======================================================================
ROLLING THUNDER 3
- Sega Mega Drive / Sega Genesis -
======================================================================

Rolling Thunder 3 Copyright 1993 Namco

Spherelander Videogame Strategy Guide Series #02 - Version 1.5
Copyright 2000-2002 Faididi (faididi@hotmail.com)
This strategy guide is intended for private use only. This, including
any part of it, may not be copied or distributed for personal gain
without the author's permission.

This document contains about 21760 words.
If what you get is significantly different, somebody might have
tampered with this document (probably by cutting out the copyright
information and walkthrough credits). While I can't do crap about
it (except complain), you should care in the event some important
gaming data have been accidentally removed or if there has been an
error in downloading this guide. If you still give a damn, e-mail
me to inform me that something funny's going on.

---------------------
[0.0] VERSION HISTORY
---------------------

Version 1.5 (Spring'02 Edition)
Updated - 04 12 2002 Friday - First New Moon of Spring
New Feature(s):
- Cleaned up some wording and mistakes.
"Spring rolls rather than bounce forth this time."

Version 1.4 (Winter'02 Special Edition)
Updated - 12 31 2001 Monday - New Year's Eve
New Feature(s):
- Added more details regarding the sniper.
- Cleaned up some wording and mistakes.
"The New Year rolls around...."

Version 1.3 (Summer'01 Edition)
Updated - 08 03 2001 Friday - A very special day...
New Feature(s):
- Corrected the Memory Size listed. My fingers slipped last time.
- Added some reference material to the Credits section.
"These updates are rolling along fine."

Version 1.2 (Spring'01 Edition)
Updated - 05 28 2001 Monday - Memorial Day
New Feature(s):
- Listed the differences in the scenery between Normal and Hard.
- Corrected more running times for the music.
- Cleaned up some wording and mistakes (like the vertebrate thing).
"Rolling Thunder, rolling blackouts...."

Version 1.1 (Winter'01 Edition)
Updated - 12 31 2000 Sunday - New Year's Eve
New Feature(s):
- Corrected some running times for the music.
- Added the Staff Credits to the Ending section.
"Keep the action rolling!"

Version 1.0 (Summer'00 Edition)
Updated - 06 24 2000 Saturday - A warm summer night
New Feature(s):
- N/A
"Jay finally gets himself an online pad to roll right into."

---------------------------
[0.1] CARTRIDGE INFORMATION
---------------------------

Developer: Namco
Producer : Namco
Publisher: Namco
Dimensions:
 American:
  Length: 11.0 cm
  Height: 06.9 cm
  Width:  01.7 cm
  Memory Size: 1.50 MB
Cover Art:
 American:
  Jay, on a motorcycle, is in the middle of a desert highway, fending
  off Geldra forces. He fires something that doesn't come close to a
  revolver, and he's also firing it with his left hand. Two Maskers,
  a red-clad one behind him and a green one (with red gloves and a
  blue helmet) in the foreground, have their high-tech pistols drawn.
  To the left of the green Masker is a robot panther, and there is
  another panther jumping onto Jay's right arm, which is gripping the
  bike's throttle. Despite the deep orange-yellow sunset, the bike's
  headlight is on. Obviously, this scene doesn't occur when he reaches
  Las Vegas at the end of the third Round! Still, it looks pretty damn
  cool....

======================================================================
======================================================================

INDEX

I.   Background Info
      [1.1] Drawing Thunder (story)
      [1.2] Who's Who (organizations and characters)
      [1.3] Changing Identities (what's new in this installment)
      [1.4] Living the Life of a Secret Agent (controls)
      [1.5] Choose Your Options (Configuration Screen)
      [1.6] Concealed Weapons (about guns and other weapons)
      [1.7] Behind Door #1... (about doors and the bonuses behind 'em)
      [1.8] Scores & Hits (concerning only the Round Clear bonuses)
      [1.9] General Hints

II.  Round Strategies
      [2.0] Prologue
      [2.1] Round   1: Oil Refinery
      [2.2] Round   2: The Factory
      [2.3] Round   3: Highway
      [2.4] Round   4: Las Vegas Night
      [2.5] Round   5: Dread's Building
      [2.6] Round   6: The Pacific Ocean
      [2.7] Round   7: Easter Island
      [2.8] Round   8: Underground Base
      [2.9] Round   9: Hijack
      [2.A] Round  10: Castle of Dread

III. The Ending
      [3.1] Epilogue
      [3.2] Staff Credits
      [3.3] Hard Differences

IV.  Secret Rounds
      [4.1] Round  Ex  A: Sewers
      [4.2] Round  Ex  B: Mines
      [4.3] Round  Ex  C: Warehouse

V.   Secret Agent Secrets (miscellaneous items)
      [5.1] Passwords
       [5.1.1] Regular Passwords
       [5.1.2] Secret Passwords
      [5.2] Deciphered Values (quick reference)
       [5.2.1] Maskers
       [5.2.2] Other Enemies
       [5.2.3] Boss Battle Strategies
       [5.2.4] Special Structures
       [5.2.5] Weapons
       [5.2.6] Sniper Time Limits
       [5.2.7] Jay's Stats
      [5.3] Sound Test
       [5.3.1] BGM
       [5.3.2] SE
      [5.4] Game Evaluation
      [5.5] Other Spy Games
      [5.6] Really Small Details

VI.  Credits

======================================================================
I. BACKGROUND INFO - Get your briefing right here.
======================================================================

---------------------
[1.1] DRAWING THUNDER
---------------------

  In the late 20th Century, satellites around the globe are being
destroyed, disrupting communications and causing wide-scale panic.
The secret international police agency known as "Rolling Thunder"
uncovers the criminal organization behind this insidious plot:
Geldra! Believed to be destroyed, Geldra is now led by Gimdo,
the enigmatic successor to Mabu. Agents Leila and Albatross
are immediately sent out to stop him.

  That's not all, though. Rolling Thunder also sends out another
agent, a new guy who goes by the name Jay, after Dread, the
second-in-command of Geldra. By destroying the top two links
in its chain of command, Geldra should be permanently shut down.

  So yes, Rolling Thunder 3 takes place at the same time as Rolling
Thunder 2, only it focuses on the third hero instead. But as Jay's
about to find out, sometimes the #2 enemy leader can just be as bad
as #1....

---------------
[1.2] WHO'S WHO
---------------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[1.2.1] The Good Guys
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rolling Thunder
 A secret division of the WCPO (World Crime Police Organization).

Leila
 Rolling Thunder agent #1. She's the best there is, but even the
 best can get into trouble, as with what happened in the first
 game. Fortunately, Albatross bailed her out, and now she's
 something for Geldra to fear again.

Albatross
 Rolling Thunder agent #2. In the first game he was called in to
 rescue Leila and to stop Mabu. Geldra's back now, but so's he
 and Leila.

Jay
 Rolling Thunder agent #3. New to the group, he's just as highly
 trained as the other two heroes. Plus he's the only available
 agent left to take on the Dread case. Let's hope his wits and
 his revolver will keep him in one piece.

Ellen
 A communications officer for Rolling Thunder. She backs up Jay in
 his mission, serving as a link between him and HQ. Beats me, but
 I sense something special going on between these two....

Jay's Boss
 A minor character in the story. He is some faceless, nameless guy
 who gives Jay his orders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[1.2.2] The Bad Guys
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Geldra
 The criminal organization Rolling Thunder's after. These guys use
 robotic agents to do their dirty work. Known as Maskers due to their
 metallic visages, the bots are capable of doing many things humans
 can, including firing a gun, throwing grenades, holding hostages,
 engaging in high-speed chases, setting up terrorist threats over
 the phone, ordering drinks at the local bar, making fake pizza
 orders to Round Table, etc....

Mabu
 The original leader of Geldra. This guy is definitely not from
 Earth! Albatross managed to waste him despite his ability to
 fire laser bolts from his fingertips.

Gimdo
 The new leader of Geldra. The destruction of the satellites is
 only the first part of his grand scheme. Unlike Mabu, he's more
 than just an alien....

Dread
 Gimdo's right-hand man. Like the other 2 big bosses, he can fire
 lasers from his hand and has green skin. Unlike his fellows, he
 doesn't have two agents out to tag and bag his ass.

Male Maskers
 The backbone of Geldra forces, these guys have been around for some
 time. They carry guns, although their iron fists are also deadly.
 The colors of their uniforms indicate their ranks (which determine
 how many hits they can take, how they attack, etc.).

Female Maskers
 New to the Rolling Thunder series, these bad babes don't carry
 guns like their male counterparts. Why? Because they enjoy
 thrusting their sharp heels through Jay! When they get up close,
 their kicks become extremely lethal. If they jump down from an
 upper floor and land on Jay, he'll get hurt bad and lose 1 Hit
 Point. To make his life seem more like hell, they can backflip
 through his bullets without a scratch.

Heavy Maskers
 The meanest of the Maskers. These guys suck up the most damage,
 and they fire their pistols like machineguns if they're not throwing
 uppercuts at you. Not fun to toy with. Like the female Maskers,
 these guys show up for the first time in Rolling Thunder 3.

Panthers
 A Masker's best friend is a robotic cat. These cybernetic beasts
 are tough and fast, patrolling Geldra facilities relentlessly.
 Their low profile makes them hard to hit.

Bats
 Geldra doesn't just experiment with robotics. Around since the
 first game, these gigantic flying rats will dive at any agents
 snooping around.

Turrets
 Not as smart as Maskers, but just as dangerous. These guns
 constantly scan their surroundings, firing at any intruder.

Spider
 Not a mutant bug, but a big-ass robot spider. This secret weapon
 of Geldra is pretty tough with its armor and its guns.

Centaur
 Another oversized mechanical toy of Geldra, armed with cannons
 and a missile launcher. Not fun to meet with when you're on
 vacation, but not very smart either.

-------------------------
[1.3] CHANGING IDENTITIES
-------------------------

RT3 contains the intense action from the previous games,
but it has plenty of improvements and differences too:

- Jay can shoot diagonally upwards with his revolver.
  Very useful for Maskers lurking on a balcony!

- He can jump and shoot. Jay can hop over bullets while
  firing back at Maskers!

- He has a much better weapons system. Jay gets a ton of special
  weapons to play around with, plus he can start a Round equipped
  with one! His Knife will come in very handy - now Maskers aren't
  the only ones who can put up a good fight at close quarters!

- Running out of bullets isn't as bad anymore. While your "ghost"
  bullets are still slower than usual, you can fire more than one
  onto the screen at a time, unlike in RT2.

- Jay must be buffer than he looks, because he starts off with 3 Hit
  Points instead of 2! This means he can suck up a bullet and just
  write it off as a scratch - a break for gamers new to the series!

- And dying results in him continuing from where he got wasted
  instead of putting him back at a Checkpoint! (Hardcore RT
  agents may scoff at this though....)

- The Timer is no more (thus, there are also no more doors
  that give you Time Bonuses). But if Jay takes too long to
  finish a Round, a Masker sniper will start shooting at him!

- To give the game more variety, Namco added the vehicle scenes.
  Jay gets to ride a motorbike and a jetski!

- Stage design is simplified. There are no more moving platforms,
  sliding lifts, bottomless pits, or background passages (in the
  prequels, there are areas where you can walk behind a fence to
  sneak past enemies). RT3 has none of this, but Jay can still
  use some of the backgrounds to avoid Maskers and bullets (check
  out the ninth Round).

- Secret Rounds are added, but hidden doors are removed.

- The enemies get some development too. RT2 has the marine
  vertebrate-based Maskers who roll explosives at you, walk
  around in force fields, and hide under the sand. New here
  are the martial arts Maskers and the scuba diving Maskers.
  RT3's robot panthers are also easier to kill than the older 
  ones (since you can just kneel and shoot to hit them).

- The graphics get a major makeover. Backgrounds and characters
  are more detailed, and the movie-like cinematics look fantastic!

- The music is more plentiful and inspiring than ever. Unfortunately,
  the hilarious CD Player Mode from RT2 isn't here. (You know, the
  "Alien Masker Music Band" in the Music Option?)

- Unlike its prequels (and most of Namco's other games), RT3 is
  for play on the MegaDrive/Genesis only. RT3 has been made with
  this 16-bit console, and not an arcade machine, in mind, and
  that's one of the many reasons why it's so damn good.

- The only serious step backwards in gameplay comes from the
  removal of the 2 Player feature. Jay will have to go it alone,
  but at least he's backed up by Ellen through radio support and
  packs enough special weapons to make any killer robot sweat.

---------------------------------------
[1.4] LIVING THE LIFE OF A SECRET AGENT
---------------------------------------

Q. What does this strange multi-Buttoned device do, Q?

A. The Controller lets you control the hero, Jay.
   Here's a layout of the controls:

 D-Pad - Moves Jay around.
          Left and Right is to walk. Down is to kneel.
          Up is to enter doors or to aim diagonally upwards.
          When driving a vehicle, press the direction
          you wish to move Jay in (relative to the screen).
 A     - Uses the equipped special weapon.
          If Jay is out of special weapon ammo,
          he will slash with his Knife instead.
 B     - Fires the revolver.
          Unlike in real life, he can still shoot if he runs
          out of revolver ammo, although his bullets will be
          slower and his reload time will be terribly longer.
 C     - Jump!
          Press Left and Right to change directions in midair.
          By holding Up or Down when Jay leaps, he can also climb
          up to a 2nd floor or drop back down to the 1st floor,
          respectively. These floor-switching jumps are referred
          to as "super-jumps." (You cannot super-jump onto or off
          of a second floor if there isn't any railing there!)
 X     - Not used. (RT3 only requires the standard Controller.)
 Y     - Not used. (This is really too bad....)
 Z     - Not used. (Using the extra Buttons would have been so cool!)
 Start - Pause!
          The standard in many videogames.
          Simultaneously press A, B, C, & Start to reset the game.

Note 1: If you manage to press Up and Down together, Up will prevail.
        If you press Left and Right together, Left will prevail. The
        Controller is designed to keep you from doing this in the
        first place, but I just wanna let you know anyway.  :)

Note 2: While a SMS (Sega Master System) Controller can be used
        with the Genesis, I highly recommend against you doing so.
        The 1 Button is a combination of B and A, and the 2 Button
        is a combo of Start and C. This means you can't use your
        special weapon, plus you'll pause the action every time
        you jump. Not fun at all. Quit being cheap and get yourself
        a real 16-bit Controller!

Q. What's the best special weapon?

A. I really can't tell you. Each agent will have her or his own
   tastes, so what you like is up to you. A section below details
   all the weapons, so you can take a look and determine for
   yourself.

Q. Why can't I choose a special weapon again?

A. If you select a special weapon and then finish the following
   Round, you can't begin with it again in future Rounds (this
   prevents you from breezing through the game with excessive
   firepower). Save the better weapons, like the Bazooka and
   the Flash Grenades, for the tougher stages. All Rounds are
   designed so you don't need to start with a special weapon
   in order to beat them. However, as with the previous RTs,
   you can still pick up free weapons within the levels themselves.

Q. Who's backing me up?

A. Your radio contact will be Ellen, one of the communications
   officers back at HQ. Of course, there's also me, your faceless
   informant who has much to say about what you'll be up against.
   And don't forget your extra Lives. Having more Jays in reserve
   is never a bad thing.

Q. Is there a Japanese version of Rolling Thunder 3?

A. From what I've heard, no. It seems that RT3 has never been
   released in Japan, so it's a US-only title. Pretty weird, eh?
   Especially when the States are usually the ones getting shafted
   by missing out on great games....

-------------------------
[1.5] CHOOSE YOUR OPTIONS
-------------------------

Select "Configuration" on the Main Menu to enter the
Configuration Screen, if you choose to accept this
assignment. I will now self-destruct in 4 seconds....

MISSION - The game's Difficulty Setting. Until you enter a certain
          secret Password, you will not be able to set this to HARD.

LEFT    - How many Jays do you need? Trust me and leave it on 3.
          Even better, use that secret Password that lets you select
          up to 5 Lives in reserve!

MUSIC   - RT2 has cool tunes, but RT3's kick even more ass!
          Press B or C to play a tune and press A to stop the music.

SOUND
EFFECT  - Enjoy the sounds too? Again, press B or C to play an
          effect and press A to stop it. This Option includes all
          of the game's voice bits but not every sound effect.

DEMO    - Even better than the audio are the Movies. Leave this
          on if you want to see the exciting cinematics between
          every Round. This will always be set to OFF if you're
          not playing as Jay....

-----------------------
[1.6] CONCEALED WEAPONS
-----------------------

What's under that coat of yours? In Atlus' Rockin' Kats, sewer rats
flash you and then toss out razor-sharp hats. In RT, you'll be wise
to pack enough ammo to set off three metal detectors at the same time.

After the Round Intro Screen, you go to the Weapon Select Screen
(except for Rounds where you ride vehicles). The interface here is
a little weird, so let me clarify things to make your life easier.
The Cursor starts off highlighting the Cannon. Press the D-Pad
to highlight another weapon, and then press B or Start to choose
the weapon. The weapon's panel will turn yellow and Jay will say
"You got it!" Afterwards, press B or Start again to confirm your
selection and to start the Round. If you DON'T want a weapon, press
A or C to turn the Cursor off, and then press B or Start as usual to
begin. If you change your mind, press A or C to bring the Cursor back.
(Weapons that have been used already and are no longer available for
 selection will be crossed over with a red X mark.)

Here's how the weapons are covered:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WEAPON: [The weapon's name.]
DAMAGE: [The amount of hurt each projectile deals.
         For the purposes of this guide, 1 normal
         handgun bullet deals 2 Points of damage.]
AMMO  : [The amount of ammo you start with if you choose
         this weapon at the beginning of a Round or the
         amount you receive if you find this behind a door
         (with an exception for revolver bullets).]
NOTES :
 [More descriptions and other details.]
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

WEAPON: Revolver
DAMAGE:  2 Points per round
AMMO  : 40 bullets (you get 50 from doors)
NOTES :
 Jay's preferred weapon. It shoots straight (both horizontally and
 diagonally upwards) and will serve as your most valuable tool.

WEAPON: Knife
DAMAGE:  4 Points per slash
AMMO  : N/A
NOTES :
 Jay carries this in case of emergencies - the emergencies being
 running outta ammo. The slash is twice as strong as a regular bullet
 (in videogame terms), and it costs nothing to use, so you might as
 well cut up Maskers who are close to you instead of shooting them.
 Note: If you enter a special ammo door but didn't select any special
       weapon (that is, any special other than the Knife) at the
       beginning of the Round, you'll get a Life Bonus instead!
       Sometimes it's not so bad to walk around with only a Knife,
       ya' know?

WEAPON: Full Auto (Machinegun)
DAMAGE:  2 Points per round
AMMO  : 60 bullets
NOTES :
 The familiar automatic weapon that has been around since the
 first game. It's just like your regular gun, only it fires
 at a much faster rate. Great for clearing out rows of Maskers.

WEAPON: Shotgun
DAMAGE:  2 Points per pellet
AMMO  : 30 shells
NOTES :
 RT2's Shotgun is nothing like an actual shotgun, but this one is.
 Although much weaker than its older counterpart, the new Shotgun
 has more spread, letting you even hit Maskers on another floor!
 Up close, you can punch multiple pellets into a single (and tougher
 than average) Masker, killing her/him immediately. Each shell
 produces 4 pellets (1 straight forwards, 2 upwards, and 1 downwards).

WEAPON: Laser (Lasergun)
DAMAGE:  4 Points per bolt
AMMO  : 20 charges
NOTES :
 Fires an energy bolt straight ahead. The beam isn't fast, but
 it can cleave through several enemies at once.

WEAPON: Bazooka
DAMAGE: 11 Points per rocket
AMMO  : 10 rockets
NOTES :
 An instant favorite for fans of brute force. The rocket kills
 almost everything with a single hit, but the limited ammo tends
 to be a liability.

WEAPON: Cannon (Grenade Launcher)
DAMAGE:  4 Points per napalm patch, 2 Points per shell
AMMO  : 20 shells
NOTES :
 Lobs a shell that explodes into a patch of napalm when it strikes
 the ground. Both the shell and the fire hurt Maskers. You can also
 bounce the shell off of walls.
 Note: If you somehow manage to touch your own flames,
       2 Points of damage will be dealt to you.

WEAPON: Fire (Flamethrower)
DAMAGE:  2 Points per burst
AMMO  : 60 bursts (approximately 7 seconds' worth)
NOTES :
 Also from RT2, this releases bursts of fire that incinerates any
 Masker nearby. Its short range reaches up to about 4 character
 lengths away. In the prequel, this weapon releases large flames
 in abrupt bursts, but now it does so in a slower, more controlled
 manner. I guess Jay is just that good (but I still prefer the older
 and messier way for its pure speed!).

WEAPON: Grenade
DAMAGE:  4 Points per explosion, 2 Points per grenade
AMMO  : 30 bombs
NOTES :
 Just like the ones used by Maskers. They explode on contact,
 hurting anybody nearby. Hold Up when throwing a Grenade to toss
 it up high onto a second floor.
 Note: If you somehow manage to touch your own blast,
       2 Points of damage will be dealt to you.

WEAPON: Flash (Flash Grenade)
DAMAGE:  0 Points per explosion, 2 Points per grenade
AMMO  : 20 bombs
NOTES :
 One of my favorites. These suckers blind all Maskers on the screen
 when it blows, giving you time to escape. Even better is that all
 blinded Maskers have reduced defenses - they can be killed with 1
 bullet! Extremely useful against female and heavy Maskers. (Astute
 fans of the series will notice that this flash effect is similar
 to the one in RT2, when you shoot a force field Masker from the
 back. However, blinded Maskers in that game do NOT have lowered
 defenses!) Flash Grenades have no effect against panthers, bats,
 turrets, and bosses.

WEAPON: Cracker
DAMAGE:  8 Points per explosion, 2 Points per grenade
AMMO  : 20 bombs
NOTES :
 Nastier than the regular Grenades, these suckers have a bigger
 blast radius, and their explosions linger on longer. Of course,
 their extra weight only means Jay can carry fewer of them (like
 the Flash Grenades, these come in smaller quantities).
 Note: If you somehow manage to touch your own explosions,
       2 Points of damage will be dealt to you.

-----------------------
[1.7] BEHIND DOOR #1...
-----------------------

What's behind a door? You never know - unless if they're marked!

Normal Doors
 These are usually empty, but you can use them to hide from Maskers.
 Sometimes doors contain a Life Bonus. If you have less than full
 Life (1 or 2 Hit Points), the Bonus will refill it to maximum (3
 Points). If you're at full Life, you will get an extra Hit Point!
 You can have up to 5 Hit Points, meaning that you can suck up 3
 bullets before dropping dead!!

Marked Doors
 Contains whatever's written next to it. Here's a quick list:
  Bullet  - Gives you 50 bullets for your revolver.
  Auto    - Gives you the Machinegun (60 rounds).
  Arms    - Gives you the Machinegun (60 rounds).
  Shot    - Gives you the Shotgun (30 shells).
  Laser   - Gives you the Laser (20 charges).
  Bazooka - Gives you the Bazooka (10 rockets).
  Cannon  - Gives you the Cannon (20 shells).
  Fire    - Gives you the Flamethrower (60 bursts).
  Bomb    - Gives you some Grenades (30 grenades).
  Flash   - Gives you some Flash Grenades (20 grenades).
  S       - Stands for "Special." Gives you ammo for the special
            weapon you've selected at the beginning of the Round.
            If you haven't chosen anything, you will receive a Life
            Bonus instead (similar to certain normal doors). Cool!

 Note: There do not seem to be any doors that give you Crackers. Aww.

----------------------------------------
[1.8] SCORES & HITS - ROUND CLEAR SCREEN
----------------------------------------

At the end of every Round, you will earn some extra Points. For
every unit of ammunition (both revolver and special weapon ammo)
you have remaining, 10 Points will be added to your total Score.
For every Hit Point you have left, 100 Points will be added. Do
Points matter? Of course they do! For every 10,000 Points you
score, you will earn an extra Life! Wheee!!

-------------------
[1.9] GENERAL HINTS
-------------------

Besides your common sense and general gaming experience, here are
a couple other tips you can follow throughout the course of your
mission to increase your chances of success.

- Jay is agile and quick, so use his wide variety of moves to avoid
  getting shot up. The most basic maneuver is to kneel down. You can
  avoid many projectiles like this! (Practice this in both games and
  real life.) Next, you can hide behind doors (hold Up in front of
  one). Maskers who can't see you won't kill you. Another method is
  to jump. You can hop over low bullets, away from grenades, or up
  onto a safer 2nd floor.

- Don't blow your ammo like a madman! Even Rambo tries to conserve
  his cartridges and explosives. By saving up your ammo, you'll be
  prepared to take on any unexpected wave of Maskers. Ammo refills
  are few and far in between, so every bullet counts. You should
  also use the Knife if a Masker is close enough. Waste enemies,
  not ammunition!

- If you want to keep your current special weapon, don't go into a
  door containing another special, or else Jay will dump his current
  special like a moron and then pick up the new one. Go into a door
  containing the same type of special you're carrying to stock up
  on more ammo for that special.

- If you want your Knife ready at all times, do not enter a special
  weapon door, because you must exhaust all of your special ammo
  before you can use the Knife again.

- Always enter "Bullet" doors because having more revolver rounds
  never hurts.

- Do not underestimate your revolver. With Jay's ability to aim
  diagonally upwards with it, this trusty piece will serve as your
  main defense against the Geldra forces. Except for the Grenades,
  special weapons cannot aim high, making them much less versatile.

- Don't rush to finish the Rounds, but don't screw off to the point
  of allowing the sniper to catch up either! If you take too long
  to complete a Round, Ellen will warn you over the radio with this
  message: "Jay, this is HQ! Enemy attack increasing - hurry up!"
  As soon as she finishes, the sniper's targetting reticle appears.
  When the reticle turns red, a focused explosion will erupt there,
  blasting Jay, Maskers, and any other destructible objects in its
  way. (The sniper's tossing the conventional rifle outta the window;
  he's using a cannon!) Jay will also refuse to hide behind a door
  (he steps back out as soon as he steps in), and the sniper will
  keep attacking until you finish the Round, reach a boss, or die.

- To finish a Round, you must cross an "invisible finish line" at
  the end without any Maskers left on the screen. Notice that some
  enemies, such as bats, do not have to be wasted in order for you
  to exit.

======================================================================
II. ROUND STRATEGIES - Top secrets for your eyes only.
======================================================================

"Lock and load, then rock and roll."
            - from a Sega Visions magazine ad for "Rolling Thunder 2"


Okay, here's how this section works:

I'll start each Round's strategies off with what happens in the
cinematics (with some minor "improvements" in the punctuation).
I'm giving this spoiler alert in advance, so you won't screw
yourself over by reading too far ahead, in case you care. (Since
I'm following through with the entire story, the wacky Secret
Rounds are covered in another section right after this one.)

Next, through some general advice, I'll give you an overall
description of the Round and what to expect in it. After that,
I'll go deeper and tell you exactly what to do. Bosses, secrets,
and other specific tricks will be covered in these in-depth parts.

The strategies here aren't the only ones you can use to beat the game
with. If you have something else you believe is more effective or you
feel more comfortable with, I encourage you to use that instead!

A little note - I've played through all the Rounds without starting
off with any special weapons. What does this mean for you? You'll be
at an advantage if YOU choose to start with a special weapon because
YOU will have more firepower than I do! Feel free to begin with
extra guns, and if you really like starting every Round with the
same special weapon, you're welcome to use the Passwords listed
in this guide. They'll give you access to all the weapons for
every Round!

--------------
[2.0] PROLOGUE
--------------

Rolling Thunder Status Report:
 Agent Albatross/Leila engaged with Gimdo case.

[We see an image of Leila and Albatross facing off against
 several Maskers and Gimdo at the Geldra base in Giza, Egypt.]

Available Assets: Jay

[A pair of hands in fingerless gloves loads a revolver.]

[Jay's profile is shown along with details of his agent status.]

    Profile
  Operative: Jay
  Clearance: JC-KAL
  Team:      Rolling Thunder
  Status:    Available

[Dread turns around, flinging his cape to one side as dozens
 of Maskers rise in the foreground.]

[More stats for Jay appear, adding to whatever is already up there.]

  Height:  6.2 ft. (184 cm)
  Weight:  183 lbs. (83 kg)
  Age:     35
  Blood:   A

[A helicopter flies over the nighttime Las Vegas Strip.]

[The rest of Jay's profile is shown.]

  Full Name:   Classified
  Birth Place: Classified
  Nationality: Classified

[The profile fades away as Jay's figure appears, facing to the
 left. He turns towards the screen, aims his gun, and fires,
 leaving a bullet hole in your TV. That good-looking bastard!!]

---------------------------
[2.1] ROUND 1: OIL REFINERY
---------------------------

PASSWORD:

 Normal -  N/A  (New Game)
  Hard  - RISKY (Use this to start a New Game on Hard Mode)

SNIPER TIME LIMIT:

 2 minutes, 50 seconds

STORY:

  Inside a briefing room in the WCPO HQ...

  ... the projector displays an image of Dread, blending in among
some other people, on the screen. Jay sits quietly as his boss
explains his mission from a desk in a dark corner of the room.

  "Jay, you've got a real winner this time. Your target is Dread,
the second-in-command of the Geldra terrorists. He was last seen
in a Southern California oil refinery. Investigate immediately.
Good hunting!"

 "Yes, sir!," replies Jay as he stands up. The projector turns off.

GENERAL TIPS:

Being the first stage, the Refinery is a great place for you to get
used to the game. The simple terrain is easy to navigate through,
and most of the Maskers are blue, meaning they die with 1 hit. Watch
out for the fuel tanks. You can jump onto them, but why not blow them
up instead? The explosions will kill any Masker stupid enough to be
standing right next to 'em!

The free special weapon that shows up in this Round is the
Machinegun (Auto).

IN-DEPTH:

As soon as you walk over to the right, a helicopter will fly out from
the distance towards you. Looks like trouble already! Go up to the
first white fuel tank. As soon as a Masker jumps out, fire. If your
shots don't kill him, you'll destroy the tank, resulting in a blast
that'll still waste him. A total of 3 Maskers will jump out of the
chopper, so wait for them to come out and then pick them off one by
one. When you get to the pile of crates, a Masker will appear behind
you. When you go on to the right, there'll be another 2 Maskers and
1 fuel tank.

To the right should be Building F-01. A Masker will appear from
behind. Up ahead is another Masker on the balcony. Shoot up to kill
him. Now duck! A bit more to the right is a Masker hiding behind a
drum. Wait for him to stand up before shooting him. Jump past the
drum. (Don't worry about the fire - it won't kill you.) Now duck
again while you pump rounds into a slew of Maskers. Remember that
green Maskers take up 2 bullets before dying.

At Building ID-E2, another Masker appears behind you. Beyond the
fuel tank is a Masker hiding behind a pile of drums and crates.
Past that is some more Maskers on the 2nd floor. Enter the lower
"Bullet" door for extra ammo. When you get up to the next fuel
tank, more Maskers will appear, including a green one and any
others who come out from the doors.

At Building SE-1, watch for (among other baddies) a grenadier Masker
on the balcony. Kick his ass! Now, the next building will have more
Maskers appearing on the second floor and from behind. The top door
is an "Auto" door - go in for a Machinegun if you want it! On to the
right are about 3 more Maskers, one of whom is green.

The next building has lots of goodies. The top left door is a "S"
door (it will give you Hit Points if you didn't start the Round with
any special weapon), and the top right door also has a Life Bonus!

As soon as you step past Building F-S1, several green Maskers will
appear left and right. Duck and shoot in both directions, hitting
them before they can squeeze off their own shots. On to the right
will be 1 or 2 more Maskers. Don't bother going into the 2 empty
doors, because you've reached the "invisible finish line!" Yippie!

--------------------------
[2.2] ROUND 2: THE FACTORY
--------------------------

PASSWORD:

 Normal - FFEOU
  Hard  - OSEPF

SNIPER TIME LIMIT:

 3 minutes, 35 seconds

STORY:

  Jay kneels down beside the body of a broken Masker he finds
inside a building. "They don't make them like they used to," he
thinks to himself as he eyes the busted yet sophisticated frame.
He leans forward for a closer view. "Looks like the recycle bin
for this Masker. Dread must be close!" He checks over to his left
and notices the hidden entrance to a Geldra manufacturing plant.

GENERAL TIPS:

The Factory is a step up in difficulty from the first Round. Still,
there's a lot of boxes and doors for you to hide behind. The robot
panthers are something to worry about, and so's the Spider-bot boss
waiting for you at the end of the line.

The free special weapon here is the Laser. Try to save some
charges for the boss.

IN-DEPTH:

Start off by heading right until you reach the first door. There'll
be Maskers on the right, on the top, and on the left. Also on the
top is a panther. Kill the Maskers, but wait for the panther to come
towards you. If it jumps down, you can shoot or slash it. You can
also back away and aim up at it. To the right are some grenadiers.
Get ready to jump to another floor or to leap away from the blasts.
A few Maskers might come out of some doors. Just turn around and kill
them before moving on. (These doors will keep generating Maskers!)

Now, a second panther will appear on the 2nd floor. Aim up or
kneel to shoot it, depending on which floor you're on. Later,
a third panther appears on the 1st floor near the "Laser" door.
Kill it and the Maskers around it before getting the Laser. Right
after the "Laser" door is another panther, but this one is on the
top floor. There's a good reason why - it turns out the next door
(which is on the 2nd floor) holds a secret Life Bonus. Get it!

At the top there should soon be a "Bullet" door. You're probably
low on revolver ammo by now, so be sure to step in. Besides more
grenadiers at the bottom, there'll be 3 panthers. The first is on
the bottom, the next is also on the bottom, and the last is on the
top. After these cats, there'll be a dead end...

... or is it? Jump down over the railing, dropping into the second
half of the Round. See those suspicious boxes over by the lower left
corner? If you hit the left ones enough times (the boxes have about
80 Hit Points), a secret door will appear, leading to a Secret Round!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

IF you choose to check out the secret Round now and miss out on the
   kick-ass story, go to "ROUND EX A" in the "SECRET ROUNDS" section.

IF you want to finish up the Factory and continue your mission
   like what you're supposed to do, continue on below.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

To the right is a "S" Door on the 2nd floor. Watch out for green
Maskers and grenadiers. (Whoa! Check out those assembly lines in
the background. Talk about Maskers-in-the-Making!) The 4th door
after the "S" door hides a secret Life Bonus (it's on the lower
floor). Up ahead are more Maskers. Be careful not to stray under
a Masker who might drop grenades on you! After the last door on
the 2nd floor, there'll just be a few Maskers left. Watch your
back while you kill the 2 green ones to the right. When the
music changes, it's time for the boss to make its entrance!

BOSS: Spider Robot - 100 Hit Points (50 bullets' worth of damage)

This guy can be tough. It mainly walks back and forth on the right
side of the screen, so you should stay on the left. But don't sit
at the far left edge; you want to give yourself some room to work
with. Stay about a quarter-screen's length from the left edge.
You must duck if you want to hit the boss due to its low frame.
The Spider has 3 attacks:

#1 - Turret
 It starts off shooting slow yellow bullets from a small turret on
 its left side. Observe the turret's angle. The bullets usually go
 over your head if you duck. If not, you can super-jump over them!

#2 - Cannon
 When the Spider takes enough damage, its turret will be destroyed.
 At this point, its top-mounted cannon will become activated, with
 a targetting reticle appearing in tandem. When the reticle locks on
 and turns red, an explosive shot will be launched towards that spot
 in about 1 second. Simply move away from the reticle or super-jump
 to avoid the explosion. The shot itself won't kill you.

#3 - Pouncing
 If the Spider freezes, it's gonna leap onto your last position. To
 avoid it, simply walk to the left. (This is why I'm telling you to
 stay away from the left edge of the screen - you can't super-jump
 because the Spider is pouncing, not running, onto you!) The Spider
 may use this attack anytime, whether its small turret is busted
 or not.

The real challenge comes from keeping track of both the reticle and
the Spider's movements. The yellow shots aren't a problem since they
are relatively easy to avoid. The other 2 attacks are nasty because
they have higher chances of whacking you. Remember to give yourself
room so you can always back away from danger. The best time to kneel
and shoot is when the Spider is crawling on the ground and when its
reticle isn't red. Concentrate on avoiding the Spider's attacks, and
you'll destroy it in no time.

----------------------
[2.3] ROUND 3: HIGHWAY
----------------------

"I think better on the road."
                - Groove Champion, from "Interstate '76" (Activision)


PASSWORD:

 Normal - SSEPC
  Hard  - IAEOH

SNIPER TIME LIMIT:

 None. (This Round lasts for 1 minute, 35 seconds.)

STORY:

  Jay takes out his radio inside the control room. "Jay reporting,
clearance JC-KAL. Discovered Dread's office." He turns to a monitor
on his left. "Masker stock has been depleted."

  "Jay, our satellite is tracking a car leaving the refinery,"
responds Ellen from her station back at HQ.

  "Too late!," Jay says to himself as he returns to the surface.
Searching through a garage nearby, he spots a dusty, brown motorcycle
over his right shoulder. It's old but functional. "Will pursue! Must
be Dread."

  "Understood."

GENERAL TIPS:

This is the first of the 2 Rounds in RT3 featuring the new Vehicle
Mode, and thankfully the controls here are simple. You can speed
up and slow down (press Right and Left), switch lanes (press Down
and Up), shoot, and - strangely enough - jump (and even super-
jump)! The cars in the foreground won't kill you, so don't worry
about them. You only have to watch out for enemy Maskers and
construction materials left on the road. Stay on the left side
of the screen to give yourself more time to react to dangers up
ahead. Beware - colliding with a Masker or lethal object is just
as bad as getting shot!

A convenient warning symbol will appear if a Masker is catching up
from behind.

IN-DEPTH:

Race down a lane under construction to catch up to Dread! (This
actually looks more like a shoulder lane....) First, a Masker will
come out from the back on the top lane. Stay away from him as you
blast a second Masker to the right. If you give the rear Masker
some room, he'll pull up in front of you, letting you shoot him.

There are only 2 wooden horses you have to look out for in this
scene, and both of them are placed fairly close together. When
a third Masker comes from the back, the first wooden horse will
be whizzing up soon. Get on the bottom lane to avoid this barrier.
Shortly afterwards will be another sign. This time, get to the
top lane quickly, because this lower horse approaches much more
rapidly than the first one does. Breathe more easily now - there's
no more construction crap for the rest of the Round!

Maskers 4 and 5 will appear from the back and from the front. The
front one can throw grenades. Line yourself up to hit them. Masker
6 is on the top lane up front. 7 and 8, like 4 and 5, will come from
both sides. Now, the next 4 Maskers are in the front. After them are
2 more from the back and 2 more in the front. Then there will be one
Masker to the left and another one in front. Now one more comes up
from ahead. After him, 3 Maskers will surround you front and back.
Avoid them if you can. When you get the chance, weave between them
and blast 'em. The last Masker will back up his buddies from the rear.

Seeing the Las Vegas cityscape pop up in the back is cool, but don't
get too excited....

[Special Movie: Dread tosses 3 Flash Grenades out of his
                limousine window, blinding Jay. Jay grinds
                to a halt, and Dread gets away. Damn!!]

------------------------------
[2.4] ROUND 4: LAS VEGAS NIGHT
------------------------------

"I still remember those nights...."
                                - Artemis, from "Phelios" (Namco)


PASSWORD:

 Normal - FSEOA
  Hard  - XSEOH

SNIPER TIME LIMIT:

 2 minutes, 50 seconds

STORY:

  Jay blinks hard, his eyes still reeling from Dread's Flash
Grenades. "Lost him!" Just then, Ellen's voice comes through
on his radio.

  "H.Q., clearance Jay. Vehicle has left satellite path. We have
lost track. Informant lead places Dread in Las Vegas."

  "Copy. Will proceed."

GENERAL TIPS:

Take a walk down Moon Street! Don't get distracted by all the pretty
lights as you search for Dread's hideout. This is the only Round in
the game where you fight female Maskers. That's good, because you
won't want to meet them again! These babes suck up a lot of damage,
and they tend to kill you when they get up close. Plus, they can
backflip through your shots. Avoid them if you can, especially the
heavily-armored gold ones (it's amazing what a shinier paint job
can do!). Other than that, there's nothing else to worry about. The
rest of the enemies here are the weak blue male Maskers. Oh - and
just for fun, you can break the light boxes and the street lamps!

This Round's free special weapon is the Bazooka. Use it against
the super-tough gold Maskers. 

IN-DEPTH:

Ignore the neon cowgirl sign in the background while you walk over to
the right. Behind you is a blue Masker, but in front is a red Masker.
Get rid of both. The first door you'll see is labeled "Bazooka."
Now when did casinos start leaving dangerous weapons open to the
public? Grab it before the next 2 red Maskers drop down from the
2nd floor.

Past the first Moon Street light box is another red Masker. Do
her off and then watch out for 2 blue Maskers in front of the
next building. One of them loves grenades. After those 2 will
be the first gold Masker in the game. Compliment her on her hot
looks by handing her a rocket. 2 more blue Maskers will appear,
and past them is a "S" door.

The next building will be an ammo drain. 2 gold Maskers show up, so
hand them each a rocket. A red Masker will catch up from the rear and
a blue guy will come in from the front, too. The next pair of red and
blue Maskers will drop down from the 2nd floor. Another red Masker is
up ahead on the ground as well. Later on, 2 red Maskers show up, and
then 2 blue ones will do the same. Go inside that "Bullet" door.

When you get to the next couple of street lamps, a red Masker will
walk up to you. Say hello with your gun. In front of the next couple
of buildings are even more red and blue Maskers. The next spot will be
tricky. A gold and a red Masker will jump off from the 2nd floor. They
are backed up by a blue grenadier. Go into the single door here for a
drink and a Life Bonus!

You'll need that drink. I mean, extra Life! Right on ahead are more
Maskers. After the twin gold Maskers, there will be 5 (FIVE!) red
Maskers trying to gang-rape Jay. YOU WILL DIE if you don't get out
fast, so try switching between floors to outmaneuver them! Race past
those curvaceous babes before they impale you with their heels. A
little more to the right, on the ground floor, is the entrance to
the Moon Street Hotel, a front for Dread's dark operations.

-------------------------------
[2.5] ROUND 5: DREAD'S BUILDING
-------------------------------

PASSWORD:

 Normal - KFEPZ
  Hard  - OFEOP

SNIPER TIME LIMIT:

 3 minutes, 35 seconds

STORY:

  Jay steps into the Moon Street Hotel, adjusting his right glove.
He looks left and right. "How crass! Even in Vegas his bad taste
stands out!"

  "H.Q., clearance Jay," interrupts Ellen over the radio,
"Unidentified helicopter leaving your location."

  Jay pulls out his revolver. "That weasel won't slip away so
easily this time!"

GENERAL TIPS:

More classic Rolling Thunder action. Jump between the 2 floors and
enter doors as needed to avoid the bad guys. The new danger to look
out for are the red heavy Maskers. These guys look much buffer than
the regular, skinnier Maskers, and they seem to give out orders a lot
(you can see 'em pointing at you or something). They can fire very
quickly, and they suck up even more hits than the female Maskers.

The free special weapon, the Flash Grenade, should be used to stun
the green and heavy Maskers so you can take 'em out with 1 shot!

IN-DEPTH:

Right in front of you are 2 blue Maskers and 1 green one. A third
blue Masker appears from behind. After them is another green Masker
accompanied by the first red heavy "boogieman" Masker! Take care,
knowing that it may be better to knock the big guy around long enough
just to run away instead of wasting ammo to kill him. There'll be 2
more green guys. Keep going to the right until you see a naked angel
statue. (At least it doesn't kill you like a female Masker....) Its
ass will block the shots from the green dude on the other side. Whoa!

Up ahead are 3 additional heavy Maskers, with more green Maskers
coming from behind. Go up to the 2nd floor and deal with the heavy
dudes. Knock them off the ledge without killing them to save ammo.
You should see a "Bullet" door on the top floor. Go for it.

The next part has several Maskers on the top floors. (Check out all
those empty but nice halls in the background!) A "S" door will be
on the 2nd floor, guarded by another big guy. After this part will
be 2 heavies and 2 blues. Take extra care. A door on the 2nd floor
will give you a Life Bonus when entered. At the next angel statue,
4 Maskers will be on the higher floor. Use the statue for cover,
jumping up and killing the Maskers when it's clear.

Down the hall will be a door labeled "Flash." Go in and steal some
of Dread's light bombs. These suckers will be useful for the oncoming
sets of 3 green and 2 heavy Maskers. Don't be shy with 'em - they're
enough to last for the rest of the Round.

If you wanna go to the 2nd Secret Round, listen carefully. Slowly move
up to the next angel statue, killing any Maskers in the way. Get on
the top floor and slowly move above the angel statue. Now drop down
ONTO THE HEAD OF THE STATUE, and then walk off to the right, landing
on the BOTTOM floor. There will be a second angel statue. Hit this
statue repeatedly to reveal a secret door. (This statue, unlike the
others, makes a sound if you hit it with your Knife. It has about
80 Hit Points.) The reason why you want to drop ontop of the first
statue's head is so you won't accidentally scroll the screen upwards,
locking away the lower floor where the secret door is!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

IF you choose to enter the Secret Round behind the statue,
   go to "ROUND EX B" in the "SECRET ROUNDS" section.

IF you wanna catch up to Dread and see some more exciting Movies,
  continue on below.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Get up to the helipad on the roof. As you climb the floors, throw
Flash Grenades to stun any Maskers in your way. Don't forget that
you can shoot upwards through the floor to take them out! If you
don't have any Flash Grenades, you'll have to slowly make your way
up, shooting diagonally and hiding behind crates and doors. This
method takes much longer, and you might allow the sniper to appear.
Remember that you can't super-jump onto a higher floor if there's
no railing above you! The roof is ontop of the 12th floor.

[Special Movie: Jay reaches the roof just as Dread jumps onto a
                helicopter that's taking off. Crap - too late again!]

--------------------------------
[2.6] ROUND 6: THE PACIFIC OCEAN
--------------------------------

PASSWORD:

 Normal - AAEOZ
  Hard  - XSEPJ

SNIPER TIME LIMIT:

 None. (This Round lasts for 1 minute, 20 seconds.)

STORY:

  Dread smiles as he hangs onto the side of the helicopter.
"See you later, if you live! Ha, ha, ha...."

  "You call that living with your complexion, puss face?,"
shouts Jay over the roar of the rotors as he's kneeling on floor,
half-blinded by the copter's searchlight and down-wash. But Dread
flies away over the Vegas skyline, too far away for those words
to be heard. Damn! Dread escapes again! Jay's head droops as
Ellen's voice comes over the radio.

  "H.Q., clearance Jay. Return to H.Q. ASAP."

  Back at the WCPO skyscraper, clouds float serenely past the tall,
silver building. Inside the same briefing room Jay has been in a
day earlier, a map marks Dread's route from Las Vegas. The boss
speaks, "Dread has made his way across the Pacific to Easter Island.
Capture him if possible. Good luck!!"

  "Yes, sir!," Jay salutes to his superior in the shadows. Just
then, Ellen steps into the room, holding some files.

  "There is a ship waiting for you in Chile," she cheerfully
informs Jay.

GENERAL TIPS:

Despite the name of the Round, you won't actually cross the entire
ocean in this stage (although it'll be interesting if you did...).
You'll start a short distance off from the island's shore because
of the Maskers and the floating mines guarding its coastal waters.
The jetski controls just like the bike, so this Round plays very
similar to the third one. As such, similar strategies may be
employed. Stay near the left edge of the screen, watching for
Maskers, including the scuba ones who jump out from the water
to stab you (you can move down to avoid most of these scuba guys).
Instead of construction junk in your way, you get mines. Move
around or leap over them. Remember - you can still super-jump!

Again, a flashing symbol will warn you of enemies approaching from
the rear.

IN-DEPTH:

Right in front of you will be a scuba Masker. Avoid him and his knife
by staying on the lower side. Keep staying on the lower side. When a
Masker sneaks up behind you, a floating mine will appear on the top
side. More scuba knifers and jetski Maskers show up soon. Again, stay
low to avoid the scuba dudes, and shoot the ski Maskers. When another
Masker catches up from the back, another mine will appear on the top.

After 2 ski Maskers appear in the front with some scuba Maskers, 3
more skiers will pop up, with 2 from the back and 1 from the front.
And when another Masker appears from the front, stay low to avoid
a 3rd mine on the top side. Now immediately move up, because a 4th
mine will enter on the bottom!

3 ski Maskers will show up ahead, followed by the 5th mine on the
top. 3 more Maskers appear in front, then 2 pop up from the rear.
When another Masker comes from the front, a 6th mine appears on
the top side.

The next part will be lots o' fun. A square patch of 4 (FOUR!!) mines
will cover the entire area up ahead. The only way to avoid the mines
is to jump over them. Get as close to 'em as possible and then super-
jump to safety (hold Right to move forwards in the air, reducing your
chances of having a mine jabbed up your butt upon landing). Now, the
rest of the stage should be relatively smooth sailing....

Maskers will come in left and right. 1 last mine appears on the top
side when a Masker from the rear does the same (this is the second
guy after the quad-mine patch), so stay low. Then, after the 10th
of this final group of Maskers, you'll reach the shore.

----------------------------
[2.7] ROUND 7: EASTER ISLAND
----------------------------

PASSWORD:

 Normal - SSELI
  Hard  - CCEOP

SNIPER TIME LIMIT:

 3 minutes, 35 seconds

STORY:

  Jay jumps off from his jetski. Walking onto the rocky shore, he
pulls out his radio. "Jay reporting, clearance JC-KAL. I've reached
Easter Island. Will continue investigation."

  "Understood," answers Ellen.

  Jay gazes upon the massive moai. A fresh, tropical wind lightly
breezes over the pleasant, grassy landscape. "At least he picks
scenic hideouts," Jay thinks to himself, "Those stone heads are
really quite interesting."

GENERAL TIPS:

Well, what a beach. The terrain here is trickier to get around
on, and the Maskers are more grenade-happy than ever. To top this
off, you fight another robotic boss at the end. Here's a tip: stay
low! If you're below the enemy's reach, they can't shoot or punch
you (but they can still drop bombs on you!). Also remember that
some structures, such as wooden crates, are too short to serve
as effective cover, so be prepared to do a lot more jumping.

The free special weapon you can find here is the Flamethrower (Fire).

IN-DEPTH:

Enjoying the clear air and the surf washing up around your ankles?
Well, go forwards and take out the blue and green Maskers. Like in
the first Round, a helicopter carrying Maskers will appear. When the
helicopter disappears and you get rid of a green Masker past a mound
of rocks, watch out for a happy grenadier. Due to the landscape, it
is quite possible to let a bad guy's grenades bounce right back into
himself! If this happens, you'll save yourself some trouble and ammo.

When you see some crates ontop of a large rock hill, you'll be stuck
with a bunch of green Maskers and a blue grenadier. When you get down
on the other side, you can kneel on a crate and slash the green guys
jumping up and down from below. Watch out for more grenades as you
continue right, where you'll find a "Bullet" door. Go ahead and feed
your revolver. Afterwards is a grenadier behind some boxes. Jump and
shoot him.

Now, on the right are a "S" door and even more grenadiers. Get ready
to jump away from the blasts. If Maskers appear above you, shoot up
at them. The next door right after this "S" door holds a secret Life
Bonus. Get it, but be wary of the pair of green Maskers to the right.

Walk across the field to the next door, which is marked "Fire." Hell
yeah! Burn off the 3 or 4 green Maskers in the vicinity if you wish.
If you hate the flame's crappy range, use the revolver instead. Past
the next door will be another pair of green Maskers. After those 2
are even more Maskers. Don't worry, because a second "Bullet" door
should fill you up.

Now continue to the right. Remember that these crates are too small
to block low bullets, so if one of the several green Maskers kneels
and shoots, you must jump. When you see a building with some railing
on top but no door, you've reached Big Boss Number 2.

BOSS: Centaur Robot - 100 Hit Points (50 bullets' worth of damage)

Although it's twice as huge, this guy is easier than the Spider boss,
if you know what to do. It basically walks left and right across the
entire screen, firing a machinecannon on its arm and shooting homing
missiles out of its ass. Unlike the Spider, the Centaur's size does
not require you to kneel to hit it. Here's the trick to beating it:

You start on the left. Stay underneath the right part of the railing
above your head. Shoot the Centaur as it walks towards you. When it
launches a homing missile, DON'T move immediately! When it raises
its arms and shoots bullets at you, THEN you should super-jump upwards
onto the railing above. If you time it correctly, both bullets and
missile should pass by underneath without hitting you! When the front
of the centaur passes the right edge of the railing, jump off to the
right, run underneath the railing on the other side, turn, and fire.
Again, when the missile comes, stand still, super-jumping only when
you're about to be hit by the bullets. Jump and run back to the
left side and repeat this pattern until the boss dies.

How does this work? By standing still on the ground, the missile
will angle down towards you. By jumping at the last moment before
the bullets hit you, you'll pull yourself up above the missile. The
missile, being slow, won't be able to change its direction quickly
enough to come back up (and standing under the part of the railing
that is closer to the center of the screen reduces the distance the
missile has for correcting itself). The Centaur doesn't learn from
its mistakes, and even its solid 100 Hit Points can't save it from
being a moron. Just keep up the pattern where you alternate between
the left and right sides of the screen, shooting the boss while it
walks towards you. You'll reduce it to scrap metal soon enough.

-------------------------------
[2.8] ROUND 8: UNDERGROUND BASE
-------------------------------

PASSWORD:

 Normal - LSEKL
  Hard  - ZSESB

SNIPER TIME LIMIT:

 3 minutes, 55 seconds

STORY:

  Jay stands in front of the smoking remains of the Centaur.
"Located and terminated security robot. I believe I've discovered
Dread's main base. Will proceed."

  "Understood," responds Ellen, "Take care, Jay."

GENERAL TIPS:

This is a pretty tough Round, but by now you're good enough to
handle anything, including an increase in grenade Maskers, right?
Well, just use the basic tactics and your common sense to avoid
the bad guys. Anything you should worry about? Yep. First, the
heavy Maskers are back, but unlike the ones in Round 5, not all
of them are the super-tough red ones. The tan dudes take fewer
bullets to kill. Next, there're the turrets. These suckers swing
around in an arc, firing if you're next to them. Stay on the top
floors so the lower turrets can't hit you. The best way to take
them out is to hop up and shoot them from a distance. Last, watch
out for the bats in the second half of the stage. These guys flap
around along the top of the screen and then dive down at you. Just
jump or aim up to shoot them. Think the boss you've just whacked
is too easy? Don't worry; there'll be another one in this level!
Be sure to stock up on ammo....

The free special weapon here is the Cannon (Grenade Launcher).

IN-DEPTH:

Off to the right are already some nasties. First, you get a tan
heavy Masker accompanied by 1 or 2 other Maskers on the lower floor.
Up on the top is a turret. Waste the Maskers from afar and then jump
up to destroy the turret. Afterwards there'll be another turret and
more Maskers as you walk by the big glass panel, which lets you peer
out into the sea. Nice view! (This Round should be called "Undersea
Base," not "Underground Base!")

When you get to the "Bullet" door, look out for a grenadier on the
top floor and a turret about one screen's length after him. Move
along slowly, taking out more heavy Maskers and a few additional
turrets. There'll be yet another turret adjacent to a second
"Bullet" door. The next door after this one contains a Life
Bonus (it's on the 2nd floor). Just watch out for turrets
and grenade-equipped Maskers lurking about.

There's a "S" door on the bottom, but do you wanna see the last
secret Round? Well, if you want to, don't walk too far past the
"S" door on the lower floor. Stay on the top floor just to be safe.
Go to the high wall on the far right side and whack it repeatedly
(it has around 80 Hit Points, but it doesn't make a sound when it's
hit). When it's destroyed, you can step into the edge of the screen
and enter the hidden area! (If you're on the 1st floor, you might
scroll the screen away, locking off the top floor where this
exit is located.)

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

IF you choose to take the concealed exit,
   go to "ROUND EX C" in the "SECRET ROUNDS" section.

IF you'd rather stick with the mission until the end,
   read on.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Continuing down leads to the second part of the base. To the right
will be a bat and a grenade Masker. Bats are easy to take out. If
you're on the top floor, just hop up and shoot them. If you're on
the lower floor, wait for them to fly to the top right corner of
the screen, where they'll dive down at you. When they do, aim up,
and then "BLAM!" - your diagonal shots will always nail 'em!

A heavy Masker, a grenadier, and a bat will surround you when you
reach the next "Bullet" door. From there, about 3 or 4 more bats
will approach along with 3 heavy Maskers (2 red, 1 tan) and a few
grenadiers on your path to the "Cannon" door. After grabbing the
Cannon (or ditching it if you wanna keep your current special
weapon), continue to the right, killing more bats and Maskers.
All that ammo from the 3 "Bullet" doors and "S" door should help
you finish off the red heavies in your way. When you reach the
control room, prepare to fight another boss.

BOSS: "Dread" - 80 Hit Points (40 bullets' worth of damage)

  "Welcome Jay. Here's the place - I'll make your future over!"

Yep, you've read that right. Dread says some pretty strange stuff,
plus his Hit Points are less than those of the previous bosses. Dread
won't shoot you, because 4 turrets on the ceiling will do it for him!
When he raises his arm, 2 turrets will each fire a shot at your last
position. The trick here is to shoot Dread when the turrets aren't
gunning away at your ass and to get on the move when they do.

Here's an effective technique. Stay under and slightly to the right
of the 2nd turret from the left. Now kneel down and start shooting
Dread. When the turrets fire (their reloading rate is constant,
so time yourself), super-jump over the shots. Because you're not
exactly under the turret (you're a little to the right, remember?),
the turrets' shots will be angled in a way that lets you jump over
them! (If you position yourself really well, all shots will miss you
entirely, and you won't even have to jump at all!!) After you avoid
the shots, continue to blast Dread. You'll know it when he dies.

---------------------
[2.9] ROUND 9: HIJACK
---------------------

PASSWORD:

 Normal - USEXA
  Hard  - ZSESK

SNIPER TIME LIMIT:

 None. (The sniper does not seem to appear here.)

STORY:

  After deactivating the laser turrets and inspecting Dread's
devastated body, Jay pulls out his radio. The huge glass display
panels behind him lie plugged with bullet holes in several spots.
"H.Q., Jay reporting. The Dread situation has been resolved. I'm
returning to base." Ellen's happy voice comes through the static.

  "Congratulations."

  Later that night, Jay relaxes in his seat on the airplane.
"Homeward bound!," he thinks to himself. He needs a break -
taking out a terrorist leader is enough for one day. As he sits
there in his blue suit, his thoughts reviewing his mission, he
hears a commotion up at the front.

  "What are you doing?!," cries out a young, female voice.

  "Shut up and sit down!," comes a cold, metallic reply.

  Uh oh.

  A Masker steps out from behind the movie monitor and into the
aisle, holding a stewardess hostage, his gun pressed against her
head. "We're hijacking this flight!," he sneers as more Maskers
emerge.

  "Great!," mutters Jay as he hastily pulls off his jacket while
the other passengers scream and duck for cover, "Too bad I don't
get overtime!" It's a good thing he always carries his revolver
with him....

GENERAL TIPS:

This Round is a little weird. Like the vehicle stages, you can't
start with a special weapon, but unlike the rest of the game, you
can't super-jump (because you're in a cramped airplane, ya' know?).
What you CAN do, though, is hide! As you gun down the Maskers in
the aisle, hold Up between two chairs to hide. Don't worry about
the passengers - they can't be harmed. You won't be hurt either
if you stay hidden. (Note how the same goes for the brown Maskers.)

Let's get one thing straight: you WILL run out of ammo! And there's
no way you can take out everyone with your Knife without getting
hurt really bad. It's better to use "slow bullets" and to patiently
advance towards the front of the plane, because that damn sniper
won't be appearing in this Round. There are also no enemy grenadiers
here. (I guess they're not crazy enough to blow up the plane...!)

IN-DEPTH:

Time to make like Mr. Miller in Time Crisis. Take a breath and
walk right into the main passenger section. Immediately run up
to the seats so you can hide between them (hold Up). After you
kill the first Masker and step past him, a second one will show
up from the back, trapping you between him and another one up
front. Carefully lean out and whack 'em both.

When you take them out and continue on, 2 Maskers will appear from
the back, trapping you again. Repeat the same trick, leaning out
and squeezing off a few shots before ducking for cover. After
these dudes, fewer Maskers will come up from the rear.

Eventually, you'll run outta ammo while you're facing off against
a triplet of Maskers up front. Fire as much as you can, because if
one of them closes in on you, there's a good chance you'll die when
you lean out again. This holds especially true when 3 Maskers come
up from behind and you're busy with a fourth one to the right. You
gotta turn around and kill them quickly or else they'll gang up
on you. Don't forget to use the Knife if they're close enough!

When another 3 Maskers show up from the back, one after another,
you're close to the end. Just watch out for 2 or 3 more Maskers
up ahead. Big airplane, eh?

-------------------------------
[2.A] ROUND 10: CASTLE OF DREAD
-------------------------------

"Since you have traveled so very far,
 be my guest and let me entertain you!"
                            - Sherudo Garo, from "Time Crisis" (Namco)


PASSWORD:

 Normal - USEZP
  Hard  - PSELF

SNIPER TIME LIMIT:

 4 minutes, 25 seconds

STORY:

  Jay dusts off the final Masker as the last few passengers
escape towards the safety of the stern. In front of him, on
the movie screen, is Dread's ugly mug. So the guy on Easter
Island is just a double!

  "You're getting to be quite a bore," says Jay.

  Dread only smiles. "I found your report of my demise rather
amusing," snickers the Geldra terrorist, "Such a refined sense
of humor is so rare these days. I'm quite a fan of yours, so
much so that I've decided to invite you over to entertain me!"

  "No thanks!," answers Jay, frowning, "I never date people
from work."

  Then he hears Ellen's voice. "H.Q., clearance Jay. We intercepted
Dread's message. Transmissions emanate from 66.254N by 27.835W."

  Jay looks out of a window as he listens to Ellen. "I believe that
I'm going there whether I like it or not." The plane, controlled
remotely, adjusts its course and eventually lands on a runway near
the coordinates Ellen had just mentioned, on a remote island hidden
in the Denmark Strait. Looks like it'll be a long night....

GENERAL TIPS:

This is it - the last stage! (I kinda like the word play in the
Round's name. It's a dreadful castle, but it's also Dread's castle!
HAHAHAHA!!! Eh? What? You don't think it's funny? Okay then.) It's
not the type of enemies you should worry about; it's the massive
amounts of them! A seemingly endless stream of Maskers (and more
than just a few panthers) will take a big drain on your ammo. Plus,
many of the bad guys throw those damn grenades that are really hard
to avoid. At the end, you'll have to fight the real Dread, which
sucks even more!

The Shotgun is the free special weapon here. It should help (I hope).

IN-DEPTH:

Make yourself welcome! Start off by blasting a panther on the right
and a blue Masker sneaking up from the left. Afterwards there'll be
a trio of orange Maskers. Next will be a second panther, followed
by more orange Maskers and another rear blue Masker. Barge straight
through the main entrance, killing everything in your path. If
a Masker manages to squeeze off a low shot, jump to avoid it.

There'll be a "Bullet" door. You need its ammo for the 4 panthers
and a slew of Maskers lining the floors and balconies, including one
who comes up from behind as you enter the door. Be sure to hit the
grenadiers on the 2nd floor. Bombs get heavier near the "Shotgun"
door. Go inside if you don't have something more powerful already.
Past the several grenadiers immediately to the right is another
"Bullet" door on the upper floor. Go in and get yourself loaded!

Ahead is nothing but Maskers and a panther. Watch both sides because
orange Maskers (some are grenade-equipped) will pour in. For the
panther, you can save yourself some ammo by letting the grenadier
on the top drop bombs onto it by accident.

When you hit the dead end, super-jump upwards. Stay on the left
half of the screen here to avoid the orange grenade guy at the
top, waiting on the far right side to surprise you with explosives.

As soon as you resume advancing forwards, the Masker wave will begin
anew, so continue to watch both sides. When you get to the part with
a 2nd floor, there will be a couple of grenadiers on the bottom.

Several orange and blue Maskers later, you'll reach a "S" door.
Beware of the orange grenadier on the right edge of the screen.
His grenades can reach the door! The "S" door isn't the only one
holding good stuff around here. To the right are 2 more doors.
The lower "Bullet" door will replenish your ammo supply, and
the higher unlabeled door contains a secret Life Bonus! Get
everything, but take out a panther nearby first.

Continue on! To the right will be a single-floor stretch guarded
by 2 more panthers and the last bits of the Masker army. When you
reach a building with a lone door on the top, 2 orange Maskers will
appear on either side of the screen. Both have and WILL throw their
grenades, so kill them quickly or jump up to the 2nd floor! Waste
everyone, including the guys who come out of the single door. Behind
that door is your last Life Bonus before the boss. If the extra Life
can't get you by, nothing else but your skills will.

BOSS: Dread (For real this time!)

  "You're a dead man!"

There are 2 parts to this fight. For the first part, Dread will
appear in a big-ass powered suit of armor. What a cheap bastard!!

Robot Suit - 100 Hit Points (50 bullets' worth of damage)

Dread doesn't play fair, does he? Fortunately, the suit is an easy
fight. Like the Spider boss, Dread will walk back and forth on the
right side of the screen. Stay on the left and shoot to the right.

Dread only fires high shots and low shots. You can tell which shot
he'll fire by observing the height of his arm cannon. If he ever
shoots a low one, it'll always be preceded by a high one. You can
duck or super-jump over the high ones, but you can only super-jump
the low ones. The shots take the same number of seconds to charge
up, so time your jumps accordingly. (And yes, you can super-jump,
despite the gooey alien substance on the "ceiling.")

After the suit is destroyed, Dread will hop out and run off.
When you're ready for the second and final part, follow him...

Dread - 100 Hit Points (25 Knife slashes' worth of damage)

... and run up really, really close to him! That's right, all the
way up!! So close that Jay's entire Knife can cut through him, but
not so close that you'll touch him by accident. How do I explain my
"insane" strategy? Well, the suit's taken almost all of your ammo.
You won't have enough rounds left to gun Dread down, because he's
not vulnerable all the time! The best tactic is to constantly hit
him hard. Read on to see what I'm getting at.

Dread fires a bunch of reflecting lasers in the same order. First,
he'll aim forwards, shooting a straight beam that can be simply
ducked underneath. Next, he'll aim up and fire a beam that bounces
through the hall at an angle. Then, he'll kneel and shoot a low
straight beam that can only be avoided by super-jumping. Finally,
he'll aim down and fire an angled beam very much like the second
one, which reflects throughout the hall. Dread will continue to
repeat this pattern until one of you dies.

You can hurt Dread ONLY when he's charging up and firing his lasers.
(You can tell by looking for a faint spark of light forming around
his hand.) By continuously stabbing him, you'll hit him more than
you would have if you stayed away and fired slow bullets.

This part is all about your timing and reflexes. When Dread aims
high (a high straight laser or an upwards laser), you should just
kneel and slash him. When Dread aims low (a kneeling straight laser
or a downwards laser), you need to super-jump. When Dread extends
his arm and you see his hand charging up, you have around 1 second
to jump before the beam comes out. If you're not close enough, the
angled beams will reflect right into you. Don't get too near either,
because touching Dread also kills you!

Before using this strategy, make sure your Knife is ready. Blow
off all your special ammo after destroying the robot suit, since
the second part of the fight won't begin until you go to the right
and catch up with Dread. Keep slashing and jumping, and a hard-earned
victory will be yours!!

======================================================================
III. THE ENDING - What's next for our secret agent hero?
======================================================================

--------------
[3.1] EPILOGUE
--------------

  Jay lowers his weapon. "It's finally over," he sighs with relief.

  "H.Q., clearance Jay," buzzes Ellen over his radio, "Albatross
and Leila have reported defeating Gimdo."

  "I've taken care of Dread."

  But suddenly, Dread staggers up behind Jay! "Ha, ha...," he
coughs weakly, "Don't you ever learn?"

  Jay turns around. "What? More Maskers to junk?"

  "If it were only that simple!," gasps the bleeding terrorist as he
clutches his chest, "The base has a self destruction mechanism wired
to my heart. When my heart stops, the base will be destroyed along
with you, my friend."

  It can't come any sooner. Dread's base explodes violently, its
castle walls erupting into a giant ball of flames, disintegrating
every tree in the vicinity.

  "Jay......," Ellen screams, "Jay, do you read me?!...."

  Silence.

  Ellen quietly stands up from her station. The other five officers
in the communications room gather next to her. No one speaks.

                                * * *

                    Report: Rolling Thunder
                    Clearance: JC-KAL
                    Status:
                     Operatives Albatross and Leila
                    defeated Gimdo
                    and his terrorist infrastructure.
                    Operative Jay purged Dread
                    and his organization.
                     Geldra has been eliminated.
                     Investigation of Dread's base
                    has uncovered one body,
                    but due to the extensive damage,
                    identification is impossible.
                     The whereabouts of
                    agent Jay are unknown.
                     Recommend change of
                    operational status to M.I.A. 

                            " End of File"

                                * * *

-------------------
[3.2] STAFF CREDITS
-------------------

[Credits roll by as the background images change VERY SLOWLY.
 Everything is taken from the game here - errors are unedited.]

[We see the back of a man standing on a huge pile of rubble.]

                   Rolling Thunder 3  Staff

                Producer
                    R2-Unit

                Planner
                    Rairu 1 Go !

                Programmer
                    Paddock Tondabayashi

[A revolver is dropped onto the rocky mess.]

                Object Design
                    Issiy
                    Rairu 1 Go !
                    Yossy MK2

                Back Ground
                    Yossy MK2

                Demo Graphic
                    Rairu 1 Go !
                    Yossy MK2

                Sound Programmer
                    Senkan Kiyoshi

[We now see the remains of Dread's base from the outside.
 The figure stands in front of where the castle was. His shadow
 stretches across the entire paved entrance in the morning light.]

                Music Composer
                    Rose & Dick Boy !!!

                Sound Effect
                    Rose & Dick Boy !!!

                Special Thanks
                    Masami.F
                    Kunfu-Man
                    Oja
                    Yuko
                    Mokkun

[The screen fades to black.]

                Presented by  Namco

                Very Good !!

                Normal mission is completed.
                Let's try Hard Mission!!
                Password is "RISKY"
                                ......Good luck!!!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

!!!! SPOILER ALERT !!!!

 The message above is the one you get if you beat RT3 on Normal Mode.
 If you finish the game on Hard Mode, you get a different message and
 a secret image!

 Don't read the following if you don't want to know what the new
 message and the extra image are! (All errors are still unedited.)

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

                Congratualtions!
                All missions are completed.
                You're a fantastic player!
                We thank you for playing.
                From Naoki, Rairu, Yossy, and Dick!!
                                    So long...

[We see Ellen and Jay standing together. Jay is bandaged up a
 bit, and Ellen has closed her eyes and is smiling, leaning on
 him. See - I told you there's something special between them!!]  ;)

----------------------
[3.3] HARD DIFFERENCES
----------------------

Okay, you got the message from Namco in the Normal Mode's Ending
Movie, right? By entering the secret Password, you can now access
Hard Mode and play the game again on a more challenging level!
Want more thunder? You got it. What has changed? Let's see:

- In RT2, the bad guys get tougher. In RT3, you get weaker! Yep, Jay
  has 2 measly Hit Points instead of the standard 3. Now the game
  plays more similar to the prequels! (Note that you still continue
  from where you are when you die.) The Life Bonuses you receive
  will only add 1 Hit Point, never 2 like they can on Normal Mode!

- You see what really happens to Ellen and Jay! The Ending Movie
  on Hard Mode is practically the same, except the message from
  Namco is different and there's an extra image of our heroes
  (the section just above this one has the full details).

- Hard Mode offers a nastier challenge, but it also offers new color
  schemes for the settings! This doesn't affect the gameplay in any
  way, unless you get messed up by different colors....

Here are the differences between the Normal and Hard environments:

Round  1 - The daytime blue sky is now an orange afternoon sky.
Round  2 - The green walls are now tan.
Round  3 - The sunset is deeper, and the desert is shaded purple.
Round  4 - The blue buildings are now brown.
Round  5 - The blue walls are brown, just like in the last Round, and
           the blue angel statues are gray (but they're just as hot).
Round  6 - The clear blue morning is now a late yellow afternoon.
Round  7 - The bright day is now a warm night.
Round  8 - The green walls are now repainted into tan.
Round  9 - The blue sky outside is now a black night sky, and
           the purple carpet is now blue.
Round 10 - The gold interior is now a silver interior, and
           the blue statues at the front are now gold.
Secret Round Ex A - The gray brick walls are now brown.
Secret Round Ex B - The brown rocks are now gray.
Secret Round Ex C - The blue walls are now gray and yellow.

Whoa.

======================================================================
IV. SECRET ROUNDS - The Rounds that just don't make sense!!
======================================================================

Yep. They really don't make any sense because they have no part in the
story, plus they make you miss out on some of the Movies and the Round
Clear bonuses. But they're still interesting, and they let you bring
extra ammo into the next Round, so here goes....

Note: All Secret Rounds are listed simply as "ROUND EX" in
      your Status Bar. The designations "A," "B," and "C"
      have been created only for the purposes of this guide.

------------------------
[4.1] ROUND EX A: SEWERS
------------------------

HOW TO GET IN:

In Round 2: The Factory, go to the bottom of the vertical area.
On the lower left corner is a stack of boxes. Hit the boxes on
the left side until they blow up, uncovering a secret door.

SNIPER TIME LIMIT:

 None. (The sniper does not seem to appear here.)

STORY:

No story here. This is a Secret Round, and it doesn't tie in with
the rest of the plot. This has probably been a stage that Namco
designed early on but didn't use in the final version of the game.
The idea of running through Geldra-occupied sewers would have been
cool though.

GENERAL TIPS:

You can't really die here. These extra Rounds are easy as hell,
and they give you a chance to load up on plenty of special weapons.
The only enemies in the Sewers are blue Maskers and bats. To kill
bats, jump or aim up to shoot them.

You can get revolver cartridges, Cannon shells, Machinegun ammo,
and Flash Grenades here.

IN-DEPTH:

You start off at sector E1. To the right, at sector E2, are 2 Maskers
and a "Bullet" door. Get yourself out of the sludge and hop up for
some ammo. On your way to sector E3 are a bat, a third blue Masker,
and a "Cannon" door. On your way to E6 are a second bat, 2 blue
Maskers, an "Auto" door, and another door with a Life Bonus. Keep
going on beyond E7 to EE to find one more bat, some more Maskers,
and a "Flash" door. When you reach the ladder at the end, you'll
climb up and magically appear on the streets of a city famous for
its dazzling casinos (go to Round 4)....

-----------------------
[4.2] ROUND EX B: MINES
-----------------------

HOW TO GET IN:

In Round 5: Dread's Building, go to the bottom of the vertical
area (it's after the "Flash" door). Jump onto the 2nd floor and
walk above the female angel statue. Drop down onto the statue's
head and then walk off to the right, towards another statue. Hit
this second statue until it's destroyed, revealing a secret door.

SNIPER TIME LIMIT:

 None. (The sniper does not seem to appear here.)

STORY:

Again, no story here. Like the Sewers, the Mines could have been
a prototype stage that never made it into the final product as a
normal Round. Still, it looks awesome with its old railways, its
falling water, and its abandoned shovels. Perhaps this is the most
eye-catching Secret Round of all!

GENERAL TIPS:

This place offers another chance to gather up an obscene load of
special weapons for the next Round. The blue Maskers are few, but
stay alert because some might come out of the doors. Take out the
bats by jumping or aiming up to shoot them.

You can find revolver ammo, regular Grenades, Shotgun shells, and
Bazooka rockets here.

IN-DEPTH:

Follow that faded, yellow arrow's direction and go right until you
reach the "Bullet" door. There will be 2 bats nearby, and a Masker
might come out of it. The next door to the right on the same floor
holds a Life Bonus. Watch out for another set of 2 bats and a Masker.
On to the right are even more bats. There should be a pair of doors:
"Bomb" and "Shot." (This is the only "Bomb" door in the game. Pretty
weird, eh?) A bat is past this point. Up ahead is a "Bazooka" door
guarded by 2 blue Maskers and a bat. Walk past the door and you'll
hit the invisible finish line and exit. Get the Bazooka if you wish
before climbing out of the Mines and emerging on a popular Pacific
Isle (go to Round 7)....

---------------------------
[4.3] ROUND EX C: WAREHOUSE
---------------------------

HOW TO GET IN:

In Round 8: Underground Base, go to the top of the vertical area.
Stay on the upper floor and hit the wall on the far right edge
until it blows up, then walk straight into this edge.

SNIPER TIME LIMIT:

 None. (The sniper does not seem to appear here.)

STORY:

Gamers who've played RT1 will recognize this area immediately - it's
the first Round of the first game! Walk past the old, cobwebbed doors,
reliving your memories (or is Jay reliving Albatross' memories?).
Things are a little different, however - look out for killer bats
in addition to blue Maskers! The open windows and the crumbling
walls reveal a clear night complete with a full moon.

A nice touch is in the old door labels. The "Auto" sign is changed
back into the original "Arms" sign, and you can still find Machinegun
ammunition behind those doors!

GENERAL TIPS:

The last Secret Round is just like the others. Gorge yourself on
extra Machinegun ammo as you blast a handful of blue Maskers and
bats. Again, to kill the bats, jump or aim up and fire.

Oh, by the way, if you're looking for the door that gives you a
Time Bonus, you won't find it (since Rolling Thunder 3 removes
the Timer!). At least the Machinegun doors are still around....

IN-DEPTH:

Ignore the broken door behind you when you start. Go forwards to
a "Bullet" door with 2 Maskers near it. Walk past underneath the
high, open windows, killing 3 Maskers and 2 bats. You'll see a pair
of doors. The right one hides a Life Bonus. On the top are 2 more
Maskers and an "Arms" door. Continue right and take out another 2
Maskers (3 if one more comes out of the door) and 2 bats. A second
"Arms" door is on the bottom floor. (This is the old Machinegun door!)
Past this is the last Masker and the last bat. The wrecked wall
opening up to the night sky marks the end of the Round. Now
teleport to the final stage (go to Round 10)....

======================================================================
V. SECRET AGENT SECRETS - Helpful bits & pieces hidden in the safe!
======================================================================

---------------
[5.1] PASSWORDS
---------------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[5.1.1] Regular Passwords
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can't get past some Rounds? Well, here's your chance to skip ahead and
see what you've been missing! And yes, the Passwords listed below give
you access to ALL special weapons at the beginning of the Round! Yay!!
(These are the same Passwords shown above in the Strategies section.)

The times listed indicate roughly how long you have to beat the Rounds
before the sniper appears, or, in the case of vehicle scenes, how long
the Round lasts. Check the time limits section in the reference charts
below for more details.

**********************************************************************
  Round    Normal   Hard     Time    Stage Name
**********************************************************************
    1      -----    -----    2:50    Oil Refinery
    2      FFEOU    OSEPF    3:35    The Factory
    3      SSEPC    IAEOH   (1:35)   Highway
    4      FSEOA    XSEOH    2:50    Las Vegas Night
    5      KFEPZ    OFEOP    3:35    Dread's Building
    6      AAEOZ    XSEPJ   (1:20)   The Pacific Ocean
    7      SSELI    CCEOP    3:35    Easter Island
    8      LSEKL    ZSESB    3:55    Underground Base
    9      USEXA    ZSESK    -:--    Hijack
   10      USEZP    PSELF    4:25    Castle of Dread
**********************************************************************

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[5.1.2] Secret Passwords
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want even more fun? The next few Passwords can make your life
easier... or tougher! After entering one of these, you should
hear Jay say "You got it!" (like on the Weapon Select Screen).
You will also return to the Configuration Mode, letting you
choose the new settings you've unlocked.

*********
* RISKY * - Access Hard Mode Option
*********
 You can now select Hard Mode in the Configuration Mode under the
 "Mission" Option. Only by beating the game on Hard can you see what
 really happens to Ellen and Jay. You receive this Password if you
 stick to the end of the Staff Credits after finishing RT3 on Normal.

*********
* ANNOY * - Access 5 Lives Option
*********
 3 Jays can't get you by? Then how about 5? This Password lets you
 almost double the men you have in reserve, making this a real break
 for most Players. Also cool is how this doesn't affect the Movies,
 so you can use it to finish Hard Mode and still see the complete
 Ending! But it's strange how the game never tells you about this
 Password, like what it does with the Hard Mode Password....

*********
* GREED * - Toggle Ellen On/Off
*********
 This replaces Jay with Ellen. Both characters have equal abilities,
 so the gameplay remains the same. The only difference is Ellen does
 not have a storyline - she just goes through the Rounds Jay goes
 through for no apparent reason. (The Demo Option will always be
 set to OFF as long as Ellen is selected. However, the Ending Movie,
 which is unaltered, will still be played upon beating the game.) As
 with the 5 Lives Password, RT3 doesn't tell you about this secret.
 Note: Enter this Password again to switch back to Jay.

-----------------------
[5.2] DECIPHERED VALUES
-----------------------

It's fun to play around with numbers sometimes. The following
is a quick reference chart containing condensed data about
enemies, weapons, and other things.

Note: The values shown aren't necessarily those used by the
      game; they're merely very, very rough estimates that
      make comparisons easier for the purposes of this guide.
      There are bound to be some errors!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[5.2.1] Maskers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TYPE   : Male Blue
LIFE   :  2 Hit Points
WEAPONS: pistol, grenades, fist, can drive vehicles
APPEARS: almost every Round

TYPE   : Male Green
LIFE   :  4 Hit Points
WEAPONS: pistol, grenades, fist
APPEARS: almost every Round

TYPE   : Male Brown (hijackers)
LIFE   :  4 Hit Points
WEAPONS: rapid-fire pistol, fist, can hide behind cover
APPEARS: Round 9 only

TYPE   : Male Orange (elite guards)
LIFE   :  4 Hit Points
WEAPONS: pistol, grenades, fist
APPEARS: Round 10 only

TYPE   : Male Scuba
LIFE   :  2 Hit Points
WEAPONS: knife (jumps at you with it), can drive jetskis
APPEARS: Round 6 only

TYPE   : Female Red
LIFE   :  4 Hit Points
WEAPONS: boots (high kick, low kick, jump kick, heel stab), backflip
APPEARS: Round 4 only

TYPE   : Female Gold
LIFE   :  6 Hit Points
WEAPONS: boots (high kick, low kick, jump kick, heel stab), backflip
APPEARS: Round 4 only

TYPE   : (Male) Heavy Tan
LIFE   :  8 Hit Points
WEAPONS: pistol, fist (uppercut)
APPEARS: Round 8 only

TYPE   : (Male) Heavy Red
LIFE   : 11 Hit Points!
WEAPONS: rapid-fire pistol, fist (uppercut), angrily pointing at you
APPEARS: Rounds 5 & 8

TYPE   : Sniper
LIFE   : N/A
WEAPONS: precision cannon (with explosive rounds)
APPEARS: Rounds 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, & 10 (when you take too long)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[5.2.2] Other Enemies
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TYPE   : Panther
LIFE   :  4 Hit Points
WEAPONS: claw/jaws (lateral or vertical pounce)
APPEARS: Rounds 2 & 10

TYPE   : Bat
LIFE   :  2 Hit Points
WEAPONS: claws
APPEARS: Round 8 & all Secret Rounds

TYPE   : Turret
LIFE   :  2 Hit Points (4 Hit Points on Hard Mode)
WEAPONS: mini-cannon
APPEARS: Round 8 only

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[5.2.3] Boss Battle Strategies
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are condensed versions of the boss tips from the main strategy
section above. The tactics are sorted by alphabetical order of the
bosses' names.

NAME   : Spider Robot
LIFE   : 100 Hit Points
WEAPONS: small turret, top-mounted cannon, claws (pounce)
APPEARS: Round 2 only
TACTICS:
 Stay on the left while you kneel and fire to the right. The Spider
 may pounce anytime at you (it will always pause for a moment before
 it jumps), so give yourself enough room from the far left edge to
 retreat into. The boss first uses its small turret to shoot you.
 You can kneel under or jump over the tiny yellow bullets. When
 it suffers enough damage, the Spider will activate its big cannon.
 During this part, a targetting reticle will appear and begin to
 track Jay. When the reticle turns red, you have about 1 second
 to move out of its way (either by walking to the sides or by
 super-jumping) before an explosive shot is fired there. The
 shot itself does not kill you.

NAME   : Centaur Robot
LIFE   : 100 Hit Points
WEAPONS: machinecannon, homing missiles that come outta its ass
APPEARS: Round 7 only
TACTICS:
 When you start, stay under the right side of the railing on the left
 side of the screen. Keep firing at the Centaur, even when it launches
 a missile at you. When the boss' machinecannon fires, however, super-
 jump up just before the bullets hit you. If you time it right, both
 missile and bullets should pass harmlessly by underneath. From here,
 simply jump over to the right when the boss walks past below. Run to
 the right side of the screen and repeat the trick, only this time do
 it from the opposite side.

NAME   : Dread (Fake)
LIFE   :  80 Hit Points
WEAPONS: none (ceiling turrets do his shooting)
APPEARS: Round 8 only
TACTICS:
 Stand a bit to the right of the spot directly below the second turret
 from the left. From there, kneel and keep shooting Dread. When the
 turrets fire and the bullets look like they're gonna hit you, super-
 jump straight up. Keep firing when you land. If you position yourself
 really well, you won't even need to jump at all!

NAME   : Dread (Robot Suit)
LIFE   : 100 Hit Points
WEAPONS: arm cannon
APPEARS: Round 10 only
TACTICS:
 Stay on the left and fire at the suit whenever you can. Kneel under
 the high shots and super-jump the low shots. Look at the height of
 the suit's arm cannon to see whether the shots will be low or high.
 If Dread is gonna fire a low shot, it will always be preceded by a
 high one.

NAME   : Dread
LIFE   : 100 Hit Points
WEAPONS: evil laser power (4 types of lasers)
APPEARS: Round 10 only
TACTICS:
 Run up very close to Dread and gut him with the Knife. When Dread
 aims high (either a standing straight shot or an upwards shot),
 kneel and keep stabbing. When Dread aims low (either a ducking
 straight shot or a downwards shot), super-jump to avoid the beam.
 Dread takes around 1 second to charge up before he fires. Make
 sure you are standing close enough so the beams won't reflect
 into you, but don't get so close that you'll touch Dread.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[5.2.4] Special Structures
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TYPE   : Fuel Tank
LIFE   :  4 Hit Points (8 Hit Points on Hard Mode)
APPEARS: Round 1 only

TYPE   : Secret Door
LIFE   : 80 Hit Points
APPEARS: Rounds 2, 5, & 8

TYPE   : Wooden Horse
LIFE   : N/A
APPEARS: Round 3 only

TYPE   : Moon Street Light Box
LIFE   : 10 Hit Points
APPEARS: Round 4 only

TYPE   : Moon Street Lamp Post
LIFE   :  2 Hit Points
APPEARS: Round 4 only

TYPE   : Floating Mine
LIFE   : N/A
APPEARS: Round 6 only

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[5.2.5] Weapons
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WEAPON: Revolver
DAMAGE:  2 Points
AMMO  : 40 rounds (50 rounds from "Bullet" doors)

WEAPON: Knife
DAMAGE:  4 Points
AMMO  : infinite slashes (Jay's Knife never breaks)

WEAPON: Full Auto (Machinegun)
DAMAGE:  2 Points
AMMO  : 60 rounds

WEAPON: Shotgun
DAMAGE:  2 Points per pellet (4 pellets per shell)
AMMO  : 30 shells

WEAPON: Laser (Lasergun)
DAMAGE:  4 Points
AMMO  : 20 charges

WEAPON: Bazooka
DAMAGE: 11 Points
AMMO  : 10 rockets

WEAPON: Cannon (Grenade Launcher)
DAMAGE:  2 Points (shell), 4 Hit Points (flame patch)
AMMO  : 20 shells

WEAPON: Fire (Flamethrower)
DAMAGE:  2 Points per burst
AMMO  : 60 units (7 seconds)

WEAPON: Grenade
DAMAGE:  4 Points (can be thrown upwards)
AMMO  : 30 bombs

WEAPON: Flash (Flash Grenade)
DAMAGE:  0 Points
AMMO  : 20 bombs

WEAPON: Cracker
DAMAGE:  8 Points
AMMO  : 20 bombs

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[5.2.6] Sniper Time Limits
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are the "time limits" you have for each Round before the sniper
appears. The times measure how long you have before Ellen gives her
little speech, and that takes up an additional 4 seconds or so. Some
stages, such as the vehicle Rounds and the Secret Rounds, have no
apparent time limit (for the vehicle Rounds, the times listed within
the parentheses represent the durations of those scenes).

- - - - - - - - - - -
 Round   Time Limit
- - - - - - - - - - -
   1        2:50
   2        3:35
   3       (1:35)
   4        2:50
   5        3:35
   6       (1:20)
   7        3:35
   8        3:55
   9        -:--
  10        4:25
 Ex A       -:--
 Ex B       -:--
 Ex C       -:--
- - - - - - - - - - -

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[5.2.7] Jay's Stats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just for fun, here is a slightly reconfigured profile of Jay,
using the data from the Intro Movie:

 Operative  : Jay
 Clearance  : JC-KAL
 Full Name  : Classified
 Birth Place: Classified
 Nationality: Classified
 Height     : 184 cm (6.2 ft)
 Weight     :  83 kg (183 lb)
 Age        :  35 yr
 Blood Type :   A

----------------
[5.3] SOUND TEST
----------------

This should be more fun than bugging a Geldra conference room....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[5.3.1] BGM: Background Music
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The "muzak" in RT3 is bad to the bone, so it makes sense for "Bad"
to be a part of so many tunes' titles! Although the funny and cute
"Alien Masker Music Band" from RT2 is away on vacation, you can still
groove to the audio in the Configuration Mode. The following is a
list of the tunes in this Option. (The running times listed for the
tunes are only rough estimates of how long they last before looping
over.) Enjoy!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 Title           Time    Theme (24 total)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 Bad Drums       0:19    Configuration Mode & Password Screen
 Bad Road        2:41    Staff Credits (Ending - Part 2)
 DammBad         2:02    Oil Refinery
 Bad Fairy       1:39    Title Screen
 5 Black Vol 5   1:31    Las Vegas Night
 Bad Rouge       1:00    The Pacific Ocean
 Bad Joke        1:15    Hijack
 No Way Out      1:35    Castle of Dread
 Bad Bob         1:36    Between-Round Movies / Cut-Scenes
 Bad Night       0:52    Underground Base
 Bad Moon        0:08    Weapon Select Screen
 Bad Babe        1:00    Round Intro, Spider & Centaur Bosses
 Bad Elf 2       1:23    Highway
 Bad Shade       0:22    Leila & Albatross' Intro (Prologue - Part 1)
 DayFly          0:52    Game Over Screen
 Bad Situation   1:07    Easter Island
 8 St. in N.Y    1:18    The Factory
 Bad Movie       0:14    Masker Sniper
 Bad Ramega      0:41    Secret Round
 Siesta          1:44    Epilogue (Ending - Part 1)
 Main St.        1:52    Dread's Building
 Bad Dave        0:05    Round Clear
 Bad Blue        0:41    Dread Boss
 Bad Opinion     0:57    Jay's Intro (Prologue - Part 2)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[5.3.2] SE: Sound Effect
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RT3 has lots of sounds, but not all of them can be sampled here.
(For example, the warning buzzard you hear from entering an
incorrect Password or trying to select a special weapon that's
already been used is missing in this Option.)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 ##  Effect/Voicing (29 "total")
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
  1  revolver shot
  2  flamethrower burst
  3  explosion
  4  machinegun shot
  5  helicopter engine
  6  laser bolt
  7  ricocheting bullet
  8  Namco logo flash (when you turn on the system)
  9  Moon Street light box breaking
 10  Moon Street lamp breaking
 11  flash (lock-on for targetting reticle)
 12  female "Ow!" (Ellen and female Maskers)
 13  female "Ha!" (female Masker kick)
 14  robot panther growl
 15  female "Ahhgh!" (Ellen's death sound)
 16  Jay's "You got it!" (Weapon Select Screen, Secret Passwords)
 17  Jay's "Owch!"
 18  male "Oh!" (male Masker voice)
 19  Dread's "Welcome Jay." (Round 8 boss - Part 1)
 20  Ellen's "Enemy attack increasing." (sniper alert - Part 2)
 21  Jay's "Uullwwrraahh!" (Jay's death sound)
 22  Dread's "You're a dead man!" (Round 10 boss)
 23  Ellen's "Hurry up!" (sniper alert - Part 3)
 24  Dread's "Uullwwrraahhughh!!" (Dread's death sound)
 25  click (revolver reload in Jay's Intro)
 26  Jay's "Ow!"
 27  Dread's "I'll make your future over!" (Round 8 boss - Part 3)
 28  Ellen's "Jay, this is HQ!" (sniper alert - Part 1)
 29  Dread's "Here's the place." (Round 8 boss - Part 2)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

---------------------------------------------
[5.4] GAME EVALUATION - SOME SERIOUS THOUGHTS
---------------------------------------------

Why did I write this guide? Just because I like RT3!! I also like
the other RTs, but I wrote a guide for this first because it took
the series to a new level, plus it's a part of the 16-bit universe's
Golden Age. It's also a chance to help others on a game I enjoy a lot.
Here's a deeper look into RT3 to get a better understanding of it:

SCORING:
 Poor -> Below Average -> Average -> Above Average -> Excellent

Story: Above Average
   Okay, its not Konami's Metal Gear. You still have simple
 definitions of good guys and bad guys. But the dialogue is
 great, the Rounds tie in extremely well with the plot, and
 you get your share of surprises (i.e. the hijack, Dread's
 self-destruct mechanism, etc.).

Gameplay: Excellent
   You just can't beat the action! It's intense fun as you jump out
 of danger and blast Maskers and other robot monstrosities. Many
 elements from the prequels are present, but vast improvements
 (like the weapons system and the difficulty curve) along with
 kick-ass additions (such as the vehicles and the secret Rounds)
 make this a top-notch game!
   The only serious drawback is the lack of the 2-Player feature.
 Perhaps the MegaDrive/Genesis can't simultaneously deal with 2
 Players and the enhanced visual and audio effects without resulting
 in speed problems, or maybe Namco's decided that concentrating on 1
 Player would result in better gameplay. What's your take? (Because
 Ellen is just as animated as Jay, there's reason to believe that
 she has been originally meant for a 2-Player Mode. At least Namco
 is nice enough to let us play as her via a secret code....)

Replay: Average
   The game is relatively short, even with the Secret Rounds and an
 extra playable character, and there's only 2 Difficulty Settings.
 Still, some gamers will play this again and again for the nice
 story and the fantastic music (more on that below).

Controls: Excellent
   Jay isn't the fastest man in the universe, but his controls
 are responsive and intuitive. All 3 Primary Buttons of the MD/GEN
 Controller are used, giving you more control than in the previous
 installments. I especially like how you can fire your special
 weapons separately from your regular gun.
   Now how about another Button for the Knife, so you can conserve
 your special ammo? Being able to use the extra keys on the 6-Button
 Controller specifically for this would've been even better!

Graphics: Excellent
   Some of the MegaDrive's best visuals are stuffed into this tiny
 little cartridge. The characters are alive with rich details and
 fluid animations, and the backgrounds are flush with movement, such
 as the clouds floating by in the skies, the flames burning at the
 Oil Refinery, the water twisting around outside the Underground
 Base, and the alien surfaces glowing inside Dread's domain. I mean,
 you can breath in the fresh air of Easter Island and feel its cool
 winds ruffling against your loose shirt. Las Vegas awes you with
 all those glittering lights. And don't forget the cinematics, which
 push the story (and the cartridge's memory limits) along with even
 more bits of animation. We have short but very kick-ass Movies here!

Sound Effects: Excellent
   Guns and bombs sound like what they're supposed to be. A lot can
 go on in the speakers without making the audio suffer too much.
 Unfortunately, not every sound effect can be sampled in the
 Configuration Mode....

Voice: Excellent
   The voices are incredibly clear, even given the MegaDrive's
 relatively crappy 8-bit sound processor. You can hear what everyone
 says, and although dying isn't a good thing, you can really feel
 the agony in Jay's "Uullwwrraahh!"

Music: Excellent
   A large variety of lengthy tunes further keeps RT3 interesting!
 Many of the themes are memorable, and they all have a good beat.
 The saxophone is probably the best simulated instrument here.
 The Intro tunes, "Bad Shade" and "Bad Opinion," really flow
 together (but is picking Jay that poor of an opinion???) When
 you hear the sniper's theme, "Bad Movie," you tend to panic and
 lose your cool. What are your favorite pieces? I particularly
 enjoy "5 Black Vol 5," "Bad Rouge," and "Bad Situation."

Overall: Excellent
   With an exciting plot, suspenseful gameplay, fantastic graphics,
 explosive sound effects, awesome music, and clear voices, you
 have in your hands an awesome product that'll make any other spy
 game jealous. RT3's definitely a keeper, especially if you're a
 MegaDrive/Genesis fan (remember how RT3 is the only installment
 in the series that's designed specifically for this console).

   Game on, and keep the action rolling.

 (If you haven't already, check out RT2 to see the other side of the
  story. You'll discover how Geldra has been planning to replenish the
  Masker stock through the cultivation of special marine vertebrates!)

---------------------
[5.5] OTHER SPY GAMES
---------------------

Well, I might as well mention some other games (besides Namco's)
that involve some heavy "spy action," in case you're interested.

Dead Fox / Code Name: Viper (Capcom - NES)
   Capcom's tried to show off Namco by creating a better version
 of RT1. What can I say? They've succeeded! In this game, you are
 "Mr. Smith," a really angry man with a mission. Your boss orders
 you to infiltrate and to stop dead some drug cartels in South
 America, and along the way you rescue prisoners who'll reveal
 an important criminal scheme, bit by bit. The gameplay is similar
 to RT's, where you walk, shoot, and super-jump your way past hordes
 of gun-toting guards. Even the numerical Passwords are similar to
 those in the NES version of RT1!
   The embarrassing part is this early game surpasses RT2 in play
 control, because you can move AND shoot while jumping! Mr. Smith
 can also extend his Life Bar, just like Jay! The only thing Mr.
 Smith can't do is aim up, but the interactive environments (conveyor
 belts, lift tubes, jump springs, etc.) kinda make up for that. I
 guess Namco's "used" Capcom (instead of suing them) to come up with
 RT3. Hardcore RT fans ought to check this out!

Sly Spy (Data East - Arcade)
   Fans of this old arcade title will remember the sultry female voice
 saying the game's name every time its Title Screen appears. Your man
 goes by the name "Sly," but you might as well call him James Bond.
 Everything, from the plot involving Cold War-era ICBMs to the Golden
 Gun to the dude who kills you by throwing a hat with a razor-sharp
 brim, this game reeks of Ian Fleming's playboy-like spy stuff.
   The gameplay somewhat resembles RT's, and you have the basic
 2D platform elements. Special scenes like a parachuting stage,
 a motorcycle stage (unlike Jay, Sly can duck and can aim up on
 his bike), and scuba diving stages add some nice variety into
 the mix. Those interested should get sly with this.

Super Spy (SNK - NeoGeo)
   This tedious game on the NeoGeo seems to take forever to finish,
 but the music is very spy-like, at least. Played from a 1st-person
 perspective, you must help Roy the "Super Spy" sneak into large,
 terrorist-occupied areas to disarm several bombs. You can find
 hostages, who will help you out by providing information, weapons,
 and other good stuff.

Spy Hunter (Bally Midway - Arcade & PS2, Sunsoft - NES)
   Drive a slick car. Blow up enemy spies. That's as simple as this
 old Midway arcade classic gets. Well, maybe not. Your IES G-6155
 Interceptor comes with a lot of secret features and spy gear, such
 as machinecannons concealed under the car hood, smoke screens hidden
 in the trunk, oil droppers mounted behind the rear license plate,
 and missile launchers that pop up on the moon roof for dealing
 with those pesky helicopters.
   If you're playing Super Spy Hunter, also add in a morphing chassis
 (think of dune buggies and fighter jets), an automated turret system,
 smart bombs, tire slashers, wicked jumps, large bosses, bad ass tunes
 that change as you drive, and more.
   If you're playing the more aggressive PS2 Spy Hunter, expect a new
 objective-based mission system, EMP cannons, flamethrowers, railguns,
 stealth fields, and - of course - an even cooler-looking Interceptor!

Elevator Action (Taito - Arcade, NES, & Saturn)
   More hiding-behind-the-door action here coupled with moving lifts
 that tend to crush bad guys and unwary spies to a horrible death.
 Sneak into dangerous buildings and plant bombs in important rooms
 before running out like hell seconds before everything behind
 you turns to a smoking mesh of concrete and human fluids. The
 2D gameplay is simple yet exciting.
   If you're playing the significantly-improved sequel, help
 Kart Bradfield, Edie Burrows, and Jad "The Taff" infiltrate
 a diverse bunch of structures to complete the same objective
 from the previous installment... but with more flash! We're
 talking about butt-loads of special weapons, inspired stage
 design, and freakin' incredible graphics!!

------------------------------------------------------
[5.6] REALLY SMALL DETAILS NO SECRET AGENT CARES ABOUT
------------------------------------------------------

Patterns of the Secret Rounds
 Those Secret Rounds share a few things in common. They always
 replace Rounds where you can't start with a special weapon.
 What is the meaning of this? And why are the previous Rounds
 (the ones you enter Secret Rounds from) always some sort of
 big, boring facility, like a factory or a base? And notice
 how the entrance to a Secret Round is always located behind
 a destructible object within a vertically-scrolling area?
 Is it coincidence? Or is Geldra just not trying anymore?

Funny Damage
 The Life System in Rolling Thunder 3 is really, really weird.
 While Jay's special weapons deal a wide range of damage to his
 enemies (from the weak Revolver bullets to the almighty Bazooka
 rockets), Jay himself can only receive two types of hurt. He gets
 either 1 Point of damage or 2, but never more. That explains why
 a Cracker explosion deals only 2 Points of damage to him if he
 touches it, even though the same blast deals 8 Points to a Masker.
 Oh yeah, if you're wondering how Jay can kill himself with his
 own explosives, do the following. Equip the Cannon, the Grenade,
 or the Cracker. As soon as the projectile leaves Jay, jump forwards
 to catch up to the explosion (because jumping helps break Jay out
 of his firing/throwing animation, which is designed to prevent
 him from walking into his own attacks). You can also try bouncing
 Cannon shells back into yourself. This is very silly....

Something Wrong with the Scenery
 Do people see the Geldra Organization as a modern day equivalent
 of Robin Hood's Band of Merry Men? Notice how the first Round's
 Movie displays a picture of Dread mixing in with other humans.
 Maybe we're ready to meet aliens without freaking out???

Las Vegas Casinos
 Have you checked out those casinos in the fourth Round's background?
 (I don't recall seeing any of them when I was actually in Vegas!)
 Let's take a look at some of 'em:
   "Moon Street" (the casino the Round's path courses through)
   "Cats Hall"
   "Golden Night"
   "Star Casino"
   "King Coin"
   "Gold Lake"
   "Red Rose"
 There are some other details too, but they are too small to
 read. I've also noticed a cowgirl sign, something that looks
 like "Mimi," and a big, fat, super-happy-looking blimp! (In
 Technos' Super Double Dragon 4, the casino in the first Mission
 is called "Star on the Star." Maybe it's related to "Star Casino?")

Fear, Loathing, and Vandalism in Las Vegas
 Did I tell you about this already? You can break certain stuff along
 Moon Street. The light boxes can be blown up with 5 bullets. The
 lights on the street lamps can be shattered more easily with a single
 round. Just for fun, you can also try tossing Grenades up at them!

Something Wrong with the Scenery 2
 What kind of airline does Jay go to? I'm really interested because
 the plane he's on during the hijacking scene has plenty of room.
 In fact, there's so much room, the movie screen is about three city
 blocks away from the rear seats! Can anyone use the wing you see in
 the background (look through the windows about a quarter way into
 the Round) to measure the length of this super-long fuselage? I
 also hope the food is decent, because there are no washrooms aboard!

Jay on the Road... and Sea
 Have you noticed how Jay shoots from vehicles? On the bike, it
 seems that he fires with both hands. How does he keep the bike
 upright? And on the jetski, he fires with his left hand. I
 thought he's right-handed!

More Water Stuff
 Anybody knows the number of the boat that Jay gets off from in
 the sixth Round? You can only make out the last two digits: 21.

More Road Stuff
 After Dread throws out the Flash Grenades and Jay stops on the
 Highway, what happens to all the other cars? Maybe the blinding
 flash of light causes everybody behind Jay to crash and clutter
 up the Highway with bodies, oil, broken glass, and lots o' blood,
 blocking off everything that will otherwise smash into Jay.

Something Wrong with the Scenery 3
 In the first Round, plenty of pipes in the Oil Refinery are leaking,
 and small fires lie burning all over the drums. An important lesson
 here: fire is not good next to vast amounts of fuel! If the stuff's
 been burning BEFORE Jay arrived, how come the Maskers hanging around
 haven't fixed it up? Dread will be so pissed when he arrives to
 work, only to find a smoking crater in the desert....

Ellen's Outfit
 The Ellen you play as a secret character is different from the
 one who shows up in the Movies. Her clothing is more casual, plus
 it's a bit more revealing - just check her out on the Game Over
 Screen or pause when she shoots her gun! Eeeewwww...!

Jay's Outfit
 During the Staff Credits, you see Jay standing over the rubble
 of Dread's castle. It's nice to know that he somehow survives
 the blast, but why is his clothing different? Didn't he come
 in WITHOUT a jacket?!

Missing Island
 From the coordinates given by Ellen, Dread's castle is located
 in the Denmark Strait, between Greenland and Iceland. I guess
 nobody ever notices some green guy flying in and outta there....
 (Hmmm, aren't there nuke silos hidden in nearby Reykjavik too?)

Something Wrong with the Scenery 4
 Man, Las Vegas must be one hell of a place. Not only do you get
 legalized gambling and flashy lights, you also get creepy robots
 walking around without anyone noticing! Maybe people think the
 fancy female Maskers are a part of a show or something (but that
 doesn't explain the gunfire...). And there's still that door with
 a "Bazooka" sign next to it. I've gotta go back ta' Vegas someday!

Masker Magicians
 You know how some Maskers can shoot low, right? But do you also
 notice how their shots don't even come out from their guns?! Check
 it out - when those Maskers kneel to fire, the bullets come out
 from a point that's way off from the barrels of their pistols!

Jay Looks Up to James Bond
 If you've watched The Man with the Golden Gun, you may remember
 that scene where 007 (played by Roger Moore) flies his little
 plane over to the bad guy's island. Compare James from that part
 to Jay - the two look like the same! Down to the clothes, the
 tie, and even the haircut, the Namco guys seem to have "borrowed"
 the looks of Ian Fleming's super spy for their own secret agent.

Time Crisis Is Really the Sequel to Rolling Thunder
 Have you noticed the similarities between these series? Both star
 secret agents and sport heavy gun-and-hide action (sometimes with
 killer robots). Both RT2 and TC2 involve space shuttles, too!

Krezzy Comparisons (TC=RT continued)
 Just for fun, let's compare Jay (RT3) to Richard Miller (TC1).

 Name                                    Jay    Richard
 Is a secret agent                        x        x
 Doesn't work with a partner              x        x
 Carries infinite ammo                    x        x
 Uses a big revolver                      x
 Uses a bigger semi-auto                           x
 Doesn't have to reload                   x
 Can hide behind cover                    x        x
 Always has cover to hide behind                   x
 Has super-human abilites
    (i.e. super-jump or climb castle
     walls without any special gear)      x        x
 Stars in a plot involving a pretty girl  x        x
 Gets to save the girl                             x
 Gets really "involved" with the girl     x
 Kills nasty robots                       x        x
 Kills brightly colored baddies           x        x
 Fights a lunatic for a boss                       x
 Fights an alien for a boss               x
 Fights this boss in a castle             x        x
 Drops dead with 1 bullet on Hard Mode    x        x
 Wears a cool leather jacket                       x
 Actually says something                  x
 Winner                                      Tie!

 Both heroes are really cool, although their similarities may be
 somewhat unsettling. And are Rachel MacPherson and Ellen's voices
 done by the same actress who did Artemis in Phelios (also made by
 Namco)? Maybe they're done by different people, but the MegaDrive's
 far-from-perfect sound processor can really screw up what you're
 supposed to be hearing....

======================================================================
VI. CREDITS - Who should I thank? I'm not at liberty to say....
======================================================================

[6.1] Namco (www.namco.com)
 Without developers like these guys, I would have taken cyanide by
 now from a lack of good games. Namco has talent, but you already know
 that, right? (I wonder what its next spy action game will be....)
 Here's a list of a few other Namco titles, in case you're interested:
 -> Pac-Man (Various platforms)
     The original arcade smash. Go around eating yellow pills while
   you avoid "ghosts" cruising around, trying to kick your ass.
   Don't forget to find the big pills that let you eat the ghosts!
   Wugga wugga wugga wooo wooo wooo!!
 -> Xevious (Various platforms)
     One of the early arcade shooters. Flying the Solvalou Fighter,
   your mission is to defend Earth from the evil Xevian forces. The
   screen scrolls vertically from an overhead view. Unlike Gradius
   or R-Type, Xevious has never become a ridiculously long series.
   Still, you can find its latest installment (in full 3D glory)
   on the arcade & PSX.
 -> Galaga & Galaxian (Various platforms)
     More shooter action, only you get to take down wave after
   wave of bad guys in a style that is vaguely reminiscent of
   Space Invaders'. Namco worked with Atari to bring these out
   initially!
 -> Dragon Slayer 4 / Legacy of the Wizard (NES)
     Controlling the 5 members of a family of heroes, set out on a
   2D quest to collect a bunch of artifacts and stop the evil dragon,
   Keela. Developed by Falcom, the guys behind Faxanadu, this game
   offers loads of maze-like dungeons and plenty of dangers. (Namco's
   only distributed the Japanese version of this game.)
 -> Phelios (Arcade, SMD/Genesis)
     Heh heh heh.... I love this one! As Apollo, rescue Artemis from
   the clutches of Typhon in vertically-scrolling shooter action.
   The Phelios is a magical sword that fires bursts of solar energy,
   and it will serve you well in your final battle, after you ride
   Pegasus through all of Mythical Greece, battling a variety of
   legendary monsters.
     Anyone who reads enough Greek mythology will know that Artemis
   and Apollo are twin sister and brother, but this game treats them
   as lovers!! OH YEAH!!!!  ;p
 -> Burning Force (Arcade, SMD/Genesis)
     Ride hovercycles and flying craft armed with big guns in this
   forward-scrolling action game. As Hiromi, survive 6 grueling
   Days of blasting enemies in this strange world. Dig the graphics!
 -> Marvel Land (Arcade, SMD/Genesis)
     Save a super-cute world in this colorful 2D platformer. Don't
   let the theme fool you though; the challenge is intense!
 -> Klonoa (PSX, PS2, GBA)
     More cutesy action, but even better.
 -> Dragon Spirit: The New Legend (Arcade, NES, PCE/TG16)
     As Lace, take on the powers of a dragon and save your sister,
   Iris, from the forces of evil in this vertical shooter. Sounds
   familiar? Yeah, Phelios definitely took off from this (especially
   with the sister-brother thing). Also see the sequel, Dragon Saber.
 -> Tekken (Various platforms)
     Arguably one of the best 3D tournament fighters out there.
   Plenty of moves and intricate combos make this a must for any
   fan of its genre. Tekken translates roughly into "Iron Fist."
 -> Soul Edge & Soul Calibur (Various platforms)
     Another fine tournament fighting series. This makes a great
   complement to the Tekken games.
 -> Ridge Racer (Various platforms)
     Arcade-style racing can't get any better. Too bad you can't
   lean out from your window and squeeze off a few shots to get
   rid of some competition....
 -> Time Crisis (Arcade, PSX, PS2)
     I shoot people all the time on this, but I still can't get
   enough of it (except through RT). With killer gunfire and
   thrilling situations, lightgun fans can't miss with TC. Now
   if we can hook up the V.S.S.E. dudes with the Rolling Thunder
   people, we should have one hell of a time!
 -> Point Blank (Arcade, PSX)
     More lightgun action. Unlike TC, there's no real point to
   this. You just shoot targets in pure arcade fashion, but its
   mutli-Player features should provide some serious fun for fans.
 -> Legend of Valkyrie (Arcade, PCE/TG16)
     This very interesting action-adventure stars a wacky cast of
   unique characters. As the brave Valkyrie (she doesn't have much
   of a name...), travel over many lands to locate and defeat the
   evil sorceress, Malix. Played from an overhead perspective, expect
   lots of perilous jumps and pits, tons of treasures and magical
   items, and plenty of traps and nasty baddies.
 -> Sandra / Whirlo (SNES)
     Fans of the Legend of Valkyrie must see this obscure "prequel."
   The side-scrolling gameplay is unnecessarily difficult, but the
   story is even more intense. Discover the origins of your future
   friends, like Steve the Caulkman, and learn why (and how) Sandra
   hooks up with Valkyrie!

[6.2] Sega (www.sega.com)
 I need a platform to play on, of course. While Sega is usually
 seen to lag behind in the market, it makes consoles that support
 some very nifty games.

[6.3] Sega Visions
 Remember Sega Visions, the now-defunct official publication? I've
 gotten my first taste of RT2 and RT3 by reading this, and I've also
 learned of the Secret Rounds and the "GREED" Password from here!
 (August/September 1993 Issue, featuring Sega Sports on the front
  cover, page 48; I think Gau's Ranger X - featured on the page
  opposite to RT3's - is damn cool too!)

[6.4] F.X. Nine
 This guy has written short novels based on the storylines from old
 8-bit NES games, which is kinda like fanfics, only people pay real
 money to read them. Nine's stories have inspired me to transfer
 the action from RT3's Movies into the ASCII text you see above.
 And I'm doing it for free!!  :o

[6.5] Jeff Rovin
 His pocket books packed full with gaming tips have inspired me to
 write guides. Of course, he gets paid while all I get from writing
 this is the knowledge that I've helped some people (like how many,
 two?) out there. Woo hoo!

[6.6] The site you've found this classified document on
 Thanks to the host for kindly posting this up. I need an outlet to
 let loose my blabbering personality since real life always tells me
 to shut up. Even spies need to blow off steam occasionally....

[6.7] My fellow Faididis & Spherelanders
 For helping me through the game and figuring out the best
 strategies. Plus they're really funny, and they let me
 hang out with the "Alien Masker Music Band" backstage.

======================================================================
======================================================================

I hope you enjoy playing Rolling Thunder 3 and reading this guide.
Got questions or comments? Wanna tell me that I've missed something?
Wanna talk about robots and aliens? Wanna arrange a soccer game
between Maskers and Pac-Man? Or do you just wanna say my writing
sucks for a secret spy? Feel free to e-mail me at

  faididi@hotmail.com

... or post something at Rolling Thunder 3's Message Board
at GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com).

Also feel free to visit the staff's site.
Get your extra gaming info, fun pictures, and illegal goods down at

  www.geocities.com/ed057/index.html

Let us carry on the Golden Torch of Videogaming until the sun
explodes and all life on Earth dies a horrible, horrible death,
and no one cares, except for Geldra, who gets another alien
leader to take over the remains of our world.  :)
