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pan2000Star Fox 64 is a great game. Even though I use a flawed emulator and am not good at this game, I still managed to reach Andross hard route (will beat him later)
So, apart from him, which boss did I like the most?
5. Bolse core/Star Wolf
The penultimate battle of the easy route is only mildly challenging on its own, it merely has many spinning weak points and one is in a very hard spot. The issue is that if any Star Wolf members survived the first encounter, where there is a time limit before they win, they return and make things much more challenging, making your performance before have consequences. I lost about twice before I took down Wolf (the only survivor, who is a headache because he always chases you), then the core itself was a joke.
4. Easy Andross
Andross, the Big Bad of this game. He is a giant ape with a big head and giant floating hands. In the easy route, just shoot at his eyes and it will stun him. Then fire away at the hands first. Also, he has a risky attack that tries to inhale you. It does massive damage, but a cleverly used Smart Bomb to the mouth damages and stuns him. In the end his second phase is intentionally very weak, it's a robot that merely charges at you and goes down like a punk.
3. Star Wolf Venom 2
Easily the hardest fight of the game, and very satisfying when you shoot them down. They are the last bosses between you and Hard Andross, and they will test all your skills. Wolf will test your evasion manuevers, from sommersaults to barrel rolls to moving in zig-zag patterns, and is very hard to hit. The others are a constant threat to your allies and will gang up on you if they kill them. The reason this is so hard is that their ships are actually stronger than yours, and if you take out all of Wolf's minions, your allies... just tell you comforting words.
2. Gorgon
That was a hard choice, but the giant ship definitely is one of my favorites. You basically fight in the hardest level of the game, breaching all enemy lines and making them panic. This boss... oh, this boss... it's the Death Star but made to also combat small fighters. It has tentacles that attack you and have to be shot down, homing missiles that can be shot down for health... and also do a barrel roll if you don't get them, it helps, can summon other ships to get you, and finally, it can use a planet-busting beam at you. Which is of course rainbow-colored. Now imagine the Death Star firing the main cannon at X-Wings... and being able to rotate it, so it actually has a chance to hit them. I basically barrel roll in circles to dodge. Even the way you beat it is clever. The outer shell is invincible, you have to destroy the tentacles one by one. Easier said than done, it teleports and you can't blow up all three too quickly (I did manage to take two though once) Then you have to destroy the moving shield generators. When you finally start wailing on the fearsome station, it's so, so, SO cathartic, you will feel like Luke Skywalker!
I really considered to make it number 1.
1. Forever Train
Come on, you knew it would be 1! Atmosphere is great, it's the good Landmaster level, and you chase this train through the whole stage. It always fires bombs at you and throws boulders while you break it apart. What I love here is the impact it has. You don't just beat an attacking squad of enemies, nor mercenaries as competent as you. No, if you win, you cripple the supplies of the enemy and actually damage them very much.
After you destroy all the parts of the train, the Conductor unleashes a functional prototype to rain spears of death at you. It's hard to hit and hits hard, but it's also entirely optional. Because you can do the equally challenging task of hitting the eight switches to reroute the train and make it crash into the supply depot, blowing it all up! Congratulations, you crippled the entire enemy war effort. So cathartic it surpasses even the Gorgon.
Edit: I beat True Andross and he is probably second or third. The final escape scene is emotional, the first phase is like Easy Andross but harder and the second one is pretty hard to hit, and punishing if you fuck up and get too close to the brain.
So, apart from him, which boss did I like the most?
5. Bolse core/Star Wolf
The penultimate battle of the easy route is only mildly challenging on its own, it merely has many spinning weak points and one is in a very hard spot. The issue is that if any Star Wolf members survived the first encounter, where there is a time limit before they win, they return and make things much more challenging, making your performance before have consequences. I lost about twice before I took down Wolf (the only survivor, who is a headache because he always chases you), then the core itself was a joke.
4. Easy Andross
Andross, the Big Bad of this game. He is a giant ape with a big head and giant floating hands. In the easy route, just shoot at his eyes and it will stun him. Then fire away at the hands first. Also, he has a risky attack that tries to inhale you. It does massive damage, but a cleverly used Smart Bomb to the mouth damages and stuns him. In the end his second phase is intentionally very weak, it's a robot that merely charges at you and goes down like a punk.
3. Star Wolf Venom 2
Easily the hardest fight of the game, and very satisfying when you shoot them down. They are the last bosses between you and Hard Andross, and they will test all your skills. Wolf will test your evasion manuevers, from sommersaults to barrel rolls to moving in zig-zag patterns, and is very hard to hit. The others are a constant threat to your allies and will gang up on you if they kill them. The reason this is so hard is that their ships are actually stronger than yours, and if you take out all of Wolf's minions, your allies... just tell you comforting words.
2. Gorgon
That was a hard choice, but the giant ship definitely is one of my favorites. You basically fight in the hardest level of the game, breaching all enemy lines and making them panic. This boss... oh, this boss... it's the Death Star but made to also combat small fighters. It has tentacles that attack you and have to be shot down, homing missiles that can be shot down for health... and also do a barrel roll if you don't get them, it helps, can summon other ships to get you, and finally, it can use a planet-busting beam at you. Which is of course rainbow-colored. Now imagine the Death Star firing the main cannon at X-Wings... and being able to rotate it, so it actually has a chance to hit them. I basically barrel roll in circles to dodge. Even the way you beat it is clever. The outer shell is invincible, you have to destroy the tentacles one by one. Easier said than done, it teleports and you can't blow up all three too quickly (I did manage to take two though once) Then you have to destroy the moving shield generators. When you finally start wailing on the fearsome station, it's so, so, SO cathartic, you will feel like Luke Skywalker!
I really considered to make it number 1.
1. Forever Train
Come on, you knew it would be 1! Atmosphere is great, it's the good Landmaster level, and you chase this train through the whole stage. It always fires bombs at you and throws boulders while you break it apart. What I love here is the impact it has. You don't just beat an attacking squad of enemies, nor mercenaries as competent as you. No, if you win, you cripple the supplies of the enemy and actually damage them very much.
After you destroy all the parts of the train, the Conductor unleashes a functional prototype to rain spears of death at you. It's hard to hit and hits hard, but it's also entirely optional. Because you can do the equally challenging task of hitting the eight switches to reroute the train and make it crash into the supply depot, blowing it all up! Congratulations, you crippled the entire enemy war effort. So cathartic it surpasses even the Gorgon.
Edit: I beat True Andross and he is probably second or third. The final escape scene is emotional, the first phase is like Easy Andross but harder and the second one is pretty hard to hit, and punishing if you fuck up and get too close to the brain.
