Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 21:53:34 -0500 From: Metool Megaman 8 Players Guide version 4.0 by Max "Metool" Hagedorn (static@intex.net) This guide gives information and hints to help you through Megaman 8 for Sony Playstation and Sega Saturn. I have given the best weapons to use on the stage bosses here in a handy quick reference chart. Also, I'm including a list of the Rush options, special vehicles and options, and the powerup items that can be purchased at Dr. Light's lab as well as hints on locating all the bolts. The two Saturn-only characters, Cutman and Woodman, and the animation test code for the Saturn version are included as well. Several of the item and character names in this Faq are taken from the Japanese version of this game, so the U.S. version may have some discrepancies. Rush Options: There are four different Rush options that you can recieve during the game. Each option can only be used once per life and a counter will appear under your life bar when you select the option. When the counter runs out, Rush leaves. The four options are as follows: Rush Bike/Rush Cycle - Rush turns into a motorcycle that you can use to get past areas faster and jump further. Won from the mid-stage boss in Grenademan's stage (the Junk Eye). Rush Item/Rush Question - Rush will teleport in and give a single random powerup. Won from the mid-stage boss in Clownman's stage (the Lion Coin). Rush Bomb - Rush flies back and forth above you with an air raid where he drops bombs repeatedly. Won from the mid-stage boss in Swordman's stage (the Wall Gem). Rush Charge - Rush flies back and forth dropping Life Energy and Weapon Energy capsules. Won from the mid stage boss in Aquaman's stage (the Waterfaller). Extra Weapon - the Megaball In the opening stage, you will be given the Megaball, a powerful weapon and item that you can use to defeat enemies and reach certain areas. There are three ways to use the Megaball: Kick - Press the weapon button and Megaman will drop the ball in front of him. Press the weapon button again to kick the ball. The Megaball will bounce off of walls and destroy most enemies that it hits. Dribble - Walk behind the Megaball and Megaman will kick it along. Use this to position the ball better. After a certain amount of time, the Megaball will explode automatically. Jump - You can use the Megaball to allow Megaman to jump higher as well. Press and hold the jump button to jump into the air over the Megaball. When you land on the Megaball, it will explode and boost Megaman into the air. be sure to hold the jump button down because if you release the button before you land on the ball, Megaman will just land behind it. You can also jump on the Mega Ball while it is in mid-air from a rebound off of a wall but this is very difficult to do and rarely ever serves any purpose. Special Rides During the game you will occasionally come upon special vehicles to ride on in order to help you get past certain areas. Here are descriptions of each of the vehicles. Rush Jet - Rush will teleport down and transform into jet mode. You can move Rush forward, back, up, and down, and you can shoot at the oncoming enemies. Collect the Rush, Eddie, Beat, and Auto icons to get extra firepower to help you through the stages. There will be four companion icons that you can pick up along the way with a changing picture of Auto, Eddie, Beat, and Rush. Each icon you pick up will cause one of your companions to come to your side and help you in the battle. Who you get depends on which face is on icon when you grab it. Here's a list of what each character does: Rush: Rush fires 3 shots that fan out ahead of you when you hold down the fire button. Auto: Auto floats behind you and fires a powerful missile straight ahead from his bazooka when you hold down the fire button. Eddie: Eddie floats in front of you and fires bombs that move at an arc in front of you when you hold down the button. Beat: Beat floats in front of you and destroys anything he touches. When you fire off a fully-charged Mega Buster shot, Beat will fly out straight ahead and crash into anything that is in front of you. Snowboard - In Frostman's stage you will ride on a snowboard through some areas. You can move the board forward and back, you can jump and slide, and you can fire your weapon. Watch for the signs at the left of the screen to tell you when you need to jump or slide. If you use the Astro Crush while on the snowboard, Megaman will stay in place for a second while he's doing the attack. This can come in handy when you are going over areas where there are a lot of really small platforms that you have to jump to. Use the Astro Crush to float in air when you jump off the highest platform and you can move over the next few plaforms without having to jump from every single one. This can come in particularly handy in the first Wily stage. Shaban Bubble - In Tenguman's stage you will ride in this bubble device to get up to the top of towers. Move the bubble left and right to avoid the spikes or the bubble will pop and you will have to start over from the bottom. Rush Vision - Rush will appear from time to time and project a message from Dr. Light with helpful information or advice. Powerup Items Collect special bolts in each stage and use them to purchase extra powerups at Dr. Light's lab. You can carry a maximum of 8 powerups out of the 17 that are available, so choose them wisely. The following is a list of the powerups, how many bolts you need for each, and what they do. Power Shield - 6 bolts - This shield will stop Megaman from being pushed backwards when he takes a hit. Spare Extra - 6 bolts - increase the number of extra lives that you start with in reserve by 2. You will start with 4 extra lives instead of 2 each time you continue. Shooting Parts - 6 bolts - Increases maximum number of single, non-charged shots on screen at once. With this part, you can have up to 5 shots on screen at once instead of 3 for smoother firing. Energy balancer - 5 bolts - Automatically fills the the weapon with the lowest energy when you pick up a weapons capsule if you don't have a weapon selected or the weapon selected is at full energy. Exit Device - 4 bolts - Allows you to leave a stage without having to go all the way to the end if you've already defeated the stage before. Laser Shot - 5 bolts - With this weapon option selected, Megaman will fire a powerful laser beam when the Mega Buster is fully charged. The laser travels strait and cuts through entire rows of enemies. Arrow Shot - 5 bolts - With this weapon option selected, Megaman will fire an arrow beam when the Mega Buster is fully charged. The arrow shot splits when it hits an enemy and fans out to hit more enemies. Auto Shot - 5 bolts - With this weapon option selected, Megaman will fire a continuous stream of bullets when the Mega Buster is fully charged. The Mega Buster will fire automatically as long as you hold the button down. Step Booster - 5 bolts - This item allows Megaman to climb up and down ladders faster than normal. *(The following items will not be active until after you have completed the Duo stage.)* Energy Saver - 6 bolts - With this powerup, weapons use up less energy per shot than normal. Super Recover - 5 bolts - The Weapon Energy and Life Energy capsules fill up more of the energy bars if you have this powerup. Spare Charger - 4 bolts - Restores your spare lives to maximum if you lost any while completing the previous stage. Hyper Slider - 5 bolts - This powerup allows you to slide further. Highspeed Charger - 7 bolts - Your Mega Buster will charge up faster with this powerup installed. Rapid Shot - 6 bolts - This powerup will give you several autofire shots when you hold down the fire button until the Mega Buster starts to charge up. Booster Part - 5 bolts - The Mega Buster shots will move across the screen faster when this powerup is installed. Exchanger - 4 bolts - If you have this powerup, Life Energy is converted to weapon energy if your life bar is full. Bolt Locations There are a total of 40 bolts hidden throughout the game. Collect all the bolts to get the powerups that you need from Dr. Light's lab. Here are some clues as to how to find the bolts in each stage: Opening stage - 3 bolts (All 3 bolts are hidden in the underground passage) -1st bolt - After you open the doors in the corridor, swim to the upper left corner of the following area to find a secret passage way in the wall. -2nd bolt - Ride the moving platforms down into the floor to find another secret area. -3rd bolt - Right in front of the exit from the underground passageway. Frostman stage - 6 bolts -1st bolt - On the first snowboard, jump onto the overpass where you are prompted to slide and slide through to the bolt. -2nd bolt - On the first snowboard, don't jump off the platform right before the bolt and you'll land on the underpass and collect the bolt. -3rd bolt - Use the Mega Ball or Tornado Hold to get up onto the ledge. -4th bolt - Use the Mega Ball or Tornado Hold to get to the second launcher. Jump on the button and immediately walk to the left to ride the iceblock back to the bolt. -5th bolt - Use the Astro Crush to break through the ice floor inside the tower and then use the Flame Sword or Flash Bombs to break the ice block that holds the bolt. -6th bolt - Use the Flame Sword or Flash Bombs to break the ice block that holds the bolt and then use the Mega Ball or Tornado Hold to get onto the ledge. Tenguman Stage - 4 bolts -1st bolt - In the first windy area, jump from the second to last moving platform when it's at it's highest point. This is easiest if you just jump from platform to platform quickly. -2nd bolt - Use the Astro Crush in the airship to destroy the block in the ceiling that has a picture of a bolt on it right before the airship guardian. -3rd bolt - Catch it right after you defeat the airship guardian on the ledge at the end of the ship. -4th bolt - Jump off the moving platforms before the bolt when they are low to get to the bolt. Clownman Stage - 5 bolts - Stage notes: Watch the blocks that you stand on in the area where the robot in the background rings the bell. The "O" blocks are safe, the "X" blocks will drop things on you, the skull blocks will cause you to drop through, the blocks with the arrow on them will take you all the way back to the beginning of the section, and the "?" blocks will teleport you around. As a joke, one of the items that is dropped when you are standing on an "X" block is the big weight used by Hsien-ko, from Capcom's Nightwarriors game. Kick a Megaball into the mouth of the clown statue at the very beginning for an extra 1-up. -1st bolt - Use the Rush Cycle to jump over the gap. -2nd bolt - Defeat the Sniper Joe and get the bolt from behind where he's standing. -3rd bolt - Use the Mega Ball or Tornado Hold to get up to the moving skull-platforms and use the Flame Sword on the barrel in the upper left corner. -4th bolt - Go right from the 3rd bolt and quickly jump from the platforms to get to the bolt in the upper right corner. -5th bolt - On the section with the "?" blocks that teleport you around, stand on the second block from the right on the third level up (the row just under the top row) and you'll be teleported down below the first level. Use the Tornado Hold to get the bolt. Grenademan Stage - 5 bolts -1st bolt - break the green blocks with the Mega Buster to reveal the passageway and use the Mega Ball or Tornado Hold to get to the bolt. -2nd bolt - Jump on the time bomb platforms to reach it. -3rd bolt - Use the Flame Sword to light the fuse and detonate the blocks that are blocking your way to the bolt. -4th bolt - Catch it before the blocks detonate. -5th bolt - Grab it and quickly jump back to the ladder before the blocks under you detonate. Duo Stage - 2 bolts Stage notes: When you get to the area with the 6 Mets (hardhat guys), shoot at the wall on the upper left for an extra power-up. Use the Mega Ball or Tornado Hold to get to the ladder in the ceiling at the very beginning. -1st bolt -(Playstation) Destroy the enemies the the left of the ladder and collect the bolt. -(Saturn) Climb the ladder to the left side and defeat Cutman for the Bolt. -2nd bolt - Go to the right of the ladder and use the Thunder Claw to swing over to the bolt after you get rid of the enemies that are in the way. Astroman Stage - 4 bolts Stage Notes: The Tornado Hold and Megaball will help out tremendously in the maze areas. The "sun" in the background is a joke off of the surrealistic sun that appears in Pyron's stage in Capcom's Darkstalkers and Nightwarriors games. When the sun changes appearance, the platforms appear and dissapear. Maze 1: Walkthrough - Go right, press the red button. Go down and right to a ladder leading up. Hit the green button to the right and then go straight left. Jump over the green button without pressing it and climb the ladder going up to press the button to the left of it. Go down and right to the ladder leading up. Climb the ladder and go left to the green button. Press the green button go back right and back down the ladder. Jump to the platform over where the red door (that should be in the down position now) is and head right to the red button. Press the red button and go back left to the end of the platform where you had just jumped up. Drop down and head to the right to collect the bolt. Climb down the ladder and jump over to the right to warp out of the maze. Maze 2: Walkthrough - Go right, down 2 ladders and then left. Press the red button and then go left and press the green button. Go down the ladder and go to the right to a ladder. Climb the ladder and go left to press the red button again. Go up and left to a ladder leading down. Go down and right to press the red button along the way. Keep heading right to a wall you can't jump over normally and use the Tornado Hold or Mega Ball to jump up over it. Head right, jump over the green button without pressing it, and get the bolt to the right. Go left, press the green button drop down, move right and down to the warp out. -1st bolt - Hit the switches to move the red and green pillars that are blocking your way. (see walkthrough) -2nd bolt - Slide to grab it quickly when you see it in the collapsing tower. -3rd bolt - Catch the bolt while traveling through the dissapearing platforms. -4th bolt - Move the red and green pillars that are in the way to get the bolt. (See walkthrough) Aquaman Stage - 4 bolts -1st bolt - Use the Astro Crush to destroy the cracked ceiling in the corridor after the mid-stage boss. -2nd bolt - Use the Tornado Hold to move the spiked ball at the lower right corner and slide under the spiked ball to get to the bolt. -3rd bolt - Take the upper path to the first set of time bomb platforms and keep to the right to get to the platform with the bolt. -4th bolt - Take the lower path if you used the Astro Crush earlier to break the ceiling and get to the second set of time bomb platforms and stay to the center to get to the platform with the bolt. (note: the 3rd and 4th bolts can not both be acquired without dying off or leaving the stage. To get both bolts you have to continue or return to the stage after getting one of the bolts.) Swordman Stage - 2 bolts Stage Notes: Look at the stone carvings before the teleporters at the beginning to find out what weapon you need to get through each section (they are all weapons you get from the first four boss robots). (Both the first and second bolts listed here are in plain sight.) -1st bolt - Take the lower-left teleporter and watch for it near the middle of the section. -2nd bolt - (Playstation only) Take the lower-right teleporter and it'll be at the beginning of the section. -3rd bolt - On the third boat near the end of the stage, watch for a brown rock in the ceiling that has an icon of a Flashbomb carved in it, you will see it right after the lava waterfall. Jump and hit it with a Flashbomb to destroy it and a ladder will be revealed. Climb the ladder to the top, and head to the right to collect the bolt, then head left to the teleporter to get back down to the door to Swordman. Searchman Stage - 4 bolts -1st bolt - It's hidden behind the leaves in the foreground in the second section of the first area. -2nd bolt - Use the Flame Sword to burn the thorn plants in the lower right of the third section of the first area. -3rd bolt - Use the Tornado Hold on the platform with the spiked ball hovering over it in the third section of the first area to get to the hook. Immediately switch to the Thunder Claw to grab the hook and swing to the ladder in the upper-right corner of the area. -4th bolt - Use the Thunder Claw and swing over the spikes. Catch the second hook to swing onto the ledge with the bolt on it. -5th bolt -(Saturn only) Defeat Woodman at the mid-stage point to obtain the bolt. Weapon Charts These charts will give a quick reference as to what weapons work best on each robot and which weapon you will receive from each robot. Opening Stage _____________________________ | Enemy | Use | |-----------------------------| | Yard Crab | Mega Ball | ----------------------------- First Set (The recommended starting enemy is Grenademan.) ________________________________________________ | Enemy | Use | Get | |------------+-----------------+-----------------| | Grenademan | Thunder Claw | Flash Bombs | |------------+-----------------+-----------------| | Frostman | Flash Bombs | Ice Wave | |------------+-----------------+-----------------| | Tenguman | Ice Wave | Tornado Hold | |------------+-----------------+-----------------| | Clownman | Tornado Hold | Thunder Claw | ------------------------------------------------ Duo Stage _____________________________________________ | Enemy | Use | |------------+--------------------------------| | Cutman | Flame Sword or Thunder Claw | |------------+--------------------------------| | Duo | Mega Buster | --------------------------------------------- Second Set ______________________________________________________________ | Enemy | Use | Get | |------------+-------------------------------+-----------------| | Astroman | Homing Sniper or Flash Bombs | Astro Crush | |------------+-------------------------------+-----------------| | Aquaman | Astro Crush | Water Balloon | |------------+-------------------------------+-----------------| | Swordman | Water Balloon | Flame Sword | |------------+-------------------------------+-----------------| | Searchman | Flame Sword | Homing Sniper | |------------+-------------------------------+----------------- | Woodman | Flame Sword | -------------------------------------------- Dr. Wily Stages: ______________________________________________________________ | Stage | Boss | Use | |-------+----------------+-------------------------------------| | 1 | Drop-Penguin | Mega Ball | |-------+----------------+-------------------------------------| | 2 | Airshipper | Astro Crush | |-------+----------------+-------------------------------------| | 3 | Bass | Mega Buster | | 3 | Cyclops Mk. 3 | Flash Bombs and Thunder Claw | |-------+----------------+-------------------------------------| | 4 | Robot Bosses | Respective Weapons | |-------+----------------+-------------------------------------| | 5 | Dr. Wily | Part 1 - Flash Bombs | | | (Wilymachine) | Part 2 - Flame Sword or Mega Buster | -------------------------------------------------------------- Teleporter Room Layout Wily Tower Stage 4 Here is a map of the teleport tubes in the fourth stage for Dr. Wily's tower showing which robot each tube leads to. Key: AS- Astroman ____ ____ ____ ____ AQ- Aquaman | TE | FR | AS | SW | CL- Clownman |____|____|____|____| FR- Frostman | CL | GR | SE | AQ | GR- Grenademan |____|____|____|____| SE- Searchman SW- Swordman TE- Tenguman Boss Patterns and Stage Notes - Most of the bosses have some pose or indication before they do certain attacks so learn to watch for them. - Opening Stage - Yard Crab - Kick Megaballs at him and slide to avoid him when he jumps to the opposite side of the screen. - Mini-Bosses - Grenademan Stage - Junk Eye - If you have the Tornado Hold, fire it just in front of him so that it destroys the junk that he throws around and so that it continously hits him. Otherwise, use the Mega Ball by bouncing it off the walls into him. Tenguman Stage - Guardian Beam - Use Flash Bombs and Ice Waves to clear the area. If you are directly in front of him when he fires, he'll fire a straight laser that you'll have to move down to avoid. If you are near the bottom of the screen, he'll fire three energy shots at you, so just move to avoid them. Stay near the left side of the screen and hit him with Flash Bombs, Ice Waves, charged Mega Buster shots, and any companions that you have with you. Clownman Stage - Lion Coin - Use Mega Balls, Flash Bombs, or Tornado Hold to dispatch him and the things that he spits out at you. Slide to avoid him when he bounces around. Aquaman Stage - Waterfaller - Use when he dissapears fall to opposite side of the screen from where you are to avoid having him pop out into you. When he's above you, stay to the left or right of him to avoid the sphere he drops. When he gets on level with you, jump to avoid the punching balls that he uses to destroy the logs that you are standing on. Use Homing Snipers, Thunder Claw, or Flash Bombs to dispose of him. Swordman Stage - Wall Gem - Jump to avoid the shots that he fires at you. When the big Hammer Eye comes out and smashes the ledge you are on, stay out from under it or it will kill you instantly when it comes down. Continuously pelt the gem with Flash Bombs when it's visible to destroy it. - Boss Robots - Frostman - Slide to avoid him when he jumps (he tries to jump on you between each attack). When he uses his ice-punch, jump to avoid it. If he uses his ice wave he'll hold his arms up for a second before, so get a little distance (not too much) and jump when he hits the ground or just hit him with a Flash Bomb while his arms are up to knock him down. Jump over the ceiling blocks that he punches at you. When he throws a tantrum, watch the blocks on the ceiling and slide to avoid them. Continuoulsy hit him with the Flash Bombs the stop some of his attacks. Tenguman - He throws tornado holds or wind balls at you, watch his positioning to tell which one he'll throw (he flies a little lower when he throws the tornado hold). Jump over the wind balls and run from the tornado holds. When he does his dive-bomb attack, jump over him then keep moving so he doesn't land on you. If you can slide under him as he does a tornado hold, he'll also land temporarily. Hit him with the Ice Wave to temporarily freeze him to the ground after he lands from a dive-bomb or Tornado Hold, shoot him once with the Mega Buster right as he stops flashing, and hit him again with the Ice Wave for a third hit. Clownman - When he's on the ground, keep moving and jumping to avoid his thunder claw where he reaches into the ground and his hands come up underneath you. When he turns into a sparking ball, slide to avoid him and don't bother firing because he's invunerable at this state. When he's at the side of the room, he'll run to the other side and jump up onto the trapeze to start to swing around. If you have the Tornado Hold, fire it to knock him off the trapeze right after he starts to swing and then drop another one under him to hit him a few more times. Grenademan - He basically just goes from side to side. If he jumps over, run or slide to follow him and avoid the flash bombs or mini-bombs that he drops. Every third attack, he'll dash across the screen and then fire a flash bomb into the wall that will cause debris to fall from the ceiling, so be ready to jump over him then jump over the bomb then dodge the falling debris. If he throws his "crazy destroyer", the ground will break and you will fall to a lower level of the room. After that, all he does is jump around on the platforms in the lower area. Hit him with the Thunder Claw every time he lands and hit his horizontal Flash Bombs with the Thunder Claw to knock them back into him. Cutman - (Saturn version only) He'll throw his Rolling Cutter from the ground or air. When he runs towards you, jump over him. When he jumps, run under him. Use the Flame Sword at close range, or the Thunder Claw from a distance to defeat him and acquire a bolt. Duo - Stay in the middle of the screen. When he turns into an energy ball and bounces around, you'll be in a safe spot if you're in the center of the screen. When he lands, move a little so he doesn't land on top of you. Slide right him only after he jumps at you, and then move to the other side of the screen because he'll slide forward a little before he punches the ground. Fire shots at him with your Mega Buster when he's on the ground. Astroman - He flies down to attack and his satellites will fire when he does. When he starts to dissappear and reappear at the top of the screen, be ready for his astro crush. Watch the top of the screen to see where to move to avoid the falling comets from the astro crush. If you have the Homing Sniper, charge it up when he dissapears to stop him from using his Astro Crush. Hit him directly with the Homing Sniper and he'll fall to the floor temporarily along with his satellites. You can juggle him so that he won't be able to move if you time it right. If you don't have the Homing Sniper, hit him when he swoops down with the Flash Bombs. Aquaman - Slide to avoid him when he jumps to the other side of the screen. When he fires the water balloons, stay close to him so they'll miss you. The water tunnel that he fires forward will twist and turn so watch for a safe spot in it. Stay out of the center of the screen so that the water column that he raises won't hit you. When you fire the Astro Crush, it'll knock Aquaman off balance and destroy anything he fires at you. Shoot at him with the Mega Buster while he's recovering from the effects of the Astro Crush so that you don't waste the special weapon energy. Swordman - When he jumps up and points his sword down, move under his sword to avoid the giant stone head that falls. When he does the fire crush, slide to avoid the top half of his body as it moves out and back in. When he dashes forward, jump under his lower half and then move back to avoid his flame sword attack. When he does his fire column stay near the other side of the screen and hit him with the Water Balloon to counter it, and use the Water Balloon on him between his attacks as well. Searchman - When he fires off the spiked disc, wait until it gets close to the ground and either shoot it or jump over it. When he falls down in the bushes, keep moving to keep the cross-hairs from locking in on you. Jump over the missiles when he fires his homing sniper and stand between the falling missles when he jumps up and and fires. Jump and slide to avoid his battery storm. Use the Flame Sword on the bushes to stop his attack and do a lot of damage, burn as many as you can before the cross-hairs lock on. Also use the Flame Sword to stop him from firing the battery storm. Woodman - (Saturn version only) Jump over his leaf shield when he throws it at you and position yourself so that the falling leaves don't hit you. Use the Flame Sword to burn through his shield and put an end to him. Defeat him and you'll get a bolt in return. - Wily Stages - Drop-Penguin - Stay in the middle of the screen between attacks and use the Megaball. If the penguin appears in one of the middle two slots above, kick the ball against the nearest wall. If the penguin appears in one of the side slots, kick the ball against the side that the penguin is on while standing under the 2nd slot away from him. After disposing of the penguin, aim for the box, it carries weapon capsules. Don't hit the clone penguin that appears after a while (it has tiny eyes and a skull on it) or it will fall and send a spark across the ground. Airshipper - Keep shooting with the Megabuster to destroy the mines. Fire Mega Buster shots and the Astro Crush at the "arms" when they are open and dodge the lasers and missles that they fire. Bass - When he charges up high, he'll fly up into the air and come back down with a laser so stay near the middle and slide to get away from him. When he charges up low, he'll send a blast up that comes down in two waves. Watch the top of the screen and stand between two of the shots of the first wave then move over slightly to avoid the second set of shots. When he lands, he'll fire to Bass Buster shots at you so be ready to jump them. Keep hitting him with charged Mega Buster shots to stop him. Cyclops Mk3 - If you stand to far away from him, he'll send his parts over to you so that you'll have to jump and slide to dodge them but if you stay close, he won't. When the eye pulls up spikes from the ground move slowly and slide to avoid them. When the eye sends waves across the screen, slide to stay ahead of them and get to the safe spot at the side of the screen. When the Cyclops is fully formed, fire a Flash Bomb at the eye to open it up and then switch to Thunder Claw and hit the eye itself a couple of times. Doctor Wily's Wilymachine 8 - Part one - Wilymachine 8 Fire Flash Bombs at the nose to keep it from firing it's laser off. When the wheel bounces at you, slide to avoid it, when it rolls at you, jump to avoid it. When the wheel fires shots forward, jump and slide to avoid them, and when it fires shots up into the air, move so they don't land on you and then immediately jump to avoid the sparks that run across the ground. The Astro Crush also works in place of the Flash Bombs, but it's not very effective, so you'll only want to use it if you happen to run out of bombs. Part two - Wily Capsule Use the Flame Sword to hit it from up close or charged Mega Buster shots from a distance. When it fires the four spinning balls, stay at the far end of the screen to avoid them. When it fires the eight spinning balls, jump as the ship dissapears. When it fires the homing balls, jump to lead them off, or slide into the corner and jump over them. When it fires the shots into the air, move to avoid having them land on you and then jump to avoind the sparks that run across the ground. --- SECRET CODE --- Animation test (Saturn only)- Highlight "Bonus Mode" on the title screen, hold down the L and R buttons, and press start. The animation test will now be available in the bonus mode menu and you can watch all the FMV animation segments in the game, including the ending. Also, it will add voices to the voice test for the Robot Bosses, including Cutman and Woodman. --- Character Profiles --- One of the most amusing aspects of Megaman 8 is the character personalities of the Stage Boss robots. Here is list of the personalities of the Bosses in the Japanese version of Megaman 8, called Rockman 8: Metal Heroes. If you have the Japanese version, this might help you understand the characters better, or if you have the U.S. version, you can see the difference in the characters between the two versions. Frostman - Frostman is big and loud. He's a blowhard tough-guy sort that feels that he has to beat up and bully around anyone who stands in his way. Like most bullies, the right kind of hit will cause him to fall easily, and he becomes very vunerable. Tenguman - Tenguman is a nobel Japanese type. He's a bit arrogant, and is the sort that feels as if it is an honor just to fight him. He's also very cunning and very fast. He's completely in control of himself and his effectiveness in his attacks is the source of his confidence. Clownman - Clownman is a mischevious kid. He constantly taunts you and insults you, sticking out his tongue or poking his nose, but when you get a good hit on him, he gets upset and cries for his mama. When you beat him he just says "no fair" as he dies off. Grenademan - Grenademan is an egomanaiacal lunatic. He believes that he is completely invincible and any attack that you make he laughs at since he believes that you can't really hurt him anyway. He doesn't fear his own destructive weapons either, and pitches them out carelessly. If one comes back and hits him instead it suprises him. Only when you beat him will he finally acknowledges that you actually hurt him. Astroman - Astroman is a coward. He fights off intruders because he is scared to death of them and his fear is what powers his fighting. He hides a lot and attacks cheaply to avoid getting himself hurt, and when he sees that an attack is locked onto him, he becomes frozen with fear doing nothing more that flailing his orbital spheres around to try and defend himself from the inevitable attack. Aquaman - Aquaman is a showoff. He announces himself like a celebrity when he appears and likes to make a big show of everything. He also talks and acts like a little kid. He bounces around a lot, but the right hit can make his footing unsure. Like most kids, he stumbles and falls down a lot. Swordman - Swordman is very regal. He is an honorable sort that fight to keep his honor. He is a lot like a royal guard and his reputation is everything. He is a calculative, intimidating fighter with courage and cunning of a elite soldier. Searchman - Searchman is a military platoon all in one robot. He acts as general and private and issues his own commands, which he obeys. He uses various attacks that are based on infantry attacks such as sniper shooting, and small arms attacks. He is a soldier to the end. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Script - cut scenes - PROLOGUE Bass: Megaman, today we finish this! Megaman: Hey, Bass, why must I fight you? We are not enemies! Bass: Shut up! Roll: Megaman! Megaman:Roll! Roll: Megaman, hurry! You must come with me! Bass: You can't leave yet! Megaman: RUSH JET! Megaman: Bass, we'll have to take care of this some other time. Bass: No! ...Don't run away, coward! You'll pay for this insult. I'll be back. Megaman: Dr. Light, what is the problem? Light: A strange meteor has fallen to Earth just a while ago. This meteor seems to be emitting a powerful energy signature. Something this powerful must not fall into the hands of evil! Megaman: I understand, Dr. Light. I'm on it! Light: Thank you, Megaman. If you can, try and bring the meteor back. Megaman: OK! A MYSTERIOUS ROBOT Megaman: Dr. Light, how's it going? Will he be OK? Light: Almost finished. The battery will be recharged in 10 minutes. Megaman: That's good. By the way, what do you make of these? Light: These? It seems to be energy resources but I've never seen this type on Earth. I don't know where this energy came from but we can not let it fall into Dr. Wily's hands. Wily: [laughing] Light: You must recover all this energy immediately, Megaman. Megaman: But where is Dr. Wily? Light: That's a good question. We may be able to locate another energy emission from the radar room. When we find that meteor, we'll find Dr. Wily. Duo: He... he still lives! Megaman: What the...?! Light: Megaman, you must go after him! We don't know who he is and it's dangerous to leave him alone. Megaman: Yes, sir! Let's go, Rush! DUO'S TRUE CHARACTER Megaman: That must be it over there! Megaman: I can see it! Megaman: Rush! Megaman: RUSH! RUSH!! Wily: I'm impressed! I didn't think you'd make it this far Megaman! However, I don't have time to deal with you! Say goodnight! Megaman: Rush?! Rush! Duo: Are you OK? Megaman: Who are you? Duo: My name is Duo. I was born with the sole purpose to eliminate the evil energy from this universe. Duo: It's coming... Megaman: Duo, that thing! It's just like the one I gave to Dr. Light! Duo: Yes, this is what you people call "evil energy". Based on my studies so far, the one who obtained the original energy must be a being of complete evil. This type of energy absorbs the evil in a person's mind and then multiplies. Judging by the quick rate of it's growth, it'll take over the planet with evil energy in a matter of days! We must stop it! Duo: I sense the original energy exists in that tower, but... Duo: The barrier prohibits me from going there. I'll destroy the rest of the evil energy that has spread throughout the Earth. You search and destroy the energy sources for that barrier! Megaman: Let's do it! Time to go, Rush! EPILOGUE Duo: This is not good. He has been effected by the evil energy. He will die soon. Duo: If your mind is not completely taken by the evil, you'll be saved! Duo: Megaman, I can see into your mind... Megaman: You have been working so hard for justice. With your help, this planet will survive. Protoman: What happened, Megaman! Duo: He's going to be OK. He will regain conciousness soon. My job is done, I must go. I will leave Megaman to you. Duo: ...but there's one more thing... Protoman: hm? Duo: I have a favor to ask... Roll: Wake up! Wake up, Megaman! Megaman: Roll! Roll: Megaman, you're OK! Auto & Eddie: Alright! Megaman: Am I alive? Light: Yes you are... Duo saved you! Megaman: Duo? Protoman: Duo is gone. Megaman: Protoman! Protoman: Megaman, I have a message to give you from Duo. Megaman: From Duo? What is it? Protoman: He said "thank you". Megaman: Me too. Megaman: Thank you, Duo. - text - - Opening Stage - Light: ... Megaman! Can you hear me? Light: I've searched the island, but can't find it on any map. It's a creepy island. Be careful, Megaman. Your new weapon is ready. Take it with you! It's called the "Mega Ball". You can kick it to attack the enemies! It's a powerful weapon! Megaman: Thank you, Dr. Light! --- Megaman: Dr. Wily!? Why are you here? Wily: Megaman, so you've come! How did you find my secret base? I'm impressed. But you're too late! I've found something that's more powerful than this base! Ha! Ha! Ha! Megaman: Wait! Wily! Megaman: I've got to go after him! What's this? A robot? ... It's still alive. I must help it! Light: ...man! Megaman! Can you hear me!? Is anything going on? Megaman: Yes, Dr.! I've found a robot! Light: What? OK, I understand! I'll go there and pick it up. You go after Wily! - Duo Stage - Megaman: What power... ! I've got to go after him!! --- Cutman: Hey Megaman, long time no see! You're looking sharper than before! Megaman: Y.. you're Cutman! Why are you here? Don't you remember what happened last time we fought? Cutman: Shut up! I still remember that you defeated me a long time ago! I want revenge! Megaman: Cut that out! Cutman, we don't have to fight. Cutman: I won't lose this time! --- Megaman: You are...! Wait! Who are you!? Duo: Don't try to stop me from completing my mission! --- Duo: I feel a strong sense of justice within you. Who are you...? Protoman: Are you OK? Megaman: Protoman! Duo: ...! Protoman: What happened? ...Who is he? Megaman: I don't know. (That robot was holding back. He didn't fight me with everything he had. I wonder why?) Protoman: ...He might be connected to Dr. Wily. Megaman: What? Protoman: "Wily Tower" is just ahead from here. That's the name of Wily's new castle. That robot may be going there. Megaman: Maybe... I'll be careful. Thanks, Protoman. Protoman: ... - Searchman Stage - Woodman: I won't let you pass here, Megaman! Megaman: Woodman! Are you still working for Wily? Woodman: I'll defeat you this time. For Dr. Wily! Megaman: Don't fight me Woodman. You have no chance to win. Woodman: Let's do it! Get ready Megaman! - Wily Stage 3 - Bass: Megaman! You can't escape this time! Megaman: Bass! Stop it! I don't want to fight with you! Bass: You're so naive! That will be your downfall! I'm not the same weakling anymore! I've got new powers! Megaman: ...No way! Megaman: No! You don't know how dangerous it is! Bass: Shut up! I'll defeat you! Come on, Treble! Bass: Let's do it! I'll show you what true power is! Megaman: No! That's not power! I must prove you are wrong again Bass! --- Megaman: You can't beat me with fake power! Wake up, Bass! Bass: C. cu.. curse you Megaman! I'll never give up! Megaman: ...Bass. Why you don't understand? - Wily Stage 4 - Megaman: Where's this...? Wily: Wa ha ha ha! You're trapped, Megaman! Wily: You can't move, can you! With this incredible energy, I can't be beaten. It's time i finally finished you off! Wily: Good bye! Megaman! Megaman: D... Duo! Megaman: Duo, thank you. Are you OK? Duo: ...yeah. ...! Look out!! Wily: Curse you! It seems that robot can't move anymore. Wily: Wa ha ha! Now, I'll defeat both of you! Protoman: I'll take care of this robot! Megaman: Protoman! Thanks! Megaman: Wily! You must be stopped! Wily: Silence fool! I'll defeat you and conquer the world! --- Wily: S... sorry! I was wrong! Please forgive me! Megaman: ...That's the same old apology Wily! Over and over again... Wily: W... what! Megaman: Uwaaaah! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This hint guide was written by Max Hagedorn, a.k.a. Metool. Special thanks to my brother for helping me figure out the uses of some of the powerup items off of the Japanese version. If you have any information or secret codes for this game that were not included in this file, let me know. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknoledgements: Thanks to Rafael Vergel de Dios (atovd@netasia.net) for the location of the last bolt in Swordman's stage Message delivered via Brian Preeble of Sega Sages (Rassilon@segasages.com). Thanks to Luc Miron (pixelboy@lanzen.net) for the Astro Crush cheat in the snowboard levels. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Megaman and all related characters and logos are TM and (C) Capcom and Capcom Entertainment. This file was created for non-profit purposes only. It is freely distributable, but is not to be sold or used for profit. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- hint guide by Max "Metool" Hagedorn (static@intex.net)