RGR017 - Running the Gauntlet

After many, many deaths in the various elevators of stage four, I finally managed to make it to the end in one piece, only to find out that I was SO CLOSE to the end each time. The diagonal elevator path littered with green orbs and attack ships was the last leg of stage 4-2. But it gave me plenty of practice, which I'd quickly find out I needed.

Fourth Boss: Kridon & Zoniar

On the surface, Kridon & Zoniar aren't really a complicated set of bosses: the heart-like mech inside the elevator (probably Kridon) simply bounces around at 45-degree angles, while the ships that stick to the top and bottom (most likely Zoniar) fire an armor-piercing laser every so often. The difficulty of the battle stems from the fact that Zoniar's lasers are very long, and can be fired as Zoniar moves, effectively pushing you back and cornering you. This then allows Kridon to get uncomfortably close, and one of them ends up making contact. Luckily, the powered-up plasma gun can fire through the elevator frame, so Zoniar can be destroyed. With both parts gone, Kridon is a sitting (or rather, bouncing) duck. Still, I lost many, many lives in this battle, and continuing means dealing with stage 4-2 all over again.

Eww, I bet it's all squishy.

Can't say I'm a fan of that.

Now this is more like it.

This battle seemed so tough the first time.

It's like the eyes follow you...

and shoot lasers at you!

The little guy up there seems harmless...

The screen is actually full of enemy lasers.

Stage five returns to the traditional corridor layout, but introduces a new enemy: a pivoting dual-barreled laser cannon that can be positioned horizontally or vertically. It fires in spurts, so there are plenty of openings to take it out, but the horizontal ones can start firing before you realize they're there, so they often act as traps. The second part of the stage brings in yet another new enemy, this time a little tiny drone with a big surprise. Killing one of these drones causes it to launch a wide plasma wave directly forward, which can be difficult to dodge. And if a drone reaches the edge of the screen, it self-destructs, sending the same plasma wave backwards. So you have to watch out for the waves no matter what.

The first four bosses were explicitly named in the instruction manual, but from here on out, I'm basing names on a FAQ; they may not be official, but then again, they may.

Fifth Boss: Multatron

As obnoxiously difficult as it is cleverly designed, Multatron is a transforming defense mech with three separate forms. It first takes its blue form, firing lasers diagonally which bounce off the walls. After taking enough damage, Multatron switches to its red form, where it fires lasers horizontally that suddenly turn 90 degrees when they reach you. They alternate between moving upward and downward, just as the blue form's lasers were fired from alternate top and bottom positions. Again, after taking enough damage, Multatron switches to its third form, the green form, where it begins firing plasma waves. Once the green form takes enough damage, things get trickier, as Multatron starts rapidly switching from form to form, now firing two shots at once in each form, more quickly and much tougher to dodge. This one takes a lot of patience and quick reflexes to win.

Blue mode...

red mode...

green mode...

DEAD MODE!

I dare you to try to run through.

This stage sure has some ugly platforms.

WHEE!!!

Gravity's messing with my head now.

Stage six gets complicated; a series of smaller platforms slowly rises upward from the bottom of the screen, and though the screen doesn't scroll vertically, the stage still loops in both directions. Falling through the bottom of the screen causes you to reappear at the top, and vice versa, depending on the gravity. There are plenty of gun turrets and other enemies to keep you on your toes as you try to not only deal with the jumps (which sometimes include spikes), but also the necessary gravity switches (which also sometimes include spikes). As you can see above, there are several gravity-controlled fire wave cannons in tricky places. And there are no gun upgrades in 6-2; I'd have killed for a plasma gun power-up.

Sixth Boss: Triad Voltars

The Voltars are three large green block-like machines that slowly orbit the perimeter of the room. They don't attack, but both the floor and ceiling of the room contain conduits that will destroy you on contact, so moving around is just as good as attacking. Most of the Voltars' bodies are protected with armor, but each has a small hatch that opens after a certain amount of time; when this hatch is open, a Voltar is susceptible to a single shot, at which point the hatch closes. So it's a waiting game, but also a quickly moving around and adjusting gravity to avoid dying game. When a Voltar is one shot away from destruction, it turns red, making it somewhat easier to plan the order of attack.

They kind of look like crazy turtle heads.

There can be only one.

And eventually, there will be.

Right, there we go.

They left these here for me? How nice!

I get to continue partway through!

Stage seven, like many other final stages before it, is a nonstop series of battles against all the previous bosses. I won't go into much detail, since every fight is just as it was before, but at least Cyberg was kind enough to supply one of each weapon power-up, allowing you to choose how you want to fight. Continuing also brings you back to the weapon selection corridor, but doesn't force you to fight any of the bosses you've already beaten. This actually makes the final stage a bit disappointing in its simplicity.

Final Boss: Self-Destruct Device

The self-destruct device is sort of a lock and key mechanism, but there seem to be some pulsing wiry things of some sort holding it back. They're easy to destroy, and they don't fight back, so it's not much of a battle. Destroying each one causes the key to move closer to the lock, until all four have been defeated, at which point the device activates. The resulting explosion is impressive, and though it doesn't look like the M-308 Gunner made it out alive, the following ending text clearly states you've been granted immortality, so I think survival is pretty much in the bag.

The proper ending requires the game be completed in Expert mode, which I tried a little, and decided I had neither the skill nor the patience to make any progress. So if you really want to see the extra little bit of ending, look it up on YouTube.

All right, I think I see the problem...

Let's just get these wire things cleaned up.

Just a couple more...

I should probably run now.

Now that's what I call an epic explosion!

Hang tough? An NKOTB reference?

Yeah, no, thanks.

And with that, the world, and possibly the universe, is once again saved. We've really got to start keeping a closer eye on these AI-driven planet-destroying "defensive" battle stations from now on.

The next game will feature a certain super fighting robot, a bomber of the blue variety, but not on the system you'd expect. See you there!