Rocky Platform : Sega Master System Developed by SEGA Year : 1987 Copyright 2002 by Drakan (Ben Kirsten) Email Address : benkirsten@hotmail.com Last Update : 05/06/2002 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- /------------\ +-=*#- Disclaimer -#*=-+ \------------/ This FAQ is Copyrighted 2002 by Drakan (Ben Kirsten). Any reproduction of this document in part or in whole without the author's consent is strictly forbidden. There is currently only one site that has permission to have this FAQ on their website, and that site is: GameFAQs - http://www.gamefaqs.com If you are interested in using this site on your website, then please email me at: benkirsten@hotmail.com. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- /-------------------\ +-=*#- Table of Contents -#*=-+ \-------------------/ 1. Introduction 2. Starting a New Game 3. Controls 3.1 Basic Controls 3.2 Defending 3.3 Attacking 4. Opponents 4.1 Apollo 4.2 Lang 4.3 Drago 5. Playing the Game 5.1 Rules 5.2 Training 5.3 Boxing 5.4 Intervals 5.5 Getting Knocked Down 5.6 Winning and Losing 6. Walkthrough 6.1 First Training 6.2 First Fight 6.3 Second Training 6.4 Second Fight 6.5 Final Training 6.6 Final Fight 7. Multiplayer 8. Codes 9. Multiplayer 10. Thanks --------------------------------------------------------------------------- /-----------------\ +-=*#- 1. Introduction -#*=-+ \-----------------/ The Event After months of hard training and sacrificing everything for this moment; Rocky is about to enter world class boxing with some of the toughest contenders the ring has ever known. And you can play the courageous Rocky, or one of his notorious opponents in this battle for the title and the glory. You'll have to play aggressively and never falter, because one good punch could mean the end for you. Or it could mean the knockout you've been playing for. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- /------------------------\ +-=*#- 2. Starting a New Game -#*=-+ \------------------------/ Put the cartridge in and boot the old Master System up. Listen to the wonderful old sound of the SEGA Logo, and wait a bit. You should see the copyright information coming up. To skip through this a bit quicker, press any button on your controller. Next you should see the wonderful introduction, which consists of the word R O C K Y in huge gold letters scrolling across the screen from right to left on a blood red background. To skip this press any button. Now you should come to the title screen where we have a great picture of the Italian Stallion draped with an American flag, raising his fist into the air. It brings back a feeling of nostalgia when watching the movies. To start a New Single Player game, press Button 1 on Controller 1. The game will commence and you will go to your first training mission. To start a 2 Player game, where you and a friend can go at each other, simply press Button 1 on Controller 2. But I will go into more detail on the 2 player game in Section 6 : Multiplayer. So now you should be ready to rumble. But before you do, I would advise reading the controls section thoroughly, as you can get lose without them. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- /-------------\ +-=*#- 3. Controls -#*=-+ \-------------/ 3.1 Basic Controls: +++++++++++++++++++ D-Pad: Move Rocky from left to right in the ring. Button 1: Defense Button 2: Attacking =================== 3.2 Defending: ++++++++++++++ Just pressing Button 1 will make Rocky duck, which avoids the heavy hits, which are the Hook, the Uppercut, and the Straight-On punch. Pressing Up on the D-Pad along with Button 1 will make Rocky hold his gloves up covering his face. Pressing Down on the D-Pad along with Button 2 will make Rocky hold his gloves over his stomach, covering the low jabs. ============== 3.3 Attacking +++++++++++++ Pressing just Button 2, will make Rocky jab at his opponent. Pressing just Button 2 multiple times, will make Rocky perform a combo. The combo consists of 3 jabs, followed by a powerful punch, which varies depending on the direction you are pressing on the D-Pad. To perform a Straight-On punch, just press Button 2 four times in quick succession. To perform an Uppercut, press Button 2 three times quickly followed by Up on the D-Pad and Button 2. You can also jab your opponent in the stomach, by pressing Down on the D-Pad and Button 2. There is a stomach combo as well, which requires you to press Down on the D-Pad and Button 2 four times. The combo consists of 3 stomach jabs and ends with a powerful Hook. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- /---------------\ +-=*#- 4. Opponents. -#*=-+ \---------------/ During the game, you will come up against 3 different opponents, each taken from the Rocky Movie series. This section will just give a description of each boxer you will face. If you want to know how to defeat each one, read the Walkthrough in Section 6. 4.1 Apollo ++++++++++ The reigning champion whose experience and strength make him nearly undefeatable. Apollo is an African-American and is taken from the first 2 Rocky Movies. He also appears later on in the series as Rocky's trainer. ========== 4.2 Lang ++++++++ A worthy contender whose hunger for the title is overpowering until he achieves it. Lang is actually Mr T. You might know him from The A-Team TV series. He is also an African-American, who is rather difficult to defeat. He appeared in the 3rd Rocky film as a challenger to Rocky's Title, that he won from Apollo. ======== 4.3 Drago +++++++++ A rank amateur from the U.S.S.R. whose spirit to win is unrivaled. This huge Caucasian man is the Russian Champion, and was pit against the World Champion Rocky in the 4th movie to prove that the Communist regime was more powerful than the Capitilist dogs in the West. So stop him before Communism takes over the world. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- /---------------------\ +-=*#- 5. Playing the Game -#*=-+ \---------------------/ 5.1 Rules +++++++++ The rules of boxing are not too hard to understand, and this game makes it even easier. A Match consists of 15 rounds, each one lasting 3 minutes. Between each round you will have a short Interval in which you can rest your fingers a bit and see the scores for the previous round. In Rocky, a fight will usually end with a Knockout (KO from now on) or by Technical Knock Out (TKO from now on). But if you somehow manage to make it through all 15 rounds, the winner shall be determind by the scores from each round. The scores are determind by how well you fought (obviously), so if you did well in the round and maybe knocked your opponent down a few times, then you will receive a score of 10, and your opponent will receive a score of 7 or 8. And of course, if your opponent does the same thing to you, then the scores will be in his favour. If you both fought evenly, and without any knockdowns, then you will both receive a score of 10. If you manage to make it through all 15 rounds without being KO'ed or KO'ing your opponent, then all of the scores that you earned during the rounds will be added together, and the fighter with the highest score will win. A KO occurs when you knock your opponent down with little or no health left and he fails to stand up before the referee counts to 10. You will win the fight instantly if this happens. A TKO occurs when you knock your opponent down 3 times in a round. In other words, you could knock him down twice with him recovering each time before the referee counts to 10, but if you knock him down again in the same round then the referee won't count, and you will be awarded with the victory. ========= 5.1 Training ++++++++++++ The training rounds take place before each fight, and they each give Rocky some better statistics if you pass them. You can also over-qualify, which will help Rocky even more. First Round: Type of training : Vertical Sandbag Time : 45 seconds Needed to Qualify : 60 hits Qualification Bonus : Increases punching power and timing. Needed to Over-qualify : 85 hits Over-Qualification Bonus : Faster movement and punching. Second Round: Type of training : Speed Bag Time : 45 seconds Needed to Qualify : 02/hits per second Qualification Bonus : Increases punching speed, power and consistency. Needed to Over-qualify : 07/hits per second Over-Qualification Bonus : Much more powerful punches. Third Round: Type of training : Boxing mits with trainer Time : 45 seconds Needed to Qualify : 60 hits Qualification Bonus : Increases punching accuracy. Needed to Over-qualify : 80 hits Over-Qualification Bonus : Amount of jabs need for combo decreased to 2. For help on how to achieve these qualifications, read the Walkthrough section You can also skip through the training by pressing any direction on the D-Pad and either Button 1 or Button 2, when you see the white text on the black background describing the training. This screen comes up before every training session. Please note that skipping it is not recommended, as you will not have a chance in hell to beat your opponent. ============ 5.3 Boxing ++++++++++ As soon as the bell rings, your opponent is going come out and attack you with all he's got. You've got to be ready to defend against him, and also to hit back. Defending: +Upper Defense : Press Up on the D-pad and Button 1 to block against those nasty little face jabs. This will not stop the heavier punches, like the Straight Hand or Uppercut. Also, your opponent can hit you in the stomach, with a lower jab or a hook. +Lower Defense : Press Down on the D-Pad and Button 1 to block those lower jabs. This will not stop a Hook. Also, it will not block the upper jabs or the Straight Hand and Uppercuts. +Ducking : This is the only defense that you have against the Hook, Straight Hand, and Uppercut punches. You can see when these are coming and you should have enough time to duck them. +Defensive Tips : You can get your hands up or down even after you have been jabbed once or twice, so don't let them get the combo finished. : Watch the jabs. After 3 of them, duck, and you should have an opening to counter attack. : Don't back away. Getting stuck in the ropes means death. If you succesfully block or duck any of the punches, your opponent will be vulnerable for a short time, so take advantage by: Attacking: +Upper Jab : Press Up on the D-Pad and Button 2 to perform the Upper Jab. This attack does not take a lot of power, but can lead to combos by pressing it multiple times. +Lower Jab : Press Down on the D-Pad and Button 2 to perform the Lower Jab, which can get underneath the Upper Defense, by hitting your opponent in the stomach. Once again, this doesn't take too much power, but can also lead to a combo by pressing it multiple times. +Straight-Hand Combo : Pressing the Upper Jab 3 times followed by a 4th, you will perfom 3 Jabs followed by a hard Straight-Hand punch, will will knock your opponent back. This attack has quite a long range, and sometimes you can hit your opponent even if you missed all 3 jabs. +Uppercut Combo : Pressing the Upper Jab 3 times followed by Up on the D-Pad and Button 2, you will perform 3 jabs followed by an Uppercut, which will knock your opponent back, and takes more health than the Straight-Hand punch. The Uppercut will be performed automatically if are very close to your opponent. It does not have a very long range, so try to use it when your opponent is on the ropes. +Hook Combo : Press any of the two Jabs 3 times followed by Down on the D-Pad and Button 2, you will perform 3 lower jabs, followed by a powerful Hook, which will hit your opponent in the stomach and knock him back. This is very handy, if your opponent is blocking your upper jabs, because you can get underneath them. +Attacking Tips : Sometimes, the best Defense is an Offense. This is true in this game, so you make the first move. : Watch your opponent and see which type of moves he is more vulnerable to. Use these more often. : Try and get him back onto the ropes. If you can get him there and in close, the chances are that you will knock him down, and you will be able to use the Uppercut Combo very efficiently. A succesful attack will result in your opponent lying on the floor. The harder you hit him (Uppercuts), the longer he will stay down. ========== 5.4 Intervals +++++++++++++ The rounds last 3 minutes each, but in this game, time seems to flow a lot faster than reality, and the seconds will count down a lot quicker. Then again, the ring is a lot smaller, and the action a lot fiercer, so I guess it balances out rather well. Anyway, when the "3" minutes are over, you will have time to rest, which actually helps as this game is frantic and your fingers can get tired rather quickly. You will see a picture or Rocky in his corner being attended to by his trainers and corner men. There is also a small picture of your opponent in the bottom right corner in the same situation. At the top right of the screen, you will see the scoring for the round, which lets you know how well your faired in that specific round. When the music stops, the next round shall begin, and you'll notice that half of your depleted health will have been restored. This is the main advantage of the Intervals, and they can be a god-send sometimes when you have been cornered in the ropes and you're about to go down. ============= 5.5 Getting Knocked Down ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Rocky can take a lot of punches, but some time or other you are going to go down. The screen will cut to the corner, with you lying face down and your manager banging on the mat. You will see the timer counting to 10 on the right. You must get up before it reaches 10. To do this, you will need to press Button 1 and Button 2 as fast as you can. This will cause your manager to bang the mat faster, and it also makes Rocky stand up faster. The less health Rocky has, the faster you will have to push the buttons to stand up. If you have no health left, then don't even bother, because you will not be able to stand up. If you get knocked down 3 times in one round, then you will lose the match automatically via TKO. ======================== 5.6 Winning and Losing ++++++++++++++++++++++ There are 3 ways to win the match: +Win on Points : If you manage to last through the 15 rounds, then the winner will be determined by the total number of points that you amassed during all of the rounds. The fighter with the most points, wins. +Win via KO : If you manage to knock your opponent down, and he fails to stand up before the referee counts to 10, you will automatically be declared the winner by KO (Knock Out). The same applies for if you are knocked out and can't get back up. +Win via TKO : If you knock your opponent down 3 times in 1 round, you will be declared the winner via TKO (Technical Knock Out). The 3rd time that he goes down, the referee won't even bother counting. The same applies for you, if you get knocked down 3 times in one round. When you win, you will advance to the next training session, which is followed by the next fight. When you lose, you will be asked whether you want to end the game, or if you would like a rematch. You can only have a rematch once during the entire game. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- /----------------\ +-=*#- 6. Walkthrough -#*=-+ \----------------/ 6.1 First Training ++++++++++++++++++ Type of training : Vertical Sandbag Time : 45 seconds Needed to Qualify : 60 hits Qualification Bonus : Increases punching power and timing. Needed to Over-qualify : 85 hits Over-Qualification Bonus : Faster movement and punching. This round is pretty simple. Just keep on hitting Button 1 and Button 2 as fast as you can. You should be able to get 60 easily. To Over-Qualify, you will really need to work that controller. It can be really hard to get 85 hits, but if you put in an effort, you should just be able to make it. I personally have never achieved more than 86. ================== 6.2 First Fight +++++++++++++++ Apollo: Apollo isn't too hard, unless you skipped the training or failed to qualify, which is highly unlikely. If you over-qualified, then this should be a breeze. He doesn't have any real weakness, but he also doesn't have any real strengths. He fights with a mixture of Upper and Lower attacks, but tends to hit the Upper attacks more frequently. The best tactic to use, is right from the start, come out all fists a blazing. Advance immediatly and start getting in those Upper Combos. He backs aways quite a bit, but don't be fooled. He usually takes a step back and then comes forward again and catches you. When he does this, you can hit a few jabs in the air, and he sometimes steps back right as you let fly with the Straight-Hand punch. He's a sucker for that. Don't worry about defending, he rarely finishes his jabs, and you should be able to interrupt his combos, as Rocky has superior speed. The only time that he could be a danger, is if he gets you onto the ropes, but even then, by using blocks, you should be able to get back at him without too much diffculty. Force him back onto his ropes, and just keep advancing whilst hitting Upper Combos. When you get close enough, you should automatically begin hitting the UpperCuts. After 2 or 3 of these, he usually falls without getting back up. =============== 6.3 Second Training +++++++++++++++++++ Type of training : Speed Bag Time : 45 seconds Needed to Qualify : 02/hits per second Qualification Bonus : Increases punching speed, power and consistency. Needed to Over-qualify : 07/hits per second Over-Qualification Bonus : Much more powerful punches. The 02 hits per second is really easy to get, and you should manage 04 or 03 without too much trouble. Just press Button 1 and Button 2 rapidly again. Over-Qualifying in this round is near to impossible. I recommend playing with a controller that has autofire, and then hold in Button 2, and you should make it to at least 08 hits per second. If you don't have rapid fire, then you will really need to be quick. Focus on Button 2 and after some practise you should be able to pull through. =================== 6.4 Second Fight ++++++++++++++++ Lang: Aaah, Mr T. I really do pity the fool who comes up against this monster without Over-Qualifying in the Second Training round that takes place before this fight. Lang is really quick, and he hits hard. Right from the bat, he is going to rush forward and immediatly start going for the big hits at the end of the jabs. He also alternates a fair amount between Upper and Lower hitting, and he can be quite hard to read. You must note that if he gets you onto the ropes, you will probably get knocked down. Just don't let it happen 3 times during a round. You will need to Over-Qualify for the extra speed that you get, because he is usually quick enough to interrupt your combo before you get the final hard hit in. This means that you cannot push him back, and that he will most probably get you into the ropes. So try your best to over-qualify Despite him seeming invincible, he has 2 weaknesses, but they are quite difficult to exploit. The first one would be his susceptibility to Lower attacks. Attacking him in the face will only work when he is on the ropes and you hit the UpperCut combo. To get him there you must use the Lower Combo that is followed by the Hook to the stomach. This knocks him back a fair amount, and lets you take advantage. The second weakness would be his lack of blocking. He likes to hit and hit hard. He does this, but seem slike he has forgotten about defense. This means, that if you can get a hit in, you have about a 90% chance that he won't block it. This is a fight where the best Defense turns out to be an Offense. You will need to come out at the start and just charge him down. Hopefully you will have Over-Qualified and you will have to speed to complete your combos. So go for the Lower Combo, and get him into the ropes, where he turns in a Teddy Bear. Hit him with 2 UpperCut Combos and he will fall. DO NOT PRESS BACKWARDS! HE WILL BEAT YOU IF YOU DO! ================ 6.5 Final Training ++++++++++++++++++ Type of training : Boxing mits with trainer Time : 45 seconds Needed to Qualify : 60 hits Qualification Bonus : Increases punching accuracy. Needed to Over-qualify : 80 hits Over-Qualification Bonus : Amount of jabs need for combo decreased to 2. This training requires a lot more skill than the previous ones, because now you will have to press the direction in which the mit is being held by your trainer, along with Button 2. It might take you a few attempts to make it past qualifying, and you will really need to get into a rythm to Over-Qualify. Just keep on going and you will get into it. Timing is pretty important. ================== 6.6 Final Fight +++++++++++++++ Drago: This huge Russian is the last opponent that you will have to face, and he is quite hard to beat. Over-Qualifying is a must if you want to have a chance at defeating him. Drago is a good all round boxer. He hits hard, and he is good at defending attacks as well. He ducks under your hard hits quite a lot, and counters really quickly and effectively. He back and forth in the ring waiting for an opening, so don't hit in the air. If you come out charging him from the start as you did with Lang, he will back off, and then counter attack. He hits the Upper and Lower shots equally well, and defends both areas just as effectively. If he starts hitting combos, he will not stop until you are down. If he knocks you back into the ropes then you will go down without a doubt. He doesn't really have a weakness, but if there was anything, I would have to say that it was his speed. He isn't slow, but he isn't quick enough to interrupt all of your combos. He should be able get a few hard hits in at the end of your combos, but he does tend to duck under them quite a lot. The best way to face him, would be to wait for him to make the first move, he won't come out at you from the start, so take a step forward and maybe jab once in the air to lure him out. As soon as he comes take a defensive stance, and try to block his jab. Then counter attack quickly. But he doesn't fall for this all the time, and he is quite good at defending your attacks as well. But you should be able to get a combo or two in. If you Over-qualified, the hard hits will come quicker and you will be able to hit him a lot more than the regular combos will let you. Another way to defeat him would be to let him hit the 3 jabs, and then block underneath the hard punch. Then hit back immediatly with a counter. Once again, he is good at blocking, and over-qualification will enhance your chances to get a hard hit of your own in. Getting him into the ropes is not a surefire way to win, as he has come out of there against me before. But it sure is a lot easier to face him when he's cornered than out in the middle of the ring, and you will get more shots in. Another thing about him is that it takes a lot to bring him down. You will need about 3 good connecting UpperCut combos to get him to fall. Good Luck. If you beat him, then congratulations, you've completed the game. Feel proud. This is a very tough game to complete. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- /----------------\ +-=*#- 7. Multiplayer -#*=-+ \----------------/ The multiplayer on this game is rather fun, if a little short lived. To start a new multiplayer game, press a Button on Controller 2. You should thenbe taken to the character select screen. Unfortuanatly, Player 1 cannot change his character and must use Rocky, which can be a little unfair, as Lang and Drago are a little better than him. Select a character for Player 2 with Controller 2, by scrolling through the available fighters. Select the one you want to play as by pressing any Button. You will then be taken to the fight. The same rules and controls apply to the Multiplayer game as they do to the Single Player game. Beating a friend into a bloody pulp can be really satisfying, but the loser tends to get annoyed very quickly. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- /----------\ +-=*#- 8. Codes -#*=-+ \----------/ *These Codes were taken from Game Winners (http://www.gamewinners.com). These are Pro Action Replay codes, you will need to have a Pro Action Replay cartidge to enter them. To get 62 Hits in the Training section ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 00C0AC3E To get infinite Health ++++++++++++++++++++++ 00C1C32F To begin in round 15 ++++++++++++++++++++ 00C05F0E --------------------------------------------------------------------------- /------------\ +-=*#- 9. Sources -#*=-+ \------------/ + A lot of information was taken from game manual. + Codes were taken from Game Winners. http://www.gamewinners.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- /------------\ +-=*#- 10. Thanks -#*=-+ \------------/ + First of all I would really like to thank CJayC from GameFAQs for making such a great site. I know that everyone thanks him in these FAQs, and that he would never be able to read all of them, but he really is deserving of the praise that he gets. I've been following and using the site for since about 1998. And he is the reason that I have written this FAQ. So hats off to Ceej. http://www.gamefaqs.com + The almighty SEGA for producing the highly underrated Master System, which brought me into the gaming world. Because of the Master System, SEGA will always have a place in my heart, and I'm glad, because they produce topnotch games. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The End.