Given we now have access to massive interactive 'wiki' pages and step-by-step walkthrough videos, there's little need for the traditional FAQ guide these days – but, once upon a time, these crudely formatted guides were an absolute godsend, especially when dealing with Japanese games that lacked English text.
As a result, some of these FAQs have risen to almost legendary status over the years, and that certainly seems to have been the case with SuperDeadite's guide for the Japan-only Sega Saturn exclusive Bulk Slash.
Developed by CAProduction and published by Hudson Soft, Bulk Slash is one of the console's true cult classics; it boasts dazzling visuals and is packed with action, making it a solid choice for importers back in the day.
However, the lack of an English localisation has always hampered those players who wish to dig deep into the game's mechanics – specifically its Manageable Intelligent Support System (M.I.S.S.).
On each of the game's seven stages, there's a female navigator who can be rescued; once you've done this, you can have them join you for the battle, where they offer vocal guidance on what to do next – they even level up the longer you use them. This apparently changes the game's ending, as there's a dating sim-style mechanic in play.
However, this aspect of the game has seemingly been subject to misinformation over the years, as SuperDeadite's aforementioned guide – penned in 2006 – says the following:
Finally, each of the 7 Navigators has their own secret bonus abilities that strengthen your own. I'll let you figure out these yourself since experimenting with the Navigators is what makes this game fun.
Time Extension contributor and gaming historian John Szczepaniak, writing back in 2017, referenced the FAQ, expressing doubts about its accuracy:
According to an online guide, each navigator provides some kind of ability bonus. Having tested six of the seven however, none of them seemed to do anything special.
Twitter user kalyoshika has commented on this rather odd situation; surely the entire point of an FAQ is to provide the user with information, not to withhold it? Seeing as the guide is the only one available for Bulk Slash on GameFAQs, anyone looking to get into the game is highly likely to be presented with it when asking Google for help.
"Everyone who plays Bulk Slash, an amazing game for the Sega Saturn, eventually discovers they're at the mercy of this one GameFAQ's guide from almost 20 years ago that says the navigators have special abilities and refused to elaborate," comments kalyoshika.
Do you think the female navigators actually have special abilities? Or has this FAQ duped us all of these years? Let us know your thoughts by posting a comment.
While we're on the topic, Bulk Slash now has a full English translation, thanks to fans.
Comments 18
I have no idea since I’ve never played the game, but it wouldn’t be the first time an FAQ had misinformation in it… and it also wouldn’t be the first time a subtle mechanic went unnoticed by most players. I think without knowing more the situation here could go either way.
But since it’s vaguely in topic can I raise a question that’s been bothering me? Am I the only person who finds video guides basically useless? They are too hard to use and too time consuming to use effectively. I would much rather read a traditional FAQ. But apparently this is another area where I’m in the minority.
@MSaturn I'm still creating written FAQs and translation guides in 2024. My first FAQs were for WipEout 2097 and Motor Toon Grand Prix in 1996 https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/community/msephton/contributions/faqs
@MSaturn Video guides are more time consuming, but I've gotten plenty of benefit from them. It depends on the context whether a written guide or a video guide is more helpful. Sometimes, seeing a technique in action is what's needed, and it's helpful in situations that involve navigation. I just played through Gauntlet 4, and had to consult video a few times to help get me going the right way. A text guide would have been useless for that.
LOL, I forgot about this. I think the original article was written in 2013, and then after the site was redesigned the article was republished in 2017.
To this day I am convinced there are zero difference between the navigators.
Reassuring to see others online run into the same mystery. Hopefully it gets solved some day. I reckon the hackers who did the translation might be able to peek and see?
I'm guessing this game is not won by slashing, perhaps in bulk repetition?
I do remember when I played through the fan translation of Vilgust for the Famicom in 2001, I had to rely on a babelfish translation of a German walkthrough for some parts.
(though the same group that did the FF4 retranslation, I can only look at both these with a rather sus opinion of the quality of the translations. )
@Sketcz In doing a fan translation of the Famicom RPG Deep Dungeon III, I had to look at the game's programming to figure out how the game's mechanics even work (unless that information was hidden somewhere else, like the magic info, I could tell even with my limited Japanese that even the instruction manual wasn't divulging info on what the stats the player was offered to spend their points on even did). And also find out they were pretty busted.
I'm old in videogame terms (almost 42) but I still use FAQs. It only (me at least) a few seconds to find just the part I need, and I can keep one open and follow along as needed (playing FO1 with one right now actually).
I wonder how many other people do though lol
I hate spoilers too so I'd rather see the game for myself, even when I just need a little advice on how to proceed
Tbh this is just kinda the thing with gamefaqs in general. A ton of sweaty nerds who are way too pretentious and gatekeepey about the games they play, one time I came across a Sengoku 3 FAQ where the author went in depth about how he’d spend like hours of his life everyday hunched over an arcade cabinet for the game just playing it over and over for hours and growling at people who come near him like a Batman villain or smth, and don’t even get me started on the board forums😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
They do in that if you're teaming up with the best girl for you, you'll play better.
It might surprise you when I say I’ve played Bulk Slash a lot, and I’ve never noticed any difference between the MISSes with one exception- the final unlockable MISS, Kina, will recharge the bomb in robot mode and the seeker missiles in flight mode much more quickly. The bombs in particular are the secret to a good high score as you can set off massive combo chains with them.
In terms of endings, if you get a high enough score you’ll get an extra FMV cutscene with the MISS you used after the credits. Also depending on your score you can get a different “wallpaper” of the MISS, with a particularly high score awarding you a picture of them in a bikini. It’s why I avoid playing as Kina as she’s like 5 and they have a bikini picture of her. 😫
I found some period FAQs and Japanese coverage:
These all say extra chats, bonus wallpapers, and additional ending for each MISS as your level/score increases. @Sketcz
Ah, the internet. If you're not seeing incorrect/incomplete info from a single source, regurgitated ad infinitum by search engines and AI, then you're seeing this done by other humans!
This persists to this day. A Unicorn Overlord character recruitment guide from Game Rant mentions a warning not to kill a certain character when you actually still need to defeat said character's unit and the narrative will just say the character just fell unconscious anyway.
I adore FAQs. Not just for being easier to access and reference than a video, or because they can be almost spoiler free if needed, but because they are often full of the idiosyncrasies of the author. My favourites read like some some sort of gaming memoir, which I periodically reread as you would a favourite book.
@amongtheworms
Indeed. I prefer the ones where the author's character comes through - esp if they're a good writer. I recently looked at my first ever FAQ, written age 18, and it had pointless anecdotes about Ghibli films I'd watched at the time, lol. Terrible FAQ, but amusing to look back on.
@gingerbeardman
Thanks. I knew about the endings, but I meant in terms of improving mecha performance. I never unlocked the 7th character. It seems they're the only ones who improve things.
There's definitely a gameplay difference between the MISSes, and it's as follows:
@PinballBuzzbro
Dude! I remember that same Sengoku 3 faq, it was horrible. He talked about combos that “really get the crowd going” as if anyone gave a ***** what he was doing as he hunched in the corner sweating all over the neo geo cabinet lmao. So crazy to see someone reference that faq. I guess it also made an impact on me for being so cringe because I readily remembered it when you brought it up.
@MSaturn Some video guides can be helpful, mainly when needing to navigate somewhere and a written explanation is too vague or woolly, but written walkthroughs/FAQs definitely still have their place, especially over wikis, which are often on ad-riddled sites like Fandom. If I'm quickly looking something up on my phone while playing a game, dealing with a Fandom page is in no way convenient vs loading up a GameFAQs text page.
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