Part 3: Shadow Man
Stage Comments:
No-hit woooo yeah I should after having played it so, so often. Pretend that it was the Shadester giving me a bloody nose as the reason for me sounding like I have a cold.
It's pollen. Hey body, those birches are harmless, stop doing this shit.
Stage starts out with nasty surprises, then comes the shaded piper. You may be asking yourself why I pause...because usually, his jingle gets cut off far quicker. By stopping before Mega hits the ground, we can hear all of it! He is a non-issue, although I used to suck a lot at him; shows even more how I can't deal with super-rigid patterns.
The darkness part, as I say in the video, is my favourite in the stage, as it's pretty well done. The enemy selection suits the environment, the darkness actually makes sense without ever becoming obnoxious - really, really great design. Again, just compare it to Quick Man's middle part, where it went dark after you destroyed enemies that you couldn't well leave alive, giving you a blind jump up a ledge as the only "challenge"...yeah. So far, far, better. And Search Snake makes a mockery out of it all; oh well.
Then starts the hard part. Last stretch of level...so many deaths when I first played this. This level was the last one I finished because wow. This, then the boss? Before I start ranting, please note how far faster picking up multiple weapon pellets now is compared to Wily 2 in the second game where I had to wait like a second after collecting one! Another small detail that puts 3 a league higher than 2.
So, the Keros. They're practically unavoidable, so kill them fast! Sadly, many weapons including the buster are terrible at hitting them, not only because they have to be hit while jumping by most, but also because their hitbox is retarded. I've had it happen that a thrown Search Snake just completely phases through one that just landed, it makes no sense. You do have to take them out quickly though, which makes this section pretty damn hard. Screw up one shot, and you'll get murdered. Rushing is no option, doubling back isn't either...yeesh. Fortunately, Top Spin.
Parachuters section then is also really tough. Safest way of dealing with them would be to lure one out, then quickly jump back; that works every time. Top Spin is far faster, obviously, but carries more risk, as two spawn above platforms rather than between two; those you have to wait for a second, else death by knockback. King's way is another weapon, but that's for later.
Last Mecha Kero is a real dick move in my opinion, almost unavoidable if you don't know it's coming and if you panic, he might even knock you off. Gaaah. Yambows are an afterthought.
Generally, I don't like this stage at all. Especially the end. My biggest gripe with the parachuters might actually be that the falling lava or whatever it is makes my eyes strain; it distracts me at a part where precicion platforming is absolutely vital. Don't know if you feel the same. MM3 is also graphically a big advancement over MM2, but too much is too much.
Boss Strategy:
Yeah, this is going to be long.
Basic pattern, as said, is simple enough. Three jumps (except for the first ones, it's two there, which tripped me up constantly until I realized it), then an attack, repeat. Blades fire forward and diagonally upward, give you a bit of warning; jump or slide. Slide has absolutely no tells, he just does it; it's faster than Mega's, and as he finishes it with a jump, you'll get hit every time if you aren't moving forward already. Hitbox is really big, too, which doesn't help.
So, what makes this fight so hard? A combination of factors.
First, which attack is he going to use? There's no way to tell until he has already started. You have to be moving forward when the slide comes, but if you jump forward when the blades come, you'll be too near to jump over the bottom one without getting hit by the top one. Also the timing is different than if he'd slide. The only way to deal with this is get distance on him, then wait for him to show his move, then develop very quick reflexes to either jump immediately or a tiny bit delayed.
Next problem: If he stops to shoot the blades, the following jumps will take him very near Mega. If a slide follows, you'll have exactly no time to react; there aren't reflexes fast enough, you pretty much have to jump forward while he's still in the air. If he does not slide, though, you'll jump into his blades then, and get hit, always.
Solution: Don't get cornered; slide under the third jump, and be ready to immediately jump out of the slide and backwards over his slide, or do a tiny jump to avoid the blades. This is the hardest thing to pull off consistently.
So it boils down, as said, to absolute concentration and reflexes, knowing what to do at all times. If you do, though, it's always possible to avoid all attacks...with one small gripe I have: If you have to slide his third jump because he's too near, sometimes the jump will be so low that you slide right into him. That happens very rarely, though.
All in all, as said, extremely hard but almost always fair. With practice, lots of it, consistently doable. Great fight, and as he slides and jumps and uses special weapons, it's almost like fighting yourself; Shadow Man could easily be controlled by a human in the fight.
So, I had fun. Might not be your cup of tea, though; I'd certainly not recommend taking him on early.
Enemies:
- ???: This very mysterious flutist shows up just to bug us, how rude. His pattern is the most basic thing ever, he'll walk until he's at a certain distance to Mega, then start hopping madly. Shooting in the air, so he'll never hit you. His shield is also quite useless, apparently. There's far faster way to deal with him, but I suck at hitting things at the right height.
Hologram: They turn the stage dark. Some of them are unreachable without certain weapons, but due to them slowly moving forward, it's no problem. Stupid people (like me some times) jump into them.
Mecha Kero: Top Man's stage showed us how elusive and fast they are, now they're real trouble, as you won't get your health refilled before the boss. Putting them into very small confines is cruel, as there's NO way to dodge - meaning you have to kill them quickly or else. And there's not much time. God, I hate those, cost me so many Game Overs back in the day.
And then there came Top Spin, woooo Top Spin!
New Shotman: Supposedly a descendant from the round arc cannon from Mega Man 2? But looks like a Met? Anyway, we saw him for like half a second, so more when there's more to say.
Parasyu: Very dangerous in the section they appear in, as it's quite easy to get knocked off; the second source of many people's trouble with the stage, including myself. The swaying makes it hard to predict, and people are impatient, so you're going to rush forward, get surprised by how much it floats to the left and die. Either take your time or practice using the most awesome weapon in the game! Three P-Shooter bullets worth of health, by the way, so taking them out quickly is only for those fast of trigger finger and precision.
Oh yeah, and you could totally use another weapon that's pretty much perfect, but that's BORING.
Peterchy: A walking Pokéball ahahaha okay that joke is done. Those are very basic, not much to say; rarely if ever a problem.
Picket Man Bull: We saw him already; in this stage, he shows how putting them on a very small strip of platform can make him into a bigger problem, as if you're missing a shot or are not expecting them, you'll have to double back.
Walking Bomb: Those can be dangerous, as they get up most ledges in this part, walk quite quickly and you might miss because of the terrain. Die in one hit, but the explosion hurts, so take them out fast.
I think it looks cool as all hell, by the way.
Yambow: These dragon fly enemies will appear early, giving you a lot of warning, zip to the left, adjust to Mega's height, then speed towards him from behind. If you take your time, they're no problem, although with three shots worth of health, you'll have to start shooting early if you want to take them down. Special weapons like the almighty Spin are also great, of course. Or luring them higher by jumping, or dodging over them...
The do become a problem, though, if you can't take your time. Next stage is a perfect example.
Music:
- Shadow Man - Bah, I don't like this one at all. Might be my least favourite piece of music in the game. It just seems so...bland, and I hate the melody. Fits the stage though, as I don't like it either.
New Character - If it weren't beeps and bloops, I'd imagine this hauntingly beautiful. And, of course, very mysterious!