Chapter 31: Now let's play my game
For some bizarre reason my HUD has now altered a bit. It now has 6 bullets on the bottom left (probably bullets), 3 health packs (probably 3 lives) at the bottom. While directly above is the time in blue which is 60:00, at the bottom right are two times one that is fixed in red: the top time and one in yellow: my time.
We must be playing Time crisis then which I remember being a fun game, as the centre says Area 1 start along with wait.
I see a few soldiers there with pistols, they actually look like the bad guys from Time Crisis 1 who wear hats, fingerless gloves and sunglasses only they're in purple, and they have the Neptunia logo on their tops.
"Action!" The announcer says.
The 3 of us then take the few guys down quickly. I couldn't help but notice their dead bodies disappear after we shoot them, as well as a large orange beam hitting them every time we shoot one of them. Our HUD tells us to wait as we move forward, with the time being extended. A couple of beeps could be heard to confirm the time extension. I remember how awesome my gun sounded, especially how it changes depending on where I am, as sometimes it echoes a bit. I have a few memories indeed playing this game many years ago, so with luck if I can remember the positions and types of enemy troops, this should be easy especially with my CPUs, as their troop deployment will probably be like how they were in the game. But I can't be too confident as this is their nightmare we're dealing with here.
A few more of them approach, one of them armed with a bazooka.
"Action!" The announcer says.
I shoot the bazooka guy first, he ends up shooting at the ceiling and an alarm can be heard for some bizarre reason, and the sewers flash red. After which a few more troops come out, only for us to take them out as soon as they show up. We are then asked to wait by our HUDs as we move forward again. The time extended to 60:00 once more. I hear a couple of beeps every time we have to wait.
We see a couple of them using riot shields, as well as a few more of them approach towards us.
"Action!" The announcer says.
The riot shield users get shot down quickly. They try and yell where we are, but as they pop out we shoot them down.
I notice we're beating the top time as well as the timer never going below 40:00, I realise it's seconds: 100ths of a second. As we're told to wait we approach a large door with a number code, fortunately the door is open saving us precious seconds.
There are then more of them, there are even a grenade thrower and a red guy; I guess he's probably more accurate.
"Action!" The announcer says.
The red guy and the grenade thrower get taken out pretty quickly, even giving us a 4 second bonus. The other purple guys then get taken out quickly as well.
After which the HUD tells us to wait as we move forward towards a digger holding a box full of explosives, with more of them guarding it.
"Action!" The announcer says again.
Upon killing them I notice on my HUD:
Area 1 clear
Your Time: 00:40:00
Vs. Top Time: 0:53:00
Accuracy: 100% 30/30
Impressive score. I couldn't help but notice that the guards were really easy to take out as well as notice how well we're doing, just as I remember from playing it, maybe the bosses won't be so easy especially with Neptune, and even the minions will probably be more accurate as we go through this.
Now we're on to area 2.
Note: Readers please listen to Time Crisis Music Stage 1-1 while reading this:
Our HUD now says Area 2 Start.
I thought we'd have to jump on some lift or something but no apparently not. However instead we're now on some large train, and instead of carriages there's platforms that are moving forward as we see more of their troops, hiding behind boxes on a separate platform that's in front of ours.
"Action!" The announcer says.
We all manage to shoot them as they pop out. I was half expecting some danger via a hook that suspended from the ceiling to approach us, but it never did.
Our HUD tells us to wait once more.
"There they are got them!" One of the guards say.
They actually come from a platform behind us; we turn around as we see them hide behind more boxes.
"Action!" The announcer says again.
We all take them out as they pop out only to get shot. I'm surprised how some of them jump down from a great height, but it doesn't matter as they get shot by us anyway.
After which the time extends and we are told to wait, as we jump off to an exit and there is a left turn. I notice some of them are shooting at the wall, one of them yelling to fire.
"Action!" The announcer says again.
It turns out there's 4 of them including one red guy. We take them all out with ease though.
After which we're told to wait by our HUDs, as we head to a room that looks like some sort of old tattered bar. We stand by a bench as the announcer says action. A few of them pop out one at a time, only for us to shoot them. I'm amazed how we manage to coordinate our targets ensuring we never lose a life, I never even had to reload yet and I'm not even sure if I've had to duck from an incoming shot. Perhaps my sisters have played this game before a few times as I have.
Our HUD tells us to wait again as we head to another bench.
"Action!" The announcer says.
A few of them pop out again only for us to take them out.
I notice on my HUD:
Area 2 clear
Your Time: 01:18:00
Top Time: 01:27:00
Accuracy: 100% 60/60.
Ah still 100% accuracy. Although these troops appear to be nothing more than targets for guns or fodder for us, I try not to underestimate the enemy as I know the boss will be coming, but who will it be? Will it be one of Neptune's goons or somebody else?
Now our HUD says Area 3 start, as we now leave the room and enter the sewers again. Although for some bizarre reason we can see different purple cars that look like they're from a decade before my time. I'm not sure I'd know what make of cars they are.
"Action!" The announcer says.
Various troops pop up including a stick grenade thrower and bazooka, but we all get them. I couldn't help but notice how I have 4 lives now. Probably due to how accurate I am.
We're then told to wait as someone with a machine gun is shooting at us. It turns out it's by those cars.
"Action!" The announcer says.
We take out the few troops by the car park; though out of the blue a purple helicopter then appears, which we find rather odd for it to be there, though none the less we start shooting it. While it's a bit unusual for the helicopter to be there, I'll admit that it's understandable considering where we are.
"Reload!" The announcer says to me for the first time.
I reload which for some strange reason works by hiding behind the shield. Still I can't argue with that if it helps.
I fire some more bullets at it only to be told to reload again. Two of their guys with poles come out, only for us to kill them; eventually we shoot the helicopter with enough bullets that the helicopter gets shot down.
We are then told to wait again as we move towards the cars.
"Action!" The announcer says again.
We take them down as they pop up including a red soldier, but eventually a purple car advances towards us at high speed.
"Danger!" The announcer warns me.
We all shoot at it and the car then tilts on its side, destroyed.
We're told to wait as we move away from the cars, and towards an anti-tank gun as it fires at us. There's a crate there which we shoot as soon as Action is announced. The shooting of the crate causes an explosion, killing the troops there that they were ready to shoot at us.
We then advance away from it. There are now a few soldiers and a few more with riot shields.
"Action!" The announcer says again.
We attempt to shoot them down although a couple are quite difficult, due to their riot shields. Eventually however they get shot down along with a few guys armed with bazookas.
Our HUD then says: Area 3 Clear
Your Time 02:20:00
Top Time: 02:25:00
Accuracy: 98% 98/100.
Oh well so much for 100% accuracy. At least we're on our first boss. We best keep our guard up as I wonder who it's going to be?
We then enter an empty room supported by a few pillars. I notice Plutia there but she then manages to escape through a hidden revolving wall, when she does escape IF is there with her claws out. She then signals for more claw soldiers to come. Their appearance is like that from Time Crisis only instead they're completely covered in purple and wear the Neptunia logo on their front.
IF is the 1st boss? Fine by me it'll be my pleasure to take out Neptune's right hand, for what she did and this reminds me of Moz the claw man anyway.
Note: Readers please listen to Time Crisis 1 Boss Theme while reading this:
The HUD then says Boss Area Start
We see IF and the claw people doing some scratching motions with their claws, as they leap from place to place like ninjas.
"Action!" The announcer says.
We manage to shoot them all before they can do anything, although something tells me IF is still alive as she jumps very high. Then more of them jump down as we shoot the lot of them again. A couple of claw troops then fall down only for us to shoot them. Eventually IF comes down about to land on a nearby pillar but we gun her down. She falls and does a back flip yelling in pain, as we have successfully defeated her.
Our HUD then says:
Stage 1 Clear
Your Time: 02:40:00
Top Time: 02:50:00
Accuracy: 94% 120/128.
Some boss IF was considering she was downed easily. I expected her to put up more of a fight. But I must not underestimate them, perhaps the next boss will be harder to defeat.
We try and see if we can go through the wall, but with no luck. Noire picks up IF with much anger.
"It's all over, the girls are at the end of these sewers, they must have left by now." IF says slowly as she's mortally wounded.
Noire punches her to knock her out only for IF to then disappear, somehow I think we'll be seeing her again.
We then head away and rush towards a corridor, which leads us to a door with a distinctive Neptunia logo on it.
Note: Readers please listen to Time Crisis 1 Music Stage 2-1 while reading this bit.
The HUD now says Area 1 Start as the HUD tells us to wait.
We open the door as the announcer then says action. 2 guys pop out only for us to take them down. Being told to wait again, we move forward a bit around a corner. There's 1 guy there who we take out as soon as action is said.
We have to wait again as we approach some stairs going up. There are 2 of them there, this time one of them is in red.
"Action!" The announcer says again.
They're taken out almost instantly.
Upon going up the stairs, we turn left and around the corner to the right where there are two more of them. We take them out as soon as "Action!" is said.
Upon waiting, we go around the corner and find a machine gunner firing away at us. He doesn't hit us due to being told to wait. There's also a guy lying prone.
"Action!" The announcer says.
Both of those guys get shot, but suddenly a red guy comes down a makeshift lift though he gets shot straight away, giving me a 2 second bonus.
We're told to wait again as we go to a corner. On the right is some stairs and we notice a lot of bullets hitting down the stairs, as well as hearing them yell fire.
"Action!" The announcer says.
We then manage to shoot the lot of them, including a grenade thrower. After which we head up the stairs and come to a door. We open the very door only to find a few guys as well as a few riot shield users.
"Action!" The announcer says.
They get taken out very quickly. We're told to wait as we look at a door with the Neptunia logo on it to our left, and then a door with a picture of the Neptune console in front of us. We open the front one only for there to be no floor. It's actually a large empty room with a few pillars supporting it, and we drop down.
"Action!" The announcer says.
For the first time it's a bit hectic as there a few machine gunners, a few guards and even a claw man. But eventually they are all killed by us, and it didn't take long for us to do it. They weren't even that much of a threat.
Our HUD now tells us:
Area 1 cleared
Your Time: 03:29:00
Top Time: 03:35:00
Accuracy: 93% 160/172.
It's good to know that we're still beating the top time.
We then go through the exit and find ourselves in another room, this one is full of paintings as well as a few exhibits and chandeliers. It's quite a nice place, why would it be in the sewers? Mind you this is their dream so it wouldn't make much sense anyway. I guess it doesn't matter, but what does is that there are at least half a dozen of them in there.
"Action!" The announcer says.
We manage to take them out easily being as they all had pistols. We're told to wait as we move inside the room. We're surrounded on all sides forcing us to have our backs to each other, and focus on different areas.
"Action!" The announcer says.
A couple of riot shield users pop out, so I take them out first. A couple more soldiers pop out including a red one, so I take them out with speed. Suddenly a couple of machine gunners come out from holes in the wall where the paintings once stood, but I take them out before they can do any damage to me.
I'm told to wait as a group of them come in from above on a chandelier, causing it to break. Among them is a machine gunner as well as a couple of riot shield troops who come in as well.
"Action!" The announcer says.
I take out the ones that come from above, and then after instantly reloading I manage to kill the riot shield users, as well as a soldier carrying a bazooka. After which two claw men drop down, but I shoot them both along with a couple of gun men too. I'm told to wait as we head to a very dark room; fortunately our special vision is working. That I find quite odd.
"Action!" The announcer says.
We manage to take them out, they didn't even know where we are and it was too late for them to react.
"Freeze!" One of the guards yells to us as he fires his machine gun at us.
"Action!" The announcer says.
We take him out, as well as another one that pops out.
Our HUD now tells us:
Area 2 clear
Your Time: 04:20:00
Top Time: 04:35:00
Accuracy: 92% 200/217
After which our HUD then tells us Area 3 start.
My gut tells me we have to be quicker as we exit the room and find ourselves in a corridor.
"There they are fire!" One of the guards yell.
"Action!" The announcer says.
There are about half a dozen of them charging towards us, two of them having a riot shield.
We manage to shoot them down quickly, as well as a red guy who thought he could pop out and take one of our lives away. Even after all this time we have no miss, no damage, no loss of lives. We're told to wait as we advance forward before we can fire again.
A claw man tries to scratch us, but he couldn't due to the wait. A couple of riot shield users advance pretty slowly as well.
"Action!" The announcer says.
We take those 3 guys down, but more pop out although we still take them down with ease.
After which we're told to wait as we move forward to a door.
"Action!" The announcer says.
We open the door to find a guard in front of 3 riot shield users. We take them out as they move forward. I notice some stairs at the back of the room, as I see a guard moving down. I shoot him in the head pretty quickly though a few of them then pop out, including a red guard and a grenade thrower which I shoot with ease.
We're told to wait as we go up the stairs, hiding behind the metal barrier.
"Action!" The announcer says.
There were three of them and we shoot them, one even falls down the stairs screaming as he's been shot. We're told to wait as we go up the stairs, only for us to notice a few more of them down there, including a claw man and a machine gunner.
"Action!" The announcer says.
Effortlessly we take them all out before they had a chance to react. We're told to wait once more, as we head up the stairs into a corridor, encountering two regular guards and a red guard.
"Action!" The announcer says.
That command ensured their deaths. We move forward seeing our reflections on a mirror. It's nice to know Noire and Uni look absolutely healthy, no blood no broken bones, nothing like that just my sisters in their attractive HDD plug suits. Suddenly I see a guard in the reflection shooting at the mirror.
We hide as the announcer says you guessed it: Action!
We take all three of them out, again one of them being red.
The HUD then tells us Area 3 clear:
Your Time: 05:30:00
Top Time: 05:37:00
Accuracy: 91% 260/285.
I can't help but keep wondering who the second boss is, no doubt this boss will put up more of a fight than IF. We then go up some stairs that are covered in a purple carpet; we then turn left to go up more stairs covered in the same purple carpet. After which we are now in a room with some plant pots and some pillars. Compa is standing there.
Compa yeah the other right hand of Neptune's ,yeah I'd like to defeat her too considering she and IF defeated my CPUs with Neptune a few times. I look forward to avenging the injustice that occurred in the series.
"My name is Compa, I rule this area now." She says calmly.
We point our guns towards her.
"So, you are the fools who have come for Ge Ge, Nep Nep and Plu Plu. Since you lot have travelled a long way, allow me to treat your boo boos and entertain you." Compa then plucks a few syringes in her hand.
I guess she intends to throw them, only she probably knows what is in them. Best not to get hit by them.
Note: Readers please listen to Time Crisis 1 Boss Theme while reading this bit
The HUD says Boss Area start as we see Compa throwing her syringes at us.
"Action!" The announcer says.
I quickly shoot her once but I duck knowing full well the syringe will hit me, if I don't hide behind my shield.
Two guards with medic uniforms attempt to kill us, one of them is a grenade thrower but we kill the both of them and we dodge the stick grenade.
Compa tries to come out again but I just shoot her then hide.
She seems tough but I expect this because it's a boss fight. We just need to keep shooting at her and she'll eventually be defeated.
A medic and a red soldier try to kill us but we get them before they shoot.
Compa then tries again with throwing syringes at us, but again she gets shot.
We're told to wait as Compa limps to another location in the room. I guess it's she that needs medical attention now, but I now she's got some fight left in her yet.
She throws syringes but when the announcer says action we shoot her again.
Half a dozen guards come out in an attempt to help her out, but we just take them down and it is in vein. Compa then comes out to throw her syringes again, but we shoot her once and then twice.
We're told to wait as she limps outside the room, where there'll probably be more of them.
3 of the medics come out and protect Compa.
"Action!" The announcer says.
We shoot all 3 at the same time, because we distribute the targets. Compa attempts to throw a barrage of syringes at us, but even though she does it we just shoot her and then hide.
Another medic and a machine gunner try and help, but they just get shot too. Compa does some moves by the side as if to come out, and then hide. Though when she comes out to the centre and throws her syringes, she gets shot again. It can't be longer now. A few other soldiers join in the syringe throwing, but they too get shot.
Eventually Compa gets shot yelling in pain, as she falls to the floor apparently dead, but when she reaches the floor her body disappears. She was tougher than IF but still no match for us. Just them 3 CPUs now, but something tells me they'll put up an even bigger fight.
Our HUD then says:
Stage 2 clear:
Your Time: 06:15:00
Top Time: 06:25:00
Accuracy: 91% 310/340
Nepgear, Neptune and Plutia then appear in the room.
"How dare you take out Compa and Iffy." Neptune says with anger.
We all point our guns at each other.
"But since we have the upper hand of you being trapped in here, we will press on so long." Plutia laughs in an evil way.
They then leave and activate a wall to the entrance of this room. This kinda makes me feel that they didn't really care about their fallen comrades, but what does it matter as we have to track them down, though no doubt they'll try and lead us into a trap. We then go outside the room and notice there's a wall with a corridor at the bottom.
"Climb down it ladies, we'll get them there." I say to them.
We climb down carefully on the brick wall, looking down to see them try to escape.
After a bit of climbing down we jump down.
Our HUD says: Area 1 Start.
Note: Readers please listen to Time Crisis Music Stage 1-1 while reading this bit:
We manage to land without any damage from the fall. There's a helicopter there shooting at us as, we hold out our shields protecting us from its fire.
"Action!" The announcer says.
We constantly shoot at the helicopter numerous times, as its hovering above dropping gunmen down, along with a bazooka and a grenade thrower.
They get shot down very quickly though more of them come out, including a red soldier and a grenade thrower, but we take them out rather easily as well. A man with a pole appears next to me, but I get him before he whacked me with his pipe.
We're told to wait as we move forward, only to see to our left the enemy are manning a few artillery guns, they must intend to use them against us and I have concerns it may be a bit more challenging to stop them.
"Action!" The announcer says.
Thankfully the announcer says danger a few times, as they aim the artillery pieces. Even more thankfully, they pop their heads out when they're about to shoot. We shoot the lot of them and not even the few red soldiers there was much of a problem, due to us 3 working together which is a nice surprise to what I expected to happen.
We're told to wait again, as to our right is a tower with an artillery piece on it. They fire at us again, but they have to reload when the announcer says action. We shoot the guy manning the gun. A helicopter soon comes in, as we empty magazine after magazine. The helicopter tries to fire back, but we duck behind our shields every time. After about 6 seconds it gets shot down in smoke. We're told to wait as we advance to the edge of the corridor. Suddenly someone blows a hole in it as a couple of riot shield users, a machine gunner and a couple of grenade throwers come out.
"Action!" The announcer says as we take them all down with little effort required.
Our HUD then says:
Area 1 clear
Your Time: 07:20:00
Top Time: 07:28:00
Accuracy: 90% 380/420.
I reckon it's going to be quite tricky now. I wouldn't be surprised if I were to lose a life here, but I think we've all done rather well.
Our HUD says Area 2 Start as we enter through the hole, where we appear to be in some sort of factory full of various operating machines, that appear to be processing boxes. We're told to wait as we move into position.
"Action!" The announcer says.
We have to wait for a bit, only for 3 red guys to come out. We each take one of them out meaning there's no problem. We're told to wait as we then head to a conveyor belt full of boxes.
"Action!" The announcer says.
Because of the boxes being in the way, it's a bit difficult to see where they are. It's also frustrating that we can't move to another location. I thought they were too scared knowing what would happen to them, but then various ones come out. We eventually take them out but because of the boxes it takes precious time, a red guy comes out but we take him down too.
After which we're told to wait as we head to a part of the conveyor belt, where a press presses down on the box, it's so big it makes it incredibly difficult to see.
"Action!" The announcer says.
The press which is blocking the view makes it even more harder to take down the enemy troops. Eventually we take them out however, even a red soldier that popped out after the others have died. We're told to wait as we move over the conveyor belt and hide behind a pillar.
"Action!" The announcer says.
About 5 of them pop out for us to take down, the announcer keeps saying danger due to a box that wants to take our life away, but thankfully they died before the box became a problem. We're told to wait as we head to the controls, there's some stairs leading up to a cat walk where more of them are trying to shoot at us.
"Action!" The announcer says.
There's only a few of them this time and they don't pose a problem at all. Even the ones that hide on the stairs died quickly without any trouble.
Our HUD then says:
Area 2 clear
Your Time: 08:25:00
Top Time: 08:35:00
Accuracy: 88% 410/465.
Now our HUD says Area 3 Start. No doubt the hardest level after the 3 stooges.
We're told to wait as we rush up some stairs onto the cat walk, upon going up the stairs we go through a door. We look down to find there's a control room, full of old fashioned computers. There are also maps of Gameindustri along with a 3d map on a table, must also be the planning room then.
"Action!" The announcer says.
Upon looking at the table there are a few guards looking at it. We take them out before they realise we're there. A guard comes out from a lift down there, but he gets shot. A grenade thrower attempts to throw one of her stick grenades, but she gets shot down as well. A couple more of them then get shot as well by my sisters Noire and Uni.
We're told to wait as we head down the stairs. When we reach the bottom the announcer says Action. A few of them pop out from behind the table, only to get shot along with a grenade thrower. A couple of machine gunners then slide down a pole firing their guns as they go down, but they get shot down as well. A man with a pole comes up to me up close, but I shoot him as well. With all of those minions dead, it makes me wonder why they keep coming?
We're told to wait as we move towards the planning table. One of them yells freeze as he attempts to shoot us with his hand gun.
"Action!" The announcer says.
With that we kill him, only for more of them to pop up. There must have been 6 of them including a red solider, but we take them all out with ease as they get shot as soon as they rise. A few of them rise simultaneously, but we take them out as well along with two red soldiers that pop out.
We're told to wait as Plutia comes out leading more of her troops:
"Kill those Lastation CPUs especially Black, he'll pay for betraying us!" Plutia yells.
I thought she's one to talk considering their ruse was about Arfoire, but I must focus as we take position only for her to retreat. By the time we're allowed to fire, a few of them come out only to be shot by us. A claw man then comes out, I shoot him but he just jumps up. He jumps to the back just as a red soldier and another one come out, only for the three of them to get shot. The claw man jumps again to another spot, but then we shoot him again. This time he dies along with a grenade thrower and another solider.
We're told to wait as Nepgear, Neptune and Plutia are in the lift laughing and shooting at us, while the lift takes them up. Fortunately for us there is another lift and when the 3 of us go in, it takes us all the way to what looks like some eastern temple, we go to where there's armour of a samurai carrying a sword.
"Action!" The announcer says as more of their goons pop out. We shoot a few of them that come out. However:
"Danger! Danger!" The announcer warns as the samurai suddenly tries to whack his sword at me, I duck beneath the shield causing the sword to miss.
I know it to be robotic, but what frustrates me is that I'm not allowed to move for some bizarre reason. More of them pop out only for us to shoot them down, after a short while the samurai strikes us again but fortunately I manage to duck. After which we manage to take out the few soldiers that are left.
Our HUD then says:
Area 3 clear
Your Time: 09:55:00
Top Time: 10:00:00
Accuracy: 84% 460/545.
I guess this is it now, us 3 against them. We rush to leave the temple only to find that Neptune, Nepgear and Plutia are there in their HDD forms outside, only they're wearing purple rounded sunglasses and large purple trench coats, very appropriate considering what memories I have of this game. It looks like we will be fighting them soon, although right now we are staring at each other with much hatred towards one another, are we gonna trade insults or bullets… Either way just bring it.