T&C II: Thrilla's Surfari FAQ/Walkthrough By Jason Venter Thank you for choosing my FAQ. I work hard to ensure that each FAQ provides useful information in a pleasant and intuitive format. You will find contact and legal information at the end of this FAQ. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= TABLE OF CONTENTS =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= You can easily skip around this FAQ to find the area that will most readily assist you. When viewing the table of contents, you will see alphanumeric strings next to a description of each segment. When you find the segment that sounds most promising, copy the corresponding string to your clipboard (press CTRL+C on a Windows machine or COMMAND+C on a Mac) and then bring up your browser's search box (press CTRL+F on a Windows machine or COMMAND+F on a Mac). Now paste the digits into your search box (press CTRL+V on a Windows machine or COMMAND+V on a Mac) and press 'Enter' on your keyboard to skip directly to that portion of the FAQ. If you believe that your question is a common one, you may want to start by searching through the "Frequently Asked Questions" portion. {C0002} AUTHOR'S NOTES {C0003} REVISION HISTORY {G0001} WORLD ONE {S1001} LEVEL 1-1 {S1002} LEVEL 1-2 {S1003} LEVEL 1-3 {S1004} LEVEL 1-4: KILLER RHINO {G0002} WORLD TWO {S2001} LEVEL 2-1 {S2002} LEVEL 2-2 {S2003} LEVEL 2-3 {S2004} LEVEL 2-4 {S2005) LEVEL 2-5: NEMESIS OF THE DEEP {G0003} WORLD THREE {S3001} LEVEL 3-1 {S3002} LEVEL 3-2 {S3003} LEVEL 3-3 {S3004} LEVEL 3-4: HUGE KILLER SCORPION {G0004} WORLD FOUR {S4001} LEVEL 4-1 {S4002} LEVEL 4-2 {S4003} LEVEL 4-3 {S4004} LEVEL 4-4 {S4005} LEVEL 4-5: OLDER BROTHER OF EVIL SHARK {G0005} WORLD FIVE {S5001} LEVEL 5-1 {S5002} LEVEL 5-2 {S5003} LEVEL 5-3 {S5004} LEVEL 5-4 {S5005} LEVEL 5-5: HYPER NASTY RHINO {G0006} WORLD SIX {S6001} LEVEL 6-1 {S6002} LEVEL 6-2 {S6003} LEVEL 6-3 {S6004} LEVEL 6-4 {S6005} LEVEL 6-5: BRUTAL SCORPION {G0007} WORLD SEVEN {S7001} LEVEL 7-1 {S7002} LEVEL 7-2 {S7003} LEVEL 7-3 {S7004} LEVEL 7-4 {S7005} LEVEL 7-5: IMMENSE LAVA BEAST {C0004} FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS {C0005} CONTACT/LEGAL INFORMATION =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= AUTHOR'S NOTES {C0002} =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= Thrilla's Surfari is a game I discovered by accident, with a friend's help. It's the sequel to a game I barely played (one I borrowed from a different friend) and it was a little too self-consciously hip for itself at the time. I wasn't big on the notion of an ape on a skateboard, yet now that I've had more time to get to know the game, I find that it's one of the more pleasing surprises the NES library holds for the modern gamer who doesn't mind games of old. It's also quite difficult, and it took me awhile to work my way through all the stages. Here, I'm going to provide you with some of the information I've gleaned after playing the game for years, along with detailed strategies to help you progress through each stage. I hope you enjoy! =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= REVISION HISTORY {C0003} =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= 01/26/07 I wrote this FAQ as part of the NES Completion Project on the GameFAQs site. I'd liked the game for a long time and the fact that no one had yet bothered to FAQ it-while providing content for so many other games-just struck me as wrong. I like rectifying wrongs. The first draft turned out pretty good, so it's quite possible that I'll never touch this thing again (unless people commonly ask a question I haven't already answered). =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= WORLD ONE {G0001} =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= The first world is a great place to get used to how the game works. While it's certainly possible to die frequently-even in the first level-there's not a whole lot here to challenge you compared to what will follow in the worlds beyond. It's a good opportunity to stock up on lives in anticipation of all those you will lose near game's end. ----------------- LEVEL 1-1 (S1001) ----------------- This level lets you get used to some of the main threats you'll face throughout the game: pits and logs. You start on a hill. Skate toward the bottom and you'll see a wide gap. Now, you can either hit the ramp to launch over it, or just keep to the bottom of the path and perform a regular jump. The latter is safer, and you want to be at the bottom of the path for the next little bit, anyway. Proceeding to the right, you'll come across a series of logs. Turtles are in front of some of these, and hitting them will launch you way into the air. However, that's quite dangerous because when you land, you do so quickly and may very well land right on a log. You may also miss the coconuts in the area, which you want to grab because they let you play an end-of-level game of chance for extra lives. Stay near the bottom of the path, making small hops over the logs and venturing upward only to collect the coconuts. When you collect the second, it's time to switch your strategy so that you're mostly sticking to the top of the path, since that makes it easier to grab the next few coconuts. That'll take you up to the end of the stage and the yin-yang symbol that serves as the hut for the mini-game master. Make sure that you don't approach too quickly, as that'll cause you to miss the spinning banana that's just before the symbol (you want that banana, since it grants your life meter a permanent extension). ----------------- LEVEL 1-2 (S1002) ----------------- This stage is more of the same, but lasts a fair bit longer and introduces some new threats. There's also a fork in the path a short distance into the stage. The two paths are rather different from one another. If you take the top path, you'll have to jump over a series of three logs laid right next to each other. It's an easy jump to make if you expect it, and then there are fewer logs to avoid as you continue to the right. Soon, you'll converge with the main path, and at that point you want to be ready to jump over a giraffe's neck and onto the blinking banana symbol. If you miss the banana, turn back and get it. You need all those easy life extensions. Continuing to the right, you'll see a path that takes off to the left. Ignore it for a second; you'll follow it presently. As you go right, make sure to avoid the log. You'll run into a green bumper of sorts, with a coconut just in front of it. Snag the coconut and when you hit the bumper, you'll quickly head left. Now, be ready to jump the same log you just cleared a second ago. As the trail continues left, you'll do best if you stick to the top. Hop over any logs and you'll hit another bumper. This one takes you to the right. With any bumper you encounter throughout the rest of the game, you want to keep in mind what obstacles you just avoided before hitting it, since those obstacles are more dangerous on the rebound when you're trying to adjust to the new movement. Fresh off the bump you received from that bumper, you'll start down a slope leading to the right. At the bottom there's a coconut, then another one shortly thereafter. If you miss one, remember that in this early portion of the game you can safely skid to a halt (just hold the opposite direction) to go back and collect goodies you missed. If you don't foolishly build up speed and go off a ledge into emptiness because of your haste, you'll do just fine. In any event, grab all the coconuts you can as you continue right. There also are two diamond shapes that give you invincibility for a time. Collect those and follow the path as it winds down to the end, keeping along the top of the path at all times so that jumping logs is made simple. ----------------- LEVEL 1-3 (S1003) ----------------- The game switches things up for you in this stage, which finds you negotiating a rather simple river area on a surfboard. There's a warp you'll probably want to know about, as it saves you some time and skips you to the fourth world. To take the warp, just stick to the top of the river area, building up speed and hopping over rocks, hippo head and eels until you come to a huge drop- off. Normally, you would just drop down the falls and continue through the rest of the level. If you want to take the warp, though, you need to jump out as far to the right as possible and keep holding in that direction as you fall into a weird warp area with a bunch of black tiles. You'll warp directly to world 4. I'll assume that you don't take the warp, though. Instead of jumping to the right, then, hold left as you go down the waterfall to collect three coconuts. You'll see a sign pointing left when you reach the bottom, along with a bunch of flying insects. They'll do damage to your life meter if you brush against them, so move quickly. Also, watch out for turtles that pop out of the water. Brushing against them damages you, while hitting the rocks is downright fatal. This area is easy enough to negotiate that I won't give further instructions. Just follow the river as it flows toward the left, collecting coconuts that tend to position themselves near the base of waterfalls and avoiding creatures or (and this is a risky but sometimes viable alternative) bopping them squarely on the noggin with your board. Of course, if you miss even slightly it's you that suffers the damage. When the river turns back toward the right, you're almost done. Almost immediately after it does so, you'll want to have decent speed so you can jump and grab a floating banana that extends your life meter. When you reach the end of the stage, trade in your coconut shells as normal. ------------------------------- LEVEL 1-4: KILLER RHINO (S1004) ------------------------------- You've reached your first boss battle, which might sound intimidating but shouldn't be. Just keep tossing coconuts at the flying nemesis and don't let yourself drift to far down the hill or he'll be able to bump against you and do damage. You also have to watch out for rhino horns he'll toss at you. They circle back like a boomerang, so you need to be ready to jump over them. Keep in mind that hits will eventually connect, so victory in this battle is a simple matter of doing as much damage as you can as quickly as possible. He should go down pretty easily. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= WORLD TWO {G0002} =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= When you start World 2, you should expect more challenges along the lines of those you've already faced, but with increased opposition from more enemies and more devious pits. It's still nothing compared to what's to come, but you'll definitely start to feel the pinch. ----------------- LEVEL 2-1 (S2001) ----------------- The Aluzaw River is the site of the second stage. You're back on your surfboard for this zone, which begins with the current floating toward the left. There are a lot of rocks to avoid here, so begin by floating toward the top of the river and then at the next bend, switch to the bottom. Staying along the edges is a good course of action for most of the stage, actually, since fewer boulders appear there and jumping one is less likely to cause you to land on the next. As the river bends left and heads in that direction for awhile, make sure you're positioned along the bottom. Otherwise, an octopus pops out of the liquid and squirts you with water, which is enough to damage you and more likely send you crashing into a boulder. You'll soon come to an area where turtles pop out of the water and move around in an attempt to knock you off your board. Just past them is a waterfall that drops a few quick drops before a fork in the water. By default, you'll end up heading left. However, you can also hold right and explore that area instead. If you go left, you'll see a maroon elephant head before a long waterfall drop. The river bend will loop down and back to the right, so that you'll end up in the same place as you would have if you took the alternate route. At this point, I recommend staying near the top of the river for its remainder, since most of the rocks in this next section seem to be clustered near the middle and bottom. You should finish the river in no time and move onto the next area. ----------------- LEVEL 2-2 (S2002) ----------------- As this stage starts, you're near a rock and the screen is scrolling toward the left. If you fight against that, you can scroll right to grab two coconut shells, then hit a bumper and head back left with the bonus in hand (a bird will also flap after you in offensive mode, so be ready for that). As you push left (whether after grabbing the coconuts or not), the hill slops gradually downward. You'll find that the path frequently splits from here, with sharp declines if you stay along the bottom of the path, and more gradual slopes if you ride near the upper portion of the path. At the first branch, go down sharply, while at the second you'll want to take the more gradual path near the top. This path is dangerous, but there's a banana along it. Along this path, your safest location is actually the center. You can more easily weave up and down between logs, which are placed mostly along the top and bottom. Staying near the middle is fine, too, because that's where you'll find the banana I mentioned, just before a wide pit you need to leap. To leap the pit, you actually need to jump as you come across the wide brown strip (before the smaller little ramp) or you'll just fly right into the gap without hitting the ramp. Across the pit, you'll want to stay near the center of the path or else you'll lose a life even if you make the jump. Then be ready for a bumper that bounces you back toward the right, down another steep slope. At the bottom of the slope, you should slow down as the screen scrolls to the right. You'll be coming up on another wide pit. Instead of leaping over it, make sure you stop a fair bit short of it and then head back toward the left. Take the path that leads around the base of the slope you descended and wrap around a spear-throwing native and a cobra, down another steep slope that leads to the right past a pale lizard. Just after the lizard, you'll want to stay to either the top or the bottom of the path to avoid a bonfire that burns at its center. Keep moving to the right. Though there are paths you can take off to the left at some junctures, none contain anything interesting. Be on the lookout for a few short ledges with scorpions patrolling, since you'll need to make a series of quick, short hops. If you stay at the center of them, you'll hit platforms that send you into pits, so stay near the bottom to avoid that pitfall. Shortly after the series of short platforms, when you pass the giraffe, slow down because you're coming to a banana just before a pit. Grab the fruit and keep going to the end of the stage. ----------------- LEVEL 2-3 (S2003) ----------------- The game informs you that this is 'the first waterfall,' and so it is. You begin by coming over the crest of a wide waterfall and you complete the stage by falling downward and avoiding hazards. It's actually quite simple. If you start by hanging left and only move right as you have to, you'll find that you hit very few obstacles. Since you've been collecting bananas, you should have plenty of life to take a few minor hits and should reach the end in one piece. ----------------- LEVEL 2-4 (S2004) ----------------- This stage begins with you on the back of a shark. How you captured the poor creature is beyond me, but it'll be taking you through the stage. Though you might not expect it, this stage is rather difficult. As you move to the right, you'll find that you can press boost your shark with one button and throw water spears with the other. The water spears (sorry, don't have a better term for them) only work if you're underwater. If you swim to the surface, you can also hang out there for a bit to recover your life, as long as you're not taking hits from enemies in the meantime. Anyway, you'll want to cruise to the right, just low enough in the water to keep your spears in hand. There are plants that send out projectiles, so you want to move quickly while chucking spears that cause wall-like foliage to retreat long enough that you can pass through. Soon, you'll reach a long vertical shaft that descends into the watery depths. Go down through the shaft, but note that fish will emerge from both walls. Brushing against them does damage to your life meter, so avoid such reckless activity. At the base of the shaft are some eels and then you'll see that you can go either left or right. Start by heading right and up a shaft you find there, to the surface where you can refill any life you've lost. That's your sole purpose for going there; you won't find anything of value to the right. With your life restored, drop back down and continue to the right. You'll find another shaft. Ride it up to the top and refill your life as you continue in that direct, to a new wall at the top of another shaft. Descend this shaft and head left, then down another shaft, then right and down the first shaft you see there (the area above it and to the right is a dead end). At the bottom of this shaft, head to the right to finish the stage. -------------------------------------- LEVEL 2-5: NEMESIS OF THE DEEP (S2005) -------------------------------------- You've now reached your second boss battle. Cheer or something. This guy is a massive shark and you won't last long if you try to be clever. Instead, you should gradually float to the right, sending as many spear shots as you can in as short a period of time as possible. The shark returns the favor by chucking junk at you. You'll have to dodge toilet seats and tires and all sorts of rubbish, and it comes fast and furious. Turning left doesn't do much good because it takes awhile to turn back to the right and by then you could've taken a tire to the butt. So try to avoid doing that unless you have to. Fortunately, most of the rubbish comes in clumps, with short periods between where you can safely fire your shots. Make advantage of such reprieves and you'll do fine. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= WORLD THREE {G0003} =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= The third world is the Sahara Desert. You're back on your skateboard with new scenery to look at and a new set of obstacles. Things are about to heat up! ----------------- LEVEL 3-1 (S3001) ----------------- Begin by riding slowly to the right, down the gray ramp. At the base, you'll find plenty of army ants on patrol. You can easily jump around them or on their heads as you push toward the right. They're not a serious threat. After the ants-and there are a lot of them, as you'll find-come some snakes in baskets and then some villagers that will chuck spears at you. It's easy to avoid all of these threats if you keep hopping and weaving. You'll pass them to come to a second gray ramp. At its base, there's an empty area, then the third gray ramp. This third ramp is important because if you're at the center of the path, you'll head down and into a Venus flytrap that will stun you and cause you to fall into a pit. Avoid it by sticking to the top or bottom, jump over the pit, and then prepare to jump over more of the vicious plants on the other side of the gap. Past those plants you'll find some snakes and scorpions. Be careful at this point because even though it's easy to avoid the animals, you don't want to jump so erratically that your jumps take you too close to the stones that line the path. For whatever reason, the desert hurts you if you land on or outside those little stones. There also will be some boulders you'll come across soon. There's an invincibility icon just before a set of those. Grab it, then ram into the villagers as you work to the right and hop over sets of boulders. When you get past that threat, there are more scorpions and then a gray ramp that leads to a pit. Jump the pit and then be ready to jump again to clear some boulders before skating a little further to the right and clearing the stage. ----------------- LEVEL 3-2 (S3002) ----------------- The second stage in world three is more of what you just completed in the first. Start by heading right, down a gray ramp and past a set of blue scorpions. You'll have a second or two of piece, then a series of tricky boulder formations. I've found that the easiest way through the boulders is to stick near the bottom of the path, perilously close to the pebble border but not right on it. This lets you make a few simple jumps while the boulders further up the path reveal what a risky area you almost had to pass through. You can thank me later. After the boulders are more of the blue scorpions, followed by a set of smaller gray ramps with still more scorpions. After them, you'll see a path with some army ants. Avoid hitting the ants because they'll cause you to crash into another series of boulders. These rock formations can't be as easily dodged by sticking to the bottom, so head up toward the middle of the path (but not quite there). You'll find that there's a fairly straight path through now and you should follow it while jumping over ants that will stun you if you hit them (the stun wouldn't be so bad, except it causes you to crash into fatal boulders). Past that gauntlet you'll find a pit. Jump over it and you'll come to a series of more boulders that can be avoided by staying near the bottom of the path. There's an invincibility icon here, which you definitely want to grab. Even though the boulders can't harm you now, you want to avoid them to the greatest extent possible. This is especially true near the end of the first set, where touching one causes you to bounce off it and into a pit. Beyond said pit, there's another set of boulders. Again, stick near the bottom of the path and don't let a final batch of ants ruin your day. You've reached the end of the stage. ----------------- LEVEL 3-3 (S3003) ----------------- This level is basically a bonus round. The sand is a baby blue hue (hence the name 'baby blue desert') and there are tons of coconuts floating about. Don't worry about collecting them, since they do you no good at the end of the stage. Many of the coconuts will start to move up and down to tempt you, but you should ignore them. Some will position themselves dangerously close to obstacles. Again, ignore them. As long as you play it safe going through the stage, you shouldn't run into any difficulty whatsoever. It's the easiest area in the game. --------------------------------------- LEVEL 3-4: HUGE KILLER SCORPION (S3004) --------------------------------------- This guy is actually the easiest boss in the game. You are in a rather wide arena, while he is positioned in the air above its center. He spews projectiles and all you have to do is roll back and forth, tossing coconuts up at his shiny shell until he takes enough damage and goes away. Sometimes I just stay still, a little right of where the battle puts me at its beginning, and just toss coconut shells without even moving. Even that strategy works. Really, the scorpion is as simple a boss as you could hope for. I'd give you more strategy, but none is required. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= SECTION {G0004} =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= The Muja Hadin desert is quite likely the last thing you want to see. More sand? It hardly seems fair. The difficulty has been ratcheted up a notch, too. Still, Barbi Bikini won't save herself. Get cracking! ----------------- LEVEL 4-1 (S4001) ----------------- This stage starts by pushing you toward the left. You can trick it, though. To the right, you'll find a big cluster of boulders. Line yourself up so that you're approximately equal to the top of the path and hold down the 'A' button as you leap toward the right. If you keep the button held down and you're lined up correctly, you'll hop your way all the way through the huge rock wall and onto a sandy path leading back toward the right. Follow the path right and the most you'll have to do is jump over a pit or two and two rock formations. Easy! ----------------- LEVEL 4-2 (S4002) ----------------- Finally, a stage returns you to the jungle. This is another level where you're compelled to begin your adventure by heading toward the left. Jump to dodge logs as you do so and stay along the path until just after the second giraffe head. Once you pass it, you can drift down toward the bottom and take the steeper hill as it descends into a new area, or you can head along the top. I generally head along the top path, which has a few simple threats from logs and pits and a few wandering enemies. By this stage in the game, you should have gotten good at avoiding them so I won't bore you with positioning details. When you reach the end of the trail, it turns and heads back down to the right down a hill. At the base of that hill, you'll find a path leading back to the left, or you can continue to the right. I recommend the former. As you head right, you'll have to jump some small gaps until you reach a ledge where villagers are throwing spears toward the left. Move past them, hop a set of three logs (all positioned right next to each other, so make sure you can easily jump and don't get hit by a spear tossed by one of the villagers) and then follow the path as it winds back down and toward the right. This path is a lot wider, but you don't want to use that width. Slide down to the very bottom and at the base, be ready to jump from the makeshift ramp over a very wide gap. Proceeding right, keep toward the middle of the path to jump some logs and as you push to the right, you'll see a huge gap with what appear to be rafts floating in between its edges. Jump toward one, hold down the button and bounce first on the raft nearest you, then from it to the next and then across the space. Now you'll have to avoid some logs as you keep working to the right, over some small hills with spiders dancing about. Past the spiders, you'll go down a huge hill and there's a ramp you'll need to hit near the center of the path to clear this gap. Running over the ramp (rather than pressing the jump button) will allow you to spare it with style to spare. Just past that, you'll find a spinning banana icon, as well as a bumper that bounces you toward a path leading to your lower left. Follow that path and stay about an inch shy of the top. This will allow you to collect a bunch of coconuts as you proceed left over a bunch of tiny ledges (be ready to make short, quick jumps). Past the ledges the stage ends and you can play for some much-needed lives. ----------------- LEVEL 4-3 (S4003) ----------------- The next stage you'll face is the second nasty waterfall. The same strategy that worked so well for you before should serve you perfectly well here. There's really nothing to add, except that this has a lot longer falls where nothing will obstruct your path. Try to avoid the temptation to keep weaving and instead make a few prudent turns. You'll suffer less damage and probably take only two or three hits the whole way down. You should have racked up more than enough bananas to sustain that sort of damage by now. On to the next level! ----------------- LEVEL 4-4 (S4004) ----------------- This stage begins with you riding on a shark again, which should give you a clue about what to expect at the end. Anyway, the same strategies that served you so well previously will again work to your advantage. From the start, move right while firing your water spears. Note that when you reach the area where the high wall falls away, there's a clam that will leap toward you if you're moving too slowly. Colliding with him is instant death, so you'll want to move fast enough that he passes underneath. Continue to the right and work down through the gaps, taking advantage of air pockets as necessary and keeping your spear at the ready. You'll find that it can save you from some damage, since it takes out the smaller enemies and leaves you free to focus most of your concerns on the clams. Basically, the path through has enough twists and turns that you would probably find specific directions useless, but one pointer is to work toward the right as much as possible. You should only have to go down through about two or three shafts, then work right in a flurry of activity and then ride back up to the surface, catch some air, and then make another plunge down deep and to the right. This will get you through to the end with only a few enemy encounters. Then it's onto a REAL challenge! ---------------------------------------------- LEVEL 4-5: OLDER BROTHER OF EVIL SHARK (S4005) ---------------------------------------------- If you thought the last shark battle was rough, prepare to hate this one. Your strategy doesn't need to change, but you do need to try to survive longer. Luck may play a role. Evil Shark's older brother seems to hurl more garbage and he has a longer life meter. Worse, his shots are more accurate and seem to do more damage. However, you may notice something useful as you fire your water spears. If they hit the top of the cavern at a slight angle, they'll skim along the surface and hit Evil Shark. Therefore, if you stay about a third of the way up the screen or higher and just keep floating up and down firing spears, you should be able to avoid the bulk of his shots and more of yours should find their way past rubble and into your enemy's face. It's still a tough battle, but once I realized that little tidbit about the spears, things got a lot easier. Good luck! =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= SECTION {G0005} =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= Though you're probably sick of water areas by now, world 5 starts with more shark riding and will challenge you with tricky jumps to boot. Be strong. Your goal is within sight! ----------------- LEVEL 5-1 (S5001) ----------------- The third shark riding stage (not counting Evil Shark and his brother) begins the same as the others, with you on a shark and facing toward the right. Your strategy hasn't really changed, either. In fact, this stage is arguably the easiest of the shark riding stages! After you've worked through that first canal, where air and life are unlimited so long as you stay at the very surface, just cruise to the right and take vertical shafts down at every opportunity. Enemies will start giving chase but none of them will catch you and it's quite possible to get through with a completely full life meter, without even stopping for air. ----------------- LEVEL 5-2 (S5002) ----------------- You haven't left the water for the second stage in the fifth world, but at least now you're on a surfboard instead of on the back of a shark. The water here begins with a strong current dragging you toward the right. Head in that direction, hopping occasionally to avoid infrequent rocks placed throughout the stream. After you drop down the first waterfall and continue toward the right, an alligator will pop out of the water to make his presence known, but he's not really a threat since he's easily avoided. Really, he's no more dangerous than a turtle. Keep riding the narrow channel of water to the right from there and you'll see an octopus on its lower level. Just to the right of that, the water branches down past a villager and left past the octopus. If you're along the lower side of the water (which you should be) you can easily bop the octopus on the way past so that he can't spray water at you. Continuing left, you'll want to stay toward the top of the stream where you can most easily dodge the rocks that crop up here and there. Next, the water zigzags downward, and here it's easiest to avoid threats if you keep to the right and lower portion of the water at all times (though heading up toward the center on occasion will allow you to grab those awesome coconuts). Past the water switchbacks, you'll find a waterfall that drops straight down and see a sign pointing left. You want to be near the center of the channel here to collect a few more coconuts, then head to the lower side of the rushing water as it spreads around a small island where a villager is standing and throwing spears (how do those guys get out there, anyway?). As you proceed left, you'll find there are plenty of rocks to avoid. The best suggestion I have is to stay near the bottom of the area, since the fewest boulders are gathered there. To the left, past boulders and an octopus, you'll find the end of the stage and the chance to redeem all those coconuts! ----------------- LEVEL 5-3 (S5003) ----------------- Now that you've cleared the first river stage, it's time for another. Now you're on the Congo River. The stage begins with you drifting toward the right and a large waterfall. Head to the bottom of the stream and drop down, holding to the right. You should drop down several levels, then be able to continue right past some animals as the water finally decides to twist back to the left. So far, you shouldn't have encountered anything difficult. As the channel wraps back right, you'll want to stay near the top so that you can avoid two boulders. Now you'll be at the top of another waterfall. At its base, there are two octopus enemies spitting water toward the left, in the direction you must head. Go that way and be sure to jump over the row of the rocks (don't let the octopi sneak in a hit from behind or it may prove fatal). Past the line of rocks there are natives peering out of the brush and blowing darts. Stick to the top of the stream and keep hopping and you should be fine. The water turns into a waterfall now that drops to a brief plateau of sorts, then drops again. Here, you need to be extremely careful. The eels are more difficult to avoid and landing on one can mean instant death. Past that hazard, there's another big drop and now the current is dragging you toward the right. You should see a bunch of alligators frolicking in the water. Beyond the frisky alligators, there's another big waterfall and the current now pushes you toward the right. Here, the water divides around a ledge. If you take the lower path, you can grab three coconuts, while the upper fork nets you a banana (remember that the banana is only useful if you can use it; the game caps you at six blocks on your life meter at this point, so go for the coconuts if you already have that many life bar segments). Past that, are more alligators and eels. The eels are tough to avoid, because they move up and down just a split-second after you do. To avoid them, weave up and down and keep making rapid hops as you work past them and to the stage's conclusion. ----------------- LEVEL 5-4 (S5004) ----------------- This stage is called the "Purple Jungle of Many Jumps," and a level's name has seldom been more accurate. For starters, nearly everything is purple. And yes, there are plenty of jumps. Begin by rolling toward the right, as the screen is directing. You'll head down a wide, long slope to a sharp lift at the end. There are plenty of these throughout the stage, so you'll want to be used to them. They'll launch you into the air and over gaps and you don't even have to press a button to make it happen; just roll over them and let them do their work. The best area of the path to follow at this point is its approximate center, as you cross over several such gaps collecting coconuts. You need to be there to hit one small ledge that you'll find at the center. It carries you over a wide gap with rafts resting on its right side. Just past that, you'll find some logs and snakes, so make sure to jump and weave past them and the villagers beyond. Next, there are several scorpions. Even when you don't have pits coming, jumps serve you well, though you should be careful about staying in the air for too long at a time unless a ramp has just launched you. Past the scorpions, you'll go beyond a few enemies and down a slope to a bumper. It bounces you back toward the left, so follow in that direction and stick near the bottom so that you don't have to jump any more logs than necessary. This portion of the level is easy, as you can grab an invincibility cube and not have to worry about most enemies. When the path snakes back toward the right and you're going down another wide gap, stick close to the center so that you can grab a banana at the bottom. The banana is nice, but it's followed closely by a final series of ramps that launch you from one platform to another. The wrinkle here is that there are a bunch of insects flying. You can't safely jump and bop them with your board, so instead you should weave up and down so that they can't damage you and send you falling into a pit. Past those ledges, you'll find the stage's conclusion. ------------------------------------ LEVEL 5-5: HYPER NASTY RHINO (S5005) ------------------------------------ This is a repeat encounter with the guy you probably remember from the end of the first world. His life meter is longer now, and his shots more frequent. Be strong! One trick I found that seemed to help is to roll your board up so you're just at the top of the hill, almost straddling the edge. Facing right while positioned there and jumping periodically while chucking your coconuts seems to work good, since most of his shots go under or over you and you continue doing your own damage. Good luck! =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= SECTION {G0006} =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= You're almost caught up with Wazula now, but things definitely aren't going to get any easier. After a conversation with a cat so hip he owns his own board, you'll venture deeper into the depths of a jungle that looks... not much different from the first stage. When will it end? ----------------- LEVEL 6-1 (S6001) ----------------- The stage begins with you rolling toward the right. There's nothing of interest to the left, so go with it. Let the ramp carry you over the gap and ride over a hill. As you head down the other side, be prepared to make a jump; there's a big gap at the bottom. On the other side of that opening, make sure you're riding along the bottom of the path so that you can jump a few obstacles. Now your jaunt through the jungle will continue down another wide path. This part is going to be tricky. As you near the bottom, you'll want to have good speed going. There will be a small mound. As you hit the top of that mound, press the jump button. You'll flip into the air and should just barely clear a gap you didn't even know was coming. On the other side of the gap is another wide path. Ride down it and make sure you build up plenty of speed as you continue to the right, hitting ramps to take you over one ledge after another. Just before the third gap, you'll want to ride up to the top and hit a turtle. He'll launch you across a gap so wide that the final one in the set of three ramps never could have carried you safely across. There is a row consisting of three Venus flytrap enemies on the other side of that gap, if you do happen to clear it. Jump over them and continue right, where a bumper will bounce you back left and down a slope. Stay near the bottom until you see two logs pass overhead, then drift up to the top as you continue left. Leap over a gap and there are some more logs to avoid before you cross a gap and head up a hill collecting coconuts. At the top of that hill, be ready to dodge more logs and a board that hangs out near the top of the path (at this point, that's where you should be, since the bottom is hazardous at the moment). Past the boars, stay near the top of the path until some logs pass beneath you, then swing quickly to the bottom as you reach the end of the hill. There, a turtle will launch you over another wide gap. Now you should dodge any negligible hazards while grabbing coconuts and be ready for another wide gap with a raft floating in the center. Bounce off the raft in the center and to the other side of the space, which is the end of the level. ----------------- LEVEL 6-2 (S6002) ----------------- You've now made it to the third big waterfall. When you come over the top, it should be fairly apparent that that you need to start by directing yourself to the left. This stage goes quickly enough that if you're having trouble, you're going to have to rely on memorization. For the most part, you'll need to weave left, then right, then left and keep repeating as rocks fly by at breakneck speed. It's almost never safe to just stay in one place. As long as you keep weaving back and forth, you should reach the bottom with at least one slot left on your life meter (though likely not a great deal more). ----------------- LEVEL 6-3 (S6003) ----------------- I hope you like surfing levels, because that's what you get from level 6-3. This time, the current begins by pushing you toward the left. It won't take you long to discover that this is the absolute rockiest river in the game. Basically, the current just winds back and forth, with plenty of boulders that you'll need to avoid by for the most part sticking to the top of any given area. Oversized moths flap their way around the area and make things more difficult, since touching them will stun you and may cause you to fall into a rock. When you reach the bottom of a long series of twists and turns, you'll find that the current is now pushing you toward the right. Dodge just a few more enemies and go down one more waterfall and you've reached the end. It's a very short stage. ----------------- LEVEL 6-4 (S6004) ----------------- Now that you've cleared another river, it's time to head again to the desert. The game begins by pushing you off toward the left, but you can turn around and head to the right if you wish. If you do, you'll find a solid wall of rock, but you can pass through it by heading to the near-bottom of the path and holding down the jump button to make quick hops over the boulders and to the right. Now you'll be pushing onward toward a few ants before you'll notice some cobra snakes sitting in baskets. These are your clue that you should be somewhere near the bottom half of the path. Just after the snakes, you'll see a series of boulders with natives standing among them, ready to toss spears in your direction. By now, you should be used to navigating such areas. You'll have to work overtime to avoid the spears, but if time your jumps so that they carry you over both spears and boulders, you'll be able to hop past five or six rock formations and to the end of the stage. ---------------------------------- LEVEL 6-5: BRUTAL SCORPION (S6005) ---------------------------------- The scorpion you remember from the past is gone, replaced by one who is at least slightly more competent. If you just try to stand beneath him and fire off shots, he'll take you out almost immediately with a stinger shot. Meanwhile, he continues to fill the screen with plenty of other shots. That simply means that (unlike last time) you have no choice but to keep moving. With that said, moving back and forth while tossing coconuts seems to work almost as well as it did before. The battle isn't a gimme, but it shouldn't be enough to stump you now that you've come this close to the prize. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= SECTION {G0007} =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= Well, you've finally made it to the last world. Wazula can't run any further and Barbi will soon be yours again. Don't give up now. You want to see how it is that she got her intriguing nickname, don't you? ----------------- LEVEL 7-1 (S7001) ----------------- The first stage in this game's last world is another surfing zone, but it's not like any you've experienced before. Instead of frigid waters, you're now asked to navigate a river of molten lava. With that said, your strategy should remain about the same as usual. From the start, follow the lava flow toward the right and past some fireballs. These may be hot, but you can still bounce off their backs if you time your jumps right. The same cannot be said of the boulders, which now are black blobs with spidery red lines through them. Avoid those at all costs. As you advance right, the path should split and you'll continue working right, then find yourself in the middle of a wide stream of lava as it flows gently downhill to the right. Fire moths will drift on-screen from the right as things slope upward. Follow the rising lava but start hopping, since a lava beast emerges at the top of the flow and will hit you if you're not paying attention. Past him, stick near the top of the passage to avoid a string of black rocks. Work further right and watch for more lava beasts as you descend two molten lava drop-offs. Hold right and you should land in a pool of lava flowing to the left and forcing you in that direction. Again, stick to the top of this flow so that you can jump over more boulders that already should be visible to you. You'll have to jump over several of these as the river continues left for a fair amount of time before it finally comes to another drop-off. At the base of the drop-off, the lava is again flowing strongly to the right. Head in that direction and you'll want to stay near the top of the flow as you proceed along another lengthy tunnel to yet another drop-off. At the base of this one, it's time to head left again to the level's conclusion. ----------------- LEVEL 7-2 (S7002) ----------------- If you thought you were done riding a board along lava, though, you're in for a surprise as the second stage in world 7 presents you with yet another cavern full of lava. You're headed left this time. Your trek left isn't particularly remarkable, except that there are moths flying about (you can bop them with your board) and lava bursts that fly out from the lava in arcs (avoid them). The lava flows left for some time with only the moths and lava bursts for company, until suddenly you come to a series of about four columns of rock. These have to be hopped over in rapid succession or you'll be forced to start the stage over again. Past the lines of rock, there's another lavafall. From its base, you'll head right along a moderately narrow shaft with moths flying about and the occasional boulder. This may seem like a breeze by now, but be careful; there are some lava flows that are headed downward. If you're low on the screen and land in one, they'll push you lower and into some rocks. For that reason, you'll want to stay near the top of the channel (though not at its very top). Next, the flow heads upward through a shaft lined by the occasional rock on either side. Follow it and avoid any boulders and enemies, then drop down a drop-off and go through yet another shaft with the same hazards. At the end of this shaft, there's another lavafall and then at the base you can head left and downward. This new area is lined by natives who are throwing spears, so you'll need to avoid that threat while keeping an eye out for things to wrap back to the right. This is your final challenge in the area. You have to avoid a series of boulders that will keep you hopping all over the place. As long as you're hopping quickly, even contact with one isn't fatal, though it does enough damage that you want to prevent it from happening. When the shaft ends, so does the level. ----------------- LEVEL 7-3 (S7003) ----------------- And here you are, at the third consecutive lava river. It's flowing to the right, so follow it in that direction and down another lava-lined drop-off. By this point, you're probably getting the hang of how the lava river works, and the third stage doesn't really break from that pattern. If you stay near the top of the channel, you should have time enough to avoid the occasional rocky outcropping and the few enemies that scatter as you approach. You will want to watch out for the skulls, which spit poisonous vapors toward you when you get near, but otherwise making it through the next few corridors should be a cinch. Then you'll come out over the top of a waterfall. Jump out to the right and you'll land in a pool of lava that pushes left, toward a coconut that was resting at the lava's base. Grab the coconut and ride the current left. Here, gators pop out of the water and you'll find the occasional boulder formation, too. You should be able to avoid both of these hazards as you continue riding lava this way and that. At this point, it's clear that the developers were running out of ideas. The whole stage is an endurance game. All you have to do is take the fewest number of hits possible while the lava continues to twist and wind past nothing more original than more rocks and gators. You should be able to survive with only moderate difficulty and progress to the next stage. ----------------- LEVEL 7-4 (S7004) ----------------- Perhaps sensing how sick of the lava rivers most gamers would be by now, the developers named this stage "Last Lava River." As you might anticipate from the end of the previous stage, you're riding your board to the right. At this point, you might wonder what strategy to use. The answer is simple: hold down the jump button for most of the stage and just follow the river around. This strategy will help you to avoid 90% of the attacks any enemies can muster and you should reach the end of the (thankfully short) stage with plenty of life remaining on your meter. You really shouldn't need any more strategies than that. The only enemies are rocks, alligators, skulls and those fire monsters that sometimes pop out of the lava. Hopping constantly is enough to vanquish all but the rocks, while staying near the top or bottom of the stream means that there's seldom even anything to avoid. When you finish the stage, it's finally time for the final boss encounter. ------------------------------------- LEVEL 7-5: IMMENSE LAVA BEAST (S7005) ------------------------------------- So, you've made it to the final boss encounter in one piece. It's been a rough trip, but now you're about ready to save the day. The boss is positioned in an arena much like the one where you fought the rhino boss battles. He spews lava shots and you aren't going to last long unless you ride up the hill (about halfway up), from there, chuck coconuts back down at the monster. They have to land in his open mouth and his projectiles will nullify about half your shots. The lava beast has eight slots on his life meter and so do you (or close). As long as you stay near the center of the hill and your shots connect reasonably often-and as long as you jump to avoid those shots of his that would otherwise hit you-this battle shouldn't prove too difficult. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS {C0004} =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= Q: Is it possible to actually earn chances at the mini-game by collecting the coconuts in the blue desert area? A: No, it isn't. As the guy who plays the shell game tells you, it's just a matter of too much sun. With that in mind, don't break your neck trying to collect trinkets that won't do you any good. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= CONTACT/LEGAL INFORMATION {C0005} =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= If you have questions that this FAQ didn't answer, please note that I probably don't have anything more to say on the subject. If I know something that falls within the scope of this FAQ, I will include it in the FAQ so that you don't have any special reason to e-mail me (and if you ask me about something I know that doesn't fall within the intended scope of this FAQ, I'm not likely to share it with you anyway). With that said, you are welcome to send me an e-mail at jasonventer[at]yahoo[dot]com if you need to reach me for any reason (please make sure that the subject of your e-mail makes clear its intent so that it is not deleted as spam; I receive literally hundreds of messages each day). Now for the legal stuff. First, know that this FAQ is copyrighted material. Are you interested in posting it on your site? Send me an e-mail, and I'll grant permission if I like your site and your terms. The following sites have permission to post my past, present and future FAQs until otherwise noted: HonestGamers (http://www.honestgamers.com) GameFAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com) IGN (http://www.ign.com) Neoseeker (http://www.neoseeker.com) Supercheats (http://www.supercheats.com) If you would like your site's name added to the above list, remember to contact me BEFORE posting any of my content. Also, remember that I reserve the right to withdraw my permission to host this content at any time, with or without advanced notice. Copyright 2007 Jason Venter 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. 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.