Black Hole Assault by Big Net Author: DJ Tigresa and MC Pantera Email: djtigresa@classicgaming.com, mcpantera@classicgaming.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Story ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Black Hole Assault is the sequel to Heavy Nova, which Bignet released in Japan for the Sega CD, but squashed into an eight-meg cartridge for the U.S. market. (The Sega CD wasn’t available in the States when Heavy Nova came Out.) It’s a robotic fighting game where you control one of ten different robots and engage in battle on plan ets and asteroids throughout the solar system. The animation of the robots is very fluid, and of course the CD soundtrack really rocks. There’s a one-player mode where you fight eight increasingly tough opponents (and are treated to cool intermis sion sequences after every two victories), and a two-player mode where you can program the fighting strategies of a computer-controlled robot. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Strategies ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We suggest which robot to use for each stage of Operation BHA, butfeel free to use a different robot if you want. Our strategies still apply (although the two robots have different attacks, so you’ll need to experiment). Press Down and A as soon as an opponent lifts you off the ground, and keep holding them as you’re thrown. You’ll land on your feet and avoid taking damage. The Front Fly-Jump Kick is a very effective attack in the one-player mode. Practice this move, because it will be your bread-and-butter attack against most of the enemy robots (including the final boss). STAGE 1 (STRS1): Select Cyquest as your robot and use the Front Fly-Jump Kick almost exclusively. STRS1 is just too slow to react to tl attack, and you can score with it almost every time. STAGE 2 (URCHIN): Select Cyquest as your robot. The Front Fly Jump Kick works against Urchin, but not as well as STRSI, because Urchin is faster. STAGE 3 (THUG 501): Select Cyquest as your robot and use your long-range artillery to nail Thug, then jump away from his attacks. The Front Fly-Jump Kick is very hard to do against him because he almost always attacks when you jump. STAGE 4 (THORAXE): Select Cyquest as your robot. Throws don’t work on Thoraxe (he always lands on his feet), and he’ll duck under artillery fire, so the Front Fly-Jump Kick is your best weapon. He likes to slide attack a lot, so it’s best to attack with a Jump Kick after he’s fired his own artillery (which leaves him de fenseless for a moment). STAGE 5 (GHOST WALKER): Select Cyquest as your robot. Ghost Walker uses a Flash Speed attack that isn’t really an attack; it just gets him into close range in the blink of an eye. Your best plan of attack is to stay at long range and wait for Ghost Walker to use the Flash Speed, then grab and throw him. STAGE 6 (LOCUST): Select Cyquest as your robot. Locust is a very defensive robot; he ducks whenever you get close and also ducks artillery fire. The trick to beating him is to jump behind him, then squat and kick him before he can turn around. It takes good timing and precise jumping to pull this attack off, but once you master it, you’ll thrash Locust with ease. STAGE 7 (WHIPLASH): Select Orion as your robot. Whiplash is dev astating at close range, but you have to get close to cause damage. Jump and hit him with a Knee Kick, then immediately jump away before Whiplash retaliates. You can also jump straight up and trade blows with Whiplash if you have more energy. Every time you Knee Kick him, he’ll knock you to the ground. STAGE 8 (MANTIS X): Select Orion as your robot. Before you can start fighting Mantis X, you have to make him start moving. Keep using a Slide attack until he stands up. Once he does, stay at vely long range and use high jumping Knee Kicks to whack him in the air. You won’t hit Mantis X every time, because he occasionally blocks you with his sword, but you’ll drain him of energy before he drains you. When Mantis X is dead, you receive a decent ending sequence, with a few nice explosions and then a long list of programmers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Moves ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All of the robots except Whiplash and Mantis X have special moves that you won’t find in the manual, but you will find in the following paragraphs. Towards means to press the controller towards your opponent. Back means to press the controller away from your opponent. CYQUEST—Hammer Knuckle: f,df,d,db, Punch. Uppercut: qcf, Punch. ORION—Elbow Smash: f,df,d, Punch. Uppercut: db, f, Punch. STRS1—Head Butt: f,df,d, Punch. URCHIN—Jumping Hammer Claw: db,f, Punch. Upper Claw: qcf, Punch. THUG 501—Ankle Drop: db,f,df,d, Kick. Slap: b,f, Punch. THORAXE—Hammer Knuckle (works from long range): f,df,d,db, Punch. GHOST WALKER—Rolling Kick: d,db,f, Kick. Uppercut: df,f,uf, Punch. LOCUST—Long Head Butt: bcf, Kick. Uppercut: qcf, Punch. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Secrets ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BLACK BALL ASSAULT: Enter your name as AZY (without the period) and select Operation BHA. You’ll now be able to play a hidden game with in the game called Black Ball Assault. It’s a lot like the ancient coin-op Pong, although you have the added ability of being able to shoot the ball. INVINCIBILITY: When the title screen appears with the options, choose “Name Entry” in the options. Enter your name as MUTEKI and select Operation BHA. Your ‘bot won’t lose energy regardless of the enemies’ strength. INSTANT VICTORY: Enter your name as BIGNET and select Operation BHA. During a battle, press START on Controller 2 and your opponent will fall to the ground and die instantly.