History YMMV / ZeroRanger

* SugarWiki/BestBossEver: The ClimaxBoss fight with [[spoiler:Grapefruit]] at the end of Stage 2-3 is regarded as the high point of the game, where you duke it out with [[spoiler:the fighter that was meant to be superior to yours, capable of transforming and using weapons that are very similar to yours]], all while "Sky XXXX Days" plays and over an awesome galactic background. In the final phase of the fight, [[spoiler:Grapefruit will pull out a new attack dependent on which weapon you chose for your [=ZeroRanger=] form: an energy orb for [[TennisBoss the most hot-blooded round of tennis in a shmup]] if you chose the sword, or their own drill which creates bullets and electric sparks as it clashes with your drill if you chose the drill.]]

* NightmareFuel:
** At the end of Stage 2-1, [[spoiler:you fight Catastrophe again, except its core now features an inexplicable skull. Defeat this boss, and you'll go to the ScoreScreen...only to be greeted by the BossWarningSiren again, the following "advice" text, and Catastrophe snapping its wings off to reveal its OneWingedAngel form, an AxCrazy cobra mecha while frantic music plays.]]
---> [[spoiler:MAY YOU ATTAIN EN[[{{Pun}} FRIGHT]]ENMENT: \\
[[RapidFireNo 1: NO \\
2: NO \\
3: NO]][[note]]Or in the Great Oppressor timeline: "TAKE HEED AND [[DontAskJustRun JUST RUN AWAY]] - 1: IT'S NOT WORTH IT - 2: IT'S NOT WORTH IT - 3: IT'S NOT WORTH IT"[[/note]]]]
** At the end of Stage 2-2, [[spoiler:2nd Apocalypse's head shoots out of the ship you just destroyed, about to presumably take on an extra form like Catastrophe did... only for the lights to go out and [[TrickBoss a new boss to devour it]]. When the lights come back on, you see what finished off Catastrophe: a massive onion-headed mech, Pandemonion. The "advice" screen comes up again, but this time in [[BlackSpeech ominous unknown script]].]]
** The end of the game. [[spoiler:You've defeated GREEN ORANGE and just blasted your way out of her base... only to critically damage your fighter in the process. Erasure appears to inform you that you'll die in about 4 minutes from lack of life systems, [[PyrrhicVictory GREEN ORANGE's forces destroyed all planetary life anyway]], and gives you one possible final out: To travel back in time and stop the original form of GREEN ORANGE. Accept her offer and you travel through an absolutely trippy landscape with more of the mysterious onion people you see in the background. To top it all off are the stakes for this final battle: If you lose all of your lives, [[CessationOfExistence your existence is erased]] '''[[DeletionAsPunishment and so is your saved progress]]'''. Remember the weird cutscene you see when you first start the game, with the black monster towering over the glowing white humanoid followed by a SmashToBlack? ''[[StableTimeLoop That's your game over if you lose.]]'']]

** At the end of Stage 2-2, [[spoiler:2nd Apocalypse's head shoots out of the ship you just destroyed, about to presumably take on an extra form like Catastrophe did...only for the lights to go out and [[TrickBoss a new boss to devour it]]. When the lights come back on, you see what finished off Catastrophe: a massive onion-headed mech, Pandemonion. The "advice" screen comes up again, but this time in [[BlackSpeech ominous unknown script]].]]
** The end of the game. [[spoiler:You've defeated GREEN ORANGE and just blasted your way out of her base...only to critically damage your fighter in the process. Erasure appears to inform you that you'll die in about 4 minutes from lack of life systems, [[PyrrhicVictory GREEN ORANGE's forces destroyed all planetary life anyway]], and gives you one possible final out: To travel back in time and stop the original form of GREEN ORANGE. Accept her offer and your you travel through an absolutely trippy landscape with more of the mysterious onion people you see in the background. To top it all off are the stakes for this final battle: If you lose all of your lives, [[CessationOfExistence your existence is erased]] '''[[DeletionAsPunishment and so is your saved progress]]'''. Remember the weird cutscene you see when you first start the game, with the black monster towering over the glowing white humanoid followed by a SmashToBlack? ''[[StableTimeLoop That's your game over if you lose.]]'']]
* ScrappyMechanic: [[spoiler:The save filed getting erased after losing to the final boss has become one of the game's most reviled mechanic for a lot of players, as not only hours of progress are lost, but your continues are lost as well.]] Mercifully, once you beat it, you never have to deal with this again unless [[spoiler:you decide to hard-reset Erasure]], as [[spoiler:this sequence is not part of the Great Oppressor timeline]]. However, [[spoiler:if you know wher eyour saved game is, you can back it up and restore it if you fall to the Lotus Jewel.]]

* UnderusedGameMechanic: [[spoiler:During the LotusEaterMachine sequence in Stage 2-4]], there's a neat ArrangeMode you can play that uses controls and scoring akin to ''VideoGame/DoDonPachi'', including {{Smart Bomb}}s which the main game does not have. [[spoiler:It even has a unique boss not found in the regular game. Sadly this mode only lasts one stage. You lose access to this minigame if you defeat the TrueFinalBoss, and have to re-unlock it by resetting back into the GREEN ORANGE timeline.]]
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Poor, poor [[spoiler:Despair. She was created from the Lotus Jewel and tasked to destroy all lifeforms aside from humanity. Because of this, she goes insane from the [[MeaningfulName despair]] and loneliness from being separated from her sister and turns against humanity.]]

* UnderusedGameMechanic: [[spoiler:During the LotusEaterMachine sequence in Stage 2-4]], there's a neat ArrangeMode you can play that uses controls and scoring akin to ''VideoGame/DoDonPachi'', including {{Smart Bomb}}s which the main game does not have. [[spoiler:It even has a unique boss not found in the regular game. Sadly this mode only lasts one stage. You lose access to this minigame if you defeat the TrueFinalBoss, and have to re-unlock it by resetting back into the GREEN ORANGE timeline.]]

** The end of the game. [[spoiler:You've defeated GREEN ORANGE and just blasted your way out of her base...only to critically damage your fighter in the process. Erasure appears to inform you that you'll die in about 4 minutes from lack of life systems, [[PyrrhicVictory GREEN ORANGE's forces destroyed all planetary life anyway]], and gives you one possible final out: To travel back in time and stop the original form of GREEN ORANGE. Accept her offer and your you travel through an absolutely trippy landscape with more of the mysterious onion people you see in the background. To top it all off are the stakes for this final battle: If you lose all of your lives, [[CessationOfExistence your existence is erased]] '''[[DeletionAsPunishment and so is your saved progress]]'''. Remember the weird cutscene you see when you first start the game, with the black monster towering over the glowing white humanoid followed by a SmashToBlack? ''[[StableTimeLoop That's your game over if you lose.]]'']]

** The end of the game. [[spoiler:You've defeated GREEN ORANGE and just blasted your way out of her base...only to critically damage your fighter in the process. Erasure appears to inform you that you'll die in about 4 minutes from lack of life systems, [[PyrrhicVictory GREEN ORANGE's forces destroyed all planetary life anyway]], and gives you one possible final out: To travel back in time and stop the original form of GREEN ORANGE. Accept her offer and you travel through an absolutely trippy landscape with more of the mysterious onion people you see in the background. To top it all off are the stakes for this final battle: If you lose all of your lives, [[CessationOfExistence your existence is erased]] '''[[DeletionAsPunishment and so is your saved progress]]'''.]]

** The end of the game. [[spoiler:You've defeated GREEN ORANGE and just blasted your way out of her base...only to critically damage your fighter in the process. Erasure appears to inform you that you'll die in about 4 minutes from lack of life systems, and gives you one possible final out: To travel back in time and stop the original form of GREEN ORANGE. Accept her offer and you travel through an absolutely trippy landscape with more of the mysterious onion people you see in the background. To top it all off are the stakes for this final battle: If you lose all of your lives, [[CessationOfExistence your existence is erased]] '''[[DeletionAsPunishment and so is your saved progress]]'''.]]

3: NO]][[note]]Or in the Great Oppressor timeline: "TAKE HEED AND JUST RUN AWAY - 1: IT'S NOT WORTH IT - 2: IT'S NOT WORTH IT - 3: IT'S NOT WORTH IT[[/note]]]]

** The end of the game. [[spoiler:You've defeated GREEN ORANGE and just blasted your way out of her base...only to critically damage your fighter in the process. Erasure appears to inform you that you'll die in about 4 minutes from lack of life systems, and gives you one possible final out: To travel back in time and stop the original form of GREEN ORANGE. Accept her offer and you travel through an absolutely trippy landscape with more of the mysterious onion people you see in the background. To top it all off are the stakes for this final battle: If you lose all of your lives, your existence is erased '''[[DeletionAsPunishment and so is your saved progress]]'''.]]

** The end of the game. [[spoiler:You've defeated GREEN ORANGE and just blasted your way out of her base...only to critically damage your fighter in the process. Erasure appears to inform you that you'll die in about 4 minutes from lack of life systems, and gives you one possible final out: To travel back in time and stop the original form of GREEN ORANGE. Accept her offer and you travel through an absolutely trippy landscape with more of the mysterious onion people you see in the background. To top it all off are the stakes for this final battle: If you lose all of your lives, your existence is erased '''[[DeletionAsPunishment and so is your save file]]'''.]]

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot21zhH7uXk Crisis]], a short but very frantic theme played in Stages 2-1 and 2-4, encapsulating the feeling of [[spoiler:shock after the Stage 2-1 boss suddenly takes on an AxCrazy OneWingedAngel form]] or [[spoiler:tension and distress as you attempt to [[EscapeSequence flee GREEN ORANGE's planetoid station as it blows up]] and your weapons break apart as you OutrunTheFireball]]. As of the White Vanilla update, an extended, more HotBlooded version of this track plays during the [[spoiler:escape sequence]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaBIZg1rR0w Now or Never, Get Fired Up!!]

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot21zhH7uXk Crisis]], a short but very frantic theme played in Stages 2-1 and 2-4, encapsulating the feeling of [[spoiler:shock after the Stage 2-1 boss suddenly takes on an AxCrazy OneWingedAngel form]] or [[spoiler:tension and distress as you attempt to [[EscapeSequence flee GREEN ORANGE's planetoid station as it blows up]] and your weapons break apart as you OutrunTheFireball]].

* BreatherBoss: Erasure/[[spoiler:Regret]]'s [[BossBonanza four-boss gauntlet]] that follows the crystal skull in Stage 1-4 is considerably easier than said skull boss, which fires orbs that block the player's shots and tend to abuse {{Knockback}} and CollisionDamage. These minibosses have easier attacks and each of them drops a OneUp upon defeat, [[spoiler:except for the Monk/Skeleton, and even then you can easily skip that boss by shooting its SnotBubble]].

* ThatOneAchievement: Both modes have the "Enlightenment" achievement, which requires you to get every single achievement specific to the mode you're in ''within the same playthrough''.

* ScrappyMechanic: [[spoiler:The save filed getting erased after losing to the final boss has become one of the game's most reviled mechanic for a lot of players, as not only hours of progress are lost, but your continues are lost as well.]] Mercifully, once you beat it, you never have to deal with this again unless [[spoiler:you decide to hard-reset Erasure]], as [[spoiler:this sequence is not part of the Great Oppressor timeline]].

* BreatherBoss: Erasure/[[spoiler:Regret]]'s four-boss gauntlet that follows the crystal skull in Stage 1-4 are considerably easier than said skull boss, which fires orbs that block the player's shots and tend to abuse {{Knockback}} and CollisionDamage. Erasure's miniboss squad have easier attacks and each of them drops a OneUp upon defeat, [[spoiler:except for the Monk/Skeleton, and even then you can easily skip that boss by shooting its SnotBubble]].

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot21zhH7uXk Crisis]], a short but very frantic theme played in Stages 2-1 and 2-4, encapsulating the feeling of [[spoiler:shock after the Stage 2-1 boss suddenly takes on an AxCrazy OneWingedAngel form]] or [[spoiler:tension and distress as you attempt to [[EscapeSequence flee GREEN ORANGE's planetoid station as it blows up]] and you have to give up your weapons to OutrunTheFireball]].

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot21zhH7uXk Crisis]], a short but very frantic theme played in Stages 2-1 and 2-4, encapsulating the feeling of [[spoiler:shock after the Stage 2-1 boss suddenly takes on an AxCrazy OneWingedAngel form]] or [[spoiler:tension and distress as you attempt to flee GREEN ORANGE's planetoid station as it blows up and you have to give up your weapons to OutrunTheFireball]].

* ScrappyMechanic: [[spoiler:The save filed getting erased after losing to the final boss has become one of the game's most reviled mechanic for a lot of players, as not only hours of progress are lost, but your continues are lost as well.]] Mercifully, once you beat it, you never have to deal with this again unless [[spoiler:you decide to hard-reset Erasure]], as [[spoiler:this sequence is not part of the Great Oppressor timeline]].

* UnderusedGameMechanic: [[spoiler:During the LotusEaterMachine sequence in Stage 2-4]], there's a neat ArrangeMode you can play that uses controls and scoring akin to ''VideoGame/DoDonPachi'', including {{Smart Bomb}}s which the main game does not have. [[spoiler:It even has a unique boss not found in the regular game. Sadly this mode only lasts one stage.]]

* ThatOneBoss: Stage 1-2 and 2-2 has [[VideoGame/RType Artypo]], who not only fires lightning-fast bullets but also blocks your shots with its Force Device. Fire at the Force too much and it unleashes a special spread attack, which can be fatal if you fire at the Force while it's at the bottom half of the screen. Its tendency to shield itself also makes a bane amongst speedrunners and those otherwise trying to get the Z-rank time bonus in White Vanilla / Light mode. It is possible to near-instantly kill this boss with the back shot, but getting into position to do it is a near-suicidal effort.

* NightmareFuel:
** In Stage 2-1, [[spoiler:the endboss, Catastrophe, has a creepy-looking skull face on its fuselage. After the boss appears to be defeated and the end-of-stage ScoreScreen appears, the BossWarningSiren plays again, and the NotQuiteDead boss charges back up the screen, tears its wings off, and shows off its OneWingedAngel form as a cobra-like mecha as it then frantically fires off attacks while [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot21zhH7uXk extremely tense music]] plays.]]
---> [[spoiler:MAY YOU ATTAIN ENFRIGHTENMENT...]] \\
[[spoiler:1: [[RapidFireNo NO]]]] \\
[[spoiler:2: [[RapidFireNo NO]]]] \\
[[spoiler:3: [[RapidFireNo NO]][[note]]Or in the Great Oppressor timeline: "[[DontAskJustRun TAKE HEED AND JUST RUN AWAY]]... [[MadnessMantra 1: IT'S NOT WORTH IT. 2: IT'S NOT WORTH IT. 3: IT'S NOT WORTH IT.]]"[[/note]]]]
** A similar occurance takes place in Stage 2-2. [[spoiler:After defeating the endboss 2nd Apocalypse, the strange face on its "core" shoots up, the warning screen shows up again, the lights go out, and you see another pair of eyes. The lights go back on as the face gets devoured by Pandemonion, a giant onion-headed mech whose apperance is heralded by text written in unreadable strange symbols.]]

[[spoiler:3: [[RapidFireNo NO]][[note]]Or in the Great Oppressor timeline: "TAKE HEED AND JUST RUN AWAY... [[MadnessMantra 1: IT'S NOT WORTH IT. 2: IT'S NOT WORTH IT. 3: IT'S NOT WORTH IT.]]"[[/note]]]]