RQ: Progear / Volvox (second attack)

[Bonus!]

I've now put several hours into practicing the fight against Volvox, and I've got pretty reliable strategies for almost every single stage of that fight. I even occasionally manage to make it through the final pattern with NBNM.

However, I can't quite figure out how to best respond to the second pattern, the "spread shot". Here's a screenshot, taken from Futobishi's superplay:



I've watched some superplays, but it's not quite clear to me how you have to position your ship to avoid getting hit. I often find myself in a situation where I can't even evade since the shot is fired from too close a distance.

Any pointers are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[STG]

I think that pattern might change slightly every time you play it. Usually I start that pattern just pointblanking him. When he launches his first spread I start pulling back to the left side of the screen and adjust moving down a touch, then I focus on getting towards the bottom left corner. You just need to get a hang of getting your ship in a position to the empty space of the shot. It's actually one of his more predictable patterns and after a while, you'll find that you don't really need to move towards the bottom left side of the screen at all and just use that attack to pointblank him a little more.

[Bonus!]

Thanks for the help! I haven'd dared to pointblank Volvox at this point, but I'll look into it. Right now I think that all the other phases, maybe with the exception of the very last one, are easier than his second attack. But now it's time for more save-state practice to change this!

[STG]

No prob!

If you do start pointblanking him more aggressively early on, you'll actually be able to bypass dealing with the second round of spread shot attack that you're having trouble with and move him quickly into his next phase, which is where he follows you around the screen. Might be something to consider trying!

The last pattern is indeed very random, and has certainly cost me many perfect 1st loops.