Shinra Headquarters

There are two ways of entering the Shinra HQ. You can either go to the left and up to climb up the stairs all the way to the top which takes aaaaaaaaaages, but you don’t have to fight anyone and you can pick up an Elixer. Or you can do through the front door and go up the lifts to the north of the second floor. But you have to fight guards on the way up. I personally prefer going up the lifts as it’s quicker and you can get EXP for your characters at the same time, and you get to see a FMV of some of Shinra Motor Mobiles (talk to the people by the TV), if you enter the room called ‘Accessories’ on the second floor. You can buy items from the woman in here. If you go up the lifts, you will ned to press the panel again to continue upwards. But it’s up to you, whatever route you take you will end up on the 59th floor. Go to the south to enter a battle with some more guards. After the battle, you will pick up the Keycard 60, which will get to the 60th floor. Go into the lift and rife up to the 60th floor, talk to your friends on the way up. When you arrive, go off the screen and go left, avoiding the guards ahead of you, and into the office.

What you need to do next is to hide behind the gold statues and make your way right. Run when the guards are turning not staying still, and pause behind each statue before moving again.. When you get to the middle, you’ll need to signal Tifa and Barret across, do so when the guards are moving like when Cloud crossed. The guards on the far right move faster, so you need to run as soon as they turn. Again signal Tifa and Barret across when Cloud get to the far right. If you are caught by the guards at any point, you will have to fight them and then start back at the office. When you’ve got all the way across go up the stairs.

On the next floor, talk to the people here, and one guy will present you with an option, answer ‘…….’, and he’ll assume you’re a repairman , and give you the Keycard 62, allowing you up to the 62nd floor. Go into the lift and go up to the 62nd floor. You’ll meet the Mayor of Midgar here, and if you guess his password right, he’ll give you an Elemental materia, but only if you guess right on the first go. I think there’s hints in the libraries and you can buy hints off the guy outside (Hart), but I don’t think it’s worth it.

You can now go to the 63rd, 64th and 65th floors, there is a Save Point on the 64th floor, which you may want to use before attempting the 63rd floor. Also on the 64th floor, check the lockers at the back to get a Phoenix Down and an Ether. You can’t take the megaphone yet. You can rest in the room with the Save Point too.

On the 63rd floor, there are three coupons which can be exchanged for items, and you can only open three doors at a time, before reseting. To get all the items first activate the computer. Then go out the door, and go up to the top of the screen and open the door on the right, on the last row of gates. Keep going right until you come to a door facing right, and one facing south. Open the south facing door. Go through and head left and go through the door with the red light. Pick up ‘A Coupon’. Go into the air duct, (the black box thing to the right). Once inside go south and head right. Go up the walkway not right at the junction, drop down and get ‘B Coupon’. Go out of the red light door and go left. Open the door here and go inside to get ‘C Coupon’. Go back into the air duct in the room with the ‘B Coupon’ and now go right to drop down in the room with the computer. Activate the computer , and pick the bottom option to exchange your coupons. For ‘A Coupon’ you get the Star Pendent, for the ‘B Coupon’ you get the Four Slots Braclet and for the ‘C Coupon’ you get an All materia.

Either go back to the 64th floor to save again, or continue to the 65th floor. On the 65th floor, you have to open various chests to get pieces to fit into the model of Midgar, eventually resulting in getting another Keycard. Be careful, for some odd reason there are random battles on this floor, although they are very random. Firstly go into the room to the north with the model in. You can examine it if you want. Go out and go into the room on the top left. Examine the chest at the bottom to get Midgar Parts. Go back to the model and examine it in a counter-clockwise way until an option appears to place the parts in the model. Go back to the top left room and open the other chest, return to the model and place the parts. Go to the bottom left room and open the left chest and return and place the parts. Go back to the lower left room and open the other chest. Place the parts and go to the room in the upper right, open the chest here and go back to the model. Finally go to the middle right room and pick up the Keycard 66, to get to the 66th floor.

You can either go up the stairs or go back to the lift. Either way go to the toilets to the left of the floor. Choose the middle option when it appears, to climb into the ventilation shaft above the conference room. Move towards the screen and listen to what the Shinra executives are talking about. When they are done, go back the way you came and go towards the stairs. Follow Hojo to the 67th floor (nice and convenient that the door stays open as you don’t have the Keycard to open it yourself). Go to the left and into the area with lots of boxes. When Cloud goes freaky, look into the purple chamber and go north through the boxes. Pick up the Poison materia in the chest and save your game as you’ve got a boss coming. Go into the lift to the next floor. Talk to Hojo and free Aeris. Watch as Hojo is attacked and choose who you want to look after Aeris, choose whoever you don’t intend on fighting with. Name Red XIII, who will replace whoever you chose to protect Aeris, and fight the boss…

Sample HO512

Use Fire and Bolt, as well as Limit Breaks on the big guy, don’t bother about the little things, they die when the big one does. Red XIII has Fire already equipped so have him cast that. Don’t use Ice or Bio. This guy likes to poison you characters alot. But if you cure yourself, he’ll probably just poison you again, so save your Antidotes and just Cure every now and then. I think you’ll get a Talisman when you win.

Pick up the Enemy Skill’s materia in the chamber and go left, south and up the stairs. Talk to the guy in grey to get the Keycard 68. Pick up the two Potions on the walkway Go to the right and pick up two more Potions. Make your way down a floor and go into one of the lifts. You be caught by Rude and Tseng. You will then be taken to a meeting with President Shinra. Afterwards you’ll find yourself in the cells to the north of the 67th floor.

Talk to everyone here, the choose to sleep by walking towards the door after talking to Tifa. When you wake up, you’ll find the door to your cell is open. Go outside and examine the guard in the corner. Return to your cell and talk to Tifa. Go outside and talk to her again. Go and free Barret and Red XIII. Follow them and talk to everyone here. Go back to the area with the boxes and talk to Red XIII. Follow him upstairs. Go right, and north and go up to the next floor using the stairs (follow the blood trail). Go through the centre door and save.

Go up the stairs on either side and go right to see that President Shinra has been killed. Listen to what Palmer says, talk to everyone and go through the door to the north to get to the roof. Listen to Rufus’s speech and then Cloud orders everyone to leave. On the lower floor, Tifa stays behind to wait for Cloud. Your team is now Barret, Red XIII and Aeris. You can either remove Tifa and Cloud’s materia or leave it as it is. I suggest removing it then re-equiping the team you have with Bolt, Fire and other magic spells. Leave your Cure materia for Cloud, as you can use Aeris’s Limit Breaks to heal. Go south and enter the lift. You will be attacked by a boss…

Hundred Gunner

In this battle you can only use long range attacks so have Barret attack. You should have equipped Bolt and Fire to your characters so use those. Red XIII and Aeris can’t reach, so have them use magic, or heal with Limit Breaks in Aeris’s case and Potion’s otherwise. Red XIII can use his Limit Breaks to attack also. Don’t use Bio. After you inflict enough damage, the boss will begin to break up, and after wards will begin to use more powerful attacks.

After you defeat this boss, another will appear….

Heli Gunner

Use the same tactic as the previous boss, use Thunder, have Barret attack and Aeris heal. You’ll win a Mythril Armlet when you win.

After the battle, you’ll find yourself on the roof again with Cloud, you can remove materia from everyone else if you like. Equip Cure and Poison and any other strong magic. When you are done, press Start and Rufus and Cloud will talk for a while, when you and Rufus will fight…

Rufus

Use Bio to poison him, and use Bolt to kill off the Dark Nation first. The Barrier makes your physical attacks not as damaging so use magic instead. Your Limit Break will fill quite quickly so use that. You’ll win a Protect Vest and Guard Source when you win.