Solar Jetman FAQ v. 1.1 This FAQ and the information contained in it copyright 2000 by Ezra Poetker(epoetker@hotmail.com) Any reproduction in whole or in part without my permission is ILLEGAL. However, if you E-mail me and ask nicely, I will probably allow you to use it. Version history: 9/14/2000 v.1.1: Added new E-mail address, fixed oddities. 2/10/2000 v.1.0: First version of the FAQ. Ahhh...another day spent writing a FAQ. Solar Jetman has you playing the role of, among other things, a tugboat. No, really, much of this game will be spent towing items back to your ship(the other part is spent fighting the thieving pirates who guard those items.) Since all of this towing is done planetside, you will find yourself having two major things to worry about: 1: Gravity. Isaac Newton is NOT your friend. His blasted law is still in effect 2000 years after he's expired. You'd have thought that they'd have repealed it by now...oh well. An object at rest(your jetpod)will fall to the ground with an "Ouch!"(with shields,)"Bloody 'ell!"(without shields,) or an "Oh, SHI..."(without shields, energy low.) In case of the latter, you'll eject from the jetpod, and if you're smart, you'll find a way back to the mothership muy pronto, because one hit from a stray bullet or laser will do you in. However, being in your spacesuit has its advantages, which I'll discuss later...now on to... 2: Mass. Specifically, the mass of the object which you happen to be towing. Usually, the object tends to swing around your jetpod on the tow line, pulling you in whichever direction it wants to go. Learn to compensate for both the mass of the object and the gravity of the planet. Flying slowly will decrease the chance of the object swinging in an unwanted direction and taking your unshielded jetpod into the wall with it. Don't worry, with practice you'll get the hang of it. On to the FAQ... Planet 1 Q. Why do I keep exploding when I try to go back to the mothership? A.You have to go in through the hole in the top, you dullard! Tractor beams won't be invented for another 50 years! Q. That little gun took me out in one hit! What gives? A. You need shields, my friend. Shoot the guns when they open to destroy them, then get the shield power-up. Q. Now the power-up is attatched to me! A. Didn't I just explain this before? Tow the shield power-up to a place right over the hole in the top of your mothership and the tow cable will automatically disengage and the item will float down. Then the screen will come up telling you how to use the shields. Q. Woohoo! Die enemy scum! I have shields and you don't! But now I can't tow the crystal... A. Disengage the shields. Q. How many do I need for an extra life? A. I think it's about 8, but I'm not sure. Need to play it again to find out...just keep collecting the crystals, you'll need the money anyway. Q. What's the deal with that weird black hole thing? It pushes me away every time I touch it... A. That is a warp to the room where a piece of the fabled Golden Warpship is held. You need to collect enough fuel for your mothership to get off the planet before you can enter the black hole. Q. Now I'm in, just dusted the guns, but...how can I tow that weird treasure box back to my ship? No exit except through the hole, and the box doesn't come with me... A. See that undulating multicolored circle? It is now your new best friend. Any item on your tow line that touches it will be automatically warped back to your ship. Make the box touch the warp zone. Q. Y'know, it's kinda hard to collect those gems in the bonus stages. Know of an easier way? A. Yes. Did you notice that it's much easier to control the spaceman than the jetpod? Destroy you pod by smacking it into the walls(Having your shields down WOULD help:) and the go back through the wormhole as the spaceman. Between planets: Q. Does the shop sell anything good? A. Well, I'd say that the most useful item right now it the Mapping Device...but you can get one on the next planet you go to...so if you want, buy homing missiles and time bombs if you want to experiment with some new armaments. Planet 2: Q: Anything I should be getting on this planet? A: Well, the Boosters would certainly be helpful...go left along the surface until you find them. Also, you can snag the Navigators(basically a free Mapping Device) down in the bottom-left area of the planet. There's a warp zone nearby, so you don't have to tug it ALL the way back to your ship(like I said, your new best friend...) Q: YIKES! Now THAT's a big laser cannon! A: I've seen bigger. And it's called an Extending Boom Tube. Stay above and shoot the top until it goes out with a rather measly explosion. Q: Help! My ship has exploded and those bloodthirsy alien ships are circling like a pack of lawyers at a car accident! A: Yet another reason why the warp zones are your new best friend. When the spaceman touches them he'll be warped right back to the mothership. Q: What invisible wall am I running into? A: As if your life wasn't hard enough already, those red spheres have learned to project gravity wells that push you back. (The blue ones pull you forward.) Shoot 'em. Planet 3: Q: Dang circle of guns... A: Right in the middle of that circle is an invisible warp leading to planets 5, 6, and 7. Q: Do they REALLY expect me to fly through that tiny tunnel? A: Quit complaining. Q: There's a pod sitting out in the middle of nowhere...and a fuel can that the warp zone doesn't take... A: More good stuff. Shoot the fuel can to recover energy, and if you lose your ship, you can fly right into that one just sitting there. Q: Radioactives, Fancy Alien Items...What the heck is this stuff? A: Just money. Trust me, you'll need it. Between Planets: Q: Now what should I buy? A: The Nippon Sports Jetpod. Faster, more durable, more maneuverable, looks cooler, and has a fancy pull-out cupholder. Planet 4: Q: Anything I should know right now? A: Yep. YOU CAN NOW TOW WARP ZONES!!! Helps you VERY much. Q: What's the deal with the black underground section? A: That is considered to be "underwater" and I cannot for the life of me figure out why it's black, it's blue on the other levels...oh well...Gravity is reversed when you're underwater, so adjust your bearings accordingly. Planet 5: Q: Uhhhh...it's gettin' kinda hard... A: Which is exactly why after beating this level, you should buy the SUPER Mapping Device, not found on planets, which shows you where items are as well as showing you the general planet layout. Planet 6: Q: @$#!*&! A: Hey, children could be reading this FAQ, so watch your language. If you MUST know, there is a secret warp on this level which lets you go to planets 9, 10, or 11. Take the path which leads ALL the way to the VERY bottom of the planet, then go right through the caverns until you see two Hopping Boom Tubes guarding a strangely-colored section of lava. Fly in the middle of that section and you're there. Planet 7: Q: Underwater AGAIN?! A: At least it's blue this time. Planet 8: Q: What the... A: Gravity's reversed, again! Q: Anything else? A: Fly around in the air on the planet's surface; you should see a blue wormhole that leads to the secret planet 13. Enter it quickly, cuz those buggers disappear fast! Planet 9: Q: Sigh...high gravity...hard enemies... A: After this level, you'll get to purchase the Italian Racing Jetpod, which not only goes a LOT faster, but can go through the warp zones! Was THAT enough of an inspiration? Planet 10: Q: DIE, ALIEN SCUM! A: Good, you're getting the hang of it... Planet 11: Q: What the...cool music? A: I was just as surprised as you were, after the muted crud on the other levels. Enjoy. Planet 12: Q: AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!! A: How did you pronounce the G's and H's? Yep, this is the last and hardest level, with three different sections. Purchase EVERYTHING you need before you go to this planet, because you won't have the opportunity to buy anything after it. Don't bother getting any items except for fuel and crystals. Fight hard, oh intrepid treasure hunter, because as soon as you collect the last piece... You enter a scrolling shooter a la Gradius. The premise is simple: you have only one life, and if you get it knocked out of you, the game is OVER!!! (Thank God for save states. What...you're not playing it emulated?) Blast all the little things on the last boss blasting at you and you WIN! Then watch the short(but rather entertaining)ending. A few thanks: Rare, for making cool and crazy games like this WAY before Donkey Kong Country came out... J Dog, for being the first one to offer me positive feedback on my reviews... CjayC, for making GameFAQs.com, the best darn video game FAQ/walkthrough repository in the world... God, for giving me the talent of writing, for saving my soul through his Son, and for steering me toward the somewhat benign hobby of playing video games, rather than taking drugs like some of my other friends were doing... This FAQ, once again, copyright 2000 by Epoetker. Send all questions, comments, mail bombs, death threats, suggestions, and such to epoetker@hotmail.com.