abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzz ASTRO FANG: SUPER MACHINE for the Nintendo Entertainment System Game copyright A Wave, Inc. Licensed by Nintendo version .01 This guide copyright 2008 Matt Toothman. This guide is for individual use only, and only to be found at GameFAQs.com. You can contact me at: matt (dot) toothman [at] gmail (dot) com. Replace the appropriate words with the appropriate characters. If you have comments, corrections, or additions to this guide, then by all means let me know. As a full walkthrough to the game, this guide contains information that could be regarded as spoilers. If you don't want to know about bosses, storyline, etc., don't read this guide. ***************** Table of Contents ***************** 1. Version History 2. Story/Controls/Intro/Misc. 3. Walkthrough 4. Credits/Outro ****************** 1. Version History ****************** .01 28 Nov 2008 Started work on guide 1.0 29 Nov 2008 Completed and submitted guide ***************************** 2. Story/Controls/Intro/Misc. ***************************** *Story* [from the title screen] The future. A ruined planet. Planet RS 121. Desert and desolation now replace the advanced civilization that used to thrive here... All that remains is the black highway that stretches endlessly through the destruction. A highway with a near forgotten legend attached to it. And now a strong man arrived to test this legend and thus became legend himself. This man was named RIVER. *Controls* L, R : Moves car left and right Up: Fires missile Down: Switches vehicle form B: Brake, exits shop A: Accelerate, select item in shop Start: Pauses the game. Select: Selects item in shop, switches music on or off (with music on, engine noise is inaudible). *Items* Blue "P" icon: Refills gas gauge and adds 1000 points to your score. Red "P" icon: Free "Barrier" item (see below). White "P" icon: Free "Fang" item (see below). *Scoring* Your score increases as you drive (the higher your speed, the faster your points increase). Your points cannot go below 0. Collecting a blue powerup: +1000 points Destroying an enemy car with missile: +50 points Colliding with a enemy car: -10 points Colliding with an obstacle : -400 points *Shops* Only the items that you can afford are displayed. -Missiles ($3000): Adds 30 missiles to your stock. -Str Body ($3000): Roadside obstacles will not affect you and enemy cars will be destroyed on contact; however, after 5 collisions with either a car or obstacle, you revert to normal. -Snow Tires ($1000): Increases your traction on icy road sections (not necessary until stage 4), but destroyed on collision with an obstacle. -Fang ($2000): Enemy cars will be destroyed on lateral contact with you, but collision with an obstacle will destroy your Fang. -Fuel ($1000): Refills your fuel gauge. -Barrier ($5000): Gives you complete invincibility for 20 seconds. Since all the items are consumable, you're better off saving your money for the essentials: fuel and missiles. Buy a Fang if you don't crash very often. After the first level, though, if you are decent, you won't really want for money for the rest of the game. *********** Walkthrough *********** ******* Stage 1 SUTA-GYARAKU ROAD ******* There's a blue powerup in the first cherry tree section, in the middle of the road. Immediately afterwards, move to the side to avoid the blue columns. Choose either way at the first fork, it doesn't matter. Both forks contain one blue and one red powerup. Second fork: Left for shop 2 (on the left), right for a quicker path. Third fork: Left is preferable, as it's almost perfectly straight and a good way to build up points. Boss: ELEPHANT DEITY BIG RIG The boss's shots are treated like obstacles (-400 points each). You can destroy his shots with missiles, but you don't get any points and he immediately shoots again when you destroy one. Avoid them, then fire. It's easiest to wait in the middle of the road and get in four or five hits each time the boss passes by. It takes about 8-10 shots to destroy. When you do, you'll receive 5000 points. After you exit the tunnel, watch out for the (claw? bird?) enemy dropping objects on you- you can destroy these, but it's easier to switch to your other, smaller form and avoid the shots. After the enemy flies away, a ship will refuel you and give you 50 missiles. ******* Stage 2 BEBU-SHU ROAD ******* First fork: Left has a blue powerup, right has only some cool backgrounds. Then both blue and red powerups on the main track. Second fork, near the end: both ways have a single blue powerup, but the left fork is significantly easier. Grab the red and blue powerups after the paths converge, and get ready for... Boss: MOBILE MYRMEX This boss fights exactly like the Stage 1 boss, and you should treat it the same way. Other than taking a few more hits, (12?), it's the same. You collect another 5000 points for defeating it. Run the gauntlet with the clawbird again. You will probably have to destroy some of the shots this time around, so switch forms as necessary. Get refueled and restocked (another 50 missiles) from the blue ship. ******* Stage 3 GOZARU ROAD ******* There's a white powerup (Fang) for the taking in the middle of the first big curve (to the right). You can skip buying fuel at the first shop, there's a blue powerup on a rightward curve shortly after the shop. Shortly after the red powerup, stay to the left or right to avoid obstacles in the middle of the road. At the fork, the right path is a fairly straight shot with only a few enemies. After the paths rejoin, get the blue powerup in the middle, then swerve to avoid the rocks in the road, then watch for a red powerup. Boss: MYOPIC MYRMEX Same as the previous two stages. Run the gauntlet again. The bird fires more shots at a time than previous stages, and the shots come faster. Utilize your small form and weave through the shots. ******* Stage 4 BURIZADA ROAD ******* First fork: left path has a blue fuel powerup, right fork has an obstacle- and enemy-free speedrun. Second fork: left path is a quick, autopilot tour through two beautiful scenes. The right path has a red powerup. After the paths rejoin, look for the "Sno.T" icon flashing above. This unfortunate abbreviation indicates that you should purchase snow tires at the next shop, which follows on the right. When the road turns blue, your traction will decrease unless you possess the magical snow tires. Of course, when you inevitably crash, their magic spell vanishes, making them somewhat limited in usefulness. Still, for only $1000, you might as well. After a blue and red powerup, and the road returns to normal, the third fork. Right path: A shop and tons of those @#$%ing rocks in the road. Left path: Some rocks in the road, but otherwise straightforward. There's a blue powerup after the paths converge, so the left path is recommended here. Boss: MOBILE MYRMEX MAGENTA This boss continues the time-honored tradition of slowly moving back and forth while firing shots at you. You continue the tradition of swerving and shooting when you are lined up. He offers you the customary 5000 points upon his defeat. The clawbird gauntlet follows, then the restocking from the blue ship. ******* Stage 5 SHARK ROAD ******* First fork: right path has an autopilot scene and an empty tunnel to speed through. The left path has a white powerup icon. After the paths rejoin, look for a blue and red powerup in quick succession following the left turn icon that appears. The Sno.T icon indicates you should purchase Snow Tires, and anything else you need, at the upcoming shop on the right. For the ice section, alternate between the middle and side of the road and switch to your smaller form to avoid the rocks. You should really tiptoe through here to avoid losing your snow tires. Getting through the following curvy section without them takes forever and wastes fuel. After the blue powerup and the road returns to normal, slow down to avoid the rocks in the road. Second fork: left path has enemies but no obstacles, right path has a red powerup and a shop. After the paths converge, grab a blue and red powerup and choose your path at the third fork. Left path: rocks in the road, right path: three sweet autopilot scenes and a delicious straightaway. Boss: NOH TORSO This boss warps in instead of driving in, but otherwise is the same. Shoot, weave, 5000 points, avoid the clawbird in the next scene, get refilled... ******* Stage 6 FINAL DEMON ROAD ******* Surprisingly for a final level, this is a pretty easy level. If you have a Fang, you can clean up in the inital section. First fork: left path has fuel, right path has three autopilot scenes. Second fork: Left path has an empty tunnel and autopilot scenes, right path has rocks in the road. Best to go left twice. All paths lead to the shop! You probably need fuel, so buy that, but you may as well buy everything else too, as money's no use where you're going (the end of the game). Between the first shop and the second fork is a long stretch of rocks in the road. Get small and hope for the best. You probably need fuel after that, so head right at the fork. Third fork: Left path has a slippery (snow-tire) section and no shop, right path has a shop. I recommend the shop. Fourth fork. Left path has enemies but no obstacles, right fork is more of the same Final Demon Road. After the paths converge (indicated by the right-turn arrow), watch out for rocks in the middle of the road. Boss: MEMORY OVERRUN KNIGHT Why doesn't the last boss have a head? Predictably, this battle plays out just as the previous five boss fights do, down to the 5000 point reward. This time, though, instead of an annoying clawbird, you get a psychedelic tunnel and the treat of watching your vehicle fly off, UFO-style, into the ending credits: Before his very eyes, the once lost city shone brightly. ...And so River's long and difficult journey came to an end... And a new legend was born. The legend of a man whose strength gave hope to a new generation, proving myths of long ago. A man we still speak of today. It was the Golden Age of Forgotten Legends! After the credits roll, you have the opportunity to play through the game a second time with your score intact. ************* Credits/Outro ************* A hearty THANK YOU to: Nintendo: for producing the most innovative, fun, and influential games out there. A Wave: "Let's take the worst of Rad Racer, add missiles, and put some bleepy mind-numbing arpeggios behind it". My mother for not throwing out my old issues of Nintendo Power. The NES FAQ completion project (DevinMorgan and co.), without whom I would have never played this game at all, let alone for a whole day. This document is legal and intellectual property of Matt Toothman, 2008 fin.