Pro Tips

[CrowRising]

This thread is about sharing some tips that are useful to know for new players getting into these games for the first time. As the topic starter, I will be going first, but if there's anything that I missed anyone else can feel free to chime in with their own additions. Some of these are more obvious than others.


-You can charge your primary and secondary weapons at the same time by holding both buttons. This is useful for doing a lot of damage in a short amount of time, though be mindful that bosses have invinciframes after getting hit by most attacks.

-Bosses all have patterns. Don't be discouraged just because they kill you a few times. Memorize their attacks, and practice dodging them while keeping an eye out for when they make an opening for you to strike. Once you get the pattern down, the fight will play out something akin to a dance. I recommend having save points on if you are a beginner so that you can practice without being under pressure of getting a game over.

-After collecting at least one subtank, keep an eye out for any health packs that are large enough to restore all your HP (The largest size, not just any that could heal you to full after taking a little damage). If you have taken any damage before finding one of these and have enough health stored up in your subtank to fully heal yourself, do it first and THEN pick up the health pack. It will restore your subtank completely, leaving you with both full health and a full subtank.

-While moving through the levels, don't rush through on your first time. Aside from the fact that being reckless is liable to get you killed a lot, the levels also have a tendency to have hidden items and pathways for those who are paying attention. The enemies also generally have a strategy to them for destroying them without taking a hit.

-In the ZX series, weapons that have sharp edges that you slash with such as the ZX Saber can slash pickups larger than the smallest ones that drop from enemies. If you get a pickup large enough to slash and it's something that you don't need at the moment, you can slash it to get a little bit of everything. This is also useful for when you are almost full of the thing that dropped and don't need more than a little bit to boost you up to full, as you get other stuff boosted a little bit too.

-In Zero 4, you have access to the Z-Knuckle. This weapon is able to steal weapons from enemies within the level for you to use. Some of these weapons have an ammo limit, while others do not. Pay attention to what each weapon is capable of, as certain weapons are more useful than others for certain situations. You might even be better off just using your regular weapons.

-Sometimes it is necessary (or at least recommended) to grind enemies for health pickups before you move on to the next area. This can be tedious, but it's better than risking moving into a boss fight with low HP.

-In Zero 1, before you do the mission that changes the layout of the area you started the game in, you can go back there via the transerver in the base. This is recommended, as you can find a slope with a spawn point for spider enemies at the top. This is the best spot in the game for grinding up your weapon levels quickly. Weapon levels gain EXP based on which specific attack you used to defeat enemies, and how many enemies you defeat in a single attack. Try to take out all the spider enemies in a single hit or at least clear them out, then off screen them to make them respawn and do this again. Once you gain a level, try a different attack such as jump slashes or dash slashes to get each weapon leveled up. It takes about 20 minutes of this to get your Z buster and Z saber fully leveled up, much faster than grinding it anywhere else in the game.

-Pay attention to the elemental type of enemies. Most enemies are neutral type aside from bosses, but if they have a clear element (Fire, Ice, Shock) then you can hit them with the element they are weak to to do bonus damage (Fire is weak to Shock, Shock is weak to Ice, Ice is weak to Fire).

-Even if you are playing on the easier difficulties, try to avoid touching spikes and bottomless pits. They generally won't kill you in one hit on the easier difficulties, but getting into the mindset of avoiding them will help you later for when you are ready for higher difficulties.

-In ZX, you can keep Model X as a playable form after getting the ZX form. To do this, clear two separate save datas on normal or hard difficulty as both Vent and Aile, in either order. When you make your third save data, you will keep Model X when you unlock the ZX form.

-In ZX, there's two different ways to unlock Model Ox, both of which are in Area N. The first method is to get to the end of the area and defeat Omega in battle. You can then return to the area hub (before the transerver room) and take the lowest path to find the "Biometal" in the final room. The second method is to use Link Mode to defeat all the returning bosses from Zero 3 and Zero 4. The rooms to do this in are located on the bottom path, just before the room that eventually has Model O in it. Defeat the boss set of your choice, return to the transerver room, save your game, switch to the other game link you didn't do yet, load the game, defeat that boss set, and then you can claim your prize in the final room. Once Model O is in your possession, you can talk to Flueve on a cleared save data (you might have to talk to him more than once) and he will give you the Ox form for you to use as you see fit.

-In ZXA, the ZX form has new attacks that weren't in the first ZX. When you are transformed into Aile (only available as Grey) you can hold down while doing an air slash to do a downward stab that tosses rocks when you land on the ground. When you are transformed into Vent (Only available as Ashe) you can hold up before doing a ground slash to do a rising slash that sends a shockwave forward to attack enemies.

[Icy Wind]

For the keeping Model X tip, probably be better to say "normal or hard" rather than "normal and hard". The latter makes it sound like one of the files needs to be on hard when doing two runs on normal is fine.

[CrowRising]

Originally posted by Icy Wind:

For the keeping Model X tip, probably be better to say "normal or hard" rather than "normal and hard". The latter makes it sound like one of the files needs to be on hard when doing two runs on normal is fine.

Fair point, the way I worded it could be confusing. I'll go fix that now.

[Currently Nameless]

- You don't have to kill everything. Sometimes evading the enemy is the safer option. Faster too, for when that matters.

- The rolling slash (aerial Up+Atk as Zero/Model Z) doesn't cause invincibility until it breaks contact with the enemy, meaning it can be used to cause huge amounts of damage in a single stroke. However, it may leave you open for a counter and must be unlocked first.

- In the first ZX game there's an area where deadly lava chases you from the left. Near the end of that stage is a subtank hidden behind some breakable blocks. I've seen this one called the hardest of the four subtanks to get, because of said deadly lava giving you just barely enough time to break the blocks and retrieve it. Well, if you enter that part from the right end, the lava won't spawn and you can get the subtank there with ease.

[XZero]

-In ZX at least, you can grind for extra lives in certain places.

One’s in town, Area C-1: it’s in the green door (you get the green key with Model H).
Next, go left out of Area C (the save room is far enough) and the life will respawn.


(Does anyone know of an extra life accessible earlier than that?)

Originally posted by CrowRising:

-In ZX, you can keep Model X as a playable form after getting the ZX form. To do this, clear two separate save datas on normal or hard difficulty as both Vent and Aile, in either order. When you make your third save data, you will keep Model X when you unlock the ZX form.

This is good to know for completionists.
So, I must beat the game twice before going for 100%.

Also, I heard you need to keep the first character’s clear save so both clear saves exist at the same time: this triggers the unlock, but then you can delete the clear saves afterward.
Model X will stay permanently unlocked and that part of your overall save data can’t be erased.



And on a similar note:

-In ZXA, a bonus form is unlocked by getting all medals, except apparently you have to start a new file for that too.
So, again, must unlock the bonus before starting a 100% file.

I don’t know if that also has an unlock-flag separate from the save files...

[CrowRising]

Originally posted by Origami Unit:

- In the first ZX game there's an area where deadly lava chases you from the left. Near the end of that stage is a subtank hidden behind some breakable blocks. I've seen this one called the hardest of the four subtanks to get, because of said deadly lava giving you just barely enough time to break the blocks and retrieve it. Well, if you enter that part from the right end, the lava won't spawn and you can get the subtank there with ease.

In my experience, entering that room from the right will cause that area to be blocked off after the blocks by a pool of lava too long to cross.

[Xaks32]

Didn't explain where the Link Mode is located.

[CrowRising]

Originally posted by Xakurinha32:

Didn't explain where the Link Mode is located.

It's on the menu where you choose your game, while ZX is selected. Look at your button options at the bottom of the screen to see which keyboard/controller button it's assigned to.

[Xaks32]

Originally posted by CrowRising:

Originally posted by Xakurinha32:

Didn't explain where the Link Mode is located.

It's on the menu where you choose your game, while ZX is selected. Look at your button options at the bottom of the screen to see which keyboard/controller button it's assigned to.

Just found it! thanks! also, is there no subtanks in Hard-Mode on ZX? I just noticed there's the quest that gives you a subtank in normal mode, but I haven't got it done in hard-mode yet, so just wondering.

If I finish it will I get the subtank?

[CrowRising]

Originally posted by Xakurinha32:

Originally posted by CrowRising:

It's on the menu where you choose your game, while ZX is selected. Look at your button options at the bottom of the screen to see which keyboard/controller button it's assigned to.

Just found it! thanks! also, is there no subtanks in Hard-Mode on ZX? I just noticed there's the quest that gives you a subtank in normal mode, but I haven't got it done in hard-mode yet, so just wondering.

If I finish it will I get the subtank?

Life-Ups and Subtanks are gone in Hard mode as far as I know, with the exception of the subtank you get in the fetch quest.

[♡ ディズィー ♡]

I found the best place to level up weapons in Zero 1 is after fighting Azetc falcon to travel into the area to find a totem cannon near a wall and you just spam your attacks when it respawns the cannons.

[CrowRising]

Here's another one: In Zero 3 there's an easy to get to Large Health Container in the intro level (Derelict Spacecraft). You can return here as needed when you aren't in the middle of a mission to fill any subtanks you might need filling. It's especially convenient for when you just found a subtank in a level you already cleared and used the escape ability to return to the base.

[PL@YER]

the recoil rod in zero 3 can be used to send yourself flying with its knock back and its 1000 cuts EX skill is a great combo finisher