Startropics 2: Zoda's Revenge - Chapter 9 Katana Only/No Damage Run

Channel:

Master Knight DH

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Published on August 5, 2019 3:51:24 AM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpVwYCwY3_o

Game:

Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II (1994)

Duration: 30:31

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8

After over 700 attempts, I finally managed to nail this. Try this for yourself if you don't believe that the RNG is absurd in a level this long. Mama (Bear) Scorpion Redux, Mashing Miner, the Dragon, and the Zodas all in the same run would already speak for itself. Never mind that they come after a standard stage that continually caused failures. Thankfully, I developed some strategies against the bosses as I went along. The power of The Determinator, folks!

I primarily wanted this out of the way ASAP because I was thinking about somebody who I had known somewhat IRL who takes losing VERY poorly, and I don't know how far I would get by citing RoahmMythril thinking about some of the challenge failure outtakes in his videos. Fortunately, I have succeeded in accomplishing this, and keeping cool very much contributed, especially when I treated the Vitamin X right before Zoda-Z as a drink of water IRL.

Zoda-Z is who I really want to talk about. His first phase is I swear to God THE hardest portion to No Damage Run in both Startropics, period. That phase is basically Mashing Miner with the boulders' Expies being able to shoot small shots, AND move in an even more erratic manner, and the primary Zoda Spawn not even being a tall target. The shots' tell, that the respective Spawn suddenly stops, is excessively subtle, so it is a nightmare to capitalize upon them too. And as for baiting the Spawns' movement, if they have any disposition toward Mike's location, it's too subtle for me to notice.

There are 2 mercies. First, the shots have a cooldown, a minimal amount at that to make up for the randomness, and therefore it's possible to start searching for openings. Second, this phase has low durability past the defenses, so IF you can combo the target Spawn, you can end the phase faster and not have to put up with the claustrophobia as much.

Even with this, this is VERY far into the segment, and unfortunately, playing too defensively also provides more opportunity for an RNG spike to happen. I opt to try to confuse the Spawns' fire, but it's hard to remember to do that much in this confining mess, and at one point I only show its effectiveness by panicking my way out.

Zoda-Z's second phase is mercifully a breather as far as defensive play. Going on active offense does provide the risk of colliding with Zoda in his erratic movement, but I'm happy to have the chance to recover. Really, dodging his shots efficiently just comes down to paying attention to his movement, as well as not getting cornered too badly, which nearly happens to me at one point by I'm able to escape in that moment too.

Of course, the third phase is a show that getting past the first phase doesn't have me out of the woods until Zoda-Z altogether is FINALLY dead. Offense is easier because the spinning attack can be capitalized upon with Zoda being aqua for 5 seconds and the cooldown being at the tail end of that. It's the defense that's the killer. The fire pillars, of course, can sometimes RNG you if you have bad luck, at the end of ALL of this, though otherwise, you can reasonably dodge it by being around the center for optimized reaction ability. It's the mines that really concern me, of course. I prefer to bait them so that they don't have me dodging the last one with Zoda nearby, although good timing and movement can allow for parrying all 3 mines if you need to resort to that. And of course, Zoda-Z's durability is still enough through his big size that I have to throw off BOTH of those attacks 5 or 6 times each.

But really, THANK GOD Zoda-Z phase 3's stronger attacks are thrown out in the same order. If you're wondering what the order is, it's this: Boar Shot, Mines, Inferno Pillars, Mines, Boar Shot, Spin, Inferno Pillars, Spin, Boar Shot, Mines, Spin, Inferno Pillars, and start over. It's thanks to this that I can position to reduce the shenanigans from this mess to a much more tolerable level. Let me tell you that this was my second shot at anything past that God forsaken first phase, and even then, you see me meet with some close calls. I admit I used RAM Watch at the end to know that Zoda was at 25 HPs left when he did his last Spin, but it was the Spin after the fake restart, so I was at risk of being RNGed by the Inferno Pillars if I didn't try to take him out right there.

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