Rockman 8 Game Hints

Story for Rockman 8--Metal Heroes: After his defeat in the last Rockman game, Dr. Wily runs to hiding on a small Pacific island, while Rockman, Roll, and Dr. Light return to their peaceful existence for a short time.
Meanwhile, in the inky blackness of space, some really cool anime takes place. Two mysterious beings, seemingly comprised of energy, duel. In case the viewer can't guess, the one with the pure, blue, crystalline light is the good guy (Duo). The bad guy is the one with the menacing violet nimbus surrounding him, with a face like a skull.
After a cataclysmic battle, the two robots plunge to Earth, where they land on a small, Pacific island. Hmmm . . .
Dr, Light orders Rockman to investigate, and the race is on.

New Features: Like the last game, Rockman must collect bolts in order to obtain upgrades. Unlike the last game, there are only a limited number of bolts in the game, and they all seem to be Hyper Bolts (which is interesting, because Roll runs the shop this time, not Big Eddie). Of the Rush Adaptor Suit, nothing can be seen. As a matter of fact, you can only call Rush for few certain purposes, none of which help Rockman to leap, get across pits, etc...
Also new to the game is the feature of Rockman's companions actually coming to fight with him (of course, Blues is nowhere to be seen--apparently, he's off on some "important" mission). Nearly every character in the game has a speaking part, which is both good and bad. The is gone (dang it!), making the game a lot harder.
There are no passwords here, just the ability to save (if you have a memory card on your PSX or Saturn).
In addition, there are a ton of items, which I will describe here.

Items

Rock Ball--given to Rockman during the intro stage. Pretty much just a useless toy, the Rock Ball can be dribbled (like a soccer ball) kicked, or leaped on.

Rush Bomber--obtained by defeating the mid-stage robot in Swordman's demesne. Rush (in sled form) jets across the top of the screen back and forth dropping explosives! Like the bike form, he has a timer, and when it's done, so is Rush.

Rush Charger--acquired from the Donut of Death. Rush teleports in and chucks a random power-up at Rockman, a bit like Eddie in the other Rockman games. If you're really lucky, you'll get a yashishi (see Rockman 1)!

Rush Cycle--obtained by defeating the Junk-Eye in Grenademan's stage. It's a bit like the Hovercycle Rockman X2. Rush has a timer which counts down; once time's up, Rush leaves. If you get off the bike early, it won't come back during the stage.

Rush Health--acquired from the Falling Saw-Crab in Aquaman's level. It's just like the Rush Bomber except that Rush drops power-ups instead of bombs.

For sale

Arrow Shot--Charged Rock Buster shots are fired as a yellow arrow of energy which splits into six when it hits something.

Power Shield--Very useful; when Rockman gets hit, he doesn't fall back! Yes! No more getting knocked off of cliffs by the power of an enemy's plasma burst!

Auto Shoot--when your Rock Buster reaches full charge it automatically rapid-fires.

Spare Extra--instead of starting with two lives, Rockman starts with four.

Energy Balancer--just like in Rockman 6 and 7, it means that Rockman can pick up weapon energy and refill weapons without being equipped with them at the time.

Energy Saver--weapons take less energy to fire, meaning you can fire more of them with less energy!

Exit--just like always; it allows Rockman to leave a stage that he has already defeated no matter where he is.

Laser Shot--Wow! Charged Rock Buster shots are fired as a giant laser instead of as a ball of super-heated plasma. It passes throgh anything, even if it doesn't kill it. Very useful!

Shooting Part--the basic rule of thumb used to be that Rockman can only have three plasma bursts on the screen at one time. This part changes that number to five.

Spare Charger--Whenever you leave a stage, your extra lives go back up to full (2 noramlly, 4 if you have the Spare Extra).

Step Booster--lets Rockman climb ladders faster (only useful on Swordman's stage in the falling tower).

Super Recover--when Rockman picks up a weapons energy or life energy, he recovers more than normal.

Robot Masters: Here it is--Rockman's idiotic order. The Robot Masters in this game are difficult enough without a dunce like Rockman screwing up the order, but that's beside the point. Here's his order:

Right, then. Enough with the babble: here are the Robot Masters and their weaknesses.

Oops! I lied! First, I'll give afew hints about the opening stage:
Watch for the opening Skull Portal, and go in--there's a bolt in there.
At the Spider-like Stage Master, hit him first with a charged Rock Buster shot, and then blast the inner module while he's stunned.
Okay, now for the Robot Masters.p>

Frostman
Weapon: Ice Wave
Strategy: Frostman's greatest strength (like a lot of Robot Masters) is his level. Getting past the jet-sled parts of the stage was murder. When you finally reach Frostman, use either the Flash bombs or a charged up Rock Buster to defeat him.
When you fight the Robot Masters, they will speak. Here are the lines (as far as I can tell).
When you first meet: Freeze! I will crush you . . . I will beat you!
or, Freeze! I will crush you . . . I will make a popsicle of you!
When you hit him: Indistinguishable "aargh" sound.
When you kill him: A louder, indistinguishable "aargh" sound.

Tenguman
Weapon: Tornado Hold
Strategy: When i saw this guy's stage, I thought Oh, great--another Airman/Windman repeat. Boy, was I wrong! This guy is the coolest Robot Master I've ever seen (so don't be surprised if pictures of him start showing up all over my pages)! Use the Ice Wave against him when he swoops low, and avoid his Tornado Hold and that cool spinning sphere of wind currents.
When you first meet: Are you worthy of my challenge?
or, Kid, you're almost not worth the effort!
or, You're kidding! It's just a kid!
When you hit him: Nuts!
or No way!
or an indistinguishable sound of anger.
When you kill him: It is regretful.

Clownman
Weapon: Thunder Claw
Strategy: Use Tornado Hold to bring Clownman out of his swing, and don't stnad still when you hear him cry "Thunder Claw!"
When you first meet: Yo, geeky!
or I'll make you join my men!
or You've got no chance!
or Weakling! This isn't a joking matter!
When you hit him: Hey! What are you doing!?
or Mommy!!
or What have you done to me?
When you kill him: "See you in my dreams."

Grenademan
Weapon: Flash Bomb
Strategy: Wow! Is this guy a sadomasochist, or what? Use the Thunder Claw on him, and keep out of his way when you hear him yell "Crush!" Keep hitting him, and don't panic when he yells "Crazy destroy!" and blows away hte floor; you'll just end up in a room that looks strikingly similar to Flashman's, except with batter graphics (wait a minute--Flash Stopper, Flash Bombs . . . could it be? Nah!)
When you first meet him: Ha ha ha! Crush everything!
or Ha ha ha! Meet my cute bombs!
or I'll be nice to you! (Isn't he sweet?)
or I'll punish you! (Wait a minute! You just said--)
When you hit him: Hee hee hee!
When you kill him: That felt good! (I guess a huge grenade likes it when he explodes).

About now, Rockgirl--I mean, Rockman--will step into Dr. Light's lab in Tokyo and ask if everything is okay. Dr. Fudd . . . er, Light, answers that everything is okay. Rockman presents his benefactor with a few mysterious energy spheres (purple . . . hmmm) that look amazingly like pulsating skulls. Dr. Light surmises that they must be some form of energy, and that Dr. Wiwy probably has the rest.
As the badly-voiced pair leaves the room, the mysterious robot saved from the crater on Wily's island by Dr. Light awakes. It's the blue-energy being that was fighting in space (gasp)! Seeing the violet energy capsules, he growls. "He's still alive!" the robot snarls, and blasts through the roof in pusuit of the the purple energy-being. Rockman and Dr. Light run into the room, and Rockman is dispatched to find the mysterious robot.
Immediately following is another mini-stage. About half of the way through, Rockman encounters the mysterious robot, who proclaims "I can't let you interfere with my mission!" Of course, Rockman has to fight. Use the Flash Bombs--they work best--and dodge everything the robot throws at you. After a short fight, the robot announces that he senses a strong sense of justice in Rockman, and vanishes just as Blues makes a cameo appearance.
After following the robot, Rockman finds "Wily Tower" (remember the mini game at the end of the Wily Wars?) There, he encounters Dr. Wily's newest bodyguard, who is close to making short work of Rockman, when the mysterious robot appears again and destroys Dr. Wily's monstrosity. He is Duo, he says, and here to stop the "Dark Energy," a being of ultimate evil (in fact, the American version calls it "Evil Energy.")
Then it's on to the next set of Robot Masters.
Astroman
Weapon: Astro Crush
Strategy: Jeez! For such an easy guy to defeat, his level sure is a pain! Here's a tip: when the fractal sun in the background changes its shape, the platforms appear or disappear. When you get to Astroman, use powered up Homing Snipers, or powered-up Rock-Buster shots to defeat him.
When you meet him: How did you find me? I feel so embaressed! or I've come here, but I don't know what to do!
When you hit him: I hate it when that happens! I can't take this anymore!
When you kill him: Good grief! (What dignified last words)

Aquaman
Weapon: Water Balloon
Strategy: What a little pansy boy (or, to judge by the voice, pansy girl)! Hit him with the Astro Crush (which is a really cool effect) until you run out of energy, and then use the Rock Buster to finish him off.
When you first meet him: Finally, it's my turn! I'm Aquaman!
or I'm Aquaman, but you can call me "handsome guy!"
or I've been waiting for you!
When you hit him: No!
or Ai ai ai! (Lucy, I'm home!)
When you kill him: That was luck!

Swordman
Weapon: Flame Sword
Strategy: Keep out of this guy's way when he yells "Flame Sword!" and you'll be all right. Hit him a few times with the Water Ballon, and you've got it made.
When you first meet: Let's make this a fair fight!
or I won't hold back!
or I'll do my best!
or Nothing personal, but I've got orders!
When you hit him: Not yet!
When you kill him: Nice shot!

Searchman
Weapon: Homing Sniper
Strategy: Talk about a split personality! Beware the bushes, for they hold evil. Just use the Flame Sword to clear them away and hit Searchman (men?) over and over. Watch out when he/they jump, and keep away when he/they yell "Homing Sniper!"
When you first meet: Head one: Begin mission! Head two: Yes sir!
or Head one: Ready? Head two: Yeah, let's go!
or Head one: Hey boy. Head two: Come on!"
When you hit him: Head one: Ouch! Head two: Oh no!
When you kill him: Head one: Wily! Head two: Bonzai!

First Guardian
Ceiling Pistons: There had to be a use for the Rock Ball somewhere in the game, and here it is! You have to stand in just the right spot to make the ball ricochet up the tunnel in which the piston with the eyes is (hit that one; the others are nothing but trouble).

Second Guardian
Gyro-ship: Use the Flash Bomb or Rock Buster for best results. Get out of the way of the lasers when they fire in unison, and remember that you can only hit the ship when the silver-green panels on the wings open up. From time to time (depending on how low your life bar is) you will get surprise capsules that summon either Big Eddie, Eddie, Beat, or give Rush a triple shot adaption.

Third Stage Mid-Guardian: Forte and Gospel, take II
Strategy: Defeating these guys is easy. Although Forte looks very cool in his Dark Energy upgrade armor, he isn't much to worry about. As a matter of fact, he was more of a problem in the seventh Rockman game! Use whatever works for you (I found Astro Crush charged Rock Buster to be the best thing to use) and laugh at Forte once again as he is defeated.
Third Guardian
Cyclops Redux: Much like its rocky cousin, the gel cyclops has an attack pattern that is insultingly easy to memorize. Use the Flash Bombs to open a path to the protected eye module, and then hit it with a charged Rock Buster shot.

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And finally, Dr. Wily!
First form: Use the Astro Crush and Flash Bombs to take out Wily's latest miricle of modern technology, and avoid the spinning blades it launches. Shoot the mouth to stop the evil laser of death from firing, and get ready for the hardest Wily Mech ever!
Second Form: Does this attack pattern look familiar? It should! As a matter of fact, it's exactly the same as in Rockman 7, except with better graphics! Somehow, it seems harder (maybe because there are no energy tanks). The Flame Sword, being the only non-projectile weapon in the game, and therefore the hardest to hit Dr. Wily with, works best. My advice: dodge, dodge, dodge.

Well, Dr. Wily does his amazing "bow down and beg for mercy," trick, while saying "Sorry. I was wrong."
Rockman, having started to grown some common sense by now, snaps that it's always the same thing, over and over. As he is about to put an end to Dr. Wily, the Dark Energy appears and attacks! Rockman falls to the ground.
As the scene fades back in, Rockman lies on the ground, unconscious from the attack of the Dark Energy. From the distance, Duo approaches, and leans over Rockman's battered body.
"This is not good," he surmises after a few moments' observation. "He has been affected by the Dark Energy." Duo gives a mighty yell (yes, that's supposed to sound corny) and raises his hand, which turns into a glowing blue mass of energy.
At first, you think "Last time he did that, he chopped a giant robot's head in half! I don't think I want to see this next part . . ." But it turns out that Duo is calling on his restorative powers to heal Rockman. "If your mind hasn't succumbed to the Dark Energy, you may yet live," Duo says. As if Rock can hear him at that point anyway. As Duo heals Rock, he murmers, "Rockman . . . I can see into your mind." What follows is a brief flashback of still drawings, showing Rock fightning various evil robots, foiling a bank robbery, saving a puppy and whisking two children away from certain doom.
Duo removes his hand and says in wonder. "You have been working so hard for justice. With your help, this planet will survive."
Just then, Blues, having seen that all the real work is done, runs to Rock's side. "What happened?" he asks.
Duo reassures Blues that Rock will be all right. Before he leaves, however, he has a favor to ask for the red robot (hey,that's alliteration right there).
Later, Rockman wakes up to Roll's voice in Dr. Light's lab. Roll is overjoyed to see that Rock is okay, as are Eddie and Auto.
"Am I alive?" Rock asks.
"Yes, you are. Duo saved you." Dr. Light answers. He misses a really good chance to say "No, you're dead. Doesn't it suck?" Oh, well.
Rock is watching the sun set later when he hears Blues' voice. "Duo is gone," Blues saus, "But he asked me to give you a message."
"From Duo?" Rock asks. "Yes, you idiot. Isn't that what I just said? Pay attention, you moron!" At least that's what Blues should say. But he doesn't. He just says "Yes, he said 'Thank you.' "
"Thank you, too Duo," Rock answers, and looks to the sky.
After that, the credits roll. Overall Ratings:
Graphics: 9
Game Play: 9
Ending: 10
Difficulty: 7.5

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