WARNING: Stay away. Please. Yes, the TA ratio for this achievement (and the game at large) is very tempting, but you don't want to do this. It's immeasurably glitchy, excessive and difficult, mostly because this game is bad. Very, VERY bad. That is all.
To earn Fashion Show, you need to beat the game, fully upgrade all weapons for all characters, and S rank all levels on Madness difficulty. Cake.
S RANKS
1. Equip and keep the level's designated melee weapon for your character (EASY, see #1 below)
2. Reach "x" amount of monster tokens (EASY)
3. Reach a score of "x" (EASY, though the last level can be close)
4. Collect "x" amount of weapon parts (annoying but EASY, more tips below)
5. Finish the level without dying (ruins YOUR life)
WEAPON PARTS
For the weapon parts, I recommend using the Streets of Suburbia level on Madness to farm. Once you learn how to find the parts you need, you can tour the whole level in about 8-9 minutes and make fast gains. See tip #5 below for the flashlight's omega crystal part. Now onto the S ranks.
This is meant to supplement the other quality guides written for this dastardly achievement, specifically in achieving S ranks on Madness difficulty. Please use their advice for exploits, etc. I will briefly outline a few I relied on here before giving specific tips for every level. (For the sake of credit: only number 5 and 7 are my original ideas--everything else is summarized in other guides).
TIPS FOR ALL LEVELS
1. Start each level with the appropriate melee weapon equipped (see the Archaeologist guide for specifics). This easily accomplishes the "equip/keep your melee weapon" challenge, except for the final level (OF COURSE)
2. You can scale MANY objects by putting your back to the object, aiming/firing the minigun down, and jumping simultaneously. Might take a few jumps, but it's extremely effective for avoiding enemies and getting to weapon parts high up.
3. Minigun and flashlight (both lvl 3) all day. I used the minigun probably 80% of the time, flashlight for pushing through hordes or if I'm swarmed and need a quick "get off me" tool. I personally also had the lvl 3 shotgun hot keyed, but just as a last resort.
4. Get the weapon parts first and if you die, restart the level. This voids any deaths.
5. Confirmed location for the lvl 3 flashlight Omega Crystal weapon part: Thriller difficulty, Dungeons of Darkness level, very last colored cell (red) on the right. Switch is on the opposite wall a bit further back.
6. As far as buying items goes, I rarely used the explosive monkey or hologram, but you'll definitely need everything else as much as possible, even if it means backtracking to Larry's van to stay stocked.
7. MINIGUN RELOADING TIP: Hit X to reload, briefly press and hold B to dodge and sprint, then quickly release B to stop sprinting, and the minigun will be reloaded very quickly, bypassing the long reload time AND keeping you safer!
8. General minigun strategy: Run away (can despawn enemies!), minigun from a distance like a boss OR minigun with you back in a corner or against a wall.
8. Take lots of breaks. Seriously.
LEVEL SPECIFIC TIPS
Level 1: Zack's House
Difficulty: 1/10
If this proves any challenge, you should probably just stop now. Or do better. Keep your distance and minigun vs the 3 Chiefs OR lure them into the garage and active the trap so you can watch them get shredded.
Level 2 - Streets of Suburbia
Difficulty: 2/10
Also quite easy. Use the slide by Larry's van to get atop the first set of houses for weapon parts, then the crashed vehicle by the bridge (after the monster fest) to reach the 2nd set of rooftops. Minigun the fat zombies from halfway down the road if need be. A fantastic level to farm high level weapon parts.
Level 3: A Walk in the Park
Difficulty: 3/10
A great level to try the "collect the parts then die" strategy out, because if you progress too fast, you can get overwhelmed by a horde or two. Minigun Granny into oblivion.
Level 4: Downtown Invasion
Difficulty: 5/10
The game heats up a bit here. Explore the rooftops via the alley trampoline. The highway monster fest is a little tight, so I'd recommend a monster amulet and/or soda hat, though if you're decent at keeping your back to a wall and minigunning, go for it. After a mildly annoying monster fest at the construction site, wait patiently for the traffic, then cross.
When it's time to throw basketballs through golden hoops for the insane leprechaun, because that's a thing, I highly recommend using the turrets and soda hat if needed, though there are vending machines in the area. You can dodge with a basketball in hand, but you cannot sprint. I literally dodged right up to the hoop nearly every time to ensure I hit the hoop. Stay in motion and you should be able to dodge most of the demons' attacks.
The 2nd real challenge of this level stems from the final escape. I'd recommend watching a youtube video of this part AND practicing it on Child's Play difficulty several times to understand the path (restart checkpoint before the final jump to keep practicing, idea by DEEJUNE). The best path: left, stay left, center-right, center, left, right, left, right, center. The timing between lanes gets tighter as you go. For the final jump, preboost by hitting LT and RT as you enter the ramp, and the ramp’s auto boost will launch you to victory. Honestly, it's not that hard if you memorize the path, and if you build time up the ramp, you’ll have extra time if you hit a car or get turned around by an enemy. Learning the wonky-ass controls of the vehicle is more daunting, really. Of course, mastering them for the last level is a necessity, so more practice is best.
Level 5: Bob's Junkyard
Difficulty: 3/10
Thankfully short. Use the minigun jump trick to avoid the traps and walk atop the oddly neat stacks of junker cars. Flashlight is best if you're overwhelmed. As for Bob himself, minigun fire at a decent distance keeps him stationary (usually...) and kills him within a few seconds. If he hops to another car, reposition and mingun once more.
Level 6: Parking Lot Go Boom
Difficulty: 5/10
I honestly struggled on this one a few times, though I really don't think it's that hard. Just, you know, classic Monster Madness glitches and overall skeet-ness made for a fun time.
At the car wash, repeatedly circle the car wash whilst jumping to stay alive. It takes a bit of time, but it avoids swarms on the ground.
For the 2nd bomb part, you can either minigun the entire horde, (including the wheeler you need) or repeatedly dodge around to get close to the wheeler you need and flashlight him. Gravity bombs worked very well here for crowd control, and a soda hat if you struggle to stay alive. Monster amulet would serve you well here, too. Hightail it to the gate when you're done.
When Larry gives you the mech, that ol' pal, spam rockets (LB repeatedly), machine gun (LT) and the flamethrower (RT) while dodging repeatedly with B. This technique will need to be in tip top shape for Metal Cog Larry on the final level. Return to Larry for a vehicle repair kit before you reach 75% damage (DEEJUNE's idea).
Before Larry asks you to hack away at the impervious-to-everything-but-mech-arms ferris wheel, heal up (again, DEEJUNE's recommendation). However, you MUST heal before you return with ALL of the weapons parts to Larry, otherwise it's near impossible to access Larry from the infinite spawn of enemies.
Level 7: Shopping Day
Difficulty: 6/10
Most of this level is straightforward until the Huggles battle, however...
When adding golden zombies to the leprechaun's pot, because that’s how magic works, escort them carefully with the flashlight. Don't let them out of your sight.
For the monster fest just before the turret section, use the outer ring to your advantage by circling around it, or getting your back in a corner and minigunning. If you're savvy, you can trap the ultra fast and highly damaging Jacks on the middle area, buying you time for a reload or dealing with other enemies.
For the turrets, prioritize enemies with health when they appear, as this allows more room to shoot the Jacked-up zombies. Remember, you can use all 4 turrets should one take too much damage. Just be sure to hop off before it explodes and takes you with it.
The Huggles battle is not fun. You'll definitely want a soda hat and gravity bombs. Use gravity bombs to clear the area near the staircase of the demonic dolls (credit: DEEJUNE). If possible, stockpile toys in this area to use against Huggles in the final part of his battle (grab one, walk it to where you want, then equip a weapon to drop it).
You can partially trap Huggles on the water tower, the upper railroad and the support columns of the railroad by the electric switches. But once you hit Huggles, let him recover briefly, then time your throw so you hit him just as he exits his "ouch" animation (credit: DEEJUNE). The more coordination you have with this, the easier your life gets, so use that toy stockpile well. Godspeed.
Level 8: Maul Field Tour
Difficulty: 7/10
When collecting garbage to create your makeshift walkway, an asinine idea by the developers, keep a swarm of debris in front of you as enemies approach, then release it and immediately suck it back to you. It'll instant kill the approaching enemies and keep you safe. Once you've cleared all or most of them, dump MOST but not all of your debris cloud into the hole. Rinse and repeat.
I struggled, embarrassingly, on the treadmill until I used a turret. You can restock health/ammo if you drop down, but you'll lose valuable charge, so be quick about it.
Now for Billy. What a great time. Come fully stocked with a soda hat, monster amulet, ammo, etc. Take out his first three carts using a minigun from a distance, dodging as needed when 'sploder zombies get too close. Once his minigun cart starts firing, it's difficult to stay alive on foot, but you can put decent damage before it's time to hop in your vehicle. Once behind the wheel, take time to destroy most of the grocery's environment, then Leeroy Jenkins the remaining carts. I chose to leave ONE shelving unit intact as a visual for the next part. Once it's just you and Billy, circle the remaining shelf (or simply circle in an open area) and Billy should be just too slow to get you as you pummel him with the vehicle's machine gun. Your circle cannot be too tight or too large, as Billy can handle those easier. Keeping one shelf intact and circling it seems the perfect "Goldilocks" sized circle for this strategy. If he ever gets too close, boost away with RT and LT simultaneously. It's probably best to practice this part on an easier difficulty first to hone your driving and shooting strategies.
Level 9: Track and Field
Difficulty: 6/10
After the first monster fest (I preferred minigun on foot vs the ship) comes the dreaded 30 hoop spaceship challenge. During it, never stop moving. Circle the entire arena constantly, shooting the ships. They spawn 3 ships at you, but if you take down 2 of the 3, the lone ship will prevent the others from respawning, making your hooping much easier. To recap: take down 2 ships, circle constantly, do work.
For the 2nd monster fest, I preferred the ship until it took too much damage and then minigunned from there.
When defending the janitor, stay ahead. I preferred the minigun unless he was swarmed, then I flashlighted him free. Turrets will distract enemies effectively, especially as he’s working at the door. Be sure to stock up before the PE teacher battle.
I found the PE teacher battle easier than the hoop flying. Stay mobile and set up a turret when exploder zombies spawn in (credit: DEEJUNE). The enemy team will dodge your throws, so you have two options: either throw once and quickly pick up a 2nd ball to throw before they dodge again (there’s a “latency” period where they don’t dodge a 2nd time after dodging once) OR "lead" their dodge attempt by throwing slightly off center at them, or at an angle, so when they dodge they'll get hit anyway. Also, you can mash X to catch dodgeballs to get zombies out, just like in real dodgeball. Extremely surprised they included that. Soda hat if things get hairy.
Level 10: Inside Hell School
Difficulty: 5/10
The tight confines of this level generate the most frustration, especially in the lab battle. You may opt for the flashlight a little more on this level.
For the science lab, I stuck mostly to the middle, minigunning and hopping around as needed by the "gas". A soda hat and a monster amulet make life MUCH easier, as well as a turret and gravity bombs. Your top priority is keep distance from an actively seeking exploder zombie, even if that means going into the gas to keep a lab table between you and it. Also, you may want to hit Y and try the top down camera view, as you can see all enemies at once.
For the final "unofficial" monster fest, use the length of the room to stay safe--minigun from the corners. You can restock with Larry after the science lab.
Level 11: School's Out
Difficulty: 5/10
Thankfully short, the final boss and sprint to safety are most difficult. Minigun the boss each time. On the first one, dodge away as soon as you skip the cutscene, as he'll come motoring towards you, potentially hitting you off the stage before you even turn around. For boss part #2, stand mostly still and minigun, jumping through the blue hoop and dodging when he airdrops as needed.
For the final boss, I used the conscience power up, staying mostly in the middle and moving as rockets or his ram attack necessitated. Be wary of being pushed around by explosions, so stay close to the center as much as possible. The key is ending the battle near the exit, which is the ramp you took to get to this final rooftop. The final sprint plays out the same each time, but it's quick. Very quickly jump to the ramp, and if you didn't end the battle near the ramp, use the right side of the rooftop to approach the ramp--the left side will drop away. From the ramp head straight then a hard left, moving from boss fight part 2 rooftop to the rooftop between boss fights 1 and 2. Sprint along until you reach boss fight #1 rooftop and immediately head right. You’ll run COUNTERclockwise along this rooftop. After your right turn, head forward a bit then hang a left before the last AC unit you encounter--don't run along the far edge of the rooftop. After making the left, continue this counterclockwise run, dodging the fire, exploder zombies, and jump to the last ramp leading to the starting rooftop. The ground will break as you arrive on this final rooftop, so be wary that you jump over the crack as you sprint. The last part is a straight shot and a final right turn into the escape chute. I'd recommend practicing this on Thriller to memorize the path, then executing it on Madness.
Final note: you can restock between all boss encounters
Level 12: Cemetery Trek
Difficulty: 6/10
Super long level with really only 1 difficult part--the goddamn elevator. I'd recommend going there first to get it out of the way. Another guide mentioned jumping to the elevator's arm to avoid enemies, but I only could get this to work on the trip up. For the way down, turrets, soda hat and putting your back into a corner and minigunning are all I can recommend. Sometimes RN(J)esus will be kind and sometimes it'll knock you clean off the elevator. Classic Monster Madness stuff.
As for the other bones, restock between them and take them carefully, minigunning as needed and flashlight if swarmed. Have fun trying to simply navigate the environment--this level is so unnecessarily convoluted in design and the directional arrows offer little help, as the map twists and turns. Another great level to collect weapon parts, restart if needed, then complete your true one life run.
For the Ghoul Squad battle, stay far away and minigun, shouldn't be too bad.
Level 13: Sewers and Swamps
Difficulty: 6/10
I had a rough go in the sewers portion of this map, because SOMETHING would always knock me into the water. Go for weapon parts, then on a subsequent attempt (post level restart) you can literally sprint by most everything in the sewers, aside from the monster fests. Before them, however, I'd recommend clearing any lingering enemies, as they like to join the fray from behind the fences. I'm looking at you, witches that frogify me mid battle. So demoralizing.
The openness of the swamps should prove much easier to handle. I constantly bombed during every encounter and it worked out just fine. The leprechaun seemed to have installed some new engines on his zeppelin for your Madness difficulty race, because that boy can fly. You'll need to cut corners and hightail it to beat him. Vehicle repairs as needed.
Level 14: Ancient Catacombs
Difficulty: 9/10
This will give you nightmares. The amount of BS that will happen inexplicably seems to peak rapidly here. Go slow and steady to collect weapons parts--you should be done or nearly done upon reaching the dreaded "mine cart/moving platform" section.
Once you have the parts, you're able to sprint from monster fest to monster fest. From the start, take down the hands and sprint to the ramp, following it along the outside. Restock health/ammo at the top of the ramp and sprint again to the monster fest, taking down the moving walls at point blank with the flash light as needed. Usually if you sprint the whole way, 1 or 2 monsters from outside the monster fest will manage to enter the fest, so be wary of that.
The first monster fest is a pain because of the lethal witches/vampires combo. I'd recommend sprinting to the end of the left side, turn around, and minigun with conviction. Zeppelins seem to glitch here, and often won't join the fray from this side, as they'll get stuck behind the fence or on the side of the gunk pool. Idiots. If things get too hairy, dodge/sprint to the opposite end, near where Larry will spawn. Minigun again and sprint back left if needed. The battle will likely come down to lingering zeppelins and robots. Keep your distance and minigun accordingly. Remember, you can jump to help hit zeppelins if the minigun doesn't auto track them.
Restock at Larry, as this will be the last time you see him this level. You can sprint to the next monster fest/ball pit BUT restock health/ammo before you enter it. Some enemies will try to follow you into the ball pit fest, so take care of them by the vending machines.
The ball pit is stressful. I couldn't find the "safe spot" near the far fence (as mentioned in another guide), so I chose to use the ball to take down most every enemy. Patience is key here. I'd circle the pit, and as the ball began its fall towards the middle, sprint at it and swiftly change directions just before I reached it. Prioritize your safety over a multi-crush-kill opportunity, no matter how delightful they seem. I would flashlight some enemies, if the opportunity arose, but the ball should do most of the work for you. Absolutely keep all your items for the grim reaper here.
Oh the "mine cart". In one of Monster Madness' poorest made sections (let's be honest, the whole game doesn't rise above mediocre even at its finest moments) you'll encounter plenty of controller-throw inducing moments. Sometimes the levers for left and right simply won't work. Sometimes you'll get smacked through the cart's side rails. Sometimes an enemy will drop on you, and you'll glitch below the cart and die instantly. I only say these because they've happened to me. You can use a turret here, but I preferred to use them on the grim reaper fight. I positioned myself near the top by the levers, though not too close to the side rail to avoid glitching through it. You'll likely have to memorize the arrow directions for the levers, and when pulling the levers try to be directly in front of it AND facing it entirely. Twice the cart will exit the tunnel-like area to a more open (and thankfully easier) track portion. Here is where I restock on health and ammo. HOWEVER, you must be "downwind" of the health/ammo drops because they'll quickly fly off the cart. BECAUSE THAT'S QUALITY GAME DESIGN. The last tunnel section is madcap and some of the lever pulls will require extremely fast, accurate timing. I wish you the best.
Yay, you made it to the grim reaper! Good thing this battle is obnoxious in every conceivable way. The key is destroying a pillar, luring the grim reaper into the "moonlight" (fog at BEST) and then throwing a moon crystal or whatever the hell they're called at him simultaneously. The crystal removes his shield and the moonlight burns his cloak away. You CAN just hit him with the crystal, but he'll be vulnerable for a nearly negligible amount of time, so it's best to lure him into the moonlight THEN crystal him. Of course, this isn't easy when harpies are attacking you constantly. I found the most success in waiting for his "imma grab you from underground" move, standing in the moonlight (he and his flying skull buddies can't enter it), waiting him out, and then luring him in the moonlight as he resurfaces. I used turrets for the harpies, though you only have two. My weapon of choice was the flashlight the whole battle, as it shreds harpies and the grim reaper. When you are trying to deal damage to the grim reaper with the flashlight, the closer the better, right? Well, yes and no. Closer is more damage but also you run the risk of the grim reaper exiting his dazed phase and swiping you. Be wary. It'll require 3-4 solid moonlight/crystal hits plus a substantial flashlight streams to kill him, but that's in a perfect world. You'll likely hit him more piecemeal and require more hits overall. Be sure to soda hat as needed. Lastly, I believe the pillars drop ammo and health the FIRST time they're broken, so keep that in mind for timely restocks. Subsequent pillar breakings, after he's repaired them, don't seem to yield goodies. GODSPEED.
Level 15: Road to the Castle
Difficulty: 6/10
I had a hell of a time with this one simply because of the damn rocks on the castle path. But first...
You should have little trouble reaching the pot of gold if you're constantly firing the tank's rockets. For the pot of gold, I found a little HELPFUL glitch that only seemed to work on Madness difficulty. As the gold battle starts, position your (repaired) tank below the pot of gold, so you don't even or barely see the pot, let alone where enemies spawn on the field. For whatever reason, this prevented ANY enemies from spawning in. I hope it works for you, but I did manage to get it working every time I attempted this level.
For the upward castle path, you'll need to move slowly and deliberately, taking out all enemies as you proceed. You can return to Larry for repair kits. The first set of boulders come sideways and you can hide behind the plant or debris or whatever it is as they pass. The next boulders are easily dodged with good timing and you can see them roll down the hill regularly. The final set of boulders are the worst. Several will roll down the hill, but one will shoot super fast sideways at you. Remain at the bottom by the little castle wall and wait for a time when you can "follow" the boulders that roll down the top hill, boosting repeatedly OR trying to stay in the gaps of the last two boulders. Both strategies work, but require pretty tight timing.
For the last battles, minigun the frankies and flashlight (and dodge) around the big skeleton. Shouldn't be bad, just be wary that you can get knocked into the moat and die instantly.
As for weapon parts, be sure to explore the forest behind the pot of gold and along the right path as you leave the pot of gold area.
Level 16: Dungeons of Darkness
Difficulty: 7/10
This one tests you quite a bit. It's long and has that hellish floating rock monster fest, along with a few instant death areas. Good times.
Load up the cannon, I recommend using some turrets to protect yourself. You can dodge on level ground with an item in hand, but you cannot sprint.
For the stairwell monster fest, take out the witches and others that spawn at the base. Sprint up the inside of the stairs to reach the top, deal with the big foot, then finish up the remaining enemies on the staircase.
For the floating rock monster fest, I had a soda hat, monster amulet, and 2 turrets to assist. From the start immediately set up a turret, then turn around and jump on the slightly higher rock here, as it gives you a better perspective of the field. Try not to leave this rock. As your turret on the starting rock distracts enemies, minigun from afar, and flashlight if you're swarmed. I had my shotgun as another option. Usually, one blast from an exploding zombie will send you off, so hopefully the blue aura thing is active when you fall. About halfway through, you can tip the odds in your favor by using the monster amulet, which gives you the ranged zap attack and makes it much harder to fall off. When you are successful, you can still fall to your doom if the blue isn't "on", so be patient and bounce to safety.
The bat is a nuisance, as it flies very fast. You should flashlight enemies AND furniture, as both will prevent you from progressing rather well. If you lose the bat, the destroyed furniture and the enemies remain dead, so your job gets easier. Destroyed furniture will drop ammo and health, so go crazy with the flashlight and eventually it’ll get fairly easy to follow the bat with fewer enemies and furniture to block you. Upon reaching the end, some vampiresses will attack and any remaining bat section enemies may attack from behind, so stay alert.
Minigun dracula for a quick 10 second battle.
Level 17: Rooftop Rumble
Difficulty: 7/10
The lead up TO the final battle here proved most annoying, and a glitch, or something, kept me from actually visiting Larry until the very end, so that was nice.
For the gears, activate the monster fest, plant a boombox, jump back to the first gear, and tear into the crowd with the minigun. Be wary of the witches. Exploder zombies should fall to their doom.
For the fan section DON'T JUMP.
For the monster fest on the 3, long moving platforms, jump to the 2nd plat to activate it, plant a turret, then jump back right up against the starting fence. There's a small ledge and it gives you the best view for the alien ships that enjoy hovering off screen. I minigunned mostly here. Very annoying section, honestly.
So I don't know if it was a glitch or just the madness of Madness, but the witches and gargoyles leading up to Larry NEVER STOPPED SPAWNING, which means they would try to contribute to the final monster fest. If it's witches, kill them immediately to avoid frogging. Gargoyles were harmless but distracted Billy.
As for the fight, heal often and let BIlly distract. Minigun is the way to go, and it lets you jump up the vending machines AND the pillars, if needed. I had the most trouble with the fat zombies, exploding zombies, and Ghoul Squad. Use the sprint/reload technique to always be prepared and stay near the edges or dance around the pillars as much as possible. For the Ghoul Squad, keep a distance and a pillar between you and them, and peek out to take cheap shots at them. One grenade explosion from one of them will kill or nearly kill you. Monster amulet as a panic tool OR a Ghoul Squad tool. Boomboxes offer some safety. Be vigilant and you shall prevail.
If you miss that last jump, I'll pour one out for you.
Level 18: Showdown
Difficulty: 10/10
This is it. The big one. The one that makes grown men weep. Please use the other guides' tips in conjunction with mine (obviously, there will be overlap). Another annoyance is this seems the only level that you’ll run the risk of NOT completing the “score” for S rank, so monitor it. I will do my best to give you as much information to tip the odds in your favor, but please know this will take immense skill and luck. Without further ado...
To Begin
Ensure you have conscience, monster amulet, and the soda hat. You pretty much have to use Carrie, as her speciality weapon (located on the last floating platform, right side) is easiest to get AND doesn't glitch out. Jennifer's weapon apparently doesn't exist on 360, Zack's is hidden in a pillar vs Metal Cog Larry (have fun with that) and Andy's allegedly freezes 360s if it’s used on an enemy PLUS, the one time I did get it, I died, restarted, and it wasn't there anymore. So Carrie it is.
Your first run(s) are for collecting the weapon parts. Use the obnoxious trampolines to get parts AND Carrie's weapon on the right side. I found it easiest to wait until the rock started to descend, jump, bounce off the trampoline, and as I fell from my bounce, move forward just before bouncing a 2nd time to achieve each jump. Some rocks are weird and you'll float above them, because quality design isn't what this game is about. The double bounce upon descend trick still works here. After grabbing the weapon, dodge back on the rocks, then to the starting location.
The Devil
Minigun until he's invulnerable (blue), moving left and right slightly to dodge the fire rocks with ease. Eliminate the witches. Depending on the damage you dealt, he'll call down 2-3 rocks from the heavens. Always be ready to minigun after each. Another round of flaming rocks and 2 witches should bring him close to death. He'll bring more rocks down, then finish him off. All told, an easy 30 second or so battle if done correctly.
Larry
Minigun for Larry, who poses little threat, but I start the round by flashlighting several tanks at point blank, especially the martians (2 tanks) and gargoyles (2 tanks) because you can get a higher score by killing multiple enemies simultaneously. Keep your distance from Larry, knocking out tanks until you have a score above 35, then minigun Larry from a distance til he falls.
Metal Cog Larry
You'll constantly be dodging with B, machine gunning with LT and firing rockets by continuously hitting LB. Flamethrower (RT) can help too. Move swiftly along the perimeter in an attempt to lure him into the lasers, which daze him for a good bit, allowing you to missile and gun him. Often, he leaves this dazed state by charging at you--use B to dodge. If he manages to hit you, it'll add about 10% damage but his follow up attack, the blue shockwave, DESTROYS. Avoid corners and pillars to avoid being trapped into the shockwave. Once he's at around 20% health, he'll speed up his attack rate, especially the charge, so hopefully by that point you've blown up most pillars to open up the arena (however, he CAN get stuck on them momentarily at times, so that's an option too). If this is your first run, dodge all around the map to get the weapon parts. You should exit this fight with >97% of your parts. Last bit of advice: finish the fight as close to the exit as possible. If you finish it too far away, the game will instant kill you even before the growing explosion thingy reaches you. It's cheap but par for the course, honestly.
Vehicle Rush
By far the most difficult section, as it's riddled with instant deaths and glitches and basically everything is stacked against you. Take a keep breath.
Before you even hop in the buggy, you’ll need to mop up some enemies to reach the qualifying score of 100. Upon entering this garage from the Metal Cog Larry fight, immediately turn left and flashlight the group of zombies. It’s critical you kill them together for more score points. Continue on and meet a larger group of zombies, giving them the same treatment. If you ended Metal Cog Larry with 35+ points and correctly group kill the zombies in this garage, you should clear 100 here. If not, don’t fret, as you have more enemies to drive over and swan boat bomb. If needed, restock at the machine by the first zombie group--whatever ammo you leave here with is what you have vs Larry (until the restock).
For the buggy, boost as you enter each outdoor ramp, a technique I call "preboosting". This preboost, coupled with the auto boost for exiting a ramp, will (almost) always propel you plenty far. Try to angle your ramp jumps slightly left for the first two outdoors, so when you land you're ready to hit the next ramp. For the dreaded pillar section, don't try to maneuver around each pillar individually. Instead, go left around the first, right around the second, BOOST (RT + LT) under the third then attempt to stay on the left side of the path. Most pillars are instant kills, but a few I like to refer to as "cheese" pillars, and you can easily push right through them. Experience will guide you in recognizing which are cheese and which are deadly. A second boost to reach the final turn usually helps. If you run into a fallen pillar, you DO have time to quickly reverse and drive around it, though it'll be tight usually. For the final stretch to the final ramp, stay just left of center to avoid all the aliens and preboost into the ramp for the swan boat. Practice, practice, practice this section to learn when to boost and when to change your vector.
Swan time. The easiest section, but you'll still need to be quick. Sometimes. The impending explosion wave thing will help knock out pirate ships, but rarely does it take out the last one. In fact, you'll need to actually approach the explosion and fire into it near the top for the 15th ship, which likes to hang out up there. Return to the dock for the ATV section.
Easier than it seems, but still murderous. Hopefully your ATV skills have remained sharp from facing Billy eons ago. You'll generally want to constantly shoot forward as you move forward, that way the moving walls always take damage asap. For the path with the first crusher things, you have to be moving forward slightly, let them crush, then boost through them as they open. If you wait and then boost without forward motion, it's often not enough. For the 3 moving walls part, take out the center wall and I also chose to take out the wall that starts left but ends right. You have plenty of time, so use it and boost through the next crusher. The next long path has lots of spikes, so time your movements to avoid damage, and always gun as you move. The last crusher has a wall behind it, so park right in front of it, destroy the wall, and boost beyond the crusher when it's safe. You can actually boost into the wall and remain safe against it as you shoot it, but that's up to you. Just be wary of the vases/urns around the crusher--they WILL slow down boosts and the crusher will eat you for lunch. Take the last turn, and boost to the sadistic hoverboat section.
The hoverboat apparently lost its cannon capabilities, but no matter: you get to JUMP (RT) over everything! From the start, race forward until you reach the first pipes. The strategy I used was jumping over pipes and the red barrels, going steadily but not slowly. You have time but not enough to dawdle. It's always better to hit a barrel vs a pipe, as the pipe will damage you AND fling you into something else that'll probably damage you further and bounce you around like a pinball. Once you make the first turn continue steadily, jumping carefully over pipes. Stick to the left side until the alien ship arrives, then dip into the middle, then return to the left. I only say the left because I grew familiar with it, and it makes the next turn easier. At the next turn, there are pipes as you turn, so stay on your toes, remaining left. Sometimes the dark environment shrouds a pipe, so proceed with extreme caution. Another salvo of aliens will arrive, but after them you’re more or less home free. Careful jumps and sticking to the side (aside from aliens) provides consistency, which is what you need here. That and nerves of steel. Near the end, the wave of doom will likely be catching up, so floor it to safety and BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF YOU CHAMPION YOU.
Demon Larry
Honestly, I’d take Demon Larry over the vehicle rush any day. Mr. Midnight’s guide is extremely helpful here, so most of these ideas are his, with some additions of my own. Credit where credit is due, people.
1. To start, sprint forward to the last centermost debris, moving up to Larry when he generates the easier to dodge low “power chord of doom”.
2. At Larry’s feet, it’s CRITICAL you conserve health for the donut section. Stay FAR from Larry, and for the lightning, run, don’t jump to avoid it. Grab the donuts from the janitor’s ghost (quite a phrase), hold A to keep bouncing, and land atop the center amp.
3. Every 5 attacks, Larry will laugh hungrily, and this is where you slam both control sticks towards his mouth and launch a donut (LT) into it. The timing is tight, so anticipate, anticipate, anticipate.
4. As Mr. Midnight suggests, the best spot is 3/4 the way down on the right.
5. From your position, the fire breath move is always dodged. Go you.
6. For the lick attack, you only need to full hop once as it approaches you, because when you land your shoes automatically bounce a 2nd time over the tongue as it passes back. This proves especially useful when the lick is his 5th attack and you need to set up for a donut launch. Just remember that the tongue sweeps back to the middle before retracting, so you’ll need to stay right of Larry the whole time.
7. The purple lightning from hell. There are about 4-5 variations of the lightning. From your position, most lightning is dodged by moving to the center or the right edge. Walk, do not jump, and only B dodge to a corner or edge if you’re truly in panic mode. Honestly, you’ll need some experience to build a reaction to each permutation. Stay focused and take deep breaths when you mess up and he eats 40% of your health. It happens to the best of us.
8. As Mr. Midnight suggests, flashlighting his stomach from Larry’s crotch ensures four rounds of donuts will bring you victory. It also avoids the awkward jump onto his stomach, which burns precious time.
9. I cannot confirm but suspect a monster amulet here could be used if you run out of ammo (more on that later). Lastly, I used the conscience here too, but I think I was too close to Larry for it to work--I imagine using it atop his stomach would reap great rewards. Honestly too scared to try…
10. When he sweeps you back the first time, you need to decide whether or not to use your soda hat. Less than 50%? I vote to keep the hat, or activate it just before entering the donut amp battle, so it heals during it. You CANNOT equip the hat atop the center amp.
11. When swept back the 2nd time, restock boxes appear, and also arrives the biggest “eff-you” moment in the game. Will you get health AND ammo? You’ll need both, and the Madness gods hopefully deem you worthy. TWICE, I only got health, ran out of ammo, nearly killed Larry but died. I WEPT FOR DAYS. There are 4 boxes behind safety debris. Use them ONLY as needed, because Larry will sweep you here once more and you may need a health refill for the last donut round.
12. When attempting to traverse Larry’s power chords, always start with the chord you can jump over. The rest is you recognizing where to move to avoid the vertical chords. Sometimes you will need to cut your losses and move backwards to avoid being hit--it’s better than flinging into fire that eats 20% of your health.
13. On the last flashlighting-from-the-crotch round (#4). STAND UP AND CELEBRATE. I was shaking with adrenaline and the dopamine burst you experience is significant, but will never repay the debt of putting yourself through this.
Your reward? Jennifer in a bikini. Absolutely not worth it.
Questions? Mistakes? Please let me know how I could improve!