A FAQ, a guide, or whatever you like to call it
for Die Hard the Nintendo Entertainment System game.

Version 0.8c, probably the last one. I think.
Compiled by RmM, 90% written at night, proving my insanity.
Not necessarily perfect in every way, mind you.


0. Difficultical differences

Beginner is the difficulty level I generally use, myself,
but let me elaborate on the differences of the respective difficulty levels.

Advanced is, in most cases, tougher,
and you also start out at a random floor instead of the 32nd.

Every baddie is also tougher;
On Advanced, first the green and blue guys take two hits to kill,
but as the game progresses, they take three... and Karl is twice as strong.

Luckily, Coke cans also give you 2 energy blocks instead of just one.
This is great really.

Feet meter might decrease extra fast on Advanced, but probably not,
nobody has certainly verified it, I'm just guessing and second guessing.

The endings are the same on Beginner and Advanced, sorry. :(


1. The Story

Ha, you've all seen the bloody movie, haven't you?
A cop named John McClane (Bruce Willis!), attends a Christmas party
in the Nakatomi Industries skyscraper to meet his ex-wife.
Unfortunately, a bunch of terrorists, intent on stealing loads of $$$
from the Nakatomi vault and lead by a guy named Hans Gruber (ALAN RICKMAN!!)
take over the place in order to perform the aforementioned deed.
And so, in the tall skyscraper, one barefoot cop,
off-duty and out of jurisdiction, makes a stand against the terrorists..
Augh.


2. Controlling - the section for retards

2.1 While you are on foot

Use the updownleftright pad to walk about.
Use Select to, select, the secondary weapon. Or your footsies.
Use Start to bring up the status screen.
Use A to fire your gun, be it a beretta or ho-ho-ho, a submachinegun.
You "can" also use your lousy fist (and get subsequently quickly killed)
if you've been wasting your ammo, you waster. You fucking waster.
Use B to fire the aforementioned secondary weapon, or to run.
Because Bruce Willis can't simultaneously run and hold a weapon.

2.2 In the ducts

Use either :
Up and down to crawl up and down and left and right to dodge.
or :
Left and right to crawl, respectively, and up and down to dodge.
Use A to go to an other floor if you are over/under a passageway
or to leap down from an air vent should you be over a grille.


3. The status screen and all that

Your health is shown in the upper right screen as a vertical bar,
or as a horizontal block-bar in the status screen.
Try to keep it mostly coloured.
Once it is all worn out, well, take a wild god damned guess.

There's a 'feet meter' in the game too, shown in the status screen only.
It portrays the condition of your feet. That's certainly a first... :)
It decreases a shitload when you Dance on Glass, saints and martyrs,
and it also decreases when just plain traversing around (but slower).
I think that running spends it faster than walking, too.
(Different floor tiles may also decrease the meter at different rates
 but this just a wild guess and probably not right, either, so forget it ;)
When it's very low ('bout one or two blocks), you'll walk a fair bit slower.
When it's all out, you'll be really, REALLY pathetically slow,
and have to use the run button all the time to maintain an acceptable pace.
Luckily, you can fix up your feet by acquisition of first aid kits.

The status screen also shows the number of the vault locks,
(Remember the movie - it charts the progress of the bad guys)
and the time they'll take to open the current lock they're working on.
Try not to tarry.
The timer is as follows :
After the timers of the six locks, respectively,
there's also a timer for the vault itself (umm yea), and finally,
there's the final countdown, and once THAT one's up, YOU LOSE.

There's also the amount of clips, bullets, plastique and flash bombs
displayed in the status screen.

And the blueprint, once you have it,
and your inventory of special items.

Yeah, there's also the count of bad guys remaining.
I for one certainly don't remember the movie having 40 terrorists, though..


4. Crap you pick up along the way

4.1 You'll find lots of these

Cans - Yay, the only thing that keeps ol' Brucey alive here.
       Coca-Cola - keeps you going!
       One can gives you one block of energy on the Beginner level,
       two on Advanced.

Clips - More ammo for the gun you currently tote.

Radios - Bad guys drop these, though you need only one of them at a time. :)
         Use it to eavesdrop on the badguys or to call the cops (read on).

First aid kits - Well, surprise! These don't affect your health,
                 realistically enough, but rather you use these to
                 fix up your feet a little. Mind the glass, though.

C4 - Once you have the bag of detonators (read on),
     you can use plastique to blast bad guys / yourself / doors / whatever.
     There are some doors that won't open without a healthy dose of C4,
     you "may" find some needed power-ups there !
     Once you plant a bomb, don't stick around. Consider yourself warned.

SMG's - These give you either the gun in question
        or a bit of extra ammo should you already tote one.
        Remember that you lose the big gun when you enter a duct (see movie)!

Flashes - You can throw a flash bomb at someone to temporarily paralyze him.
          Pretty lousy if you ask me, but hey, whatever.
          The ones thrown by bad guys are bloody irritating though.

4.2 One Of A Kind

Key - Kill the guard in the com room in floor 35 to get this.
      You need the key to open the door to the staircase-to-the-roof.
      The baddie is found in the floor ONLY after the first lock is undone.

Rocket - Also found somewhere in floor 35. The location will vary.
         Pick this up and you can use it with the mortar in floor 4
         to either blow up a random spot :) or to blast the 'main computer'.

Blueprint - Bruce says it's a blueprint of the fifth floor,
            but in the game it really correlates with the fourth one.
            The mortar is the "X", and the computer you can destroy
            with the mortar is a letter C inside a box.
            Guess Bruce fires the rocket through the ceiling.
            The blueprint's found in floor 35, too, coincidentally.

Detonators - You can get this bag off this blonde guy in blue clothes,
             usually found (at least by me) in floor 31.
             It seems that you'll find him there after the second lock.
             Get 'em and you can put your C4 reservoir to good use.. :)
             Getting these also affects the terrorists a bit (read on),
             and may/will get Karl after you.


5. Interactable things within the Nakatomi complex

5.1 You're bound to see these while walking around

Windows - You'll probably smash them for laughs at first
          but then you'll have these painful shards of glass all around
          and suddenly the game takes a turn towards unwanted difficulty.
          The outer windows can be shot, after which Bruce can then be
          directed to leap out the window in question.
          Seeing Bruce, feet busted, fall to his death is very satisfactory.

Doors - Whee. You can go through them. Fun, is it not?
        Most of them are your average locked variety
        but a quick burst of bullets usually opens them,
        a feature not found very often in games, don't you think?
        Some doors need some C4 to open (that'll open them for good),
        and one door in floor 33 you can only go one way (you'll see),
        one door in floor 35 will require a special key,
        and one particular door in floor 30
        will only open when there's only 1 bad guy left.

Vending machines - Fire at these blinking boxes a bit
                   and you'll get about four Coke cans.

Vents            - Blast at a blinking grille a couple of times
                   and you can enter the air ducts.
                   Just remember that you'll lose your machine gun then..
                   (You don't have to shoot the one on the roof though,
                    as it doesn't have a grille attached)


Express lift controls - Found in floor 33 just next to the express lift,
                        touch this box once to gain access to the elevator.

The fire hose     - Found on the roof, the lower-left corner to be precise.
                    blast open the left cabinet to uncover the hose.
                    You can use it in the end to enter the 30th floor.
                    The cabinet will also blink during the final countdown.

Normal elevator   - Access it by walking near it till you hear a clunk.
                    Then wait for it to arrive, enter, and pick a floor.
                    Beware though, as the baddies ride them too.

Express lift - Use this the same way you use the other lift.
               This one can take you to floor 4, which the other one can't.
               Remember though: During the opening of the third lock,
               the lift is *inaccessible* so don't get stuck in the fourth floor.

Staircases         - Use these instead of lifts if you wish,
                     but remember, stairs take take some time to climb.
                     This of course provides a means to kill time.

5.2 In the ducts

You can use the ducts to move around, but note that the enemies are
quick to catch on to your alternative transportations and will undoubtedly
proceed to riddling the ductwork with bullet holes.

Down ducts - Marked by an arrow pointing down and a hole beneath you,
             these ducts take you one floor lower.

Up ducts   - Marked by an 'up' arrow,
             guess fucking twice what their function is.

Grilles    - You can go through these to enter specific rooms.
             You'll see the room in question while you're over a grille.


6. Badasses

Green suit - These morons shoot with pistols (some seem to use SMG's though),
             throw flash bombs at you (ARGH!),
             but don't really make any evasive manoeuvres,
             and are pretty easy to kill thereof.

Blue suit  - Ah, these bastards use machine guns, shoot a lot,
             throw flashbombs and strafe around like there's no tomorrow.
             Fortunately they only take a bullet to die, though.
             (On the Beginner level, that is.. they're TOUGH on Advanced.)

Karl       - The blonde guy in a white suit.
             Anyway, he uses a machinegun, but I don't think he has flashes.
             He takes about three (6 on Adv.) shots to 'kill' though, beware.
             Usually you find him on the 30th floor,
             but Hans may tell him to go after you late in the game,
             should you possess their precious detonators.

Hans Gruber - The end baddie of the game.
              He has a lousy pistol, and takes about five/six shots to die.
              (Eight on the Advanced difficulty level..)
              Then you can congratulate yourself over such an accomplishment!

Everybody takes more punishment on the Advanced level.
Green and blue guys may take up to three bullets, read section 0. :)


7. General informationary crap

Try to keep you health up. :)
What I mean is that you should bloody well avoid the damn bullets;
You aren't freakin' Bruce Willis, you know.

Getting paralyzed by flashes usually leads to getting shot up pretty bad,
so run from the flash bombs.

When killing enemies, try to use spread fire a lot.
Shooting a linear burst in one direction is usually quite useless,
unless you are lined up with the enemy (Which you definitely should try);
Sometimes they run from you into a fixed direction. Shoot them in the back.

When you get fired at and hit, you usually drop
some of your gear, a terribly irritating trait of the hero.
You ought to pick them up afterwards.

Use the run function sparingly, or I think you'll be going at a crawl pace
in no time flat. Beware of broken glass, I can't emphasize it enough,
unless you LIKE hobbling like an old man.

Beware of floor 33 the first time you enter, it's a friggin' bloodbath.

Don't spend too much time in the ducts,
'cause then the baddies will start shooting them!
..well that's what the dodge moves are for, anyway.
(Personally I only use the ducts to enter the express lift room on floor 33.)

Try not to "put C4 in the rocket launcher", like Sardius did.
That WILL wreck the damn thing. [laughs] :D

They also say that one should not use C4 anywhere in the 35th floor...
...or the roof, as I recently noticed. X-)
Go ahead, try it. You know you want to.
Exploration and trying everything the designers thought up is
a great part of the Die Hard experience. I'm not kidding. ;)

Once you have eliminated all the badasses except the ones left
in the 30th floor (three, possibly two crooks left)
the final countdown will automatically start,
EVEN if locks would remain (guess you get them on the run, eh?)..

When Hans tells someone to come into your floor,
or when you hear the elevator sound,
get your ass to the elevator immediately,
and spray hot lead into the lift once the doors open.
Killing the crooks while they're virtually helpless is an excellent tactic,
there are no boy scout medal awards here.
That's a different Willis flick. :P

Listen up:
If there are bad guys near you, you'll hear noises,
perhaps even louder or more quiet, depending on how far they are.
Also, keep your ears open for the aforementioned elevator sound, too,
you may get a nice chance to execute an unexpecting foe. =)

Be careful with your ammo level,
'cause if you'll have to resort to your fists, you're gonna die. Period.
Bruce Willis couldn't mug a granny with his bare hands. X-)


8. Completing the game, and special feats

8.1 Completion

You don't have to do all of the tidbits to complete the game;
The main objective is to eliminate every god damned bad guy,
and to do that you must, um, kill lots of 'em.

To complete the game, do the following :
*1. Kill every baddie you see.
*2. Enter the 30th floor once Ode to Joy starts playing.
    (Happens either after all the timers or when there's but 2-3 crooks left)
*3. Kill every baddie you see. =)
*4. When there's only 1 baddie left according to the counter,
    enter a certain room in floor 30 that will only be open
    after everyone but this 1 baddie has been killed.
*5. Blast away at dear mr. Gruber till he croaks.
*6. YOU WIN! GAME OVER.

Anyway,
when you finally enter the 30th floor,
EVERY ENEMY LEFT IN THE BUILDING WILL COME FOR YOU THROUGH THE ELEVATORS.
Do watch out. Obviously, this underlines the point that cleaning out as many
bad guys throughout the game as possible is a very, very good idea,
since the bloodbath that'll occur otherwise will be a tough one to ride out.


So, that's all you need in order to win,
but that's not all there is to the game.
You can do a couple of cool optional things during the game.
They aren't needed, but they're fun.

8.2 Regarding the cops

You can call the cops by getting a radio, entering the roof
and walking down the upper/northern stairs. It can be done only during
the first and the second locks, so you need to be quick about it.

Remember to bring along that radio,
as bellowing obscenities off the roof of a mile long skyscraper
isn't even good for venting mild frustrations, much less the kind you face here,
and it isn't about to accomplish much anything.

You know that you succeeded in calling the cops in time
if you get a blue pic of Bruce Willis yelling into the radio. :)

Once Al Powell gets his arse there, he'll notify you every now and then
if the cops see a bad guy somewhere, by saying something like :
" We've spotted someone at the 31st floor, north side. "
That means there's a bad guy over there. Wanna pay him a visit?

So if you get the cops there, they'll also attract the attention
of the FBI, and the ending WILL be different depending on
whether you got the cops there or not. Getting the cops there
earns you a LOT better ending 'animation'. No prizes for going solo.

8.3 The mortar

Once you pick up the rocket and the blueprint,
you can use the express elevator to take you to the fourth floor.
See the blueprint in the status screen for the location of the main computer;
the mortar is an 'X' while the computer is a boxed letter 'C'.
Position yourself at the safe end of the mortar pipe,
rotate and aim the damn thing where the computer should be, and blast away.

If you hit the right spot, that'll buy the current lock about 2:50
of extra time, a clip with Theo saying that the computer is busted,
and interestingly enough, some items - Coke cans and stuff.
(Should we suppose that they fall down from the hole in the ceiling, then?-)
They don't remain there if you return later, so use or lose them.

8.4 The rooftop

When the time is near and you can go to the 30th floor,
you can make a real spiffy entrance by running up to the roof,
shooting the container open and swinging yourself down with the fire hose.
Like the movie. :)
That'll get you to the 30th floor.
Okay, maybe not all that spiffy, but fun nonetheless.

And remember, when the final count is on, for some reason
you'll find a six-pack of Coke cans up on the roof.
One more reason to do the dramatic entrance. :)


The following things happen only if you DIDN'T get the detonators
(or if you lost them)...

If you enter the rooftop very early during the final countdown,
there will be nothing but the cans there and you can leap down with the hose.

If you enter about halfway through the countdown,
there will be hostages there and you will get a short cut scene
which will lead you to face the FBI chopper shooting down at you.
You can't win it, so get the hell out of there, quick.
If you use the hose when the chopper's there, you'll get a cut scene
where the roof will blow up just as you swoop down with the hose,
just like in the movie. Well, maybe almost.

If you enter the roof nearing the end of the countdown,
the roof will blow up, pretty much killing you.
You dolt.


8.5 The Final Battle

Once you get to face Hans Gruber,
remember that you don't get to have the machine gun in the final fight.
Just a Beretta.

You can't accidentally shoot Holly, which sucks. X-)

Hans isn't horribly tough, he takes about six shots and that's it.

(You CAN'T shoot him off the window like in the movie,
 I personally would've liked an option to shoot him out the window
 and get a movie pic, but no-o... :)

For a kEwl ending, make it so that you manage to kill Hans
but he shoots you to death, too. X-)
No, seriously, there is such an ending. I love these game designers.

There are three different endings I've discovered,
and I doubt that there's more. These trigger them :

End #1 - Win the game, not having called the cops.
End #2 - Win the game, having called the cops. The best ending.
End #3 - Kill Hans but get yourself killed too.

None of these is the normal Game Over screen. =)

8.6 Tidbits

As you've read here, not every play through the game is alike;
Some of the picture clips you see and the things you go through in the game
differ a bit depending on your progress, as stated before.
Like for example, if you get the detonators off the bad guys,
the hostages will never be on the roof, and the roof won't blow up.
(Unless you C4 it.. then it'll blow up REAL NICE :D
So you might actually want to let 'em keep the detonators just once. :)
And like I said, there's the matter of cops and all that..
Also, the locations of the rocket and the blueprint differ sometimes, too.
Experiment! With drugs! And cheap whores! And members of the same sex!


9. Zzz.

Die Hard the NES game, copyright whoever whenever.
This guide (C) 1999-2006 RmM.

Greets to Sardius, the insanity of which inspired us all.

ramiman@hotmail.com
Hrgh, http://remora.dyndns.org/rmm/ 


YOU LOSE. GAME OVER.