Astro Rabby
Game Boy
Developer: Cyclone Systems Publisher: IGS
By: GammaBetaAlpha
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Table of Contents
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How to Play [HOWT]
Walkthrough [WALK]
Donations/Amazon [DONT]
Contact Info [CONT]
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How to Play
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[HELP]
Astro Rabby is a weird combination of a top-down platformer and vertical
shooter. As the titular Rabby, you go through 24 stages, 16 of which will
scroll, forcing you to continue along the stage. Of the aforementioned 16
scrolling stages, each will loop over after a while.
In each stage, multiple blocks litter the landscape that have a ? mark
on them. By jumping and landing on the ? block, it exposes an item type
underneath. Some items add to your score, others decrease your score, and one
adds time to your time counter. If you run out of time, you lose the level. If
you fall down a pre-existing hole, or create one by hitting a block or tile too
many times, you lose the level. If you get hit by or come in contact with a
damaging type of enemy, the space tortoise, then as you would expect you lose
the level.
To win, you must locate a flashing heart tile hidden by a ? in each
level, and stomp on it to complete the level.
Tiles
-----
! - 5000 points
Shaded Block - 200 points
Skull - Removes 1000 points
Clock - Adds 50 seconds
Heart - Completes Level
Warps
-----
Throughout the game, there may be hidden blocks that you do not see
until you land on it with a 'W' symbol. These Warps will transport you ahead to
the start of the next full stage. The author, however, has only discovered one
Warp, in Stage 6-1. If you know the location of any more, feel free to send an
email to him using the email at the bottom of this guide.
Power-Ups
---------
By shooting at enemies in stages, sometimes but not always they will
drop power-ups that you can use to increase your abilities.
B - Adds 10 bullets
J - Increases jump height
S - Increases speed
In between stages, you will occasionally be allowed to upgrade your
techniques.
Bullet Stock - adds 30 bullets
Protector - Presumably protects Rabby from a single hit
Power Wing - Gives you greater jump movement (?)
Shock Absorber - Prevents Rabby from cracking normal tiles as he lands on them.
However, cracked tiles will still be destroyed.
Sound Stages
------------
In the third part of each stage, you will have a static-screen set of
tiles with multiple ? blocks. Each of the blocks has a certain frequency of
sound that will play when you land on it, and there are two blocks for each
frequency. By bouncing from one block to its opposite you can destroy both of
them, and you must destroy all the blocks before the time runs out to win.
Note that you do not have to make a landing right on the matching block
after landing on a sound block - you can land on a blank block or a broken block
first as long as you do not break the sound combo.
Jumping and Maneuvering
-----------------------
Throughout the game, you will find that you need to make picture-perfect
jumps and landings to avoid dying too often, if at all. That said, there are a
few quirks of mechanics that you need to know about to have an excellent
runthrough.
When landing on a block, you will only damage it if you land on it about
centred. If you land slightly to the left, right, or below, you will not damage
it (of course, this also applies to if you are trying to break a ? tile or claim
a power-up). You can use this to string jumps between cracked blocks when
required without breaking it. However, if you stand on the bottom side of a
block, asteroids, while not normally capable of damaging Rabby, can push him off
the platform.
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Walkthrough
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[WALK]
Stage 1-1
---------
This is a mostly forgiving first stage for you to get used to the
controls. Some parts of the ground will look stable, but they can break on a
second's notice and a mole will surface up and take up the space for a few
seconds before surfacing again, with the ground looking unbroken again.
Stage 1-2
---------
Most of this stage is space, so you need to be more careful with your
jumps - if you land in space, you lose a life. Also, a spaceship will hover
around the field, sometimes transforming into a cyclone. When you spot it, you
can shoot with the B button if you chose the Bullet Stock power-up after the
last stage.
Unfortunately, most of the ? blocks seem to be filled with skulls, so be
sure to verify what is under a block before smashing into it a second time or
else you risk losing lots of points.
Stage 1-3
---------
This is a bonus stage. Each of the blocks has a certain frequency of
sound that will play when you land on it, and there are two blocks for each
frequency. By bouncing from one block to its opposite you can destroy both of
them, and you must destroy all the blocks before the time runs out to win.
Note that you do not have to make a landing right on the matching block
after landing on a sound block - you can land on a blank block or a broken block
first as long as you do not break the sound combo.
Stage 2-1
---------
Returning back to a ground stage, you have a small strip of a gap, so be
sure to watch out for those when they come around. More monsters will populate
this level then the previous three areas. While they do not really attack Rabby,
they still may burrow up from previously unbroken ground. On the other hand, you
can attack them and they may drop power-ups of the Jump or Speed variety (J and
S power-ups).
Stage 2-2
---------
In a trend that will repeat throughout the game, the second part of the
stage takes place in space. In addition to the spaceships that hover around
(vaguely resembling tortoises) and turn into cyclones, there will be a section
of the level where asteroids will pop out of the top right of the screen and
come down-left. The asteroids will not harm you on contact, but if you jump and
touch an asteroid, it will push you off your course. Additionally, if you stand
on the underside of a block, it can push you off.
There are a number of clocks in this level, so be certain to grab the
timer replenishers every time you spot one. Most of the ? marks will give you
Blocks, worth a mere 200 points, so do not bother with most of them when
rescrolling through the stage on your second and third go-around.
The spaceships/space tortoises will give off a (B)ullet power-up
whenever shot, which replenishes your bullet stock by 10 bullets.
Stage 2-3
---------
The third stage continues the trend of ground-space-sound that you will
encounter throughout the game. As before, match the sounding blocks before time
runs out. Note that you can GLIDE over cracked blocks without breaking them, but
jumping and landing on them WILL break them - keep this in mind as it may simply
be easier to glide across each section of blocks and jump once you hit a ? block
instead of making a long jump and landing.
Stage 3-1
---------
Stage 3-1 significantly increases the number of enemies hanging around,
including moles in the dirt ground, frogs in the swampy area, and some plant
monsters as well. The amount of power-ups you can snag also increases, as they
may start dropping (S)peed power-ups in addition to Jump and Bullet power-ups.
A large number of the ? blocks will be skullheads, so be certain to
avoid double-jumping on blocks until you are certain of what is underneath them.
The terrain also includes a large amount of swampy area, so be certain
to avoid landing on them unless you have an active Shock Absorber power-up.
Stage 3-2
---------
In the latest space stage, no new surprises. Blocks and tile blocks are
grouped together in larger sections and rows than the last stage, so there is
less delicate hopping around to and fro. Take your time as you go through the
stage, as there are numerous ! blocks that give you 5000 points each time you
hit such a tile, along with Timers to increase your time for the level.
Stage 3-3
---------
As always, a sound-based level. The layout changes again, but like 2-3
most of the blocks are clustered together, making it nowhere as near as
difficult to get around as 1-3 was.
Stage 4-1
---------
4-1 introduces a large number of ice panels which your avatar will slip
across when landing on or walking across. It is actually far easier to get
around simply by sliding across the ice, but they can be broken like any other
tile when landing on one. Numerous moles inhabit the level as well, however, so
be sure to watch out for them. There are also a few large spots here and there
of space tiles. Finally, this level is fairly long compared to previous tiles,
so be certain to snag a timer power-up whenever you locate one.
Stage 4-2
---------
This stage can be a headache as it starts out with numerous cracked
blocks. Being in space, sometimes you may have to make use of a cracked block.
You can avoid an untimely death through one of two techniques. One of them is to
jump very quickly after landing, avoiding breaking the block. The other is to
land on the 'underside' of the block (about the bottom quarter of the tile),
which will avoid cracking and breaking the block again.
A small asteroid shower appears about halfway through the stage. Like
prior, they do not harm you, but if you jump when an asteroid is approaching, it
will push you off target. Near the end of the level, another space tortoise will
appear.
At the end of the level, you will run into a large cross-section of
blocks. Most of these will be Skull tiles, but the Heart tile should be
underneath one of them. You will likely have to do a couple of go-arounds before
you discover the correct tile.
Stage 4-3
---------
Once more, another sound-based match the tiles stage. This level will be
more difficult than the corresponding part of the 2nd and 3rd area, and more
like the 1st, as you will have to do a large amount of hopping around and
careful maneuvering to avoid falling into space or slipping off a tile once
landing.
Stage 5-1
---------
A new environment type comes into play as you get a desert level. There
are no empty tiles for Rabby to fall through, and the number of tiles that can
be broken is significantly reduced - grey-shaded tiles can be broken, but the
white sand tiles cannot be, so you can jump to your heart's delight.
However, enemy cacti will sprout from the ground as you go through the
stage. If you shoot at a cactus as it is sprouting, not as soon as it pops up
but before it has fully emerged, you can destroy it. Some but not all of the
time, you should be able to get a Bullet or Speed power-up. Touching a cactus
will result in instant-death. Additionally, as the stage loops over, any cacti
that were there from your first go-around will remain, and once fully emerged
they cannot be destroyed. As a result, you will have to carefully slide around
or jump over the cacti once the stage loops.
Near the end of the stage, you should also come across a cluster of ?
tiles together. Right after this, the level loops over.
Stage 5-2
---------
This is likely the most difficult stage you will thus far have faced in
the game, as there are incredibly few tiles with large jumps to make between
each tile. Additionally, there are numerous obstacles such as asteroids and a
few other objects that float across space coming from the right-hand side of the
screen. These will not harm Rabby, but will push you off balance if you make a
jump and contact it, much like with the asteroids.
Most of the ? tiles will have ! tiles underneath, granting 5000 points a
pop as you make your way through them.
Due to the very small number of blocks, take the advice given in the
stage for 4-2. You can avoid an untimely death through one of two techniques.
One of them is to jump very quickly after landing, avoiding breaking the block.
The other is to land on the 'underside' of the block (about the bottom quarter
of the tile), which will avoid cracking and breaking the block again.
Stage 5-3
---------
Once more, a sound-based level, which follows the exact same layout of
blocks as the previous sound block match-up area.
Stage 6-1
---------
This area is infested with the small and large mole enemies, so be
careful to stay away from the ground when jumping around. In addition to that,
there are a large number of already broken tiles, so manuever around carefully
and be sure to control your direction of landing lest you slide into a hole.
WARP POINT: Right before the stage loops, just above a large block on
the far left hand side of the level. Sends you to Stage 7-1.
Stage 6-2
---------
Again an annoying space level, as it happens to be fairly long such that
you may not even be able to do a full two run-throughs of the entire level, even
if you get every timer power-up, and has a multitude of asteroids, space debris,
and three space tortoises per loop. Additionally, there are a large number of
skull tiles littered throughout the level, along with large distances between
single tiles. Your jumping skills will need to be up to snuff by this point in
the game to be able to get through the stage unscathed, and the only real advice
the author has for that is practice, practice, practice.
Stage 6-3
---------
Once more, the layout of 6-3 follows the same layout as 5-3 and 4-3.
Stage 7-1
---------
7-1 significantly ramps up the complexity as you return to a desert
stage. Much like 5-1, sand tiles cannot be destroyed when you jump on them. In
turn, however, mole enemies may pop up at random, and they will appear in large
numbers.
Making the moles more aggravating than normal is the existence of a very
large number of blocks in the stage, forming a maze if you attempt to stick to
the ground when not striking blocks. While there are a large number of skull
tiles littered among the ? blocks, there are also an amazing amount of timer
power-ups, so be sure to explore like crazy as you can do several runthroughs to
grab the ! tiles and locate the Heart block.
Stage 7-2
---------
7-2 is another difficult stage like on par with 5-2 and 6-2, with very
few tiles and long, precise jumps that you will have to make. As before, the
amount of space debris that litters the stage will also make your jumps
difficult, so make sure to wait an asteroid or other item out if it looks like
it will interrupt you. A couple of space tortoises will also pop up throughout
each run-through of the level.
Stage 7-3
---------
7-3 continues to follow the exact same X-shaped with a couple of pair
blocks layout as 4-3, 5-3, and 6-3 all did as well.
Stage 8-1
---------
The first part of the last world of the game is fairly vicious. Besides
being really long, meaning you really will have to find the heart block most
likely on your first loop (and scramble to locate a few timer power-ups
besides), it takes place in space, meaning lots of large, empty spaces that it
is all too easy to fall down.
Compounding this are the large number of ice tiles which, while the
stage is fairly contiguous in that you never really have to jump so long as you
sidle around to keep going up while sliding, can prove a menace to staying bound
to the ground. Additionally, there are as always a large number of enemies that
will pop up, both moles from the air as well as space tortoises, as well as a
small smattering of cacti that will sprout from the ground at one point in the
level.
Stage 8-2
---------
As the last 'real' stage, you may as well splurge on all the power-ups
you can get beforehand in the power-up menu, especially for stablising your
jumps and landings.
Most of the level is a fairly straightforward hopscotch, where you can
only jump to a single block ahead of you, wait for the screen to scroll, then
hop over to the next one. You absolutely MUST hit every ? block to see what is
underneath it, as you will easily run out of time before hitting the end of the
level if you do not get at least two timer power-ups.
Once you hit the end of the level, you will have a cluster of ? blocks
together. Strike them to locate the Heart block and finish the level.
Stage 8-3
---------
The final level of the game and the last sound-based stage, the layout
finally changes up a bit as you get a large cross-section of blocks in the
middle, surrounded by three lone sound blocks on either side. Stick to the
centre for a bit to knock out what you can before pairing up the remaining in
the centre with the ones outside to wrap up the game.
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Donations/Amazon
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[DONT]
I don't really care too much about donations, but if you are feeling
generous, feel free to send one via PayPal to gammabetaalphafaqs AT gmail DOT
com
Alternatively, if you ever order any items from Amazon.com, go to the
link below. You do not have to buy anything right away, but (if you do not clear
browser cookies often) any items you buy within the next 90 days will count as a
'referral order' to me, meaning I get anywhere from 4-6% as a referral/affiliate
payment of what you ordered (ie. order $100 worth of stuff, I get $4-6 from
Amazon.com)
www.amazon.com/?&camp=212361&linkCode=wsw&tag=raofavigafa-20&creative=391881
Other than that, considering this FAQ is for an obscure old game, if you
have any other obscure old games that you do not play anymore, consider sending
them to me (I will even pay the shipping cost!). I write FAQs for plenty of
obscure old games with no FAQs, and having a physical copy of the game (and even
better, a manual) is superior to not. You can email me if interested at
gammabetaalphafaqs AT gmail DOT com
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Contact Info
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[CONT]
Although I believe I have found everything there is to find in this
game, there is occasionally the possibility of some super secret level in an
obscure game that was never found because it was too obscure, or the like. If
you have anything that you feel needs to be includes, feel free to email me at
gammabetaalphafaqs AT gmail DOT com
If you have any other information to contribute or notice any errors,
again, shoot me a notice at gammabetaalphafaqs AT gmail DOT com
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FAQ semi-public domain: you can host it without asking and derive information
from it word-for-word if you wish, but keep the document unchanged if hosting it
and give credit where due if using information
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