Retro Gamer Ryan: RGR011 - Legend of the Red Blaze

With the King safe and sound, I began my journey to Lethe's palace. The monster that had blocked my path earlier was still there, but rather than refusing me passage this time, he challenged me to a fight. It all happened so fast that I forgot to get a screenshot of him, but he looked sort of like a praying mantis, with the ability to throw boomerang-like projectiles in any direction. He didn't move around much, but I still had a rough time with him at first. After a few tries, though, I was able to take him down.

Before entering the palace, I had to cross the River of Flames, though the Magic Tornado eliminates most of the challenge of making difficult jumps, so there wasn't much to it. The palace, as advertised, was full of mirrors that I could enter to warp to other rooms. Most rooms only had a couple of intact mirrors, so it was easy enough to find my way around. There also weren't many enemies around, so it was a surprisingly easy level. I just wandered around for a bit, picking up vials and extra lives until I entered a room with a mirror larger than the others.

Fifth Boss: Doppelganger

The Doppelganger first appears in the mirror as an image of Firebrand, though slightly more purple in color. After he emerges, he quickly enters a pattern of shooting fireballs and swooping in at you. The pattern itself isn't as difficult as the timing, since he moves much faster than you. After a couple of swoops, he discards his disguise and shows his true form, a floating robed ghostly... thing. The pattern remains the same, however. I adhered to the words of the townspeople and only attacked when he was in his true form, so I don't know what happens if you attack when he looks like you. I imaging you take damage instead of him.

Once I was finished with the Doppelganger, I entered his mirror, and immediately found myself in Lethe's throne room. He was expecting me, and was ready to tell me the legend of the Red Blaze. It basically said the Black Light would come and threaten to destroy the Ghoul Realm, but that a red gargoyle would answer the call for a savior, becoming the Red Blaze and sealing away the Black Light. It sounds to me like this game is actually defining the Red Blaze legend from the first game.

Lethe then explained that some evil being named Goza was attempting to revive the King of Destruction, Breager (told you), in order to take over the Ghoul Realm. To get to Goza's palace, I'd need to use the Candle of the Ghoul Realm, a candle infused with the power of King Rushifell and Queen Verona of Loosekeep. He gave me the candle and sent me off to Naga's Path, the area with several false entrances and one real one. I made a couple of wrong choices, but was able to find my way out fairly quickly. The first game's Naga's Path was more difficult, with all the flytraps following you around, so this was a welcome change.

What, you're going to stop me?

Didn't think so.

WE LOOK LIKE SAME! BOING!

But I'm the better Red Arremer.

Ooh, story time!

The legend's English is rusty.

Wait, who's Goza?

That sounds like a powerful candle.

Yes, I'm familiar with the concept.

That wasn't so hard.

The town of Loosekeep was small; a couple of small huts dotted a muddy field, and two large buildings to the north housed Rushifell and Verona separately. I approached Verona first, and she happily added her power to the candle, giving me a flight upgrade in the process. Rushifell was just as happy to see me, and gave the candle his power, along with the Magic Claw, which you may remember as a sticky shot that lets me latch on to spike walls. I returned to Lethe with the powered-up candle, and he added his own power to it, officially making it the Candle of the Ghoul Realm.