PrinceWatercress plays Rapid Reload (as Axel) - Part 2 of 6

The next area takes us to some jungle ruins, which become a little more interesting than the base we were just at.

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Round 2

In this area, you'll be destroying a lot of wildlife, including sea worms and piranhas, but you won't usually be seeing them if you fire H the whole time. The big grey metal enemies go down quickly with F, though.

The first area boss is some sort of sea worm. Fire at it with H and stay all the way to the left to avoid the spinning tail attack. When the boss drop down, aim upwards to take out all the bombs, and slide to the left when the boss sucks you towards it. Stay far to the left to avoid the tail whip. If the boss sinks into the water, get to the other side.

The second section has flying enemies as well as some mechs. Use F to take out the mechs, and remember that the flying enemies take more abuse before they go down.

The second area boss is a chameleon. Fire H the whole time and stay as far away from this thing as you can. If if grabs you with its tongue, it will drag you close to do damage. Avoid the fireball it shoots from its tail, and pay attention to where it goes when it teleports.

The third section has pillbugs that produce flames as they roll as well as flying enemies that shoot two lasers diagonally downwards. Aiming up lets you take out the flying enemies with ease.

The guardian of the boss is a metal mantis. Duck down in front of the boss and keep firing H to avoid the scythe projectiles, then get all the way to the left when the last projectile returns and duck to avoid the arm swipes. When the mantis goes back and gets on all fours to turn into a scorpion, jump over the fire columns that travel towards you, then jump when the scorpion form moves its pincers forward after it approaches you. From here, the pattern repeats.

At 3000 HP, stay in front of the boss. When it rears its arm back to throw a projectile, be ready to jump to the left. Keep avoiding the projectiles and keep firing H and you should be able to wear down the guardian's final hit points. When you beat the guardian, you'll find out that the Pumpkin Heads have the Valkiry now.

PrinceWatercress plays Rapid Reload (as Axel) - Part 1 of 6

From the makers of Wild Guns comes a Gunstar Heroes-esque game that never made it to America! Play through six stages and fight the Pumpkin Heads to get the Valkiry - a legendary stone with magical powers - before they do!

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Here's the basic plot of the game according to Wikipedia:

Upon hearing the legend of the treasure known as the Valkiry, treasure hunters Axel Sonics and Ruka Hetfield embark on an adventurous quest to find the legendary stone. However, unknown to Axel and Ruka at the start, there is also a terrorist organization known as the Pumpkin Heads searching for the Valkiry, determined to use the stone for world domination.

When you start the game, you have a choice between Axel Sonics and Ruka Hetfield. We'll be playing as Axel for this playthrough.

Round 1

When you start the game, Left and Right let you move around while Down lets you duck down and aim low. You can also use the D-Pad to aim in any direction, and you can aim downwards while in mid-air. Square shoots, X jumps, Circle lets you use a screen clearing bomb if you have any in the lower-right corner of the screen. L2 lets you aim without moving, while R2 lets you use a wire, which is essentially a grappling hook, in conjunction with the D-Pad so you can grapple onto ceilings and platforms.. Down and X lets you slide. 

Triangle lets you switch between four weapons, and you can tell which one is equipped by looking at the end of your health bar. N is your normal shot, G is your glide shot that can goes forwards and covers more ground when it hits a wall or floor or ceiling, H is your homing shot and can take out three enemies automatically at the same time, and F is your fireball that fires more slowly than the other weapons but does the most damage.

As you shoot enemies, you'll find P Gems. The bigger they are, the more they are worth, and the more P gems you have, the bigger the count will be on the "Power" box at the top center of the screen. While you have Power, your shots will be stronger and do more damage. The power meter will eventually go down to zero, however, and you'll need to get grabbing P gems in order to maintain power and keep it for longer.

Your health is at the top of the screen. You only have one life, and if you run out of health, you'll have to use one of your nine continues to continue the game. If you continue, you'll be taken back to the start of the level where you died.

The foot soldiers will have P gems, and they'll go down easily with any of the weapon. H works best against flying enemies and foot soldiers, though. To take out tanks and mechs, use F. 

The heart with the green glow replenishes a little bit of your health.

You can sometimes grab onto the bottom of platforms by holding Up when jumping. Holding Up and jumping lets you vault up. You can also drop down by jumping while holding Down.

To beat the first area boss, stay all the way to the left, face fight, duck down, switch to F and keep firing so you don't get hit by the machine gun. The area boss won't be able to hurt you.

When you fight area bosses and guardians, the power meter will stop counting down, so you don't have to worry about losing weapon power when fighting the tougher enemies.

Watch out for the machine gun fire from the turrets that come out of the floors and ceilings. Two of them will block your path, but if you duck down right in front of either one, you won't get hit. Watch out for bombs that drop down from the ceilings at times. 

The pick-up that looks like a flashing shuriken is the Boost power-up. This turns the number for the power meter into the word "BOOST" for a little while, and while you have the power boost, your weapon becomes very powerful.

To beat the second area boss, equip F, stay to the left and fire at the boss as it stands still. When it advances, duck down and switch to H, then fire at it and keep ducking to avoid the mace it swings around. When the boss returns, the mace will fly up and hit the ground after the boss straightens it out. Wait for the mace to hit, then get to where it landed when the debris from it rises up. Get to the other side as the boss teleports. The pattern will then repeat. Just remember to stay to the right the second time around.

You'll soon climb up and take out enemies. You'll probably run out of energy soon enough, but there will be a blue P Gem that you can collect for 30 Power. Grab it and get on the elevator.

The guardian for this level is some sort of spider looking thing. Switch to H and shoot the leg until the cannons on them explode. The boss will come back together. Keep firing H and avoid the blue orbs that fire downwards. When the boss' health is down to 2000, use H or F to fire at the boss, and don't be under it when it stops so the big blue laser doesn't hit you. Once you beat the guardian, it's on to Level 2.

PrinceWatercress plays The Lone Ranger - Part 12 of 12

It's time. Today, we finally go face-to-face with Butch Cavendish and rescue the President.

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Welcome to the final part of the game. Butch Cavendish's fortress is up ahead, and Butch has a steam locomotive trap he is waiting to catch you with. Head back to Abilene and stock up on bullets before continuing.

When you run into the guy in black who is in your way, you'll be in one more side-scrolling platforming section. Be ready to shoot diagonally to take out enemies on the way up. You'll have to head right, make your way down, head right, then make your way back up. The wooden bridges move up and down if you jump on them, so be sure to walk on them. There will be an awful lot of enemies here, so you'll need to pay attention to your surroundings and take them out while avoiding their bullets. Thankfully, once you make it to the exit, the guy in black will be gone. You can then head back to Abilene to heal up and stock up before heading to the fort.

In the next section, watch out for the guys on the cart. Stick to the west side of the fort at the start, then stay up to the north while watching out for the guys on the carts, who will shoot at you. When you can't go east anymore, head south. The next part is dead ahead. Enter the building, then goes down the stairs.

The next section is a first-person section. The enemy battles you will have here will have you twisted around a bit, so remember what direction you were facing last before you got into a gunfight. Equip the standard bullets, then go north and follow the path east. Take the turn, then keep heading south. Take the turn at the end, follow the path, and you should be out of there.

Get back to the silver bullets. Use the mine cart to mow down the enemies, then watch out for the red hot spikes on the floor as well as the areas of the floor where the floor sinks down. I usually do nothing but jump to the right as I fight enemies during this whole second section of the underground area.

Wait for the spears to rise up in the center and lower before continuing on. There are conveyor belts here, but it's easy to tell which direction they will push you in.

At the boilers, watch out for the falling plates and wait for them to go back up before continuing. As for the red parts on the floor, don't step on those. They hurt. When you go upstairs, wait for the jets of water to stop shooting out before continuing. At the set of doors at the end, take the middle door.

You'll then be in a top-down section. Make your way through the conveyor belts to the north, then keep heading in that general direction. Avoid the fire bars that spin around as you go, and take out the light blue guys for health whenever you can.

In the area with the gray floor, the bullets will bounce off the walls. You can use this to your advantage and take out enemies from blind corners, but the enemies can take advantage of this, too. 

In the next area, watch out for the fire jets, then make your way to the north. There will be two bosses with machine guns to the north. Make sure you have full health, and take out one guy at a time. Your best bet is to stand at an angle where the enemy can shoot at you, but at the same time, the bullets can't get to you. The bullets can track, but not that well. By taking out one guy and then the other, you will make this a little easier and a little faster to get through, but not by much. The bosses will need to reload, and you can use this opportunity to get some shots in. Once you beat these two guys, you'll be able to head further north, but you'll want to go back and forth between this area and the previous area and take out the TNT throwing guy for health. You're gonna need it!

Before heading to the final chamber, equip the TNT. Throw the TNT at the turret at the front of the train. If it lands right where the turret is, it will blow it up in one shot. From here, get up and forward while avoiding the spikes that shoot out of the train. When the spikes at the start of the train treads start shooting in and out, start jumping to the right. Butch Cavendish will be ahead behind a Gatling gun. Wail away at him with the silver bullets, and when the Gatling gun explodes, Butch will jump over you and shoot at you when you shoot at him. Use this to your advantage and get him to the front of the train, then shoot at him from a distance while avoiding his bullets. It can be a tough battle due to the multiple bullets Butch will shoot at you, but if you get Butch to the front of the train, it's much easier.

Once you beat Butch Cavendish, you'll rescue the President and the game is over. You've just beaten The Lone Ranger!

PrinceWatercress plays The Lone Ranger - Part 11 of 12

From here, the game becomes the most challenging it can be. Get ready!

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From here on out, you will need the silver bullets, as all enemies will take two hits with the standard bullets to kill.

At the entrance to the base, take out the enemies as soon as you see them with the silver bullets. Watch out for the mines; they do a lot of damage if you run into them. 

If you walk into the Gatling gun from the north, enemies will run at you from the south. You can fire at them with the shot button and aim with the Control Pad and get a lot of bullets, but if you walk away from the gun with the A button, the gun disappears and you can't use it again, but the enemies stop spawning.

There will be three buildings from the entrance to the exit, and you'll go from the south-most one to the north-most one to get the three keys.

For the first building, you'll want to get the enemies to empty their guns before you move in for the kill. Watch out for the spikes; they do damage if you walk into them. The last building in the fort is the only one you should enter; this is where you will face the boss. Go all the way to the north end of the building and stay east of the boss; if you get too close, he will rush at you. Just shoot the boss down with the silver bullets while fending off the enemies, and he will drop a key. Grab the key to get back to the overworld map, then head back to Abilene to heal up and stock up. (You should always head back to Abilene for this between buildings.)

For the second building, tread carefully. There will be cannonballs fired at you, and if you play these levels over and over, you'll figure out where they will land. As for the guy on the Gatling gun, rush in before he starts firing and hit him at an angle. Also, don't get close to the cannons at the end; you will take a lot of damage from the cannonballs if you do. The boss here is the same as the one in the first building, and you'll face him again in the third one.

For the third building, shoot the bullet ahead of time and travel towards the north so the guy on the Gatling gun gets taken out when he shows up on-screen. Stick to the left side of the screen past that, then move past the building and stick to the top. When you reach the two building, head south and take out the enemies from a distance. Wait for the cannonballs to pass by before moving past the cannon, and you'll get to the third boss.

At the fort on the north end, take the south path and watch out for cannonballs. From there, take teh bottom path and get between the cannons before going north. You can walk diagonally to get past the mines; just watch what you're doing. Wait for the cannonballs to stop firing, then make your way to the building.

To beat the boss, keep your distance and fire your shots in when you can. When the boss ducks down to reload, get next to him - but not too close, and let loose with the silver bullets. If you fire fast enough, you'll get him in a loop where he can't fire at all. When you beat the boss, he will tell you that you will lose sooner or later and that the President is being held in Butch Cavendish's fortress, where Butch is waiting to kill us on sight.

PrinceWatercress plays The Lone Ranger - Part 10 of 12

There's no gameplay today. Instead, I drop a whole bunch of info on the plot of the game as well as the Lone Ranger's origin story which we're playing through.

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It's backstory time! If you don't feel like sitting through eighteen minutes of talking with no gameplay, here's all you need to know.

The Lone Ranger's Origin Story

Fandom link

Wikipedia link

Texas Ranger John Reid and his older brother, Captain Dan Reid, were part of a group of six Rangers in pursuit of a gang of dangerous outlaws led by Butch Cavendish. Assisted by a tracker named Collins (who was secretly employed by Cavendish), the Rangers were lulled into thinking that the gang were camped in an area on the far end of a canyon called Bryant's Gap, but Collins had lied to the Rangers; Cavendish and his men were actually waiting in ambush on the rim on both sides of the gap. As it was near dark, Cavendish's plan was to open fire on the Rangers as they rode through and keep shooting until they were sure the Rangers were all dead.

Cavendish was convinced that all of the Rangers were killed in the ambush, but John survived, nursed back to health after being found by an Indian named Tonto, who remembered John as he had once saved Tonto's life when they were boys. When John recognized Tonto, he remembered the name the Indian gave him: "Kemosabe", which meant 'trusty scout'. Tonto then made the observation that John was the only Ranger left, calling him the "lone ranger". John realizes that he will be a marked man once Cavendish finds out that he survived, but Tonto reassures him that he made six graves while burying only five men, so the outlaws will think John died with the others. Now with a strengthening determination to bring Cavendish and his gang to justice for their crimes, John decides that his name must remain buried with his brother and his colleagues and resolves to assume a secret identity and wear a disguise; it was Tonto who suggested that John wear a mask for a disguise, which he made out of cloth from his brother's vest. When John declares that he'll be the Lone Ranger, Tonto vows to help him.

During the ambush, Dan confided in John that his wife and son were coming from the East, and urged John to look after them in the event of his death; he also expected John to leave the Rangers and work the secret silver mine they owned together, and to see that his family gets his share, which John promised. Once recovered from his wounds, John hires an old friend, a retired Ranger named Jim, to work the mine for him. John tells Jim about the ambush and his intent to become the Lone Ranger and then makes an unusual request for Jim to forge silver bullets for him. Thinking that lead bullets would be just as effective, Jim asks why such an unusual request; John explains that the silver bullets are to be used not as a weapon, but a symbol, a symbol of justice to remind himself and others that life, like silver, has value and is not to be wasted. Jim agrees with the idea and makes the silver bullets. John swears Jim to secrecy about his true identity, then tells him that as far as anyone else is concerned, the mine belongs to him. Jim agrees, and John, with Tonto, rides out for the first time as the Lone Ranger.

At first, the Lone Ranger adopted an outlaw persona, which made it easier to infiltrate outlaw camps and capture the members of Cavendish's gang, a task that took years to complete. But even while doing this, the Lone Ranger made it a point to help anyone along the way who needed it. His adventures and heroic deeds earned him and Tonto a widespread reputation as being champions of justice, revered and admired by the good, feared and reviled by the bad, respected by both.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto were now on the trail of Cavendish himself when he fired from ambush on the two of them inadvertently killing the Lone Ranger's horse. Needing a new mount, the Lone Ranger recalls seeing a magnificent wild white stallion who lived in Wild Horse Valley, and decides to search for the horse while trailing Cavendish. They find the great mustang in a fierce death battle with a buffalo, who had gained the upper hand and was about to finish the horse off when it was shot and killed by the Lone Ranger, who then nursed the wounded horse back to health. As much as the Lone Ranger wanted the horse for his own, he was willing to let it go as it fought for his freedom and deserved to be free. When Tonto remarked on the horse's gleaming coat saying it looked "silver white", the Lone Ranger decided that Silver would be a good name for the horse and called out to it. In a gesture stronger than gratitude, the horse stayed on and became the Lone Ranger's partner. The Lone Ranger then trains the wild stallion who learned quickly, and after a few days was ready.

With the stronger and faster Silver as his new mount, the Lone Ranger was now able to overtake and capture Cavendish, finally completing his long mission. But even after accomplishing his goal, the Lone Ranger decided it was for the greater good to continue to help pave the way for law and order in the untamed Western territories, and with Tonto still at his side, he continued to wear the mask and maintain the identity of the Lone Ranger.

The Lone Ranger's Real Name

Wikipedia link

In most media, The Lone Ranger's real name is John Reid. In other media, he has called himself Bill Andrews and Luke Hartman, but John Reid is the most commonly used name.

Also, the word "Kemosabe" is based on the name of a summer camp owned by the father-in-law of American radio actor James Jewell in upstate Michigan.

PrinceWatercress plays The Lone Ranger - Part 9 of 12

In this entry, we head to San Jacinto and rescue Clara, then find out that the nearby U.S. Calvary camp has been taken over by Butch's men.

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At San Jacinto, make your way to the south and be careful on the way there, as the enemies are quick. Enter the large house at the south end.

When you go in, equip the silver bullets. You'll need them to take out the enemies here more easily, especially the one guy who blocks your bullets with nunchaku. A silver bullet will take him down in one hit.

Once you make your way down, you'll be in another cave. Watch out for the stalactites that fall down as you find some stairs that take you back up. Jump off the edge to ensure you jump from one moving platform to another, and watch for enemies that climb on the ceiling as you go.

The boss here will jump around and throw three shurikens at once. Your best bet is to get him on flat ground and corner him. If you can do that, he will just jump back and forth. Use this as an opportunity to hit him with silver bullets every time he lands, and you'll take him down.

After you beat the boss here, you will finally rescue Clara, who calls The Lone Ranger "John." (More on this later.) The Lone Ranger tells Clara that John and his brother were killed by Butch Cavendish, who has now made this very, very personal. (More on this later as well.) You'll then complete this area and head to the next one.

Ahead is a U.S. Cavalry camp. If you talk to the man on the ground, he will tell you that the Cavalry tried to save the President only to be ambushed by Butch Cavendish's forces, who have now taken over the camp. You'll have to get three keys from three leaders who are now in the camp in order to get past the camp and reach Butch's hideout.

PrinceWatercress plays The Lone Ranger - Part 8 of 12

When he head to Abilene to visit the lovely Clara, we find out that she has been kidnapped. How far will we have to go to get her back?

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Our love Clara lives in nearby Abilene, according to Tonto. Let's pay her a visit.

The town just past the bridge is Abilene. East of the train station is the gunshop, while north of the gunshop is the doctor.

One of the men in the houses in the far south tells you that Clara lives on the north side of town. Watch out for enemies along the way. When you head to her house, which has three windows, you'll find out she is gone when you look around and then leave. Tonto will find a note from Butch Cavendish telling you to stop chasing him if Clara's life is to be saved. He just made things personal.

There is a saloon here, but it is not very useful (although you can find out Clara lives in the north here, too).

Go back to the NPC who told you where Clara lived. He will tell you there is an informant at Pike's Peak. (You'll also probably find that out in the saloon, too.)

Pike's Peak is the town to the immediate northeast. Watch out for enemies, as some of them are pretty fast. There is a building with some covered-up double doors, and if you talk to the guy in purple on the right, he will tell you to ask the mine office for directions to the mine.

Head back to Abilene and head to the south. There is a building saying "OFFICE" above the doors. This is the one you want to enter. By talking to the man there, he will tell you that the mine is located in the northern mountain.

Go north and east of Pike's Peak to the flashing star icon. The enemies will throw shurikens, and you'll have to jump over them to avoid them. Also, there are falling stalactites in places, and you'll need to watch out for them. There are also enemies that run at you with swords and also throw firebombs. You'll even need to jump on a moving platform or two to get around, or else you'll land in the same area at the bottom of the mine over and over.

The water slows you down, so jump through it as much as you can.

For the boss, equip the silver bullets, then get him off the ceiling before getting more aggressive with the silver bullets once he hits the ground. Once you beat this guy, you'll find out that Clara is in their hideout.

The hideout will be just east of Abilene and marked by a star icon. Heal up and stock up before going over there, just in case.

Once again,  you'll have to jump on moving platforms and avoid the shurikens thrown by the enemies here. The spiked crushers will come down when you get close; pass by when they come back up. Also, take out the guys climbing the ceilings - and especially the walls - from a distance, as the guys on the wall throw three shurikens at once.

The boss here will use some sort of ninjitsu technique to send clones of himself at you. Thankfully, the silver bullets will take care of him and his clones. Be sure to jump the shurikens as you keep firing at the boss. When you defeat the boss, you'll find out that Clara has been taken to San Jacinto.

You'll soon see a horse-drawn carriage heading to the east. Head east after it. As you do this, you'll be followed by the enemy, who will catch up with you. This will lead to not one but (probably) two first-person shooting segments on horseback, which are the same as they ever were and hopefully shouldn't be any trouble. Unless you're holding Right as soon as you get back on the overworld map, you'll be facing them a second time. Once you make it to San Jacinto on the map, you won't be chased anymore. Use this as an opportunity to go back to Abilene in order to stock up and heal up.