Solar Jetman - RetroAchievements/guides GitHub Wiki

Overview

Set Difficulty: 7/10
Approximate time to master: Between 30-50 Hours based on skill
Minimum numbers of playthroughs needed: 3 complete playthroughs, with additional challenges that allow password access
Number of missable achievements: Zero, due to password support
Does difficulty affect achievements? Not Applicable
Hardest achievement of the set: Celestial Survivor, honorable mentions to The Mad Man Did It! and Ducktape and Bubblegum

Introduction

Solar Jetman is a Nintendo Entertainment System game developed by Zippo Games and Rare, released to American audiences in late 1990. Despite being featured in a multi-page Nintendo Power article, the game was not a big seller, but retains a cult following for its play control, environment building, and high challenge. As with most Rare games of this era, it features bold graphics and colors, extremely expansive game play that seems to extend beyond the capabilities of the NES, sprites that mimic free control in 360 degrees, and an awesome 8-bit soundtrack by legendary composer David Wise.

Unfortunately, the game's ironclad difficulty spike takes many players out in the early going. If you're able to stick it out beyond the first few planets, Solar Jetman is an incredibly rewarding experience and tons of fun. A single playthrough without warping can take a few hours.

The game is very well documented on the Internet, and fully labeled maps of all 13 planets are available on GameFAQs. It is recommended to use those resources to navigate as you learn the subtleties of the gameplay!

Set Design

The set was created by Wulden and contains 79 achievements, ranging from fairly simple planet-based challenges, to a full-game deathless marathon. Most achievements are not password protected, so using passwords to jump around the thirteen planets to unlock specific challenges is allowed and encouraged. When applicable, passwords to assist in specific achievements have been included!

Once you lock into the skill set required to master some of the tricky maneuvering, the entire set can be completed - with some elbow grease - in about 40 hours, less if you've got some natural talent for flying a space pod.

Achievement Categories

Every achievement in this set can be broken down into nine categories. Some of these categories contain fairly simple unlocks that require you to go pick up a specific item. Others require more complex goals, like finishing several planets without dying.

Within each achievement description, links have been included that will immediately reference other achievement write ups in this guide, so if any two achievements are related you can jump around this guide easily.

Item Procurement achievements require you to buy an amount of specific items from the store, or locate key pickups in the first two planets. Point total goals are also included in this category.
Item Usage achievements require you to attack and hit enemies with specific types of weapons a predetermined amount of times.
Escape the Planet achievements are unlocked every time you beat one of the 13 planets, with no other prerequisites.
Plunder the Planet achievements ask you to collect all of the available items scattered around each of the planets. Planets range from 4 to 16 available collectibles as they get progressively more difficult. Every planet has its own achievement for 100% completion.
Planet Races refer to three challenges in which you must race your jet pod from a starting point on a specific planet to an end goal in a limited amount of time.
Warps & Bonus Stages are a collection of 11 achievements that set you out to find hidden warp zones that go to bonus stages, or allow you to skip forward to new planets. Included are three associated gem collection tasks that rely on those bonus stages.
Low % Challenges require you to beat a specific planet with very limited weapons, defenses, and resources. Passwords are included where applicable to set you up for each challenge!
System Survivors are a set of achievements where you must beat a set of three predetermined planets, known as a System, without incurring any deaths.
Game Finishers are the highest point total achievements in the set and require you to beat the game. Some require full playthroughs of the game in one sitting, taking various paths by way of specific warp zones.

Item Procurement

Find The Shield Upgrade (1) Find the Shield Upgrade on a planet.

This is likely the first achievement you'll unlock while playing Solar Jetman. The Shield Upgrade is on the first planet, Preludon, by leaving your Mother Ship and descending straight down into the planet on the left side.

Once your pod is close to the item, it will automatically latch on and you can lift it up and out, back to the Mother Ship! Be careful, as towing items will increase the weight of your pod, making it more difficult to travel.

Find The Thruster Upgrade (2) Find the Thruster Upgrade on a planet.

The Thruster adds a boost ability to your jet pod which is absolutely essential for success in later planets when the gravity becomes less manageable. It's located on Planet 2, Mexomorf.

After leaving your Mother Ship, head to the left and follow the contour of the planet, and you'll see it just before you reach the hole that leads to the interior. Tow it back to your Mother Ship for the unlock!

Find The Map Upgrade (2) Find the Map Upgrade on a planet.

This item is on Planet 2, Mexomorf. It will add a mapping device to your jet pod - press Start to pause the game, then Select to see the map. You can also buy this item for 1.5K points in between planets 1 & 2, and it's a permanent upgrade, however buying it this way will not unlock this achievement.

As with most planets, you may want to consider taking an initial run through the planet to clear stationary turrets and guns to make your return path safer.
The Map upgrade is on the left side of the interior of the planet, all the way at the bottom. You need to tow it straight up. Halfway out of the planet is a small wormhole that you can drop the Map upgrade into, which will unlock the achievement.
The upgrade is very heavy! Make sure you have collected the boosters first as it will make vertical travel while towing this item a little easier. See the Find the Thruster Upgrade achievement details if you missed it.

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! (10) Find a box of relics that are filled with absolutely nothing.

Treasure Chests are scattered among the planets, and contain fixed items with fixed values. Some of these chests contain Absolutely Nothing with a value of 1 point. There are three such chests in the game, and towing any of these chests to your Mother Ship or dropping it in a wormhole will unlock the achievement.

A chest on the surface of the seventh planet, Chorlton, contains nothing. It's all the way on the right side of the map. Password: KBDLBBBBTVNB
A chest on the ninth planet, Zlaz Tordus, contains nothing. Go down the hole to the right of your Mother Ship, and it's along the ceiling to the left. Password: KBGMBBBBHPTB
A chest on the tenth planet, Shammy Gen, contains nothing. Leave your Mother Ship and head to the right and go down immediately. It's a very quick tow job! Password: KBGMBBBBNVTB

Homing Missle Surplus (5) Own two or more Homing Missile packs.

Homing Missiles are available for 400 points each and will show up in the very first store of the game after wrapping up the first Planet, Preludon. Buy two for the grand total of 800 points, and this achievement will unlock.

Time Bomb Surplus (5) Own two or more Time Bomb packs.

Time Bombs are available for 150 points each and will show up in the very first store of the game after wrapping up the first Planet, Preludon. Buy two for the grand total of 300 points, and this achievement will unlock.

Titanium Bullet Surplus (5) Own two or more Titanium Bullet packs.

Titanium Bullet Packs are available for 800 points each and will show up in the very first store of the game after wrapping up the first Planet, Preludon. Buy two for the grand total of 1,600 points, and this achievement will unlock.

Efficient Engine Surplus (5) Own two or more Efficient Engine packs.

Efficient Engines are available for 500 points each and will show up in the very first store of the game after wrapping up the first Planet, Preludon. Buy two for the grand total of 1,000 points, and this achievement will unlock.

The Map! (5) Purchase the Mapping Device

After finishing the first stage, Preludon, you'll enter a store where you can buy upgrades. Scroll all the way to the right until you find the Mapping Device. It costs 1.5K points which you should easily be able to afford if you obtained even a few gems from Preludon's Cyberzone. After you purchase it, the achievement will unlock.

Keep in mind that most experienced players will forego buying this Mapping Device to get the free Navigator available on planet 2, Mexomorf, as it serves an identical purpose. This achievement is specifically for buying it from the store.

Anti Gravity Surplus (5) Own two or more Anti Gravity packs.

Multi-Warhead Missiles are available for 1,000 points each and will show up in the store after wrapping up the third Planet, Omebru. Buy two for the grand total of 2,000 points, and this achievement will unlock.

Multi-Warhead Missile Surplus (5) Own two or more Multi-Warhead Missile packs.

Multi-Warhead Missiles are available for 400 points each and will show up in the store after wrapping up the third Planet, Omebru. Buy two for the grand total of 800 points, and this achievement will unlock.

Super Shield Surplus (5) Own two or more Super Shield packs.

Super Shields are available for 500 points each and will show up in the store after wrapping up the third Planet, Omebru. Buy two for the grand total of 1,000 points, and this achievement will unlock.

The Original Sporty Jetpod (5) Purchase the Nippon Sports Jetpod.

Just before starting an even-numbered planet, you'll enter a store where you can buy various upgrades for points earned. The Nippon Sports Jetpod is available starting just before you begin Planet 4, Corso Qwero, and costs 10,000 points. Buy it to unlock the achievement.

Coming up with the points for this is not terribly difficult as there are plenty of great opportunities to load up on points in the first three stages:

By finding the bonus zone on Preludon and collecting gems in the Cyberzone, 21 gems are available before you even leave the first planet. This is worth 4.5K points!
By using the secret warp on Mexomorf, you can grab a Treasure Chest full of gems. A second treasure chest on the surface of this planet containing Easter Island heads puts the total of these two chests alone at over 7K points!
Another chest filled with Easter Island Heads is on the third planet, Omebru. This is worth another 2.4K points.

The Super Mapping Device (5) Purchase the Super Mapping Device

After you complete the fifth Planet, Bokky, you'll enter a store where you can buy various upgrades. Scroll all the way to the right and you'll find the Super Mapping Device for sale for 5,000 points. You will almost definitely have enough points to buy this if you've been towing a reasonable amount of treasure and collecting gems in the Cyberzones. After you make the purchase, the achievement will unlock.

Star Bullet Surplus (5) Own two or more Star Bullet packs.

Star Bullets are available for 400 points each and will show up in the store after wrapping up the seventh Planet, Chorlton. Buy two for the grand total of 800 points, and this achievement will unlock.

Momentum Killer Surplus (5) Own two or more Momentum Killer packs.

Momentum Killers are available for 800 points each and will show up in the store after wrapping up the seventh Planet, Chorlton. Buy two for the grand total of 1,600 points, and this achievement will unlock.

Double Strength Thruster Surplus (5) Own two or more Double Strength Thruster packs.

Double Strength Thrusters are available for 1,000 points each and will show up after wrapping up the seventh Planet, Chorlton. Buy two for the grand total of 2,000 points, and this achievement will unlock.

The Italian Job (5) Purchase the Italian Racing Pod.

Just before starting an even-numbered planet, you’ll enter a store where you can buy various upgrades for points earned. The Italian Racing Pod is available starting just before you begin Planet 8, Shishkebab, and costs 25,000 points. It will also appear before you begin Planet 4, Corso Qwero, but it's nearly impossible to amass the points necessary to buy it this early.

Buy it to unlock the achievement.

If you've been towing absolutely everything on all of the Planets leading up to this moment, you should have enough points to buy this. You could also potentially skip buying the Nippon Sports Jetpod to save 10,000 points, but you'll have to do Planets 4 through 7 with your default jet pod.

By finding the bonus zone on Preludon and collecting gems in the Cyberzone zone, 21 gems are available before you even leave the first planet. This is worth over 4K points!
By using the secret warp on Mexomorf, you can grab a Treasure Chest full of gems. A second treasure chest on the surface of this planet containing Easter Island Heads puts the total of these two chests alone at over 7K points!
Another chest filled with Easter Island Heads is on the third planet, Omebru. This is worth another 2.4K points.
There's a treasure chest with gems in it worth 4.7K points on the fourth planet, Corso Qwero.
There a chest on the surface of the fifth planet, Bokky, that has Easter Island Heads in it, with 2.4K points. There are also tons of gems available on Bokky worth over 4K points if you can get them all!
Planet 6, Lemonte, has a chest with gems very close to the Mother Ship, as well as four radioactive pickups, all worth 8.7K points!
You can pick up as many as six towable gems on the seventh planet, Chorlton, if you haven't made the total yet. Total value of 3K points!
If you miss this buying opportunity, it will show up again right before starting the 12th planet, Miplezur.

Smart Bomb Surplus (5) Own two or more Smart Bomb packs.

Smart Bombs are available for 2,500 points each and will show up in the store after wrapping up the ninth Planet, Zlaz Tordus. Buy two for the grand total of 5,000 points, and this achievement will unlock.

Military Bullet Surplus (5) Own two or more Military Bullet packs.

Military Bullet Packs are available for 1,600 points each and will show up in the store after wrapping up the ninth Planet, Zlaz Tordus. Buy two for the grand total of 3,200 points, and this achievement will unlock.

Very Prepared Jetman (5) Own 5 of every item, the Super Mapping Device, and the Italian Racing Pod.

The best way to achieve this is to make a straight playthrough of the game with no warping, and attempt to tow all items on every planet to maximize points. You can skip the Nippon Sports Jetpod in the shop before Corso Qwero to save 10K points if you're feeling low on points.

As you're playing through the game, buy two of everything as they progressively appear in stores. This will unlock all of the standalone item purchasing achievements, of which there are 14.

Don't forget to buy the Super Mapping Device right before you start planet 6, Lemonte. It costs 5K points.
You can purchase the Italian Racing Pod just before starting planet 8, Shishkebab. It costs 25K points.

The final store appears before you set out on the 12th planet, Miplezur. This is your last opportunity to buy three more of everything to complete this achievement. There are 15 gems scattered among the final three planets before this store, which should get you approximately 10K points to help bridge the cost gap.

If you're feeling brave, you can try to achieve both this and Cosmic Prospector in the same playthrough by saving all of your points until the final store - just don't forget to buy the Super Mapping Device earlier when it's available!

Salvage Scout (5) Earn a minimum of 25,000 points.

There are lots of ways to earn points, and playing through the game naturally should eventually unlock this achievement. It's recommended that you buy as little as possible to maximize the amount of points you have. If you play through all of the planets, it's very easy to get enough points to buy the Italian Racing Jetpod, which costs 25,000 points.

Defeating enemies is not really a great way to earn points. Values for defeating enemies is usually 50 points or less, and it doesn't really add up.
Towing valuables will give you a good sustained jump in points. Treasure chests with gems inside are worth 4.7K each! You can find them on Mexomorf, Corso Qwero, and Lemonte.
Collect all ten gems every time you finish a planet and go to the Cyberzone. This will earn you 2K points. If you blow up your jet pod and go into the Cyberzone with just your space suit, it's much easier to achieve this. Achieving this in a full playthrough alone is worth 24K total points!

Cosmic Prospector (5) Earn a minimum of 50,000 points.

Getting your points up to 50,000 is still not as difficult as it may seem, although you may need to sacrifice that Italian Racing Pod you've been eyeing to save the initial 25K. Use the tips to collect points in the first 7 planets as noted in the Salvage Scout achievement, then keep building wealth in the second half using some of these tips:

Planet 8, Shishkebab, is not great for points, but there are three Radioactive pickups there for 750 points a pop - that's 2.2K points!
Planet 9, Zlaz Tordus, has 4 gems to tow for a total of 2K points, and a secret warp with ten more gems worth another 2K points!
Planet 10, Shammy Gen has four more gems worth 2K points. In the past two stages there's 8 gems, and collecting enough will not only give you a 1UP but give you a bonus 2K points as well!
6 more gems to tow on Shankoo - that's now 14 gems in three planets - lots of bonus points to earn by towing these back! There's also 1.5K points in three treasure chests to collect.
Miplezur has another 6 gems to collect - that's 20 total in the last four planets, worth a base of 10K points and probably at least two bonus 1UPs worth an extra 1.5K points each. There's another 2.8K in points in four treasure chests!
Don't forget, you're still racking up 2K bonus points for every Cyberzone you full clear - do it in your space suit to make flying around easier - worth a total of 24K points across the entire game!

Item Usage

Shots Fired! (10) Use your pod's standard bullets to inflict damage upon your enemies 1000 times in one play session.

Even though it's the default weapon, your main cannon is still one of the most effective ways to play through the game. No attention needs to be paid to the weapon gauge, and bullets send most flying enemies away from you in one hit. With consistent use of the main cannon, scoring 1000 hits should occur naturally in a straight playthrough from start to end.

Pretty Good Pea-Shooter (10) Inflict damage upon your enemies 250 times while out of your pod, in one play session.

The space suit gun is the same as your pod's gun, with two severe differences:

You can only shoot it left and right.
Without the defense of your space pod, you're always a sitting duck.

With these limitations, it can be tough to rack up lots of confirmed hits. Most larger enemies that require lots hits have strong offensive moves that travel left and right, making your space suit very vulnerable.

If you have the patience, try standing your character on a cliff overseeing an enemy generator, and shoot a volley every time a new ship flies out. In a fair bit of time you can earn this achievement without any of the danger that it comes with.

Send'em Home (10) Use your homing missiles to inflict damage upon your enemies 200 times in one play session.

Homing Missiles are available for 400 points each and will show up in the very first store of the game after wrapping up the first Planet, Preludon. You get a lot of missile shots out of one full weapon gauge.

This is one of those weapons that's better on paper than in actual use. Missiles move slowly and tend to drift, causing them to circle targets without ever actually hitting them. The damage output is also tough to measure against your normal gun.

The easiest way to score hits with homing missiles is to throw your shields up, move in really close to enemies that are large and require multiple hits, and start slamming on the shoot button. I recommend trying to exploit planets that have lots of large targets, like Chorlton. 200 total hits will unlock the achievement.

3rd Party Strikes (10) Use your Star Bullets to inflict damage upon your enemies 100 times, in one play session.

Star Bullets are available for 400 points each and will show up in the store after wrapping up the seventh Planet, Chorlton. A full weapon gauge will allow you to shoot seven Star Bullets, however each individual shot can register multiple hits.

Star Bullets are a very interesting weapon and extremely strong and effective if you know how to use them. Your pod will shoot out an initial star, and that star will then independently shoot very powerful bullets at whatever is in the vicinity. No need to aim! After leaving the screen or exhausting a certain number of shots, the initial star bullet will disappear and you can shoot again.

The trick to using Star Bullets effectively is understanding that the initial shot will match your jet pod's velocity. Because of this, shooting your initial Star Bullet while moving as slowly as possible will also make the bullet move very slowly, and it will tear through absolutely anything that enters the screen (and even some stuff that doesn't). Scoring 100 shots with Star Bullets is fairly easy, and it might just win you over as your favorite equippable weapon.

Escape the Planet

Escape Preludon (1) Fuel up, collect the warp ship piece and escape Preludon.

This achievement unlocks when you drop the Warpship piece into the wormhole and choose to Blast Off from the first planet, Preludon.

Difficulty Rating: 1/10

Here it is, the very first planet of the game! The map is extremely small and only features three items to tow and a couple stationary turrets to destroy. Definitely grab the Shield Booster first! After playing the game for awhile, returning to this stage on any subsequent playthroughs will be a cakewalk.

Connected Achievements:

If you tow every single item on the planet, you'll also unlock Plundered Preludon.
The Shield Boosters are in this stage, and if you tow them back to your Mother Ship, you will unlock Find the Shield Upgrade.
Find the secret warp to the seventh planet, Chorlton, and you will unlock You Sure You Are Ready?
This secret warp to Chorlton is also required to start The Mad Man Did It!
There's also a warp zone to a bonus area on this planet - enter it to unlock Preludon's Secret!
Between the secret bonus area, towing a gem, and the Cyberzone, collect all 21 gems on Preludon and you'll unlock Money Grubber.

Escape Mexomorf (1) Fuel up, collect the warp ship piece and escape Mexomorf.

This achievement unlocks when you drop the Warpship piece into the wormhole and choose to Blast Off from the second planet, Mexomorf.

Difficulty Rating: 4/10

The difficulty jump from the first the second planet is pretty dramatic. There's plenty to find on the surface, and two ways down into the inner caves. The left side will access all of the items to be towed, and the right side provides easier access to the Warpship piece. There's also a hidden area underground that can only be accessed through a very temporary secret warp, providing some treasure to boost your point total early!

Connected Achievements:

If you tow every single item on the planet, you'll also unlock Plundered Mexomorf. This is one of the more difficult "Plundered" achievements to obtain because of the four items located in a hidden area.
If you take the secret warp to the hidden area on the planet, you'll unlock THERE IS NO TIME!!.
The thrusters are on the surface of the planet and are a nearly necessary pick up to help tackle planets with higher gravity. Tow them to your Mother Ship to earn Find the Thruster Upgrade.
The Navigator can be found down the left entrance to the planet, and the very bottom near the pool of green liquid. If you tow it to your Mother Ship or a wormhole, you will unlock Find the Map Upgrade.
Theres a race challenge on this planet! Complete the course under the target time to unlock Mexomorf Race.

Escape Omebru (2) Fuel up, collect the warp ship piece and escape Omebru.

This achievement unlocks when you drop the Warpship piece into the wormhole and choose to Blast Off from the third planet, Omebru.

Difficulty Rating: 5/10

This planet is the first of the "crystalline" planets, known for extremely narrow passageways that connect larger inner caverns. You'll see this framework repeated on planets 5, 8, and 10. It's easier to keep pressing forward on this planet, replacing your pod with the spare ones available in each cave, rather than taking the entire trip over and over again, suffering chip damage from the narrow passageways.

Connected Achievements:

If you tow every single item on the planet, you'll also unlock Plundered Omebru.
There's a secret warp you can enter to skip a few planets. Find and enter the warp to unlock Thread the Needle.
Once you've made it into the secret warp, destroy the enemy inside without losing your jet pod to unlock Warp Guardian Destroyed.

Escape Corso Qwero (2) Fuel up, collect the warp ship piece and escape Corso Qwero.

This achievement unlocks when you drop the Warpship piece into the wormhole and choose to Blast Off from the fourth planet, Corso Qwero.

Difficulty Rating: 7/10

This planet is very difficult considering where it lies in chronology. Corso Qwero is a major step up in required skill level. Towing items is generally straight forward, but the long dark path in the subterranean caves to get to the Warpship piece is very narrow and requires an extremely steady piloting hand.

Connected Achievements:

If you tow every single item on the planet, you'll also unlock Plundered Corso Qwero.

Escape Bokky (3) Fuel up, collect the warp ship piece and escape Bokky.

This achievement unlocks when you drop the Warpship piece into the wormhole and choose to Blast Off from the fifth planet, Bokky.

Difficulty Rating: 4/10

Bokky's Fuel pickup locations are not too difficult to deal with. There are numerous tight passageways, similar to the third Planet Omebru, but most are generally optional and only one is required to get to the Warpship piece.

Connected Achievements:

If you tow every single item on the planet, you'll also unlock Plundered Bokky.
Enter the secret warp in this stage to unlock Bokky's Secret.
Including that secret warp, you can collect all the gems in the stage to unlock Covetous Space Man.

Escape Lemonte (3) Fuel up, collect the warp ship piece and escape Lemonte.

This achievement unlocks when you drop the Warpship piece into the wormhole and choose to Blast Off from the sixth planet, Lemonte.

Difficulty Rating: 6/10

This planet involves lots of narrow vertical passages leading up and down between the surface and interior caves. It also involves a significant number of larger jumping turrets that fill up the inner caves with lots of laser fire. Most of the hard to get to locations are purely optional however, and fuel cell pickups are generally near wormholes.

Connected Achievements:

If you tow every single item on the planet, you'll also unlock Plundered Lemonte.
You can follow the path left and down into the subterranean lakes to find a secret warp zone. Doing so will unlock Lakeside Warp.
Theres a special challenge achievement for this stage, if you think you can beat it without your Shield Boosters. Check out Bare Bones Lemonte Gauntlet for the appropriate password to get started.

Escape Chorlton (4) Fuel up, collect the warp ship piece and escape Chorlton.

This achievement unlocks when you drop the Warpship piece into the wormhole and choose to Blast Off from the seventh planet, Chorlton.

Difficulty Rating: 8/10

This planet is large and chock full of enemy spawning portals and guardian machines. The Warpship piece is located at the end of a very long, narrow, snaking passageway that is under water. A steady hand will be required while navigating the lower passageways!

Connected Achievements:

If you tow every single item on the planet, you'll also unlock Plundered Chorlton.
There's a race achievement to the bottom of the underwater passageway. Complete it in time to unlock Chorlton Race.
There's an empty chest worth 1 point to tow on this planet. Bring it to your Mother Ship to unlock Absolutely Nothing.
Take the warp zone from the first planet, Preludon, without grabbing the Shield Booster. Then, beat this planet with no shields! It's very difficult, but you will unlock The Mad Man Did It!

Escape Shishkebab (4) Fuel up, collect the warp ship piece and escape Shishkebab.

This achievement unlocks when you drop the Warpship piece into the wormhole and choose to Blast Off from the eighth planet, Shishkebab.

Difficulty Rating: 5/10

The defining characteristic of this planet is that its gravity rating is negative - meaning that you'll fall upwards. While initially confusing, it makes towing items from the depths back up to your Mother Ship much easier.

There are a few narrow passageways similar to Omebru and Bokky leading to the center of the planet where most of the Fuel Cells and Warpship piece are hidden. If you've been playing through the game without any warps and have been diligent in collecting points, you'll have the opportunity to buy the Italian Racing Pod before you start this planet. This upgrade will let you use the small wormholes to bypass the narrow passageways completely, making this planet considerably easier.

Connected Achievements:

If you tow every single item on the planet, you'll also unlock Plundered Shishkebab.
There's a secret warp near the top of the screen as you head to the right on the surface. The warp takes you to planet 13, Urownd, and unlocks the achievement Did You Forget Anything?

Escape Zlaz Tordus (5) Fuel up, collect the warp ship piece and escape Zlaz Tordus.

This achievement unlocks when you drop the Warpship piece into the wormhole and choose to Blast Off from the ninth planet, Zlaz Tordus.

Difficulty Rating: 7/10

This planet can be deceptively difficult based on the amount of free-flying enemies in each of the caverns. Unlike static obstacles like turrets and gravity spheres, free-flying enemies will continuously respawn and make towing a nightmare. Always be aware of the appearance of flying enemies and be prepared to cut your tow line and raise your shields.

Luckily, navigation of this planet is not too bad, and much like most of these later planets, the addition of the Italian Racing Pod will allow for shortened travel between the interconnected caves by way of wormhole usage.

Connected Achievements:

If you tow every single item on the planet, you'll also unlock Plundered Zlaz Tordus.
There's a secret warp on this planet that leads to a bonus stage. Unlike most other warps of this type, there is no associated achievement for finding it, however it's required in order to unlock Rapacious Loony. It's in the sky along the edge of the screen as you fly out of the Mother Ship to the right.
There's an empty chest worth 1 point to tow on this planet. Bring it to your Mother Ship to unlock Absolutely Nothing.

Escape Shammy Gen (5) Fuel up, collect the warp ship piece and escape Shammy Gen.

This achievement unlocks when you drop the Warpship piece into the wormhole and choose to Blast Off from the tenth planet, Shammy Gen.

Difficulty Rating: 7/10

More ultra-narrow passageways on this Planet, much like Omebru and Shishkebab. There are five Fuel Cells but you only need to collect four - the one in the isolated cave to the right of the Mother Ship should be avoided since it requires towing through a narrow passage while fighting off swarms of enemies simultaneously. The rest of the stage is very compact with well-placed wormholes.

Connected Achievements:

If you tow every single item on the planet, you'll also unlock Plundered Shammy Gen. Collecting the aforementioned Fuel Cell can be pretty challenging, and it's got to be towed to the Mother Ship - so an upgraded space pod provides no real benefit!
There's an empty chest worth 1 point to tow on this planet. Bring it to your Mother Ship to unlock Absolutely Nothing.

Escape Shankoo (10) Fuel up, collect the warp ship piece and escape Shankoo.

This achievement unlocks when you drop the Warpship piece into the wormhole and choose to Blast Off from the eleventh planet, Shankoo.

Difficulty Rating: 8/10

This planet is, by scale, much larger than most of the other planets, and has many narrow chokepoints that make navigation difficult. All four Fuel Cells are in different directions and have different destinations to tow, so the whole affair can be a bit time consuming. The Warpship piece is also a fair distance to travel - you must enter the planet through one hole and come out on the surface in a further location.

Connected Achievements:

If you tow every single item on the planet, you'll also unlock Plundered Shankoo. There are a whopping eleven bonus items to tow beyond the four Fuel Cells - it's a tall order!

Escape Miplezur (10) Fuel up, collect the warp ship piece and escape Miplezur.

This achievement unlocks when you drop the Warpship piece into the wormhole and choose to Blast Off from the twlevth planet, Miplezur.

Difficulty Rating: 10/10

This is, without a doubt, the hardest (and final!) planet of all. Miplezur features the largest map and the heaviest gravity in the game. Use of the Italian Racing Pod makes some of the traveling easier, but without it, all destinations take a lot of effort to reach.

The Warpship piece is hidden far underground, and you've got to traverse a maze at the bottom of the planet beyond a long winding underwater path. Achieving all of this will test your piloting endurance.

Connected Achievements:

If you tow every single item on the planet, you'll also unlock Plundered Miplezur. Some of the items are tucked away in areas that require significant tow distances!
Unlocking this achievement will also unlock It's Perfect, as the conditions are identical.
Ready for a real challenge? If you can beat the stage with nothing but the map and thrusters (no shields!) you will unlock The Miplezur Struggle Session.

Escape Urownd (10) Fuel up, collect the warp ship piece and escape Urownd.

This achievement unlocks when you drop the Warpship piece into the wormhole and choose to Blast Off from the twlevth planet, Urownd.

Difficulty Rating: 5/10

The only way to access this planet is to use a secret warp on the eighth planet, Shishkebab. Taking this path not only leaps you forward past many of the difficult later planets, but Urownd is actually quite simple. The planet's sheer size is the major issue, and there aren't any developed chambers - mostly just paths - but with some proper navigation, nothing is very out of the way or hidden.

Connect Achievements:

If you tow every single item on the planet, you'll also unlock Plundered Urownd. One of the orange gems in this stage can only be retrieved if you have the Italian Racing Pod so make sure you're properly equipped before attempting this.
There's a challenging race in this stage that requires some accurate piloting - do it fast and you can unlock Urownd Race.

Plunder the Planet

Plundered Preludon (5) Collect all towables on the planet.

100% completion of the first planet, Preludon, will unlock this achievement. 4 pickups are required to be towed to the Mother Ship. This task is fairly simple and is good practice for things to come.

The Shield Booster is down in the bottom left corner of the map. When you tow it back to your Mother Ship, you'll also unlock Find the Shield Upgrade.
1 Fuel pickup is available to tow and is required to leave the planet. Follow the interior cave down and to the right and eventually you'll stumble upon it.
1 Blue Gem is on the floor of the planet, a bit to the right of the Shield Booster's location.
1 Warpship piece counts towards the valid total - Save it for last!

Plundered Mexomorf (5) Collect all towables on the planet.

100% completion of the second planet, Mexomorf, will unlock this achievement. Despite the fact that this is only the second planet, completing this achievement is tricky and requires you to enter a secret warp - see THERE IS NO TIME achievement for details. 13 pickups are required to either be towed to the Mother Ship or dropped in a wormhole. Refuel Canisters and Spare Pods do not count and can be used or left alone at your discretion.

There are four towable items in the secret area. If your jet pod explodes in the secret area before you can tow all four items, you will need to suicide to obtain a new pod and complete the collection, since the secret area cannot be returned to once left. Because it's tough to collect all four in one jet pod, I recommend getting this achievement on a separate play through than something like Zandor Survivor that requires a deathless run.

4 Fuel pickups are available to tow. Two are easily obtainable on the surface, while the other two can be accessed by exploring the left interior hole.
3 Treasure Chests need to be collected. One is on the surface, all the way on the right side of the map. The other two are in the secret area.
2 Orange Gems are available - one is halfway down the left interior hole. The other is in the secret area.
1 Radioactive container is in the upper right portion of the secret area.
The Thrusters are on the surface to the left. Collecting it also unlocks Find the Thruster Upgrade.
The Navigator device is at the very bottom of the left interior hole and it's really heavy! Collecting it also unlocks Find the Map Upgrade.
1 Warpship piece counts towards the valid total - Save it for last!

Plundered Omebru (5) Collect all towables on the planet.

100% completion of the third planet, Omebru, will unlock this achievement. 11 pickups are required to either be towed to the Mother Ship or dropped in a wormhole. Refuel Canisters and Spare Pods do not count and can be used or left alone at your discretion.

1 Alien Artifact on the surface of the planet.
4 Fuel pickups are available to tow - one is close enough to bring back to the Mother Ship but the other three should be brought to wormholes.
2 Treasure Chests need to be collected. One is fairly close to the Mother Ship, and the second is available shortly after the first narrow passageway.
1 Orange Gem is relatively close to the start, near the spinning turret circle.
1 Blue Gem is much deeper. Two narrow passageways need to be navigated.
1 Radioactive container is very close to the blue gem.
1 Warpship piece counts towards the valid total - Save it for last!

Plundered Corso Qwero (5) Collect all towables on the planet.

The fourth planet, Corso Qwero, is one of the more difficult planets and a major spike in skill level to navigate. 100% completion of the planet will unlock this achievement. 11 pickups are required to either be towed to the Mother Ship or dropped in a wormhole. Refuel Canisters and Spare Pods do not count and can be used or left alone at your discretion.

1 Alien Artifact fairly deep inside the planet, near the second wormhole you find.
3 Fuel pickups are available to tow - all of them are discoverable before you begin your trek into the lower cave areas.
2 Treasure Chests need to be collected. One is fairly close to the first wormhole you find, but the second is next to the final wormhole, deep in the cave. It's got gems inside and is worth over 4K points!
1 Orange Gem is in a side cave in the bottom right corner of the map. Pulling it out of the narrow passage to a wormhole is challenging.
1 Blue Gem is very close to the Mother Ship, in a depressed area of the planet floor.
2 Radioactive containers to collect - the first is stuck in a tiny passage in a wall near the first wormhole. The second is close to the beginning of the lower cave area and requires a long trek to any available wormholes for drop off.
1 Warpship piece counts towards the valid total - Save it for last!

Plundered Bokky (5) Collect all towables on the planet.

100% completion of the fifth planet, Bokky, will unlock this achievement. 11 pickups are required to either be towed to the Mother Ship or dropped in a wormhole. Refuel Canisters and Spare Pods do not count and can be used or left alone at your discretion. With the exception of the orange gem, most items are pretty easy to access and move around.

4 Fuel Cells are available to tow. Two of them are close to the surface to the right of the Mother Ship. The other two are slightly deeper - one down the left entrance and one down the right.
1 Blue Gem is on the surface. Start traveling far to the left and you'll find it sitting on a small brown rock formation.
1 Orange Gem is in an inner cave on the left side of the planet. It requires entering a cave via a very narrow passage - and then the gem needs to be towed back out of that same passage!
2 Radioactive pickups are available to tow. One is under the brown rock formation where the Blue Gem is located. The other is in the very bottom left corner of the map.
2 Treasure chests must be towed. The first is just to the left of the Mother Ship and very easy to locate. The second is down the right side of the planet, in a side cave, still pretty close to the surface.
1 Warpship piece counts towards the valid total - Save it for last!

Plundered Lemonte (5) Collect all towables on the planet.

100% completion of the sixth planet, Lemonte, will unlock this achievement. 16 pickups are required to either be towed to the Mother Ship or dropped in a wormhole, which is the largest total yet. Refuel Canisters and Spare Pods do not count and can be used or left alone at your discretion. This planet is very spread out, and collecting everything will be a bit time-consuming.

Four Fuel Cells are available to tow here. One is along the left inner path, and the other three are to the right. The final one requires resurfacing from the inner caves and heading back down into a different location.
4 Blue Gems must be towed. Two are close to the vertical shafts near the start of the entrance, and another one deeper towards the end is conveniently located right next to a wormhole. The fourth, however, is down in a sub-cave on the left path and requires a significant tow back up through a narrow passage!
1 Orange Gem can be found on the right side of the very first sub-cave. At the bottom of the first vertical shaft, head all the way to the right and check near the ceiling.
4 Radioactive canisters must all be towed. The first one is tucked into the floor of one of the sub-caves along the main path, and is relatively close to a wormhole. The other three are in an extremely large cave area at the very end of the main path, and have a dedicated wormhole. Try to get them all in one go!
2 Treasure chests must be found. The first is straight up and to the left of the Mother Ship. Dodge the laser guns here and ignore the strange bat-like formation you see. The second one can be found after you descend and re-ascend on the right in the main vertical shaft section at the start of the planet.
1 Warpship piece counts towards the valid total - Save it for last!

Plundered Chorlton (5) Collect all towables on the planet.

100% completion of the seventh planet, Chorlton, will unlock this achievement. 15 pickups are required to either be towed to the Mother Ship or dropped in a wormhole. Refuel Canisters and Spare Pods do not count and can be used or left alone at your discretion.

Four Fuel Cells must be collected. One on the surface is an easy get. A second is down the left side of the planet, and a third is down the right side. The final one is at the bottom of the underwater cavern, accessible from the right planet entrance.
5 Blue Gems are scattered around the planet - none are in the lower underwater section. Three are on the left side - one on the surface tucked all the way to the left, and a second near the planet entrance. The third is next to the Fuel Cell and the end of this path. The final two gems are on the right side of the planet, one above the blue tinted rock formations and the other in a very tight crevice in the left-hand wall.
1 Orange Gem needs to be towed to a nearby wormhole. It's the sole gem available in the underwater section of this planet, and it's hidden just to the right of the entrance to the final passageway to the Warpship piece.
2 Radioactive Canisters need to be towed. One is just before the underwater entrance, very close to a wormhole. The other is in the larger underwater cavern portion, tucked in a rock formation directly below the accessible wormhole here.
2 Treasure Chests are on this planet and they're both on the surface! One is directly below the Mother Ship - head left and immediately down, following the wall to your right. The other chest is all the way to the right side of the surface map, tucked under the final plateau. It contains Absolutely Nothing.
1 Warpship piece counts towards the valid total - Save it for last!

Plundered Shishkebab (5) Collect all towables on the planet.

100% completion of the eighth planet, Shishkebab, will unlock this achievement. 13 pickups are required to either be towed to the Mother Ship or dropped in a wormhole. Refuel Canisters and Spare Pods do not count and can be used or left alone at your discretion.

In a normal play session, this is the first planet you may have the Italian Racing Pod equipped. Being able to move through the planet via wormhole travel speeds up the entire process considerably.

Four Fuel Cells must be towed. The first is at the bottom of the long vertical crevice on the left side of the map. The other three are all in the final chambers of the planet beyond three separate narrow passageways. Being able to skip these passages via wormhole travel is a huge advantage!
3 Blue Gems are available to grab. One is on the surface, all the way to the right. The other two are in relatively easy to find locations as you travel downward into the main vertical shaft on the left side of the map.
1 Orange Gem is hiding in a sub-cave between the second and third narrow passageways leading into the center of the planet. It must be towed beyond either of these passages to get to a wormhole!
3 Radioactive Canisters must be found. The first is on the surface, all the way on the left side of the map. The second is just beyond the first narrow passageway, and is very close to an accompanying wormhole. The third is in a side cave in the deepest depths of the planet, but still has a relatively short tow distance to the nearest wormhole.
1 Treasure Chest can be found, also just beyond the first narrow passageway. It is very close to a wormhole and is easy to tow.
1 Warpship piece counts towards the valid total - Save it for last!

Plundered Zlaz Tordus (5) Collect all towables on the planet.

100% completion of the ninth planet, Zlaz Tordus, will unlock this achievement. 14 pickups are required to either be towed to the Mother Ship or dropped in a wormhole. Refuel Canisters and Spare Pods do not count and can be used or left alone at your discretion.

As with all planets this far in, having the Italian Racing Pod makes traveling into the deeper recesses of these bigger planets much simpler.

This planet is divided into three main areas accessible by a left, middle, and right exterior surface hole. The middle and right areas are also connected by a narrow interior passage. These three areas will be referenced extensively below.

Five Fuel Cells all need to be found and towed. One is on the surface, just past the rightmost hole. Two are in the left area, just below the large blue interior rock formation. One is at the very bottom of the middle area. The final cell is in the interior passage between the middle and right areas.
3 Blue Gems are available to tow, one in each of the three areas. The gems in the left and right areas are near the surface above blue rock formations. The one in the middle area is on top of the only interior pink rock formation in the lower cave.
1 Orange Gem is tucked away deep inside a chasm that stretches down the left side of the left area. The path to tow it up to the nearest wormhole is very narrow.
1 Radioactive Canister is available, in the same chasm as the Orange Gem, but somehow even deeper! Keep going down until you hit a purple lava pool. It's near the ceiling in the tiny area just beyond the pool.
3 Treasure Chests must all be procured. One is on the surface, right near the lip of the middle hole. Another is in the left area, along the ceiling of the first cave, underneath where the Mother Ship is located. For the final chest, you must travel to the very bottom of the middle area.
1 Warpship piece counts towards the valid total - Save it for last!

Plundered Shammy Gen (5) Collect all towables on the planet.

100% completion of the tenth planet, Shammy Gen, will unlock this achievement. 14 pickups are required to either be towed to the Mother Ship or dropped in a wormhole. Refuel Canisters and Spare Pods do not count and can be used or left alone at your discretion.

As with all planets this far in, having the Italian Racing Pod makes traveling into the deeper recesses of these bigger planets much simpler.

This planet features a right entrance with a few available items, and a left entrance that chains many internal caves together with narrow passageways, all the way to the Warpship piece.

Five Fuel Cells need to be obtained. Four of them are easily located along the main chain of caves, but a fifth one is in its own large empty chamber on the right side of the planet. This fuel cell has to be towed across this large empty cave and through an extremely long and narrow passageway - all while being attacked by swarms of enemies. It's one of the most difficult to tow items in the whole game!
4 Blue Gems are hidden amongst separate cave areas in the main interconnected rooms of the planet's interior. A fourth is on the planet's surface, far off to the right.
1 Orange Gem is inside the initial chamber of the right entrance. It's close to the MotherShip and fairly simple to obtain.
1 Radioactive Canister is just inside the first interior area on the left behind the first green rock formation you will see.
2 Treasure Chests are available to tow, and they're both very close to the Mother Ship. One is directly under the Mother Ship, accessible to the right. The other is in the first interior cave from the right entrance.
1 Warpship piece counts towards the valid total - Save it for last!

Plundered Shankoo (10) Collect all towables on the planet.

100% completion of the eleventh planet, Shankoo, will unlock this achievement. 16 pickups are required to either be towed to the Mother Ship or dropped in a wormhole. Refuel Canisters and Spare Pods do not count and can be used or left alone at your discretion.

This planet is very large, with only one entrance that immediately branches out in several directions. Collecting all items here will take a significant amount of time, even with the warping abilities of the Italian Racing Pod.

Four Fuel Cells must be towed, and they're all in different directions. Three are pretty close to wormholes, but the fourth is buried at the bottom of the map and can be towed straight back up towards the Mother Ship.
5 Blue Gems are available to grab, and again, they're very well scattered. Two are on the surface, but one of those is in the second part after resurfacing. The other three are in various offshoot caves fro the main path and will require some hunting to find.
1 Orange Gem can be found in a small hole. From the Mother Ship, go down into the planet, then right at your first chance. The hole will immediately appear below you. Tow the gem back to the Mother Ship!
2 Radioactive Canisters need to be procured. One is located just underneath the Orange Gem, in the very same hole. For the second one, go by the aforementioned hole, and enter the next hole you see in the ground. It will be off to the left above a giant lake of lava.
3 Treasure Chests must be towed. One is on the surface, to the left of the planet entrance. The other two are left and right after dropping into the first vertical shaft, respectively.
1 Warpship piece counts towards the valid total - Save it for last!

Plundered Miplezur (10) Collect all towables on the planet.

100% completion of the twelvth planet, Miplezur, will unlock this achievement. 16 pickups are required to either be towed to the Mother Ship or dropped in a wormhole. Refuel Canisters and Spare Pods do not count and can be used or left alone at your discretion.

This planet is huge and everything is tucked away. Use of an online resource to navigate around and find items is recommended, and describing the layout of this planet in text is nearly impossible. The planet is divided into an overworld, and underwater portion, and a maze. None of the items are located in the maze. Hopefully by now you've saved up for the Italian Racing Jetpod to assist in navigation!

Four Fuel Cells need to be procured. Three of them are in the overworld and one is underwater.
5 Blue Gems are scattered about the planet. Four are in the overworld, and the fifth is in a shallow pool of water very close to the Mother Ship.
1 Orange Gem is located in an underwater cave that is somewhat out of the way and difficult to access.
1 Radioactive Canister must be towed. Its location is underwater, along the path and just before entering the maze. It is right next to the wormhole located before the transition.
4 Trasure Chests must be found and towed. Two are along the walls above the Mother Ship, and are easy to get. The third is along the floor of the main vestibule leading into the planet. The fourth is at the bottom of an underwater dead-end cave, in the same general area as the Orange Gem.
1 Warpship piece counts towards the valid total - Save it for last!

Plundered Urownd (10) Collect all towables on the planet.

The thirteenth planet, Urownd, is a planet that can only be gotten to by using a secret warp from the eighth planet, Shishkebab. Using that secret warp also unlocks Did You forget anything?. 100% completion of the planet will unlock this achievement. 13 pickups are required to either be towed to the Mother Ship or dropped in a wormhole. Refuel Canisters and Spare Pods do not count and can be used or left alone at your discretion.

If you wish you come directly to this planet, you can use this password: KBHNBBBBHPTB

The structure of this planet is very open in a way that no other planet is. Because of this, describing general cardinal directions is the best way to look for the items you seek.

You can't collect everything in this stage without the Italian Racing Jetpod since one item requires the use of a wormhole warp, so if you're using a different jet pod, you won't be able to unlock this.
Four Fuel Cells need to be located and towed. One is directly in the middle of the planet's interior, and one is along the southeastern floor. The other two are in the northeast and northwest areas, tucked in small crevesses in green rock formations.
3 Blue Gems must be towed. One is on the surface of the planet, to the left of the opening. The other two are in the middle of the planet - one abot halfway down, and the other all the way at the bottom.
1 Orange Gem is in a hidden interior cave that can only be accessed by using wormholes with the Italian Racing Pod. Keep jumping around until you end up in a small enclosed cave. The gem is inside!
2 Radioactive Canisters must be found and towed. Both are along the bottom side of large green rock formations. One is in the southeast, and one is in the southwest.
2 Treasure Chests must be found and obtained. Both are fairly easy to locate. One is on the surface, all the way to the left side of the map. The other is at the entrance to the planet nterior and is impossible to miss!
1 Warpship piece counts towards the valid total - Save it for last! The warp zone is in the southwestern area of the map.

Planet Races

Mexomorf Race (5) From the entrance of the left pit, race through the planet and out the right pit within 1:23 minutes.

This race takes place on the second planet, Mexomorf. As with all race achievements, take an initial trip through the planet to clear out all stationary obstacles. They will not respawn.

Depending on your skill level, this achievement may be easier to accomplish in a space suit. If you're confident the path is clear, blow up your jet pod first. The space suit only relies on thrust, with rotation taken out of the equation.

The timer begins when you enter the hole on the left side and the walls transition in color from brown to green, and ends as you exit the hole on the right side and the walls transition in color from green to brown. As you start the first descent, be on the look out for the first brown walls, then immediately start cutting to the right. If you see a grey wall, stay below it. Eventually you'll go through a narrow passage with green walls above and below you. From here, follow the green wall above you as the path turns back up to the surface.

It may take a few tries to get it down but if you run out of time and the challenge indicator disappears, you can go back to the left hole to restart at no penalty.

Chorlton Race (5) From the planet entrance, race through the underwater cavern within 5 minutes 33 seconds. (No Warps)

This race takes place on the seventh planet, Chorlton. Before beginning this attempt, it is recommended that you clear out all obstacles within the designated path - down the right hole and through the entire underwater cave, right up to the warp zone. This planet is known for having lots of large green guardian enemies that will stop your progression. Disposing of them all first will make this task much easier. Reminder that no warps can be used in this challenge, so if you obtained an Italian Racing Pod early by way of a password, you must stay away from the wormholes.

Here's a password to go straight to Chorlton with pretty standard equipment for this stage of the game: KBDLBBBBTVNB

From the surface, head right and down in between the two elevated portions to initiate the challenge indicator, which signals the beginning of the race. From here, you have 5 minutes and 33 seconds to make it to the Warpship area. Once you start seeing some blue colored rock formations, hug the green ceiling and continue to head right until it curves down. Eventually you'll hit the small opening into the underwater cave.

This path opens up into a much larger underwater cavern with many branching paths. Stay on the lowest path, which contains a much wider area to navigate. As the bottom of the cave slopes back up, you'll find a gap to the left that marks the final stretch.

The last part of the cave is a narrow underwater path that will require some tight maneuvering. By this point, you may want to consider blowing up your jet pod on purpose to navigate this part in your space suit. Blowing up or even losing a life does not end the race, so if this happens, just keep moving forward. The time frame of 5 1/2 minutes for this achievement is relatively lenient compared to the other races, and shouldn't pose much problem as long as the enemies and obstacles have been cleared out previous to the attempt.

If time expires, the race can be reset by simply returning to your Mother Ship and crossing the start position again.

Urownd Race (10) Enter the planet. Race clockwise through the outside layer and the planet in under 1 minute 52 seconds.

This race occurs on the 13th Planet, Urownd. You can get to this planet by using the secret warp on the eighth planet, Shishkebab, or by using the following password: KBHNBBBBHPTB

Enter the planet's interior and take a trip around the outside perimeter of the rock formations, clearing out all stationary obstacles. They will not respawn. Use as many trips is necessary to ensure the whole trip is safe.

Depending on your skill level, this achievement may be easier to accomplish in a space suit. If you’re confident the path is clear, blow up your jet pod first. The space suit only relies on thrust, with rotation taken out of the equation.

The timer begins as you enter the primary hole and head to the right along the ceiling. You should notice a challenge indicator appear to note the race has begun. Continue to follow the outside path carefully to the right, then down, then all the way across to the left, then back up and to the right. The entire clockwise outer path must be followed, and accidentally cutting between rock formations will fail the challenge. When you reach the primary hole again, turn up and out as if you were going to return to your Mother Ship. If you make the trek in time, the achievement will unlock.

You may have to attempt this a few times to perfect your route. Also worth noting that losing a life will not fail the race if you happen to get shot by an errant enemy in your space suit along the way. This is most likely to happen as you ascend on the left side of the path. Continue moving as you respawn, and you may still succeed in winning the race.

Warps and Bonus Stages

You Sure You Are Ready? (5) Find the Warp in Stage 1 that takes you to Stage 7.

On the first planet, Preludon, exit the Mother Ship and fly down and left and around the yellow-colored walls. Eventually as you turn back up and to the right, there will be a small interior cavern with a green orb. If you destroy the green orb before it disappears, a warp zone will appear. Enter it to be shuttled off to the seventh planet, Chorlton. Entering the warp zone unlocks the achievement.

It helps to start blindly shooting into the cavern area as you approach it heading up and right - in most cases, you'll never actually see the green orb. But shooting off screen into its general area is enough to destroy it and spawn the warp.

Preludon's Secret! (5) Be quick and access the secret Cyberzone on Preludon.

There is a warp zone on the first planet, Preludon, that leads to a brief bonus stage where you can collect gems for extra points. This warp zone very quickly drifts up and out of the way as you reveal it. Attempting to approach it from the direction of your Mother Ship won't work - you need to get to it from below.

The easiest way to accomplish this is to intentionally blow up your jet pod very close to your Mother Ship. In your space suit, dip down close to the turrets, and then quickly maneuver your way straight up towards the warp. From this direction, getting in is much more attainable.

The warp doesn't respawn, so if you miss, just reset the game and try again.

This achievement leads directly into the Money Grubber achievement!

THERE IS NO TIME!! (5) Make your way into the secret wormhole on Mexomorf.

The secret wormhole appears at the top of a plateau to the right of the Mother Ship. It only appears for a short time, so no other actions can be taken at the start of the level - You must leave the Mother Ship and immediately travel to the right and enter the wormhole. There is no way to regenerate the wormhole if you miss - the only option is to reset the game!

This goal is required to unlock the Plundered Mexomorf achievement.

Use the following password to go directly to Level 2 if you need to re-attempt: KBBKBBBBMKGB

Thread The Needle (5) Gain access to the Omebru Warp Cyberzone without damaging any of the turrets protecting it.

Very shortly after entering the third planet, Omebru, you'll find a set of eight spinning turrets. These turrets can be damaged by gunfire or by accidentally bumping into them. The goal is to enter the secret warp zone in the center!

The warp zone is invisible, so if you don't see it that's fine. It's directly in the center of the circle.
You can't enter a warp zone with your shields up, so when you dash to the middle of the circle your shields must be off.
You can't crash into any of the turrets! Take it slow. The warp zone despawns if the turrets take damage, and there's no way to regenerate it without resetting. Here's a password if you need to reattempt this feat: KBBKBBBBRQHB

Warp Guardian Destroyed. (5) Reach the hidden Omebru Warp cyberzone, and destroy the guardian without losing a pod.

The location to unlock this achievement is through the warp zone on the third planet, Omebru. See Thread the Needle to find and enter the warp.

Inside this secret area are three warp zones and a large green guardian enemy. The goal is to destroy the guardian enemy here without your letting your pod be destroyed. The achievement unlocks the moment the guardian explodes.

This is not a very difficult task. Keep your shields up and keep your pod as stationary as possible. Concentrate on aiming your guns at the enemy and fire as quickly as possible. Even if it bumps into you, the jet pod should survive with relatively little damage.

You can make even shorter work of the guardian if you buy Titanium Bullets before Planet 2, Mexomorf, and equip them as you begin your attempt.

You can use this password to go directly to Omebru if you don't want to play through the first couple planets: KBBKBBBBRQHB

Bokky's Secret! (5) Be quick and access the secret Cyberzone on Bokky.

Upon starting Planet 5, Bokky, head to the right and down past the brown colored rock formation. A small gap will lead even further down, at which point you must head to the right into a side cavern. The warp is in the top right corner of this room, and will slowly drift off of the edge of the map if you're not quick! Entering the warp zone will unlock the achievement.

You only get one shot to go into the warp zone. If you miss it, the only way to regenerate it is to reset the game. Use the following password to return to Bokky immediately for another attempt: KBDLBBBBGLNB

Lake Discovery (5) Discover the subterranean lake's secret warp zone in Lemonte.

On the sixth planet, Lemonte, there's a secret warp zone that will take you to either Planet 9, Zlaz Tordus, or Planet 10, Shammy Gen. Entering the warp zone will unlock the achievement regardless of which destination you choose. Use this password to head straight to Lemonte: KBDLBBBBNBNB

Lemonte is made up of many narrow vertical passages. As you go down the initial passage, go back up the vertical passage directly to the left. In the next chamber, go all the way left over a small lake and you'll find another long vertical passage heading down.

As this passage opens up into another lake-filled chamber, keep moving to the right. Eventually the path narrows and heads down slightly further. In a small cavern at the end with yet another lake, several large turrets will be present shooting volleys of horizontal lasers. You can destroy these but be very careful. As you scan the surface of the lake, there will be a section with a white reflection on top of the water. Fly your pod towards the surface of the lake in the middle of this reflection to enter the warp zone. The warp itself is invisible.

Did You forget anything? (5) Find the Warp in Shishkebab that takes you to Urownd.

Upon arriving on the eighth planet, Shishkebab, fly to the very top of the screen and head right. Continue heading all the way to the right, and you'll see the warp at the top of the screen just as you're about to reach the far right edge of the map. Entering the warp zone will immediately send you to planet 13, Urownd, and unlock this achievement.

Use this password to go directly to Shishkebab or to reset the level if you missed the warp zone: KBDLBBBBZKTB

Money Grubber (10) Exit Preludon with all 21 gems to be found on the planet.

There are three steps that must all be completed on the same playthrough to unlock this achievement, which requires 21 gems to be collected on the first planet, Preludon:

(10 gems) - Find the secret bonus warp in the top left corner of the stage and collect all ten gems inside. Even though it's the first planet, this is the hardest bonus stage to collect all gems as they appear on alternating sides of the screen. If you fail to collect a gem, reset and try again. See the Preludon's Secret achievement for more details on how to find the warp and enter it easily.
(1 gem) - There is an individual blue gem to tow to the Mother Ship in the lower area of Preludon.
(10 gems) - After collecting the WarpShip piece, go into the Cyberzone and collect all ten gems within.

The achievement unlocks on collection of the 21st total gem. If you miss a gem in either bonus stage, you can reset the game to try again.

Covetous Space Man (10) Exit Bokky with all 21 gems to be found on the planet.

This achievement takes place on the fifth planet, Bokky. There are three steps that must all be completed on the same playthrough to unlock this achievement, which requires 21 gems to be collected.

(9 gems) - Find the secret bonus warp in the lower right chamber of the stage and collect all nine gems inside. If you fail to collect a gem, you'll need to reset the game and return with a password. See the Bokky's Secret achievement for more details on how to find the warp and enter it easily.
(2 gems) - There is a blue gem to tow on the surface of the planet, on the far left hand side. There is an orange gem in a cave beyond a very tight pathway that can be accessed from the left interior of the planet.
(10 gems) - After collecting the Warpship piece, go into the Cyberzone and collect all ten gems within.

The achievement unlocks on collection of the 21st total gem. If you fail to collect all the gems in either bonus stage, use this password to return to Bokky and try again: KBDLBBBBGLNB

Rapacious Loony (10) Exit Zlaz Tordus with all 24 gems that can be found on the planet.

This achievement takes place on the ninth planet, Zlaz Tordus. There are three steps that must all be completed on the same playthrough to unlock this achievement, which requires 24 gems to be collected.

(10 gems) - Find the secret bonus warp - fly out of your Mother Ship and head all the way up to the top of the screen until it stops scrolling. As you move right, you'll see the blue warp zone. When you enter, you'll be whisked away to a bonus stage where you must collect all ten gems!
(4 gems) - There are three blue gems and one orange gem hiding within the planet. Two are in the left hole, one is in the middle hole, and one is in the right hole. Tow them all to meet the requirements!
(10 gems) - After collecting the Warpship piece, go into the Cyberzone and collect all ten gems within.

The achievement unlocks on collection of the 24th total gem. If you fail to collect all the gems in either bonus stage, use this password to return to Zlaz Tordus and try again: KBGMBBBBHPTB

Low % Challenges

The Mad Man Did It! (10) Don't get the shields, find the Warp in Stage 1, then beat stage 7.

Editor's Note: This might be the hardest achievement in the set.

The goal of this achievement is to begin a fresh game, enter the secret warp on Preludon to head directly to Planet 7, Chorlton. You cannot collect the Shield Upgrade on Planet 1 or the achievement will be invalidated. You must then fight your way through Chorlton with essentially no equipment. This involves defeating at least five or six green guardian enemies that are equipped with homing missiles, enemy generators, standard cannons, and defense barriers - all in your standard jet pod and space suit. Regardless of how you approach this achievement, you'll never have access to a store, so all equippable weapon enhancements are out.

There are four Fuel Cells in this planet, but you only need to collect three. The one on the surface is a definite grab. The one down the left hole requires you to destroy a guardian from above to access, which is the hardest direction to attack from. If you skip this fuel, you'll have to grab the one in the underwater section instead, which still requires defeating a guardian, but from the side, which is a little easier.

As mentioned, the toughest part is attacking guardians from above, since they are entrenched in spots where they cannot be hit from the side (no space suit control) and gravity will pull you down closer to them. Without thrusters it's very hard to dodge all of the incoming fire. The guardians also have force fields that prevent you from sneaking past, so you must destroy them. Depending on how you attack this stage, you'll need to beat at least two but possibly three guardians at this angle to proceed. There are two down the right hole that leads to the watery depths required to complete the stage.

Assuming you lose one life on each of the minimum two guardians that must be dealt with this way, you'll have to take out two or three more guardians in the underwater area to get to the warp zone. If you're feeling brave, you can attack these from the side, at a distance, in your space suit. There are two replacement pods in the final underwater cavern to help keep you moving. There are also some gravity balls in the narrow underwater passageway - if you know their location, they can be defeated while they are off screen with a well placed shot or two.

The Warpship piece cave is also easier to do with a space suit, since the guardians are embedded in the ceiling and floor and can't defend against horizontal shooting well. You can then suicide to bring up your (possibly final?) pod and tow the ship piece.

Alternate Method:

There is a way to game the system on this achievement - the logic checks to make sure you have not equipped shields, but pretty much anything else is valid. Because of this, you can use a Planet 1 password to deck out your pod to help ease the suffering a bit. Try the following password to take the Italian Racing Pod into Planet 1, with thrusters equipped and 15 lives in reserve: KBBKBBBBBQQB - this will allow you to use wormholes to navigate Planet 7 easier. The thrusters will improve your movement abilities. The extra lives will keep you away from hitting a Game Over state.

Bare Bones Lemonte Gauntlet (10) Escape Lemonte with no upgrades except the Thruster and Maps, and no equipment equipped.

Use this password to begin at the sixth planet, Lemonte, with the correctly restricted equipment: KBDLBBBBNMDB

This achievement is essentially a skill check to see if you can finish a level of the game without your shields. In general, your goal is to tow enough Fuel to get off the planet, and ignore all other objectives. There are four total Fuel pickups, and they are all relatively close to wormholes. All in all, this challenge is less difficult than you might expect, but it will likely take a little more time than you're accustomed to.

If you explode, try and find the closest wormhole and jump in to head back to the Mother Ship. It may take two or three times more trips than usual to complete the stage.
Remember that all stationary obstacles you destroy are permanently gone. Every trip down you take, try to achieve a small amount of forward progress, and return to the Mother Ship whenever you need to.
There's a spare pod on the surface, in the vicinity of the Warpship piece. Save it for your attempt to grab the Warpship piece, since you can't to it without a jet pod.
Completely avoid areas you do not need to explore. The lower caves to the left lead to a secret warp zone that you won't need to find. There's also a large cave in the bottom right containing three Radioactive pickups that can be safely ignored.

The Miplezur Struggle Session (25) Fuel up, collect the warp ship piece and escape Miplezur while using a standard pod with no upgrades(Map+Thrusters = OK).

Use this password to begin at the 12th planet, Miplezur, with the correctly restricted equipment: KBGMBBBBZXDB

This achievement is essentially a skill check to see if you can finish the hardest level of the game without your shields. In general, your goal is to tow enough Fuel to get off the planet, and ignore all other objectives. The gravity is very high, so expert use of thrusters will be required to move about. Knowing where extra space pods and fuel cans are located can help you determine when and where to use them. There are four total Fuel pickups to locate, and then the harrowing trip through the maze to retrieve the Warpship piece.

If you explode, try and find the closest wormhole and jump in to head back to the Mother Ship. It may take two or three times more trips than usual to complete the stage.
Remember that all stationary obstacles you destroy are permanently gone. Every trip down you take, try to achieve a small amount of forward progress, and return to the Mother Ship whenever you need to.
The spare pod in the middle of the stage should be saved until you have retrieved at least 3 of the 4 interior Fuel pickups. The pickup on the surface is a farther distance away, and the pod is most useful for obtaining that one specifically.
You basically get one good shot at the maze. After spending time clearing out the water section, you can use the extra pod just before the maze to get to full power. You need to navigate the entire maze and make it to the fuel can without exploding.
Take your time in the Warpship piece room as there are many gravity balls to destroy. Make sure you have at least one spare pod in reserve in case you explode.
Dropping the Warpship piece in the wormhole will trigger the unlock. Completing the final autoscrolling stage is not required!

System Survivors

Zandor Survivor (10) Starting from Preludon, clear the Zandor System without losing a life.

The Zandor System contains Planets 1 through 3. These three planets must be completed without losing a life. In this case, the definition of "losing a life" is being destroyed in your space suit. Losing individual space pods does not count.

As long as you haven't lost a life, the achievement will unlock upon completion of the third Planet, Omebru.

Frobof Survivor (10) Starting from Corso Qwero, clear the Frobof System without losing a life.

The Frobof System contains Planets 4 through 6. These three planets must be completed without losing a life. In this case, the definition of "losing a life" is being destroyed in your space suit. Losing individual space pods does not count.

You can start at Planet 4, Corso Qwero, using this password: KBBKBBBBXQNB - giving you the Nippon Sports Jetpod, Shield Boosters, Thrusters, and the Mapping Device, which would all be standard issue at this point in the game.

As long as you haven't lost a life, the achievement will unlock upon completion of the sixth Planet, Lemonte.

Mugrim Survivor (10) Starting from Chorlton, clear the Mugrim System without losing a life.

The Mugrim System contains Planets 7 through 9. These three planets must be completed without losing a life. In this case, the definition of "losing a life" is being destroyed in your space suit. Losing individual space pods does not count.

You can start at Planet 7, Chorlton, using this password: KBDLBBBBTVNB - giving you the Nippon Sports Jetpod, Shield Boosters, Thrusters, and the Super Mapping Device, which would all be standard issue at this point in the game.

As long as you haven't lost a life, the achievement will unlock upon completion of the ninth Planet, Zlaz Tordus.

Shobas Survivor (10) Starting from Shammy Gen, clear the Shobas System without losing a life.

The Shobas System contains Planets 10 through 12. These three planets must be completed without losing a life. In this case, the definition of "losing a life" is being destroyed in your space suit. Losing individual space pods does not count.

You can start at Planet 10, Shammy Gen, using this password: KBGMBBBBNVTB - giving you the Italian Racing Pod, Shield Boosters, Thrusters, and the Super Mapping Device, which would all be standard issue at this point in the game.

Beating the final autoscrolling section is required. If you explode during this section, you need to start the whole challenge over again.

Game Finishers

It's Perfect (25) Completely assemble the Golden Warpship.

Regardless of how many warps were taken, the game will end upon collecting the Warpship piece on planet 12, Miplezur. Beating this planet is very difficult, as it contains a large map, a very high gravity rating, and a long maze-like section at the end that will test your pod piloting skills and fuel endurance. Once you drop the Warpship piece into the wormhole on this stage, the achievement will unlock. Collecting all the pieces is not even really necessary due to the way the game tracks progression - just collecting the one on this planet is enough.

You should simultaneously unlock Escape Miplezur as the conditions are identical.

Also worth noting that assembling the Warpship is not the end of the game and does not count as Solar Jetman's Win Condition! For that, check out the Mission Accomplished achievement.

Mission Accomplished (25) Beat the game.

After collecting the final Warpship piece on the 12th planet Miplezur, you will be subjected to an autoscrolling shooter section that differs wildly from the rest of the game. You'll be piloting the Golden Warpship, which has loose controls and is a bit slippery. The autoscrolling feature will suddenly shift without warning in all eight directions, which can make it difficult to predict where safe spots are.

Blue asteroid-like obstacles will also fly around. Shooting them will split them into smaller asteroids, and shooting smaller asteroids will destroy them completely. In the second half of the stage, the asteroids will begin to have a slight "homing" effect and will chase you down.

A final boss appears at the end. It's a large rock with five eyes that open and close. The rock mass will throw more asteroids at you, and unlike before these cannot be destroyed. The eyes can be damaged when they open. Destroying all five eyes will defeat the boss and officially end the game!

There's only one Golden Warpship. Whatever your previous stock of extra jet pods was, will be reduced to zero.
The Warpship can only be hit four times. On the fourth hit, it explodes and its Game Over.
The Warpship cannot touch walls, or it will immediately explode and it's Game Over.
On Game Over, the game will give you a password that sends you back to the beginning of the 12th planet, Miplezur, and you've got to clear the whole planet again. Very frustrating!
Any challenges you may be doing that require a full game clear will immedately be invalidated if you explode. No second chances!
Try to keep the Warpship in the middle of the screen as much as possible. Due to the constantly shifting direction of the stage, staying too close to the edges of the screen could have you suddenly crash into an oncoming wall from an unexpected direction.
There's one specific spot in the first half of the stage with a very tight wall gap to squeeze through. The screen will only scroll right to left on this part. Try to line yourself up with the top gap and gently slide down through it as the screen continues to scroll. Keep in mind that the hitbox for the Warpship is centered around the blue cockpit area and when in doubt, try to get lower than you'd expect.
This whole sequence is relatively difficult and the penalty for exploding is quite high. Try to keep your cool!

Celestial Survivor (100) Visit all of the core 12 planets (Planet 13 not included) and complete the game without losing a life in one play session.

Set aside some time for this achievement, as a full playthrough of all planets will take a few hours. It's a 100-point achievement, so expect a challenge. Starting from the beginning of the game, you must find each individual Warpship piece on the first twelve planets. No lives can be lost at any point or the challenge is failed. In this case, the definition of "losing a life" is being destroyed in your space suit. Losing individual space pods does not count. No warp zones that skip Planets can be used.

The 13th planet, Urownd, is not included in this trek as it can only be accessed by warp zone.

You'll likely want to tackle this separately once you've gained enough experience and are comfortable with the controls and planet layouts. Save up enough points to upgrade your ships, and potentially buy more defensive items such as Super Shields to keep you protected from death. Most weaponry can be ignored.

The riskiest planets listed below have long, winding paths where you may end up stranded in a space suit without easy access to a wormhole.

Planet 4, Corso Qwero - the dark cave at the bottom is long and narrow, and a huge difficulty spike from what preceeds it.
Planet 6, Lemonte - It's a long way to the warp zone, precision piloting is necessary.
Planet 7, Chorlton - Tons and tons of large guardians that shoot missiles and generate enemies! Don't get caught in your space suit. Buy the Italian Racing Pod once you finish this planet!
Planet 9, Zlaz Tordus - Most parts of this planet are mobbed by flying enemies that love to swarm.
Planet 12, Miplezur - High gravity, lots of swarming enemies, and a lengthy trip through a maze to get to the warp zone!

Beating the final autoscrolling section is required. If you explode during this section, you need to start the whole challenge over again.

Wait, There Were Twelve Parts? (25) Beat the game by visiting only Planets: 1,2,3,6,10,11,12

This path requires two warp zones to be taken:

Play through the first two planets as normal. In the third planet, Omebru, take the secret warp to Lemonte.
Once you've warped to Lemonte, you must then take another secret warp to jump to the tenth planet, Shammy Gen.
From here, play through the last three planets as usual.

The good news is that playing through the first two planets will get you Shield Boosters and Thrusters. The bad news is that your ability to collect points will be reduced, and you'll have to use your default jet pod until you get a chance to upgrade right before the 12th planet, Miplezur. It is possible to collect the 25K points necessary to buy the Italian Sports Jetpod! You may need to use the secret warp on the 2nd planet, Mexomorf, to grab a treasure chest full of gems to boost your points by 4.7K.

Beating the final autoscrolling section is required. If you explode during this section, you need to start the whole challenge over again.

Ducktape And Bubblegum (50) Beat the game by visiting only Planets: 1,7,8,13,12

This achievement requires two secret warp zones to be utilized to progress through the game in the following order:

Use the secret warp zone on Planet 1, Preludon, to go directly to Planet 7, Chorlton. Make the war zone appear, but then head back and grab your shields before entering.
Collect the Warpship piece on Chorlton and progress to Planet 8, Shishkebab.
Use the secret warp on Shishkebab to go directly to Planet 13, Urownd.
Collect the Warpship piece on Urownd and progress to Planet 12, Miplezur.
Collect the Warpship piece on Miplezur and progress to the final side-scrolling stage.
Defeat the final boss to complete the game.

On the first planet, Preludon, go quickly from your Mother Ship and activate the secret warp zone, but don't go in yet. Use this time to collect the Shield upgrade, the bonus gem, and the secret Bonus Stage. You'll want these points for later! The warp zone will still be there after you're done.

Choosing this path will create some difficult roadblocks that will require some skill to pull off. The main issue is that you won't be able to visit Mexomorf to get the thruster upgrades. The impact this has on gameplay is monumental, and towing items becomes a huge chore. In fact, it's downright impossible to move upwards on Miplezur at all - the gravity is stronger than your default jet pod!

You'll have a couple opportunities to use the store, after Chorlton and again after Urownd. There won't be much of an opportunity to increase your points - you'll need to spend whatever you get to help counteract the effects of gravity, and it's mandatory on Miplezur. During both stores, buy as many Double Strength Thrusters as you can, for 1K points each. You can save them for the 12th planet, or use a couple on the 13th as well. You'll want to go out of your way to get some of the easier to obtain gems and treasure chests on Chorlton and Urownd to raise your points for these purchases.

Without the Italian Racing Pod you also can't use wormholes to move around. You also can't effectively tow the Warpship piece on Miplezur without the Double Strength Thrusters, which leads to a situation in which you must travel with your default jet pod from the Mother Ship, through the underwater passage, and through the maze, and acquire the Warpship piece, without your jet pod exploding. It's made much easier with the thrusters, but will be a true test of your piloting skills! You may have to take a couple trips just to clear the way, then do one last trip down to move the Warpship piece to the wormhole.

Beating the final autoscrolling section is required. If you explode during this section, you need to start the whole challenge over again.

Thanks for checking this guide out! Original document by speedneedle. Come say hi, and let's talk about NES games!