Sub-Terrania Walkthrough

Sub-Terrania for the Sega Genesis Walkthrough

by Fausto Chavez

Sub-Terrania is a shooting puzzle maze game released in 1994 by Zyrinx on the Sega Genesis. I played it as a teenager back then, finding it mildly enjoyable but could not get past the third stage. Recently as an adult I played it again, and once again found it mildly enjoyable but could not get beyond the third stage. I searched for walkthroughs online, but found the existing ones lacking, so decided to create a new walkthrough. Sub-Terrania is a difficult game but has some engaging gameplay. As my skill level increased, I quickly became hooked on the gameplay. Some fans consider it a hidden gem. 

In this guide, I will focus on steps needed to complete the levels. Each level requires you to complete certain tasks, often in a specific order, to proceed to the next level. The key to this game is mastering the gravitational based controls and knowing what to do. Moving slowly cautiously is the best way of advancing your ship. You begin each stage at a landing platform; once mission objectives are completed you must return and land on the platform. Once you complete an objective, it does not disappear if you die. Enemies also tend to stay dead. If you die after completing all the objectives in a stage, you start at the landing platform so simply thrust up once and float back to land to complete the mission. Before each level there is a mission report stating an overview, objectives and a map, but this still leaves you largely in the dark and that’s why this walkthrough is needed. There are some 1-up power-ups in the game and several continues but not enough of them; however there are Game Genie codes to help reach the deeper levels without replaying the earlier stages. This game is sure to give you sore thumbs in the later stages from the constant thrusting and adjusting required to control the ship; I recommend also using other fingers of your hand to give the thumbs a rest.

Controls:

Left: Turn Left

Right: Turn Right

Back: Reverse Thrust

A: Change Weapon

B: Forward Thrust

C: Shoot

Start: Pause

 

Weapons: Your basic shot weapon comes in three colors, red, green and blue, each with their own characteristics. I found weapon choice did not matter much, just remember that it’s better to stick with one color and build upon that color up to four levels. Once you reach a certain weapon level, you will keep that level even if you switch to different color weapon. If you choose a different color power-up from current one, you will remain on the same level rather than increase. A number on the bottom left of the screen will indicate what level weapon you have with what color. When at a weapon upgrade post, just wait ‘till the post turns the color of your desired weapon then touch the post. Missiles are scattered throughout the game as power ups capsules. There are other special power ups to be used in certain stages.

Shield: This is your ship's defense, which depletes as you take shots. Look for little ship icons above your score. The icon farthest to the right represents the ship you're using. As you take damage, it turns red, when it's completely red, you explode and die. Blue power-up capsules restore your shield.

Fuel: Fuel is used up when thrusting, but also decreases even when ship is idle. Fuel tanks are scattered through the stages as power ups, but don’t shoot them or they will be destroyed.

Level 1

Objectives:

Collect Sub-Module

Rescue Miners

First, fly to the right a bit and get the extra life just beneath where you start, then go left and get the fuel on the lower-left, then shoot the platform(s) for it to move, and curve along down and around to get the Sub-Module. Go back past the start/platform to the right then go down, land near the miners for them to board-ship then head back to the start platform and land to complete the mission. Optional: head down-right to get missiles and fuel. Tip: it’s often easier to skip past enemies than to hunt and kill because of fuel scarcity. 

Level 2

Objectives:

Destroy Giant Monster

Collect Sub-Module

Rescue Miners

First go down to the bottom of the chamber to power up your weapon, then go back up to fight the Giant Monster that’s hovering in the center of the chamber. Attack it from afar, first destroy its tail, then the rest of its heads. There are rails on this stage that you can slide on, the rails can be useful to attack the monster from afar. If your shield gets low, there is a shield power-up to the right, as well as fuels to the sides of the start platform. Once the Monster is dead go up-left and you will find the Sub-Module and miners: mission accomplished. Optional: on the left of the chamber there is a wall-barrier, shoot and destroy the wall, go in and get the 1-up. To the right of the chamber is another wall-barrier, beyond which are missiles.

Level 3

Objectives:

Destroy Alien Housing

Collect Sub-Module

Rescue Miners

This is probably the first stage where you need help from the walkthrough. First go down and pick up the Deflector (triangle shaped item), ignore the fuel for now and go back back up, then to the left and drop the Deflector on top of the truck (A button toggles to the Deflector, C button drops it). Placing the Deflector on the truck will allow you to land on the platform to the bottom-right, and a new section will open up. Go back around toward the new area, picking up the fuel that you skipped along the way, go left into the new area and get a V shaped deflector, the shield, and fuel, then go back to the truck and hover over it so that when the laser shoots, the deflector will send the laser to the left and break the wall open. Once the wall is broken, drop the deflector, go to the new area and shoot the foundation, breaking it up completely to find another deflector and open a new section. Take the deflector back over the truck, and the laser will destroy the laser launcher. Go into the new section bottom-left to find the miners and the Sub-Module. Mission accomplished. Return to base.   

Level 4

Objectives:

Destroy the THING

Collect Sub-Module

Rescue Combat Squad

Head up a few screens, to the left will be a weapon power-up. Then, go right, destroy the armored truck, then go down-right to fight the THING which is like a snake. Once the THING blows up, go down to the left and blow up the constructions to find the Sub-Module. Then go all the way to the right then down to find the Combat Squad. There is an armored truck near the squad, fly over it and shoot it point-black (careful not to shoot the squad) and rescue the squad. Mission accomplished, return to base. Optional: Near where you fought the THING, there is a 1-up hidden under constructions on the left wall, and to top-right past the two robots there are missiles.

Level 5

Objectives:

Destroy Power Plant

Rescue Workers

Destroy Alien

Collect Sub-Module

First, destroy the ships that are flying overhead, you shoot them from start position, or just fly up to engage them. Make your way to the upper far-right of the stage, and get the Anti-Shield Fire past the armored truck. Then, go straight down to the Power Plant protected by a red shield. Equip the Anti-Shield Fire, and shoot the shield twice. The shield will disappear. Shoot to destroy the plant, then grab the Reactor Core (spike ball). Fly up to get fuel. Fly to the left and rescue workers. To the left is the Alien; drop the Reactor Core on the Alien, destroying it reveals the Sub-Module, then go around to the bottom-left to find more workers. Mission accomplished, return to base.

Level 6 

Objectives:

Destroy Robot

Collect Sub-Module

Rescue Miners

From the start, take the rail on the right down for a weapon power up. Go back up, destroy the wall and shoot the enemies across from you. Go right, take the next rail down for another power up and some miners. Go back up and all the way right and down for an extra life, fuel and more miners. Go back up and blast through the wall, go down-right and you'll find the giant robot with miners near it. Once the robot is destroyed, rescue miners and blast through the left wall for the Sub-Module. To the right past the dead robot is another wall, beyond it is some fuel. 

Level 7

Objective:

Message lost in transmission

To beat this level you have to reach the end of the maze. First drop to the lower right to get missiles. Then drop to the left and into the water. Take the left side water path down, make your way up, emerge from the water and fly up past a bunch of enemies, then go right, get the Anti-Pressure power-up, continue right and shoot the red blobs which will explode and open a new section. (Equipping the Anti-Pressure and pressing C will make you descend in water without using fuel.) Fly down to the right and get fuel. Equip the missiles, go down and blast through the moving ball-wall, equip the Anti-Pressure and descend to get Tube Bombs. Go back to the start of the stage, descend into the water, take the right path in the water to a closed pipe, drop a Tube Bomb on the pipe lid which will open a new section on the left. Go left to exit and finish the stage.

Level 8

Objectives:

No Transmission

Like the previous level, you must get to the end to exit. From the start, go right across into an opening and descend to power-up your weapon. Go back up and descend along the left side into the water and go right, skip to the third path and go up to get the Mirror Laser. Go back to the first path up. You'll come to a fork in the path, at the bottom-right is a pack of missiles, further up left is a hopping enemy and beyond it is a fuel pack. Refuel and then go up and shoot the laser maker, continue up, then go to the left and destroy another laser maker. Keep going left then down and descend the water. (The water is now purple indicating acidity, and you now have an acid meter, which if gets too high kills you.) In the water go down, then right, blasting your way across, then go up for some fuel and three objects in triangle formation. Equip the Mirror Laser and hover under the object to the right, shooting it with the laser several times, the three objects will shoot lasers at each eather, then shoot the right object with your regular weapon. Once destroyed, the wall will open an exit.  

Level 9

Objectives:

No Transmission

From the start, go left and into the water, descend and you’ll find the Nuclear Crystal, which gives you unlimited fuel. From here there is an extra life along the right path, or just go back to the beginning, go right, skip the first water drop, take the second water drop and you’ll come to a fork. Kill the enemy guarding the path, go to the left and are dips with a shield restore, fuel, and a weapon power up on the far left. Return to take the right path, keep going right then fly up and around the bend to get the key. Go back into the water, from here, return to the fork to take the path straight down, then go left, take the upper path around, then down across all the way to the right to get the key (On the bubble section you must thrust strongly across or you’ll get stuck in the bubbles). Then return the last fork, go up, go left and make your way up out of the water, maneuver your way right to exit to the final boss battle.