Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies

Bonus options:
Successfully complete all 18 missions, then save the game. Load the saved game to unlock the following new options at the main menu. The "Special Continue" option allows the entire game to be replayed with new fighters and weapons, plus the money earned in the first game. The "Free Mission" option allows any mission to be played. The "Trial Mission" option allows the game to be played in either score attack or time attack modes. The "Scene Viewer" allows FMV sequences to be played. The "Music Player" option allows any of the 36 songs in the game to be played.

Expert mode:
Successfully complete the game under the hard difficulty setting to unlock the expert difficulty setting.

Ace mode:
Successfully complete the game under the expert difficulty setting to unlock the ace difficulty setting.

All aircraft:
Use the following steps to unlock all aircraft, including special colors. First, acquire an aircraft by destroying it in battle. This is easy, except for three aircraft. Forget the ground targets and dogfight instead, which is the true nature of an ace. You can acquire three different paint schemes for each aircraft. Two of the paint schemes can be acquired by destroying that color aircraft in battle. To acquire the special brightly colored third aircraft, you must find and kill the pilot flying it. On each level of the game there is a single hidden aircraft (eighteen total hidden aircraft). Each one of these aircraft has a specific pilot. When you see the aircraft in front of you and lock on, it will display the pilot's name next to the aircraft name and lock on square. For example, "S-37A SMIRNOVA". The hidden aircraft will not show up on radar until you get nearby. On radar, the aircraft will be marked with a red triangle instead of yellow. Each hidden aircraft is always in the same place on their specific level. This is always in an empty spot on the map away from the main combat zone. The aircraft can usually be found directly behind the main combat zone. Last but not least are the three remaining aircraft. To acquire the Yellow Squadron fighter (SU-37) of your nemesis Yellow-13, you must kill all of the pilots with names flying the special colored aircraft (eighteen total).

Alternate colors:
Successfully complete the game in ace mode. Note: You may also need to obtain S-class for all missions.

Hint: Aircraft list:
The following is a complete aircraft list (in order):

Hint: Broken Arrows: See northern lights:
Look up in the night sky and you can see the northern lights.

Hint: Safe Return: Easy completion:
There are about eleven balloons ahead of you, up and down and to the side slightly. Then, turn right and go until you cross a mountain, four to six balloons later. Then, turn right again. Blast balloons until time runs out. It is possible to get an "S" rank under the ace difficulty setting using this method, with just balloons, not counting the planes.

Hint: Shattered Skies: Shoot down SR-71:
In the "Shattered Skies" mission, the fast moving plane you are locked onto when the mission first starts is an SR-71. You can shoot it down by heading towards the back of the combat area and climbing to about 30,000 ft. Head it off and you should be able to shoot it down.

Hint: Whisky Corridor: Second SR-71:
There is a second SR-71 Blackbird on this mission. At any time during the mission, fly to the southwest corner of the map at about 15,000 feet, just north of the RTB line.

Hint: Breaking Arrows: XB-70:
There is an XB-70 at the top left at about 30,000 ft.

Hint: OSL (Orbital Satellite Laser):
This super-powered weapon is very difficult to get. You must get to an altitude of 55,000 feet (possible only with the X-02) during a flight in free flight mode. In the northeastern part of any map is a single satellite. When you target it, it shows up as "Unknown Target" located at about 55,000 feet. Shoot it down, even during free flight mode, the "Mission Complete" message will appear. The following aircraft will now carry the OSL: Su-35, F-2A, EF-2000, MIG-29A, F-15C, F-14A, MIR-2000, F-16C, F-5E, F-4E, S-37A, X-02. This weapon can shoot through bunkers (including Megalith), has a 2,000 foot range, hits air and ground targets, never misses and always kills in a single blast. Its only setback is that it only has a small supply of five blasts before you need to return to base.

Hint: Missile dodging:
Under some difficulty settings, you can only be hit with a missile two or three times. This is different for the higher difficulty settings. In Ace mode, you will be shot down by one missile. Immediately when someone locks onto you and fires a missile, look at your radar. The moment when the missile is about to hit you, barrel roll. This is a difficult feat to perform but is quite impressive. This move only happens very rarely. If one of the planes lock on and manages to fire a missile and it is on your tail, you can blow a plane right out of the sky with the enemy's missle. Rush towards an enemy that is coming at you. In the split second it is about there, try your best to dodge it. if done correctly, the enemy missile will hit the enemy. Another way of missile dodging happens when you have a missile on your tail. Dive down, come to about six to seven thousand feet, then rise up. The missile should deflect and hit the ground. This is also successful when you have ground targets. You can save your own missiles. Note: The X-02 stealth plane us recommended.

Hint: Easier X-02s:
There is an easier way to get the three X-02s rather than going through the entire game. After the game is completed, the "Free Mission" option will be unlocked. Select this option and choose a difficulty setting (normal for the gray X-02, hard for the black X-02, or expert for the silver X-02). Select any mission to play on that difficulty setting. If you get an "S" rank on all the missions, the X-02 becomes available. This allows you to skip all of the missions you got an "S" on when you went through the full game. For example, if you got an "S" on all but three missions, you only have to play those missions instead of the entire game.

Hint: Easier ground battle:
The best way to destroy multiple ground targets is to fly the F-15 Active using the FREB (fuel - air explosive bomb). This will destroy about six to ten targets if they are close together.

Hint: Evading SAMs:
In order to successfully evade a SAM, fly directly at it at full speed. If you feel the engagement is not good, then break off. However, do not break off until you have tried at least once. If it works, you will pass over it and any missile fired will miss you. When you pass over the SAM, hit the brakes, turn sharply, and head at it again, but this time fire. Pass the SAM at about 100 feet.

Hint: Evading AA gunfire:
Barrel roll and you will only get hit with one or two bullets maximum. Note: This trick is especially useful in Ace mode, when a good round of bullets can get you killed.

Hint: Losing tough enemies:
Use the following tricks when you have a group of enemies on you, or just one that will not give up. Find a very mountainous area and try to lose your enemy in there at full speed. Zigzag in and out until the enemy cannot find you. They will not follow you into this mountain area. If dealing with multiple enemies, disengage, climb to 40,000 feet at full throttle, take a breather, then re-engage and destroy the enemy. Use this technique against the Yellow Squadron in the second part of the Siege Of Farbanti mission.

Hint: Watch missile or bomb when fired:
While flying any jet, lock on to a target (ground or air) and hold Circle. This will allow you to watch your missile or bomb from the time it leaves the jet until it hits the target. Note: You have to be careful or your jet may crash.

Glitch: Impossible speed:
This trick only works with jets that have high speed and can go over 40,000 feet in altitude (X-02, S-37, Su-37) .Press R2 to go way up holding down over 40,000 feet (near space). Keep going in a circle while R2 is held. Go up and down slightly until the speed reaches 1665, then dive. If done correctly, when you dive the impossible speed should be about 1788 (if fast enough). Actually it will be about 1725. Note: Try practicing this trick in free flight mode.