Cotton Boomerang [Arcade/Saturn]

[Kino]

Cotton Boomerang WR
Cotton Boomerang Scoring Details
Cotton 2 Scoring Details (Much more detailed than the other guide, and most of it still applies to Boomerang. Just ignore anything regarding health restoration, as well as any conflicting scoring details.)

Same rules as last time. Saturn users can set Pad-XYZ as they wish (though I am open to Command-XYZ being banned, if ST-V/MAME players want to argue it.) Everything else on defaults.

Since there's no dedicated strategy thread for this game, I'll just fill in the blanks for Mr. Kwan's scoring guide here.

Spoiler

boss part ?

Stage 1 Boss
Weapons (grabbed): 10000
Armor (punched): 10000
Hands: 1000
Feet: 1000

Stage 2 Boss
Thorns: 10000 (plus 10000 more for every subsequent regeneration [maxes out at 50000?])

Stage 3 Boss
Tentacles (punched): 10000

Stage 4 Boss
Red Crystal: 50000
Green Crystal: 50000

Stage 5 Boss
Energy Spheres (grabbed): 10000

Pursuit bonus (per 10th hit) 100 x hit# (up to 10k)

I think it is possible to get both the white tea cup and the Secret Bonus. Needs verification.

Verified here. Don't even think of trying to pull it off outside of the first couple stages.

formation bonus 1k per enemy

Minus 1k if you chained them as opposed to shooting them.

Post scores as follows:

Code: Select all

Name - Score - Team* - Max Chain - Max Hit - Special** - Stage

*List Characters as follows:

Cotton Fire = CF
Cotton Wind = CW
Cotton Ice = CI
Appli Ice = AI
Appli Wind = AW
Appli Fire = AF
Silk = S
Needle = N

**Arcade users use this to indicate autofire, Saturn users use this to indicate Command-XYZ or Rapid-XYZ. Mark as "none" if none apply.

Code: Select all

1.  Kino            - 33,021,500   - CF/CW/AI   - 322 Chain - 2503 Hit  - Rapid-XYZ - ALL
2.  Ed-057          -  3,998,800   - CI/AI/CF   - 23  Chain - 153  Hit  - ???       - Stage 6
3.  Shatterhand     -  3,623,200   - AI/CI/CF   - 59  Chain - 198  Hit  - ???       - Stage 4
4.  BulletMagnet    -  3,250,500   - AF/AI/CF   - 125 Chain - 17   Hit  - ???       - Stage 5

[Kino]

I promised myself I'd never touch this game again, but after all I've learned, it's too late to turn back now.

Kino - 26,541,800 - CF/CW/AI - 259 Chain - 2131 Hit - Rapid-XYZ - ALL



I've begun recording my runs for posterity's sake, but I'm waiting until I hit 28-29 mil to release a video. Shouldn't be long now.

[BulletMagnet]

Been awhile since I stopped in, but I gotta say congrats on the clear!

[Kino]

Kino - 28,358,000 - CF/CW/AI - 302 Chain - 2494 Hit - Rapid-XYZ - ALL



Very satisfied with this. A few slight mishaps on stages 3 & 4, but I doubt most will even notice them. As promised, I uploaded the run to my channel. Anyone that wants to know how high level play works in Cotton Boomerang is strongly encouraged to watch it.

Been awhile since I stopped in, but I gotta say congrats on the clear!

Thanks, man! Although clearing it should be a non-issue for the pugilistic types... the true test of perseverance is attaining near-WR scores.

[Kino]

Kino - 29,789,700 - CF/CW/AI - 317 Chain - 2567 Hit - Rapid-XYZ - ALL



A pretty much spotless run other than Stage 7 being colossally dogshit. That last two million isn't even a matter of 'if' at this point, but 'when'.

[CStarFlare]

Really exciting to hear you say that. Can't wait until you hit it.

[ProjectAKo]

Cool. I thought you gave up.

[Kino]

Kino - 31,212,800 - CF/CW/AI - 276 Chain - 2628 Hit - Rapid-XYZ - ALL



Accidentally threw the seal away on stage 5.

[ProjectAKo]

Only 500k away

[The Armchair General]

All these amazing scores are making me want to play this game. Is there any good guide on the basics of this game?

[Kino]

Is there any good guide on the basics of this game?

Cotton Boomerang "superplay"
Cotton Boomerang Scoring Details
Cotton 2 Scoring Details (Much more detailed than the other guide, and most of it still applies to Boomerang. Just ignore anything regarding health restoration, as well as any conflicting scoring details.)

^ All you need.



Also, it happened.



Kino - 31,913,700 - CF/CW/AI - 308 Chain - 2555 Hit - Rapid-XYZ - ALL

Practically did a weasel war dance upon attaining this. Only minor nitpick I have is not getting the 100k off Wool at the end... barring that, an absolutely phenomenal run.

I want to push it to 33m just for protection's sake... though I'm leaning more towards going full casual after this. Nothing but Wonder Project J2 and Milano's Arubaito Collection from hereon out!

[ProjectAKo]

wow dude

[Perikles]

Congratulations, Kino, what a fantastic achievement! Definitely suscitated my interest in this game as well.

[CStarFlare]

Really great, congrats!

[Shepardus]

Impressive! Always good to see effort pay off. Do you have any way of capturing your runs for us to see?

[The Armchair General]

Amazing work Kino!

[Kino]

Much appreciated!

Do you have any way of capturing your runs for us to see?

I didn't record my last two runs because reasons, but here's the most recent. That may very well be the final CB run I ever record, as I would like to keep what few scoring secrets I have left... y'know, secret.

Definitely suscitated my interest in this game as well.

Truly terrifying. Guess I'll be defending my crown sooner rather than later, eh?

[Kino]

Kino - 32,012,800 - CF/CW/AI - 313 Chain - 2534 Hit - Rapid-XYZ - ALL

Suffered through MAME's imperfect ( ) ST-V emulation the other day to formulate some new strategies, which revitalized my interest in this game (after damn near burning myself out on the genre at large) At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if the score ceiling was even higher than Cotton 2's. After years of being acquainted with this game, I'm only now learning how to properly navigate stages 2 & 7. I can only imagine what I'm overlooking during the more lucrative stages...

Missed the Secret Bonus on stage 6, but thankfully, I'm not yet at the point where I require it to break my PB. Only other blemish of note was having to bomb during one of Wool's fireball clusters near the end. Everything else went exactly as planned. If I want to see any further progress, I'll have to start doing the risky strat against the stage 5 midboss (maybe learning how to get the last wave of zako off the stage 4 midboss, but I'm not holding my breath on that one!)

[Perikles]

Suffered through MAME's imperfect ( ) ST-V emulation[...]

Such a shame, really, I'd love to play this and some other games (Shienryu!) but the framerate tends to drop massively at least on my PC. Maybe one day! Not giving up hope that there will be a convenient MAME build for Gradius IV at some point, too.

Be that as it may, you don't cease to amaze, Kino. Your dedication for Success seems to beget just that. Truly unprecedented.

[Kino]

'preciate the kind words, old chum!

The Saturn makes for a bodacious ST-V stand-in, I find. If Technosoft's best two shooters weren't incentive enough to own one, all those arcade-perfect ST-V ports should seal the deal (Success' offerings are at the top of the pile, though there's other assorted goodies such as Print Club's Daisakusen and the aforementioned Shienryu. I suppose Soukyu & RSG aren't the worst things in the world)

On second thought, I do benefit from the lack of competition... forget what I just said. Just keep waiting for the MAME devs to come through.

[Kino]

Kino - 32,655,600 - CF/CW/AI - 329 Chain - 2585 Hit - Rapid-XYZ - ALL



Well, this raises the stakes a bit. Got the 'holding' glitch to happen during the Stage 2 boss fight (which, coincidentally, is the one place in the game where you'd actually want it. And just in case anyone was wondering, yes, said glitch also occurs in the arcade) Pulled off the risky strat against the stage 5 mid-boss, as well, though I fear I may have to go riskier in future endeavors.

Would've breached 33 mil, but alas, I was forcibly given a spot of tea at the very last second of stage 6.

[Kino]

Kino - 33,021,500 - CF/CW/AI - 322 Chain - 2503 Hit - Rapid-XYZ - ALL

ocular proof of the whole ordeal

This came pretty quickly, once I realized that 'picture perfect' just wasn't in the cards.

[BulletMagnet]

Huge congrats on the WR!