BowieQuest Box

BowieQuest Box2

Developer(s) New timestrike logo
Publisher(s) Sega
Platform(s) Sega Genesis
Sega CD
Release Date(s)
WW March 1st, 1995 (Sega Genesis)
WW November 13th, 1995 (Sega CD)
Age Rating(s)
E for Everyone (ESRB)
Genre(s) Platforming
Series BowieQuest
Media Included Sega Genesis cartridge
Sega CD disk
Available Input Genesis/Sega CD controller
Cost $49.99 (USA)

BowieQuest is a platforming game developed by TimeStrike and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis and eventually the Sega CD, marking the company's debut in the video game industry. It was released on March 1st, 1995 worldwide on the former console, with its special edition released on the Sega CD in mid-November. Its premise revolves around the game's playable cast of three fluffy teddy bear deputies (including eponymous protagonist Bowie the Teddy Bear) as they try and prevent their precious world of arts and crafts from being stripped of its worth by the technologically advanced stuffed monkey antagonist known as Endal the Monkey, who wishes to dominate and industrialize the world. Not only must they reach the evil monkey's Ironworks lair, they must also save the kidnapped mayor of their hometown Western Village from his clutches and put down anyone that stands in their way.

BowieQuest boasted simplistic platforming controls balanced upon exceptionally challenging gameplay, being an easy game to learn but a hard one to master. BowieQuest attempted to dare traditional gaming standards at the time, including having a reworked lives system involving collecting enough raisins to satisfy the reaper upon their next death and having a Time Attack mode to record the player's best time for each level. Casual audiences can familiarize themselves with the game through Story Mode, while hardcore players can select Arcade mode to play without any save files, only being able to "quicksave" at best. BowieQuest was known for pushing the hardware limitations of the Genesis, having faced threats of cancellation various times prior to its eventual release.

The "Special Edition" port on the Sega CD would further expand upon features from the original BowieQuest, including having Paul the Teddy Bear as a playable character, having a greater selection of bosses overall, introducing a bonus level, and having a semi-remastered soundtrack. It would also introduce the Expert level of difficulty and greatly expand Time Attack mode.

It was the first game of a three-title deal with Sega, with Crescent Kicker and Aftershock following its release later in the year.


Manual introduction

A fantastic picnic held by Sheriff Bowie and the townsfolk of the Western Village a little ways into the nearby desert heads south rather fast! Just as they think they can enjoy their thread noodles in peace, the diabolical monkey known as Endal sabotages the village with his army of Monkeybots and other assorted mechanical minions! As he kidnaps the mayor and lets chaos ensue, he turns to the sheriff to block his attack with his psychic rod, guffawing at him in the process. He quickly expresses his frustration with his rival's continuous winning streak against him over the past decade, proceeding to threaten that he'll strip Stitchonia of everything it's composed of, furthering his plans in the industrial revolution and allowing him to conquer the world without a struggle! As Endal boards his Zeppelin, he claims he'll have the last laugh because he has a backup plan to receive the wish-granting Dreamcatcher, taunting with a finger wag as he begins to fly away.
Sheriff Bowie and his family waste no time in heading back into the village, boarding their house to suit up for the journey and gear themselves up for combat! After the trio give each other a group hug and exchange some nods of good luck and great fortune, they bash their way out of their house and venture into the chaos, ready to give Endal and his troops a piece of their mind! As the music for the first level kicks in, Endal's Zeppelin can be seen slowly hovering across the background, stripping away some of the landmasses already while dumping what's implied to be his thousands of troops.
Meanwhile, Bowie's elder brother "Paul" is seen standing dead-center atop the Western Village church, watching the chaos unfold. Flashbacks of Bowie being favored over him in their youth play in his mind, more playing of him having to fend for himself when he had to live solo at such a young age. Snarling, Paul leaps right off of the church's top, slamming his fist into the ground dramatically- he's going to challenge his sibling and hang Endal's head up on his wall, even if it's the last thing he does.


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When the player manages to reach the Fractured Heaven, they'll soon find that their nemesis Endal the Monkey had managed to beat them to receiving the Dreamcatcher first, as he promised he would at the beginning of the game. Though he initially mocks the player for coming along too late, he immediately finds that he doesn't have the time to reverse the item's properties, regrettably reciting that only those pure-hearted can unlock the Dreamcatcher's wish-granting power. Endal then lets out a 16-bit cackle, challenging the player to a duel that they're forced to accept. The player cannot run away as they're forced to try and place an end to this monkey's schemes once and for all. He'll howl if he gets beaten, falling to the ground and beating the dirt angrily with his hand as the credits roll. Venus gets rescued and the Dreamcatcher returns to Bowie's hands.

Should the player beat the final boss on the Genesis version, the game will take the player back to their recovering Western Village and have the heroes relax- the world may still be painted with ugly machinery, but at least things will return to normal as soon as Bowie remembers how to repair the Dreamcatcher. Beating the "Normal" Story Mode on the Sega CD version, however, changes things around dramatically. Endal will escape the player's grasp and successfully reverse-engineer the Dreamcatcher, transforming the world into his own as the credits play with ominous music. Beating "Expert Mode" instead will reward the player with the same ending present on the Genesis version, but the world will be restored to normal completely.

If the player was playing as Paul on the Sega CD port, then things change up a little. If the player beat Normal Mode, Paul will simply walk to the edge of the Fractured Heaven, his head tilted in disappointment as he watches the world burn. He then looks back at the player following the credits' ending, giving them a nasty "try again" sound clip. If they beat Expert Mode, then Paul will be shown with his foot firmly on Endal's head, proceeding to kick him off the side of the heavens. He will then face his sibling's direction, drawing out his whip as the screen fades to black. He will then be shown smiling and laughing as the new Western Village sheriff, while his family hangs tied up below the town hall.


BowieQuest takes place in the beloved world of Stitchonia, a brewing coalescence of arts and crafts rolled up and around into one beloved mess of a planet. The landmasses are patchworks assembled together from needles and thread, with sticky lethal seas and oceans of black ink ("Inkura") between them. Hexagon-shaped platforms found irregularly across the world happen to grow living biologic organisms, specifically trees to supply the world with its ever-popular wood supply. Surrounding the world happens to be several moons magically tethered to the planet, which regularly get mined for their various materials. Among the most common materials in Stitchonia include wood, clay, stone, sand, glass, plastic, and iron. The grand capital of the world, Origamopolis, singlehandedly produces the magical energy necessary to keep everything well-fortified and in place. It is all governed by a short-looking monkey in a swivel chair, but all landmasses have their own respective presidents.

Six landmasses exist across the whole of Stitchonia, though only three are explorable throughout BowieQuest and its CD port. These continents are Buonarroti, Temko, and Pluto, listed in the same order the player visits them. Buonarroti is one of the world's largest landmasses, split and torn apart by the decade by massive earthquakes, but having beloved villages on its western and eastern ends alike and having some stunning mountaintops and beaches. Temko holds the global capital (Origamopolis) and is composed almost entirely of super-firm origami, drifting its way slowly across the Inkura waters while housing hundreds of thousands if not millions of inhabitants. Pluto is an ancient landmass that is thought to be where all Stitchonian life began, holding many ancient artifacts and ruins that are currently being polluted and erased by the ongoing industrial revolution began by Endal's tribe.

Stitchonia is inhabited by sentient stuffed animals of all varieties, though teddy bears tend to be the most common species.



BowieQuest is an exceptionally challenging platforming video game, known for its design philosophy of being easy to learn but hard to master. To even have a chance of overcoming the game's relentless difficulty curve and numerous challenges, the player needs to have a strong grip on their chosen character and understand all of the game's mechanics and gimmicks to the best of their ability. Not only do the levels frequently take advantage of the player's talents, but they must also be cleared underneath specified time limits, requiring the player to act fast- though what the player's given is usually plenty of time. These 4-6 minute levels culminate with boss battles, which must be crushed underneath their own respective time limits- upon their scrapping, the player may collect the golden star they drop to signify the end of the level. Should the player choose to tackle optional side-missions, such as clearing out a percentage of baddies from the level, they will earn bonus bundles of raisins upon taking down the boss.

The level design in BowieQuest is outright demanding of the player's skills, forcing them to get familiar with their full arsenal and take advantage of it to overcome problem-solving. By far the most useful asset the player has is the whip, a stunningly versatile tool that the game's level design is significantly based around. Each teddy bear has their own individual whip, each with their own unique and special properties, but all whips can snag ledges, strike blows to enemies, and snatch far-off bundles of raisins or balls of fabric. Some of these whips may function significantly differently on the offensive side, with Bowie's average-sized rope capable of suplexing enemies while Anna's is quite a bit shorter but provides instant and reliable damage, cracking quicker than her husband's rope. All teddy bears also possess other elements unique to themselves; Bowie's sheriff badges allow him to scale walls, for example, while Smith has a cork gun that he can aim to smash up targets from afar. These levels are also abundant with enemies, which the player must crush frequently like they were bugs.

A common feature of the game is the wooden knob, always found suspended mid-air as one of the game's most commonly found objects. Should the player strike one of these knobs with their rope, they will be able to swing from it like it were a vine or swing around it to build momentum before flinging themselves off. They come in many varieties as well, even more so than the rebounding yarn the game is known for. Mechanical knobs can be spun around to infinitely produce electricity, powering up places for brief periods of time before they shut back off. Loose knobs will shake a little when spun around, dropping soon or right when the player swings off of it. Icy knobs won't keep the player's grip on for long and will force them to let go quickly. Finally, crimson knobs don't appear to be dangerous on the surface, but grow spikes and damage the player if they hold on for too long. These knobs are kept floating midair thanks to the special magic of the planet Stitchonia keeping the world together.

The signature feature of the BowieQuest franchise is its rebounding yarn, a flexible mechanic designed to be abused to the player's will, allowing them to overcome challenging obstacles with relative ease. All surfaces that are detected by the game as being made from yarn are subject to this mechanic. Using the jump button immediately upon landing with the ground will allow the player to trounce higher into the sky by 1.5x the original distance. This special yarn can also be found in the form of slopes, which the player can use to cross chasms or escape danger and/or pressure from bosses. If found in the form of walls, the player can spring right off of them to glide horizontally through the air for a few seconds before eventually descending. This mechanic can be used in tandem with the player's existing abilities to take interesting pathways or shortcuts that were designed intentionally to be discovered by clever players.

The two most common items, raisins and balls of fabric, can be found individually floating about in the air, either by themselves or in groups. Raisins are the game's currency and can be used to purchase items from Ace's shop, but 100 Raisins are deducted from the player's total for each death they receive so they may pay off the hungry Reaper and return to the level- if they don't have enough, it's a game over. Receiving enough balls of fabric will slowly restore the player's health, rendering them less vulnerable to attacks. 10 balls of fabric are necessary to restore one point of health. Ace's shop can be accessed from the world map screen, the death screen, and from the file select screen- no matter how you access it, she always has a number of things to sell Sheriff Bowie and his family, which can be helpful especially throughout the later levels. She also sells individual Health Packs, a near-necessity for playthroughs of the relentless Arcade Mode that grant the player an additional hit point. The items Ace has for sale can be rarely found at points throughout the levels. Items are used immediately upon entering a level. Remember that all teddy bears have their own raisin counts and health meters.

The player's HUD works as follows. The player's dot-represented health meter can be found at the very bottom of the screen, with raisins counted to the right and fabric balls counted to the left. If the fabric ball meter reaches ten, it will empty to restore one health point to the player. If they're already at full health, the meter will continue to increase if more fabric balls are collected, dropping by ten for each health point that is lost. The raisin counter will be colored gold if the player has enough to withstand their next encounter with the Reaper; if not, it will be flashing red. The level's timer will be ticking away at the top of the screen, with the accumulated score found to the left and the personal best records for the level found to the right.

The Sega CD port of BowieQuest introduces a few new concepts. Ace's shop can now be uncommonly found throughout the levels themselves, with her offerings always being at a discount of 30%, 60%, or 90% off. Lost-and-Found boxes will also take the place to the Bonus Zone, whereas they can earn many upon many bundles of raisins before being booted out of the level, whether the player wins or not.


The player's overworld in the Sega Genesis version of BowieQuest is an ancient-looking map of the Stitchonian world, with magenta dots labeled with numbers depicting the game's many levels. When the player begins their adventure, the whole map is painted with an uninspired bronze-looking color, with only the western end of the Buonarroti continent visible initially. As the player clears these levels, however, their spot on the map will be colored out by ink as a pencil draws up more of the map, pinpointing the player to their next location. When the player clears the Western Village level, they'll also gain instant access to Ace's Shop and can swap between any of their characters freely. Only Bowie may visit the true final level, however, forcing a switchover to the sheriff if the player wishes to challenge the level.

In the Sega CD version of the port, Stitchonia's levels pop out from the main map as animated 3D clay models, commonly depicting one or two of the level's recurring themes. Though they start off grayscale, they will be fully colored in upon their completion.


Genesis Controller

The standard Sega Genesis controller is the standard controller for BowieQuest.

  • The player uses the D-Pad to move GenesisLeft and GenesisRight, double tapping will let them run. Holding GenesisUp or GenesisDown when on the ground will move the camera in those respective directions.
  • GenesisA allows the player to jump. Pressing GenesisA again will make the character perform an additional command or two. Holding against a wall will let the player perform a wall jump.
  • GenesisB enables the player to use their whip function. The whip can be used for swinging around knobs, hitching onto ledges, and attacking enemies.
  • GenesisC allows the player to use their character's own unique function. Bowie, for example, can toss out sheriff badges and stick them to walls so he may use them as ladders.
  • GenesisStart allows the player to pause the game.


There are several available modes in BowieQuest.

  • Story Mode
    Story Mode is the main game in BowieQuest, and the mode of choice for casual audiences. The player can have up to three save files. The player must navigate their way through twelve fully-fledged stages, beginning at the Western Village and culminating at the Fractured Heaven. They will travel across a world map as they do such, with the game automatically saving for each level they individually beat. Skippable cutscenes will play between levels and before a selected handful of bosses. While Story Mode is often straightforward and players will just be going through one level after another, they can visit any old stages if they so wish to.
  • Arcade Mode
    Arcade Mode was designed purely for hardcore audiences, being the tighter and tougher experience of the game. The player must again navigate their way through the same twelve stages, but this time there's no world map, no cutscenes, nor is there any way to save your game beyond quicksaving. The player must continually collect raisins as they go- the moment the player dies and is unable to present enough raisins to the Reaper, it's all over for them and it becomes game over. Unlike in Story Mode, the number of raisins the Reaper needs to be fed in order for the player to continue their adventure will slightly increase with each death.
  • Expert Mode
    Exclusive to the Sega CD version of BowieQuest, Expert Mode is the burlier and tougher brother of Story/Arcade Mode and requires extra mastery and technique to beat. With raisins being notably less common than before, there is much less room for error, especially if the player wishes to purchase items to help give them a boost in the long run. Level designs and object placements are adjusted for Expert Mode to make better use of the player's character's abilities and techniques, and bosses have been tweaked a little bit to make them slightly harder. Expert Mode also introduces new boss fights and has one extra stage provided the player can beat the final boss.
  • Time Attack
    Race the clock on any level you've already beaten in Time Attack mode! The player should go for the best time possible, not wasting any time and making it to the end to pick up the level's golden star. The player has infinite tries if they have checkpoints enabled, but the time will not be set back when they die. If they mess up, they can reset at any time by pausing and selecting "Restart". Their best time will be recorded on the level select screen. The Sega CD version of the mode makes some changes, such as saving the player's best three times per level and allowing the player to face off against bosses separately. They can do one-minute runs of each level, as well.
  • Butcher Mode
    Butcher Mode has the player take on all of the game's bosses, one after the other, fought in a strict order chosen by the game! The player notably has infinite health throughout their run, but all bosses are fought underneath a shared time limit. For every boss the player successfully trashes, they'll earn 90 seconds' worth of time, but every hit they take will subtract 5 from the clock! Sometimes whipping projectiles and the boss will cause them to drop miniature clocks, which can be collected to restore some time. The Expert edition of Butcher Mode, exclusive to the CD port, introduces new bosses near its end. Both modes of Butcher disable one-hit KO attacks, making them instead subtract 10 seconds from the clock.
  • Options Mode
    The player can adjust music/sound volume controller configuration here, and additionally select whichever music tracks or sound effects they wish to play from the Sound Test. However, the Sound Test will initially start off broken- if the player finds randomized CDs throughout the game's levels and collects them, they will restore some of the Sound Test. Think of them as optional collectibles.



BowieQuest (2019) - Bowie
JapanFlagTUC ボウイ
USAflag Bowie

Sheriff Bowie is the local deputy of the Western Village and the game's eponymous protagonist. He's a headstrong and determined person that's willing to do whatever it takes to defend his family and friends from danger, leaping into problems without any solutions on hand and taking on challenges even when he's hurt. Through stone cold silence, he's vowed to protect those he loves from time to time again, appearing stern and aggressive to disguise his vulnerability: his poor aching middle-aged heart. He commonly communicates through head motions and hand movements, and poses dramatically to prove his points. He's not looking to just save his village this time: rather, the world.

  • Bowie may have a below average jump, but his shorter secondary one makes up for it. Holding down and pressing A will make Bowie perform a downwards stomp, useful for precise platforming.
  • Bowie's whip can be used as a lasso to nab items from a distance or pull enemies closer to him. If his rope manages to land on a large enemy, he will simply strike them, but he will suplex smaller enemies.
  • Bowie can toss out sheriff badges via the C button, which can stick to enemies to damage them or to walls so he may climb them. He can have up to three out at a time, and each lasts a mere 5 seconds.
BowieQuest (2019) - Anna
JapanFlagTUC アンナ
USAflag Anna

Anna's this smokin' hot raw powerhouse that was born and raised way out in the uncharted areas of the Western Desert, boasting an intense fighting spirit and always being fired up for some fierce competition! This cowgirl's pumped up with sugar, spice, but nothing nice, always being the type to tease her friends and start fights over trivial reasons. She is much calmer around her family, being strict towards her child Smith and properly managing her responsibilities, but smirks and mischievous dialogue suggest she likes to show that there's more to her than she's actually letting on. Her husband is actually fully unaware of where she is out during the daytime- just partying at pubs, of course.

  • Anna's initial jump height is 110% that of her husband's, and her shorter secondary jump lets her dash in any direction as an armored and protected ball of fire, giving her dominance in the air.
  • Anna's rope is about two-thirds the length of her husband's, but deals way more damage, especially at the tip. If the button is held mid-air, Anna will swing it around herself as an instant-shield.
  • The C button allows Anna to enter a guarding stance, be it on the ground or in midair. If timed perfectly, she will completely negate the damage of an attack. Against long-lasting attacks, however, it's useless.
BowieQuest (2019) - Smith
JapanFlagTUC スミス
USAflag Smith

Smith's a fun-loving sheriff-in-training with an extra large side of optimism, behaving maturely and caring deeply for his family and friends. However, he's also a lazybones type of character that likes to sit around all day and snack away, rarely performing work unless he's demanded to. This makes training him a chore, but his cleverly handled behavior frequently lets him slide his way out of being punished. Smith doesn't mean to slack off, however, he's just poor with scheduling and balancing out his life. When distracted from his occasional expedition or adventure, he can get a bit cranky and worrisome, not letting to let his mother or father down and lose his chance of managing the Western Village in the future.

  • Smith's jump height reaches 70% the height of his father's thanks to his heavy armor. However, pressing A again will make Smith swing around his rope overhead, letting him cross long chasms through slow hovering.
  • Smith's whip is surprisingly lengthy, reaching 1.5x the distance of Bowie's and being capable of suplexing any enemy, minus bosses which are just whipped with every hitbox. However, it is considerably weaker if all hits don't connect.
  • Through the use of the C button, Smith can blast off weak corks from his cork gun, and charging it up will let him fire three at a time. Can be aimed horizontally or diagonally. Useful for hitting targets to open paths.
BowieQuest (2019) - Paul
JapanFlagTUC ポール
USAflag Paul

Paul had always been known for his cold demeanor and rough exterior, preferring to not speak and get on with the action when it's demanded. He is merciless and stone-cold, never afraid to fight when others cross his path or make objections towards what he wants to do. Paul always does what he thinks is best, and that's the way he's lived for most of his life- he's always on-edge, resilient, and outright stubborn. He never likes to admit it when he's wrong, always holding the belief he's right and will hold himself to that statement for the rest of his life. It's hinted that he has some beef with his sibling and thinks that everything he does... he can do better.

  • Paul's jump height (a flip) reaches 130% of that of his brother's and descends slower, making him a somewhat floaty character. Pressing down A midair will let him gently levitate for a short time.
  • Paul's whip is practically identical to Bowie's, but has an electrical effect to it that makes it deal rapid damage as it connects with enemies. It's stronger than his sibling's if every hit connects, and stuns foes.
  • Paul can hurl out lightning bolts from his hands, which deal weak damage but stun his foes. Holding down will let Paul charge one, allowing him to blast out a thick bolt of electricity that deals massive damage.


BowieQuest (2019) - Venus
JapanFlagTUC 金星
USAflag Venus

Venus is the civilized and well-mannered mayor of the Western Village, always known for her politeness and friendliness. She is very open-minded and tries her very best to understand others' viewpoints no matter their personality or manners, but has common sense and will try not to land herself in trouble when it's unneeded. Venus believes that music can bring the world's inhabitants together, appreciating all genres and thinking that she can find the best from anybody. She is shown early on to be good friends with Sheriff Bowie, and spends her time in Endal's possession trying to see his ways and trying to convince him to let his petty grudges go. But the real question is... can she?

Role: Mayor of the Western Village (initially), damsel in distress (now)

BowieQuest (2019) - Raiden
JapanFlagTUC ゼウス
USAflag Raiden

Raiden was once the almighty and ruthless Stitchonian king, having calmly ruled the world from the desolate kingdom the Temko continent once was prior to its transformation into Origamopolis. The day the predicted industrial revolution overtook the planet, however, King Raiden would lose his throne to the monkey race that instantaneously brought it upon them all, which would force him to retreat outwards into the seas as the primates seized his people. Now he hides somewhere out there, some decades after he was seen last properly handling his kingdom, waiting for a day where he can exact his revenge on the dirty mechanics that ruined and polluted his world and people.

Role: King of Stitchonia (initially), controller of prosperity and creativity (initially), dethroned and hiding (now)

BowieQuest (2019) - Ace
JapanFlagTUC エース
USAflag Ace

Ace is the local and friendly shopkeeper in BowieQuest, being a youthful and energetic gal that's always pumped up and ready to go. This flirty chatterbox runs a stand on wheels, traveling across Stitchonia to try and sell off her hoard of items to the heroes, wanting to have a starring role in the player's big adventure. She attempts to coax the player into purchasing her items, blowing off a free kiss for every single one she can sell and putting everything on sale when the player gets good enough records in levels they had just beaten. She will flirt in a joking manner with Bowie, get all rowdy and close with Anna, tease and laugh at Smith, and attempt to win Paul's heart.

Role: Shopkeeper of Stitchonia (now)

BowieQuest (2019) - Angel
JapanFlagTUC 天使
USAflag Angel

Angel's a hyper-tense angelic teddy bear, being thousands of years old but remaining youthful and adorable nonetheless! She's prone to crying and weeping, but she's just as easy to ignite with excitement and happiness- she loves attention and hugs! It's clear she came from the Heavens above since she looks just like the other angels (barring her lack of wings), but how she came down was a mystery- either she accidentally tumbled her way out, or one of Endal's robots managed to seize possession of her. Either way, Endal had caught her and imprisoned her in a cage- and every time she leaves, she'll soon get captured again! Break her free each time you see her, for she'll smack your cheek and her emptied cage will serve as a checkpoint!

Role: Angel in training (initially), checkpoint lady (now)

BowieQuest (2019) - Endal
JapanFlagTUC バナナ
USAflag Endal

Endal's the diabolical mastermind behind the modern industrialization era on Stitchonia, being the only one of his technologically advanced race to remain behind to try and conquer the planet as well as over-urbanize it. The rest of his race has gone off to conquer other worlds, with this young mastermind's first given goal from them being to utterly decimate Stitchonia of everything it is and make it into his own robotic kingdom- which he hasn't accomplished yet, as his arch-nemesis Bowie's always stopping him! Seriously agitated with his countless failures and pressured by disappointment coming from his parents, this insane industrial tactician has recently unveiled his plan to strip Stitchonia of everything it is before urbanizing it and enslaving everybody. Can this menace be stopped?

Role: World conqueror in training (initially), conservative politician (initially), industrial revolution leader (now), judgment day bringer (now)

BowieQuest (2019) - The Reaper
JapanFlagTUC 刈り取り機
USAflag The Reaper

The "Reaper" of the Stitchonian world is a grim upright-standing rabbit figure wearing the standard reaper's black robe, with his ears poking through the hood and his eyes an intimidating glowing white. He speaks in a cruel, uninviting passion, but gets gleeful and excited when fed raisins. Whenever the player dies, he will hover onto the screen and quickly glance at the player's raisin count- if there's enough, he'll snatch what's needed and revive the player at the last checkpoint they touched, but if there's not, he'll make a dashing slash at the player as the screen cuts to black, granting them a game over.

Role: The Grim Reaper (now), raisin consumer (forever)


The raisins the player collects throughout the course of their journey are traditionally used to pay off the Reaper to keep the player away from death, but they may additionally be used to purchase items to the player's desire. This is a double-edged sword; purchasing items will leave the player with fewer chances to stay alive, but will provide the player advantages if they're used properly. On the other hand, the player will miss out on these advantages if they choose to not purchase items, but they'll be given many more chances to survive fateful encounters with the Reaper. The player can only purchase items from Ace's shop, and it's their only way of boosting up their maximum health. These items can be found individually, albeit rarely, throughout each level.

Numbers and asterisks written in bright pink denote the prices these items are worth for on Expert Mode on the Sega CD version of the game.

Angel's Wings
100*200 raisins each

"Wait, sugar, don't ya wanna try the Angel's Wings~? Basically, if ya hold the A button, you'll start floating down rather slowly! This is excellent for precise platformin' and for avoiding sneaky little traps on the ground, and for skipping over some obstacles in general! You'll lose 'em if ya fall off the course, though, so don't be foolish sweetie!"

Bull Horns
150*300 raisins each

"So sugar, do ya happen to know what bulls are? They got these nice and sexy horns perfect for the sake of demolition! Using these horns 'ere on the counter, ya can evade head damage and amplify more power to yer attacks! Careful hun-buns, you lose 'em if ye die- hey, why don'tcha purchase the Power Whip upgrade? The two work together~"

Helium Balloon
100*200 raisins each

"Hey, sugar~! The cute little helium balloon can lift ya straight out of a bottomless pit if ya happen to fall into one! As you rise back up, ya can control where yer goin' horizontally 'til the balloon pops, which takes a bit! Do be careful, however, sugar lips... the balloon pops immediately when it hits the ceilin'!"

Pairs of Skates
150*300 raisins each

"These novelty add-ons attach skate wheels to your cowboy boots, boosting your speed until ya fall off the course and loose 'em wheels! Jumping might appear to look a bit problematic at first, but remember that skidding to a halt is a snitch and that you can run up walls for a lil' bit while wall jumping! Just be careful to not slip and die, honey~!!"

Health Pack
1500*3000 raisins each

"Hey hot stuff, I got ya some Health Packs~! They grant you one more point to your HP stock, and I reserved six for each of y'all! They'll help ya grow more resilient to others' attacks and make it waaaaaaay easier to survive in the later bits of your adventure! They're real costly, but you do gotta work for 'em, they're hard to make! :<"

Power Whip
6000*12000 raisins each

"Bet you fancy yourself a Power Whip, young feller? Lookie here sweetie: if you purchase this, the range of your whip will significantly increase and your power will be greatly boosted! I reserved four for the each of y'all, but y'all have to work hard to even get just one, 'cause these weren't remotely easy to make! Sorry sweetie, that's just how it goes~"


There are twelve fully-fledged levels in BowieQuest, with the player beginning at the Western Village and finishing their journey at the Fractured Heaven. All stages have their own unique graphics, backgrounds, mechanics, enemies, bosses, and associated music tracks. They are found scattered across the western hemisphere of Stitchonia, spread across the three landmasses located on that side of the planet.

Course Information
Western Village

The Western Village is a rundown, dusty town that's been around for countless decades, housing flat shambles made from cardboard and wood that are either packed really close together like sardines or sparsely spread out over the horizon. The town's known well across the Buonarroti landmass for its many rivaling high-quality saloons and cheap motels and praised frequently by locals and visitors alike for its pleasant surroundings. Decorating the village include alfeñique and papel picado decor, skulls, and bones taken from way outside the perimeters of Stitchonia, various ancient-appearing caravans, and various species of cacti. Bowl-shaped rooftops trap rain and drain it to power the whole town, pipes between buildings transport this electricity, and telephone booths handle communication. The village has trouble managing its struggling infrastructure, however: opportunities to receive or purchase paint to fix the town's drab and dull scenery are spookily rare, and the town's many highlights and attractions slowly suffer from major erosion. An intense heat wave distorts the higher air.

The village is found at the western tip of Buonarroti, just barely east of the Western Forest. It was once known as the undisputed capital of the world, having set the world's culture in stone and having had an unmistakably beautiful lush evergreen valley backdrop. However, the demand for lumber and other valuable resources by the pro-urbanization labor force would make them tear the landscape apart around the village, bringing about desertification in the process and halving its population and popularity in the process. The sudden drop in reputation the town received would negatively impact its government, with the village daily struggling to afford to properly fix itself up and pay its bills/taxes, all thanks to the town not being able to keep up with the times of the industrial revolution. However, it remains popular as a resource trading post to this day, and its ambitious and energetic holidays still bring visitors about and help it thrive through tourism. It is also recognized around the world as the hometown of Bowie Davis, the town sheriff.

Given how challenging and mind-rattling the core gameplay of BowieQuest frequently happens to be, the Western Village was intentionally designed to be a somewhat simplistic tutorial level, and as such does not hold many major gimmicks. Multi-colored toy rattlesnakes will be commonly found hanging from buildings, most of which can be swung between like vines, though golden ones will drag the player along a wire before dropping them off at the end. Rope handles hanging from buildings can also be taken to scale down the sides of cliffs or above-averagely sized buildings, sometimes twisting the player about as they hop from wall to wall. Ziplines hanging in the air can also be taken to get around the village's uneven terrain quite quicker, though the player has to hop off at the right point if they want to keep their momentum as it will jerk to a halt at the end of its path. The player can also burst into cliffsides to set themselves atop geysers, which will launch them out from underground towards the high routes of the level. The player can also grind along the tops of rail-shaped pipelines to build speed. Spineless cacti can occasionally be found, flinging players back from where they came.

There are numerous tips for navigating these sacred turns and bends. Some of the golden rattlesnake lifts might have a zipline or pipe for the player to jump off to, if they're quick enough to do so- these may occasionally allow the player to take huge shortcuts. If the player bounces on some rebounding yarn to get a boost in the air to follow a small trail of raisins, they might find a hidden zipline or at least a high-up platform that can lead the player to a shortcut. Some of the browner or darker-looking houses will have their roof collapse under the player's weight should they step on them; if they fall through, they may be rewarded with a bundle of raisins, or be face-to-face against an intimidating foe. Geyser spots can be found very easily if one notices the darker-looking spots in the cliffsides, which can be whipped open in order to break. Hopping over the spineless cacti may be vital to saving time, but if the player quickly whips them in the small time frame they have, they will spin around them harmlessly and gain a boost in momentum. Lastly, wooden knobs will almost always be found in the middle of plazas, offering the player a chance to take the higher route.

Upon beating up the Saguaro Devil, the sheriff's roundup throws themselves all into a cannon to blast themselves off to the far-off mountains! Paul instead hijacks a helpless Razortop, forcing it to drive him all the way over to the mountains' base.

Enemies: Pinata Pony, Razortop, Bolichero, Monkeybot Junior
Boss: Saguaro Devil

Picasso Heights

The Picasso Heights are a high-altitude mountain range constructed purely from cubist or otherwise unorthodox structures, its style reflected by its uneven terrain and endless number of slopes and curves. Colorful murals and Picasso-esque paintings decorate the walls of the fabulous grey mountainous structures, with black inky waterfalls sprinkling out from the gaps in the walls and large abstract statues hanging around waiting to be scaled. The heights are most artistically expressive around their peaks and snowcaps, where erosion has hit the region the hardest but where the local sculpturists have gotten their most creative. The artifacts of a lost pottery-focused civilization can be found here, with their regal floors and decor left behind, as well as their enormous and withering castle left atop the 2800-foot Mount Crockery. The higher one goes, the more violently the winds will blow, the more bridges and platforms that will show, and far more death drops as you know. These heights are known primarily for their diverse and unmistakable architecture, as well as for their strong bellows, limited footing, and various inky springs, which make them dangerous to travel in let alone live in.

This gorgeous mountain range can be found stretching across nearly the whole length of the Buonarroti continent, nearly dividing it into two halves. These 2200+ foot sacred mountains form the majority of the landmass, transformed from all the natural and artificial work that's been done to it over time- it's recognizable even from outer space. In spite of the range being highly dangerous to live in, a handful of professional and in-training architects and sculpturists do in fact make a living here, frequently carving and hacking away at the mountains' structures to make them abstract but stunning and diverse works of art. This attracts visitors to the mountains and nets the workers money for their hard work. Still, only a few dozen inspired artists happen to take residence in the Picasso Heights, with almost all other inhabitants of the island living near or in the villages around sea level. These mountains aren't just known for their unusual beauty- they're also known for their role in diversifying the island's culture. As the Picasso Heights grew over the past few millenniums, they split some towns and villages along the middle wide apart, forcing their cultures to branch off and evolve.

The player's usually having to navigate the Picasso Heights at high speeds, rushing above collapsing ledges and hitting ziplines at high speeds to carry themselves around the place. The quickest and most efficient way of building this speed is by rebounding off of the walls, which allows the player to begin charging around. Should the player bust open yellow/black gate barricades using their whip, they can use the speed they accumulated to outpace the descending ceiling and evade getting crushed. Much of the level's lower half is known for being incredibly compact, with various slopes and curves to be crossed over while evading falling ceilings and long rows of spikes. These caverns' roofs are topped with the same spikes, with the player having to take swinging platforms and elevators to ride around the higher routes without touching the deadly spikes, swinging from wooden knob to knob in the process. Heavy winds dominate the level skies, pushing the player off to the left- they'll have to fight these winds while making precise movements, or else slip into the chasms below. Lastly, the player can hop through empty paintings to travel across the walls, narrowly dodging the monsters inhabiting them.

Numerous tips and tricks exist for breezing through this level. Ramping up speed among the slopes can help the player in escaping the dangerous lower half of the level, lifting them up sky-high and perhaps allowing them to take the higher routes. The player can also whip away at falling ceilings to slow and halt their descent momentarily, buying the player some extra time to high-tail it out of there. If the player does a rebounding jump off of some diagonal-facing yarn, they can skip a little bit of platforming later on in the level, though they'll usually have to perform some wall jumps or latch onto a wooden knob or otherwise risk being thrown down into oblivion. Being speedy throughout the level can really help too, as many platforms are set to detonate or collapse at specific intervals- if the player's quick enough, they can use these convenient platforms to take shortcuts and completely bypass some of the level's trickier challenges. Little cracks in the cliffsides can be whipped open to reveal hidden rooms, which typically hold hordes of raisins or possess huge balls of fabric for the player to collect- or rarely in the Sega CD port, a Bonus Level entrance.

Upon clearing through the Picasso Heights, the gates to the castle grounds of Mount Crockery will open up, opening the drawbridge that will let them inside. Paul's too impatient to wait, opting to frontflip above the gate and tackle through the window.

Enemies: Weeping Woman, Doomsday Clock, The Screamer, Gatekeeper Lisa
Boss: Marie's Mirror

Castle Crockery

Resting high atop the snowcapped Mount Crockery is a sage-painted castle of immense size, for centuries known by outsiders for its magnificent design and very regal appearance. It looks especially pristine underneath the light of the silver moon, enchanting the abstract landscape around itself with its limegreen aura. Castle Crockery has sustained immense damage from its millennium-long abandonment, however, with its clay brick walls and withered roof in desperate need of repairs- such damage allowed rainwater to seep through the gaps, flooding the floors of the old earthenware factory. Fake mache draping plants can be found adorning the walls, especially around window frames that display the starry nighttime skies, and many shelves can be seen that display varying types of pottery. Over time, Endal had managed to seize the castle, transforming it into an evil foundry that's dangerous even when as incomplete as it is. Volcanic geysers regularly burst from the active volcanic chambers underneath the castle, temporarily turning on valves and dangerously heating up the steel tunnels, regularly activating the pottery wheels that spawn monsters for Bowie and his roundup to dodge. Recently installed machines may be a bit buggy, but effectively replace the manual labor that once ran the ancient place.

The castle was known for being the epicenter of an earthenware-specializing civilization, with the building having served two purposes: to be a manually-operated pottery factory dedicated to the purpose of creating and transporting firm goods across the planet and to securely protect its tribe from the fierce finds of the Picasso Heights. It was also thought that this civilization invented earthenware to advance society as a whole and promote the clay material, which had initially been seen as useless and unreliable at the time. The factory's people would regularly sell pottery to passerby that happened to check by their castle while also sending off men and women in perfect condition alike to travel around the island and make a profit off of selling their goods. The profits they made would eventually be used to hollow out some of the mountain's interior to construct the Inkura Falls, but their reasoning for its construction is unclear, as no records or documents exist that determined what happened to the mysteriously disappeared civilization. No matter what provoked the creation of the falls or the mysterious disappearance of the tribe, everything happens to now be in Endal's hands, making clearing these areas of his filth the number-one priority.

To breeze through Castle Crockery, the player must quickly balance when to be patient and when to be quick, all the while keeping in mind the ticking down timer and quite uneven terrain. Many of the rooms are flooded to a moderate degree with water, with the player commonly having to rush across slowly sinking platforms while evading the geysers that can shove them into the spiky ceilings and dodging the flames the clay monkey heads on the walls can spawn. Spinning pottery wheels will continuously form up and shape platforms for the player to climb, but they will collapse soon after being stepped on, requiring them to make their move fast. These wheels can also spin the player to the background layer and back, letting them travel an alternate path before leading them back to the main route. Conveyor belts with heating chimneys and crushing pistons are a regular feature of the level- the player has to rush through the chimneys when they're not scorching hot while evading getting crushed. They must also avoid slipping into the fiery pits awaiting them around the level, and they must especially evade getting smacked or pushed by enormous robotic hands keeping everything working and organized. Venting steam from underground will commonly heat up the machines and metallic tunnels in the level, damaging the player if they're inside- they need to crawl fast. Many of these elements mix and mash together throughout the level, giving the player the impression this level is a labyrinth.

Fortunately for the player, there's a good number of things they can do in Castle Crockery to make navigating its tight structure somewhat easier. Geysers commonly placed throughout the level usually have deadly spikes found dead above them, but those that don't will take the player through a short series of tunnels before bursting them out on the high route. Though the bottoms of the castle's flooded rooms are adorned with spikes, the underwater bits do hide several wooden knobs underneath their surfaces; the player can graciously swing from knob to knob to avoid platforming altogether and save some time ignoring geysers. If the player can correctly rush across the crumbling platforms and loose knobs near the level's top, they can bypass several of the rougher obstacles awaiting them below and save some much-needed time. When the player approaches pottery wheels and manages to catch one spinning some pottery, they can evade the harder path by choosing the one with the greatest number of raisins. Doing wall jumps between crushing pistons may occasionally lead the player to hidden rooms, where various balls of fabric or raisins may await them. Similarly, swinging around mechanical knobs will very temporarily open up gates in the level; slipping by them in time will net the player similar awards.

Shutting down the engines keeping Castle Crockery empowered results in consequences, with the teddy bears bursting right through the floor! Paul's already too late to cause this issue- he instead just leaps down with style, as opposed to tumbling.

Enemies: Clayos, Slay-Doh, Wheeler
Boss: Claymate

Inkura Falls

As it turns out, the engines keeping Castle Crockery's machinery intact and active were also keeping the volcano alive- and when they were shut down, both places ceased to function. However, this triggered a collapse of the volcanic crater, dragging the teddy bear roundup down to the Inkura Falls! These caverns were hollowed out from Mount Crockery's innards, decorated all around with anglerfish-esque lampposts, glowing crystals, candlelit railings, and various huge spotlights scanning the horizons for intruders. Railways frequently cross through the region, with Endal's prized Monkeybots traveling around the caverns using minecarts- they're attempting to mine precious minerals from the cooled magma. The area is kept under intense and tight surveillance by Endal's forces, for the area is a modern-day prison preventing his disobedient prisoners from escaping while also protecting his army from being ambushed by trojan horse-esque plots. Sharpened stalagmites and stalactites serve as the cavern's teeth, being the prison bars preventing the sheriff's gang from escaping, while two holes in the background wall bring in the sunlight to help keep the area illuminated. The daybreak-lit Sumie Bay can be found behind these bars, revealing a long beach and some scattered Japanese-inspired buildings. The whole area is flooded with sticky Inkura.

These bluish caverns were hollowed out from Mount Crockery for reasons unknown by the unnamed ancient pottery-based civilization- it's thought that they either plotted on building a supreme utopia in this massive cavern or wanted to transform it into an enormous pottery gallery, but the mysteries remain unsolved. Either way, Endal managed to secure his hands on these caverns much the same way he did with Castle Crockery, and now operates this place as his own personalized prison. Much of the flooring of Inkura Falls is riddled with the deadly black substance itself, with glass shelterings protecting the many lower level bases and hideouts from the high-elevation Inkura. Various mechanical pipes and valves keep the level of Inkura at the level Endal desires it to be at, though whipping at these said valves will either make this deadly substance rise or fall. Right before Castle Crockery's machinery was disabled, one could see how volcanic the innards of the volcano were- the magma was controlled from these same pipes and valves. The area gets its name from the many fountain pens found embedded in the walls, which endlessly stream Inkura out from their tips. Leading out from the bay exit is Sumie Beach, the Japanese-inspired east coastal region of the Buonarroti continent, which subsequently is the final level to be explored on this continent.

The player needs to be stealthy if they wish to pass through this stage with as little trouble as possible, for searchlights and cork-shooting cameras will continually be on the lookout for them, and cameras in particular summon enemies and lock away exits when they detect the player. The player can handle this by whipping the cameras when they're not locked onto the player's sight, and destroy spotlight sources to give them less trouble as they race through the level. Though the Inkura Falls are a traditional straight-forward level, it can still be quite tough to pass through- the player will have to race over crumbling crystal platforms, ride logs through deadly swamps of Inkura, evade the Monkeybot-driven minecarts passing through, and slice open Inkura-formed barricades while bouncing cautiously over the acidic sticky pits using tightropes to bounce around. This level also begins using the wooden knob mechanic far more, with the player frequently having to swing between knobs to cross over deadly pits of Inkura while simultaneously triggering mechanics. The player will also commonly be using elevators to navigate floor-to-floor of the prison base and pulling at lamps to prevent the area from getting too intoxicatingly foggy, which will slowly wither away at their health if it's at maximum strength.

The Inkura Falls represent a somewhat sharper turn in difficulty for the game, as touching the lethal Inkura substance is equivalent to meeting instant death, and a lot of the substance is presented here in this level. However, the player is likely to evade this early obstacle by sticking to the higher paths, being quick to cross crumbling crystal platforms while being patient to evade getting spotted by cameras or anything that can obscure their path forwards. If the player gets detected and locked into a gauntlet battle, they can interrupt it almost immediately by breaking the camera or spotlight that found them, forcing the gate ahead to open even if there's still enemies intended to be fought. The log segments can be difficult, for the player has to precisely hop over hazards or their log will break open and the player will fall into the Inkura as a result- however, the player can cheese these sections by using rebounding rope to leap them over the pits, collecting trails of raisins as they go, though they'll usually have to whip onto ziplines to pass the lethal river or else they'll fall in. Holding down on lamps longer will make the area go without its toxic gases longer, letting the player focus on other obstructions.

The sheriff's gang of deputies wrap this area up by mounting motorboats, which they take to burst past the cavern gates and zoom right out into the open. Paul instead springs towards one of the cavern's teeth, snapping it off to use it as a surfboard.

Enemies: Bottle Fiend, Press Launcher, Splatter Turret, 'Stache Monkeybot
Boss: Fortoise

Sumie Splash

Welcome to the Sumie Splash paradise, always bright and sunny at high noon! Enjoy treading our ever-collapsing sandy banks, relax in the panic-filled dojos, and feel free to play a nice ol' game of tag with the Monkeybot police high on your trails! Sarcasm aside, the teddy bear gang reaches these pristine shorelines after breaking free from the Inkura Falls, chased by Endal's minions as these pesky enemies lay a siege on Sumie Town! The sheriff's roundup must duck under teal dwellings for shelter, scale up high-rise towers to reach higher elevations, and knock down pagodas to make bridges across the lethal inky banks scattered across the beach. These buildings are wooden and colored with sage and brown palettes, painted on their sides with ink wash paintings typically depicting mountain landscapes or animals from the Chinese zodiac, with many of the large-scale buildings topped off with fancy curved roofs. These buildings are commonly accompanied by fusuma (sliding doors), which allow enemies to spawn infinitely from them, and usually have ornaments hanging off from the bottoms of their roofs. Fancy kites can be found frying everywhere throughout the level as the preferred pastime of the village's people, and white-capped mountains can be seen in the distance- with some stained glass caverns clearly glittering. Bursts of steam can also be observed from the far-off Ironworks. Green prickly bushes are found much closer to the foreground, with several Japanese shrines accompanying them.

The Sumie Beach is a popular tourist destination recommended for various Stitchonians around the world, found on the eastern end of Buonarroti. It is popular for its stunning scenery, diverse culture, and relaxing environment, all of which are reflected in the quickly bustling Sumie Town. Sumie Town has built a reputation over the years for being a powerful sea trading port, delivering lumber and homemade crafts to both Origamopolis and the Ironworks. Its access to the carefully managed and well-protected Eastern Jungle and the loosened limitations on what can be done in and outside of the village also contributed to the town's success. All of this allowed Sumie Town to steal the Western Village's thunder, transforming it into the next Buonarroti capital. The town initially began as nothing more but a trading port, but the tragic deforestation around the Western Village inspired many upset people to move to this region, dramatically expanding the town's population and size within a few years. It now rivals the village back at the Simoni Desert for visitors and dominance. When Sheriff Bowie arrives here, the people are in a state of panic and confusion, for Endal's forces are attempting to take the area under siege while trying to track the hero down.

Sumie Splash is live and loaded with pure nonstop action, with the player having to continually outspeed the oncoming Monkeybot-occupied helicopters as they scramble their way through the under-siege town! These Monkeybots cannot be stopped or harmed by any means, and they'll be continually launching missiles at the player whenever they're outside or in vulnerable spots, so the player should try not to mess around too much. They can only aim at the player if they're directly in their sight of vision, however, so the player can dash into buildings or hide behind bushes to disrupt their aim and lose them. If the player is high enough, they can actually whip onto the helicopter's bottom and swing around forever to evade enemy attacks- though dodging them all continually throughout the whole level's length is nearly impossible. The player will continually be running over collapsing sand banks, swinging from ornaments to scale the pagodas, and using hanggliders to swiftly navigate the skies. The player will commonly drop into dojos as well, taking on some powerful miniature samurais that continually get stronger as the player progresses further and further into the level. Durma Otoshis double as enemies and helpful NPCs, with them swinging off their pieces like platforms for the player to ride across the level with.

There are many persistent and dangerous elements of this level that the player has to watch out for on a regular basis. The armed siege Endal laid upon Sumie Town resulted in many of the dwellings being set aflame- the player has to carefully jump between these flames while not spending too much time lollygagging, or else the floor will come out from underneath their feet. The player also cannot afford to jump right in front of windows within the town's buildings- this will allow Endal's Monkeybot police to detect their location and attempt to blast them apart. If these missiles manage to hit the floor, that particular spot will break off, potentially creating a bottomless pit for the player to fall into. Lastly, the Inkura seas commonly rise and fall, usually every twenty seconds. If the player is at low elevations, they will need to quickly scale their way up to at least a moderately-elevated location, or else they will risk drowning within Inkura. Fortunately, the inky seas will not last around for long before jumping- performing a well-timed trounce from rebounding yarn at the stage's bottom can let the player narrowly evade the rising hazard. Tips for the player: whip at the helicopters to disrupt their attacks shortly, use wooden knobs to cross the sandy areas between dwellings, and break through wooden patches on the floor to find hidden goodies within random people's houses.

The player exits Sumie Splash by using hanggliders from an updraft, using the opportunity to pursuit the Zeppelin Fleet dead ahead. Paul instead scales an enormous pagoda before carrying himself off using the tornado producing the storms in the distance.

Enemies: Stacking Samurais, Daruma Otoshi
Boss: Katana Katakirauwa

Zeppelin Fleet

Since the beginning of the adventure, Endal the Monkey's been driving around his Zeppelin battleship as his main mode of transportation, using the half-mile vessel to strip Stitchonia of its materials and substance! Sheriff Bowie's roundup decided to hitch a ride on the massive battleship using the hanggliders found back at the Sumie Beach, landing feet-first on one of the many weapon-wielding balloons hovering beneath the thundering skies! There's limited footing here on the Zeppelin Fleet, with nearly half of the rubbery platforms bouncing intruders and allies alike around, and heavy winds will try their absolute best to sweep the bears off to their doom. The violet-palette Zeppelin itself is enormous, possessing a wide range of highly effective artillery and having Endal's own imagery and egotism proudly plastered among its sides. As the teddy bears navigate the skies, they will find themselves infiltrating the ship's hull, crossing over its wings, and quickly rushing over its weapons deck. There's so little room for error here, for the seas below consist of nothing more than instant-death Inkura, a prominent obstacle found on the sheriff's adventure. The whole ship is surrounded by an armada of similarly weapons, which all behave as a barrier to prevent the ship itself from being subject to a big assault. Connected to the ship's bottom are steel rods expand and retract regularly, all connected to enormous pairs of scissors that strip away the Stitchonian world.

The whole of the Zeppelin battleship was constructed from the many remnants of Endal's previous bases and inventions, precisely pieced together by Endal's seemingly infinite army of Monkeybots. Initially designed in its blueprints to travel through outer space and allow Endal to ship his materials to other worlds for him to take over, it was forcibly converted into a yarn-stripping battleship when Bowie squandered his previous plot to conquer the world. Unlike many blimps, the Zeppelin came with wings and numerous engines to help it fly through the skies, and could stand at least an F2 tornado at best without taking damage. Because of the small timeframe Endal had to redesign the Zeppelin, however, the ship came with many flaws in its final design; not only was it highly combustible overall, its engine was also frail and easy to weaken. Nevertheless, it turned out to be an effective way of deploying Endal's troops across the planet, and it still winded up being incredibly helpful for navigating him across the planet- it could even auto-pilot its way back to the Ironworks whenever Endal desired it. Because of the ship's fairly simplistic build, it was also rather easy to repair. If Endal ever manages to conquer the world, he would scrap this whole ship apart and remake it into the space-traveling ship he initially envisioned it to be, with design adjustments to improve on its current flaws.

The Zeppelin Fleet proudly provides the player with one of the game's overall toughest challenges, with them having to repeatedly rebound off of the many helium-filled balloons over bottomless pits while putting with many seas of projectiles being blasted off from Endal's allies and his ship. It's all topped off by how the platforms slowly sink under the player's weight, with them only raising up again if the player jumps off. Loose knobs found adorned across the Zeppelin's sides can be swung around, but they will soon fall, requiring the player to move quickly while still evading the many attacks being thrown in their direction. Around the ship's bottom, the player has to carefully time their jumps between enormous pairs of scissors and huge needles that are stripping away at the Stitchonia planet, all the while evading homing missiles and laser blasts. Every ten seconds the player is outside for, a laser will zoom across the screen- if the player times it right, they can abuse the laser to pop various enemies' balloons and send them plummeting, and it can even blast off the hazards on the ship. When on the ship itself, the player has to quickly navigate the hallways without getting swept away by the wind, defeating enemies and hopping over holes in the floor. When the player makes it to the top, the player has to strike at the ship's engine after beating the Inkura Dragon- the monkey will then do a barrel roll with the damaged ship, sending the player towards Origamopolis...

The Zeppelin Fleet returns much later in the game, heavily damaged from its last journey- when Sheriff Bowie and his gang catch up to Endal in the Ironworks, he panics and flees with the unrepaired battleship! The roundup's already infiltrated it from the inside this time, however, with them now inside of the bouncy base! Though no bottomless pits are to be found this time, the passageways are instead lined with many lethal spikes, requiring the player to navigate them with extreme precision. Moving knobs are a rare mechanic exclusive to this level, which move along a predetermined path- the player has to swing from them at the correct time or they'll likely suffer an immediate death. Sawblades will also rip across the floor and along the walls, making wall jumping and using the rebounding ability quite challenging at times. Falling debris from the ceiling is also an annoying hazard, but it will always occur in more open areas, making it the least of the player's worries when traveling along moving knobs. When the player manages to reach the end, they'll be thrown upwards onto a garbage-made platform in the middle of the Zeppelin's blimp- they will come face to face with the Inkura Dragon a second time! Once it's defeated, however, the player can grab it by the reins and launch it into a field of explosives, severely damaging the ship as the player hurls themselves right into the captain's room.

The player's first visit here is interrupted when Endal performs a barrel roll that shakes the player right off, with Paul attempting to hang on only to rip a big hole in the ship before letting go. On their second visit, Endal deliberately crashes his ship into the heavens before making a run for it.

Enemies: Slingshot Squirrel, Falcon Gunner, Kitty Float, Clownish Freak
Boss: The Wicker Man (in Expert Mode; 1st visit)
Boss: Inkura Dragon (1st & 2nd visits)
Boss: Endal the Monkey (2nd visit)


Origamopolis sits as the definitive capital of the Stitchonian world, being both the engine keeping everything working and its never-sleeping source of creation. It's all built from intensely sturdy origami and paper mache, all colored and shaded by ink and crayon, all built to withstand the shaking landscape and bustling population. Buildings, districts, plazas, towers, and parks are all made wholly from colored paper, with thin slabs of iron and wood and sticky ink keeping it all together. Areas are commonly stacked together upon each other, giving Origamopolis the archetypal layout of a labyrinth, but the pathways are generally straightforward- they're just filled with numerous hazards. Motor-powered papercraft regularly zoom through the skies, with paper airplanes ripping through the nitrogen and paper sailboats traveling the paint-filled waters around. Plastic railings line the streets, tunnels made from tree pulp pass between buildings, and busy districts commonly feature cheaply-made toy cars racing around. Buckets of paint regularly dump into the pits and gaps in Origamopolis, powering the town by turning the gears that spark electricity for everyone. This whole metropolis is very well developed, boasting a fully operational sewage system for recycling garbage and unused paint and having an especially well-done transportation system that lets the sheriff's round-up fly around using paper hanggliders.

Origamopolis comprises the majority of the hilly high-rise Temko continent, being the undisputed capital of the world and its most advanced city to date. Not only does the city boast some of the most famous attractions in the world, it is also home to some hundreds of thousands of sentient plushies, and is where most of the industrial revolution is currently being staged at. Though the area regularly puts up with harsh earthquakes, these are circumvented by the thick origami nearly everything's composed of, preventing buildings from toppling over. An advancement in technology allows the town's vehicles to stick to the ground, and allows the insides of houses to be invincible to the earthshaking effects. This famous area regularly trades paint, tools, metal, and various building supplies around the world and even through space, giving it intergalactic recognition. Origamopolis was constructed by Endal's stuffed monkey race for the sole purpose of being a playground for their technological breakthroughs, but developed into a proper city when they sent fliers advertising this unique metropolis across the globe, attracting thousands of visitors to come live inside of it. A rumor that's currently spreading around the area is that the city was built atop something else- if one looks close enough at the ground level of the city, they might realize various brown appendages holding together the origami roads and cardboard structures, hinting at the area's boss.

Origamopolis may be one of the scariest levels in the game- not only is it ridiculously huge, the time limit isn't exactly forgiving either! The player has too little time to spare, so they need to act fast if they wish to reach the goal in time. Luckily, the majority of Origamopolis is a straightforward course, just divided into many high and low routes. The player will regularly be riding crayon rockets up and down through the air, using paper hanggliders to glide over to the next building, and using remodeled paperclips like springboards to reach new heights. They'll also be using their whip to swing from lamppost to lamppost, leaping between loose wooden knobs as they do, sometimes grabbing onto hooks from cranes to safely head either upwards or downwards. Ziplines, a regularly feature at this point, can carry the player to and fro throughout the whole level- so can new high speed transport tunnels made from plastic and glass. Small seas of glue here and there will attempt to trap the player and bring them down like quicksand if they don't jump out of it quickly enough, but the level's signature obstacle happens to be its seas of paint. The player is allowed to fall into it without risking death, but they must make it out within 30 seconds or they'll otherwise suffocate- they're noticeably heavier and slower, too. Flames are also a regular hazard, burning up the level top to bottom if the player isn't quick enough to escape the danger.

There are a lot of notes that the player can take in order to save themselves some much-valued time. Always taking the higher routes when possible should be the player's number one priority, as the lower routes occasionally hold pools of paint that will slow the player down in addition to making them heavier, wasting precious time. The player should always try to head into paper hanggliders at the highest speeds so their momentum can pass onto them, and they should always evade cardboard slides as that will take them onto the pitfall-littered streets. Swinging between the lampposts on the streets can be challenging, but perfecting the art can allow the player to evade the enemies and dangerous cars that dominate the streets, and may lead the player to a higher route. Timburners are the only enemies that the player should always and consistently eliminate, as they commonly spark up the problematic fires that burn the level down- the others should be simply avoided altogether, unless they're directly in the player's way. Most importantly, earthquakes will be commonly attacking the village and shaking the player off their feet every ten seconds- striking nails found in the ground will directly hurt the beast, resetting its attacking timer. If the player happens to have enough time to spare, they're free to whip apart origami-made statues of the city's mayor, which will drop many fabric balls and raisins for the player to collect.

Upon singlehandedly taking down the mayor of Origamopolis, Bowie and his gang nab some paper airplanes to head to the nearby carnival, where they quickly learn a train's carrying explosives on the path to the Western Village! Paul instead steals the mayor's wheelchair, hovering off with it.

Enemies: Origamodino, Springy Toad, Fishy Fish, Hot Rod, Timburner, Origamorhino
Boss: Mayor Layer

Diamond Carnival

The most elaborate and expensive carnival attraction to have ever existed, Diamond Carnival is intentionally built with the purpose of sending Bowie and his gang way off-course! Millions of gemstones and precious stones of many shapes and sizes and colors were used to produce this expensive attraction, carved from cutting-edge technology to look as impressive as possible. Much of the carnival's footing is made from solid gold, with all the beams and railings made from steel. A spectacular neon-lit circus tent swallows the park whole, giving the park a freaky and unnerving aura. The few windows found in the tent's sides display the nighttime skies above, showing off the twinkling skies. Hazardous takes on common carnival rides, such as rollercoasters, ferris wheels, and scramblers, all culminate into euthanasia- one should jump off soon before they hit their final destination! The carnival twists left and right all around, built in layers just like Origamopolis, and presents a labyrinth that's immensely tough to escape. The whole area has been noted by locals and foreigners alike for its bumpy and hilly terrain, with numerous steep slopes and the plethora of bottomless pits categorizing the area rather well. Many sections of the park were intentionally left unfinished, so to throw Endal's nemeses off guard.

The fabulously huge yet unfinished Diamond Carnival is found westward of Origamopolis, being the sole other attraction the player's required to visit on the Temko continent. The Diamond Carnival was built for one reason only: to capture the sheriff's roundup and hold them hostage so they cannot interfere with Endal's plans any longer. However, he did plan to transform the carnival into a proper amusement park following his supposed takeover of the world, as evidenced with the pinned up blueprints hanging from the sides of the rides. The whole area was constructed alone by Endal's seemingly endless army of Monkeybots, and as evidenced with the moving dots in the background, they're still working on it. Though the Diamond Carnival has roughly the same mass as Origamopolis, it is significantly more compact and has much tighter corridors and passageways, and is divided into several floors. At ground level, one can note the various dams, lakes and rivers of paint that are used to power the carnival, while one can get a great glimpse of the Buonarroti landmass from up high. Here at the Diamond Carnival, the player is once again underneath a time limit to reach the Voodoom Express- it plans on taking explosives and weaponry back to the Western Village! If they can take the train, they can crash it near their wanted destination...

Believe it or not, the player has about eight minutes to race through the Diamond Carnival's complex structure, giving them plenty of room for error this time around. However, the player will periodically find themselves being bounced back and forth through the horizontally aligned level, which will waste precious time. Bumper panels are the player's biggest nuisance here, as they can be found attached to walls or floors and spring the player around when they don't desire it. They are commonly accompanied with hazards too, such as spikes or enemies. The player will also be boarding roller coasters from time to time, having to jump at the right time to follow a row of raisins and therefore avoid collision with the wall ahead of them. They will also be swinging around ferris wheel carts that randomly freeze, taking great care to avoid falling down into the bottomless pits below as they do. Additionally, the player will be boarding golden-laced elevators from time to time, which rise high up into the air- if they don't jump out soon, they'll come crashing back down to the ground with the elevator, culminating with an explosion and forcing them to take a harder path! Otherwise, the player will be leaping between flaming hoops to score points, bouncing on trampolines to gain great heights, and balancing themselves on tightropes to avoid the hazards waiting below. Belt buckles can be used like catapults, oversized earrings can be swung between, and the faces of hanging golden wristwatches can be smashed to temporarily slow time and make jumps easier.

As the player advances through the game, they'll find that cheesing the levels will continually grow more and more difficult, with the game no longer pulling its punches by the time the player reaches the Voodoom Express. One of the keys to the player's success is using the knob swinging mechanic to their advantage; a plethora of various knobs can be found throughout the Diamond Carnival, and swinging between them in addition to the earrings and ferris wheel carts can both provide the player with shortcuts and neat time shaves. As annoying as bumper panels are, they're fairly easy to disable; simply whipping at them will jam them into the walls and prevent them from affecting the player for a short time. If the player uses the Neon Lion enemies to their advantage, they can power up some of the switched-off rides of the park- unlike the always functioning ones in the park, they will always function properly and never try to throw the player off towards instant death. Walls that don't have glowing gemstones can actually be whipped apart to unveil hidden passageways, which commonly lead to bundles of goodies or help the player cut through a bit of the stage. The last time-saving trick the player can do is whip at every golden watch they can find- this will give the player more room for error if they mess up later on.

The player ends their time at the Diamond Carnival by rushing ahead of the Voodoom Express, latching onto it at the last second to hitch a ride. Paul rushes over some girders overhead first before he leaps down towards the train, landing perfectly on his feet.

Enemies: Neon Lion, Haunted Prize, Notorious Barrel
Boss: Platinum Scale

Voodoom Railway

Now that Sheriff Bowie's roundup managed to board the twisted horrific Voodoom Express, they have to make their way to the front and take out the leader before the train can deliver explosives and weaponry to the Monkeybots back at the under-siege Western Village! The pin-infested boxcars of made of red-and-brown patchwork set atop plastic wheels boast miscellaneous pin-filled teddy bear heads at their fronts, all spearheaded by a ridiculously long express train bearing Endal's trademark symbols and head at the very front. As it blows spiritual steam from its bagpipe-shaped whistle, the Voodoom Express chugs through the midst of a bluish green swamp, with a mystical fog providing the area with a very ominous and spooky atmosphere. The train's occupied by some of Endal's scariest and most intimidating soldiers yet, including zombie teddy bears with huge burly arms and gigantic voodoo sloths that burst needles out from their bodies at regular intervals. While the train's passengers round up against Bowie and his gang, it will commonly zoom through tunnels and detach its boxcars one by one to try and prevent the player from reaching the Omega Monkeybot piloting the express. Not only is this a grueling task for Bowie and his family to overcome, they also have to do this at three in the morning!

The swamps of the Pluto continent once belonged to a civilization not unlike the crockery-centered folk back at the Picasso Heights. However, they instead specialized in draining the Inkura substance of its lethal elements and carving the sticky stuff into vital tools before leaving them to dry out overnight. What remained of the acidic and toxic bits would later be repurposed for ammunition, with the substance typically being squeezed into corks for future use. Unlike the Picasso Heights folk that mysteriously disappeared, the civilization that used to carve Inkura still exists, just hiding out underground to evade capture. Rampant machines now control the swamps, extracting Inkura for Endal's sake and providing his troops with weapons, especially his prized Monkeybots. Due to being powered by the low-lying Inkura, the robots release blue exhaust into the atmosphere, creating a fog effect that somewhat obscures the view of the background. As for the railway itself, the Voodoom Express is part of a huge system of trains running across the globe, with the system typically overseen by Origamopolis’ government so it may catch intruders. With the shutdown of the government thanks to the loss of its president, however, Bowie’s family was able to sneak on the Voodoom Express undetected.

The player's objective is to sabotage the express and shut it down before it can haul its explosives out to the Western Village, but they have to leap across forty boxcars first before they can reach the Omega Monkeybot driving it off towards the Mosaic Station. They will be continually battling wind as they rush their way across the train, avoiding falling through the gaps between the boxcars and especially evading falling into any of the explosive-filled carts. Strapped-down groups of grates and rows of spikes can be found adorning the tops of these boxcars as well, giving the player a real platforming challenge when they're also pitted against some of the most fearless enemies they've seen to date. Sometimes the player will have to infiltrate the boxcars through trapdoors at their tops, especially when the piles of crates ahead of them are too steep to be climbed! Inside the train carts, the player will have to carefully swing their way from the ceiling without coming in contact with the trap-riddled floors, taking out persistent enemies as they head along. The player has to duck if they're atop the train when they see a red caution sign, as that means a tunnel is upcoming.

Unlike other levels, the Voodoom Railway level has no time limit assigned to it- for each 10 seconds that pass on the clock, the boxcars will fall away one by one, so the player has to be really quick if they want to bust open some crates to receive the raisin/fabric loot locked away in them! Though several boxcars can simply be passed from overhead without much issue, many others hold puzzles or predicaments that need to be solved in time. The player can save themselves some time by opting to avoid rewarding themselves if they already have enough raisins / health as is, and can save even more by focusing on solving the puzzles and making it out alive as soon as possible. When the player reaches the main express train, the player will be given 150 seconds to infiltrate it and reach the explosives room- they must dodge beds of needles and shove down large enemies as they do such. Once they blow up all these explosives, the Voodoom Express will be forced to lurch at a station and go under repairs. This will prompt the Omega Monkeybot to come out and battle the player, enraged that they made it as far as they did! Upon the boss' death, it will cause the train to self-destruct! Sheriff Bowie and his gang will move on to the nearby Mosaic Caverns, knowing the end is crawling closer…

Upon trashing the Omega Monkeybot, the Voodoom Express will wind up self-destructing, bursting with so much energy that the player's thrown tumbling down the Mosaic Caverns! Paul outruns the explosions, stylishly flipping into the cavern.

Enemies: Nurse Needles, Spookchu, Voodude, Zombear, Elite Monkeybot
Boss: Omega Monkeybot

Mosaic Caverns

With the Ironworks now barely miles away, the Mosaic Caverns serve as one final obstacle course for good ol' Sheriff Bowie and his pals to head on through! These pristine stained-class caverns stretch for an abnormally long distance throughout the Pluto landmass and host a straightforward but incredibly dangerous abandoned mine, with lava paint seeping and dripping everywhere and especially accumulating in pools and chasms. These caverns are occupied by a number of dangerous species that are aggressive whenever their territory is invaded- the caves show no mercy towards trespassers. Glowing crystals displaying in various colors decorate the glorious passageways, but happen to be so sharp that they actually cut passerby on contact. Open chasms that stretch far and wide can regularly be found throughout the level, which commonly feature gigantic mosaics depicting Endal and his elite forces on the background walls. Abandoned railways are laid down just about everywhere in the Mosaic Caverns, twisted and mangled apart in some places and split apart by super-heated paint in others. Long ropes dangle from cliffs quite often, aiding spelunkers in progressing up and down the spiraling vertical chambers, and some can even be found hanging from ceilings. The whole area is electronically powered by light switches hanging from the ceiling; if they're not tugged at often enough, the area will be become pitch-black and put everyone's lives together in danger.

The Mosaic Caverns are home to an exceedingly high amount of interesting lore details, specifically in relation to Endal’s backstory and family. Many of the level’s background murals and mosaic arts, when looked at in chronological order, somewhat retell the somewhat vague backstory of Endal’s monkey tribe. They are depicted in these murals as an advanced species that have made deals with aliens outside of Stitchonia, mining other planets of their materials and taking them back to their world to advance their technology and to bring forth the future industrial revolutions these monkeys so wanted. They planned to eventually take over the world using the superior technology they possessed over the teddy bears’ nature-reliant materials, though most would leave to go conquer other planets- only Endal would remain behind to take over this one. Later murals in the level depict how spoiled and attention-grabbing he was as a child, and put his huge ego on display without a second thought. Some leftovers of Endal’s youth can be found throughout the stage, such as toys and failed inventions of various sorts. Now the place is one of Endal’s indirectly-operated bases, occupied by hostile animals of various sorts that block the teddy bear crew from reaching the Ironworks.

The main gimmick of the Mosaic Caverns surrounds its aforementioned light switches; the player must keep tugging at these as they head through the level, or they'll get beaten up by lightning-fast ghosts with OHKO attacks when the area becomes pitch black! This means that the player has to be quick when ascending or descending ropes or crossing chasms, or they might not have enough time to light the next switch! Classic Indiana Jones-styled boulders will regularly chase the player down some of the downhill-leading passageways, but that's not all- sometimes the player will be riding minecarts, having to hop over pools of lava as they go! Bowie can also hit colored panels on some of the stained glass walls to trigger hidden doors, allowing Bowie to travel behind the semi-transparent walls by switching between layers. In enormous rooms with gigantic mosaics depicting Endal and his elite forces on the far background walls, they will regularly have their eyes flash brightly, petrifying and hurting Bowie and causing him to drop like a stone. Bowie must hide behind much closer walls to evade these attacks.

Unlike every other level in the game, the Mosaic Caverns do not attempt to intimidate the player via a tight time limit- the player has ten minutes to explore the level, giving them plenty of time to examine the murals and especially giving them plenty of room for error. The road ahead of the player isn't quite littered with obstacles either, making this one of the easier levels for them to take on. Many walls in the cavern can be found boarded up- if these blockades are busted up, they'll be able to access hoards of raisins and fabric balls alike! Or possibly even shortcuts, if they're lucky enough! They should still watch their back, however, as the aggressive enemies prominently featured throughout this level won't let them get away so easily! The player's best tips include using the rebounding yarn to their advantage; using it is faster than scaling ropes, and getting just enough speed from bouncing off walls will let the player run across pools of magma without running in and without taking damage. Glowing red orbs found in secret rooms can be whipped apart- if the player does this, the enemies will have disappeared... where? But you don't care really, right?

Following the conclusion of Bowie and Paul's fruitless battle, just when they look like they're going to fight again, the whole screen will shake! Both sides turn to see Endal about to begin his next planet-stripping scheme, and realize they have to go crush him before it's too late.

Enemies: Elephlex, Vampy Lens, Boa King, Guardian Golem
Boss: Dark Saguaro (Expert Mode only)
Boss: Paul the Teddy Bear (for Bowie, Anna, & Smith)
Boss: Bowie the Teddy Bear (for Paul only)

The Ironworks

Sheriff Bowie and his deputy roundup infiltrate the boundaries of the Ironworks at sunset, glancing up high at the gargantuan power plant-shaped tower monster ahead of them as they rush their way in. The Ironworks are silver-colored and tower over every other building in Stitchonia, with a radioactive symbol found on the Ironworks' northern face- topped with the signature emblem of Endal the Monkey. This is the industrial heart of Stitchonia, being a filthy dystopian environment that carelessly pollutes the environment with the thousands of smoke plumes it releases into the air regularly, not to mention the unsafe working conditions that harm Endal's working slaves. The Ironworks are surrounded by lime-green girders and structures as well as a hazardous private casino that's lined with flashy architecture and many suspicious gambling machines. The roads and skies of the Ironworks metropolitan county are loaded with vehicles carrying around explosives and inactivated minions, presenting an incredibly dangerous warzone. Inside of the wretched Ironworks, countless Monkeybots can be seen working the steamy labyrinth that's filled with dangerous corridors and passageways, with fluff-burning cauldrons and crushing pistons as well as Endal's elite forces to be found everywhere. Many destructive machines can be found here, stripping away the patchwork and materials making up Stitchonia and sometimes going out of their way to pin intruders down, ripping them apart. It's all metallic madness here. The stage features 3D rendering- they can see the statue of a dramatically posing Endal rotate in the center of the base.

The Ironworks have ruthlessly destroyed much of the Pluto landmass with its immensely powerful machinery and reckless pollution, transforming the Inkura seas for the worse by making them dangerously radioactive. They are Endal's headquarters of choice and have played many roles in his various nefarious plots. Their primary purpose is to smelt iron and convert it into material for Endal's imperial expansion and for his various machines, but it's also been used to imprison people before brutally smelting them and protect its maniacal architect from all sides. Unsurprisingly, the casino was built to lure in foreigners and trick them into draining them of their wallets before capturing them and making them work in the incredibly unsafe working environment the Ironworks possess. Lately, the Ironworks have gone through a structural overhaul by Endal's "Elite Monkeybot" forces- they knew Bowie and his gang were coming from miles away, and thus loaded the roads and streets with countless hazards, thinking that they alone can stop the teddy bear deputies dead in their tracks! The enemies guarding the corridors are among Endal's most prized and beloved, serving as the elite forces designed to take down Bowie and his western roundup. The Ironworks are the final place to be visited on the final big landmass in the game- Endal is patiently waiting for the heroes to show up at the end, always maniacally cackling away as he persistently believes the player is powerless to stop him now!

The Ironworks are the only dual-segmented level in the whole game, with the first half of the level taking place in the really dangerous gambling zone and the second half taking place in the Ironworks themselves. Outside the Ironworks, the player will be navigating the bizarrely hilly "Ironworks Metropolis", having to make it through with enough speed or otherwise risk falling too far behind to get over the tight time limit. The player will be using flashy ziplines to get around for the most part. Occasionally, the player will find themselves bouncing around maddening pinball tables, having to shoot their way out using the pinball flippers while avoiding hitting bumpers or slipping off into oblivion. Rebounding off of yarn can help the player move around. They'll also be whipping onto the sides of enormous roulette wheels; if they come at them with enough speed, the player will be launched high into the air. Sometimes the player will land on white panels, which will trigger slot machines. There's a 1/10 chance the player will receive a health bonus or some raisins, but is it worth the risk of losing raisins instead? Every time the player enters the level, a background billboard will tell the player to "GET [NUMBER] TO WIN!", with that "number" being randomized. Golden grids holding 5x5 rows of cards, sometimes more, can be found around the level- whipping any of these cards will give the player a 1/80 chance to get the number they desire. If they get the card they desire, the player will win an enormous number of raisins or receive full health! Fiery pits litter the level's bottom.

Eventually, the player will make their way into the Ironworks themselves- they better be holding onto their raisins, or they'll be in for a nasty surprise! The steamy labyrinth doesn't hold back any of its punches, with its narrow and tight passageways littered with a plethora of nasty crushing pistons that need to be navigated carefully by the player while they swing around loose knobs and evade touching the occasionally electrocuted floor. The player commonly has to travel plastic tubes throughout the level, which usually serve as a high-speed transportation system but may also drop them into cotton-burning cauldrons! The player has to make their escape fast or their character's body will be melted down near-instantaneously. Rotating cogs can be found virtually everywhere in the Ironworks; whipping onto them will make the player spin around them at high speeds before eventually launching them very far at a high velocity. Machines known for stripping away at the materials that make Stitchonia what it is will be found scanning the environment- if they spot the player, they'll try to pin them and stab them to death! They need to be dodged by means of stealth. Stationary sawblades can be found midair that need to be evaded when the player's swinging around, but they can also be found moving around horizontally, diagonally or vertically from steel rods or otherwise speeding along the floors or walls. The player needs to occasionally grab onto monkey bars to evade touching the dangerous floor below, which they can also find on walls in otherwise abandoned and empty elevator shafts. Remember, there is no safe floor- keep moving!

The Armorachnid wasn't enough of a distraction to prevent Bowie and his gang from boarding the unrepaired Zeppelin- the chase is really on now! Paul throws off a Magnet Sphere, allowing it to draw him to the ship in a heartbeat before it flies too far away.

Enemies: Slot Zapper, Thunderbird, Snatcher Devil, Magnet Sphere, Trampo-Saucer, Prototype Android
Boss: Armorachnid

Fractured Heaven

Welcome to the Fractured Heaven, a bright and beautiful golden-white paradise held high above the fragile fluffy clouds that had been split apart by the remnants of the Zeppelin Fleet! The stone ruins found sparsely atop these clouds are populated by the angels that had been ensuring the safety of Stitchonia's inhabitants for thousands of years, but now all of them are gravely panicked and fleeing the area because the Zeppelin had managed to crash near the Dreamcatcher's exact location- just what the evil monkey overlord desired! The newfound hopelessness and destruction across the world had been depressing the pure-hearted Dreamcatcher, causing the area around it to begin falling apart at a rapid rate! The stone ruins are prone to easily collapsing under the feet of foreigners, beanstalks that can be climbed to higher points happen to be withered and dry, the golden "El Dorado" ships driving the angels around the heavens are beginning to disintegrate, and the clouds themselves are becoming impossible to stand on! Though the heavens enjoy a great deal of sunshine, the huge shadows cast upon the level’s destroyed objects by the rays of light give the final level an ominous vibe, and the clouds only get darker and darker following the slaughtering of the area's guardian kitsune.

The Dreamcatcher, when held in the hands of a pure entity with zero malicious intent, allows them to make any one wish they desire. It cannot be used by evildoers, but can be shattered and smashed apart by anyone that gets their two hands on it. This majestic item resides in the Fractured Heaven, atop a pedestal protected by a magical kitsune and the thousands of angels around... this powerful tool is rumored to possess so much power that holding onto it for too long regardless of one's alignment may riddle their brains with too much power. The "White Heaven" traditionally resides above the erroneously named White Sea, found between the three islands the player visits throughout the course of the game. All the religions in Stitchonia pay tribute to the "Gods of Creation", namely Michelangelo, Picasso, Vincent, Leonardo, Dali, Raphael, and Warhol- these seven used to rule the White Heaven together, but all of them disappeared when public interest greatly turned towards technology and industrialization, leaving the world in the hands of the unprepared childlike angels that have yet to learn how to ensure the peacefulness of the land. The "White Heaven" was with Stitchonia from the start, having kept the world "natural" and "clean" before efforts to industrialize it overpowered their efforts to keep it the way it was.

Unsurprisingly, Fractured Heaven is the unrivaled most challenging level in the whole game, with the player having to run through it in almost record time or they won't be able to encounter Endal in time. The player is forced to always keep moving, as the clouds will function like fast-acting quicksand under the player's feet and the stone platforms and staircases crumble quickly as soon as they're stepped upon. They also have to ride beanstalks to scale massive heights and also grind down their leaves and hop off at the right time to safely fly over beds of spikes. Precise platforming is the name of the game here; just a single mishap can set the player back to their previous checkpoint, and the raisins here are so few and in-between that getting more chances to survive is a near-impossibility now. There are no standard knobs at this point; the player has to travel between knobs that quickly drop downwards and ones that grow spikes if the player swings around them for too long. The El Dorado ships the player has to travel on are safe to board, but quickly descend under the player's weight, forcing them to hop around. The player's also forced to make the best use of the rebounding mechanic here, as they have to do it off of clouds now- and those clouds disappear after being rebounded off of!

Though the Fractured Heaven appears to be simple in its structure and blight in its appearance, don't let it all deceive you; the player needs absolute precision and great timing if they wish to beat this level, making full use of their character's versatile moveset and requiring their utmost attention at all times. The level is even more challenging when you consider Endal's constant destructive tendencies seen throughout the level; he will occasionally float back to the background and fire a barrage of hard-hitting missiles that will rocket towards the screen, requiring the player to make the best efforts possible to get out of their threatening path! This can be an absolute pain when ascending beanstalks or boarding the El Dorado ships, and it's even more painful when the player's in those horizontal areas lined with countless deadly spikes. Don't forget that these beanstalks wilter and the ships disintegrate; if the player wishes to keep the level alive, they need to strike at golden orbs to restore the level's life for a short period of time. Residing at the end of the level is the Dreamcatcher, the only device that can properly reverse Endal's mayhem- once the player reaches it, can they reverse Endal's evil deeds??

Fractured Heaven marks the end of the line for the adventure, with the fate of the world largely being up to Sheriff Bowie, Deputy Smith, Cowgirl Anna, and Rival Paul as they race against time to grab the Dreamcatcher first! (they don't)

Enemies: Angelic Archer, Spinning Cross, Winged Cowboy, Monkeybot Admin
Boss: Millenium Kitsune
Final Boss: Emperor Endal

Evil Mind

The extra final level of BowieQuest is only accessible by beating Emperor Endal on Expert Mode. When Endal completely decimates the heavens and collects them into his body, he becomes a divine deity as part of his last-ditch effort of eliminating his rival once and for all! Endal sacrifices nearly all of his remaining life force to open a wormhole to his mind, boasting that he can beat Bowie through his own thoughts of victory as he sucks him and his friends inside! Evil Mind takes the player through a fabricated pink reality in Endal’s imagination; into the illusional world where Endal has won.

Since Endal’s mind is super-close to a breaking point, he can’t exactly formulate the imagination necessary to crush you- but underneath that eight minute time limit, you really need to get a move on! This level is filled with platforming challenges; the player’s chosen teddy bear will have to solve a series of brutal puzzles while all the while dodging Celestial Endal’s onslaught of attacks. They must also dodge the continually growing flames this level boasts; they imply that in Endal’s ideal timeline, the world would be burning by this point if he had won. Following the completion of these puzzles, the player will be launched into a scary playing ground, where they’ll have to face off against Celestial Endal…

Extra Boss: Celestial Endal

Bonus Stage

The “Bonus Stage” is exclusive to the Sega CD port of BowieQuest. To enter it, the player must find a colorful lost-and-found bin and hop right into it. It's rumored that these bins once had a role in something so devious and sinister, as they bring this "wrong" and "offish" feeling they shouldn't have in the first place. The player's character is dropped into a claustrophobic toy-filled box of immense size, lit with flashy Christmas-like lights. They must quickly ascend the pegs sticking out from the background, making use of moves such as double jumps or wall jumps to aid them in outrunning the black hole attempting to eat up the stage's bottom.

As they rise, they can collect the numerous bundles of raisins to give them more chances to fend off the Reaper when they die- but they must be aware of the secondary hazard, an actual boss character that hovers around and attempts in vain to push the player down towards the bottomless pit. Should the player fall into the bottomless pit, they'll just return to the normal world, but if they make it to the top, they'll get a chance to face off against the boss itself. If they can defeat the Plastic Fiend before the black hole reaches their bodies, the player will earn an enormous number of raisins.

Extra Boss: Plastic Fiend


Throughout the game, the roundup of Sheriff Bowie will encounter a slew of various unique enemies, with over forty to be found and destroyed in BowieQuest. These enemies are typically destroyed using the player's whip, but some enemies have to be tackled and beaten in other ways. All enemies have their own flavor text in the instruction manual, coupled with their official names and level locations.

Enemy Description / Stats
Index No. #01
Pinata Pony
The Pinata Pony is a pinata horse that mindlessly floats around a small area, rocking back and forth rapidly as it does. It primarily serves as rope swinging fodder, allowing Bowie, Anna, Smith and Paul to reach greater heights in the level, but it still hurts to make direct contact with. It bursts with confetti when it's popped, which does nothing more than just showcase that the player's blasted it.

(Location: Western Village · Always afraid of being sent off to children's birthday parties.)

Index No. #02
Razortop is a short spinning top enemy with two angry eyes that patrols over a small area. When it notices the player, it will spin its wooden poles for arms around rapidly as it sharply increases its momentum, chasing after them immediately. They are usually careful enough to not fall off ledges, but this behavior is completely disregarded when they're angry- they won't necessarily care anymore.

(Location: Western Village · Hates being picked on for its size, ticked off at tall individuals.)

Index No. #03
The Bolichero enemy is a barrel-shaped attacker that will make its move the second it locks its ball-like eye on the player. Upon sight, it will burst the ball out from its barrel like a cannon, which is attached to a string that will soon boomerang it back into its home. They wheel themselves around slowly on their yo-yo-like wheels, seeking out their prey slowly and releasing smoke when spotting one.

(Location: Western Village · Always loves smashing things apart, therefore why it's on demolition duty.)

Index No. #04
Monkeybot Junior
Monkeybot Juniors are lazy and really cocky robots with gibbberish speech patterns that won't do anything until they notice the player's really close by. When they notice this, they will attempt to shoot the player down with their two cork guns, laughing in a mocking manner if they manage to land a hit. However, this laughing will short-circuit them and cause them to explode- don't worry about getting in your revenge!

(Location: Western Village · Thought to be unfinished prototypes, explaining why they short-circuit after defeat.)

Index No. #05
Weeping Woman
The Weeping Woman is based off of the Picasso masterpiece of the same name. Though many inanimate copies of her exist plastered among the walls, some do detach and weep about as they float around in circles, raining down sharp-edged tears that hurt on contact and bounce along the ground. Upon taking a few hits, she will shatter into many pieces, becoming eradicated almost completely from existence.

(Location: Picasso Heights · Cries endlessly, having lost their loved one forever ago. Whom is up for debate.)

Index No. #06
Doomsday Clock
Doomsday Clocks appear uncommonly throughout the Picasso Heights, but they can be found floating around ominously. If given enough time, their faces will melt as they slow time, causing the player's gravity to increase slightly as they take damage until time restores to normal. If the enemy is smashed up, they will dissolve into liquid and melt into a helpless heap on the floor, able to be bypassed entirely.

(Location: Picasso Heights · Brings out the worst fears in its victims, subjecting them to anxiety-related torment.)

Index No. #07
The Screamer
The Screamer is a really challenging enemy to counter throughout the Picasso Heights, usually appearing in pairs. This wavy, abstract man will randomly escape paintings and slash at the teddy bears, bits of harmful paint detaching from his degenerating body as he makes his assault. Just a single strike from one's whip will shatter his whole build, splattering his inky droplets everywhere.

(Location: Picasso Heights · Some ringing noise permanently lodged in their heads makes them restless.)

Index No. #08
Gatekeeper Lisa
The mysteriously realistic-appearing Gatekeeper Lisa's portrait is always found plastered onto royal walls, typically near gates or doorways. If she detects an intruder, she will aim her eyes in their direction and blast lasers in their direction. However, her eyes will lock half a second prior to blasting the player, with this delay giving them the time to dodge. Whipping her eyes will shut her off, usually opening a gateway or lowering a drawbridge.

(Location: Picasso Heights · Famous for its appearance, infamous for its secret job, lethal for its lasers.)

Index No. #09
Clayaos are small enemies made wholly from clay. When approached, they will rise up from the ground as humanoid beasts, intimidating the player with their clay teeth and long appendages. They will then attempt to leap at the player, becoming a lump of clay on the floor when landing. They can be whipped apart with very little effort, but be careful that remaining bits can reassemble into newer figures.

(Location: Castle Crockery · Sentient pottery experiments gone wrong that live in a size-dependent hierarchy.)

Index No. #10
Slay-Doh are flat, perfectly round clay patties that will flip around, attempting to crush the player under their weight as if they were a destructive domino of some kind. The player just has to whip them in the center from either side to burst them apart into halves. Be warned; they can merge with others and become bigger, more destructive hazards... the exact opposite of what you want! If timed properly, they can be used to cross pits of spikes.

(Location: Castle Crockery · They spawn revolting clay worms that infest residences, slowly breaking up walls.)

Index No. #11
Wheelers are alive pottery wheels that spin around on their own, never actually making clay. When approached, they will get up on their side and begin rolling around on the floor, attempting to knock the player down before falling back down on their backs. If the player whips them, they will bounce off in the opposite direction, shattering if they make contact with a wall. Shall they land on the floor, they will continue their business.

(Location: Castle Crockery · It's thought that Wheelers were used to spawn Clayos and Slay-Doh with.)

Index No. #12
Bottle Fiend
Bottle Fiends resemble your average ink bottle, just much smaller and featuring a skull face on their fronts, accompanied by a pair of legs. They will clumsily walk about in vain efforts to ram the player down, as they're the standard troop of the Falls region. If they're hit, they'll blast into temporary, but still quite lethal inky heaps on the floor- keep that in mind! This should especially be considered when they arrive in groups.

(Location: Inkura Falls · They scream frantically like children when they rush into battle, knowing they won't last.)

Index No. #13
Press Launcher
A Press Launcher can be very annoying to deal with, as it will scan the horizon right in front of its one eye for intruders before proceeding to continuously launch long streams of paper at them. These copies of paper can actually be used as platforms to cross gaps, but they can cut the player if they're accidentally approached from the sides. Just whip them to shut them up, and do it again to destroy them.

(Location: Inkura Falls · Continuously prints Endal's world domination blueprints to overwhelm the prisoners' cells.)

Index No. #14
Splatter Turret
Splatter Turrets are long, needle-shaped stationary pens with the sole purpose of ejecting long streams of lethal Inkura from their "beaks" across the ground to melt down intruders. Once they release a load of that disgusting substance from their hollow bodies, they will subsequently become empty and therefore useless. However, the player must find the best place to stand so they're not helpless against its lethal streams.

(Location: Inkura Falls · Lazily reprogrammed from liquid drawing to battling mode, just having one move.)

Index No. #15
'Stache Monkeybot
‘Stache Monkeybots are the first Monkeybot models of Endal's to become fully finished, wielding cowboy hats and mustaches to signify their higher class of power. These cocky robots will attempt to blast the player down with their cork guns, laughing in a mocking manner if they land a hit. They won't short-circuit after their fit of laughter this time, however, so they'll have to be whipped apart! Be careful for when they arrive in swarms.

(Location: Inkura Falls · They regularly call his master to beg for the bananas that they cannot eat.)

Index No. #16
Stacking Saumirais
Stacking Samurais are the only real active target to be found in Sumie Splash, with all of them equipped with samurai swords that have their size proportionally equal to the size of their master. After one makes a slash, they will pop open to spawn a smaller one, and so on until there are six of these dudes on screen all at once. Destroy the leader to break all of them instantaneously, but breaking open the smaller ones shouldn't be too painful.

(Location: Sumie Splash · The bigger samurais are quite often thought to represent the eldest generation.)

Index No. #17
Daruma Otoshi
Daruma Otoshis are stationary but enormous enemies, waiting to be hammered by an opposing force or be whipped by the player. When hammered or whipped, pieces will fly out from beneath their heads and be sent out into the wind, either as projectiles to damage the player or as platforms to stand on. Green Daruma Otoshis are never mandatory for progress, and thus whipping their heads will shut them down. This does not apply for red ones.

(Location: Sumie Splash · They were initially built by an ancient civilization to quickly travel over Buonarroti.)

Index No. #18
Slingshot Squirrel
Slingshot Squirrels are stuffed critters attached to a pair of high-altitude balloons. They will float around, attempting to blast acorns in the player's direction. These enemies can quickly prove to be very annoying, as they often come in duos and rapid-fire their shots against the player. Hitting their balloons will cause them to quickly plummet to their doom, however, so disposing of them should be rather simple.

(Location: Zeppelin Fleet · These squirrels were promised a load of edible acorns if they can shoot you down.)

Index No. #19
Falcon Gunner
Falcon Gunners are stuffed falcons protected with heavy metal armor, with the imagery of Endal's face plastered on their sides. They are kept airborne through their balloons, and wield machine guns that are designated to blast away in the player's direction. Unlike Slingshot Squirrels, they continuously fire bullets, but don't make the player flinch and occasionally they'll have to reload. Their balloons can be popped, too.

(Location: Zeppelin Fleet · Their metal prevents them from getting scorched, but their balloons don't compensate.)

Index No. #20
Kitty Float
Kitty Floats are moderately-sized unpoppable balloons carrying sleeping stuffed kitties atop them, all of which are armed with long nails. If the player makes noise, they will become disturbed and leap at them with their nails out, ready to shred them to pieces! The player can whip the kitty to burst them apart instantly, but if their nails hit a balloon or string of them, they'll all pop! Beware!

(Location: Zeppelin Fleet · They were put to sleep beforehand so they wouldn't accidentally burst their platform.)

Index No. #21
Clownish Freak
Clownish Freaks are a unique breed of enemies; these scary-looking realistic clowns will make rebounding balloon animals and send them out at the player, attempting to push them off towards the pitch darkness below, creepily laughing at it does. They appear to be illusions, for attempting to whip one will simply make it disintegrate into dust, never to return. That technically defeats it, I guess?

(Location: Zeppelin Fleet · Are Clownish Freaks even from this world, or are they from another dimension?)

Index No. #22
Origamodinos are huge red dinosaurs made exclusively from origami, based upon what appears to be the tyrannosaurus rex. It will rush forward when it sees the player and swing its head down to chow them down with its teeth, but it can be disassembled by simply whipping at its base. The Origamodino is infinitely more troublesome in encountered in pairs, as a pair can easily corner the player and form a deliberate inconvenience.

(Location: Origamopolis · Thought to have a balanced diet, consuming Springy Toads and Fishy Fish.)

Index No. #23
Springy Toad
Springy Toads are common origami-based enemies throughout Origamopolis, but they're not quite as painful to deal with as Origamodinos are. They will leap around in hopes of springing atop the player, but if the player jumps on their backs, they will sprung a rather high distance into the air, allowing them to access places they likely wouldn't be able to otherwise. If whipped from the front, they will croak and fall apart.

(Location: Origamopolis · Every time they trounce, their behavior goes through a full cycle of changes.)

Index No. #24
Fishy Fish
Fishy Fish will swim around slowly in seas of lethal Inkura, occasionally jumping out to try and sink their teeth into the player, especially if they're crossing over bridges. They will be seen crossing from the foreground into the background as leap over the bridges, before hiding themselves again in the pools of Inkura. Their tail tips can pass through bridges to try and catch the player off guard- whip them to destroy them.

(Location: Origamopolis · Though the bottom of the food chain in Origamopolis, they still like biting off teddy booty.)

Index No. #25
Hot Rod
Hot Rods are not made from origami, unlike the former three enemies, but rather steel and plastic. These futuristic-looking cars will streak across the stage on their four wheels. They come in two varieties; a green type that will just pass by once, and a deranged red type that will make u-turns to try and hit the player again. Whip them thrice to destroy them, which will make their parts scatter across the floor.

(Location: Origamopolis · They're so shiny and valuable, drawing men and women alike... only for it to proudly flatten them.)

Index No. #26
Timburners are miniature woodsmen soldiers that will stand at corners on the streets, typically near miniature forest parks in the region, chopping up trees to hurl logs at the player if they come by. If given enough time, they will spark up a miniature fire and escape to make the park burn! These fires can spread over the origami streets, so be sure you whip these Timburners apart before they make big problems!

(Location: Origamopolis · They personally consider deforestation and desertification to be of no concern.)

Index No. #27
Origamorhinos are much rarer enemies than the aforementioned five above, being huge origami monsters that occasionally chase the player down long roads like in Indiana Jones movie sequences. They will attempt to spike the player up with their horns, and are indestructible in every way- the player must run away to survive. When they crash into walls, they will split apart, letting the player roam free.

(Location: Origamopolis · They like to pose for the camera and boast about how they can steamroll their enemies.)

Index No. #28
Neon Lion
Neon Lions are one of Diamond Carnival's only three enemies, being made wholly from rubies and amber, its complex lighting system lit up with neon. They cannot be whipped at any angle, breathing out electric breath to try and finish the player off. When their mouths are open, however, that's the time to strike. The player can manipulate their breath to switch on devices and rides that were previously off.

(Location: Diamond Carnival · They're so proud because they don't have to be locked in cages, unlike other lions.)

Index No. #29
Haunted Prize
Haunted Prizes are the second enemy present here, being ragged and tarnished stuffed animals that seem to have been left behind at the carnival. They will take on the forms of frogs, owls, or hamsters, but they will all function the same: being slow enemies wielding long scythes, striking at anything that moves too close to them. They usually appear alone, leaping from the shadows when they see their opportunity to strike.

(Location: Diamond Carnival · They joined Endal's army under the promise of being returned to their friends.)

Index No. #30
Notorious Barrel
Notorious Barrels are washed with grey and red colors, moving in predetermined patterns and functioning largely as crushers, found in tight corridors closer to the stage's bottom. They have angry eyes and huge frowns. Pressing up or down on them will instead bring them to filthily grin- if the player don't get off quick, the barrel will head directly upwards into a ceiling to kill them! Should the player whip their eyes enough, it'll momentarily explode- they should run away!

(Location: Diamond Carnival · They seem particularly fit for smashing teddy bears and hedgehogs alike.)

Index No. #31
Nurse Needles
Nurse Needles is an upright-standing mouse that can be found commonly throughout the Voodoom Railway boxcars. She will attempt to throw several waves of needles at the player for as long as she's alive, retreating further back towards the vehicle's front. If she takes a hit, she'll quickly retreat. If she's hit enough, she'll explode, dropping a loot of Raisins as the player's reward for keeping up with her.

(Location: Voodoom Railway · They're the main source of aid and assistance in Endal's army of fiends.)

Index No. #32
Spookchus are undead mice that will pop out of the chewed up walls of the train's insides, stunning the player temporarily with their long tails before attempting to strike them, even though the player can always move out of the way in time. They can be detected quickly by watching the holes in the walls, which occasionally show pairs of glowing golden eyes. They prefer to strike alone, and will run away from others of their kind.

(Location: Voodoom Railway · Spookchus chew away at the wires keeping the carts together, at their expense.)

Index No. #33
Voodudes are upright-standing sloths that are filled to the brim with voodoo needles. They will pace back and forth, releasing spikes from their bodies in all directions at regular intervals. They are incredibly annoying when found in groups, which the player will have to put up with occasionally. The player should use their whip to make them explode, though that will make them explode their needles in eight directions.

(Location: Voodoom Railway · Transported from far-off lands to become new village-crushing soldiers.)

Index No. #34
Zombears are slow-moving, but huge undead teddy bears that will let out little cries of hunger upon spotting the player, attempting to crush them with their heavy, super-powerful arms. If the player moves too far away, they will dissipate into the ground and trail them as multi-colored slime. They mostly guard the entrances to train boxcars; if broken apart, the player can quickly slip by them. They will eventually then resurrect, ready again for battle.

(Location: Voodoom Railway · Also thought to be transported from overseas as a model soldier.)

Index No. #35
Elite Monkeybot
Elite Monkeybots are the upgrade to ‘Stache Monkeybots, being severely more competent and useful than their older counterparts. They will attempt to shoot the player down with their corkguns, firing five corks in a row, and shoot lasers from their eyes if the player is at close-enough range. They may also clumsily hurl around boxes of TNT, attempting to back away from the explosions as they do. Just whip them hard enough to bring them down.

(Location: Voodoom Railway · Always make persistent, annoying quips on how they're superior to the past models.)

Index No. #36
Elephlexes are really rowdy, dangerous enemies that are encountered commonly throughout the hollow Mosaic Caverns. They will stomp in anger upon seeing the player, then brutally charge at them! If they get close enough, they will use their trunk to grab onto the player before smashing them into the floor, effectively suplexing them. Their horns will block whip attacks from the front, so striking these fluffy baddies from their backsides is ideal.

(Location: Mosaic Caverns · They really prefer to live alone, because they're secretly xenophobic.)

Index No. #37
Vampy Lens
Vampy Lens are an unusual breed of enemies, being fluffy vampire bats with camera lens found lodged in their throats. If they lock onto a player via crosshairs, they will attempt to focus their lens on them before snapping a photo- this will paralyze the player, forcing them to become open to attacks from other enemies. To eliminate these enemies, the player has to strike their opened throats to make them gag.

(Location: Mosaic Caverns · They spy on other species to figure out the dos and don'ts of life.)

Index No. #38
Boa King
Boa Kings hang from horizontal bars near the ceilings from time to time in varying rooms, most frequently appearing in squads of five. They will descend immediately when the player passes underneath them, attempting to snatch up a player and squeeze them before releasing them. Simply dodge them, then leap up with the rebounding yarn below to give the enemy a well-deserved whip to their face.

(Location: Mosaic Caverns · They reportedly enjoy swallowing teddy bears whole, weekly for their dinners.)

Index No. #39
Guardian Golem
Guardian Golems are very uncommon throughout Mosaic Caverns, but usually fit the archetype of stretching vertical chambers throughout the level. These huge humanoid golems will have their platforms and parts spin about as the player attempts to scale them or move down- if struck at the right timing on its core compartment, it will stop moving altogether, then self-destruct- move way out of the way, fast!

(Location: Mosaic Caverns · They're supposedly capsules filled with countless TNT, for reasons unknown.)

Index No. #40
Slot Zapper
Slot Zappers are thin robotic models remotely based off of the daddy long legs creature, but heavily colored with golden stripes and possessing azure feelers. They will crawl around the enormous pinball tables, attempting to latch only any slot space it can find. If the player falls into one possessed by a Slot Zapper, they will be electrocuted and take damage- whip to defeat, or simply avoid.

(Location: The Ironworks · They really like to give visitors bad luck on luck-based machines.)

Index No. #41
Thunderbirds are ideal falcon models that are the only other enemy to populate the casino-inspired section of the casino. They will fly recklessly about overhead, then duck and make a horizontal dive on the y-axis it was locked onto just moments before. They will do three swoops before disappearing, and release bursts of thunder in the player's direction when moving around. Whip their bodies to bring them down.

(Location: The Ironworks · Patrol the zone for litterbugs, machine tamperers, and unwanted intruders alike.)

Index No. #42
Snatcher Devil
Unusual enemies known as Snatcher Devils frequently appear in the Ironworks' interior, being squiggly and slimy yellow hands that crawl across the ground, connected to a cube-shaped time bomb that triggers whenever the player crawls nearby. It will try to grab the player with its elastic body so it can pull them to its bomb, killing itself and hurting the player in the process. Whip the hand to stun it.

(Location: The Ironworks · Continuously question the point for their existence and their unholy design.)

Index No. #43
Magnet Sphere
Magnet Spheres are a dangerous, non-sentient defense mechanism designed to defend Endal's fortress. They will attempt to gravitate all fluff towards themselves, pushing enemies away from itself conversely. If the player makes contact with it, they will be electrocuted- whip it to reverse its direction, but strike it so many times it can't keep up- that will make it shatter! They are commonly found around Snatcher Devils and Trampo-Saucers.

(Location: The Ironworks · They were built to not think whatsoever, only to control chaos and havoc.)

Index No. #44
Trampo-Saucers are another common enemy found in the Ironworks' mechanical interior. These are trampoline-like figures that will hover around, especially in low-ceiling corridors, waiting for a player to bounce right on them into a spiky ceiling. They commonly come in groups, and are indestructible except from their bottoms. If the player can do a well timed rebound jump in the right place, they can flip all of the saucers over.

(Location: The Ironworks · Another lifeless drone patrolling Endal's Ironworks, attempting to slaughter intruders.)

Index No. #45
Prototype Android
Prototype Androids appear to be rusty, mass-produced clones of Bowie that almost look nothing like him, having half-hollow brown shells and jagged geometry that really does not make him look kid-friendly. They are rather trained, however, capable of moving back and forth and tossing sheriff badges, also capable of roping the player around. Just whip them enough times to bust them apart.

(Location: The Ironworks · They have nowhere as much soul as the original deal, and are no match for them.)

Index No. #46
Angelic Archer
Angelic Archers will randomly pop out from underneath clouds or otherwise descend from out of nowhere from time to time. These sad, powder-white teddy bear angels will pull out a bow, firing waves upon waves of arrows at the player's teddy bear that won't stop coming until the enemy is whipped apart. Performing such a sinful action will attract its many friends, however! Run for your life, or fend for yourself!

(Location: Fractured Heaven · Depressed since they lost one of their loved ones down to the world below.)

Index No. #47
Spinning Cross
Spinning Crosses are one of those odd breeds of enemies. These golden enemies will wait for the player to come by, before quickly rushing at them and thrusting at their body with the southern tip of its cross shape. It can also spin around like a tornado and fly freely through the air, attempting to spin into the player's side. Really annoying in tall vertical shafts, where it's hard to shatter.

(Location: Fractured Heaven · They seem to possess creepy hypnotic powers, but it's ineffective on golden souls.)

Index No. #48
Winged Cowboy
Winged Cowboys are just another strange entity that the Fractured Heaven is responsible for. These overtly cute, butterfly-winged cowboys will wield two corks at a time, attempting to shoot in the player's direction. Though they may not appear to be overly special, they can trick the player by throwing a shot into a Spinning Cross, intended for it to backfire on them! Break them down through whipping, as always.

(Location: Fractured Heaven · They seem to patrol the heavens to punt out those not worthy of the clouds.)

Index No. #49
Monkeybot Admin
Administrative Monkeybots are the most trusted rank of Endal's army, appearing rarely through the level. In some of the gauntlet arenas, an Administrative Monkeybot may sic some of its Stache or Elite soldiers on the player, while it goes all out with its explosive array of attacks- from TNT crates to barrages of missiles. Make it retreat by ripping up all of its enemies, or blow it up to blow everyone else up.

(Location: Fractured Heaven · They know they cannot fail, for Endal's schemes are on their last legs.)


Think of bosses as oversized enemies, just with a much wider pool of attacks and requiring much more memorization to be beaten. Bosses typically have lots of health and are usually affiliated with themselves, but some bosses have a direct link to Endal and are thus recognized as major bosses (especially in the Sega CD port of the game). They are typically found at the end of each level, but Expert Mode introduces a few mini-bosses and some more are entirely exclusive to Butcher Mode.

Enemy Information
Boss Index No. #01
Saguaro Devil
Western Village

In spite of his intimidating name, this cacti-armored teddy bear bandit loves to dance and taunt more than he loves to fight! The cactus man will commonly charge across the ground all curled up into a spiky ball, sometimes doing a u-turn and coming back. Alternatively, he may leap across the screen in that same shape, throwing a wave of cacti needles below himself at the apex of his jump. After each charge, he will briefly taunt before throwing a wave of three spreading shurikens, right before returning to his charging pattern.

The key to hitting the Saguaro Devil is to whip him out of his ball form and then immediately bound off of the nearby wall to charge him into a spike-lined wall; doing so will make him get stuck for a few seconds, allowing the player to get a few hits in before he bounces back into battle. As he loses health, pieces of his armor will fall off, making it so that he won't get stuck for as long. Note that for every bit of damage you take, he will laugh at you, giving you an opportunity to hit him- except at half-health, where he ceases this nonsense.

The Expert version makes him throw more cacti needles, throw five spreading shurikens, and will never taunt if he successfully hits you. He will also roll faster and make more curveball turns in his strategy.

Boss Index No. #02
Marie's Mirror
Picasso Heights

Hung up in the chamber's center is a massive oval-shaped mirror with a rainbow-painted border, which hides the spirit of a ghostly, sad-looking white teddy bear inside! Upon the battle's start, Marie will escape her mirror, slowly floating around the room and targeting the player with a dozen masks surrounding and circulating her body, preventing her from taking any damage. Occasionally, she will stop in place and let these masks expand outwards from her body as projectiles before forcing them to rubberband back to her. At other times, she will instead create thin laser beams from her eyes, which will ricochet off of at least one or two walls before disappearing.

If she floats in front of her mirror, she will latch onto it and create a black hole, attempting to suck the player in with a moderate gravity pull. Should the player venture too far from her, she will spit acidic teardrops from her mouth, which will venture towards them like missiles. To damage Marie, the player will have to whip her protective masks away, then use the rebounding yarn to whip at her vulnerable body. After taking enough damage or after a few seconds, she will retreat away, regenerating masks. Once she takes enough damage, she will let out a shriek as her body- as well as her mirror- shatters.

The Expert version has her form sixteen masks and makes them expand outwards across the whole length of the stage. Her lasers will also last much longer, her black hole is stronger, and more acidic teardrops will spawn.

Boss Index No. #03
Castle Crockery

This dangerous entity is an animated clay model of a muscular great ape, capable of shrieking and beating his chest to emphasize his power! The room he's fought in has seven evenly-spread pottery wheels on shifting pillars spread out over a pit of quicksand-like orange clay, with this monster perfectly capable of hopping between any of them in a jiffy. He may only attack when he's grounded on one of these pottery wheels; he will either spit out blobs of harmful clay in the player's direction or windmill his arm to throw out a huge fist their way. He may also jump and ground-pound against any pottery wheel, sinking it down into the quicksand and forcing the two pillars next to it to rise up into the ceiling as crushers. Sometimes, he will spin around on the pottery wheel to regenerate his body, though slowly.

Striking the Claymate will not damage it, instead it will split him into chunks of clay on the floor before he recollects and reassembles. However, the player has one of the boss's advantages; rebounding off one of the pillars will sink it down into the quicksand, bringing the ones right next to it to rise right up into the ceiling as crushers! If the player can trap pieces of the Claymate between risen pillars, they will fall into the quicksand and be destroyed, drastically reducing the Claymate's size. Once every bit of it falls into the quicksand, it will be destroyed entirely. This battle can be either quite short or last a long time, depending on your strategy.

The Expert version makes more pillars rise up into the ceiling whenever the Claymate ground pounds, and even faster as well. The Claymate will also spread into more chunks that are more evenly distributed across the stage.

Boss Index No. #04
Inkura Falls

Fought in the deepest pits of Inkura Falls, this levitating metallic tortoise blocks all the cavern exits! This big boy is equipped with a spinning hard shell, with several cannons protruding from underneath and a bomb-dropping head that can retract into its body as well as its legs. Using the rockets attached to its body, Fortoise will float below the ceiling, periodically dropping bombs from its mouth that will explode upon meeting the player's vertical position, spreading waves of fire to the left and right. After dropping a few bombs, it will retract its head and legs into its shell as it sweeps across the ground, firing out eight missiles that will auto-target the player- these can be whipped apart.

As it swoops back up, the player can jump right atop of it and whip it right down into the ground, damaging it from the combined strength of the whip and the impact from the fall. However, if the move isn't performed quickly enough, the teddy bear will be crushed against the ceiling, damaging them. After being knocked into the ground, the player can whip the boss' exposed head to damage it. It will follow up by not just hovering up, but thrashing around the ground in diagonal directions until it calms down, repeating its bomb attack pattern. As it takes damage, the boss behaves faster and faster- eventually losing its shell, rendering it vulnerable to any attacks.

The Expert version has the boss drop bombs seamlessly after the last, blasting away 20 missiles as opposed to just 12 in its sweeping attack. It will also attempt to thrash into the player when it gets angry, and its shell will last longer than usual.

Boss Index No. #05
Katana Katakirauwa
Sumie Splash

Right before the player can access the ramp to take them to the next level at Sumie Splash, a stuffed-up black one-eared pig standing upright with a katana in their “hand” will challenge them! This porkchop will pace back and forth on the flat terrain, never coming too close to the player but never going too far, either. Should the player try to approach him, he'll either do a lightning-fast front flip over them or backflip towards a wall- the player has to either wait for an opening or plot their ambush attack. If left alone, he will either make a quick flash of the blade if he's close, or do a diving strike across the floor if he's further away. Don't be fooled, one isn't perfectly safe in the air either; if he detects the player in the air, he will make a lunge in their direction with his katana after “locking on”, front flipping afterwards and landing back on his feet.

What the player must do is dodge his attack, then near-immediately strike him to send him into a temporary frenzy. He will actively chase down the player to slash away at them, enraged that he got hit, and damaging him during these frenzies (he won't make anywhere as strong of efforts to dodge) will make him lose a lot more health than normal. Once he cools down, he'll return to his usual battling strategy.

The Expert version is more precise and aware than before, playing even safer against the player and making his strikes play out faster. When he's enraged, he will try and play safer than before and guard against attacks better.

Boss Index No. #06
Inkura Dragon #1
Zeppelin Fleet #1

Flying neck to neck with the Zeppelin Fleet is an enormous Chinese dragon-like beast, complete with a mechanical exoskeleton and an inky organic body! Flashy and stunning, decorated with glowing lightning-blue ridges all over its body and similarly colored scales, the Inkura Dragon is unfinished but tough. This lightning-fast dragon is first fought right atop the Zeppelin itself, right atop the platinum bridge leading to the front, and it absolutely means business! This dragon will spend nearly all its time flying about, breathing out jets of water to push the player off the stage or otherwise spitting out lethal Inkura onto the battlefield to limit their footing. Occasionally, it will stretch out one of its claws by a massive distance to grab and squeeze the player in its talons. When it moves from side to side, it will do so by quickly snaking across the ground like a serpentine, attempting to bite the player as they do so and forcing them to jump over.

To damage and beat this boss, the player has to whip the dragon's central armor and pull on its electrical compartment (its heart) to damage it, forcing it to lose nuts and bolts in the process. But to make doing such a harsh task much easier, the player needs to first whip the dragon's head thrice, forcing it to stay shut for ten seconds. Once the boss has lost enough nuts and bolts, the player can suplex the dragon into the floor, making it lose its first fight.

The Expert version will breath out twice the jets of water, spit out more Inkura than before, and reach longer with its intimidating talons. The dragon's head will only stay shut for seven seconds, as well, making for an even tougher overall challenge.

Boss Index No. #07
Mayor Layer

The greedy corporate owner of Origamopolis takes the role as the stage's boss, being a paper mache monster connected to the sentient city! This old monkey fella will ride around on his wheelchair, attempting to ram the player against a wall whilst throwing around cutting-edge dollar bills around the room to slice them with. Sometimes, he will have his seat move up and down from its wheels as he performs his ramming attack, requiring the player to jump between the seat and wheels at the right timing. Mayor Layer will sometimes stop at the edge of the stage, spinning around rapidly in his seat as he sends forth a volley of crumpled up sheets of paper that will bounce across the ground, requiring the player to dodge them or whip them away.

At other times, he will send forth sheets of paper across the arena that move left and right in sync as they descend, forcing the player to carefully dance back and forth and left and right and jump through any gap between them as Mayor Layer races over to them. Sometimes, he will stop in the stage's center to send a volley of sharp paper prisms across the floor, which quickly slot up and then down as they spread away from him. This can also happen if he's at the edge of the level. To beat Mayor Layer, the player simply has to whip him when he's charging in his wheelchair- making him one of the easiest bosses to hit. Every ten seconds, the stage will be struck with an earthshock, tripping the player for a second and rendering them open to a charge attack. The player can clear room for jumping by whipping away papers.

The Expert version is significantly more challenging, with Mayor Layer moving around even quicker as his volleys of paper become less spread out, with the paper prisms moving slower and being trickier to dodge. Earthshocks also occur every 8 seconds.

Boss Index No. #08
Platinum Scale
Diamond Carnival

This shiny, libra scale machine is made wholly from platinum, with gems of varying colors, shapes and sizes embedded into its structure. It is controlled by a stuffed rabbit wearing a masquerade mask and a top hat, who eagerly controls the mech from its elevator-like base. It is fought on a stretchy tightrope, being the first boss battle to take advantage of the yarn rebounding mechanic the game features. The rabbit will cackle as it moves the machine's invincible cockpit up and down in its little elevator shaft, firing off lasers from its sides that will rebound off of walls before disappearing within seconds. It will also occasionally send shockwaves through the yarny terrain, which will travel around the stage in the player's direction before also disappearing eventually. Occasionally, it will unscrew its spiny top to launch a weight cube towards the player's horizontal position, with them exploding after seven seconds if left untouched. If they explode, they will send a searing series of fireballs across the screen, so it's recommended to act fast.

If it lands on one of the two scale platforms, it will weigh it down by a significant amount; the player must use the rebounding yarn to strike it from underneath to knock it into a high position, also forcing the explosive weight to trounce high into the air. The player needs to quickly advance to the other side and use the rebounding yarn to stand on the lowered scale; when the weight comes back down on the other side, Bowie will be catapulted high into the air, letting him strike the machine's power core located on its top. They need to get off fast, however, or they'll get hit with a powerful explosive and get knocked right off the mech anyway! Once the core takes enough damage, the player just has to use the rebounding yarn on the walls to smash into the now-vulnerable cockpit, destroying the mech and letting the player move on.

The Expert version has the Platinum Scale drop explosives that don't last as long, blast out thicker and wider beams that last much longer, and release bombs much faster so that the player has less time to hit and break its weak spot.

Boss Index No. #09
Omega Monkeybot
Voodoom Railway

The prime example of an elite Endalian soldier, this mustache monkey bandit is incredibly bulky and tough to take down, especially under the time limit provided. He is fought in a yarn-made cage shortly after sabotaging and destroying the trains. The first thing that should be noted is that the Omega Monkeybot cannot be damaged initially, being completely invulnerable to the player's attacks due to the player's whip and other weapons being unable to shatter his unrivaled armor. Instead, the player has to knock him over onto his belly by using the rebounding yarn to spring up high, then come crashing right back down to trip the Monkeybot with the shockwaves- exposing his vulnerable backside momentarily.

However, the player must put up with this boss' persistent antics of frantically hopping around the playing area first, along with the fact that nearly all of his jumps make shockwaves when he hits the ground. After every few bounces, he will flip two cork guns and then fire them off in the player's direction, before hopping around again. Sometimes, he will grab onto a wall and hurl explosives around the arena, sometimes hurling packs of TNT to make holes in the yarn. The player must respond by whipping these explosives right back at him, prompting him to drop to dodge, giving the player a chance to fake him out with a shockwave attack. Once his back takes enough damage, he will brutally explode, with the player free to progress onwards.

The Expert version moves around quite a bit faster, landing on the floor quicker and therefore shaking it much more. He will also blast several more corks out at a time, and hurl more packs of TNT across the arena. He is also less vulnerable.

Boss Index No. #10
Paul the Teddy Bear
Mosaic Caverns

Fought late-game and determined to showcase his superiority to Bowie and his gang, Paul presents something of a challenge to the player and their selected character. He will pace back and forth on the battlefield, never coming too close to the player but never going too far away from them, either. When he's ready to make an attack, he will warp away and return right next to the player, giving them a split second to react before channeling off a burst of lightning across the screen. He can also flip into the air, thrusting out a series of small lightning bolts down in the player's direction for a few seconds before descending back down to the ground. Occasionally, he may clap his hands to form stormclouds overhead, creating bursts of thunder to keep the player gravitified to the floor as he attempts to shoot them down with lightning. Paul is also capable of levitating around in the air and ignoring any and all efforts to trip him over.

To beat Paul, the player must either wait for him to warp to make his attack, or ramp up enough speed to hit him before he can warp out of harm's way. If he makes an attack, the player should dodge it and then strike him with their whip or weapon of choice immediately afterwards. If the player decides to build speed, the player must wait for the path to be clear, and then bounce off of the wall to get a running start towards pushing their rival down to the ground. After enough hits, Paul falls down.

The Expert version of Paul has him behave faster, forming stormclouds more often while channeling off bursts of lightning far more frequently. He can also levitate and warp around in the air to fake out the player, if necessary.

Boss Index No. #11
The Ironworks

This hideous, enormous mecha-arachnid was made from cutting-edge technology, and ferociously and intimidatingly guards the entrance to the Ironworks' airport. This beast is fought in an auto-scrolling horizontal corridor, which takes the player around the rusty turnpike leading to the exit. The Armorachnid will clunkily jump its way around the hallway, knocking away building blocks as it does, attempting to crush the player flat underneath its eight legs of steel. Sometimes, it will attach itself to the ceiling and crawl around, dropping the moment the player drops right underneath it. When holding still on the ground or ceiling, the boss will release long strings of sticky webbing from its spinneret to create floor-to-ceiling barricades, which may be vertical or diagonal. Either way, they may only be destroyed if they're whipped enough with the player's rope or if the spider chooses to slice them up to make way for itself. If the player touches the webbing, they'll become stuck to it, and allow the boss to get in a free hit or two. At other times, the boss will instead charge horizontally across the screen with a series of slashes from its scythe-like legs, or leap forwards to bite them with its poisonous fangs.

The boss will swipe the player away if they attempt to strike its head while it's on the ground, so they have to do it while it is on the ceiling. Using the rebounding yarn, the player must spring up and whip its face to make it lose its grip on the ceiling, short-circuiting it and bringing it down to the floor on its back. The player must whip continuously at the armor on its belly until it can get back on its feet- with enough hits, it will shatter, revealing its engine. Once the engine is destroyed, the whole boss will shut down- but the player must quickly get away, as it will violently self-destruct!

The Expert version of this boss jumps around significantly faster, forming sticky barricades more frequently and now being capable of falling during its air-slashing animation. The webbing also lasts much longer, making the player fully vulnerable if they land in it.

Boss Index No. #12
Inkura Dragon #2
Zeppelin Fleet #2

Though the Zeppelin took a lot of damage from its previous flight, its destroyed bits and pieces were devoted towards repairing and perfecting this mechanical monstrosity! It was noticeably redesigned as well, now bearing the wings, core and tail of a European dragon, a sapphire battle mask, and the new concept of “Zodiac Magic”- this dragon's got it all for this fight! Now battled in the damaged hull of the Zeppelin, again on a platform with bottomless pits to its sides, it absolutely looks forward to sparring with you again. This dragon will spit out lethal Inkura and spray water like before, but with less talons and a weakened neck, more priority is instead granted to its other attacks. It can now draw lethal Inkura shapes in mid-air with its hands, which bear the symbols of the Chinese Zodiac on them, sending them after Bowie in hard-to-dodge waves. If it sends out just one, it will flash red before exploding in an insta-kill wide radius, prompting the player to check where they're standing. With its new wings, it is capable of swooping around much more efficiently, capable of forming gusts to push the player away and into its dangerous hazards. It can use its tail to sweep the ground, stab it, and defend the dragon from close-range attacks.

To beat this boss, the player must whip its head ten times in a row, which will short-circuit it and limit all of its movement. It will do naught but spew slowing water as it tries to come back online, so one must be quick to reach its core and whip it apart, pulling on its heart again. When it sustains enough damage, it will power down, allowing Bowie to climb it and hold its reins to cross the bottomless gap ahead of him- he can dive it down into a field of explosives on the ship, letting go and jumping just before it happens.

The Expert version will again spit out more water and Inkura than before. However, its zodiac projectiles will spread out much further, and its gusts are much more efficient and effective. Its core is also less vulnerable to damage.

Boss Index No. #13
Endal the Monkey
Zeppelin Fleet #2

Fought in the control room of the exploding Zeppelin battleship, Bowie's real arch-nemesis will show no mercy whatsoever in this battle of wits! His primary weapon is a golden mechanical baton with a glass orb on the end; this allows Endal to use his signature psychic abilities. Endal will frequently hop around the playing area, usually performing short hops but doing high leaps if he does a front flip first. As Endal's moving around, his seething hatred for the player's character will become visible in the baton's orb, taking on the form of violet flames- these will soon burst from his baton in a wave of fiery spears, so the player needs to keep their distance so they can reliably fit between the psionic bursts! Occasionally, he will instead warp right behind the player, typically between every 8 or 16 hops, and strike them right with the baton- sometimes he'll fake the player out before legitimately warping, in front of them instead! If Endal touches any wall, he will kick off of it and levitate freely in the air, pointing his baton to face the other side as a series of psionic explosions occurs on the player's x-axis. Sometimes, he'll instead slide towards the ground as crosshairs appear on the player's current location- if they're not quick enough to move, Endal will blast that spot with hard-hitting stars!

To beat Endal, the player has to wait for him to make and miss an attack- this leaves him vulnerable for a split second, giving the player just enough time to whip him. Once he's whipped, he will yelp and fall to his knees, letting the player mercilessly whip him for a few seconds until he gets back up, warping to resume his strategy.

The Expert version has Endal jump around much more frequently and randomly, making him tougher to predict atop the fact that he can fake out the player TWICE now. He will also form curved series of psionic explosions and send out more hard-hitting stars.

Boss Index No. #14
Millennium Kitsune
Fractured Heaven

Just when you thought you could settle the score once and for all with your escaping nemesis, a gorgeous and ferocious fluffy kitsune blocks your path! This Kitsune will magically fly about, zipping around the battlefield in bolts of lightning, sending eight auto-aiming fiery feathers in your direction per sweep! Occasionally, she will swoop down and breathe a huge blast of fire across the screen, requiring the player to use the rebounding yarn to get just enough air to evade the whole attack. On other occasions, she will rise all nine of her tails, causing the screen to flash white- Bowie or another teddy bear will be cast into stone, requiring them to break free fast. This move is unavoidable, but it never damages the player and there's always enough time to evade the next attack.

Sometimes she may head into the background, forming eight transparent pillars of flames that won't damage the player just yet- one of them will be different from the rest, looking less real than the others. The player must stand in that fake space quickly, as the rest of the battlefield will be engulfed in realistic flames! They must dodge these flames until she decides to charge into the foreground, requiring the player to move very quickly towards their next destination. Perhaps most iconic is her ability to slow down time for the player, but not herself; if the player is slowed down, they need to have near-perfect timing to dodge attacks until time is resumed to normal five seconds later. She may also speed up time, making the player's character much harder to steer. To blow a hole in this guardian of the heavens, the player must simply attempt to whip her to the best of their ability… but given how sturdy she is, it might take a while.

The Expert version of this boss is inarguably much harder, sending out twice the feathers, having an even harder blast of flames to dodge, having a harder-to-escape petrification attack, and striking the player during the illusion flame attack.

Boss Index No. #15
Emperor Endal
Fractured Heaven

Absolutely enraged that all of his plans had gone to waste, Endal decides to channel his anger, disappointment, and desires into his baton staff, enhancing his appearance and abilities for the final confrontation! Endal's now wielding two batons instead of one, has doubled up in size, and has glowing mind-powered armor all over his body! He also now wears a helmet with an electric visor on it. Guffawing at how he might be able to tear apart his rivals once and for all, especially as he's on the brink of insanity, Endal presents his rivals with one final challenge; if he can kill them here, then he can recollect what was destroyed and continue to rule the world like they never got in his way!

Endal's fight in Fractured Heaven is much different than what it was on the Zeppelin, being even more ridiculously tough than before. Endal is fought on a never-ending horizontal strip of dark thunderclouds, with girders and Greek architecture surrounding the combatants. Endal will always be floating away to the right as the player is forced to keep up with him, throwing numerous attacks at them until they can get to a stopping point on solid diamond ground. These attacks can include slashing his batons to form energy beams that need to be hopped over, hurdling four violet flames towards the ground at a time, clapping his hands to force psionic explosions across the player's y-position, and spitting rebounding shooting stars in their direction. New attacks include being able to grab the player's rope if they attempt to whip him, suplexing them into the floor, and doing a charge attack that they can only evade with a successful rebounding yarn bounce.

When they reach a diamond floor, Endal will revise his strategy. Endal will begin hopping like he did in his former battle, but every bounce will send harmful but slow shockwaves across the floor, and there's no ways for him to clench onto. Though his charging attack is absent in this phase of the fight, he has three new ones to make up for that. His first lets him swing away his batons like boomerangs, which will move one after the other, and the second lets him spill banana peels around the room, which will trip the player if they step upon him. His third attack has him open up the armor on his chest, letting him fire a femininely pink but extremely powerful laser from his chest, KO'ing the player in a heartbeat if they can't dodge in time. After a bit of time, he will begin racing off to the right again, returning to the first phase.

Beating Endal can be very tricky, especially as he can now properly counter the player's signature whip attack and ignore cork shots and badge tosses. What the player needs to do is dodge his onslaught of attacks in the first phase and just wait to be carried to the next. If the player successfully dodges five attacks in a row, Endal will open his chest compartment to blast his insta-kill beam at them; the player has to whip it, latch onto it, and pull it HARD to deal high damage to him. They have to do this five times to beat the boss.

The Expert version launches thicker energy beams, hurdling out eight flames across the floor, having longer-lasting psionic explosions and shooting stars, and having attacks with generally wider range. His laser will also charge even faster.

Sega CD exclusives

Enemy Information
Boss Index No. #10 (B)
Bowie the Teddy Bear
Mosaic Caverns

It'd make no sense if Paul fought himself, right? Bowie is equally as strong as the aforementioned boss, but boasts a wholly different pattern and strategy. Instead of doing a wait-and-see type of approach to his battle, Bowie deliberately chases the player down in vain efforts to strike them dead, only backing away or flipping backwards when they attempt to approach him with an attack. Bowie will frequently attempt to strike the player with his signature whip, which inflicts solid and very harsh damage on Paul if it manages to land, so it needs to be skillfully predicted and dodged. If just the tip of the whip lands, Bowie will grab Paul and suplex him into the ground, dealing immensely high damage but being easy enough to dodge.

He can also throw out a sheriff badge to throw the player off their game, or a series of them instead. If they hit Paul, they will pin him to the ground or wall for a second, usually giving Bowie just enough time to hit them with his rope. If Bowie stomps towards the floor, Paul won't be knocked over, but it will temporarily stun him. Use your lightning bolts to harshly stun Bowie, then proceed to whip him until he's capable of moving again. After enough of a beatdown, Bowie admits defeat.

The Expert version of Bowie has him behave faster, spreading out more sheriff badges and stretching his whip out further to have a better chance of hitting Paul. His badges will also pin Paul for long sessions of time. Bowie will also have improved dodging ability.

Boss Index No. #16
Celestial Endal
Evil Mind

The player will be hurled into a clockface-like arena with twelve steel pegs surrounding a dangerous black hole; the player must continually swing from peg to peg without messing up, as there is no solid ground for them to stand on for the final confrontation. The stage and background will rotate when the player moves left and right, but the player themselves never does, helping with perception and movement. Celestial Endal is a godlike enhancement of himself, appearing like the imperial figure he's always wanted to be. With his imagination mostly blocked, Endal can't murder the player in a pure instant, but he does possess five huge attacks that can ruin the player's run.

His first is his ability to spit out three waves of dangerous psychic orbs, all of which are capable of homing in on the player, but spread out if they've gone far enough. Secondly, he can also create three enormous psionic bombs around himself and have them rotate around his body. He will send them off one by one, with each forming three temporary black holes upon exploding. Thirdly, he can curl himself up into a ball and freely bounce around the arena, attempting to knock the player into the black hole at the center of his thoughts. His fourth attack has him send out a straight line of shooting stars in the player's direction, rebounding off of the black hole if they land on it. Lastly, he can try and reach his hand forward; if he does this, he will squeeze the player, lift them up, and then smash them into the black hole.

The player can only beat him by timing a peg swing with a whip of their rope shortly after the ape has attacked; if they're too early, he will grab their rope and lethally suplex them, and if they're too late, Endal will simply warp away. Hurt him enough times, and Endal's mind will shatter. When Endal forces the player out of his head, his mind cracks up, and Endal lies defeated on the floor. As the heavens pour back out from his body and as the heroes leave the scene, one of his eyes opens up as the screen fades to black.

Boss Index No. #M1
The Wicker Man
Zeppelin Fleet #1

In Expert Mode, the player will commonly encounter the Wicker Man midboss enemy! The Wicker Man is a towering, wooden teddy bear without a face, equipped with an immensely-long steel mace and combustible inner energy. This midboss can be found in multiple levels, freely chasing the player across stretches of land. It will bounce around haphazardly, freely swinging its mace around as it does, requiring the player to find a good opportunity to slip between it and its menacing weapon. Occasionally, it will hunch over, firing a bunch of flaming wooden needles from its back that will auto-aim onto the player like little rockets. It may instead crouch down from time to time, targeting the player with crosshairs before hurling its maceball right at them.

The Wicker Man must be whipped several times with the player's whip, with a limb coming right off with every three hits. If it loses one leg, it will have its speed halved, if it loses two, it will become stationary on the ground and attack twice as fast. If it loses one arm, its aim will be worsened, and if it loses both, it can't use its mace and will move around twice as fast. If it loses all of these, its chest compartment will be left, preparing to make an arena-wide explosion through churning fire in its body! The player will have to slash that several times to get the body to break apart, eliminating the threat of an explosive finale.

In the Onslaught mode, and in Zeppelin Fleet, where this obstacle is a boss instead, it mostly behaves the same, but will occasionally upchuck piles of wood from its body that need to be evaded, as they are projectiles. When they land on the ground, they will have to be given a few seconds before they explode.

Boss Index No. #M2
Dark Saguaro
Mosaic Caverns

Enraged from his loss from all the way back at the Western Village, the bad bandit Saguaro Devil caught right back up to Bowie and friends, sporting an all-new color scheme and set of attacks! Now sporting super tight black latex, deviously spiky armor, and an imperial mask also adorned with spikes, Saguaro now means serious business. Dark Saguaro will frequently charge across the ground curled up into a spiky ball, like before, but he'll move much faster and will showcase his new ability to climb up walls. Once he reaches high enough on the wall, he will hang there and throw five to seven waves of hard-to-evade cactus needles before charging right down in the player's direction. Occasionally, he'll leap to the other wall in his ball form, sending sixteen cactus needles in all different directions the moment he crosses the very center of the screen. Finally, he'll occasionally uncurl from his ball form to juggle and toss three shurikens around the room, which will stick to the walls before exploding.

If the player attempts to whip him in his ball form, he will punish them by grabbing their rope and suplexing him- to beat him, the player will instead have to use the rebounding yarn footing to bounce him up into the spiky ceiling when he's in his ball form, causing him to stick and take damage. If the player immediately follows up by bouncing right into his uncurled body, pushing him against the spikes, he will take massive damage. Should Dark Saguaro be hanging high along the walls, the player can press against them to make him fall down, though he will attempt to dive at the player if they do so. Should he miss, he will be stunned momentarily, granting the player their chance. Once beaten, Saguaro is down for good.

Boss Index No. #E1
Plastic Fiend
Bonus Stage

This living doll will levitate around the playing area, attempting to snip the player's whip so they fall down into the darkness below while blowing harmful hearts in their direction. Sometimes she'll spin and twirl, forming windboxes that will push the player away from their destination if they're too close to her. When on the top balcony, she'll gain a more varied set of attacks. She'll now use her long legs to kick the player away from her; if they hit a wall, they will take considerably more damage. She'll also attempt to rush around the battlefield with her scissorhands, attempting to cut up the player by rushing into them.

The Plastic Fiend will still showcase her ability to cut up the player's whip if they try and prematurely hurt her; this will last for 5 seconds. She'll also blast lasers from her eyes and attempt to snap the player between her legs to deal damage. To beat the Plastic Fiend, they just need to strike her from behind, most easily done when she's dashing through the air or blowing off hearts. Once she explodes, she'll drop a ton of raisins.

The Expert version has her kick with longer legs and use her scissorhands much more frequently, blasting series of lasers from her eyes to fight the player off. Her heartblowing attack is much more erratic, more likely to land.

Boss Index No. #E2
Floral Princess
Butcher Exclusive

Fought exclusively in the Expert version of Onslaught mode, the Floral Princess is an aggressive swordswoman that really means business- boasting a mask of steel, armor made of steel leaves, and two uber-sensitive feline ears giving her a sense of where her enemies is at all times, she can be a nuisance to fight. This isn't even mentioning her floating hands, which are separated from her body and provide her excellent range. Floral Princess will attempt to keep a reasonable distance from the player and float about cautiously, but she can leap forwards and plunge her sword down into the ground to strike them, or detach her hands to move forwards on their own, performing a multi-slash attack with the red-leaved blade.

Whenever she jumps, she will spin around rapidly with her blade, making it impossible to punish her as she makes a safe landing. The real meat of this boss battle, however, comes from her nature-focused attacks, which can be tricky to evade. In the midst of a jump, she might suddenly move into a standing position and launch a long spiky vine in the player's direction, attempting to stab them. She will then form four more in a vain effort to trap the player, before retracting them all back towards her body. The Floral Princess may sometimes throw seeds, which will grow into temporary vines that will shoot towards the ceiling, adorned with flowers. There's also the possibility she might shield herself with razor-sharp flower petals, having them fly around the arena haphazardly.

Sometimes, she might take webbing from her mouth and stretch it all around the arena besides the floor- she'll then follow up with a pushing attack with her sword to strike the player to the webbing, allowing her to freely attack them. Occasionally, she'll form a huge vertical vine in front of herself that stretches all the way to the ceiling, and nourish herself with aloe vera to heal- the player must use their whip to break through the vine and strike her. To beat the Floral Princess, the player must simply slash at her with their blade when she misses an attack. It should be noted that little droplets of blood escape her body every time she takes a hit.

This battle actually comes with a second phase- when she looks like she's defeated, the Floral Princess will get up angrily, forming a second blade as she roars with rage and the music suddenly takes a serious turn. Six huge leaves, laid out clockwise, will become the player's only footing as the princess causes bramble to take over the floors, walls, and ceiling of the arena. She will cause both of her hands to wander off in separate directions, attempting to strike the player with her swords while she does a mad tackle in their direction. The Floral Princess can also now throw her seeds towards the ceiling or walls, really forcing the player to find the proper places to hide as this hard-to-evade attack is performed.

Instead of forming 5 petals around her body, she will make 10 smaller ones, which are harder to dodge in the more limited space. She will also form webs in the air, which need to be whipped apart if the player doesn't want to get trapped in them. The only truly new attack in this battle is the fact that she can perform a short little dance, which causes powder to fall from the ceiling, poisoning the player if they touch it. She must be struck the same way, but if she's struck in the middle of an attack, she will retaliate by pushing the player away by quite a distance, likely off of the platform. Once she takes enough hits, she will suddenly flee, ending the fight.

Boss Index No. #E3
Butcher Exclusive

Also another boss exclusive to the Expert edition of Onslaught Mode, Aztexica is the “Ultimate Stitchonian”, an unbeatable beast of a war deity that once ruled the player's world with an iron fist. He resembles the Mexican god “Huītzilōpōchtli” in ways, barring the fact he appears to resemble a bear far more than a human, and is dressed in a spiky armor costume with a skull-based war helmet to display his insanely cold-hearted differences. Though, he does still bear various feathers, with the wings and feathers of a phoenix present all over his body. Aztexica will hover around the arena, displaying afterimages as he hovers about really fast, making it unusually tough to hit him.

His primary move involves him summoning three fiery serpents from his atlatl weapon, which will automatically aim onto the player and will dissipate only when whipped. He may pull out a wooden atlatl to rapidly launch poison darts, able to fire out up to twenty, with all of them sticking around for some time before finally disappearing. Aztexica can also pull out a bow, launching seven high-damaging javelins before dashing at the player himself. He may also attempt to spear the player, spin the weapon around, and then drag it back to himself like a boomerang.

Occasionally, he may do a leap forward and attempt to dunk down a club onto the player to deal extreme damage to them. Sometimes, he will churn his body in flames and move around- when he raises his wings up, everything to the sides of him will be coated in unblockable pillars of fire! The player must seek shelter right underneath him when this happens. Occasionally, he'll head right into the background and make slashes around the screen, forming fiery rifts that'll attempt to drag the player inside. He will form more until he's made 5 rifts, with fireballs moving in and out between them- and then he'll dive towards the foreground to throw the player off guard.

Some of these moves may be basic, but they deal high-level damage and act fast, giving the player very little time to dodge them. To damage Aztexica, the player must use the rebounding rope on the arena's sides to bash into him- he'll swerve out of the way, but if the player can bounce onto the floor and hop up quickly enough, they can whip him or hit him with some other weapon!

When Aztexica takes enough damage, he will summon himself a stone shield with the icon of war on it, which he will use to defend himself from attacks with. Because of how heavy it is, he will move around far more slowly, making it much harder for him to block attacks or move out of their way. The best time to strike him now is while he's in the middle of attacking- bounce into his shield to make him collide with a wall, then whip him when he bounces back unprotected to hurt him! The player has to be careful, however, as he will use his moves even faster than before, though they won't be executed quite as seamlessly. When Aztexica takes enough damage, he will flash white and leave the arena, leaving feathers behind.

Boss Index No. #E4
The Incinerator
Butcher Exclusive

The Incinerator is the superboss of BowieQuest, accessible by beating Onslaught's Expert mode without collecting any healing items whatsoever. However, it's worth noting that when the player does eventually make it to this boss, they will be fully healed. The player is forced to drop in an dystopian alternate future for the world of Stitchonia, with most of the land stripped of its yarn and materials and replaced with endless miles upon miles of rusted machinery. Yet, the Ironworks have disappeared rather strangely from the background- where in the name of Aztexica is the heart of the empire? The player's question is answered within seconds, as the enormous Ironworks factory will burst out from the ground, from the right! It appears to have been transformed into the third incarnation of the Inkura Dragon, now painted over with the deadly substance and being held by the reins by Endal himself. It has become sentient, deadly with its glowing eyes and menacing mouth full of teeth.

Endal will pilot his enormous, transformed base of operations forwards, with the player only being capable of seeing the head, neck, claws, and chest of the newborn dragon, with Endal being seen sitting on the head. Endal will attempt to slash at them with the Incinerator's clawed hands- should one miss, he'll try to swipe at them with the other. If the player takes too long to climb one of the downed arms to reach the machine's weakness, it'll shake them off and right back onto the ground. Its shoulder joints will occasionally release ripping sawblades, which will tear across the ground in groups, but they can also travel down the beast's arms if Bowie's attempting to scale them. Sometimes, it will burst lasers out from its nose that will attempt to lock onto the player's position, but they won't last long.

The beast will occasionally open its mouth nice and wide to breathe a huge stream of fire across the ground- the player has to carefully evade it by springing off of the rebounding yarn, but they also need to pay great detail as to where they jump- descending crushing pistons held by balloons will try and stop the player's fall, and then crush them after that attack. The Incinerator will also spit out pinball bumpers to bounce the player back, or enemies to keep them busy. If it lets off a burst of steam, it will be trying to use its claws to advance forward to eat the player- they will then need to travel to the left, using wooden pegs and the player's whole skillset to make it through the temporary obstacle course. If they're not quick enough, the machine will eat them alive, ending the run. When they reach a point where the screen locks, the machine will catch back up- the floor may have a bottomless pit or some roadblocks. The player has to scale the boss to try and attack Endal, either by climbing the beast's arms or by using any available wooden pegs to do so.

When they climb atop the beast's head, Endal will retreat into the beast's insides by an elevator. The player must quickly follow him in or get shaken off, and then pursue him through the beast's insides. Endal will make a quick retreat, using a button to fill the beast's stomach with lethal gas- the player will have limited time to move back to the beast's mouth and exit back onto the main battleground. As they attempt to escape the labyrinth within 60 seconds, they can whip and damage the various power cores throughout- they can damage up to 33% of them before leaving the boss, which will damage the Incinerator's health meter by that much. Once all of the power cores keeping the Incinerator alive are done, the beast will self-destruct, forming an enormous explosion- the player has to try and outrun it into a portal. Do that, and your hardest chore is over!


In the Steam and PlayStation ports of BowieQuest, there exists numerous achievements and trophies for the player to collect on their own time:

PSN Trophy Achievement Name Requirements
PlayStation Trophy Gold Student Becomes the Master Beat "Arcade Mode" with all four characters.
Broken, Beat & Scarred Beat "Expert Mode" for the first time.
One Hit Wonder Clear "Butcher Mode" on Expert without taking damage.
PlayStation Trophy Silver Adrenaline Rush Beat "Arcade Mode" for the first time.
Untouchable & Unrivaled Clear "Butcher Mode" for the first time.
Very Unholy Power Have a combined time of under 40 minutes in "Time Attack".
Master of the Whip Use your whip successfully 1000 times.
Clinically Insane Reach the end of Fractured Heaven... go back, then come again.
Breakneck Daredevil Beat Athena Hawkins' personal record on Story Mode.
Collector DJ Find all of the missing CDs hidden throughout the game.
PlayStation Trophy Bronze The Challenge's Mounting Clear the Western Village for the first time.
No Remorse Ahead Clear the Inkura Falls for the first time.
Exercise Under Pressure Clear Origamopolis for the first time.
Almost an Impossibility Clear the Mosaic Caverns for the first time.
Conquering the Emperor Beat the Story Mode for the first time.
Hometown Olympics Clear the Western Village stage under 120 seconds.
Picasso Fiasco Take the highest path in the Picasso Heights.
All Fine & Dry Don't get wet or scorched when passing Castle Crockery.
Stealthy Sheriff Beat the Inkura Falls without getting detected once.
The Pacifist's Run Avoid all the Dojos in Sumie Splash and don't fight back.
Invincible in the Skies Don't get hit once throughout the Zeppelin Fleet.
Watch the World Burn Let Origamopolis get fully set on fire... then survive.
Valid Cowardice Don't take any of the rides found in the Diamond Carnival.
The Pest of the West Beat Voodoom Railway before half the train's carts detach.
Disappointing Rival Beat Paul/Bowie in less than a minute without taking damage.
Heaven & Hell Clear Fractured Heaven without touching Raisins or Fabric Balls.
Picasso Fiasco Take the highest path in the Picasso Heights.
Bargaining with the Reaper Hold 3000+ Raisins in stock at any given point.
Flirting with Balance Purchase everything in Ace's shop at once.


Aggregate Scores
GameRankings 85%
Review Scores
CVG 78%
Dragon Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg
EGM Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg
Famitsu 30/40
GamePro 19/20
Next Generation Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg
Sega Power 89%
TimeStriken 10/10
The original Sega Genesis version of BowieQuest was only a modest success at the time of its release, being the system's second best-selling release from 1995 (after Vectorman) but not being successful enough to move sales of the Genesis, especially during a time where 32-bit and 64-bit technology were becoming increasingly popular. It sold about 1.36 million copies overall, with roughly a fifth of its sales attributed to the sales of the game's Special Edition released on the Sega CD. This does not count software downloads it received as part of the Virtual Console lineup on the Wii, Wii U, V², or Module. BowieQuest would go on to become part of Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and become available for purchase on Steam, whether standalone or as part of the Sega Genesis Classics.

In spite of its subpar sales, BowieQuest received warm reviews from critics and gamers alike, thought to be tied with Ristar and Vectorman as one of the best 1995 releases on the Sega Genesis platform. Brandon Black of GamePro appreciated the depth of the gameplay and mechanics as well as the precise detailing of the game's lore, going on to praise Endal the Monkey's character and the rebounding yarn mechanic. He stopped short of giving BowieQuest a perfect score when he criticized the game's "bland" and "clunky" menu design, however. Zach Houck of CVG praised the game for consistently performing at 60 frames per second and admired the smoothness and tightness of the controls, believing they balanced out the game's steep difficulty curve and made every death feel like the player's fault as opposed to the designers'. Mooch Float of EGM shared similar thoughts and additionally praised the appealing character designs, thinking the series "stood a chance" and could survive into the next generations of video gaming if its sequels showed just as much care and overall ambition. Lehaan Bluzen of Sega Power thought of BowieQuest as one of the better examples of well-constructed original platformers, believing the whip mechanic led to a lot of creative level design, and highly appreciated the lore and creative setting.

The game did receive some criticism, with complaints commonly surrounding the game's intense difficulty factor. Nathan Brown of Next Generation strongly disliked the game's sharp learning curve and found many of the levels to be frustrating, discouraging him from passing the fourth level. Three of the four Famitsu reviewers agreed with that resentment, all believing the game could have benefited from having a proper tutorial level or a beginner-friendly difficulty setting. Houck admitted that lowering the prices of Ace's items or at least death itself would have made the game more accessible for beginners. All of these reviewers were astonished to find that these levels were not fixed in the Special Edition port of the game, which instead carried the all-new Expert Mode, a decision that Brown referred to as "absolutely ludicrous". Black disagreed with these criticisms, singling out Houck and Brown as "cowards".


The soundtrack was written and produced by Spencer Nilsen and David Young of the Sega Technical Institute, who had previously collaborated together on the soundtracks of Ecco: The Tides of Time and Sonic CD (US version). The tracks were designed to be theatrically fitting for the game's setting and stages, while also structurally having the focus of being catchy and memorable. As such, the game's soundtrack has gained a reputation for being very rich and highly complex, designed to take full advantage of the Sega Genesis' hardware. However, due to the limited success of BowieQuest, the soundtrack is not as well-known as that of the aforementioned Sonic CD's.

The Sega CD port of the game has an enriched, remastered version of the soundtrack and features one original song: "No Regrets", also composed by Nilsen and Young. All levels additionally have their own lyrics attached to them in the Sega CD version of the game, though this can be disabled if the player wishes. The composition team drew inspiration from traditional Mexican and Japanese music, as well as techno music and environmental noise around cities such as New York. Several tracks are known for combining Western themes with then-modern popular music, especially the Western Village and Voodoom Railway levels.

On the game's 10th anniversary on March 1st, 2005, the majority of the soundtrack was instrumentally performed by the San Francisco Symphony at the Berkeley Community Theatre in Berkeley, California. Notably, the track "No Regrets" was vocally performed by Sheryl Crow.

Anti-piracy measures

The developers of BowieQuest took numerous measures to make sure the game was always being played on legitimate hardware and that its region of origin matches that of the consumer's Sega Genesis or Sega CD. The game will refuse to boot under numerous circumstances if it's been pirated, such as if the game detects unusual coding within itself or if the game doesn't recognize the hardware it is being played on. Should the player bypass or crack these checksums, the game will appear to boot up normally, though notably only Arcade Mode is selectable.

The game appears to play normally until the player approaches the second level, the Picasso Heights. However, the game deleted its whole layout upon the player surpassing all of the checksums, rendering the level impossible to complete under any circumstance and forcing the player to die over and over again. Reaching that point in the game triggers hidden coding that make the game delete the Western Village's layout as well, making the whole game unplayable. If the coding that makes this possible is removed, code tied to each object and level in the game will make sure the game freezes immediately, making pirating BowieQuest a very tedious job.

When the player receives a game over, they will be given a message that urges them to not pirate games.





  • There exists a cheat screen in BowieQuest, which hides a number of cheats that can be used to mess around with the game. If the player hits Left, Right, Up, Down, A, B, and C before pressing Start, the sound of a whip crack will be played. This will permanently unlock the hidden cheat screen, enabled by holding down B when pressing start.
    • Of course it is

      That level select screen looks familiar...

      The player can access any level they wish if they hold down B, additionally being able to mess around with the sound test. If the player receives a game over in a level or otherwise completes it, they'll be returned to this screen. They can hold down C if they wish to continue going, however. Interestingly, the layout, font, and design of the level select menu is identical to that found in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, only with name replacements. Selecting the Special Stage crashes the game.
    • The player can choose to switch on infinite health- this means they won't take damage no matter what. If they're slammed by a crusher, they'll just reappear next to it! If they fall into a bottomless pit, they'll be ballooned out of it! They can also disable the Time Limit and have a generally easier experience overall!
    • On the other hand, the player can make it so that any damage they receive results in a one-hit knockout, and they can also make it so that all raisins are gone from the levels- the player will be given no Raisins at the start of the level, and only a generous handful if they start all the way from the Western Village!
    • Other miscellaneous options include being able to make Raisins and/or Fabric Balls half or twice their usual value, making it so that items will never disappear from the player's inventory, and making it so that all bosses the player encounters can be destroyed in one hit (those with "phases" will take just one hit to end).
  • The game was originally developed for a handheld system before being moved to the Sega Genesis. It initially had only Bowie as a playable character, there were only six fully fledged levels planned, and many of the game's mechanics would have worked way differently.
    • The original selection of levels went as follows: Picasso Heights, Castle Crockery, Inky Falls, Voodoo Palace, Gemstone Vegas, and The Ironworks.
    • It was rumored that the game was initially developed for the Game Boy before changes of plans moved it to the Game Gear, then towards a home console.
  • Sketches for the game show a kimono-dressed monkey labelled "Savast" and a robotic duplicate of Bowie labelled as "Project X-Terminator". These characters would not make it into the final game for reasons unknown.
  • The artwork for Bowie, Anna, Smith, and Paul are each courtesy of Pyrostar (tbc).
  • R.I.P. Bowie the Teddy Bear, Panacea household item from 2001/2002 to 2018. Burnt to smithereens in a fire. R.I.P. Ashe (Smith) (2001-2018), Samantha (Anna) (2011-2018), Paul (2001-2018), Shelia (2011-2018), and Bananas (Endal) (2011-2018) as well. You may have each been inanimate objects, but you all still have a special place in my heart and I miss each of you dearly. If it weren't for you six, I wouldn't be nearly as inventive, creative, and passionate about my imagination as I am now. If there's anything I'd like to go back in time for, it would be to save your skins from the fire (as well as prevent my family members from losing everything else they had). This game, as well as its sequels, are dedicated to each of your respective memories.
    • Here's an extra thank you to each of the teddy bears that were either thrown in the garbage, sold off to other kids, or completely destroyed. I do not remember all of your names, but I will never forget even the smallest members of the Panacea stuffed animal collection.
  • If you're curious as to see how this article evolved, check out the 2014 revision, 2015 revision, and 2017 revision pages.