Bonus stages are levels in Ripple Dot Zero that can be accessed by collecting capsules to fill the bonus metre in other levels on the navigation map. Playing through them allows the player to rescue ripples.
Accessibility[]
In order to access a bonus stage, the player must collect enough capsules to fill the "Bonus" metre, located on the bottom right corner of the game screen. This metre lights up every time a capsule is collected, and any capsule touched by Ripple Dot Zero automatically makes its way to the metre, filling up the blue light. The quantity of capsules collected can also be viewed in the top right corner of the game screen, but the levels do not indicate exactly how many pills are necessary to unlock the bonus stage.
When enough pills are collected to fill the bonus metre entirely, an alert will come up on the screen, indicating that the bonus stage is unlocked. The penguin is automatically transported to this bonus stage once he steps on the particle field.
Hidden level[]
Standing near an active and inactive teleporter in the Terrarium hidden area.
The last "capsules" stage of the game, Terrarium .02, has a hidden passageway that the penguin can access as an alternative to the regular level completion teleporter. This teleporter allows the player to access a hidden area in the terrarium. Its only main interactions are the eight teleporters located on different steps of the tree branch platforms. Stepping on a teleporter will automatically transport the player to the bonus stage corresponding to its number indicated on the teleporter's base. The player can then proceed to play the bonus stage as though they had accessed it from a regular level.
Once a bonus stage is complete, the particle field corresponding to the teleporter the player entered it from becomes inactive, making it no longer accessible. The only way to play bonus stages that have been previously completed is to collect all the required pills within a stage.
Layout[]
A "Time over" screen that displays when the player runs out of time.
All bonus stages have time limits that require the player to reach the cage with the required number of capsules before the timer reaches zero. At the start of the bonus level, the penguin will be positioned in a room with the trapped ripple often visible in the player's screen view. Two arrows will be seen on the wall: one leading to the bonus level itself, and another pointing towards the room the penguin is currently in. The player is always required to use up some of the time using the arrows to travel through a tube until they reach the bottom of the bonus stage. A glimpse of the bonus level in its entirety can be viewed as the penguin makes its way down.
Some bonus stages have weapons and powerups available, and heart pickups are found in levels with mines in them.
As soon as the player collects the require number of capsules, the time will pause, and the game's focus will shift to the caged ripple, with the glassy layer to the unlock button removed. When this happens, the player can make their way back to the cage and free the ripple. Arrows leading back to the cage room can be found at the sides of various levels and often have a sign behind them indicating their direction leads back to the cage.
If the player does not collect enough capsules or make it to the cage before the time runs out, the penguin appears to be teleported out of the area and a "Time over" screen is displayed. Pressing the spacebar brings the player back to the level select screen.
Bonus stages[]
Bonus stage .01[]
| Bonus stage .01 | |
|---|---|
| Time given | 33.61 |
| Pills required | 140 |
| Time is noted in seconds | |
Upon moving onto the first visible spring to the right, the penguin should be able to collect some capsules forming an arc shape. After jumping up several platforms and moving to the left, the player will encounter an orange spring which the penguin can move onto and bounce off of to land in the midst of green springs. Single capsules can be collected in the open area above the row of green springs. Once the player receives access to the cage, they need to guide the penguin to the right along the row of green springs. The springs will ascend until the penguin bounces up into the room again to unlock the cage.
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Main pickups[]
- Capsules - The core pickups of bonus stages, capsules must be collected by the penguin in order to fill up the bonus metre and rescue the ripple.
- Time - Time pickups are black and have an analog clock face on them. When obtained, they increase the amount of time the player has to complete the bonus level in. They cannot increase the amount of time past the initial amount given.
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