Hard Core Mode Tips

[Dr_Shaneman]

Well, to everyone going for the platinum this mode is as the name suggests. Bloody hard.

I'm about half-way through now and my advice to anyone is the following:

 

• The first level, just memorise it. This is where where you'll notice the difficulty spike from the get-go. Much more enemies and hitting them takes all your 2 hearts. Their projectiles don't however. You'll probably die a lot on Main Street and it's boss but just keep at it.
• Backtrack for heart holders as soon as you get the transformations to find them. Seriously, you'll need them with how touching enemies tears through your health so quickly in this mode. The small enemies in Mermaid Fallso for example, will give you an instant game over if you only have 2 hearts and you touch them.
• Focus on buying bikini armor, attack power-ups, and stocking up on revival potions first. With the way the small quick moving enemies can drain your health vastly, these items will help you avoid game over screens until you gather a good amount of heart holders. Attack items cause less damage to enemies than your hair remember. Also you can only hold 6 revival potions instead of 9 in this mode so bare that in mind.
• Pike Ball and Storm Puff level up to max first. The 2 items are the best to get to max level before any other. Pike Ball for close range, Storm Puff for long range. Then buy the items related to magic usage after.
• Enemies are more vast, and ones that would normally appear later are in earlier levels. A key thing to remember here. Mermaid Falls has a lot of Mermaids/Lamia enemies in the factory area where in normal mode it was just Techno Gruntz and Electro-Bats.If you haven't bought any hair power-ups or found any heart holders by this point you will be struggling a lot.
• Buy the Obliterate dance from the Snake Seller. It'll really help during  bosses (especially the Mermaid Queen as she's tough in this mode) and the Spider enemies (as they take a lot of hits and they're everywhere during the Remains mission in Tassle Town).

 

Hope this'll help you guys get through this mode as I've met plenty of game over screens so far and I'm not even at Ammo Barron yet.

Edited June 26, 2018 by Dr_Shaneman

[optimusmart]

Yea, I strongly suggest taking 375 into Mermaid falls, getting Gemjug, then going back Town and getting ALL upgrades with the Gemjug trick

 

Then hopefully the remainder of the game should be easy

 

U could also do the Shantae win screens on hardcore if u wanted

 

 

Edited June 30, 2018 by optimusmart

[Dr_Shaneman]

I finally beat it today. The last bosses aren't difficult as long as you have 6 potions going into Risky. Just be smart with the invincible bubble.

[TurtlePM]

I'm admired that nobody mentioned the cheap trick to complete this mode... Haven't read anything elsewhere, so I tried it myself and completed the game that way:

1. Before going to the first level, you can break the jars in the town, save (on the left side), quit, load and repeat. Do this until you have enough jewels to upgrade some stuff - like shampoo / spikeball / bubble.

2. Complete the First Level, ignoring enemies when possible. After this, you'll return to the town with some jewels. Upgrade and return to the first level.

3. There is a spot at the beginning where you see two tinkerbats throwing molotovs to the ground. If you stay on the left, tinkerbats will spawn all the time from right, dropping more jewels. When you have enough, use the Whistle to return to the town and spend your jewels in the shop - Repeat this whenever you like.

4. I would suggest that you first upgrade your jewel attract to the max. When at max stat, you can stand in your position, spamming [attack] and when an enemy drops a jewel (mentioned in point 3), it will be automatically picked up. This will reduce your time moving back and forth to grab them. You can use a Turbo Pad if you have one  You will have around 250/300 every 5min. Remember that you can only hold 999 jewels.

5. The other important items I would buy / upgrade are the Bikini (armor), Shantae's hair upgrades (faster and powerfull) and the teleport.

6. The Teleport is very important. Every time you complete an area, you are promped to save the game. Select "Yes" and wait for the moment where you can control Shantae again (you can skip cutscenes, but you need to wait until the boss presentation ends, otherwise it won't work). Once you gain control of her, use the whistle to return to the town, refill your magic and health in the bath and buy more upgrades with the jewels collected. Return to the level you were and use the teleport to move to the next area, allowing you to continue your adventure with full inventory and stats.

 

For the Final Boss:
 

Spoiler

 

7. This is optional but it will help you a lot for the final battle. Once you reach the Save point before the final battle, return to the town and find all gallery keys in the other levels and deliver them to the Mayor. Open all doors and talk to him again to get the magical tiara (I guess) that will reduce the magic spent. This is allow your Invincibility bubble to last longer - and you gonna need it. Try to get some extra hearts while looking for those keys. Don't forget to buy Potions to restore all you health and magic.

8. Risky Boots: try to not use any Potions here. Use any food you found to restore your health. Eventually you will get some extra magic from tinkerbats. If you have the Magic Tiara and all other upgrades, one Potion should be enough, but not more than that. After all, if you fail, you still have the Save Point right before the battle.

9. For the final boss, use the invincibility bubble only when you activate the mechanisms you have to destroy. One hit from those electric shots and you're dead. So don't waste it on other sections. The same is applied to the next stage with the genies. Be sure you have enough Potions during this two sections, specially the last one.

10. Once you reach the escape section, it's basically done  Just press the R1 button to change your magic to Flamethrower, jump and hold the [magic] button until the end of this section. That's right, you can use your Flamethrower so stay in the air, without spending any magic. Make sure that you jump while at the center / right side of the screen, so you don't touch the lava that will cover the left side.

 

 

Edited July 3, 2018 by TurtlePM

[Dr_Shaneman]

The final boss is pretty easy compared to simply getting through the levels.

I think the final form of the Dynamo even takes less hits here.

Edited July 4, 2018 by Dr_Shaneman

[DavySuicide]

On 4.7.2018 at 0:57 AM, TurtlePM said:

I'm admired that nobody mentioned the cheap trick to complete this mode... Haven't read anything elsewhere, so I tried it myself and completed the game that way:

1. Before going to the first level, you can break the jars in the town, save (on the left side), quit, load and repeat. Do this until you have enough jewels to upgrade some stuff - like shampoo / spikeball / bubble.

2. Complete the First Level, ignoring enemies when possible. After this, you'll return to the town with some jewels. Upgrade and return to the first level.

3. There is a spot at the beginning where you see two tinkerbats throwing molotovs to the ground. If you stay on the left, tinkerbats will spawn all the time from right, dropping more jewels. When you have enough, use the Whistle to return to the town and spend your jewels in the shop - Repeat this whenever you like.

4. I would suggest that you first upgrade your jewel attract to the max. When at max stat, you can stand in your position, spamming [attack] and when an enemy drops a jewel (mentioned in point 3), it will be automatically picked up. This will reduce your time moving back and forth to grab them. You can use a Turbo Pad if you have one  You will have around 250/300 every 5min. Remember that you can only hold 999 jewels.

5. The other important items I would buy / upgrade are the Bikini (armor), Shantae's hair upgrades (faster and powerfull) and the teleport.

6. The Teleport is very important. Every time you complete an area, you are promped to save the game. Select "Yes" and wait for the moment where you can control Shantae again (you can skip cutscenes, but you need to wait until the boss presentation ends, otherwise it won't work). Once you gain control of her, use the whistle to return to the town, refill your magic and health in the bath and buy more upgrades with the jewels collected. Return to the level you were and use the teleport to move to the next area, allowing you to continue your adventure with full inventory and stats.

 

For the Final Boss:
 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

7. This is optional but it will help you a lot for the final battle. Once you reach the Save point before the final battle, return to the town and find all gallery keys in the other levels and deliver them to the Mayor. Open all doors and talk to him again to get the magical tiara (I guess) that will reduce the magic spent. This is allow your Invincibility bubble to last longer - and you gonna need it. Try to get some extra hearts while looking for those keys. Don't forget to buy Potions to restore all you health and magic.

8. Risky Boots: try to not use any Potions here. Use any food you found to restore your health. Eventually you will get some extra magic from tinkerbats. If you have the Magic Tiara and all other upgrades, one Potion should be enough, but not more than that. After all, if you fail, you still have the Save Point right before the battle.

9. For the final boss, use the invincibility bubble only when you activate the mechanisms you have to destroy. One hit from those electric shots and you're dead. So don't waste it on other sections. The same is applied to the next stage with the genies. Be sure you have enough Potions during this two sections, specially the last one.

10. Once you reach the escape section, it's basically done  Just press the R1 button to change your magic to Flamethrower, jump and hold the [magic] button until the end of this section. That's right, you can use your Flamethrower so stay in the air, without spending any magic. Make sure that you jump while at the center / right side of the screen, so you don't touch the lava that will cover the left side.

 

 

Thx for this mate might come in very handy since I started this game today. Amazing tips