[Open Assets] Eggrock Zone Boss - Scrapped 2.2 Content

[FuriousFox]

Back in September, I decided to try and make a new ERZ3 boss fight now that Metal Sonic is in BCZ1 and 2. The general idea was that Eggman is inside some kind of column in the middle of the room, and he can fire homing missiles. Every time he's hit, lava in the room moves, forcing you to change gravity in order to avoid being hit.

It was kind of a half-baked idea, with me experimenting with a lot of different attack patterns to figure out how to make something fun. However, a lot of people felt like the endgame for the main campaign was already long enough and didn't want to add another boss fight to it. So I ended up scrapping the idea to go work on more important things.

The attached zip includes the last updated version of the boss-fight, and also another "bullet hell" version of the boss fight that I had experimented with (the boss fires a giant ring of missiles that later all home in on you). Both versions received some minor updates to use the boss titlecards, fix the music names, and update the startrings to 10 instead of 5.

 

[D00D64]

Welcome to releases!

 

[D00D64]

Oh, whoops, I forgot this needs to have L in its prefix too, since it has Lua scripting.

 

[Frisktaker]

I actually really like this boss. Kinda bummed it didn't make it, actually. Egg Rock has looked so weirdly lopsided in the level select.
I love how it actually uses the gravity flipping in a kinda unique manner.
However, there are a few minor issues in the version for download
1.The heading says the name as EGG ROCK, not Egg Rock, which may seem semantical, but it turns out that SRB2's level select stuff IS case-sensitive
2.The heading does not have ForceResetMusic like every other boss
3.There is no level select pic
I basically was able to fix the first two, but I'm having some confusion getting SLADE to properly convert a BMP and not having it come out like garbage in-game

To go back to positives, I like how the boss ends with you going down a corridor, which plays nicely into BCZ1.
I definitely am adding this whenever I play through the campaign. I even added Record Attack Emblems

 

[Unknownlight]

Adding this boss to the end of Egg Rock and a bonus Super Sonic boss (based on NiGHTS, of course) to the very end of the game would even out the level select screen perfectly.

Of course, prioritizing the level select screen over the actual pacing of the game is really dumb, but still.

 

[LonelyFoxz]

TBH if you replaced the bullet hell version of this boss over brak I wouldn't complain. of course if Brak was still planned he can be an unlockable. But still. This boss idea is not only creative, but it's also fun to play.

 

[oremex]

Would've been nice if this made it to the final game. Since ERZ only has 2 acts, it would fit in and follow through black core. Very fun boss

 

[Goldenhog]

However, a lot of people felt like the endgame for the main campaign was already long enough and didn't want to add another boss fight to it.

I mean I guess, but the game auto-saves on Black Core anyway so that's silly reasoning. And it does lead to ERZ looking really weird in the level select since it only has two acts compared to the zones before it (well, the completed zones) and the zone after it.

It's too bad. This boss is super fun and I wish it could have been repurposed instead of scrapped. The only criticism I have is that, with how intense this boss is, there should be a visual cue that the pinch phase is starting. It keeps catching me off-guard, man. But beyond that, I think this is a boss worthy of the campaign.

 

[glaber]

I would even take an audio cue.
This boss was a good one though.

 

[Blast98]

Just checked out this boss fight and it's really interesting. I don't agree with having this in the final game because the boss thing type tends to be the same as the one in Castle Eggman Zone. Otherwise excellent concept.

 

[clairebun]

I mean I guess, but the game auto-saves on Black Core anyway so that's silly reasoning. And it does lead to ERZ looking really weird in the level select since it only has two acts compared to the zones before it (well, the completed zones) and the zone after it.

I'd argue the main point of contention of including it would have been campaign flow. Black Core is effectively a boss gauntlet already, with Metal Sonic Race basically constituting a boss act in its own right. Having another boss right before that is a bit in excess and would probably be exhausting for a lot of players.

 

[Frisktaker]

I mean, it is nice to have one last final regular Eggmobile fight, plus I like how it incorporates the zone gimmicks into itself. And yeah, Egg Rock looks odd in level select without it.

 

[CowboyJoseph64]

lmao I swear people wouldn't even be having this discussion if black core zone was still labeled as egg rock act 3.

 

[Goldenhog]

Well, yeah


You can't say "this should have been ERZ3" if there's already an ERZ3

 

[Logan8r]

I'm making a boss rush wad, and wound like to include this since its Re-Useable Content.

Also is "Egg Boiler" a good name for it.

 

[GameBoyTM101]

Is "Egg Boiler" a good name for it?

At that point, you might as well go for something more like "Hard Boiled Eggmobile" for maximum pun.

 

[Trolo Bobo]

Wait so ERZ was left without a boss intentionally? I mean I get there's two more fights right after but at the same time it's better to have things nice and clean and have each zone in the game consist of 3 acts, two of them normal and a boss. BCZ can now be its own "end of the game" zone which is more of a final final boss fight, and ERZ3 is simply the boss of its own zone. Or keep it 2.1 style with Metal Sonic considered ERZ3, idk, it just makes sense for each zone to have 3 acts.


Other than that, the level itself is really fun and certainly lives up to 2.2's standard of quality!

 

[TelosTurntable]

I personally like the idea of ERZ still having a boss

BCZ strikes me more as the actual boss zone, it just seems strange to leave ERZ without one. I'm used to there being one last regular boss before the final set in situations like these, too, but it can't be fixed now
All for this being in vanilla next version, though

Also @ sound queue: there is one, pay attention to the lava's movement rumbling. It doesn't stop during the pinch phase

 

[Frisktaker]

Most bosses have smoke come off them in the pinch phase, is I think what is causing the confusion

 

[Augus]

FWIW, Sonic Advance had a similar set-up where Egg Rocket/Cosmic Angel Zone led directly into a final boss rush in the form of X-Zone and The Moon, but Cosmic Angel Zone still had a boss of its own anyway.
Same with Sonic Advance 2, where Egg Utopia still had its own boss battle despite leading directly into the final boss rush of XX Zone and True Area 53. I don’t think it would be excessive at all for Egg Rock to have its own boss before Black Core.