Corneria

In the beginning, don't move, and shoot the air around the monsters that come from above. Then you'll see two small robots fly out from behind you. if you can, kill the left on regularly, then quickly charge a shot, and SHOOT THE WATER below the one on the right. (I will explain this later on as I go. This will net you extra bonus points. I refer to it as the non-lock Technique.) In Corneria, there are certain archways and buildings, that if you go under and in between, extra enemies will appear. In the beginning, after the water part, there is a door. Open in and go through it. Send a bomb somewhat deep to kill the enemies. Then keep left...you'll see an archway in a somewhat hidden place. This will present many more enemies. Destroy them all. Go right immediately. There should be a building on the far right. Keep the joystick all the way to the right, and you should go in between a demolished building with two sides joined at the base, and this will present more enemies. You’ll now follow the bridge. Kill the enemy gunners on the bridge, then the ones on the left near the building that are hovering, using the non-lock technique. There should be a point where a robot is knocking a building towards you. There is an archway right before this that holds up the bridge as well. Go under this. Don’t worry about the ones that just started following you...you'll take care of em! Going under this will present more enemies for you. To kill every single one of them, hurl a bomb into the building that the robot is about to knock over towards you. You’ll then have a small respite from shooting for a few seconds. You’ll then see a hovering enemy in front of a door. Kill it, and go through the door. Shoot the satellite on the ground right after it, and detonate a bomb right into the small box coming off the ground in the center of the screen...there should be three little ground robots and two building robots to your sides that you won't be able to see...the bomb will get them though! You now reach the midpoint. You should have around 100 points by this time. After that, when Falco is in trouble, lock on to all enemies… be sure to go under that one arch in front of you too. It’ll present more enemies. After four hovering ships appear, you'll see another one in front of a small building that has a middle cut out again like before just slightly to the left. Destroy the enemy with the non-lock technique, turn your ship to the side, and go in between the little space. This will present four more little bugs from behind a building. Lock on them, and your choice here… you can risk it, and lock onto the last remaining enemies on the ground and near the building, and perhaps lose Falco accidentally, or you can make it easy, and toss a bomb in their direction. When all enemies are gone, finally lock onto the first ship chasing Falco so you get all three. Do the non-lock on the little gunners on the bridge, then try to non-lock the robots with I-beam type objects. (Shoot the ground near them) then shoot the last few ground gunners with a non-lock again. Then you'll come to the 7 archways. For the first skier, shoot the water in front of him when it approaches the hole in the archway. Then do a somersault to pick up the bomb that just appeared. Now start the non-lock again. This time shooting the rocks that are in front of the skiers, or the archways in front of them. This will net HIT+1 (the bonus for not locking on) and the regular HIT+3 for them...a total of five hits each. Now lock on to as many enemies before you go under the waterfall. Keep left as much as possible. Then start locking on to the enemies after the waterfall, and detonating a bomb when there are a bunch of flying creatures and those little things hopping out from the ground. Finally lock on the last two groups of ships. Oh yeah. When Slippy first asks for help in the beginning of the level, shoot the water with a charged shot to take out the robot, then take his energy down LOW!!! Don’t kill him yet though (if you don't, don't worry, you'll get another chance.) Sorry...I won't explain every level to its fullest extent like this one.

Meteo

Use your three bombs in the first asteroid field. Whenever you begin to see large clusters of asteroids, fire a bomb quickly! You should have over 30 just for destroying asteroids. If Slippy has high energy, take him down lots before the bugs come from behind the asteroids. Try not to kill him...if you do, don't worry, you're just missing out on three extra points. Then kill everything along your way to the warp. Right before the midpoint, Slippy (if you didn't kill him before,) will ask for help. KILL HIM before going through the midpoint! Bunches of flipbots will come out. Shoot two bombs somewhat deep into them. When you go through the blue rings, lock onto the first three groups of 8 ships to get MASS points. (HIT+7!!! each one...you can only get three though. You go too fast for getting anymore.) Fire your lasers the rest of the way while going through the rings...but keep your eye on the rings so you don't skip one. That happens often to me. You should have around 170 by the time you go through the warp. In the asteroid fields in the warp, use your bombs! Use bombs on the little asteroids with all those protruding enemies too. Shoot all the little bugs that come out in lines then go for the asteroids on the side. But go after the bugs primarily. Finally shoot as many bombs into the last asteroid field and pick up as many too.

Katina

What can I say? Go after the large groups of enemies and kill off Slippy and Falco if they keep getting in your way...you don't need them, so don't worry if you shoot either of them down. You need peppy though for sector x. IF the mother ships little hatches aren't open when the countdown starts...do the level over. You should have around 190 when the countdown starts. Make sure the hatches are open though. If they are, immediately go for them...then go after enemies. FORGET the core. It’s worthless now. Go after enemies the whole time. If you don't see anymore enemies...which should leave you about 5 seconds, you can try to kill the core...but you might not be able to...oh well. It’ll only net you about a HIT+2, 1 or maybe no bonus at all. So its basically pointless. Just go after enemies.

An extra tip. If you don't get over 225 at least, or the hatches aren't open when the countdown starts, retry the level. Or die by wrecking yourself, or if you need the lives, finish it, and retry it again. When you start again, kill off everything, and when the mother ship comes, wait for the hatches to open. Destroy two of them to make ROB64 send a laser upgrade...if your energy is high enough...and it should be, you'll get a laser upgrade! If you are lucky, you can find one of the enemy ships harboring a laser upgrade before this time, then you don't have to worry about the hatches. But it’s not likely. It’s happened once in awhile for me. If you don't get the upgrade from ROB64, crash yourself. Don't retry the level. You’ll then restart right when the hatches are open, so you can destroy two of them, and get the upgrade immediately. If you lose peppy, you might as well start over, because he plays a major role in sector x.

Sector X

Fire a bomb into the first group of enemies, and destroy the rest with lasers. Then charge your lasers...destroy those first three tiny ships with charged shots. A little Christmas tree type formation of them should drop from above, then two more groups on the side of it. When the first drops, lock onto the bottom right one. When they all get there, fire it. Should get something like HIT+5. Then lock onto the ones on the left; preferably the one on the left of the two that are closest to each other. Later, fire a bomb after waiting two-three seconds when ships are flying in from behind. It should take all of them out. Then fire a bomb into the minefield. Then start shooting the rest of the stuff in front of you. Kill all the satellites and the bugs that appear right before the midpoint and after. By the midpoint, you should have over 105 at least. Peppy will come out for help later. Lock on as many times as it takes. Kill the satellites too that you see. Take a right when it branches out. Then go up, and go through that little hole right after it branches out. Try to kill those little gunners that come out without locking on. (Charge a laser, then shoot it at the board they are on) there will be more gunners. Do the non-locking technique here too...don't forget the little gunners on the left side too that appear sometimes! When peppy asks for help again, lock on as many times as it takes. After that, and again, just two more gunners...this time in sets of three. Non-lock them also (like I said...just shoot the panel they are on). Kill the last remaining satellites, and the bug or two that comes. You’ll reach the boss. When you do, lock onto the area surrounding him. Separate satellites are way back there! They should be near the lower corners of him...there should be like four individual ones, then a group of three in the lower left corner that gets a HIT+2 bonus. There is one in each top corner as well. Eventually they fly past you though. Keep your laser charged when you approach the boss. Then keep locking on in the background until it’s all gone. Then go after the boss.

Macbeth

DON'T shoot the train. Shoot the high enemies first. When the train releases its boulders...use your charged laser shots! Don’t worry about locking on! Just keep using charged shots as fast as you can. When you are past the boulders, go after the train now. It’ll disappear for a minute, so shoot a bomb when those enemies ships are flying in the air. Laser the remaining ones. The train should be seen now again. Shoot it fast. It’s not the last of it though. You’ll see the rest of it again here soon. Use a charged shot when those five bugs appear together then used charged shots on the boulders coming toward you. (Try to hover slightly, then shoot the ground near them...the non-lock technique is employed here as well!) You’ll see the train again. Fire away...and use your brakes fully! When those two small groups of ships come, lock on them, then go back to finishing the train. If you feel you must, you can use a bomb...not likely though, it’s only a few points. The train’s last part should be here. Use your brakes again! You’ll get to more boulders from the right. Non-lock here too. Then do the non-lock on the area that those little flying robots are near too. Just shoot in their general direction, until they are all dead. Falco will ask for help. Fire a charged shot at the bridge above you. it should destroy the ship that follows Falco for an easy HIT+1 bonus. Hover to get on the part to destroy any remnants of the train you weren't able to kill before. (Shoot while you are hovering upwards, or you will be knocked back off by the blast you create!). Now shoot the rest of the train as you go through the tunnel...(I notice that the last car has boulders...I’ve never let the train drop them though...I should see if I get more points that way!) You should have around 130 by the time you go through the midpoint. Now...kill yourself! Just after the midpoint, there should be a wall. Continually run into it to destroy yourself. You should begin at the midpoint, and you will get a few extra cars back to kill again that were already destroyed before, so its a few extra hits! Shoot the last few parts of the train, and finally shoot the switches...a few robots should fly down...a couple near the switches. Shoot the switches...(the non-lock) and get a HIT+1 for the robots near the switches...or you can hover and try to shoot the ground, but you might accidentally lock-on. Make damn sure you hit the switcher that nets you a lovely HIT+50 and proceeds you to area 6.

Area 6

Hmmm… now… what can I say? In the first part, shoot either two or three bombs into the minefield. Don’t let them travel too far if you use three. If you use two, wait one second after you near them, then detonate it. If you use two, still, don't let it travel too far. Wait a little second each bomb you shoot. You should have around 90 after this. Shoot the groups of enemies first that come after, and THEN shoot the disc-ships down. Lock onto Falco’s enemies, and keep shooting always! When you get to the cruisers, shoot the little missiles that come for you. And finally shoot the 5 large missiles. Start with the right top, then right bottom, middle, left top, and the finally left bottom. Have around 190 hits after these. You’ll then get to little strong ships twirling around and disc-ships. Shoot a bomb DEEP into the twirling ships, and destroy the disc-ships mostly with your lasers. It should take two bombs to kill most of the small ships. Charge laser the remaining ones. You’ll get to more disc-ships, and bugs. Shoot the ships first., then go for the bugs if there aren't much around. If you can kill the bugs in a second, go for it, then go for the ships. Cause the bugs keep coming anyway...but the ships don't end either! You’ll reach the midpoint now...try to have around 230. Then start going for the giant cruisers. Try to kill the little gunners on the sides of them, then go for the back of them to get HIT+5 for each of them. Keep shooting them down as fast as you can, when you hear an explosion, or see little smoke balls, or see the HIT+5 come, go for another! Go after the groups of tiny ships that appear with lock-on’s too. A particular group comprised of four blue and one brown ship should appear. Kill them all! You’ll get a bomb. Immediately shoot it at the cruiser, so you'll get the gunners on the sides, and the group of about 9 or so enemies that comes from the right also, so shoot the back of the cruiser now with your lasers to finish it off, and go on to the next ones. (Never ever stop shooting on this level. I mean NEVER! There is always something to shoot on this level!)

Venom

This is so easy. Shoot down wolf quickly. In the very beginning of the level, immediately do a U-turn. Wait for star wolf to appear...now press start to bypass the cinema. Start heading in the direction where all four wolf members will break apart. You should get an idea where this is after replaying it a few times. Begin firing either non-locked or lock-on shots (Non-lock preferably...more hits ya know) in their general direction. it is possible for you to get HIT+1, I’ve even gotten a HIT+2 twice at the beginning of the star wolf battle. I had four total hits before any dogfighting had begun. Bonuses here as well as when battling Andross's brain. But it’s very hard. If you see one of the Star Wolf members nearing a pillar, shoot the pillar with a charged shot without locking onto the wolf team member. If you are lucky, the charged shot's blast will tag the wolf member as well, giving you a HIT+1 bonus. If you see two of them approaching the same pillar...try to hit the pillar! You’ll get a HIT+2 if the blast from your charged shot hits them both!!! This is very very hard to do though. They usually aren't ever near enough to a pillar...and when they are, you aren't ready or you accidentally locked on already. If you think its taking yourself too long to kill them, restart, cause you can't do it after you enter Andross's domain. When you reach Andross...here's what you do. Destroy his hands and face normally. When Andross's face begins to blow up, and he says, "only I have the brains to rule Lylat" after that message disappears, wait a HALF second, do a somersault while beginning to charge a shot. Keep your brakes held in too, so when your boost gauge is full, you can give a little more time to yourself. Remember to keep your laser charged. As soon as the eyes come out and you hear the lock on, FIRE, and you'll hit both eyes at the same time, giving a HIT+1. If you have time, try to fire another charged shot… don't lock on though. It is almost impossible to get two of them in though. If you have lives to spare, and screw this up, and you want that extra hit, restart! It’s an easy extra hit. If you ever see the eyes coming very close to each other again, try to lock on and fire. You might be fortunate enough to get another HIT+1 bonus. But it's only happened to me once. So its not very likely. Finally...you make damn sure you escape.

Extras

For practice on the non-lock technique...you're lucky! Start a new game, and you practice in Corneria. This is a prime place. Wherever you see stationary enemies, fire the ground/water/air/structures around them!… Oh yeah… here’s a tip. In the VERY beginning of Corneria, DON'T MOVE AT ALL. Charge your shot. You’ll see that first enemy start to come down. After one second when you see it, fire your shot without it locking on. You should see a HIT+1 appear, giving you two total points. Do this for the next two enemies that happen to be side by side. Wait a second after you see them, have a charged shot ready, and fire… remember. Don’t move and don't lock on either! This will give a HIT+2 bonus. Then you'll see two small robots fly out from behind you. If you can, kill the left one regularly, then quickly charge a shot, and SHOOT THE WATER below the one on the right. This is a PERFECT example of the non-lock technique. It blows up, and gives a HIT+1 bonus, where you shouldn't normally if you just regularly locked on. If you feel like you have top-notch reflexes, you can shoot them both down at the same time for a HIT+1 as soon as they appear. You have to be ready though for them.

The non-lock technique was discovered solely by my little brother...he had too much time on his hands, and discovered it. We have now used this to enhance our scores for quite awhile now.

One more final tip. Go out and invest in a SharkPad pro. This little thing helps out in so many places. It helps at the end of Corneria, the beginning of Meteo when you are trying to get a few extra asteroids, and when the bugs come from behind the asteroids. In Katina...for DUH...getting more hits faster! This is one of two primary places to have it. In sector x, it helps in the beginning some, in Macbeth, it helps on the train, in area 6...lets just say it helps BIGTIME (the other primary place). And in venom, it kills off star wolf quicker and the brain of Andross quicker as well. These are only a few spots where this helps. It doesn't hurt at all to sometimes pause the game and take off turbo and charge your laser when you need to. In Corneria, you should charge your laser most of the level. In Meteo, you should keep it turboed most of the way, but a few times you need to take it off… like when going through the rings with those masses of ships...but that’s really the only time to take it off turbo. In Katina...turbo all the way! In sector x, this is mostly a charging level. A few spots you need turbo, like after you throw the first bomb in the beginning, don't waste anymore, and just fire your shots away. But it is mostly locking on. Macbeth you use turbo on the train always, and charged shots most of the rest of the way...especially the boulders. In area 6...TURBO again. There is only one point you take it off. That is when the 6 ships come together to form a circle. It takes two charged shots for them. Other than that, turbo the whole level. In venom, turbo on star wolf, unless you feel you can get extra hits by charge shooting the pillars when one of the ships nears the pillars.

By the way...this mini FAQ was written with the normal mode in mind. For the expert mode, you will have more enemies to fire at, and will provide fewer bombs for you...but you'll also lose a wing easily, thus greatly lowering your score because it takes more laser shots to kill something; ESPECIALLY in Katina and area 6. You need double lasers at least to get a high score in Katina especially… area 6 will be low as a result of it as well.

Here is a general breakdown of around what you should have for each of the levels for a high score...I’ll include what my game has for the highest score on each mission as well, if you want to shoot for that. My little 12 yr. old brother is quite the player himself. Most of the mission scores here are his.