Tenchu : FAQ
This FAQ and contents copyright Zhou Tai An 1998. Please notify me before
putting this on a site; I will reply within a day and give permission.
Not to be used for profit purposes or for any video game magazines (fanzines
are fine if permission is sought)
Thanks to Darklore for providing me with the initial info and gameplay help,
as well as Jay Anthony M. Encarnacion, (E-mail: angie@star.com.ph) for the
codes and control info, taken from his Tenchu FAQ.
A good tip about rolling provided by Trey Morita (tmorita@proxicom.com).
Thanks!
Finally, a few more helpful hints by Chris Cruz have been added.
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Controls
The Ways of a Ninja
Basic Ninja Weapons List
Tenchu Mission Briefing Translation and Tips
Tenchu Tips
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The Controls:
Move : Simply move the directional pad on the controller.
Jump : Press the X button.
Slash: Press the Square button.
Right Slash : Tap right, then Square.
Turn Around Slash : Tap left, then Square.
Jumping Slash : Press X, then Square.
Back On Wall : When you're near a wall, Hold R1. You will turn so that your
back is to the wall. Useful for sneaking.
Forward Flip: Double tap Forward, then press X.
Back Flip: Double tap Back, then press X.
Side Step: Double tap left or right.
Crouch: Hold R1.
Roll: Hold R1 then double tap left or right.
Look At Map: Hold Select.
Select a Weapon: Press R2 or L2 to scroll among available weapons.
Use a Weapon: Press Triangle.
*****
Shinobi no Gata (the ways of Ninja)
I.e : game tips. ^_^
Who to pick?
Well, Ayame is faster, for one, has a better jump and can sneak up on enemies
more easily. She does have trouble with the bosses because of her weaker
attack, though her greater speed comes in handy sometimes.
Rikimaru has a better weapon, but is all-around slower. He can dispatch
bosses with more ease...so it's an even match. Pick the one that suits your
playing style, but be sure to read the following info below first.
Personally, I prefer Ayame as sneaking is a far more effective method of
killing enemies; and you always have supplies to whack the boss with, right?
BTW, Rikimaru means "the wheel of strength" and Ayame is "colorful girl."
Typical Japanese names of that time period.
*****
Kenjutsu no Gata (the way of Swordplay)
Basic tips :
1. Watch your opponent carefully. There will be chances for your to take
advantage of his movement; use them.
2. Block when you need to (press down). Some attacks will pierce your guard
if them are too strong (like the the bear's attack) or if they are at the
correct angle; so be wary. It is also sometimes more effective to attack
when the enemy is doing so. But keep in mind your weapon's speed and reach
as compared to his\her's.
3. Use water. No enemy can swim, not even the bosses.
4. It is possible to drink medicine when fighting the boss; find a safe area.
And you can pick it up from the floor if it gets hit from your hand!
Use a bomb if you really need to.
5. Know how your character moves. Very well.
6. Remember, fighting is always a ninja's second weapon; the way of Shinobi
should always be foremost in your thoughts. If you strike first there will be
no need to fight, and sometimes there is not even a need for that. The
mission is paramount.
Killing Soldiers : Watch their sword movements and style. All of them have
a double slash attack; either strike during the first slash or block both.
Be careful of their spinning cut.
Killing Archers : Running in a zig-zag pattern or changing direction suddenly
will cause them to miss you. Easy to kill once you close in as they can't
block.
Killing Dogs : Wait until they jump. Then slash twice.
Killing Gunners : They take a long time to fire; make use of that.
Killing Ninja : Ideally, don't; use stealth instead. If you have to, be very
wary as they have a tendency to attack unpredictably.
Killing Corpes : Easy. Attack from the side or from the front fast; their
fire is inaccurate but deadly.
Rikimaru's attacks :
First button press : Straight slash down, 8 damage.
Second button press : Side slash, goes through your enemy's guard more easily
than the first in most cases. 10 damage.
Third button press : Large slash down. Leaves you slightly open to attack
after using it. Powerful, though, and will break through opponent's guard
sometimes. 20 Damage.
Left and button press : Spinning slash. Be careful as this will not hit
exactly to the left; more like up and left. Will get through guard easily.
Right and button press : Slash to the left. Works left Second button press
above.
Jumping slash : Powerful but slow. Use only when assured of a hit or as a
finishing blow or be prepared to eat your enemy's attacks later.
Ayame's Attacks :
First button press : Side slash. 4 damage.
Second button press : Side slash. 6 damage. This and the first one are
relatively fast compared to most enemies' attacks; use them to interrupt
their blows.
Third and Fourth button presses : Twirling slashes. Ayame's real means of
causing damage, but they leave you WIDE open to attack after. 10 damage.
Left and button press : Slash to the left; press again for another one.
Operates like the First and Second slashes above. 8 damage.
Right and button press : Same as above. 8 damage.
Jumping Slash : Twin dagger cut from above. Moderately useful, as it does a
respectable amount of damage, but it leaves you open to attack. 12-15 damage.
*****
Shinobi-ashi no Gata (the way of the stealthy steps)
This is your true weapon, not swords or shuriken. Learn well...
The first thing to remember is, obviously, NOT TO BE SEEN. Use the L1 Button
to check out the territory around you. Hide behind carts, walls, whatever.
Secondly, keep a close eye on the circle below you as well. When it's green,
(the character is *ki* "spirit"), no one can see you. When it's orange, (the
character is *shi* "to be see, to be perceived") you can be seen slightly.
Be careful when this is shown as enemies will sometimes move closer and spot
you (especially dogs). When it's red (the character is *satsu* "kill") the
enemy has seen you and will attack. You can often escape and return later if
this happens, though. Also, the size of the circle is in direct proportion to
the proximity of enemies.
Thirdly, use rooftops. This will probably get you more kills that anything,
mainly because enemies almost never look up. Wait until the guard changes
direction or is yawning before attacking; if you don't there's a good chance
of being spotted. You should also remember that if you press the button
quickly enough, you might kill the guard even if he sees you. And don't try
for the cut scenes all the time (cool as they are) by going too close to the
guard; kill him with a slash from afar.
When you drop off a rooftop behind a person, you run the risk that they
will turn around as you drop and stand - You can minimize this risk
somewhat by crouching while on the rooftop and rolling off of it (allows
you to stand up quicker or immediately roll elsewhere if they're turning)
A sideways roll will work just as well as a forward one, and often allows
you a better viewing angle while you're setting up the roll.
If you cannot get a clear shot at an enemy, don't use the L1 Button. By the
time you release it and drop down he\she will have turned around. Instead,
jockey back and forth; usually, you'll be able to see him without him seeing
you. If all else fails and you can only get one glance at an enemy's turned
back, take it and run towards him; most times, you will be quick enough to
get him (this is easier with Ayame)
And always remember; be patient. (Side note; in fact, Shinobi means
"patience" and the literal translation of "ninja" is "patient one.") Enemies
will turn to the side, yawn etc, given enough time.
******
Basic Ninja Weapons List
Top Row, Left to Right:
Shuriken -- Throwing Stars, basic distance damage weapon. Great as they don't
miss; save some for bosses.
Caltrops -- Drop them behind you to discourage pursuit. Very handy when
running away.
Health -- Takes you back up to 100 points.
Middle Row, Left to Right:
Bomb -- Throw and detonate, like a grenade. May fizzle. If you miss, they will
explode after a period of time.
Smoke Bomb -- Confuse opponents by getting smoke in their eyes. Stops 'em for
a few seconds.
Land Mine -- Very, very powerful explosive. Do not be near this thing when it
goes off.
Bottom Row, Left to Right:
Poisoned Food -- Make dogs and unwary soldiers sick.
Sleeping Potion -- Put fires and people out with this draught
Five Colored Rice -- Markers to keep track of where you've been.
Secret Items :
Firecracker : Massive explosion
Charm : Attack and defense up for a period of time.
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Mission Objectives :
Stage 1 : Kill the accountant.
Stage 2 : Get home safely.
Stage 3 : Rescue the prisoner (actually just kill the boss)
Stage 4 : Get onto the top of the large statue.
Stage 5 : Kill the boss on the ship. (knock him into the water for an easy
victory)
Stage 6 : Retrieve the flower on top of the mountain.
Stage 7 : Kill the boss on top of the temple.
Stage 8 : Kill both bosses (two part mission)
Stage Walkthroughs :
BTW, the X on the map is where you start, not your destination. ^_^
Stage 1
Use your grappling hook to get up onto the rooftops. In this mission, you
won't even need to kill a single person if you're lucky. Anyway, begin by
heading towards the large building in the middle of the courtyard. There
should be an entrance at the top of it (if you can't find it look around; it's
not a big stage); kill the single guard there and fall down to fight the boss.
The warehouses in this stage contain either Medicine, Bombs or Smoke Bombs.
Only two of them have items and they're sometimes by the side of the room;
look around if you can't find any.
Yes, you can enter the building by ordinary means and kill as many guards as
you like, but you don't have to. ^_^
Boss Strategy :
The swordsman takes some time to draw his weapon, so attack before he does.
He will also change direction rapidly and\or swing his sword in a totally
different way from what you expect, so watch out if you see him begin to
draw.
The Accountant is easy; he does have a gun, though, and will fire at you
as long as the swordsman is alive. When he's dead you can pick him off with
ease.
Stage 2
This is another easy mission. At the start, head to the left and stay
there. When you reach the buildings (careful of the guard there) use your
hook to ascend and continue towards the river. Swim across and head towards
the left again (as you near the door you will automatically complete the
mission) Like in Stage 1, you shouldn't need to fight a single enemy.
Stage 3
This is a pretty big stage, so bring along Medicine (one should do) and
a few supplies; either Bombs, Smoke Bombs or Shuriken for the boss.
The dogs in this stage can spot you more easily than any other enemy, so be
careful of them. Sneaking up on the perimeter guards can be a bit difficult,
so re-read the section on Shinobi-ashi again if need be.
One of the corridors should bring you to either a Medicine or Bomb; use your
grappling hook to obtain it. Most of them lead to dead ends or to another
section of the map; the one you're looking for branches just as at a
torchlight, with a guard standing nearby.
When you find it, kill the guard and head up the tunnel near the light.
You should come to a pit; jump over it. Be very careful not to fall into the
next pit just ahead! Use your hook to travel over it; do NOT attempt to
jump or you will die.
Continue along the corridors and you should come to a on area which you can
jump up onto (it has two sides). One of these sides should lead to a
narrow bridge; cross to the middle and jump to the door on the right. Follow
the passage till you reach an area with a few pillars; kill all the guards
obtain the Medicine ahead. Then, backtrack to where you jumped; just before
the area with the guards, there should be two corridors branching away.
One of these has wooden panels lining the walls; this is one you want.
Follow it till you reach a dark, unlit area which you will see as you
travel up a sloping corridor. Now pause and be wary; a huge bear will attack
you. You may continue up and fight the boss, but with the bear and boss
you'll most likely perish. So kill the bear first; but be careful as it's
attacks are VERY powerful; in particular, the upwards swing of it's claws
that cannot be blocked. Attack from the side and back away often.
Boss Strategy :
He will begin by attacking you with an overhead chop; this is your chance to
strike. Both Ayame's and Rikimaru's weapons are faster than his; however,
Ayame obviously has a better chance of striking. He will then sweep his
club along the floor if he misses the first attack or you don't hit him.
Jump and strike; anything else will result in him hitting you for moderate
damage (do NOT get hit by the first blow, which is deadly.) He will also
occasionally swing his club in a wide arc; either avoid this or circle to
his back and attack.
Try to avoid fighting him and his bear at the same time; while it is
possible to win (I have), it's difficult. And if his dog's with him as well,
kill it first. It does little damage but will interrupt your blows, letting
his master clobber you.
Stage 4 :
Begin by going to the left side of the temple gate (kill the Corpse if
necessary) and grapping hook up to the rooftop. Head to the large building at
the upper right side of the map; you can't miss it; it's the biggest
structure. Fall down and kill the two Corpses guarding the gate.
Once inside, hook up to the platform on the left, being wary of the archer
guard there. (If you want, position your hook to the far edge of the ledge
(the side furthest from you) and hoist yourself up only when the archer's
back is turned) Then hook yourself to the head of the Buddha.
Boss Strategy :
Treat the first boss the same way you did the one in Stage 3. In fact, this
one is easier; you should be wiping the floor with him soon.
The second boss is another matter entirely. Be very careful of his fast
kick attacks; some, like his side kick, will pierce your defenses even with
a block. The best times to strike are when it looks like he's doing nothing
(that is, he's bouncing around as usual) and just after he jumps (NOT when
he's performing a jump kick, though) It is possible to attack when he's
in the middle of kicking; however, judge your position carefully before
doing so. You only need to reduce him to 100 life.
Stage 5 :
Be careful of the gunners in this mission; their guns can take off 20 life
in a single shot. However, they're slow, so you should be able to dispatch
one before he fires; just don't get double-teamed.
Head to the shingled buildings at the lower part of the map, using your
hook to travel on the rooftops as usual. Once you get there, dispatch all the
guards around the area (you should be able to get them all with stealth).
Once that's accomplished, head to the green patch (I think it's a bush) near
the two ships and turn left, travelling west along the quayside. When you
get a fix on the left ship with your hook (you can just make it to the mast
of the ship; aim carefully) let fly and you should be a board in a second.
Boss Strategy :
Nothing too difficult about this boss. Firstly, watch him carefully as he
swings wide and sometimes rapidly with his weapon; his hook will also be used
to attack you, and it's faster. Also, watch out that he doesn't push you to
the back of the boat. There's another gunner there who will make life
difficult for you given the chance.
Either push this guy in the water (accomplished quite easily with either
Bombs or continued attacks) or kill him normally with precise slashes.
Stage 6 :
Be EXTREMELY careful in this stage about falling too great a height or
missing a jump. You'll also have to aim very carefully with the hook; and if
you haven't already figured it out, you can abort a shot by lowering the
red shuriken down to body position. Knocking down guards is useful as well.
You will start by some trees, same as in Stage 3. Now, the only way to get up
the mountain is by heading to the east side, so do so, avoiding guards and
dogs along the way. You will notice that the guards near the path leading up
into the mountains do not change their position, or if they do, take a long
time to do so. Too bad. ^_^ You'll have to rush some of them and abandon
stealth; use the hints in the section on swordplay to help.
There is no one exact path to the top, but two general rules to remember are;
don't jump or hook to suspicious terrain, and keep heading up. Eventually,
you will reach a slight overhang with an archer at the other side. Kill the
archer either using Shuriken or by stealth (drop down below him and hook up)
From there, enter the cave with the running water ahead, being wary of the
many dogs and guards there. Once through the cave, you'll be able to see
the flower.
Stage 7 :
As in Stage 4, head to the tallest building. You'll find the boss there.
However, you'll have to make your way up the building instead of simply
jumping or hooking yourself to the top, so bring along some Medicine and
use stealth as much as possible.
Nothing too difficult in this mission; you'll fight all the enemies you've
fought before. You should remember not to engage in so many fights here as
the enemies are much tougher now, though.
Boss Strategy :
As before, but this time you'll need to take off all 200 life points.
Remember that you can both fall off the building and still continue fighting,
though neither or you will take damage.
Stage 8 :
This is a long and difficult stage; Medicine is a necessity, as well as some
Shuriken for tough spots. Since this is the last stage, you may as well
bring everything you can, actually.
You start at the entrance to the temple. In this mission, almost all the
guards face forwards, and they can shift position very rapidly, so be
very. very careful. (And on a side note, you don't want to fight any of these
guys either; they have 120 life each) Make your way to the central altar
slowly, polishing off the troops as they come. The door to the main courtyard
has 4 guards around it total (although you'll probably only see two the first
time); be sure to kill all of them. And no, you can't scale the walls in this
stage. ^_^
Hide behind the big pillar in the courtyard; it will serve you well when you
try to get the soldiers from behind. Watch out for the dogs as well. Be
sure to kill all soldiers before you approach the altar, as any remaining
ones will assist the boss when you fight him.
Boss Strategy :
Exactly the same.
When the boss is defeated, he will drop some Medicine. If you want to, you
can hook up from the pit you fall into to get it. Whether or not you do so,
you will start in an underground cave from which you will have to traverse
to get to the last boss.
There is not much difference between this level and all the ones you've been
through before, so make use of everything you've learned up to this point to
kill the guards etc. You'll want to get over to the river of flowing lava;
once there, hook across. (Falling in the lava will not kill you, strangely
but it will do some damage. You can also lure your foes into the lava;
they're apparently stupid enough to take the bait. ^_^) Travel through the
corridors, always heading down when you can, and you should come to an area
with an dead end, a lava pit in front, and a cave to the right. Position
yourself to the left of where you are and hook to the right. (Carefully! Aim
as far in as possible.) Then, continue along the caves, heading down.
Finally, you should go see a narrow bridge-like path that will take you
down into the bottom of the lava. Follow it.
Boss Strategy :
The last boss is not a pushover, but then again, he's isn't that hard either.
The first thing you have to remember is that he has his nasty lighting attack
that will take off a clean 30 life and rarely misses; so when you see him
raise his sword whack him. (the blast usually targets the left side, BTW)
He has a lot of life (250), so if you need to heal, run away to the far
corners of the room and do so; he will not chase you most of the time.
Watch out for his other sword moves as well. They consist of several forward
slashes and a spinning one; however, they aren't that dangerous if you're
alert. Do remember that your weapon is faster than his. Keep hitting him,
moving forwards, and not letting up your barrage of attacks and he should
fall easily.
*****
The plot :
The dialogues in the game are quite self-explanantory, so I won't be
translating them; here's a brief plot synopsis.
Rikimaru and Ayame are two ninjas sent to recover the princess, Kiku, from
the hands of the "ghost master" (the guy in the purple pants). Ayame is
Kiku's older sister. That's basically it. Standard ninja plot. ^_^
Stage 1 : The accountant has been found guilty of stealing funds etc; that's
why you kill him.
Stage 2 : You have to get home...the interesting thing here is that Rikimaru
expresses shame at getting caught out at night, whereas Ayame simply shrugs
it off. ^_^
Stage 3 : You resuce your partner. The dialogue between the "ghost master"
and our character is the standard "who are you?" "we will meet again." stuff.
Stage 4 : Same dialogue : the guy says that he will definitely win, etc.
Stage 5 : Not much dialogue at all. Boss says that he even though he's a
foreigner he will kill you with ease...blah blah blah.
Stage 6 : Dialogue? Where? ^_^
Stage 7 : Same old nonsense from the boss.
Stage 8 : Pretty cool speech by the two bosses about how you will die as it
is the will of fate. The last boss is sorta like the "king of hell" type.
And the ending is self-explanatory again.
Tenchu Mission Briefing Translation and Tips
At the end of every level, you get this briefing screen which gives you your
score and ranking. This is a short translation and ranking result summary of
that screen.
Left to right - Statistics, scoring, record score
Top to bottom:
Silent kills (Assassinations) -- kills/number of possible kills
Necessary kills (combat kills) -- kills/number of possible kills
Number of sightings (number of times the enemy spotted you) -- times
Civilian deaths (in blue) -- times
Scoring
Silent Kills (20 points)
Necessary Kills (5 points)
Sightings (400 points for 0 sightings, 260 for one sighting, and a
progressive scale to 0)
Civilian Kills (-30/death)
Ranking
400+ points -- Ninja Initiate -- Get secret weapon
300-400 points -- High Ninja -- Get more standard supplies
200-300 points -- Middle Ninja -- Get some standard supplies
100-200 points -- Low Ninja -- Get the least amount of standard supplies
0-100 points -- Ninja Reject (Turned away at the door) -- nothing
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How to Save -
I've received some mail from people who can't figure this out. Okay, it really
helps if you just know some katakana. (If you do, you can figure it out
easily enough) Failing that, follow these steps :
1. Go down to the second-last option on the menu. That's the data one. (It's
the one with the longest name)
2. Select the second option to save, the first to load. Be careful not to
erase your data!
Tada.
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Other Tenchu Tips
Level Competion:
1) Don't stock up on anything the first time around. Finish an easy level
once or twice to get more supplies. You'll need them later on. In fact, you
can complete a level or two, die, save and return; you'll still get stuff.
2) Finish above 400 points and you get secret weapons.
3) Use rooftops and water to your advantage. Nobody can swim, and few can get
onto roofs.
4) Be patient. Sneaking around people is a lot more rewarding than fighting
your way in. Not getting seen is worth big points.
5) Hide behind lamps and carts to avoid attention. Stop, drop, and roll your
way to safety (or to kill; see section above)
And more helpful stuff that really didn't fit into any of the other sections:
The 180 Degree Flip
This is an incredibly handy move if you can master it; you jump up and
forward, then pivot your body so you land facing whatever was originally
behind you.
180 Degree flip: Tap down, then up and jump.
NOTO BENE! : This move is NOT easy to get off the first time; the timing
window between the down and up taps is very precise. Here's a tip:
When playing the game, just tap down on the controller. See how
Rikimaru/Ayame does a short hop backwards? Well, I've found that if you
tap up and THEN jump (in very quick succession) while he/she is IN THE
AIR on that tiny backwards hop you'll get the flip jump to work. Work
at it, and then when you're on the run from some angry swordsman turn
the tables on him!
Fun Fact: Select a ninja tool that you need to aim (grappling hook,
shuriken, etc.) and then press L1. While looking around, press your
tool use button (Triangle, or press the left analog stick in). Voila!
Instant crosshairs! Should make sniping a little easier...
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The Codes:
Stage Select: After you have chosen your character, another screen will
appear. On that screen, press these: Hold R2, press up, up, down, down,
left, right, left, right, Square, Triangle. After you have done that, more
levels will be available to you to start from. Just press down or up to
highlight the stage.
99 Capacity: At the weapons select screen: Hold L1, press up, up, down,
down, left, right, left, right, Square, Triangle. After you have done this,
you will see that your capacity (15) has turned into 99.
Reveal More Weapons: At the weapons select screen: Hold R1, press up, up,
down, down, left, right, left, right, Square, Triangle. After you have done
this, you will see that there are additional weapons that were not
available to you before.
More Number Of Weapons: At the weapons select screen: Hold L2, press up, up,
down, down, left, right, left, right, Square, Triangle. After you have done
that, you will notice that the number of weapons will increase by 1. Just do
the code again and again until you have reached the desired number of
weapons.
Regain Health: Just pause the game (press start), then press up, up, down,
down, left, right, left, right, Square, Triangle. After you've done this,
you'll hear a voice. When you unpause the game, your health will be back to
100.
