ScratchHead Guide
======== ABOUT ========
For this guide i will be ignoring boons as i beat every boss without using any of them, and surely so can you. in addition, i will also be ignoring EX attacks and just say right now to only use them when you’re sure you won’t get hit. that is all.
======== THE SORCERER ========
Recommended Loadout: Energy shot/Locator
Phase 1:
Alternate between jumping and ducking while shooting, then, when the green smoke is shot, bait it into being low to the ground, then dash over it.
Phase 2:
Constantly jump while shooting, pay attention to the position of the falling projectiles, if one is heading towards you, move to the side or, if it is pink, parry it.
Phase 3:
It’s at this point that I advise that you switch to the Locator, as attempting to aim at the sorcerer with the energy shot while also dodging the homing projectiles is a fool’s errand.
Do not jump during this phase, attempt to dash between the projectiles as they reach the floor.
======== BOB THE BLOB ========
Recommended Loadout: Energy shot and nothing else
Phase 1:
Whenever Bob the Blob jumps towards you, dash in towards him, if he ducks for unusually long, he will dash mid-air, then slam down, creating a shockwave, be ready to jump (or dash away if he ends up above you)
Phase 2:
During this entire phase small green slimes will appear from the edges of the arena, you should destroy them before they become a threat, and (needless to say) not linger around their spawning points. Bob the Blob starts this phase swinging from the ceiling dropping down small drops of goop that leave behind hazardous puddles, i recommend not moving much during this attack so as to not walk into a falling projectile. He then descends to the ground at one of the edges of the screen and transforms into a cannon, shooting out three large slime balls that bounce in place once before bouncing into the foreground, when he does this you should stick close to him, then slowly walk away dodging his shots, afterwards, he will split into two halves, which will each jump left or right depending on his position, slowly inching to the other side of the screen, you should dash between them when they are at their most separated, he may repeat this attack one more time. he will then repeat the cannon attack and, if you let him, restart the cycle.
Phase 3:
Bob the Blob will immediately sink into the lava and begin leaping out of it, shooting out fireballs in a predictable pattern, which erupt into jets of flame upon contact with the ground. the bubbles in the lava show where he will leap out from. stay at a distance from bob the blob so that you will be between two fireballs, if there are no boulders bouncing around (we’ll get to that later) feel free to lock ScratchHead’s position with C in order to get in more bullets. After leaping enough times, he will land at the edge of the screen and spit out a bouncing boulder and dive back in, as soon as he dives back in, destroy the boulder as soon as possible, you do NOT want to deal with it bouncing around the room.
======== HARRIER THE BIRD ========
Recommended Loadout: Energy shot/Locator.
Phase 1:
When Harrier is spitting out digested food, trick them into spitting multiple into the same spot or into spitting some into the water, otherwise, you won’t have enough space to dodge the bones, to dodge the bones, if you have enough space, simply stand between them, if you do not, jump to the side without bones and quickly return. This is the only phase in which i recommend using Locator.
Phase 2:
Jump over purple piranhas, dash under orange piranhas, avoid standing still for too long.
Phase 3:
When Harrier is shooting eggs, coax him into sticking to one side of the arena, so that you have more space, the weird bird things will dash towards you a while after they land, keep the delay in mind.
======== EYE ROCK ========
Recommended Loadout: Energy shot and nothing else
Phase 1:
When Eye Rock’s eye is closed, it is invulnerable, shoot the hands instead. When Eye Rock lifts one hand, check to see if you are below it, if you are, dash towards Eye Rock’s main body. When Eye Rock lifts both hands, dash away from Eye Rock, if you want to hit Eye Rock during this, duck and start shooting.
Phase 2:
If you find that stars with mouths are orbiting you (Eye Rock’s yellow curse), shoot them down right away, you do not want your controls reverted. The purple attacks do not do damage, they just inflict a status effect that slows you down which you can easily bypass by using dashes. Other than that and the fireballs, this phase is pretty much identical to the first.
Phase 3:
Eye Rock will only shoot fireballs while it is on the air and not sliding on the ground, Eye Rock will slam down onto the ground once it lines up vertically with you or reaches the middle of the screen, it will then slide towards you and return to the air once it reaches the edge, when you’re jumping above Eye Rock, dash just to be safe, especially if you’re slowed down. My advice about the stars still applies.
Phase 4:
Avoid the odd star hands at all costs. Besides that, when fire is covering the floor, first jump onto a platform, then jump and dash over the fire, Eye Rock deals no contact damage.
======== INVADER ========
Recommended Loadout: Energy shot/Mega shot
Phase 1:
If the Invader is above you, you can and should destroy the homing claws, as otherwise they will make the invader’s attacks much harder to dodge. If the Invader is below you, focus on dodging above all else, in fact, i recommend you stop shooting entirely.
Phase 2:
The “spider” (definitely an ant) should be the first to go, then the squid, then the snake. Sometimes it is easier to stand between the squid’s shots than it is to just leave, you don’t have to use the platforms to avoid the snake, you can simply jump and dash, in fact, this is the ideal method once only the snake is left.
Phase 3:
If you wish to shoot the Invader while it is attacking, I recommend you switch to Mega Shot. When the Invader does the laser attack while going up, you have to wait for the laser to get close, then jump, then, at the apex of your jump, dash away from the invader. When the Invader does so while going down, descend to the lowest platform and duck.
======== SECRET BOSS: PARRY FAIRY========
Before fighting this boss, you must first find it, so here’s a poem to help with that.
Test your skills and test your soul
with the parry fairy and its pack
through the woods seek trees that glow
as long as you’re not a lumberjack
This boss cannot be harmed by your bullets, that is my only tip, good luck!
======== MOWER THE MUTANT FLOWER ========
Recommended loadout: Energy shot and nothing else
Phase 1:
Pay close attention to the falling seedlings, when they drop below a certain point, they move in a sideways arc to the right. dropping through platforms is crucial in this fight. one notable thing about this fight is that it offers the most opportunities to use EX attacks out of any. Take advantage of that.
Phase 2:
stay away from Mower’s bud while it is closed, as the laser comes out really quick and is bound to harm you if you are too close. parrying the projectiles shot by the mower clones is surprisingly useful here.
Phase 3:
Alternate between staying around the top and bottom of the screen, this phase is really easy so i don’t know what else to say.
Phase 4:
When Mower opens their mouth wide, stick to the second lowest layer of clouds, when Mower is about to bite, drop down and duck. The acid spit attack is easier to dodge if you are closer to Mower.
======== BROCK LOBSTER ========
Phase 1:
Throughout this phase anchors will fall from the ceiling, they can be destroyed, but that will just detract your focus from Brock’s attacks, once they land, they cause a shockwave of spikes to crawl along the floor, however, they stop dealing damage themselves once they’re stuck in the floor, so you can simply jump onto them to dodge the shockwave. Brock himself has three attacks that i believe he picks from randomly, he can walk around with a single claw held up high, then slam it into the ground, causing a single piece of the ceiling to fall, and then switch to the other claw and repeat until he’s had enough. For this attack, stay between Brock and his claw, if he starts to go offscreen dash away twice, then watch for the rubble when he slams his claw down, his other two attacks are significantly easier, shaking the ceiling to cause rubble to fall and outstretching his claw to force you to one side of the screen.
Phase 2:
i have no advice for this phase except FOCUS. Also, you can get hit during the phase transition.
Phase 3:
A floating chest drops down projectiles for the entirety of this phase, randomly selecting either three or four, do not be distracted by their choppy movement and instead focus on their final positions and Brock himself who has two attacks he alternates between, those being sinking his antennae beneath the floor, forcing you to keep your eyes to the bottom of the screen in order to find out where they will emerge from, and blowing skull bubbles which i assume are poisonous, which you should jump over or duck under depending on their altitude, he may also slam the floor with his antennae between attacks.
if you have never played or heard of this game before, i pity you.
