------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ____. __ | | ____ __ _________ ____ ____ ___.__. _/ |_ ____ | |/ _ \| | \_ __ \/ \_/ __ < | | \ __\/ _ \ /\__| ( <_> ) | /| | \/ | \ ___/\___ | | | ( <_> ) \________|\____/|____/ |__| |___| /\___ > ____| |__| \____/ \/ \/\/ _________.__.__ .__ / _____/|__| | |__|__ __ ______ \_____ \ | | | | | | \/ ___/ / \| | |_| | | /\___ \ /_______ /|__|____/__|____//____ > \/ \/ by _____________ __________ _________________ ______________________ / _____/ | \ \ / _____/\_____ \ \_ _____/\__ ___/ \_____ \| | / | \ \_____ \ / | \ | __) | | / \ | / | \/ \/ | \| \ | | /_______ /______/\____|__ /_______ /\_______ /\___ / |____| \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ Journey to Silius by Sunsoft FAQ/Walkthrough: VERSION 1.00 This guide was created, edited and compiled by GameFAQs member Snazzyhoppy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Update: July 22, 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Notes before reading this document: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ a) This guide goes into great detail regarding enemy attack patterns, player strengths, and defense strategies that will allow a gamer to complete this game despite its difficulty. It gives history and insight into the making of the game, which relates to its content and enemy designs. This guide is not a play-by-play of every action in the game, but it outlines the challenges that the player will face and how to avoid taking serious damage. b) This document is protected by US Copyright Law, and the Berne Copyright Convention of 1976. This document is for private and personal use only--it cannot be reprinted in part or in whole or reproduced in any way or in any form (written or otherwise). It is a free document that cannot be used in any sort of commercial transaction, including selling it or giving it away as a gift. Please respect the work I have included in this guide. c) This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission of the author. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. All rights and ownership of this guide are bestowed to Christopher Hopkins. Contact GameFAQs and the author to inquire about reproducing any part of this guide for more than personal, private use. d) This document is best read on a plain text reader. Use a standard find feature to navigate the sections and to find exactly what you're looking for. e) This guide appears in plain text at GameFAQs and other websites may link to its location on GameFAQs. f) This FAQ began on June 20, 2012 when I began to play Journey to Silius not simply to complete it, but to analyze my gameplay strategies and to report to myself on what enemies and obstacles stand in my way. Besides many playthroughs, I took screenshots of every type of enemy and obstacle in the game, which I used for the Enemy Breakdown descriptions. I also recorded an early playthrough and watched that to view where I took the most damage, which I used for the Stage Tips. Other information came from scouring the internet, digging into the game data, and testing information for authenticity. g) This game is available for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the United States and for the Famicom in Japan. The game was additionally part of a Japan-only compilation for the Playstation titled Memorial Series: Sunsoft Vol. 5, which contained this game with the Rough World title and another Sunsoft title called Hebereke, known in the United States as Ufouria: the Saga. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table of Contents: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1) Version Changes 2) About the Game 3) Remnants of the Terminator License 4) How I Discovered Journey to Silius 5) Game Story 6) Back of Box 7) Cutscene Dialogue 8) Game Notoriety 9) Game Terminology 10) Game Controls 11) Gameplay Features --From the Manual --Other 12) Game Strategies and Recommendations 13) Toughest Enemies and Pitfalls 14) Stage Tips 15) Built-In Game Codes 16) Game Genie Codes 17) Noticeable Bugs/Glitches/Oddities 18) Enemy Breakdown 19) Ending Credits 20) Recommended Web Sources 21) Contact 22) Credits ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1) Version Changes: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.00 - July 22, 2012: Completed construction of guide on July 22, 2012. For a future version: determine strength of all enemies in hand gun bullet shots check Game Genie codes for authenticity reorganize FAQ content place link to FAQ-accompanying YouTube video consider more descriptive names for enemies correct any errors ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2) About the Game: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Journey to Silius was initially supposed to be based on James Cameron's Terminator. An announcement about the game from Nintendo Power Volume 7 (July/August 1989) reads "Terminator. Cast your peepers on these cool screen shots we managed to get hold of. Sun Corp is preparing to unveil Terminator and we'll keep you posted as we learn more." It includes screenshots of the Stage 3 sub-boss and a different main character sprite, background, and energy meter. However, and for whatever reason, SunSoft lost the license and had to heavily edit the game before release. The production company took the license and gave it to the LJN toy company to make a game based on the second film in the franchise. Speculation - Reasons for the Loss of License: With the impending production for the film Terminator 2: Judgement Day, there was no desire to release a game relating to the first movie. Since Sunsoft worked with license rights for Batman, Gremlins 2, and Fester's Quest, they did not have enough remaining funds to support another licensed game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3) Remnants of the Terminator license: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Journey to Silius began life as a "Terminator" game. Unfortunately, the original copyright text and some unknown graphics are all that remain from that development period. Note the original copyright date of 1989, compared to the final's 1990. the final seconds of the opening cutscene music = Terminator movie theme the spindly-legged mechs from Sunsoft’s original Terminator preview = Stage 3 sub-boss the Terminator’s unmistakable T-800 endoskeleton = Final Stage Last Boss The Terminator’s flying Hunter Killer = Stage 1 Boss the post-apocalyptic future envisioned by The Terminator movie = graphic design of Stages 1 and 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4) How I Discovered Journey to Silius: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Sunsoft NES games I had in my collection and played a lot growing up were Batman and Fester's Quest. In my opinion, both games were difficult and both had memorable soundtracks. It was not until my teen years that I finally could beat Fester's Quest. Fester's Quest is noticeable for being a Legend of Zelda ripoff, having a cheap $19.99 price tag upon release, and having an impressive infinite continues feature. Any player of the game would know that continuing in Fester's Quest is mentally draining, as you start from the beginning of the game and have to do everything over again minus fight the bosses and collect items from the Addams Family. From experience, I can attest that dying on the final spaceship stage and using a continue would consume a half hour of time just to travel from the beginning all the way back to where you left off! The beauty of these Sunsoft games with their high difficulty is that as I got older, my fascination to complete these games grew as did my mental and physical abilities to progress past the hard spots. Within the year, I was looking up two things: best video game music on the NES and most difficult NES games. For video game music, three songs that appeared on many forums and lists were Journey to Silius Stage 3, Mega Man 2 Dr. Wily's Stage, and Duck Tales Moon Stage. This guide is designed with one main goal in mind: to help you complete the game. It is hard and there is a steep learning curve, but if you know where the tough spots are, you will be able to continue progressing in the game. With three lives and three continues to start off with, you have nine chances to stay alive. On your first play though, take note of where you lose your lives. I probably have died in a similar place. The information I wrote regarding stages and enemies outlines how much of a threat they are to your character. Minimize their threat, and you will have more health to progress. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5) Game Story: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Quoted from the Journey to Silius game manual: The time is the year 0373 in the new space age calendar. The earth's population is exploding so rapidly that people are seeking exodus to an outer space paradise. People everywhere are eager to develop space colonies and emigrate to them. Jay McCray is no exception. He is preparing for his journey to the new space colony #428 in the Silius Solar System. He decided to move to the colony because his father, an astute scientist, was instrumental in the space colony development. Jay had always been proud of his father and wanted to be like him, even more so now, because his father was appointed leader of the SSS colony development. Jay's dream is to be on a space colony development team. Unfortunately, his dream will not come true. A devastating explosion rocked the SSS colony and destroyed everything, including all project data and the research team. Any further development of the colony would be impossible. Because Jay's father was killed in the explosion, Jay would never know what really happened. He is determined to take over for his father, but without his father's records, research is at a standstill. While searching his father's room, Jay finds a floppy disk. When he puts it in the computer, he realizes, it contains a complete plan of the SSS colony development. The disk also includes a letter from his father which reads, "Terrorists are plotting to destroy the colony development. If anything happens to me, you must complete the project." "Father knew this would happen," Jay said to himself, "but, now that I have his plans, I can finish his work." As Jay worked on the project, he realized the terrorists were still out there and even more determined to destroy the SSS colony plan. Jay then vows, "I have no choice but to fight the terrorists to defend the colony development and to avenge my father's death." Next description found on http://satoshimatrix.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/top-100-nesfamicom-games-list- all-in-one/ Original source unknown: It is the year 0373 New Space Age (NSA). Earth’s overpopulation crisis has led to demand for space colonies across all of known space. Jay McCray, son of a prolific colony scientist, has decided to move to Silius Space Colony #428 when his father is appointed leader of the colony and it’s future development. However, when reports of strange robots appearing all over the Silius station is quickly followed by a massive explosion that nearly destroys the colony, Jay’s world is shattered. His father was killed in the blast leaving few clues and the media to report the explosion as a mere accident. Searching for answers on Earth, Jay find’s a floppy disk in his father’s room. Examining the contents, Jay discovers the disk not only contains his father’s complete plans for the future development of the future colonies, but also a personal message to Jay written by his father in case of his death. “Terrorists are plotting to destroy the colony development. If anything happens to me, you must complete the project.â€￾ In order to protect the remaining people of Silius colony #428 and avenge his father’s death, Jay McCray suits up and arms himself for battle on his solo journey to Silius. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6) Back of Box: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From the back of the game box: WE DARE YOU TO MAKE THE JOURNEY TO SILIUS In the runs of Silius, inter galactic terrorists—and their deadly arsenal of weapons—are waiting for you. Are you prepared to face an endless onslaught of flying war robots, humanoid laser cannons, bone crushing traps, and the seemingly invincible Master Ship? Still want to make the journey? If you do, it will take all your skills to reach the final battle. With the terrorist's supreme leader…the merciless all-powerful Skeletal Android. Journey to Silius. â„¢ It's level upon level of gigantic supercharged graphics, thundering sound effects and danger at every turn. Go ahead. We dare you! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7) Cutscene Dialogue: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Opening Cutscene: After many years of space colony development, Jay's father has passed away. The evening news reported that Jay's father's death was an accident. Several days later Jay finds a floppy disk left in his father's room. "I hear the terrorist [sic] are planning against the colony development." "You must complete my mission if I cannot." "They will pay the price for the death of my father." There is dialogue intended for the game's ending that is buried in the game's data at ROM location $11707, but was never displayed in the finished version. Jay says “Father, look! Our colony’s completed now!â€￾ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8) Game Notoriety: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Journey to Silius by Sunsoft is known for these traits: a strong NES soundtrack using Sunsoft DCPM (sound sampling) a high difficulty its original design as a game based on the Terminator 1984 license its large sprite bosses its status as a overlooked gem in the NES game collection ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9) Game Terminology OR Words or names given to elements within the game as found in the game manual or the game itself: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stage - five in total; also known as levels Rest - 3 per continue; also known as lives Life Capsule (red) - dropped by enemies, adds one bar to your life power meter; also known as health Energy Capsule (blue) - dropped by enemies, adds two bars to your gun energy meter or if less is needed fills the meter completely; also known as ammo Life Power Meter - shows how much health your character has; also known as the P meter or health bar Gun Energy Meter - shows how much ammo your specialized guns have, also known as the G meter or ammo bar Game play mode - the aspect of the game where you control your character, in contrast with the weapon select mode; also known as the main game screen Weapon select mode - the aspect of the game where you select your weapon, in contrast with the game play mode; also known as the gun selection screen Jay McCray - the main character which you control Demonstration or demo for short - two in total; the title demo and the ending demo; also known as the cutscene Helicopter and Mini Robots- Stage 1 Boss War Vehicle Robot - Stage 2 Boss Troop of Cannons - Stage 3 Boss Mammoth Cannon - Stage 4 Boss Giant Exodus Spaceship - Final Stage 1st Boss Android (Human Metallic Skeleton) - Final Stage Last Boss; also known as the T-800 due to its striking resemblance to the Terminator robot Hand Gun - the gun your character begins holding, is not subject to the gun energy meter; also known as the regular or default gun Shot Gun - the other gun besides the Hand Gun that your character has from the start of the game; also known as the spray gun Machine gun - the gun that you receive after defeating the Stage 1 sub-boss and picking up the Machine Gun pickup; also known as the rapid fire gun Homing Missile - the gun that you receive after defeating the Stage 2 sub-boss and picking up the Homing Missile pickup; shoots missiles; also known as the homing gun Laser Rifle - the gun that you receive after defeating the Stage 3 sub-boss and picking up the Laser Rifle pickup; shoots a laser beam; also known as the laser gun Grenade Launcher - the gun that you receive after defeating the Stage 4 sub-boss and picking up the Grenade Launcher pickup; shoots missiles; also known as the grenade gun Boss - the massive enemy you face before beginning the next stage; boss battles have their own area separate from the stage Sub-Boss - the enemy you face at the end of a stage; the sub-boss drops a weapon upgrade that is a circle with a letter inside; a boss battle follows; also known as a miniboss Stage 1 - A deserted space colony in Space Age 0373; the beginning of the game Stage 2 - Underground Concourse Stage 3 - Terrorist Headquarters Stage 4 - Inside the Terrorist's Spaceship Final Stage - Inside the Terrorist's Spaceship Factory; the last stage of the game; also known as Stage 5 Start Demo - opening cutscene where Jay McCray, with his close-up face, declares his battle against the terrorist Ending Demo - ending cutscene showing the completed space colony, followed by the introduction of the Sunsoft staff who have created the Operation SSS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10) Game Controls: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ GAME PLAY MODE B button - shoot gun A button - jump DOWN - crouch LEFT/RIGHT - move character in that direction SELECT - pauses the game START - brings up gun selection screen (not listed in manual) UP - maintain current speed and direction WEAPON SELECT SCREEN SELECT - cycles through guns from left to right and then from top row to bottom row START - switch to main game ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11) Gameplay Features: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From the manual: In stages 3 and 4, you are exposed to a variety of enemy weaponry like laser launchers and cannons. The background in the 5th stage is so programmed to automatically scroll (right to left) that you are geared to be carried all along the predetermined moving route, on the container, inside the factory. (poor grammar in that sentence) Other gameplay features: Although the game is known for its difficulty, there are mid stage save points in case you die, so you do not have to restart the stage entirely every time. The bullets that your character shoots are no stronger whether they come out of a hand gun, shot gun, or machine gun. The main difference is the amount of bullets that are on the screen and the direction that they travel. The hand gun can shoot bullets, 3 of which can be on the screen at any given time. Without a turbo button, each press of the B button shoots one bullet. The machine gun can shoot bullets, 5 of which can be on the screen at any given time. The advantage is that the bullets shoot in rapid-fire while holding the B button down. The machine gun can shoot 63 bullets starting from full ammo. Even if the gun is used like a hand gun, the gun will still consume ammo. The shot gun shoots 3 bullets at a time and can shoot 32 sprays of 3 bullets each starting from full ammo. The laser gun shoots 1 laser at a time and can shoot 16 lasers starting from full ammo. The homing gun shoots 3 rockets at a time and can shoot 21 rockets starting from full ammo. The grenade gun shoots 1 rocket at a time and can shoot 11 rockets starting from full ammo. The grenade rocket looks thicker than the homing missile. The gameplay is compared with Mega Man and Contra, a run-and-gun style game where killing a sub-boss grants you gun upgrades that you can call upon throughout the game and where enemies drop items that you can pick up. Journey to Silius is considered one of the hardest games on the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Famicom. The NES and Famicom games developed by Sunsoft are known for their innovation at the time and I recommend these: Blaster Master, Batman, Gremlins 2: the New Batch, Gimmick, and Fester's Quest. Besides sharing sound effects, these games share some gameplay elements. Bosses don't take damage until they are in place. An example is on the Stage 2 tank boss. Even though the vulnerable spot is on screen, your gunfire will not affect the boss until it is finished rolling in and begins to fight back. Whenever Journey to Silius is mentioned in the gaming world, it is most often due to its strong, compelling soundtrack. Instant deaths can be caused by falling into a bottomless pit, being crushed, getting stuck by the scrolling Stage 5, or touching the propellers on the Stage 1 boss. When the game is paused by pressing SELECT, the game freezes the player, enemies, and projectiles. It does not halt non-threatening background animations or effects. The music continues to play as well. An example of this in in Stage 2. Pause the game and there will be some wall lights that continue to blink pink and white. Another unique characteristic of Journey to Silius that must be understood is that your character can still get shot after defeating a boss. Because of this, gamers may get frustrated when after defeating a boss with one bar of life left, a stray projectile hits your character and therefore kills you. In this case, the game is favored over you. An early example is the Stage 1 boss where after defeating the helicopter, a stray bullet from the lowest cannon can hit and kill you even though you lose control of your character after defeating the boss. You begin the game with a hand gun and a shot gun. The shot gun shoots three bullets at once in three directions. You obtain additional guns from defeating the sub-boss at the end of the first four stages. While having more guns with different firing patterns and strengths sounds good, the downside is that all of the guns with the exception of the hand gun share the same gun ammo. The meter in the top left corner marked G will go down when shooting with any gun other than the hand gun. Enemies drop health recharge sparingly. You can typically expect one to three instances of this per game. Journey to Silius is one of only a few NES games made in the later years of the system that will not support scrolling backwards. Enemies that end up off screen stay off screen and cannot return on screen to attack you in any way. If any enemies follow you to a boss fight, they will instantly explode. This can occur when entering near the Stage 4 sub-boss. Any straggling enemies will instantly explode and vanish as if you had destroyed them. Journey to Silius is known outside the US as Raf World or Rough World. In written form it is spelled Raf World, but pronounced Rough World. The word Raf used for the game is meant to be a phonetic representation which comes out to be Rough anyway. The different between Journey to Silius and Rough World is that Rough World has a different title screen and a different main character sprite. The screen will scroll when your character is roughly 5/8 of a screen or less away from the side he is moving toward. When the gun energy meter is fully depleted, your character will automatically be equipped with the hand gun. When you pick up a blue energy capsule, you will need to select another gun to take advantage of the available ammo. Holding UP on the D-Pad while moving left or right will keep your character moving in the current direction at the current speed, just like a car's cruise control feature. If you hold UP while jumping and then change your direction in mid-air, your character will continue to move and walk backwards as long as you continue to hold UP. If your character tries to walk off the left or right screen edges, he will be frozen in the mid-walk frame. Almost all sub-bosses and bosses have a specific point on them that you must shoot at to damage them. The only boss that has a resting area is the Stage 3 Troop of Cannons. If you move your character to the right so that he is next to the higher ground and then crouch, none of the bullets or lasers will hit you. This can give you time to observe the firing pattern of the boss. The Stage 3 boss is similar in boss design to the Batman NES Stage 2 boss and a Mega Man 2 boss. The four projectiles in the game are bullets, rockets, lasers, and energy bursts. Below is a list of the combinations of player projectiles that can be displayed on the screen at once in the order in which the guns are used: Shot Gun + Grenade Gun Shot Gun + Homing Gun Laser Gun + Homing Gun Grenade Gun + Homing Gun Shot Gun + Laser Gun Hand Gun + Machine Gun (5 bullets on screen in total) Shot Gun + Machine Gun (5 bullets on screen in total) Laser Gun + Machine Gun (4 bullets and 1 laser on screen in total) Homing Gun + Machine Gun (4 bullets and 1 rocket on screen in total) Grenade Gun + Machine Gun (4 bullets and 1 rocket on screen in total) Machine Gun + Hand Gun (only if there are less than 3 bullets on screen, otherwise no) Shot Gun + Hand Gun (3 bullets on screen in total) Laser Gun + Hand Gun (3 bullets and 1 laser on screen in total) Homing Gun + Hand Gun (3 bullets and 1 rocket on screen in total) Grenade Gun + Hand Gun (3 bullets and 1 rocket on screen in total) The Shot Gun cannot be discharged while any other gun's projectiles are on screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12) Game Strategies and Recommendations: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ With many ways to suffer instant death, and only 3 lives with 3 continues, you will, in the first few minutes of playing this game, die a lot. Never fear; this guide comes from experience as a beginner to a veteran. I strongly recommend using a controller with a turbo button for Sunsoft games. The jump mechanic in Journey to Silius incorporates momentum. Unlike the Mega Man games, your character falls at the speed and direction in which he was before the fall. An object in motion stays in motion. To master this game mechanic, you will need to learn how to not only control jumping at different heights, but also walking and running at different speeds. Losing a life does not replenish your gun ammo. If you realize that you will not be able to finish a stage or boss, don't waste your gun ammo. It will be more useful to you when you respawn with full health. One aspect of the game which is best left to memorization is having your character fall down a ledge without knowing what is below. Not only does this require mastery of the jump and run mechanics, but one needs to know what enemies are below, which one is worth destroying first, and how to avoid enemy attacks and projectiles. There are numerous enemies that require you to jump and shoot to hit a vulnerable spot on the enemy. The best way to maximize getting off enough shots while avoid the oncoming enemy is to jump away from enemy while shooting toward enemy. This tactic is most necessary on the final boss of the game, the T-800. Whenever your character is by a ledge and needs to fall down, it is best to jump down, even if the jump is a small jump rather than simply walking off the edge. Walking off the edge usually has more forward momentum than jumping. With a jump, you have better control when jumping as to how fast and how high your jump is. There are plenty of opportunities for relentless deaths. For example, when an enemy hits you while jumping across a pit, your character loses forward momentum, and then you fall into a pit and subsequently die. That is why before traversing a bottomless pit, you move your character to the edge right before the pit so that any enemies that may appear do so before you jump across. The shot gun is most handy for enemies that your character can't hit straight on even when jumping at full height. The laser gun is useful for the Stage 4 sub-boss. Although the sub-boss has few projectile attacks, you want to get as much damage on it as you can before it reaches you. The grenade launcher, as the strongest gun, is handy but not necessary for the Stage 4 boss and Stage 5 spaceship and terminator bosses. In Stage 5, there is about a 4 second window of time where you must jump on a box to reach a higher conveyor belt. Failure to do so will result in an instant death. When attacking enemies, you will be safe enough by keeping your distance. There are only a handful of enemies and obstacles that only attack when your character approaches. Read the Enemy Breakdown to determine which enemies these are. In Stage 5, since there are no enemies for which you need to destroy with your gun collection, you need to be as far to the right of the screen as possible just to keep up with the automatic scrolling. There is at least one spot in the game where it is recommended that after ascending on an elevator you walk in the area to the left so that when the screen scrolls you can see enough to your right. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13) Toughest Enemies and Pitfalls OR Spots Where Non-Veterans Die…a Lot: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Overall The most common ways to seriously die are from the following: falling into a bottomless pit hitting into an enemy or bullet while above a pit and then falling into a bottomless pit getting shot from floor or ceiling turrets or lasers getting attacked from enemies that hover on you and don't lose their grip blindly falling down a ledge onto enemies and their fire Stage 1 Bugs that drop out of the Helicopter - Not only will this enemy latch on to you when it is near you, continuing to drain life from you, it will jump when you shoot a bullet. Destroy these bugs as quick as possible. When firing, the bugs will jump. Plan your next fire so the bullet connects with the bug on its landing. For beginners, countering the AI of the bugs will be difficult. The skill of getting well-timed, lined-up shots off quickly is essential for similar enemies that follow your character wherever you go. Stage 2 Rotating Circle Eye - this enemy requires patience and good timing on jumps to destroy. If the player is to the left of the enemy, jump and shoot while avoiding the enemy bullet shot going west toward you. Running under them is next to impossible without taking a hit. Some of these enemies appear as the player falls down a ledge with little way for the player to attack the enemy or evade bullet fire. The enemy variant that moves while firing is more dangerous since the areas where the bullets travel and hit change each second. Stage 3 Flying Robot in Bumper Car - this enemy is particular fast-moving, so you have about two seconds to identify him and get enough shots off to destroy him. If this enemy latches on to you, it will hurt you and continue to do so until you can place some distance between you and the enemy, which is hard since there are more obstacles and enemies further in the stage. Stage 5 Lavafalls - if you miss the timing on your jump past a lavafall, take the hit and move forward while invincible from the hit. You will die if the screen scrolls you off and you are in the small indentation under a lavafall Tricky box jump - if you don't jump on the box to reach the higher conveyor belt, consider one of your lives gone Mid-air hits over bottomless pits - if an object like a box hits you while you are jumping over a bottomless pit, your player loses momentum and falls straight down, almost always into the pit, and you have no ability to control the fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14) Stage Tips: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stage 2 - Know what's below when you fall down Eliminate the enemies shooting bullets in all directions fast. Watch out for two ground laser turrets back to back. You may be able to destroy the first one, but the second one will still get its shot off. Stage 4 - Elevators When your character is descending or ascending on an elevator, the enemies are still animated. Before boarding the elevator, place your character in the direction where the upcoming enemies will be. Stage 4 - Unstable foot blocks Move as close to the edge as you can before trying to jump onto those falling blocks so that the enemy that would fly out and hit you in mid-air and send you into the pit spawns before you jump. That way you have a chance to shoot them. Also when you land on the blocks, you should just run. Don't jump off until you're at the last block. Stage 5 - Boxes and conveyor belts This particular part only gives you two tries to get on top of one of the blocks and jump from that to a higher platform. Oh and if you get too close to the platform you're trying to jump to so that you're pushed into it by the moving block, it will crush you... yes, when you're just standing ON the block, not next to it. Then you have to jump off the higher platform over a bottomless pit into an opening in a wall to progress further. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 15) Built-In Game Codes: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sound Test and Continues Menu Press B 33 times followed by START while on the title screen. You can begin inputting the code once the music begins to play. Sounds go from 00 to 07, 8 in total Continues go from 00 to 09, 10 choices in total B button - go back a sound A button - go forward a sound START - play sound SELECT - move down the menu B button - remove a continue A button - add a continue START - when Exit is selected, return to title screen Journey to Silius Doom Gun = DEBUNKED! The Doom Gun in Journey to Silius is one of many video game myths. On many sites and publications you will read that the doom gun can be activated by pressing up, down, A, B, and then start at the title screen. It will not work, and there is no information coded in the game for this to work. It joins other urban legends debunked as false, some of which include the "revive aeris" cheat in Final Fantasy VII, fighting Shen Long in Street Fighter 2, and killing the hunting dog in the home console port of Duck Hunt. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 16) Game Genie Codes: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Official game genie codes Journey to Silius(tm) Game SILI CODE KEY IN . . . EFFECT . . . 1 SXNGYLVG Infinite lives 2 PAOSOTLA Start with 1 life 3 TAOSOTLA Start with 6 lives 4 PAOSOTLE Start with 9 lives 5 PEVIULLA 1 life after continue 6 TEVIULLA 6 lives after continue 7 PEVIULLE 9 lives after continue 8 PEKSOGZA Start with Machine Gun 9 GEKSOGZA Start with Laser Gun 10 AEKSOGZE Start with Homing Missiles 11 AOKSOGZA Start with Grenade Launcher 12 IEKSOGZA Start with Machine Gun & Laser Gun 13 OTUVOZSV Protection against most aliens 14 AAXTKAZE Some aliens are tougher 15 PAXTKAZA Some aliens are weaker 16 TOOETOLA Mega-jump 17 AZVALPPA + EVNEYENY Speed jump 18 LPSEYPGA + KVNELEKN Super speed Journey to Silius is a trademark of Sunsoft Corporation of America. Game Genie Codes taken from GameHacking http://gamehacking.org/?s=v2&sys=5&gid=1197 Codes by Users sprinter_h, Tony Hedstrom, Jedi QuestMaster, and VisitntX Infinite Weapon Power SZUAUTSA Start With All 6 Weapons YOKSOGZE Jump All The Way To The Top of The Screen LXOETOLE Start With Hand Gun, Shot Gun, And Lazer Gun TEKSOGZA Start With Hand Gun, Shot Gun, Lazer Gun, And Machine Gun YEKSOGZA Start With Hand Gun, Machine Gun, Lazer, And Homing Gun IEKSOGZE Start With Hand Gun, Grenade Launcher, And Lazer Gun GOKSOGZA Start With Hand Gun, Shot Gun, Lazer Gun, And Homing Gun TEKSOGZE Start With Hand Gun, Lazer Gun, And Homing Missile GEKSOGZE Start With Hand Gun, Shot Gun, Lazer Gun, And Grenade Launcher TOKSOGZA Start With Hand Gun, Machine Gun, Shot Gun, and Homing Gun LEKSOGZE Start With Hand Gun, Machine Gun, Shot Gun, Lazer Gun YEKSOGZE Start With Hand Gun, Homing Missile, And Grenade Launcher AOKSOGZE Start With Hand Gun, Machine Gun, Shot Gun, Laser Gun YOKSOGZA Start With Hand Gun, Machine Gun, Lazer, Homing Gun IOKSOGZE Alternate "Death" Music This code should play an unused track. PESKGLGZ Infinite Energy OZVGXYES SAVGKYSZ YAVGUYTE Invincibility SZXTSAAX SXUTKAAX Game Genie Codes taken from YouTube user FZeroTV http://www.youtube.com/user/fzeroman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc1bNmBgBkI NEEEEYL: *Glitched jump+shoot Enemies, some are invisible. *Pressing left drops player from the sky *Game may reset NEAAIP: *Music and Sounds are Bass only *Push or Hold down slides Player slowly to the right. *Some invisible platforms NOEEYL: *Fire shooting Enemies litter the level *Ground Enemies can't be destroyed *Crash @ mid-boss NYNEAX: *Diffrent Music,Dr.mario-esk and kindof a remix *Game may glitch up *Some jumps/jumping may change the view/Crash the game YEAAAL: *Intro and music repeats +Press start until you proceed *Glitched walking robots liter the level +can't be destroyed *Game may reset NYNAAX: *Diffrent music +changes tones 1/2 way through *Slight gfx errors *Invisible platforms *May reset game NEAAAL: +Same as YEAAAL *Other jump type enemies appear also *Music get neat but annoying Game Genie Code taken from NES World http://www.nesworld.com/hidden-journeytosilius.php XTUSKTAV - Stage Select You'll be directed to a stage select screen after pressing START on the title screen. By pressing button A or B you can choose the stage you want to play. When START is pressed the game will begin at the chosen stage. TEXINTIA - Final Boss in Stage Select If you use the code above coupled with this one, you can go directly to the final boss by selecting "ENDING[]." WARNING: this code did not work as described for me. It does add the additional choice to the stage select, but it instead sent me to the Stage 1 boss area without the boss. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 17) Noticeable Bugs/Glitches/Oddities: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Stage 1 boss displays a graphical glitch on the ground as the helicopter flies overhead. Bosses can be defeated without triggering the explosion sound effect. If bosses walk off-screen, they vanish and you cannot continue onward in the game! After completing the game, the game begins with the gun you last used, even though it is not selectable at the weapon select screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 18) Enemy Breakdown: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ For each enemy and obstacle in the game, I have determined their shooting patterns, areas of weakness, and your best means of destroying them. Use the legend below to follow the format of enemy characteristics. Enemies are listed in order of first appearance in the game. Legend: Enemy Name - if no official name, my classification Stage Appearances Projectiles - bullets, missiles, etc, how they are shot and in which directions Movement - of the enemy Intelligence - how the enemy adapts to player position and activity and surroundings Shots to Kill - based on the hand gun bullet Tips to Destroy Name: Stage: Projectiles: Movement: Intelligence: Strength: Tips: Name: Pet Robot Stage: Stage 1 Projectiles: none Movement: jumps Intelligence: reverses direction upon hitting a wall Strength: 4 shots Tips: shoot from afar or crouch near it and it will jump over you Hovering Faucet Stage 1 2 sets of spray of 3 shots SW, S, and SE flies horizontally and stops to shoot none 1 shot jump and shoot from afar or line up your character between the bullet shots and stand still Ground Laser Cannon Stage 1 and 2 laser beam stationary takes shot when player on same horizontal plane 2 shots shoot from afar, jump over laser shot if you can't get enough shots off fast enough Background Missiles Stage 1 missile vertical from above none invincible avoid at all costs Ground Mine Stage 1 none stationary none 1 shot shoot while crouched anywhere but on top of it Large Energy Blaster Cannon Stage 1,2 energy blasts in pattern of 1 then 2 stationary faces player when shooting 25 shots crouch and shoot for first blue blast, then jump over 2nd and crouch and shoot for third blue blast, repeat Missile Turret Stage 1 2 consecutive missiles stationary homing missiles are aimed at you 3 shots destroy fast, or get behind cover as missiles only move in one direction, shoot while it is not shooting back Stage 1 Boss - Helicopter Stage 1 3 cannons on left side once situated remains stationary none 13 shots jump and shoot at blinking "eye" below the left propeller, avoid bullets Robotic Bug - Mini Robots Stage 1 dart short hops and large jumps hops toward player, jumps when player shoots bullet 4 shots shoot as soon as possible, once latched on to you, they won't let you go Futuristic Wheeled Japanese Robot Stage 2 1 bullet horizontally slowly horizontally reverses direction upon hitting a wall, falls down off ledges 5 shots shoot from afar Sideways Claw Machine Stage 2 6 bullets in facing direction, 2 NW, 2 W, 2 SW horizontally, then shoots and moves in the opposite direction shoots when near player 3 shots run past before it gets the bullets off, shoot from afar Folding Sword Barrier Stage 2 none stationary barrier rises when player approaches 13 shots shoot anywhere but on top of it Rotating Circle Eye Stage 2 1 bullet in each 8 cardinal direction continuously spins and shoots clockwise, stationary and slow horizontal movement variants none 3 shots jump and shoot from afar while avoid any stray bullets, run and stop in the places where the bullets don't hit, a real nuisance if not dealt with promptly Large Grey Flying Robot Bug Stage 2 3 bullets spread out in front of it that fall down horizontal and stops to shoot shoots when near player, follows player direction 5 shots shoot from afar Muscular Robot with a Ball for a Head Stage 2 Boss Stage 2 none walks horizontally toward you walks toward player 17? jump and aim at head, use machine gun to get more shots off, if crushed in by boss, run across to other side taking a hit and continue shooting boss Stage 2 Boss Tankbot - War Vehicle Robot Stage 2 pink balls thrown up and fall down near player, shot from backpack cannons rolls horizontally forward and back none unknown jump and hit blue rib where mouth would be, shoot from all the way left to avoid the hand claw, avoid the pink balls when its trajectory is toward your position, can't begin to shoot until boss is in place on screen iRobot clone Stage 3 shorts 1 bulllet horizontally toward player walks horizontally toward you, shoots after every 4 steps none ?? shoot from afar Spinning box Stage 3 none moves horizontally across screen none ?? shoot from afar, avoid its path Aliens Flying Bot Stage 3 none moves through the air moves toward player and follows player around 4 shots shoot from afar Wall Semisphere Turret Stage 3 2 bullets, fired one at a time, either SE and SW, or NE and NW stationary none 5 shots shoot and maybe jump from afar, use shot gun if hand gun bullets can't connect with turret, if you don't want to destroy them, use caution when passing by them as multiple turrets are strategically placed so one safe place from one turret is a danger zone for the next turret Pink Laser Beam Stage 3 none stationary none 2 shots shoot base anytime, watch timing when laser beam rises and falls, time your jump across Spider Bot Stage 3 two bullets, either NE and SE, or NW and SW, depending on its direction slow vertical crawl shoot when player is nearby 8 shots shoot middle area from afar Ceiling Fangs Stage 3 none stretches vertically downward stretches downward when player is in close proximity, continues to do so repeatedly until player is no longer near it invincible place player close to but not directly under enemy, observe the rhythm of its attack, pass under when it is raised Robot Jumping Bean Stage 3 none hops on the ground, bounces off walls none ?? shoot from afar, if it is very close to you, duck down and let it jump over you Blue Laser Barrier Stage 3 none laser appears and disappears none invincible observe pattern before jumping through, laser has a quick and a long beam time, you may need to anticipate a break in the beam when jumping even while the beam is visible still Falling Grey Block Platform Stage 3 none falls vertically downward falls when player is near invincible make sure you realize that this is coming up, simply let it fall before traversing the gap, you can tell where it is because the two of these in the game have gaps to accommodate when the platform falls Flying Robot in Bumper Car Stage 3 none moves through the air moves toward player and follows player around 4 shots shoot from afar, destroy fast because once it gets a hit on you, it will be very difficult to shake off your player, a real nuisance if not dealt with promptly Stage 3 Sub-Boss Blue Robot Chicken Stage 3 shoots approximately 6 shots per round toward the player walks a few steps, then shoots while still walks and shoots toward the player ?? use machine gun and shoot at head region as much as possible, shoot from afar Stage 3 Boss Machine -Troop of Cannons Stage 3 shoots two lasers alternating shots from NE to SW and NW to SE, and three cannons shooting bullets horizontally to the left from varying heights statinoary none 27 shots move to the right where the floor raises up, about halfway on the screen, jump up and shoot the electric orb between the first and second bullet cannons, time your jump and shot so the lasers don't hit your head and the bottom cannon bullet goes underneath you, duck when the bottom cannon bullet is approaching and you are not ready to jump over it Blue Fish Stage 4 none fly horizontally in a sine pattern, bobbing up and down none 2 shots if not flying in your path, you can ignore, otherwise shoot from afar, definitely destroy if preparing to jump over a pit Shielded Floor Turret Stage 4 7 shots to the left and 7 to the right about a quarter screen in each direction stationary turret rises up when player approaches bullet hit radius 2 shots get close enough so turret shots activate, shoot from afar, if turret is beyond a pit, walk as close to the edge of the ledge to activate the turret, and shoot it before attempting to traverse a pit, turret can only be destroyed in the active position Blue Alien Human Stage 4 1 shot horizontally in facing direction slow walk horizontally enemy faces you to shoot and walks in that direction until ready to shoot at which point he will turn to fare you again 5 shots destroy quickly, otherwise duck under bullet shot and shoot some more Heavy Weights Stage 4 none up and down vertically none invincible run underneath when weights are moving up Blue Snake Bouncers Stage 4 none bounces horizontally none 4 shots shoot from afar, if very close to you, duck and let it jump over you Spikes on a Pole Stage 4 none slowly moves up, then falls down falls down when player is within damaging distance invincible jump over the spikes while they are at their lowest point, jumping under them when they are at their highest point is not advised Blue Winged Robot Stage 4 3 shots going W, WSW, and WSS, or E, ESE, and ESS, depending on facing direction swoops down and across to opposite side of screen shoots and swoops down and across when player is within damaging distance 4 shots shoot from afar, use shot gun if you cannot jump and shoot him with the hand gun Grey Ceiling Block Stage 4 none falls down falls down when player approaches invincible get close enough so that it falls, make sure you know it is coming up, you can see it in the ceiling as you approach Spiked Ceiling Block Stage 4 none falls down and then horizontally to the left falls down when player approaches invincible get close enough so that it falls, then jump on and over it as it approaches while avoiding the spikes on the left side, don't let it push you into the spikes in the gaps nearby, they are there so the spiked ceiling block can push you in there Unstable Foot Blocks Stage 4 none falls down falls down when player steps on them invincible jump and move to the right immediately after stepping on them, otherwise you will fall in the bottomless pit and lose a life Stage 4 Sub-Boss Stage 4 shoots bullets horizontally in facing direction, head shoots a spray of 3 shots in facing direction floats horizontally moves and faces toward player at all times 19 shots to destroy the body, 13 shots to destroy the disembodied head jump and hit the head in body form, use a strong gun to speed up the process Stage 4 Boss - Mammoth Cannon Stage 4 shoots large energy pulse horizontally to the left stationary none 27 shots move player as far left as possible without falling down the gap on the left side, when energy pulse charges and approaches, jump up at full height and shoot the target that opens up on the boss, by moving to the left side, you give your bullet shots enough time to move across the screen and hit the boss' target while it is exposed, rinse and repeat Pink Block Stage 5 none falls down none indestructible avoid hitting these when jumping across bottomless pits Lavafall Stage 5 a downward stream of lava stationary lava flows when player approaches indestructible move as far to the right as possible, anticipating the placement of the first lavafall, once lava flows, wait for a gap in the flow and jump through at that time, if you get hit jump out to the lava and keep moving forward at all costs Large Brown Box Stage 5 none falling down or moving on conveyor belts none indestructible if in front of you, jump over, if falling, avoid at all costs, in one instance you need to be far to the right and jump on a box to reach a higher platform, otherwise you will have to lose a life Pancake Smasher Stage 5 none vertically down and up moves downward when player approaches indestructible if you haven't activated it yet, you can run to the right underneath them before they can slam you, this is necessary where there are three next to each other, they can also be facing the opposite way, in that case, jump and move to the right right after stepping on them Stage 5 Boss Spaceship - Giant Exodus Spaceship Stage 5 one bullet at a time downward near player very slowly horizontally none do not touch the ship, it will hurt you, first take a few shots on the front viewport with your hand gun, avoid standing directly underneath the spinning turret behind the viewport, when the ship is moving, you are not advised to jump because you will lose health, when the ship makes a slow dip, avoid the bottom part of the ship, stay near, but not directly under the spinning turret until the ship is at its lowest point, begin to move under the ship when the ship rises up a bit pattern of boosters 1,2 (7 times) 3,4 (2 times) 4,5 (4 times) 3,5 (4 times) 4,5 (8 times) 3 5 4 2 (3 times) 1,2 (3 times) 1,4 1,5 3 5 3 5 4 3 4 3 4 3 3 Final Boss the Terrorist T-800 - Android (Human Metallic Skeleton) Final none walks horizontally walks toward player at all times, punches continuously while player is within enemy arm distance 33 shots shoot enemy's head from afar, when enemy is close to you and ducks to punch you, jump over him and run to the opposite side of the screen, face enemy and shoot head, rinse and repeat ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 19) Ending Credits: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (many of the names are nicknames or pseudonyms) Director - Vegas, Chow-Mu-Sow Programmer - Nom, Hiro-Kun, North-River, Sleepy. H Graphic Designer - You-Ri, Idaten, Hebereke, N. Habari, Masashi Music Staff - Nobuyuki, About SS, Marumo, N. Kodaka, Mabochan Special Thanks - Hero, Asshi, Dagawa-R, J. Moon, Kitachin, Ring Ring, Mac, Right Hand, Nori and Players Presented by Sunsoft ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 20) Recommended Web Sources: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://bmf.rustedmagick.com/cr/journeytosilius.htm This website looks at elements, like graphics and levels, that may have been used at one point during development, but were cut from the final release for various reasons. Information about the Terminator remnants and accessing the game's stage select are found here. http://tcrf.net/Journey_to_Silius This website is part of the Cutting Room Floor which is the first site listed. It has the same content regarding the Terminator remnants as well as the cheat for the Sound Test. http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2007/10/column_might_have_been_journey.php This website explores the ways in which promising games, characters, and concepts failed. This page looks at Sunsoft's Journey to Silius, released for the NES in 1990. The article gives a bit of history as to what was happening in the game industry at the time and postulates on why the game was not a commercial success. http://defendtheclassics.blogspot.com/2010/12/ in-retrospect-journey-to-silius.html This website has the goal to exemplify the finer things about classic-style games, whether they be old NES cartridges, new-age retro throwbacks, or the newest entries in classic game series. This article gives a retrospective to Journey to Silius in a review form looking at gameplay, comparisons to Mega Man and Contra, and the soundtrack. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkPSzYc7JHU This video is from the Happy Video Game Nerd. I consulted this video when preparing this guide. http://www.videogameden.com/fc.htm?raf This website looks at differences between Raf World and Journey to Silius. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 21) Contact: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Contact me! Here are the following ways you can contact me: E-Mails: AOL: snazzyhoppy(at)aol(dot)com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 22) Credits: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thank you to those who made this guide possible: Sunsoft- for releasing this game despite the removal of Terminator elements and for creating an awesome soundtrack James Cameron - for imagining the world of the Terminator, by which this game was inspired The Happy Video Game Nerd - for dedicating a video review on YouTube to this game Chris Zawada, D.J. Bernat, and Bryan Peterson, - for writing the existing guides to this game for which I drew inspiration GameFAQs- for the best source in walkthroughs, maps, and helpful hints since 1995, and for their guidelines in constructing a FAQ guide ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Father, look! Our colony’s completed now!â€￾ -Snazzyhoppy http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/78940.html?type=1 Copyright (c) Christopher Hopkins 2012