Cosmo Gang: The Video/Challenging Stage 1

Once the screen has faded back in (and this stage's theme starts to be heard from the Yamaha YM-2151), the text of "CHALLENGING STAGE" will spin down into view in the centre of the screen as the Bakuto at the top of it speaks out Yōshi, yarōdomo, nusunde koi! (よーし、野郎ども、盗んで来い!) in the Japanese version, or Okay, you guys, steal energy! in the US version; the five Jammers below him will then reply Hāi! (はーい!) in the Japanese version, or Okay! in the US version as they start walking down the screen towards the five energy containers at the bottom and the 24-second timer up in the top-right corner of the screen starts counting down. A single shot from your ships, which have undergone a transformation, to look like the lightguns from the original "Cosmo Gang" redemption game, will send them back up to the top of the screen - but if one of them should reach one of the energy containers, they will grab it, and start taking it back up to the top of the screen. A single shot from your ships will again cause them to let go of the energy containers and send them back up to the top of the screen; however, it will not return the energy container to its original position. Once the 24-second timer has run out, all five Jammers will automatically be sent back up to the top of the screen as the text "YOU WON!" appears on the screen, and a victorious jingle is heard from the Yamaha YM-2151 - and those five Jammers will then speak out Ohhō! (おっほー!) in the Japanese version or Oh, no! in the US version to which that Bakuto will reply Kono-ji ha makenai zo...Sarabada! (この次は負けないぞ...さらばだ!) in the Japanese version, or We'll win next time! in the US version. However, if one of those Jammers managed to take one of the energy containers all the way up to the top of the screen before the timer ran out (the text of "WARNING!" will appear on the screen and a warning sound effect will start to be heard from the C140 when one of them is almost there) the text "YOU LOST!" will appear on the screen, as the Bakuto speaks out ''Katta katta! Ika dai kago! (勝った勝った! 以下第加護!) in that Japanese version, or We won, we won, we got energy! in that US version - and a defeatist jingle will then be heard from the Yamaha YM-2151 before the five Jammers speak out Ibaraki! (茨城!) in that Japanese version or We made it!'' in that US version. The amount of points both players receive depends on their performance:

戦績発表 (Senseki happyō)/RESULT

最低のチームワーク (Saitei no chīmuwāku)/POORLY DONE!! - 30 PTS 息を合わせで再挑戦 (Iko wo awase de sai chōsen)/NOT VERY GOOD!! - 40 PTS 一朝一夕にはかいないさ (Icchōisseki ni haka inai sa)/THERE'S HOPE!! - 50 PTS '''惜しい! もうひといきだ (Oshī! Mō hito ikida)/PRACTICE MORE!!''' - 80 PTS 練習しだいでまだ押びる (Renshū-shidai de mada osae biru)/TRY HARDER!! - 10000 PTS このペアならまだいける (Kono peanara mada ikeru)/HOLD OUT!! - 20000 PTS あなた方は普通人 (Anatagata ha futsū hito)/ALMOST GOT IT!! - 30000 PTS まずまずの成績だぞ (Mazumazu no seisekida zo)/AVERAGE PLAYER - 40000 PTS 相棒に恵まれてるな (Aibō ni megumare teru na)/NOT BAD!! - 50000 PTS いい感じ、次もがんばれ (Ī kanji, ji mo ganbare)/GOOD WORK!! - 80000 PTS もしかしてプロの方々? (Moshikashite puro no katagata?)/NICELY DONE!! - 100000 PTS ペアプレイの天才か! (Peapurei no tensai ka!)/GREAT!! - 200000 PTS '''見事! 2人は恋人同士? (Migoto! 2-ri ha koibito dōshi?)/SUPER PLAYER!!''' - 300000 PTS '''アチョー! マ、マイッタ (Achō! Ma, maitta)/FANTASTIC!!''' - 400000 PTS グレートプレイヤーズ! (Gurētopureiyāzu!)/EXCELLENT!! - 500000 PTS スーパープレイヤーズ! (Sūpāpureiyāzu!)/PERFECT!! - 1000000 PTS

The screen will then fade out and proceed to the fifth stage (in which the players' ships will undergo another transformation back into their normal forms); if you lost, you will have eight more stages before you have a chance to redeem yourselves (the second Challenging Stage also has one of two themes).