THE TWISTED TALES OF SPIKE MCFANG
Walkthrough
(c) 2003 GravyFlood
-=WARNING: THIS WALKTHROUGH CONTAINS SPOILERS! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!=-
TABLE OF CONTENTS
-------------------------------------
This guide uses a very simple navigation system. If you want to get to a
section or subsection of the guide, just type CTRL-F in your word processor and
input the number listed next to that section or subsection. Every section and
subsection of the guide uses this system (the only exception being the Table of
Contents and the Title). If you don't immediately come to he section for the
number you typed, choose "Find Next" in the Find window and you should come to
it eventually (if not immediately).
0.0 Updates 'n' Things
0.1 Update History
0.2 News
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Legal
3.0 Walkthrough
3.1 Before We Begin...
3.2 Fighter Island
3.3 Dracuman Town
3.4 Rat Mountain
3.5 Kalala Desert
3.6 Vampra
3.7 Isle Von Hesler
4.0 Card Tricks
5.0 Contact Information
6.0 Sites Allowed to Post this Guide
7.0 Closing
0.0 UPDATES 'N' THINGS
-------------------------------------
0.1 UPDATE HISTORY
+++++++++++++++++++++
10/30/03, v0.3 - The first incarnation of this guide. It's pretty much a
"beta" version, so some of the stuff in this version may not make it into the
version I submit to GameFAQs. So far I've written the Title, Introduction, and
the Walkthrough up to Rat Mountain. Also made a little introduction to the
walkthrough.
11/1/03, v0.8 - I worked on the guide all through Halloween day from 9:30 AM.
This time, tweaked the formatting and corrected a few errors, added the Area 1
and 2 summaries, and finished the walkthrough up until you beat Moray. Right
now it's ten past midnight. I go sleep now.
11/2/03, v0.9 - Woke up, ate breakfast and organized the walkthrough into
paragraphs. Then I spent the rest of the day beating Von Hesler and writing up
his strategies. Weird thing is, I started working at 9:45 AM, and right now
it's 9:45 PM. The Walkthrough is complete. Tomorrow I'll tweak a few things
and (hopefully) submit this thing to GameFAQs.
12/30/03, v1.0 - Wow, it's been a while. I've been busy with other games and
stuff for the past few months. Today I tweaked the formatting, numbered each
section of the walkthrough, added sections 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0, and also added
the news section to Updates 'n' Things.
12/31/03, v1.0 - Didn't really update anything, but today I submitted the guide
to GameFAQs.
0.2 NEWS
+++++++++++++++++++++
12/30/03: You've probably noticed by now that the guide doesn't have a fancy
ASCII logo (or any ASCII logo for that matter). I would make myself a logo,
but I couldn't make a decent ASCII drawing if my life depended on it.
Therefore, I am holding a contest. Send in your ASCII logo for the guide (my
e-mail address is in the Contact Information section). Once I have five logos,
I will display them in the guide and let you, the readers, vote for your
favorite logo. Whoever wins will be given proper credit. The guidelines for
entry are as follows:
1) Include the name or alias that you wish to be credited as.
2) Attach a .txt file with the ASCII logo in it.
3) Do NOT, I repeat DO NOT use tabs. Otherwise your ASCII logo may not show up
right on my computer.
I look forward to your entries!
1.0 INTRODUCTION
-------------------------------------
The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang is a great gem from the heyday of the 16-bit
moguls. Some might dismiss it as another of the slapped-together third party
games out there (Faceball 2000, Spindizzy Worlds, and Stunt Race FX come to
mind), but if that's the case it's one of the best slapped-together third party
games ever made. It plays like an action game, but has many RPG elements.
It's almost like a top-down action game. The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang
(hereby "Spike McFang") is a game that doesn't want to take itself seriously,
and this is reflected in the concept of the main character - Spike McFang - a
vampire who feasts on tomato juice in lieu of blood. This game can be
downright frustrating if you don't know what to do. Thus, I wrote this guide
as a gesture of goodwill to save others from frustration.
2.0 LEGAL
-------------------------------------
This guide is (c) 2003 Travis Maus AKA GravyFlood, and as such is protected
under the Copyright Act of 1997, which grants copyright protection to both
published AND unpublished works. No party (the author of this guide, Travis
Maus AKA GravyFlood, notwithstanding) may edit this guide. Actions that are
considered to be editing include but are not limited to: deleting any section
of the guide; changing or adding to any text in the guide; and changing the
digital file format of the guide (this means NO HTMLIZING!). This guide
carries all protections granted to literary works by the Copyright Act of 1997,
and should any party infringe on these protections, the author of this guide
will see to it that said party is punished to the full extent of the law.
3.0 WALKTHROUGH
-------------------------------------
3.1: BEFORE WE BEGIN...
Let me take the time to explain a few terms that will come up quite often
during the walkthrough.
TOMATO: A unit used to measure Spike's health; one full level of
health is equal to one Tomato.
CHERRY: As in cherry tomato; four Cherries is equal to one Tomato.
Also the small tomato pickups that recover
CLOVE: A unit used to measure enemy health; one Clove is the
enemy equivalent to a Tomato of health. Not to be
confused with the Clove family of enemies.
As far as the Boss Strategies go, here's a sample, FICTIONAL boss. For
damage, all measurements are in Cherries and assume that you're at the
recommended level.
-=*BOSS BATTLE*=-
NAME: Bruno, Head Lumberjack of Dark Forest (Bruno) (1)
RECOMMENDED LEVEL: 10 (2)
CLOVES: 5 (3)
TOUCH DAMAGE: 1/4 (4)
ATTACKS:
(5) LOG TOSS [1/2] - Bruno will heave a log at you that will move in
a low arc. (6)
(7) WHITTLE [1/4 x] - Bruno will get out a stick and carving knife,
and start to whittle at high speeds, sending
wood shavings flying. If any of the shavings
touch you, you will take damage.
(8) Timber [1+] - Bruno will hurl a huge tree trunk which will
move across the screen horizontally. If it
touches Spike, the tree trunk will take away at
least one Cherry. The exact damage done
depends on the amount of time for which the
tree trunk overlaps Spike.
POWER MOVE: (9)
(10) AXE FLASH - Bruno will brandish his axe. The glare from
the sunlight reflecting off of the blade will
blind Spike, causing dizziness as though he had
just used a Dizzy Spin attack.
STRATEGY: The Log Toss isn't that tough to dodge. You just need to move up or
down a bit. Or, if you're feeling lucky, move up beside Bruno when
he's preparing to do the Log Toss and use your spin attack. When he
uses Whittle and the shavings are flying, spin attack one to deflect
it towards Bruno. He'll be stunned for a moment, which is when you
should wail on him. You should have Bruno down in no time. (11)
-=*END BATTLE*=-
1) The first name is the name of the boss, complete with any title (Felina,
Queen of the Feline Fighters, for an in-game example). The name in
parentheses is the name displayed in the boss' health window.
2) This is the Experience Level you should be at when you confront the boss.
3) This is how many gauges of life the boss has.
4) This is how much damage you take if you touch the boss (in Cherries).
5) This is the name of an attack. The number in brackets is how much damage
it does (in Cherries).
6) This is the description of an attack.
7) The [1/4 x] denotes that you might get hit more than once, and each hit
does the amount of damage shown. In other words, this attack takes away
1/4 of a Cherry times the amount of wood shavings that hit you.
8) The [1+] indicates that this attack is unique in that it will take away at
least one Cherry. Usually, the exact amount of damage taken from this kind
of attack depends on certain circumstances related to the attack.
9) A power move is an ability that a boss can perform that doesn't directly do
damage to Spike. Power Moves can range from health recovery to teleports
to summoning.
10) "Axe Flash" is a Support ability,
11) The strategy will tell you how to avoid the boss' attacks and what the best
way to damage it is.
Also, a few things might not be clear with the area listings at the beginning
of each section. Here's an example.
AREA 4: Kalala Desert (1)
DUNGEON: Field, Pyramid (2)
SERVICES: Tomato Bushel, Card Lotto, Shop (3)
1) This is the fourth area you will go to: Kalala Desert. Simple, no?
2) "Field" means that there are monsters and hazards outside of the main
dungeon. Any other listing is the name of a dungeon.
3) "SERVICES" basically entail what you'd find in a town, like a Card Lotto,
Professor Steam, and a Shop. Easterley the Scribe is not considered a
service.
Anyway, you're probably tired of all this explanation, so let's get to the
walkthrough already. I'm going to assume that the reader has never played
Spike McFang before. This means I'll always explain new concepts when they're
introduced in the game.
Also, I'll be using the word "you" to refer not only to the player but also in
reference to the main character, and I'll use "you" and "Spike" interchangably
to refer to Spike.
!!IMPORTANT!!IMPORTANT!!IMPORTANT!!IMPORTANT!!IMPORTANT!!IMPORTANT!!IMPORTANT!!
Sometimes I'll tell you to hang around an area and defeat enemies to build
levels or earn gold. PLEASE do this when I ask you to. The boss damage
measurements are taken from testing at a specific level, and if you're not at
that level yet I can GUARANTEE you'll be biting off more than you can chew.
The same applies to buying Hats and Cards. I can't be held liable for a
defeat if you decided not to listen. -_- Anyway...on to the walkthrough.
!!IMPORTANT!!IMPORTANT!!IMPORTANT!!IMPORTANT!!IMPORTANT!!IMPORTANT!!IMPORTANT!!
3.2: Fighter Island
AREA DUNGEON(s): Field
SERVICES: None
This is where you learn the basics of the game. After a brief discussion with
Professor Steam, Camelia chews you out for training while your father and
mother (who just so happen to be the king and queen of Batland, your home
country) are missing in the midst of a zombie invasion by General Von Hesler.
After she storms off, Steam and his flock give you a send-off to training camp.
You'll want to go north soon, but not yet. Stay in the current area at first
and practice jumping with B to get a general feel for Spike's movement. When
you're done, head north to be greeted by an odd faery geezer on a flying tooth.
He introduces himself as Master Ching Cao Qiang, the Spirit of Fighter Island,
but he prefers to be called Clarence.
Clarence will give you your first drill. You must jump over 15 rolling logs.
If you followed my instructions and practiced jumping, you'll do fine. Just
remember to jump FORWARD and over the log, not in place.
After you've jumped 15 logs, Clarence will come to congratulate you, and tell
you to move on. Don't go north just yet. Practice attacking by tapping Y to
get a feel for Spike's attack speed. Also, furiously tap Y when you're still
down here. You'll notice that the spin pattern grows outward, but Spike is
dizzy and can't move afterward. Just remember, it only takes three quick spins
before Spike will use this move and get dizzy.
Go north to reach a small valley with caves strewn about. Clarence assigns
your next drill, which is to break 30 rolling rocks. A word of advice: only
attack the bigger rocks. They take two spins, but they give you more
experience, and you need to level up as much as you can in the beginning of
the game. Don't bother with the little rocks. You'll want to be stronger than
ever soon. You'll probably level up by the time this exercise is over.
After you've broken 30 rocks, Clarence congratulates you and tells you to go to
the clearing ahead. Head north through a group of people with Easter Island
heads (we'll call them "Easters" from now on). They're not very talkative, are
they? Don't go north just yet. Practice the Hat Toss by pressing and holding
Y until your hat levitates above you. Then aim with the d-pad and let go of Y.
The hat will boomerang outward, then come back to you. A neat little trick
I've come up with is to throw your hat and then just run around in circles as
it's about to come back to you. I call this the Roto-Shield, because it causes
your hat to orbit around Spike to make a nifty shield.
Now, go north to the seesaw. An Easter will headbang the other end, and after
a short ride, you'll be in a cliffy area. Go up the ladder, where Clarence
will give you your next assignment: hit 15 Balloon Animals with your hat.
After he leaves, start tossing your hat at the ballooning sheep. You'd think
that the balloon would be where you want to hit, but your hat doesn't damage
them unless it touches the sheep itself. Go figure. Now would be a great
time to master the Roto-Shield technique. It's very useful for whittling
tougher enemies down to size, and it's slightly more versatile than the Spin
Attack because it covers a greater radius. Speaking of the Spin Attack,
don't bother using it here. The Balloon Animals are immune. Let that be
an important lesson -- all enemies have strengths and weaknesses. So take
my advice and master all my little tricks so you can take on whatever they
throw at you.
Once you've downed the flying flock, follow the path down the ladder and east.
The bridge you cross is a bit old, so it collapses when you're halfway across,
dumping Spike into the river below. You'll land on a raft, and there will be
a short side-scrolling sequence with red snappers trying to attack you. Use
well-timed Spin Attacks agaisnt them. Hopefully you'll kill enough snappers to
gain another level. If you didn't, no big deal. The raft will drop you off at
Clarence's throne. After a short speech, you'll have to do battle with
Clarence's Magic Cane.
-=BOSS BATTLE=-
NAME: Clarence's Crafty Combatant Cane (Cane)
CLOVES: 4
RECOMMENDED LEVEL: 2 or 3
TOUCH DAMAGE: None
ATTACKS:
Whap [1/4] - The Cane will chase you around the arena,
trying to whack you.
Hopping Mad [1/4] - The cane will stomp around the arena. Touching
it or the dust cloud it makes will damage you.
Hurt [1/4] - The cane will glow, then shoot a red-hot ball
of energy at you. It will repeat this a few
times.
Hurtmore [1/4 x] - The cane will glow, and several red-hot balls
of magic will fly from it in a spiral barrage.
SUPER MOVES: None
STRATEGY: You should definitely use the zero Touch Damage to your advantage.
Use Spins against the cane, but only when it's not attacking. Do
NOT use Dizzy Spins. The cane often attacks with little warning,
and you don't want to be stunned when it uses an attack like
Hurtmore.
When it uses Whap, RUN. It's tough to avoid the attack if you don't
react quickly. Just remember: when the cane appears slightly bigger,
it's about to start using Whap.
You should be able to dodge Hurt by just moving left or right.
Hurtmore is a bit trickier. You'll have to run to the outer edge of
the arena and try to position yourself between two of the fireballs,
so that they whiz right past you.You should be able to whittle this
sap down to size fairly quickly. By the way, don't bother trying to
damage Clarence; he can't be hurt.
-=END BATTLE=-
After you defeat Clarence, he will give you the Card Box. Use L and R to
select a card, and use A to activate it.
-=*AREA 1 CLEARED*=-
-=AREA SUMMARY=-
What did we do today?: 1) Jumped over logs.
2) Gained a few levels.
3) Laughed a little, cried a little, destroyed an old
fart's walking stick.
What did we learn today?: 1) Spinning is a good way to get rid of enemies, but
doing it too much can leave you open to attacks.
2) Crossing a rickety rope bridge is a surefire way
to invoke Murphy's Law.
3) Clarence showed us that the elderly are overly
enthusiastic in exercising their right to be
eccentric.
3.3: Dracuman
AREA DUNGEON(s): Dracuman Castle
SERVICES: Professor Steam, Shop, Card Lotto
After a "meanwhile" sequence, you'll be in Dracuman, capital city of the
Dracuman kingdom. Talk to the Easter next to Professor Steam to save if you
want, and then go to the shop. Buy 1 Big Tomato card. These are one-shot
healing spells, and they'll come in pretty handy on your quest. From now on,
always try to have at least one Big Tomato or Tomato Juice card with you.
Go to the house east of the shop and enter it. This is the Card Lotto. Just
cough up 20 coins and you'll get a random card. Buy a card, it'll come in
handy. If you got the Transport card, hang on to it. The Transport card is
very, very useful. When you use it, it takes you out of dungeons and back to
Professor Steam. Did I mention he recovers your HP when you talk to him? This
card can be a life-saver if you're in a tight spot.
Head north a bit and defeat the Killer Cloves. Be sure to pick up the coins
and tomatoes they drop! Stick around this area and earn coins and EXP. Once
you've levelled up, go back to Professor Steam and get your health refilled.
You have one more gauge of life, so you might as well use it, right?
Walk up to the door and try to open it. You won't be able to - it's locked.
Wander around a bit, and you should get a call from Professor Steam. He gave a
spare key to your pet monster, Sid, who is one screen to the left. Get rid of
the Killer Cloves here and go as far left as you can. You'll "talk" to Sid,
who tells you that a Killer Clove two screens east stole the key. Go east and
punish that thieving scoundrel, then go back west and enter the castle.
See those hunchback-zombie guys? They might seem like pushovers at first, but
when you see smoke coming from its mouth, RUN, because it's about to use its
inexplicable fire breath. The Spin Attack is your best bet; just be sure to
dodge the fire. Clear out the Zombies in this room and go north.
Kill the Zombies here and go east. Make your way to the stairs on the east
side of the room. At the top of the stairs, there will be two Killer Cloves
and two Zombies itching for a fight, so let's give it to them. Concentrate on
one enemy at a time whenever you're fighting a group.
At this point I had enough gold for the Star Hat (200g), so I went back to town
and bought it. I also got a health refill and saved. I suggest you do the
same. If you don't have the money for it yet, just exit and re-enter the room
to fight the enemies again until you do. Don't use a Transport card to go back
to town. Fight a little, the EXP will do you good.
Once you've taken care of business in town, go back to that room at the top of
the stairs (killing everything on the way, because we like our EXP) and out the
northern door. You'll be in a hallway.
If you go east, there's a wall blocking your path, so go west and see what you
can find. There's an Easter there. Walk up to him and he will kick you HARD
to the right. You will break through the wall. The Save Easter is also here
if you want to save your game. I don't want to type out "The Save Easter"
every time you see this guy, so from now on I'll call him "Sir Easterley, the
Royal Scribe", or usually just Easterley or Sir Easterley for short. Walk past
him and into the passage to the south.
Here you'll meet a new type of enemy: Feline Fighters, agile acrobats with
three cloves of health. Once you've defeated the Feline Fighters, go out the
south door to another hallway.
There will be a spear trap coming out of the ground. Jump over the spears -
or just walk between them - and defeat the two Killer Cloves on the other side.
It's a dead end up ahead, but we like EXP. Go back west and keep walking,
jumping over horizontal spears. On the next screen, there's a door, but don't
bother - it's a dead end. There's only one way to advance at this point, and
that's by jumping on that yellow spring. You'll end up with a minor concussion
from crashing into the ceiling, and fall into the moat (imagine explaining that
one to your doctor :P). Luckily, your pet plot devi-- I mean, monster, will
fish you out of the water and deposit you on the other side. Why didn't he
just do this before? It would've saved Spike a lot of jumping. I know
someone who won't be getting his biscuit tonight. :P
Advance west to the next screen, where there are more spears and two Killer
Cloves to deal with. After you're done there, go in the door and fight four
Killer Cloves. Wait. Doesn't one of them look...different? That's a
Halitosis Clove. Halitosis Cloves can puff garlic breath at you. After you
deal with these garlic-heads, go to the next room, hugging the right wall to
avoid the arrow traps.
Here you'll see two Killer Cloves and a Metal Muncher. Take out the Killer
Cloves, but ignore the Metal Muncher. With a high amount of life and only four
EXP as a reward, this guy isn't worth it. Slink past him to the next room.
Here, there are two Different Cloves and three Feline Fighters. You can handle
this. Just take them on one at a time.
Advance east and head up the stairs, defeating a Zombie on the way. Now you're
up in the rafters of the castle. Make your way west, defeating the wimpy
spiders (just one hit kills them). Once you reach a section of hard floor, go
down the stairs there. There's a door here, but it's locked. Guess you'll
have to find the key. Go up the left set of stairs and fight your way east
battling spiders until you reach a huge spider on a trampoline-sized web
guarding the key. You can never find a ridiculously large can of Raid when you
really need it...
-=BOSS BATTLE=-
NAME: Tarantula
CLOVES: 4
SUGGESTED LEVEL: 4
TOUCH DAMAGE: ??? (he stays on his we, so you can't touch him.
ATTACKS:
Gingivitis [1/4] - Tarantula fires a greenish-white cloud at you.
If you've ever played one of the several Kirby
games, this should be a little familiar.
SUPER MOVES: None
STRATEGY: Just dodge the Gingivitis clouds and attack with your hat. There's
not much to it. Don't worry too much about your health -- it will
automatically be refilled after replenished after Tarantula is dead.
-=END BATTLE=-
After you defeat Tarantula, the key will fall out of the web and into the room
below where you fought the Feline Fighters and Different Cloves. Go down the
stairs and grab the key (picking off the enemies for EXP), then go back up to
that locked door and open it.
You'll come to a hallway. Two Feline Fighters to the far east are causing
those waves in the red carpet. For now, just jump over the waves. When you
reach the Feline Fighters, kill them (they don't even fight back) and go into
the rightmost passage.
Defeat the Killer Clove here, then go south to enter another hallway. Go to
the right. There's nothing on the left end except for an arrow trap and a
Metal Muncher. We like EXP, but not that much. :P Make your way east,
jumping and dodging spears and killing the occasional Clove.
When you come to a door, ignore it for now. We'll get there soon enough. Go
past the horizontal spears to the next screen. Toss your hat behind the big
pillar to kill off a smart little Different Clove who's using the architecture
for cover. Look out for the buzzsaw and another Different Clove as you make
your way to the door on the east.
This room is just a thin passage with a buzzsaw going in a pattern through it.
Watch the saw's pattern, then run and time your jumps over it to get to the
left corner and snatch the key.
Go out into the hallway and head west (being sure to kill enemies!) until you
reach that door we passed up earlier. In this room, you'll face two Killer
Cloves and four Zombies. Defeat them and go northeast into the next room.
There are three Killer Cloves, a Different Clove, and two arrow traps here.
Make your way through the enemies and traps and exit through the northeast
passage.
Here, there are vents on the wall that will pull you towards them, and
flamethrowers on the walls. What you'll want to do is get to a vent and watch
one of the flamethrowers for a minute or two. Once you've got the "rhythm" of
the trap down (how long between blasts, how long the blasts last, etc.), clear
the flamethrower using that knowledge. Once you've cleared the perils, climb
into the tunnel in the wall. Go north, and then west at the vent bars.
In this passage, go as far south as you can when the path turns to the south to
initiate a scene with Spike's mother, the queen of Batland. She'll give you a
Transport card, and refill your health. Follow the tunnel until you reach an
opening (you'll have to jump out).
Go up the stairs and into the next room, where five Feline Fighters are waiting.
Take them on one at a time and go to the southwest corner to exit, and advance
a bit until you reach a hallway with spear traps. Maneuver your way past the
spears with a mix of fancy footwork and timed jumps and go through the north
passage.
Good old Easterley broke past castle security for you, so take this opportunity
to save. In the next area, there are four Feline Fighters. Kill them off one
at a time as usual, then go up the stairs to your west.
In this outside area, don't go up the second flight of stairs yet. Instead,
head east, killing three Different Cloves on your way. Keep going east until
you reach a surprisingly empty area with a key. It's not a trap, so grab the
key and go back to the two sets of stairs.
Go up and fight four Feline Bombers (Feline Fighters throwing bombs). You'd
think that the Hat Toss would be your best option here, but their bombs are
the only way the Feline Bombers can attack, so take advantage of their lack
of close-range attacks by getting up close and Spin Attack them to death one
by one. Head east over a stone bridge. Careful - there's a buzzsaw trap on
each end of the bridge, meeting in the middle at the end of their patterns.
Jump over the blades and proceed east.
Yowza! This area contains an alarming number of traps, including: a set of
vertical spears, twin alternating buzzsaws (bottom saw goes right-to-left, top
saw goes left-to-right), and two arrow lizards by the far right wall (acts like
an arrow trap). You have two options here: 1) jump the arrows, spears, and
buzzsaws, or 2) follow my instructions. 1 is pretty self-explanatory. As far
as the second option, keep in mind that the instructions begin from where you
entered this area (the end of the bridge). First, get as close to the end of
the narrow walkway as you can, and wait for an arrow to hit the wall next to
you. When it does, run north along that wall. When you reach the northern
wall, wait for the top buzzsaw to start its route, then run behind it and get
in the door (you might have to jump over arrows during this step).
Here, there are two Feline Bombers and a Feline Fighter at the top of the
stairs. Keep below the staircase for the moment and toss your hat at each
Bomber. Then, kill off the Fighter in the same fashion. A bit further ahead
you'll see two more Bombers. Off them with your 133t hat-throwing 5ki115 and
go through the double doors.
In the throne room, you'll see Felina, surrounded by Feline Fighters (her kitty
cronies?). After some banter, we'll hear that sweet, sweet music we haven't
heard since Fighter Island.
-=BOSS BATTLE=-
NAME: Felina, Queen of the Feline Fighters
CLOVES: 4
RECOMMENDED LEVEL: 5
TOUCH DAMAGE: 1
ATTACKS:
Flying Fork [2] - Felina hurls her fork-staff-thingy at you. The
attack is a lot like the Star Hat toss, except it
only goes about half as far, and it's larger.
Flying Fork II [2] - Felina will act like she's using Flying Fork, but
she won't even throw it at you. It goes about as
far as a throw with the Star Hat before stopping
for just an instant and then going another Star
Hat throw's length in Spike's direction.
Back Scratcher [2] - If you're close enough to Felina, she'll try to
swat you with her staff. I named it the Back
Scratcher, because the staff bears an uncanny
resemblance to, well, a back scratcher.
Meowjutsu [2] - Felina will backflip towards you and try to punch
you.
Flying Kabob Dive [2] - Felina will yowl, then jump up into the air. She
will then come crashing down in an attempt to
skewer you with her staff. Felina can only use
this attack after she has used the Super Move
"Kondo wa Zettai ni Makenai".
SUPER MOVES:
Felina Flip - Felina will flip backwards and land about half
the distance of a Star Hat toss.
Kondo wa Zettai ni Makenai - When Felina is down to her last gauge, she will
sparkle, and the words "Level Up!" will appear
next to her. Her health will then refill.
Felina can only use this ability once.
Hikaesuzo - Felina's most feared move. Nobody has seen it
and lived to tell the tale.
STRATEGY: Whenever Felina pulls out her fork-staff-thingy, you can be sure that
she's about to use Flying Fork, Flying Fork II, or Back Scratcher.
Therefore, when you see her take it out, RUN, because that's the best
way to dodge any one of those attacks, and KEEP RUNNING in case it's
Flying Fork II. As for Meowjutsu and the Felina Flip, just move out
of the way and you won't get hurt. Because of the attacks Felina can
pull off with her staff, you're guaranteed to get hurt if you try to
get close enough to spin attack her. Instead, keep running. The Hat
Shield maneuver (see Fighter Island section) helps too. Once she
uses Kondo wa Zettai ni Makenai, look out for the Flying Kabob Dive.
It's actually not all that tough to dodge. When you hear Felina
yowl, run and don't stop until she comes crashing down. Just keep
using the same strategy you've been using and look out for the Flying
Kabob Dive. As long as you know what to expect, this battle should
be a gimme.
-=END BATTLE=-
Once you have Felina down to a sliver of health, she'll beg for mercy and toss
out a brick of gold as a peace offering. Grab the precious metal, and then a
steel cage will fall on you. The Hikaesuzo technique - "hidden revenge"! (sorry
to string you along there just now, but I was going somewhere with it, see?)
Try as you might, you can't get out of the cage. While Felina is gloating, a
punk-looking warrior walks up and shatters the cage with a swift blow. Felina
trembles as you strike the final blow with your hat. After the obligatory
boss explosion, the stranger introduces himself as Rudy, Von Hesler's son. He
knows that his father would never do something as evil as conquering
Vladamasco. He wants to help you in your quest and free Von Hesler from the
creature that is enslaving his mind.
-=*AREA 2 CLEARED*=-
-=AREA SUMMARY=-
What did we do today?: 1) Got a stylish new hat.
2) Defended ourselves against anthropomorphic cloves
of garlic.
3) Tested the Hat Shield maneuver in battle.
4) Took a bribe from a scantily-clad catwoman.
What did we learn today?: 1) If you see someone with a bomb, throw your hat at
them and run.
2) The Hat Shield maneuver is nifty.
3) Evil isn't hereditary, but stylish combat skills
apparently are.
4) If you're feeling weak, kill the nearest person
and eat the tomatoes that fall from their corpse.*
5) When strangers offer you candy or gold, go ahead
and take it. If the stranger turns out to be a
bad person and puts you in a cage, you can count
on a midget with a spear to rescue you.
*Please don't kill anyone. That would make the author of this guide very sad.
3.4: Rat Mountain
AREA DUNGEON(s): Field
SERVICES: Professor Steam
After a "Meanwhile" cutscene, Professor Steam will be congratulating you on
your victory when Easterley announces that he has received an urgent message
from Ratville:
"Dear Spike...Camelia of the Castle Vampra is very sick. She has requested
that you come here to Ratville and help her regain her health. Yours truly,
Helious Bain."
It's a long drive to Ratville, so Professor Steam thinks you should buy
supplies. So do I. If you haven't bought the Star Hat by now, you're probably
doing it to spite me. Buy the hat, and spend the leftover gold on Tomato Juice
cards (from now on, carry Tomato Juice instead of Big Tomatoes)
After you've bought the supplies you need, talk to Professor Steam. After you
load up the trunk with plenty of beer and girly magazines, you'll all pile into
the car for a road trip. Along the way, the car meets its end when it gets
crushed by a boulder. Since you left the scooters at the castle, you and Rudy
will have to walk the rest of the way to Ratville. Head west from here.
See that large, greenish Clove holding a tribal spear? That's a Desert Clove.
They can throw their spears at you, but it takes them a moment to "reload"
before they can toss another one. They have three cloves of health. Stay
right where you are and all three of the Desert Cloves here should walk towards
you. When they do, launch a Spin Attack assault.
Follow the dirt road. In the next area, you'll come to a purple flower bud in
the ground. That's a Fire Breather. These guys can send shots of green fire
at you when they come out of the ground. They have three cloves of health, but
their defense is laughable. You should be able to take this guy out without my
help. Rudy might even pitch in a bit.
Speaking of Rudy - if an enemy is close enough, he'll ram it repeatedly to
lower its health. This can come in handy if there's a big, scary enemy ahead
and you don't want to get mauled thoroughly.
Take care of the other enemies (I think it was two or three Desert Cloves, but
don't quote me on that) and follow the path north. Here, you'll meet two new
enemies. Scratchers are those giant golden masks hopping around. With three
cloves of health and no attacks other than hopping around trying to touch you,
these guys are your best bet for level building. A bit further north, you'll
see a cactus shaking red maracas. That's a Dancing Cactus. It has four cloves
of health and three attacks. Its first attack is throwing its head at you in
an attempt to hit you. Regardless of whether it hits you or not, the head will
fall on the ground and then shoot thorns in seven of the eight cardinal
directions (north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, and
southwest). When it fires its thorns, either jump over them or go to the gap
where there isn't a thorn (you'll know what I mean when you see it). Its
second attack might take you by surprise. It will toss several maracas at you
in an attempt to hit you. Its third and final attack is whacking you with one
of its maracas if you get too close. Use your Spin Attack against the
Scratchers, and use your hat on the Dancing Cactus.
to the top of this area and west one screen. The Dancing Cactus on
the previous screen probably didn't do much when you attacked it (not in my
game anyway...e-mail me if I'm wrong) but the two Dancing Cacti on this screen
won't hesitate to shower you with maracas and thorns, and the two Scratchers
might make it a bit hard to maneuver. Get rid of the Scratchers first, then
take out the Cacti with your hat. Head to the north section of the area.
Here, you have two ways to go, north or east. Head east.
Kill the Scratcher on this cliff and proceed east. If you want some easy EXP
there are some Scratchers trying to get to you below the cliff that you can hat
to death.
See that pink flower on the east end of the cliff? That's a Mystery Flower.
Spin Attack it a few times, and it will either drop a coin (any value), a
tomato (any value), or three wasps. It's very generous, but it's sensitive.
If you don't take the gift it gives you, it will die the next time you Spin
Attack it for a gift. The wasps do count as a gift, so you have to kill them
before you can hit the flower again. Stick around here until you have 999 gold
from the Mystery Flower. If you accidentally kill it, leave the screen and
come back so that it respawns. It will be tedious, but it'll be worth it a bit
later. After you've done all the mooching you can, go back west.
It's time for some EXP hunting! Alternate between this screen and the one where
you first met the Scratchers and Dancing Cactus and fight the enemies until you
reach Level 7. If you're wondering about your progress towards Level 7, press
select. It will tell you how many EXP you have, and the amount you need to
reach the next level. You'll need a total of 1800 EXP before you continue.
Once you're Level 7, go north one screen and fight three Desert Cloves.
There's a Scratcher up above on the cliffs if you want to hat it. When
you're done with these guys, follow the path west.
Here, there will be a Desert Clove and a Fire Breather for you to deal with in
the southern half of the screen, and another Desert Clove and Fire Breather up
north. Concentrate on them one at a time and you should be able to vanquish
these fiends.
Head west and a cutscene will start. Seems this is private property, and the
natives don't like trespassers. Of course, they have good reason to be on the
defensive, since Von Hesler has been trying to get his grubby paws on all of
Vladamasco, so you really can't blame them for being careful. You assure them
that you're not Von Hesler's cronies, but they refuse to believe you. Rudy
introduces himself as, um, your friend. While the natives are in the middle of
grilling you, an older, sagely man comes out and assures the guards that these
are the men he, Helious Bain, sent for. "Good timing", indeed!
-=*AREA 3 CLEARED*=-
-=AREA SUMMARY=-
What did we do today?: 1) Took a hike through the desert.
2) Destroyed cacti and flowers in self-defense.
3) Got mistaken for agents of a tyrannical army,
and had some laughs about it afterwards.
What did we learn today?: 1) If you're in the desert and you're getting
dehydrated, find a cactus. Then you can kill
it and suck the juice out of the tomatoes it
drops.
2) I'm drawing a blank here. Use your imagination.
3.5: Kalala Desert
AREA DUNGEON(s): Field, Pyramid
SERVICES: Tomato Bushel, Card Lotto, Shop
You are whisked away to a cave, where Camelia is sprawled out across two beds,
woozy. It turns out that you need water from the Kalala Desert to cure her.
Unfortunately, it's in a treacherous pyramid guarded by Croc, one of Von
Hesler's men.
Neither Professor Steam nor Sir Easterley are here, but you can refill your
health by walking up to the Tomato Bushel southeast of the room where Camelia
is. After refilling, go out of the cave and head west. There will be two
Scratchers and two birds. The birds fly in a straight path towards you to try
and touch and damage you. Fortunately, it's easy to time a Spin Attack against
them. In case you're wondering, I didn't give them a name because they're the
only two of their kind in the game. Kill them off and follow the path to the
next area.
There are five tiny ghosts here. These ghosts are called Twisters, and you
will grow to loathe them. They can't harm you, but they can push you around,
which is really frustrating in this area. Take them out using your Spin Attack
or Dizzy Spin (your Hat doesn't work). They have low health, but they also
have uber-defenses, so they're frustrating little buggers.
Once you've defeated the Twisters, jump onto the stone platform up ahead.
Advance using the platforms, using the jellyfish-like creatures as stepping
stones when needed.
In the next area, six more Twisters are waiting (guh). Keep using your Dizzy
Spin and you should eventually have them out of your way. Just be sure to stay
away from the bottom of the screen so you don't stumble back to the last screen
and have to start over against these pests. Make your way across the platforms
and advance to the next area.
Another sextet of Twisters is here, revelling in their floaty, evil, cuteness.
If you're anything like me, you want to punch the enemy designer for this game
at this instant. Do so now, and then kill the Twisters. Jump across the
jellyfish-like creature and onto the vaguely diamond-shaped stone platform.
You can either go right or left and use the platform in that direction as a
stepping stone to another diamond-like platform to the north. The jumps to the
left and right were pretty tough, so here's what I did. Once I was on the
southern diamond-like platform, I walked as far north as I could (right onto
the northern tip of the platform) and jumped north. It worked! This is a
great workaround if you hate hairy jumps as much as I do.
In the next area, there are no Twisters (yay!), and you have to use a series of
jellyfish-platforms to get to the next area. There you will see a red-tinted
jellyfish-platform. Jump on it. It serves as a ferry to the pyramid, but it
can't support Spike's weight and drops him in a small desert settlement.
Easterley is inexplicably here to save your game. The building on the right is
a Shop, and the hut on the left is a Card Lotto. Assuming you took my advice
and got rich off the Mystery Flower, you should be able to afford the Feather
Hat. Buy the Feather Hat from the shop along with as much Tomato Juice as you
can. Even if your health is low, don't bother using a Tomato Juice. Head
north to the next area.
Here, there are two Desert Cloves and three Dancing Cacti. Test out your new
hat while you're here. It can easily wipe out a Dancing Cactus in one throw.
Take out the enemies and keep going north.
Here, a total of four Sand Boars will come out of the ground to attack. Sand
Boars can be damaged even if their bodies aren't above ground. Just attack the
dirt mound when they burrow down or are about to come up to attack. The Sand
Boar has two attacks. Its first attack is tossing small chunks of dirt in four
directions. For its second attack, it will dig into the ground with its
mandibles, then toss a mudball at you. These guys only have four cloves of
health, so kill them off with Spin Attacks and go northward yet again.
There are three Desert Cloves and a Sand Boar here. Take out the Sand Boar
first, then pick Cloves. Head north through the rubble to the next screen, the
entrance to the Pyramid!
Don't go in just yet. We spent a chunk of change in that tiny settlement back
there, and we can make up the difference right now. There's a Mystery Flower a
little to the west. Time to mooch! Not only will the money come in handy, but
you could probably use a pick-me-up after battling so many enemies in the
desert. Once you've collected 999 Gold, go three screens south and hunt for
EXP until you reach Level 8, then return to the Pyramid entrance and go inside.
In this room, there will be three Blobs. Blobs have two cloves of health.
While they have no attacks other than trying to touch you, their defense is
fairly high. Kill the Blobs with your Spin Attack. If you didn't fully
replenish your health at the Mystery Flower, use Big Tomatoes left over from
earlier if you still have any.
In this room, you'll meet a large, mean crocodile. This is Croc, and he
doesn't want to share the Kalala Root's water (the Kalala Root is the source of
all the desert's water). Since you can't come to a civil agreement, you'll
just have to fight him for it.
-=BOSS BATTLE=-
NAME: Croc, Self-Proclaimed Water Baron (Croc)
CLOVES: 7
RECOMMENDED LEVEL: 8
TOUCH DAMAGE: 4
ATTACKS:
Evil Eye [4 x] - The eyes on Croc's mask-shield will glow red and
fire a few blasts of dark magic at you. Each
shot takes away four Cherries if it hits.
Swamp Stomp [4] - Croc's eyes will get veiny, and he'll jump and
try to land on you for Touch Damage. If he does
hit you, you will fall on the ground and be
stunned for a moment.
Swamp Swat [4] - Croc will snarl, then attempt to whack you with
his spear.
Marsh March [4] - Croc will snarl, then charge at you in an
attempt to inflict Touch Damage.
Croc Crashbang [8] - The head of Croc's spear will glow, pulling in
red energy particles. Then Croc will hold the
spear up high as it shoots out several bolts
of energy all around Croc. Croc can only use
this attack after he has used the ability
"Getting Serious".
SUPER MOVES:
Getting Serious - Once Croc is down to a sliver of health, he'll
say, "WOW! You are strong! Now I'll get
serious." Then, the head of his spear glows and
the words "POWER UP!!" appear next to Croc. Croc
recovers his health by using this ability, but
can only use it once.
STRATEGY: Croc's attacks are all easy to see coming. When he uses Evil Eye,
just dodge the shots like you did with the Cane's Hurt and Hurtmore
spells. When his eyes get veiny (the telltale omen of Swamp Stomp),
run and don't stop running. You don't have much to fear from the
Swamp Swat unless you're close to him, so attack with your hat. If
you're lazy you can let Rudy take Croc down, but that's no fun. Once
he uses "Getting Serious", it's suicide to try and Spin Attack him
because of the Croc Crashbang. But when he does use Croc Crashbang,
sneak up beside him and use your Hat on him. It should be fairly
easy to take this galoot on, especially with Rudy tackling him.
-=END BATTLE=-
After Croc bites the dust, he'll tell you that you'll still have to fight the
Root for your water, and he'll sic his Mask-Shield on you. The Mask-Shield
doesn't have a health display, but it's pretty much like a Scratcher with high
defense. Defeat the Mask and head north.
In this room, fight your way through five Blobs (one of them is hiding behind
the giant tree trunk) and go down the stairs in the back.
Here, you'll fight three blobs and meet a new enemy: Monkeys! Monkeys climb on
the tree trunk in the center of the room and throw bombs at you which send
needles flying in every direction, and they're invincible to boot! The opening
to the south leads to a room with six Scratchers and a Mystery Plant. Does
anyone else smell EXP?
Go inside and fight the Scratchers until you're at Level 10. It'll be pretty
easy since you can now kill a Scratcher in one spin. Use the Mystery Flower to
Recharge if you need to. I know, I know, it's a hassle to have to level up like
this, but if you try to tackle this dungeon at Level 9, a few retreats will
probably become necessitated, and you'll get to Level 10 whilst beating back
enemies on the way to safe haven anyway. Save yourself some trouble and level
up now, please. Once you're at Level 10, go back to the room with the Monkeys.
Make your way to the northeast corner of the room and go down the stairs.
Here, there's one Bandage Mummy (white) and one Decrepit Mummy (brown).
They're equal in health, but the Bandage Mummy can attack by reaching out with
his bandages while the Decrepit Mummy cannot. The hat is your best option
here. Once you've defeated the Mummies, go to the back of the room and kill
another Decrepit Mummy, then go down the stairs.
Just follow the path in this area. You'll have to kill five Scratchers on your
way to the stairs in the back. In the next room there are two Bandage Mummies
and a Decrepit Mummy. Fight your way to the stairs as per usual and go down to
the next room.
There are three Blobs and a Cheeky Monkey here. Kill the Blobs and go out one
of the doors. They both lead outside, so don't think too hard about your
decision. Easterton - who is, fittingly enough, to the east - is here if you
want to save. Knock back a can of juice and head north to meet the Kalala Root
face-to-face. He's actually a tree (that's RPG translation for you) tells you
that he is forbidden to give the water to anyone. Must we fight for everything
around here?
-=BOSS BATTLE=-
NAME: Kalala Root, the Giant Canteen of the Desert (Root)
CLOVES: 8
TOUCH DAMAGE: 1 (Arms)
ATTACKS:
Leaf Storm [1 x] - Kalala Root generates four leaves in his canopy,
which then shoot towards you. If a leaf touches
you, you lose 1 Cherry.
Chlorophyll Cannon [4] - Kalala Root opens his mouth to draw in green
energy particles, also sucking you towards his
mouth. Then, he releases a wide green beam.
Tree Hugger [1] - Kalala Root lowers two wooden arms from his
canopy, which can inflict touch damage. The arms
emerge on the far left and right of the arena,
then lower down near the bottom of the arena,
and finally move toward the center
simultaneously. Once the arms converge in
the center, Kalala Root raises them back into his
canopy.
SUPER MOVES:
Saru Senshi Brigade - Kalala summons four Cheeky Monkeys, two on each
side of his trunk, to throw their needle bombs at
you.
Green Nectar - A flower bud appears on Kalala Root's canopy and
spits out three dark brown seeds. A Blob comes
out of each seed.
Stereo Nectar - Two flower buds appear on either side of Kalala
Root's canopy, and each one spits out three dark
brown seeds. A Blob comes out of each seed.
STRATEGY: When Kalala Root uses Leaf Storm, jump over the leaves and you should
be fine. When he's sucking in energy for Chlorophyll Cannon, get to
the left or right and hat him. When he uses Tree Hugger, keep in
mind that only the hands of the wooden arms inflict Touch Damage.
When the arms come out, run to the back left or right corner. Run in
behind the arms once there is room and hat Kalala Root. When he uses
Saru Senshi Brigade, the lower middle of the arena is a (mostly)
safe area. Just keep hatting him and you'll make toothpicks out of
Kalala Root in short order.
-=END BATTLE=-
After the battle, Kalala Root is left crying. He begs for forgiveness and
returns water to the desert with a geyser show that sends Spike flying.
Another "Meanwhile" cutscene with Von Hesler and General Hydra later, we cut to
Spike, Rudy and Helious Bain Helious Bain standing by in the cave waiting for
Camelia's recovery. Spike decides to get some rest rather than worry about
Camelia. The next morning, Camelia is sick no more, and admits that your
training paid off. Professor Steam shows up in the newly built A-Steam van to
announce that, conveniently enough, he and his sheep have discovered a plot
devi-- I mean tunnel to Vampra. At that precise moment, a freakishly large
rat-folk person inexplicably bursts out of the west wall. Thanks to that
homunculus' digging, Spike and company can go to the Vampra tunnel through a
connecting tunnel! After the goodbyes are said, a certain Rudy-come-lately is
aghast to learn that he has been left behind. We see Rudy run like a marathon
man after the A-Steam van, chasing it all the way to the uncharacteristically
cold land of Vampra.
-=*AREA 4 CLEARED*=-
-=AREA SUMMARY=-
What did we do today?: 1) Walked on clouds without having to take drugs.
2) Killed a giant crocodile with a hopping mask
without having to take drugs.
3) Made a giant tree cry without taking drugs.
What did we learn today?: 1) Easterley is very fast for a man with a head made
of granite.
2) Monkeys don't throw poo. That's an urban legend.
They throw cactus grenades.
3.6: Vampra
AREA DUNGEON(s): Field, Ice Palace
SERVICES: Professor Steam, Shop, Card Lotto
Camelia offers to fill in for Rudy, who caught a cold running through that
drafty tunnel. Rudy balks that Spike and Camelia would probably ditch him
again, and Camelia has to break up the argument. She managest to deduce that
on Hesler must have something to do with the cold climate, and the both of you
will automatically walk to town. The first thing you need to do is buy the
Lightning Hat. Sure, it may be pricey, but it's the only weapon worthy of an
uber-powerful (if you followed my instructions) vampire prince like yourself.
-=IMPORTANT=-
From now on, any enemy or boss strategies that involve a Hat Toss will not work
unless you have the Lightning Hat! The Lightning Hat has certain functions
that are used for these strategies.
Also, from now until Vampra dethaws, pick up every coin you see! Go enemy
hunting if you need to so that you have at least 600 gold after defeating the
Freezer!
-=IMPORTANT=-
Go out of town and cross the bridge (you'll have to jump at the end). There be
Python Bunnies about! There aren't any Holy Hand Grenade cards, so your new
Lightning Hat will have to do. Notice that when it hits an enemy, it goes to
another enemy if there's one in range, and it also lingers for a minute on each
enemy it hits. It's kind of like a chain homing hat, but you can call it GOD.
Once you've gotten rid of the Python Bunnies, proceed to the next area.
Python Bunnies everywhere! They will fall from the sky in groups. I don't
think there's a limit to how many groups can come, so just keep running.
Go up the stairs and to the next area, where you'll face three Frozen Cloves.
Frozen Cloves are like Desert Cloves, except they have seven cloves of health
instead of three. After you defeat the first one, go about halfway up the
stairs and hat the other two at the top. Look out for an improved arrow trap,
and three rubber spiked dongles that damage you if you touch them and cannot be
destroyed. Sometimes, it's best not to ask.
In the next area, fight off two Frozen Cloves and an Ape. The Ape has two
attacks. Its first attack is throwing a chunk of ice at you. For his other
attack, he glows red and charges at you in rage. At ten cloves, he can take a
beating. Use your hat on him.
Advance further northwest and fight your way past a trio of Frozen Cloves and a
Snow Bunny duo. Follow the path southwest to the next area, where an Ape is
waiting. Hat him to death, then go halfway up the nearby stairs and do the
same for the ape up on the platform. Repeat for the third and final Ape and
head north.
Four apes are here, and they're all itching for a fight. Make your way to the
back of the area and hat the Apes. When they throw ice at you, simply move out
of its way, and when they charge, jump over them. It's also not that tough to
fend them off with spins when they charge. Advance to the northeast and pull a
lever in the snow to go down. Enter the cave; there's not actually another
area to the northeast.
The dongles are back! Until now I didn't notice it, but they stun you if you
touch or Spin Attack them. Head northwest and take on two Frozen Cloves. I
recommend hatting them so that you don't get stunned by the dongles. There are
also electric eels here. They just sit in one place, charge electricity, and
then shoot it at you. Unfortunately, they can't be destroyed. Go to the top
half of this area and go west.
Fight your way through three Frozen Cloves and a dongle. In the next chamber,
walk up to the cloaked woman to initiate a scene. The stranger informs you
that the Freezer loves chicken noodle soup, but it deprives him of his
invincibility. After you and Camelia thank the woman and walk away, she throws
off her cloak. It's General Hydra, and she's feeling good. With the Freezer
out of the way, she'll be able to rule Vampra and Von Hesler will be none the
wiser! Spike comes back to get the woman's name, but she brushes him off.
In this next area there are four Apes. Use your hat a few times to weaken the
group, then finish them off with spin attacks. Or you could let Camelia do all
the work like I do ;). Cross the bridge and head south. Outside, head up the
stairs.
Easterley is to the east if you want to save (I think he likes anything that's
east). Then, go into the door to the west. In this room, there's a new enemy:
the Snowman. Its only attack is to jump up in the air and try to stomp on you.
At eight cloves, these guys are easy in small doses, but when they're in groups
they're absolutely vicious. Jump and maneuver past the Snowmen to the end of
the corridor and wait for them to come to you so you can hat them. Camelia
will probably help, too. Once these guys are out of the way, head down the
stairs to the south. In this room, you're walking peacefully when the Freezer
jumps into the room. He hates unwanted guests, and has a strict "Trespassers
will be mashed" policy.
-=BOSS BATTLE=-
NAME: The Freezer, Invulnerable Ice Aberration (The Freezer)
CLOVES: 11
TOUCH DAMAGE: 4
ATTACKS:
Airborne Icicles [12] - The Freezer will summon two icicles. They will
float behind him and attempt to converge in an X
pattern on Spike. You cannot be hit by only one
of the icicles.
Obligatory-Vision(tm) [1+] - The Freezer will shoot lasers out of his eyes in
a straight line. If it hits, the amount of
damage done depends on how much of the laser went
through Spike, for a maximum of eight Cherries.
Ice Chest Cannon [1/4 x] - The jewel in the Freezer's chest will glow, and
then emit several "dotted-line" laser beams, each
made up of four small beams. Each small beam
that touches Spike takes away one-fourth of a
Cherry.
Refracting Beam [1/4 x] - The jewel in the Freezer's chest will glow, and
emit several small laser beams (like the ones
from the Ice Chest Cannon) in several directions.
After travelling a short distance, all of the
beams will turn into a point of light and change
their respective courses to try and hit Spike.
Each beam that touches Spike takes away one-
Fourth of a Cherry.
OTHER ABILITIES: None
STRATEGY: This is the "must-lose" battle that every RPG must have. If you're
not familiar with the concept of a must-lose battle, it's a battle
that you can't win - you either have to die or survive. In this case
it's survival that will advance the plot. Even though you can't hurt
the Freezer, use this battle as practice for dodging his attacks.
You can usually jump over the Airborne Icicles attack if you don't
manage to move out of its way first. His Obligatory-Vision(tm) can
easily be dodged. When you see his eyes start to glow, just make sure
you're not in front of him when he fires. As for the Ice Chest Cannon
(get it?), jump over the lasers. When he uses the Refracting Beam,
keep moving and jump over the lasers if necessary. Even though you
can't hurt the Freezer, you might want to go after him anyway, that
way you can get used to countering his attacks for the next battle.
-=END BATTLE=-
After a few minutes of one-sided battling, the Freezer will jump to the other
side of the room and gloat. Then, he leaves for his chamber on the other side
of the palace. Head southwest, through a hall (don't bother with the stairs
that you can take; they lead to a trap), and into the next area. Here you will
have to do battle with a quintet of Snowmen. Don't hat them when you enter the
room; the recoil will slide you back to the last area because of the slick ice.
Instead, maneuver and jump through them to the open area so you'll have more
breathing room. I found that a combination of jumping and spinning works quite
well against the Snowmen. Once they're all good and dead, head east into the
next room. There are two arrow traps on the wall, and a new enemy, Time Bombs.
These guys are a lot like the Bob-Ombs from the Mario games - they walk around
and then explode in an attempt to harm you. Just ignore any Time Bombs you
see - they usually blow up before you can defeat them. Slink past the traps
and enemies and go south to the next room, where another new enemy awaits: the
Ice Queen.
Ice Queens have seven cloves of health and two attacks. Their first attack is
to fire a ball of cold at you. If it hits, Spike will be frozen and unable to
move for a few seconds. They can also teleport. While this is not an attack
in itself, it may cause Touch Damage. There are five Ice Queens in this room,
and two of them are invisible at first. Ignore the Ice Queens for now, and get
to the spot where the second invisible Ice Queen phases in (near the stairs).
From there, hat them one by one. Once you've iced the Ice Queens, go down the
stairs and into the next room.
This place is riddled with traps. Approach the walkway of ice in front of you
to trigger a spiked roller trap. We'll be seeing a lot of these in the Ice
Palace. Now that the trap's out of the way, follow the strip of ice,
being careful to avoid the arrows from the wall. Don't bother going up
the stairs; they ultimately lead you back to the Ice Queen room. Go down the
stairs and advance to the next room.
Turn the first corner and approach the second one to activate another spiked
roller trap. Jump over the roller and continue along the path. There will be
another roller to avoid at the next corner, so be ready for it!
In the next room, jump over the ice balls and walk along the path, but be
careful of the icicle trap shortly ahead. At the X intersection, be ready to
dodge a roller trap. Keep moving along the path and go straight at the T
intersection into the next room.
Here, jump over the ice balls on each straightaway and go into the next room.
Advance across the conveyor belts (HINT: bunny-hop across the second one or you
won't make it across), watching out for the roller traps each one has on it.
When you reach a T intersection, take the southwest conveyor belt. The
northwestern one leads to an electric eel trap. In this next area, there is a
roller trap near the entrance. The funny thing is, it rolls ahead of you, so
just let it roll and advance. In the open area of this room, there are a few
arrow traps, and two roller traps near the walkway. Advance with caution to
the next area.
Here, you'll meet two Crystal Knights. Crystal Knights are the Freezer's
minions. They have two attacks. Their first attack is a leap. On their way
down, the Crystal Knights will try to stomp on you. For their other attack,
they spread out their arms and use them as helicopter blades. Stay in the
corner of the room and hat these seven-clove annoyances from a distance. If
they advance on you, maneuver to the other side of the room and continue
your hat assault. If both of the Crystal Knights corner you, use your Spin
Attacks on both of them until you've knocked them far enough to make a gap that
you can escape through, and then continure your attack from the other side of
the room. Once you've killed off both Crystal Knights, head north
(the staircase going down is just scenery, you can't go down it) to the next
room.
Our old friends the Snowmen are back again, and they're in a convenient five-
pack like always. Maneuver your way to the dead end to the west and wait for
them to come to you and hat them like before. Once you've frosted these
Frosties, head east into the next room. Here, there are four Ice Queens and
two Snowmen. This group is nigh-impossible to defeat, so just make a mad dash
for the exit.
Easterley's here, so save your game if you want to. See those holes? Jump into
the one closest to where you entered this room (lower-left). In the room you
land in, talk to one of the spoons and it will give you the Card of Soup. Jump
down into the abyss once you've got your Soup (you can't make the jump to the
other side) and you'll end up in the room before the Crystal Knights. Make
your way back to the room with Easterley in it. If you're not at Level 11 by
now, fight the snowmen in the room with the dead-end until you level up.
In the room with Easterley and the four holes, save and then jump into
the upper-right hole. You should land on an ice platform across from the Soup
Spoons. If not, you jumped into the wrong hole, so reload your game and try it
again. Advance to the next chamber.
Ignore the five Ice Queens here and exit to the north, where two Crystal
Knights and three Python Bunnies. With your Level 11 strength you can make
short work of the Bunnies. Afterwards, flee from the Crystal Knights and head
for the passage to the north. Before you march up the red carpet stairs, use a
Tomato Juice card. In the next room, you and the Freezer will banter shortly
before duking it out.
-=BOSS BATTLE=-
NAME: The Freezer, The Blizzard Behemoth Belittled By Broth (The Freezer)
CLOVES: 11
TOUCH DAMAGE: 4
ATTACKS:
Airborne Icicles [12] - The Freezer will summon two icicles. They will
float behind him and attempt to converge in an X
pattern on Spike. You cannot be hit by only one
of the icicles.
Obligatory-Vision(tm) [1+] - The Freezer will shoot twin beams from his eyes
in a straight line. If the beam touches Spike,
it will take away at least one Cherry. The exact
amount of damage inflicted depends on the amount
of time for which the beam overlaps Spike.
Ice Chest Cannon [1/4 x] - The jewel in the Freezer's chest will glow, and
then emit several "dotted-line" laser beams, each
made up of four small beams. Each small beam
that touches Spike takes away one-fourth of a
Cherry.
Refracting Beam [1/4 x] - The jewel in the Freezer's chest will glow, and
emit several small laser beams (like the ones
from the Ice Chest Cannon) in several directions.
After travelling a short distance, all of the
beams will turn into a point of light and change
their respective courses to try and hit Spike.
In other words, it's just like Felina's Flying
Fork II attack. Each beam that touches Spike
takes away one-fourth of a Cherry.
Ice Machine [2] - The Freezer will hold his hands together. They
will glow, and he will throw his arms in the air.
Several giant chunks of ice will fall from
nowhere, trying to crush you. If one touches
Spike, two Cherries will be lost. It also
Freezes you, and you can't move for a few
seconds. Fortunately, you can't take any damage
while frozen.
Frigid Flatten Stomp [2] - The Freezer will leap into the air, then try to
land on you to inflict touch damage.
SUPER MOVES: None
STRATEGY: The Freezer is invincible when the battle starts. Use the Card of
Soup to make him vulnerable to your attacks. You can usually jump
over the Airborne Icicles attack if you don't manage to move out of
its way first. Sometimes he'll use the Airborne Icicles attack
several times in a row. When he does this, dodge the icicles while
making your way towards him so you can spin attack him. His
Obligatory-Vision(tm) can easily be dodged. When you see his eyes
start to glow, just make sure you're not in front of him when he
fires. This can be a good opportunity to hat him. As for the Ice
Chest Cannon, the lasers are easy enough to jump. When he uses the
Refracting Beam, keep moving and jump over the lasers if necessary.
Jump so that you make your way towards the Freezer, and then spin
attack him. As a general rule, you should always try and set up a
counter-attack against bosses from now on. When the Freezer uses
Ice Machine, wait a moment for the ice chunks to materialize. When
they do materialize, run a short distance so that you're not in
harm's way.
-=END BATTLE=-
As the Freezer 'splodes, the innate cold aura that had turned Vampra into a
frozen wasteland will start to die down - which means the Ice Palace is going
to turn into a Puddle Palace with you in it! Freezer, having come to respect
your strength and nobility, summons a plot devi--er, giant bird to carry you
to safety.
After a "Meanwhile" with Von Hesler and Hydra, Professor Steam tells you that
the time is right to mount an assault on Castle Von Hesler.
-=IMPORTANT=-
If you haven't bought the Lightning Hat yet, do so now! Ratville is the last
town in the game, which means you won't get any more chances to buy healing
cards or anything else! Buy the Lightning Hat and as many Tomato Juice cards
as you can afford before going to the next area. If you don't have a round
number of coins (like 760g), then use the change left over to buy Big Tomato
cards. Also, since there are no towns after this, that means there are no Shops
or Card Lottos, so you don't have to worry about picking up the coins enemies
drop from now on!
-=IMPORTANT=-
When you're ready to go, talk to Professor Steam and say yes. You'll all board
the airship (WHAT?!) and embark for Castle Von Hesler. Just as Spike and
company are approaching the Von Hesler estate, a fire breaks out in the engine
room and our heroes are forced to make a crash landing.
-=*AREA 5 CLEARED*=-
-=AREA SUMMARY=-
What did we do today?: 1) Got rescued by a giant bird.
2) Used a magic hat to destroy several living
snowmen. Oh, the irony.
What did we learn today?: 1) Dongle is a funny word. Dongle, dongle, dongle...
2) ...dongle, dongle, dongle, dongle, dongle,
dongle...
3) ...dongle, dongle, don--oh, the moral of the story?
Fine then, I'll go back to that. Dongle-hater.
4) Your enemy's enemy is not your ally, but you can
use their hatred to your advantage.
5) Chicken noodle soup is the cure for the common
cold elemental.
6) It's obligatory for a royal family to have an
airship.
7) Never buy magnesium-compound fire extinguishers.
3.7: Isle Von Hesler
AREA DUNGEON(s): Jungle of Mazes,
SERVICES: Professor Steam
After the crash, Professor Steam will inform you that we're in the Jungle of
Mazes, and that 1) Camilla was thrown clear and is lost in the jungle
somewhere, probably hurt, 2) You'll be hopelessly lost in the Jungle of Mazes
forever unless you take the right path to Castle Von Hesler, and 3) Nobody's
ever returned from the Jungle of Mazes. Are we having fun yet? Save with the
Saving Easter and head north.
Camelia's in this area. Talk to her to learn that she has a sprained ankle and
can't come with you. Spike decides to leave her here to heal in the safety of
the crazy death jungle clearing. :P Head north one screen to reach an
intersection. Take the east path to the next area, where you'll fight four
Forest Cloves. Forest Cloves are pretty much Frozen Cloves with more life. To
be precise, they have ten cloves of health. Immediately get out from under the
jungle canopy so you can see what you're doing, and just fight these guys like
you'd fight a Frozen Clove or Desert Clove. Or you could just run away and let
Rudy tackle them into garlic powder. Take the east path and do battle with
four more Forest Cloves. I think you know how to handle Cloves by now, so make
Ms. Dash out of 'em and head north. After dispatching another Clove quartet,
west is the way you'll want to go. Dispatch the foursome of leeks here and head
south. After defeating this wave of garlic soldiers, head west. After the
ever-lovin', blue-eyed Spike and Rudy show these garlic goons why it's
Cloverin' Time, head south. I know, I know, it was the wrong way, but you need
to build levels. Keep using this path until you're Level 12: east, east, north,
west, south, west, south. It may be tedious, but you'll need to be stronger
than ever for what's coming up. Once you're at Level 12, head (from the first
intersection) east, east, north, west, south, west. Chug down a Tomato Juice
and take your vitamins, then head north. The music stops, and you
automatically walk up to and banter with a hideous abomination. You know what
that means, kiddies...
-=BOSS BATTLE=-
NAME: Moray, the Reason Why You Shouldn't Use DDTs (Moray)
CLOVES: 12
TOUCH DAMAGE: 2
ATTACKS:
Miracle-Gro Arms [1/4 x] - Moray will extend two of his tendrils out
Towards you in a straight line. For each
tendril that touches Spike, he will lose half a
Cherry.
Head Cold [2] - The lid on top of Moray's head opens and
scatters green mucus blobs all over the screen.
If Spike touches any of the blobs or the puddles
They produce, he will lose two Cherries.
Double-Dutch Flail [2 x] - The lid on top of Moray's head opens and a flail
composed of several red orbs extends outward.
The flail makes five revolutions around Moray
before he closes his lid, whereupon all but two
of the flail's orbs self-destruct. Every time
Spike touches the flail, he loses four Cherries.
Tiny Bola Throw [1] - This attack is always used after Moray uses the
Double-Dutch Flail. The two orbs that did not
self-destruct will fly off spinning in a random
direction like a bola. If Spike touches the
"bola", he will lose two Cherries.
Trick Eyes [2] - Moray's eyeballs will spring out of their sockets
and try to inflict Touch Damage on Spike. Moray
can only use this attack after he has used the
super move "Vegetable Growth Hormone".
OTHER ABILITIES:
Loogie - Moray spits out a glob of purple liquid. If the
liquid touches Spike, it forms a coating of
purple gunk on him, and he cannot move for three
seconds. The paralyzing effect also disables the
Pause function for some reason.
Vegetable Growth Hormone - When he is down to his last gauge of health,
Moray will glow, and the words "Speed Up!!" will
appear next to him. His health will recover to
full, and the speed of Moray's movement and
attacks will increase. Moray can only use this
ability once.
STRATEGY: Most of Moray's attacks are easy to dodge. Before he uses his
Miracle-Gro Arms, Moray always sidesteps for a few seconds to align
himself with you. When he starts to do this, STAY RIGHT WHERE YOU
ARE and charge a Hat Toss, aimed north. The tendrils will just miss
you because you're standing in the gap between them! Now's the time
to let your trusty hat fly. If he chases after you and corners you
in the lower half of the arena, move into the upper half so that you
can have a little more breathing room. Sometimes when Moray uses
Loogie, he'll spit multiple Loogies in a row. If it's only one
Loogie, just jump in place over the glob and Hat him. If it's a
multi-Loogie barrage, jump forward over each glob, advancing towards
Moray so you can eventually land a few Spin Attacks. Whenever Moray
opens his lid, walk right up to him. If he uses Head Cold, don't
think twice about the mucus and just keep wailing at him with your
Spin Attacks. The Double-Dutch Flail can be dodged by jumping over
it when it passes, or you could just keep wailing on Moray with Spin
Attacks, being sure to space them out so Spike doesn't get dizzy and
leave himself open for the flailing of his life. See, if you're in a
Spin Attack when the flail sweeps across Spike, he won't take any
damage at all. If you're feeling brave, try this: walk up to Moray
when he opens his lid, and when the flail comes out, space out your
spins a little the first two times it comes around, and then let fly
with a Dizzy Spin once the flail clears Moray's nine-o'-clock (that's
directly to his left). The Dizzy Spin will last just long enough to
protect Spike from the flail until it goes limp and self-destructs,
and he'll recover from his daze in time to dodge the Tiny Bola Throw,
which is laughably easy to dodge anyway. By the time he uses
"Vegetable Growth Hormone", you might have to use a Tomato Juice.
When he uses the Double-Dutch Flail from now on, just get close, and
strike by jumping and using your Spin Atttack. Other than that,
you'll want to hat him after he powers up. Just keep at it and you
should be able to whack this weed.
-=END BATTLE=-
After Moray is no more (ay), then he will release a red orb for you to fight.
When you attack the orb, it will eventually break up into smaller orbs, and
each small orb will break up into even smaller orbs, and so on, until you pick
off the last, smallest orbs. This should get you to Level 13.
Head north to an intersection, and go west. The four mohawked guys are
Warriors. Just Spin Attack them and concentrate on one at a time. After
dispatching the natives, head north and take on another wave of Warriors.
Next, you'll want to head east. After killing off even more Warriors, go
north. Send these Warriors to Valhalla and head north again. Advance north
through this passage, and you will reach a menacing castle.
You're in Von Hesler territory now. After advancing down a hallway, you'll
meet the stranger from the ice cave, also known as General Hydra. She wants
to keep Vampra all to herself, and if she offs Spike, she'll be able to do just
that right under Von Hesler's nose!
-=BOSS BATTLE=-
NAME: Hydra, Conniving Catwoman Commander of Countless Clove Combatants (Hydra)
CLOVES: 13
SUGGESTED LEVEL: 13
TOUCH DAMAGE: 2
ATTACKS:
Spear Slash [4] - Hydra will twirl her spear, then swipe it at
you.
Helix Bolt [1+] - Hydra will hold her hands out. They will glow,
and then release two red orbs that move southward
in a helix pattern. If one or both of the orbs
touch Spike, they will take away at least one
Cherry. The exact amount of damage done depends
on the amount of time for which the orbs overlap
Spike. Hydra can only use this attack after she
has used the ability "Mandra's Blessing".
Multiball [1+] - Hydra will hold her hands out. They will glow,
and then release three fireballs that spread out
at 45-degree angles from one another. If a
fireball touches Spike, it will take away at
least one Cherry. The exact amount of damage
inflicted depends on the amount of time for which
that fireball overlaps Spike. Hydra can only use
this attack after she has used the Super Move
"Ryuujimaho".
OTHER ABILITIES:
Summon Dracolich - Hydra will summon two flaming bone dragons (known
as Dracolich). The Dracolich will both "dive-
bomb" towards Spike, trying to inflict touch
damage. After this, they will head to the back
of the arena. Once there, they will shoot balls
of energy at Spike. Every shot that touches
Spike takes away one Cherry. After shooting
several energy balls, the Dracolich will go back
to chasing Spike. The Dracolich cannot be hurt
by any attack; they are a permanent fixture in
this battle. If either of the Dracolich touch
Spike, he will be set on fire and will be unable
to move for a few seconds afterwards.
Ryuujimaho - Once Hydra is down to her last sliver of health,
she will make a short speech and summon the Power
of Mandra (Hydra's patron god?). This will
restore her life gauge to full, and the golden
seal in the middle of the room will start to glow
blue. After glowing for a few moments, Ryuuji
will come out of the seal. Ryuuji has two
attacks. Its first attack is the Flame Ribbon, a
thin line of fire that takes away two Cherries if
it hits. Its second attack is called Pachinko
Fire. Ryuuji will spit out two fireballs
which will bounce off the walls. If one touches
Spike, it will take away one Cherry. Ryuuji will
usually chase Spike around the arena, and if it
touches him, he loses one-fourth of a Cherry.
For the rest of the battle, if Ryuuji is
defeated it will be respawned from the goldemn
seal.
STRATEGY: One thing you'll notice is that Hydra lets her Dracolich do most of
the fighting. You have to keep on the move (by jumping) to avoid the
Dracolich and their shots, so don't use the Hat Toss or you'll leave
yourself wide open for an attack. She'll mainly hover back and forth,
swiping her spear from time to time. When the Dracolich are chasing
Spike, use Spin Attacks during jumps to avoid them and to continue
attacking Hydra. When the Dracolich are firing energy balls at you,
dodge these by jumping. Jump over the shots so that you eventually
make your way next to Hydra. Once you're next to her, attack by
using your Spin Attack during a jump. Use this technique to dodge
Hydra's spear (Spin Attack and jump to one side) and the Dracolich
shots (Spin Attack and jump in place) as well while you attack.
Sometimes, one of the Dracolich wiil stop blazing briefly and
disappear in a burst of smoke. This is meant to catch you off-guard;
the Dracolich who disappeared will reappear almost immediately. One
or both of them might charge towards Spike, ending up off-screen. In
this case, too, the Dracolich will reappear in a puff of smoke in the
north of the arena. Once she uses the ability "Mandra's Blessing",
watch out for Mandragora. When it uses the Flame Ribbon, simply move
or jump to one side. Jump the blasts from Stereo Fire as well. When
Hydra uses her Helix Blast, you're better off avoiding it than trying
to pull off a counterattack. Don't do anything fancy - just get out
of the line of fire before you're reduced to death on toast. When
she uses Multiball, jump over the center fireball and Jump Spin her.
With Mandragora chasing you and Hydra firing off her spells, it might
not be a bad idea to kill Mandragora. The seal will just generate a
new one, but you have a window of opportunity to attack before it
does. Be persistent and you'll make it out alive.
-=END BATTLE=-
Once you put the scratch on this cat, heal up and head north. Progress down a
long hallway until you reach Von Hesler. He mentions something about "Owasa"
and then attacks you.
-=BOSS BATTLE=-
NAME: Von Hesler, Awesome Overlord Infused With Owasa's Essence (Von Hesler)
CLOVES: 15
RECOMMENDED LEVEL: 14
TOUCH DAMAGE: 4
ATTACKS:
Gatling Magick [2 x] - Von Hesler will hold up his scepter, which will
fire several "bullets" of magic at you. Each
bullet will head in your direction (but not home
in). Each bullet that touches Spike takes away
two Cherries.
Magick Starburst [2 x] - Von Hesler will hold up his scepter, which will
fire several "bullets" of magic in a spiral
formation. Each bullet that touches Spike takes
away two Cherries.
Fury Claw [8] - If you get too close to Von Hesler, he will swipe
at you with your left hand.
Yojimbo Fire [8] - Von Hesler will hold up his sceptre, which will
shoot fire down to the ground below him.
SUPER MOVES:
Vanish - Von Hesler's form will flicker and disappear.
After a few seconds, he will reappear in another
area of the arena.
Yojimbo-shi - Von Hesler will toss his scepter outward. The
Scepter will then chase after Spike, using two
attacks. Its first attack is the Scepter Beam.
The Scepter will fire several laser shots at
Spike. Each shot that touches Spike takes away
four Cherries. For its other attack, the Scepter
Spin, the Scepter will spin towards Spike at high
velocity in an attempt to inflict touch damage (2
Cherries). At some point, the scepter will
return to Von Hesler's hand.
STRATEGY: When Von Hesler holds up his scepter, you can be sure he's about to
use Gatling Magick or Magick Starburst, so be ready to jump shots and
counter with Jump Spins. He holds his scepter straight up when he's
about to Project Flame, and at an angle when he's about to use one of
the Magick attacks. When he holds up his scepter to Project Flame,
keep directly in front of him and attack with Jump Spins. When he
uses Vanish, get a Hat Toss ready as he starts to flicker, then aim
and throw when he reappears. If you're close to Von Hesler when he
starts to flicker, Jump Spin him. As long as you can see Von
Hesler's shadow, you can still hit him. When he uses the Yojimbo-shi
Technique, let Rudy whittle away at him while you Jump Spin the
scepter. Your attacks will knock the away from Von Hesler.
Keep up the Jump Spins to keep Von Hesler seperated from his weapon
for as long as possible and he won't be able to do a thing about it.
If Rudy is not attacking Von Hesler when he tosses his Scepter, Jump
Spin him from the left side. This way, he won't be able to use the
Fury Claw on you. Keep at it and you'll eventually beat him. I
personally found Hydra tougher.
-=END BATTLE=-
After you strike the final blow on Von Hesler, a spirit will rise from him. It
says some standard mysterious villain-lord stuff, and then Von Hesler (the
spirit - undoubtedly the "Owasa" he mentioned -- was using him as a host) will
transform into some kind of alien warrior.
-=BOSS BATTLE=-
NAME: Owasa, the Demonic Dao-Shi (Von Hesler)
CLOVES: 16
RECOMMENDED LEVEL: 14
TOUCH DAMAGE: 8
ATTACKS:
Whirling Bardiche [12] - Owasa will toss a spinning battle axe at
you.
Hades Barrage [2] - Owasa will toss a red orb at you. The orb
will explode and shoot four fireballs to the
south. If any of the fireballs touch Spike,
he will lose two Cherries. If the orb touches
Spike, he will lose twelve Cherries.
Greek Fire [2] - Owasa will conjure a swirling fireball at his
feet, which will shoot a fiery shockwave at you.
If Spike touches the searing flame, he will lose
two Cherries.
Absolute Zero Laser [2] - Owasa will conjure a dark blue orb. The orb
will move to the left or right, firing freezing
beams to the south as it drifts offscreen. If
the orb touches Spike, he will lose twelve
Cherries and be frozen.
Crescent Cutter [2 x] - Owase will conjure a yellow orb. The orb
will explode, shooting out four spinning yellow
crescents that each "swoop" in a preset movement.
Each crescent that touches Spike takes away two
Cherries. If the orb touches Spike, he will lose
twelve Cherries.
Crescent Punisher [2] - Owasa will fire a wide yellow crescent out
of his chest to the south. Von Hesler always
uses this attack after the Crescent Cutter
and only after the Crescent Cutter.
Swift Vengeance [4 x] - Owasa will dart towards you at high speed
several times. Every time he touches you using
this attack, you will lose four Cherries.
Purgatorial Void [2] - Owasa will throw a grey orb into the arena.
The orb will chase you around the arena. When
and if it touches you, it generates a black hole
that will try to suck you in. If Spike gets
caught in the hole, he falls in and loses 2
Cherries, reappearing after a moment. If you
manage to evade the orb for long enough, it will
leave the arena.
SUPER MOVES: None
STRATEGY: HOLY CRAP. HOLY FREAKING DEATH-ON-A-STICK WITH CRAP. This guy will
hand you your arse on a platter at least twenty times before you
can finally put the kibosh on him. When he uses the Whirling
Bardiche, jump over it. When he uses the Hades Barrage, stand
directly south of the orb. There's a gap there that one of the four
fireballs fill. Jump over Greek Fire when Von Hesler unleashes it,
and try to get to the north of the Absolute Zero Laser orb when he
conjures it. The Crescent Cutter is easy enough to dodge. Just stay
well away from Owasa, and jump over the cutters when they swoop. All
you have to do to avoid the Crescent Cutter is not be in front of
Owasa when he uses it. When he uses Swift Vengeance, Jump Spin like a
hyperactive munchkin to get away from him. Purgatorial Void is hyper-
fast and nigh-impossible to dodge...unless you know what you're doing.
The orb is nearly inescapable, but there's one flaw to it.
Specifically, it has slow reaction time -- it keeps shooting forward
on its current path for a moment before it corrects its course again.
What you want to do is run TOWARDS it, not away from it, and jump over
it. You might think I have it in for you, but I know what I'm doing.
An example: the orb approaches from the right, heading left. As it
approaches you, run towards it and jump over it to the right. The orb
overshoots you, and wastes precious time correcting its path. Then
just repeat. Just make like a matador at a bullfight and tease that
thing until it dissipates. Now, how to beat him...the mistake I made
so many times against Owasa was trying to dodge his attacks while also
fumbling to second-guess his movement patterns so I could damage him.
After about thirty battles, I noticed that Owasa generally gravitates
toward Spike aside from lining up to attack him when moving, so I
formulated a plan. First, I stood in the nook to the right of the
throne and hatted him from behind. As I had hoped, this baited him
into approaching me. I hugged the back wall and slipped by him once
he was partly inside, and used a Spin Attack to bump him securely in
so he couldn't escape. Then, I ran to the opposite side of the throne
and hated him from there. He kept trying to gravitate over to Spike,
which proved futile as most attempts to move through solid objects
tend to do. He also couldn't set up for his attacks properly, so I
had breathing room to dodge all of his attacks except for Purgatorial
Void, but he didn't use it too often so it wasn't anything to worry
about. He got loose somehow after a while, but it was easy enough to
trap him again. This method is probably your only hope against this
monstrosity.
-=END BATTLE=-
Once you've defeated the Owasa-fused Von Hesler, head south to initiate the
ending cutscene. In the credits, all of the bosses you defeated have been
reduced to becoming performance artists. :P
4.0 CARD TRICKS
-------------------------------------
Big Tomato Card: Restores one Tomato Level of health.
Tomato Juice: Restores two Tomato Levels of health.
Companion Card: Rudy (or Camelia, depending on which one is accompanying you)
finally becomes useful and relentlessly body checks enemies.
Invisibility Card: Enemies act as though Spike is not nearby even if he is.
Spike cannot take damage in this state.
Flying Hat Card: Spike disappears into his hat, which the player can
subsequently control. Spike cannot take damage in this state, and in tandem
he cannot damage foes.
Teleport Card: Returns Spike to Professor Steam.
Bat Card: A swarm of bats appears out of thin air to attack enemies via touch
damage.
Angel Card: A cherub appears and rams nearby enemies into submission.
Animal Card: Lesser enemies in the vicinity are transmogrified into harmless
woodland creatures.
Ice Card: A mass of ice tears through the ground in a straight line, heading
towards the enemy.
Justice Card: GravyFlood appears on screen and punishes all plagiarists. Not
a real card.
Fire Card: Flames spiral outward from Spike, damaging enemies.
Lightning Card: Pillars of lightning encircle Spike.
Quake Card: Umm....stone fish fall from the sky. Yeah. ^^;;
Soup Card: Three bowls of chicken noodle soup fall from the sky. Capable of
enfeebling the Freezer.
5.0 CONTACT INFORMATION
-------------------------------------
Feel free to e-mail me about the guide. Here are a few guidelines to follow
when e-mailing me.
DO e-mail me if...
- You have a question not answered in the guide
- One of the strategies in the guide isn't working for you, or you don't
understand a strategy that I listed
- You have information not already in the guide
- You have a good ASCII logo I can use (see Update History section)
- You want to post this guide on your website
DON'T e-mail me if...
- You have a question that's already answered in the guide
- You want to flame me
With that in mind, the address you can reach me at is:
julio_ugly [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
Just get rid of all spaces, replace [at] with the @ symbol, and replace [dot]
with a period. Be sure to include "Spike McFang FAQ" or something similar in
the subject of your e-mail.
6.0 SITES ALLOWED TO POST THIS GUIDE
-------------------------------------
The following sites are allowed to post this guide:
GameFAQs - http://www.gamefaqs.com
7.0 CLOSING
-------------------------------------
If you're still reading, you must really like this guide. In that case,
thanks! Well, this is the end of the guide, at least until I update it again.
Farewell for now!
/-------------------------------------\
| |
| GUIDE OVER |
| |
| |
| CONTINUE? |
| |
| YES >NO |
| |
| |
| |
| SCORE: 101345 |
\-------------------------------------/
C G E A B A G# A# G# G F G