Soldier Blade caravan modes (TG-16 / PC Engine)

[Ed Oscuro]

Before there was Wario Ware, there were caravan games! It's a score attack mode. Many games have this - there's a special version of Gunhed (aka Blazing Lazers) which has it, and other Soldier series games have it. Of them all, this one feels like the best, however.

Basically, take the best PC-Engine/TG-16 shooter there is; add an awesome short mode, two or five minutes long. Your goal is to get all the points you possibly can (and then some).

How to do this? In the two minute mode:

1.) Turn ship speed to "high"
2.) Learn where enemies are and kill the patterns that appear as quickly as possible so more appear more quickly than normal
3.) You're invincible after picking up red shot items - use these to your advantage! Remember this is an "old school" game, so sitting on top of enemies allows you to do more damage (it's called point-blanking when you get right up in front of them, but the temporary invincibility allows you to do even more)
4.) Learn how to trigger bonuses - get inside the snake enemy and destroy it after it's completely curled up and the head has reached 12 o'clock to get 50K points instead of 20K. Simultaneously destroy the two water craft that have a large red spot in the middle which slowly opens up for 50K points.
5.) Point-blank the boss - get up close and personal. Very dangerous, but very rewarding.

My score so far is 580,200, and the theoretical maximum is probably about 698,900 (thanks Sikraiken!)

[LazingBlazers]

So is this an official challenge, Ed? Which modes are you using? Normal & 5 Minutes?

Let us know so everyone, myself included, can try to best your score.

Edit: Also, are you playing Soldier Blade Special or just Soldier Blade?

[Ed Oscuro]

So is this an official challenge, Ed? Which modes are you using? Normal & 5 Minutes?

Let us know so everyone, myself included, can try to best your score.

Edit: Also, are you playing Soldier Blade Special or just Soldier Blade?

Hey there, thanks for the interest! :P By official challenge...well, I just thought I'd introduce everybody to this great game, don't have a prize or anything though.

Soldier Blade and Soldier Blade Special play the same. I meant 2minute mode for the score - you can get much more in 5 minute mode!

There is a strategy guide post here, very useful when getting started.

So far I've gotten 585,700. There's a highscore thread here which lists the top scores submitted by people there (currently I'm #5, decent but could be better!)

[LGB]

Yes, and I have just broken 500K. But rest assured, you will be mine. For anyone who cares:

=2 MINUTE NORMAL=
LGB - 479600

[Ed Oscuro]

*polite applause*

I spent about an hour...two hours? ...dunno

Just trying to get down the six 10K enemies and the timing right in the first two minutes.

Of course, I was restarting from twenty seconds in 80%+ of the time. Arrgh.

[Wraith Storm]

Wow! Talk about the universe runs in sync.

I was just thinking about these Caravan games and how I don't see to many these days. I used to see both the Soldier blade and Gunhead versions on Ebay all the time back in like '04. They always went for like $100+.

I kinda wanted them but at the same time there were many other games I would rather shell out 100+ bucks for.

But high score competition is always fun. Best of luck (or should I say skill) to you all!!!

[Ed Oscuro]

Hey, Wraith Storm,

The caravan mode of Soldier Blade is available in the normal release. Soldier Blade Special is, apparently, just the regular game with the normal gameplay mode stripped out.

I don't know much about Gunhed's caravan mode. I should look that up.

[LGB]

Hey, Wraith Storm,

The caravan mode of Soldier Blade is available in the normal release. Soldier Blade Special is, apparently, just the regular game with the normal gameplay mode stripped out.

I don't know much about Gunhed's caravan mode. I should look that up.

It's quite nice. You play through stage 3, but the timer counts up instead of down.

[Wraith Storm]

Yeah, I have Soldier Blade for my Duo but I just assumed the Caravan card had something a bit different with it's time attack mode.

I'm glad I didn't buy the Soldier Blade Caravan card when I had the chance, I would have been mad to find out that I basically already had it!

Now if only they had included the option in GunHed as well...