Metroid Fusion 1% Run
Behold the mighty reference map, and all it's glory.
Mega X
Ah, my favorite type of segment. A boss that is 100% non random. A battle where I can sit down and devise and plot and scheme the best pattern of movements that I can make that will allow for a quick and showy victory. MUAHAHAHAHA. I really do like these segments, you know.
Too bad this is the last boss fight segment for a looooong time. Ah well, I'm sure you're all dying to know what I do to this poor sap. I know I am. Let's do this like Buddhists.
L: Alright, before the boss, we gotta get through a couple peons. Peon number 1, Ice X's hiding in blocks. Or... trapped in blocks, as they can't seem to attack you until they're freed. If the X are so smart, how the heck do they get themselves trapped inside BLOCKS. Eh, smart guy?
Anyway, careful where you shoot. I figured that precice pattern of shooting and moving that I did to be the fastest. First you shoot the block in the floor to get to these weirdoes, then you get yourself up against the right there, then fire once down, and once diagonal down, and you'll not only clear a path but open the door as well. Now that's efficiency.
N: Peon number 2, fly guys. Query, how does one clear a path through a bunch of fly guys with only one shot? Why it's simple, if not easy. This needs to be timed really well, and (of course) takes practice.
Basically, you fire diagonally up/right. A fully charged shot (did you remember your manners) of course. The swoosh animation of your gun (the extra hit that comes from a charged shot) will hit the two flies that are right next to you. The shot itself, consisting of two parts, will hit two flies. You now have a path through the flies to jump through. You may do so without ever stopping. Neat, huh?
A full-damage charge to the boss door (open in one try or your money back) and away you go.
O: Oh no! An X is stealing the data. Whatever shall we do? This looks like a job for Stuper Duck! Samus, I meant Samus. The keys are like, right next to each other.
P: Thanks for waiting, folks. Ahem...
Ladies and Gentlemen. You paid for the whole seat but you're only going to need the edge. Tonight we present, Samus the Slaughterer vs Mega X Marauder. Two guesses who wins.
Now, let's talk about full-damage charge beams. You remember the whole swoosh animation that arcs around your gun when you fire a full charge, right? Oh really? Well did you remember that if you fire at point-blank range, the swoosh animation hits and causes EXTRA damage?
Well lucky you and lucky me, Mega X is immune to missiles. It's up to your mighty charge beam. Kinda like Serris. Funny how bosses tend to only be one or the other... Anyways, if you wish to beat him fast, you will need to do full-damage.
Now then, here's the deal. Mega X can die in 4 hits. Yes, count 'em, 4 hits. To kill him in 4 hits, however, you will have to do full damage ALL FOUR TIMES. Not easy, especially since he's got those barriers surrounding him.
If you want to kill him as fast as possible, you're going to need to launch yourself into him, sticking your gun right inside his fat self, and releasing a full damage charge. While the barriers around him release a lot of pain into you. To shoot the barriers out is to lose time.
Fortunately, this isn't what I'm doing. This is a showmanship run first, speed is just a natural consequence of being showy. One of the aspects of this showmanship run, as I've declared, is to never get hit. This battle is no exception. So this leaves us with two choices:
I could take some time shooting the barriers out, and do 4 full damage charges to mega x after I've made a nice big gap, or I could just shoot him 5 times through the barriers. Either way, I'm looking at about 5 shots, so there's not really a time difference.
Or is there? You see, shooting from far away will require 6 hits to kill him. He only dies in 5 shots if at least TWO of the five are full-damage charges. Point blank.
Well this is a sticky wicket, wot? This means I'm going to have to take out some of those barriers. It's the only way to hit him point blank without getting hit myself.
And then I remember what I did in the N room. I took out two flies with just the swoosh animation. Is it very daring, therefore, to try to take out two barriers with the swoosh animation while the shot itself goes to Mega X?
I dare say I tried it, and I dare say it worked. With my first shot, I can take out two barriers with the swoosh and still damage Mega X. From then on, I can use that gap I created to do two more full-damage shots from right up in his gut, and two more shots from far away.
Now that I had that worked out, I just needed to put it together into a set of movements that would cause Mega X to do exactly what I wanted, including having that gap be toward me whenever I wanted to do full damage.
As I said, Mega X is not random. His movements, where he goes, how he turns, all of that, depends on YOUR movements. Like BOX, Mega X can be controlled by you. The only problem is getting used to the controls.
It took a lot of trial and error (thank heaven for save states) but I finally turned up something that works real nice, and looks even better :D
And you're probably wondering what that thing is, so leave us not keep them in suspense.
When you enter the room, (with a full charge, duh) mega X will appear when you move right side of the middle platform and hop. The shortest hop in the world will do it. When he appears, it will be in the upper left corner of the screen. For this reason, I hop left, and run even lefter when I land.
Another short hop to the left platform, and an immediate jump off again, up and left, then diagonally fire up and left when I'm right in there. The initial hit takes out two barriers witht he swoosh, and the shot itself goes full on into Mega X.
At this point I land by the door, wall jump off the left wall as high as can be and fire straight up into mega X's face. The gap I made with shot 1 will be toward me here, so I can get in his face. You know you've done full damage if he changes color a bit at this point.
Land back at the door, delay for just a second, then wall jump off and move to the right, releasing your charge in mid-air. It was supposed to go into the gap made in shot 1, but I'll take that too :P
Land on the first platform, hop to the second, go to the right side and stand there aiming up. He'll fly right into you, gap right at you. Here's the second full damage shot you needed. I jumped a tad, but you don't always have to. I knew the gap was coming around a bit early though, cause it was early with shot 3, which didn't catch it.
Well, only one more shot from afar needed. Go to the third platform and wait for him to come to you. He does and I shoot. I could have fired sooner and hit the gap, but I made it between barriers (phew) so that works too. Heh heh.
So yeah, in conclusion, this series of movements was calculated so that the gap you made in shot 1 is toward you for every shot. It didn't quite work that way this time, but I killed him all the same. Yeah, it's not as impressive now that you know that, huh? Still, it's a fine method I think. Of course there's probably countless sequences of moves that will allow you to kill him fast, this is just the one I came up with. Feel free to make your own. In fact, if you try for the 4-hit kill, you'll have to. Good bloody luck with that by the way.
Oh, and the core X of course. Same old same old, 23 flashes, figure 8, you better know the drill by now. 6 hits to death this time (with super missiles no less, that's a strong one). Remember to kill it on the sweet spot. The item's float time is undernoticed, but a very lenghty chunk of time to waste on getting nothing done.
And from now until Nightmare we get to be Mustard Samus! Yay? Go out the right.
Q: Run on through.
R: Run here too.
S: S is for Save point, whoopedeedoo! Wow, the second time the letters worked out that way. Totally coincidental, too.
Ah, though I'm not the biggest fan of Mustard Samus, that was a fine battle, yarr. It shall be my last for a while. Saved with :20 on the clock, Joy!