Podulous is a robot enemy featured in Strider Returns.
Information
Called an "armour-plated firebomb"[1], Podulous is a dome-shaped machine faced as the 2nd mid-boss of the first stage, The Forbidden Forest. It is only featured in the Master System, Mega Drive and Game Gear ports of the game.
Podulous appears as a circular blue dome with two crossed tubes inside, pointing forward and backwards. It is faced in the entrance to the stage's second half, the warehouse area. When confronted, Podulous periodically opens up its dome to shoot an incendiary bomb from one of the tubes, alternating between throwing one to its left and one to its right. The incendiary bomb falls a short distance, but creates a trail of fire covering the entire ground. As Podulous can only be damaged when its dome is open, the player has to maneuver around to strike while avoiding getting hit by the bomb or the fire.
In the Master System and Game Gear ports, Podulous's design is different and now sports a turret inside it, similar in appearance to the first game's Turret enemy. In battle, this version first shoots a projectile straight ahead before releasing the incendiary bomb, then it closes its dome in order to start its pattern again. This version doesn't throw bombs behind it, but can't be approached from behind so the player has to move ahead and attack while avoiding the bullets and ground fire.
Podulous returns as part of the boss rush in the final stage only in the Mega Drive and Game Gear versions.
References
- ↑ U.S. Gold (1993, Mega Drive). Journey from Darkness: Strider Returns (English). Instruction Manual, Pg. 6.
| Strider II / Returns |
|---|
| Hinjo |
| Equipment: Cypher • Climb Sickle • Gyro laser • Rotun shield • Shurikens Moves: Slide • Cypher Attack • Elite Mechanical Combat Unit |
| Stage Enemies |
| Alien Terrorists • Automatons • Wall Crawler • Wolf • Aliens • Turbo Wasp |
| Bosses |
| Helios • Energy discharging skulls • Alien Mother • Milsoma • Podulous • Inferno • Waspini • Anti-Gravity Device • Laser wall panel Terrorist Leader • The Master |
| Locations |
| The Forbidden Forest • Castle Metropolis • The Hive • The Alien Depths • The Master's Prison Ship |
| Related Articles |
| Lexia • Striders |