______________ __________________________ .'`. ,' | ,' `. / \ / | / \ / \ | __________| | _____ ____ | / \ | |__________ | / | | | | / \ | | | | | | | | / \ | | | | | | | | / /\ \ | __________| | | | | | | / / \ \_| | | | | |____| | / / \ | | | | | / / \ | | | \ / /______/ \____________| |______| `.____________,' _____ _______ _ _ ____ _ / ____| /\ / _ _ \ | | | | / ___| /\ | | | |___ / \ | | | | | | | | | | | | / \ | | \___ \ / /\ \ | | | | | | | | | | | | / /\ \ | | ____| | / / \ \_| | | | | | | |_| | | | / / \ \_| | |_____/ /_/ \____| |_| |_| \___/ |_| /_/ \____| ============================================================================== AFRO SAMURAI FAQ/Walkthrough Copyright (c)2009-2011 DomZ Ninja ============================================================================== Author: DomZ Ninja E-mail: domzninja[at]hotmail[dot]com Updated: 07/11/11 Version: 1.0 NOTE: This guide does contain spoilers! ______________________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS ______________________________________________________________________________ See that series of numbers to the right of each section? If you want to find a specific section in the FAQ, press CTRL + F to open a search box. Type in the series of numbers for the desired section that you're trying to find and press Enter. Whabam! The search function will take you there in an instant. [1] VERSION HISTORY.................................................. [0100] [2] CONTROLS......................................................... [0200] [3] WALKTHROUGH...................................................... [0300] Prelude......................................................... [0301] The Daimyo's Story.............................................. [0302] School Invasion................................................. [0303] Sword Master's Story............................................ [0304] Okiko's Story................................................... [0305] The Lowdown East Pass........................................... [0306] Doppelganger.................................................... [0307] Kuma's Story.................................................... [0308] The Empty Seven's Story......................................... [0309] Ninja Ninja's Story............................................. [0310] Justice's Story................................................. [0311] [4] MOVE LIST........................................................ [0400] [5] COLLECTIBLES..................................................... [0500] Mementos........................................................ [0501] Otsuru Bears.................................................... [0502] [6] TREASURES........................................................ [0600] [7] ACHIEVEMENTS..................................................... [0700] [8] BESTIARY......................................................... [0800] Enemies......................................................... [0801] Bosses.......................................................... [0802] [9] THANKS/CREDITS................................................... [0900] ______________________________________________________________________________ [1] VERSION HISTORY [0100] ______________________________________________________________________________ FAQ/Walkthrough #39 ------------------- Version 1.0 (02/20/09) - FAQ/Walkthrough complete and submitted. ______________________________________________________________________________ [2] CONTROLS [0200] ______________________________________________________________________________ .-----------------------------.----------------------------------------------. | D-Pad | Ninja Ninja Compass (Down) | |-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | Left Analog Stick | Move, Dash (Click) | |-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | Right Analog Stick | Move Camera, Center Camera (Click) | |-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | Start | Pause | |-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | Back | Skill Menu | |-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | X Button | Light Attack | |-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | Y Button | Heavy Attack | |-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | A Button | Jump | |-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | B Button | Kick | |-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | Right Trigger | Guard | |-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | Left Trigger | Focus (Hold) | |-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | Right Bumper | N/A | |-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | Left Bumper | Over Focus (With a full Focus meter) | '-----------------------------'----------------------------------------------' ______________________________________________________________________________ [3] WALKTHROUGH [0300] ______________________________________________________________________________ ============================================================================== PRELUDE [0301] ============================================================================== After the opening cinema (yeah, get used to the blatant use of profanity in this game), you will begin on the outskirts of town. Ninja Ninja directs you to a bar in town, but you'll have to get past a few thugs first. Hey, it's hard work being Number 2. --- TOWN --------------------------------------------------------------------- A pair of thugs will charge across the bridge towards your location. Use light attacks by pressing X and heavy attacks with Y. You can access your skills list by hitting Back, allowing you to view a list of your available moves and combos. The enemies go down in a hiccup, so randomly mashing buttons works just as well too. - A note about health: As you can probably notice, there is no HUD screen displaying your health or anything of the sort. You must pay attention to Afro's figure to determine how much health you currently have. When Afro is nearing death, his body will produce a red outline. Killing enemies or finding Otsure Bears will replenish Afro's health. Proceed into town after the fight and locate the bar, which is on the left side of town (look for the shining door). Kick open the door with B and barge into the bar. The man you're looking for is inside, but a few commonfolk looking for fame and fortune decide to tango with Afro. Ninja Ninja will teach you the basics of Focus. Hold the Left Trigger to enter Focus mode. Time will slow down and Afro's sword will shine when he holds down X or Y. Hold down either button when facing an enemy; once the shimmer of light reaches the very tip of your sword, let go to perform a devastating slice. This is known as a Perfect Slice, and will automatically kill a weak enemy if pulled off currectly. You can also use the Left Analog Stick to aim your slices, allowing you to chop enemies up in various ways. After defeating three enemies, your target runs out the back door. Enter the alley to encounter a handful of ronin assassins. Use your Focus attacks and remember to block with the Right Trigger; they aren't too tough. A few ninjas chase after Afro once the coast is clear. Ninjas are much more agile than the regular street thug and can often overwhelm you with their speed and evasion. Enter Focus mode and try pressing B to execute a sweeping kick. If it connects, the ninja will be knocked to the ground and will be susceptible to a few cheap hits. Afro will lose sight of his target after killing two ninjas. Press Down on the D-Pad to view the Ninja Ninja Compass. Ninja Ninja will appear in a puff of smoke in the direction that you should be heading. It's a great tool whenever you get lost during a mission. --- COURTYARD ---------------------------------------------------------------- Your destination is behind the bar and to the left. Continue through the alley to reach a large clearing, but also take note of the teddy bear lying on the floor. - Otsuru Bear #1 The first Osturu Bear in the game is right under your nose. It is lying on the ground in front of the large clearing behind the bar. When struck with your sword, Otsuru Bears replenish Afro's health and also increases his Focus. Next up, enter the courtyard to confront the large number of assassins. This is your first large-scale fight. There are 20 or so ronin assassins and a few ninjas thrown in here. Luckily, Afro has another trick up his sleeve. Hit the Left Bumper to activate Over Focus. When in Over Focus, everything around Afro slows down while you attain your normal speed. This allows you to skate between enemies, chopping 'em up with ease. Your attacks also increase in power, as it only takes one or two hits to kill an enemy in Over Focus. - A note about Focus Like with your health, there is no bar to determine how much Focus you have. Pay attention to the pendant dangling from the sword in Afro's right hand. When it glows, it means that your Focus is filled, meaning you can use Over Focus. To fill up your Focus, kill enemies. When your Focus empties, Afro will return to his normal state. Continue slaying ronin assassins and ninjas by executing various combos. When your pendant begins shining again, enter Over Focus. - Otsuru Bear #2 You will find this Otsuru Bear in front of a door in the enemy-filled clearing; it's incredibly hard to miss. Once the enemies are defeated, your target is stopped and brutally murdered by a mysterious man. The good news is that he's out of your way, but the bad news is that you are then prompted to fight this fiend. The catch is that it is impossible to win this swordfight. Try and fight back only for Afro to get his ass handed to him on a silver platter. ============================================================================== THE DAIMYO'S STORY [0302] ============================================================================== This chapter starts off with a flashback, before Afro even obtained the Number 2 headband. Walk forward on the bridge towards the crows. - Memento #1 When you spot a murder of crows, walk through to make them scatter and for you to obtain the Memento. Unlocking all five in each level will earn you a new skill. The first Memento is in front of you at the level's start. --- TOWN --------------------------------------------------------------------- Defeat the assassin waiting on the other side of the bridge and enter the town. A few more enemies come rushing to your location, so disembowel them with your range of combos. You will receive a message after the assassins' defeat, which suggests that wall climbing may be in order to continue on. First off, lets explore the town. - Otsuru Bear #3 Ignore the main pathway for now and cut to the right side of town. Pass by the buildings and stay near the water's edge to reach a small pier. Descend the stairs onto the pier to find the bear. - Otsuru Bear #4 From the town's entrance, pass by the two houses on the right and sneak in between the second and third. The building in front of you has a low roof, so jump and pull yourself onto the roof. Hop onto the roof of the building just to the left and you should spot the bear next to you. Afro will encounter a gunner high up on the adjascent balcony. As he loads and begins to fire his gun, block the bullet shots to avoid taking damage. Drop down from the roof and follow the mansion's outer wall towards a small nook. Wall jump up to the ledge; jump towards a wall, then press A as your foot hits the wall. Alternatively, you can wall run by jumping towards the wall, then holding down A. Either technique will lead you to the balcony. Enter the room and come out on the other side to confront of the gunner. Eliminate him however you wish and head inside the room behind him. Approach the lever on the left wall and wall run to reach it. Afro will pull the lever to unlock half of the mansion gate. Exit the room and slowly walk across the narrow beam. You will find the second level inside this next room. Pull it to fully open the mansion gate, then drop down and proceed inside. --- MANSION ENTRANCE --------------------------------------------------------- Upon entering the entrance to the mansion, Afro will immediately be surrounded by four ronin assassins and one samurai. The assassins are a bit tougher than the foes you have previously clashed with, but they can still be taken down with ease if you use Focus. More assassins will jump out of the water to replace fallen comrades. In total, there are about ten assassins. The samurai is the toughest foe you have faced, for he is the most skilled. He can easily dodge your Focus attacks and is a quick striker. Block constantly and activate Over Focus if your Focus meter is filled. It's easiest fighting the samurai if the other enemies have all been dispatched. After slaying all the competition, head up the stairs to the front porch. - Otsuru Bear #5 The fifth Otsuru Bear is on the far end of the porch's right side. - Memento #2 You can find the Memento on the left side of the porch; again, the Memento is represented by a murder of crows. Kick open the mansion door after collecting both items. --- MANSION ------------------------------------------------------------------ You will be greeted by Daimyo in the foyer, who toys with Afro by sending out some assassins. After killing them, Daimyo reveals himself as the brother of the Sword Master. - Otsuru Bear #6 The bear is located on the back left-hand corner of the foyer. - Otsuru Bear #7 The bear is located on the back right-hand corner of the foyer. Snag the two Otsuru Bears and kick open the door on the left side of the mansion foyer. Run down the hall and defeat the trio of assassins waiting for you down the staircase. Dash into the clockwork room at the end of the hall. Proceed across the balance beam and walk to the left once on the other side. Jump towards the metal bar hanging just out of reach; Afro will grab onto it and perch on top. Do the same with the next railing, then hop onto the ledge. Go carefully across the next beam and drop down the platforms on the left to reach ground level again. Kick the switch on the piece of machinery to move the clock hands back in the foyer, conveniently creating a platform to the upper floor. Walk across the beam to the other side of the room and go through the now-open caged door. A few assassins will be waiting at the end of the hallway, but they should pose no real threat. Kick open the door and climb the stairs to reach the foyer again. Returning to the foyer triggers another assassin ambush. This battle is fairly difficult due to the presence of two samurais. Like always, take out the lowly assassins before targeting the deadly samurais. Or if you don't mind using Over Focus, use it to immediately slice the two apart. Climb the stairs and walk to the left to reach the clock hands. Proceed across to reach the second floor, then follow the walkway to reach a dead end. To make your way to the other end of the second floor, you'll have to use the front door as a stepping stone. While standing at the edge of the walkway, jump towards the wall in a diagonal line. Hold A to perform a wall run to reach the middle point -- the top of the front door. - Otsuru Bear #8 After wall running onto the balcony above the front door, grab the Otsuru Bear; it's in plain sight and impossible to miss. Wall run to the other side of the foyer, then go to the right. Follow the walkway into a small side room. - Memento #3 After reaching the left side of the second floor, follow the walkway into a side room. The Memento is located in the dark corner of the room; it's hard to spot, so walk around until you spot the flapping wings of the crows and hear your father's disturbing lauch. Backtrack and proceed through the open door. Kick open a door at the end of the hallway to enter the stripper room. Yes, the stripper room. I'm pretty sure this is the only game where you have to kill ninja strippers. Hell, this is the only game where you can even encounter ninja strippers! Despite their scantily-clad appearance, these chicks are very durable and hard to take down. If you want to end things quickly, just go into Over Focus and slice 'em all up in one smooth motion. - Otsuru Bear #9 Before leaving the stripper room, make sure to pick up the Otsuru Bear lying on the chair. That's got to be the dirtiest bear alive... Round the corner to encounter two more naked ninjas! Oh, and two assassins. After eliminating the group, move ahead and kick open the door. Drop down into the trophy room to find two more stripper ninjas. - Otsuru Bear #10 You can find another bear by smashing the glass case in the left side of the trophy room. After healing with the Otsuru Bear, leap onto the tipped trophy display and use it to reach the ledge above. Pull yourself up and open the door to ultimately reach the upper portion of the clockwork room. There are plenty of enemies in this room just dying to end your life, so things may get a lil' hairy. Jump onto the central wall and fight the enemies up here. It's too narrow to carry a lot of enemies, so once they hop on you can knock them right off. Keep this up to clear out the whole crew. After emptying the clockwork room, kick the four switches in the four corners of the room to activate an elevator. After the room rises, don't leave through the exit just yet. - Memento #4 After elevating the clockwork room up one floor, locate the metal rails and perch on top of the lowest one. Jump to the second, then onto the ledge just above you. Go across the wooden beam and continue across the perimeter to find the Memento in the far corner. Drop down onto the central wall and kick the door wide open. - Otsuru Bear #11 The bear is lying in the hallway just past the clockwork room. Take the Otsuru Bear and enter the next room. Daimyo continues antagonizing Afro and leaves the room, but not before filling it with poisonous gas! Afro will slowly take damage every second he breathes in the poison. You can click the Left Analog Stick to dash, so use this nifty ability to quickly progress through the room. There are a few Otsuru Bears in this room to keep your health in top-notch. - Otsuru Bear #12 The Otsuru Bear is found in a side room on the second floor. - Otsuru Bear #13 The Otsuru Bear is found in a side room on the third floor. - Otsuru Bear #14 The Otsuru Bear is found in a side room on the fourth floor. - Otsuru Bear #15 The Otsuru Bear is found on the fifth floor, just before the ramp leading up to the sixth floor. Once you reach the top of the room (the seventh floor), kick open the door to free yourself from danger. --- MANSION ROOF ------------------------------------------------------------- Finally, we're outside the mansion. Well, the only way is up, so get moving! - Otsuru Bear #16 You can locate yet another Otsuru Bear laying next to a support beam beside the staircase. As you go up the stairs, you'll come to a fork. - Memento #5 Take the left path leading down towards the side of the roof. Go under the swirling dragon archway and proceed down the narrow path to reach the last Memento at the end. - Otsuru Bear #17 After collecting the fifth Memento, head under the dragon arch to the right to find the bear lying dangerously on the wooden railing. Return to the forked staircase and take the upper path to encounter a crapload of ronin assassins. This'll be fun. If you find a few grouped together, enter Focus mode and use a charged horizontal slash to cut two or three unlucky foes in half. Try to keep your health up by blocking constantly, because the battle isn't over once you kill the assassins. BOSS: Daimyo ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Don't bother wasting Focus at the start of the boss battle. Slash Daimyo a few times as he charges towards you. After a handful of sword slashes, a cutscene will start where Daimyo teaches Afro how to parry. Why? I'm gonna have to get back to you on that one. To parry, press the Right Trigger just as the enemy strikes to temporarily stun them, essentially opening up a large window of attack. Once the enemy is knocked back, deliver a few quick blows. I will admit that I had a very hard time pulling off a successive parry. A tip for a successful parry is to pay attention to the shimmer on Daimyo's sword; when it reaches the very tip of the sword, press the Right Trigger. A small puff of smoke along with the enemy being knocked back signifies a successful parry. The entire boss battle against Daimyo revolves around parrying. Continue using parries to damage Daimyo; try to avoid using focus and instead rely on quick combos to deplete his health. Remember, Daiyo's body slowly turning dark red symbolises his health bar slowly draining. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After Daimyo's death and the subsequent cutscene, the mission will end. ============================================================================== SCHOOL INVASION [0303] ============================================================================== Afro confronts his mentor, Sword Master, in regards to his status as Number 2 or not. Before a conclusion is reached, the school is invaded (hence the name, duh) by ronin assassins. --- SCHOOL ------------------------------------------------------------------- Afro and Sword Master begin on the third floor of the school. Follow Sword Master as he descends down to the second floor. Help him defeat the small band of assassins here, then continue to the first floor. After helping your master kill more enemies on the ground floor, he will show you the exit. - Otsuru Bear #18 Before exiting the school, head towards the far-right wall. Hop onto the short ledge and you should find the Otsuru Bear tucked away in the corner. --- TRAINING GROUNDS --------------------------------------------------------- The Sword Master is already tackling groups of assassins just outside the school. Your master is a very competant fighter, so you shouldn't have too much of a load in your hands. Three more assassins drop down from the rooftop after their friends have been taken out of the picture, but they should go down just as easy. - Otsuru Bear #19 Locate the Sword Master after the enemies have been defeated. Hug the rock wall to his left and you should eventually spot the bear lying on a rock near the school. - Memento #1 To the right of the Sword Master is a small nook between a building and a rock. Sneak through the small passage to reach the Memento. Pass by the Sword Master and follow the cliffside. At the gap, wall run across the wooden boards and proceed through the canyon. At the dead end, perform a criss cross jump to reach the upper ledge. To do this, wall run up the wall on the right, then press A at the peak of your run to jump. Press A again to jump back and over the edge. The training grounds are occupied with assassins. Figures. Activate Over Focus to do away with the large amount of enemies. You will also find a sole ninja, who usually stays back from the action. Locate and take him down. - Memento #2 From the entrance to the training grounds, walk to the left to reach some wooden dummies and targets. You should be able to find a murder of crows in between them. Go north through the training grounds and down the stairs. Continue across the walkway, jumping over the many holes in the floor. Slay the three assassins while keeping your footing, then move forward. - Otsuru Bear #20 The Otsuru Bear is lying in plain sight on a rock just after crossing the wooden walkway. You'll have to take the hard route to reach the other side of the cliff. Drop down the steps towards the stone spires. The game will teach you how to jump during a wall run. It's simple: as you are wall running, press A to leap forwards with great might. Try it on the smooth rock wall to your right. Jump to the stone spire, then do it again to reach the grassy ledge. Follow the winding path to reach a very steep slope leading up to the gate area. Wall run up the ledge on the right, then continue up the second ledge. Hop to the left and pull yourself up to the next step. Walk across the beam and you'll be on your way. As a rude assassin flips you off from across the walkway, follow him to the alarm bell. Stand your ground as a group of assassins jump you. Use Over Focus if you'd like and watch out for reinforcements. Try not to get surrounded by multiple enemies. Sound the alarm bell with your foot after the enemies have been eradicated. Just as you do, a giant and his ninja buddies try to break through the main entrance. Defeat the ninja that ambushes Afro and jump through the wall he broke down. Your goal is to stop the three enemies from breaking in. The ninjas will notice you first, so try to kill them without alerting the giant. Go into Over Focus if you can; if not, enter Focus mode and use a sweep kick to take the ninjas off their feet. Once it is time to square off with the giant, slash his back to get his attention. The giant is a naturally powerful enemy, so take your time to block and/or dodge his spiked club. Throw him off-balance with heavy attacks, then go into Focus and use charged blows to finish him off. - Otsuru Bear #21 If you need health from the battle against the giant or just in the mood to collect, you can find an Otsuru Bear to the left of the main door, lying on a pile of small rocks. More ronin assassins will charge towards Afro. They should be no match for a fully-healed Afro. Make way through the open gate and across the bridge to confront the gunner; he chickens out and flees as ninjas rush onto the scene. Ignore the ninjas right off the bat and go after the gunner. If you leave him be, he will snipe Afro from afar while you tango with the ninjas. You can try going into Over Focus and eliminating the gunner along with a few ninjas as well. More ninja reinforcements appear after dispatching the initial bunch. You may notice a ninja dressed in gray and blue garb -- clothing unlike that of the ninjas we have previously encountered. These guys are a bit tougher than your average ninja: possessing superior strength and agility. Don't mess around with these guys, so go right into Focus and stick it to them. We won't be able to continue down the trail due to a raging fire, so turn around and head back towards the gate. - Memento #3 After crossing the bridge back towards the school entrance, look to the left of the open gate to spot the Memento. - Otsuru Bear #22 After crossing the bridge back towards the school entrance, look to the left of the open gate to spot the Otsuru Bear. It's right next to the Memento. - Otsuru Bear #23 After crossing the bridge back towards the school entrance, go to the right to find an Otsuru Bear lying on a rock next to the bridge's base. Proceed through the gates leading back to the front door and turn around. Jump on top of the catwalks on either side of the gate, then wall run up the wall to grab the lever. Doing so will temporarily raise the bridge up. However, the bridge will lower back down after a few quick moments. You must pull both levers in a matter of seconds to fully raise the drawbridge. As you try to pull the levers on either side of the gate, assassins will try and halt your progress. After pulling the first lever, drop down and pass the gate, then hop up to the next catwalk and yank the second lever. Kill the remaining enemies after the bridge has successfully been raised to start a cutscene. --- RESCUING THE CHILDREN ---------------------------------------------------- Three children, including Otsuru, have been abducted. Follow Jinno out of the safe house towards the training ground. The first child is stashed in a wooden hut in the center of the training ground. Your goal is to protect the youngster from assassins and ninjas. Only target the enemies that are physically attacking the kid; let Jinno deal with the other baddies. Once the first wave of assassins are eliminated, some ninjas appear in pursuit of the child. Use Over Focus to dispatch them with ease. Once protecting the child against three waves of enemies, he will be rescued. The second child is hiding under a water tower next to the school. Jinno suggests splitting up, which pretty much means that you're going to have to do this alone. Backtrack along the cliff path to reach the water tower. Unlike the previous kid, this rascal is being pestered by hordes of ninjas. No assassins here; just ninjas and the masked blue and gray ninjas. The enemies here are a lot more difficult, and the fact that you have no reinforcements makes defeating them a chore. Use Over Focus to take out the tougher enemies and leave the stragglers to normal combos. Jinno arrives just in time to rescue the kid. Otsuru is the third child needed to be rescued, but lets pick up one of her bears first! - Otsuru Bear #24 After rescuing the second kid, turn around and walk away from the alley towards the stone staircase leading to the school. The Otsuru Bear is hidden on a stone step next to the staircase leading to the school's entrance. Return to the alley and round the corner. - Otsuru Bear #25 Behind the burning building is a pile of sandbags and a few crates. Jump over the beam in the way, then immediately turn around; the bear is lying on one of the crates. As you try to enter the building's back entrance, Afro will be spotted by a band of ronin assassins. Quickly use Focus attacks and wait for the next wave to appear. A total of three groups attack Afro at a time. Once the fighting ceases, quickly enter the dojo. An assassin has found Otsuru and slowly stalks her. You must reach her and eliminate her pursuer before the worst can occur. - Memento #4 Immediately after entering the burning building, jump onto the ledge and follow the right path to find the Memento. Turn around from the dead end and take the left path instead. Two assassins round the corner and attack, so defeat them as quickly as possible. Proceed onward and jump over the falling beam that blocks your path. Enter the small courtyard on the right and dash through to reach Otsuru's attacker. Once the jerk is killed, Jinno will swoop in and save Otsuru. - Otsuru Bear #26 The Otsuru Bear is directly to the left of the doorway leading back into the courtyard. Backtrack into the courtyard, where another impromptu battle will begin. A samurai orders a group of assassins to do you in. They should give you little trouble. Next up, the samurai sends a few ninjas down. Go into Over Focus and take them out before they even know what hit 'em. Of course, the samurai flees after his henchmen get mowed down. Exit the building and head back towards the water tower, which promptly collapses to the ground. It blocks the path back to the training ground, leaving the burning school as the only entryway. --- SCHOOL ------------------------------------------------------------------- Upon entering the school, burning beams will block the entrance and seal your fate inside. Eliminate the wave of rogue assassins on your tail, then make a beeline to the second floor. Afro encounters two ninjas and a gunner across the hall. Ignore the ninjas and immediately charge towards the gunner, ending with a fatal combo. Slice up the ninjas as well before heading up to the third floor. You'll find Sasuke, one of the students, defending against ronin assassins on the third floor. Help him dish out the pain to these fools until s'more jump out onto the balcony. Continue slaying enemies until a cutscene. --- BODHI TREE --------------------------------------------------------------- The students watch as the Sword Master gets totally owned over at the Bodhi Tree. Afro insists on helping him, and thus the mission begins. - Otsuru Bear #27 After descending the second flight of stairs in the tunnel, look to the left in the large opening to spot the bear resting on a rock. Run through the tunnel until it empties out onto a cliffside. A few assassin enemies storm the area, but defeating them is very simple. Use quick strikes and kicks to knock the assassins into the raging waters below. - Memento #5 Walk down the two sets of stone steps and immediately look to the left at rock pillars. Their walls seem to be abnormally flat, allowing you to wall jump across the two. Perform a criss cross jump to reach the top of the rock spire. Leap across the gap to the pillar in front of you, where the final Memento lies. Drop down into the canyon passage until it spills out into another clearing. Slay the two ninjas that get up in your face and follow the relatively straightforward path. Kill the assasins that ambush you, then proceed up the stone stairway. - Otsuru Bear #28 As you make your way up the stone steps, you'll reach a stone pillar to the side connected to the steps via a wooden beam. Carefully cross the beam to reach the pillar, where the Otsuru Bear lies. Head up the stairs the rest of the way to reach the Bodhi Tree and the Sword Master. Accompany him in the task of disemboweling a few ninja groups. Nothing too difficult here, especially since the Sword Master takes most of the abuse. After the fight, a shocking cinema wraps up the level. ============================================================================== SWORD MASTER'S STORY [0304] ============================================================================== The Sword Master reveals the Number 2 headband to Afro and challenges him to a duel for the ages. - Otsuru Bear #29 The first Otsuru Bear is lying out in the open near the left side of the Bodhi Tree's base. - Otsuru Bear #30 The bear can be found by straying to the right side of the area (facing the tree) and searching the pile of rocks near the cliff's edge. BOSS: Sword Master ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The fight against the Sword Master is a lot easier than expected; it's in many ways a rehash of the battle against Daimyo (though the Sword Master doesn't hold your hand as much as the latter). At the very start of the battle, the boss doesn't do much to protect himself from your onslaught of sword attacks. After damaging him a bit and a cutscene snippet, the Sword Master will begin blocking the majority of your strikes. Like the Daimyo fight, using Focus in its entirety is out the window, for the Sword Master blocks any Focus attack in near perfection. Use quick, horizontal strikes to pester the Sword Master in hopes of him dropping his guard. The Sword Master's attacks are easily predictable and aren't anything of great note. His most powerful attack is his overhead slash, which can easily knock Afro back on his butt. Remember to press the Right Trigger just as the boss's sword shimmer reaches the tip of the blade; you will perform a parry and stun the Sword Master. The main basis of this swordfight is to block the Sword Master's attacks and continuously parry. With the master stunned from your parry, unleash a mini combo to knock a few chunks off of his health. You will view another cinema snippet after taking away most of the Sword Master's health; the battle will end soon after if you deliver a few more powerful hits. He jumps around like a jackrabbit and manages to block even moreso than before, but stick to the same strategy to come out victorious. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Sword Master is dead, and Afro is in possession of the Number 2 headband. I s'pose congratulations are in order. ============================================================================== OKIKU'S STORY [0305] ============================================================================== Afro wakes up in a strange house owned by a woman named Okiku. She describes what has happened the past week the two have been together. So... it's pretty much a flashback narrated by the strange Okiku. --- THE FOURTH NIGHT --------------------------------------------------------- There's nothing important inside Okiku's house, so leave and and watch as the woman enters the valley. - Memento #1 As you exit the house, hug the perimeter to the left. Once on the side of the house, you should spot the crows resting on a wooden board in the corner of the yard. Go across the wooden bridge and follow Okiku into the valley. From the first ledge, jump across the two green platforms to the other side. Hop up the ledge to reach a tree trunk acting as a makeshift bridge. Run across the tree to the next, enemy-filled, area. These ronin assassins are a bit tougher than normal since they tend to block much more than usual. After defeating the batch of enemies, hug the rock wall where the waterfall is pouring down from. - Otsuru Bear #31 There is a very narrow path stretching underneath the waterfall. Hug the rock wall and follow the path underneath the roaring waters to reach a dead end and an Otsuru Bear. Return to the other side and jump across the streams using the stepping stone. As a reminder, Afro cannot swim, so use extra caution when around water. Jump up the rocks to encounter a large warrior named Takamori. Again, the fame and fortune of wearing the Number Two headband. Takamori is a big dude, but he isn't to be compared against bosses. He isn't much tougher than normal enemies and can easily be blocked and attacked with Focus attacks. Try using parries to block Takamori's attacks and temporarily stun him. The battle shouldn't last too long. The fight after Takamori's demise is much harder. A gunner is stationed on a rock wall not too far away from your location and will continuously shoot at Afro while he has his hands full with ninjas and ronin assassins. It's best to take out the gunner first to avoid having to block his bullets over and over. Run towards the rock wall and pull yourself up to his location, then quickly dispatch him. Deal with the ninjas by using Focus attacks and so on. There are a LOT of enemies here, so keep guarding and watch your health. Backtrack a lil' bit to a small bridge leading into a cave. Head inside to reach another waterfall. Drop down to its base to do battle with three more assassins. Afterwards, jump across the waterfall's base by using the stepping stone in the middle of the river. - Otsuru Bear #32 Just after crossing the waterfall, look to your right to spot the bear lying on the floor near a broken bridge. There seem to be a few different ways you can reach Okiku here, because there are plenty of rock ledges and various platforms to reach. Your main task is to follow the lanterns, because they always lead you in the right direction. Run forward across the narrow ledge to reach a log. Jump on top and move across to a narrow passage. Hop up the ledge and proceed forward into a bamboo forest. You can either take the upper path or the lower path here; it doesn't really matter which option you stick with. Take the high path at first and follow the lanterns to a bamboo bridge. - Memento #2 Drop down from the bamboo bridge and head towards the lit doorway on the ground floor. Head through to reach a small hut, where you will find the Memento on the front porch. Backtrack through the doorway again and follow the lower path to another bridge. Head across to an intersection, where Afro catches sight of Okiku again. At the fork, take a left to reach the bridge Okiku crossed just now. Follow her across the bridge to reach a second one. Head across for a scene. Ooh, I knew Okiku was a little too strange! Follow Brother Two's android ninja across the bridge in front of you. Pursue the android ninja to the next large section of the valley. Walk onto the dock, then jump to the rock formation to your right. Jump across to the next ledge, then continue through a door. It's not too difficult and despite the confusing nature and size of this level, it is fairly straightforward. Okay, now things are getting REALLY strange! We are back at the town from the prologue! - Otsuru Bear #33 The bear is lying just to your right at the entrance of the town. Walk across the bridge to encounter another group of enemies; Ninja Ninja feels this is a good time to introduce a game of his: Ninja Ninja's Body-part Poker! Yep, that's what it's really called. - A note about Ninja Ninja's Body-part Poker: To start the game, first locate Ninja Ninja onscreen and run into him. His hand will appear on the bottom of the screen, holding a cigarette and three cards. The game ends once Ninja Ninja's cigarette runs out (usually around 60-90 seconds). You must slice and dice enemies to get a card and hopefully achieve a playable hand. The card's suit is represented by the enemy you are facing (ronin assassin, samurai, ninja, etc.) and the face cards (King, Queen, Jack) are represented by the enemy's body parts: head, arms, and legs. It's all about luck, so go out there and start chopping body parts in hopes of successfully getting a card; Ninja Ninja will let you know how you did. Here are the possible hands you can get in the game: Ronin Flush - get 3 any kind of "Ronin cards" Ninja Flush - get 3 any kind of "Ninja cards" Kunoichi Flush - get 3 any kind of "Kunoichi cards" Android Flush - get 3 any kind of "Android cards" Samurai Flush - get 3 any kind of "Samurai cards" All Legs - get 3 any kind of "Legs cards" Ronin Legs Flush - get 3 "Ronin Legs cards" Ninja Legs Flush - get 3 "Ninja Legs cards" Kunoichi Legs Flush - get 3 "Kunoichi Legs cards" Android Legs Flush - get 3 "Android Legs cards" Samurai Legs Flush - get 3 "Samurai Legs cards" Heads Up - get 3 any kind of "Head cards" Ronin Heads Flush - get 3 "Ronin Head cards" Ninja Heads Flush - get 3 "Ninja Head cards" Kunoichi Heads Flush - get 3 "Kunoichi Head cards" Android Heads Flush - get 3 "Android Head cards" Samurai Heads Flush - get 3 "Samurai Head cards" All Arms - get 3 any kind of "Arms cards" Ronin Arms Flush - get 3 "Ronin Arms cards" Ninja Arms Flush - get 3 "Ninja Arms cards" Kunoichi Arms Flush - get 3 "Kunoichi Arms cards" Android Arms Flush - get 3 "Android Arms cards" Samurai Arms Flush - get 3 "Samurai Arms cards" Straight - Get any type of Head, Arms, and Legs card Ronin Straight Flush - get 3 Ronin Head, Arms, and Legs card Ninja Straight Flush - get 3 Ninja Head, Arms, and Legs card Kunoichi Straight Flush - get 3 Kunoichi Head, Arms, and Legs card Android Straight Flush - get 3 Android Head, Arms, and Legs card Samurai Straight Flush - get 3 Samurai Head, Arms, and Legs card The game is all about luck, so don't worry if you fail to get a good hand. The reward for winning is experience, health, and Focus, so at least the prize is nice. Don't fret if you fail your first time; there will be plenty of other times to play Ninja Ninja's Body-part Poker in the future. Okay, that was a long-ass note. Sorry. While the game may be over, the fight certainly isn't. Your first priority is to jump onto the low roofs and defeat the two gunners (one is across the courtyard). After they're toast, the battle will be a lot easier. - Otsuru Bear #34 Don't forget to collect the Otsuru Bear in this area; it is located in the courtyard, tucked away in a small corner in front of the large building. If you fail to collect it after the battle, you'll miss out on it for good! The final enemy is another gunner in an alleyway near the courtyard. He is on the floor, so dash towards him and end the poor sap's life to witness another cutscene. --- THE FIFTH NIGHT ---------------------------------------------------------- Luckily for us, the fifth night happens to be a heck of a lot shorter than the fourth night. You start back at Okiku's home, so return into the valley. Jump across the moss-covered platforms and up to the log bridge. Cross it to reach the first waterfall. Okiku is waiting for you on the gazebo above; your job is cut short as a cinema begins. --- THE SIXTH NIGHT ---------------------------------------------------------- Told you it was short. Once again, exit Okiku's home. However, things turn out unlike the norm when android ninjas start emerging from the well! An unlimited amount of android ninjas emerge from the well as a pouncing tutorial appears onscreen. To pounce on an enemy, perform a parry then immediately press A just after as the enemy is still stunned. Afro will, like the name implies, pounce on the enemy. From here, you can perform a number of executions by pressing any of the four main buttons (A, B, X, and Y). Alternatively, you can also throw the enemy by using the Left Analog Stick while holding A. Throwing enemies can also be used to solve puzzles... like this one here. Since the android ninjas emerge from the well non-stop, destroying the well itself doesn't sound too bad of an idea. Approach the well and pounce on an android ninja after it jumps out. Hold A and aim for the well as you toss the android; it should collide with the well and destroy it. Like Ninja Ninja says, all we really need to do is plug up a few holes and we're good to go. If only it was that easy. Head back into the valley. Head across the two green platforms and instead of taking the log bridge, follow the passage to a new open pathway. - Mememto #3 Just after hopping over the green platforms and continuing straight ahead, drop down to reach a fork: to the left is a log bridge and to the right is a canyon. However, turn around to find the crows tucked in the corner next to a lantern. You most likely jumped over them from the ledge above. Go to the left across the log bridge. Run across and up the ledge. If you haven't figured it out yet, the shining white lines point you in the direction you should be going. The second android tunnel is located in the bamboo forest. Let the wave of android ninjas lead you to it. Again, pounce on an android ninja and throw it into the tunnel; it's a much smaller target than the well. This tunnel will take two hits from android ninjas before beind destroyed. The third android tunnel is located in the town. I'm sure you remember how to get there. If not: go forward in the bamboo forest and take a right at the fork. Head across the bridge to reach a river. Hop across the stone platforms to the town gate. Head into the courtyard to find the tunnel between two buildings. Again, the same strategies for destroying the tunnel is the same; two hits is all it can handle. Before leaving town, we can collect a few goodies. - Otsuru Bear #35 The bear is found on the walkway leading up to the entrance to the bar. - Mememto #4 Go around the bar (the long way) and follow the alley to a dead end. The Memento is lying there in plain sight. Exit the town and walk towards the broken bridge in front of you. Jump to the ground on the other side and hop onto the stone in the middle of the river (ya know, the one that's glowing). Jump to the other side and follow the path to the area where you fought Takamori. The final android ninja tunnel is located here. Defeat the enemies until one stands, then use him as a projectile to toss at the tunnel. This tunnel takes a few more hits; it'll take around five throws for the exploding yellow android ninja to appear. Throw him into the tunnel to destroy the final one. - Mememto #5 Just above the final android ninja tunnel is a ledge. Jump up to find the fifth and final Memento here. - Otsuru Bear #36 From the height of the ledge, you should easily be able to spot the Otsuru Bear; it is lying on a small rock below, just to your right. Return to the glowing rock and jump into the huge hole now in the center to enter the android hive. Time to finally finish off the production of these fiends! Before we finish off the android hive, we should probably collect the three Otsuru Bears down here. - Otsuru Bear #37 The bear is lying in front of one of the three locked doors down here. - Otsuru Bear #38 The bear is lying in front of one of the three locked doors down here. - Otsuru Bear #39 The bear is lying in front of one of the three locked doors down here. Destroying the android hive is fairly easy. The center of the area is composed of a large machine with three prongs. These are your targets. Streams of yellow android ninjas will be deployed in the circular room. You must use them to destroy the three prongs. It's easiest to focus on one at a time, so don't stand in the center of a batch of enemies waiting for one to attack; most likely the one behind you will and you'll get hurt. Kill most of the android ninjas until one or two stand tall (remember, these enemies explode so keep your distance after their defeat). Once you can focus on a tiny group, pounce on one and aim for one of the three electric prongs as you toss the android. If you connect, the prong will be permanently damaged. Repeat this for the other two to finish off the hive. Watch the cinema to start the seventh night. --- THE SEVENTH NIGHT -------------------------------------------------------- This is the final night together with Okiku. The androids have tracked the two of you down and are looking for revenge. Wave after wave of android ninjas will confront Afro outside of Okiku's home. We have to stand and fight, and since there are no Otsuru Bears here, we have to watch our health. You can play Ninja Ninja's Body-part Poker here; Ninja Ninja is on the porch if you're interested in playing. Regardless, use pounce attacks and Focus attacks to dispatch the android ninjas. Once yellow android ninjas start appearing, start to be a bit more cautious when fighting them. Brother Six will appear and torch Okiku's house after the android ninjas have been dealt with. Not cool man! Rush over to his location for a boss battle. - Otsuru Bear #40 You can find an Otsuru Bear in the boss arena, on the far right corner near the lanterns. - Otsuru Bear #41 You can find an Otsuru Bear in the boss arena, on the far left corner near the lanterns. BOSS: Brother Six ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Brother Six is definitely your biggest challenge thus far, and will certainly give you a problems. In the battle's first stage, Brother Six only uses one attack. He will use his flamethrower to attack you, following your every movement with the weapon. It has very long range and Brother Six will move in any direction, so it's best to avoid it by simply staying far away from it. Once he stops attacking and begins laughing at Afro, dash towards him and use a dash attack followed by a long combo. I found that heavy combos (combos with Y) work the best, since they deal more damage than light attacks and actually stun the boss. Otherwise, Brother Six will most likely bat you away. After attacking Brother Six with a full combo, he will most likely knock you backwards. If not, retreat before he starts up his flamethrower again. Don't get too cocky and try to near him while he's torching you, since it is nearly impossible to run away from the fire; just wait until the attack fully stops. After damaging him enough, the second stage will begin. Brother Six will now use a new attack where he will use his gun to propel himself in the air; at the same time creating a small fiery shockwave. When you see Brother Six point his flamethrower towards the ground, either get ready to jump or back away. Aside from this unique attack, Brother Six will also target Afro differently. Instead of using a stream of flame, he'll now shoot a fast-moving fireball towards Afro. Once you see that gun go off, quickly dash to the side to avoid the projectile. He will either leave a gap of time or begin laughing after, leaving you with an opening to attack. Attacking Brother Six in this stage is much easier. His attacks leave him defenseless most of the time and you are now able to get closer to him without fear of getting burnt. After landing from his shockwave attack, he will take some time to regain his composure, leaving open a large window. Refrain from using Focus and stick with dash attacks and heavy combos. The third stage will begin after another quick cinema. While there aren't many drastic changes here, this is certainly the hardest stage of 'em all. Brother Six will now fire up to three fireballs as once as opposed to one; dash in one direction to avoid all three, then attack. The worst part about this battle is Brother Six's improved shockwave attack. Not only is the radius bigger, but it has enough power to KILL YOU in one hit, regardless of your health. When you see the boss bury the muzzle of his flamethrower in the ground, either back the heck away or jump in the air. You do NOT want to get hit by that attack and have to start the battle over again. While Brother Six is in the air, he will fire two fireballs to the ground, making two shockwaves. Despite not having enough power as the original to slay you automatically, still try to avoid them. Keep in mind that there are two Otsuru Bears in this level. If you don't want to take them for health, at least grab 'em for completion's sake. Chances are you are going to need them anyways, since the battle with Brother Six is arguably the hardest in the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After you accomplish the task of defeating Brother Six, watch the cutscene that closes out the chapter. ============================================================================== THE LOWDOWN EAST PASS [0306] ============================================================================== After experiencing another flashback, Afro and Ninja Ninja arrive at the East Pass. An untimely avalanche caused by the Empty Seven seals your fate inside the area. --- ENTRANCE ----------------------------------------------------------------- Proceed towards the giant statue, where you will encounter a gunner. A tutorial for bullet slicing and bullet reflecting appears on the screen. As the bullet is being fired, use a vertical slice to cut the bullet in half as it's flying towards you. You can also use a horizontal slice to reflect the bullet. Personally, I find both to be fairly difficult and frustrating to pull off, so I tend to ignore even trying to perform these two moves. If you are the same way, just kill the gunner the traditional way. Once the gunner is dealt with, approach the chain to the left and use a Perfect Slice to cut the rope. Afterwards, a group of ronin assassins and a large swordsman show up to take you down. Pshaw. Right. Test out your new pounce ability for some juicy executions and get the fight over with. - Otsuru Bear #42 Head behind the dragon head stand where the chain was attached to to find a small alcove and an Otsuru Bear. - Otsuru Bear #43 Another Otsuru Bear is located on the right side of the area, at the base of the giant statue. Climb up the gunner's platform and across the lap of the statue. Go across the arm on the right to reach the upper ledge of the entrance. Defeat the two ronin assassins near the tunnel and avoid targeting the explosive crates. That's a big no-no. Go through and slide down the slope to the construction site. --- CONSTRUCTION SITE -------------------------------------------------------- Trudge through the nasty green water to the construction site. A gunner will snipe you from above while you deal with three ninjas on the ground. The game suggests you use the bullet reflect technique to down the gunner, but you can pass on the idea if you're still not too good at it (I never was). If that's the case, then quickly defeat the ninjas with Over Focus if you have it. Otherwise, stick it out while dodging gunfire. There are three levers that controls the cranes in this area; kick all three to rearrange the cranes into a path you can walk across. - Otsuru Bear #44 This bear is tucked away in a small alcove. From the green pool of sludge, walk to the left and hug the wall to reach this area. - Memento #1 The Memento is located in the far right corner of the construction site when facing the gunner. Start walking towards his location, then make a right behind the wooden towers to find the crows. Climb the wooden scaffolding to the right to reach the first crane. If you want to kill the sniper, jump to the beam in front of you to swing across to a ledge. From here, walk over to the gunner and end his life. Phew! Jump across the three rocks to the left side of the area. Head across the bridge to encounter three ninjas. Quickly dispose of them, then cut the rope up ahead. Proceed across the stone bridge back to the tunnel, then return to the entrance of the East Pass. --- ENTRANCE ----------------------------------------------------------------- Brother Two, from the safety of the statue, will sick numerous ronin assassins on you. If you want to play another round of Body-part Poker, locate Ninja Ninja on the statue's lap. If you have a full Focus Meter, using Over Focus wouldn't be such a bad idea. If you want to play the poker game, try pouncing on enemies and using cool executions to behead them. Eventually, a giant breaks through a nearby tower and trashes the place. Despite his intimidating stature, this guy is pathetically easy. You should be albe to overwhelm him with a flurry of combos. Head through the area where the giant came from to locate a few assassins and an explosive box. Your goal is to pounce on one of these lowly enemies and toss him into the box, destroying it. Doing so creates a makeshift balace, raising a platform high in the air. Go backwards to the end of the wooden platform to the left. Wall jump to reach the top, then jump onto the raised platform and to the new sector. --- MOUNTAIN PATH ------------------------------------------------------------ An assassin is manning a tremendous gatling gun across the bridge. There's no way to avoid its fire, so jump down to the ground level. Defeat the assassins here and try to use one to destroy the explosive crate near the balance; it'll help us out later. If not, no big deal. Once the coast is clear, walk down the passage (it's a winding circle so you can't really get lost) to reach a small nook that you can wall jump. Do so to reach the other side of the bridge where the gatling gun assassin was. Kill him and destroy the gun. - Memento #2 After clearing out the gatling gun, turn back around and jump to the narrow ledge on the mountain wall. Wall run up the wooden boards to the ledge to spot the Memento on a platform in the distance. To reach it, perform a wall run across the wooden planks on the right. Drop down onto the bridge and return to where the gatling gun was. Go through the tunnel on the right and across another bridge. - Otsuru Bear #45 The Otsuru Bear is hiding in a bucket on the other side of the bridge. Wall jump up to the rock ledge and follow it to a gap. If you managed to destroy the explosive crate below, the balance should have filled the gap with a square rock. Hop across to the other side and kill the two assassins. Go across the wooden bridge to reach a small rocky outcropping to the right and a second bridge. I wouldn't recommend trying to go across the second bridge unless you want to get shot with a gatling gun. Instead, wall run up the boulder to the right and go across the stone beam to get behind the gatling gun and its user. Ta da! After dispatching both, use a Perfect Slice to cut the rope beyond to lower another piece of the statue. An easy path to the exit will also be made. Head back to the entrance and proceed across the statue's left hand this time to the next area. --- QUARRY ------------------------------------------------------------------- Dispatch the ronin assassins that jump you, then wall run to the quarry. S'more enemies will attack you here, including a large swordsman. The assassins will jump from the wooden towers in large numbers. - Memento #3 From the entrance to the quarry, walk straight ahead and take the second left to find the murder of crows. It's pretty hard to miss. Move between the wooden scaffolding to find a portion of the area you can wall jump. Do so. - Otsuru Bear #46 After wall-jumping to the upper portion of the quarry, walk to the right to a dead end. Wall run up the wall, then jump to reach a ledge containing an Otsuru Bear. Drop down and go around the walkway; kill the gunner in your way and wall run up to the next ledge. Continue 'til you reach the railroad tracks, where another battle begins. - Otsuru Bear #47 Turn around after landing on the railroad tracks to find the bear inside the mine shaft. There are two gunners on the far end of the tracks, so speed to their location and take them out. You can find Ninja Ninja in the mine shaft just behind them if you want to play some Body-part Poker. Take care of the assassins, then wall run to reach the ledge to the right of the tracks. - Otsuru Bear #48 The bear is lying in plain sight on the walkway. You can't miss it. Grab the bear and jump towards the wooden beam. Do the same with the next one to perch yourself up, then jump over the wooden divider to a small area. Defeat the giant here using your speed and Focus attacks. A ninja will trigger an explosion, giving Afro access to the upper ledge. Give him your thanks by killing him, then head to the ledge. Use a jumping horizontal slash to cut the next rope to lower another piece of the statue back at the entrance. Proceed down the path to reach the upper arm of the statue. Head through the tunnel behind the statue to reach its upper left arm and use it to reach the next area. I'm starting to sound like a broken record... --- FIGHTING GROUNDS --------------------------------------------------------- You will find three chains in this rather desolate area. Cut all three ropes to initiate a battle. - Memento #4 The Memento is lying next to one of the chains that you have to sever, so you can't really miss it. A female ninjas seeks revenge on Afro for killing her father. The first wave of enemies she sends at you are ronin assassins and one female ninja. If you want, you can play Body-part Poker here; Ninja Ninja is right in front of you from your starting location. - Otsuru Bear #49 The bear is lying across from Ninja Ninja on the lower portion of the fighting grounds. The first set of foes is no trouble, but the second is a pain. Two female ninjas accompany a pair of samurais to the fighting grounds. Dispose of the ninjas quickly with pounce attacks, then focus on the samurais. They are insanely durable and are great blockers. You cannout pounce them either, so don't even bother trying. Simply guard their attacks and parry to create openings for an offensive maneuver. Try to use Over Focus or just Focus attacks in general to damage them. The third group is another small one: a large swordsman and two female ninjas (one of them being the loudmouth we've been enduring). Again, take out the two chicks with pounce attacks, then focus on the big guy. Once the battle is won, return to the entrance. --- ENTRANCE ----------------------------------------------------------------- Return to the tunnel stretching behind the statue. Jump up onto the statue's shoulder and proceed to the opening behind its head. - Memento #5 The Memento is resting on the statue's right shoulder. Like many of the Mementos in this level, it's in plain sight. Walk underneath the statue's head into an opening. BOSS: Brother Two, Brother Six ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This battle is basically "Bullet Reflecting/Slicing For Dummies". Brother Six, armed with a rocket launcher, stands on a plateau on the far side of the boss arena. Brother Two stands on one of two balconies on either side of the area. Brother Six will fire a rocket at you from the comfort of his location. Stand in the center of the arena and get ready to slice the rocket in two. As it nears you, use Focus and charge up a vertical slice. Start to use Focus when the rocket is about the halfway mark. The game is much more generous with its timing than if you were trying to slice a normal bullet in half. Plus, the rockets are much bigger and easier to spot than a tiny bullet. Once you use a Perfect Slice on the rocket, it will split in half, each piece heading towards the balconies. Brother Two will avoid the blast by jumping to the other balcony. Three ronin assassins arrive at the order of Brother Two. As you deal with the thugs, Brother Six will hurl grenades at you (another panel will open on the screen to show when he's about to use it). Dispose of the enemies as quickly as possible so you aren't damaged too much by the grenades. Brother Six will begin using rockets once the coast is clear. Again, time your Focus attack and use a vertical slice to cut the rocket in half. Brother Two will dodge the blast a second time as he calls more assassins. This process will repeat twice more, totaling up to four times. The only thing that changes during the fight is the number of grenades used by Brother Six as you fight assassins. After cutting the fourth rocket in half, it will miss Brother Two and instead hits a boulder, sealing the brothers' fate. I was one of those guys who thought slicing and reflecting bullets was nearly impossible, but I still found this battle to be laughably easy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Looks like Afro has avenged Okiku's death. Good job then. ============================================================================== DOPPELGANGER [0307] ============================================================================== Afro's pursuit of Justice leads him to a volcano. A frozen volcano! The chilly pass is composed of three main bridges. --- FIRST BRIDGE ------------------------------------------------------------- - Memento #1 From the start, go backwards to reach a broken bridge; the Memento is on the edge of the bridge. As you turn around from collecting the Memento, a band of ronin assassins follow you onto the bridge. They're really nothing to worry about. - Otsuru Bear #50 The bear is lying on the left side of the bridge's base (when facing the bridge). Return to the entrance and start your way across the fully functional bridge for a fight! Approach Ninja Ninja to start up Body-part Poker, then get ready to do battle. The female ninjas are annoying, especially in such a high number together. If you don't care about Body-part Poker, use pounce attacks and focus on simply killing them as opposed to cutting certain body parts. The large swordsman is also a pain because he decides to fight alongside the other enemies as well. The giant waits until the large swordsman is defeated before challenging Afro. So in other words, leave the large swordsman for last. The giant is powerful and can knock Afro around a lot, making falling off the bridge a common situation. Try to stay away from the railings and dispose of the giant in a quick manner. - Otsuru Bear #51 The Otsuru Bear is lying on the right rail of the bridge. Lo and behold, Brother Six appears out of the blue and uses his rocket launcher to destroy the bridge. Looks like we didn't do him in back at the East Pass! Run forward to avoid falling down the chasm. --- SECOND BRIDGE ------------------------------------------------------------ Defeat the wave of ronin assassins, then approach the elevator. Use a Perfect Slice to cut the rope, destroying the elevator. Instead, wall jump up the shaft to the upper area. - Memento #2 You can find it on the other side of the elevator shaft upon reaching the top of it. Proceed up the steps to a gap, where a gunner resides on the other side. If you're still not big on bullet reflection, simply horizontal wall run across the two walls then kill him up front. Remember to jump from the right wall to the left wall to avoid falling down the hole. - Memento #3 As you approach the steps just past the gunner, collect the Memento just to the right of the stairs. Three android ninjas emerge from their respective tunnels. You cannot plug these ones up like before, so we'll just have to endure the masses. The gray android ninjas aren't much of a threat, but the blue ones have electrified bodies. You cannot touch them without getting shocked, so kicking and pouncing is out of the question; stick to Focus attacks. - Otsuru Bear #52 There is an Otsuru Bear resting in front of one of the android tunnels. Once the battle is over, continue across the bridge to encounter a familiar face. Almost too familiar... - Otsuru Bear #53 About halfway across the bridge, on the left railing, is another bear. BOSS: Afro Droid ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Well, now we know where the name of the chapter comes from. This android was created using Okiku's memories of Afro, so it is as close of a clone as they are going to get of you. The Afro Droid's claim to fame is that it can copy your every moves, but it seems to fall short at times. Don't get me wrong, this battle is basically like fighting a mirror version of yourself, but the process of mimicry is never perfect. There are several moves that Afro Droid does not know. The most obvious is your Father's Legacy moves. If you have been collecting the Mementos in each level, you should have plenty of these. Use these combos (Dripping Afro Sheen and Just Chop The Fat Right Off) on Afro Droid; it won't be able to block or duplicate the combo, leaving it wide open for the attack. Another basic technique that leaves the Afro Droid baffled are side flips. When In-Focus, press A and move the Left Analog Stick left or right to perform a side flip. It's an easy way to get behind the Afro Droid since it cannot mimic the attack itself. The concept of a battle against a robotic clone is tricky, but this fight is actually pretty simple if you stick to using combos that only you can pull off. Plus, there's an Otsuru Bear in the arena that you can use to heal. It won't take long to take down the Afro Droid. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Brother Six will blow up the bridge AGAIN, so run to dry land to avoid certain death. As if giving you a little time to recuperate wouldn't be too difficult, a bunch of ronin assassins drop down from the barricade to attack. --- THIRD BRIDGE ------------------------------------------------------------- A few gray android ninjas drop in as the second wave. After, climb up the ledge and wall run across the gap. You'll confront a group of ninjas and a few ronin assassins; climb up the wall after slaying them. - Otsuru Bear #54 As you reach the area riddled with ninjas and ronin assassins, look in the corner to the right to spot the bear. - Memento #4 After jumping up the ledge, turn around to spot a walkway above you. Leap up onto it, then follow it to the Memento. Fall back down and continue forward. Hop over the ledge and continue around the winding staircase. When you reach a gap, jump to the tree to perch on top of it, then move along. You'll come to a destroyed bridge, leaving just the railing behind. Carefully walk across the narrow rail to the other end. - Otsuru Bear #55 Just past the destroyed bridge is yet another Otsuru Bear; lying next to an android tunnel. Defeat the gray and blue android ninjas to your right. Remember, avoid coming directly in contact with the blue ones. Up ahead, slice the rope supporting the elevator and wall jump up the shaft. - Memento #5 The final Memento is lying in the open area just before the last bridge. Make your way onto the bridge to encounter The Wild 5. These five samurais pack a real pucnh and can back it up with their tough armor. Use heavy combos to damage them, then finish 'em off with Focus attacks. Confront Ninja Ninja at the far end of the bridge for some Body-part Poker. After defeating the samurais, ninjas and ronin assassins will show up in their place. The number of enemies on the bridge is pretty high, so try to use Perfect Slices to take out multiple enemies in one strike. Continue across the bridge in the enemy's wake to encounter the Afro Droid again! BOSS: Afro Droid ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ While this sequence is one of the gnarliest I have ever experienced in a video game, it is also pretty disorienting. You do battle with the Afro Droid in the air as the two of you are falling to the ground. Pretty interesting, no? Since you are essentially floating in the air, you can't really jump. It's also difficult to move, since the camera is fast and very shaky. I found it easiest to basically not move at all and let the Afro Droid come to you. It always makes it presence known when using attacks, making it pretty easy to spot. Its main attack, the Afro Droid will curl up and glow before unleashing a flurry of rockets. Since even moving proves to be a challenge, you're better off blocking than trying to evade and possibly failing. It will either fire the missiles in one burst or one after another in quick succession. If you hear the Afro Droid start beeping and booping like a rogue machine, get ready to guard. It will fire a green laser at Afro, which is very powerful. Though if you manage to block it with your sword, it will bounce back and damage the Afro Droid. When the boss rushes you to attack with its deadly sword, retaliate by unleash any random combo; just start button mashing. Another good technique is to use Focus and pull off vertical slices over and over; they deal arguably the most damage to the Afro Droid. It's hard to develop a cold-cut strategy against the Afro Droid because it's such a strange battle. All you really have to do is block the boss's attacks, then attack when it gets close to you. Not much more to it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After putting away the Afro Droid for good (in a rather cool manner), the heroes moves on as the chapter ends. ============================================================================== KUMA'S STORY [0308] ============================================================================== Afro and Ninja Ninja encounter a strange "bear-man" in the middle of a nastyblizzard. I wonder who that strange being could be... ? --- SUMMIT ------------------------------------------------------------------- - Mememto #1 Descend the stairs and head to the right towards a dead end and the Memento. Head along the path to spot the bear-man and confirm the two's suspicion. He is real in every right of the word, especially when he starts attacking Afro! This mysterious swordsman, Kuma, is very quick on his feet and has a slew of nasty attacks. His most dangerous is when he spins his sword in a circle as he walks forward. Constantly block Kuma's attacks and try to get behind him. Also try parrying to stun him. The "battle" may take a while because simply finding an opening takes a while. Continue down the path after Kuma disappears. It's one narrow trail, so move along until you eventually encounter him again. He'll use his whirlwind attack to trip you up, but flees immediately afterward. Go forward to find Kuma again, who decides to stick around and fight a second time. As Ninja Ninja proclaims, you're best off capitalizing off of Kuma's mistakes instead of trying to directly attack him on your own. Block non-stop, especially against his deadly spinning blade attack. Try to parry and use side jumps to try and get behind Kuma. A good time to attack is when he uses his dash attack. Kuma will stretch both his swords forward and seemingly pass right through you. If you manage to block the attack, turn around and attack Kuma's back before he has a chance to turn around himself. Again, Kuma will disappear after taking enough pain. - Mememto #2 After your second scuffle with Kuma, continue across the snowy trail to spot the Memento on the left side. It's on a bit of a slope. Continue ahead towards a rocky wall. - Otsuru Bear #56 Investigate the wall to find the bear lying on a small square rock. After taking the bear, follow the path to the right to face off against Kuma in a large, frozen field. This is your biggest standoff against Kuma yet. - Otsuru Bear #57 There is a bear in the opposite end of the field, near the steps. You have much more room than the last battle, so evading and blocking Kuma's arsenal of sword strikes should be a bit easier. Watch out for his new attack: he will jump and corkscrew in the air as his blades spin with him. You may have an easier time pulling off Focus attacks in this battle, but don't get too stingy; stick with parrying and evading for the most part. Kuma will use his spinning blade attack, then usually follows with his new corkscrew attack. Kuma is slow to recover from using this new attack, so use a dash attack or a kick to throw him off balance and leave him winded. Maybe try using one Focus attack; I found using a leg sweep while in Focus pretty useful for knocking Kuma down. After clashing swords with Kuma, he will start to become more technical with his attacks, stringing in backflips and side jumps to avoid your own attacks. Try to refrain from entering Focus at all, because Kuma will almost always counter with his dash attack. Continue to block and try to use kicks to throw Kuma off-balance. Kicking is your fastest form of attacking and can really throw him out of his element for even a split second, giving you time to unleash a small combo. After clashing swords a second time, Kuma will start to using sweeps to knock you to the ground. He's much more agile in this third stage and strings his combos together even more fluently. I believe Kuma uses a new attack here as well, but it's hard to tell since his attacks are so flashy and majestic. The best time to parry is when Kuma uses his basic, two-hit slice combo. He will charge the first attack as you notice a shimmer go across his blade, giving you time to properly block. Once you knock him back, answer with a combo of your own. Like in the last stage, don't use Focus attacks at all because he will always counter it. Remember that there's an Otsuru Bear here if you need the health. Afro reveals Kuma's real identity as Jinno, Afro's childhood friend and classmate that appeared to have died back in the Sword Master's Story. Kuma (or Jinno I suppose) flees to Kuma's Gate. - Memento #3 The Memento appears on the perimeter of the chilly battlefield after beating Kuma a third time. --- KUMA'S GATE -------------------------------------------------------------- Jump up to the ledge and wall jump the brick pillar onto a ledge on the outer edge of the pillar. Continue your ascent up the next few stories to reach the innards of the gate. It's really an ark though. =/ Kuma will drop down from above; luckily, this isn't much of a battle. Kuma will burst from below and dive towards you. Make sure a support beam is between you and him; he will destroy the beam and target you. This is the key to this little "puzzle". Have Kuma inadvertantly destroy all the support beams. Once this happens, follow him to the upper deck by going across a rogue beam. Confront Kuma yet again to start another fight. This is a lot like the third fight with Kuma, except we can take cover behind the support beams. Use them as cover and when Kuma destroys it, surprise him with a dash attack. The same strategies apply here as the ones previously. - Otsuru Bear #58 There is an Otsuru Bear inside the ark, on the left side. After taking enough damage, Kuma retreats yet again. Exit the inside of the ark to the deck. - Otsuru Bear #59 On the right side of the deck (when facing the entrance) is an Osturu Bear laying on the railing. - Memento #4 On the left side of the deck (when facing the entrance) is the Memento laying on the railing. - Memento #5 The last Memento is at the tip of the ark's bow. From the ark's bow, climb up the jagged beams to reach the roof. After the cutscene, the two confront each other the final time. It's you or him. - Otsuru Bear #60 The Otsuru Bear is lying next to the tree trunk in the arena. BOSS: Kuma ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The first stage of this fight is no different than the numerous time we've faced off before. Implement the same strategies to damage Kuma. Try to block and/or parry his charged two-hit combo, then retaliate with your own sword slices. The first round is surprisingly short as half of Kuma's mask tears. Now that Kuma only wears half of his bear mask, he becomes a tad harder. He moves a bit quicker and resorts to more leg sweeps. As an addition, his charged two-hit combo turns into a three-hit combo. A great way to target Kuma is to block his three-hit combo: block the first charged hit, and instead of blocking the second or third hit, attack before he gets the second strike off. Once you land a hit, attack with a series of quick attacks and kicks. I found heavy attacks (Y) more difficult to land since they are ultimately slower to perform. Try not to use Focus attacks that much either; I found only leg sweeps were useful. The fastest way to lose health is by Kuma's dash attack: an automatic counter to Afro's Focus attacks. After you manage to destroy Kuma's mask entirely, he drops one of his blades and returns to the battlefield. After getting automatically hit by Kuma, the final stage of the battle begins. Oddly enough, I found this stage fairly easy compared to the numerous complaints and such I've seen. Kuma has an entirely new moveset, usually more hands-on attack due to now only wielding one weapon. He tends to use such attacks as a simple uppercut, a spinning heel kick or even a windmill kick. One of Kuma's more common attacks is a jumping slam. He will jump in the air and comes crashing down with his fist. Instead of trying to block the attack, run underneath Kuma as he becomes airborne. Just as he lands, unleash a combo on his back before he can block; one of the easier ways to dish out damage. Kuma doesn't use his patended dash attack, so using Focus attacks and Perfect Slices is surprisingly easier than normal. Try to use a Perfect Slice to cap off a wild combo; you can even use other Perfect Slice in succession to deal a major amount of damage. Test the waters and see if any new strategies work against the revitalized Kuma. You shouldn't have to be as protective with using your own attacks. If not, stick to the same defensive strategy that has gotten you this far. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The strange, yet interesting chapter will come to an end after the fight. ============================================================================== THE EMPTY SEVEN'S STORY [0309] ============================================================================== Afro and Ninja Ninja have reached the Empty Seven's secret hideout, and it's time for some good old-fashioned revenge. --- MAIN ENTRANCE ------------------------------------------------------------ Afro will be confronted by wave after wave of gray android ninjas. While the enemies normally aren't that difficult, the sheer number of foes that stand in your way is staggering. At least you can play some Body-part Poker! - Otsuru Bear #61 The Otsuru Bear is in the southwest corner of the square room, to the left of the entrance gate. - Memento #1 After defeating the waves of android ninjas, proceed to the northeast corner of the room to find the Memento. Step onto the elevator after collecting the two goodies to reach the ground level. Drop down from the elevator and prepare to do battle with the gray and yellow android ninjas waiting below. It's certainly not as many enemies as before, but watch out for the destructive ability of the yellow androids. - Otsuru Bear #62 The bear is tucked away in the back corner of the room, to the right of door you are to head through. Step through the door as it opens, revealing a lone giant down the hall. You should know how to deal with these goons; it's just you and him. After his demise, continue to the next hallway and follow it to the next room. --- EMPTY SEVEN CHAMBER ------------------------------------------------------ Afro encounters the remaining members of the Empty Seven just as they flee to separate portions of the massive chamber. Confront Ninja Ninja to play some Body-part Poker with the ninjas that come down from the stairwells. You will have to fight against four or five sets of ninjas ultimately; the last group comes accompanied with a large swordsman. The next group of enemies that decide to show up are entirely female ninjas. There are only two waves of female ninjas, so use Over Focus and Perfect Slices to dispose of them quickly. The final set of foes are large swordsman. They will come out in pairs. You will have to combat against four waves of two large swordsmen each. I found it easiest to just use pounce attacks to kill them all. - Otsuru Bear #63 You can find the Otsuru Bear next to the doorway you used to enter the Empty Seven chamber. Three puzzles -- and subsequent boss battles -- lie ahead. You can tackle these challenges in any order, but I'll list them in the way that I followed (also the easiest order in my mind). From the main entrance, grab and pull the lever on the left side of the room. Head up the stairs and jump up the giant stone. The camera pans out so you can view the challenge ahead. It's a bit of platforming, just to let you know. Perform a criss cross wall jump between the tow large kanji sculptures. Position yourself on top of the one on the right, then run across the wall to the next platform. Proceed up the three wooden beams to the next level. A ninja will appear out of a door ahead, along with one that drop down behind you. Defeat them both on this tiny platform, then wall run to the door that the ninja came out of. Jump onto the wooden pole in front of you and perch yourself on it. Jump to the kanji sculpture to your left and perform a wall jump to reach the top of it. Leap over to the one on the right to signal the appearance of a ninja and gunner. Slay both opponents. Once back on the right kanji sculpture, look out to the right. There is a pole pretty far from land, but you can reach it if you begin a horizontal wall run, then jump at the end of your run. If you fail, you will simply die as opposed to falling to the bottom of the room. I think I'd prefer dying actually. From the pole, jump to the adjascent wall and begin a wall run. - Otsuru Bear #64 After defeating the ninja and gunner, jump to the pole and wall jump across the two kanji sculptures. The Otsuru Bear will be on top of the one to the right. Jump to the platform to the left and head up the three poles to the top of the room. Phew! The boss room is straight ahead. - Memento #2 Before entering the boss's room, walk to the right to find the Memento behind the piece of machinery. - Otsuru Bear #65 The bear is lying on the side of the boss room. - Otsuru Bear #66 The bear is lying on the side of the boss room. BOSS: Brother Six ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Geez, haven't we fought this big goof enough times already?! As opposed to arming himself with an extremely deadly gun, Brother Six comes equipped with a simple rod. While this may not sound as devastating as a rocket launcher or flamethrower, you should not take this battle lightly. Since Brother Six has no long-range attacks, you can fight him up close like the battle(s) against Kuma. However, you cannot really compare this fight with the one against Kuma; Brother Six is pretty slow and it's painfully easy to get behind him to unleash a combo. The boss uses new abilities as the battle progresses. Sometime during the midpoint of the fight, he will start throwing grenades if you stand too far away from him. Aside from his main combos, Brother Six also uses and overhead smash attack: he spins the rod above his head before striking the floor. Arguably his most nasty attack is used once Brother Six is nearing death. Sometimes he will grab Afro's head before throwing him in the air and striking him with his rod. There's no way to block or avoid this move since you cannot move while in midair. The boss has two main attacks that can easily be capitalized on. He has a three-hit combo that ends with a powerful overhead smash. This attack leaves Brother Six immobile for a second or two, giving you time to sprint behind him and use a short combo. Refrain from using long, strung-out combos because he will end up blocking midway. The second attack is when Brother Six tries to poke you with his rod. When he jabs the rod forward, run behind him before he can pull the weapon back to his side. Brother Six has significantly less health than in previous battles. Try to keep your own health up with the two Otsuru Bears in the room, since none of Brother Six's attacks are blockable. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After the battle, Brother Six will fall into the gears in the center of the room and die. No, really, he's finally finished this time! After the victory, Afro will return to the very bottom of the chamber. Now time to pull the lever straight ahead from the entrance. Like the last ascent, you'll have to do a lot of wall running and wall jumping. Jump up the stone slab at the top of the stairs, then criss cross wall jump up the kanji sculptures. On the right one, wall run up to the pole and jump to the gray platform in the center. This platform will break shortly after landing on it, so don't hesitate in wall running over to the ledge across from your position. Turn around to spot a pole a short distance away. Wall run, then jump to reach it. Perch yourself on top and leap to the ledge a lil' bit below your current location. Proceed to the top of the kanji sculptures via wall jumping. A gunner across a gap will emerge from a door and target you. Block his first strike, then prepare to make a mad dash towards him. Wall run onto the flimsy platform; the second you land, perform another horizontal wall run to reach him. Finish the gunner off, then turn around. - Otsuru Bear #67 After defeating the gunner, use the wooden beam as a ledge to reach another breakable platform. Once you stick the landing, jump across the hole to yet another platform. You'll find the bear here. - Memento #3 This one is easy to miss. After collecting the Otsuru Bear, look over the edge of the platform to spot another small platform. Jump to it to find the Memento, then wall run back to where you found the bear. Collect the Otsuru Bear and turn around again. Yep, another wooden pole. Use these two poles to reach the next level. Another gunner will show up not too far from your location. Run on the wall onto the collapsable platform, then quickly jump to the ledge. Pull yourself up to face the gunner and end his life. Hop up the rock to reach the top of the room! Head inside for another boss battle. - Otsuru Bear #68 The bear is resting on one of the sides of the square room. BOSS: Brother Three ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Brother Three seems to be the cool one of the bunch. He's so cool, he'd rather sit back and listen to music instead of fighting you himself! As you can see, you're fighting random enemies as opposed to Brother Three himself. The first wave of enemies are a few ninjas. They usually come in groups of threes. After two sets of those, you will have to face off against some female ninjas. The female ninjas close out this "boss"; there are maybe only four waves of them. This battle is a pure joke as you've had bigger challenges outside of boss fights. Make sure to grab the Otsuru Bear before the battle's end -- even if you don't need the health. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After returning to the bottom of the chamber, head to the right. We only have one more task to complete. Pull the lever on the right side of the room, then move up the steps. Head up to the top of the two kanji sculptures. - Memento #4 Jump onto the left kanji sculpture and wall run to the platform ahead, which holds the Memento. Return to the right to encounter two ninjas. Dispatch them, then run up the wall to reach the ledge ahead. Jump to the pole and stand on top of it, then leap to the wall in front of you. Begin wall jumping to the top of the wall. Another pair of ninjas will strike, so eliminate them both. - Otsuru Bear #69 Proceed forward to another door. Run up the wall to the left, then jump to grab the wooden beam above. Continue to the second beam, then onto the ledge. The Otsuru Bear is found on this ledge. Hop onto the low pole, then leap and pull off a criss cross wall jump to the top of the room again. - Memento #5 The Memento is on the left side of the area, past the piece of machinery. Enter the boss room to confront the remaining brothers. - Otsuru Bear #70 The bear is lying on the side of the boss room. - Otsuru Bear #71 The bear is lying on the side of the boss room. BOSS: Brother One, Brother Four, Brother Five ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ While you are pitted against three brothers at once, this is a fairly simple battle. It's a lot like the fight with Brother Two and Brother Six: you spend the entire duration of the fight reflecting projectiles back at its sender. Brother One will target you with his rifle arm. When you see the comic panel on the screen, enter Focus Mode just as Brother One fires a bullet. You can use Focus for an infinite amount of time in this battle, which makes your job of reflecting bullets much easier. Just as the shot is fired, charge up a horizontal slash when in Focus. Release when the time is right to send it back at Brother One. Instead of hitting the gunman, the bullet instead flies into poor Brother Four and knocks him down to ground level. In a fiery rage (literally), Brother Four will attempt to tackle Afro. You cannot damage him directly, so we'll have to use a bit of strategy. Stand in the center of the room (the gold ring) and bait Brother Four into charging at you. Once he nears you, back up. The center of the room will open as the brother steps on it, sending him into the gears. I wonder why it didn't open when you were on top of it... Brother One will jump onto the balcony alongside Brother Five and continue his assault. This time, he can fire up to five shots at a rapid pace. After blocking the first four, stay guarded to protect yourself from the fifth, which usually follows after a long pause. You cannot reflect these back, so when you see him fire without the comic panel appear on the screen, simply block the bullets. Repeat the process of reflecting a bullet back at Brother One (only try it when the comic panel appears on the screen). I found it difficult because I'm not very good at bullet reflecting/slicing in general, but at least there are two Otsuru Bears in the boss room. As you reflect the bullet back, it'll hit Brother Five and send him to the ground. Like Brother Four, Brother Five will be engulfed in flames and run at you like a madman. Send him into the gears just like you did with the other brother to rid him from the battle. Once Brother One is all alone, he will repeat the same strategy. Reflect one more bullet at Brother One to finish him off for good. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After defeating what seemed to be the last brother, android ninjas will attack Afro as a returning Brother Two babbles on and on. You will encounter all three types of android ninjas, so recognize their individual abilities and defend against them. Cruise through a few waves of androids until the screen darkens. ============================================================================== NINJA NINJA'S STORY [0310] ============================================================================== This is a very, very short chapter. Afro is left to deal with his own personal demons, in the form of Ninja Ninja himself. Afro returns to the Bodhi Tree and confronts an army of Ninja Ninjas. Are they real? Or are they just figments of your imagination? Afro faces off against a large group of Ninja Ninjas. Every time you damage one, it'll split in two in a puff of smoke. In order to dispose of one of the Ninja Ninjas, you will have to cut him in two. Use a Perfect Slice to cut a Ninja Ninja in two to eliminate it. This is the only way to defeat them. After the first wave of Ninja Ninjas, he will begin playing mind games on Afro as another batch appears. These foes seem to be more agile than the last set and will avoid your Focus attacks a lot more. Keep in mind that they can attack you as well, so block constantly due to the absence of Otsuru Bears in this chapter. After the second group of Ninja Ninjas are dealt with, the "real" one shows up. Treat him like the others and defeat him with a Perfect Slice. That's the end of Ninja Ninja. It was the bomb hanging out with you, too. ============================================================================== JUSTICE'S STORY [0311] ============================================================================== Afro finally locates Justice, only to realize that he's been long dead. Dayum, that must really sting. Afro again targets his personal demons to rid the pain he's been living with his entire life. BOSS: Justice (Stage One) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This battle is broken up into several stages. The first stage is a big pain, because simply reaching Justice is a chore. You are separated by a pretty long distance as Justice targets Afro with his revolvers. You must guard against his incoming shots while trying to inch closer to him. Justice fires in sets of six. He first fires five quick shots, followed by a pause and the sixth shot. After blocking the sixth bullet, quickly dash a foot or so closer to Justice and prepare to block another set of gunfire. He stands near his throne, which is surrounded by trees. Sometimes the trees act as cover, so you'll be able to sprint towards Justice if a tree is between the two of you. Once you get in striking range, use a dash attack to slash Justice. He will sink into the ground. After a small speech, Justice will reemerge and do battle with Afro. He uses his guns as melee weapons to whack you in the noggin with, so block if he gets too close. Justice will of course use his guns normally if there's some distance, so remember to guard against six shots. If you're a pro at reflecting bullets, you can reflect the sixth shot back at Justice. While it deals no damage, it temporarily stuns him and leaves him open for an attack. Unfortunately, Justice has the ability to memorize Afro's combos and use it to successfully defend himself against them. I s'pose the best advice to give you is to use combos that you aren't too familiar with. You can always hit Back to view Afro's move list, so try using combos different from the norm. Once Justice learns to evade these, you can resort to your normal attacks. Occasionally, Justice will sink into the ground as a black blob moves around like a giant puddle. Justice begins taunting Afro again, but stay on your toes. This is just a distraction so Justice can strike you from a distance (usually by firing his revolvers). If Justice ever cloaks himself with a black cloud, refrain from attacking him and block his attacks. He is invincible at this time and trying to damage him will do no good. Continue damaging Justice when it goes away and take note of his red outline to determine how far into the stage you are. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Justice (Stage Two) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Afro will cut off Justice's arms, though he manages to grow two humongous arms as well as one on his back! How does Justice retaliate? He cuts Afro's afro pick in half. Nice. Justice protects himself with a ring of spires, but you can still damage him. He only has one attack, and it's rather easy to read. Justice will stick his giant, tree trunk-like arms into the ground; they will emerge from a black pool underneath Afro. When you see Justice stick his arm or arms into the ground, enter Focus mode. Just as the black pool appears underneath you, press A while moving the Left Analog Stick left or right to perform a side flip. You will dodge the arm as it shoots upwards. While still in Focus, attack it with a Perfect Slice (horizontal) to damage Justice. Sometimes Justice will attack with both of his arms at once, meaning you have to avoid both of his arms at once. Regardless, it's still achievable by performing a side flip. This stage is easy, so keep attacking Justice's arms with Perfect Slices to enter the next stage; it'll take around twenty hits. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Justice (Stage Three) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The third stage of the boss battle is really weird. Justice is invincible for the majority of the battle -- the black cloud surrounding him means he cannot be touched. For the first half of the third stage, Justice uses two attacks. The first one is the attack he used in the second stage. Justice will bury his arms in the ground as they reappear under Afro. Dodge both of his arms using side jumps. After, Justice will follow up by attacking with the arm on his back. The arm on his back will swipe the air above Justice's head. Dodge the two mutant arms, then get near Justice's face. Guard against his third arm to make Justice vulnerable, then follow up with a Perfect Slice or combo. The timing window is incredibly small, and you'll only be able to get a few hits off before he knocks you away. Justice's second attack leaves him much more vulnerable. The black cloud lowers as Justice swings around, arms outstretched. He swings a total of three times, then follows up with a stiff backhand. His arms have a long reach, so keep your distance until the third swing. Dash towards Justice just as he uses his backhand, then begin attacking his back. Justice also uses a third attack, albeit very rarely. His shield will lower as he punches the air in front of him with both his arms. I have only seen him perform this attack a handful of times, but it's another great opportunity to get a few Focus attacks in on him before the shield appears again. When Justice is nearing death, he will introduce one last attack. He places his two huge hands on the ground and lifts his body in the air, stomping down on the ground with his fists. This creates black shockwaves that shoot out towards you. Try to either jump over them or use side jumps. After dealing enough damage to Justice, a quick cinema shows him on the ground panting. When this happens, you only have a few seconds to perform a Perfect Slice (horizontal) on him. If you do not accomplish this, Justice will get up and you'll have to hit him a few more times. Pulling off the horizontal slash will finally end the battle. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ While he didn't actually kill Justice, Afro at least got a chance to put this tragic tale to rest. Well, and he got the Number 1 headband of course. By successfully completing the game, you will unlock the treasures and the hard mode: Number One Headband! ______________________________________________________________________________ [4] MOVE LIST [0400] ______________________________________________________________________________ ============================================================================== IN FOCUS TECHNIQUES ============================================================================== --- IN FOCUS ----------------------------------------------------------------- - Hold LT Unlocked: Default --- HORIZONTAL PERFECT SLICE ------------------------------------------------- - (In Focus) Charge X Unlocked: Default --- VERTICAL PERFECT SLICE --------------------------------------------------- - (In Focus) Charge Y Unlocked: Default --- SIDE FLIPPING ------------------------------------------------------------ - (In Focus) Left Stick + A Unlocked: Default --- FORWARD SOMERSAULT ------------------------------------------------------- - (In Focus) Left Stick + A Unlocked: Default --- BACK FLIP ---------------------------------------------------------------- - (In Focus) Left Stick + A Unlocked: Default --- SWEEP THE LEG, AFRO! ----------------------------------------------------- - (In Focus) B Unlocked: Default --- ROLL, AFRO! ROLL! -------------------------------------------------------- - (In Focus) RT + Left Stick Unlocked: Default --- DEUCE -------------------------------------------------------------------- - Horizontally slice two enemies at once Unlocked: 2 Experience --- DOUBLE SLICE ------------------------------------------------------------- - Perfect Slice up to two times Unlocked: 7 Experience --- SWORD SLICER ------------------------------------------------------------- - Extends vertical slice range Unlocked: 12 Experience --- BULLET SLICE ------------------------------------------------------------- - (At right timing) vertical slice Unlocked: Story Progression --- BULLET REFLECT ----------------------------------------------------------- - (At right timing) horizontal slice Unlocked: Story Progression --- TRIPOD CONNECTION -------------------------------------------------------- - Slice three enemies at once Unlocked: 17 Experience --- TRIPLE SLICE ------------------------------------------------------------- - Perfect slice up to three times Unlocked: 20 Experience --- LIQUID SWORD ------------------------------------------------------------- - Extends vertical slice range Unlocked: 23 Experience --- DA FOUR GOOBERS ---------------------------------------------------------- - Slice four enemies at once Unlocked: 26 Experience --- SLICING SPREE ------------------------------------------------------------ - Perfect slice up to four times Unlocked: 29 Experience --- SWORD OF INDIFFERENCE ---------------------------------------------------- - Extends vertical slice range Unlocked: 32 Experience --- FOCUS POUNCE ------------------------------------------------------------- - (In Focus) Left Stick + Hold A Unlocked: Story Progression ============================================================================== FATHER'S LEGACY ============================================================================== --- SIDEWAYS ATTACK ---------------------------------------------------------- - (In Focus) Left Stick + A, X, or Y Unlocked: Memento --- AERIAL HORIZONTAL PERFECT SLICE ------------------------------------------ - A + horizontal slice Unlocked: Memento --- AERIAL VERTICAL PERFECT SLICE -------------------------------------------- - A + vertical slice Unlocked: Memento --- EASY MAKE COMBO ---------------------------------------------------------- - Create your own combo Unlocked: Memento --- THE CHARGED HAIRSPLITTER ------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, charge X Unlocked: Memento --- HURTFUL CROSS SLAP ------------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, charge Y Unlocked: Memento --- DRIPPING AFRO SHEEN ------------------------------------------------------ - Y, Y, Y, charge Y Unlocked: Memento --- JUST CHOP THE FAT RIGHT OFF ---------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, charge X Unlocked: Memento --- CHARGED SHIMMY SLICE ----------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, charge Y Unlocked: Memento --- CHARGED WHIP CRANKER ----------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, charge X Unlocked: Memento --- OKIKU'S GRANDSTAND ------------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, charge Y Unlocked: Memento --- AFRONADO CATEGORY 7 ------------------------------------------------------ - X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, X + A, X, X (keep pressing X continuously) Unlocked: Memento --- CLAIMING YOUR TERRITORY -------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, charge Y Unlocked: Memento --- ONE PISSED OFF MUTHA ----------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, charge Y Unlocked: Memento --- DOUBLE SHOT MOONSHINE ---------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, charge X Unlocked: Memento ============================================================================== FRENZIED AWESOMENESS ============================================================================== --- AFRO SLAP ---------------------------------------------------------------- - X Unlocked: Default --- SLAP 'EM AGAIN ----------------------------------------------------------- - X, X Unlocked: Default --- OH! THE CHIN TICKLER ----------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X Unlocked: Default --- THE DOWNER CUT ----------------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, X Unlocked: Default --- THE HAIRSPLITTER --------------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, hold X Unlocked: Default --- WHERE'S MY MONEY --------------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, Y Unlocked: Default --- BITCH SLAP --------------------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, Y, Y Unlocked: Default --- PIMP HAND ---------------------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, Y, Y, Y Unlocked: Default --- GET LIFTED --------------------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, Y Unlocked: Default --- 1 HITTER QUITTER --------------------------------------------------------- - A, X Unlocked: Default --- CROSS SLAP --------------------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, hold Y Unlocked: 1 Experience --- DOUBLE TAKE -------------------------------------------------------------- - A, X, X Unlocked: 5 Experience --- HARDWOOD THRUST ---------------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, hold Y Unlocked: 6 Experience --- SPLITTING THE SPLIFF ----------------------------------------------------- - A, X, X, X Unlocked: 10 Experience --- SHIMMY SLICE ------------------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, hold X Unlocked: 11 Experience --- GRAVITY BANG ------------------------------------------------------------- - A, X, X, X, X Unlocked: 15 Experience --- AFRONADO ----------------------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, X Unlocked: 16 Experience --- AFRO MATADOR ------------------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, X, X Unlocked: 19 Experience --- AFRO COMBOLICIOUS -------------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, X, X, X Unlocked: 22 Experience --- RING OF DEATH ------------------------------------------------------------ - X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, X Unlocked: 25 Experience --- SHREDDING YOUR SPLEEN ---------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, X + A Unlocked: 28 Experience --- CATCH THIS BITCH! -------------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, Y + B Unlocked: 31 Experience --- SPLIT PERSONALITY -------------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, hold X Unlocked: 34 Experience --- MARKING THE SPOT --------------------------------------------------------- - X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, hold Y Unlocked: 36 Experience ============================================================================== CHAOTIC BRUTALITY ============================================================================== --- PAIN --------------------------------------------------------------------- - Y Unlocked: Default --- HEAD PAIN ---------------------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y Unlocked: Default --- CHEST PAIN --------------------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y Unlocked: Default --- PAIN FROM ABOVE ---------------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, Y Unlocked: Default --- AFRO SHEEN --------------------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, hold Y Unlocked: Default --- BACK AND 'FRO ------------------------------------------------------------ - Y, Y, Y, X Unlocked: Default --- MARK OF AFRO ------------------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, X, X Unlocked: Default --- CRACK THE WHIP ----------------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, X, X, X Unlocked: Default --- THE HEART ATTACK --------------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, X Unlocked: Default --- GROUND BEEF -------------------------------------------------------------- - A, Y Unlocked: Default --- TRIMMING THE FAT --------------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, hold X Unlocked: 3 Experience --- WHIP CRANKER -------------------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, hold X Unlocked: 8 Experience --- OKIKU'S FIREWORKS -------------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, hold Y Unlocked: 13 Experience --- OH THAT HURT ------------------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, Y Unlocked: 18 Experience --- DAYAM THAT REALLY HURT --------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, Y, Y Unlocked: 21 Experience --- ARE YOU THE NUMBER 2? ---------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, Y, Y, Y Unlocked: 24 Experience --- OBEDIENCE TRAINING ------------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, Y Unlocked: 27 Experience --- AFRO CHOPPA -------------------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, X + A Unlocked: 30 Experience --- WRATH OF FRO ------------------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, Y + B Unlocked: 33 Experience --- ONE BADASS MUTHA --------------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, hold Y Unlocked: 35 Experience --- AFRO MOONSHINE ----------------------------------------------------------- - Y, Y, Y, X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, hold X Unlocked: 37 Experience ============================================================================== A LITTLE BIT OF OTHER STUFF ============================================================================== --- GUARD -------------------------------------------------------------------- - Hold RT Unlocked: Default --- AFRO FOOTPRINT ----------------------------------------------------------- - B Unlocked: Default --- AFRO-KWANDO -------------------------------------------------------------- - B, B Unlocked: Default --- OH! A KILLER BEE! -------------------------------------------------------- - A, Left Stick + B Unlocked: Default --- DUST DEVIL --------------------------------------------------------------- - A, B Unlocked: Default --- SLUM KICK ---------------------------------------------------------------- - (After enemy is launched) A, B Unlocked: Default --- DASH --------------------------------------------------------------------- - Click down Left Stick button Unlocked: Default --- LOOSE FOOTING ------------------------------------------------------------ - Dash, B Unlocked: Default --- DRIVE BY SLICING --------------------------------------------------------- - Dash, X Unlocked: Default --- DRIVE BY DICING ---------------------------------------------------------- - Dash, Y Unlocked: Default --- WALL RUN (RUNNING HORIZONTAL) -------------------------------------------- - Left Stick + A Unlocked: Default --- WALL CLIMB (RUNNING VERTICAL) -------------------------------------------- - Left Stick + A Unlocked: Default --- BACK FLIP WALL JUMP ------------------------------------------------------ - (At peak of wall climb) A Unlocked: Default --- CRISS CROSS WALL JUMP ---------------------------------------------------- - (During wall run or wall climb) A Unlocked: Default --- PARRY -------------------------------------------------------------------- - (Timed guard during enemy attack) RT Unlocked: Story Progression --- POUNCE ------------------------------------------------------------------- - (Parry) Hold A Unlocked: Story Progression --- THROW FORWARD ------------------------------------------------------------ - Pounce, A + Left Stick (up) Unlocked: Story Progression --- THROW BACKWARDS ---------------------------------------------------------- - Pounce, A + Left Stick (down) Unlocked: Story Progression --- KICK POUNCE -------------------------------------------------------------- - Pounce, B Unlocked: Story Progression --- LIGHTNING POUNCE --------------------------------------------------------- - Pounce, X Unlocked: Story Progression --- THUNDER POUNCE ----------------------------------------------------------- - Pounce, Y Unlocked: Story Progression --- LOOK AT MY TOENAIL ------------------------------------------------------- - B, B, B Unlocked: 4 Experience --- CHIN TAPPER -------------------------------------------------------------- - B, B, B, B Unlocked: 9 Experience --- AFRO STUNNA -------------------------------------------------------------- - B, B, B, hold B Unlocked: 14 Experience ______________________________________________________________________________ [5] COLLECTIBLES [0500] ______________________________________________________________________________ ============================================================================== MEMENTOS [0501] ============================================================================== --- THE DAIMYO'S STORY ------------------------------------------------------- - Memento #1 When you spot a murder of crows, walk through to make them scatter and for you to obtain the Memento. Unlocking all five in each level will earn you a new skill. The first Memento is in front of you at the level's start. - Memento #2 You can find the Memento on the left side of the porch; again, the Memento is represented by a murder of crows. - Memento #3 After reaching the left side of the second floor, follow the walkway into a side room. The Memento is located in the dark corner of the room; it's hard to spot, so walk around until you spot the flapping wings of the crows and hear your father's disturbing lauch. - Memento #4 After elevating the clockwork room up one floor, locate the metal rails and perch on top of the lowest one. Jump to the second, then onto the ledge just above you. Go across the wooden beam and continue across the perimeter to find the Memento in the far corner. - Memento #5 Take the left path leading down towards the side of the roof. Go under the swirling dragon archway and proceed down the narrow path to reach the last Memento at the end. --- SCHOOL INVASION ---------------------------------------------------------- - Memento #1 To the right of the Sword Master is a small nook between a building and a rock. Sneak through the small passage to reach the Memento. - Memento #2 From the entrance to the training grounds, walk to the left to reach some wooden dummies and targets. You should be able to find a murder of crows in between them. - Memento #3 After crossing the bridge back towards the school entrance, look to the left of the open gate to spot the Memento. - Memento #4 Immediately after entering the burning building, jump onto the ledge and follow the right path to find the Memento. - Memento #5 Walk down the two sets of stone steps and immediately look to the left at rock pillars. Their walls seem to be abnormally flat, allowing you to wall jump across the two. Perform a criss cross jump to reach the top of the rock spire. Leap across the gap to the pillar in front of you, where the final Memento lies. --- OKIKU'S STORY ------------------------------------------------------------ - Memento #1 As you exit the house, hug the perimeter to the left. Once on the side of the house, you should spot the crows resting on a wooden board in the corner of the yard. - Memento #2 Drop down from the bamboo bridge and head towards the lit doorway on the ground floor. Head through to reach a small hut, where you will find the Memento on the front porch. - Mememto #3 Just after hopping over the green platforms and continuing straight ahead, drop down to reach a fork: to the left is a log bridge and to the right is a canyon. However, turn around to find the crows tucked in the corner next to a lantern. You most likely jumped over them from the ledge above. - Mememto #4 Go around the bar (the long way) and follow the alley to a dead end. The Memento is lying there in plain sight. - Mememto #5 Just above the final android ninja tunnel is a ledge. Jump up to find the fifth and final Memento here. --- THE LOWDOWN EAST PASS ---------------------------------------------------- - Memento #1 The Memento is located in the far right corner of the construction site when facing the gunner. Start walking towards his location, then make a right behind the wooden towers to find the crows. - Memento #2 After clearing out the gatling gun, turn back around and jump to the narrow ledge on the mountain wall. Wall run up the wooden boards to the ledge to spot the Memento on a platform in the distance. To reach it, perform a wall run across the wooden planks on the right. - Memento #3 From the entrance to the quarry, walk straight ahead and take the second left to find the murder of crows. It's pretty hard to miss. - Memento #4 The Memento is lying next to one of the chains that you have to sever, so you can't really miss it. - Memento #5 The Memento is resting on the statue's right shoulder. Like many of the Mementos in this level, it's in plain sight. --- DOPPELGANGER ------------------------------------------------------------- - Memento #1 From the start, go backwards to reach a broken bridge; the Memento is on the edge of the bridge. - Memento #2 You can find it on the other side of the elevator shaft upon reaching the top of it. - Memento #3 As you approach the steps just past the gunner, collect the Memento just to the right of the stairs. - Memento #4 After jumping up the ledge, turn around to spot a walkway above you. Leap up onto it, then follow it to the Memento. - Memento #5 The final Memento is lying in the open area just before the last bridge. --- KUMA'S STORY ------------------------------------------------------------- - Mememto #1 Descend the stairs and head to the right towards a dead end and the Memento. - Mememto #2 After your second scuffle with Kuma, continue across the snowy trail to spot the Memento on the left side. It's on a bit of a slope. - Memento #3 The Memento appears on the perimeter of the chilly battlefield after beating Kuma a third time. - Memento #4 On the left side of the deck (when facing the entrance) is the Memento laying on the railing. - Memento #5 The last Memento is at the tip of the ark's bow. --- THE EMPTY SEVEN'S STORY -------------------------------------------------- - Memento #1 After defeating the waves of android ninjas, proceed to the northeast corner of the room to find the Memento. - Memento #2 Before entering the boss's room, walk to the right to find the Memento behind the piece of machinery. - Memento #3 This one is easy to miss. After collecting the Otsuru Bear, look over the edge of the platform to spot another small platform. Jump to it to find the Memento, then wall run back to where you found the bear. - Memento #4 Jump onto the left kanji sculpture and wall run to the platform ahead, which holds the Memento. - Memento #5 The Memento is on the left side of the area, past the piece of machinery. ============================================================================== OTSURU BEARS [0502] ============================================================================== --- PRELUDE ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Otsuru Bear #1 The first Osturu Bear in the game is right under your nose. It is lying on the ground in front of the large clearing behind the bar. - Otsuru Bear #2 You will find this Otsuru Bear in front of a door in the enemy-filled clearing; it's incredibly hard to miss. --- THE DAIMYO'S STORY ------------------------------------------------------- - Otsuru Bear #3 Ignore the main pathway for now and cut to the right side of town. Pass by the buildings and stay near the water's edge to reach a small pier. Descend the stairs onto the pier to find the bear. - Otsuru Bear #4 From the town's entrance, pass by the two houses on the right and sneak in between the second and third. The building in front of you has a low roof, so jump and pull yourself onto the roof. Hop onto the roof of the building just to the left and you should spot the bear next to you. - Otsuru Bear #5 The fifth Otsuru Bear is on the far end of the porch's right side. - Otsuru Bear #6 The bear is located on the back left-hand corner of the foyer. - Otsuru Bear #7 The bear is located on the back right-hand corner of the foyer. - Otsuru Bear #8 After wall running onto the balcony above the front door, grab the Otsuru Bear; it's in plain sight and impossible to miss. - Otsuru Bear #9 Before leaving the stripper room, make sure to pick up the Otsuru Bear lying on the chair. That's got to be the dirtiest bear alive... - Otsuru Bear #10 You can find another bear by smashing the glass case in the left side of the trophy room. - Otsuru Bear #11 The bear is lying in the hallway just past the clockwork room. - Otsuru Bear #12 The Otsuru Bear is found in a side room on the second floor. - Otsuru Bear #13 The Otsuru Bear is found in a side room on the third floor. - Otsuru Bear #14 The Otsuru Bear is found in a side room on the fourth floor. - Otsuru Bear #15 The Otsuru Bear is found on the fifth floor, just before the ramp leading up to the sixth floor. - Otsuru Bear #16 You can locate yet another Otsuru Bear laying next to a support beam beside the staircase. - Otsuru Bear #17 After collecting the fifth Memento, head under the dragon arch to the right to find the bear lying dangerously on the wooden railing. --- SCHOOL INVASION ---------------------------------------------------------- - Otsuru Bear #18 Before exiting the school, head towards the far-right wall. Hop onto the short ledge and you should find the Otsuru Bear tucked away in the corner. - Otsuru Bear #19 Locate the Sword Master after the enemies have been defeated. Hug the rock wall to his left and you should eventually spot the bear lying on a rock near the school. - Otsuru Bear #20 The Otsuru Bear is lying in plain sight on a rock just after crossing the wooden walkway. - Otsuru Bear #21 If you need health from the battle against the giant or just in the mood to collect, you can find an Otsuru Bear to the left of the main door, lying on a pile of small rocks. - Otsuru Bear #22 After crossing the bridge back towards the school entrance, look to the left of the open gate to spot the Otsuru Bear. It's right next to the Memento. - Otsuru Bear #23 After crossing the bridge back towards the school entrance, go to the right to find an Otsuru Bear lying on a rock next to the bridge's base. - Otsuru Bear #24 After rescuing the second kid, turn around and walk away from the alley towards the stone staircase leading to the school. The Otsuru Bear is hidden on a stone step next to the staircase leading to the school's entrance. - Otsuru Bear #25 Behind the burning building is a pile of sandbags and a few crates. Jump over the beam in the way, then immediately turn around; the bear is lying on one of the crates. - Otsuru Bear #26 The Otsuru Bear is directly to the left of the doorway leading back into the courtyard. - Otsuru Bear #27 After descending the second flight of stairs in the tunnel, look to the left in the large opening to spot the bear resting on a rock. - Otsuru Bear #28 As you make your way up the stone steps, you'll reach a stone pillar to the side connected to the steps via a wooden beam. Carefully cross the beam to reach the pillar, where the Otsuru Bear lies. --- SWORD MASTER'S STORY ----------------------------------------------------- - Otsuru Bear #29 The first Otsuru Bear is lying out in the open near the left side of the Bodhi Tree's base. - Otsuru Bear #30 The bear can be found by straying to the right side of the area (facing the tree) and searching the pile of rocks near the cliff's edge. --- OKIKU'S STORY ------------------------------------------------------------ - Otsuru Bear #31 There is a very narrow path stretching underneath the waterfall. Hug the rock wall and follow the path underneath the roaring waters to reach a dead end and an Otsuru Bear. - Otsuru Bear #32 Just after crossing the waterfall, look to your right to spot the bear lying on the floor near a broken bridge. - Otsuru Bear #33 The bear is lying just to your right at the entrance of the town. - Otsuru Bear #34 Don't forget to collect the Otsuru Bear in this area; it is located in the courtyard, tucked away in a small corner in front of the large building. If you fail to collect it after the battle, you'll miss out on it for good! - Otsuru Bear #35 The bear is found on the walkway leading up to the entrance to the bar. - Otsuru Bear #36 From the height of the ledge, you should easily be able to spot the Otsuru Bear; it is lying on a small rock below, just to your right. - Otsuru Bear #37 The bear is lying in front of one of the three locked doors down here. - Otsuru Bear #38 The bear is lying in front of one of the three locked doors down here. - Otsuru Bear #39 The bear is lying in front of one of the three locked doors down here. - Otsuru Bear #40 You can find an Otsuru Bear in the boss arena, on the far right corner near the lanterns. - Otsuru Bear #41 You can find an Otsuru Bear in the boss arena, on the far left corner near the lanterns. --- THE LOWDOWN EAST PASS ---------------------------------------------------- - Otsuru Bear #42 Head behind the dragon head stand where the chain was attached to to find a small alcove and an Otsuru Bear. - Otsuru Bear #43 Another Otsuru Bear is located on the right side of the area, at the base of the giant statue. - Otsuru Bear #44 This bear is tucked away in a small alcove. From the green pool of sludge, walk to the left and hug the wall to reach this area. - Otsuru Bear #45 The Otsuru Bear is hiding in a bucket on the other side of the bridge. - Otsuru Bear #46 After wall-jumping to the upper portion of the quarry, walk to the right to a dead end. Wall run up the wall, then jump to reach a ledge containing an Otsuru Bear. - Otsuru Bear #47 Turn around after landing on the railroad tracks to find the bear inside the mine shaft. - Otsuru Bear #48 The bear is lying in plain sight on the walkway. You can't miss it. - Otsuru Bear #49 The bear is lying across from Ninja Ninja on the lower portion of the fighting grounds. --- DOPPELGANGER ------------------------------------------------------------- - Otsuru Bear #50 The bear is lying on the left side of the bridge's base (when facing the bridge). - Otsuru Bear #51 The Otsuru Bear is lying on the right rail of the bridge. - Otsuru Bear #52 There is an Otsuru Bear resting in front of one of the android tunnels. - Otsuru Bear #53 About halfway across the bridge, on the left railing, is another bear. - Otsuru Bear #54 As you reach the area riddled with ninjas and ronin assassins, look in the corner to the right to spot the bear. - Otsuru Bear #55 Just past the destroyed bridge is yet another Otsuru Bear; lying next to an android tunnel. --- KUMA'S STORY ------------------------------------------------------------- - Otsuru Bear #56 Investigate the wall to find the bear lying on a small square rock. - Otsuru Bear #57 There is a bear in the opposite end of the field, near the steps. - Otsuru Bear #58 There is an Otsuru Bear inside the ark, on the left side. - Otsuru Bear #59 On the right side of the deck (when facing the entrance) is an Osturu Bear laying on the railing. - Otsuru Bear #60 The Otsuru Bear is lying next to the tree trunk in the arena. --- THE EMPTY SEVEN'S STORY -------------------------------------------------- - Otsuru Bear #61 The Otsuru Bear is in the southwest corner of the square room, to the left of the entrance gate. - Otsuru Bear #62 The bear is tucked away in the back corner of the room, to the right of door you are to head through. - Otsuru Bear #63 You can find the Otsuru Bear next to the doorway you used to enter the Empty Seven chamber. - Otsuru Bear #64 After defeating the ninja and gunner, jump to the pole and wall jump across the two kanji sculptures. The Otsuru Bear will be on top of the one to the right. - Otsuru Bear #65 The bear is lying on the side of the boss room. - Otsuru Bear #66 The bear is lying on the side of the boss room. - Otsuru Bear #67 After defeating the gunner, use the wooden beam as a ledge to reach another breakable platform. Once you stick the landing, jump across the hole to yet another platform. You'll find the bear here. - Otsuru Bear #68 The bear is resting on one of the sides of the square room. - Otsuru Bear #69 Proceed forward to another door. Run up the wall to the left, then jump to grab the wooden beam above. Continue to the second beam, then onto the ledge. The Otsuru Bear is found on this ledge. - Otsuru Bear #70 The bear is lying on the side of the boss room. - Otsuru Bear #71 The bear is lying on the side of the boss room. ______________________________________________________________________________ [6] TREASURES [0600] ______________________________________________________________________________ All treasures are unlocked after beating the game. Number 1 Headband: Hard Mode ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Music ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Kimono Dance 2. Fade to Black 3. Afro Fight Groove 1 4. Nothing Personal 5. Afro Fight Groove 2 6. Blood Shed 7. Fade to Black - FMZK Remix 8. Afro Fight Groove 3 9. One Try 10. When the Smoke Clears 11. Afro Fight Groove 4 12. Soul of the Samurai 13. Numify 14. Afro Fight Groove 5 15. Can You Top That 16. I'm Going to Get-Cha 17. Afro Fight Groove 6 18. Subliminal 19. Swoop 20. Afro Samurai 21. Come On! 22. Family Affair Remix Movies ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Afro Rough Cut HD 2. Afro Credits 3. Afro End Credits 4. Two Headbands Art ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Afro 2. Afro's Father 3. Afro Droid 4. Afro Droid V2 5. Android Ninja 6. Big Dread 7. Daimyo 8. Empty Seven 9. Female Ninja 10. Giant 11. Jinno 12. Justice 13. Justice V2 14. Kuma 15. Ninja 16. Ninja Ninja 17. Okiku 18. Otsuru 19. Ronin 20. Samurai 21. Swordsman 22. Sword Master 23. Teenage Afro Concepts (Slide Shows) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Characters 2. Environments ______________________________________________________________________________ [7] ACHIEVEMENTS [0700] ______________________________________________________________________________ Here are all the achievements found in the game, in alphabetical order. A Secret History (10) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Complete The Daimyo's Story Afro Samurai (5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Collect 5 mementos in School Invasion All That Stood Are Gone (45) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Complete The Empty Seven's Story And So It Begins (5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Complete Prelude Ashigaru (10) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Unlock 10 skills Bushi (30) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Unlock 40 skills Closer to God (5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Slice an enemy using a Vertical Attack with a bonus Completionist (200) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Complete the game on both difficulties Copy-Cat Killer (35) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Complete Doppelganger F*!# Gravity (5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Slice an enemy in the air Four to the Floor (10) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Slice 4 enemies at once Give Me a Hand (10) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Slice off an enemy's hand Gutshot Android Straight (15) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Complete an Android Straight Flush Hatamoto (20) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Unlock 25 skills Hats Off to You (5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Slice off a head with a bonus Head to Toe (25) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Slice 50 enemies using a Vertical Attack with a bonus Hip Hop (10) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Slice off an enemy's foot Hundred Head Hunter (20) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Slice off 100 heads with a bonus I Am Rubber (10) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kill an enemy with a reflected bullet Kengo (20) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Achieve 1000 kills Kensei (50) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Achieve 2000 kills Kunoichi Suicide Queens (10) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Complete a Kunoichi Straight Flush Let It Flow (15) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spill 2000 gallons of blood Love Lost (25) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Complete Okiku's Story Made Hand Ronin (5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Complete a Ronin Straight Flush Mash Medley (5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Achieve a 20 hit combo Meijin (5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Achieve 100 kills No Limit Ninjas (10) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Complete a Ninja Straight Flush Off Suit Samurai (25) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Complete a Samurai Straight Flush Revenge Served? (50) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Complete Justice's Story Rhythm Section (20) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Achieve a total of 3000 combos Slow Your Roll (5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Slice an enemy during their attack The Child Without a Name (5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Collect 5 mementos in The Daimyo's Story The Death Bringer (5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Collect 5 mementos in Doppelganger The Death of Innocence (15) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Complete School Invasion The Demon of Vengeance (5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Collect 5 mementos in Okiku's Story The Number One (100) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Unlock all skills The Number Two (5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Collect 5 mementos in The Lowdown East Pass The Past Laid to Rest (40) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Complete Kuma's Story The Path to Godhood (30) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Complete The Lowdown East Pass The Price for Vengeance (20) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Complete Sword Master's Story The Samurai Ghost (5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Collect 5 mementos in The Empty Seven's Story This Little Piggy (10) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Slice off fingers and toes at the same time Three-way (5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Slice 3 enemies at once Torso From Tail (15) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Slice 50 bellies Two Birds One Sword (5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Slice 2 enemies at once Widow Maker (5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Collect 5 mementos in Kuma's Story You Are Glue (10) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kill an enemy with a sliced bullet ______________________________________________________________________________ [8] BESTIARY [0800] ______________________________________________________________________________ ============================================================================== ENEMIES [0801] ============================================================================== --- RONIN ASSASSIN ----------------------------------------------------------- The most common of the enemies, the ronin assassins are also the most basic. These foes don't have many skills and seem a little too eager to jump at the idea of slaying Number 2. Ronin assassins come in all shapes and sizes; wielding whatever weapon they can get a hand on (katanas, axes, sickles among others). They rarely block and are easily dispatched with a few heavy combos. --- GUNNER ------------------------------------------------------------------- Gunners carry around large sniper rifles and are usually perched on elevated areas, such as high ledges or hilltops. A comic panel appears onscreen to show when they are about to shoot at you. You can either dodge the bullets or use techniques to reflect or even slice it in half. Gunners can always be reached, so it's easiest to confront them up close and take them out with a few quick slices: they are very weak and cannot defend themselves. --- NINJA -------------------------------------------------------------------- Ninjas are nothing like the ronin assassins. These foes are incredibly quick and use their speed to evade attacks; almost like they are on fast-forward when fighting them. Ninjas will try and throw you off balance by using such moves as leg sweeps and dash attacks. For the most part, ninjas always avoid your Focus attacks. The best way to fight them is to use quick attacks to trip them up. Use kicks to knock the ninjas, then follow up with a Focus attack to execute them while they are tripped up. --- KUNOICHI ----------------------------------------------------------------- Usually referred to as "female ninjas", kunoichis are more agile than their male counterparts and wield short scythes. Other than that, the female ninjas are relatively identical to the males. Afro encounters some more... revealing kunoichis in The Daimyo's mansion, but they act exactly the same as the fully clothed babes. --- SAMURAI ------------------------------------------------------------------ Samurais are heavily-armored swordsman that have very high defenses. They also have a lot of health and are difficult to take down. Since they block so dang much, try to aim for their legs with kicks or Focus attacks. In some earlier stages, the samurais are a bit less armored and are easier to defeat. However, in some later levels, the samurais are covered from head to toe in armor and even wear helmets. They are immune to pounce attacks and will immediately ounterattack if you jump on them. They never jump and rarely even move around, so try to get behind them and attack with Perfect Slices. --- LARGE SWORDSMAN ---------------------------------------------------------- While these lugs may be very big, they are also surprisingly agile. They move very quickly and can use dash attacks among their rough-and-tough sword strikes. Large Swordsmen block more frequently than normal enemies and can parry your own attacks. Treat them like any normal enemy: after blocking, get behind them and use Focus attacks. They can even be pounced on! --- GIANT -------------------------------------------------------------------- Giants have some of the highest health count among common enemies. They can dish out the pain with their huge clubs, though their main drawback is that they are really slow. Use this to your advantage by overwhelming the giant with quick combos. Try to attack their backs with long combos or Perfect Slices. Try not to stand face-to-face with the giant. They can palm Afro by his head and slam him into the ground. The worst part is that they will club you while you're still writhing on the ground - it's a pretty cheap move. It'll take quite a few Perfect Slices to down a giant, so stick with it and use your speed to your advantage. --- ANDROID NINJA ------------------------------------------------------------ There are a few different types of android ninjas. The most common is a gray- clothed android. They are the easiest to combat with and are very easy to pounce - the game even uses these enemies for the pounce attack tutorial. Overall, the gray android ninjas aren't much of a threat. The blue android ninjas emit a shock of electricity when touched, so avoid kick and pounce attacks when facing these foes. You will have to resort to using vertical and horizontal strikes to finish these androids off. Android ninjas wearing yellow clothes self-destruct after their defeat. The only way to bypass this is by decapitating them. If you fail to do so, try to keep your distance from the body before it explodes and damages you. You can also exploit this ability to solve puzzles, like plugging up android tunnels. ============================================================================== BOSSES [0802] ============================================================================== BOSS: Daimyo ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Don't bother wasting Focus at the start of the boss battle. Slash Daimyo a few times as he charges towards you. After a handful of sword slashes, a cutscene will start where Daimyo teaches Afro how to parry. Why? I'm gonna have to get back to you on that one. To parry, press the Right Trigger just as the enemy strikes to temporarily stun them, essentially opening up a large window of attack. Once the enemy is knocked back, deliver a few quick blows. I will admit that I had a very hard time pulling off a successive parry. A tip for a successful parry is to pay attention to the shimmer on Daimyo's sword; when it reaches the very tip of the sword, press the Right Trigger. A small puff of smoke along with the enemy being knocked back signifies a successful parry. The entire boss battle against Daimyo revolves around parrying. Continue using parries to damage Daimyo; try to avoid using focus and instead rely on quick combos to deplete his health. Remember, Daiyo's body slowly turning dark red symbolises his health bar slowly draining. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Sword Master ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The fight against the Sword Master is a lot easier than expected; it's in many ways a rehash of the battle against Daimyo (though the Sword Master doesn't hold your hand as much as the latter). At the very start of the battle, the boss doesn't do much to protect himself from your onslaught of sword attacks. After damaging him a bit and a cutscene snippet, the Sword Master will begin blocking the majority of your strikes. Like the Daimyo fight, using Focus in its entirety is out the window, for the Sword Master blocks any Focus attack in near perfection. Use quick, horizontal strikes to pester the Sword Master in hopes of him dropping his guard. The Sword Master's attacks are easily predictable and aren't anything of great note. His most powerful attack is his overhead slash, which can easily knock Afro back on his butt. Remember to press the Right Trigger just as the boss's sword shimmer reaches the tip of the blade; you will perform a parry and stun the Sword Master. The main basis of this swordfight is to block the Sword Master's attacks and continuously parry. With the master stunned from your parry, unleash a mini combo to knock a few chunks off of his health. You will view another cinema snippet after taking away most of the Sword Master's health; the battle will end soon after if you deliver a few more powerful hits. He jumps around like a jackrabbit and manages to block even moreso than before, but stick to the same strategy to come out victorious. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Brother Six ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Brother Six is definitely your biggest challenge thus far, and will certainly give you a problems. In the battle's first stage, Brother Six only uses one attack. He will use his flamethrower to attack you, following your every movement with the weapon. It has very long range and Brother Six will move in any direction, so it's best to avoid it by simply staying far away from it. Once he stops attacking and begins laughing at Afro, dash towards him and use a dash attack followed by a long combo. I found that heavy combos (combos with Y) work the best, since they deal more damage than light attacks and actually stun the boss. Otherwise, Brother Six will most likely bat you away. After attacking Brother Six with a full combo, he will most likely knock you backwards. If not, retreat before he starts up his flamethrower again. Don't get too cocky and try to near him while he's torching you, since it is nearly impossible to run away from the fire; just wait until the attack fully stops. After damaging him enough, the second stage will begin. Brother Six will now use a new attack where he will use his gun to propel himself in the air; at the same time creating a small fiery shockwave. When you see Brother Six point his flamethrower towards the ground, either get ready to jump or back away. Aside from this unique attack, Brother Six will also target Afro differently. Instead of using a stream of flame, he'll now shoot a fast-moving fireball towards Afro. Once you see that gun go off, quickly dash to the side to avoid the projectile. He will either leave a gap of time or begin laughing after, leaving you with an opening to attack. Attacking Brother Six in this stage is much easier. His attacks leave him defenseless most of the time and you are now able to get closer to him without fear of getting burnt. After landing from his shockwave attack, he will take some time to regain his composure, leaving open a large window. Refrain from using Focus and stick with dash attacks and heavy combos. The third stage will begin after another quick cinema. While there aren't many drastic changes here, this is certainly the hardest stage of 'em all. Brother Six will now fire up to three fireballs as once as opposed to one; dash in one direction to avoid all three, then attack. The worst part about this battle is Brother Six's improved shockwave attack. Not only is the radius bigger, but it has enough power to KILL YOU in one hit, regardless of your health. When you see the boss bury the muzzle of his flamethrower in the ground, either back the heck away or jump in the air. You do NOT want to get hit by that attack and have to start the battle over again. While Brother Six is in the air, he will fire two fireballs to the ground, making two shockwaves. Despite not having enough power as the original to slay you automatically, still try to avoid them. Keep in mind that there are two Otsuru Bears in this level. If you don't want to take them for health, at least grab 'em for completion's sake. Chances are you are going to need them anyways, since the battle with Brother Six is arguably the hardest in the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Brother Two, Brother Six ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This battle is basically "Bullet Reflecting/Slicing For Dummies". Brother Six, armed with a rocket launcher, stands on a plateau on the far side of the boss arena. Brother Two stands on one of two balconies on either side of the area. Brother Six will fire a rocket at you from the comfort of his location. Stand in the center of the arena and get ready to slice the rocket in two. As it nears you, use Focus and charge up a vertical slice. Start to use Focus when the rocket is about the halfway mark. The game is much more generous with its timing than if you were trying to slice a normal bullet in half. Plus, the rockets are much bigger and easier to spot than a tiny bullet. Once you use a Perfect Slice on the rocket, it will split in half, each piece heading towards the balconies. Brother Two will avoid the blast by jumping to the other balcony. Three ronin assassins arrive at the order of Brother Two. As you deal with the thugs, Brother Six will hurl grenades at you (another panel will open on the screen to show when he's about to use it). Dispose of the enemies as quickly as possible so you aren't damaged too much by the grenades. Brother Six will begin using rockets once the coast is clear. Again, time your Focus attack and use a vertical slice to cut the rocket in half. Brother Two will dodge the blast a second time as he calls more assassins. This process will repeat twice more, totaling up to four times. The only thing that changes during the fight is the number of grenades used by Brother Six as you fight assassins. After cutting the fourth rocket in half, it will miss Brother Two and instead hits a boulder, sealing the brothers' fate. I was one of those guys who thought slicing and reflecting bullets was nearly impossible, but I still found this battle to be laughably easy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Afro Droid ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Well, now we know where the name of the chapter comes from. This android was created using Okiku's memories of Afro, so it is as close of a clone as they are going to get of you. The Afro Droid's claim to fame is that it can copy your every moves, but it seems to fall short at times. Don't get me wrong, this battle is basically like fighting a mirror version of yourself, but the process of mimicry is never perfect. There are several moves that Afro Droid does not know. The most obvious is your Father's Legacy moves. If you have been collecting the Mementos in each level, you should have plenty of these. Use these combos (Dripping Afro Sheen and Just Chop The Fat Right Off) on Afro Droid; it won't be able to block or duplicate the combo, leaving it wide open for the attack. Another basic technique that leaves the Afro Droid baffled are side flips. When In-Focus, press A and move the Left Analog Stick left or right to perform a side flip. It's an easy way to get behind the Afro Droid since it cannot mimic the attack itself. The concept of a battle against a robotic clone is tricky, but this fight is actually pretty simple if you stick to using combos that only you can pull off. Plus, there's an Otsuru Bear in the arena that you can use to heal. It won't take long to take down the Afro Droid. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Afro Droid ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ While this sequence is one of the gnarliest I have ever experienced in a video game, it is also pretty disorienting. You do battle with the Afro Droid in the air as the two of you are falling to the ground. Pretty interesting, no? Since you are essentially floating in the air, you can't really jump. It's also difficult to move, since the camera is fast and very shaky. I found it easiest to basically not move at all and let the Afro Droid come to you. It always makes it presence known when using attacks, making it pretty easy to spot. Its main attack, the Afro Droid will curl up and glow before unleashing a flurry of rockets. Since even moving proves to be a challenge, you're better off blocking than trying to evade and possibly failing. It will either fire the missiles in one burst or one after another in quick succession. If you hear the Afro Droid start beeping and booping like a rogue machine, get ready to guard. It will fire a green laser at Afro, which is very powerful. Though if you manage to block it with your sword, it will bounce back and damage the Afro Droid. When the boss rushes you to attack with its deadly sword, retaliate by unleash any random combo; just start button mashing. Another good technique is to use Focus and pull off vertical slices over and over; they deal arguably the most damage to the Afro Droid. It's hard to develop a cold-cut strategy against the Afro Droid because it's such a strange battle. All you really have to do is block the boss's attacks, then attack when it gets close to you. Not much more to it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Kuma ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The first stage of this fight is no different than the numerous time we've faced off before. Implement the same strategies to damage Kuma. Try to block and/or parry his charged two-hit combo, then retaliate with your own sword slices. The first round is surprisingly short as half of Kuma's mask tears. Now that Kuma only wears half of his bear mask, he becomes a tad harder. He moves a bit quicker and resorts to more leg sweeps. As an addition, his charged two-hit combo turns into a three-hit combo. A great way to target Kuma is to block his three-hit combo: block the first charged hit, and instead of blocking the second or third hit, attack before he gets the second strike off. Once you land a hit, attack with a series of quick attacks and kicks. I found heavy attacks (Y) more difficult to land since they are ultimately slower to perform. Try not to use Focus attacks that much either; I found only leg sweeps were useful. The fastest way to lose health is by Kuma's dash attack: an automatic counter to Afro's Focus attacks. After you manage to destroy Kuma's mask entirely, he drops one of his blades and returns to the battlefield. After getting automatically hit by Kuma, the final stage of the battle begins. Oddly enough, I found this stage fairly easy compared to the numerous complaints and such I've seen. Kuma has an entirely new moveset, usually more hands-on attack due to now only wielding one weapon. He tends to use such attacks as a simple uppercut, a spinning heel kick or even a windmill kick. One of Kuma's more common attacks is a jumping slam. He will jump in the air and comes crashing down with his fist. Instead of trying to block the attack, run underneath Kuma as he becomes airborne. Just as he lands, unleash a combo on his back before he can block; one of the easier ways to dish out damage. Kuma doesn't use his patended dash attack, so using Focus attacks and Perfect Slices is surprisingly easier than normal. Try to use a Perfect Slice to cap off a wild combo; you can even use other Perfect Slice in succession to deal a major amount of damage. Test the waters and see if any new strategies work against the revitalized Kuma. You shouldn't have to be as protective with using your own attacks. If not, stick to the same defensive strategy that has gotten you this far. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Brother Six ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Geez, haven't we fought this big goof enough times already?! As opposed to arming himself with an extremely deadly gun, Brother Six comes equipped with a simple rod. While this may not sound as devastating as a rocket launcher or flamethrower, you should not take this battle lightly. Since Brother Six has no long-range attacks, you can fight him up close like the battle(s) against Kuma. However, you cannot really compare this fight with the one against Kuma; Brother Six is pretty slow and it's painfully easy to get behind him to unleash a combo. The boss uses new abilities as the battle progresses. Sometime during the midpoint of the fight, he will start throwing grenades if you stand too far away from him. Aside from his main combos, Brother Six also uses and overhead smash attack: he spins the rod above his head before striking the floor. Arguably his most nasty attack is used once Brother Six is nearing death. Sometimes he will grab Afro's head before throwing him in the air and striking him with his rod. There's no way to block or avoid this move since you cannot move while in midair. The boss has two main attacks that can easily be capitalized on. He has a three-hit combo that ends with a powerful overhead smash. This attack leaves Brother Six immobile for a second or two, giving you time to sprint behind him and use a short combo. Refrain from using long, strung-out combos because he will end up blocking midway. The second attack is when Brother Six tries to poke you with his rod. When he jabs the rod forward, run behind him before he can pull the weapon back to his side. Brother Six has significantly less health than in previous battles. Try to keep your own health up with the two Otsuru Bears in the room, since none of Brother Six's attacks are blockable. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Brother Three ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Brother Three seems to be the cool one of the bunch. He's so cool, he'd rather sit back and listen to music instead of fighting you himself! As you can see, you're fighting random enemies as opposed to Brother Three himself. The first wave of enemies are a few ninjas. They usually come in groups of threes. After two sets of those, you will have to face off against some female ninjas. The female ninjas close out this "boss"; there are maybe only four waves of them. This battle is a pure joke as you've had bigger challenges outside of boss fights. Make sure to grab the Otsuru Bear before the battle's end -- even if you don't need the health. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Brother One, Brother Four, Brother Five ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ While you are pitted against three brothers at once, this is a fairly simple battle. It's a lot like the fight with Brother Two and Brother Six: you spend the entire duration of the fight reflecting projectiles back at its sender. Brother One will target you with his rifle arm. When you see the comic panel on the screen, enter Focus Mode just as Brother One fires a bullet. You can use Focus for an infinite amount of time in this battle, which makes your job of reflecting bullets much easier. Just as the shot is fired, charge up a horizontal slash when in Focus. Release when the time is right to send it back at Brother One. Instead of hitting the gunman, the bullet instead flies into poor Brother Four and knocks him down to ground level. In a fiery rage (literally), Brother Four will attempt to tackle Afro. You cannot damage him directly, so we'll have to use a bit of strategy. Stand in the center of the room (the gold ring) and bait Brother Four into charging at you. Once he nears you, back up. The center of the room will open as the brother steps on it, sending him into the gears. I wonder why it didn't open when you were on top of it... Brother One will jump onto the balcony alongside Brother Five and continue his assault. This time, he can fire up to five shots at a rapid pace. After blocking the first four, stay guarded to protect yourself from the fifth, which usually follows after a long pause. You cannot reflect these back, so when you see him fire without the comic panel appear on the screen, simply block the bullets. Repeat the process of reflecting a bullet back at Brother One (only try it when the comic panel appears on the screen). I found it difficult because I'm not very good at bullet reflecting/slicing in general, but at least there are two Otsuru Bears in the boss room. As you reflect the bullet back, it'll hit Brother Five and send him to the ground. Like Brother Four, Brother Five will be engulfed in flames and run at you like a madman. Send him into the gears just like you did with the other brother to rid him from the battle. Once Brother One is all alone, he will repeat the same strategy. Reflect one more bullet at Brother One to finish him off for good. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Justice (Stage One) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This battle is broken up into several stages. The first stage is a big pain, because simply reaching Justice is a chore. You are separated by a pretty long distance as Justice targets Afro with his revolvers. You must guard against his incoming shots while trying to inch closer to him. Justice fires in sets of six. He first fires five quick shots, followed by a pause and the sixth shot. After blocking the sixth bullet, quickly dash a foot or so closer to Justice and prepare to block another set of gunfire. He stands near his throne, which is surrounded by trees. Sometimes the trees act as cover, so you'll be able to sprint towards Justice if a tree is between the two of you. Once you get in striking range, use a dash attack to slash Justice. He will sink into the ground. After a small speech, Justice will reemerge and do battle with Afro. He uses his guns as melee weapons to whack you in the noggin with, so block if he gets too close. Justice will of course use his guns normally if there's some distance, so remember to guard against six shots. If you're a pro at reflecting bullets, you can reflect the sixth shot back at Justice. While it deals no damage, it temporarily stuns him and leaves him open for an attack. Unfortunately, Justice has the ability to memorize Afro's combos and use it to successfully defend himself against them. I s'pose the best advice to give you is to use combos that you aren't too familiar with. You can always hit Back to view Afro's move list, so try using combos different from the norm. Once Justice learns to evade these, you can resort to your normal attacks. Occasionally, Justice will sink into the ground as a black blob moves around like a giant puddle. Justice begins taunting Afro again, but stay on your toes. This is just a distraction so Justice can strike you from a distance (usually by firing his revolvers). If Justice ever cloaks himself with a black cloud, refrain from attacking him and block his attacks. He is invincible at this time and trying to damage him will do no good. Continue damaging Justice when it goes away and take note of his red outline to determine how far into the stage you are. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Justice (Stage Two) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Afro will cut off Justice's arms, though he manages to grow two humongous arms as well as one on his back! How does Justice retaliate? He cuts Afro's afro pick in half. Nice. Justice protects himself with a ring of spires, but you can still damage him. He only has one attack, and it's rather easy to read. Justice will stick his giant, tree trunk-like arms into the ground; they will emerge from a black pool underneath Afro. When you see Justice stick his arm or arms into the ground, enter Focus mode. Just as the black pool appears underneath you, press A while moving the Left Analog Stick left or right to perform a side flip. You will dodge the arm as it shoots upwards. While still in Focus, attack it with a Perfect Slice (horizontal) to damage Justice. Sometimes Justice will attack with both of his arms at once, meaning you have to avoid both of his arms at once. Regardless, it's still achievable by performing a side flip. This stage is easy, so keep attacking Justice's arms with Perfect Slices to enter the next stage; it'll take around twenty hits. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Justice (Stage Three) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The third stage of the boss battle is really weird. Justice is invincible for the majority of the battle -- the black cloud surrounding him means he cannot be touched. For the first half of the third stage, Justice uses two attacks. The first one is the attack he used in the second stage. Justice will bury his arms in the ground as they reappear under Afro. Dodge both of his arms using side jumps. After, Justice will follow up by attacking with the arm on his back. The arm on his back will swipe the air above Justice's head. Dodge the two mutant arms, then get near Justice's face. Guard against his third arm to make Justice vulnerable, then follow up with a Perfect Slice or combo. The timing window is incredibly small, and you'll only be able to get a few hits off before he knocks you away. Justice's second attack leaves him much more vulnerable. The black cloud lowers as Justice swings around, arms outstretched. He swings a total of three times, then follows up with a stiff backhand. His arms have a long reach, so keep your distance until the third swing. Dash towards Justice just as he uses his backhand, then begin attacking his back. Justice also uses a third attack, albeit very rarely. His shield will lower as he punches the air in front of him with both his arms. I have only seen him perform this attack a handful of times, but it's another great opportunity to get a few Focus attacks in on him before the shield appears again. When Justice is nearing death, he will introduce one last attack. He places his two huge hands on the ground and lifts his body in the air, stomping down on the ground with his fists. This creates black shockwaves that shoot out towards you. Try to either jump over them or use side jumps. After dealing enough damage to Justice, a quick cinema shows him on the ground panting. When this happens, you only have a few seconds to perform a Perfect Slice (horizontal) on him. If you do not accomplish this, Justice will get up and you'll have to hit him a few more times. Pulling off the horizontal slash will finally end the battle. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ______________________________________________________________________________ [9] THANKS/CREDITS [0900] ______________________________________________________________________________ Of course, this guide couldn't have been made without some extra help. Here is a shoutout to everyone who made this FAQ possible: CJayC: For being an awesome host of an awesome site. Eternal Czar Smapdi: For being the best co-author anyone could have, and for being yourself. FESBians: Because you're cool. You: For reading this FAQ. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LEGAL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This document is copyright (c) DomZ Ninja 2009-2011. This document may be found on the following sites: * GameFAQs - http://www.gamefaqs.com * GameSpot - http://www.gamespot.com * IGN - http://faqs.ign.com * Super Cheats - http://www.supercheats.com * Neoseeker - http://www.neoseeker.com * HonestGamers - http://www.honestgamers.com The latest update of this document can always be found on GameFAQs. Other sites may use this document, but only with my permission. If you see this document on a website not listed above, please email me. Do not edit or alter this document in any way. Do not steal anything from this document. Do not host or distribute this document for profit. That is plagiarism, and it is against the law. If you have any questions, comments, or anything that you would like to add to this guide, then feel free to email me. My email address is found at the top of this guide. However, if you do email me, please include the name of the game in the title. Lastly, thanks for reading and using this FAQ. If you like this FAQ, then please recommend it to others by clicking the "recommend" button at the top of the guide. :] http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/52173.html "I started nothing, I wish I didn't" - The Ting Tings ______________________________________________________________________________ END OF DOCUMENT