The 'Shroom:Issue 228/Strategy Wing
Director's Notes
Written by: Hooded Pitohui (talk)
Hello, all you readers of The 'Shroom! The weather has been fierce and capricious as of late. March comes in like a lion, indeed. Fortunately, some time indoors has allowed me to get an early start on spring cleaning. That includes doing a little bit of reorganizing in Strategy Wing, too! Our usual slate of sections is in a slightly different order this month, but don't be alarmed. Save for An Overly Detailed and Funny Walkthrough of Mega Man 5, they're arranged alphabetically.
In addition to our month-to-month offerings, Sparks (talk) has taken the time to write a whole lot about Tinder, a dragon character from the Paper Mario-inspired Escape from Ever After. If you'd like to get to know Tinder's personality, her role in the story, and her abilities, give it a read! She's one fierce character, even if circumstances restrict her strength. While on the topic of Sparks' RPG-focused sections, I'd like to give a shout to Brothership Boss Battle Guide for hitting its one-year anniversary. For twelve months now, Sparks has led the charge against Glohm-powered foes and Spite Bulb-consuming beasts, and now he takes on Zokket, master of Glohm!
Elsewhere in the team, we fight Dark Man, raise a regal Steel-type, inspect a swathe of the cosmos, and add a touch of rhythm to our month. Go on and enjoy it! Remember, if you'd like to join the team to tell us about your favorite games (and the characters, locations, and mechanics from them), all you have to do is write up a demo and send it to MightyMario. You can always send in a one-time section if you stumble onto a game you want to gush about, too!
Section of the Month
Neither Stone Man, Charge Man, Napalm Man, nor Wave Man could stand up against the Vote Counter weapon! What's that, you don't know that one? It turns Mega Man pink and is marked with a V. Still doesn't ring a bell? Well, you get it by defeating Sparks Man (talk). He's one tough foe, too. They say he has data from every Robot Master. Maybe it's better to keep him on our side... Better keep reading and casting your votes! Don't forget to write in a Poochy's Pick if you particularly enjoyed a writer's work!
| STRATEGY WING SECTION OF THE MONTH | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Section | Votes | % | Writer |
| 1st | An Overly Detailed and Funny Walkthrough of Mega Man 5 | 4 | 36.36% | Sparks (talk) |
| 2nd | The Tattle Log | 3 | 27.27% | Hooded Pitohui (talk) |
| 3rd | Pitohui's Pokémon Academy | 2 | 18.18% | Hooded Pitohui (talk) |
Brothership Boss Battle Guide
Has this section been going on for a year? My goodness, has time flown by that quickly?
Hello there, and welcome back to Brothership Boss Battle Guide, where you'll learn everything you need to beat the bosses of Mario & Luigi: Brothership! Last month we looked at the Extension Corps, so now it's fitting that this next foe is the main villain of the game - Zokket!
Mario and Luigi have finally made it to Zokket at his fortress after taking down the Extension Corps. Now we have one last battle to save Concordia and put an end to Glohm... right?
Here are the stats of Zokket!
Zokket's stats
| Image | Level | Location | HP | POW | DEF | SPD | Type | EXP | Coins | Item(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
40 | Fortress Zokket | 8400 | 214 | 168 | 539 | Zok Troop, Glohm | 20000 | 2000 | Glohm Guard Battle Plug |
Zokket's abilities
Zokket initially has three attacks at his disposal:
Electric orb rain: Zokket sends out many yellow electrical orbs into the air. They then slowly fall down around Mario and Luigi, with some of them landing directly on top of the two. Mario and Luigi must use their hammers to destroy any orbs that may land on them before they get hit; taking damage from an orb will "stun" the character for a few seconds, leaving them vulnerable to another attack. As the orbs fall, Zokket charges up a large pink orb. After all yellow orbs land, Zokket tosses the big pink orb at either Mario or Luigi. The targeted character must send it back to Zokket, damaging him. Getting hit by the big orb will result in big damage taken. All orbs in this attack can inflict the Dizzy status effect.
Lightning: Zokket raises one of his arms before lightning strikes Mario or Luigi. If Zokket raises his left hand, then Luigi will be targeted. Right hand means Mario will be attacked. The Bros. must jump over the lightning strikes to avoid damage. Zokket repeats this several times; between lightning strikes, he might snap, causing a whirlwind to appear and spin the Bros. in a circle, which may result in their positions being swapped. If this happens, Left hand means Mario will be attacked, while right hand is for Luigi. Mario and Luigi will always be returned to their original spots when this attack ends. Think of this as a combination of Cackletta's lightning and Wisdurm's star stream attacks. Getting hit by lightning may decrease POW by 20%.- Wire cutter toss: Zokket throws his wire cutters at a curved trajectory, causing them to spin around Mario and Luigi in a sideways "8" pattern (∞). Zokket then moves behind the Bros. and puts up a barrier. Mario and Luigi must use their hammers to hit the wire cutters so they fly directly at Zokket. The brothers will turn to face the wire cutters as they spin around them, so they can hit them at different angles. If timed incorrectly, the wire cutters can be sent to the other character, damaging him. If the wire cutters are sent to Zokket, they will break his barrier before he sends them directly to either Mario or Luigi. The wire cutters must then be countered again so they can be repelled at Zokket, damaging him and ending the attack. Watch Zokket's stance when he has a barrier to tell where he will send the wire cutters once his shield is destroyed. If he has his left hand holding his cloak, he will target Mario. The right hand is for Luigi. Keep in mind that he's behind the Bros., not in front of them. This is why the targeting is opposite of his previously mentioned attacks. If the wire cutters are not countered towards Zokket in time, he will spin them at a random character, damaging them three times. The attack ends afterwards. Getting hit by the wire cutters may result in being afflicted with the Glohm status effect.
After some time has passed, Zokket will power himself with Glohm, giving him strength and some new abilities for a short time! One of his attacks is altered while in his Glohm state:
- Glohm Lightning: This attack is similar to his normal lightning attack, but now lightning will strike the other character right after the first strike occurs! This makes it much harder to avoid, especially when he swaps the brothers' spots to confuse you. Like the normal version of this attack, there is a chance that it'll reduce POW by 20%.
Now for Glohm Zokket's new powers:
- Glohm slashes: Zokket's strongest and most dangerous attack. Zokket flies up into the air and disassembles his wire cutters. He will then use his new blades to slash the ground around Mario and Luigi to make powerful waves. After Zokket slashes three times, the lines formed will create waves that'll move towards a character before expanding to the other one. Zokket forms triangles from the three slashes, so whoever is "trapped" in one of these triangles will be targeted first before the other. The waves must be jumped over to avoid damage. Zokket creates a total of three triangles before the attack ends. Getting hit by a wave will result in big damage taken and possibly the Glohm status effect.
- Glohm counterattack: Before Mario or Luigi attack, Zokket may glare at his attacker with a visible flash in his eye. After the Bros. perform their attack, Zokket will counterattack by firing lightning from his fingers. Mario and Luigi must jump over the lightning shots to avoid damage. The targeting for this attack is unique; He will shoot at Mario and Luigi for every hit he took in the prior attack, so this means that multi-hit attacks like Bomb Derby, Clockout Blow, and Yoo Who Cannon will result in more counters. He will also shoot at them in the same order they hit him. Let's say you use Clockout Blow and have Mario and Luigi hit him many times. Zokket will attack the Bros. in the exact same order, resulting in Mario and Luigi being targeted many times. In between shots, Zokket may snap his fingers, causing the screen to flip upside down and causing a visual distraction. The screen will always return to its normal state when the attack ends. Getting hit by lightning may decrease DEF by 20%.
If Mario or Luigi become Glohmed, Zokket will use mind control powers on the affected brother and get him on his side! While a character is brainwashed, he cannot be cured by normal means, and the free brother must fight alone. If the non-Glohmed brother is defeated, there will be an immediate game over. Additionally, for each turn a character is Glohmed, the BP of both Mario and Luigi will go down by 10%.
Attacking the Glohmed brother will result in him taking massive damage and getting KO'd as a result. He will become free from Zokket's control (and the Glohm status effect), but he must be revived. Zokket can order a Glohmed character to attack the other:
- Brainwashed brother: The Glohmed brother will raise his hammer and fight against the free character. He will walk back and forth and occasionally leap at him in an attempt to strike. Mario or Luigi must repel their controlled brother's attack to avoid damage. Repelling him will knock him away, but he will attack again soon after. Countering the Glohmed brother may result in him losing his hammer and kneeling next to your controlled character. After a few seconds, he will break free from the Glohm and reunite with his brother. Striking him when he's defenseless will damage him and keep him under the effects of Glohm, so don't hit him!
This battle does not have a Luigi Logic.
Tips and tricks
Recommended gear
Zokket's fought not long after the Extension Corps, so the same equipment you used for them will work for Zokket! The peddler at Fortress Zokket has just what you need:
- Boots: Astonishing Boots/Supersonic Boots
- Hammer: Astonishing Hammer/Steel Hammer
- Wear: Astonishing Wear/Hex Wear
Same equipment, same descriptions! Nothing new is obtained in the time between the Extension Corps and Zokket.
- Supersonic Boots: 4 points stronger than Astonishing Boots, increases damage dealt depending on how much SPEED you have; great for Mario
- Steel Hammer: Four points stronger than Astonishing Hammer, increases damage dealt depending on how much DEF you have, great for Luigi
- Hex Wear: Two points stronger than Astonishing Wear, attacked foes will have their POW and DEF decreased by 10%
Don't use Double-Edged stuff.
These are the Great Conductor gear pieces that will REALLY help you out. However, once you arrive at Fortress Zokket, there's no turning back! Make sure you get these before moving on:
- Great Conductor Boots: 16 points stronger than Astonishing Boots, and also increases SPEED by 8 and STACHE by 5
- Great Conductor Hammer: 16 points stronger than Astonishing Hammer, and also increases 7 points to DEF and 5 points to STACHE
- Great Conductor Wear: 9 points stronger than Astonishing Wear, and increases STACHE by 12
Cue the long list containing gear of similar strength that isn't found at shops!
- Gobblick Boots DX: 4 points stronger than Astonishing Boots and increases STACHE by 5. Also allows its wearer to heal 10% of all damage dealt.
- Forge Boots DX: Awarded for clearing the Jellyfish Pizza minigame on hard mode. It is 23 points stronger than Astonishing Boots, and also has the passive ability of increasing damage dealt by 30% when the wearer's HP is low.
- Adaphnikki Boots and Adaphne Boots: They have the same POW as Great Conductor Boots, but both have unique properties. Adaphnikki Boots increases damage dealt with Jump-attack combos by 30%, while Adaphne Boots increases the strength of single Jump attacks by 30%. You likely won't use normal attacks against Zokket, so either are fine. You can only get one of these Boots, and they're both from the Dueling Geniuses side quest. If you let both Adaphne and Technikki work together, you'll get the Adaphnikki Boots. If Adaphne worked on her own, then you'll receive Adaphne Boots instead.
- Full-Belly Hammer DX: Stronger than Astonishing Hammer by 4 points, and also increases damage dealt by 30% when HP is full! Found inside a ? Block on Conductor Island.
- Dodgy Jump Wear: Found inside a ? Block in the back door of Bowser's Castle on Wayaway Island. It's the same strength as Hex Wear (two points stronger than Astonishing Wear) but also reduces damage taken by 20% if you fail to dodge an attack.
- Repel Wear DX: Found after clearing a puzzle on Morsel Islet. It's 21 points stronger than Astonishing Wear.
- Blocky Hammer Wear DX: Found inside a ? Block on Dropplet Islet, but you'll have to take down three Glohm Shower Fish to get it. It is 9 points stronger than Astonishing Wear, but it also increases SPEED by 4 and decreases damage taken by 20% if you miss countering an attack.
- Zokket Wear: Found inside a Hidden ? Block at Fortress Zokket. It is 9 points stronger than Astonishing Wear and also increases SPEED by 4. Furthermore, it reduces damage taken by 30% when the other brother is absent or KO'd, allowing for a less stressful revival when fighting as a duo.
Use whatever gloves and accessories you wish! Bring ones that fit your playstyle.
Recommended Battle Plugs
Zokket is scary, but don't forget you have Battle Plugs on your side! Use any you want, but these ones I recommend.
Anti-Zokket Specialist: All normal attacks and counters done to Zokket will be critical hits! Doesn't affect Bros. Attacks, but still, take that Zokket!
Auto Ampberry: You don't wanna have Glohm, do ya? While this Battle Plug doesn't remove Glohm completely, it'll save you a turn if you need to cure it. I'm not sure if it prevents Zokket from controlling a character however.
Damage Shield: Zokket's attacks usually involve multiple hits, so this Battle Plug will reduce the damage of each and every one of them!
Notdroppin:Not as effective as Damage Shield, but this Battle Plug might just save you in a pinch!
Easy-Peasy Counters: Getting hit by Zokket's attacks will result in undesirable outcomes, and this Battle Plug helps to reduce the stress when defending. Zokket's Glohm Slash attack alone makes this worth equipping.
Boomerang Items: Use your best items to recover your stats! Max Candies are welcome.
Auto Mushroom, Auto Syrup Jar, and Deluxe Auto: Any of the first two combined with Deluxe Auto ensures top notch recovery while not using up turns! It's best to defeat Zokket quickly.
Waitaminnit: Allows Mario and Luigi to go again after making a move! If you have this Battle Plug, use it to demolish Zokket and stop him from taking too many turns.
Bros. Boost and Performance Bonus: The classic Battle Plug combination meant for dealing massive damage to bosses with only the normal amount of BP required (if you get an EXCELLENT, that is)! Combine these with Waitamminit to tear apart Zokket!
Other things
With Zokket's immense power and a myriad of negative effects, he's definitely the most difficult story boss so far. Make sure you are at your absolute best before taking him on. Be sure to bring plenty of items too!
Zokket appears to be levitating, but he counts as a ground enemy, so you can use Clockout Blow against him.
When Zokket attacks with lightning in his normal state, you can have both Bros. jump at the same time for each strike. When he's powered by Glohm however, you'll have to pay close attention and jump over the lightning strikes separately, as this trick will result in pain.
During the orb rain attack, the yellow orbs that directly fall on Mario and Luigi appear slightly darker than the others.
When Zokket throws his wire cutters, make sure to counter them when they're directly in front of Mario or Luigi! This will not only allow you to send them at Zokket to destroy his barrier, but it will also prevent friendly fire.
Watch the shapes of the triangles Zokket creates for his Glohm Slash attack. The timing to jump over the waves varies depending on their shape.
Zokket doesn't always immediately control a brother if he gets infected with Glohm. Auto Ampberry can cure it before Zokket gets his chance.
The Protectus Battle Plug may prevent all forms of damage, but status effects can still occur! This includes Glohm.
Zokket can only counterattack while he's powered by Glohm, and he doesn't always do it. Jump Helmet is very effective because it only does a single hit of huge damage, and you only have to dodge one lightning shot afterwards. Mario can use Red Shell or Hatch Me if You Can, as they only involve a few hits, but they aren't as strong as Bomb Derby or Clockout Blow. If you're confident you can avoid a bunch of lightning shots, then have at it!
- Additionally, you can have Bros. jump to avoid the lightning shots without any consequence. Zokket flipping the screen doesn't really matter as well.
DO NOT HIT A GLOHMED BRO WHEN HE LOSES HIS HAMMER! Show mercy and bring him back to his normal, un-Glohmified state.
Yep, we're not quite done with Brothership Boss Battle Guide yet! Reclusa has been released, plunging Concordia into a world of Glohm and strange flowers that isolate people. Mario and Luigi must continue their adventure and stop Reclusa from conquering the world. Next month I'll be analyzing Glohm Gorumbla, so look forward to that! Goodbye!
Four Steps for a 3D World
Written by: Hooded Pitohui (talk)
Hello all you readers of The 'Shroom, and welcome back to Four Steps for a 3D World, a section which increasingly examines missions which do not conform to the four-step model! Here, we look at levels from a selection of 3D Super Mario titles through the lens of a design philosophy Koichi Hayashida discussed in an interview, either mapping out how they use it or contrasting them against it.
In brief, 3D Mario game levels in certain titles are designed around an introduction that lets a player learn a mechanic in a safe environment, further development that builds on what the player is learning and introduces more complicated aspects of a mechanic, a twist that adds some kind of significant wrinkle or challenge to force players to consider the mechanic from a new angle, and a conclusion which gives players one final satisfying chance to show they've mastered the mechanic. We look at 3D Mario levels and see if they conform to this model while trying to get some insight on how a good level is constructed.
It's practically a requirement that either this month or next I cover a level from Super Mario Galaxy, right? Illumination and Nintendo are forcing my hand. The question is, what galaxy and mission do I cover? Well, the film's marketing materials gave me an answer. The Gateway Galaxy has seemingly been reinterpreted as some kind of airport-esque galactic travel hub. I won't sit here and say that it's a bad reinterpretation. It is, at least, creative, and likely better for the non-interactive medium of a movie than a collection of tiny planets. I can't help but feel (perhaps prematurely) a little disappointed in it, though. The Gateway Galaxy is so carefully designed as an introduction to Super Mario Galaxy, and to be an effective introduction, there are so many ideas which it must communicate to players. All at once, it juggles the demands of introducing movement in spherical gravity, showing the central importance of the spin technique, teaching all the basics of 3D Mario gameplay, setting a tone of somber reflection, seguing its tone to that of a bombastic space adventure, impressing on players that this is a fast-paced action game, and impressing on players that there will also be some quieter and contemplative narrative beats. A single mission spanning four planets has to pitch the whole of Super Mario Galaxy... and it does so spectacularly. It feels like a labor of love, and I find myself wishing it had been relegated to a cameo, preserved in its original form, in some quiet moment in what otherwise looks to be a breathless film.
Maybe I'm speaking prematurely, and I'll be pleasantly surprised. Regardless, this isn't a section about films. This is a section about gameplay, so I'm going to focus on the Gateway Galaxy as it exists in its debut game. I'll leave dissection of the Gateway Galaxy's tonal, narrative, and aesthetic contributions to others, and solely focus on how its first mission, "Grand Star Rescue" eases players into the mechanics of Super Mario Galaxy.
Introduction
As soon as the game hands control back to a player, it tasks them with following a rabbit. The Star Bunny moves slowly, stopping and prompting the player with textboxes as it guides them to two more rabbits. It's such a simple task that I imagine most players complete it on autopilot, not even sparing a single thought for what the game is doing. For inexperienced players who may not have mastery over their hand-eye coordination (like the key audience of young children), though, it's a great little trick to get them acquainted with controlled movement in spherical gravity. The rabbit does not take a direct path, forcing players to meander and turn. They can stray without too much fear of getting lost and confused, because the rabbit keeps prompting them.
Ceaselessly pressing forward won't get results, either. At a few points on this starting planet, I tried doing nothing but pressing up on the control stick when the game handed back control, because that's something I've seen young kids do when first playing a videogame. I was curious to see how the designers might have accounted for this. Doing this, a player does reach the other two rabbits, but the game doesn't trigger the next step of the mission. Players must follow the rabbit, and that's how it should be. Moving towards a particular point is crucial to playing through the game!
After following the Star Bunny to its friends, players are tasked with finding all three rabbits and catching them in a game of hide-and-seek. The three rabbits disperse into a patch of grass, a Warp Pipe, and a crater. This is an obvious continuation of the first test. Can players move around the planet well enough to find the rabbits? Once found, can they at least somewhat accurately follow the rabbits to catch them? It's a straightforward, effective test of movement – which is probably why they brought it back from Super Mario 64 DS!
The test does, though, add a finding component. This works well for encouraging exploration. It gets players to go all around the circular planet – a necessity for getting them accustomed to Galaxy's gravity mechanic. An inexperienced player might slip into one of the two craters in the planet, either accidentally finding a rabbit or getting to experience the whimsy of cutting through the planet and flipping around on the other side. Players might learn flowers are reactive to their passing through, or be encouraged by the stones and houses to jump to try and reach the tops.
I'd posit there's a loose order in which a new player will find the rabbits. Most likely, a completely new player will find the one hidden among the grass. All it takes is walking, and the patch of grass is surrounded by distinctive rubbery bulbs, sparking curiosity. I don't think it's a coincidence that players will pass nearby this patch if they press nothing but straight forward from the moment they have control. I suspect the developers placed it just within the sight of a young player who immediately goes forward and added the bulbs to grab attention, knowing it would entice them over. Once the player finds and catches one rabbit, it hints to the location of another.
The second place a player might check (discounting the hints), or where some players with a passing familiarity with Mario will go first, is the Warp Pipe. This forces the player to jump if they haven't already. The third hiding place is the least intuitive, because who would want to fall in a dark hole? I imagine many inexperienced players find it last unless they stumble into it by accident. I don't know it imparts any particular lesson. Maybe it encourages going into the other hole, which does offer a nice moment of spectacle, or maybe it's meant to demonstrate this planet is entirely safe (befitting an Introduction step).
Regardless, after a player catches all of the bunnies, a new structure appears on the planet. A shining woman on top and the camera work beckons players to the structure. Its uneven steps force them to jump, reinforcing the Warp Pipe's lesson and testing their ability to control their jumping. At the top, the woman bestows the spin ability, leaving players with a few crystals. Spinning breaks the first layer of crystals, showing players one use of the move, and the lesson is reinforced by a larger crystal behind them. Breaking this one, they find a Launch Star, learning that it's wise to spin near similar features, because they may contain rewards.
Development
On the starting planet, the game offered a completely safe space and began testing players on their ability to move on spherical surfaces, to control their jumps, and to spin. Now, in a classic Development step, the game asks them to do all of this of this while giving them a new goal and new hazards with which to contend.
This planet has large gaps in the surface, a few Micro Goombas, and meteors. That's a terrain hazard, an obstacle, and an enemy. It's a well-made microcosm of the threats players will encounter throughout the game. The Micro Goombas may encourage some players to jump on them, but are relatively easy to avoid just by walking. The main lesson they impart is that there are some threats that will actively pursue Mario. The gaps and meteors, though, do wonders for testing players' control over their movement. The thin pathways make it easy to slip off while in a hurry, and slipping off results in a death. Likewise, the meteors offer a lesson in timing. If players don't take care to time their movements, they're liable to be hit and knocked into a hole. They're slow and very regular in their timing, so they aren't a fierce obstacle. The game is still pulling punches, but it does so while making it clear that there will be dangers on the journey it offers, emphasizing that players must learn to control their movements.
There's a 1-Up Mushroom on a large rock on this planet. This encourages nervous players to try jumping, but a single jump won't quite reach. They'll need to spin at the apex of their jump, do a double jump, or try a more complex move. Most likely inexperienced players will accidentally perform a double jump to reach it. It's not essential, but it's conspicuous enough to get players jumping and to make them curious about more advanced techniques – exactly what a bonus should do. If players learn to reach it, great, but if they fail, they have something to strive towards in the future.
Players can only leave this planet after collecting all five Star Chips. Some of these are on elevated rocks, requiring small jumps, and one is trapped in a crystal so players are forced to spin. Besides teaching players to collect shiny, beneficial items, this requirement serves as a skill gate. Unless players can successfully move, jump, spin, and avoid obstacles, they aren't leaving the planet.
I know it sounds overly-simple and repetitive, but that these skills are tested so much is a testament to the mission's design! These are skills that young or inexperienced players absolutely must build up now to be prepared for the rest of the game. All these ways of testing these skills and acclimating players to the game's threats and expectations – none of which interrupt the flow of gameplay – are evidence of good design.
Coerced Into Confrontation
By the time the player arrives at the next planet, the game seems to assume they have mastered basic movements. There are no more gaps or obstacles. While Super Mario Galaxy will continue to test basic movement into the Terrace galaxies, it's satisfied enough with player progress on that front to shift the focus of the mission.
A few crystals scattered about on the planet and a conspicuous crystal-like spire on the underside do show that the game is still interested in teaching players the usefulness of the spin move. That dovetails with the main goal of the planet, which is to force players into confrontation. A trapped Luma blocks the way to the next planet, unable to offer a Sling Star until players defeat a Goomba to claim a key.
Until now, players could avoid enemies. Now, though, they're directly incentivized to defeat the Micro Goombas and Goomba on the planet, and cannot progress until they defeat the latter. Curious players who are already embracing the spin technique are rewarded with an enemy-stunning shockwave if they interact with the spire, but all players have to use either the spin technique (in some form) or jumps to defeat the enemies. This planet ensures that players are willing and able to take on the enemies and bosses they will encounter throughout the game.
Now You're Playing With Power
I debated whether or not the next planet, which requires players to defeat a mega Goomba to unlock a Warp Pipe, still belongs under the "Development" header. It has some moving electrical obstacles, so I suppose it is building upon the obstacle avoidance of the second planet and the combat of the third by combining them together.
In truth, though, I feel like this planet exists to make players feel powerful and confident. For a first-time player, the size of the Goomba might make it intimidating. It's too large to jump on, so a spin attack is required. That spin attack handily stuns it – as does spinning against the large spire for those curious players who've learned what they do. I don't see this as a second test of combat. I see it as the developers sitting behind the player, cheering and encouraging them to use the spin ability. For once a player spins, the mega Goomba turns out to be as weak and vulnerable as any other. It's a little thrilling. You see it flip over dizzied and you kick it away, and you do marvel a bit, thinking "wow, this is a powerful ability". It builds an inexperienced player's confidence, rewarding them for making it through all the tests so far and hyping them up to keep going so they can see what other challenges they can conquer.
Once the mega Goomba is defeated, players have to enter a Warp Pipe. Aside from being a logical way to get inside the planet, this ensures that players know they can enter warp pipes and be taken somewhere. After all, the first Warp Pipe's main purpose was revealing a Star Bunny, not moving to a new area.
Twist
Until now, players have learned to move, jump, spin, avoid obstacles, and to defeat enemies on the exterior of a sphere. For the big Twist, the mission tasks players with doing all of that… in the interior of a sphere!
…you should read that line while picturing a flash of lightning going off, you know…
Joking aside, this is an effective Twist. It's not all that different, so it doesn't overwhelm players, but it does take adjustment. Players do have to think differently about movement with gravity pulling them outwards. It works great from a gameplay perspective and is superb introduction to the gravity shenanigans Super Mario Galaxy will pull out later.
There are electrical obstacles and Goombas to incentivize players to carefully control their movements and to consider jumping or spinning. The game gives players their first taste of Flipswitches here, too. They serve their purpose of giving players some task to complete, with a few on the wall do ensure players must get accustomed to walking on the interior of a sphere, but there's not much else to note with them. Upon flipping them all to blue…
Conclusion
…all of the electrical obstacles deactivate, the Grand Star is freed, and the music switches over to the soothing "A Chance to Grab the Star!". Aside from any lingering Goombas, the danger is passed. It all sends a signal that, through their hard work, the player has brought peace.
That peace becomes a chance to stride forward and claim the Grand Star, basking in the triumphant fanfare. There is no final challenge to show mastery over, but obtaining the Grand Star is a mark of mastery over the mission's many trials.
Even while focusing solely on the gameplay, the Gateway Galaxy is burdened with the work of introducing a great deal to the player. It has to teach basic movement, teach the spin attack, teach players how to jump, teach players how to defeat enemies, teach players to avoid obstacles, teach players about Star Chips, and even teach players about Warp Pipes. It's difficult to fit all of that in without resorting to breaking the flow of the gameplay with explicit tutorials. It's even more difficult to do that while establishing the tone and themes of Super Mario Galaxy.
Yet, across just four planets, the Gateway Galaxy manages to hit every mark. The level design and mission design on display is top-tier. Gateway Galaxy sits in the upper echelons of introductory Mario stages, and whether its reinterpretation for the movie feels well-executed or not, I hope that folks look back on the original stage and appreciate its design.
With four planets, three trapped stars of some kind, two keys held by Goombas, and one incredible start to a cosmic adventure, this has been Four Steps for a 3D World!
Pitohui's Pokémon Academy
Written by: Hooded Pitohui (talk)
Hello. Hello, one and all. I am to understand you're all abuzz about a vast new region with vast clear seas, yes? Yearning to surf the waves and ride the winds under a tropical sun, are you? Well, wholeheartedly do I support your dreaming - but as they say, good things come to those who wait. For the time being, you ought continue to immerse yourselves in your studies so that you are well-prepared when your chance to bask in the salty breeze arrives. We have strategies to discuss, and for that reason, I have brought a Pokémon that reigns as a commanding strategist!
Yes, following a suggestion from last month's guest, today we shall examine Kingambit. Please do placate it by kneeling and we shall get on with our lesson!
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The following information applies to Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. | 
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The standard glossary follows below, should you need to consult it. If you are familiar with our terminology, please do skip it!
Base Stats: Base stats are the values associated with a particular Pokémon species, and are the same across every individual Pokémon of a given species. You have no influence on them. You can think of them as traits tied to a species. A chimp isn't ever going to be able to get as good as digging as a mole will be, and, likewise, an Abra is never going to have the defensive prowess a Shuckle has.
Individual Values (IVs): Individual values, as their name implies, are associated with individual Pokémon. They range from 0 to 31 in each stat, with 31 being considered a "perfect" IV and higher numbers corresponding to different stats. Magikarp A and Magikarp B will have the same base stats, but they may very well have different IVs. To stick with the animal analogy, one mole may be born with larger claws than another mole, and that first mole is probably going to have an easier time digging through dirt than the latter. Individual values are set in stone, strictly speaking, but you can use Hyper Training (from Generation VII onwards) to functionally get a perfect IV in a stat.
Effort Values (EVs): Effort values are the one thing you can easily change. A Pokémon can earn, primarily through battling, but also through means like the use of certain items or mechanics like Super Training, up to a total of 510 effort values, with up to 252 in any given stat. To finish off the animal analogy, no matter what kind of claws a mole is born with, moles who have more experience digging are probably going to be better at digging than moles which have never dug.
Nature: A Pokémon's nature is, more or a less, a stat modifier with a name meant to make it sound like a Pokémon has some personality. Natures will raise one stat by ten percent and lower another stat by ten percent. Some natures raise and lower the same stat, canceling out the effect and leaving stats unchanged. Natures can be functionally changed with the use of special mint items from Generation VIII onwards.
STAB: STAB stands for Same-Type Attack Bonus, and refers to the boosted power of moves that match the type of the move's user. To illustrate this, consider the case of a Lombre, a dual-type Pokémon which is both a Water-type and a Grass-type. Any Water-type moves Lombre uses will have their power boosted by 1.5x, and any Grass-type moves Lombre uses will, likewise, have their power boosted by 1.5x. (There are circumstances where this does not apply, and, while the 1.5x multiplier is typical, some games use other multipliers.)
Bulbagarden Archives: Not a term to be defined, but the source of many of the images used in this section. I thank those who maintain it as a resource.
For more information on the terms defined here and how you can raise Pokémon, feel free to consult this guide. It is written with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet in mind, but its broad principles are applicable through many of the main series games beginning with Ruby and Sapphire.
Kingambit's massive base attack stat should immediately strike any who examine its potential. There is no question we will want to make use of it, so we'll mark a 252 EV attack investment down immediately. To see if we can balance that, we can look to its other offensive stats. Its speed and special attack are both poor. This is a boon, as we can safely turn special attack into a dump stat, ignoring it altogether. You might wonder if its low speed makes Kingambit ideal for a Trick Room strategy. That's a niche it certainly can fill! We won't assume it's in a Trick Room environment for our purposes today, but the stats and moveset we will discuss would work equally well in Trick Room as not.
Defensively, Kingambit has strong physical defense, good HP, and decent special defense. Invest 252 EVs into special defense to shore it up, and put the leftovers into HP.
For a nature, we know already we'll want to choose one which lowers special attack. I suggest Adamant, which will raise physical attack and allow Kingambit to get the most out of its highest stat.
|
Name: | Kingambit | Base HP: | 100 | |
| Category: | Big Blade | Base Attack: | 135 | ||
| Type: | Dark | Steel | Base Defense: | 120 | |
| Abilities: | Supreme Overlord | Base Special Attack: | 60 | ||
| Defiant | Base Special Defense: | 85 | |||
|
Pressure | Base Speed: | 50 | ||
Turning our attention to abilities, we discover that Kingambit has two very interesting abilities. I say two for good reason. You can immediately discard Pressure. While it does have its uses on certain Pokémon, it offers minimal benefit to Kingambit. Far better are Supreme Overlord (which, as of this writing, belongs solely to Kingambit) and Defiant, which both offer Kingambit a way to boost its attack further.
Supreme Overlord increases the power of Kingambit's attack by 10% for each fainted party member. To be clear, this is additive, not multiplicative. Two fainted Pokémon raise Kingambit's power by 20%, three by 30%, and so on. This means that Kingambit can get a free 50% power boost if it enters battle after all five of its teammates are knocked out. On top of its base attack with max EV investment, this allows it to break through all but the sturdiest of foes. So long as you eliminate Pokémon equipped with Fighting, Ground, and Fire moves before Kingambit comes out, it can make a last stand and turn the tide of battle!
Unfortunately, Supreme Overlord is less useful in Double Battles, where it would disadvantage Kingambit to be left alone against two opponents at once. It's difficult to hold Kingambit back until it can reap the maximum benefit from its allies fainting in the doubles format, so there I recommend Defiant. Defiant will raise Kingambit's attack by two stages whenever an opponent lowers one of its stats. Anyone attempting to soften it up will be punished for their efforts. Unlike Supreme Overlord, your opponent can actively avoid triggering this ability, but that will force them to forego part of their strategy, so it still has value. Defiant can also be used in Single Battles, but generally I'd err towards Supreme Overlord for them due to its passive activation in the normal course of battle.
| Level: 58 | HP IV | 31 | HP EVs: | 6 | HP: | 202 | ||
|
Attack IV | 31 | Attack EVs: | 252 | Attack: | 237 | ||
| Defense IV | 31 | Defense EVs: | 0 | Defense: | 162 | |||
| Special Attack IV | 31 | Special Attack EVs: | 0 | Special Attack: | 82 | |||
| Special Defense IV | 31 | Special Defense EVs: | 252 | Special Defense: | 158 | |||
| Nature: Adamant | Speed IV | 31 | Speed EVs: | 0 | Speed: | 80 | ||
With stats and abilities chosen, we now begin the work of selecting a moveset. As I have noted before, I will generally select a Pokémon's signature move or a move heavily associated with it over the moves which most benefit it competitively. Fortunately for Kingambit, however, its signature move is considered useful competitively! Kowtow Cleave is Kingambit's highest-powered physical Dark-type move (excluding Foul Play, which runs on the target's attack stat and would be a waste of Kingambit's attack). This allows us to slot it in as a reliable Dark-type STAB move.
We'll follow that up with a reliable Steel-type STAB move. The highest-powered physical Steel-type move available is Iron Head, and it has no significant drawbacks, so we'll slot it right in as well!
| Name | Category | Power | Accuracy | Description | Base PP | Learns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kowtow Cleave | 
|
85 | -- | The user slashes at the target after kowtowing to make the target let down its guard. This attack never misses. | 10 | At evolution |
| Iron Head |
|
80 | 100% | The user slams the target with its steel-hard head. This may also make the target flinch. | 15 | Lv. 57 |
| Sucker Punch |
|
70 | 100% | This move enables the user to attack first. This move fails if the target is not readying an attack. | 7 | Mirror Herb |
| Facade |
|
70 | 100% | This move's power is doubled if the user is poisoned, burned, or paralyzed. | 20 | TM 025 |
Considering Kingambit's low speed, it would help to find it a priority move - that is, a move which allows a Pokémon to act first, regardless of speed. Kingambit does have access to one priority move in the form of Sucker Punch (which is even a Dark-type move, granting it STAB!). This does need to be bred onto Kingambit - or, well, transferred with a Mirror Herb. You'll need a Hitmonlee, Hitmontop, or member of the Cacnea, Croagunk, or Impidimp lines for this. Sucker Punch will allow Kingambit to outspeed faster foes (or slower foes in Trick Room conditions). This will allow it to avoid accumulated damage from multiple foes getting hits in before it can take them out. Be aware of its low PP, though - use it only when necessary so you aren't left without it when you need it!
Looking beyond its own types, Kingambit has access to physical moves of the following types: Bug, Normal, Fighting, Flying, Ghost, Ground, Poison, Psychic, and Rock. Bug offers no coverage benefits, so we can eliminate it. Flying only offers the base 60 power Aerial Ace, which is too weak for our purposes. Ground offers only the two-turn Dig, which we should avoid as it is too easily countered. Rock does offer Fire coverage, but the two options available have accuracies of 80% and 95%, rendering them risky. Finally, Poison Jab has decent base power and a decent chance to inflict poison... but with its high attack, Kingambit shouldn't need poison to supplement its damage.
That leaves Normal, Psychic, and Fighting. A Fighting-type move like Brick Break or the more situational Low Kick has potential just on account of Fighting's great offensive utility. You might consider them depending on the specific context in which you'll be using Kingambit. Zen Headbutt, the sole Psychic option, may seem appealing for countering Kingambit's 4x weakness to Fighting. It certainly has potential for casual play or battling, and you might experiment with it competitively, but I would be cautious with that 90% accuracy.
Looking at Normal-type options, you might think that Retaliate has fun synergy with Supreme Overlord, but Retaliate only gets a power boost once. My recommendation is actually Facade, which gives Kingambit an option in case someone thinks to burn it to reduce its attack or to paralyze it in hopes they'll be able to land multiple free hits. It won't prevent the effects of paralysis, but it does ignore the attack drop of burn! If you aren't convinced by Facade, Swords Dance is my alternative recommendation. With the extra investment into special defense, Kingambit has enough bulk that it should be able to get one Swords Dance in, after which there should be few unboosted foes which Kingambit cannot quickly dispatch.
| Name | Category | Power | Accuracy | Description | Base PP | Learns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swords Dance | 
|
-- | -- | A frenetic dance to uplift the fighting spirit. This sharply boosts the user's Attack stat. | 20 | Lv. 64 |
With that settled, I trust you master strategists feel prepared to lead a contingent of Pawniard, yes? Wonderful, because you will need to do so! You see, despite what most assume when they see Kingambit commanding Bisharp and Pawniard, most Kingambit are unskilled in matters of strategizing. Yes, the strategizing still falls to you.
Before you can apply this session's discussions, you will need to obtain a Kingambit. I will tell you, it is no easy task. You will need to have a Bisharp defeat three Bisharp holding the Leader's Crest item, after which it must gain a level. Here is my advice: Go to the bamboo forest around Fury Falls in Paldea and seek out Bisharp surrounded by Pawniard. Focus on defeating them, and you will have Kingambit soon enough! Give your Bisharp a Power Bracer while you do so, and you can get a headstart on maximizing its attack EVs!
I leave you with this exercise in evolution as your assignment. Good luck to all of you. We shall reconvene next month!
Respect for Tinder (the dragon)
Well met adventurers! Please call me Sir Sparks, for I am about to tell you all everything you need to know about a very special dragon from the Paper Mario-inspired game Escape from Ever After - Tinder! She's the arch-nemesis-turned-friend of hero Flynt Buckler.
Tinder quickly grew to become my favorite character in the game, so I thought I'd write a section about her to show my appreciation! I'm going to briefly go over general information about Tinder for those who are unfamiliar with her. I'll then teach you fellow adventurers on how to most effectively use her in battle! Yes, I shall offer my wisdom from my experience playing the game!
Who is Tinder?
Tinder is the big bad dragon of the fictional story The Adventures of Flynt Buckler. The book claims she had a "reign of terror", in which she torched villages, captured livestock, and caused lots of destruction in general. That's typically what dragons do right? Someone has to put an end to her wicked deeds, and that someone is Flynt Buckler, the hero of the story! Unfortunately for Flynt, he could not take down Tinder no matter what. His puny little buckler is no match for her! Oh and if you're wondering, Tinder is 1,342 years old. That may sound old to you, but that's completely normal for dragons!
Appearance
Tinder is a bipedal colossal green dragon who towers over all but the tallest buildings. She sports sharp four-clawed arms and three-clawed feet, large wings, curved yellow horns, and spikes on the back of her neck and tip of her tail. Additionally, Tinder's teeth are all super pointy, and her belly is a brighter green color compared to the rest of her body. If her impressive, towering size wasn't intimidating enough, Tinder's angry eyes strike fear into all but the bravest foes (more like foe, and that's Flynt Buckler). All in all, she's one heck of a dragon!
Well... at least she used to be. When Ever After Inc. arrived at her castle, they put a metallic collar around her neck to neutralize her and drastically reduce her size and frightening factor. Now she's human-sized and cute! Imagine everything I said about Tinder in the above paragraph, but in a more friendly and huggable way. For some reason, Tinder's belly is now yellow instead of bright green, and her wings are red.
Personality
Do you know what "tsundere" means? It's a Japanese term for a character who's initially depicted as harsh, tough, and stubborn, but as the story progresses, they gradually show their friendlier side. They still retain their bossy personality, but now they show feelings of kindness from time to time. Tsundere describes Tinder to a T! She doesn't develop any love interests though, if you're wondering.
At the beginning of Escape from Ever After, Tinder's unhappy with having to join Flynt Buckler on his quest to take down Ever After Inc., but after realizing that she can reclaim her old life as well as regain peace and isolation, she reluctantly agrees, as she'll do anything to reclaim her former body and castle. Whenever something doesn't go her way, Tinder doesn't hesitate to release an outburst and scream in frustration. She's also not too keen on allowing the other partners to join the quest to stop Ever After Inc., but once she realizes how much help they bring to the team, Tinder accepts them into the party. She even warms up to Flynt by the end of the story!
Tinder's used to being a huge powerful dragon, so she's adjusting to her new size and strength. Flying also proves to be a challenge for her as her tiny wings are not able to get her very far. Because of this, she gains a fear of heights. Tinder at one point even says "Please for the love of all that is holy do NOT make me fall."
History
Okay... to save time and to ensure this section doesn't overstay its welcome, I'm only going to talk about notable story moments involving Tinder.
After Flynt Buckler rebels against manager Mr. Moon upon learning Ever After Inc. took over Tinder's castle, he gets arrested and imprisoned inside the castle's dungeon. There he encounters his dragon nemesis, although she has been shrunken down to Flynt's size and stripped of almost all of her strength thanks to a strange metallic collar that was forced onto her by Ever After Inc. Tinder reluctantly agrees to work with Flynt so they can escape the dungeon and get that greedy company out of their storybook (and more importantly, Tinder's castle)! During their escape, they encounter the Three Blind Mice who tell them about how Ever After Inc. improved their lives and made them... not blind. After a bit of thinking, Tinder and Flynt decide to apply for a job at Ever After Inc. to gain trust from Mr. Moon and their coworkers and tear apart the company from within.
Mr. Moon assigns the two to check up on a construction project in the book The Three Little Pigs. While there, Tinder and Flynt discover the pigs want to bulldoze a nearby village full of wolves (Happy Howl Hollow) so that they can build apartments for Ever After Inc. After some negotiating with the leader of the wolf village, a musician named Wolfgang (AKA the Big Bad Wolf) proves to go nowhere, the pigs kick them all out of the construction site and tell them they'll bulldoze said village the next day. Tinder then gets the idea of sabotaging the pigs' plans and Ever After Inc. by stopping the construction project. Wolfgang happily joins the duo to save his village (even though Tinder doesn't want him in the team). Together, the three successfully thwart the pigs' plans and save Happy Howl Hollow from destruction. Wolfgang decides to stick with Flynt and Tinder, and travels with them for the rest of the journey! Unfortunately, the sabotage effort doesn't make a dent in Ever After Inc.; instead, it actually helps them! Thinking that the trio stopped it because it was bleeding money from the company, Mr. Moon promotes them from Interns to Associates. He also tells them about the top position in the company - Director of Storybook Affairs. Those in this position would gain access to the Real World and the main HQ of Ever After Inc.
So the sabotage plan obviously didn't work. Not all hope is lost however, as the still-fearsome-but-now-somewhat-cute dragon has another idea; keep continuing the hard work at Ever After Inc. and acquire the Director of Storybook Affairs position. That way, the group can shut down the company AND destroy their storybook traveling capabilities once and for all! Mr. Moon has another task for the trio, and that's to obtain a dangerous book located in the castle's Forbidden Library to look for the missing detective Sherlock Holmes. They'd have to get the key to the Forbidden Library first, and the key's holder is the head of HR, a skeletal witch named Eva. To create a distraction, Tinder burns her plants so Flynt can grab the key without Eva looking. While inside the Forbidden Library, Tinder finds one of Flynt's reinforced bucklers that she stashed from one of the hero's failed attempts to defeat her. After exploring some more, the group obtain the book they need - The Shadow Over Innsbeak, a dark story about mysterious happenings in the quiet seaside town of Innsbeak. Before they enter, Mr. Moon reduces the security of Tinder's collar, increasing her strength in battle. Nice!
While exploring Innsbeak, the group encounter an angry Eva who finds out that Flynt and his teammates entered the Forbidden Library and got the book without her permission. After Tinder infuriates her even more, Eva turns her into a chicken before doing the same to Wolfgang. After Flynt proves his strength in a battle, Eva joins the group to help search for Sherlock Holmes. Their search leads to Quail Manor, owned by the elegant Madame Quail. Unfortunately, the group walk right into a trap and get knocked out by the mansion's butcher, Duxter. He takes Tinder and Wolfgang to be prepared as sacrifices for Cthulhu, while Flynt and Eva are stranded on a small island. Flynt and Eva escape and get chased into Innsbeak's chapel by Duxter, where they discover Tinder and Wolfgang trapped inside a cage. Flynt frees them, and they continue their search for Sherlock Holmes, putting an end to Duxter and finding a secret Ever After Inc. office in the process. They encounter Madame Quail at the lighthouse, who summons Cthulhu to battle against the group, but Sherlock Holmes arrives just in time and announces that he and Cthulhu fell in love. With Sherlock Holmes confirmed to be safe, the group head back to see Mr. Moon, who promotes the group to Specialists. Not only that, but Eva officially joins the team too! Things are looking up!
To reward the group, Mr. Moon sends them all on a corporate retreat in Treasure Cove. The CEO of Ever After Inc. makes an appearance at the event and sets up trust falls. Flynt enthusiastically volunteers to partake in one, much to Tinder's chagrin. Flynt attempts to catch Tinder as she falls, but she crushes him and severely injures her spine. Ouch! There's then another trust fall with Wolfgang and Humpty Dumpty, but let's just say that didn't go well either. Despite the disastrous events, the CEO announces a scavenger hunt set within Treasure Cove; there's a treasure kept by the legendary (but also deceased) pirate Captain Blackheart, and whichever team of Ever After Inc. employees finds it first will be rewarded with an immediate promotion! The group recruits another pirate captain from the book, Captain John Silver, so that they can use his ship to reach the treasure. Now the team serves as his crew as he gets them all to the treasure! Yarrr!
During the journey to Blackheart's treasure, Flynt finds Tinder at the ship's bow, enjoying a moment of peace. She asks Flynt why he and the other heroes always try to fight Tinder despite Tinder easily winning every single time (referencing their story, The Adventures of Flynt Buckler). Flynt claims that Tinder was a terror to the entire kingdom, but Tinder confirms that she never caused any destruction and only wanted peace in her castle. She then tells Flynt in a rather philosophical manner that they're just characters in a story, and that the author created their personalities. This means that Flynt "knows" all this stuff about Tinder even though it isn't true. Tinder also tells him that most of their personalities were created as well, although they have free will now thanks to the recent circumstances. She then wonders how she - such a layered and fleshed out character - came from the same author who wrote Flynt, someone who's poorly-written and contrived. Their conversation is interrupted by Mother Goose, who was brought onboard after she "accidentally" left her team. Anyways, the group discovers a teddy bear named Patches boarded Captain Silver's ship without them knowing about it! Being the one that watches the security cameras, he overheard Flynt's gang talking about reaching the real world, and joins them on their mission. They all find Blackheart's treasure stash, Treasure Cove (the island), and battle Captain Silver for it because he doesn't want it going to Ever After Inc., as it goes against the ghost of Blackheart's wishes. After a rousing battle, Captain Silver respects Flynt's team and allows them to give the treasure to Ever After Inc., securing them another promotion.
Back at Tinder's castle, Mr. Moon promotes the group to Project Managers, but the CEO arrives and tells them that she gave the Director of Storybook Affairs position to her nephew, so now there's no way to obtain the position. Furious that all their hard work lead to nothing, Tinder rushes off to calm herself down and plans to meet everyone in their office afterward. Darn! Patches then reveals that he has been to the Real World before, and knows of a way to get there. Deep inside the Forbidden Library is a book holding Ever After Inc.'s R&D Lab. The location manufactures the company's technology, including something called a LexiChip, which allows access to the Real World. Flynt and his friends find the desired book - a sci-fi adventure titled The Icefall Chronicles.
When the team enters the story, they're transported to a space station and must board a rocket to get to the ice planet Glacius-IX, where the R&D Lab is. During the spaceship ride, Mr. Moon contacts the group and tells them he knows of their plans to stop Ever After Inc. Hurt by their betrayal, he also informs them that there will be security to confiscate the group and imprison them. To avoid such a fate, Patches hacks into the spaceship to disable the auto-pilot function to allow for the spaceship to be steered manually. Instead, he accidentally sets it to collide with Glacius-IX. The group enter escape pods and flee the ship, although they all land at different locations on the ice planet. Tinder lands in the planet's poisonous swamp and gets stuck inside a tall plant. Flynt gathers his allies and they all work together to successfully free Tinder. Having come this far and refusing to give up, the group, now reunited, break into the R&D Lab and snatch a LexiChip. After obtaining one, their plans are halted by Mr. Moon, and he reveals a shocking plot twist.
So how did he find out about the group's betrayal? Tinder was the one to tell him! But why? And... how? Remember when I mentioned that she "went to calm herself down" upon realizing that the Director of Storybook Affairs position was no longer available? She didn't actually do that, but rather she found Mr. Moon and told him everything about the plans to stop Ever After Inc. In exchange, Tinder would be provided with her very own storybook untouched by Ever After Inc., where she'll live in peace by herself for the rest of her life. In addition, her collar would be removed, restoring Tinder to her original state. It turns out she just wanted her old life back; she didn't want to take down Ever After Inc. or go on all these adventures in other storybooks. Tinder leaves the group and heads to the R&D Lab's entrance to enter a telepager that'll transport her to her new home. Flynt and his remaining allies refuse to peacefully give Mr. Moon the LexiChip, so he takes it by force, and prevents the production of further LexiChips. Naturally, the group pursues Mr. Moon, but they're unable to break through his indestructible barrier and become overwhelmed as a result. When all hope seems lost, Tinder returns and uses the facility's shield-creating laser to overload Mr. Moon's shield, damaging it and puncturing holes into it. Realizing Tinder is hurt, the group then leave the R&D Lab and return to their office while Mr. Moon flees.
At the office, Flynt and the others are upset at Tinder for her betrayal. Tinder then admits that her actions have always been for herself, but she couldn't leave her new friends behind. Coming back to save them came at a great cost for Tinder, as this was the one chance for her to return to her original size. Mr. Moon mentioned to her that if she went back on their deal, the tech to remove Tinder's collar would be destroyed. As a result, she's stuck like this forever now. She now wants to finish what they started together, and bring down Ever After Inc. She's warmly welcomed back by her friends, and she promises to see this through to the end.
The next step is to find Mr. Moon, who hasn't told anyone else of the group's plans yet. Flynt and his allies find an old, tattered storybook in Mr. Moon's office and travel there. Inside the book is a small, abandoned village with darkness occupying much of it. The gang find Mr. Moon and his secretary Starla, who tell them that this is their home, and that it has been forgotten. This darkness, called the void, then appeared and gradually engulfed the location as time went by. Ever After Inc. arrived and saved both Mr. Moon and Starla by moving them to the company, avoiding their "deaths". Tinder then expresses her sympathies for the two, but she declares Ever After Inc. to be a poison, and states that subjecting storybook characters to corporate slavery is not a solution. They all then battle Mr. Moon and Starla for the LexiChip is a fierce battle. Afterwards, Mr. Moon and Starla realize that no story lasts forever, and Ever After Inc. saved them and many other forgotten storybook characters, but not out of love or care, but because they knew they needed them. Mr. Moon then returns the LexiChip and wishes good luck to Flynt and his friends. He also wants to stay here with Starla when all the telepagers go down, as this is their home and he has no meaning anywhere else.
Now with the LexiChip, the group enters the Real World and infiltrates Ever After Inc.'s HQ! After climbing many sets of stairs, they reach the top floor and encounter the CEO and board members. The team successfully defeat the board members and confront the CEO; she explains to them that she used to be a struggling author, always on the verge of eviction. No matter what she wrote from the heart, she was met with silence. One day, she had an idea out of desperation; she decided to write something that she knew would make her a success. That something is The Adventures of Flynt Buckler, revealing that the CEO of Ever After Inc. the creator of Flynt and Tinder! The popularity of the book allowed her to create sequels, and eventually, Ever After Inc. to commercialize storybook worlds. The CEO heads for the HQ's rooftop, where the telepager hub lies. Before they chase after her, Flynt and his friends realize that they strayed from their stories, such as Wolfgang becoming a musician and Tinder and Flynt being friends instead of enemies. Nevertheless, the final battle is at hand!
Now on the roof, the CEO boards the newest iteration of the telepager device - The Page Ripper! During the final battle, the CEO takes the storybooks held by Flynt and his friends, resulting in a fight that takes place across every previous story visited. When the battle seems to be won, the CEO transports everyone to Mr. Moon's book and destroys the only telepager there, intending to trap everyone there while she escapes. Before she could do so, Mr. Moon arrives and knocks her out of The Page Ripper and transports Flynt's group back to the rooftop. He then transports the CEO to Happy Howl Hollow, where she'll be trapped in a village of oblivious wolves for the remainder of her days.
Flynt and his friends activate the telepager hub's "self-destruct" button before sending emails to everyone alerting them to return to their books before they're unable to. Wolfgang, Eva, and Patches say goodbye and head back to their homes as well, while Flynt and Tinder return to Tinder's castle in The Adventures of Flynt Buckler. The castle is now empty, although the office equipment is still present. Now the rightful ruler of her castle again, Tinder's prepared to relax and live in peace, although she's sad to not get her old body back. She asks Flynt if he will return to his village, and he asks if he can visit Tinder occasionally. She agrees for some visits, but not all the time. Flynt then says that he will see her weekly and runs off, causing the irritated dragon to chase him into the library, where they discover that their allies returned just before the telepagers went out! Tinder's initially upset at not having peace and quiet, but she warms up to her new friends living with her at her castle.
Tinder's abilities
Below is the full list of Tinder's abilities she can perform! To make things simpler, I'll be using Nintendo Switch/Nintendo Switch 2 buttons because that's what I played the game on. The needed buttons vary depending on what you play the game on. For Tinder's battle moves, text in red indicates the effects of the moves after they're upgraded.
I also want to mention this right now - due to being a dragon, Tinder is immune to the "burn" status effect in battle. As a reminder, Tinder's strength increases by 1 right before chapter 2 begins. The screenshots also show Tinder doing more damage than normal because of a Trinket I gave her. Lastly, Tinder starts at 12 HP, just like every other playable character.
Overworld ability
While exploring the overworld, Tinder has the power to breathe fire a short distance in front of her. To do so, have her as your current partner and hold down a specific button. The button varies depending on which platform you're playing the game on, but for Nintendo Switch/Nintendo Switch 2, it's 
. While breathing fire, you can angle Tinder's head with 
to allow her to burn things above her.
With this ability, you'll be able to light torches/fireplaces, burn plants and banners, and even melt ice! Be sure to adjust Tinder's aim to reach those higher torches and banners! You might get coins or rare items, and there may be some secret passages uncovered too... who knows what could happen? Try burning any suspicious objects you encounter! Tinder's fire also serves as a great light source for finding your way through dark passages!
Firebreath
Tinder's main method of attacking. She walks up to the frontmost ground enemy to breathe fire on them, damaging and possibly inflicting the "burn" status effect on them, causing the struck foe to take 1 damage per turn until the ailment wears off. If used on a wooden shield, said shield will be burned up and removed from the fight! This attack has no effect on metal shields, as the fire will be repelled instead. Airborne foes cannot be targeted. Beware; enemies with sharp objects in front of them will counter Tinder as she approaches them, dealing 1 damage to the dragon and cancelling her attack. Keep in mind that not all foes can be burned!
Firebreath is most effective against defenseless foes so Tinder can damage them, but she can also burn wooden shields to allow other characters to attack enemies they couldn't beforehand, such as Flynt and Patches. It can still be used against enemies immune to the burn status effect, as the damage itself is unaffected, but it won't be as effective. Against foes susceptible to burn like Rooted Wanderers, Firebreath is a nice attack to whittle them down.
- Description: Breath[sic] a small stream of fire at the enemy with a chance to burn them.
- Action command: Hold
until the meter fills! - Range: Frontmost ground enemy
- Damage: 2, increases to 3 after Tinder becomes stronger
- MP cost: 0
- TP cost: N/A
- Cost to upgrade: N/A
Horn Headbutt
Tinder charges into an enemy horn-first, damaging them and stunning them for two turns. This attack deals more damage than Tinder's Firebreath, and that stun comes in handy for preventing hard-hitting foes from attacking! Like Firebreath, Tinder cannot attack airborne foes with it, and she'll take damage instead if she tries to attack an enemy with something sharp in front of them. Furthermore, not every enemy can be stunned, and the normal version of Horn Headbutt has no effect on shielded foes.
When upgraded, Horn Headbutt allows Tinder to destroy any shield her target may have! This includes those dreaded metal shields, allowing Tinder to break those as well. Note that only the shield gets destroyed, and no damage will be dealt to the targeted foe. This is especially helpful against foes notorious for carrying metal shields, such as Cyber Soldiers/Cyber Sergeants, as it allows Flynt and Patches to attack them without any issues.
- Description: A brutal headbutt that knocks out the front enemy. Breaks all shields.
- Action command: Press on contact!
- Range: Frontmost ground enemy
- Damage: 3, 4 after Tinder becomes stronger
- MP cost: 2
- TP cost: N/A
- How to obtain: Available from the start
- Cost to upgrade: 2 Ink Bottles
Flaming Fury
Flaming Fury is an upgraded version of Firebreath. It allows Tinder to breathe fire on not just her target, but the foe behind them as well! The chance of burning foes is also higher than that of Firebreath's. Tinder will be countered if she walks up to an enemy with something sharp in front of them, and this attack cannot reach airborne enemies. Foes with shields will deflect the fire, protecting them from damage and stopping the attack prematurely. If Tinder's main target has a shield, the attack will not reach the foe behind them. Wooden shields will be burned, but metal shields won't be affected at all. It's a nice, cheap option to attack multiple ground enemies at once. It's even better if they're weak to fire/have no defenses!
When upgraded, Flaming Fury reaches two enemies behind the target instead of one! The range increase is definitely helpful, but the attack costs an additional MP to use. Shouldn't be too much of a problem! Something I do want to mention is if a flying enemy is in the middle of a group of foes, but two ground enemies are behind it. Using Flaming Fury against the front enemy will only damage the ground enemy behind the flying foe because the airborne enemy counts as a "space", so they avoid damage. The enemy furthest in the back will be unaffected, so remember that flying foes are accounted for as well, not just ground enemies!
- Description: Breathe a large stream of fire into the front two (three if upgraded) enemies with a moderate chance to burn them.
- Action command: Hold until the meter fills!
- Range: Frontmost ground enemy, plus one space (two if upgraded) behind the target
- Damage: 2 to main target (3 once Tinder's stronger), 2 to foes behind target
- MP cost: 2 (3 once upgraded)
- TP cost: 1
- How to obtain: Available from the start
- Cost to upgrade: 3 Ink Bottles
Winged Smackdown
Tinder flaps her tiny wings and flies above an enemy before smashing down on them. Unlike Tinder's other attacks, this one can target any enemy in the battle! Similarly to Horn Headbutt, the damage is also stronger than normal. This is a nice, albeit expensive attack that allows Tinder to strike prime foes hiding behind others. The only troublemakers Tinder can't attack are those that have something spiky protecting their heads, such as Unicorns standing straight, spiky Anglers and Pirate Buccaneers holding swords upright.
When upgraded, Winged Smackdown grants Tinder the bonus of smashing through all enemies in a stack! It's satisfying to deal with those pesky Gnomes and Deep Ones that like to stack atop their pals in one move! Tinder attacks the stacked enemies from top to bottom, and the damage of the attack decreases by one for each enemy hit. Let's say you use this attack on a stack consisting of three enemies. The top one will be dealt 4 damage, while the middle enemy will take 3 damage, and then finally the bottom foe will suffer 2 damage. Still, a nice way to bypass shields and a great counter to stacks, as long as they don't have anything spiky atop them!
- Description: Use Tinder's tiny wings to fly up and smash down on top of an enemy. Will continue down an entire stack of enemies
- Action command: Tap as fast as you can!
- Range: Any enemy, all enemies in a stack (if upgraded)
- Damage: 3, 4 after Tinder becomes stronger. Deals 1 less damage for each foe hit in a stack
- MP cost: 4
- TP cost: 2
- How to obtain: Clear Pinocchio's "BIG Birthday Bash Alert!" side quest
- Cost to upgrade: 1 Ink Bottle
Brutal Ambush
The most expensive attack in Tinder's moveset. Tinder charges through all enemies in a similar manner to Horn Headbutt, but the difference is that the damage is the same as Firebreath and Flaming Fury - the current base damage of Tinder. Additionally, Brutal Ambush cannot stun enemies. This is the attack I used the least often because its 5 MP cost was uninviting, plus shields and sharp weapons pointed at Tinder will stop the attack. Therefore, it's only recommended to perform this attack if your desired targets are all ground-based and have no defenses. Flaming Fury is a better option in most cases.
When upgraded. Brutal Ambush allows Tinder to destroy all wooden shields she charges into! This is what separates the attack from Flaming Fury, because the dragon won't be stopped by wooden shields and continue past them. Enemies with wooden shields will only have their shields destroyed and won't take damage, but they'll be left defenseless! Unfortunately, metal shields and sharp weapons will still stop Tinder's attack.
- Description: Charge through all ground enemies. Break through wooden shields!
- Action command: Hold left and release!
- Range: All ground enemies
- Damage: 2, 3 after Tinder becomes stronger
- MP cost: 5
- TP cost: 2
- How to obtain: Purchase from the Cheshire Cat for 3 sun gems
- Cost to upgrade: 1 Ink Bottle
Synergy Attacks
Restoration
Like every other character, Tinder has the Restoration ability, which heals all party members and restores MP by the same amount.
- Description: Give an HP and MP boost to the team!
- Action command: N/A
- Range: All party members
- Restorative power: Initially 4, but increases by 2 for each Synergy Charm found (there's 2, so can increase to 6 and then 8)
- SP cost: 2
Blazing Whirlwind
Tinder's very own Synergy Attack! When activated, every party member throws flames for Tinder to use for her attack. She must catch falling flames so she can create and grow a fiery whirlwind to send towards all enemies. Each partner throws in three flames, so the total amount is 15 after everyone's recruited. If less than three flames are collected, there won't be a whirlwind, and the attack won't happen. After three flames are collected, the power of the attack is 2, and it'll increase by 1 for every three flames obtained. The size of Blazing Whirlwind also increases every three flames. If done perfectly, the attack's power will be 6 and the tornado will be large!
Once the preparations are complete, Tinder sends the whirlwind at every battle in the battle. The whirlwind will also burn them (unless they're resistant to the status effect) and ignore any defenses the enemies may have, including those blasted metal shields! All wooden shields will be burnt up afterwards as well. If the whirlwind is big enough, flying enemies will be hit too! Even stacks of enemies aren't safe as all of them will take damage. This is an incredible attack and my favorite of all the Synergy Attacks in the game. The value you get for only 3 SP is insane and ensures destruction against any type of foe.
- Description: As the party cheers Tinder on, create a fiery tornado that'll attack all enemies in its path.
- Action command: Catch the falling flames by moving left and right!
- Range: All enemies
- Damage: Starts at 2 after collecting three flames, can rise up to 6. If less than three flames are collected, the attack will not happen.
- SP cost: 3
Conclusion
Aha! Now you know about the legendary Tinder and how to most effectively use her powerful abilities in combat. Knowledge is power they say, and now you've got lots of it! I also hope that I kept you entertained with the many humorous moments I included. Farewell fellow adventurers, and may you have a nice day! Oh, and you should play Escape from Ever After if you haven't yet! You'll love it!
Rhythm Review
Hello and welcome back to Rhythm Review! This is Zange, and I forgot how much I struggle with the tapping and flicking in the DS Rhythm Heaven. It’s fine, maybe this section will force me to get better at the game… Back in January, we finished up the first game in the Rhythm Heaven series, Rhythm Tengoku for the GBA! I decided to take last month off in an attempt to get used to the new mechanics of the next game (“attempt” being the key word here…) and now we’re taking a leap together into the next game in the series, Rhythm Heaven for the Nintendo DS! This entry is notable as it was the first game in the series to receive a release in territories outside of Japan! It’s also unique in that the game starts off by explaining the ‘flick’ mechanic (since the game takes great advantage of the DS’s touchscreen) instead of a rhythm test like every other game in the series.
As a reminder: In most Rhythm Heaven games (including this one!), a stage consists of four rhythm minigames, followed by one remix, in which all the other minigames in the stage are put together in a new way to new music. It’s also worth noting that this game is the one in the series that I have the least amount of experience with, so my difficulty ratings will likely reflect that. Apologies in advance ^^;; Anyways, let’s jump in!
Built to Scale
Our first rhythm minigame of the game is Built to Scale! You play a worker in a widget factory, and your responsibility is to flick a rod into two squares as they overlap to complete each widget. The catch? You’ll hear a repeating scale of do-re-mi-fa-sol, and you have to flick that rod towards the squares on ‘sol’ every time! I promise it makes a bit more sense in the game itself, so please watch the linked video if you don’t have access to the game ^^;;
Gimmicks
There are four speeds at which you’ll hear the do-re-mi-fa-sol scale: normal, slightly faster, slightly slower, and very slow, which only appears once at the very end. There is also an increase in tempo about halfway through. Additionally, at one point near the end, the screen will go dark and you will only be able to see the area where the squares are supposed to overlap, forcing you to rely more on audio cues from that point forward. They’re getting that idea into your heads very quickly in this game…
How to Get That Superb
Fairly straightforward criteria for getting a Superb here. First, you need to have a basic understanding of the controls and timing. Second, you need to consistently be getting the rods in the widgets in the section done in the dark. Finally, you need to be able to get the rod in the widget at the very end, when the scale is playing the slowest. That last requirement is honestly going to be the thing standing in the way of you and that Superb, but it’s nothing that can’t be done without a bit of practice.
Difficulty Rating
Since this is the first stage of a new game (and it’s been a while since we went over this), here’s a little reminder that as a fun little bonus I rate every rhythm minigame on a scale of 1-5, with one being the easiest and 5 being the hardest! I try to be objective as possible but there are some rhythm minigames where personal experience and bias slip in there. (looking at a certain rhythm minigame in Stage 2 of this game as I say this…)
Normally this would be my “this is the first rhythm minigame of the game and it’s super easy so it gets a 1/5" spiel, but unfortunately that last widget on the slow scale is too much of a killer here… We’ll give it a 1.3/5 because it’s really just that ending that’s difficult, the rest of it is pretty easy once you get the hang of it.
Glee Club
Next up, we have Glee Club! You play the third member in a trio of adorable singers! You will hold the stylus on the touchscreen when you’re not singing, release during your time to sing, and flick when everyone is supposed to sing together!! Just repeat what the first two do, and listen for the cue to sing all together, and you’ll be in great shape.
Gimmicks
For the most part, this is a game where you need to pay attention to the patterns presented to you, and repeat them back. There are some exceptions to this, though. First, in the second half of the minigame, the singers will hold out their notes, and you will need to join in when it is your time to. Second, you will occasionally hear the audio cue “together now”, where you will need to flick the stylus to wail along with the other members of the trio. This breaks the norm of paying attention to the patterns the other two do, but is still a vital part of this rhythm minigame.
How to Get That Superb
Once again, fairly straightforward criteria for a Superb. First, you need to have a good handle on the controls and timing. (aka don’t flick when you’re not supposed to flick because I did that one time on accident when I was replaying this and I got an OK because of it) Second, you need to consistently flick on the given cues with good timing, so you are singing in unison with the other two singers. Finally, you need to consistently be able to hold the stylus on the touch screen when you’re not singing… Which seems a little silly but with such a unique control scheme like this, it makes sense that that’s one of the requirements for getting the highest possible rating that isn’t a Perfect.
Difficulty Rating
I’m gonna give this a 1.2/5, if only because you don’t get cues on when to stop singing during the second half of the minigame when it’s all held notes. It’s really easy otherwise.
Fillbots
Moving on, we have Fillbots! You are a factory worker fueling up various robots! A robot will be built in front of you, and you will tap and hold your stylus on the touchscreen to fill up the robot, and release it when it’s full. And they’re very groovy robots when they’re all fueled up too!
Gimmicks
In this rhythm minigame, there are two types of robots you must fill with fuel: Normal robots (where you will release the stylus on the fourth beat) and large robots (where you will release the stylus on the eighth beat). There’s only a couple of the larger robots that will appear here, but make sure you’re keeping count for when to stop fueling regardless!
How to Get That Superb
Once again, the criteria for a Superb are fairly straightforward here. You just need to be consistent in filling up the robots right to full, you can’t be slightly over or slightly under more than a few times. This goes for both types of robots here!
Difficulty Rating
Gonna go ahead and give this a 1.4/5, mainly because it’s really easy to miss the robots entirely when you go to start to fill them with fuel. Timing-wise, it feels a lot easier to know exactly when to stop than when to start but maybe that’s just a me thing.
Fan Club
Our last regular rhythm minigame of the set is Fan Club! You play as one of many monkeys that are members of an idol’s fan club, and you have to cheer her on during her performance! In order to perform the fan chants, you’ll have to clap by tapping the touchscreen, and jump by holding and flicking with the stylus. Make sure your idol knows how loved and supported she is!!
Gimmicks
There are two specific fan chants you’ll follow during the idol’s performance. When she repeats a word three times, you will respond by clapping four times. When she says “I suppose”, you will respond by clapping three times and then jumping. Very important to note that the former is just four straight beats, while the latter has a more specific rhythm to it. The practice explains it a bit better, but you get the gist.
How to Get That Superb
Very easy criteria for getting a Superb here, you just need to be on rhythm for both types of fan chants, as they show up multiple times throughout the course of this rhythm minigame.
Difficulty Rating
Not even joking, this is the easiest rhythm minigame in the set. It’s just call and response, so once you know what you need to be paying attention for and what inputs you need to make, this one’s a breeze. 1/5.
Remix 1
Finally, we’re at the first remix of this exciting new game!! As a reminder for our newcomers, remixes take every rhythm minigame in the stage and create an entirely new minigame using them. It starts out simple with one minigame, but every so often it switches to a different one, and by the end of the remix there can be some very quick transitions in between minigames. They’re actually a lot of fun once you get the hang of things!
Many of the remixes in this game are themed as well! We only got about two special themes in the remixes last game, but there’s a lot more this time! There isn’t a special theme of the remix for this stage, unfortunately, but it still serves as a decent challenge early on!
Gimmicks
Since this is a remix, and remixes contain every game in the stage, anything that we saw in a regular rhythm minigame is fair game to show up here! Additionally, there are a few times throughout where the tempo of the remix increases, and it will go back to the speed it began with near the end. These tempo changes will always happen after the Glee Club segments, so pay extra close attention during those parts!
How to Get That Superb
Alright, if you’ve been following this section for a while you know exactly what I’m about to say here, but for the blissfully unaware: This is a remix! Normally rhythm minigames will give you a few lines of text afterwards so you know what you did well on or what you need to improve on (or if you were just entirely mediocre), but all remixes share the same lines of text. This means it’s a lot harder to draw the line between a Superb and an OK on these things! However, it’s pretty safe to say that if you can get a Superb on every other rhythm minigame in this set, you should be able to get a Superb here. It might take you a few extra tries, since remixes like to do some tricky stuff sometimes, but it’s very possible.
Difficulty Rating
Bearing in mind that this is a remix, we’re gonna go ahead and give this a 2/5. It is fairly easy once you realize the pattern in which the remix rotates between games is exactly the same for each tempo change. However, those Fillbots segments are a doozy… Can’t tell you how many times I’ve just straight-up missed in all of those sections playing this remix. I think that makes for a pretty justified rating here.
Final Remarks
I think the first stage of Rhythm Heaven for the DS does a really nice job of easing players into a new and unfamiliar gameplay style! Man, does it feel good to be back playing some Rhythm Heaven for y’all. I’m excited because this game is home to a lot of iconic rhythm minigames, and I’m excited to be able to talk about those! Not so excited about this game being the one in the series to have the touchscreen mechanics though, because those have annoyed me on multiple occasions… Anyways, I’ll see you back here next month with Stage 2!
An Overly Detailed and Funny Walkthrough of Mega Man 5
Played by Sparks through the Mega Man Legacy Collection for the Nintendo Switch. Why not the Nintendo Switch 2? That's because I have to figure out how to transfer my data safely... nothing wrong with the first Nintendo Switch, right?
Aw yeah! An Overly Detailed and Funny Walkthrough of Mega Man 5 is back and I'm ready to take on Proto Man! This will be a tough task, but with the power of the special weapons and BEAT, we'll get through it. Remember that weapon energy will not restore between stages! Try to conserve as much as you can!
Before we begin our infiltration, let's see what Proto Man's fortress looks like!
And now for the map! The Proto Man head is our goal.
Dark Man stage 1
The first part of this stage takes place in a hallway leading into the fortress. It's not easy to get through however, as multiple sideways-floating shooting enemies and tigers will try to stop us. The tigers are very dangerous and deal high damage if you get hit by one. Use the uneven terrain to your advantage so you can avoid some of them! It's wise to charge up the Mega Buster before you encounter one because you can destroy it before it reaches you! Be careful to not fall in any gaps too. A ladder at the end of this section leads upwards.
After climbing, we must jump across gaps to reach another ladder in the left side. Three ceiling enemies await and are prepared to drop when we get close enough. The middle platform has a slow moving saw going around it, so we have to time our jumps. Try to "bait" the ceiling enemies to fall by turning around mid-jump and removing them as threats! The ladder is too high to reach, so we'll have to use the bizarre Rush Coil to grab it.
We're transported to a long hallway with a few ground enemies waiting for us to get close. A high-up platform has both a large health power-up and large weapon capsule, allowing us to fully restore Rush Coil and heal from those tigers earlier. As we make our way through, those red flying enemies with limited bombs (they're from Charge Man's stage!) will attack us, so we'll have to either shoot them if they're low enough or make them waste their bombs if they're too high. Our path takes us to a very long field of spikes that we'll need Rush Jet for; be sure to hold up to reach a platform attached to the upcoming wall! The platform's space is too small for us to summon Rush, so we'll have to use Super Arrow to make a platform (remember that Super Arrow can be used on walls to make temporary platforms)! Past the wall are more ground enemies and bombers, and another large health power-up awaits by a pit we need to descend into. Said pit takes us to a small room where a "pellet cannon" from Wave Man's stage is, along with another ground enemy on a high ledge meant to be a surprise attack. We must go down further.
We enter another hallway that marks the return of the bipedal laser mech from Star Man's stage. This one is more difficult to deal with due to the normal gravity, and because it's also on a ledge. Its head is its weak point, and make sure to not be too far away when you take it out because it will come back! A ladder at the end of this section takes us upwards. We're taken to a room with the classic disappearing blocks that appear in a specific pattern. Watch the blocks closely, then make your move when you're ready! Don't fall into the spikes below! The ladder takes us to a larger room with more of the same. Just be patient, and don't let those blocks annoy you. If you hate that sound effect, feel free to mute the game.
One more room before the boss gate! Thankfully this is another short one with both health and weapon energy power-ups of the large kind. A few more of those ground enemies are here, and also a strange foe only seen here. There's two of them, and all they do is harmlessly fly around Mega Man for several seconds before leaving. This enemy is meant to be a decoy to protect other enemies, which is supported by its high HP. It doesn't really matter here though. Ready to fight someone?
Dark Man 1 fight
Oh dear, our first fortress boss is a stupid one. Dark Man 1 here just moves towards Mega Man, but every time he takes damage, he retaliates by shooting a bullet directly at the player. He also becomes faster the more he's damaged, to the point where it's near impossible to jump over him without taking damage.
He's weak to Water Wave, so use that to defeat him. Because he starts far away from you, just keep attacking him as much as you can while you're safe (be mindful of invincibility frames so you don't waste ammo). You're bound to take plenty of damage in this fight; heck, I had 1 HP left when I beat him! I don't blame you if you have to use an E Tank in this terrible battle.
Now for stage 2!
Dark Man stage 2
Now we're inside the fortress! We begin in a small room with two saws going around a large platform in the center. There are two ladders to choose from here: the left or the right. Both lead to a "peek-a-boo" shield enemy, but the left one has another ladder that allows us to move on. The right ladder leads to a dead end. The ladder takes us to a hallway with those flying enemies that stop every so often and Train Mettaurs. A high ledge at the beginning requires us to use Rush Coil to get around it. Charge shots will take down those flying enemies quite easily. A pit at the end takes us to the next room.
We must then jump across moving conveyor belts (with saws on them) to reach a ladder leading downwards. Don't try to fall because you'll land on spikes in the next section! After the ladder comes a very treacherous section where we have to jump across more conveyor belts and not fall. To make things worse, there's one point where there's a spike ceiling low enough to be wary of, and those skull-dropping enemies from Crystal Man's stage to mess us up. Destroy any that could directly fly into you, and avoid their skulls if they're above you. Mega Man walks just a little bit faster than the conveyor belts, so you can still dodge skulls if the foes are high enough. A ladder at the end takes us up to a room with three Crystal Joes from Crystal Man's stage, all at a different elevation. Slide under their crystal projectiles and take them down while they're recharging! Another ladder at the top leads us to the next room.
Past the Crystal Joes is a short hallway with some sideways flying enemies and those pill-shaped pellet droppers from Gravity Man's stage. A large weapon energy capsule rests atop a high platform, which I used to recharge Water Wave. You can use the pellet droppers to your advantage by constantly destroying their pellets to make power-ups drop, although this requires patience and perfect timing. There's a part of the room where there are four "paths" to choose from, the bottom two leading to spikes but also power-ups if you can turn around fast enough. An E Tank is at the bottom, while a large health power-up is in the second lowest path... dare to get them? A pit at the end of the room leads to a small room with a 1-Up on a faraway cave. I don't need it due to this game giving lives out like candy! Down further we go.
There's now a hallway with only those bouncing enemies from Star Man's stage, separated by pillars. Charge shots will dispatch them instantly, so they're not to be feared. What is to be feared is the ladder leading upward, which is above a pit. The ladder takes us to a small room with two Turret Mettaurs from Napalm Man's stage. One of them is guarding a large health power-up, but we don't need to defeat that one. Another ladder leads higher. We now have to get through one last hallway to reach the boss gate, and unfortunately we have to deal with more tigers. They're supported by those stopping-and-going flying enemies, and what I just learned while doing this part is that the charge shots will destroy the tigers without any issues. Pay attention to the terrain and decide if it'd be better to avoid the tigers or defeat them, but always make sure to take out those flying foes because they'll never leave you alone!
Phew... now that that's over with, we have to fight another boss.
Dark Man 2 fight
Thankfully, this boss is better than the last one, at least in my opinion. Dark Man 2 has two revolving barriers that protect him and damage Mega Man on contact. The boss only runs at Mega Man to attack, and he doesn't have projectiles. Like Dark Man 1, he gets faster the more he's hurt. You must jump over him at the right time to dodge him thanks to his shields.
I'm not sure what he's weak to, because I only ever used the Mega Buster against him. The trick is to jump over him, slide to the other end of the room, and attack when he's vulnerable. Repeat this process until he's gone. It's easier to get him when he's closer, but it's also riskier. Yeah this guy is boring, but at least he's not unfair!
Halfway there now. Stage 3!
Dark Man stage 3
We're put in a hallway where we have to jump across gaps and deal with those ground enemies and those annoying helicopters from Napalm Man's stage. Fortunately, I've learned a trick on how to deal with them; charge up the Mega Buster and when one appears on the screen, blast it and shoot at it quickly before it flies out of range. I've defeated the first two helicopters using this method, but the last one I had to go around and counterattack to finish off. Don't get knocked into a pit by one of those flying machines! A ladder at the end of the hallway takes us to the next room.
This next room is a small one with two ceiling drones. Get them to fall so you can defeat/avoid them! A large health power-up is atop a high ledge on the right; you'll want it if those helicopters did a number on ya. A ladder on the left takes us to another small room, but this one has three ceiling bugs and a peek-a-boo shield enemy. Shouldn't be too hard to deal with, right? After proceeding to the right, we enter a small room with three slow flying homing enemies, and two spinning platforms that'll take us into spikes if we don't jump off them in time. Jump your way to the ladder and don't end up in the spikes! The room after it is the same thing but with three platforms and two flying enemies! More of the same, really.
We climb up to another hallway with more gaps to traverse. The enemies present here are those skull-droppers and Turret Mettaurs, both are few in number. Take your time dealing with the Turret Mettaurs, and watch out for any sudden skull-dropper that may fly at you! The last Turret Mettaur requires you to stand on the edge of the platform to get it to "wake up". A ladder at the end takes us - you guessed it - upwards. Upwards into a small room with a bouncing enemy from Star Man's stage. Easy! Another ladder leads even higher, but we'll need Rush Coil to reach it.
This next hallway has a trail of blocks that "moves" across the section! Think Snake Blocks from the Mario franchise, but not as smooth. We must use these blocks to reach the other side, but spikes and those stopping and going flying enemies will hinder us. Avoid any spikes in the way and blast those enemies so they won't ruin you! The blocks go past high-up platforms containing a 1-Up and an E Tank, with the latter being harder to reach. Better grab 'em quick if you want, because you'll get left behind if you take too long! A pit at the end takes us to the next room, which contains a large purple jumping enemy. The best way to get past him is by sliding under him at the right time!
After falling, we enter a hallway containing another giant purple jumping enemy! Better slide under this one too. A gap separates him from peek-a-boo shield enemies leading to the ladder going up. Dispatch these foes to reach the ladder! We're taken to a short room with yet another giant purple jumping enemy. It's more difficult to slide under this one due to the low ceiling, but it's possible - I did it! There's an E Tank below the next ladder if you want that... just hurry up before the large foe gets to you! After climbing up once more, we enter the final section before the boss gate. Those "moving" blocks return and help us out again, but this time we're dealing with those falling enemies from Gyro Man's stage. They aren't too troublesome, and there aren't any spikes in the way unlike before, so this shouldn't be too bad. Many of these enemies can be defeated before they reach you too!
Now for the boss!
Dark Man 3 fight
Dark Man 3 is the best out of the "Dark" robots and is actually fun to fight against. He can walk towards Mega Man before charging up to shoot out three ring projectiles in a spread formation; they don't deal any damage, but they petrify the Blue Bomber for several seconds, preventing him from doing anything and leaving him vulnerable to an attack from the boss. Dark Man 3 can also jump high into the air and shoot five bullets in a rapid succession before falling down. The bullets are only fired in specific trajectories, but they're in the general direction of Mega Man. The boss will aim at Mega Man as he moves.
I think this guy is weak to Gyro Attack? I used the Mega Buster to defeat him because I wanted to conserve my weapon energy. Sometimes Dark Man 3 will stay in place and only perform his ring attack. If this happens, you can just jump to avoid the rings and attack with something powerful, like the Charged Mega Buster. I don't know how to trigger this, but it happened when I fought him. If it does happen, take advantage of it!
Now for the final stage!
Dark Man stage 4
This stage is very short and contains no enemies. There is only one room before the boss, and it's a large vertical "elevator" with a unique gimmick. We must destroy cracked blocks to make the elevator move, although only the ones touching our platform will create movement. We must be careful however, because if we're too reckless we could get crushed or touch spikes! At one part, we must create an opening through the blocks and get through before we touch the spikes.
Time for the boss fight already? Yes!
Dark Man 4 fight
Upon entering the boss room, we encounter Proto Man and hear his whistle, although it sounds off. Proto Man then backs Mega Man into a corner and shoots him, draining his HP to 1. Another whistle is then heard, causing both Proto Man and Mega Man to look around in confusion. The real Proto Man shows up and shoots at "Proto Man", who is revealed to be a fake. The real Proto Man leaves an "L Tank" for Mega Man before leaving, which restores all of Mega Man's HP. The ground then evens out and the fight against Dark Man 4 begins.
Dark Man 4 combines the powers of the Dark Men fought before him: the bullets from Dark Man 1, the revolving shields from Dark Man 2, and the jumping ability from Dark Man 3. The boss can perform one of two attacks:
- He can send out both shields in both directions before jumping at Mega Man. After landing, the shields fly back to the boss. The shields must be jumped over when they're sent out and returning.
- Dark Man 4 can fire three bullets in a quick succession straight ahead. Jump over each bullet.
Because of the shields. damaging Dark Man 4 isn't easy. The best time to get him is when he lands from a jump, as he's not protected. You could also time your shots and get him when the shields aren't in front of him. I used charged Mega Buster shots once again, and I'm sorry to say I don't know his weakness. Try to stay as far away from him as possible so you'll have more time to avoid his attacks. Slide under him when he jumps to dodge him more easily!
After Dark Man 4 is defeated, the screen goes black, and this dialogue appears:
"You've done well, Mega Man! I never expected you to defeat my powerful Darkman robot!!"
Dr. Wily then appears in his UFO and the dialogue continues:
"Until now I have managed to frame Protoman for my crimes, but now the real Protoman has appeared and spoiled my plan!! Dr. Light is a captive in my lab. Come if you dare!! Ha, ha, ha."
So that "Proto Man" we saw and fought was a fake made by Wily to frame the real Proto Man! Thankfully, we've put a stop to that and cleared Proto Man's name. We've just received bad news however, as Dr. Light has been captured and is being held inside Dr. Wily's lab.
And now for the map version! Like with Wily's other fortresses, a skull is our destination.
Oh, I wish I could stop Wily and save Dr. Light, but I'm afraid this is where the section ends. Be sure to return for the epic conclusion to Mega Man 5! You'll also get to see BEAT's true power...
| The 'Shroom: Issue 228 | |
|---|---|
| Staff sections | Staff Notes • The 'Shroom Spotlight • Poochy's Picks • Poll Chairperson Address • 'Shroomfest • Credits |
| Features | Fake News • Fun Stuff • Palette Swap • Pipe Plaza • Critic Corner • Strategy Wing |
