Samurai - Strategy Guide (Page 02)

Below are the cheat codes, hints and help for Samurai - Strategy Guide (Page 02).

Kurou Residence
Go through the front gate and you will see a scene of general Tamagawa. 
Instead of taking the ramp to the upper level when you get to the inner
chamber, turn right and talk to Tsubohachi, who is lying on the ground.  Ask if
he's all right, then tell him you've come to rescue Suzu.  Say that she was
kidnapped by the government army, and ask what happened to him.  Ask him about
the others, then tell him that you are going to rescue Suzu.  He'll join your
side.  After that, go up the ramp to take on the commander.  Make sure
Tsubohachi stays alive, because that affects your ending.  Note that this fight
is a bit easier this time around now that you have a powerful guy to help you
out.  Kill Tamagawa to see ending 2.

*************************End of Combo Scenario*************************

H.  The Ultimate Path
Get ready for the best ending!  Make sure not to draw your sword any more than
you have to.

*************************The Ultimate Path (Ending 1)*************************

Synopsis:  Join Kurou house; in evening, go to Akadama and join them.  Take
Kitcho's place.  Fight Karibe, and make him apologize.  Day one night, go to
the shrine and break up the secret meeting.  Answer first and second questions,
then answer "" to break up the fight.  Day two, morning, go back to Akadama,
kill Hyuga at the shrine, then go back to Akadama.  Fight with allies until
night.  At the temple, fight Tamagawa to see the ending.  Make sure to pick up
Tamagawa's sword.

THE FIRST DAY

The Bridge
Stand far from the scene on the bridge and watch the scene unfold.  Follow them
off the bridge to see what happens.  After that, go back up the hill and head
to the shrine.

The Shrine
Walk up the steps to witness Hyuga conspiring with a government soldier.  After
the scene, go back down the steps and turn right toward Ipponmatsu.

Ipponmatsu
Turn left and go into the shack to be introduced to Dojima, and get some
upgrades if you want.  Head right from there to the Kurou Residence.

Kurou Residence
Tell Tsubohachi you wish to join the Kurou, and he'll tell you to go in.  Ask
who Master Tesshin is, and he'll give you a little primer.  Walk to the gate to
be sent in.  Go through the corridor and listen to the guys talking about
little Kintaro if you wish, then head up the ramp to talk to Madam Murasaki and
Master Tesshin.  Don't talk when you get the chance.  She will summon Shiretoko
to fight with you.  Don't talk to him either; just draw your sword and start
fighting.  Don't stray too far or you'll be teleported back to the center. 
After your victory over Shiretoko, Murasaki will give you some yen and send you
on a mission.  You can stick around to hear some inside info on the foundry if
you wish.  Eventually, they will go inside.  After the conversation, head out
the main gate toward Ipponmatsu.

Ipponmatsu
Head over to the people talking by the tree to hear some more talk, then go
through the station to the railroad.

The Railroad
See those red guys talking?  Go see what's up.  Someone's speaking against the
Kurou.  Keep your sword sheathed and let him finished.  After he's done, head
into the Akadama clan HQ.

Akadama Clan
Tell the gatekeeper that you wish to join, and he'll tell you that Kitcho isn't
in yet.  Leave here to see a cut-scene.

The Railroad
Move ahead some and a person will come running trying to get some money from
you.  Run to cue a fight.  Go ahead and take him out, then head back through
the station, through Ipponmatsu (perhaps  getting some upgrades along the way),
then go to the shrine.

The Shrine
Shiretoko will thank you for coming along.  Tell him, "very well", then you
will head to the station.

The Station
You will have to go tear up Suzu's place.  When he orders you to, pick up some
chairs and throw them around.  After a little while, tell Suzu that you are
only doing what you are told.  Eventually, he will give you some yen.  Head
left to the railroad (make sure not to stop for upgrades; the station will
change and you'll lose your evening mission), and you will be confronted by
Hyuga.  Ask what he is talking about, and he warns you not to get involved. 
Take off for the railroad.

The Railroad
It's evening now, so head over to the Akadama clan to join.

Akadama Clan
The gatekeeper will escort you into the place.  After all the conversation,
take Kitcho's place in the fight.  Karibe's a tough guy, so keep your blocks up
and unbalance him a lot.  DON'T KILL HIM!  When his power is low, make him
apologize.  When you're free to leave, head through the railroad (ignore
Toyoko) to the Foundry.

The Foundry
Two people will be in the center talking about the future of the foundry. 
After they are done, go past them to the river and follow the water to the
bridge.

The Bridge
FIGHT SCENE!!  There is tons of fighting going on.  Join in if you want;
otherwise, go up the hill and to the shrine.

The Shrine
Looks like Murasaki's up to something.  Walk close enough to hear her
conversation with Inokashira.  When Murasaki says, "Well, you're shrewd too,
you little policeman", run up to them so that they notice you.  DO NOT DRAW
YOUR SWORD!!  Things will work out.  Say that you did hear the conversation,
and they will get ready to kill you, but Shiretoko will come to the rescue. 
Tell Shiretoko that they had a secret meeting, but later, tell him to pardon
her.  After the meeting, head down the stairs to the bridge and cross it to
reach the station.

DAY TWO

The Station
Dojima will confront you, but tell him you're not interested.  Head left to the
railroad, and go to the Akadama clan.

Akadama Clan
Talk to Kitcho and tell him "That's exactly what I want you to do!"  You will
wind up at the shrine.  Sneak up the stairs and spy on Hyuga.  After the
conversation, his ninjas will go after you.  Take them and Hyuga out with one
of their own weapons.  He'll blow himself up after the fight.  Head back to the
bridge, through the river to the foundry, then to the railroad.

The Railroad
Head through there and to the Akadama house.

Akadama Clan
Fight fight fight, that's all we're doing here.  Note that you have a lot more
allies this time, and they aren't getting left behind.  Guess what?  Tesshin's
sent his people to help you!  Things are definitely looking on the up and up. 
Annihilate the soldiers until you get to a cut scene.  Go with Chelsea and you
will fight at the station.  After this fight, leave when Chelsea gives you the
option.

The Bridge
Tesshin and Kitcho will help you out here; show 'em how a real samurai fights! 
Eventually, Tamagawa will become active.  Take him out and he will retreat to
the shrine.

The Shrine
Upon entering, you will be assaulted by four ninjas, but you don't need to
fight them; simply head past them up the stairs.  Tamagawa is waiting for you;
give him your name when he asks.  He compliments your fighting skills, then he
asks you to join the government forces.  Decline his offer, and he will engage
you.  Tamagawa doesn't push you very often, but he also parries a lot, so you
shouldn't attempt pushing or parrying; instead, block his attacks and roll out
with the super moves.  Defeat Tamagawa and quickly grab the Niitakayama he
drops before ending 1 begins.

*************************End of Ultimate Path*************************

I.  The Worst Path (Ending 6)
To obtain this ending, complete all the objectives required to see ending 1,
but instead of fighting Tamagawa, take his offer and join his forces. 
Congrats, you've just earned all the endings!




II. Swords

A.  Sword Advice
I've taken the liberty to throw in some general advice about sword handling so
you can jump right in; the later parts get into the more complex aspects of
swords.

1.  Choosing a Good Sword
There are a few aspects of choosing a good sword to go into battle with. 
First, let's look at the defense-to-life ratio.  Keep in mind that the standard
hitpoint level is 1000.  Let's take a look at the Niitakayama, perhaps the most
rare sword in the game, but not the best one.  Remember, you could have more
than one sword with the same name, and they could both have completely
different stats; this is simply an example.
The Niitakayama has a life stat of +111, and a defense percentage of -28%. 
Note that 111 hitpoints is 11.1% of your standard max.  Since you are gaining
11.1% in raw HP, but losing 28% in general damage over time, you are actually
losing HP with that combo, so you should simply ignore the HP gain and know
that you are taking extra damage.
Next, look at the attack percentage.  An 8% Attack percentage can be decent
assistance, but make sure that you don't take the attack too heavily into
account if you're a more defensive fighter.  For instance, if you rush into an
attack aggressively, and don't allow too many hits, then a sword with high
attack and low defense would be ideal; however, if you aren't using that extra
attack frequently, it won't come in as handy as you would imagine.

2.  When to Discard a Sword
Very often in the game, you will find yourself in a situation where you will
want to take more swords from the battle than the three you can carry.  At this
point, you will need to make some quick decisions about your weaponry.
First of all, some weapons will be useful for the current situation, while
others will be great additions to a permanent collection.  Sometimes going for
a good attack boost with low life and defense is great for a blitz attack where
you need to keep an ally alive, but a sword with a large life boost is a great
help in the long run.
Another thing to remember is that if you are planning to alternate swords
frequently during battle, the life boost is meaningless.  For example, if you
have 1000/1000 hitpoints and switch to a life+600 weapon, you will still have
only 1000 hitpoints, so make sure that if you are switching swords a lot, keep
swords with similar life boosts.

B.  The Six Types of Swords
There are six primary sword types, as well as a few unorthodox rare swords,
that you will find throughout the game.  They all come with their ups and
downs, and this section will detail the different swords you may find.

1.  Up-Stance Swords

Description:
These swords are usually smaller swords which are held with the hilt over the
head and slightly back, and the tip pointed straight ahead.

Known Up-Stance Swords:
Chigusa
Dai-Kuronama
Osorezan
Samehada-tou, dropped by Karibe

Pros:
Great overhead attacks, certain moves can get around an enemy's blocks.  Ninja
sword carriers will find it extremely difficult to get a move in, since all
jumping attacks are quite easily turned into air juggles to the enemy.

Cons:
Difficult to defend any low attack and most middle attacks; easy to get
tripped.  Jumping attacks are relatively worthless.  Extremely weak against
down-stance weapons.

2.  Middle-Stance Swords

Description:
The middle-stance swords are held close to the center of the body and slightly
forward, with the tip pointed forward and slightly upward.

Known Middle-Stance Swords:
Aizome, dropped by Murasake
Chuyo-tou, acquired at the beginning of the game
Dull Sword
Shodai-Tamahikari

Pros:
Very defensive, allows blocking of almost every move, quick moves allow for a
raptor-like leap and retreat fighting style.  A large base of super moves will
keep the enemies rolling if you're in a tight spot.  A great choice for
beginners.

Cons:
Slow reaction times allow enemies with ninja-swords to get behind you
relatively easy; overhead attacks can sometimes lead to frequent unbalancing
with inexperienced players.

3.  Down-Stance Swords

Description:
These are fairly long swords, held forward and pointed slightly down.

Known Down-Stance Swords:
Abashiri

Pros:
A large selection of upward sweeping power moves keeps up-stance, one-hand, and
ninja fighters dodging; a decent balance of blocking ability and power moves. 
A great choice for the close-range fighter.

Cons:
Up-stance attacks can cause trouble with this sword's low blocking speed.  Like
the middle-stance sword, high speed fighters can be dangerous if you don't
evade quickly.

4.  Side-Stance Swords

Description:
Short swords, held to the side and pointed backward.

Known Side-Stance Swords:
Jukkaimaru, dropped by Shiretoko
Niitakayama, from Commander Tamagawa

Pros:
The momentum produced by the quick movements of this sword allow for efficient
attacks, and allow you to quickly move back to a defensive position.  Ideal for
indecisive players.

Cons:
The low power of this weapon combined with its weak ability to block power
attacks makes this a bad idea for experienced players.

5.  One-handed Swords

Description:
Short swords held with one hand; the sword hand is held behind the body and
pointed backward, and the free hand is held forward for balancing and speed.

Known One-handed Swords:
Binetsu, dropped by Chelsea
Higan

Pros:
The exclusion of the sword from the front of the fighter allows for some
martial arts attacks and evasions;  the momentous sweep of the sword coming
forward helps to keep its attack power up.

Cons:
Blocking becomes a serious problem.  Weak standard attacks almost eliminate
their usefulness; the power attacks become necessary for victory.

6.  Ninja Swords

Description:
Short swords held to the side with one hand and pointed backward.  Use of this
sword exponentially increases the user's acrobatic ability.

Known Ninja Swords:
Ninja-sword (go figure)
Zangetsu

Pros:
The blazing speed of attack and evasion combined with unreal jumping attacks
make the fighter extremely difficult to block;  with an entire set of moves
made to attack behind, the fighter can attack in every direction.  An absolute
must for the experienced player.

Cons:
The complex nature of the directional attacks and special moves make this sword
difficult to master;  It is unfit for close-range combat.  Weak attacks make
battles last longer, which can lead to the death of important allies during the
mass attacks late in the game.

7.  Special Weapons
There are a few unique weapons that can be secured from various special
characters throughout the game.

Takefuji, dropped by Dojima
An easy way to get this sword is to refuse to pay Dojima after getting an
upgrade; then you'll have a better sword as well as a new one.  This hammer
weapon is considered up-stance.

Jurokumon, dropped by Jose
Kill Inokashira's assistant, Jose, to get this blunt weapon.  It is considered
a down-stance weapon.

Iron Ball
This is a massive one-handed spiked ball; you can find it from a random enemy
on the bridge during day two, night.

Naginata
A side-stance... well... naginata.  Ever played Bushido Blade?

C.  Sword Stats
The four sword statistics affect how your sword will aid you in battle.

1.  Life
The amount of hitpoints gained or lost from your maximum HP while the sword is
equipped.  See the defense-hitpoint ratio in I-A: Sword Advice.

2.  Attack
The percentage of your standard attack damage that is added to every attack. 
Useful in quick-win situations, but not always preferable over defense. 
Negative numbers weaken your attack.

3.  Defense
The percentage of the enemies' attack damage that is guarded.  Normally more
useful than hitpoint gain, since hitpoints can be easily covered in certain
battle areas.  Negative numbers make the player more sensitive to attacks.

4.  Durability
The amount of stress that can be placed on a sword before its durability lowers
(I know, it's a recursive definition).  This attribute is displayed in a gray
bar above the life gauge.  Blocked moves and successful execution of power
moves will greatly stress the sword (If you perform the middle-stance move
R1+Triangle, it will instantly break your sword if its durability value is less
than three).  If a sword's durability reaches zero, the sword cannot be
repaired.  Durability cannot exceed five.

D.  Dojima the Sword Smith
Dojima lives in Ipponmatsu in a small shack near the exit to the station.  You
can go to him to get repairs and upgrades to your equipment (There aren't truly
repairs; the only thing that can diminish is durability

1.  Life Upgrades
Tell Dojima that you would like your sword improved, then select "nothing in
particular."  The price is normally 2 yen, but may increase as your sword gains
life points.  Upgrading this too much will result in the drastic loss of
defense percentage, and a small loss in attack.

2.  Attack Upgrades
Tell Dojima to improve your sword, then select sharpness.  The price is 6 yen. 
This can usually be done three times before serious losses of defense occur.

3.  Defense Upgrades
Tell Dojima to improve your sword, then select flexibility.  The price is 6
yen.  This can usually be done three time before serious losses of attack
occur.

4.  Durability Upgrades
Tell Dojima that you would like to make your sword tougher.  The price goes up
depending on how high your durability already is.

III.  Bugs and Cheats

BUGS

Sword Vanishing Glitch
During fighting, take care not the switch swords in mid attack.  When you try,
the system will normally tell you that the operation cannot be performed, but
occasionally, it will mess up, and you will lose the sword you are trying to in
the process.
  -  This bug was reported by PyroFalkon

CHEATS

Health Recovery:
Pause the game.  At the sword selection screen, while holding L1+L2, press
Down, Up, Down, Up, Right, Left, Circle.  Your hitpoints will recover to their
maximum.

My name is Chris Storer and I go by UDBassMan; if you want to contact me for
feedback or questions of any kind, feel free to do so through any of these
methods:
email:  storercd@notes.udayton.edu
AOL:    UDBassMan
MSN:    zanemcfate@hotmail.com

Special thanks go to the following:
PyroFalkon, my long-time associate (7 years now) for test driving some parts of
my FAQ, and for reminding me that one person's pain is a few hundred people's
pleasure.

Hope you enjoy the FAQ, and good luck playing!