Well, originally this was where I rambled on
about why I was writing a FAQ about Einhänder when I'd already promised
a CSOTN
FAQ. Since I've written the CSOTN FAQ, I guess I need to change the
intro. Because a) no one is probably reading this, and b) I can't think
of anything to say here, consider the intro changed. :)
You'll probably notice that the chapter titles
in the FAQ itself are mostly in German now. This is originally how I intended
to write the FAQ, but I could not find a fitting translation for "fighters"
(in the Star Wars sense of one-manned spacecraft whose sole existence is
to fight battles.) I was not quite sure what to do with "Gunpods" either.
At that point, since my German skills are very basic (at best), I decided
to drop the idea and only used the really simple ones (Welcome!, What is
Einhänder?, Thanks a lot!, Goodbye!). For the record, Marcus Heuser
(who gave me most of the new German titles you see here) commented that
"Fighters" and "Gunpods" were best left untranslated. My German may be
furchtbar, but I apparently have good instincts. :)
The Table of Contents above still uses the
original titles; I'm trying not to scare people with no knowledge of German
who download my FAQ, see that the table of contents is in German, and assume
that the rest of the FAQ is as well.
If you've read my FF1
FAQ, you know most of the crap that I'm about to spew here, so just
skip to the next section. And be warned: the
same sort of bad jokes that accompanied the last FAQ may turn up here from
time to time.
This FAQ was written in the all-powerful MS-DOS editor. Usually, I do HTML using it too, but I figured I'd give this newfangled Netscape Composer doohickey a try. For best results, I'd imagine Netscape would be the way to go, considering I'm using their editor to make this. You may send comments, corrections, additions, subtractions, und so weite, to zjkeene@bellsouth.net.
Where to get the latest version of this FAQ:
--------------------------------------------
There are several ways to make sure you have the latest version of
this FAQ.
By FTP/WWW:
ftp://members.aol.com/fnlfanatic/arcanelore/einfaq.txt
http://members.aol.com/fnlfanatic/einhander/
(These versions are always current.)
[The following two sites may take a day or so to update the FAQ when a new version is released.]
http://www.byz.net/david/einhander/
(The unofficial Einhänder website. David has done previous HTML
versions of my FAQ)
http://www.geocities.com/timessquare/chasm/7380/
(PlayStation Haven)
By Newsgroup:
I will always post new versions to alt.games.video.shooters,
as well as update notifications to rec.games.video.sony
and alt.games.final-fantasy.
Just for those of you who were under a particular
rock known as "Gran Turismo" back in May of 1998 (and that included me,
as well), Einhänder is a 2D shooter, in the style of R-Type or Salamander,
made by Square. Square, as everbody well knows, is famous for their RPGs.
So what qualifies them to make a shooter? Got me, but it worked out pretty
well, I'd say.
Basically, the plot is that at some point
in the future, the Earth and the moon colony Selene are constantly at war.
Anyway, Selene has been sending fighters on suicide runs against the Earth.
This operation is code named "Einhänder".
Einhänder has five different fighters to use. Three of them are available from the start; the other two have to be earned.
Here they are:
1) Astraea FGA Mk. I: This ship can equip two Gunpods at the same time, which can be used alone, or fired simultaneously. If you run out of ammo, it comes with an unlimited ammo single machine gun.
2) Endymion FRS Mk. II: This ship can load 3 different Gunpods, but only one can be used at a time. Also note that Gunpods aquired with this fighter only give roughly two-thirds of the ammo that other fighters get. It is also equipped with an unlimited ammo single machine gun.
3) Endymion FRS Mk. III: This ship can only use one Gunpod at a time, but is equipped with an unlimited ammo double machine gun.
4) Unknown Fighter Type I (hereafter referred to as Die Schabe): This is one of the secret fighters. I have devoted an entire section of the FAQ to it. That's because it's quite a bit different than the other four; this has nothing to do with the fact that its my personal favourite fighter. To get it, gain 15 Secret Bonuses on any difficultly level with any ship except the Selene. This ship apparently is called the "Sodom" in the Japanese version.
5) Unknown Fighter Type II (hereafter referred to as the Selene): Since I have not obtained this myself, I don't know much about this craft. From what I've read, this is one of the moon fighters from the final level of the game. Supposedly, it is similar to the Astraea, but when you equip a Gunpod it comes with 9999 ammo. Obviously, this is one sick bastard. It has been confirmed that to get this, you have to beat the game on Hard without continuing. However, it has been said that you can use one continue and still get this. Its official name is EOS UFG Mk.IX, but I like "Selene" better.
When you choose your fighter for the very first
time, all you start the game with is your machine gun. However, than soon
changes. When you defeat certain enemies or shoot certain objects, Gunpods
can be obtained. After you obtain a certain Gunpod, you can then choose
to start the game with that Gunpod.
Gunpods serve two purposes: first, they allow
your ship to fire more powerful weapons than your pea-shooter machine gun.
Second, they can be used as shields against enemy fire. However, they can
only take so many hits before being destroyed. Collecting a Gunpod of the
same type as the one you currently have will repair the damage, as well
as replenish your
ammo supply.
There are 12 types of Gunpods available in
the game. The eight listed in the manual are fairly common, and I'll list
them here, with some notes.
[Note: If you are using the Schabe fighter, the Gunpods affect your craft in a different manner. See the "Die Schabe" section for more details.]
1) Blade: This equips your ship with a lightsaber like weapon. Fairly powerful, but short ranged. Unless, of course, you do a fireball-type motion (Down, Down-Towards, Towards) which extends this weapon clear across the screen. This, however, uses up ammo at a faster rate. Switching the position of the Gunpod while firing makes it slash at the enemies. Note that the Astraea can't slash the Blade in this manner. (600 Rounds)
2) Cannon: Fires a powerful blast either straight ahead or at a roughly 30 degree angle, depending on the Gunpod's position. On the Astraea, Cannons always aim forward. Low ammo, but quite powerful. Also, its length makes it a good shield. (25 Rounds)
3) Grenade: Launches grenades. If equipped on top, fires them in an arc. If equipped on bottom, drops them backwards. This Gunpod is incredibly powerful, probably more so than the Flash. (45 Rounds)
4) Hedgehog: Fires small explosive bombs either straight up or straight down, depending on its location. Low range. (75 Rounds)
5) Riot: Fires an electrical charge at a bit of an angle. The power of this can be increased by holding down the fire button. However, the more powerful the blast, the more ammo this takes up. (120 Rounds)
6) Spreader: Fires five shots either behind or in front, depending on where you position the Gunpod. (90 Rounds)
7) Vulcan: Fires machine gun rounds at extreme speed. Low power, but high in ammo. Notice that the angle at which it fires can be affected by the motion of your ship. However, if a Vulcan is in the top location of the Astraea, it cannot be affected in this manner. (750 Rounds)
8) Wasp: Fires missiles straight ahead if equipped on bottom, homing missles if equipped on top. Decent power. (45 Rounds)
And here are the "secret" Gunpods, and some places to find them. Note that the places I list are not necessarily the only places to get them.
9) Flash: Similar to the Cannon Gunpod, but fires a laser straight ahead if on top, angled downward if on bottom. Extremely powerful. (45 Rounds) The third Secret Bonus of level 3 rewards you with a Flash; see the Secret Bonus section for more details. Also, the second Secret Bonus of level 5 will drop a red box containing a Flash.
10) Juno: Identical to the Vulcan Cannon, but more powerful. (450 Rounds). If you get the third Secret Bonus of level 1, the boss of that level will sometimes fire at you with the Juno. Therefore, you can help yourself to it. The first Secret Bonus of level 4 will reward you with the Juno, and is a little easier to get it this way. The last red enemy on level 7 also carries a Juno.
11) Mosquito: Not unlike the Wasp, but the missiles
can be controlled. However, to move the missile, you have to move your
ship, so be careful not to crash in to anything while firing these. (45
Rounds) When you get to the second part of Level 4, equip yourself with
a rear-firing weapon (Spreader for most ships;
Spreader,
Grenade,
or Wasp for Schabe.)
Immediately take the lowest route possible ASAP. You should drop just in
front of a barrel that contains the Mosquito. Later in the level, when
you encounter the Parzival to get
Secret Bonus 2,
if you can completely and
quickly destroy it, you'll earn
another Mosquito.
[Note: I'm not really sure what triggers this thing giving you a Mosquito.
I've done it, and I've read about it, but it happens
incredibly rarely.]
12) Python: Launches five mines-on-a-string. Pretty neat actually. (45 Rounds) On level 5, just before you fly over a wall towards the mini-boss, keep an eye out for a vehicle in the background that resembles a Jawa Transport. (If you don't know what a Jawa Transport looks like, then put down the controller and view the Star Wars Trilogy NOW! :) Anyway, blast it with a Wasp to get this. [Notice that when the Gunpod appears on screen, it's labeled "Ptyhon". Heh.]
And now, for the super secret Gunpod! :)
13) Manipulator: Sorry, I couldn't resist. This isn't really a Gunpod, but if you've just started your first game, or your current Gunpod(s) are destroyed or run out of ammo, this is all you have. It can be used as a weapon or a shield, but its extremely short range makes it weak in both respects. Grab another Gunpod quickly!
And now, the section you've all been waiting
for: the section devoted to that almighty yellow and green Schabe fighter.
Yes, it is the same little ship that you shoot down in droves during Level
1. However, when you take the controls, this ship is quite capable of causing
some damage. In fact, it is the first ship I beat the game with.
To get this ship, get at least 15 Secret
Bonuses in one game, and voila. You can continue as much as you like,
and although you can do this on any difficulty, it's easiest to do on,
well, Easy. You don't have to beat the game, either. (But don't quit from
the pause menu, or else you'll have just wasted your time.)
I got several E-mails early that said you
couldn't get the Schabe with any ship other than the Endy
Mk. III. Well, I personally have gotten it with the Astraea,
and I've heard from folks who have gotten it using the Endy
Mk. II. Also, it seems that you may be able to get the Schabe with
as few as 12 Secret Bonuses. I've not looked into
that claim yet, however.
Originally, I had nicknamed this ship "Die
Polizei", which means "the police." However, once I found out its real
name, I decided I liked Schabe (which means "cockroach") better.
* Primary Weapon *
Your main weapon is the machine gun, which is the
same as the machine gun that the other fighters
are equipped with. However, unlike the others, the Schabe's machine gun
can be powered up. Above the multiplier bar, you'll notice "Lv. 1". Each
time you collect a Gunpod, this increases, up to
20. At level 6, your single-shot machine gun upgrades to a double-shot.
At
level 11, it upgrades again to a triple-shot. Finally, you get a quad-shot
machine gun at level 16.
* Secondary Weapon *
As soon as you obtain a Gunpod, your ship is equipped with two cannons on top and bottom. The frequency of which they fire increases with your weapon level. However, when you get to a level which upgrades your machine gun, the frequency of the secondary weapons drops to its lowest, and builds up again. The following chart shows this in action:
Least Frequent -
- &nnbsp;
- Most Frequentt
(No secondary at Lv. 1)Lv. 2
Lv. 3 Lv. 4
Lv. 5
Lv. 6
Lv. 7 Lv. 8
Lv. 9 Lv. 10
Lv. 11
Lv. 12 Lv. 13
Lv. 14 Lv. 15
Lv. 16
Lv. 17 Lv. 18
Lv. 19 Lv. 20
Where these secondary cannons aim is determined by the last Gunpod equipped. Note also that the secondary weapon has unlimited ammo.
1) Blade, Cannon, Flash: Fires at about an 15 degree angle above and below your machine gun fire.
2) Grenade: Fires like the Cannon et al, but behind your fighter.
3) Hedgehog: Fires directly above and below your ship.
4) Juno, Riot, Vulcan, Python: Fires about 45 degrees above and below your machine gun fire.
5) Mosquito, Wasp: Fires homing shots. You really should try to keep this equipped as much as possible.
6) Spreader: Fires like the Vulcan and Juno, except it fires behind your craft.
* Lights *
Of course, this fighter is equipped with searchlights. Press X to activate them. They are only there to look cool; they cause no damage.
* Advantages of using the Schabe *
Well, the biggest one is unlimited ammo. When you are fully loaded with a Lv. 20 Wasp, you are (almost) unstoppable. Another is the fact that since Gunpods are not mounted externally, you cannot lose your secondary weapon.
* Disadvantages of using the Schabe *
Since you have no Gunpods to lose, you have no Gunpods to take shots for you. Another thing is that although at level 20 it is quite capable of defending itself, you won't be getting anything spectacular, like say an Astraea with two Flashes. Also, the game won't display some of the FMV sequences you get by using the other ships, and you can't win Gallery pictures with this ship.
Overall, using the Schabe generally makes the actual levels easier, but makes the bosses harder. IMHO, of course, your mileage may vary.
And now, for your reading pleasure, is a (currently incomplete) list of the enemy forces you'll be up against. For more information about the bosses, see the "Boss Tactics" section. I've attempted to put the regular enemies more or less in order of appearence. The word(s) in paranthesis after the name is my attempt at an English translation. If I've got the translation wrong, blame this crappy paperback Langenscheidt German-English dictionary I've got over here. Anyway, all this info comes from the Gallery pictures, and unfortunatly there are either a few enemies not pictured, or I overlooked them somehow. So if an enemy is missing (like the Level 6 swarmers), that's why.
* Level 1 *
Mini-boss: SPJ-15 "Greif" (Griffin)
Boss: SPKB-03 "Drache" (Dragon)
[Note: The instruction manual refers to this boss as "The Brute".]
1) PW-104b "Schabe" (Cockroach)
- The yellow and green police ships that show up in droves. See the
"Die Schabe" section for details on how to play
as this ship
2) PT-08 "Uhu" (Eagle Owl)
- The first of many Gunpod carrying ships in this level. It has no
front armour, and is easy to destroy.
3) PT-08s "Uhu" (Eagle Owl)
- Same as above, but with front armour. (Notice that the instruction
manual calls these "Enforcers".)
4) PT-08rs "Fledermaus" (Bat)
- If you don't get Secret Bonus 3, you'll run
into one of these. It's identical to the PT-08s, except it has a saucer
on top instead of a Gunpod.
5) PA-09 Angler
- If you do get Secret Bonus 3, the secret path
will be full of these. They carry Gunpods, but it's
difficult to collect them. I've been told using a Cannon
on them makes the Gunpods easier to grab, but I've
not tried that yet.
* Level 2 *
Mini-boss: SKP-04 "Garnele" (Shrimp)
Boss: PGZ/L-03 "Spinne" (Spider)
1) KP-05g "Schnecke" (Snail)
- The Gunpod-carrying hovercraft-looking things.
2) KH-09 "Drohne" (Drone)
- The small cylindrical pea-shooters.
3) PGZ/G-12 "Trilobit" (Trilobite?)
- The train cars that you fly over for most of the level.
4) PKB-07a "Star" (Starling)
- The Gunpod-carring walkers.
5) PGZ/A-03 "Käfer" (Beetle)
- The train cars after the mini-boss with the radar and control towers.
6) PA-11b "Libelle" (Dragonfly)
- If you play on Hard, Spinne will launch these at you if you destroy
a set of weapon arms.
* Level 3 *
Mini-boss: SPKB-08 "Gecko"
Boss: PR-01 "Gustav"
1) SP-01 "Sackträger" (Sack carrier?)
- The ships that drop down from above with the searchlights and Wasp
Gunpod
2) KP-02b "Dackel" (Dachshund)
- The smaller Gunpod carriers that come in trios.
3) KH-18 "Muschel2" (Mussel)
- The heavily armoured saucer shaped Gunpod carriers.
4) KA-04 "Natter" (Viper)
- Wall mounted claws during the second half of the level.
5) KH-16 "Floh" (Flea)
- The enemies that are launched from the big huge hovering thing after
the mini-boss fight.
* Level 4 *
Mini-boss: EU-46 "Salamander"
Boss: SPKB-04 "Sturmvogel" (Stormbird)
1) KH-17 "Schwalbe" (Swallow)
- The little yellow ships that swarm the beginning of the level.
2) KB-02 "Qualle" (Jellyfish)
- The Gunpod-carrying buoys.
3) PT-06 "Kolibri" (Hummingbird)
- The larger green ships that first appear just before Salamander.
Sometimes they carry Gunpods.
4) KH-13 "Löwe" (Lion)
- The red ships from the second half.
5) PKB-11d "Parzival" (Perhaps named after one
of King Arthur's Knights named "Percival" or "Parzival"?)
- The humanoid mech that slides down the ramp. Destroy it for Secret
Bonus 2.
6) VP-16d "Vampir" (Vampire)
- The hoverbikes that attack when Sturmvogel leaves the screen.
* Level 5 *
Mini-boss: SPKB-06 "Ausf A Gestell" (?)
Boss: SPKB-07 "Ausf D Dürer" (Possibly named after the German
engraver Albrecht Dürer?)
1) KH-14 "Zikade" (Cicada)
- The small enemies that swarm this level.
2) PT-09 "Storch" (Stork)
- The larger ships that launch missiles, and sometimes launch a Gunpod-carrying
doodad at you.
3) PKB-07e "Jagdstar" (Apparently a Shooting Starling, as opposed to
the regular Starlings from Level 2.)
- The dual-cannon walkers from the beginning of the level.
4) PKB-07c "Panzerstar" (Armoured Starling)
- The Gunpod-carrying walkers from the second half of the level.
5) KP-07a "Alligator"
- The huge-laser firing ships.
6) KP-07a "Alligator2"
- Same as above, although red. Shoot for Secret Bonus
3.
* Level 6 *
Boss: SS-01 "Schwarzgeist" (Black Ghost)
* Level 7 *
Boss: HYPERION UCS Mk.X II
1) EOS UFG Mk.IX
- These ships are Astraea clones, except they
have a laser instead of a normal machine gun, and can use it whether or
not they have Gunpods attached. They come equipped
with a variety of Gunpods, but except for the Juno
all are rather common. Want to play as one? Check out the "Fighters"
section.
Performing certain tasks in this game will
net you Secret Bonuses. There are three to be had in each level. Earning
them earns you extra points, improves your Secrets rating. They are also
instrumental in getting the Schabe ship.
In the Japanese version of Einhänder,
there is a "Free" difficulty setting. If you get all three Secret Bonuses
in one level, you will be able to stage select that level in the Free setting.
However, this mode has apparently been removed from the US version, or
the method of accessing it has changed. (See "Miscellaneous
Junk" for more details).
Anyway, here are the requirements for getting these secret bonuses.
* Level 1 *
1) Quite simple: when you first enter the commercial district, shoot down all the neon signs.
2) Shoot down all the grey Uhus (the ships that carry Gunpods) at the beginning of the level. You have to nail them as quickly as possible. If you don't see a red Uhu with a wasp fly by as you pass the "Leben? Fallen?" sign, you've messed up this bonus. After getting Bonus 1, you should be attacked by two more red ones: one carrying a Riot and the other carrying a Wasp. Shoot them both down.
3) When you reach the huge blue robot Mini-boss, beat him by destroying his lower portion.
* Level 2 *
1) At the beginning of the level, destroy all the Gunpod-carrying ships. A red one should appear; blast it.
2 + 3) At two points during this level, you the screen will stop scrolling while you're attacked by Gunpods that rise from the train. Keep shooting the Gunpods. Do _NOT_ shoot the control tower thingy with the radar dish. Keep blasting at the Gunpods until you get the bonus. (Takes about 8 or 9, IIRC)
* Level 3 *
1) Before the mini-boss, destroy all of the saucer-shaped weapon carriers. A red one will then appear. Destroy it for the bonus.
2) During the mini-boss fight, green Gunpod carriers and red Reflector trucks will show up. Destroy these until you get the bonus. (Requires a combined total of around 8, I think.)
3) Just after the mini-boss, some big huge thing will show up at the top of the screen. Destroy it, then quickly destroy all the garbage it spews. The Blade works wonders here, and it just so happens that a few of the Nattern here carry them. A Vulcan or Juno can help as well. Unless you have the Schabe, where almost anything that fires foward works (especially the Wasp :). A Flash will also be awarded.
* Level 4 *
1) When the submarine shows up, destroy the hull (not the controlling tower). The tower will then launch. Destroy it (and quickly, before it starts spewing shots all over the place). A Juno will be awarded.
2) When you get to the second section, take the lowest route possible until you reach the elevator. After the elevator, keep going on the path you are on. You should reach a PKB-11d Parzival (humanoid-type mech) sliding down the ramp on its bum; blast it for the bonus.
3) Just before the end, destroy the girders on the ground for the bonus. If you got the bonus above, there will be an enemy at this point. Don't destroy it entirely, but disable it so it crashes into the girders. Easiest 100000 points in the game, probably, unless you have to do it the hard way. If so, nail it with a Juno or Hedgehog set to bottom, or a top mounted Grenade.
* Level 5 *
1) When you fly over the wall, just before the "mini"-boss, there will be a series of bars that rise and fall. Destroy them for the bonus.
2) If you're playing as something other than the Schabe, grab the Grenade before you face the Mini-boss, because it will make this a lot easier. To get the bonus, you must knock down the boss four times. To accomplish this, you have to destroy one of its "weak points". Here is a partial list of parts that cause an instant knock down:
a) Arm Armour: When this boss fires the screen-filling shots, you can hit one of its arms (left or right). If you can destroy the armour protecting either arm, the boss will fall over, and lob a box at you.
b) Arms: After blowing off the armour, destroying the arms themselves will also result in a knockdown.
c) Hands: These are incredibly easy to destroy. When the boss jumps into the background, avoid plasma shots and such, and try to end up on the right side of the screen before it jumps at you and tries to swat you. Back up a bit to get out of the way, and when it lands, you can fly right up to the hand and blast it off. And if you blow one off, the boss sometimes jumps back into the background again (after lobbing a box) and does this again. Blow off the other hand for another KO!
d) Head: There are two sections to the head armour, and blowing off either results in a knockdown. Knocking off the head, however, kills the boss and you don't get the Bonus. :)
3) Towards the end of the level, 3 laser ships will appear in the background. One of them is red. If you have a Wasp, you can nail it now. If you don't have one, fear not. The formation will attack later on, so blast it then.
* Level 6 *
1) After you have eliminated one of the thrusters, little pods will show up from time to time. Every now and then they'll release an enemy; every now and then the enemy will be red. Shoot it.
2) Blast three of the above mentioned pods.
3) When you get to the boss, every so often a section will raise up from the top. Destroy it. Then, after defeating the boss, a jellyfish-like thing will attack you. Destroy it for the bonus.
* Level 7 *
All) Three red fighters will show up at various times during this level. Nail them.
Here are some descriptions of the bosses and mini-bosses in the game, and some tips on how to beat them. And, if all else fails, there's always the Solarstriker method: just survive and the boss will leave/die. You'll get a "Timeout" for your boss repulse time, and receive no bonus points.
M = Mini-boss B = Main Boss
* Level 1 *
M) SPJ-15 "Greif": If you're looking for a quick kill, aim for the head.
Simple but effective. Blasting its lower section for the Secret
Bonus is a bit more difficult, since it takes more hits than the head.
Having an downward-angled weapon such as the Flash
helps immensly. Otherwise, stay still until it stops jumping around and
fires at you. Move to avoid the shots and blast at the bottom section.
The instant it moves, stop firing, or else you'll hit the head. Also, if
you are playing on Hard,
watch out, because it will mosey on over to the left side of the screen
from time to time.
B) SPKB-03 "Drache": Aim for the body section where the arm/head thing joins the rest of it and blast with everything you've got. After you have destroyed that section, seperating the head, aim for the red area. If you do not succeed in destroying it, and it grows the head that shoots the purple laser, aim for the head to completely destroy it.
Zach's Normal Mode Record: 0'07"
* Level 2 *
M) SKP-04 "Garnele": Keep destroying parts of it until is completely destroyed. The weak point is in the front, just above the claws. If it starts spazzing out, head up; it's about to charge. If it stiffens up, it's about to do a jumping attack. In either case, just stay in the upper left corner. Watch out for the shooting claws; destroy them if you can.
B) PGZ/L03 "Spinne": Blast at the "head" in the middle section. If you cannot destroy the boss before it starts attacking, then take out the huge weapon arms. Then start blasting the "head" again. On Hard, watch out for the fleet of fighters that it will launch after you destroy a set of weapon arms. Also on Hard, after you destroy the second set of weapon arms, the second set like to launch missiles and stuff at you, while you're dodging fighters from behind and blue "donuts" from the front. You can fly through the center of the "donuts" without damage.
Zach's Normal Mode Record: 0'07"
* Level 3 *
M) SPKB-08 "Gecko": When you first get to this boss, just aim for the
center lasers. Destroy them quickly, or it will fire a criss-crossing laser
not unlike the red/blue R-Type laser. If you see the yellow trucks, watch
out for this. Try to get it to aim high or low, then get out of the way.
Then, when it changes attack patterns, try not to cause too much damage
until you have gotten the Secret Bonus. After that,
or if you do not care about the Bonus, aim low. Its weak point is the green
area that is protected by its legs. This is easily accomplished with the
Blade
Gunpod, if you use the fireball-motion to extend it (see Gunpod
section for more details). Also, always destroy the red Reflector trucks
ASAP, or the mini-boss will fire a laser attack that severly limits your
room to move, while continuing its green laser attacks. If you have to
deal with this laser, head for the opposite side of the screen (vertically
speaking) from the truck, and move toward the truck as the laser fires.
B) PR-01 "Gustav": Aim for the head; watch out for the fists. If you have a powerful weapon (even a Schabe with a Lv. 3 Cannon qualifies, if you are on Easy), do not worry much about the "yo-yos" that it will launch; just blast them back or destroy them altogther. Unless you're pinned on one side of the screen, in which case you avoid them altogether. Watch out for the rush it sometimes makes at you. Also, a hatch may open on its back which will launch homing missiles. If you see it coming, fly behind the boss. The missiles will hit the boss, doing some damage for you.
* Level 4 *
M) EU-46 "Salamander": As this boss swims, watch out for the mines it launches in the air. When they land in the water, head up. The mines will explode in the water, which can take you down. Your targets are the head and the black thingy. Try to blast off the head ASAP, so you can cause critical damage to it while it's still swimming, which is a lot easier. When it jumps out of the water and hangs on to the pipe, it will try three attacks: whipping you with its tail or knocking you out of the sky with one arm. It will swing one arm around twice, then aim for you on the third swing. Watch out also for the homing missiles and the blue plasma blast. If you have a normal ship, try to get the Juno (Secret Bonus 1) before this battle.
B) SPKB-04 "Sturmvogel": After you destroy this boss's shield, it will get armor installed from somewhere. When that happens, just aim for the top/front of it. From time to time this boss will leave and some hover-bike type things with Gunpods will arrive. Take them if you need them. Most of this boss's attacks are easily avoided, such as the small missiles and the arcing thingies, but if it starts launching those large homing missiles, watch out! The only consistent method I've found to avoid that attack is to destroy the Sturmvogel before it can launch it.
Zach's Normal Mode Record: 0'18"
* Level 5 *
M) SPKB-06 "Ausf A Gestell": This "Mini"-boss is a true bastard. His weak point is his head, but you're not always in a position to hit it there. Aim for whatever you can. The first two green boxes contain Wasps; get them if you can. When he jumps into the background, avoid his plasma shots by flying in a circular pattern. Watch out for the spinning disks on the ground. When they explode, they send up a large geyser of flame. When he jumps and swats at you from the background, you're in a good position to blast off his hands, provided you avoid the swat. Good luck! You'll need it. (See the "Secret Bonus" section for more tips on fighting this boss.)
Every time you knock down this boss (see "Secret Bonus"
section for more details), a box will fall that contains a Gunpod. Here
is a listing of the weapons you can get:
| First KO: | Wasp |
| Second KO: | Wasp |
| Third KO: | Riot |
| Fourth KO: | Flash |
| Fifth KO: | Cannon |
| Sixth KO: | Blade |
| Seventh KO: | Spreader |
| Eighth KO: | Hedgehog |
B) SPKB-07 "Ausf D Dürer": This boss can be a bugger too. The head,
as usual, is your main target. If you can, destroy his Cannon and Vulcan
weapons. When his head glows blue, watch out for the triangles that appear.
They will fire shots at you. When he turns around, he'll launch missiles
out of his backside that will come raining down on you. And be careful
for the screen-filling yellow laser. Try to remember a safe spot on the
screen to head to when he fires it. Or if you are caught off-guard, remember
you have until the yellow lines widen before they actually cause damage.
Finally, he too has a rush attack, so head or
the other side of the screen when he tries it.
* Level 6 *
M) This stage has no mini-boss, but I'll use this space to describe your objective. Your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to knock out two launching thrusters from a gigantic spacecraft. Your target is a little above where the thruster is attached to the craft itself. You have about two mintues and 30 seconds to knock them both out. All the while, pesky little enemies will be on your butt the whole time.
Timeout: You get the "second ending".
B1) SS-01 "Schwarzgeist": This orbital platform can be a pain, but really is not too bad. First off, you want to destroy the spinning disks before they start shooting lasers at you. Your main target, I believe, is the part between the top saucer and bottom section. If you see a little saucer raise from the larger one, blast it, so you can get the Secret Bonus later on. When you see a yellow glow, head for the bottom right part of the screen. This yellow glow preceeds the same screen-filling laser than the level 5 boss had. While you are down here, you can cause some damage to the bottom section. In fact, I recommend this, since the 4 bottom sections fire a stream of homing missiles at you. Also the top section fires a bluish-green shot at you, which itself fires shots perpendicular to its path. Also watch for the boss to fly into the distance and shoot homing lasers at you. (The music during this battle is the best in the game, IMHO.)
Timeout: Wilson Tam reports that the Schwarzgeist gets shot down much like the Jellyfish (see below).
B2) If you knock off the top mini-saucer during the main boss fight, the Jellyfish-like thing will attack you. It will fire either a Spread-like or Vulcan-like shots at you, then pull off a rush attack. It does not take many hits though, so try to blast it ASAP. I nailed quickly with what was left over from my Vulcan cannon from the main boss fight. Beware: if you lose to the Jellyfish, when your next ship arrives you have to start with the main boss again, and it's up to you whether or not you want to try the Jellyfish again.
Timeout: Wilson Tam reports that if you timeout during the Jellyfish battle, lasers will come from above and destroy it.
* Level 7 *
M) No mini-boss here either. But this level doesn't need one... Anyway, if you're pretty well armed and want to be a complete wuss, just set your speed to max and fly in one direction vertically for the whole level. The EOS ships won't get to you, but this is a rather boring way to get to the boss. (However, if you're playing on Hard and have no continues and one life left, you might not want to take chances.)
B) HYPERION UCS Mk.XII: The final boss is one big-ass mech. First off,
I wholly recommend increasing the speed of your fighter to max right off
the bat. It'll start off by launching little green things which fly around
rapidly. Blast them all before they start firing lasers at you. After you
nail them, head downward immediately, because the boss might return
fire with one huge blast. Finally, he'll come see to you personally.
Your target is the area above the cannon looking thing he has. But, watch
out. It will fire two kinds of fireballs at you: The blue ones are slower,
but follow you around the screen. However, you can outrun them if you have
full speed. The red ones will head out a bit, flash, then book to your
current location. They're a pain when the boss fires one or the other,
but when it fires both, have fun. Sometimes, it will jettison its midsection
at you, so watch out. After that, it will head to the left side of the
screen, and fly either straight up or down. You can get a few free hits
on its approach, but you want to be on the right side when it takes off.
And then it will repeat with the green things and the megablast again.
Keep an eye out for the EOS UFG Mk. IX if you run
out of ammo. (Or use the Schabe :) Oddly enough,
you won't
receive a message from Hyperion after this battle. I wonder why.. :)
Timeout: Wilson Tam reports that if you timeout during this battle, you're the one who gets blasted.
Zach's Normal Mode Record: 0'38"
* How to get all 100 pictures *
At the end of this section you'll find a complete
and uncut listing of all the Gallery picture titles in the game. But first,
you're going to have to endure my detailing how to obtain each and every
one of these pictures. So if you're missing a few, listen up.
To get all 100 pictures, you have to perform the following 7 Tasks.
Notice that contrary to popular belief, ratings have nothing to do with
the pictures you get. (At least, they didn't for me.) Also, you get nothing
for getting all 100 pictures, except getting all 100 pictures. :)
Notice that this list applies to the NA version of the game. I understand that the Japanese version has a different set of Gallery pictures, and it's possible that the requirements for getting them all are different. That might explain the early reports of getting high grades affecting the Gallery pictures available.
1) Obtain all 12 Gunpods.
For every Gunpod you
obtain, you will earn a picture of it in the gallery. Also, you'll earn
the "Illustrations" picture. It may be
possible to get this picture another way, but isn't earning a Gunpod
the easiest of these tasks?
Pictures Awarded:
00-Illustrations
24-Gunpod-Vulcan
25-Gunpod-Cannon
26-Gunpod-WASP
27-Gunpod-Spreader
28-Gunpod-Grenade
29-Gunpod-Hedgehog
30-Gunpod-Juno
31-Gunpod-Blade
32-Gunpod-Riot
33-Gunpod-Flash
34-Gunpod-Mosquito
35-Gunpod-Python
41-W.A.S.P.
2) Beat the game on Easy with the Astraea FGA Mk. I.
Pictures Awarded:
11-ASTRAEA FGA Mk.I
39-ASTRAEA FGA Mk.I
3) Beat the game on Easy with the Endymion FRS Mk.II.
Pictures Awarded:
09-ENDYMION FRS Mk.II
37-ENDYMION FRS Mk.II
58-ENDYMION-cockpit
4) You guessed it. Beat the game on Easy with the Endymion FRS Mk. III.
Pictures Awarded:
10-ENDYMION FRS Mk.III
38-ENDYMION FRS Mk.III
5) Beat the game on Easy with any ship but the Schabe.
Pictures Awarded:
01-Start it up
02-The Capital Raider
04-The night attack
05-Behemoth
12-SPJ-15 Greif
13-SPKB-03 Drache
14-SKP-04 Garnele
15-PGZ/L-03 Spinne
36-Blue ace
40-PT-08s Uhu
42-PT08 Uhu
43-PT-08s Uhu
44-PW-104b Schabe
45-PA-09 Angler
49-KH-09 Drohne
50-PGZ/G-12 Trilobit
51-PGZ/A-03 Käfer
52-KP-05g Schnecke
59-DRACHE-assault mode
60-DRACHE-walking mode
61-Hangar
63-Lunatic attacker
67-The armored troops
68-Demon halo
69-The desert trap
71-Found target!
85-PT-08s Uhu
86-PA-09 Angler
87-PA-11b Libelle
88-PKB-07a Star
94-KH-09 Drohne
95-PT-08 Uhu
96-PT-08rs Fledermaus
97-KP-05g Schnecke
99-SRF/Pilot Suit
6) Beat the game on Normal with any ship but the Schabe.
Pictures Awarded:
06-Predator's eyes
08-Machine's Lair
16-SPKB-08 Gecko
17-PR-01 Gustav
18-EU-46 Salamander
19-SPKB-04 Sturmvogel
46-KH-16 Floh
47-KA-04 Natter
64-Edge of destiny
65-Hand of Lorelei
66-Steel sentinel
72-Heavy metal
74-KH-17 Schwalbe
75-KB-02 Qualle
76-KH-13 Löwe
77-PT-06 Kolibri
78-PKB-11d Parzival
79-VP-16d Vampir
89-KH-16 Floh
90-KH-18 Muschel2
91-SP-01 Sackträger
92-KP-02b Dackel
7) Beat the game on Hard with any ship but the Schabe.
Pictures Awarded:
03-The front line
07-Hunting games
20-SPKB-06 Ausf A Gestell
21-SPKB-07 Ausf D Dürer
22-SS-01 Schwarzgeist
23-HYPERION UCS Mk.X II
48-"SPKB-07 Ausf D Dürer"
53-AD2246 Repair order
54-AD2250 Worthless machine 55-AD2253
Children's hideout
56-AD2269 Steel Fossil
57-AD2301 Second Moon
62-"The Duel"
70-The false angel
73-Rising Monster
80-KH-14 Zikade
81-PT-09 Storch
82-PKB-07e Jagdstar
83-PKB-07c Panzerstar
84-KP-07a Alligator
93-KP-07a Alligator2
98-EOS UFG Mk.IX
* The Complete Listing *
Thanks go to Robert Little, who sent me most of these before I figured out how to get them for myself. since I was using that darn Schabe all the time. :)
00-Illustrations
01-Start it up
02-The Capital Raider
03-The front line
04-The night attack
05-Behemoth
06-Predator's eyes
07-Hunting games
08-Machine's lair
09-ENDYMION FRS Mk.II
10-ENDYMION FRS Mk.III
11-ASTRAEA FGA Mk.I
12-SPJ-15 Greif
13-SPKB-03 Drache
14-SKP-04 Garnele
15-PGZ/L-03 Spinne
16-SPKB-08 Gecko
17-PR-01 Gustav
18-EU-46 Salamander
19-SPKB-04 Sturmvogel
20-SPKB-06 Ausf A Gestell
21-SPKB-07 Ausf D Dürer
22-SS-01 Schwarzgeist
23-HYPERION UCS Mk.X II
24-Gunpod-Vulcan
25-Gunpod-Cannon
26-Gunpod-WASP
27-Gunpod-Spreader
28-Gunpod-Grenade
29-Gunpod-Hedgehog
30-Gunpod-Juno
31-Gunpod-Blade
32-Gunpod-Riot
33-Gunpod-Flash
34-Gunpod-Mosquito
35-Gunpod-Python
36-Blue ace
37-ENDYMION FRS Mk.II
38-ENDYMION FRS Mk.III
39-ASTRAEA FGA Mk.I
40-PT-08s Uhu
41-W.A.S.P.
42-PT08 Uhu
43-PT-08s Uhu
44-PW-104b Schabe
45-PA-09 Angler
46-KH-16 Floh
47-KA-04 Natter
48-"SPKB-07 Ausf D Dürer"
49-KH-09 Drohne
50-PGZ/G-12 Trilobit
51-PGZ/A-03 Käfer
52-KP-05g Schnecke
53-AD2246 Repair order
54-AD2250 Worthless machine 55-AD2253
Children's hideout
56-AD2269 Steel Fossil
57-AD2301 Second moon
58-ENDYMION-cockpit
59-DRACHE-assault mode
60-DRACHE-walking mode
61-Hangar
62-"The Duel"
63-Lunatic attacker
64-Edge of destiny
65-Hand of Lorelei
66-Steel sentinel
67-The armored troops
68-Demon halo
69-The desert trap
70-The false angel
71-Found target!
72-Heavy metal
73-Rising Monster
74-KH-17 Schwalbe
75-KB-02 Qualle
76-KH-13 Löwe
77-PT-06 Kolibri
78-PKB-11d Parzival
79-VP-16d Vampir
80-KH-14 Zikade
81-PT-09 Storch
82-PKB-07e Jagdstar
83-PKB-07c Panzerstar
84-KP-07a Alligator
85-PT-08s Uhu
86-PA-09 Angler
87-PA-11b Libelle
88-PKB-07a Star
89-KH-16 Floh
90-KH-18 Muschel2
91-SP-01 Sackträger
92-KP-02b Dackel
93-KP-07a Alligator2
94-KH-09 Drohne
95-PT-08 Uhu
96-PT-08rs Fledermaus
97-KP-05g Schnecke
98-EOS UFG Mk.IX
99-SRF/Pilot Suit
It seems pretty obvious that to get points in Einhänder, you have to shoot stuff. So what is this section for? Basically, to describe various score-related stuff about this game in more detail than the manual.
* Multiplier Bar *
At the bottom right-hand corner of the screen,
you'll see a bar that looks like this: x1 >>>>>>>>>>. As you shoot stuff,
the bar will fill up, and the multiplier will increase. As the multiplier
increases, the number of points you recieve from shooting down enemies
will be multiplied by your multiplier.
However, your bar is always losing its charge.
Therefore, to keep your multiplier high, you must continue to destroy enemies.
Destroying enemies with a Gunpod shot charges your
multiplier twice as quickly as your machine-gun. Also, hitting many enemies
with one shot (easily done with the Cannon, Flash,
or Python) also charges up your meter quickly.
If you can get your multiplier up to x16, then charge up your meter
to where it should go up to x17, it will flash red and give you lots of
bonus points. (OK, all that _was_ in the manual. Oh well.)
* End of Level Bonus Screens *
After you beat the boss of the level, you recieve two bonus screens. The first one tallies up your bonus points for the level, as follows:
1) Shot down: Enemies shot down in the current level times 500 points.
Notice that if you have died in the level, only fighters shot down with
your current life are counted.
2) Gunpods Gained: Number of Gunpods acquired times 500 points. Again,
only Gunpods collected with your current life are counted.
3) Boss Repulse Time: 300000 minus 3000 points for every second over
30 it took you to defeat the boss of the level. If it takes longer than
2'10" to beat the boss, you don't get jack.
4) Fighters remaining: For every ship you have left, score 10000 points.
5) Total: Your total bonus.
Notice that at the end of the game, these bonuses are worth more. I'm not sure how much more, however. Also, if you see the "Extended Play" message on this screen, you've earned an extra life. This happens about every 2000000 points, I think. You get the life at the end of the level that you score the 2 million, not when you score it.
The second screen compares your current game to your past games with the ship type you're currently using.
1) Score for this level: pretty self-explanatory. The number of points
you scored in this level.
2) Best Score: The highest number of points you've ever scored in this
level. [NOTE: Your high score for the level only "counts" if you hadn't
continued when you got there and beat the level without continuing.]
3) Difference: Did you do better or worse than your best? Green is
good!
4) Subtotal: Your current score.
5) Highest Score: This is a bit complicated. I recieved a few E-mails
about this, but I think Wilson Tam explains it best:
"In your FAQ you mention how the highest score for level 1 doesn't
always match the highest subtotal. I'm not sure but maybe it looks at the
level 1 subtotal for the highest scorer overall. Here's an example (using
fairly even numbers to make things easier).1st play...
1000000 points in the first level
2500000 points total when dying on level 32nd play...
500000 points in the first level
1000000 points total when dying on level 73rd play...
1250000 points in the first level
1500000 points total when dying on level 2Since the highest total score occurs in the 2nd play, maybe it takes the
subtotals in that game. Just a thought. I hope I've explained my theory
in a clear enough way. (Hopefully the theory is correct too! :)"
6) Difference: How you did compared to what the game claims your
best Subtotal is.
* Rating screens *
After you beat the game, run out of continues,
or elect not to continue, you will get to the Rating screens. These show
various statisics about your performance in the game. [NOTE: These rating
screens are based on your performance before you continued. Any
points you score, Secret Bonuses you find, x16 bonuses,
usw., after you continue do not count for the rating
screens. However, Secret Bonuses found after
continuing do count towards unlocking the Schabe.]
The highest grade you can get in any area is an "S".
The first graph gives you a grade in the following 6 areas:
1) Shot Down: Self explanatory - how many enemies you annihilated.
2) Score: I'm not quite sure about this one. It may have to do with
the number of points you have, but I need to do more research here. :)
3) Boss Bonus: Your average Boss Bonus for this game. 300000 is perfect.
4) Highest %: The manual explanation for this is incorrect. This stat
tracks not the higest multiplier you've gotten, but the number of times
you've surpassed 16x. (You know, when your mutliplier bar flashes red and
you get a bunch of points).
5) Tech Points: Want an S? Don't die. (Try that on Hard. :)
A theory put forth buy "the guy" is that for every checkpoint (i.e., places
you restart when you die) you pass without dying gives you some tech points.
If true, dying would penalize you some points.
6) S Bonus: The number of Secret Bonuses achieved. Perfect would be
21.
Push down to get the Field Evaluation graph. This centers on one of the above 6 areas, and tells you your exact score, exact number of Secret Bonuses obtained, und so weite. It also gives your top score in the areas. Push left or right to change what you're looking at.
If you want to know how you've been doing in
a particular area over your last few games, pick the area you want to look
at in the Field Evaluation graph and push down. The Fight Evaluation graph
shows what you've scored in an area over your last 10 or so games, and
tells you your overall average. The letters and numbers at the bottom tell
you the difficulty (E, N, or H)
and the highest level reached before continuing.
No doubt about it; Einhänder has one of the best soundtracks ever made for a shooter. Unfortuantely, it does not use Redbook Audio, so you just can't pop it in a normal CD player and listen. So, the obvious choice is to plunk down your $30 or so and buy the soundtrack from Japan. However, if you have a lot of hard drive space, you can extract the music from the CD and play it whenever you want. This is much more convienent than downloading MP3's, but it probably uses more disk space.
Unfortunatly, playing the music from Einhänder isn't as easy as playing it from CSOTN. CSOTN put all of its sound and music data in one nicely wrapped file that XAPlay could very easily play. Einhänder is a little trickier. Anyway, here's what to do, if you're using a Windows machine:
1) Go to www.zophar.net and head for the PSX Utilites section. Download copies of XAEX and XAPlay. If Zophar's is spazzing for whatever reason, go to the Castlevania Dungeon and look for the Miscellaneous section. The utilites should be there as well. They're not very large, so the download won't take long. (Hey, David, if you're reading this, perhaps you could put them up on the Einhänder site's music section somewhere?)
2) Once you have them set up (no big deal, just unzip them somewhere and they're as set up as they're going to get :), insert your Einhänder CD in your CD-ROM drive. For demonstration purposes, let's say the CD-ROM is drive G.
3) There are 10 files that I'm aware of that contain audio on the Einhänder CD. The 6 Mov*.str files are the FMV movies you see throughout the game. They are not immediately playable on PSXVideo, but I believe some of the utilites that come with PSXVideo can convert them into a playable format. Anyway, XAEX can extract the audio from them, if you want. More importantly, however, are the 4 Stage*.str files. These files contain the music. Go to a DOS prompt, go to whatever directory you unzipped XAEX into, and type:
xaex <source filename> <destination filename>
For example, if you want to extract the music from stage1.str into a file called music01.xa, you would type (again, this is assuming that G is the CD-ROM drive):
xaex g:\stage1.str c:\music01.xa
This will take a little while (it took about
a minute on my machine, but then again I've got a Pentium 300-something
with a whole crapload of RAM). When it's finished, the resulting
music01.xa (or whatever you named it) can be played using XAPlay.
If you've not used XAPlay before, know that
many XA files are split into at most 8 channels, numbered 0 through 7.
Use the "Channel" pulldown menu to select which channel you want to listen
to.
Here is a list of each *.str file on the Einhänder
CD, and their contents. I've used the music page from the Einhänder
Website to try to identify the song titles; but since I don't own the soundtrack,
it's possible I've gotten a few wrong. There are also a few songs on the
soundtrack not it this list; chances are the song appeared in an FMV and
there is no way to extract it without the accompaning sound effects. The
size is how much disk space the extracted music takes up.
| Channel | Song Title | Description |
| Channel 0 | Capital | "Opera" music from the beginning of level 1. |
| Channel 1 | Street | Commercial district of level 1. |
| Channel 2 | Chase | End of level 1, before the boss. |
| Channel 3 | Ruins | Secret area of level 1. |
| Channel 4 | Shudder | Level 1 (et al) Boss Music |
| Channel 5 | ??? | ??? |
| Channel 6 | Judgement | Rating screens. |
| Channel 7 | Muddle | Continue screen. |
| Channel | Song Title | Description |
| Channel 0 | Machine Beat | First part of level 2, before the mini-boss |
| Channel 1 | Badlands | Level 2 mini-boss and second half music. |
| Channel 2 | Shudder | Level 2 (et al) boss music |
| Channel 3 | Silence | Elevator shaft from the beginning of level 3 |
| Channel 4 | Warning | Mini-boss music from level 3 |
| Channel 5 | Bloody Battle | Level 3 (et al) boss music |
| Channel 6 | Machine Beat (no intro) | Plays after you lose a life on level 2. |
| Channel 7 | ??? | ??? |
| Channel | Song Title | Description |
| Channel 0 | Breakthrough | First part of level 4, before the mini-boss |
| Channel 1 | Factory | Level 4 mini-boss and second half music. |
| Channel 2 | Shudder | Level 4 (et al) boss music |
| Channel 3 | Conflict | Second half of level 5, after the mini-boss |
| Channel 4 | Madness | Mini-boss music from level 5 |
| Channel 5 | Dawn | First part of level 5, before the mini-boss. |
| Channel 6 | Bloody Battle | Boss music of level 5. |
| Channel 7 | Conflict (no intro) | Plays after you lose a life in the second half of level 5. |
| Channel | Song Title | Description |
| Channel 0 | (none) | "Glory to the Moon; Mercy on the Earth" speech. |
| Channel 1 | Impatience | Level 6; while fighting the huge battleship. |
| Channel 2 | Thermosphere | Level 6 boss music; this is my favourite track. |
| Channel 3 | Afterimage | "Jellyfish" battle in level 6. |
| Channel 4 | Rebellion (no intro) | Plays after you lose a life on level 7. |
| Channel 5 | Zero Gravity | Final boss music. |
| Channel 6 | Zero Gravity (no intro) | Plays after you lose a life while fighting the final boss. |
| Channel 7 | Rebellion | Level 7 before boss; includes the final message from Hyperion. |
| Filename | Description |
| Mov01.str | Introductory FMV with the song "Assult". Sound effects included, obviously. Score one point for importing! |
| Mov02.str | Launch of the large Battleship after level 5. |
| Mov03.str | "Second Ending" FMV. |
| Mov04.str | "Betrayal" FMV from after level 6. |
| Mov05.str | Ending FMV |
| Mov06.str | FMV of fighter powering up from after the ending credits. |
And now, just for the heck of it, is Megas of Vecanti's attempt to transcribe the lyrics to "Shudder" by playing an MP3 of it at a slower rate:
"Check it out / I'm mr. lyrical ?????? and ??????? fast when I'm in front of the microphone / Steadfast ?????? ????? the nitty-gritty used to be the finest of the fittest / Ah yeah, and yo, I ain't with it / You
bailed to the left when I made the top ten / Stop lookin' ?????? and ??? to the mike and / Knowledge is the key to be a sensible black man / Rhythm of the street is the ways of a dark man / Devilish attitude, you
really make me move / Friday the 13th, you're all up to it / You're Jason ????????? and Freddy all combined / The name of the ?????? is ?????? ?????? / To me / there's only one reignin' body, and ????? ?????? ?????? / And singin' my song I wanna rock about the baby / Won't be long until you're pushin' up daisies"
One of the most frequently asked questions
about Einhänder is "what the heck is everybody saying?" Up until recently,
if anyone knew, they weren't sharing. The fact that Einhänder never
got a European release combined with the fact that the speech in the game
is often muffled due to background sound effects and music made it difficult
to find out.
About six weeks ago Chase posted a few phrases
to the Einhänder Logbook,
and later E-mailed me a few more. The translations Chase provided are not
necessarily literal (few decent translations ever are), although the meaning
is more or less the same. Lastly, I've made a few corrections (at least,
I hope they were corrections. :) and added a few more literal translations.
Before Lv.1: "Achtung, Einhänder kommt! Drei Sekunden bis Kontakt..."
Translation: "Warning, Einhänder approaching! Three seconds until
contact..."
Lv. 1 Mini-boss: ?
Lv.1 boss: "Dies ist eine Warnung! Entladen Sie alle Ihre Waffen!"
Translation: "This is a warning! Discharge all your ammunition immediately!"
Lv. 2 Mini-boss when launching from train car: "Ich schicke dich zur
Hölle!"
Translation: "I'll send you to hell!"
Lv. 2 Mini-boss when starting attack: ?
Lv. 3 Mini-boss: ?
Lv. 3 Boss: "Willkommen. Hier findest Du nur Dein Grab."
Translation: "Welcome. This is where I bury you."
Literally: "Welcome. Here you will find only your grave."
Lv. 4 Mini-boss: "Schnell achtung! Schnell achtung! [something]"
Lv. 4 Boss when appears: ?
Lv. 4 Boss when additional armour attaches: "Willkommen Unterstützung!"
Translation: "Welcome, reenforcements!"
Lv. 5 Mini-boss: "<garble garble>...Ich habe ihn grad' gefunden!"
Translation: "...I have just found him!"
Lv. 5 Boss: "Du wirst sterben!"
Translation: "You will die!"
* Second Ending? *
If you let time run out on level 6 instead of destroying the huge spacecraft, instead of getting the usual "Game Over" screen, you will get a sort of an ending. However, you have not beat the game yet...
* Why can't I save my game? *
Oddly enough, this is the most frequently asked
question about Einhänder. Einhänder does not save what level
you last got to, and you cannot restart at any level except the first.
(The Japanese version is an exception. Although I don't believe you can
save your game, the Free mode does allow a stage select, but only if you've
aquired all the Secret Bonuses in the level.)
What makes this an odd question (to me, at least) is the fact that
shooters that allow level saves are very rare, and tend to make said games
too easy.
* Wie sagt man "Einhänder?" (and other fun facts about the game's title) *
First off, I'd like to clarify that I've purposely
misspelled "Einhänder" throughout this FAQ. Originally, I had it spelled
correctly, "a" umlaut and all. But that caused a lot of problems, since
nothing but the MS-DOS editor wanted to display it correctly. A common
alternative to umlauts is to put an "e" after the vowel (notice the "oe"
in the Danke schoen section). I elected not to spell Einhander this way
throughout most of the FAQ for the sake of search engines, because I'd
imagine most people who have little or no knowledge of German aren't going
to enter "Einhaender" into a search engine.
That said, the narrator of the intro FMV mispronounces
the name of the game. He says it as if it truly were spelled "Einhander."
However, those little dots are there for a reason, and in this case they
change the "ah" sound (think British "can't") to a short e sound (like
in "hen"). In other words, it should be pronounced "Ine-hend-er".
So, what exactly does "Einhänder" mean?
There was some discussion about this a few months ago on rec.games.video.sony,
and basically the word refers to a type of sword held with (get this) one
hand. That would be
opposed to a zweihaender (think Siegfried from Soul Blade), which is
a sword held with (you'll never guess) two hands.
Note that most of the above info is coming
from some American wielding a crappy German dictionary and repeating what
he's read on the Internet, so if any of the above is inaccurate, well,
you're getting what you paid for.
If you're reading the HTML version of this, all umlauts have been restored, thanks to the magical ä tag, and its variants.
* The search for Free Mode... *
As I mentioned in the Secret Bonus section,
the original Japanese version of Einhänder contained a fourth difficulty
option, called "Free". I'm not sure what other differences the Free difficulty
have from the others, but what sets Free apart is the ability to stage
select a level, if you have gotten all three Secret Bonuses in that level.
However, this option is not available in the US version, or either you
have to do something in order to access it. (In the Japanese version, it
was available from the start.)
Oddly enough though, it appears to have been disabled, not completely
removed, from the US version. If you put the Einhänder CD in a CD-ROM
drive and look through some of the files (namely the BINPACK0.BIN file),
you'll
find that references still exist to Free mode and the Stage Select
option.
* Japan vs. US *
Here's a list of differences between the Japanese and NA versions of the game, as reported by "the guy". I can neither confirm nor deny any of this.
" Differences -* Pointless uses of the Select button *- The Gallery is different; The Vulcan is no.1, and they wrote Vulcan differently...
- The speed at which the weapons switch from the top to bottom positions are MUCH slower
- Different ammo settings (Vulcan is 400 Cannon is a whopping 30, and the Wasp is a mind-blowing 60 on the Endymion 2, to name a few)
- The Cannon can't be fired as rapidly when up close
- Button and word changes ("Rest/Continue", "End/Continue", "Title/Quit"), and a rephrasing of the intermissions.And now for some more interesting things...
Because of the rephrasing, I learned that the "Great War" was indeed World
War III. And remembering in history class that the previous World Wars will
soon be called the "German Wars," it would only follow that there would be
some type of German thing going on, hence the name "EINHANDER."Weirder still, there are new pictures in the Gallery! They show pictures of
the logos of the Unknown Fighters (with the names on top, hence the names
"Selene" and "Sodom"), and individual characters of the pilots themselves!
Names like "Myriem Cleve" and "Ralph Cunningham" - like the top scoring
people in Hard mode! Whoa!!But what really SUCKS is that you can't choose the picture you want... you
automatically start off with the "Illustrations" picture, and pressing
start will only have you exit. Damnation!! "
Here are a few uses of the Select button that may or may not have been mentioned in the manual, but are pretty useless anyway.
1) Don't like the multiplier bar? Don't wanna know your score? Just
press select and it will all go away.
2) At the end of each level, a screen will pop up with your bonuses
for that level. Pressing any button will make your bonuses tally faster,
while hitting select will make the screen disappear altogether. You can
sometimes also cut of the message from Hyperion with the Select button.
3) Use it to skip the credits when you beat the game.
Version Acht (27 September 1998)
Thanks go out to the following people/places (in alphabetical order):
Eric Bickle (psx0001@aol.com)
- Eric's FAQ taught me where the Secret Bonuses and secret Gunpods
are, among a few other things.
Chase
- Providing some of the German phrases used in the game, along with
translations.
Chris Cates
- More insight on acquiring Die Schabe
Firestarter
- Some German info.
Gamewinners (http://www.gamewinners.com/)
- Where I found the "15 Secret Bonus to get Schabe" theory, and the
Level 3 Boss Homing Missile trick (see Boss Tactics).
the guy
- List of differences between the Japanese and NA versions, and some
other tips.
Marcus Heuser
- Gave me some more German chapter titles.
Robert Little
- Gave me a more complete list of Gallery pictures and some more boss
names.
Mark Maestas
- Info about Free mode in the Japanese version.
Megas of Vecanti
- Partially transcribed the lyrics to "Shudder".
Daniel E. Miller
- Info about some of the oddly named enemies.
Nick (kzc7@maristb.marist.edu)
- Info about the Subtotal "bug".
Mike Powers
- Info about some of the oddly named enemies.
Fred M. Sloniker
- For information on the Astraea and many nits
picked. :)
Squaresoft (http://www.squaresoft.com)
- Some of the boss names.
- I understand that they (or their parent company in Japan) may have
had a role in the production of this game. :)
Wilson Tam
- Info about the Subtotal "bug" and Boss Timeout info.
Richard Uyeyama
- Various strategies for getting Secret Bonuses.
Nick Zitzmann
- Reported that you can, in fact, get the Schabe with the Astraea.
He also pointed out a misspelling or seven. :)
I fear that "Legale Scheiße" might be stronger than the "Legal Crap" that was the original title of this section, but since I'm not German I can't say for sure. By the way, "Scheiße" is a pretty good word to know when you are playing Einhänder on Hard, actually. :)
This Einhander FAQ is (C) 1998, 1999 Zach Keene. As Grand Poo-bah of Copyrightedness, I grant upon thee the following rights:
1) Thou mayst give this FAQ to whomever you so choose. The key word here is "give". If anybody gets paid for this, it darn well better be me. :)
2) Thou mayst put this FAQ up on thine website, so long as it remains completely intact. And I do mean completely.
Einhander is a trademark of Square Co., Ltd. (C) 1997, 1998 Square Co., Ltd.
I leave you with the ultimate secret of Einhander, as somebody posted to alt.games.final-fantasy:
1) Shoot everything that moves.
2) Don't get hit.
Heh.
Zach Keene
16 May 1999
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Author of many FAQs: MK2, FF1, Einhänder, CSOTN,
and the AGVS FAQ
ftp://members.aol.com/fnlfanatic/arcanelore
Shooter fans: Visit the new alt.games.video.shooters
today!
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