Guide/Walkthrough for 
Cannon Spike on the 
Dreamcast/Arcade by
Zhou Tai An (kain@pacific.net.sg)

Version 1.0

This FAQ is copyright Zhou Tai An and my permission 
must be sought before it it used for any purpose 
whatsoever. 

******

Some words before I begin :

I've always loved shooters. Way back since Gradius 
and 1942 (of the Strikes series) came out, I 
used to play them constantly, and I got pretty damn 
good too. (My faves still remain 1942 and 
Tengai, where I can clear the game if you give me a 
dollar or two.) However, another classic has
to be U.N Squadron (or Area 88 in Japan) which was 
one of the few shooters to actually have a 
LIFE BAR. The extra weapons and different pilots 
made things cool too. 

Anyway, I was justifiably excited when I got word 
that both companies that had made my fave
shooters were working together - Psikyo and Capcom. 
And you would have - gasp - a LIFE BAR. 
Having gotten the game early due to a kind deed by 
my regular game supplier, I must say - I'm not
disappointed. It's a bit short, the plot sucks and 
the music is nothing to be wowed by, but the
gameplay and graphics are worth the money I paid. 
It's a good mix of Final Fight meets shooter -
both the close-combat and ranged elements of 
fighting are potrayed well. (Did I mention you 
actually had a LIFE BAR?)

Basically, what I'm saying here is - this game kicks 
ass, so I'm writing a FAQ for it. ^_^ 
Chances are no one else is going to do so, anyway, 
so I won't have my spotlight stolen like my
ill-fated Valkyrie Profile FAQ (which has become 
semi-famous for it's rant, methinks) In any
case, enjoy.

******

I'm not going to waste time explaning the controls 
and such - I'll just jump to what's become a 
staple of my guides - the basic hints and tips. Here 
we go, then.

Basic Hints and Tips :

1. Keep moving. The more you stay still, the easier 
enemies can draw a bead on you, especially
in higher difficulty settings. Also, baddies LOVE to 
crowd you, which can be a real problem when
they approach from several directions, something 
even area-attacks can't do anything about. Given
the wide spaces you can move about in this game, 
circling, tracking and taking them down one by 
one shouldn't be a big problem. Whatever the case, 
don't stay still.

2. Learn when and when not to use the targetting 
trigger. While mastering it is definitely one of
the essentials of the game, there are some times 
when you'll want the freedom of movement to
strafe enemies in the different pattern. Also, since 
it takes approximately half a second to press
the button and track, you can be caught off-guard in 
this small space of time, especially when 
a lot of enemies appear - don't get too reliant on 
it, you can still hit enemies without a mark on
them. Basically, you'll be a much better player when 
you know just when to press the button.
DON'T use it when there are a lot of enemies close 
to you - DO use it on bosses.

3. Re-track often. Your tracking only lasts for a 
few seconds, upon which you have to press the 
button again to get another bead on your enemies. 
This technique is essential to beating certain
bosses, and I'll cover it in more detail later.

4. When playing two-players, have one character 
(preferably faster and more suited to 
close-combat - those marked "Forwards" in the 
character select screen) take the point and attract
enemy fire, while the other picks a heavy-hitter who 
works from behind to dish out damage.

5. Know when to close and when to attack from afar. 
Generally speaking, when there are only one
or two enemies, you should close, and when there are 
more, hit them with ranged attacks. A lot
also depends on which character you use and what 
attacks they have, but I will be dealing with
them later.

6. Don't waste your Specials, but don't be afraid to 
use them on normal enemies either. Above all,
never die with a Special still unused - you'll feel 
like a fool. ^_^ In any case, use them either
to deal extra damage or take out clumps of enemies. 
Also, remember to aim them properly - only
Shiba's and Megaman's Specials don't really require 
that much aiming.

7. When a boss is going to die or has taken a lot of 
damage, it starts taking very little damage
from attacks. Yes, this actually happens - observe 
the bosses's lifebar. This is to trick you 
into thinking you can finish it off before it does 
any more damage. Well, consider all damage you
deal now divided by 3, and you've got a rough 
estimate of how much more you'll need to dish out.
Sneaky game designers, aren't they? ^_^

8. Learn the boss's pattern. Like most shooters, 
each boss has a set pattern which they follow
rigidly, and knowing it means that you'll be able to 
combat them that much more effectively - in
fact, I can defeat some bosses without taking a 
single hit. I'll be supplying you with the patterns
for most of the bosses in the game, but in case my 
strategies don't work for you or I have gaps
in my knowledge (unlikely, considering how 
thoroughly I play the game) you should try to work 
out
your own.

9. Always, ALWAYS kill the bosses's flunkies before 
attacking them. Not only will you occasionally
get power-ups, it prevents your concentration and 
attacks from being disrupted when you decide to
make your real attack. Don't believe me? Try it and 
see. This is a lot more important for some 
bosses (like Cat Lady Beauty) than others.

10. Learn to combo. Like almost every other Capcom 
game in existence, Cannon Spike also features
comboing. While this is more integral to some 
characters (Cammy) than others (Arthur) it still
makes a difference. Each attack has different 
comboing potential - of course, I will illustrate 
each later, but learn which work best for you. As a 
general rule, melee attacks combo into 
long-range ones and almost anything can be comboed 
into a Special. A good basic combo to remember is a 
Normal Attack into a Heavy Attack into a Special.

11. Grab the life boxes. Unlike the normal life 
capsules, these actually lengthen your life gauge by 
one bar, so get them at all costs!

******

Specific Combat Strategies :

1. I'll now explain the secret of retracking, and 
it's actually quite simple - release and press 
the button very quickly. That's it. The trick is to 
make it natural and do when in the proper
situations. Remember, it's a quick one-two motion, 
nothing fancy, but make sure you do it fast
and don't mess up.

When should one retrack? When one finds a lull in 
the enemy action, that's when. Most bosses have
a tendency to spray fire and then stop - circle 
around them when they're attacking, and then 
retrack the moment they stop. If you time it right, 
you can keep up a constant stream of fire and
they will go down FAST. Against normal enemies, it's 
okay to move and retrack at the same time,
because they will typically be more than one. When 
you get really good, (like me ^_^) you'll be
able to retrack in the middle of enemy fire as well, 
which will increase your attack power
considerably.

That should be enough explanation. One last thing to 
remember - if you move too fast and out of 
the tracking range, you will lose the mark and have 
to redo things; this can get you killed fast
against the later bosses, so watch it.

2. Always press the attack when using a Special. 
Ideally, you're playing two player. One guy
uses his/her Special, and both players rush forwards 
to use their Heavy Attacks, then move out, 
firing as they do so. The beauty of this is because 
Specials render you invincible, you can pull
of this strategy at any time, provided the player 
being attacked uses the Special so that he/she
absorbs the hits. Avoid using two Specials at one 
time, since that wastes invincibility frames.
When used against bosses, this can take them down 
FAST.

3. Snipe. You can get overwhelmed very easily in 
Cannon Spike, especially in stages with a lot of
enemies. Learn to use the targetting system to move 
around and circle, and short-range attacks to
pick off stragglers. By no means do you wade in and 
engage enemies. 

4. Certain moves have knockback capabilities. By 
this, I mean that they force an enemy backwards
and occasionally even cancel bosses's moves as they 
are being executed. As you can see, knocking
back is an attribute which is not to be taken 
lightly...I've listed what moves I recall as 
being able to knockback, but I can't guarantee that 
all are right.

5. Besides the retracking technique outlined above, 
there is another tactic you can use - pressing the 
targetting button and moving while not actually 
tracking an enemy will cause you to keep firing in 
one direction while not actually changing the 
direction of your character. This will allow you to 
strafe very effectively and should be learnt, if not 
mastered.

******

Character Analysis :

There are 4 ratings I will use : Poor, Average, Good 
and Excellent. These apply to all attacks and
whatever I am discussing, except the characters 
themselves, since each are good in their own 
way.

I will also design names for all the characters' 
moves (because I don't have the instruction
manual) but don't worry - I won't use them to refer 
to the moves (well, I'll try not to) to 
prevent confusion. 

For moves, there are five categories :

Startup - How long the move takes to begin.
Lag - How long it takes after the move until you can 
move again.
Damage - How much damage the move does.
Distance - How far the move travels.
Overall - Self-explanatory.

Evaluation - Analysis and summary of the move.

Nothing will be provided for Normal Shots since they 
are the same for all characters.

---

Shiba 

Summary : Shiba is a close-range sniper. I.e, he 
engages enemies close up, and then moves away
quickly. He's pretty well-rounded in that he can 
play a distance game as well, but his Heavy Shot
changes his game to a more melee oriented one. He's 
also one of the more self-sufficient characters
in the game - as long as you don't use his laggy 
melee moves, he doesn't really need a supporting
character the way Cammy or Arthur do. Simone players 
will find him easier to use, and vice versa.

Moves :

Heavy Shot (Plasma Cannon) - Shiba fires a large 
blast of energy shaped like a bubble, which 
travels a short distance, expands slightly, then 
disappears.

Startup : Excellent
Lag : Average
Damage : Poor
Distance : Average
Overall : Good

Evaluation - Despite it's lack of distance and the 
lag after it, the Plasma Cannon's area of 
effect and spread-fire capabilities make it Shiba's 
main weapon. Get in close from the side and
fire, then move away. Be careful to use it only when 
enemies aren't TOO near you...also, the
effectiveness of this decreases as you progress 
further in the game, because then enemies can take
the damage dished out by the weapon and attack you. 
Also, if you hold down the button, the blast
will travel further.


Heavy Attack (Skate Hurricane) - Shiba does an 
extended version of his Skate Spin which hits 
multiple times.

Startup : Good
Lag : Poor
Damage : Good
Distance : Average
Overall : Good

Evaluation - Treat this as a weaker version of 
Simone's Strike Haze. While it comes out faster,
it does much less damage and because of it's smaller 
arc, doesn't hit as many enemies as Simone's
does. In most cases, you're a lot better off 
circling to the side and using his Plasma Cannon
instead. Only use this when you're anticipating a 
mass attack of enemies.


Normal Attack (Skate Spin) - Shiba spins around on 
his skateboard, hitting enemies around him.

Startup : Good
Lag : Average
Damage : Average
Distance : Average
Overall : Average

Evaluation - As you can see, an average move. This 
is Shiba's bread-and-butter Normal Attack and
really doesn't do much - it does come out fast, 
though. Simone's is again superior, but this one
has it's uses.


Special (Ghost Sweeper) - Shiba pauses and then 
floats up, surrounded by purple energy. He then
fires a bunch of homing ghosts which seek and 
destroy enemies.

Startup : Average
Lag : Good
Damage : Average
Distance : Excellent
Overall : Excellent

Evaluation : Since this is one of the two Specials 
which don't require aiming (actually, even 
Megaman's Blaster Roll requires some direction) I'd 
rate this pretty highly. It doesn't do much
damage, but it does allow you to fire it off and 
attack/get away however you might choose. The
only problem with this Special is that it tends to 
go for the boss rather than the weaker 
enemies - sometimes this is good, sometimes it 
isn't.

---

Arthur 

Summary : Arthur is the strongest character in the 
game, period. With the exception of Megaman's 
Mega Typhoon, no other attack does as much damage as 
he can deal. He's also as slow as hell, and
many of his attacks have very bad lag. With this in 
mind, he is best played in the two player
game. However, provided you say out of the way and 
only attack when it's safe, he can be a force
to be reckoned with in a single player game as well, 
as he is extremely powerful.


Heavy Shot (Missile Salvo) - Arthur fires a bunch of 
missiles from his arms - these have recoil
and push him back slightly.

Startup : Average
Lag : Poor
Damage : Excellent
Distance : Good
Overall : Good

Evaluation : This is strictly a distance/backup 
weapon. Because of the HORRIBLE lag and bad 
startup, Arthur is quite vulnerable to attack while 
using this. On the plus side, once he starts
firing, there is likely to be little left where the 
missiles hit. Like Bulleta's Gas Spray, you
can move Arthur around while he is firing this, 
which gives you some mobility. In any case, try to
use this at medium/long range, or you will be 
punished for it.


Heavy Attack (Grim Charge) - Arthur shouts and 
lunges forwards with his lance. *Knockback*

Startup : Good
Lag : Poor
Damage : Excellent
Distance : Good
Overall : Good

Evaluation : This can singlehandedly take out normal 
enemies - does almost as much damage as 
Simone's Strike Haze, the be-all and end-all of 
melee attacks. When using it, try to sideline 
enemies from a diagonal angle so you can hit 
multiple targets at once. And try not to get hemmed
in - it's quite easy, since this attack takes you 
forwards fast and you have bad lag afterwards.


Normal Attack (Knight Thrust) - Arthur thrusts 
forwards with his lance.

Startup : Good
Lag : Good
Damage : Good
Distance : Good
Overall : Good

Evaluation : As you can see, this is a Good attack. 
^_^ It falls short of Excellent because it
just doesn't cut it - while it's all-rounded, it 
doesn't work that well in all situations. It
can, however, take out most foes in one or two 
attacks. Use it to snipe (yes, Arthur can snipe)
then move away before retaliation can take place.


Special (Beam Storm) - Arthur charges up and 
releases four emerald beams of energy.

Startup : Good
Lag : Average
Damage : Good
Distance : Good
Overall : Good

Evaluation : One of the better "beam supers". The 
advantages of this as opposed to the others are
that it fires out in one complete attack and 
actually has some range! Whatever the case, the 
optimal range for this is medium/long, like most of 
his attacks. This is also excellent for taking
out of bunch of enemies who are close together.

---

Cammy 

Summary : Sorry, Street Fighter fans...I just don't 
think Cammy is a very good character. In 
fact, I think both her and the other SF character in 
the game, Charlie, are the two worse ones.
Why? They're too average. There's nothing they 
really do that well and that another character
cannot match...perhaps some of it stems from the 
fact that I can't combo very well. Well, read the
moves and decide for yourself.


Heavy Shot (Dual Flare) - Cammy pauses for a split-
second and releases two huge shots from her
guns. *Knockback*

Startup : Good
Lag : Average
Damage : Average
Distance : Good
Overall : Average

Evaluation : Nothing really much to say about this 
move. It's not as good as many of the other
characters, but it alright enough. Does decent 
damage, comes out pretty fast. It's also one of the 
few Heavy Shots to have knockback capability, which 
almost gets it a Good rating. (But not quite.)


Heavy Attack (Cannon Spike) - Cammy flips in the air 
and does a Cannon Spike. *Knockback*

Startup : Excellent
Lag : Average
Damage : Good
Distance : Poor
Overall : Good

Evaluation : The only reason this move gets a Good 
is because of the startup and combo potential. 
Besides that, because it doesn't do THAT much damage 
and has bad lag, (not to mention the sucky range) 
it's not very good. You've got to plan when to use 
this one.


Normal Attack (Hooligan Combination) - Cammy does a 
series of normal attacks (reminiscient of her 
Hooligan Combination from SF) ending in a Spiral 
Arrow.

Startup : Excellent
Lag : Poor (if completed) Good (if not)
Damage : Average
Distance : Good
Overall : Good

Evaluation : Again, this move falls short of 
Excellent status since it's far too easy to pump
the button and end up with a Spiral Arrow, which 
takes forever to recover from. Besides that, the 
speed and distance covered by the move make it an 
great choice for fast in-close assaults. 
Probably Cammy's best move.


Special (Cluster Spread) - Cammy spins around, 
flinging out a series of grenades in a short arc
around her.

Startup : Good
Lag : Average
Damage : Average
Distance : Poor
Overall : Average

Evaluation : Not too great. The bombs don't travel 
very far and while they do arc, it can be tough
to aim them in a pitched battle. The advantage of 
this move is that it can get you out of scrapes
fast (since the bombs explode around you) and make 
following them up with a Heavy Attack very 
efficient. However, the move does weak damage.

---

Charlie 

Summary : I don't really like Charlie. Although he 
has his good points (balanced strength and defense 
with more of an emphasis on power, making a pretty 
well-rounded character) he doesn't do anything that 
Megaman couldn't do better. Also, if you really want 
a powerhouse, Arthur far outshines Charlie in terms 
of damage. (Except for his Flash Kick, which is 
REALLY powerful.) In addition, most of his moves are 
really slow...well, see for yourself, I guess.


Heavy Shot (Force Arrow) - Charlie fires a 
triangular blast of energy from his weapon, which 
drills into the enemy.

Startup : Good
Lag : Average
Damage : Good
Distance : Good
Overall : Average

Evaluation : Doesn't do much for me. Is more 
powerful than let's say, Cammy's Dual Flare, but
it's bad startup prevents it from being truly 
useful. It does do good damage, though, and has the 
rare property of allowing you to fire and then move 
around after it has hit.


Heavy Attack (Flash Kick) - Charlie does what is 
basically Guile's Flash Kick. *Knockback*

Startup : Poor 
Lag : Average
Damage : Good (one hit) Excellent (two hits)
Distance : Average 
Overall : Good 

Evaluation : If you're using this move, BE SURE to 
use it up close. Why? Because it will hit twice for 
what is possible the most powerful move in the game 
(next to Megaman's Mega Typhoon) 
However, it's other bad points keep it from getting 
a Excellent rating, though the damage is nothing to 
laugh at. It works very well against bosses, but 
you'd be better off firing Force Arrow for normal 
enemies.


Normal Attacks (Commando Barrage) - Charlie rushes 
forwards with an array of punches and kicks.

Startup : Good
Lag : Average
Damage : Good
Distance : Good
Overall : Good

Evaluation : This is a cross between Simone's 
Zankuusen and Megaman's Rocket Punches - hits hard 
and fast, but doesn't do much beyond that. Has more 
effect area than Megaman's attacks, but doesn't do 
as much damage and has less range; lags behind 
Simone's. Because it only hits twice, you've got to 
be sure you'll kill your enemy with it.


Special (Sonic Blade) - Charlie does a series of 
Sonic Booms.

Startup : Good
Lag : Average
Damage : Average
Distance : Good
Overall : Good

Evaluation : Wins out over Simone's Special because 
this has limited directional changing abilities - 
i.e, you can turn Charlie around slightly when using 
this. It also grants a long period of invincibility 
and fires many Sonic Booms, both of which are good.

---

Simone 

Summary : Simone is the close-range queen of the 
game. Strike Haze is an incredibly potent 
weapon, and her Ion Lance sucks so much that it 
basically can't do anything...making her reliant
on melee to do any real damage. If using her in one-
player mode, run around a lot and snipe,
making good use of her Zankuusen - if playing with 
someone else, she can take a more active role,
running into the thick of things to do more damage.


Heavy Shot (Ion Lance) - Simone fires a blue spear 
of light from her gun. 

Startup : Excellent
Lag : Good
Damage : Poor
Distance : Good
Overall : Poor

Evaluation : Three words - this move sucks. Sure, it 
comes out fast and goes through enemies, 
but it does crap damage! So little damage that 
you're better off using your Normal Shot and 
circling and/or attacking with melee moves. It might 
be good for sniping from afar in certain
occasions, and it can plow through lots of weak 
enemies easily, but that's about it for it's 
uses. 


Heavy Attack (Strike Haze) - Simone leaps and spins 
in a circular motion, striking with her
swords multiple times. *Knockback*

Startup : Average
Lag : Good
Damage : Excellent
Distance : Good
Overall : Excellent

Evaluation : Knowledge of this move is essential to 
mastering Simone, and knowing how and when to
use it can mean the difference between victory and 
defeat. This thing is so powerful it allows
Simone to effectively rush in and take out a whole 
bunch of enemies all on her own - if used 
correctly, that is. The two things you must remember 
about this move are 1) the startup is only
average and 2) while it has good lag, it still has 
lag. Also, don't become too reliant on the
move and start whipping it out with impunity - it is 
intended to bolster your assaults, not 
become them.


Normal Attack (Zankuusen - Cleaving Air Flash) - 
Simone does a short rush forwards, slashing with
her swords.

Startup : Excellent
Lag : Good
Damage : Good
Distance : Average
Overall : Good

Evaluation : Basically, treat this as Strike Haze 
Lite. It works in much the same way, except
that the execution is faster and it does less 
damage. Use this to snipe often. Because of it's
damage potential, it can actually be used to clear 
out crowds if you are fast enough.


Special (Senkouzan - Battle Light Slash) - Simone 
shouts "Kakugo!" ("En guarde!") and sends out
a beam of blue light.

Startup : Good
Lag : Average
Damage : Average
Distance : Good
Overall : Poor

Evaluation : This is basically a souped-up version 
of her Ion Lance, and it still suffers from
most of the same problems. This attack is probably 
the worst Special in the game as it is 
terribly difficult to aim, even more so than 
Charlie's Sonice Blade, which at least can has
limited directional change in movement and offers 
longer invincibility. Use this only in close
quarters against bosses to get the maximum mileage 
out of it.

---

Megaman

Summary : Megaman is cheap. That's all I can say. 
^_^ If you're looking for an easier time with
the game, use him. His Mega Typhoon does so much 
damage that it can kill virtually anything it
connects with and take out some bosses in a mere two 
hits - if you thought that was bad, his
other moves aren't exactly pushovers either.


Heavy Shot (Mega Buster) - Megaman fires a blast of 
blue energy reminiscent of his standard 
charged up attack in most of his games.

Startup : Excellent
Lag : Good
Damage : Average
Distance : Good
Overall : Good

Evaluation : I was originally going to give this 
move an Excellent rating, but it's low damage 
keeps it from being that useful. This causes 
knockdown to SOME enemies. Besides that, use it as
you would a more powerful Normal Shot - think of 
each Mega Buster blast as 2 seconds of Normal
Shot concentrated.


Heavy Attack (Mega Typhoon) - Megaman spins around, 
creating a typhoon that moves a short distance
in the direction he is facing.

Startup : Poor
Lag : Average
Damage : Excellent
Distance : Poor
Overall : Excellent

Evaluation : It's the damage. That alone gets it the 
Excellent rating - once you've seen this 
thing in action, you will realize why Megaman is 
cheap. However, it has BAD startup, and Megaman
can be hit out of it very easily. Try to aim the 
typhoon in the direction of the enemies you are
facing so you get maximum mileage out of it. Also, 
because of it's extreme slowness, be careful 
of using it against fast bosses/foes. Basically, 
though, it's damage will make it your main 
weapon.


Normal Attack (Rocket Punches) - Megaman does a 
series of punches and kicks in the direction he is
facing, ending with a rushing punch.

Startup : Excellent
Lag : Good (if not completed) Poor (if completed)
Damage : Good
Distance : Good
Overall : Excellent

Evaluation : This is basically Megaman's version of 
Simone's Zankuusen. The main differences are
that it causes somewhat less damage, moves along a 
more lateral path (meaning you can hit less
targets) and if you complete the final hit, does 
significantly more damage but leaves you wide
open. Use mainly as a sniping weapon because of the 
lack of multi-hit capability.


Special (Blaster Roll) - Megaman leaps into the air, 
tucking himself into a ball surrounded with
purple energy and rolling around.

Startup : Average
Lag : Good
Damage : Good
Distance : Excellent
Overall : Excellent

Evaluation : Pretty good. Because Megaman is 
invincible for the entire duration of the roll, he
can attract enemy fire in a two-player game, making 
it extra useful. Combo this off a Mega
Typhoon for the best results. The drawback to this 
move is that because of the limited time, 
you've got to be very tight with your aiming and 
only hit the most important targets.

---

Bulleta (B.B Hood)

Summary : Hmmmm...I'd have to say that Bulleta is a 
cross between Shiba and Megaman. She has the close 
combat abilities and speed of the former while being 
able to pack a punch like the latter. This doesn't 
mean she can do everything, though - most of her 
moves, while doing well in some areas, suck in 
others. She's the hardest character in the game to 
classify into a rigid role, and should be played to 
see whether you like her first.


Heavy Shot (Gas Spray) - Buletta fires a stream of 
what seems to be acidic gas at her enemies.

Startup : Good
Lag : Excellent
Damage : Average
Distance : Average
Overall : Good

Evaluation : This move only gets a Good if you know 
how to use it - if not, downgrade it to an Average. 
Basically, the key to utilizing the Gas Spray is to 
move; unlike every other Heavy Shot in the game, 
Bulleta can actually move while firing this weapon. 
This allows her to semi-strafe from the side and 
exercise some degree of control over her angle of 
fire, offsetting the low damage. The fact that it's 
other aspects are pretty good just makes it better.


Heavy Attack (Hyper Apple for You) - Bulleta says 
"Hai, kore ageru!" ("Here, I'll give you this!") and 
tosses a Molotov cocktail at her enemy.

Startup : Excellent
Lag : Excellent
Damage : Poor
Distance : Poor
Overall : Good

Evaluation : Again, this move takes some getting 
used to (which is why I recommend you pick Bulleta 
only if you're comfortable with her) It has the best 
startup and lag of any move in the game (it comes 
out near instaneously and you can even move while 
throwing it) but it does pitiful damage and has 
horrible range. Therefore, you have to use it like 
some modified grenade - rushing in to chuck a few, 
then getting back out again. Basically, the key to 
Bulleta is movement; moving while firing your 
weapons. This move can actually be used to snipe, 
but you must be careful not to get entangled in 
large fights or rely on it to battle bosses.


Normal Attack (Skate Sweep) - Bulleta does a quick 
side sweep with her skater.

Startup : Excellent
Lag : Excellent
Damage : Poor
Distance : Average
Overall : Good

Evaluation : Same thing as her Heavy Attack - quick, 
but it sucks in the damage department.
Use it much the same way you would the Hyper Apple 
for you. Because it has next to no combo potential, 
do not sit there and pump the button hoping for more 
damage.

---

Game Walkthrough :

Not all the stages are in order (as you'll realize 
as you play through the game) so I'll just be 
listing them randomly.

1. Occupied Town

Not too difficult. Use Normal Shot to clear out the 
irritating security robots, then circle around and 
snipe with close-combat attacks to kill the rest of 
the opposition. The second wave will then appear - 
repeat the process and they should all die.

Sub-Boss (Buggy Hayabusa)

Easy as pie. It only has a puny little machinegun to 
hit you with, so simply circle, firing your Normal 
Shot and closing it to snipe when needed.

Boss (Rick Blue, Ken Brown and Bob Green)

As I've said, KEEP MOVING. The bosses will try to 
use their combined patterns to pin you down, so be 
careful. Try to stay out of their way until you have 
killed at least one of their number. (you can 
attempt to snipe if your character is fast enough, 
but I don't recommend it) Retracking works quite 
well here. The bosses's patterns are as follows :

Ken Brown - will try to fire homing missiles at you. 
Due to the long delay he takes in stopping then 
firing the missiles, this is the safest of the three 
to attack normally, though don't do it when the 
other two are crowding you. Simply keep moving and 
the missiles will miss.

Rick Blue - stay AWAY from the front of this guy, 
and he will rush at you with multiple punches - 
these can hurt bad if they all connect. He also 
moves pretty fast, so don't get caught unawares. 
Besides that, simply sticking to his tail and firing 
will bring him down easily.

Bob Green - fights much like Rick Blue, but uses 
less damaging but wider arcing swipes of his sword 
instead. Fight him like you would his comrade.

2. Unholy Dwelling

One of the easiest stages in the game. Normal Shot 
should kill the gargolyes, and the zombies are so 
slow they pose no threat. When the large zombies 
appear, stay out of their range and hit them with 
Heavy Shots from afar (unless they're only a few, in 
which case you can go right in and kill them) The 
only problem here is the Dobermen and the rest of 
the enemies that appear later - as long as you keep 
circling, you should be okay, but the enemies will 
try and crowd you, so when they first appear, try to 
use some Heavy Attacks to take out as many as you 
can.

Sub-Boss (Bio Gorilla Bloody)

Very easy if you know his patterns, which is as 
follows : when he sends out insects, blast through 
them with a Heavy Shot, rush in and whack a few 
times, then escape. He will then attempt to pursue 
you - you can avoid him easily, just don't get close 
or he will do a damaging charge. Rinse, cycle, 
repeat.

Boss (Bio-Monster Giant-BB)

There are several steps to beating this guy. At the 
start of the battle, hit him with a Heavy Shot or 
two, then get out of the way of his shots. Then deal 
with the enemy zombies, avoiding shots all the 
while. Then you can begin your attack in earnest. 
You can basically attack this guy any way you want, 
but keep in mind that if you get too close, he'll 
use a fast claw swipe that does good damage and is 
hard to avoid. 

3. The Slope

This is one of the tougher stages. Deal with the 
sentry robots using Normal Shots, then when the 
other white-suited men appear, switch your strategy 
to the other moves. Just keep a good distance away, 
sniping when necessary, and you should be fine. The 
trouble is when the flamethrower guys appear. These 
guys will crowd you as well as make sniping 
difficult with their  weapons, so make staying away 
a priority.

Sub-Boss (Flying Fortess Kabuki) 

This guy can be really easy if you keep a sharp eye 
out on what he's doing, if not, he can be quite 
troublesome. Basically, you want to keep in close to 
do damage, but be able to get out of the way fast 
enough to deal with his barrage of shots. When you 
see him about to fire, zoom out and try to duck in 
between the lines of fire. Because it's a bit hard 
to maneouver, it's imperative that you take out the 
enemies surrounding him. Alternatively, you can rush 
in and simply barrage the boss with Heavy Attacks 
and Specials - he'll go down quite quick. Don't 
bother with the helpers in this stage, because they 
will simply reappear if you kill them. 

Boss (Snowboard ROBO Rusher)

This is the easiest boss in the game. Don't think 
so? Let me explain it's pattern. It will alternate 
between firing and staying still. It's more than 
simple; just attack when it's not doing so, and 
retrack your fire while it is. The trick here is not 
to get distracted by the funny attack patterns and 
amount of shots the boss has. Whatever you do, once 
you beat this guy, you've got to contend with...

Second form of Boss (Snowboard ROBO Rusher)

If anything, this form is even easier. Just move 
vertically to avoid the bombs and shots (the shots 
are kinda quick, so be careful) When he's moving 
from side to side, you can get in a free Heavy 
Attack, but do NOT stay close to him for two long or 
he will hit you with his arms. 
 
4. The Perished Town

Sub-Boss (Fallen Balrog)

Easy. He'll only throw knives (which can be avoided 
by staying in a straight line) and rush you. You can 
avoid both by simply staying away and firing. Rinse, 
cycle, repeat.

Boss (Big Wheel Dragon)

Keep away from this thing while it's firing bullets, 
but the moment it stops and starts to move around, 
you can close. Because it's helpers are quite weak, 
you can focus on hitting it instead of clearing them 
out. It should go down easily.

5. The Abandonded Bridge 

Not too tough. The gunmen can be quite dangerous if 
you let them crowd you, so don't - hit them with 
Heavy Attacks and Shots from afar. Circle at length 
if you need to, and keep a good distance away so 
that when they spray fire, you don't get hit. A 
second wave will arrive, which you can treat the 
same way as the first.

Sub-Boss (Gunship Delfin)

The helper robots surrounding this boss are quite 
tough, so you may or may not want to kill them. In 
any case, this guy can be beaten much the same way 
of most of the sub-bosses - staying away most of the 
time and closing in to hit with Heavy Attacks when 
the opportunity presents itself. Just be sure you 
don't get caught in it's streams of fire.

Boss (UFO ROBO Vader)

This one is quite tough, mainly because of the fact 
that it's dangerous to approach it at any time - it 
will change attack pattern VERY fast. So close in 
only when you can, because it can zoom around and 
attack very rapidly. As long as you have a sharp eye 
and good reflexes, you should be able to avoid 
whatever it throws at you - for the bullet spread, 
find a safe area and for the four shot pattern, move 
around a lot. 

6. The King of the Jungle

This is actually a quite tough stage. The normal 
robots are easy enough, but once those are 
destroyed, powerful spearmen will appear. Depending 
on your character and playing style, you should 
either rush them and take them out fast or stay away 
and fire from afar. When the first three are 
destroyed, a powerful robot spewing bullets will 
appear - combined with the spearmen that will 
appear, you might want to use a Special here to make 
things easier for yourself. Whatever your decision, 
be sure to fight cautiously and not lose your cool.

Sub-Boss (Crazy Machine Jet Tiger)

This guy is tougher than most sub-bosses...in fact, 
I'll go so far as to say that he might the toughest 
one in the game. Because of his fast movement and 
erratic attack pattern, it's tough to guess what 
he'll do next, so for the most part, you should 
endeavour to stay away and not get too close - the 
only exception is when he stops moving, then you 
should nail him with melee attacks. Slow characters 
are at a disadvantage when fighting this guy - try 
not to use attacks that will leave you too open.

Boss (Jungle Master Sasuke)

Another boss in which knowledge of his pattern is 
essential to success. When the fight starts, he will 
begin firing a rapid-fire blast at you - dodge this 
quick and track him. During the fight, he will 
alternate this with a rushing spear attack - if you 
have a Heavy Attack with knockback, simply use it as 
he approaches. Remember to keep moving to avoid the 
shots. If you don't have the requisite Heavy Attack, 
simply circling and retracking will do the trick as 
well. 

7. Uninhabited Station

Middling difficulty. Don't bother with the robots on 
the rails - instead, concentrate on the other two 
types of enemies that appear. One of them has the 
capability to really spray fire at you (it's the 
lighter colored one) so you should make taking them 
out your priority. Besides looking out for that, the 
rest of the stage should be a cinch.

Sub-Boss (Dual Mech Savage Bros)

See the life bar of this sub-boss? Well, you're in 
luck - it really is at short as it seems. 
Just rush this guy and hammer at him; no fancy 
tactics required.

Boss (Insect ROBO Overlord)

When it first appears, hit it with some close-range 
attacks, then get away to avoid the bullet spray it 
will shoot. Repeat the cycle (be careful, it's 
pattern and movement will change) until it dies.

Second form of Boss (Attacker Antonio)

Again, when it first forms, hit with some close-
range attacks (two Normal or one Heavy) then get 
away. It bullet spreads are harmless enough (stay 
low at the bottom of the screen) but the railgun 
blasts can be very deadly - it fires after shooting 
two spreads, so it should be easy to avoid after 
reading this. Repeat the cycle until it dies.

8. Geofront Entrance

I recommend you use a Special the INSTANT you start 
the stage, because if you don't, the enemies here 
can pose a serious problem. Whether or not you 
choose to, circle and fire - don't attempt to get 
close unless you know you can, because these guys 
can react fast. When they're dead, it's on to...

Sub-Boss (Revenger Balrog)

Again, you might want to use a Special here since 
his henchman are quite hardy...once they're done 
with, though, the sub-boss himself is a piece of 
cake. Just avoid his wall-spring attacks (keep 
moving and you should have no trouble) and maintain 
a steady stream of Normal Shot fire.

Boss (Revenger Kabuki)

Again, depending on your approach, this guy's 
difficulty can vary. Be sure to take out his 
soldiers, then you can concentrate on him. He's got 
two main attacks - a four-bullet shot and a wider 
spread. Both can be avoided by sticking to his back 
(he turns slowly) but if you have to face him head-
on (as you will when his back is to the wall and you 
can't get behind) you can deal with both attacks but 
staying directly in front and jockeying around a 
bit. Despite the speed of his shots, you can 
actually take no damage if you follow this 
advice...lastly, you can attack this guy with melee 
attacks, but choose your opportunities carefully.

9. Deep Shrine

Sub-Boss (Cat Lady Beauty)

She's actually a lot easier than she looks, but in 
order to kill her effectively you must get rid of 
her two wolves - actually, you should do so anyway 
because they give you two life capsules each. 
Anyway, once you've done so, use the tried-and-true 
circling and retracking technique and her sniper 
shots should all miss - if you want advance warning, 
she lifts her rifle to attack before actually 
shooting, so there's a hint right there. 

Second Form of Sub-Boss (Cat Lady Beauty...actually, 
more like Winged Demon)

This one's tough. Despite intense analysis of her 
patterns, I can't come up with a foolproof strategy 
to deal with her...well, the first bit of advice I 
can give you is - never stand in front of her. Doing 
so is courting death. When she flies forwards and 
sends out a bullet spray, immediately dive to the 
left or right, firing as you do so. She'll then 
swing her blade arms in wide arcs, so continue to 
stay away. Only when she starts firing the red beams 
of energy can you  get to her back and attack with 
one or two Normal Attacks. Basically, against this 
boss, don't try anything too risky as she is FAST.

10. Extreme Sphere

Boss (Psychiccer Sting)

First, use a Special to take out the four soldiers 
that the boss has - like most other battles of this 
nature, you'll find it much harder if you don't. 
After that, hmmm...what to say about the second-last 
boss? Well, his damage potential is dangerously 
high, but if you stay sharp you should be able to 
avoid the bulk of his attacks. The trick is to stay 
directly in front of him
so his lightning balls miss you and you only need to 
shift position a bit to deal with his other attacks. 
Because he's quite fast, avoid using Heavy Attacks 
and Shots unless your character happens to have 
quick ones. Besides what I've written, the only real 
advice I can give you here is to be quick on your 
feet and use what you've learnt up to this point. 
When the illusions appear, hang back and use the 
lateral Normal Shot tactic to spot the real one.

Final Boss (Metal Blade Nightmare)

He's dead easy. Just use the circle and retrack 
technique and he will go down in no time. The only 
real problem is the fact that his homing attack is 
well-nigh impossible to avoid...you can attempt to 
close in when he fires it, but you'll probably get 
hit anyway. Whatever the case, you shouldn't really 
lose too much life here - a good thing, as you'll 
need to save some for the last boss.

Second form of Final Boss (Flame Robo Nightmare) 

Which is this guy here. Like Cat Lady Beauty's 
second form, there is no one easy way to beat the 
final boss. Staying away is once again a good 
strategy, but given it's array of attacks and speed, 
taking at least some damage is guaranteed. Getting 
too close, on the other hand, will make it use it's 
sword swipes, which do some major damage. You best 
bet is again to see when he's off guard and act 
accordingly. Alternating backing off and closing in 
works well, I find, because it gives you some leeway 
to avoid it's massive bullet spread. 

******

Well, that's it, folks. The final piece of 
information I can give you (which should be damn 
obvious) is that completing the game on any 
difficult setting will give you access to the 
Gallery function in the main menu. If I find any 
other secrets, hints or tips, rest assured that I 
will inform you.