Final Heroes is a 2D side-scrolling platform game developed and published by TimeStrike affiliate Zinc Inc. via Steam, released in October 2015 worldwide. It marks Zinc Inc.'s debut in the gaming industry and is the first entry in the Final Heroes franchise, and also marks the debut of its lead character Flechette. Flechette is a society outcast that uses arrows and darts to steal precious valuables and pounds of gold, on a journey to take the Luminous Stone and her best friend Zoe Xian from the clutches of the Epizon Empire. Final Heroes was inspired by the gameplay and graphics of many platform games developed for the Game Boy, including the likes of Super Mario Land 2, Kirby's Dream Land, and Metroid II: Return of Samus. It is played in widescreen resolution however, unlike authentic Game Boy games.
In Final Heroes, the player takes control of either Flechette, Leadman, or Shell on their journey to take down the Epizon Empire. Darts are the game's central gimmick, being versatile tools that can be used for both traversing land and slaying enemies depending on how they're used. Flechette, Leadman, and Shell have their own distinguishable gameplay differences through the different weapons they can use and the different skills they can activate, giving the game plenty of replay value. The player must travel through seven mandatory worlds with five levels each, all of which have coins to gather, valuables to plunder, and obstacle courses to overcome. At the end of each world, the player takes down one of the Shadow Empress' heroes before eventually squaring off against her in the last world.
Later in 2016, the game was given a major update referred to as Final Heroes EX. This new update of the game allowed the player to enable a Game Boy Color-esque color palette and try out brand-new modes, both of which giving the game extra substance.
Plot
Manual introduction
- "Somewhere far out in the galaxy, there was a world named Theturn, infamous among the Apollo system for its unrivaled crime rate and vulnerability to countless invasions. For centuries it had been a wasteland, picked clean of its resources and culture by the dozens of societies that have raided it. No matter what King Terry tried to do, he couldn't stop criminals from across the galaxy picking apart everything he knew and loved, and he was eventually forced to give up Theturn to the Epizon Empire. This empire, led by the ominously named Shadow Empress, promised to take good care of Theturn and all the other planets it's successfully conquered over the past couple of decades. Within mere hours, the Shadow Empress supplied Theturn's people with a sizable army of 500,000 and hired bodyguards and loads of scientists to keep the properties and landmarks of Theturn safe from harm. Many evildoers, some very notorious and some that have made very little impact on society, have been forced to surrender to the Shadow Empress or otherwise vow to never return.
- One of these evildoers was a notorious criminal named Flechette, who used her arrows and darts to steal precious valuables and thousands of coins. She alongside fellow criminals Leadman and Shell were ushered out from civilization for their crimes, something that deeply upset her since she couldn't see her best friend Zoe Xian anymore nor have a chance of raiding the Luminous Stone from the Epizon Empire's possession. Around a week later, Flechette while planning her revenge received a letter from Zoe, which would change everything for her. Zoe's letter explains that the Shadow Empress has enslaved all of Theturn's inhabitants and warns her that the empress plans to wipe out all exiled evil across the world to make way for a 'New World Order'. Although told to be cautious, Flechette grins wide knowing that she'll be the one who changes Theturn's destiny... and gets even more excited when she realizes she can steal that Luminous Stone after all and get Zoe Xian back in the same trip!
- Recruiting her friends Leadman and Shell, they march off to take down the Epizon Empire, knowing now that they're the only real heroes remaining on Theturn. They'll have to take down everything the Shadow Empress throws at them, including her 'high league heroes' if they wish to move forward. But little did they know that time is wearing thin, since many thousands of troops are out on the lookout for their hides!"
- * If the player receives a game over, they'll see a screen where the Shadow Empress laughs upon her throne, seeing all of her enslaved inhabitants work without free will in a post-apocalyptic world.
- * If the player runs out of time in a level, they'll see a shaking screen with the Shadow Empress screaming out "TIME'S UP!", reaching out a hand to crush the player within her palm.
Endings
| It's highly recommended you read the rest of the article before checking back here! |
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While all the playable characters share similar endings, they each have their own different "THE END" screens that are in remarkably high detail at least on the EX versions of the game. Flechette is basking in a sea of gold, where she is joined by Zoe and Lilith in the Good and Best endings respectively. Leadman is shown sleeping against a big diamond with a villain struggling in ropes hung from his ceiling, which can be Jet Man, Jerrick or Judas depending on the ending the player received upon beating the game. Shell is shown piloting her ship with a grin on her face, which widens more as more and more treasures pile up on her ship, the amount of treasure building up depending on what ending the player got. In all cases, they're taken by Eddie Staley, who gives the player a thumbs up. |
Gameplay
Final Heroes is a 2D side-scrolling platformer in which the players assume control of either Flechette, Leadman, or Shell and aim to rescue Zoe Xian and the Luminous Stone from the likes of the Epizon Empire. The player's objective is to reach the end of each level, slaying the boss that awaits at the end or touching the huge golden ring so they may progress forwards. If they seek to go and overthrow the Shadow Empress however, they must make adequate use of their infinite supply of darts (although only three can be out at a time). They can be thrown to hit switches, snap ropes, attack enemies, and stick to walls so they may be briefly used as platforms, and serve as the game's signature mechanic. Along the way, the player can collect valuables and do some coin snatching on the side, but the player is on a strict time limit on each level so they cannot linger for long. Inspired by TimeStrike's older games such as BowieQuest and Aftershock, this game is very challenging and won't relent much for the player.
Scattered around the game's levels are loads of coins, which can be suspended mid-air, trapped in containers or vases, dropped from enemies upon defeat, or awarded from getting stars on any level in the game. These coins can be spent at Lilith's Shack, a place that can be visited any time by selecting it from the world map. She can cast spells that can aid the player, including ones that let the player auto-revive once after death and summon her for a free hit on the next boss they fight. There are also three treasure chests per level, which award the player with expensive loot once opened. Opening all the treasure chests is necessary for a 100% complete run of the game, and they're found in some really tough to reach spaces. There is also one big diamond hidden away in every level that's also necessary for a 100% complete run of the game... collect all forty to see the big surprise that waits at the end of the game. Checkpoints, represented by jester-themed devils, will save the player's progress through a level when passed.
All three of the playable characters in Final Heroes have their special attributes and share things in common. They're each athletic characters that are capable of wall jumping, crawling under tight spaces, and using darts as their standard weapon. Every character also boasts two unique skills and a special weapon of their own that gives them a lot of flexibility. Flechette is the most well-rounded of these characters, being recommended for players new to the game so they can get a good feel for the gameplay. She wields a bow as her primary weapon, making her a dart-centric character. Leadman, meanwhile, is slippery and rather tricky to control in exchange for being the fastest character. He wields a gun with ricocheting bullets, which gives him more flexibility than Flechette. Shell is the slowest of the three, although not by a large margin, and utilizes explosives as her primary weapon. All of them require about the same amount of skill to use, so the player isn't handicapped by choosing one character over the other.
There are four counters at the bottom of the screen, which represent health, money, chests, and diamonds. The health counter is represented by a string of six hearts, which can grow to be as long as thirteen hearts if all spare health containers are found. Most attacks in the game will take away one heart from the player's health counter, with some taking away more than that; as soon as the player loses all of their hearts, they will die instantly and will be forced to reset from the last checkpoint. If all lives are lost, the player receives a game over. The other three counters are self-explanatory. The timer will be ticking away in the bottom left corner while the lives counter can be found at the bottom right. Lives can be earned by finding lucky clovers that appear every now and then. Collecting 100 coins, just like in the Super Mario series, will net the player an extra life as well.
The value of money in Final Heroes depends largely on its source. There are coins scattered all throughout the worlds of this game that are each worth 1 coin, with square, triangle, and diamond coins being worth 5, 10, and 25 coins respectively. More valuable coins are rare to come by and are usually found tucked away in hidden corners. Treasure chests (with or without the prize inside) will always net the player 50 coins, while the big diamonds will net the player 100 coins overall. Destroying enemies will release souls that can be used to haggle with Lilith at her shop and may also drop big coins for the player to gather. If the player dies at any point during a level, they will lose a noticeable sum of their money and all spells currently on them (besides the Comeback one) will break. It is recommended to visit Robin on the world map to deposit and withdrawal money when necessary.
Should the player come across an empty treasure chest, whether they just opened it up or come across it at a later time, they can hold up if they've gathered at least twenty souls to access a secret "Special Stage"! They'll be tasked by the spirit of the long-dead Butch Barker to gather loads of money if they want to meet the price of his uber-expensive Shadow Shards, additionally setting them back with his own henchmen and by requiring them to return to him before the given time limit expires. However, if the player can gather all the Shadow Shards, they'll be able to access a secret final world and be able to get the game's good ending, so it's good to keep this goal in mind if the player wishes to get 100% completion. These are, however, optional if the player simply wishes to reach the final boss and beat them for the game's neutral ending and honestly not bother with much else.
At the end of each level in Final Heroes, after defeating the mid-boss or world boss, the player will receive a star-based reward for their performance. The player will receive a star for having full health, a star for not dying even once, a star for opening all treasure chests, a star for collecting the big diamond, and a star for completing the stage under a certain time limit. If all five stars are collected, the player is considered to have mastered the level. The player is not forbidden from progressing forward if they do not receive any stars; getting all stars is merely a necessity for 100% completion.
Difficulty
There are four selectable difficulty settings in Final Heroes:
- Normal is the game's default difficulty setting. Everything in this setting, from chest locations to enemy placements to time limits, are what's usual for a casual run of the game. It's generally the setting most players will try first and potentially clear the game on. The game's final challenge can be accessed in this setting and higher. If the player receives a game over, they will restart from the beginning of the world they're in.
- Simple is the game's "easy" setting. Treasure is more plentiful, chests and diamonds are found in more accessible locations, enemies and bosses have less health, and time limits have been generously extended. While the final boss can be challenged, the game's last challenges are not available in Simple (although 100% is still possible). If the player receives a game over, they'll restart from the beginning of the level they're in.
- Expert is the game's "hard" setting. Treasure is less plentiful, chests and diamonds are harder to find than before, enemies and bosses have extra health, and the time limit is more strict. Lilith's spell prices are also higher in this setting (but not by much). Additionally, sudden ambushes will occur in selected levels. If the player receives a game over, they will reset from the beginning of the world they're in like in Normal.
- Insane is considerably crueler than anything offered in the above settings. While this setting is mostly identical to Expert, there are absolutely no coins the player can collect (meaning Lilith's shop is gone) and they will die with a single hit. While lucky clovers are more plentiful in this setting, if the player loses all their lives at any point they will be forced to reset the challenge from the very beginning.
Controls
Note: The player can configure any controller for use in the game via the game's configuration menu on Steam. The keyboard is the player's standard method of playing the game until they change it.
- The player uses
and to move around, double-tapping either to dash. They can also be used to push around objects. Holding and can be used for aiming weapons or selecting options on a menu. Holding lets the player duck, using and while ducking lets them crawl. If the player holds in the direction of the wall they're up against, they'll cling to it. - is used for jumping and confirming actions on a menu. + is used for activating aerial special skills and wall jumping. Press rapidly to swim. + lets the player suddenly fall to the ground.
- is used for throwing darts or using an alternative weapon or denying actions on a menu. + lets the player use their selected weapon midair. + lets the player fire multiple darts. Tapping and simultaneously with lets the player use their grounded special skill.
- lets the player switch between dart mode and weapon mode.
- lets the player pause the game.
Modes
Final Heroes is host to several modes, especially in its EX update. Modes denoted with * are only available once the EX update is installed.
| Story Mode | Arcade Mode |
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"Story Mode" is the main mode in Final Heroes, the mode of choice for casual players. The player can have up to three save files here, although they can only have quicksaves if they have the Insane difficulty setting checked. The player must advance through all seven mandatory worlds, traveling across a world map and having the game automatically save for every world they beat. Skippable cutscenes will play between each level and before each boss. The player can revisit any stage they wish after beating it and visit select locations on the map. |
"Arcade Mode" is the alternative main mode in Final Heroes, with the player having to again beat all seven mandatory worlds but this time without save files, cutscenes, and the world map. The only way to save the game is via quicksaving; once the player continues the game, the quicksave is wiped. The moment the player receives a game over, they will be forced to reset the mode from the beginning. If "Insane" is picked as the difficulty setting, the Umbra Alcazar is accessible upon World 7 being cleared and the Special Stages get used to farm lives. |
| Time Attack | Competition |
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"Time Attack" has the player aim for the best time possible in any given level in the game. Every level is turned into an obstacle course, with every enemy and boss battle wiped from each map. The goal is to make it to the end as fast as possible utilizing the fastest available route the player knows. The player has infinite tries and will reset at the last touched checkpoint upon death, but the time will not be set back, so it is recommended the player tries not to die. The player's best three times will be saved and the player can choose to save at least one replay per level. |
"Competition" is the game's 2-player mode. Two players will be competing to gather as much treasure as possible in any given level of the game, with the aim being to have more treasure than the opponent once the level is finished or once both players lose all their lives. Finding diamonds, treasure chests, or landing the last hit on the boss will net the player loads of treasure. The ability to knock coins out of the opposing player via attacking them can be toggled on or off. This mode can be done with a human player (locally or online) or with a computer player. |
| Dungeon Heist * | Boss Rush * |
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"Dungeon Heist" takes the player through one huge, completely unique dungeon where all 120 of the game's treasure chests, all 40 of the game's big diamonds, and thousands upon thousands of coins are hidden. The main objective is to gather as much treasure as possible and make it out before the rigged caverns explode and prematurely end the player's run, making them lose all their valuables. There are no enemies waiting in this huge dungeon, but many booby traps are present to try and hold the player back along the way! The player's three best scores here are saved. |
"Boss Rush" has the player try to slay all of the game's bosses, one after another, in an order that the game randomizes. The player has infinite health during this challenge, but the player is given a very strict time limit to work with. Time will be added to the clock for every boss the player slays, but every hit they take will subtract 5 seconds away from it, so they need to be very careful. Vases can be destroyed to drop miniature clocks, which can help restore some time. If this mode is played on Expert, at least on the EX update, new bosses join the mix... |
| Zoe's Tower * | Options |
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"Zoe's Tower" is an interesting mode that's unlocked as soon as the player completes Story Mode for the first time. When selected from the main menu (or alternatively from the world map), the player will teleported inside the middle of the dungeon Zoe was locked in. By walking around the walls of her dungeon, the player will find many sticky notes attached to the walls, each of which presenting a challenge the player can complete. There are twenty-one challenges, and each one that gets finished will unlock alternate costumes for Flechette, Leadman and Shell. |
Through "Options" the player can adjust music and sound volume, configure their controls, and additionally select whatever music they like from the Jukebox. A miniature headbanging Zoe will be doing the sign of the horns, commenting "Rock and roll!" in a little speech bubble. The player can also activate cheat codes from here- specific combinations of buttons can enable (and disable) unlimited health, infinite lives, or even limit the cooldown between attacks to cheese bosses. Cheats are only available in Arcade Mode, however. Cheats are disabled upon resetting the game. |
Characters
Playable
  フレシェット Flechette
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“All the world's gems are mine! I'll point it out every time!” Flechette Ersatz was always known as one of the more notorious thieves on Theturn, responsible for a number of heists that resulted in King Terry's most prized possessions being stolen. She was considered the 13th most threatening evil-doer, according to the Theturn authorities before the Epizon Empire's takeover. Flechette is a glutton for treasure and goes out of her way to hoard it whenever she can, refusing under most circumstances to let anyone touch it. In fact, she'd double cross pretty much anyone but riches, except maybe Zoe. Although very vain and selfish, she may reluctantly push aside her desire for riches for a better cause if it helps her in the end. Flechette's best trait is her loyalty to Zoe, who is her sidekick and main object of affection. She is a high-ranking member of the Scott Circle.
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 マガジン Leadman
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“Let's gun up all of these so-called 'heroes'.” Joe "Leadman" Scott was among Theturn's most infamous bank robbers, having stolen hundreds of thousands of coins during his time as a criminal. He was Theturn's 3rd highest-ranking criminal, noted for his explosive escapes and subsequent high body count, even responsible for the killing of the former King Mercury. Leadman is an ill-tempered troublemaker that's quick to anger and resort to shouting when he can't get his messages through to people. Having lived a very troubled childhood with just one abusive parent in the middle of nowhere, he believes people don't deserve to be happy and isn't against killing innocents. He has a very callous heart, but finds himself able to relate to criminals like himself and tries to keep his circle together no matter how much it hurts him to try. It's all he has left, after all.
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 シェル Shell
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“Guess you could say I'm here to have a blast!” Shell Flatts was a widely feared pirate captain on Theturn, having sailed across all the Eight Seas of Despair to plunder helpless civilizations and steal rare items. She was considered the 7th most threatening evil-doer on Theturn, having killed a number of people during her conquest to seek out all the world's rarities for herself. Shell is a fearless, fiercely independent woman that's very commanding and known for her nasty temper all across the world, with many intimidated by her size and skill with bombs. Around those she cares for, usually just those in the Scott Circle, she displays a friendlier and more approachable personality. She is a little untrustworthy though even to her friends, using her sweet-talking personality and flirtiness to steal anyone's rarest possessions.
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Non-playable
| TBA ゾーイ Zoe
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“Take your time, Flechy. I'll pull through for you!” Zoya "Zoe" Xian is the game's unwilling damsel-in-distress, being Flechette Ersatz's best friend and the person she cares most deeply for. Before her capture, Zoe was Flechette's partner in crime and supported her by knocking out guards and superheroes with her proficient karate skills. Zoe shows no signs of weakness even while chained up, with every letter she sends implying she's trying her damnedest to break away from the Shadow Empress and having uplifting heavy metal lyrics to boost Flechette's morale. She specifically states in one letter that she wants to strangle the empress. |
| TBA ロビン Robin
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“I'll keep all your valuables safe, Flechette!” Robin Hope is a friend of Flechette's that helps keep many villains' valuables safe in his little underground home while they're out doing misdeeds. Although he never actively goes out to do crime, he is rated 20th most wanted evil-doer for helping villains back up when they're kicked down. He is very trustworthy and wouldn't hurt a fly, managing to convince even Flechette to let him keep her valuables for her until she feels the need to take them back. According to Leadman, Robin Hope was the original master of the "dart arts" and taught his skills to all villains in the Scott Circle. |
| TBA 幸運な Lucky
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“Ready for me to give you a hand, Flechette?” Felicia "Lucky" Vedder is the No. 1 most wanted villain on Theturn, having been responsible for roughly 19% of the crime that's happened in the last decade. She is known for the amount of bodies she's torn up with her enormous kitty paws, which are extremely sharp. However, she's been captured by Madame Lilith, who will only let her go if the player pays her a hefty price in coins. Once free, this prideful and ferocious villain boasting the pride of a lion can aid the player until the player dies or until her health meter is emptied, forcing her to be locked away again. |
| TBA エディ Eddie
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“Watch out for steep drops ahead. Try not to act too hastily if you wish to survive.” Eddie Staley is a high-profile criminal on Theturn, being the 4th most wanted for guiding dozens of infamous villains through their heists and teaching them how to make the best use of their assets. He guides the player through the game's (optional) tutorials and frequently communicates with the player through gameplay through a text box that pops up at the screen's bottom. He has a no-nonsense, direct personality that loses patience when his clients go off-track or fail to accomplish simple tasks, fueled by his alcoholism and history of watching his clients die on him. |
| TBA ケーキ Cake
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“...Hehe...” Cake is a female bandit that's very affectionate and generous to the heroes on their journey, making rather infrequent appearances to drop a bunch of money for them to collect and retreating before they can get a glimpse of her. Cake is a flirty bandit that's known around Theturn for luring people in with her charming looks before poisoning them in the most dreadful ways possible, but she shows no interest in harming Flechette and her friends, and is instead very enamoured by all three of them. If the heroes catch up to her, she'll smirk, kiss their cheek, and leave a free spell behind. |
| TBA テリー King Terry
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“I will protect this world with all the dignity I've got left, Empress!” King Terry is the ruler of Theturn, or at least he was before the Shadow Empress silently banished him from the very streets he used to own. He's a somewhat clumsy man that's prone to breaking things and making terrible deals even though he means well for his people, and as such it didn't take long for Theturn to become prey to the empress' schemes. He's got quite the temper though and tends to explode in anger when people mess up before him, or prove themselves to be bad people overall to him. Once he realizes his own mistakes though, he cowers and hides, which is what he's doing now. |
| TBA リリス Lilith
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“Hello darling~ What've you come here for, hmm?” Lilith Magica is a shopkeeper that works at a shack that can be accessed from the world map. She is the 8th most wanted criminal on Theturn, having cast dozens of spells to help out evil-doers. Although she has a flirty attitude about her, she has a cold tongue and can very much act condescending and outright rude to Flechy and other members of the Scott Circle. Her prices can be pretty hefty and worth complaining about, but if the player chooses to try and charm her (haggling), they can potentially lower her prices for the meanwhile... or accidentally raise them higher! |
| TBA ユダ Judas
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“Everything that's evil shall be vanquished with my Sword of Justice.” Judas Whitney is the Shadow Empress' right-hand man, a self-proclaimed "hero" that desires to vanquish all evil from Theturn. Wielding the famous "Sword of Justice", Judas has slain dozens of villains since making his arrival with the Shadow Empress and is her army commander of choice. He has a very cold personality and has no qualms killing anybody that the empress tells him to kill, going out of his way to make sure all his mistress' wishes are fulfilled. Oddly, his personality switches when around the empress, stuttering and faltering and constantly at his knees when talking to her. |
 皇后 Empress
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“Fools, the Shadow Empress will show no mercy! Seize them, slaves!” The Shadow Empress is the leader of the Epizon Empire, named for her elegant black costume, shady cloaked soldiers, and ability to manifest shadows and darkness to her advantage. The empress believes herself to be a heroine since she's spent so much time ridding planets of their evil-doers, which would be true if she wasn't conquering them and enslaving those worlds' inhabitants to do all her bidding. She has plans to initiate a New World Order across the Apollo system and eventually across the universe, which would help rid everything of crime but at the cost of people's freedom and privacy. She is a self-righteous and cunning show-off that is known for her flamboyant theatrical performances and high soprano voice, which she does every time a planet's been conquered. She should probably be stopped... |
| TBA アイアンマスク Iron Mask
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“Wha... where am I?” Iron Mask is the leader of the Wasteland Warriors, someone that arrived here by complete mistake. Iron Mask is one of the two superbosses in Final Heroes and is only available through the game's EX update. He can be accessed through the world map once the player has beaten the game on Expert, where he comments he doesn't know where he is but challenges the player as he (correctly) assumes them to be dangerous. It is currently unknown what the player gets as a reward for defeating him, nor whether or not he returns to the Fantendoverse upon defeat. |
Spell Shop
Any leftover money the player's got to spare can be spent at Lilith Magica's spell shop, where she'll happily oblige in helping the player as long as her prices are always met. Lilith, much like Flechette and Shell, is extremely greedy and always has her spells set to unreasonably high prices. If the player chooses to haggle with her though, whether through boasting her ego or by offering the souls of damned enemies to her, she will smile and lower the prices just for this one shopping trip. Once a spell is triggered, it is permanent until the player meets the criteria for breaking it- a universal law is that all spells are reset after reaching the game over screen. Up to three effects can be stacked.
All prices in Expert difficulty have a 15% increase tax.
 500 coins |
“I can mend your little shrimp body for a mild price, sweetheart~ This'll revitalize your puny system and make you feel like you're ready to take on anything— even if it happens to be better than you in every way.” |
2,000 coins |
“Oh, your disposable body can't do with just a simple mend? Try my regen spell, it'll ensure you infinitely regenerating stamina at a reasonably slow pace. I see this spell fit for those dungeons your frail body cannot stand.” |
 1,000 coins |
“Let's see... those pathetic earthling weapons aren't working out for you, hmm... Let me give them the devil's touch and increase their impact by 1.5x! These can snap bones better than you ever could, worthless doormat.” |
1,000 coins |
“Are you just so impatient, darling, that you can't just deal with the laws of physics? Maybe I can reluctantly help you by using a bit of magic to speed up all your weapons by 1.5x the speed, if you desire.” |
 2,000 coins |
“Greed consuming you from the inside out and you just can't get your hands on the valuables you want? Look no further cream puff, I can make you smell valuables from miles away! Just at a not-so-cheap price.” |
2,000 coins |
“I know you've been having trouble snatching up treasures with your disgusting human fingers, so here's a spell that'll make coins and valuables gravitate to you. Don't worry, you'll still be rejected by your crushes.” |
 50 souls |
“How tired are you of having all those bandits stealing your coins? With this Return spell, I can ensure that you'll fight off ten muggings! I do need many souls to help keep that spell stable though, weakling.” |
50 souls |
“With this little bit of hocus pocus, I can make your life rewind upon death up to ten times! Hold "A" upon death to rewind, then let go to resume play! Don't rewind too far back, or you might lose valuables, dipsqueak!” |
 5,000 coins |
“Ah, if you want me to release Lucky from her cage... hm, well, she is my most prized possession... pay me a very high fee, sickly human, and I might consider setting her free just this once for you!” |
5,000 coins |
“Do you desire my help, puny lifeform? Fine then, I will give you a strong first strike in any "boss" battle of your choice, all for the high price of 5,000 coins! I'm ugly when I'm a basilisk, that's why the price is high!” |
 3,000 coins |
“Isn't it a shame that when you die, you lose some of your treasure and you lose all the spells you've got attached to your soul? If you're a loser, [character], pay up 3,000 coins for a chance to be revived!” |
World Map
There are seven mandatory worlds with five levels each, with one final (optional) world unlocked if the player collects all seven Shadow Shards spread across the game's worlds. Each level has three treasure chests and one big diamond to collect, meaning there are 120 treasure chests and 40 big diamonds to gather altogether.
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| Twilight Badlands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Quirky Network | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Enchanted Harbor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Wicked Metropolis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Scorching Plains | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Empire of the Skies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Umbra Alcazar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Special Stage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Bestiary
There are thirty-two enemies in Final Heroes, nine bosses, four mini-bosses, and two superbosses (one being DLC). Each entry in the bestiary has an entry written out by Eddie Staley, who is very knowledgeable of Theturn. Note that the mini-boss descriptions start small, with new attacks added as they reappear in later worlds. The mini-bosses take roughly 45 seconds to beat on most counts while the main bosses can take up to two minutes.
Enemies
 Bandit Dude |
"These pesky little bandits are my sweet, sweet babies! Alas, I suppose it is necessary to dispose of them if we want to get through the Callous Spires unscathed. Watch your back at all times, [character], because they'll try to nick precious coins away from your inventory and get away as fast as they can! They come in the forget-everything-and-run variety and in the face-everything-and-rise variety, both varieties trying to steal your valuables." Seen prominently across the world. Appears in 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 4-1, 4-2, 4-5, all of World 5 (not enemy), 7-1, and 7-2. |
Rocket Robber |
"Look out for these guys too! My sweet, sweet children have to be caught up in war like this, huh. They're similar to their bigger bandit cousins, except you'll be spotting them holding balloons or using jetpacks to make their way around in the air. Aim for the balloons to bring these fellas down in an instant, but be careful if they drop down onto land! They'll act like their cousins, except a bit slower and extra greedier." Seen prominently across the world. Appears in 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 3-1, 3-2, 3-4, 4-3, 4-4, 4-5, all of World 5 (not enemy), 7-1, and 7-2. |
Goodie Clubber |
"Watch out for the clubber oni out there, [character]! If they see you beating up any of those bandits, they'll come along and try to beat you up with their massive clubs! They'll be hanging right by doorways too, ready to smash you into lunch meat as soon as you try to pass them. Aim for the head, as it's their weak point— hey, maybe they'll make good target practice for your aim? You're kinda getting used to mastering the dart arts, after all..." Seen prominently in World 1. Appears in 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 2-2, 2-3, and 2-5. |
Deflektor |
"Remember, not everything during your journey is gonna be easy to defeat! Case in point, these Deflektor dudes will reflect every shot you try to throw at 'em, so they'll be harder to whallop than most of the other enemies you've seen so far. They'll drop their guard if you're looking at them from behind or if you're peeking from the shadows, so aim for their backs to take them out in an instant! Oh, by the way, they use laser cannon shots." Seen prominently in World 1. Appears in 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 2-3, 2-5, all of World 5. |
Epizo MK. 1 |
"I don't know who these Epizon Empire guys think we are, but I don't think they know we're not going to go down without a fight! These are lanky soldiers that'll attempt to gun us down with their artillery weapons— what I need you to do, [character], is leap over to them during their gunfire and give them a good whallop to the face! If they're aiming for the air, crouch and fire darts at them before their gunfire catches up to your position!" Seen prominently in World 1. Appears in 1-4, 1-5, 2-5, 3-5, and 7-2. |
 Bandinja |
"Bandinjas are a... very, very cutesy variant of the bandits that you've seen before, just now they wield cork guns and they can knock you down from a fair distance away. They're also capable of jumping around as they try to mug you, so try to be aware of your position at all times when you're around them. Any Bandinja can go down easy if you lure her right off a cliff, but you're better off just blowing through them with darts since you haven't got time to waste." Seen prominently in World 2. Appears in all of World 2, 3-1, 3-2, 6-1, and 6-2. |
Dynomite |
"Dynomites are some pretty fearsome creatures that work in tandem with those Bandinjas, waiting in front of doorways or treasures and lurching dynamite at you with their oversized arms. If you're much too closet to the Dynomites, their claws will strike you and push you back, so try to keep your distance as you blow them to smithereens. If paired with a Bandinja, she'll try to defend the Dynomite as it uses its big body to block the player's exit. Seen prominently in World 2. Appears in 2-2, 2-3, and 2-5. |
Kactirolla |
"Kactirollas are small robot boys wrapped in prickly cactus skin, rolling around at the speed of sound as they try to chase after you and your friends. If they can't roll into you the first time, they'll flip up, turn to face you, and launch spikes in all directions in an attempt to hurt you. Try and crouch to throw a dart before or after it does its spike attack. If you wanna avoid the spikes, destroy them with projectiles or just jump between the gaps." Seen prominently in World 2. Appears in 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3. |
Shurikane |
"Shurikanes are swift, star-shaped battleships that'll breeze through the air at sonic speeds, crashing down into you as soon as it sees you. If it misses, it'll just crash against the ground and explode harmlessly. Beware of these when they happen to be on the same X-axis as you, as they can fire star projectiles at you that you have to avoid by leaping onto them or over them, depending on your preference. You can use them as platforms from above!" Seen prominently in World 2. Appears in 2-1, 2-2, 2-4, 2-5, 3-4, 3-5, 4-1, 4-2, and 4-5. |
 Demandit Bandit |
"Alright, I don't empathize too much with these bandits in particular, [character]. Watch out for them, they've got bigger bodies than their cousins and won't be afraid to knock the daylights out of ya! Worse, they'll steal a bunch of your coins if you don't get back up and sock 'em in time! My personal advice is to aim for the head, these demanding bandits can and will laugh at anything you try to throw straight at their guts. Got it?" Seen prominently in World 3. Appears in 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-5, 5-3, 5-4, and 5-5. |
Careless Jack |
"Careless Jacks are extremely annoying and swift foes that'll stay trapped inside a box until you come too close! Once they're tempted to come out from their little prisons, they'll lob bombs in your direction that'll create flaming pillars where they land, so stay out of their way or deflect them back if you can. His body is invincible, so throw arrows at his little wind-up boxes from a distance so his method of escape is blocked and he thus suffocates." Seen prominently in World 3. Appears in 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 7-1, and 7-2. |
Vasson |
"Vassons resemble those little vases you use to break coins out of, but this one's actually alive! If you come too close, it'll gain legs and retreat away from you, only stopping to get on its 'front' and blast a series of cannonballs in your direction! These enemies are easy to destroy as they're just as fragile as a regular vase, but they can leap around and rely on nearby enemies to shield their body, attacking you from behind 'em! Take 'em out quick." Seen prominently in World 3. Appears in all of World 3, 4-3, 4-4, 4-5, all of World 5, 7-3, 7-4, and 7-5. |
Flame Wizard |
"Flame Wizards aren't a common obstacle found in our Quirky Network, but beware of them regardless! They, of course, utilize fire spells whenever they see you, setting the ground below you aflame. They must've been sent by the Epizon Empire, because I can't think of why they'd go ahead and set aflame the wooden platforms that we use to board our strange flying trains... don't worry about taking them out, just run away! Darts can kill 'em quick, though." Seen prominently in World 3. Appears in 3-5, 4-2, 4-3, 4-5, and 6-5. |
 Copycandit |
"Copycandits are very stealthy figures that prowl around the harbor, looking to steal everything you've got in those pockets of yours! They will approach you from behind, mimicking your every move and always being just a hint faster than you... once they've caught up, they'll steal a huge sum of money and flee. However, since they lack darts of their own, you can outsmart them by breaking their patterns and ambushing them when they least expect it!" Seen prominently in World 4. Appears in all of World 4 and 7-4. |
Gravizard |
"The most prominent foe you'll encounter here at the harbor are the Gravizards, who'll frequently be changing the elevations and shapes of platforms and ledges and trying to prevent you from advancing. You can kill them with darts, but beware their cyan particle attacks and their rebounding shields! Always throw two or more darts at them at once - the first will bounce off the shield while the others will hit this enemy head-on." Seen prominently in World 4. Appears in all of World 4. |
Piranhunter |
"Piranhunters are really dangerous enemies that'll move along the surface of the water, occasionally leaping out of it to try and take a bite out of you! If you see them glowing while in the water, they'll make a stronger lunge at you that will have them bounce off the floor once before landing back in the seas. When you're doing your underwater expeditions, take great care because Piranhunters will have an easy time attacking you while you're submerged!" Seen prominently in World 4. Appears in 4-2, 4-3, 4-5, and 7-3. |
Bumperboy |
"Surprisingly the boardwalks don't have many dangerous enemies, with Bumperboys being pretty much the only threat you will find there. These snail creatures with two wheels under will roll across the ground with huge bumpers on their backs, aiming to bump into you so you fall off course. They're very threatening when faced at ledges, because they can extend the bumper off of their back to prevent you from attacking its weakpoint: the head." Seen prominently in World 4. Appears in 4-4 and 4-5. |
Epizo Mk. 2 |
"Hey, they've finally got some stronger Epizo soldiers out here to crush us with! These soldiers are much stronger than the ones we were facing earlier, covered up in much stronger armor and now boasting artillery weapons that have their bullets ricochet off of the ground. Their armor is much too thick to pierce, so you need to trick them into getting hit by their own bullets. Once that armor cracks, aim for their faces to put them down!" Seen prominently in World 4. Appears in 4-1, 4-5, 5-5, 6-5, and 7-3. |
 Fake Cop |
"Don't let these coppers fool you, they're just bandits in disguise! If you let them come too close, they'll flash an evil grin and remove their costumes, stealing just about everything you've collected here so far! Try and take care of them from a distance, especially because they're the type of bandit that'll ruthlessly chase you until you get out of their reach or you find a way to kill them. There aren't many new enemies here but these exist by the dozen!" Seen prominently in World 5. Appears in all of World 5. |
Roadkiller |
"Roadkillers are really rude and ruthless people riding big, overdesigned vehicles. Should they spot you, they'll rev up their engines and charge at you, dealing a lot of damage to you! They can't fly, but they can drive up walls and drive off of ledges to attack you in the air, so try and watch your step. If you need to destroy a Roadkiller, you don't really have that many choices, but I recommend shooting right through the windshield with a strong weapon!" Seen prominently in World 5. Appears in all of World 5. |
Searcher |
"Searchers are annoying little bugs that'll manage searchlights/laser systems around the metropolis, trying to spot you. Try not to get caught, because if you do, you'll suddenly be attacked by a bunch of bodyguard-sized Epizo soldiers that'll resist every weapon you've got! Avoid it all by hiding behind walls or under places where they can't see you, then sneak up to them to hit the searcher with any weapon of your choice. They'll die in one hit." Seen prominently in World 5. Appears in all of World 5, 7-1, and 7-2. |
 Hot Bandit |
"These bandits are flirty female types that're different from the rest. If you pass by one, she will try to charm you by following you and helping you take out enemies. This isn't a bad thing since the plains are loaded with very dangerous enemies, but the kicker is that she'll demand payment after a while. If you don't fess up, she'll steal ALL your money and get away! You'll have to make the tough decision and kill her sometime before she orders payment." Seen prominently in World 6. Appears in all of World 6 and 7-1, and one appears in 7-5 to give you a kiss. |
Elephire |
"Elephires are strange metallic creatures that'll spend much of their time hiding underneath lava. When they spot you, they will rise their bodies out of the water and burst lava out of their steel trunks, which can hurt you if you don't hide behind a wall or something that'll guard you from its blasts! These boys are tough to kill, but if you aim right for their trunk, they will take damage and eventually become steel humps in the lava you can use for crossing." Seen prominently in World 6. Appears in 6-2, 6-3, and 6-5. |
Steel Bettle |
"Steel Beetles are really challenging foes that'll move around slowly, looking for rivals to compete with. Don't come too close to one, or it'll pick you up, spin you around, and toss you somewhere out of your control! These beetles can be avoided, but if you want to kill one for the amount of money it can theoretically give you, aim for its mouth. They will require about twelve dart shots to be destroyed, so make quick work with your other weapon from a distance!" Seen prominently in World 6. Appears in 6-2, 6-3, and 6-5. |
Walkcano |
"Walkcanoes are extremely dangerous here at these scorching plains. These walking volcanoes (hence their name) will move around, occasionally resting on the ground to release a huge stream of molten rocks from their tops! These rocks are so hot that they'll burn through the planes, sinking through to create bottomless pits. Since they can jump around to avoid death... kill them as soon as possible by hitting them in the eyes with whatever weapon you prefer." Seen prominently in World 6. Appears in 6-3 and 6-5. |
 Perfect Bandit |
"We've finally found the perfect bandit, a special type professionally trained by the Epizon Empire. These sneaky bandits act very much like bandits we've met back at the Callous Spires, but they are much faster, can backflip away from you, and can steal every single coin you've got on hand! Make sure you visit Robin so that you can store all your valuables with him, and make sure you kill these guys before they steal all of the goods you've found here!" Seen prominently in World 7. Appears in all of World 7. |
Sonic Diver |
"Sonic Divers aren't too threatening on their own since you can destroy them instantly with any weapon of your choice, but when they're found in groups, you best watch out! They'll zoom in above your head, circling around before diving down to crash into you! Leap over their exploding bodies and shoot any others that happen to be nearby if you don't want to be bothered by them, especially when you have more dangerous enemies waiting right around the corner!" Seen prominently in World 7. Appears in all of World 7. |
Heavy Crusher |
"Heavy Crushers are very sluggish, but massive units that'll wield clubs twice the size of your body! If you come too close, they will try to squish you with their clubs, which can nearly kill you in one hit if you're at full stamina! They are also a threat from a distance, since they can hit the floor to make shockwaves that'll launch you upwards - potentially into danger, too! Leap over their shockwaves and fire away at their heads with any weapon." Seen prominently in World 7. Appears in 7-1, 7-2, and 7-3. |
Hero |
"Heroes are brave enemies that'll test your skills as you make your way over to the Shadow Empress. They will strike you with their HUGE swords, which can deal a lot of damage and additionally launch crescent-shaped energy waves that can do half as much damage to you. They can also strike the floor to make a bunch of fire pillars emerge from underneath. Kill them with any weapon, but be careful since their swords can rebound your projectiles back at you." Seen prominently in World 7. Appears in 7-4 and 7-5. |
Epizo Mk. 3 |
"At long last, we've encountered the strongest Epizo soldiers. These soldiers can hover around with their jetpacks, leaving afterimages as they launch ricocheting bullets at your body and launch auto-aiming missiles from their mouths at regular intervals. Occasionally they'll launch laser beams from their eyes, stay out of the way of the eyebeams. To kill these soldiers, [character], you'll need their bullets to crack their armor and then aim for their faces." Seen prominently in World 7. Appears in 7-5. |
 Mimic Freak |
"Mimic Freaks are the only new enemy you'll encounter during most of the Umbra Alcazar, being dangerous foes that'll mimic either your form or the form of any random enemy in the game. Depending on the space you find a Mimic Freak in, they can also mimic bosses and even split up to become two enemies at once. You can't defeat Mimic Freaks until you've broken down their transformation, then you need to come up to one and make it disappear with a dart or two." Seen prominently in World X. Appears in all of World X. |
Shadow Dragon |
"Shadow Dragons are the last enemy you'll encounter on your journey, and good luck taking down all five of them. They are huge dragons that breathe intoxicating shadow flames and swipe at you with their massive talons. Not to mention their talons will come off as boomerangs before returning to the host's body. Watch out for their headslam attacks, too. To defeat a Shadow Dragon, strike it enough times in the heart until it falls, letting you advance onward." Seen prominently in World X. Appears in X-5. |
Bosses
 Mask X |
“Your road to victory ends here. Now.” "Whoever Mask X is, he wants to crush us in the name of the empress. Yikes! Watch out for his sword of light, its light-infused energy is so strong it'll kill you in an instant if its swings touch you. Be sure to swiftly avoid his golden boomerang tosses, molotov cocktail tosses, and ground shockwave attack (World 4 onward). Don't bother fighting him, he'll deflect every attack, so be patient and wait until you can tear through his thin skin. If you're careful, you can bait him into swinging his sword at you to wear him down faster!" Fought occasionally as a mini-boss, introduced in World 1-1 and faced with before the golden ring endpoint. Seen again in 4-4 as well. On Expert Mode, he will ambush the player in 1-4, 2-2, 3-1, 3-3, 4-3, 5-1, 6-2, 7-1, and 7-4 and chase until he loses sight of the player and thus loses interest in the chase.
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Margaret |
“I won't lose to the likes of you, you know!” "Margaret doesn't seem like she's gotten her coffee today, is it just me? Anyway, don't take her lightly, she's got that blunderbuss and she won't play nice with it! Watch out and avoid the cannonballs she fires from it, which will either soar right thorugh the air or bounce on the ground, and especially watch for when she leaps to the other side of the field. Watch out for her body-pushing sonic bellows and tsunami summons too, [character] (World 6 onward)! Hit her over and over with darts, as she's vulnerable at all times my friend!" Fought occasionally as a mini-boss, introduced in World 3-4 and rematched in 6-4 and 7-4 (second). |
Octochain |
“I am Octochain! And you will be...Octogone!” "This is Octochain, one of the main mercenaries that the empress has sent after you. It's a big octopus mecha that has long-reaching chain whip attacks and a tactic where it'll rush at you with its spinning body. At times it'll crawl onto the wall and fire missiles at you or spit out gunk that'll stick you to the floor if you get caught up in it, and watch out for its chain grab too (World 4 onward). Try to see if you can lure it into a wall, because it'll make it crash and expose its weakpoint... y'know, the brain!" Fought occasionally as a mini-boss, introduced in World 2-4 and rematched in 4-4 and 7-4 (third). |
Jet Man |
“Jet Man has come here to save the day, for real!” "Not sure if I believe his claims he was trained by a red-haired superstar in another dimension, but we still gotta take him down. Jet Man spends much of his time in the air, occasionally swooping down to zoom at ground level, maybe twice in a row or more. Sometimes he'll hang still mid-air and eject missiles from his throat and have them home in your direction or he'll eat through strange pink spaghetti to restore his health (World 5 onward). Avoid his attacks and spit darts at him while he's hanging mid-air uselessly, or he'll hit you all over again!" Fought occasionally as a mini-boss, introduced in World 1-4 and rematched in 5-4 and 7-4 (first). |
 Jerrick |
“By the time I'm done with you, I'm drilling you a new grave!” "We've no idea how those Epizon soldiers managed to reach our homeland, but Jerrick's led them here and thus we've gotta take him out! Jerrick will chase you around on his huge jackhammer machine in an attempt to run you over, occasionally going full throttle to send shockwaves that can paralyze you on contact. Sometimes he'll jump around a little and then bounce high like he were using a pogo stick, attempting to smash your head in (which also produces shockwaves)! Watch out for the little gift boxes he tosses around too, which are in reality bombs that'll blow up on their own if you leave them be. As you hack away at him with your darts and maybe your special weapon, he'll devise a new strategy where he'll knock tiles straight down and out of the arena, limiting your playing ground one tile at a time. Don't give up, keep hitting him 'til this monster goes down!" Fought as the main boss of Callous Spires, in World 1-5. |
 Radia |
“With a wave of my hand, only your shadow will remain in this world!” "Here's Radia, another one of those despicable heroines! Apparently she was the one who devised that trap beneath the pyramid, and she almost had you there with that radioactive wall of fire. Radia will surround herself on all sides with magical mirrors, which'll always defend her. She'll constantly conjure golden-green fireballs in her hand, which she'll toss at the ground to make eruption columns that'll hurt you bad if you come in contact with them. Sometimes she'll cross her arms together and then split her shield up into two flaming halves, with one of them always heading in your direction. While she's defenseless, fire away at her with your darts until her shield comes back together. She'll eventually start moving to the right when she can't take much more, making you have to go through a slow-going obstacle course as a wall of flames charges behind you— finish her off quick, for her shield is gone, or face a dead end!" Fought as the main boss of Twilight Badlands, in World 2-5. |
 Mach |
“Catch me if you can, because you'll die if I catch you first!” "Should've realized that the hero ruining everything here would be a speed-themed one. Mach is fought on an endless flying train that never stops moving, so you have to keep your eyes on him or you'll fall too far behind to catch up! He'll make sure of this by detaching the train carts as he moves along, setting you back and potentially killing you if you can't keep up with him. Sometimes he'll do twirls on the ground and in the air that leave tornadoes for you to weave around, don't get caught up in them because they might slow you down enough to kill ya! He can also make big tornadoes that reach too high for you to leap over... wait until they become weak gusts and then go in to strike him however you like! While he's running away from you, you can send dozens of darts in his direction, which can sometimes be destroyed by the mini-tornadoes but you've gotta whittle away at him before you waste too much time!" Fought as the main boss of Quirky Network, in 3-5. |
 Tempest |
“I shall drown you in these seas of justice, you foul-mouthed fool!” "Since when could sirens be considered superheroes!? Whatever... So, Tempest is fought in an arena with four platforms floating above a low-lying pool of water, with the water infested with dirty leeches that'll drain your stamina if you hang around in it for too long. Tempest will be hopping between all these platforms, occasionally thrusting her trident down against one to make waterspouts move up against the platforms to her sides and smash them against the ceiling. Sometimes she will sway around her trident to blast rings of energy at your head or raise it high to summon a tsunami that can hurt you bad if you're too far away from her. Tempest has herself protected at all times by a layered bubble, which will prevent anything but your uber-sharp darts from penetrating it. Destroy all five of her bubble layers and give her hell with your weapon of choice before her shield starts to reform!" Fought as the main boss of Enchanted Harbor, in 4-5. |
Urban-Man |
“I am Urban-Man, and I will choke you with my thick black smog!” "Does it surprise you that Urban-Man happens to be Jet Man's superior? It doesn't...? Alright. Pay attention to me, Urban-Man can take advantage of the flat arena by covering it completely with smoke! It'll be difficult to make out his silhouette and so it'll be easy for him to grab you and push you against a wall. Be sure to jump out of the way or let him pass above you and then fire a dart or weapon at him to hurt him pretty hard! Watch out though, since he can whip that smog up in his hand and throw it as a projectile that'll burst apart into harmful debris on landing! Urban-Man can breathe out smog from his mouth, which he can control like a flamethrower, you'll have to climb the wall behind you and leap over him to hit him right in the head. Watch out for the attacks he's taught his student too, like his swooping attack maneuver or his missile-ejecting attack, and knock that pink spaghetti outta his hand!" Fought as the main boss of Wicked Metropolis, in 5-5. |
 Aphrodite |
“Mmmm, I've been waiting for someone to burn for quite some time~” "You've got just one more hero to take down before you can board those airships, [character]! The fiery-winged angel Aphrodite will play very roughly with you, summoning flaming souls she'll circle around herself before (sometimes) having them trail you around. While you're waiting for them to dissipate, watch out for the flaming rings she'll create below you one by one, which will erupt into tall pillars of fire! When she covers herself with her wings and opens them back up with a screech, she'll make many balls of fire rain down onto the battlefield that you'll have to step between the shadows of! Sometimes she'll whistle to summon a big-bodied angel boy that'll help her out in battle, trying to ram you against the wall with his crazy shoulder dashes. Her attacks will melt any darts you've got, so be sure to try and maim at her when she's made defenseless... and don't wait too long, since she can eat her souls to recover!" Fought as the main boss of Scorching Plains, in 6-5. |
 Judas |
“This is the end of the line, [character]! Your head will hang on the empress' wall!” "Surprise! Mask X was really Judas the whole time, the empress' right-hand man and the hero that'll end your journey if you aren't careful enough while fighting him! Remember that his Sword of Justice will kill you in one swing, so avoid it when you can and be sure to watch out for the instant-death beams that're emitted from it every time he swings it. Sometimes he'll throw a beam that's so wide that you need to use your darts to split it up or you'll take a hit! Besides his Sword of Justice, he can also toss around two golden boomerangs, launch a barrage of molotov cocktails, and smash his sword against the floor to create a shockwave that's difficult to leap over. If he does a front flip to the other side of the screen, he'll rain down cocktails that need to be stood between in order to be survived. To take him down, you will need to bait him into swinging his sword, then wear him down while he's open. Watch out for how aggressive he gets when you hit him quite a lot though, because he's very easy to send flying into a rage!" Fought as the first main boss of the Empire of the Skies, in 7-4. |
Shadow Empress |
“Do you really think you stand a chance against me, the Shadow Empress? I am amused...” "About time, damn it! Fought on a wide thetrical platform with big crystals jutted out from the floor, the empress aims to place on quite the show! The Shadow Empress, true to her name, will regularly pop in and out of shadows in the ground (to the beat of the music), occasionally holding her palms together to shoot a powerful black beam that'll hit hard on contact. When the music shifts away from the main beat, she will do some dance move that'll result in an attack that'll hurt you if you're not careful. Should she pump her fists into the air, shadow flame pillars will ignite from the floor and trail down close to the stage's ends. If she twirls around like a ballerina, she'll cause shadowy winds to generate around her and try to pull you into her grasp. If she points diagonally up while screaming to her audience, she'll generate ricocheting shadow balls from her hands that'll bounce around wildly in a vain effort to catch you off guard! Watch out for when she bows, as she'll summon Epizon soldiers to come hurt you while she vanishes to take a break and heal. To hurt the Shadow Empress, leap over her beams and aim for the ring compartment in her battle suit! It's not over yet though, as when she takes enough damage, the empress' costume will blacken and she'll let out a loud battle cry! While she retains each of her attacks, she no longer fights in the same pattern and will summon random attacks at will, since her stage was shut down. As holes appear in the floor to complicate the fight, she'll summon shadowy Chinese dragons that'll home in on you and hang around in the middle of the playing field to send her enormous Black Laser in 360 degrees around the arena to utterly destroy it with every ounce of power she has! Sometimes when she drops herself into a shadow, she'll pop out of the wall as an enormous black European dragon that'll breathe a storm of fire that you'll have to dodge carefully without slipping off to your doom! Keep aiming for the ring compartment with any weapon you care to use, especially darts since they require little time to activate, and be sure you aim for her head so you daze her and slow her down a little to make your shots more accurate. When she finally takes enough damage, she will gasp and kneel weakly, her armor breaking apart as she clutches the Luminous Stone and leaves your sight... AFTER HER!" Fought as the second main boss of the Empire of the Skies, in 7-5. |
 Epizon Heart |
“W-What're you doing here!? L-Leave me alone you twisted v-villains, or I'll vaporize you all!” "Hey, sorry for taking so long to catch up! Looks like the Shadow Empress is cornered for real this time, but she won't go down without one last fight! Piloting a machine she refers to as the 'Epizon Heart', that big skull-shaped mech that's wired to the alcazar's core, she's ready for ya! As for her attacks, she will regularly spin around the Epizon Heart's cockpit to fire a series of powerful black beams that can each ricochet off of walls up to two times each before vanishing. When she stops, she'll surround her skull in a hard steel shell and thrash it around the room, with every collision it makes creating shockwaves that'll travel around the walls and strike you if you're not careful. Sometimes its big skull hands will be thrown around as projectiles that can come almost by surprise and require great timing to dodge, or it'll squirt out ink that'll cover the floor and require you to use platforms to stay above death until the ink evaporates away. Finally, the empress can summon shadowy Chinese dragons that can home in on you and summon a Mimic Freak to disguise as Judas to fight by her side with all his same attacks. If you want to hurt her, you're going to have to use darts to scale up the walls and switch to your secondary weapon to strike the top of her mech! Remember though that she will try and outlast you for as long as possible so she can charge up her 'Shadow Wave' attack. If she succeeds, the whole world will get swallowed up in darkness and we will each cease to exist! You have five minutes to do this fight, so you can't waste much time, but don't panic too much! Just concentrate on climbing those walls and hacking away at her and try to dodge all of her powerful attacks and eventually you'll succeed! Soon enough, you will break down her mech and make it explode, making her drop the Luminous Stone and flee... you've won!!" Fought as the final boss, found at the Umbra Alcazar, in X-5. |
"Administrator" |
“You may call me the "Administrator", a celestial deity beyond your comprehension... and for all the thieving and misdeeds you've committed, you and the rest of your evil kind will perish between my fingers...”
Fought as a superboss at Callous Spires after beating World X with all treasures, in 1-1. |
Iron Mask |
“Very well then, prepare for the duel of a lifetime, [character]!” "Get a load of this twink, eh? Alright enough fooling around, Iron Mask might not look like much but we shouldn't be taking our galactical neighbors all that lightly. You thought Judas was pretty quick with his blade? Iron Mask swings that gunblade of his even quicker than he does and can make it ensare you in tree roots that you'll need to mash to break from before he comes back for more! Iron Mask plays very well offensively, capable of dashing and slashing with the blade as well as doing a powerful downward thrust midair if you happen to be under him at the moment. And since it's a gunblade, Iron Mask is capable at shooting bullets at you at any angles, the bullets mentioned able to ricochet off of the walls. He has a tendency to shoot bullets at you if he misses with any of his sword attacks, which can be a pain to dodge because he has pretty good aim most of the time. Sometimes he'll do a front flip through the air while shooting in almost every direction with the gunblade, which generates an array of bullets that'll be very tricky to dodge if you're not prepared for them. If you wanna hit Iron Mask, you'll need to intercept his attacks with the weapon of your choice and hit him from any angle, because if you try to attack him at any other point, he'll swing his mask to deflect it. Midway through the fight, Iron Mask will make things more complex by switching up his weapons. He usually makes use of his Root of Yggdrasil weapon through the fight, which he swings faster as he comes closer to defeat, but he can also switch to the Apocalypse Sword if he finds himself at an advantageous position by trapping you within tree roots. It'll boost all his future attacks by 25%, but it'll lower his defense by just as much, so surprise him by mashing free and strike him down as hard as you can! If he finds himself to be taken advantage of too much, he'll switch to the Miracle Sword to achieve a defensive increase of 25% but his offense will drop just as hard. You're going to have to trick him into switching back by pretending to mess up with your aim or by avoiding his attacks for a good while. Once Iron Mask takes enough damage, he will breathe harshly before kneeling in defeat, giving you loads of money before vanishing!" Fought as a boss (exclusive to Final Heroes EX) at Scorching Plains, in 6-X. |
Zoe's Challenges
Final Heroes boasts twenty-one challenges to clear, all of which can be accessed from the Zoe's Tower mode upon completing Story Mode for the first time. These are akin to achievements in the modern-day video game medium and, when cleared, unlock alternative costumes for Flechette, Leadman, and Shell. Each challenge has the player play through a world of the game in a completely new way, so clearing each and every challenge will consume a lot of time. Clearing every challenge will result in a golden star appearing on the title screen and will serve as a bragging right for future reference. Each challenge is held under a time limit.
 World 1 The player must aim for the best score possible throughout World 1, collecting as much treasure as possible and taking down any enemies in the way. This take on World 1 plays fairly identically to how World 1 does in normal gameplay, except the player must reach the minimum score of 20,000. |
 World 4 The player must try to not get hit at any point throughout World 4, or else they will have to reset from the last checkpoint they touched. Plays similarly to how World 4 does in normal gameplay, although some enemies and hazards were repositioned to make this challenge easier for newbie challengers. |
 World 3 The player must race through World 3 under a strict time limit, or else they will fail and have to reset the challenge from the beginning. Plays similarly to how World 3 does in normal gameplay, except several hazards and features were tweaked or removed to make it easier on newbie challengers. |
 World 5 Similar to its predecessor in how it works, except the player must reach a higher bar of 40,000 and really look around the Wicked Metropolis for as much treasure as they can bother finding. With a stricter time limit in place, it is plenty more difficult than its good-natured World 1 twin. |
 World 2 Again rather similar to its predecessor in how it works, but the placements of enemies are left unchanged and so the player will have as much difficulty avoiding attacks here as they would in the regular game. It's particularly less brutal in the last few levels, as wind gusts and etc. won't be as strong. |
 World 6 Very similar to its predecessor, but under an even stricter time limit and being done in World 6. Several hazards and features were removed to make it easier to blitz through this world, but pyroclastic flows and heated lava can still really hurt and kill the player if they're too reckless. |
 World 7 The last of the Score Champion challenges, the World 7 variation is the toughest and most brutal, requiring the player to gain a score of 70,000 if they wish to consider themselves really good at gathering score. Given how tricky the Empire of the Skies is to deal with though, that's no easy feat! |
World 3 As the name implies, this is the toughest of the Zero-Hit Run challenges and it applies to World 3, which has seen zero changes and will challenge the player without mercy. Avoiding attacks is very difficult but this mode is still very well possible if the player takes their time every now and then. |
World 1 The last and trickiest of the Trail Blazer levels surprisingly belongs to the rather unassuming World 1, which is only hosting the final Trail Blazer challenge because its ridiculously tight time limit makes any big screw-up the player makes worthy of a challenge reset. And that's enough to earn it this spot. |
World 4 In this mode, the player must clear World 4 without touching the ground at all times, which is accomplished by using darts and swimming in the harbor waters. Many platforms are scattered around which can be used to avoid touching the harbor's surface, which do a lot to make this journey possible for the player. |
World 6 Uncharacteristically for Flechette or any of her partners, the player must steer the character of their choice through World 6 without collecting any treasures or related valuables! The player is allowed to pick up a little bit of treasure, but if it's not knocked out of them fast, the challenge will reset. |
World 2 In this challenge, the player must make a completely pacifist run of World 2: they are not allowed under any circumstance to kill any of the enemies hanging around! This is made difficult by how aggressive World 2's enemies are and how plentiful they are, especially later on, making this challenge very tricky. |
World 1 With "Expert Keeper", the player must keep their nifty stash of $500,000 and protect it fiercely from any of the bandits that come their way! Since bandits are everywhere it is difficult to not get hit by any of them, so the player should at least finish the stage with at least $250,000 left remaining. |
World 7 Lilith the Succubus will give the player a list of spells they can switch between, using them each to navigate the whole of World 7! These spells will make the extra-difficult World 7 more of a breeze to cost, but if the player runs out of souls to replenish their magic with, the challenge is failed! |
World 5 "Parental Role" is a really unique challenge that has the player guard and protect the frail Kitty as they move through World 5. While she protects the player, she has limited stamina and should be taken care of so she won't die before the player battles Urban-Man. If she dies, the player loses a life as well. |
World 6 World 6's "Quick Cooperation" allows the player to swap between any of the three playable characters at any point via holding Down and Select. The player must make use of each of these three characters' main abilities to traverse the altered, more jagged terrain of this new take on World 6's level design. |
World 2 The player must hinder Mask X as he walks on his lonesome throughout World 2 (now a singular level). He is extremely durable and can last a lot of hits, and he'll look out for the player each time he's attacked so he can have a chance at killing them straight away. Simply weaken him until he cannot progress. |
World 4 "Clever Escort" has the player once again swap between characters, but every swap will have the camera move to the new character in control. Through clever problem-solving and making use of these characters' main attributes, the player shouldn't have too much of a problem clearing World 4's new stages. |
World 5 Welcome to Judas' Evil Bends, a restricted area of World 5 that Judas has modified into something of a racetrack! There are no enemies or hazards, the player must simply race Judas to the end of this long and continuous level while avoiding his attacks and being sure to hurt him so he falls behind and lets them catch up. |
World 3 The Gravity Dilemma is a really tricky take on World 3 that makes it so that every single jump the player makes switches the gravity from downward to upward and then back. This can make platforming really tricky, especially across the many trains the quirky network offers as a whole, but it's not impossible! |
World 7 As the name implies, this is the game's real final challenge. The player must clear World 7 without taking a single hit, without collecting a single drop of gold, and without spending too much time goofing off. The challenge ends with a face-off against both the Shadow Empress and Judas, an almost unfair challenge... |
Soundtrack
Final Heroes features an authentic chiptune soundtrack that's reminiscent of those found on the Game Boy, with its sound inspired by the likes of Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins and Kirby's Dream Land. The game's opening theme "Born Villain", ending theme "Hero from Zero", and character themes for Flechette ("No. 13"), Leadman ("Metal Killer"), and Shell ("Fire It Up") are completely original songs composed by an unknown band named DevilDoubt, who additionally helped produce the rest of the game's soundtrack. Most of the game's other arrangements, while having original structures and elements of their own, incorporate riffs and solos from popular heavy metal music (or at least variants of them) into their overall compositions. The music aims to sound as heavy and brutal as possible by chiptune standards, inspired mainly by music from Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Pantera, Judas Priest, and Disturbed.
There are two albums released for this game via music streaming services, with the main one being an album titled Final Heroes: Songs for Judgment Day and containing the game's entire chiptune soundtrack. The other is an album by unknown rock band DevilDoubt titled Final Heroes: Born Villain that contains eighteen remastered songs from the game, each recorded with real instruments (namely guitars, bass, drums, and keyboards). All of these songs now have vocals and added depth that couldn't be represented in their original chiptune forms.
For more information about level themes, check out the worlds section.
Born Villain tracklist
| 1. Born Villain (3:51) Main theme of Final Heroes |
10. Bewitched 'cuz of Ya (2:13) World 4 medley from Final Heroes | |
| 2. I'm No. 13 (4:19) Flechette's theme from Final Heroes |
11. Somewhere I Belong (1:56) World 5 medley from Final Heroes | |
| 3. Metal Killer (4:33) Leadman's theme from Final Heroes |
12. Crank It to 11 (2:27) World 6 medley from Final Heroes | |
| 4. Fire It Up (3:40) Shell's theme from Final Heroes |
13. Show No Mercy! (1:50) World 7 medley from Final Heroes | |
| 5. Princess Punk (3:07) Zoe's theme from Final Heroes |
14. Where the Shadows Roam Free (2:25) World 8 medley from Final Heroes | |
| 6. (Oh Yeah) Here's My Backstory (3:32) Final Heroes cutscene medley |
15. Enter the Arena (1:26) Boss medley from Final Heroes | |
| 7. Hail the Rainmakers (2:15) World 1 medley from Final Heroes |
16. A Reason to Fight (4:55) Judas' theme from Final Heroes | |
| 8. Watch Your Back (1:52) World 2 medley from Final Heroes |
17. Vanquisher of Evil (6:28) Final boss theme from Final Heroes | |
| 9. Thunder Underground (2:07) World 3 medley from Final Heroes |
18. Hero from Zero (8:02) Ending theme of Final Heroes | |
| Total Time: 1:00:58 |
Gallery
Trivia
- Originally, BowieQuest was going to be developed as a title for Nintendo's Game Boy platform. When problems rose mid-development though, the developers moved their work over to the then-popular Sega Genesis system. Zinc Inc., nearly twenty years later, chose to give Final Heroes a Game Boy aesthetic as a homage to BowieQuest's roots.
- The main playable cast is designed after Wario, Waluigi, and Captain Syrup as a homage to the Wario Land series that inspired Final Heroes (although Waluigi has no significance to that series).
- Elements of the game, especially in regards to treasure collecting, were inspired by the original Spyro the Dragon trilogy as well as Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, some of Athena Panacea's favorite games alongside Wario Land 4.
- The choice to make the coins' value represented by shape was a move inspired by Metroid II: Return of Samus, where the Varia Suit was represented through different shoulderpads from the standard Power Suit since the original Game Boy didn't have colors to work with. They do have different colors, however, on the color skin in the EX update.
- To reflect the bad attitude and "badass" nature of the game, Zinc Inc. decided to give the game a heavy metal-themed soundtrack that plays homage to the genre and its many subvariants. They found it especially fitting considering heavy metal's history of notoriety across the world, especially among conservatives in the United States.
- Iron Mask's eventual appearance is a silent callback to Crow vs the World, where Black Eyes shows up as a surprise guest character for titular protagonist Crow to take on.
- Originally Bowie the Teddy Bear was going to show up as the superboss, but the developers at Zinc Inc. found he wasn't fit for the game's tone. TimeStrike would later echo this sentiment for COLD❄BLOOD, as they cut out Bowie from the game's roster mid-development for being too much of an outsider among the planned cast.
- Zinc Inc. was created by TimeStrike chairwoman Athena Panacea to focus on smaller-budget games while the company focuses on bigger projects, such as COLD❄BLOOD and Ian Xian: 13 in 1.
- A Zoe stress doll can be accessed from a screen on the pause menu, where every squeeze brings up motivational messages. The player can unlock Flechette, Leadman, and Shell stress dolls by completing their respective stories. Stress dolls for Judas and the Empress can be unlocked by completing the game on Expert and Insane, respectively. Lilith's own doll can be bought by buying everything from her store at least once.
- Reception was positive enough that said stress dolls were eventually made into actual merchandise. They were made available on Amazon shortly after, with the dolls based on Flechette, Zoe and Lilith selling most.
- Logo and all arts were done by Exotoro (t∣b∣c), as were all the treasure ideas in World 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, and with one exception, 7-4.