.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------. | Phase | | Apple iPod | | FAQ/Walkthrough | | Version 1.01 | | bodo_parkour | '-----------------------------------------------------------------------------' ----------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- 1. Introduction 2. Version History 3. Buying and Installation 4. Controls 5. Gameplay Basics 6. Tips and Secrets 7. Frequently Asked Questions 8. Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The iPod is perhaps the best-known of all the digital MP3 players. Since it's debut, the iPod has been given the ability to play videos, show pictures, amd most recently, play games. This game was developed by Harmonix, the company behind the Guitar Hero franchise, and this game is based on the same concept. It features ingenious usage of the iPod's click wheel, and it sets a high bar for other iPod videogames. Note that I only have an iPod Nano (3rd Generation), so some information may vary on different iPod models. I hope you enjoy this FAQ, and if you have any questions or comments, you can find my contact information in the conclusion of this FAQ. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Version History ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.00 - 2nd July 2008 - 11kb ----------------------------------- First public release of FAQ Version 1.01 - 29th January 2009 -------------------------------- Added some information about the new "chromatic" iPod Nanos. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Buying and Installation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phase can only be bought from the iTunes store. For this, you need a Mac or PC with a recent version of the iTunes software. iTunes can be downloaded from the Apple website for free here: http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ If you use Windows 2000, then you can only download iTunes here: http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/itunes732forwindows2000.html Once iTunes is installed, open the application and open the iTunes store. In the menu, select 'iPod Games' to bring up the list of available games. Select Phase from the list to be taken to the Game homepage. To buy the game, you need an iTunes store account or an Apple Gift voucher with enough money to buy the game. It costs $4.99 USD or £3.99 GBP. You need to have a 3rd Generation iPod Nano, an iPod Classic, or an 5th Generation iPod to play this game. iPhones or iPod Touches will not play Phase. You will also need an iPod USB cable. Once the game has finished downloaded, connect your iPod. On the iPod tab, select 'Games' and check the box marked: "Synchronise Games". This allows Phase to copy itself onto your iPod. Click on 'Apply' in the bottom-right corner of the window. Now, a playlist will appear on the left of your iTunes window, below the Party Shuffle playlist. You can drag any song from your music library to this playlist for Phase to convert it into a playable level. Bear in mind that this will use up space on your ipod, usually equivalent to the file size of the song itself. Resynchronise your iPod. Now you can eject your iPod and disconnect it. In your list of games, you will now see Phase, along with the games you had pre-installed. Use the center button on your iPod to start playing the game. WARNING: DO NOT DELETE THE PHASE PLAYLIST IN ITUNES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Controls ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note that if you are playing this on a 4th generation iPod Nano, then you play the game with the click wheel on it's side, so if you are in the middle of the song and want to hit the left note, you'd hit the menu button instead of the rewind button. Menu Controls ------------- Click wheel clockwise - Scroll down menu options Click wheel anticlockwise - Scroll up menu options MENU button - Back Centre button - Select option Game Controls ------------- Top half of click wheel right - Sweep right Top half of click wheel left - Sweep left Rewind button - Hit the left note CENTRE button - Hit the centre note Fast-forward button - Hit the right note MENU button - Pause menu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Gameplay Basics ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How to Play ----------- Phase is a game where notes drop down from the top of the screen to a bar at the bottom in either left, middle, or right hand side of the screen. When the notes hit the bar, you hit the corresponding button. Points are awarded depending on how accurate you are. To make things a little more complicated, sweeps are long flowing lines that swerve across the screen. To catch these, you have to follow the course of the sweep with the top half of the click wheel. If you are not accurate enough, you will 'drop off' the sweep and you will lose points. Songs are split into sections, and when a new section begins, are banner will fly across the screen to tell you so. However, it's not really important so keep your concentration on hitting the notes and sweeps. At the end of each section, you are graded, and if you have not done well enough, you will lose a heart (displayed at the bottom of the screen). If you lose all the hearts before the song is over, you lose the game. If you do well enough in a certain section, it is possible to regain hearts. Your score is judged at the end of each song and a high score list is kept. You can browse songs you've added by Artist, Genre, and all the other methods of browsing available when actually listening to music on your iPod. In addition to your own songs, Phase has included seven songs to get you used to how the game works. I recommend you play these first, starting with the easiest difficulty level and working your way upwards. 1. Bang Camaro - "Nightlife Commando" 2. Dealership - "Dots and Dashes" 3. Freezepop - "Pop Music is not a Crime" 4. Inter:sect - "Midnight Gamma" 5. Kodomo - "Spira Mirailis" 6. Speck - "The Theme of the Awesome" 7. Universal Hall Press - "Dragonfly Remix" Main Menu Options ----------------- Quick Spin - This lets you play one song at a time, a sort of 'practise mode'. Play all of your songs here before attempting Marathon. Marathon - This is the 'real game'. Five songs are selected at random and you have to play through all five at your chosen difficulty level. Volume - Adjust the overall volume of tracks within the game. Options - Mess with the game options. High Scores - View the high scores for all of your songs. Help - A list of basic help topics. Exit Game - This returns you to the iPod menus. The next time you play, all of your highscores will be saved. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Tips and Secrets ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are two hidden gameplay difficulties in Phase. Expert and Insane modes can be unlocked the following ways: Expert Mode can be unlocked by completing one Marathon on Hard Mode. Insane Mode can be unlocked by completing one Marathon on Expert Mode. Keep your hands loose while playing. Because there are three buttons, it can be difficult to find a good position for your fingers on the click wheel. Experiment and try different ways of holding your iPod. Remember that you have to sweep as well, so don't lock your fingers in a complicated position. Phase creates levels based on where beats fall and where the music is louder and softer. Because of the way Phase works out where to put notes and sweeps, some songs just do not make decent levels. If this is the case, simply delete the song from the Phase Playlist in iTunes and Synchronise your iPod. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. Frequently Asked Questions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. Can I play this game on my iPod Touch/iPhone/Older iPod? A. No. It is only compatible with the 3rd Gen iPod Nano, 5th Gen iPod, and iPod Classic. Q. Can I play this on any other MP3 player or on my computer? A. You can only play it on the above-mentioned iPods. However, you do need a computer to download Phase and to add songs to the game. Q. How do I delete a song from Phase? A. You cannot delete any of the seven pre-installed songs but to delete one you added, simply remove it from the Phase Playlist and sync your iPod. Q. My iPod crashed. Can I simply copy it from my computer back across to my iPod? A. Yes. You can synchronise it with your iPod as many times as you like. Q. My computer crashed. Can I redownload it or do I need to buy it again? A. As far as I know, as long as you're signed on to your iTunes store account, you can redownload the game for free. Q. What should I do if Phase doesn't appear on the list of games after I've synchronised my iPod? A. First of all, click on the games tab on your iPod in iTunes, and make sure your games are set to be synced. If you've selected to only have some games synced, make sure Phase is selected and click 'Apply'. If the problem persists, try resetting your iPod by holding the menu and centre buttons down together for 10 seconds. Finally, if the problem has not been solved, restore your iPod to it's factory settings in iTunes then synchronise the game across again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8. Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This guide is Copyright (c) 2007 Bodo_parkour. Only the following sites can use this guide as of now. To add your name to this list, you must be an honest website, email me for permission, and uphold any agreement between us that we make. The latest version of this guide will always be found on www.gamefaqs.com. Any other site hosting this FAQ may not have the latest version and some information may have beena added in more recent updates. http://www.gamefaqs.com/ http://www.gamespot.com/ My email address is bodo_parkour [at] hotmail [dot] co [dot] uk Only email for permission to host this guide, with suggestions, or general comments. Please title emails sensibly, or they will be unopened and deleted without hesitation. I will try my hardest to answer all legitimate emails within a week but sometimes I am too busy so your email may remain unanswered for a longer period of time. -------- Thanks -------- Bodo_parkour - Guide Author CjayC - GameFAQs Founder SBallen - GameFAQs Administrator Harmonix - For creating this game Apple - For their excellent products and MP3 players. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- END OF FILE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------