Kat's Guide to the Sonic CD Bosses ---------------------------------- PALMTREE PANIC, Zone 3 Decription: Robotnik is in some kind of robot that has springers for hands. Strategy: The weak spot is the black area (the cockpit). Problem is, the springers are covering it. Go to the left side of the screen and wait for Robotnik to follow. Dr. R. will then put his 'bot in reverse. Follow, but not -too- closely. There will be a moment when he swings the arms back & forth and stamps the robot's feet. That is when you go for the black spot. Hit it once to knock off the arms, again to finish off the robot. Robotnik will flee. COLLISION CHAOS, Zone 3 Description: A giant pinball machine with Robotnik at the top. Strategy: Use the 2nd pair of flippers to reach the 3rd or 4th pair & use those to reach the top (Sonic Spinball 2, anybody? :D) A platform will appear after you hit Dr. R. once. Hit him 3 more times (jumping up to another platform each time) to make him leave. Sometimes I get -extremely- lucky and manage to use the 2nd pair of flippers To take Sonic right up to Robotnik! TIDAL TEMPEST, zone 3 Description: Robotnik is in one of his flying pods. When he reaches the flooded area, air bubbles (which act as shields) surround it. Strategy: Chase Robotnik's pod and hit it enough to damage it (5 hits, I think). Then follow him to the flooded area. If you time it right, you can grab the invincibility power-up before going in there and still have it up during your first strike. Anyway, Dr. R's pattern is: dive & shoot, pause, turn around, dive & shoot, etc. He makes a V-shaped path across the screen. At both ends of the screen, the pod is too high to hit, but Sonic can still grab bubbles. When the pod shoots, it shoots 4 slow-moving "balls" from the guns on the bottom of the pod. Be careful not to hit one on the way down ;) Keep grabbing the air bubbles and avoiding Robotnik's fire--you'll eventually get a clear shot at the pod. QUARTZ QUADRANT, zone 3 Description: Robotnik is in a tube-like control booth. A spiked wall slams down, sealing off the way Sonic came in. The floor is like a conveyor belt. Strategy: The key to this one is the conveyor belt; it melts away the bottom of Robotnik's control booth. "Bonk" the booth once to get everything started and run toward Robotnik to make the florr move faster. Slide backward before a bomb is dropped. Be careful not to hit the spiked wall while you slide back. Also the bombs split into 4 fragments when they hit. I've found that jumping while you slide back helps. I usually take -2- jumps--one to avoid the wall, a second to vault over the bomb fragments & get back in place close to Dr. R so I can keep the conveyor belt moving fast. WACKY WORKBENCH, Zone 3 Description: Robotnik is in a rocket with spikes on top of it. 4 platforms allow you to reach ledges farther up. Strategy: Bonk Robotnik's rocket & the first set of 4 platforms will fall. Pick one of the middle platforms & get on it. Jump to the nearest platform When it starts to rise higher than the one Sonic is on. Quickly jump to the ledge (careful not to fall!!) & bonk Robotnik. Repeat this 2 more times. Watch out for falling spikes after you reach the 2nd ledge! Oh, yeah; target The rocket's -sides-, _never_ the bottom. STARDUST SPEEDWAY, Zone 3 Description: This is the (in)famous race between Sonic and Mecha Sonic. Strategy: Above all else, don't let Mecha trip you! Passing is okay, especially early on, but tripping (especially if Mecha nails you going up a 'hill')can cost you the race. Don't jump off of the 1st drop-off, just -run- off it instead. METALLIC MADNESS, Zone 3 Description: 'botnik comes out in a gray, floating sphere with 4 panels sticking out. (is it just me, or does this thing resemble the top of a windmill?) Strategy: DO NOT TOUCH THOSE PANELS!! *Ahem* He'll first fly around and come down in the middle and "roll" toward you. He doesn't seem to come all the way across the screen, so the corners -should- be safe. Wait for him to stop rolling and bonk his machine at the TOP to knock off a panel (it helps if you grab & hold onto the shield that's availible right before this area). He'll go up and move from side to side. Be sure you're -not- under him when he drops! He'll roll toward you again--bonk him when there isn't a panel in the way. With 2 panels left, he changes his attack. He'll drop/shoot the panels at you. Dodge the panels & look for an opening; bonk him after he comes down (and be prepared to chase rings if you don't land cleanly). With 1 panel left, 'botnik will move sideways really fast, shoot the panel, move fast again, and then come down and "hop" toward you. Hit him high while he's coming down to finish him.