Zach: I don\u2019t know. I still don\u2019t really know how I feel about it. Part of me wants to think that ultimately, those other worlds are better off for it, and she\u2019s in a better place now. Another part of me feels like I was just being tricked into doing someone else\u2019s dirty work.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re implying that this is getting personal for you in a similar way as it did for me, I might be able to understand. If you must do this, so be it, but proceed with caution. There\u2019s nothing I can do to help you besides talking about it.<\/p>\n
It continued on a bit after that, but we changed topics.<\/p>\n
Sometimes I do feel a bit stupid keeping with this, having no idea what I\u2019m really doing or what sort of danger I\u2019m putting myself into. I could just call it quits and be done with the stress of it, but… No. I don\u2019t want to spend the rest of my life wondering \u201cwhat might have been.\u201d It\u2019s never been about getting anything out of it. I may not understand what\u2019s going on in that world, but anyone can see that it needs help. If I don’t help them, who will?<\/p>\n
Now that I\u2019ve got that out of the way, let\u2019s finally<\/strong> delve into World 6: Alkali.<\/p>\n Pretty cool name.<\/p>\n Whoa. This board is enormous! Easily the biggest one I\u2019ve encountered yet, tons of unique level types too. I\u2019m a little intimidated. Let me list them off –<\/p>\n *SUN-BAKED WASTES<\/p>\n *VABA\u2019S WALL<\/p>\n *EXCAVATION SITE<\/p>\n *BRONZE CITY<\/p>\n *BRONZE FACTORY<\/p>\n *SLUMS<\/p>\n *MARKET<\/p>\n *TOWN<\/p>\n *BATTLEGROUND<\/p>\n *SILVER FACTORY<\/p>\n *IRON FOUNDRY<\/p>\n *SILVER CITY<\/p>\n *MUSEUM<\/p>\n *RESEARCH LAB<\/p>\n *GOLD CITY<\/p>\n *GATED COMMUNITY<\/p>\n *COMMAND CENTER<\/p>\n And last but not least, the ever-welcoming SIN.<\/p>\n Three bosses, Mechani-Kong, Moguera, and Mechagodzilla. All robots, probably tying into the theme of this world, which seems to have a strong industrial vibe.<\/p>\n Wait a minute, what the hell-<\/p>\n It\u2019s not letting me move past those Vaba Wall tiles! I\u2019ve never seen the game do that before! I don\u2019t know what that\u2019s about, but I don\u2019t think it would be wise to start with one of those levels. It could be some bullet hell endurance thing. The only other level type available to me now is the \u201cSun-Baked Wastes\u201d, so I\u2019ll start with that.<\/p>\n Okay, that\u2019s different. I’ve never seen anything like this come up before either, a new control scheme? Nice of the game to let me know at least, this looks more complex than the original game.<\/p>\n WHOA. Now it\u2019s a top-down perspective, like the original Zelda. This is neat! I wonder if all of Alkali is like this? It\u2019s trippy see this smaller Godzilla sprite moving around like this, I didn’t expect it at all. There\u2019s a new thing on the heads-up display, a counter labeled \u201cDaru\u201d. No idea what that\u2019s about yet. This level’s music is minimalistic, I’d call it “desert ambience”. Not much to it.<\/p>\n Fortunately, this level gives me a lot of wide open space to run around and get used to the controls, which are smooth and responsive. My whole body tensed up the first time I tried jumping over the chasm, but it works. I checked out the inventory screen, but there’s nothing in there yet.<\/p>\n It’s our first enemy, a bronze robot that I\u2019m assuming is called \u201cDirgun\u201d. And they know Godzilla\u2019s name!<\/p>\n The Dirgun can walk around in 4 directions like I can, fire a little bullet from their mouth, punch and kick. Slow, and easily dealt with. Though he doesn\u2019t drop health or energy when destroyed, but little coins that add up on the \u201cDaru\u201d counter. A bronze coin is worth 5 Daru. You can find them lying around in some areas.<\/p>\n That\u2019s great and all, but I\u2019m not seeing any health or energy capsules., which is worrying me. How am I supposed to regain my health here? I\u2019m going to have to play this very carefully until I figure that out.<\/p>\n Two more enemy types \u2013 A hovering bronze drone and a little silver walking robot. Both are just simple turret enemies. I also found out you can destroy the rocks in these levels. I was hoping they\u2019d have health capsules, but they only have Daru coins. I did find one silver coin, which is worth 20 Daru.<\/p>\n That’s a really big skull up there, I wonder what creature that belonged to. I hope any living ones don’t ambush me on a precarious land bridge like this one.<\/p>\n I reached the end of the level, but I was just wandering around. I don’t know if I found the exit, or if there is no exit and the level ends on a timer, or what. I\u2019ll try Vaba\u2019s Wall now.<\/p>\n That\u2019s quite a wall indeed. I\u2019m guessing the Humpty Dumpty looking fellow on the rails is the titular \u201cVaba\u201d. Let\u2019s see what his deal is. He has a strange musical theme. It’s like jaunty classical music, but more intimidating. It reminds me a little of “Montagues And Capulets” by Prokofiev.<\/p>\n Oh great, you have to pay a toll to get through. I figured it would be something like that. Back into the wastes to grind for some more money. At least the toll isn’t that bad…Though this is just the first Wall, and there’s at least two more after this one.<\/p>\n Got the 300 Daru, now back to Vaba’s Wall.<\/p>\n ID Card?<\/p>\n Oh come on! You couldn’t have mentioned that before? For Pete’s sake. Fine, I’ll go grind again so I can get a damn card. But first, we might as well see if we can get any useful information out of this guy. Namely, where the health power-ups are at.<\/p>\n That’s what I suspected. Nice to have a straight answer, though I’m not thrilled at the prospect of having to pay to regain my health every time. That does make me wonder though – At the moment I’m barricaded outside the Bronze Sector, and can’t reach the Market. I’m not too worried for myself, but what happens to someone else who doesn’t have the money and is desperately low on health?<\/p>\n Sheesh, that’s cold. Just straight up “Pay my entrance fee or DIE.” What a lovely place Alkali must be. And I’m not even through the gate yet!<\/p>\n After going back and forth to the Wastes to grind, now I can pay the fee for ID Card. This feels like I’m at some kind of Alien DMV in Purgatory, where instead of waiting in lines, you have to fight giant robots that want to kill you, and then pilfer pocket change from the debris.<\/p>\n 20,000 Tons? Does the Godzilla I’m playing actually weight that much, or is that just statistics from the movies or something? Whatever, this part was ridiculous. Now I can FINALLY enter the Bronze Sector.<\/p>\n Gotta say though, it does feel damn satisfying seeing Godzilla stride in through that gate. I hope entering the Sin Gate later feels as nice.<\/p>\n Godzilla’s finally in, but Rodan –<\/p>\n In the midst of all the grinding and dealing with Vaba, I completely forgot about Rodan.<\/p>\n *Oh no.*<\/strong><\/p>\n Please tell me that Vaba isn’t going to do what I think he’s going to do…<\/p>\n Oh God, I’ve got to do all of that AGAIN? You’ve got to be kidding me! Maybe I can reason with him.<\/p>\n That went over about as well as I expected. I don’t think he realizes that Rodan and Godzilla are both controlled by *me*, but it doesn’t matter. Welp, back to the grindstone! I’m going to get a drink and some snacks, something is telling me that Alkali is going to take a while. Just a feeling.<\/p>\n I suppose it’s probably a good idea for me to get used to playing Rodan with this new control scheme anyway. I think Godzilla will be fine for the moment just sitting where he is, so I’m going to do what I need to in order to get Rodan past the stupid wall.<\/p>\n He handles pretty much the same as Godzilla. Oh, I can’t believe I hadn’t mentioned this before now, but this is Rodan’s energy attack. It’s a blast of mist from his mouth. It reminds me of the Fire Breath in the Kirby games. Speaking of fire – the mist is flammable. If it gets hit by enemy fire, the clouds of mist burst into flames. So that’s fun.<\/p>\n He can also fly, though you can’t reach a high altitude in this top-down view. Handy for getting out of an ambush, but not much else.<\/p>\n Hey, wait a minute. Rodan can fly<\/strong>. I’ve got an idea forming here. A wonderful, awful idea.<\/p>\n I have to do this right in front of him, so better move fast! Go go go!<\/p>\n Aw crap.<\/p>\n The screen even scrolls upward to show the 6 drones that have been on the other side of the wall this entire time. I get the impression they could be stacked side to side across the entire length of it.<\/p>\n This was totally not worth it.<\/p>\n Ugh. Of course “mercy” involves giving him more money. This sucks, but it’s better than having Rodan get shot to death. It was my own fault for trying to cheat. I should have known better.<\/p>\n Went back through the Wastes, didn’t see anything new to document. Here’s Rodan getting his ID card.<\/p>\n And with that, I’ve finally got both monsters past the Wall. But doing so used up nearly all my money. So you know what that means- I need to get more! Back to the Wastes. The two other icons on the board send me to slightly different versions of the level.<\/p>\n There wasn’t anything new, until I got to the end of the level and encountered a miniboss guarding the exit. It’s some kind of blue snapping turtle creature with snail eyes.<\/p>\n He doesn’t have any attacks besides chomping at you, and launching himself at you with rockets from his feet. This new tackle ability is good for getting out of the way, which is good because I really don’t want to lose any more health.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/nesgodzillacreepypasta.files.wordpress.com\/2023\/03\/alkali.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n