Brave Fencer Musashiden FAQ User's Manual translated by Henry H. Jerng, PhD at hjerng@leland, stanford.edu on August 1, 1998 It is more than likely that the readers of this FAQ have purchased Brave Fencer Musashiden and are looking for some assistance for the game. To you, I would like to say Musashiden is a wonderful game, and I hope that this translation will offer you a good deal of help in coming to grips with it. Musashiden has an enormous amount of text and voice- acting, and I wish you much patience and luck. To the curious others, I would like to suggest that Brave Fencer Musashiden is the best Squaresoft RPG game since Final Fantasy Tactics, the last Squaresoft game I seriously worked on. Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon was too shallow and repetitive. Front Mission 2 had depth and an excellent play system but was plagued by unacceptable load times. Parasite Eve had a great story, innovative game system, and incredible FMV but lacked intensity and personality. It is not to say that these other game were not enjoyable; it is just that they were not assembled as well as Musashiden. Musashiden incorporates several elements which came together perfectly. Everything is rendered in textured polygons, occasonally rotatable/zoomable. Time mattered in terms of lighting effects, shop opening/closing, and character development. Simultaneous multiple weapons has different effects, and one of which can absorb enemy powers (an element which will be incorporated into FFVIII). RPG is combined with action similar to Crash Bandicoot in a balanced way. And there is in-game voice acting along with text, which helps enormously to build the game's great personality: humor. Again, good luck. It's back to Musashiden for me. Henry ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------------- (Cover) BRAVE FENCER MUSASHIDEN (Inside Cover) As always, thank you for purchasing "Brave Fencer Musashiden". Read this manual before playing to further your enjoyment of the game. Then, please carefully keep this manual for future reference. For Japan Only/ One Player/ Memory Care- One Block/ Analog Controller- Shock (Page 1) TABLE OF CONTENTS page 2: The Musashi Legend and the Crisis in Yakuinikku Kingdom page 4: Character Introduction page 8: How to Use the Controller page 11: How to Start the Game page 12: How to View the Screen page 16: Musashi's Actions page 18: Get-in System page 20: Raygund (Sword of Light) and the Book of Five Wheels page 22: Musashi's Development and the Concept of Time page 24: About Save page 25: The Yakuinikku Castle and the Amiyakui Village page 30: Item page 32: Musashi's Sure-kill Techniques (Page 2) THE MUSASHI LEGEND AND THE CRISIS IN YAKUINIKKU KINGDOM The Musashi Legend Go back in time to 160 years ago. A giant demon appeared suddenly in the Ru-Coarlu Empire, a country neighboring the Yakuinikku Kingdom. The demon was called "the devil of darkness", and its body was alive and made of almost competely pure Binchotite. "The devil of darkness" easily cornored the Ru-Coarlu Empire into destruction, and then was going after the Yakuinikku Kingdom where there is a rich source of Binchotite. The wake of the demon projected enormous effects on all the plants and surrounding life forms, and many monsters were born. The king of Yakuinikku, after learning of the coming attack of "the devil of darkness", immediately ordered the "Hero Summon". The "Hero Summon" is a power like magic which has been passed down the princesses of the Yakuinikku Kingdom from generation to generation. It is the kingdom's greatest secret technique- when the kingdom falls into a crisis, the princess can focus her prayer in a Binchotite especially used for Hero Summon and summon a HERO. The summoned hero was a fencer with two swords called Musashi. Musashi heard her wish and left on a journey to battle and defeat "the devil of darkness". Musashi and "the devil of darkness" continued a violent battle. Although he held a hero's power, it was difficult to defeat "the devil of darkness". All he could do was to seal the devil with the power of the Raygund, his sword of light. Musashi then separated the power of the sealed devil monster into five elements: earth, water, fire, wind, and sky. With elemental crests, Musashi was able to seal the devil. These five powers were called "the Book of Five Wheels", and the stories of the books were handed down along with the Musashi legend. (Page 3) Now, a Crisis Befalls the Yakuinikku Kingdom Again... That was an event that happened all too sudden. The Yakuinikku Kingdom and the Ru-Coarlu Empire had a disruption of diplomatic relations, and the tensions were high. One day, Ru-Coarlu suddenly mounted a surprise attack. By chance, the king and queen of Yakuinikku were on an extended leave of absence. Forces of the Ru-Coarlu Empire, apparently planned the timing of their attack, was after one thing: to capture the Raygund, the famous sword of light in the Musashi legend. Unable to cope with the surprise attack, the Yakuinikku army was put to rout, and when the enemy drew step-by-step closer to the castle, the elders who manage the castle decided on the "Hero Summon". (Page 4) CHARACTER INTRODUCTION MUSASHI- A hot-blooded fencer who was summoned by Princess Fiere of the Yakuinikku Kingdom. Her country is experiencing a crisis. Musashi knew that he cannot return to his home world if he cannot realize the Princess' wish. So he, without recourse, goes out on a journey... He is our two-sworded hero who loves to fight. (Page 5) Princess FIERE- The king and queen's beloved daughter. She summoned Musashi using the Hero Summon technique that was passed down the royal family for generations. She has a tomboyish, mischievous personality, and she will get her "fingers burned" by the circumstances. Examiner REBAN, Priest HARCHINOSE, and Butler YUKKERU- The three people who assist the king and manages the Yakuinikku Kingdom. They always get their "fingers burned" by Princess Fiere's tomboyishness. (Page 6) KOJIRO- A fencer who was summoned to this world to go after Musashi. In his home world, he was following Musashi and pressing for a duel. LEADERS FORCE (TOBO, ED, and BEN)- A mysterious three-person team where each member insists he/she is the leader. (Page 7) BOLDOR- A major in the Ru-Coarlu army, leading the Emperial Mechanized Squad. With various techniques, he will obstruct Musashi's way. WOKKA- The confident subordinate of generalissimo TEKIERA of the Ru- Coarlu Empire. He always judges situations with constant coolness and composure. BRANDY and RIKYURU- The sisters in charge of Ru-Coarlu army's information division. Rumor has it that the beautiful sisters won first and second places in the Ru-Coarlu Empire's beauty contest. (Page 8) HOW TO USE THE CONTROLLER To change the vibration on or off, please set it in the "Config" under the "Command" item in the Sub Screen. (Analog Controller) LEFT STICK- Use when the LED is lit. L2 or R2 BUTTON- Change perspective. SELECT BUTTON- (1) Change between Active or Sleep Mode. (2) Dual shock vibration off. START BUTTON- Call out the sub screen. (Normal Controller) The functions of every button on the normal controller is the same as the analog controller. (Page 9) WHEN ON THE FIELD: DIRECTIONAL KEYS/ LEFT STICK- Musashi's movement (to push, get in contact with an obstacle and continue pressing the directional key.) SQUARE BUTTON- Attack with the lightning sword. If you continue attack, you can swing 4 in a roll. (1) Get-in. (2) Investigate chests and etc. (3) Sees notice boards. TRIANGLE BUTTON- (1) Attack with Raygund. (2) Use the Books of Five Wheels. X BUTTON- Jump (if you are equipped with some item, you can do a second jump by pressing the X button once more). CIRCLE BUTTON- Use the Get-in technique. R1 BUTTON- (1) Defend (During action, it is effective only if you push it). (2) For Get-in. WHEN IN THE VILLAGE: DIRECTIONAL KEYS/ LEFT STICK- Musashi's movement. SQUARE BUTTON- (1) Conversation. (2) Knock on doors. (3) Sees notice signs. X BUTTON- Jump L2, R2 BUTTONS- Change perspective. BASIC MENU CONTROL: DIRECTIONAL KEY/ LEFT STICK- Move chosen item. CIRCLE BUTTON/ SQUARE BUTTON- (1) Decide. (2) Send text. (in the store, sub screen) X BUTTON- (1) Cancel in the menu (in shops, sub screen). (2) Voice skip. OTHER FUNCTIONS: WALK SLOWLY- While pressing the L1 button, if you press directional key Musashi will walk carefully. STRONG VIBRATION OFF- If you continuously press the select button during the game, you can turn off the dual shock vibration. SOFT RESET- Press the start button, call out the sub screen. If you press L1, L2, R1, R2, select, and start all at the same time, you can soft reset the game. (Page 10) Illustration. (Page 11) HOW TO START THE GAME 1. Please set the "Brave Fencer Musashiden" disk in your PlayStation and press the power button. After the PlayStation logo, both a demo and title will be shown. 2. On the title screen, the menu below is shown. - from beginning - from continue - To Play from Beginning To play from the beginning, use the directional keys and put the cursor on the "from beginning". Then please press the start button. After the story demo is shown, the game will start. - To Play from Continue 1. On PlayStation's slot 1, please make sure that a memory card with a saved game is inserted. 2. Choose "from continue" on the title page, then press the start button. The screen on the right will be shown. 3. Choose the saved data you want to load with the directional keys. Please then press the circle button. 4. A game will restart from the point the game was saved. (Page 12) HOW TO VIEW THE SCREEN 1. Boss Health Gauge- It shows the health of the boss you are now fighting. (Only shown when fighting a boss, of course). 2. Gauge Bar- When you use Get-in and Book of Five Wheels, you must fill this gauge full. For specifics, please consult "Get-in system" on page 18. 3. Raygund Status- The attribute condition of Raygund (light sword) is shown. For details, please consult "Raygund (light sword) and the Book of Five Wheels" on page 20. 4. HP Bar- Musashi's present HP is shown. Game ends when health becomes zero. The number above the bar is the HP number. Left is present value; right, max value. 5. BP (Bincho Power) Bar- Musashi's present Bincho Power is shown. When BP becomes zero, movement becomes slow, attack power drops, and Get-in ability becomes useless. The numbers below the bar shows the BP value. Left is the present value; right, the maximum value. (Page 13) 6. Dolan- The amount of dolan presently owned is shown. You can buy things using dolans, the currency in this world. 7. Get-in Technique- The name of the current get-in technique is shown. When there is no get-in technique, the name "lightning sword" is shown. 8. Date and Time- The date from the time you were summoned into this world. And the present time. 9. Sleepiness- It shows Musashi's sleepiness. If sleepiness exceeds 70%, it will affect movement and attack. You can bring down sleepiness by sleeping. MUSASHI'S STATUS Musashi's present status is shown. 1. There's nothing scary because he is very healthy. 2. Poisoned- You cannot exert power, and mobility decreases too. 3. Asleep- You cannot exert power, and mobility drops too. (Page 14) SUB SCREEN In the middle of the game, you will go to the sub screen by pressing the start button. (During an event, this works too if you are not moving.) The sub screen is separated into 7 panels, and you can choose the panel with the directional keys. Then, by pressing the circle button, you can control that panel. The X button cancels and returns you to the previous screen. 1. Raygund- The Book of Five Wheels that you now have are shown. You can change the Five Wheel Books. 2. Command- On the comman menu, there are 5 titles described below. -Item: When you select Item, the Item menu opens and the items you now have are shown. Then, when you choose an item, the menu below is shown. 1) Use- Use the chosen item. 2) Discard- Throw away the chosen item. 3) Stop- Return to item selection. Press the triangle button to make changes in the order of the items. -Legendary Arms: The legendary arms you are now equipped with are shown. By equipping legendary arms, Musashi can perform various actions. -Mastered Power: In the game, Musashi can memorize various sword techniques. The sword technique Musashi mastered can be checked here. (Page 15) 3. Config- If you select this, the config screen is shown. And then you can make various changes. In configs, you can change the following elements. -Vibration: You can turn on/off the dual shock vibration. -Visual: You can turn on/off the visual that is shown when get-in occurs. -BGM: You can change the BGM volume in 8 levels. -SE: You can change the sound effects volume in 8 levels. -Sound: You can change the sound from stereo to monoaural. 4. Level Indicater- Musashi's current level is shown. 5. Rescue List- A list of people saved on your journey is displayed. The people you saved can be met at the interview place in the Yakuinikku castle. 6. Playtime- The playtime up to now is displayed. 7. Spout out- Normally, Musashi's thinking aloud is displayed. From his thinking aloud, you will understand the objective that must be achieved at this point. When you select any panel/title in the sub screen, the name of the item and its content is displayed. (Page 16) MUSASHI'S ACTIONS 1. Attack with Lightning Sword- With the light-weight lightning sword, you can make speedy attacks. If you press the square button in a series, you can make 4 continuous attack s on an enemy. 2. Attack with Raygund (light sword)- With the Raygund, the swing is slow, but the power of a single strike is appealing. If you press the triangle button, you will swing this sword. 3. Pick up and throw- When you're in physical contact with the enemy, if you press the square button while pushing the directional keys toward the enemy, you can pick up the enemy. The enemy, once picked up, can be thrown by pressing the square button once more. Furthermore, you can throw the enemy overhead by pressing the triangle button (after you've got the Raygund). (Page 17) 4. Defend- By keeping the R1 button pressed, you can defend against attacks in the direction of movement. You can move while defending, but you cannot change Musashi's direction/heading. Furthermore, even in the defense position, you cannot defend attacks from the back. (!) There are attacks you cannot defend. 5. Jump- You will jump by pressing the X button. If you press the directional keys when jumping, you will fly in that direction. Moreover, in the middle of jump, you can change posture with the directional keys. If you equip some item that appear in the game, then you may perform a double jump. 6. Ascending Walls- If you are equipped with some items, Musashi will be able to try to ascend walls using his two swords. When you head toward the wall and jump, if you/Musashi stabs the wall with the swords, then that is a wall you can ascend. By pressing the square and triangle buttons one after another, Musashi can ascend the wall. (Floodgate) Whenever the sleepiness exceeds 70% and Musashi's movement slows, he needs to sleep. You can switch between the active and sleep modes by pressing the select button. After switching to the sleep mode, if you keep pressing the R1 button, the gauge bar will rise. If you release the button when the bar is full, then Musashi will begin to sleep. While sleeping, because the time quickly passes, it is effective when you want to waste time. (Page 18) GET-IN SYSTEM: The get-in system allows you to absorb the enemy's ability with the lightning sword. With the various techniques that can be get-in from various enemies, you can clear traps and etc. 1. Get-in Preparation- Continue to press the R1 button until the gauge bar is full. 2. Throw the lightning sword- If you press the square button when the gauge is full, Musashi will throw the lightning sword inthe direction he is facing. Try and decide on a aim as if trying to pierce the enemy. 3. Repeated Pressing!- Whenever the lightning sword stabs the enemy, please continuously hit the square button. Again, the gauge bar begins to rise, and if the gauge is full, then the get-in is a success. However, the timee when the lightning sword pierces the enemy is limited. When you cannot fill the gauge in the fixed time, you can steal some BP from the enemy. (Page 19) 4. Get-in Success!- If you are successful at get-in, an visual effect and technique explanation appear on the screen. The techniques varies significantly, and there are 2 kinds. 1. Some techniques are active automatically for some moments after get-in succeeded, and it will end in a fixed amount of time. 2. Some techniques can be controlled whenever you like with the circle button. Attention: You need BP points to use the gotten-in techniques. If you do not have the exact BP point required, you cannt use the technique. Introduction to Techniques You Can Get-In: 1. Dramatic Gun- A technique that will fire bullets of cries. It can attack from a distance. Fire with the circle button. 2. Refreshing Mint- You are wrapped inthe smell of refreshing mind, and you don't need sleep. It is activated the moment of get-in. 3. Bowling- By rolling a giant ball, you can destroy cracked walls. Fire with the circle button. 4. Bad Habit- You are surrounded by a powerful rank odor in this technique that would collect flies. However, there may be some unexpected effects!? Active at the moment of get-in. (Page 20) RAYGUND AND THE BOOKS OF FIVE WHEELS Existing since the start of the Musashi legend, the five books of earth, water, fire, wind, and sky (know as the Books of Five Wheels) are everywhere. To collect these five books is one of the big objectives of the adventure. The five books are sealed everywhere, and they cannot be released except by Raygund. The Book of Earth- It is the book that controls the power of the earth. You can stop the enemy's progress by causing earthquakes and making things fall down. The Book of Water- It is the book that controls the power of water. When you are passing above water, you can extinguish fire by shooting water. The Books of Fire, Wind, and Sky??? (Page 21) In order to use the power of each book of five wheels, you must equip the various books on the Raygund. Because you can equip only one book usually, you need to carry the five books and use them precisely against situations. To Change the Books of Five Wheels: 1. Call out the sub screen by pressingthe start button. 2. Choose the Raygund panel and press the circle button. 3. Choose the Book of Five Wheels you want to equip with the directional keys and press the circle button. 4. If the mark of the needed book is displayed in the Raygund status window, then equipment is complete. 5. Please end the sub screen by pressing the X button. Using the Power of the Books of Five Wheels: 1. Keep the R1 button down and make the gauge bar full. 2. When the gauge is full, if you press the triangle button the Book of Five Wheels will be activated, and the various effects of attributes will be displayed. (For Book of Earth, you can cause earthquakes here.) 3. If you press the triangle button then (still, the square button) you can shoot water or blow fire depending on the book equipped. 4. The power of the books of five wheels will be lost in a fixed time, but if you repeat the same procedure again you can activate it. (Page 22) MUSASHI'S DEVELOPMENT AND THE CONCEPT OF TIME Musashi's Development Musashi will develop quickly as he continues his adventure. When his level goes up, he can receive various titles along with increases in his attack and defense abilities. He will be given levels quickly in order to fight against powerful bosses waiting in every area. Divided into the following four items, Musashi's real abilities develop individually, and their average becomes Musashi's present level. You can check Musashi's real power/ability on the sub screen. You get one level when each title's gauge becomes full. 1. Title/Name- Musashi's level (as put together from the 4 parameters) and current title is displayed. 2. Power- Musashi's own power level is shown. He can obtain experience points by defeating enemies, and the level will go up. 3. Heart- Musashi can raise his defese ability by the strength of his heart. He can get experience points by walking around, and the level will increase. 4. Lightning Sword- This is the lightning sword's attack ability. If an attack hits while using the lightning sword, experience value is gained, and level will go up. 5. Raygund- This is the Raygund's attack ability. If an attack hits when using the Raygund, experience points are gained, and the level will go up. 6. Distance- This displays the distance that he has walked up to that point. Attention: There is a limit on the number of levels that can be raised on each chapter. By getting the core of the boss waiting in each area, Musashi's latent ability goes up, and the level limit goes up. Development of BP: By saving people captured int he Binchofields found the game, the BP parameter will develop. (Page 23) Longevity Berry: Whenever you find the "Minku" (a mysterious life form of which there are only 13 in this world), it is your big chance! If you catch him, you'll get the longevity berry that will increase your maximum HP value by 25 points. CONCEPT OF TIME In Musashiden, the time flows in the game in real time. The date and time are displayed in the lower right corner of the game screen. A day passes in 24 hours, and 7 days becomes a week. One week is made up of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In the shop inside the village, there are various operational hours. The shops are closed outside of the operational hours, and you cannot buy anything. Furthermore, depending on the shop, there are set off- days too. Passage of Time and Musashi's Status As Musashi gets tired, time will pass, HP will recover, and BP will decrease. Please pay attention to every status because they are displayed on the lower part of the screen. 1. Sleepiness (bottom middle)- Sleepiness increases when time flows and decreases when sleeping. When sleeping, the time passes at a speed 8 times faster than normal. 2. HP (bottom left)- If time flows without Musashi getting damaged, you will recover some HP in a fixed time while expending BP. 3. BP (bottom left)- BP will decrease when time flows. Furthermore, it will decrease even when you use get-in technique or throw technique. (Page 24) ABOUT SAVE... 1. Save onto Memory Card- You can save the game in the inn in the village. Furthermore, you can also save after special events such as defeating a boss. If you save, at the next time you play, you can again start from the saved spot. Attention: In order to save, you must install a memory card in slot one. One block can save 4 games. 2. Summary Save- Inside chests you will find in various adventures, there are things called "memory boxes". If you open the "memory box', you will hear about how to summary save. If you do summary save, when it becomes game over, it will be possible to start again from the summary saved place. However, in that case, your current cash will decrease by half. The summary-saved data will disappear if the game is reset or the power goes off, so be warned. Furthermore, you can only save at one place. (Page 25) YAKUINIKKU CASTLE AND AMIYAKUI VILLAGE The Yakuinikku castle and Amiyakui village are places where your colorful adventures begin. There are varous facilities in the castle and village. In the Yakuinikku Castle: 1. Interview Place- When you rescued prisoners, you can speak to them by meeting them here. You may hear something good. It is rumored that it used to be the castle's dining hall. 2. Library- It is the library where Yakuinikku castle boasts of its collection of books. If you don't understand some words, you can come here to investigate. 3. Your Room- Examiner Reban has prepared this room just for you. You can sleep in a bed and play with your Musashi action figures. (Pages 26 & 27) Amiyakui village map. (Page 28) What Can You Do in the Shops? If you're in a shop, after a short conversation, the following selection will be shown. 1. "I came to buy something!" You can buy items available in the shop or sell. Please decide on "Buy" (when you want to buy an item) or "Sell" (if you want to sell) by pressing the circle button. If you choose "stop", then you will return to the previous screen. 2. "I want to hear a conversation!" You can talk to the worker at the shop. In the various talks, you may talk about something helpful. 3. "I forgot!", "I'll come later!", and so on. Leave the shop and return to the village. (Page 29) The Various Shops in the Village 1. Hotel/ Inn- You can save and recover sleepiness and Hp and BP. In an adventure, it is the place of rest that you cannot do without. 2. Bread Shop- You can recover BP by eating bread and milk. You should prepare for your journey by buying food here. 3. Grocery Store- It sells various things like medicine to recover HP or medicine to cure poison, and things helpful to the adventure. 4. Bar- The villagers will gather at the bar managed by a fascinating Mama. You may hear some juicy information. 5. Expert Shop- On your journey you will get various mysterious items. You can reveal the true identity of these items in the expert shop. You may get your hands on something that will be helpful in time. 6. Figure Shop- It seems to sell various figures. What kind of figures they are, I wonder... (Page 30) Here, I will introduce you to some of the items that appear in the game. 1. Dolan Coin- Yakuinikku money. Necessary items to buy things. There are various coins from 10 dolans to 500 dolans. 2. Binchoron- It's the crystal form of Binchotite, and it is the energy source that keeps Musashi active. It will recover the BP parameter. If you defeat an enemy, sometimes Binchoron is left behind. 3. Heart Tablet- Source of Musashi's life. If taken, it will recover HP. If you defeat enemies, often it is left behind. (Page 31) 4. Herbs- Curing herbs can recover you from poison. You can get this in the adventure. 5. Bread- Food that will recover the BP parameter. The degree of recovery will vary depending on the amount. 6. Recover- Medicine that will recover HP. The degree of recovery will vary depending on the amount. 7. Refreshing Mint- A refreshing item that will blow away Musashi's sleepiness. You can buy this at the grocery store. (Page 32) MUSASHI'S SURE-KILL TECHNIQUES Raygund Revolution Swing If you take the defensive posture with the R1 button, the gauge bar on the left hand-side of the screen will rise. If you then press the triangle button when the gauge is full, you can make Musashi do the Raygund revolution swing. The revolution swing is boastfully a powerful force, and it is an easy technique that can attack all enemies surrounding Musashi. Two Sky, First Class Swing Take the defensive posture like in the revolution swing and raise the gauge until full. Under this situation, at the moment when you receive the enemy's attack, you should press the square button or the triangle button, then you can produce the two sky, first class swing. This technique boast a generous power, and you can send almost all the small fry characters to their graves with one hit. (!) You will learn other various techniques in the game. (Backcover) SQUARESOFT Square joint-stock corporation Arco Tower 1-8-1 Shitameguro Meguro District, Tokyo City JAPAN Tel#: 153-8688 SLPS 01490~1 Copyrighted 1998 by Square "PS" and "PlayStation" are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. WARNING; All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws.