******************************************************************************* ____ | _ \ __ _ _ __ _______ _ __ | |_) / _` | '_ \|_ / _ \ '__| | __/ (_| | | | |/ / __/ | |_| \__,_|_| |_/___\___|_| ____ | _ \ _ __ __ _ __ _ ___ ___ _ __ | | | | '__/ _` |/ _` |/ _ \ / _ \| '_ \ | |_| | | | (_| | (_| | (_) | (_) | | | | |____/|_| \__,_|\__, |\___/ \___/|_| |_| |___/ ___ _ / _ \ _ __| |_ __ _ | | | | '__| __/ _` | | |_| | | | || (_| | \___/|_| \__\__,_| ******************************************************************************* A Gene Base Location / Leveling-Up Guide by Thuyker Version 1.3 E-mail: Thuyker@aol.com ******************************************************************************* ================= Table of Contents ================= 1. Introduction 2. FAQ 3. Morph Forms 4. Leveling Up 5. Gene Base Locations A. Episode 1: City in the Storm B. Episode 2: Altered Genos C. Episode 3: The Fallen Ground D. Episode 4: Gigantic Fleet E. Episode 5: Eternal Glacies F. Episode 6: Legacy G. Episode 7: Forbidden Memories H. Episode 8: Imperial City I. Episode 9: Showdown J. Episode 10: The End of Destiny 6. Glossary 7. Guide Information A. Version History B. Email information C. Credits D. Legal Stuff =============== 1. Introduction =============== Panzer Dragoon Orta was released for the Xbox in January of 2003, and as I was new to the series, I certainly didn't know what I was in for. Every aspect of the game, especially the actual gameplay, blew me away. While this game is widely regarded as a niche game, appealing only to "hardcore gamers," I feel that Panzer Dragoon Orta provides a wonderful gaming experience to casual gamers alike. While there is no doubt that many are missing out, I hope that this guide will give a little bit of assistance to those of us that are lucky enough to be enjoying this masterpiece of a game. As much as possible, I will try to pinpoint the exact enemy carrying the gene base. In addition, I will try to describe what is happening in the game just before and just after the gene base location, so you will know when to be on your toes. =============== 2. FAQ =============== Q: What dragon form is the best? A: There really is no one best form - it really just depends on your style of play. In fact, the game will even categorize your style, depending on what forms you use most (a "Specialist," for example, uses the Heavy and/or Glide Wing more then 50% of the time). Each form has advantages and disadvantages, as explained in further detail below. --- Q: When should I use a certain dragon form? A: I personally switch forms quite often, depending on the situation. For example, I use the Heavy Wing almost exclusively during boss battles, with a little bit of Glide Wing thrown in when I need some defensive capability. Other timess, there are large numbers of enemies that are easily-killed; thus, the extra power of the Heavy Wing is not needed, and the Base or Glide Wing would suit the situation better. Having said that, it is absolutely possible to go through the game using a single, favorite form, although this would make things more difficult. --- Q: What dragon form should I level up first? A: Again, this really comes down to what forms you use the most. While the gains from leveling up the Glide Wing are not as apparent as those from leveling up the other forms, you certainly shouldn't feel like you should level up in a certain order. However, I would definitely recommend leveling up only one form at a time. For example, take your first two gene bases. If you spread the first two out between two forms, you're still left with three level one forms. Rather, you should put both gene bases in one form, leaving you with one level two form and two level one forms. --- Q: Can I take a morph form past Level 5? A: No. Once you have reached Level 5 with any particular morph form, any further gene bases collected by that form is wasted, and no benefit is gained from it. So, once you've reached the maximum level, keep an eye out for any gene bases heading your way, and quickly switch to another form if possible. --- Q: Is it possible to level up every form to Level 5? A: I'm not quite sure. To do so, you would need to collect a minimum of 60 gene bases (20 per form)! The reason I say at LEAST 60 is because gene bases can be accidentally wasted, as I mention in the previous question. Even if you are careful to not waste any, however, are there 60 gene bases that you can collect? I haven't been able to do so (following the pathways described below with the most gene bases gave me 58), but there are most likely a few hidden gene bases that I haven't found yet. Please let me know if you've found any I haven't listed! ============== 3. Morph Forms ============== As taken directly from the instruction manual: Your dragon has the power to morph into three different forms. Learn the strengths and weaknesses of each type to take full advantage of its capabilities. Press the (Y) button to cycle through the three dragon forms. -Base Wing- The basic form, offering a good balance of attacking and maneuvering ability. The Base Wing has Glide Attack and homing laser capabilites, and can lock onto a large number of targets at once. -Heavy Wing- The most powerful form, Heavy Wing boasts a strong Bio-laser attack, though it cannot lock on to as many simultaneous targets as the Base Wing. Also, although Heavy Wing cannot Glide, its powerful Berserk attack can be manually aimed. -Glide Wing- The most agile form, it has the largest Glide Gauge. Though Glide wing has no homing laser capability, it boasts multiple gun shots that home in automatically on enemies within the larger Target Sight. Also, using Glide Wing's Berserk Attack will restore your Life Gauge by absorbing the energy of your enemies. ============== 4. Leveling Up ============== Each of the above morph forms start at Level 1, and can reach a maximum of Level 5. So how do you gain levels? By destroying certain enemies, you can acquire what are called "gene bases." Whatever morph form you are using when you collect a gene base is then one step closer to leveling up. At Level 1, a form needs to collect 2 gene bases to level-up. At Level 2, a form needs to collect 4 gene bases to level-up. At Level 3, a form needs to collect 6 gene bases to level-up. At Level 4, a form needs to collect 8 gene bases to level-up. If you do the math, that means that a total of 20 gene bases will have to be collected by any single form for that particular form to reach Level 5. Note that each form levels up independently. For example, if you start the game and collect the first two gene bases using your Base Wing, that form will now be at Level 2. The Heavy and Glide Wings, however, will still be at Level 1. So, what are the advantages to leveling up? Cosmetically, the Base and Heavy Wings change their appearance dramatically, although the Glide Wing retains the same appearance throughout the game. In terms of combat effectiveness, your dragon forms will obviously become more powerful, but in what ways? Base Wing: At Level 1, the Base Wing can lock on to a maximum of 8 targets, and the berserk attack lasts for approximately 3 seconds. By Level 5, it can lock on to a maximum of 12 targets, and the berserk attack lasts for about 6 seconds. Heavy Wing: At Level 1, the Heavy Wing can lock on to a maximum of 3 targets, and like the other forms, the berserk attack lasts for about 3 seconds. Once Level 5 has been reached, a maximum of 5 targets can be locked on, and berserk attack length has increased to 6 seconds. Glide Wing: The Glide Wing can't lock on to any targets, of course, but the rate at which the gun fires seems to increase as levels are gained. As with the other forms, berserk attack length increases from about 3 seconds at Level 1 to about 6 seconds at Level 5. In addition, the boost attack seems to do more damage to enemies at higher levels. ====================== 5. Gene Base Locations ====================== All locations listed below were found on Hard Difficulty, but locations for other difficulties should be exactly the same. If you don't know what a particular enemy I am referring to in the descriptions is, please skip down to the glossary below. ******************************* A) Episode 1: City in the Storm ******************************* 1. The first gene base is found approximately 0:30 seconds into the mission (after you've gained control of Orta and the dragon). After destroying several groups of 4 Battleship Bhout each, another 3, accompanied by a single Carrier Bhout, will emerge from a gap in the left canyon wall. Destroy the Carrier Bhout to claim the gene base - after this, you should be flying over a series of cliffs with people running around on them. 2. Approximately 1:00 into the mission, six Hovertank Dahra will pull in behind you, three coming from the left, and three from the right. After destroying these (and two Battleship Bhout over them), three more Battleship Bhout will appear from behind, with a Carrier Bhout above the three grouped together. It'll pass and move to your front - destroy it to claim another gene base. 3. About 1:40 into the mission, you should be in a wider, flatter canyon. Two groups of Battleship Bhout will appear from behind, one to the left and the other from the right. In the second group is another Carrier Bhout, which you should destroy for another gene base. 4. After 2:25 has passed, you should be in a large, expansive area, and far higher above ground. This particular gene base can be easy to miss, because the area is soon swarming with enemies. Of course, it's best to take them all out if you can, but the Battleship Bhout carrying the gene base is in a group moving from left to right (if you're facing forward), and slightly below you. 5. After the battle mentioned above, as soon as the ground is just below you again, you'll see a group of three Seeker Search Lights among the rocks on the left. Destroy the third one for another gene base. (Thanks to "jackle r" for this tip) *************************** B) Episode 2: Altered Genos *************************** 1. Just before the first appearance of a Yondo-Worm, you'll pass under an archway with 8 Golegs hanging from it, and a lone Goleg on the right wall (if you're facing forward, that is - if you're facing backwards to get a better shot at the Golegs, it'll be on the left). This occurs about 1:20 into the mission. Here, you are given the opportunity to take one of two pathways. If you turn right at the river junction (the Yondo-Worm turns left, the Wormriders right), you'll have taken Pathway A. If you turn left, following them, skip down to Section BB below. ------------- BA) Pathway A ------------- A1. Now, you should be about 1:50 into the mission (from the start). You'll still be mostly over the river, with a large plateau to the right. A large herd of Baturns will be on the ground, and flying in from the left will be 4 blue Yarva and a larger Carrier Yarva. Destroy the latter to get another gene base. ------------- BB) Pathway B ------------- B1. No gene bases found so far. ------------ Main Pathway ------------ Now, you should have rejoined the main pathway, where you will enter a more confined area. 2. About 2:40 into the mission, destroy a group of Yarvas near the wall, just before you make a huge, steep dive (you'll catch the gene base during the dive). Be quick, as this can be easy to miss. 3. Less than 10 seconds later, you'll see an almost repeat of the last gene base. Destroy the Yarva that appear just before you take a second, steep dive. Once again, you'll catch up to the gene base during the dive. 4. After defeating the two Yondo-Worms, you'll move into a new area, with waterfalls to the left. About 1:00 into this area (not from the start of the entire Episode, as the time it takes to defeat the worms can vary greatly), you'll see a huge Yondo-Morli appear almost right next to you, to the left. You must destroy this enemy quickly to claim the gene base, as soon after, you move into the next area to face the Episode boss. ******************************* C) Episode 3: The Fallen Ground ******************************* 1. Almost immediately after starting the level, look slight to the left and up high. Just before you see a large number of Seba popping up in front of you, you'll see a lone one carrying a gene base. Destroy it to claim your prize. 2. After defeating Mobo and his fellow Wormriders, you'll move into a confined area with stones jutting out of the walls everywhere. About 0:25 into this area (again, not from the start of the mission), you'll encounter some stones jutting out horizontally right in front of you. Three Kuru are down low, while a Seba is hiding atop the stone. Destroy the Seba to claim the gene base (this is just before you make a steep dive). 3. In the next area, a dusty, grayish desert, you'll see a large tunnel in front of you, in the distance. Meanwhile, groups of Seba will be coming in from both sides of you and attacking you from the front. Go ahead and kill them, but don't let them distract you from a Seba just sitting still on top of the tunnel entrance - that one carries another gene base. Once you're through the tunnel and back out in an open area again, you'll soon come up on a pair of tunnels. By boosting to the right, you'll take Pathway A. Otherwise, you will automatically take Pathway B - skip down to Section CB if you decide to take that route. ------------- CA) Pathway A ------------- A1. After destroying the two large Churmachum, you will enter a new area. It is a large chasm, with more dives and stones jutting out of the wall. Near the beginning, you'll have a lone blue Carrier Yarva trailing you, and occasionally moving to your front. Destroy it for another gene base. ------------- CB) Pathway B ------------- B1. Once you're through the left tunnel (you'll have encountered a couple more groups of Seba while passing through), look to the right. You'll see Mobo about to come under attack by three Seba - destroy them quickly for a gene base. B2-3. Shortly thereafter, you'll be attacked from the right side (if you are looking forwards) by a pair of Seba, followed by a group of four Seba. Then, you'll be attacked from the left side, by another pair of Seba, and then another group of four Seba. Once the group of four Seba is dead, look for a lone Seba moving up and down (you should still be looking left), and quickly destroy it to claim TWO gene bases! This occurs right before meeting up with your first three Ramjanaki. ------------ Main Pathway ------------ Now, you should have rejoined the main pathway, where you will be in a large, dusty plateau 4. In this area, you'll encounter a single Chumachum, and shortly thereafter, a pair of Seba will attack Mobo. Destroy them to claim an additional gene base. **************************** D) Episode 4: Gigantic Fleet **************************** 1. Immediately, you'll be attacked by six Assault Hovership Taishak. After your battle with them, you and the Wormriders will dive, where you'll see more Taishaks, several Battleship Bhout, and the large, platform-like Homing Airship Ajati. Destroy it for a gene base. 2. After destroying the Homing Airship Ajati, you and the Wormriders will climb straight up. In the distance are more Assault Hovership Taishaks, but be on the lookout for several groups of Airship Kartha that fly in from the left and right. Destroy the second set of Kartha (specifically, the one with the green ribbon, on the right side) to claim your gene base. 3. Mobo will tell you to forget about the little guys and concentrate on the mothership. Ignore him, and destroy four pairs of Airship Kartha. The last pair, and in particular the one trailing a green-colored ribbon, will drop another gene base. Be quick...your best chance is probably right before the next Ajati comes into view, before the two Kartha speed off towards some Assault Hovership Taishaks in the far distance. 4. Now, destroy another Homing Airship Ajati for another gene base. You'll also see a large number of Taishaks in the background, but you probably won't be able to destroy them all. Focus on the Ajati instead. 5. After Mobo has been shot down, you'll be flying straight at the mothership. Destroy the first set of Ceremonial Turrets that pop out of the wall; your dragon will then automatically turn left. Destroy the second set of Ceremonial Turrets, and then look closely for cranes, which stick out from the wall horizontally, and are found in between the platforms. One will be right after the turrets you just destroyed, slightly below you. There will be another one just after that one, between the second and third platforms after turning left - target near where the crane meets the wall to destroy it and obtain another gene base. (Thanks to "jack veneno1" for this information) 6. After a large wall of missile launchers on the side wall, you'll encounter your first Shielded Warhship Shaiha, accompanied by a group of Airship Kartha. Focus on taking out the Kartha first, as one of them carries a gene base. This all occurs just before getting to a second wall of missile launchers. 7. Soon after the second missile wall, you'll start making a steep dive, and a group of eight Airship Kartha will dive in front of you. Destroy them for an additional gene base. This will occur just before you start another climb and meet another Shaiha. ***************************** E) Episode 5: Eternal Glacies ***************************** No gene bases found so far. ******************** F) Episode 6: Legacy ******************** 1. After destroying the Atish, you'll be in a narrow passageway, where you'll encounter three groups of two Kot-War (blue) and one Gat-War (red). Focus on the Gat-War; the one in the third group drops a gene base. In the corridor with Abadd, you can now choose which pathway you will take. To take Pathway A, continue straight down the corridor. For Pathway B (skip down to Section FB below), turn left to follow Abadd. ------------- FA) Pathway A ------------- A1-2. In the second wider, pinkish-colored corridor, you'll encounter a very large number of Degla. Destroy them all for a total of two gene bases! Do it quick, before you rejoin the main pathway (a large, golden room). ------------- FB) Pathway B ------------- B1. No gene bases found so far. You should now have joined the main pathway, in a large, golden room. The rest of the Episode is VERY complicated. Depending on what color you change the large, circular locks to, you go onto a different path. From the start of the Episode, there are a total of 18(!) possible pathway combinations you can take! For best results, I'd stick with staying on the "A" Pathways the whole time, by changing all of the locks to blue. There do not seem to be any gene bases in the "B" or "C" pathways. --------------- FA2) Pathway A2 --------------- A1. No gene bases found so far. --------------- FA3) Pathway A3 --------------- A1-2. Shortly after turning the SECOND lock blue, you'll be on the third Pathway A. After destroying four Degla and turning left, you'll encounter two Carrier Nayak. Destroy them both to get (2) gene bases (around this time, you should have gotten a message that "The security wall is now open"). A3-4. After the first set of horizontal gold beams that you'll have to bob and weave over (while destroying four Degla), you'll encounter two more Carrier Nayak. Destroy both to obtain another (2) gene bases. A5-6. After bypassing two more locks (turn them both blue) and bobbing and weaving over another set of horizontal gold beams, destroy another two Carrier Nayak for an additional (2) gene bases. Shortly thereafter, you should get a message saying "Authorization in progress...Gene Base code 12 confirmed...Welcome home master." ******************************** G) Episode 7: Forbidden Memories ******************************** 1-2. After passing through a series of narrow, winding passageways, you'll encounter a Diodopure Lv 1. Destroy it before it reaches the end of the corridor, and you'll obtain TWO gene bases! Note that by destroying the Diodopure Lv 1, you automatically take Pathway A. If you do not destroy it, you'll take Pathway B - in that case, skip down to Section GB. ------------- GA) Pathway A ------------- A1-2. After moving through a short area, you'll enter a larger room with the centipede-like Central Data Unit Ofnir. Destroy it to receive another (2) gene bases! ------------- GB) Pathway B ------------- B1. You'll start out in a square room, where you'll have to keep turning to destroy several groups of enemies. After moving through the Memory Cell, you'll enter a passageway much like the one from the start of the Episode. After destroying a series of Version 1.00, 1.50, and 2.00 Interception Programs, and just before rejoining the main pathway, you'll encounter a red and blue Interception Program Version 2.60. Destroy it for a gene base. Now, you should be back on the main pathway, where you'll immediately fight a Diodopure Lv 2. 3-4. Destroy the aforementioned Diodopure Lv 2 to obtain another (2) gene bases. You will now be sent to the Deep Memory Cell. See the note below, however, if you are interested in taking a different pathway. This is the second pair of branching pathways in this Episode. As with the first pair, destroying the Diodopure will put you on Pathway A; not doing so will put you on Pathway B (skip down to Section GBB if this is the case). --------------- GA2) Pathway A2 --------------- A1. After talking to large, oddly-shaped figure in the Deep Memory Cell, you will be transported to a purplish outdoor area, with a large object floating in the far distance ahead of you. Almost immediately, you will encounter two groups of bluish-colored Sealance Images, one coming in from the right, the other from the left. Try to destroy them all, but make sure that you destroy the pinkish-colored Carrier Sealance for a gene base. A2. After the above, two more groups of Sealance Images will appear from behind left and behind right. However, keep facing forward, as they will move to your front. After these enemies are destroyed, another group will appear directly in front of you. In the center of this group is another pink Carrier Sealance - destroy it to obtain another gene base. A3. Now, you'll see a large swarm of Sealance Images in the far distance. Another group of them will appear up close, but try to take out as many of the far ones as you can. Towards the left of the swarm is another Carrier Sealance with a gene base, but it can be hard to distinguish from the others. If you'd like, this might be a good time to use a Base Wing berserk attack (do so just before the close group appears). --------------- GB2) Pathway B2 --------------- B1. Just like the first Pathway B, you'll start out in a square-shaped room of enemies, move to a short Memory Cell area, and then into a long passageway. Again, destroy a Interception Program Version 2.60 for another gene base. Note that this is not the last Version 2.60 you'll encounter - another one will show up right before this pathway ends, although the second one does not drop a gene base. The main pathway now meets up, for the Episode's boss battle. *************************** H) Episode 8: Imperial City *************************** 1-6. In the large chamber containing three rows of ten dragonmare embryos each, two embryos in each row contain gene bases. The row closest to the entrance has one towards the middle and another to the right. The second row has another in the middle and another in approximately the third embryo from the left. The last row (furthest from the entrance) has one on the far right and another one close by, approximately third from the right. Note that if you destroy ALL of the embryos, you'll automatically take Pathway A. If you do not destroy all of them, you'll take Pathway B - in that case, skip down to Section HB below. ------------- HA) Pathway A ------------- A1-2. Shortly after you leave the Dragonmare embryo chamber, you'll encounter an open room with a large number of Floating Mine Mardai. After you deal with them, you'll enter a series of narrow passageways, with a lone Airship Vahra. Destroy it to claim another (2) gene bases. ------------- HB) Pathway B ------------- B1. No gene bases found ------------ Main Pathway ------------ Now, you should have rejoined the main pathway, where you will be in a large, tall room, filled with missile-firing Hovertank Dahra and a Catharp in the center of the room. 7-8. Take care of the Hovertank Dahra and Battleship Bhout first, to save yourself some damage. Don't neglect attacking the Catharp, however, as destroying its head will net you another (2) gene bases. Be quick, as you don't get many opportunities to target it while circling the room. 9-10. After destroying the Assault Carrier Vermana, you'll enter a large room with several Battleship Bhout. After taking care of them, you'll enter another series of narrow passageways, where you'll encounter five Airship Vahra. One of them drops another (2) gene bases. ********************** I) Episode 9: Showdown ********************** 1-2. A total of 12 embryos will appear to attack you, although only three or so are present at the start of the mission. More will then drop down from the cradle, in two groups to join the first one, and fire missiles at you from the front. While only two of the 12 are carrying gene bases (one in the last group and one in the second to last group to exit the cradle), the embryos all appear the same, so destroy all of them to ensure that you get both of them. 3. After destroying the first 12 embryos, 7 more will appear below and to the left. Once again, destroy them all to be sure, but one of the last embryos to appear is the particular one carrying a gene base. 4. After the previous 7 embryos, 5 will then appear to your right (if you're facing forward). Again, try to destroy them all, but only one in particular (one of the last and left-most ones to appear) is carrying a gene base. 5. 7 more embryos approach from the front, but quickly fly over you and attack from the rear. As before, destroy them as soon as possible to ensure a gene base - however, one of the embryos on the left (when facing backwards) is the one carrying the gene base. 6-7. 10 embryos will now appear, but unfortunately, not from a single direction. Instead, they will appear from all sides. Try to take them out as quickly as possible - kill them all, and you'll have been rewarded with two gene bases! ********************************* J) Episode 10: The End of Destiny ********************************* No gene bases found so far. =========== 6. Glossary =========== The game's Pandora's Box feature is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the Panzer Dragoon universe. The encyclopedia, for instance, features an amazing wealth of information on all of the creatures, enemy units, etc. that you will encounter during the course of the game. However, all of the entries are not necessarily unlocked for everyone quite yet, and since I refer to the Gene Base-carrying enemies by name, perhaps some will still be unsure of what enemies I'm talking about. While this is by no means a comprehensive guide, I hope that it makes your task a little easier. Of course, there is no substitute for simply playing the game and experiencing the enemies firsthand. -Airship Kartha- These flying aircraft are easily distinguishable, as they trail a long, red flag from the rear. Be on the lookout for Prototype Kartha; these have green flags, rather than red ones. -Airship Vahra- These large, durable aircraft have red wings and gold propellors extending from the rear. It features a very prominent gold crest in the front (the crest is a half-circle with five spikes extending from it). -Assault Carrier Vermana- This enemy unit is hard to miss; it is the boss from Episode 1, and encountered again in Episode 8. -Assault Hovership Taishak- These are the first battleships encountered in Episode 4. They have a large, perfectly horizontal hull, with a curved, organic-looking bulb extending down and backwards from the front. -Battleship Bhout- These flying aircraft have a slightly curved fuselage, two brownish/ orangeish-colored wings, and a cannon in the very front. -Baturn- Found in Episode 2, the Baturn are brown creatures running on two legs and featuring two prominent, curved tusks. -Carrier Bhout- These are exactly identical to the standard Battleship Bhout, except that it has green markings on the wings, rather than the brownish orange. -Carrier Nayak- The Carrier Nayak are large, whitish/grayish-colored creatures, with a pair of "wings" that extend into three feather-like appendages each. Perhaps the most noticeable feature is a long tube extending from the head, that loops back into the creature's body. -Carrier Sealance- These are identical in body structure to Sealance Images, but are instead a pinkish color, rather than bluish. -Carrier Yarva- Carrier Yarva are very similar to standard Yarva in appearance, in terms of body structure, although they are much greater in size and a reddish color. -Catharp- Catharp are large, skeleton-like creatures, capable of moving at high speeds on four legs, but also capable of attacking on its two hind legs as well. They have a large, circular disc extended from their backs, and another smaller one at the head. Catharp are hard to miss; one is the Episode 3 boss, and the other is in the Imperial City. -Central Data Unit Ofnir- This is a long, centipede-like enemy, with a great number of gold-colored segments. It'll dive in and out of the "water," and occasionally heal itself by passing through a ring of four Interception Program ver 1.00s. -Ceremonial Turrets- These platforms pop out of the walls of the large ship in Episode 4, usually in pairs. Each platform has three turrets atop it. -Churmachum- These are large, flying, jellyfish-like creatures, with eight tentacles that are dragged behind them. The head is covered in armor plating, and the creature can fire a laser-like weapon from its posterior. -Degla- The Degla are grayish-colored flying creatures, with two appendages that can open up into four pulsating blue "wings" during combat. -Diodopure Lv1- This is a hard enemy to miss; although not technically a boss, they do display a visible health bar. It consists of a gold-colored central orb, surrounded by pulsating blue crystal-like structures. Three worm-like objects can be seen moving around it, along with a sensor that occasionally fires a laser-like weapon. -Diodopure Lv2- Very similar to the Diodopure Lv1 in appearance, although the central mass is a red color, rather than gold. It too displays a health bar, making it hard to miss. -Gat-War- Accompanied by a pair of Kot-War, the Gat-War is much the same in appearance, albeit reddish-colored. Of the trio, they are the only targets vulnerable to weapons fire, and destroying it will destroy all three. -Goleg- Goleg are large, plant-like monsters encountered in Episode 2, commonly found hanging vertically from overpasses or extending horizontally from rock walls near the river. They have a long, extendible, green stalk that opens up to a "flower," consisting of a purple center and five tentacle-like appendages. -Homing Airship Ajati- These large, square-shaped floating platforms are hard to miss. Each corner of the square has a slightly curved pylon extending from the bottom. -Hovertank Dahra- These are platform-like ground units, with a large weapon in the front and four legs. -Interception Program ver 1.00- These are gold-colored enemies, consisting of a central orb that extends three "arms," each ending with a gold half-circle and two pairs of short antennae. -Interception Program ver 1.50- These greatly resemble the ver 1.00 in appearance, although they are reddish in the center and have bluish half-circles and antennae, rather than gold. -Interception Program ver 2.00- These are gold-colored enemies, with a large central "eye." Extending from the eye on each the left and right sides are a smaller antenna and three large tentacle-like appendages. -Interception Program ver 2.60- These resemble the ver 2.00, with the same number of appendages. Rather than gold, they are bluish and purplish in appearance. -Kot-War- Found in pairs and accompanied by a lone Gat-War, the Kot-War are bluish-colored creatures that release an energy field around themselves, while circling their target. Firing upon them only increases the amount of electricity released. -Kuru- Kuru resemble opened clam/oyster shells, that release a circular electric field around themselves when threatened. -Ramjanaki- These flying creatures' most distinguishing feature is a large flower-like head, with six "petals." In addition, they use a greenish-colored forcefield, so it is necessary to either speed up or slow down to target their vulnerable side. -Sealance Image- These countermeasures are a pulsating gray and blue color. They have three flapping wing-like appendages near the head, and four small legs extending from the posterior. -Seba- Seba are flying creatures, with whitish-gray armor and brownish tail. They appear to have armored plates along the sides of the tail, but their most distinguishable feature is a large, long, curved armor plate extending from their black heads. -Seeker Search Light- These are found in Episode 1, and are brownish in color. They easily give away their position by shining a very bright spotlight into the sky. -Shielded Warship Shaiha- These are large, cube-shaped aircraft, with one side of the cube protected by a massive disc-shaped armor plate. Only this one side is protected; all others are vulnerable. -Wormriders- Mobo's fellow people ride on large, brownish-colored creatures, that prominently feature a large mouth with a massive underbite. Each worm carries three riders. -Yarva- Yarva are smaller, flying creatures with a longish, slender body and two pairs of wings, one larger than the other. Usually a purplish and bluish color. -Yondo-Morli- The Yondo-Morli is much larger than a standard Morli, although they have similar body structures. They are bluish-colored and resemble gigantic manta rays, albeit with six prehensile tails in addition to one longer, thicker tail. -Yondo-Worm- Yondo-Worms are gigantic creatures, with a segmented body and massive jaws. One worm first appears jumping in and out of the river in Episode 2, and a pair of them are later battled as a mini-boss. ==================== 7. Guide Information ==================== ------------------ A) Version History ------------------ Version 1.3 (April 21, 2003) - Fixed some mistakes in a Episode 4 gene base location, and various other typos, etc. Also added a few entries to the glossary. ALL pathways have now been played through - the guide is now essentially 100% complete, unless any secret gene base locations that might exist are later found. Version 1.2 (April 18, 2003) - Other than the miscellaneous pathways in Episode 6, all other pathways have been played through and known gene locations added to the guide. Also, descriptions of several locations have been fleshed out a little more. Finally, took some suggestions on improving the FAQ layout, especially with the glossary. Version 1.1 (April 16, 2003) - Added the glossary entries, made various little updates. Next update should have more pathways completed. Version 1.0 (April 15, 2003) - The guide can now be followed from start to end, as some of the game's different pathways are finished. Some pathways still need more information, however, and will soon be updated in a future version. In addition, more information on leveling up was added, as was more frequently asked questions. Version 0.6 (April 14, 2003) - Well, this guide has actually been at this stage since the middle of February. Life has been keeping me busy, however, so I haven't quite worked on it since then. However, I noticed that a similar guide still hadn't been posted, so I just thought I'd upload it as is (about 60% complete) so that anyone in need of the information will find a little help. -------------------- B) Email information -------------------- If you have any questions regarding this guide, feel free to email me at Thuyker at aol dot com. Make sure to put something in your email subjet, so that I don't mistake it for spam. Also, if you've found any gene bases that I might have missed...please let me know! I'll definitely give credit where credit is due. ---------- C) Credits ---------- Thanks to Smilebit and Sega for such a wonderful gaming experience! Thanks to GameFAQS for putting this up! Thanks to "jackle r" for letting me know about the gene base in the Seeker Search Light (Episode 1). Thanks to "jack veneno1" for correcting my mistake regarding gene base 5 in Episode 4. In addition, as I mentioned above, I would greatly appreciate anyone who has any further information that might be useful for this guide. Your name will go here! -------------- D) Legal Stuff -------------- This FAQ/Guide was written 100% by me, and countless hours were spent working (if you can call playing a game that!) to find the information and write the guide. It is Copyright © 2003 Thuy Tran ("Thuyker") and may not be taken in part or whole to be claimed as your own work. Please contact me for permission if you're interested in posting this on your site. Currently, the following sites have permission to post my FAQ: www.gamefaqs.com www.ign.com www.neoseeker.com All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders.