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Crisis Zone (Arcade, PS2) (1999-2004)
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Crisis Zone Copyright 1999 2004 Namco
This document is created by Faididi and Co. (faididi@yahoo.com)
Copying or distributing this, in whole or in part, for profit
without the explicit permission of the author is prohibited.
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[-] Document Version History
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Version 2004 (2004-10-26 Tuesday)
- Initial release.
Version 2005 (2005-07-19 Tuesday)
- Corrections made.
Version 2006 (2006-07-19 Wednesday)
- Document streamlined.
Version 2008 (2008-07-19 Saturday)
- Corrections made.
Version 2010 (2010-07-19 Monday)
- Corrections made.
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[0] Contents
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[1] Overview
[1.1] Characters
[1.2] General Tips
[2] Strategies
[2.1] Zone 1: Drycreek Plaza
[2.2] Zone 2: Garland Park
[2.3] Zone 3: Garland Technology Center
[2.4] Zone 4: Geyser 1
[2.5] Zone 5: Grassmarket Street
[2.6] Zone 6: Belforte Hotel
[2.7] Zone 7: Crimson Beach
[3] Extra Bonuses
[3.1] Main Menu Options
[3.2] Story Mode Options
[3.3] Crisis Mission Options
[4] Weapons
[4.1] Standard Weapon
[4.2] Special Weapons
[4.3] Extra Weapons
[5] Reference
[5.1] Game Source Information
[5.2] Really Small Details
[5.3] Document Credits
[6] Contact Information
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[1] Overview
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Namco's Crisis Zone is a rail shooter derived from the Time Crisis series.
Its story is mostly unrelated to those of the Time Crisis installments,
but it contains more of the great duck-and-shoot gameplay for which that
series is known. Although it lacks the 2-Player Mode found in the later
Time Crisis installments, it features a hero who uses a submachinegun
as his standard weapon.
The original Crisis Zone has been released after Time Crisis 2 but before
Time Crisis 3. However, the PS2 version of Crisis Zone has been released
after the PS2 version of Time Crisis 3. ("Time Crisis" has been added to
the name of this port for promotional reasons.) This port contains many
new features, including the Grassmarket District incident, which occurs
after the original Garland Square incident.
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[1.1] Characters
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Claude McGarren, First Platoon Leader of the Special Tactical Force (STF)
The hero of the game. Although he is supposedly in command of a squad of
other trigger-happy STF troopers, he is pretty much on his own as he blasts
his way through enemies. (At least the other STF guys never get in his path,
except in Crisis Mission.)
Derrick Lynch, URDA General
The head honcho of the bad guys. He is taking over Garland Square so he can
use its nuclear reactor to blow up London.
Tiger, URDA Commando
A big fat dude with a large gun and lots of armor. Throwing heavy objects
around is his favorite attack.
Edge, URDA Commando
A skinny guy with ninja-like agility. He attacks with throwing blades
and claws.
Jared Hunter, New URDA General
The boss of URDA during the Grassmarket District incident. He has added
air troopers to the ranks of the URDA.
Melissa Kessler, Hostage
The daughter of STF Commander Kessler. Melissa is one of the hostages
held by the URDA during the Grassmarket District incident. (Actually,
she is the only hostage Claude ever sees in the game.)
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[1.2] General Tips
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- Duck whenever there is a red flash ("crisis mark") from an enemy, because
it means that the bad guy is going to make an accurate shot. Claude, like
Keith and Robert from Time Crisis 2, has developed this amazing ability to
know when enemies are about to hit him. Red flashes can even be seen from
the other side of walls and other obstructions.
- When there is a red flash coming from a bad guy, if Claude manages
to hit him quickly enough, the bad guy will stagger and lose his aim.
- The red-uniformed enemies and the grenade-tossing bad guys are the most
accurate, so kill them first.
- Grenades, missiles, and throwing blades can be shot out of the air.
If Claude has time to spare, he can also simply duck to avoid them.
- The Difficulty Setting doesn't affect which extra bonuses can be earned.
To make Story Mode and Story Mode Special a whole lot less painful to
finish, set the game to Very Easy.
- To increase the achievement score (on the Data Base Screen),
finish Story Mode, finish Story Mode Special, finish the various
Zones in Crisis Mission, and place first on the various Zones in
Time Trial Mode.
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[2] Strategies
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[2.1] Zone 1: Drycreek Plaza
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Boss: Tank
This tank is one of those trick combat vehicles, because it contains a lot
of hidden weapons. During the first part, destroy the chain gun on top of
its turret, the two missile launchers on the sides of its turret, and the
six gun ports along the sides of its hull. During the second part (when
Claude is on the upper walkway), destroy the internal missile launchers
that pop up at its back, and then destroy the main cannon. During the
last part, destroy the two gatling guns in its rear compartment to make
the tank go BOOM!
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[2.2] Zone 2: Garland Park
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Boss: Helicopter
This boss chopper is bigger and tougher than the earlier helicopters. Shoot
the boss chopper as it flies around in the air. Its rockets can be shot down,
but ducking them may be faster and easier. (Apparently, Claude's shield comes
with some sort of super coating that allows him to harmlessly "bump" away
missiles.) After the boss chopper blows up the upper walkways, it will swoop
in close and try to go Benihana on Claude's ass with its propeller blades.
As usual, duck to avoid the blades. Toward the end, the boss chopper will
drop a bunch of bombs. Shoot upward to destroy the bombs and to hit the
boss chopper. If a bomb gets too close, duck to avoid it.
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[2.3] Zone 3: Garland Technology Center
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Bosses: Tiger and Edge
Tiger fires a machinegun and throws heavy objects, while Edge uses
throwing blades and sometimes jumps in for a claw attack.
Shooting Tiger in the body isn't always enough to reduce his health
completely. Hitting his gun is also necessary. To dodge the heavy objects
he hurls, just duck.
Edge's throwing blades can be shot out of the air, but because he can toss
several of them at once, ducking them may be a better tactic. Also prepare
to duck when he jumps up close, because he moves like that only to perform
a claw attack.
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[2.4] Zone 4: Geyser 1
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Boss: General Derrick Lynch
Lynch's super gun can be treated like a shotgun. It has a high accuracy
at this short range, but it also fires at a relatively slow rate, so Claude
can stand up and shoot at Lynch in between the boss' shots. Also watch out
for Lynch's grenades. Either shoot them out of the air or duck under them.
When Claude and his buddies win, Lynch dies a really funny death.
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[2.5] Zone 5: Grassmarket Street
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Boss: Unit A-0940
During the first part, shoot the three gun ports and the three pairs
of missile launchers along the side of each of the two arms. During the
second part, shoot its head, taking care to duck when the flying drones
stop to fire their laser beams. During the third part, shoot the four
gatling guns in its rear compartments. During the fourth part, shoot
its main laser cannon while ducking its laser beam and missiles.
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[2.6] Zone 6: Belforte Hotel
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Boss: Jared Hunter (rocket pack)
Shoot at Hunter as he flies around in the air. Also shoot down the other
rocket troopers flying around with him. Get ready to duck when he charges
forward for a ramming attack.
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[2.7] Zone 7: Crimson Beach
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Boss: Jared Hunter (boat)
During the first part, aim for the gatling guns near the center of the boat,
slightly in front of where Hunter is standing. That way, there will be less
returning fire. Later, shoot at the rear sides of the boat, where the laser
emitters are. Hunter will keep attacking with his sniper rifle during all
this time, too, so prepare to duck often. When the boat launches a missile
at Claude's helicopter, Claude should shoot down the missile, or else its
explosion will prevent him from firing while the pilot tries to regain
control of the craft, wasting a lot of time.
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[3] Extra Bonuses
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[3.1] Main Menu Options
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Story Mode Special
Finish Grassmarket District in Story Mode. Story Mode Special plays
just like the standard Story Mode, only now Claude can switch at any
time between three weapons: the Machinegun, the Handgun, and the Shotgun
(similar to Alan and Wesley from Time Crisis 3). To switch weapons,
pull the Trigger while ducking. Extra weapons (such as the Flamethrower
and the Missile Launcher) and alternate routes and enemy patterns can
also be found here.
Trial Mode
Finish Garland Square and Grassmarket District in Story Mode Special.
Trial Mode has Claude going through a single Zone to achieve either
a High Score or a Record Time.
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[3.2] Story Mode Options
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Additional Lives and Credits
Simply play Story Mode or Story Mode Special, and reach the ending or
Game Over. Lives and Credits will be gradually added with almost every
session. (Don't forget to set the Lives and Credits to the new maximum
values on the Game Settings Screen.)
Grassmarket District
Finish Garland Square in Story Mode. The Grassmarket District incident,
which takes place after the Garland Square incident, is one of the
exclusive features added for the PS2 version.
Double Gun Mode
Earn an achievement score of about 55 percent. Double Gun Mode allows
Claude to magically fire a second gun. (A second GunCon is required.)
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[3.3] Crisis Mission Options
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Hard Difficulty Settings
Finish a Zone in Crisis Mission on Normal. (Doing so also results in
a Silver Medal. Finish the same Zone on Hard to earn a Gold Medal.)
Special Weapon Zones
Finish Grassmarket District in Story Mode. The Special Weapon Zones
in Crisis Mission are challenges where Claude has to use the Handgun
or the Shotgun.
Extra Weapon Zones
Find the corresponding extra weapon in Story Mode Special. (See the weapons
section for more information about the locations of these extra weapons.)
Boss Battle Mode
Finish Garland Square and Grassmarket District in Story Mode Special.
Boss Battle Mode has Claude going through a battle with a boss like
any other Crisis Mission challenge.
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[4] Weapons
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The PS2 Crisis Zone has a bunch of new weapons for Claude to use in
addition to his default Machinegun. These new weapons can be found
in Story Mode Special and in Crisis Mission.
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[4.1] Standard Weapon
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Machinegun (40 rounds per magazine)
Claude's default weapon. The Machinegun (or more appropriately, the
Submachinegun) has a blinding rate of fire. Individually, its shots
aren't the most powerful, but the Machinegun's ability to maintain
a sustained attack over a relatively lengthy period of time makes
it the most reliable weapon in general, even in Story Mode Special.
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[4.2] Special Weapons
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"Special weapons" are somewhat of a misnomer. These would be better known
as alternate standard weapons, because Claude can switch to them whenever
he likes in Story Mode Special.
Handgun (8 rounds per magazine)
A semi-automatic pistol. The Handgun's shots are larger and more powerful
than those of the Machinegun, but the low ammunition capacity of its
magazines is a serious drawback. Its effectiveness is further reduced
by the fact that most of the enemies in Crisis Zone take multiple hits
to kill, unlike the ones in Time Crisis.
Shotgun (6 rounds per magazine)
A firearm that shoots a spray of pellets. Like its counterpart in
Vampire Night, the Shotgun has a slow rate of fire, and its pellets
are scattered randomly (although their grouping is still relatively
tight). The Shotgun is most effective against targets at short ranges,
and it can also be used to hit quickly moving enemies (like the rocket
troopers) with greater ease.
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[4.3] Extra Weapons
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"Extra weapons" refer to the more exotic equipment that Claude gets to
use temporarily, providing he finds them. Each Zone in Story Mode Special
contains one extra weapon. To find it, Claude must kill an enemy wearing
a brown, heavily armored uniform, who will appear very briefly. If Claude
succeeds, he will gain and use the extra weapon for the next few sections.
Finding an extra weapon also puts Claude on an alternate path that contains
different enemy patterns.
Flamethrower
A weapon that releases streams of fire. The Flamethrower's shots, like
those of the Machinegun, aren't very powerful, but they can "hit" enemies
repeatedly (which is great for getting high combos).
The Flamethrower is located at Drycreek Plaza, in the back room of the
art shop.
Missile Launcher (4 rounds per magazine)
Shoots homing missiles. The Missile Launcher is a very powerful weapon.
To lock on to a target, simply aim at it, and then pull the Trigger to
fire. Up to four separate targets can be acquired before firing.
The Missile Launcher is located at Garland Park, near the trucks at
the central courtyard.
Laser Rifle
Emits a continuous laser beam that can cut through objects. The Laser Rifle
operates a lot like the Machinegun, except it can hit bad guys hiding behind
walls and other cover. It is definitely a step up from its counterpart in
Rolling Thunder 3.
The Laser Rifle is located at Garland Technology Center, in the laboratory
with the automated turrets.
Gatling Gun (60 rounds per magazine)
Fires a stream of lead at blazing speeds. The Gatling Gun (or should it
be Minigun?) may have magazines with a larger ammunition capacity, but
it consumes ammunition even more quickly than the Machinegun does.
The Gatling Gun is located at Grassmarket Street, in the hallway
connecting to the kitchen.
Grenade Launcher (1 round per magazine)
Fires one grenade shell at a time. The Grenade Launcher is very slow to
reload, but it can take out several enemies at a time. Its shells also leave
flames that will continue to damage any bad guys who touch them. This weapon
functions very much like its equivalent in Rolling Thunder 3, and less like
the one from Time Crisis 3.
The Grenade Launcher is located at Belforte Hotel, in the security room
with the monitors.
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[5] Reference
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[5.1] Game Source Information
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Name: Crisis Zone
Name: Time Crisis: Crisis Zone (North American) (PS2)
Code: SLUS-20927 (North American) (PS2)
Developer: Namco
Producer: Namco
Genre: rail shooter
Players: 1
Save: Memory Card (80 KB) (PS2)
Save File Name: TIME CRISIS: CRISIS ZONE
Save File Icon: Claude's Submachinegun and his STF Shield
Disc Type: DVD (PS2)
Publisher: Namco
Release Date: 1999------ (Arcade)
Release Date: 2004------ (PS2)
UPC: 722674100151 (North American) (PS2) (Box)
UPC: 722674100205 (North American) (PS2)
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[5.2] Really Small Details
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Double Gun Mode
This is a quotation from a magazine advertisement for the PS2 Crisis Zone:
"Annihilate terrorists in the only game with an unlockable option of firing
two GunCon 2 guns at once." Whoops. The PS2 Time Crisis 2 already has that,
plus a lot more.
The STF Is Really a Part of the VSSE
During the movie before Geyser 1 in Story Mode (at Garland Square),
the STF Commander communicates with Claude via a laptop. On this laptop's
screen, the name "VSSE" can be seen near the top right corner of the window.
Where is Richard Miller when you need him?
What a Beach
The name of the final Zone, Crimson Beach, is a lie. Claude fights the
boss there in the middle of a sea, and a beach is nowhere to be seen.
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[5.3] Document Credits
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Namco (www.namco.co.jp)
For creating Crisis Zone. Now please give us a console version
of Lucky and Wild, and don't add "Time Crisis" to its name.
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[6] Contact Information
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mail: faididi@yahoo.com
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