               ______________________________________________
              I              ***   GUNGAGE   ***             I
              I           Character Unlocking Guide          I
              I            Version 1.0, 24/01/2001           I
              I   (Australian date format: Day/Month/Year)   I
              I          by Bloomer  aka  Wade Clarke        I
              I         email: bloomer@iprimus.com.au        I
              I______________________________________________I

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 *          CONTENTS           *
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

1. Legal Thrills
2. Introduction
3. Preface - What you need to know
4. Character Unlocking Progression
5. How to Unlock Each Extra Character
   * Steyr Harquebus
   * Kard Berdysh
   * Dee Van Feng
6. Quickest Path To Unlock All Characters From Scratch!
7. Character Unlocking Q+A
8. Thanks - The End
.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 1       Legal Thrills         1
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Wade Clarke is the author of this FAQ. Its contents are my intellectual
property. This FAQ is never to be used for profit or distributed commercially
in any way. It is for private and personal use only. You may edit an individual
copy to suit your needs on your own computer - in all other venues, the FAQ
must remain entirely As Is. You can distribute only the unedited FAQ freely to
friends. I'm happy for you to post this FAQ in its entirety to any
non-commercial website or venue you like, so long as you ask me first in email
:)

Gungage itself is (C) KCET (C) Konami Japan.
All copyrights and trademarks are acknowledged

The home of this FAQ is www.gamefaqs.com
.


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 2        Introduction         2
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I picked up Konami's insanely fun blasting game Gungage at Christmas time 2000.
It was Aus $20 brand new - I'd never even heard of it. There's nothing better
than buying a game completely cold and finding out that it's a beauty :)

I went looking for more info on the game. There was only one FAQ to be found
for it on the net. I thank Benandanti for his cool all-rounder Gungage FAQ
which helped me out, especially in finding more of the flowers, and which also
inspired me to write this FAQ. But his FAQ is quite vague (and at one point
incorrect) on the topic of what you have to do to unlock the game's 3 extra
characters. That's where this FAQ comes in.

The sole purpose of this FAQ is to impart all possible information on what you
have to do to unlock the 3 extra characters in Gungage, namely Kard Berdysh,
Steyr Harquebus, and Dee Van Feng. Apart from telling you every way of
unlocking them, I will specifically tell you the fastest and shortest way to
unlock all 3 from scratch.
.


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 3      Preface - What you need to know      3
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

With close reading you can use this FAQ even if you've yet to play a single
game of Gungage. But it will be much easier to follow (and probably more fun
for you) if you've already at least played the game a bit with the principal
character Wakle Skade, and if you've completed it with Wakle, all the better.

Here are the major points to keep in mind on your mission to play everyone:


< 1 >  You can only unlock 1 character at a time. That is to say, you can only
       unlock 1 character in any one session of the game.

Here's how I'm defining session:

A session starts when you commence a new game with any character. The session
ends when you either

(a) Run out of lives and don't continue
    (NB - Continuing a game doesn't start a new session!)
    
    or

(b) Win by completing the game

So to unlock all 3 extra characters from scratch, you will have to play at
least 3 sessions of Gungage (I know, I know, life is really tough ;) )


< 2 >  Consider the overall layout of the game: There are 9 levels in Gungage,
and each character plays through all 9 levels, but in a different set order to
each of the other characters. The path through the levels and the accessibility
of different areas within the levels varies slightly between characters.

It is never possible to unlock 2 characters in one session, not because of some
magic invisible rules, but because the game is designed so that each character
will only ever come across the means to unlock 1 other character in a session.


< 3 >  !!! THE REALLY IMPORTANT BIT !!!

You may not have realised, but you never have to finish the game even once to
unlock any particular character, or indeed all four. The moment you have
fulfilled the conditions to unlock a new character, you can voluntarily quit
the game you're playing (press L1 + R1 + Start + Select), return to the
frontend screen, and find that the new character will be available for playing.
We'll call this 'The Quitting Trick'.

  * Incidentally, the quitting trick also works for flower collecting. If you
    quit a game in this manner, you still keep all the flowers you collected
    during that session. Useful!

Section 6 of this FAQ will show you how, by using this quitting trick, and
playing just 2 of the 4 characters, and playing a total of only 5 levels of the
game through 3 sessions, you can unlock everyone.

--- By the way, after you've unlocked some characters, don't forget to save
    your Gungage data to a memory card before you turn off your
    Playstation. I recommend you just turn the 'autosave' feature on before
    you start and leave it on so that you will never have to think about
    this issue. You have nothing to lose by doing so, but plenty to gain.
.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 4      Character Unlocking Progression      4
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

This is an overview of the way it goes:

- You start playing with Wakle.
- Wakle unlocks Steyr.
- Steyr unlocks Kard.
- Once Kard is unlocked and you begin another new session, either Steyr or Kard
  can unlock Dee. It's preferable to use Steyr because she can unlock Dee much
  faster, by playing through only 2 levels instead of Kard's 4.

You cannot get around this progression. Wakle can't unlock anyone but Steyr.
And Steyr can't unlock Dee until she's already unlocked Kard in a previous
session (IE - You can't get Kard and Dee in one pass with Steyr.)
.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 5      How to Unlock Each Extra Character      5
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1. STEYR HARQUEBUS
-------------------

To get Steyr.. play as Wakle. You must spot and read a wanted poster for Steyr.
Simply walk up nice and close to the poster and wait for Wakle to make one of
his witty remarks, such as 'Steyr Harquebus... I will remember that name'.

I have seen 2 Steyr posters in the game:

*** 1st Poster ***

Location: In Town (Level 1 for Wakle)

There is a wanted poster for Steyr on the back of one of the large destructible
'houses'/crates, the one that is on your right as you ascend the very first set
of steps you ever see in the game. As you approach this crate initially, the
poster is facing away from you so that you won't see it. If you destroy the
crate before you have inspected the back of it, you will destroy the poster
too. To get Steyr now (instead of on level 7!), climb the steps first, walk
around the back of the crate and read the poster before you consider blasting
the crate.

Remember, once you've read the poster, you can if you wish do the quitting
trick (L1 + R1 + Start + Select), zip back to the frontend of the game and play
Steyr immediately if you've been pining for her.


*** 2nd Poster ***

Location: In the Subway (level 7 for Wakle)

In the very first room of the subway, in which Wakle starts the level, there's
a Steyr poster on one of the walls. Nothing tricky about this one.. walk around
the edge of the room and you can't miss it.


2. KARD BERDYSH
----------------

To get Kard.. play as Steyr.

Level 2 for Steyr is the Lab. Head on through the level until you come to the
Computer Room. This is the spacious dead-end room with 4 desks: 2 with chairs
and 2 with computer terminals. Remember when you played Wakle's game? (If you
did.) The Lab was level 8 for him, and you had to use the left computer
terminal in the Computer Room to alter the security.. it opened a door
elsewhere for you so you could continue through the level. And the right
terminal gave you information about the Dark Moon gateway.

So now you're playing Steyr - march up to the computer terminals again. Using
the left one still alters the security levels. You'll only need to do that if
you intend to finish playing this level with Steyr.

The right one is the one which unlocks Kard. When Steyr uses it, she says:

   '"Ruzerno Bradford
     Kard Berdysh"
     Names only.
     This is a mere database.'

You've just unlocked Kard back on the frontend screen.


3. DEE VAN FENG
----------------

To get Dee.. play as Steyr (the quicker method, but possible only after you
unlocked Kard in a previous session) or play as Kard.


*** Using Steyr Harquebus to get Dee ***

Prerequisite: You have already unlocked Kard.

Now fire up a new session with Steyr. Once again, play through to level 2, the
Lab. A previously locked door at the end of a corridor will have opened up, IF
you've already unlocked Kard and started a new session since unlocking him.

Let me give you your bearings for this door: You will find this newly-opened
door after you head through the earthy tunnel containing two pairs of flaming
jets in the floor, which you had to destroy to pass by. (Well, maybe you didn't
destroy them, maybe you just walked through them, incinerating yourself.)

Once you emerge from the end of that earthy tunnel, RIGHT takes you through an
automatic door onto a bridge.

LEFT takes you down the desired corridor to the previously locked room, which
I'm gonna call 'The Capsule Room'.

There are several capsules in here which hold humanoid figures, and which have
computer terminals at their heads. The last capsule (furthest from you when you
enter) has no-one inside it. When you inspect it (just walk right up to it),
you'll discover it contained a 'Dee Van Feng'.

You've just unlocked Dee back on the frontend screen.


*** Using Kard Berdysh to get Dee ***

If you want, you can unlock Dee Van Feng by playing Kard. From scratch, it's a
longer method than using Steyr. But if you're playing full games with each
character in turn as opposed to trying to unlock everything in a hurry, it's
good to know how to pick up Dee using this character too.

Fire up a new game with Kard. Play through to the Lab, which for this character
is level 4. Kard begins the lab level in the Computer Room. Don't let that
throw you, 'cos the Capsule Room hasn't moved. Proceed to the Capsule Room and
inspect the capsule as per the method mentioned above for Steyr.

You've just unlocked Dee back on the frontend screen.
.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 6      Quickest Path To Unlock All Characters From Scratch!      6
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ok here it is! When I say 'scratch' you know what I mean.. let's say you
started up Gungage for the first time. You have no high scores, no data saved,
no extra characters, nothing. Here's the fastest path to unlock everyone, from
wherever you're at. You might as well set the difficulty to 'easy' before you
start, if you wanna accelerate this process even further :)

--- Remember, for further details on anything mentioned in this 'Quickest
    Path' section, refer back to the specific sections of this FAQ
    detailing the unlocking of each particular character. If you've been
    reading this FAQ even a little bit closely, it'll all make sense to
    you already.

Here we go. Start your first game (with Mr. Wakle Skade of course). It's level
1, the Town. Move on through the level 'til you come to that crate by the first
set of stairs you ever see in Gungage. Resist the temptation to blast the crate
the way you blast everything else, and go 'round the back of it. There's
Steyr's poster! Admire it. You just got Steyr. Now do the aforementioned
Quitting Trick - L1 + R1 + Start + Select.

You're at the frontend menu. Steyr is selectable. Start a new game with Steyr.
Level 1 is the Subway. For Steyr, it's a bit more savage than you're used to
with Wakle (except the boss, who's easier). Clear level 1.

Now it's level 2, the Lab. Get as far as the Computer Room. Use the terminal on
the right to read the database which mentions Kard Berdysh's name. You just got
Kard. Do the quitting trick again.

You're at the frontend again. All this leaping from character to character
isn't doing much for your attention span, I know, but it's getting results.
Kard is selectable, but forget about him for now and choose Steyr again.

Do it again: clear level 1, the Subway, get to level 2, the Lab. Take Steyr to
the newly opened Capsule Room. Inspect the furthest capsule - it used to house
Dee Van Feng. You just got Dee.

That's it. And you only played 5 levels in total, from a pool of only 3 of the
game's 9 levels.
.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 7      Character Unlocking Q+A      7
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Here are some questions I dare to imagine you might have, and the answers to
them.

Q: Can't I get Kard just by completing the game?

A: No. You need to unlock him with Steyr in the Computer Room. You could win
the game with Wakle 5 times in a row and you still wouldn't have Kard.


Q: Can Wakle ever get into the Capsule Room? Even if I've unlocked a bunch of
characters already?

A: No. The Capsule Room is always locked for Wakle. The bad guys have a policy
of preventing awkwardly named people from entering. (Just kidding.. I think his
name is very nice.)


Q: Does difficulty setting have any bearing on unlocking characters?

A: No. Whether you play easy, normal or hard, you will have to do the same
things to unlock any particular character. Therefore, when dealing with the
repetitious elements of unlocking Kard or Dee, you can speed it up by making
life easier for yourself and, uh, selecting 'easy' difficulty :)


Q: Can I ever unlock 2 characters in one go?

A: Nope.


Q: Is there any reason not to use the autosave feature? Could I stuff up
somehow and lose a character, or it'd take me longer to unlock it, by my doing
something wrong?

A: No. Autosave is %100 goodness. You can never damage your progress with
character unlocking or flower collection, you can only ever add to your totals.
Gungage is an extremely friendly game. Just look at the Quitting Trick!
.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 8      Thanks - The End      8
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

This is the first FAQ I have written, so thanks to you for reading it, and I
hope it helped.

As far as I can tell I've covered everything about unlocking the 3 extra
characters, but of course nobody really knows when they've learned Everything
about one thing. If you have further information or suggestions (to do with
unlocking characters only, and/or this FAQ) or constructive comments, you can
email me at:

    bloomer@iprimus.com.au    (No attachments etc., thanks.)

I don't plan on writing a general FAQ for Gungage or adding other major topics
to this one in future, so don't bother asking about that. The most important
info, such as the locations of all 100 flowers, is already covered in
Benandanti's FAQ. I will however update this FAQ you are reading if more
relevant information (character unlocking) comes to light.
 
People who wanna say thanks in email though are always welcome, hehe.

On to the rest of my thank yous.

- I thank Australia for continuing to get local English language PAL editions
of such cool PSX games as Gungage

- I gotta thank Benandanti, who wrote the 1st Gungage FAQ (at least in the
English-speaking world)

- Thanks Konami for this game which is swift, generous and outright fun

- Thanks to GameFAQs for being a great friendly place that has enormously
enhanced my gaming experiences

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gungage is (C) KCET (C) Konami Japan. All copyrights and trademarks are
acknowledged
