Star Fighter
Hints & Tips
Upgrades
It is better to upgrade your Predator Mark 4 one step at a time with the crystals rather than getting a Megaship from a parachute. The Megaship lasts a short amount of time, but crystal-based upgrades are permanent.
Surface-to-air missiles
SAMs have a limited altitude range and will blow up if they fly too high. If a group of SAMs are moving towards you, climb at full speed, wait for them to blow up and then return for another attack run. Deploying an ECM, as a SAM is being launched, will cause detonation and will damage or destroy the SAM site.
Loop and strafe
To destroy buildings without having to execute a strafing run, fly up to the target and begin looping. While looping, fire your lasers as the building becomes a target until it is destroyed.
Parachutes
When the message "Parachute drop detected" appears on screen, immediately go to your map screen to determine it's location. Once located, return to the game screen, and move to those coordinates to intercept the parachute before it reaches the ground. Parachutes will yield various power-ups, and may even give you a Mega-ship!
Crystal Combos
Our boys in R&D have figured out some of the crystal combinations that will give you ammo refills, and other bonuses. Keep in mind that Crystals must be picked up in the indicated order to get the corresponding power-up, and certain combos may even cause damage to your Predator Mark 4!!
For 2 Crystal Combos, Press1.
For 3 Crystal Combos, Press 2.
For 4 Crystal combos, Press 3
Here is a listing of the 2-Crystal combinations:
Red, Red - Increases Laser
Blue, Blue - Awards ATG Missiles
Magenta, Magenta - Awards ATA Missiles
Blue, Green - Awards ECM's
Yellow, Yellow - Increases Shields
Blue, Yellow - Increases Engine
Red, Yellow - Increases Control
Cyan, Yellow - Awards Multi-Missiles
Purple, Purple - Awards Air to Air Missiles
Light Blue + Yellow = Awards Multi-Missiles +3
These are the 3-Crystal combinations. Keep in mind that the majority of these combinations will cause damage to your Predator Mark 4!
Green, Yellow, Green - Adds a Wingpod to your Star Fighter
Magenta, Yellow, Blue - Causes Shield Damage
Magenta, Red, Blue - Causes Engine Damage
Magenta, Green, Blue - Causes Control Damage
The 4-Crystal combinations are the most powerful, and are the most
difficult to obtain! They are:
Magenta, Red, Magenta, Red - Awards Mega-Bombs
Magenta, Green, Magenta, Green - Awards Beam Laser
Magenta, Blue, Magenta, Blue - Awards Multi-Missiles
Magenta, Orange, Magenta, Orange - Awards Mines
GreenStar, GreenStar, GreenStar, GreenStar - Awards Random fast Crystals
GreenStar, GreenStar, GreenStar, Red - Awards Mega-Ship
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- Mission Hints
Our Ace pilots have compiled a list of strategies for each of the missions you will fly. Keep in mind that there is more than one way to skin a Venusian Grub Eel, but these tips have proven to be quite effective in helping to achieve your objectives!
- Cadet (1st pyramid):
Alright Rookie, listen up because these strategies just may save your butt out there!!
Mission 1 - Rookies Start Here
Take advantage of the small number of enemies found in this level to destroy everything and collect crystals. The trees with square trunks will yield blue crystals, making it easy to accumulate ATG missiles. Other crystals on this level will allow you to maximize your shields and increase your supply of ATA missiles.
Mission 2 - Aerial Strike Training
This is a basic training mission. To complete this mission, destroy the three ground objectives while avoiding the SAMs. Eliminate other ground targets before the mission objectives are completed to collect crystals, and increase the power of your ship.
Mission 3 - First Wings
This is a basic training mission, with aerial and ground targets. Be sure to fly into the mountains to locate and destroy all SAM installations.
Mission 4 - Ground Combat
This is another training mission with stationary and moving ground targets. To complete the mission, destroy all targets, including the lone jet fighter found flying in the vicinity of your objectives.
Mission 5 - Stratoliners
Target either cargo vessel immediately after launch. Use full throttle to get to their location. Fire multiple ATA missiles at each target, and use lasers, if necessary, to complete their destruction.
Mission 6 - Academy Exams!
Get friendly fighters to help attack the satellites. Find them on the map, starting in the upper left corner. The fighters will ask to join when approached. Press X and select "Formation Control", then select "Regroup". Approach the satellites and change the formation to attack or all attack. After all the satellites are destroyed, eliminate the ground objectives to complete the mission.
Mission 7 - Aerial Combat Training
Set your formation to defensive and destroy each battleship with ATG's and lasers. Eliminate any remaining fighters to complete the mission.
Mission 8 - The Space Station
Set your formation to defensive and destroy the space station. Once defeated, eliminate each satellite one at a time while avoiding or destroying the enemy fighters. These fighters may be destroyed by flying through the asteroid field. Shoot asteroids to collect crystals before returning to the mothership and completing the mission.
Mission 9 - Central Intelligence
To complete this mission, destroy the satellites, then concentrate on the ground targets. Ignore the fighters, as ground fire will eliminate them.
Mission 10 - Rocket Pad
Eliminate the SAM threat by destroying each base near the rockets with ATG missiles, and clear out the surrounding ground guns. Allow your ship's shields to recharge between attacks on the bases. Once the SAM bases have been neutralized, destroy any remaining ground guns and target the rockets. Remember that SAMs have a limited altitude. It may also help to set the number two camera to an external head-on view of the fighter to allow incoming SAMs to be visualized.
Mission 11 - Chemical Delivery
Destroy all of the targets at the airfield using your ATG's or Lasers before the cargo ship lands. Make sure to have plenty of ECM's to destroy any incoming SAM's.
Mission 12 - The Wastelands
Target the radar dishes immediately after launch. Once these are destroyed, eliminate the aircraft hangers to reduce the threat of enemy fighters, and then find and destroy the remaining ground targets.
Mission 13 - Sneak Attack
Destroy the large building at map location E5 to destroy all of the smaller radar dishes. Then, eliminate the two large radar towers at either end of the line of targets to complete the mission.
Mission 14 - Supply Line
Target and destroy a single enemy transport before attacking the next one. Try to destroy the transports quickly because each one carries fighters that will be launched when attacked. If you become overwhelmed by enemy fighters and ATA missiles, dive down and skim along the ground using the landscape to your advantage. These missiles usually take a straight path towards their target and will explode when they hit the ground at higher elevations. The mountains will also take out enemy fighters, since their pilots navigate poorly at very low altitudes.
Mission 15 - Transmission Towers
You must be fast to complete this mission!! Ignore the enemy fighters and destroy the first tower using your lasers since the ATG missile will not give you a lock on your target. Once done, fly to the second tower and destroy it in the same manner. Remember that you will have only thirty seconds between destroying the first and second towers. Dock with the mothership to complete the mission, taking out any attacking enemy fighters in the process.
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Mission Hints (2nd pyramid)
Well, I see you got a promotion, Corporal. Good job! But, let's not get too comfortable up there or we will be scraping you off of a hillside.
Mission 16 - Scanners Down
It is not necessary to engage the enemy fighters in air-to-air combat. As in Supply Line, skim the surface at full throttle and let the terrain take care of the enemy. As long as you are moving at full throttle, the SAMs that are launched will not be able to hit your fighter. Although more enemy fighters are launched sporadically, only the ten fighters present at the beginning of the mission need to be destroyed. The jamming tower is located at coordinates B5 and does not need to be actually targeted. By skimming this area, the enemies own laser fire will create collateral damage and take out the tower
while they are aiming for your fighter. Once the tower is destroyed, switch to map view, and view the details on each fighter that is still remaining. Make note of the fighters that are described as "must be destroyed" versus the replacement fighters that are described as "immaterial". Destroy the indicated fighters to complete the mission.
Mission 17 - Outpost
This is a simple mission. Set the formation control to "attack" and allow the other friendly fighters and the asteroids take care of the attacking enemy fighters.
Mission 18 - Down In The Valley
Destroy one excavation site before moving on to the next one. Each is shaped in a square, with defensive structures in each corner. Be careful, because some of these sites are defended by enemy fighters. Destroy the large yellow hangar buildings to eliminate this threat. Then, destroy the SAM silos, followed by the laser batteries before eliminating the other structures at each site.
Mission 19 - Blanket Bombing
The "incendiary device" referred to in the briefing is the beam laser. A total of 40 beam laser upgrades can be obtained by destroying the purple warehouses grouped by themselves on the northern and western edges of your map. The warehouses are the buildings with smokestacks. Destroying the other purple buildings in these target areas will not yield any bonuses. Used carefully, this will allow two or three targets in the other areas to be destroyed. Make sure that the lasers are fully powered, or your attacks will be ineffective. Watch for a Megaship parachute upgrade to help finish the mission. This world is heavily defended. Ignore all the defenses except those that must be destroyed to complete the mission objectives.
Mission 20 - Command And Control
Take several fighters in "Defensive" formation and destroy the satellites and stratoliners before attacking the rotating blue starbases. Draw fire from the starbase by making close passes at high speed while the fighters attack. Starbases can be destroyed by ramming into them at full throttle after they are damaged and if your fighter has full shields. An alternate method tob destroy the starbases is to approach them until they just appear into view with a zero throttle. Shoot them until they fire back, then go to full throttle, avoid their laser fire, and position your ship for another pass.
Mission 21 - Traitor!
This planet is heavily defended. Let the laser batteries take out the enemy fighters for you while targeting the mission objectives.
Mission 22 - Brainwashed
High altitude diving attacks should be used to complete this mission. The enemy fighters will be taken out by their own lasers and enemy SAMs as they try to reach your fighter's ceiling limit. Ground-skimming attacks are not recommended due to the tall structures in the target zones and large amount of water present that can not shield your fighter from ground fire.
Mission 23 - Sea Breeze
Immediately destroy the ships and runway to reduce the threat of enemy fighters and leave the laser batteries for last.
Mission 24 - The Dark Training Camp
This world wraps around a single island. Start at one end and eliminate all targets, which appear on gray squares, from high altitude. Allow the laser and SAM batteries to survive in order for ground fire to take out any enemy fighters that may be launched.
Mission 25 - Chemical Plant
Ignore the enemy fighters. Only one needs to be destroyed and it will be the only remaining fighter at the end of the mission due to heavy ground fire. The buildings in the mission objective all appear as blue or purple structures.
Mission 26 - Remote Fuel Depot
Your first objective should be to destroy the structure next to the short runway. This will remove the threat of the experimental fighter, leaving you free to destroy all the other targets on the island.
Mission 27 - Enemy Attack Platform
The two friendly pilots in enemy fighters will automatically join your formation when your fighter launches from the mothership. Set your formation pattern to defensive and attack both starbases. Since this mission is in space, there is no point of reference for "above" and "below" on the display. Refer to the asteroid field as the "ground" and skim right above it. Both starbases are located just above this point using this frame of reference. Try to destroy the starbase surrounded by satellites first. Several high speed passes at full throttle are necessary to avoid missiles and enemy fighters.
Mission 28 - Remote Mining Station
Since this mission is timed, the targets must be destroyed very quickly. A low level attack works best, with zero throttle while flying over the actual
mining station.
Mission 29 - Enemy Arms Meeting
The transport that is the mission objective is heavily shielded. A combination of a large number of ATA missiles and sustained laser fire will eventually destroy it. Keep firing away and use ECM's to throw off any missiles while keeping the transport targeted.
Mission 30 - Damn Rookie Pilots
Get the friendly fighters into a defensive formation. Fly at full throttle to avoid missiles, and use your ATA missiles and lasers to destroy the enemy fighters.
