Noitu Love 2: Devolution
Boss FAQ - Version 1
Written by Typhin
Created on 5/9/09
Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Version History
3. Bosses
4. Special Thanks
5. Contact Information
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
> 1. Introduction <
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Noitu Love 2 is a game that should need no introduction. It's been available
for some time, so if you haven't gotten it yet, grab the demo and see if it's
worth the $10 to you. Unless you're some kind of soulless demon, that answer
should be yes.
Yes, it's been out for a little while, but there was no Boss FAQ, so I decided
to fill that void in all our hearts. I tried to be complete, including all
attacks the boss uses, the tells the boss has for the attacks, and any
strategies, tips, etc that seemed like a good idea to include.
Official Site:
http://www.konjak.org/nolove2.htm
Creator: Joakim Sandberg
More than likely, if you're reading this, then you already know about the game.
Thus, I'm going to assume you know the various moves, such as setting a shield
and charging shots. If not, play through the tutorial, or pause the game.
Also, being a BOSS FAQ, it's going to have information bosses, including hidden
and final ones. This means SPOILERS will abound here. You have been warned.
Also included is all the standard legal stuff. Don't publish this in a book
and make money off of it, that's not cool. Don't post this somewhere under
your name and claim you wrote it, that's also not cool. Basically, just don't
be not cool with this, okay? Excellent.
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders. The game was made by the AWESOME
Mr. Sandberg, not by me.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
> 2. Version History <
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Version 0:
Initial working copy of the FAQ. Before this, there was nothing.
Version 1:
Corrected some typos. Releasing into the wild, so to speak.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
> 3. Bosses <
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The meat and potatoes, so to speak, of this FAQ.
Let's break this down by stage.
STAGE 1: A Reminder
STAGE 2: Ghost Century
STAGE 3: Petals
STAGE 4: Hover Guns (Note, this stage is only playable by Xoda.)
STAGE 5: Speak Louder
STAGE 6: Dystorque
STAGE 7: FINALE (Also only playable by Xoda.)
Each boss will have the name, a short description, and a list of their attacks.
- Normal Mode information.
+ Hard Mode information.
* Hardest Mode information.
You can also search for "STAGE #" to jump to that stage.
-=- STAGE 1 -=-
Miniboss
--------
Name: Sky Crawler
Description: The helicopter that's been chasing you since the beginning of the
stage. Turns out, it has a pair of legs and can turn upside down
to cling to the ceiling!
Attacks
-------
Outer Missiles:
- Two missiles launch near the outside edges of the craft's underside.
+ The missiles explode, sending fireballs to the sides, when they hit
the ceiling or a shield.
* The missiles explode, sending fireballs to the sides as well as abvoe and
below.
Look for the two white circles just before they fire. Since you'll most likely
be in the middle of attacking the pilot, they should fire harmlessly on either
side of you, meaning you don't have to do anything to avoid them, even on
Hardest. Occasionally, they'll leave behind a small health.
Inner Missiles:
- Two missiles launch near the outside edges of the craft's underside.
+ The missiles explode, sending fireballs to the sides, when they hit
the ceiling or a shield.
* The missiles explode, sending fireballs to the sides as well as abvoe and
below.
Again, look for the two white circles. This time, though, unless you're
completely centered, you're likely to get hit. On Normal, you can set a shield
to block the missiles. On Hard or Hardest, you're better off letting them go
up and hit the ceiling. Also sometimes leaves behind health.
Fireballs:
- Two rows of fireballs are shot out to the sides, and brought in towards the
center.
+ The lines are brought in faster.
* The lines come in much faster.
Another fairly easy attack to avoid, they don't reach the area just above the
cockpit. Since you'll likely still be pummeling him, this means you still
don't have to do anything. This IS the first miniboss, after all...
Helicopter Blades:
- The center section spins around, putting the blades on top to deal damage.
+ You are given less time to react.
* You're given a little less time to react.
Not that hard to avoid, the whole center section flashes just before this
happens. Grab the hook and wait for him to flip back before resuming
the beatdown.
Notes
-----
The boss doesn't have much in the way of a cycle. Sometimes he'll walk left or
right, but it doesn't change much of anything. There will be plenty of hooks
to grab, and his health bar will be gone before you know it. Even on Hardest,
there's not much danger here.
Boss
----
Name: Mordecai Fluke
Description: A grizzled old-looking Darn piloting a giant tank converted from
a boat, with gear-shaped wheels.
Attacks
-------
Cannonball:
- The cannon on top of the ship-tank fires a bomb like the Darn Cannons
in earlier parts of the stage. The bombs bounce when they hit the ground.
+ The cannon fires two bombs.
* The cannon fires three bombs.
The cannon will flash before this attack is used. The bombs are fairly easy to
dodge, and putting up a shield will stop them as well. Though the bombs will
take down a shield, if you place it right over the cannon's muzzle, you'll take
out all the bombs at once and you won't have to worry. They'll also go over
your head unless you're keeping your distance.
Energy Shot:
- The top cannon fires a large energy ball that swirls around the screen.
+ The shot travels faster.
* The shot travels even faster.
This time, the pilot himself flashes before this move. This one's actually a
little harder to avoid, you have to be either right up on the tank, or far away
from it. Very rarely, the ball will leave behind a small health after it
disappears.
Minion:
- The front hatch pops open, releasing a Darn Worse (Purple mook)
+ The front hatch releases a Darn Scoundrel (Green guy with flamethrower)
* The front hatch releases a Darn Dimwit (Gold conehead enemy)
Hardly an attack at all, it's very easy to kill the enemy before it even
gets a chance to move or attack. Sometimes, he'll be starting another attack,
but most of them will miss you since you'll be so close to him.
Steamroll:
- He charges forward, in an attempt to run you over.
+ He charges with less delay.
* He charges almost instantly.
When the massive gear-wheels flash, it's time to move left. The wheels
themselves won't actually hurt you, but the spikes on the front hatch will.
Still, very easy to dodge, and even on Hardest, you'll have plenty of warning.
Charged Shot:
- Front hatch opens up, revealing an energy cannon, which eventually fires.
+ The cannon spends less time charging up before firing.
* Even less time.
This is your opening, that cannon that is revealed is his only weak spot. Go
and wail on it as much as you can. Often, he'll do this right after releasing
a minion, so you'll take care of both of them at the same time. When it's done
charging, the screen will flash with a Darn logo, so break off your assault and
duck to avoid getting blasted.
Notes
-----
A pretty easy boss, this is still Stage 1 after all. It should only take 2-3
openings of the hatch (4-5 on Hardest) before he's going under. Mr. Almond
can spend pretty much the entire fight ducking in the left corner, too. He'll
sometimes roll forward or back with little to no warning, so don't spend too
much time right up against those front spikes.
-=- STAGE 2 -=-
Miniboss
--------
Name: The Grin Reaper
Description: Grinning robot face, scythe, visible red heart, flowing robe...
Not really much to say here, you'll see him a few times from
the start of the stage, really. Not much mistaking him.
Attacks
-------
Death From Below:
- Flies down into the ground, only to pop up underneath you.
+ Moves a bit faster.
* Moves even faster.
As soon as he does this, just get into the air and start dashing, basically.
Not a very hard attack to dodge, and you can go back to wailing on him before
long.
Lightning:
- Sits on the left side of the screen and calls down lightning.
+ Lasts a bit longer, covers a bit larger area.
* Covers an even larger area.
He finally sits still, and you can't go nuts attacking him! Well, kinda,
anyway. Rilo and Almond can easily stay out of his range and unleash the pain,
but Xoda should probably keep her distance and stick with firing charged shots.
Scythe:
- Spins the scythe and drops it to attack.
+ The impact sends two fireballs out to the sides.
* The impact sends two to the sides, and two more at a shallow angle.
Fairly easy to dodge, he'll always be on the left when he does this, and he
brandishes the scythe for a bit first. Where he keeps it is probably better
left unanswered... On harder difficulties, just stay in the air and you'll be
fine.
Notes
-----
He can take a bit of time, since he spends most of his time floating back and
forth. Just attack as much as you can, and he should be going down in no time.
If anything, he's even easier than his Noitu Love 1 incarnation.
Miniboss
--------
Name: Cyberus
Description: A large round body, with feet and a head. Despite the name,
there's only one head.
Attacks
-------
It's Raining Missiles:
- Launches missiles into the air that then fall from above.
+ The missiles explode with fireballs to the sides when they hit.
* The missiles explode with fireballs to the sides, and above and below.
You can use a Shield to protect against the missiles, but on Hardest, you're
better off dodging. If you stay right on top of him, you can not only keep
attacking, but stay pretty safe from the missiles, as they'll rarely come down
that close to him. It's pretty obvious when he's about to use this attack,
he'll spin his body until his head is pointed upwards, and then fire several
missiles into the air. The missiles will then have arrows telling you where
they're falling.
Fire Breath:
- Lowers his head and launches a blast of firey breath.
+ Same, but longer duration.
* Same, but longer still.
On Normal, you'll explicitly be told to Shield. Since his head will follow
you, this is the only way to protect yourself. Put the shield right over his
head, and you'll be able to keep attacking while still remaining unharmed.
That can be a little tricky to get the positioning down, so there's no harm
in keeping back and waiting. On all modes, you'll get the Darn Symbol flashed
to warn you of the attack.
Howling Good Time:
- Rears back and howls, causing a strong wind to launch several bouncing
boulders after you from the right.
+ More boulders.
* Many more boulders.
The howl is a pretty strong tell, so you should know it's coming. The shield
is useless, it won't block larger projectiles like the rocks. On Hardest,
it can be very difficult to keep unharmed. If you're up to it, attack the head
and use your spin-jump to keep out of reach of the boulders. Remember, as long
as you land a hit after the spin-jump, you can do it again without having to
land. Keep your distance by using air-dashes to the left and right if there
are too many boulders to land safely.
Notes
-----
If you're only playing the demo, I'm afraid this is where we'll be parting
ways. After this miniboss, the free version will end. It was nice knowing
you, though. For the rest of you, this boss will serve as a good wake-up
call, if you haven't been using your Shield properly. Other than that, with
only three attacks, he's fairly easy to get through. The boulders is the only
dangerous move, really.
Boss
----
Name: 02-Joy
Description: The music-loving Darn Leader returns, and takes center stage!
Though, personally, I'd have picked a stage that didn't have
hammers ready to strike me.
Attacks
-------
The first part of the fight, he'll be on stage dancing, and symbols will
flash over his head, eventually stopping on one. He'll then move to one
side of the stage, while the attack indicated will go off. Step on one of
the keys with the red dots to bring down a hammer on that side of the stage,
that's the only way you can attack now.
Sword:
- Blades come from below the piano keyboard, starting in the center and
spreading outward.
+ The blades move much faster.
* The whole row practically appears at once.
You can carefully position yourself in the center, but it's easier to just
keep yourself in the air and land when it's safe, and then go for an attack.
Clef:
- A speaker drops, pushing you back. One bomb flies in from the gust.
+ Two bombs fly in.
* Three bombs fly in.
You'll usually have to fight the wind to get at the key you need, which often
will get you hit by the bombs. It's easy to miss spotting them with the gusts
of wind, so be careful. Either use a shield to defend yourself, or stay back
and let him stay unhammered for this round.
Wheel:
- A large wheel with two bladed tips drops from above.
+ The impact sends two fireballs to the sides.
* The impact sends two fireballs at a shallow upwards angle.
The wheel will drop point-first in the center, and then bounce to whichever
side 02-Joy is on. Since you'll likely be on that side as well to attack him,
it'll be going towards you. You'll probably have already hit the key by the
time it lands, so just dodge then. The wheel itself is safe, only the tips
can harm you. Jump early on Hard, wait a moment to jump on Hardest to let the
fireballs pass over you.
Lightning Bolt:
- Cords come in from a top corner, covering about half the keyboard.
Electricity soon travels down them.
+ The cords cover the whole keyboard.
* The cords cover the whole keyboard, and give you much less time to move.
Once you get the hang of it, not a hard attack to deal with. The cords
themselves are harmless until the electricity flows, and they'll flash a bit
before that happens. Even on Hardest, you have time to hit the key and get
out of the way, keeping to the air to avoid getting shocked.
Once you get him down to about one third of his health, he'll get enraged.
He'll jump to the foreground, surrounded by a barrier of energy. At this
point, he really only has two attacks. First, he'll send two rings of energy
down at an angle, leaving himself unprotected. Shortly after that, the screen
will flash the Darn Grin, and he'll regain the barrier and swoop low over the
keyboard. He'll repeat this until he's defeated.
Notes
-----
A nice, unique fight, I always find this one a lot of fun. There isn't too
much to say here that I haven't said already, though. I'm personally glad he
lost the headache-inducing lightshow leading up to him from the first game.
-=- STAGE 3 -=-
Miniboss
--------
Name: Poundelita
Description: A female-looking Darn with a straw hat and a massive, stone
hammer. She's the remix of a miniboss in Noitu Love 1.
Attacks
-------
Hammer Time:
- Swings the hammer, hitting the bridge, and sending two fireballs arcing
from the impact site.
+ The fireballs are a different color.
* The fireballs are another color.
They change color because they're doing more damage, since on harder
difficulties EVERYTHING does more damage, so there's really nothing to
worry about. Avoid getting hit by the hammer itself, and stay in the air,
and you should come out just fine. ...And yes, I had to use that name at some
point, might as well get it over with.
Swing Low:
- Spins the hammer around her as she flies across the screen.
+ She flies off at a lower angle.
* She flies off towards whereever you are.
If you're not careful, this will hit you almost every pass. Keep your distance
and be ready to dodge, though, and you can sometimes hit her if you're feeling
lucky.
Drop the Hammer:
- Swings the hammer and tosses it into the air, which then drops from above.
+ The hammer comes down faster.
* The hammer comes down even faster.
She's about to dispense some indiscriminate justice on you. This is your best
time to unleash a beating, actually. Just be ready to move when the grinning
logo appears.
Notes
-----
Since this fight happens just after the auto-scrolling corridor with the
pendulums and the Darn Pakimonos, you might find yourself running a bit low
on health on Hardest. If so, you might just want to keep your distance,
firing charged shots at her, instead of trying to get up close and personal
most of the time.
Miniboss
--------
Name: The Sea Serpent
Description: Robotic underwater serpent with a bone-like skull mask.
Attacks
-------
Just Keep Swimming:
- Swims across the screen.
+ Same.
* Same.
An arrow points from the direction he'll come from, so just stand on the other
side and duck, and he'll swim harmlessly over you. Hardly an attack at all.
Underwater Loogie:
- Charges up, and then fires a projectile that bounces up into the air,
splitting into two on the way down.
+ The projectile splits into three parts when it starts to fall.
* Three parts, but they fall faster and are harder to dodge.
Maybe it's just me, but the double-ended spinning... things that this becomes
just don't look right. When the Darn Symbol flashes, stop wailing on him and
dash away, then move to an open spot to avoid the falling loogies.
Notes
-----
He'll just do these two attacks over and over, and doesn't have too much
health, so you should be finished pretty quickly. Don't worry, he's not dead.
Boss
----
Name: Rilo Doppelori / Xoda Rap
Description: The blue robot you've been following, carring a hefty energy
cannon! Or, if playing as said robot, the green-helmeted girl
who's been following you!
If this is a spoiler, I apologize, but it really shouldn't be. The intro to
the stage shows Rilo kicking some Darn butt using almost the same exact moves
as Xoda, so it should be fairly clear you get to unlock her. Either way,
whoever you fight here uses pretty much the exact same attacks.
Attacks
-------
Twin Blast:
- Fires two large shots, one low, and one after a short jump.
+ Waits less time before firing, and less time between shots.
* Barely waits at all.
Your foe will move to the left or right side of the screen, stopping for a
moment. The first will be while on the ground, the second will be after a
short jump. While you can jump the first and then land, it's easier to just
jump and spin-jump to avoid both. These will hit behind her, so you can't
just go there and try to be safe while attacking.
Blasts from Above (Vs. Rilo):
- Your foe leaps up offscreen, raining down three blasts from above.
+ Your foe ups the ante by firing four shots.
* Your for takes off the kid gloves, kinda, firing rather quickly.
Numbered markers appear, in the order they'll hit. This would be a good time
to charge up a shot to let go as soon as she drops in.
Rushing Attack (Vs Xoda):
- Your foe spins in air, then rushes at you for a quick attack.
- Xoda spends less time charging, and travels faster.
- You should probably just never stand still.
Actually, standing still is generally a bad idea at any time during the fight.
Ground Pound:
- Your foe leaps into the air, attacking the ground and sending two fireballs
arcing from the impact.
- The whole move is faster.
- Faster still, and the fireballs arc higher.
A minor difference is that Rilo fires a blast at the ground, while Xoda does a
dashing kick. Other than that, the fireballs stay pretty low, so just be
jumping when it hits and you should be fine. On Hardest, they bounce high
enough that your best bet is to stand near where the attack hits, so it can go
up and over you.
Notes
-----
When you get your opponent down to half her health, the Sea Serpent will run
through the background. A short time later, it'll bust apart the bridge
you're fighting on, interrupting your duel. You'll then find yourself having
to keep running on the waterwheel from the background, down a sloping river,
during your fight with...
Boss
----
Name: The Sea Serpent (again)
Description: Same as before, except now he's mad because you broke his mask,
you big meanie.
The fight will start out with your rival opening a few shots, then landing down
next to you, ready to fight him off with you. Guess she just hates being
interrupted. Don't get too attached, his first attack will knock her off, and
you'll be on your own.
If you fall off the wheel and land in the water, you'll have Amoebas attached
to you. Use a spin-jump to shake them off, or they'll hit you every second or
two.
Attacks
-------
Abovewater Loogie
- Same as the underwater version
+ Same as the underwater version
* Same as the underwater version
This is the same attack, except now you're on a platform that requires you to
keep moving to the right. He'll always use this attack when he's on the left
side of the screen. He'll flash the Darn Symbol before firing.
Fire Breath
- Breathes a blast of fire at you.
+ Breathes it a bit longer.
* Keeps on going for a while.
This isn't a bad attack, but unlike Cyberus, he's invincible once he begins
his breath. Put up a shield and focus on staying on your wheel, because
that's all you can do at this point. He'll always use this attack when he's
on the right side of the screen, and he'll flash the Darn Symbol before it.
Up and Over:
- Jumps over you to move from one side of the screen to the other.
+ Same thing.
* Same thing.
Not really an attack, since he'll never hit you as long as you're on the
wheel. I'm not even sure why I listed it, really.
Notes
-----
After everything else you've been through, this guy's almost a vacation. Both
of his actual attacks feature plenty of warning, both a charge and a Darn
Symbol flash. Getting through this without getting hit is simple. Don't be
afraid to take your time if you're low on health and don't want to fight your
rival all over again. He'll always follow the same pattern of Abovewater
Loogie, Up and Over, Fire Breath, Up and Over, and repeat.
-=- STAGE 4 -=-
NOTE: This stage is only accessable by playing as Xoda. Other characters will
skip it entirely, and will call Stage 5 (1920's Era) "Stage 4"
Miniboss
--------
Name: Darn Fab
Description: A rhinestone cowboy riding a motorcycle wearing a fur coat and
playing his guitar. Darn Fab indeed.
Attacks
-------
Strummin' Along:
- Strums his guitar for a bit, building up a note above him, which then
splits into three towards you.
+ The shots travel faster.
* The shots travel much faster.
Not much to say about this attack, just keep your distance and dodge them.
Bombs?:
- Places two objects above him which explode after a short while.
+ They detonate faster.
* They detonate much faster.
This isn't really so much of an attack, as him allowing you to attack him.
Since he'll have a shield at all times (three on Hardest), link your beam
to the bomb and to him to attack him. If you stay too close, their explosion
can damage you, but you have to almost try to get hit.
Notes
-----
Don't stay to the left when you attack, he'll lose speed when he's hit,
causing him to slam to the left from your point of view. Other than that,
this is almost a check to make sure you know how to link your beam to get
around shields, in case you didn't pick it up on the Darn Denims before.
Miniboss
--------
Name: Grinsley Gumsburrow
Description: A marvellous gent with a smashing hat who bears none other than...
THE NUCLEAR ARM! Marvellous, is it not?
Attacks
-------
Punch High:
Punch Low:
- The hand flashes a moment before flying at its target.
+ The delay is shorter.
* The delay is much shorter.
They're essentially the same attack, just one's aimed at the center and one's
aimed lower. Easy enough to dodge.
Aound The World:
- The arm swings around in a circle.
+ There's less of a delay.
* There's even less of a delay.
The arm will be extended before this move, held up a bit. You'll learn to see
the pose pretty quickly, and it'll be in the same part of his rotation every
time.
Punch You:
- A straight jab towards your current position.
+ A faster jab.
* A much faster jab. If you're not already moving, you're getting hit.
This is what you'll be waiting for. This time, his hand will be open when he
prepares, and it'll track you as you move. It tracks while flashing slow, and
when it switches to flashing faster, that's when he'll get ready to punch.
Keep moving up or down to avoid getting hit, and you'll notice his elbow is
exposed. There's your chance!
Notes
-----
Almost disappointing, considering how great this boss was in Noitu Love 1.
Between the buildup of chasing a nuclear weapon, and the reveal, and his
dialogue, I laughed so hard I had to stop playing. Sadly, all that is missing
this time around, and combined with the new mechanic of the Combolt Battery,
he doesn't have muh chance for variation. He'll use the same rotation of his
attacks, based on your difficulty, ending with a Punch You. Once he does that
move, link your beam between one of the two orbs above and below him, to his
elbow, to the other orb to channel energy through his arm to hit him through
his shield. After the third time doing that, he'll be a goner. Marvellous!
Miniboss
--------
Name: Darn Reckless
Description: Looks a lot like the Darn Denim, a robot dressed as a cowboy with
a green spiked shield to defend against your Combolt Battery. He
dual-wields, though, which causes him to drop his shield when
attacking, hence the Reckless name.
Attacks
-------
Three Shot:
- Three shorts travel slowly
+ They travel faster.
* They move faster and home in on you.
You can link your beam to the shots, but there's no real reason to. They're
easy enough to dodge.
Notes
-----
Yes, that's his only attack. He just does that over and over while Sleeper
Breakman watches. Since he drops his shield when attacking, you don't even
need fancy Combolt linking to take him out. Once he drops, move to the right.
Boss
----
Name: Sleeper Breakman
Description: An engineer driving a not-train. The train bears the text "C'est
nes pas", a reference to "The Treachery of Images", a famous
painting of a pipe bearing the text "Ceci n'est pas une pipe"
("This is not a pipe"). When the train gets up and starts
running, it proves pretty apt.
Attacks
-------
Speeding Locomotive:
- Falls back to the left, and then charges doing a wheelie.
+ Same thing.
* Same thing.
The big blue arrow pointing left tells you where he's coming from, not where
to go. Instead, stick to the top right corner, and you'll just barely stay
out of his reach.
Leaping Tall Buildings:
- Leaps into the air and comes down on the right side of the screen.
+ Same thing.
* Same thing.
In case you don't realize when he jumps, the blue arrow helpfully points out
that he's up there, so you should move to the left. Once he drops, fire at
the glowing crystal orb on his back until it breaks.
Gemini Beam:
- Fires a blue ball which splits into two.
+ Same thing, but with less charge up time.
* Same thing, but faster still.
The gun-arm will gather glittery energy before this attack. Either stay far
away, or stay on the right edge and put yourself directly in front of it,
letting the two parts go to either side of you.
Rapid Fire:
- A spray of shots comes out of the gun arm.
+ The shots come a little faster, and cover a little more of the screen.
* Much more rapid, and he walks it even more.
He'll either have it held high, or held low, when the arm starts flashing.
Just move up or down to keep out of range.
Cannonball!:
- The center section fires a large cannonball at you.
+ There's less warning.
* Even less warning.
All the more reason this isn't a train. The whole body flashes before this
one, stay high to avoid it. After being shot, it'll hit the ground in front
of him and bounce up, falling back and covering a good portion of the screen.
Notes
-----
After he jumps and lands, and you fire at the crystal and break it, he'll
resume his normal pattern. However, now the broken orb will send out purple
Darn Nitwits, much like the Darn Denims, which you can use to chain around his
shield and fire on Sleeper Breakman. After dealing damage, the orb will be
repaired, and it won't be long before he leaps at you again. Three hits will
pull the brakes and put a stop to his runaway train.
-=- STAGE 5 -=-
NOTE: Rilo and Almond skip stage 4, and thus call this stage Stage 4.
Miniboss
--------
Name: Darn Deco
Description: A Darn Dimwit in a little vehicle that has an energy
barrier, and runs back and forth.
Attacks
-------
How's My Driving?:
- Revs up and charges across the elevator.
+ Moves faster, making it harder to dodge.
* Spends less time revving up.
This can be a difficult one to dodge, actually. If you can, jump over him.
If not, take the hit, he won't last too long anyway.
Drop the Bomb:
- Jumps over you, dropping a missile half-way across.
+ The missile explodes with fireballs to the sides.
* The missile explodes with fireballs to the sides, and above and below.
This isn't a dangerous attack, really. Even on harder levels, you'll be out
of range of the explosion as long as you're attacking his boxes.
Notes
-----
A pretty short-lived boss, just attack the two blocks in the corners to send
the elevator out of control for a moment, making him slam his head once it
stops. Once that happens, he'll be stunned and lose his energy barrier,
leaving him wide open. It should only take two or three rounds to finish him
off.
Miniboss
--------
Name: Sailorman
Description: He's not Popeye, but he can still pack a whallop with his anchor.
The worst part about the stage is that it takes place over a bed
of lava with green hooks to use to stay out of it.
Attacks
-------
Anchor's Aweigh!:
- Slings his anchor up into the ceiling, swinging across to the other side.
+ Gives you less warning.
* Less warning, and the impact also drops a green fireball straight down.
Nothing too major, the anchor will hurt you if you get tagged on the way up.
Just stay out of its way,and get ready to continue beating on him.
Full Steam Ahead!:
- Jumps in the air, charges up, and flies across.
+ Does this with less charge time.
* As always, faster.
His other strike, which can be difficult to dodge if you're relying on the
hooks. Just stay out of the way and you'll be fine.
Notes
-----
A pretty easy battle, as long as you can stay out of the lava. With Xoda,
you can go the whole fight without touching ground or hook pretty easily, and
not take a single hit in the process. Rilo and Almond will both have a
platform in the center that they can stand on, though it'll be tougher to dodge
the Anchor's Aweigh! attack standing there. Once he's down, the floor will be
destroyed, and it'll be safe to drop.
Boss
----
Name: Shady Hanz
Description: "I'm gonna have to ask you to leave, ma'am." Theater usher who
dabbles in shadow puppetry on the side.
This is a hidden boss. The trigger for fighting him seems to be to keep left
after defeating Sailorman and dropping down, to see a small hidden area with a
portrait of Lori from Noitu Love 1. It also probably only works on Hard and
Hardest, though, and probably only for Xoda.
If you did it right, the floor will break away when you try to go to the
right, and you'll drop down into a theater showing the opening scene from
Noitu Love 1, with some Darns throwing their snacks at you for interrupting
the movie. Shady will shine a flashlight on your, and then come out,
pointing angrily for you to leave. Hit him with an attack to make him mad
so the fight can start.
The fight seems to be the exact same regardless of difficulty, not even
speeding up like most fights.
Attacks
-------
It's a Bunny!:
- A shadow puppet bunny hops across the screen.
Just jump, air-spin, and dash over it. You don't even have to air-spin if you
jump over at a low point in its bouncing.
It's a Bird!:
- Using both hands, he covers a good portion of the screen
It can come from above or below, just be on whichever side he's not attacking.
When it's from below, a jump and air-spin will keep you above its range.
It's a Doggie!:
- The shadow puppet dog will jab from one top corner towards the opposite.
It moves a bit fast, but being in either corner will keep you safe. Either it
passes over you, or doesn't quite reach you, depending on which corner you're
sitting in.
It's Dynomite!:
- Two hands in the center of the screen, mimicking a stick of dynomite.
When the finger for the fuse pulls in completely, he'll spread his hands apart
very quickly for the explosion. Jump and air-spin to stay out of range.
Tarzan Swing:
- Shady swings across on a curtain rope to attack you.
You have to hit him, but if he hits you, it'll hurt you. The best way to
handle this is to fire off charged shots instead of trying to attack directly.
With the right timing, you can hit him twice before he leaves, since he'll
swing and then swing back.
Roll the Film:
- Shady Hanz drops in from above on a giant film reel and tries to run you
over with it.
when you get him down below about half his health, he'll stop doing Tarzan
Swing and do this instead. You can jump, air-spin, and dash across to score
hits, or you can use charged shots to smack him before dodging. He'll come
down on top of you if you don't keep moving at first, though.
Notes
-----
A fun boss, he always makes me grin when I see him try to point me off-stage.
He'll do three random shadow puppets before getting angry, leaping up from the
projector area, and trying to attack directly. He can be tough to figure out
how to attack him, but once you do, he's a lot of fun.
Boss
----
Name: The Grinning 4
Description: Petunia, singing on the piano. Giuseppe on Saxaphone. Watkins
on the cello. And The Boy on the giant drums. The Grinning 4
have a pretty unique lounge, but judging by how empty it is, I'm
not the only one who doesn't appreciate the idea of a rotating
floor sending me into spiked walls when I want to listen to
lounge music.
This is actually four bosses, each with their own life bar. Between rounds,
the whole room will spin in one direction, and whoever it stops on is who will
attack you. When you defeat them, the empty spots will put out low energy
beams that you have to jump over when it's spinning. The first boss you beat
only does this on Hardest, but the second and third do it on any difficulty.
Attacks
-------
Petunia:
- Drops in on the right side, a small object spins with four energy shots
charging in the center of the room. These then fire while still rotating.
+ The same, but the rotation happens sooner and goes faster.
* The same but faster. Also, Petunia's piano sends out two green fireballs
on impact with the ground.
Not particularly challenging, but when you see the Darn Symbol flash, stop
attacking and get ready to stay between the beams. Once it starts firing,
she can't be harmed anyway.
Giuseppe:
- Drops in on the right, and sends out a large note that bounces across
the room and back.
+ The same, but the note moves faster.
* The same, but there are two notes bouncing.
Unless you're on Hardest, standing directly behind him is a safe spot, letting
you wail on him with complete impunity. If you're on Hardest, keep a little
distance.
Watkins:
- Drops in on a barrel on the left, and starts throwing firebombs.
+ Throws more bombs, which explode with larger fireballs.
* Throws bombs constantly.
He probably has the lowest health out of the Grinning 4, and can usually be
taken out in one appearance, instead of having to do two. He throws close and
then further out, rather than randomly.
The Boy:
- Drops in on the left with his drum, and starts pounding like mad, shaking
barrels loose to make them rain from above.
+ The same, but with more barrels.
* Even more barrels.
You don't need to do any rolling to beat him, just wail like mad and move if
an arrow appears directly above you.
Notes
-----
Fun and interesting, but none of the band members has any variation to their
attacks. Thankfully, none of the band members has too much health, and so
none of them should require more than two appearances before last call.
-=- STAGE 6 -=-
NOTE: Again, this is Stage 5 for Rilo and Almond, since they skipped Stage 4.
This is also the last stage for both of them, with Rilo getting a
special boss as well.
Miniboss
--------
Name: Omega Darn
Description: He's not looking so hot, after being blown up by Noitu in the
first game. He's got a whole lot of Darn Scrap to throw out, too.
Attacks
-------
Headbanger:
- Slams his head down into the bridge, sending out small fireballs that only
travel about the width of his head.
+ The fireballs travel the entire screen now.
* A second pair of fireballs go up at an angle and also travel the screen.
If he rears down, but doesn't lower his head all the way, this is what he's
about to do. He'll slam the opposite side, and his head will be damaging, at
least the bottom part.
It's Raining Darns:
- Gathers a handful of Darn Scrap, dropping it across the screen. A couple
will land on their feet and be moving, most will fall past the bridge.
+ More scrap will be dropped, more likely to get standing enemies afterwards.
* It will be nearly wall-to-wall scrap, almost guaranteed to get three left
standing afterwards.
You can keep attacking him during this attack. Just bake sure you aren't
going to get dropped on, or get electrocuted afterwards. With Xoda or Rilo,
a spin-jump will carve a path for you. Almond will have to fire a shot to
make a hole, or ust be held/thrown above the hand that drops them.
Notes
-----
He's certainly seen better days. Being so trashed, it's no wonder he doesn't
do all that much. The intact eye is his weak point, in case the giant arrow
didn't tell you. With Rilo, you can use the standing Darn Scrap to lock on,
since the more targets you lock onto, the stronger the attack is. If you're
feeling lucky as Xoda, you can grab and throw the Darn Scraps, since that is
the strongest offensive move in the game.
Miniboss
--------
Name: Janitor
Description: Who builds a janitor robot with antigravity electric balls and
huge plasma cannons, anyway?
This fight takes places in an area where gravity reverses itself every time
you pass the center line. While the Janitor won't fall, the lightning ball
he tosses out does, in the opposite direction.
Attacks
-------
PU-LA-ZU-MA!:
- Moves to the center, firing two purple plasma balls that then arc around,
wiping the "ceiling" from his point of view.
+ Same thing.
* Same thing.
An easy enough move to dodge, just stand on the center platform, whichever
side he's not going to be on, and crouch.
Garbage Duty:
- Moves to an opening, and drops a gravity-reversed ball. After a couple
seconds, the ball starts sending electricity left and right.
+ Same thing.
* Same thing, except the bolts are larger, and will sometimes hit you even
when you're crouching.
This is actually how you hit him. Crouch by the opening he's not at (or in
the center), wait for the ball to start sending electricity out, and then fall
through to make the ball fall back into him. On Hardest, you'll want to time
it so that you're already falling as the ball starts shocking.
Notes
-----
Fun gimmick, but once you learn his moves, that's it. He always opens with
PU-LA-ZU-MA!, and after that starts using Garbage Duty until he's hit. He'll
always stop at the opening farthest from where he entered when doing Garbage
Duty, as well, and the arrow tells you where he's coming from so you won't be
in the way. It takes three hits with Garbage Duty to take out the trash.
Boss
----
Name: Tango Source
Description: This is why you don't use manifestations from The Matrix to
replace your TiVo. Staticy figure in front of a bank of screens.
This boss is only for Xoda and Almond, and will be the last battle for
Almond's game. Thus, it's your last chance to see him do the Inchworm across
the floor. Use it wisely.
Attacks
-------
SPORTS:
- The large screen shows a soccerball, and a player comes by and kicks it,
turning it into a purple plasma ball that bounces across the room and bursts
into two green fireballs, which arc into the bottom corners.
+ Same thing, but two extra fireballs arc into the midpoints of the walls.
* Same thing, but everything goes a bit faster.
The purple ball always follows the same path, hitting the midpoints of the
left wall, ceiling, right wall, and floor before bursting. Sit in the corner
and then move towards the center when the green fireballs pass over your head
to avoid it.
NEWS:
- A scrolling bar of text pulls you to the left while two spinning energy
bars from earlier in the stage move to the right.
+ Same as before, but the bars move from right to left.
* Same as before, but the bars are closer together, too.
If you can spare the concentration, reading the text is somewhat amusing. "I
talk but nobody listens" is my favorite bit of text there. Not much else to
say about this attack that I haven't already, just make sure not to get hit.
AIR SHOW:
- A stealth bomber plane dives and pulls up, becoming a pink plasma ball that
slams into an upper corner, raining two green fireballs.
+ Same, but the fireballs move faster.
* Same, but there are four fireballs.
Move to either corner. If it slammed into the corner above you and you're on
Hardest, move to avoid the fireball that's about to drop on your head.
Otherwise, stay still. If it slammed into the corner opposite from you, move
to avoid the fireball about to hit you.
GAME SHOW:
- A spinner appears, moving counter-clockwise in a circle.
+ Same thing.
* Same thing.
If it's faster on the harder levels, I didn't notice. Just stay to the right,
jump over the center, and you're done. Pretty simple, really.
Notes
-----
After defeating her, she'll be upset, and switch to just audio. Four green
bars appear on the ground, and she'll move herself between two of them,
generating a tone that makes those two rise up like a graphical equalizer.
Xoda can stay above them while wailing on her, and Almond can inchworm in the
corner the whole time, making it a pretty easy ending. This second phase has
almost no health at all, really.
Boss
----
Name: Waltz
Description: Looking like a blue-haired version of Ultimate Tango, she
doesn't seem to like you setting off the Self Destruct for some
reason. I wonder why.
Only Rilo can fight this boss. After defeating the Janitor and making it
through the section afterwards, she attempts to set off the Self Destruct for
the base, tripping an alarm and forcing you to fight this thing off while a
timer counts down. You get less time on the harder difficulties, by the way,
but you should have no problem with it.
Attacks
-------
Sine Wave:
- Fires two shots that travel in a sine wave, intersecting in front of her.
+ The sine wave is much tighter.
* Just like Hard, but the shots travel a little faster.
She uses this attack when she teleports to one side, and stands in about the
middle of the screen. It's easy enough to dodge, stand nearby firing at her
and jump through them when they split apart.
Drop Out:
- Drops three energy balls in an arc that throw green fireballs on impact.
+ The fireballs fall down at an angle afterwards.
* They fall at a greater angle and the whole attack is faster.
She'll teleport to the ground, at one of the corners before doing this.
The three energy balls are over her head, and arc down in front of her. Just
stand between the first two and keep firing, moving as needed to dodge the
fireballs afterwards.
Venting Anger:
- Swirls of purple energy radiate out from her.
+ The swirl comes faster, giving you less time to attack.
* The swirl also moves faster, making it harder to dodge.
When she goes for the dead center of the room, that's what she's doing. Be
ready to move away once she starts firing.
Beam Spam:
- Fires a large purple plasma beam that sweeps across most of the room.
+ Same thing, but sweeps a little more thoroughly.
* Same thing, but hits pretty much everything.
It might be a little faster on harder settings, but I don't really notice it.
You'll know she's doing this when she teleports to one of the top corners.
It's difficult, but on Hardest, it can be dodged byhugging the wall closest
to her, and then jumping and spin-jumping. The timing has to be just right,
though.
Notes
-----
It can be a bit frantic, and by this point, you'll likely be getting sick of
clicking so much. Just keep at it, pause and take a break if you must, but
don't let up and she'll be dead in no time. Well, mostly dead...
Boss
----
Name: Shadowaltz
Description: Big Girls Don't Cry, but they do fire large amounts of plasma at
you, or slam you into the ground, it seems.
This is part two of Rilo's final battle. You're still on the timer, so don't
relax yet.
Attacks
-------
Beam Breath:
- Tilts her head to the side, sweeping a large purple plasma beam over the
room.
+ The beam moves faster and sweeps more of the room.
* Faster still, and gets essentially a whole 180 degrees.
Deceptively easy to dodge, just move to the other side, jump, air-spin, and
dash over her head as the beam passes under you. Nothing to it.
Fireball Spit:
- Drops a purple ball that breaks into green fireballs on impact.
+ Same as above, but there are more fireballs.
* Same, but now the fireballs move faster.
On Normal, two pairs arc low and medium, so you can still jump and air-spin
to be safe. On Hard, a third pair arcing high is added, along with ones
travelling sideways along the ground. Also, one last one goes straight up.
You just have to jump carefully, really.
Drop It Like It's Hot:
- Drops her whole body to slam into you.
+ Same, but with less warning.
* Same, but with almost no warning.
Her entire body will flash, and her hands will be kicking up dust, just
before she slams down with her whole body. Move to either corner to be safe.
Notes
-----
The hardest part here was not naming any of her attacks after spitting or
vomiting sounds, especially the Fireball one. In fact, her Fireball attack
will probably be the hardest to avoid, as well. To deal damage, you have to
lock on to all four yellow orbs that are uncovered while she attacks, and hit
all four at once. If you hit any open ones without hitting all four, she
takes no damage and closes them all up, and you waste time. Once you're done
here, Rilo's story is at an end, and it gives you a little more background
information...
-=- STAGE 7 -=-
NOTE: Only Xoda can play this stage, the other two characters finish after
the previous stage.
Boss
----
Name: Antepenultimate Tango
Description: Tango within a red sphere, attached to two structures on the
ground. Somewhat organic-looking, which is never good.
Attacks
-------
Lightning Bolt:
- The blue orb closest to you flashes red before discharging a lightning bolt
directed at you.
+ There is less warning, and lightning bolts come faster.
* There is even less warning, and they come even more often.
When starting off, this is the only attack the boss has. Beat on the red orbs
on the structures to destroy them, you must destroy both "leg" connections.
Retaliation:
- Four balls of energy are launched, followed by a swirl.
- At half her helath, this number increases to eight, followed by a swirl.
+ Same as above.
* Same as above, except she starts out launching eight.
Once you've broken both "legs", the energy barrier around the center sphere
housing Tango will drop. She will use this about three times, flashing the
Darn Symbol before unleashing. If you just take the three hits, you can
finish off her first form without letting her reattach to the "legs".
Notes
-----
Hardly a boss at all, but it IS just the first form of three. Don't get too
ready to pat yourself on the back, because now you face...
Boss
----
Name: Penultimate Tango
Description: A holographic projection? A gigantic blue Tango with gears and
clockwork wings dominates the view from the Peace Dome!
Attacks:
Green Sweep:
- Two large green diamonds appear to the side of her forehead jewel, and then
sweep across about 180 degrees.
+ The diamonds sweep in a full circle and make a second pass at you.
* After the second pass, they, reverse direction and make a third pass</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
immediately.
Easy enough to dodge, just stay close to her and air-spin when they come for
you. Shouldn't even have to take more than a short break from attacking.
Yellow Fever:
- Three yellow diamonds are placed in front of her, which then fall to the
ground, firing two green fireballs each.
+ Same as above, but the yellow diamonds hang in the air for less time.
* Same as above, but faster still.
You'll want to keep high, the paths of the fireballs is fairly random, so
they'll cover most of the ground level.
Black Mamba:
- Four black diamonds circle around you, and then stop and fire laser beams.
+ Same as above, but with less delay.
* Same as above, but with even less delay
This can be tricky to dodge, because there's relatively little warning between
them stopping, and them firing. Just be ready to move as soon as, or even
before, the diamonds stop.
Condition Red:
- A row of large red diamonds appears high on the screen, and after a
moment, drop.
+ A row of smaller red diamonds forms, with no room between them.
* Same as Hard, but they fall at an angle.
On Normal, they're easy to dodge between. On Hard and Hardest, there won't be
a gap between them at all. However, the Shield will work against them,
allowing you to keep a hole carved for yourself and keep attacking.
Notes
-----
This can be a very intense boss, even after you know the attacks. Keep an eye
out for the colors, and make sure you know how to move out of the way whenever
needed. Your targets are the two red orbs on her wings. Once you bust those,
grab the hooks they reveal, to yank down on her wing. Once you've pulled both
of them, the gem on her forehead will open up, revealing another orb. This one
is her weak spot, attack it like crazy! It'll take about three passes, and
then it's time for...
FINAL BOSS
----------
Name: Ultimate Tango
Description: Tango has fused with the Evomatic to gain its power, superevolving
her artificial body to an unthinkable extreme. This is it. Will
the legend of Noitu Love live on after all? It's all up to you...
All of Ultimate Tango's attacks remain the same regardless of difficulty,
except that they grow faster as the game is harder.
Attacks
-------
Tango Axe:
- Tango forms a large axe out of golden energy, slamming it down to the ground
and causing two fireballs to arc from the impact.
Fairly easy to dodge, stand underneath her and let the fireballs go over you.
Tango Blade:
- Tango forms a large sword out of golden energy, hurling it horizontally.
- Tango forms the sword, but this time hurls it directly at you.
Normally, she'll perform this move any time she's just barely above the ground.
However, she'll switch to floating in the center of the stage, doing nothing
but hurling the second type, when she gets low enough on health. The first
kind can be dodged either by staying in the air, or ducking when grounded.
Tango Blaster:
- Two lines of golden energy shots are fired to the sides, converging below
her.
Actually her easiest attack to dodge, simply stand directly beneath her.
She'll usually start this attack if she's very high after moving.
Notes
-----
For an ultimate boss, it's a little surprising she only has three attacks.
However, she has a lot of health, and no health bar, and her attacks come
rapid fire, one after the other, leaving little time for stopping and thinking
about how long you've been fighting. If you're running low on health at this
point, the best strategy is to play it safe by fighting using charged shots.
These can be fired from underneath or behind her while she attacks, and you
can also take potshots while she's floating around as well. Defeat her and
then you face none other than...
THE ENDING.
Yep, it's finally over. Peace has been restored, but not in the way you
probably expected... Still, it's all good, as Mr. Almond says!
Good work, Xoda. Now, if you haven't already, can you do it on Hardest?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
> 4. Special Thanks <
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
This is my first FAQ posted, so... Good work, me.
Thanks go to Joakim Sandberg, obviously, for making this awesome game which I
have now played to death so much that I can go through most of the game
without touching either keyboard or ground, on Hardest. And I may have
finally experienced this "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" I've been hearing about...
But it's worth it.
I'd also like to thank you, for reading this. If you didn't read this, then
you would not see this thank you, and thus I would not be thanking you, but
you're reading it, so thank you.
Since I'm not exactly active in the community, I don't have some sort of
"greetz list" or whatever, so basically, if you wanna be thanked, consider
yourself thanked, I guess. Why not, right?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
> 5. Contact Information <
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I can be reached various ways. To keep robots and spiders from harvesting
them, since I get enough spam already, I'm gonna be a little sneaky about it.
See the name I posted this under? Typhin? Yeah, take that, and add "at gmail
dot com" at the end, and that's my email address. If you crave more immediate
contact (no promises), take that and add "at hotmail dot com", and poke me on
MSN Messenger. Or just take it as it is, and poke me via AIM or YIM. I'm
flexible that way.
Please note that trying to harass me is only going to get you blocked. Actual
feedback, even negative, will actually be listened to. Bonus points for
phrasing it nicely, though.
To break it down, if I forget something or have it wrong, and you send:
"dude u suk" - Blocked.
"dude u frgot [stuff], stupid!" - I'll add it, give you credit,
...and then block you.
"Hey, I noticed you forgot [stuff], just to let you know." - I'll add it,
give you credit, and thank you nicely
Simple, really.
And now that this is over, enjoy the game!
