From: wity@iastate.edu (Wity Ganda)
Subject: Complete Hints to finish NOVA 9 (LONG!)
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 19:14:29 GMT

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This is a complete hints to finish NOVA 9, that I captured from Sierra BBS.
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***  Nova 9 Hint  ***

(1) ... Operational Tips ...

Problem: Difficulty Levels.

Hint:
There are 3 difficulty levels in Nova 9. As you move up to more advanced levels
the enemies will become more aggressive  and difficult to destroy. On Easy, you
have  3  opportunities   to  win  on  each  world,  on   Regular  there  are  2
opportunities, and on the Hard level, you get only one chance.


Problem: Access to Preferences Menu.

Hint:
You can  access the Prefs  Menu, Credits,  and  Score at the  bridge console. A
limited Prefs  Menu can be  accessed during sim  play; it does  not include the
ability to set difficulty levels. Alt-G will take you directly to sim play.


Problem: Display graphic and sound options.

Hint:
Typing  INSTALL M  at the  command line  gives all  possible Graphic  and Sound
options.


Problem: Skipping intro screens and S.A.R.A.H.

Hint:
Hitting  the spacebar  during the  intro or  S.A.R.A.H.'s initial message skips
intro scenes and takes you directly  to the bridge. Spacebar in other instances
will advance the text.


Problem: Powers - General Description.

Hint:
Powers are available on each world. Some  are generated when an enemy or object
is destroyed,  others are located  within puzzles and  are only available  when
these are solved,  and a few are just  there for the taking. The  powers are in
the form of colorful, floating, geometrical shapes.


Problem: Powers - Types.

Hint:
There are 15 powers in all:
Fast Reload          Smart Bomb          5-way Shells
Rotational Velocity  Thruster            3-way Shells
Velocity             Heavy Shells        Invincibility
Seek                 Shield Recharge     Decoy
Shell Speed          Exploding Shell     Electric Shield


Problem: Power activation.

Hint:
Fast  Reload,  Rotational  Velocity,  Velocity,   Seek,  and  Shell  Speed  are
automatically activated when picked up. All other powers are activated with the
joystick in  combination with the  right joystick button  or the keyboard  keys
that correspond with their position in the cockpit power panel:
Q  W  E
A     D
Z  X  C


Problem: Weapon Upgrades.

Hint:
Weapon upgrades are given  when the Raven II returns to the  base. If the Raven
has suffered  a lot of  damage, the upgrades  may be limited.  Weapons include:
cannons,  mines, lasers  and rockets.  The game  starts with  cannons and mines
available. These can be accessed with the +/-  keys or the keyboard #'s 1 and 2
respectively. Lasers  and rockets are  upgrades and are  accessed with the  +/-
keys or the keyboard #'s 3 and 4.


Problem: Switching views.

Hint:
Different playing  views are available  using the function  keys. Playing views
can also be  customized and set using the floating  camera view (toggled on and
off with  the F key),  and the numeric  key pad or  the joystick. Views  can be
saved using a  Ctrl and function key combination and  restored with Alt and the
corresponding function key.


Problem: Teleporters and Warp Links.

Hint:
There are purple teleporters on 4  of the worlds: Hydros, Searon, Typhieus, and
Matricon.  These will  return you  to base  for upgrades  and repairs. When the
guardian of a  world is destroyed, a yellow Warp  Link will appear allowing you
to advance to the next world.


Problem: Guardians.

Hint:
Each guardian takes several shots to  destroy, depending on what type of shells
are used to  shoot them, difficulty level, and whether  or not they get damaged
by any other enemies. (Except for the guardians on Typhieus and Matricon.)



(2) ... Kryon, Hydros, and Sauria ...

Problem: Special features of Kryon.

Hint:
No base teleporter. 3 puzzles.


Problem: List of Kryon puzzles.

Hint:
(1) Large block  inside force field. (2) Small  block on hot spot (3)  Hot spot
inside laser gates


Problem: Large block, puzzle solution.

Hint:
Shoot block  through either of  the two gaps  in the force  field and the force
field will turn off, allowing you to get the two powers.


Problem: Small block, puzzle solution.

Hint:
Push block off of hot spot and the force field near the hot spot will turn off,
allowing you to get the power.


Problem: Hot spot, laser gate, puzzle solution.

Hint:
Park on hot  spot, the laser gates will  turn on. Pick up the  power inside the
gates to trigger kamikaze  sleds. Then stand on hot spot to  make them run into
laser gates.


Problem: Defeating the Kryon Guardian.

Hint:
Guardian [Snowplow]: The snowplow is invincible  to attacks from the front. The
snowplow is vulnerable to attacks to the rear or either side.


Problem: Special features of Hydros.

Hint:
There is a teleporter back to base on this world. No puzzles.


Problem: Defeating the Hydros Guardian.

Hint:
Guardian [Large boat]: To destroy the boat, simply shoot it several times.


Problem: Special features of Sauria.

Hint:
There are no special features on Sauria.


Problem: Defeating the Sauria Guardian.

Hint:
Guardian [Lizard]: To  destroy the lizard, shoot it in  the mouth when it opens
to shoot at you.



(3) ... Searon and Pestula ...

Problem: Special features of Searon.

Hint:
There  is a  teleporter back  to base  on this  world. There  are 2  puzzles on
Searon.


Problem: List of Searon puzzles.

Hint:
(1) Large block Inside force field. (2) Four transmitting towers.


Problem: Large block, puzzle solution.

Hint:
Large block Inside force  field: Use thruster to go over jump  and drop mine on
the block when you are above it. (Jumping over the block also allows you to get
the power that is in the air.)


Problem: Transmitting towers, puzzle solution.

Hint:
The  transmitting towers  are arranged  in  a  square and  can be  destroyed in
sequence by  starting with the  tower nearest to  the lump and  continuing in a
clockwise direction around the square. When  a tower is destroyed, it turns off
the force field around the next tower. Destroying the last tower also turns off
the force  field around the  big block, allowing  you to shoot  or move the big
block. (The  towers can also be  hit with seeking shells  when the force fields
are on.)


Problem: Accessing the base teleporter.

Hint:
After getting  rid of the  large block, the  force field around  the teleporter
will turn off. The teleporter MUST be used before destroying the guardian.


Problem: Defeating the Searon Guardian.

Hint:
Guardian [Large tank]: To destroy the tank, you must take the purple teleporter
back to base and Sparky will give  you shells that can destroy it. After coming
back, just shoot the tank several times.


Problem: Special features of Pestula.

Hint:
There are no special features on Pestula.


Problem: Defeating the Pestula Guardian.

Hint:
Guardian [Centipede]: Shooting any section  of the centipede, besides the front
or back  section, will cause  the centipede to  split and generate  a new head.
Shooting the head takes more shots than shooting a rear section.



(4) ... Typhieus and Teflar ...

Problem: Special features of Typhieus.

Hint:
There  is a  teleporter to  back base  on this  world. There  are 3  puzzles on
Typhieus.


Problem: List of Typhieus puzzles.

Hint:
(1) Teleporter to  base and laser gates. (2) Large  block and one laser cannon.
(3) Large block and two laser cannons.


Problem: Teleporter to base and laser gates, puzzle solution.

Hint:
Push the  large block onto  the hot spot  to start the  laser gates cycling. Go
through the laser gates and shoot the block through the gap in the force field.
Go back  through the laser  gates and drive  over the hot  spot outside of  the
force field.  The puzzle and  the force field  around the base  teleporter will
turn off.


Problem: Large block, 1 laser cannon, puzzle solution.

Hint:
Push the  small block onto  the hot spot  to turn the  force field into  a red,
reflecting force field. Park Raven where  the cannon will shoot the large block
with a  ricochet. After the large  block explodes, park Raven  where the cannon
will shoot  itself with a ricochet.  The puzzle will turn  off, allowing you to
get the powers.


Problem: Large block, 2 laser cannons, puzzle solution.

Hint:
Push  small block  onto the  hot spot  nearest to  the block.  There will be an
opening in the force  field and you can go in and  push the large block against
the wall near the  two laser cannons. Exit the puzzle and  push the small block
onto the other hot spot. Go to end of the puzzle and make the cannons shoot the
large block. The large block will destroy  the cannons and the puzzle will turn
off, allowing you to get the powers.


Problem: Defeating the Typhieus Guardian.

Hint:
Guardian [Electro-man]: To destroy Electro-man, you must shoot the four shorter
electric towers  that turn on when  the guardian appears. The  towers have blue
lights on their tops  when they are on. The towers are  off otherwise and can't
be damaged.  They are arranged in  a square with large  electric towers between
them.


Problem: Special features of Teflar.

Hint:
No base teleporter. One puzzle on Teflar.


Problem: List of Teflar puzzles.

Hint:
(1) Attractor mine and laser gates.


Problem: Attractor mine and laser gates, puzzle solution.

Hint:
To turn  off the force  field around the  attractor mine, go  through the laser
gates and over the hot spot.


Problem: Defeating the Teflar Guardian.

Hint:
Guardian (Bouncing ball]: Shooting the ball will cause it to split up. When the
balls are red, they will split in two when they are shot. When the balls become
yellow, they will be destroyed when shot.



(5) ... Matricon and Malevolon ...

Problem: Special features of Matricon.

Hint:
There  is a  teleporter back  to base  on this  world. There  are 4  puzzles on
Matricon.


Problem: List of Matricon puzzles.

Hint:
(1) First  puzzle and base teleporter.  (2) Laser gates and  floating mine. (3)
Laser gates and power module. (4) Eight cannons.


Problem: First puzzle and base teleporter solution.

Hint:
When you first arrive on Matricon, go  through the base teleporter. You have to
go  through  the  base  teleporter  before  touching  the  first hot spot after
arriving on Matricon. You won't be able to go through at any other time because
there will be a force field around  it. Next, go through the orange teleporter.
You will cross a hot spot which will  generate a laser cannon. Stand on the hot
spot in the  middle of the puzzle and  the cannon will shoot itself.  Go across
the hot  spot behind where the  cannon was. Exit the  puzzle through the orange
teleporter and the puzzle and first gate in the spiral will turn off.


Problem: Laser gates and floating mine, puzzle solution.

Hint:
This maze is to the right after  finishing the first puzzle. Go into the puzzle
through the opening and go to the hot  spot that is just around the corner from
the opening.  This hot spot  will turn on  two diagonal walls  and turn off the
laser gates. Get right next to the wall and face the laser gates. The mine will
float right next to you and go back  and forth across the hot spots behind you.
After the  mine bounces off  of the diagonal  wall behind you,  get off the hot
spot and wait by the laser gates. The mine will turn the laser gates off and on
in a pattern. Follow the laser gates when they turn off the way you want to go.
Cross the  hot spot on  the other side  of the laser  gates and go  through the
orange teleporter. Turn  left and go across the  two hot spots and pick  up the
power.  Use the  power and  back up  to the  end hot  spot. Stay here and shoot
straight ahead with lasers. The lasers will bounce off of the diagonal wall and
destroy the mortar launcher. Turn left  and exit through the orange teleporter.
The puzzle will turn off and so will the second gate in the spiral.


Problem: Laser gates and power module, puzzle solution.

Hint:
Go straight  through the laser  gates and the  power module will  recharge your
shields. Go through the orange teleporter and park on the hot spot. Two cannons
and a number of walls will appear. Go  forward to the wall, quickly back up and
the cannons  will destroy each other.  Go shoot the floating  mines, then shoot
the cannons that  appear. Now, go activate the hot  spot nearest the jump, then
the hot spot on the other side. Go back  to the middle hot spot and park on it.
Shoot  your  lasers  at  the  wall  at  an  angle  to  hit  the mine behind the
teleporter. Exit through the teleporter. Part of the puzzle will remain and the
third  gate in  the spiral  will turn  off. (if  the last  mine leaves  a power
module, you won't be able to get it.)


Problem: Eight cannons, puzzle solution.

Hint:
Go to the  opening just counter-clockwise from the  orange teleporter and drive
straight through. Let  the cannons shoot themselves or  use rockets or anything
else  you  want  to  try.  Activate  the  hot  spot  clockwise  from the orange
teleporter and  go through the  teleporter. Turn right,  go forward to  the hot
spot, and quickly  back up to the hot  spot next to the teleporter.  Stay there
until the mine bounces off the  diagonal walls towards the cannon. Now activate
the  hot spot  that was  in front  of the  cannon and  exit through  the orange
teleporter. This will turn off the puzzle and the last gate in the spiral.


Problem: Defeating the Matricon Guardian.

Hint:
Guardian [Generator]: To  get through the spiral to  destroy the generator, the
four puzzles should  be solved. Simply shoot the generator  through the gaps in
the force field  to destroy it. Then, exit  the spiral and go over  the jump to
get to the warplink.


Problem: Special features of Malevolon.

Hint:
There are no special features on Malevolon.


Problem: Defeating the Malevolon Guardian.

Hint:
Guardian  [Gir Draxon]:  When Gir  first appears,  he has  the Sardiax crystal,
which pulls you towards him. To destroy the crystal (the red eye), you must hit
it with a rocket, exploding shell, or  a smart bomb. When the screen turns red,
your unguided shots  will turn away from Gir, but  they are unaffected when the
screen is its  normal color. After destroying the crystal,  you have to destroy
Draxon's teleporter. To do  this, drop a mine behind you as  far away as Gir is
when  he teleports  behind you  after you  shoot at  him. When  the mine is the
correct distance away,  directly behind you, shoot at Gir  and he will teleport
onto  the mine  and his  teleporter  will  be destroyed.  After destroying  his
teleporter, Gir will stay in one place  until you face directly at him, then he
will  shoot at  you and  chase you.  After you  have destroyed  his teleporter,
simply shoot him several times to defeat him.

-- 
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|  Wity Ganda                    |  wity@iastate.edu                    |
|  Iowa State University         |  as101@cleveland.freenet.edu         |
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