Mega Man Zero 2/Sand Wilderness

'It has been one year since Zero came back to life to fight for peace. He has helped Ciel, a human scientist, along with the Resistance, a group of Reploids falsely accused of being Mavericks, escape the reaches of Neo Arcadia's regime. Zero was forced to adjust to this new world, and has been constantly fighting ever since he defeated Copy X, a corrupt take of the original X. Copy X's protectors, the Four Guardians, have been reduced to three, with Phantom's misguided self-destruction in his attempt to stop Zero.'

'Ever since these events, Zero has been endlessly wiping out the massive hordes of Pantheon troops advancing their way to the Resistance, forcing them to abandon their damaged base. Zero is hopelessly lost, having become extremely worn down from fighting for a full year. His weapons are broken, and his skills have diminished. He must find the Resistance, if he has any hope of surviving...'

As the game begins, you'll see a worn-out Zero fighting his way through a sandstorm, and be given a prologue of what has happened since the last game.

In a brief moment, the sandstorm clears up, but Zero is soon swamped by a massive horde of Pantheons coming his way. He tosses aside his tattered cloak and gets ready to fight, even in his weary state.

With that the game has begun...

Sand Wilderness
This intro stage is simplistic at best, but has a few dangers along the way. The controls are the same as before. Adjust them as you like, and get ready. You must start advancing right, as Pantheon Gunners are coming from behind, and they'll never stop. They won't shoot, but destroying them is meaningless, and even Zero is sick of it. It's time to make your move and get through the desert, and you only have a worn down Buster and Z-Saber at the ready.

The first strech ahead has a couple Pantheon Gunners ready to fire three shots at you, unlike the group coming up from behind. They can be easily destroyed, but then after getting past two, you'll approach a pair of Shabarollers. They have two spinning sections guarded by shields, which only let up to let them fire needles at you. Use your Z-Saber to damage them and get through. Destroy enough, and you get Cyber-Elf M-orina.

Next, there will be a few pits to jump over, which can be made easier by dash-jumping. However, be careful, as another new enemy, Shaball, appears several times. You can get hit if it rolls into you, or if you ignore it, it will open and fire needles from its pod. Cut through them before they get you and move on. Destroy 4, and you'll getCyber-Elf Itemeter.

However, this is merely the start of your troubles. An old enemy is back to get you, with some new weaponry equipped...

Sub-Boss: Golem Type E
Right away, this intro stage kicks in the real difficulty with the first sub-boss in the game, Golem Type E. It's a variant of the original you first faced, but has electric rods that fire three beams on each side. The sub-boss itself is simple; pay attention to the side that it's going to fire from, as that's the direction you need to dash to get away. The hard part is the timing. Golem Type E is unforgiving, and the damage it causes packs a wallop. Its hit box is a little awkward, so using the Z-Saber is risky. Charge up Buster Shot Gun and fire at its upper chest to cause some damage. You can dash-jump if you seem to be missing it. Be careful taking this one down, because this is just the first one in your way.

After a few more pits, and a couple more Pantheons, you'll encounter a second Golem-Type E, this time with pits in the ground, making it much harder to dodge the shots from the Golem. Be careful and destroy it (make sure you're below solid ground when you do, as the controls lock up), and you'll get Cyber-Elf Stoccum.

Dangerous Territory
As you keep going, you'll find yet another new enemy feeding off a dead Pantheon, Condoroid MK2. It's a nastier version of the old Condoroids from the first game. They are much more elusive, and sweep in much faster than the old ones. Disturbing it, or destroying the dead Pantheons they eat will make them mad in a heartbeat. Watch out and destroy them before they get you, and watch out for the pits. After another Shabaroller, you'll find some piles of junk from scrapped troops has piled up. You can jump onto it and climb up, but be fast, because they are unstable and crumble as soon as you touch them. There is a Life Energy Capsule along the way if you've taken a beating. Beware of the gaps, and move on. Condoroid MK2's, Shaballs, and a few Pantheons are up ahead. Get through with caution, and you'll eventually make it to solid ground. But you're not out of harm's way yet. What's up ahead is even worse than the enemies you've seen...