Tatootine Strategy Guide (rough)

[Guest Darth Wart]

LEVEL FIVE: TATOOINE

 

Welcome to sunny Tatooine. That city you see in the distance (Mos Eisley?) is just the background. You’re going right.

 

Coming into the level, engage the sandpeople quickly. If you run from them, they’ll start whaling on young Anakin. (Given that he later grows up to scourge the galaxy, they ought to be given awards for their prudence. However, you will lose a life if they beat him to death.)

 

Incidentally, if you have the “ultimate lightsaber,” best to turn it off during this phase. Two whacks with it will kill Anakin outright. On the other hand, if you have the “ultimate lightsaber,” what do you need this guide for?

 

Personally, I think this part of the game doesn’t play very well: you’re telling me that this kid, a veritable pro on the pod racing circuit and crafter of protocol droids, doesn’t have the sense to stay clear of a lightsaber battle? Come on.

 

So take the battle as far away from Anakin as you can; nevertheless he’ll follow you.

 

Just before the Jawas, Anakin runs away from you offscreen. There’s nothing you can do to prevent this, nor can you scroll right till he’s good and gone.

 

As for the sandpeople, the critical thing to know is that you can’t deflect their projectiles back at them (although they can be blocked), so don’t waste your time trying. These guys can get off a second round disturbingly quickly, but their “rhythm” is predictably regular. Approach them zig-zaggingly.

 

You shouldn’t need my help killing the Jawas. I will only note that since these little sand rodents can get a round off so fast, you’re probably best deflecting them one by one, though you have to be in fairly close to each one to do this.

 

After the Jawas, you must walk onto a landmine and watch an animation as the Jawas take Anakin. There’s no way to get around this part. You’ve got to sit through this before you can continue. (I’d like to mention that Maul looks especially sissy-like when reeling from the blast here, if that kind of thing makes you laugh.)

 

HOW TO GET TO THAT CATWALK THAT YOU SEE ANAKIN RUNNING ON

 

After the moisture vaporators, the ground slopes down. Right at that point, double jump to the cliff and walk along the rocky face until you're on the catwalk. There's two sandpeople you can kill. NOTE: after the second sandperson, the program has a bug which causes you to fall to your death even though you're obviously on terra firma. Learn (the hard way) how to jump over these invisible voids and continue on your way. The view of the world breaks down, so to speak, and you can see the blackness behind the program facade. One tip: if you keep losing guys in that invisible void, hit the checkpoint right before the jumping sequence -- it's a shorter run. (Note: Anakin is long gone by the time you get there, and you're only gonna score 4 sandpeople total by having gotten up here in the first place.) Suffice to say I don’t think the programmers intended you to get up here.

 

(Credit where credit is due: although I theorized that this was possible, I had never actually done it, until “Lord Majere” roundly assured the JPB board that he can and had done it.)

 

THE IMPOSSIBLE JUMPING CANYON WHERE EVERYBODY DIES

 

Be sure to take the checkpoint just before this. Although this could be a legitimate “doubling back” point for this level (given that from here you can return to the very beginning of the maze if you wish), that would assume you’re going to live though the ensuing jumping sequence and make it to the NEXT checkpoint all on ONE guy, which I don’t think I’ve ever done.

 

So get the checkpoint.

 

As you run right, approaching this infamous canyon, the first item on your agenda is getting that powerup. Immediately (if not before) you’ll have to deflect the laser fire of the two orbicular droids above you. Now for the jumps. One careful jump to the first little mesa. Pause. Deflect droid fire. For the jump to the next mesa at two o’clock, make sure you’re positioned at the very edge of the mesa from which you’re jumping, and only hit the jump button once. Also wait for the sandy chap to shoot before you attempt this, or he’ll blow you out of mid-air. From here, two jumps onto the larger ledge with the first two sand people. Send them to their maker and get your Jedi’s special item.

 

Then go to right edge of mesa. Pause. Deflect the orbicular droid’s fire (what are those called, anyway?). NOTE: Some people have suggested simply double-jumping to the next section of that ledge, thereby bypassing a perilous section of this whole jumping sequence. Although that is possible, it will result in you not getting a lot of the goodies, which is the whole purpose of this writing. So, instead, one jump six o’clock to next little mesa, having, of course, waited until right after the sand person shoots the rock wall behind you. Once on mesa, deflect droid fire. Two jumps the next mesa, at two o’clock. Pause. Deflect droid fire. From there walk (no need to jump here) four o’clock onto larger mesa. Pause. Deflect droid fire until he’s toast. Get yellow thing.

 

Now, here’s where it is. The terrain immediately south of you appears certain death, but the Gungan artifact lies that way. Some people have said that “the view changes” when you get to this point, but I don’t agree with that; more precisely, it changes only once you jump. Simply walk south, jump if you want, although it isn’t necessary. This is the famous “leap of faith” on Tatooine that everybody discusses so much on the JPB forum.

 

Proceed south. Kill the Jawa and raid his house. See if there’s anything good in the fridge. Get all goodies, including extra credit leftscreen. The much-ballyhooed Gungan artifact is in the house. Exploring the bottom of the screen right here is fruitless but it will not kill you. Then go back the way you came; two jumps back to that platform where the yellow thing was.

 

The rest of the jumping sequence is as follows:

 

Wait until both sandpeople have fired simultaneously, then two jumps to the next little mesa. If you have an appreciable L2 + X (like Adi); I’d suggest using it here.

 

Otherwise two jumps on to next ledge, then two (for safety’s sake) down to the platform where the sandpeople are. Kill them, but be warned: it’s been my experience that that randomizer rarely fails to screw you.

 

From here ONE jump (two will overshoot the mark) back to the pillar from which you came. Time the sandperson’s timing, then (and this is perhaps the single most dangerous jump in the game, so hard it is to judge depth perception here) ONE jump to the next little mesa. You probably won’t be able to deflect the next droid’s fire from here (although if you leap straight up you can get him to nail you), so your next jump will just have to be timed against it.

 

And that jump is TWO jumps to the next little mesa. The black droid is right in front of you now. Deflect him and jump down to what seems like safety (it’s not over yet).

 

From this plateau, deflect the droids (all three, if possible) before moving on. When you do move on, to the up or to the right (not going up will cause you to miss only one yellow thingie and one kill), make sure your jumps are timed against the projectiles.

 

As for that next little mesa to the right, no need to jump onto it; simply DROP. At this point, use L2 + X if you have it. Otherwise one carefully timed jump to the next mesa, and from there, two to safety (or immediate combat). Don’t mull it over: get the checkpoint immediately.

 

More battling. On the next ledge you jump down onto , there’s something behind the rock.

 

The boulder avalanche is easy: they come in waves of 12 (though evidently the guy who starts the avalanche has a seemingly endless supply). Just stay against the wall in those little recesses until each wave is over. DON’T try to play Donkey Kong against these boulders; they cheat depth-wise and get you when you swear they shouldn’t have.

 

After making your way to the top to kill that guy, go back. There’s an extra credit toward the bottom of the screen you may have missed while hugging the wall.

 

That next section with the caves up there? It’s true, with effort (and many dead guys) you can get up there and walk around in the caves. But once again, program glitches will cause you to fall to an inexplicable death. There’s nothing up there I’ve ever found up there that justifies taking the risk; this is another area I don’t think you’re supposed to be able to get to.

 

THE SARLAAC PIT (somebody please remove the line below this line)

When you’re fighting the dude over the Sarlaac, that’s my vote for the coolest-looking screenshot in the whole game.

 

Once you have killed that guy, there’s a ledge to the lower (upper) left of the pit with a thousand-point bonus. And it’s not as precarious as you think getting the goodies against the far wall; you can actually walk on some of the “wall.”

 

Get the checkpoint and then turn around and kill yourself. THIS is the “doubling” back point for this maze; a strategy you employ that you definitely will have the 34K necessary to get all this level has to offer. (One fun way to do this is by jumping into the Sarlaac pit, but if you SLIDE down into the Sarlacc pit, you’ll discover that it’s surprisingly difficult to get killed by him. Nor is it visually interesting.)

 

When you’re resurrected, you can go as far back as the sandpeople right before the avalanche (which will load again, magically teleporting you to the bottom of the slope), conceivably earlier. This includes the extra life I mentioned above, so the net loss of your Sarlaac suicide will be zero.

 

Then continue up the slope system killing sandpeople and droids. From the top slope there’s a perhaps-not-obvious ledge you can leap to (toward the left) with a health thingie and a sandperson. Watch your health bar judiciously; mine always seems to be dangerously low by the time I get to the top of these slopes.

 

When you get the next checkpoint, the points you’ll have gained by your Sarlaac suicide will be cemented. Now you just have to live through the level any way you can.

 

THE ROLLING ARMADILLO GUY

 

Don’t run around. Wait for him to come to you.

 

Near the entrance where you’re placed, there’s a wall to the right. Hug it, at the lower right part of the screen (not near the bigger section of wall where the boulders fall; no,you should be up against the smaller section, the part which vaguely suggests a triangle in shape.

 

From here, you can observe this guy’s attack: he rolls around, then stops, swishes a 180, then rears his head. You can only damage him when he rears his head (like the worm on Naboo).

 

Wait for your moment, then run in with a stabbing attack (for most characters a running XX), not a swishing attack. One attack per opportunity, please. Then retreat to your little area, where you can stand doing your nails until you’re ready to make your move (occasionally the guy will nail you with his tail even when you’re here; there’s no way you can jump or block to avoid this. Nevertheless, this is the safest place to stand during the attack, and this tail-smacking only happens once in a while. Actually, it can be refreshing.).

 

A note about the boulders: they always fall in the same exact position every time. Also observe that it’s difficult to tell visually when you’ve landed a hit on this beast; i.e., he doesn’t moan and reel as much as some of the other boss monsters.

 

You know that part where he crashes through the wall? Whatever you do, don’t be standing there when he does, or funny things will happen glitchwise with your game. And get the goodies before leaving the area.

 

Everybody I know kills the sandpeople in the next section before getting the ultimate powerup. That’s the last thing you do before going over the wall, although it’s possible to get back up over the wall if you need to. As for dropping from the wall, there’s no “trick.” Just jump anywhere. You won’t die.

 

Get the “hyperdrive.” (My what big pockets you have!) If you don’t, Anakin will chide you.

 

DARTH MAUL

 

Here’s where you get your first taste of how your character’s going to stack up against Maul.

 

Note the powerup behind the right pillar. Use when necessary.

 

Also note; this fight has no “ending.” Once you hurt Maul enough, the starship animation will load without explanation, ending the level.

 

This Maul is the one you get if you play the game through with Qui-Gon; not the maul with two lightsabers at the end. Sucks. On the good side, you WILL have all those wacky force powers he uses against you here; it's just that they’ll be wimpier when they’re finally yours.