Part nostalgia-bomb, part note-taking and part FAQ, what started in GameTrailers as a video game blog is now on Blogger. This blog is a look back at video games, both popular and obscure, from the video game industry's infancy all the way to the previous console generation.
The biggest threat in this area is the extending spike columns. They will be in patterns, so keep an eye out.
Watch out on the brown floors for spiked walls that rise up. Interestingly, you can stand on them, even though running straight into them can kill you.
You can ride the mine carts to get to higher areas. You'll need these to take the top route on the last fork, as on the bottom route, you have to jump near the ceiling spikes in order to get them to come down. Because of this, it's better to take the top route.
The boss here is a door. Go up to it, keep firing on the flashing orange panel above the door and you'll be able to move into Stage 8, the final stage of the game.
Stage 8: Alien's Lair
Enemies that you will be dealing with are the floating orange aliens that fly at you as well as the purple mouth panels in the floors and ceilings that shoot homing projectiles at you. The projectiles slowly move towards you, but they and the mouth panels can easily be destroyed if you have the Fireball or spread shot.
You will face a giant purple alien mouth creature behind a wall. Get up to the wall and shoot at it, and
The purple aliens on four legs will come at you from the floors and the ceilings. Be ready to shoot them down.
The final boss is the heart of the alien itself. Keep shooting down the heart and it will go down. If you need to, stay near the heart and take out the enemies above and below (preferably below) the heart, then wail on the heart itself. When the heart is destroyed, the battle is won and you've beaten the game! Congratulations!
The Diablo Fire Slam is a slam attack you can perform on a grabbed enemy.
For this job, Bentley will need to take out some wall-mounted power stations by throwing enemies into them, then pry the door into a nearby engine room by hand. There are five power stations in all, and you can look for them all with the L3 button.
Interestingly, this is the one time that the helicopter eggs will come in super-handy. Just stomp and throw them like you would any other enemy at the power stations to take them out. In other areas, you may have to use things such as explosive drums, chairs and barrels that are in the vicinity and readily available to throw to quickly destroy the power stations.
Once all five power stations are destroyed, use L3 to find the door you need to lift. Get there, then mash the buttons after you grab the door to get it open. From here, you'll be playing as Sly again.
Since I first see them here, I'll mention them here: Clock-La has her own searchlights, and if you get caught under them, enemies will show up.
In the engine room, you'll need to jump around constantly to avoid the lasers while the laser walls slowly move. At the top floor, you'll have to spire jump between saws at regular intervals while still keeping from moving too fast and running into the laser walls. Next to the switch is the final Vault. Open it to get the Shadow Power move. It's the invisibility from the first game, and you can move with it much like the improved version of the move from that game, except slightly faster. It uses special weapon energy, so don't rely on it too much.
After you hit the switch and complete this leg of the game, it's the grand finale. Carmelita has contacted Bentley via short wave radio and has agreed to help the Cooper Gang defeat Clock-La. Unfortunately, she cannot find the blimp, so the strength of four local radio towers. Once Carmelita is in range, she will need a tail gunner to face Clock-La. The blimp is almost above Paris, and Clock-La's plan cannot come to fruition...
Controls
D-Pad/Left Analog Stick: move
Right Analog Stick: move camera
X: jump and double jump
Square: Horizontal Attack
horizontal attack (as Sly)
slam enemies launched into the air from behind (as Sly)
hook punches (as Murray)
Thunderflop (as Murray; in mid-air only)
crossbow swipe (as Bentley)
Triangle: Vertical Attack
vertical attack (as Sly; used to knock enemies into the air)
downward dive (as Sly; in mid-air only)
uppercut (as Murray)
drop bomb (as Bentley)
Circle: Action button (near blue/green/purple sparkles and character icons)
pickpocket (as Sly)
stomp (as Murray; use Square to throw object/enemy)
R1: hold to run
Select: Gadget Grid
Control Pad: highlight gadget
X button: confirm gadget
L1, L2, R2: assign gadget to button pressed
L1, L2, R2: use gadgets assigned to button pressed
Start: pause menu
Control Pad: select menu choice
X button: confirm choice
Start: un-pause game
L3 (press the left analog stick): locate beacons for mission objectives
R3 (press the right analog stick): Enter and exit Binocucom for first-person view
Left analog stick: look around
Right analog stick: zoom in and out (with up and down on right stick)
R1:
take pictures with spy camera (as Sly; when applicable)
The flashing tiles will hide the cores you'll need to shoot down to explode the wall.
If you have the spread shot from the last level, it will be very useful here, so try not to die.
At the boss, you'll have more panels to shoot down at first...as well as some soldiers to shoot down. When you destroy the three panels in front, the boss - two droids that phase in and out shoot homing shots at you - will show. The earlier you destroy the upper panel that shoots the three-way shot, the better.
You can shoot down the homing shots, but you can also jump over them even though they will loop back around.
Stage 5: Snow Field
New enemies include enemies on machine guns, but the worst are the bombs that are thrown at you from the background. You cannot destroy the bombs; just avoid the explosions and move on.
Be ready to move back a bit to take out the guys in the water. It will help a great deal.
To take down the tanks with the spikes in the front, go all the way to the left, face right and keep shooting. The cannon fire will not hit you, and as long as you keep firing, the tanks will go down.
The boss here teleports in and out. Be sure to take out the saucers that come down after traveling to the sides of the screen, and never stand directly below the boss so its bombs don't hit you.
Stage 6: Energy Zone
The main hazard here is the flame jets that will come out of the holes in the walls and ceilings. Watch how far they go and when they shoot, then make your move.
The boss is a giant robot. Jump over him when he moves towards you. When he jumps straight up, be ready to shoot and either shoot down or avoid the spiked discs that he throws. He should go down in no time.
Contra is set in the distant future of the year 2633 A.D., where the evil Red Falcon Organization have set a base on the fictional Galuga archipelago near New Zealand in a plot to wipe out humanity. Two commandos, Bill Rizer and Lance Bean of the Earth Marine Corp's Contra unit (an elite group of soldiers specializing in guerrilla warfare), are sent to the island to destroy the enemy forces and uncover the true nature of the alien entity controlling them.
This stage, like most stages, are 2D, side-scrolling and platforming affairs. Left and Right let you not only move around, but aim the gun in conjunction with Up and Down. While you cannot shoot downwards on the ground, you can shoot downwards in the air. A jumps, and B shoots.
The squares with the flashing falcons on them allow you to get power-ups. R is rapid fire and allows for - well - rapid fire as well as faster bullets; M is for machine and gives you a more powerful basic shot; S is the spread shot and not only allows for a five-way shot but also for ten bullets to be on-screen at any given time; L is a powerful, piercing laser; F is a flamethrower that shoots a powerful shot that rotates in a circle; B is for Barrier and gives you temporary invincibility; and the icon with no letter on it at all is a screen-clearing bomb that destroys all enemies.
The soldiers here are pretty basic. Some run at you; others stand there and aim. There are some that hide in the bushes and peek out to attack every so often, and there are also turrets that will track you to a point and shoot at you. Thankfully, those turrets can be taken out. Just remember: one hit and you die. Given that you have only a few lives and only two or three continues, you'll have to get good to survive.
To beat the boss, just destroy the flashing panel at the bottom. If you can rush right up to it as the screen scrolls the boss into existence, you can take it out very quickly; otherwise, destroy the soldier at the top first, then take out the turrets before destroying the flashing panel.
Stage 2: Base 1
Here, you'll be in the first of a few behind-the-back segments. Take out the soldiers as well as any turrets that shoot at you. The flashing circles, or cores, are what you need to aim for, as the wall will explode and the electric barrier in front will go away when you destroy them all. Once you've opened the way, keep holding Up until you reach the next stop-over, where you'll once again battle to get further and further into the base.
The green soldiers will run and shoot, while the red ones will hop continuously and drop power-ups when defeated. Some soldiers throw grenades; the explosions will hurt.
The red cylinders can be jumped over, but if you hold Down as you shoot at them, you'll be able to lie down and shoot low to get rid of them.
To beat the boss, you'll need to destroy the panels first. Be sure to defeat the upper side panels before getting rid of the other four, as you don't want to be shot by their three-way shots at as you take on the main boss. To defeat the main boss, which is a blue circle that moves back and forth, avoid or shoot down the fireballs that it shoots downwards while also shooting at the circle itself. If you have the spread shot, this whole battle is a snap; otherwise, you'll need to tread carefully.
Stage 3: Waterfall
Here, you'll be jumping your way up from platform to platform. Aside from the soldiers, you'll need to watch out for falling rocks that come out of the holes in the background wall as well as the guys in the waterfall who shoot upwards when you get above them enough.
You can get barrier at the bridge with the two flames that move back and forth. Thankfully, those flames are easy to dodge, it's just the soldiers that make it harder.
There are platforms that move back and forth in mid-air as you make your way up; be ready to take advantage of them.
To beat the boss, remember that while the main weak point is the mouth, you can shoot down the arms. Just be ready to avoid the fireballs that the arms shoot at you. If you shoot down the arms, you'll not only get more points, but you'll make this battle easier. All that is left is the fireballs that come out of the mouth, but you can easily position yourself away from them.
Golden Vase - This is near the stack of crates on the lowest level. Once you get it, make your way up, and Paraglide to the safe house like you did with all the other treasures.
The Temporal Lock allows Bentley to freeze time around the guards for a short time. Really useful if you need to make an escape, especially if you have Adrenaline Rush equipped.
For this one, Bentley will have to hack the stations controlling access to the engine room so that Murray can go inside and use his muscle to finish the job. From here, you'll need to use L3 to find the three terminals. One is near where the mission starts, while the other two are at the engines you have yet to disable. You also have to do all three terminals in a specific order, and you'll need to use L3 to figure that order out.
With that, you have one last hacking job. For these hacking missions, you'll have special shots that will bounce off walls a few times before eventually disappearing. Use this to your advantage and take out any stationary tanks around blind corners. The first part is a linear path to get you used to these shots, the second part is a battle arena-esque layout where you'll have to move around and deal with moving enemies, and the third part is another linear path where you constantly have to deal with moving enemies towards you while using the bank shot to the best possible advantage.
After the last terminal, the metal door next to you. As Murray, you'll need to lift all of the giant cylinders in the room, then destroy them on the top level. Just grab a cylinder and mash the buttons to lift it, then take out the enemy that pops up afterward. Once you lift all the cylinders up, go up to the top floor and hit the tops of the cylinders with the Thunderflop. Once you do that, you'll be able to access the switch and disable the engine here.
Controls
D-Pad/Left Analog Stick: move
Right Analog Stick: move camera
X: jump and double jump
Square: Horizontal Attack
horizontal attack (as Sly)
slam enemies launched into the air from behind (as Sly)
hook punches (as Murray)
Thunderflop (as Murray; in mid-air only)
crossbow swipe (as Bentley)
Triangle: Vertical Attack
vertical attack (as Sly; used to knock enemies into the air)
downward dive (as Sly; in mid-air only)
uppercut (as Murray)
drop bomb (as Bentley)
Circle: Action button (near blue/green/purple sparkles and character icons)
pickpocket (as Sly)
stomp (as Murray; use Square to throw object/enemy)
R1: hold to run
Select: Gadget Grid
Control Pad: highlight gadget
X button: confirm gadget
L1, L2, R2: assign gadget to button pressed
L1, L2, R2: use gadgets assigned to button pressed
Start: pause menu
Control Pad: select menu choice
X button: confirm choice
Start: un-pause game
L3 (press the left analog stick): locate beacons for mission objectives
R3 (press the right analog stick): Enter and exit Binocucom for first-person view
Left analog stick: look around
Right analog stick: zoom in and out (with up and down on right stick)
R1:
take pictures with spy camera (as Sly; when applicable)
Grab your joystick! Up jumps, Left and Right move and Down ducks, while the fire button fires!
Shaman has been kidnapped by Tex Hex, who wants to destroy the New Texas colony so that Stampede can revive the dinosaurs to the point that they take over the entire planet. (Yes, that's the plot here.) Marshall BraveStarr has eight days to save Shaman or else the planet is doomed.
At the top of the screen is the map, and to the right of that is the current time. If the time runs out, you lose, and you're forced to start all over again.
You start your game in Fort Kerium. Your first place to go to is your saddle rocket, which is all the way to the left. As you go, there will be plenty of enemies that will rush at you, and if you get hit, you'll lose time. It is possible to be dead for a few seconds, which will cost you a lot of time, so don't get hit a whole lot; otherwise, you'll be incapacitated. Your best bet is to brute force your way to
When you get to the saddle rocket and press Down on it, you'll be able to move a cursor along the map at the top of the screen. Your first place to go to is Starr Peak, which is all the way to the left on the map. Move the cursor over to it with the joystick, then press the fire button. The game will soon become a horizontal shmup. Take out enemies without getting hit yourself.
As you defeat enemies, they may drop sparkles or squares. These sparkles and squares slow down the timer, with the sparkles slowing it down more than the squares. Every little bit helps, so grab as many of these things as you can.
When you land, head left. You'll enter Shaman's hut. From here, you can use the joystick and the fire button to choose what action to perform. Examine the hut, and you'll find out that there is a green stone from the prairie mines and signs of a struggle. You now have some Kerium, and Shaman has indeed been kidnapped. Also, the mines between Starr Peak and Fort Kerium have been revealed on the map.
Leave, then get back on the saddle rocket and head to the mines you just revealed. In the mine, Examine. Untie the Prairie People who are bound and gagged, then Talk to them. You'll find out that Tex Hex stole their magical Kerium so that he could enter Starr Peak and capture Shaman.
Leave, then head back to Fort Kerium and enter the Exchange, which is indicated by the sign saying "Exchange" above it. Press Down at the door to enter. Talk to the guy at the counter and exchange the Kerium for money. Leave, then head to the Bar, which has "Bar" above it. At the bar, Talk. Pay for information, and you'll find out that Tex Hex was supposedly seen in Deadrock, which is now revealed on the map and is east of Fort Kerium. Get on the saddle rocket and go to Deadrock.
At Deadrock, you will have to power your way to the right. You will eventually come across a guy in what looks like a black sleeveless full-body suit who moves around the screen. This is Tex Hex. To beat him, duck down and stand in place, and shoot at him as much as you can. This will keep you from dying a whole bunch and losing a lot of time, and you'll more than likely lose more time here than you will anywhere else.
Once you beat Tex Hex, you will have to make the (seemingly) long trek back to the saddle rocket, then you'll have to make the (seemingly) long flight back to Fort Kerium. At Fort Kerium, enter the Jail and Talk. Release Tex Hex for information about Shaman. You'll find out that Shaman is being held captive in the Hexagon, which is on the far right side of the map, even further than Deadrock. This is your next destination. Get on the saddle rocket and get over there.
After dealing with all the enemies and trying to save as much time as possible on the long flight there, you'll eventually meet Stampede. Keep as far away from him as you can while keeping him on-screen and jumping and firing at him without getting hit by Stampede's bullets. You can sometimes get some time-stopping pick-ups, which can be a bit of a help at this point. If you're good, Stampede will explode, and you'll rescue Shaman and beat a pretty darn hard Speccy game.
Grab your joystick! Up jumps, Left and Right move and Down ducks, while the fire button fires!
Shaman has been kidnapped by Tex Hex, who wants to destroy the New Texas colony so that Stampede can revive the dinosaurs to the point that they take over the entire planet. (Yes, that's the plot here.) Marshall BraveStarr has eight days to save Shaman or else the planet is doomed.
At the top of the screen is the map, and to the right of that is the current time. If the time runs out, you lose, and you're forced to start all over again.
You start your game in Fort Kerium. Your first place to go to is your saddle rocket, which is all the way to the left. As you go, there will be plenty of enemies that will rush at you, and if you get hit, you'll lose time. It is possible to be dead for a few seconds, which will cost you a lot of time, so don't get hit a whole lot; otherwise, you'll be incapacitated. Your best bet is to brute force your way to
When you get to the saddle rocket and press Down on it, you'll be able to move a cursor along the map at the top of the screen. Your first place to go to is Starr Peak, which is all the way to the left on the map. Move the cursor over to it with the joystick, then press the fire button. The game will soon become a horizontal shmup. Take out enemies without getting hit yourself.
As you defeat enemies, they may drop sparkles or squares. These sparkles and squares slow down the timer, with the sparkles slowing it down more than the squares. Every little bit helps, so grab as many of these things as you can.
When you land, head left. You'll enter Shaman's hut. From here, you can use the joystick and the fire button to choose what action to perform. Examine the hut, and you'll find out that there is a green stone from the prairie mines and signs of a struggle. You now have some Kerium, and Shaman has indeed been kidnapped. Also, the mines between Starr Peak and Fort Kerium have been revealed on the map.
Leave, then get back on the saddle rocket and head to the mines you just revealed. In the mine, Examine. Untie the Prairie People who are bound and gagged, then Talk to them. You'll find out that Tex Hex stole their magical Kerium so that he could enter Starr Peak and capture Shaman.
Leave, then head back to Fort Kerium and enter the Exchange, which is indicated by the sign saying "Exchange" above it. Press Down at the door to enter. Talk to the guy at the counter and exchange the Kerium for money. Leave, then head to the Bar, which has "Bar" above it. At the bar, Talk. Pay for information, and you'll find out that Tex Hex was supposedly seen in Deadrock, which is now revealed on the map and is east of Fort Kerium. Get on the saddle rocket and go to Deadrock.
At Deadrock, you will have to power your way to the right. You will eventually come across a guy in what looks like a black sleeveless full-body suit who moves around the screen. This is Tex Hex. To beat him, duck down and stand in place, and shoot at him as much as you can. This will keep you from dying a whole bunch and losing a lot of time, and you'll more than likely lose more time here than you will anywhere else.
Once you beat Tex Hex, you will have to make the (seemingly) long trek back to the saddle rocket, then you'll have to make the (seemingly) long flight back to Fort Kerium. At Fort Kerium, enter the Jail and Talk. Release Tex Hex for information about Shaman. You'll find out that Shaman is being held captive in the Hexagon, which is on the far right side of the map, even further than Deadrock. This is your next destination. Get on the saddle rocket and get over there.
After dealing with all the enemies and trying to save as much time as possible on the long flight there, you'll eventually meet Stampede. Keep as far away from him as you can while keeping him on-screen and jumping and firing at him without getting hit by Stampede's bullets. You can sometimes get some time-stopping pick-ups, which can be a bit of a help at this point. If you're good, Stampede will explode, and you'll rescue Shaman and beat a pretty darn hard Speccy game.
