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|Release Date(s)
| July 12th, 2014 (Wii U)
March 3rd, 2017 (Switch)
|Singleplayer, multiplayer
|Age Rating(s)
|Media Included
| Wii U optical disc
Nintendo Switch cartridge
|Available Input
| Wii U gamepad
Wii mote
BowieQuest is somewhat of a tribute to retro video games, featuring fairly simplistic controls but balances it out with challenging gameplay. BowieQuest has rather cartoonish graphics, taking notes of style from Yoshi's Story as well as the video game Toy Story. The game is designed to be played by anyone of any age, but the game specifically targets the child demographic above all else.
Following the Nintendo Switch presentation shown on January 13th, 2017, BowieQuest was announced to be ported to the console with little to no changes beyond bug fixes. It was released later on March 3rd as one of its launch titles. As promotion for the TimeStrike Neo, it was ported and released there. It was eventually re-released on the TimeStrike Falcon as well.
As with other early titles, it was re-released by scorpistar⭐. The game was followed by sequels BowieQuest 2: Degree in Origami and BowieQuest 3: Pins & Needles.
Foiled year after year in desperation to steal all of the Western Village's bananas for himself, the infamous outlaw Endal decided it was the last straw and set his Eastern Jungle homeland on fire, tricking Bowie into thinking he was deceased and prompted him to check out the area, having taken advantage of his good-natured heart. Quietly, he sneaked away to a rather isolated and dangerous location while all the teddy bears were stunned, building a large urban area as an all-new habitat for bears and monkeys alike to live in. He eventually sent hypnotic televisions from the base into the village, driving many teddy bears to move out and make the move to the nearby station, taking trains to the Ironworks.
When Bowie arrived, he found the western village in chaos and in control by monkeys, and that everyone was missing. Upon entering the mayor's home -- in fact his wife Flare's -- he found a hypnotic television and that his family was under control by Endal. Having poked their cheeks, he broke their hypnosis and asked what happened on a piece of paper. Flare shrugged and replied that they needed to get moving, or even worse things will happen. Just then, monkey guards infiltrated the home and kidnapped everyone but Bowie, who managed to make an escape. The bears eventually all separate from the guards and began moving towards the station, hoping to make a quick trip to Endal's latest fiasco.
A confrontation at the end of Western Forest revealed Endal, now a monkey overlord wielding a cape and mechanical foot, piloting a large mech, having said that the teddy bears have no chance of defeating him then and that they will witness what he called "doom". The monkey was narrowly defeated, forcing him to retreat to the Chalky Station, and for the rest of the game the player would be following Endal all the way down to his home base. Windi was always behind family and was working her way to catching up to them. At the Ironworks level, all the characters will be reunited as they take on Endal's last couple of mean machines.
At the final battle in the Ironworks, Endal claimed that he would turn the entire world into a machine and that life would benefit off of the new, rusty world, and additionally claimed that the Ironworks was "only the beginning of the new Industrial Revolution". Not wanting Endal to take the whole planet apart, Bowie and family engaged in battle with the monkey overlord and they emerged victorious despite all the odds. Upset by his defeat, Endal challenged Bowie to a fair duel in the Western Forest, and threatened Bowie to follow the rules. Depending on if all the Platinum medals were collected or not, Endal would either unveil a secret plan or flee.
In the extra level, Bowie and his family go through Endal's mechanical space colony together to stop him, but it became up to Windi to defeat Endal and bring his reign of terror into an end. Upon Endal's defeat, the colony fell down to Stitchonia and smashed into the Ironworks, with all living organisms fleeing before the explosive impact. The destruction of the Ironworks resulted in a clean-up project only managed by Endal and his monkey team, having had to clean up all the pollution and destruction they caused to the galaxy. Bowie's family had safely evacuated the giant station before its fate and landed back in their Western Village home, earning the player a happy ending.
Adventure Mode is the main mode for the player, from here the player can choose a storyline and play through it, going through ten levels using three overworlds. The objective is to defeat Endal, the evil monkey overlord that threatens the peacefulness of the Western Forest and the galaxy Stitchonia as well. Adventure is also the only mode available initially besides options, and also Bowie is the only one selectable from the beginning. As the player progresses through Adventure and the game's bulk, they'll unlock the rest of the characters and also unlock more modes for themselves.
In Trial, the player can select any stage they already completed individually without having to play through Adventure mode. The player can choose Time Attack and get through the selected stage as soon as possible, Score Attack to obtain the highest score they can get, or Practice to prepare for a stage. In Practice, the player will have unlimited lives, and the level they're currently trying to work on in Adventure mode is selectable. For the former two options, the player can post their time and score records online and prompt friends to beat them. There are three leaderboards available; friend leaderboards, regional leaderboards, and worldwide leaderboards.
If the player chooses Challenge, they can log onto Wi-Fi and take on any of three selected challenges from TimeStrike's website, and the challenges change monthly. Some challenges will task the player with fighting a boss without getting hurt, or not defeating any enemies while moving through the Ironworks. The first three-hundred people who complete a challenge will be rewarded with special items from TimeStrike, like technical demos for future games. On the Nintendo Switch, the system was revamped so that every previous challenge was available from the start and that prizes no longer include money.
Through options, players can change sound settings, test their controller to make sure it works properly, look through logs of in-game enemies or listen to the game's soundtrack. In addition, they can delete their save file and restart from the beginning, or copy it to other files. It is also through here where the player can choose whether or not they get notifications about new challenges from TimeStrike or other players topping them in the time / score attack records.
BowieQuest is designed to be accessible to everybody, meant to be easy to play and enjoy by people of all ages. That being said, the game is notorious for some sharp increases in difficulty as the player progresses throughout the game. The objective of each level is the same; get to the level's end whilst taking advantage of the plethora of twisting and labyrinth-like routes of each stage. A lot of levels have paths that have varying levels of speed and difficulty, although easier, high-speed routes are less common and are subtly hidden from the player. While general gameplay remains largely the same throughout the game, the game's playable characters each have their own quirks and style.
Upon starting the game, the player can select between any of four game files, and can copy/delete them at will. Once a file is chosen, it will be saved into the system memory, and will continuously save as the player progresses in their adventure. The player must configure settings before diving into the game, having to choose the overall difficulty (Beginner, Intermediate, Expert) and choose if they want to have tutorials and maps on or off. The player can choose before starting up a file if they want to go fully solo or have the option for co-op.
If the player pauses the game, they'll have access to a large-scale map detailed with paths. Grey paths have been unexplored, while paths that have been explored are colored with the character's respective one. Paths that have been explored by other characters in the game are marked with gold. If the player has come across a Platinum Medal, it will be added onto the map for future references and possibly future "speedruns". Of course, maps will only display if they've been enabled by the player before starting the game.
All levels are labyrinths of sorts, featuring multiple winding and crossing pathways that often split apart and lead into different areas of the huge stages. Very often, routes designed for different characters overlap and go behind one another, connecting every bit of level together. In some cases, some characters will share pathways and passages, some characters going up passages that others go down. To prevent wasting space, almost all space that a level has is taken up by level design and scenery, but tries to help out the player by having the occasional directional signs.
A unique feature unique to this game is that if the player presses the A button right before landing, they will bounce up into the air to a higher distance, taking advantage of the rebounding yarn. Each consecutive bounce tosses players higher into the air until their bounce is about twice as high as the original trounce. This bounce can be used on slopes to toss players a far distance across pits or to escape danger from bosses. This feature can be used in tandem with existing abilities to take interesting pathways or shortcuts that clever players can find if they play around enough with it. Does not work on non-yarn terrain.
Each level has lots of candies and medals spread throughout them as collectible objects. They float and rotate in the air and serve different purposes. The candies restore health to the player and come in generic shapes such as lollipops and chocolate bars. If a character is hit with an attack by any enemy, they will comically fall backwards and be temporarily invincible, giving the player time to run away. The bears use a continuous health measurement system; if it's emptied, the player will lose a life and fall off the stage in a fairly humorous manner.
While medals serve as the game's in-game currency and are used to purchase items from the shop. They come in three varieties; Bronze, Silver and Gold. Bronze Medals are the most common but are worth less than the others; while Gold is the most rare yet worth more than the other two. Silver Medals are balanced, being not too common, not too rare, and having a rather average worth. Platinum Medals are unique; there are only 50 of them all in all and will help open up the final level for the player to access once all are collected.
At the end of every level, unless the player is playing as Windi, Endal will descend from the ceiling in a contraption of his, donning a silly disguise that perfectly matches the level's theme. Endal will then proceed to attack the player and try to defeat them. The player is required to try and exploit the weaknesses of his machines and then give it all they got to damage him. Once his health meter goes down to zero, the machine will explode and Endal will fly away, save for the series of final boss fights. It's not always Endal that happens to be the boss, but the general rules still apply.
If enabled upon starting up a file, a second player can follow behind the primary player with the press of the start button on their own controller, able to follow them around and help defeat enemies and stuff. New varieties of paths open up with two players as the two can work together to get to all-new locations. For example, Bowie can toss his partner with his rope and Ashe can bounce under a player to launch them very high. If player two falls too far behind, they will catch up via comical means.
Within BowieQuest, there are a total of three overworlds: Sunny Springs, Rainy Ravine, and Thunder Tower. Each of these worlds holds three levels for the player to explore, with a fourth being shared by Rainy Ravine and Thunder Tower. In the overworlds, the player can purchase items from Ace, who is often hidden behind a building and obscured from the player's vision. Alternatively, they can talk to other teddy bears around and related characters. From here, they can take on the game's challenges set up by Bowie's brother, Sabeuxo. The worlds are viewed in a Paper Mario-like perspective.
Sunny Springs is a peaceful location that hosts Western Village, Chalky Station, and Sapphire Quarry. The levels here are fairly easy and don't have much of a challenge. The player can often find money lying around or slot machines located near the Western Village's entrance. Rainy Ravine is a location constantly in war, hosting Ember Woods, Midnight Ruin, and the Underground. Levels have moderate difficulty and have much trickier puzzle bits. It is in the Rainy Ravine where the player can learn history about the Stitchonia galaxy. Thunder Tower is the last hub world, but it can only be accessed by chasing Endal's train to it in the level Railroad Chase. The player must clear Dangerous Rapids and Undersea Labyrinth before being able to access the last level; the Ironworks. These levels are extremely tricky and expect the best skill from the player
Specific playstyles
Each character within BowieQuest is unique, and they are quite different from the other playable characters despite sharing plenty of moves in common. The different characters start at different points in the levels, take different routes from each other quite often, and have access to different rooms. It is necessary to complete each character's story before being able to play the last one, which involves every playable character.
Bowie is the easiest character to use, having average statistics and gameplay, and everything with him is basically straightforward. However, he does offer a little complexity in his variety of tools. Ashe is a slower, gimmicky character who must solve puzzles to move from place to place. Flare is a very fast character who can speed through any stage, but must endure the high number of obstacles in her path. Windi is a stealthy, ninja-like character who must avoid being spotted, for she cannot do much against enemies as she tries to catch up to Bowie and the others.
To see the separate gameplay styles and elements of the different characters, see here for Bowie, here for Ashe, here for Flare, and here for Windi.
- Please note that the controls are just the default settings on the Wii U version and that most of the game's button mappings can be changed through options. BowieQuest features simplistic controls.
Conceptualization and direction
BowieQuest was conceptualized by game director Athena Hawkins at a young age, at the time wanting to make video games much like those from the Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog franchises. The earliest work ever done with such an idea was Hawkins dragging Bowie through her home as a small child and lifting him above obstacles and around corners. She also experimented using two other teddy bears that later became the basis for Ashe and Sabeuxo, but they largely worked like Bowie himself. The idea of a teddy bear-themed game was dropped early on as Hawkins went to play other games, having lost interest in the idea of creating a video game.
At the age of 10, when her family moved across the United States, she found all three teddy bears and began experimenting with them again, but put them in an RPG-like setting against an animal that heavily resembled a Yukon wolf, who would eventually be replaced by a monkey that would later become known as Bananas. The ideas were notably more complex and varied than her previous ideas in the past, but the ideas remained fairly generic; the teddy bears worked very alike one another and were battling monsters based off of food. One of the concepts, Appleton, made it into the final working of BowieQuest.
After Hawkins' grandma personally handed her and her siblings three extra stuffed animals, she immediately used them for her Bowie project. The three animals were two extra teddy bears and a stuffed monkey, with the bears named Samantha and Shelia and the monkey being named Bananas. "Bananas" replaced the wolf antagonist and took up the mantle as the series' antagonist, and continued holding this position up to the game's official release years later. Inspired by Pokémon, Hawkins gave each teddy bear a unique element to use in combat, which would have aided the series' early RPG focus. The name of the project at the time was Bowie Adventure.
These concepts remained largely the same up until Hawkins turned 15, removing the "food monsters" and overall RPG elements from the core concept of the project, but retained the elemental powers of the teddy bears and the plot's skeletal outline. The teddy bears were given unique advantages and disadvantages so to separate them from each other. Each was given a unique ability as well. However, the concepts were poorly conceived by Hawkins' youngest sibling as well as some of her other friends at the time, and Samantha was especially criticized as showing "female oppression" with her use of a frying pan and being one of the few female characters in the project. This is the first time the name "BowieQuest" was used for the project.
To combat the criticism and supposedly fix up the whole thing, Hawkins once again changed the direction of the series, renaming multiple characters and making the atmosphere dark and gritty in comparison to the project's previous incarnations. Guns were added as were multiple dark themes, designs became more malevolent and the project quick edged towards a much more mature theme. Despite compliments on improvements to general gameplay, the general direction was still criticized for being confusing and then for becoming "edgy" for no reason. After years of planning out the project, Hawkins put it to a halt, but would come back to it later in a year and a half.
Nearing the age of 17, Hawkins quickly threw together a completely new project. Bananas, renamed Endal in that project, created a huge city known as the Ironworks and was set on dominating the world using secret weapons and huge machines, with the goal being to stop him. The idea of the project being a game was temporarily scrapped, and Hawkins made it into a cartoon pitch. While the idea was liked a lot, Hawkins decided that it didn't work for her and she scrapped the project once more, returning to the project in just one more year to create a game out of it again, but with multiple changes to the formula.
Over the age of 18, Hawkins developed the final concept of BowieQuest, making it a child-friendly platformer game with unique gameplay styles between four playable characters, with the objective being to stop Endal from world domination and industrialization. The game took a notably more western approach, with Bowie and family becoming the managers of a town in the Western Forest. Endal became both an overlord and a reckless outlaw, and his objectives almost remain the same. The project was developed not to rival the gaming giants, but to be a retro-appeal title with multiple references to classical Nintendo games as well as several games from the classic side of the Sonic the Hedgehog series.
Gameplay development
Confident that the game would sell well if done right, Athena Hawkins formed an independent video game company named TimeStrike in 2011, assembling a team of roughly forty people to work on the game. The game originally was going to use sprites and was intended to look like a game one could play on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System or the Sega Mega Drive. However, the team couldn't exactly replicate Hawkins' needs, unable to create a base game that successfully targets the child demographic. Ditching sprites, Hawkins moved the team into hand-drawn animation, wanting to bring a taste of "good old cartoons from the early twentieth century", taking inspiration from the likes of Looney Tunes and Popeye.
Hawkins set up a tough challenge for the team; to sport a yarn-like and papery look for the worlds and levels while also making it look hand-drawn. She decided that the game should also have a retro appeal to it, having simplistic gameplay and controls, yet making each character different and fun to play as like one would expect in modern titles. The slowly growing development team avoided using 3D models in fear of them decreasing the overall quality of the project, as 3D models "tended to be rather messy and ugly when used incorrectly or out of place" in the words of the game's director. Hawkins decided to give the player many routes to discover, with paths twisting in and out from each other so that there'd be no unused space or wasted material anywhere within the levels.
In very late 2012, to test to see if the game would appeal to the youngest of children, Hawkins set up an experiment and invited some friends to her headquarters with the aim of seeing if the game was appealing to their children. Much to Hawkins' pleasure and excitement, the test succeeded, and the development team boosted work on the game, finishing up the level concepts and enemy designs. By this point, TimeStrike's company contained at least a hundred and twenty people, many of which were working on the BowieQuest project, with concentration being put onto various other new projects too, for Hawkins believed that BowieQuest would pave the way to success.
The musical score for BowieQuest was greatly inspired by the 1993 video game Sonic the Hedgehog CD, somewhat trying to replicate the bouncy and moody tracks of the Japanese score. However, the game has its own share of pop and rock music greatly inspired by the American score for that game. A good portion of the tracks are metal in style or generally creepy. According to Hawkins, some of the more "weird" themes were inspired by the 1994 video game Earthbound's soundtrack. She also said that the inspired themes also added to the general "retro appeal" of the project, and hoped that players would find similarities between certain tracks.
The game was officially revealed to the general public in E3 of 2013 using TimeStrike's press conference, where they also announced that they had multiple other games under the works. They showcased BowieQuest's first three levels and showed off the gameplay of Bowie, Ashe and Flare, leaving Windi out of the scene for the moment. Said conference also unveiled bosses END-01 and END-03, and showed shadows of multiple NPCs, which included Sabeuxo, Ace, Fudgebuckets, Thomas, and one of the extra playable character Windi. The multiple modes of BowieQuest were also explored, with the Adventure and Trial modes particularly highlighted. Hawkins announced that it will be available for the Wii U in either mid-2014 or later that year.
Multiple ideas didn't make it into BowieQuest. For example, upgrades for the characters were intended to be in the game, but they were scrapped and most of them were made into default abilities for the cast to use. Elemental attacks and combo chains were also intended to be used, but they were considered "pacebreakers" and they were scrapped, although Flare retains being able to use fire in several of her moves. Online multiplayer, minigames, and miniature puzzle games were also discussed, but they were all equally removed from the game as Hawkins feared that they would break the game's pace and weren't "very necessary to begin with".
BowieQuest was finished in May of 2014, and was released to the Wii U on July 12th that year following some bug fixes and graphical polishing. It sold well and helped with TimeStrike's presence in the gaming market.
BowieQuest is specifically designed to appeal to a young audience, with very colorful environments and family-friendly enemies, sporting a look that's inspired by crafting and knitting material, featuring lots of yarn and papery scenery. The game has a look that's not too distant from that of Yoshi's Story, although the graphics in BowieQuest are for the most part realistic and don't take place in a storybook. Despite the kid-friendly nature, the game still has a few violent approaches meant to appeal to adults, such as fluff exploding from enemies on defeat and scary, yet subtle global messages.
The stage design for BowieQuest is all over the place, using Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Metroid Fusion in particular as its inspirations for stage design. The levels of the game have loads of different pathways that twist and turn around each other, and are designed to appeal to the pace of any player, from speedrunners to new players. The faster areas of the game are more straightforward and are normally a breeze to cross, while the slower areas are focused around puzzles and often contain hidden routes for the player to explore. The huge, sprawling level design is supposed to imply the overall size of the in-game universe, Stitchonia.
Instead of using models or 3D graphics, BowieQuest makes excellent use of a high-definition, hand-drawn look that borrows design inspiration from various old 1930s cartoons. The game has a lot of retro appeal to it; for example, the majority of Endal's machines are styled after classical Nintendo bosses, but with a catch; he tends to make hybrid fusions of them, often rendering them unrecognizable. There are numerous other references to other Nintendo franchises, such as enemies based off of Goombas and balloons that bear striking resemblance to the Kirby character.
The game's soundtrack is, for the most part, quite atmospheric yet upbeat in tone. Each individual tune and sound effect blends in well with the game's overall feel, being filled with bouncy and moody tracks. A lot of the music falls under pop and rock genres, and there's even hints of rap here and there. Some music is metal in style, but those tracks aren't too common to come across in the game and are done in such a way that they still fit in with the other tracks. BowieQuest also has its fair share of foreboding or otherwise creepy tracks, but they are more common closer to the game's climax.
|Playable Characters
Bowie is the main protagonist of the game, and is the well-acknowledged, headstrong yet silent sheriff of the Western Forest. While he can come off as quite stern and quickly become aggressive if people hurt his emotions or friends, he is a reliable and trustable hero who will never back down a promise...even if he can't respond to it. Bowie communicates with hand motions, head movements, and shapes made from his ropes, and is often a source of comic relief.
Bowie is a rounded out character, with balanced statistics and simple gameplay. He is supposed to be easily approachable by anyone, and people should be able to play through his storyline with ease. With straight-forward stages and gameplay containing few gimmicks, he follows the rules of a retro character pretty well.
Ashe is the "son" of Bowie, having been stitched together by him and Flare. He is a fun-loving, overly enthusiastic person who loves to eat, willing to eat anything that's actually edible. He can come off as a little snarky and sarcastic sometimes when he snaps, which mostly happens if he gets annoyed too much. He is willing to aid his friends whenever he can, and has practiced swordsfighting to prove that he can easily protect them.
Ashe is based upon gimmicks, being able to inflate upon absorbing water and spew out this water in several different ways. Puzzle-lovers will find great enjoyment in Ashe's gameplay, and will also be relieved to know that the only real difficulty in his stages is the puzzles themselves.
Flare is the
Flare's gameplay is definitely focused on speed, able to blitz through stages and power up generators to light up deactivated pathways. Her flames can light up torches and grant her access to places she hasn't been to before, and her mid-air dashes can help her reach great heights.
Windi is the "daughter" of Bowie and Flare, and is a rather easily intimidated and frightful teddy bear who hides from all signs of danger. She is nice and gentle with others, but the slightest sight of any evil will make her stutter or knock her unconscious out of fright. Having been left behind by her family so that Endal can't concentrate any of his chase on her, Windi decided to pursuit the bears so she can help protect them and abandon her cowardly life.
Windi's gameplay is ninja-based; Windi must accurately jump from location to location and make use of the air to go places. She must avoid being seen by foes, for her only offenses are weak and not very reliable when it comes to defeating foes. Her storyline occurs last.
|Sabeuxo is Bowie's older "sibling", being a serious type character who has little to no faith in any of his family. Determined to see if Bowie is worthy of even being a sheriff, Sabeuxo sometimes goes out on the offense and tries to kill off his family members one by one, always failing. His "edginess" was formed as a child, where family would always find Bowie the more "charming" of the two, causing Sabeuxo to get an ego.
|Oscargen is a scientist of sorts, working on upgrades that Ace provides for the player. He is quite young, yet quite the genius and quite an extra-special one. As the player continues to progress, Oscargen will supply Ace with new weapons and upgrades that she will often try to pass off to the player. He has a developed crush for another teddy bear, but refuses to tell who and threatens death to those who ask.
|Dryle is a poor, underpaid miner that works in the Sapphire Quarry, with his objective being to supply the Eastern Jungle with rare glowing gemstones so they can power up their machines. He is kind, yet not really bright and is quite clumsy. Dryle doesn't like to give up his work easily, but bribing him by giving him easy money will persuade Dryle into doing whatever you need.
|Malvio is a psychic teddy bear that offers insight into the future for a small fee. By accepting to have their future foretold, the player will be warped into an alternative universe to see what lies ahead of them. If the player has a great future, the player will be awarded with three items, filling up their slots. If a bad one, they won't get much. The fortunes are dependent on how good the player is at the game.
|Ace is a Beorn that attempts to make the player believe that she's actually a teddy bear! She looks a lot like Bowie, just a lot more shady and wearing a few piece of jewelry. She offers multiple items in her shop for the player to use, and often has high prices on her items. Sometimes the items will go on sale, but this is rather unlikely unless you've been purchasing a lot of her items recently!
|Endal was initially anything but scary, having proved to be a disaster of a villain with failure after failure against the heroes. But after having decided that it was the last straw, Endal devised a sneaky plan which allowed him to infiltrate the Western Forest and kidnap Bowie's family! As he plans to dominate and turn Stitchonia into his own mechanical empire, Bowie must stop him with the additional task of saving his family from his furry clutches.
|Fudgebuckets is a wise, yet very cowardly cousin of Endal's that helps him out devise strategies and gives him clues to where the teddy bears are. He is responsible for a lot of the game's events, but for what is rather unknown! He tends to speak with a bad French accent. As Windi rarely faces Endal in her story, she instead has to put up with a lot of Fudgebuckets' machines that operated places that the other teddy bears have already gone through.
|Ripe is the younger sister of Fudgebuckets who is totally bananas (get it?), sick and tired of all this war and wanting it to stop. While she pretends to behave loyally to Endal, when he's not looking she'll occasionally toss power-ups to the bears. If timing is done so that Endal sees Ripe doing this, she'll claim it was an accident and run away. Thankfully, Endal is still dim-witted enough to not think about killing her or at least kicking her out of his group.
|Thomas is a teddy bear that works for Endal, being small and hard to see but he's quite lethal. He hardly does anything throughout the game, but can sometimes be seen walking in the backgrounds of levels as a silhouette, setting up obstacles for the player to face. Who is he, really? What purpose does he serve throughout the course of Bowie's quest?
Each of the game's ten levels are quite unique, having their own tilesets and gimmicks to separate them from the others. Levels "evolve" as the player gets closer to the end, often featuring background changes, new tiles, and new obstacles to face, and potentially brand-new enemies. The music will also change, often being a more upbeat or emotionally challenging theme that usually ends with a great, powerful climax. While the amount of levels is rather small, they are so large and full of secrets so to add lots of replayability to the game.
|Western Village
An old, dusty town that's been around for countless decades, serving as the capital city of the Sunny Springs world. Most densely populated region of the teddy bears, the area looks surprisingly run-down and dull in color, with various building showing signs of old age, from multiple cracks down in the walls to the flicking or sometimes broken lights. Like one could expect with any generic western-themed location, many cacti and caravans can be found in the region, and a drought is choking the town at this moment, with many bodies of water either somewhat dry or entirely drained.
The town sports mostly brown, grey and red colors, with few buildings sporting any sort of bright colors. Buildings seem to be either spread quite a ways away from each other or really close together, and various tree stumps can be seen around the area, implying it might have once been part of the Western Forest. Occasionally, one can find dry skulls on the ground, often belonging to typical desert animals like camels. These skulls are sometimes used as decorations on buildings too as well as several Christmas-like lights. The uptown area of the village experiences strong sunlight.
Insides of buildings look clean and furnished most of the time when compared to their outsides. Floors are clean, windows are wiped well, carpets are often laid out nicely. The insides of buildings usually tend to share the same colors as their outer walls, but are often brighter and feature a more varied palette of colors, often with hints of blue and green. Depending on the building, there may be different obstacles inside, such as thieves inside random houses or the laser traps featured in the bank. Most buildings are abandoned or devoid of teddy bears, but one may find the occasional resident.
Features of the Western Village include dusty, hard-to-see roads, large buildings filled to the brim with greedy thieves, shooting galleries, and a grimy and disgusting sewer system. 'Stache Monkibots are the most commonly seen enemies, often in very clean sight. Dolls based off of the monkeys often hang from ceilings, which can be attacked for skill practice. Uptown is sunny and more linear, while downtown features hazards such as trains and dangerous buildings to venture through, like a complex building (the Bank) with many floors and passageways to pass through.
Windi's part of the level takes place in the run-down sewage system of the city. She goes in there to hide from the intimidating, highly threatening forces of Endal. There, she must traverse the grimy, icky maze while avoiding being caught by searchlights or monkey passerby. Occasionally, she'll reach dead ends and will have to climb out of a manhole to get to the next, being careful to not be spotted along the way. The level looks largely unchanged, but some of the buildings and streets explored earlier are covered in toilet paper and eggs, suggesting that the monkeys raided and trashed the place.
For the first part of the level, the music is quick-paced and cheerful, featuring maracas and acoustic guitars. As the player advances towards downtown, the music becomes slightly slower and features a slow, lethal beat that highlights the heat of the atmosphere and the thief problem that the city faces. Near the level's climax, the pace slows even more, now having few instruments and just a sluggish rhythm that can be compared to the rate of a slow heartbeat. That last tune gives the dreading feeling of suspense and accurately reflects Bowie's enemy investigation.
|Chalky Station
Immediately east from the village is the Chalky Station, an enormous place that has multiple railways leading to multiple places across the Stitchonia galaxy. Having become a target for Endal's schemes to rule the world, this big building contains multiple walls made from styrofoam, easy-to-bust-open yarn doors, and various train tunnels and tracks that the player has to be careful of when crossing. R&R signs, electronic message boards, and various robots dot the station, and warm-colored skies hang over the horizon. Many of the station's various areas have three floors and are somewhat maze-like.
Aside from the common pale white color the area possesses, Chalky Station features a lot of bright blue and grey colors that make up the outer walls of the building, and its inner walls are brown-ish and feature hieroglyphs, which often symbolize what techniques the player should use to get from place to place. Multiple trains are featured throughout the area which must be ridden from location to location, although some areas are down (especially if the player is using Windi) and require the player find another train or find their way around the station. This is important for the station is held on high-up cliffs.
Chalky Station is desert-like at the start, featuring some of the same decorations featured in Western Village, but at the other side, the environment is green and healthy, with fresh "grass" and "trees". While traveling across the bridges by train, the player will advance over huge, perilous pits, which are the only things connecting the Western Village location to the Sapphire Quarry region. The station itself is very clean, with furnished walls and floors and multiple well-placed portraits of teddy bears that actually parody real-life figures, and often contains lots of passerby that have quite different expressions.
Chalky Station is trap-ridden despite its public accessibility, separate station places the player can access are darkened and filled with thieves, or contain laser and mouse traps. Taking the most hidden routes will often reward the player by skipping these places and leading to an award, or just skipping a good chunk of the level altogether. The station is home to lots of water fountains and electronic devices which open up doors and passageways once they're activated. Many enemies in the level are mechanical, with most of 'em being security cameras.
When Windi visits Chalky Station, it looks largely shut down, with search lights again flooding the area in search of Windi. Almost all the local trains are down, requiring that Windi finds secret passageways, taking advantage of the weakened walls and environment to explore new locations. Chalky Station doesn't look all that white, looking dark with flashing colors varying from blue to red. Windi explores a lot of the underside of the station, gripping onto monkey bars to explore the bottom sections and chopping down suspension bars to allow access to new platforms.
The level features a lively, energetic tune that's fairly easy to clap to, featuring techno keyboards and electric guitars, but tries to pass off as a happy tune than a serious tune. When the player enters dark buildings, the music mutes itself a little and sounds a little more forboding and dangerous, losing the electric feel and sounding ominous. When the player nears the end, the music returns to the first piece, but features a new area in the melody that leads up to a powerful, electric climax. The music takes some samples from Chemical Plant's, a level from Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
|Sapphire Quarry
A seemingly endless mine located on the grassy side of the Chalky Station, Sapphire Quarry is a complex level with many winding passageways and turns, being a more industrialized area where poor teddy bears mine out gemstones for the world to use in jewelry products. Despite being in a region that would not receive natural sunlight, glowing ornaments dot the scene, hanging off of high-up wires and allowing the player to see the blue and black clay walls. Deeper down in the mines, the quarry looks less colonized, with few robots around and various tectonic-related obstacles ahead for the player to face on.
Lit up almost entirely with multi-colored lights and little bits of light from opposing enemies, the Sapphire Quarry is the first true "labyrinth level" in the game, featuring multiple areas of varying sizes and having multiple twists and turns. The area is mostly blue and dark grey, with bits of brown and red structures here and there as well as the occasional gemstone. Sapphires themselves don't really appear until the player heads down even further in the mines, where everything becomes a little more straightforward and more focused on the survival aspect.
Halfway through the area, the player can notice some of Endal's mechs moving around the region, like a huge mech that suddenly appears and drills through the ground, cutting through diamond before suddenly melting down in a sea of lava. Going down the gap, the player heads into a smaller, yet more puzzle-oriented labyrinth, while also facing obstacles like shaking terrain and falling ceilings. At the climax, the player heads up a shaft that leads out into the woods, this shaft being filled with constantly rising the lava, meaning the player has to head up as soon as possible.
The Quarry has a number of special features, such as ziplines that take you quickly from area to area and switches that both drain and increase lava, suggesting that the lava might be powering a lot of machinery somewhere nearby. The area also is hostage to a lot of one-way doors -- they're more of annoyances than anything and suddenly appear from where the player just came from, meaning they can't go back that direction. Players should search around for items before progressing too far ahead, for the gates can really catch them by surprise. Also features various launch pads.
When Windi goes through the mines, the player will find that the area is much darker, yet still easy to see with the varying amount of lights set up around the corridors. The second half of the mines looks utterly destroyed and wrecked with lava, to which Windi will have to find switches and bombs and blow up the bottom sections of the mine with the intent being to lower down the lava levels. Navigating the caves is a little easier, as the explosive action in the mines has taken down some walls, opening up new passageways definitely more hazardous pathways.
Comically creepy and wailing music for the first section, giving a more haunted feel to it, but offers a bit of a rock approach with a tone of seriousness, signifying that the place really does mean business. The song has a serious change of pace as the level progresses though, and contains snazzy doo's and daa's. It sounds a little more aquatic and natural, even if the player happens to not be near any sort of water. Near the end, where the lava rises, the music changes entirely, becoming orchestral and warning you to get out of there before the lava swallows you up.
|Ember Woods
The explosion that resulted from the quarry's explosion set the nearby Northern Forest aflame! This huge, blazing forest is highly dangerous, with flaming treetops and constantly falling apart roads and structures. Unlike the quarry, it is brightly lit, with many red/orange/yellow flames keeping the place well seen, even in the winter-like darkness that the place takes place in. With the high heat provided in the smoky atmosphere, the place seems to be distorted and a bit foggy, and as such will be hard to see through. What isn't a burning forest is a huge, abandoned metallic base that's slowly being eaten away by fumes.
Trees often have bright colored leaves or none at all, most of the setting on fire. Labyrinths aren't really all too common, but there are underground tunnels that are designed to be like mazes. These tunnels are mostly natural, but have mechanical walls and devices, implying they were once colonized or at least used. The skies are black, but constantly flashing from all the flames going on. As the player rushes through the course, they might find that flames will chase them in an effort to burn them down. With Ashe, the player will have to fight off towering flames with water so he can get through.
While starting out as just a flaming forest, the player soon enters a metallic base, where they'll have to escape before it overheats and explodes, solving the puzzles as quick as they can. After escaping, the player will fall down a waterfall and escape flaming debris before running through a few more segments of the Ember Woods. Windi does not face the burning catastrophe that the base is though, she moves through a destroyed, yet heavily occupied version of it with various enemies prowling through it and searching for Windi. Once Windi escapes, she'll just glide over the rest of the forest.
Despite its simple system, Ember Woods has a number of gimmicks that must be toyed around with by the player. The player must quickly escape burning bridges, knock down weakened trees so they can be crossed, open and go through doors as quickly as possible, and avoid as many flames as possible, as they quite obviously deplete the health of the player (except Flare). Knowing that going through here is the only way to reach the Midnight Ruin, Endal sent many robots to guard the woods, not wanting the player to just easily pass through without trouble.
Windi starts off the level in the same fashion as Bowie, but before she progresses too far, a huge explosion will happen -- the level will become cold, snowy, and very hostile. Windi's paths are often blocked by fallen trees, forcing her to climb up snapped trees or otherwise still standing platforms and get from area to area. It is a simple level compared to the others', but she does have a tricky snowboarding section right before she enters the occupied base, having to jump over burning remains and outspeed a set-off avalanche. The music here is a chilly version of the usual themes.
The Ember Woods music is supposed to imply danger, being a quick, fear-inducing theme that gives off a strong feeling of panic, with a very fast tempo and strong orchestral play. As the player approaches the base, it becomes even faster and slightly techno, with keyboard-like beats added to the composition. Once the player escapes though, the music becomes more peaceful, but is still filled with a sense of pure dread. Notably, if playing as Windi, music will be much calmer for the base section, instead becoming more of a stealth-based theme.
|Midnight Ruin
Thankfully, the Midnight Ruin is much more peaceful than the Ember Wood, being a chilly and snowy atmosphere that yet has a very heated underground complex. The ruin's top layers are jagged in structure, looking rocky and varied in elevation, with hot, molten ground below it. Midnight Ruin's top resembles lost, snowy plains, while the inside resembles an ancient prison, with bears and monkeys alike behind bars. All over the place, the player can find symbols representing those in the zodiac carved into stone pillars, and see all kinds of Greek-inspired architecture.
Midnight Ruin is fleshed out with cold color hues, having purple and blue walls and green grass. Blankets of snow cover the above land, and this land sits under hazy night skies with a moon that's hard to see. Underground, everything looks heated up, with warm colors whisking around as hot flames as the player crosses platforms made from the aforementioned architecture. The prison cells look rusty and old, and the underground seems to lack any signs of human life. Skulls hang from walls and poles as torches, lighting the way for those that are blind.
The player spends a while trying to find their way inside the ruin before venturing inside the cold-colored brick temple. Before then, the player will have to avoid pools of lava, open up passageways, and break through weakened walls to advance. Once inside, the player must be more careful with navigation, taking care to avoid the flames. Flare can utilize these flames to take shortcuts, but the others must be more careful when crossing. The level is rather slow-paced for all characters but Flare, who can pass through it quickly and easily. At the end, the player will engage in battle before descending to the next level.
Midnight Ruin is sort of like a pyramid, as it has many booby traps for the player to place. They must avoid tridents that thrust in and out from the walls, be careful to avoid piles of lava that suddenly open up from under the player, and be prepared to outrun any boulder that comes down to smash them. As said before, the level is supposed to be taken slowly, but there are ways around this, such as abusing abilities to find hidden shortcuts to get into the midst of the ruins or by breaking open passageways that help skip the most sluggish bits of the level.
Once Windi arrives in this zone, she'll barely catch a glimpse of her family as the whole ruin collapses in front of her! She'll end up having to travel over the crumbling and unstable landscape, being careful to not stand in any place too long or it will collapse from underneath her. Some parts of the ruin are still standing intact, but they are likely raided with booby traps that haven't been exactly destroyed by Bowie's family. From what little of the ruin she can get inside, she has to avoid the usual searchlights but also has to avoid laser traps that are designed specifically to catch her.
The music for Midnight Ruin is rather medieval and leisurely, fitting with the level's slow pace. Its bass rhythm is enchanting and the overall theme is rather dark, but there's a bit of happy instruments provided through the occasional clapping noise. As the player ventures inside the ruin, a chorus can be heard as the music takes a more orchestral, yet quicker approach. The song becomes aggressive near the end of the ruin, where the player begins to approach the boss. If the player steps on a trap, the music quickly mutes as an ominous sound effect is played, before tuning back up to normal volume.
|The Underground
The Underground is a deep labyrinth that consists of tunnels, mines, and underwater passages. It is internally complex and is the most labyrinth-focused stage next to the last two stages. The area is flooded with chambers, which all vary greatly in size in content, and contains various puzzles for the player to solve, from timed gates that require the player to move as fast as possible and traps that need to be carefully navigated around. The area is so huge that directional signs are placed everywhere, which almost always help point the player in the right direction.
For the most part, the walls of the underground are brown and dark and mucky, but near the top things begin to get a little greener and show off plant life. Closer to the bottom, things seem to be more rock bottom, and underground bodies of water can be seen. Tunnels generally have low ceilings as do passagewalls, while most chambers stand at tall heights. The Underground is so big that some of the stage takes place in the background as there's not enough room to fit everything on just one layer. Almost every single passage overlaps another in some shape or form.
Structure-wise, the player just needs to navigate their way through a huge maze, and it's not really much more than that. The level properly introduces underwater sections, having a great number of them for the bears to explore, and in Flare's case in particular, avoid. Players should be slow and be weary of traps, and try very hard to not get caught up in them. It can be very painful to fall through a trapdoor and have to repeat a certain area of the maze all over again. At times, a door will shut behind the player and trap them in a large room with enemies to fight. The door will not open until the enemies are defeated.
Beyond traps and simple gimmicks, the Underground features "shortcut gate", which are operated by machine-operated skulls that ask the player questions. By stepping on the button that's labelled with the right answer, the gate will open, allowing the player through. Answering wrong will not let them through and will open a huge trapdoor under the player, forcing them to take a long route. Other features include weak walls that the player can simply break open, revealing hidden passageways and rooms. Small shops operated by robotic Ace clones can be seen rarely, offering quick items to the player.
The Underground is more mechanical in nature when Windi visits it, with manmade hallways and designs making the place far easier to navigate...at the price of having to actually put her ninja talents to the test. The first two thirds of the stage take place in the mechanical base and make use of new features such as instant-teleportation tunnels and elevators. However, after all that, a bomb will be set in a glass tunnel, which will break it and throw Windi into the depths of the Underground. She'll have to find her way back up, climbing the walls of the underground maze to enter a door that leads to near the end of the level.
This level's music is extremely ironic; for a level that drags on for long and is designed to be frustrating and unforgiving, the theme is very happy-go-lucky one. It behaves jangly and joyously, absorbing the player's anger and agony within itself. In the level's second half, the more mechanical base-like segments are shown, and the music becomes a little more metallic, but remains more "smiley-face" focused. According to director Athena Hawkins, the music is supposed to "take the piss of anyone that has constant frustration with all those traps."
|Railroad Chase
Railroad Chase's environment is a good throwback to Western Village's, featuring the same dusty dry environment style along with cacti and empty skulls. However, instead of taking place within an old run-down village, Railroad Chase cuts through a snowy mountain valley that separates Rainy Ravine from Thunder Towers, and primarily takes place on a high-up set of four railroads. As the player tries to catch up to the group of trains via a motorbike, they can notice how worn down the tracks are, and the cracked up ground near the mountains, suggesting there is a tectonic boundary.
Once the player hitches onto the back train, they'll be able to explore the rest of the level by foot. The trains are rather modern in design, made out of strong metal material and sporting grey and red colors, symbols resembling Endal's likeliness found all over the trains' sides too. The outsides of the trains aren't tough to navigate at all, they're mostly straight paths with a few bits where you need to jump, but it's made challenging by the sheer amount of enemies going out on the offensive. Jumping from train to train can be difficult given the gaps between express trains are rather large.
Inside the trains, they show to be blue and grey in color, and most of the carts are designed to hold passengers...they do hold those, for all the passengers are bad guys! The player may also need to go through boxcars and kick out the monkey's malicious supplies, destroy coal "cars", unhitch gas tanks, and defeat train commanders. After defeating one, the player will be able to take ahold of that train and speed it up so it catches up to the others ahead of it. Once that's done, the player will need to immediately exit and hop onto the next train or theirs will fall too far behind, and a bad jump can result in a loss of a life.
The trains' walls highlight Endal's image, showing many monkey-related symbols and a lot of banana imagery. In almost every room of the train, there are limestone pillars holding up special items relating to the Eastern Jungle (and occasionally actual upgrades that the player can steal). The fronts of each train resemble the faces of Endal, Fudgebuckets, Ripe, and Thomas, and each one's back has a monkey tail that can swipe and cut at the players (except Thomas'). If a train suffers a lot of damage, it will flash red, indicating that the player will have to move away from it within thirty seconds.
Instead of having the typical ninja sequence, Windi has to glide over the train instead, propelled from a cannon designed to throw her out far and fast. Her level is actually really short; she simply has to catch up to the front train while avoiding obstacles and enemies. This is easier said than done; Windi has to keep herself up in the air using smoke clouds and air currents, which can be difficult given their rarity. At the lead train, Windi must land and go inside, kicking down her enemy and taking over the train, flipping it over and allowing the family to progress to the Thunder Towers...an hour before she recovers.
The music to Railroad Chase's motorbike chase segment is action-paced, featuring electric guitars and a constant metal beat. While metal-based, the theme also makes use of maracas and a tampini, and occasionally has samples of Endal's laughter. When actually down on the trains, the music becomes more frantic, becoming more speedy in tone as the drums intensify. The usage of maracas dies down completely, and in their place is a whistle. The new music piece also features a climax that wasn't featured in the motorbike chase variation, which is orchestral in tone.
|Dangerous Rapids
Surrounding the Thunder Towers are long, winding rivers with a perilous course to advance through. Steep rock formations in multiple shades of brown stand on the inner side of the river, shielding the Ironworks from intruders and sealing them off from the labyrinth. Statues of Endal are seen floating up from the river beds or river shores, or heads of them are seen poking out from the thick dirt walls. Out in the distance, if the player has risen to a high enough point in the level, they can make out city lights and tall, ominous buildings with bent shapes. The rivers are artificial, created by Endal to make life difficult.
The waters are a mix of clean, crystal blue water and dirty purple sludge, both of them flowing down the huge ditches at high speeds. Landscape is mountainous in a way, some of the hills seen being snowcapped. Lakes can be seen in the distance, including a large one that appears before the city, that lake in particular holding the next level's location. As for the course itself, sharp coral and spike beds make up the river bottom, and the architecture is mostly consisting of marble and metal structures. The skies above the level are a light blue, representing daytime.
Most of the level takes place above the surface of the waves, with the player having to jump from platform to platform carefully and taking care not to fall into the rocky waters. The player will need some good jobs and acknowledgement of physics, using balance to their advantage (like messing with seesaws and all that) and pushing things over in order to keep marching forward. Sometimes the player will be forced to go underwater and search through underground chambers for an exit, being careful to not get caught up and torn apart by turbines or accidentally get devoured by mechanical sharks.
Dangerous Rapids is a scary level that forces the player to take extreme caution with moving or they'll end up underwater with a bunch of jerks. As the water is poisoned, the player cannot stay in the water for long and only need to go under when it's absolutely necessary. Sharp turbines, the danger of getting crushed by gears, and currents and strong winds will all push the player to either annoyance or anger, and perhaps fear if on a low number of lives. With so many hazards to avoid, the player will need to stay calm, for its their real best strategy when dealing with so much stress.
Coming down onto the stage real early, Windi has to put up with the same platforming challenge as her family, made a little easier by an increased lack of robots but made up for by the many prowling enemies and the multiple searchlights. Such devastating speeds can make it really hard to avoid being spotted, as she can be thrown into a laser and set off enemies. Given Bowie and family made it rather easily into the Undersea Labyrinth after the completion of their part of the level, the walls have been raised to prevent Windi from coming in, requiring that she triggers bombs to get her way inside.
The music here sounds frantic and "beep-boppy", it's rather funky and mechanical in a sense. You can hear a kind of dreary tone within the music too, the music is as alive as the action is. The music uses quic acoustic guitar play and a powerful timpani to spice up the flavor. Underwater, the music becomes deeper and becomes less focused, but adds a feeling of sure danger that increasingly becomes more apparent as you stay underwater. After a little while, a scary five second countdown appears, with the numbers made of teddy bear fluff. Exciting!
|Undersea Labyrinth
Away from the frantic atmosphere set up by the previous level, Undersea Labyrinth takes place solely underwater. It is a very clean, crystal-clear world...but is the absolute toughest labyrinth of them all, thanks to its sluggish underwater pace and its tough enemies. In stark contrast with its high difficulty, Undersea Labyrinth has a calm atmosphere and is actually quite friendly, with arrows telling the player where to go. While mostly thick soil and natural structures, the second half of the labyrinth is metallic in structure, made up of iron beams and material that the Ironworks use.
As its name may imply, Undersea Labyrinth isn't anywhere near straightforward, even for Bowie. It is filled to the brim with tricky puzzles, forcing the player to pick up and place down objects and to open up switches to make it to new rooms. The player is within a danger of drowning nearly all the time; finding air bubbles is necessary in order to survive. Flare has a different area in comparison to the other teddy bears; instead Flare has to run through tough hallways that flood up with water, abusing her speed techniques to get to the end before she turns to ash in the liquids.
Not every inch of the level is underwater. Flare's level takes place in a metal shaft that leads to the Ironworks, while the teddy bears have occasional open-aired rooms that they can breathe and rest up in. Certain rooms can allow the player to change the water levels of the Labyrinth, which is important when playing as Ashe, who must use the water in the level to open up new passageways or lower water levels so he can stop dangerous machines from working. Other rooms will allow the player to heal up or reset the puzzles so they can start over from default settings.
While not a necessarily complex level outside of its maze-like structure, it can be quite lethal and difficult to transverse because of the low air and the general distane between "breathing rooms". Taking one's time is important for the level and waiting for the proper moment to take action is key to survival. Failure for the former can result in easy loss of lives, and the failure of the latter can result in horrible death or result in becoming even more lost than before. Undersea Labyrinth, like some of the levels before it, requires being very patient, but it also can pressure the player into moving fast. Reasonable, given low air supply.
The labyrinth is very different for Windi. Instead of going underwater, she works her way up an air shaft and goes across the surface of the lake. Once there, she has to navigate her way through well-protected tunnels and temples and shut down cameras and security systems, which can help her family cross. If she sets foot in the water, she loses a life as she can't really get her way back up due to lacking any swimming knowledge. Despite a lack of undersea traveling, she does have a few maze puzzles that are underwater but aren't actually filled with water.
Music for Undersea Labyrinth is slow and quite atmospheric, and gives off a creepy factor to it. It doesn't ever get intense though, and is rather calm in tone. Given the history behind the lake, it has an ancient, kind of snappy feel to it too, and makes good use of violins. The overall music is orchestral, and becomes faster and faster if the player is close to drowning. It almost has a Jaws-like tone in the overall composition, too. When the player approaches the Ironworks, the music becomes more serious and more metal in tone, introducing an electric guitar.
A huge contrast to the mostly rural landscape that the teddy bears have been exploring for most of the game, the Ironworks is the industrial heart of Stitchonia, and is the final level for it is the resting place of the monkey overlord Endal. This huge, futuristic city possesses a very complex system of passageways and corridors, half of them trap-filled and about all of them just hazardous to cross in general. Unlike the beaten down Western Village, the Ironworks look spotless and very new, sporting all sorts of unique and flashy colors, lots of buildings highly functional and displaying lit-up signs.
Featured in the Ironworks are bright neon signs displaying fictional company names, highly complex building designs and a multitude of business shops and vendors to dash through. The foreground is fairly busy, constantly buzzing with hanging streetlights and well-lit windows, and with multiple monkeys walking across the streets. In the background are more buildings, with casinos and hotels featured rather prominently. Surrounding the city is a tall dome with hexagonal glass patterns, shielding it from the raining and thundering nighttime skies. Traffic, mostly trains hanging from high rails, also rush through the city.
In the core of the Ironworks is a series of three skyscrapers piercing the thundering skies, hence the world name Thunder Towers. After passing through the busy streets, the player will have to ascend the intimidating buildings. These are busy, dangerous, and obstacle-ridden buildings that will require one to take their time passing. Floors of the building will constantly load up with and release electricity, meaning that the player will have to time jumps perfectly well. The towers can be ascended in any order, but the objective remains the same; to go to the top and steal a key from each to unlock the next area.
Gaining the keys allows access to a highly protected town hall, which opens as soon as it detects the keys in one's presence. The inside of this building is very much an endurance challenge, featuring onslaughts of frightening challenges, ranging from fights against hordes of super powerful enemies and extremely difficult puzzles that require very sharp control and understanding of the game's physics. The town hall looks natural on the outside, but inside it looks mechanical and very busy. This isn't the end of it all though, for making it to the end of all these puzzles lands the player in a very formidable, tricky dilemma...
The final stretch of the Ironworks is a large, mechanical maze that mysteriously loops, being barren and rather peaceful, not featuring any enemies whatsoever. Instead, the background features enemies in the process of being created or updated and everything looks either grey or red in color. However, it is far from safe, the maze is actually a jumbled up maze of dangerous hazards that must be navigated very carefully, for the player is always on the move. Avoiding hazardous pits and flying sparks, avoiding being crushed by constantly moving pistons, and collapsing platforms are all part of the challenge.
With sharp sawblades around every corner, terrifying laser beams, large crushers hidden away in the tightest corridors, a wide variety of collapsing platforms and ground, and very strong enemies in most portions of the stages, the Ironworks are very tough to get through, designed particularly to prevent the heroes from coming any closer to Endal's base. Stored also for the player are timed gates, rooms where the player has to fight large hordes of enemies, and other rooms that lock the player in them and force them to try and find new ways out from them. Needless to say, it's VITAL to watch one's back here.
Windi's part is actually much more connected to the rest of the level, sharing much of the same level design as Bowie and the other teddy bears. This is mostly because she is only minutes away from them. The main difference is that she'll occasionally see Bowie pass through a door that will block Windi herself from going through, forcing her to take a new passage through the Ironworks. Her ninja gameplay style is still important though, especially at the beginning where there's still a lot of searchlights set up for her. By the time the stage ends, she will reunite with her family.
Initially, the city section of the Ironworks features a slow rap tune, almost immediately trying to discourage the player from progressing. As it advances though, it becomes more modern and features an electric piano in the tune. In the towers section of the Ironworks, the music is energetic and aggressive, featuring an interesting clash of moods and dynamic build-up, prominently using metal as its theme. The maze, the final part of the Ironworks, has a stand-out tune: an angry, yet calm rap that again tries to discourage progress, but goes into high detail with it before it evolves into a powerful, piano-powered climax.
Throughout the game, the teddy bears encounter a slew of different and unique enemies, although some are just variations of old foes with new tactics or stronger designs. There are one hundred enemies overall, separated into classes of four, and the bestiary tracks down where these enemies reside and gives off a bit of flavor text regarding them. The bestiary exists in-game too; if Bowie comes across an enemy and defeats it, it will be logged into his notebook later for the player to view whenever they hit pause. All entries in this list are enemies that can be defeated, unless noted otherwise.
|Description / Stats
|Index No. #01
(Applebot #01)
|Very round, very weak robots that are designed to mimic food. Did Endal really think that he can trick foes with...robots designed off of apples? They're weak foes that are capable of rolling across the ground and banging their way into opponents. They don't really hit hard at all though, it's like getting hit with a feather.
(Location: Western Village, Chalky Station · Really dislikes the robotic worm parasite residing in its body.)
|Index No. #02
(Applebot #02)
Granny Applebot
|This variety of Applebot looks quite old and is real green. It's probably weaker than the original Appleton, as its rolls are slower and have less health. But apparently, they learned the ability to catch aflame and roll into their foes at blinding speed? Poor robots, sacrificing their bodies just to please Endal and kill all bears.
(Location: Ember Woods · They're nothing like grannies at all, they don't make cookies or anything.)
|Index No. #03
(Applebot #03)
Rubber Applebot
|Apples don't look grey normally, do they? They look a bit more serious than previous incarnations of the Applebot line and spread fire across the ground when they attempt to crash into foes. Best defeated whilst they're charging up their roll. Fire that gets spread out by them will do lots of damage if stepped on.
(Location: The Underground · They look a bit more like car tires than apples, but that's just me I guess.)
|Index No. #04
(Applebot #04)
Spiked Applebot
|Endal's latest and probably last addition to the Applebot line. These robots are spiked and hurt to touch, and do much more damage if they outright thrust their bodies into foes. They seem positioned carefully, as if able to strike out of the blue from any distance without failure. Not easily blocked, must be avoided carefully.
(Location: Undersea Labyrinth · Apparently the spikes on their bodies really hurt them when they roll.)
|Index No. #05
(Paplane #01)
Paper Airplane
|Simple paper airplanes with faces scribbled onto them by an amateur artist. They are launched from Paplane Launchers, and are simply designed to go wherever they're fired. Not the brightest tactic, but the tip can sting a little if it happens to connect with its target. Perhaps the most sadistic of all enemies because it's so weak.
(Location: Chalky Station · Its motto in life is apparently "no remorse".)
|Index No. #06
(Paplane #02)
Paplane Launcher
|Paplane Launchers aren't really all that intimidating, but they can launch up to three planes at once. They were only really designed to launch standard Paper Airplanes, but are capable of firing Paperjets as well, although not quite as accurately, and are only able to launch one at a time. Easily destroyed from a distance.
(Location: Chalky Station, Railroad Chase, Ironworks · They're lucky they don't launch real planes.)
|Index No. #07
(Paplane #03)
|Paperjets are fast and quite lean, and are much more aggressive than their previous models. Not only do they go fast, but they can home towards their targets and explode into papery shreds. The best thing to do is to block or otherwise deflect them, as there's no real point in trying to battle them...for they explode upon contact.
(Location: Railroad Chase · Speeds reach 80km/h, but don't really leave much of an impact.)
|Index No. #08
(Paplane #04)
Layered Paperjet
|The idea of layering Paperjets atop each other proved a profitable idea, as these are much heavier and much sharper than their previous counterparts. While slower than the original model, they're still fairly fast and do large amounts of damage if the tips connect with their opponents. Real pain to dispose of without getting hurt.
(Location: Ironworks · So heavy that Paplane Launchers have high hatred for them.)
|Index No. #09
(Fasrat #01)
|Raticktick are really fast, yet really pathetic robots designed to pluck bananas off of trees. They are so easy to dispose of thanks to their weak, fragile bodies. Despite that, they often appear in groups, so it's really difficult to completely obliterate a group of them. Almost anything can defeat them, pretty much all attacks and weapons.
(Location: Western Village, Sapphire Quarry · Prefers cheese made from 2% milk, thinking 1% is for wimps.)
|Index No. #10
(Fasrat #02)
|Quick mice that are even harder to catch than their previous models, but offer rewards when defeated. They are great thieves, able to steal pretty much any small item and hold it in their cheeks. They are more dangerous than Raticktick though, as when they run they swing around a heavy tail to prevent being caught too easily.
(Location: Sapphire Quarry · Sees Mechat as a huge rival when it comes to stealing quickly.)
|Index No. #11
(Fasrat #03)
|Toxice is a toxic mouse...but wait, would poisons really affect plush? No, but they're unique nonetheless, able to belch poison out and form it into dangerous toxic pools. Shall their foes step in them, they will immediately take damage and begin to fall apart. They seem to know what they're doing, as they rarely appear in the open.
(Location: Ember Woods, the Underground · Tweets on Twitter to fellow rats on how to survive rat poisons.)
|Index No. #12
(Fasrat #04)
|Instead of being the runaway type, Devat stay behind with the intent of brutally attacking their predators. When detected, they'll stand straight up and prepare to throw out their fists quickly. They can still be defeated easily, but if they're not defeated after being hit, they will become really angry...and their power triples!
(Location: Dangerous Rapids · It wanted to be called Angrat, but it wasn't pure enough.)
|Index No. #13
(Bugject #01)
|Irritating little bug eggs that can fire cannonballs from their insides to take foes off guard. They should be no problem to dispose of, as they're small, don't do much damage, and are easily captured or taken away by even the wekaest of their enemies. If threatened, it will retreat into its shell and become easy to knock around.
(Location: Western Village, Chalky Station · Very hesitant to remain in its shell in fear of becoming an omelet.)
|Index No. #14
(Bugject #02)
|Crawling around the landscapes of the Ember Woods are Larvolent, which are fairly large mechanical bugs that can roll up and smash into their foes. They are hungry and like to eat wood, not just to benefit themselves but also to annoy their enemies by taking down lights or blocking passageways with fallen debris.
(Location: Ember Wood · They can eat wooden houses faster than the big bad wolf can blow them down.)
|Index No. #15
(Bugject #03)
|Nearly completed, Pupire are not far away from evolving into their last stage of life. They can fire arrays of miniature bullets without stopping, and can engulf opponents in flames with even the slightest traces of flame. Even though threatening, they aren't really strong and have thin defenses, allowing for fairly easy kills.
(Location: Midnight Ruin, The Underground · Often drafted into bug armies, leading in a loss of robots for Endal.)
|Index No. #16
(Bugject #04)
|Finally done evolving, these are very threatening butterfly-resembling that have thousands of miniature cannons built into their bodies. They look innocent and sweet and cute but by no means does it hide their deadly personalities, they are prone to diving down from the shadows and launching gun assaults without warning.
(Location: Dangerous Rapids · Ought to be called Beautifly, but aren't for copyright reasons.)
|Index No. #17
(Yarnake #01)
|Leathery snakes that are apparently led by some kind of master, as if tamed to follow commands. They're mostly harmless, they hardly do any damage, but they can coil around their foes and strangle them, although they only do small amounts of damage at a time. They're easily burnt down by most fire attacks, however.
(Location: Western Village, Sapphire Quarry, Midnight Ruin, Dangerous Rapids · Afraid of real serpents.)
|Index No. #18
(Yarnake #02)
|Snakes that look a bit similar to needles, they're often accompanied by Yarnasilisk. Their snake friends will wrap around them and use the Snakedle to thrust themselves far distances or to grow to even larger proportions. They hardly attack on their own though, the most they can do is bite at point-blank distance.
(Location: Sapphire Quarry, Midnight Ruin · Tired of lives where people stick onto them just for advantages.)
|Index No. #19
(Yarnake #03)
|Constriyarn are snakes that were intended to be shipped to the Ironworks as guardians, but the majority of them are gone now thanks to an explosion on the Banana Express. They are aggressive and attempt to constrict around their opponents, choking them to death. Thankfully, they're rare and are no longer in production.
(Location: Railroad Chase · Highly dislike fire, really don't like the taste of Flare for it burns their gut.)
|Index No. #20
(Yarnake #04)
Yarnake Tamer
|Yarnake are led by a master that orders them around. Defeating these snake tamers will cause all snakes in the area to break loose and escape, but they don't go down without a fight. They can manipulate snakes into weapons and use them, attacking from even the furthest corners of the room. They can be challenging.
(Location: Railroad Chase, Dangerous Rapids · Sings operas with snakes on Sunday afternoons.)
|Index No. #21
(Dungeetle #01)
Roly Pooly
|These little bugs are pushovers if anything. They do nothing more than rolling around and pushing around dung balls, minding their own business. While easy to dispose of, foes will really regret doing it from the front as they might temporarily stick to the dung. Eww! It should relatively easy to shake off with super quick limb movement.
(Location: Chalky Station · Looks for specifically white dung, not really all that fond of brown dung.)
|Index No. #22
(Dungeetle #02)
Flyin' Poo Warrior
|Instead of being relatively benevolent like the Roly Poolys, the Flyin' Poo Warriors (...ew) fly up in the air and toss sticky dung towards their foes in hopes of slowing them down severely. After their prey has been slowed, they'll swoop down and dash into them to dish some damage. They can be knocked down with nearly any attack.
(Location: Ember Woods · High quality dung is what they seek, but they'll take anything to stay alive.)
|Index No. #23
(Dungeetle #03)
Champ Feces
|Kings of the Dungeetle line, Champ Feces are recognized as strong warriors that pack a surprising amount of punch. They don't fly like their previous models, but they boast a lot of sheer power and range in their moves. With their lightning quick movements, they can do lots of damage in no time. Best fought with any fiery attack.
(Location: Railroad Chase · Trained in your trash can, there are bug-fighting tournaments there every week.)
|Index No. #24
(Dungeetle #04)
Giant Dungeetle
|Even though the last of the Dungeetle line, it doesn't seem like the Giant Dungeetles were finished, as they don't really have attacks and serve more as roadblocks than anything. Often, foes will have to find explosives in order to defeat these huge bugs. While they can't attack, multiple enemies often hide in their skin.
(Location: Ironworks · Lazy and will only budge if the slightest big of dung is around.)
|Index No. #25
(Nukime #01)
|These little guys were designed to light up the Sapphire Quarry, but are hazardous and should not be touched. To defeat them, they should be sprayed down with water as it will shrink them and make them disappear into thin air. Experime hide in lamps and break out when they sense intruders on Endal's property.
(Location: Sapphire Quarry · Laughs maniacally when released from lamps, perhaps made from insanity.)
|Index No. #26
(Nukime #02)
|Radiudge are encountered deeper in the Sapphire Quarry and burn through wood on contact with it. They are more aggressive than Experime and make a big effort in moving their sluggish bodies towards foes. Of course, they're still easily beaten by water, but they don't take as much damage from it like Experime do.
(Location: Sapphire Quarry · Often scold Experime for their generally low intelligence and annoying behavior.)
|Index No. #27
(Nukime #03)
|Nucleime are notably much more advanced than previous models, able to stand on two "legs" and spew out poisonous gases to slow down and harm others. They are not just vulnerable to water, but also fire. They are much more defense based than previous forms and often adapt metal plates to their bodies for protection.
(Location: The Underground · Often like replenishing a fuel supply, or exploding when defeated.)
|Index No. #28
(Nukime #04)
|Sludgonster are the last of these vile Nukime beasts, being extraordinarily strong and melting down entire walls. They take most damage from water, but almost any elemental attack will hurt it. They often spew out Experime and Radiudge from their bodies so they can help the Sludgonster win fights.
(Location: Undersea Labyrinth · They hate being called monsters and take it all out like monsters.)
|Index No. #29
(Iciop #01)
Icy Top
|These icy tops are relatively harmless, serving as platforms of sorts -- until they're destroyed. Wherever they run, the ground underneath them becomes covered in ice, so it can be easy for walking foes to slip and trip on the ice. Even though they can't attack, they are a little dangerous as they can try to push foes off the ledges.
(Location: The Underground · They fear being crushed by weights and as such avoid being below ledges.)
|Index No. #30
(Iciop #02)
Bopple Topple
|These tops bop their "necks" up and down, being improved versions of the original robot models. They are more aggressive and can fire bullets from two cannons installed in their necks, but they can still easily be smashed apart, in fact they're easier to take down than the original model thanks to bigger weak points.
(Location: Railroad Chase · Enjoy hearing the background music of a certain level called "Railroad Chase".)
|Index No. #31
(Iciop #03)
Double Topple
|Endal got a little lazy, so these are just an icy top and a bopple topple put together. They are harder to defeat thanks to stiffened ice barriers and two added cannons to their necks, making them quite dangerous. However, they offer a greatest aerial reach, and can benefit foes that manage to take advantage of their long necks.
(Location: Dangerous Rapids · Angry at Endal all the time, often criticizing his really lazy inventions.)
|Index No. #32
(Iciop #04)
Triple Iciop
|Even lazier than the last incarnation, Triple Iciops are a triplet of stacked Bopple Topples that certainly act aggressive, able to shove foes into pits with ease and fire ten missiles from their extendable necks. If the bottom operating topple is defeated, the robot will become defunct, allowing anyone to climb up it.
(Location: Undersea Labyrinth · Tries to split apart, with rather gruesome results from a mech's point of view.)
|Index No. #33
(Squidobot #01)
Surface Squidobot
|Rarely appearing, but still dangerous nonetheless. Surface Squidobot like to peek around, then suddenly rise up and snatch down their opponents for lunch. They are rather lazy, they prefer to wait for prey to get close instead of immediately lashing out their tentacles for whatever reason. Perhaps they just don't care that much?
(Location: The Underground · Known as the "legendary pepping tom" to visitors of the region.)
|Index No. #34
(Squidobot #02)
ReVolting Squidobot
|Electrical, brighter versions of the Surfice Squidobot. They are highly electric and dangerous to touch, any touch of them will shock and fry their foes for sure. They only appear underwater, but their reach is very long and can extend above land too. Attacking their tentacles will send them back underwater, preventing their offense.
(Location: Dangerous Rapids, Undersea Labyrinth · So disgusting that they have no chance with finding mates.)
|Index No. #35
(Squidobot #03)
Flying Squidobot
|Flying variations of the Squidobot, they behave similarly to the first model, but can leap from the water and catch those that are off guard. They can leap so far up that they can catch any of us at our maximum jump height. The best strategy is to stab one from a distance so they land back in the water, stopping them in their tracks.
(Location: Dangerous Rapids, Undersea Labyrinth · Other Squidobot are enivous because they can't fly.)
|Index No. #36
(Squidobot #04)
Hyper Squidobot
|Overcharged with energy, the Hyper Squidobot can be a huge pain to face thanks to its high levels of aggressiveness and its wide movepool of attacks, from missile barrages to tons of cannonballs. If it attacks, it can severely injure anyone that gets really close to it, stopping them in their tracks.
(Location: Ironworks · Overpowered and overcharged, they like bully others and control everything.)
|Index No. #37
(Sluggot #01)
|Snaildier are dangerous foes that move around rather slowly, but when threatened, they will immediately duck inside their shells and fire out bullets from the three ports found on them. Their shells cannot be broken, but they can be flipped over and stepped on, easily defeating them. They tend to move faster when left alone.
(Location: Western Village, Chalky Station · If stepped over, they bend over and shake their rears teasingly.)
|Index No. #38
(Sluggot #02)
|These sinister snails are more tricky to defeat than their previous models, having the ability to fire homing missiles in place of bullets and have the ability to roll up when coiled in their own defenses. However, they're still capable of being flipped over if they're still and lying front on the ground. They get crushed just as easily as before.
(Location: Sapphire Quarry, Ember Woods · Hums the anthem of the Ironworks every single morning.)
|Index No. #39
(Sluggot #03)
|Snavy is pretty much a more blue Admirail, having a stronger defense and quicker shots from the ports. Instead of having three ports though, it has five, meaning its firepower is even more deadly than before. It is capable of not just walking on ground, but it can also stick itself to walls and ceilings and make things all the more interesting.
(Location: The Underground, Dangerous Rapids · Snavy often draft Snaildier into their army by force.)
|Index No. #40
(Sluggot #04)
|These guys are annoying because they travel in huge packs, firing their shots everywhere they go. They can all be flipped up easily with a single weapon, as they take longer to get into their shells than previous incarnations, but the amount of chaos they can do can quickly get very annoying. Their shots also ricochet off walls.
(Location: The Ironworks · They prefer to nest in trees and wait before suddenly going on the offensive.)
|Index No. #41
(Livamp #01)
Fake-Out Lamp
|Along rows of lamps, you might find one that's actually fake. If these ones decide to animate, they'll form hands and try to pick foes up before beating them down aggressively. It is easy for them to toss foes into walls or beat into their heads, it really does get that brutal. Of course, hitting them with water will make them go out.
(Location: Sapphire Quarry, Ember Woods · Likes to pull wedgies when people aren't looking.)
|Index No. #42
(Livamp #02)
Fighter Lamp
|Same deal with the Fake-Out Lamps, these may be hiding cleverly amongst inanimate lamps, only to suddenly come out and attack. They glow a hot red color when they break out from the wall, unlike their previous incarnations. They grow out legs and attempt to punch and kick life out from foes, but are easily shattered.
(Location: Ember Woods, Midnight Ruin, the Underground · Love to attract flies to others' houses, apparently.)
|Index No. #43
(Livamp #03)
Assault Lamp
|Assault Lamps are pretty tough to deal with for their enemies, as the instant they're spotted, they'll fly off before making a loop and rushing back towards their foe. This especially happens with multiple lamps in a row, whereas they'll suddenly take off and assault the enemy altogether, hence their name.
(Location: Railroad Chase, the Underground · Likes to lift off into the sky and make airplane noise imitations.)
|Index No. #44
(Livamp #04)
Omega Lamp
|These huge lamps don't even make their aggressiveness a secret, upon being spotted, they will break from the wall and toss flames from their center into the opponent, breathing fire all over the battlefield. They are difficult to defeat, but their underside is weak, and if cracked, their contents will fall apart easily.
(Location: Ironworks · Not even subtly hidden by these point, these lamps are immediately aggressive.)
|Index No. #45
(Barreast #01)
|Kegark are unnoticeable at first and look just like normal barrels, but when approached they will move a little using shadowy appendages and attempt to make a few swift strikes. The barrel tops open to show two red eyes that look rather...sorrowful. If attacked enough, the shells break and they dissolve.
(Location: Western Village · Used by races in ancient times to store darkness-related creatures.)
|Index No. #46
(Barreast #02)
|These larger versions of Kegark are just like the previous models, but they are faster and drop lots of red fluids onto the floor that can make their opponents slip and fall easily. However, rather than trying to directly attack foes, they will retreat and cry, attracting the attention of other robots it passes by.
(Location: Western Village · From years of abandonment, they became rather benevolent and nervous.)
|Index No. #47
(Barreast #03)
|Barrior's name is a play on barrel, warrior, and barrier. Wow! These behemoths of Barreast sit firmly in front of foes, blocking them from progressing or attacking their friends. They do have an offensive method in slapping them down with strikes of their dark tentacles, but they can hardly move and aren't big threats.
(Location: Midnight Ruin · Viva La Vida is the theme they hum when protecting their king.)
|Index No. #48
(Barreast #04)
King Keg
|The last in the line, King Keg are strong opponents that wield tridents in their appendages, scuttling around and striking down foes as quick as they can. They are often accompanied by Barrior, who have sworn their lives to protect their "king". Rare as they are, they are sometimes required to be beaten to get to certain areas.
(Location: Midnight Ruin · Often gets into fights with other King Kegs, claiming that they're the real one.)
|Index No. #49
(Doggo #01)
|Not thinking that the heroes would get so far, Endal released some pretty scary beasts, which include Canime and the rest of the Doggo line. Canime is a powerful canine robot that can bark to slow time around itself, although it can still move at normal speeds. Foes will have to avoid being seen and attack from afar.
(Location: The Underground · Gets really riled up when people make anime jokes out of its name.)
|Index No. #50
(Doggo #02)
|Shepage is a more dangerous dog that can slow any weapons that come near it, giving it time to deflect such weapons. Deflecting them back will hurt and finish off the dog, as it can't concentrate on too many things at once. If enemies go past it without defeating it, they may regret it as Shepage might do a lethal slowdown.
(Location: Railroad Chase · Always on the hunt for a dog named Shiloh and a kid called Marty or whatever.)
|Index No. #51
(Doggo #03)
|Eround is a rather fat puppy that turns time forward as they look over opponents, which can lead to an undesirable time limit expiration. Defeating them will reset time back to normal, so foes that get spotted by it should defeat it right away! Eround isn't as self-protective as others, so it can't use time to stop attacks.
(Location: Dangerous Rapids · Whines constantly about not being fed enough puppy treats by its master.)
|Index No. #52
(Doggo #04)
|This wolf-like monster, Monghrase, is a master of time, able to speed it up in order to take down foes or rewind it to heal back health. It has rather weak defenses, so good attacks will be able to finish it off, but foes should be wary of its fast biting and swiping attacks, and should try to keep their distance as much as they can.
(Location: The Ironworks · Barks at the moon whenever it fails a mission, doesn't ever think it has any faults.)
|Index No. #53
(Sonat #01)
|Mechat can detect foes from far away, giving them time to retreat. If cornered, Mechat will jump off the nearest wall and dive into the foe as a hard-hitting offense move. They are nifty thieves, able to move at blinding speeds to steal whatever they think is necessary. Their sonar waves can detect and get nearly any small item.
(Location: Sapphire Quarry · Thanks to their name, they've often been confused with mechanical cats.)
|Index No. #54
(Sonat #02)
|Known as "buddy bats", they will circle their opponents upon sight and won't go away unless they're perfectly healthy. If that foe is near death, Robatty will be happy to tear into them with a single blow, knocking them out for good. While they're hard to hit, long-ranged attacks will stun them and send them packing.
(Location: Ember Woods · They enjoy dim-witted people most, which is why they can be found worldwide.)
|Index No. #55
(Sonat #03)
|Vampire bats that navigate the Midnight Ruin with ease, sucking fluff out from their enemies and healing themselves. They have a lot of health and perch themselves upside-down on tree trunks to scout for foes. Any blow to their chests, however, will quickly send them down into their graves. They hate water very much.
(Location: Midnight Ruin · Even they think BowieQuest is a better love story than Twilight.)
|Index No. #56
(Sonat #04)
|Huge, bloated bats that can hardly find their way around thanks to the huge amounts of fluff they've consumed. They're less of enemies and more of platforms, they can be climbed on to reach new distances. Of course, they can still be defeated, but slaying the wrong one can result in very...grave consequences.
(Location: The Underground · Occasionally seen entering fast food chain buildings.)
|Index No. #57
(Scorpoid #01)
|Its sleek, smooth design enables it to easily move throughout desert locations and sand, hiding and waiting for opponents to come so it can strike. It can fell prey with its singer and take them back underground to feed off of. As their bodies are fragile, anything can finish them off, but they can call out help when endangered.
(Location: Western Village · Highly enjoys maracas and joyously dances to the instrument.)
|Index No. #58
(Scorpoid #02)
|Scorpactus are very hardy robots that have been merged with cactus plants, protecting them from most enemies physically. They can spit out harmful seeds at foes and swing around a poisonous tail to help bring them down, but they are extremely vulnerable to fire. If they're hit with water, they will heal instead of take damage.
(Location: Chalky Station · A design flaw renders them unable to eat anything they killed if they're too far away.)
|Index No. #59
(Scorpoid #03)
|Scorpunshine is a powerful enemy capable of launching glowing spheres into the sky that resemble the sun, lighting up the area with ease. While slow and really easy to kill, their suns are invincible and can do a surprisingly high amount of damage to the foe. When their masters are destroyed, the suns disappear too.
(Location: Midnight Ruin · Highly enjoy annoying any tourists that visit the Midnight Ruin.)
|Index No. #60
(Scorpoid #04)
|Designed to intake heat from the sun and convert it into extremely powerful energy, Scorpara are large threats even though they're rare. If they take up enough heat, they'll blast it in front of them with their tail and immediately stop anything that was moving with immense power. Best destroyed as soon as possible.
(Location: Railroad Chase · Extremely aggressive, but easily fall to any maraca beat rhythm.)
|Index No. #61
(Mechight #01)
|These little robots have sharp blades on their heads that can cut through almost any material it desires, with the only exception being diamond. When upset or angered by any means, they will attack whatever triggered that with a rough attack with their heads. Their weak spots are their backs, which are hard to hit.
(Location: Chalky Station, Sapphire Quarry · If they feel cocky, they'll slap their butts and taunt the player.)
|Index No. #62
(Mechight #02)
|While nowhere as mobile as the previous model, Rooks are very strong defense robots that usually remain stationary. They often guard passageways, and when spotted, they will open up a gap and fire strong, steel-melting lasers from them. They're hard to destroy, but their heads will suffer lots of damage if hit.
(Location: Ember Woods · Sings sad songs to itself when lonely and without others nearby.)
|Index No. #63
(Mechight #03)
|Knights are strong enemies that wield huge swords, which can easily cut through any foe in their path. They ride plush horses and have high offense and move around at lightning speeds. If their hits connect, their opponent will very likely fall. If they fall from their horse via attacks, their back will be vulnerable to any kind of damage.
(Location: Undersea Labyrinth · Laugh maniacally when slaughtering foes, it finds it amusing.)
|Index No. #64
(Mechight #04)
|The literal queens of the Mechight robots, Queens are extremely strong enemies. Designed to be the ultimate path-blockers, they often guard secret rooms and aren't really used on the main routes as they're very aggressive to fellow other robots. They're weak only on their backsides.
(Location: The Ironworks · If called a drama queen when it overreacts, it's the last thing they'll ever say.)
|Index No. #65
(Securamra #01)
Security Camera
|Security cameras that try to detect my presence, looking around for enemies. If they spot foes, they'll fire harmful lasers that can pierce through their skin. Luckily, they can be easily destroyed -- but even though it can already fire lasers, it can also summon its allies to attack foes, locking them into the room until they're defeated.
(Location: Chalky Station, Midnight Ruin · They do not wish to see boys on camera, it forces them to turn off.)
|Index No. #66
(Securamra bot #02)
Polarized Camera
|A little more dangerous than the first camera, attacking if it DOESN'T see foes? It'll fire lasers around, but if they avoid the lasers and get within close range of the camera, it'll stop attacking them -- but enemies will also show up in the room as a cackling noise fills up the atmosphere. Foes should just stay away and kill from a distance.
(Location: Midnight Ruin, Railroad Chase · Has a lot of freezing and crashing problems when annoyed.)
|Index No. #67
(Securamra #03)
Trick Camera
|These cameras are much more clever than previous ones, firing lasers in the direction a foe is not facing so to trick enemies. If they're smart though, they can instead trick these cameras and get away with whatever they're doing! They're tougher to destroy though, they'll need to pull them off...at the cost of having to fight more foes.
(Location: Railroad Chase, Undersea Labyrinth · Often get tricked into letting enemies go by easily.)
|Index No. #68
(Securamra #04)
Camera with Arms
|A camera that detached from the wall to face foes up close, moving around on robotic legs to fire multiple harmful lasers at opponents. It's very fragile, but it can do a lot in a short amount of time and it can prove a pain in the butt to fight. They look a little adorable, but are lethal in how much they can do.
(Location: Undersea Labyrinth, Ironworks · Complains constantly about its short, bulk-lacking legs.)
|Index No. #69
(Gravech #01)
|These gravestones aren't normal, they're fakes designed to fool robbers and shoot them down so they don't progress any further wherever they're going. When they spot intruders with hidden red eyes, they will pop out a laser from their top and shoot them at foes. Damaging the gravestone will keep them down for good.
(Location: Sapphire Quarry · They actually secretly hate Endal and always put his name on their stones.)
|Index No. #70
(Gravech #02)
|These crypts stick out from the ground and have the ability to use two legs for whatever reason. They will chase down whatever's bothering them and shoot down lasers at them. It is almost always outsped by its prey, so it can be easy to destroy with any good attack. Rather creepily, they can magically turn off the lights in their room.
(Location: Midnight Ruin · They're jealous of anyone who has actual arms too. They're not quite so lucky.)
|Index No. #71
(Gravech #03)
|Vaultibot is a strong, durable enemy that can launch lasers from the various ports attached to its body. It can easily wipe out all foes in its room with all the attacks going on at once. Morever, it is fast and can also launch huge gravestones to knock its opponents unconscious. Jeez! Although, again, strong attacks can crack it up.
(Location: Undersea Labyrinth · They look intimidating, but they're really scared of the dark.)
|Index No. #72
(Gravech #04)
|Mausoloxer is greatly feared by anyone thanks to its very high offensive power and its generally huge appearance. With the ability to fire multitudes of lasers and breathe fire and launch practically graveyards, it's most safe to avoid this beast, but fire will do lots of damage to its huge body. Don't fear to go all out on it.
(Location: Ironworks · It always wanted to go boxing, but it couldn't enter anything because it wasn't human.)
|Index No. #73
(Sirech #01)
|Seductive mermaid-like bots, Endal went bananas trying to install...hot teddy bears!? The feminine bears hid in clams with the intent being to lure Endal's opponents. While it is easy to use any weapon against them, Seducie are capable of influencing the foe's movements and drawing them closer to her.
(Location: Dangerous Rapids · Endal apparently had Flare in mind when designing them. Ew.)
|Index No. #74
(Sirech #02)
|Vamperie are tricky; some of them are actually helpful and offer goods, but some are actually quite malicious under their beautiful skin and do plenty of harm. Their control influence is much stronger than that of Seducie, Vamperie are capable of altering the controls entirely to their own needs.
(Location: Dangerous Rapids · All of them have strong distaste for Ashe, finding him an ugly child.)
|Index No. #75
(Sirech #03)
|Mermarine are very like Vamperie, offering the same tricky strategy that they have. However, they are arguably much better robots than them, as underwater the Mermarine have much stronger control and can easily pull opponents through the watery currents and take them for themselves. They can use blades made from shells.
(Location: Undersea Labyrinth · They are tired of Endal's control and want to thrive in a casino. Fat chance.)
|Index No. #76
(Sirech #04)
|Mulure are scary; they are much more indecisive, all of them hold very rare and special items, but only some of them are real. The ones that aren't fake will go on the full offensive, attacking with giant tridents and very sharp swipes from their claws. It is very recommended for tourists to just stay away from Sirech in general.
(Location: Undersea Labyrinth · Very protective of Endal, they scold Mermaine for disobeying him.)
|Index No. #77
(HideGuy #01)
Boost Guy
|Fairly harmless guys that work obediently under Endal's orders, just trying to help him steal things. They are very easy to beat and offer huge, temporary power boosts, but are very rare and run away quickly without fail. They are so timid and shy that even the most care taken to get close to them can throw them into a loop.
(Location: All levels · Huge fan of chips, and isn't willing to share, this is the only stubborn thing about him.)
|Index No. #78
(HideGuy #02)
Bandit Guy
|Bandit Guy is a thief, although a really shy one and doesn't stay around for long. If he goes down, he'll leave behind an item, often a valuable one, and sometimes even an upgrade. They can be recognized with their weirdly long beards and mischievous smiles. They usually rob fellow Boost Guys. They're very rare to find.
(Location: All Sunny Springs levels · Really dislikes children, for they give all their secrets away.)
|Index No. #79
(HideGuy #03)
Buff Guy
|Huge, muscular guys that are packed with power and health. While very rare like their fellow cousins, they offer a lot of points(?) when defeated, which can help get the best score possible on the levels they're defeated in. Whatever that means. They are aggressive and like to beat on their stomaches before they fight.
(Location: All Rainy Ravine levels · They apparently are cannibals, but keep this a secret from Boost Guys.)
|Index No. #80
(HideGuy #04)
Master Guy
|The master of the HideGuy clan, this foe only shows up once in a level. If found, he will engage battle with the opponent, and if he falls, he will run away, leaving behind heaps of rewards...such as items and score. He also offers power boosts just like Boost Guy. They are aggressive and dislike old men stereotypes?...or something.
(Location: All Thunder Tower levels · Thinks Endal should go back and try and get his villainy degree.)
|Index No. #81
(Evolar #01)
Evolar V.01
|Very beaten and laughable cars that run at molasses speeds, not being harmful in any way. Likely prototypes created to annoy foes and stop them from reaching somewhere with their large bodies. If attacked to the point of being near death, it will sound alarms, bringing the attention of enemies much stronger than itself.
(Location: Western Village · You're very prone to being bullied if you drive one of these at a driving school.)
|Index No. #82
(Evolar #02)
Evolar V.1
|A somewhat working version of the Evolar car. These cars can transform into human-like figures and fire missiles at opponents while skidding around on wheels. They're rather easy to defeat though if their gas tank is hit...which in turn will result in a massive, powerful explosion that can do lots and lots of damage.
(Location: Sapphire Quarry · They're responsible for 50% of the mine's passageways via explosive attacks.)
|Index No. #83
(Evolar #03)
Evolar V.2
|Developed much later on in the Ironworks, the V.2 versions of Evolars can transform into bigger robots and now have a protected power core that renders them difficult to destroy. Able to fire lasers and bombs and retaining the ability to explode if its gas tank is hit, this boss is even more threatening than the previous model.
(Location: Ironworks · Really certain that this isn't even their final form, claims to be super strong.)
|Index No. #84
(Evolar #04)
New Evolar
|Three V.2 evolar will get together to make a whole new truck-like vehicle, which can in turn transform into a very dangerous humanoid-like robots that can swing down its arms to do massive damage and create holes in walls and floors with heat vision. It can launch missiles from its mouth which can put anyone's lives at stake.
(Location: Ironworks · Mocks those that thought V.2 Evolars couldn't get any more advanced.)
|Index No. #85
(Jawecha #01)
Proto Jaws
|Even though they're prototype Jawecha skeletons, these are still very dangerous robots, having sharp teeth and quick speed. Without any meat to hold them back or slow them down, they're the fastest of the four. Interestingly, they will fall apart if they've been in the air too long, able to make one last lethal snap of the jaw.
(Location: Dangeorus Rapids · Boasts about its high speed but feels hungry all the time.)
|Index No. #86
(Jawecha #02)
|The first complete incarnation of the Jawecha robot, Torpedarks feature steel heads and try to ram them into their enemies before devouring them. They are usually slow and dim-witted, but spotting prey will cause them to take immediate action and head for them as soon as possible. Dangerous, and fatal.
(Location: Undersea Labyrinth · Often picks fights with Proto Jaws and makes fun of its fragile body.)
|Index No. #87
(Jawecha #03)
|Misshark are alternate Torpedarks that go off at moderate speeds and target prey even from long distances away. They are always seen smiling, although it's probably fake emotion as evidenced by the crayon marks on their hammerhead tops. They have a special position as the military weapons of Endal's crew.
(Location: Undersea Labyrinth · Thinks banana is actually spelled and pronounced "banarna"'.)
|Index No. #88
(Jawecha #04)
|These sharks aren't afraid of anything, being fluff-hungry beasts with teeth sharper than one's average kitchen knife. While the slowest of the four Jawmecha subspecies, any snap of their jaws will instantly end the life of their prey. They can leap in the air and momentarily survive on land before they stop working.
(Location: Ironworks · Convinced that it is the one and only "Jaws" creature.)
|Index No. #89
(Fandraxonian #01)
|The first of the Fandraxonians line, these lanky beasts are terrifying to come across and are affiliated with outside forces. A few of them have been turned into Endal's machines rather forcibly, but there's so few that they're rare to come across. Alphoids are very dangerous though, they're very fast and can swipe and tear at anyone.
(Randomly encountered in Sunny Springs levels · They seem to act funny, as if it's all just a big joke.)
|Index No. #90
(Fandraxonian #02)
|Gammoids are very rare to come across, but they're pretty advanced as enslaved members of Endal's robotic forces. Foes can only really land hits if they attack the heads, otherwise they should just run as Gammoids are home to sharp teeth and a number of harmful bugs that can do some devastation later on.
(Randomly encountered in Rainy Ravine levels · Cackling from day's start to end, they know a thing you don't.)
|Index No. #91
(Fandraxonian #03)
|Thetoids are intelligent, they're rarely seen but they're often working on machines. If they spot an opponent, they will use HP suckers, highly advanced pistols, and the like against them. Dodging them and clearing out of their way is the greatest choice for any foe, but they are unable to take too many hits to their deformed heads.
(Randomly encountered in Thunder Towers levels · You cannot grasp exactly what they're thinking.)
|Index No. #92
(Fandraxonian #04)
|The final of the Fandraxonian line, one is very unlikely to come across any Omegoid considering the flesh models are very hard to take down. But as robots, they're so devastating, an entire hit can clear off an inflated Ashe. They're best left alone, but defeating one will fill you with determination...and we mean invincibility!
(Randomly encountered in the Ironworks · Perhaps something awaits me at the end, you say in your head.)
|Index No. #93
(Monkibot #01)
'Stache Monkibot
|Cute little monkey-like bots wearing mustaches!...how cute! These little buggers aren't all that threatening, not only do their attacks hardly do any damage, but they like to show off and flip their cork guns before actually using them. Easily worn down with about any attack, even by the weakest possible. Each has a bad Mexican accent.
(Location: Western Village, Chalky Station, Sapphire Quarry · Really, really likes fruity snacks, apparently.)
|Index No. #94
(Monkibot #02)
Blazin' Monkibot
|Flaming small bots made in Endal's likeliness that like to spit fire and ruin the lives of people with skin. Instead of corks, they now shoot out small flames. The powerful flame sitting atop their heads is powerful enough to light up the darkness around them. Like their weaker 'Stache counterparts, their Mexican accents are terrible.
(Location: Ember Woods, Midnight Ruin · Real cocky, perhaps a little overboard with it.)
|Index No. #95
(Monkibot #03)
Turbo Monkibot
|Fixed up with jet packs, these monkey robots are designed to speed across the water and air, able to master going over all sorts of terrain...fortunately, they moved back to their less harmful corks, but they can fire more than one in a row. They seem to have a much better accent than 'Stache and Blazin', but still struggle a bit.
(Location: The Underground, Dangerous Rapids · Jet packs work perfectly, perhaps Endal didn't make them...)
|Index No. #96
(Monkibot #04)
Guardian Monkibot
|Powerful, ugly robots designed to look like Endal, but still look different with their mustaches and stuff. They seem capable of firing explosives from their guns and tossing packs of TNT over their shoulders to demolish their foes. They seem to really despise Endal, refusing to even try with their accents, so they make gibberish noises.
(Location: Ironworks · Heavily despises Endal, they have considered forming an anarchy.)
|Index No. #97
(Shadinale #01)
|Prototypes of the most powerful robots in Endal's forces yet. While incomplete, their core bodies look very similar to and behave like Endal's. They attack with very fast claw swipes, swings from their blade-like tails, and skin-piercing energy shots. They can also turn into shadowy figures and move through the ground.
(Location: Ironworks · The only thing it knows is the boulevard of broken dreams.)
|Index No. #98
(Shadinale #02)
|Built as the first finished Shadinale robot, these robots were built to give intruders of the colony absolute hell, able to fire several harmful lasers at once and breathe out waves of fire. They are some of the strongest things Endal has every built, having more power than even his own giant mechs that he made a big fuss out of.
(Location: END-13 Colony · They only take damage with attacks they caused themselves.)
|Index No. #99
(Shadinale #03)
|Absolutely ferocious robots that can fly around quickly and fire endless seas of missiles. They can charge themselves up with electricity and light up the whole room with it, doing small amounts of damage to opposing enemies. They have powers of fire, electricity, and even ice, and aren't afraid to use these weapons.
(Location: END-13 Colony · Shadal loves to pop out from the shadows when unexpected.)
|Index No. #100
(Shadinale #04)
|Endalofye is a last resort robot, it is ruthless and goes berserk on everyone. It is built with a high degree of intelligence, able to detect where foes will go and melting into shadowy particles when about to get hit by an attack. They are not invincible, but they are a severely difficult obstacle that can mark the end of the line.
(Location: END-13 Colony · Even Endal himself cowers at the feet of this destructive creation.)
At the end of every level, a boss battle will occur, the case usually being Endal dropping down from the ceiling in a machine styled after classical Nintendo bosses. During the fights, Endal cries out battle quotes as he tries to bring down the player. These should be treated like huge enemies, only with lots more health and variety in their strategy. Once all health is brought down to zero, Endal will give up and retreat.
In Windi's story, the boss line-up is quite different until she reaches the Ironworks. The bosses she faces up to that point are unique and only faced by her, forcing the player to exploit her various talents in order to bring down these powerful foes. However, the general rules still apply; depleting all of a boss' health will bring it down, allowing Windi to continue on forth.
|Description / Stats
|Boss Index No. #01
The battle of Western Forest is a simple one, the player facing a thick-bodied turtle surrounded by an equally powerful field of electricity, making it harmful to touch. This horned robot moves back and forth across the arena in an effort to take down the opponent. After a few seconds of blindly sprinting, it will jump up and toss a set of three thunderbolts at the player, which are slow and easy to avoid. Its electric field will dissipate upon the lightning bolts leaving its body, but they'll regenerate rather quickly. When hit enough, it will angrily roar and grow a set of wings, flying around the battlefield before charging up with electricity, aiming to slam right into the player. If it misses, the ground will absorb its electricity and render it safe to hit.
All characters in the game will find that END-01 can only be hit when it loses its electrical force field, which the robot does automatically by using lightning related attacks. Bowie's rope lashes, Ashe's sword slashes, Flare's fiery bursts, and Windi's claw swipes are all good enough at damaging the robot when its vulnerable to attacks. It has a low amount of health, likely due to it being one of the first bosses in the game.
|Boss Index No. #02
Within Chalky Station lies END-02, a clown-based mech that has emerged from a rampant music box. It looks human-like in structure, but also very ugly and looks pretty deformed. It does not move from its position on the right side of the battlefield, but it is still very threatening, able to launch its two huge fists forward in an effort to either crush the player or send them flying across the screen. In addition to this, END-02 can spew out flames to char its opponents or utilize garlic to heal itself. However, its hands are its biggest weakness, if they miss and hit the arena wall, they can be knocked into the machine with a powerful blow to knock over its body, allowing them to hit the glass core in order to inflict damage. After a set amount of hits, the boss will become angry and detach from its music box, flying around the room with new vampire wings and spreading around electricity.
END-02 is difficult to fight at first thanks to its core being unexposed and rather difficult to notice, but the patterns to the boss are simple. When it throws its hands out, the player needs to avoid them and let them slam against the wall before picking them up and chucking them back at the boss to expose the core. Any attack will work on the core, but the stronger the attack, the less time the player will spend fighting.
|Boss Index No. #03
The first boss for Windi to face, this arena is more or less focused around the enormous battery that powers up the entire Western Village and Chalky Station. Windi will have to avoid its explosive energy spheres from the boss and carefully climb up the platforms that rotate around the energy core. The goal will be defeating the spider mech that is climbing the machine, taking great care to not get swept off by its long legs. BAK-1 can create spider webs and trap Windi in them if she doesn't slice through them with ninja stars before hand. Unless the player has mastered precision, it is likely that they will fall back down to the bottom floor after hitting the beast as the platforms tend to move rather quickly near the top and the spider isn't always close to the player.
BAK-01 is less of a difficult battle and more of one that requires as much patience as possible to beat. The spider's mouth is the only weakness, and it only takes hits from ninja stars rather than Windi's claws. It can be a tricky and frustrating fight at first, but growing experience with Windi's controls and gimmicks will help make this fight easier every time the player participates in it.
|Boss Index No. #04
END-03 is a fairly strong mech, being a very lanky one with a skeletal build. It is designed to be near weightless, able to move around with ease while also boasting weak defenses. When moving around its arena, it will scan the area in search of the player, bringing camera systems to life if it spots them. Its arsenal is huge, capable of firing off multitudes of bombs of varying effects and powers and firing beams of light to burn up parts of the battlefield. This can become very annoying to fight very quickly, but its effects only intensify if it's been out longer in battle. The more damage it takes, the faster its moves become, and it becomes catastrophic if the fight has been dragging on for minutes upon minutes. In addition to all of this, its only "organs" enable it to use psychic energy, able to move the player away if they come too close for comfort.
Even with such a powerful number of lethal moves, END-03 is anything but good in defense. If the player is quick with avoiding attacks and good at reading patterns, they should be able to get in and hack away at END-03 before it gets ridiculously difficult to fight. They should beware of its psychic energy though...if they get too close, the beast will hold them before flicking them to the wall, wasting plenty of time.
|Boss Index No. #05
END-04 is a combination between a pirate and an outlaw, and is a rather formidable fighter. Having powers of the wind, the mech will use it at will, able to exhale forceful gusts that throw harmful blocks of wood in the player's direction and inhale air in hopes of catching and swallowing down the player. When it's not trying to use wind, it's swinging its two huge swords threateningly at the player which should obviously be avoided. Its huge body has only a small power core, which can be opened by attacking the "stomach"'s outer shell. Hits to the core should be fast though, for the core doubles as a cannonball launcher! The boss has various weapons that can actually be used against it; it can rain cannonballs from the ceiling and launch heavier ones from its blunderbuss. Knocking these back to the boss will easily open its shell.
Luckily, the mech is rather slow and its range isn't all that impressive, meaning that the player can keep out of its reach as long as they know what they are doing. The cannonball attacks can be annoying, but they can actually benefit the player if attacked and if they reach the boss. Because of their raw power, they can do a great job at opening and exposing the robot's core, which should be hit with a rough attack.
|Boss Index No. #06
This boss is different from Endal's previous machines as its a completely glass robot that uses a red, ghost like energy in order to function for long. It is designed to look like a boxer, featuring a rather muscular build and beefy black gloves. It is a unique battle as Endal spends most of his time behind a window and watching the battle. The boss is slow with its legs, but it has really fast (legal) punches that can punch a hole in any of the playable characters. It can also utilize lightning and freeze attacks, and can use indescribable attacks, which mostly consist of storms of punches and movements that can easily confuse the player. It can also flash, which can slightly blur the player's gameplay or alter their control schemes, both of which are temporary. Its weak spots are only its head and chest, which take damage from any attack.
The awkward strategy and boss design of END-05 means it can prove challenging and probably really confusing to fight. Its only weak points are the head and chest, which don't take hits very well at all and have low defense. However, hitting its other limbs will result in absolutely no damage whatsoever. The player should keep on guard and telegraph where attacks will land...or suffer huge consequences.
|Boss Index No. #07
The second BAK mech is encountered within the depths of a collapsing temple, which has its doors close on Windi hoping to crush her. The player has a total of three minutes to defeat the boss, which takes the form of a tall totem pole in the background. Each of the four heads have control over a different element: the bottom head can make the floor quake, which can knock Windi over, and the one just atop it can spread fire around the room and across the floor. The second head from the top can use water to flood the room, which can make Windi's controls sluggish and uncomfortable, and the very top can try to blow Windi off the entire structure. Windi will have to glide to the walls and be careful climbing up them, jumping off of them before the walls sprout out spikes. After multiple hits to the power core hidden atop the head, the mech falls.
BAK-02 is tough to battle thanks to its tough defenses and its rather high amount of health for something that must be beaten within three minutes. Recognizing patterns and tossing ninja stars for nearly every second spent up near the boss' head will be a huge help and will definitely earn the player the upper hand. Failure to do this multiple times can put the player in danger of being timed out.
|Boss Index No. #08
This magnificent mech is a dragon-turtle hybrid one that's visibly piloted by nemesis Endal. The machine has one large eye, snakes for hair, and a dragon-styled head with a turtle-like body below it. The beast slowly paces around the battlefield, moving back and forth while holding out its huge hands to stop the player from reaching its body. It will always be facing left, breathing out fire to scorch the teddy bears, or blowing out huge gusts of wind to send them flying towards the spiked wall behind them. It can use the snakes in its hair to capture and strangle the opponent too, or fire energy beams from its body to keep the player busy with dodging its obstacles. Managing health carefully and general patience are some of the most important things a player can have in this fight.
When the beast jumps to come down with an earth-shaking ground pound, the player must run under it and hit a switch, which takes both the player and the boss to a new floor below. This must be repeated five times before the player safely falls on a rock while the mech flails helplessly in the lava. For each floor the player goes down, the mech will become more aggressive and use more attacks.
|Boss Index No. #09
On the last train resides END-07, a strong boss that takes on the appearance of a large black ape that's shroudded in darkness. Near the level's end, the beast will hurl barrels in the player's direction; they will roll across the ground, bounce around, or randomly explode, but none of them should be touched. As the player draws near the boss, it will fire explosive energy orbs in place of barrels, which will immediately stop trains from moving and requiring that the player jumps onto the next as soon as they can. Once the player gets onto the ape's train, it will roar and go around in an effort to smash them with its huge hands, able to launch powerful energy blasts from its mouth. It also possesses a pair of stomach jaws, which can open up and release strong, defense-piercing lasers.
One thing that should be noted is that END-07 is completely invincible unless the player knocks its attacks back to it. When it launches explosive energy orbs, slashing at them will send them right back to the machine, dealing damage to it. Flare can alternatively do an aerial fiery burst towards said orbs, as she cannot slash them. While this is harder, it deals more damage thanks to the high speed of the attack.
|Boss Index No. #10
This strange, mechanical pig mech wears a thick knight mask and armor, and also wields a very sharp sword. It comes off as annoying at first, discharging a stinky gas to lower offense and tearing into the opponent to deal as much damage as possible. After some hits, it will become enraged and begin teleporting around the battlefield, slashing at the player and creating tornadoes and the like to bring them down as soon as it can. If taking too much damage, it will either do a quick self heal or fly off with a sudden set of wings, leaving the player to deal with two knight-like lackies. Once they are defeated, the mech will return with a downwards thrust. This is a challenging boss mainly due to the rocky nature of the arena platform, which can be tricky to fight on.
Unlike a good number of the mechs, END-08 has no specific weak point and as such can be hit in virtually any way. This means that the player can go all out on the mech, but must be very careful to not get hit by its attacks for many of them are strong. If END-08 takes enough damage, it will go into the background and launch a storm of swords, which need to be carefully dodged or lots of damage will be suffered.
|Boss Index No. #11
Suddenly teleporting in and stopping the heroes from reaching the Ironworks is a tall, blood-sucking robot that pilots a huge egg-shaped mech. In this machine, END-09 will fire rockets, homing missiles, lasers, bombs, and all sorts of generic weapons to catch the player off guard. If too many of the attacks miss, it will become angry and swoop to the other side of the screen, which is where the player can jump and strike the machine to properly damage it. As the mech takes more damage, it will become more chaotic and fire more attacks than ever before, and eventually begin charging up electricity to fire at the player when they're not looking. Once the machine breaks down, END-09 will escape it and teleport around the arena, tossing huge meteors or waves of fire to distract their nemesis while they try to bite their neck to get as much health back as it can.
END-09 is a very easy to telegraph boss fight, having a slew of predictable attacks and functions but it's far from an easy fight. Thanks to all the chaos going around, dodging all the attacks is very tough as there's no real set patterns to where the attacks are being launched. Hitting the boss as it swoops down will do plenty of damage, and when it breaks from its machine, any strong attack will do a lot of damage to the vampire mech.
|Boss Index No. #12
BAK-03 is a giant guinea pig robot resting within an oxygen-filled chamber, set up entirely underwater. This robot will dash towards Windi playfully, launching multitudes of missiles and whipping up tornadoes to blow her away. It can bounce up and slam back down to shake the ground, paralyzing Windi and allowing it to stampede over her. When it opens its mouth, it can fire a very large laser that can go across the screen -- Windi can only avoid this by clinging to a wall and letting the laser go below her. If the machine hits a wall, it will shake the room and bump Windi off the walls, allowing it to harm Windi and overpower her. This can be a tough fight, but it's far from impossible -- if Windi can get atop its back, she can attack the core, which will result in it shaking Windi off its body forcibly.
Because of its huge size and small hurtbox, it can be very challenging to battle. Its wide variety of attacks and tactics mean it can be hard to reach the top of the beast and attack it. Furthermore, it is an instant loss if the beast catches the player in its jaw, as it can chew them to bits. However, staying calm is rather vital, it is not too difficult to climb the walls of the arena and glide atop its head. Ninja stars will do the job.
|Boss Index No. #13
Defeating BAK-03 will immediately result in battle with BAK-04, a serial killer styled reaper bot that will begin to give chase to Windi. Windi's only option is to run, as contact with its huge scythe will mean an immediate loss of a life. Windi will have to utilize all her ninja skills to escape from the reaper, going through a one direction labyrinth whilst avoiding obstacles. Sometimes doors will try to slide shut in front of Windi; she needs to get through them or the reaper will trap and defeat her. Defeating the reaper is impossible by her own means, the robot has a shield that deflects ninja stars and physical attacks. However, it isn't invincible for real and its shield weakens as it busts doors open for BAK-04. By the end of the labyrinth, the shield will be broken and Windi can toss ninja stars at it to defeat it for good. This will allow her access to the Ironworks.
BAK-04 is pretty tough to race from considering its vast speed and the fact that it calls for doors to be shut in front of the player. Its scythe is hard to avoid if it's close to Windi, if it slices through her she will instantly fall down. Windi can temporarily stun the scythe by tossing a ninja star at it, which will help delay attacks and allow Windi to get further from the machine.
|Boss Index No. #14
Designed very quickly to fight Bowie, END-10 is fairly fragile for a boss, but boasts all of Bowie's attributes from weapons to physics. While painfully accurate and faithful to Bowie's gameplay, it has the ability to toss fireballs, eat up fungi to regain health, and do damage via jumping on its foes. As it battles more and more, it loses faithfulness to Bowie's design and slowly evolves into a more dangerous style, snatching items away from its opponents and eating all sorts of weird fungi to help itself, with only strange results such as suddenly increasing or growing in size. To protect its weak defense, its power core is surrounded by metal bars, which must be broken with tons of strength as they were designed to keep it from being destroyed so quickly.
Bowie's burning rope attack and slashes from Ashe's sword are the most useful attacks against the cage, but Flare has more trouble than these two with it, having to rely on bursting directly into the robot to damage it. On the bright side, she can absorb the fireballs. The fight must be done as soon as possible, as when it takes more damage, it quickly becomes more aggressive and irritating to deal with.
|Boss Index No. #15
One of the last of Endal's mechs, END-11 will descend from the ceiling as a dragon-boar hybrid, with a long head and sharp teeth, complete with big tusks and a large hog-like nose. The mech is not fully seen until the room lights up, but before that, its yellow eyes glow. Following that, the battle starts and END-11 pulls out a lengthy trident and extends out an equally extensive tail. The beast will fly around the arena and swipe at the player, breathing out plasma flames while swinging around its trident. When it nears the ground, it will bounce on its tail and breathe fire all across the walls. It can also make tridents rain from the air or create large cracks in the floor for the player to fall through and die. This is a very dangerous enemy that is made even worse by its strong power core, which takes many hits to destroy.
END-11 is very challenging to battle, but there are strategies. Bowie can grab the trident with his rope and swing it around to slice through the machine (although it isn't very durable), then strike its core when it appears less defensive. Ashe can use the arena's water to bloat up and smash right into the core, although aiming may be tricky. Flare needs to build up speed and dash right into the head to knock it unconscious so she can hit the core. After several hits to the core, it will explode and fall apart.
|Boss Index No. #16
END-12 is the last of Endal's mechs (right?) and actually resembles nothing but a white diamond. This diamond will start off on the right side of the screen spinning, and will occasionally open up to fire a specific weapon before going to the other side of the screen. It can fire a huge laser across the screen, toss bombs that will set every surface on fire, toss out some Monkibots, fire up to ten missiles, explode part of the ground, or even swoop around annoyingly to catch the player off guard. END-12 can also fire a weapon depending on the chosen character; if the character is Bowie, a series of sharp blades will be sent his direction, if it's Ashe, then it'll send out electric shots, and if it's Flare, then water will be sent her way. Windi, who can fight this boss having caught up to her family, will have flamethrowers burst out from the machine. This is a race against time; the boss needs to be defeated before all the footing disappears.
This battle is very tricky to overcome, for its power core is only visible when the robot is directly attacking. The power core is hidden inside the diamond shell, so if the attack is something that lasts a while like tossing out missiles, then that would be the time to strike with the right tools. If any weapon misses and hits the diamond shell itself, it will be reflected back where it came from. If a player hits the shell, they will be rebounded off of it.
|Boss Index No. #17
Outlaw Endal
Having cornered Endal, this battle is between him and Bowie only. The battle takes place all the way back at Western Forest; the two will stand a distance away from each other, back-to-back, with popguns raised into the air. The player will have to guess the time closest to five seconds, as will Endal, then press any colored button to turn around and fire. This is a very simple, but tricky fight as Endal will always be very close to five seconds. If the player hits too early, Endal will claim they broke the rules and they will immediately lose a life. If the player gets a game over, then they'll have to restart the Ironworks from the beginning!...if they were playing Bowie's story that is.
|Boss Index No. #18
END-13 is the final battle in BowieQuest, and only available to battle after all the Platinum Medals are obtained. This is a mighty challenge, and is split into five different parts as every single character participates in this battle together. The boss takes on the form of a huge space colony and also is slightly like a miniature stage in itself, and is considered the toughest part of the entire game. END-13's battle has a dark, spacy atmosphere with a frantic theme attached to it, with a malicious tone to it. The corresponding music is a mix of heavy metal, orchestral, and rap, and sounds very climatic and fitting for this battle. The fate of the world depends on the result of this fight; if Endal wins then Stitchonia and everything can still be his even though everything else of his is destroyed, but if Bowie and friends win, then Endal can pretty much kiss his dreams goodbye!
Ashe is the first one to take on the challenge, having to go through a very challenging puzzle section that requires nearly every single technique that Ashe has on hand. As he goes around and avoids obstacles like spikes as much as he can, he must collect five keys, each of which are guarded by a strong copy of END-01 that has advanced speed and intensified speed. Once all the keys are in his possession, he needs to unlock a door, where controls will be handed over to Flare. She must make use of her super speed to make it through the next few sections, which have closing doors and very tight spaces that only she can really pass through quick enough. Once she makes it to a large room, she must use her super speed to hit a strong power core multiple times while dodging onslaughts of varying enemies. Doing this will make the whole colony unstable.
The player then takes control of Bowie, who must use his rope trickery alone to make it up an exploding shaft within a few minutes, avoiding a battered Endal who will fly around in the background with his rope and try to zap Bowie down with electricity or engulf him in flames or even put him down in ice. At the top, the doors will close below Bowie, but not before Windi gets out with him. Endal will suddenly strike Bowie down, having taken advantage of Bowie's tiredness. Panicking, Windi will take on Endal herself, who is a strong opponent. While he can take hits from any direction, Windi needs to avoid his elemental magic attacks and avoid his swoop attacks. He can also form a black hole in the center of the battlefield, which can be easy to avoid if on the right or left sides of the field, but she'll need to jump over debris that goes into the hole. Ninja stars can hurt Endal badly.
After Endal's defeat, he will stand there and twitch, before using the last of his strength to get up and press a button, sending the entire colony into a self-destruct sequence. Bowie will get up and begin running, with the rest of his family in pursuit of him. The four together will have to jump over exploding debris, avoid lasers, and wild fires. The player has a total of three minutes to get out of there alive -- and at the end of the stretch is a quick boss fight against the real core of the station, which is guarding the escape pods from them. The four will pick up broken boards from the station as weapons before this part of the battle starts. The player will have to make the four jump up together and strike the power core six times before it breaks, allowing access to the pods. Once the bears all climb inside, they will narrowly escape Endal's station, blowing up the enormous END-13.
In Challenge Mode, the player can take on any provided challenges from the TimeStrike company to earn special awards, such as tech demos for upcoming games, very rare items that are only released by that company, and in some cases real money to spend on the Nintendo eShop. However, only the first three-hundred people who complete the challenges will earn big prizes, or people that break the world record in terms of score or time. If the challenge is completed otherwise, then the player will likely receive a free version of an expensive item in BowieQuest or secret information about the game's development and characters. The challenges change monthly, with all three being replaced every first day of the month.
On the Nintendo Switch, the system was revamped so that every challenge was available at the same time and winning each challenge earns you a tech demo or a BowieQuest-related product. As there is no competition for prizes anymore, players can no longer receive the $8.00 bonuses. Completing all challenges on the Switch activates a secret trigger that adds a brand-new epilogue to the game, being in-fact a trailer for its sequel.
|Challenges & Rewards
|July 2015
This is the first set of challenges to ever have occurred, hosted by Athena Hawkins herself.
|Prizes included a tech demo for Crimson the Roserade, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and history on the conception of Bowie and all his family members.
|August 2015
The second set of challenges were hosted by Athena's cousin, Indigo Hampshire.
|Prizes included a BowieQuest-themed Monopoly, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and scrapped concepts from BowieQuest itself.
|September 2015
Hampshire hosted the third set of challenges for the September month of 2015.
|Prizes included a tech demo for Demolish Nation, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and a high-quality port of Bowie into 1991's "Sonic the Hedgehog".
|October 2015
Indigo Hampshire hosted the challenges yet again for the fourth month.
|Prizes included a BowieQuest-themed chess game, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and a few videos showing the process of BowieQuest models being built.
|November 2015
D'Aughndré Moore replaces Hampshire as the host for the fifth minigame set.
|Prizes included a tech demo for Toroko Warriors, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and a document featuring the first ideas for BowieQuest and commentary from Athena Hawkins.
|December 2015
Moore returns to host the challenges for the second time in a row.
|Prizes included a BowieQuest-themed Battleship title, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and information about the series' future.
|January 2016
Moore hosted the seventh set of challenges, with this being his last.
|Prizes included a tech demo for Horizon Zero, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and montage of the game's showing at E3 2011.
|February 2016
Liam Enoshima began hosting the challenges soon after Moore resigned.
|Prizes included a BowieQuest-themed Life game, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and a high-quality port of Bowie into 1993's "Super Mario All-Stars".
|March 2016
Enoshima returns to do the ninth set of challenges.
|Prizes included a tech demo for Human Devastation, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and a parody album of Metallica's "Kill 'em All", featuring "very family-friendly covers".
|April 2016
The tenth set of challenges was hosted by Enoshima, being his third in a row.
|Prizes included a BowieQuest-themed UNO game, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and various prototype designs of the game's various characters.
|May 2016
The eleventh set of challenges is hosted by Enoshima for a final time.
|Prizes included a tech demo for Crimson the Roserade, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and a collection of outtakes regarding the game's production.
|June 2016
Brandon Urie hosted the games of June 2016 while a replacement was being sought after.
|Prizes included a BowieQuest-themed Clue game, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and a high-quality port of Bowie into 1993's "Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back".
|July 2016
Cynthia Harper hosted the thirteenth set of challenges, being the newest host.
|Prizes included a tech demo for Masses, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and a video showcasing the highlights of the production cycle for BowieQuest.
|August 2016
The fourteenth set of challenges was hosted by Cynthia Harper again following her acclaim.
|Prizes included a BowieQuest-themed Apples to Apples game, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and a high-quality port of Bowie into 1993's "Goof Troop".
|September 2016
Harper's third set features Metal Bowie; Bowie but with a chargable pistol instead of a rope.
|Prizes included a tech demo for Ordinary Mailman, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and a documentary showcasing concepts for a "Metal Bowie" character.
|October 2016
This is Harper's fourth set of challenges, being the sixteenth overall.
|Prizes included a BowieQuest-themed Sorry! game, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and a high-quality port of Bowie into 1985's "Super Mario Bros."
|November 2016
Harper's last set of challenges is still based on the core racing concept.
|Prizes included a tech demo for General's Journey, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and a special item which they can use on Amazon to get a limited set of BowieQuest plushies.
|December 2016
Athena Hawkins hosted the final set of challenges.
|Prizes included a BowieQuest-themed Risk game, $8.00 on the Nintendo eShop, and a high-quality port of Bowie into 1990's "F-Zero".
The non-platinum medals the player obtains throughout the game can be used to purchase items from a shady Beorn named Ace, who tries to convince the player that she is indeed a teddy bear. Behind any one shady building, the player can locate Ace, who will literally unfold a shop up from the ground, put her hands on the counter and lay out three of her items for the player to see. If the player talks to Ace, the player will be able to select and purchase items assuming that they're able to buy them. Items come in all sorts of varieties, from one-time power-ups to permanent statistic boosts which can be enabled and disabled at will.
|One Time
|Artificial Jalapeño
|"Had to craft these spicy peppers myself! If ye bite into one, it'll fill ye up with power, giving ye big offense boosts! It'll wear off after thirty seconds, but if ye battle hordes of enemies, it'll sure come in handy!"
~ Costs 3 Gold / 6 Silver / 12 Bronze
|Directional Signs
|"Oi! Ye can get five signs if ye decide to purchase some! What are these used for?...ye can stick the signs in a level, able to choose the directions the signs face, and use 'em to help find yer way to certain spots again or avoid paths ye despise!"
~ Costs 2 Gold / 4 Silver / 8 Bronze
|"This weird green lantern will spook away enemies that come close to ye! Lights will go out, and enemies will be spooked by the ghost...unless they're the serious type, then they'll still try to hurt ye! Breaks if an enemy hits you."
~ Costs 1 Gold / 2 Silver / 4 Bronze
|Helium Balloon
|"Ever keep falling down into those bottomless pits? Have no fear, good ol' Ace is here! If you fall down into a pit but have a balloon, ye'll rise back up with it instead of losing a life...just be careful to not hit the ceilings while above a pit, mate!"
~ Costs 2 Gold / 4 Silver / 8 Bronze
|Item Finder
|"Has up to three uses, the press of the button will shine around and reveal secret pathways and all that! Ye can just use this if you're too lazy to find a good route at times."
~ Costs 4 Gold / 8 Silver / 16 Bronze
|Nuclear Candy
|"Completely trustable! Once ye consume this wonderful work of mine, you'll turn invincible and be unable to take damage from any enemy! After twenty seconds it'll wear off, so make sure that you make good use of it -- don't use it just 'cause ye can!"
~ Costs 3 Gold / 6 Silver / 12 Bronze
|Poison Needle
|"What's that, is an enemy being a persistent annoyance to ye? Feel free to take this one-use, big needle with ya! When it hits an enemy, they'll be poisoned and take damage, but ye can also hit a boss to help ease things out."
~ Costs 4 Gold / 8 Silver / 16 Bronze
|Rock Out
|"Get your guitar and rock it out! Blast out music* to fell your enemies and use your guitar to fire multicolored lasers! If ye get hit though while holding the guitar, it gets blown to pieces!"
~ Costs 5 Gold / 10 Silver / 20 Bronze
|"Alright, these one-time shoe add-ons bring skate wheels to your feet, heavily increasing your speed until ye lose a life at some point and lose the wheels. You can still jump well with these, but it can be easy to slip and fall."
~ Costs 1 Gold / 2 Silver / 4 Bronze
|Time Stop!
|"Running out of time? Just hit the ol' button to stop time for thirty seconds. It'll give ye time to get through a level that you otherwise don't think ye'll be able to pass through on time! Best of luck ter finishin' that level!"
~ Costs 4 Gold / 8 Silver / 16 Bronze
|Permanent Use
|Defense Rings
|"These rings can prove quite valuable, lad/lass! If ye hit either shoulder button as ye get hit, a barrier will surround ye and ye'll block an attack! Only works against attacks with a second's worth of duration, though."
~ Costs 20 Gold / 40 Silver / 80 Bronze
|First-Aid Backpack
|"Wow! Brand new tool that'll allow ye to automatically heal over time, which can really prove useful if ye can't find any candies around! It'll regenerate fluff for ye and care of ye, but note that if it's hit by an enemy, it'll temporarily shut down!"
~ Costs 30 Gold / 60 Silver / 120 Bronze
|Jet Anklets
|"Powerful anklets that'll allow ye to trounce even bigger distances than before! It can certainly help ye cross huge gaps and pits of spikes and stuff like that. They also give ye a bit more bounce, so ye can have an easier time getting over places."
~ Costs 15 Gold / 30 Silver / 60 Bronze
|Low-Gravity Boots
|"These boots are pretty good, they'll help increase how high ye can jump! Use these boots to reach places ye couldn't ever get to before, but watch out! If ye don't have my wondrous Jet Anklets, you're still going to have trouble crossing pits!"
~ Costs 20 Gold / 40 Silver / 80 Bronze
|Wooden Gloves
|"Made from REAL trees, not like your garbage plant life here! ...Are these trees here even plants? Anyway, these gloves are pretty hard and stiff, and can punch holes in a lotta foes! So ye get offense boosts if ye wear these."
~ Costs 25 Gold / 50 Silver / 100 Bronze
On September 21st of 2014, TimeStrike updated their website to include a sole ballot with the aim of figuring out the most beloved characters and stages. According to director Athena Hawkins, the results will be used as future reference in terms of crossovers and potential continuation of BowieQuest's timeline. BowieQuest's future, according to Hawkins, is somewhat dependent on the given results, as the team doesn't want to develop a sequel to the title right away and wants to work on a mini-project before working on such. TimeStrike is hoping that votes are spread out almost evenly among the stages so to give them a challenge later on.
- BowieQuest's name was meant to have a sub-title to it, such as "Rise of Endal" or "Nature vs Machine". However, the simple name "BowieQuest" just stuck, because director Athena Hawkins wanted everything to be "simple" and not "overly complicated for no apparent reason".
- The humor style was shaped by old cartoons, especially by Looney Tunes and a lot of classic Hanna-Barbera shows. Some of the style is also reflected off from the television show The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, although this is only reflected in the character of Endal and his two servants.
- Initially, BowieQuest was intended to be much grittier, as shown in a sneak peak for the game. This was negatively received however, and overwhelming dislike caused TimeStrike to tone down the game severely, only saving a few of its elements. It went from a first-person shooter to a simple platformer within two months.
- The use of multiple characters with varying playstyles was inspired by Sonic Adventure, which featured four main playable characters with different functions and gameplay styles. However, BowieQuest works to make sure that none of these characters are a chore to play or "overly frustrating".
- The cast of playable characters have different abilities and gameplay styles which were inspired by other Nintendo characters. For example, Bowie has simple and easy use to gameplay, similar to Mario. Ashe has gimmicky, puzzle gameplay filled with mosnter slashing, much like Link. Flare has gameplay that's supposed to reference that of Sonic the Hedgehog. Lastly, Windi's segments are meant to be similar to those of Zero Suit Samus.
- According to director Hawkins, the enemy names were intentionally awful: "They were purposefully bad because Endal himself is lazy with names. It's supposed to appeal to the more childish humor of the game. If I were developing anything different, I would have been more clever with names."