Japanese Playstation Game FAQ
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nisk72@cs.com <_)I ____
copyright 2000 Nick Flor _/|_ / / /
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http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Harbor/3904/geoyamato.html
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CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION!
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This is my attempt to write an FAQ on the Japanese Sony Playstation game
Space Battle Ship Yamato 2 -
Farewell Space Battleship Yamato in the name of love.
I do not know Japanese.
This faq is intended to help those who have imported the game, don't
know Japanese and are stuck. This faq best viewed with a fixed width font!
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0.0 - Contents
1.0 - What's new (updates)
2.0 - The Story
3.0 - Menus and Buttons
3.1 - Options
3.2 - Buttons on Space Map Screen
3.3 - Yamato Menu - Crew positions and names
3.4 - PURPLE - Miscellaneous
3.5 - BLUE - Mechanic/Science post
3.6 - GREEN - Navigation
3.7 - YELLOW - Communications and Radar
3.7a - Yamato communications
3.7b - Earth Defense Fleet ship communications
3.7c - Cosmo tiger communications
3.8 - RED - Weapons and Tactical
4.0 - Strategies
4.1 - Transferring Posts
5.0 - Fleet Ship Directory - Battle controls
5.1 - Yamato
5.1a - Movement
5.1b - Weapons
5.1c - Items
5.2 - Cosmo Tiger Fighters
5.2a - Targeting
5.2b - Items
5.2c - Escape
5.3 - EDF Cruisers
5.3a - Movement
5.3b - Weapons
5.3c - Items
6.0 - Away Party
6.1 - controls
6.2 - Away Crew abilities
7.0 - Extras
8.0 - Rewards
8.1 - Cosmo Tiger Hyper "Hoshin" Missles
8.2 - New Fighter
19.0 - Misc.
19.1 - When was the game released?
19.2 - Where can I get a copy in the U.S.?
20.0 - FAQ Credits
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1.0 - what's new (updates)
10-29-00 Updated 7.0 Extras.
Updated 5.3c Items.
I lost a few emails from people giving
good information for this page, if you gave me info
and you don't see it added, please email me again! Thanks!
05-29-00 Added 7.0 Secrets/Extras (but I can't find them! Help me!)
Added 8.0 Rewards
05-27-00 Updated 2.0, added 6.0 Away Party
05-21-00 Updated 3.7a Yamato to Fleet communications
05-20-00 Updated 4.1
05-17-00 Added 5.0 Fleet Ship Directory, added to 3.5
05-16-00 Added to section 3, most commands defined
Added section 4, Strategies
05-08-00 This faq is born!
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2.0 - The Story
The Playstation game is based on the second television series of
Yamato, NOT the movie "Farewell Space Battleship Yamato",
there are significant plot differences between the two.
Having watched the series Star Blazers as a kid and watching it
over and over on video tape, I have memorized the series.
If you have seen Star Blazers second series, "The Comet Empire" you will see
that this game follows the events in the series closely. However it does ad
battle events and enemies that were not seen in the series.
There is a lot of new animation in this game as well as 3d
renderings. But the game uses the same music and sound effects from the show.
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3.0 - Menus and Buttons
3.1 - Options
These are in English, you can turn the vibration on or off, you can
turn the "voice over" on or off, you can turn the animation on or off,
and you can choose to restore the default settings.
3.2 - Buttons on the Space Map Screen
This is the screen that is split into hexagonal sectors.
A yellow arrow acts as your cursor. You can move it around the screen
with the "d" pad.
"O" - Open Yamato Menu when cursor is over Yamato,
If within the Yamato firing line (orange areas) Yamato will blast
the sector with shock cannons, if on out of range area it does
nothing. The energy bar will decrease with each blast and then
slowly charge again.
"triangle" - brings up mission window (describes goals I guess)
"square" - brings up ship data, description and hit point bar. Pressing
left or right on the "d" pad will cycle through multiple ships
within that sector.
"X" - Brings the cursor back over Yamato
3.3 - Yamato Menu - Crew positions and names
On this menu you have a wheel of 5 colored characters. Pressing left
or right on the "d" pad will rotate the colors and the Crew box on the
right will change according to that color's crew assignments.
I will list the names of the crew displayed on screen and will follow
them in parenthesis by their Star Blazers name and position.
GREEN - Navigation
CREW - Shima (Mark Venture, Pilot)
- Ohta (Eager, navigation and radar)
BLUE - Mechanic/Science post
CREW - Sanada (Sandor, Repairs)
- Arakorhe, I think it's hard to read (Roister, ?)
PURPLE - Miscellaneous
CREW - Tokusawa (Orion, Engineering)
- Sado (Dr. Sane, Doctor)
- *cant read yet* (Sergeant Knox, Space Marines)
- Analyzer (IQ-9, Load/Save/Options)
YELLOW - Communications and Radar
CREW - Aihara (Homer, Communications and Radar)
- Yuki (Nova, Communications and Radar)
RED - Weapons and Tactical
CREW - Kodai (Derek Wildstar, Main Guns and Wave Gun)
- Nanbu (Dash, Gunnery)
- Katou (Conroy, Black Tiger Squadron 1 Leader)
- Yamamoto (Hardy, Black Tiger Squadron 2 Leader)
When you rotate to a color, press "O" to activate it, and "X" to cancel
out of the selection. Here are the menu functions of each station:
3.4 - PURPLE - Miscellaneous
- Box 1 - Raise engine output to 120%, this is
necessary in order to warp.
- Box 2 - Allow a day to pass by. Purpose = ?, to allow time
for repairs? I don't know yet...
- Box 3 - A drop down box appears, move the "d" pad up or down
to highlight a character.
Tokusawa - transfer his post from bridge to engine room
and back.
Sado - transfer his post from his quarters to operating room
and back
*Knox* - locked for the time being
Analyzer - 3 options appear: the first loads a game, the
second saves a game, and the third brings up the options
screen.
3.5 - BLUE - Mechanic/Science post
- Box 1 - brings up a drop down menu
- selection 1 - repair the Yamato. This brings up a diagram
of the Yamato, damage areas will flash. Scroll down the
list and a small indicator will show the area you are looking
at and give what % it is damaged. You may repair only a five
sections at a time, press "triangle" while over the section
to select it for repair.
- selection 2 - repair the Cosmo Tigers.
- Box 2 - this brings up the limited weapons and items.
-"triangle" can select the item to replace, you then use
the "d-pad" to enter the number you want replaced
-you can only replace 4 items at a time.
- the first 3 are missles from different launchers.
- the last 2 are the raise hp/damage in battle items.
- they can only be replaced if Sanada is at his second
position.
- Box 3 - transfer postitions.
3.6 - GREEN - Navigation
- Box 1 - activates moving the ship
- select a direction by using the d-pad
- "triangle" will move the ship one sector forward
in the direction of the arrow, your ship will
stop in the sector with the last "dot" and
face the direction that the arrow is facing
- "X" will cancel your last "triangle" input
- "square" will accept your selection and the ship
will begin its movement.
- Box 2 - This is for warping across many sectors, in a straight
line in one movement, the ships energy must be at
120% (see PURPLE)
- Box 3 - Characters transfer posts
3.7 - YELLOW - Communications and Radar
- Box 1 - communication with Cosmo tigers and other ships in
your command. The sub-menus will depend on the
ship you select to communicate with. Select this
then choose a unit using the d-pad or the L1 or
R1 buttons to rotate through your options.
See sections 3.7a thru 3.7c for detailed, ship
specific commands.
- Box 2 - Brings up the large space map
- Box 3 - Transfer crew positions
3.7a - Yamato communications
- When you choose box one and then select Yamato you are given
3 options (some are inactive based on the situation)
-1 - (so far has been inactive)
-2 - Order ship to follow - choose this
option, then choose a fleet ship. The ship you choose
will fly to the sector behind Yamato and begin to
follow Yamato, it will also join the attack on an
enemy on the main map by firing shock cannons like
the Yamato.
-3 - SOS - apparently when your ship is down to a certain %
damage you can sound an SOS call, what this does I
don't know yet.
3.7b - Earth Defense Fleet ship communications
- When you choose box one and then select an Earth Defense Fleet
ship, 3 options are available
-1 - (so far has been inactive)
-2 - this brings up a sub menu (options become available
based on situation)
- 1 - go directly to a sector you choose and
stay there
- 2 - ?
- 3 - attack an enemy ship in a sector you
select
- 4 - ?
- 5 - ?
-3 - SOS - apparently when your ship is down to a certain %
damage you can sound an SOS call, what this does I
don't know yet.
3.7c - Cosmo Tigers communications
- choose the yellow crew section, and the left most box, then select
a Cosmo Tiger unit, there will be 3 levels of commands available.
-FIRST - selection is for Cosmo tiger patrol orders.
-1 - patrol to the right of Yamato's current
heading
-2 - patrol to the left of Yamato's current
heading
-3 - patrol directly ahead of Yamato's current
heading
-4 - patrol directly opposite of Yamato's
current heading
-5 - patrol a sector you choose, which will
be marked by a "P"
- I know a limited amount of Japanese words
so I can give you some hints in
whether your commands are accepted or
not. If you hear "Yo ki" as the first
response from Katou or Yamamoto, you
know they are going to do it.
If you hear "Chota matee" from Katou,
that means "wait a minute" roughly, and
he cannot carry out the command for some
reason. Yamamoto will say "Oi"
- SECOND selection is only active when Aihara is at his
second station.(some are inactive based on the situation)
- 1 - go directly to a sector you choose and
stay there
- 2 - ?
- 3 - attack an enemy ship in a sector you
select
- 4 - ?
- 5 - ?
- THIRD selection is return squadron to ship
3.8 - RED - Weapons and Tactical
- Box 1 - Select weapon system for sector map firing
This is a tough menu to interpret, the only difference I can
see between the choices are the sectors of their range.
The firing on enemies seems to be the same shock cannon
animation. Based on the ranges and choices I conclude that
the choices are based on the shock cannon turrets. Perhaps
the 3 large/long range turrets are more damaging and use more
energy than the 2 small ones. And perhaps you are give the
option of choice based on what damage each turret has taken
from battle, so if one is in bad shape you should choose
another. These are just guesses on my part, I am not certain.
So here follows my educated guess on the sub menu choices:
Sub options -
-1 - Front gun turret - firing range ahead 3 sector arc
-2 - 2nd gun turret - firing range ahead 3 sector arc
-3 - Rear gun turret - firing range behind 3 sector arc
-4 - Small front gun turret - firing range ahead 2
sector arc
-5 - Small rear gun turret - firing range behind 2
sector arc
-6 - blitz fire, this can only be used when the ship
is at 100% energy. When chosen the Yamato blasts
at any targets in it's range until the energy bar
is depleted. It seems to be a good blitz attack
but the enemy isn't damage enough in my opinion and
it leaves your energy bar dry.
- Box 2 - Wave Motion Gun
This fires the Yamato Wave Cannon in a straight line in any
of 6 directions for 5 sectors. Any enemies in those sectors
will be completely destroyed. You only have 3 Wave Cannon
uses per mission (or sector map, I'm not sure) marked by
dots in boxes in front of the Yamato HP bar.
- Box 3 - Transfer positions and launch Cosmo Tigers
- Kodai has 2 options (1- switch post, 2- launch in fighter)
When you pick launch in fighter you have 2 more options
(1- launch alone in the Cosmo Zero, Kodai's personal
fighter, or 2- launch with Cosmo Squadron 3 in a
regular fighter)
- Nanbu can only switch stations
- Katou - Launch Cosmo Tiger unit 1 (the engine plates are
orange on the main map)
- Yamamoto - Launch Cosmo Tiger unit 2 (the engine plates
are yellow on the main map)
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4.0 - Strategies
4.1 - Transferring Posts
From the Yamato menu, the right most option allows you to move most
crew members to alternate positions. When an enemy ship enters the same
sector as the Yamato you are sometimes asked if you want to move crew
around.
A crew members "basic position" seems to be the safest place for
the crew member. When you move the crew members to alternate positions
the crew member seems to take a more active roll and also begins to have
his or her hit point bar depleted. When move the crew to their alternate
positions for a battle and non battle, that position becomes better.
For example:
Navigation - Yamato moves much faster.
Gunnery - Yamato fires more frequently, and does more damage.
Engine room - Yamato's energy recharges faster.
Some crew members have new options available when they move to
alternate positions.
Aihara for one, has greater control over the Cosmo
tigers and fleet ships.
Each character looses hitpoints while at the secondary post.
Crew members will regain lost hit points over time when moved back to
the "basic position". If a crew members hit points goes to zero, the
crew member is moved back to the "basic position" and his special commands
cannot be used, and he cannot be transfered until his points have been
fully regenerated.
5.1 - Yamato
When an enemy ship enters the same
sector as the Yamato you are sometimes asked if you want to move crew
around. "Yes" will allow you to move the crew. After you finish "yes"
will allow you to join the battle. From experimentation, it seems that
if you move the characters to their alternate positions for a battle the
Yamato moves faster, fires more frequently, and does more damage in
battle. I cannot garrantee that this is what happens, but from
observation it seems to be the case.
There are 2 gauges in the lower right hand corner, hit points
and energy. Energy determines the rate of fire of your weapons, and
is slowly recharged in battle. Hit points show you ships amount of
damage your ship has taken, it can only be recharged outside of battle
or by items.
5.1a - Movement
"triangle" will bring up the movement map, you can move the ship
any direction using the "d-pad" and up or down using the "R1" and "R2"
buttons. If you move the cursor to an enemy target a triangle will
apear over the enemy and spin, this means you will follow the enemy
until it is destoyed (you can still use the "R" buttons to station
your ship above or below the enemy while chasing them.
5.1b - Weapons
"O" will bring up the weapons display. You can cycle through
the weapons using the "d-pad" and select upto 4 weapons to automaticaly
fire in battle. The weapon selected will be identified by a flashing
"x" in a white circle. The box to the lower left will display 1. the
available amo for the weapon, 2. the % damage the weapon has taken, and
3. something else ?
Selections:
-1 - Main Gun Turret 1 - forward and up range
-2 - Main Gun Turret 2 - forward and up range
-3 - Main Gun Turret 3 - rear and up range
-4 - Front Small Gun Turret - forward and up range
-5 - Rear Small Gun Turret - rear and up range
-6 - Anti aircraft/Missle guns - rapid fire close range guns
for destroying incoming fighters and missles
-7 - Homing Torpedos - fire from front - range forward (amo = 20)
-8 - Homing Torpedos - fire from rear - range rear (amo = 20)
-9 - Homing Smoke Stack Missles - fire up - range up (amo = 20)
-10 - Homing Keel Missles - fire down - range down (amo = 20)
5.1c - Items
"square" will bring up items, in the begining there are only 2.
-1 - Raise HP 50%, this is like a health item, it restores damage
done to the ship
-2 - Raise Energy 50%, this will refuel your energy gauge
These items are limited in number, but can be recharged by Sanada
(outside of battle) by using Box 2 of the BLUE - Maintainence
main menu selection.
You will gain more items to use through out the game. Im not sure
if you are given these based on time, or you have to find them as extras.
I have not found most extras. So I will describe the new Items as I get
them.
-3 (my 3rd extra, it may not appear as 3rd on your list)
Flash of yellow light surrounding the Yamato, and then
a yellow flashing afterwards. Im not sure what this does
yet.
-4 Asteroid ring - This appears dark and unselectable unless you
are in an asteroid sector, then when you activate it the
classic ring forms arround the Yamato to protect it from
incoming fire. Pretty cool.
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5.2 - Cosmo Tigers
These are the fighter planes you launch from the Yamato, they fly
in sets of 5 fighters. The fighters are controlled by the
Yellow/Communications menu selection from the main Yamato menu.
When the fighters enter battle there are new options to control the craft.
5.2a - Targeting
Pressing "trinagle" will bring up the map screen, it displays
positions of fighters and the enemy. Press "O" to bring up the list of
fighters, use the "triangle" to select one or more ships, then press "O"
to choose a target for the ships you selected. You can do this to focus
your fighters on a single enemy or to split them up. You can change your
choices anytime during the battle. This is the only way to control the
fighters, they will automaticly make passes at the enemy targeted. You
can only watch from the perspective of fighter one. Should fighter one
be destroyed battle will end and the squadron will be back at Yamato until
it can be repaired.
5.2b - Items
In the upper right hand corner of the screen there is a box showing
items that you have. In the begining of the game you will only have one,
rockets, of which you have unlimited supply as displayed directly under
the picture of the item. As you obtain more items you can select them by
using the "L1" and "R1" buttons to cycle through them.
The "square" button activates the item.
Rockets - when activated, this item brings up crosshairs which you aim
as enemies come into range bring the crosshairs over them and
use the "O" button to fire them. You can fire upto 3 at a time
in rapid succession before they need to recharge.
5.2c - Escape
Should battle be too tough you can escape, press "X" and select the
sector you wish to withdraw too. "E" will apear in any sectors occupied
by enemy forces.
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5.3 - EDF Cruisers
When Cruisers enter battle you control them just like the Yamato.
Any damage done and items used will be repaired and replaced as time
progresses outside of battle, you do not have to and cannot instruct
the ships crew to do repairs or replace items or weapons like on the
Yamato.
5.3a - Movement
"triangle" will bring up the movement map, you can move the ship
any direction using the "d-pad" and up or down using the "R1" and "R2"
buttons. If you move the cursor to an enemy target a triangle will
apear over the enemy and spin, this means you will follow the enemy
until it is destoyed (you can still use the "R" buttons to station
your ship above or below the enemy while chasing them.
5.3b - Weapons
"O" will bring up the weapons display. You can cycle through
the weapons using the "d-pad" and select upto 4 weapons to automaticaly
fire in battle.
Selections:
-1 - Close range rapid fire guns - these are good against
fighters and to destroy incoming missles
-2 - Main Gun Turret 1 - forward and up range (power of 40)
-3 - Main Gun Turret 2 - forward and up range (power of 40)
-4 - Main Gun Turret 3 - on the bottom of the ship, forward and
down range (power of 40)
-5 - Rear Side Cannons - rear range, up and down I think
(power of 20)
-6 - Rear Side Cannons - rear range, up and down I think
(power of 20)
-7 - Homing Missles - shoot from aft section, range up and any
direction. Limited amo weapon, standard is 10 shots, these
recharge (outside of battle) over time.
5.3c - Items
"square" will bring up items, in the begining there are only 2.
-1 - Raise HP 50%, this is like a health item, it restores damage
done to the ship
-2 - Raise Energy 50%, this will refuel your energy gauge
These items are limited in number, but recharge (outside of battle) over
time.
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6.0 - Away Party
At certain times you will have the oppurtunity to take an away
party of crew members down to planet surfaces, etc. Most cases there
will be a preset crew you must take and others will allow you to choose.
The control of the away party gives you a more active roll of
control.
6.1 - Controls
"start" - brings up the map, left and right on the "d-pad" will rotate
it, and up and down will recenter it.
"L1" and "L2" will cycle through the character that you control with the
"d-pad"
"R1" targets the enemy so your weapon fire is easier to control.
"R2" cycles through enemy targeted
"X" character rolls to avoid enemy fire
"O" fire standard lazer gun
"square" use secondary weapon (differs per crew member)
"select" brings up the control option, you can select that each direction
on the "d-pad" will move the character in that direction or you
can select a 1st person like style, "up"=forward, "left or right"=
turn, "down"=backup
6.2 - Away Crew abilities
- Medics - they have not secondary weapon, but have the skill to heal
hurt crew, they do this automatically
- Yamamoto and Katou - secondary weapon is greanade, will be thrown
and then explode after a few seconds
- Sandor - secondary weapon is bomb set down, then move the characters
away and hit "square" to blow it up
- Space Marine Knox - his secondary weapon is his fist
There are a few oppurtunities during the game to find "extras" as
shown on the "beatdown" mission review screen. In the lower left hand
corner there is a picture of what, to me, look like minerals. I tried
flying to most areas of the maps but cannot find where to obtain or how
to obtain these extras. I have seen them displayed as "you got 0 of 1"
on the "beatdown" screen on 2 occasions. Can you help? I will give more
info as soon as I find one of these elusive things.
I recieved an email some time ago saying that to mine a planet, you
must spend the day there and the next day you will have stuff. I have
yet to test this and I have lost the email from the person who sent it
some time ago.
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8.0 - Rewards
After certain missions you are show a "beatdown" screen giving you
destruction totals and a captaincy rating.
After some of these screens you are awarded new items and upgrades.
8.1 - Cosmo Tiger Hyper "Hoshin" Missles
A new Item that the Cosmo Tigers can use, during combat press
"square" and then use the "R1" or "L1" buttons to cycle to them.
They are limited in number (Sanada can make more) they are more powerful
than standar rockets, and the pilot says "Hyper Hoshin Missles" whenever
he fires them.
8.2 - New Fighter
At one point you are awarded a new fighter that Kodai can fly
instead of his cosmo zero. It looks like the seemless plane that he and
Sanada used to fly to the magnatron wave satalite in series one. It's
purpose and advatages are as yet unknown.
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19.0 - Misc.
19.1 - When was the game released?
May 2, 2000.
19.2 - Where can I get a copy in the U.S.?
I got my game at http://www.tronixweb.com. I pre-ordered the game.
The game was released on 5-2-2000, I got email and a phone call
telling me it was in and giving me a price, they shipped it out and
I got the game monday 5-8-2000! Now that's service!
Tony Super Genius (see credits) also says that you can get the game
at www.ncsx.com.
Thanks to "Tony J. Case, Super Genius"(tonyc@isomedia.com) for his
wonderful gratuitous information on the game's Japanese website,
keeping me up to date with the release date, and finding a place
to pre-order the game. Thank you Super Genius, you are truly
a genius!!!
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THAT'S ALL FOR NOW.
I'll try to get more info to you asap!
thanks
Nick Flor, nisk72@cs.com
The most recent version of this faq can be found at
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Harbor/3904/yam2play.txt
For great Star Blazers and Yamato info visit my site:
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Harbor/3904/geoyamato.html
Please mail me anything you have discovered, or with anything I have
done wrong!
