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******ROCKET KNIGHT******
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Walkthrough by WhiteLucario
Version 1.1 finished October 29, 2010

IMPORTANT NOTE!  The walkthrough for the actual levels themselves are written
as if you were playing Gold Sparkster Mode, the hardest difficulty setting in
the game.  The differences in the difficulties for the levels are completely
dependent on number of hit points and amount of enemies.  All level-based
hazards and terrain are identical among all modes.  You should be able to use
this walkthrough for Normal and Hard modes (and there are some special notes
like the Hard mode unlock tricks, too), but if you were trying to obtain the
Nimble Knight trophy, this walkthrough would not be entirely appropriate.

***** Table of Contents
1.  Version History [vhist]
2.  Characters [chr]
3.  Controls [ctrl]
4.  Enemies [bdgyz]
5.  Items and Scoring [itemz]
6.  Stages
6.a. Stage 1.1: Zephyrus - Countryside [stg11]
6.b. Stage 1.2: Zephyrus - Tree Tops [stg12]
6.c. Stage 1.3: Zephyrus - Zephyrian City [stg13]
6.d. Stage 1.4: Zephyrus - Forest Shredder [stg14]
6.e. Stage 2.1: Wolf Kingdom - The Counter Attack [stg21]
6.f. Stage 2.2: Wolf Kingdom - Airship Armada [stg22]
6.g. Stage 2.3: Wolf Kingdom - Wolf Fortress [stg23]
6.h. Stage 2.4: Wolf Kindgom - The Wolf King [stg24]
6.i. Stage 3.1: Deep Underground - Pig Bunker [stg31]
6.j. Stage 3.2: Deep Underground - Cyberswine Labs [stg32]
6.k. Stage 3.3: Deep Underground - Axel Gear [stg33]
6.l. Stage 4.1: Return to Zephyrus - The Pig Fleet [stg41]
6.m. Stage 4.2: Return to Zephyrus - Enslaved City [stg42]
6.n. Stage 4.3: Return to Zephyrus - General Sweinhart [stg43]
7.  Random Questions [rnd]
8.  Legal Information and Contacting Me [lgl]

*****
*****
*****Version History [vhist]
*****
*****

Version 1.0 - The first iteration of this walkthrough!  Completed October 20,
2010.

Version 1.1 - Oops!  I forgot that the Brown Wolf in the hamster wheel is
also in The Counter Attack, not just Wolf Fortress.  Also, I hadn't noticed
that the point values are different in different difficulty levels until now.
Made the story blurb more interesting for The Counter Attack.  Added the fact
that I don't accept random online friend requests to the Contacting Me
section.

*****
*****
***** Characters [chr]
*****
*****

---Sparkster---
The leader of the Rocket Knights.  His services were very much needed in the
kingdom Zebulos 15 years ago to fight off a brutal attack from the Devotindos
Empire.  Now that the kingdoms of Planet Elhorn have made a truce with
Devotindos, Sparkster was no longer needed as a Rocket Knight, and had to do
something different.  He now lives in a rural area, spending his time
nowadays as a normal father, working on his farm.  That all changed when he
saw that the Wolf Kingdom was attacking the kingdom of Zephyrus.  Putting his
Rocket Knight armor on again, he goes back to fight as a soldier.  Even after
all that time, he isn't one bit rusty.

---Axel Gear---
One of the Black Knights, the group of rogue Rocket Knights.  Twenty-five
years ago, over a book of secrets, he attacked Mifune Sanjulo, Sparkster's
teacher.  Mifune was not killed, but severely crippled.  Because at that
time, Mifune was the leader of the Rocket Knights, he passed the leadership
on to Sparkster.  Sparkster banished Axel Gear from Zebulos shortly after and
also defeated him during the war against Devotindos ten years after that
incident.  Since the truce with Devotindos, Axel Gear managed to convince
Zephyrus that Sparkster has somehow failed and that he will be their hero.
As such, he is extremely popular, too.  He is secretly up to no good, though.

---General Sweinhart---
The general of Devotindos's military and leader of the Devotindos Empire's
colonies on Planet Elhorn.  He leads the Pigs to fight for Zephyrus, but
there's something not quite right about it.  There's some sort of alliance
between him and Axel Gear, after all.

*****
*****
***** Controls [ctrl]
*****
*****

---Platformer Controls---
X Button (on ground) - Jump
X Button (airborne) - Burst Assist
O Button (on ground) - Burst Vortex
O Button (on pole) - Rail Spin
O Button (with direction) - Rocket Burst in direction D-Pad is pressed
O Button twice (with direction) - Burst Drill in direction D-Pad is pressed
Triangle Button - Burst Shot
Square Button - Melee Attack
Start Button - Pause
D-Pad (horizontal) - Move
D-Pad (down) - Crouch
Right Analog Stick - Move Camera
R3 Button - Reset Camera

---Flying Controls---
O Button (with direction) - Burst Dash
Square Button - Burst Shot
Square Button (hold) - Charge Burst Beam
Square Button (release hold) - Fire Burst Beam
D-Pad - Move

NOTE: R1 Button and R2 button do the exact same thing as the O Button.  L2
does the same thing as the Square Button, and L1 does the same thing as the
Triangle Button.  The Left Analog Stick does the same thing as the D-Pad.
Using the triggers as alternate buttons can be very helpful during the flying
stages; otherwise, you'd have to hold O and Square at the same time.  Not a
really comfortable combination, is it?

---Description of Moves---
Burst Assist immediately stops any fall and can be maintained a bit by
holding X longer.  You will hover slightly above where you stopped if you
hold X long enough.
Depletes roughly 15% of the Burst Meter.

Burst Vortex will make Sparkster spin in place for a few seconds.  He is
invincible to almost anything while performing it, but he will always lose
all momentum upon beginning one.
Depletes 20% of the Burst Meter.

Rail Spin will stop Sparkster's movement across the pole and whip him around
it several times.  If you jump while spinning, you jump a lot higher than 
normal.  You are not invincible while performing this move, but you can hurt
enemies with it.
Depletes 20% of the Burst Meter.

Rocket Burst is heavily needed in the game.  It can be used to jump higher
or jump long distances.  If you diagonally run into a wall, you will ricochet
off the walls and gain a little bit of distance with each ricochet as well.
Depletes 20% of the Burst Meter.

Burst Drill is like a slower version of Rocket Burst, but twice as powerful.
While you are spinning, you are invincible to any normal attack.  Level-based
hazards are still dangerous, though.
Depletes 30% of the Burst Meter.

Burst Shot shoots a large, colorful plasma bullet at the enemy.  It is the
weakest attack in the game, but it has a long range.  It is the only Burst
move that Sparkster can use more than once without touching ground first.
Depletes 10% of the Burst Meter in platforming mode.
Depletes roughly 1% of the Burst Meter in flying mode.

Melee Attack is just a simple slash of the sword.
Does not affect Burst Meter.

Burst Beam is the strong attack of the flying stages.
Depletes 33% of the Burst Meter.

Burst Dash allows you to go faster in flying stages.
Depletes 20% of the Burst Meter per second.  Requires that you have at
least 20% to initiate it.

*****
*****
***** Enemies [bdgyz]
*****
*****

For every enemy, there's a general way to defeat it.  Learning this is very
important to beating the game, especially in Gold mode.

---Gray Wolf---
He charges at you at makes a deep lunge at you with his sword.  You can jump
over its lunge and Melee Attack as you fall back down to counterattack.  This
enemy will jump over some of your Rocket Bursts.  A Burst Drill will take one
of these enemies down.

---Gray Ninja Wolf---
These wolves attach themselves to the ceiling or wall and throw shuriken at
you.  You can either dodge them, crouch under them, or Burst Vortex so that
the shuriken will go right through you.  Burst Vortex is usually the best
option.  If you get close enough to one while you're on the ground, they'll
drop off the wall or ceiling and simply act like a normal Gray Wolf.

---Brown Wolf (Dynamite)---
He doesn't move as much as a Gray Wolf would, but does throw dynamite.  You
can either Burst Vortex or Melee Attack to send the dynamite back to him.

---Brown Wolf (Rocket Launcher)---
This enemy never moves.  When the fuse is lit, he'll shoot a missile at you.
If you Burst Drill through the missile, you will not be harmed.  It's not
uncommon to see these enemies standing on a ledge.  If possible, destroying
them from below is often the best way.

---Brown Wolf (Hamster Wheel)---
This enemy will always follow you and cannot jump.  Often there is a pit or
other hazard that you can direct this enemy into.  These have the most hit
points as well.

---Gray Wolf 1 (Flying)---
This enemy shoots bullets at you and is always airborne.  You can either give
him enough Burst Shots, or you can jump over him and hit him in the back
with a Melee Attack.

---Gray Wolf 2 (Flying)---
This enemy drops bombs onto you.  Just avoid the bomb by moving left or
right, and counterattack if it's safe to.

---Armored Pig Soldier---
This enemy never moves.  His shield is impenetrable, and he shoots at you.
Jump over him and hit him in the back instead.

---Pig Soldier---
He shoots bullets at you.  A Burst Drill should get you through the bullets
and destroy him along with it.

---Pig Soldier (Bomb)---
He throws bombs at you and also does not move.  A Burst Vortex or Melee
Attack will send his own bomb back to him.

---Pig with Electric Hand---
This enemy chases after you with his electric hand.  The intermittent
electric field makes his hitbox a little too large for Burst Drills or Melee
Attacks to be safe, so hit him with a bunch of Burst Shots instead.

---Pig with Wings---
These Pig Soldiers have wings on them and shoot clusters of purple bullets.
Some can cloak themselves.  Their image should be still fairly obvious
though.  If they get the effect of the entire shot of the Burst Beam, they
will die in one hit.  Only found in The Pig Fleet.

---Pig Walker---
He will either shoot bullets or missiles.  Bullets can be dodged with a Burst
Vortex.  Missiles will need to be jumped over.  You can only damage him in
the head.  If you jump over him, he will stop and turn around.  If he has an
Electric Shield over his head, hit the red switch on the back of the walker
before trying to hurt him.

---Pig Cruiser---
These one-man ships fly around and shoot rockets at you.  Basically, just
dodge and Burst Beam them.  Only found in The Pig Fleet.

---Pig Fly---
These circular robot fly things will home in on you and make a distinct sound
when one has noticed you.  They can be killed many different ways.

*****
*****
***** Items and Scoring [itemz]
*****
*****

Well, you ought to know what these are.  These things either replenish
Sparkster's stats or give him points.

---Scoring---
Whenever you destroy an enemy or collect an item, a number will appear below
your score, followed by a multipler starting at x1.0.  A multiplier meter
will be shown next to the multiplier, and when it depletes, the combo is
totaled and added to your score.  If you collect more points before the
multiplier meter empties, the multipler will go up by 0.1 and the meter will
fill and then start emptying again.  Why wasn't the original Rocket Knight
Adventures like this?  Truly a much more balanced scoring system than the
great original.

---Blue Gem---
Adds 70 points (50 points in Normal mode).  Collect all the Blue Gems in the
stage and you will get an Extra Life at the score tally screen.

---Red Gem---
Adds 1,000 points (500 points in Normal mode).  Collect all the Red Gems in
the stage and you will get an Extra Life at the score tally screen.

---Small Heart---
Adds two more hit points to your health and 500 points.

---Big Heart---
Adds four more hit points to your health and 2,000 points (1,000 points in
Normal mode).

---Extra Life---
Collecting the token with Sparkster's head on it will grant you an Extra
Life, as shown in the top left corner.  Adds 1,500 points (750 points in
Normal mode).

---Burst Meter Refill---
Collecting the token with Sparkster's jet pack will immediately refill the
Burst Meter.  Adds 500 points in all modes.  Only found in Wolf Fortress.

*****
*****
*****STAGES
*****
*****

***** Stage 1.1: Zephyrus - Countryside [stg11]
So, the first stage is supposed to be the easiest, right?  Actually, this
level's difficulty is the median among all of them in Gold Mode because of
the large amount of enemies.  At least it has all the necessary elements of
a tutorial, which first levels should be, yet with all the fun and gimmicks
that a substantial level requires.  I wish more level designers would do
this.

---Start of Level---
Jump upwards as high as you can, then Rocket Burst upwards.  That was an
easy reward, wasn't it?  Deal with the first bunch of enemies all with
horizontal Rocket Bursts, until you come to the Brown Wolf with dynamite.
Hit him with a Melee Attack instead.  Then hit the next wolf with a Rocket
Burst and attack the next Brown Wolf with dynamite from below.  There's going
to be a Brown Wolf on a haystack coming soon and it would be wise to reflect
the dynamite back onto him.

---First Checkpoint---
When you come to the sign that tells you how to Rocket Burst, Rocket Burst
straight upwards to kill two wolves at once.  Deal with the next Brown Wolf
with dynamite below, then attack the next three wolves in a row from below.
Jump down each Rail (hold down and press X), and walk across the ground,
Rocket Bursting when necessary.  Now you can go up the little rail maze if
you wish for some goodies, but it is slightly more dangerous.  One of those
goodies happens to be an Extra Life, though.  You'll eventually come to a
tree stump.  Be careful on how you attack the Gray Ninja Wolf, because if
you time it wrong, the Brown Wolf above will clobber you with his dynamite.
I would recommend using the rails and then just Bursting diagonally over the
top of them.

---Second Checkpoint---
A rather unwelcome gift approaches you at the second checkpoint.  Duck, jump
over, or Burst Vortex the shuriken.  Also, every time you move up a tier in
this area, there will always be yet another Gray Ninja Wolf coming for you.
The Ninja Wolves appear in order from ground level to fourth floor as
follows: right wall, left wall, right wall, right wall.  At the very top is a
Brown Wolf with dynamite, so proceed with caution.  Once you get outside,
follow the rails, being mindful of the shuriken coming from the right side of
the screen.  You should then land on top of the hill that tells you how to do
a Burst Shot.  Kill the Brown Wolf.  Proceed forward along the ground.  Keep
your eyes out for a Gray Wolf that will seem to come from out of nowhere.

---Third Checkpoint---
Go up the elevators, and you'll see some rather sharp-looking (and cartoony)
guillotines.  Some enemies are going to be between them, shooting things at
you.  When you want to dodge their projectiles, just Burst Vortex.  To attack
them, do a Burst Drill when the guillotines have retracted.  If there are no
obvious enemies on the other side of a guillotine, just do a Rocket Burst.
Next come the Brown Wolves with dynamite in the gaps.  It can be difficult to
time, but often you want to reflect their dynamite back into them if
possible.  After that, you should know how to deal with the last few enemies.

---Fourth Checkpoint---
So now you should be at a sign teaching you how to Burst Assist.  I wouldn't
do that if I were you.  I would Burst Drill to the other side instead.  In
fact, I would recommend that you attack most of the following enemies with
Burst Drills; deal with most of the dynamite-throwing wolves with Melee
Attacks.  Oh, and hint: when you reach the rail, Rocket Burst diagonally left
along the path of the Blue Gems to get a Big Heart.  As soon as you collect
the Big Heart, Burst Assist so that you can see what you're landing on.
If you are falling from the upper to lower route, you really need to Burst
Assist during the middle of the fall; otherwise, you risk landing in the
green goo below.

---Fifth Checkpoint---
Keep using the same strategy.  If you take the upper route, you'll notice a
rail.  At the end of it, jump down so that you do not land onto the large
flat stretch ahead.  Below the ledge on the wall is an Extra Life that would
have been in plain sight if you had taken the lower route.  If you launch
yourself off the rail, you can get a Small Heart and if you jump and Rocket
Burst diagonally right, you can snag a few more gems too.  The last part
awaits, where you must defeat all enemies on screen.  Deal with enemies as
necessary, keeping in mind that Gray Wolves will jump over horizontal Rocket
Bursts.  End of level, and you get to see Axel Gear, still retaining his deep
hatred of Sparkster.

***** Stage 1.2: Zephyrus - Tree Tops [stg12]
And this stage is even harder.  Well, this stage is mostly straightforward,
too.  I really don't know what to say other than make sure you charge up your
Burst Beam and use it often, and that the explosion of the floating bombs
does hurt Sparkster if he's too close.  You can also move vertically while
you're shooting the Burst Beam for a greater area-of-effect.  Also, charge it
up as soon as you use another.  Keep in mind that pressing R1 (Burst Dash)
will make you go faster; it can be really helpful in dodging projectiles.

---Axel Gear Mini-Boss---
The hardest part of this stage is the Axel Gear mini-boss, which is a rather
large spike in difficulty.  I still don't entirely know how to tackle the
Gas Attacks in Gold Mode yet, I apologize.  If someone can give me some
helpful hints, I would really, really like to know.  But if you have really
good aim, you can consistently have a 25% or higher success rate.  By this
time, you hopefully should have six lives, and as such, you will not waste a
continue.  Whenever you have a reasonable chance, hit him with a Burst Beam.

Attack: Burst Drill
When he does it: When he lunges backwards
How to dodge it: Just move to dodge it, but tap R1 when you do so.  This way
you can go faster, but you don't run your Burst Meter completely out.  You
need to dodge him five consecutive times to make Axel deplete HIS Burst
Meter.

Attack: Sweeping Burst Beam
When he does it: When he stops and you hear it charging
How to dodge it: Immediately move up or down, and stay at a safe spot near
the right.

Attack: Gas Attack (Fish Shape)
When he does it: Random
How to dodge the Burst Drill afterwards: Make sure you are inside the circle,
near the bottom.  When Axel begins his Burst Drill, move upwards.  Continue
in a clockwise pattern.
How to dodge the Burst Beam afterwards: Make sure you are inside the circle,
near the bottom.  When Axel begins his Burst Beam, move upwards.

Attack: Gas Attack (Bowtie Shape)
When he does it: Random
How to dodge the Burst Drill afterwards: Unknown.  Coming later.
How to dodge the Burst Beam afterwards: Unknown.  Coming later.

Attack: Gas Attack (Parabola Shape)
When he does it: Random
How to dodge the Burst Drill afterwards: In the middle of the parabola, you
can keep moving in a narrow, horizontal, clockwise rectangular shape to dodge
all five Burst Drills.
How to dodge the Burst Beam afterwards: In the middle of the parabola, move
closer to Axel Gear and then go either up or down to be in a safe spot.  Make
sure that when the Burst Beam ends that you have backed up significantly.

Attack: Purple Ring Blast
When he does it: If he's not attacking and you are too close to him
How to dodge it: Burst Dash and move forward.

***** Stage 1.3: Zephyrus - Zephyrian City [stg13]

The capital of Zephyrus has a lie printed all over it.  Do the people really
think that Axel Gear saved them and that Sparkster failed?  Do they not know
that Axel Gear has been an evil possum for over two decades?  Apparently not.
Well, what Sparkster will appreciate is the fact that this level is easier
than the other two.

---Start of Level---
Jump over the gems, then Melee Attack at the first enemy, Rocket Bursting
until you hit the first wolf on a ledge.  Keep going and you'll eventually
have to climb upwards.  Above the top right corner of a fireball is a red
gem.  If you Rocket Burst diagonally into that, you'll also collect a Small
Heart along with it.  On the other side of the ledge with the heart is a Gray
Ninja wolf; deal with him appropriately.  Rocket Burst diagonally upwards;
continue right through the archway and into the first checkpoint.

---First Checkpoint---
Rocket Burst the Brown Wolf from below, then continue to the gap filled by
wooden planks, where you will be forcibly stopped to watch a fireball come
through.  Go down the gap, then go right to avoid a dynamite that was coming
after you.  Dodge or reflect the dynamite; then go left.  On the tier below,
deal with the next enemies carefully.  For the Gray Wolves, you want to block
the shuriken with a Burst Vortex and then attack.  On the tier below that,
Burst Drill into the gem pattern, then defeat the Gray Wolf on the wall.  Go
into the pit below where the Gray Wolf was; then go back up; and surprise,
surprise, a Brown Wolf.  Deal with him like you usually would, then continue
downward.  Just go immediately right, not caring about the enemies on the
left.  You should now be at an area with a hovering Small Heart.  Jump and
Rocket Burst to collect it; then fall down.  As soon as you land, enemies
will come.  Use the Burst Vortex as your first and primary attack, just
because of how many Brown Wolves there are.  After that is the second
checkpoint!

---Second Checkpoint---
Just run straight up to the Brown Wolf and clobber him with a Melee Atack.
Burst Drill diagonally left into the next wolf and then Burst Drill
diagonally right onto the upper tier, where you can deal with a Brown Wolf.
Go forward and Melee Attack most of the enemies.  Once you cannot go farther
right, you must go down.  But there's a Brown Wolf with dynamite there, so be
careful when jumping down.  Deal with him; then continue right, where a Brown
Wolf with a rocket launcher awaits.  Hit the next Brown Wolf with a Melee
Attack.  This way, you can dodge the shuriken coming from a Gray Ninja Wolf
on the near wall with a Burst Vortex.  Oh, but before you go down the
elevators, Rocket Burst upwards along the right wall for a surprise.

---Third Checkpoint---
How would you feel if a statue of you has had its head knocked off and also
been pushed aside by the statue of your mortal enemy?  However you answer
that, you have another thing to worry about.  Pretty much as soon as you
enter the room, you'll need to Burst Vortex to block a shuriken coming from
the ceiling.  Next up is a Brown Wolf with a rocket launcher and a shuriken-
throwing wolf immediately after that.  The game tells you to ricochet through
the path of Blue Gems to get to the top.  If you try this on Gold Mode,
you'll land straight on top of a shuriken.  Simply Rocket Burst straight up,
and upon landing, do a Burst Vortex.  You should know what to do from here.
The same goes for the next shaft.  Now just fall down the next shafts, and
deal with each Gray Wolf as they appear.  When you get into the next large
area after going up the next shaft, you will find that Burst Vortex will
continue to come in handy once again.  You can actually Rocket Burst right
into the Brown Wolf on the top ledge and not deal with the others, too.  That
might be easier.  You'll find some more fun vertical shafts to go down.  Keep
in mind that when you jump forward to reach the heart, that a Gray Wolf will
be climbing right into that spot.  These next shafts will actually require
ricochet at this point.  Enter another rather large amount of wolves, where
once again, Burst Vortex will be quite helpful.

---Fourth Checkpoint---
Oh, yay, we're outside again.  First of all, kill the two Brown Wolves in
your way.  Then go about an inch left of the bend in the rail and do a Rail
Spin.  Jump upwards, and Rocket Burst upwards towards an extra life at the
top.  Usually, though, if you do that, a Flying Gray Wolf will be coming
after you, so on the fall back down, Melee Attack at just the right spot.
Slide the rails all the way down, making sure to always keep a lookout for
enemies on the way.  If you need to, you can always stop mid-slide by moving
the other direction.

---Fifth Checkpoint---
Burst Drill; Melee Attack; Upwards Burst Drill.  Defeat the next three Brown
Wolves in that order.  Don't go up the shaft until the Brown Wolf above is on
the leftmost part of that ledge.  When you activate the moving platform, keep
in mind a Brown Wolf with dynamite will be on the next ledge, and a Brown
Wolf with a rocket launcher will be on the one after that.  I would recommend
doing a Melee Attack on the dynamite wolf so that you can have a better time
to use whichever Burst Move to deal with the rocket launcher wolf.  The next
shaft is a little tricky to pull off without getting hit.  It just needs to
be timed right, otherwise, you will land into the second Ninja Wolf's
shuriken.  I would definitely recommend tackling the next shaft by going
straight up.  There is one more shaft after that.  Defeat the Gray Ninja Wolf
by Rocket Bursting straight up the side of the right wall.  Now don't go up
the shaft just yet.  There is a Brown Wolf with dynamite rather cheaply
placed at the top.  Get him to move by Rocket Bursting into the top corner of
the left wall and landing back down to where you were.  He can see you doing
that.  After enough times, you'll see him move backwards.  When you find a
chance, just go up the last shaft along the moving wooden wall straight up
and then just plow forward.  Note there is a Ninja Wolf on the ceiling.
Finally, get to the end of the level and just defeat the enemies on screen.
End of level.

***** Stage 1.4: Zephyrus - Forest Shredder [stg14]
All hits must be made to the face to count.  The easiest way to beat it is to
get it to do an Arm Sweep over and over again until it dies.  Really, this
boss can be beaten just like old Don Flamenco from Punch-Out!!

Hard Mode Unlock Trick: Hit him with his own dynamite.

Attack: Rocket Launcher
When he does it: If you are standing far away from him.
How to dodge it: A Burst Vortex alone will work, but not in Gold Mode.  You
have to dodge a few first.

Attack: Dynamite Throw
When he does it: If you are standing far away from him.
How to dodge it: You could just simply dodge it, or you could Burst Vortex or
Melee Attack them right back into him.

Attack: Arm Sweep
When he does it: If you are standing an arm's length from him.
How to dodge it: Jump over it and immediately do a Burst Drill into his face.
When you land, he'll have already retracted his arm, so you will not be hurt.
If you stand there afterwards, he'll probably do it again.

Attack: Saw Launch
When he does it: If you are standing far away from him.
How to dodge it: Jump over it.  When it hits the wooden trunk, it's
completely harmless and you can use the saw as a ledge.

***** Stage 2.1: Wolf Kingdom - The Counter Attack [stg21]
Now THIS one is the easiest stage in the game.  Even the par time is
ridiculously generous.  Odd difficulty curve, don't you think? Well, in other
notes, now we know why Axel Gear is so popular among the people.  He's taking
credit for some of Sparkster's triumphs.  What a jerk!  Sparkster still has
no idea that that's what's going on, either!  He does know that it's off to
war against the Wolf Army, so he bravely joins Devotindos in the counter
attack.

---Start of Level---
This is one of the harder parts of the stage.  Don't charge after the Brown
Wolf; just let him throw the dynamite and reflect it while a Flying Wolf
bombs the wall next to said Brown Wolf.  Just jump over the second Brown
Wolf, noting there are still more Flying Wolves you must keep an eye out for.
Attack the next Wolves with Rocket Bursts, and enemies on ledges should be
hit from below.  When you reach the two rails, you have a choice.  You can do
a Rail Spin on one of the rails; jump very high; Rocket Burst diagonally
upwards; and Burst Assist at the top to go over the pole.  This is harder to
pull off, but it is safer.  Or, you can go down and attack the enemies below.
They happen to consist of a Brown Wolf with dynamite, a Brown Wolf with a
rocket launcher, a Gray Ninja Wolf, another Gray Wolf that climbs up from the
bottom of the stage, and some burning wood.  Now there are some more enemies
to deal with, one of which happens to be a Brown Wolf in a hamster wheel.
There are three ways to destroy this one.  You can either just Melee Attack
him a lot (not recommended); you can stand under the barrel of the cannon you
just passed and THEN Melee Attack him into oblivion; or you can lead him into
the pit ahead.

---First Checkpoint---
So there are two Gray Wolves.  Deal with them as you normally would.  Burst
Drill forward into the bustable wood maze.  Go up two levels, go a bit
forward, then Burst Drill your way down.  Note that at the bottom is a Gray
Ninja Wolf with a Brown Wolf throwing dynamite.  Burst Drilling diagonally
into the Gray Wolf will allow you to bounce any dynamite that might be
simultaneously coming your way.  Go forward, then keep going up.  Don't
forget the Small Heart!  If you decide to go up to the floor below the roof
and continue forward, you will find yourself facing a Brown Wolf with a
rocket launcher, but if you defeat him quickly, the Gray Wolves bombing you
from above can't hurt you.  They're just breaking the wood above you!  Well,
next up is another Brown Wolf in a hamster wheel.  The pit in question is
just past the Rail, marked by two bustable wooden blocks.  Alternatively, you
can just go through the bustable gray wall ahead; he can't fit through that!
Just keep in mind that guarding the higher ground is a Flying Wolf and a
Brown Wolf with a rocket launcher.

---Second Checkpoint---
Let the pulley carry you to the top, doing a Burst Vortex when necessary to
dodge enemy fire.  Proceed forward.  Before you go up to the next tier, keep
in mind a Brown Wolf with dynamite stands guard.  Once again, you can Burst
Drill diagonally into the Gray Ninja Wolf and end up deflecting the dynamite
in the process.  See all the pile of rocks stacked against the wall?  Break
them, and you'll start the second pulley.  Keep going upwards, keeping in
mind enemies are along the way.  At the top, Rail Spin on the rail to get a
higher jump distance and proceed forward at the very top tier.

---Third Checkpoint---
There are a lot of Flying Wolves bombing the way forward, so proceed with
caution.  Rocket Bursts forward are a good way to evade the bombs.  At the
end of the long, flat stretch is a Brown Wolf with a Rocket Launcher.
Diagonally up and to the right is a Gray Ninja Wolf, so I would recommend
Burst Drilling along the path of the Blue Gems.  Diagonally up and to the
left is a Brown Wolf that throws dynamite, so be careful.  Even while you
destroy the Gray Wolf, be careful when landing.  At the top is a Brown Wolf
with a Rocket Launcher; you know what to do, and then more Flying Wolves come
bombing the way from above.  If you decide to take the upper route, you must
deal with two Brown Wolves who throw dynamite.  This way is more dangerous,
but there are far more goodies.  The lower route just has a Brown Wolf in a
hamster wheel, which you can just promptly jump over and proceed forward
without even dealing with him.  Just remember that when you get to the ledge
to fall down, you become vulnerable to one of the Brown Wolves with dynamite
if you've taken the lower route, so be careful.

---Fourth Checkpoint---
This section is really quite easy, and no special strategy is needed.  If you
want a lot of points, then go ahead and destroy all the enemies and cannons.
The level will end there.  If you just want to beat the level quickly and
safely, just go forward (dealing with enemies as they appear, etc.) and at
the very far right, go upwards.  Burst Drill into the rectangular rock above,
and the logs will come crashing down and destroy the Airship.  End of level.

***** Stage 2.2: Wolf Kingdom - Airship Armada [stg22]
Time to crank the difficulty level back up on this one again.  It is easier
than Stage 1.2, yes, but still a bit tough.  This one isn't quite so
straightforward as the last shmup stage, so here we go.

---Start of Level---
Like how most of Tree Tops goes, use the same strategy of liberally using
Burst Beams.  Each hazard gives itself more than enough time to react.

---First Checkpoint---
An Extra Life is only a few seconds after this checkpoint.  It's behind one
of the clouds and only shows itself for about a second.  Make sure to pick it
up.  It's best to dodge the bombing Flying Wolves by moving up and down.

---Second Checkpoint---
Make sure not to forget the Big Heart near the bottom.  This one's also just
right after you hit this checkpoint.  Another wave of Wolves hit, first from
the right, then from the left, and more from the right again.  Now here come
the cannons.  If the cannnon can see you and you hit it with a Burst Shot,
the cannon will always fire back one shot.  It's best to charge your Burst
Beam just slightly away from the cannon (so the Burst Shot doesn't hit it)
and then fire.

---Third Checkpoint---
Next airship!  Ignore the first cannon and just deal with destroying all the
Wolves on deck first.  Then as Sparkster flies past all the three cannons,
go to the very top!  Not only will you have a much larger area to dodge the
cannons, but you may fool some of the cannons into not even seeing you!  If
you stay near the middle (or middle right), the Flying Wolves coming from the
bottom will not touch you either.  Once you get to the other side of the
ship, a bunch of Flying Wolves will come after you.  Then the anchor of three
bombs will drop; focus on destroying it.  If you destroy the anchor, you beat
the level.

***** Stage 2.3: Wolf Kingdom - Wolf Fortress [stg23]
Don't you think that fall would have hurt a lot worse?  I mean, he just gets
back up like nothing happened.  Hearing him scream on the way down really
makes me curious to hear what he would sound like when he speaks.  But yeah,
this stage is really, really cold.  Because of that, it's the only one where
you need to really pay attention to the Burst Meter all the time because it
does not recharge unless you stand by heat.  This cool gimmick, along with
the incredible distance between checkpoints, makes it one of the absolute
hardest stages in the game.

---Start of Level---
Charge up your Burst Meter by standing near the torch.  Burst Drill through
the breakable wall, and go upwards.  But before you Burst Drill through the
third wall, you might find something interesting at the top of the level.  I
would highly advise grabbing it.  Collect the Burst Meter Refill; go forward;
and at any reasonable time, go upwards!  You get five Rocket Bursts before
you run the Burst Meter out.  As you get to the rails on top, jump from rail
to rail, and make sure you collect the Burst Meter Refill.  On the last rail,
make sure you jump right at the end as far as you can, and make a single
Rocket Burst diagonally up to a ledge with a torch and a stuck moving
platform.  Break the wall and follow the moving platform to a Brown Wolf with
dynamite (which you will promptly kill) and the first checkpoint.

---First Checkpoint---
YOu can use Rocket Bursts fairly liberally here to destroy enemies because
the rotating platform wheel has a Burst Meter Refill in the middle.  For the
stationary Gray Flying Wolf, just jump and lay a Melee Attack right before
you land on top of him.  At the top of the platform, do a quick Burst Drill
into the Brown Wolf with the rocket launcher ahead.  Recharge your rocket
pack at the torch, then do a ricochet Rocket Burst to climb up the shaft.
Don't go up all the way the first time, though.  Jump on top of the moving
platform, go to the left edge and Rocket Burst upwards.  There's a Big Heart
for you.  Then just go up the shaft again, and this time DO go up all the
way.  You can just jump between the two rotating platform wheels.  At the top
of the second wheel, go upwards and to the right, but keep in mind there is a
Brown Wolf guarding the place, so be careful.  At the torch, you can Burst
Drill and Rocket Burst the next two enemies to your heart's content, then
refill your pack once again, and ricochet up the shaft.  When you go up the
second shaft, land on the moving platform and Rocket Burst to the left.  That
should be coming in handy.  Further to the right is a large rotating platform
wheel with...YAY TORCHES!  You can fill up on hearts and points here as well.
When you are done, proceed to the right into the Wolf Fortress.

---Second Checkpoint---
It's...still just as cold as it is outside.  Anyway, there are some Gray
Wolves that you must deal with quickly, so do so.  At the wall of bombs, you
can just fire a Burst Shot at them.  Jump up the rails, and keep climbing
forward on them to lead a Brown Wolf in a hamster wheel to the same method of
destruction.  At the bottom of the shaft is a couple enemies that you can
deal with.  Rocket Burst diagonally along the path of the Blue Gems and you
won't get hurt.  When you land on the ledge, stop!  There are some cannons to
the right firing several fireballs to the left.  I would NOT Rocket Burst to
get through them.  Just tap X to do a small jump and jump between the pairs
of fireballs.  When you're in the small pits, you can crouch to dodge the
fireballs.  At the last pit, Rocket Burst upwards and then Rocket Burst past
the Gray Ninja Wolves.  Seriously, don't bother with trying to actually
defeat them.  Use the same only-jump strategy to get through the next wave.
(Hint: In the first small pit on the second wave, Rocket Burst upwards for a
Small Heart.)  You really can do this without getting hurt.  When you land on
the cannons, IMMEDIATELY do a Burst Vortex or you will be clobbered by
several shuriken.  Then proceed forward and downwards to a much-deserved
torch.  Guarding the torch is a Brown Wolf with a rocket launcher, so Burst
Vortex in defense and Melee Attack to counter.  Guarding the first and second
shafts upwards is a Gray Ninja Wolf.  A diagonal Rocket Burst will do the
trick for attack, and a Burst Vortex should be good for the dodge.  Oh, and
how nice, there is a torch right at the third shaft.  But don't go up the
third shaft yet, because a Brown Wolf in a hamster wheel has a word with you.
Lead him down the maze and into the pit of bombs below the rail.  Now go back
up all the way.  At the very top, it is very important that you immediately
Rocket Burst to the right as soon as you land.  This will cause the Gray
Ninja Wolf to fall down right behind you, which you will immediately Melee
Attack afterwards.  Burst Vortex to dodge the second Gray Ninja Wolf, and
then counter.  Do NOT hurt the third Gray Wolf.  Shoot the bombs with a Burst
Shot.  It will destroy the platform, and the Gray Wolf will fall down into
the bomb pit below.  It is now safe to go down.

---Third Checkpoint---
That was a pretty long distance between checkpoints, don't you think?  So
here come the waves of enemies.  Defeat the Brown Wolf, then the Gray Wolf.
Stay in the middle.  Defeat the Brown Wolf with the sword, the Gray Wolf, and
then the Brown Wolf with the dynamite.  Stay near the left.  Defeat both
dynamite-throwing Brown Wolves with a Burst Drill; then stay on the high
ground and defeat the enemies below.  As soon as you defeat the enemies, make
sure you're not on the top step anymore because of the next Brown Wolf
coming.  Another wave of enemies comes, so Melee Attack the Gray Wolf first
and then the dynamite-throwing one.  Next comes the Wolves on four ledges.
From the right edge, attack those wolves from below and focus on getting that
Big Heart.  Keep in mind you will often have to jump over the dynamite.
After all enemies are defeated, stay in the middle.  Two wolves with rocket
launchers come up from opposite sides.  Immediately Burst Drill one of them
and make sure you land on that ledge (this makes it easier to jump over the
other Brown Wolf's rocket).  Here comes an area with three rails, a torch,
and two Burst Meter Refills.  This is the arena where you will fight a Brown
Wolf in a hamster wheel.  The safest way (and longest way) to do this is to
attack him from the lower rails with a Burst Shot.  When he comes too close,
use the upper rail to go to the other side and repeat.  The torch will make
sure you don't run out of the Burst Meter.  As soon as you defeat him, a
Brown Wolf with dynamite will fall into the middle right.  Right after that,
prepare to Burst Vortex; there are two Brown Wolves with rocket launchers
above.  After defeating all the enemies (there will be a few others), proceed
forward at the top and you will face Ulfgar the Merciless.  End of level.

***** Stage 2.4: Wolf Kingdom - The Wolf King [stg24]
Ulfgar the Merciless is different from all the other Rocket Knight bosses for
the sole fact that he is invincible to all of Sparkster's direct attacks.
Instead, you get one of his own attacks hit himself.  I wish it were as epic
as the way Sonic and Knuckles pulled off the Flying Battery Zone Act 1 boss,
but whatever, right?

Hard Mode Unlock Trick: When he's standing on a cracked rock on one of the
upper tiers, Burst Drill from below and he will fall down.

Attack: Dynamite Throw
When he does it: Random
How to counter it: Hit the dynamite with a Melee Attack or Burst Vortex.
It's just that simple.

Attack: Fist Pound
When he does it: When you are right next to him.
How to dodge it: Just dodge it like you would normally.

Attack: Bull Charge
When he does it: When he crouches down.
How to counter it: Burst Vortex is the easiest way.  You can also jump or
Rocket Burst over him if you want to make it more exciting.  Get him to run
into a rock or a wall and he will be hurt.

Attack: Loud Roar
When he does it: Random
How to dodge it: Avoid being on the uppermost tier.  Dodge the falling rocks
by moving left and right.


***** Stage 3.1: Deep Underground - Pig Bunker [stg31]
Did the Devotindos Empire really convince another nation to attack Zephyrus
just so that they could kill Sparkster?  That's seriously messed up, but
Sparkster is the only thing stopping Devotindos from taking over Elhorn.
Fortunately, Sparkster is still alive.  If anything, this level is nice and
warm again.  Actually, warm enough that it might give Sparkster several
second-degree burns.  Any glowing red metal is hot and will hurt Sparkster
on contact.  You might enjoy the fact that this level does not have very many
enemies throughout most of it.

---Start of Level---
Move left and right to collect as many gems as you can; at the bottom, slide
down the rail into the first checkpoint.

---First Checkpoint---
Burst Drill into the bottom enemy, then from below, Burst Drill the one on
the ledge.  Burst Drill diagonally into the switch, following the path shown
by the blue gems, which will kill the following enemy.  After going through
the door, defeat the enemies and Rocket Burst along the pole, past the camera
enemy.  Hit the switch to activate the moving platform.  On the next tier,
there are more Pigs.  Burst Drill into the shooting Pig first, then defeat
the bomb-throwing Pig Soldier afterwards.  After the diagonal ricochet,
immediately charge and do another Burst Drill, which will hit the next switch
and kill the Pig Soldier guarding it. When you go back, another enemy will
appear; quickly defeat it.  Then after that, skip past the cameras; ricochet
to the ledge above; Burst Vortex to dodge the fire; then kill the Pig
Soldier.  Use another Burst Vortex to reflect the bomb right back into the
next Pig's face.  Hit the switch and go back, taking the elevator to the next
tier, collecting a Small Heart and touching the next checkpoint.

---Second Checkpoint---
Yay, it's just like Oil Ocean Zone from Sonic 2!  Burst Vortex to attack the
Pig Flies and to dodge fire.  Attack the Pigs with a Burst Drill.  Jump
between caps using Burst Assist.

---Third Checkpoint---
Keep using the same techniques.  For the horizontally moving caps, do a
diagonal ricochet on them when the cap you stand on reaches its highest
point.

---Fourth Checkpoint---
Slide down the rails.  Actually if you keep right, you will find a platform.
You can jump and Burst Drill due right over the hot ledge to get an Extra
Life.  Time it right and you won't get hit.  Afterwards, fall down to the
third checkpoint and head left, then upwards on the leftmost cap.

---Fifth Checkpoint---
Slide down the rails again.  Follow the horizontally moving platforms, and
kill the Pig fly with a couple Burst Vortexes.  Hit the switch; go right; and
fall back down to the third checkpoint.  Continue right.

---Sixth Checkpoint---
Go through each teleporter, destroying the each room's core with a Burst
Drill.  Returning from a room with the core destroyed counts as the seventh
and eighth checkpoints.  Afterwards, it's pretty much the end of the level.

-----Top Teleporter-----
Kill the bomb-throwing Pig first.  Rocket Burst through the area with three
blue gems (it's the safest way).  Jump on the orbiting platforms at the right
time and the camera enemy will miss, hitting only the bottom of the platform
you're standing on.  At this point, you can jump down to the bottom platform
and Rocket Burst due right at the right edge.  Burst Drill the enemy waiting
for you.  Now to climb upwards.  I would recommend skipping the bottom-tiered
platform and just Rocket Bursting straight up to the middle-tiered platform.
Then Rocket Burst, following the path of the gems, but Burst Assist at the
top to kill gravity.  Land on the top platform, and hit the switch.  As you
move back down, Burst Assist where necessary.  Keep moving right, and destroy
the core with a Burst Drill, then go through the teleporter.

-----Middle Teleporter-----
Hit the first switch, and Rocket Burst diagonally up and to the left.
Continue right, outrunning the missile after you and climb to the next tier
at the edge of this tier.  Hit the switch; continue left; and climb to the
next tier.  At the top tier, there is a Small Heart icon.  Get it, but don't
fall down to the right, as that's going to be suicidal.  Instead, land back
on the top tier and fall down off the left edge.  Rocket Burst from the
bottom over the core, then Rocket Burst to the right for the last switch.
Then get out of there!  Do whatever necessary not to get hurt.  Before you go
through the teleporter, though, make sure the core is destroyed, either by
Burst Drill or by the missiles coming from hostile surveillance cameras.

-----Bottom Teleporter-----
Kill all enemies.  Burst Drill into the bottom enemy; you'll go right through
the rocket and kill him.  Then Burst Vortex the bomb right back to the top
enemy.  Then stand in the middle, and wave 2 comes.  Burst Drill the enemy on
the left; dodge the rockets from the right; Burst Drill the one on the right;
kill the enemy on the ledge; then finish off the Pig fly.  Then stay higher
up, and wave 3 comes.  Kill both Pig Flies, then Burst Shot the Pig with an
Electric Hand into oblivion.  The orchestral jingle sounds, so you can Burst
Drill the core at the very far left.

---Last Area---
This Pig walker shoots groups of four bullets.  Burst Vortex to dodge them
(and the Pig Fly).  Rocket Burst him in the head to hurt him.  Jump over him
to stop him from attacking and turn around, leaving him a bit vulnerable.
End of stage.

***** Stage 3.2: Deep Underground - Cyberswine Labs [stg32]
IMPORTANT NOTE! As I said in the beginning of the walkthrough, if you're
trying to use this walkthrough in order to obtain the Nimble Knight trophy,
don't look here.  The enemy placement in Normal mode is always significantly
different from Gold mode and is going to make a giant difference because you
must have perfect memorization of the stage in that mode.  Even in Normal
mode, Nimble Knight is the toughest trophy in the game.  I will come out with
a walkthrough more appropriate for Nimble Knight later.

You gotta have a lab-themed level, right?  Well, it certainly makes it very
easy to come up with some good gimmicks.  This is also the longest level in
the game.  Enjoy.

---Start of Level---
Hit the switch and stay there for a second.  The Pig Soldier will start
throwing bombs, and they'll fall down the gap.  When you get an opportunity,
go upwards.  When you get another opportunity, hit him with one of his bombs.
Turn the next switch from yellow to green and go forward.  You will enter a
room with a musical jingle and the sound of locking doors.  When those sounds
are played, a Pig Soldier will appear at the bottom left along with two Pig
Flies.  Defeat the Pig Soldier first; then defeat the Pig Flies.  After you
defeat the first wave, the same thing happens again, except the Pig Soldier
is in a different place (right platform) and will throw bombs.  Deal with
them the same way.  Then on the third wave, there are more Pig Flies and
another Pig Soldier.  Burst Vortex will come in handy both to dodge the enemy
fire and to hurt the Pig Flies in the process.  Do a Burst Drill diagonally
up the shaft to break the breakable door.  Rocket Burst up the next shaft,
and an enemy will appear at the top ledge pretty much as soon as you land.
Burst Vortex to dodge fire, then counterattack.

---First Checkpoint---
Rocket Burst straight up to get to the next ledge and hit the switch.  Jump
over the Armored Pig Soldier; then Burst Drill downward.  Immediately as you
land, Burst Drill to the right.  Hit the switch, then make your way back up
and proceed left.  You'll do the exact same thing again, except instead of a
switch at the bottom, there's a Pig Soldier.  As soon as you land on this
bottom level again, do a Burst Vortex so you can dodge his fire, then
counterattack.  Keep going left and you'll enter a room where two Pig
Soldiers throwing bombs will appear.  Burst Drill the one on the left first,
then Burst Drill the one on the right.  Make sure you get the Small Heart in
the top center of the room!  Break the door on the left, then Burst Drill</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
your way up the shaft.  Go forward and you'll see another Pig Soldier appear.
Reflect his bomb back into him, but don't go up to the next tier quite yet.
Get the Pig Soldier above you to stop throwing bombs by standing at the far
right of the same tier, Burst Vortexing any bombs that may come your way.
Then Rocket Burst up to the next tier when safe (you will need to ricochet to
do this) and destroy that Pig.  Then Rocket Burst along the path of the Blue
Gems to the next tier.  No Burst Moves are necessary to jump over the
electric fields; just make sure you jump high.  As you make your way to
another switch, two Pig Flies will greet you.  You can just destroy them with
some Burst Vortexes if you'd like.  Hit the first switch; then hit the second
switch; then destroy the Pig Fly; then hit the third switch.  Oh, no, you're
trapped!  Or not.  Go down and do a Burst Shot on the first switch; then move
forward.  In the next room, jump on the platforms, and don't even deal with
the enemies.  Jumping over them will do.  Make sure to pick up the Small
Heart along the way!

---Second Checkpoint---
Before you go on the platforms, stand at the very edge.  A Pig Fly will come
your way.  Fighting it on solid ground is a lot better than fighting on small
moving platforms.  Rocket Burst along the column of Blue Gems, making sure
you land on a platform, then hit the switch right as you're about to hit the
wall.  The platforms will start going in a different direction.  Another Pig
Fly is on its way.  Deal with it also on solid ground ahead.  Go up to the
next tier of moving platforms.  Approach the first vertical electric notch,
then move back left to solid ground, as another Pig Fly is coming.  Then
proceed to the right where you can Burst Vortex over the notch, and move up
to the next tier and hit the next switch.  You should be moving left now.
Just let Sparkster stand there and Burst Vortex to go right through the
electric fields.  As soon as you go through the second one, a Pig Soldier
will appear.  Using a Burst Drill to deal with it is risky, as you might
actually get hit by a bomb.  Reflecting the bomb will be wiser.  Go upwards
and you'll find yourself in another room with enemies.  Just plow through
along the bottom, avoiding the enemies.

---Third Checkpoint---
Before you go down the easy-to-understand electric maze, make sure you've
killed the Pig Flies.  At the bottom of the maze, hit the switch and follow
your way back up, making sure you're ending on the platform on the right.
At the very top, proceed right.

---Fourth Checkpoint---
Go forward along the top, Burst Vortexing to avoid being hit and jumping over
enemies when reasonably possible.  Head to the green switch and hit it--you
will notice that it has a timer, too--then make your way up the platforms
via Rocket Bursts.  Burst Drill along the floor towards the right, not caring
about the berserk security cameras along the top.  Go down and Burst Drill
into the Armored Pig Soldier's back, where he is vulnerable, then take care
of the Pig Flies on your tail.  On the bottom level, you'll also destroy that
Pig Soldier with a Burst Drill.  Destroy all Pig Flies that are after you,
then head to the green switch and hit it.  No jumping is necessary to get
through the next iteration, just Rocket Bursting straight upwards, and
dropping down ledges.  The Small Heart is generally not worth your trouble.
Oh, goody, another challenge of the same type.  Hit the switch; jump on the
platform; jump and Rocket Burst due right; jump and Rocket Burst due right
again; jump and Rocket Burst diagonally up; jump and Rocket Burst due right
AGAIN; Rocket Burst straight up, and get yourself to safe ground.  Reflect
the Pig Soldier's bombs back towards him; then go right and drop down.  Time
your drops and jumps for the moving electric fields.  When you see the Pig
Walker, just take the long way over him, Burst Drilling the Pig Soldiers
above and then drop down at the far-right wall.  You'll have to actually face
the next Pig Walker.  This one shoots groups of four purple bullets.  A good
way is to simply dodge, then counterattack by Burst Drilling right into his
head.

---Fifth Checkpoint---
Hit the switch; jump on the rail.  Jump and Rocket Burst through the small
opening to get to the next rail.  To get to the third rail, don't jump, just
Rocket Burst due left.  Then at the middle of the third rail, Rocket Burst
diagonally up and to the left, while continually holding left.  Drop down a
large shaft and you'll see two Pig Soldiers on ledges guarding a Small Heart.
You can risk getting hit and destroy both of them, or you can just fall down
the next shaft and ignore them.  Here comes the next green switch.  Quickly
make your way up the maze by jumping and Rocket Bursting the correct
direction, and on the way down, of course, you'll need to drop down ledges.
Hit the next switch (you don't have to wait for it to go green again; it'll
reset), and then just climb your way across the rail and Rocket Burst upwards
(don't jump!)  Then continue through the maze and at the end, you'll Rocket
Burst diagonally along the path made by the Blue Gems.

---Sixth Checkpoint---
Drop down the shaft, waiting for a safe opening, and hurry!  Keep Rocket
Bursting to the right.  Right before you drop down the next shaft, you can
catch yourself an Extra Life on the ceiling.  Keep in mind you may need to
Burst Vortex to avoid getting hit if you're going to try to get the Extra
Life.  Either way, continue right, and Burst Drill diagonally over the
Armored Pig Soldier.  You'll probably end up killing a Pig Soldier that will
immediately appear afterwards.  Down on the next tier is a Pig Fly and a Pig
Walker that shoots rockets.  It may be safer to try to hit the Pig Walker by
Burst Drilling diagonally rather than straight left.  Keep going left and
you'll have some electric fields chasing you down a maze, where of course,
Rocket Burst will be quite helpful.  Rocket Burst straight up the next shaft,
and perform a Burst Drill immediately into the Pig Soldier.  Go down the next
shafts and you'll find two more enemies: an Armored Pig Soldier and a Pig
Soldier that throws bombs.  You could Burst Drill diagonally over the Armored
Pig Soldier and hit the other one, but that might end up getting you hit
with a bomb.  A Burst Vortex might be safer, as it will block both attacks
simultaneously.  Right before you hit the next checkpoint, you'll see some
Pig Soldiers appear out of nowhere, so I would recommend Burst Drilling your
way towards the checkpoint.  You shouldn't be harmed.

---Seventh Checkpoint---
You cannot be harmed by electricity while you're within the green fields.
Use this to time your jumps and Rocket Bursts.  Collect the Small Heart and
Burst Drill into the main core.

---Eighth Checkpoint---
Will this stage ever end?  Yes, and this is the final gimmick.  Keep in mind
though that if you fail this gimmick whether by bottomless pit or getting
burned by the explosion, you will not die.  You will only lose one hit point
and restart from the checkpoint.  Rocket Burst left and left until you get to
the floating platform.  Rocket Burst diagonally to ricochet up to the next
part.  Rocket Burst onto, and slide down the rail and at the edge of the next
ledge, Rocket Burst diagonally up to land on the next one.  Do two Rocket
Bursts left and make one diagonal Rocket Burst up the shaft.  Rocket Burst
onto the rails, and slide down them.  Make sure to make a large jump at the
end of the next one and Rocket Burst diagonally up.  You'll skip the floating
platforms.  Rocket Burst up the next shaft.  Run and then make one Rocket
Burst onto the next floating platform.  Now you can just simply Rocket Burst
for your life as you make your way through the last parts of this gimmick.
Jump into the pit at the very end, and the level will end.


***** Stage 3.3: Deep Underground - Axel Gear [stg33]

This is the hardest boss in the game on Gold Sparkster Mode.  Not really any
special overall strategy is necessary, but you need to keep in mind he still
has that Purple Ring Blast.  At 75% and 50% health, he will stop you in your
tracks with one of these, destroying some of the stage and spawning a heart
as well.  The first heart is at the left platform, right in plain sight.  The
second one is at the very top center of the stage (far right center in Normal
mode).  You have to jump on the rightmost pole, do a high jump from a Rail
Spin, then Rocket Burst diagonally to get it.

Hard Mode Unlock Trick: Hit Axel with the Purple Seeking Bomb.

---List of Attacks---
Attack: Burst Drill
When he does it: Near the ends of the stage, but over a platform.
How to dodge it: Memorize the two patterns.  If you are trapped in the gas,
Burst Drill through it--you won't get hurt.

Attack: Pellet Danmaku
When he does it: After he stretches out all four limbs outward.
How to dodge it: Do a Burst Vortex.  They are reflectable, so if you reflect
them back onto him, Axel Gear gets hurt.  In fact, a reflected pellet deals
significant damage to him.  Fewer pellets will come after you if you are
standing under the platforms; however, you have much less chance of hitting
him that way.

Attack: Purple Seeking Bomb
When he does it: Random, but he will stop before he does it.
How to dodge it: It follows you, so have it hit a platform.  Doing a Burst
Vortex will not trigger the bomb, so don't try that.  Or, you can fly past
Axel Gear and have the bomb run into him instead, which will deal him
significant damage.

Attack: Burst Beam
When he does it: Almost at the very edges of the stage.
How to dodge it: Either run away, or do a Burst Drill or Burst Vortex to go
right through it.  If you can manage to get under Axel Gear while he's still
firing it, you can give him a severe beating.

Attack: Purple Gun Fire
When he does it: Randomly, but only after the second Purple Ring Blast.
How to dodge it: There are various ways.  Dodge it like any gunfire that a
Pig might shoot at you and counterattack when given the opportunity.

***** Stage 4.1: Return to Zephyrus - The Pig Fleet [stg41]
It's been how many days and Zephyrus looks this different already?  Well,
this time you don't have an army to back you up.  It's war against
Devotindos, once again.  Here begins the most difficult flying stage of the
game.

---Start of Level---
There are no special techniques for this part, really.  You can however, rack
up a LOT of points, as in like, your first combo could be in the 80,000
point range.  =D  In one of the walls of bombs, a Small Heart is hidden in
the bottom.

---First Checkpoint---
You're going to have to use plenty of Burst Dashes here.  There are Pig
Soldiers with wings firing all over the place.  Some of them have shields,
which look like the Pig Flies, but with a purple circular forcefield that
displays briefly as they appear.  Just deal with those using a Burst Beam.
And don't be greedy in getting Gems.  You could cost yourself a life.

---Second Checkpoint---
There are some Rocket Launchers attached to some of the ships.  Make an
effort to destroy these with Burst Beams as soon as possible.  It makes
avoiding the Pigs with Wings easier, not to mention those Rocket Launcher
missiles are homing missiles.  The next ship also has some Rocket Launchers
on it as well, which you want to destroy.  The next wall of bombs is going to
have an Extra Life and Small Heart in it.  Do not forget to pick these up!
The next ships will also have Rocket Launchers, too.  The last ships may be
the most difficult to destroy, but ignoring them is also less risky than
ignoring the other ships' ROcket Launchers.  Don't forget the Big Heart!

---Third Checkpoint---
Repeatedly Burst Beam into the final ship.  When you enter, hit the enemies
on bottom immediately with a Burst Beam; it should destroy all of them.
Destroy the enemies on the top, and any time you see an enemy on the bottom,
destroy it first.  At the back of the ship is a core that you need to
repeatedly Burst Beam to destroy.  If you destroy it, you beat the level.

***** Stage 4.2: Return to Zephyrus - Enslaved City [stg42]
So now, Sparkster threatens General Sweinhart's life for crimes against
humanity, or possumkind, or whatever.  Oh, and the fact that Sweinhart tried
to kill him, too.  Sweinhart pulls out his backup plan and climbs into his
giant Pig Robot.  You'll see the Pig Robot in the background several times
throughout this level, but he's not dangerous--yet.

---Start of Level---
Jump over the Armored Pig Soldier and then Burst Drill him in the back.  Keep
moving across the lower end of the level.  Burst Drill into the next Pig
Soldier such that you land on the ledge he was standing on.  Do that two more
times, ignoring the Pig Soldier that will eventually appear behind you along
the way.  You will end up at yet another Armored Pig Soldier.  Stand behind
him and Melee Attack his back.  Rocket Burst straight up onto the next ledge.

---First Checkpoint---
This sequence can be fairly tough, especially at the end.  You can't Burst
Drill through the green slime and you have Pig Soldiers on each ledge.  Dodge
or block all the attacks, then when you have an opening, Burst Drill to the
next ledge.  That will work for all the enemies except the Armored Pig
Soldier at the end.  Keep Burst Vortexing to dodge the purple bullets.
You'll have to Rocket Burst over him and hit him in the back with a Melee
Attack (or, instead of a Melee Attack, you can Burst Vortex him into the
slime pit!).  The best way to go after him is when there is an opening in the
green slime AND he has stopped shooting bullets, but the latter may not be
possible.  You may just need to jump between bullet fire.  Also, something
very helpful to know is that if you are standing on the edge of the ledge
closest to the green slime, and the Pig Soldier is ALSO standing on the edge
of HIS ledge closest to the green slime, you can simply crouch down to dodge
the bullets.  Next up is a Pig with an Electric Hand.  Considering he can
jump between either ledge, you need to get him to be on the same ledge as
you, but a considerable distance away.  When you have done that, keep hitting
him with a Burst Shot repeatedly.  He'll continuously flinch until defeated.
Jump onto the Rail and do a diagonal Rocket Burst upwards.  If you land on
the right ledge, skip the next five sentences.  If you land on the left
ledge, crouch down!  This particular Armored Pig Soldier will not be able to
hit you if you do that.  Deal with him.  You can choose to go up the shaft on
the left for a Small Heart if you wish, but as soon as you do, you better
dodge the gunfire coming from yet another Armored Pig Soldier.  Rocket Burst
onto the rail and slide down and you'll land on the right ledge.  When you
land on the right ledge, go forward until you hear the sound indicating a Pig
Fly nearby.  Move back left until you reach the edge of the pit.  You must
separate the Pig Flies from the Pig with an Electric Hand!  Deal with the Pig
Flies using the rail at the top of the room; then deal with the Pig with an
Electric Hand using a bunch of Burst Shots.  Now you should be at a trash
compactor.  Stand exactly where the switch is, then click the right analog
stick (R3 button) to reset the camera.  Hit the switch.  Look at the left
compactor.  Right as the silver part completely passes through the right edge
of the Burst Meter, jump as high as you can and then do a diagonal Rocket
Burst; you should land onto the Rail above.  Do a Rail Spin, then jump
upwards, and Rocket Burst onto the upper tier.  Do NOT hit the switch until
you've defeated the enemies.  When you get up there, there are going to be
TWO Pigs with Electric Hands and some Pig Flies as well.  Get yourself up to
the Rail at the top right and deal with the Pig Flies there.  Now when
you go back down, since there are two Pigs with Electric Hands, you can't
just use the Burst Shot trick by itself, as only one can be harmed at a time.
If one doesn't have the electric field around him, you can Burst Drill him
and that will take him down immediately.  Hit the switch and go down.  Now
comes the second trash compactor.  Stand directly under the right compactor
and hit the switch with a Burst Shot.  Immediately move to the very right
edge of the pit, jump as high as you can and Rocket Burst diagonally up and
towards the left.  You should land directly on the ledge above without even
needing the rail.  Quickly go forward, as a door will close in front of your
face if you don't.

---Second Checkpoint---
It's actually fairly tough to get on top of that ledge without getting hit by
that Pig Soldier, but it can be done.  After all, there is a Small Heart
right above it.  After removing that threat, hit the middle switch only.
Make a long jump and Rocket Burst over to the middle platform--which is going
to disappear very quickly--then quickly jump off and Rocket Burst to the next
switch.  Hit that one, and move up tiers, hitting the switches on the wall
with diagonal Rocket Bursts.  Once you're out of the shaft, deal with the
next Pig Soldiers on screen, which thankfully, are easier to defeat.  Hit the
switches one by one from left to right using just one diagonal Rocket Burst,
and then quickly move upwards with another Rocket Burst.  If you miss the
rightmost platform and land on the immediate ground below instead, Rocket
Burst for the middle platform, then go for the left one.  Jump off the left
one and Rocket Burst diagonally up the narrow shaft, then land on top of the
very narrow silver wall.  You'll probably need Burst Assist to land on it.
There are three more disappearing platforms.  You can actually skip the
middle one if you jump and Rocket Burst from the edge of the left one.
Rocket Burst through the electric walls, and hit the checkpoint.

---Third Checkpoint---
The next opening should be dealt with using a diagonal Rocket Burst, which
should also land you onto a Rail.  Quickly move right, continuously staying
as high as possible.  Not only will you avoid most of the enemies, but you'll
get a Small Heart along the way, too.  After that you should find a wide
shaft with many ledges, many electric fields, and many Pig Soldiers that
throw bombs (one of which is guarding another Small Heart).  When you get a
chance, just Rocket Burst upwards except for one ledge where you must Rocket
Burst diagonally along the path of the Gems.  You'll recognize that one
because it's right after you the Pig Soldier that's guarding the Small
Heart).  Burst Vortex will block the bombs, and if you need to counterattack,
do so with a Burst Drill.  At the very top is a Pig Walker with an electric
shield.  You'll want to fight him using the Rails.  Hit the red device on the
back of his Walker and it will deactivate the shield.  Get him to stand right
in the gap of the Rails, then Rocket Burst him from behind (while still on
the Rail).  He'll turn around and you'll be behind him again!  Keep doing
that until he's defeated.  Stay on the Rails, as two Pigs with Electric Hands
come.  Deal with them however you need to.  One way to do it is When they
lower their fields, you can Burst Drill them, then immediately Burst Vortex
them afterwards (keep tapping O while you are Burst Drilling to pull this
trick off).  That will guarantee you damage, but it will destroy both of them
simultaneously.  Or you can separate them onto opposite sides of the screen
and then perform a Burst Shot in each direction, then jump to safety when
they're too close.

---Fourth Checkpoint---
Jump over the Armored Pig Soldier, then defeat the bomb-throwing Pig Soldier.
Collect your Small Heart.  Burst Shot the Pig with an Electric Hand into
utter oblivion, and make your way up the first airship.

---Fifth Checkpoint---
Stand in front of the checkpoint flag and wait for the enemies to appear.
Burst Drill the Pig Soldier on the left, then repeatedly perform Burst Shots
into the Pig with the Electric Hand.  Burst Vortex through the purple engine
flames coming from the left (it hurts!) and make your way to the top of the
second airship, landing on the left edge.  Quickly defeat the Pig Walker with
two Burst Drills to the face, then repeatedly Burst Shot the next Pig with
an Electric Hand as soon as you land.  You should barely miss being hit.
Another Pig with an Electric Hand comes.  Deal with him the same way,
ignoring the Pig Flies.  Keep moving left when you see the purple engine
flames coming from the right.  Those engine flames will kill the enemies in
one shot.  Once they're defeated, Burst Vortex to block the harmful effects.
Make your way to the third airship.  Kill the Pig Soldier launching rockets
with a Burst Drill first, then kill the Armored Pig Soldier.  Wait a few
seconds, and you should be up against three Pig Flies.  Just Burst Vortex,
Burst Drill, or do whatever you need to, to destroy them.  Rocket Burst along
the path of the Blue Gems and you'll collect a Big Heart!  Keep holding left
to land onto the last airship, Burst Assisting if necessary.  Approach the
Pig Walker, and then as soon as a Pig Soldier appears, Burst Drill to take
care of him, then you can face the Pig Walker alone.  Stand in the middle of
the airship.  Next wave includes a Pig with an Electric Hand and a Pig
Soldier.  Defeat the Pig Soldier, then the Pig with the Electric Hand.  Stand
in the middle and the same enemies will appear, but on opposite sides.  Stand
in the middle again, and you'll have just a Pig with an Electric Hand all by
himself.  Well, just keep performing Burst Shots until you destroy him!
Sweinhart's Giant Pig Robot then appears on screen, and he'll punch you into
the arena for the final boss.  End of level.

***** Stage 4.3: Return to Zephyrus - General Sweinhart [stg43]

He's not the hardest boss in the game, actually.  But you'll probably end up
dying more times because this is the least straightforward boss.  The idea is
to first make the Pig Robot fall by hitting his nose enough times, then
defeating General Sweinhart while the Pig Robot regains health.  Have you
noticed that if you hit the General, he falls down, but takes no damage?
That's because you have to electrocute him instead, shown by a transparent
purple field around the Pig Robot's hands and nose.

---Pig Robot---
After he finishes an attack, go immediately under his nose again.  Any time
he sticks his nose forward, you can hit it and cause him damage.

Attack: Laser Eyes
When he does it: When he moves his eyebrows.
How to dodge it: Rocket Burst continually to the right.

Attack: Left Hook Punch
When he does it: When you stand on the highest ledge long enough.
How to dodge it: Do a Burst Vortex, you'll go right through it.

Attack: Fist Pound
When he does it: When his fists start rotating.
How to dodge it: Just Rocket Burst to either side to dodge.  If you're not
playing Normal mode, you can also block it with a Burst Vortex.

Attack: Enemy Release
When he does it: When he opens his mouth.
How to dodge it: Hit him in the nose as soon as possible to reduce the amount
of enemies that come out.

---General Sweinhart---
When the Pig Robot falls down, stand between the Pig Robot's right hand (your
left) and his nose.  This is the most dangerous area for the Pig General to
be flying around, as most attacks made physically between these spots will
cause him to squeal with pain as electricity runs through him and his
machine.  As soon as you're in sight, he'll shoot you.  If you do nothing or
jump, he'll hit you.  Instead, you must dodge by moving left or right.  If
he approaches from the left, begin by standing further left and dodge by
moving to the right.  If he approaches you from the right, it's vice versa.
After dodging the attack, jump upwards and Burst Drill into him, and the
General will usually land into the high voltage.  Now if he shoots bombs,
just block them with a Burst Vortex, then attack him.  Enough times and his
little aircraft breaks, and then hit him with a Melee Attack.  You are now a
Legendary Possum!

*****
*****
***** Random Questions [rnd]
*****
*****

Q: Is this game as good as Rocket Knight Adventures?
A: Absolutely!  I have a very hard time determining if this game or the
original is the superior game!  The original one certainly is a lot harder,
but Gold Mode has quite a solid difficulty level in the game.  This one has
cooler features that just can't be found in the original, like leaderboards
and trophy support.  Trophy support kept me playing this game for almost
three solid months, even though the game can be beaten in under an hour.  =D
I feel that without a doubt it is the greatest game ever made for the
PlayStation 3.  Yes, it's BETTER than LittleBigPlanet.

Q: How much does the game cost?  How do I get it?
A: At the time of writing this FAQ/walkthrough, it costs $14.99.  The game
can only be downloaded through the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace,
or Steam.  Despite what some other reviewers say, it IS worth the money and
then some.

Q: What kind of game is Rocket Knight?
A: Why don't you go download the demo to find out for yourself?  Well, OK, I
suppose I can be nice.  The game is a 2D platformer using cartoon-shaded 3D
graphics.  The game feels a lot like a classic Sega Genesis or NES game in
the fact that it is also somewhat short and reasonably unforgiving.  After
all, if you lose all your continues, it really is GAME OVER and you must
start all the way from Stage 1.1 again.

Q: How do you get to the top of that very high pole in Stage 2.1 with the
Extra Life and Blue Gems?  I cannot get the Wolf Connossieur trophy without
those pickups.
A: See those two diagonal rails? Jump on the end of the right one.  Do a Rail
Spin.  Jump up very high, then do a diagonal Rocket Burst towards the the
top.  Burst Assist if necessary.

Q: How do you get the Burst Friends and Woodland Bouncer trophies?
A: You can only get them in certain stages.  I would recommend you use Hard
Mode to pull it off.  In areas where you have to kill all the enemies to get
to the next room, get the wolves to essentially overlap each other by having
them follow you.  You'll probably get hit several times, but when you group
up as necessary, then you can pull this off.

Q: Do you have to use the Hard Mode unlock tricks to earn the Devotindos
Defiler trophy?
A: Yes, you must; otherwise, it will demote your difficulty down to Normal
mode.

Q: I bought the game and it doesn't appear in my PlayStation 3's XMB menu!
What do I do?
A: You have to download the demo first.  What you bought is a full game
unlock.

Q: I beat Gold Sparkster Mode and there's this weird guy shooting at
Sparkster.  Who is he?
A: That is the main character from the Contra series, another series by
Konami.  I don't know his name, because I've never played Contra.

*****
*****
***** Legal Information and Contacting Me [lgl]
*****
*****

Thanks to Kuja from the SRB2 community for telling me about the Hard Mode
Unlock Trick for Deep Underground: Axel Gear.
Thanks for Blue Warrior and Inuyasha from the SRB2 community who let me know
the original Rocket Knight Adventures even exists in the first place.  If it
wasn't for their highly positive reviews of the original, I may not have
gotten this game.  Yes, I got the 2010 version before the original version.

Rocket Knight is copyrighted and a trademark of KONAMI Digital Entertainment.
The names of enemies, and names of attacks that were not found in the game or
its in-game Help section are ones that I created myself (except for Mifune
Sanjulo, of course).  This walkthrough is copyright WhiteLucario 2010.  Don't
post this walkthrough on other websites unless you ask me.  How to contact
me?  Go to your e-mail tool, then type bradkorth.  Hold shift and press 2,
then type hotmail, then the period, and then com.  Please keep in mind I do
not accept random friend requests, either.  I'm also sick of getting stupid
spam from all these very foreign-sounding names.  I also do NOT have a Bank
of America account either, so don't say I have some sort of alert.  Thank you
very much.  =P