Secrets

New Game +
When selecting a file you've already beat the game with, you can choose to play over with your current items, equipment and souls (except Ability souls and souls you find in the castle). You will begin at level 1 again, though. To do a New Game +, select the bat over a file.

Hard Mode
When starting a new game, you'll have the opportunity to choose Hard Mode. In Hard Mode, you do less damage, and the enemies do more damage. There are also some stuff you can only find in Hard Mode: Silver Gun, Death's Robe, Death's Sickle, Kaiser Knuckle and Tear of Blood.

Play as Julius
You can now play the game as Julius. Just select a new file and enter the name "JULIUS", and you'll play as him. For more information, click here.

Boss Rush
Select this under the "Special" menu beneath "Soul Trade" and "Start Game". In Boss Rush, you can use any of your files to fight against most of the bosses in the game for a prize. For information, click here.

Sound Mode
This will also appear in the "Special" menu. Here you can listen to all the music tracks and sound samples in the game.

Forbidden Area
In the Underground Reservoir, you may have noticed a waterfall with a a suit of armor on the other side. Likewise, in the Study, you may have entered an area called the "Forbidden Area", but were unable to advance anywhere. This is the same area. To enter it, go to the room with the waterfall with the Undine Soul equipped and either the Devil, Curly or Manticore Soul equipped. Go as far back as you can on the water's surface, and use the soul. You should gain just enough momentum to blast past the waterfall. In the Forbidden Area you can find what is arguably the best weapon in the game, the Claimh Solais.

Chaotic Realm
The game continues on past the fight with Graham, if you want it to. When you beat Graham, have the Succubus, Flame Demon and Giant Bat souls equipped. The game will continue, and you can proceed through the Black Mist door in the Floating Garden to advance.

Handicap Your Game
If you enter "NOUSE" as your name, you won't be able to use any items. If you enter "NOSOUL" as your name, you won't be able to use any souls (except Ability Souls/Souls needed to beat the game).

Killer Mantle Soul
If you find an enemy nearly impossible to kill (like the Iron Golem), try the Killer Mantle Soul to switch their HP and MP. Be careful about using this soul against magically inclined enemies, though, since you will give them TONS more HP than they had originally. This knowledge is also useful for Red Minotaurs, since their MP is low enough that a single Killer Mantle swipe should take care of them. Since Red Minotaurs give 1000 Exp points a pop, using the Killer Mantle Soul against them is an extremely effective way to gain levels.

Offensive Bat
If you want to attack while using the Giant Bat soul, equip the Succubus and Flame Demon souls too. You can now use the Flame Demon soul while flying! You can also equip the Bat and Giant Bat souls together to use the Bat soul while a bat.

Mina the Healer
Whenever you talk to Mina, your HP and MP will be fully refilled.

Tsuchinoko
Having trouble finding the Tsuchinoko? It is only in one room, the room just past where you fought the Great Armor in the storage area of the Dance Hall. When you enter this room, the worm either disappears or stays to fight. If he keeps disappearing, keep re-entering the room until you have a chance to kill it. Its soul gives you a 20% discount at Hammer's shop, which is useful when buying the Soul Eater Ring.

Legion Soul
Many people have difficulty getting Legion's soul. To get it, you MUST defeat all its outer parts before taking out its core. If you do this, you're guaranteed to get the soul.

Earn Quick Cash
The quickest way to earn money involves using the Mimic Soul. In the Clock Tower, there is a save room right next to a spiked pit. With the Mimic Soul equipped, drop into the pit and reduce your HP until you're about to die. Then just go into the Save Room and heal up/save, and repeat.

Cheap Experience Points
The game's smart enough not to reward you experience points with the Sherman Ring while you're walking against a wall, but that doesn't mean you can't trick it. With the Sherman Ring equipped, duck and hold left or right. This will fool the game into thinking you're walking, so your experience points will go up. You can put something on your GBA to hold these buttons down and leave and the GBA and do something else and your experience points will keep increasing. Just be sure to do this in a room with no enemies. Be careful of your batteries too.

Double Strike
If you use a slicing weapon, you can jump and attack with it just before you hit the ground. Then when you hit the ground, you can immediately swing again, allowing you to get two quick strikes in very little time. This can also be used with a few swinging weapons (like the Claimh Solais, for instance).