shmups.system11.org

Undead Line (Undeadline)


Mega Drive Overview:

Undead Line is a much-maligned, much-feared vertical shooter for the Mega Drive/Genesis console. It features varied, attractive visuals, however, it is most well known for the apparent difficulty. This supposed difficulty comes more from lack of familiarity and preconceptions about shooters than anything else.

Story:

Prior to the advent of man, this land was inhabited solely by gods and giants. The two races disputed over which one of them would become the masters of the land, and after several thousand years of this conflict, the giants created four living weapons.

So great was the strength of these monsters that the very earth trembled at their might. Such horrendous power should never have been unleashed...

The day that those abominations were loosed upon the world came to be known as Ragnarok. For seven days and seven nights the lands were ravaged and most of the gods, and even the giants themselves, were wiped out. Neither of them were ever seen in this land again.

Many millennia after Ragnarok had long since passed into the realm of myths and legends, there was a country called the Gitane kingdom. This nation was unexpectedly invaded by an army of demons led by a man calling himself Count Brahzen.

Gitane's military strength had been weakened by a long period of peace, but due to the clever tactics of King Fahrenheit II, they were able to half the invasion of the demon army and were even beginning to drive them back.

However, there were reports that Count Brahzen was reviving one of the living weapons created by the giants in antiquity.

King Fahrenheit knew that in order to confine the creature, they would need the Spirit of Roshufa, which held power equivalent to that of the ancient gods. Therefore, the king entrusted the search for the Spirit of Roshufa to a visiting warrior who possessed unheard-of abilities.

Thus began the story of the fighter named Leon.


Basics:

Control (defaults):

“Start” – Pauses the game
“D-Pad” – Movement
“A” – Option
“B” – Fire
“C” – Shield

The controls themselves are relatively simple and accurate. Movement is controlled by the D-Pad, with “B” being set as the primary fire button. It should be noted that, with the default weapon, firing takes place from the right hand only, and, as such, the line of fire will be slightly to the right of center of the character sprite. The Shield button, when activated, stops your firing (if “B” is held down) and raises the shield. Normal bullets will be stopped from the front only. Despite being held in the left hand, most, if not all, of the front of the character is protected. Bullets coming into contact with the rear and lower sides of the character sprite cause damage normally. The “A” button is a variation of the bomb found in most shooters. However, rather than clearing the screen and causing damage to all enemies, a flail quickly rotates around the character causing damage and nullifying bullets it comes into contact with. Also, the player is only given three throughout the entire game, despite how many times he/she dies.

Note: The rotating option will stick around until it takes too much damage. There is no time limit.

[i]Note: The Shield always takes precedence over firing. If both are held down, the character will defend.

Note: “Rensha” on the options screen activates auto-fire.

Weapons:

Dagger: The default weapon that the player starts with at the beginning of the game and after a life is lost. Quite weak though rapid-firing. Overall, quite useless. This weapon does not upgrade with successive boxes. It is also the first weapon revealed when a weapon box is opened.

Magic Blast: The second weapon revealed in weapon boxes. A concentrated projectile of energy that, when upgraded, eventually causes a blast radius upon reaching a half-screen away from the character. Also, this weapon with nullify bullets and can even intercept them.

Fireball: Initially a projectile that, after reaching a short distance away from the player, stops and burns for a short while on the ground. One upgrade allows the player to release a forked fireball attack, while two upgrades causes the weapon to become a constant flamethrower protruding a short distance from the player. This flame causes massive damage if used continuously.

Axe: The axe power-up changes little throughout power levels. Initially a projectile that travels forward for a medium distance and returns to the player upon reaching the apex of this arc. Upgrades merely increase range and power.

Crescent: Initially acts in the same manner as the axe. After one power-up the item is projected in a mushroom-shaped arc around the player. Reach is short, but it does have the ability to hit enemies not directly ahead of the player. Two power-ups changes the weapon entirely as it becomes an extremely homing projectile that tracks all enemies (and chests). Note that it will track chests until the chest cycles completely, leaving you open to attack.

Egg/Spirit: The Egg acts in exactly the same way as options in the Gradius series. With each successive power-up another option is added. Interestingly enough, the sprite for the options changes with each stage. This power-up is next to useless. Not only is the player left with the default weapon, but the shots from the options cycle the chests. Naturally, this can prove disastrous if one is looking for a particular item.

Crossed Swords: The stereotypical spread shot. It is also the most useful weapon in the game. The default level causes two streams of twin daggers to be fired at shallow angles upward. Another power-up allows for three streams…one directly ahead and two at wide angles at either side of the player. At maximum level, a rear stream is added to either side of the character.

Weapon Summary: There are really only two useful weapons in the game. The spread daggers and the Crescent. Collecting any of the other weapons is not advised, and can often times prove disastrous. All other weapons are either too weak or have too narrow a spread to be effective. With that in mind, the enterprising player may be able to work stronger weapons into boss battles to do tremendous damage. Keep in mind, however, that weapons carry over from level to level (unlike the MSX and X68K versions).

Note: At higher power levels, many of the weapons will slow the game down. Use this to your advantage.

Note: If you die and collect the same weapon in quick succession, you will still start out with the dagger, but the next time you pick up that weapon you will be at the weapon level above the one you died on.

Note: If you are at full power and accidentally pick up a different weapon, then die, you will begin your next life with the dagger, but upon picking up the original weapon you will be at full power.

Items:

Empty Flask/Black Flask: In reality a power-down. Will immediately force the default dagger onto the player.

Blue Flask: Heals one point of damage.

Red Flask: Takes away one point of health.

Yellow Flask: Grants temporary invincibility to the player. Very short duration.

Red Boot/Winged Boot: Temporarily grants speed to the player.

Lead Boot: Temporarily slows the player down.

Shield/Force Field: Allows the player to take 3 hits before taking damage. Instantly destroyed if the player comes into contact with an enemy. The Shield is reset after each level, no matter how many hits are left on it.

Dynamite: Immediately destroys all enemies and bullets on-screen.

Other Items:

Diamonds: Falling after the spread shot in weapon boxes, it also appears after chests have been cycled twice. After it is revealed in this manner, the chest will stop cycling for good.

1up: Only found in pre-determined 1up chests. There exists one in each stage.

Fairies: At pre-determined points in each stage, a fairy will come onscreen and, if collected, will allow the player to add stat points to one of four areas. There are 3 in each stage.

Leveling Up:

At the end of each level, the player is given the chance to add stat points onto Strength, MP, Dexterity, or Agility. The number of points available is determined by how many fairies the player caught (Max 3)

Strength (ST): Increases shot power for axes and throwing knives.

Magic (MP): Increases shot power for Magic Blast and Options.

Dexterity (DX): Increases shot power for the Flame and Crescent.

Agility (AG): Increases the player movement speed.

Death:

Upon death, the player is sent back to the beginning of the stage. There are no checkpoints, and the player must fight back with nothing but the default Dagger. There may, however, be a way to keep weapons after death, as it has happened quite randomly.

Levels:

Forest:
Taking place in a wooded area complete with a stream, mud pits and…shrubbery. Average stage value: 95,400 points.

Mid-boss: Worm
A single, segmented worm that appears from the top of the screen, tracks the player directly, and occasionally fires a spread shot. The worm will track your position at all times, so it's important to stay mobile. The weak spot is the head, so maneuver around the fire and hit him there. Keep in mind that you can block his shots, so try to keep him above you.

Boss: Stone Golem
Rising from the ground center-screen, the Stone Golem moves slowly about the screen towards the character. The solitary attack pattern involves summoning orbiting stones and releasing them in an expanding fashion. The Golem will also chase you around the screen. The only time he's vulnerable is right after he releases the orbiting rocks. The spread shot is a good weapon here, since it can take out rocks behind you.

Rock:
A hot, volcano-like stage. Fire elementals populate the stage, along with the rudimentary enemies. Average stage value: 166,000.

Boss: Fire Ifrit
A truly simple boss. Appearing from a pillar of flame directly in front of the player, the Ifrit chucks balls of fire that explode upon reaching the level of the player. Position yourself directly in front of the left hand and use the spread shot to deal damage. Dodging only vertically this boss is simple.

Cemetery:
The mandatory cemetery, complete with zombies, ghosts, and bats. Average stage value: 150,000.

Mid-boss: Wizard
Phases in and out of existence. When phased in calls quick lightning strikes that home in on the player, and where the player is headed. A figure-8 pattern works well for the midboss, using drive-by tactics.

Boss: Lich
Rising from the darkness, the Lich sways back and forth, emanating a pool of darkness and firing off balls of dark energy. Energy can be blocked with the shield. In general, only use the flanking spread shots to damage the boss, otherwise you'll get caught in the black pool at his feet.

Cave:
A dank stage that introduces the player to falling stalactites and ghostly enemies. Average stage value: 173,000.

Mid-boss: Dracula
The first human form of Dracula sits up-center and fires of energy blasts that in turn fire shots at the player. Point-blanking is surprisingly effective.

Boss: Dragon
Perhaps the most complicated boss in the game. The Dragon sports the requisite fire breathing attack. It also features a fluttering attack, and will home in on the player. Your best bet is to circle the room, blocking the fluttering attack and hitting the dragon with the spread shot while it's breathing fire.

Ruins:
A house straight out of…well…Splatterhouse. Jason Voorhees look-alikes run rampant, and are flanked by ghosts and bulbous, sedentary creatures. Average stage value: 53,500.

Boss: Reaper
The big brother of the Cemetery boss. His solitary attack summons rotating blades that are directed at the player and are quite difficult to destroy. The player is quite outmatched unless they have at least one Option or the Flame weapon. If you've mastered the stage, the safest bet is to pick up the flame weapon. With it, the boss goes down quickly. The alternative is to use the spread shot combined with an option to destroy any blades headed your way. The option will run out, but it's possible. The alternative is to rotate around the boss and lure the blades into a safe, circular pattern. In essence, just circle the boss slowly and let the blades fly off around you.

Drain:
You’re in a sewer. …with boats? Average stage value: 170,000.

Mid-boss: Battleship
Not technically a mid-boss. It is merely a sequence in the stage that requires you to maneuver around a manned battleship. If you destroy all the parts of the ship, however, you will recieve bonus points.

Boss: Mud Entity
Yup, a pile of mud. Rises from the muck at random spots and flings itself at the player, all the while spawning mini puddles of mud. Keep your distance and lure his tentacle so that you can hit him as he's attacking your last position. The spread shot is really the only weapon that allows you to keep the pressure on him. Also, each mud drone is worth 100 points.

Castle:
The final level. You’re about to get flooded. Only good blocking tactics will see you through.

Mid-boss: Dracula (human form)
Much like the Cave iteration, only this form moves laterally about the screen. Point-blanking and an option really help during this battle. The most dangerous threat being the delayed homing shots that he sends out.

Final Boss: Dracula
Taking up 3/4 of the screen, the final boss features three attack patterns, though they merely build upon themselves. For the first form, stay in the center and pound away. The arm lasers will not hit you. Part two adds shots descending from the top of the screen. Simply block them and proceed. Part three forces you to watch is eye, and jink far left or right before he fires his sweeping laser. You should start to move as soon as you see his eye twinkle.

Final Bonus:
Each extra live remaining at the end of the game is worth 100,000 points. Since some stages will net you more than 100k, it is possible to boost your score by intentionally dying at the boss and starting over from scratch.

Boss Value:
Each boss, regardless of stage, is worth 15,000 points. The mud entity (Drain) will give you 100 points for each drone destroyed, so if you have the time and patience it's possible to rack up astronomical scores on this stage.


General Strategy:

In short, always keep the spread shot. Anything else leaves the player far too open from the sides and rear. The only other effective weapon would be the homing shot present in the Crescent weapon. However, even this is overwhelmed in swarms. The spread shot is not overly powerful. Rather, the strength of this weapon lies in versatility and coverage. Also note that the Crescent will track chests until they stop cycling. Naturally, this can prove disastrous if looking for something specific.

Always keep a shield/force field. Even if you have less than full health. A shield will provide protection from three hits, and might allow you to recover health through subsequent item boxes.

Learn to use your personal shield (button “C”). Many times you will not be able to dodge swarms of bullets. The shield itself can be used infinitely, and will guard against all normal bullets. It will not, however, deflect enemies. It also will block hits to the shield/force field item

Use your bombs/options wisely. You only get three for the entire game, and most bosses don’t require any.

When leveling up, focus on strength and agility. You won't have a chance to use any weapons governed by Magic or Dexterity, unless you opt to use Flame on bosses. You will, however, need tons of speed.

“Rensha” is your friend.

MSX Overview:

As far as I can tell, the MSX version is the original, with the Sharp X68000 and Mega Drive versions being the revisions. Compared to the Mega Drive and X68K versions, the MSX version features a camera that is quite far above the character, allowing more screen area to move about.

Basics:

Control:
“D-Pad” – Movement
“Button A” – Fire
“Button B” – Shield
“Escape” – Pause

Note: The Shield always takes precedence over firing. If both are held down, the character will defend.

Note: “Rensya” on the options screen activates auto-fire.

Characters:

Leon (Fighter)
ST: 4
MP: 1
DX: 2
AG: 4
Weapon: Throwing Knives
Defense: Shield (Blocks frontal shots, does not block enemies.)

Dino (Wizard)
ST: 1
MP: 4
DX: 2
AG: 3
Weapon: Fireball
Defense: Invisibility (Avoids all shots, though not enemy contact. Wizard is immobile.) This will also avoid all damage done by lava in the Rock stage.

Ruika (Ninja)
ST: 2
MP: 1
DX: 4
AG: 5
Weapon: Shurikan
Defense: Jump (Avoids shots and enemies, but Ninja only stays airborne temporarily.)

Note: All starting weapons function in the same way. A forward firing shot that cannot be upgraded. Only three instances of said weapon can be onscreen at once.

Chests:
Chests may contain either a weapon, an item, or a question mark (Mystery). Mystery chests may contain any item. It should also be noted that chest contents are pre-determined. Also, there are hidden chests scattered about the level, and are revealed by firing upon their location.

Weapons:

Dagger/Fireball/Shurikan: The starting weapon. Fires directly ahead from the right hand. Cannot be upgraded.

Fire: Forward firing fireball that eventually upgrades to a forward flamethrower.

Egg/Option: Summons a level-specific creature/elemental to follow in the path of the character providing extra firepower for the default weapon.

Axe: A strong boomerang-type weapon that is fired forward.

Boomerang: A difficult to control weapon that can be fired in any direction.

Ice: A powerful beam of ice is fired directly forward. Hits multiple times and can destroy multiple enemies.

Spread Shot: Pairs of throwing daggers are fired directly forward and at angles about the player.

Note: There are six total power levels for each weapon.

Note: When switching weapons, weapon level is reset.

Note: All items collected are reset upon completing a level. The default weapon is once again equipped.

Items:

Black Potion: Forces the default weapon back on the player.

Blue Potion: Restores a chunk of energy.

Red Potion: Takes away a chunk of energy.

Yellow Potion: Grants temporary invincibility.

Dynamite: Destroys all enemies on screen except those underground or hidden.

Armor: Allows the player to take hits but not receive damage.

Red Boot/Winged Boot: Temporarily increases player speed.

Lead Boot: Temporarily decreases player speed.

“P”: Current weapon achieves maximum power.

Other Items:

Diamonds: Found in chests, diamonds add to overall player score.

Fairies: Fairies are revealed by shooting various parts of the scenery in each stage. In any given stage three fairies can be revealed. If collected, fairies will allow one character upgrade for each fairy.

1up: Grants an extra life.

"?": Gives you a seemingly random item. The manual states that there is a pattern, however.

Leveling Up:

At the end of each level, the player is given the chance to add stat points onto Strength, MP, Dexterity, or Agility. The number of points available is determined by how many fairies the player revealed and collected.

Strength (ST): Increases shot power for axes and throwing knives.

Magic (MP): Increases shot power for Magic Blast, Ice, and Options.

Dexterity (DX): Increases shot power for the Flame and Boomerang.

Agility (AG): Increases the player movement speed.

Sharp X68000 Overview:

Essentially an upgrade to the MSX original, the X68k version of Undeadline features a slightly lowered camera, tweaked gameplay, and two extra levels. Slowdown rampantly present in the MSX version has been taken out. Also, the graphics received a major overhaul, and bare closer resemblance to the later Mega Drive revision.

Basics:

Control:

“D-Pad” – Movement
Button “A” – Defense
Button “B” – Attack

Note: “Rensha” in the options screen activates auto-fire.

Characters:

Leon (Fighter)
ST: 4
MP: 1
DX: 2
AG: 8
Weapon: Dagger
Defense: Shield (Protects against forward projectiles)

Dino (Wizard)
ST: 1
MP: 4
DX: 2
AG: 7
Weapon: Fireball
Defense: Invisibility (Protects against projectiles, movement is still possible)

Ruika (Ninja)
ST: 2
MP: 1
DX: 4
AG: 10
Weapon: Shurikan
Defense: Jump (Short escape from both projectiles and enemies)

Note: Be careful, as Ruika can actually jump off of bridges to her death.

Weapons:

Dagger/Fireball/Shurikan: The starting weapon. Fires directly ahead from the right hand. Cannot be upgraded.

Fire: Forward firing fireball that eventually upgrades to a forward flamethrower.

Egg/Option: Summons a level-specific creature/elemental to follow in the path of the character providing extra firepower for the default weapon.

Axe: A strong boomerang-type weapon that is fired forward.

Boomerang: A difficult to control weapon that can be fired in any direction.

Ice: A powerful beam of ice is fired directly forward. Hits multiple times and can destroy multiple enemies.

Spread Shot: Throwing daggers are launched forward and at wide angles. Upgraded, this weapon will fire rearward as well.

Sword: A very strong melee weapon that, when upgraded, fires quick bursts straight ahead.

Scythe: A thrown weapon that can be curved by the player to hit lateral enemies.

Items:

Black Potion: Forces the default weapon back on the player.

Blue Potion: Restores a quarter of the energy bar.

Red Potion: Deals half of the energy bar in damage.

Yellow Potion: Grants temporary invincibility.

Dynamite: Destroys all enemies on screen except those underground or hidden. If the player is holding down the fire button, the character will continue to fire without setting off the dynamite. To trigger it, the player only has to release fire and tap it again.

Armor: Allows the player to take three hits but not receive damage. Once three hits have been received, the armor disappears.

Red Boot/Winged Boot: Temporarily increases player speed.

Lead Boot: Temporarily decreases player speed.

“P”: Current weapon achieves maximum power.

Other Items:

Diamonds: Found in chests, diamonds add to overall player score.

Fairies: Fairies are revealed by shooting various parts of the scenery in each stage. In any given stage three fairies can be revealed.

1up: Grants an extra life.

"?": The player is given a random item. This can be either good or bad.

Leveling Up:

At the end of each level, the player is given the chance to add stat points onto Strength, MP, Dexterity, or Agility. The number of points available is determined by how many fairies the player revealed and collected.

Strength (ST): Increases shot power for the Axe, Sword, and Throwing Knives.

Magic (MP): Increases shot power for Magic Blast, Ice, and Options.

Dexterity (DX): Increases shot power for the Flame, Scythe, and Boomerang.

Agility (AG): Increases the player movement speed.

Death:

Upon death, assuming that the player possesses at least one reserve life, the player will restart the current level with the weapon they possessed upon death. Upon rebirth, the power level of that weapon is reset. Fairies that have been found act as if they have not been found, and are reset.

Class Change

After finishing a level, the player is given the option to change class. For instance, if the player is the Magician, and wants to switch classes, he can become either a Magician-Fighter or Magician-Ninja. A change in stats is reflected as well. This can be used to great effect in order to take advantage of strengths a class might have on a particular stage.

Note: Your appearance will change depending on class combination.

Rank

The further you get into the game the harder the levels become. As such, it is recommended that you tackle harder stages first and leave easier stages until the end.

End-Game bonus

After completing the game, you are awarded 100,000 points for each remaining life.

Final Notes:

If playing on "Normal" difficulty you are healed slightly (25%) after each area. As such, barely making it through one starts the player off handicapped for the next. In order to curb this problem, learn where blue potions are stored.

Unlike the Mega Drive revision, Undeadline on the X68k does not allow you to use only one weapon for the entire game. Each level starts you with nothing and, as such, it is best to learn what weapon is more common in any given area.

Learn where the “P” power-up is. This item will instantly max out your current weapon, and make the rest of the level easier…if you have the right weapon.

Fairies are very important. Without them, you will be stunted in the later stages.

Beware of pits. They cause instant death.

Levels
ALL TACTICS ARE FOR THE WIZARD. ITEM BOXES WILL BE DIFFERENT FOR OTHER CHARACTERS.

Forest:

Suggested Weapon: Options.

"P" is at the very beginning on the left. Make sure to get the option box quickly. With the options, finding the fairies is easy. Simply weave back and forth across the screen, hitting as much of the scenery as possible.

Boss: Stone Golem. Stay at the bottom of the screen. The boss will weave up and down across the screen. He will stop at two alternating vertical points. When he's near the bottom, the stones he releases will pass harmlessly around you. When he's at the top, you must dodge straight up and then back down in order to avoid being hit. The idea is that with full options at the beginning of the level you will have almost full health. Using these tactics you should take minimal damage in a war of attrition with the boss.

Cemetary:

Suggested Weapon: Options (Fighter: Anything. "P" is between gravestones on the left side of the stage half-way through.)

As the wizard there is no "P" during the stage. However, the boss is weak against the Option and Ice weapons, enough so that you can point-blank the boss with full health without dying.

Boss: Wizard. If you have built up your speed, you can dodge left or right and avoid the directed laser. If you do get hit, the damage is minimal. Be careful, however, not to dodge toward the bottom of the screen. If you do so, the boss may advance toward the bottom where you will be unable to hit him. If you have the Options equipped, the boss will go down after one attack pattern.

Dungeon:

Suggested Weapon: Options

As the wizard I have not found a "P" in the dungeon. However, there are four option powerups in this level. The first is on the left side of the first branch. After picking that one up, move back to the right branch and keep advancing forward. There are three hidden chests further up the right side which contain options. There are in a vertical row and, with your previous option, are hard to miss.

Boss: Kraken

With full options the Kraken is a pushover. At the start of the fight he will sit for about ten seconds without moving or attacking. Use this time to blow off as many of his arms as possible. When he starts moving he will send out one or more of his arms to directly attack you. They move in a wave-like motion and can be avoided by hugging the top of the bridge and waiting for them to reach their apex. You can then dodge laterally underneath them. After all the arms are blown off the Kraken will send down bursts of water that cannot be blocked by the Fighter's shield nor the Ninja's jump. The Wizard, however, can simply become invisible until the Kraken lets up briefly. Quite simple.

Ruins:

Suggested Weapon: Ice, Options, Blast, Axe

Really, any weapon will do here since you will be getting the "P" relatively quickly and the boss is a cakewalk. There is a catch, however. The "P", which is halfway a quarter of the way through the level, is surrounded by hidden power downs. Above and below it are power downs which take away your weapon. On either side are red potions, which will hurt you. It is best to learn where the "P" is at and only reveal a few of the power downs. This way you can get to the "P" without hurting yourself.

Boss: Cloaked Skeleton

A pushover with any weapon. The boss moves laterally at the top of the screen with only two attack patterns. The first has him sending down waves of energy that damage you directly. The second attack has him opening up his cloak and letting bats swarm out of it. The best way to go about this boss is to move with him and, when he stops, keep moving slightly. There is a window before he attacks where he can be damaged. If he sends out bats, move back in front of him and keep firing. You can destroy the bats for extra points. If he sends out energy, just keep moving out of the way. He is particularly weak against the Ice weapon.

Mucas:

Suggested Weapon: Options, Ice

An X68k exclusive level, Mucas is actually rather interesting in that the entire level is one long corridor. There are also two "P" powerups in this level...something that doesn't seem to happen in any other level. Use the "P" icons to your advantage. Before the first "P", which is about one screen up on the left side, collect the Option powerup. This way, you can put pressure on the entire playing field and also expose those precious fairies (which are hiding in ducts on either side).

Boss: Medusa

Yep, she can turn you to stone. Good thing you're the wizard...right? Anyway, she's not particularly hard if you're fully powered up, no matter what weapon you have. She moves left and right firing bolts out of her eyes that, naturally, turn you to stone. She also rains down bullets on you at the same time. Add snakes, which she drops continuously, to the mix and you have a formidable foe...it would seem. In truth, if you're fully powered up, you can quickly destroy her eyes and turn invisible whenever here stone gaze is released. After that is gone she can only send bullets your way and drop snakes. Simply concentrate fire on here and dodge as necessary. It's a bit slower when using Options, but no harder.

Mold:

Suggested Weapon: Options

Another X68k exclusive. Mold is actually rather generic, though it does have a few interesting quirks. First of all, there is no "P" item that I've found. There is also a shortage of most weapons. However, there are at least three option boxes scattered throughout the level. As such, it is generally best to stick with those.

Boss: Blobs

Basically a mass of small blobs that chases you around the room while firing at you. Here is where the Options come in handy. First off, don't even try this level unless you're the Wizard. Otherwise you will get murdered. When the boss first appears, move to one side at the bottom of the screen and herd his bullets as you jink to the other side. When there is an opening, dash to the corresponding corner and wait for him to follow you. Turn invisible as needed to avoid his shots. If you have the Options you can drag them behind you to hit him while you're at the top. Once there is an opening on the opposite corner, dash there and wait for the boss to follow you. Once he is almost there, dash downward and unload on him. Keep doing this circular motion until they split up and eventually die.

Rock:

Suggested Weapon: Ice

Once again you need to be the Wizard. Right off the bat there is an Ice weapon on the right. Pick it up and stay on that side of the screen. About one screen up is a dynamite box on the far right side. You need to shoot it through a crevace but must run around and pick it up. Keep the dynamite (by not letting up on the shot button) until you come to a long bridge on the right side of the screen. At the end is a box that looks impossible to hit without falling off a cliff. Use the dynamite to open the box and grab the "P". Now, the "P" isn't exactly necessary, but it does help quite a bit. Without it you will have to go toe-to-toe with the boss. With it you can point-blank him and he will die without getting off an attack.

Boss: Fire Crawdad

Yes, he's an odd one. He's also a bastard (if you don't have fully powered Ice). He moves laterally (like so many of the other bosses), and will extend either claw to grab you and swing you about. This attack is almost impossible to avoid with any regularity. Much like the mid-boss of the Cemetary in the Genesis/Mega Drive version, this boss anticipates where you will be before it attacks. As such, the only way of avoiding the claw is to anticipate the attack and move in the opposite direction. In practice, the way to do this is to constantly swerve back and forth and hope to get lucky. Yes, it's that bad. Add in lasers shot out of his mouth and you have the most unbalanced boss in the game. The best bet is to simply stay in front of him and try to point-blank him with the Ice weapon. No other weapon does enough damage. If you can get enough hits in and manage to avoid enough attacks he will go down...assuming you came in with enough life. However, if you have a fully powered up Ice, simply point-blank him until he dies.


Caverns:

Suggested Weapon: Ice (Mostly for boss)

The Caverns level has very few duplicate items, so you will never really get the chance to power up. However, you will need to do just that, else the boss fight will last forever. I recommend picking up the Ice weapon early on and keeping it. It will cut through most enemies, and since you're the Wizard your MP should be through the roof. Now, the kicker. The "P" is hidden behind a wall on the left side of the stage just before the boss. There are actually four walls throughout the level that can be destroyed.

Boss: Three-headed Dragon

Meet the second biggest pain in the ass in X68k Undeadline. As the name suggests, there are three heads. As such, there are three individual targets. The idea is to focus fire on one until it is destroyed then move onto the next one. This is complicated, however, by the fact that the dragon will be constantly advancing toward you. You will need to lure him down to the bottom then back up to the top repeatedly. Now, this is once again a level where being the Wizard is key. During the entire process the Dragon is spitting fireballs that break into eight pieces and scatter in a 360-degree pattern. You need to be constantly switching back and forth between firing and invisible. Good luck.

Final Level - Fortress

Suggested Weapon: Options or Magic Blast

I'm not going to lie to you. Your success in this level is based on luck. Basically, if you don't get the "P" in the very first random chest this level becomes much more of a crap shoot.

In short, there are only three key points in this level.

Choke Point A: The first is the courtyard before you enter the fortress. The best way to tackle this portion is to swipe a weapon from the initial chests and hope that you get a "P" in the random box. After picking up the necessary weaponry, jink through the fire-spitting columns into the center of the level. You can fake out the flames by advancing so that you're almost halfway through and then backtracking. They will fire, allowing you a short time to make it through before they reload. There is also an armor in a hidden chest just before the columns end. You'll need it to make it to the dynamite on the left side as the harpies swarm you.

Choke Point B: You will come across a series of moving platforms. The movement and placement is entirely random, so it is best to wait until you see a clear path before committing. Keep in mind that sometimes there will be no way through. Luck.

Choke Point C: Immediately after the moving platforms is another swarm section. The brains will come at you from all sides and you will be swarmed with harpies. You NEED to expose the hidden armor on the right side of the screen before things get too hectic. All I can say is that it's better to take a few hits than a collision with an enemy. Also, if you're not already powered up there is a "P" on the far right side next to the last column. In short, never stop moving or firing. If you have the options they will stop many bullets from hitting you from the sides while providing covering fire. The Magic blast does much the same thing.

Final Boss: Cyberdemon

Personally, I try to come into this battle equipped with the Options, since the Magic Blast takes far to long to kill the boss and allows you many more opportunities to make a mistake.

The boss only has two attack patterns, but they are active together. After he materializes from the portal there will be a brief pause before he starts attacking. Use this opportunity to point-blank him with your weapon of choice. Next, the boss will begin firing lasers from the top of the screen as his forearms detach and start seeking you out. Basically, you want to move around the level in a large square, staying to the extremeties. The forearms will, if you never stop moving, miss you as they will stay on the outside. While this is going on you will be fired upon by vertical lasers. They materialize at the top of the screen and give a warning before descending. In short, try to stay between the two so that you're never trapped near the edge of the screen. If you do get trapped there you're probably easy prey for the arms.


Suggested Level Progression

Since rank comes into effect during later levels it is best to dispose of harder levels first.

1.) Cemetary - At high rank there is almost no way to make it through the latter half of the stage. The fairies are also relatively simple to find, so you can power up easily.

2.) Rock - The boss is a beast at high rank.

3.) Dungeon - Due to the confined space you will get hit. At higher rank the enemies fire faster and will likely kill you quickly.

4.) Cavern - The level is easy, but the boss gains endurance at high rank.

5.) Mold - Once again, the level isn't overly hard due to non-firing enemies, but the boss becomes tricky.

6.) Ruin - A generally easy level since the "P" is near the beginning and Options allow you to cover the level like a shotgun.

7.) Mucas - The powered up Option can sweep the entire playing field. Without it, this level becomes impossible at this rank. However, with the Options it is relatively easy.

8.) Forest - Leave this one for last. With the "P" at the beginning you can use options to cut a path through everything. The boss becomes a trick, however...

9.) Fortress - Last level. Honestly, it's 70% luck.

There's something you should mention about the Crescent weapon for the MegaDrive version. This weapon, when fully powered up, goes right after chests regardless of how many enemies are on the screen. As handy as it can be, this is a major downside to it, as it can leave you wide open to damage.

It's actually covered under general strategy, but might as well dup it in weapons.

Woohoo, thanks for the ST! I've just started playing on the MSX2+ and didn't even know about the defense option.

I've found that using the turbo slider on my MSX2+ is better for quick firing than the Ren-sha option, although the Space Invaders effect is in full force and will take some getting used to. The many times you'll be able to quickly bounce shots into an enemy makes up for it though.

Quick question - on the Mega Drive version, I don't see which attribute affects the spread shot's strength. Or is there one?

The spread shot is the throwing knives, which is governed by the "ST" bar on the chartacter attributes screen between levels.

Logical enough. Thanks for the quick reply.

Update: Basic boss strategy added. Misc info added.

Huge X68k update. ...not that anyone is interested.

Thanks for the ST, Damocles, it was really helpful

Speaking of Mega drive version, I clear the "Ruins" level with the Flamethrower; for "Drain" I go to the Crescent weapon. Everything else I just use the Crossed-Swords

The last level is hard as hell, that Dracula miniboss is really annoying, but the final boss is indeed a joke. Once you learn the pattern is impossible to get hit.

I've played the Mega Drive version for over a week now, I made it to the last level today. I would never have done it if it wasn't for this awesome strategy guide you made, Damocles. Thanks! I have some questions, hope you can give me answers.

It seems to me that Dracula on the Cave stage gets stronger as you level up by beating other stages before Cave. If I begin at Cave and point-blank him, he will die directly at my second attack. But with other levels beaten, it takes a lot more time! Have you noticed this?

Do you have a translation of the story? I'd really like to have it and can't find it anywhere.

Hmm...I can't say I've ever noticed any rank in the Genny rev. Then again, I rarely tackle Cave early. Makes me wonder, though, because increased power due to fairies should balance things back in your favor. I'll do some research...it might be applicable to bosses and sub-bosses only.

I don't have a direct translation for Genesis Undeadline, though I would love to read the opening. Here is the story translation for the MSX original. Similar stories with variances between the three versions.

Ugh... Came to the last boss. Pressed extremely slightly down/right instead of right and got killed by the hand when going to dogde the eye beam. Oh well, I'll try again tomorrow. The problem were neither of the bosses, only getting to them.

I played in this order: Cave, Ruins, Rock, Forest, Drain and Cemetary. I used all my fairies for DX and AG. Used spread on Cave, fire on Ruins, spread on Rock and Forest, Cresent on Drain, Cemetary and Castle. Forest bosses took forever to kill with no ST power-up, as well as the blue caterpillars (and green on Rock), so I think there is "rank". Cemetary and Drain bosses were extremely easy with cresent though and regular enemies are a lot easier to get rid of once you are fully powered with it. When I got full power of it on Castle with a shield, I was able to reach the bosses for the first time.

Here are two tips for the last bosses I found out when I didn't beat the game today: Stay vertically away from the mid-boss when fighting him. His death-laser will destroy your shield -_-. And run up to the center as far as you can, otherwise the last boss will hit you immediately.

Yeah, you need to be point-blank with the final boss almost immediately to avoid taking a hit. As for the mid-boss, try to have an option left to do extra damage and take out some of the shots he fires. He'll go down quickly.

Thanks for helping me beat the game. Here are two links you might like:

http://mijet.eludevisibility.org/Undead ... dline.html
http://cgi.ebay.com/UNDEADLINE-msx-comp ... dZViewItem

Hah! A patch for the Genny rev. Awesome. I'll have to add story segments to the ST.

Alright...so I finally figured out the weapon "bug" that had been...ahem...bugging me. If you're at full power with any given weapon, then pick up a different weapon type, you'll go back to weapon level 1 on the new weapon. However, if you die without upgrading the new weapon, you can pick the old weapon and will immediately be at full power.

Makes me think they knew people would occasionally accidentally grab the wrong item then die because of it. ...and who said the game never throws you a bone.



...also, added intro text...

Alright, I played through again last night in a slightly different order. I'm starting to think that Zebbe might be right. However, I think it might be based on weapon power/weapon type. On the final level I switched to Lv. 1 crescent, and it seemed like bullets were slower than usual. Dying then switching back to full-level spread, the bullets seemed at normal speed. Dunno if this is due to power level or weapon type.

...twas a relatively good run too...

As soon as I get the castle 100% perfect I'm going to start milking the levels and seeing if I can break 3mil.

I really need some help guys. I finally made it to the final boss but I don't know how to beat it. The 2 snake appendages constantly rain down blue fire, so I concentrate on taking them out first. But after a minute, its head detaches from its body and starts to fly in front of me. It follows me everywhere shooting blue fire from its mouth, or fly straight into me doing massive damage. I did notice that when the head is separated from its body a yellow-orange head is present. I assume this is the boss's weak point, but I don't last long enough to find out. I need a strategy!




EDIT - Nevermind, I figured it out. I have to kill the snake appendages first then attack the yellow-orange head. Takes a really looong time to do it though.

Heh...beat me to it. What weapon and path are you using?

I always choose the axe, its attack power is high and has better recovery time compared to the throwing knifes. The only stage I ever use the throwing knifes is during the Ruins stage, mainly because I can't find more than one Axe powerup. Don't know much about other weapons since I only pick Leon.

My path is usually the first 3 stages in order: Forest > Cemetary > Ruins. I know where all fairies are hidden for those stages, so I can boost my stats easily before tackling the others. The last 3 stages I take Dungeon > Rocks > Cavern. I have difficult time playing through Rocks and Caverns so I save tham for last.

I posted a video of me fighting the final boss, to see what I'm talking about. It's best to use the axe since it can pass over the floating head to hit your mark. While you send out a volley of axes, immediately switch to your shield for defense, then move left/right to guide the axes to the target. I've never manage to destroy the floating head, I don't think it can't be killed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryw4kYqLId0

Excellent stuff! Whenever I get around to writing the in-depth MSX guide, I'll definately be hitting you up, as I only use the wizard.

Funny thing about the Undeadlines...final bosses are so damn tedious. MD isn't so bad, but X68K is much like MSX in that you're basically looping the screen for a few minutes. God forbid you reach the boss without a strong weapon...

I've finished the MSX game eons ago.

Yesterday I begun playing the X68K version, and this helped me a lot. Thank you Damocles

It seems if you die or pass the stage in the X68K version with the Diamond, you keep your weapons.

This may make the game a lot easier if you use it properly and power up the Boomerang with Ruika.. and manage to keep it through the whole game.

The ROCKS boss is freaking impossible to me so far.

EDIT: Not really. You keep your weapons when you pass a stage when playing on EASY (Two videos I saw of the game were on this difficulty, that's why I didn't understand how the player was keeping his weapon). And at least playing with Ruika, it seems wehn you die you keep your weapon if it was at least at power 3 or 4.

This guide helped me a lot, but I am tackling some bosses with different strategies, and I found to be easier my way I am also playing with Ruika, not Dino, though I switch her to Wizard as soon as I can. I could only beat the ROCKS boss playing it as the first stage, using Ruika and a fully powered boomerang (It's a lot easy to get the P using the boomerang on this stage).

The fully powered boomerang is a very strong weapon, even stronger than a fully powered egg/options. Problem is that's really hard to keep it powered up, and at its initial power, its one of the worst weapons of the game.

Anyone would care about new strategies for the bosses?

Ok, last stage is fucking impossible.

I can get it there with some easiness now -I still have trouble with the ROCKS level if I can't get the P with a boomerang and reach the boss with at least 70% of my life, and I always play it first, and I need to lose a life in the Forest level, as the last one, so I can come back with 3 options and then grab just one.. so I can put all together at the boss and kill it in just 2-3 seconds

But the last stage? How the hell am I supposed to get past that thing? When the big faires come all over the screen, its just freaking impossible. I could never reach the diamond before dying.

ANd what comes before this, what the heck, I need to time my pass thorugh the fire columns, while I am being bombarded by shotes AND those brainy things are coming at me!

It's not just luck... what the heck the guys had in mind when designing that level? It took me just 3 days of playing it to get there (With a lot of help from this guide, for sure), but I don't see me being able to beat that level ever!

try switching to a different character?