NOTE: Upon starting this version for the first time, your options will be reset to default. This will only happen once. (This is because I did not think far enough ahead to include version numbers in the save data. This has been corrected and future versions will be able to convert outdated files.)
New options and features:
- Upon completing the game, your save file will be marked with "CLEAR" on the file select screen. A "CLEAR" file can either replay the final stage, start New Game+, or choose Free Play. New Game+ allows you restart from the beginning of the game with everything you finished the game with. Free Play allows you to start from any stage and phase you like with the file's current equipment, without progress being saved. You can still access Free Play after beginning New Game+.
- Added a new option to make the LANCE ARMS always aim forward during Pursuit phases. (Aiming it is sometimes useful, but it's too easy to lance in the wrong direction by accident.)
- Added a "Map All" submenu to the gamepad button map menu, in which you can simply map all buttons at once.
- You can no longer assign conflicting keybinds/button maps. Upon setting a keybind/button that is already in use, the previous one will be unassigned.
- Added two new keybinds/buttons to allow selecting the next/previous ARMS in the list without pausing.
- Added new cheats to enable the various System Upgrades.
- You can now go back to the SYSTEMS UPGRADES screen by pressing ARMS/CANCEL on the stage introduction screen. (The stage introduction screen is shown whenever you load a file in Search phase, so you can quit out and reload the file to access the upgrades screen if you skipped it by accident.)
Gameplay changes:
- Added a new mechanic in which if you reach the Pursuit phase boss with max HP, you can continue right in front of it after a game over. (Does not apply to the final stage, since it's already so short.)
- Slightly reduced the collision size of several enemy bullets.
- Uncharged BUSTER shots now have a small amount of auto-aim (up to 10 degrees) to mitigate their tiny collision size. While using AUX ARMS, the additional bullets now have half the damage and double the firing rate, and the auto-aim window is also doubled.
- NAPALM direct damage increased by about 15% (overall DPS by about 8%).
- BLAZE ARMS direct damage doubled. (It is still recommended to use it primarily for its burn damage.)
- Burn damage reduced slightly from 7 each frame to 20 every third frame, in order to make damage modifiers interact with it less awkwardly.
- Added a little extra density to an uncommonly-seen Stage 3 pursuit boss attack.
- Increased the HP of the first Stage 6 midboss by 20%, so he can at least try to complete one cycle.
- Reduced the size of the final boss's "circle" movement pattern so that it will not ram into the player at the bottom of the screen.
- Many gimmicks added to Heartless Rampage to make it more consistently unfair.
Other changes:
- New sound effects have been added to the game with a focus on balancing the volume of various attacks.
- The red "explosion" palette has been changed to be more vibrant.
- Enemies now use a different "missile" sprite that more accurately suggests the size of the hitbox.
- Fixed Game Over music overlapping when continuing quickly.
- The ending sequence in Heartless Rampage has a few extra non-canon closing words.