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Per Granlund's
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/_/ /_/ /_/\__,_/_/ /_/\__,_/\___/_/     /_/    \____/_/   \___/\___/  /___/  |___/ FAQ/Guide
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Per Granlund's Thunder Force IV FAQ/Guide
Written by: Per Granlund
E-mail Address: lutz85@hotmail.com
Website: http://www.angelfire.com/pq/pszone
Last Updated: 11/9/2000
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Table of Contents:

1) Info
2) FAQ
3) Stage & Boss Strategies
4) Weapon Description
5) Secrets
6) Credits
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1) Info

This FAQ/Guide is my first attempt to make a FAQ/Guide for a 16-Bit System. Thunder Force is
the best shooter there is to get, so of you do not have it, go get it now.

Anyone who wants to post this FAQ/Guide on thier website have to e-mail me
and ask me first for permission. My e-mail adress is at the top of this
document.

Also if you are a Phantasy Star fan, visit my website The Phantasy Star Zone
http://www.angelfire.com/pq/pszone

~~ Per Granlund ~~
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2) FAQ

Q: How many levels are there in this game?
A: There are ten levels.

Q: How many weapons are there?
A: There are total of ten weapons.

Q: So, what are the names of the weapons?
A: Twin Shot (Standard weapon), Back Shot (another standard weapon), Blade, Rail Gun, Snake,
Hunter, Freeway, Claw (not really a weapon), Shield (not a weapon) and the mighty Thunder
Sword.

Q: Who made this game?
A: Technosoft.
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3) Boss and Stage strategies

In the beginning you can choose what order you want to take on the first four stages. The
easiest order is, Ruin, Air-Raid, Strite and Dazer but you can choose another order if you
want. I will line up the stage/boss startegies in the official stage order (the one if you
just press START in the begining).

================
Stage 1 - Strite
================
This is an easy stage. It's divided in two parts. In the first part you will be in the air
flying, not much to say, not very difficult. You will face a mini boss before going under
water, he is not very hard, the laser he shoots out can easly be dodged, just fly through it
in high speed. When you go underwater you will face the a big ship, you cannot defeat it, you
will find two extra lives in this stage one a bit from when you enter the water and one
behind the ship. After some time you will go up to the surface. the big ship will now be in
the air. Don't worry about the ship it will leave after awhile, just keep away from the fire
things he shoots at you. After that it's the boss.

Boss:
This boss is kind of easy, just shoot at the orb he has, that's the only way you can hurt
him. You should not have so much trouble with this guy. Just watch out when his mouth gets
a white flame he will fire away a strong beam.

===============
Stage 2 - Daser
===============
You can collect many weapons in this stage, that is why i recommend taking this stage last,
so you will have them at stage 5. Anyway this stage is a bit more difficult than the first
one. There's a miniboss that looks like som kind of a snake. It sends out two orbs in two
directions and then they come back. Move up and down fast and you will not get hit. You
will fight your way through some more enemies and they the sand storm will clear. After
some screens you will be at the boss.

Boss:
This boss will start of with a shield of orbs, you can onlt hit him and not the orbs to
damage him, after awhile thiss guy's shield will explode, watch out for the orbs flying.
He will rebuild his shield a few more thimes, just keep hitting at him and you will beat
him.

==============
Stage 3 - Ruin
==============
Not much to say about this level, just fight your way to the miniboss defeat it and go
to the boss and be sure to collect the Hunter weapon, i think you can collect Blade and
Snake here to as well as claw. Not hard at all. No hard eniemies.

Boss:
Hit at his cannons annd when both are destroyed aim for it's center. One of the easiest
bosses in the game.

==================
Stage 4 - Air-Raid
==================
A kind of tricky stage but also a fun one! Toy can collect many weapons here, Free-Way
for example. There's no mini boss in this stage. In a part of the stage you will come to a
place, where enemies are aiming at you, fly back and forth to avoid being killed, you will
need all lives you can get in the rest of the stages, especially stage 8 and 9 and of course
9. Now back to this stage. At the end of the stage you will se someone fiering at the
enemies. Don't worry you can't get hit by it. Then the screens will scroll fast, avoid
getting hit by the ships and try to collect all weapons and the extra live.

Boss:
First shoot at his mouth like thing where he sends out soem sort of rings. When that is
destroyed move to the back of the thing and use back shot or railgun to hit the place were he
sends out missiles. When he's head is destroyed attack that thing in the front. Pretty easy
boss if you know what to do.

=======================
Stage 5 - Space Cruiser
=======================
Fight your way to the big ship, you will spend all time attacking the ship in this stage.
First destroy the engines, when they are destroyed a mini boss will apear, kill him and you
will get some help from othe ships to destroy the cruiser. the only thing to wory about is
to stay out of the way of all beams and stuff. Also try to destroy those things that sends
out laser beams, it will be much easier then. Fight you way through and collect all free
weapons and extra lives. When you clear this stage you will get the Thunder Sword!

Boss:
You cannot lose this battle, the boss will automatically retreat.

==================
Stage 6 - Volbados
==================
You will be underwater in this stage. The ememies are not so hard. You can try to fully
charge your Thunder Sword, ant ememy will die (i think!). The mini boss is very easy too and
the boss apears right after the mini boss.

Boss:
Just shoot at his lower or higher "claw". When they are destroyed, shoot at his middle claw,
his attacks are easy to dodge.

================
Stage 7 - Desvio
================
This stage is a bit harder then the last, but it's not hard. You will find mant weapons here,
and you will need them to fight the boss. The mini boss is very weak for being a mini boss.
Just watch out for the things than shoots lasers in the stage. The stage comming up will be
much harder.

Boss:
This "thing" is not hard at all, just shoot at his head with a weapon. After awhile he will
stand up. Just keep shotting at him and dodge his easy projectiles. If you have the Thunder
Sword you can bust him real good!

==================
Stage 8 - Bio-Base
==================
This huge labyrinth is not goning to be easy. To start with there are these spider like
robots that tends to shoot out lasers that bounces on the walls, roofs and the floors.
Besides that there are 4 mini bosses! They may not be in this order, but here goes the
strategies for the mini bosses:  The first mini boss is a big ball the bounces in a room. It
will open itself sometimes to shoot. Be sure to hit him when he is open. The second boss is
"long thing". Shoot at him when he is open (when he shoots). The third one is a robat that
has a long thing that he swings. Avoid that and his hoot s and attack him. The last mini boss
(i think), is a room with some robots. In the roof there is holes where new robots comes
down. Destroy them as fast as possible. When they are destroyed you will leave the room.
Fight you way to the boss.

Boss:
This is a very hard battle, cuz you may not have so many lives left and this boos is really
hard. It starts out with two tentacles. Shoot at the purple parts on them to destroy them.
Next the boss will come out. He has many attacks and i don't have time to describe them
here! He also get help from a giant bee that carries him. Also sometimes, smoke will come up
from the ground and press you up, hold the down button to avoid hitting to the ground.

==============
Stage 9 - Wall
==============
This is the hardest stage, beside the last one. The boss is very hard too, he much harder
than the last one you fought. The stage is got many hidden lives and weapons, you'll have to
pick up all of them to stand a chance with the boss.

Boss:
This crab like robot can be very difficult. Don't be mad if you die here, you've comed a long
way. In the beginning, you will destroy his back cannons, not hard at all. When you've
disposed the back cannons you will move to it's crab claws, the only way to kill him is to
shoot at his head when he attacks.

=================
Stage 10 - Versus
=================
You will fight two bosses in this last stage. Collect all the weapons and fight the first
boss.

Boss 1:
This is the boss you fought in stage 5, the one that retreated. This huge robot cannot be
hurt by any of your weapons! But you can defeat him. The trick is to shoot at the big cannon
like thing behind him. When you have damaged it alot it will blow up and kill the robot. You
can collect many weapons and extra lives in this fight. I think he is harder than the last
boss.

Boss 2:
This is your last opponent. First of al you should shoot at his sides to blow those away.
Then you should attack the blue dots he sends out. It will damage him.
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4) Weapon Description

Twin Shot:
This a default weapon. It shoots double shoots. Good fire power.

Back Shot:
This is the second default weapon (the weapons you cannot lose). You can shoot enemies that
is behind you.

Blade:
This is a power up for the Twin Shot. It got more fire power.

Railgun:
This is a power uo for the Back Shot. It got more fire power and bigger beams.

Snake:
Detonates bombs from both up and down. A not so very useful weapon.

Hunter:
Homing projectiles. Very handy but this weapon doesn not got much fire power.

Free Way:
Fires away in five directions.

Claw:
A useful thing that enhache your weapons.

Shield:
This shield will protect you from any damage but only a few times. Try to keep it as long as
possible.

Thunder Sword:
THe most powerful weapon. To use it, do not use the fire button and it will charge up.
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5) Secrets

- Choose 0 lives in option mode (press A+B+C+START when you see the SEGA logo) and you will
get 99 lives, very useful if you are having trouble beating the game. (You may not even have
to use my strategies when playing with 99 lives :)
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6) Credits

This FAQ/Guide is made by Per Granlund.
If you want to post this FAQ/Guide on your homepage, e-mail me first and get
permission.

All Characters, Names etc.. copyright Technosoft.
This is an unofficial FAQ/Guide.
This document and its author are in no way affiliated with Technosoft or any other company.

You can e-mail me any questions about "Thunder Force IV for mega drive" or this FAQ/Guide,
but be sure that that question is not already answered in this
FAQ/Guide. My e-mail is lutz85@hotmail.com.

Also if you are a Phantasy Star fan, visit my website The Phantasy Star Zone
http://www.angelfire.com/pq/pszone

Thanks.

~~ Per Granlund ~~
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