~B
A C E C O M B A T 3
E L E C T R O S P H E R E
=================================
Version 4.0
Walkthrough by Jerrold Ng
Contents
--------
1. Introduction
2. Planes
A) UPEO Planes
B) General Resources LTD. Planes
C) Neucom Planes
D) Ouroboros Planes
3. Mission Guide
A) UPEO Missions
B) Decision Point No.1
C) General Resources LTD. Missions
D) Decision Point No.2
E) Ouroboros Missions
F) General Resources LTD. Missions II
G) UPEO Missions II
H) Decision Point No.3
I) UPEO Missions III
J) Decision Point No.4
K) Neucom Missions
L) Decision Point No.5
M) Ouroboros Missions II
N) Neucom Missions II
O) UPEO/Neucom Missions
4. Character and Ending Descriptions
5. Secrets/Cheats
6. Acknowledgments
Added in Version 2.0
- Stacks of info from "Video Girl Ai"
- Corrected some of my endings, thanks to
"Jeffrey Daniel Wong"
- Added Game Shark Codes thanks to
"Dave"
Added in Version 3.0
- "I Am Falling I Am Fading"
(how's that for a wild name?) sent me some useful
tips on a few extra missions I've missed...
- Corrected some errors here and there, including the
obvious bits in the endings.
Added in Version 4.0
- Finally, all 52 missions are in!
- Corrected some more stuff here and there...
- Added the little trick on finding out how many
missions you've found and how many you're
missing (thanks to "Wiseman" )
- Added some Game Shark Codes sent by "I Am Falling I Am
Fading" - check them out! See stuff Namco doesn't want
you to see!
- By the way, a special thank you is in order to "I Am
Falling I Am Fading" and "Video Girl Ai" - they've
contributed so much since my first version that
they've almost become co-authors!
Air Combat 3 : Electrosphere is the latest of the best-selling
Air Combat franchise by Namco; but unlike the last two incarnations,
this game is heavily story-driven. The story itself branches off in
several different directions, and you can get up to five (maybe more)
endings, which vary quite drastically.
The story of Air Combat 3 generally goes like this... There's
basically a war going on between a number of rival corporation
units - the UPEO, General Resources LTD., Neucom and Ouroboros.
They are all fighting over control of a particular prototype
fighter [developed my Ouroboros, I believe] called the Night
Raven. The Night Raven's pilot is a genetically engineered young
girl named Rena. All other characters Dision, Keith, Erich,
Fiona, Cynthia, Simon, Parks, Neu etc... all play some part in
it. Depending on which branch you go, you will end up becoming
an "aibo" or "comrade" of Erich, Fiona, Cynthia, Keith (four
endings) or become a lone wolf (one ending).
Incidentally, there's news that Namco is about to release an
an add-on to Air Combat 3 called Air Combat 3 Electrosphere
Direct Audio and AppenDisk (whoa, now that's a long title).
It will include a soundtrack disk that will feature 28 music
tracks and other tracks that were excluded from the original
game, as well as an appendix disc that will contain the
complete data most of your planes and also allows you select
and play any of the 52 missions (maybe even more?) as well
as play any of the movie sequences. Air Combat 3 Electrosphere
Direct Audio with AppenDisk is set for an August 26 release in
Japan for 2800yen (US$24). If there's anything interesting to
cover, I'll update it on this FAQ/walkthrough!
Anyway, this walkthrough contains all the specifics of each
plane you will get to pilot, some help for all the missions
and branches you will encounter, and descriptions of the
various endings (which you can skip if you want). If you
like to contribute any new findings to me, or correct me,
feel free to e-mail me at . Finally, newest
versions of this walkthrough can be found at
Through the course of the game you will get to pilot many
different planes, of all sorts of shapes and sizes. The
planes you get to choose depend on your who your employee
is. Of course, there might be a few secret planes that aren't
listed here.
The planes here are split into three types - heavy, normal
or light planes. Heavy planes can survive some serious damage,
but they have slow acceleration. Normal planes can stand
moderate damage and have slightly faster acceleration. Light
planes are the speed demons of the pack - they normally have
unbelievable acceleration rates, but just one well-timed
missiles will bring them down. Well, you get the idea!
Every corporate unit has it's own set of planes, listed below.
In most missions you get to choose from a few planes, but
later in the game you'll be stuck with one super plane. The
four super planes include the Su-43 Berkut, XFA-36A Game and
R-103 Delphinus #3. In one particular ending stage you'll also
get to hack into an advanced model of the Night Raven called
the XR-900 Geopelia! Also, a number of these planes listed
below can fire 4 missiles at once rather than 2 for the other
planes.
[Info from "Video Girl Ai"] It is a good idea to use as many
planes as possible when clearing missions - when you enter the
Mission Simulator, you'll only get to use planes that you've
cleared (or messed up) a mission with!
=====================================================================
A) UPEO Planes
=====================================================================
EF2000E Typhoon II
Breadth - 10.50 m
Length - 15.75 m
Wingspan - 6.40 m
Weight - 18144 kg
Max Speed - 2856 km/h
- Light Type, with Vulcan Gun and Normal Missiles
MiG-33 Fulcrum SS
Breadth - 11.36 m
Length - 17.32 m
Wingspan - 4.73 m
Weight - 18000 kg
Max Speed - 2856 km/h
- Normal Type, with Vulcan Gun and Normal Missiles
F/A-18V Hornet ADV
Breadth - 13.62 m
Length - 18.31 m
Wingspan - 4.88 m
Weight - 29937 kg
Max Speed - 2324 km/h
- Normal Type, with choice of Vulcan or Heavy Machinegun
and Short Range or Ground Missiles
F-16XFU Gyrfalcon
Breadth - 9.45 m
Length - 13.08 m
Wingspan - 5.36 m
Weight - 11372 kg
Max Speed - 2856 km/h
- Light Type, with Normal Missiles and choice of Vulcan or
Heavy Machinegun
R-101V Delphinus #1
Breadth - 12.60 m
Length - 20.48 m
Wingspan - 4.10 m
Weight - 8898 kg
Max Speed - 2856 km/h
- Light Type, with Heavy Machinegun and Normal Missiles
R-201V Asterozoa
Breadth - 20.60 m
Length - 18.13 m
Wingspan - 2.90 m
Weight - 23013 kg
Max Speed - 1540 km/h
- Heavy Type, with cannon and choice of Short Range, Ground
or M.I.R.V. Missiles
Su-37 Superflanker
Breadth - 14.70 m
Length - 22.10 m
Wingspan - 6.32 m
Weight - 34420 kg
Max Speed - 3304 km/h
- Normal Type, with normal missiles and choice of vulcan
or cannon
Su-43 Berkut
Breadth - 16.70 m
Length - 22.50 m
Wingspan - 6.40 m
Weight - 34900 kg
Max Speed - 3304 km/h
- Normal Type, with choice of Vulcan, Heavy Machinegun or
Cannon and Normal or M.I.R.V. Missiles
=====================================================================
B) General Resources LTD. Planes
=====================================================================
F-16XA Sakerfalcon
Breadth - 10.43 m
Length - 16.51 m
Wingspan - 5.36 m
Weight - 15772 kg
Max Speed - 3304 km/h
- Light type, with Ground Missiles and choice of Vulcan or
Heavy Machinegun
F-15S/MT Eagle+
Breadth - 13.05 m
Length - 19.43 m
Wingspan - 5.63 m
Weight - 36740 kg
Max Speed - 3304 km/h
- Heavy Type, with choice of Vulcan or Cannon and Normal,
Short Range or M.I.R.V. Missiles
A/F-117X Nav Hawk
Breadth - 13.20 m
Length - 20.08 m
Wingspan - 3.78 m
Weight - 23814 kg
Max Speed - 2324 km/h
- Normal Type, with Ground Missiles and choice of Vulcan or
Cannon
F-22C Raptor II
Breadth - 13.56 m
Length - 18.92 m
Wingspan - 5.03 m
Weight - 27200 kg
Max Speed - 2856 km/h
- Normal Type, with Normal Missiles and choice of Vulcan or
Heavy Machinegun
F/A-32C Erne
Breath - 10.97 m
Length - 13.72 m
Wingspan - 3.51 m
Weight - 22600 kg
Max Speed - 2324 km/h
- Light Type, with choice of Vulcan or Cannon and Short
Range or Ground Missiles
RF-12A2 Blackbird
Breadth - 16.94 m
Length - 31.65 m
Wingspan - 5.64 m
Weight - 78020 kg
Max Speed - 5068 km/h
- Heavy Type, with choice of Vulcan or Heavy Machinegun
and Normal, Short Range or M.I.R.V. Missiles
XFA-36A Game [Also belongs in Ouroboros]
Breadth - 13.20 m
Length - 19.31 m
Wingspan - 2.80 m
Weight - 32116 kg
Max Speed - 3304 km/h
- Normal Type, with choice of Vulcan, Heavy Machinegun or Cannon
and Normal, Short Range or M.I.R.V. Missiles.
=====================================================================
C) Neucom Planes
=====================================================================
R-311 Remora
Breadth - 5.82 m
Length - 14.88 m
Wingspan - 1.80 m
Weight - 5105 kg
Max Speed - 5068 km/h
- Light Type, with choice of Heavy Machinegun or Pulse Laser
and Short Range, Ground or M.I.R.V. Missiles
R-352 Sepia
Breadth - 10.74 m
Length - 13.15 m
Wingspan - 4.90 m
Weight - 60200 kg
Max Speed - 3054 km/h
- Heavy Type, with Neutron Beam and Plasma Beam
R-211 Orcinus
Breadth - 8.20 m
Length - 22.56 m
Wingspan - 2.21 m
Weight - 12822 kg
Max Speed - 3304 km/h
- Normal Type, with choice of Cannon or Pulse Laser and
short range missiles, ground missiles or spread bombs
R-102 Delphinus #2
Breadth - 13.80 m
Length - 20.52 m
Wingspan - 4.50 m
Weight - 9057 kg
Max Speed - 3304 km/h
- Normal Type, with Normal Missiles and choice of Heavy
Machinegun and Pulse Laser
R-103 Delphinus #3
Breadth - 13.80 m
Length - 20.66 m
Wingspan - 4.90 m
Weight - 10040 kg
Max Speed - 3940 km/h
- Normal Type, with choice of Heavy Machinegun, Cannon or
Pulse Laser and Normal, M.I.R.V. or Spread Missiles
XFA-36A Game [Also belongs in General Resources LTD.]
Breadth - 13.20 m
Length - 19.31 m
Wingspan - 2.80 m
Weight - 32116 kg
Max Speed - 3304 km/h
- Normal Type, with choice of Vulcan, Heavy Machinegun or Cannon
and Normal, Short Range or M.I.R.V. Missiles.
The story of this game branches in several directions based
on "Decision Points" located after every few stages. Depending
on what decisions you choose, you will alternate between a
few corporation units. You begin the game in a unit UPEO.
Here is the branching system that occurs...
[Starting]
UPEO Missions
|
|
Decision Point No.1
|
Join Dision | Join Others
-------------------------------
| |
| |
General Resources LTD Missions UPEO Missions II
| |
Decision Point No.2 Decision Point No.3
| |
Join Dision | Join Keith Join Rena | Return to Base
------------------- -----------------
| | | |
Ouroboros General Resources | Extra Stage
Missions LTD. Missions 2 | (Fragile Cargo)
[Ending A] [Ending B] | |
-----------------
|
|
Decision Point No.4
|
Join Fiona | Join Others
---------------------------------
| |
Neucom Missions UPEO/Neucom
| Missions
| [Ending E]
Decision Point No.5
|
Join Cynthia | Join Fiona
--------------------------
| |
Ouroboros Neucom
Missions II Missions II
[Ending C] [Ending D]
Missions order in this walkthrough
----------------------------------
A) UPEO Missions
B) Decision Point No.1
C) General Resources LTD. Missions
D) Decision Point No.2
E) Ouroboros Missions
F) General Resources LTD. Missions II
G) UPEO Missions II
H) Decision Point No.3
I) UPEO Missions III
J) Decision Point No.4
K) Neucom Missions
L) Decision Point No.5
M) Ouroboros Missions II
N) Neucom Missions II
O) UPEO/Neucom Missions
Some useful general info about accomplishing a mission (thanks
to "Video Girl Ai") :
Different between Mission Accomplished and Mission Over
-------------------------------------------------------
You're probably aware of the different effects between Mission
Accomplished and Mission Over. Both these statuses will end the
mission, Mission Over signifying a D grade or lower meaning
you failed to accomplish all mission objectives. It also means
different messages received during or just after debriefing
from your copilots. These messages get saved inside your
archive so I can't help but wonder if getting all these
messages might be the key to activating certain cheats like
unlocking the Night Raven.
Radar blip colors
-----------------
Red = primary target
- absolutely must be destroyed to end the mission
White = secondary target
- not necessary to be destroyed to end mission but their
destruction improves your grade
Yellow = neutral target
- destroying these targets may lower your grade
Blue = friendly targets
- cannot be targeted by weapons
tiny white = missile
- dodge!!
Secondary Weapons: Missiles Vs Bombs & Rate of Fire
---------------------------------------------------
The type of secondary weapon (circle button) you use
on a target depends on the type of target you're
targeting.
A ground target automatically toggles the bomb
receptacle IF your plane is armed with bombs. If you
switch to an air target, air to air missiles are used
instead. If your plane is not armed with bombs,
standard tracking missiles are used instead.
Rate of Fire:
Surface Bombs are fired one or sometimes two at a
time and take awhile to reload (changes according
to difficulty level?) Air-to-air missiles are fired
two at a time for earlier fighters and four at a time
for the more advanced fighters...
1) Awakening
Mission - Shoot down four planes (marked red on the radar) within
2:59 mins, then one more that appears.
Plane Choice - EF2000E Typhoon II, MiG-33 Fulcrum SS
- Your first job. Tense? Here, you'll get to meet your other crewmates
Erich, Rena and Fiona. This one is easy - the bad guys barely even
notice you're there! Check your radar (press the Square Button) and
locate the four red dots and take them down. If this is not done
within 3 minutes or so the mission will be over after you take down
the last red dot. If you do manage to take them down within the time
limit your commander will update you with a new target. Just head
over to the new red dot (ignore the white dots if you want) that
appears and blow it up and you're done. By the way, the more extra
targets (the planes that appear as white targets) you take down,
the higher your rank will be.
2) Bravado
Mission - Blow up 8 ground radar sites within 3:59 mins, then
then a blow up few more ground structures after that.
Plane Choice - EF2000E Typhoon II, MiG-33 Fulcrum SS
- You need to be fast in this one. Ignore the white planes, and go
straight for the radar sites. If done within the time limit, your
commander will update you with about 4 more ground targets. They
include a two large buildings carefully tucked into the mountain
side and the bridge that connects them. Be careful not to slam
your plane into the side of the mountain!
3) Enter Dision
Mission - Follow Dision, then shoot down 3 fighters with your
gun, then destroy three ground targets
Plane Choice - EF2000E Typhoon II, MiG-33 Fulcrum SS,
F/A-18V Hornet ADV, F-16XFU Gyrfalcon
- Here you meet ace pilot and all-round shifty character Dision.
One of this mission's objectives is to tail him as long as
possible (it's hard, yes). Try to keep him inside your HUD
view as long as possible (info from "Video Girl Ai").
Eventually you'll encounter three planes - be careful, you
can't lock your missiles on them! Stick with your guns. After
the three have been destroyed, three ground targets appear;
these can be locked on, so blow them away with your missiles.
There might be a time limit to all these, but destroy these
six targets and you'll get a new mission; the commander will
inform you that a large supply ship is dropping 5 cargo boxes;
shoot those down (you can't lock on to them either). These
boxes will be zealously guarded by a number of fighters, so
let Dision and Keith handle them, and you focus on blowing up
those crates before they hit the ground. Extra Info from "I
Am Falling I Am Fading" - I notice that on the right side of
the screen there is a point display in the first part of the
mission that shows how well you follow Dision and how many
targets you destroy.... Basically the way it works is that in
the first part of the mission, the score goes up faster the
closer you are to Dision, as you move farther away it slows,
until Dision is a kilometer away at which point it stops
altogether... So naturally of course you want to follow Dision
as close as possible. Afterwards when you blow up the decoy
drones and the tower targets, you get some more points that
doesn't seem to vary. So far the best I've gotten is 5120
points... I wonder if something special happens if you get a
higher value?
4) Paper Tiger
Mission - Sink a warship, convoy, and carrier within 2:59 mins,
then shoot down 4 planes that appear after that. You
must not enter the island city or you will be shot at
by missiles!
Plane Choice - EF2000E Typhoon II, MiG-33 Fulcrum SS,
F/A-18V Hornet ADV, F-16XFU Gyrfalcon
- As always, if you fail to sink all three ships within the time
limit, they will reach the harbor and the mission will end
prematurely. To speed things up, look carefully at each ship -
they have three targets on them, two guns and the ship itself
(that target will be named warship, convoy and carrier
respectively). Shoot that target to sink the ship immediately.
Also, stay out of the island unless you want a rear full of
missiles.
- Here you will get the option of keeping with your friends at
the UPEO or deserting with Dision.
-> To follow Dision, Just keep his plane in your view for a
short while and you will land on an air strip. Try to land
by yourself; if you mess it up, press START to switch on
autopilot and your plane will land by itself. You will now
leave your current organization UPEO and join General
Resources LTD. Proceed to General Resources LTD. section C
below.
-> To follow the others, just fly away in a different
direction to Dision. Head on over to the section G, UPEO
Missions II
=====================================================================
C) General Resources LTD. Missions
----------------------------------
5) Soldier of Fortune
Mission - Shoot down eight R-201's before they take off from the
airfield within 2:59 mins.
Plane Choice - F-16XA Sakerfalcon, F-15S/MT Eagle+
- Since you will be doing no actual air combat, use the
Sakerfalcon's ground missiles to finish the job. It shouldn't
be too hard. Just be careful of the occasional missile that
is launched from the airfield itself.
6) Megafloat
Mission - 2 R-201's, 4 Guns and 1 Tower needs to be demolished
within 3:29 minutes
Plane Choice - F-16XA Sakerfalcon, F-15S/MT Eagle+
- This mission is similar to the previous one. The island
fortress is much more well guarded however; you'll need to be
really good at dodging missiles, or just plain suicidal, to
be flying right into the thick of it. Too bad with the given
time limit, you don't have much choice! By the way, if you
miss the time limit, a hydrofoil will be launched, and you'll
have to take it out - too bad that even if you take it out,
you'll get a "Mission Over" in that case (thanks to "Video
Girl Ai"). Either way, you'll end up taking the mission
"Partners" after this. Also, here's a little well-hidden
bonus - thanks to "Wiseman" ! To
get a hidden mission "Target Acquisition", shoot all the
targets except one R-201 and let it escape (pass the time
limit). After this, when the lone Hydrofoil leaves the harbor
- shoot it to pieces and the extra mission is yours!
7) Target Acquisition [Alternate mission]
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - A/F-117 Nav Hawk
- Hey, isn't that a stealth fighter you're flying? Anyway, the
aim of this stage is pretty simple - you'll just have to take
snapshots of four points around the city so that a laser
satellite will be able to target it. You'll see Rena and
Dision having a short chat, then, once you've taken the four
snapshots, a new target appears - now you'll have to down
six planes (R-201U x3, MiG-33 x3). Take your time here -
there's no hurry. After this stage, you'll skip the next
mission, "Partners", and go straight to "Tainted Peace".
7) Partners
Mission - You have to destroy 4 power plants that encircle the
base within 4:59 minutes. Then, destroy the core that
appears after that.
Plane Choice - F-16XA Sakerfalcon, F-15S/MT Eagle+
- Other that the fact that each of the four power plants cannot
be targeted by your missiles, the mission is a breeze. Just
fire away your cannon when you approach one, it's so big it's
next to impossible to miss! Just be careful not to bump into
the pillars on either side of it. Once Keith tells you to take
down the core, just fly at it and launch some missiles.
8) Tainted Peace
Mission - Down a large boss plane, the R-505U
Plane Choice - F-16XA Sakerfalcon, F-15S/MT Eagle+,
F-22C Raptor II, F/A-32C Erne
- It's a less-than-friendly reunion with your old crewmates Erich,
Rena and Fiona. Your target here is Fiona's plane, but feel free
to shoot down the others if you're just plain mean. Once you're
done, you'll need to go for a mid-air refuel. Try it out; if you
mess up, press START to let the game do it for you.
9) Stratosphere
Mission - Take down six R-531's in 4:59 mins
Plane Choice - RF-12A2 Blackbird
- Keith's in trouble. Few seconds into the mission, he will request
for your assistance in shaking off a pesky remora. Not a problem,
really. He'll survive for awhile. Just keep your eye on the R-531's
nearest to you and you should have no problems. If you DO go and
rescue him, that is, shoot down his attacker, the R-531's will
escape, and you'll get a Mission Over... However, after this,
you'll get two extra missions below! If you ignore him and finish
the mission, you'll jump to the mission, "Technology Transfer".
After the mission, you get to try and land your plane again. Hit
START if you think you're not up to it.
10a) Welcoming Committee [Alternate Mission]
Mission - Shoot down four planes (R-211 x3, R-808 x1); you have to
destroy the R-808 in 1:29 mins
Plane Choice - F-16XA Sakerfalcon, F-15S/MT Eagle+,
F-22C Raptor II, F/A-32C Erne
- This special stage appears after you've proven yourself as Keith's
"aibo" or comrade in the previous stage. This one is easy - go
straight for the R-808 first and destroy it within one and a half
minutes, then take you time with the others. If you mess up, you'll
have to destroy a few ground targets (and net a "Mission Over" to
boot) so be quick about it! There's another extra stage after this,
entitled...
10b) Claustrophobia [Alternate Mission]
Mission - Destroy 8 bases and 2 underground bases in 5:59 mins
Plane Choice - F-16XA Sakerfalcon, F-15S/MT Eagle+,
F-22C Raptor II, F/A-32C Erne
- Another "aibo" stage with Keith. This one is relatively easy.
You'll get to learn how to use spread bombs. No problem - Just
line up the small diamond and cross symbol at the lower part of
your HUD (it only appears when you've locked on to a ground
target, by the way) to the target and let 'er rip! The 8 bases
are easy to bomb, but the two underground bases require some
more skill. Since they are tucked deep in the canyon floor,
they require some deft piloting to avoid a painful collision
with the canyon walls (why do you think this stage is called
"Claustrophobia?"). But they aren't too difficult either; you
should have plenty of time left when the mission is over. If
you do mess up, a cruise missile (erroneously called an IRBM
in the game) will fire, and you have to destroy it - but
you'll still get a "Mission Over" in this case. After this
stage, you'll skip straight to mission 11, Dilemma, below.
(By the way, don't thank me, thank "I Am Falling I Am Fading" and
"Video Girl Ai" for the discovery of these hidden missions!)
10) Technology Transfer
Mission - Save the Antlions!
Plane Choice - F-16XA Sakerfalcon, F-15S/MT Eagle+,
F-22C Raptor II, F/A-32C Erne
- An distress signal sends you off to safe a group of allies called
the "Antlion" - here just take down as many tanks on the ground
and fighters in the air (marked in red) as possible. It's pretty
tough to actually save them all. After you've destroyed the enemy,
or Antlion bites the dust, a rocket will launch. Get to it and
shoot it down.
11) Dilemma
Mission - In 8:59 mins you have to sink 3 submarines and 3 convoys
Plane Choice - F-16XA Sakerfalcon, F-15S/MT Eagle+,
F-22C Raptor II, F/A-32C Erne
- Here all you planes get the option of Spread bomb as their missiles;
it's a good idea to use them, as they are ideal for taking out the
ships and subs. If you've taken the stage Claustrophobia you should
have already some practice using them. If not, refer to that mission
to learn how to use them.
- Dision just never makes up his mind, does he? Here you get to
choose to follow Keith back to General Resources LTD. or desert
with Dision to Ouroboros.
-> Don't move for a while and you'll automatically follow Dision.
After a brief chat, you'll dock on the Sphyrna, the HQ of
Ouroboros. You'll also find out that Rena has deserted UPEO
and joined up with you in Ouroboros! Proceed to Ouroboros
Missions at section E below.
-> To follow Keith, just fly off the path and you'll join up
with him. You'll remain in General Resources LTD. Proceed to
General Resources LTD Missions II at section F below.
12a) The Orientation
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - XFA-36A Game
- Time to test out your new, ridiculously powerful fighter!
Cause massive havoc in town by blowing up all the major
freeways and buildings, and when the choppers (V-228s)
carrying Neucom leaders try to escape, blow them up too!
It's fun being evil, isn't it? However, don't be too hasty.
If you let at least one of the V-228s escape, you'll get a
"Mission Over" and then an extra mission will be unveiled!
(thanks to "I Am Falling I Am Fading" for the little tip)
12b) Liquidation [Extra Mission]
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - XFA-36A Game
- Welcome back to Megafloat! First, destroy each of the six
submarines that encircle the area. Then, a large SAM will
be launched and heading towards Sphyrna - destroy it (you'll
have to use your guns here) before it hits Sphyrna or you'll
get a "Mission Failed".
13) Archnemesis
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - XFA-36A Game
- Time to raid your old UPEO HQ. Destroy all the red ground targets,
then go for the high speed fighters that hover about you. After
they are taken down, there will be a short cut scene. Here, dive
into the inner section of the HQ and fire at the single target,
Parks, there.
14) Memory Error
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - XFA-36A Game
- One crazy stage! First, you will encounter Rena with her awesome
prototype fighter, the Night Raven. She zooms by at impossible
speeds, and she can usually outrun your missiles and zoom by you
at ease. But keep on her tail, throwing all the missiles and gun
fire you have at her and she'll eventually slip up and get hit.
After a few blows, she'll go nuts. Next your old team mate Keith
will sacrifice himself by attaching onto the Night Raven, slowing
it down and making it an easy target - one lock on missile will
end its misery. The next battle isn't as easy however. The giant
blimp Sphyrna, the HQ of Ouroboros, is surrounded by waves and
waves of fighters, and it also contains some serious firepower.
You'll need to lock on it's tail; to do that, get VERY near (not
too near or you'll crash right into it!) then launch your
missiles. Then get the hell out of its barrage of missiles!
It'll take awhile, but it'll go down.
15) Electrosphere
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - XFA-36A Game
- The final battle. First, you have to take on your former mentor
in the skies. He goes pretty fast (not quite as fast as Rena)
and locks onto to you fairly easily. This is not an easy battle.
Once you've injured him with missiles a few times, Dision will
continue the dogfight in the Electrosphere itself. Be prepared
to get a little disorientated at first. Then, return to battle!
Since Dision will be faster than you, slow down when he's
nearby and he'll zoom right past you - unload the whole arsenal
on him, then speed away quick as he'll come at you with a
missile. Dodge it and resume, and he'll be down in no time.
Congratulations! You've won Air Combat 3! [Ending A]
F) General Resources LTD. Missions II
-------------------------------------
12) Betrayal
Mission - Shoot down a whole fleet of 26 fighters
Plane Choice - XFA-36A Game
- Probably the longest mission ever. At least there's no time
limit here. Also, Keith will be racking up planes himself,
so you don't have to worry too much. After all 26 planes
are downed, a new target appears - a massive fleet of ships.
Avoid entering the nearby island at all costs (the mission
will fail if you enter), then sink them one by one.
13) Heart of the Serpent
Mission - Shoot down a very well-guarded blimp UI-4053
Plane Choice - XFA-36A Game
- Look at Ouroboros Mission 14 for strategies against the
Ouroboros HQ. This stage is very similar to that mission,
except you take on the blimp first. After it goes down,
then you get an updated target, which is Rena in her
fearsome prototype fighter. Strategy for tackling her is
in Ouroboros Mission 14 too.
14) Geofront Attack
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - XFA-36A Game
- This battle occurs deep in and underground city. Be careful
not to slam your plane into the ceiling! Here your mission
is to destroy ten support pillars - you can't lock on to
them with your missiles; stick to your gun - you'll also
need to be pretty close to be able to shoot them.
15) Casualties of War
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - XFA-36A Game
- After a bout with Rena again, you'll have to face Dision.
He's better at avoiding missiles, but he's still a
pushover; you shouldn't be too worried. After just about
everyone bites the dust, you have to option to land the
plane yourself or let the automatic pilot do it for you.
16) Geopelia
Mission - Shoot down 8 XR-900's
Plane Choice - XFA-36A Game
- Very cool final stage. After you shoot down one of the
XR-900s, you hack into it and become it's pilot! Of course,
now you have to fight 7 other XR-900, which is a nightmare
itself. Remember that It can always outrun one missile, but
not two or more. Once you lock on, fire as many missiles as
possible; one of them is bound to hit. Don't worry, you have
plenty of missiles. Once you're done, sit back and enjoy -
you've finished Air Combat 3! [Ending B]
5) Broken Truce
Mission - Shoot down four F-159/MT's in 2:59 mins
Plane Choice - EF2000E Typhoon II, MiG-33 Fulcrum SS,
F/A-18V Hornet ADV, F-16XFU Gyrfalcon
- Easy stage. Try to spot and shoot down Keith for
the fun of it! After you've defeated the four fighters
the commander will give you a new target; two more
fighters. Shoot them down and you're done.
6) Ghosts of the Past
Mission - Protect a Stealth Bomber
Plane Choice - EF2000E Typhoon II, MiG-33 Fulcrum SS,
F/A-18V Hornet ADV, F-16XFU Gyrfalcon,
R-101V Delphinus #1, R-201V Asterozoa
- The protecting bit is easy enough. Just follow the bomber's
back (don't try to memorize the route; it goes randomly)
and shoot any targets that come close. After following it
for awhile (and listening to Rena talk to herself), the
commander will clear you to attack the enemy base. Just
head there and shoot the target labeled "Base". You
shouldn't need to fly by it more than once. By the way,
if you shoot the bomber down, you'll jump straight to the
extra mission "Fragile Cargo" in section I. [Plot help
thanks to "Video Girl Ai"]
7a) No Clearance
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - EF2000E Typhoon II, MiG-33 Fulcrum SS,
F/A-18V Hornet ADV, F-16XFU Gyrfalcon,
R-101V Delphinus #1, R-201V Asterozoa
- This entire mission is a decision point! See Below. Here,
you get to break from UPEO and join Rena on her personal
quest or return to UPEO HQ. Assuming to decide to join Rena,
you'll have to take down about eight fighters. Do that, and
Dision will rejoin you. However, if you leave Rena, the
mission will end straight away.
- Here your choice is to go off with Rena or return back to
base.
-> If you return to base, you'll get an extra mission - Fragile
Cargo. Go to UPEO Missions III section I, and go to the
Extra Mission.
-> To join Rena, just stay on her back for a short while.
You'll hop straight to the Scylla and Charybdis Mission
at section I, UPEO Missions III.
7b) Fragile Cargo [Extra Mission]
Mission - Destroy all the chimney stacks that are in the blimp's
way, and anything else that tries to down it.
Plane Choice - EF2000E Typhoon II, MiG-33 Fulcrum SS,
F/A-18V Hornet ADV, F-16XFU Gyrfalcon,
R-101V Delphinus #1, R-201V Asterozoa
- Here you have to protect a wayward blimp from crashing
into a chimney stack. After destroying them all, a small
ship will attack it. Shoot that too and you're done.
8) Scylla And Charybdis
Mission - Follow and protect Erich
Plane Choice - EF2000E Typhoon II, MiG-33 Fulcrum SS,
F/A-18V Hornet ADV, F-16XFU Gyrfalcon,
R-101V Delphinus #1, R-201V Asterozoa
- Simple enough. Just shoot down all the red planes that
appear. Wait a minute. Isn't that Keith? Didn't you
shoot him down a few missions ago? ANOTHER decision
point follows this mission.
J) Decision Point No. 4
- Here, you discover the evil of UPEO. They plan to shoot down
their own plane piloted by Fiona! Here, you get to either
protect Fiona or the stay with UPEO.
-> To protect Fiona, shoot down the nearest unmarked plane.
You'll be then introduced to Neu and then refuel at his
blimp. You've now joined the unit Neucom! Then you'll be
introduced to Fiona's older sister who works at Neu,
Cynthia. Go to section K, Neucom Missions, just below.
-> To help Rena and Erich, either shoot down Fiona's plane
or just don't do anything and Rena will do that for you.
From here, go all the way down to UPEO/Neucom Missions at
section O.
9) Power For Life
Mission - Destroy 2 RF-12A2 planes in 3:59 mins then 2 planes
(XFA-36A x2) and 4 bases
Plane Choice - R-311 Remora
- Remember that the 3:59 min time limit is ONLY for the two
Blackbirds or RF-12A2s. Concentrate your attacks on them
first. Once they are downed, you can take your time with
the rest. You now have a choice. If you listen to Cynthia,
you'll have to destroy your targets in this order - all the
oil tanks, the radar sites, then the bases, then Keith's
Wingman, then finally Keith himself. Note that the radar
sites and oil tanks are marked as non-essential targets (in
white). You'll get a "Mission Accomplished" and pick up two
extra missions, "Guardian Angel" and "The Prize". If you
take out all the red targets without destroying the radar
sites and fuel tanks, you'll get a "Mission Over" and go
straight to the "Zero Gravity" mission.
10a) Guardian Angel [Alternate Mission]
Mission - Destroy 7 F-22Cs in 3:59 mins. You must also
protect the space shuttle R-808.
Plane Choice - R-102 Delphinus#2, R-211 Orcinus
- Basically, this is a direct opposite of the "Welcoming
Committee" Mission. The space shuttle will fly by and
land in 3:59 mins, so you'll have to destroy all it's
attackers by that time. The mission will end when the
R-808 is shot down. You'll get "Mission Accomplished"
if all the 7 planes are shot down before the shuttle
lands. If the shuttle lands and there are still some
of the 7 planes flying, more targets will appear and
you'll have to shoot them down to get a "Mission Over"
instead. Once you're done, you can practice your
landing again.
10b) The Prize [Alternate Mission]
Mission - Destroy 4 convoys and a carrier before they
reach a downed satellite, you must also
protect your own hydrofoils
Plane Choice - R-102 Delphinus#2, R-211 Orcinus
- Hey, apparently someone has just did the "Zero Gravity"
mission (see below) for you! Your mission here is to
pick up one of the crashed satellites. Of course, a
General Resources team is after it as well, and it will
get there first unless you do something about it! They
will reach there in approximately 2 mins. And while
you're at it, a group of fighters will be trying to
destroy your own team's hydrofoils. Adding to that,
once you've sunk the convoys, 4 high-speed hydrofoils
and 2 carriers will appear and you'll have to sink them
too before they reach the satellite. What a mess! If
you're playing Easy or Normal, ignore the calls for help
from your own hydrofoils and concentrate on attacking
the ships. Your hydrofoils should survive on their own.
In Hard mode however, your hydrofoils go down VERY
quickly, and to save them you'll have to sink a few fast
hydrofoils, then fly back and help them, then go back and
sink the slower ships. Time will be VERY tight, but it
can be done. Also, the game gives you an option to use
spread bombs - but missiles are a much better choice.
After this mission, you will skip "Zero Gravity"
(obviously) and jump to "Utopian Dreams".
[The above two missions were informed to me by "I Am Falling
I Am Fading" and "Video Girl Ai"]
10) Zero Gravity
Mission - Destroy 4 satellites in 2:59 mins
Plane Choice - R-352 Sepia
- Your first (and only) interstellar mission. This one is pretty
easy - follow the order of satellites to destroy given in the
briefing and you should do fine. Note that if you take longer
than 2:59 mins you will get blown to bits by the satellite, so
be quick! Afterwards, you'll have to re-enter the atmosphere.
During the reentry process, notice that there is an arrow
pointing upwards and a few short vertical lines on your HUD...
they represent your reentry angle. To make a Nice Entry, pull
your pitch upward until all the vertical lines line up into
one and the arrow disappears. Easier than landing on an
aircraft carrier!
[Help from "Video Girl Ai"]
11) Utopian Dreams
Mission - Destroy 8 radar sites
Plane Choice - R-103 Delphinus #3
- The initial part is tough, since you cannot fly above 1000 m
or the radar will spot you and you'll get a straight D for your
efforts. To avoid flying precariously up the mountains (and
risk being detected) fly by the cliffside and flooring all
the way. You'll be near the encampment in no time. However,
if you want to risk the straight (and shorter) route, keep to
the contour of the ground, and pull down when the computer
tells you to. Once you are "Clear to Engage", destroy all the
sites (you can do it real quick by flying round and round the
circle and firing).
- After the Utopian Dreams Mission, Cynthia will break off from
Neucom and join Ouroboros. It's up to you whether to follow
her or stay in Neucom with Fiona.
-> Follow Cynthia - You'll enter the unit Ouroboros; dock at their
large flying HQ and go to Ouroboros Missions II at section M.
-> Follow Fiona - You'll stay in Neucom; land on the carrier and
go to section N, Neucom Missions II.
M) Ouroboros Missions II
-------------------------
12) Reality Distortion
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - R-103 Delphinus #3
- You've got more targets to shoot at here than the last few
missions combined! First you've got to take on a fleet of
planes and a mass of tanks all over UPEO HQ, and then,
another massive fleet of planes await you. Be careful of
getting hit by a stray missile when flying around the city;
that happens a lot here.
13) Counterrevolution
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - R-103 Delphinus #3
- First, you need to sink a few ships. After that, you'll
witness the prototype fighter in action. Next, is a battle
with the HQ of Ouroboros. And then Dision is next.
Strategies to challenge them are outlined in other
sections, look at Ouroboros Mission 14 and 15 in section E.
14) Pursuit
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - R-103 Delphinus #3
- This one is just a single battle with Rena in the
underground city. Watch your head, then battle it
out.
15) Self Awareness
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - R-103 Delphinus #3
- Another battle with Rena? Well actually, try as you may,
you'll never chase her. Instead, you've got to destroy
Aeon Generators that are scattered all over the city
first. Be careful as Rena herself will be buzzing about
and will attack if she notices you. By the way, the
generates are protected by walls on three sides, so it
will definitely take some time to destroy them all. But
once that is done, you can wage a final battle with
Rena! Take her down as you did in the last mission.
Congratulations, you've won Air Combat 3! [Ending C]
12a) Resistance
Mission - Destroy 6 planes and then Sphyrna
Plane Choice - R-103 Delphinus #3
- The good old Ouroboros Blimp Sphyrna. Seems like you'll need to
destroy it no matter what branch you take... however, this
particular battle is different - there is a hidden time limit.
If you are able to take down the Sphyrna within 2 minutes or
so, you will see it burning up and floating off to the left.
After this you will get a passing grade and head to an extra
mission, "Radio Silence". However, if you take longer to defeat
it, then you will see the Sphyrna escaping to the right, and
get a failing grade, then jump straight to "Revenge". By the
way, this time limit only starts when the Sphyrna appears, so
you can take as long as you want destroying the 6 initial
planes. [Thanks to all those people who helped out in this
mess of a mission - too many to list!]
12b) Radio Silence
Mission - Finish off the Sphyrna
Plane Choice - R-103 Delphinus #3
- A straight up battle with Sphyrna first - after a while of
shooting, it will enter stealth mode - you won't be able to
target it. Instead, shoot up the fleet of fighters that
appear. After they are downed, Cynthia attacks. Since Fiona
is understandably hesitant to shoot down her own sister,
you're on your own - but taking her down shouldn't pose
too big a problem to a pro like yourself by now. You'll
resume your battle with Sphyrna in the next mission,
"Revenge".
13) Revenge
Mission - Same as above
Plane Choice - R-103 Delphinus #3
- Here we go again. Yep, Sphyrna is STILL flying after all
that punishment! As always, stick to the old tactics
described in earlier sections. If you have trouble
targeting it, destroy those pesky white planes first.
14) Tunnel Vision
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - R-103 Delphinus #3
- Quite possibly the most frustrating level of the game, this
level will test your flying skills as well as your patience.
In the first bit, you need to fly through two doorways. On
door will close straight away, and the other will close slowly.
Since which door closes slower is random, you'll just have to
guess and hope for the best. After that, go right (the left
tunnel is quite literally a dead end) and you'll be flying
through a long, twisted, obstacle-ridden tunnel. Go slow here,
there's no need to rush this. After this, you'll meet those
closing doors again, this time with two fast closing doors
and one slow door. Again, this is random, so just hope for
the best! Finally, enter the green tunnel (either one would
do) and you'll finally clear this mess of a stage. [More info
from Video Girl Ai] This zone extends further according to
the difficulty level of the game. If you play this mission in
Normal difficulty, you'll find that the green tunnel area
extends deeper into the tunnel, where you have to dip and
curve around massive structures that block your way a la Rebel
Assault 2's penetration of the fighter factory. The trick to
succeeding this area is to look out for green lighted areas
which usually signal another green tunnel to the next area...
also watch out when flying in the green zone. I notice that I
seem to get drawn into the walls while I'm flying in here. Be
prepared to do some twisting and pulling to get through this
one. maybe the trick to getting through is to make sure your
pitch is exactly level, i.e. the long vertical line in your HUD
is level with the longest of the smaller parallel lines that
indicate your pitch. Good Luck! Haven't tried Tunnel Vision on
Hard yet. It might extend even further! I notice on the radar
that the tunnel branches left and right.
15) Sole Survivor
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - R-103 Delphinus #3
- Here you first have to defeat Rena, then Dision. For Rena,
just wait until Simon hacks into the system (a large red
word "Hacking" will appear) then launch everything you've
got at her - she won't budge! Dision is another matter. Fly
towards Fiona so that he'll attack Fiona instead of you,
then turn and shoot him down. He has a tendency to stay
right behind you, launching missile after missile, so
don't stay near him too much. And, oh, mind your head!
Once they're both down, you've done it! You've won Ace
Combat 3! [Ending D]
9) Fates Intertwined
Mission - Take down 4 R-531's.
Plane Choice - EF2000E Typhoon II, MiG-33 Fulcrum SS,
F/A-18V Hornet ADV, F-16XFU Gyrfalcon,
R-101V Delphinus #1, R-201V Asterozoa
- Here you have to destroy four stealth planes before they
disappear from radar. This mission is particularly tough
since they fade and reappear from your radar! At the start,
they will be too high for you to reach. You'll need your
fastest attackers. Fly at them until you're about to stall,
and you should be able to lock on to them at least once.
Remember always to aim for the R-531s and not the R-311s.
Those can be taken out later. And also, the mission will
end if any one of them disappears from your radar for good.
By the way, it's easier to play this mission using the rear
view - press Select.
10) Reaching for Stars
Mission - Destroy 10 General Resources Carrier "Antlions"
Plane Choice - EF2000E Typhoon II, MiG-33 Fulcrum SS,
F/A-18V Hornet ADV, F-16XFU Gyrfalcon,
R-101V Delphinus #1, R-201V Asterozoa,
Su-37 Superflanker
- Note that you'll have to destroy ALL ten Antlions
BEFORE THY HIT THE GROUND! Yes I know that's hard,
but slowly at them at keep your missiles firing and
you should be successful. Defeat them all and three
other planes show up (in red); shoot them down and
you're done. Spot Dision?
11) One-way Ticket
Mission - Destroy an A-Train's cargo in 4:59 mins
Plane Choice - EF2000E Typhoon II, MiG-33 Fulcrum SS,
F/A-18V Hornet ADV, F-16XFU Gyrfalcon,
R-101V Delphinus #1, R-201V Asterozoa,
Su-37 Superflanker
- Another tough mission. Here, you have to destroy the
train's cargo, but not derail the train. Hence, you
can only shoot at the rear compartments and not the
front ones - the targets you must not shoot is the
ones marked in yellow. Just try and fly behind the
train (be careful not to go too low) and shoot the
rear. You can't lock-on your missiles, so just use
your gun and hope you don't misfire! Let Erich
and Rena handle the irritating fighters above you
and you'll do fine.
12) Bug Hunt
Mission - Destroy Nano-bites
Plane Choice - EF2000E Typhoon II, MiG-33 Fulcrum SS,
F/A-18V Hornet ADV, F-16XFU Gyrfalcon,
R-101V Delphinus #1, R-201V Asterozoa,
Su-37 Superflanker
- What, now you're hunting viruses? What will they
think of next? Here each of your planes will be
outfitted with an anti-nanobite bomb. There's no
real danger in this stage other than an occasional
virus attack, which does nothing other that blur
your vision for a while. Take your time and wipe
out those viruses (aim that diamond-and-cross at
one and fire your missiles). After you've taken
them all down, Rena gets infected by a virus. To
save her, get very near to her and shoot a
anti-nanobite bomb at her. No problem, right?
13) Pawns in the Game
Mission - Destroy 2 power plants and 7 radar sites.
Plane Choice - R-211 Orcinus
- In this mission, you can only go below 12500 m
when the radars are jammed. Dive once you see
the word "Jamming" appear, then take out as many
of the ground targets as possible. When the timer
goes below 15 s or so, the computer will warn you
to pull up. Do so; go above 12500 m and you'll be
safe. Wait for the word "Jamming" to appear again
and then repeat.
14) Damage Control
Mission - Destroy 6 fighters
Plane Choice - Su-43 Berkut
- A simple mission. Hold your fire when the
computer tells you to, and be careful not to
shoot down the yellow planes. No problem,
right? After this, you'll see a impressive
cutscene introducing Rena's prototype fighter,
the Night Raven.
15) Broken Wings
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - Su-43 Berkut
- Just destroy a massive fleet of 12 fighters
with Erich. No problem. After this, you'll
witness the destruction of Sphyrna, the flying
HQ of Ouroboros. At least you don't have to
destroy it in this ending...
16) Sphyrna
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - Su-43 Berkut
- Okay, forget what I just said. You'll have a
battle with Sphyrna after all! Look back at
previous sections for help if needed.
17) A Canopy of Stars
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - Su-43 Berkut
- As the final stage of this ending, you'll have
to raid the HQ of your old employer, UPEO.
Destroy all the fighters and the two ground
bases, then dive down and destroy the evil
Parks in his helicopter. As your reward,
you'll get what appears to be the best ending
(Rena lives). Congratulations, you've won
Air Combat 3! [Ending E]
=====================================================================
4. Character and Ending Descriptions
=====================================================================
Character info's all by "Video Girl Ai" again! Thanks a bundle!
The Pilots
----------
Erich(UPEO)
Rena(UPEO) - later persuaded to join Ouroboros to pilot the Night
Raven (was raised as a child to be an enhanced pilot
and was trained to pilot the Night Raven)
Fiona(Neucom) - works undercover in UPEO for awhile, Cynthia's
younger sister
Cynthia(Neucom) - later persuaded to join Ouroboros to create
a new Utopia, Fiona's older sister - may have
been persuaded to undergo the Sublimation Project,
becoming a virtual character in the electrosphere
Keith(General Resources LTD) - first meets you in a joint training
exercise with UPEO. Comrade of Dision; feels betrayed
by him when he leaves for Ouroboros.
Dision(Ouroboros) - works for General Resources for his own purposes
Supporting Cast
---------------
Simon(Neucom)- creates the first AI ace pilot for advanced
tactical fighters
- possibly involved in the Sublimation project
- possibly involved in the Night Raven project
(remember he knew about the Night Raven's
dependency on the Aeonosphere in the "Self
Awareness" mission with Cynthia?)
Yoko(Neucom?)- Simon's assistant
- involved in the Sublimation project
- Ahem... "involved" with Dision
- killed (on Park's orders?)
(She shows up in a black message screen box during the intro
sequence. Why? She's supposed to be dead a long time ago!)
Park(UPEO) - military hardcase and bad guy
Endings
-------
Ending A - You zoom out of the electrosphere and fly past a
devastated city. Then, a camera zooms in on the
large wreckage. One worker approaches and looks
closely at the wreckage and sees the insignia
of Ouroboros on it.
Ending B - You see your plane and the Night Raven flying
side-by-side; you then dock into the HQ of General
Resources LTD., where workers open up the Night
Raven to see and empty pilot's seat.
Ending C - Cynthia and you flying back to Neucom base, with
Cynthia wondering whether what she did was right.
Then, it cuts to Simon sitting in front of a
computer, saying something like "good, good, it is
done" and grinning to himself.
Ending D - A news broadcast shows a wreckage of the Night Raven,
with Rena lying at the cockpit, seemingly in comatose.
It is then switched off, and you see that you are in
Fiona's room. You see Fiona crying. She looks at a
little hologram picture of her and her (dead) sister
Cynthia. Then, a pre-recorded message from Cynthia
arrives. In the message Cynthia mentions about the
wonders of the Electrosphere (has she become a virtual
character now?). After seeing it, she throws her
hologram picture to the floor and cries again.
Ending E - Rena gets out from her crashed prototype fighter.
Looks like she's contemplating suicide, when both you
and Erich zoom by in your planes. She then happily
waves at you.
For those who still don't get the story, here's a massive
**spoiler** part [thanks to "Video Girl Ai"] -
One of the key characters of the game, Dision, is actually
dead. For a long time, as a matter of fact. He died with his
lover Yoko when a bomb planted (by Parks?) detonated in Yoko's
lab - it's in one of the anime sequences. The plane you thought
carried Dision on the few missions is actually carrying computer
data of Dision; an artificial intelligence, so to speak. In the
past, he is the first man to participate in Simon's Sublimation
Project, where he became a downloaded personality program within
the electrosphere. The electrosphere is a wholly virtual computer
environment that spans the globe and is used like the Internet is
used today only more so. Shades of "Ghost in the Shell"? But the
bigger spoiler? Your character isn't alive either! You're also a
computer program, albeitly one created by Simon (if you see the
Mission Simulator bit you'll understand). That is why you are
able to "enter" the electrosphere to challenge Dision in ending
A - you're both computer programs in an internet system!
To get a special Mission Simulator, you need to use one account
to get all five endings. To do so, save at each decision point,
finish the game, return to the last decision point, and get
another ending, and so on. Once all 5 endings are achieved,
Simon (that shifty-looking character you chat with occasionally)
will appear and talk to you for a while, and then the new mode
will be opened. In this mode, you get to choose and play any of
the missions in the game, at any difficulty level, using almost
any plane. Nothing special, really.
2) Basic Game Shark Codes - Thanks to Dave
Tons more codes for other games can be found at his site,
by the way.
a) Infinite Time - 80054336 2400
b) Infinite Missiles - 800719AA 2400
c) Infinite HP - 8007249A 2400
80072216 2400
800723F0 0064
3) More Game Shark Codes (This time by "I Am Falling I Am Fading").
Enjoy!
a) Difficulty Select - 800BF664 000x
where x - 1 - Easy Mode
2 - Normal Mode
3 - Hard Mode
4 - Very Hard Mode
[Note : It's possible that the Very Hard Mode was removed
from the actual game - most likely this is the only way
to play it! Warning - this mode is tough! A single enemy
missile can do up to 81% damage to a Medium Fighter. It's
possible that it can kill a Light Fighter in one shot!]
b) MISSION SELECT CODE - 800BF65C - 00xx
xx = mission
- = normally selectable
# = not selectable but sort of playable (Game Show)
X = not selectable or playable (loads but crashes)
* = playable portion of mission but not directly selectable
? = apparently identical to selectable mission but not
referenced in game
00 X Mission Code
01 - Awakening
02 - Bravado
03 - Enter Dision
04 - Paper Tiger
05 - Broken Truce
06 - Ghosts of the Past
07 - No Clearance
08 - Fragile Cargo
09 - Scylla and Charybdis
0A - Fates Intertwined
0B - Reaching for Stars
0C - One Way Ticket
0D - Bug Hunt
0E - Pawns in the Game
0F - Damage Control
10 - Broken Wings
11 - Sphyrna
12 - A Canopy of Stars
13 # Game Show
14 - Soldier of Fortune
15 - Megafloat
16 - Target Acquisition
17 - Partners
18 - Tainted Peace
19 - Stratosphere
1A - Welcoming Committee
1B - Technology Transfer
1C - Claustrophobia
1D - Dilemma
1E - Betrayal
20 - Heart of the Serpent
21 - Casualties of War
22 - Geopelia
23 - The Orientation
24 - Liquidation
25 - Archnemesis
26 - Memory Error
27 - Electrosphere
28 - Power for Life
29 - Guardian Angel
2A - Zero Gravity
2B - The Prize
2C - Utopian Dreams
2D - Reality Distortion
2E - Counterrevolution
2F - Pursuit
30 - Self Awareness
31 X No Title
32 - Resistance
33 - Radio Silence
34 - Revenge
35 - Sole Survivor
36 * Geopelia {second part}
37 - Tunnel Vision
38 ? Zero Gravity {duplicate?}
39 ? Archnemesis {duplicate?}
3A * Electrosphere {second part}
3B X No Title
The way the mission select code works... It will work in
both the simulator and regular gameplay. If you use it in
regular gameplay your choice of aircraft will be limited to
that mission's. The mission you have selected will NOT be
displayed until you start the mission. Also note that it's
possible to play missions on the wrong disc this way... The
missions themselves will play fine except any voice samples,
cut scenes, and FMV will be missing... If you want it to
work properly make sure that you've booted from or have been
already been prompted to and inserted the appropriate disc.
The mission select code also lets you play other aircrafts
in "Zero Gravity" ... They handle surprisingly well actually,
although it's real easy to oversteer with a high-performance
aircraft...It looks really ridiculous though!
c) Plane Select - 800BF65E 00xx
where changing the value of xxxx results in different planes.
Here you can experiment with all kinds of planes, even those
not in the game!
- = Normally selectable. (after playing a mission with it)
# = Not selectable. (must use code)
* = Not normally selectable. (secret aircraft)
+ = Only selectable in "Zero Gravity".
@ = Playable in 2nd half of "Geopelia", but not normally
selectable.
00 # Prototype (?) Geopelia [2]
01 * F/A-18I Hornet ADV
02 * F-16XF Gyrfalcon
03 - F-16XA - Sakerfalcon
04 - F-15S/MT Eagle Plus
05 - A/F-117A Nav Hawk
06 - F-22C Raptor II
07 - F/A-32C Erne
08 - XFA-36A Game
09 - RF-12A2 Blackbird
0A - EF2000E Typhoon II
0B - MiG-33 Fulcrum SS
0C - F/A-18U Hornet ADV
0D - F-16XFU Gyrfalcon
0E - R-101U Delphinus-1
0F - R-201U Asterozoa
10 - Su-37 Super Flanker
11 - Su-43 Berkut
12 * R-101 Delphinus-1
13 * R-201 Asterozoa
14 - R-102 Delphinus-2
15 - R-211 Orcinus
16 - R-103 Delphinus-3
17 - R-311 Remora
18 + R-352 Sepia
19 @ XR-900 Geopelia
1A * X-49 Night Raven
1B * UI-4054 Aurora
1C - XFA-36A Game
1D * Su-43 Berkut
1E * R-103 Delphinus-3
1F * F-15S/MT Eagle Plus D {black variant}
20 * F-22C RaptorII D {black variant}
21 * Su-37 Super Flanker R {blue variant}
22 * R-102 Delphinus-2 C {brown variant}
23 * R-103 Delphinus-3 C {brown variant}
24 * R-311 Remora C {brown variant}
[1] Sometimes this code makes the O.S.L. and None missiles
selectable.
[2] This appears to be an early model for the Geopelia that
wasn't used in the game. It doesn't have a pointer to a
selectable weapons list so it gets a garbage list (I can
choose between 2 vulcans? huh?). Its four bottom engines
are blue rather than red and are spaced further apart.
It also makes a more conventional "jet" sound rather
than the high pitched whine the normal XR-900 and X-49.
d) GUN SELECT - 800BF678 xx00
xx = gun
- = normally selectable
# = not selectable
+ = only selectable on R-352 Sepia
@ = only selectable on X-49 Night Raven and XR-900 Geopelia
e) MISSILE SELECT - 800BF67A xxyy
xx = missile used when aimed at ground target
yy = missile used when aimed at air target
- = normally selectable
# = not selectable
* = not normally selectable (secret weapon)
% = only selectable in "Bug Hunt"
+ = only selectable on R-352 Sepia
00 * (None) {Secret(!?) Appears as a circle and cross}
01 - Missile
02 - Short Range Missile
03 - Ground Missile
04 - MIRV
{Little known fact: This is a misnomer. MIRV means
"Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicle"}
05 - Spread Bomb
06 % Anti-Nanobite Bomb
07 * O.S.L.
{Orbital Satellite Laser... This KICKS ASS! Aim...
then BOOM!}
08 # (Rockets)
{Unguided rockets}
09 # (Bombs)
{Unguided bombs, more powerful but less area than
spread bomb}
0A + Plasma Beam
0B # (Instant Death)
{Works like the O.S.L. but no pretty fireworks.}
4) No of Missions found -
Air Combat 3 has 52 missions to be found (maybe more?). To check
the number of missions you have found, load the game (at any
point) and then choose to return to the title. You'll see the
boxes near the "Press Start Button" become colored - the colored
boxes represent the missions you've found, and the gray boxes
represent the missions you haven't found.
[thanks to "Wiseman" ].
5) Alternate sides -
After beating all 52 missions the game releases the "different
side" (F/A-18I Hornet ADV and F-16XF Gyrfalcon with General
Resource Markings, The R-101 Delphinus-1 and R-201 Asterozoa
with Neucom markings, the Su-43 Berkut and R-103 Delphinus-3
with Ouroboros markings) and "different paint job"
(F-15S/MT Eagle Plus D, F-22C Raptor II D, Su-37 Super Flanker R,
R-102 Delphinus-2 C, R-103 Delphinus-3 C, and R-311 Remora C)
secret aircraft.
6) Here's a little guide for the incomplete mission "Game Show"
just for completeness sake!
[Thanks to "I Am Falling I Am Fading"]
?) Game Show
Mission - ???
Plane Choice - Su-43 Berkut
- This one looks strange. There's one Sakerfalcon as a target,
another enemy aircraft near you, and a bizarre line of gun
emplacements just sitting in the ocean offshore. Way off to the
southeast your allies Rena, Erich and Fiona (Fiona?!? By the
time you get the Berkut she should be dead!) are tangling with
another fighter. The mission does not appear to be winnable.
Shooting down the target does nothing, neither does destroying
the two other enemy aircraft and the row of guns... My guess is
that they just never finished this mission.
- Namco, for converting me from a flight-sim hater to a junkie
- http://www.gamefaqs.com/,http://vgstrategies.about.com/,
http://www.xoom.com, for hosting my "works of art" (not!)
- "I Am Falling I Am Fading" for all
that stacks of useful stuff. Almost a co-author!
- "Video Girl Ai" for a massive
bucketload of info. Can't thank him/her enough!
- "Jeffrey Daniel Wong" for some corrections on
ending C. Heh, oops.
- "Dave" for Game Shark Codes and hosting my
FAQ at his site, http://www.cheatcc.com/
- "Wiseman" for the missions trick,
as well as some miscellaneous info here and there.
- A few other people who I might have forgotten - sorry, and
thanks!
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Air Combat 3 : Electrosphere is the copyright of Namco
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