ILLUSION OF GAIA: Apocalypse Gaia (True Final Boss)

In the Illusion of Gaia code, there is an unused boss fight that is bigger, meaner, and tougher than anything else in the game. It is the true final boss, which was scaled back before release to create Dark Gaia -- but not removed from the ROM image.

And now, you can fight it.

This patch repairs and restores Apocalypse Gaia, the original design for the final boss fight of Illusion of Gaia: a marathon battle against an apocalyptic bio-mechanical demon comet. Apocalypse Gaia appears after the regular Comet and Dark Gaia fights.

The code left in the ROM is an unplayable development build. This patch fixes bugs and incorporates playtester input to deliver the battle that the dev build would have become, if only it had not been abandoned.

Bring some herbs; you'll need them. If you die to Apocalypse Gaia, any herbs you've used are refunded.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. PATCH DESCRIPTION
2. INSTRUCTIONS
3. SPECIAL THANKS
4. TIPS


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1. PATCH DESCRIPTION

This patch repairs and restores the original final boss fight of Illusion of Gaia: an intense, challenging, ludicrously fun battle against an apocalyptic demon comet.

Apocalypse Gaia appears after the regular Comet and Dark Gaia fights. Bring some herbs -- you'll need them. If you die to Apocalypse Gaia, any herbs you've used are refunded.

The code for this fight is in the game's ROM in a very early proof-of-concept state. It's full of bugs and slowdowns, never playtested, and relies on engine features that didn't make it to release. Like many other unused features and mechanics in the game, this boss was probably cut due to constraints on budget, time, and scope.

This patch includes bug fixes, engine improvements, and gameplay modifications based on playtester input, to deliver what I think the fight would have become if not for those constraints. My design goal in restoring it has been to reproduce the developers' intent, then tune that based on gameplay necessities and playtester input (which the developers did not have). That means that with few exceptions, the mechanics you see in this patch are either as-originally-coded, or a reasonable modification that would have been made later in development. I did, however, have to re-write the code (and parts of the IOG engine) to get it to run without slowdown.


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2. INSTRUCTIONS

Any IPS patcher can apply the patch. No other setup is required. My source code (in .asr format) is included for reference or, if you like, further modification.

This patch is compatible with save files from the base game.


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3. SPECIAL THANKS

This is Quintet's boss fight. All design credit goes to the original developers, wherever they are now.

The Apocalypse Gaia patch would not exist without the support of the Illusion of Gaia Randomizer community. Find the application at https://www.iogr.app/ and hop in to the Discord server linked there.

Core playtesters were:
Sye990 - https://www.twitch.tv/sye990
solarcell007 - https://www.twitch.tv/solarcell007
DontBaguMe - https://www.twitch.tv/dontbagume
BubbaSWalter - https://www.twitch.tv/wizardsrwe
with additional contributions from the peanut gallery of the IOGR Discord, and from players like you. (Thank you!)


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4. TIPS


This isn't a kaizo hack.

The fight definitely looks hard, maybe even unfair. In reality it's active, challenging, and above all, new -- so it's expected that you'll die a lot while figuring out a strategy. Like the other bosses in the game, this one becomes a lot more manageable once you understand and adapt to it.

With that in mind, if you're struggling, frustrated, and don't know what you're doing wrong, here are some suggestions.

1. You're still playing Illusion of Gaia. Boss behaviors are scripted, scheduled, and telegraphed, with very few random elements and practically no cheap shots. Apocalypse Gaia might be all over the place, but it's still following a set pattern with set timings.

2. All green homing projectiles can be blocked.

3. The Aura provides free invulnerability longer than any of the boss's attacks, and can be chained endlessly.

4. Take it slow. There's no time limit, and the boss isn't going anywhere. The mechanics of the fight reward a cautious approach.

5. Spoilers: If the above ideas aren't working for you, and you just want to know the current best known strategies, you can rot13 the following spoiler:
Svefg cunfr, Qnex Tnvn jvgu gvtugre gvzvat. Arkg, cvpx n fvqr bs gur fperra, nggnpx jura gur fjrrcre vf nobir lbh, Nhen guebhtu vgf pbhagrenggnpx, ercrng. Svany cunfr ubiref unys n fperra njnl, fb vg pna'g uvg lbh hayrff lbh fjvgpu fvqrf, naq vgf zvavbaf eha njnl vs lbh uvg gurz.

Database match: Illusion of Gaia (USA)
Database: No-Intro: Super Nintendo Entertainment System (v. 20180813-062835)
File/ROM SHA-1: 38DE0C84DD2BC3BDFC0A3D7AB0220C79B70887C3
File/ROM CRC32: 1C3848C0