Virtual Hydlide - RetroAchievements/guides GitHub Wiki
Overview
- Achievement set difficulty: 5/10
- Estimated time to complete: ~6 hours
- Number of play throughs necessary: 2
- Missable achievements: None
Introduction
Virtual Hydlide was panned by players and critics alike for its sub-par graphics system that sometimes went below five frames per second, poor enemy artificial intelligence and physics, and uninspired story. The game was, however, praised for the concept of generating a unique playing world for each new quest. It boasts over 40 billion different seed combinations so that each play through is unique. It is a remake of the original, the first game in the series, but incorporates full 2.5D graphics.
Game Guide
Most general information for the game that can be found online is often incomplete and/or inaccurate. A speedrunner of Virtual Hydlide, Mechalink, has put together a more comprehensive and accurate guide over time. If you are unsure about some of the game's mechanics, what items do, etc., check out his guide.
Virtual Hydlide Information Guide
Note: I don't maintain the general information guide nor have any claim to it. If you have any questions regarding any of the information within, please direct them towards the guide's creator. He can be reached via the RA website.
Achievements
The set will require at least two play throughs for the average player. A Hard difficulty play through takes about 3-4 hours, depending on map and item luck, and the speedrun takes less than an hour. The majority of the set can be completed on Easy, with only a handful requiring that they be obtained on Hard. They're listed in the same order as the Retro Achievements website for consistency.
This Isn't How You Level Up
Kill 25 enemies of any type
Doing This Just for the Thrill
Kill 100 enemies of any type
- It's recommended to do these on Hard difficulty because you'll need to monster farm a little bit for the high score achievements. The best place for monster farming is in the Lost Castle's Power Unit. Skeletons are worth 250 points and Mimics 1,000. Both spawn in abundance, having the highest spawn rate in the game, and will fall easily to the Sword of Light or Master Sword. If you don't have either of those on hand, you'll need to equip the Crucifix in order to kill the skeletons.
Jim the Exorcist
Obtain the Crucifix from the Graveyard
- The Graveyard is the first quest in the game and it's rather small. You'll find the Crucifix in one of the four gravestones. The Crucifix quest isn't necessary to beat the game but it's recommended, since quest completion is how you level up.
The Righteous Jimstones - Amethyst
Obtain the Amethyst from the Graveyard
The Righteous Jimstones - Red Diamond
Obtain the Red Diamond from the Volcanic Caves
The Righteous Jimstones - Emerald
Obtain the Emerald from the Lost Castle
- The Amethyst is in one of the gravestones in the Graveyard and the other two are located in treasure boxes. Their specific locations are not set, so they can be in any treasure box, but they will always be somewhere in their respective dungeons.
Mankind Ill Needs a Savior Such as You
Defeat the Vampire in the Mansion
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The second quest and first boss of the game. The Vampire can be defeated with the Master Sword, Sword of Light, or with the Crucifix equipped. It's not necessary to defeat him in order to beat the game because he doesn't drop any necessary progression items. It's recommended to defeat him, since quest completion is the only way to level up.
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He can teleport, melee, and shoot a glowing orb. Often, we will only use his melee attack and constantly teleport around you. Just wait for him to appear and hack away. There isn't any variation in the way he fights on each difficulty. The only notable difference is how easily he can be stunned and how much damage you deal with every attack.
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On Easy, every strong attack will stun him, forcing him to try and teleport away. He can still be attacked during his teleport animation and stun-locked in place. Every hit knocks him back just a little bit, so you will need to inch forward each time until you back him up against the wall.
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On Normal, he's be a little harder to stun. If he teleports out of your field of vision, he'll usually teleport again and try to get behind you.
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On Hard, he's practically impossible to stun.
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On Pro, he can't be stunned, even with a critical hit.
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?yddaC ruoY s'ohW
Defeat the Vampire in the Mansion without taking damage on Hard difficulty or higher
- Initially, this might seem very difficult, especially since he moves around so much and can't be stunned, but it's actually insanely easy. Since he's an optional boss, he can be done at any time. If you do all of the other quests before him, except for the Fairy in the Fairy Grove, and have the Fairy Armor equipped, your defense is high enough that he can't damage you. All of his attacks will just tink off your armor.
Say Your Prayers
Defeat the Vampire in the Mansion without the Crucifix equipped
- He can be defeated with either of the two holy weapons: Master Sword or Sword of Light. The Master Sword can usually be found in the Ruins and the Sword of Light is in the Lost Castle. If you cannot locate the Master Sword, it can be purchased from the shop if you're on Easy. This achievement can be done in conjunction with "?yddaC ruoY s'ohW".
Rose-Colored Glasses
Obtain the Spectacles from the Trial Dungeon
- The spectacles are not a necessary item in order to progress through the game. They can be found at the end of the Trial Dungeon, along with a Dragon Shield. Their intended function is to show you hidden doorways in the Ruins but the doorways can be walked through, regardless if you have the spectacles or not. They are required in order to walk through the two hidden hallways in Valarys' Fortress, though.
The Sign Kinda Gave It Away
Enter the Ruins while not wearing the Spectacles of Truth
- As previously mentioned, doorways in the Ruins can be walked through if you aren't wearing the Spectacles. The entrance is just to the left of the sign that gives you the hint to wear them.
Flame On!
Obtain the Flame Amulet from the Ruins
- The Flame Amulet can be found in one of the three large rooms in the Ruins. Which room it's in may change, depending on your game's seed. It's a necessary progression item in order to navigate the Volcanic Cave. Without it, you'll die instantly upon stepping on any damaging spot on the ground. It's a great way to death warp back to the entrance if you don't want to run back. Doing so has no negative impact in game or on any of the achievements in this set. In the original Japanese version, dying reset your score to zero. In the US version, that was either removed or an oversight during localization.
Welcome to Warp Zone
Obtain the Flute of Zaldis from the Volcanic Cave
- The Flute is a necessary progression item that's dropped by the Mad Dragon upon defeating it. It's used at the entrance of the Sealed Dungeon in order to gain access. Stand in front of the doors, use it from your inventory, it will play a melody, and the doors will open. It will play a shorter melody if you're not standing in the correct spot. If so, move slightly and try again.
Overcoming the 3v1 Odds
Defeat the Mad Dragon without taking damage on Hard difficulty or higher
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It's easy but can be time consuming. The Dragon Shield will block the Mad Dragon's fire attacks completely, leaving you unscathed. What makes the fight a bit of a time-sink is that it loves to shoot very often and rarely moves close enough to melee attack. It will always announce it's attack, by roaring, before it shoots. Each attack will shoot two fireballs and more than one head can shoot at a time. Count the roars and listen for the tink tink off of your shield.
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If you have the Dark Sword, it'll be your best bet. That way, you don't have to wait for the dragon to come close in order to attack. Keep shooting projectiles until all three heads fall. Try to stand right against the edge and don't move around. There's damaging spots on the ground and stepping on one will cause the achievement to unprime.
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The recommendation is to save before walking into the boss room. If you are damaged at all, you can reload your save and try again. You must walk into the boss room in order to prime the achievement, so don't save at any point during the fight. Loading a save file at all while in the boss room will immediately unprime the achievement.
Just Keep Moving
Defeat the Mad Dragon without equipping a shield
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As the description implies, you cannot use the Dragon Shield during the fight. If you have it equipped, you'll need to unequip it before entering the boss room. If you don't, the achievement will not prime. Same as the damageless achievement, if you load a save file while in the fight, it will immediately unprime and you'll need to re-enter the boss room to try again.
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Stand away from the ledge, strafe from side to side when it roars, and attack once it stops. The Dark Sword is best for this fight since it allows you to attack at a distance.
50-50 + Nosegrab + Dungeon Gap
Prove that Jim weighs less than a housecat by jumping the gnarly gap in the B3F minecart in the Sealed Dungeon
- The minecart ride can be found on the 3rd floor at the north end of the map. It's not necessary to ride the cart in order to progress to the next floor. The description is in reference to the sign next to the minecart that says it can only hold up to 5kg but Jim can ride it no problem. The only reason to ride the cart, other than the achievement, is that the Fairy Shield has a chance to spawn in the second half of the 3rd floor. It's not guaranteed, though. The shield can dispel Poison, Curse, and Paralysis when used from the inventory.
The Biggest Mosquito You've Ever Seen
Obtain the Tears of the Earth and the Fairy from the Sealed Dungeon
- A necessary progression item that's obtained after defeating the Evil Mage. Its purpose is to get you to Valarys' Fortress once you have all three. Makes an insanely annoying chime until you pick it up.
Da-MAGE-less
Defeat the Evil Mage in the Sealed Dungeon without taking damage on Hard difficulty or higher
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The Mage's fireballs can be completely blocked with the Dragon Shield. He can be a bit of a time-sink to kill since he loves to chain his spells and there's not enough time to attack him in between. If you have the Fire Sword from the Volcanic Caves, you can charge up a shot while he's floating around and let go right as he lands.
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The other option would be to stay as far away from him as you can and shoot. Your shots travel further than his, so you can get in multiple shots if you're far enough. Depends if you want to play it safe or do it quickly.
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As with the other damageless fights, you must enter the room in order for the achievement to prime, and it will unprime if you load a save file, so save before entering the boss room and not during the fight.
I'm in a Bit of a Hurry Here!
Defeat the Evil Mage in the Sealed Dungeon while poisoned the entire time (must enter the room poisoned)
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As the description says, you must enter the room poisoned. If you heal your poison at any time during the fight, the achievement will unprime. You may need a healing item, to keep you alive, if you get poor RNG luck and the Evil Mage floats around a lot. This can be done on Easy. You can poison yourself in a few different ways:
- Find a poison barrier in the dungeon and run through it. They don't spawn often on Easy, so I wouldn't rely on them.
- Use a Poison Herb
- Use a Poison Potion
Edit: Thank you to Mechalink for noticing the incorrect information about the poison barrier spawns on Easy.
Unsinking the Lost Castle
Discover the Secret of the Lost Castle
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Necessary for progression. Once you obtain the Tears of the Earth from the Evil Mage, you need to find the stone marker near the lake. Use the Tears on the marker from your inventory and you will be teleported to the Lost Castle.
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It's important to note that if you picked up the Fairy from the Fairy Grove before heading into the Lost Castle, you can't return to the overworld. You'll be immediately transported to Valarys' Fortress as soon as the Eel is defeated. If you need to wrap up anything on the overworld first, it's advised to either do so before entering the Lost Castle or don't collect the Fairy.
It's a Load-Bearing Eel
Defeat the Eel boss and obtain the Fairy in the Lost Castle
- Necessary for progression and can't be missed. Upon defeat, you will obtain the fairy automatically if you already have the other two or as an item on the ground if you haven't obtained the Fairy from the Fairy Grove. You'll automatically be returned to the overworld or teleported to Valarys' Fortress while the castle crumbles.
That's a Moray!
Defeat the Eel boss without taking damage on Hard difficulty or higher
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The Sword of Light is best for this since it can shoot quickly. Your shields can't prevent damage like the Dragon Shield does on the Mad Dragon and Mage. You'll want to back away from the water, shoot a couple times when it comes up, and strafe to avoid the electricity it shoots. It will shoot twice each time, unless you hit it while it's shooting. If so, it will shoot another two.
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As with the other damageless fights, you must enter the room in order for the achievement to prime, and it will unprime if you load a save file, so save before entering the boss room and not during the fight.
Answering the Fairy Phone
Obtain the Fairy from the Fairy Grove
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Necessary for progression and not missable. You'll notice the Grove because it has four rows of four trees that all look the same. Just listen for its annoying chime. The louder it gets, the closer you are. Interact with the tree it's in to obtain it.
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Interacting with any other tree will cause wasps to spawn and attack you. If you have the other two Fairies already, you'll be immediately teleported to Valarys' Fortress. So, if you need to wrap up anything, do so beforehand. You cannot return to the overworld once you're in Valarys' Fortress.
Discovering Valarys' Secret Stash
"Hey, that's not yours! Leave that stuff alone!" - Varalys, probably
- After you defeat the Vampire refight, equip the Spectacles in the next hallway. It will cause two doorways to open up with chests inside. Unlike with the Ruins, these hallways can't be accessed without wearing the Spectacles.
Jim the Hero
Defeat Varalys, rescue Princess Iina, and save Fairy Land
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You get this for beating the game. That's it.
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Fun fact: The Princess' name in the game and the manual are different. Her name in the game's opening cutscene is Iina and the manual calls her Anne.
Who Needs Immortal Medicine?
Defeat Varalys without taking damage on Hard difficulty or higher
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Valarys has a few different attacks that he will do. There's no pattern to which one he'll do every time he moves. The best option is to stay as far away as you can from him, shoot with the Sword of Light, and strafe to dodge his shots. His attacks are:
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Rapid Shot: He'll usually use this if he lands close to you. You'll see both of his hands glow red before he shoots. Strafe right away to dodge them. If you try to get in an attack before he shoots, you'll definitely get hit. Play it safe and strafe!
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Black Energy Ball: Another attack he does when close. He'll hold his hand over his head and charge it up. It has a very poor range and is very slow to charge. Back away and fire a few shots before he moves again.
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Glowing Energy Ball: This attack is done when he's not close enough to do the other two, which is often. He'll tuck his wings behind him, look up, and shoot the ball from his chest. As long as you have a bit of distance between you two, you can strafe to avoid it pretty easily.
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Laughing: Not an attack, just some arrogance. It's good for getting in a few free hits before he moves again.
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If you have all three gemstones, you'll be able to see him moving around the room. If not, he'll teleport each time he moves, similar to the Vampire. He's a huge pain to track when you can't see him, so save yourself the headache and collect the three stones.
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If you're wearing a Stone of Fighter, the Sword of Light will shoot three projectiles instead of one, making the fight much shorter.
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As with the other damageless fights, you must enter the room in order for the achievement to prime, and it will unprime if you load a save file, so save before entering the boss room and not during the fight.
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Fun fact: the achievement name is in reference to one from the NES set for not using your Immortal Medicine during the Varalys fight.
Ignoring the Adventure Line
Obtain the Flame Amulet while Level 1
- Since the first three quests are optional, you can run directly to the Ruins from the start and grab the Flame Amulet. Be careful of the traps and enemies, though. At level 1, you're rather weak, like paper mache... or Raditz.
The Hero of Hyrule
Obtain the Master Sword
- Commonly found in the Ruins in one of the three large rooms. It's a holy-based weapon and can be used to kill the Vampire without the Crucifix. It can also be purchased from the shop.
Feels Like I'm Wearing Nothing at All!
Obtain the Fairy Armor
- The armor can only be found in the Ruins in one of the three large rooms and is guaranteed to spawn in every game. The best armor in the game and it's light weight, weighing the same as the Leather Armor. It's perfect for the early game when your max equip weight is still low.
Feel the Force! Powerful You Have Become
Obtain the Sword of Light
- The sword is found in the Power Core section of the Lost Castle. It doesn't spawn in a specific location in the Power Core, so it can be in any chest. Its guaranteed to always spawn in every game and only one can be obtained. If you miss it, there's no coming back for it.
Saving Fairy Land the Hard Way
Beat the game on Hard difficulty or higher
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The description says it all. There are a few differences when playing on Hard:
- Bosses have higher defense, making them harder to kill
- Bosses can't be stunned and are a bit more aggressive
- Bosses deal more damage
- Enemies deal more damage
- You don't start with any maps filled in and the compass is pretty useless
- The shop does not exist
- Chests and items on the ground are less abundant
- Cursed gear and poisonous items appear at a higher rate
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The standard faire for what you'd expect from a difficulty increase.
Feeling Lucky?
Earn 7,777,777 or more points in the final score tally
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The score tally is given after the end credits and is composed of a few categories:
- In-game score
- Time: starts at 1 million and decreases by 500 every minute
- Monster Kills: (kills) x 100.
- Difficulty: Easy - 100K, Normal - 500K, Hard - 1M, Pro - 2M
- Survivor: Easy - 1M, Normal - 2M, Hard - 5M, Pro - 10M
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The Survivor bonus is meant to be for completing the game without dying. In the US version, it's given regardless if the player died or not.
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In order to earn enough points, the game should be beaten on Hard or Pro. The bonuses for finishing on Easy or Normal don't add up to anywhere near enough points. The achievement can be gotten by doing all quests and farming monsters a bit in the Power Core. Skeletons are worth 250, Mimics are worth 1,000, and there's no short supply of either one.
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If done on Pro, the achievement is guaranteed. It's not recommend to play on Pro, though. It's just not worth it. You won't know what your final score is until the tally appears, unless you want to calculate it yourself. Valarys is worth 200k.
Shop Smart, Shop S-Mart
Buy something from the Shop, won't ya?
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The shop is a large pink crystal, similar to the teleport crystals, and is found in a small stone building. What it carries depends on difficulty.
- Easy: Stocks all scrolls, tools, potions, rings. It also has most weapons, armors, and shields.
- Normal: Only stocks items you've already found at least once. Starts empty.
- Hard: Doesn't appear.
- Pro: Doesn't appear.
It is Now Safe to Power Off Your Emulator
Quit the game from the in-game menu
- When opening your inventory, you can save, load, and quit. Selecting quit will take you to a screen that says it's safe to power off your console. If you press any button on the controller, it will take you right back into the game. It doesn't actually quit anything.
Better than Naito
Earn the top spot on the hi-score table by earning more than 100,000 points before the end of the game
- On the leaderboard, Naito is the default #1 high score. You're guaranteed to beat it simply by beating the game, since Valarys is worth 200k.
Better than Billy
Earn more than 874,300 points legitimately before the end of the game
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Your in-game score must exceed 874,300 no later than when defeating Valarys. Your end game score tally does not count. If you spend any points in the shop before then, those spent points won't count towards the achievement.
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If you finish all quests, you'll need to farm 24,301 before going to Valarys' Fortress. Once in the fortress, you cannot leave. Any extra points that you may need should be farmed in the Power Core. Skeletons give 250 and Mimics give 1,000.
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Boss/quest reward values:
| Graveyard - 50k | Vampire - 50k | Trial Dungeon - 50k | Ruins - 50k |
| Volcano - 100k | Sealed Dungeon - 50k | Lost Castle - 150k | Fairy Grove - 50k |
| Vampire 2 - 50k | Evil Mage 2 - 50k | Valarys - 200k | Total - 850k |
- The achievement is in reference to the definitely legitimate Donkey Kong world record, set by Billy Mitchell, Video Game Player of the Century, and possibly the best gamer in existence forever.
Edit: I inaccurately wrote that the boss refights were worth zero points. Thanks to Outridecrisis for messaging me with the correct values.
RETROACHEV Speedrun Challenge
In one session, start a game with the set seed RETROACHEV on any difficulty and beat the game in less than 60 minutes without loading a save
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Here's the rules for this achievement for clarification:
- Single session means start to finish without turning off the game or loading a save file.
- It can be done on any difficulty. Easy would be best, since you have access to the map and compass.
- Not all quests need to be done. Just get to Valarys and beat him however you see fit.
- The time is based on the in-game timer, not real time. The timer doesn't move when accessing the inventory or map.
- If you load any save file from any menu, the achievement will immediately lock and you'll need to start over.
- Dying and pressing Continue from the game over countdown screen does not lock the achievement. Death warping out of dungeons is allowed.
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All eight quests can be done before the time limit runs out if you move quickly and don't go wandering for unnecessary items in the dungeons.
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Since it's a set seed, maps will always look the same.
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Due to how the game generates items, the items in each spot can change slightly, depending on what you do and don't pick up along the way.
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Below are maps of each area for the seed and their item locations are marked. It's up to you to decide what you think is important to grab for your adventure!
Note: The maps were made for the Easy difficulty. They may not be accurate on Normal or Hard! If a section of map is not included, it's because there were no items in that section! The maps were made with the expectation of playing the game in the intended order!