Cheat! 07.09.03

Well, here we are in our second week! Once again, the name is Alex Williams, and once again, I’m here to give you access to cheats of recently reviewed games here at the 411. Plus I got a game that hasn’t been reviewed yet, but was recently released. Just to cover all the bases before beginning.

Anyway, I assume last week’s column was a relatively good debut, although it was surprisingly link-free. My apologies to “da boss” for including all those planned links. Guess I got a lot to learn about columns, eh? (By the way, the lawsuit joke was supposed to link to “www.homestarrunner.com”. Get it? “The CHEAT”? Huh? Huh? Eh, wattaya know”¦)

But we got all-new material this week, so sit back, relax, and let’s dive right in. ON WITH THE CHEATING!!!
—–
ARC THE LAD: TWILIGHT OF THE SPIRITS (PS2)

The fourth installment of the critically acclaimed series, this one doesn’t disappoint. At least, according to Lee Baxley.

Here’s how to get some hidden characters:

Diekbeck: Beat the 30 Round Arena in Cathena with Kharg’s group.
Choco: Beat the 30 Round Arena in Rueloon with Darc’s group.
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EVIL DEAD: A FIST FULL OF BOOMSTICK (PS2, X-Box)

No, I will not promote this section by blurting out the S-Mart catchphrase, or by showing anyone my “boomstick”. (You can get arrested for that, you know.)

Let’s see”¦hmmm”¦not getting much for this game codewise”¦how about some unlockables instead?

Every time you complete a level in Story Mode, you’ll unlock two things: the use of that level in Arcade Mode, and the pre-production art for that level in the “Extras” menu. And”¦that’s all I got. Happy hunting, though!
—–
MIDTOWN MADNESS 3 (X-Box)

To be honest, I had no clue the first two Midtown Madness’ existed. But apparently, it’s the third game of a popular PC racing franchise.

And like any racer worth its weight in spare parts, it’s got unlockable vehicles. Here’s how to get some of them:

’59 Cadillac Eldorado Seville: Complete the Pizza Delivery job in Washington D.C.
’67 Ford Mustang 2+2 Fastback: Complete the Stunt Driver job in Washington D.C.
Ambulance: Complete the Paramedic job in Paris.
Cadillac Escalade: Complete the Limo Driver job in Washington D.C.
Chrysler PT Turbo: Complete the Rental Car Driver job in Washington D.C.
Dodge Viper SRT-10: Complete the Private Eye job in Washington D.C.
Firetruck: Win the first 6 Checkpoint races in Paris.
Hummer H2 SUV: Complete the Salesman job in Washington D.C.
Paris Bus: Win the first 3 checkpoint races in Paris.
Washington Police Car: Complete the Police Officer job in Washington D.C.
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NBA STREET VOL. 2 (PS2, X-Box)

Taking the NBA to the old-school courts dawg, fo sheezie! (Ugh. Street lingo. I feel so dirty”¦)

Anyway, this game has it’s own fair share of cheats.

(PS2) When you reach the screen that says “Enter Cheat Codes Now” at the bottom, hold L1 and enter the following for some interesting results:

ABA Ball: Circle, Triangle, Triangle, Circle.
All Jerseys: Square, Triangle, Circle, Circle
All NBA Legends: Square, Triangle, Triangle, Circle
All Quicks: Triangle, Circle, Triangle, Square
Ball Trail: Triangle, Triangle, Triangle, Square
Big Head: Circle, Square, Circle, Square
Easier Shots: Triangle, Circle, Square, Triangle
Explosive Rims: Circle, Circle, Circle, Triangle
Harder Shots: Triangle, Square, Circle, Triangle
Infinite Turbo: Square, Square, Triangle, Triangle
No HUD: Square, Circle, Circle, Circle
WNBA Ball: Circle, Triangle, Triangle, Circle

(X-Box) When you reach the screen that says “Enter Cheat Codes Now” at the bottom, hold the L trigger and enter the following:

ABA Ball: B,Y,Y,B
All Jerseys: B,Y,X,X
All Courts: X,Y,Y,X
All NBA Legends: B,Y,Y,X
Ball Trails: Y,Y,Y,X
Big Heads: X,X,B,B
Classic Jordan: X,Y,X,X
Easier Shots: Y,X,B,Y
Explosive Rims: B,B,B,Y
Harder Shots: Y,X,B,Y
Infinite Turbo: X,X,Y,Y
No Counters: Y,Y,B,B
No HUD: B,Y,X,X
Small Players: B,X,B,X
St. Lunatics: X,Y,B,Y
Street Kids: Y,Y,B,X
WNBA Ball: B,Y,Y,B
—–
PHANTASY STAR ONLINE (X-Box)

Currently the only title you have to pay for on X-Box Live, it’s still relatively decent.

First off, here’s how to unlock new difficulties offline:

Hard Mode: Beat Normal Mode
Very Hard More: Beat Hard Mode
Ultimate Mode: Beat Very Hard Mode

Now here’s how to unlock new difficulties online:

Hard Mode: Get your character to Level 20
Very Hard Mode: Get you character to Level 40
Ultimate Mode: Get your character to Level 80

And now, I’ll be turning the floor over to fellow 411 Sonic Team member, Bebito Jackson! It’s not a cheat, per-se, but it’s something new you can do in the PSO universe:

“The Xbox PSO servers were down for two hours on July 1st, due to server maintenance. When the servers came back up, Xbox owners found no new additions in the form of quests of Challenge Mode maps, but one important addition was made: Photon Drops can now be exchanged for items online!

“Many new PSO players have found the Photon Drops, but are unaware as to how they’re used, so here’s how to use them:
1. Go online and create a room.
2. Go to the Hunter’s Guild desk and pick “shops”, then pick “Gallon’s Shop.” This will take you to the Episode II ship.
3. Retrieve your Photon Drops from the bank.
4. Head down the large ramp that’s in front of the shops, and head to the left. On the left side of the ramp (right side if you’re facing the bottom of the ramp), there’s a FOnewm standing still. Talk to him.
5. He will ask if you’re like to meet his father. Say “yes.”
6. You will now be in a new room, speaking to Paganini, and he will offer to trade items for your Photon Drops. Items such as Addslots and various Barriers will be up for trade, depending upon how many Photon Drops you are currently carrying. To see all available items, click here.

“That’s all there is to it. The Photon Drop exchange now means that many rare items can be made with legit methods, rather than by hacking and duping. While we still wait for the Tower quests that are currently available for the Gamecube version of PSO I&II, trade your P-Drops in and upgrade, upgrade, upgrade!”

Thank you, Mr. Jackson! Your help is greatly appreciated.
—–
WARIO WORLD (GameCube)

Greed will get you everything, huh? We’ll see after my next trip to Las Vegas.

Until then, did you know you can unlock various mini-games from Wario Ware, Inc. and download them to the GBA for trial purposes? You did? Oh. Well, um”¦to get them, you’ll have to collect the eight treasures in each of the worlds. Every time you nab them, you’ll get a new game. Here’s what you get:

Dodge Balls: Collect the Greenhorn Ruins treasures
Gold Digger: Collect the Shivering Mountains treasures
Heads Up: Collect the Horror Manor treasures
Jumpin’ Rope: Collect the Beanstalk Way treasures
Lickety-Split: Collect the Mirror Mansion treasures
Munch A Bunch: Collect the Pecan Sands treasures
UFO Assist: Collect the Wonky Circus treasures
Wario Whirled: Collect the Greenhorn Forest treasures
—–
SPECIAL MINI-FAQ
SONIC ADVENTURE DX: DIRECTOR’S CUT EMBLEM COLLECTION

As promised last week, here’s a special mini-faq for the classic re-release, Sonic Adventure DX. What you’ll find inside are strategies for certain characters and how to obtain their “A Mission” emblems a bit easier.

Sonic’s Stages

Sonic has the most stages (equaling 30 emblems), and some of the most TEDIOUS as well. Here’s how they break down:

C Emblem: Pass the stage
B Emblem: Pass the stage with at least 50 rings
A Emblem: Pass the stage under the time limit.

Considering that some stages are harder than others, a “main strategy” just won’t suffice. I’ll list some of the stages here and some interesting shortcuts to help in the A Emblem missions:

Emerald Coast (2 Minutes): Some think getting under 2 minutes is next to impossible. But I’ve done it, and you can do it, too! Spin-dashing in the right places help TEMENDOUSLY. Not only here, but in other stages as well. Try spin-dashing at the very beginning of the level before the bridge, up the first vertical wall, and onto the speed pads on the whale bridge. Try other places as well and see if they work for you.

However, there is one HUGE short-cut that really makes-or-breaks your chances of obtaining the emblem. After running through that spiral tunnel, you’ll come to another vertical run with two speed pads facing inwardly. Spin-dash through them, and jump off the vertical run right before the end. If you timed it right, the camera angle will change, and you’ll be able to land in a new area with a spring, taking you closer to the end, and shaving about 15-20 seconds off your time! Go on the spring, and run AS FAST AS YOU CAN to the end.

Casinopolis (5 Minutes): In order to make this time attack, you’ll need to go through the garbage area TWICE, collecting 200 rings each time you go through. Collecting them is easy, as there are many 10-ring monitors in the tunnels and in the areas with the fans. After every garbage run, deposit the 200+ rings as quick as you can. This should take less than 2.5 minutes a piece. If you take longer, restart the level.

Icecap (4 Minutes): Having trouble on the slopes? In order to save some time, try jumping off the orange ramps closer to the end. You’ll go faster and jump longer. Also keep an eye out for a short-cut tunnel after the area with the bombing robots. You should see it towards your left. And you definitely will shave some seconds off your time if you take the high road on the last part of the slopes.

Twinkle Park (3 Minutes): Go as fast as you can during the bumper car race, and head to the roller coaster. At the end of the ride, HOLD UP so you don’t jump down the pit. Instead, head out the other direction (where the coaster came in). You’ll end up on a small platform right above the Twinkle Park pool, thus shaving a good 30 seconds of your time!

Speed Highway (2 Minutes, 30 Seconds): As the name implies, speed is the key here. Ignore as many enemies as you can, and just run, run, run! In the first area where you run sideways on a building, head upwards so you can reach the top track and shave a few seconds off your time. Also, spin-dashing in a few key areas will help. In the area where you’re running DOWN a building, DON’T hit the choppers or the pillars. They will slow you down considerably. And in the last area, just keep going forward. Ignore the cop cars completely, and you’ll be fine.

Red Mountain (3 Minutes): Lots of short-cuts here, and they are NEEDED to beat this time-attack:

–After the first rocket, hold Right to fall on a spring, and run to the first checkpoint.
–After the second rocket, hold Up to land on a platform with another spring, which leads to the next check point.
–Spin-dash through the rocky area, and onto the next spring.
–Grab the zip line, and make your way to the next checkpoint. (You should be around 33-35 seconds at this point.
–Make your way to the spring, and run across the bridge. You should see enemies to your left. Homing attack them, and reach the platforms with the number pad at the end. Use them to skip a whole length of the course.
–After a bridge with fire-spitting statues, you’ll reach a portion of the mountain where you are SUPPOSED to run to the right around the mountain to reach the next rocket. You can skip that simply jumping to the left over the railing. You’ll save a good 15 seconds that way.
–Underground, avoid as many enemies as you can and continue on. At one point near the last tunnel, you come to an area with a ton of boxes. Jump off that ledge to the left in order to shave a few more seconds off your time.

There might be a couple more shortcuts here, but the methods above will put you well on your way to a better time.

The Lost World (4 Minutes, 30 Seconds): I hate this stage. I hate it with all my being. And it’s all because of that DAMN SNAKE! But here’s a way around it. When you get to the area with the snake, raise the water level, and jump on its head. Wait a bit until you come around to a platform with the first of three switches you need to press. Here, timing is the key. Jump off the snake, press the switch, then QUICKLY hop up to the next platform, and raise the water level again. The snake’s body should still be passing by. QUICKLY jump back on it, and RUN down the snake. Jump off when you reach the second switch. Head up to the next higher platform, and take a leap of faith to the next platform. Raise the water level again, then take ANOTHER leap of faith to a far-off platform, and the last switch. (Either that, or wait for the snake to come back around, jump on it, and jump back off to reach the platform.) Either way you do it, wait for the snake to come back around, and ride it to the entrance to the next section. You should be under two minutes at this point.

And there you go. If you have any questions as to my strategies, please e-mail me and I’ll see what I can do. And I KNOW not every stage is listed. I feel that in those stages, hard as they may be, you’ll be able to beat the time attack without too much trouble.

Tail’s Stages

Tail’s stages are MUCH easier to complete. Here’s how they break down:

C Emblem: Race Sonic to the end and Win
B Emblem: Win with 50 rings
A Emblem: Race a faster Sonic and Win.

That’s pretty much all there is to it. There’s not a whole lot of advice I can really give you, unless you are REALLY stuck. So to those people, I simply say “keep you eyes peeled”. The more you look around, the more you’ll find those circle-boost shortcuts and the like. And if there is a complete lack of those, remember Tails can FLY!!! He can reach that platform that Sonic has to run around to find.

Here’s an additional hint, though. In the Ice Cap level, you HAVE to take the high road near the end of the level if you want to catch the A Emblem. (You’ll know what I’m talking about when you get there.)

Knuckles’ Stages

Stop cringing, people! It’s not that bad this go-around, I promise! Here’s how his stages go:

C Emblem: Find the 3 Emerald Pieces
B Emblem: Find the 3 Emerald Pieces without using the hint balls
A Emblem: Fins the 3 Emerald Pieces in 1 Minute (2 in Sky Deck)

Now I know what you are probably thinking right now: “ONE MINUTE? ONE FREAKING MINUTE?!? What is Sega THINKING?!?!?” Now hold your horses, here’s a technique that should help you with that A mission:

1) Stockpile a bunch of lives for Knuckles.
2) In the A mission, take as much time as you want in locating the first emerald.
3) When you find it, DON’T PICK IT UP!!! Instead, restart the level.
4) Now run as fast as you can to where you found the emerald, THEN pick it up. (Try not to take more than 20 seconds.)
5) Repeat the process for emeralds 2 and 3. (The emeralds will NEVER change places as long as you don’t exit the stage.)

Amy’s Stages

Her goals are the same as Sonic’s:

C Emblem: Complete the stage
B Emblem: Complete the stage with 50 rings
A Emblem: Complete the stage under the time limit.

Unlike Sonic, however, there’s no real super short-cuts, or ultra-secret methods to completing her emblem collection. Just keep moving. Don’t take time out to kill the enemies, or repeatedly whack Zero unless you absolutely have to. Keep moving, and you’ll be just fine.

Big’s Stages

Fishing in a Sonic game? The hell? Anyway, here’s how these stages break down:

C Emblem: Catch Froggy
B Emblem: Catch a 1000g fish and Froggy
A Emblem: Catch a 2000g fish and Froggy

The B and A emblem stages can present a problem if you are ill-equipped to deal with them. In order for the bigger fish to appear, you’ll need all four lure power-ups. Here’s where to fins them:

–In the sewer behind the Twinkle Park entrance
–In the Icecap level, near the dinosaur skull.
–In the far right of the Mystic Ruins jungle caves
–In a jail cell on the Egg Carrier

You can collect these in any order. Once you do, you’ll be able to see and catch bigger fish. But before you blindly cast your lure, you’ll need to know which fish you need. In the Twinkle Park stage, look for the giant robotic fish. In the other stages, look for fish that look like mini-hammerhead sharks. And before you try to catch one, take Big over to where it is. If you walk up to it, and it’s as big as your stomach, then you know the fish is big enough.

E-102-Gamma’s Stages

Again, the simple goals reappear:

C Emblem: Complete the stage
B Emblem: Complete the stage with 50 rings
A Emblem: Complete the stage under the time limit

The main thing here is obtaining more time for Gamma to work with. Some stages will give you a time limit, like 3 minutes, but you’re given 3 minutes to start with! So how do you get more time? Simple: lock-on to as many enemies as possible, and fire. The more enemies you hit, the more time you’ll get. So the best advice I can give you here is when you see a big cluster of enemies, lock-on to all of them if you can. Huge lots, like 8 enemies, can add 30 seconds to your time. So take it from me and score as many combos as you can!
—–
I GOT MAIL!

Wow, people sent me e-mail! I feel important!

“Hi, Nice column there. Just wondering if you need a hand finding cheats and the like”
–Sean Lucas

Why yes! Yes I do! Check the submission guidelines in the next section for details.

“hey there… i don’t want to hate, but your column reads just like a written version of the show CHEAT! on cable channel G4TV… I don’t know if that’s just a homage or what… but totally familiar.

Not complaining… just wondering if that’s where the “feel” of the column came from.”
–Dave

Huh? There’s a show with the same name as my column? Now THAT’S a coincidence.

Seriously, I don’t watch G4 all that much, and I’ve never even heard of that show. As far as the “feel” of my column goes, that’s mine altogether. I haven’t felt the need to rip off others for my writing style.

Besides, G4 programming is mostly cheesy anyway, so why rip THEM off?

“Hey Alex,

Gotta tell you, I have nothing but respect for you 411 guys who are taking time
out of your day to write stuff for us to read. Thanks.

As far as your column goes, I have to say you have a serious competitor in
gamefaqs.com. I’ve played and looked up cheats for two of the games in your
column and I don’t have the rest, so there wasn’t much for me to read after the
intro. I think you need more than just cheat codes in your column. Perhaps
you could rent the games and try the cheats out and report on that. I dunno.
I see you’re going to do a mini-faq in your next column, so that’s good. My
point: if I want a cheat code, why should I wait for your next column to come
out when I can just go to gamefaqs.com and get them now?

Then again, maybe I don’t know a stinkin’ thing.

Good luck, Mr. Williams.”
–Shawn

First off, thank you on behalf of 411 for the sentiment. Myself, and others like me appreciate it very much.

Now, I’m fully aware there are sites like Gamefaqs, and Gamewinners, Gamespot, and so on, and so forth. To be honest, these sites are where I get most of my material. So as far as competition goes, I’m in competition with no one.

This column is basically to try something new for the site. As said last week, Alex Lucard has the handheld market (i.e. Gameboy Advance) spearheaded without it’s own section, so I figured I’d do the same thing with cheat codes, tricks, strategies, and the like. I’m starting small, like covering games that have been recently reviewed here, and I hope to branch out as the weeks go by. A mini-faq every now and then, perhaps a walkthrough for an RPG, that sort of thing.

You’re right. Nothing is stopping you from going to another site and procuring codes. Just like nothing is stopping you from going to your favorite newsgroup, or picking up a magazine of the shelf and skipping to the cheats section, or good old fashioned trial-and-error on your own part. That’s up to you. I’m just trying to give you a new outlet to browse.

So why should you read me? To help support a new branch of the 411 site? To help me out by submitting codes I haven’t printed? To help this tiny cheat column grow to maybe a full-fledged section? Take your pick. But we all gotta start somewhere, Shawn. I choose to start here.
—–
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

So, you’ve seen what I’ve had to offer these last couple of weeks. Not to short, but not too long either. This is why I need your help. That means YOU, the 411 reader. I need codes, cheats, glitches, walkthroughs, and other things to print. YOU, the 411 reader, can help make “Cheat!” the best dang cheating column it can be! (Come to think of it, how many cheat “columns” are out there?) Anyway, here are some instructions as to how you can help me:

1) Pick a game for any of the following systems: PS2, GameCube, X-Box, Dreamcast, PS1, and/or the Game Boy Advance.
2) It can be any game you wish. From the recently released (The Italian Job), to the older titles for a system (Tekken Tag Tournament) to the horribly obscure (Britney’s Dance Beat”¦ugh”¦). I’m not picky.
3) Write up the cheat and e-mail it to me at tuxedoalex@comcast.net. If you’re sending me a walkthrough (like for an RPG, for example), please make sure it’s proof-read and readable, as I’ll print it in it’s entirety.
4) Please label your submission either “Cheat” or “Walkthrough” in the subject line. This will make the organization easier for me, trust me.

And that’s all there is to it! You will get FULL CREDIT for your submission. But don’t take MY word for it. Check with 411 Sonic Team member Bebito Jackson! I’m sure he’s a happy camper right now!

So send them in, and keep em coming! We’ll trounce the Mania with our bandwith! Huzzah!
—–
PARTING THOUGHTS

Well, well, well, two weeks, two columns. How do we celebrate? Why, by taking a week off, of course!

No, I’m not aiming to be the Chris Hyatte of 411Games. Next week, I’ll be in Las Vegas for my official yearly vacation. A week away from console gaming, and into the arcades! And gambling! Wheee!

So no column next week. There WILL be a column two weeks from today, and it will be a BIG one, so I’ll fully make up for losing money in Nevada. (Hey, better than half-assing a column on such short notice, eh?)

Until next time, drop your jaw in awe of how good Sonic Heroes will be.

Alex Williams


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