Strike Wolf FAQ/Walkthrough

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Note to Emulator Users!

If you're playing this via an emulator, then I'm quite sure I know at least one reason as to why you're here - you can't get past the first stage because the screen blacks out after the introductory message for the desert stage, right? This is because there is a slight glitch in the game's RAM that screws up on emulators. However, this can be corrected rather easily. First, you'll need an emulator that can alter the game's RAM through the use of Game Genie or Pro Action Replay codes - presumably, others will work, but those are the only two I know of that actually do it. One such emulator is the FCEUX emulator. You can find its latest version at its official site, http://www.fceux.com/, or just probably through Google. (The latest version at time of writing is version 2.2.0.) Obviously, you'll also need a Strike Wolf ROM for the NES, but I can't supply that due to that being illegal.

Once you have it set up, you need to alter the two RAM addresses as below. You can do this in FCEUX by going to Tools, then Cheats, and typing in the proper values in the "Addr." and "Val." boxes.

With both codes from either operating system (PAR or Game Genie) in place, you should be able to now play your way through the first stage into the second stage that is the desert.

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Introduction

Welcome to another one of my FAQs. This particular FAQ covers my fifth FAQ for the NES console. The game is Strike Wolf. Strike Wolf is a decent, albeit unlicensed and probably pirated, version of a similar game called Operation Wolf. This game relies primarily on its use of the Zapper, one of the more primitive "motion control" controllers, and an eventual precursor to Nintendo's Wii console.

It's been over twenty years since this game's initial launch back in 1992. And, since then, not a single FAQ has been written for it. Well, there's always a first time for everything, no? Ever since the start of the NES FAQ Completion Project on GameFAQs several years ago - a project designed to get a guide out for every single NES game out there - many people have now been helped because older, rarer, less popular games have gotten guides. So many games, in fact, that all of the North American games have been covered, as have the European games, leaving only those that are homebrews and mostly those released in Japan and the Koreas.

And so, that is how I came upon this game. Thanks for listening to my ramblin'; hope you enjoy!

Basics of the Game

Game Controls

You are allowed to use either the NES's gamepad or the Zapper for this game - they must be plugged into the first and second port, respectively. Additionally, the game has trouble letting you go from the title screen to the game when using the Zapper, so if you use the Zapper, you'll need both. In my version of the game, I would prefer to use the NES gamepad - the Zapper is not exactly as accurate in this game as others, nor does it seem to allow you to fire rockets, for example.

How to Play

The game is rather simple. Much like your general arcade shooter, the game will scroll along slowly in one direction for the majority of the level. Along the way, you'll find a number of enemies. These primarily are soldiers and vehicles (mostly tanks and helicopters). Soldiers are the men that shoot at you, whereas the tanks and helicopters are metal vehicles that also shoot at you. However, tanks are much more resilient.

Obviously, you want to rid of these enemies, both fleshy and metallic, right? Well, you can do so. You can fire bullets at the enemies with the A Button on the NES gamepad, or by pulling the trigger on the Zapper. You can also fire rockets at the enemies with the B Button on the NES gamepad; I've yet to notice a way for the Zapper to fire rockets, though.

When it comes to accuracy, the bullets will not usually extend their effect beyond the "+" cursor you use to aim, and it's usually not even close to the ends of it. Rockets create an explosion that affects at least nine times more area (triple length, triple width) than the bullets. Additionally, the rockets are able to kill any non-boss enemy in one hit. This includes the vehicles. Soldiers will take about one bullet to kill, whereas the vehicles often take six to eight.

Normally, this all implies always using the rockets. WRONG! Bullets come in much higher quantities, as the Pickups section will detail further. Likewise, rockets are much rarer and therefore need to be conserved. You may want to think about how to use them - I personally only use them when I can take out multiple enemies in a single strike. Otherwise, they're solely for the bosses in my use of them, because I can easily switch between enemies with precision.

At the end of each level, you'll find a boss. They are detailed with in the Boss FAQ/Walkthrough section. Each have their own unique behaviors as well. After beating the boss, you'll proceed onto the next level. There are six levels in all. If you are using an emulator, please see the Note to Emulator Users! section at the top of the guide, for you cannot enter the second level without altering the RAM.

Pickups

This section details the majority of the pickups in the game. These pickups are ... well, picked up whenever you shoot them. You must shoot them with a regular bullet (A Button/Zapper trigger) - rockets will actually destroy the items. This does not cover every pickup in the game, only the ones with seemingly beneficial effects. Others, you'll probably want to avoid.

General Tips/Strategies

• Keep your cursor in the center! Whenever there's little going on on-screen - a rarity, yes, but it happens - you'll want to keep the targeting cursor in the center of the screen. This way, you have equal access to all portions of the screen. For example, if you hang to the left and the enemy comes from the right, you're likely to get hurt.

• Zapper: Yes or No? It all depends, perhaps. If you are able to get it working right with this game (it didn't work for me), and can find out how to fire rockets on it, then you're better off using the Zapper because it moves the targeting cursor much faster than does the gamepad. However, otherwise, you'll want the NES gamepad. This is because it is more consistent in its usability and can fire rockets, a necessity in this game.

• Rockets: When? Rockets should be used almost exclusively to boss fights. These bosses are quite powerful and can kill you quite easily. Therefore, you'll want to minimize the time you fight bosses on - less time, less being hit, less damage, right? Granted, you may want to use a few during the levels if you can easily eliminate, two, three, or more enemies at once.

• When to grab pickups? Pickups are only useful if you live long enough to use them. The only ones really worth risking your tail over at the health pickups and, perhaps, the rockets. Bullets are relatively negligible, but by no means should you just ignore them. They'll come in frequent enough quantities so that, so long as you're not needlessly firing, you'll be able to find some in the relative interludes in the game. With regards to dynamite, you'll want that to be near an enemy before you shoot it - if it's not near anything, ignore it and focus on something else. Finally, everything else seems to lack a positive effect, so you may want to ignore them, too.

• Be aware of your surroundings! Seriously do cursory checks everywhere on-screen whenever you can. Enemies like to sneak up on you very quickly, and you need to react quickly to that or die. Be especially aware of enemies that like to crouch behind objects or on ledges, as they'll appear really small on-screen. If you're using an emulator, you could always turn off the backgrounds to make the enemies appear much more obviously.

Boss FAQ/Walkthrough

Why?

The main reason I implement a Boss FAQ/Walkthrough for this game, over full-fledged walkthroughs for the levels, is because the enemy swarms are randomized. You can mostly easily take note of this if you watch someone play a level while you follow along with a video of that same level, like I did with my Nintendo 3DS. For that reason, since the game automatically scrolls along, there is no real point, nor a real ability, to implement a walkthrough.

However, one thing that WILL work are boss walkthroughs, with the bosses being found at the end of each of the levels. Within this section, I will list each boss and describe how to beat them.

The Strategies

Credits

In no particular order...

• adaml & windwakr:
  • adaml told me how to fix the Stage 1-2 transitional problem via windwakr's method.

• GameFAQs, Neoseeker, and Supercheats:
  • For being the most amazing FAQ-hosting sites I know.

• CJayC, SBAllen, and Devin Morgan:
  • General sucking up to the GameFAQs admins. =P

• Me (KeyBlade999):
  • For making this FAQ. =P

• You, the reader:
  • For hopefully enjoying this FAQ.

Version History

• Final:
  • First, and likely only, version of this FAQ.
  • Time: 2:20 AM 3/8/2013.

Legalities

This FAQ may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.

All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders.

ｩ 2013 Daniel Chaviers (a.k.a. KeyBlade999).

If you would wish to contact me concerning this or my other FAQs, use this e-mail: keyblade999.faqs@gmail.com, or PM (Private Message) me on the GameFAQs message boards.

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