Vertical Vine Venture

Chapter 2 : Vertical Vine Venture Make a Good Mega Man Level: Episode Zero

There's nowhere to go from here but up. No really, you can't go anywhere else.

Overview Creator(s): Big Fish Composer(s): Various, Michiru Yamane (original music) DeltaMudkip (covers) Statistics Rank: Chapter 2 Enemies: Illusian Nombrellan Pukapelly Gimmicks: Falling Tower Hanabiran Clock Arm Ibaroid Shift Bosses: Bone Dragon

Theme Music Castlevania series - Clock Tower Medley Boss: Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow - Into the Dark Night Stage Order Previous: The Red Woods Next: String Theory

Vertical Vine Venture is the second level on the path to the Psycho Chip in Chapter 2 of Make a Good Mega Man Level: Episode Zero. After going deep into the woods, Zero finds a tall ruined tower overgrown with vegetation, from thorny vines that jut in and out of small vents, to spiked plants that move back and forth across an area. Notably, progression through the level is entirely vertical, with almost no sidepaths and the screen never once moving left or right.

Strategy

The first screen introduces Ibaroids; spiked vines that poke outwards at regular intervals. They appear throughout the following screens as traps to be avoided, while Pukapellies fly after Zero; however, the Z-Burst can easily deal with them in one strike. The section above has two paths leading upward; one has Hanabiran Clock Arms as hazards (and a few small Bolts), while the other uses Ibaroids. Both paths meet up at an area with shifting spikes, which aren't lethal like typical spikes. One checkpoint later, and Zero takes a door to an elevator that rises past rows of static and shifting spikes, as well as Hanabiran Clock Arms and falling Nombrellans. If the Icicle Chip has been collected by this point, the Icicle Drive's shield can be used to completely ignore the spikes, which won't even affect the shield's durability. Even without it, the spikes can't crush Zero if he stands between them and the ground.

A few screens after the elevator, Illusians start appearing, and will create fake spikes over empty space while turning real spikes invisible. Ranged weapons that can reach Illusians quickly (such as the Zap Chip's Z-Saber or the Cutter Chip's Blank Drive) are ideal to avoid becoming confused. A little higher up, more Pukapellys and gimmicks try to damage Zero, with the moving spikes adopting more complex and varied movement patterns over simple left/right movement. Just before the end, a second elevator ride occurs, again featuring moving spikes (albeit grouped together in larger numbers and placed closer to each other). Illusians will often fly by and cover up safe spots between spike rows, and with how quickly they appear at the top of the screen, often the only safe way to get by is to memorize where they stop. At the very top of the tower, the boss Bone Dragon is challenged for an Energy Element.

Z-Phone Dialogue

	Contact	Transcript
	Dr. Wily	Vertical Vine Venture? The ruins that only go straight up? Yeah, it's weird. Nobody knows why it's built like that. I guess a mysterious ruin is a nice break from a mysterious factory, though. And, hey, it makes for a great scenic skydiving spot. I take a trip there yearly!
	Agent Krantz	Stern: Vertical Vine Venture? Oh geez... that place? It's filled with what used to be more generic spike traps, but the vegetation from the surrounding area overtook the tower, changing their appearance. They should act mostly the same though, so time your movements carefully. The higher up areas also have spikes coming from your backside. On the plus side, if you have a shield of some kind, you might be able to protect against most of the traps!
	Yamato Man	Bone Dragon? What are those gross bulb things it's coming in and out of?! I'll just... try not to think about it. Every time it comes out of a bulb there's two things it can do: If its face is red, it'll shoot a large fireball aimed at you, which you can blow up right in your face by accident if you shoot at it! Otherwise, it'll just fly by, and only shoot bones aimed at you every time you shoot it. If you see its face is red, keep your distance!
	Knives	Knives: Oh, you're at the super crazy really tall tower. All overgrown and stuff. You know, dating at the top of that place COULD be pretty precarious... Zero: It would be a... shame if you fell off. Knives: The risk is what makes it such a unique dating spot! Hehehe. But there's no COOL plants there, like venus fly traps or poison death demons. The skeleton dragon is also a concern, 'cuz they'd ruin the peace. So maybe not...

Trivia

• Vertical Vine Venture is one of three levels in Episode Zero where Zero talks exclusively to Agent Stern when he calls Agent Krantz's Z-Phone number, the other two levels being Gusty Gorge and Surfboard Showdown.