Controls[edit]
- Joystick: Use the 2-way joystick to direct your ship across the bottom of the screen; this is the only Namco System 2 game to use a 2-way joystick.
- Firing Button: Use this button to make your ship fire shots at the Cosmo Gangers; if either of them has "armour" from a Bakuto it will fire two shots.
- 1 or 2 Player Buttons: Push these buttons to begin a 1 or 2 player game.
Characters[edit]
The Players' Ships[edit]
The protagonists of the game; Player 1 controls the yellow ship on the left, and Player 2 controls the white one on the right. To the left is how they appear in the normal stages, while below is how they appear in the "Challenging Stages" (which are a video version of the original "Cosmo Gang") - and because lives are shared between players in this game, if either of them should get killed (by a Cosmo Ganger), it will indirectly kill the other as well.
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Player 1's ship
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Player 2's ship
Jammers[edit]
These pink Cosmo Gangers are a video version of the characters from the original Cosmo Gang; to the left is how they appear in the normal stages, while below is how they appear in each of the seven different "Challenging Stages". When the Bakuto at the top of the screen 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, they will reply Hāi! (はーい!) in the Japanese version or Okay! in the US version - and if you survive twenty-four seconds without one of them taking one of your five energy containers all the way up to the top of the screen, they'll 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...さらばだっ!) in the Japanese version, or We'll win next time! in the US version. However, if you cannot survive twenty-four seconds before one of the Jammers takes an energy container to the top of the screen, the Bakuto shall say Katta katta! Ika dai kago! (勝った勝った! 以下第加護!) in the Japanese version, or We won, we won, we got energy! in the US version, and the Jammers will reply Ibaraki! (茨城!) in the Japanese version or We made it! in the US version; both players also won't lose one of their shared lives if this happens.
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Challenging Stage 1
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Challenging Stage 2A
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Challenging Stage 2B
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Challenging Stage 3A
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Challenging Stage 3B
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Challenging Stage 4A
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Challenging Stage 4B
Garapon[edit]
These green Cosmo Gangers were created specifically for this video spin-off from the original Cosmo Gang, and only appear in the normal stages.
Bakuto[edit]
These sunglasses-wearing, ship-flying pink Cosmo Gangers are often seen with "armour capsules" (
); once they have been hit for a first time, they will lose their ships and speak out Acho! (アチョッ!) in that Japanese version or Oh, no! in that US version, and once they have been hit for a second time, they will die and speak out Maitta! (まいった!) in the Japanese version or I give up! in the US version as the armour capsule flies down onto the ship that killed them. If that ship in question should later get killed, the armour capsule will fly up into the air - and in a two-player game, this will give the other player the opportunity to wait under it, and catch it. The gallery below shows how the characters are depicted in each of the seven "Challenging Stages".
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Challenging Stage 1
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Challenging Stage 2A
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Challenging Stage 2B
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Challenging Stage 3A
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Challenging Stage 3B
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Challenging Stage 4A
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Challenging Stage 4B
Mini UFOs[edit]
These UFO-flying pink Cosmo Gangers were: created specifically for this video spin-off, take two hits to kill, and only appear in the normal stages.
Armoured Cosmos[edit]
These spacesuit-wearing pink Cosmo Gangers attack by firing lasers down at the two ships while speaking out Rēzā! (レーザー!) in the Japanese version or Here we go! in the US version; once you have hit them five times, their suits will explode and they will run off the edge of the screen they are furthest from (so you can kill them) while saying Gomenne, gomenne! (ごめんね、ごめんね!) in the Japanese version, or I'm so sorry! in the US version.
Dodongadon[edit]
These dragon-like purple Cosmo Gangers attack by spitting flames down at the two ships; they will screech every time you hit them, take five hits to kill (the penultimate one will change their colour to red), and will leave their heso (which is written in Hiragana as へそ), behind when you do kill them as it starts to inflate. Like the Armoured Cosmos running off the sides of the screen (after their spacesuits explode), it's possible to hit it before it bursts.
Doragon[edit]
These snake-like Cosmo Gangers attack by flying into view from the left side of the screen, often carrying Bakuto on their heads; although it is possible to hit and destroy each of the four sections of their bodies individually, a hit to their heads will kill them instantly, to send any remaining body sections falling down off the bottom of the screen (but, as with everything else here that is not a powerup, these will kill your ships if they land on them).
Missile Pods[edit]
These UFOs attack by materializing in a particular position on the screen while firing missiles down at the two ships (which can be blocked with a single hit, but not for any extra points); they take four hits to kill and aren't worth any points themselves because they will be resurrected a few seconds after you kill them. Once you have killed the last remaining enemy on the stage, they (and any missiles currently on screen) will immediately disappear.
Containers[edit]
These red boxes attack by materializing in particular positions on the screen as they start flashing; if you can fire a shot at them before they explode they will launch a hail of bullets up at the Cosmo Gangers. However, if you cannot manage to fire a shot at them before they explode, they will launch a hail of bullets down at your ships (which can kill them) - and the gallery below shows how they'll be depicted in each of the seven "Challenging Stages".
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Challenging Stage 1
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Challenging Stage 2A
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Challenging Stage 2B
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Challenging Stage 3A
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Challenging Stage 3B
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Challenging Stage 4A
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Challenging Stage 4B
Don Cosmo[edit]
This enormous pink Cosmo Ganger is the final boss of this game; at the start of the thirty-third stage, he will materialize upon the throne in the background, rise into the air and fly into the foreground as thunder crashes. He will then speak out Wōhohhohhohō! Yoku zo koko made kita na, me ni mono wo misete kureruwa. (ウォーホッホッホッホー! よくぞここまで来たな、 目にものを見せてくれるわ.) in the Japanese version - and the "final battle" theme shall now begin to be heard from the Yamaha YM-2151, as his green life bar appears at the top of the screen and he starts causing the ground (and ships) to shake as rocks (
) fall down from the top of the screen. Once you have fired enough shots at him to drain his life bar, any rocks currently on screen shall disappear, and he shall speak out Kō shakunā, watashi no shin no chikara wo omoishire! (こーしゃくなー、私の真の力を思い知れっ!) in the Japanese version; his second (blue) life bar will then appear at the top of the screen as turning flames (
, 
) come down from the top of the screen and make a complete revolution (clockwise for red, anticlockwise for blue), once they have reached the ships' level. Once you have fired enough shots at him to drain his second life bar, any turning flames currently on screen will disappear and he will speak out Kono, kowappame! Mō yurusan! (この、こわっぱめ! もう許さん!) in the Japanese version - and his third (yellow) life bar will then appear at the top of the screen as thunderbolts (
) come down from the top of the screen. Once you have fired enough shots at him to drain his third and penultimate life bar, he will speak out Saigo no kōgeki wo...O mimai shite yaru wai! (最後の攻撃を...お見舞いしてやるわいっ!) in the Japanese version; his fourth (red) life bar will then appear at the top of the screen, as he starts firing stars (
, 
, 
, 
), at you, which can be repelled with a single shot. Once you have fired enough shots at him to drain his fourth (final) life bar, the song that you were hearing from the Yamaha YM-2151 will suddenly stop as he explodes and speaks out Dōwāāāa! (どーわああああああ!) in both versions - and Splatterhouse fans may also notice that he is wearing an inverted cross around his neck, but as this shooter was not as violent as that beat 'em up, it was not confined to Japan.
Obstacles[edit]
Cosmo Balloons[edit]
These inflatable versions of the Jammers' heads appear above the ships and get bigger; every time you hit them, it will send them further up into the air, until they explode. Unlike the obstacles in Galaga '88, they won't leave anything behind when destroyed - and they are not worth any points. If one or more of them is still present on the current stage by the time you have killed its last remaining enemy, it (or they) will also immediately explode.
Cosmo Coins[edit]
These enormous gold pieces of money will fly into view from the left side of the screen while rotating in a clockwise direction on their X-axes; once you have fired enough shots at them to destroy them, they will disintegrate. Again, they won't leave anything behind, and are not worth any points, and if one or more of them is still present on a stage by the time you have killed its last remaining enemy, it (or they) shall also immediately disintegrate.
Powerups[edit]
Point Up: When either of the players collects one of these powerups, it will increase their "bonus multiplier", (up to a maximum of 16); however, it will reset back to 1 after the fourth, twelfth, twentieth, and twenty-eighth stages. If either of the players has armour from a Bakuto, they will lose it too.
Spider Net: When either of the players collects one of these powerups, it will cause an enormous spider's web to come up in the background; the Cosmo Gangers (and all their shots) will also be slowed down as a result. However, once the web has disappeared, their speed will return to normal.
Tornado: When either of the players collects one of these powerups, it will cause a Tornado Bomb (
) to appear on top of their ship; the next press of your Firing Button will send it up into the air, and it will explode on impact. Any Cosmo Gangers that fly into it will immediately be thrown out.
Barrier: When either of the players collects one of these powerups, it will cause a round, green barrier (
), to appear around their ship; this is temporary protection from death, and will disappear after a hit from a Cosmo Ganger or their shots (or when the last enemy on the stage gets killed).
Barrage Shot: When either of the players collects one of these powerups, it will give their ship the ability to fire mines up at the Cosmo Gangers, instead of its usual shots, until it or the last enemy on the stage gets killed; they explode on impact and any Cosmo Gangers flying into them will die.
Jack-in-the-Box: When either of the players collects one of these powerups, it will cause a Jack-in-the-Box (
) to burst out of the top of their ship on a spring; any Cosmo Gangers currently on the screen will be scared stiff as a result, so you should try to shoot as many of them as you can.
Rally-X Special Flag: When either of the players collects one of these "Namco icons", which are making their first cameos since Marvel Land, in 1989, they will be rewarded with an extra life; however, on account of lives being shared between the players in this game, it applies to both of them.
Change: In a two-player game, when either of the players collects one of these powerups, it will cause their "2.5D" positions to be swapped over; Player 1's "2.5D" position is on the bottom by default, and Player 2's on the top, but they can be swapped any number of times with these powerups.
Supernova: In a two-player game, when either of the players collects one of these powerups, that secondary part of the song you are hearing from the Yamaha YM-2151 will immediately cut out (but that primary part will continue to be heard) as the text "SHOOT ME!" appears on the left (or right) side of the ship whose "2.5D" position is on the top (Player 2 by default); once the other player has fired enough shots at it, it will launch a hail of bullets up at the Cosmo Gangers. Both players can then repeat this process until either of the players (or the last enemy on the stage) gets killed.
