Boss 101

Boss 101 follows your attempt to make an action-packed birthday movie for your brother, who is in the hospital. You travel across the globe and into space, filming battles and trying to save the day before bringing the footage home to him. Between missions, you return to your Command Center to rest, research and upgrade weapons; you can also play arcade games or fly a kite.

Story and battles

You face bosses made with the Make-A-Boss generator, which lets you roll your own opponents; tougher bosses offer more bounty. Max and STEVE comment on their opponents and the changing action, and each level includes dialogue between them and its boss. Further story and conversations unfold when you return to the Command Center. Your opponents include robots, animals, samurai, aliens and dinosaurs.

Combat includes boss fights, chase sequences and missions to rescue Baby Robo-AIs from Boss 101. Completing levels and defeating bosses earns cash for upgrades, weapons and hats. The main Story mode progresses through 31 levels or rounds as you travel toward the final encounter with Boss 101.

Weapons and upgrades

You can buy weapons and equipment in the Command Center, use equipment to augment your character, and choose outfits. Five major upgrades are available, including the Super Missile. Weapons used during rounds include rocket launchers, laser rifles, lightning guns and the fist cannon.

Nearly 300 hats are available, each granting one or more special powers. These can include earning extra money per shot, dealing more damage, increasing health, reducing damage or providing resistance; some hats are purely cosmetic. Pet friends can stay with you, and you can acquire more exotic pets from across the known universe.

Game modes

Alongside Story, the game includes several other modes and variations:

• Save the Robos: take Baby Robos safely into space.
• Warp Chase: follow a boss as it warps between levels, then knock it out of the warp tunnel while flying through innerspace to resume the fight.
• Endless Boss Mode: fight an endless series of random bosses with one life and see how far you get.
• Quest and Recover: complete challenges such as using certain weapons, rescuing allies, beating a round within a time limit, defeating specific enemies or protecting friends.
• Classic Mode: play with power-ups in an old-school arcade-style variation of Endless Boss or another gameplay mode.
• Iron Bot Mode: play with one hit point as a variation of Endless Boss or another gameplay mode.

You can choose Easy, Normal or Ultra difficulty, with Ultra providing the greatest challenge. Each level and game screen has its own music. The Command Center also has an arcade machine with games that may reward you, and you can take a break to fly a kite with Max and STEVE.