Garudius '95

***Garudius '95*** is a *Gradius* dōjin game made by CO2 for the PC-98. It is in the style of Gradius III as it has the same music and has weapon selection, but is a drastically different game featuring different levels and weapons.

## Stages

(Names unofficial)

* Stage 1 - River
* Stage 2 - Crystal
* Stage 3 - Plant
* Stage 4 - Volcanic Cave
* Stage 5 - Fire
* Stage 6 - Ruins Planet
* Stage 7 - Moai
* Stage 8 - Anti-Gravity Zone
* Stage 9 - Boss Rush
* Stage 10 - Base

## Bosses

List of all the bosses from Garudius '95

**Stage 1 Boss:
 Hydro Core**

As it's name implies, this boss rises from the water, and even uses it as a hiding place.

It's armed with a volley of lasers, tentacles, and as a last resort - it releases organic globules whilst it attempts to ram you.

**Stage 2 Boss:
 Serial Core**

This triple cored boss initially tries to throw you off by releasing a huge barrage of crystals in your general direction.

When it finally rears it's head, it attacks using it's tentacles, and a basic laser spread. It's not too smart at this point, and will literally sit in front of you whilst you take out it's barriers.
 Taking this form out opens up the second core - this time releasing crystal shards above and below you, whilst attacking with a cross pattern of beams.
When the last core is opened, it breaks out all the stops and summons a large crystalline shield - which grows inwards and outwards - not giving you much space or time to weave in and destroy the core. It also locks onto your ship and fires a constant stream of laser beams in your direction.

**Stage 3 Boss:
 Drastic Tortoise**

This metallic monster uses it's arms most effectively when first encountered.

Firing a constant stream of bullets from it's claws, it attempts to protect it's Core, occasionally sending a spread your way.

When this core is eliminated, it gets desperate, and grows three arms at once in a vain attempt to destroy you.

During this time one of the other slots on the beast opens out, revealing a second core(it usually if not always moves the core clockwise). This is both the target, and a cheif way to avoid its limbs. When it pulls back, it will literary launch one of it's arms in your direction.

**Stage 4 Boss:
 Grand Core**

This core attaches itself to the ceiling and floor, possibly to secure itself.
Despite it's grandeur name, and seemingly hard to dodge attacks - it has a very obvious design flaw - it cannot hit you whilst you sit in front of it. This should be used to your utmost advantage.

It's drill-bits are armed with laser cannons, and it can channel this energy into producing shockwaves, by ploughing the ground.
These cover half the screen, but rather predictably, you are safe in front of the core.

It will eventually try to ram you, and pick up the pace, but it won't live for much longer.

    **Stage 5 Boss:
 Kougel Burn**

This organism resides in the corona of this star - and attempts to out fox you by sending many attacks your way.

It's first attempt is to release a volcano like explosion of fireballs from above. Before these have even left the screen, it will lower itself, and produce a stream of fire, curling backwards and forwards as it attempts to hit you, soon rising up once again.

It will begin to send indestructible, semi-homing blasts your way, at a ever increasing rate. This is it's most dangerous attack.
These are hard to dodge, but when it's trump card is exhausted, it will attempt to use scare tactics by summoning two Intruder to crush you. It uses these creatures like arms. This is your main opportunity to hurt it.
As it expires, it releases the imprisoned dragons, who seemingly die in the process.

    **Stage 6 Boss:
 Mistic Cicada**

Initially, it looks like this monster related to Tutankhamon, this entity's true form is in fact the scarab opon it's head.

This dangerous foe starts by releasing orbs that bounce across the screen, and without warning fires a very fast eyebeam. This is hard to avoid, but it seems to be unable to aim correctly on the right side, letting you sit above it's head as the beams pass you by.

Soon the beetle will detach, and as it crawls away it unleashes a very large spread of lasers, these ignore shields and are very hard to dodge unless you're directly above or below the creature.

It will then cross the battlefield, creating an rotating energy barrier that grows outwards, this is your only real opportunity to hurt it.

This is also, ironically, it's hardest to dodge attack.

**Stage 7 Bosses:**

**Sub-Boss 1: Dogas MK 2**

This returning foe from Gradius III creates itself a barrier of smaller Moai, these fire small energy rings towards you, but cannot take much damage back.

Dogas will attempt to chase you, but during this battle you can continue moving up for-ever, giving you a good opportunity to bomb it with missiles.

    **Sub-Boss 2: Big Moai X5**

These large creatures line the floor and ceiling, and much like the original, spit out small Moai. The bottom ones can be taken out with missiles, but the top ones require a upwards double selected.
Interestingly, you do not have to kill any of these to proceed - the screen continues to scroll regardless of whether they are dead or not.

These creatures are the guardians for a great entity, the King of the Moai himself, or at very least this particular group of Moai.

**Stage Boss - King Hanaw**

The only Moai thus far shown to have a body, this powerful humanoid certainly lives up to his name:

Royal energy rings are now indestructible, and absorb your own arsenal, making him very hard to hit. He will occasionally charge towards you, stopping just at the edge of the screen, and leaping back to his starting position.

This is your best chance to damage him, but you must get close - Hanaw will extend his neck out and spit out missiles in the process.

When his head is back where it's supposed to be, he will fire off large patterns of rings for you to weave between, before continuing to walk backwards and forwards.

When his body is trashed, his head will separate and begin jumping around in a mad panic to get you. He continues to spend his last remaining lifeforce by spitting out rings in a vain attempt to get revenge. The head will die by itself in a very short time.

    **Stage 8 Boss:
 Gusty Core**

Hiding behind a series of miniature black holes to no avail, this core attempts to use it's limited weaponry in different ways by extending it's wings.

It's laser patterns are for nothing, as all shots miss if you simply stay in the middle of the screen, going to the left when it tries to cross the the streams.

It will extend its wings forward, and if you're in the right place, you should line up with it's core, as it rather pointlessly fires it's volley into space.

**Stage 9 Boss Rush:
 Boss 1 - Big Core MK I** - *BS-G101-B1*

Venerable Core Warship, armed with a basic 4 Laser Shot.

The variation fought in *Gradius II*, this Big Core creates a spread of bullets when it's barriers are destroyed, and will attempt to ram you.

 **Boss 2 - Tetran** - *DS-502-Z2*

Somewhat weakened version, this variation makes up for it's shorter arms and slow movement speed by firing a even larger spread of bullets when a barrier is taken out.

 **Boss 3 - Death MK II** - *DS-G204-G3*

Armed with it's usual missiles and great laser beam, this version has a new surprise in store for the player - it now fires a additional spread of bullets when it attacks. Finally, it's missiles can absorb your own shots, making it very hard to hit.

 **Boss 4 - Misfit Warship** - *BS-NC03-V4*

There are no improvements made to this boss over the original. This is the Nemesis 2 variation.

 **Boss 5 - Lizard Core** - *BS-G309-B5*

There are no improvements made to this boss over the original. This is the Gradius III variation.

 **Boss 6 - Beacon** - *DS-FC307-B6*

In addition to now firing at a faster rate, this variation now fires a spread shot when a core is eliminated, making the battle significantly harder.

    **Stage 9 Boss:
 Master Core**

This heavily armed core is the biggest threat in the boss rush.

It's armed with a massive spread of missiles - a better version than Death MK2's, these missiles weave slightly when fired, and move incredibly quickly, thus being even harder to dodge. As with Death MK2, these absorb your weapons fire.

It's also armed with a green pulse cannon - this both protects the core, and splits into 6 parts, each one firing it's own laser spread, making the left side of the battlefield a death trap, leaving you cornered in a very tight spot on the right.

It's also armed with standard large laser cannons, and as it's first core is destroyed, it detaches the front portion of the ship and can now use a screen filling yellow wave - the only safe spot is in the middle. This wave also absorbs your shots.

**Stage 10 Bosses:**

**Sub-Boss 1: Mirror Gunwall**

Like most Gunwalls, this mechanised defence can produce Ducker robots in a infinite supply, and is armed with high velocity laser cannons and additional - homing balls of intense light, that track your fighter's movement.

It is also supposedly protected by several mirrors that weave about the arena.

These end up working against the wall's favour - as the very homing stars it launches can be reflected back into the wall, eliminating the barriers and eventually the core.

These mirrors can also absorb the bullets and lasers fired by the ducker and guns respectively, and can be destroyed by your weapons.

**Sub-Boss 2: Shadow Dancer X2**

These twin spider walkers are indestructible, and are accompanied by Ducker robots.
They will eventually leave by themselves.

**Stage 10 Route Selection:
 Top Route - *Gradius* - Nucleus** - *No ID*

The top route takes you to a replication of Stage 6 of the original game.
There are no improvements made to this boss over the original.

 **Middle Route - *Time Warp* - Big Core MK III** - *B5-G303-B7*

The middle route takes you to a extremely hard "time warp" level, consisting of Stage 4 from Gradius, Stage 2 from Salamander and Stage 1 from Gradius II.
Finally the warp ends with this boss from Gradius III
There are no improvements made to this boss over the original.

**Bottom Route - *Salamander* - Golem** - *No ID*

The top route takes you to a replication of the latter half of Stage 1 from Salamander.
This boss is slower than the original.

**Stage Boss - Unknown**

While it can be assumed this is Bacterian, no name is ever given, thus it's identity remains a mystery - it is the leader of the alien force, and despite it trying to eliminate you with a rush of alien Gaw like creatures... it's just you, and him!

## See Also

* *Gradius III*
* *Gradius '93*