This is part 6 of my Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 S+ rank run. The Secret Missions continue, with some absolutely devious stages awaiting both characters. Here are my notes.
-Gunvolt’s trip through the Isle of Dreams is a rather hazardous one. Much like in Garden 1, the conveyors will do a solid job of discombobulating players who don’t meticulously plan out every action they take. Some combos are rather onerous as a result, and the somewhat sturdy piles of garbage don’t make matters easier. Technos and Dragonsphere are handy disposal tools for the piles; Crashbolt works too, but take care to avoid unintentionally striking enemies above and below Gunvolt. Bolt variety is a strong suit of this level, the enemy layouts encourage experimentation, and even non-standard options like Mizuchi can find genuine uses depending on your strategies.
-Concerning the siren room, I did toy with the idea of equipping the Blue Streak Band and attempting to get a 5-Strike using the last group of enemies by spending an insane amount of time pushing them around, but after being met with a massive wall of energy projectiles during my few research attempts, I shelved the concept. Thankfully, I’ve seemingly yet to reach the level of depravity that would entice me to pursue the idea further, and I made Rospark vs. Rospark, so that should be very telling.
-Gran Torta’s Glaze Laser is unexpectedly precise to avoid as Gunvolt. It’s possible but incredibly risky to avoid it with a single, well-timed Flashfield jump. Given the length of the stage, I instead opted to use the invincibility frames of the 0 SP skills as insurance. Always use Crashbolt first, Dragonsphere precludes the use of other skills while the ball is still active, even if not on screen.
-If you look up Murphy's Law in the newest edition of the Merriam-Webster dictionary, you'll find a picture of Copen flying through the sewers. The sheer number of things that can go wrong is such that every action becomes exhausting through demanding undue focus. This is where the issue of wall jumps breaking your aerial chain is most heavily felt. Canceling hovers is necessary to move through at a decent pace, but doing so while in close proximity to a wall constitutes a wall jump, which in this game, breaks your combo. Needless to say, efficiently descending the treacherous drops while maintaining your air combo becomes a task involving absurd amounts of repetition and memorization. Special mention goes to the assortment of four water bubbles after the first descent; as I demonstrate, flying past them quickly is possible, but even the slightest mishap in your positioning as you Bullit Dash your way through will result in a bubble punting Copen like a football. When combining all these factors, The Sewers easily take the crown as Copen’s greatest navigational challenge, and probably the title of his hardest regular stage overall. On a positive note, all the GCEXs are loaded in the first half of the stage, but that doesn't make it easy when the second half is the epitome of fickle.
-Gunvolt's rendition of Prism Highway is a pure playground. You're given sufficient time in this open area to rummage and group the enemies littered about however you wish. Whether you choose to focus on score, speed or a balance of the two, this stage is sure to prove pleasing to players seeking to test their creativity.
-The motorcycle is slightly less blatant filler this time around. Gunvolt has an opportunity to net a triple on the last 3 Spinners that appear; don't ask me how you're supposed to do it without Naga's charged shot. It might be possible to land a double on the first 2, but their projectiles are exceedingly dangerous, so leaving them alive is inadvisable. Air Strike them if you can, but destroying them for safety takes precedence.
-The Data Facility’s screen-wrapping gimmick is pure joy as Copen. His Bullit Dashes persist after crossing screen boundaries, which means that certain segments of this ostensibly constricted level actually function far more like an open-air stage. The result is a stage that, in my opinion, boasts the best movement in the entire game; it’s a seamless blend of methodical traversal and blistering speed. Further adding to the brilliance of the design is the choice to completely revamp the enemy selection to better suit Copen. Bombs and Curse Scripts manifest out of thin air, which may seem irritating, but once it clicks that these enemies are placed specifically to serve as timed waypoints that allow Copen to preserve Bullits, you can really start to move. Chaining together Bullit Dashes and rolling past enemies while simultaneously destroying them with Hailstorm Blade is thrilling. There are also 3 chances for GCEXs in the second half, providing some puzzle-like elements as well.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Secret Mission 3 | Asroc [GV]
07:14 - Secret Mission 3 | Milas [C]
13:36 - Secret Mission 4 | Gharui [GV]
19:46 - Secret Mission 4 | Teseo [C]
Thanks for watching!