Mystic Heroes Walkthrough (GC)

Owner Posts : 3663 Join date : 2009-03-07 Age : 40

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FAQ Outline
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0. Update Notes
I. Characters
-Shiga
-Lani
-Naja
-Tai
-Secret Characters
-"Inherit Status" Trick

II. The Stuff on the Screen
III. Basic Controls
IV. Enemies
V. Sub-Bosses
VI. BIG-Bosses
VII. The Magic / Rune System
VIII. Weapons (a.k.a. Runes)
-Normal
-M-Class
-S-Class

IX. Super-high Combo Tips
X. Menu Translations
XI. Game Background Info
-Chinese History Lesson

XII. Opinions on the US Version
-Changes
-Opinions
-Multiplayer

XIII. Release Dates
XIV. FAQ
XV. FAQ Credits

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Update Notes
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4 / 12 / 2002: I get a hold of Battle Houshin for Gamecube by importing it from Japan, and I
absolutely LOVED the game!

7 / 11 / 2002: My original FAQ for the Japanese version of the game was published on GameFAQs
for the first time!

9 / 18 / 2002: With the release of the US version of Battle Houshin, I've begun reviewing the
FAQ again. I've added the "Mamba", and changed several of the names of the
enemies to the "official" US translations for their names. However, I've kept
the monster and boss's original names (in parenthesis below their official US
names).

9 / 22 / 2002: I added the "release dates" and "Opinion on the US Version" sections to the
FAQ.

10 / 05 / 2002: Mystic Heroes is out in the US, and I've clarified a few things, especially
since a few people were getting confused about weapons and runes. Also, I
added a little bit about the multi-player in the game.

10 / 07 / 2002: Everyone and his dog has e-mailed me now that the US version is out. Thanks to
4(!) people who e-mailed me about how to get M-class Runes.

10 / 10 / 2002: Updates to the M-Class stuff, and a bunch of new release dates were added, and
the credits section just about doubled in size (lol!). And a really BIG thanks
goes out to Freedom, he has been most helpful to me! Also, he seems to be
working on a FAQ of his own, well I wish him good luck!

10 / 12 / 2002: Updated the information about the secret characters and how to get some of the
M-class runes.

12 / 25 / 2002: Merry Christmas everyone! The PS2 version of Mystic Heroes is out, and so is
the word on the secret characters in the gae. I've explained about the secret
characters in the characters section of this FAQ, so check there before asking
me anything. Again, if anyone has any info, it's always appreciated! Oh yeah,
and I modified some of the release dates so that they're more accurate.

Owner Posts : 3663 Join date : 2009-03-07 Age : 40

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I. Characters
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Shiga
Gender: Male
Weapon: Sword
Magic Type: Wind
Description: Shiga is basically the main characer in this game, and his partner is Reiran.
Also, he is the most well-rounded character in the game statistically, so he's
a good choice for beginners.

Power: 3/4
Magic: 3/4
Jump / Speed: 2/4

Reiran (Lani)
Gender: Female
Weapon:
Magic Type: Ice
Description: Innocent litle Reiran hangs around with Shiga for most of the storyline, and
specializes in ice-type moves. She's not particularly powerful in physical
attacks, but she makes up for that with her powerful magic.

Power: 1/4
Magic: 4/4
Jump / Speed: 3/4

Nata (Naja)
Gender: Female
Weapon: Glaive
Magic Type: Fire
Description: Nata is Taikobou's partner, and she specializes in fire attacks. Apparantly,
Nata once was a little boy who died as was later reincarnated using lotus
segments. S/he's my favorite character, don't you think s/he's just so kawaii
^_- !! She has the best physical attacks in the game, and is a great jumper, but
her magic is quite weak.

Power: 4/4
Magic: 1/4
Jump / Speed: 3/4

Taikobou (Tai)
Gender: Male
Weapon: Bamboo Stick
Magic Type: Thunder
Description: Taikobou is Nata's partner, and specializes in Thunder, so he has some pretty
sweet magic attacks. Comes highly recomended! Unfortunetly he's god-awful slow
and couldn't jump his way out of a paper bag...

Power: 3/4
Magic: 4/4
Jump / Speed: 1/4

Secret Characters
-----------------

Captain Dax
Magic Type:
Stats:
Power: 3/4
Magic: 3/4
Jump / Speed: 2/4

Raja
Magic Type:
Power: 4
Magic: 2
Speed: 2

Mariah
Magic Type:
Power: 2
Magic: 3
Speed: 3

Kai

Magic Type:
Power: 3
Magic: 2
Speed: 3

Yakato
Gender: ???
Weapon: ???
Magic Type: ???
Description: ???

Attack: ?/4
Magic: ?/4
Jump / Speed: ?/4

Note: Having Yakato as a playable character is only a RUMOR. He probably doesn't exist, but I
just felt like mentioning him anyway...

Secret Characters Clarification
-------------------------------

Koei recently released the PS2 version of Mystic Heroes, and not to my surprise, the PS2
version also has 4 secret characters which neither the US nor the Japanese Gamecube version of
the game has (to my knowledge).

HOWEVER, I still do have a theory that POSSIBLY they could still be in the game. Remember, I
know for a fact that the GC version and the GBA version of the games can be linked together.
It might be possible that the once this is done, you can unlock the secret characters in the
GC version (this would explain why no one has found them yet, since the GBA version of the
game isn't out in the US yet. Right now I can't get ahold of a copy of the Japanese version of
Magical Houshin, so I can't test my theory either way right now).

Owner Posts : 3663 Join date : 2009-03-07 Age : 40

"Inherit Status" Trick
----------------------

After you've beaten the game as a character (and it saves) you can play through the game again
using your old character's stats. Go to new in story mode and go over to your character. In
the upper right hand corner it should say "Inherit Status" if it says "Renew Stats", press the
X button to toggle between the two. Now when you start your game, you're old stats will carry
over for that character. Keep in mind though that you can't do this between different levels of
difficulty (i.e. if you beat it on easy as Shiga, you can't go on to normal or hard and
expect Shiga's stats to carry over).

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II. The Stuff on the screen
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-Red Meter: This is your remaining HP, once it is completely depleted, you will die.

-Green Meter: This is your remaining MP, it will be depleted when you use magic attacks, but
you will refill it every time you hit an enemy or if you charge up.

-4 Spheres: You'll notice 4 spheres by your Magic and Life meters, these show what magic
attacks you have equiped. Green - Wind, Red - Fire, Blue - Ice, Yellow - Thunder
The spheres will flash when you use them as well, each of the 4 spheres
corresponds to a different magic attack.

-Area Meter: Look in the top right-hand corner of the screen, you'll see a meter which turns
from red to blue. As you defeat more enemies, the red part will start to take
over, and the blue part will come back as more enemies appear. This is basically
an indicator as to how many enemies are in the area as in comparison to the
number of friends you have in the area (you're red, enemies are blue).

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III. Basic Controls
---------------------

Basic Attacks: Mash the A button to use your weapon's basic attacks. Try pressing the A button
with the control stick in different directions or while jumping to perform
different attacks. Go easy on the GC controller, especially when I own it!!!

Jumping: Press the B button to jump up, which is useful if you're climbing up a mountain
or trying to avoid an enemy's attack. To do a long jump (which you will need to
cross large gaps in later levels) release the control stick and all buttons,
then press the B button and the control stick forward at the same time. Your
character should then jump forward, easily clearing most gaps between platforms.

Blocking: Hit the R Button to make your character block. Physical attacks will not harm
you while you're blocking (well, MOST of them anyway), although it will not
block attacks from the side or back.

Rolling: Hit the R Button while pushing the control stick in any direction. Your
character will then roll in that direction. While you're rolling, you cannot be
harmed, so it is an excellent evasionary tactic. Or if you're trying to escape
a horde of enemies this does wonders.

Spin Attack: When you're surrounded by enemies, spin the control stick around in a circle
and press the A button. This will hit all the enemies around you when you're in
a tight spot.

Direct Spells: Press the Y Button to perform a normal magic attack. A blast will shoot out in
(Normal Magic) front of you, dealing a little damage. Not that great of an attack if you ask
me. It also only works in closer range.

Target Spells: Hold down the Y Button to enter first-person mode, where you'll get to target
(Lock-on Magic) several enemies at once. Then release the button to shoot out several magic
blasts at them (thunder is my favorite, since unlike the other 3, it teleports
above them, and doesn't need to travel through the air, meaning it can't be
obstructed by other things like trees or houses). First person mode will always
appear whichever way the CAMERA is facing, not the way your character was
facing, oddly enough.

Sword Spells: Press the X Button and your character will begin to twirl their staff around
(Weapon Magic) while it is "lit-up" with magic. You are invincible while you are doing this,
and it will work until you run out of magic (if you have infinite magic, you
can do this forever!). It's quite powerful and great for mowing down hordes of
enemies at once. If your magic meter is full, press the X Button and your
character will do a special "dancing move", in which you will lose control of
your character as they spin around hitting everything in sight. This is a very
powerful attack!

Jump Spells: Jump up in the air by pressing B, and then hit the X Button to perform a bombing
(Bombing Magic) magic attack. Magic will shoot down dealing damage to everyone in the area below
you. It consumes lots of MP usually, but it is the most powerful and impressive
magic attack in the game!

MP Regenerate: Hold down the R Button, and then hold down the X or Y buttons to recharge your
magic meter. This is best used while there aren't any enemies in the general
area to attack you.

Camera Control: You can rotate the camera around your character using the C-stick, and you can
center the camera behind your character at anytime by mashing the L-button.

Owner Posts : 3663 Join date : 2009-03-07 Age : 40

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IV. Enemies
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Blue Samurai: These are probably the weakest of all the enemies you will face. They bear
swords, are rather slow, and have little HP.

Black Samurai: You can usually tell them apart from their Blue Samurai counterparts by their
darker armor color and plummed helmets. They usually bear swords, although I've
seen them use Glaive's a few times as well. They have more HP than their Blue
counterparts, and also attack faster. Their slightly more dangerous, but still,
not to much to worry about.

Archer: Archer's are basically the Blue and Black Samurai, only equiped with a Bow
instead. They can attack from a distance, hurting you while you're fighting the
other samurai with swords. Generally, you should take the Archers out first to
save yourself a headache or two.

Silver Wolf: Wolves are fast, but aren't particularly dangerous. They usually just jump at
you once, whereas the Samurai will take a few swipes at you. You won't be
attacked by more than 5 or 6 wolves at a time though, unlike the Samurai who
attack in massive hordes.

Black Wolf: Basically the same as the Silver Wolves, only they have a bit more HP, and look
cooler too. Black wolves are fairly rare compared to their Silver counterparts
though.

Undead Samurai: You won't see these guys until a bit later in the game, but when you do, you'll
learn to hate them. They have one evil red eye, and only have 1 arm, which
carries a katana. When you hit them though, they won't get knocked back or around
usually like the Samurai or wolves will. You hit them and hit them, but they
still stand and slash their swords at you! Not only do they have lots of HP
compared to normal Samurai, but they also have a really annoying spinning slash
attack (sort of like Link's from Legend of Zelda). Even worse, after they die,
they can be revived by Sorcerers!

Undead Archer: These are basically the Undead Samurai, only they are equiped with bows instead.
Also, if you get too close, they may attack you close range. Again, you should
usually take these guys out first.

Mongol Sorcerer: These sorcerers dress mostly in gray, and have the ability to shoot projectile
magic at you as well as hit you with their rapier blades. However, I don't think
they're as dangerous as the normal kind of sorcerer, just keep attacking them
in close range, and they'll go down fast enough.

Sorcerer: The sorcerers carry staffs, and shoot projectile magic (which isn't particularly
dangerous). They will attack with their staffs physically every now and then,
but they mostly just block your attacks. Use your magic attacks to rip right
through their defenses though. They have quite a bit of HP, but they're weak
against physical attacks. Also, watch out for their most dangerous power: they
can revive Undead Samurais which you've already killed! How annoying is that?
(Note: I've also seen Sorcerers be revived, but only in level 6-3, I don't think
it can be done in any other level.)

Plant: The Plants are stuck in the ground, so they won't chase after you. However, they
will shoot little bombs filled with purple, poisonous gas at you. They aren't
that big of a threat, more an annoyance than anything.

Bore: The Bore's are large, and cannot attack in close range, however, if you give
them a little time, they'll charge themselves up and run at you (which knocks
you down, does plenty of damage, and is pretty annoying). Don't give them the
chance to charge at you, and take them out at close range.

Canons: The canons are large, automatic firing, and mounted, so they can only shoot in
one direction. However, they are usually placed strategically, so they get
VERY annoying. For example, you might be fighting on one side of a valley, while
they're on the other side, firing away at you! Their explosions are large, and
knock you down if they hit. I'd recomend running ahead in a level and taking
out the canons before you go on to take out the rest of the enemies.

Specters: Specters always hang out in groups of 4, and they have the ability to teleport
once they've been agitated. They usually just teleport around you and attack
you, disappearing and reapparing. They're pretty easy to beat though, just hit
the X Button to do a weapon-spinning magic attack, and that is that.

Fighter: These are one of the most annoying and tenacious enemies you'll have to face.
They don't have any weapons, they only attack with their fists. However, they're
VERY fast, and love to dodge around a lot (making them hard to hit).
Furthermore, they can be a real threat if they attack you in a large pack. I'd
recomend avoiding close combat with them (unless you're using magic) and just
hit them from long range using your magic projectile attacks.

Jellyfish: Once these little guys get excited, they light themselves up with electricity
and zap you. If you get surrounded by a few of them at once, they can really
trap you and deal some damage. Either take them out long-range, or if they're
not electrically charged yet, rush them and keep hitting them until they're
dead. They aren't to common, and you'll usually only see them in groups of up
to 4 or 5 at once, so don't worry about them (although they can really trap
your friends if you aren't keeping watch over them).

Owner Posts : 3663 Join date : 2009-03-07 Age : 40

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V. Sub-Bosses
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Bruin: Well these guys are certainly stronger than the average bear! These evil Chinese
(Bear) bears are large, and have a powerful swiping attack, as well as a powerful
charging attack (like the Bore's). They can also jump up into the air and come
crashing down, dealing damage to a wide area. They'll be a boss in the first few
levels, but in the later levels, you'll have to fight several of them at once.
When facing them, keep hitting them quickly with your weapon so they don't have
a chance to recover. When they get knocked down, hit them with your weapon using
magic and continue to juggle them. If you can't juggle them anymore, be sure to
jump or roll away from them while they're getting, because, like most
sub-bosses, they like to swipe at you when they get up.

Iron Giant: The Iron Giants, are well, Giant! They have plenty of armor, HP, and a very
large sword to boot. They can also use an annoying tornado attack, where they
spin around, hitting anything around them. You'll have to face up to 4 of them
in certain levels. Sometimes they'll be invincible (protected by a force field)
in which case you'll have to hit them with long range attacks or go after
another Iron Giant who isn't invincible until their invincibility wears off
(normal attacks will just bounce off). They have 3 sort of "eyes" on their
chest, if they're red, that means you can hurt them, but if they're a dull
purple, that means they're probably invincible. When you fight them, I'd
recomend using the same strategy as the bear (only with a little more caution,
because they're more dangerous).

Juggernaut: The Golemns can be pretty tough at times. Their primary move is to tunnel under
(Golemn) ground and then pop back up underneath you. When you see them doing this, run
around so that they miss you. They also have the Iron Giant's tornado attack,
and they can use a really cool-looking blaster attack where they shoot magic
beams out of their chests. They don't have as much HP as the Iron Giants though.
Block or roll around (dodge) until they're vulnerable to attack (such as when
they're powering up their magic attacks or they've just finished with a tornado
attack). Then attack them unmercifully, much like the Iron Giant or Bear before
them.

Onyx: These guys look sort of like a skinny Bear, but they have a more precise punch
(Demon Beast) attack, unlike the Bears who just wildely swing their arms back and forth.
These "Demon Beasts" can also use a thunder attack, where they surround
themselves with beams of thunder (you can see them charging it up). When they're
vulnerable, keep hitting them, unmercifully juggling them in the air (if you
can get them up against a wall, it'll be a lot easier to juggle them). Also,
when they get back up again, they'll take a swing at you, so be sure to stand
your ground when they're getting up agian. Also, when you kill them, they don't
just die, first they'll get up again and take a swing or two at you BEFORE
finally dieing. And finally, they have a "body slam" attack, where the jump up
in the air and come crashing down ontop of you if you're not careful!

Mamba: The Mamba is a big snake-like being with a mask over its face, and what looks
like flower petals coming off its face (LOL!). It swings a large spear around
its body and charges through the water at you. Either target it from a distance
or try to get behind it. If you can get it stuck up against a wall, it won't be
able to recover from several combo attacks at once, so you can just beat the
crap out of it for as long as you want!

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VI. BIG-Bosses
----------------

Roc (3-3): The Pheonix will only appear in level 3-3 for Shiga and Reiran, Nata and
(Pheonix) Taikobou will have some other enemies at the end of this level instead. He's
very large and frightening, but don't worry, he's pretty weak really. When you
make it to him, hide behind something solid and target him with your projectile
magic. When you run low on magic, just charge up again! He'll fire away at you
with his fire-balls or fire-breath, but he won't be able to touch you. This
won't work for all targeting projectile magic though, so I'd recomend equipping
some lightning magic at the beginning of the level.

Roc (8-1): This will be Nata and Taikobou's first time facing the Pheonix, but it will be
(Pheonix) Shiga and Reiran's second. The Pheonix has now become the "flaming Pheonix",
and he certainly looks a lot cooler! Use the same tactics here as the first time
you fought him. However, he's learned a new move this time which I call the
"Apocolypse". After a while, he'll fly up into the sky, changing his location,
and rain down hundreds of flaming meteors on top of you! Even with this new
complication, the old strategy should do just fine. If you want to have a little
fun with him though, run up under his feet and hack away!

T'ai Shan (1-3): T'ai Shan awaits Nata and Taikobou atop Mount Houshin. Nata and Taikobou (Tai
(Chimera) in the US) will have to fight this guy right off the bat, but Shiga and Reiran
(Lani) won't have to worry about this guy for a while. This enemy isn't
particularly intelligent, the big undead tiger basically just runs around in
circles. Stay in the middle of his circles, and he won't even touch you. Once
there, charge up your magic and blast at him when he comes by. Or if you want,
stand in front of his path, and when he comes by, he'll charge at you. At which
time you should activate your magic weapon attack, which will make you
temporarily invincible, and give you a few good shots at him while he's down.
You'll get the hang of it eventually, don't worry about it.

T'ai Shan (8-2): All characters will have to face this guy, who is basically a souped-up version
(Chimera) of the Chimera in level 1-3. He's larger, cooler-looking, and he now sports
several new attacks. First you'll notice that he's a bit faster, and he has
some new magical projectile attacks (most notebly his magic beam). The same old
startegies apply here, even if he is a bit harder this time, you've become
much more stronger and skilled as well, haven't you? Take him down!

Ka Dracor: Atop of Mount Senkai awaits "The Shenlong" (Ka Dracor in the US version) This
(Shenlong) guy is the LARGEST and COOLEST looking boss in the whole game, but it is also
the EASIEST boss of all, unfortunetly. The Shenlong is basically an enormous
dragon which (obviously) breaths fire. The Shenlong only appears in Shiga and
Reiran's (Lani in US) storylines, so Nata and Taikobou don't need to worry about
fighting him. You can shoot at him from a distance using your projectile
magic, but I'd generally recomend spending most of your spare time charging up
your magic meter. His first attack will be to stick his tail up through the
ground at you (sort of like a Golemn). Dodge it, and then wack the heck out of
his tail (you can deal 1/3 damage to him pretty fast this way), use your magic
attacks on his tail if you want. His other attack is to bring his head down and
strike at you. When he does this, use your physical magic so that you're
invincible, and so that you hit him. He'll then be stunned for a few seconds,
allowing you to deal enormous amounts of damage to him. Pretty easy, right?

Final Boss (1): I'm going to call this guy "Final Boss", since he IS the final boss, after all.
That's right, that one little demon child who transformed in 7-3, now transforms
again using the magic orb in level 8-3. And as most final bosses are prone to
do, he has multiple forms! Oddly enough, I think his first form is his hardest
and they get easier from there!

Rush in towards this scary fella', jump up in the air and wack him in the head.
If you're not that great of a jumper, you can hit his brown stem. His head and
the brown stem coming out if it are the most vulnerable parts. His "DNA Strand"
thingy cannot be hurt, nor can his arms. When in close range, he'll usually
just swing his arm around at you, which is easily dodged by rolling or jumping.
Keep coming at him and hitting him close-up. He'll probably spin around,
swinging his tail at you, which you can roll over or jump over. LONG RANGE
ATTACKS DO NOT WORK, DON'T BOTHER! If you're going to use any magic at all,
use it to power-up your weapon or use a bombing magic attack (the one where you
jump up in the air) against him. Get his HP down to 3/4ths, and he'll transform.
As far as his long-range attacks go, he can rush at you, dealing a little
damage, or he can shoot some magic blasts at you, or he can do this weak water-
sucking move... or at least that's what it looks like... Bah don't worry about
those, if you keep in close range, he'll never even use them!

Final Boss (2): In his second form, he's lost that really annoying spining tail-attack I'm sure
you've all come to hate, and in it's place he has another annoying magic attack.
First, he'll sit there and power up for a few seconds, and then he'll release
it, shooting a bunch of little magical carrots (?!) your way. Just roll around
these, jump over them, or hack your way through them. While he's powering up,
if you get to close to him you'll be blown back (so wait close to him, but not
TOO close to him while he's powering up). Once he's released his attack, he'll
be VERY vulnerable to attacks. I beat him using Nata, and mostly what I did
was jump up on his back or on top of his head (where he can't hit you) and
wacked the CRAP OUT OF HIM. Not all characters are able to do this as well as
Nata though (since Nata is an EXCELLENT jumper). Meanwhile, he'll also swing his
arm around at you (like last time, just roll). Another one of his new attacks
allows him to go underneath the platform you're on, then shoot up at you. Again,
roll and run to evade this. Finally, he'll go under the platform and shoot ice
up at you! Now, what do you think you do? Duh! Run and roll around like a maniac,
as always! Beat him down until he has about 1/3 HP left, and he'll transform
once again.

Final Boss (3): His third form is a lot like his second form. His new magic-power up attack
shoots out blades of energy across the ground. Keep a good distance away from
him when he's using this attack. To evade it roll and.... ok, I've said THAT
about a hundred times already, so I shouldn't have to say it again! Same weak
points, and a lot of his attacks are the same as well. Finally, he has a new
attack which lets him shoot blue blasts out his left-arm (which are homing).
These are pretty annoying when you're in close range, but they fade quickly
enough (you probably shouldn't attack him while he's using thse). Beat him to
within an inch of his life to make him transform AGAIN.

Final Boss (4): The Boss will now release his little DNA-ball things, which block your path
to him and cast magic against you (although they aren't particularly dangerous).
Light up your weapon using some of your magic to cut through his defenses then
bludgeon is head a few times to take him down. Congratulations, you've beaten
the game!

Owner Posts : 3663 Join date : 2009-03-07 Age : 40

------------------------------
VII. The Magic / Rune System
------------------------------

All right, first off you should realize that every time you hit a character with a magic attack,
you gain experience points for that type of magic attack. The higher the combo you get, the more
experience points you'll receive, and the faster you'll level up that magic-attack. Every
character starts out at level 1, and the maximum level is level 4. Different weapons have
different level magic attacks, so if your bombing magic level is on at 3, and you try to equip
a level 4 bombing magic attack, you won't be able to use it! However, when your character gets
a level bonus for magic attacks which are in alignment with them. For example, if you're using
Nata, and your bombing magic level is 3, and you try to equip a level 4 FIRE bombing attack,
then you CAN USE IT! That is because Nata's element is fire! Get it?

Now, when you're playing story mode, go to the middle of the the top 3 blue-selections. Here
you can equip two different weapons. Select weapon 1 or 2, then a large menu of all the weapons
which you've unlocked thus far will appear. To see what a move looks like, go to that weapon
and the attack and press the Y Button. You'll get to see a demonstration of that move. Keep in
mind that higher-level magic attacks will consume more MP, but will usually be a lot more
powerful. Go to the move you want, and press A, so that the symbol is next to that move, so it
will be selected when you combine your two weapons together. If both weapons have an empty slot
in the same magic attack, you'll just get your character's default element's level 1 attack
there.

Once you've selected the weapons and magic attacks you want, press START to combine the two
weapons, and the game will ask you to confirm your selections. Note that weapons will also alter
your attributes, such as give you more HP, MP, Attack power, etc. Go to the TOP most blue option
before you start any level (in expert or in storyline) to view your character's stats. You can
see how much experience you have with each of the 4 magic attacks, what level your character is
at, and all of your stats (Red is HP, Green is MP. The other 4 are Physical Attack, Physical
Defense, Magic Attack, and Magic Defense).

That concludes today's lesson on magic!

-----------------------
VIII. Weapons (Runes)*
-----------------------

*Note: In this FAQ (which is based off the Japanese version of the game), I refer to
"weapons", which people playing the US version probably know as "Runes". I know of a
few people were getting confused, so there you go.

Normal Weapons (Runes)
-----------------------

There are 66 Normal Weapons, which are unlocked after you beat an area in storyline mode with
a character (each character has 8 areas). Try to beat storyline mode on medium or hard with
different characters to unlock all of them.

M-Class Weapons (Runes)
-----------------------

There are 10 M-class Weapons in the game, although for some reason I couldn't unlock them in the
Japanese Version (I believe you have to link up to Magical Houshin, the GBA version of the
game to get them). But in the US version, apparantly everyone and his mother was able to
unlock these runes by simply playing through the game and through multiplayer mode. So thanks to
everyone who contributed information to me regarding the M-Class Weapons.

-M1: Beat the game on Easy Mode (any character)
-M2: ???*
-M3: Beat the game on Normal Mode (any character)
-M4: Hyakurai Play Co-op mode 10 times
-M5: Play 20 matches in Multiplayer Versus Mode
-M6: Bankoban Play Co-op mode 20 times
-M7: Play 50 matches in Multiplayer Versus Mode
-M8: Beat the game on Hard Mode (any character)
-M9: Beat the game with all characters on any difficulty setting

*Note: I'm not sure about the exact methods of unlocking M-class weapons, or what all of them
do, so again, any information would be helpful! (Send info to: Fidika@new.rr.com)

S-Class Weapons (Runes)
-----------------------

S-Class Weapons are some of the most powerful weapons available in the game, and they can all be
unlocked by playing survival mode. Earning them can be a bit tricky, so I'd recomend going
though the storyline mode at least once before you try out survival mode (so that you'll have
all the game-playing-experience and weapons which you'll need).

-S1: Beat Part 1 of Survival mode. Makes your magic meter regenerate when equipped.
-S2: Beat Part 2 of Survival mode. Makes you run and move twice as fast when
equipped.
-S3: Beat Part 3 of Survival mode. makes your health meter regenerate slowly while
equipped.
-S4: Beat Part 1 of Expert Survival mode. Gives you DOUBLE Physical Defense.*
-S5: Beat Part 2 of Expert Survival mode. Gives you DOUBLE Physical Attack.*
-S6: Beat Bart 3 of Expert Survival mode. Gives you INFINITE MAGIC while equipped!!!

*Note: Expert Survival Mode will be unlocked after you beat all 3 parts of survival mode.

Owner Posts : 3663 Join date : 2009-03-07 Age : 40

---------------------------
IX. Super-high Combo Tips
---------------------------

Getting Combos are very important in Battle Houshin. The higher the combo you get, the
more experience you will recieve (so you'll level-up faster). Also, they're essential
if you're trying to get a high-score. The combo meter will appear after you've made
4 hits consecutively. I've gotten a combo of over 300, and I've heard people can get it
up to over 600. You'll need to be using some of the higher-level magic attacks if you
want to get much further beyond the 100 combo mark.

If you want a super-high combo, run through the entire level, so that all of the enemies
see you (so they chase after you), or generate near you. Let them all chase after you,
and then get into a nice wide-open space, so that they can all surround you. Then
perform a magic attack, such as the magic-twirling stick move, the magic dancing-move,
or a magic bombing move. As you get higher combos and kill more enemies, more items
will be generated. Hopefully someone will leave behind for you a nut-item (which gives
you a full magic meter), allowing you to continue with your magic-madness. One of my
favorite methods is to first acquire the S6 weapon (beat the third part of Expert
Survival mode), which will give you infinite magic, and then equip it. Also, equip the
level-4 Lightning Bombing attack (when you jump up in the air). Get a bunch of guys
around you, then use the move. The lightning-balls will keep hitting the enemies,
while you can jump up in the air and use the attack again to keep the combo going. I
can easily break the 150 mark with this technique!

----------------------
X. Menu Translations
----------------------

-Continue Game: This one is easy to find, because every time you turn on the game (after the
first time) your cursor will start here. Pick it and you'll be able to continue
one of 5 saved games.

-Survival Mode: You'll get to select from 1 of 3 different sets of 4 stages in this mode. The
stages are basically the same ones from the storyline mode, only with extra
bosses added in and loads more enemies. Also, you cannot save in between stages,
so you'll have to go all the way through all 4 levels at once. After you beat
all 3 Survival mode areas, you'll be able to select "Expert Survival Mode".
Just pick Survival mode from the menu, and then choose the lower of the two
options for Expert mode (the top option will give you the regular survival
stages). All your characters start out with maxed out levels, so you can use any
weapon which you've picked up in storyline mode. However, your character's stats
will start out pretty low (you'll have to raise them by collecting items on
your way, or equiping special weapons). It takes about 30 minutes to an hour to
beat an entire area, so get ready to be playing for a while. Expert Survival
mode is pretty easily really once you your hands on some of those S-class
weapons though!

-Extras: Here you can view your high-scores, character biographies, and see everything
which you've unlocked! If anyone can help me translate the character biographies
I'd really appreciate it!

-Highscores: Here you can view various highscores throughout the survival and
storyline stages. The game records the top 5 scores, and what character
earned that score.

-Time: See the best records for time!

-Points: See the best records for points!

-Kills: See the highest number of kills.

-Combo: See the highest number of combos in any given level.

-Character Bio: You can view the various character's biographies here. It's interesting
if you're into trivial little things like this, it sort of reminds me of
a DVD extra! Again, can anyone help me translate these?!

-Weapons: Here you can view a gallery of all the weapons which you've unlocked thus
far. There are 66 normal weapons, 10 M-class weapons, and 6 S-class
weapons. More about these in the "weapons" section of this FAQ.

-GBA Link Up: I've never used this screen, but it lets you hook up to Magical Houshin
through a GBA to Gamecube connector. If anyone has any more information
on this, please forward it to me!

-Secrets: Here you can view all of the secrets that you've unlocked thus far.
Hmm... I seem to have a lot of empty slots... maybe there's much more
yet to do?

-EX Secrets: This shows another table just like the secrets option, only mine is
COMPLETELY blank this time. I'm guessing it might have something to do
with the GBA link again... or maybe secret characters that you've
unlocked?

-Options menu: Here you can mess around with Battle Houshin's various settings.

-Brightness: Lets you view a screen where you can adjust your TV's brightness settings
so that the image is visible.

-Sound: Stereo or Mono, default at Stero.

-Sound FX: You can change how loud the sound effects are in the game.

-BGM: You can adjust how loud the background-music is in the game.

-Rumble: Turn the controller's rumble feature on / off.

-??????: Actually, I don't know what this last option does, does anyone know?

-New Game: You can start a new storyline game here. The cursor will default itself over the
"New Game" option if you don't have a saved game on your memory card. You'll be
able to pick from Easy, Medium, and Hard versions of storyline mode (easy is the
top, medium is the middle, and hard is the bottom). If you're like me, you'll
start out at hard right away, but if you're not so adept, try medium or easy
first to get a good feel for the game first. After a short intro, you'll be able
select from 1 of 4 character. Have fun!

Storyline Menus: Here are the translations for the menus when you're in storyline mode
or survival mode.

-Stats: View your character's stats, experience, etc. here.

-Equip Weapon: You can equip different weapons here (see the Magic System section for more).

-Save: Save your game in one of 5 slots here (not in survival mode).

-Start Mission: Begin the next level! Press Y to see a map of the level you're about to enter.

Pause Screen Menu: Not much, but I thought I should at least mention it.

-Friends: You can see how your friends are doing here!

-Quit: Yes / No, takes you back to the main menu.

Owner Posts : 3663 Join date : 2009-03-07 Age : 40

--------------------------
XI. Game Background Info
--------------------------

In case you're wondering, Battle Houshin's storyline isn't really connected to the Japanese
anime "Houshin Engi" at all (the series is currently being released in the U.S. by ADV on DVD
under the name "Soul Hunter".). However, it is loosely based on the novel titled "Houshin Engi",
a famous and ancient novel written during the era of the Ming Dynastry in China.

Battle Houshin is also coming to the U.S. for Gamecube under the title "Mystic Heroes". Also,
the game is being ported over to the Playstation 2. I've heard that Koei will also be adding
multi-player elements to the game in these new re-releases of the game (a feature which should
have definetly been included in the original), as well as several new secret characters.

Also, Koei released in "Magical Houshin" for the GameBoy Advance in Japan in the Sring of 2002.
This RPG can also be linked to the Gamecube version to unlock things in both games (I'll let
you know what once I get the game. If anyone knows where I can find a ROM of the game, e-mail
me!).

"Battle Houshin" can also be translated as "Battle Fengshen", so if you see something like
"Magical Fengshen" or "Battle Fengshen", know that it is the same as "Magical Houshin" and
"Battle Houshin".

Note: Houshin Engi 2 was just released in Japan for the PS2 on June 27th, 2002.

Chinese History Lesson and Houshin Engi 2 Information
-----------------------------------------------------

The Shang Dynasty enjoyed a reign of over 500 years before it fell into disrepair. The last
ruler of the Shang, Di Xin, tortured his people, murdered officials who opposed his views,
and wrecked the legacy he inherited. The Zhou Dynasty eventually rose to replace the Shang,
capped by a coordinated attack which forced Xin to set fire to his castle and die within it's
confines. The novel "Fengshen Yanyi" takes the late history of the Shang Dynasty and reworks
events by enhancing them with magic, gods, and superhuman alter-egos. Koei's Houshin Engi 2
follows Yanyi's lead by re-painting historic events with a magical brush.

Basically in the game a dead diety and his followers seek to return to power and summon his
mighty army once more. Man, while over in Europe we're doing unimportant things like "fighting
the crusades" in the middle ages, those Chinese are fighting off hordes of demons and
demi-gods! Why don't they ever teach you this stuff in school?!

---------------------------------
XII. Opinions on the US Version
---------------------------------

Well after waiting half a year for the US version to FINALLY come out, it's finally here! So
what's my opinion on the english version of the game, compared to the original Japanese version?
What has been changed in from the different versions?

Changes / Additions to the US Version
-------------------------------------

-Title Change: Duh! The title was changed from Battle Houshin in "Mystic Heroes". Obviously
because no one in the Western world is taught about Eastern legends or novels,
such as Houshin Engi, only a hand full of people over on US shores would know
about "Houshin" anything. Mystic Heroes is a pretty dumb name if you ask me,
but oh well, I'm not the one translating the game, am I?

-Multiplayer: The one biggest thing I wanted for the original Japanese version was a
multiplayer feature, and they've finally added on in the US version! Everyone,
rejoice!

-Name Changes: As I expected, many of the names changed, even of the main characters. This is
not uncommon, as some Japanese / Chinese names may be difficult to pronounce
for someone with a native english tongue. Reiran is now Lani, Nata is Naja
(I'm not sure if this is intentional, or if it's just an alternate spelling),
and Taikobou has been shortened to simply Tai.

-Secret Characters: It seems as though Toei went through the trouble to not only add a
multiplayer mode, but also more playable characters! I can't confirm at this
time what new characters are / aren't playable, but hopefully I'll know in the
future!

Owner Posts : 3663 Join date : 2009-03-07 Age : 40

Multiplayer
-----------

-Versus: You can have 2-4 playes at once, and in this mode you can
set traps,and summon monsters.

-Co-Op Mode: There are two different survival modes as well. One allows you to
continue onto the next stage if at least 1 person survives so everyone is
rehealed. The other is somewhat like the first but if you die then you cannot
continue onto the next stage.*

*Note: In both modes you can revive a friend by standing next to them and pressing Y with
a FULL magic meter!

---------------------
XIII. Release Dates
---------------------

-March 29, 2002: Magical Houshin is release for the Gameboy Advance in Japan.

-March 29, 2002: Battle Houshin for the Gamecube was released in Japan.

-June 27, 2002: Houshin Engi 2 for the Playstation 2 was released in Japan.

-October 1, 2002: Battle Houshin, err... "Mystic Heroes" for the Gamecube was released in
the US.

-November 16, 2002: "Chou Battle Houshin" is released in Japan for the Playstation 2. It's
also available in various different bundle packages, such as with
Houshin Engi 2 or Shin Sangoku Musou 2 Mushouden.

-November 26, 2002: Mystic Heroes for the Playstation 2 is released in the US.

-December 13, 2002: Mystic Heroes is released is for the Gamecube in Europe.

-???, 2003: Mystic Heroes (Magical Houshin) is released in the US for GameBoy
Advance.

---------
XIV. FAQ
---------

Q. I'm stuck on the last part of Stage 7, where you have to climb the tower, and I can't figure
out what to do! Help me!

A. It's unbeleivable how many people get stuck on this part of the game. Firstly, you'll
notice that even if you do make it to the top of the Pagoda, the blue floor will
teleport you back down to the bottom. Look for areas around the stairs where the wall
is weak so that you can break it (I believe there are 3 of these areas). You'll find
yourself on a roof, and you should go around and smash each of the crystals on each of
the roof in order to make the blue area disappear.

Q. Are there secret characters in this game?

A. I don't know, see the secret character clarification part of this FAQ (near the top,
under the character sectoin) for more details.

------------------
XV. FAQ Credits
------------------

-Written by: Paul Fidika (Fidika@new.rr.com)

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