o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o | RAID 2020 | | Platform: NES | | | | FAQ/WALKTHROUGH | | Version 1.0 (February 26, 2007) | | | | By The Admiral | | Email: Admiral1018@yahoo.com | o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o Introduction ------------ There are few titles that could legitimately contend for the crown of "Worst NES Game of All-Time," but Raid 2020 at least merits a nomination. This is one of the few games released without the "Nintendo Seal of Quality," and it is very apparent why. The game features Shadow, the futuristic narc who battles cyborgs and wicked aliens to save the human race from... drugs. That's right, kids, drugs. This game was probably envisioned just as all those D.A.R.E. programs were first entering schools in the late 1980s. I'm sure the creators thought that the wave of anti-drug sentiment would have been enough to carry this game without any marketing at all. Only they forgot one detail: no one wants to play crappy video games, anti-drug messages or not. Raid 2020 plays as a side-scroller with a few adventure elements. Most of the challenge derives from programming flaws: bad controls and poor enemy generation. This makes it especially frustrating in stages where you need to defeat all the enemies to advance. Fortunately, I have endured most of the frustration for you in the creation of this guide. Whether you are looking for ways to pass specific sections, locations of hidden items, or strategies for safely defeating a boss, this guide should help you. While it won't come close to making this a fun game, it will slightly lessen how terrible your experience will be. And that is about as much as any guide could hope to do with Raid 2020. ============================================================================== D I S C L A I M E R RD0A ============================================================================== This FAQ is meant for personal use only and cannot be reproduced for commercial use under any circumstances. No portions of this guide may be reproduced, in part or in entirety, without the written consent of the author. If you would like to use any part of this guide in your FAQ or website, I will probably give you permission if you ask, but you must ask first (Email: Admiral1018@yahoo.com). The Raid 2020 title, as well as all contents within, is copyright of Color Dreams. ============================================================================== T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S RD0B ============================================================================== To jump to any section of this guide quickly, click the Edit option on the toolbar, then go to Find and type in the index number listed in the right column. You can also press Ctrl+F to bring up the search box in most browsers and text editors. DISCLAIMER................................................................RD0A TABLE OF CONTENTS.........................................................RD0B STORY.....................................................................RD0C CONTROLS..................................................................RD0D THE BASICS................................................................RD0E ITEMS.....................................................................RD0F WALKTHROUGH STAGE 1 - PIER............................................................RD0A STAGE 2 - SWAMP...........................................................RD0B STAGE 3 - TECHNOPOLIS.....................................................RD0C STAGE 4 - SPACE...........................................................RD0D STAGE 5 - COMPUTER STATION................................................RD0E STAGE 6 – PITBULL'S LAIR..................................................RD0F ENEMIES...................................................................RD0G CONTACT INFORMATION.......................................................RD0H REVISION HISTORY..........................................................RD0I CREDITS...................................................................RD0J ============================================================================== S T O R Y RD0C ============================================================================== The opening screen helps build the dramatic storyline: "A.D 2020. A plague of narcotics transcending the bounds of race, economy, and time have put a strangle hold on America. You must destroy Pitbull, the drug kingpin who has become the overlord of this sinister empire. You, Shadow, are the last hope..." You play as Shadow, the undercover narcotics officer, whose mission is to bring down the evil empire of the Pitbull, the drug lord. Shadow lost his right arm in a drug bust gone awry many years ago, but has since received a robotic arm containing an integrated mini-computer. The mini-computer (which is the menu screen) is used to receive updates from HQ that will help aid in the pursuit of Pitbull. Although civilization has advanced to the point of human cyborgs, mechanized cities, and interstellar travel (amazingly, all by 2020), it simply hasn't kicked its dope habit yet!. At this point, you need to relax your standards for what makes sense as you battle through six increasingly absurd settings before the final showdown. And always remember, "Winners Fight Drugs." ============================================================================= C O N T R O L S RD0D ============================================================================= Raid 2020 has a different set of controls for side scrolling stages (1, 3, 5, 6) and overhead stages (2 and 4). The controls for each type of stage are listed below. || _______||____________________________ | | | _ Nintendo | | _| |_ | | | O | SELECT START | | ¯|_|¯ (¯¯) (¯¯) ( ) ( ) | | ¯¯ ¯¯ B A | | | ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ UP/DOWN - Side view: Moves "diagonally" up or down. This can be slightly annoying, especially when trying to navigate between obstacles. It's better to "tap" the up or down button when moving in those directions. You can also enter doorways by pressing the UP button when in front of them. - Overhead: Moves directionally up or down. LEFT/RIGHT - Side view/Overhead: Moves left or right across the screen. SELECT - Side view/Overhead: Brings up the main menu screen. START - Side view/Overhead: Pauses the game. B-BUTTON - Side view: Causes Shadow to jump. You can move in the air after jumping by pressing the directional pad. - Overhead: Not used. A-BUTTON - Side view: Causes shadow to fire his weapon. Note that only one shot can appear on the screen at once, so pressing the A button after a shot has been fired will cause the first shot to disappear in mid-air. - Overhead: Fires the vehicle's weapon. - Menu: The A button is also used to continue when dying. Hold the A-button and press Start from the Game Over screen to resume on the current stage. ============================================================================== T H E B A S I C S RD0E ============================================================================== The following section explains some of the basic elements of the game. It should be read for anyone playing the game for the first time, especially if playing without the instruction manual. MENU OBJECTS The following objects are displayed on the menu or main screen. HEALTH Health (or Hit Points/HP) are represented by the row of hearts on the top right side of the screen. Each heart represents 2 HP, and no more than 10 hearts will ever appear at one time. You begin with 20 HP but can raise these HP by collecting hearts (even once the maximum number of hearts are displayed on the screen). The maximum HP are 255. LIVES The number of remaining lives are displayed below Shadow's image on the main menu screen. You lose a life once your HP reach zero or you come in contact with a fatal obstacle. You begin with 3 lives. CONTINUES After losing all your lies, you can continue from the beginning of the stage by using a continue. When you continue, any defeated enemies or collected items will be restored. Your score and inventory will also be reset. Hold the A button once you receive the game over screen and press the start button. You begin with 10 continues. POINTS Points are displayed after "Score" on the menu screen. Points are obtained by defeating various enemies, but there is little correlation between enemy difficulty and number of points. Points have no significance in the game. COCAINE Cocaine stashes are the primary drugs seized from enemies. Cocaine is represented by the white block below the number of remaining lives. Cocaine is dropped by some enemies or found randomly in several stages. It has no real use in the game. You can hold 97 units of cocaine. Upon collecting the 98th unit, the cocaine is reset to zero and you receive an extra life. CASH Shadow frequently finds large quantities of tainted drug money on foes or in hidden stashes. Cash is the green item below cocaine on the menu screen and is found in $1,000 increments. Like cocaine, cash is dropped by some enemies or found throughout certain stages and has no direct use. You can hold $97,000. Upon collecting additional cash after this, your cash total is reset to zero and you receive an extra life. SUITCASES Suitcases supposedly hold various types of currency that are used to purchase drugs. These suitcases are represented by the suitcase icon below cocaine and cash on the menu screen. They are dropped by some enemies or found around certain stages. Suitcases have no direct use, but you will receive an extra life if you collect 12. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DAMAGE, HAZARDS, AND ENEMIES You receive damage primarily from contact with enemies or enemy bullets. Typically, enemy bullets do much more damage than physical contact. There are several enemies and obstacles that immediately kill you if contact is made. The most common type are "mine" enemies, which are found in each stage. You can avoid death from mines (for three hits) if you pick up the Boots. Most living (non-fatal) enemies will allow you to safely jump on their head or back and ride them as they move. This is a useful strategy for reaching high platforms or even crossing over ground hazards (like mines). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHADOW'S WEAPONS Shadow has three types of weapons. He begins with the normal gun but can find gun upgrades. Upgrades will last until Shadow has received 3 hits from enemies. His weapons types are: NORMAL GUN The normal gun fires bullets in a straight path. You can only fire one bullet at a time. If you press the A button once a bullet is already on screen, the first bullet will disappear as the second one is fired. The Normal Gun can travel across the entire screen if uninterrupted. WAVE BEAM The Wave Beam replaces the normal bullet with a green orb, which zig-zags up and down in front Shadow once fired. This beam greatly extends Shadow's range of fire, allowing him to defeat enemies below him. The Wave Beam is probably the best upgrade for most fighting situations. ORBITAL BEAM The Orbital Bun fires green orbs in large, circular orbits in front of Shadow. This gun allows Shadow to hit enemies well above or below his position. Unfortunately, this weapon has a hard time hitting specific targets in front of Shadow. This upgrade has some great strategic uses, but is too specialized for most enemy fighting. Shadow's vehicles also sport unique weapons. These are discussed in the appropriate section of the walkthrough. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LEAVING THE STAGES Each stage has an objective that needs to be completed before you can advance. The first four stages require that you defeat certain enemies in order to leave. If you do not defeat all the enemies, you will be forced to complete the level again once reaching the end. This can be very frustrating, as not all enemies will appear on the first or second time through. One trick for finding all the foes is by repeatedly viewing the menu screen, as is mentioned below. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE MAGICAL MENU SCREEN Viewing the menu screen has strange effects on enemies. It will frequently cause "untriggered" enemies to appear once you return to combat. This is important in the first three stages, as you cannot advance until all "drug dealing" enemies are defeated. Visiting the menu screen also has a few strategic uses that are described in the walkthrough. ============================================================================== I T E M S RD0F ============================================================================== There are various items dropped by enemies or hidden through the stages that you can pick up along the way. NORMAL ITEMS Normal items restore life or boost your basic abilities. With the exception of hearts, normal items are found planted throughout the stages. HEARTS Hearts (and double hearts) are dropped by many types of enemies or found by shooting certain crates. Hearts restore 4 HP when collected. GUN UPGRADES Gun upgrades change your weapon's firing pattern and bullet type. There are two different upgrades available: the wave beam and orbital beam (described in the previous section). Gun upgrades are lost if you are hit 3 times. Gun upgrades will reappear on the screen if you visit the main menu after collecting one. 1-UP 1-Ups are fairly well hidden, but they give you an extra life when collected. You receive them by touching a special area on the screen. Once collected, a bell will ring and an icon of Shadow will appear above him. BOOTS Boots allow you to touch mines 3 times without dying. Unlike other upgrades, Boots will stack when collected (meaning that collecting two Boots will protect you from six mines, etc.). JETPACK The Jetpack is a special upgrade found in stage 1 that allows you to fly. You will lose the Jetpack if you are hit 3 times. VEHICLE UPGRADES In stages 2 and 3, you will receive special vehicle upgrades. In stage 2, the upgrade is permanent. In stage 3, you will lose the vehicle if you are hit 3 times. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DRUG ITEMS Being an undercover narcotics officer, Shadow is supposed to confiscate drugs and drug related objects when he encounters them. Drug items are dropped by certain enemies or found hidden throughout many of the stages. All drug items in this game are useless. It would appear, from the box description, that they were supposed to have an extended role in the story (like using confiscated cash to buy new weapons). However, none of this ever made the final cut. COCAINE Cocaine appears as white packages. It looks the same as the cocaine icon on the main menu. You will receive an extra life if you collect 98 cocaine packs (which is virtually impossible). CASH Cash appears as a roll of bills and is collected in $1,000 increments. You will receive an extra life if you collect $98,000 (which is virtually impossible). SUITCASES Suitcases appear either as suitcases or green dollar signs. You will receive an extra life if you collect 12 suitcases. It is possible to find enough suitcases for an extra life by stage 5. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SPECIAL ITEMS Special items are needed to advance in the game and are only collected once. COMPUTER CARD The Computer Card is hidden somewhere in stage 5 and is needed to access Pitbull's Lair. The Computer Card looks like a green credit card. KEY Like the Computer Card, the Key is needed to access Pitbull's Lair. The Key looks like a silver door key. The Key is the best hidden item in the game. ______________________________________________________________________________ W A L K T H R O U G H ______________________________________________________________________________ The following section includes a full walkthrough for all 6 stages of the game. Each mission has a different objective that needs to be completed before passing to the next stage. These objectives, along with a list of enemies, are outlined at the beginning of each stage. ============================================================================== S T A G E 1 - P I E R RD01 ============================================================================== DESCRIPTION: "Mission Briefing. You must rid the pier of all drug dealers. Get to the boat shop to escape." OBJECTIVE: You need to defeat all 20 drug dealers in the stage, including the 3 in the warehouse at the beginning. It may take several trips through to find all the enemies, as they do not always appear the first time. Exit at the boat shop once the stage is clear. ENEMIES: HIT POINTS DAMAGE POINTS ---------- ------ ------ Bat 2 1 500 Butterfly 1 1 500 Cyborg Dealer 6 4/1 0 Dealer 4 1 0 Duck 1 1 2000 Land Mine Inv Fatal N/A Seagull 2 1 1000 Thug 2 1 200 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The first mission begins as all do with a quick description of your objective: you need to clear the pier of all drug dealers and exit the stage at the boat shop. The stage begins by throwing you right into the fire. You will immediately come under attack from two Dealers (trench coat), a Thug (green bandana), and a butterfly (which is actually the most dangerous of the four foes). Move towards the bottom of the screen and fire rapidly at the enemies. The Dealers with the trench coats leave hearts when defeated, so be sure to pick these items up after they're dropped. The butterfly is a little harder to kill, but you may want to keep it alive. As with many enemies in the game, you can safely stand on top of the Butterfly's head and use this to move around. In this case in particular, the Butterfly can take you near the top of the screen to pick up the BOOTS, which protect you from 3 land mines. ========= WAREHOUSE ========= At the top part of this first screen is a doorway leading into a small warehouse room. The warehouse holds drug dealers, bats, and butterflies. There are a total of three different drug dealers that will appear in this room, and you will need to return here and eventually kill all three before you can leave the stage. This room also has a GUN UPGRADE on top of a shelf near the top. The gun upgrade turns your pistol into a WAVE BEAM, which fires green bullets in a wave-like pattern in front of you (you lose this weapon if you are hit 3 times). To reach it, you will need to jump on either the bat or butterfly. You should only jump on them when they are moving from right to left. This can be a tricky upgrade to snag, so simply leave if you find it too frustrating; it is by no means necessary. ========= MINEFIELD ========= Moving on from the first screen, you will come across wooden boxes on the pier. If you stay near the top of the screen and fire, you should open the boxes and reveal hearts. These hearts restore 4 HP each. There are three hearts that can be picked up from these boxes at the beginning. Note that your HP will still increase even after the visible health gauge on the screen is filled, so never pass up any hearts. You will soon come upon the numerous red mines scattered along the pier. These are a staple annoyance throughout the game. The mines on the pier often appear in alternating rows along the ground. Walking between them is very dangerous given the awkward movement of the UP and DOWN buttons on the directional pad. Instead, try to jump over the rows, as Shadow's jumping abilities are much easier to handle than his walking abilities. Jumping works best near the top or bottom of the screen. As the mines begin to appear, so do seagulls which attack you with vicious... feces. That's right, seagulls will attempt to end your quest by crapping on you. Oddly, bird droppings are just as damaging as enemy bullets. It's better to simply pass underneath the gull droppings than it is to defeat the gulls. Their droppings can also be destroyed with your gun if you shoot them. The first door you come to on the pier contains the JETPACK, an awesome upgrade that allows you to fly over the entire stage. As with all upgrades, you lose the Jetpack if you are hit 3 times. However, you can always return to this door to pick up an additional Jetpack. With the Jetpack equipped, fly above the buildings and pick up the Boots just to the right. Boot upgrades will stack (meaning picking up two will protect you from 6 mines), so you should collect as many as you can. The door just past the Jetpack upgrade takes you out of the Jetpack door, so ignore it and move on. Defeat any Thugs or Dealers you come across along the way. You will soon come to a solid field of mines sandwiched between a pair of doors near the top. This section will kill you even if you have the Boots, so take the door to bypass it. If you have the Jetpack, make sure you stay well above it, as you will detonate the mines even if you touch them while flying. After the minefield, there are a couple more Dealers and a Thug. The first wooden box you see can also be shot to reveal two additional hearts. There is another GUN UPGRADE just above a white building with a door. This upgrade gives you the ORBITAL BEAM, which fires green orbs in a large circular pattern that hits enemies well above and below you. The advantage of this gun is that it allows you to hit flying enemies from the ground (or safely hit ground enemies while flying with the Jetpack). The downside is that you cannot control the gun very well or easily hit enemies that are in front of you. You should pick it up and see what you think. =============== BEHIND THE PIER =============== The door underneath the gun upgrade takes you behind the pier. The area behind the pier is a pure side view where you need to jump between three dock legs to reach the end. The first couple of legs have hearts for you to collect. Navigating between the legs requires precise jumping, especially when passing between the second leg to the third. You have a tendency to overshoot the jump since the third leg is lower than the previous. To make this jump, begin on the far right side of the second leg and be mindful of where you land. This should allow you to make it safely. Once you reach the ledge on the far left, you will receive a 1-UP, which adds an extra life to your total. You are also sent back to the beginning of the stage. Once back at the beginning, be sure to reenter the warehouse. There should be another drug dealer at this point that you will need to kill. If it is the Cyborg Dealer (white and green with a mask), be very careful when approaching. This foe always drops cash when killed and also guards a few suitcases behind him. You should be able to get three suitcases from this room –- the first two will be visible and the third will appear if you collect the first two and visit the menu screen. As you proceed back through the pier, all the enemies you defeated will still be dead, so the challenge should be minimal. ============= THE BOAT SHOP ============= At the far end of the dock is the boat shop, guarded by three Cyborg Dealers. You may only see one during your first visit, which is good. The best way to kill these foes is by attacking from overhead using the Jetpack and Orbital Beam. Hover just above the fence and your shots will safely hit without any risk of damage. If you do not have the Jetpack, stay on the other side of the screen and fire slowly (one shot at a time). Your shots have a full screen's range, so you should be able to outdistance these dealers and avoid damage. After the first Cyborg Dealer is killed, press select to view the menu screen. Once you return to the pier, two new enemies should have appeared. Defeat them in the same way as the previous dealers. Once the screen is clear, carefully navigate between the two mines and enter the boat shop. ====================== I HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN? ====================== If you did not kill all the deals on the first go around, you will get a message that drug traffic is down on the docks, but all dealers must be killed. This means that you missed someone the first time through. The likely culprit is the warehouse. Be sure to enter there and kill any dealers. The next likely culprit is the 3 Cyborg Dealers in front of the boat shop. All these foes must be killed before you can advance. There are a total of 8 Dealers (Trench Coat), 8 Thugs (Bandana), and 4 Cyborg Dealers. When all are defeated, entering the Boat Shop will take you to the next stage. ============================================================================== S T A G E 2 - S W A M P RD02 ============================================================================== DESCRIPTION: "Next Stage! Defeat Pitbull's Helicopters. A backup boat is hidden in the small dock. Seize drugs if you can." OBJECTIVE: You need to defeat the 9 Silver Helicopters and 3 Gold Helicopters in the stage. Picking up a boat upgrade or any drugs is optional. ENEMIES: HIT POINTS DAMAGE POINTS ---------- ------ ------ Gator 4 1 200 Gold Helicopter 12 8/2 0 Log Inv Fatal N/A Shark 4 2 200 Silver Helicopter 6 4/2 0 Swamp Turret Inv 4/0 N/A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From the Boat Shop on the Pier, you pick up a small speedboat and enter the swamp. Unlike the Pier, the swamp takes place in overhead view. The controls are actually a bit simpler in this mode. ========== SWAMP LIFE ========== The swamp is much more difficult than the pier, and you will learn this almost immediately upon beginning the stage. Enemies do A LOT more damage and can kill you quickly. However, some patience will pay off. As soon as the stage starts, do not move. Despite all the commotion, only the silver attack helicopter can damage you. The turret's bullets cannot reach you and the Shark and Gator do not stray. Fire quickly and take down the silver chopper. It leaves a pair of hearts when defeated, so hopefully you will restore any lost damage. Move down slightly and quickly shoot the Shark. You should be safe from it on the left side of the screen, but watch out for the pink bullets from the turret at the top. Once in a safe spot, visit the menu screen to trigger another one or two choppers. Defeat both and then proceed forward along the bottom of the screen. Another Silver Helicopter and a Shark should appear near the bottom just after passing the top turret. Visit the menu again after both are defeated to make another helicopter appear. Advance very slowly so that you bypass the bullets from the top turret. Eventually, another turret will appear on the bottom. You can destroy it's bullets by firing your own, so shoot rapidly as you approach it. Once you get close, start moving up and quickly look for a safe spot that takes you out of harm's way. There are a couple of other neutral threats on this stage: floating logs and rocks. Floating logs will kill you instantly if touched, but they will freeze and stop moving if shot. It's best to be patient and allow them to drift away before passing. Rocks are treated like land mines from the last stage. This means that if you picked up the Boots, they will work as protection against contact with rocks for as many hits as you have remaining. ============ BOAT UPGRADE ============ At this point, you should be just below a small dock with a pair of arrows pointing up. Another silver helicopter will probably appear once you have the dock fully within view. You can enter between the two dock legs and pick up a BOAT UPGRADE. Be very careful, however, as you will be killed if you hit either leg of the dock. A useful trick is to press select to view the menu once you are just under the dock. When you return to the swamp, you will, for some reason, appear to exit the dock entrance. From this point, just press Up and you will safely enter without any risk of crashing. The new boat upgrade is much more powerful, equipped with a "2025 plasmaspherical cannon." Not sure how a 2025 weapon can exist in the year 2020, but the weapon will still do twice the damage of the guns on the speedboat. Also, the weapon has a wide range like the wave beam, so it is great for hitting enemies slightly above or below. This new boat also has twice the defense to contact attacks (but not bullets), so enemies will begin doing reasonable amounts of damage. Unfortunately, the boat also moves only half as fast. This becomes a problem when trying to dodge turret fire, which now becomes the most threatening attack. =================== RETURN TO THE SWAMP =================== With the new gear, head back to the marshes and move forward, being mindful of the turret near the bottom of the screen. A Silver Helicopter should approach shortly. After killing it and the Shark, visit the menu screen and another Silver Helicopter should appear. Proceed carefully to avoid turret bullets. Note that the choppy water will pull you backwards and cause you to lose control, so avoid those sections if you can. Once you see a large dock begin to appear near the top, visit the menu screen again if a Silver Helicopter does not appear. This should trigger the ninth and final silver chopper. Once you get to the large dock, the truly frustrating part of the stage begins. You will need to defeat 3 Gold Helicopters, which have the ability to single-handedly kill you even at full HP. The best bet is to stay near the top of the screen, just below the docks. Creep forward (while repeatedly firing) until the first gold helicopter appears. Let it move towards you then, just before it makes contact, HOLD down and move well beneath is so it does not hit you. Normally, the chopper will make contact and hit numerous times, taking away up to 8 or so HP in a single swoop. Once the chopper passes by, turn around and fire as fast as you can. You need to land six hits to take this foe out. Once defeated, move forward and use the same strategy on the second chopper. Finally, to reveal the third helicopter, move all the way to the right so that the rocks are visible. After defeating all three, enter the clear space at the top of the screen between the two docks. ============= ANOTHER TRIP? ============= If you are sent back to beginning of the stage once clearing the docks, you missed some helicopters along the way. This is not uncommon, as many Silver Helicopters will not initially appear unless you deliberately visit the menu screen. Defeat any stragglers this time, and make sure you move as far right as possible on the final dock screen. This is the only way to trigger the final Gold Helicopter. ============================================================================== S T A G E 3 - T E C H N O P O L I S RD03 ============================================================================== DESCRIPTION: "Way to go Ace! Technopolis needs your help! Eliminate all Cyborg drug transporters." OBJECTIVE: You need to defeat 8 Pink Cyborgs, 8 Bazooka Cyborgs, 14 Blue Saucers, and the Hovercraft. Exit the stage at the FBI Building entrance. ENEMIES: HIT POINTS DAMAGE POINTS ---------- ------ ------ Bazooka Cyborg 4 4/1 0 Blue Flying Saucer 4/2 Fatal/1 1000 Hovercraft 20 4/1 5000 Levitating Disk Inv 1 N/A Pink Cyborg 4 4/1 5000 Spark 1 Fatal 1000 Worm 1 4/1 100 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ You ditch the boat and hit the streets of Technopolis, another side-scrolling stage like the first. This is where the game takes a decidedly sci-fi turn. Gone are the human enemies and real world surroundings. Technopolis is a futuristic city overrun by Cyborgs and other machines that want to destroy you... and sell drugs. ================= ENTER TECHNOPOLIS ================= As the stage begins, a Pink Cyborg and flying Blue Saucer begin charging you. The Blue Saucer is by far the more deadly foe; any contact with it is fatal. Move towards the bottom of the screen and blast as fast as you can. Once defeated, walk up and stand below the door to the cafe (with the McDonalds arches above it). You can shoot through the window on the left and right sides to uncover hearts. There are four hearts here in total. Once the hearts are collected, jump and fire to kill the other Pink Cyborg. Four shots will kill it. The levitating disk just in front of this Cyborg cannot be killed, but you can stand on it and use it to reach the platform in the middle of the screen. Just ahead, another Pink Cyborg and Blue Saucer will attack you, followed by a trio of Bazooka Cyborgs. The Bazooka Cyborgs are best killed from the opposite side of the screen. They drop dollar-sign like items which are really suitcases. After this point, you will spot a large, neon sign proclaiming "GUNS... OPEN." Just above the gun store are lightning rods that fire sparks at fixed intervals. These sparks will move towards you and are fatal if touched. Enter the gun store and you will be taken to the platform at the middle of the screen. Defeat the Pink Cyborg on the top left if you have not done so already, then move right and watch out for another Blue Saucer. ================== HOVERCRAFT UPGRADE ================== You will soon come to a large pit that can only be passed while on the platforms near the top of the screen. Jump carefully and watch for another Blue Saucer on the other side. Several Pink Cyborgs will appear from windows near the top of the screen, while Blue Saucers and Bazooka Cyborgs appear near the bottom. Just after clearing the large pit, you can find a 1-UP near the bottom of the screen underneath the first two circular windows. After clearing the ground level of the Bazooka Cyborgs and Blue Saucers, you will come to a door that says "INFO TECH" above it. This door gives you the HOVERCRAFT UPGRADE. You will reemerge from the door as a small ship, capable of flying all over the stage, firing a larger beam, and dealing twice the damage as Shadow's normal weapons. This is a great upgrade that should be used for the duration of the stage. You will lose it if you sustain 3 hits, but you should definitely return in that case and collect the upgrade again. =================== LEAVING TECHNOPOLIS =================== Use your new hovercraft to cross the large pit on the right and stay near the top of the screen. This will give you a heads up on killing the Sparks, Blue Saucers, and Pink Cyborgs. This section has a lot of Sparks, so try to take them out quickly. Do NOT hover on top of the lightning rods, as this will spell instant death if a Spark appears. Every so often, visit the menu screen; this will make sure to trigger any Blue Saucers, which must all be killed before you can leave the stage. The first door on this third section of the stage will give you the MOTO UPGRADE, which you want to avoid. It swaps the highly versatile Hovercraft with the speedy (but ground based) attack motorcycle. The Moto Upgrade is only useful if you lose the Hovercraft, as it jumps far enough to cross the pit back to the previous section and pick up another hovercraft. Otherwise, it is little more than an agile version of the normal Shadow. Navigate the various Sparks as you pass through the final section. Just before the end of the stage, you will come to an enemy Hovercraft that looks identical to yours. This foe is extremely hard if you do not have a vehicle, as it has 20 HP. However, with the Hovercraft Upgrade, your shots will stun the enemy hovercraft and take it down quickly. The last screen has a doorway to the FBI building, which is the stage exit. On this screen, visit and revisit the menu until you have defeated 3 Blue Saucers and the Pink Cyborg at the top. This screen is the most common place where players miss enemies. Once you are confident every enemy is defeated, enter the door to the FBI building. =============== I'M STILL HERE? =============== It's highly likely you will need to repeat this stage unless you were extremely vigilant with killing Blue Saucers. You will probably encounter a few on the way back towards the end of the stage. The final section is the most common place for missing enemies. Using the Hovercraft, move all around the screen and press select to visit the menu screen from different spots. This will frequently trigger any enemies you many have missed. Be sure that you have killed the Pink Cyborg on the final screen, as this is one of the most missed enemies. ============================================================================== S T A G E 4 - S P A C E RD04 ============================================================================== DESCRIPTION: "Well Done! Pilot the Czar 1 ship to new L.A. and find Pitbull. You must destroy his drug satellite along the way." OBJECTIVE: Destroy the Super Satellite. ENEMIES: HIT POINTS DAMAGE POINTS ---------- ------ ------ Blue Plasma Orbs 1 1/Fatal 200 Enemy Fighters 1 1 2000 Space Mine 1/Inv Fatal 100 Spinners 1 4/1 0 Super Satellite 20 1 5000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The fourth stage takes whisks you off from the dregs of Earth and throws you into space, where the true coke fiends must reside. You now man the Czar 1 spacecraft (drug "czar", get it?) as the point-of-view shifts back overhead. ============= LOST IN SPACE ============= Unlike previous stages, the sole objective in stage 4 is to defeat the Super Satellite. You do not even need to move from the starting screen, you just need to take down this foe. That's something much easier said than done. First, an overview of the enemies. This stage is occupied by a couple of stationary enemies: pointy Space Mines and Blue Plasma Orbs. Space Mines will occasionally break free and pursue you, and they function like all mines (meaning you can actually take a few hits if you picked up the boots in stage 1 and still have charges remaining). The Blue Plasma Orbs are relatively harmless on their own, but they release plasma shrapnel once shot that is immediately fatal. It's best to fly to screens that lack both of these enemies. The remaining enemies are emitted from the Super Satellite: Enemy Fighters and Spinners. Enemy Fighters are small space ships that look identical to the Czar 1. They are weak and do minimal damage. The Blue Spinners are blue orbs that rotate around the screen and fire at you. Their shots pack quite a punch (4 HP of damage), but they leave hearts when killed, which are VERY useful. Once you kill either an Enemy Fighter or Spinner, the Satellite will emit another so that four enemies plus the Satellite are always on screen. One other item the stage holds is a GUN UPGRADE, which looks like a glowing red sphere. This upgrade gives you the wave beam, which would be very useful if you did not lose it after 3 hits. ======================= DEFEATING THE SATELLITE ======================= The Satellite has 20 HP and therefore requires 20 shots to take down. While landing 20 shots is not unreasonable, surviving the Satellite long enough to fire them is. The Satellite moves around in a pattern similar to the Gold Helicopters in stage 2. The real threat is when it nears -- it will attempt to fly through you and land a massive amount of hits, sometimes 10 or more per pass. This will result in death within a few seconds. To make matters worse, the Satellite is very fast, so nimble flying will not really cut it. The best strategy is actually more of a passive approach: ignore the Satellite and instead target the Spinners. Make your goal accumulating as many hearts as you can. Remember, your health will go up even after all the hearts are filled on the screen (full hearts on the screen represent 20 HP, but you can have a maximum of 255 HP). From the start, immediately move left and onto a screen with no visible mines or Blue Plasma Orbs; you do not want to be flying around and suddenly die because you scrape another foe. Now, focus all your efforts on killing the Spinners. Do not stop firing at any point. Even though you are not targeting it, the Satellite will still end up taking stray fire as it moves around. If you can continuously defeat Spinners and collect hearts so that your health bar remains full, you are doing well. It will take patience, but, after a few minutes with this approach, the Satellite will eventually go down. Once this primary foe is defeated, the stage ends. ============================================================================== S T A G E 5 - C O M P U T E R S T A T I O N RD05 ============================================================================== DESCRIPTION: "Pitbull awaits! You must find the computer card and key to allow entry to Pitbull's evil hitech center." OBJECTIVE: Collect the Computer Card and Key and enter the door to Pitbull's lair. ENEMIES: HIT POINTS DAMAGE POINTS ---------- ------ ------ Red Cyborg 2 4/1 0 Black Cyborg 2 1 0 Ceiling Sentry 2 4/1 5000 Stationary Turrets Inv 1 N/A Amoeba 3 4/1 0 Giant Rat 6 4/1 1000 Green Ooze Inv Fatal N/A Spider Inv 1 N/A Antdroid 4 1 1000 Stage 1 enemies: Dealers, Thugs, Cyborg Dealers, Seagulls, Bats, and Land Mines ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ At long last, the headquarters of the nefarious Pitbull. After all, where else you expect to find a drug dealer than on a beat-up old computer station on some alien planet? Stage 5 returns to the side view and features the toughest enemies you have encountered yet. ===================== SURVIVING THE STATION ===================== You will need to very cautious and deliberate to avoid taking a lot of damage from enemies. A useful tip to remember is that enemy bullets are far more dangerous than enemy contact. Most bullets take away 4 HP, whereas physical contact only depletes 1 HP. From the start of the stage, move near the bottom of the screen and fire slowly to kill the Red and Black Cyborgs. Your bullets will destroy their laser blasts, so you should be relatively safe from attack. You will need to move out of the way to avoid the Ceiling Sentry's blasts. The Black Cyborgs drop Suitcases (look like dollar signs) when killed. If you have been collecting suitcases along the way, you should be only a few short of 12. Once you collect 12, you will be awarded with an extra life. The floor is littered with mines as it was in the first stage. The best way to pass them is to jump over the rows, rather than to try to navigate through them. You should remain near the top portion of the floor. As an added bonus, if you stay near the top and fire, you will blast open the crates to find a few hearts. These will be quite useful. Remain near the top once the Turrets begin to appear. It is easiest to avoid their bullet by jumping right over the turrets. Since the turrets cannot fire upwards, you are safe in the air. Anywhere below them is very dangerous, as they fire very rapidly. Jump over three sets of turrets until you see a door. Just to the left of the door is a small, black area. This black area is a secret door that takes you to the platform at the top of the stage. You will want to take this secret door first. ========================= GETTING THE COMPUTER CARD ========================= Once you are on the top platform, you can obtain the Computer Card. However, you may wish to head right first and pick up the Boots. Before doing either, move slightly left and collect the GUN UPGRADE. It changes your weapon to the wave beam, which is very useful if you can manage to keep it. Once you move slightly in either direction, Giant Rats will begin attacking you. These Rats are quite durable with 6 HP each, so it's not a great strategy to constantly fight them. One useful trick is to jump in the air and press select to visit the menu screen. When you return, often Giant Rats will appear directly below you. You will land on one's back and can ride it all the way left or right. This is the best way to move around safely. If you did collect the Boots, move left slightly and use this trick to ride all the way to the far left. The COMPUTER CARD can be found at the far left side of the top platform. Ride the Rats there to collect it, then ride the Rats back to the small gap in the platform where you can see a pair of boots and two doors. At this point, dismount from the Rats and drop through the hole, collecting the Boots along the way. Enter the door on the left, which leads to the Caves. ===================== THE CAVES AND THE KEY ===================== The Caves are a confusing set of screens that bring back all your old friends from the Pier. Yes, even the seagulls are somehow in a subterranean cave on an alien planet... and they STILL just want to crap on you! The reason you are entering the Caves is to collect the Key –- the second item needed to enter Pitbull's lair. Odds are that if you're reading this FAQ at all, this is the portion where you are stuck. It is very useful to enter the cave with the wave beam, as this helps defeat the foes below the height of your weapon (if you don't have it, however, it's not worth backtracking). From the entrance, move to the right and collect the various goodies while killing the foes from stage 1. There are pits in the ground that can be entered to pass into various rooms. The one you are looking for is the third pit. To get there, however, you will have to pass through a couple of Cyborg Dealers. This is not an easy feat unless you have the wave or orbital beams, since you cannot hit the Cyborgs but will still receive damage from their shots. You will probably need to take some damage and walk down to their level, blasting as quickly as you can. Once the threat is terminated, enter the third pit by standing over it and pressing the down button. Maps of the entire cave section are shown below. The letter E marks the spot on each map where you enter. P# marks a pit (corresponds to key below) and #s mark exits on either side of the screen. MAIN CAVE __________________________________________________________ |E | |________P1____ | | |____________P2__ | | |__________P3_______ | |___________________________________________________|__P4__| CAVE 1 (From P1) BAT CAVE (From P2, P4, P7, 1) _______E _________ ______ E _________ | | | | __| | | | _P5_ | | | 2 | | | | | | _| __ |_|_ | | __| |_| | | 1 | | |__| | | | ___ | | ___| | |_| |_|____|____|__|___| |__________________| CAVE 2 (From P3) CAVE 3 (From P6) CAVE 4 (From P8) E ________________ ______ E _________ ______ E _________ | | _| | _| | | ____| |_________| | ____| |_________| | |_| |_| | | | 2 | | 2 | | __ | _ _ | | | _ | | _ | _|| _|| | | || |_| _| | |_| _| | | _| | _| |_| |_|| 1 _| | 1 _| | | _| | _| P6 P7| ______P8____| | ______P9____| | |_|___|_|__________| |__________________| |__________________| CAVE 5 (From P9) _____E ___________ | |_____ | | | _____| | | | | _______| | | | |___________| | |_ 2 | |_____________ |__________________| CAVE GUIDE ========== Pit 1 (P1) to Cave 1 P2 to Bat Cave P3 to Cave 2 P5 to Exit P4 to Bat Cave P6 to Cave 3 P7 to Bat Cave P8 to Cave 4 P9 to Cave 5 1 to Bat Cave 2 to Exit The "Bat Cave" mentioned numerous times above is a common destination when taking incorrect paths. This room has a Dealer (trench coat) and 4 Bats. You must ride on the head of the Bats to reach the ledge on the top right. This can often be extremely frustrating and health consuming. If you end up here, always defeat the Dealer and 3 of the Bats. It is a lot easier to mount the lone Bat when there is no other interference. The correct path involves the third pit from the main room. This takes you to Cave 2 on the map above. Cave 2 is filled with Spiders and spider webs. Climb the rock stairs and pass underneath the Spiders while they are elevated. Take the first of the two pits at the end. From Cave 2, you will fall into a flat room with a Dealer and a Bat, along with a pit and exits to the left and right. The correct path is the pit, as the two side exists lead back to the station or to the Bat Cave. You will pass into an identically shaped room with slightly different colors. Again, take the pit. You will now fall into a room with a couple of platforms, an Antdroid (giant ant), and a Dealer. This is Cave 5 on the map above. You can pick up a suitcase and heart (hidden in the wall) on the left. At this point, make your way down. The Antdroid in this room will drop the KEY when defeated. If you do not have the wave beam, stand on the head of the Dealer or the small ledge at the far left side of the screen. You will need to jump and time your shots carefully. If you defeated the Dealer, you will need to wait a few seconds for a Bat to appear and then ride the Bat to the Antdroid's platform to collect the Key. After getting the Key, take the exit on the bottom right back to the station. ======================= ENTERING PITBULL'S ROOM ======================= After coming out of the Caves, you return to the station on the door to the right of the Caves entrance. Each time you return from the Caves, all enemies (and upgrades) will be reset. You *could* run through the stage a few times and collect some extra lives by finding 12 suitcases. However, the odds are more likely that you will lose more lives than you collect in the process. From here, head right and be VERY careful to avoid the green oozes on the screen –- contact is fatal. Pitbull's door should appear quickly. It has two downward pointing triangles on it and is surrounded by a couple of stationary turrets. Approach as quickly as you can to avoid turret bullets, and press the up button once in front. If you have the Computer Card and Key, you will enter the door to Pitbull's Lair. ============================================================================== S T A G E 6 - P I T B U L L ' S L A I R RD06 ============================================================================== DESCRIPTION: "The end is near, ahead lies the final challenge. Only Pitbull's Computer Card can destroy the control center. You must destroy him to get it." OBJECTIVE: Defeat Pitbull insert the Computer Card into the computer. ENEMIES: HIT POINTS DAMAGE POINTS ---------- ------ ------ Green Orb 2 1 0 Pitbull 20 4/1 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your long and tedious adventure has reached the final obstacle. The evil drug lord is actually... a walking frog? Well, who knows what he is. Nothing in this game has made sense up to now, and that's not about to change at the last boss. The final stage is simply Pitbull's room. All you have to do is kill him. Luckily, if you lose all your lives, you will continue right at this point. The fight with Pitbull can be very tough without the right strategy. Pitbull's attacks consists of a deadly knife projectile (4 HP of damage), a swarm of orbs (1 HP of damage per hit), or physical contact (1 HP of damage, chance for numerous hits). The orbs may seem like a tedious and unending nuisance, but they are your best friend since they usually drop a pair of hearts when killed. As soon as the fight begins, fire of a shot at Pitbull and move towards the very bottom of the screen. The bottom is a great place to be, since you will not be at a height disadvantage from Pitbull's attacks. Now, just as with the Satellite in stage 4, make your priority to destroy as many Green Orbs as you can and collect as many hearts as possible. Be a real heart hog (and remember, you still accumulate health after the on screen bar is full). Focus on nothing but the orbs and Pitbull will take his share of damage from stray fire, although slowly. It is important not to stand still. Keep walking back and forth, even if Pitbull attempts to walk through you. If you are each moving in opposite direction, you will only receive 1-2 hits from contact. If you remain still, you can receive 6 or more hits from contact. That much damage in a single pass will doom you pretty quickly. If you can survive the initial onslaught and collect hearts efficiently, this fight poses surprisingly little danger. Personally, I have managed to enter the fight with Pitbull with 20 HP and defeat him with 70 HP. Heart collection is the key. Once defeated, Pitbull drops the COMPUTER CARD. The Orbs can still kill you even after Pitbull is dead, so do not let up until the screen is completely cleared. Insert the card into the less-than-subtle slot that says "INSERT CARD." The computer and station will now begin to detonate, and Shadow's drug busting mission comes to a conclusion. Enjoy the "ending" and always remember: WINNERS NEED NO DRUGS ============================================================================== E N E M I E S RD0G ============================================================================== The following section contains a detailed list of all enemies with strategies for defeating each one. These enemies are listed in order of appearance in the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: DEALER (TRENCH COAT) STAGES: 1 and 5 HP: 4 DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 0 Dealers are the tall, trench coat wearing goons occupying much of the pier. They secretly sell drugs to helpless users. They move slowly and carry a concealed weapon, firing when close. Dealers are best taken out from afar. Your shots will destroy their bullets, so you should be relatively safe when firing from the distance. Dealers make good platforms; you can stand on their head and move around, using them to reach new heights. Dealers also drop hearts when killed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: THUG (GREEN BANDANA) STAGES: 1 and 5 HP: 2 DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 200 Thugs are more aggressive drug dealers, sporting green bandanas and more "gang-like" clothing. Thugs move faster than Dealers but have fewer HP. They are slightly more of a threat, so take them out quickly before they come too close. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: BUTTERFLY STAGES: 1 HP: 1 DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 500 Butterflies (could also be Bumble Bees) occupy the crates and deserted buildings on the pier. Butterflies exist in endless quantities, so they will repeatedly appear no many how many times you defeat them. These foes fly all over the screen and can be difficult to target due to their small size. Butterflies make excellent mobile platforms when you jump on top of them, allowing you to reach items at even the highest parts of the screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: BAT STAGES: 1 and 5 HP: 2 DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 500 Bats are similar to Butterflies but are a bit larger and move in more of a swooping pattern. Bats can also be ridden to reach higher platforms. These foes are mainly found indoors. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: DUCK STAGES: 1 HP: 1 DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 2000 Small black ducks occupy the docks and run around quickly, seeking to harm you. Ducks are not terribly threatening but can be annoying, as they are difficult to target. Move towards the bottom of the screen to take them out. Ducks can also be ridden to pass over mines. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: LAND MINE STAGES: 1 and 5 HP: Invincible DAMAGE: Fatal POINTS: N/A Land mines have been planted all along the ground of several stages. For some reason, mines do not harm enemies but will instantly kill you. Mines are often arranged in alternating rows or similarly complex patterns. It's much easier to jump over them than it is to walk between them. You can avoid mine damage by collecting the Boots, which protect you from 3 mine hits. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: SEAGULL STAGES: 1 and 5 HP: 2 DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 1000 Ah, the nefarious seagull! The true evil that occupies the pier. Seagulls attack for with a lethal attack of... bird droppings. And lots of them. These "extra regular" winged fiends attempt to impede your progress with their aerial assault. It's easier to simply pass under them and avoid the droppings than it is to kill them. Seagulls also go down easily if you have the Orbital Beam, so use that weapon liberally if you have it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: CYBORG DEALER STAGES: 1 and 5 HP: 6 DAMAGE: 4 (bullet) POINTS: 0 Cyborg Dealers are clad in white and green and sport a robot-like helmet. These are by far the toughest foes on the pier. They are nimble and fire a dual laser that depletes 4 HP per shot. Cyborgs Thugs on the pier are best taken out using the Jetpack and Orbital Beam from overhead; you can safely kill them without taking damage. From the ground, try to stay on the opposite side of the screen and fire. Be sure to fire one shot at a time so the bullets can make it across the screen. Cyborg Dealers drop Cash when killed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: SILVER HELICOPTER STAGES: 2 HP: 6 DAMAGE: 4 (bullet); 2 (contact) POINTS: 0 Silver Helicopters are the predominant villain in the swamp. They fire crippling bullets and attempt to repeatedly ram you. It's better to remain close, as their physical attack is not as damaging as their bullets. For some reason, Silver Helicopters do not always take off when you approach them in the swamp, so you may need to visit the menu screen before they are activated. The Silver Helicopters drop hearts when defeated. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: SHARK STAGES: 2 HP: 4 DAMAGE: 2 POINTS: 200 Strangely enough, Sharks are found in the swamp. Not very a common in modern times, but supposedly pretty normal in 2020. Sharks move around in a circular pattern and usually remain within a fixed area. Given their lack of range, you can usually take them out safely by moving to their level and firing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: SWAMP TURRET STAGES: 2 HP: Invincible DAMAGE: 4 POINTS: N/A Swap Turrets are planted all around the swamp and fire damaging red blasts. They can only fire in 45 degree angles, but they still pose an enormous threat, especially if two are on the same screen. Their shots take away 4 HP and present a major obstacle, so try to pass by them while keeping maximum distance and remaining in "safe spots" where their shots cannot hit. Interestingly, touching the turrets does not cause any damage, but there is not a good strategy that ever takes you that close. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: GATOR STAGES: 2 HP: 4 DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 200 In the same swamp as the Sharks are Gators. Gators are slower moving than the Sharks and do not cause as much damage. They also occupy a smaller general area. They should be relatively easy to take out from the distance. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: LOG STAGES: 2 HP: Invincible DAMAGE: Fatal POINTS: N/A Logs drift from the top to bottom of the screen. Logs are inanimate objects, but they will kill you if you make any type of contact. You can stop a log from moving by shooting it. It's best to be patient and wait for them to move before proceeding. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: GOLD HELICOPTER STAGES: 2 HP: 12 DAMAGE: 8 (bullet); 2 (contact) POINTS: 0 Gold Helicopters are the most dangerous foe in the swamp, and possibly even the most dangerous non-boss foe in the game. They fire devastating bullets and then charge you with great speed. Their charge often connects for 6-8 hits, depleting most of your HP. This can be fatal with anything less than full HP. The best way to approach them is to attack as soon as they appear. The Gold Helicopter will then move towards you. Just before contact, move FAR down as fast as you can. With any luck, the Gold Chopper will pass over you without contact. Quickly turn and continue to fire. Gold Helicopters are much easier to defeat if you have the Boat Upgrade. They also drop Hearts when defeated. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: PINK CYBORG (A-PEX #72-168) STAGES: 3 HP: 4 DAMAGE: 4 (bullet); 1 (contact) POINTS: 5000 Pink Cyborgs occupy the streets of Technopolis and attempt to snipe you from windows high above the street. They can be killed relatively easy when on the ground, but present real headaches when sniping. You will need to remain on the higher platforms to kill them, at least until you pick up a vehicle upgrade. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: BLUE FLYING SAUCER STAGES: 3 HP: 2 or 4 DAMAGE: Fatal (contact); 1 (bullet) POINTS: 1000 Blue Flying Saucers are extremely numerous in Technopolis. They apparently act as secret drug transporters in addition to aerial sentries. Blue Saucers are extremely dangerous because they kill you immediately upon contact. Killing them should be an immediate priority once they appear. Blue Saucers also seem to remain hidden and "untriggered" in many parts of Technopolis. Frequently visit the menu screen to activate them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: LEVITATING DISK STAGES: 3 HP: Invincible DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: N/A Levitating disks are inanimate objects that appear in several spots around Technopolis. Jump on top of them to rise to higher platforms. These disks will temporarily stop moving if you shoot them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: SPARK STAGES: 3 HP: 1 DAMAGE: Fatal POINTS: 1000 Sparks are created by the lightning rods atop many buildings in Technopolis. Sparks will pursue you when fired and are fatal if touched. Sparks also exist in limitless supply, so they will remain a constant threat throughout the stage. If you are in an aerial vehicle, remain near the top of the stage and stay away from the lightning rods. Try to destroy the sparks quickly before they accumulate in number. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: BAZOOKA CYBORG STAGES: 3 HP: 4 DAMAGE: 4 (bullet); 1 (contact) POINTS: 0 Bazooka Cyborgs are the heavy fighters on the streets of Technopolis. They fire fast moving bazooka shots that take away 4 HP. They also have quite a few HP of their own that you will need to deplete. Surprisingly, these foes are still some of the easier on the stage. This speaks more to the difficulty of the enemies than to their easiness. Take them out from afar, but make sure any fatal enemies (Blue Saucers or Sparks) are killed first. Bazooka Cyborgs drop Suitcases when killed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: WORM STAGES: 3 HP: 1 DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 100 For some reason, small worms also occupy the city streets. They are small and fairly harmless, in addition to being quite rare. Destroy them if they get in the way, but they are a minimal priority. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: HOVERCRAFT STAGES: 3 HP: 20 DAMAGE: 4 (bullet); 1 (contact) POINTS: 5000 The Hovercraft is the boss guarding the end of Technopolis. It is amazingly strong with 20 HP and inflicts a damaging 4 HP per blast. The best way to defeat this foe is to use the Hovercraft Upgrade of you own. With a similar looking ship, you will freeze the enemy Hovercraft and take it out quickly. Without this vehicle upgrade, you are in for a long battle, especially since sparks will be raining down around you during the fight. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: SPACE MINE STAGES: 4 HP: 1 (moving); Invincible (stationary) DAMAGE: Fatal POINTS: 100 Space mines are the pointy, star-like objects that occupy the background of space. They are the same as regular mines and are fatal if contact is made. Some of these mines will break loose from their orbit and pursue you. While these mines can be killed, they are still fatal if they reach you. Simply fly off the screen to escape any stationary mines and do battle where the area is unoccupied. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: BLUE PLASMA ORBS STAGES: 4 HP: 1 DAMAGE: 1 (contact); Fatal (shrapnel) POINTS: 200 Blue Plasma Orbs are small, blue orbs that remain stationary in some parts of space (usually near the starting position). They are relatively harmless in themselves, but they release a fatal plasma ball when killed that will hurl towards you. As with the mines, fly until these foes are off screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: ENEMY FIGHTERS STAGES: 4 HP: 1 DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 2000 Enemy fighters are small spacecraft released by the Satellite. The Satellite has an endless supply of fighters. Destroy these fighters if they get in your way, but they are a secondary priority to taking out the Spinners. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: SPINNERS (BLUE) STAGES: 4 HP: 1 DAMAGE: 4 (bullet); 1 (contact) POINTS: 0 The Spinners are small, spherical fighters that are also deployed by the Satellite. They are more dangerous than the Enemy Fighters (their bullets do 4 HP of damage), but they drop hearts when killed. This is an invaluable asset that will make the difference in the Satellite battle. Focus most of you attention on killing the Spinners and accumulating as much health as you can. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: SUPER SATELLITE STAGES: 4 HP: 20 DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 5000 The Super Satellite is the dreaded boss of Stage 4. The Satellite is possibly the hardest enemy in the game. See Stage 4 of the Walkthrough for a detailed strategy on beating the Satellite. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: RED CYBORG (RHINO-R02881) STAGES: 5 HP: 2 DAMAGE: 4 (bullet); 1 (contact) POINTS: 0 Red Cyborgs guard the hallways of the Computer Station. They are relatively slow moving but do have a powerful blaster. You can take your time and exterminate them from afar. The Red Cyborgs drop Cocaine when killed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: BLACK CYBORG (HANDGUN-HGxr6 SERIES) STAGES: 5 HP: 2 DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 0 Similar to Red Cyborgs, Black Cyborgs also patrol the Computer Station corridors. These robotic foes are slightly easier than their red counterparts, as they inflict less damage. The Black Cyborgs drop Suitcases when defeated, which can be useful if you have collected close to 12 (the twelfth gives you an extra life). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: CEILING SENTRY STAGES: 5 HP: 2 DAMAGE: 4 (bullet) POINTS: 5000 The Ceiling Sentry zooms along the ceiling of the Computer Station and fires bullets down on you. It is relatively slow moving but can be annoying when you are trying to kill other enemies. You can only defeat it by standing atop other enemies or using a different gun. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: STATIONARY TURRETS STAGES: 5 HP: Invincible DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: N/A Stationary Turrets are planted at numerous places in the Computer Station and fire numerous bullets in succession. This can quickly deplete your HP. Fortunately, the turrets cannot fire upward. Stay as far up as you can and jump to dodge their bullets. It is best to pass by them as quickly as you can to minimize damage. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: AMOEBA STAGES: 5 HP: 3 DAMAGE: 4 (bullet); 1 (contact) POINTS: 0 The Amoeba is the floating, amorphous blob that hovers near the ceiling of the Computer Station. It is largely harmless but occasionally fires a small lightning bolt. You should make an effort to kill Amoebas when at the top of the stage, as they drop Hearts when defeated. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: GIANT RAT STAGES: 5 HP: 6 DAMAGE: 4 (bullet); 1 (contact) POINTS: 1000 Giant Rats are large, mutated creatures who live in the crawl space above the Computer Station. They are very hearty with 6 HP of health. Instead of fighting them, either jump on their backs or jump over them. You can often make a Giant Rat appear on screen by visiting the menu screen while on the platform at the top of the stage. Jump in the air and try doing this; you can get a Giant Rat to appear just below you (which can be safely ridden all the way across the stage). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: GREEN OOZE STAGES: 5 HP: Invincible DAMAGE: Fatal POINTS: N/A Green Ooze has seeped out of Pitbull's chamber and moves around the floor before his room. This ooze is fatal if touched and cannot be killed. Do your best to dodge it and try to avoid spending too much time on the same screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: SPIDER STAGES: 5 HP: Invincible DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: N/A Spiders occupy one of the rooms within the Caves. They move up and down along an invisible silk strand. They are more of an annoyance than a real threat. Wait until they are near the top of the screen, then pass quickly underneath. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: ANTDROID STAGES: 5 HP: 4 DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 1000 Antdroids are giant insects that occupy a few rooms in the Caves. They are not very aggressive, but walk about slowly along a fixed path. They are below the path of your normal weapon, so you will either need to move to lower ground or use a gun upgrade (preferably the Wave Beam). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: GREEN ORB STAGES: 6 HP: 2 DAMAGE: 1 POINTS: 0 Green orb swarms are emitted endlessly by Pitbull. While they can inflict several hits very quickly, they do drop hearts when destroyed. This is a very valuable asset that you can exploit during the final battle. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAME: PITBULL STAGES: 6 HP: 20 DAMAGE: 4 (knife); 1 (contact) POINTS: 0 This is him, the big tuna. Or big toad, more aptly. See Stage 6 of the walkthrough for a detailed strategy on defeating Pitbull. ============================================================================= C O N T A C T I N F O R M A T I O N RD0H ============================================================================= Thank you for taking the time to read through this guide. I hope you found it informative and useful in your adventures through Raid 2020. If you have any comments on the guide, whether they be corrections, suggestions for future revisions, spelling/grammar mistakes, formatting problems, additional strategies, or any other type of feedback, please let me know. Anything contributed will be credited in detail to the sender. I can be reached regularly at the following email address: Admiral1018@yahoo.com. Please include "Raid 2020" or something along those lines in the email subject heading if you can, so I don't accidentally delete the email. ============================================================================= R E V I S I O N H I S T O R Y RD0I ============================================================================= Version 0.99 – February 25, 2007 - Preview Version Version 1.0 – February 26, 2007 - Initial Release ============================================================================= C R E D I T S RD0J ============================================================================= This FAQ/Walkthrough was completed as part of the NES Completion Project, an ongoing effort to make sure every Nintendo game ever created has a useful guide. Big thanks to everyone at the FAQ General Board at GameFAQs.com for starting this initiative, without which this guide would not exist. Particular thanks to the following: - adamL (alamont1 at maine.rr.com): For helping me find the Key in stage 5 and savings potentially endless hours of frustration. This guide could not have been written without your assistance. ================================END OF GUIDE=================================