~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[4.11] BLACK VELVETOPIA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back in the Asylum, receive Fred's straightjacket as a reward for defeating
Napoleon. Make sure you have some cash (arrowheads) in your pockets, then,
head up to see Edgar again. Use the Psycho-Portal on him and enter the
colorful world of an Alannah Myles song...
RUNNING AGAINST THE BULL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Figments: 142
Cobwebs: 7
Vaults: 2
After all the cutscenes are through, pick yourself up, dust yourself off
and go shopping. You need to buy the rose painting (5 arrowheads) and the
archway painting (no cost) being sold by the dog nearby. Find the nail hook
on the wall you fell through on your way in and hang the rose painting to
receive a rose. Then hang the archway painting to open an archway to the
main street.
The main gameplay in this world is to work your way up the street, avoiding
the bull, El Odio, who comes steaming along about once every five seconds
or so. There are alleys, like the one you are in, scattered about. Some you
can reach with a quick run-and-jump, others require a bit more work. If you
get hit by the bull, you don't get hurt, but you do get thrown back to a
previous alley.
NOTE ON ROSES: You can use roses to gain entrance to windows along the
street. You'll see shutters thrown open and feminine hands waving fans. Run
up to a window with a rose in your hand and you'll be welcomed inside with
hugs and kisses while the bull runs past. You can then return to that same
window any time--with or without a rose. The main use is to skip some of
the longer acrobatic sequences; it's quite possible to fully complete this
world without ever using a rose.
Along the way, you will pick up four Queen cards--each one requiring a
mini-boss fight. Once you have all the cards, you will face down El Odio
himself. Finally, figments in this world not only blend in very well (due
to the bright, fluorescent colors of the whole world), but they are
frequently hanging on walls where they look like paintings. Keep a sharp
eye out if you're gunning for 100%.
Once you have opened the alley, step into the entrance and note the
frequency with which El Odio runs his route. Wait for him to pass and then
grab the two figments in the street (one stationary, one moving) and duck
back into the alley. Your goal is another alley across and just up (towards
El Odio) the street. Wait for the bull to pass, and run over there.
The steamer trunk is on the ground, but you don't have the tag yet. Jump up
on the awnings and use them as trampolines to get to the high ledge. Jump
to another high ledge across the street, jump back across to a balcony,
then jump/float down into the next alley up the street. Collect some
figments, then jump over the small fence and wait right next to it for the
bull to pass.
Run up and across the street to a gated alley. You can stand just outside
the gates and avoid El Odio. On the other side of the gates is a yellow
button. Use TK on the trashcan to hit the button and open the gates.
Collect the steamer trunk tag, then hoof it back down the street to sort
the trunk. Make your way back to the gated alley.
Next is another alley with a small fence that is almost directly across the
street. This time, there is not enough room to stand outside the fence, so,
as soon as the bull is past, run across and jump the fence. Fight off the
censors, then go down the alley to a gate. Again, TK the trashcan against
the yellow button to open the gate.
This alley turns and goes back to the street, directly opposite your first
card: the Queen of Clubs (Tiger). Before jumping across to the card, jump
on top of the fence and then bounce up to a balcony across and just down
the street. Pick up the dufflebag tag, and then float down to the card.
After the tiger grabs it, jump into the picture for the mini-boss fight.
Queen of Clubs
--------------
The first three mini-boss fights all follow the same pattern: bad dude has
a special attack that can be avoided either with Levitation or Shield (or
both). All are susceptible to Palm Megabombs. Tiger has a fast rushing
melee attack that is quite vulnerable to your Offensive or Ferocious Aura
Shield and a Tiger Pounce that rolls you quite a distance.
Best strategy is to stay on your Levitation Ball to avoid his quick rush
and pounce and Palm Megabomb him when he pauses. Afterwards, give your card
to Edgar so he can build his tower. Then jump back into the Queen of Clubs
painting to return to the alley.
Climb the ladder next to the card and jump to the bar and shimmy across the
street. Start swinging and time your jumps over the two poles to the next
bar so you avoid El Odio. Shimmy across the second bar and again time your
swing across a pole to another bar. Swing to the next bar and then into an
alley to your left. The Queen of Hearts (Dragon) is right across from you,
but don't pick it up yet.
Head up the alley to another artist dog. Buy a rose painting (20 arrow-
heads) and a guitar painting (40 arrowheads). Talk to the dog to learn
about the famous matador, Dingo. You'll note a gate nearby, through which
you can see the dufflebag. You can't get through this gate now, so don't
worry about it yet.
Head back to the street and cross to the Queen of Hearts. Note the nail
hook on the wall beside the card. First hang your rose painting to receive
a rose, then the guitar painting to form a ladder. Enter the card painting
to begin the next mini-boss match.
Queen of Hearts
---------------
The Dragon is even easier than the Tiger. The main special attack is the
Dragon Roar. Bounce around raining Palm Megabombs on the Dragon's head
until he gets ready to Roar. Then Shield yourself until the attack is over,
then Megabomb him some more. He should go down quickly. Give the card to
Edgar and jump back into the Queen of Hearts painting.
Climb the guitar ladder and get your first cobweb. You'll pass through a
small room to a balcony overlooking the street. Ignore the One Way sign and
head left, over some ledges and a tightrope until you reach a fire escape.
Climb the ladder and then lower it to the street by USING the crank. You
can now use this method of advancing past this portion of the street rather
than the guitar ladder.
Head back up the street until you reach a low ledge on the right side with
some bars beyond it. The first, lower bar here is too low so you must jump
to it and then to the next bar between passages of the bull. (Alternately,
you can bounce/float directly to the second bar.) At the second, higher
bar, wait for El Odio to pass, then drop and run to the manhole down into
the sewers.
Explore this first tunnel thoroughly for figments (one is inside a
basketball goal). Remove the cobweb from the side tunnel and head through.
Climb this second ladder to come out near another dog artist. Buy his vine
painting (75 arrowheads) and window painting (55 arrowheads).
Go back down into the sewers and explore this second main tunnel. You'll
find a vault and a cobweb. At one end is a gate with the familiar yellow
button and trashcan. Open it and climb the ladder to another alley.
If you follow the upward slope of the alley, you'll be blocked by some
vines. Pyro them out of the way to reach the dufflebag. The gate to dog
artist #2 will open. Go through and head back to the Queen of Hearts card.
Remove the guitar painting and hang the window painting on the hook. A
window with a hidden figment will open. Get the figment, take down the
window and go back the way you just came, passing by the sewer entrance.
At the other end of the alley is a hook. Hang the window for another hidden
figment, then hang the vine painting and climb it. Jump to a ledge, then
swing and jump across to a roof garden. Collect the second vault and a lot
of figments, then drop down the other side to return to dog artist #2.
Go back down the alley where you found the dufflebag and drop into the
sewers. Head back through the tunnel and climb the ladder to find dog
artist #3 (where you purchased the vine and window paintings). Climb the
pole, and jump to the ledge. When you reach the corner, bounce/float across
to the opposite ledge and continue until you see a ladder.
Drop to the balcony below and USE the crank to lower the ladder to the
street. Drop down and enter the Queen of Diamonds (Eagle) painting for your
third mini-boss fight.
Queen of Diamonds
-----------------
Eagle has a dive-bombing attack that is easy to avoid using your Levitation
Ball. Palm Megabomb him when he's on the ground and he'll go down quickly
enough. Give the card to Edgar and re-enter the street through the Queen of
Diamonds painting.
Climb the ladder you lowered before the fight, and this time walk around
the corner and jump/swing your way to the end of the alley. You'll find the
hatbox tag and a picture hook. Hang the window painting here to open a
passage to the next portion of the street.
When you come out of the window, pick up a cobweb and a max projection
layer increase. Float down from this ledge to an alley across the street
where dog artist #4 and the fourth card await. The dog will tell you a tale
of woe, how he is supposed to be painting an ad for the great Dingo, but
the bull keeps interrupting.
Climb the ladder to reach the matador's apartment (you must do this before
the final mini-boss fight). Remove the cobweb from the door and collect
figments and the suitcase tag from Dingo's bedroom. Take the cobweb out of
the fireplace and step through to a secret passage. Follow it to the end,
where you get your last cobweb.
Ride the rail across to the suitcase, then back across to the passage and
return to the apartment. In the other room of the apartment you will find
the hatbox. Then talk to Dingo to receive the Confusion power. If you've
been diligent in collecting items, you should have already reached rank 85,
so you have the extended effect Confusion grenades. Very handy.
Go back to the street where the Queen of Spades (Cobra) is waiting. For a
max projection layer increase, help the bulldog paint the ad. Wait for El
Odio to pass, then throw a Confusion grenade up the street. As soon as the
bull is stunned by the fumes, press USE to tell the bulldog "Go boy!" He
will paint the ad and you will get your reward from Dingo.
Now enter the ring against Cobra.
Queen of Spades
---------------
Cobra is impossible to touch unless you hit him with a Confusion grenade
first. Wait until he's moving slowly, then LOCK ON and use your Confusion
power. As soon as he's stunned, move in and pummel him. Then Shield
yourself against his attacks. Rinse and repeat until Cobra goes down and
you return to Edgar with the fourth card.
|
|
|
