* Introduction
* Copyright Information
* Controls and Weaponry
o Conventional Weapons
. BOX Roulette
o Special Weapons
o The Eraser
o The Fairy
* A Zanac Bestiary
o Ground Targets
o Aerial Targets
o Capital Ships
* Tips, Tricks, and Techniques
o Aggression Levels
o Base Destruction 101
o Easter Eggs
* Walkthrough
o Level 1
o Level 2
X Level 3
X Level 4
X Level 5
X Level 6
X Level 7
X Level 8
X Level 9
X Level 10
X Level 11
X Level 12
* Version History
* Acknowledgments
* How To Contact the Author
I have been playing Zanac for years, ever since I discovered it on my
first NES console in my youth. Since then it has been a favorite of mine
both in the emulator and on the genuine cartridge. Although the graphics
are not the most complex, their simplicity allows for "the System" to fill
the screen with ships and bullets without a hint of slowdown. Zanac is
fast paced and intense. I was surprised to see that no one had written any
kind of FAQ on the subject and that a number of the tips and secrets were
not discussed on GameFAQs.
Basically, the story of the game is that a giant artificial intelligence,
the System, is taking over the galaxy. It is designed to react to the
level of threat against it and is able to very effectively repel massive
armadas. The only option is to send a single, highly powerful ship (a
'Zanac') to sneak past the System's defenses and destroy its core. This
story is simple, but it provides a justification for one of the classic
video game cliches -- a single fighter goes up against a massive army (or
fleet of ships in this case). It also establishes a rationale for one of
Zanac's innovations.
Zanac, the game, reacts to the player's actions. In its simplest sense, a
player that is highly aggressive and wastes ammunition will face tougher
opposition as the System reacts as if it is facing a larger fleet. This
will be discussed in more detail later in this document (see "Aggression
Levels" in "Tips, Tricks and Techniques") but I think this illuminates one
possible reason no one has written a FAQ or Walkthrough for the game.
Since player actions largely dictate the type and number of ships you will
face, a level may change dramatically on each pass through depending on
how you play the game. This makes writing a walkthrough more difficult
than it might be in other games where you face similar waves of enemies
each time you play the game. On the other hand, this obviously increases
the challenge and replay value (especially when you consider all the
secrets to be discovered and variety of weapons available).
Before I move on, I would like to state that this is a game that really
suffers from emulation at least on many systems. The dizzying speed at
which the landscape scrolls by and the intensity of the action do not
translate as well to the PC in my opinion. Once you get a taste of this
game, find yourself a copy at a pawn shop or on eBay. It is definitely
worthwhile, and I consider it one of the Nintendo Entertainment System's
finest moments.
In this document, whenever I refer to something in ALL CAPS it generally
indicates that I am referring to an enemy vessel or target and you should
refer to the corresponding entry in the "Zanac Bestiary" section of this
document. Although I have not finished it yet, I plan to include a level by
level walkthrough (to the extent that such a thing is possible).
This is my first FAQ and I am very open to suggestions, corrections, and
constructive criticism. See "How to Contact the Author" at the bottom of
this document for information on getting in touch with me.
=========================================
Copyright Information
=========================================
This document is Copyright (C) 2003 Kit O'Connell. I am releasing this
document under the Creative Commons Attribution License. This means that
you are free to copy and distribute this document, make derivative works,
and use it for commercial purposes. However, you MUST give me credit (Kit
O'Connell, vulpine at pobox dot com). For more information, see:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/1.0/
Although this gives you a lot of leeway in the use of this document, I
hope that you will send me an email (vulpine at pobox dot com) to tell me
if you repost or use this Walkthrough in some way, or if you just find it
useful.
=========================================
Controls and Weaponry
=========================================
Zanac is a 1 player game.
Using the D-Pad steers your ship.
Pressing the A button fires your Special Weapon. Pressing the B button
fires your Conventional Weapon.
Periodically, you will find a weapon upgrade. The Conventional Weapon is
usually upgraded by collecting the POWER CHIPS dropped by BOXes. You can
upgrade or switch Special Weapons by collecting the numbered bonus which
you receive from Ground Targets or WEAPON DROPs.
-- Conventional Weapons --
At the beginning of the game, or when you start from scratch with a new
Zanac, you have the Single Missile. Picking up POWER CHIPS dropped by
BOXes or shooting a HAPPY FACE will upgrade your Conventional Weapon.
* Single Missile -- the default Conventional Weapon. A single missile
fires from the center of the Zanac. This weapon fires very slowly.
* Twin Missile -- two missiles fire from your Zanac. The rate of fire is a
little better.
* Triple Missile -- A missile fires from the center of your Zanac and one
fires from each wing. The rate of fire is much better.
* Super Missile -- Width of fire increases greatly: one missile shoots
from the center of the Zanac, but the other two missiles fire from a short
distance to the left and right of your ship entirely. This also gives you
some added protection from enemies that attack you from the side. Rate of
fire is greatly improved. In general, this really holds its own against
the Special Weapon but you can only get the Super Missile under special
conditions, not by collecting POWER CHIPs (see "Playing BOX Roulette"
below).
The Conventional Weapon can hit targets on the ground and in the air, but
cannot destroy CHIPs.
** Playing BOX Roulette (upgrading the Conventional Weapon) **
The easiest and safest way to upgrade the Conventional Weapon is to shoot
open BOXes that appear periodically throughout the game's levels.
Sometimes, the BOX will contain destructive CHIPs but other times it will
contain POWER CHIPS that upgrade your Conventional Weapon.
When you shoot a BOX a couple times it will begin flashing. If it just
flashes, you know it contains destructive CHIPs. If you shoot it more the
CHIPs will be released, and if you run into it you will die. If the BOX
becomes partially translucent and reveals a larger, glowing POWER CHIP you
can either safely run into the BOX or shoot it more to release the POWER
CHIP and run into that. Either way, it takes several POWER CHIPs to obtain
the Twin Missile, and then several more to reach Triple Missile. After
that, you can collect POWER CHIPs to your heart's content and although you
will gain valuable points you will never obtain the Super Missile.
To go directly to the Triple Missile, you have to play BOX Roulette. If
you run into a BOX without shooting it even once and it contains a POWER
CHIP then you go directly to Triple Missiles. If you run into it without
shooting it and it contains regular CHIPs your Zanac will be destroyed.
How sad. If you have the Triple Missile and successfully play BOX Roulette
twice (running into boxes without shooting them) you will be upgraded to
the Super Missile.
BOXes sometimes appear alone, but most often they will appear in sets of
three. Early in the game, and when the Aggression Level is low, there will
usually be two boxes that contain CHIPs and one with a POWER CHIP. If you
shoot two out of three to reveal that they contain CHIPs, it is probably
safe to run into the remaining box to get your upgrade. As the aggression
level increases this will no longer be the case -- BOXes will begin
appearing in sets of three CHIPs or sometimes even two BOXes of POWER
CHIPs with one BOX of CHIPs.
Whenever you pick up a weapon upgrade, your ship will flash for a few
seconds to indicate it is invulnerable. When you pick up a POWER CHIP, it
makes sense to use the period of invulnerability to run into any other
nearby BOXes. If they also contain POWER CHIPs you may end up upgrading to
Triple or Super Missiles and will also restart the short period of
invulnerability. Once in a while (like Level 3), the System will flood the
screen with nothing but BOXes, and you can use this domino effect to
quickly obtain the Super Missile.
On some levels you will encounter a Ground Target I have called a HAPPY
FACE. Shooting the HAPPY FACE with your Conventional Weapon will
automatically upgrade it to the Super Missile and also net you some
points. However, if you do this when you previously only had the Single or
Twin Missile then make sure you don't pick up any more POWER CHIPs --
doing so will make you drop back down to your previous weapon level. It is
only safe to pick up POWER CHIPs if you upgrade when you already had the
Triple Missile.
-- Special Weapons --
You can only have one Special Weapon at a time. Collecting the same weapon
upgrade multiple times will sometimes make the weapon more powerful. If
you collect a different upgrade you will switch to that weapon instead.
Just like when you collect a POWER CHIP, the Zanac flashes to indicate
temporary invulnerability whenever you collect a Special Weapon bonus.
Special Weapon upgrades either appear in a target on the ground or are
dropped by WEAPON DROPs. In general, you will want to concentrate on Fire
0 unless you can pick up Fire 7.
All weapon names are taken directly from the Zanac manual.
* Fire 0 -- All Range Weapon
Description: This is your default weapon when you start the game or after
you die. It is actually reasonably powerful, especially because it is the
only weapon you can fire behind you or directly to the left or right.
- Initially, it fires a single bolt of energy forward or in the direction
you are steering with the D-Pad.
- Collect a second Fire 0 and you will fire twin bolts of energy instead of
one.
- Collect a third Fire 0 in a row without collecting any other Special Weapon
and the width of fire will increase.
This weapon works against ground and air targets but it will not destroy
CHIPs.
* Fire 1 -- Straight Crusher
Description: A ball of energy shoots straight forward from your ship until
it leaves the screen. You can only have one ball of energy on the screen
at any time. A counter displays the number of shots you have left. Each
time you collect Fire 1 the counter will refill, but if you collect it 4
times the ball of energy will become huge -- easily twice the size of your
Zanac.
In general, this is a poor weapon except at its super-sized maximum. Even
then, Fire 7 is still much better. It will destroy just about anything,
even CHIPs.
This weapon works against both ground and air targets, even CHIPs.
* Fire 2 -- Field Shutter
Description: A shield protects a portion of your ship from all attack. Can
not be shut off and is powerless against targets on the ground. A counter
will indicate how many more hits the shield can take but the lower the
counter the less of your ship is protected. Conversely, collecting more
Fire 2 upgrades will increase the counter and area protected.
For some reason, the System really, really hates Fire 2. Collecting it
will make aggression levels shoot upwards and you can expect to be
assaulted by DEGIDs after picking up even a single one. Because of this
and the fact that it leaves you with the Conventional Weapon as your only
offensive weapon, it is mostly useless and should be ignored in favor of
other weapons.
To its credit, the Field Shutter destroys CHIPs. It is useless against
targets on the ground, however, including bases.
* Fire 3 -- Circular
Description: A ball of energy circulates around your ship, destroying
everything it touches but leaving everywhere else vulnerable. A counter ticks
down each second the weapon is running until it runs out and returns you to
Fire 0. Collecting another Fire 3 will upgrade the counter and potentially
upgrade to a double version of the same weapon.
This is only marginally better than Fire 2, but eventually a ship or bullet
will sneak past your perimeter and destroy you making it a less than desirable
weapon.
The Circular is powerless against objects on the ground, but will destroy
anything in the air including CHIPs.
* Fire 4 -- Vibrator
Description: Don't look at me, that's what the manual calls it! When you
activate Fire 4 a ball of energy about the size of your ship travels
forward a fixed distance, then begins oscillating horizontally across a
portion of the screen. A counter displays the number of hits it can take
before disappearing. You get 60 hits each time you fire Fire 4; each hit
makes the field of energy a little smaller, much like Fire 2.
Unfortunately, while the weapon is active you cannot move it or fire
another one. This means that only a fixed portion of the screen is
protected from incoming enemies for any portion of time and it can do
nothing against enemies that attack from the side or the rear of your
ship. You just have to dodge and use Conventional Weapons on the rest.
When your 60 seconds are up you can put the Vibrator in a more useful part
of the screen but you will probably get killed first.
It does work against CHIPs and objects on the ground.
* Fire 5 -- Rewinder
Description: The Rewinder shoots a ball of energy upwards from your ship a
fixed distance, then the ball falls back until it hits the Zanac at which
point you can fire again. It moves with your ship as you steer left and
right but is always directly in front of it.
- Initially, it fires a single ball of energy from the center of your
ship.
- Collect a second Fire 5 and you will have twin orbs that shoot from the
wings.
- With a third Fire 5, your width of fire widens.
- Collect a fourth Fire 5 and instead of a Rewinder your ship will shoot a
powerful laser from the center of your craft..
Fire 5 will destroy CHIPs and Ground Targets. It is marginally useful
against bases but is otherwise likely to get you killed unless you can
upgrade to its maximum level.
* Fire 6 -- Plasma Flash
Description: A single ball of energy travels from your ship. When it
contacts an aerial enemy the entire screen is cleared of everything other
than Special Weapon upgrades, just like when you use an ERASER. A counter
displays the number of shots remaining before you revert to Fire 0. Each
additional Fire 6 collected resets your counter.
It does not affect targets on the ground at all. Fire 6 is kind of useful
to get you through the occasional patch of dense enemy craft, but you are
better off sticking to another Special Weapon and using ERASERs instead.
* Fire 7 -- High Speed
Description: The best Special Weapon in the game! A rapid fire stream of
energy balls shoots from the front of the ship. It veers a little bit left
and right as you steer in those directions but does not shoot directly to
the sides or to the rear. A counter displays the number of seconds of
continuous fire left. Collecting another Fire 7 will reset the counter to
200, but if you collect four Fire 7s in a row you will be upgraded to High
Speed's maximum level -- the ball of energy you shoot becomes huge, easily
twice the size of your ship (the same size as Fire 1's maximum level).
This works against Ground Targets and CHIPs. This is my favorite weapon
and at maximum I love to watch it turn enemy craft into hamburger meat.
When you use your Special Weapon to shoot a HAPPY FACE, any counters will
get reset to maximum and you will automatically be upgraded to the
weapon's most powerful level as well as racking up some points. Obviously,
this only works with weapons that can hit targets on the ground.
-- The Eraser --
When you shoot a statue on the ground called an ICON you release an ENEMY
ERASER, a ball of energy that when touched clears the screen of all aerial
items except Special Weapon upgrades -- it even removes any POWER CHIPs
and BOXes. Most ICONs are Type 1, which have slit eyes and release normal
ERASERs. Once per level, you will encounter a Type 2 icon, which has a
a big grin. If you immediately come
into contact with the ERASER it releases, it will act as a normal ERASER.
However, if you wait a few seconds the center of the ERASER will
disappear. Now, when you contact the ERASER you will instead be warped to
another level!
-- The Fairy --
Once in a while if you shoot a square BUILDING on the ground, a FAIRY will
emerge. She looks just like the fairy from the Legend of Zelda. When you
touch the FAIRY, she will clear the screen just like an ERASER. After
that, she will hang around until you reach the next base. The base will be
automatically destroyed as soon as the timer starts; you will collect the
normal bonus and then the FAIRY will fly away.
=========================================
A Zanac Bestiary
=========================================
You will encounter a wide variety of enemy ships and Ground Targets in
Zanac, and most enemies come in several different varieties each with a
unique movement and firing pattern.
Where an enemy's name or sub-type was given in the original Zanac
instruction manual I have marked its name with an asterisk(*). There are
more enemies then those described in the manual, so where I did not have
an existing name to work with I just made it up. In some places the manual
is very poorly translated so my Types may not exactly match.
Unfortunately, my colors may be a little off as I am slightly colorblind.
Feel free to send color corrections.
-- Ground Targets --
BUILDING: A circular or square object on the ground which you can shoot open.
-Square BUILDINGs usually just give you points when you shoot them, but once
in a while they will release a FAIRY. See also "The Fairy" in the
"Controls and Weaponry" portion of this document.
-Round BUILDINGs release a random Special Weapon upgrade when shot.
HAPPY FACE: A large smiling face on the ground, like an oversized ICON. When
you shoot it the eyes will open and it will automatically upgrade whatever
weapon you shoot it with to the maximum level.
*ICON: A statue on the ground which releases an ERASER. See also "The Eraser" in
the "Controls and Weaponry" portion of this document.
-Type 1 ICONs are the most common. They have their slits for eyes. They
release normal, Type 1 ERASERs which clear the screen.
-Type 2 ICONs have a different expression, with a big grin. There is typically
one of these per level, often located very close to a Type 1 ICON. This
releases Type 2 ERASERs which let you warp to another level.
TURRETs: Targets on the ground which shoot at you. These appear alone or in
clusters as bases. See also "Base Destruction 101" in the "Tips, Tricks, and
Techniques" portion of this document.
-ALMOND Turrets fire ALMOND shaped projectiles. They are the weakest turret as
any weapon can destroy ALMOND projectiles. They come in a variety of
shapes and sizes. The smallest square ones come in symmetrical pairs or
groups of four and do not count towards destruction of a base.
-AMOEBA Turrets fire round, blue blobs that kind of look like miniature
TERZAs. The second base on Level 1 is a single AMOEBA turret surrounded by
four round BUILDINGs. The AMOEBA Turret is round and opens and closes a
bit like a camera shutter.
-CHIP Turrets are the most common. They shoot CHIPs, simple bullets, at you.
The very first base in the game is a single CHIP turret. Some especially
small CHIP Turrets do not count towards the destruction of a base.
-MISSILE Turrets shoot MISSILEs at you, typically in three directions (forward
towards your Zanac, and diagonally to the left and right).
-COMBINATION Turrets look a little like an eyeball. They fire a mixture of
both ALMONDs and CHIPs.
WEAPON DEPOT: A Ground Target shaped like a number next to two flashing
rectangles. When shot it releases a Special Weapon upgrade. Touch the
upgrade with your ship and you will get the corresponding Special Weapon.
Every level has the same WEAPON DEPOTs in the same order. See also
"Special Weapons" in the "Controls and Weaponry" section of this document
and WEAPON DROP below in Aerial Targets.
-- Aerial Targets --
ALMOND: A almond or football shaped projectile released by some TURRETs,
LOGAs, and other enemies. It can be destroyed by any weapon.
AMOEBA: A round, blue blob that looks a bit like a miniature TERZA. The
AMOEBA is released by one kind of TURRET. It can be destroyed by any
weapon but can usually soak up a couple hits first.
*BOX: So many strange names, but they call the BOX a BOX. This is a
rectangular blue box. See "BOX Roulette" in the "Controls and Weaponry"
portion of this FAQ.
*CHIP: Your basic, small round bullet. Fired by many enemies, released by
some BOXes and TURRETs. The Conventional Weapon and Fire 0 do not destroy
CHIPs but they sure will destroy a Zanac.
*DEGID: An enemy shaped a little like a heart. It appears as two halves,
one on either side of the screen. When your ship passes between them the
two halves come together, crushing your ship between if it is unlucky
enough to get caught.
-Type 1 DEGIDs are blue and come from the top of the screen.
-Type 2 DEGIDs are tan and come from the bottom.
*DUSTER: A big rock on a fixed course. Easily destroyed but sometimes they
slip past your notice.
EGG: A blue ship that descends from the top of the screen. Partway down it
splits in half, releasing a few CHIPs. The EGG can only be destroyed when
in one piece; the two halves are indestructible to any weapon which does
not completely clear the screen and will even stand up to a direct hit
from your ship.
*EFFINE: Looks a little like a reversed, slightly remodeled Zanac. This
spaceship comes in several types.
*Type 1: This type tends to appear in groups and will hang around the
center of the screen, appearing to duck in and out of the background. It
can only be destroyed when a dark blue and above the background.
*Type 2: Crosses the screen at the top, spewing ALMONDs. Appears when the
Aggression Level is high.
*Type 3: Descends from the top of the screen, scattering CHIPs directly to its
left and right.
*Type 4: Appears at the top of the screen, releases a single MISSILE and then
deploys a force field somewhat like your own Fire 3.
*ENEMY ERASER: A ball formed of two rings of energy, the ERASER emerges
from ICONs. See also "The Eraser" in "Controls and Weaponry."
*Type 1: emerges from Type 1 ICONs and will clear the screen when you
touch it with your ship.
*Type 2: is released by Type 2 ICONs and will also clear the screen,
unless you wait for the inner ring to disappear. Then, it acts as a warp
to another level.
FAIRY: A FAIRY is released from some square BUILDINGs. She works kind of
like an Eraser and can destroy a single base instantly. See also "The
Fairy" in the "Controls and Weaponry" portion of this document.
*GIZA: A round, cell-like enemy that soaks up firepower before being
destroyed.
*Type 1: is completely stationary, and mostly blue. The manual says it
takes 16 shots to destroy one.
-Type 2: Appears suddenly and stays in one place, initially
indestructible. Then, it will turn orange and begin chasing your ship.
When orange, the "Homing Giza" can be destroyed by your ship's weapons.
*GOLGOS: A ship that is larger than most of the other enemies, though not as
large as Capital Ships. It has two vertical wings on either side of a narrow
body, kind of like a Tie Fighter from Star Wars. Their appearance varies more
from Type to Type than just the usual color shifting.
-Type 1 (*RED GOlGOS): Has a red center with pointy, leglike blue wings.
Launches MISSILEs in groups of five.
-Type 2 (*BLUE GOLGOS): Has blue wings and a yellow center. Scatters one CHIP
after another in alternating directions.
-Type 3 (*YELLOW GOLGOS): Has yellow wings with a blue center. This one really
looks like a Tie Fighter! Scatters CHIPs in three directions at a time --
forward towards your Zanac and diagonally to the left and right.
*LOGA: A oval shaped craft with four 'veins' emerging from a central
point. It opens to release ALMONDs.
*Type 1: is blue and descends on the left or right hand side. It releases
a single set of ALMONDs.
*Type 2: is yellow and releases a number of ALMONDs in an arc, repeating
at regular intervals.
*LUSTER: The Luster is a space ship shaped like the letter Scatters CHIPs in
three directions. The arms of
the U sometimes open and close.
*Type 1: Looks like a normally oriented U and is purple colored. This is
the most dangerous type. It starts at the top of the screen then descends
in a very wide arc that usually takes it behind your Zanac at the bottom
of the screen. When it reaches almost the very bottom of the screen it
crosses from left to right (or vice versa) and shoots CHIPs. The trick is
either to catch it as soon as it appears or hover near the *very* bottom row
of the screen so you will still be underneath the LUSTER.
*Type 2: Descends slowly on the left or right hand side of the screen and blue
colored. It shoots CHIPs at regular intervals.
*Type 3: Descends on the left or right hand side of the screen, oscillating
back and forth an inch or two as it descends, colored yellow. It also
spews CHIPs. Somewhat dangerous in a crowded screen.
MISSILE: Looking much like your own Conventional Weapons, these missiles
descend in a straight line from the top of the screen alone or in bunches.
They also emerge from Type 4 EFFINEs and self-destructing Capital Ships.
When they appear in bunches, they split partway down the screen.
MORTAR: A blue enemy with a notceable muzzle at the front. The MORTAR sprays
an unending stream of MISSILEs at you, which can make it difficult to take out
with weaker weaponry. Try to dodge left to right -- the MORTAR will follow but
you will be able to get your shots through a little easier. Although normally
it shoots toward the bottom of the screen it is more than happy to shoot
upwards if it can get below you.
*POWER CHIP: An upgrade to the Conventional Weapon, dropped by the BOXes. See
"BOX Roulette" in the "Controls and Weaponry" section of this document.
ROUND FACE: A silly looking round face with little legs. The eyes move back
and forth. Initially, it is blue colored and moves upwards towards the top of
the screen. If you keep shooting it, it will turn red and move downwards.
Either way, pick it up for a 1-up! A ROUND FACE sometimes emerges from SARTs
and WEAPON DROPs when shot with the Special Weapon.
*SART (Reconnaissance Plane): The SART is the eyes and ears of the System.
It looks kind of like a moon lander. If you destroy it, the Aggression
Level is decreased. It also occasionally releases ROUND FACEs. A ROUND
FACE will almost always emerge from the first SART you see in a new game
if you shoot it with the Special Weapon. The SART appears at the top right
or left of the screen, descends vertically about halfway down the screen,
then zooms back the way it came. Usually SARTs appear when the Aggression
Level is low; if it gets higher, you will see WEAPON DROPs instead.
T-CELL: These are red, organic looking blobs that first appear in Level 8,
which seems to take place on or inside a huge alien creature or living
planet. The T-CELLs attack in waves and are indestructible to any weapon
which does not clear the screen. However, they are destroyed when you ram
them with your Zanac.
*TERZA: A round enemy with points, it comes in four colors which denote its
flight pattern. Easily destroyed.
*UMBER: Oval shaped, or maybe shaped a little like a tulip.
*Type 1 descends from the center of the screen and then opens to release
seven of CHIPs in an arc. This type is blue colored and is very common.
*Type 2 is purple around the edges with a white middle, and releases two
chips. The two CHIPs will rotate in a circle paralel to each other while the
UMBER withdraws.
*Type 3 is yellow and randomly scatters chips, also quite rare.
*VEYBAR: A ship with two knife-like edges at right angles from each other. Blue
and yellow varieties swoop down from the top of the screen, dropping CHIPs.
WEAPON DROP: A rectangular frame around a number which descends along the
right or left-hand side of the screen. If you shoot it, you get the
corresponding special weapon or a ROUND FACE (1-up). Unlike the WEAPON DEPOT
this is an aerial target and most are not pre-scripted. They appear randomly
in more or less random places in a level, and generally when Aggression Levels
are high. Some may be pre-scripted, and in some levels weapon upgrades come
almost exclusively via WEAPON DROPs.
WEAPON DROPs usually appear with Special Weapon upgrades in sequential order.
If the first WEAPON DROP you notice is carrying Fire 5, the next will probably
have Fire 6. Usually, when WEAPON DROPs are appearing you will not see SARTs
until the Aggression Level goes down.
-- Capital Ships --
On certain levels you will have to fight super-sized aerial craft I call
Capital Ships. In a fixed place on each of those levels, a large craft will
appear and zoom around the screen firing various projectiles at you in a fixed
pattern. Your weapons will literally bounce off the surface of the craft;
although they still do damage this slows your rate of fire.
Eventually, after being hit enough times the ship will change color. First,
the ship will turn yellow and then after being hit some more it will turn
white. After you shoot it a few more times it will freeze in place and become
dotted with small explosions. Then it will self-destruct, hurling a
ring of MISSILEs in all directions.
If you do not destroy a Capital Ship, it will depart at another fixed place
later in the level. The Walkthrough, when completed, will give information
on the Capital Ships you will meet on each level.
=========================================
Tips, Tricks, and Techniques
=========================================
* Whenever you start a new game, make sure you shoot the first SART ship
you see. It will turn into a ROUND FACE powerup. When the face is blue it
will move upwards towards the top of the screen. Keep shooting it, and it
will turn red and descend towards the bottom. Either way, touch the ROUND
FACE and earn a 1-up! Throughout the game other SARTs will occasionally
turn into ROUND FACES. Some WEAPON DROPs also turn into ROUND FACES
instead of special weapon upgrades, so be sure to shoot them all even if
you don't want the weapon it appears to be carrying. This change seems
more reliable if you always shoot the SART or WEAPON DROP with your
Special Weapon.
* When you start your first game on Level 1 after powering on or
restarting the NES, you will see a typical trio of BOXes. The middle BOX
will always contain the POWER CHIP, so just ram on into it and go straight
to Triple Missiles. This only works for the first game after you start the
NES!
In general after that, the first trio of BOXes you see in a new game will
have its POWER CHIP in the BOX farthest to the right of the screen.
* It may seem obvious, but survival should be your top priority. Even if you
have 20 "extra" Zanacs piled up, if you die and lose your super weapons you
could lose them all in moments, especially when you are at a base. Do not
worry about points or powerups when your life is at stake.
* If you've earned the Super Missile by hitting a HAPPY FACE but did not
previously have the Triple Missile, make sure you don't pick up any POWER
CHIPs. Doing so will make you lose your Super Missile and go back to your
previous level of Conventional Weapon.
* To select the stage you want to begin at, press Reset 13 times on your NES,
then press start. You will be able to select the stage you wish to start at by
pressing left or right on the D-pad. Be sure to choose CONTINUE rather than
GAME START or you will start on Level 1 anyway. I think this only works after
you first power on the NES; it won't work after you play a game or press
START even if you then reset 13 times.
* To continue on stages 11 or 12, you have to hold down A, B and Select when
you choose CONTINUE. You can also press Down then Up on Controller Two then
choose CONTINUE with Controller One.
* In general, it is better start to a new game from scratch then continue on a
higher level. It can be very difficult to start on some levels with just the
default weaponry and number of Zanacs. Also, beginning at Level 1 allows you
to build up some "momentum" before you reach the really difficult stages.
-- Aggression Levels --
As I explained in the introduction, the number and strength of opponents you
face varies depending on the aggression levels of the System. When the
aggression level goes up, so does the strength of your enemy and the degree of
challenge you face in surviving.
The following seem to increase the aggression level:
o Shooting a lot, especially with the special weapon. Aggression levels
seem to increase faster and the more powerful the weapon being fired.
o Upgrading Special Weapons, especially picking up Fire 2
o Failing to destroy a base in the allotted time.
The following seem to decrease the aggression level:
o Destroying a base before the timer runs out
o losing a Zanac
o using an ERASER
o Reducing your rate of fire for a while, or increasing your reliance on your
Conventional Weapon.
o you destroy a SART
Some events on each level are 'scripted' -- for example, near the
beginning of Level 3 you will always be attacked by clusters of type 2 DEGIDs
regardless of the aggression level. On the other hand, when you see Type 3
EFFINEs or the larger non-capital ships you can bet the System is pretty
ticked off.
-- Base Destruction 101 --
Periodically the scroll of a level will halt and you will be given a time
limit in which to destroy a large base, an assembly of ground turrets. If
you destroy all the turrets before the time limit elapses, the screen will
be cleared of enemies and you will receive a bonus before the scroll
continues or you move on to the next level. If you don't destroy the base
in time, I believe the aggression level of the System increases.
A typical base has at least four and usually quite a few more turrets.
Initially, the turrets take turns firing in a pattern. As you destroy the
turrets, the remaining turrets will begin firing more often. Finally, when
only two to three turrets remain they will all fire continuously. This can
be a problem if the remaining turrets are difficult to deal with based on
your level of weaponry.
For example, some weapons are unable to destroy CHIPs, so CHIP Turrets and
COMBINATION Turrets should be destroyed first unless you are using a
weapon like Fire 7. AMOEBA Turrets, which fire round, blue hard to destroy
blobs that look a little like miniature GIZAs, are also a pain in the butt
when firing continuously. In general, you should save turrets that fire
only ALMONDs for last since any weapon can easily mop up those
projectiles.
If you end up with a CHIP or AMOEBA turret as the final surviving turret,
it can fill up the screen with so many AMOEBAs that you are unable to
reach it with your weapons. Try shifting to the upper left or right corner
of the screen. You may be able to hit the turret a few times sideways with
a weapon like Fire 0, but more importantly the AMOEBAs will follow you.
After they are all heading for the corner of the screen, dodge back
underneath the turret and enjoy a few precious seconds of clear shooting
at the turret. Repeat this a few times and you should be able to destroy
any turret, as long as you don't run out of time.
Some bases have very small turrets that shoot CHIPs or ALMONDs but are
smaller than the actual base turrets and fire constantly. These turrets
are optional -- they can be ignored and you will still destroy the base if
you obliterate all the normal turrets in time. It is still a good idea to
take them out at the start just to clear the field, especially since
destroying them will not affect the rate of fire of the main base turrets.
-- Easter Eggs (useless things) --
* Hold down SELECT just before GAME OVER appears and you will hear a different
GAME OVER theme than the usual one.
* To use a different ship, hold down A, B, and SELECT as you press START to
begin a new game. I believe the new ship looks different but behaves
identically.
* Hold down A and B when you turn on the NES. You will reach a
sound test. Press left or right on the D-Pad to choose a particular song or
sound effect, then press A or B to hear it.
It may be possible (according to the GameFAQs.com codes and secrets) to reach
this sound test from the GAME OVER screen, but it is much harder that way -- I
have not pulled it off.
In general, I have attempted to describe only what always occurs on a level,
or things that I frequently encounter. Since the game constantly changes, you
may encounter different enemies each time you play.
-- Level 1 --
This level is your training wheels, especially for the first two bases. If you
are familiar with shooters you will not have much trouble clearing Level 1
once you get the hang of things.
As the level begins, be sure to shoot the first SART with your Special Weapon
as it will always turn into a HAPPY FACE. The first trio of BOXes will appear
shortly thereafter. If this is the very first game you played since turning on
the NES, ram into the center box to upgrade to Triple Missiles. If it is not
the first game, just ram into the box on the right. These BOXes will appear
around the first set of WEAPON DEPOTs, which are Fire 2 and Fire 1. Next up is
Fire 4.
A little while after that you will pass a Fire 0 on the left of the screen
which I recommend acquiring. If you prefer, two more Fire 2 WEAPON DEPOTs
appear right afterwards in a row.
Your Zanac will fly over a large ravine and then afterwards fly over a much
more narrow trench. Two Fire 6 powerups will appear on the right with a Fire 0
afterwards. I think you should obtain the Fire 0 again. If you have not died
you will now have obtained Fire 0's maximum power level.
Moments later you will approach the very first Base. See "Base Destruction
101" in the "Tips, Tricks, and Techniques" portion of this FAQ for more
general information on Bases.
With each Base in this walkthrough, I will note the time limit, bonus, TURRETs
and my opinion of its difficulty level.
* Base 1 -- Difficulty: Simple
Time Limit: 20 Bonus: 4000 points
Description: This base is super simple -- it is merely a single CHIP Turret.
Just fire at the TURRET with all your weaponry when it is open and firing
CHIPs. When the TURRET closes you can withhold your fire or concentrate on
other aerial targets.
Pretty soon the base will explode and you will have your bonus points. This
may very well mark your first 1-UP earned at 20000 points. The little 1-up
theme song is the sweetest sound in this game.
If you have trouble here, you are going to find Zanac to be rough going!
After the base you will fly over a long ravine. Immediately after the ravine
is the second base!
* Base 2 -- Difficulty: Very Easy
Time Limit: 40 Bonus: 8000
Description: The base is a single AMOEBA Turret surrounded by four Round
BUILDINGs. Each BUILDING will release a random Super Weapon upgrade when shot.
Also present are Fire 1 and Fire 3 WEAPON DEPOTs.
Shoot the AMOEBA Turret when it is open. You will destroy it quickly.
The next power up is a Fire 6 to the right of a ravine. After that you will
see Fire 2 and Fire 3 WEAPON DEPOTs. As you pass over a large valley filled
with a metal gridwork, you may sometimes be attacked by many DEGIDs or some
Type 2 EFFINEs. A FIRE 4 DEPOT will appear on a island in the center of the
screen.
After the valley ends you will pass over a square CHIP turret (not a base) and
a Round BUILDING.
Afterwards, you will fly over another valley with two islands on the right. On
the second Island is an a Type 2 ICON which will release a warp to Level 2.
When you are flying over land with a ravine to the left you will be able to
grab a Fire 5 or Fire 7 depot. This is the first Fire 7 Depot in the game, so
grab it! This is, in my opinion, the best weapon in the game especially at
maximum. Finally, in another valley you will reach the last base.
* Final Base -- Difficulty: Easy
Time Limit: 40 Bonus: 10000
Description: This base is a cluster of 4 ALMOND Turrets with an additional
CHIP Turret at each of the base's 4 corners. Although this is the first base
to present any real challenge it is still simple compared to ones you
will face later. Take out the CHIP Turrets at the corners first then move onto
the central cluster. When the base is destroyed, you will move on to Level 2.
-- Level 2 --
In Level 2, you fly through what appears to be a spaceport of some kind and
encounter your first Capital Ship (see "Capital Ships" in the "Zanac
Bestiary"). This "mini-boss" presents more difficulty than the single base
at the end.
This level begins slowly, but the scrolling action below you quickly grows
quite rapid and it can be easy to miss WEAPON DEPOTs, so be on your toes. The
first DEPOT is a Fire 3 on the right, followed by a Fire 4 on the left. You
will get attacked by Type 1 EFFINEs. These enemies appear to fly in and out of
the background below you. They can only be hit when they are above the
background and at their darkest blue color. Although individually they are
weak, they can create some havoc in groups so take them out as quick as you
can.
As you enter the spaceport, you will fly over Fire 6, Fire 7 and Fire 0 Depots
in quick succession along the center of the screen. You will fly over purple
panels. When the panels stop covering the whole screen and are replaced by
long laned below you will fight the first Capital Ship.
* Capital Ship -- Difficulty: Easy
Description: This capital ship fades in and out of view. It cannot be hit
except when it is fully visible. When it is fully visible, it will also send
out a cloud of CHIPs. Your weapons will appear to bounce off the ship, but
keep hitting it and it will be destroyed. Watch out for those MISSILEs when it
explodes.
As long as you destroy the ship quickly, you will have no other Aerial Targets
to contend with except for the occasional BOX, SART or WEAPON DROP. This makes
the encounter a simple introduction to the art of fighting Capital Ships.
After the Ship is destroyed you will resume fighting normal Aerial Targets and
soon pass out of the spaceport. You will fly over a Fire 2 DEPOT in the
center, then FIRE 7 and Fire 6 DEPOTS. Next up is a Fire 1 to the right and a
Fire 5 to the left. Pick out a weapon you want to hang onto because you will
want to be able to charge it to maximum in Level 3.
After you are flying over rocky ground like in Level 1, watch for two ICONs on
the right. The second one is a Type 2 ICON which will warp you to Level 3.
Afterwards you will approach Level 2's only base.
* Final Base -- Difficulty: Easy
Time Limit: 60 Bonus: 20000
Description: Most of the challenge here is from random Aerial Targets. This
base consists of three TURRETS which matter -- an AMOEBA Turret in the center
and two MISSILE Turrets to its left and right. Four small ALMOND Turrets
surround the AMOEBA turret, and there is an additonal ALMOND Turret at each
of the base's small corners but these ALMOND Turrets are optional -- you can
ignore them and still destroy the base if you get the three main TURRETs (one
AMOEBA and two MISSILE) in the time limit.
Even so, I like to take out these optional ALMOND Turrets first to clear the
screen of projectiles. Next concentrate on the AMOEBA Turret and work your way
to the remaining MISSILE Turrets.
=========================================
Version History
=========================================
5/2/03 Version 0.1
I start this document. The Zanac FAQ only resides on my hard drive at
this stage.
12/25/03 Version 0.5
Completed most of the document except for the Walkthrough. This version
is live on Gamefaqs.com as of 12/27.
12/27/03 Version 0.5.1
Corrected minor typos. Made corrections to the Bestiary. Hard drive only.
12/31/03 Version 0.6
More corrections to the bestiary. Also added the walkthrough for Levels 1
and 2. Uploaded but immediately superseded by 0.6.1. D'oh.
12/31/03 Version 0.6.1
More minor corrections.
* Nintendo, for creating a great console
* FCI, for coding an awesome game
* GameFAQs.com, for providing an amazing free service
* Mom, for putting up with years of repetitive game music when I was
growing up
And:
* Jonathan G Lampe for copying the Zanac manual at
http://people.stdnet.com/jonathan/emu/zanac.htm
=========================================
How to Contact the Author
=========================================
This document was written by Kit O'Connell, a.k.a. Vulpine.
* E-Mail Address: vulpine at pobox dot com
* Livejournal: http://todfox.livejournal.com/
* Homepage: http://www.dreamspeakers.net/
I would love to hear from you if you enjoyed this FAQ. Also, please send me
your corrections, suggestions, and constructive criticism. When you send
information, Let me know how you would like to be credited in the
"Acknowledgments" section.
Thanks for reading my FAQ!
= Version 0.6.1 Last updated 12/31/03
= Zanac Guide Copyright 2003 (C) Kit O'Connell. Some rights reserved.
