General Advice

#General Cometstriker Advice

I'm listing a few things here that might be useful for people looking to play the video game, that might not be immediately obvious when watching a run.

##The Boost

If you've gotten past the first few screens you know the Boost's primary purpose - go through obstacles without taking damage, and breaking blocks directly above or below Lt. Striker if there's no other way to hit them.

The multiboost is the most important item in the game because of this invincibility.  **If you have more than one boost** (like the Ninja by default, or Lt. Striker with a Multiboost), you can hold the boost button to not lose invincibility between boosts.  This becomes more important when you start using the boost to actually deal damage to enemies.

By default boost damage is pretty weak.  It goes up with a Shield equipped.  DPS is *slightly* higher if you get shield-boosts in against bosses.  The easiest demonstration of this is the Ninja against the Heart of the Station.  If you only use (Super Gun enhanced) slashes, you probably need a second cycle to finish it off.  If you work in boost hits, you can be done in one.  There are also plenty of minor enemies throughout the game where a non-shielded boost will not destroy them, but a shielded boost will.

One more thing that's especially important with the Ninja - You can hold the shoot button through boosts to continue shooting.  Most characters this is minimal damage.  With the Ninja, slashes are always a lot of damage.

## You move slower while shooting

This is only truly important for the escape sequence, where shooting you might not get past some of the vertical corridors. But you do move much slower while shooting.  So let go of shoot when just moving.

## Power Ups Grant I-Frames

Ever collect a power up and immediately not know how you didn't get hit?  You have Invincibility Frames.  This includes 1ups.

Why is this important?  Plan where you lose your shield.  **Losing your shield does not affect grade**, and it grants I-Frames, and the exploding 8-way shot from the shield can do a lot of damage for you. This comes into play more in the second half of the game, where there are rooms full of mines, exploding bugs, and beefy dragon HP sponges.  If you have all 3 power ups, you can use the shield as a very effective damage boost, and immediately get back to full strength.

If you're going on offense with the shield, don't forget you can boost into the middle of the enemy to hit them with all 8 shield shots.  **EVERY** stage has a power up in the first room hidden in a wall, so don't be afraid to use the shield (granted with mots bosses, you should get shielded-boosts in as much as you can first).