CID'S ROCKET
Return to the town where you met Cid (beyond the mountains by the Gold Saucer), and go to the back where the rocket ship is. The place is swarming with Shinra, and when you approach the ship, you'll have to battle soldiers. At the top of the stairs, you'll face more guards. Once you've cleared them, Cid will show up and join you if he's not already with you. (If this happens, a command window with some buttons appears in it...what for?) Climb the ladder and you'll fight yet again; this time, it's against the bald punk from the sunken plane and two more Shinra soldiers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------- TIPS (hey, he's not even a boss!) (hp: 9000 mp: 240) Attacking should do the trick, especially if you've got the Dual Attack materia equipped. He can raise a Mabarrier when the guards are killed, so don't bother with magic. Aside from casting Bolt spells and a 500- damage ground wave, this guy can heal himself for about 1100 hit points. If you kill him before killing the guards, you win the battle instantly. -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once inside the ship, you enter _another_ battle. Go north into the main room, where Cid will talk to the workers. After the ship lifts off, walk to the right and climb up the ladder. Examine the blue object and choose the top option. Cid will talk to Cloud and then numbered boxes will appear. Instead of removing them with the O button, punch in the following code:
First Message (1): O Second Message (2): S Third Message (3): X Fourth Message (4): X
If you did it correctly, the glass tube will open and you can take the blue object. If you mess up, you'll have 3 minutes to get the code right.
Should the time run out, the blue object is lowered into the ground. Return to the entry room and climb down the ladder; when you get near the sparking tanks, they will explode. With a little help from the girl who lives at Cid's house, you'll free Cid from under a piece of metal. Follow the girl into the next room; it's actually an escape capsule. After a long automatic sequence, you'll find yourself back in the Highwind, with that red satellite in the sky looming ever closer. If you do enter the code, the same event occurs, but at least you have the blue item.
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Midgard TOWN UNDER SIEGE
Now, get in the airship and fly back to Cosmo Town (it's near the rocky area where the sky changes color). Climb up to the observatory where you met the old man who led you through the caves back in the first disc. Cloud will phone his friends and tell them to come up to the observatory. After your pals leave, Cloud will be alone with the old man and three large chunks of colored stone. Touch any of the stones and choose the bottom option to return to the Highwind (I'm not sure how the first option works, and why it only works on one stone and not the rest). Head back to the Ancient City on the Northern Continent (don't worry, you can land in the blue canyon). Take the left path at the crossroads and return to the room with the big blue crystal (it's to the right of the building with the Save Point). When the old man finishes talking after you've approached the crystal, he'll use the spikey object you found in the underwater passage to trigger a waterfall that washes over the area. Go to the crystal again, and you'll see images of Aerith. As you leave the room, Cait Sith calls you on Cloud's cell phone and another automated sequence occurs. Once you leave the Ancient City and try to board the Highwind, another huge monster shows up. You can't attack it while in the airship (and you can't get to it in the sub), so wait for it to reach the continent. If you try to touch it once it's on land, there's another FMV sequence.
(NOTE: I didn't do this until Disc 3, so it may not work until then, but...if you return to Cosmo Town with Red 13 in your party, then the old man will die and Red 13 will mourn him. Afterwards, if you go to the observatory and examine the large floating blue stone <the one to the far right>, pick the top option. The game will pause for a moment, and you'll get a Summon Materia <Bahamut Zero>.)
Now that the shield around the Northern Continent is no longer active, return there once the sequence finishes. There's some more talking among your characters and the Shinra executives. Go back and try to fly the airship 'into' Makoro Town, and you and your allies will gather together. Once you're on the airship's deck, choose the top option to assemble a new party, or the bottom option to leap off the ship and parachute into the city. Follow your teammates to an alley where a Save Point is, then examine the wooden panel to reveal a hidden passage. At the bottom, head north, then east. Go up the slope and when you get to the dead end, you can find two chests; one to the right and one to the left. Head back to the start and go down the stairs, then head down the ladder. Walk to the left and climb up the ladder in the back. Get the chest and go back down, then keep heading right. When the floor gives way, go to the left and head up the ladder. When you reach the top, follow the walkway until you see a large chute; enter it and you'll be taken to another area. Take the chest to the right and go down the ladder, then stand on the gray bar and push down-forward to jump onto the lip of the chute marked '42'. Enter the chute and climb up the ladder on the other end to find a treasure chest. Then, return to the bottom level, climb the ladder, and then go left for another chest. Go up the staircase and you'll arrive at a door and a Save Point.
Climb through the crawlway beyond the door, then head north. Three punks from the Shinra will make an appearance. Choose the bottom option and they'll leave; choose the top option and you'll have to fight them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSS TIPS - man with weapon (hp: 25000 mp: 200) - woman (can't see her stats.) - bald guy (hp: 28000 mp: 250)
The bald guy is healed by fire attacks, and can punch one character for 2000 damage. He fights like he did at the rocket in section 4k. The lady can hurl flames that damage all members for about 500-600 points, and the armed guy has a spark attack that hits for 800 points of damage. Alone, their attacks aren't anything too dangerous, but with all three of them, this battle becomes tougher than it first seems. As usual, Barrier and Haste yourselves as soon as possible, then use damaging spells like Ultima and Meteor, as well as Summon Materia. Try to save Phoenix until you really need it (since it will heal the bald guy, use it only if your other teammates are dead). They'll all escape after you dole out enough punishment. -------------------------------------------------------------------------
There's a lot of cool items to grab in this section of the city (maybe you should of gotten them before the battle...I forgot about that ;)) While some of the passages split off in two directions, one direction always ends at a blocked door, so just keep going south. After a while, you'll run into Barett. Keep on going, and you'll find a treasure chest on the left wall of one of the splitting passage-rooms. At the next splitting room, there's a chest near the sparking wall right between the two passages. Red 13 is also here. Two screens later, you'll find two more chests in the center of the splitting passage. The good news is that in the next hallway is a Save Point, and to the right of it, a Yellow Materia (Dual Item). The bad news is that it's a dead end and you have to go all the way back. A note about the characters you meet; they obviously don't show up if they're in your party, so you may meet other characters than the ones listed in this section.
North from the first hall is a split passage; Yuffie is here. You'll also notice that you can go left or right. Go right and you'll find Tifa in the hallway. Beyond her is Cid and another passage; the right passage leads to a dead-end, so take the left route. Climb up the ladder and you'll find yourself back at the Shinra Headquarters. When you approach the building, Cait Sith pops out. There's nothing of interest in the entirety of the building, unless you missed something the first time. However, on floor 64, check out the locker room in the back of the floor, to the right. You can get two items; one in the first row of lockers, and one in the back (I don't think you could get to them before). Return to the room with Yuffie and head left and climb up the left side of the red beams. When you land on the street, a huge machine shows up, controlled by the fat man and the lady from Shinra. After taunting you, you'll have to fight them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSS TIPS - head (can't see it's stats.) - chest (hp: 20000 mp: 300)
This mechanical monstrosity has two parts; a head and a chest area that you can aim your attacks at. For it's size, the boss can only cause around 500-800 damage with any of it's attacks. Barrier and Haste your group, then use Limit Breaks and physical attacks; there's no need to waste magic unless you want to heal yourself or summon monsters. From time to time, the robot will kneel; fight quickly since it can fire a blue laser ray from the gun on it's back that hits for 1100 damage to all members. Even after you destroy the chest area, you'll still have to keep on attacking it. After awhile, the battle ends. -------------------------------------------------------------------------
After the machine explodes, it starts to rain. Head north to find a Save Point and two treasure chests. Go up the ladder and talk to Cait Sith, then follow him. Vincent is waiting for you on the landing, and there's a blue chest on the top of the next stairway. If Barett's in your party, there's some dialogue with him once you get the item (which I guess is a weapon for Barett--but you can't level-up Materia with it equipped). However, the chest won't appear if Barett isn't in your party (NSS). At the top of the next stairwell, run to the right. Talk to the operator at the control panels, and you get to fight him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSS TIPS - first form (hp: 13000 mp: 250) - tentacle m (hp: 10000 mp: 200) - floating m (hp: 11000 mp: 120) - second form (hp: 26000 mp: 200) - both limbs (share hp with body) - third form (can't see his stats.)
This boss can create monsters to guard him. Keep attacking until he dies. He'll then become a large beast, but his attacks are weak, though he can put a character to sleep. In his third incarnation, he can hit a character multiple times, poison them, and mute them. However, even his multiple-hit moves strike for only 200-500 damage so he's a rather easy boss overall, but if he hits you more than 2 times in succession, you run the risk of falling asleep. -------------------------------------------------------------------------
You'll return to the Highwind after killing the boss. There's a short sequence with Tifa and Cloud afterward, then the Highwind blasts off into the sky.