1. Introduction
A war is raging between the Moon colony Selene and Earth. You fight
for the Moon as a volunteer Einh„nder pilot, a highly classified
operation of prototype fighters and pilots trained for suicide runs.
The survival rate is zero. You start the game with a choice of three
basic ships, and eight weapons (called gunpods, or GPs). You can earn
two more ships and four more weapons, as well as 100 pictures in a
gallery.
2. Ships
Each of the three different ships can change the feel of the game
entirely. A breif summary of each is provided below.
Endymion FRS Mk. III
This ship is great for beginners. It is the only ship to feature two
machine guns, and can load one gunpod. It is also the easiest to
pilot.
Endymion FRS Mk. II
This ship can hold three gunpods, but can only equip one at a time. It
only has one machine gun, but because it can store extra gunpods, you
will seldom be without a weapon.
Astraea FGA Mk. I
This is the best Einh„nder ship. It has one machine gun, and can load
two gunpods at a time, giving it significantly more firepower than any
other ship.
3. SP Bonuses
Each stage has three SP Bonuses to complete. You earn then by
completing certain tasks. You will be awarded ten thousand, thirty
thousand and fifty thousand points for each subsiquent bonus.
Stage 1
SP 1 - shoot all the neon signs. Turn your speed all the way up (R2)
and this is much easier.
SP 2 - after the signs, there will be a carrier ship with a Riot gun on
it. Kill the next ship for the bonus.
SP 3 - at the midboss, shoot off the bottom saucer-like part. This is
harder than it looks, as he moves quickly and has two guns. After you
shoot off the blue shell, you must destroy the metal underneath.
Stage 2
SP 1 - shoot the first two tan enemies at the bottom of the screen as
soon as they appear. A third red ship will then appear. Shoot it for
the first bonus.
SP 2 - eventually you will come to a section of the train with gun
turrets rising out of three sections. You will not advance until you
destroy the unit on the far right (has no gunpod). Shoot ten of the
turrets.
SP 3 - later in the stage, you run into some more turrets. Shoot ten
for the bonus.
Stage 3
SP 1 - there are a few enemies in Stage 3 that have a disc on top and
carry two gunpods each. Kill them all until a red one appears, kill it
for the first bonus.
SP 2 - at the midboss, destroy all the green weapon trucks. This
bonus also may be possible by destroying the red trucks, but this is
still unconfirmed.
SP 3 - right after the midboss, a big six sided saucer thing will come
down and start shooting out enemies. Kill it, and then kill all the
destroyed ships that will fall out. You will need a big gun to
accomplish this, Vulcan or Juno work well, or Blade if you hammer the O
button.
Stage 4
SP 1 - destroy the body section of the boat. The tower will fly off,
kill it quickly for the bonus. This will also get you the Juno, one of
the secret guns. If you don't destroy this thing quickly, it will
shoot off an unbelievable amount of missiles and bullets, which you
almost cannot avoid. Work fast.
SP 2 - when you get to the tunnels, go as far down as possible. Near
the end you will see a mech type guy sliding down the ramp with a bunch
of sparks flying everywhere. Kill him for the bonus.
SP 3 - at the end of the stage, you will come to a part with some
silver metal piping. If you got the first two bonuses, there will be
an enemy here who you can kill, and he will fall and crash into the
pipes. If not, you have to get a weapon that can shoot angled
downward, like the Vulcan or Juno, and shoot the pipes.
Stage 5
SP 1 - just a bit before the midboss, you will come to eight or so
metal beams moving up and down across your path. Shoot them all down
for the bonus.
SP 2 - destroy all the other parts of the midboss without hurting him
to earn the second bonus. Do not get the Wasp when he throws it at
you, because it will target his head and make your task more difficult.
SP 3 - just before the stage boss you see two gray and one red enemies
fly in front of the screen. If you have Wasp, take out the red guy
quickly for the bonus. If you don't you must kill every single enemy
in the upcoming sequence and he will appear on the screen. Juno or
Vulcan will help.
Stage 6
SP 1 - the pods on the back side of the rocket will randomly release a
red enemy. Don't destroy the pods until you see him, then take him
out.
SP 2 - destroy three of the pods on the back of the rocket.
SP 3 - after the rocket, you fight the stage boss. For the third
bonus, you must take out the small round cap that appears on top of the
main saucer, and then the main saucer itself. If done correctly, after
he dies, he will shoot out another enemy, who you will automatically
follow. This has to be the best looking enemy in the game. He looks
like a jellyfish, and has a red and orange curtain of light the
surrounds him. Take him out for the third bonus.
Stage 7
SP 1 - kill the first red ship. It is possible without, but all three
of these bonuses will be made much easier with the wasp, as this stage
is very fast paced.
SP 2 - kill the second red ship
SP 3 - kill the third red ship (if you killed the first two, this guy
will carry a Juno).
4. Boss Strategy
All the bosses in the game move in patterns that you can memorize, and
have the same attacks that they will also use in a pattern. However,
without knowing their weak spot, some of the bosses can be made much
more difficult than they really are. Make a note that the Blade is a
good weapon for almost all of the bosses, because it can cause an
extreme amount of damage to a concentrated area.
Stage 1
Midboss - shoot this guy in the head to defeat him. He has two guns
which can take you out fast, so stay far back and keep gunning him. If
you shoot off both of his guns, he pulls out a really big cannon. Not
recommended. If you're going for the bonus, shoot off the bottom
saucer portion.
Boss - there are two different possible bosses here. The normal boss
is green and has the number 09 on his side. If you get all three
secrets for the stage, you will fight a different boss who is dark
purple and has the number 08. They look the same and have the same
attack patterns, but 08 is a bit tougher. First fly as low as possible
and shoot off his foot type thing. Then shoot the main body portion.
Eventually two doors will open up and he will shoot some red bullets at
you. Shoot at where they are coming from. When he flips back over and
isn't flashing white anymore, he is already dead.
Stage 2
Midboss - this guy is fast, and has a number of annoying moves for you.
Get a big gun and shoot him in the face to kill him quickly. If you
have the Blade, equip it on the bottom of your ship and stab him with
it as soon as you see him. He will explode instantly.
Boss - this is by far the easiest boss in the game. As soon as you can
hurt him, shoot him with something large in the round head portion. It
will blow up once and reveal a metal under layer. Take a moment to
take care of his arms, which have a flamethrower and a gattling gun,
and then a Hedgehog and a Vulcan underneath. Then attack his head
again before he brings out the second set of arms.
Stage 3
Midboss - if you want, you can take this boss out in a few seconds with
the Blade. But if you want the second SP bonus, that doesn't work.
When you first see him, attack the portion in the middle with the two
lasers on the sides. That will blow up. Then he will start spinning
around on the bottom of the screen. If you want to kill him, attack
his legs, which blow up, then attack the body and he will die very
quickly. If you want the bonus, avoid his attacks until you can
destroy five or so of the red enemies to get the bonus.
Boss - again, Blade works great here, or Grenade, which you can get
from the last enemy on the bottom before the boss. Shoot his head
until the green shell is destroyed. You can destroy his yellow flaming
yo-yo that he throws, but it takes a lot of firepower. Shoot his head
again until it is destroyed.
Stage 4
Midboss - the midboss on this stage is not the ship, it is the pink
stingray. Stay out of his way when you first see him, because he will
shoot out a bunch of mines. Wait until they blow up to attack him.
Shoot at his armor on the front of the ship. When this is gone he will
jump up and hang from the two metal beams.
From here he can shoot a big blue laser, or swipe at you with his tail.
Shoot the green portion in his center to take him out.
Boss - this is another boss that could be dangerous if you don't have a
big gun, but is harmless a bunny rabbit if you do. So bring the heavy
artillery and give him hell. Shoot the long front part first. Then
some armor will fly over and land on him. Shoot the green spot on it
to take him out.
Stage 5
Midboss - if you are jus fighting for the kill, shoot this guy in the
head (a small red shape near the top) , then get the Wasp when he
throws the box at you and hammer the button until he is dead. The Wasp
is essential, because he goes into the background, and you can't hit
him without it. However, if you want the bonus, you must bring a big
gun and lots of ammo, and shoot everything except his head. Don't get
the Wasp, because it will target his head and kill him. When he goes
into the background, you just have to wait it out. Yeah, it's cheap,
but what are you gonna do?
Boss - after you shoot off both his arms, this boss can't pose much of
a threat. One shoots large, single blasts, the other is like a machine
gun. Once they are gone, blast at him until he crashes and blows up
all over the launch ramp.
Stage 6
Midboss - the midboss on this level is the rocket. You must destroy
the two engines on the back of the ship. Just about any weapon will
work here, but be sure to watch for other enemies, because there will
be lots. Also, the third or fourth enemy to carry a weapon will have a
Blade.
Boss - this is the hardest boss in the game, easily tougher than the
last boss. When you first see him, shoot at the top saucer part and
right below it. When he covers the screen in yellow lasers, duck
between two of the beams. Then he will put up three spinning blue
discs, which protect him from harm. If you shoot then in the center
they just shoot it back, but if you hit them around the edges you can
destroy them. You can also hurt his three legs, which will be spinning
around. Then he goes into the background, and shoots three green
lasers. These will track you down, so turn your speed up, and duck and
weave. Next he will throw some smaller yellow discs, these you can
destroy much more easily then the large blue ones. Then he comes back
forward, and that is your chance to take him out. Hit him with
everything you've got, centered in the upper portion and the saucer at
the top. Good luck.
Stage 7
Midboss - there really is no midboss for this stage. You will fight
about two dozen Einh„nder ships like yours, each equipped with two
gunpods. If you shoot all three red ships, the third will carry a
Juno.
Boss - the last boss is a huge mech looking guy. He takes up most of
the screen, and has some really spiffy lighting effects. He is easier
than the stage six boss, but moves a whole lot faster. Shoot the five
or so little green ships that he throws out. Then watch for him to
shoot a huge laser at you. If he does, move quickly to the top or
bottom of the screen. When you are facing him and he is on the right,
fire away. Shoot at the area near the top, he will flash red when you
are hitting the right spot. You shouldn't have much trouble killing
him. After he dies, you see an FMV sequence of him crashing into Earth
and making a huge explosion (remember the Einh„nder magazine ad)?
5. Secret Ships
There are two secret ships, known as the Unknown Type 1: Sodom and
Unknown Type 2: Selene. Both are tough to earn, and add some replay to
the game, or atleast give you something to play for.
Unknown Type 1: Sodom
The Sodom is the same as the small green and yellow police ships from
the first level. This ship makes the game play more like a standard
shooter. Your weapon is powered up a level each time you get a gunpod,
up to level 20. This is fun at first, but has little practicality,
because as soon as you die at a boss, and can't get any more gunpods,
you're wrecked. To get it, beat the game with 15 or more SP Bonuses.
Unknown Type 2: Selene
This is the highest level of achievemant in Einh„nder. It is almost
impossible to earn, but very rewarding when and if you do. It is like
the Astraea, with the two gunpods, but maxes out your ammo (9999
bullets) whenever you pick up a gunpod. It is also a slick red,
instead of the dull grey of the other ships.
6. Secret Weapons
During the course of the game, you can find up to four secret weapons.
These weapons are much more powerful than the standard ones, although
some are a bit odd. Here's how to get them all. Also, after you get
each new weapon, look for its picture in the gallery.
Juno - like the Vulcan, but much larger, and all around meaner looking.
Stage 4 - when the boat pops out of the water, destroy the body
section, and not the tower. Then the tower will fly off, destroy it
quickly to get the Juno.
Stage 7 - if you kill the first two red enemies, the third will be
carrying a Juno.
Flash - like the Cannon, but much stronger. Shoots a large purple
laser that can penetrate multiple targets.
Stage 3 - complete SP 3 to get a Flash here.
Stage 2 - shoot off all the parts of the midboss until you get the SP 2
bonus, and you will get the Flash.
Mosquito - a powerful guided missile, controlled with the D-pad.
Stage 4 - there is only one way to get the Mosquito. After fighting
the midboss in stage four (the stingray), your ship enters a building.
There are some crates in front of you that contain the Spread, get it.
Then drop down to the bottom floor as soon as you can, fire the Spread
backwards and you will get the Mosquito.
Python - a very odd weapon to use. Powerful mines linked together by
lasers.
Stage 5 - make sure to pick up the Wasp weapon sometime early in stage
five, you will see it a few times. About a quarter of the way through
the level you will see a very large vehicle with square corners drive
by and then park. As soon as you see it gun the button, and after it
is destroyed you will get the Python.
7. Gallery Pictures
During the game, you can earn 100 different pictures in a gallery,
numbered 00 to 99. The pictures include shots of gunpods, enemy ships,
bosses, and concept sketches. You will get the pictures of the gunpods
after collecting them for the first time in the game, and you will get
tons of pictures when you beat the game. To get all the pictures, keep
playing the game on higher difficulty settings, and getting all the
secrets on each level.
8. Miscellaneous
- If you die at stage six, you will see a different FMV sequence and
game ending. This is the only place you can see it, and you must
actually end your game here, i.e. use up all you continues and lives.
You won't get another chance to see the sequence, so make sure try this
once.
- The name "Einh„nder" is German, and means one-handed. All of the
bosses also taunt you in German, which is why you can't understand
them. Unless you speak German.
9. Copyright Info
Feel free to distribute this FAQ freely to any webpage or BBS as long
as it is left intact and credit is given. You may use any portion of
this FAQ in your own document as long as credit is given, and please
contact the author if you do. Please do not use this FAQ to gain
profits or recognition without permission of the author. Einhander is
made by Square of Japan.
