000 / 5000 Extra Prize: Yoshitsune / Phoenix / Night This is the first of the Dark Tournaments. You can and should use Illegal Parts here, since there's no penalty and you actually gain bonus money. No new faces here, but we now start to encounter some faceless battles against AI-controlled Robos. It looks like the Nikaidou Group's new technology was a success, but ironically it's all that remains of them now. Robo Battle: Kotengu -------------------- Night / Blizzard Rain / Submarine Bomb S / I Seeker Gunner / Tornado Beat This is actually very similar to a battle you did before in the Illegal Tournaments. As with back then, Blizzard Rain is very strong at mid range, so try to stay back and use Fang Blow or Darkness Blow if you bought it. You should also bring out some Illegal Robos if you have them, as they have much better stats than the default ones. If you bought it, the I Seeker Gunner is a good choice on this stage to restrict her movement. Robo Battle: AI (Ryou) ---------------------- Phoenix / Star Layer / I Geo Trap Bomb / Satellite Pod D / Short Slash This stage is almost totally open, so you can bring out the Nikaidou Gun here for an easy win. You did enter all those passwords, right? Robo Battle: Samuel ------------------- Yoshitsune / Darkness Blow / Lizard Bomb S / I 4 Way Gunner / Energy Protector Darkness Blow has less range than Fang Blow, but its beta shot is much better, it travels farther, hits harder, and even goes through walls. I'd probably stick with the original Fang Blow here, though, the range is needed on this stage. Robo Battle: Akane ------------------ Messier / Burning Shot / I Wall Bomb / Seeker Pod R / Shoulder Tackle This is an example of a stage where Darkness Blow is way better than Fang Blow. It was always a bit tough to curve the shots around those walls, and now you don't have to, you can just use the beta shot and shoot right through them. Blizzard Rain would also be a strong choice here if you bought it instead. Robo Battle: Robert ------------------- Devil Rex / Yanai Gun / Pillar Bomb D / I Smash Gunner / Light Protector Blizzard Rain is great here if you've got it, alternatively you could try the mirror match with Yanai Gun, which is like Ninja Bullet but it shoots 4 shots instead of 2. Failing both of those, Multiple Missile is also a decent choice, but it takes a bit more skill to use. End of Tournament =================================================== Still no new story stuff, we just keep going from here until the end. =================================================== Dark Tournament 2 - Demon's Cup 5-Battle Gauntlet Entry Cost : 1000 Prize Money: 10000 / 5000 Extra Prize: I Wall Bomb / I Geo Trap Bomb / Excalibur Now things are getting serious, as the opponents are using much better parts. Yurie is here, it looks like she still thinks she's a spy. Also, I hope you enjoyed the final battle of the game the first time, because it's time to do it again! Robo Battle: Yurie ------------------ Phoebe / Sonic Rifle / Ryuujin Bomb / Satellite Gunner / Tornado Beat Yurie's not exactly going all out with Illegal Parts. Once again, you probably want Fang Blow, Darkness Blow, or Blizzard Rain here, all allow you to attack from behind cover and avoid the Sonic Rifle. Robo Battle: Kanzaki -------------------- Dark Sam / Hornet Buster / Gaiou Bomb / Yanai Pod / Break Tackle This is a great stage for Rayfall Gun, and you can use the Nikaidou Gun in much the same way to attack from the corner walls. Watch that bomb, though, the size of the blast is ridiculous. Robo Battle: Robert ------------------- Devil Rex / Bubble Smasher / Standard Bomb R / I Seeker Gunner / Energy Protector This one is pretty much a freebie for Darkness Blow. You could stick with the regular Fang Gun if you don't have it. Be warned though that Devil Rex is incredibly tough to knock down. Robo Battle: AI (Nikaidou) -------------------------- Excalibur / Ninja Bullet / Yanai Bomb / I Smash Gunner / Shoulder Tackle Ninja Bullet is a terrible choice on this stage, so you shouldn't have much trouble winning. Just pick Blizzard Rain or any other long range weapon and play keep away. Robo Battle: AI (Nikaidou) -------------------------- Dark Chimera / Dark Plasma / Dark Bomb / Dark Gunner / Dark Slide If you wish, you can bring AIRS out again for this rematch, and it'll be just as easy as it was the first time. If you're not going to, you'll want a Lightning Skyer model and the Nikaidou Gun, Dark Chimera's offense is so strong that you really have to stay on the move the entire time. It can be won by other setups, but you'll have to be ludicrously on-point with your dashes and escapes. End of Tournament =================================================== =================================================== Dark Tournament 3 - Nightmare Cup 5-Battle Gauntlet Entry Cost : 1000 Prize Money: 10000 / 5000 Extra Prize: I Smash Gunner / I 4-Way Gunner / I Cross Gunner This is it, the final tournament. I hope you're ready to face Nikaidou's best, in AI form at least. Let's get this final show on the road. Robo Battle: AI (Ryuujin) ------------------------- Hellfire / Darkness Blow / I Geo Trap Bomb / Ryuujin Pod / Break Tornado This small stage is just perfect for Darkness Blow, and unfortunately your opponent knows it. You could try to counter with your own Darkness Blow, but I think I'd try the Pulse Knuckle with Standard Bomb S or Camilla Bomb and Nikaidou Pod, which are amazing at stunning the opponent. Be warned that I Geo Trap Bomb stays out for ages. Robo Battle: AI (Gaiou) ----------------------- Bigfoot / Viking Axe / I Wall Bomb / I 4-Way Gunner / Shoulder Tackle Viking Axe can be dangerous even at range with its significantly upgraded beta shot, so stay mobile and keep an eye on those shots. I'd probably pick the Yanai Gun for this one, it'll cut through Bigfoot's huge defense. You might also want a Wall Bomb (ideally the much better I Wall Bomb), just in case he ever gets close. Robo Battle: AI (Camilla) ------------------------- Claymore / Blizzard Rain / Submarine Bomb D / I Cross Gunner / Energy Protector Blizzard Rain is a strong choice on this stage, but so is Darkness Blow, and it'll tend to beat Blizzard Rain in power. The I Seeker Gunner is also helpful here if you've got it. Robo Battle: AI (Yanai) ----------------------- Devil Rex / Ryuujin Gun / Gemini Pod D / Camilla Pod / Light Protector The Ryuujin Gun is like a super version of Reflect Laser, but it homes when it comes off the walls. In case you haven't noticed, this stage is all walls, and the Gemini Pod and Camilla Bomb can fill what little free space this stage has in seconds. Choose Devil Rex, Pulse Knuckle, Standard Bomb S or Camilla Bomb, and Nikaidou Pod, and try to get in for close range attacks, knocking him down is the only way to restore any semblance of sanity. Energy Protector or the Force Protector is also essential here. Robo Battle: AI (You) --------------------- X-Ray / Gaiou Gun / Camilla Bomb / Dolphin Pod R / Short Slash Oh no, it looks like Nikaidou was successful in creating that AI based on you! Inexplicably, it's a rushdown setup, even though rushdown was garbage until the postgame. You will have to respect his offense, though, the Camilla Bomb has great stunning power, and Gaiou Gun does huge damage at close range. If you have it, the Ryuujin Gun will dominate this match, if not you can try something like Darkness Blow or Blizzard Rain. The I Geo Trap Bomb is also a very good choice if you have it by now. End of Tournament =================================================== If you've now won everything, return to Lady P's Lab. Lady P declares you a Super Commander, and Mamoru praises your perseverance in getting this far. Lady P teases him a bit more, and they both praise your mastery of Custom Robo. There's no second ending this time, just some short congratulations for you. This brings Custom Robo GX to a close. If you wish, you can now try to get all the parts, though you may get stuck on Dodecane Turbo, which can only be obtained by battling other people or by linking to the Japanese version of the Gamecube game (see the section below for information about that). ############################################################################### W-12 Game Link and Rising Chimera: You can come pretty close to getting 100% in this game by yourself, but unfortunately a couple of the Commander Checks require you to battle other people, and it may not be easy to find other people with this game. Luckily there is an alternative, though it may be just as difficult to accomplish. You can also unlock all of those things by linking up with Custom Robo Battle Revolution, the Japanese version of Custom Robo for Gamecube. Here's how to do it. Connect the Gameboy Advance / Gamecube Adaptor to your GBA and plug it into the Gamecube's fourth controller slot. Hold Select and Start on your Gameboy Advance and turn it on. It should stay on the "Gameboy Advance" screen. Boot up Custom Robo Battle Revolution, then go to the Options Menu. Select the Data Transfer option from the menu. It should now transfer the data to your Custom Robo GX cartridge. In addition to unlocking all of the Link Battle prizes (the three stages and Dodecane Turbo), it also unlocks a special battle against Rising Chimera, a souped-up version of Dark Chimera that you can't battle anywhere else. Note that you still can't unlock either Dark Chimera or Rising Chimera for your own use, there really is no way to ever get those parts. And for the curious, there's no reward for getting every parts or beating Rising Chimera. At that point it's just time to move on to the next game. =============================================================================== =============================================================================== P-0 Parts Catalogue: This is a listing of all of the parts in the game, as well as what they do and when you get them. They're all listed in the same order the game lists them, which should help if you can't read Katakana, but you should really learn to read it because it'll make setting up your Robo so much faster. There's 34 Robos and 136 Parts to collect in total. ############################################################################### P-1 Body Parts: Robos are divided into various basic classes (X-Ray is a Shining Fighter Robo, while Flare Mk 2 is an Aerial Beauty), and each class has 4 models in it, a Normal Type, a Speed Type, an Armor Type, and a Power Type. Robos have four primary stats, which the game lists in the following order: Attack Power Defense Power Knockdown Resistance Speed Attack Power determines how much damage the Robo does when attacking with weapons, Defense Power determines how much damage the Robo takes from attacks, Knockdown Resistance is how hard it is to knock the robo down, and speed determines how fast the Robo can move and dash. Speaking of dashes, the primary difference between Robo classes is the function of their dash. Since Melee attacks are now determined using Action Chips, the stats are now the only difference between Robos of a given class, so I'm going to give the strategic advice by Robo Class rather than for each individual model. Shining Fighters: ================= Dash Type : A fast and highly controllable dash of moderate length. Apart from cancelling their dash into their Action Chip (which all Robos can do), their dash has no special properties. X-Ray ----------------------------- Obtained : Start of Game or Password Type : Normal Attack : 5 Defense : 5 Knockdown : 5 Speed : 5 Sol Mk 2 ----------------------------- Obtained : Challenge Cup Type : Speed Attack : 5 Defense : 4 Knockdown : 5 Speed : 6 Photon ----------------------------- Obtained : Lady P's Lab Type : Armor Attack : 5 Defense : 6 Knockdown : 5 Speed : 4 Night ----------------------------- Obtained : Bloody Cup Type : Power Attack : 7 Defense : 4 Knockdown : 5 Speed : 4 Shining Fighters are the most well-balanced of all Robo types. They don't suffer or excel in any area, which allows them to be used for almost any kind of strategy. They also possess the game's most basic dash action. Their dash doesn't possess any special properties, but it's very quick and useful for escaping. X-Ray is probably the best of the bunch, his perfect balance of stats allows him to handle any situation. Aerial Beauties: ================ Dash Type : A short, highly controllable dash of moderate speed that they can cancel at any time by pressing the dash button again Luna ----------------------------- Obtained : Master Shop Type : Normal Attack : 5 Defense : 5 Knockdown : 5 Speed : 6 Flare Mk 2 ----------------------------- Obtained : Challenge Cup Type : Speed Attack : 5 Defense : 4 Knockdown : 5 Speed : 7 Pluto ----------------------------- Obtained : Lady P's Lab Type : Armor Attack : 5 Defense : 6 Knockdown : 5 Speed : 5 Phoebe ----------------------------- Obtained : Lady P's Lab Type : Power Attack : 7 Defense : 4 Knockdown : 5 Speed : 5 Aerial Beauties are also very well-balanced, in fact they're even a bit faster than Shining Fighters, but their dashes are generally a bit less useful. Although they can cancel their dashes at any time by pressing the dash button again, they don't gain much speed from them and they have no special effects, so they're not really all that useful defensively. If you don't tend to use your dash much, they're probably the best overall choice. Phoebe is probably the best of the lot, she doesn't sacrifice much for that extra power. Metal Grapplers: ================ Dash Type: A long but uncontrollable dash of moderate speed that can pass through walls. Neo Metal Bear ----------------------------- Obtained : Lady P's Lab Type : Normal Attack : 5 Defense : 8 Knockdown : 8 Speed : 3 Iron Leo ----------------------------- Obtained : Master Shop or Challenge Cup Type : Speed Attack : 5 Defense : 7 Knockdown : 8 Speed : 4 Tiger Glare ----------------------------- Obtained : Lady P's Lab Type : Armor Attack : 5 Defense : 9 Knockdown : 8 Speed : 2 Death Metal Bear ----------------------------- Obtained : Lady P's Lab Type : Power Attack : 7 Defense : 7 Knockdown : 8 Speed : 2 Metal Grapplers are the masters of defense. Not only do they take little damage from attacks and resist knockdowns, they also have an amazing dash that allows them to pass through walls, greatly increasing their mobility on some stages. They are somewhat larger targets than other Robo types, though, which can be a problem when the stage is full of explosions. Iron Leo is almost certainly the best one, that extra speed makes quite a difference to his overall manoeuvrability, and his defense is still plenty high enough. Strike Vanishers: ================= Dash Type: A quick, short-ranged and highly controllable dash that is immune to enemy Gun shots. Falchion ----------------------------- Obtained : Wild Cup Type : Normal Attack : 5 Defense : 5 Knockdown : 3 Speed : 5 Kunai ----------------------------- Obtained : Lady P's Lab Type : Speed Attack : 5 Defense : 5 Knockdown : 3 Speed : 5 Javelin Mk 2 ----------------------------- Obtained : Master Shop Type : Armor Attack : 5 Defense : 6 Knockdown : 3 Speed : 4 Excalibur ----------------------------- Obtained : Demon's Cup Type : Power Attack : 7 Defense : 4 Knockdown : 3 Speed : 4 Strike Vanishers possess an incredibly useful dash that allows them to pass through Gun shots. It can't pass through Bombs, Pods, Gunners, or Chips, and it has some vulnerability at both the start and end, but if you master it they can excel at both short and long range. Unfortunately, they are very easy to knock down. Javelin is likely the best of the lot, his reduced speed actually results in a larger period of invincibility during his dash, and that extra armor really helps if you're attempting close range combat. Lightning Skyers: ================= Dash Type : Pressing the Dash button causes Lightning Skyers to transform into Jet Mode, where they can move at high speeds while still retaining the ability to fire their gun (though they cannot fire Bombs or Pods, and their gun fires forward rather than in the direction of their opponent). Jet Mode will eventually end on its own, or it can be cancelled at any time by pressing the Dash button again. Ray Skyer ----------------------------- Obtained : Creepy Mansion Type : Normal Attack : 5 Defense : 5 Knockdown : 1 Speed : 9 Stingray ----------------------------- Obtained : Wild Cup Type : Speed Attack : 5 Defense : 4 Knockdown : 1 Speed : 10 Patriot ----------------------------- Obtained : Great Robo Cup or Lady P's Lab Type : Normal Attack : 5 Defense : 6 Knockdown : 1 Speed : 8 Phoenix ----------------------------- Obtained : Bloody Cup Type : Normal Attack : 7 Defense : 4 Knockdown : 1 Speed : 8 Lightning Skyers are very interesting Robos. Their ability to fire their gun while moving at high speed creates some unique setups, though they are hard to control in Jet Mode and their extreme susceptibility to knockdowns limits just how deadly they can be. They're best when paired up with guns that track the opponent automatically, so they can just focus on evading while in Jet Mode. Of the lot, Phoenix is probably the best, he can afford to give up the speed for power, and it's not like any of them really have good defense anyway. Note that Lightning Skyers in Jet Mode do not become immobile when firing a Gun which normally has that property, though in practice it's hard to exploit this thanks to how hard it is to aim guns while in Jet Mode. Misty Mirages: ============== Dash Type: Pressing the Dash button causes Misty Mirage Robos to become invisible. They can move freely and pass through walls while cloaked. They can even fire their gun while invisible, though doing so causes them to reappear (pods and bombs are not available). Cloaking ends automatically after a short period of time or by pressing the Dash button again. Dead Face ----------------------------- Obtained : Wild Cup Type : Normal Attack : 5 Defense : 5 Knockdown : 5 Speed : 4 Masakado ----------------------------- Obtained : Lady P's Lab Type : Speed Attack : 5 Defense : 4 Knockdown : 5 Speed : 5 Cross Bone ----------------------------- Obtained : Master Shop Type : Armor Attack : 5 Defense : 6 Knockdown : 5 Speed : 3 Yoshitsune ----------------------------- Obtained : Bloody Cup Type : Normal Attack : 7 Defense : 4 Knockdown : 5 Speed : 3 Unlike all other Robos, the Misty Mirage's Dash does not grant them any extra speed, it just causes them to disappear altogether and grants the ability to pass through walls. Passing through walls is always useful for escaping, but the main purpose of this dash is to sneak around the stage and launch attacks unexpectedly. Surprisingly, the computer is also somewhat affected by the cloaking, but the tracking of weapons is not impeded in any way. It is also somewhat possible to determine where the Robos are by looking at the camera or watching the orientation of the Robo's gun, which always follows the opponent. Of all the Misty Mirage Robos, Masakado is likely the best, his extra speed lets him do that much more while invisible. Illegal Robos: ============== Dash Type : Same as the class they're based on unless noted. Dark Sam (Shining Fighter) ----------------------------- Obtained : Dark Shop Type : Illegal Attack : 7 Defense : 6 Knockdown : 5 Speed : 6 Dark Sam boasts great all-around stats, making him one of the most versatile Robos in the entire game. Messier (Aerial Beauty) ----------------------------- Obtained : Dark Shop Type : Illegal Attack : 5 Defense : 5 Knockdown : 5 Speed : 8 In addition to having slightly better stats, Messier's dash is also a bit quicker than other Aerial Beauties. This allows her to use her Dash Cancels a bit more aggressively and also strengthens her evasion. Devil Rex (Metal Grappler) ----------------------------- Obtained : Dark Shop Type : Illegal Attack : 5 Defense : 8 Knockdown : 10 Speed : 3 Devil Rex may be slow, but he just doesn't go down. This makes him a fantastic choice for any weapon that clogs up the screen, especially the Ryuujin and Nikaidou Guns, because it's so hard to erase his shots. Hellfire (Lightning Skyer) ----------------------------- Obtained : Password Type : Illegal Attack : 10 Defense : 5 Knockdown : 1 Speed : 9 Hellfire's attack is the highest of all Robos in the game, allowing him to deplete the opponent's health with ludicrous speed. He's especially deadly when paired up with Force Protector, which allows him to use his incredible speed to move around the battlefield with impunity. Claymore (Strike Vanisher) ----------------------------- Obtained : Dark Shop Type : Illegal Attack : 5 Defense : 5 Knockdown : 3 Speed : 7 Claymore's stats aren't a big upgrade over her fellow Strike Vanishers, but she boasts a greatly upgraded dash that travels farther and faster, making it even easier to pass through enemy attacks. Bigfoot (Metal Grappler) ----------------------------- Obtained : Password Type : Illegal Attack : 5 Defense : 10 Knockdown : 8 Speed : 3 Bigfoot boasts the game's highest defense, allowing him to absorb an absolute ton of punishment before going down. Probably the game's best long distance Robo simply because he can outlast almost anyone. Demon Blaze (Misty Mirage) ----------------------------- Obtained : Password Type : Illegal Attack : 5 Defense : 5 Knockdown : 5 Speed : 6 Demon Blaze's stats aren't any real upgrade over his fellow Misty Mirages, but unlike them he does get a speed boost when using his dash, allowing him to be even more mobile when cloaked. Special Robos: ============== Dash Type : Varies, see each individual entry Garapon (Garbage Robo) ----------------------------- Obtained : Commander Check Type : Normal Attack : 3 Defense : 4 Knockdown : 5 Speed : 4 Dash Type : Identical to Shining Fighters Garapon is this game's joke Robo, he's deliberately underpowered and the only reason to use him is to prove your superiority at the game or to complete the Limit Battle where he has to be used. Dodecane Turbo (Fatty Face) ----------------------------- Obtained : Commander Check or Game Link Type : Normal Attack : 5 Defense : 6 Knockdown : 7 Speed : 5 Dash Type : Long and controllable but slow dash that passes through walls Fatty Faces may not be a proper class in this game, but Fukashi's signature Robo had to make it in somehow. He's actually quite good here, with solid stats and a unique dash that passes through walls while remaining controllable, though it isn't very fast and you'll definitely want a Shield to cancel it. AIRS (Lightning Skyer) ----------------------------- Obtained : Corocoro Cup Type : Military Attack : 7 Defense : 8 Knockdown : 3 Speed : 10 Dash Type : Identical to other Lightning Skyers AIRS has ludicrously amazing stats, most notably unlike other Lightning Skyers he can actually take a hit or two before going down. When combined with the rest of the AIRS set, AIRS is a massive gamebreaker, rivalling even the final boss in sheer power. Unfortunately, the AIRS parts are considered illegal and can't be used in standard tournaments. Dark Chimera (The Ultimate) ----------------------------- Obtained : Unobtainable Type : Prototype Attack : 10 Defense : 10 Knockdown : 10 Speed : 10 Dash Type : Short range teleport, likely totally invincible Dark Chimera is the final boss. He possesses extreme offensive and defensive power, and is completely immune to knockdowns. He doesn't seem to be quite as fast as his stats indicate, but he can still close ground in a hurry with his teleport. Dark Chimera can never be obtained by the player. Rising Chimera (Secret Boss) ----------------------------- Obtained : Unobtainable Type : True Power Attack : 10 Defense : 10 Knockdown : 10 Speed : 10 Dash Type : Short range teleport, likely totally invincible Rising Chimera is a completed Dark Chimera that is even more powerful. He can only be battled by linking up to the Japanese version of Custom Robo for Gamecube, but you still can't obtain his parts. ############################################################################### P-2 Gun Parts: Guns typically form your primary offense in Custom Robo, they're the quickest and most versatile weapons in your arsenal. In other Custom Robo games, guns typically have different functions on the ground and in the air, but in Custom Robo GX there's no jumping, so instead each gun has an Alpha and a Beta Shot that can be used at any time. Since Custom Robo doesn't show your health as a number, so I can't determine the exact damage dealt by each weapon. The game does list 5 statistics for each gun, however, which are as follows: Power: Roughly how much damage the gun does Speed: Roughly how fast the bullets travel Homing: How well the gun tracks the opponent Reload: How long you have to wait before shooting the gun again Knockdown: How much Knockdown Power the gun has Note also that in Custom Robo GX you have more control over your Robo while firing a gun, though some guns render you immobile while firing, which will be denoted in the description of the attack type. Some shots also go through walls, which will be similarly noted. Most guns in the game are based on a gun from the main series, but since the names have been changed it's not always obvious. I've included the relevant main series guns for reference. Basic Gun ----------------------------- Obtained : Start of Game Based On : Basic Gun Power : 3 Speed : 2 Homing : 1 Reload : 2 Knockdown : 2 Alpha Shot : Fires 3 shots towards opponent Beta Shot : Fires 3 shots all at once, in a horizontal line Your starting Gun. Unlike your other starting equipment, this is pretty clearly the worst gun in the entire game and you want to get rid of it as quickly as possible. If you are forced to use it, you pretty much have to use bombs or pods to restrict your opponent's mobility to get it to hit, as it is very easily avoided on its own. The Beta Shot is a little easier to land, but does virtually no damage. Gatling Cannon ----------------------------- Obtained : During The Beginning or from Lady P's Lab Based On : Gatling Gun Power : 4 Speed : 3 Homing : 2 Reload : 2 Knockdown : 3 Alpha Shot : Fires a quick barrage of shots towards opponent Beta Shot : As above, but pierces walls and leaves you immobile Gatling Cannon is easily in the running for most improved gun from the original series thanks to the changes in the game mechanics. Gatling Gun was always decently powerful, but the fact that it left you open for so long rendered it fairly weak, but now that you can freely move while firing the shots it has become a ludicrously versatile weapon that you can use for almost any battle in the entire game. As if that wasn't good enough, its Beta Shot is also one of the best in the game, despite the fact that it leaves you immobile it can be combined with Gemini Bomb or Idling Bomb for a deadly trapping combo which is still pretty safe if fired behind a wall. Never becomes obsolete at any point. Sonic Rifle ----------------------------- Obtained : Master Shop Based On : Sniper Gun Power : 3 Speed : 5 Homing : 1 Reload : 1 Knockdown : 3 Alpha Shot : Fires a single powerful shot that travels at incredible speed Beta Shot : As above, but fires two shots instead and leaves you immobile Sonic Rifle is decent, but it's totally outclassed by Gatling Cannon and you get it fairly late. Its shot does travel super fast, but other than that Gatling Cannon is superior in every possible way, in particular Sonic Rifle doesn't really have any use for set-ups, you just blast the opponent when they leave themselves open. If you know you can land the shot, use the Beta Shot for fairly big damage, just make sure you don't miss. Shotgun ----------------------------- Obtained : Basic Shop Based On : Shotgun Power : 5 Speed : 5 Homing : 1 Reload : 1 Knockdown : 5 Alpha Shot : Fires a very short range blast that deals heavy damage Beta Shot : As above, but weaker, pierces walls, and leaves you immobile Shotgun hasn't changed much since the original series, but since you can no longer air dash over enemy attacks getting close enough to use it takes a lot more finesse than it used to. Except against specific guns that are terrible at short range, it generally requires an S-Type Bomb or the Force Protector to make good use of it, and by then you have the far stronger Pulse Knuckle, which outclasses this weapon in pretty much every way. Rayfall Gun ----------------------------- Obtained : Medium Shop or Lady P's Lab Based On : Rayfall Gun Power : 3 Speed : 2 Homing : 4 Reload : 2 Knockdown : 3 Alpha Shot : Fires 3 shots that pause, then home in on the opponent. Before they "activate" they can pierce walls. Beta Shot : As above, but the shots do not pause first Rayfall Gun was nerfed pretty hard in Custom Robo V2, but it's back to being very potent in this game. The key to effective Rayfall use is to set up the alpha shot from behind a wall, ideally a corner wall, then supplement them with bombs and pods to make them hard to avoid. The Beta Shot still functions somewhat like Rayfall's old air shot, but it has a very different usage this time around since you can't fire it past a wall, it's now basically used as an emergency attack in case the opponent somehow gets a clear shot at you, but you can use it to follow up on an alpha shot if you aren't behind a wall. Hornet Buster ----------------------------- Obtained : During The Beginning or from Lady P's Lab Based On : Hornet Gun Power : 3 Speed : 2 Homing : 4 Reload : 3 Knockdown : 4 Alpha Shot : Fires a swarm of three hornets that chase the opponent Beta Shot : Fires two hornets that pierce walls and leaves you immobile Hornet Buster is a decent weapon, its main drawback is that the Hornets have limited range, so you have to get somewhat close to the opponent. Still, they fire fast and you have pretty good mobility while using this gun, so fast robos can make pretty good use of it. The beta shot is a pretty good compliment to the alpha shot, even though it leaves you immobile for a while the Hornets do a pretty good job of protecting you from counterattacks. Ninja Bullet ----------------------------- Obtained : Makno Tower Cup Based On : Left Arc Gun / Right Arc Gun Power : 3 Speed : 4 Homing : 2 Reload : 3 Knockdown : 3 Alpha Shot : Fires two shurikens that arc downwards Beta Shot : As above, but arcs upwards instead This is also in the running for most improved Gun. I always found the Left and Right Arc Guns inordinately confusing to use, but making it an up / down arc gun and allowing you to choose which way to fire makes it far more usable. You can use the arcs to curve the shot around walls and attack from behind cover, but what really makes this weapon stand out is that it has among the highest knockdown power in the entire game. Even though the game only lists it as a 3, a single hit from both shurikens will down most Robos, erasing their shots. This makes it a fantastic defensive choice against spammy setups. Bubble Smasher ----------------------------- Obtained : Master Shop Based On : Bubble Gun Power : 3 Speed : 1 Homing : 5 Reload : 4 Knockdown : 4 Alpha Shot : Fires a slow moving bubble that slowly tracks the opponent Beta Shot : Fires two bubbles, but they travel even slower I've never cared much for Bubble Gun, but at least in the other games it served its purpose as an anti-close range weapon. I suppose it still does here, but there are now other weapons that do that job just as well, leaving Bubble Gun as a fairly worthless weapon that easily gets overwhelmed. If you must use this weapon, use a pure keep-away set and just try to outlast the opponent. Wide Vulcan ----------------------------- Obtained : Makno Mall Cup Based On : 3-Way Gun and Vertical Gun Power : 3 Speed : 3 Homing : 4 Reload : 3 Knockdown : 2 Alpha Shot : Fires 4 shots in a 2x2 pattern that home in on the opponent Beta Shot : Fires 6 shots in a 3x2 pattern that fan out Wide Vulcan isn't completely terrible, its alpha shot homes decently at long range and it can be fired from behind a wall, but it's basically inferior to the Fang Blow in every possible way and you get that soon afterwards. The beta shot should only ever be used if you need to hit someone directly in front of you, otherwise the alpha shot is much better from long-range. Energy Dagger ----------------------------- Obtained : Basic Shop Based On : Blade Gun + Stun Gun Power : 1 Speed : 2 Homing : 4 Reload : 5 Knockdown : 1 Alpha Shot : Fires two quick shots that stun the opponent for a long time Beta Shot : As above, but fires only a single shot that travels faster This weapon initially seems almost valueless, having fairly short range and doing almost no damage, but with proper support from other parts it can actually become the most powerful weapon in the game. The trick is that after being hit by it, opponents are stunned for AGES, allowing you to link any other type of attack. Something like beta shot, Standard Bomb R, alpha shot, alpha shot, Short Slash will take a huge chunk of health off most Robos. Robos with high Knockdown resistance are even more susceptible to it, you can trap them in super long combos that can take off 40% health or more. It can also be used with Pods like Standard Pod P and Seeker Pod P for a similar effect. The main downside to it is that you basically have to give up some of your other parts to get damage, which may leave you with a set that has trouble approaching the opponent, so you'll likely want a Strike Vanisher or Misty Mirage to get in. Incidentally, you always want to start with the beta shot since it's faster and easier to hit with. Glider Wing ----------------------------- Obtained : Marvellous Shop Based On : Glider Gun Power : 2 Speed : 3 Homing : 4 Reload : 2 Knockdown : 2 Alpha Shot : Fires two birds on a wide arc that home in very effectively Beta Shot : Fires two birds straight ahead that pierce walls and stay out for a while, but leaves you immobile for a very long time. Glider Wing has barely changed at all since the original game, it's a powerful weapon with great tracking that excels at long-distance combat, its homing is so potent that it can even navigate around walls. The beta shot (which used to be the ground shot) is now complete trash though since it's weak and leaves you immobile forever, you'll want to use your Bomb or Pod to cover the front instead. The alpha shot needs no real support anyway, just spam away. Eagle Cutter ----------------------------- Obtained : Medium Shop Based On : Eagle Gun Power : 2 Speed : 3 Homing : 4 Reload : 3 Knockdown : 1 Alpha Shot : Places an eagle shot that homes in on the opponent a second later Beta Shot : Fires a fast eagle that pierces walls but leaves you immobile Eagle Gun was a dominating weapon in Custom Robo V2, and while it has traded some power for versatility it remains very good here. The basic gist of this weapon is that you move around the stage, placing alpha shots and remaining evasive, then when you start to pin the opponent down you sneak in some beta shots to lock them down into a combo. You can also use the beta shot to punish a whiffed attack since it's fast and goes through walls. The only downside to this weapon is that it isn't very strong, so you'll want to toss some bombs for damage while the opponent is stunned by Eagles. A very solid all-around weapon that can work well on almost any stage. Star Layer ----------------------------- Obtained : Marvellous Shop Based On : Star Layer Gun Power : 2 Speed : 3 Homing : 2 Reload : 3 Knockdown : 1 Alpha Shot : Places a star shot that fires 3 shots towards the opponent in a fan shape a second later. Beta Shot : As above, but places the shot farther away and it can pierce walls before it "activates", but you're left immobile while firing The Star Layer Gun has definitely gotten a bit better, but unfortunately it comes late and is definitely a bit outclassed by Eagle Gun. Even though the shots have fantastic tracking before they activate, the fan is so wide that they really aren't hard to avoid if you keep moving, and they don't do a lot of damage, either. This weapon's one saving grace is that it's one of very few weapons that works really well with the Lightning Skyer's Jet Mode, so you can jet around and place some alpha shots to clog up the screen with relative impunity. When combined with gunners or pods this can be difficult to avoid, though the Meteor Flicker generally does this job better. Traction Ring ----------------------------- Obtained : Marvellous Shop Based On : Catch Gun Power : 1 Speed : 4 Homing : 2 Reload : 3 Knockdown : 3 Alpha Shot : Fires a stream of shots that pulls the opponent towards you Beta Shot : Fires a single ring that bounces off walls and goes much farther The Traction Ring is somewhat similar to the Energy Dagger, its main use is to pull the opponent closer for a melee attack, but it's somewhat more versatile thanks to its beta shot, which is supremely weak but at least it has long range and can be somewhat difficult to avoid. Unfortunately it isn't nearly as quick as the Energy Dagger, and it also has much more knockdown power (which is bad because it makes your combos end faster), so it isn't nearly as potent. Pulse Knuckle ----------------------------- Obtained : Marvellous Shop or Starry Cup Based On : Knuckle Gun Power : 5 Speed : 5 Homing : 1 Reload : 4 Knockdown : 4 Alpha Shot : A short range punch that sends the opponent up Beta Shot : As above, but pierces walls and sends the opponent far away The Pulse Knuckle is the weapon that makes short range combat worthwhile. It has very little range, but it does ludicrous damage, largely because once you land one hit you can just keep punching them until they get knocked down, then do one more alpha shot and a beta shot for even more damage. It almost rivals the Energy Dagger in sheer power, though it does require you to get right in their face to use it. There's a lot of ways to try to get close enough, but S and R type explosions are probably the most obvious. Meteor Flicker ----------------------------- Obtained : Marvellous Shop Based On : Meteor Storm Gun Power : 4 Speed : 4 Homing : 2 Reload : 2 Knockdown : 3 Alpha Shot : Sets up 6 Meteors behind your robo that home in after a second Beta Shot : Fires 6 shots straight ahead, as 3 rounds of 2 shots Meteor Flicker is a weapon in the same vein as Rayfall Gun, though the fact that it sets up the shots behind you prevents you from using it behind a wall. It is much more potent in the open, though, and the beta shot is a pretty dependable alternate (it's basically a much better Basic Gun). It's best on wide open levels, ideally used by a Lightning Skyer, as they can Jet around and set up the shots. Multiple Missile ----------------------------- Obtained : Starry Cup Based On : Multiple Gun Power : 3 Speed : 2 Homing : 5 Reload : 2 Knockdown : 3 Alpha Shot : Fires a missile that splits into 5 after a certain distance Beta Shot : Fires 4 missiles that track the opponent for a short distance Multiple Missile is a pretty nuanced weapon. Its alpha shot fires a single, weak missile that splits into 5 after a specific distance, then those 5 track on the opponent for a short distance before fizzling out. If you fire this from the exact right distance, where the missile will split just before it hits the opponent, it's quite potent, but from any other distance it's worthless. The beta shot basically makes the missile split right in front of you, which is good if the opponent gets close, but it only creates four missiles so it's not as strong. Best used with a highly mobile Robo so you can manoeuvre to that perfect distance more easily. 5-Way Laser ----------------------------- Obtained : Basic Shop Based On : Needle Gun Power : 3 Speed : 4 Homing : 1 Reload : 3 Knockdown : 2 Alpha Shot : Fires a fan of lasers on an upwards trajectory Beta Shot : Fires a fan of lasers on a downwards trajectory 5-Way Gun is almost peerless in its ability to take up space on screen, though unfortunately both its alpha and beta shots only shoot a single laser straight ahead, with the others going either above or below you. The main purpose of this weapon is to destroy Lightning Skyer models, if they go into Jet Mode it's almost impossible for them to avoid the lasers, but the computer actually doesn't use Jet Mode that well anyway so it's not really all that necessary. Just don't use Lightning Skyer Robos against it. Plasma Ball ----------------------------- Obtained : Starry Cup Based On : Ion Gun Power : 3 Speed : 4 Homing : 3 Reload : 3 Knockdown : 4 Alpha Shot : Fires a ball straight ahead that slowly tracks the opponent Beta Shot : Fires a ball that slowly tracks, then shoots towards the opponent Plasma Ball is a really weird weapon. Basically, it has two modes, one where it quickly travels in a straight line, and one where it slowly tracks the opponent, and the order in which it performs the two actions depends on the shot that you use. Despite its strange pattern, it's surprisingly autonomous, you can just let it do its thing while you set up other weapons, and with trapping support from Gemini Bomb or Idling Bomb it can be hard to avoid. Alternate randomly between the shots to keep the opponent off-guard. Reflect Laser ----------------------------- Obtained : Medium Shop Based On : V-Laser Gun Power : 1 Speed : 5 Homing : 1 Reload : 4 Knockdown : 2 Alpha Shot : Fires two lasers in a V-pattern that bounce around Beta Shot : Fires two lasers straight ahead that bounce around Reflect Laser seems horrible at first glance, it's weak and hard to hit with, but there's a trick to using it. The shots stay active practically forever, bouncing off walls in weird ways, and as such you can actually have a lot of these active at once. On tight stages with a lot of walls, this can become very dangerous and unpredictable and can quickly overwhelm opponents who are trying to camp. The beta shot is usually the better one since you can aim it better, and there's no real disadvantage to using it instead. Spread Shell ----------------------------- Obtained : Master Shop Based On : Spike Gun Power : 3 Speed : 3 Homing : 2 Reload : 2 Knockdown : 2 Alpha Shot : Fires a bullet that bursts into four pieces after a while Beta Shot : As above, but pierces walls and leaves you immobile This is right up there with Basic Gun for the title of worst gun in the game. It fires a large bullet that breaks into 4 little pieces, but only one of the pieces will ever be a threat since the other two go off to the side or come back towards you, and that one piece doesn't even home well. As if that wasn't bad enough, it also has limited range and its beta shot leaves you immobile for a long time. The only valid use for this gun is to pair it up with a Lightning Skyer and fire it in Jet Mode, but there are much better Guns for Jet Mode. Cross Scissors ----------------------------- Obtained : Password Based On : Fang Gun Power : 4 Speed : 5 Homing : 1 Reload : 3 Knockdown : 3 Alpha Shot : Fires two streams of Fang shots from the sides Beta Shot : Fires a stream of Fang shots straight ahead This works almost exactly like Fang Gun from the original series, the alpha shot is to go around walls, while the beta shot fires directly ahead. Both are quite powerful, but unfortunately both have somewhat limited range. It's all right, but heavily outclassed by Fang Blow at pretty much any distance other than point blank. Fang Blow ----------------------------- Obtained : Master Shop Based On : Phoenix Gun Power : 4 Speed : 5 Homing : 2 Reload : 2 Knockdown : 4 Alpha Shot : Fires 2 stream of shots that arc outwards before converging Beta Shot : Fires a single stream of shots with limited range straight ahead Here it is, what is quite possibly the strongest overall gun in the game. On the stages where Fang Blow works well, it's almost unbeatable, even by Illegal Guns. Basically it fires two streams of shots that arc outwards and then converge, and after the convergence point it has amazing tracking, basically like a way better version of the Phoenix Gun from past games. If you're anywhere past the point where the shots converge and aren't protected by a wall, you're getting hit for huge damage, and it's dangerous even before the streams link together if you get trapped in them. This gun's one weakness is that the streams create a deadzone directly in front of you from which the opponent can fire close range shots, but this is easily compensated for by arcing the shots around a wall, ideally by positioning yourself just past the end of the wall and firing the streams along either side. The beta shot exists to try to protect you from the front if someone does get in, but it's weak and has terrible range, so it's best to protect your front with Bombs or Pods if you can't find a wall. There are a scant few stages that are full of walls or other barriers where this weapon just can't get a clear shot, but other than that it's the ultimate in long-range combat. Burning Shot ----------------------------- Obtained : Robokichi's Crazy Cup Based On : Flame Gun Power : 4 Speed : 2 Homing : 2 Reload : 2 Knockdown : 3 Alpha Shot : Fires a stream of powerful flames that pushes the opponent back Beta Shot : As above, but pierces walls and leaves you immobile Wow, the Flame Gun got hit hard in the transition to Custom Robo GX. The entirety of the problem lies in the fact that the flames push the opponent back, so once one shot hits they can just move out of the way of the others, rendering it virtually powerless. The only way to get good damage out if it is to push the opponent into a wall, likely by using something like Wall Bomb P, at which point it can deal very solid damage. This is actually one of the better close-range combos in the game, but it does use up your bomb, leaving you without many great long range combat options. Blizzard Rain ----------------------------- Obtained : Dark Shop Based On : Illegal version of Wide Vulcan Power : 4 Speed : 3 Homing : 4 Reload : 3 Knockdown : 3 Alpha Shot : Identical to Wide Vulcan but with 6 shots and better homing Beta Shot : Identical to Wide Vulcan but with 9 shots and better homing It's amazing how something as simple as adding another shot can suddenly turn Wide Vulcan from a mediocre weapon to a very effective one that can almost rival Fang Blow. The usage is identical to Wide Vulcan, fire the alpha shot from behind a wall or the beta shot in the open, it just does it so much better. Darkness Blow ----------------------------- Obtained : Dark Shop Based On : Illegal version of Fang Blow Power : 4 Speed : 5 Homing : 2 Reload : 3 Knockdown : 4 Alpha Shot : Identical to Fang Blow, but the range is now limited Beta Shot : Fires a very fast stream of shots that pierces walls, travels very far, and leaves you immobile I'm sure your first thought would be that since Fang Blow is so strong, this must be by far the best weapon in the game. Well, not quite. Its alpha shot is actually purely worse than Fang Blow, it still packs great power at the convergence point, but it now stops and doesn't travel any farther when it gets there, drastically limiting its power at long range. However, there is an upside, its beta shot has been MASSIVELY enhanced, it's now stronger, faster, travels farther, and also pierces walls. Basically it now functions more like a super version of Gatling Cannon that happens to have a mode for firing around walls as well, so you'll want to combine it with Gemini and Idling Bombs (or heck, the Nikaidou Bomb) in much the same way for deadly long-range pressure. Viking Axe ----------------------------- Obtained : Dark Shop Based On : Illegal version of Traction Ring Power : 1 Speed : 4 Homing : 2 Reload : 3 Knockdown : 3 Alpha Shot : Identical to Traction Ring but with slighty more range and stun Beta Shot : Identical to Traction Ring but with slightly better homing and much better stun This is kind of like a fusion of Traction Ring and Energy Dagger. While Traction Ring's beta shot was basically trivial, Viking Axe's beta shot generally has enough stun for you to link another shot, allowing you to gradually pull the opponent all the way towards you even from far away. It still has too much knockdown power, but it's a clear improvement in any case. Ryuujin Gun ----------------------------- Obtained : Dark Shop Based On : Illegal version of Reflect Laser Power : 2 Speed : 4 Homing : 3 Reload : 4 Knockdown : 2 Alpha Shot : Identical to Reflect Laser but lasts longer and homes better Beta Shot : Identical to Reflect Laser but lasts longer and homes better Ugh, if you thought Reflect Laser could be nasty on some stages, wait until you see this thing. The degree to which this gun can flood the screen is truly ridiculous, especially on stages with limited mobility like Ryuujin's stage. Luckily if you down the opponent the shots go away, so this is most dangerous when used by a robo that's hard to knock down. Although this is only really good on a few levels, on those stages it's definitely the best choice. Camilla Gun ----------------------------- Obtained : Commander Check Based On : Illegal Version of Plasma Ball Power : 4 Speed : 4 Homing : 3 Reload : 3 Knockdown : 4 Alpha Shot : Identical to Plasma Ball, but fires 2 shots Beta Shot : Identical to Plasma Ball, but fires 2 shots that arc outward This is basically just Plasma Ball but with 2 shots. This both increases its damage and makes it harder to avoid, though the beta shot has lost range thanks to the new outward arc. Usage is still mostly the same as the Plasma Ball. Gaiou Gun ----------------------------- Obtained : Lady P's Lab Based On : Illegal version of Shotgun Power : 5 Speed : 5 Homing : 1 Reload : 1 Knockdown : 5 Alpha Shot : Identical to Shotgun but fires 4 shots in a wider arc. Beta Shot : Identical to Shotgun but fires 2 shots Despite having more shots, this hasn't really changed that substantially from the regular Shotgun, it's just a little more powerful. Pulse Knuckle is still better, in part because this weapon's reload time is so ludicrously long. You'll often find yourself with a chance to hit someone but you still can't fire the gun yet. Yanai Gun ----------------------------- Obtained : Dark Shop Based On : Illegal Version of Ninja Bullet Power : 4 Speed : 4 Homing : 2 Reload : 2 Knockdown : 4 Alpha Shot : Identical to Ninja Bullet but fires 4 shots in a 2x2 pattern Beta Shot : Identical to Ninja Bullet but fires 4 shots in a 2x2 pattern All the knockdown goodness of Ninja Bullet, but with more shots! The ultimate weapon for downing Robos, which is important when you're stuck facing Devil Rex or other highly resistant robos. Nikaidou Gun ----------------------------- Obtained : Password Based On : Illegal version of Meteor Flicker Power : 5 Speed : 5 Homing : 3 Reload : 3 Knockdown : 4 Alpha Shot : Identical to Meteor Flicker but sets the shots up in front of you Beta Shot : Identical to Meteor Flicker This weapon has only one tiny change from Meteor Flicker, which is that it sets up the shots in front of you rather than behind, but that little change makes it drastically superior. The fact that you can set up the shots in front means you can now use it from behind a wall, like a super version of the Rayfall Gun. Of course, it also still works well when combined with a Lightning Skyer Robo, too, and that beta shot, while not improved at all, remains a solid option. Garapon Gun ----------------------------- Obtained : Basic Shop Based On : Terrible version of Basic Gun Power : 2 Speed : 1 Homing : 1 Reload : 2 Knockdown : 2 Alpha Shot : Identical to Basic Gun but weaker Beta Shot : Identical to Basic Gun but weaker The Garapon Gun has no redeeming qualities, it's just a terrible gun that you should only for that one challenge where you have no choice. Usage is identical to Basic Gun, but it's even more pathetically weak than before. ARS-G02 ----------------------------- Obtained : Basic Shop Based On : Gatling Gun + Eagle Gun Power : 1 Speed : 2 Homing : 4 Reload : 5 Knockdown : 1 Alpha Shot : Fires a stream of 6 shots straight ahead, leaving you immobile Beta Shot : Sets up 6 ARS shots that home in a moment later This weapon is just preposterously broken. The alpha shot is nothing special, it has limited range and makes you immobile, but the beta shot is by far the best shot in the game. It's basically like Eagle Cutter's alpha shot, but it places 6 of them. Of course, you could Jet around in AIRS while laying them down, but you shouldn't underestimate how deadly these shots can be even outside of Jet Mode, when combined with other forms of pressure like Seeker Gunner it's almost impossible to avoid getting blasted at least a few times. The only real defense is to hide behind walls as this weapon has no way of passing them, on some stages it will definitely still lose out to Fang Blow or the Ryuujin Gun, but on open stages it has no equal. This is just a prelude to how broken the Lightning Skyer + Accel Gun + Long Burner combo will be in the Gamecube game, where not even walls can stop it anymore. Dark Plasma ----------------------------- Obtained : Unobtainable Based On : Rokudou Gun + Bubble Gun Power : 5 Speed : 5 Homing : 5 Reload : 1 Knockdown : 5 Alpha Shot : Places 6 energy balls on the ground that strike a moment later Beta Shot : Places 6 energy balls around Dark Chimera that slowly track Dark Plasma easily gives ARS-G02 a run for its money, but it's exclusive to Dark Chimera and you can never use it. The beta shot is actually not that dangerous, it moves fairly slow and doesn't have a ton of range, but the alpha shot is one of the most dangerous in the game. It takes a moment to fire, but once it does it strikes with incredible speed and power, if you don't dash at exactly the right time (or use Jet Mode) you're going to get hit. Rising Plasma ----------------------------- Obtained : Unobtainable Based On : Upgrade of Dark Plasma Power : 5 Speed : 5 Homing : 5 Reload : 1 Knockdown : 5 Alpha Shot : Places 6 energy balls on the ground that strike a moment later Beta Shot : Places 6 energy balls around Rising Chimera that slowly track Rising Chimera's gun is identical in function to Dark Chimera's, it's just even more powerful. ############################################################################### P-3 Bomb Parts: Bombs typically serve as a kind of supplemental offense, pinning down opponents to make them more susceptible to gun shots or landing follow-up hits. Most bombs have a letter code, which denotes the type of explosion that they produce, thought the codes are different here compared to the main series. Here's a listing of the codes. P = Push - Explosion pushes the opponent away from you R = Return - Explosion pulls the opponent towards you U = Up - Explosion blasts the opponent upwards D = Down - Explosion blasts the opponent downwards S = Stun - Keeps the opponent in place and stuns them for a while The use of each code is pretty simple. P is for keep-away. R is for rushdown or combos. U and D can be either, but you have to make sure you're above or below the opponent or you'll get the wrong effect. Finally, S is for big combos, but you pay for its added power with a smaller blast radius. Incidentally, one other big change from the previous games is that you can no longer be damaged by your own explosions. As such, they're colour-coded so you can tell which ones you have to care about. Red is for Player 1's explosions, and Green is for Player 2. Standard Bomb (P, R, U, D, S) ----------------------------- Obtained : P - Start of Game R - Basic Shop U - Medium Shop D - Medium Shop S - Bomber Cup Type : Normal Power : B (C for S) Max Bombs : 1 Speed : B Explosion : Normal (Small for S) Effect : Travels straight toward the target, piercing walls Although most of the other starting parts quickly become obsolete, the Standard Bomb is actually one of the best bombs in the game in terms of sheer utility. It's very simple, but the ability to put pressure on the opponent even from beyond a wall is very useful throughout the entire game, and it's also decently powerful and fast, too. The S variant has a smaller blast radius and does less damage, but it's still quite useful for combos. Pillar Bomb (R, U, D) ----------------------------- Obtained : R - Master Shop U - Noise Company Cup D - Medium Shop Type : Normal Power : C Max Bombs : 1 Speed : B Explosion : Pillar Effect : Travels straight toward the target, piercing walls The Pillar Bomb is functionally identical to the Standard Bomb, it just has a unique explosion that produces a vertical pillar. It takes up a bit more vertical space than the standard explosion, so it can be used to create a wall of sorts between you and the opponent. Wall Bomb (P, U, D) ----------------------------- Obtained : P - Master Shop U - Lady P's Lab D - Lady P's Lab Type : Normal Power : A Max Bombs : 1 Speed : A Explosion : Normal Effect : Fires a short range bomb that blows up just in front of your Robo The Wall Bomb is basically just a "get off me" button, used to blast away Robos who come too close. It serves that purpose quite well, but you can also use a Bound Bomb for that purpose, so you're mostly just getting some extra damage and the guarantee that you won't miss and have to wait for it to reload. It's also possible to use the Wall Bomb P offensively when paired up with the Burning Shot, and it's really the only combo that makes that gun somewhat worthwhile. Submarine Bomb (U, D, S) ----------------------------- Obtained : U - A-Rank Tournament D - Master Shop S - Marvellous Shop Type : Normal Power : B (C for S) Max Bombs : 2 Speed : C Explosion : Small Effect : Travels very slowly towards the opponent, piercing walls The Submarine Bomb possesses the unique ability to fire a second bomb before the first one blows up, but unfortunately both bombs will have a small explosion so it doesn't really increase your offense much. They're also absurdly slow-moving, you basically have to make use of your other parts to clog up the screen to have any chance that they'll hit. Probably the worst bomb overall. Idling Bomb (P, U, D) ----------------------------- Obtained : P - Master Shop U - Robo Masters D - Master Shop Type : Normal Power : C Max Bombs : 2 Speed : A Explosion : Small Effect : Plants two mines in a V-shape around the opponent. They blow up if the opponent moves over them, or after enough time has passed. Idling Bomb is very similar to Gemini Bomb, it's basically used to trap your opponent in a corner so you can shoot them with a piercing weapon like Gatling Cannon's beta shot. The only difference is that the Idling Bomb doesn't blow up right away, so it can trap the opponent longer, but if it misses you have to wait longer before you can fire it again. I find Gemini Bomb to be slightly better overall, but they're really fairly interchangeable. Gemini Bomb (U, D) ----------------------------- Obtained : U - Medium Shop D - Medium Shop Type : Normal Power : C Max Bombs : 2 Speed : A Explosion : Small Effect : Fires two bombs in a V-shape around the opponent Gemini Bomb was never all that remarkable in the main series, but it has improved drastically as a trapping tool in this game since you can no longer jump over it, if you get pinned into a corner with a Gemini Bomb on either side you either wait it out or take the hit. This makes it a great time to attack with a gun that pierces walls, as you can trap the opponent in a situation where they basically have no escape except possibly to Shield. You really need to focus on getting to open ground before the Gemini Bombs blow up. Lizard Bomb (P, R, U, D, S) ----------------------------- Obtained : P - Fresh Robo League R - Basic Shop U - Master Shop D - Master Shop S - Lady P's Lab Type : Normal Power : B (C for S) Max Bombs : 1 Speed : B Explosion : Normal (Small for S) Effect : Travels straight towards the enemy. If it hits a wall, it tries to go around it. The Lizard Bomb is very similar to the Standard Bomb, but it can't pierce walls, instead it tries to get around them. This can sometimes be dangerous as the bomb can still hit while travelling around a wall, but the main advantage seems to be that it travels just a little bit faster than the Standard Bomb, so it has a bit of an advantage out in the open. Unfortunately, should it miss, it may spend a while sticking to the walls, which makes you wait a while before you can fire it again. The S type is still nice because you get it pretty early, though. Strike Bomb ----------------------------- Obtained : Lady P's Lab Type : Normal Power : B Max Bombs : 2 Speed : A Explosion : Small Effect : Fires a short range bomb that blows up just in front of your Robo Strike Bomb is effectively identical to Wall Bomb, but you can have 2. Since it blows up so fast, you can't really get both out there at once, but the fact that you can fire another one while the first is still blowing up lets you use it more often. Unfortunately, this really isn't a good tradeoff for the smaller explosion, particularly because Wall Bomb recharges pretty fast anyway. Incidentally, though it isn't listed, it has a P-Type explosion. Bound Bomb (P, U, D) ----------------------------- Obtained : P - Bomber Cup U - Marvellous Shop D - Marvellous Shop Type : Normal Power : B Max Bombs : 1 Speed : B Explosion : Strong Effect : Travels straight toward the target, piercing walls Bound Bomb is completely identical to Standard Bomb except that its explosion blasts the opponent farther, which is generally better for keepaway purposes. This makes Bound Bomb P probably the most versatile legal bomb in the game, though it's not really a huge upgrade over the Standard Bomb. Twin Snake Bomb (P, U, D) ----------------------------- Obtained : P - Lady P's Lab U - Marvellous Shop D - Marvellous Shop Type : Normal Power : B Max Bombs : 2 Speed : B Explosion : Small Effect : Fires two bombs towards the opponent in a V-shape. If they hit a wall, they try to go around it. Twin Snake Bomb is basically Gemini Bomb + Lizard Bomb. It's generally not quite as useful as Gemini Bomb for trapping purposes since walls can get in the way and it doesn't travel as fast, but on stages where there are a lot of walls it can cause a fair amount of chaos. Geo Trap Bomb ----------------------------- Obtained : Lady P's Lab Type : Normal Power : A Max Bombs : 1 Speed : B Explosion : Lingering Effect : Fires a bomb about halfway towards the opponent, piercing walls. It then waits there until the opponent comes close or enough time has passed, then creates a long-lasting explosion Geo Trap is a pretty interesting bomb. The most notable thing about it is that its explosion lasts about 50% longer than other bombs, though this can sometimes work against you because the opponent can only be hit by it once during that duration and it means you have to wait longer to fire it again. It also doesn't travel all the way towards the opponent, so you can't use it for direct pressure, it's more of a defensive weapon to put up a wall between you and the opponent. Very strong against close and mid-range setups, though it doesn't bolster your offense as much as some of the other choices. I Wall Bomb ----------------------------- Obtained : Demon's Cup Type : Illegal version of Wall Bomb P Power : A Max Bombs : 1 Speed : A Explosion : Normal Effect : Fires a mid range bomb that blows up in front of your Robo The Illegal Wall Bomb is basically just the Wall Bomb P, but it travels farther before blowing up. This is less useful for defense, but much more useful for the Flame Gun combo since you don't have to get quite as close. It also seems to deal slightly more damage than before, which makes this combo really powerful. I Geo Trap Bomb ----------------------------- Obtained : Demon's Cup Type : Illegal version of Geo Trap Bomb Power : A Max Bombs : 1 Speed : B Explosion : Lingering Effect : Fires a bomb about halfway towards the opponent, piercing walls. It then waits there until the opponent comes close or enough time has passed, then creates a long-lasting explosion Identical to Geo Trap Bomb, but it hits a bit harder. A little underwhelming, but you can't say no to more damage. Ryuujin Bomb ----------------------------- Obtained : Dark Shop Type : Illegal version of Twin Snake Bomb U Power : C Max Bombs : 2 Speed : A Explosion : Lingering Effect : Fires two bombs towards the opponent in a V-shape. If they hit a wall, they try to go around it. Identical to Twin Snake Bomb U, but it gained speed and lost power. Gemini Bomb is still generally better. Camilla Bomb ----------------------------- Obtained : Dark Shop Type : Illegal version of Standard Bomb S Power : B Max Bombs : 1 Speed : a Explosion : Small Effect : Travels straight toward the target, piercing walls Like Standard Bomb S, but stronger and faster. You really can't go wrong with that. Easily the best S Type bomb, deadly with short range weapons. Gaiou Bomb ----------------------------- Obtained : Lady P's Lab Type : Illegal version of Pillar Bomb R Power : C Max Bombs : 1 Speed : B Explosion : Huge pillar Effect : Travels straight toward the target, piercing walls Identical to Pillar Bomb P but the explosion is now stupendously huge, probably twice the size of the original explosion. When fired vertically, this can take up the entire stage on some maps, and when it blows up it covers that distance in an instant. It did lose some power, but with an R-Type blast you can just pull them towards you for further attack. Terrifying if used correctly. Yanai Bomb ----------------------------- Obtained : Commander Check Type : Illegal version of Bound Bomb U Power : B Max Bombs : 1 Speed : B Explosion : Very strong Effect : Travels straight toward the target, piercing walls Identical to Bound Bomb U but with even more blasting power. The amount of knockback this thing has is usually overkill and it may not send the opponent where you want, so Bound Bomb P tends to be better overall. Nikaidou Bomb ----------------------------- Obtained : Password Type : Illegal version of Idling Bomb Power : B Max Bombs : 2 Speed : B Explosion : Small Effect : Plants two mines in a V-shape around the opponent. They blow up if the opponent moves over them, or after enough time has passed. An Idling Bomb with an S-Type explosion. This is completely ridiculous, as now you don't even have the option to take the hit from the bomb to escape a trap. It did lose a tiny bit of speed, but it's still pretty fast. By far the best trapping bomb. Garapon Bomb ----------------------------- Obtained : Emperor Cup Type : Garbage Power : B Max Bombs : 1 Speed : B Explosion : Small Effect : Travels straight toward the target, piercing walls Like Standard Bomb P, but it has a smaller blast radius. This is the closest thing Garapon has to a decent weapon, as it actually does some damage, but it's very hard to hit with. Supernova ----------------------------- Obtained : Corocoro Cup Type : Military Power : B Max Bombs : 1 Speed : A Explosion : Normal Effect : Travels straight toward the target, piercing walls Like Standard Bomb P, but faster. As the AIRS parts go, this is not all that amazing, but it is fast and versatile so I guess you can't complain too much. As with all other AIRS parts, this is not legal for normal tournaments. Dark Bomb ----------------------------- Obtained : Unobtainable Type : Ultimate Power : A Max Bombs : 5 Speed : B Explosion : Normal Effect : Fires 5 bombs in a semicircle, centered on the opponent Dark Bomb can really clog up the screen with explosions, so you'll want to keep moving. The best way to dodge it is backwards, that way the other bombs won't be an issue. Rising Bomb ----------------------------- Obtained : Unobtainable Type : Ultimate Power : A Max Bombs : 5 Speed : B Explosion : Normal Effect : Fires 5 bombs in a semicircle, centered on the opponent Identical to Dark Bomb but with even more power. ############################################################################### P-4 Pod and Gunner Parts: Pods are support tools that serve a wide variety of purposes. Some are useful for defense, while others can compliment your attacks. They have the same explosion codes as Bombs, so see the chart above to understand what they mean. In Custom Robo GX you always get 2 of each type of pod, and you can fire them one at a time in most cases. They also all have small explosions. In Custom Robo GX a new type of subweapon has been added, called Gunners. Gunners are somewhat similar to pods, but they stay out longer and you only get one. What makes them special is that they also fire some shots of their own, so they can supplement your long-range offense that way. If you're downed, your Gunner will return to you, or it will also come back after enough time has passed. Standard Pod (P, R) ----------------------------- Obtained : P - Start of Game R - Basic Shop Type : Normal Power : B Speed : B Homing : B Effect : Bounces around until it hits something or enough time passes The beginner pod actually isn't quite as useless this time around, largely because pods just aren't as strong as they used to be in general. It basically functions kind of like a short range bomb that you can fire in any direction, though towards the opponent is almost always the best choice. Seeker Pod (P, R) ----------------------------- Obtained : P - Medium Shop R - Medium Shop Type : Normal Power : A Speed : C Homing : A Effect : Slowly chases the opponent Seeker Pod is a fantastically versatile Pod, so much so that I used it for 90% of the battles in the entire game. There's nothing fancy about it, it just slowly homes in on the opponent, but it's a very braindead form of pressure, you can just lay it down whenever and it'll always find a way to be useful. You can also use it like a wall of sorts, because it travels so slow and you can't jump over it, placing it in a tight space basically leaves no way to get past it. Every time you down an opponent, just back off a bit and lay them down again, by the time their invincibility wears off they'll already be in their face again. Speed Pod (P, R) ----------------------------- Obtained : P - Makno Carnival Cup R - Basic Shop Type : Normal Power : B Speed : A Homing : C Effect : Flies quickly toward the opponent and blows up just in front of them The Speed Pod is almost complete garbage because it actually always blows up before it reaches the opponent, meaning they can only be hit by it if they walk towards it. This makes Standard Pod better in almost every situation. Yajyuu Pod (P, R) ----------------------------- Obtained : P - Master Shop R - Master Shop Type : Normal Power : C Speed : A Homing : A Effect : Sits still where you plant it, like a land mine, then rushes at the opponent if they come close Not bad for camping in a corner, you can just lay these down at the entrances to your little hidey hole to keep the opponent out, but Seeker Pod will generally do this job just as well and doesn't become useless if you somehow have to escape. Reflect Pod (P, R) ----------------------------- Obtained : P - Queen Cup R - Lady P's Lab Type : Normal Power : A Speed : B Homing : C Effect : Bounces around chaotically Reflect Pod is like a Standard Pod that bounces around more and stays out longer. It's a decent choice for causing chaos if you're trying to flood the screen with explosions. Feint Pod (U, D) ----------------------------- Obtained : U - Super Robo League D - Master Shop Type : Normal Power : A Speed : A Homing : A Effect : Quickly chases the opponent, then waits when it gets close Feint Pod would easily be the game's best pod if it actually struck the opponent, but instead it just waits, hoping they'll crash into it. It's decent against Robos that move around a lot, but since camping is pretty strong in this game it's not hard to pick a camping setup against it and just wait it out. It's generally not nearly as effective as Gemini Bomb or Idling Bomb for setting up a trap, because it won't necessarily clog the escape routes from a hiding place, and the two pods might choose to go to the same place. Dolphin Pod (P, R) ----------------------------- Obtained : P - Lady P's Lab R - Lady P's Lab Type : Normal Power : B Speed : B Homing : B Effect : Passes through walls for a bit, then acts like Standard Pod Dolphin Pod is basically a Standard Pod that you can use through a wall. I guess it's an improvement if you want to camp, but in that case you probably want a more long-range pod like Seeker Pod. Throwing Pod (U, D) ----------------------------- Obtained : U - Lady P's Lab D - Lady P's Lab Type : Normal Power : B Speed : A Homing : C Effect : Flies forward a short distance, then just sits there like a mine Throwing Pod is basically a Yajyuu Pod that you can place from a distance. but unfortunately it's hard to aim and doesn't have that useful close-range striking property that Yajyuu Pod has, the opponent has to directly collide with it for it to blow up. You could potentially set up some fancy combos with this thing or use it to trap the opponent, but it's an enormous amount of work for something other pods do easily. Sideways Pod (P, R) ----------------------------- Obtained : P - Medium Shop R - Katrea's Party Type : Normal Power : B Speed : B Homing : B Effect : Launches out to the sides, then moves forward Sideways Pod is kind of like Standard Pod, but it fires both at once and they come out to the sides. It's a little faster to fire because of it, but it's still not really all that remarkable. Satellite Pod (P, U, D) ----------------------------- Obtained : P - Lady P's Lab U - Marvellous Shop D - Queen Cup Type : Normal Power : C Speed : A Homing : C Effect : Spins around your Robo. It stays with you even if you move This pod only has one real use, but it does it very well - it protects you against close range attacks. It's almost impossible to get close enough to use the Shotgun or Pulse Knuckle when the opponent is protected by this thing, and even if you do get the hit it'll just blast you back out. The mere existence of this pod makes close range combat fairly weak in this game. Sadly you do not personally get access to this pod until very late in the game. Smash Pod ----------------------------- Obtained : Lady P's Lab Type : Normal Power : C Speed : A Homing : C Effect : Quickly creates two small explosions right beside your Robo This is basically just a poor man's Wall Bomb. If you want the Wall Bomb effect and you'd rather give up your Pod rather than your Bomb, there you go, but its explosion isn't as big or as strong. Incidentally, it has a P-type explosion, and of course, since it's a pod, you can aim it in any direction, but directly ahead will almost always be the one you want. Ryuujin Pod ----------------------------- Obtained : Commander Check Type : Illegal version of Reflect Pod P Power : A Speed : B Homing : C Effect : Bounces around chaotically Like Reflect Pod P, but it hits harder. If you want to frustrate your opponent on a small stage, this is the pod you want. Camilla Pod ----------------------------- Obtained : Dark Shop Type : Illegal version of Throwing Pod Power : A Speed : A Homing : A Effect : Flies forward a short distance, then sits there like a mine and homes in a little if the opponent comes close Remember how I complained that Throwing Pod didn't have that useful striking feature that the Yajyuu Pod does? The Camilla Pod kind of has something like that, but unfortunately rather than a quick strike it's a pretty slow chase and it doesn't last too long before blowing up, so it's not nearly as good as it could be. Gaiou Pod ----------------------------- Obtained : Lady P's Lab Type : Illegal version of Sideways Pod R Power : A Speed : A Homing : B Effect : Launches out to the sides, then moves forward Identical to Sideways Pod R but with more range and speed, which makes it a fair bit more useful at pulling the opponent towards you. Yanai Pod ----------------------------- Obtained : Dark Shop Type : Illegal version of Yajyuu Pod Power : C Speed : A Homing : A Effect : Sits still where you plant it, like a land mine, then rushes at the opponent if they come close Similar to Yajyuu Pod, but it activates from farther away, which can actually make it less effective as a trap because it might start chasing too early. Also, it now has a D type explosion for some reason. Nikaidou Pod ----------------------------- Obtained : Password Type : Illegal version of Speed Pod Power : A Speed : A Homing : C Effect : Moves quickly towards the opponent A massive upgrade over Speed Pod. Not only does it no longer possess that horrible feature of blowing up just before it reaches the opponent, it's also stronger and possesses an S-Type explosion. A solid alternative to Standard Bomb S for freezing opponents since you can fire it more often. Garapon Pod ----------------------------- Obtained : Emperor Cup Type : Garbage Power : B Speed : B Homing : B Effect : Flies slowly toward the opponent and blows up just in front of them All the terribleness of Speed Pod P, now without the speed! Easily the worst Pod in the game, it's almost impossible to get any damage out of it. Trap Gunner ----------------------------- Obtained : Marine Park Cup Type : Normal Gunners : 1 Effect : Sits in place, shooting at anyone who comes close Despite being the most basic of Gunners, Trap Gunner is actually quite useful. As its name implies, it's basically a trap that you can use to help you keep the enemy away. It does have to reload between shots, but when combined with some Bombs and Gun shots it can be hard to get through it. Satellite Gunner ----------------------------- Obtained : Marvellous Shop Type : Normal Gunners : 2 Effect : Sticks to your Robo and fires in the indicated direction This is an interesting support weapon, unlike most of the other gunners you get two that you can place separately and they have to be aimed. After placing the gunners, they'll stick to your Robo in the indicated direction and then fire a few volleys of shots in that direction. Putting both of them in the direction of the opponent can actually bolster your firepower quite a lot, but if you're forced to move out of position they may end up behind you. Round Gunner ----------------------------- Obtained : Champion's Cup Type : Normal Gunners : 2 Effect : Pops out to the sides of your Robo and shoots at anyone who comes close This Gunner is kind of like a Gradius-style option, it positions itself beside you and bolsters your firepower, though unfortunately its range is not great, so it only works when the opponent is at close range. Feint Gunner ----------------------------- Obtained : Lady P's Lab Type : Normal Gunners : 1 Effect : Chases the opponent, then stops when it gets close and shoots There's really nothing about this gunner that's better than the Seeker Gunner. I suppose it travels a little faster but it sits too far away from the opponent to be really useful. Throwing Gunner ----------------------------- Obtained : Marvellous Shop Type : Normal Gunners : 1 Effect : Flies a moderate distance forward, then shoots at the opponent It's basically a Trap Gunner that you throw instead of placing on the ground. This can be decent for forcing the opponent out of a hiding place if you have good aim, unlike the Throwing Pod this thing does a good job of making your life miserable if it's right next to you. Seeker Gunner ----------------------------- Obtained : C-Rank Tournament Type : Normal Gunners : 1 Effect : Slowly chases the opponent and shoots It's Seeker Pod with a gun strapped to its head! As you would expect, this is a very versatile Gunner, you can just let it do its thing while you attack. Great for Lightning Skyer Robos, who can't use Pods while in Jet Mode anyway. Cross Gunner ----------------------------- Obtained : Medium Shop Type : Normal Gunners : 1 Effect : Shoots four shots in a cross pattern. Slowly rotates towards the opponent Cross Gunner is meant to help clog up the screen, but there's such a huge deadzone between its shots that it's really very easy to avoid, and even if it hits it's only a single bullet, which does basically no damage. It's much better to just use a Gunner that aims towards the opponent. Smash Gunner ----------------------------- Obtained : Marvellous Shop Type : Normal Gunners : 2 Effect : Places two gunners in the indicated direction that fire short range shots towards the opponent Basically the same as Round Gunner, but you have more control over where it places the Gunners. Still horribly outclassed by Satellite Gunner due to their short range, however. Twin Gunner ----------------------------- Obtained : B-Rank Tournament Type : Normal Gunners : 1 Effect : Sits in place, shooting at anyone who comes close in a V-shape Almost identical to Trap Gunner, but fires its bullets in a V-Shape, which is less powerful but restricts movement more. If you just want to use it for defense, Trap Gunner is better, this is more effectively placed near the opponent for pressure purposes. 4-Way Gunner ----------------------------- Obtained : Master Shop Type : Normal Gunners : 1 Effect : Sits in place, shooting a fan of 4 bullets periodically Similar to the Cross Gunner, but the bullets are now shot in a fan. Unfortunately it shoots very slow and it doesn't try to re-orient itself towards the opponent at all, so even though it has a better attacking pattern it's still not very effective. I Seeker Gunner ----------------------------- Obtained : Dark Shop Type : Illegal version of Seeker Gunner Gunners : 1 Effect : Slowly chases the opponent and shoots in a V-shape Similar to a Twin Gunner but for Seeker Gunner. Since Seeker Gunner is usually in the opponent's face, the V-shape is almost always an improvement here. I 4-Way Gunner ----------------------------- Obtained : Nightmare Cup Type : Illegal version of 4-Way Gunner Gunners : 1 Effect : Sits in place, shooting a tight fan of 4 bullets periodically. Quickly rotates towards the opponent. Similar to the 4-Way Gunner but greatly upgraded, it now does aim at the opponent and the bullets are in a tighter fan, making them much harder to avoid. It still fires pretty slow, though. I Cross Gunner ----------------------------- Obtained : Nightmare Cup Type : Illegal version of Cross Gunner Gunners : 1 Effect : Flies a moderate distance forward, then shoots four shots in a cross pattern. Slowly rotates towards the opponent It's basically a Throwing version of Cross Gunner. The original Throwing Gunner is much better, its bullets are much more dangerous and it tracks better. I Smash Gunner ----------------------------- Obtained : Nightmare Cup Type : Illegal version of Smash Gunner Gunners : 2 Effect : Places two gunners in the indicated direction that fire short range shots towards the opponent Identical to Smash Gunner, but the Gunners are now placed farther away from your Robo. This can allow it to shoot through walls or just give it more range, which makes it a little better, but the range on its bullets is still a little bit too short for it to be really useful. Circulation W ----------------------------- Obtained : Corocoro Cup Type : Military Gunners : 2 Effect : Two Gunners spin around your robo, firing towards the opponent This is the gunner Round Gunner wishes it was, it now spins around your Robo and the bullets have extremely long range, making it a decent all purpose offensive and defensive weapon. Unfortunately it isn't allowed in standard tournaments. Dark Gunner ----------------------------- Obtained : Unobtainable Type : Ultimate Gunners : 2 Effect : Fires Two Gunners a moderate distance, which fire fans of 4 quick shots in opposite directions Of all the nasty weapons that Dark Chimera is packing, this one is by far the most dangerous. The amount of space these things can clog up is simply absurd. The only safe place is between the two gunners, but of course with Dark Chimera spamming his Gun and Pod that's not likely to be safe for more than a second or two. Expect these things to rack up a lot of damage that you can't really avoid consistently. Rising Gunner ----------------------------- Obtained : Unobtainable Type : Ultimate Gunners : 2 Effect : Fires Two Gunners a moderate distance, which fire fans of 4 quick shots in opposite directions As with all of his other parts, Rising Chimera's Gunner is even more powerful. ############################################################################### P-5 Action Chips: Action Chips are a completely new parts category in Custom Robo GX. They consist of a variety of melee attacks and shield moves. Melee attacks are close range attacks that have some invincibility, allowing them to blow through attacks and strike at close range, while Shields allow you to block a few attacks before being depleted, after which they have to recharge. One unique property that is shared by all Action Chips is that you can use them during your dash. Some Robos can also use their gun during their dash, but every Robo can use their action chip during their dash. Shoulder Tackle ----------------------------- Obtained : Start of Game Type : Melee Attack Effect : Strikes horizontally with good power Shoulder Tackle is the most basic melee attack, it just strikes an opponent right beside you for decent damage. It's okay at first, but you'll quickly find that it has a number of limitations. For one thing, it can't strike opponents above you, and for another thing it's hard to get close enough to use it offensively. Tornado Beat ----------------------------- Obtained : Medium Shop Type : Melee Attack Effect : Strikes vertically with good power Identical to Shoulder Tackle, but strikes vertically instead. The fact that you're forced to choose between horizontal and vertical attacks is really too much of a limitation upon an already limited method of attack for these chips to be really useful. Short Slash ----------------------------- Obtained : Lady P's Lab Type : Melee Attack Effect : Strikes in any direction with good power but short range If you're going to use a melee attack, this is the one you want, unlike the others it will strike the opponent no matter where they are, though it has slightly less range than the other attacks. That's not generally a problem in most of the situations where you'd use a melee attack, though. Unfortunately you get this chip extremely late in the game. Break Tackle ----------------------------- Obtained : Marvellous Shop Type : Melee Attack Effect : Strikes horizontally with moderate power, pierces walls The ability to pierce walls is almost never needed for your Melee attack. In theory you can use it to strike a camper who's hiding right behind a wall, but it's much easier to just use a Bomb to do this. Break Tornado ----------------------------- Obtained : Marvellous Shop Type : Melee Attack Effect : Strikes vertically with moderate power, pierces walls Identical to Break Tackle but with a vertical strike instead. Still not really worth using compared to something like Wall Bomb P, a Shield is just so much more useful. Energy Protector ----------------------------- Obtained : Takuma Academy Showdown Type : Shield Effect : Puts up a shield that blocks attacks until it breaks This is much more like it. The Energy Protector allows you to block a few attacks, which is often your only defense in situations where the opponent traps you, and once you drop it you can attack immediately, allowing for a counterattack at close range. Since you can drop the shield and act immediately, you can use this as a kind of dash cancel, allowing any Robo to perform their dash and then immediately act by cancelling your dash with a quick tap of the Action Chip command. Should the shield be broken, it takes about 10 seconds to regenerate, so try not to let it break at a crucial moment. In general it's a fantastically useful chip that you'll likely use for the entire game after you get it. Light Protector ----------------------------- Obtained : Master Shop Type : Shield Effect : Puts up a shield that blocks attacks until it breaks. You can move while the shield is up, but there is a delay when you drop it Similar to Energy Protector, but you can move while using it, which sounds stupendously overpowered, but there's a few frames of vulnerability when you drop the shield. This makes it less useful for short range counterattacks and dash cancels, but more useful for running away from a bad situation, so choose your shield accordingly. Force Protector ----------------------------- Obtained : Corocoro Cup Type : Military upgrade to Light Protector Effect : Puts up a shield that blocks attacks until it breaks. You can move while the shield is up, and there's no delay when dropping it Wouldn't Light Protector be better without that delay? Well, that's exactly what the Force Protector is. This combines the best parts of Energy Protector and Light Protector, and as such it's ridiculously overpowered. You can just shield right up to the opponent with this thing, then drop it and Pulse Knuckle them, which is nearly unbeatable except by breaking your shield first. Of course, it isn't allowed in standard tournaments, but in the Illegal Tournaments you can use this thing to become a total monster. Dark Slide ----------------------------- Obtained : Unobtainable Type : Melee Attack Effect : Strikes in any direction with good power Dark Chimera's melee attack is like Short Slash but without the short range. By comparison to the other things he does it's not especially worrisome, if you keep moving he shouldn't be able to hit you easily, but if he does it really hurts. Rising Slide ----------------------------- Obtained : Unobtainable Type : Melee Attack Effect : Strikes in any direction with great power As always, Rising Chimera strikes even harder. Obviously, you really don't want to be hit by this unless you want to see all of your health evaporate. =============================================================================== =============================================================================== Z-0 Contact and Credits: ############################################################################### Z-1 Contacting Me: You can reach me via email at terotrous at yahoo dot com. Include "Custom Robo GX" in the subject line so I know it isn't spam. If you find out anything I add to the guide, you'll be appropriately credited. What to contact me about: The "You can help" section spells this out pretty clearly, but basically any information I don't have. ############################################################################### Z-2 Special Thanks: Noise - For making this game Ascgen - http://ascgendotnet.jmsoftware.co.uk/ This program helped me create that ascii logo I used here. JDIC - http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/cgi-bin/wwwjdic.cgi?1C JDIC is always an essential resource in translating Japanese. Wazap - http://jp.wazap.com/ I got the list of passwords for Lady P's password machine from their cheats section for this game. That's it for now. If you submit information, your name could be here! ############################################################################### Z-3 Closing Information: Thanks for reading this guide. I hope you found it helpful. Tero out. Custom Robo GX Guide copyright Adam King, 2014. Do not reproduce or redistribute. Custom Robo GX the game, and all related copyrights and trademarks are held by their original owners. This guide is not intended to infringe upon said copyrights in any way.