Robo Warrior/Period 3

Period 3-1
Period 3-1 is a looping stage, which means you will need to find the location of the Chalice to stop the looping and gain access to the end of the level. Right from the beginning of the stage, you are presented with three different paths to go down. It's not necessarily obvious, but with the most columns to bomb out of the way, the center path is a good choice to begin your search. If you have plenty of Hyper Missiles, you may wish to use a couple here to quickly blast away the columns.

As the channel narrows, you will reveal a set of steps leading to an underground tunnel. Due to its placement, you will have no choice but to enter. If you have plenty of Candles, use the opportunity to collect items and points. If not, remember that the exit steps will always be in line with the row that you entered from. Beyond the steps, the passage will widen. Bomb the columns that lie in the center of the path and you will reveal the Chalice. Be sure to collect it before you scroll the screen too far to the right or it will loop around again. (There is also a set of steps accessible along the bottom path, but you will be forced to loop if you visit it.)

After you collect the Chalice, bomb the block at (1) to create a gap in the wall. After you escape from the center passage, you will see one block along the top that is carved apart from the rest. Bomb the block at (2) to access a treasure room. In here, you can collect a Waterproof item and a Candle as long as you don't bomb the left statue. When your done, head back down to continue.

After the treasure room, there is a small blocked off chamber in the middle of the stage. You can bomb the blocks along the left and right sides of the chamber, (3) and (4), to gain access to it. Inside, you will find a column that hides the escape Key. There is also a third set of steps that you can use to visit an underground tunnel if you wish. Once you have the key, head to the goal. The screen can get a little busy at the end of these stages, so you may wish to use a Hyper Missile to clear out the last column of blocks, or use a Time Stopper to give yourself some breathing room.

Period 3-2
When you first arrive here, it will appear as though someone forgot to populate this stage with breakable objects. But this is no mistake, and it's not the first time you will encounter something like this. Shortly after you start, you will arrive at a river. There is a stairwell to an underground tunnel, and if you take it, you will not have to use a Waterproof item to get across the water.

On your way to the next river, you will pass two more stairwells. If you are confident that you have enough Candles, go ahead and explore them to collect more items and points. Otherwise, pass them by. Eventually, you will get to a second river, only this one is encased in a stone wall. Clearly you will need to bomb the left wall to discover which blocks can be destroyed with bombs to access the water (blocks (1) and (2) are breakable). The choice on the right side is a little more obvious, (4). However, before you leave the water, you may wish to push against the left side of the waterfall at the top of the screen (3) to find a well hidden treasure room. Here you can collect a Flash, a Candle, and a Super Bomb tile.

Once you're beyond the second river, you will see one more set of stairs out in the open before you come to a flood of columns. Unlike the first part of this Period, that last bit is absolutely covered in columns. With enough Hyper Missiles, you can clear a path into the area. However, many good items are hidden around here, and it may be worth your while to utilize a Megaton Bomb or two to clear away the columns. If you position yourself correctly before you use them, you can clear away every column with two Megaton Bombs. In the process, you will easily discover the Key, which is to the south of the exit, as well as uncover yet another flight of steps to an underground tunnel.

Period 3-3
Prepare to battle the first boss of the game, a gigantic slime. After the slime comes together, it wanders around the room, while shedding smaller slimes from its body to attack you. Due to the arrangement of blocks along the bottom, the giant slime cannot enter the lowest portion of the screen.

You have two attack strategies to choose from. You can stick with the slow and safe method of shooting your weapon up through the blocks along the bottom to hit the boss in the mouth. This will take a considerable amount of time. However, this method will only work if you've been collecting enough Powerballs to extend the range of your gun.

If you haven't or you want to use a faster method of attack, you can walk around it and lay bombs down to attack it. This can do a considerable amount of damage in very little time and kill the boss quickly, but you run the risk of getting caught in your own explosions, or worse yet, getting hit by the giant slime who can do quite a bit of damage to you.

Regardless of which strategy you choose, you do not have to worry about your energy draining due to time. This does not take place when you fight against a boss, so if you choose the slow route, you can take as long as you need to beat the boss. If you choose the fast route, it's a good idea to be ready to make quick use of an Extra energy item if you get down to one battery or less.