This FAQ is Copyright 2002 by Phan Nguyen Khanh Dan. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- #### # # # # # # # ## # # # # # # # # # ## ## # ## ## "Part devil... # #%# # # # ## # %%#######% # ## # %# ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # # ## ## ...Part Human... # ## # ## # # # # # ### #### # %# %## # #% %# # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ##% # # ...Pure Vegeance..." # # # # # # ## #### #### %# # #% %# # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ /~~~ G A M E I N T R O D U C T I O N ~~~\ | | | GAME : DEVIL MAY CRY | | DEVELOPER : CAPCOM | | PUBLISHER : CAPCOM | | RELEASED : AUGUST 2001 | | VERSION : JAPANESE | | | \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/ /~~~~~~~~~~~ F A Q P R O P E R T Y ~~~~~~~~~~~~~\ | | | FAQ NAME : Devil May Cry FAQ/Walkthrough | | FAQ AUTHOR : Phan Nguyen Khanh Dan "Mysticcat" | | FAQ version : Final (7th update) | | CONTACT : kthoa@hcm.vnn.vn | | DATE : April 11th 2002 | | | \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/ ########################################################################## %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% T A B L E O F C O N T E N T %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ########################################################################## 1. Introduction.........................................Complete 2. Legal Info...........................................Complete 3. Updates..............................................Complete 4. Basic Terms..........................................Complete + Controls + The Orbs + Battle System & Actions + Difficulties + Playable Characters 5. Storyline............................................Complete 6. Character Bios.......................................Complete 7. Walkthrough for Easy/Normal Mode.....................Complete 8. Walkthrough for Hard/Dante Must Die Mode.............Complete 9. Weapon & Skill List..................................Complete + Devil Arms + Firearms 10. Item List............................................Complete + Support Item List + Blue Orb Fragment Locations + Key Item List 11. Enemy List...........................................Complete 12. Secret Missions......................................Complete 13. Ranking System Notes.................................Complete 14. Extra Stuffs ........................................Complete + Additional Plot (for those who got interested in DMC plots) + Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) + Different Versions of Devil May Cry + Devil May Cry Additional Products 15. Review...............................................Complete 16. Contact Infos........................................Complete 17. Credits..............................................Complete ########################################################################## 1. I N T R O D U C T I O N ########################################################################## It was a pain for me since I left Resident Evil when it intended to be made for GameCube exclusively. I've got a Ps2, and I can't have enough effort to get GameCube. So I get used to play PS2 games. It's lucky that Shinji Mikami just removed Resident Evil from Sony. He still works with Sony, by creating more stylish masterpieces : Onimusha series and Devil May Cry. I have tried Onimusha Warlords and this one - Devil May Cry, and I have got a conclusion : Mikami should keep this up. At first, Shinji Mikami intended to create the new Resident Evil 4 for PS2. But since he wanted to move Resident Evil to Nintendo, Resident Evil 4 which had been being in work, was stopped, and Mikami persuaded Capcom to create another style of game : Devil May Cry. While Resident Evil Remade for GameCube was in process, Devil May Cry and Onimusha have been released, showing the new style of Shinji Mikami and have a got a great success. At first, the name of this game was Devil May Care. But for some reasons, this title was changed into "Devil May Cry". According to what I know, Mikami and his staff have gone to Europe to find and draw the ancient architectures of old royal castles to make the background of this game. Devil May Cry - the stylish action game - was born. For me, Devil May Cry is really a great game, having the new style of action, but recovering the old kind of sword-smashing game, which has been nearly forgotten. I'll tell more about the details in the guide. **INTRODUCTION ABOUT THIS GUIDE** This is Devil May Cry FAQ/Walkthrough written by Phan Nguyen Khanh Dan "Mysticcat". I have written this guide after playing through Devil May Cry Japanese DVD, with enough knowledge to create it. After having taken a look at several guides in familiar gaming sites, I have realized that this game has been interested by many people, and have got enough good guides. But I didn't find any many guide which contains detailed strategies for Hard/DMD mode. Then I decided to make a FAQ/Walkthrough by my own self. I try to play the game by all of my effort, and collect ALL IN THIS GUIDE. I guarantee with you that this guide contains most the things you may need, and even secret stuffs. I try to include as many info as I can here, to make it convenient for you to find them in one guide. Hope this FAQ will be useful for you with all my effort. If you want to find necessary parts quickly, please choose Edit menu and click "Find". Then type in the title names (in the Table of Contents) of the part you need. But please make a space between each character, because that's how I made the title in the guide. Some special questions are written in "Frequent Asked Questions" section, which I have recently opened. I have received several emails from readers which mostly asks about some same problems. So if you can't find what you need in the other sections, DON'T FORGET to check this section before emailing to ask me directly. Thank you. ########################################################################## 2. L E G A L I N F O ########################################################################## I put this part in the first after Introduction for that people can see and read it easily. I have done this with all of my previous FAQs. This guide is Copyright and owned by the author Phan Nguyen Khanh Dan "Mysticcat". As a guide posted on Websites, you may easily download it from the click name, use it on your sites, or sell, publish it in many ways. As the author of this guide, I just have some Disclaimer if you want to do anything with my property : - This guide can't be copied, altered or anything like that without having the author's permission. If you want to use it in your websites or doing anything on the guide, just email me at kthoa@hcm.vnn.vn and wait for my answer. I'm not a very mean guy, and I'm willing to let you use it if you can obey this rule. - Furthermore, this guide ABSOLUTELY CANNOT be sold, be repbulished as your guide, gift, magazine and so on. The author has made this guide for NON- PROFIT only, and so do you. Available sites, and only these sites can host my FAQ : - GameFAQs : Http://www.gamefaqs.com This is a very popular gaming site of the huge community of gamers. If you want to find cheats and guides, this site ABSOLUTELY has all what you need. - Neoseeker : Http://www.neoseeker.com This is a big gaming site about everything : News, Game Guides, Cheats, Hardwares, Screenshots, etc. - Playstation Cheats : Http://www.psxcodez.com An Europian gaming site about PSX/PS2 games. - Cheat Code Central : Http://www.cheatcc.com A very popular website which is always updated with newest and hottest cheats. - Devil May Cry 2 Fan site : Http://www.devilmaycry2.com An unofficial fan site dedicated to Devil May Cry series. *NOTES* ---------------------------------------------------------------- Anybody or any sites who have used the guide with my permission, please frequently check and get the latest updates at www.gamefaqs.com. I don't have time to give the updates to all of you each time. Besides, GameFAQs is the site which put the best display of my FAQ. So please check there and get it. If you feel that you can't do this work, so you shouldn't ask to use the guide. Thank you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for reading this. I really do not want to rude. But I myself have ever had my guide plagiarized or used illegally at least once. And I don't want it to happen again. ########################################################################## 3. U P D A T E S ########################################################################## - Version Final, 7th update (June 1st 2002) Added Devil May Cry 2 Fan site as new link. Added and fixed additional plot. Added "Frequently Asked Questions" section. - Version Final, 6th update (May 18th 2002) This change shouldn't have been made, if I didn't hear people complain about this game : THERE'S NO PLOT IN THE GAME. Okay... Yeah... I agree with people that there are not many plots in the guide, nearly nothing, which makes this game less interesting for some players. That's the cause I must make a 6th update of Final version, to show you a sucking timeline of the game. I don't know if this can be called a "plot". But try reading it. I have made a new section for it : "Additional Plot" in "Extra Stuffs" menu. I used to put it shortly in "Character Bios" section, but now I think I should make an own place for it. - Version Final, 5th update (May 16th 2002) More mistakes fixed. - Version Final (May 7th 2002) More info about DMC Addition Products are added. - Version Final (May 4th 2002) More info added. More mistakes fixed. - Version Final (May 1st 2002) More mistaks fixed. Missing info added. In spare time, I always take a look at my guides. As usual, I have spotted more spelling mistakes and even missing infos within the guide. Well, I have repaired as much as I can, and maybe in the future I will do next. - Version Final (April 28th 2002) Repair more mistakes. Added some missing info. Recently I have spotted some mistakes about difference between the walkthroughs for Easy/Normal and Hard/DMD, decided to fix them soon. This FAQ has been completed, but it still needs ideas from you readers. I have also added more available websites using this guide in Legal Stuff. If you have any correction or ideas or contributions, please email me at kthoa@hcm.vnn.vn. All of your contributions are appreciate. - Version 3.0 (April 26th 2002) FAQ/Walkthrough basically completed. Phew... The guide has been basically completed and now it's completely usable. I have filled all the missing parts and fixed some important mistakes. But anyway, there may be major changes in the future. At that time, I will make more updates. That's all for today. - Version 2.7 (April 24th 2002, night) "Weapon & Skill List" section completed. "Boss List" deleted. I have changed the "Weapon List" into "Weapon & Skill List" section, because this part does not only contain Weapons, but also unique skills of them. About the "Boss List", I intended to repeat the strategies and introduce some extra info I know about the bosses. But later, I think it's not necesary anymore, since the Boss Strategies have been repeated at least twice in the walkthroughs. Now I have decided to delete it. - Version 2.5 (April 24th 2002) "Secret Missions" completed. Repair more mistakes. Well, I have tried to finish the Secret Missions. There'll be more changes about this part in the next update. But basically it has been usable. - Version 2.3 (April 23rd 2002) Added more missing Blue Orb Fragments. Repair some mistakes. Item List 90% completed. Ranking System Notes basically completed. The examination in the end of school year is sticking me. I'm too busy to complete important parts. So I try all me effort as many as what I have known clearly. The Item List is nearly completed. I need to check more stuffs'prices from DMD to have correct numbers. Sorry and thank you for reading my FAQ. - Version 2.1 (April 21st 2002) Extra Stuffs & Reviews completed. Contact Info added. Now I'm really busy to make the important parts like Weapon or Enemy List. But they'll be completeted as soon as possible. I haven't got enough info and enthusiasm for them. But I promise that they'll be all done anyway. Walkthroughs have been completed, so you can check them to wait for next parts coming. - Version 2.0 (April 20th 2002) Both Walkthrough basically completed Phew... It was truely tired to make the walkthrough, with specific episodes and Boss Strategies. Big thanks to JustaNewbie-TMurach who wrote Ifrit/DMD Guide, which has helped me to get pass Hard and DMD Mode to write my own guides and strategies. You are very cool ! - Version 1.5 (April 16th 2002) Walkthrough for Hard/Dante Must Die built. As there are many major differences between Easy/Normal Mode and Hard/Dante Must Die mode, I have made two walkhroughs to distinguish. This is just for covenient in writing, and explain to the readers less difficultly. - Version 1.0 (April 12th 2002) FAQ started. ########################################################################## 4. B A S I C T E R M S ########################################################################## Let's read what you need to know before playing this game. PLEASE READ ! ************************************************************************** %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% CONTROLS %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ************************************************************************** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BUTTONS TO MOVE THE CHARACTER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In this game, you mostly use the Left Analog Stick to move the character. This game follows 3D classic. That means : - Left side : Go left - Right side : Go right - Upper side : Go north - Below side : Go south Depending on how strong you move the Analog Stick, the character may run or walk. But in this game it's not so necessary anymore. You mostly run. *The RIGHT ANALOG STICK is used to switch Alastor/Yamato to Ifrit directly without using the Status Screen. Hearing some players' complaints, I heard that some Devil May Cry DVDs have glitched when using the Status Screen to switch weapon. So if you own those discs, use this button to wield weapons instead (Dante will make a pretty cool action if you use this). **SPOILERS** Although the directional buttons now are nearly useless, you can use them in Status Screen to move the highlight or use either them or the Left Analog Stick to move the Dark Knight in the last boss battle. This is it : - Left button : Fly to left - Right button : Fly to right - Up button : Fly to upper direction - Down button : Fly to the lower direction ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PLAYING BUTTONS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Triangle button : Attack (with R1 being pressed) Circle button : Enter doors Cross button : Jump Square : Shoot (with R1 being pressed) R1 trigger : Draw/Prepare R2 trigger : Taunt L1 trigger : Switch to Devil Trigger Mode (while having magical weapons) L2 trigger : Directly open the Map screen Start button : Open Status Screen Select button : Option Menu/Skip scenes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ STATUS SCREEN CONTROL ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Directional buttons : Move the highlight to wanted choices. Triangle button : N/A Circle button : Enter command Cross button : Cancel command Square button : N/A R1 : Move to right choice (the same as Right button) R2 : N/A L1 : Move to left choice (the same as Left button) L2 : N/A ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNDER WATER CONTROL ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Triangle button : N/A Square button : Shoot Needle Gun (with R1 being pressed) Circle button : The same as Square button Cross button : Swim ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ************************************************************************** %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% THE ORBS %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ************************************************************************** In this game, there are various kinds of orbs which you can find tons of them in the game. They are very important to your playing, except you don't know what they're used for. They are everywhere in the game : - You can find them in the air along your way. - You can destroy the objects which seems to separate from the wall, some orbs may be revealed. - Buy them at Statues of Time, except Red Orbs and Green Orbs. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RED ORBS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You find most of this thing in the game. In the other hand, just understand it to be your "money". You use them at the Statues of Time to purchase new skills and supporting items. Each of the things cost a certain number of Red Orbs. You need to have enough the Red Orbs to buy one. Red Orbs are mostly everywhere in the game and easy to find. Sometimes Red Orbs can be used to unlock the red magical doors. These doors need a certain number of Red Orbs to be opened. Some Red Orbs are stored in the some cocoons or pedestals around in the game. By hitting them, you'll get tons of Red Orbs dropping until they are broken. Red Orbs can also be got from the enemies you killed. If you use manual weapons to kill them, it will give you more orbs than killing by firearms. Random Red Orbs have many sizes : - Small : 1 or 2 orbs - Medium : 5 or 6 orbs - Large : 10 or more - Largest : can reach 100. You mostly find these after boss fights. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ YELLOW ORBS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is not pretty rare, but not as much as Red Orbs. Yellow Orbs stand for your lives. Once you are killed, you'll be allowed to retry again, using a Yellow Orb. Then you are re-taken to the nearest place of where you died, with full MAX vitality and full Devil Trigger Gauge. If you have used all of the Yellow Orbs and die again, "You are Dead" and game over. Yellow Orbs can be found along your journey, some of them are in hidden places. - Price : + Easy/Normal : 350->450->550 + Hard : 1000->1500->2000 + Dante Must Die : 2000 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GREEN ORBS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Well, these things are used for quick healing. They are not present randomly in the game. When you get damage while fighting enemies, some of them will drop a Green Orb to heal you. Depending on your damage, the Green Orbs also have many sizes. The easier the mode is, the more percentage you may get Green Orbs from enemies. - Small : heal a little of HP - Medium : heal more than Small size - Large : a full lifebar or more * If you grab Green Orbs when your lifebar has already been COMPLETELY healed. Then the Green Orbs will have the same value as Red Orbs. They are added to your Red Orb store. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BLUE ORBS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It's about your MAX lifebar. When you get a FULL Blue Orb, your MAX lifebar will be increased a little with health fully restored, that means you become stronger. But in the game, you just find pieces of them. Four pieces make a full Blue Orb. Or you can buy a limited number of full Blue Orbs from the Statues of Time. As usual, Blue Orb pieces can be found in hidden places around the game and from Secret Missions. So try all your effort to increase your MAX lifebar. It's very important, especially when you play difficult modes like Hard or Dante Must Die. - Price : + Easy/Normal : 300->550->1000->1800->3200->4300->5500 + Hard : The same + Dante Must Die : The same ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PURPLE ORBS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is the only type of orbs which you can't find in anywhere else out of the Statues of Time. You purchase them, and each of them add a rune symbol to your Devil Trigger Gauge. The Red Orbs cost increase each time you get one. - Price : + Easy/Normal : 440->830->1560->2920->5440->6340->7740 + Hard : The same + Dante Must Die : The same ************************************************************************** %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% BATTLE SYSTEM & ACTIONS %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ************************************************************************** ================================================== BATTLE SYSTEM & STRATEGIES ================================================== If you have played Resident Evil, don't think that this game will be similar as it was made by the same author. It's a mixture between manual weapons and firearms. You can equip two kinds and use them at the same time. But mostly you use manual weapons. Firearms are made to support, except some important battles which need them. Fighting enemies by manual weapons give you more Orbs than using Firearms. Since you mainly use manual weapons to fight, then you must know the basic moves. The simplest combo is Triple Slash (Swords) and Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick (Gauntlets) which you can do without pressing R1, by clicking the Attack button. After that, Jumping and Rolling are the next important. A hit from the air can cause fatal damage and help you to get out of multiple enemies. Make the character jump and press the attack button to do this. Rolling helps you to dodge enemies' attacks quickly and use Firearms more easily, especially with the damn slow Grenade Gun. Press Jump button combined with moving the Left Analog Stick to left or right to do this. And another thing, DON'T FORGET TO PRESS R1 to do different skills. Most moves require this button to be executed. Even though you can hit without it, you can't do any more moves then. But also be careful with this button either : Dante can't run when you hold it. As I said in "Orbs" part, there are some aliasing objects which are separated from the background of the game. With those things, you can strike them to get hidden stuffs inside, like Reb Orbs, Blue Orbs, or even weapons (the Shotgun). So pay attention. ================================================== BASIC ACTION LIST ================================================== --------------------------- HIGH TIME --------------------------- Buttons : Keep R1 + Move the Left Analog Stick to Dante's back + Attack Weapon : Alastor, Yamato, Sparda, Force Edge This attack is done with sword. This is one of my most favourite action. Dante strikes up his sword, flinging the enemy to the air. This is a great chance for you to cause big damage on the enemy. When the enemy is still in the air, you can continue some swords combo to end before it lands without being counter attacked, or use a Shotgun to blast it funnily. Besides, if you hold the Attack button longer, after striking up the sword and flinging the enemy, Dante will jump follow. And if the Attack button is still kept, he will play fatal slash to the enemy who is landing on the ground. --------------------------- KICK JUMP --------------------------- Buttons : Jump + Jump (against a base) Weapon : None This may be one of the most important actions, especially for you to find hidden items and orbs. Let Dante stand beside a base, then press Jump button, as Dante will jump. If you just press one, you'll pay attention that Dante steps on the base and lands down. If you press Jump button again at the time he steps, he will make another jump next to it, reaching a higher distance. The "base" can be a wall, an object from the background. Dante can't do this with the objects separated from the background. *Thing you should know : A base like walls or objects just helps Dante to jump twice. But what if you let him jump onto the enemies ? A group of enemies can handle that better than things. When you jump, if there's an enemy below you, so you continue to press the Jump button and then Dante will step on the enemy and jump again. When you step on another higher enemy and press Jump button, Dante will again make a next higher jump. Just try to step on any enemies around, sometimes you can make a great record about high jump. --------------------------- ROLL --------------------------- Buttons : Keep R1 + Move the Analog Stick to Dante's left or right + Jump button. Weapon : None Rolling can be understood as dodging. If you make the right button combo, Dante will roll to right or left. If you move the Analog Stick to a direction which is not completely right or left, Dante will do a normal jump to that direction. Of course, rolling helps you to avoid the enemies' hits in quick situations. Try to master this action as much as you can. It's pretty important to play with active boss, such as Nelo Angelo. *Thing you should know : This is a very simple trick but important, especially when you like to use the Grenade Gun. We all know that the Grenade Gun is shot with an extremely slow speed. At each of shot, it takes Dante a moment to reload the gun. But after finishing a shot, instead of pressing the Shoot button as Dante is reloading, make a Roll as soon as possible, then press Shoot. I assure that this will make the shots faster. This saves you from the reloading moment. After a quick roll, Dante can immediately play the next shot as you press the Shoot button, without reloading anymore. Not only rolling, but jumping is the same. ---------------------------- JUMP ATTACK --------------------------- Buttons : Jump + Attack Weapons : Alastor, Yamato, Sparda, Force Edge This is a simple hit, but fatal and useful. Dante will jump to the air, inflicting a fatal hit on an enemy while landing. This helps you to jump out from multiple enemies, and make damage on an enemy at the same time. When you do this with sword, Dante just simply slashes down the ground as his jump's limit. --------------------------- DASHING ATTACK --------------------------- Buttons : Jump + Attack Weapons : Gauntlets (Ifrit) The buttons of this hit are the same as Jump Attack, but the reason why I give it to own section is because it has some difference from Jump Attack. First, all of us might confirm that Dashing Attack with Gauntlets is stronger and more sudden than Jump Attack with swords : Dante jumps up and plays a fatal dash to the enemy. Second, the Dashing Attack is my favourite to use, as it has larger limit than Jump Attack. With Jump Attack, Dante can only slash down in the limit of his jumping. But with Dashing Attack, he easily auto-aims to the enemy and dashs to it farther than Jump attack, with stronger damage. I recommend you to use Ifrit, partly also because of this attack. It's very useful to use against Nelo Angelo or Death Scythes, Sin Scythes or even Sin Scissors, Death Scissors. --------------------------- TRIPLE SLASH --------------------------- Buttons : Press Attack button three times Weapons : Swords (Alastor, Yamato, Force Edge, Sparda) This is the most basic attack that you should know. You can do that easily without holding R1 button. Dante plays three continual hits to the enemy. --------------------------- THRUSTING --------------------------- Buttons : Strikes twice but with low speed, then rapidly make the third slash to the forward direction. Works well when fighting enemies. Weapons : Swords (Alastor, Yamato, Force Edge, Sparda) This is one of the funniest but strongest simple moves. But I feel it's hard to do when you have no enemy. Dante will slash the enemy, then play a continuous slice through its abdomen. Interesting ! -------------------------- MORE & MORE -------------------------- Buttons : Strikes twice with low speed, then rapidly make the third slash, as the Left Analog Stick is being moved to half-below circle. Works well when fighting the enemies. Weapons : Swords (Alastor, Yamato, Force Edge, Sparda) This is a long sequence slash. If you do well with a single enemy, Dante will strike twice, then he rapidly makes two next similar slashes with high speed, then inflicts the final touch as you still keep pressing the Attack button. If not, Dante will stop when the enemy is flung to the air. ------------------------- SWORD COMBO 1 ------------------------- Buttons : High Time + More & More + More & More +... until the enemies are knocked out. Weapons : Swords (Alastor, Yamato, Force Edge, Sparda) This works well with the Marionettes. Play High Time to fling up the enemy, then play More & More. This moves continues to keep the enemy in the air when you don't inflict the final slash. Then the enemy becomes your toy in the air while they can't do anything on you. But this sequence is just fun when you are fighting a single enemy. Being surrounded is not good for you to use it. ------------------------ SWORD COMBO 2 ------------------------ Buttons : Thrusting + High Time + Optional combo Weapons : Swords (Alastor, Yamato, Force Edge, Sparda) To master this, try to success the first step : Thrusting. Then just after Dante ends thrusting, quickly play High Time to make him fling up the enemy. At this time, your enemy is in the air, and now play any hit you want to conquer it : More & More, Triple Splash, etc are all right. --------------------------- PUNCH-PUNCH-KICK-KICK --------------------------- Buttons : Press Attack button four times Weapons : Gauntlets (Ifrit) Similar to the Triple Splash, you press the the Attack button repeatedly to make Dante execute the sequence. *NOTICE* There's also a Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick in Ifrit Devil Trigger Mode, which is similar to this one, but faster and stronger. And it can ONLY be used in Ifrit Devil Trigger Mode. It's called Kick13 Auto Combo. Try to distinguish the two attacks. --------------------------- SPEED KICK --------------------------- Buttons : Press Attack button twice + Kick13 Weapons : Gauntlets (Ifrit) Well, refer to "Weapon & Skill List" section to know how to perform Kick13. Here I just want to show you a pretty good Ifrit combo that can be used instead of normal Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick to damage regular enemies. Just punch twice, then quickly combine Kick13, Dante will soon play a speed kick to the enemy that pushes it away along with a good damage. This combo is useful when you want to attack and open your way out simultaneously. --------------------------- AERIAL SHOOT --------------------------- Buttons : Holding R1 + Shoot button Weapon required : Firearms I have ever suddenly done this in some situation, and I feel it's pretty fun to execute with Handguns. Jump into the air, then when Dante hasn't landed down, you repeatedly press the Shoot button. Especially with the Handguns, Dante will play a sequence of shots straight to the enemy, and he slowly lands down which looks very interesting as if he is suspended. It doesn't have any speciality to do with Shotgun or stronger guns. At first, I named this attack "Aerial Attack". But after seeing the picture of this attack in DMC Graphic Edition, I have changed it into "Aerial Shoot", as the name of the picture. This name seems better, as you use guns to do it, not manual weapons. --------------------------------------------- DEVIL TRIGGER MODE (aka DT Mode for short) ---------------------------------------------- Buttons : L1 Weapon required : Alastor, Ifrit, Yamato. Sparda is only available in the battles with Mundus 1 and 2. Dante is half-human, half-demon. So then he has the ability to transform into a demon, within the effect of magical weapons. Dante begins to have this ability after he gets the first magical weapon : The Alastor (except the secret character Legendary Dark Knight who has owned the magical Yamato in the beginning of the game). Devil Trigger is shown by a gauge of rune symbols, below the lifebar on the screen. After getting the Alastor, you obtain six symbols in Easy Automatic, and three symbols in Normal/Hard/Dante Must Die. Three full symbols are enough for Dante to transform once. At that time, just press the L1. You'll soon be in Devil Trigger Mode, which is much stronger than Dante's human form, and has unique skills depending on the weapon you equip. You purchase these skills from the Statues of Time by using Red Orbs. Each skill costs a certain amount of Red Orbs. Swords (Alastor/Sparda/Yamato) and Gauntlets (Ifrit) have their own unique skills. The Devil Trigger Mode is off when you run out of full rune symbols, or you can actively deactivate it by pressing the L1 again. The more symbols are filled, the longer your Devil Trigger lasts. The limited rune symbols are ten. You obtain more rune symbols, by buying the Purple Orbs from the Statue of Time. Devil Trigger Gauge's limit is ten rune symbols. While you are in Devil Trigger Mode, not only that you are stronger than normal form, but your lifebar is gradually healed as well. It stops when either the whole lifebar is fulfilled or the Devil Trigger Mode is turned off. This is also useful for you to heal, but just a little health is restored by this way. The more difficult mode you choose, the slower Devil Trigger Mode heals you. In Dante Must Die mode, it nearly doesn't restore. **HOW TO FILL DEVIL TRIGGER GAUGE** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are many ways to do this : - Fight the enemies : Both Devil Arms and Firearms are appreciate. Fighting enemies gains your Devil Trigger Gauge. The more you fight enemies, the more your DT Gauge is filled, until it reaches its limit. Depending on the power given by the weapon/skill you use to fight, certain amount of rune symbols are given. - Taunting (R2 button) : At first, many people think this button is used to make Dante do something funny. But it also has a function to fill your DT gauge very quickly. Doing it in ordinary state doesn't make sense. But if you can finish a taunt COMPLETELY while being surrounded by enemies, some rune symbols of DT Gauge can be lit very quickly. The more enemies you beat, the more runes will be lit. But if you can-quickly-do a two handed taunt in a free moment from enemies, this taunt can fill 5 or 6 rune symbols. It's hard to do, as you must be-very-quick. Use this trick to heal your DT Gauge if you estimate that you can't directly fight the enemies. - DT Charging Platforms : There are two of these platforms in the game : The two trap rooms (Spike Tunnel Rooms) in Mission 15. They are floor platforms with a shape of a six-sided star or something on them. If you stand on it with full DT Gauge, there's nothing happen. But if you stand on it when your DT Gauge hasn't been full, Dante will get something glowing and his DT Gauge is filled until it's full. Of course, this just happens when Dante is equipped with a weapon which have DT Mode. Force Edge and Sparda does nothing here. ************************************************************************** %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% DIFFICULTIES %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ************************************************************************** When you first start to play the game, there's no difficulty setting to choose. And you must start New Game as the installed Normal Mode. But after getting through the First Mission, the game will ask you whether you continue to play in Normal Mode, or change to Easy Automatic Mode. Choose whatever you want, then complete the game once and save. Since there, you'll be able to obtain various modes, by passing all the modes the game has given. =========================================== EASY AUTOMATIC MODE =========================================== Unlock : Play through the first mission (PAL version) Complete the first three missions as badly as you can (using many Yellow Orbs - this is available for common version). This mode appears after you go throught Mission One in the first time playing. This mode is the easiest difficulty. You can do some great skills like "Thrusting" or "More & More" more easily than ever, and you can shoot without holding R1 button to draw. The enemies and bosses mostly are pies, and you can defeat them easily. Enemies' hits are less dangerous and they rarely inflict fatal attacks. Damage caused by enemies are mostly light, and the DT Gauge heals you pretty fast. The regular enemies are mostly easy enemies. Besides, some hard monsters are not present in this mode, such as Shadows (except Secret Missions), Frosts, Fetishes, etc. The cost to buy items from the Statue of Times is not very expensive. But remember : Once you complete this mode and save, your next game still stays in Easy Automatic forever. If you want to change the mode, you must restart a New Game and play in Normal Mode from the beginning. Complete Normal Mode to obtain more modes. ========================================== NORMAL MODE ========================================== Unlock : Standard Mode This mode appears before you obtain Easy Automatic Mode. It's the most basic difficulty, neither so easy nor so hard. Regular players can get through this mode in the first time. Compared to Easy Automatic Mode, this mode is : - Shooting requires holding Draw button R1. - Some of Dante's moves are not easily mastered. - The enemies and bosses have some more strong hits. - Damage caused by enemies are much more, as they are stronger. - Dante's lifebar is shorter and his strength is a little weaker. - Hard enemies begin to appear : Fetishes, Frosts and Shadows. - DT Gauge heals less fast. - The cost to buy extra items from the Statue of Times is the same. When you complete Normal Mode, the game will ask you to challenge Hard Mode in the next game. ========================================== HARD MODE ========================================== Unlock : Complete Normal Mode You can play this mode just after saving the Normal game, with all weapons and stuffs carried from the previous game. Your Max lifebar which could be increased from previous mode is kept either. In the next game, most of the Blue Orbs you have got, now are replaced by Yellow Orbs. And the Blue Orbs you haven't got are still there. So try to get them all if you still miss. About Secret Missions, you can redo the Secret Missions you have passed in the previous game, and you can also do the ones you forgot. But I remind you to try finishing them ALL in Normal Mode, as they'll be MUCH harder in Hard Mode. Compared to Normal Mode, Hard Mode has ALL of the difficulties in Normal Mode, but more dangerous : - Some regular enemies are replaced by hard monsters. For example : In the Hallway of Mission 2 in Hard Mode, you'll face a Shadow instead of Marionettes. - The enemies and bosses are stronger, faster and often use fatal hits. - Damage caused by the enemies and bosses are MUCH more. - Dante is even weaker than he is in Normal Mode. - DT Gauge heals you pretty slowly. - The cost to buy extra items from the Statue of Times is MUCH more expensive. When you complete Hard Mode, the game will ask you to continue Dante Must Die Mode (short as DMD Mode). But instead of letting you go straight to the next game, the game will give you a chance to change the difficulty again : Easy Automatic, Normal, Hard and Dante Must Die. If you feel that you have been ready enough, choose Dante Must Die to challenge the hardest mode of the game. If you feel that you still need more skills and stuffs, choose Normal Mode to collect them, as the game will be easier for you to do that. But NEVER choose Easy Automatic if you want to have Dante Must Die with all abilities carried, as you'll be stuck in that easy mode forever. And the only way to play Dante Must Die is restarting a New Game and choose the setting (if you have saved the last game). Once you restart, you must begin everything : short lifebar, simple weapons and have no skills. Do you want to play Dante Must Die in that situation ? Let's see the next part to know how hard it is. =========================================== DANTE MUST DIE MODE - VERY HARD =========================================== Unlock : Finish Hard Mode Like Hard Mode, you have all weapons and skills carried over. But those are not enough to make this mode easier. If you have ever played Extreme Mode of Metal Gear Solid 2 : Sons of Liberty, so just think of the same about Dante Must Die. This mode has all the characteristics of Hard Mode, but : - The enemies and bosses are MUCH stronger, faster and USUALLY use extremely fatal skills. - There are many hard enemies. - Damage caused by them are EXTREMELY serious. - Enemies have DEVIL TRIGGER MODE, as they sometimes become berserkers, which make them much tougher and more tremendous in attacking. Once you get in a battle, a timer will appear. If you can't defeat the enemies within that limited time, they turn to their Devil Trigger Mode, which are MUCH tougher than their regular forms. Once you are counted time, all the doors of the current room will be all sealed and you can't continue until all the monsters are killed. - Dante is MUCH weaker. - DT Gauge HARDLY heals you. - The cost to buy extra items from Statue of Times is MUCH more expensive. Okay, what do you think ? ** MAKING HARD/DANTE MUST DIE MODE EASIER ** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'm not a pretty experienced player. But following my own opinion, not all gamers in this earth have the ability to succeed any games they get. I myself is an average player. I'm not good at playing and I can't always pass all the games I've got. Devil May Cry is one of them, as DMD Mode is nearly out of my ability if I manage to get through it manually. If you feel that Hard/DMD Mode is too hard for you, you can replay Normal Mode as many times as you want to improve your playing skills, and to get more support items. You can prepare as much as you can before entering Hard/DMD Mode. As I think, you can only complete Hard Mode smoothly if you are experts of Normal Mode. And similar, you can only beat DMD Mode when you are able to beat Hard Mode easily. So try to practice yourself. =========================================== THE KING OF HELL (not a mode) =========================================== Unlock : Obtain S Devil Hunter rank in all missions in any mode. This is just a reward for those who can do the above condition. You can do it in any mode, even in Easy Automatic, with any characters. It's a big picture, showing Dante among all the monsters of the game (There are Trish, Sparda, Mundus and Vergil either), with the banner "The King of Hell". ************************************************************************** %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% PLAYABLE CHARACTERS %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ************************************************************************** =========================================== WHAT IS "CHARACTER CHANGE" ? =========================================== It's a new menu present after you beat the game once. It allows you to choose different character styles here. But all the controllable characters here are all DANTE. Simply, they are different styles of Dante. In the first time you unlock this menu, there's only one choice "Dante". But later, if you can pass all the difficulties of the game, there'll be new "Dante" for you to choose. There are three choices : ------------------------------------------ DANTE ------------------------------------------ Unlock : Finish the game once. This is truely the original Dante of the game : Normal game, normal style. There's nothing major. This "Dante" doesn't have Yamato sword. Every player must play as him. ------------------------------------------ LEGENDARY DARK KNIGHT (LDK) ------------------------------------------ Unlock : Finish Hard Mode This is the future figure of Dante : wearing a truely Victorian costume, short hair like 19th century men, and a glass on his left eye. This "Dante", I think, is not as good-looking as the original Dante. He's got the Yamato - a Japanese sword, and his handguns are different either. His Handguns are different either : Luce & Ombra instead of Ebony & Ivory. LDK's Devil Trigger is much like Sparda (cooler than original Dante's DT form), and the sword you're having is turned into Sparda sword when DTing. There's an interesting animation that no matter LDK's form is, his shadow is still Devil Trigger Mode, with tail and wings like a demon. Playing as Legendary Dark Knight, you'll get different battle music and different images in menu screen. ---CONFUSING TOPIC-------------------------------------------------------- **WHO IS TRUELY THIS LEGENDARY DARK KNIGHT ? DANTE OR SPARDA ?** *DMC players are divided into two sides : One side think that LDK is Sparda, the others think that he's Dante in the future. About me, I'm in the second side, as there have been many certain proofs proving that LDK IS DANTE ALL THE WAY, not Sparda. I confirm that there are also many proofs showing that LDK is Sparda, like : - Legendary Datk Knight is what Sparda is called. - LDK's Devil Trigger is like Sparda. - He looks a little different from Dante. - His Handguns are Sparda's handmade. - Original Dante doesn't have Yamato, but LDK has... - Devil May Cry Official strategy written by BradyGames has been endorsed by Capcom... etc... ... *But I tell you that those proofs originally began from your thoughts and guesses. If you think that was Sparda, so let me show you some of your mistakes : - Sparda is 100% demon. But LDK is human form. If you debate that the 100% demon Trish is human form either, so I explain : Trish was made TO BE LIKE DANTE'S MOTHER to deceive him as Mundus wished. Mundus MIGHT CREATE TRISH'S SHAPE, she's naturally not human form. I can say that Trish might be created from the clone of Dante's mother, so it's no doubt if she's like a human being. - The lines in the game are not changed. They are still Dante's words. And "Sparda" is not stupid enough to say "I'm his son. The name's Dante", and Trish isn't stupid enough to call "Dante !". - LDK has a mother, right ? And that is Dante's mother. If that was Sparda, he weren't insane enough to claim his wife to be his mother (???), okay ? "My mother risked her life for me, and now you too... My father also rests here. Please rest in peace..." - Well, who is Sparda's father that defeated Mundus some time ago ? - About the Official Strategy Guide, remember that it was written by BradyGames, NOT Capcom themselves. And about why Capcom endorsed it ? Simply, the guide is usable, and another point is that a business corporation like Capcom didn't waste their time to read all the small points of the guide. A guide is endorsed when it's usable enough. *And well, if you ask me how I confirm him to be Dante, so I show you now. Even Capcom, recently they have published a website and products proving info that LDK is Dante : - At a careful glare, we can see that LDK is very Dante, except the different costume and hair. - His lines and actions are Dante's and have no sense with Sparda. - In the end of the game, very Trish claims Legendary Dark Knight Dante. And that can completely be the truth with Future Dante. - Capcom has published a Japanese website. Search the website for the "Secrets" section. If you knew Japanese, you would understand that LDK is Dante, as very Capcom said. Find it at http://www.capcom.co.jp/devil/topics/secret. - Besides, Capcom themselves has published an artbook which contains all the arts of DMC game, including LDK. The notes say that he is truely Dante in the future. Its name is Devil May Cry Graphic Edition. You can purchase it from Capcom Site at http://www.capcom.com/merchandise.xpml. Of course, it is written in Japanese. -------------------------END OF CONFUSING TOPIC--------------------------- ------------------------------------------- SUPER DANTE ------------------------------------------- Unlock : Finish Dante Must Die Mode. This is your last choice. He has no change from the original Dante. But once you have obtain the Alastor and got Devil Trigger Mode, then your DT Gauge is INFINITE. It never runs out once you activate it, except you stop it yourself, by pressing L1 again. So if you choose this character along with Easy Automatice Mode, it'll be Very Easy Mode. Cool !!! With this super character, it seems that Dante Must Die is not as challenging as it was. It won't be in vain if you try all the way to get this last secret character. Because after that, no mode is your difficulty. ########################################################################## 5. S T O R Y L I N E ########################################################################## Two milleniums ago, there was a war between the human world and the other, the Underworld. But somebody from the Underworld woke up in justice and stood up against the legion of the Underworld, alone. His name was Sparda. Later, he quietly reigned the human world and continued preserve the harmony... until his death. He became a legend, the Legendary Dark Knight, Sparda... ########################################################################## 6. C H A R A C T E R B I O S ########################################################################## *Dante and Trish's identities are got from the additional book of Devil May Cry Japanese DVD : -------------------------------- LEGENDARY DARK KNIGHT SPARDA -------------------------------- As the story told, he was the person who "woke up from the justice" to stop the insane ambition of the Devil Emperor of the Underworld. He killed all the Devil armies and the sealed them in a magical vault. Later, he joined the human world, got married with a human being and gave birth to a twin : Vergil and Dante. ----------------- DANTE SPARDA ----------------- He is the hero of this game. His name is Dante. Freelance task-taker in modern underworld. However, he has another occupation more extraordinary. With deadly swing of huge magic sword, and with the enchanted barrage from big double handguns, he slays blood thirst demons from the depth of burning Hell. Begging mercy of him, even a devil may cry. That's the hidden, true identity of Dante. Dante will be back in Devil May Cry 2. Is that cool ? --------- TRISH --------- A mysterious beautiful woman who invites Dante to the Mallet Island, the Infernal Gate. She possesses super natural power, keeps intelligence of the devils and also knows the secret history of Dante. But who on earth-or under the earth, maybe-knows of HER ? ----------- VERGIL ----------- You may hear this name several times in the game, but I won't spoil it for you. What I can say is that Vergil is Dante's twin brother. According to most players' theories and known episodes of the game, he may either be truely a demon or have more demonic blood in his body, not halfbreed like Dante. You don't see the true Vergil in the game, but you will find the correct answer about his identity by playing through Devil May Cry. ---------- MUNDUS ---------- He was the Devil Emperor who was defeated by Sparda 2000 years ago. He has raised the ambition to invade the human world, until now. He has resurrected and returned to redo that ambition. He survives in somewhere in the Underworld. No one knows about him. ########################################################################## 7. W A L K T H R O U G H F O R E A S Y / N O R M A L M O D E ########################################################################## **WHY DO I HAVE TO SPLIT INTO TWO WALKTHROUGHS ?** Because Easy Automatic and Normal Mode are the same about enemies and Normal is not much harder than Easy Automatic Mode. It's enough to be in the same walkthrough for Easy Automatic Mode. **NOTES ABOUT WALKTHROUGH** - These walkthroughs have been written pretty specific about strategies or item locations. Those things are also added with more details in later sections. - Although there are two walkthroughs for different difficulties of modes, the boss strategies can be used for ALL. ************************************************************************** BEFORE ENTERING MISSION 1 ************************************************************************** You'll have to pass several scenes before getting in the first mission. You begin at the gate of the castle. Go along the path, until you see something sparkling on your left side. It's a Yellow Orb. Touch to get it to your inventory. Then continue to head forward. --- [BLUE ORB FRAGMENT] -------------------------------------------------- You can see a balcony over your head. Try to jump to the wall twice to reach the balcony. Once you have stood on it, get to the left of the balcony to grab a Blue Orb Fragment. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Then jump down, head forward until you enter the castle. Your first mission begins. ************************************************************************** MISSION ONE : CURSE OF THE BLOODY PUPPETS Key Item : Rusty Key New Enemies : Marionettes & Bloody Maries Boss : None Secret Mission : None ************************************************************************** --MAIN HALL-- Dante is locked in the castle. Now you take a look at the Main Hall. In the other side, you may find a red double-door. This door is locked by Mundus' magic. You need 45 Red Orbs to enter it, or the ghost hand will grab you and damage you. Try to run to the left. You see a blue double-door. This one is locked by a key either. And now your work is to find 45 Red Orbs around the Main Hall. You can find some around the Knight Statue and beside the blue double-door. Now you run upstairs. The left stairway is destroyed, so run up the right stairway. You see a ruin here again. There's a Red Orb in the ruin, search until it comes to you. Now you run up the upper floor of the ruin to get more Red Orbs. Go to the end of the floor, getting the orbs on your way. At the end, jump down to the lower floor to get the Red Orbs that you couldn't reach from the other side of the ruin. After that, let's jump down the hall and run up to the right stairway again, now you check the right way from the ruin that is not blocked. There are several Red Orbs here, until you find a Statue of Time. It's where you can purchase things, but not it does not work. Pass by the statue to take all the Red Orbs on the current floor. Until you finished, return to the statue and jump on it to the upper floor. Search for all the Red Orbs remaining here. When you find that you have collected enough 45 Red Orbs, that means you can get through the red double-door here. But you should know that there's a secret Blue Orb piece here. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- This one is on a floor path near the left stairway, against the left wall. You use the double-jump against the wall to reach it. Then get the Blue Orb piece inside. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another thing I have just spotted : Jump to the highest top of the black knight statue, you'll get tons of random Red Orbs. Now enter the red double door. --INSIDE THE CASTLE-- In the new area, run to the south of the current angle to find four armors. Strike them to get some Red Orbs. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- It's in those armors too. Strike them to get it along with the Red Orbs. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the right side, you find a gate which is closed. So get into the next red double door. In this area, there are a lot separated objects that you can destroy them to get the hidden Red Orbs inside. After having fun with them, run up the spiral stairway as far as you can. The end of the stairway has been blocked by a ruin, so you get in the way near it. There's an unemotional marionette here. Just ignore it. If you like, enter the left door from the marionette, you are in a room with some water system. There's ladder which is closed and you can't climb it. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- In the right area of this room, you can jump to the upper water to get a Blue Orb piece beside it. Then you have nothing to do now. So get out. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now return to the first marionette, you run south. Then a little scene will show you a hole on the ceiling. Just jump to the platform below, and use Kick Jump to reach the upper floor. Grab the Rec Orbs around there, then find a red marionette. It is holding a Rusty Key. Take the key now and get down the hole. Then watch out !!! Two Marionettes attack you from the other side. Try to use the Force Edge to strike them off. Easy okay ? If you don't like to be surrounded from two sides, just jump to another position which you think to be more convenient to attack them. Or if you don't like... just run. --AIRPLANE SHOW ROOM-- When you get down the hole, the first Marionette wakes up either. If you don't like it, just run down the spiral stairway. Then get out and go back to the Main Hall. Now use the Rusty Key to unlock the blue double door. You are in a room with an airplane. There are some Marionettes hung on the ceiling. Don't care about them. You can see a red double door which locked by white magical wave. It can't be unlocked by Red Orbs. Strike some objects here to find stuffs. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- If you like, jump to the top bar of the airplane to get another Blue Orb piece. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Then land on the ground. Run to the upper left corner and destroy the two armors. You'll find a rune clock. Slash this clock and light up all the runes. Then the device under Dante will bring him down a dungeon. There are several Marionettes here. Touch them and kill these guys off. After that, there are some other Marionettes from other side to encounter you. Kill them again. Then grab your "rewards" and get on the moving device again. When you go up, all the Marionettes will drop down and prepare for a fight with you. Now try to teach these guys a lesson. It's pretty troubled to fight them alone with the damn Force Edge. Sometimes more Marionettes may come as you slash the current ones. Try to wipe off all the monsters here. Then the red double will be unlocked. Enter it now and your mission ends. ************************************************************************** MISSION TWO : JUDGE OF THE DEATH Key Item : Alastor (Devil Arm), Rusty Key, Staff of Judgment New Enemies : Sin Scissors, Phantom Babies Boss : None Secret Mission : None ************************************************************************** --JUDGMENT OF THE ALASTOR-- You are in a circular Hallway of the castle. There's a small study room in the north end of the Hallway. You can get in to search. Strike all the objects here to find hidden Red Orbs. You find another Statue of Time here. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- The left table from the statue has a hidden Blue Orb piece. Destroy it to get the fragment. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you end, get out of this room. Go along the Hallway. There might be some Marionettes around here. If you don't like, just avoid them up and head forward. On the way along, you can find a double door on the left side in the current camera angle. You can't open it now. At the end of the Hallway, you see a door and a sword attached on the relief "Judge of Death" beside. Grab it and see the judgement for you... Dante has conquered the magical sword, so he becomes its owner. The Alastor now is yours. Equip it now. It's much stronger than the Force Edge, and now you have obtained the Devil Trigger Mode. Always use it when you need. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- From now, there will be a new choice named "Alastor" besides "Extra" when you check the Statue of Time. In this choice, you can purchase unique skills of Alastor or general swords. You can get them when you have enough Red Orbs. If not, there are two reasons : That you don't have enough Red Orbs, or you have mastered that skill. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --FOUNTAIN CHAMBER-- Let's get in the door beside. Grab the table beside the door to get some Red Orbs. Then you go upstairs to the upper floor and grab another Rusty Key on the picture of a death. Then search around this floor. You may find some table objects. Destroy it and you will find a Shotgun. Equip this firearm to you if you like. Then go out. Use the Rusty Key to unlock the double door along the Hallway. This is the Fountain Chamber. You should try to jump onto the fountain to obtain some Red Orbs. Then check the place. You can find a magical which is used to protect something. You can't get through it. In the upper level there's a locked door. Jump to it, and jump to the left floor. Run along the hall and jump pass the obstacle holes. Several Marionettes are along the way. So be careful. Go until you find a door at the end of the hall. Enter it. --STAFF OF JUDGMENT-- When you get in, the door will be locked, and you must take over the Marionettes here. Search the path, until you find something like a pray platform on your left. Use your sword to strike the platform. It will be pushed out, revealing a hole. Get through the hole. You grab the Staff of Judgment on the decorated wall. Then find an exit around here. You are taken back to the room where you got the Rusty Key. The door here has been locked when you check it. And you must fight some Sin Scissors to be out. There are about three of them in the room. Just take them out and go out to the Hallway. From now, Sin Scissors sometimes can reappear in this Hallway to annoy you, as well as the Marionettes. So be careful and avoid them if you don't like to waste time. Sometimes killing them can give you a lot of Red Orbs, but that wastes your time and reduces your ranking. and Go to the "Judge of Death" relief. Insert the Staff of Judgment and get throught that door. ************************************************************************** MISSION THREE : DESTROYER OF THE ARDOR Key Item : Pride of Lion New Enemies : Sargassoses Boss : Phantom Secret Mission : Critical Hit ************************************************************************** --CATHEDRAL-- Dante is sealed again. There's another door sealed in this room too. So you have no way to go. Let's get to the south of the the cathedral to find something sparkling on the platform. It's the Pride of Lion. Touch it, and then the thing will destroy the seal of the next door for you. Get in that door. --PATH OF TRIALS-- Well, you have a chance to see the sky again. Just run along the path until you reach the end. There are many strange things, a mirror-like thing on the floor, and a symbol of Hermes' staff. Grab the Red Orbs around there, and check those things if you like. Remember to check the mirror. After that, return to the cathedral. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- It's above the door of the cathedral. Jump up the arch door frame. Then kick jump to the highest position, then Stinger to get it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As you touched the mirror thing, your trial has worked : The bridge is destroyed by some lightnings, and you drop to under water. In this environment, Dante's lifebar will be slowly reduced. So now your work is to find a way as soon as possible. Run along to the end of the water path, then you touch the mirror thing in the center of the chamber. The door will be shut, and some Sargassoses surround to attack you. Well, get rid of this babies by your sword. Some slashes can kill them easily, High Time may work well now. Until you kill the last Sargassos, it may drop a Green Orb and the mirror shines to the sky. Step on it to get out of this place. You have returned to the entrance of the cathedral. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- Now there's a Blue Orb piece at the mirror thing in the opposite side of the destroyed bridge, where you saw the Hermes' staff symbol. If you are careful enough, you can jump on the remaining steps to get there safely. If not, drop to the water ruin and pass the trial again. But if you have got Air Raid ability from the Statue of Time, just switch to Devil Trigger Mode, jump on and press R1 to fly pass. This is the safest way to pass the Path of Trials, the rest is that you must have enough rune symbols remaining when you reach the other side. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once you get the Blue Orb fragment, just do the same manner to return, and record the trial again if you drop, okay ? Now enter the cathedral. But please in preparation, you will face the first boss of the game soon at this place. --HELLO MR. PHANTOM-- When you get in, the Pride of Lion has turned off its shining light and become normal. Go to the platform and take it... then... have a funny talk with Mr. Phantom... ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : PHANTOM ----------------------------- Difficulty : Medium It'll be a hard battle for those who play this game the first time. But once you get acquianted, fighting Phantom will be as easy as pie. This walkthrough is for Easy/Normal Mode, so I write it in that limit. Phantom has two forms : Spider Mode and Scorpion Mode. He is Spider when his eyes turn blue and he has no tail. He is Scorpion when his eyes turn red, along with a big fatal tail. + SPIDER MODE can be hurt by slashing his head or his abdomen. + SCORPION MODE can be hurt by slashing his abdomen. The other body parts of Phantom like legs are hard and you can't damage them. Head and abdomen are soft things. ATTACK : When he is Spider Mode, just dash into his head to slash like hell. And when you realize that your hits begin to have no effect, that means he has switched to Scorpion Mode. Now let's jump onto his abdomen to hurt him. Slash until you fall down. Of course, Phantom is a boss and he doesn't let you hurt him so easily like that. Let's see how to defend : DEFENSE : Phantom doesn't have much attacks now. These are the most frequent ones: - JUMP & STEP : This is Phantom's most basic hit. He jumps to the air. And then you don't dodge, he may step on you, which cause a pretty serious damage. This hit can be easily avoided by running around, and it's not worth for you to get damage by this hit. Just remember to run around Phantom is in the air. He often drops on where you have passed. - SLAP : When you are attacking Phantom's head in his Spider Mode, be careful with this things. He is not stupid enough to let you hurt him easily, or you'll receive a shocking slap from his claw. Jumping or rolling aside to any direction to avoid this. - CHARGING FIREBALLS : Phantom may cast this flaming thing when you are standing in front of him, of after he jumps backward. He can aim this attack to you, and the normal way to dodge is rolling or jumping aside when the shot has just been cast. If Dante has Rolling Blaze with him while jumping (Ifrit's skill), then the fire may have no effect, as Dante's body is covered by fire waves. But don't attemp to do this, especially when you haven't got the Ifrit in the first time playing. Be active to dodge is still better. It'll be very easy if you have much practice. And if you become a expert, this is no problem with you. Remember that he can casr firestrikes when you are slashing on his abdoment, so try to spot his attack as soon as you can and jump to avoid. I'm often late at this, because I just attempt to hit him. And that's a mistake and you should defend yourself more in this case. Don't just attack like crazy. - CALLING DEAD SOULS : I think "Magma Surge" is suitable for this hit. But according to some files, it's about "calling dead souls". Phantom wakes up the dead into fire pillars that gradually rise follow your way. The best way to avoid these things is to run to free direction (with no obstacle) and just run until they end. Even if you can't see what is happening, just keep running up to the direction you choose. Don't be frightened to be stopped, or the fire pillars will hit you. - SCORPION STING : A very familiar weapon : The Scorpion tail. Watch out if you are taunting it from the back, but makes a great damage and serious result. It thrusts you heavily and just like some rules, you are thrown strongly to some position. The hit can take a large limit, so try to dodge away from Phantom when he executes this his, by jumping back. The more difficult mode you choose, the stronger this hit become, with larger limit and stronger damage. If you don't have enough health, it can cause instant death. Be fast in your attacking and kill Phantom before it plays this attack. The truth is that I rarely gets this hit, except the first time I played, cause I always act as fast as I can to defeat Phantom. Try on until you defeat Phantom. ========================================================================== When you have defeated Phantom, he is not dead yet, but disappears through the ground. And you, get to the platform to grab the Pride of Lion. From now, if you can, return to the Path of Trials and jump to the water to do the first secret mission "Critical Hit". If not, just return to the Hallway. The mission will end. ************************************************************************** MISSION FOUR : DARK KNIGHT Key Item : Death Sentence, Melachony Soul New Enemies : Shadow (Normal), Sin Scythe (Easy) Bosses : Phantom, Nelo Angelo Secret Mission : Phantom Babies 1, Phantom Babies 2, The Three Beasts ************************************************************************** You begin at the main Hallway again. Now if you have enthusiasn, get back to the cathedral to play the second secret mission Phantom Babies. After that, go to the Study room to do the third secret mission, also with Phantom Babies. These thingies are similar to the baby Black Widows in Resident Evil, but the difference is that they can't damage you like they did in Resident Evil. --STOP ANNOYING ME PHANTOM-- When you go along the Hallway, it's 100% that Phantom will return to play with you again. So then there will be two choices for you to go : ========================================================================== BOSS : PHANTOM Difficulty : Medium Refer to the upper strategy to know his attacks. But I think in a narrow battle field like this, Phantom may prefer casting Fireballs to doing anything else. So : RUNAWAY FROM PHANTOM It's so easy for you to do. Phantom catches you when you are just in front of the Fountain Chamber. So after the scene, immediately move left as soon as possible. The door to fountain chamber is right there, so enter. Phantom just appears here to threaten, so if you get out of his sight, he won't return here anymore. So if you still have something to do, after avoiding him, you can get back to the hallway. I assure that he won't be there anymore. FIGHTING PHANTOM Well, this battle is not very hard. But you should have 5 or 6 rune symbols of DT mode, and obtain Air Raid skill. When Phantom just appears, you turn into Alastor demon and Air Raid him until he is defeated. Phantom shoots pretty slowly, and I think it's enough to finish him before he could cause more damage on you. I have ever successed this in Easy Mode, but never executed in Normal or harder mode. So I think the best way is still running away from, as you are not forced to encounter this battle. But if you win, you are rewarded with 500 Red Orbs. Not a small prize right ? ========================================================================== --RETURNING PRIDE TO THE LION-- Let's go to the Fountain Room where you see the magical protective shield. Using the Pride of Lion, the shield will disappear. And now hav fun with the lion king. Give him some hits, and then he will respond by some monsters !!! In Easy Automatic Mode, you'll face two Sin Scythes. If you play Normal Mode, you face a Shadow. These guys are just regular enemies, so you can refer to the strategies for them in "Enemy List" section. Just kill those freaky gatekeepers. Then the door on the upper level will be unsealed. Get in it. --DEATH SENTENCE-- Okay, you enter a beatiful design of square round stairways. There will be some Marionettes waiting to welcome you. Take them out. Then... jump down the lowest floor through the balcony. NO, don't be stupid Dante !... (Hey, Dante never dies of dropping from the air. Don't forget that he is part devil). On the lowest floor, you see a rune clock again, and a moving device in the center of the floor. Now light up the rune clock, then stand on the device to move up to the highest area here. It will take you to the platform where the a strange saw-sword is put. Don't think that will be a weapon for you. It's just a key item : The Death Sentence. Jump to the platform and grab it. Well, jump north to the stairway and go down, until you see a double door with some Marionettes around. Kill them off and get in the door. --DARK KNIGHT IS COMING- You have gone to some kind of bedroom. Check the room, climb up the top of the bed to grab some Red Orbs. There's also a Statue of Time here. Prepare yourself carefully before encountering Dark Knight. After that, insert the Death Sentence to the statue with something sparkling : The Melachony Soul. Dante will take it... At the same time, he knows that he is being watched... A twin guy of Dante steps out from the mirror, and he turns into Dark Knight. He signals you to go out with him. Follow the way that Dark Knight has shown, then jump down the courtyard and FIGHT... ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : NELO ANGELO ------------------------------- Difficulty : Medium This is really one of the toughest boss of the game, especially when you fight his third form. This is the first form, so it's relatively simple. But anyway, remember that Nelo's attacks are mostly the same as Dante's, but larger and stronger, especially in Normal or later modes. His weapon is a huge sword. I'm not very experienced at this boss, but these are what I can tell you. ---------------------- ATTACK NELO ANGELO ---------------------- Nelo Angelo is nearly like a human. So you just attack him as usual : swinging your weapon. But be careful when Nelo shields himself. All of your attacks will be reflexed. And in a free chance, Nelo may counter attack you with a big deal of damage. When Nelo gets damage from you, he is also stunned for few moment. About you, try all your effort to use all those moments to damage Nelo as much as you can, before he can teleport to another position. With most of Nelo Angelo's attacks, the best way is to stay away from him as soon as possible. Direct evasions are harder to execute. *FREQUENT PATTERN TO BEAT NELO ANGELO* : Nelo Angelo usually shields himself. When you make a combo on him, Nelo will shield himself for a while and then all of your attacks have no effect. And you, don't try to attack. Jump/Roll to any other direction out of Nelo's shield limit and then play the next combo. With this, Nelo may teleport to another position and after that, he plays an Energy Ball to you. Quickly dash into Nelo, stopping his Energy Ball and play a combo to damage him. Then Nelo shields again and you just repeat the same pattern. -------------------------- NELO ANGELO'S MOVES -------------------------- - STINGER : Much like Dante's stinger. But Nelo's have larger range and stronger power. He doesn't do this attack so often. It's easy to avoid, but once you get hit, it causes a big damage. Just roll or jump aside to dodge this hit. - FOUR HIT SWORD COMBO : Well, this was a nightmare for me to fight Nelo Angelo 3. He strikes four slashes : diagonal, horizontal, diagonal and diagonal. But they all follow an exact direction after Dante. So then jumping or rolling before the combo happening aside are appreciate. But pay attention to his horizontal slash, which occupies a large limit around him. To avoid this safely, just jump or roll away from him as far as you can. This sword combo is not very hard to dodge, but once you get hit, especially in Normal Mode or more, don't ever try to remain half a full lifebar. You lose your calm when being hit, and you hardly dodge since then. So be careful. As my experience, Nelo can slash this to you even you are beating him by your Sword or Gauntlets combo, when your damage is not strong enough to stun Nelo Angelo. You will receive damage and then Nelo counter attacks if you don't realize your situation earlier. - CHARGING FATAL SLASH : This looks like a vertical hit. Nelo Angelo charges the power by putting the sword behind him, then inflict a fatal hit on you. This is similar to Dante's final slash of Triple Hit, but of course, Nelo's slash is fatal to you either. So don't be crazy to stay directly in front of him. Just roll aside as fast as you can. Don't ever try to jump, cause it makes easier for the upper slash to hit you. - HIGH TIME : Well, Nelo Angelo can mostly do whatever Dante can, so High Time is not an exception (You want to know why ? Just play through the game to find the answer). Nelo's High Time is extremely dangerous and hard to guess. But according to my experience, he often plays it when you play jump attack with him. At that time, Dante will be thrown away, along with his cry and an unforgivable damage. Jumping is not the best method now, as you may be struck when Nelo's sword is going up. And you also get the whole damage, even you are not struck by the whole arc of Nelo's sword. Rolling is not very good now, because Nelo swings his sword from the ground to the air, with a pretty large limit. So what do you do now ? Stay away from him as far as you can, before he slashes you. It takes Nelo a moment to execute this hit, like he did the Charging Fatal Hit. So try to practise your speed, you'll get used to it soon. - TELEPORTING : Nelo will teleport to another position when you don't attack him, or when he gets so much hit from you. This is a frequent action of Nelo. And after teleporting, he often casts an Energy Ball to you, if you're pretty far from him. Try to dash into him as much as you can when you spot where he is, before he can cast spell. If you get close enough when he re-appears, he may use one of the sword attacks to hit you. See the above moves to know the strategies for those hits. Now research the Energy Ball. - ENERGY BALL : Nelo also owns some magic, such as this one. Energy Ball is the mosr frequent spell he loves to cast. He shoots immediately after teleporting to a certain position. This hit is easy to avoid. You just jump aside and aside until it ends. Try not to get hit by this spell. It would be poor you if you can't avoid most of them, as its damage is not small either once you are damaged. But if you dash to Nelo and attack him while he is charging the ball, then you can make a combo to damage him as usual. It takes Nelo a slow moment to charge the ball, and it's one of the greatest chance for you to damage him now. Ifrit's jump attack may be useful here, as it's larger then Sword's jump attack and you can dash to Nelo faster, before he casts the ball to you. But remember to be very fast. Just a little slower can make you get hit, okay ? - NELO'S SHIELD : Well, this is extremely annoying. When being attacked by you, Nelo usually pulls out his huge sword to be the shield to protect himself. At that time, all of your attacks are useless, and they will be reflexed by Nelo's shield. It's very dangerous to attack the shield, because once you are reflexed, Nelo may use that moment to counter attack you. The Counter attacks are often High Time or Four Hit Sword Combo. With High Time, you'll get a pretty big damage and be thrown away. It'll be more serious if he uses the Four Hit Sword Combo and then "Death awaits you !". So how to do with this suck ? Well now, rolling and jumping are your friends. Stop attacking him now, then quickly roll or jump to any other direction which is NOT IN NELO'S SHIELD LIMIT. Complete right/left side and back is all right. Ifrit's jump attack is prett good here, but you must be very accurate. Then QUICKLY attack him by anything. If you are accurate, Nelo will be stunned and you continue your attacks, until he teleports. I can assure that Nelo WILL TELEPORT ANYWAY after being deceived by you. So about what to do next, see the above moves. - NELO RUNAWAY : Not means "run out of battle". But when you damage Nelo's 1/3 max HP, he will teleport to the upper plarform in the battle. At that time, just run to and jump up to continue fighting him. Then, when you damage Nelo's 2/3 MAX Hp, he will teleport to the upper level. And you, run along the path and jump over the space, then jump up again to fight him til the end. Always be careful NOT to let you drop again. Deceive Nelo to stay away from the ruin to continue the battle without dropping. What will happen if you don't run to Nelo Angelo ?... Of course, he MUST react. He will give you some sweet Energy Balls if you're still "cowardly" and "stubborn". Know that and run to him as soon as possible when he teleports, okay ? ========================================================================== When you defeat Nelo, there'll be a riot between the two fighters and the loser is... Dante. But Dante will manage to be alive. And Nelo disappears... Your mission ends. And the Melachony Soul belongs to you. ************************************************************************** MISSION FIVE : GUIDING THE SOUL Key Item : Melachony Soul New Enemies : None Boss : None Secret Mission : None ************************************************************************** --RACE WITH TIME-- You have three minutes to get out of this place. First, fight the Sin Scythes that are popping out, as the only door is locked. After taking over those numskulls, the seal is destroyed and you go out. Remember that the Melachony Soul is draining your vitality, like you got in the water under the Path of Trials. So be as fast as you can. Return to the stairway. There may be several monsters around (Sin Scythes or Marionettes). Just ignore them, only attack when you have no way out. Immediately jump down to the lowest level. Input the Melachony Soul to the door at the corner. It'll be unlocked and your missions ends. That's all. This is a pretty easy mission to get S rank, if you fight the Sin Scythes fast and ignore all the optional monsters around. About what will happen if you don't get to the door before the limited time ? Remember the room where you got the Staff of Judgment. Go there and charge the time again and redo everything. Then return to the stairway to unlock the door in the redone limited time. Of course, some monsters may stop your way. If you are still late, return there and charge again until you make it. Of course, being late like that will take one of your easiest S rank that can be got in this mission. ************************************************************************** MISSION SIX : EVIL OF THE WATERWAYS Key Item : Rusty Key, Guiding Light New Enemies : Beezelbubs, Death Scissors Boss : None ************************************************************************** --WATERWAYS ARE EVIL TOO !-- You begin this mission in a dark underground waterway. First, find a Blue Orb piece here. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- Run to the north end of the current waterway. Try to pay attention to a ruin on the left that dives the wall. Come to the ruin, check and jump until there's a Blue Orb piece dropping onto you. Get it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After that, run to the south and turn to Dante's left. There's a door here. Get in it and search for a Rusty Key on one of the water pipes. Okay, some insects (Beezelbubs) want to play with you. Some shotgun shots can finish them very quickly. But you should practice with your manual weapons to get more orbs and more experience. When they die, the door will be unsealed and you get out. Go along the way. You may find another hole on the left. Go in it if you like. There are tons of Green Orbs here and a pedestal of Red Orbs. Strike the pedestal to get as many as Red Orbs you can, until it breaks. Then back to the waterway and go forward. --WHERE ARE YOU FROM, MR. COW ?-- Use the Rusty Key to unlock the door at the end of the waterway. You'll come to a similar area. There is also a hole here, but it just contains Green Orbs only. Grab them if you like. Go along this waterway again. Until you find that you are trapped... by a Death Scissors. This guy is not gentle to let you live easily. Refer to the strategy in "Enemy List", because anyway, he is one of your regular enemies. I don't list him as a boss. After finishing him, reach the end of the waterway and grab the Guiding Light. So now, end up here. ************************************************************************** MISSION SEVEN : HOLDING THE KEY OF ARDOR Key Items : Guiding Light New Enemies : None Boss : Phantom Secret Mission : None ************************************************************************** --GOODBYE WATERWAY-- Hm... I don't know what happens to Dante now, but his vitality is being drained gradually like some previous times. So then now, do the mission as fast as you can. Run back to the stairway as soon as possible. Now in the current waterway, there are a lot of Marionettes around. I think you had better not waste your time with them. That can take out your life and your ranking. On the way to the door, you'll receive two Green Orbs. Back to the first waterway. ========================================================================== PHANTOM AGAIN Here Phantom may chase you again before you get back to the first waterway. He has no change from the last time. Just beat him by using Air Raid. Of course, you have two choices : either runaway or fight. To runaway is so easy, just head forward the door to get back. In Easy/Normal Mode, Phantom just chases you when you beat him at the Hallway. But in Hard/Dante Must Die, Phantom always chases you here no matter what you did you do with him the last time. So pay attention to that and be careful. ========================================================================== Okay, some Beezelbub still want to play. Now the exit has been sealed and you are forced to kill them all. Some Shotgun shots are useful and fast here. Don't forget some of them hidden in the Green Orb way. Get out of here when the door is unsealed. --GO FIND THE SUNLIGHT-- Have you got the stairway ? Okay, let's go to the bedroom where you first met Nelo Angelo. Pay attention to a sun symbol next to the mirror. Put the Guiding Light to it and move. Then a secret door will be opened. Once you get through that door, your lifebar stops losing. Your mission ends here. ************************************************************************** BEFORE GETTING TO MISSION 7 Secret Mission : One-Eyed Evil New Enemies : Kyclops ************************************************************************** You come to the third floor of the Hallway. There's a interval between the two sides of the bridge. If you let Dante stand at the end of the half bridge and jump, he will automatically jump pass the large interval easily. If you let Dante jump off any side out of the end, he'll jump down the Hall. And you must again find the way to reach the bridge. But there's a secret mission required you to jump off directly to the Hall (See the "Secret Missions" section), so it's not very useless. Besides, this part doesn't belong to any mission, it's just the way between Mission 7 to Mission 8, so don't worry about time. Just do the Secret Mission if you want. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]---------------------------------------------------- Again, in very the bedroom you have passed, let's return there and jump to the battlefield between you and Nelo Angelo last time. There are some cool stuffs here, inluding a Blue Orb piece. Find the way to reach the highest level that Nelo has fought you. Then go along that path until you reach the position where the bedroom is just below. Pay attention to the chamber above you. Something like Blue Orb Fragment is glowing in the chamber. But normal Kick Jump or Air Hike can't help you to jump onto there. Then pay attention to a tower on your left. If you use Kick Jump at the right time, you'll reach the tower. There are several Red Orbs and an Untouchable there. Grab those stuffs if you like, then use Air Raid to fly to the chamber where the Blue Orb piece is located. Get it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- --[UNTOUCHABLE]---------------------------------------------------------- It's the glowing thing on the edge of the tower which you use to fly to the Blue Orb Fragment. Using it just reduces your rank, as its function is too cool to fight against any enemy. You find 5 of them in each game. This is the first one. It's in the same place with the Red Orbs on the tower. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you want to enter Mission 8, return to the bridge and get pass it, then enter the door there. ************************************************************************** MISSION EIGHT : LEGENDARY KNIGHT RETURNS Key Item : Trident New Enemies : None Boss : Phantom Secret Mission : None ************************************************************************** --IT'S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE, PHANTOM !-- You are in a fire chamber with a Statue of Time. Purchase anything you want there. Then use Kick Jump to get on either left or right platform to get a large Red Orbs. Then run to the other side to get another one. After that, enter the door on the platform. You have been temporarily outside of the castle. Run forward and climb to the upper side. Then land down the large circular ground. There's a gate over there. Let's get there soon, but... errr... Mr. Phantom, nice to meet you (Dante is so "lovely" !!!) ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : PHANTOM ---------------------------------------- Difficulty : Medium Phantom has two forms : Spider Mode and Scorpion Mode. He is Spider when his eyes turn blue and he has no tail. He is Scorpion when his eyes turn red, along with a big fatal tail. + SPIDER MODE can be hurt by slashing his head or his abdomen. + SCORPION MODE can be hurt by slashing his abdomen. The other body parts of Phantom like legs are hard and you can't damage them. Head and abdomen are soft things. -------------------- ATTACK PHANTOM -------------------- When he is Spider Mode, head(mouth) and abdomen are soft parts. Just dash into his head to slash like hell which is easier than reaching his abdomen. And when you realize that your hits begin to have no effect with the head, that means he has switched to Scorpion Mode. Now let's jump onto his abdomen to hurt him no matter you want or not. Slash until you fall down. Of course, Phantom is a boss and he doesn't let you hurt him so easily like that. Let's see how to defend : --------------------------- DEFENSE PHANTOM'S HITS --------------------------- - JUMP & STEP : This is Phantom's most basic hit. He jumps to the air. And then you don't dodge, he may step on you, which cause a pretty serious damage. This hit can be easily avoided by running around, and it's not worth for you to get damage by this hit. Just remember to run around Phantom is in the air. He often drops on where you have passed. - SLAP : When you are attacking Phantom's head in his Spider Mode, be careful with this things. He is not stupid enough to let you hurt him easily, or you'll receive a shocking slap from his claw. Jumping or rolling aside to any direction to avoid this. - CHARGING FIREBALLS : Phantom may cast this flaming thing when you are standing in front of him, of after he jumps backward. He can aim this attack to you, and the normal way to dodge is rolling or jumping aside when the shot has just been cast. If Dante has Rolling Blaze with him while jumping (Ifrit's skill), then the fire may have no effect, as Dante's body is covered by fire waves. But don't attemp to do this, especially when you haven't got the Ifrit in the first time playing. Be active to dodge is still better. It'll be very easy if you have much practice. And if you become a expert, this is no problem with you. Remember that he can casr firestrikes when you are slashing on his abdoment, so try to spot his attack as soon as you can and jump to avoid. I'm often late at this, because I just attempt to hit him. And that's a mistake and you should defend yourself more in this case. Don't just attack like crazy. - CALLING DEAD SOULS : I think "Magma Surge" is suitable for this hit. But according to some files, it's about "calling dead souls". Phantom wakes up the dead into fire pillars that gradually rise follow your way. The best way to avoid these things is to run to free direction (with no obstacle) and just run until they end. Even if you can't see what is happening, just keep running up to the direction you choose. Don't be frightened to be stopped, or the fire pillars will hit you. - SCORPION STING : A very familiar weapon : The Scorpion tail. Watch out if you are taunting it from the back, but makes a great damage and serious result. It thrusts you heavily and just like some rules, you are thrown strongly to some position. The hit can take a large limit, so try to dodge away from Phantom when he executes this his, by jumping back. The more difficult mode you choose, the stronger this hit become, with larger limit and stronger damage. If you don't have enough health, it can cause instant death. Be fast in your attacking and kill Phantom before it plays this attack. The truth is that I rarely gets this hit, except the first time I played, cause I always act as fast as I can to defeat Phantom. - FIREBALL RAIN : Well, this is a new hit of Phantom in this fight. Because inside the cathedral, he couldn't have enough space to execute this terrible attack. But now you're fighting him on an outside ground. So he shows it to you when you trouble him too much. When Phantom's anger is at its peak, it'll shoot fireballs from its back toward the sky. Let's imagine a meteor rain. It shoots like hell chasing after you. This might be the opposite hit of "Calling the Dead Souls", the only difference is that the fire pillars drop from the sky. Of course, with this kind of attacks, jumping is not a good idea, as the fireballs will drop on you without informing. Rolling is also desperate here, because you can follow a straight line with rolling. So running in a straight line is safer, as you did to dodge "Calling the Dead Souls". If you guess you can't avoid, try to transform into Alastor demon if you have enough rune symbols. In this form, you have faster speed and you may avoid safely. In my opinion, this time Phantom seems to be tougher and makes attacks more suddenly. So I remind you to be careful as for the best way. Try on until you defeat Phantom. Don't worry anymore. I have told you in the title of the part : It's time to say goodbye ! ========================================================================== Phantom drops through the Main Hall. The Statue of Black Knight who is pulling up a spear, thrusts through its abdomen. Phantom still gets some breathe to see who you are. It seems that he has spent a pretty long time :"Sparda..." He knows Dante's father. "I'm his son. The name's Dante."- answered Sparda's son. And then Phantom's body breaks into pieces. But Dante doesn't know that he is being watched... by Trish. What does she want ?... That damn boss has wasted lots of your time. But the gate has been opened and you get through it now. --POSEIDON WANTS TO CHALLENGE ME-- Jump down the courtyard and grab the Trident. On the right of the right horse statue, you can find a small pedestal. If you can manage to jump onit, you'll get some invisible Red Orbs (Not easy to do that, cause the pedestal is too small). --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- There's a hole between the statues of two horses. Above it, you can see a glowing Blue Orb Fragment. Just try to jump up to the either HORSE'S HEAD, not the back. The horse's back is not high enough for you to reach the top. Try to reach the head, then kick jump to the top to get the Blue Orb Fragment. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After that, jumo down the hole to machine room. Get down, then make a run to find some stuffs (A Grenade Gun... YEAH !!!). After that, pay attention to something moving next to the the machine. Strike it once by anything. Dante operates the rope to lower a bridge somewhere in the castle. After ending up here, find a lid and get down the ladder. You realize that you have been to here before. Go to the right system with the Poseidon relief and put in the Trident, operating the water to control the gate. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- Maybe you have got one Blue Orb Fragment in the left pool from the Poseidon relief. Now another fragment appears in the right poor. Jump to the pool to get it okay ? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The black gate in that room will be closed, but the huge gate you saw in the Armor Room is opened. Now it's your time to run to that gate until it's closed again. First, jump out of the black gate when it has just been lowered a few. Then run like hell ! Ignore all the annoying enemies on your way. Run out of the door, passing the Marionettes and the spiral stairway. Head quickly to the Armor Room. If you are fast, the gate has been lowered enough for you to pass soon. Go in now ! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- GATE NOTICE If you play Easy Automatic Mode, after putting the Trident, the gate will be COMPLETELY opened and you can pass it whenever you wants. If you play Normal Mode or later modes, after putting the Trident, the gate will be opened temporarily, but it'll be gradually closed again, as the Trident's holding becomes loose. If you didn't run promptly, you had no chance to pass the gate now. If that really happened, return to the Trident and put it again on the system. Then try again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you made it through, check this little area a little for a Blue Orb piece. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- It's in the water near the left waterwheel of the next exit gate. Just jump to it to reach the item. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your mission ends here. ************************************************************************** MISSION NINE : NEW STRENGTH Key Items : Ifrit (Devil Arms) New Enemies : Blades, Fetishes (Normal) Bosses : Griffon Secret Mission : None ************************************************************************** --NO WAY BACK-- You begin in front of the huge gate. So can I return back to inside the castle for some missing stuffs ? If you try to get in again, I assure that the moving gate has been COMPLETELY opened. It won't shut anymore. I wonder how Capcom did with that ? Now start the mission. Run to the other side of the bridge. Once you get there, the bridge will be automatically risen up. Suck ! Now it's true that you have no way back. You may see something on the ground near there which seems to contain anything, but being empty. You'll know later. Just head up. There's a Statue of Time in the upper left corner. Use it if you want. Pay attention to a high stone pillar in the center of the camera angle. Behind it there's a Devil Star sparkling. Grab it if you like. Then run down another spiral stairway near there, until you reach a door. At first, you see a Green Orb over your head. But don't use it now. Let's get more step to the area. Ehem... you have new friends... Blades !!! Well, swing your sword like crazy with them. They attack from multiple directions with high sudden. So always pay attention and try to kill one. Don't let the others bother you. After that, you may determine if you should use the random Green Orb or not. Let's take a walk in this ground. There's a Yellow Orb on the left of the entrance. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- You try running to the right side from the entrance, as far as you can, until you find a tombstone. This tombstone is movable. Give it some hits to move. It will reveal a Blue Orb underground. Grab now. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to walk along the path on the left from the entrance. It has many Red Orbs on the way. Maybe you are wondering about the doors along the path. Now you can't unlock them, but you'll return here later. After checking that path, then take a look at the right side from the entrance - the left side of the next big gate you see. Behind the bushes and canyons there's a small door. Climb to the top of the door, you'll find the first Holy Water on the way. --I NEED YOUR STRENGTH, THE GOD OF FIRE-- Now get to the big opening gate. Pay attention to a double door on your right. One of its side is burnt, but the other is not. You have to burn it to unlock the door. But now you can't do that. So your only way is getting in the big gate. Another large ground here. Over you head, you see some flying devices which do not work. About you, jump to the left floor, then keep running up. Turn to the right way until its end, to get a Devil Star. Then you run left and turn to the rune clock. Just keep running to the opposite side, get a Yellow Orb in that way's end. Return to the rune clock and activate it now. The flying devices have returned to work. And you go straight from the rune clock to outside edge. It's a little tricky to jump on these things. They move like drunk zombies, and with the Dual Shock control, only a wrong direction determining will make you drop. So first, jump to the first device which doesn't move. Let's see the next one. It moves slowly up and down. When it is moving pretty equally to you, jump to it. Then do the same action with the next devices. The later ones move faster that the last ones. You move follow a circle until you reach a chandelier in the center. The last device is the fastest and most sudden. So try to be careful to jump over it, or you'll drop and restart this tricky challenge. Finally, you get to a chandelier. Grab the burning thing on the platform to see our devil hero is burnt... Fire can't a kill the devil. Dante becomes the Ifrit's owner, like he did with the Alastor. This weapon is fire-elemental and it can make fire. So you use it to unlock the door next to this area. Jump down now ang get out. There may be some Marionettes reappear when you finish. Just go out to save time, or fight them if you like. But anyway, YOU ARE GOING TO FACE A BOSS. Try to have a good lifebar and Devil Trigger Mode. Get out... have a talk... and... FIGHT !!! ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : GRIFFON ----------------------------------------------- Difficulty : Medium You have faced a new guy who replaced Phantom, called Griffon. He is some kind of giant hawk and mostly attacks in the air. Griffon's attack is mostly spark. This boss is much more annoying than Phantom, but not as well as Nightmare. Prepare yourself carefully. -------------------------------- ATTACK GRIFFON WITH FIREARMS -------------------------------- It's not easy to cause damage him, as he is mostly in the air. So when he is in the air, your weapons, or course, ranged-weapons such as firearms. I recommend two weapons : Handguns or Grenade Gun. HANDGUNS : Although the damage caused by these things are weak, your accuracy is very firm. Dante can automatically aim at the hawk and shoots continiously. The Handguns are shot and many, easy to hit the flying enemy like Griffon. And you don't have to worry much about missing. In addition to this, you are fighting Griffon in an empty ground, facing the sky. So I think there won't be too many missing shots. GRENADE GUN : It's not so fast as Handguns, but very strong. One hit of Grenade Gun can make Griffon pretty much health, but low accuracy and speed. Why low accuracy ? Grenade Gun can't be shot continuously like Handguns. Each round flies with a pretty low speed, enough for Griffon to avoid sometimes. But of course, some of your shots may be correct at certain percentage. So don't completely take out this weapon. HANDGUNS OR GRENADE GUN ? Choose whatever you like. It's better to choose your favourite gun, or the gun that you have got used to. Ranged-attacks don't belong to firearms only. If you use Ifrit against Griffon, Meteor is a good idea to make big damage on him from distance. Use this hit if you have purchased it. ----------------------------------- ATTACK GRIFFON WITH DEVIL ARMS ----------------------------------- Sometimes Griffon can land on the ground, especially when you have damaged him a great deal of his HP, he gets weak and then often attacks you on the ground. Griffon can also stand when he calls spark to hit you. It depends on his attack. But of course, the greatest chance to attack him is that when he gets big damage and temporarily loses consciousness on the ground. At that time, jump on him and play some hits. ALASTOR/SPARDA/YAMATO : In my opinion, these sword weapons are easier to use than Gauntlets (Ifrit) to fight against Griffon. With high speed and range, you can easily get closed to Griffon and attack him immediately before he leaves the ground. I have tried many times to give up the opinion. When Griffon is standing on the ground to call spark, you can completely beat him in a free chance (when you're sure that his attacks don't reach you). Vortex is also a good idea when you want to attack the boss' body as he is casting too much hits on the ground. But always be careful, Groffon can control hits spark to any direction as you are. So don't try to attack him so much when your life is not safe. IFRIT : Ifrit may be the best weapon in this game, but it's not good aganst some enemies, including Griffon. I don't disagree if you use it. But it'll be harder than to use swords. Ifrit's attacks are slow and short-ranged. And Griffon has often already left the ground when you get closed to him. The Ifrit's dashing attack is not fast enough either. But besides, Ifrit is also useful if you use love to cast Meteor to Griffon. ----------------------- GRIFFON'S MOVES ----------------------- I'm not very good to pay attention to Griffon's hits. They all mess up on the screen. But I'll try. - LIGHTNING BALLS : Griffon 1 often welcomes me with this hit. He makes a fly around the battlefield, then he dashes after you, dropping tons of Lightning Balls behind, which pursues you either. This is easy to dodge, but be careful too. Just run straight as the balls are being dropped behind you. If you are fast, you may get safe. But if you feel that the balls have coming very closed to you, so run aside quickly or change your direction. Alastor DT will increase your speed very much. So if you feel that you are not fast enough, activate the Alastor DT to run faster. - SINGLE V SPARK : Maybe this the most frequent attack of Griffon. Griffon in the air casts a lightning ball on the ground. Then this ball casts two sparks wiping the ground as a V letter shape. The two sparks will combine at WHERE YOU ARE STANDING. So when you feel that the sparks are running to you, jump over them. This is not very hard to avoid, right ? Single V Spark can be shot at High/Low height. Stand on the ground to avoid high sparks and jump over the low sparks. - VERTICAL SPARK : He rarely uses this hit in the first battle either. But I still mention it here. He does this attack when you stay pretty far away from him. This may be either hard or easy to avoid, depending on your quick attention and practice. Griffon casts a row of vertical sparks through you. And there are two ways to avoid : First, you can COMPLETELY stay away out of the sparks. This is hard to do, because your normal speed isn't fast enough to run out when they are coming, except you are in Alastor/Yamato DT mode. The second way, is harder to do, but you should do. Quickly determine the empty spaces between the spark columns and stay on of those spaces to be safe. - BUNCH OF SPARKS : I sometimes see Griffon do this in the first battle. He frequently does this in the second and third battle. He casts tons of lightnings or sparks from his mouth, wiping a limited area around him. The sparks cast from his mouth are mostly diagonally, along with some horizontal spark circles that wipe the battle field. The diangonal sparks are not problems if you stay awa from him, because it just reaches a certain limit til the ground. But the horizontal circles can hit you anywhere, with different height. They can be cast at high/low height. Relying your quick attention, determine which height they are cast at and then quickly have a right evasion. If you are on the ground, but low circles can, and your way is jumping over them. Sometimes, the horizontal circles can be cast gradually, while the V Spark is hitting you on the ground. This is pretty suck, but you should try. Try to stand at a distance that your jump can be over the two hits (V Spark and Circles). I have been nearly successful dodging this attack, but failed at the end. The horizontal circles and V sparks are shot follow a regular disntance. But the situation can't let you stay in a position. So then you must move and jump. Try to jump dodging the first pair of those two hits succefully, then you will do the same actions with the next hits regularly, until the regulation is broken. At that time, you may feel that you are nearly either faster or slower than the hits. So quickly control your moves at the correct time to avoid the hits rightly. It may be hard for those who haven't get used to. But practices will help you improve. - DASHING : Well, this might be the only physical attacks of Griffon, out of those above magical ones. Being on your back, he suddenly dashes into you, which makes a pretty serious HP. Then Griffon makes a turn after the hit. It's very easy for you to... get hit. Until now, I have never comopletely avoided this attack, except in Alastor/Yamato DT mode. But anywaty, its damage is not so big as damage caused most lightning attacks of Griffon. I can only say that : Try to run straight as fast as you can and jump/roll aside when Griffon makes turn. - RAGING LIGHTNING : This attack is used when Griffon dies or about to die. What ? He summons tons of lightnings cast from the air to the ground everywhere. Can you inmagine what the mess is like ? In this first battle with him, this hits just take a limited area. If Griffon has died, just try to run out of the mess as soon as possible. If he's just going to die, try to move, using Handguns or Meteor Lv2 (Ifrit skill) to defeat him immediately. -------------------------- CIRCULAR PLATFORMS -------------------------- You see these thingies in every battle with Griffon. I guess they are present for you to jump on them to avoid Griffon's ground attacks or stand there to attack Griffon. But I have never use them, since I realized they had messed up. I stand on one of the platforms, which are pretty far from Griffon. And the result was that I was hit by the high V spark or spark circles. It takes you a long moment to be thrown down or jump down, while on the ground, you can use those precious moments to damage Griffon. When you are thrown away from the platform, it also takes a long time for Dante to get up and makes you confused that you can't determine what Griffon is doing next to you. That's my opinion. You can use these platforms if you like, with your own way. ========================================================================== Okay... Are you ready ?... Equip your Ifrit. Then come to the door beside the gate. Strike the Ifrit on its right side to burn. Then the door will be unlocked. Get in it now. Well, let's see.. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- MARIONETTES OR FETISHES If you play Easy Automatic Mode, there will be several Marionettes waiting for you. They are ready to fight you any time. You can either fight them, or run away to the next door and avoid the fight. If you play Normal Mode, you'll see nothing when you get in. Find the next door behind the bushes, then you'll realize it has been sealed. A lot of Marionettes and several Fetishes will come out and play with you. You MUST defeat them to unlock thr seal. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you have defeated them all, I remind you that there's a Green Orb on the top of the next door. Climb up and get it if you like. Then enter that door. Climb down the stairs. Get some fights here either if you like. Easy Automatic = Marionettes Normal Mode = Fetishes There are some stuffs also. When you have just come down the stairs, try to jump up the nearest platform on the left (Dante's right). Then kick jump again to the upper path. Destroy some stone on the left and grab the Devil Star inside. Then go to the right and strike the Red Orbs cocoon to get your prize. After finishing, now choose : either fight the puppets or run to the exit gate. You need 200 Red Orbs to open it. Then your mission ends. ************************************************************************** MISSION TEN : CANYON OF MIST Key Item : None New Enemies : Kyclops Boss : None Secret Mission : None ************************************************************************** Before getting in this mission, I have some reminds for you. You are in a canyon of mist, and Dante himself can't determine where to go, as the zone is covered by mist. You must find a guiding soul to guide your way. Just follows where it goes. If not, you lost your way and return to the exit gate of Mission 9. That means you must restart everything from the beginning. Got it. You have three areas to pass. The areas are completely similar, but the monsters which guard them are different. Let's begin. FIRST AREA : PUPPETS When you first come here, you see several Marionettes (Easy Mode) or Fetishes (Normal Mode). They will wake up once you come. First, check the tombstone at the fork road. Then the tombstone will release a soul to guide where you will go. But one of the monster will catch it. And your work is to kill that monster to release the soul. If you can't determine which one catches the soul, kill all of them until you see the soul again. Then follow the soul to either way. Try to get through the way BEFORE the soul disappears in the other side. SECOND AREA : SIN SCYTHES You face these annoying guys again. Like the previous area, the monsters will catch the guiding soul. And you must kill them to release it, as it will continue to show you the way. Once the soul is completele released and you're sure that it won't be caught again, leave the battles and follow it as soon as possible. THIRD AREA : BLADES These annoying guys are fewer than the previous monsters but tougher. First, there are three of them welcome you and one will catch the soul. Kill those three until the soul released. From now, there's very little chance for the soul to be caught. So just naturally follow the soul, ignore the Blades are coming more. Although the chance for the soul to be caught is very little, if that really happens again, kill the monster who caught it and then follow the soul to the end of the canyon. After that, you come to a courtyard. There might be one (Easy Mode) or two Kyclops beating you when you first enter. Kill them by Shotgun or Sword weapons. There are two Green Orbs (one is on left wall and one is on the right tree). Use them if you need. There's also a Holy Water in the upper left corner. Then enter the next area. ************************************************************************** MISSION ELEVEN : FATE Key Item : Sign of Chasity, Chalice New Enemies : Death Scythe Boss : Nelo Angelo Secret Mission : Wandering Ghosts ************************************************************************** --MONSTERS, SO MANY-- First, you are welcomed by a dear Death Scythe. This is one of the most annoying enemy, I think. Refer to "Enemy List" to know how to kill him. But here I'd like to remind you to find another location around to fight, not near the well. In the process of the fight, either you will jump to fight the Death Scythe or the Death Scythe will use Tornado pillar to move you. So if you drop to the well, then you must begin everything when climb out. After killing the Death Scythe, you can have a jog around this treasure area. When the Death Scythe is killed, the flying devices will work. You go upstairs and jump on it to fly. On the way, you can jump down to catch some Red Orbs. You climb up the wall on the left of the entrance to see some stuffs. Then jump to the left glass platform, run along to find another Large-sized Red Orb. Then return to the wall platform, go right and kick jump to get an upper Red Orb. You may find nother platform, which takes you to a chandelier having something sparkling. It's a Devil Star. Grab it, and then go along all the wall platforms to find some more Red Orbs. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- Do you pay attention to a blue thing inside the left glass cage ? And how do you get it ? Just find a wall next to it and climb to that wall platform. Then jump to the glass platform, like you did in the opposite glass. If you run along that platform, you'll find a Green Orb at the end. But before doing that, try to find that the beginning of the glass platform is broken. Jump down the broken part to inside, get down the step and you can reach the Blue Orb Fragment. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After that, go down the well. There are several Blades waiting for you. Kill them all. Then run forward. You can purchase something from the Statue of Time. And look at the right wall. It's nearly broken. Play some strikes to it. The wall will be broken, revealing a new way and some lovely Blades. Kill them if you like, or jump up the next step and jump up to the ground. You are inside the glass platform. Reach and take the Sign of Chasity. Then get down the well and have some more funs with the Blades. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENTS]---------------------------------------------------- After some moments you fight the Blades here, a Blue Orb Fragment may randomly drop on you. Just kill the Blades or stay here longer to get it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get out the well. Now go either the door upstairs or the door on the ground to get in a new chamber. --DARK KNIGHT ENCOUNTERS-- This room has a pretty confusing design. There's a Green Orb and a Red Orb on the fountain behind. First, you should prepare everything okay befote doing the next step... Well, put the Sign of Chasity on the light pedestal. It will give you a Chalice. But just after that, you realize that you are trapped... ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : NELO ANGELO ------------------------------- Difficulty : Medium/Hard The first Nelo Angelo is enough to make you afraid. But now he is more dangerous, especially when you must fight him in a confusing battlefield like this. Second time Nelo is not very different from the first time. The most impoprtant thing is that you don't let the confusing design of the room trouble you. ---------------------- ATTACK NELO ANGELO ---------------------- Nelo Angelo is nearly like a human. So you just attack him as usual : swinging your weapon. But be careful when Nelo shields himself. All of your attacks will be reflexed. And in a free chance, Nelo may counter attack you with a big deal of damage. When Nelo gets damage from you, he is also stunned for few moment. About you, try all your effort to use all those moments to damage Nelo as much as you can, before he can teleport to another position. With most of Nelo Angelo's attacks, the best way is to stay away from him as soon as possible. Direct evasions are harder to execute. In a room like this, I remind you NEVER LET NELO FIGHT YOU UNDER THE FOUNTAIN OR AT THE STAIRS. The stairs are the safest position to hit you, since you can't jump to avoid his Energy Balls. I have been killed just because of this. In the sentences above, I have mentioned there are Red Orbs and a Green Orb above the fountain. Try to get it when you feel you are going to get killed. But be careful not to let Nelo Angelo teleport to the stairs. If Nelo stands at the stairs, it's really desperate to get rid of him from there. Nelo may continually shoots Energy Balls at you. The only moment you can touch him is that when Nelo has just finished one energy ball. Then QUICKLY get close to him and attack him to make him teleport to another location. *FREQUENT PATTERN TO BEAT NELO ANGELO* : Nelo Angelo usually shields himself. When you make a combo on him, Nelo will shield himself for a while and then all of your attacks have no effect. And you, don't try to attack. Jump/Roll to any other direction out of Nelo's shield limit and then play the next combo. With this, Nelo may teleport to another position and after that, he plays an Energy Ball to you. Quickly dash into Nelo, stopping his Energy Ball and play a combo to damage him. Then Nelo shields again and you just repeat the same pattern. -------------------------- NELO ANGELO'S MOVES -------------------------- - STINGER : Much like Dante's stinger. But Nelo's have larger range and stronger power. He doesn't do this attack so often. It's easy to avoid, but once you get hit, it causes a big damage. Just roll or jump aside to dodge this hit. - FOUR HIT SWORD COMBO : Well, this was a nightmare for me to fight Nelo Angelo 3. He strikes four slashes : diagonal, horizontal, diagonal and diagonal. But they all follow an exact direction after Dante. So then jumping or rolling before the combo happening aside are appreciate. But pay attention to his horizontal slash, which occupies a large limit around him. To avoid this safely, just jump or roll away from him as far as you can. This sword combo is not very hard to dodge, but once you get hit, especially in Normal Mode or more, don't ever try to remain half a full lifebar. You lose your calm when being hit, and you hardly dodge since then. So be careful. As my experience, Nelo can slash this to you even you are beating him by your Sword or Gauntlets combo, when your damage is not strong enough to stun Nelo Angelo. You will receive damage and then Nelo counter attacks if you don't realize your situation earlier. - CHARGING FATAL SLASH : This looks like a vertical hit. Nelo Angelo charges the power by putting the sword behind him, then inflict a fatal hit on you. This is similar to Dante's final slash of Triple Hit, but of course, Nelo's slash is fatal to you either. So don't be crazy to stay directly in front of him. Just roll aside as fast as you can. Don't ever try to jump, cause it makes easier for the upper slash to hit you. - HIGH TIME : Well, Nelo Angelo can mostly do whatever Dante can, so High Time is not am exception (You want to know why ? Just play through the game to find the answer). Nelo's High Time is extremely dangerous and hard to guess. But according to my experience, he often plays it when you play jump attack with him. At that time, Dante will be thrown away, along with his cry and an unforgivable damage. Jumping is not the best method now, as you may be struck when Nelo's sword is going up. And you also get the whole damage, even you are not struck by the whole arc of Nelo's sword. Rolling is not very good now, because Nelo swings his sword from the ground to the air, with a pretty large limit. So what do you do now ? Stay away from him as far as you can, before he slashes you. It takes Nelo a moment to execute this hit, like he did the Charging Fatal Hit. So try to practise your speed, you'll get used to it soon. - TELEPORTING : Nelo will teleport to another position when you don't attack him, or when he gets so much hit from you. This is a frequent action of Nelo. And after teleporting, he often casts an Energy Ball to you, if you're pretty far from him. Try to dash into him as much as you can when you spot where he is, before he can cast spell. If you get close enough when he re-appears, he may use one of the sword attacks to hit you. See the above moves to know the strategies for those hits. Now research the Energy Ball. - ENERGY BALL : Nelo also owns some magic, such as this one. Energy Ball is the mosr frequent spell he loves to cast. He shoots immediately after teleporting to a certain position. This hit is easy to avoid. You just jump aside and aside until it ends. Try not to get hit by this spell. It would be poor you if you can't avoid most of them, as its damage is not small either once you are damaged. But if you dash to Nelo and attack him while he is charging the ball, then you can make a combo to damage him as usual. It takes Nelo a slow moment to charge the ball, and it's one of the greatest chance for you to damage him now. Ifrit's jump attack may be useful here, as it's larger then Sword's jump attack and you can dash to Nelo faster, before he casts the ball to you. But remember to be very fast. Just a little slower can make you get hit, okay ? - NELO'S SHIELD : Well, this is extremely annoying. When being attacked by you, Nelo usually pulls out his huge sword to be the shield to protect himself. At that time, all of your attacks are useless, and they will be reflexed by Nelo's shield. It's very dangerous to attack the shield, because once you are reflexed, Nelo may use that moment to counter attack you. The Counter attacks are often High Time or Four Hit Sword Combo. With High Time, you'll get a pretty big damage and be thrown away. It'll be more serious if he uses the Four Hit Sword Combo and then "Death awaits you !". So how to do with this suck ? Well now, rolling and jumping are your friends. Stop attacking him now, then quickly roll or jump to any other direction which is NOT IN NELO'S SHIELD LIMIT. Complete right/left side and back is all right. Ifrit's jump attack is prett good here, but you must be very accurate. Then QUICKLY attack him by anything. If you are accurate, Nelo will be stunned and you continue your attacks, until he teleports. I can assure that Nelo WILL TELEPORT ANYWAY after being deceived by you. So about what to do next, see the above moves. ========================================================================== Nelo will disappear again. But he's still alive. And you, grab anything you haven't grabbed yet. Then check the area. Do you see an upper circular platform above you ? Rely on the pillars and kick jump on it. Then make a walk around, until you find a cave. Get in that cave, insert the Chalice into the knight's statue. One of the door below will be unlocked. And that's your only exit. You can also find a Green Orb on the central pillar of the whole room. If you stand straight to the pillar from the cave and press Jump button, Dante will automatically jump pass and you get the Green Orbs. After finishing, get down and get through the exit. ************************************************************************** MISSION 12 : GHOST SHIP Key Item : Needle Gun (Firearm) New Enemies : None Boss : Griffon ************************************************************************** --IT'S ALL IN ENEMY'S CALCULATION-- You have been out of the previous area. The first thing you see is a Statue of Time. Use it if you want. Then go along the path. There must be some Marionettes here. Take over them. Then head forward, until you come to the dead end : a wrecked ship. Before checking the ship, you should explore the left corner for a Red Orb pedestals. Strike to get the prize. Then jump into the water. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- UNDER WATER NOTICE From Mission 12 and later, you may have some scenarios swimming under water. Dante is a devil, and he might have some ability to survive, so don't worry about how he breaths (^_^). The problem for you is to learn the Under Water control. Refer to "Basic Terms" to know, then get used to it. Okay ? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Swim around until you find a hole at the bottom of the ship. Swim in. There are several Blades here. They attack you by casting bloody arrows to you. But now you can't fight under water. So try to avoid and run out from them as soon as possible. Just continue swimming to the water surface until Dante automatically jumps out to the edge. Then you'll be safe. --[UNTOUCHABLE]----------------------------------------------------------- There is an Untouchable somewhere in that Blade water areas. Maybe it's on the right of the entrance. I can't determine it in the water environment. You should get it after having the Needle Gun to get rid of those annoying monsters. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- You find another staircase. Get on, and fight two more Blades here. Easy okay ? Then check around the place. You pay attention to another staircase, but the floor below has been flooded with water. You can jump down to swim, but the Blades won't forgive you. So if you want, pay attention to something sparkling beside it. Get it now - the Needle Gun. This will be your only weapon to protect yourself under water. You can search the drawers behind to find a Devil Star. Grab the gun, and do whatever you want with the Blades on the floor below. There must be some Red Orbs there. When you have finished, get out of the water and go up the stairs behind. Enter the door. You have been to the deck. You may notice a door locked by a pair of swords above your head. But before that, there are several pillars on the deck that you can jump on to find Red Orbs and stuffs. The deck is very long, and there are three pillars. You can go around this great place to get your prize. Each pillar has many levels, and each level has two branches. You should go to the end of each branch even you don't see anything there. Sometimes when you go to its end, some invisible Red Orbs will randomly drop on you. Check the place for all the stuffs. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- You can find a sharp bow on the south of the ship. Run to its highest place and stinger to get a far-away Blue Orb piece. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you have been ready, try to unclose the door locked by the sword. Then... Nice to meet you, Mr. Death Scythe !!! (What to do now ? Kill him ! He may give you a trip around the air with his tornados. But he is not that tough. Refer to "Enemy List" okay ?) After defeating thr Death Scythe, you'll receive some orbs. Now try to open the door again. It's not a joke anymore... The ship has moved... Okay, your "friend" has come. Who ? Hehehe... a very familiar face... ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : GRIFFON 2 ------------------------------------- Difficulty : Medium/Hard Now you fight Griffon on a narrow deck, opposing the large empty ground in the first battle with him. That means this battle will get harder very much. Griffon's attacks are more dangerous. And you have less advantages. I must say that you have tons of disadvantages in this battle. And you must know how to prevent them as much as you can. -------------------------------- ATTACK GRIFFON WITH FIREARMS -------------------------------- You should refer to the strategy for Griffon 1 to know more about firearm choices. Here I don't repeat it. HANDGUNS OR GRENADE GUN ? Choose whatever you like. Although I prefer the Grenade Gun, but in this second battle with Griffon, I choose the Handguns. You now fight Griffon in a very small battlefield, with a lot of pillars around. And it's hard for your single Grenade shots to hit Griffon. Handguns can make tons of shots, and some of them may hit Griffon as well, with continuous rhythm. NON-FIREARM : METEOR (IFRIT'S SKILL) You can use this skill when Griffon has just got on the ground. ----------------------------------- ATTACK GRIFFON WITH DEVIL ARMS ----------------------------------- Sometimes Griffon can land on the ground, especially when you have damaged him a great deal of his HP, he gets weak and then often attacks you on the ground. Griffon can also stand when he calls spark to hit you. It depends on his attack. But of course, the greatest chance to attack him is that when he gets big damage and temporarily loses consciousness on the ground. At that time, jump on him and play some hits. ALASTOR/SPARDA/YAMATO : In my opinion, these sword weapons are easier to use than Gauntlets (Ifrit) to fight against Griffon. With high speed and range, you can easily get closed to Griffon and attack him immediately before he leaves the ground. I have tried many times to give up the opinion. When Griffon is standing on the ground to call spark, you can completely beat him in a free chance (when you're sure that his attacks don't reach you). Vortex is also a good idea when you want to attack the boss' body as he is casting too much hits on the ground. But always be careful, Groffon can control hits spark to any direction as you are. So don't try to attack him so much when your life is not safe. IFRIT : Ifrit may be the best weapon in this game, but it's not good aganst some enemies, including Griffon. I don't disagree if you use it. But it'll be harder than to use swords. Ifrit's attacks are slow and short-ranged. And Griffon has often already left the ground when you get closed to him. The Ifrit's dashing attack is not fast enough either. But besides, Ifrit is also useful if you use love to cast Meteor to Griffon. To attack Griffon by Devil Arms, wait for him to land on the ground. I assure that when he lands, he'll cast either Vertical Sparks or Raging Lightnings. But there must a free moment before and after Griffon gives up the attack. Then QUICKLY strike him as much as you can. Then when he begins to cast attacks, AVOID IMMEDIATELY. Don't try to attack more. See the "Griffon 2's Moves" to know how to avoid Vertical Sparks and Raging Lightnings. But the important is that you must avoid ASAP. ------------------------- GRIFFON 2'S MOVES ------------------------- - GRIFFON'S ENERGY SHADOW : It's the orange wing flying around. It casts some sparks charge on you and then swings you to the air. This is more annoying than Death Scythes' Tornados. It flies like crazy, then it swings you to the air. After that, it lets you down and then makes some damage on you, by rushing through you, although it normally doesn't hurt you. You should have Rolling Blaze to fight against this thing. Dante will automatically aim at this thing when it flys around you. Use the Handguns to handle that. Rolling Blaze supports when you jump, making damage if the shadow touches you. Shoot it continuously, try even where you are being launched. When you are on the ground, Dante's aim will be at it and just shoot. It's a pity that there's no way to avoid getting launched. So try to destroy it as soon as possible. When it rushes through you to hurt you, jump over it to avoid. It's not hard, so try not to get damage by this kind of Griffon's attacks. Save your lifebar for more terrible hits, like Raging Lightning. - BUNCH OF SPARKS : He frequently does this attack in the second and third battle. He casts tons of lightnings or sparks from his mouth, wiping a limited area around him. The sparks cast from his mouth are mostly diagonally, along with some horizontal spark circles that wipe the battle field. The diangonal sparks are not problems if you stay awa from him, because it just reaches a certain limit til the ground. But the horizontal circles can hit you anywhere, with different height. They can be cast at high/low height. Relying your quick attention, determine which height they are cast at and then quickly have a right evasion. If you are on the ground, but low circles can, and your way is jumping over them. Sometimes, the horizontal circles can be cast gradually, while the V Spark is hitting you on the ground. This is pretty suck, but you should try. Try to stand at a distance that your jump can be over the two hits (V Spark and Circles). I have been nearly successful dodging this attack, but failed at the end. The horizontal circles and V sparks are shot follow a regular disntance. But the situation can't let you stay in a position. So then you must move and jump. Try to jump dodging the first pair of those two hits successfully, then you will do the same actions with the next hits regularly, until the regulation is broken. At that time, you may feel that you are nearly either faster or slower than the hits. So quickly control your moves at the correct time to avoid the hits rightly. It may be hard for those who haven't get used to. But practices will help you improve. The problem here is that you are in a narrow battlefield. So the only way is to be more careful. Try to get used to Griffon's patterns and distance attacks. Don't run anywhere that the obstacles cover Griffon. Keep an eye on him. - VERTICAL SPARK : He does this attack when you stay pretty far away from him. In this battle, he may use it along with Raging Lightning, when you jump to a pillar or get away from him too far. It becomes harder when there are so many obstacles on the deck. Griffon casts a row of vertical sparks through you. And there are two ways to avoid : First, you can COMPLETELY stay away out of the sparks. This is hard to do, because your normal speed isn't fast enough to run out when they are coming, except you are in Alastor/Yamato DT mode. The second way, is harder to do, but you should do. Quickly determine the empty spaces between the spark columns and stay on of those spaces to be safe. The damage caused by this hit is not "sweet". Although it's not very powerful, it can kill you instantly like any other dangerous attacks. - RAGING LIGHTNING : My God ! This is the most frequent attack of Griffon in this battle. He uses it during the battle, and it's more fatal when he is defeated. He summons tons of lightnings cast from the air to the ground everywhere. He lands on the ground, standing and doing nothing. But in fact, Griffon is calling the lightnings. Just some moment later, a mess of lightning bolts will be cast on the ground. Its zone is unlimited, because it comes to anywhere you run to, no matter how far you get, except Griffon stops the attack. So then what do you do to avoid ? I have succeeded avoiding it at least twice. When you know that Griffon is going to cast this attack, get away from him, as the lightning bolts will chase after you. You'll easily get no damage if you run or jump away with REGULAR speed. But the real situation is not that easy. The deck is full of obstacles and thingies. Try to choose the small path on the two sides of each pillar to run. If you accidentally face a pillar, jump on and try to succeed that jump either, then run. If not, it'll be too late. But jumping is not better than running. You get away in snatch with jumping. And there's no assurance that you don't face obstacles while jumping -> you jump to the obstacle = you get hit. -------------------------- CIRCULAR PLATFORMS -------------------------- You see these thingies in every battle with Griffon. I guess they are present for you to jump on them to avoid Griffon's ground attacks or stand there to attack Griffon. But I have never use them, since I realized they had messed up. I stand on one of the platforms, which are pretty far from Griffon. And the result was that I was hit by the high V spark or spark circles. It takes you a long moment to be thrown down or jump down, while on the ground, you can use those precious moments to damage Griffon. When you are thrown away from the platform, it also takes a long time for Dante to get up and makes you confused that you can't determine what Griffon is doing next to you. That's my opinion. You can use these platforms if you like, with your own way. --------------------- GRIFFON'S PATTERN --------------------- In this battle, Griffon attacks you follow a pattern. No matter if there's the Energy Shadow or not, but Griffon will often make a fly around, as the Energy Shadow is attacking you. Then he will land on the ground and play either Raging Lightnings or sometimes Vertical Sparks. Then he flies up again for the shadow to get you. After that, he lands again to play Raging Lightnings. Remember this and have a good tactic. When Griffon is flying, you can attack him by using Handgund. ========================================================================== Everything is over. But Griffon is still alive. Your mission ends here. ************************************************************************** MISSION 13 : ABYSS Key Item : Staff of Hermes New Enemies : None Boss : None ************************************************************************** When being safe, you can get in that door - The Captain's Cabin. --HAUNTED CABIN-- When you first get in, use the Statue of Time if you have needs. There's the body of the dead captain... Then check the room for a statue with something sparkling on it. That's the Staff of Hermes... Huh, does it make you remember something ? The symbol in the end of the Path of Trials ? But now you can't get back. So just keep it okay. You'll need it anyway... Urgh... What a curse ! The ship is sinking... Yes, have a nice swim ! The door is stuck too and you can't go out by that way. If you have seen the scene that Dante is being flooded by water, you would notice the water comes from a ventilation hole. It's just right below the entrance. Get in it to go out. This is the room where you got the Needle Gun. There are two Blades here. But your way out - which is forward - has been sealed, and you must kill these Blades to be out. Use the Needle Gun and aim at them accurately. They are not very hard to kill, but you must try to avoid their blood. After finishing, get out the unsealed stairs. You are going to be out. Either pass or kill the current Blades to swim out of the hole. This is also one of the easiest mission to get S rank, if you kill the two Blades fast and pass the other unnecessary ones. You end up here. ************************************************************************** BEFORE ENCOUNTERING MISSION 14 Secret Mission : Water Cell ************************************************************************** You have been out. And as this part is not in any mission, do whatever you want now without worrying about ranking. Let's get in the ground first, and check around the sunken ship. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- You'll find another small swallow water area on the right of the ship. Jump into it and search, you'll find a Blue Orb Fragment. Then get on the ground again. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- There's still something in the ghost ship I remind you to get. So jump into the entrance of the ship again. Kill those Blades and search for some hidden Red Orbs, by shooting the Needles at anything you see under water. Then try to find the stairs to the upper cargo. You soon see a light stairway forward. Head to it and get down. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- Now there's a Blue Orb Fragment which did not appear in previous missions. First, kill the Blades remaining to avoid annoyance. Then get your prize. There might be some hidden Red Orbs here either. Shoot anything on your way. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you have found all the stuffs, get out of the ship and go along the cave. There should be some Marionettes who want to joke with you. Kill them for fun, then get in the next door in the end of your way. Encounter Mission 14. ************************************************************************** MISSION 14 : DEEP DARKNESS AND TOWERING THE MOUNTAIN ************************************************************************** --WHERE AM I GOING NOW ?-- You come to a circular chamber like a trap. There are many spike holes on the ground which don't work. Just walk around the hallway. You may pay attention to a picture of a skull on the wall. Now ignore it. You'll come back here anyway to do a Secret Mission. Just head up. Along the hallway, you'll find an elevator which is locked. So run to the end of the spike hallway, until you see a dead end : a spike wall with a skeleton hung (Maybe this was a curious guy who unluckily got stuck here and died miserably ^_^). You grab the Emblem Shield from the skeleton. You'll be asked to shake the skeleton's arm or not. No matter what, you MUST do. Then the elevator will be unlocked, but you must pay for that by passing over the trap : The spikes have moved and now they gradually thrusts out from the holes on the ground. And you, what do you do now ? PASS ! Be careful and step on the area you feel to have few holes. The circular hallway is moving backward, as you can decrease your speed. Try to pass the pile of spikes when they don't thrust out. Or you'll get a serious damage. Try until you reach the elevator, then go up. You have come to a natural waterfall. There's a Statue of Time near here and a Holy Water straight under the waterfall. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- Not only Blue Orb piece, but there are Red Orbs and Yellow Orbs here as well. They are onto one of the high ledges around the area. Either Air Raid or Air Hike required to get them. Jump from the low ledges to high ones until you find them. There's an easy way to get the Blue Orb Fragment. Just stand near the elevator you have got down, then run and Air Hike to the opposite ledge which has the Blue Orb Fragment on it. If you jump correctly, Dante will automatically holds the ledge and climbs up himself. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --PLEASE GIMME A BREAK !-- After that, get down and go through an exit cave. It takes you to outside. There must be one Death Scythe welcome you at first. Either kill him or run away, do whatever you want. You may pay attention to a small cave under the one you are standing at. Jump down gently and try to go in. Jump up the steps to get a Green Orb if you want. Then continue to climb up until you go out at a higher level. There's a bridge connecting to the opposite side. Pass it and find a Red Orb pedestal. Slash the thing to get your "money". --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]---------------------------------------------------- After passing the bridge and striking the pedestal, you'll find a lower level from there, with a Blue Orb Fragment on it. Jump down correctly at the platform to grab your prize. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- After that, you jump down to the lowest ground of the cliffs, then get in the cave straight there. Go down the steps to find a sealed way. You need 200 Red Orbs to unlock it. Then get in. There are several Marionettes (Easy Mode) and Fetishes (Normal Mode) in the next area. You are not forced to kill them. Run up the stairs. From these stairs, you jump to the upper path on their left, to grab a Devil Star and some other Red Orbs. The way at the end of the stairway is sealed. Suck ! Waste more 100 Red Orbs. Find some hidden stuffs inside (if there are) and run next, run until you come to a circle water room with several Red Orbs around. Then get in the next door. Your mission ends. ************************************************************************** MISSION FIFTEEN : WHEEL OF DESTINY Key Item : Luminite, Pair of Lances, Wheel of Destiny New Enemies : None Bosses : Griffon Secret Mission : Treasure Guarded by the Death God ************************************************************************** --I'M HOME-- You realize that you have back to the ground where you fought Griffon the first time. But be careful, either Kyclops or Blades may welcome you here with no informing. If you don't want to waste time, just run out of them. Last time, you have wondered what to do with the locked doors along the path. So now you do that. From the beginning, run fast to the opposite side which is the path. Choose either the blue north door or the red south door to go. They are all similar to each other, and the items you get there will change their locations either. Let me explain carefully about that. ========================================================================== TRAP ROOMS NOTES ------------------------------ **NOTES** - I told you to go to either room. The room you go FIRST will have a Luminite and the Pair of Lances. The remaining room will have the weapon Nightmare Beta. Those items don't stay at certain which room. It depends on which room you go first. - Monsters in these areas are all puppets. But : Easy Automatic Mode has Marionettes only. Normal Mode has Fetishes only. - Each Trap Room has a Statue of Time. - Nightmare Beta is an optional weapon, that you can get or not, whatever you like. You just need the Pair of Lances to continue the game. BLUE TRAP ROOM Take out the blue shield and get in. Get the Luminite (if you go here first) and fight a Marionette/Fetish. Then go downstairs, find two more Marionettes/Fetishes. There's just one room here. But if you pay attention, there's a wrecked wall on its opposite side. Strike the wall to get in the stores. There are many things for you to strike, which reveal Red Orbs, Green Orbs and even Yellow Orb. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- It is hidden in the opposite of the entrance. Strike everything there to see it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Then get in the door. You'll be annoyed by three Sin Scythes. This trap room is similar to the one you faced before getting to the waterfall, but the spikes get out from wall, not floor. And it's not good for you to get down the moving ground to fight the enemies. So try to stand at the entrance and play some Shotgun or Grenade shots when they touch you. When you have killed them, you can get down with no worrying. It's lucky that these are horizontal spikes got from the wall, so you can easily pass them by getting through when they are going in. You can't stand on the moving ground ? No problem, stay at the wall beside which will keep Dante be at one position. When passing through the first spike wall, you see a room on your way. Get in it, grab the Red Orbs. You see a picture of a skeleton, and there's a magical platform in the center of the room. If you stand on it, all Devil Trigger Gauge will be filled fully. Besides, there's nothing else here. So get out. Continue to pass the next spike walls, until you reach the end. Turn right, and you come to another area with some platforms on the wall. Below you there's a floor filled with poison gas. What you have to do is jumping to the last platform to get stuff there. Just jump to the nearest platform you can see, then reach the last one. If it's hard, so try getting down the below floor and kick jump from there to the platform as soon as possible, as your lifebar is reduced by the gas. You'll get the Pair of Lances if you go here first. If you have got the Pair of Lances in the red trap room before, you'll get the Nightmare Beta here. RED TRAP ROOM Take out the blue shield and get in. Get the Luminite (if you go here first) and fight a Marionette/Fetish. Then go downstairs, find two more Marionettes/Fetishes. There's just one room here. But if you pay attention, there's a wrecked wall on its opposite side. Strike the wall to get in the stores. There are many things for you to strike, which reveal Red Orbs, Green Orbs and even Yellow Orb. Like you did in the Blue Trap Room, get in the trap area. It's similar to the blue one, but there are two rune clocks on the wall, opposing two spike walls. Try to light when you are being moved by the ground, all the platforms inside will be lowered. Then you reach the end. Its design looks like the blue room, but there are Blades below instead of poison gas. Jump on the platforms to grab the Pair of Lances/Nightmare Beta. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- Do this BEFORE getting the Pair of Lances/Nightmare Beta. Jump down the lower floor asap and kill the Blades (Easy) or Shadows (Normal). Then try kick jumping to the platform which holds the item to get a dropping Blue Orb Fragment. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After that, the connecting platforms caused by the rune clocks will be shut again, and you must get down the floor below, fighting the Blades and climb up again. Get out of the Red Trap Room. ========================================================================== When you have finished, several Sin Scythes will fly around the ground outside. Ignore them if you don't want to fight, and run to the middle double door of the path. Use the Pair of Lances to get in. It's the Coliseum. DO NOT GO TO THE CENTRE OF THE ROOM NOW, I remind you to check the place first. There are two tornados on the two sides of the coliseum. You use either of them to get to the high floor of the coliseum, then the top. Each side of here has a Green Orb. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]---------------------------------------------------- Use either the tornado, then you run to the top where a Green Orb is. Then pass the highest bridge there. When you reach the middle of the bridge, a Blue Orb Fragment will drop onto you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get down now, and if you have prepared, run to the centre of the coliseum. ========================================================================= BOSS FIGHT : GRIFFON ----------------------------------------------- Difficulty : Hard -------------------------------- ATTACK GRIFFON WITH FIREARMS -------------------------------- It's not easy to cause damage him, as he is mostly in the air. So when he is in the air, your weapons, or course, ranged-weapons such as firearms. I recommend two weapons : Handguns or Grenade Gun. HANDGUNS : Although the damage caused by these things are weak, your accuracy is very firm. Dante can automatically aim at the hawk and shoots continiously. The Handguns are shot and many, easy to hit the flying enemy like Griffon. And you don't have to worry much about missing. In addition to this, you are fighting Griffon in an empty ground, facing the sky. So I think there won't be too many missing shots. GRENADE GUN : It's not so fast as Handguns, but very strong. One hit of Grenade Gun can make Griffon pretty much health, but low accuracy and speed. Why low accuracy ? Grenade Gun can't be shot continuously like Handguns. Each round flies with a pretty low speed, enough for Griffon to avoid sometimes. But of course, some of your shots may be correct at certain percentage. So don't completely take out this weapon. Well, this has been the third battle against this hawk. I still recommend the Handguns. Remember that you are in a coliseum, and the skybridge with the platform circles are your obstacles to shoot Griffon corrently. So Handguns are still better. In this fight, Meteor Lv. 2 is required to cause more damage on Griffon. Practice this skill to play with Griffon. Its damage is not bad. ----------------------------------- ATTACK GRIFFON WITH DEVIL ARMS ----------------------------------- Sometimes Griffon can land on the ground, especially when you have damaged him a great deal of his HP, he gets weak and then often attacks you on the ground. Griffon can also stand when he calls spark to hit you. It depends on his attack. But of course, the greatest chance to attack him is that when he gets big damage and temporarily loses consciousness on the ground. At that time, jump on him and play some hits. ALASTOR/SPARDA/YAMATO : In my opinion, these sword weapons are easier to use than Gauntlets (Ifrit) to fight against Griffon. With high speed and range, you can easily get closed to Griffon and attack him immediately before he leaves the ground. I have tried many times to give up the opinion. When Griffon is standing on the ground to call spark, you can completely beat him in a free chance (when you're sure that his attacks don't reach you). Vortex is also a good idea when you want to attack the boss' body as he is casting too much hits on the ground. But always be careful, Groffon can control hits spark to any direction as you are. So don't try to attack him so much when your life is not safe. IFRIT : Ifrit may be the best weapon in this game, but it's not good aganst some enemies, including Griffon. I don't disagree if you use it. But it'll be harder than to use swords. Ifrit's attacks are slow and short-ranged. And Griffon has often already left the ground when you get closed to him. The Ifrit's dashing attack is not fast enough either. But besides, Ifrit is also useful if you use love to cast Meteor to Griffon. Well, in such a hard battle like this one, METEOR LV.2 and INFERNO are really required. As I said, the Ifrit attacks can be fast enough to make much damage on Griffon, but INFERNO can. A jump with Inferno caused can make Griffon lose pretty much HP and you can also use it to reach the boss when you are pretty far away from him. METEOR LV.2 can reach farther distance, like gun shots. At the beginning of the battle, YOU CAN TURN INTO IFRIT DT MODE AND PLAY ONE OE TWO METEORS IF YOU ARE FAST. That will make Griffon lose a certain bunch of HP. ---------- NOTES ---------- The teleporting tornados are still available in this fight. Sometimes you can use them to avoid Griffon's ground attacks. But I never use them. They are not as useful as they should be. If you do that, some sweet Vertical Sparks will be cast to you like crazy. Enjoy you life ? But when you make Griffon weak, by damaging too much of his HP, Griffon will mostly fight you on the ground, and the tornados can't be used anymore. ----------------------- GRIFFON'S MOVES ----------------------- It seems that Griffon 3 uses all the hits he has done in the first and second battles. No hit is absent. And there are new ones too. All of them grow stronger. So be very careful. - LIGHTNING BALLS : He makes a fly around the battlefield, then he dashes after you, dropping tons of Lightning Balls behind, which pursues you either. This is easy to dodge, but be careful too. Just run straight as the balls are being dropped behind you. If you are fast, you may get safe. But if you feel that the balls have coming very closed to you, so run aside quickly or change your direction. Alastor DT will increase your speed very much. So if you feel that you are not fast enough, activate the Alastor DT to run faster. This is a rare hit in this third battle. But Lightning Balls are frequently cast along with a "Bunch of Sparks" that makes the battlefield more confusing. You should pay attention to the balls carefully, along with dodging the Sparks. - SINGLE V SPARK : Maybe this the most frequent attack of Griffon. Griffon in the air casts a lightning ball on the ground. Then this ball casts two sparks wiping the ground as a V letter shape. The two sparks will combine at WHERE YOU ARE STANDING. So when you feel that the sparks are running to you, jump over them. This is not very hard to avoid, right ? Single V Spark can be shot at High/Low height. Stand on the ground to avoid high sparks and jump over the low sparks. - VERTICAL SPARK : He does this attack when you stay pretty far away from him. This may be either hard or easy to avoid, depending on your quick attention and practice. Griffon casts a row of vertical sparks through you. And there are two ways to avoid : First, you can COMPLETELY stay away out of the sparks. This is hard to do, because your normal speed isn't fast enough to run out when they are coming, except you are in Alastor/Yamato DT mode. The second way, is harder to do, but you should do. Quickly determine the empty spaces between the spark columns and stay on of those spaces to be safe. In this battle, you have to actions to make Griffon play Vertical Spark : get too far away from him or to climb up the highest place (the top or the bridge) of the Coliseum by using tornados. - BUNCH OF SPARKS : He frequently does this in the second and third battle. He casts tons of lightnings or sparks from his mouth, wiping a limited area around him. The sparks cast from his mouth are mostly diagonally, along with some horizontal spark circles that wipe the battle field. The diangonal sparks are not problems if you stay awa from him, because it just reaches a certain limit til the ground. But the horizontal circles can hit you anywhere, with different height. They can be cast at high/low height. Relying your quick attention, determine which height they are cast at and then quickly have a right evasion. If you are on the ground, but low circles can, and your way is jumping over them. Sometimes, the horizontal circles can be cast gradually, while the V Spark is hitting you on the ground. This is pretty suck, but you should try. Try to stand at a distance that your jump can be over the two hits (V Spark and Circles). I have been nearly successful dodging this attack, but failed at the end. The horizontal circles and V sparks are shot follow a regular disntance. But the situation can't let you stay in a position. So then you must move and jump. Try to jump dodging the first pair of those two hits succefully, then you will do the same actions with the next hits regularly, until the regulation is broken. At that time, you may feel that you are nearly either faster or slower than the hits. So quickly control your moves at the correct time to avoid the hits rightly. It may be hard for those who haven't get used to. But practices will help you improve. - DASHING : Well, this might be the only physical attacks of Griffon, out of those above magical ones. Being on your back, he suddenly dashes into you, which makes a pretty serious HP. Then Griffon makes a turn after the hit. It's very easy for you to... get hit. Until now, I have never comopletely avoided this attack, except in Alastor/Yamato DT mode. But anywaty, its damage is not so big as damage caused most lightning attacks of Griffon. I can only say that : Try to run straight as fast as you can and jump/roll aside when Griffon makes turn. - DIAGONAL DASHING SPARK : Griffon performs this hit like his dashing. But there will be a pair of lightning sparks shot from his feet to the ground, following a straight diagonal line. This hit is easy to avoid. You just need to read Griffon's direction, then roll/jump aside. - RAGING LIGHTNING : This attack is used when Griffon dies or about to die. What ? He summons tons of lightnings cast from the air to the ground everywhere. Can you inmagine what the mess is like ? In this last battle, Griffon can use this attack whenever he wants, not just when he dies. The hit is also stronger and larger. So try all your effort to run out from its limit. Alastor/Yamato DT is required to do this more easily. If Griffon has died, just try to run out of the mess as soon as possible. If he's just going to die, try to move, using Handguns or Meteor Lv2 (Ifrit skill) to defeat him immediately. - MULTIPLE SPARK NET : This is a new hit of Griffon in this battle. As what I paid attention to, Griffon will make a dim net on the ground which has no effect on you. But at wherever you are standing, one of the sparks of the net will electrocute you at a moment, causing a certain damage. The dangerous point is that Griffon can cast V Sparks and Circle Sparks along with this net, to confuse you more. Try to keep calm and pay attention to the net you are going on. Jump as soon as possible when you're going to be electrocuted. -------------------------- CIRCULAR PLATFORMS -------------------------- You see these thingies in every battle with Griffon. I guess they are present for you to jump on them to avoid Griffon's ground attacks or stand there to attack Griffon. But I have never use them, since I realized they had messed up. I stand on one of the platforms, which are pretty far from Griffon. And the result was that I was hit by the high V spark or spark circles. It takes you a long moment to be thrown down or jump down, while on the ground, you can use those precious moments to damage Griffon. When you are thrown away from the platform, it also takes a long time for Dante to get up and makes you confused that you can't determine what Griffon is doing next to you. That's my opinion. You can use these platforms if you like, with your own way. ========================================================================== After defeating Griffon, he'll be damaged by some column in the centre of the coliseum. Then you have a long talk with him. Like Phantom, Griffon has realized Dante, as Sparda's son. And he still keeps saying to kill you. He calls for Mundus - his master to let him use "someone"'s strength. Maybe you may hear the name "Vergil". Try to guess out. But then, Mundus will ignore Griffon's command and kill his servant. Then Trish will come out. Dante tells her about his family, that Mundus killed all of his relatives. You'll mearn more about Dante's family and the pendant he wears - which has saved him from Nelo Angelo (Hey, Vergil also has one. What...?) After Trish disappears, you jump to the central pillar of the room and go down. Step out and go forward, getting the Wheel of Destiny from the statue of a skeleton. Then your mission ends. ************************************************************************** MISSION SIXTEEN : NIGHTMARE OF DARKNESS Key Item : None New Enemies : Plasmas Bosses : Nightmare Secret Mission : Shadows in the Dark, Stairway to Tranquilize ************************************************************************** --FACING THE DESTINY-- When you begin, just run out. --[BLUE ORB]-------------------------------------------------------------- It's not a fragment. It's a complete Blue Orb. When you start Mission 16, it appears beside the pillar you use to go up. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get on the pillar when you have nothing else to do. Then go out to the ground. --[UNTOUCHABLE]----------------------------------------------------------- Enter the area where you got the Ifrit. Now on that Ifrit chandelier there is an Untouchable instead. Just activate the rune clock again and use the flying devices to get there to have this precious item. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After that, you get out of here through the exit. Run up the spiral stairway to in front of the castle. Now you have got the Wheel of Destiny, so use it to put in the hole at the edge of the rising bridge. The Wheel of Destiny will lower the bridge, but the sceneries inside the castle will change, as your "destiny" has come. Pass the bridge to enter the castle. Now it's all too dark to see anything, but if you have got the Luminite, Dante still has something to see in a small limit. Okay, now there's no the door going to the spiral stairway. So take the only left door. You have entered the main hall. It's all too dark. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- It's in some corner in the border of the main hall. Search for it around the props. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- That's not all. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- Try jumping on to the HEAD (not the back) of the black knight statue in the hall. You'll see a Blue Orb Fragment forward. But it's too far with your normal abilities. There are two ways to get it : - Air Hike : If you have got this ability, just jump to it. Then jump again on the invisible platform (caused by Air Hike) and this next jump will help you to reach the Blue Orb Fragment soon. - Air Raid : If Air Hike is too much for you, use Air Raid instead. Try to have 4 or 5 rune symbols of DT Gauge. Then let Dante have Alastor/Yamato DT form. Jump up and press R1 button that Dante will fly. Drive him to the Blue Orb Fragment. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After that, you run up the main stairs of the hall. You'll figure out that the huge statue of some god have disappeared, with a rune clock instead. Now let's strike that rune clock. Your new enemy will come - a Plasma. Refer to "Enemy List" to kill Plasma. It's lucky for you that there's only one Plasma. You must kill it to unseal the next door (the blue double door). Then get in it. --LIFE IS A NIGHTMARE-- There are several Plasmas in the Airplane room. You can soon avoid them and enter the next right door immediately. This hallway isn't changed, but the fountain chamber has been lost. Try getting into the study room (the room with a Statue of Time). There might be some random Red Orbs around here. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- There's a Blue Orb Fragment at the painting near the study room. Jump up at the painting, touching a head to get dropping Blue Orb Fragment/Yellow Orb. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This hallway has some armors along. Strike all of them to find new stuffs. Run to the end. You'll see a room has been lost, remaing the door of "Death Judgment" (the door to cathedral). This is your only way now, so get in. The cathedral has changed since the last time you came. There are four rune clocks at the corners of the room, and some mirrors on the floor. Then a black puddle is lying on the floor. You can't go out to the Path of Trials either. So stay back and check the puddle... errr... Yeah... Life is not a easy... It's a NIGHTMARE... ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : NIGHTMARE ------------------------------------- Difficulty : Hard Rune Clocks : 4 Well, If Nelo Angelo and Mundus are the toughest, so Nightmare may be the most annoying. He looks like big ooze stuck with robbish. But in fact, those robbish things are his weapons. In every room where you face Nightmare, there should be two or four rune clocks. Because they are the only tools to damage Nightmare. ----------------------------- HOW TO DAMAGE NIGHTMARE ----------------------------- As I told about, Nightmare is an ooze. And all attacks are useless against it. That means the strategy for this boss is unique from other bosses. The rune clocks are the safe way to attack Nightmare. - STRIKING THE RUNE CLOCK : Nightmare himself is a moving useless ooze, and nothing can damage this form of him. He just raises up to be a living creature when ONE of the rune clocks is lit. But that still doesn't mean you can damage him. Once he "lives", he'll use his "robbish" to attack you. And then he reveals his CORE. This is like Nightmare's heart and once you beat the core, Nightmare will get damage. But then, he will cover his core and continues to attack you, until the lit rune clock is off. According to my experience, Nightmare often reveals his core twice each time a rune clock is lit. Generally, to make Nightmare wake up, you have to beat ONE of the rune clocks around and ONLY ONE. Beating the others next just waste your time. Nightmare can reveal its core anywhere on its body : Front, back or on top. So pay attention to that. - DEFEATING THE "NIGHTMARE" : As the boss' name is Nightmare, so he also has an attack named "Nightmare" (I think so). As a useless ooze when you haven't lit the rune clock yet, he moves around and then sometimes catches you to very your "Nightmare". The nightmare is extracted from Dante's memory. You'll face the former bosses again in this "Nightmare", along with some Sargasosses. If you defeat the boss in the "Nightmare", then you'll get out and that will make Nightmare lose a great deal of health. ------------------------------- EQUIPMENTS REQUIRED ------------------------------- In my opinion, Nightmare is truly a tough boss. Although he is not as tough as Nelo Angelo or Mundus, his outlandish nature requires some very unique skills to kill him. That's the reason why I open this section in Nightmare strategy. DEVIL ARM : IFRIT Ifrit is the most popular weapon of DMC experts. I'll explain this later in "Weapon List" - Ifrit section. But I remind this is the best weapon against Nightmare. Nightmare just reveals his core in a limited time. The Alastor/Yamato are not strong enough to inflict a big damage on the core during that short time. The Sparda doesn't have DT Mode and some important skills can't be executed. So Ifrit is the most perfect. When you turn into Ifrit DT Mode, the quick Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick inflicts a very big damage on Nightmare, and some other skills like Kick13 and Inferno are pretty strong, enough to confuse Nightmare. FIREARM : GRENADE GUN Grenade Gun has the strongest power of all Dante's firearms. Sometimes, you can use it to damage Nightmare's core from a pretty far distance. First, I recommend you this weapon. But about it's REAL function, see the next part "How to build up Devil Trigger Gauge". ----------------------------------------- HOW TO BUILD UP DEVIL TRIGGER GAUGE ----------------------------------------- - You can only attack Nightmare when he releases his core. But then all your DT Gauge is all used for those chances And then if you wait for the next releasing core of Nightmare to build up the DT Gauge with normal hits, you'll waste a lot of time while your vitality can be damaged anytime. So there's another way to build up DT Gauge without physical attacks : USE THE GRENADE GUN. Just use this gun to shoot at Nightmare anytime while you're running around him. Each shot can fill a little or half of a rune symbol, although it can't damage Nightmare. This is an easy for you to build the DT Gauge without using Devil Stars either, which will reduce your ranking. - Grenade Gun can't be strong enough to build up the DT Gauge fast. So taunting is the remaining way. Taunt in a free chance, when you badly need many many rune symbols, especially when Nightmare prepares to open core, and you need a pretty long DT gauge to beat it. -------------------------------------------------- NIGHTMARE'S ATTACK PATTERN & GENERAL STRATEGY -------------------------------------------------- NIGHTMARE'S ATTACK PATTERN : As my experience fighting this thing, I think living Nightmare often reveals his core follow this order : - Front Side : He opens the core, doing following attacks : Machine Shots, Black Beam. - Back Side : He opens the core to this side after he has done with the front side. His attacks now are mostly similar to the front side, but added with Triple Fatal Strikes. - On Top : This is the last position he opens his core before returning into a useless ooze. His attacks : Striking Boomerang, Ice Beam, sometimes Triple Fatal Strikes. REMEMBER : Nightmare can just do ALL three moves above follow that order when you light a FULL RUNE CLOCK. Even if Nightmare is a useless ooze, he still can attack you by casting small oozes to chase after to ice-strike you. Or if you are pretty near him, he'll catch you to the "Nightmare". GENERAL STRATEGY : - Light up the rune clock as soon as possible to wake up Nightmare. - When he reveals his core in front side, dash into it and strike it in Ifrit DT mode, using the Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick often to make big damage. Kick13 is also appreciate. - Then when Nightmare is still preparing for the next core revealing, use the Grenade Gun and shoot to him fast to build up as much DT Gauge you can. But remember to dodge his attacks at the same time. - At the next core revealing in the back, dash in again and hit him as you did in the first time. - When Nightmare is preparing for the next core revealing, do the same as the last time you did. - Now Nightmare may open his core on top. And this is pretty annoying with his Boomerang. A correct Inferno hit is effective now. Jump on its body and Inferno him quickly. Or if you use Alastor/Yamato, Air Raid is also a good idea. Fly around and air-raid Nightmare. About more details, see the next part. --------------------------------------------------- UNAWAKENING NIGHTMARE'S ATTACKS (its ooze form) --------------------------------------------------- - ICE CREATURES : When you run around, Nightmare casts these crawling creatures to pursue you. The most frequent way I often do is to run, run like hell. Run and leap, because the creatures can leap onto you by your next position. When you get it, you'll be ice-struck. This doesn't take much damage, but extremely annoying. When it takes so long for them to chase you, they'll explode ice-strike without informing. You hardly beat them, as they are too fast and muggy. So first, you must avoid. Then QUICKLY light up a rune clock to wake up Nightmare. When Nightmare is woken up, these creatures will stop. - FALLING INTO NIGHTMARE : When Nightmare hasn't woken up, he is a moving ooze. Then he comes close to you, he may rise his body to catch to the "Nightmare". As I said above, "Nightmare" is the reflect of Dante's trauma. Dante will again face his former bosses : Phantom, Griffon and Nelo Angelo. In this first form, your guest is Phantom. This illusion "Phantom" is completely similar to the real one, but much weaker and easier to fight. When you first fall to the "Nightmare", you'll see several Sargasoses, and a black shadow of Phantom which has no life. Equip a sword weapon (I recommend Sparda) to kill these Sargassoses only. Run along the border of the area to find and kill all those skulls. Then the master Sargassos (the biggest skull which is one-eyed and pink) will fall onto you from a top. Kill him as you did with other Sargassoses. When all the Sargassoses are killed, the black shadow will wake up as a real Phantom and fight you. This Phantom is much easier than true one. So try to kill him without taking too much damage, because you must save your vitality for Nightmare. Sometimes you'll receive a Green Orb after killing the boss in "Nightmare", but that's not an assurrance. So you had better preserve your life as much as you can. When you have finished, find the light pillar to return to the real world and continue the battle with the true Nightmare boss. **(SHOULD I GET THIS HIT ? As I have told you, once you beat Nightmare's "Nightmare", you will deal on pretty big damage (not very big in the third battle) on the boss after getting out. And then he won't play this attack with you anymore. So you may wonder if you should let that or avoid. As the guide writer, I recommend the answer "NO". Why ? Maybe you can deal the "nightmares" a bit easily in Normal Mode, but what about Hard/DMD mode - the mode where every monster can become boss, and there's no assurance about giving Green Orbs after the battle. Generally, I told you NOT TO LET THAT HAPPEN. You can completely evade this by lighting up the rune clock as soon as possible or avoid the catching. Nightmare is anyway a tough boss. And what you have to do is to save your vitality to defeat him. Is that okay ?)** -------------------------------- LIVING NIGHTMARE'S ATTACKS -------------------------------- Nightmare "lives" when a rune clock is lit up. - MACHINE SHOTS : These fine shots are always cast every time Nightmare has just woken up. He shoots many fine shots toward every direction. These shots don't take much damage from you, and you can easily avoid by running around. Well, anymore problems ? Sometimes Nightmare repeats this attack whenever he wants, especially in the distance between the two core revealings. - BLACK SHOOTING MISSILES : Nightmare does this when he has just revealed his core, as soon as the Machine Shots are stopped. This is truely a dangerous attack when you are careless. I have died a lot just because of these hits. Why ? Because Nightmare casts this hit when he reveals his core. And most of us can't abandon such a great chance to damage Nightmare. The Missiles are shot in a limited area near there. If you desperately dash in to the core with no realization, there are 90 percents that you get hit. Remember that the damage caused by these things is not small, and then they will stun Dante for a moment. With the little stunning moment, if you haven't got calm yet, then you'll continuous to be hit, hit until your death comes. Control Dante to move and jump diagonally out of the missiles' limit, coming close at the same time. Be patient, it may be slow if you don't want to get hit. If you have Rolling Blaze, the flame covered you will protect you from the missiles and reflex the hits back to Nightmare. So you should purchase this ability if you haven't got it yet. Well, about how to attack the core at this time. Let me tell you two strategies : + If you have practiced and been very good at dodging those missiles, just dash in safely and then Ifrit DTing, use the Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick combo to damage Nightmare's core as much as you can. Once you get to the core, there's a very little chance you are damaged again by the missiles or any outside effects. So try to reach it as soon as possible and cause damage on Nightmare. The advantage of this strategy is that you inflict a pretty big damage on the core. And when the core is closed, if you deactivate the DT mode in time, you'll still save some remaining rune symbols. And you can fill up your DT Gauge more quickly before the next turn. + If you are still afraid of the missiles or you are not very good at dodging, try to have a full DT Gauge before, with at least 6 rune symbols. Then when the Missiles are shot, try to dodge a few of them, then DTrigger and quickly jump in the core, along an INFERNO. With at least 6 rune symbols, you can cast two Infernos to inflict the core. I think the Inferno's limit is large enough to damage the core. The advantage of this strategy is that the damage you caused is big enough, but it may waste a lot of rune symbols. I don't know if I'm wrong, but sometimes I see the beams are cast from the top, as another protection for the core revealed on top. These Missiles will dash down very suddenly and heavily. You try to run around as fast as you can to avoid them, if you are still on the ground. - TRIPLE FATAL STRIKES : Nightmare often does this just before the second time he reveals his core, after finishing a Machine Shots hit. Three firm spikes are pulled out, nailing Dante to the wall. Each of them cause a extremely big damage. In Hard/Dante Must Die Mode, this hit is strong enough to kill Dante at once, if you have got the whole attack. That's the reason why I call it "Fatal". You often hear a noisy sound just before this attack begins. But it passes very quickly and you'll be sure to get it if you don't try to dodge when the sound is still sounded. Just after it ends, the three spikes will come out, nailing Dante wherever he steps to. The dangerous is that once you got one spike, there's no chance for you to avoid the second and third hit. Dante will be nailed heavily and stuns, as the second spike is coming out and so is the third spike. And then if you haven't got at least a full lifebar and half -> your life is ended (Of course, the spikes are that strong when you play Hard/DMD Mode). Rolling Blaze again makes big support. When you jump as a spike comes to you, it'll be driven to Dante's side. But run away as soon as possible. Leaping/jumping is not a good idea to avoid this hit. You may jump over the first spike, but not with the second or third spike. That damage is not small either. The best solution is to stay away from the hit as far as you can. You can have time to run far like that, if you realize it early, when the noisy sound is still existing. If not, try to jump on the top of the Nightmare as soon as possible, IF IT'S BEING SAFE. If you can't move during that time by some reason, the last solution is jumping, along with Rolling Blaze to save your life. Jump up at the right time a spike is hit. Remember, ONLY ROLLING BLAZE JUMP CAN BE DONE HERE, NOT NORMAL JUMP. Another solution for this hit is using Alastor/Yamato DT Mode to increase your speed to jump out. - ICE BEAM : Well, Nightmare often uses this hit when his core is opened on top. If you doesn't abandon any chance to hit Nightmare, I assure that you'll jump on top of him to damage him. But it's not as easy as you expect, because Nightmare will shot either Black Missiles to damage you heavily. But now I want to mention about Ice Beam - the attack that Nightmare will cast on ground. This may be the most annoying attack of Nightmare, but easy to avoid if you are careful and calm. Nightmare will shot a long ice beam through the wall very long, and move it to several directions in that side. Once you are stuck in the beam, you'll be frozen, and a little damage will be taken. After that, Nightmare will continue the beam to damage you, until the ice covering you is broken, and then you are inflicted a very damage. Try to guess this attack as early as you can. About me, jumping to the top is my frequent solution. But this way can only be used when you're sure the top is being safe either, but that doesn't always happen. So the other way is to run away from the beam. How ? Run and stay away from the beam as far as you can. Alastor/Yamato DT Mode can be helpful here. A good new is that the beam is just moved in a certain limit, but it's still fatal anyway. But as my experience shows, this attack is often shot as the core is revealed on top. So avoiding by jumping correctly to the top is not very bad. As when you are on top, you are completely safe from the Ice Beam, and then you can damage the core. But be careful with the Missiles. Good luck ! ========================================================================== After defeating Nightmare, you'll be safe. Now you can get to the Path of Trials. Try to pass the bridge, by jumping correctly at the bridge pieces or fly over by using Air Raid. When you get the opposite side, go to the staff symbol and use the Staff of Hermes to open two new magical doors. ************************************************************************** MISSION SEVENTEEN : PARTED MOMENTO Key Item : Quicksilver New Enemies : Frosts (Normal Mode) Bosses : Nelo Angelo Secret Mission : Blue Gem in the Sky ************************************************************************** --WHAT THE HECK IS THE LIVING DINOSAUR FOSSIL-- The Staff of Hermes opens tow new mirror doors. You begin with the LEFT door first. You realize that this is the place that has been lost in the castle : The spiral stairway area. Now go to the stairs and go up. Along the way, you find the Marionette/Festish room. Go in. There are many new things for you to strike and gets Red Orbs, beside the sucking puppets. After that, continue to go up the stairs. This is the new thing of the area, while the stairs you saw in Mission 2 was completely blocked by ruin. Reach the door at the end of the stairway and enter. Strike something here for Red Orbs. When you are stepping, two more mirror doors will appear. Continue to choose the LEFT mirror door. Prepare before you get in. Once you reach here, you have no way out, except finishing this mission. So just head up. You'll see a double gate. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- EASY AUTOMATIC MODE There will be two or three Plasmas waiting for you here. You can either avoid them or fight them. You don't have to kill them. NORMAL MODE You see nothing when getting in this place. But when you touch the door, you'll know that it has been sealed, and then two Frosts will suddenly jump onto you. Try to kill them to unlock the seal. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enter the gate. You have been in a corridor full of Marionettes or Fetishes in Normal Mode. Kill them if you like. There are several armors along the corridor, and you can strike them to get hidden stuffs. You'll see a turn way taking to a door which is locked. So now, first of all, get to the door at the end of the corridor. This looks like a long hall. And at the end of the hall, there's a Living Dinosaur Fossil. It is shooting at you. If you try to get close to the dinosaur, you'll be reflexed by some power. But first, I ask you to kick jump to the upper edge of the hall. Try to find a little balcony on the left of the dinosaur which has a stone chair. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- When you have been in the balcony, you'll see nothing. Just let the dinosaur shoot at you some times, you just jump to dodge it. Some moments later, there will be a Blue Orb Fragment dropping from the sky. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now it's time for you to get rid of this weak boss. ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : LIVING DINOSAUR FOSSIL -------------------------------------------- Difficulty : Very Easy This boss is just some kind of living thing. In fact, it's not strong enough to be considered as a boss. ------------------------------- ATTACK THE DINOSAUR FOSSIL ------------------------------- Equip a sword weapon to do this. Then wait until the dinosaur shoots fireballs at you, just swing the sword to reflect it when it comes close to you, not too early or too late. The fireball reflected will damage the fossil. ----------------------------- LIVING DINOSAUR FOSSIL ----------------------------- - FIREBALL ATTACK : This is the only attack of this "boss". It aims at wherever you are standing, then shoot a fireball at you. It shoots pretty slowly, especially the time it's aiming at you. These fireballs don't take much damage. But you should try to reflect as much as shots to it. One shot in Easy Automatic or three shots in Normal Mode will destroy it. ========================================================================== After that, there's no power stopping you from the dinosaur area. But first of all, when the dinosaur is defeated, there's a shining light cast from a pedestal rising on the floor. Check it and try to find a crank on the stone beside. Let Dante touch the crank. Then you round your Left Analog Stick follow a circle following one direction, until the shining light reachs the mirror on the ceiling. Then the light will be moved to something glowing on the pedestal on the upper floor. And now you must reach it. First, get to the dinosaur area which has been unsealed. Then you kick jump to the left wall. Then continue to jump to the south edge, which is left from the first "invisible platforms" caused by the thunder. From that edge, you jump to that first invisible platform. From now, you must rely on the thunder to determine the invisible platforms in the air. The second platform is determined to be on the south from there. Jump to it, then reach the next platforms on the north of the next camera angle, until you reach your end : the pedestal on the upper floor. You grab the Quicksilver on the pedestal. --MOTHER'S GIFT & VERGIL-- After having the Quicksilver, you get out of this hall, back to the main corridor. Now let's bring the Quicksilver to the door in the end of the turn way. Put the Quicksilver in its hole. Then you can enter the door. When stepping some more, you'll meet a familiar face. It's time to say goodbye... VERGIL !!! ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : NELO ANGELO ------------------------------- Difficulty : Hard This is the toughest form of Nelo Angelo. He has nearly opened his face, which looks like human's. But Dante hasn't recognized him. It's really strange, but anyway, you must play this last fight to finish this up, no matter what. ---------------------- ATTACK NELO ANGELO ---------------------- Nelo Angelo is nearly like a human. So you just attack him as usual : swinging your weapon. But be careful when Nelo shields himself. All of your attacks will be reflected. And in a free chance, Nelo may counter attack you with a big deal of damage. When Nelo gets damage from you, he is also stunned for few moment. About you, try all your effort to use all those moments to damage Nelo as much as you can, before he can teleport to another position. Remember that a Rolling Blaze sometimes can save you from Nelo's counter attack. I have ever been this case. I have attended to hit Nelo too much, and then it's too late when I realize that Nelo is going to counter attack me with a Four Hit Sword Combo. In confusion, I have pressed the jump button. As I was using Ifrit with Rolling Blaze already purchased, the jump covered with flame has damaged Nelo Angelo and stunned him for a moment, and I get safe just after that. I think this is little useful experience when you have no more way to avoid Nelo's hits at a close distance. With most of Nelo Angelo's attacks, the best way is to stay away from him as soon as possible. Direct evasions are harder to execute. In this form, it seems that Nelo's attacks are stronger and larger-limited. So you must be more careful than ever. Try not to get his attacks, even just one hit. The recommended weapon is IFRIT. Why ? The combos made by Ifrit can deal a great damage on Nelo Angelo. Its jumping/dashing attack can help you reach Nelo faster when he teleports to other position, and its damage is good too. But anyway, the most important thing when fighting Nelo Angelo is DEFENDING FROM HIS ATTACKS. Read below for more details. As an improvement, this form of Nelo has new attacks, as the old ones are much stronger in every respect. *FREQUENT PATTERN TO BEAT NELO ANGELO* : Nelo Angelo usually shields himself. When you make a combo on him, Nelo will shield himself for a while and then all of your attacks have no effect. And you, don't try to attack. Jump/Roll to any other direction out of Nelo's shield limit and then play the next combo. With this, Nelo may teleport to another position and after that, he plays an Energy Ball to you. Quickly dash into Nelo, stopping his Energy Ball and play a combo to damage him. Then Nelo shields again and you just repeat the same pattern. -------------------------- NELO ANGELO'S MOVES -------------------------- - STINGER : Much like Dante's stinger. But Nelo's have larger range and stronger power. He doesn't do this attack so often. It's easy to avoid, but once you get hit, it causes a big damage. Just roll or jump aside to dodge this hit. - FOUR HIT SWORD COMBO : Well, this was a nightmare for me to fight Nelo Angelo 3. He strikes four slashes : diagonal, horizontal, diagonal and diagonal. But they all follow an exact direction after Dante. So then jumping or rolling before the combo happening aside are appreciate. But pay attention to his horizontal slash, which occupies a large limit around him. To avoid this safely, just jump or roll away from him as far as you can. This sword combo is not very hard to dodge, but once you get hit, especially in Normal Mode or more, don't ever try to remain half a full lifebar. You lose your calm when being hit, and you hardly dodge since then. So be careful. As my experience, Nelo can slash this to you even you are beating him by your Sword or Gauntlets combo, when your damage is not strong enough to stun Nelo Angelo. You will receive damage and then Nelo counter attacks if you don't realize your situation earlier. - CHARGING FATAL SLASH : This looks like a vertical hit. Nelo Angelo charges the power by putting the sword behind him, then inflict a fatal hit on you. This is similar to Dante's final slash of Triple Hit, but of course, Nelo's slash is fatal to you either. So don't be crazy to stay directly in front of him. Just roll aside as fast as you can. Don't ever try to jump, cause it makes easier for the upper slash to hit you. - HIGH TIME : Well, Nelo Angelo can mostly do whatever Dante can, so High Time is not am exception (You want to know why ? Just play through the game to find the answer). Nelo's High Time is extremely dangerous and hard to guess. But according to my experience, he often plays it when you play jump attack with him. At that time, Dante will be thrown away, along with his cry and an unforgivable damage. Jumping is not the best method now, as you may be struck when Nelo's sword is going up. And you also get the whole damage, even you are not struck by the whole arc of Nelo's sword. Rolling is not very good now, because Nelo swings his sword from the ground to the air, with a pretty large limit. So what do you do now ? Stay away from him as far as you can, before he slashes you. It takes Nelo a moment to execute this hit, like he did the Charging Fatal Hit. So try to practise your speed, you'll get used to it soon. - TELEPORTING : Nelo will teleport to another position when you don't attack him, or when he gets so much hit from you. This is a frequent action of Nelo. And after teleporting, he often casts an Energy Ball to you, if you're pretty far from him. Try to dash into him as much as you can when you spot where he is, before he can cast spell. If you get close enough when he re-appears, he may use one of the sword attacks to hit you. See the above moves to know the strategies for those hits. Now research the Energy Ball. - ENERGY BALL : Nelo also owns some magic, such as this one. Energy Ball is the mosr frequent spell he loves to cast. He shoots immediately after teleporting to a certain position. This hit is easy to avoid. You just jump aside and aside until it ends. Try not to get hit by this spell. It would be poor you if you can't avoid most of them, as its damage is not small either once you are damaged. But if you dash to Nelo and attack him while he is charging the ball, then you can make a combo to damage him as usual. It takes Nelo a slow moment to charge the ball, and it's one of the greatest chance for you to damage him now. Ifrit's jump attack may be useful here, as it's larger then Sword's jump attack and you can dash to Nelo faster, before he casts the ball to you. But remember to be very fast. Just a little slower can make you get hit, okay ? - NELO'S SHIELD : Well, this is extremely annoying. When being attacked by you, Nelo usually pulls out his huge sword to be the shield to protect himself. At that time, all of your attacks are useless, and they will be reflexed by Nelo's shield. It's very dangerous to attack the shield, because once you are reflexed, Nelo may use that moment to counter attack you. The Counter attacks are often High Time or Four Hit Sword Combo. With High Time, you'll get a pretty big damage and be thrown away. It'll be more serious if he uses the Four Hit Sword Combo and then "Death awaits you !". So how to do with this suck ? Well now, rolling and jumping are your friends. Stop attacking him now, then quickly roll or jump to any other direction which is NOT IN NELO'S SHIELD LIMIT. Complete right/left side and back is all right. Ifrit's jump attack is prett good here, but you must be very accurate. Then QUICKLY attack him by anything. If you are accurate, Nelo will be stunned and you continue your attacks, until he teleports. I can assure that Nelo WILL TELEPORT ANYWAY after being deceived by you. So about what to do next, see the above moves. --------------------------------- NELO ANGELO'S SHADOW SWORDS --------------------------------- This is Nelo Angelo 3's new attack : Shadow Swords. He calls a bunch of swords and orders them to do as he wishes. Nelo can do this whenever he wants. But he mainly does this when he is staying in a very high position in the air that you can't reach. He can shoot Energy Balls to you, along with calling the Shadow Swords. - SHADOW SWORD VERTICAL SHIELD : This shield is ever better than normal shield. All the shadow swords gather around Nelo Angelo and protect all his body. Then Nelo can freely attack you without anything to worry. And what about you ? Try to save your life first of all. Defend from any of his attacks. He just plays his often sword attacks as usual. But he seems faster and more dangerous with the protective swords around. Jump away and away from Nelo. When you are got closed by Nelo, rolling aside ASAP. If you can, Alastor/Yamato DT Mode may help. - SHADOW SWORD HORIZONTAL SHIELD : Well, this is more dangerous than the Vertical Shield. All the Shadow Swords stay horizontally around Nelo Angelo, moving like a killer fan. If you touch Nelo this time, there'll be a big percentage that you'll get hit heavily. And it'll be more fatal when Nelo is attacking you along with those horizontal swords around. I have no much idea about this deadly attack, besides telling you to stay away from Nelo as far as you can. Remember that in shield, Nelo can play any attacks on you, even the killer Four Hit Sword Combo - that can kill Dante instantly in Hard/DMD Mode. - SHADOW SWORD KILLER SPINNING : Nelo Angelo calls the Shadow Swords, then they spin into a circle above Dante's head. As their nature, they will shoot down and attack Dante with a heavy damage if you haven't evaded. The alternate version of this attack is that the swords will vanish while spinning, and then play an extremely heavy damage inflicted. They can be shot in gathering or expanding. That may be a random order. If you gets hit from many swords, I don't think you can survive easily, especially in Hard/DMD Mode. When the swords inflict Dante, it can have three types of action : The swords fly scatterly and then gradually shoot Dante ; gathering at Dante ; or vertical strike to Dante. They are random, and the ways how to avoid are a little different either. For me, moving and moving is the solution for this. What's move : Of course, jumping and rolling. You must save your life first before touching Nelo. + In gathering version of the swords, you may jump away or roll aside to avoid from their aiming before the drop. I think jumping is better. Rolling just takes you to a short distance away, but after that Dante is soon defenseless. Jump as far as the swords are chasing after you. Although this is really risky, as Dante is still defenseless when landing, you may be safe if you have practiced, because you can act faster to perform the next dodging jump. + For vertical version of the swords, the evasion is mostly the same as the gathering version. A vertical column of Shadow Swords aim at Dante and shoot down. It's pretty similar, or they are mostly the same. Just dodge when the swords stop moving, because it's time they hit you. A far roll or jump can avoid this. Generally, these two versions of Shadow Sword Spinning are not hard to avoid. So you should try avoid as much as you can, save your vitality for direct fight with Nelo Angelo. Don't get damage by these kinds of hits. + For scatter/expanding version, this happens when the swords vanish while the circle is spinning. Of course, that's also the time they hit you, but with a random order. The vanishing swords can scatter everywhere that the camera angles can't reach, then they gradually shoot at you in SUDDEN. As I said it to be the random order, the swords can shoot at you diagionally, rather horizontally or vertically. It also depends on the circle size. The smaller the circle is, the more dangerous and rapid the swords fire at you. I have no more idea to say that you jump/roll like hell to avoid. Try to jump/roll next and next as soon as possible. Once you are slow for the next jump after landing, the sword may shoot at you immediately. And I repeat the damage is neither small nor worth getting. Remember that Rolling Blaze can help you prevent from some swords. But that's not an inssurance. The best way is that you must save your life by yourself. - HORIZONTAL STRIKE : As Nelo is standing in a high position, he may summon the Shadow Swords to be thrown at Dante in a horizontal row. You can jump over some of the first swords, but what about next ? At this time, Rolling Blaze may have big role. It will protect you from some of the swords, and then you just jump aside and aside until this attack is ended. If you are taken to a wall, don't hurry to stop. Kick jump on the wall and then move the Left Analog Stick to the opposite of the wall to have Dante dash out over the row of Shadow Swords. - VERTICAL STRIKE : This is easier to avoid, as the swords are arranged vertically. Jump/Roll/Run aside are all appreciate. Dodge before they shoot at you like with the Horizontal Strike. Just run when you feel that you have enough space. I always prefer jumping as my most favourite evasion. While jumping, you can have enough time what direction you drive Dante to jump next, when you must determine that as soon as your character is busy running. - RANDOM SWORD ATTACK : This attack sometimes linger, but they are deadly as well. It's much like scatter/expanding version of Sword Spinning, but no circle or spinning. They fire at you randomly, from every direction : diagonal, horizontal or vertical. They can fire singly, or even multiply. It's mostly impossible to guess what and where it will shoot, beside the fact that the camera angles can't show all of them when they scatter in the air. The swords linger and hover above everywhere, then they shoot at wherever you come. The shots can be fast or slow, but they can hit you anytime within your carelessness. Jump over and over, the positions you think to be safer. Of course then this attack is being done, no position is 100% safe, but try to choose the one that is as safe as it can be. In my opinion, no dodging action 100% prevents you from all the swords, because the swords are shot with changeable orders, directions, speeds or rhythms. For example : When you jump out of this sword, but when landing, you may soon get hit by another sword cast from another position. Then you can't completely avoid the same thing with running or rolling. But then, the fatal hit there is that : NELO ANGELO STILL CAN ATTACK SIMULTANEOUSLY ALONG WITH THE RANDOM SHADOW SWORD ATTACK. How can you manage to dodge the swords and Nelo's attacks at the same time ? And how can you still survive from the Four Hit Sword Combo within the Shadow Swords ? As any of other sword attack of Nelo, a Shadow Sword can make a serious damage and stun effect. One sword is so enough, and it's too enough for Dante to die after two or three swords in Hard/DMD Mode. Once you are stunned, it's hard for you to guess and avoid the next sword, as this attack is extremely random at everything. That's the point, and I myself couldn't have extracted the best solution yet. As all my effort, I can tell you that Rolling Blaze is very important in this fight. Now it's the tool to prevent you from some of the shooting swords, restrict as much as the damage caused by them. Within this terrible time, I recommend you to save your life first. Try to attend to dodge all of those attacks before you can hit Nelo Angelo, although I know that you may be very "angry" at Nelo. But be calm and patient. Alastor/Yamato DT Mode may help you some about speed. But if you can manage to have many rune symbols of Ifrit DT Gauge, DTrigger now and then quickly jump to play an INFERNO. This attack will destroy some of the swords, to make this attack be ended quickly. Random Sword Attack will stop when all the Shadow Swords are all used. - NELO'S ADDITIONAL ATTACK : As I said above, the Shadow Sword attacks are usually done as Nelo Angelo is staying in a high position in the air that you can't reach. In some case, he may casr Energy Balls instead of Shadow Sword attacks. He gradually casts the balls to you from the air. You have already known how to avoid a single Energy Ball, so do the same with this one. Just jump/roll aside and aside. Remember that jumping/rolling can be combined with Grenade Gun. After each jumping/rolling, you can quickly execute a grenade shot toward Nelo without reloading. That means you can dodge the Energy Balls and damage Nelo simultaneously, although the damage caused by the Grenade Gun is not very much, but at least you COULD HAVE damaged him. But sometimes Nelo can cast Energy Balls along with summoning Shadow Swords. In this case, try to combine all your skills of dodging. If you are afraid, save your life first of all : by avoiding all of them until Nelo stops either attack. ========================================================================== After Nelo Angelo is defeated, he gets a chaos in his mind, and then he slowly disappears in the sky as the loser, along with a cry. But just in that moment, the true identity of Nelo Angelo has been revealed... An Amulet drops from where Nelo Angelo vanishes. Dante holds the thing, and then recognizes it. It's similar to the Amulet he is wearing. No doubt... NELO ANGELO is VERGIL SPARDA - Dante's twin brother who has been lost for twenty years, along with his mother's death. It's kinda hurt for Dante to kill his brother... It makes him remember the childhood birthday, when Vergil and Dante receives the Amulets as their gifts... ************************************************************************** MISSION EIGHTEEN : SPIRIT STONE "ELIXIR" Key Item : Perfect Amulet, Philosoper's Egg, Elixir New Enemies : None Bosses : Nightmare Secret Mission : None ************************************************************************** --THE TRUE POWER OF THE FORCE EDGE-- Now it's time for the Force Edge to reveal its true power after having been sealed. Dante has got Vergil's Amulet and combined them into a Perfect Amulet. It is attached to the Force Edge. As a magical effect, the fine sword turns into a huge modern sword, named "Sparda" - as the name of the great Legendary Dark Knight. Dante gets some practice with it, and the sword has shown its modern characteristics. I'll explain this more in "Weapon List" section. From now you can equip the Sparda if you like, but I prefer the Ifrit gauntlets. After that, a dark mirror will appear in the centre of the room. Step on it to return to the spiral stairway area. Now it's time for you to explore the right door here. Get into it. --WANDERING IN THE DARKNESS-- The right mirror door takes you to a water area. Wow, this place may contain some interesting things. There's no enemy here now. Use the Needle Gun to shoot whatever you see in the area to get hidden Red Orbs. The exit is just around here. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- You try to find a cell that is just near the exit. Get in there and destroy all the barrels. One of the barrels here contain a Blue Orb Fragment. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After getting all the stuffs, go to the exit to a large chamber of... Sin Scissors. To fight these things underwater is not very. Keep a pretty close distance to make your shot accurate. The first shots will make the Sin Scissor to be loose at its scissors. Then just at that moment, continue to shoot to break its mask to kill it. There are three Sin Scissors in this water chamber. When you kill them all, get your prize and then a shutter will be opened. Swim through the shutter. There's no water in this area. Jump to get the Red Orb and enter the next door. If you remember well, this is the alternate version of the castle long stairway, its lowest floor. There's also a rune clock here, but there's no rising pillar. And you, light up the rune clock. But then, the whole room will be flooded with water IN A LIMITED TIME. Within that time, you must quickly swim to the top ceiling of the room. Then stop above a platform on it. Then when the water disappears, Dante will drop on that platform. Jump pass the platforms around to reach the stairway. You'll again see a pedestal of the stairway. Grab the Philoshopher's Egg from it. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- There's a Blue Orb Fragment on a low overhang somewhere among the stairs. To find it, just light up the rune clock to fill water in the room. Then swim up and try to drop yourself on each platform you see, until you find it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Then run down the stairway. There may be some stair part which is destroyed, but Dante will automatically jump over it. Run until you reach the balcony of the bedroom. But in this alternate version of the room, there's no double door taking to bedroom. There's only a single door in the corner of the stairs. When you get in, it's very the Fountain Chamber, but there's no fountain. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- When you enter the place, try to pay attention to a hidden left door on the upper passageway. Try to kick jump/Air Hike to there by anyway and enter the door. You'll find several Red Orbs along with the Blue Orb Fragment. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the place where the lion statue was, there's a strange altar instead of the statue. In this place, you may see several mirrors on the floor and rune clocks on the wall. Get ready now, I think you have already guessed what will happen. First, use the Philosopher's Egg on the altar. After that... ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : NIGHTMARE ------------------------------------- Difficulty : Hard Rune Clocks : 2 Well, If Nelo Angelo and Mundus are the toughest, so Nightmare may be the most annoying. He looks like big ooze stuck with robbish. But in fact, those robbish things are his weapons. In every room where you face Nightmare, there should be two or four rune clocks. Because they are the only tools to damage Nightmare. ----------------------------- HOW TO DAMAGE NIGHTMARE ----------------------------- As I told about, Nightmare is an ooze. And all attacks are useless against it. That means the strategy for this boss is unique from other bosses. The rune clocks are the safe way to attack Nightmare. - STRIKING THE RUNE CLOCK : Nightmare himself is a moving useless ooze, and nothing can damage this form of him. He just raises up to be a living creature when ONE of the rune clocks is lit. But that still doesn't mean you can damage him. Once he "lives", he'll use his "robbish" to attack you. And then he reveals his CORE. This is like Nightmare's heart and once you beat the core, Nightmare will get damage. But then, he will cover his core and continues to attack you, until the lit rune clock is off. According to my experience, Nightmare often reveals his core twice each time a rune clock is lit. Generally, to make Nightmare wake up, you have to beat ONE of the rune clocks around and ONLY ONE. Beating the others next just waste your time. Nightmare can reveal its core anywhere on its body : Front, back or on top. So pay attention to that. - DEFEATING THE "NIGHTMARE" : As the boss' name is Nightmare, so he also has an attack named "Nightmare" (I think so). As a useless ooze when you haven't lit the rune clock yet, he moves around and then sometimes catches you to very your "Nightmare". The nightmare is extracted from Dante's memory. You'll face the former bosses again in this "Nightmare", along with some Sargasosses. If you defeat the boss in the "Nightmare", then you'll get out and that will make Nightmare lose a great deal of health. ------------------------------- EQUIPMENTS REQUIRED ------------------------------- In my opinion, Nightmare is truly a tough boss. Although he is not as tough as Nelo Angelo or Mundus, his outlandish nature requires some very unique skills to kill him. That's the reason why I open this section in Nightmare strategy. DEVIL ARM : IFRIT Ifrit is the most popular weapon of DMC experts. I'll explain this later in "Weapon List" - Ifrit section. But I remind this is the best weapon against Nightmare. Nightmare just reveals his core in a limited time. The Alastor/Yamato are not strong enough to inflict a big damage on the core during that short time. The Sparda doesn't have DT Mode and some important skills can't be executed. So Ifrit is the most perfect. When you turn into Ifrit DT Mode, the quick Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick inflicts a very big damage on Nightmare, and some other skills like Kick13 and Inferno are pretty strong, enough to confuse Nightmare. FIREARM : GRENADE GUN Grenade Gun has the strongest power of all Dante's firearms. Sometimes, you can use it to damage Nightmare's core from a pretty far distance. First, I recommend you this weapon. But about it's REAL function, see the next part "How to build up Devil Trigger Gauge". ----------------------------------------- HOW TO BUILD UP DEVIL TRIGGER GAUGE ----------------------------------------- - You can only attack Nightmare when he releases his core. But then all your DT Gauge is all used for those chances And then if you wait for the next releasing core of Nightmare to build up the DT Gauge with normal hits, you'll waste a lot of time while your vitality can be damaged anytime. So there's another way to build up DT Gauge without physical attacks : USE THE GRENADE GUN. Just use this gun to shoot at Nightmare anytime while you're running around him. Each shot can fill a little or half of a rune symbol, although it can't damage Nightmare. This is an easy for you to build the DT Gauge without using Devil Stars either, which will reduce your ranking. - Grenade Gun can't be strong enough to build up the DT Gauge fast. So taunting is the remaining way. Taunt in a free chance, when you badly need many many rune symbols, especially when Nightmare prepares to open core, and you need a pretty long DT gauge to beat it. -------------------------------------------------- NIGHTMARE'S ATTACK PATTERN & GENERAL STRATEGY -------------------------------------------------- NIGHTMARE'S ATTACK PATTERN : As my experience fighting this thing, I think living Nightmare often reveals his core follow this order : - Front Side : He opens the core, doing following attacks : Machine Shots, Black Beam. - Back Side : He opens the core to this side after he has done with the front side. His attacks now are mostly similar to the front side, but added with Triple Fatal Strikes. - On Top : This is the last position he opens his core before returning into a useless ooze. His attacks : Striking Boomerang, Ice Beam, sometimes Triple Fatal Strikes. REMEMBER : Nightmare can just do ALL three moves above follow that order when you light a FULL RUNE CLOCK. Even if Nightmare is a useless ooze, he still can attack you by casting small oozes to chase after to ice-strike you. Or if you are pretty near him, he'll catch you to the "Nightmare". GENERAL STRATEGY : - Light up the rune clock as soon as possible to wake up Nightmare. - When he reveals his core in front side, dash into it and strike it in Ifrit DT mode, using the Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick often to make big damage. Kick13 is also appreciate. - Then when Nightmare is still preparing for the next core revealing, use the Grenade Gun and shoot to him fast to build up as much DT Gauge you can. But remember to dodge his attacks at the same time. - At the next core revealing in the back, dash in again and hit him as you did in the first time. - When Nightmare is preparing for the next core revealing, do the same as the last time you did. - Now Nightmare may open his core on top. And this is pretty annoying with his Boomerang. A correct Inferno hit is effective now. Jump on its body and Inferno him quickly. Or if you use Alastor/Yamato, Air Raid is also a good idea. Fly around and air-raid Nightmare. About more details, see the next part. --------------------------------------------------- UNAWAKENING NIGHTMARE'S ATTACKS (its ooze form) --------------------------------------------------- - ICE CREATURES : When you run around, Nightmare casts these crawling creatures to pursue you. The most frequent way I often do is to run, run like hell. Run and leap, because the creatures can leap onto you by your next position. When you get it, you'll be ice-struck. This doesn't take much damage, but extremely annoying. When it takes so long for them to chase you, they'll explode ice-strike without informing. You hardly beat them, as they are too fast and muggy. So first, you must avoid. Then QUICKLY light up a rune clock to wake up Nightmare. When Nightmare is woken up, these creatures will stop. - FALLING INTO NIGHTMARE : When Nightmare hasn't woken up, he is a moving ooze. Then he comes close to you, he may rise his body to catch to the "Nightmare". As I said above, "Nightmare" is the reflect of Dante's trauma. Dante will again face his former bosses : Phantom, Griffon and Nelo Angelo. In this second form, your guest is Griffon. This illusion "Griffon" is completely similar to the real one, but much weaker and easier to fight. When you first fall to the "Nightmare", you'll see several Sargasoses, and a black shadow of Griffon which has no life. Equip a sword weapon (I recommend Sparda) to kill these Sargassoses only. Run along the border of the area to find and kill all those skulls. Then the master Sargassos (the biggest skull which is one-eyed and pink) will fall onto you from a top. Kill him as you did with other Sargassoses. When all the Sargassoses are killed, the black shadow will wake up as a real Griffon and fight you. This Griffon is much easier than true one. So try to kill him without taking too much damage, because you must save your vitality for Nightmare. You just refer to the same strategy of the real Griffon. Sometimes you'll receive a Green Orb after killing the boss in "Nightmare", but that's not an assurrance. So you had better preserve your life as much as you can. When you have finished, find the light pillar to return to the real world and continue the battle with the true Nightmare boss. **(SHOULD I GET THIS HIT ? As I have told you, once you beat Nightmare's "Nightmare", you will deal on pretty big damage (not very big in the third battle) on the boss after getting out. And then he won't play this attack with you anymore. So you may wonder if you should let that or avoid. As the guide writer, I recommend the answer "NO". Why ? Maybe you can deal the "nightmares" a bit easily in Normal Mode, but what about Hard/DMD mode - the mode where every monster can become boss, and there's no assurance about giving Green Orbs after the battle. Generally, I told you NOT TO LET THAT HAPPEN. You can completely evade this by lighting up the rune clock as soon as possible or avoid the catching. Nightmare is anyway a tough boss. And what you have to do is to save your vitality to defeat him. Is that okay ?)** -------------------------------- LIVING NIGHTMARE'S ATTACKS -------------------------------- Nightmare "lives" when a rune clock is lit up. - MACHINE SHOTS : These fine shots are always cast every time Nightmare has just woken up. He shoots many fine shots toward every direction. These shots don't take much damage from you, and you can easily avoid by running around. Well, anymore problems ? Sometimes Nightmare repeats this attack whenever he wants, especially in the distance between the two core revealings. - BLACK SHOOTING MISSILES : Nightmare does this when he has just revealed his core, as soon as the Machine Shots are stopped. This is truely a dangerous attack when you are careless. I have died a lot just because of these hits. Why ? Because Nightmare casts this hit when he reveals his core. And most of us can't abandon such a great chance to damage Nightmare. The Missiles are shot in a limited area near there. If you desperately dash in to the core with no realization, there are 90 percents that you get hit. Remember that the damage caused by these things is not small, and then they will stun Dante for a moment. With the little stunning moment, if you haven't got calm yet, then you'll continuous to be hit, hit until your death comes. Control Dante to move and jump diagonally out of the missiles' limit, coming close at the same time. Be patient, it may be slow if you don't want to get hit. If you have Rolling Blaze, the flame covered you will protect you from the missiles and reflex the hits back to Nightmare. So you should purchase this ability if you haven't got it yet. Well, about how to attack the core at this time. Let me tell you two strategies : + If you have practiced and been very good at dodging those missiles, just dash in safely and then Ifrit DTing, use the Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick combo to damage Nightmare's core as much as you can. Once you get to the core, there's a very little chance you are damaged again by the missiles or any outside effects. So try to reach it as soon as possible and cause damage on Nightmare. The advantage of this strategy is that you inflict a pretty big damage on the core. And when the core is closed, if you deactivate the DT mode in time, you'll still save some remaining rune symbols. And you can fill up your DT Gauge more quickly before the next turn. + If you are still afraid of the missiles or you are not very good at dodging, try to have a full DT Gauge before, with at least 6 rune symbols. Then when the Missiles are shot, try to dodge a few of them, then DTrigger and quickly jump in the core, along an INFERNO. With at least 6 rune symbols, you can cast two Infernos to inflict the core. I think the Inferno's limit is large enough to damage the core. The advantage of this strategy is that the damage you caused is big enough, but it may waste a lot of rune symbols. I don't know if I'm wrong, but sometimes I see the beams are cast from the top, as another protection for the core revealed on top. These Missiles will dash down very suddenly and heavily. You try to run around as fast as you can to avoid them, if you are still on the ground. - TRIPLE FATAL STRIKES : Nightmare often does this just before the second time he reveals his core, after finishing a Machine Shots hit. Three firm spikes are pulled out, nailing Dante to the wall. Each of them cause a extremely big damage. In Hard/Dante Must Die Mode, this hit is strong enough to kill Dante at once, if you have got the whole attack. That's the reason why I call it "Fatal". You often hear a noisy sound just before this attack begins. But it passes very quickly and you'll be sure to get it if you don't try to dodge when the sound is still sounded. Just after it ends, the three spikes will come out, nailing Dante wherever he steps to. The dangerous is that once you got one spike, there's no chance for you to avoid the second and third hit. Dante will be nailed heavily and stuns, as the second spike is coming out and so is the third spike. And then if you haven't got at least a full lifebar and half -> your life is ended (Of course, the spikes are that strong when you play Hard/DMD Mode). Rolling Blaze again makes big support. When you jump as a spike comes to you, it'll be driven to Dante's side. But run away as soon as possible. Leaping/jumping is not a good idea to avoid this hit. You may jump over the first spike, but not with the second or third spike. That damage is not small either. The best solution is to stay away from the hit as far as you can. You can have time to run far like that, if you realize it early, when the noisy sound is still existing. If not, try to jump on the top of the Nightmare as soon as possible, IF IT'S BEING SAFE. If you can't move during that time by some reason, the last solution is jumping, along with Rolling Blaze to save your life. Jump up at the right time a spike is hit. Remember, ONLY ROLLING BLAZE JUMP CAN BE DONE HERE, NOT NORMAL JUMP. Another solution for this hit is using Alastor/Yamato DT Mode to increase your speed to jump out. - ICE BEAM : Well, Nightmare often uses this hit when his core is opened on top. If you doesn't abandon any chance to hit Nightmare, I assure that you'll jump on top of him to damage him. But it's not as easy as you expect, because Nightmare will shot either Black Missiles to damage you heavily. But now I want to mention about Ice Beam - the attack that Nightmare will cast on ground. This may be the most annoying attack of Nightmare, but easy to avoid if you are careful and calm. Nightmare will shot a long ice beam through the wall very long, and move it to several directions in that side. Once you are stuck in the beam, you'll be frozen, and a little damage will be taken. After that, Nightmare will continue the beam to damage you, until the ice covering you is broken, and then you are inflicted a very damage. Try to guess this attack as early as you can. About me, jumping to the top is my frequent solution. But this way can only be used when you're sure the top is being safe either, but that doesn't always happen. So the other way is to run away from the beam. How ? Run and stay away from the beam as far as you can. Alastor/Yamato DT Mode can be helpful here. A good new is that the beam is just moved in a certain limit, but it's still fatal anyway. But as my experience shows, this attack is often shot as the core is revealed on top. So avoiding by jumping correctly to the top is not very bad. As when you are on top, you are completely safe from the Ice Beam, and then you can damage the core. But be careful with the Missiles. - STRIKING BOOMERANG : This is a new attack that Nightmare 1 didn't use. He always does this when the core is revealed on top. The huge boomerang will be shot and strike around the core to protect it, as it will cause a heavy damage if you get hit. Sometimes I saw that Nightmare casts the boomerange and surging Black Missiles simultaneously. And those are all suck !!! First, the Black Missiles now will be shot from the top and inflicts wherever you come. So you just need to run away as it chases after you, if your running is smooth. Of course, that's not the true problem, but the boomerang is. It's pretty huge, spinning around the core of Nightmare, as it prevents you from attacking the core. The damage caused by this thing is pretty serious. I have too few experienced about this, as I always the passed the bosses by luck or use items. I also avoid the boomerang by random. But the thing I mustn't forget is that the ROLLING BLAZE. Like its natural function with the other hits, Rolling Blaze protects you from some damage as you jump on to create the flame around you. Do the same with the boomerang. When you see it's coming to you, you can either jump over it, or try to be in time as the Rolling Blaze will protect you. As I told about, Nightmare often uses this attack when he reveals his core on top. So if you can, try to jump and stay firmly on the top, as you can attack the core now. When you are on top, most of Nightmare's attacks don't reach you anymore. So try to jump on it and damage the boss as soon as possible. But anyway, I just said "most of", not "all of". That means the Black Beams, or especially the Boomerang still can touch at some distance. And you yourself be always alert and defend with your Rolling Blaze. As in the above sentences, Black Beams and Boomerang can be partly prevented by Rolling Blaze as you jump up. If not, the Boomerang may throw you away from the Nightmare, leaving the damage to you. Maybe you don't like that okay ? Good luck ! ========================================================================== After the fight, get to the altar again. Then press the Enter button to grab a new thing from it : The Spirit Stone "Elixir". Then your mission is ended up here. ************************************************************************** MISSION NINETEEN : ENTER THE CORRUPTED WORLD Key Item : Philosopher's Stone New Enemies : Nobodies Secret Mission : None ************************************************************************** --REFLEXIVE WORLD-- Dante has been taken back to the spiral stairway area. But all the mirror doors have been lost. Now what you have to do is returning to the Path of Trials to come to your next destination. It's very the remaining right door from the Staff of Hermes. Get in it now, why not ! :) You have taken back to the bedroom where you first met Vergil/Nelo Angelo. Now the door getting to the battlefield between you and Vergil can't be opened anymore. Search the room for a while. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- It's just next right to the bed and easy to see. Get it now. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --[UNTOUCHABLE]----------------------------------------------------------- Well babe, do you see anything glowing on the top of the bed ? Let's climb up and get it by pressing Enter button. It's a new Untouchable. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After getting the stuffs, you come to check the mirror. Dante will do something with the Elixir, that makes the mirror can be got through. Go through it now. Now you have come to the reflexive world of the bedroom. All the things are the same but opposing. And the reflexive Statue of Time can't be used here. But the balcony door here can be opened. So get through it. Then jump down to the courtyard. You'll see a pedestal in the centre of the yard, having the Philosopher's Stone. Okay, get it now, but... --"NO BODY" OR "NOBODY" : ALL THE SAME -- Yes, three little Nobodies will take surround you. As usual, see the "Enemy List" section for these outlandish creatures. There will be a scene showing a Nobody which takes out its flesh to become bigger. Nobodies come to you with random sizes, but they have the same health. When you cause big damage on them, they'll return small and some more hits will kill them. The door has been sealed, and you are forced to kill these Nobodies. Try on, then you'll be safe. After that, jump up the upper path on the left. It's very similar to the battlefield between you and Vergil, but all things are on the opposite side. Run along the path and turn, then jump over the broken part to the other side. Climb up the ruin to the top level. And go along the path to the position above the patio door. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- When running along the top leve, you'll see it in the sky on your right. Air Raid or Air Hike are required here. With Aid Raid, just turn into Alastor/Yamato DT Form and make Dante fly there to get the fragment. With Air Hike, just jump toward it, then jump again to reach it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get down the door and go in the reflexive bedroom. Return through the mirror and then back to the Path of Trials. Pass over the bridge, then get in the cathedral where you first fought Nightmare. The puddle is still there. And now you stand in it, and press the Enter button to get sunk. You have jumped down the corrupted world. Find a pool with a gem attached on it. You explore the gem and put the Philosopher's Stone in it. Then the pool will broken, revealing the way to the Underworld. Get down now and step to the next mission. ************************************************************************** MISSION TWENTY : SHOWDOWN WITH NIGHTMARE Key Item : None New Enemies : None Boss : Nightmare Secret Mission : None ************************************************************************** --TRISH IS TRUELY EVIL-- You have entered Mundus's hideout which looks like living cave. Well, the red background and the bloody moving paths make the hideout look like an internal design of creature's body. And you, climb up the next hole and go along that path. At the end, you'll see a "door" which is like a thumbing heart. It's just a soft flesh and you strike it by anything to go in. The chamber inside has a Statue of Time and two... Nobodies. Well, you can kill them if you like. But it's not easy to avoid them either. Use the Statue if you like. Then go through the next flesh "door". This is begun with a scene. Dante enters a very large round chamber, and then he finds Trish who is needing his help. What is happening to her ? With no skeptic, Dante runs to Trish. But it's too late for him realize a trap waiting for him. He is suddenly sealed in a big magical cage... along with a... NIGHTMARE... ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : NIGHTMARE ------------------------------------- Difficulty : Very Hard Rune Clocks : 2 Well, as any other boss, this time Nightmare has got its strongest form, which power is much stronger and new attacks have been all learnt. This is the time you'll see the true vitality and strength of Nightmare. ----------------------------- HOW TO DAMAGE NIGHTMARE ----------------------------- As I told about, Nightmare is an ooze. And all attacks are useless against it. That means the strategy for this boss is unique from other bosses. The rune clocks are the safe way to attack Nightmare. - STRIKING THE RUNE CLOCK : Nightmare himself is a moving useless ooze, and nothing can damage this form of him. He just raises up to be a living creature when ONE of the rune clocks is lit. But that still doesn't mean you can damage him. Once he "lives", he'll use his "robbish" to attack you. And then he reveals his CORE. This is like Nightmare's heart and once you beat the core, Nightmare will get damage. But then, he will cover his core and continues to attack you, until the lit rune clock is off. According to my experience, Nightmare often reveals his core twice each time a rune clock is lit. Generally, to make Nightmare wake up, you have to beat ONE of the rune clocks around and ONLY ONE. Beating the others next just waste your time. Nightmare can reveal its core anywhere on its body : Front, back or on top. So pay attention to that. - DEFEATING THE "NIGHTMARE" : As the boss' name is Nightmare, so he also has an attack named "Nightmare" (I think so). As a useless ooze when you haven't lit the rune clock yet, he moves around and then sometimes catches you to very your "Nightmare". The nightmare is extracted from Dante's memory. You'll face the former bosses again in this "Nightmare", along with some Sargasosses. If you defeat the boss in the "Nightmare", then you'll get out and that will make Nightmare lose a great deal of health. ------------------------------- EQUIPMENTS REQUIRED ------------------------------- In my opinion, Nightmare is truly a tough boss. Although he is not as tough as Nelo Angelo or Mundus, his outlandish nature requires some very unique skills to kill him. That's the reason why I open this section in Nightmare strategy. DEVIL ARM : IFRIT Ifrit is the most popular weapon of DMC experts. I'll explain this later in "Weapon List" - Ifrit section. But I remind this is the best weapon against Nightmare. Nightmare just reveals his core in a limited time. The Alastor/Yamato are not strong enough to inflict a big damage on the core during that short time. The Sparda doesn't have DT Mode and some important skills can't be executed. So Ifrit is the most perfect. When you turn into Ifrit DT Mode, the quick Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick inflicts a very big damage on Nightmare, and some other skills like Kick13 and Inferno are pretty strong, enough to confuse Nightmare. FIREARM : GRENADE GUN Grenade Gun has the strongest power of all Dante's firearms. Sometimes, you can use it to damage Nightmare's core from a pretty far distance. First, I recommend you this weapon. But about it's REAL function, see the next part "How to build up Devil Trigger Gauge". ----------------------------------------- HOW TO BUILD UP DEVIL TRIGGER GAUGE ----------------------------------------- - You can only attack Nightmare when he releases his core. But then all your DT Gauge is all used for those chances And then if you wait for the next releasing core of Nightmare to build up the DT Gauge with normal hits, you'll waste a lot of time while your vitality can be damaged anytime. So there's another way to build up DT Gauge without physical attacks : USE THE GRENADE GUN. Just use this gun to shoot at Nightmare anytime while you're running around him. Each shot can fill a little or half of a rune symbol, although it can't damage Nightmare. This is an easy for you to build the DT Gauge without using Devil Stars either, which will reduce your ranking. - Grenade Gun can't be strong enough to build up the DT Gauge fast. So taunting is the remaining way. Taunt in a free chance, when you badly need many many rune symbols, especially when Nightmare prepares to open core, and you need a pretty long DT gauge to beat it. -------------------------------------------------- NIGHTMARE'S ATTACK PATTERN & GENERAL STRATEGY -------------------------------------------------- NIGHTMARE'S ATTACK PATTERN : As my experience fighting this thing, I think living Nightmare often reveals his core follow this order : - Front Side : He opens the core, doing following attacks : Machine Shots, Black Beam. - Back Side : He opens the core to this side after he has done with the front side. His attacks now are mostly similar to the front side, but added with Triple Fatal Strikes. - On Top : This is the last position he opens his core before returning into a useless ooze. His attacks : Striking Boomerang, Ice Beam, sometimes Triple Fatal Strikes. REMEMBER : Nightmare can just do ALL three moves above follow that order when you light a FULL RUNE CLOCK. Even if Nightmare is a useless ooze, he still can attack you by casting small oozes to chase after to ice-strike you. Or if you are pretty near him, he'll catch you to the "Nightmare". GENERAL STRATEGY : - Light up the rune clock as soon as possible to wake up Nightmare. - When he reveals his core in front side, dash into it and strike it in Ifrit DT mode, using the Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick often to make big damage. Kick13 is also appreciate. - Then when Nightmare is still preparing for the next core revealing, use the Grenade Gun and shoot to him fast to build up as much DT Gauge you can. But remember to dodge his attacks at the same time. - At the next core revealing in the back, dash in again and hit him as you did in the first time. - When Nightmare is preparing for the next core revealing, do the same as the last time you did. - Now Nightmare may open his core on top. And this is pretty annoying with his Boomerang. A correct Inferno hit is effective now. Jump on its body and Inferno him quickly. Or if you use Alastor/Yamato, Air Raid is also a good idea. Fly around and air-raid Nightmare. About more details, see the next part. --------------------------------------------------- UNAWAKENING NIGHTMARE'S ATTACKS (its ooze form) --------------------------------------------------- - ICE CREATURES : When you run around, Nightmare casts these crawling creatures to pursue you. The most frequent way I often do is to run, run like hell. Run and leap, because the creatures can leap onto you by your next position. When you get it, you'll be ice-struck. This doesn't take much damage, but extremely annoying. When it takes so long for them to chase you, they'll explode ice-strike without informing. You hardly beat them, as they are too fast and muggy. So first, you must avoid. Then QUICKLY light up a rune clock to wake up Nightmare. When Nightmare is woken up, these creatures will stop. - FALLING INTO NIGHTMARE : When Nightmare hasn't woken up, he is a moving ooze. Then he comes close to you, he may rise his body to catch to the "Nightmare". As I said above, "Nightmare" is the reflect of Dante's trauma. Dante will again face his former bosses : Phantom, Griffon and Nelo Angelo. In this third form, your guest is Nelo Angelo. This illusion "Nelo Angelo" is completely similar to the real one, but much weaker and easier to fight. When you first fall to the "Nightmare", you'll see several Sargasoses, and a black shadow of Nelo Angelo which has no life. Equip a sword weapon (I recommend Sparda) to kill these Sargassoses only. Run along the border of the area to find and kill all those skulls. Then the master Sargassos (the biggest skull which is one-eyed and pink) will fall onto you from a top. Kill him as you did with other Sargassoses. When all the Sargassoses are killed, the black shadow will wake up as a real Nelo Angelo and fight you. This Nelo Angelo is much easier than true one. So try to kill him without taking too much damage, because you must save your vitality for Nightmare. You just refer to the same strategy of the real Nelo Angelo. Sometimes you'll receive a Green Orb after killing the boss in "Nightmare", but that's not an assurrance. So you had better preserve your life as much as you can. When you have finished, find the light pillar to return to the real world and continue the battle with the true Nightmare boss. **(SHOULD I GET THIS HIT ? As I have told you, once you beat Nightmare's "Nightmare", you will deal on pretty big damage (not very big in the third battle) on the boss after getting out. And then he won't play this attack with you anymore. So you may wonder if you should let that or avoid. As the guide writer, I recommend the answer "NO". Why ? Maybe you can deal the "nightmares" a bit easily in Normal Mode, but what about Hard/DMD mode - the mode where every monster can become boss, and there's no assurance about giving Green Orbs after the battle. Generally, I told you NOT TO LET THAT HAPPEN. You can completely evade this by lighting up the rune clock as soon as possible or avoid the catching. Nightmare is anyway a tough boss. And what you have to do is to save your vitality to defeat him. Is that okay ?)** - DANTE HUNTING : Let's see. This move is not only strange and stupid but fatal as well. This is also the new move of Nightmare in this battle. When he turns to his ooze form, sometimes Nightmare will suddenly fly up and out of the screen. What is he doing ? Be careful, he is shooting the Black Missiles chasing after you, shooting wherever you run. This is not hard. You just run around the border of the huge cage (Just watch out the obstacles, which are the little megaliths of the cave). If you feel that the Black Missile will catch you, just jump up to make Rolling Blaze protect you. Then do the same when running out of the others. But this is not the whole plan of Nightmare. If you run around the border, or you're being in Alastor/Yamato, sometimes you can avoid from Nightmare's "Net Catching" : Nightmare turns into a muggy net and covers you very quickly and suddenly at the position you are in. It's often very accurate, except the above cases I have just told. If you have Dante be caught in the net, it will be a true "Nightmare" if you can't manage to go out. Many people who have just played this game are trapped a lot here. If you just try and try to strike and beat the net wall, I assure that it never breaks. And what will happen if you can't go out soon ? Nightmare will slowly return to its ooze form and... SPLASH... the whole mass drops on you, which can steal A WHOLE LIFEBAR OF DANTE (Hic, hic, poor him !!! :( ) If you can manage to survive, I don't think you can have enough vitality to deal the rest of the battle, except you sacrifice a Vital Star and reduce your rank. This battle will last longer than the previous. About why, just try to play next to see what I mean. Now let me show you how to get out of the damn net. The net can stick on the ground because of the four_corner_nails. So you just need to strike one of the four nails, then you may be out. So simple right ? When you are out, try to run away as far as you can to be completely out of Nightmare's dropping limit. -------------------------------- LIVING NIGHTMARE'S ATTACKS -------------------------------- Nightmare "lives" when a rune clock is lit up. - MACHINE SHOTS : These fine shots are always cast every time Nightmare has just woken up. He shoots many fine shots toward every direction. These shots don't take much damage from you, and you can easily avoid by running around. Well, anymore problems ? Sometimes Nightmare repeats this attack whenever he wants, especially in the distance between the two core revealings. - BLACK SHOOTING MISSILES : Nightmare does this when he has just revealed his core, as soon as the Machine Shots are stopped. This is truely a dangerous attack when you are careless. I have died a lot just because of these hits. Why ? Because Nightmare casts this hit when he reveals his core. And most of us can't abandon such a great chance to damage Nightmare. The Missiles are shot in a limited area near there. If you desperately dash in to the core with no realization, there are 90 percents that you get hit. Remember that the damage caused by these things is not small, and then they will stun Dante for a moment. With the little stunning moment, if you haven't got calm yet, then you'll continuous to be hit, hit until your death comes. Control Dante to move and jump diagonally out of the missiles' limit, coming close at the same time. Be patient, it may be slow if you don't want to get hit. If you have Rolling Blaze, the flame covered you will protect you from the missiles and reflex the hits back to Nightmare. So you should purchase this ability if you haven't got it yet. Well, about how to attack the core at this time. Let me tell you two strategies : + If you have practiced and been very good at dodging those missiles, just dash in safely and then Ifrit DTing, use the Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick combo to damage Nightmare's core as much as you can. Once you get to the core, there's a very little chance you are damaged again by the missiles or any outside effects. So try to reach it as soon as possible and cause damage on Nightmare. The advantage of this strategy is that you inflict a pretty big damage on the core. And when the core is closed, if you deactivate the DT mode in time, you'll still save some remaining rune symbols. And you can fill up your DT Gauge more quickly before the next turn. + If you are still afraid of the missiles or you are not very good at dodging, try to have a full DT Gauge before, with at least 6 rune symbols. Then when the Missiles are shot, try to dodge a few of them, then DTrigger and quickly jump in the core, along an INFERNO. With at least 6 rune symbols, you can cast two Infernos to inflict the core. I think the Inferno's limit is large enough to damage the core. The advantage of this strategy is that the damage you caused is big enough, but it may waste a lot of rune symbols. I don't know if I'm wrong, but sometimes I see the beams are cast from the top, as another protection for the core revealed on top. These Missiles will dash down very suddenly and heavily. You try to run around as fast as you can to avoid them, if you are still on the ground. - TRIPLE FATAL STRIKES : Nightmare often does this just before the second time he reveals his core, after finishing a Machine Shots hit. Three firm spikes are pulled out, nailing Dante to the wall. Each of them cause a extremely big damage. In Hard/Dante Must Die Mode, this hit is strong enough to kill Dante at once, if you have got the whole attack. That's the reason why I call it "Fatal". You often hear a noisy sound just before this attack begins. But it passes very quickly and you'll be sure to get it if you don't try to dodge when the sound is still sounded. Just after it ends, the three spikes will come out, nailing Dante wherever he steps to. The dangerous is that once you got one spike, there's no chance for you to avoid the second and third hit. Dante will be nailed heavily and stuns, as the second spike is coming out and so is the third spike. And then if you haven't got at least a full lifebar and half -> your life is ended (Of course, the spikes are that strong when you play Hard/DMD Mode). Rolling Blaze again makes big support. When you jump as a spike comes to you, it'll be driven to Dante's side. But run away as soon as possible. Leaping/jumping is not a good idea to avoid this hit. You may jump over the first spike, but not with the second or third spike. That damage is not small either. The best solution is to stay away from the hit as far as you can. You can have time to run far like that, if you realize it early, when the noisy sound is still existing. If not, try to jump on the top of the Nightmare as soon as possible, IF IT'S BEING SAFE. If you can't move during that time by some reason, the last solution is jumping, along with Rolling Blaze to save your life. Jump up at the right time a spike is hit. Remember, ONLY ROLLING BLAZE JUMP CAN BE DONE HERE, NOT NORMAL JUMP. Another solution for this hit is using Alastor/Yamato DT Mode to increase your speed to jump out. - ICE BEAM : Well, Nightmare often uses this hit when his core is opened on top. If you doesn't abandon any chance to hit Nightmare, I assure that you'll jump on top of him to damage him. But it's not as easy as you expect, because Nightmare will shot either Black Missiles to damage you heavily. But now I want to mention about Ice Beam - the attack that Nightmare will cast on ground. This may be the most annoying attack of Nightmare, but easy to avoid if you are careful and calm. Nightmare will shot a long ice beam through the wall very long, and move it to several directions in that side. Once you are stuck in the beam, you'll be frozen, and a little damage will be taken. After that, Nightmare will continue the beam to damage you, until the ice covering you is broken, and then you are inflicted a very damage. Try to guess this attack as early as you can. About me, jumping to the top is my frequent solution. But this way can only be used when you're sure the top is being safe either, but that doesn't always happen. So the other way is to run away from the beam. How ? Run and stay away from the beam as far as you can. Alastor/Yamato DT Mode can be helpful here. A good new is that the beam is just moved in a certain limit, but it's still fatal anyway. But as my experience shows, this attack is often shot as the core is revealed on top. So avoiding by jumping correctly to the top is not very bad. As when you are on top, you are completely safe from the Ice Beam, and then you can damage the core. But be careful with the Missiles. - STRIKING BOOMERANG : This is a new attack that Nightmare 1 didn't use. He always does this when the core is revealed on top. The huge boomerang will be shot and strike around the core to protect it, as it will cause a heavy damage if you get hit. Sometimes I saw that Nightmare casts the boomerange and surging Black Missiles simultaneously. And those are all suck !!! First, the Black Missiles now will be shot from the top and inflicts wherever you come. So you just need to run away as it chases after you, if your running is smooth. Of course, that's not the true problem, but the boomerang is. It's pretty huge, spinning around the core of Nightmare, as it prevents you from attacking the core. The damage caused by this thing is pretty serious. I have too few experienced about this, as I always the passed the bosses by luck or use items. I also avoid the boomerang by random. But the thing I mustn't forget is that the ROLLING BLAZE. Like its natural function with the other hits, Rolling Blaze protects you from some damage as you jump on to create the flame around you. Do the same with the boomerang. When you see it's coming to you, you can either jump over it, or try to be in time as the Rolling Blaze will protect you. As I told about, Nightmare often uses this attack when he reveals his core on top. So if you can, try to jump and stay firmly on the top, as you can attack the core now. When you are on top, most of Nightmare's attacks don't reach you anymore. So try to jump on it and damage the boss as soon as possible. But anyway, I just said "most of", not "all of". That means the Black Beams, or especially the Boomerang still can touch at some distance. And you yourself be always alert and defend with your Rolling Blaze. As in the above sentences, Black Beams and Boomerang can be partly prevented by Rolling Blaze as you jump up. If not, the Boomerang may throw you away from the Nightmare, leaving the damage to you. Maybe you don't like that okay ? *When you have damaged 2/3 of Nightmare's livebar. There will be a cutscene showing your mistake... to trust that evil woman Trish... -------------------------------- TRISH SUPPORTS... NIGHTMARE -------------------------------- "Let's see, sweet Dante ! You have been deceived by HER. You are so naive, demon ! Why a demon like you...!" Trish will support Nightmare by attacking you along with the boss. She is out of the cage, and you can't see her on the screen. But sometimes on the left side of the cage cast some yellow lightnings. That is Trish's attacks - very the hit she used to assassinate Dante in the beginning of the game. To evade this hit is easy. Just continually run around the battlefield that the hit can't catch you, as it's a bit lingering. What if you get hit by Trish's lightning ? The damage is not the problem, but the electricity will stun you pretty long moment, enough for Nightmare to give you some Black Missiles or Ice Beam, which will take out your life instantly. So it's better for you to evade this as much as you can. And try to take out Nightmare's remaining vitality as soon as possible to stop this confusing state. (If I were Dante and when I was out, I would kill Trish without hesitating. Dante is so sweet to her). -------------------------------- THE REAL ANGER OF NIGHTMARE -------------------------------- When you have damaged the whole lifebar of Nightmare, sorry to tell you that it's not over yet. You have made Nightmare "angry" and this time his anger is on top. Nightmare will be recovered with 1/3 hif while lifebar, and becomes tougher than ever. He reveals his core on top, and continually plays bunch of various attacks that you'll get big damage soon with a little touch : Striking Boomerang and lots of messing attacks, and even protectors for the core. What do you do now ? I assure that if you play in Normal/Hard/DMD Mode, you don't have much life remaining to fight anymore, while Nightmare is so powerful now. In this time, beating the core with normal state is truely desperate and dangerous. What you should do is that to have 10 full rune symbols of your DT Gauge, and a sum of vitality enough to survive some more minutes with Nightmare's attacks (Sorry that I can't estimate how much vitality you should remain). When you have got those conditions, these are what I recommend you to do : IFRIT - INFERNO & KICK13 AUTO COMBO "PUNCH-PUNCH-KICK-KICK" : There's nothing to lose now. With Ifrit, Inferno may be the only choice to damage a lot of Nightmare's vitality before you can get an attack. But it's pretty desperate to use this. As the core is on top of Nightmare, you must jump up. But... TRY TO JUMP CORRECTLY TO THE TOP, or your Inferno will become useless. I have luckily got Nightmare after three or four correct Inferno without being hit. The point is that you must try to succeed the first jump, as your Inferno will be correct. After the first correct Inferno, you have dealed a few of Nightmare's little vitality, and the next hits can be either Inferno or Kick13 Auto Combo, depending on which you like. Then get your advantage now and do next QUICKLY, before you may get hit. ALASTOR/YAMATO - AIR RAID : With these sword weapons, Air Raid is the only choice. Try to do this first step successfully : Switch to DT Mode, then QUICKLY Air Hiking to an as high as position you can and press R1 ASAP for Dante to fly. Now you have been separated from the ground, that means your worry now attends to Nightmare's air attacks. As you can fly, so try to dodge the air attacks and the protectors of the core, air raiding Nightmare's core at the same time to damage it. The danger is that Air Raid power is not as strong as Inferno, and I can't assure that the full 10 rune symbols of DT Gauge can last until Nightmare's death. If you run out of the DT Mode, you'll return to normal state facing the dangerous attacks around you. There's nothing to lose more ! Try all your effort to fill the DT Gauge up and repeat : One choice is using the Devil Star which will reduce your rank, or the second choice is to roll and shoot Grenade shots. Rolling is to dodge Nightmare's attacks, and shooting to build up DT Gauge. Try to have reach the number of symbols which is just enough to turn, you don't need to fill up the whole gauge, as Nightmare can die soon. And you can't die now. Or you'll begin everything. *REMEMBER THAT TRISH STILL ATTACKS YOU THIS TIME. And it's not worth for you to get her electricity to be stunned, and then die by Nightmare's hits, okay. Good luck to all of you ! ========================================================================== Now... Nightmare is ended... But it still annoys you by casting a laser that destroys the current cave. Dante is safe, but a broken huge limestone rock is dropping onto Trish. She doesn't prompt to do anything, and... Dante calls her, holding her aside : He saves her life. Strange ? Let's see how he explains for his action : She so much looks like his mother... But next time it won't be like this... He stays away from Trish... ************************************************************************** MISSION TWENTY ONE : LIVING CAVE Key Items : None New Enemies : None Boss : None Secret Mission : Hidden Bangle ************************************************************************** --WANDERING IN SOMEONE'S BODY-- You have been in a circular area in the living cave. But before starting, I remind to return to the battlefield between you and Nightmare... --[UNTOUCHABLE]----------------------------------------------------------- This is the reason why I ask you to return. Run around the border of the battlefield, until you see something glowing on the ground. It's just far next to the entrance. It's the last Untouchable. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After that, get back to the circular area. There's a Statue of Time that you can use to prepare yourself. You can also a Holy Water which is glowing here. Then pay attention to the things around you. You'll find a strange doorway that is locked by some tentacles when you come and there's no way to pass it. So let's find another door here, just some around. Then get in. You have been in an area which looks like human's organs. Don't be afraid of them. They are just moving. Try to jump from pillar to pillar until you find something like cocoon glowing beside a huge door. If you examine the huge door, you see that it is locked by a very thick magical seal, and now you can't unlock it. Let's strike the cocoon like you did with the Red Orb pedestals. Strike until you see a scene : The tentacles outside have opened the the doorway. So now, get back to the circular cave and enter that way. You come to a long path which looks like human's pulses. Sometimes the path can move as if pulses are providing blood to a "heart" somewhere. But don't care about that, just go forward. The moving can sometimes make you lose your direction. So be careful and don't go in a mess. You'll come to a part which splits into two ways : the north way has some tentacles and a small right. Don't go to the small right way, as it will take you to a dead end with annoying tentacles. Just forward the north way. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- PASSING THE TENTACLES These tentacles can't be killed. I have ever died because of those tentacles. Stupid right ? So I attend to give you some ways to pass them : - Jump with Rolling Blaze : The Rolling Blaze can protect from the tentacle strike. Just jump up over them and they can't hurt you with the flame around yor body. Easy right ? - Using Handguns : If you don't have Rolling Blaze, using handguns is the solution. This game is different from Resident Evil and Silent Hill that you can shoot and move simultaneously, as Dante will auto-aim at the objects. Just move and shoot them to force them move in, letting the way for you to pass. LITTLE NOTE ABOUT LIVING CAVE During this path, remember NOT TO STAY AT A POSITION SO LONG. What will happen if you stay in a position so long without moving around ? Something from the underground at the position you are standing will raise up and strike you which can damage your vitality. That's the point which not everyone pays attention to. So don't forget that. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After passing this pile of tentacles and go some more steps, you'll be suddenly sealed all the way... with a Nobody. Kill that Nobody to destroy the seals. Try to determine the next way. Don't go wrong at the returning direction. Run forward, there might be some more tentacles around. Run until you trap in the same seal and fight another Nobody. Kill it again and destroy the seal, then head up. The third time will be harder. You are trapped in a room with one or more Nobodies, along with the bigger tentacles. This is pretty annoying. You need to kill the Nobodies, but sometimes Dante aims at the tentacles. The only solution for this to keep Dante and the Nobodies away from the tentacle area, then fight the Nobodies. I know that it's hard to do that with those jumping Nobodies. But you must kill them anyway. After that, all the seals will be destroyed. And your new door is a white flesh. Get in it. --THRESOLD OF THE FINAL STAGE-- You have come to a lava lake, with two Plasmas. Kill them now to avoid their annoyances. If the orbs the drop are in the lava lake, and you really want to get them, so step in the lava lake to do that. But remember that your vitality will be lost gradually while staying in lava. To avoid losing vitality now, jump on the ground rising on the lake. Jump until you come to a ground with a rune clock to raise a pillar. Then climb up the right steps, then jump to the pillar, and jump to the next ground. There's a Red Orb cocoon here. Hit it to get your prize. Then light up the next rune clock and jump from pillar to pillar to the last ground. Break the flesh door and go to it. You have been on the upper level of the organ room. Stand at the end of the half bridge, and press Jump button. Dante will automatically fly to the other side. Here you also find the last rune clock. Activate it, and all the seal layers of the huge door will be gradually destroyed. From this position, just jump down from any edge which is not the end of the half bridge to below. From there, head up and open the huge door. ************************************************************************** MISSION TWENTY TWO : LEGENDARY BATTLE Key Item : None New Enemies : None Boss : Mundus Secret Mission : None ************************************************************************** --...AND THE SECRET OF TRISH-- You enter a large splendid hall full of shine. Just run to the huge statue and have a talk with a demon inside the statue : Mundus. Mundus shows Dante that Trish was "dead" and then thrusted him cowardly. But Trish is still alive and dashes out to protect Dante. She's got the hit and... Dante's anger has come to its peak. Mundus rushes out from the statue, revealing his true form. Both of them are taken to an unlimited space battlefield. At that time, Mundus tells Dante about the Trish who was created from his mother. Mundus shows himself, and Dante turns into his ultimate devil form - Sparda DT Mode. This is the only time in the game that Sparda shows its true power through its DT Mode. ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : MUNDUS --------------------------------- Difficulty : Hard You have faced the first form of the final boss Mundus - who had killed Dante's family twenty years ago - your ultimate enemy. Of course, being the ultimate enemy, he is the hardest and toughest boss of the game. If you play Easy/Normal Mode, you can't figure out his true power. But in Hard/DMD mode, just two of Mundus' hits can kill you instantly. So don't despise him in any case. ----------------------------------- EQUIPMENT REQUIRED & CHANGES ----------------------------------- You can't choose weapon in this battle. The game has forced to use the Sparda along with Dante's ultimate form. The only manual move you use in this battle is the Vortex, as you are fighting in the air. Press the Attack button to execute Vortex fly. Besides, in this form, Dante can shoot fireballs easily by pressing the Shoot button without holding the R1 trigger. This will make your shots much faster. In this battle, the Jump Button causes extra speed while you are flying, which is very important to dodge Mundus' attacks. ------------------------------------------ DANTE'S SPECIAL ATTACK - DEMON DRAGON ------------------------------------------ Another difference is that the L1 button. As usual, this button will trigger Dante into the Devil Form, depending on the weapon he is using. But now in this fight, within his ultimate form, if you have three full rune symbols or more, pressing L1 button will turn Dante into an extremely powerful Demon Dragon. This dragon will inflict a fatal hit on Mundus, by rushing through his chest. The damage caused on Mundus depends on how many rune symbols you used to switch your form. ---------------------------------- CONTROLS ---------------------------------- In this battle, you are not forced to use the sucking Left Analog Stick to move Dante. The directional buttons are usable here, and just move it follow the 3D control. But use whatever you can, I have no idea. It's better to use the control that you get used to more. ----------------------------------- GENERAL STRATEGY TO BEAT MUNDUS ----------------------------------- In my opinion, this battle is 50% skill and 50% luck (of course, in Hard/DMD mode). This is really a hard battle for expert players who want to beat it by their real effort. Because if you have tons of Devil Stars in your inventory and you accept your low ranking, it does not matter. Especially in Hard/DMD Mode, just two or four hits of Mundus can kill you. And you must be good enough to evade 99% of Mundus's hits to survive in safe. * EASY STRATEGY - LOW RANKING : To do this requires a lot of Devil Stars. And I think the given Devil Stars in the game are enough to do this. As I said, presing the L1 trigger will turn Dante into a giant Demon Dragon with ultimate power. This dragon will automatically dodge all of Mundus' attacks and rushes through his chest, causing a certain damage depending on how many rune symbols you used to turn form. Using a Devil Star will fill up about 5 rune symbols, and those are enough to cause a remarkable damage : about 1/3 Mundus' vitality bar in Easy/Normal; about 1/4 in Hard Mode and less than in DMD Mode. If you have a full 10 rune symbols, the hit will be very strong. So if you can, try to prepare for yourself 10 full rune symbols before getting in the battle. You will rock Mundus. But this is a strategy for weak players, such as me. * HARD STRATEGY : Well, if you feel that using the above strategy is too cowardly, so do this. But be patient. Most of the battle time Mundus shields himself by many ways, and you hardly hit him while avoiding his attacks. But there's little moment after Mundus execute a short range, he may temporarily opens his chest, and your work now is to shoot at it quicklu, as soon as possible to damage him before he closes it again. Each time like this just takes a very few damage from Mundus, especially in Hard/DMD Mode. I estimate that it's hard for you to survive the whole battle, or if you can, it must take you about half an hour. So you damage him manually combining with the Demon Dragon attack, when your DT Gauge is full. Don't be so persistant guy ! ---------------------------------- MUNDUS' ATTACKS ---------------------------------- - VERTICAL LIGHTNING BOLTS : I often get this hit cast first by Mundus. A lot of Lightning Bolts are cast along your flying way. One Lightning Bolt can damage a great deal of your vitality once you get hit. But they are pretty easy to avoid, as I always succeed in doing this. You can see the Lightning Bolts from very far distance. Then determine which position it will come and dodge them. Sometimes these Vertical Lightning Bolts come multiply, but the empty space between them are enough for you to dodge through. Generally, there's nothing much to say about it. - SPACE DEBRIS : Sometimes Mundus plays this attack along with the Vertical Lightning Bolts and it's an average mess. Each huge rocks slabs to you gradually from random direction, and the best way to dodge them is to move to A COMPLETELY OPPOSING SIDE of them. If the side you dodge to is not complete, I'm not sure you are all safe, because the size of rocks is too big, occupying nearly the screen. For example : If a rock hits you on the right, that means you must move to the completely left side anyway, as the left border of the screen. This hits can take half of a full lifebar. But like the Vertical Lightning Bolts, they are not difficult to avoid if you can soon determine the rock flying direction, then move to the opposing side immediately. I am usually successful doing this. - COMET RAIN : Or you can think they are fireballs. Tons of comets drop from the top of the screen to you. This might be the most popular hit of Mundus. It's more dangerous when he loves calling the comets along with other attacks like Vertical Lightning Bolts, Space Debris and even Spinning Lightning Bolts. But I also often avoid this hit smoothly by random. The shooting comets have no order. They are shot multiply follow various random direction. But their speed is fast enough for you to determine which side has more comets. That's the only thing I can show you. I have tried to the side which has less comets and then deal with them, following my own determination and feeling. If you are fast enough to see a comet is going to hit you soon, Vortex immediately to dodge the comet, as you'll dash forward faster. Press Jump button when you need extra speed. This will help you avoid the comets better. - SPINING LIGHTNING BOLTS : You'll see each pair of spheres connected by lightning between them flies toward you, spinning to strike you. These "lightning staffs" are cast gradually spinning follow a circle. And it makes them easily to strike at you, as you must determine where will it spin when touching you. These "lightning staffs" are cast individually, and I think you are fast enough to observe its direction. Follow that circle direction and then dodge over it. Many practices will help you avoid this attack more easily. But anyway, its damage is not small. As I said, this hit can be played along with Space Debris and Comet Rain by Mundus. (Damn him !) - PROTECTIVE SPHERES : Mundus usually summons four spheres around him and protect his body. They rotate around the boss, and then your shots become uneffective. This is just some kind of Mundus' defense and it's harmless to you. But there's one point you should know : If you destroy one sphere, you can obtain a full rune symbol of DT Gauge. So at that time, just try to aim at the spheres and destroy some as fast you can to obtain more rune symbols. This will partly help you execute the Demon Dragon attack to hurt Mundus better. But remember that, if there are protective spheres while you are hitting Demon Dragon attack, the damage caused on Mundus will be weaker, as the spheres suffer some. So if you want develope the true power of the Demon Dragon to Mundus, choose the moment that there's no Protective Sphere to beat him, or destroy all the spheres if they are present. - RED LASERS : Mundus may call several small spheres, and some of them cast many little red lasers to everywhere on the screen. This is either easy or hard to avoid. Like the Comet Rain, you dodge them by moving to the area with less lasers. But it's unlucky that Mundus also uses it along with other multiple attacks : like Space Debris or Spinning Lightning Bolts. Each of the laser causes a mediocre damage, but let's imagine what will happen if a red laser strikes you when you are dealing with a space debris rock ? Okay, it has wiped nearly a full lifebar of mine. Is that "good" ? Generally, Red Lasers are not strong hits of Mundus, but they partly confuse you by messing up the screen, as you are always afraid that you'll be hit by them, because they are too crowded. But in fact, they are not as many as you expect. Most of the lasers or comets you avoid are often above your head. But sometimes you feel they are striking straight at you. - LASER BEAM : This is the easiest hit to avoid, as you can completely guess its direction. Mundus moves his hand to either direction and then casts the laser beam, moving follow a circle. Just move Dante a pretty lower, then when the laser is coming, drive him to upper over the laser beam. Of if you can execute Vortex well, press Vortex to push Dante inside more, out of the Laser Beam's limit and diagonal corner. If you perform well, you can Vortex next and next to damage Mundus simultaneously. As I said, this is the easist hit to avoid, so try NOT to get damage by this attack unworthly. You should save your vitality for stronger attacks of Mundus. But remember that the damage caused by Laser Beam is pretty big, and you must be more alert. - LASER OF PUNISHMENT : I must call it "punishment", because my full lifebar has just been swept out by one. This is truely evil attack. Mundus creates a circle of magical spheres. Each sphere cast powers which are gathered into a huge laser that will be cast through you at the position you are being at. It will sweep out a full lifebar of your vitality. But in the other hand, it's not hard to avoid. Just like you did to avoid the laser beam, you quickly move aside when the laser is going to be shot. You must wait for that time, neither so early nor so late, to determine the right direction of the going laser. Then when you move aside, the laser can't hurt you anymore. - MUNDUS' VORTEX : Well, Mundus covers his chest by his arms, curling himself and dashes forward like Dante's Vortex. He dashes as he is rushing to you and it's often the centre of the screen. When you see he uses this move, just move to the top or any border side which is out of his limit. This is a short-ranged attack and you can completely see Mundus on the screen. But next to it, Mundus will Vortex off the screen, backward, and then disappears from the night, as he is going to attack you by long-ranged attack. Try to get pass this suck boss. Use the Demon Dragon attack to hurt him. If you use Devil Stars, remember that it can reduce your rank. ========================================================================== It's not over yet. Get ready for another battle which is NOT EASIER than the first one. ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : MUNDUS ----------------------------------- Difficulty : Hard/Very Hard Mundus is defeated in the air. Then he takes you to a lava battlefield, where you continue your fight. Mundus will stay in the larva lake and attacks you. But you, standing in lava lake will drain your vitality. So just stay on the current ground you have been put on. This is the real battle which let you know how powerful Mundus is. Huh, you are just a poor rat running over him. So don't let he despise you like that. Let's FIGHT !!! ----------------------- EQUIPMENT REQUIRED ----------------------- DEVIL TRIGGER FORM : As the first battle, you have no idea to change the Sparda sword. So just use it now. Now the Sparda DT Mode is like any other weapons. You stay as normal Dante when the DT Mode is not used, and you turn into the red demon after activating DT Mode. But like the first battle, in red demon form Dante can shoots fireballs freely as you press the Shoot button. As you and Mundus are separated by the lava lake, so this fireball attack and some other long- ranged skills will be your only choices. (If you want to step to the lava lake, I have no idea. Just manage to live. I can't stop you ^_^) NORMAL FORM : Let's see. The Handguns are two weak for such battle like this. The Nightmare-Beta, of course, it doesn't suit. So I recommend two firearms : + Grenade Gun : The power caused by this thing is stronger than Shotgun. But its disadvantage is also too serious : low shooting speed and single shot. It can be used to damage Mundus, but too slow to hit the spheres, although just two or three shots can destroy one, because the spheres alway move. You just use this weapon when you are mostly in normal form and haven't found the way to build up DT Gauge. But I think it's not as good as the Shotgun. To give extra speed to the shots while shooting, ROLL and shoot to save the reloading time. + Shotgun : The power caused by this thing is weaker than Grenade Gun, but large-ranged. One shot can touch most of the spheres moving around. And four shots can destroy one sphere. Besides, the Shotgun doesn't affect much of your speed and you can completely be alright about that. Using this weapon will be better than Grenade Gun. ---------------------- GENERAL STRATEGY ---------------------- - ATTACK/DAMAGE MUNDUS Most of the battle you use fireball attacks on Mundus in DT Mode, and Grenade Gun him in normal state. In DT Mode, Dante's fireballs can be cast very fast, as how fast you press the Shoot button. Each shot has very strong power, much stronger than any other regular firearms, and it's much faster than Shotgun or Grenade Gun. In some case you need to earn DT rune symbols, cast a full-charging Round Trip cotrrectly at Mundus to damage him as you earn the rune symbols. Try to estimate the time the Round Trip will be cast : It must be correct, because sometimes Mundus is protected by the the Space Debris floating in the lava lake. In normal state, the Grenade Gun's power does not matter with Mundus. If you play Hard/DMD Mode, you see that it nearly does no damage on Mundus. So then the point here is to find all the way to build up DT Gauge as soon as possible. Following this general strategy, you can play a full-charging Round Trip at the beginning of the battle if you don't have enough rune symbols, also to damage Mundus. Sometimes you can jump to the Space Debris to hit Mundus, if so many of them cover your sight. This might help you to hit Mundus more accurately, but a disadvantage about defense. Mundus will smash the inner grounds, especially the ones you are standing on, damage you and make you drop to the lava lake. If you are fast enough, when you see that Mundus is going to hit, jump back to the main ground as soon as possible, or if you can, jump to another Space Debris near there which is not involved too much. ---------------------------------- BUILD UP DEVIL TRIGGER GAUGE ---------------------------------- - TAUNTING : This is the useful to build up DT Mode. Each complete taunt can earn two full rune symbols. If you can press R2 IMMEDIATELY after a full- charging Round Trip or Stinger, you may earn four or five rune symbols as Dante could sometimes do two-handed taunt. Genrally, try to build up your DT Gauge as much as you can. To keep this up fast, deactivate the DT Mode when you still remain 2 or 3 rune symbols, as it will be faster for you to have enough rune symbols to DT again the next time. Like another DT Mode, three symbols are enough to switch once. Remember to taunt when you are completely free from any effect, and don't touch any action button until Dante completes the taunt, or you'll earn no rune symbol. - SHOOTING THE SPHERES : I'll explain more details about these spheres in the "Mundus' Attacks" section. But as you know, Mundus casts spheres around the battlefield to support him by different ways. But some moving spheres are destroyable. And if you can destroy one, it may give you one or even three rune symbols. But as my experience, your power is only strong enough to destroy the spheres when shooting DT fireballs. The normal strength of Grenade Gun or anything in normal state can't do that promptly. And you should know that rune symbols can't be earned while you are DTing. I offer the best time to destroy the spheres is when your DT only remains 2 or less. Shoot as much as fireballs to destroy the sphere. If you do well, the sphere may be destroyed in time your current DT is ended, and Dante returns to normal form. At that time the sphere will some of your rune symbols and then you can transform again. As I know, the spheres are usually present most the time, and you can destroy them due to your strength. -------------------------------------- HEALING IN BATTLE -------------------------------------- As the common rule, you heal yourself by DTing or by Vital Stars. But in this battle, there's a natural source of Healing Green Orbs cast by Mundus : The Lava Dragon. But it's all luck, depending on if Mundus casts it or not. Lava Dragons attack you like any enemies. But if you can kill it quickly, it will release directly a Green Orb for you which nearly heals you fully. DT Fireballs can kill it very quickly, but it's not easy to fight it in Normal form, as you are not strong enough to beat the dragon soon. At that time, the Lava Dragon become annoyances. I'll explain more in below sections. -------------------------------------- NOTES ABOUT DANTE'S POSITION -------------------------------------- Remember that Dante is standing on a rising ground of the lava lake. So you should consider it as your limited area when dodging and evading, and try not to dash out, as you'll touched by the lava lake, which will damage your vitality gradually. If you have no way out or turning back, then just jump some steps out but then GET ON THE GROUND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Another note is while you are shooting fireballs. In the process you're shooting, YOU'LL BE GRADUALLY PUSHED FORWARD. And if you don't pay attention, Dante will drop to the lava lake in front of him, and then your vitalty is wasted without your realization. So notice that. And make Dante jump backward to continue damaging Mundus. -------------------------------------- MUNDUS' ATTACKS -------------------------------------- - SPACE DEBRIS SUMMONING : Many Space Debris have dropped into the lava lake, and now Mundus summons them to protect him from your hit. This is harmless, because it's just a defense of Mundus. But the Space Debris can prevent your shots from hitting Mundus. So to attack Mundus this time, just quickly roll or jump to the side that is not covered by the debris, and shoot him. But remember to your limit of the current ground. Don't stay out to the lava lake. If you see that the current protecting debris is low, you may not need to roll/jump aside. Just let Dante dash backward to shoot. The shots may rush over the debris and hit Mundus. - PROTECTIVE SPHERES SUMMONING : They look like the Protective Spheres of the first battle. In this fight, they will suffer some attacks of you to protect Mundus, until they are destroyed. These spheres don't affect you much while you are shooting fireballs to Mundus in DT Mode. But when you are in Normal form, you should destroy them to fill up DT Gauge. As I said above, Shotgun is good at this. Try to shoot them until they are destroyed and give you rune symbols. Of course, you can even use manual Stinger to hit them quickly, as two Stinger can destroy one. But you may drop to the lava lake. So estimate your distance. But if you need to have rune symbols very badly, Stinger will help you get them faster. So when you drop to the lava, get on the ground asap. The lava won't waste so much vitality if you get on soon. - MUNDUS' NEEDLES : The "needles" are much like Red Lasers in the first battle. Mundus swings up his left hand and casts the red needles. This hit doesn't make big damage and you can easily avoid them. Mundus casts multiple needles following a diagonal line. And you, get backward forst. then bravely run to the line, jump over the diagonal line of needles. Doing Air Hike well may help you avoud the hit completely. Then you'll be safe. Is that easy ? It just becomes dangerous when Mundus casts the needles along with the needles cast by the small dark spheres. - DARK SPHERE NEEDLES : Mundus summons some dark smaller spheres around his sides. Then they will spin, casting the red needles to every direction randomly. This is pretty messing, and like the Red Lasers or Comet Rain of the first battle, try to determine which side has less needles. Try not to move to the area which is gathered by needles from the spheres. Either left or right side is appreciate. - VERTICAL RED WAVES : Unluckily, Mundus often casts these things while Dark Sphere Needles are being executed. Mundus often casts two or three Vertical Red Waves through you diaginally, from either left or right side. And they meet each other at Dante's position. Each of the wave can take half a full lifebar of your vitality or more in DMD Mode. The running speed of these vertical waves are pretty fast. You must pay attention to Mundus' swinging arm to see which side they are cast, then immediately move to the opposite side, then you can completely be safe from the hit. But after that, QUICKLY pay attention to the next red wave which is often opposing the first hit. It seems that Mundus never casts a single wave. They are often double or sometimes even triple. Basically, these waves are not hard to avoid. But the difficulty is that you must determine them before they rush, as their speed is not bad. It's harder when you must even pay attention to the Dark Sphere Needles, as I often see Mundus do both simultaneously. - ROW OF WHITE SPHERES : Mundus will summon a row of spinning spheres around his body. At first, these spheres are harmless to you while they are still beside Mundus. But a moment later, the row will be gradually getting out of the screen. And then they appear just from YOUR RIGHT SIDE, on where you are standing. As the spheres touch you, they explode to damage you. These spheres look like protective spheres, but bigger. If you can, try to shoot them while they are still with Mundus. DT Fireballs can do that faster. And when they are coming to you, DT Fireballs or Shotgun blasts can also destroy two of them quickly. But if you feel that it's not prompt to deal with the remaining ones, jump over to the space between them and jump over their end. This evasion can also be used when you destroy none of them. - SPACE DEBRIS DESTROYING : After a moment being protected, Mundus will swing his punches to destroy these things. First, he will smash the inner grounds powerfully, as its fragments fly around, which can touch you on the ground and damage you. If the smashed inner ground is behind another ground, you can avoid the fragments by staying at the protective ground. If not, try to Air Hike or quickly jump/roll to a completely opposing side which is pretty far away from the smash. But that's not all, Mundus will cast another final punch to the nearest ground there. So now the protective ground may "betray" you, as if you have avoided the first smash by hiding behind this, the Mundus' punch will touch you, along with random fragments which can hurt you either. And the damage caused by these heavy things are extremely big. So the best way is to dodge to the completely opposing area, that you can evade both if the distance is far enough. If you are standing on either the inner or outside ground, quickly jump backward or Stinger to the main ground to avoid hit, or directly Air Hike to the safe position. Be very quick, okay ? Another thing I want to remind you is that it's easy to realize Mundus doing this attack, even your sight is covered by the debris. Just look at Mundus, you'll see him bending his body, especially his arm. That means he is charging his punch to make strongest power. That's also the reason why this hit is very strong and fatal. - SPHERE ATTACK : Well, this hit is evil either. As I said above, the Protective Spheres are cast to protect Mundus, and they are the rich sources of rune symbols. They "support" both you and Mundus, but what will happen if you don't destroy them all to get your benefits ? Hehehe... Benefits will turn into chaos... Mundus turns the spheres into big white fireballs which shoot at you like hell at where they are being at. Well, each of these fireball shots will steal a big sum of your vitality. And I don't think you can get all of the spheres to survive. Well, you may prefer rolling/jumping aside quickly as the fireballs are coming. If you are fast enough, you won't be hit. But if you are in DT Mode, cast some fireballs correctly to deflect the spheres. This is not so easy, as you have to determine where the white fireballs are toward, or DT slash can be effective either. But I prefer evading, as I get used to moving around. And I think it'll safer. Shooting correctly is not my good, and about you, just do what you get used to more. - LAVA RISING : Mundus bends himself, and many lava pillars begin to rise gradually from Dante's position. Let's get back to "Calling the Dead Souls" of Phantom boss and do the same evasion. But now this one is more stronger and dangerous, as your freedom is limited by the lava environment. Run straight as the lava pillars are chasing after you. If you can, jump/Air Hike quickly forward a free line. You'll be safe then... But... another situation may happen : You are coming out of the ground, to the lava lake. Quickly get either choice : Just jump next, then suffer the lava lake and get on soon when the hit is ended ; or when you reach the ending edge of the ground, QUICKLY jump/Air Hike back and dash to the opposing direction. Choose either choice which you think to be better and easier. - MUNDUS' RAGE : I call it "rage" because it must be the most dangerous attack of Mundus. It's pretty similar to Raging Lightnings of Griffon, but MUCH STRONGER AND FATAL. Again, Mundus bends himself. And behind him, bunch of white fireballs shot to the air from his back. Then after that, the bunch of fireballs drop on to you gradually, just like the opposite of Lava Rising. And the way to avoid this hit is also the same. But I recommend jump/Air Hiking more than running regular. I feel that this hit is much faster than any of its relatives, as its size is much bigger, like tidal wave. Quick Jump/Air Hike through a straight line. And just like the Lava Lake, when you reach the end of the ground, either suffer the lava lake or turn 180% degree as soon as possible. But remember that you are Jumping/Air Hiking, which you can't control your jumping as you want soon. Another point is that if you press directional button to restrict the range of jump/Air Hike, then you'll be hit by the dropping fireballs, as you haven't got out of its large limit yet. So now with this hit, I prefer the first choice although it may take out a little of my vitality. Just remember to get on the ground WHEN THE FIREBALLS HAVE BEEN STOPPED. I have avoided this successfully several time with Air Hike. Air Hike helps you to avoid completely one or two fireballs as how far your distance is. The only problem is that when you land on the ground, Dante will be defenseless and your next work is QUICKLY jump/Air Hike as soon as possible to avoid the next dropping fireballs. Mundus rarely uses this attack. But the more vitality Mundus loses by your hits, the more frequent he casts this attack. He begins to do it when you have taken 2/3 of Mundus's lifebar. Well, you have made Mundus' "anger" become "rage". - SUMMONING LAVA DRAGON : Mundus swings his arm to the lava lake : A large lava zone appears around you, and from the center of the lava zone rising a long lava dragon which flies to the sky. I think this might be the action Mundus does to summon the dragon, before he uses it to deal with you. But it can take you some damage either, especially you are standing in the centre where the dragon rises from. To avoid is easy, just promptly run/jump/roll aside as far as you can to keep safe from the lava zone either. The reason why I put this weak attack as the last one of Mundus' attacks, in order to show you a new enemy which may appear in the battle : Lava Dragon. ------------------------------- LAVA DRAGON ------------------------------- After the Summoning Lava Dragon, that DOES NOT MEAN the Lava Dragon will appear to fight you soon. Mundus just summons it, but he may not use it immediately. He often really has it deal with you after destroying the Space Debris. Then the Lava Dragon will really appear, in the lava lake, in front of Mundus. At this time, Dante's auto-aim will mostly aim at the dragon, and you must kill it as soon as possible. LAVA DRAGON'S ATTACK : While dealing with you, Lava Dragon often moves slowly from left side to right side or vice-versa, casting a fireball at you. You must shoot and follow the dragon simultaneously to make sure that your shots are accurate. The fireball is easy to avoid, as the dragon just shoots it TO THE EDGE OF THE GROUND. That means if you are backward far away, you'll be completely safe. But remember that while you are shooting the Dragon in DT Mode, you'll be gradually pushed out to the edge. So be careful about that, and stay backward when the Lava Dragon begins to cast a fireball. There's another way to deflect the fireball is slashing your sword as the fireball is coming, like you did when fighting the Living Dinosaur Fossil in Mission 17. ATTACK LAVA DRAGON : If you are in a long DT Mode enough, Lava Dragon is just a piece of cake. Some DT Fireballs can kill it very quickly. You just try to move follow the dragon to make your shots accurate. Try to kill it as fast as you can. But what will happen if you don't have enough rune symbols to DT when the dragon gets in battle ? Hard now, and you fight it in normal form. You can use your firearms to shoot it, be it will take very long to beat the dragon, as the dragon will either disappear (getting away the Green Orb) or Mundus will support. And now, using Round Trip at it also makes it die pretty quickly. The dragon is pretty slow, and I think you have enough time make a full-charging Round Trip, except Mundus is attacking you along with the dragon (This can happen too, when it takes you so long to defeat the dragon). Another way to attack it has been told in the abcve section : reflecting the fireball by slashing the Sparda. The reflected fireball will damage the Lava Dragon, and some similar hits will kill it. Generally, if you defeat the Lava Dragon, you'll obtain a very valuable Green Orb which mostly fully heal your vitality. So don't think that's a waste of time to deal with the Lava Dragon. You need vitality to fight Mundus right ? But be careful. You must kill the Lava Dragon as fast as you can. It's useful for you, but if you let it last so long in the battle, it will become an annoyance for you to fight Mundus. ========================================================================== After defeating Mundus, the boss will be destroyed and you get free. Dante has been taken back to the hall. This is a lovely scene, and it's a chance for you to see "Devil's tears" - Dante's tears... He holds Trish in his hands, as if his mother has died on him the second time. ************************************************************************** MISSION TWENTY THREE : MOTHER'S GUIDE Key Items : None New Enemies : None Boss : Mundus Secret Mission : None ************************************************************************** --LAST ESCAPE-- Now your Sparda sword has been out of list. So you'll often be automatically equiped with Alastor. The place is going to collapse, and you have five minutes to escape. Run out of the great hall. Passing the organ room either and get to the circular cave soon. There might be some Plasmas (Easy) or Frosts (Normal) around here. But you are not forced to kill them. Get in the white flesh door. There are two or three Nobodies in this room. And all the doors will be sealed as you come. So try to kill these numskulls to get out. After that, back to the Time Statue room. Some Nobodies (Easy) or Frosts (Normal) still remain, avoid them. Head to the floor mirror, step on it and press Action button to go up. Now try not to jump to the hole again. Get to the flying device which looks like an eyeball. It's pretty suck to jump on this thing, especially when you are having Rolling Blaze. Just try to run to the arch upper floor and jump onto it, use even Air Hike. Or if you always jump too far over the eyeball, try to jump low and near the eyeball. Sometimes Dante can hold the eyeball edge and climb up himself. Then get on the cathedral. There are several puppets here, but just avoid them and return to the hallway. Now you are forced to kill these Beezelbubs to unseal the door to Airplane Room. Take out your Shotgun and finish their lives easily. Then get in the door to the Airplane Room. Run for more steps and... --WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE ?-- Dante has dropped to the under waterway, and so does... Mundus. He has no way else, and he must FIGHT : ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : MUNDUS -------------------------------------- Difficulty : Easy Well, this is the last form of Mundus, also the easiest form to fight. Mundus himself has been damaged too much from previous battles, and now he looks like an shapeless mass. The more you damage him now, the more shapeless he becomes, which is very disgusting. But now, don't worry anymore. He is just a piece of cake, even in DMD Mode. Let's "eat" the piece. ------------------------ ATTACK MUNDUS ------------------------ *EASIEST & FASTEST STRATEGY : VORTEX LV2 Well, equip the Alastor/Yamato with you. I think that you have got a full DT Gauge since the previous battles with Beezelbubs or puppets. If not, shoot Mundus' face with some Grenade rounds or attack him with anything you have to fill DT Gauge. So now it's time you should have your DT Gauge fulfilled. Switch to DT Mode and then immediately Vorxtex Mundus' shapeless face - which is his broken soft part now. It just takes you some seconds to sweep his lifebar cleanly. *STRATEGY WITHOUT VORTEX - FOOLISH STRATEGY : Huh... foolish right ? Very foolish. Just read this for fun, although you can ever use it to get a... bad rank. So which weapon should I choose : The Grenade Gun and Nightmare Beta. If you have a full DT Gauge, equip the Nightmare and CHARGE TO ITS TOP, then shoot ACCURATELY. The Nightmare Beta will bang everywhere on Mundus' face, which is pretty weaker than Vortex. Then you use the Grenade Gun and shoot Mundus to fill up your DT Gauge. And then DT and use the Nightmare Beta. This works well if you are extremely fast in Easy/Normal Mode, but NOT with Hard/DMD Mode. I repeat, USE THIS FOR FUN ONLY, okay ? ------------------------ MUNDUS' ATTACKS ------------------------ - LASER EYE : This suck thing can wipe half of a full lifebar. A beam laser cast from Mundus' eye and rotates around the screen. You avoid it by jumping/Air Hiking the laser when it's diagonal. The beam is pretty fast and hard to determine, but I think you can still survive the battle even you get this hit once, by using the first wise strategy. - BURSTING MASS : As I said, Mundus now looks like a soft shapeless mass. And you may remember the image when a Nobody is dying. So this one is the same : If you get too close to Mundus, you may be damaged a little by his bursting things dropped from his face. The more you damage Mundus' face, the more these things are dropped. Stay away from him. But I don't think you get those damages while Vortexing, except you are using the foolish strategy. - MUNDUS' SCREAM : It's harmless, it's just a defense of Mundus. He screams out a vibration sound. And during the sound, he becomes invulnerable to every attack. - GAME OVER : Well, this is the result for those who can't manage the Foolish Strategy well. As Mundus and Dante are locked in the waterway and they have no way out, Dante will be gradually forced to the dead end by Mundus. And if you can't defeat Mundus before Dante is cornered, Mundus will step on Dante and... Game Over, as Dante has received the most miserable end. So if you don't want your dear hero to get that death, be wise to use the Easy Strategy. Because after you defeat Mundus this time, the battle won't be ended soon... ----------------------- TRISH'S REVIVAL ----------------------- That woman is still alive, and she has returned to help... DANTE, not Mundus, (Good, you'll be more lovely with that, Trish !). Trish will give Dante the power from her lightning, as it is given to Dante's Handguns. Now you are forced to use the Handgun during the rest of this battle. If you don't have enough rune symbols to DT, try to shoot Mundus as fast as you can to fill them up before Mundus ends you. You had better use the charging shots to earn more rune symbols, as the charging shots are much stronger than regular ones. Earn at least three rune symbols and then DT, shoot the last shot... ========================================================================== Mundus has gone, promising to return after 2000 years. And now, let's see how "lovely" Dante and Trish are. Dante has cried for Trish, and now it's time for Trish, being a 100% devil... Dante : "And we Humans never give up. Trish, are you ready ?" Trish : "Yes !" ========================================================================== ESCAPE !!! -------------------------------- As Dante catches the Airplane to drive out, you now control the airplane to escape. Remember, avoid all the obstacles or stumbling megaliths you see through the cave. Use the Circle button to shoot them quickly if you can't prompt to avoid. The only problem I want to notice you is that at the beginning of the flight, you MUST avoid all the obstacles smoothly until you get far away from the fire behind. If you are blocked, then the fire will destroy you, and you must start this part again if you still store some Yellow Orbs (Of course, your rank will be reduced. If you don't want it, just reset and fight Mundus again, then replay this part smoothly). I think you have enough ability to make this through. Okay ? ========================================================================== ... ... CONGRATULATION GUYS ! YOU HAVE BEATEN THIS GAME !!! ########################################################################## 8. W A L K T H R O U G H F O R H A R D / D A N T E M U S T D I E M O D E ########################################################################## As I told above, Hard/Dante Must Die mode have some different enemies that hard to be explained in walkthrough for Easy/Normal Mode. So I make an own walkthrough for them, to make you easier to read. *BIG NOTES* - The Blue Orb Fragments just appear if you START A NEW GAME with Hard/DMD mode. If you continue the game from Normal Mode, ALL THE BLUE ORB FRAGMENTS YOU HAVE ALREADY GOT WILL BE REPLACED BY YELLOW ORBS. The ones you haven't got are still in their positions. - The enemies in Dante Must Die Mode are mostly the same in Hard Mode, but more advanced : The regular Marionettes in Hard Mode are all replaced by Bloody Maries. And all the Bloody Maries with some other spare Marionettes are replaced by Fetishes. ************************************************************************** BEFORE ENTERING MISSION 1 ************************************************************************** You'll have to pass several scenes before getting in the first mission. You begin at the gate of the castle. Go along the path, until you see something sparkling on your left side. It's a Yellow Orb. Touch to get it to your inventory. Then continue to head forward. --- [BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]--------------------------------------- You can see a balcony over your head. Try to jump to the wall twice to reach the balcony. Once you have stood on it, get to the left of the balcony to grab a Blue Orb. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Then jump down, head forward until you enter the castle. Your first mission begins. ************************************************************************** MISSION ONE : CURSE OF THE BLOODY PUPPETS ************************************************************************** --MAIN HALL-- Dante is locked in the castle. Now you take a look at the Main Hall. In the other side, you may find a red double-door. This door is locked by Mundus' magic. You need 45 Red Orbs to enter it, or the ghost hand will grab you and damage you. Try to run to the left. You see a blue double-door. This one is locked by a key either. And now your work is to find 45 Red Orbs around the Main Hall. You can find some around the Knight Statue and beside the blue double-door. Now you run upstairs. The left stairway is destroyed, so run up the right stairway. You see a ruin here again. There's a Red Orb in the ruin, search until it comes to you. Now you run up the upper floor of the ruin to get more Red Orbs. Go to the end of the floor, getting the orbs on your way. At the end, jump down to the lower floor to get the Red Orbs that you couldn't reach from the other side of the ruin. After that, let's jump down the hall and run up to the right stairway again, now you check the right way from the ruin that is not blocked. There are several Red Orbs here, until you find a Statue of Time. It's where you can purchase things, but not it does not work. Pass by the statue to take all the Red Orbs on the current floor. Until you finished, return to the statue and jump on it to the upper floor. Search for all the Red Orbs remaining here. When you find that you have collected enough 45 Red Orbs, that means you can get through the red double-door here. But you should know that there's a secret Blue Orb piece here. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ This one is on a floor path near the left stairway, against the left wall. You use the double-jump against the wall to reach it. Then get the Blue Orb piece inside. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another thing I have just spotted : Jump to the highest top of the black knight statue, you'll get tons of random Red Orbs. Now enter the red double door. --INSIDE THE CASTLE-- In the new area, run to the south of the current angle to find four armors. Strike them to get some Red Orbs. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ It's in those armors too. Strike them to get it along with the Red Orbs. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the right side, you find a gate which is closed. So get into the next red double door. In this area, there are a lot separated objects that you can destroy them to get the hidden Red Orbs inside. After having fun with them, run up the spiral stairway as far as you can. The end of the stairway has been blocked by a ruin, so you get in the way near it. There's an unemotional marionette (Fetish in DMD) here. Just ignore it. If you like, enter the left door from the marionette, you are in a room with some water system. There's ladder which is closed and you can't climb it. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ In the right area of this room, you can jump to the upper water to get a Blue Orb piece beside it. Then you have nothing to do now. So get out. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now return to the first marionette/Fetish, you run south. Then a little scene will show you a hole on the ceiling. Just jump to the platform below, and use Kick Jump to reach the upper floor. Grab the Rec Orbs around there, then find a red marionette. It is holding a Rusty Key. Take the key now and get down the hole. Then watch out !!! Two Marionettes attack you from the other side. Try to use the Force Edge to strike them off. Easy okay ? If you don't like to be surrounded from two sides, just jump to another position which you think to be more convenient to attack them. Or if you don't like... just run. --AIRPLANE SHOW ROOM-- When you get down the hole, the first Marionette/Fetish wakes up either. If you don't like it, just run down the spiral stairway. Then get out and go back to the Main Hall. Now use the Rusty Key to unlock the blue double door. You are in a room with an airplane. There are some Marionettes hung on the ceiling. Don't care about them. You can see a red double door which locked by white magical wave. It can't be unlocked by Red Orbs. Strike some objects here to find stuffs. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ If you like, jump to the top bar of the airplane to get another Blue Orb piece. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Then land on the ground. Run to the upper left corner and destroy the two armors. You'll find a rune clock. Slash this clock and light up all the runes. Then the device under Dante will bring him down a dungeon. There are several Marionettes here. Touch them and kill these guys off. After that, there are some other Marionettes from other side to encounter you. Kill them again. Then grab your "rewards" and get on the moving device again. When you go up, all the Marionettes will drop down and prepare for a fight with you. Now try to teach these guys a lesson. Sometimes more Marionettes may come as you slash the current ones. Try to wipe off all the monsters here. Then the red double will be unlocked. Enter it now and your mission ends. ************************************************************************** MISSION TWO : JUDGE OF THE DEATH ************************************************************************** --JUDGMENT OF THE ALASTOR-- You are in a circular Hallway of the castle. There's a small study room in the north end of the Hallway. You can get in to search. Strike all the objects here to find hidden Red Orbs. You find another Statue of Time here. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ The left table from the statue has a hidden Blue Orb piece. Destroy it to get the fragment. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you end, get out of this room. Go along the Hallway. Instead of Marionettes like Easy/Normal mode, you'll face one or two Shadows. Do you like ? If you don't like, just avoid them up and head forward. It's not easy to fight those jumping oozes, especially in a narrow hallway like this. So I remind you should avoid as much as you can, as three or four of the Shadows can kill you instantly. If you are a expert, I have no idea. I hate them ! Even if you kill them now, next time they'll appear again as you return. Sometimes Marionettes reappear here, but mostly Shadows do in Hard/Dante Must Die mode. On the way along, you can find a double door on the left side in the current camera angle. You can't open it now. At the end of the Hallway, you see a door and a sword attached on the relief "Judge of Death" beside. Grab it and see the judgement for you... Dante has conquered the magical sword, so he becomes its owner. The Alastor now is yours. Equip it now. It's much stronger than the Force Edge, and now you have obtained the Devil Trigger Mode. Always use it when you need. --FOUNTAIN CHAMBER-- Let's get in the door beside. Grab the table beside the door to get some Red Orbs. Then you go upstairs to the upper floor and grab another Rusty Key on the picture of a death. Then search around this floor. You may find some table objects. Destroy it and you will find a Shotgun. Equip this firearm to you if you like. Then go out. Use the Rusty Key to unlock the double door along the Hallway. This is the Fountain Chamber. There are some Blades who want to play with you here. If you don't have time to be welcomed, try to run and avoid them with all effort. If you have enthusiasm, play with them okay. But I don't have to be responsible if you lose vitality. You should try to jump onto the fountain to obtain some Red Orbs. Then check the place. You can find a magical which is used to protect something. You can't get through it. In the upper level there's a locked door. Jump to it, and jump to the left floor. Run along the hall and jump pass the obstacle holes. --STAFF OF JUDGMENT-- When you get in, the door will be locked, and you must take over the monsters here (Marionettes or Blades or even Plasmas). Search the path, until you find something like a pray platform on your left. Use your sword to strike the platform. It will be pushed out, revealing a hole. Get through the hole. You grab the Staff of Judgment on the decorated wall. Then find an exit around here. You are taken back to the room where you got the Rusty Key. The door here has been locked when you check it. And you must fight some Sin Scissors to be out. There are about three of them in the room. Just take them out and go out to the Hallway. Go to the "Judge of Death" relief. Insert the Staff of Judgment and get throught that door. ************************************************************************** MISSION THREE : DESTROYER OF THE ARDOR ************************************************************************** --CATHEDRAL-- Dante is sealed again. There's another door sealed in this room too. So you have no way to go. Let's get to the south of the the cathedral to find something sparkling on the platform. It's the Pride of Lion. Touch it, and then the thing will destroy the seal of the next door for you. Get in that door. --PATH OF TRIALS-- Well, you have a chance to see the sky again. Just run along the path until you reach the end. There are many strange things, a mirror-like thing on the floor, and a symbol of Hermes' staff. Grab the Red Orbs around there, and check those things if you like. Remember to check the mirror. After that, return to the cathedral. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ It's above the door of the cathedral. Jump up the arch door frame. Then kick jump to the highest position, then Stinger to get it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As you touched the mirror thing, your trial has worked : The bridge is destroyed by some lightnings, and you drop to under water. In this environment, Dante's lifebar will be slowly reduced. So now your work is to find a way as soon as possible. Run along to the end of the water path, then you touch the mirror thing in the center of the chamber. The door will be shut, and some Sargassoses surround to attack you. Well, get rid of this babies by your sword. Some slashes can kill them easily, High Time may work well now. Until you kill the last Sargassos, it may drop a Green Orb and the mirror shines to the sky. Step on it to get out of this place. You have returned to the entrance of the cathedral. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ Now there's a Blue Orb piece at the mirror thing in the opposite side of the destroyed bridge, where you saw the Hermes' staff symbol. If you are careful enough, you can jump on the remaining steps to get there safely. If not, drop to the water ruin and pass the trial again. But if you have got Air Raid ability from the Statue of Time, just switch to Devil Trigger Mode, jump on and press R1 to fly pass. This is the safest way to pass the Path of Trials, the rest is that you must have enough rune symbols remaining when you reach the other side. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once you get the Blue Orb fragment, just do the same manner to return, and record the trial again if you drop, okay ? Now enter the cathedral. But please in preparation, you will face the first boss of the game soon at this place. --HELLO MR. PHANTOM-- When you get in, the Pride of Lion has turned off its shining light and become normal. Go to the platform and take it... then... have a funny talk with Mr. Phantom... ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : PHANTOM ----------------------------- Difficulty : Medium/Hard It'll be a hard battle for those who play this game the first time. But once you get acquianted, fighting Phantom will be as easy as pie. This walkthrough is for Easy/Normal Mode, so I write it in that limit. Phantom has two forms : Spider Mode and Scorpion Mode. He is Spider when his eyes turn blue and he has no tail. He is Scorpion when his eyes turn red, along with a big fatal tail. + SPIDER MODE can be hurt by slashing his head or his abdomen. + SCORPION MODE can be hurt by slashing his abdomen. The other body parts of Phantom like legs are hard and you can't damage them. Head and abdomen are soft things. ATTACK : When he is Spider Mode, just dash into his head to slash like hell. And when you realize that your hits begin to have no effect, that means he has switched to Scorpion Mode. Now let's jump onto his abdomen to hurt him. Slash until you fall down. Of course, Phantom is a boss and he doesn't let you hurt him so easily like that. Let's see how to defend : DEFENSE : Phantom doesn't have much attacks now. These are the most frequent ones: - JUMP & STEP : This is Phantom's most basic hit. He jumps to the air. And then you don't dodge, he may step on you, which cause a pretty serious damage. This hit can be easily avoided by running around, and it's not worth for you to get damage by this hit. Just remember to run around Phantom is in the air. He often drops on where you have passed. - SLAP : When you are attacking Phantom's head in his Spider Mode, be careful with this things. He is not stupid enough to let you hurt him easily, or you'll receive a shocking slap from his claw. Jumping or rolling aside to any direction to avoid this. - CHARGING FIREBALLS : Phantom may cast this flaming thing when you are standing in front of him, of after he jumps backward. He can aim this attack to you, and the normal way to dodge is rolling or jumping aside when the shot has just been cast. If Dante has Rolling Blaze with him while jumping (Ifrit's skill), then the fire may have no effect, as Dante's body is covered by fire waves. But don't attemp to do this, especially when you haven't got the Ifrit in the first time playing. Be active to dodge is still better. It'll be very easy if you have much practice. And if you become a expert, this is no problem with you. Remember that he can casr firestrikes when you are slashing on his abdoment, so try to spot his attack as soon as you can and jump to avoid. I'm often late at this, because I just attempt to hit him. And that's a mistake and you should defend yourself more in this case. Don't just attack like crazy. - CALLING DEAD SOULS : I think "Magma Surge" is suitable for this hit. But according to some files, it's about "calling dead souls". Phantom wakes up the dead into fire pillars that gradually rise follow your way. The best way to avoid these things is to run to free direction (with no obstacle) and just run until they end. Even if you can't see what is happening, just keep running up to the direction you choose. Don't be frightened to be stopped, or the fire pillars will hit you. - SCORPION STING : A very familiar weapon : The Scorpion tail. Watch out if you are taunting it from the back, but makes a great damage and serious result. It thrusts you heavily and just like some rules, you are thrown strongly to some position. The hit can take a large limit, so try to dodge away from Phantom when he executes this his, by jumping back. The more difficult mode you choose, the stronger this hit become, with larger limit and stronger damage. If you don't have enough health, it can cause instant death. Be fast in your attacking and kill Phantom before it plays this attack. The truth is that I rarely gets this hit, except the first time I played, cause I always act as fast as I can to defeat Phantom. Try on until you defeat Phantom ========================================================================== When you have defeated Phantom, he is not dead yet, but disappears through the ground. And you, get to the platform to grab the Pride of Lion. From now, if you can, return to the Path of Trials and jump to the water to do the first secret mission "Critical Hit". If not, just return to the Hallway. The mission will end. ************************************************************************** MISSION FOUR : DARK KNIGHT ************************************************************************** You begin at the main Hallway again. Now if you have enthusiasn, get back to the cathedral to play the second secret mission Phantom Babies. After that, go to the Study room to do the third secret mission, also with Phantom Babies. These thingies are similar to the baby Black Widows in Resident Evil, but the difference is that they can't damage you like they did in Resident Evil. --STOP ANNOYING ME PHANTOM-- When you go along the Hallway, it's 100% that Phantom will return to play with you again. So then there will be two choices for you to go. Remember that this is Hard/Dante Must Die Mode, so think carefully if you want to encounter any boss battle which you can avoid. DMD mode is not a good time for you to joke with the enemies. : ========================================================================== BOSS : PHANTOM Difficulty : Medium/Hard Refer to the upper strategy to know his attacks. But I think in a narrow battle field like this, Phantom may prefer casting Fireballs to doing anything else. So : RUNAWAY FROM PHANTOM It's so easy for you to do. Phantom catches you when you are just in front of the Fountain Chamber. So after the scene, immediately move left as soon as possible. The door is right there, so enter. Phantom just appears here to threaten, so if you get out of his sight, he won't return here anymore. So if you still have something to do, after avoiding him, you can get back to the hallway. I assure that he won't be there anymore. FIGHTING PHANTOM Well, this battle is not very hard. But you should have 5 or 6 rune symbols of DT mode, and obtain Air Raid skill. When Phantom just appears, you turn into Alastor demon and Air Raid him until he is defeated. Phantom shoots pretty slowly, and I think it's enough to finish him before he could cause more damage on you. I have ever successed this in Easy Mode, but never executed in Normal or harder mode. So I think the best way is still running away from, as you are not forced to encounter this battle. But if you win, you are rewarded with 500 Red Orbs. Not a small prize right ? ========================================================================== --RETURNING PRIDE TO THE LION-- Let's go to the Fountain Room where you see the magical protective shield. Using the Pride of Lion, the shield will disappear. And now hav fun with the lion king. Give him some hits, and then he will respond by some monsters !!! In Hard/DMD Mode, after the lion statue is destroyed, you'll be trapped and then a Death Scissor will fight you in the cage. Try to kill him. Then the door on the upper level will be unsealed. Get in it. --DEATH SENTENCE-- Okay, you enter a beatiful design of square round stairways. There will be some Marionettes waiting to welcome you. Be careful, they can use Shotgun to shoot you like hell, especially in this Hard/DMD mode. Take them out. Then jump down the lowest floor through the balcony. On the lowest floor, you see a rune clock again, and a moving device in the center of the floor. Now light up the rune clock, then stand on the device to move up to the highest area here. It will take you to the platform where the a strange saw-sword is put. Don't think that will be a weapon for you. It's just a key item : The Death Sentence. Jump to the platform and grab it. Well, jump north to the stairway and go down, until you see a double door with some Marionettes around. Kill them off and get in the door. --DARK KNIGHT IS COMING- You have gone to some kind of bedroom. Check the room, climb up the top of the bed to grab some Red Orbs. There's also a Statue of Time here. Prepare yourself carefully before encountering Dark Knight. After that, insert the Death Sentence to the statue with something sparkling : The Melachony Soul. Dante will take it... At the same time, he knows that he is being watched... A twin guy of Dante steps out from the mirror, and he turns into Dark Knight. He signals you to go out with him. Follow the way that Dark Knight has shown, then jump down the courtyard and FIGHT... ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : NELO ANGELO ------------------------------- Difficulty : Medium/Hard This is really one of the toughest boss of the game, especially when you fight his third form. This is the first form, so it's relatively simple. But anyway, remember that Nelo's attacks are mostly the same as Dante's, but larger and stronger, especially in Normal or later modes. His weapon is a huge sword. I'm not very experienced at this boss, but these are what I can tell you. ---------------------- ATTACK NELO ANGELO ---------------------- Nelo Angelo is nearly like a human. So you just attack him as usual : swinging your weapon. But be careful when Nelo shields himself. All of your attacks will be reflexed. And in a free chance, Nelo may counter attack you with a big deal of damage. When Nelo gets damage from you, he is also stunned for few moment. About you, try all your effort to use all those moments to damage Nelo as much as you can, before he can teleport to another position. With most of Nelo Angelo's attacks, the best way is to stay away from him as soon as possible. Direct evasions are harder to execute. *FREQUENT PATTERN TO BEAT NELO ANGELO* : Nelo Angelo usually shields himself. When you make a combo on him, Nelo will shield himself for a while and then all of your attacks have no effect. And you, don't try to attack. Jump/Roll to any other direction out of Nelo's shield limit and then play the next combo. With this, Nelo may teleport to another position and after that, he plays an Energy Ball to you. Quickly dash into Nelo, stopping his Energy Ball and play a combo to damage him. Then Nelo shields again and you just repeat the same pattern. -------------------------- NELO ANGELO'S MOVES -------------------------- - STINGER : Much like Dante's stinger. But Nelo's have larger range and stronger power. He doesn't do this attack so often. It's easy to avoid, but once you get hit, it causes a big damage. Just roll or jump aside to dodge this hit. - FOUR HIT SWORD COMBO : Well, this was a nightmare for me to fight Nelo Angelo 3. He strikes four slashes : diagonal, horizontal, diagonal and diagonal. But they all follow an exact direction after Dante. So then jumping or rolling before the combo happening aside are appreciate. But pay attention to his horizontal slash, which occupies a large limit around him. To avoid this safely, just jump or roll away from him as far as you can. This sword combo is not very hard to dodge, but once you get hit, especially in Normal Mode or more, don't ever try to remain half a full lifebar. You lose your calm when being hit, and you hardly dodge since then. So be careful. As my experience, Nelo can slash this to you even you are beating him by your Sword or Gauntlets combo, when your damage is not strong enough to stun Nelo Angelo. You will receive damage and then Nelo counter attacks if you don't realize your situation earlier. - CHARGING FATAL SLASH : This looks like a vertical hit. Nelo Angelo charges the power by putting the sword behind him, then inflict a fatal hit on you. This is similar to Dante's final slash of Triple Hit, but of course, Nelo's slash is fatal to you either. So don't be crazy to stay directly in front of him. Just roll aside as fast as you can. Don't ever try to jump, cause it makes easier for the upper slash to hit you. - HIGH TIME : Well, Nelo Angelo can mostly do whatever Dante can, so High Time is not am exception (You want to know why ? Just play through the game to find the answer). Nelo's High Time is extremely dangerous and hard to guess. But according to my experience, he often plays it when you play jump attack with him. At that time, Dante will be thrown away, along with his cry and an unforgivable damage. Jumping is not the best method now, as you may be struck when Nelo's sword is going up. And you also get the whole damage, even you are not struck by the whole arc of Nelo's sword. Rolling is not very good now, because Nelo swings his sword from the ground to the air, with a pretty large limit. So what do you do now ? Stay away from him as far as you can, before he slashes you. It takes Nelo a moment to execute this hit, like he did the Charging Fatal Hit. So try to practise your speed, you'll get used to it soon. - TELEPORTING : Nelo will teleport to another position when you don't attack him, or when he gets so much hit from you. This is a frequent action of Nelo. And after teleporting, he often casts an Energy Ball to you, if you're pretty far from him. Try to dash into him as much as you can when you spot where he is, before he can cast spell. If you get close enough when he re-appears, he may use one of the sword attacks to hit you. See the above moves to know the strategies for those hits. Now research the Energy Ball. - ENERGY BALL : Nelo also owns some magic, such as this one. Energy Ball is the mosr frequent spell he loves to cast. He shoots immediately after teleporting to a certain position. This hit is easy to avoid. You just jump aside and aside until it ends. Try not to get hit by this spell. It would be poor you if you can't avoid most of them, as its damage is not small either once you are damaged. But if you dash to Nelo and attack him while he is charging the ball, then you can make a combo to damage him as usual. It takes Nelo a slow moment to charge the ball, and it's one of the greatest chance for you to damage him now. Ifrit's jump attack may be useful here, as it's larger then Sword's jump attack and you can dash to Nelo faster, before he casts the ball to you. But remember to be very fast. Just a little slower can make you get hit, okay ? - NELO'S SHIELD : Well, this is extremely annoying. When being attacked by you, Nelo usually pulls out his huge sword to be the shield to protect himself. At that time, all of your attacks are useless, and they will be reflexed by Nelo's shield. It's very dangerous to attack the shield, because once you are reflexed, Nelo may use that moment to counter attack you. The Counter attacks are often High Time or Four Hit Sword Combo. With High Time, you'll get a pretty big damage and be thrown away. It'll be more serious if he uses the Four Hit Sword Combo and then "Death awaits you !". So how to do with this suck ? Well now, rolling and jumping are your friends. Stop attacking him now, then quickly roll or jump to any other direction which is NOT IN NELO'S SHIELD LIMIT. Complete right/left side and back is all right. Ifrit's jump attack is prett good here, but you must be very accurate. Then QUICKLY attack him by anything. If you are accurate, Nelo will be stunned and you continue your attacks, until he teleports. I can assure that Nelo WILL TELEPORT ANYWAY after being deceived by you. So about what to do next, see the above moves. - NELO RUNAWAY : Not means "run out of battle". But when you damage Nelo's 1/3 max HP, he will teleport to the upper plarform in the battle. At that time, just run to and jump up to continue fighting him. Then, when you damage Nelo's 2/3 MAX Hp, he will teleport to the upper level. And you, run along the path and jump over the space, then jump up again to fight him til the end. Always be careful NOT to let you drop again. Deceive Nelo to stay away from the ruin to continue the battle without dropping. What will happen if you don't run to Nelo Angelo ?... Of course, he MUST react. He will give you some sweet Energy Balls if you're still "cowardly" and "stubborn". Know that and run to him as soon as possible when he teleports, okay ? ========================================================================== When you defeat Nelo, there'll be a riot between the two fighters and the loser is... Dante. But Dante will manage to be alive. And Nelo disappears... Your mission ends. And the Melachony Soul belongs to you. ************************************************************************** MISSION FIVE : GUIDING THE SOUL ************************************************************************** --RACE WITH TIME-- You have three minutes to get out of this place. First, fight the damn Shadows that are popping out, as the only door is locked. These guys are pretty annoying when you fight multiple of them. Refer to the "Enemy List" to know how to beat them. Now don't ever try to get S rank, if you are new to this mode. Getting pass these Shadows is so lucky. After taking over those numskulls, the seal is destroyed and you go out. Remember that the Melachony Soul is draining your vitality, like you got in the water under the Path of Trials. So be as fast as you can. Return to the stairway. There may be several monsters around (Sin Scythes or Marionettes). Just ignore them, only attack when you have no way out. Immediately jump down to the lowest level. Input the Melachony Soul to the door at the corner. It'll be unlocked and your missions ends. That's all. This is a pretty easy mission to get S rank, if you fight the Sin Scythes fast and ignore all the optional monsters around. About what will happen if you don't get to the door before the limited time ? Remember the room where you got the Staff of Judgment. Go there and charge the time again and redo everything. Then return to the stairway to unlock the door in the redone limited time. Of course, some monsters may stop your way. If you are still late, return there and charge again until you make it. Of course, being late like that will take one of your easiest S rank that can be got in this mission. ************************************************************************** MISSION SIX : EVIL OF THE WATERWAYS ************************************************************************** --WATERWAYS ARE EVIL TOO !-- You begin this mission in a dark underground waterway. First, find a Blue Orb piece here. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ Run to the north end of the current waterway. Try to pay attention to a ruin on the left that dives the wall. Come to the ruin, check and jump until there's a Blue Orb piece/Yellow Orb dropping onto you. Get it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After that, run to the south and turn to Dante's left. There's a door here. Get in it and search for a Rusty Key on one of the water pipes. Instead of a scene with Beezelbubs, you'll fight the Plasmas directly here. They come from behind you in human form. Take out your Ifrit and teach them a lesson. Be careful when they split themselves. Alastor is not good here, because it is lightning-plasma elemental either. When they die, the door will be unsealed and you get out. Go along the way. You may find another hole on the left. Go in it if you like. There are tons of Green Orbs here and a pedestal of Red Orbs. Strike the pedestal to get as many as Red Orbs you can, until it breaks. Then back to the waterway and go forward. --WHERE ARE YOU FROM, MR. COW ?-- Use the Rusty Key to unlock the door at the end of the waterway. You'll come to a similar area. There is also a hole here, but it just contains Green Orbs only. Grab them if you like. Go along this waterway again. Until you find that you are trapped... by a Death Scissors. This guy is not gentle to let you live easily. Refer to the strategy in "Enemy List", because anyway, he is one of your regular enemies. I don't list him as a boss. After finishing him, reach the end of the waterway and grab the Guiding Light. So now, end up here. ************************************************************************** MISSION SEVEN : HOLDING THE KEY OF ARDOR ************************************************************************** --GOODBYE WATERWAY-- Hm... I don't know what happens to Dante now, but his vitality is being drained gradually like some previous times. So then now, do the mission as fast as you can. Run back to the stairway as soon as possible. Now in the current waterway, there are a lot of Marionettes around. I think you had better not waste your time with them. That can take out your life and your ranking. On the way to the door, you'll receive two Green Orbs. Back to the first waterway. ========================================================================== PHANTOM AGAIN Here Phantom may chase you again before you get back to the first waterway. He has no change from the last time. Just beat him by using Air Raid. Of course, you have two choices : either runaway or fight. To runaway is so easy, just head forward the door to get back. In Easy/Normal Mode, Phantom just chases you when you beat him at the Hallway. But in Hard/Dante Must Die, Phantom always chases you here no matter what you did you do with him the last time. So pay attention to that and be careful. ========================================================================== Well, you face Plasmas again to break the seal. Get out of here when the door is unsealed. --GO FIND THE SUNLIGHT-- Have you got the stairway ? Okay, let's go to the bedroom where you first met Nelo Angelo. Pay attention to a sun symbol next to the mirror. Put the Guiding Light to it and move. Then a secret door will be opened. Once you get through that door, your lifebar stops losing. Your mission ends here. ************************************************************************** BEFORE GETTING TO MISSION 7 ************************************************************************** You come to the third floor of the Hallway. There's a interval between the two sides of the bridge. If you let Dante stand at the end of the half bridge and jump, he will automatically jump pass the large interval easily. If you let Dante jump off any side out of the end, he'll jump down the Hall. And you must again find the way to reach the bridge. But there's a secret mission required you to jump off directly to the Hall (See the "Secret Missions" section), so it's not very useless. Besides, this part doesn't belong to any mission, it's just the way between Mission 7 to Mission 8, so don't worry about time. Just do the Secret Mission if you want. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ Again, in very the bedroom you have passed, let's return there and jump to the battlefield between you and Nelo Angelo last time. There are some cool stuffs here, inluding a Blue Orb piece. Find the way to reach the highest level that Nelo has fought you, and jump to the top of the tower. Air Raid is required to get the Blue Orb piece/Yellow Orb in the sky. Fly there and reach it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- --[UNTOUCHABLE]---------------------------------------------------------- Not only Blue Orb piece and some Red Orbs around, but there is also an Untouchable here. This is a rare item which is the most powerful item of all. Using it just reduces your rank, as its function is too cool to fight against any enemy. You find 5 of them in each game. This is the first one. It's in the same place with the Red Orbs on the tower. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you want to enter Mission 8, return to the bridge and get pass it, then enter the door there. ************************************************************************** MISSION EIGHT : LEGENDARY DARK KNIGHT RETURNS ************************************************************************** --IT'S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE, PHANTOM !-- You are in a fire chamber with a Statue of Time. Purchase anything you want there. Then use Kick Jump to get on either left or right platform to get a large Red Orbs. Then run to the other side to get another one. After that, enter the door on the platform. You have been temporarily outside of the castle. Run forward and climb to the upper side. Then land down the large circular ground. There's a gate over there. Let's get there soon, but... errr... Mr. Phantom, nice to meet you (Dante is so "lovely" !!!) ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : PHANTOM ---------------------------------------- Difficulty : Medium Phantom has two forms : Spider Mode and Scorpion Mode. He is Spider when his eyes turn blue and he has no tail. He is Scorpion when his eyes turn red, along with a big fatal tail. + SPIDER MODE can be hurt by slashing his head or his abdomen. + SCORPION MODE can be hurt by slashing his abdomen. The other body parts of Phantom like legs are hard and you can't damage them. Head and abdomen are soft things. -------------------- ATTACK PHANTOM -------------------- When he is Spider Mode, head(mouth) and abdomen are soft parts. Just dash into his head to slash like hell which is easier than reaching his abdomen. And when you realize that your hits begin to have no effect with the head, that means he has switched to Scorpion Mode. Now let's jump onto his abdomen to hurt him no matter you want or not. Slash until you fall down. Of course, Phantom is a boss and he doesn't let you hurt him so easily like that. Let's see how to defend : --------------------------- DEFENSE PHANTOM'S HITS --------------------------- - JUMP & STEP : This is Phantom's most basic hit. He jumps to the air. And then you don't dodge, he may step on you, which cause a pretty serious damage. This hit can be easily avoided by running around, and it's not worth for you to get damage by this hit. Just remember to run around Phantom is in the air. He often drops on where you have passed. - SLAP : When you are attacking Phantom's head in his Spider Mode, be careful with this things. He is not stupid enough to let you hurt him easily, or you'll receive a shocking slap from his claw. Jumping or rolling aside to any direction to avoid this. - CHARGING FIREBALLS : Phantom may cast this flaming thing when you are standing in front of him, of after he jumps backward. He can aim this attack to you, and the normal way to dodge is rolling or jumping aside when the shot has just been cast. If Dante has Rolling Blaze with him while jumping (Ifrit's skill), then the fire may have no effect, as Dante's body is covered by fire waves. But don't attemp to do this, especially when you haven't got the Ifrit in the first time playing. Be active to dodge is still better. It'll be very easy if you have much practice. And if you become a expert, this is no problem with you. Remember that he can casr firestrikes when you are slashing on his abdoment, so try to spot his attack as soon as you can and jump to avoid. I'm often late at this, because I just attempt to hit him. And that's a mistake and you should defend yourself more in this case. Don't just attack like crazy. - CALLING DEAD SOULS : I think "Magma Surge" is suitable for this hit. But according to some files, it's about "calling dead souls". Phantom wakes up the dead into fire pillars that gradually rise follow your way. The best way to avoid these things is to run to free direction (with no obstacle) and just run until they end. Even if you can't see what is happening, just keep running up to the direction you choose. Don't be frightened to be stopped, or the fire pillars will hit you. - SCORPION STING : A very familiar weapon : The Scorpion tail. Watch out if you are taunting it from the back, but makes a great damage and serious result. It thrusts you heavily and just like some rules, you are thrown strongly to some position. The hit can take a large limit, so try to dodge away from Phantom when he executes this his, by jumping back. The more difficult mode you choose, the stronger this hit become, with larger limit and stronger damage. If you don't have enough health, it can cause instant death. Be fast in your attacking and kill Phantom before it plays this attack. The truth is that I rarely gets this hit, except the first time I played, cause I always act as fast as I can to defeat Phantom. - FIREBALL RAIN : Well, this is a new hit of Phantom in this fight. Because inside the cathedral, he couldn't have enough space to execute this terrible attack. But now you're fighting him on an outside ground. So he shows it to you when you trouble him too much. When Phantom's anger is at its peak, it'll shoot fireballs from its back toward the sky. Let's imagine a meteor rain. It shoots like hell chasing after you. This might be the opposite hit of "Calling the Dead Souls", the only difference is that the fire pillars drop from the sky. Of course, with this kind of attacks, jumping is not a good idea, as the fireballs will drop on you without informing. Rolling is also desperate here, because you can follow a straight line with rolling. So running in a straight line is safer, as you did to dodge "Calling the Dead Souls". If you guess you can't avoid, try to transform into Alastor demon if you have enough rune symbols. In this form, you have faster speed and you may avoid safely. In my opinion, this time Phantom seems to be tougher and makes attacks more suddenly. So I remind you to be careful as for the best way. Try on until you defeat Phantom. Don't worry anymore. I have told you in the title of the part : It's time to say goodbye ! ========================================================================== Phantom drops through the Main Hall. The Statue of Black Knight who is pulling up a spear, thrusts through its abdomen. Phantom still gets some breathe to see who you are. It seems that he has spent a pretty long time :"Sparda..." He knows Dante's father. "I'm his son. The name's Dante."- answered Sparda's son. And then Phantom's body breaks into pieces. But Dante doesn't know that he is being watched... by Trish. What does she want ?... That damn boss has wasted lots of your time. But the gate has been opened and you get through it now. --POSEIDON WANTS TO CHALLENGE ME-- Jump down the courtyard and grab the Trident. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ There's a hole between the statues of two horses. Above it, you can see a glowing Blue Orb Fragment. Just try to jump up to the either HORSE'S HEAD, not the back. The horse's back is not high enough for you to reach the top. Try to reach the head, then kick jump to the top to get the Blue Orb Fragment. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After that, find a hole taking to below machine room. Get down, then make a run to find some stuffs (A Grenade Gun... YEAH !!!). After that, pay attention to something moving next to the the machine. Strike it once by anything. Dante operates the rope to lower a bridge somewhere in the castle. After ending up here, find a lid and get down the ladder. You realize that you have been to here before. Go to the right system with Poseidon relief and put in the Trident, operating the water to control the gate. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]----------------------------------------- Maybe you have got one Blue Orb Fragment in the left pool from the Poseidon relief. Now another fragment appears in the right poor. Jump to the pool to get it okay ? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The black gate in that room will be closed, but the huge gate you saw in the Armor Room is opened. Now it's your time to run to that gate until it's closed again. First, jump out of the black gate when it has just been lowered a few. Then run like hell ! Ignore all the annoying enemies on your way. Run out of the door, passing the Marionettes and the spiral stairway. Head quickly to the Armor Room. If you are fast, the gate has been lowered enough for you to pass soon. Go in now ! When you made it through, check this little area a little for a Blue Orb piece. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ It's in the water near the left waterwheel of the next exit gate. Just jump to it to reach the item. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your mission ends here. ************************************************************************** MISSION NINE : NEW STRENGTH ************************************************************************** --NO WAY BACK-- You begin in front of the huge gate. So can I return back to inside the castle for some missing stuffs ? If you try to get in again, I assure that the moving gate has been COMPLETELY opened. It won't shut anymore. I wonder how Capcom did with that ? Now start the mission. Run to the other side of the bridge. Once you get there, the bridge will be automatically risen up. Suck ! Now it's true that you have no way back. You may see something on the ground near there which seems to contain anything, but being empty. You'll know later. Just head up. There's a Statue of Time in the upper left corner. Use it if you want. Pay attention to a high stone pillar in the center of the camera angle. Behind it there's a Devil Star sparkling. Grab it if you like. Then run down another spiral stairway near there, until you reach a door. At first, you see a Green Orb over your head. But don't use it now. Let's get more step to the area. Ehem... you have new friends... Blades !!! Well, swing your sword like crazy with them. They attack from multiple directions with high sudden. So always pay attention and try to kill one. Don't let the others bother you. After that, you may determine if you should use the random Green Orb or not. Let's take a walk in this ground. There's a Yellow Orb on the left of the entrance. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ You try running to the right side from the entrance, as far as you can, until you find a tombstone. This tombstone is movable. Give it some hits to move. It will reveal a Blue Orb underground. Grab now. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to walk along the path on the left from the entrance. It has many Red Orbs on the way. Maybe you are wondering about the doors along the path. Now you can't unlock them, but you'll return here later. After checking that path, then take a look at the right side from the entrance - the left side of the next big gate you see. Behind the bushes and canyons there's a small door. Climb to the top of the door, you'll find the first Holy Water on the way. --I NEED YOUR STRENGTH, THE GOD OF FIRE-- Now get to the big opening gate. Pay attention to a double door on your right. One of its side is burnt, but the other is not. You have to burn it to unlock the door. But now you can't do that. So your only way is getting in the big gate. Another large ground here. Over you head, you see some flying devices which do not work. About you, jump to the left floor, then keep running up. Turn to the right way until its end, to get a Devil Star. Then you run left and turn to the rune clock. Just keep running to the opposite side, get a Yellow Orb in that way's end. Return to the rune clock and activate it now. The flying devices have returned to work. And you go straight from the rune clock to outside edge. It's a little tricky to jump on these things. They move like drunk zombies, and with the Dual Shock control, only a wrong direction determining will make you drop. So first, jump to the first device which doesn't move. Let's see the next one. It moves slowly up and down. When it is moving pretty equally to you, jump to it. Then do the same action with the next devices. The later ones move faster that the last ones. You move follow a circle until you reach a chandelier in the center. The last device is the fastest and most sudden. So try to be careful to jump over it, or you'll drop and restart this tricky challenge. Finally, you get to a chandelier. Grab the burning thing on the platform to see our devil hero is burnt... Fire can't a kill the devil. Dante becomes the Ifrit's owner, like he did with the Alastor. This weapon is fire-elemental and it can make fire. So you use it to unlock the door next to this area. Jump down now ang get out. There may be some Marionettes reappear when you finish. Just go out to save time, or fight them if you like. But anyway, YOU ARE GOING TO FACE A BOSS. Try to have a good lifebar and Devil Trigger Mode. Get out... have a talk... and... FIGHT !!! ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : GRIFFON ----------------------------------------------- Difficulty : Medium You have faced a new guy who replaced Phantom, called Griffon. He is some kind of giant hawk and mostly attacks in the air. Griffon's attack is mostly spark. This boss is much more annoying than Phantom, but not as well as Nightmare. Prepare yourself carefully. -------------------------------- ATTACK GRIFFON WITH FIREARMS -------------------------------- It's not easy to cause damage him, as he is mostly in the air. So when he is in the air, your weapons, or course, ranged-weapons such as firearms. I recommend two weapons : Handguns or Grenade Gun. HANDGUNS : Although the damage caused by these things are weak, your accuracy is very firm. Dante can automatically aim at the hawk and shoots continiously. The Handguns are shot and many, easy to hit the flying enemy like Griffon. And you don't have to worry much about missing. In addition to this, you are fighting Griffon in an empty ground, facing the sky. So I think there won't be too many missing shots. GRENADE GUN : It's not so fast as Handguns, but very strong. One hit of Grenade Gun can make Griffon pretty much health, but low accuracy and speed. Why low accuracy ? Grenade Gun can't be shot continuously like Handguns. Each round flies with a pretty low speed, enough for Griffon to avoid sometimes. But of course, some of your shots may be correct at certain percentage. So don't completely take out this weapon. HANDGUNS OR GRENADE GUN ? Choose whatever you like. It's better to choose your favourite gun, or the gun that you have got used to. Ranged-attacks don't belong to firearms only. If you use Ifrit against Griffon, Meteor is a good idea to make big damage on him from distance. Use this hit if you have purchased it. ----------------------------------- ATTACK GRIFFON WITH DEVIL ARMS ----------------------------------- Sometimes Griffon can land on the ground, especially when you have damaged him a great deal of his HP, he gets weak and then often attacks you on the ground. Griffon can also stand when he calls spark to hit you. It depends on his attack. But of course, the greatest chance to attack him is that when he gets big damage and temporarily loses consciousness on the ground. At that time, jump on him and play some hits. ALASTOR/SPARDA/YAMATO : In my opinion, these sword weapons are easier to use than Gauntlets (Ifrit) to fight against Griffon. With high speed and range, you can easily get closed to Griffon and attack him immediately before he leaves the ground. I have tried many times to give up the opinion. When Griffon is standing on the ground to call spark, you can completely beat him in a free chance (when you're sure that his attacks don't reach you). Vortex is also a good idea when you want to attack the boss' body as he is casting too much hits on the ground. But always be careful, Groffon can control hits spark to any direction as you are. So don't try to attack him so much when your life is not safe. IFRIT : Ifrit may be the best weapon in this game, but it's not good aganst some enemies, including Griffon. I don't disagree if you use it. But it'll be harder than to use swords. Ifrit's attacks are slow and short-ranged. And Griffon has often already left the ground when you get closed to him. The Ifrit's dashing attack is not fast enough either. But besides, Ifrit is also useful if you use love to cast Meteor to Griffon. ----------------------- GRIFFON'S MOVES ----------------------- I'm not very good to pay attention to Griffon's hits. They all mess up on the screen. But I'll try. - LIGHTNING BALLS : Griffon 1 often welcomes me with this hit. He makes a fly around the battlefield, then he dashes after you, dropping tons of Lightning Balls behind, which pursues you either. This is easy to dodge, but be careful too. Just run straight as the balls are being dropped behind you. If you are fast, you may get safe. But if you feel that the balls have coming very closed to you, so run aside quickly or change your direction. Alastor DT will increase your speed very much. So if you feel that you are not fast enough, activate the Alastor DT to run faster. - SINGLE V SPARK : Maybe this the most frequent attack of Griffon. Griffon in the air casts a lightning ball on the ground. Then this ball casts two sparks wiping the ground as a V letter shape. The two sparks will combine at WHERE YOU ARE STANDING. So when you feel that the sparks are running to you, jump over them. This is not very hard to avoid, right ? Single V Spark can be shot at High/Low height. Stand on the ground to avoid high sparks and jump over the low sparks. - VERTICAL SPARK : He rarely uses this hit in the first battle either. But I still mention it here. He does this attack when you stay pretty far away from him. This may be either hard or easy to avoid, depending on your quick attention and practice. Griffon casts a row of vertical sparks through you. And there are two ways to avoid : First, you can COMPLETELY stay away out of the sparks. This is hard to do, because your normal speed isn't fast enough to run out when they are coming, except you are in Alastor/Yamato DT mode. The second way, is harder to do, but you should do. Quickly determine the empty spaces between the spark columns and stay on of those spaces to be safe. - BUNCH OF SPARKS : I sometimes see Griffon do this in the first battle. He frequently does this in the second and third battle. He casts tons of lightnings or sparks from his mouth, wiping a limited area around him. The sparks cast from his mouth are mostly diagonally, along with some horizontal spark circles that wipe the battle field. The diangonal sparks are not problems if you stay awa from him, because it just reaches a certain limit til the ground. But the horizontal circles can hit you anywhere, with different height. They can be cast at high/low height. Relying your quick attention, determine which height they are cast at and then quickly have a right evasion. If you are on the ground, but low circles can, and your way is jumping over them. Sometimes, the horizontal circles can be cast gradually, while the V Spark is hitting you on the ground. This is pretty suck, but you should try. Try to stand at a distance that your jump can be over the two hits (V Spark and Circles). I have been nearly successful dodging this attack, but failed at the end. The horizontal circles and V sparks are shot follow a regular disntance. But the situation can't let you stay in a position. So then you must move and jump. Try to jump dodging the first pair of those two hits succefully, then you will do the same actions with the next hits regularly, until the regulation is broken. At that time, you may feel that you are nearly either faster or slower than the hits. So quickly control your moves at the correct time to avoid the hits rightly. It may be hard for those who haven't get used to. But practices will help you improve. - DASHING : Well, this might be the only physical attacks of Griffon, out of those above magical ones. Being on your back, he suddenly dashes into you, which makes a pretty serious HP. Then Griffon makes a turn after the hit. It's very easy for you to... get hit. Until now, I have never comopletely avoided this attack, except in Alastor/Yamato DT mode. But anywaty, its damage is not so big as damage caused most lightning attacks of Griffon. I can only say that : Try to run straight as fast as you can and jump/roll aside when Griffon makes turn. - RAGING LIGHTNING : This attack is used when Griffon dies or about to die. What ? He summons tons of lightnings cast from the air to the ground everywhere. Can you inmagine what the mess is like ? In this first battle with him, this hits just take a limited area. If Griffon has died, just try to run out of the mess as soon as possible. If he's just going to die, try to move, using Handguns or Meteor Lv2 (Ifrit skill) to defeat him immediately. -------------------------- CIRCULAR PLATFORMS -------------------------- You see these thingies in every battle with Griffon. I guess they are present for you to jump on them to avoid Griffon's ground attacks or stand there to attack Griffon. But I have never use them, since I realized they had messed up. I stand on one of the platforms, which are pretty far from Griffon. And the result was that I was hit by the high V spark or spark circles. It takes you a long moment to be thrown down or jump down, while on the ground, you can use those precious moments to damage Griffon. When you are thrown away from the platform, it also takes a long time for Dante to get up and makes you confused that you can't determine what Griffon is doing next to you. That's my opinion. You can use these platforms if you like, with your own way. ========================================================================== ========================================================================== STUPID TRICK TO AVOID GRIFFON 1 BATTLE If you play this game the second time or more, as the next part of the first time, then you can pass this battle easily by NOT getting the Ifrit, because you have already got it from the first time playing through. Remember NOT to go to the Ifrit place to avoid this battle. You just step in even a step, then you'll meet Griffon when going out. The Ifrit is not there, but extra stuffs like Red Orbs, Yellow Orbs or Devil Star ARE STILL THERE. That means you lose even those stuffs to avoid Griffon. So make your choice. ========================================================================== Okay... Are you ready ?... Equip your Ifrit. Then come to the door beside the gate. Strike the Ifrit on its right side to burn. Then the door will be unlocked. Get in it now. Well, let's see.. Find the next door behind the bushes, then you'll realize it has been sealed. A lot of Marionettes and several Fetishes will come out and play with you. You MUST defeat them to unlock thr seal. When you have defeated them all, I remind you that there's a Green Orb on the top of the next door. Climb up and get it if you like. Then enter that door. Climb down the stairs. Get some fights here either if you like. There is no Marionettes, just Fetishes only. There are some stuffs also. When you have just come down the stairs, try to jump up the nearest platform on the left (Dante's right). Then kick jump again to the upper path. Destroy some stone on the left and grab the Devil Star inside. Then go to the right and strike the Red Orbs cocoon to get your prize. After finishing, now choose : either fight the puppets or run to the exit gate. You need 200 Red Orbs to open it. Then your mission ends. ************************************************************************** MISSION TEN : CANYON OF MIST ************************************************************************** Before getting in this mission, I have some reminds for you. You are in a canyon of mist, and Dante himself can't determine where to go, as the zone is covered by mist. You must find a guiding soul to guide your way. Just follows where it goes. If not, you lost your way and return to the exit gate of Mission 9. That means you must restart everything from the beginning. Got it. You have three areas to pass. The areas are completely similar, but the monsters which guard them are different. Let's begin. FIRST AREA : PUPPETS When you first come here, you see several Marionettes (Easy Mode) or Fetishes (Normal Mode). They will wake up once you come. First, check the tombstone at the fork road. Then the tombstone will release a soul to guide where you will go. But one of the monster will catch it. And your work is to kill that monster to release the soul. If you can't determine which one catches the soul, kill all of them until you see the soul again. Then follow the soul to either way. Try to get through the way BEFORE the soul disappears in the other side. SECOND AREA : BLADES These annoying guys are pretty tough. First, there are three of them welcome you and one will catch the soul. Kill those three until the soul released. From now, there's very little chance for the soul to be caught. So just naturally follow the soul, ignore the Blades are coming more. Although the chance for the soul to be caught is very little, if that really happens again, kill the monster who caught it and then follow the soul to the end of the canyon. THIRD AREA : SHADOWS Wow, these "lovely" kitties finally arrive. But this is not an easy battle. IT'S VERY HARD. There are just two Shadows, but you may partly imagine how annoying the changeable creatures can do. Remember the Secret Mission 4 to this, but now you are fighting in a very narrow battlefield, okay ? Grab either Shotgun/Nightmare Beta if you have. The Nightmare Beta reflexed shots may be effective, but you yourself can be shot either if you're careless. Try to avoid the Shadows' hits, although it's really a nightmare to do that, but you must try. Once you beat one of them into the core, IGNORE THE OTHER and TURN TO IFRIT DT MODE, play the Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick Dt combo ASAP to end its life. Then you must pass another challenge : The Shadow becomes red and you'll be chased like hell. Once it catches you, it will make a great damage on you and you can die without a full lifebar. So try again this time, until it dies. Then kill the other like that to release the soul. If you can't finish the Shadow at its core form, you have to begin everything while your lifebar is not as full as it was. After that, you come to a courtyard. There might be two Kyclops beating you when you first enter. Kill them by Shotgun or Sword weapons. There are two Green Orbs (one is on left wall and one is on the right tree). Use them if you need. There's also a Holy Water in the upper left corner. Then enter the next area. ************************************************************************** MISSION ELEVEN : FATE ************************************************************************** --MONSTERS, SO MANY-- First, you are welcomed by a dear Death Scythe. This is one of the most annoying enemy, I think. Refer to "Enemy List" to know how to kill him. But here I'd like to remind you to find another location around to fight, not near the well. In the process of the fight, either you will jump to fight the Death Scythe or the Death Scythe will use Tornado pillars to move you. So if you drop to the well, then you must begin everything when climb out. After killing the Death Scythe, you can have a jog around this treasure area. When the Death Scythe is killed, the flying devices will work. You go upstairs and jump on it to fly. On the way, you can jump down to catch some Red Orbs. You climb up the wall on the left of the entrance to see some stuffs. Then jump to the left glass platform, run along to find another Large-sized Red Orb. Then return to the wall platform, go right and kick jump to get an upper Red Orb. You may find nother platform, which takes you to a chandelier having something sparkling. It's a Devil Star. Grab it, and then go along all the wall platforms to find some more Red Orbs. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ Do you pay attention to a blue thing inside the left glass cage ? And how do you get it ? Just find a wall next to it and climb to that wall platform. Then jump to the glass platform, like you did in the opposite glass. If you run along that platform, you'll find a Green Orb at the end. But before doing that, try to find that the beginning of the glass platform is broken. Jump down the broken part to inside, get down the step and you can reach the Blue Orb Fragment/Yellow Orb. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After that, go down the well. There are several Blades waiting for you. Kill them all. Then run forward. You can purchase something from the Statue of Time. And look at the right wall. It's nearly broken. Play some strikes to it. The wall will be broken, revealing a new way and some lovely Blades. Kill them if you like, or jump up the next step and jump up to the ground. You are inside the glass platform. Reach and take the Sign of Chasity. Then get down the well and have some more funs with the Blades. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENTS]---------------------------------------------------- After some moments you fight the Blades here, a Blue Orb Fragment may randomly drop on you. Just kill the Blades or stay here longer to get it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get out the well. Now go either the door upstairs or the door on the ground to get in a new chamber. --DARK KNIGHT ENCOUNTERS-- This room has a pretty confusing design. There's a Green Orb and a Red Orb on the fountain behind. First, you should prepare everything okay befote doing the next step... Well, put the Sign of Chasity on the light pedestal. It will give you a Chalice. But just after that, you realize that you are trapped... ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : NELO ANGELO ------------------------------- Difficulty : Medium/Hard The first Nelo Angelo is enough to make you afraid. But now he is more dangerous, especially when you must fight him in a confusing battlefield like this. Second time Nelo is not very different from the first time. The most impoprtant thing is that you don't let the confusing design of the room trouble you. ---------------------- ATTACK NELO ANGELO ---------------------- Nelo Angelo is nearly like a human. So you just attack him as usual : swinging your weapon. But be careful when Nelo shields himself. All of your attacks will be reflexed. And in a free chance, Nelo may counter attack you with a big deal of damage. When Nelo gets damage from you, he is also stunned for few moment. About you, try all your effort to use all those moments to damage Nelo as much as you can, before he can teleport to another position. With most of Nelo Angelo's attacks, the best way is to stay away from him as soon as possible. Direct evasions are harder to execute. In a room like this, I remind you NEVER LET NELO FIGHT YOU UNDER THE FOUNTAIN OR AT THE STAIRS. The stairs are the safest position to hit you, since you can't jump to avoid his Energy Balls. I have been killed just because of this. In the sentences above, I have mentioned there are Red Orbs and a Green Orb above the fountain. Try to get it when you feel you are going to get killed. But be careful not to let Nelo Angelo teleport to the stairs. If Nelo stands at the stairs, it's really desperate to get rid of him from there. Nelo may continually shoots Energy Balls at you. The only moment you can touch him is that when Nelo has just finished one energy ball. Then QUICKLY get close to him and attack him to make him teleport to another location. *FREQUENT PATTERN TO BEAT NELO ANGELO* : Nelo Angelo usually shields himself. When you make a combo on him, Nelo will shield himself for a while and then all of your attacks have no effect. And you, don't try to attack. Jump/Roll to any other direction out of Nelo's shield limit and then play the next combo. With this, Nelo may teleport to another position and after that, he plays an Energy Ball to you. Quickly dash into Nelo, stopping his Energy Ball and play a combo to damage him. Then Nelo shields again and you just repeat the same pattern. -------------------------- NELO ANGELO'S MOVES -------------------------- - STINGER : Much like Dante's stinger. But Nelo's have larger range and stronger power. He doesn't do this attack so often. It's easy to avoid, but once you get hit, it causes a big damage. Just roll or jump aside to dodge this hit. - FOUR HIT SWORD COMBO : Well, this was a nightmare for me to fight Nelo Angelo 3. He strikes four slashes : diagonal, horizontal, diagonal and diagonal. But they all follow an exact direction after Dante. So then jumping or rolling before the combo happening aside are appreciate. But pay attention to his horizontal slash, which occupies a large limit around him. To avoid this safely, just jump or roll away from him as far as you can. This sword combo is not very hard to dodge, but once you get hit, especially in Normal Mode or more, don't ever try to remain half a full lifebar. You lose your calm when being hit, and you hardly dodge since then. So be careful. As my experience, Nelo can slash this to you even you are beating him by your Sword or Gauntlets combo, when your damage is not strong enough to stun Nelo Angelo. You will receive damage and then Nelo counter attacks if you don't realize your situation earlier. - CHARGING FATAL SLASH : This looks like a vertical hit. Nelo Angelo charges the power by putting the sword behind him, then inflict a fatal hit on you. This is similar to Dante's final slash of Triple Hit, but of course, Nelo's slash is fatal to you either. So don't be crazy to stay directly in front of him. Just roll aside as fast as you can. Don't ever try to jump, cause it makes easier for the upper slash to hit you. - HIGH TIME : Well, Nelo Angelo can mostly do whatever Dante can, so High Time is not am exception (You want to know why ? Just play through the game to find the answer). Nelo's High Time is extremely dangerous and hard to guess. But according to my experience, he often plays it when you play jump attack with him. At that time, Dante will be thrown away, along with his cry and an unforgivable damage. Jumping is not the best method now, as you may be struck when Nelo's sword is going up. And you also get the whole damage, even you are not struck by the whole arc of Nelo's sword. Rolling is not very good now, because Nelo swings his sword from the ground to the air, with a pretty large limit. So what do you do now ? Stay away from him as far as you can, before he slashes you. It takes Nelo a moment to execute this hit, like he did the Charging Fatal Hit. So try to practise your speed, you'll get used to it soon. - TELEPORTING : Nelo will teleport to another position when you don't attack him, or when he gets so much hit from you. This is a frequent action of Nelo. And after teleporting, he often casts an Energy Ball to you, if you're pretty far from him. Try to dash into him as much as you can when you spot where he is, before he can cast spell. If you get close enough when he re-appears, he may use one of the sword attacks to hit you. See the above moves to know the strategies for those hits. Now research the Energy Ball. - ENERGY BALL : Nelo also owns some magic, such as this one. Energy Ball is the mosr frequent spell he loves to cast. He shoots immediately after teleporting to a certain position. This hit is easy to avoid. You just jump aside and aside until it ends. Try not to get hit by this spell. It would be poor you if you can't avoid most of them, as its damage is not small either once you are damaged. But if you dash to Nelo and attack him while he is charging the ball, then you can make a combo to damage him as usual. It takes Nelo a slow moment to charge the ball, and it's one of the greatest chance for you to damage him now. Ifrit's jump attack may be useful here, as it's larger then Sword's jump attack and you can dash to Nelo faster, before he casts the ball to you. But remember to be very fast. Just a little slower can make you get hit, okay ? - NELO'S SHIELD : Well, this is extremely annoying. When being attacked by you, Nelo usually pulls out his huge sword to be the shield to protect himself. At that time, all of your attacks are useless, and they will be reflexed by Nelo's shield. It's very dangerous to attack the shield, because once you are reflexed, Nelo may use that moment to counter attack you. The Counter attacks are often High Time or Four Hit Sword Combo. With High Time, you'll get a pretty big damage and be thrown away. It'll be more serious if he uses the Four Hit Sword Combo and then "Death awaits you !". So how to do with this suck ? Well now, rolling and jumping are your friends. Stop attacking him now, then quickly roll or jump to any other direction which is NOT IN NELO'S SHIELD LIMIT. Complete right/left side and back is all right. Ifrit's jump attack is prett good here, but you must be very accurate. Then QUICKLY attack him by anything. If you are accurate, Nelo will be stunned and you continue your attacks, until he teleports. I can assure that Nelo WILL TELEPORT ANYWAY after being deceived by you. So about what to do next, see the above moves. ========================================================================== Nelo will disappear again. But he's still alive. And you, grab anything you haven't grabbed yet. Then check the area. Do you see an upper circular platform above you ? Rely on the pillars and kick jump on it. Then make a walk around, until you find a cave. Get in that cave, insert the Chalice into the knight's statue. One of the door below will be unlocked. And that's your only exit. You can also find a Green Orb on the central pillar of the whole room. If you stand straight to the pillar from the cave and press Jump button, Dante will automatically jump pass and you get the Green Orbs. After finishing, get down and get through the exit. ************************************************************************** MISSION TWELVE : GHOST SHIP ************************************************************************** --IT'S ALL IN ENEMY'S CALCULATION-- You have been out of the previous area. The first thing you see is a Statue of Time. Use it if you want. Then go along the path. There must be some Marionettes here. Take over them. Then head forward, until you come to the dead end : a wrecked ship. Before checking the ship, you should explore the left corner for a Red Orb pedestals. Strike to get the prize. Then jump into the water. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- UNDER WATER NOTICE From Mission 12 and later, you may have some scenarios swimming under water. Dante is a devil, and he might have some ability to survive, so don't worry about how he breaths (^_^). The problem for you is to learn the Under Water control. Refer to "Basic Terms" to know, then get used to it. Okay ? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Swim around until you find a hole at the bottom of the ship. Swim in. There are several Blades here. They attack you by casting bloody arrows to you. But now you can't fight under water. So try to avoid and run out from them as soon as possible. Just continue swimming to the water surface until Dante automatically jumps out to the edge. Then you'll be safe. --[UNTOUCHABLE]----------------------------------------------------------- There is an Untouchable somewhere in that Blade water areas. Maybe it's on the right of the entrance. I can't determine it in the water environment. You should get it after having the Needle Gun to get rid of those annoying monsters. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- You find another staircase. Get on, and fight two more Blades here. Easy okay ? Then check around the place. You pay attention to another staircase, but the floor below has been flooded with water. You can jump down to swim, but the Blades won't forgive you. So if you want, pay attention to something sparkling beside it. Get it now - the Needle Gun. This will be your only weapon to protect yourself under water. You can search the drawers behind to find a Devil Star. Grab the gun, and do whatever you want with the Blades on the floor below. There must be some Red Orbs there. When you have finished, get out of the water and go up the stairs behind. Enter the door. You have been to the deck. You may notice a door locked by a pair of swords above your head. But before that, there are several pillars on the deck that you can jump on to find Red Orbs and stuffs. The deck is very long, and there are three pillars. You can go around this great place to get your prize. Each pillar has many levels, and each level has two branches. You should go to the end of each branch even you don't see anything there. Sometimes when you go to its end, some invisible Red Orbs will randomly drop on you. Check the place for all the stuffs. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ You can find a sharp bow on the south of the ship. Run to its highest place and stinger to get a far-away Blue Orb piece. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you have been ready, try to unclose the door locked by the sword. Then... Nice to meet you, Mr. Death Scythe !!! (What to do now ? Kill him ! He may give you a trip around the air with his tornados. But he is not that tough. Refer to "Enemy List" okay ?) After defeating thr Death Scythe, you'll receive some orbs. Now try to open the door again. It's not a joke anymore... The ship has moved... Okay, your "friend" has come. Who ? Hehehe... a very familiar face... ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : GRIFFON 2 ------------------------------------- Difficulty : Medium/Hard Now you fight Griffon on a narrow deck, opposing the large empty ground in the first battle with him. That means this battle will get harder very much. Griffon's attacks are more dangerous. And you have less advantages. I must say that you have tons of disadvantages in this battle. And you must know how to prevent them as much as you can. -------------------------------- ATTACK GRIFFON WITH FIREARMS -------------------------------- You should refer to the strategy for Griffon 1 to know more about firearm choices. Here I don't repeat it. HANDGUNS OR GRENADE GUN ? Choose whatever you like. Although I prefer the Grenade Gun, but in this second battle with Griffon, I choose the Handguns. You now fight Griffon in a very small battlefield, with a lot of pillars around. And it's hard for your single Grenade shots to hit Griffon. Handguns can make tons of shots, and some of them may hit Griffon as well, with continuous rhythm. NON-FIREARM : METEOR (IFRIT'S SKILL) You can use this skill when Griffon has just got on the ground. ----------------------------------- ATTACK GRIFFON WITH DEVIL ARMS ----------------------------------- Sometimes Griffon can land on the ground, especially when you have damaged him a great deal of his HP, he gets weak and then often attacks you on the ground. Griffon can also stand when he calls spark to hit you. It depends on his attack. But of course, the greatest chance to attack him is that when he gets big damage and temporarily loses consciousness on the ground. At that time, jump on him and play some hits. ALASTOR/SPARDA/YAMATO : In my opinion, these sword weapons are easier to use than Gauntlets (Ifrit) to fight against Griffon. With high speed and range, you can easily get closed to Griffon and attack him immediately before he leaves the ground. I have tried many times to give up the opinion. When Griffon is standing on the ground to call spark, you can completely beat him in a free chance (when you're sure that his attacks don't reach you). Vortex is also a good idea when you want to attack the boss' body as he is casting too much hits on the ground. But always be careful, Groffon can control hits spark to any direction as you are. So don't try to attack him so much when your life is not safe. IFRIT : Ifrit may be the best weapon in this game, but it's not good aganst some enemies, including Griffon. I don't disagree if you use it. But it'll be harder than to use swords. Ifrit's attacks are slow and short-ranged. And Griffon has often already left the ground when you get closed to him. The Ifrit's dashing attack is not fast enough either. But besides, Ifrit is also useful if you use love to cast Meteor to Griffon. To attack Griffon by Devil Arms, wait for him to land on the ground. I assure that when he lands, he'll cast either Vertical Sparks or Raging Lightnings. But there must a free moment before and after Griffon gives up the attack. Then QUICKLY strike him as much as you can. Then when he begins to cast attacks, AVOID IMMEDIATELY. Don't try to attack more. See the "Griffon 2's Moves" to know how to avoid Vertical Sparks and Raging Lightnings. But the important is that you must avoid ASAP. ------------------------- GRIFFON 2'S MOVES ------------------------- - GRIFFON'S ENERGY SHADOW : It's the orange wing flying around. It casts some sparks charge on you and then swings you to the air. This is more annoying than Death Scythes' Tornados. It flies like crazy, then it swings you to the air. After that, it lets you down and then makes some damage on you, by rushing through you, although it normally doesn't hurt you. You should have Rolling Blaze to fight against this thing. Dante will automatically aim at this thing when it flys around you. Use the Handguns to handle that. Rolling Blaze supports when you jump, making damage if the shadow touches you. Shoot it continuously, try even where you are being launched. When you are on the ground, Dante's aim will be at it and just shoot. It's a pity that there's no way to avoid getting launched. So try to destroy it as soon as possible. When it rushes through you to hurt you, jump over it to avoid. It's not hard, so try not to get damage by this kind of Griffon's attacks. Save your lifebar for more terrible hits, like Raging Lightning. - BUNCH OF SPARKS : He frequently does this attack in the second and third battle. He casts tons of lightnings or sparks from his mouth, wiping a limited area around him. The sparks cast from his mouth are mostly diagonally, along with some horizontal spark circles that wipe the battle field. The diangonal sparks are not problems if you stay awa from him, because it just reaches a certain limit til the ground. But the horizontal circles can hit you anywhere, with different height. They can be cast at high/low height. Relying your quick attention, determine which height they are cast at and then quickly have a right evasion. If you are on the ground, but low circles can, and your way is jumping over them. Sometimes, the horizontal circles can be cast gradually, while the V Spark is hitting you on the ground. This is pretty suck, but you should try. Try to stand at a distance that your jump can be over the two hits (V Spark and Circles). I have been nearly successful dodging this attack, but failed at the end. The horizontal circles and V sparks are shot follow a regular disntance. But the situation can't let you stay in a position. So then you must move and jump. Try to jump dodging the first pair of those two hits successfully, then you will do the same actions with the next hits regularly, until the regulation is broken. At that time, you may feel that you are nearly either faster or slower than the hits. So quickly control your moves at the correct time to avoid the hits rightly. It may be hard for those who haven't get used to. But practices will help you improve. The problem here is that you are in a narrow battlefield. So the only way is to be more careful. Try to get used to Griffon's patterns and distance attacks. Don't run anywhere that the obstacles cover Griffon. Keep an eye on him. - VERTICAL SPARK : He does this attack when you stay pretty far away from him. In this battle, he may use it along with Raging Lightning, when you jump to a pillar or get away from him too far. It becomes harder when there are so many obstacles on the deck. Griffon casts a row of vertical sparks through you. And there are two ways to avoid : First, you can COMPLETELY stay away out of the sparks. This is hard to do, because your normal speed isn't fast enough to run out when they are coming, except you are in Alastor/Yamato DT mode. The second way, is harder to do, but you should do. Quickly determine the empty spaces between the spark columns and stay on of those spaces to be safe. The damage caused by this hit is not "sweet". Although it's not very powerful, it can kill you instantly like any other dangerous attacks. - RAGING LIGHTNING : My God ! This is the most frequent attack of Griffon in this battle. He uses it during the battle, and it's more fatal when he is defeated. He summons tons of lightnings cast from the air to the ground everywhere. He lands on the ground, standing and doing nothing. But in fact, Griffon is calling the lightnings. Just some moment later, a mess of lightning bolts will be cast on the ground. Its zone is unlimited, because it comes to anywhere you run to, no matter how far you get, except Griffon stops the attack. So then what do you do to avoid ? I have succeeded avoiding it at least twice. When you know that Griffon is going to cast this attack, get away from him, as the lightning bolts will chase after you. You'll easily get no damage if you run or jump away with REGULAR speed. But the real situation is not that easy. The deck is full of obstacles and thingies. Try to choose the small path on the two sides of each pillar to run. If you accidentally face a pillar, jump on and try to succeed that jump either, then run. If not, it'll be too late. But jumping is not better than running. You get away in snatch with jumping. And there's no assurance that you don't face obstacles while jumping -> you jump to the obstacle = you get hit. -------------------------- CIRCULAR PLATFORMS -------------------------- You see these thingies in every battle with Griffon. I guess they are present for you to jump on them to avoid Griffon's ground attacks or stand there to attack Griffon. But I have never use them, since I realized they had messed up. I stand on one of the platforms, which are pretty far from Griffon. And the result was that I was hit by the high V spark or spark circles. It takes you a long moment to be thrown down or jump down, while on the ground, you can use those precious moments to damage Griffon. When you are thrown away from the platform, it also takes a long time for Dante to get up and makes you confused that you can't determine what Griffon is doing next to you. That's my opinion. You can use these platforms if you like, with your own way. --------------------- GRIFFON'S PATTERN --------------------- In this battle, Griffon attacks you follow a pattern. No matter if there's the Energy Shadow or not, but Griffon will often make a fly around, as the Energy Shadow is attacking you. Then he will land on the ground and play either Raging Lightnings or sometimes Vertical Sparks. Then he flies up again for the shadow to get you. After that, he lands again to play Raging Lightnings. Remember this and have a good tactic. When Griffon is flying, you can attack him by using Handgund. ========================================================================== Everything is over. But Griffon is still alive. Your mission ends here. ************************************************************************** MISSION THIRTEEN : ABYSS ************************************************************************** When being safe, you can get in that door - The Captain's Cabin. --HAUNTED CABIN-- When you first get in, use the Statue of Time if you have needs. There's the body of the dead captain... Then check the room for a statue with something sparkling on it. That's the Staff of Hermes... Huh, does it make you remember something ? The symbol in the end of the Path of Trials ? But now you can't get back. So just keep it okay. You'll need it anyway... Urgh... What a curse ! The ship is sinking... Yes, have a nice swim ! The door is stuck too and you can't go out by that way. If you have seen the scene that Dante is being flooded by water, you would notice the water comes from a ventilation hole. It's just right below the entrance. Get in it to go out. This is the room where you got the Needle Gun. There are two Blades here. But your way out - which is forward - has been sealed, and you must kill these Blades to be out. Use the Needle Gun and aim at them accurately. They are not very hard to kill, but you must try to avoid their blood. After finishing, get out the unsealed stairs. You are going to be out. Either pass or kill the current Blades to swim out of the hole. This is also one of the easiest mission to get S rank, if you kill the two Blades fast and pass the other unnecessary ones. You end up here. ************************************************************************** BEFORE ENCOUNTERING MISSION 14 ************************************************************************** You have been out. And as this part is not in any mission, do whatever you want now without worrying about ranking. Let's get in the ground first, and check around the sunken ship. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ You'll find another small swallow water area on the right of the ship. Jump into it and search, you'll find a Blue Orb Fragment. Then get on the ground again. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- There's still something in the ghost ship I remind you to get. So jump into the entrance of the ship again. Kill those Blades and search for some hidden Red Orbs, by shooting the Needles at anything you see under water. Then try to find the stairs to the upper cargo. You soon see a light stairway forward. Head to it and get down. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ Now there's a Blue Orb Fragment which did not appear in previous missions. First, kill the Blades remaining to avoid annoyance. Then get your prize. There might be some hidden Red Orbs here either. Shoot anything on your way. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you have found all the stuffs, get out of the ship and go along the cave. There should be some Marionettes who want to joke with you. Kill them for fun, then get in the next door in the end of your way. Encounter Mission 14. ************************************************************************** MISSION FOURTEEN : DEEP DARKNESS AND TOWERING THE MOUNTAIN ************************************************************************** --WHERE AM I GOING NOW ?-- You come to a circular chamber like a trap. There are many spike holes on the ground which don't work. Just walk around the hallway. You may pay attention to a picture of a skull on the wall. Now ignore it. You'll come back here anyway to do a Secret Mission. Just head up. Along the hallway, you'll find an elevator which is locked. So run to the end of the spike hallway, until you see a dead end : a spike wall with a skeleton hung (Maybe this was a curious guy who unluckily got stuck here and died miserably ^_^). You grab the Emblem Shield from the skeleton. You'll be asked to shake the skeleton's arm or not. No matter what, you MUST do. Then the elevator will be unlocked, but you must pay for that by passing over the trap : The spikes have moved and now they gradually thrusts out from the holes on the ground. And you, what do you do now ? PASS ! Be careful and step on the area you feel to have few holes. The circular hallway is moving backward, as you can decrease your speed. Try to pass the pile of spikes when they don't thrust out. Or you'll get a serious damage. Try until you reach the elevator, then go up. You have come to a natural waterfall. There's a Statue of Time near here and a Holy Water straight under the waterfall. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ Not only Blue Orb piece, but there are Red Orbs and Yellow Orbs here as well. They are onto one of the high ledges around the area. Either Air Raid or Air Hike required to get them. Jump from the low ledges to high ones until you find them. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --PLEASE GIMME A BREAK !-- After that, get down and go through an exit cave. It takes you to outside. There must be one Death Scythe welcome you at first. Either kill him or run away, do whatever you want. You may pay attention to a small cave under the one you are standing at. Jump down gently and try to go in. Jump up the steps to get a Green Orb if you want. Then continue to climb up until you go out at a higher level. There's a bridge connecting to the opposite side. Pass it and find a Red Orb pedestal. Slash the thing to get your "money". --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ After passing the bridge and striking the pedestal, you'll find a lower level from there, with a Blue Orb Fragment/Yellow Orb on it. Jump down correctly at the platform to grab your prize. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- After that, you jump down to the lowest ground of the cliffs, then get in the cave straight there. Go down the steps to find a sealed way. You need 200 Red Orbs to unlock it. Then get in. There are several Marionettes (Easy Mode) and Fetishes (Normal Mode) in the next area. You are not forced to kill them. Run up the stairs. From these stairs, you jump to the upper path on their left, to grab a Devil Star and some other Red Orbs. The way at the end of the stairway is sealed. Suck ! Waste more 100 Red Orbs. Find some hidden stuffs inside (if there are) and run next, run until you come to a circle water room with several Red Orbs around. Then get in the next door. Your mission ends. ************************************************************************** MISSION FIFTEEN : WHEEL OF DESTINY ************************************************************************* --I'M HOME-- You realize that you have back to the ground where you fought Griffon the first time. But be careful, either Kyclops or Blades may welcome you here with no informing. If you don't want to waste time, just run out of them. Last time, you have wondered what to do with the locked doors along the path. So now you do that. From the beginning, run fast to the opposite side which is the path. Choose either the blue north door or the red south door to go. They are all similar to each other, and the items you get there will change their locations either. Let me explain carefully about that. ========================================================================== TRAP ROOMS NOTES ------------------------------ **NOTES** - I told you to go to either room. The room you go FIRST will have a Luminite and the Pair of Lances. The remaining room will have the weapon Nightmare Beta. Those items don't stay at certain which room. It depends on which room you go first. - Monsters in these areas are all Fetishes. - Each Trap Room has a Statue of Time. - Nightmare Beta is an optional weapon, that you can get or not, whatever you like. You just need the Pair of Lances to continue the game. BLUE TRAP ROOM Take out the blue shield and get in. Get the Luminite (if you go here first) and fight a Marionette/Fetish. Then go downstairs, find two more Marionettes/Fetishes. There's just one room here. But if you pay attention, there's a wrecked wall on its opposite side. Strike the wall to get in the stores. There are many things for you to strike, which reveal Red Orbs, Green Orbs and even Yellow Orb. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ It is hidden in the opposite of the entrance. Strike everything there to see it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Then get in the door. You'll be annoyed by three Sin Scythes. This trap room is similar to the one you faced before getting to the waterfall, but the spikes get out from wall, not floor. And it's not good for you to get down the moving ground to fight the enemies. So try to stand at the entrance and play some Shotgun or Grenade shots when they touch you. When you have killed them, you can get down with no worrying. It's lucky that these are horizontal spikes got from the wall, so you can easily pass them by getting through when they are going in. You can't stand on the moving ground ? No problem, stay at the wall beside which will keep Dante be at one position. When passing through the first spike wall, you see a room on your way. Get in it, grab the Red Orbs. You see a picture of a skeleton, and there's a magical platform in the center of the room. If you stand on it, all Devil Trigger Gauge will be filled fully. Besides, there's nothing else here. So get out. Continue to pass the next spike walls, until you reach the end. Turn right, and you come to another area with some platforms on the wall. Below you there's a floor filled with poison gas. What you have to do is jumping to the last platform to get stuff there. Just jump to the nearest platform you can see, then reach the last one. If it's hard, so try getting down the below floor and kick jump from there to the platform as soon as possible, as your lifebar is reduced by the gas. You'll get the Pair of Lances if you go here first. If you have got the Pair of Lances in the red trap room before, you'll get the Nightmare Beta here. RED TRAP ROOM Take out the blue shield and get in. Get the Luminite (if you go here first) and fight a Marionette/Fetish. Then go downstairs, find two more Marionettes/Fetishes. There's just one room here. But if you pay attention, there's a wrecked wall on its opposite side. Strike the wall to get in the stores. There are many things for you to strike, which reveal Red Orbs, Green Orbs and even Yellow Orb. Like you did in the Blue Trap Room, get in the trap area. It's similar to the blue one, but there are two rune clocks on the wall, opposing two spike walls. Try to light when you are being moved by the ground, all the platforms inside will be lowered. Then you reach the end. Its design looks like the blue room, but there are Blades below instead of poison gas. Jump on the platforms to grab the Pair of Lances/Nightmare Beta. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT]----------------------------------------------------- Do this BEFORE getting the Pair of Lances/Nightmare Beta. Jump down the lower floor asap and kill the Shadows. The fragment will drop soon. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After that, the connecting platforms caused by the rune clocks will be shut again, and you must get down the floor below, fighting the Blades and climb up again. Get out of the Red Trap Room. ========================================================================== When you have finished, several Sin Scythes will fly around the ground outside. Ignore them if you don't want to fight, and run to the middle double door of the path. Use the Pair of Lances to get in. It's the Coliseum. DO NOT GO TO THE CENTRE OF THE ROOM NOW, I remind you to check the place first. There are two tornados on the two sides of the coliseum. You use either of them to get to the high floor of the coliseum, then the top. Each side of here has a Green Orb. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ Use either the tornado, then you run to the top where a Green Orb is. Then pass the highest bridge there. When you reach the middle of the bridge, a Blue Orb Fragment/Yellow Orb will drop onto you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get down now, and if you have prepared, run to the centre of the coliseum. ========================================================================= BOSS FIGHT : GRIFFON ----------------------------------------------- Difficulty : Hard -------------------------------- ATTACK GRIFFON WITH FIREARMS -------------------------------- It's not easy to cause damage him, as he is mostly in the air. So when he is in the air, your weapons, or course, ranged-weapons such as firearms. I recommend two weapons : Handguns or Grenade Gun. HANDGUNS : Although the damage caused by these things are weak, your accuracy is very firm. Dante can automatically aim at the hawk and shoots continiously. The Handguns are shot and many, easy to hit the flying enemy like Griffon. And you don't have to worry much about missing. In addition to this, you are fighting Griffon in an empty ground, facing the sky. So I think there won't be too many missing shots. GRENADE GUN : It's not so fast as Handguns, but very strong. One hit of Grenade Gun can make Griffon pretty much health, but low accuracy and speed. Why low accuracy ? Grenade Gun can't be shot continuously like Handguns. Each round flies with a pretty low speed, enough for Griffon to avoid sometimes. But of course, some of your shots may be correct at certain percentage. So don't completely take out this weapon. Well, this has been the third battle against this hawk. I still recommend the Handguns. Remember that you are in a coliseum, and the skybridge with the platform circles are your obstacles to shoot Griffon corrently. So Handguns are still better. In this fight, Meteor Lv. 2 is required to cause more damage on Griffon. Practice this skill to play with Griffon. Its damage is not bad. ----------------------------------- ATTACK GRIFFON WITH DEVIL ARMS ----------------------------------- Sometimes Griffon can land on the ground, especially when you have damaged him a great deal of his HP, he gets weak and then often attacks you on the ground. Griffon can also stand when he calls spark to hit you. It depends on his attack. But of course, the greatest chance to attack him is that when he gets big damage and temporarily loses consciousness on the ground. At that time, jump on him and play some hits. ALASTOR/SPARDA/YAMATO : In my opinion, these sword weapons are easier to use than Gauntlets (Ifrit) to fight against Griffon. With high speed and range, you can easily get closed to Griffon and attack him immediately before he leaves the ground. I have tried many times to give up the opinion. When Griffon is standing on the ground to call spark, you can completely beat him in a free chance (when you're sure that his attacks don't reach you). Vortex is also a good idea when you want to attack the boss' body as he is casting too much hits on the ground. But always be careful, Groffon can control hits spark to any direction as you are. So don't try to attack him so much when your life is not safe. IFRIT : Ifrit may be the best weapon in this game, but it's not good aganst some enemies, including Griffon. I don't disagree if you use it. But it'll be harder than to use swords. Ifrit's attacks are slow and short-ranged. And Griffon has often already left the ground when you get closed to him. The Ifrit's dashing attack is not fast enough either. But besides, Ifrit is also useful if you use love to cast Meteor to Griffon. Well, in such a hard battle like this one, METEOR LV.2 and INFERNO are really required. As I said, the Ifrit attacks can be fast enough to make much damage on Griffon, but INFERNO can. A jump with Inferno caused can make Griffon lose pretty much HP and you can also use it to reach the boss when you are pretty far away from him. METEOR LV.2 can reach farther distance, like gun shots. At the beginning of the battle, YOU CAN TURN INTO IFRIT DT MODE AND PLAY ONE OR TWO METEORS IF YOU ARE FAST. That will make Griffon lose a certain bunch of HP. ---------- NOTES ---------- The teleporting tornados are still available in this fight. Sometimes you can use them to avoid Griffon's ground attacks. But I never use them. They are not as useful as they should be. If you do that, some sweet Vertical Sparks will be cast to you like crazy. Enjoy you life ? But when you make Griffon weak, by damaging too much of his HP, Griffon will mostly fight you on the ground, and the tornados can't be used anymore. ----------------------- GRIFFON'S MOVES ----------------------- It seems that Griffon 3 uses all the hits he has done in the first and second battles. No hit is absent. And there are new ones too. All of them grow stronger. So be very careful. - LIGHTNING BALLS : He makes a fly around the battlefield, then he dashes after you, dropping tons of Lightning Balls behind, which pursues you either. This is easy to dodge, but be careful too. Just run straight as the balls are being dropped behind you. If you are fast, you may get safe. But if you feel that the balls have coming very closed to you, so run aside quickly or change your direction. Alastor DT will increase your speed very much. So if you feel that you are not fast enough, activate the Alastor DT to run faster. This is a rare hit in this third battle. - SINGLE V SPARK : Maybe this the most frequent attack of Griffon. Griffon in the air casts a lightning ball on the ground. Then this ball casts two sparks wiping the ground as a V letter shape. The two sparks will combine at WHERE YOU ARE STANDING. So when you feel that the sparks are running to you, jump over them. This is not very hard to avoid, right ? Single V Spark can be shot at High/Low height. Stand on the ground to avoid high sparks and jump over the low sparks. - VERTICAL SPARK : He does this attack when you stay pretty far away from him. This may be either hard or easy to avoid, depending on your quick attention and practice. Griffon casts a row of vertical sparks through you. And there are two ways to avoid : First, you can COMPLETELY stay away out of the sparks. This is hard to do, because your normal speed isn't fast enough to run out when they are coming, except you are in Alastor/Yamato DT mode. The second way, is harder to do, but you should do. Quickly determine the empty spaces between the spark columns and stay on of those spaces to be safe. In this battle, you have to actions to make Griffon play Vertical Spark : get too far away from him or to climb up the highest place (the top or the bridge) of the Coliseum by using tornados. - BUNCH OF SPARKS : He frequently does this in the second and third battle. He casts tons of lightnings or sparks from his mouth, wiping a limited area around him. The sparks cast from his mouth are mostly diagonally, along with some horizontal spark circles that wipe the battle field. The diangonal sparks are not problems if you stay awa from him, because it just reaches a certain limit til the ground. But the horizontal circles can hit you anywhere, with different height. They can be cast at high/low height. Relying your quick attention, determine which height they are cast at and then quickly have a right evasion. If you are on the ground, but low circles can, and your way is jumping over them. Sometimes, the horizontal circles can be cast gradually, while the V Spark is hitting you on the ground. This is pretty suck, but you should try. Try to stand at a distance that your jump can be over the two hits (V Spark and Circles). I have been nearly successful dodging this attack, but failed at the end. The horizontal circles and V sparks are shot follow a regular disntance. But the situation can't let you stay in a position. So then you must move and jump. Try to jump dodging the first pair of those two hits succefully, then you will do the same actions with the next hits regularly, until the regulation is broken. At that time, you may feel that you are nearly either faster or slower than the hits. So quickly control your moves at the correct time to avoid the hits rightly. It may be hard for those who haven't get used to. But practices will help you improve. - DASHING : Well, this might be the only physical attacks of Griffon, out of those above magical ones. Being on your back, he suddenly dashes into you, which makes a pretty serious HP. Then Griffon makes a turn after the hit. It's very easy for you to... get hit. Until now, I have never comopletely avoided this attack, except in Alastor/Yamato DT mode. But anywaty, its damage is not so big as damage caused most lightning attacks of Griffon. I can only say that : Try to run straight as fast as you can and jump/roll aside when Griffon makes turn. - DIAGONAL DASHING SPARK : Griffon performs this hit like his dashing. But there will be a pair of lightning sparks shot from his feet to the ground, following a straight diagonal line. This hit is easy to avoid. You just need to read Griffon's direction, then roll/jump aside. - RAGING LIGHTNING : This attack is used when Griffon dies or about to die. What ? He summons tons of lightnings cast from the air to the ground everywhere. Can you inmagine what the mess is like ? In this last battle, Griffon can use this attack whenever he wants, not just when he dies. The hit is also stronger and larger. So try all your effort to run out from its limit. Alastor/Yamato DT is required to do this more easily. If Griffon has died, just try to run out of the mess as soon as possible. If he's just going to die, try to move, using Handguns or Meteor Lv2 (Ifrit skill) to defeat him immediately. - MULTIPLE SPARK NET : This is a new hit of Griffon in this battle. As what I paid attention to, Griffon will make a dim net on the ground which has no effect on you. But at wherever you are standing, one of the sparks of the net will electrocute you at a moment, causing a certain damage. The dangerous point is that Griffon can cast V Sparks and Circle Sparks along with this net, to confuse you more. Try to keep calm and pay attention to the net you are going on. Jump as soon as possible when you're going to be electrocuted. -------------------------- CIRCULAR PLATFORMS -------------------------- You see these thingies in every battle with Griffon. I guess they are present for you to jump on them to avoid Griffon's ground attacks or stand there to attack Griffon. But I have never use them, since I realized they had messed up. I stand on one of the platforms, which are pretty far from Griffon. And the result was that I was hit by the high V spark or spark circles. It takes you a long moment to be thrown down or jump down, while on the ground, you can use those precious moments to damage Griffon. When you are thrown away from the platform, it also takes a long time for Dante to get up and makes you confused that you can't determine what Griffon is doing next to you. That's my opinion. You can use these platforms if you like, with your own way. ========================================================================== After defeating Griffon, he'll be damaged by some column in the centre of the coliseum. Then you have a long talk with him. Like Phantom, Griffon has realized Dante, as Sparda's son. And he still keeps saying to kill you. He calls for Mundus - his master to let him use "someone"'s strength. Maybe you may hear the name "Vergil". Try to guess out. But then, Mundus will ignore Griffon's command and kill his servant. Then Trish will come out. Dante tells her about his family, that Mundus killed all of his relatives. You'll mearn more about Dante's family and the pendant he wears - which has saved him from Nelo Angelo (Hey, Vergil also has one. What...?) After Trish disappears, you jump to the central pillar of the room and go down. Step out and go forward, getting the Wheel of Destiny from the statue of a skeleton. Then your mission ends. ************************************************************************** MISSION SIXTEEN : NIGHTMARE OF DARKNESS ************************************************************************** --FACING THE DESTINY-- When you begin, just run out. --[COMPLETE BLUE ORB/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ It's not a fragment. It's a complete Blue Orb. When you start Mission 16, it appears beside the pillar you use to go up. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get on the pillar when you have nothing else to do. Then go out to the ground. --[UNTOUCHABLE]----------------------------------------------------------- Enter the area where you got the Ifrit. Now on that chandelier there is an Untouchable instead. Just activate the rune clock again and use the flying devices to get there to have this precious item. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After that, you get out of here through the exit. Run up the spiral stairway to in front of the castle. Now you have got the Wheel of Destiny, so use it to put in the hole at the edge of the rising bridge. The Wheel of Destiny will lower the bridge, but the sceneries inside the castle will change, as your "destiny" has come. Pass the bridge to enter the castle. Now it's all too dark to see anything, but if you have got the Luminite, Dante still has something to see in a small limit. Okay, now there's no the door going to the spiral stairway. So take the only left door. You have entered the main hall. It's all too dark. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ It's in some corner in the border of the main hall. Search for it around the props. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- That's not all. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ Try jumping on to the HEAD (not the back) of the black knight statue in the hall. You'll see a Blue Orb Fragment forward. But it's too far with your normal abilities. There are two ways to get it : - Air Hike : If you have got this ability, just jump to it. Then jump again on the invisible platform (caused by Air Hike) and this next jump will help you to reach the Blue Orb Fragment/Yellow Orb soon. - Air Raid : If Air Hike is too much for you, use Air Raid instead. Try to have 4 or 5 rune symbols of DT Gaugr. Then let Dante have Alastor/Yamato DT form. Jump up and press R1 button that Dante will fly. Drive him to the Blue Orb Fragment/Yellow Orb. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After that, you run up the main stairs of the hall. You'll figure out that the huge statue of some god have disappeared, with a rune clock instead. Now let's strike that rune clock. Your new enemy will come - a Plasma. Refer to "Enemy List" to kill Plasma. It's lucky for you that there's only one Plasma. You must kill it to unseal the next door (the blue double door). Then get in it. --LIFE IS A NIGHTMARE-- There are several Blades in the Airplane room, instead of Plasmas in Easy/Normal Mode. You can soon avoid them and enter the next right door immediately. This hallway isn't changed, but the fountain chamber has been lost. Try getting into the study room (the room with a Statue of Time). There might be some random Red Orbs around here. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ There's a Blue Orb Fragment at the painting near the study room. Jump up at the painting, touching a head to get dropping Blue Orb Fragment/Yellow Orb. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This hallway has some armors along. Strike all of them to find new stuffs. Run to the end. You'll see a room has been lost, remaing the door of "Death Judgment" (the door to cathedral). This is your only way now, so get in. The cathedral has changed since the last time you came. There are four rune clocks at the corners of the room, and some mirrors on the floor. Then a black puddle is lying on the floor. You can't go out to the Path of Trials either. So stay back and check the puddle... errr... Yeah... Life is not a easy... It's a NIGHTMARE... ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : NIGHTMARE ------------------------------------- Difficulty : Hard Rune Clocks : 4 Well, If Nelo Angelo and Mundus are the toughest, so Nightmare may be the most annoying. He looks like big ooze stuck with robbish. But in fact, those robbish things are his weapons. In every room where you face Nightmare, there should be two or four rune clocks. Because they are the only tools to damage Nightmare. ----------------------------- HOW TO DAMAGE NIGHTMARE ----------------------------- As I told about, Nightmare is an ooze. And all attacks are useless against it. That means the strategy for this boss is unique from other bosses. The rune clocks are the safe way to attack Nightmare. - STRIKING THE RUNE CLOCK : Nightmare himself is a moving useless ooze, and nothing can damage this form of him. He just raises up to be a living creature when ONE of the rune clocks is lit. But that still doesn't mean you can damage him. Once he "lives", he'll use his "robbish" to attack you. And then he reveals his CORE. This is like Nightmare's heart and once you beat the core, Nightmare will get damage. But then, he will cover his core and continues to attack you, until the lit rune clock is off. According to my experience, Nightmare often reveals his core twice each time a rune clock is lit. Generally, to make Nightmare wake up, you have to beat ONE of the rune clocks around and ONLY ONE. Beating the others next just waste your time. Nightmare can reveal its core anywhere on its body : Front, back or on top. So pay attention to that. - DEFEATING THE "NIGHTMARE" : As the boss' name is Nightmare, so he also has an attack named "Nightmare" (I think so). As a useless ooze when you haven't lit the rune clock yet, he moves around and then sometimes catches you to very your "Nightmare". The nightmare is extracted from Dante's memory. You'll face the former bosses again in this "Nightmare", along with some Sargasosses. If you defeat the boss in the "Nightmare", then you'll get out and that will make Nightmare lose a great deal of health. ------------------------------- EQUIPMENTS REQUIRED ------------------------------- In my opinion, Nightmare is truly a tough boss. Although he is not as tough as Nelo Angelo or Mundus, his outlandish nature requires some very unique skills to kill him. That's the reason why I open this section in Nightmare strategy. DEVIL ARM : IFRIT Ifrit is the most popular weapon of DMC experts. I'll explain this later in "Weapon List" - Ifrit section. But I remind this is the best weapon against Nightmare. Nightmare just reveals his core in a limited time. The Alastor/Yamato are not strong enough to inflict a big damage on the core during that short time. The Sparda doesn't have DT Mode and some important skills can't be executed. So Ifrit is the most perfect. When you turn into Ifrit DT Mode, the quick Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick inflicts a very big damage on Nightmare, and some other skills like Kick13 and Inferno are pretty strong, enough to confuse Nightmare. FIREARM : GRENADE GUN Grenade Gun has the strongest power of all Dante's firearms. Sometimes, you can use it to damage Nightmare's core from a pretty far distance. First, I recommend you this weapon. But about it's REAL function, see the next part "How to build up Devil Trigger Gauge". ----------------------------------------- HOW TO BUILD UP DEVIL TRIGGER GAUGE ----------------------------------------- - You can only attack Nightmare when he releases his core. But then all your DT Gauge is all used for those chances And then if you wait for the next releasing core of Nightmare to build up the DT Gauge with normal hits, you'll waste a lot of time while your vitality can be damaged anytime. So there's another way to build up DT Gauge without physical attacks : USE THE GRENADE GUN. Just use this gun to shoot at Nightmare anytime while you're running around him. Each shot can fill a little or half of a rune symbol, although it can't damage Nightmare. This is an easy for you to build the DT Gauge without using Devil Stars either, which will reduce your ranking. - Grenade Gun can't be strong enough to build up the DT Gauge fast. So taunting is the remaining way. Taunt in a free chance, when you badly need many many rune symbols, especially when Nightmare prepares to open core, and you need a pretty long DT gauge to beat it. -------------------------------------------------- NIGHTMARE'S ATTACK PATTERN & GENERAL STRATEGY -------------------------------------------------- NIGHTMARE'S ATTACK PATTERN : As my experience fighting this thing, I think living Nightmare often reveals his core follow this order : - Front Side : He opens the core, doing following attacks : Machine Shots, Black Beam. - Back Side : He opens the core to this side after he has done with the front side. His attacks now are mostly similar to the front side, but added with Triple Fatal Strikes. - On Top : This is the last position he opens his core before returning into a useless ooze. His attacks : Striking Boomerang, Ice Beam, sometimes Triple Fatal Strikes. REMEMBER : Nightmare can just do ALL three moves above follow that order when you light a FULL RUNE CLOCK. Even if Nightmare is a useless ooze, he still can attack you by casting small oozes to chase after to ice-strike you. Or if you are pretty near him, he'll catch you to the "Nightmare". GENERAL STRATEGY : - Light up the rune clock as soon as possible to wake up Nightmare. - When he reveals his core in front side, dash into it and strike it in Ifrit DT mode, using the Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick often to make big damage. Kick13 is also appreciate. - Then when Nightmare is still preparing for the next core revealing, use the Grenade Gun and shoot to him fast to build up as much DT Gauge you can. But remember to dodge his attacks at the same time. - At the next core revealing in the back, dash in again and hit him as you did in the first time. - When Nightmare is preparing for the next core revealing, do the same as the last time you did. - Now Nightmare may open his core on top. And this is pretty annoying with his Boomerang. A correct Inferno hit is effective now. Jump on its body and Inferno him quickly. Or if you use Alastor/Yamato, Air Raid is also a good idea. Fly around and air-raid Nightmare. About more details, see the next part. --------------------------------------------------- UNAWAKENING NIGHTMARE'S ATTACKS (its ooze form) --------------------------------------------------- - ICE CREATURES : When you run around, Nightmare casts these crawling creatures to pursue you. The most frequent way I often do is to run, run like hell. Run and leap, because the creatures can leap onto you by your next position. When you get it, you'll be ice-struck. This doesn't take much damage, but extremely annoying. When it takes so long for them to chase you, they'll explode ice-strike without informing. You hardly beat them, as they are too fast and muggy. So first, you must avoid. Then QUICKLY light up a rune clock to wake up Nightmare. When Nightmare is woken up, these creatures will stop. - FALLING INTO NIGHTMARE : When Nightmare hasn't woken up, he is a moving ooze. Then he comes close to you, he may rise his body to catch to the "Nightmare". As I said above, "Nightmare" is the reflect of Dante's trauma. Dante will again face his former bosses : Phantom, Griffon and Nelo Angelo. In this first form, your guest is Phantom. This illusion "Phantom" is completely similar to the real one, but much weaker and easier to fight. When you first fall to the "Nightmare", you'll see several Sargasoses, and a black shadow of Phantom which has no life. Equip a sword weapon (I recommend Sparda) to kill these Sargassoses only. Run along the border of the area to find and kill all those skulls. Then the master Sargassos (the biggest skull which is one-eyed and pink) will fall onto you from a top. Kill him as you did with other Sargassoses. When all the Sargassoses are killed, the black shadow will wake up as a real Phantom and fight you. This Phantom is much easier than true one. So try to kill him without taking too much damage, because you must save your vitality for Nightmare. Sometimes you'll receive a Green Orb after killing the boss in "Nightmare", but that's not an assurrance. So you had better preserve your life as much as you can. When you have finished, find the light pillar to return to the real world and continue the battle with the true Nightmare boss. **(SHOULD I GET THIS HIT ? As I have told you, once you beat Nightmare's "Nightmare", you will deal on pretty big damage (not very big in the third battle) on the boss after getting out. And then he won't play this attack with you anymore. So you may wonder if you should let that or avoid. As the guide writer, I recommend the answer "NO". Why ? Maybe you can deal the "nightmares" a bit easily in Normal Mode, but what about Hard/DMD mode - the mode where every monster can become boss, and there's no assurance about giving Green Orbs after the battle. Generally, I told you NOT TO LET THAT HAPPEN. You can completely evade this by lighting up the rune clock as soon as possible or avoid the catching. Nightmare is anyway a tough boss. And what you have to do is to save your vitality to defeat him. Is that okay ?)** -------------------------------- LIVING NIGHTMARE'S ATTACKS -------------------------------- Nightmare "lives" when a rune clock is lit up. - MACHINE SHOTS : These fine shots are always cast every time Nightmare has just woken up. He shoots many fine shots toward every direction. These shots don't take much damage from you, and you can easily avoid by running around. Well, anymore problems ? Sometimes Nightmare repeats this attack whenever he wants, especially in the distance between the two core revealings. - BLACK SHOOTING MISSILES : Nightmare does this when he has just revealed his core, as soon as the Machine Shots are stopped. This is truely a dangerous attack when you are careless. I have died a lot just because of these hits. Why ? Because Nightmare casts this hit when he reveals his core. And most of us can't abandon such a great chance to damage Nightmare. The Missiles are shot in a limited area near there. If you desperately dash in to the core with no realization, there are 90 percents that you get hit. Remember that the damage caused by these things is not small, and then they will stun Dante for a moment. With the little stunning moment, if you haven't got calm yet, then you'll continuous to be hit, hit until your death comes. Control Dante to move and jump diagonally out of the missiles' limit, coming close at the same time. Be patient, it may be slow if you don't want to get hit. If you have Rolling Blaze, the flame covered you will protect you from the missiles and reflex the hits back to Nightmare. So you should purchase this ability if you haven't got it yet. Well, about how to attack the core at this time. Let me tell you two strategies : + If you have practiced and been very good at dodging those missiles, just dash in safely and then Ifrit DTing, use the Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick combo to damage Nightmare's core as much as you can. Once you get to the core, there's a very little chance you are damaged again by the missiles or any outside effects. So try to reach it as soon as possible and cause damage on Nightmare. The advantage of this strategy is that you inflict a pretty big damage on the core. And when the core is closed, if you deactivate the DT mode in time, you'll still save some remaining rune symbols. And you can fill up your DT Gauge more quickly before the next turn. + If you are still afraid of the missiles or you are not very good at dodging, try to have a full DT Gauge before, with at least 6 rune symbols. Then when the Missiles are shot, try to dodge a few of them, then DTrigger and quickly jump in the core, along an INFERNO. With at least 6 rune symbols, you can cast two Infernos to inflict the core. I think the Inferno's limit is large enough to damage the core. The advantage of this strategy is that the damage you caused is big enough, but it may waste a lot of rune symbols. I don't know if I'm wrong, but sometimes I see the beams are cast from the top, as another protection for the core revealed on top. These Missiles will dash down very suddenly and heavily. You try to run around as fast as you can to avoid them, if you are still on the ground. - TRIPLE FATAL STRIKES : Nightmare often does this just before the second time he reveals his core, after finishing a Machine Shots hit. Three firm spikes are pulled out, nailing Dante to the wall. Each of them cause a extremely big damage. In Hard/Dante Must Die Mode, this hit is strong enough to kill Dante at once, if you have got the whole attack. That's the reason why I call it "Fatal". You often hear a noisy sound just before this attack begins. But it passes very quickly and you'll be sure to get it if you don't try to dodge when the sound is still sounded. Just after it ends, the three spikes will come out, nailing Dante wherever he steps to. The dangerous is that once you got one spike, there's no chance for you to avoid the second and third hit. Dante will be nailed heavily and stuns, as the second spike is coming out and so is the third spike. And then if you haven't got at least a full lifebar and half -> your life is ended (Of course, the spikes are that strong when you play Hard/DMD Mode). Rolling Blaze again makes big support. When you jump as a spike comes to you, it'll be driven to Dante's side. But run away as soon as possible. Leaping/jumping is not a good idea to avoid this hit. You may jump over the first spike, but not with the second or third spike. That damage is not small either. The best solution is to stay away from the hit as far as you can. You can have time to run far like that, if you realize it early, when the noisy sound is still existing. If not, try to jump on the top of the Nightmare as soon as possible, IF IT'S BEING SAFE. If you can't move during that time by some reason, the last solution is jumping, along with Rolling Blaze to save your life. Jump up at the right time a spike is hit. Remember, ONLY ROLLING BLAZE JUMP CAN BE DONE HERE, NOT NORMAL JUMP. Another solution for this hit is using Alastor/Yamato DT Mode to increase your speed to jump out. - ICE BEAM : Well, Nightmare often uses this hit when his core is opened on top. If you doesn't abandon any chance to hit Nightmare, I assure that you'll jump on top of him to damage him. But it's not as easy as you expect, because Nightmare will shot either Black Missiles to damage you heavily. But now I want to mention about Ice Beam - the attack that Nightmare will cast on ground. This may be the most annoying attack of Nightmare, but easy to avoid if you are careful and calm. Nightmare will shot a long ice beam through the wall very long, and move it to several directions in that side. Once you are stuck in the beam, you'll be frozen, and a little damage will be taken. After that, Nightmare will continue the beam to damage you, until the ice covering you is broken, and then you are inflicted a very damage. Try to guess this attack as early as you can. About me, jumping to the top is my frequent solution. But this way can only be used when you're sure the top is being safe either, but that doesn't always happen. So the other way is to run away from the beam. How ? Run and stay away from the beam as far as you can. Alastor/Yamato DT Mode can be helpful here. A good new is that the beam is just moved in a certain limit, but it's still fatal anyway. But as my experience shows, this attack is often shot as the core is revealed on top. So avoiding by jumping correctly to the top is not very bad. As when you are on top, you are completely safe from the Ice Beam, and then you can damage the core. But be careful with the Missiles. Good luck ! ========================================================================== After defeating Nightmare, you'll be safe. Now you can get to the Path of Trials. Try to pass the bridge, by jumping correctly at the bridge pieces or fly over by using Air Raid. When you get the opposite side, go to the staff symbol and use the Staff of Hermes to open two new magical doors. ************************************************************************** MISSION SEVENTEEN : PARTED MOMENTO ************************************************************************** --WHAT THE HECK IS THE LIVING DINOSAUR FOSSIL-- The Staff of Hermes opens two new mirror doors. You begin with the LEFT door first. You realize that this is the place that has been lost in the castle : The spiral stairway area. Now go to the stairs and go up. Along the way, you find the Fetish room. Go in. There are many new things for you to strike and gets Red Orbs, beside the sucking puppets. After that, continue to go up the stairs. This is the new thing of the area, while the stairs you saw in Mission 2 was completely blocked by ruin. Reach the door at the end of the stairway and enter. Strike something here for Red Orbs. When you are stepping, two more mirror doors will appear. Continue to choose the LEFT mirror door. Prepare before you get in. Once you reach here, you have no way out, except finishing this mission. So just head up. You'll see a double gate. Once you touch the gate, there'll be a seal and then SEVERAL Frosts will appear to annoy you. Try to have full Ifrit DT gauge to fight these things more easily. They will gradually appear more when you kill the first ones. So be careful. Enter the gate. You have been in a corridor full of Fetishes. Kill them if you like. There are several armors along the corridor, and you can strike them to get hidden stuffs. You'll see a turn way taking to a door which is locked. So now, first of all, get to the door at the end of the corridor. This looks like a long hall. And at the end of the hall, there's a Living Dinosaur Fossil. It is shooting at you. If you try to get close to the dinosaur, you'll be reflexed by some power. But first, I ask you to kick jump to the upper edge of the hall. Try to find a little balcony on the left of the dinosaur which has a stone chair. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ When you have been in the balcony, you'll see nothing. Just let the dinosaur shoot at you some times, you just jump to dodge it. Some moments later, there will be a Blue Orb Fragment/Yellow Orb dropping from the sky. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now it's time for you to get rid of this weak boss. ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : LIVING DINOSAUR FOSSIL -------------------------------------------- Difficulty : Very Easy This boss is just some kind of living thing. In fact, it's not strong enough to be considered as a boss. ------------------------------- ATTACK THE DINOSAUR FOSSIL ------------------------------- Equip a sword weapon to do this. Then wait until the dinosaur shoots fireballs at you, just swing the sword to reflect it when it comes close to you, not too early or too late. The fireball reflected will damage the fossil. ----------------------------- LIVING DINOSAUR FOSSIL ----------------------------- - FIREBALL ATTACK : This is the only attack of this "boss". It aims at wherever you are standing, then shoot a fireball at you. It shoots pretty slowly, especially the time it's aiming at you. These fireballs don't take much damage. Three shots will kill it. ========================================================================== After that, there's no power stopping you from the dinosaur area. But first of all, when the dinosaur is defeated, there's a shining light cast from a pedestal rising on the floor. Check it and try to find a crank on the stone beside. Let Dante touch the crank. Then you round your Left Analog Stick follow a circle following one direction, until the shining light reachs the mirror on the ceiling. Then the light will be moved to something glowing on the pedestal on the upper floor. And now you must reach it. First, get to the dinosaur area which has been unsealed. Then you kick jump to the left wall. Then continue to jump to the south edge, which is left from the first "invisible platforms" caused by the thunder. From that edge, you jump to that first invisible platform. From now, you must rely on the thunder to determine the invisible platforms in the air. The second platform is determined to be on the south from there. Jump to it, then reach the next platforms on the north of the next camera angle, until you reach your end : the pedestal on the upper floor. You grab the Quicksilver on the pedestal. --MOTHER'S GIFT & VERGIL-- After having the Quicksilver, you get out of this hall, back to the main corridor. Be careful now, boy ! The corridor now may be full of Nobodies. If you want to save your life for the next boss fight, try to avoid them quickly. But I think they may drain your DT rune symbols. Now let's bring the Quicksilver to the door in the end of the turn way. Put the Quicksilver in its hole. Then you can enter the door. When stepping some more, you'll meet a familiar face. It's time to say goodbye... VERGIL !!! ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : NELO ANGELO ------------------------------- Difficulty : Very Hard This is the toughest form of Nelo Angelo. He has nearly opened his face, which looks like human's. But Dante hasn't recognized him. It's really strange, but anyway, you must play this last fight to finish this up, no matter what. ---------------------- ATTACK NELO ANGELO ---------------------- Nelo Angelo is nearly like a human. So you just attack him as usual : swinging your weapon. But be careful when Nelo shields himself. All of your attacks will be reflected. And in a free chance, Nelo may counter attack you with a big deal of damage. When Nelo gets damage from you, he is also stunned for few moment. About you, try all your effort to use all those moments to damage Nelo as much as you can, before he can teleport to another position. Remember that a Rolling Blaze sometimes can save you from Nelo's counter attack. I have ever been this case. I have attended to hit Nelo too much, and then it's too late when I realize that Nelo is going to counter attack me with a Four Hit Sword Combo. In confusion, I have pressed the jump button. As I was using Ifrit with Rolling Blaze already purchased, the jump covered with flame has damaged Nelo Angelo and stunned him for a moment, and I get safe just after that. I think this is little useful experience when you have no more way to avoid Nelo's hits at a close distance. With most of Nelo Angelo's attacks, the best way is to stay away from him as soon as possible. Direct evasions are harder to execute. In this form, it seems that Nelo's attacks are stronger and larger-limited. So you must be more careful than ever. Try not to get his attacks, even just one hit. The recommended weapon is IFRIT. Why ? The combos made by Ifrit can deal a great damage on Nelo Angelo. Its jumping/dashing attack can help you reach Nelo faster when he teleports to other position, and its damage is good too. But anyway, the most important thing when fighting Nelo Angelo is DEFENDING FROM HIS ATTACKS. Read below for more details. As an improvement, this form of Nelo has new attacks, as the old ones are much stronger in every respect. *FREQUENT PATTERN TO BEAT NELO ANGELO* : Nelo Angelo usually shields himself. When you make a combo on him, Nelo will shield himself for a while and then all of your attacks have no effect. And you, don't try to attack. Jump/Roll to any other direction out of Nelo's shield limit and then play the next combo. With this, Nelo may teleport to another position and after that, he plays an Energy Ball to you. Quickly dash into Nelo, stopping his Energy Ball and play a combo to damage him. Then Nelo shields again and you just repeat the same pattern. -------------------------- NELO ANGELO'S MOVES -------------------------- - STINGER : Much like Dante's stinger. But Nelo's have larger range and stronger power. He doesn't do this attack so often. It's easy to avoid, but once you get hit, it causes a big damage. Just roll or jump aside to dodge this hit. - FOUR HIT SWORD COMBO : Well, this was a nightmare for me to fight Nelo Angelo 3. He strikes four slashes : diagonal, horizontal, diagonal and diagonal. But they all follow an exact direction after Dante. So then jumping or rolling before the combo happening aside are appreciate. But pay attention to his horizontal slash, which occupies a large limit around him. To avoid this safely, just jump or roll away from him as far as you can. This sword combo is not very hard to dodge, but once you get hit, especially in Normal Mode or more, don't ever try to remain half a full lifebar. You lose your calm when being hit, and you hardly dodge since then. So be careful. As my experience, Nelo can slash this to you even you are beating him by your Sword or Gauntlets combo, when your damage is not strong enough to stun Nelo Angelo. You will receive damage and then Nelo counter attacks if you don't realize your situation earlier. - CHARGING FATAL SLASH : This looks like a vertical hit. Nelo Angelo charges the power by putting the sword behind him, then inflict a fatal hit on you. This is similar to Dante's final slash of Triple Hit, but of course, Nelo's slash is fatal to you either. So don't be crazy to stay directly in front of him. Just roll aside as fast as you can. Don't ever try to jump, cause it makes easier for the upper slash to hit you. - HIGH TIME : Well, Nelo Angelo can mostly do whatever Dante can, so High Time is not am exception (You want to know why ? Just play through the game to find the answer). Nelo's High Time is extremely dangerous and hard to guess. But according to my experience, he often plays it when you play jump attack with him. At that time, Dante will be thrown away, along with his cry and an unforgivable damage. Jumping is not the best method now, as you may be struck when Nelo's sword is going up. And you also get the whole damage, even you are not struck by the whole arc of Nelo's sword. Rolling is not very good now, because Nelo swings his sword from the ground to the air, with a pretty large limit. So what do you do now ? Stay away from him as far as you can, before he slashes you. It takes Nelo a moment to execute this hit, like he did the Charging Fatal Hit. So try to practise your speed, you'll get used to it soon. - TELEPORTING : Nelo will teleport to another position when you don't attack him, or when he gets so much hit from you. This is a frequent action of Nelo. And after teleporting, he often casts an Energy Ball to you, if you're pretty far from him. Try to dash into him as much as you can when you spot where he is, before he can cast spell. If you get close enough when he re-appears, he may use one of the sword attacks to hit you. See the above moves to know the strategies for those hits. Now research the Energy Ball. - ENERGY BALL : Nelo also owns some magic, such as this one. Energy Ball is the mosr frequent spell he loves to cast. He shoots immediately after teleporting to a certain position. This hit is easy to avoid. You just jump aside and aside until it ends. Try not to get hit by this spell. It would be poor you if you can't avoid most of them, as its damage is not small either once you are damaged. But if you dash to Nelo and attack him while he is charging the ball, then you can make a combo to damage him as usual. It takes Nelo a slow moment to charge the ball, and it's one of the greatest chance for you to damage him now. Ifrit's jump attack may be useful here, as it's larger then Sword's jump attack and you can dash to Nelo faster, before he casts the ball to you. But remember to be very fast. Just a little slower can make you get hit, okay ? - NELO'S SHIELD : Well, this is extremely annoying. When being attacked by you, Nelo usually pulls out his huge sword to be the shield to protect himself. At that time, all of your attacks are useless, and they will be reflexed by Nelo's shield. It's very dangerous to attack the shield, because once you are reflexed, Nelo may use that moment to counter attack you. The Counter attacks are often High Time or Four Hit Sword Combo. With High Time, you'll get a pretty big damage and be thrown away. It'll be more serious if he uses the Four Hit Sword Combo and then "Death awaits you !". So how to do with this suck ? Well now, rolling and jumping are your friends. Stop attacking him now, then quickly roll or jump to any other direction which is NOT IN NELO'S SHIELD LIMIT. Complete right/left side and back is all right. Ifrit's jump attack is prett good here, but you must be very accurate. Then QUICKLY attack him by anything. If you are accurate, Nelo will be stunned and you continue your attacks, until he teleports. I can assure that Nelo WILL TELEPORT ANYWAY after being deceived by you. So about what to do next, see the above moves. --------------------------------- NELO ANGELO'S SHADOW SWORDS --------------------------------- This is Nelo Angelo 3's new attack : Shadow Swords. He calls a bunch of swords and orders them to do as he wishes. Nelo can do this whenever he wants. But he mainly does this when he is staying in a very high position in the air that you can't reach. He can shoot Energy Balls to you, along with calling the Shadow Swords. - SHADOW SWORD VERTICAL SHIELD : This shield is ever better than normal shield. All the shadow swords gather around Nelo Angelo and protect all his body. Then Nelo can freely attack you without anything to worry. And what about you ? Try to save your life first of all. Defend from any of his attacks. He just plays his often sword attacks as usual. But he seems faster and more dangerous with the protective swords around. Jump away and away from Nelo. When you are got closed by Nelo, rolling aside ASAP. If you can, Alastor/Yamato DT Mode may help. - SHADOW SWORD HORIZONTAL SHIELD : Well, this is more dangerous than the Vertical Shield. All the Shadow Swords stay horizontally around Nelo Angelo, moving like a killer fan. If you touch Nelo this time, there'll be a big percentage that you'll get hit heavily. And it'll be more fatal when Nelo is attacking you along with those horizontal swords around. I have no much idea about this deadly attack, besides telling you to stay away from Nelo as far as you can. Remember that in shield, Nelo can play any attacks on you, even the killer Four Hit Sword Combo - that can kill Dante instantly in Hard/DMD Mode. - SHADOW SWORD KILLER SPINNING : Nelo Angelo calls the Shadow Swords, then they spin into a circle above Dante's head. As their nature, they will shoot down and attack Dante with a heavy damage if you haven't evaded. The alternate version of this attack is that the swords will vanish while spinning, and then play an extremely heavy damage inflicted. They can be shot in gathering or expanding. That may be a random order. If you gets hit from many swords, I don't think you can survive easily, especially in Hard/DMD Mode. When the swords inflict Dante, it can have three types of action : The swords fly scatterly and then gradually shoot Dante ; gathering at Dante ; or vertical strike to Dante. They are random, and the ways how to avoid are a little different either. For me, moving and moving is the solution for this. What's move : Of course, jumping and rolling. You must save your life first before touching Nelo. + In gathering version of the swords, you may jump away or roll aside to avoid from their aiming before the drop. I think jumping is better. Rolling just takes you to a short distance away, but after that Dante is soon defenseless. Jump as far as the swords are chasing after you. Although this is really risky, as Dante is still defenseless when landing, you may be safe if you have practiced, because you can act faster to perform the next dodging jump. + For vertical version of the swords, the evasion is mostly the same as the gathering version. A vertical column of Shadow Swords aim at Dante and shoot down. It's pretty similar, or they are mostly the same. Just dodge when the swords stop moving, because it's time they hit you. A far roll or jump can avoid this. Generally, these two versions of Shadow Sword Spinning are not hard to avoid. So you should try avoid as much as you can, save your vitality for direct fight with Nelo Angelo. Don't get damage by these kinds of hits. + For scatter/expanding version, this happens when the swords vanish while the circle is spinning. Of course, that's also the time they hit you, but with a random order. The vanishing swords can scatter everywhere that the camera angles can't reach, then they gradually shoot at you in SUDDEN. As I said it to be the random order, the swords can shoot at you diagionally, rather horizontally or vertically. It also depends on the circle size. The smaller the circle is, the more dangerous and rapid the swords fire at you. I have no more idea to say that you jump/roll like hell to avoid. Try to jump/roll next and next as soon as possible. Once you are slow for the next jump after landing, the sword may shoot at you immediately. And I repeat the damage is neither small nor worth getting. Remember that Rolling Blaze can help you prevent from some swords. But that's not an inssurance. The best way is that you must save your life by yourself. - HORIZONTAL STRIKE : As Nelo is standing in a high position, he may summon the Shadow Swords to be thrown at Dante in a horizontal row. You can jump over some of the first swords, but what about next ? At this time, Rolling Blaze may have big role. It will protect you from some of the swords, and then you just jump aside and aside until this attack is ended. If you are taken to a wall, don't hurry to stop. Kick jump on the wall and then move the Left Analog Stick to the opposite of the wall to have Dante dash out over the row of Shadow Swords. - VERTICAL STRIKE : This is easier to avoid, as the swords are arranged vertically. Jump/Roll/Run aside are all appreciate. Dodge before they shoot at you like with the Horizontal Strike. Just run when you feel that you have enough space. I always prefer jumping as my most favourite evasion. While jumping, you can have enough time what direction you drive Dante to jump next, when you must determine that as soon as your character is busy running. - RANDOM SWORD ATTACK : This attack sometimes linger, but they are deadly as well. It's much like scatter/expanding version of Sword Spinning, but no circle or spinning. They fire at you randomly, from every direction : diagonal, horizontal or vertical. They can fire singly, or even multiply. It's mostly impossible to guess what and where it will shoot, beside the fact that the camera angles can't show all of them when they scatter in the air. The swords linger and hover above everywhere, then they shoot at wherever you come. The shots can be fast or slow, but they can hit you anytime within your carelessness. Jump over and over, the positions you think to be safer. Of course then this attack is being done, no position is 100% safe, but try to choose the one that is as safe as it can be. In my opinion, no dodging action 100% prevents you from all the swords, because the swords are shot with changeable orders, directions, speeds or rhythms. For example : When you jump out of this sword, but when landing, you may soon get hit by another sword cast from another position. Then you can't completely avoid the same thing with running or rolling. But then, the fatal hit there is that : NELO ANGELO STILL CAN ATTACK SIMULTANEOUSLY ALONG WITH THE RANDOM SHADOW SWORD ATTACK. How can you manage to dodge the swords and Nelo's attacks at the same time ? And how can you still survive from the Four Hit Sword Combo within the Shadow Swords ? As any of other sword attack of Nelo, a Shadow Sword can make a serious damage and stun effect. One sword is so enough, and it's too enough for Dante to die after two or three swords in Hard/DMD Mode. Once you are stunned, it's hard for you to guess and avoid the next sword, as this attack is extremely random at everything. That's the point, and I myself couldn't have extracted the best solution yet. As all my effort, I can tell you that Rolling Blaze is very important in this fight. Now it's the tool to prevent you from some of the shooting swords, restrict as much as the damage caused by them. Within this terrible time, I recommend you to save your life first. Try to attend to dodge all of those attacks before you can hit Nelo Angelo, although I know that you may be very "angry" at Nelo. But be calm and patient. Alastor/Yamato DT Mode may help you some about speed. But if you can manage to have many rune symbols of Ifrit DT Gauge, DTrigger now and then quickly jump to play an INFERNO. This attack will destroy some of the swords, to make this attack be ended quickly. Random Sword Attack will stop when all the Shadow Swords are all used. - NELO'S ADDITIONAL ATTACK : As I said above, the Shadow Sword attacks are usually done as Nelo Angelo is staying in a high position in the air that you can't reach. In some case, he may casr Energy Balls instead of Shadow Sword attacks. He gradually casts the balls to you from the air. You have already known how to avoid a single Energy Ball, so do the same with this one. Just jump/roll aside and aside. Remember that jumping/rolling can be combined with Grenade Gun. After each jumping/rolling, you can quickly execute a grenade shot toward Nelo without reloading. That means you can dodge the Energy Balls and damage Nelo simultaneously, although the damage caused by the Grenade Gun is not very much, but at least you COULD HAVE damaged him. But sometimes Nelo can cast Energy Balls along with summoning Shadow Swords. In this case, try to combine all your skills of dodging. If you are afraid, save your life first of all : by avoiding all of them until Nelo stops either attack. ========================================================================== After Nelo Angelo is defeated, he gets a chaos in his mind, and then he slowly disappears in the sky as the loser, along with a cry. But just in that moment, the true identity of Nelo Angelo has been revealed... An Amulet drops from where Nelo Angelo vanishes. Dante holds the thing, and then recognizes it. It's similar to the Amulet he is wearing. No doubt... NELO ANGELO is VERGIL SPARDA - Dante's twin brother who has been lost for twenty years, along with his mother's death. It's kinda hurt for Dante to kill his brother... It makes him remember the childhood birthday, when Vergil and Dante receives the Amulets as their gifts... ************************************************************************** MISSION EIGHTEEN : SPIRIT STONE "ELIXIR" ************************************************************************** --THE TRUE POWER OF THE FORCE EDGE-- Now it's time for the Force Edge to reveal its true power after having been sealed. Dante has got Vergil's Amulet and combined them into a Perfect Amulet. It is attached to the Force Edge. As a magical effect, the fine sword turns into a huge modern sword, named "Sparda" - as the name of the great Legendary Dark Knight. Dante gets some practice with it, and the sword has shown its modern characteristics. I'll explain this more in "Weapon List" section. From now you can equip the Sparda if you like, but I prefer the Ifrit gauntlets. After that, a dark mirror will appear in the centre of the room. Step on it to return to the spiral stairway area. Now it's time for you to explore the right door here. Get into it. --WANDERING IN THE DARKNESS-- The right mirror door takes you to a water area. Wow, this place may contain some interesting things. There's no enemy here now. Use the Needle Gun to shoot whatever you see in the area to get hidden Red Orbs. The exit is just around here. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ You try to find a cell that is just near the exit. Get in there and destroy all the barrels. One of the barrels here contain a Blue Orb Fragment/Yellow Orb. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After getting all the stuffs, go to the exit to a large chamber of... Sin Scissors. To fight these things underwater is not very. Keep a pretty close distance to make your shot accurate. The first shots will make the Sin Scissor to be loose at its scissors. Then just at that moment, continue to shoot to break its mask to kill it. There are three Sin Scissors in this water chamber. When you kill them all, get your prize and then a shutter will be opened. Swim through the shutter. There's no water in this area. Jump to get the Red Orb and enter the next door. If you remember well, this is the alternate version of the castle long stairway, its lowest floor. There's also a rune clock here, but there's no rising pillar. And you, light up the rune clock. But then, the whole room will be flooded with water IN A LIMITED TIME. Within that time, you must quickly swim to the top ceiling of the room. Then stop above a platform on it. Then when the water disappears, Dante will drop on that platform. Jump pass the platforms around to reach the stairway. You'll again see a pedestal of the stairway. Grab the Philoshopher's Egg from it. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ There's a Blue Orb Fragment/Yellow Orb on a low overhang somewhere among the stairs. To find it, just light up the rune clock to fill water in the room. Then swim up and try to drop yourself on each platform you see, until you find it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Then run down the stairway. There may be some stair part which is destroyed, but Dante will automatically jump over it. Run until you reach the balcony of the bedroom. But in this alternate version of the room, there's no double door taking to bedroom. There's only a single door in the corner of the stairs. When you get in, it's very the Fountain Chamber, but there's no fountain. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ When you enter the place, try to pay attention to a hidden left door on the upper passageway. Try to kick jump/Air Hike to there by anyway and enter the door. You'll find several Red Orbs along with the Blue Orb Fragment/Yellow Orb. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the place where the lion statue was, there's a strange altar instead of the statue. In this place, you may see several mirrors on the floor and rune clocks on the wall. Get ready now, I think you have already guessed what will happen. First, use the Philosopher's Egg on the altar. After that... ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : NIGHTMARE ------------------------------------- Difficulty : Hard Rune Clocks : 2 Well, If Nelo Angelo and Mundus are the toughest, so Nightmare may be the most annoying. He looks like big ooze stuck with robbish. But in fact, those robbish things are his weapons. In every room where you face Nightmare, there should be two or four rune clocks. Because they are the only tools to damage Nightmare. ----------------------------- HOW TO DAMAGE NIGHTMARE ----------------------------- As I told about, Nightmare is an ooze. And all attacks are useless against it. That means the strategy for this boss is unique from other bosses. The rune clocks are the safe way to attack Nightmare. - STRIKING THE RUNE CLOCK : Nightmare himself is a moving useless ooze, and nothing can damage this form of him. He just raises up to be a living creature when ONE of the rune clocks is lit. But that still doesn't mean you can damage him. Once he "lives", he'll use his "robbish" to attack you. And then he reveals his CORE. This is like Nightmare's heart and once you beat the core, Nightmare will get damage. But then, he will cover his core and continues to attack you, until the lit rune clock is off. According to my experience, Nightmare often reveals his core twice each time a rune clock is lit. Generally, to make Nightmare wake up, you have to beat ONE of the rune clocks around and ONLY ONE. Beating the others next just waste your time. Nightmare can reveal its core anywhere on its body : Front, back or on top. So pay attention to that. - DEFEATING THE "NIGHTMARE" : As the boss' name is Nightmare, so he also has an attack named "Nightmare" (I think so). As a useless ooze when you haven't lit the rune clock yet, he moves around and then sometimes catches you to very your "Nightmare". The nightmare is extracted from Dante's memory. You'll face the former bosses again in this "Nightmare", along with some Sargasosses. If you defeat the boss in the "Nightmare", then you'll get out and that will make Nightmare lose a great deal of health. ------------------------------- EQUIPMENTS REQUIRED ------------------------------- In my opinion, Nightmare is truly a tough boss. Although he is not as tough as Nelo Angelo or Mundus, his outlandish nature requires some very unique skills to kill him. That's the reason why I open this section in Nightmare strategy. DEVIL ARM : IFRIT Ifrit is the most popular weapon of DMC experts. I'll explain this later in "Weapon List" - Ifrit section. But I remind this is the best weapon against Nightmare. Nightmare just reveals his core in a limited time. The Alastor/Yamato are not strong enough to inflict a big damage on the core during that short time. The Sparda doesn't have DT Mode and some important skills can't be executed. So Ifrit is the most perfect. When you turn into Ifrit DT Mode, the quick Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick inflicts a very big damage on Nightmare, and some other skills like Kick13 and Inferno are pretty strong, enough to confuse Nightmare. FIREARM : GRENADE GUN Grenade Gun has the strongest power of all Dante's firearms. Sometimes, you can use it to damage Nightmare's core from a pretty far distance. First, I recommend you this weapon. But about it's REAL function, see the next part "How to build up Devil Trigger Gauge". ----------------------------------------- HOW TO BUILD UP DEVIL TRIGGER GAUGE ----------------------------------------- - You can only attack Nightmare when he releases his core. But then all your DT Gauge is all used for those chances And then if you wait for the next releasing core of Nightmare to build up the DT Gauge with normal hits, you'll waste a lot of time while your vitality can be damaged anytime. So there's another way to build up DT Gauge without physical attacks : USE THE GRENADE GUN. Just use this gun to shoot at Nightmare anytime while you're running around him. Each shot can fill a little or half of a rune symbol, although it can't damage Nightmare. This is an easy for you to build the DT Gauge without using Devil Stars either, which will reduce your ranking. - Grenade Gun can't be strong enough to build up the DT Gauge fast. So taunting is the remaining way. Taunt in a free chance, when you badly need many many rune symbols, especially when Nightmare prepares to open core, and you need a pretty long DT gauge to beat it. -------------------------------------------------- NIGHTMARE'S ATTACK PATTERN & GENERAL STRATEGY -------------------------------------------------- NIGHTMARE'S ATTACK PATTERN : As my experience fighting this thing, I think living Nightmare often reveals his core follow this order : - Front Side : He opens the core, doing following attacks : Machine Shots, Black Beam. - Back Side : He opens the core to this side after he has done with the front side. His attacks now are mostly similar to the front side, but added with Triple Fatal Strikes. - On Top : This is the last position he opens his core before returning into a useless ooze. His attacks : Striking Boomerang, Ice Beam, sometimes Triple Fatal Strikes. REMEMBER : Nightmare can just do ALL three moves above follow that order when you light a FULL RUNE CLOCK. Even if Nightmare is a useless ooze, he still can attack you by casting small oozes to chase after to ice-strike you. Or if you are pretty near him, he'll catch you to the "Nightmare". GENERAL STRATEGY : - Light up the rune clock as soon as possible to wake up Nightmare. - When he reveals his core in front side, dash into it and strike it in Ifrit DT mode, using the Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick often to make big damage. Kick13 is also appreciate. - Then when Nightmare is still preparing for the next core revealing, use the Grenade Gun and shoot to him fast to build up as much DT Gauge you can. But remember to dodge his attacks at the same time. - At the next core revealing in the back, dash in again and hit him as you did in the first time. - When Nightmare is preparing for the next core revealing, do the same as the last time you did. - Now Nightmare may open his core on top. And this is pretty annoying with his Boomerang. A correct Inferno hit is effective now. Jump on its body and Inferno him quickly. Or if you use Alastor/Yamato, Air Raid is also a good idea. Fly around and air-raid Nightmare. About more details, see the next part. --------------------------------------------------- UNAWAKENING NIGHTMARE'S ATTACKS (its ooze form) --------------------------------------------------- - ICE CREATURES : When you run around, Nightmare casts these crawling creatures to pursue you. The most frequent way I often do is to run, run like hell. Run and leap, because the creatures can leap onto you by your next position. When you get it, you'll be ice-struck. This doesn't take much damage, but extremely annoying. When it takes so long for them to chase you, they'll explode ice-strike without informing. You hardly beat them, as they are too fast and muggy. So first, you must avoid. Then QUICKLY light up a rune clock to wake up Nightmare. When Nightmare is woken up, these creatures will stop. - FALLING INTO NIGHTMARE : When Nightmare hasn't woken up, he is a moving ooze. Then he comes close to you, he may rise his body to catch to the "Nightmare". As I said above, "Nightmare" is the reflect of Dante's trauma. Dante will again face his former bosses : Phantom, Griffon and Nelo Angelo. In this second form, your guest is Griffon. This illusion "Griffon" is completely similar to the real one, but much weaker and easier to fight. When you first fall to the "Nightmare", you'll see several Sargasoses, and a black shadow of Griffon which has no life. Equip a sword weapon (I recommend Sparda) to kill these Sargassoses only. Run along the border of the area to find and kill all those skulls. Then the master Sargassos (the biggest skull which is one-eyed and pink) will fall onto you from a top. Kill him as you did with other Sargassoses. When all the Sargassoses are killed, the black shadow will wake up as a real Griffon and fight you. This Griffon is much easier than true one. So try to kill him without taking too much damage, because you must save your vitality for Nightmare. You just refer to the same strategy of the real Griffon. Sometimes you'll receive a Green Orb after killing the boss in "Nightmare", but that's not an assurrance. So you had better preserve your life as much as you can. When you have finished, find the light pillar to return to the real world and continue the battle with the true Nightmare boss. **(SHOULD I GET THIS HIT ? As I have told you, once you beat Nightmare's "Nightmare", you will deal pretty big damage (not very big in the third battle) on the boss after getting out. And then he won't play this attack with you anymore. So you may wonder if you should let that or avoid. As the guide writer, I recommend the answer "NO". Why ? Maybe you can deal the "nightmares" a bit easily in Normal Mode, but what about Hard/DMD mode - the mode where every monster can become boss, and there's no assurance about giving Green Orbs after the battle. Generally, I told you NOT TO LET THAT HAPPEN. You can completely evade this by lighting up the rune clock as soon as possible or avoid the catching. Nightmare is anyway a tough boss. And what you have to do is to save your vitality to defeat him. Is that okay ?)** -------------------------------- LIVING NIGHTMARE'S ATTACKS -------------------------------- Nightmare "lives" when a rune clock is lit up. - MACHINE SHOTS : These fine shots are always cast every time Nightmare has just woken up. He shoots many fine shots toward every direction. These shots don't take much damage from you, and you can easily avoid by running around. Well, anymore problems ? Sometimes Nightmare repeats this attack whenever he wants, especially in the distance between the two core revealings. - BLACK SHOOTING MISSILES : Nightmare does this when he has just revealed his core, as soon as the Machine Shots are stopped. This is truely a dangerous attack when you are careless. I have died a lot just because of these hits. Why ? Because Nightmare casts this hit when he reveals his core. And most of us can't abandon such a great chance to damage Nightmare. The Missiles are shot in a limited area near there. If you desperately dash in to the core with no realization, there are 90 percents that you get hit. Remember that the damage caused by these things is not small, and then they will stun Dante for a moment. With the little stunning moment, if you haven't got calm yet, then you'll continuous to be hit, hit until your death comes. Control Dante to move and jump diagonally out of the missiles' limit, coming close at the same time. Be patient, it may be slow if you don't want to get hit. If you have Rolling Blaze, the flame covered you will protect you from the missiles and reflex the hits back to Nightmare. So you should purchase this ability if you haven't got it yet. Well, about how to attack the core at this time. Let me tell you two strategies : + If you have practiced and been very good at dodging those missiles, just dash in safely and then Ifrit DTing, use the Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick combo to damage Nightmare's core as much as you can. Once you get to the core, there's a very little chance you are damaged again by the missiles or any outside effects. So try to reach it as soon as possible and cause damage on Nightmare. The advantage of this strategy is that you inflict a pretty big damage on the core. And when the core is closed, if you deactivate the DT mode in time, you'll still save some remaining rune symbols. And you can fill up your DT Gauge more quickly before the next turn. + If you are still afraid of the missiles or you are not very good at dodging, try to have a full DT Gauge before, with at least 6 rune symbols. Then when the Missiles are shot, try to dodge a few of them, then DTrigger and quickly jump in the core, along an INFERNO. With at least 6 rune symbols, you can cast two Infernos to inflict the core. I think the Inferno's limit is large enough to damage the core. The advantage of this strategy is that the damage you caused is big enough, but it may waste a lot of rune symbols. I don't know if I'm wrong, but sometimes I see the beams are cast from the top, as another protection for the core revealed on top. These Missiles will dash down very suddenly and heavily. You try to run around as fast as you can to avoid them, if you are still on the ground. - TRIPLE FATAL STRIKES : Nightmare often does this just before the second time he reveals his core, after finishing a Machine Shots hit. Three firm spikes are pulled out, nailing Dante to the wall. Each of them cause a extremely big damage. In Hard/Dante Must Die Mode, this hit is strong enough to kill Dante at once, if you have got the whole attack. That's the reason why I call it "Fatal". You often hear a noisy sound just before this attack begins. But it passes very quickly and you'll be sure to get it if you don't try to dodge when the sound is still sounded. Just after it ends, the three spikes will come out, nailing Dante wherever he steps to. The dangerous is that once you got one spike, there's no chance for you to avoid the second and third hit. Dante will be nailed heavily and stuns, as the second spike is coming out and so is the third spike. And then if you haven't got at least a full lifebar and half -> your life is ended (Of course, the spikes are that strong when you play Hard/DMD Mode). Rolling Blaze again makes big support. When you jump as a spike comes to you, it'll be driven to Dante's side. But run away as soon as possible. Leaping/jumping is not a good idea to avoid this hit. You may jump over the first spike, but not with the second or third spike. That damage is not small either. The best solution is to stay away from the hit as far as you can. You can have time to run far like that, if you realize it early, when the noisy sound is still existing. If not, try to jump on the top of the Nightmare as soon as possible, IF IT'S BEING SAFE. If you can't move during that time by some reason, the last solution is jumping, along with Rolling Blaze to save your life. Jump up at the right time a spike is hit. Remember, ONLY ROLLING BLAZE JUMP CAN BE DONE HERE, NOT NORMAL JUMP. Another solution for this hit is using Alastor/Yamato DT Mode to increase your speed to jump out. - ICE BEAM : Well, Nightmare often uses this hit when his core is opened on top. If you doesn't abandon any chance to hit Nightmare, I assure that you'll jump on top of him to damage him. But it's not as easy as you expect, because Nightmare will shot either Black Missiles to damage you heavily. But now I want to mention about Ice Beam - the attack that Nightmare will cast on ground. This may be the most annoying attack of Nightmare, but easy to avoid if you are careful and calm. Nightmare will shot a long ice beam through the wall very long, and move it to several directions in that side. Once you are stuck in the beam, you'll be frozen, and a little damage will be taken. After that, Nightmare will continue the beam to damage you, until the ice covering you is broken, and then you are inflicted a very damage. Try to guess this attack as early as you can. About me, jumping to the top is my frequent solution. But this way can only be used when you're sure the top is being safe either, but that doesn't always happen. So the other way is to run away from the beam. How ? Run and stay away from the beam as far as you can. Alastor/Yamato DT Mode can be helpful here. A good new is that the beam is just moved in a certain limit, but it's still fatal anyway. But as my experience shows, this attack is often shot as the core is revealed on top. So avoiding by jumping correctly to the top is not very bad. As when you are on top, you are completely safe from the Ice Beam, and then you can damage the core. But be careful with the Missiles. - STRIKING BOOMERANG : This is a new attack that Nightmare 1 didn't use. He always does this when the core is revealed on top. The huge boomerang will be shot and strike around the core to protect it, as it will cause a heavy damage if you get hit. Sometimes I saw that Nightmare casts the boomerange and surging Black Missiles simultaneously. And those are all suck !!! First, the Black Missiles now will be shot from the top and inflicts wherever you come. So you just need to run away as it chases after you, if your running is smooth. Of course, that's not the true problem, but the boomerang is. It's pretty huge, spinning around the core of Nightmare, as it prevents you from attacking the core. The damage caused by this thing is pretty serious. I have too few experienced about this, as I always the passed the bosses by luck or use items. I also avoid the boomerang by random. But the thing I mustn't forget is that the ROLLING BLAZE. Like its natural function with the other hits, Rolling Blaze protects you from some damage as you jump on to create the flame around you. Do the same with the boomerang. When you see it's coming to you, you can either jump over it, or try to be in time as the Rolling Blaze will protect you. As I told about, Nightmare often uses this attack when he reveals his core on top. So if you can, try to jump and stay firmly on the top, as you can attack the core now. When you are on top, most of Nightmare's attacks don't reach you anymore. So try to jump on it and damage the boss as soon as possible. But anyway, I just said "most of", not "all of". That means the Black Beams, or especially the Boomerang still can touch at some distance. And you yourself be always alert and defend with your Rolling Blaze. As in the above sentences, Black Beams and Boomerang can be partly prevented by Rolling Blaze as you jump up. If not, the Boomerang may throw you away from the Nightmare, leaving the damage to you. Maybe you don't like that okay ? Good luck ! ========================================================================== After the fight, get to the altar again. Then press the Enter button to grab a new thing from it : The Spirit Stone "Elixir". Then your mission is ended up here. ************************************************************************** MISSION NINETEEN : ENTER THE CORRUPTED WORLD Key Item : Philosopher's Stone New Enemies : Nobodies Secret Mission : None ************************************************************************** --REFLEXIVE WORLD-- Dante has been taken back to the spiral stairway area. But all the mirror doors have been lost. Now what you have to do is returning to the Path of Trials to come to your next destination. It's very the remaining right door from the Staff of Hermes. Get in it now, why not ! :) You have taken back to the bedroom where you first met Vergil/Nelo Angelo. Now the door getting to the battlefield between you and Vergil can't be opened anymore. Search the room for a while. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ It's just next right to the bed and easy to see. Get it now. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --[UNTOUCHABLE]----------------------------------------------------------- Well babe, do you see anything glowing on the top of the bed ? Let's climb up and get it by pressing Enter button. It's a new Untouchable. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After getting the stuffs, you come to check the mirror. Dante will do something with the Elixir, that makes the mirror can be got through. Go through it now. Now you have come to the reflexive world of the bedroom. All the things are the same but opposing. And the reflexive Statue of Time can't be used here. But the balcony door here can be opened. So get through it. Then jump down to the courtyard. You'll see a pedestal in the centre of the yard, having the Philosopher's Stone. Okay, get it now, but... --"NO BODY" OR "NOBODY" : ALL THE SAME -- Yes, three little Nobodies will take surround you. As usual, see the "Enemy List" section for these outlandish creatures. There will be a scene showing a Nobody which takes out its flesh to become bigger. Nobodies come to you with random sizes, but they have the same health. When you cause big damage on them, they'll return small and some more hits will kill them. The door has been sealed, and you are forced to kill these Nobodies. Try on, then you'll be safe. After that, jump up the upper path on the left. It's very similar to the battlefield between you and Vergil, but all things are on the opposite side. Run along the path and turn, then jump over the broken part to the other side. Climb up the ruin to the top level. And go along the path to the position above the patio door. --[BLUE ORB FRAGMENT/YELLOW ORB]------------------------------------------ When running along the top level, you'll see it in the sky on your right. Air Raid or Air Hike are required here. With Aid Raid, just turn into Alastor/Yamato DT Form and make Dante fly there to get the fragment. With Air Hike, just jump toward it, then jump again to reach it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get down the door and go in the reflexive bedroom. Return through the mirror and then back to the Path of Trials. Pass over the bridge, then get in the cathedral where you first fought Nightmare. The puddle is still there. And now you stand in it, and press the Enter button to get sunk. You have jumped down the corrupted world. Find a pool with a gem attached on it. You explore the gem and put the Philosopher's Stone in it. Then the pool will be broken, revealing the way to the Underworld. Get down now and step to the next mission. ************************************************************************** MISSION TWENTY : SHOWDOWN WITH NIGHTMARE ************************************************************************** --TRISH IS TRUELY EVIL-- You have entered Mundus's hideout which looks like living cave. Well, the red background and the bloody moving paths make the hideout look like an internal design of creature's body. And you, climb up the next hole and go along that path. At the end, you'll see a "door" which is like a thumbing heart. It's just a soft flesh and you strike it by anything to go in. The chamber inside has a Statue of Time and two Frosts. Well, you can kill them if you like. But it's not easy to avoid them either. Use the Statue if you like. Then go through the next flesh "door". This is begun with a scene. Dante enters a very large round chamber, and then he finds Trish who is needing his help. What is happening to her ? With no skeptic, Dante runs to Trish. But it's too late for him realize a trap waiting for him. He is suddenly sealed in a big magical cage... along with a... NIGHTMARE... ========================================================================== BOSS FIGHT : NIGHTMARE ------------------------------------- Difficulty : Very Hard Rune Clocks : 2 Well, as any other boss, this time Nightmare has got its strongest form, which power is much stronger and new attacks have been all learnt. This is the time you'll see the true vitality and strength of Nightmare. ----------------------------- HOW TO DAMAGE NIGHTMARE ----------------------------- As I told about, Nightmare is an ooze. And all attacks are useless against it. That means the strategy for this boss is unique from other bosses. The rune clocks are the safe way to attack Nightmare. - STRIKING THE RUNE CLOCK : Nightmare himself is a moving useless ooze, and nothing can damage this form of him. He just rises up to be a living creature when ONE of the rune clocks is lit. But that still doesn't mean you can damage him. Once he "lives", he'll use his "robbish" to attack you. And then he reveals his CORE. This is like Nightmare's heart and once you beat the core, Nightmare will get damage. But then, he will cover his core and continues to attack you, until the lit rune clock is off. According to my experience, Nightmare often reveals his core twice each time a rune clock is lit. Generally, to make Nightmare wake up, you have to beat ONE of the rune clocks around and ONLY ONE. Beating the others next just waste your time. Nightmare can reveal its core anywhere on its body : Front, back or on top. So pay attention to that. - DEFEATING THE "NIGHTMARE" : As the boss' name is Nightmare, so he also has an attack named "Nightmare" (I think so). As a useless ooze when you haven't lit the rune clock yet, he moves around and then sometimes catches you to very your "Nightmare". The nightmare is extracted from Dante's memory. You'll face the former bosses again in this "Nightmare", along with some Sargasosses. If you defeat the boss in the "Nightmare", then you'll get out and that will make Nightmare lose a great deal of health. ------------------------------- EQUIPMENTS REQUIRED ------------------------------- In my opinion, Nightmare is truly a tough boss. Although he is not as tough as Nelo Angelo or Mundus, his outlandish nature requires some very unique skills to kill him. That's the reason why I open this section in Nightmare strategy. DEVIL ARM : IFRIT Ifrit is the most popular weapon of DMC experts. I'll explain this later in "Weapon List" - Ifrit section. But I remind this is the best weapon against Nightmare. Nightmare just reveals his core in a limited time. The Alastor/Yamato are not strong enough to inflict a big damage on the core during that short time. The Sparda doesn't have DT Mode and some important skills can't be executed. So Ifrit is the most perfect. When you turn into Ifrit DT Mode, the quick Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick inflicts a very big damage on Nightmare, and some other skills like Kick13 and Inferno are pretty strong, enough to confuse Nightmare. FIREARM : GRENADE GUN Grenade Gun has the strongest power of all Dante's firearms. Sometimes, you can use it to damage Nightmare's core from a pretty far distance. First, I recommend you this weapon. But about it's REAL function, see the next part "How to build up Devil Trigger Gauge". ----------------------------------------- HOW TO BUILD UP DEVIL TRIGGER GAUGE ----------------------------------------- - You can only attack Nightmare when he releases his core. But then all your DT Gauge is all used for those chances And then if you wait for the next releasing core of Nightmare to build up the DT Gauge with normal hits, you'll waste a lot of time while your vitality can be damaged anytime. So there's another way to build up DT Gauge without physical attacks : USE THE GRENADE GUN. Just use this gun to shoot at Nightmare anytime while you're running around him. Each shot can fill a little or half of a rune symbol, although it can't damage Nightmare. This is an easy for you to build the DT Gauge without using Devil Stars either, which will reduce your ranking. - Grenade Gun can't be strong enough to build up the DT Gauge fast. So taunting is the remaining way. Taunt in a free chance, when you badly need many many rune symbols, especially when Nightmare prepares to open core, and you need a pretty long DT gauge to beat it. -------------------------------------------------- NIGHTMARE'S ATTACK PATTERN & GENERAL STRATEGY -------------------------------------------------- NIGHTMARE'S ATTACK PATTERN : As my experience fighting this thing, I think living Nightmare often reveals his core follow this order : - Front Side : He opens the core, doing following attacks : Machine Shots, Black Beam. - Back Side : He opens the core to this side after he has done with the front side. His attacks now are mostly similar to the front side, but added with Triple Fatal Strikes. - On Top : This is the last position he opens his core before returning into a useless ooze. His attacks : Striking Boomerang, Ice Beam, sometimes Triple Fatal Strikes. REMEMBER : Nightmare can just do ALL three moves above follow that order when you light a FULL RUNE CLOCK. Even if Nightmare is a useless ooze, he still can attack you by casting small oozes to chase after to ice-strike you. Or if you are pretty near him, he'll catch you to the "Nightmare". GENERAL STRATEGY : - Light up the rune clock as soon as possible to wake up Nightmare. - When he reveals his core in front side, dash into it and strike it in Ifrit DT mode, using the Punch-Punch-Kick-Kick often to make big damage. Kick13 is also appreciate. - Then when Nightmare is still preparing for the next core revealing, use the Grenade Gun and shoot to him fast to build up as much DT Gauge you can. But remember to dodge his attacks at the same time. - At the next core revealing in the back, dash in again and hit him as you did in the first time. - When Nightmare is preparing for the next core revealing, do the same as the last time you did. - Now Nightmare may open his core on top. And this is pretty annoying with his Boomerang. A correct Inferno hit is effective now. Jump on its body and Inferno him quickly. Or if you use Alastor/Yamato, Air Raid is also a good idea. Fly around and air-raid Nightmare. About more details, see the next part. --------------------------------------------------- UNAWAKENING NIGHTMARE'S ATTACKS (its ooze form) --------------------------------------------------- - ICE CREATURES : When you run around, Nightmare casts these crawling creatures to pursue you. The most frequent way I often do is to run, run like hell. Run and leap, because the creatures can leap onto you by your next position. When you get it, you'll be ice-struck. This doesn't take much damage, but extremely annoying. When it takes so long for them to chase you, they'll explode ice-strike without informing. You hardly beat them, as they are too fast and muggy. So first, you must avoid. Then QUICKLY light up a rune clock to wake up Nightmare. When Nightmare is woken up, these creatures will stop. - FALLING INTO NIGHTMARE : When Nightmare hasn't woken up, he is a moving ooze. Then he comes close to you, he may rise his body to catch to the "Nightmare". As I said above, "Nightmare" is the reflect of Dante's trauma. Dante will again face his former bosses : Phantom, Griffon and Nelo Angelo. In this third form, your guest is Nelo Angelo. This illusion "Nelo Angelo" is completely similar to the real one, but much weaker and easier to fight. When you first fall to the "Nightmare", you'll see several Sargasoses, and a black shadow of Nelo Angelo which has no life. Eq