______________________________              ___________________    ___
/         /         /   |  __  \            /  ____/  ___   /|  |  /  /
/     ____/__    ___/ __ | |  \  \          /  /   /  /  /  / |  | /  /
/     /      /   /  / /  || |___\  |        /  /___/  /  /  /  |  |/  / o
\     \     /   /  / /___|| __   __|       /  ____/  /  /  /   |     /
\     \   /   /  /  __   | | \  \        /  /   /  /  /  /   /     |
____/     /  /   /  /  /  |  | |  \  \      /  /   /  /  /  /   /  /|  |
/         /  /   /  /  /   |  | |   \  \    /  /   /  /__/  /   /  / |  |   o
/_________/  /___/  /__/    |__|_|    \__\  /__/   /________/   /  /  |__|
/  /
_,..--~``''~--...,____________,.-' ,'
_,-'`                                 ,'
,'_,.-~``'~--..,__                   ,-'
/,-'                `'~-.,________,.-'
_____        ________________________         ___    ______  ___________
/  _  |      /       /          /  _  |       /  /   /  /  / /____    __/
/  / | |     /    ___/      ____/  / | |      /  /   /  /  /      /   /
/  /__| |    /    /  /      /   /  /__| |     /  /   /  /  /      /   /
/        |    \    \  \      \  /        |    /  /   /  /  /      /   /
/   ___   |     \    \  \      \/   ___   |   /  /   /  /  /      /   /
/   /   |  |  ___/    /__/      /   /   |  |  /  /   /  /  /      /   /
/   /    |  | /       /         /   /    |  | /  /___/  /  /______/   /
/___/     |__|/_______/_________/___/     |__|/_________/_________/___/
===============================================================================
Searching for target...
Target acquired. Reading database.
You are browsing HAXage's Multiplayer FAQ for Star Fox Assault, beginning here.
===============================================================================
A Guide by HAXage to the Multiplayer Aspect of the Game, with Emphasis on the
On-Foot Aspect
__________________________________
/                                  \
---------       Table of Contents        ---------
---------           tblcntnts            ---------
\__________________________________/
This guide, like many before it, uses a CTRL-F system (or Command-F, if you're
on a Mac, which I strongly encourage). The Table of Contents gives the key
words for the different parts of the guide.
***********
Table of Contents - tblcntnts
Updates - updts
Legal stuffs/Contacting - lglcntct
Character Guide - chrtrg
Character Strategy - chrtrstrt
Weapons Guide - wpngd
Weapons Strategy - wpnstrt
General Strategies - genstrt
Arwing/Wolfen Riding - arwolrd
Conclusion - cnclsn
Words of Thanks - thx
Disclaimers - dsclm
End - ENDAGE!!!
***********
__________________________________
/                                  \
---------             Updates            ---------
---------              updts             ---------
\__________________________________/
Version 1.1: Started the FAQ. Did you know I'm obsessed with Falco? And Homing
Launchers.
Version 1.2: Updated things in Weapons, made small edits and changed the
overall structure. I'm bored. Go somewhere else.
Version 1.3: Updated ASCII to a (slightly) better version. Gave more credits.
I sure didn't know that SFA was not an acceptable topic in Science. Also, my
friend hido1 kept (accidentally) giving me away... "Wow, that's good, Nick!"
Meh. -_-
Version 1.4: Updated ASCII to t3h pwn1n6 d3s16n. Oh yeah. Made small edits.
Added more stuff on Wolf.
Version 1.5: Updated random stuff. I like pancakes.
Version 1.6: A little too early to say yet, but I think this FAQ is done except
for the small random fixes - I updated the ASCII to what I think is the best
design yet, and done little other things.
Version 1.7: Updated... How to Ride a Landmaster! Updated false info on Wolfens.
Interesting that it was the same friend that told me a) you can't ride LMs and
b) that Wolfens will "make riders fall off" if the person boosts.
Version 1.8: Small stuff that was either incorrect or sounded stupid.
Version 1.9: Oh lord. Huge typos. Neeearly there...
Version 2.0: Yes! 'Tis finished! And my other one begun. Oh yes, if you want to
mail me about something, then you can still do it. I just won't change the
version, but I'll add your suggestion.
__________________________________
/                                  \
---------     Legal Stuffs/Contacting    ---------
---------            lglcntct            ---------
\__________________________________/
This guide is copyright Nick Miskey (2007). Well, no, it's not copyright, but
I'll say it is just for the purpose of saying "Do whatever you want with this
guide, just don't post it on another website and claim it as your own."
Star Fox: Assault is copyright Namco. The Gatling Gun is copyright Richard
Gatling (no, I'm serious) and the sky is copyright God, which is... never mind.
For contacting purposes, my email is canadalazer@hotmail.com. No, I am NOT
interested in spam or viruses, nor do I enjoy pornography. So don't send me any.
You can send constructive criticism, but emailing me something like "OMG U
SUXX0R5 U R LIEK TEH NOOBLET" will get you ignored.
This FAQ assumes you've read the manual.
Questions:
Q: Why aren't the strategies for different maps here?
A: I don't think there are specific strategies for different maps, I think
people adjust their style to whatever maps and characters, not to mention
weapons, they like best.
Q: I want more stuff on vehicles. Why don't you have that kind of thing?
A: This is a guide centered on Pilot (on-foot) only. I do have little things
for vehicles, but huge strategies aren't the things you should expect.
Q: Does this guide support AR (Action Replay) or any other cheat devices?
A: No, because ARs are only for fun, fake little things in the game. I don't
support them also because I don't have one. T.T
Q: I think <insert character> is better than <insert other character>.
Why don't you have that put down?
A: It's my opinion I'm going on. You can email me with yours and I'll put it at
the bottom of this FAQ, but it won't change mine.
Q: Do a barrel roll.
A: No. Shut up.
__________________________________
/                                  \
---------       Character Guide          ---------
---------           chrtrgd              ---------
\__________________________________/
The characters of Star Fox are deeply rooted in Nintendo history. Every Star
Fox player will recognize Peppy Hare's infamous "Do a barrel roll!" and Slippy
Toad's "Owowowowowch!". Falco's lines such as "Hey Einstein, I'm on your
side!"
and Fox's "Say your prayers, Andross!" are all famous. However, that's just the
small side of them all.
Most new players choose their favorite character when playing SFAssault, and
learn their strategies and their numbers. But if you started off like that, you
may never have given some of the better characters a chance. Try them now...
All characters have a green square in their vision with four small dots inside.
This is your auto-aim. The green dots show what you'll hit if you hit A.
Whatever is inside the dots will be hit.
When your square turns red and there is a small rotating circle inside it, even
if you are not perfectly aligned with the object your auto-aim will hit it no
matter what. However, the object has to STAY in your auto-aim for it to be hit.
It will not "home in" in the air.
There is no difference between a 3 stat and a 4 stat in the vehicle auto-aim
ratings.
The formula for health is 28+ (the number of health stars*4).
Fox McCloud
Health: 3/5 = 40 (28+[3*4])
Speed: 3/5
Jump: 3/5
Auto-Aim Size for Pilot: 4/5
Auto-Aim Size for Landmaster: 4/5
Auto-Aim Size for Arwing: 4/5
Auto-Aim Size for Wolfen: 2/5 (not shown)
Special: None
Total Stars: 25
Fox's got good ratings in vehicle stats, but nothing maxed out and no
speciality. Well-rounded character.
Falco Lombardi
Health: 1/5 = 32 (28+[1*4])
Speed: 4/5
Jump: 3/5
Auto-Aim Size for Pilot: 3/5
Auto-Aim Size for Landmaster: 2/5
Auto-Aim Size for Arwing: 5/5 (MAX)
Auto-Aim Size for Wolfen: 2/5 (not shown)
Special: None
Total Stars: 20
I like Falco. Good Arwinger, fairly good Pilot with high speed if you don't
like the cheapness of Wolf.
Krystal
Health: 2/5 = 36 (28+[2*4])
Speed: 3/5
Jump: 3/5
Auto-Aim Size for Pilot: 3/5
Auto-Aim Size for Landmaster: 2/5
Auto-Aim Size for Arwing: 2/5
Auto-Aim Size for Wolfen: 1/5 or 2/5 (not sure)
Special: 2X Barriers when she dies
Total Stars: 16/17/18 (added 1 for special)
Krystal is incredibly underrated. Auto-aim doesn't matter if you're a good
player, and neither does health. Just like Falco. :D
Slippy Toad
Health: 4/5 = 44 (28+[4*4])
Speed: 2/5
Jump: 4/5
Auto-Aim Size for Pilot: 2/5
Auto-Aim Size for Landmaster: 5/5 (MAX)
Auto-Aim Size for Arwing: 2/5
Auto-Aim Size for Wolfen: 2/5 (not shown)
Special: 2X Charge w/ Blaster
Total Stars: 21 (added 1 for spec.)
Slippy, on the other hand, is overrated. Health doesn't quite matter if you're
staying in a Landmaster, and low speed + low pilot ratings = not quite good.
Still useful for some people.
Peppy Hare
Health: 2/5 = 36 (28+[2*4])
Speed: 1/5
Jump: 5/5 (MAX)
Auto-Aim Size for Pilot: 4/5
Auto-Aim Size for Landmaster: 3/5
Auto-Aim Size for Arwing: 3/5
Auto-Aim Size for Wolfen: 3/5 (not shown)
Special: 4X Charge w/ Blaster
Total Stars: 22 (added 1 for spec.)
Peppy's a good character. You don't have to have lots of health to survive if
you're a good jumper, and he has good stats for vehicles. His 4X Blaster can
take out a tank before it even can touch him, and he can jump over them.
Wolf O'Donnell
Health: 5/5 (MAX) = 48 (28+[5*4])
Speed: 5/5 (MAX)
Jump: 3/5
Auto-Aim Size for Pilot: 3/5
Auto-Aim Size for Landmaster: 2/5
Auto-Aim Size for Arwing: 2/5 (not shown)
Auto-Aim Size for Wolfen: 5/5 (MAX)
Special: None
Total Stars: 25
Wolf is broken. Broken is a gaming term meaning so powerful nothing can stop him
or it. Maxed speed and health allows him to get to items and vehicles quickly,
and huge auto-aim in a Wolfen means lots of power. Lots.
Now for strategies for characters, and my opinion.
__________________________________
/                                  \
---------      Character Strategies      ---------
---------            chrtrstrt           ---------
\__________________________________/
In this section you'll learn my opinions on characters, what their strengths
are and what their weaknesses are. I list their strategies in the order of
goodness (how good the character is, in my opinion and how useful they are).
-----#1: Wolf O'Donnell
Yeah, I know. He's a wolf. He's cool. He runs fast and has good stats. But
honestly, people, is it a good game if you 5-0 or 10-0 someone because a) you
survived their Sniper shot or b) you got to the Gatling Gun before they did?
No way. It's not fun for either person (er, if you're a ego-winner maybe).
Wolf's broken because, in my opinion, he has a maximum in the best stat, Speed.
He really doesn't have any weakness. He can't be killed by a Sniper if he's at
full health, and he can get to things faster than anyone else and deal HUGE
damage from the security of his Wolfen. More stats higher than 3 than any other
player. How does that sound?
On the other hand, he does have some failings. On Zoness, for example, a wrong
tap of the control stick will send you plummeting to your doom. And if you're
on Aparoid City and someone's attacking you near the edge, his roll is so huge
that he could go right over.
But how many people play near edges? How many veterans tap the control stick in
the wrong direction, knowing their life is at stake?
Exactly. Wolf vs. Wolf is fun, sure, but do anything else and you're mocked for
life. Between me and my dad (who does play games and kicks the heck outta me)
Wolf is off-limits. If someone chooses him, so does the other.
Wolf is perhaps a good chance to give someone new an even footing. The
handicap, let's face it, doesn't really help, so Wolf might be a good choice
for the newbies who don't know how to play as well.
Although it does show you why Demon Snipers were created. :D
-----#2: Peppy Hare
Oo. It's the Fuzzmeister. I know TONS of people who mock Peppy, saying "Oh,
he's slow. He doesn't have health. He doesn't have good vehicle stats and he
wastes his special on his best auto-aim stat."
Now part of this is true. He is very slow, he does not have much health, and he
does waste his special when his best auto-aim is Pilot. This is why I like him.
Health. The one stat that is INCREDIBLY overrated. Health is not important when
the weapon that takes the most skill to use can kill in one hit. (Sniper.) Sure,
if your opponent has a Machine Gun it's important, but in situations when your
opponent is chasing you, strafing all the way, you can just jump over them,
whip out your Gatling and a barrier, and turn the tables. You can waste your
opponent's entire bar of ammo just by avoiding them, and then they're at your
mercy. I swear that massive jump is as good as a roll.
Speed. I'll admit that speed is important. When someone's got a lock on you and
you need to escape, what do you use? You run. When someone's trying to get to a
Demon Sniper/Missile Launcher before you, what do you need to do? The usages of
speed are endless.
However, in places like Zoness and Inner Sargasso, or places where Landmasters
are aplenty, you don't need so much speed. Tanks outrun everyone and you'll
just fall off in Zoness if you have high speed, and it really is irritating
when you're getting things in the top level of Inner Sargasso and you run off
the edge.
Also, did I mention Peppy's jumping ability? He's the only character that can
jump OVER a tank. 4X charge hurts a lot more when your opponent's in a
Landmaster and can't touch you with shots or running-over, and doesn't get
invincibility.
You might not have given Peppy a chance. Ever. Just don't get caught in open
spaces with him (Sauria's a bad choice for Peppy IMO) and only use the charge
shot when you're sure it'll kill. Try him out! You may find that his ratings
are better than they look.
-----#3: Falco Lombardi
Yes! The coolest member of Star Fox (IMHO) also is the second best (usable)
character! Many people consider him the worst, which brings tears to my eyes.
Read this to find different.
First of all, Falco has speed. If you don't wanna use Wolf Falco's an excellent
choice, since some people discourage brokenness. Low health is also what makes
people say "Ew." Remember what I said? Health is overrated. And if you're in an
Arwing, which is Falco's best stat, it's even less important.
This bird can make use of his speed. Like heck. Just because he has low health
doesn't mean he's vulnerable to Homing Launchers, Missile Launchers and such;
he can just run out of the way. The number one basic strategy of SFAssault is
to KEEP MOVING, and high speed helps you out. Getting to an Arwing fast as
possible is a HUGE advantage.
Pilot-Only, on the other hand, is a different matter. The largest auto-aim for
Pilot is 4 (shared by Fox and Peppy) and a 3 stat is not that bad, even though
it sounds like it. High speed doesn't hinder him either, and his signature
weapon, the Homing Launcher, is dangerous with him. Pop up to fire and hide in
the shadows! Gatling/Machine guns are useful too.
His only flaw is that in a Landmaster, he's awful. With a myriad of weapons due
to his speed in Pilot (and maybe invisibility) it fades slightly due to his low
auto-aim. He can't be as effective with 1 weapon and less auto-aim.
You probably haven't even tried Falco if you've been playing for a while. Try
him now, after you're familiar with all the stages and weapons, and you'll
shine.
-----#4: Krystal
>_< Oh please, do I HAVE to go into the detail that encompasses the non-gaming
side of Krystal? Sadly, she's most likely Nintendo's biggest sex icon. Freak out
all you want.
Let's just ignore that little blurb and go right into strategizing. Krystal is
incredibly underrated, as I said before. Low stats, nothing higher than 3, and a
special that people say doesn't really help. I consider all those players
n00blets.
So the vixen has low stats. Health - duh. Speed isn't too bad, jump is standard
(you can't have lower than 3, it's mandatory) and vehicles suck. This, however,
is not as important for veterans, since they can aim better after years of
practice. Also, the most important weapon in Pilot does not require auto-aim.
She's also a useful sniper due to 2X Barriers.
Also, Krystal's a good Pilot against someone with the same speed or lower.
Doubting me? I know a Krystal vet who beats me 10-1 in Zoness and Inner
Sargasso. My dad uses her pretty well in Sargasso too.
On Handicaps, her powerful nature melts away. 2 barriers will be used when she's
at 1 health, and in vehicle-only matches her special isn't useful and her
auto-aim stats are bad. Invisibility is also bad for her, as barriers will let
you see her when she's invisible.
However, if you've played for a while and think you're pretty much t3h
pwnz0r463, try her out. You might be surprised what you can do with... I'm not
going to finish that sentence, as it might be taken out of context. >.< to the
max.
-----#5: Fox McCloud
The leader of Star Fox, killer of Andross (he killed him three times, XD) and
Krystal's boyfriend. The ol' fox has some skills, but not quite enough to make
him a worthwhile player.
Fox has no special, mediocre speed and jump, and decent stats in vehicles.
However, his weakness is that he has no speciality and no weakness, he's so
well-rounded. Ok speed means not too great chance of getting to weapons, or
vehicles.
He does, however, do pretty well in vehicle-only. He doesn't have to use
jumping power, or health, and he doesn't need speed either. He's not so great
in Wolfens, but that doesn't really matter because only Peppy or Wolf should be
using them to do something either than get away. Arwings are the best vehicle
IMO.
But if you can't have a character that suits your needs in one area, how well
do you do with one that moderately suits your needs? It doesn't work. If you
like having high speed and like vehicles, go Falco. If you like high jumping
and someone good with Pilot, go Peppy. If you like sniping, go Krystal. If you
like being all-rounded, go Fox.
But who likes being all-rounded?
Fine, you can try him, but just don't expect to get very far.
-----#6: Slippy Toad
The basket case of the Star Fox team. People have questioned his gender (which
is stupid, it refers to him as a HE in the manuals) becuase of his high voice.
(Don't fall in Zoness with him. Just don't. It hurts my ears.)
The first thing I noticed while testing Slippy is that he didn't have much of a
difference between Peppy's slow stat and his 2 in speed. It kind of wastes a
stat, and sacrifices 1 jump for 1 more speed, which hinders him.
Yeah, he's got the largest health apart from Wolf. Pfft. I still say that
Snipers are the weapons that really matter in Pilot matches, and Slippy has
*just* enough health to be... killed. Killed. By a Sniper.
His 2x special charge rate is wasted as well, he's got a 2 rating in Pilot and
can't jump over tanks like Peppy can. (He can when he's running straight at
them, but it's a desperate gamble and hardly helps anyway.) It's kind of useful
when you're going AFTER someone in a Landmaster, but I say that Peppy's charge
makes up for his speed. Since Slippy's speed is not much higher, it doesn't
help him.
That being said, the frog can, to some extent, counter players with low health.
I know it's overrated, but not so overrated that it doesn't matter (since 8
gatling bullets kills Falco). If you can use his skill in a Landmaster to your
advantage (you'd have to be REALLY pro to do that with such low speed)
combining it with high health, you're on your way to being able to use him.
I dunno, I'm not much for Slippy, but if you really like you can use him. I
just wouldn't use him 24/7. Although his taunts (see section genstrt) are the
most annoying of everyone and he can REALLY rub it in with his win screen.
Now, onto the list of weapons!
__________________________________
/                                  \
---------         Weapon Guide           ---------
---------            wpngd               ---------
\__________________________________/
There are a TON of weapons in this game. They're all awesome in their own way,
and you can use each of them to your advantage if you know their correct
information.
This guide only covers the Pilot weapons, 'cause this is a Pilot Guide. For
those of you who watch OLN, get it? Pilot Guide? It's funny...
There are a few firing rates: Slow, Decent, and Fast. The speed of the weapon is
split up into Slow, Medium, Fast, and Near-Instant. The auto-aim is None,
Lock-on, Normal, Large, and Huge. Range is Close, Normal, Far, and Infinite.
The assumptions made are that the machine gun bullet does 1 damage, and that
allows you to calculate the damage for all the other weapons. So, we'll start
with...
Blaster
Max Ammo: Infinite
Pickup Ammo: N/A
Firing Rate: Decent
Laser Speed: Medium
Auto-Aim: Normal
Range: Normal
Damage:
Uncharged = 4 damage
Charge level 1 = 8 damage
Charge level 2 = 12 damage
Charge level 3 = 16 damage
Overall Rating: 4/10 (7/10 for Peppy and 6/10 for Slippy)
The blaster is the weapon you're going to use the most, most likely. It's the
weapon that everyone starts out with, it has infinite ammo, and can shoot charge
shots if you hold down A. The color of the shot will turn green, then blue, then
red. Red is the highest level of charge.
To give you an idea of how fast Peppy charges, you can just barely see his green
level of charge when you hold A. It practically goes straight to blue, lingers
there for a half-second, and goes to Red. Slippy's is a bit slower, but still
pretty good.
Machine Gun
Max Ammo: 999
Pickup Ammo: 200
Firing Rate: Fast
Laser Speed: Medium
Auto-Aim: Normal
Range: Close
Damage:
1 bullet = 1 damage
Overall rating: 6/10
This is a cool weapon. Just hold "Fire" to unleash a hail of lasers. Fairly
close range makes it a bit limited, so try to chase someone and strafe after
them with max ammo.
Homing Launcher
Max Ammo: 99
Pickup Ammo: 10
Firing Rate: Slow
Shell Speed: Slow
Auto-Aim: Lock-on
Range: Far
Damage:
1 bullet = 12 damage
Overall rating: 6/10
I like the Homing Launcher. Hit someone with it and they get invincibility, but
it's worth it when you can kill Falco with 3 shots and Krystal + Peppy with 4.
Devastating against Arwings/Wolfens, takes off both wings with a hit.
Sniper Rifle
Max Ammo: 99
Pickup Ammo: 10
Firing Rate: Slow
Laser Speed: Near-Instant
Auto-Aim: None
Range: Infinite
Damage:
1 bullet = 44 damage
Overall rating: 7/10
The Sniper is slightly broken IMO, as it kills everyone but Wolf in one hit and
fires almost instantly. Sure, you need to be dead-on accurate to score a hit,
but some pros use it so well that they don't even need to THINK about aiming.
(I'm not one of those. >_<)
Grenade
Max Ammo: 99
Pickup Ammo: 5
Firing Rate: Slow
Grenade Speed: As long as it would take you to ready and throw (accurately)
baseballs in real life. (Generally. If you've got fast-twitch muscles, it's
another matter entirely.)
Auto-Aim: None
Range: Normal (blast radius something like 30 meters)
Damage:
1 grenade = 30 damage
Overall rating: 5/10
Grenades are quite fun. You can cut the delay for the blast time by holding them
(hold down A). It doesn't increase its power, but it makes it explode sooner.
Very powerful, very large blast radius.
Sensor Bomb
Max Ammo: 10
Pickup Ammo: 5
Firing Rate: N/A
Bomb Speed: N/A
Auto-Aim: N/A
Range: Close (blast radius 20 meters)
Damage:
1 bomb = 20
Overall rating: 5/10
Hide these around corners. They do quite a bit of damage, and explode quickly
when someone comes close. Bright red glow of set bombs means they're not very
invisible, except on Simple Maps where there are red floors. That would be the
area I would advise using them on, especially #3.
Missile Launcher
Max Ammo: 5
Pickup Ammo: 3
Firing Rate: As long as it takes for the first missile to explode.
Missile Speed: Slow
Auto-Aim: N/A
Range: 18 seconds in flight
Damage:
1 missile = 16 damage
Overall rating: 7/10
Missiles are VERY cool. You can hide in some random ditch or crack and guide the
missile (it's a GUIDED missile, control w/ control stick). Remote-detonation is
possible by pressing A while it's in flight. Good against Landmasters, and other
pilots if you've got a safe spot to fire.
Gatling Gun
Max Ammo: 999
Pickup Ammo: 100
Firing Rate: Fast
Laser Speed: Medium
Auto-Aim: Large
Range: Close
Damage:
1 bullet = 4 damage
Overall rating: 9/10
The Gatling Gun. Widely known as the best weapon in the game. Kills Falco with
8 bullets (assuming you hit with all of them) and Peppy with 9. Strafe with
this thing and you can take out... Landmasters, Arwings, Wolfens, Wolf, other
Pilots... actually, there isn't really anything that should be staying
stationary against a GGun, is there? ^_^ Obviously its drawback is its low ammo
and seldom appearance.
(Fireburst) POD
Max Ammo: 1
Pickup Ammo: 1
Firing Rate: N/A
Grenade Speed: N/A
Auto-Aim: N/A
Range: Far
Damage:
1 grenade = 160 damage
Overall rating: 6/10
PODs are quite fun, my favorite weapon. Once you pick one up, you run around
carrying it, then press A to set it. Once you have... well, you run like a bat
out of a very hot place where bad people go. It shoots 75 grenades straight up
and scatters them all over the place. Each is a 1-hit kill, and it'll do 800
damage to a tank. No, I'm serious. However, it doesn't discern friend from
enemy, and if it's shot while on the ground, scatters its grenades, giving it
less range. Still very fun.
Predator Rocket
Max Ammo: 3
Pickup Ammo: 3
Firing Rate: N/A
Rocket Speed: A little faster than a non-boosting Arwing.
Auto-Aim: Lock-On
Range: Infinite
Damage:
Not calculated as it's damage to Arwings, not Pilots.
Overall rating: 6.5/10
Surface to air missile. Once set, it shoots a laser straight up. Anything flying
through this laser (Arwings, Wolfens) will be targeted. The missile will then
chase after them, and man, are these things PERSISTENT. Hardly anything will
shake them, and they do quite a bit of damage. Only 3 can be set per person, and
if another one is set, one on the map will randomly detonate.
Demon Sniper
Max Ammo: 99
Pickup Ammo: 5
Firing Rate: Slow
Laser Speed: Near-Instant
Auto-Aim: None
Range: Infinite
Damage:
210 damage to anything
Overall rating: 9/10
A REALLY souped-up Sniper Rifle. Will kill anything in one hit; Landmasters,
Arwings, Wolfens, Pilots, Barriers. If someone's in a vehicle, they'll survive
with 1 health left, and the vehicle will be destroyed. Less accuracy is needed
due to "Ripples" around the initial laser.
Demon Launcher
Max Ammo: 3
Pickup Ammo: 3
Firing Rate: Slow
Shell Speed: Slow
Auto-Aim: Lock-on
Range: Far
Damage:
1 bullet = 210 damage (to Pilots)
Overall rating: 10/10
This is a balance weapon. For an example, Player 1 is having a match with
Players 2 and 3. It's a 3-point match, and Player 1 immediately gets up to 2
points. The player with the lowest amount of points gets the Demon Launcher.
It's a bit more than a balance weapon really, as each shell kills with 1 hit.
Now, you know these weapons... but do you know how to use them?
__________________________________
/                                  \
---------        Weapon Strategies       ---------
---------             wpnstrt            ---------
\__________________________________/
There are tons of weapons, but if you don't know how to use them you're
pathetically lost. Pitifully. Enough synonyms.
So I'm going to list the weapons (Demon Launcher not included) and how to use
each of them effectively, with my opinion on each one. Let's begin with...
-----#1: Gatling Gun
Holy lasers. That just about sums up the GGun - with a tap of the Fire button
this gun from heaven unleashes a hail of bullets that do 4 damage per hit.
That's 400 damage in a single pickup. Can you say "Ouch"?
This is also quite cool against vehicles, seeing as it does so much damage.
Destroys a tank in about 10 bullets, kills pilots in something like a maximum of
12 bullets (if they're playing Wolf) and kills barriers very quickly.
To use a GGun, though, you have to get the proper lock on your opponent. And
once you have it, hang on like a starving pit bull. You do NOT want to lose that
lock, it means losing your opportunity of a kill. You want to rush whoever
you're going for, and tank right through 'em with your Gatling. This strategy
will probably get you three kills or so, if you have enough ammo, maybe 4 on
Corneria.
Gatling support on an Arwing is also deadly. If your friend gets you on your
wing, and you have a GGun, you can do a fly-by ground-strafe that will leave
Landmasters destroyed, other Arwingers looking on in shock, and Pilots
massacred.
It's a bit of a risky guarantee, if you don't have a fairly fast player it can
be hard to keep that lock. On the other hand, if it's a face-to-face
confrontation Peppy's jump and Krystal's barriers can be useful to keep that
power on the foe without yourself getting owned.
Gatling Guns are a guarantee. GGG, you'll have fun with them even if they're not
effective.
-----#2: Sniper Rifle/Demon Sniper
Whoo! Are these ever awesome. 1-hit kills to everyone but Wolf, and kill for
anything with DSniper. They can be VERY annoying - you've got a POD, 25
grenades, tons of GGun, hundreds of Machine Gun ammo, 40 Homing Launcher, and
suddenly someone snipes you and it all falls to nothing. Imagine that, and weep.
But I haven't told you the fun part - once you get PRACTICE with them, use them
all you like to your advantage, and you'll get really good in non-Sniper
Showdowns when you know where the Snipers are in each level and how to use them.
Interestingly enough, they're useful if you suddenly find yourself face-to-face
with your opponent. No one likes a quick-draw Sniper Rifle - you can instant-
fire by hitting X and A simultaneously.
While riding Arwings/Wolfens it's useful too, if you're a very good aimer you
can pluck someone right out of the air. Just get to a place where a) you have
invisibility and/or b) you have a barrier, plus c) you're out of the range of
most weapons. You'll be able to see just about everything.
Oh yeah, did I mention that on Katina there are these huge mushrooms outside of
the outpost, to the north? You can get on them with an Arwing or
Booster Pack/Landmaster, and it's out of range. You can see just about
everything on Katina except the south side. These are on Titania too, or sort
of. Large rock formations on the outside of the base, though I don't know what
direction they're in and they're less spread out and lower areas than the
mushrooms.
If you're being mushroom sniped, stay on the south side, pick up a GGun or w/e,
get an aircraft, and go get 'em. Ultra-cannons don't hurt either. He'll be
vulnerable, assuming his vehicle's gone.
You need a LOT of practice to use Snipers, but it pays off. Yeah, you can't move
while you're zoomed in, blah blah blah. So what? If you can get on the offensive
side, just keep your opponent dodging, all that practice will pay off. Big time.
-----#3: POD (Fireburst)
Hehehehe... you didn't actually think THIS weapon could go unnoticed? Oh man...
I just love these things. Heaven help me, but I do, and I LOVE them no matter
what other people say. I wish the max wasn't just 1. :(
So, the basis is to run fast, and if you're Peppy just get a Landmaster to run.
But there's a lot more to it than just running.
First of all, I've seen people hide Pods around corners and shoot them. This is
not exactly the correct procedure, because Pods are NOT sensor-bombs. They have
a different kind of timing; you can't just shove them in a little tunnel
(Fichina or Corneria) and wait.
So, what do you do? You wait. You look at what your opponent does and where they
go, and you set the Pod according to where they go. If it's Corneria, plant one
on the blue building so they can't get the GGun. If it's Fichina, plant one near
the Sniper spawn so they can't barrier and shoot ya. You can only use them
effectively if you know your opponent's movement pattern.
Oh yeah, and about little tips and tricks with the things, you can put them on
Arwings. This way you don't have to know where your opponent's going, just fly
near them and they'll blow.
I suppose that SFA needed a nuke. Nukes seem weaker, however. ^_^
-----#4: Missile Launcher
The same fly-by-wire missile that the US used to go after bin Laden. No, I'm
kidding. These are a lot better, more accurate, but... less powerful.
They kill Falco in 2 hits. That's the first thing I noticed about them. And if
someone's on the ground, they are incredibly easy to hit. That was the second.
Unfortunately, I didn't notice the third because my dad killed me with it. >_<
Before you fire each missile, make sure you check your radar. Your opponent
could be waiting with a Sniper just around the corner, and you're vulnerable
while you're firing it. But who cares, when you can demolish anyone with just a
few well-aimed shots?
Oh yeah,and a direct hit is not necessary due to "splash" explosion damage. So
even if someone's jammed in a crack where you can't POSSIBLY get one in, you
can blow it up outside.
Think you're wasting your missile? Press A to remote detonate it. You can
detonate if you slightly miss your opponent while in flight, instead of flying
past it'll blow them.
So if you can use 'em, great. You don't need as much practice, and you can fire
them from a ship wing or nose or whatever. They're a little cheap, but not quite
enough to make them unusable. Get them whenever you can, after you know where,
and your game'll be made a lot better for it.
-----#5: Homing Launcher
A homing missile! Lock on and fire. They go far and do quite a bit of damage,
and can take off both Arwing wings if they hit in the middle of the ship.
This is Falco's signature weapon, and I must say, he is very good with it. If
you can deliver shots on the run, retreat and beat at the same time, you can
use the launchers well.
My dad is an absolute MENACE with the things. For some reason, once he has a
lock on me he never gets it off, even if I duck behind a wall. He has 207 kills
with a launcher to his credit, about 50% of his kills.
On places like Aparoid City, where there's a lot of ground but all the items are
in the middle, they're devastating. You can get on one of the outer platforms
and return fire.
Homing Launchers have an extra perk - they deal splash damage like missiles.
This means that if someone's hiding around a corner, you don't have to wait for
them to come around, you can fire and the splash damage will hurt them even if
you're not locked on.
These are devastating when you're fighting other Arwings and riding your own.
Like I said, they deal lots of damage and threaten to take off wings as well.
Landmasters, while hovering, are damaged heavily by them as well. Although they
give temporary invincibility, they're not too limited against other Pilots,
since they have moderately slow fire.
They're quite underused, but I like them because they don't require much skill
to use. Don't we all enjoy that?
-----#6: Grenades
That's right folks, press the fire button and throw. Hard.
I really think grenades are better than people make them out to be, since they
do lots of damage, have a huge blast radius, and can be chucked just about
anywhere.
However, there is a technique to using grenades that you probably have to know
about. They will go as far as a Machine Gun, so test the range out first before
you throw (if you can).
Also, did I mention that it's nearly useless to throw just one at a time? You
have to throw about five at once for them to have any effect, since one grenade
is going to be seen easily. Five grenades, however, is more like a massive
cluster-bomb.
The arrows in your sight marking your aim for the grenade don't have much
effect, since you can throw one at the floor and it'll bounce of the level
you're on.
Yes, you can put them into the elevator, which in some ways is even more
effective than Sensor-Bombs. Larger explosion radius means more power for
hitting.
Learn how to use them, and it'll pay off, just like so many other weapons.
Grenades really do take skillZ to use, but you'll get a big payoff out of them.
By the way that's a capital Z in SkillZ, NotePad kinda messes it up.
-----#7: Machine Gun/Blaster
I cannot decide which is better, so I'll cover them both.
The Machine Gun is like a downgraded GGun (or is the GGun an upgraded MGun?) Per
1 bullet is 1 damage, which means that 200 damage is in each pickup. Quite cool
when you're strafing all over the place, and although it can't kill as fast it
can be devastating versus some slow runner who doesn't know how to dodge.
The Blaster, on the other hand, is another matter entirely. Uncharged shots are
4 damage, and although it can't fire as fast as the GGun it's still useful when
you're owning all the Homing Launcher n00bers with it.
Charge shots are cool, especially when you're Peppy and dismantling a tank with
Red level charge. Peppy can fire a green shot once about every 1 second,
meaning... uhh... 8 damage per second? Yikes.
Charge shots are useful for Pilots with low health only, unless you actually can
duck behind a wall after you fire to get rid of the invincibility.
Use 'em! They're cool! Blasters are better than you think.
-----#8: Sensor Bombs/Predator Rockets
Sensors first.
Generic land mine. You set it, then you run, and anyone who comes within 6
meters gets blasted with a 20-meter explosion.
You can hide these around corners to great effect. Since 2 of them kills Falco,
Peppy, Krystal, or Fox, you can put them up stairs where no one will see. (The
camera zooms up when you're on stairs, so no one will see.)
However, you can only get 10 of them at a time, and they don't discern friend
from foe. It makes it a bit limited when you've scattered them all over the
place, waiting for your opponent to come around, and you step on one yourself.
And if your opponent does see them, they can shoot them with their blaster to
blow them up prematurely.
But I don't discourage them, 'cause they're cool spy weapons. Land mines...
come on, it's cool.
Now for Predators...
Surface-to-air missiles are always cool. No one likes a missile that's as fast
and faster than an Arwing, and they do quite a bit of damage. You can put them
on your own ship and ride around, trying to catch the opponent off-guard.
Wolfens are best for this, 'cause they're faster while boosting.
However, one of the drawbacks is that the laser beam which detects enemy
presence is very easy to see. You have to put them in a surprise location for
them to have any effect. To maximize Predator usage, put them right in front of
a parked Arwing/Wolfen. No one short of a very impressive pro will be able to
get out of that.
Like Sensors, they can be destroyed by shooting them. Any Predator that's shot
explodes with the blast area and power of a Homing Launcher. This means if
someone steps near, you can whizz by and blast them for 10 points of damage!
Just be really, really tricky with these and they'll work well. And for a reason
that Namco must have overlooked, you can get them in Zoness in the Random Weapon
spawn. >_>
Now, onto the strategies of SFAssault!
__________________________________
/                                  \
---------      General Strategies        ---------
---------            genstrt             ---------
\__________________________________/
So you think you're a pretty good player? You think you got the power to survive
1-on-1 with the best gamers in the country? You might have to think again.
There are so many things that come out of Assault that have to do with
strategies. Are you going to hang around the place where you know your opponent
is, if they have a Machine Gun and all you have are Sensor-Bombs and a blaster?
Of course not. Do you want to play around the area that your opponent's in a
Landmaster if you don't have a GGun? Duh no.
But there's a lot more to it than that...
-----#1: Effective Ammo-Using
You probably know this basic principle, but still it's important. People tend to
forget that weapons have ammo, and if you run out you might not necessarily be
able to get to the health or the same weapon spawn in time. So how do you
conserve it?
The answer is quite simple; you wait until you're absolutely sure that you're
going to hit your opponent. If you think they'll come around the southeast
temple on Sauria, wait until you actually see them doing so, checking your radar
all the time. It's not a 100% guarantee, but it works most of the time.
Also, most plans that say "Hang around the ______ spawn" (insert favorite
weapon) do not work. In theory, if you stay near the good weapons (Gatling,
Sniper, etc.) you'll get lots of them and when your opponent comes along, you
can kill them. But it's not quite like that.
On maps, there is a set amount of weapons that can be there at any time, and a
set amount that there is at the start of the level. Taking less weapons than
the maximum will make new weapons spawn somewhere else. So, if you just hang
around the ______ spawn somewhere, it won't work unless your opponent goes
whizzing around the level collecting items. And if they see you doing that,
they'll catch on and just come to wherever you are - and all your chances are
gone.
Back to the subject.
If you lose ammo, you don't have to waste the rest of it. 12 Gatling bullets
does more than you think, and yet I've seen some just waste their last bit of
ammo because they think it won't serve them. (I confess that I have done this.)
It amazes me how many shots are wasted; when you think that the Machine Gun has
the power to kill Fox 5 times with just a single pickup. And what do people do?
They waste their ammo needlessly. The Gatling Gun can kill Fox 10 times with
one pickup! The Homing Launcher kills Falco three times and damages him one
half of his health again! The list goes on and on.
So when your opponent's running from your GGun wrath in a LM, don't go haring
after them if you've got a slow character that won't catch up and won't hit
with every... single... bullet. Conserve! Pick up! Use wisely! As Peppy says in
Mission 8, "Don't waste a single shot...".
-----#2: The Radar
It's obvious. It's a radar. The dot in the center is you, the markings are
Arwings/Landmasters/Wolfens, and the other colored arrow is your opponent.
But... if you press the D-pad (four arrows, up, down, left, right) left or right
you get a small in-game map that shows the (basic) layout of the area. You would
be amazed how many people do not know about it, even people who've played a fair
amount.
This radar is unused by many people and ignored by far more. Imagine, for a
second, that you have a perfect idea of where everyone is in the world. You know
where everyone, absolutely everyone is, what they're doing, where they're going,
and how close they are to you. (Kinda like the Marauder's Map in Harry Potter.
>_>)
That's something that is somewhat like the radar. A single glance will tell you
where your opponent is, how to get there, and where they're going (with the
minimap, not basic radar).
If you see advantages to this, good. You're a human being. If you see MORE
advantages to this, you're quite bright for a human. If you know now how to use
your strategy so that it molds around your opponent's, great. Counter them all
you can.
I don't really advocate telling people specific strategies for each place and
how to use things... for example "When your opponent is hiding in the elevator
shaft in Zoness, stay out of vision and chuck a few grenades in it..." That
sounds like a cooking show, the chef tells you what to do.
My way is: You tell everyone what something is and to use it often, and then you
give them a basic idea of what to do. The player's own strategy will take shape,
and I say there is no "best" strategy but your own.
-----#3: Weapon Stashing
So, you picked Falco. You've got high speed and lots of power in an Arwing to
back it up. You go whizzing around the place looking for items, and find tons.
Then your opponent kills you.
Does this sound like anything you've experienced? WE HAVE AN ANSWER!
*cue advertisement-like music* Now, with HAXage's guide, you can experience for
yourself the satisfaction of saving up those weapons AND USING THEM
EFFECTIVELY!
Ok. Now when you're playing somewhere like Titania, where the weapons are many
but spread out, it's a whole different mindset than something Aparoid City or
Katina, where they're concentrated in the center. In Titania, there are places
you can hide. You can dodge, duck and run into tunnels. You can avoid shots. But
your opponent is going after you too.
Remember that. You're not the only player; and your opponent is going to follow
you if they get on the offensive side. The offensive is a big importance in
SFAssault. If you can keep attacking your opponent with Snipers so that they
can't do anything but dodge, it screws up their strategy completely. You can't
attack back if you're under attack; just like chess. If you're in check, you
have to move your king. You can't attack back.
So what you do is don't overdo on the pickups. Just pick enough up to keep you
alive. And USE IT WELL. USE IT WELL, and just for laughs, use it well.
-----#4: Usage of Taunts
Taunts: just about every game in 3d has them. In SSBM, press the D-pad to taunt.
In Double Dash it's available too (can't remember what button). It may not seem
any good, but it can be very useful indeed.
To taunt, press Z while you're not near a vehicle. Your character will say
something unique to the situation (to be precise, what character it is, and
after you've killed someone). Each character has a normal taunt, and a taunt
for right after they've got a point.
Here are the characters' normal taunts:
Fox: Now it gets serious!
Falco: You wanna piece of me?
Krystal: Here I go.
Slippy: TOADS AWAY!
Peppy: Whoo! Guess I'll give it a shot. (longest taunt)
Wolf: I'll take care of everything.
After you kill, while the "You Defeated" sign is still being displayed, you can
press Z to wield a different taunt from normal.
Fox: Bring it!
Falco: This... is too easy!
Krystal: Try me.
Slippy: Hey! Over here! (says while mooning the screen o_O;;; most effective)
Peppy: Something wrong?
Wolf: Hah! Is that all you got?
Taunting does not help you in-game, but it infuriates your opponent. This is
the ONLY use for it. No, it does not influence the amount of ammo on the map, or
upgrade your radar, or fill your ammo bar, and it does not have a secret use,
despite what people say. I've heard some pretty funny rumours about taunts.
But the only actual use for it, is to do it in the most annoying situations for
your opponent. When that happens, they get annoyed, and make mistakes. And if
you make mistakes when you're angry, you get more angry. >_<
So, if your opponent's running for a Landmaster and it disappears three seconds
before they get there, use your taunt to rub it in.
I think this'll say enough.
Player 1: Grr... LANDMASTER GONE!
Player 2 (as Slippy): TOADS AWAY!
Player 1: *killed* ARGH!
Player 2 (as Wolf): Ha! Is that all you got?
Player 1: Gotta get to GGun... ACK! *killed by Sniper on roof*
Player 2 (as Peppy): Something wrong? *needling*
Player 1 (as Wolf): YES! Gotta Wolfen... aw man... *shot down and killed by
Arwing-Riding GGunning Falco*
Player 2: This... is too easy!
Player 1: You can never beat me...
Player 2 (as Krystal): Here I go.
*Player 1 dies to barriers and sniper shots*
Player 2: You're not ready yet... *winscreen*
Fairly obvious. Use it in whatever situations you find best, and it'll pay off.
-----#5: Booster Packs
Yup. That's right, the little purple thing you pick up and can suddenly FLY! o_O