Purpose:
This guide is intended to help clarify some of the obscure achievement descriptions as well as provide guidance on how to obtain those achievements. It appears that the achievement descriptions were not well translated when the game was released on the Xbox 360 and unfortunately those translations were carried over to the Steam version as well. In the guide I will be noting the original description as well as 'my' version of the description, when appropriate.

Notes:
Due to the large amount of achievements this game has, achievements with similar conditions will be grouped together. I will provide an "updated" description noted with an (*) when the descriptions are confusing or oddly worded. I will provide detailed notes for achievements that have goals that need additional clarification on how they are obtained. If the goals are simple I will simply provide clarification on the provided description.

Getting Started:
Version B is available right from the start. I recommend choosing Version B, using the character known as "Loop" (only available in Version B) for many achievements that you may be strugging with. She is a powerful character that makes the game significantly easier. Most achievements can be obtained in the standard playthrough or version B.

Tenba Koukuu Yun:
FA-98 STINGER
Played the game using Yun
Notes: Start the game as Yun (Blue ship).

Yun
Watched the ending movie of Yun
Notes: Beat the game with Yun. Standard or Version B. Continues may be used.


Fugu Taiten Zenichi:
RED HOT SKULL
Played the game using Zenichi
Notes: Start the game as Zenichi (Red ship).

Zenichi
Watched the ending movie of Zenichi
Notes: Beat the game with Zenichi. Standard or Version B. Continues may be used.


Oudou Rakudo Sadahl:
Turtle 10000
Played the game using Sadahl
Notes: Start the game as Sadahl (Yellow ship).

Sadahl
Watched the ending movie of Sadahl
Notes: Beat the game with Sadahl. Standard or Version B. Continues may be used.


Yuou Maishin Loop:
Piece of cake
Played the game by loop
Notes: Start the game as Loop (Purple ship). Only available in Version B.

Loop
Watched ending movie by loop
Notes: Beat the game with Loop. Version B. Continues may be used.


All Characters:
Ending version `B`
Watched all of ending movie at Version B
Notes: Finish the game with every character, in Version B. Continues may be used.

Clear without bombs
Cleared without using bombs
Notes: Finish the game without using bombs. Continues may be used. Do not use the "Auto-Bomb" option when selecting a character.

Comment: I met this condition in the standard mode with Yun and did not get the achievement. I met the condition with Loop in Version B and then it unlocked. If you do not get this after meeting the requirements you may want to try another mode or character. Achievement may be bugged. I am not sure what shmup devs have against bombs but there always seem to be achievements tied to not using bombs or using them in a very specific way. This game is no exception.

Chamber is empty
Pushed bomb button in the state of no bomb
Notes: Press the bomb button, when you are out of bombs.

Nice bombs
Using bombs just before being enemy's shot
*Description: Use a bomb just before an enemy bullet hits your ship.
Notes: It may take some practice since the shot must be very close to your ship. Auto-bomb being triggered from a hit does not count and cancelled bullets do not count.

Signature bomb for opening, consecutive bombs
Since starting Boss battle, you could cause above a certain damages by using only bombs
*Description: Inflict a large amount of damage to a boss using only bombs.
Notes: An efficient way to do this is make sure you go into the fight with 3 bombs and do not grab the bomb that appears just before the boss fight. Let it bounce around until you have used at least one bomb, so it does not go to waste. Position yourself as close to the boss as you are able to and then drop a bomb. The closer you are, the more damage is likely to be delivered. Do this with all of your available bombs, one after another, for maximum damage.

That's a waste!
Being destroyed without using bombs, till at last the game was over
*Description: Receive a "Game Over" status without ever using bombs.
Notes: Auto-bomb cannot be used. Start a game and immediately let yourself be defeated and choose not to continue. Once you get a "Game Over" the achievement should pop.

Notes: These are achievements you could obtain at almost any point through your progress and are not tied directly to any specific stage.

Bonus king
Earned ten and over bonus for one stage
Notes: Obtain 10+ bonus points in a stage. These include Special, Mystery, Destruction and Secret bonus types. Not every stage offers 10 bonus options but stage 2 is your best chance since it offers around 18 different bonus chances.

Flying Ace
Shot down 1,000 and over units for one playing
Notes: Destroy as much as you can in each stage. You should unlock this near the end of the game or if you get into the second loop.

Master of cross-Shot
Destroyed total 500 units using cross-Shot
Notes: Keep using cross shot... Do it.

Master of lock-on
Keep a lock-on attacking for 30 seconds
Notes: Best done on a boss who is tougher to take down. Use the lock-on attack and keep it going for 30 seconds, uninterrupted. The recommended method is to choose Sadahl and get to the stage 5 boss without any power-ups, or as few as possible. In it's 2nd form, lock on to the purple center area and then move off to the sides and keep avoiding bullets. You should do very little damage so there is less of a chance to destory the boss before the 30 second time requirement.

Proof of earning
Earned various bonus 500 times in total
Notes: Go out of your way for those bonus points.

Proof of striking
Earned Tamashii gauge 2,000 magnification in total
Notes: This will take some grinding and is somewhat dependant on your skill level. Stay near the top of the screen and rack up points.

Top scorer
Earned one hundred million and over points for one playing
Notes: Stay near the top of the screen and rack up as many points as you can with a high multiplier. Auto-bomb recommended to reduce the chances of death.

Top shooter
Earned ten million and over shooting points by one enemy
Notes: Stay near the top of the screen and build your multiplier. You will need to have a very high multiplier for this one and will likely need to get right in the face of a boss to achieve this. Stage 5 is recommended since you have a long time to build your multiplier and the boss can take a lot of hits. Auto-bomb is recommended to survive the stage.

Top rapid shooter
Shooting down the enemies quickly and raised 70 and over units reinforcements
Notes: Some enemies and areas have small reinforcement units that are generated. Focus your attacks on these.

You will die pitching forward
Stayed 15 and over seconds at upper direction of the screen, but was shot down
*Description: Stay near the top of the screen, without getting hit, for a minimum of 15 seconds... and then get hit.
Notes: Easily done in stage 1 at mid-boss A. While the screen is clear and the mid-boss starts to swoop in, make sure to get into one of the top corners of the screen. When the mid-boss shoots at you, use a bomb for a moment of invincibility. Use more bombs (if needed) to make it over 15 seconds and then let a bullet hit you.

While there's life、there's hope
Stayed 30 and over seconds at upper direction of the screen
*Description: Stay at the top of the screen for at least 30 seconds, without getting hit.
Notes: Use the same method as the "You will die pitching forward" achievement. Get up high just before a boss or mid-boss and spam those bombs whenever needed.

Notes: Any tips I could provide apply to all of the stages and enemies so they are grouped here.

• Mid-boss battles are often missable. Focus your attacks on them before they run away.
  
• Most bosses are comprised of multiple parts. It is recommended to destroy "arms" and "legs" and other parts before the enemy core.
  
• The closer to the top of the screen you are, the more points you will receive.
  
• You will receive point a point bonus based on how many bombs you finish the stage with. You also receive a bonus for No Miss (no deaths in a stage).
  
• Use auto-bomb if you are focused on defeating enemies and staying alive.
  
• You can die and continue as many times as you want to complete a stage.
  
• Continuing will reset your multiplier and your total points. Continuing will also prevent getting a second loop (More on this later).

Captain Eagle
Destroyed the stage 1 mid-boss `A`
Notes: Easily defeated mid-boss.

Captain Titan
Destroyed the stage 1 mid-boss `B`
Notes: Easily defeated mid-boss. Smaller enemies join the fight from the sides, so wide-shot is recommended.

Captain Phoenix
Destroyed the stage 1 boss
Notes: Shooting the arms first is recommend but not required.

Building Collapse
Earned the bonus at first stage by collapsing the building
Notes: Seems straight forward, but it's not. You will find 2 yellow triggers that cause buildings to collapse, early in the stage. You must destory the triggers to collapse the building, without shooting the large spider-like enemy climbing up the opposite building. The building must fall, killing that enemy in the process and you must receive the bonus notification for this achievement to be earned.

Simultaneously destruction
Earned bonus by destroying Jagleon simultaneously
Notes: When the 2 Jagleon appear, stay in the middle of the screen and use a wide shot. If they are an even distance from you they should be destroyed at the same time.

Big Decaron
Destroyed the stage 2 mid-boss
Notes: There is a lot going on when this mid-boss starts moving but you will want to focus your attacks on it before it escapes.

Kaiser Naboon
Destroyed the stage 2 boss
Notes: Focus your attacks on the sides and then the center.

Base analysis
Earned bonus at stage 2 by interrupting base of each blocks
*Description: Destory the joints that connect the rocks.
Notes: There are purple joints with tubes connecting rock sections together. When you destroy these they cause rocks to break away. Destory all of these for the achievement.

The name is, `Z`!
Earned bonus by annihilated Z with complete playing
*Description: Destory all of the green squares marked with a Z shape.
Notes: Through the stage there are ~6 of these green objects that are hidden until you shoot them. Once you shoot them, they become visible and can be destroyed. You will need to shoot all over the place to discover these hidden objects and they are general on the far left or right sides of the screen. When you destroy them you will receive a Mystery Bonus each time.

Badzilla
Destroyed the stage 3 mid-boss
Notes: Get right up in his face quickly and it's possible to take this mid-boss down before he can get too many shots off.

BolBatta
Destroyed the stage 3 boss
Notes: This boss takes quite a beating. It is recommended that you stay low on the screen until you can recognize it's patterns.

Flaying
Defeated Geruge at stage 3 after stripped off all its carapace
Notes: Geruge is a centipede-like enemy that has a head, tail and many segments on its body. It will appear a few times during this stage. You must destory the segments of the body before focusing your attacks on it's head to finish it off.

Speak ill of a dead person
Destroyed the wreckage of Gun Frog at stage 3
Notes: Poor Gun Frog gets pushed away before the Badzilla fight. Luckily part of it's body remains on the left side of the screen, so you can blast away at it for this achievement.

Death Mantera
Destroyed the stage 4 mid-boss
Notes: Destroy the mid-boss.

Bloodelion
Destroyed the stage 4 boss
Notes: Bloodelion has many parts to it and you will be forced to fight each part of it in segments before it can be destoyed.

Perfectionism
Earned bonus at stage 4 by destroying all parts of battleship
Notes: These battleships will start to appear in the background and then will come into the battle during 2 different parts of the stage. You must destroy every part of every one of these ships, before they leave the screen.

General Poison
Destroyed the stage 5 mid-boss
Notes: This mid-boss is one that is more likely to try and escape before you can defeat it. Make sure to focus your attacks on it, while managing the other enemies on screen.

Mecha-Brain
Destroyed the stage 5 boss
Notes: This boss has many segments to it. Taking out the segments will help reduce the amount of bullets coming at you, on the screen. Auto-bomb is also a big help if you are having trouble staying alive.

Giving way the bridge
Earned bonus points by giving way all of the bridge at stage 5
Notes: There is a section where there is a bridge with little bomb-like objects attached (as seen in the achievement picture). Shoot these until they explode to break the bridge.

Enter the Second Loop
Played the Second Loop
Notes: Second loop (not to be confused with the character, named "Loop") becomes available if you finish the game without using continues and while earning 7 'points' in the medal system (See more on this in the Medals section of the guide). The second loop is available in both standard and Version B modes and it's basically a repeat of the main 5 levels. Once you have made it to the second loop you can use continues freely to progress, if needed.

Mecha-Warl
Destroyed the True Boss
Notes: This is where the game truly becomes a bullet hell. Auto-bomb is helpful if you're trying to stay alive. This boss can be found in standard or Version B's second loop, after the stage 5 boss. Lives and continues may be used, with the usual setback of points.

Mecha-Warl Version B
Defeated real boss at Version B
Notes: Only received in Version B. Can be unlocked in conjunction with "Mecha-Warl" achievement.

Notes: The medals you receive at the end of each stage are based on your performance in that stage (not just your score) so play agressively, collect every bonus you can and finish with "No Miss" for the best medals. A minimum of 7 medal 'points' (AKA 'stars') are needed to get into the second loop of the game (in addition to not using any continues). These points are simply explained as follows:

• 1 point for a silver medal
  
• 2 points for a gold medal
  
• 3 points for a platinum medal
  
• 4 point for a crimson(?)* medal

So you would need at least 2 gold medals (4 points), in addition to 3 silver medals (3 points) to meet the requirement (7 points) for the seconds loop. If you get at least 1 platinum medal, you are pretty much set.

*Disclaimer: I don't know all the details on the crimson medals (they may not even "officially" be called that) and they are not mentioned anywhere that I can find online and medals aren't discussed in the manual. I have only received them in the 2nd loop stages, so I am not sure if they are exclusive to the 2nd loop or not.

Earn the first Medal
Earned the first stage cleared Medal
Notes: This should come naturally.

Silver Medal 5
Earned five and over Silver Medals
Notes: This should come naturally as you learn the levels. Counts across all plays and bancho mode.

Gold medal 5
Earned five and over Gold Medals
Notes: This should come more easily once you really understand the levels and is cumulative across bancho mode as well.

Platinum medal 5
Earned five and over Platinum Medals
Notes: This should come more easily once you really understand the levels and is cumulative across bancho mode as well. This can even be earned while you are focusing on the medals specific to bancho mode, so you don't have to worry so much about getting them in your standard play. Earning a crimson* medal also counts towards platinum.

Platinum medal Version B
Earned the Platinum medal five and over at Version B
Notes: This should come more easily once you really understand the levels, but is only applicable in Version B.

Medal King
Earned 50 and over medals at Version B (accumulated total)
Notes: This is spread out over your Version B plays among all characters. Could take 10+ playthroughs if you aren't doing second loop but medals earned in bancho mode (Version B) also count!

Caravan Bancho
Earned a Platinum Medal at caravan mode
Notes: This is a tough one. Destroy everything you can as agressively as you can. This will require a "No Miss" as well as every bonus you can get, so keep an eye out for the "Z" objects and destruction chances!

Stage 1 Bancho
Earned Platinum Medal at stage 1 of Bancho mode
Notes: This is a tough one. You need a pretty flawless run to obtain platinum on this stage.

Stage 2 Bancho
Earned Platinum Medal at stage 2 of Bancho mode
Notes: This is an easier stage to get platinum. Destroy everything and try not to die!

Stage 3 Bancho
Earned Platinum Medal at stage 3 of Bancho mode
Notes: This is tough, but not as bad as stage 1 or 5 platinum. Destroy everything and try not to die!

Stage 4 Bancho
Earned Platinum Medal at stage 4 of Bancho mode
Notes: This is a tough one. Destroy everything and try not to die!

Stage 5 Bancho
Earned Platinum Medal at stage 5 of Bancho mode
Notes: The toughest stage to get platinum on, in my opinion. Takes a lot of practice to learn the level.

Platinum Bancho
Earned Platinum Medal for every stages of bancho mode
Notes: Can be unlocked once you are a master at bancho mode and have earned all 5 of the platinum medals.

Notes: Caravan is a quick little bite-sized version of the game which lasts for a total of 2 minutes. You have no bombs but infinite lives. The goal is to rack up the highest score possible within the time limit. Since this mode is different from the standard game, it has a very specific set of achievements that can only be obtained in this mode.

Going all out when caravan comes
Played caravan Mode
Notes: Play caravan mode with any character.

First battle
Played caravan mode and remained the records
Notes: After playing through caravan mode, save your high score.

Enthusiastic in studying
Watched Leaderboards of caravan mode
Notes: On the main screen for caravan mode, choose "Leaderboards" and simply view the high scores.

Which one do you like?
Playing caravan mode using all units and remained the records
Notes: Play caravan mode and select each of the characters one time, then submit your score after each completion with those characters.

Overcome yourself!
Renewed best score for three times at caravan mode
Notes: Improve your caravan score, 3 different times. This can be done with one character or across all 3 characters. It may come naturally as you get better at the stage and learning the patterns but if you want to "stage" this achievement you can. First, score just a few points and then let the timer run out. Play again and get a slightly better score, then let the timer run out. Then repeat this process until you have improved your score a total of 3 times.

Endure for 2minutes
Cleared caravan mode with perfect playing
Notes: This achievement requires you to survive the entire duration of the caravan's 2 minute timer. Stay low on the screen and focus on staying alive, without worrying about the score. This is a difficult achievement.

`Otu` Again
Destroyed all Z of caravan mode with perfect playing
Notes: There are ~7 of the green "Z" objects hidden on the caravan stage. You will need to destory them all and be very quick in defeating the enemies to get as far in the stage as possible so you can find these. There is also one on the first collapsible bridge, so take care not to break the bridge before getting it. This is a very difficult achievement. You should have a total of 3 by the time you reach Gasshern, 1 is right where Gasshern appears and another 2 before the Mawar battle. The final is on the moving platform right after the Mawar fight. Take note that you will receive a "Mystery Bonus" notification when destroying one. Sometimes there is a lot going on all at once, so that is a good identifier to confirm you have destroyed it.

Gasshern!?
Earned the bonus by destroying Gasshern before combining
Notes: Gasshern looks like a giant gray and gold head that appears on the screen in 2 parts that will combine into one. As soon as it appears get in between the 2 parts and attack the pink orb in the center of the top piece. If you are quick you should be able to destory Gasshern before the 2 parts come together.

Destruction of Twin Mawar
Destroyed both Twin Mawar
Notes: The Twin Mawar are 2 large enemies that appear late in the caravan stage and the camera scrolling will stop when you encounter them. One of the Mawar is slow moving and will stay near the top of the screen while the other will stay more towards the bottom of the screen and will bounce around very quickly. Focus your attacks on one of these at a time and you can certainly beat them within the time remaining for the stage. If you need extra fire-power to beat them quickly then make sure to choose Sadahl as your character.

Thank you for viewing this guide If you found it helpful at all, please be sure to rate it! Bullet Soul is one of my favorite shmups and I'm glad it's available on Steam!