As the opening boss of Sagaia, Hyper Sting doesn't hit you the same way King Fossil or even (shudder) Golden Eye does. In fact he probably is the easiest first boss in the series. He probably is the nicest-looking one, too-his fins are pretty detailed and well-drawn (and a fancy-for- 1989 twisting background). Artistic considerations aside, he is a doozy.
Hyper Sting's a back door man.
Tips: A few bullets and a straight beam. What more needs to be said. And you never really are cramped for space. The mouth marks the (weak) spot, and eventually he changes colour from purple to angry red and explodes. But wait- his twin brother appears from the other side of the screen to offer you exactly the same offence. Go at it and you're through. To save time, you can blow up one of the mines each HyperSting carries with him when it opens- it blows him up at once. The trick is getting close enough without crashing into him.
Super Darius gave HyperSting time to ask for a new paint job. He's lost his metallic finish and gotten a more garish but prettier and more aesthetic purple-and-white scheme.
Gone are the pesky bullets. He still has the beam (which mysteriously takes time to charge up) and fires anchor thingies from his body. Given the more cramped screen, they can be more of a pain than the Sagaia attacks, but, hey, it's manageable. The weak point is still the mouth, so go at it and he eventually sinks.
Colour Scheme:
Sagaia:78% Super Darius:94%
Design:
Sagaia:95% Super Darius:95%
Attacks:
Sagaia:50% Super Darius:66%
Name:
70%
Real-Life Inspiration:A lionfish (Pterois volians), also called scorpionfish. These are really lovely critters to look at but poisonous. There's one in a fish tank at a nearby mall where I live. If I remember correctly, they serve as an important plot device in Octopussy (the story, not the film). Ian Fleming liked fishes. More to come later....
Name:Scorpionfish->sting. Get it? Groan...but passes muster.
