Overview
This guide will assist you in completing all the achievements in Ultionus and show you the most effective ways to do so! If this guide was helpful to you, please consider pressing the thumbs up button, thanks!
Introduction
While this guide will attempt to thoroughly explain all the achievements in this game, I’ll also be explaining the most efficient routes to take to complete these achievements. You’ll need to complete the game 3 times, each time under a different difficulty (Easy, Normal and Hardcore)
Very small spoiler-ish tip:
Remember, there’s somewhat hidden upgrade shops on almost every platformer stage where you can make purchases and upgrade your equipment making the game much easier. Check out the ‘Girls Rule’ section for an entire walkthrough video. This will show you all the shop locations as well as various tricks and boss patterns. Or you can be heroic and not use walkthroughs, it’s up to you!
If you want to be as efficient as possible with this game, take a look at the ‘Maximizing Efficiency’ section, as you’ll be able to get all the achievements ASAP.
Also, I will be taking in user submissions in the ‘Tips and Tricks’ section, so it’s possible to get newer/updated information there!
Frog This!
Complete Zone 1 without getting killed by a frog even once.
Very straight forward, there are various enemies in Zone 1 including some frog people. They have a relatively quick walk speed and will typically stick their tongue out at you. Ducking and shooting will make sure you won’t get hit by the tongue attack. Asides from this, just avoid their jumps.
I’m a Leaf in the Wind
Clear Zone 0 without taking any damage
Zone 0 is a side scrolling shooter stage and is not difficult. Just watch out for the enemy bullets and especially asteroids as they have lots of hit points. Towards the end of the stage, you’ll see a final wave of red ships.
Right after this, there will be a total of 3 large green laser beams that shoot out:
The first laser beam is in the top 40% of the screen (left picture)
The second laser beam is in the bottom 40% of the screen (right picture)
The final laser beam cannot be dodged
You need to make sure to take no damage during the stage and dodge the first 2 large laser beams in order to get the achievement.
Still Worth It
Complete the game with a bad ending on any difficulty.
It’s best to do this once you’ve beaten the game. Just go to level select and play the last level on Easy. Spoiler:You need to free Balzac in order to get the good ending, assuming you’ve freed him on the other stages. Make sure to just go straight up the elevator, ignore the side paths to the store/Balzac and go straight to the boss to ensure you get the bad ending.
Wanderer
Watch the entire credits without skipping.
Just watch the credits until the end. The song that plays during the credits is awesome!
The song is A_Rival’s Wandering.
You can check out the excellent Ultionus’ soundtrack by Virt here:
[link]
Or go to A_Rival’s bandcamp here:
[link]
The Pink Wizard
Play Zone 3 all the way to the boss without letting a single enemy escape.
Spoiler: Zone 3 is a stage where you ride a dinosaur and the screen auto scrolls. There are enemies on the ground and in the air and it’s very possible to miss one. There’s an especially tricky enemy that is barely off screen up in a tree house near the end of 2nd checkpoint section (about to cross to the 3rd checkpoint) so make sure to shoot him! Picture for reference, enemy is off-screen right above past the large insect, you need to be shooting upwards early.
Much Skill! So Pro!
Complete the game on Hardcore difficulty with a good ending.
Please note: you cannot start the game on Hardcore difficulty; you must beat the game on Normal difficulty first. In my opinion, the most difficult part about the hardcore run is the beginning when you have no upgrades or anything. The game is much more unforgiving without any initial extra lives and there’s not a lot of room to mess up. Once you get past the first stage though, it gets a lot better and I highly recommend doing this run last, especially once you’re familiar with the game.
UPDATE: Apparently, you can do this achievement through Level Select! Please check out the ‘Tips and Tricks’ section for more information about this achievement.
Everyone’s a Winner!
Complete the game on Easy difficulty with a good ending.
This is automatically received after beating the game on Normal difficulty with the good ending. If you didn’t do this, then just beat the game again under Easy and make sure to save Balzac in Zone 1, 2, 4, and 5.
Inalienable Right
Buy all weapon upgrades.
I highly recommend getting all weapon upgrades on the first run of Normal Difficulty. The game is relatively forgiving once you get past the fact you can’t run and gun. As soon as you purchase more firepower such as the Rapidfire Addon , the game gets much easier. Weapon upgrades are as follows:
Explosive Ammo – 100,000
Rapidfire Addon – 120,000
3Way Addon – 150,000
Make sure you have enough score/money to purchase the upgrades before going to the shop!
Calima Shatiday
In Zone 4 ride a platform into lava.
In theLava Caves(Zone 4), there are certain sinking platforms that you can ride all the way down to the lava. You will lose a life, but doing this under Normal or Easy is typically no big deal.
$core Matters?
Complete the game without buying anything from the shops.
This is much easier after beating the game under Normal as you’ll be familiar with the boss fights/stages. Start a new game under Easy difficulty and just don’t buy anything at the shops at all.
UPDATE: There’s another method to do this. Check it out in the ‘Tips and Tricks’ section for more information
Girls Rule
Complete the game on Normal difficulty with a good ending.
Start a new game under Normal difficulty and save Balzac in Zone 1, 2, 4, and 5. If you want to be efficient/fast, I recommend watching WillyFourEyes’ playthrough of this game as he shows where to get all the shop coins and where to save Balzac.
Make sure to watch with annotations, it helps significantly!
WillyFourEyes’ has taken down the video unfortunately 🙁
Thankfully, there are other talented players like wolfman11983 who does a speedrun. You can definitely learn some good tricks and optimal routes this way.
Very Kk-KLKK
Buy all armor upgrades.
It’s best to do this during your final playthrough under the Hardcore difficulty. Sooner or later, you’re probably going to take some hits and in Hardcore it helps so much to get defensive upgrades that help with your life meter. Armor upgrades are as follows:
Mirror Cape – 50,000
Shield Bracelet – 100,000
Pimpin Hat – 120,000
Make sure you have enough score/money to purchase the upgrades before going to the shop!
According to the developer himself, each of these items add 1HP to your life meter. When you do get your “Dignity”, the space suit after freeing Balzac for the last time, it’s purely cosmetic and nothing changes.
Pro Debugger
Kill 4 orange centipedes without losing a life
In the stage – Zone 6: Final Escape, there’s a cavernous part with large centipedes. Just focus your ship’s lasers on the head to kill them. The first centipede is the largest and generally takes 2 “passes” to kill. The other centipedes are much smaller and can be killed first time around. As long as you kill them all without dying, you’ll get the achievement.
Dragonstomper
Kill 10 large water serpents without losing a life.
After your first playthrough under Normal difficulty, I recommend doing this via Level Select and playing under Easy difficulty. As soon as you zone into Zone 2: Underground, get down the bottom floor with water. Keep walking right and you’ll pass one checkpoint. Keep walking right and ignore everything until you get to the 2nd checkpoint. Then walk a bit more to the right until you see a very small “island” in the middle of the water. Stand on it and just alternate shooting left and right as these large water serpents come after you. From my recollection, shoot once left and shoot once right and rinse, repeat! Assuming you have the weapon upgrade (like in the screenshot) you should be able to kill any and all serpents that come towards you. After killing 10 of them, you’ll get the achievement.
UPDATE: There’s been a video posted that uses a slightly different method. Check it out in the ‘Tips and Tricks’ section for more information
Minesweeper
Trigger 7 mines via proximity without losing a life.
After your first playthrough under Normal difficulty, I also recommend doing this achievement through the Level Select and playing under Easy difficulty. As soon as you zone into Zone 5: The Palace, walk right until you get to the elevator. Set off the proximity mines by walking close to them, but not too close. Use the markings on the elevator to estimate the distance to stand so you’re close enough when the mines detonate, you don’t get hurt. This may take some practice, but that’s the idea. Doing this under easy gives infinite lives, so keep trying!
Maximizing Efficiency
********************************************************************************
********************************************************************************
********************************************************************************
POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD! YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!
********************************************************************************
********************************************************************************
********************************************************************************
To recap, lots of these achievements are best done after beating the game on Normal difficulty. Please read the “Girls Rule” section and watch WillyFourEyes’ playthrough if you want to see how to do things properly. If you want to play the game at your own pace, that’s perfectly fine as well!
Here’s an example run for all the achievements in order:
1. Do a Normal Difficulty Run and get the following achievements with the Good ending:
Save Balzac, your friend in Zone 1, 2, 4, and 5
Purchase all Weapon Upgrades, by Zone 4, you’ll have gotten Inalienable Right
Zone 0: In Orbit – I’m a Leaf in the Wind
Zone 1: Snowy Crash – Frog This!
Zone 2: Underground – Dragonstomper (You can also do this via Level Select, which is arguably easier/better)
Zone 4: Lava Caves – Calima Shatiday
Zone 4: Lava Caves – Inalienable Right
Zone 6: Final Escape – Pro Debugger
Beat the game with good ending – Everyone’s a Winner!
Beat the game with good ending – Girls Rule
Watch all Credits – Wanderer
2. Use Level Select for “Dragonstomper” (if you didn’t get it in the first playthrough) “The Pink Wizard” and “Minesweeper”. Then start a new game under Easy Difficulty and get “$core Matters?” and “Still Worth It”
Do not save Balzac during any of the stages and do not purchase any upgrades
Zone 2: Underground – Dragonstomper
Zone 3: Adrec Run – The Pink Wizard
Zone 5: The Palace – Minesweeper
Beat the game with no upgrades – $core Matters?
Beat the game with bad ending – Still Worth It
Based on the new information from the ‘Tips and Tricks’ section, there’s now at least 2 ways to do the final step:
TRUE HARDCORE MODE
3A. With all your newfound skills, start a new game and do a Hardcore Difficulty Run:
Save Balzac, your friend in Zone 1, 2, 4, and 5
Purchase all Armor Upgrades, by Zone 4, you’ll have gotten Very Kk-KLKK
Zone 4: Lava Caves – Very Kk-KLKK
Beat the game with good ending – Much Skill! So Pro!
OR
EASY WAY OUT
3B. Start a new game and do an Easy Difficulty Run:
Purchase all Armor Upgrades, by Zone 4, you’ll have gotten Very Kk-KLKK
Zone 4: Lava Caves – Very Kk-KLKK
Now, start another new game and do another Easy Difficulty Run:
Save Balzac, your friend in Zone 1, 2, 4, and 5
Purchase all Weapon Upgrades
When you get to the last level (Zone 6: Final Escape), quit the game and go to Level Select in the menu. Select the last level on Hardcore difficulty and beat it.
Beat the game with good ending – Much Skill! So Pro!
Tips and Tricks
This section will be for all submitted tips and tricks. Please note, I haven’t gotten around to testing these, so I’m just taking the submitter’s word for it!
==================================================
For Much Skill! So Pro!, there may be an easy way to obtain the achievement. Play through the game on Easy mode and upgrade the firepower to the max. When you get to the last level, quit the game and go to level select in the menu. Select the last level and on hardest difficulty and beat it. I don’t know if this has been patched out since I got this achievement. (Submitted by Deques) (Confirmed by Minzoku Bokumetsu, this method hasn’t been patched out since at least Jun 6th 2014)
[Editor Notes] You will still need to beat the game on Normal in order to unlock the Hardcore difficulty before you can try this out. Also doing it via Level Select on Hard will only give you 1 life, so make sure you know the last boss fight well otherwise you’ll be restarting a lot.
==================================================
For Dragonstomper, I found a way that I think is a little easier (at least for me, it is). Once at the bottom of zone 2, go right to the 2nd checkpoint, then go right just enough to where you see the dragon’s body. Once you see the body, jump left and shoot repeatedly. If he appears on the left, you’ll kill him. If he appears on the right, you’ll dodge his one-hit-kill attack. Rinse, wash, repeat until achievement! Here’s a vid I made showing how to do it. (Submitted by Syragar) [link]
[Editor Notes] It seems my description wasn’t as clear as I thought it would be. Basically once you stand on the little island, just alternate shooting left and right (shoot once left, then shoot once right). This seemed to take care of the Dragon no matter what direction it came from (at least from my recollection, I haven’t played in quite a while). The fact that you went through the trouble to post a video is really commendable. A (moving) picture is worth a thousand words!
==================================================
For $core Matters?, getting the bad ending also accomplishes this as you don’t purchase all the upgrades. This probably means you could replay the last platforming level, purposely not buy anything from the shop and beat the game. (Submitted by udogi)
Conclusion and Thanks to DarkFalzX!
Anyways, that concludes this guide, hope it was helpful and make sure to thank the developer DarkFalzX for making an awesome game!
[link]
Here’s hoping to a great sequel/follow-up!
