Tenchu : Player's Guide Version 1.04 (updated with a few more tips and disclaimers) By Kain (kain@pacific.net.sg) This FAQ and contents copyright Zhou Tai An 1998. Please notify me before putting this on a site; I will reply within a day and give permission. Not to be used for profit purposes or for any video game magazines (fanzines are fine if permission is sought) Thanks to Darklore for providing me with the initial info and gameplay help, as well as Jay Anthony M. Encarnacion, (E-mail: angie@star.com.ph) for the codes and control info, taken from his Tenchu FAQ. A good tip about rolling provided by Trey Morita (tmorita@proxicom.com). Thanks! Finally, a few more helpful hints by Chris Cruz have been added. *Note : This FAQ is for the Japanese version only. It does not : 1. Contain any help on the additional two levels (haven't played or own the English) 2. Have any info on the Training section (training is for wimps ^_^) 3. Or tell you how to get the codes to work in the English version (they don't - Jap only.)* Thanks for your time. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Controls The Ways of a Ninja Basic Ninja Weapons List Tenchu Mission Briefing Translation and Tips Tenchu Tips Cut Scenes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Controls: Move : Simply move the directional pad on the controller. Jump : Press the X button. Slash: Press the Square button. Right Slash : Tap right, then Square. Turn Around Slash : Tap left, then Square. Jumping Slash : Press X, then Square. Back On Wall : When you're near a wall, Hold R1. You will turn so that your back is to the wall. Useful for sneaking. Forward Flip: Double tap Forward, then press X. Back Flip: Double tap Back, then press X. Side Step: Double tap left or right. Crouch: Hold R1. Roll: Hold R1 then double tap left or right. Look At Map: Hold Select. Select a Weapon: Press R2 or L2 to scroll among available weapons. Use a Weapon: Press Triangle. ***** Shinobi no Gata (the ways of Ninja) I.e : game tips. ^_^ Who to pick? Well, Ayame is faster for one, has a better jump and can sneak up on enemies more easily. She does have trouble with the bosses because of her weaker attack, though her greater speed comes in handy sometimes. Rikimaru has a better weapon, but is all-around slower. He can dispatch bosses with more ease...so it's an even match. Pick the one that suits your playing style, but be sure to read the following info below first. Personally, I prefer Ayame as sneaking is a far more effective method of killing enemies; and you always have supplies to whack the boss with, right? BTW, Rikimaru means "the wheel of strength" and Ayame is "colorful girl." Typical Japanese names of that time period. ***** Kenjutsu no Gata (the way of Swordplay) Basic tips : 1. Watch your opponent carefully. There will be chances for your to take advantage of his movement; use them. 2. Block when you need to (press down). Some attacks will pierce your guard if them are too strong (like the the bear's attack) or if they are at the correct angle; so be wary. It is also sometimes more effective to attack when the enemy is doing so. But keep in mind your weapon's speed and reach as compared to his\her's. 3. Use water. No enemy can swim, not even the bosses. 4. It is possible to drink medicine when fighting the boss; find a safe area. And you can pick it up from the floor if it gets hit from your hand! Use a bomb if you really need to. 5. Know how your character moves. Very well. 6. Remember, fighting is always a ninja's second weapon; the way of Shinobi should always be foremost in your thoughts. If you strike first there will be no need to fight, and sometimes there is not even a need for that. The mission is paramount. Killing Soldiers : Watch their sword movements and style. All of them have a double slash attack; either strike during the first slash or block both. Be careful of their spinning cut. Killing Archers : Running in a zig-zag pattern or changing direction suddenly will cause them to miss you. Easy to kill once you close in as they can't block. Killing Dogs : Wait until they jump. Then slash twice. Killing Gunners : They take a long time to fire; make use of that. Killing Ninja : Ideally, don't; use stealth instead. If you have to, be very wary as they have a tendency to attack unpredictably. Killing Corpes : Easy. Attack from the side or from the front fast; their fire is inaccurate but deadly. Rikimaru's attacks : First button press : Straight slash down, 8 damage. Second button press : Side slash, goes through your enemy's guard more easily than the first in most cases. 10 damage. Third button press : Large slash down. Leaves you slightly open to attack after using it. Powerful, though, and will break through opponent's guard sometimes. 20 Damage. Left and button press : Spinning slash. Be careful as this will not hit exactly to the left; more like up and left. Will get through guard easily. Right and button press : Slash to the left. Works like Second button press above. Jumping slash : Powerful but slow. Use only when assured of a hit or as a finishing blow or be prepared to eat your enemy's attacks later. Ayame's Attacks : First button press : Side slash. 4 damage. Second button press : Side slash. 6 damage. This and the first one are relatively fast compared to most enemies' attacks; use them to interrupt their blows. Third and Fourth button presses : Twirling slashes. Ayame's real means of causing damage, but they leave you WIDE open to attack after. 10 damage. Left and button press : Slash to the left; press again for another one. Operates like the First and Second slashes above. 8 damage. Right and button press : Same as above. 8 damage. Jumping Slash : Twin dagger cut from above. Moderately useful, as it does a respectable amount of damage, but it leaves you open to attack. 12-15 damage. ***** Shinobi-ashi no Gata (the way of the stealthy steps) This is your true weapon, not sword or shuriken. Learn well... The first thing to remember is, obviously, NOT TO BE SEEN. Use the L1 Button to check out the territory around you. Hide behind carts, walls, whatever. Secondly, keep a close eye on the circle below you as well. When it's green, (the character is *ki* "spirit"), no one can see you. When it's orange, (the character is *shi* "to be see, to be perceived") you can be seen slightly. Be careful when this is shown as enemies will sometimes move closer and spot you (especially dogs). When it's red (the character is *satsu* "kill") the enemy has seen you and will attack. You can often escape and return later if this happens, though. Also, the size of the circle is in direct proportion to the proximity of enemies. Thirdly, use rooftops. This will probably get you more kills that anything, mainly because enemies almost never look up. Wait until the guard changes direction or is yawning before attacking; if you don't there's a good chance of being spotted. You should also remember that if you press the button quickly enough, you might kill the guard even if he sees you. And don't try for the cut scenes all the time (cool as they are) by going too close to the guard; kill him with a slash from afar. When you drop off a rooftop behind a person, you run the risk that they will turn around as you drop and stand - You can minimize this risk somewhat by crouching while on the rooftop and rolling off of it (allows you to stand up quicker or immediately roll elsewhere if they're turning) A sideways roll will work just as well as a forward one, and often allows you a better viewing angle while you're setting up the roll. If you cannot get a clear shot at an enemy, don't use the L1 Button. By the time you release it and drop down he\she will have turned around. Instead, jockey back and forth; usually, you'll be able to see him without him seeing you. If all else fails and you can only get one glance at an enemy's turned back, take it and run towards him; most times, you will be quick enough to get him (this is easier with Ayame) And always remember; be patient. (Side note; in fact, Shinobi means "patience" and the literal translation of "ninja" is "patient one.") Enemies will turn to the side, yawn etc, given enough time. ****** Basic Ninja Weapons List Top Row, Left to Right: Shuriken -- Throwing Stars, basic distance damage weapon. Great as they don't miss; save some for bosses. Caltrops -- Drop them behind you to discourage pursuit. Very handy when running away. Health -- Takes you back up to 100 points. Middle Row, Left to Right: Bomb -- Throw and detonate, like a grenade. May fizzle. If you miss, they will explode after a period of time. Smoke Bomb -- Confuse opponents by getting smoke in their eyes. Stops 'em for a few seconds. Land Mine -- Very, very powerful explosive. Do not be near this thing when it goes off. Bottom Row, Left to Right: Poisoned Food -- Make dogs and unwary soldiers sick. Sleeping Potion -- Put fires and people out with this draught Five Colored Rice -- Markers to keep track of where you've been. Secret Items : Firecracker : Massive explosion Charm : Attack and defense up for a period of time. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mission Objectives : Stage 1 : Kill the accountant. Stage 2 : Get home safely. Stage 3 : Rescue the prisoner (actually just kill the boss) Stage 4 : Get onto the top of the large statue. Stage 5 : Kill the boss on the ship. (knock him into the water for an easy victory) Stage 6 : Retrieve the flower on top of the mountain. Stage 7 : Kill the boss on top of the temple. Stage 8 : Kill both bosses (two part mission) Stage Walkthroughs : BTW, the X on the map is where you start, not your destination. ^_^ Stage 1 Use your grappling hook to get up onto the rooftops. In this mission, you won't even need to kill a single person if you're lucky. Anyway, begin by heading towards the large building in the middle of the courtyard. There should be an entrance at the top of it (if you can't find it look around; it's not a big stage); kill the single guard there and fall down to fight the boss. The warehouses in this stage contain either Medicine, Bombs or Smoke Bombs. Only two of them have items and they're sometimes by the side of the room; look around if you can't find any. Yes, you can enter the building by ordinary means and kill as many guards as you like, but you don't have to. ^_^ Boss Strategy : The swordsman takes some time to draw his weapon, so attack before he does. He will also change direction rapidly and\or swing his sword in a totally different way from what you expect, so watch out if you see him begin to draw. The Accountant is easy; he does have a gun, though, and will fire at you as long as the swordsman is alive. When he's dead you can pick him off with ease. Stage 2 This is another easy mission. At the start, head to the left and stay there. When you reach the buildings (careful of the guard there) use your hook to ascend and continue towards the river. Swim across and head towards the left again (as you near the door you will automatically complete the mission) Like in Stage 1, you shouldn't need to fight a single enemy. Stage 3 This is a pretty big stage, so bring along Medicine (one should do) and a few supplies; either Bombs, Smoke Bombs or Shuriken for the boss. The dogs in this stage can spot you more easily than any other enemy, so be careful of them. Sneaking up on the perimeter guards can be a bit difficult, so re-read the section on Shinobi-ashi again if need be. One of the corridors should bring you to either a Medicine or Bomb; use your grappling hook to obtain it. Most of them lead to dead ends or to another section of the map; the one you're looking for branches just as at a torchlight, with a guard standing nearby. When you find it, kill the guard and head up the tunnel near the light. You should come to a pit; jump over it. Be very careful not to fall into the next pit just ahead! Use your hook to travel over it; do NOT attempt to jump or you will die. Continue along the corridors and you should come to a on area which you can jump up onto (it has two sides). One of these sides should lead to a narrow bridge; cross to the middle and jump to the door on the right. Follow the passage till you reach an area with a few pillars; kill all the guards obtain the Medicine ahead. Then, backtrack to where you jumped; just before the area with the guards, there should be two corridors branching away. One of these has wooden panels lining the walls; this is one you want. Follow it till you reach a dark, unlit area which you will see as you travel up a sloping corridor. Now pause and be wary; a huge bear will attack you. You may continue up and fight the boss, but with the bear and boss you'll most likely perish. So kill the bear first; but be careful as it's attacks are VERY powerful; in particular, the upwards swing of it's claws that cannot be blocked. Attack from the side and back away often. Boss Strategy : He will begin by attacking you with an overhead chop; this is your chance to strike. Both Ayame's and Rikimaru's weapons are faster than his; however, Ayame obviously has a better chance of striking. He will then sweep his club along the floor if he misses the first attack or you don't hit him. Jump and strike; anything else will result in him hitting you for moderate damage (do NOT get hit by the first blow, which is deadly.) He will also occasionally swing his club in a wide arc; either avoid this or circle to his back and attack. Try to avoid fighting him and his bear at the same time; while it is possible to win (I have), it's difficult. And if his dog's with him as well, kill it first. It does little damage but will interrupt your blows, letting his master clobber you. Stage 4 : Begin by going to the left side of the temple gate (kill the Corpse if necessary) and grappling hook up to the rooftop. Head to the large building at the upper right side of the map; you can't miss it; it's the biggest structure. Fall down and kill the two Corpses guarding the gate. Once inside, hook up to the platform on the left, being wary of the archer guard there. (If you want, position your hook to the far edge of the ledge (the side furthest from you) and hoist yourself up only when the archer's back is turned) Then hook yourself to the head of the Buddha. Boss Strategy : Treat the first boss the same way you did the one in Stage 3. In fact, this one is easier; you should be wiping the floor with him soon. The second boss is another matter entirely. Be very careful of his fast kick attacks; some, like his side kick, will pierce your defenses even with a block. The best times to strike are when it looks like he's doing nothing (that is, he's bouncing around as usual) and just after he jumps (NOT when he's performing a jump kick, though) It is possible to attack when he's in the middle of kicking; however, judge your position carefully before doing so. You only need to reduce him to 100 life. Stage 5 : Be careful of the gunners in this mission; their guns can take off 20 life in a single shot. However, they're slow, so you should be able to dispatch one before he fires; just don't get double-teamed. Head to the shingled buildings at the lower part of the map, using your hook to travel on the rooftops as usual. Once you get there, dispatch all the guards around the area (you should be able to get them all with stealth). Once that's accomplished, head to the green patch (I think it's a bush) near the two ships and turn left, travelling west along the quayside. When you get a fix on the left ship with your hook (you can just make it to the mast of the ship; aim carefully) let fly and you should be a board in a second. Boss Strategy : Nothing too difficult about this boss. Firstly, watch him carefully as he swings wide and sometimes rapidly with his weapon; his hook will also be used to attack you, and it's faster. Also, watch out that he doesn't push you to the back of the boat. There's another gunner there who will make life difficult for you given the chance. Either push this guy in the water (accomplished quite easily with either Bombs or continued attacks) or kill him normally with precise slashes. Stage 6 : Be EXTREMELY careful in this stage about falling too great a height or missing a jump. You'll also have to aim very carefully with the hook; and if you haven't already figured it out, you can abort a shot by lowering the red shuriken down to body position. Knocking down guards is useful as well. You will start by some trees, same as in Stage 3. Now, the only way to get up the mountain is by heading to the east side, so do so, avoiding guards and dogs along the way. You will notice that the guards near the path leading up into the mountains do not change their position, or if they do, take a long time to do so. Too bad. ^_^ You'll have to rush some of them and abandon stealth; use the hints in the section on swordplay to help. There is no one exact path to the top, but two general rules to remember are; don't jump or hook to suspicious terrain, and keep heading up. Eventually, you will reach a slight overhang with an archer at the other side. Kill the archer either using Shuriken or by stealth (drop down below him and hook up) >From there, enter the cave with the running water ahead, being wary of the many dogs and guards there. Once through the cave, you'll be able to see the flower. Stage 7 : As in Stage 4, head to the tallest building. You'll find the boss there. However, you'll have to make your way up the building instead of simply jumping or hooking yourself to the top, so bring along some Medicine and use stealth as much as possible. Nothing too difficult in this mission; you'll fight all the enemies you've fought before. You should remember not to engage in so many fights here as the enemies are much tougher now, though. Boss Strategy : As before, but this time you'll need to take off all 200 life points. Remember that you can both fall off the building and still continue fighting, though neither or you will take damage. Stage 8 : This is a long and difficult stage; Medicine is a necessity, as well as some Shuriken for tough spots. Since this is the last stage, you may as well bring everything you can, actually. You start at the entrance to the temple. In this mission, almost all the guards face forwards, and they can shift position very rapidly, so be very, very careful. (And on a side note, you don't want to fight any of these guys either; they have 120 life each) Make your way to the central altar slowly, polishing off the troops as they come. The door to the main courtyard has 4 guards around it total (although you'll probably only see two the first time); be sure to kill all of them. And no, you can't scale the walls in this stage. ^_^ Hide behind the big pillar in the courtyard; it will serve you well when you try to get the soldiers from behind. Watch out for the dogs as well. Be sure to kill all soldiers before you approach the altar, as any remaining ones will assist the boss when you fight him. Boss Strategy : Exactly the same. When the boss is defeated, he will drop some Medicine. If you want to, you can hook up from the pit you fall into to get it. Whether or not you do so, you will start in an underground cave from which you will have to traverse to get to the last boss. There is not much difference between this level and all the ones you've been through before, so make use of everything you've learned up to this point to kill the guards etc. You'll want to get over to the river of flowing lava; once there, hook across. (Falling in the lava will not kill you, strangely but it will do some damage. You can also lure your foes into the lava; they're apparently stupid enough to take the bait. ^_^) Travel through the corridors, always heading down when you can, and you should come to an area with an dead end, a lava pit in front, and a cave to the right. Position yourself to the left of where you are and hook to the right. (Carefully! Aim as far in as possible.) Then, continue along the caves, heading down. Finally, you should go see a narrow bridge-like path that will take you down into the bottom of the lava. Follow it. Boss Strategy : The last boss is not a pushover, but then again, he's isn't that hard either. The first thing you have to remember is that he has his nasty lighting attack that will take off a clean 30 life and rarely misses; so when you see him raise his sword whack him. (the blast usually targets the left side, BTW) He has a lot of life (250), so if you need to heal, run away to the far corners of the room and do so; he will not chase you most of the time. Watch out for his other sword moves as well. They consist of several forward slashes and a spinning one; however, they aren't that dangerous if you're alert. Do remember that your weapon is faster than his. Keep hitting him, moving forwards, and not letting up your barrage of attacks and he should fall easily. ***** The plot : The dialogues in the game are quite self-explanantory, so I won't be translating them; here's a brief plot synopsis. Rikimaru and Ayame are two ninjas sent to recover the princess, Kiku, from the hands of the "ghost master" (the guy in the purple pants). Ayame is Kiku's older sister. That's basically it. Standard ninja plot. ^_^ Stage 1 : The accountant has been found guilty of stealing funds etc; that's why you kill him. Stage 2 : You have to get home...the interesting thing here is that Rikimaru expresses shame at getting caught out at night, whereas Ayame simply shrugs it off. ^_^ Stage 3 : You resuce your partner. The dialogue between the "ghost master" and our character is the standard "who are you?" "we will meet again." stuff. Stage 4 : Same dialogue : the guy says that he will definitely win, etc. Stage 5 : Not much dialogue at all. Boss says that he even though he's a foreigner he will kill you with ease...blah blah blah. Stage 6 : Dialogue? Where? ^_^ Stage 7 : Same old nonsense from the boss. Stage 8 : Pretty cool speech by the two bosses about how you will die as it is the will of fate. The last boss is sorta like the "king of hell" type. And the ending is self-explanatory again. Tenchu Mission Briefing Translation and Tips At the end of every level, you get this briefing screen which gives you your score and ranking. This is a short translation and ranking result summary of that screen. Left to right - Statistics, scoring, record score Top to bottom: Silent kills (Assassinations) -- kills/number of possible kills Necessary kills (combat kills) -- kills/number of possible kills Number of sightings (number of times the enemy spotted you) -- times Civilian deaths (in blue) -- times Scoring Silent Kills (20 points) Necessary Kills (5 points) Sightings (400 points for 0 sightings, 260 for one sighting, and a progressive scale to 0) Civilian Kills (-30/death) Ranking 400+ points -- Ninja Initiate -- Get secret weapon 300-400 points -- High Ninja -- Get more standard supplies 200-300 points -- Middle Ninja -- Get some standard supplies 100-200 points -- Low Ninja -- Get the least amount of standard supplies 0-100 points -- Ninja Reject (Turned away at the door) -- nothing -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How to Save - I've received some mail from people who can't figure this out. Okay, it really helps if you just know some katakana. (If you do, you can figure it out easily enough) Failing that, follow these steps : 1. Go down to the second-last option on the menu. That's the data one. (It's the one with the longest name) 2. Select the second option to save, the first to load. Be careful not to erase your data! Tada. No, I'm afraid you CAN'T save in the middle of a stage. Yes, you heard me - can't. There is no way to save your progress besides dying and saving at the title screen. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Tenchu Tips Level Competion: 1) Don't stock up on anything the first time around. Finish an easy level once or twice to get more supplies. You'll need them later on. In fact, you can complete a level or two, die, save and return; you'll still get stuff. 2) Finish above 400 points and you get secret weapons. 3) Use rooftops and water to your advantage. Nobody can swim, and few can get onto roofs. 4) Be patient. Sneaking around people is a lot more rewarding than fighting your way in. Not getting seen is worth big points. 5) Hide behind lamps and carts to avoid attention. Stop, drop, and roll your way to safety (or to kill; see section above) And more helpful stuff that really didn't fit into any of the other sections: The 180 Degree Flip This is an incredibly handy move if you can master it; you jump up and forward, then pivot your body so you land facing whatever was originally behind you. 180 Degree flip: Tap down, then up and jump. NOTO BENE! : This move is NOT easy to get off the first time; the timing window between the down and up taps is very precise. Here's a tip: When playing the game, just tap down on the controller. See how Rikimaru/Ayame does a short hop backwards? Well, I've found that if you tap up and THEN jump (in very quick succession) while he/she is IN THE AIR on that tiny backwards hop you'll get the flip jump to work. Work at it, and then when you're on the run from some angry swordsman turn the tables on him! Fun Fact: Select a ninja tool that you need to aim (grappling hook, shuriken, etc.) and then press L1. While looking around, press your tool use button (Triangle, or press the left analog stick in). Voila! Instant crosshairs! Should make sniping a little easier... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cut Scenes I've received some mails about how to get all the instant-kill scenes, so here's what I've been able to find out about them : 1. Head break. Gotten by an approach from behind. Appears to happen more often after a jump, or when running. 2. Neck slice. Same as above, but appears to be triggered by only walking towards enemy - no sudden movements. 3. Sword\Dagger Pierce - Gotten when the enemy is just turning towards you. 4. Decapitation. Unknown; don't know how to get this one. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Codes: Stage Select: After you have chosen your character, another screen will appear. On that screen, press these: Hold R2, press up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, Square, Triangle. After you have done that, more levels will be available to you to start from. Just press down or up to highlight the stage. 99 Capacity: At the weapons select screen: Hold L1, press up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, Square, Triangle. After you have done this, you will see that your capacity (15) has turned into 99. Reveal More Weapons: At the weapons select screen: Hold R1, press up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, Square, Triangle. After you have done this, you will see that there are additional weapons that were not available to you before. More Number Of Weapons: At the weapons select screen: Hold L2, press up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, Square, Triangle. After you have done that, you will notice that the number of weapons will increase by 1. Just do the code again and again until you have reached the desired number of weapons. Regain Health: Just pause the game (press start), then press up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, Square, Triangle. After you've done this, you'll hear a voice. When you unpause the game, your health will be back to 100.