Post by Sunflora Azumarill on Mar 14, 2011 18:45:18 GMT -5
What separates Pokémon Peace Squad: Chaos Adventure from past installments is the inclusion of Chaos Shards. Said to be connected to the Chaos Emeralds, these crystalline are seeded throughout Aerocia and each one unlocks a different ability. Chaos Shards are similar to the Wisps from Sonic Colors, but happen to also have a number of differences.
Chaos Shards are usually located on a magenta-color crystal plate or within a deep pink-color transparent crystal floating in the air (which breaks upon you touching, giving you the Chaos Shard). Chaos Shards usually regenerate a short time after one is grabbed.
Once you grab a Chaos Shard, the Chaos Meter will become full and indicate which kind of Shard you're holding. When X (or the equivalent of X for whatever controller you're using) is pressed, the Chaos Shard activates and the meter will start to deplete. Pressing X again turns off the effect. Once the Chaos Meter becomes empty, the effect ends automatically.
Only one Chaos Shard can be carried at a time (for the record, Chaos Shards are not like other carryable items such as Scopes). If you grab a Chaos Shard of a different color, you'll automatically switch to the new color (with the meter once again full) (if a Chaos Shard effect is working when a different Shard is grabbed, the effect ends). If you grab a Shard of the same color, the meter will become full again (the effect of the Shard doesn't end).
While much of the time using a Chaos Shard ability is optional, there are also many times where you'll need to use an ability to progress through the stage. As the game progresses, you'll be utilizing more kinds of Chaos Shards. Once you get an item called a Chaos Capacitor, the Chaos Meter depletion is reduced by half, meaning you get more power or time with such an ability (this is so for the rest of the game).
Another thing you need to know is that human enemies are also capable of using Chaos Shards, so whatever kinds of Chaos Shards are seen in a stage, expect some of your foes to use their abilities as well. There are seven different kinds of Chaos Shard, and each one holds different abilities for you to use. Here's the list of each kind of Chaos Shard:
Red Chaos Shard: Jet Blitz
-This causes you to blast forward at supersonic speed (like in Mach Speed Mode). When using this effect, you can make precise 90 degree turns, blast through certain walls, make impressive jumps, run along the surface of water, run up and across walls, and even shoot through the air if you go off a ramp. Whenever you reach a turn or obstacle, time will slow down (similar to Clark Kent running in Smallville), allowing you to make the necessary moves to get past it. One example of using Jet Blitz is to get by fast moving lasers too fast for someone to normally pass.
Yellow Chaos Shard: Spiral Drill
-This allows you to drill into the ground, whether it be soft dirt, thick wood, hard rock, or even hardened steel. After doing so, you can drill down to areas below, burrow under walls, or navigate underground. To navigate after entering ground, press any direction and you'll start going in that direction. Not pressing anything causes you to keep going downward. When underground, things such as items, undrillable objects (like blocks), and even things such as bombs or spikes will be indicated on the screen. Pressing X or having the Chaos Meter reach empty will have you quickly rise back up to the surface. Be careful not to surface when under something hazardous such as lava or instant-freezing water. If you hit water or use Spiral Drill when underwater, you'll start dropping downward quickly.
For the record, this Chaos Shard is similar to the Yellow Wisp from Sonic Colors. There are still some differences in how the drilling process works and this is also something borrowed from Super Mario Galaxy 2.
Green Chaos Shard: Spin Cyclone
-This causes you to spin, creating a green whirlwind that lifts you above the ground and can blow enemies or other objects away, start up fan-like objects, and even hover in the air. This effect also makes you light as a feather, allowing you to travel along wind currents that appear in some stages. One example of using Spin Cyclone is to start up a fan under you and lift you into the air.
Teal Chaos Shard: Aero Jump
-This allows you to make extremely high jumps into the air. Once you activate the ability, you'll start to constantly shoot upward. Pressing X stops the jump. While jumping, you can move yourself in any direction to bypass various obstacles that you might hit along the way. Pressing B (or the equivalent of B for whatever controller you're using) will cause you to go into a spinning flip that damages enemies and also can break various obstacles. If you activate this ability while in midair, you'll start jumping upward like you would normally use this ability, allowing you to even use it as a safety net. Getting hit, however, ends the effect.
For the record, this Chaos Shard is similar to the Orange Wisp from Sonic Colors. There are still differences such as the method of going upward and the things you can do while doing so.
Blue Chaos Shard: Power Sphere
-This allows you to create a special ranged attack that can be sent forward. When you start holding the X button, you'll begin charging up a blue energy sphere that can be sent forward. The more you charge up, the bigger and more powerful the sphere is. The biggest sphere you can make is one that consumes your whole Chaos Meter (once you get the Chaos Capacitor, this takes up only half the meter). Power Spheres are typeless, meaning that they'll do normal damage to any enemy. Some obstacles can only be destroyed by a Power Sphere. Starting in the first stage where you find a Blue Chaos Shard, you'll also find objects called Crystal Cubes, rainbow-tinted crystalline boxes developed by Team Rocket by researching the Chaos Shards (although they also appear in non-Team Rocket oriented stages). These act like various cages, in which they may hold items, switches, or other objects, but switches and defeating enemies won't open them. Only using a Power Sphere will.
Violet Chaos Shard: Reverse Walk
-This allows you to walk on ceilings (similar to Upsadasium Mode in Pokémon Peace Squad 2) and walls. When you press the X button, you'll start to fall towards the nearest wall or ceiling (if you press X when not near any walls or ceilings, you'll start falling upward). When in Reverse Walk mode, you'll be able to jump, attack, grind rails, and even homing attack without disrupting your orientation. If you go up to a wall or ceiling when on another such surface, you'll go onto that surface. Pressing the X button again has you exit Reverse Walk mode. When the Chaos Meter reaches empty, you'll automatically exit Reverse Walk mode.
For the record, this Chaos Shard is similar to the Pink Wisp from Sonic Colors. There are differences in how the Shard works, mainly being your gravity altering to allow you to walk on such surfaces.
Clear Chaos Shard: Prism Shield
-This allows you to activate a crystalline shield around yourself that protects you from attacks and other hazards. Holding the X button activates the shield and letting go of X turns it off. When the Chaos Meter reaches empty, the shield will turn off automatically. There are some obstacles such as fast moving multi-grid fields of blue lasers that you can't get past any other way, lava pools, energy pools, and others that require you to use a Prism Shield to get through. Note thatthere's no Invincibility powerups of any kind in this game due to the fact that Prism Shield basically acts the same as Invincibility, just using a meter instead of a timer.
Rainbow Chaos Shard: Hyper Drive
-This happens to be a Chaos Shard developed by Team Rocket by researching the other Chaos Shards. These Chaos Shards are only seen in the areas Final Command, Galaxy Park, and the Giovanni and MechaMew2 battles. This Shard allows you to double the power of all of your attacks. Pressing the X button causes your character to be enveloped in a rainbow aura. As long as the Shard is in effect (the Chaos Meter still depletes), all of your attacks are coated in rainbow energy and do twice as much damage to foes. Unlike other Chaos Shards, once the X button is pressed, the Rainbow Shard will stay in effect until the meter reaches empty, so use this wisely.
Chaos Shards are usually located on a magenta-color crystal plate or within a deep pink-color transparent crystal floating in the air (which breaks upon you touching, giving you the Chaos Shard). Chaos Shards usually regenerate a short time after one is grabbed.
Once you grab a Chaos Shard, the Chaos Meter will become full and indicate which kind of Shard you're holding. When X (or the equivalent of X for whatever controller you're using) is pressed, the Chaos Shard activates and the meter will start to deplete. Pressing X again turns off the effect. Once the Chaos Meter becomes empty, the effect ends automatically.
Only one Chaos Shard can be carried at a time (for the record, Chaos Shards are not like other carryable items such as Scopes). If you grab a Chaos Shard of a different color, you'll automatically switch to the new color (with the meter once again full) (if a Chaos Shard effect is working when a different Shard is grabbed, the effect ends). If you grab a Shard of the same color, the meter will become full again (the effect of the Shard doesn't end).
While much of the time using a Chaos Shard ability is optional, there are also many times where you'll need to use an ability to progress through the stage. As the game progresses, you'll be utilizing more kinds of Chaos Shards. Once you get an item called a Chaos Capacitor, the Chaos Meter depletion is reduced by half, meaning you get more power or time with such an ability (this is so for the rest of the game).
Another thing you need to know is that human enemies are also capable of using Chaos Shards, so whatever kinds of Chaos Shards are seen in a stage, expect some of your foes to use their abilities as well. There are seven different kinds of Chaos Shard, and each one holds different abilities for you to use. Here's the list of each kind of Chaos Shard:
Red Chaos Shard: Jet Blitz
-This causes you to blast forward at supersonic speed (like in Mach Speed Mode). When using this effect, you can make precise 90 degree turns, blast through certain walls, make impressive jumps, run along the surface of water, run up and across walls, and even shoot through the air if you go off a ramp. Whenever you reach a turn or obstacle, time will slow down (similar to Clark Kent running in Smallville), allowing you to make the necessary moves to get past it. One example of using Jet Blitz is to get by fast moving lasers too fast for someone to normally pass.
Yellow Chaos Shard: Spiral Drill
-This allows you to drill into the ground, whether it be soft dirt, thick wood, hard rock, or even hardened steel. After doing so, you can drill down to areas below, burrow under walls, or navigate underground. To navigate after entering ground, press any direction and you'll start going in that direction. Not pressing anything causes you to keep going downward. When underground, things such as items, undrillable objects (like blocks), and even things such as bombs or spikes will be indicated on the screen. Pressing X or having the Chaos Meter reach empty will have you quickly rise back up to the surface. Be careful not to surface when under something hazardous such as lava or instant-freezing water. If you hit water or use Spiral Drill when underwater, you'll start dropping downward quickly.
For the record, this Chaos Shard is similar to the Yellow Wisp from Sonic Colors. There are still some differences in how the drilling process works and this is also something borrowed from Super Mario Galaxy 2.
Green Chaos Shard: Spin Cyclone
-This causes you to spin, creating a green whirlwind that lifts you above the ground and can blow enemies or other objects away, start up fan-like objects, and even hover in the air. This effect also makes you light as a feather, allowing you to travel along wind currents that appear in some stages. One example of using Spin Cyclone is to start up a fan under you and lift you into the air.
Teal Chaos Shard: Aero Jump
-This allows you to make extremely high jumps into the air. Once you activate the ability, you'll start to constantly shoot upward. Pressing X stops the jump. While jumping, you can move yourself in any direction to bypass various obstacles that you might hit along the way. Pressing B (or the equivalent of B for whatever controller you're using) will cause you to go into a spinning flip that damages enemies and also can break various obstacles. If you activate this ability while in midair, you'll start jumping upward like you would normally use this ability, allowing you to even use it as a safety net. Getting hit, however, ends the effect.
For the record, this Chaos Shard is similar to the Orange Wisp from Sonic Colors. There are still differences such as the method of going upward and the things you can do while doing so.
Blue Chaos Shard: Power Sphere
-This allows you to create a special ranged attack that can be sent forward. When you start holding the X button, you'll begin charging up a blue energy sphere that can be sent forward. The more you charge up, the bigger and more powerful the sphere is. The biggest sphere you can make is one that consumes your whole Chaos Meter (once you get the Chaos Capacitor, this takes up only half the meter). Power Spheres are typeless, meaning that they'll do normal damage to any enemy. Some obstacles can only be destroyed by a Power Sphere. Starting in the first stage where you find a Blue Chaos Shard, you'll also find objects called Crystal Cubes, rainbow-tinted crystalline boxes developed by Team Rocket by researching the Chaos Shards (although they also appear in non-Team Rocket oriented stages). These act like various cages, in which they may hold items, switches, or other objects, but switches and defeating enemies won't open them. Only using a Power Sphere will.
Violet Chaos Shard: Reverse Walk
-This allows you to walk on ceilings (similar to Upsadasium Mode in Pokémon Peace Squad 2) and walls. When you press the X button, you'll start to fall towards the nearest wall or ceiling (if you press X when not near any walls or ceilings, you'll start falling upward). When in Reverse Walk mode, you'll be able to jump, attack, grind rails, and even homing attack without disrupting your orientation. If you go up to a wall or ceiling when on another such surface, you'll go onto that surface. Pressing the X button again has you exit Reverse Walk mode. When the Chaos Meter reaches empty, you'll automatically exit Reverse Walk mode.
For the record, this Chaos Shard is similar to the Pink Wisp from Sonic Colors. There are differences in how the Shard works, mainly being your gravity altering to allow you to walk on such surfaces.
Clear Chaos Shard: Prism Shield
-This allows you to activate a crystalline shield around yourself that protects you from attacks and other hazards. Holding the X button activates the shield and letting go of X turns it off. When the Chaos Meter reaches empty, the shield will turn off automatically. There are some obstacles such as fast moving multi-grid fields of blue lasers that you can't get past any other way, lava pools, energy pools, and others that require you to use a Prism Shield to get through. Note thatthere's no Invincibility powerups of any kind in this game due to the fact that Prism Shield basically acts the same as Invincibility, just using a meter instead of a timer.
Rainbow Chaos Shard: Hyper Drive
-This happens to be a Chaos Shard developed by Team Rocket by researching the other Chaos Shards. These Chaos Shards are only seen in the areas Final Command, Galaxy Park, and the Giovanni and MechaMew2 battles. This Shard allows you to double the power of all of your attacks. Pressing the X button causes your character to be enveloped in a rainbow aura. As long as the Shard is in effect (the Chaos Meter still depletes), all of your attacks are coated in rainbow energy and do twice as much damage to foes. Unlike other Chaos Shards, once the X button is pressed, the Rainbow Shard will stay in effect until the meter reaches empty, so use this wisely.