Boss evolution[edit]
The initial form of the boss is called the Pure Heart. The Pure Heart will take on new characteristics in response to the player's assault.
The top and bottom halves will each choose a characteristic based on the method of attack the player uses against the four corner pieces of the boss:
- Wide - Result of destroying the corner(s) from the side
- Attack - Result of destroying the corner(s) from the top or bottom
- Armor - Result of destroying attached parts before destroying the corner(s)
Once the Pure Heart chooses a top and bottom characteristic, its evolution path cannot be changed. The name of the boss at this point is derived from its top and bottom characteristics; for example, a Wide top and an Attack bottom results in a Wide Attacker. but a Wide from both top and bottom results in a Double Wider. Characteristics of top and bottom may evolve separately so if only a top or bottom part is evolved, the result can be Wider, Attacker or Armor.
Each of the three characteristics has two possible evolutions, one for the top and one for the bottom. The speed at which the Pure Heart evolves to this form depends on how consistent the player's attack pattern is.
| Initial characteristic | Evolved characteristic | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Wide top | Wing | Has moving wings that will aim the attached weapons at the player |
| Attack top | Busterd | Seems to rotate to expose its strongest side |
| Armor top | Tornado | Spins round repeatedly |
| Wide bottom | Arms | Has moving arms that will aim its attached weapons at the player |
| Attack bottom | Striker | Ship aims for and moves at the player |
| Armor bottom | Defender | Uses the yellow 'shields' more often |
Once both characteristics have evolved to this point, the boss will continue to evolve to its final form regardless of the player's attack pattern. There are nine possible evolution paths:
| Top half | Bottom half | Initial form | Evolution 1 | Evolution 2 | Evolution 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide | Wide | Double Wider | Wing Arms | Asura | Infinity |
| Wide | Attack | Wide Attacker | Wing Striker | Phoenix | Infinity |
| Wide | Armor | Wide Armor | Wing Defender | Hammer Head | Catastrophe |
| Attack | Wider | Attack Wider | Busterd Arms | Scorpion | Infinity |
| Attack | Attack | Double Attacker | Busterd Striker | Muramasa | Infinity |
| Attack | Armor | Attack Armor | Busterd Defender | Big Magnum | Catastrophe |
| Armor | Wide | Armored Wider | Tornado Arms | Hekatoncheir | Armageddon |
| Armor | Attack | Armored Attacker | Tornado Striker | Berserker | Armageddon |
| Armor | Armor | Double Armor | Tornado Defender | ISE-ONE |
The Double Armor path does not evolve past ISE-ONE. In all other evolution paths, the Wide or Attack part(s) of the ship will evolve into a combination of the two, giving rise to the final form.
Boss parameters[edit]
Before each battle a chart pops up showing the strengths of the upcoming boss. There are six categories:
- Front - Indicates forward strength
- Rear - Indicates rear strength
- Defense - Indicates defense
- Core - Indicates strength of the core (the centre piece; destruction of the core destroys a boss)
- Search - Indicates boss' ability to track down the player
- Generator - Indicates quantity and speed of enemy gunfire
Weapons[edit]
- Vulcan - Shoots a beam of vulcan projectiles. Stronger generator increases projectile amount and speed.
- Laser - Laser cannons that shoot pink beams. Stronger generator increases duration and width of beams.
- Cannon - Cannons that shoot a spread of blue balls. Stronger generator increases amount of shots and wideness per spread.
- Smash - Turrets that shoot purple shotgun-style projectiles. Stronger generator increases projectiles fired.
- Needle - Turrets that fire a stream of thin green bolts over a duration of time. Stronger generator extends the firing time.
- Homing Missile - Homing missile launchers. Stronger generator increases duration of time in which the missile can home in towards the player, and eventually, if the generator is high enough, the missiles will multiply into 2 and eventually to 3.
The bosses can also have thrusters with which they charge at the player; mobile arms; multidirectional spreading vulcan guns; and defensive shielding, which appears as a yellow glow.
The spreading and multi-directional vulcan guns can come from any piece that had a mounted weapon but was removed by the player's gun. The core also uses these "unseen" weapons when all parts have been destroyed. The firing pattern is at least three wide arcs of shots, and then three multi-directional bursts. A stronger generator increases the speed and spread of the arc.
Killing or getting killed by weapons evolves them and gives a chance for them to be included in special characteristics (e.g. Hexa-podded). Leaving them on for a long time makes them devolve.
Game modes[edit]
- 180 seconds - The normal, time-limited mode.
- Three Ships - No time limit. The player begins with three lives, and gains an extra life for every hundred pieces blasted off a boss.
- Five Minute attack - The player has a time limit of five minutes to get as far as possible.
- Sudden Death - The player has one life and no time limit.
- Custom - You can set the number of starting ships (up to 10), ship regain method (none / 100 pieces / per stage), and time limit (normal, infinite, countdown). A non-infinite time limit must be set if the number of starting ships is unlimited.
How to Unlock Specific Transformations[edit]
They are listed starting from the Phoenix, and then in descending order from the chart listed below.
- Phoenix - Most common transformation. All you have to do is stand in front of the pure heart and shoot only at front corners. In a few rounds repeat shooting the frontal corners and soon it will transform to an Attacker. As you advance in the game (by shooting only the front) the front side of the ship will grow and you wont able to stay in the middle anymore, as this point move to one of the corners of the screen and shoot the ship diagonally by killing the frontal parts first and then the rest. Eventually it will transform to Phoenix
- Muramasa - Start off by aiming your directional cannon before the Pure Heart even appears on screen, your goal is to destroy the top two corners by shooting straight down. Accuracy counts here, it has to be the VERY top (I.E. the 'flat part'), if your aim is off, you'll get Wider or Armor for the back. If this doesn't work, you can try this strategy: Aim for the lower right corner to take out the top right corner hitting as close to the 'inside' as possible, repeart on the left side, then destroy the core. Keep this up until you get the Attacker evolution, destroying only the back corners then the core. Once that's done it gets a bit easier as you'll have more room to work in the front. Proceed to destroy the front two corners shooting straight up, making sure to try and hit the flat part whilst leaving the back corners alone and then going for the core. You should get the Double Attacker. Once you get that far, you're sure to get Muramasa.
- Berserker - Obtaining the Armor rear will be harder. However, that can be obtained by attacking the rear in close quarters (including the sides), and at various angles. Attaining the Attacker front should be trivial.
- Scorpion - The only hard part of this is getting the Attacker top evolution, but after that it is quite simple. Using the method to get the Attacker top evolution as outlined in the Muramasa guide above, all you need to do is attack the lower corners from the side. It shouldn't be a problem getting it to evolve into Attack Wider. After this, fight it how you wish and it will eventually become the Scorpion.
- Asura - Getting this one is quite easy, but the boss can be hard. To do that, always aim from a side of the ship in all times, and eventually it evolves into the Double Wider and eventually you will get it.
- Hammer Head - One of the easier transformations. To get the Armor front, attack the front aggressively and at close quarters. Then, to get the Wider rear, you can continue attacking the boss ship's front.
- Hekatoncheir - One of the harder transformations, especially regarding the attainment of the Armor rear. A good idea to start is to start attacking the enemy ship's sides on close quarters, while not trying to grow the boss's front.
- Big Magnum - What a pain this is... Use the strategy for getting the Attacker evolution for the top on the Muramasa guide. When the top evolves into Attacker, aim towards a lower corner. From an elevated position above the lower corners, destroy the lower corner. (I.E. If you are aiming at the lower right corner of the screen, you need to take out the left corner.) Continue this on the other side, repeat this process until you get the Attack Armor. Fight however you wish until it evolves into the Big Magnum.
- ISE-ONE - This one can be easier to get than it looks. To do that, attack flexibly or in close-quarters aiming at a corner for both sides and eventually you will get the Double Armor and then the ISE-ONE.
- Infinity - By far the most common final form. Can evolve from the Phoenix, Asura, Muramasa, or Scorpion. Once you survive enough stages, the front and rear will gain its Wider component if it is an Attacker, and vice versa.
- The Catastrophe - Obtaining this final form is much easier from the Hammer Head path.
- The Armageddon - More challenging due to fact you have to have an Armor rear and a non-Armor front.
Boss variations[edit]
Boss may add variations to itself
Additional weapons and their characteristics[edit]
- Forces/Forced: Number of weapon types
- Vulcans/Vulcaned: Vulcan
- Cannons/Cannoned: Cannon
- Pods/Poded: Homing Missile
- Needles/Needled: Needle
- Smashs/Smashed: Smash
- Beams/Beamed: Laser
Repeated Boss Names[edit]
If your next boss will have the same base name as any of the previous bosses, it will append an additional arbitrary descriptor. These are as follows:
- Bravo
- Crazy
- Custom
- Death
- Excellent
- Excite
- Extra
- Fantasy
- Final
- Full-size
- Gonzales
- Great
- Hell
- Maximum
- Omega
- Perfect
- Returns
- Special
- Super
- X
- Zwei
Tactics[edit]
- Tactic for getting to high level - start by shooting one lower-corner of the pure heart from the sides, do it precisely without hitting any other parts, particularly the top corners, and in level 4-5 the bottom half will evolve into wider, from this part, continue fighting as usual and avoid hitting the top half at any cost! From here it'll stay on wider modifications until you destroy some of top half, avoid IT, and you'll get far...