Part 9: Halloweentown, Wonderland, Agrabah Where should I go next?

Somewhat short update today folks. Remember, your vote counts! Halloweentown, Wonderland, Agrabah Where should I go next?

Episode 9: Goodness Gracious, Great Balls of Fire!

Now where did we leave off... Oh I know.


Plot Door number three! Just around the corner.


I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of fanbois cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.


Cloud reaches in his back pocket for the infinite mimic/Knights of the Round.



Nah that's just the emulator lagging.


I kid, I kid. Herc's not doing too good, looks like we're gonna have to bail him out.




"With violence!"



In KH1, I'm pretty sure Cloud was here to get information on a certain someone's location from Hades. While he doesn't say who, Aeris was my first impression. Sora is clueless and never tells him about her living with Squall- I mean Leon in a back alley in Traverse Town. After KH2 my opinion shifted in that he's been looking for Sephiroth this whole time, to defeat the darkness inside himself. Tifa is following him around by then and he doesn't think he's worthy of her until he's cleansed himself of Sephy's taint. Sora did run into Sephiroth in KH1 (at the optional arena, where we kicked his ass,) and Cloud still never heard about it so he was kinda shafted throughout the series.

This is just my thoughts on the matter though because it is never explicitly said. If you have a different idea, or I forgot something, let me know! I love talking plot.


Looks like Hades snuck in the back while I was expositioning. Shit.



"This doesn't look good for your performance rating..."



Cloud comes from a simpler time, a time when NPC's didn't betray you when you chose "Yes I'll help you with..."




You know I think that's the only pun on Hercules' name he DIDN'T use in the movie.


Thunder, lightning, other assorted godly powering up noises...



Hey you can't just make up new rules that's cheating.


When hasn't he been behind something. He's corrupted your "games" in all 3 KH titles. You just can't let it go, try something else for a change...




"Pack your pita"? Maybe they have a nice gyro joint down there in the underworld.


Sora wants some pita too. All this talk about pitas is making me hungry.



"He's an immortal God of the Underworld, Lord of the Dead!"


Sora doesn't even share with gods.



Rule #8! Hades is a cheater, get prepared for a BOSS FIGHT!



Alright here we have Hades. He's blue, he likes fire. He snaps his fingers and it tickles. Not too threatening...


Oh boy, here we go. Hades' only sleight in blue-form is to Enrage into red-form. In red-form he's much faster moving and hits a lot harder.


CLAWS OF FIRE!



Yeowch! Flamethrower hands! This attack is a pain because almost all his non-sleight attacks are this and it hits 5 times for moderate damage each hit and knocks you back. If you get pinned into a corner you're gonna lose a lot of health.


STRIKE-RAID GO!
Heh sorry I just love doing that.


Red-mode Hades' sleight is Firaga Ball, which is very nasty and tracks you. Hard to avoid, use that 0 card.


This fight is one of the most difficult fights in the game I think, because he's very fast, he can pin you into a corner and violate you, and you must break his sleights and do not have access to a lot of 0 cards yet (I only had one, and had to spam reload my deck to keep it active.)

The best way to fight him is by attrition. By that I mean only heal when he's reloading (or he will break it, his deck has a lot of 9's and 0's and his sleights will also break your heal.) Attacking him is tricky until he starts running low on cards. Yes, you heard me right. Not even bosses are immune to the laws of Castle Oblivion. Since he spams his sleights eventually he will start running very low on cards and have to reload near constantly. That's when you open him up like a can of sardines, since he can't fight back when he's reloading. This is also the fight where you really learn how to prep-reload. By that I mean even if your deck is full, you can charge the bar while you're dodging around waiting for an opening(3-2-half of 1) and then leave it so that you only need to take a quick half second to finish charging it when you run dry and are in the middle of a good attack combo, instead of having to back off and charge 3 bars full.

BONUS MATERIAL---
Boss 4- Hades
Watch my cards more than Sora in this fight. Its a good example of a strategy fight. You cannot win against Hades by running up and hitting attack and hoping for the best.


Another enemy card. Maybe I'll use these someday... Nah probably not.


Well one more level and a new Sleight, Blitz. I don't remember what this does, we'll find out next update!




Not a single shiny out of this whole level. I am deeply saddened.


Just let it go Goofy. Just let it go.


Yeah we saved him from 2 different bosses so we could beat him up goddammit.



We just totally whipped Cloud AND Hades butts without breaking a sweat, (ok maybe a little sweat,) and you're complaining about being tired after just Cloud? Hercules you suck.


"Just wait till KH2. I'll be back for your blood... And your shinies!"



Huh? Who?


Oh yeah, Cloud. When did he pass out anyways? Was watching me whip that blueberry's backside too much for old spikey?



Well isn't this a Kodak Moment.




While Cloud was kindof an ass in this level, Sora forgave Riku for doing a lot worse things so I don't really mind him not thinking much of Cloud's betrayal.




That was beautiful.



Cloud is cooler than Squall in this game and there's a good reason I think that. You can't see it, but our blonde friend there has just given us a new card. Leon gave us Simba, who was useless, Cloud however just tossed us something far more valuable.



Yeah yeah, you got stuff to do I understand. See ya round buddy.


Maybe sooner than you think...


So... What the fuck happened to Hades? He was pretty much immortal and had to be plot-defeated in KH1, yet exploded to death after a roughhousing in this game? Figments man, they don't make them like they used to.


At the top of the Great Big Ladder, our save cube glints lovingly. What could be waiting for us in the white corridor this time?

Find out in-
Episode 10: Worries and Promises