Phantom Menace Essay, Research Paper
Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace Walkthru v1.4
(C) Copyright 1999 Marilyn J. Caylor Email: marilyncaylor@yahoo.com
This walkthru may be reprinted on other walkthru websites without permission so
long as the original content remains unedited and intact, and proper credit is
given to the author. If you have this walkthru on your site, please notify the
author so she can send you updates when necessary. For any use other than a
walkthru site, you must contact her for reprint permission. This walkthru is not
public domain. It may not be resold or distributed in any compilation without
permission. Any other use is strictly prohibited.
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The text version of this walkthru can be easily identified because it is one
long, HUGE file and it has a version number. The html version is broken down
into chapters, making it easier for reading, printing, and finding specific
solutions that you need. The most up-to-date html version can only be guaranteed
at http://www.mindspring.com/~xinh/phantom.htm or the Spoiler Centre at
http://www.the-spoiler.com/ACTION/Lucas.arts/the.phantom.menace.1/phantom.htm.
If you were kind enough to contact me via e-mail before putting this walkthru on
your website (so I know where the walkthru is ending up), then I will always e-
mail you the most recent version when it becomes available.
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Introduction, Tips, Character Moves, Cheats, And Other Resources
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Introduction
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The Phantom Menace is a wonderful action/adventure game (heavy on the action).
It does take a bit getting used to the odd, overhead view (but that can be
changed with a cheat). The beginning levels are fairly easy, and allow you to
get used to moving your character around. This walkthru is for the PC version of
the game. As of this writing, the PSX version has not been released and it is
not known if it will vary from the PC version. However, since the official
strategy guide says it covers both the PC and PSX versions, I don’t think they
will differ.
Everything necessary to complete the game is included here. The strategies one
can use to fight boss monsters, kill battle droids, and complete other actions
are endless. The method in which you fight your battles will vary slightly
because of who you’ve talked to, what you talked about, how you’ve moved into
enemy territory, what weapons you have left, or any number of variables.
Everyone will have to complete certain common actions to get through a level.
But the AI of enemies means that the battleground may be slightly different.
Please remember that the strategies given in this walkthru are rough guides as
to what you can do. From there, you can develop your own.
I have tried to be as accurate as possible in writing this walkthru. However, if
I have inadvertently made an error, please let me know.
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Tips
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There are several skills you will have to learn to become good at. You need to
learn the running double jump (run, jump, and jump again in mid-air). This skill
is vital to getting onto overhead vines and ropes, and jumping onto platforms
and pillars. You can’t get through the game without learning this skill.
Practice it whenever you get the chance.
You will also need to become good with your saber. There are times when regular
weapons won’t do. Learn the overhead saber move, the twirling saber move, and
the jump and slash technique. Read your manual for more information. You can
also reflect enemy blaster shots off your saber and back toward them. Qui-Gon
and Obi-Wan move slightly differently with their saber moves. Obi-Wan, being the
younger of the two, has more athletic flair.
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Character Moves
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Here are some special character moves. When you TAP, you are very quickly
tapping the key. When you PRESS a key, this is describing how you would normally
press a key on the keyboard. When you HOLD a key, you are continuously holding
down the key and not releasing it. The Jumping spin attack and twirling saber
combo are pretty fun. When you are trapped in a corner and being gangbanged by a
group of droids (they are surrounding you) the Circle Jerk move is pretty
effective. It’s a slash and spin move similar to the twirling saber combo,
except you are stationary.
Here are some character moves that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon can use:
Normal slash — PRESS attack key
Overhead slash — TAP attack key
Forward slash — HOLD forward key + PRESS attack key
Retreating slash — HOLD back key + PRESS attack key
Slash combo — HOLD attack key
Overhead slash combo — TAP attack key, then HOLD attack key
Forward stepping combo — HOLD forward key + HOLD attack key
Twirling saber combo — HOLD forward key, TAP attack key, then HOLD attack key
Retreating slash combo — HOLD back key + HOLD attack key
Run slash — Run forward + PRESS attack key
Run double slash — Run forward + TAP attack key
Run overhead slash — Run + TAP attack key, release forward key before next
attack
Run forward slash — Run forward + HOLD attack key
Jumping attack — Jump, then PRESS attack
Jumping spin attack — Jump, then HOLD attack
Circle Jerk — HOLD attack + HOLD left or right movement key
Here are some martial arts moves that Captain Panaka can use:
Punch — PRESS attack key
Running punch — Run + PRESS attack key
Punch-Kick combo — HOLD attack key
Roundhouse punch-kick combo — HOLD forward + HOLD attack
Don’t forget that you can roll and hop depending on what character you’re
playing. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan can dodge blaster fire by rolling left or right.
Captain Panaka and Queen Amidala can hop from side to side. This is a useful
tactic to employ when taking on a group of enemies.
Force push is a convenient weapon sometimes, as it can temporarily stun an enemy
(but not for very long). Try using it when you have the chance. It’s also handy
because you can push enemies off platforms. However, you can’t force push
enemies unless they are on the same “level” as you. This means that if an enemy
is on top of the stairs, you can’t push him when you’re at the bottom of the
steps.
If your gameplay is slow during battles, try turning off some of your
performance options. The game may not look quite as pretty, but you’ll be able
to move around and fight more quickly. I’m at the minimum requirements for the
game, and gameplay was a bit slow during battles with groups of droids. I found
that I was able to kill more efficiently when the performance options were set
to low.
When you are protecting a character, make sure you don’t stray too far from him.
Enemies can show up and try to take them out while you’re off scouting ahead.
Sometimes when you cross an “invisible line,” the game will say that the
protected character has died, even if there are no enemies around him or her.
This is the game’s way of telling you that you are not to go into this new area
without that character following behind you.
On the levels where you protect a character, there are certain checkpoints in
the game where they will automatically stop. They are relatively “safe” at these
points if you’ve cleared the area of enemies. You should always talk to the
person when he or she stops because you may have something to say, such as
“wait” or “follow me.” Or they may have something to say to you.
Destroyer droids (the droids that roll around and have personal shields) are a
pain in the butt. They have a distinct sound so you know when one is in the
area. The most effective way of killing them is using a couple of proton
missiles on them. They are most vulnerable when they are rolling around or right
after they stop, because they don’t have their shields up. Try to get the first
shot in before they get their shields up. If you can get in any blaster shots or
saber thrusts while they are rolling or right after they stop, then all the
better for you!
Sometimes a non-player character you’re traveling with can provide cover fire
for you. They can take out destroyer droids or battle droids for you, or help
you in your battles. You may occasionally run into a soldier or two who will
help fight your battles. Keep your eyes and ears open, and observe. But if they
start ducking down or screaming, it usually means they need help.
If you come upon a heavy repeating cannon in the game that you can use, that
usually means that there are destroyer droids and a big group of battle droids
coming your way. Definitely make use of this wicked weapon.
If you see a battle tank, avoid it at all costs. You can sometimes take them
out, but not without wasting a lot of weapons, ammo, and time. It is not
necessary to take them out to finish a level. In other words, don’t try unless
you want to show off. You should preserve the big ammo for the destroyer droids
(which you can’t always run away from) and the boss monsters. Run away from the
battle tanks or do what you need to in order to get around it as quickly as
possible.
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Cheats
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Some people are just not Jedi material. If your eye/hand coordination is a bit
on the cross-eyed, three-fingered side, then you’ll need these cheat codes. The
one complaint I have about the cheats is that the health ones are limited in the
number of times you can use them. That’s a big thumbs down to the person who
brainstormed that brilliant idea. What the hell is the point in allowing us to
cheat if they are going to dictate how many times we can do it? It really
defeats the purpose of cheating. Bah! Grrrrrrrr! Pbbbbbttttt! And you know where
you can stick that big thumbs down!
Here are some useful, fun, and not-so-useful cheat codes. I did not make the
cheats and I have not tested all of them. They may or may not work, so use them
at your own risk.
To enable the cheat, press the BACKSPACE key while in the game, then enter the
follow codes into the dialog box. Type in the cheat again to return to normal.
give me life — full health (can only be done 5 times)
heal it up — full health (can only be done 5 times)
i like to cheat — all weapons and ammo
iamqueen — play as the queen
iamquigon — play as Qui-Gon
iampanaka — play as Panaka
iamobi — play as Obi-Wan
perfection — auto-fire/attack
naughty naughty — behind shoulders view
beyond cinema — screen in letterbox format
from above — birds eyed/top down view
perf — wire frame mode
rex — wire frame menu
fps — view frame rate
60fps — 60 fps frame rate
slowmo — slow motion mode
gurshick — view end-game credits
drop a beat — moving walls
i stink — difficulty level is set to easy
i really stink — difficulty level is set to easy
i rule the world — hard difficulty level
donttttt — instant death
rrrrright — instant death
kill me now — instant death
but i feel so good — force push color changes to red
happy — weapon 3 more powerful
turntables — makes Jawas huge (fun!)
brenando — “Tech Bonus!” message
oldcode — debug mode 1, enter again for debug mode 2
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Trainers
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You can also get an invincibility trainer for the game at
ftp://ftp.gamepower.com/pub/gamepower/starwars1phantom/swtpm-trn.zip. It can
freeze your health at 255% (or thereabouts) and shouldn’t affect your skill
rating after you’ve finished the game. So what is a trainer you ask? A “trainer”
is a small program created by an outside source, and is designed to work in
conjunction with the game. It allows you to cheat the game in various ways.
Refer to any documentation that the trainer comes with for more information. And
please remember that the trainer may or may not work with your version of the
game.
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Save Games
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Save games can be found on the html version of my walkthru at
http://www.mindspring.com/~xinh/phantom.htm or http://www.the-spoiler.com
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Other Resources
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Please keep in mind that I only wrote a walkthru, and I’m just one person trying
to help others get a little more enjoyment out of the game. I can only answer
your questions about the walkthru or strategies for the game. As much as I would
like to help, I am not an information kiosk. I can’t or don’t have answers to
specific questions about tech support issues or other programs related to the
game. Please defer your questions to the appropriate person. The following is a
list of other resources available to help you with other questions you may have
about the game. I hope you find it useful.
I can’t help you with technical support issues, as I am not qualified to do so.
The obvious solution if you are having problems with bugs, crashes, video, or
sound problems is to contact tech support via phone. You can also try the
support section of the http://www.lucasarts.com home page.
Another excellent source is the Phantom Menace Forums at
http://www.jediknight.net. You can read the forums to see if anyone else has the
problem you’re having, and if there are possible solutions. People often leave
messages helping each other out with technical problems they are having.
Sometimes a developer or designer of the game may even pop in. You can also chat
about different battle strategies if you could not get through a particular area
of the game.
One common video problem is not being able to see through the bubbles (they
should be transparent) on the Otoh Gunga level. You need to fool around with
additive blending. Please see the jediknight.net Phantom Menace Forums for a
possible solution.
If you would like to view the cutscenes (the movie sequences) for the game, go
to http://www.smacker.com and download the BINK video tools for free. It allows
you to view the movies from the game that are in the /gamedata/movie directory
of your CD-ROM. It’s interesting to view them separately from the game. I had my
performance options set to low, which meant that the resolution for the video
wasn’t as good as it could be. I didn’t know just how good the videos actually
look. Kudos to the graphic artists!
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Level-By-Level Walkthru
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Level 1: Trade Federation Battleship
Mission: Get To The Hangar Bay
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In this level you play Obi-Wan. As a droid enters, you notice the conference
room fill up with poison gas. You can talk to the droid if you want, but do it
quickly. Exit the room, and have your lightsaber handy.
Kill all the droids in the immediate area (you can also use force push). Qui-Gon
will help you. In the room to the left of the conference room, you can find a
thermal detonator in a compartment (”use” the handprint icon). There is also a
full health powerup in the little round room (service closet). In the other room
to the right of the conference area, the compartment has a blaster with 250
shots.
At the end of the hallway, there is an R2 unit fixing a broken door. Be careful;
to the right of him are two battle droids waiting in ambush. Kill them, then go