Contra Base 1

## Stage 2 Base 1

Base 1 Boss aka The Eye

(Overall Split Time)

### Overview

This Base stage includes 5 rooms in which you must destroy the cores to take down the electric barrier to continue onward. Ideally, you'll learn in what order to kill the cores so you can be in proper position to tackle the next room with as little time wasted as possible traveling to your correct position.
In this pseudo 3-D environment, your spread shots only count as one for each core, regardless of how many in a given burst seem to hit. This is why spread rhythm is important. As we learned in the *Spread Rhythm* section, eight inline bullets from Spread will be a faster kill than eight bursts of five bullets. Remember that if each room is even 0.5 secs faster, over the five rooms in this stage, that's 2.5 secs saved. Across all thirteen rooms between the two base stages, that's 6.5 secs!

We also know from *Tomorrow Corporation's blog* that the enemies here are essentially scripted. There is no RNG spawning going on, so every run will be the same. This makes the level more about technique and positioning, i.e., pure execution, no reaction-based movements.

Lastly, you'll notice in the gifs below, featured from *AngryLanks WR run*, that he is hitting the electric fence after destroying the cores. Normally when you touch the fence, you are stunned for a moment. If you are stunned when all targets are destroyed, you immediately become unstunned (and any bullets or grenades vanish) and can progress. So, he intentionally hits the fence, holds Up on the Dpad so he can start running on the first possible frame. The drawback here is that you will lose any spread rhythm you had (AngryLanks is so good he can get it back in the next room almost instantly). So, it's best for newer and intermediate runners to time the downing of the fence so you can keep that rhythm going. A few frames here and there means little to someone who isn't chasing WRs and likely plenty of time elsewhere to save in the run.

### How To

For this level, we're going to use *AngryLanks' WR run* to see how each room should look when done optimally.

#### Room 1

This is easiest room of all the Base stages, as there isn't much going enemy-wise. What can add difficulty to this room for speedrunners is that it can be difficult to get spread rhythm quickly. Many runners will stand off-center to the right to kill the first enemy that appears. The goal is to use him to attain *spread rhythm* to more quickly take out the core and continue on. However, if you cannot get it from the first enemy, there are two others that show up prior the core being vulnerable.

Once he is dispatched, move to the center and destroy the core. It will take eight shots to destroy. As you jump through the transition screen, press right to set up for the second room. Also, this first room contains an R. It appears a few seconds after the core becomes vulnerable. Use this to acquire an R if you missed it in *Jungle*.

#### Room 2

If you set up properly to the right, you can quickly move slightly more to the right and destroy the turret and hopefully have gained some spread rhythm. Four shots are all that's needed to finish the turret.

Now head left to destroy the core. You should be getting there as its opening. Use that spread rhythm to finish it with eight shots. Continue moving upward, as you should start Room 3 on the left side.

#### Room 3

You should be starting this room on the left side. Quickly destroy the turret then head to the center to lay down and destroy the shield core. Proceed straight ahead from your current center position.

#### Room 4

This room has two ways to play it, but neither is faster than the other since the differences are at the start where nothing is happening, hence no time loss.

Strat 1: Position your character in the center of the room. Jump twice to destroy the turret, being sure to quickly double shoot at the peak of each jump. Then prepare to lay down to destroy the logs rolling at you. Once a path is clear you can stand up and destroy the shield core.

Strat 2: Position yourself just right of center. Kill the enemy that comes from the right. Move to just barely right of center, lay down and then destroy the logs rolling at you. Once a path is clear, stand up and destroy the target. Be sure to be standing just to right so the bullets won't hit you. We know from the Tomorrow Corp Blog that Bill's sprite does not fully represent his hitbox, so bullets can pass through a small part of your sprite without killing you.

Regardless of strat used, proceed directly upward and press right as you transition to the next room. You do have a brief moment to slide right a bit if you like to setup for the right-side positioning for the next room.

#### Room 5

You should only need to take a few steps to the right to position yourself to destroy the core. Kill it then head left, positioning yourself just left of center to where the center turret bullets won't hit you, but the left turret still shoots straight (not angled toward you). You should be able to still hit the center core without risk of death. This core's hitbox is not active for several seconds upon entering, so if you don't hear the "ping sounds" it's either not active or you're too far left. Head straight upward and press left as you transition to the boss room.

Assuming you cleared *Contra Jungle* in 57 secs, your time goal to destroy this core should be at least 1m 50s *(top runners are in the 1:46-47 range)*.

### Boss

This your first real test of skill and timing. You must destroy all 4 cores while dodging tomatoes then destroy the Eye that appears while also destroying or dodging his deadly rings of fire. What makes this boss look easy when watching is what the runner is doing and when. Everything jump is tuned for maximum damage while also avoiding the tomatoes.

##### Advanced Strat:

First thing to do upon entering is to head as far left as possible. When the tomatoes reach the bottom of the bottom row of cores, you should start jumping. In this jump shoot northeast twice to destroy the left most core, then fire right to destroy the lower center core. Immediately jump again to destroy the upper middle core, then right again to destroy the right most core (if need be, you can finish this core while standing).

##### Intermediate / Beginner Strat:

As with the advanced strat head left. When the tomatoes reach the bottom of the cores, fire northeast repeatedly. When you are centered under the left core, shoot up, as the lower center core should be destroyed at this point. Once the left core is destroyed, jump right while firing up to destroy the upper center core. Upon landing head right to finish the right most core.

This next part of the battle is the same regardless of skill level. With the cores destroyed, we need to position ourselves to tackle the Eye. The Eye will appear in the center of the upper black area and move back and forth while shooting rings of fire. One cycle is 2.7 secs (from appearance to back to center coming from the left). It will *always* move to the right first, which is why we're set up on this side.

There's some leeway on where to line up for the initial volley of shots, but you should strive for your bullets to be just left of the right most core. This will help maximize your window for damaging the Eye before moving. Since the Eye floats back and forth, we need to move with it if we want to end this quickly. The important part is to make sure you're shooting where the Eye *will be*, *not where he is* when you shoot, akin to a quarterback leading the receiver.

To effectively lead your target, you will need to jump left while shooting straight up. Jumping here does two things: Firstly, it allows you to continue firing at the Eye. Secondly, if you've timed everything correctly, you'll also be avoiding the tomatoes coming at you. Two birds, one stone. Now, after this jump, you should end up on the right side of the left turret. Immediately jump again while shooting, you should have now put enough shots into it to destroy it. If not, it's best to wait here until he comes back to the left, as his rings of fire will impede your jump plus any tomatoes out there will make it even more deadly.

Once the Eye is destroyed, be sure to head as far left as possible so you can *exit the stage* more quickly to save time.

### Explore more from this game

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1. ↑ Map courtesy of NESMaps.com by Rick N Bruns
2. ↑ AngryLanks WR used with permission.