===============================================================================
===============================================================================
MEGA MAN MAVERICK HUNTER X - VILE GUIDE
v1.2
by hmsong
===============================================================================
===============================================================================
This is my first guide. I am not into the whole fancy design thing, so I am
going to try to make the format as simple as possible. Feel free send me any
suggestions or corrections (wrong information, spelling error, etc).
Well, enough talk. On with the guide.
1. History .................................................... [HIS]
2. General Information, Tips, and Differences ................. [GEN]
3. Equipments ................................................. [EQU]
3a. Arm Weapons .............................................. [ARM]
3b. Shoulder Weapons ......................................... [SHO]
3c. Leg Weapons .............................................. [LEG]
3d. Others ................................................... [ETC]
3e. Equipment List by Bosses ................................. [BOS]
4. Damage Chart ............................................... [DMG]
5. Upgrade Locations .......................................... [UPG]
6. Suggested Paths, Equipments, and Strategies................. [SUG]
7. My Challenge to You Readers ................................ [CHA]
8. Final Notes / Contact Info ................................. [FIN]
===============================================================================
1. HISTORY
===============================================================================
v1.2 (2007-03-29)
- Added "Damage Chart" section.
v1.1 (2017-02-25)
- Minor fixes, added more information.
- Updated my email address.
- Added "My Challenge to You Readers" section.
v1.0 (2017-02-21)
- First release.
===============================================================================
2. GENERAL INFORMATION, TIPS, AND DIFFERENCES [GEN]
===============================================================================
Vile Mode can be unlocked when you beat the game with X. Vile has numerous
differences compared to how X was operated. Oh, and I am assuming you are
playing the game at the Hard mode, since the game is too easy in Normal mode.
Offense:
Vile has 3 attacks - Arm, Shoulder, and Leg. And each of those attacks consume
Weapon Energy (WE). Unlike X, however, Vile quickly auto-recovers his WE.
While Arm weapons can be fired while moving, Shoulder and Leg weapons have
large recoils. Now, while the recoils make you more vulnerable, air recoils
can buy you more time to think about where to land (this will be necessary
against the final X/Zero fight), and spamming it allows you to "glide".
Weapons:
Unlike X, Vile does not have the X-System, so he cannot conveniently absorb
enemy's power. So, he takes the corpses of the fallen bosses to his lair and
dissects (implied) them to make his weapons, and many weapons need two corpses
(ex: Parasite Sword needs parts from Boomerang Kuwanger and Chill Penguin).
Vile then has to manually equip these weapons to whichever weapon slot is
available (upon selecting a stage) and cannot change his equipments once he
enters a stage (since the rest of his weapons are in his lair). And Vile
(being a regular robot, unlike X) has a limited memory capacity, so he can only
equip weapons that his body can handle (the limit starts at 8 points, and grows
by 3 points for beating each of the 8 bosses). On the plus side, his weapons
generally do more damage than X (X does 3 HP damage when hitting a weakness,
whereas Vile does 6 HP damage).
Defense:
Vile starts out with a REALLY crappy armor, even weaker than X's starting armor
(Vile can upgrade it to something slightly better than X's starting armor).
Most normal enemies can kill Vile in three hits (or even two) if he did not get
any upgrades. Hell, some bosses can kill him in one hit, even with one or two
upgrades. Yikes.
Movement:
Vile walks faster than X (becomes faster after beating Storm Eagle). However,
Vile does not have a dash. This makes him VERY vulnerable to being hit, since
no dash (and by extension, no dash jump) means he cannot dodge as easily. It
is strange, since in X mode's boss battle, Vile was able to dash. I mean, I
know the game had the O button reserved for the Leg weapon, but it could have
kept the command dash (forward forward). C'mon Capcom.
Stages:
While the stage structures did not change, the enemy placements, the moving
platforms, and the upgrade locations in the stages changed greatly.
Others:
The Robot-Armor you can pick up in most of the stages changed. First of all,
the armor now has a limited battery life that drains over time, in addition to
damage (WE refills the meter), and if you get off the armor, it blows up. For
some stages, the Robot-Armor does not regenerate. Most importantly, you need
the Robot-Armor to pick up some upgrades. On the plus side, its punch can kill
anything in one hit, even sub-bosses. And it has a new weapon - Spreading
Vulcan, which is not only powerful, but can even destroy enemy projectiles.
So in summary, Vile has better offense (power, aim, and WE), whereas X has
better defense, speed, and weapon variations (per stage). I found X mode to be
easier, mostly because of X's dash. Also, X's ability to use all his weapons,
especially charged Rolling Shield/Chameleon Sting + Storm Tornado made most
stages easy (charged Chameleon Sting really was a life-saver).
On the other hand, I enjoyed Vile mode more than X mode. Maybe it is because I
like doing bigger damages against the bosses. Or maybe it is the idea that you
can try out many weapons for different situations (trial and error), almost
like a Metroidvania, but without having to grind for levels or rare item drops.
Honestly, I don't quite know.
===============================================================================
3. EQUIPMENTS [EQU]
===============================================================================
Well, the bread and butter of this guide.
R: Recovers most of the WE by the time Vile recovers from his recoil
B: Bounces off the walls
C: Crawls up the walls
P: Pierces through the enemies
W: Goes through the walls
*: Does special effect against...
Power is based on how much damage a weapon does to a boss when he is not weak
against it. For attacks that hit multiple times, I will be listing the stats
per bullet (unless it's a flamethrower, in which case I will be listing the
total WE-usage). This is because bosses get mercy invincibility when they are
hit only once.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3a. ARM WEAPONS [ARM]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Similar to X, Arm Weapons can be fired while walking. While most of these are
weak, it makes the evasions MUCH easier. This alone makes the Arm Weapon the
primary weapon.
-------------------------------
Vulcans [Default]
-------------------------------
These fire small fast bullets, and can be held for continuous shots.
Cherry Blast [Default]
Power: 1 WE-Usage: 1 Cost: 2
Effective: -
Detail: [R] Fires straight long-range shots. While it only has medium fire
rate, it is quite WE-efficient.
Zip Zapper [Armored Armadillo]
Power: 1 WE-Usage: 2 Cost: 8
Effective: Launch Octopus (4)
Detail: Fires straight mid-range shots. Has a high fire-rate. As a
result, this uses up WE quickly.
Buckshot Dance [Sting Chameleon]
Power: 1 WE-Usage: 2 Cost: 12
Effective: -
Detail: Spread-fires mid-range shots. Has a high fire-rate. As a result,
this uses up WE quickly.
Distance Needler [Chill Penguin]
Power: 3 WE-Usage: 4 Cost: 6
Effective: Spark Mandrill (6); Bosspider (6)
Detail: [R][P] Fires a thin piercing long-range shot. Has a low fire-rate.
This is one of the best Arm Weapon due to its power, speed, and
piercing property.
Triple 7 [Flame Mammoth]
Power: 1 WE-Usage: 2 Cost: 16
Effective: -
Detail: Spread-fires long-range shots. Has the highest fire-rate. As a
result, this uses up WE very quickly.
-------------------------------
Missiles [Launch Octopus]
-------------------------------
These fire bigger but slower bullets.
Humerus Crush [Launch Octopus]
Power: 2 WE-Usage: 3 Cost: 4
Effective: *Boomerang Kuwanger (6)
Detail: [R] Fires a straight mid-range missile. Quite WE efficient.
Popcorn Demon [Sting Chameleon]
Power: 2 WE-Usage: 4 Cost: 6
Effective: *Boomerang Kuwanger (6)
Detail: Fires a straight, a bit slow, long-range missile, which splits into
three. Firing few of these can fill the screen with missiles.
Banzai Beetle [Storm Eagle]
Power: 2 WE-Usage: 4 Cost: 6
Effective: *Boomerang Kuwanger (6); Flame Mammoth (6)
Detail: Fires a straight long-range missile. It is wide, so it has a great
hit rate. Unfortunately, that also means it can be blocked by
obstacles just as easily.
Lost Lamb [Boomerang Kuwanger]
Power: 2 WE-Usage: 6 Cost: 6
Effective: *Boomerang Kuwanger (6)
Detail: Fire a straight, slow, long-range missile. Its trajectory can
randomly change mid-flight.
Serotinal Bullet [Chill Penguin]
Power: 3 WE-Usage: 4 Cost: 4
Effective: *Boomerang Kuwanger (6); Spark Mandrill (6); Bosspider (6)
Detail: Fires a straight long-range missile. It initially stays still,
then speeds up considerably.
-------------------------------
Rocket Punches [Spark Mandrill]
-------------------------------
These are powerful, but they can only be fired once until the arm comes back.
Go-Getter Right [Spark Mandrill]
Power: 3 WE-Usage: 8 Cost: 6
Effective: Armored Armadillo (8)
Detail: [W] Fires a straight mid-range punch. As soon as it hits an enemy,
it immediately comes back. Definitely an excellent Arm Weapon.
Spoiled Brat [Launch Octopus]
Power: 1 WE-Usage: 3 Cost: 6
Effective: Armored Armadillo (3)
Detail: [W] Fires a straight, instant, mid-range punch. Very quick to
recover too. Quite impractical, since you can just use Vulcans or
Missiles if you want higher fire-rate.
Egoistic Pill [Armored Armadillo]
Power: 3 WE-Usage: 16 Cost: 12
Effective: Armored Armadillo (8)
Detail: [R][P][W] Fires a straight long-range punch. Because it has [P]
and [W] properties, it takes a long time to recover the arm.
Golden Right [Flame Mammoth]
Power: 6 WE-Usage: 24 Cost: 20
Effective: Armored Armadillo (12)
Detail: [P][W] Fires a straight short-range punch. While it is powerful,
the short-range and high WE cost make this an impractical weapon.
Infinity Gig [Chill Penguin]
Power: 2 WE-Usage: 20 Cost: 16
Effective: Armored Armadillo (6); Spark Mandrill (6); Bosspider (6)
Detail: [C][P] Fires a fast multi-hitting homing punch. This can be
extremely useful in cutting corners and doing multiple hits. A
jumping shot next to a thin wall can go through walls. While WE
cost is high, you can just use it, wait it out, then use it again.
Quite an excellent weapon to abuse, if used correctly.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3b. SHOULDER WEAPONS [SHO]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most of the Shoulder Weapons' aim can be changed (Neutral/Forward, Up, Down).
This applies to aerial shots as well. The default aim is a 30 degrees shot; Up
is a 60 degrees shot; Down is a straight shot. The drawback is that these
shots have large recoils.
-------------------------------
Cannons [Default]
-------------------------------
Fires large bullets.
Front Runner [Default]
Power: 2 WE-Usage: 4 Cost: 2
Effective: -
Detail: [R] Fires a regular shot. Nothing special.
Trident Line [Sting Chameleon]
Power: 2 WE-Usage: 2 Cost: 6
Effective: -
Detail: [R] Fires regular shots three times in different directions.
Fatboy [Boomerang Kuwanger]
Power: 3 WE-Usage: 14 Cost: 10
Effective: -
Detail: Fires a bigger, stronger, and faster regular shot.
Fire Murrain [Flame Mammoth]
Power: 2 WE-Usage: 11 Cost: 8
Effective: Launch Octopus (6)
Detail: Fires a short-range exploding shot. If it destroys an enemy, the
enemy explodes too, which can cause explosive chain reactions.
Longshot Gizmo [Storm Eagle]
Power: 2 WE-Usage: 10 Cost: 14
Effective: Flame Mammoth (6)
Detail: Fires regular shots five times in a quick succession.
-------------------------------
Lasers [Sting Chameleon]
-------------------------------
These have higher WE-Usage, but many of them have [P] property.
Cerberus Phantom [Sting Chameleon]
Power: 1 WE-Usage: 8 Cost: 6
Effective: *Storm Eagle (6); Launch Octopu (3); Rangda Bangda (6)
Detail: [R] Fires a 3-in-1 shot. It looks like X's Chameleon Sting.
Nervous Ghost [Spark Mandrill]
Power: 3 WE-Usage: 12 Cost: 8
Effective: Storm Eagle (8); Rangda Bangda (8)
Detail: [P] Fires an instant thin laser beam. Many players love this
weapon for its awesome looks and practicality.
Rising Specter [Flame Mammoth]
Power: 3 WE-Usage: 20 Cost: 18
Effective: Storm Eagle (8); Rangda Bangda (8)
Detail: [P] Fires an instant thick laser beam. Cannot adjust the aim from
the default angle. Very WE inefficient.
Straight Nightmare [Storm Eagle]
Power: 1 WE-Usage: 18 Cost: 14
Effective: Storm Eagle (4); Flame Mammoth (4); Rangda Bangda (4)
Detail: [P][W] Fires a straight multi-hitting tornado shot. Cannot adjust
the aim. A multi-hitting [P][W] shot makes this one of the best
weapons against normal enemies and sub-bosses. It looks like X's
Storm Tornado.
Necro Burst [Launch Octopus]
Power: 1 WE-Usage: 32 Cost: 28
Effective: Storm Eagle (4); Rangda Bangda (4)
Detail: [P][W] Fires an instant multi-hitting full-screen attack. Great
against normal enemies, terrible against bosses.
-------------------------------
Cutters [Boomerang Kuwanger]
-------------------------------
These all have [W] property. And they can all cut off Flame Mammoth's nose
and Launch Octopus's tentacles.
Metal Crescent [Boomerang Kuwanger]
Power: 2 WE-Usage: 2 Cost: 4
Effective: *Sting Chameleon (6)
Detail: [R][W] Fires boomerang shots 3 times in different directions.
Quick Homesick [Spark Mandrill]
Power: 2 WE-Usage: 4 Cost: 4
Effective: *Sting Chameleon (6); Spark Mandrill (6); Bosspider (6)
Detail: [R][W] Fires a pick-up-item boomerang shot. The main purpose of
this weapon seems to be picking up hidden upgrade items. It looks
different, but acts exactly like X's Boomerang Cutter.
Parasite Sword [Chill Penguin]
Power: 4 WE-Usage: 8 Cost: 6
Effective: *Sting Chameleon (6)
Detail: [R][P][W] Fires a long-range shot that becomes bigger over time.
Slightly slow. [P][W][R], Low cost, practicality, and good damage
make this one of the best weapons in the game.
Two Headed Slash [Launch Octopus]
Power: 3 WE-Usage: 8 Cost: 6
Effective: *Sting Chameleon (6)
Detail: [R][W] Fires a 2-in-1 shot. While not bad, Parasite Sword beats
this in almost all aspects.
Marooned Tomahawk [Armored Armadillo]
Power: 1 WE-Usage: 16 Cost: 12
Effective: *Sting Chameleon (6)
Detail: [P][W] Fires a short-range, multi-hitting boomerang shot that stays
stationary for a bit. Excellent for killing the big stationary
enemies with high HP.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3c. LEG WEAPONS [LEG]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leg Weapon shoots differently, depending on whether Vile is in the air or not.
When Vile shoots on the ground, Vile crouches, pauses, then shoots (lots of
recoil). When in air, Vile aims close to a vertical down, which lowers Vile's
weapon range, but it also lowers his recoil.
-------------------------------
Napalms [Default]
-------------------------------
These bounce on the wall/floor, then detonates after certain time (although
some needs the ground to explode).
Bumpity Boom [Default]
Power: 4 WE-Usage: 8 Cost: 2
Effective: -
Detail: [B] Drops a grenade, which then explodes. This grenade detonates
after a certain time. Despite being a default weapon, it is one of
the most powerful weapons in the game (although it can be risky and
impractical in some situations).
Rumbling Bang [Spark Mandrill]
Power: 4 WE-Usage: 10 Cost: 12
Effective: -
Detail: [B] The grenade explosion is wider, but shorter. It only detonates
on the ground. What's with the high equip cost? Bumpity Boom
pretty much beats this in every way. Or rather, this is the worst
Leg Weapon in the game.
Splash Hit [Launch Octopus]
Power: 1 WE-Usage: 12 Cost: 8
Effective: Flame Mammoth (6)
Detail: [B][P][W] This grenade releases a tall multi-damaging tornado. Not
good against bosses, but great against everything else. Too bad it
needs the ground to detonate. The tornado looks like X's charged
Storm Tornado.
Territorial Pow [Armored Armadillo]
Power: 2 WE-Usage: 4 Cost: 4
Effective: Flame Mammoth (3)
Detail: [B][R] Explodes quickly. The explosion releases three long-lasting
energy balls, and they can destroy most enemy projectiles.
Bang Away Bomb [Storm Eagle]
Power: 2 WE-Usage: 14 Cost: 10
Effective: Flame Mammoth (6)
Detail: [B] Drops a grenade that's on fire. The grenade does not explode,
so it lasts for a long time.
-------------------------------
Balls [Armored Armadillo]
-------------------------------
Most crawl on the floor/wall and have [P] property.
Deadstar Hug [Armored Armadillo]
Power: 2 WE-Usage: 8 Cost: 4
Effective: *Launch Octopus (6)
Detail: [B] Drops a crawling energy ball that bounces off a wall once. It
looks like X's Rolling Shield.
Peace Out Roller [Spark Mandrill]
Power: 2 WE-Usage: 8 Cost: 6
Effective: *Armored Armadillo (6)
Detail: [P] Drops an energy ball that splits into two upon contacting the
floor/wall.
Sword Bouquet [Flame Mammoth]
Power: 1 WE-Usage: 19 Cost: 16
Effective: -
Detail: [P] Drops a flame ball that changes into multi-hitting,
forward-moving flame pillars when it hits the floor. It looks like
X's charged Fire Wave.
Hot Icicle [Sting Chameleon]
Power: 1 WE-Usage: 14 Cost: 10
Effective: -
Detail: [P] Drop a rising flame ball that changes into multi-hitting,
forward-moving flame pillars when it hits the ceiling.
Stubborn Crawler [Boomerang Kuwanger]
Power: 1 WE-Usage: 10 Cost: 12
Effective: *Armored Armadillo (6); *Launch Octopus (6)
Detail: [C][P] Drops a fast, multi-hitting, wall-crawling energy ball.
-------------------------------
Flamethrowers [Flame Mammoth]
-------------------------------
They all have [P][W] properties and most do multi-hits.
Wild Horse Kick [Flame Mammoth]
Power: 1 WE-Usage: 7 Cost: 6
Effective: *Chill Penguin (6)
Detail: [P][W] Fires a staight short-range flamethrower. It looks like X's
Fire Wave.
Dragon's Wrath [Storm Eagle]
Power: 1 WE-Usage: 7 Cost: 8
Effective: *Chill Penguin (6)
Detail: [P][W] Fires a curving mid-range flamethrower. It beats Wild Horse
Kick in every way.
Green-Eyed Lamp [Sting Chameleon]
Power: 2 WE-Usage: 13 Cost: 10
Effective: *Chill Penguin (8)
Detail: [P][W] Fires a wide, short-range, short-lasting flamethrower.
Quite powerful.
Sea Dragon's Rage [Chill Penguin]
Power: 1 WE-Usage: 11 Cost: 12
Effective: *Spark Mandrill (6); Bosspider (6)
Detail: [P][W] Fires a straight mid-range ice-flamethrower. This is the
only flamethrower that works under water.
Burning Drive [Boomerang Kuwanger]
Power: 6 WE-Usage: 20 Cost: 16
Effective: *Chill Penguin (12)
Detail: [P][W] Attacks the immediate surroundings. While this does not
multi-hit, it is quite powerful.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3d. OTHER PARTS [ETC]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You get these equipments after beating certain bosses. They cannot be removed.
Name Unlock Description
-------- -------- --------
Frozen Castle Chill Penguin Reduces the damage taken by half.
Speed Devil Storm Eagle Enhances the movement speed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3e. EQUIPMENT LIST BY BOSSES [BOS]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For those of you who are interested in seeing what equipments the bosses drop,
here they are. The ones with + require another boss to unlock them.
Chill Penguin
Distance Needler
Serotinal Bullet (+Launch Octopus)
Infinity Gig (+Spark Mandrill)
Parasite Sword (+Boomerang Kuwanger)
Sea Dragon's Rage (+Flame Mammoth)
Frozen Castle
Flame Mammoth
Triple 7
Golden Right (+Spark Mandrill)
Fire Murrain
Rising Specter (+Sting Chameleon)
Sword Bouquet (+Armored Armadillo)
Wild Horse Kick
Boomerang Kuwanger
Lost Lamb (+Launch Octopus)
Fatboy
Metal Crescent
Stubborn Crawler (+Armored Armadillo)
Burning Drive (+Flame Mammoth)
Sting Chameleon
Buckshot Dance
Popcorn Demon (+Launch Octopus)
Trident Line
Cerberus Phantom
Hot Icicle (+Armored Armadillo)
Green-Eyed Lamp (+Flame Mammoth)
Spark Mandrill
Go-Getter Right
Nervous Ghost (+Sting Chameleon)
Quick Homesick (+Boomerang Kuwanger)
Rumbling Bang
Peace Out Roller (+Armored Armadillo)
Storm Eagle
Banzai Beetle (+Launch Octopus)
Longshot Gizmo
Straight Nightmare (+Sting Chameleon)
Bang Away Bomb
Dragon's Wrath (+Flame Mammoth)
Speed Devil
Armored Armadillo
Zip Zapper
Egoistic Pill (+Spark Mandrill)
Marooned Tomahawk (+Boomerang Kuwanger)
Territorial Pow
Deadstar Hug
Launch Octopus
Humerus Crush
Spoiled Brat (+Spark Mandrill)
Necro Burst (+Sting Chameleon)
Two Headed Slash (+Boomerang Kuwanger)
Splash Hit
===============================================================================
4. DAMAGE CHART [DMG]
===============================================================================
Here is the simple damage chart for each weapons when used against bosses.
CP: Chill Penguin
FM: Flame Mammoth
BK: Boomerang Kuwanger
SC: Sting Chameleon
SM: Spark Mandrill
SE: Storm Eagle
AA: Armored Armadillo
LO: Launch Octopus
X1: X (Central Highway)
BS: Bosspider
RB: Rangda Bangda
X2: X (Final Stage)
Z: Zero (Final Stage)
*: Does special effect (for X2, it breaks X's Rolling Shield)
CP FM BK SC SM SE AA LO X1 BS RB X2 Z
Cherry Blast: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Zip Zapper: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 1 1
Buckshot Dance: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Distance Needler: 3 3 3 3 6 3 3 3 4 6 3 2* 2
Triple 7: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Humerus Crush: 2 2 6* 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1
Popcorn Demon: 2 2 6* 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1
Banzai Beetle: 2 6 6* 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1
Lost Lamb: 2 2 8* 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 3
Serotinal Bullet: 3 3 6* 3 6 2 3 2 3 6 2 1 1
Go-Getter Right: 3 3 3 3 3 3 8 3 8 3 3 2* 2
Spoiled Brat: 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 2 1 1 1 1
Egoistic Pill: 3 3 3 3 3 3 8 3 8 3 3 2* 2
Golden Right: 6 6 6 6 6 6 12 3 24 6 6 3* 3
Infinity Gig: 2 2 2 2 6 2 6 2 2 6 2 1 1
CP FM BK SC SM SE AA LO X1 BS RB X2 Z
Front Runner: 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 2 2 1* 1
Trident Line: 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 2 2 1* 1
Fatboy: 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 8 3 3 1* 1
Fire Murrain: 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 6 4 2 2 1* 1
Longshot Gizmo: 2 6 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 1 1
Cerberus Phantom: 1 1 1 1 1 6* 1 3 3 1 6 1 1
Nervous Ghost: 3 3 3 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 8 2* 1
Rising Specter: 3 3 3 3 3 8 3 3 12 3 8 2* 1
Straight Nightmare: 1 4 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 1 4 2 1
Necro Burst: 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 1 4 2 1
Metal Crescent: 2 2 2 6* 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2
Quick Homesick: 2 2 2 6* 6 2 2 2 4 6 2 1* 2
Parasite Sword: 4 4 4 6* 4 4 4 4 6 4 4 1* 3
Two Headed Slash: 3 3 3 6* 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 3
Marooned Tomahawk: 1 1 1 6* 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
CP FM BK SC SM SE AA LO X1 BS RB X2 Z
Bumpity Boom: 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 8 4 4 1* 1
Rumbling Bang: 1 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 4 1 1
Splash Hit: 1 6 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Territorial Pow: 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 1
Bang Away Bomb: 2 6 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 2 2 1* 1
Deadstar Hug: 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 6* 4 2 2 1* 1
Peace Out Roller: 2 2 2 2 2 2 6* 2 4 2 2 1* 1
Sword Bouquet: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Hot Icicle: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Stubborn Crawler: 1 1 1 1 1 1 6* 6* 1 1 1 1 1
Wild Horse Kick: 6* 1 1 1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 1 1
Dragon's Wrath: 6* 1 1 1 1 1 1 - 2 1 1 1 1
Green-Eyed Lamp: 8* 2 2 2 2 2 2 - 4 2 2 2* 2
Sea Dragon's Rage: 1 1 1 1 6* 1 1 1 1 6 1 1 1
Burning Drive: 12* 3 6 6 6 6 6 - 12 6 6 2* 2
===============================================================================
5. UPGRADE LOCATIONS [UPG]
===============================================================================
There are numerous upgrades that can help you throughout the stages. I will be
listing the methods that do not require Speed Devil (Storm Eagle) nor Quick
Homesick (Boomerang Kuwanger + Spark Mandrill) first. Most of these are easy
to get with Quick Homesick.
-------------------------------
Heart Containers:
-------------------------------
These things raise the max HP by 2 points.
Chill Penguin:
Inside the first igloo. The Robot-Armor is necessary.
Flame Mammoth:
The left wall of the big molten steel room. Use gliding to reach it.
Boomerang Kuwanger:
On the ceiling of the rising platform room. Use the platform before it
gets destroyed.
Sting Chameleon:
On top of the background tree in the beginning of the stage. Ride the
enemy's wood projectile.
Spark Mandrill:
On the ceiling, a litte after where you pick up the Robot-Armor. You can
jump off the Robot Armor to reach the platform.
Storm Eagle:
On top of the watch tower (do not break the glass).
Armored Armadillo:
The top right side of the wall before the boss door. The necesary moving
platforms cannot be seen very easily, so use the air recoils for more time.
Launch Octopus:
Destroy the floating boat to open the path to the underground, and then
kill the first Sea-Snake sub-boss.
-------------------------------
Subtanks:
-------------------------------
Any health pallets you pick up after being at full HP gets added to these.
Boomerang Kuwanger:
You see it on the way, but you need Quick Homesick to reach it.
Sting Chameleon:
Inside the cave, there is a platform on the ceiling after the third pit.
Jump off the Robot-Armor (on top of the cave entrance) to reach it.
Storm Eagle:
This is a tough one. There is a breakable wall near the final floating
platform, but it can only be broken by the Robot-Armor. You kind of need
luck to reach it, since enemies on the way need to drop the WE pallets.
Launch Octopus:
It is above the water before the second Sea-Snake sub-boss. Use gliding to
reach it.
===============================================================================
6. SUGGESTED PATHS, EQUIPMENTS, AND STRATEGIES [SUG]
===============================================================================
Well, given how hard Vile Mode is (I assume you are playing the Hard mode),
learning what paths to take, what weapon to use, and other various things is
imperative. Obviously, you should pick up all the possible upgrades in the
stages. If you need to come back to it later, I will mention it. However, I
will assume you are not using the Subtanks, since those makes the battles far
too easy.
The intro stage is very hard, mostly because Vile sucks at taking damage. Be
cautious when moving forward. You get killed really easily, especially after
the two Giant Bee sub-bosses. Learn to ignore the high HP enemies (or just
take a hit, then move on). As for X, fight using only the air grenades.
Now, you have to fight the standard 8 bosses.
First, go to Sting Chameleon's stage and pick up the Heart Container and the
Subtank. Now, escape.
Start with Chill Penguin, since he gives you the much-needed Armor upgarde and
an awesome Arm Weapon.
1st: Chill Penguin (you get the armor, which is pretty much necessary). In
most places, you will have to use a lot of Shoulder Cannon to take out
the annoying air enemies. Avoid fighting the wheel enemies, since your
weapons suck against those guys. Against Chill Penguin... use the
grenades, but do not overcommit, since only 2 hits can kill you. Try
fighting in the center of the room to avoid his Shotgun Ice, and if you
see him about to do something on the ground (ice breath, ice shot, or
belly dive), spam the air Shoulder Cannon to avoid it. Prioritize in
destroying the ice breath blocks (two air grenades); they get in the way
when you try to avoid attacks. This is probably one of the the hardest
battles in the game, again because Vile sucks at taking damage.
Now that you have the armor, you will not die as quickly. Game on.
2nd: Flame Mammoth (flamethrowers are good at killing the high HP enemies).
Equip the awesome Distance Needler. That is probably the best Arm weapon
in the game. By far. That makes the stage quite easy and Flame Mammoth
not much harder (Distance Needler is not effective against Flame Mammoth,
but it still does 3 damage per hit). Awesome.
3rd: Storm Eagle (you get the speed boost). Air Wild Horse Kick works great
in dealing with the high HP enemies. Storm Eagle is not weak against any
of your weapons, but if you pay attention to his sound as he makes the
dives, you should be okay with just Distance Needler.
4th: Boomerang Kuwanger (his Parasite Sword is insanely useful, even against
bosses). You can replace Wild Horse Kick with Dragon's Wrath for a
better range. Extra speed from Storm Eagle is really useful against
Boomerang Kuwanger. Again, mainly use Distance Needler for combat. If
you use the walls effectively and move around a lot, you will be alright.
Well, the equipments you now have should be enough for most situations (Armor,
Speed, Distance Needler, Parasite Sword, and Dragon's Wrath). Excellent.
5th: Sting Chameleon. He would be one of the toughest bosses in the game, if
it weren't for your Boomerang weapons. Truly, Parasite Sword makes both
the stage and the boss easy.
6th: Spark Mandrill (Rocket Punch weapons are good against Armored Armadillo).
Distance Needler works well, and Sea Dragon's Rage even freezes the boss.
You may have to trade Distance Needler or Parasite Sword for something
cheaper if you want to use Sea Dragon's Rage. I would keep Distance
Needler and use Dragon's Wrath, since Spark Mandrill is quite easy.
Go pick up the Subtank from the Boomerang Kuwanger stage, using Quick Homesick.
7th: Armored Armadillo (his Ball weapons stun Launch Octopus). Oh boy, this
is gonna be tough. The weapons that can knock away the boss's armor are
only given after beating him. Sigh. For the Arm Weapon, Go-Getter Right
works well in the stage (most enemies get killed in one hit) and does a
lot of damage against the boss. For other weapons, I used Burning Drive
(good for killing enemies around you in one hit) and Quick Homesick (the
best Shoulder weapon with the memory left). As for Armored Armadillo...
he is only vulnerable when he lands from his spin attacks. He is also
vulnerable the moment he fires his head-fireball. You may want to learn
this timing. Even with all the equipments and upgrades, this is the
toughest fight of the eight bosses, mostly because you cannot knock away
his armor nor dash to easily evade his body slam + projectile combo.
8th: Launch Octopus. You can actually fight him earlier with Fire Murrain (or
better yet, Parasite Sword), but Launch Octopus does not really give you
anything good. So, you might as well do this when you have all the
weapons to breeze through the stage. There are lots of sub-bosses, so
choosing the right weapons determines the difficulty. My setup is Cherry
Blast, Straight Nightmare, and Stubborn Crawler. Cherry Blast is just
there to save the memory space (it will almost never be used). Straight
Nightmare works great against pretty much everything in this stage,
except the Submarine sub-bosses and Launch Octopus. Stubborn Crawler
destroys both the Submarine sub-bosses and Launch Octopus.
Final 1: Popcorn Demon, Parasite Sword, Stubborn Crawler
Popcorn Demon works well against Boomerang Kuwanger, and Stubborn
Crawler works well against Launch Octopus. Parasite Sword, while not
effective against Bosspider, can still work well against him; it
takes off 4 HP per shot. Stubborn Crawler is great at clearing the
mini spiders in one shot.
Final 2: Infinity Gig, Cerberus Phantom, Peace Out Roller
Infinity Gig works well on Spark Mandrill, Armored Armadillo, and
killing aerial enemies. Cerberus Phantom works great on Storm Eagle
and Rangda Bangda. And Peace Out Roller disarms Armored Armadillo
(Infinity Gig has a better aim, so use that after disarming him).
Final 3: Distance Needler, Parasite Sword, Stubborn Crawler/Burning Drive
Distance Needler is the best weapon for the X/Zero fight. It has the
range, speed, power, breaks X's Shield, and has no recoil. Parasite
Sword is useful against all other bosses, especially Sting Chameleon.
It is also useful in killing enemies behind walls. Stubborn Crawler
is good at dealing with regular ground enemies, whereas Burning Drive
is great at dealing with air enemies (and Chill Penguin).
===============================================================================
7. MY CHALLENGE TO YOU READERS [CHA]
===============================================================================
Here is a fun idea after beating the game. Below are my challenges to you.
If you are able to complete my challenge, send me an email, and I will post the
date, your name, and the set you used to complete it.
-------------------------------
Challenge 1
-------------------------------
Rules:
1. Pick a set of weapons (you have infinite memory, so pick any weapon). Now,
play through the entire game (including the final stages) with that same
set of weapons.
2. You cannot use any Subtanks.
3. If you lose a life, you have to start over from the beginning of the stage.
Date Name Set
---- ---- ----
2017-02-25 hmsong Distance Needler, Parasite Sword, Stubborn Crawler
2017-02-25 hmsong Distance Needler, Parasite Sword, Peace Out Roller
2017-03-28 hmsong Distance Needler, Parasite Sword, <anything>
(I beat the game with Rumbling Bang as the Leg Weapon,
so I am confident I can beat the game as long as I have
Distance Needler and Parasite Sword)
-------------------------------
Challenge 2
-------------------------------
Too easy? Here's another one, this time, a competition:
Rules:
1~3. Same rules as Challenge 1.
4. Use the least total points for the set. (ex: Distance Needler uses 6 pts)
Date Name Set
---- ---- ----
2017-03-28 hmsong Distance Needler, Quick Homesick, Bumpity Boom (12 pts)
===============================================================================
8. FINAL NOTES / CONTACT INFO [FIN]
===============================================================================
I wish I could have fought Sigma (and his dog) with Vile. I don't care about
the story. The story could just be "what if" alternate universe. I just want
to try him out, dammit.
I also wish there was Zero mode. Zero's alternate weapon could have been his
sword, and Zero could have gained a technique (Buster or Sword) or an equipment
(armor, dash leg) for beating each of the eight bosses. What a waste.
Well, I wrote down everything I can think of. If you want me to add in
something, let me know.
Oh, and my contact information: hmsong01 AT gmail DOT com
Obviously, replace AT with @ and DOT with .
===============================================================================
