Pandora's Parlor

Cartel Stage 3: Pandora's Parlor Make a Good 48 Hour Mega Man Level

You can leave with your life intact, or you can risk it all for what's in the box!

Overview Creator(s): MULTIPERSON Composer(s): DeltaMudkip, MiniMacro, Freems, Shusaku Uchiyama Statistics Rank: Cartel Stage 3 Elements: 1 Box Items: (See individual sections) Enemies: Arigock G Atomic Chicken Baby Metall Batton Big Eye Bikky Bomb Biree Biree Spark Bomb Flier Bomber Pepe Boostun Brain Break Butterdroid Cannon Roader Cargou Q (red) Chainsoar Chibee Choker Oh Claw Colton Cutting Wheel Detarnayappa Docron Electric Gabyoall Fire Telly Fire Totem Flea Flower Presenter Flying Shell Fukuhorn Gachappon Gobots Haehaey Helipon Hothead Jumbig Jump Roller Kakinbatank Katonbyon Kintot Komasaburo Kouker Q Mantan Mecha Pitchan (red) Mechakkero Metall EX Metall Dance Metall β Molier Nibul Nitron Nobita Nombrellan Numetall Okosutobon Palm Hopper Pandeeta Parasyu Parocket Pelicanu Peng Penpen (swim) Penpen EV Peterchy Petit Devil (green) Pickelman Dada Picket Man Pointan Pole Potton Press'n Propeller Eye Pukapelly R Suzy Rabbiton Ratton Ring Ring Robo-Rabbit Rock Thrown Shield Attacker GTR Shield Attacker TRL Shigaraky Sibul Skull Walker Smaplar Snippscissor Sonic Bill Space Metall Spin Cutter Stegorus Swallowegg Taketento Tamp Teck Telly Togehero Tondeall Twin Cannon Twin Roader Walking Bomb Wall Blaster II Gimmicks: Air Tiki Auto Scroller Ballade Missile Battan Boubou Bubble Floor Cloud Platform (MM3) Compactor Conveyor (MM6) Daidine Destroyable Block (Search Snake, Tengu Blade) Drop Platform Dustman Block Fan Fork Block Fuse Platform Galaxy Man Portal Girder Gravity Flip Hanabiran Clock Arm Hornet Roll Ice Platform Icicle Junk Block Key Barrier Komuso Mine Napalm Nitro Truck Pole Egg Quicksand Reflect Block Ringman Platform Rock Platform Sandstorm Spring Super Cutter Tengu Wind Tomahawk Platform Tornado Platform Wanaan Wave Man Jetski Wave Man Warp Wave Steam X Platform Sub-Bosses: Mad Grinder Squidon The Keeper Bosses: Kamikamin Dockalocker Blocky Square Machine Don Atetemino

Theme Music MaG48HMML - La Ruota dei 2+X Box Cartel Cutscene: MaG48HMML - La Presenza del Giudizio Box Cartel: MaG48HMML - La Festa dei Folli ~Stile di Boxe~ Don Atetemino Cutscene: MaG48HMML - La Passione del Diavolo Don Atetemino (Phase 1): Mega Man 8 - Boss Don Atetemino (Phase 2): MaG48HMML - La Resistenza Dell'impiccato Stage Order Location: Cartel Hideout Previous: Hydrothermal Layer

Pandora's Parlor is the third Box Cartel stage in Make a Good 48 Hour Mega Man Level, and the final level of the game as a whole. A large casino-themed area, Mega Man fights his way past hordes of enemies and a gauntlet of mini-stages to reach the inner sanctum of the Box Cartel's undersea hideout, put an end to the would-be mafia's plans, and free the SS Elroy from their clutches. Each of the four Cartel members that previously faced Mega Man wait for him at various points in the stage, and must be battled once again to proceed.

Throughout the stage, Mega Man will come across four giant slot machines, each of which sends him to a set of three mini-levels in a randomised order, although each machine always has the same three levels. Like both incarnations of Null and Void, each mini-level is made by a different creator, using a "box" of random assets like the entry stages; unlike Null and Void, however, every mini-level must be cleared in order to progress. With twelve mini-stages in total, plus a central "hub" level played inbetween each slot machine, Pandora's Parlor is far and away the longest level in the entire game; so long, in fact, that the game saves the player's current progress after a Box Cartel member is defeated, allowing them to continue from that point in the level upon reloading the save file.

Strategy

Pandora's Parlor can be divided into five distinct areas, each ending in a battle against a member of the Box Cartel. The main path of the level lacks a central gimmick or enemy roster, but instead uses the box items of a different entry level.

Area 1

The area begins with blainz's box, used via a set of Kakinbatanks and Shield Attacker TRLs near Drop Platforms. These quickly give way to Hopping High Above Danger's box, which features Boostuns and Coltons shooting at Mega Man while riding Battans. The first slot machine appears not long after, and is activated by jumping into the lever on the right.

Beed28

Box Items: Mechakkero, Propeller Eye, Sonic Bill, Bubble Floor, Spring

This level extensively uses the Bubble Floor and Spring gimmicks to bounce Mega Man up to areas a normal jump can't reach. A frequent enemy in this stage is Sonic Bill, which is often positioned in a way to ambush Mega Man before he can counterattack, as well as Mechakkero, who can also bounce off of the springs and bubbles like Mega Man can. Spikes are sometimes placed near the bouncy gimmicks to discourage bouncing, though near the end the latter is required to jump over said spikes.

Big Fish

Box Items: Chainsoar, Docron, Pickelman Dada, Ballade Missile, Super Cutter

A cavernous area with a bone motif, this level largely involves clearing Ballade Missiles out of the way. Although Special Weapons help with destroying missiles quickly, some areas require at least one missile remains intact as a platform. Chainsoars are a common enemy in this area, as are Docrons.

Spin Attaxx

Box Items: Gobots, Metall β, Wall Blaster II, Komuso Mine, Wave Man Warp

Resembling Wave Man's stage from Mega Man 5, this level primarily uses pipes that transport Mega Man, to a greater extent than the original Wave Man stage. Wall Blaster IIs are often seen blocking off one end of a pipe, and must be destroyed to avoid contact damage. Some pipes will move Mega Man at a slower speed than normal, which can possibly allow an enemy to damage him while he's unable to attack (such as one room with an infinite stream of Gobots).

Kamikamin

Beyond the slot machine is a short corridor that once again uses Hopping High Above Danger's assets. A 1-Up surrounded by Destroyable Blocks requiring the Tengu Blade is available, but otherwise there is little of note. Beyond the boss door is Kamikamin, who fights Mega Man in exactly the same way as he did the first time.

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Area 2

This area begins with Mega Man Saves Canada from the Evil Clutches of's box, and has Metall EXes in positions that make them difficult to counterattack; one in particular can easily snipe Mega Man off of a Daidine and into the spike pit below, if he doesn't retaliate quickly enough. Immediately following them are a set of rooms using Exoplanet Everest's box, and are centered on avoiding Icicles that drop from the ceiling. An E-Tank lies in an inaccessible corner, and can only be obtained if Beat has the Fortified Talons upgrade.

Big Fish

Box Items: Biree, Parocket, Wall Blaster II, Fork Block, Fuse Platform

This mini-level involves patiently timing movements around Fork Blocks, while also attempting to outrun Fuse Platforms before they leave no room to stand on. An additional terrain threat comes in the form of ground-crawling Birees, while Parockets try to crash into Mega Man from the top of the screen. Fortunately, the Rush Jet can be used as a backup if a Fuse Platform disappears completely. This mini-level is also one of only three to have a midboss in it; in this case, a fireball-spitting Mad Grinder.

eviemaybe

Box Items: Metall Dance, R Suzy, Sandstorm, Tornado Platform

Themed to be set on the moon, every enemy in this mini-level is completely invincible, thus attacking anything is pointless. The main gimmick here are screenwide storms of moon dust, which don't cover the terrain but will push Mega Man around. Also included are vertical areas that must be climbed up or down using jumps across stationary Tornado Platforms, which will also keep Mega Man still during a moonstorm.

gone-sovereign

Box Items: Robo-Rabbit, Stegorus, Teck, Compactor, Pole Egg

This is a set of caves that are packed with Pole Eggs and Compactors. Though the Rain Flush can clear the entire screen of eggs (and the Poles they release), in some cases it's preferable to leave some around, as they can not only act as a platform to high areas, but they can also block a Compactor from reaching the ground. A common nuisance is Stegorus, whose natural durability and habit of shielding itself makes it annoying to fight: thus, using the Tengu Blade's dash to pass through them is recommended if possible. The number of durable enemies, combined with the level design itself, means this is perhaps the longest of all the mini-levels.

Dockalocker

A single corridor before the boss door reuses a Metall EX, Butterdroids, Okosutobons, and a respawning Daidine. Avoiding damage is difficult thanks to the Metall EX on the top platform (which can't be triggered from where the Daidine stops, and requires jumping under a floating Okosutobon). However, this can be evaded by using the Concrete Shot to access a slide passage next to some spikes, which also contains a 1-Up. Beyond the boss door is Dockalocker, who fights the same way as before, just like Kamikamin.

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Area 3

Beginning with Taking a Dip's box, the opening sections have conveyors over spike pits, with overhead Haehaeys and Arigock Gs perched on said conveyors trying to knock Mega Man into the elaborate death spikes. A secret area to the left, meanwhile, has some bolts and an M-Tank. The second half of the area uses Weapon Testing Facility's box, and features Hornet Rolls over spikes while having Tondealls and Picket Men as enemies. One Picket Man hiding in an alcove covers up an E-Tank, and can be taken out from above using the Search Snake.

Flashman85

Box Items: Bikky Bomb, Nombrellan, Tamp, Battan, Wave Man Jetski

This mini-level revolves around avoiding Nombrellans that infinitely spawn from the top of the screen before drifting down to the bottom. As soon as one Nombrellan is killed, another immediately appears at the top of the screen to replace it. Also included are Tamps that chase Mega Man, as well as Bikky Bombs in enclosed areas, acting as pseudo-turrets. The second half of the level has Mega Man riding a Wave Man Jetski, while often needing to use Battans to boost his jump. Unlike normal Battans, these ones are orange, sleepy-looking, and will not jump forwards.

Gannio & Chiko

Box Items: Detarnayappa, Komasaburo, Nibul, Battan, Tengu Wind

Set within a jungle area, this mini-level uses a unique variant of Tengu Wind; the direction and speed of the wind is wholly dependent on if the left and right directional buttons are held, with speed increasing the longer a direction is held. Many obstacles and platforms in the mini-level require building up wind speed to make long distance jumps, and getting hit can easily kill momentum. Conversely, having too much wind speed can send Mega Man tumbling into a pit, of which there are multiple throughout the level.

snoruntpyro

Box Items: Rock Thrown, Shield Attacker GTR, Wave Steam

Taking place against a sunset backdrop, the focus of this mini-level is on avoiding cracks that steam bursts out of, with a common nuisance being Rock Throwns in high positions, whose boulders are thrown directly at Mega Man wherever he is onscreen. The Tengu Blade is a useful weapon to use here, as the dash's invincibility can not only go through steam without needing to wait for it to dissipate, but it can also go through Shield Attacker GTRs, which are another abundant threat. However, the dash becomes less useful near the end, which mostly features jumps across one-tile wide platforms. An E-Tank guarded by a wall of slowly-moving Shield Attacker GTRs lies at the end, and can be obtained safely with either a Tengu Blade dash, or using the Rain Flush to wipe the enemies out altogether.

Blocky

Though only a short corridor, the area before the boss door is noteworthy for combining both Taking a Dip and Weapon Testing Facility's assets, with green Petit Devils hovering near conveyors. A slide passage blocked by Napalm leads to a 1-Up, and the boss of the area is a rematch against Blocky. Unlike the rest of the Box Cartel, his refight is slightly different as his desperation attack is 11 cans tall instead of 10, preventing a snipe to the head using the Rush Coil. In all other aspects, however, he remains the same as before.

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Area 4

The opening part uses One Night in Xanadu's box, though the enemies retain their default appearances as opposed to their level-unique variants. After grabbing a key to a Key Barrier guarded by a Hanabiran Clock Arm, the area shifts to Ice Treatment Facility's box with jumps over spikes on Ice Platforms. Not long after is the fourth and final slot machine of the macro-level.

CWU01P

Box Items: Fire Totem, Taketento, Togehero, Galaxy Man Portal, Tomahawk Platform

This mini-level, with a similar aesthetic to Wily 1 from Mega Man 9, makes extensive use of Tomahawk Platforms, which have poles in the background denoting their range of movement. Frequently, Fire Totems of varying heights will occupy these platforms, and must be either killed to get them out of the way, or evaded as they shoot their arching fireballs. The Rain Flush is a very useful tool here, though Fire Totems will only be harmed if they're extended. Another gimmick to appear are one-way Galaxy Man Portals with a red entrance and a grey exit, previously seen in Flower Core. These often show up next to Tomahawk Platforms, and should be entered as a platform descends to ensure Mega Man manages to board it. The sub-level ends with a battle against a Squidon, with the only safe ground being a long bridge of Tomahawk Platforms.

PhazonMotherBrain

Box Items: Parasyu, Smaplar, Nitro Truck

A nighttime city area using Nitro Man's tileset, it is littered with Smaplars that both crawl on the ground and float in the air; the latter of these do not reflect shots like the former. Parasyus that drop from the sky are able to kill Nitro Trucks on contact, with some screens containing a stream of trucks that block the way down, requiring a Parasyu to keep the traffic at bay. However, there are two autoscrolling areas that have Mega Man riding over a giant bottomless chasm on a Nitro Truck, which he must protect from falling Parasyus while dodging Smaplars, some of which will even crawl across the truck itself. There is very little solid ground to stand on here, so if the truck is destroyed, even Beat won't be of much assistance.

Yoshiatom

Box Items: Electric Gabyoall, Mecha Pitchan, The Keeper, Boubou

This mini-level has an unconventional use of box assets by having The Keeper's parts and projectiles as a primary threat, with soccer balls bouncing at Mega Man in the first half, while in the latter half the midboss's hands chase him down and slam into the ground, creating stun-inflicting earthquakes. Getting through these rooms as quickly as possible is thus encouraged, but Boubous often barricade the path ahead in both thick and thin varieties, while red Mecha Pitchans serve as turrets. Another common hazard to avoid are Electric Gabyoalls, whose lightning is best bypassed with a Tengu Blade dash. The sub-level's climax is, unsurprisingly, a battle against The Keeper itself.

Square Machine

A short tower precedes the boss door, with Fire Totems, Cutting Wheels, and Hanabiran Clock Arms guarding the way up. At the top is a 1-Up below a Search Snake block. The fourth and final Box Cartel member to be refought is Square Machine, who like the rest (sans Blocky) is unchanged from its original fight.

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Final Area

These last few sections use Bomber Pepes and Wanaans from Minari Hydrospace Center, and Flower Presenters, Parasyus, and Quicksand from Mystic Museum. Once the latter level's assets first show up, a hidden side room to the left can be reached by climbing over the wall, which contains a set of Reflect Blocks on one end, as well as a large number of bolts, an E-Tank, and an M-Tank. The final corridor contains banners of all four Box Cartel gangsters, a single Big Eye, and a teleporter to Don Atetemino's lair, beneath a portrait of himself labelled "ME".

Don Atetemino

When fighting Don Atetemino in his second phase, he will summon a series of purple boxes that forcibly pulls Mega Man into a small micro-level. Like the slot machines' levels, all of these are centered on a set of box items (displayed on a monitor at the start), but are much smaller in size and share a unifying tileset. The objective of each micro-level is to reach the teleporter at the end, which will take Mega Man back to the main fight arena. Because each one is encountered during a long boss fight, none of these levels contain instant-death traps, with even spikes merely doing 4 damage on contact. Additionally, Don Atetemino will only use the box level attack three times, thus at least half of the possible levels will go unseen in a single fight.

Air Tiki Box

Box Items: Fukuhorn, Katonbyon, Pandeeta, Air Tiki, Girder

Although the box leading to this micro-level is shaped like an Air Tiki, a far more common hazard are Girders that drop once Mega Man gets close to them. Two common enemies are Katonbyons that commit fly-by bombings, and Fukuhorns that try to snipe at Mega Man from far-away positions.

Fan Box

Box Items: Atomic Chicken, Metall EX, Walking Bomb, Fan, Ringman Platform

The two primary gimmicks of this micro-level are Fans that blow Mega Man into enemies, and Ringman Platforms that cover spikes or drop-downs. Also common are Atomic Chickens, which run across the bottom from one side of the screen to the other, and spawn ad infinitum.

Gachappon Box

Box Items: Chainsoar, Gachappon, Pointan, Spring, Tengu Wind

As the box shape suggests, Gachappons appear commonly in this micro-level, as do Pointans. In every room, a gust of Tengu Wind blows either behind Mega Man to push him forwards, or in front of him to slow him down. In the former case, the boost they give must be used along with Springs to jump over spike pits.

Gravity Box

Box Items: Flying Shell, Numetall, Wall Blaster II, Dustman Block, Gravity Flip

Small arrows in the background of this micro-level flip Mega Man's gravity to the direction they point to, while large chunks of Dustman Blocks need to be cleared away to move ahead. However, some blocks can be kept around to prevent needing to use Rush or the Concrete Shot, though this requires somewhat intelligent play. In the second half, Flying Shells continuously spawn from the righthand side of the screen.

Wanaan Box

Box Items: Nobita, Peng, Palm Hopper, Hanabiran Clock Arm, Wanaan

This micro-level has multiple Wanaan vents on the ground, as well as short Hanabiran Clock Arms that rotate in place. Often, Pengs will fly in from the other side of the screen to attack, alongside Nobitas and Palm Hoppers.

X Platform Box

Box Items: Helipon, Komasaburo, Press'n, Rock Platform, X Platform

X Platform puzzles are the main focus of this micro-level, typically asking Mega Man to stand on one platform so as to position the other in an ideal spot, such as next to a slide passage, or out of the way of one. Common enemies here are Komasaburos and Press'ns, though the amount of contact damage the latter deals has been nerfed. One Press'n towards the end is invincible, and antagonises Mega Man while he lowers a Rock Platform into the right position to access a one-tile gap (although the Concrete Shot can also be used for a quicker bypass).

Trivia

• Both the main "hub" of Pandora's Parlor and Don Atetemino's box levels were designed by snoruntpyro.
• Alternate names for Pandora's Parlor during development included "Final Box", "Crate Expectations", and "Manifold of Fortune".
• The secret side room in the final part of the level was designed as an "escape hatch" for the Box Cartel, with the Reflect Blocks representing an impenetrable door.
• Don Atetemino's "ME" portrait homages fictional drug kingpin Mr. Big from the video game Narc, who has multiple portraits of himself also labelled "ME".
• DeltaMudkip was initially going to make a sublevel, but eventually gave up on it. In its place, Big Fish created a second sublevel so there would be an even number of 12 levels.
  • Before the number of sublevels was finalized as 12, Freems, MelonadeM, Protty, and Riguor were slated to make sublevels. However, none of them made any significant progress before being cut.
• eviemaybe's sublevel marks the only appearance of Tornado Platforms in the entire game (outside of Double Action Boutique's back room, which has one for testing purposes). Sorry, custom costume makers, you were so close to being free from them!
• The sandstorm object had to be recoded slightly to allow for different graphics in eviemaybe's sublevel, as the sandstorm object at the time (and in the current Megamix Engine build) was hardcoded to use the default graphics.
• The background of Gannio and Chiko's sublevel is randomly generated on startup, instead of using standard background tiles.
• PhazonMotherBrain's sublevel is one of only two areas in the game where Proto Man's whistle when teleporting in is disabled, the other being Perilous Mountain. This is because the Nitro Trucks in the autoscrolling sections would otherwise drive out of range before the whistle finishes, leaving the player with nothing to stand on once the autoscroller kicked in.