Contra Base 2

## Stage 4 Base 2

Base 2 Boss aka "Optimus Prime"

(Overall Split Time)

### Overview

We've seen this before, right? Yup, the premise of this stage is the same as Base 1, just a few rooms longer. This Base stage features eight rooms as opposed to Base 1's five rooms. For a refresher on some of the basics, head back to *Base 1*. This stage also features some helpful ways to achieve quick *spread rhythm* - rolling logs and core shields. These "enemies" can offer near instant rhythm, so use them to your advantage.

### How To

For this level, we're going to use *TheMexicanRunner's 9:59.400 run* to see how each room should look when done optimally.

#### Room 1

This room is probably the easiest of all the rooms here. Simply stand in the middle - the logs won't hit you and neither will the turrets. Just blast away, you should get pretty good rhythm from the core shield. If for some reason you have trouble getting it, use one of the rolling logs then stand up and finish blasting away.

#### Room 2

This room is one of the trickier ones as you will need to traverse the room while maintaining rhythm. Start in the middle hitting the two the center shields. Once the outer shields open up, move to the right, positioning yourself just to the right of center between the two. Your spread rhythm will finish the right-center one while damaging, then destroying the far right one. Now head back left and do the same. For positioning, head right a bit to setup for the next room.

#### Room 3

Here we have 2 shielded cores. Rhythm should come pretty quick and easy. Maintain it and wiggle back and forth while dodging any bullets. You should also be destroying any green enemies coming from the right, as they throw the rolling logs, and it'll be one less thing you have to worry about dodging.

#### Room 4

Here we get a brief reprieve from the spread rhythm, as contrary to everything you've learned so far, it will be slower. Position yourself dead center between the two cores, lay down, and when the cores open, double fire 4 times to finish them. Rhythm here will mean you need to take out the cores individually plus move to the other core to do so. It's just faster to fire eight normal spread bursts to take them both out at the same time.

#### Room 5

This room is deceptively tricky, just like the second room in this base. Take out the center turret then head right to destroy the core. The tricky part here is maintaining rhythm as you travel across the room to take out the core on the left.

If you're having trouble getting some rhythm, wait for the first green enemy to drop the rolling logs, destroy one to gain that rhythm.

One thing to note for this room it that it contains an R powerup, and it comes out from the right usually before all cores are destroyed. If you find yourself needing an R here, be sure to start on the left so you don't accidentally destroy the red guy early. Killing him before his sprite is all the way out of the wall will mean the R pops out, but off screen with no way for you to get it.

#### Room 6

This room is just as easy as a *similar one is Base 1*. Kill the green enemy coming from the right, then head to the center. Lay down to destroy the rolling logs then stand up and destroy the core with rhythm.

#### Room 7

This is commonly called the "jump room." If features a turret at chest height and a core that you must jump to hit.

Destroy to turret and any enemies that appear. When the core opens up, if you have rhythm (easiest for those using piano grip, i.e. pointer finger to shoot, middle finger to jump) jump while shooting to destroy the core in as few as 2 jumps. This is hard to in two jumps even for the best, but it should be a goal for anyone wanting the best times.

For those that have trouble with this method, you can do the "granny 4 jumper" - at the peak of your jump, quickly shoot twice. Do this four times to end the core and move on.

#### Room 8

The final room. Premise is the same and the last room in *Base 1*. Head right to destroy the turret, then move to a position left of center so that the center bullets don't hit you but you're still hitting the core. Again, the core will not be vulnerable for a few seconds, so you have time to do this.

Once the core is gone, it's on to the boss.

### Boss

Unfortunately, this boss is make or break for a lot of runs at any level. Bad bubble patterns and missteps can make this boss a pain to deal with and do it consistently. You have a narrow window to destroy each head while it's together and vulnerable, and there's positioning and bullet hoses that, if not done correctly, can force another cycle and cost you four seconds.

The mechanics of this boss allow for the fight to get out of hand, so the goal of course is to destroy everything as fast as possible. First, you have three cores to destroy to make the two heads appear. You also have a three tomato turret at the top shooting at you. If the cores are still active, red enemies will appear from each corner and shoot at you. If you still haven't destroyed the cores after a while, blue enemies will enemies will appear and jump down towards you. I'm sure now you can see the importance of getting those killed as soon as possible.

Once all the cores have been destroyed, two head will appear at the top. Each head will separate into two and while moving back and forth. They are only vulnerable when both halves come together (called a cycle, which lasts for four seconds). You will only have a brief moment to destroy them. They only take eight hits each, but they also shoot bubbles which can get in the way, meaning you'll to wait another cycle to continue damaging and killing them.

There exists a shortcut in three forms, a glitch that we can exploit with some knowledge and luck - double glitch, single glitch, and double-single glitch. We'll get to these later.

#### The Setup

The setup here, ideally, is the same for each level of skill. This offers the best opportunity to destroy the cores before the red enemies come out. Position yourself between the halfway point of the left and center core or directly under the center core as you enter the fight. Exact placement in this range really just depends on which position works best for you.

When the center tomato reaches the bottom of the center core box, jump left and fire twice to destroy the left core. Before landing, press Right to destroy the center core (or at least damage it). Upon landing, jump right and fire twice to destroy the right most core. Again, before landing, press left to position yourself under the center core (and finish destroying the center core if you haven't already). Sixteen frames after the final explosion animation ends you'll see the heads appear.

Another key to ending this fight quickly is taking advantage of your bullet hose mechanics. Notice how when shooting up there's always some bullets sneaking out on a northeast vector. Lining up under the heads where both the center and right streams are hitting will greatly increase your chances of killing each head in one cycle. Notice the position of Bill's gun, for both sides it's just barely off-center of those blue circles. This spot here will mean you're getting to two lines of bullets hitting and thus, quicker kills.

##### Beginner Strat

    It's not expected for beginners to get all three cores in two jumps, so being able to destroy the red enemies quickly is key. A quick spread burst in their direction should finish them off so you can position yourself to take out the heads. Don't worry so much about being set up to damage the heads on the first cycle. Just make sure your path is clear for when they come back together.

Once the cores are gone, slide to the right to take out the first head. Make sure you're positioned as shown above. Any bubbles that come way are either destroyed or you can simply jump straight up to avoid them.

Another key is to make sure you're constantly firing to deal maximum damage. Once the right head is gone, move left to finish the other head. Once it is gone, head left again to hit the exit elevator before losing control (this is why the right head is done first - you end the fight on the left much closer to the exit, saving time as noted in *Level Transitions*).

##### Intermediate Strat

This is where you'll really want to make you not only kill the cores ASAP, but also prevent the red enemies from spawning, or at least have them dealt with so you can deal damage on the right head before it starts to separate.

Once the cores are gone and enemies are dead (if they even spawned), position yourself to the right to take out the first head. Make sure you're positioned as shown above. Any bubbles that come way are either destroyed or you can simply jump straight up to avoid them. Mash quick to get a nice bullet hose going. Hopefully you've taken it out before it separates, or you get a single glitch. Otherwise, you will need to wait until they come back together to finish it. Make sure you're constantly firing to deal maximum damage. Once the right head is gone, move left to finish the other head. Once it is gone, head left again to hit the exit elevator before losing control

##### Advanced Strat

    This strat is high risk, high reward for top tier runners. If you get it, your run continues (yes, for top tier runners, finishing a run at, on, or near pace is its own reward). If you miss it, your run is pretty much dead.

For this maneuver, setup in the middle under the center core. Jump left to destroy the left core then back to center to destroy (or at least damage) the center core. Finally, jump right to destroy the right most core then swing back to center. You will need to wait 16 frames after the explosion animation ends to fire a double burst. Strafe right to setup for the right side kill. You'll see both heads being damaged and very quickly the fight it over. Quickly start heading left to avoid losing time. If need be, you can jump as your inertia will carry you forward like normal, getting you that much closer to the exit.

### Explore more from this game

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1. ↑ Map Courtesy of NESMaps.com by Rick N Bruns
2. ↑ Taken from Sideswipe's 11:39 run Nov, 2020
3. ↑ Taken from FCJ2000's 9:55.817 3rd place run verified on Sept 24, 2020