PS2 - Fu-un Shinsengumi FAQ by Evil7

Gunrou den by Watsuki sensei

 

The following Gunrou-Den FAQ is compliments of Evil7. We extend our warmest thanks!

Fu'un Shinsengumi
Genki
Version 0.8
By Evil7

evil7@bellsouth.net

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Caution: This is another work in progress from me. All the sections except
for three sections have info/are basically complete. Basically, I hate making
people wait and there is more than enough info here to finish the game
regardless of the reader's Japanese skill.

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Copyright 2004 John Patterson

This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed
publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other
web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a
violation of copyright.

All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders.
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Table of Contents
-----------------
1. Introduction
2. Background
3. Menus
4. Game Controls
5. Beginning the game
6. Game Flow
7. Special Missions
8. Tips
9. Colleagues
10. Ronin
11. Moves

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1. Introduction
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Welcome to another Evil7 FAQ. This time for Fu'un Shinsengumi, yet another
samurai game from Genki. This game flows a lot like Kengo 2, Genki's last
samurai game, though the game is more like the timed mode than the actual
game. This time around the game actually has a story and you get to fight as
part of a team. The graphics are a bit better than Kengo 2 though it probably
is just an upgrade to the same engine. A lot of the sound effects seem to have
a samurai drama feel to them, if you have ever seen one. The controls have not
changed much, you can still change stances, perry, block and attack, but now
there are some team controls too. Anyway, let's get on with it.

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2. Background
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Commodore Perry forced Japan to open it's ports in 1854. The coming of the
black ship (It was painted black) ushered in a bloody civil war between those
who wanted the emperor to be reinstated and those who wanted the Shougun to
retain power. This war was called the Bakumatsu. It is a whole lot more
complicated than that , but this is for a video game, so history buffs be gone!
You fight as part of the Shinsengumi, a group of ronin formed to help fight for
the Bakufu, the Shougun government.

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3. Menus
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There are not a lot of menus for this game. From the start screen, you have
start game, continue and options. The continue screen is your standard load
from memory card screen, no one should have any trouble with it. Each slot has
it's number, the name of the character, the chapter number and the number of
days. The options screen has, options/display settings, sound, controls,
screen position and return.

Options/display settings
------------------------
You can change what information the game shows and some other assorted things.

The first 6 items can be changed between on and off. They are: Enemy health,
enemy info, map, target select, colleague info, and the indicator for pushing
swords back.

The next option is for the text display, which you can set to same time, fast,
normal or slow. After that is the text fast forward, which can be set to on or
off. The last setting is for automatic line feed, which can be set to off,
slow, normal and fast. Selecting this setting will scroll the text regardless
of whether or not you push a button.

After the settings are two more buttons, one for return to defaults and one for
end.


Sound
-----
Here are the volume controls. The top one is for the sound effects and the
bottom one is for the background music. The menu buttons below are for
restoring defaults and returning to the menu.

Controls
--------
You can change the control layout for both Player 1 and Player 2 (assuming the
second controller is plugged in). No one should have too much trouble with it.
Check out the game controls section for the default controls. The menu buttons
in the center are for vibration, restore defaults and end.

Screen position
--------------
Here you can change the screen position. Circle confirms your change, Cross
returns to the menu and start returns the screen to the default position.

If you make changes you will be prompted to save them to a memory card.

Game Menu
---------
From the top: Missions, Dojo, Moves selection, Ronin info, Rest and options

Mission Menu
------------
Here you can select missions to do. You can always go back by selecting the
button at the very bottom. When you select a mission, it shows it's info, you
can read the background, requirements and styles and people you will encounter
with the L1 and R1 buttons (Remember that traditional Japanese is read right to
left). The button that is highlighted is the confirm button. The next screen
is for the team selection. If team mates are allowed, you can pick them from
the list on the right. The number below their tag is their cost, which you pay
for from your frame, which is the big number on the left. Once you select the
confirm button (top button), you will be shown the map, select the highlighted
option to start the mission.

Dojo Menu
---------
From the top: Training/Practice, Match and return

Moves selection
---------------
Here you can view and set the moves you use. The options from top to bottom:
Select Moves, View acquired moves and return.

On the Select moves screen you can set the moves that you can use during
missions and such. The button down at the bottom is for return. The top chart
is for the stance selected. The charts on the right are for the stances that
you are using at the moment. The list on the left are slots for the stances
you create. You can make up to 20 stances, which is complete overkill since
you will probably make one or two stances that work best for you and stay with
them the whole game.

Reading the charts
------------------
The charts are labeled as such: The left side shows the
style name and the type of stance. The top line shows the attack name. The
second line shows the parry moves (Right to left: Lower, upper, side and
thrust). The third line shows the moves that knock away a sword when the enemy
is just standing in a particular stance (Right to left: upper, center, lower
and side). The third line shows the move that knocks away a sword that is
blocking. The final line shows the spear parry moves (Lower, upper, side and
thrust). Red characters show that a move is selected for that type. The
purple numbers are the number of points that stance has, the left number is the
number of points left, the right number is the number of points that stance has
total.

Making a new stance
-------------------
To select a blank slot, look for a slot that has a character that looks like a
hook or a backwards J (Nashi / empty). When you do this, you will be presented
the stance selection. Each style has it's stances grouped together (From top
to bottom: Upper, Center, Lower and side). The very last two selections are
for the spear and battoujutsu (Drawing from the sheath). Next you will be
allowed to select an attack and after that you select other types of moves
given what moves you have learned and how many points you have. Each move
costs a certain number of points which is displayed next to the move. You get
more points by using that stance in battle.

Editing an existing stance
-------------------------
Editing an existing stance is the same as making a new stance.

Selection menu
--------------
When a stance is selected, menu options appear. They are from top to bottom:
Selection(edit), equip, delete and return. If you select equip, an arrow
appears to show which slot this stance will take. You can only really have two
stances at a time. The third is always a battoujutsu stance.

Ronin Info
----------
Here you can view a drawing and info of all the important ronin and leaders you
will fight. It is basically a checklist of the important people you have
killed.

Options from Game Menu
----------------------
From the top: Save, Load, End Game and return

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4. Game Controls
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D-pad - Move (Note that you cannot walk using the d-pad)

Left Analog stick - Move

Select - Zoom/un-zoom map

Start - Shows In-Game menu (Mission requirements, Options and Return), the
options for the menu are the same as before except the last one before
the audio bars is for vibration.

Square - Knock away enemy sword, must have a move to do this

Triangle - Call your team mates.

Circle - Attack, press in a row continues the set pattern of attacks

Cross - Block, press right before an attack hits to tech block, must have a
move to do this

R1 - Draws and sheaths sword (Battoujutsu stance)

R2 - Cycle between stances

L1 - Selects formation, press triangle to confirm

L2 - Cycles between enemies

Triangle has a few uses. First, it is used to call your team mates to get them
to come in your direction. Second, it is used to get them to come to your aid
if you are knocked down on the ground or you have gotten into a pushing match
with someone. Third, when you get into certain positions if the enemy,
usually right in front of them, the team formation indicators will flash. When
this happens, push the triangle button to execute a team move. Fourth, when
you select a team formation with the L1 button, you need to confirm it with the
triangle button. You can only use a team mate's help when their orange
bar is full. If you want to deselect your team mates, i.e. leave them
somewhere, hold L1 and press triangle.

When you knock an enemy down, get next to them and press the attack button to
stab them.

If, when fighting someone, your swords get hung up (crossed, pushing match),
press the block button as fast as you can to push your opponent back.

Immediately after a successful parry or after knocking away the opponent's
sword, press the attack button to counter-attack.

If you get parried or your sword gets knocked away, quickly press the block
button as quick as possible to recover, the instant you recover hold the button
to block the incoming attack. This can take some time to master.

To deselect any enemy, just hold L2 for a moment.

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5. Beginning a game
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When you put the game in the first thing you see is the settings loading
screen, publisher/developer logos and a nice little signpost that reminds you
that the game has blood and violence in it. After that is an opening movie,
of course, in which you are introduced to some of the main men in the
Shinsengumi. The character on the big flag is a character for truth, it was
kind of the Shinsengumi's banner. The man in the middle is Kondo Isami
(He was the somewhat fat guy in Kengo 2), he is the head chief of the group.
There were actually two such chiefs, but... well you will find out. The boy
with the long pony tail is Okita Souji, leader of the 1st division. The one
that jumps off a table is Hijikata Toshizou, assistant/secondary chief.
The one with the bandanna is Toudou Heisuke. Finally, the one with the spear
is Harada Sanosuke. Starting a new game is the first option, the first screen
lets you pick a character model. After that is the name section, remember last
name is first. The two option buttons at the very bottom are return and
confirm. When you are done it will ask you for confirmation, just select the
highlighted option. After the cut scenes, you are put straight into the game.
Just follow the map, when you get to a certain point, you will be introduced to
an important man, kill him to end the mission. After that there will be more
cut scenes. Okita Souji told you to take a rest day, so select rest from the
options. After that, Hijikata Toshizou will tell you to go to the dojo. You
must save or at least pretend to before going to the dojo. At the dojo, you
must prove that you have some skills. The first test is to prove that you can
draw and sheath your sword and can change stances, so do each two times to go
on. Next, show that you can select and deselect enemies, again do this two
times each. The third one is to prove you can attack and do battoujutsu. Next
is to show that you can "receive" a sword, so parry and parry and attack two
times each. Next, show that you can knock away a sword and attack, do both
twice. Next, show that you can knock away a blocked sword and attack. The
last one is a free practice, just do whatever. The next thing you do is talk
to Saitou Hajime, after which you get a chance to check your stances and the
like. Finally, You get a chance to fight Saitou. I found him quite difficult
at first, talk about being thrown to the wolves (There is a pun in there). The
best thing to do is to try to get him to do his moves while you are still out
of range and start your attack at the bottom of his last strike. Be careful
though, Saitou is quite good at parry. After this you will meet your
informant. When he is done talking, you will get a chance to view the ronin
information. Take a rest to end the day. Next, you meet Harada Sanosuke, he
talks a bit about missions and team mates and the like. Now, the normal game
begins...

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6. Game Flow
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Given the nature of the game, I do not see the point of trying to write a
walkthrough, instead I will explain how the game progresses. I will, however,
give a list of the special missions in the game.

There is not a lot of variety in this game. The story is broken into chapters
of which there are eight. To advance the story all you must do is complete the
special missions that will appear from time to time. Knowing when these
missions come is easy if you know Japanese, you are told it, but if you do not,
they appear when big characters appear on the screen when talking to
someone. Another way to know is to look on the mission screen. A special
mission will only have 4 characters in it's name and will always be the last
mission in the list. The special mission to end the chapter comes around day
twenty. Of course, you can play the other missions as much as you like. Most
of th missions are really the same. For the basic missions, you can walk
around, or hang around the spawn point if you do not like walking and kill
ronin. Do not kill the town people, if you kill three town people in a
mission, your game will be over. You can end the mission anytime you want
by walking off the map (There are exit points). If there is an important
person to kill, you will get an intro scene for them when you enter a certain
area or kill enough ronin. To know whether or not a mission has an
important person in it, look for the stamp at the bottom of the mission name
tag. On the special missions, it is best to get rid of them immediately, even
though it will end the mission, because they will sometimes get away if you do
not.

At the end of a mission, you will get fame, stat, stance points and moves based
on how many people you killed. The fame points are what you use to pay for
team mates. Also, if you fame ever drops to zero, your game is over. Your
stats will also improve. I am not sure if the improvement are based on your
actions in game or if they are random. You will also get stance points for
each stance depending on how much you used that stance. Finally, you will get
to see the moves you learned, which is randomly given to you based on the
styles of the ronin that the mission contained.

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7. Special Missions
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Here I will add the special missions in the game and their objectives. They
are basically the same as the normal missions, but they sometimes have a little
twist to them. Regardless, you should not have any trouble completing them.

1. The first real mission
-------------------------
Your first normal mission is actually a special mission. The are not very many
enemies. You will lose a man (sort of) though. Just run across the bridge and
turn right to end the mission.

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8. Tips
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- Do not forget to use your team mates' help, you pay for their presence, you
might as well use them

- When facing multiple enemies alone, try to keep them somewhat apart, but all
on one side, do not let them circle you

- During the patrol missions (Most missions), keep your sword in it's sheath,
unless you are currently fighting, it will scare the town people, which will
cause them to run around which could cause them to get in the way

- You might think it is cheap, but if you are running low on health during a
fight with an important ronin, stay behind your team so that the ronin will
engage them instead. Then you can attack with little worry about being
attacked while you do. Continue doing this to get an easy win.

- Focus on one to two stances to build the available number of points for them,
so that you can have a more complete defense.

- Kenjutsu is actually somewhat a defensive system, the most effective moves
are always moves in response to the opponent's actions. Keep this in mind
when fighting and making stances. (Notice how much damage parry attacks
have, some can kill an opponent in one move, even early in the game)

- Know when to fight slow and fast. Normally, I would recommend a slow pace,
however some of the major ronin have powerful dashing attacks that are better
dealt with quickly.

- Move to come

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9. Colleagues
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Here I will list your team mates' info. Note: I am very likely to mess up some
of the names here, Japanese names are somewhat difficult to read, there are
several different reading for the characters used in names, so you just kind of
have to know them.

Ogata Shuntarou
---------------
He has a long slender face and a white head band.

Beginning cost: 28

Starting stats:
Affinity: 0
Health: 130/130
Speed: 130
Power: 140

Stances:
1. Other - Upper
2. Other - Center
3. Battoujutsu

Eh, a mission? Yes, I will go.

Shimada (Isamu/Hajime)
----------------------
He is kind of chubby with a white head band.

Beginning cost: 26

Starting stats:
Affinity: 0
Health: 140/140
Speed: 110
Power: 120

Stances:
1. Other - Side
2. None
3. Battoujutsu

I can go anytime. Please take me with you.

Hayashi Shintarou
-----------------
He looks kind of young, top of head shaved, white head band

Beginning cost: 25

Starting stats:
Affinity: 0
Health: 130
Speed: 130
Power: 120

Stances:
1. Other - Side
2. None
3. Battoujutsu

Thanks for working so hard. I am completely prepared!

Yamano Yasohachi
----------------
He has a black and gray bandanna.

Beginning cost: 22

Starting stats:
Affinity: 0
Health: 100
Speed: 130
Power: 100

Stances:
1. Other - Lower
2. Other - Center
3. Battoujutsu

I will always come running for a mission.

Ooshi Gintarou
--------------
Last one on the list to start with, he does not seem to have eyes in his
picture. He has a white head band too.

Beginning cost: 20

Starting stats:
Affinity: 0
Health: 120
Speed: 130
Power: 120

Stances:
1. Onoha Ittou Ryuu - Lower
2. None
3. Battoujutsu

Oh, a mission? I will work really hard today!

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10. Ronin
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Here I will list the important ronin from the ronin info list.

Choushuu/Nagasu
---------------

1. Okuno Kenjirou
-----------------
Age: 27
Belongs to: Choushuu/Nagasu
Style: Other

2. Kumoi Takunosuke
-------------------
Age: 30
Belongs to: Choushuu/Nagasu
Style: Shintou Munen Ryuu

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11. Moves
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Here I will list all the moves in the game by style.

Omoha Ittou Ryuu
----------------

Shintou Munen Ryuu
------------------

Gunrou-den PS2 Game
Mission FAQ by r1ck
FAQ by Anwar
FAQ by evil7
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