Part 18: Defend Base Again: Hanumachine

Extra Stage Thoughts

A tiny, yet very important stage. It threatens the Resistance Base far more directly than the first attempt to invade it - raising the question why Neo Arcadia didn't do a full-scale attack the first time around, or why they succeed now whereas with Fefnir as a leader, they couldn't, but whatever - and shows off the chaos resulting pretty drastically. Good effort on making everything destroyed and corpses (of robots, but still) lying everywhere. Gameplay-wise, I don't think there's anything to comment on, really.

Oh, and the story. Big reveals are coming in, and they're actually nicely staggered - first you get a whammy with Ciel admitting that it's all her fault (though she didn't build Neo Arcadia all on her own...she's fourteen, that would have been hell of a feat at dunno eleven just for it all to turn into Nazitown within three years of her...not looking, I guess?). Then she almost drops how X isn't who one might think he is, yet gets interrupted. That way, the player can come to their own conclusion while tacking the stage.
Finally, she can't even admit it on her own, the mysterious benefactor has to do it for her. X is a copy. Of the yellow Cyber-Elf looking spirit, who is totally not the original X...I mean, come on. X also conveniently deus ex machinas the way open into Neo Arcadia itself, but that makes sense at least...he should know how to crack the security, he built all of it (not Ciel, see above).

And it's one of my favourite pieces of characterization for Zero. He simply doesn't give any fucks. He's loyal to whomever he deems worthy of his loyalty, and will kick any ass getting in the way of the people he really cares about. His is a one-track-mind, but brutally efficient and always doing what he thinks is the right thing. A real hero...of an age gone by, because the situation is actually far more complicated than "they bad, we good"; as the encounter with Harpuia showed, the other side also believes that they are just doing the right thing. However, Zero is exactly who the Resistance needs. Self-doubts creeping in, especially from Ciel, have no place in his world. He's mostly just there for killing stuff, and good at it!

Boss Comments



Attacks

• Fireball Bounce: He engulfs his body in flame and slams around the room. I usually have trouble avoiding attacks like these, but he always does it by slamming into a wall first, so every time, it'll bounce to the same positions - you can hang out unmoving on a safe spot if you want to. Once he finishes, he's free pickings for a short while, best opportunity to combo him or land the charge you were saving up during his invincibility. Was harder when Armored Armadillo did it!
  
• Flame Wheel: Hanumachine spins in place and send little fireballs flying. You pretty much just have to get away, it's not tough to avoid unless you get yourself cornered...don't do that.
  
• Monkey Spawn: He sends out three little monkeys that'll try and reach Zero. Upon touching him, they'll cling to you for a short while before exploding, which damages. You can get them off by shaking back and forth, they'll harmlessly blow up in the air then. Take them out quickly, they're the biggest concern in the fight as they can overwhelm you while Hanumachine continues to do his thing.
  
• Staff Extend (EX Skill): Hanu charges up for a while with a big red "hey you might wanna get away like now" sign floating over his head, then lunges at Zero, his staff dramatically expanding as he tries to hit you. This'll surprise you once, then you just, dunno, climb the wall? It's one of the easiest EX skills in the game, makes the entire fight far simpler as it's free hits all the way.

Hanumachine is based on the Hindu monkey God, as I've been told. Also something about Goku? Either way he's not really memorable, but a cool fight nonetheless. There was great care put into his monkey attack especially: They don't hurt you right as they spawn, so you can afford to get in while he's pulling them out, you can shake them off even if they do touch you, all little details that make it not suck. One has to appreciate that.


Ranking High

Also! To seamlessly continue, you're pressed for both time and enemy count in this mission, having to do it under two minutes while still killing quite a few of them. Either you go up the right past the engine room to take out the easy critters...or hope that Hanumachine spawns monkeys. As the last option is far easier, seeing as he'll do it 90% of the time anyway, another big point for the monkey attack. Can't hate it.
Oh yeah other than that it's absolutely no concern, how could it? It's under two minutes.




Eh. The danger tracks aren't too exciting when played over and entire stage, but at least it's short.



This is probably the last video for a bit, seeing as it's the holidays coming up, so merry Christmas to you all and have nice year! You should be used to waiting a bit for the next update anyway...