Ellon in the Dark

Ellon in the Dark is a horizontal shooter which contains many powerups. You earn points for killing enemies and can also pickup point bonuses. Don't miss Pink!

There are two states Ellon can fight in: Air and Ground. In the air, Ellon shoots straight ahead, but can use Support and Super Shot powerups.

On the ground, Ellon will track the closest enemy with their standard shot. You cannot use Support or Super Shots. You usually want to stay on the ground.

Shot Powerups

You start with a Level 1 Orange shot.

If you pickup a different color, you will remain at the same Level of power with the new shot. For example: If you have Level 2 Orange, pickup purple for Level 2 Purple, pickup orange for Level 2 Orange

If you pickup the same color, your Level of power will increase. That level of power will transfer to any other colors picked up. So if you have blue, and you see both blue and purple on the screen (and you want purple): Pick up the blue first to increase your power Level, then the Purple to get your desired shot with maximum power.

Orange

    Orange is the best overall shot, it can be strong with power Level increases or a Super Shot Powerup (read below).
  • Level 1 - You fire a single line of shots that deal decent damage and stop on the first enemy hit. Orange is the best Level 1 weapon for the early game.
  • Additional Levels - Small sparks of orange will fill the screen which move slower than your standard shot. Any enemy that travels into the sparks will get hurt. Orange will have a good combination of focused power and damage spray.
  • Super Shot Powerup - A large fireball will fire straight from your ship. It will go through multiple enemies if it doesn't deal maximum damage. This shot is suggested to use against tracking octopuses. Also good to take out a line of Reds if your power is at Level 1.

Purple

    Purple has the best Additional Levels shot. Everything else is rather weak.
  • Level 1 - Two bullets will fire diagonally that do about the same damage as an orange bullet. Level 1 is not desirable in the early game because you will miss 'targeted' enemies if you are in Ground Mode.
  • Additional Levels - With each level, two additional shots will fire at a different angle. This puts out the most damage of any standard shot in the game. A leveled up Purple is about as good as a leveled up Orange.
  • Super Shot Powerup - A single arc of bullets will fire, it is not strong so avoid using it.

Blue

    Blue is the weakest in all departments. Only pick up Blue if you have 2 on the screen so you can increase your Power Level. A Level 2 blue is about the same as a Level 1 Orange and Purple.
  • Level 1 - A rapid stream of fire will shoot straight. This stream will go through and damage all enemies it touches. Unfortunately it does about half the rate of damage as a Level 1 Orange.
  • Additional Levels - The stream will be larger and do more damage. May sound nice on paper, but if you are only hitting one enemy then Blue is a waste.
  • Super Shot Powerup - Electricity will hit everything on the screen, it is not too powerful. (I haven't used it much but I was never impressed)

Secondary Shot Powerups

Secondary shots fire alongside your standard shot. Their level system works the same as standard shots. Each level will add an additional shot. You must be in Fly Mode to fire these shots. Whips and Magnets are what you should try to get.

Whips - Whips will attack enemies that get near Ellon. They are more of a defensive powerup that are helpful in a bind, I don't suggest getting close to most enemies for the soul purpose of doing extra whip damage.

Magnets - Magnets are tracking missiles that are guaranteed to hit an enemy on the screen. They have excellent range but don't have a great rate of fire. They can be used more offensively than whips, but whips will do more damage over time (if the enemy is in their range). If I get magnets I will spend a bit more time in Fly Mode than normal.

Bombs - Bombs arc a bit forward and go straight to the ground. They do good damage but are not easy to hit enemies with. Only get bombs if you don't already have a Secondary or if two are on the screen to level up (two bombs are usually better than 1 whip or magnet).

Support Powerups

A variety of support powerups can be collected to give Ellon that extra boost, especially useful in the end game. Try to grab these powerups as soon as possible.

Super Shot - You will be able to use your standard shot's Super Shot. You must be in Fly Mode to use it, release the fire trigger to charge, press to fire.

Speed - Ellon will move faster in both Fly and Ground mode. If you collect this powerup while in Ground Mode, quickly press up then down to activate it (you must be in Fly Mode to activate).

Shield - A temporary bubble will surround Ellon deflecting bullets until its time runs out.

General Tips

If you are new to the game, feel free to pick up all the powerups to get a feel for the leveling system and each shot.

I don't pick up any standard shot until I have picked up an Orange. Purple level 1 isn't too good, I've found hoping to get 2 Purples isn't a reliable strategy.

Stay in Ground Mode as much as possible, you want to constantly do damage to enemies and Fly Mode will cause you to miss a lot of shots.

Do not hug the left wall, enemies can come from behind.

If you hit a purple star then make sure to finish him off quickly before he multiplies.

Try to destroy green blobs as soon as possible, otherwise they will explode almost guaranteeing your death. (there are videos showing a green blog glitch for max points, but that may have been fixed in a patch)

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVikThSWmrk