NEOGEO HEROES ~Ultimate Shooting~ - Museum Unlocks
The following are data I have gathered on how item unlocking in the Museum component of this PSP bullet hell shooter from SNK works.
Note: NHUS = NEOGEO HEROES ~Ultimate Shooting~ main game; KoFSS = King of Fighters Sky Stage.
Gallery:
I had originally thought images for each character just unlock at random as you use the character or encounter the boss during Story Mode, but this is not the case. So, if you were frustrated that playing through all 5 endings for each character was unlocking almost nothing, this is for you.
- For the 10 playable characters:
- Image #1 is unlocked by playing a stage in NHUS Story Mode with that character.
- Image #2 is unlocked by playing a stage in NHUS Subject Mode with that character.
- Image #3 is unlocked by playing NHUS Survival Mode with that character.
- Image #4 is unlocked by playing a complete 5-stage run in NHUS Story Mode with that character (I did not check whether directly selecting a final stage to play did it or not).
- Image #5 is unlocked by playing a complete 5-stage run in NHUS Subject Mode with that character (I've only done this with one character, purposely to test this hypothesis).
- Image #6, going by the above pattern, is probably unlocked by completing a run through NHUS Survival Mode with that character. However, since I've only been able to beat 3 bosses at best, I don't know. I have no #6 images for any player character.
- For the 4 playable characters in NHUS that were not in KoFSS (namely, UNI-008, Marco Rossi, Akari Ichijou, and Iroha), image #7 is unlocked along with image #4.
- For the 6 playable characters in NHUS who were also in KoFSS (namely, Kyo Kusanagi, Terry Bogard, Iori Yagami, Athena Asamiya, Kula Diamond, and Mai Shiranui), image #7 unlocked for me when I completed a run through KoFSS with that character. Since I did that before completing a run through NHUS Story Mode with any of these characters, I don't know if image #7 would have unlocked with image #4 for them.
- For the 4 playable characters in NHUS that were not in KoFSS, image #8 is unlocked along with image #5. At least, this was the case with the only character for whom I have image #5, UNI-008.
- For the 4 playable characters in NHUS that were not in KoFSS, image #9 is probably unlocked along with image #6. This is purely interpolation on my part, based on the above unlock patterns.
- For the 4 playable characters in NHUS that were not in KoFSS, images #7-12 seem to be the line art "rough" versions of images #1-6. For these 4 characters, images #1-6 all follow the same pattern: Normal, Joy, Anger, Sad, Surprise, and whatever #6 is. Depending on the character, there may be more rough art images; Marco seems to have 2 full sets of roughs corresponding to his images #1-6, based on the 8 images I have for him. UNI-008's last 4 images are color and headgear variant concepts of her character design.
- For any other images for the 10 playable characters, I don't really know (note that any images past #7 for the 6 KoFSS-playable characters do not unlock by the same rules as for the other 4 characters; also unlike those 4, these characters' images do not follow a set pattern of emotions expressed). However, images unlocked for them on occasion while playing assorted modes. In one case, an image for Iori, #8, I think, unlocked along with image #2 for Terry. Also odd (maybe a bug), the "NEW" marker for one of Iori's last images disappeared along with the one for Terry's image #2 when I looked at that Terry image.
- For boss characters who are not GEO-GEEGUS and not also playable characters, the first 2 images probably unlock from encountering them during Story Mode. I've had those images for a long time, so I'm not sure. It looks like one image for each such character (the rough version of the Normal image) also unlocks from encountering them during Subject Mode, and one more (seems to be a "rough pattern" showing some expressions) from Survival Mode.
- For GEO-GEEGUS (in dialog, there is actually a remark about his name having all caps!), I really don't know, other than that image #3 unlocked after the one and only time I did a complete run through Subject Mode. Images #1 and #5-8 had been unlocked earlier, mostly (?) through Story Mode. Images #5-8 are just the rough versions of images #1-4.
- For Dr. Brown Sugar, I also really don't know, other than that image #6 unlocked after that complete run through Subject Mode. Images #1-5 and #8 had been unlocked earlier. Similar to GEO-GEEGUS' image set, images #5-8 are the rough versions of #1-4.
- In the enemy (non-boss) image gallery, I note that all the enemy names have the kanji for "snake" in them, accompanied by kanji for a body part (like "stomach," "tooth") or a verb (like "turn," "float"). Some of the small enemies have kanji for colors prefixing their names as well, while the large enemies have the kanji for "big" as a prefix.
- For the NHUS entries in the endings gallery, just view the ending in Story Mode to unlock it. For the KoFSS two-character endings, all 5 for each character unlock when you unlock that character's solo KoFSS ending (by viewing it via gameplay).
Music:
- The tracks unlock as you hear them in gameplay; NHUS music unlocks for NHUS gameplay, and KoFSS music unlocks for KoFSS gameplay.
- NHUS "Boss Battle" unlocks when you play NHUS Survival Mode.
- KoFSS' Kula music track unlocks when you meet some special requirements for fighting the special Kula boss fight (I've forgotten what to do; look those up elsewhere, in KoFSS guides).
Rankings:
Nothing to know here except that you only qualify to put in a Subject Mode ranking entry by playing a full, 5-stage run of Subject Mode. So, if you're only as good as me (or even worse!) and can't clear all 5 stages on one credit, keep using the infinite Continues to reach the end. The score and achievement count tallies for all 5 stages get summed for the ranking.
