Zetzumarshen wrote:
Hard not to get panic and look back at my ship.
Don't keep your look on the explosion for too long either, if you see something threatening your ship too much you might want to move it back to it asap.
There is a second bonus to looking at the explosion longer, is that sometimes it makes "branches" which have much less bullet density than the rest. If such a "branch" goes near your ship, you will realize it's less dense more quickly and be able to move there out of threat very early.
Zetzumarshen wrote:
I know I shouldn't be lazy, but any advice to take down 2-3 big bastard without using bombs? I'd like to 2-all the game but continuing MAX bonus up until 2-5 is a very juicy prospect.
Yeah I have precise methods for this one that I need to follow closely to stay consistant. I used to call that boss the "Guardian" or "Run Breaker" because it was the point in second loop where I was most likely to screw up (before 2-5). I allowed myself 1 bomb there, it is reasonable because you get another bomb in 2-4 second half. Only worth it if you can continue the MAX bonus up to half 2-5 though. Now I'm much more consistant there and often destroy it without bombing or dying.

So the methods :
1) Start by lasering + aura the two small rotative turrets at the front (A and B).
2) As soon as B is destroyed, move to laser + aura C. Your aura can be touching E and F while you do this, damaging them while they open (at least I can do it with A-L, think it works with C-L). At least, your aura is also touching A so A will be destroyed before it can shoot anything. That's why at 1), it's best to prioritize shooting B down, and then move asap to 2).
3) The second C is destroyed, move to the bottom of the screen. Stay in front of C so as to kill the rotative turret that it was covering, and that has started shooting. The second that turret is destroyed, move to 4).
4) A little tricky. Move in front of the center part which I forgot to name on the image (let's call it X). You will be hitting E and F when they open. Now X is going to start its patterns. Watch which of the 3 patterns start now (it's random). I'll call the 3 patterns "circular barriers", "sniper" and "spiral spam", hopefully you'll know which is which :p. When it's the "circular barriers", the G and H turrets will bother you a lot unless you move to the hole in the next "circular barrier" at the last moment (cause if you move too early where the hole is going to be, the turrets will be shooting right there and you'll be blocked because their shot is faster than the barriers). So, unless it's the "circular barriers", move to laser D right now, staying at the bottom of the screen. If it IS the "circular barriers", wait until the first barrier is close to your position, and at the last few seconds move to a hole that puts you in position to hit D with your laser.
5) When D is destroyed, kill E, F and the turret that D was covering as fast as possible.
6) Destroy G and H as fast as possible. If you can, hit the last turret you're going to destroy before you destroy the second last turret, so that you can come back to the last turret and kill it very fast. That way it will annoy you less with it's faster shot.
7) Now it's just the 3 last patterns.
* Sniper : usually here you're lasering X while it is sniping at you, forcing you to move laterally. Of course, move as slowly as possible to hit it as long as possible before you have to make the move to go to the other side of the sniping bullets. When you think you want to make the move, first go up a little (closer to the boss), then switch to shot, and move left, then down. Your move to the left has spread the sniping bullets and created a little hole, that's where you're going. Moving up before moving left serves to create a larger hole by the way. Then repeat on the other side.
* Spiral Spam : nothing special, except don't try to stay in front of X when the pattern is at its tightest. It's better to dodge the tight phase on the side where it's less dense and there is a curvy corridor.
* Circular Barriers : that's the hardest. First watch for easy holes on either sides of the center. If there are none, then at the next second check the center for a super easy hole. If there is none, you will have to dodge by entering the barrier in a hole, and make a few hard lateral dodges inside the barrier. To do this, never wait until the barrier reaches the very bottom of the screen, because that's when the game's speed will go up. Also it's better not to stay at the very bottom so that you have just a little bit of space to move down in your dodges should you need to. So move up just a little bit to get to the hole you want to squeeze into, and then... pull off the dodges if your skill is enough ! Switch to shot for more speed when you think you need to.
8) When the boss is destroyed, be manner to him and type "GG".