Offshore Hangar Cluster

Chapter 2: Offshore Hangar Cluster Make a Good Mega Man Level: Episode Zero

This quay gives key information about keys being key in reaching the next quay.

Overview Creator(s): Cheez Composer(s): Naoki Kodaka Statistics Rank: Chapter 2 Enemies: Birdy Chunco Glooper Teck Gimmicks: Key Barrier Security Box Wave Man Jetski

Theme Music Journey to Silius - Title Security Box: Journey to Silius - Stage 4 Stage Order Previous: Surfboard Showdown Next: Horizon Zero

Offshore Hangar Cluster is the eighth level on the path to the Flame Chip in Chapter 2 of Make a Good Mega Man Level: Episode Zero. Fresh off his daring surf through US military waters, Zero finds himself in an offshore facility filled with Key Barriers. These barriers are the primary obstacle in the level, with Zero needing to find (and hold on to) a certain number of keys to unlock barriers to move forwards. Sometimes these keys are relatively easy to find, while other times he'll need to search large and spacious rooms to find them.

To get around the building, Zero frequently rides on Wave Man Jetskis over water, but these rides are filled with avoidable red Key Barriers that try to waste his keys; if Zero lacks the correct amount of keys to move forwards, he will be killed instantly. Where possible, finding and holding onto as many keys as possible (up to a maximum of seven) is ideal, as it reduces the need to pick up more keys in the current area, and can provide a safety net for jetski sections.

Strategy

Beginning with a short drop to the left, a key will be floating in front of a Glooper, with a Key Barrier blocking the way forward. A little further ahead is a Wave Man Jetski below a sign stating two keys are needed to proceed; three can be found in a room up above. Jumping onto the floating platforms while riding the jetski is critical, as two red Key Barriers on the bottom will waste keys and prevent Zero from moving forward. Once he unlocks two real Key Barriers at the end, he reaches a checkpoint, and a large room filled with Gloopers, Chuncos, Birdies, and Tecks. A sign warns that three keys are needed, and the room has four to collect, one in each corner. The Z-Burst and Blank Drive weapons are useful for quickly clearing enemies from a distance. On the next jetski section, Birdies and Chuncos will attempt to stun Zero and make him touch a red Key Barrier; since the Z-Buster is the only usable weapon, jumping over the bulky Birdies is advised.

Four keys are needed for the next jetski ride, and a ladder in the ground leads to a pathway littered with keys. Some areas have a jetski riding on water suspended over bottomless pits, while brief moments of traditional platforming appear in between each ride area. Here, some keys can be obtained with careful and precise airdashes, and in total, six keys can be collected altogether. At the end, a teleporter takes Zero back to the start of the area, allowing him to go back and pick up any keys he may have missed on the first run through. The jetski ride to the third and final checkpoint is light on enemies (with only a single Glooper at the end), but filled with fake Key Barriers. Avoiding them can be difficult, as the screen is constantly moving while on the jetski, with no way to slow down or speed up.

While four keys are required to proceed, if a maximum of seven keys were found and retained, an alternate path blocked by three Key Barriers can be opened up. The last challenge of the level has Zero exploring an absurdly spacious room for five keys, all while a crosshair is pursuing him, stopping to shoot at him every few seconds. This crosshair is created by the normally-inaccessible Security Box, which is immune to all of Zero's weaponry. Because of this, standing still for too long is ill-advised. While the main path has exactly five keys to find and collect (some requiring methods such as riding a jetski across the room), the alternate path lets Zero reach the Security Box itself; by luring the crosshair over to it, he can destroy it and pick up three free keys (as well as a fourth to get back onto the main path). This also deactivates the crosshair, making it much easier to obtain the two extra keys necessary to proceed. Once the final Key Barriers have been opened, Zero will escape on one last jetski, picking up an Energy Element in a corridor on the way.

Z-Phone Dialogue

	Contact	Transcript
	Dr. Wily	Offshore Hangar Cluster? You should stop getting involved in these military zones. Do you WANT to get shot? ...I guess you're getting shot anyways. But just loot the Energy Element and get out of there! Hitch a ride on a stray bike if you must. And hope that they don't break on you!
	Agent Krantz	Offshore Hangar Cluster? That place is renowned for its security. There's multiple locks throughout the area you'll need keys to unlock. You won't need every key to leave, but to reach the areas for high-rank officals,[sic] you probably will. There's also a high-tech retical array that covers the room with the highest security clearance. It fires at regular intervals, so if you're careful you can avoid it. You can also destroy it outright if you gain access to its security box.
	Knives	Knives: Okay, yeah, I like my danger in dating sites, but you can't get SHOT AT during the date! Plus, all those keys around there'll fill up your inventory with useless junk. And then you won't even be able to accept all my amazing gifts I've already prepared for you~! Zero: Most of them are probably rigged to kill me, I am guessing. Knives: Well, only one way to find out! Find a better spot! Hehehe~!

Notes

• Offshore Hangar Cluster was based on a scrapped, incomplete entry Cheez made for Make a Good 48 Hour Mega Man Level; the major focus on two gimmicks and a handful of enemies is an artifact of the original 48 Hour contest's "box" system using a limited number of pre-determined assets.
• Despite the level itself being set over water with no landmasses, the world map depicts Offshore Hangar Cluster as one large building on an island.