Welcome to the game. Once the screen has faded in on the wreckage of the enormous aeroplane from the game's attract mode intro, a formation of five tanks (the one in the centre is Vanguard) will emerge from it, then start moving forward before coming to four Hyper Tanks; the four Hyper Tanks will fire one shot at each of the four tanks on either side of Vanguard (which are palette-swaps of it) to kill them immediately, and the four tanks on either side of Vanguard will fire one of their own shots back at each of the four Hyper Tanks to kill them back just before they are hit. Vanguard, which is now the only surviving tank, will then come to a gate in front of it before firing a bullet at it to destroy it - and once it has passed through it, it will be under your control (but you cannot make it go back out through the gate it has just come through, given that an invisible wall has now been set up upon the back side of it).
Instead, you will have to continue moving forward as you come up to four Brown Tanks that are shooting flames at you; once you have shot a bullet at or driven over each of them to kill them, you will have to move to the left, then continue moving forward as you come to a Green Artillery that is firing bullets at you. Once you have fired a bullet at or driven over it to kill it, you'll have to move to the right, then continue moving forward as you come to three more Brown Tanks that are shooting flames at you - and once you have fired bullet at or driven over each of these, to kill them, four Ivory Helis will come flying into view from all four sides of the screen and start circling around above Vanguard. Once you have fired an anti-aircraft missile up at each of them to kill them, four more Ivory Helis will come flying into view from all four sides of the screen and start circling around above Vanguard; once you've shot an anti-aircraft missile up at each of them to kill them, four Gray Helis will come flying into view from all four sides of the screen then start circling around above Vanguard. Once you have fired an anti-aircraft missile up at each of these to kill them, the fourth one will send a powerup box falling down to the ground - and once you have fired a bullet at it, to destroy it, it will leave a "Shield" powerup behind. Once you've collected it, Vanguard will become invulnerable for a short period of time; you'll then have to continue moving forward, as you come to two Ochre Tanks that are shooting flames at you. Once you have fired enough bullets at or driven over both of these to kill them, two Big Jets will come flying into view from the bottom of the screen - and once you have fired an anti-aircraft missile up at both of these to kill them, you'll have to move to the right, then continue moving forward as you come to another Green Artillery that is firing bullets at you. Once you have fired a bullet at or driven over this one to kill it, four more Ivory Helis will come flying into view from all four sides of the screen and start circling around above Vanguard; once you have fired an anti-aircraft missile up at each of them to kill them, the twelfth one will send a second powerup box falling down to the ground. Once you have fired a bullet at it to destroy it, it will leave an "Extend" powerup behind - and once you have collected it, a small tank-type symbol will appear below the first square of Vanguard's fuel meter. A third Big Jet will then come flying into view from the top of the screen; once you have fired an anti-aircraft missile up at this to kill it, you will have to move to the left, then continue moving forward, as you come to a third Green Artillery that is firing bullets at you from behind a tree. Once you have fired a bullet at it to kill it (it is obviously in a position where it cannot be driven over), two more Big Jets will come flying into view from the top of the screen - and once you have fired an anti-aircraft missile up at both of them to kill them, the effects of the "Shield" powerup you'd collected earlier will wear off and you will have to move to the right, then continue moving forward, as you come up to two more Brown Tanks that are shooting flames at you. Once you've fired a bullet at or driven over both of them to kill them, four more Ivory Helis will come flying into view from the right side of the screen; once you've fired an anti-aircraft missile up at each of these to kill them, four more Ivory Helis will come flying into view, from the left side of the screen. Once you've fired an anti-aircraft missile up at each of them to kill them, four more Gray Helis will come flying into view from the bottom of the screen - and once you've fired an anti-aircraft missile up at each of them to kill them you will come to a third powerup box. Once you've fired a shot at it to destroy it, it will leave an "Oil" powerup behind; once you have collected it, it will refill three squares of Vanguard's fuel meter. You will then come to a gate that is marked "T-2" - and once Vanguard has gone through it, it will come out of the other side in its 4-way ("Jason") shot incarnation, which means that it will not be able to fire its anti-aircraft missiles up at the air-based enemies for the rest of the mission. You will then have to move to the left, then continue moving forward, as you come to four more Brown Tanks that are shooting flames at you; once you have fired a bullet at or driven over each of these to kill them, you will have to move to the left as you come to a fourth Green Artillery that is firing bullets at you. Once you've fired a bullet at or driven over this one, to kill it, you will have to continue moving forward as you come to two more Brown Tanks that are shooting flames at you - and once you have fired a bullet at or driven over both of them to kill them, you will have to move to the right as you come up to a fifth Green Artillery that is firing bullets at you. Once you have fired a bullet at or driven over it to kill it, you will have to continue moving forward, as you come up to two more Green Artilleries that are firing bullets at you; once you've fired bullet at or driven over both of them to kill them, you will have to choose either the northern or eastern path (but you'll have to choose quickly on account of the fuel meter).
If you chose the northern path, you have to continue moving forward as you come up to two more Green Artilleries that are firing bullets at you; once you have fired a bullet at or driven over both of them to kill them, you will have to move to the right, then continue moving forward. If, however, you chose the eastern path, you'll have to move to the right as you come up to three more Brown Tanks that are shooting flames at you - and once you've fired a bullet at or driven over each of them to kill them, you'll have to move to the left, then continue moving forward as you come to a tenth (or eighth) Green Artillery that is firing bullets at you. Once you've fired a bullet at or driven over it to kill it, you have to move to the right, as you come to a nineteenth (or sixteenth) Brown Tank that is shooting flames at you; once you've fired a bullet at or driven over it to kill it, you will have to continue moving forward as you come to an eleventh (or ninth) Green Artillery, that is firing bullets at you. Once you have fired off bullet at or driven over it to kill it, four more Gray Helis will come flying into view from the top of the screen (but you cannot kill them) - and you will then come to another gate in front of you. Once you have fired enough bullets at this second gate to destroy it, you'll have to pass through it, as you come to a third Ochre Tank and three more Brown Tanks that are shooting flames at you; once you have fired enough bullets at or driven over each of these to kill them, you will have to choose either the western or eastern path as four more Gray Helis come flying into view from the top of the screen (but you still cannot kill them, and you again have to choose quickly on account of the fuel meter). If you chose the western path, you will have to move to the left, then continue moving forward as you come to a Bomb Cannon that is firing pellets at you - and once you have fired a bullet at or driven over it to kill it, you will have to continue moving forward, then move to the right as you come to a twelfth (or tenth) Green Artillery, that is firing bullets at you. Once you have fired off bullet at or driven over it to kill it, you will have to continue moving forward, then move to the right as you come to a second Bomb Cannon that is firing pellets at you; once you have fired a bullet at or driven over it to kill it, you will have to continue moving to the right. If, however, you chose the eastern path, you will have to move to the right, then continue moving forward, as you come to a fourth powerup box - and once you've fired off bullet at it to destroy it, it will leave a "Full Oil" powerup behind. Once you have collected it, a fourteenth square will be added to Vanguard's fuel meter; you will then have to continue moving forward as you come up to a fourth Ochre Tank that is shooting flames at you. Once you have fired enough bullets at or driven over it to kill it, you will have to move to the left as you come up to a third gate in front of you - and once you have fired enough bullets at this third and final gate to destroy it, you will have to pass through it as you come to the text "STOP" on the ground next to Maiheriko's first launching pad. You'll then receive 10 bonus points for every litre of fuel Vanguard has remaining.