Help, I am getting owned in Salamander!

[MotherGunner]

I dont think there are any codes for salamander, but can you share how you beat it?

[Arjak]

Don't get hit by bullets.

Seriously, this game is a bitch. Where are you stuck?

[MotherGunner]

Don't get hit by bullets.

Seriously, this game is a bitch. Where are you stuck?

Lol yeah the army did a good job at teaching me THAT....    I just got the game.  My sorry ass can't even get past stage one...  I remember lifeforce being easier with the konami code.

[Arjak]

Okay, if I remember correctly, here's how the stage goes:

1. Kill the enemies and grab the power ups.
2. Upon approaching a tunnel, STAY AWAY from the walls! I believe that they contract together.
3. Kill the tentacles by shooting the segment of a different color.
4. Avoid the fangs.
5. Shoot through the organics.
6. You should come to some walls. Shoot your way through with the laser.
7. To kill the brain, shoot the eye while luring it into a good position. If it gets too close, fly around and lure it to the back.

I'm sorry if these tips weren't helpful (which I'm sure they weren't), but it's hard to teach people how to be good at shooters. You can't teach reflexes. With RPGs, you can teach strategies easier.

Once again, sorry if I'm no help...

[Duo_R]

I too am getting rocked in this game. No codes?

[Michael Helgeson]

I can make it to the last boss and beat it (did so on my 2nd try), but wasn't able to escape at the end when you go flying out and the wall barrier things extend out to kill you as you go. That part was alot harder then it was on Nes to me. Granted I only played the hu-card casually maybe 10-15 times too in my life so far. I love how well they ported it over from the arcade, but have hardly played it since I played the Nes one so much. It mainly just sits on my shelf for a rainy day. One day I will pop it back in, and beat it next time I hope.

The key thing to getting far is to get plenty of options and power ups early on in stage 1, and try not to focus on everything on screen, as you will get distracted and easily snuffed out.

[Tatsujin]

very important, while you shooting your way through those germ walls, never change your course or fly back wards. shoot the first hole, fly in and keep continuing your way till you come out on the other side.

also something important to know. the bosses are playing better, when you played better. in other words, if you come to the boss without losing a live and with full arming, the bosses are more difficult e.g. moving faster, using more bullets etc.

[Keranu]

also something important to know. the bosses are playing better, when you played better. in other words, if you come to the boss without losing a live and with full arming, the bosses are more difficult e.g. moving faster, using more bullets etc.

Very interesting, did not know this! Do any other Gradius games do that?

[MotherGunner]

F**k me to tears. Well I am definitely humbled.  My limitations started sinking in when I downloaded Megaman 9.  Beat almost every Megaman game when I was a kid but 9 made a woman out of me now.  I will chalk it up to old age as to why I Salamander can't good.

 

[Duo_R]

MG - maybe we need a little Salamander contest to make us rise to the challenge? This S*** is hard!  Now I want to play the NES version to make sure your theory isn't true...

[Tatsujin]

i played the FC version the other day and came to the conclusion that it get's slightly harder from level 3 on. but i have also to say, that i didn't play the FC version as much as i did the PCE.

also those versions differs a lot. so they aren't 1:1 comparable.

[MotherGunner]

MG - maybe we need a little Salamander contest to make us rise to the challenge? This S*** is hard!  Now I want to play the NES version to make sure your theory isn't true...

That's just it.  On life force you can konami-code it and die and respawn in place.

If you could do that in the PCE version we would at least have a fighting chance.

[Duo_R]

is the ? just a random select of one of the power-ups?

[WoodyXP]

The key thing to getting far is to get plenty of options and power ups early on in stage 1, and try not to focus on everything on screen, as you will get distracted and easily snuffed out.

Word life.. and get the ripple laser.  I noticed if you flip on the turbo and hold it down all the ripple shots from the options will slow the game down, giving
to a little extra time to see what's coming.

And Gunner, if you're still stuck on the brain try this:

1. Hang in the upper left corner.
2. Before the brain moves he'll extend his arms, wait for him to fully extend his arms toward you. Dodge any bullets.
3. As soon as he starts moving swoop under him to the lower right of the screen, make him follow you
    back a bit so that there's good clearance in front of him.  
4. Quickly move up and circle back around to the front of the brain.  Watch the positioning of his hands while you do this.
    If the hands won't let you move up then just pull back to the left and use the same technique in reverse.
5. Shoot him in the eye for a little bit.  You win.

Be careful not to fire while you're performing steps 2-4.. that'll slow the game down and give the Brain
a step on you, it seems like he catches you quicker when the game slows down.  So hold your fire and
circle around quick.  

[WoodyXP]

is the ? just a random select of one of the power-ups?

Yes.  Stay away from that unless you like living on the edge.