Lightningrod Lab

Chapter 2: Lightningrod Lab Make a Good Mega Man Level: Episode Zero

In which Zeus gets back at you for making all those jokes about his habits.

Overview Creator(s): PhazonMotherBrain Composer(s): Dracula9AntiChapel Statistics Rank: Chapter 2 Enemies: Sparky Ball Machine Sparky Hammer Joe Telly Gimmicks: Destroyable Block (Z-Saber) Lightning Strike Spark Ball

Theme Music Mega Man X: Variable Zero - Tesla Coatl Stage Order Previous: Volt Man Factory Next: Shocking Wacko Stage

Lightningrod Lab is the sixth level on the path to the Zap Chip in Chapter 2 of Make a Good Mega Man Level: Episode Zero. The level sees Zero visiting Thunderclyffe Plant, now with its electrical equipment reactivated in the midst of a lightning storm. It is largely light on enemies, instead focusing more on platforming and speed with a myriad of damage-dealing electrical hazards.

Strategy

Lightning Strikes repeatedly attack a long outdoors area at the start of the stage. While the Icicle Chip's Blank Drive can make Zero immune to them, quick movement and careful timing/positioning is encouraged to proceed. A Sparky Hammer Joe is introduced shortly after, which acts just like a normal Hammer Joe but with a hammer that drops sparks as it flies. The next screen down introduces the Spark Ball, which creates electric sparks that crawl along the ground and up/down ladders, right before a long hallway filled with the gimmick (and a few Telly spawners). A Sparky Ball Machine appears shortly after, with its rapidly-moving balls proving difficult to avoid safely.

Right at the stage's first checkpoint, another long outdoor area filled with Lightning Strikes and Sparky Hammer Joes must be crossed. Small platforms hang in the air, and can be used as a safe cover to evade the dangerous electrical hazards. Once Zero re-enters the facility, Spark Balls reappear as a hazard, with their ability to climb up and down ladders coming into focus. This proves particularly dangerous as many times, airdashing between ladders (at one point over a bed of spikes) is needed to proceed, and one hit will knock Zero off of them. After some ladder challenges, a final Lightning Strike run appears, with Spark Balls acting as an extra hazard to be aware of.

The stage ends with a long climb up a series of ladders, with each screen having some sort of danger that can hurt Zero, such as Sparky Ball Machines or Spark Balls. While these can be bypassed with careful timing, it's generally quicker (and easier) to jump up the ladder(s) to rush up each screen as quickly as possible, tanking damage if need be. At the very top of the climb, an Energy Element awaits.

Z-Phone Dialogue

	Contact	Transcript
	Dr. Wily	Lightningrod Lab? Another one of the old festival areas, I see. It's a fairly volatile underground power plant. It was toned down for the festival, but after it's over, everything should be turned back on now. Look, the only reason I didn't turn it all on is because I ran out of time, okay?!
	Agent Krantz	Lightningrod Lab? That place is well-known for its frequent thunderstorms, so they built a lab there solely with that in mind. You should be able to notice where the lighting[sic] will appear just before it strikes, so move if it's about to hit you. The lightning also seemed to cause the enemies to malfunction. Apparently they're "turbo-charged" by the electricity, altering their behaviour slightly. The ladders are also highly conductive, so watch out for electricity coursing through them.
	Knives	Knives: Hmmm... Dangerous enough, but then the lightning'd just get attracted to me, and hit you too! Zero: Why is that? Knives: 'Cuz there's a knife in my hair. I'm a walking lightningrod! Zero: Just take the knife out, then. Knives: Sorry, I glued it to my hair 'cuz it kept falling out! Not happening. Anyways, find somewhere else, 'cuz I'm not letting you get struck by lightning.

Notes

• Lightningrod Lab marks the first appearance in any MaGMML game of a song that comes from a Mega Man X-style fangame, albeit one that is currently on an indefinite hiatus.