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Galactic Gladiators is a gladiatorial combat holovision show in Going Commando, in which Ratchet competed. It is a Megacorp annual event broadcast on Mega-View[1] in the Bogon Galaxy, filmed in the arena at the Maktar Resort. The event features the gladiators Chainblade and the B2 Brawler.

Ratchet originally competed in the event out of intrigue. In the first event, he won the Electrolyzer.

Overview[]

Maktar Resort 6

The arena.

Each challenge in the Galactic Gladiators is made up of a few waves of enemies. The enemies fought here are the Megacorp gladiators, PX6 BladeBalls, Megacorp Security Robot I - Chainsaw Model, and Megacorp Security Robot II - Flamethrower Model. These enemies are primarily close-to-mid range enemies, and are best defeated by keeping a distance. Enemies will spawn from the bullpens around the arena, and new enemies will only spawn when the current arena is empty of enemies. In some rounds, the arena's hazards will activate, comprising of spinning blades and a jet of flame from the ground.

Some challenges will feature restrictions as part of a gimmick. These could be a time limit, restricting the challenge to use of a single weapon, or a mix. Some challenges will feature the bosses Chainblade or the B2 Brawler. Beating a challenge will unlock a new one until the final challenge, the "Ultimate Challenge".

After the first challenge, bolts are awarded for completing each challenge. The bolt prize will multiply by 0.3 each time the challenge is completed again, with a minimum limit of only 500 bolts per match. Most challenges can easily be attempted immediately upon reaching the arena, though some players may want to return later for the more difficult challenges when they have greater weapons and more health.

Challenges[]

Challenge First prize Second prize Third prize Rounds
Battle for the Electrolyzer Electrolyzer 1,500 bolts 500 bolts 6
Hazard Challenge
Watch Your Step!
1,500 bolts 500 bolts 500 bolts 5
Chainblade Challenge 4,000 bolts 1,200 bolts 500 bolts
Time Challenge
Kill 30 Enemies in 30 Seconds
1,500 bolts 500 bolts 500 bolts
Battle the B2 Brawler 5,000 bolts 1,500 bolts 500 bolts
Time Challenge
Kill 60 Enemies in 60 Seconds
2,000 bolts 600 bolts 500 bolts
Mega Challenge! 3,000 bolts 900 bolts 500 bolts 10
Limited Weapon Challenge
Use Only 200 (300 Heavy) Lancer Shots
1,500 bolts 500 bolts 500 bolts 15
Limited Weapon Challenge
Use Only 8 Mini-Nuke shots
2,000 bolts 600 bolts 500 bolts 4
Tag Team Battle
Chainblade and the B2 Brawler
6,000 bolts 1,800 bolts 540 bolts -
Endurance Challenge 2,000 bolts 600 bolts 500 bolts 20
Ultimate Challenge 7,000 bolts 2,100 bolts 630 bolts 16
Challenge mode only
Timed Avoidance Challenge
Dodge Chainblade for two minutes
60,000 bolts 18,000 bolts 5,400 bolts
Wrench Expert Challenge
Don't Get Hit
90,000 bolts 27,000 bolts 8,100 bolts 9

Battle for the Electrolyzer[]

The Battle for the Electrolyzer comprises six waves. The first round comprises only a group of gladiators, which are defeated by keeping your distance and firing. The next round is similar, though you will this time be faced with chainsaw MSRs; defeat them by keeping your distance and firing while strafing. On the third round, you will be swarmed by BladeBalls; use the Gravity Bomb to take them out, and the Lancer or Chopper against any stragglers. The fourth round is a larger wave of gladiators, in which the Gravity Bomb may be most effective as it can take out a cluster at once. The flame hazards will activate, but these flames are telegraphed by two flashing blue lights from the ground before the flame appears, so you will know when to avoid them. On the fifth round, a large wave of flamethrower MSRs will appear and the blade hazards in the ground will activate; jump over to dodge them, and use the Chopper to take out the MSRs, keeping your distance. The final wave is a mix of BladeBalls, chainsaw MSRs, and gladiators, which are best eliminated with the Chopper.

Hazard Challenge - Watch Your Step![]

This challenge comprises five waves, and the main gimmick is the increased number of flame and spinning blade hazards. The first round consists of gladiators and chainsaw MSRs. The next is made up of BladeBalls, while the following round is both BladeBalls and flamethrower MSRs, and the fourth round is a mix of BladeBalls and chainsaw MSRs. The final round is made up flamethrower MSRs and gladiators. Provided a distance is kept from the enemies, and the hazards are dodged, the challenge should be relatively straightforward.

Chainblade Challenge[]

This challenge has only a single round, in which Ratchet fights Chainblade. Chainblade's mostly deadly attack is when he hovers in the air on his boots and thrusts his blade forwards to Ratchet; this attack is best dodged by strafing and doing side- or backflips. Aside from this, Chainblade's other attack is to run up to Ratchet and swing his blade, which is easily dodged by running away and jumping, as well as strafing and flipping. Chainblade will often pause to simply gloat or roar at Ratchet. Aside from his health and his attack from flight, Chainblade is a simple enemy, and can be defeated over time with the Lancer, Gravity Bomb or Chopper.

Beating the challenge with only the wrench will earn the skill point "Wrench Ninja: Blade to Blade". The easiest way to earn this is to simply re-attempt the challenge later in the game after the second visit to Aranos, when the third wrench, the orange OmniWrench 12000, is obtained.

Time Challenge - Kill 30 Enemies in 30 Seconds[]

As the name implies, this is a time limit challenge, with thirty seconds to kill the thirty enemies, of every type. Fortunately, many of these enemies are BladeBalls, and all have a tendency to cluster together. The easiest way to beat this challenge is to wait until enemies cluster, and use the Gravity Bomb to take out many at once. Spamming the Chopper is also effective, as Chopper blades will bounce between the enemies. Another useful weapon for this challenge is the Blitz Gun, as it can defeat many within a group, particularly gladiators and MSRs that will sustain a few hits first.

Battle the B2 Brawler[]

This challenge is a boss battle against the B2 Brawler. The B2 Brawler is a more challenging foe than Chainblade, as it provides less open opportunities to attack it. It will attack by firing lasers down at Ratchet, and after a hit, will then crawl on its legs and spin them around, moving towards Ratchet and dealing damage each time a leg hits. As usual, strafing is crucial, but so is timing jumps to dodge the spinning legs. It is also important to, when running from it, avoid running to the edges, as it can easily force Ratchet to fall to the electrified surrounding if this happens.

The best weapon against it is the Gravity Bomb, due to its damage, though the Chopper and Blitz Gun are also effective. The B2 Brawler's attacks will become faster as it loses health, so it is important to never let up and to stay focused when dodging. If attempting this challenge after Barlow, using the Decoy Glove can be particularly helpful against the B2 Brawler to distract it, causing it to move towards decoys instead of Ratchet, providing much needed breathing room.

Defeating the B2 Brawler without sustaining any damage will earn the skill point "2B or not 2B hit".

Time Challenge - Kill 60 Enemies in 60 Seconds[]

Much like the previous Kill 30 Enemies in 30 Seconds challenge, this challenge is best completed by destroying enemies that cluster together with either the Gravity Bomb, Blitz Gun, or Chopper. Much of the strategy is the same: aim your Gravity Bomb or Blitz Gun against a cluster of enemies to kill several at once, with the aim to kill enemies faster than they appear. The biggest challenge will be any stragglers left over, as new enemies will not spawn if any are still on the field; make sure to search and destroy them quickly as soon as a cluster is defeated. The Blitz Gun is easily the best weapon for this challenge as it will not only be effective against clusters but against any stragglers. Do not be afraid to simply spam this weapon and fire constantly, but make sure to get ammo crates in your line of fire to fill up, as there is little time to stop and destroy them with the wrench.

Mega Challenge![]

The Mega Challenge is made of ten rounds, and the first nine rounds are mostly the same as previous challenges. As usual, dodge the hazards when they appear, try to keep a distance from enemies, and use the Blitz Gun or Chopper against them. It is important to try to conserve ammo, so the best strategy is to use the Blitz Gun against clusters of enemies together and take out stragglers with the Chopper. Repeat this for the next nine rounds until round ten, in which Chainblade will appear. The strategy against Chainblade is the same as before; strafe around him and fire the Blitz Gun or Chopper.

Limited Weapon Challenge - Use Only 200 (300 Heavy) Lancer Shots[]

If the Lancer is not yet upgraded to the Heavy Lancer, it should be before attempting this challenge, because ammo is precious. The challenge comprises a full fifteen rounds, and using even the Heavy Lancer throughout each round is difficult to do while retaining ammo. The most difficult challenge is conserving ammo for each round. Keep in mind the MSRs and gladiators will die in three Lancer hits, while BladeBalls die in one; do not waste a single bullet.

An easy strategy to preserve ammo in rounds with gladiators and chainsaw MSRs is to let the enemies kill each other. Simply stand around waiting for a gladiator to attack Ratchet, and then jump out of the way. If timed right, the enemy will instead hit another gladiator. This is much harder to replicate against flamethrower MSRs and BladeBalls, so just kill them but remember to conserve ammo. Another thing to keep in mind is that, with the BladeBalls, even though they will die in a single hit, it is possible to hit it and cause it to crash against an enemy behind it, thus taking out either another BladeBall or damaging another enemy.

Limited Weapon Challenge - Use Only 8 Mini-Nuke shots[]

Largely the same strategy as the previous Limited Weapon Challenge applies; where possible, allow enemies to kill each other, and otherwise, only fire it at clusters of enemies together. There are four rounds, so try to use a maximum of two bombs per round. For most rounds, it should be possible to only use one bomb if you wait for the enemies to cluster.

Tag Team Battle - Chainblade and the B2 Brawler[]

As the name implies, this battle involves fighting both Chainblade and the B2 Brawler. When one loses a third of their health, they will drop out to let the other take over. A helpful strategy is to assign a weapon to each: the Chopper or Lancer against Chainblade, and the Blitz Gun or Gravity Bomb against the B2 Brawler. Repeat the main strategies from before, but be even more mindful when strafing and conserving ammo. The spinning blade hazards are active for this challenge, so watch out for them.

Endurance Challenge[]

The Endurance Challenge consists of twenty wave of enemies, all of which are normal enemies. Hazards are active often. The main difficulty of this challenge is preserving ammo and avoiding sustaining damage for its length. The best way to achieve this is by using the Blitz Gun throughout and aiming for clusters of enemies as much as possible. The Chopper is also useful.

Ultimate Challenge[]

The Ultimate Challenge consists of sixteen rounds, most of which have normal enemies, but four rounds feature boss battles against Chainblade and the B2 Brawler. The first five rounds are against normal enemies, and the sixth round introduces Chainblade. The B2 Brawler is introduced in the eleventh round. Chainblade reappears in the fifteenth round, and the B2 Brawler reappears in round sixteen. The bullpens will often spawn BladeBalls in front of you, serving as a distraction, while groups of melee units are released from behind.

Multiple weapons will be needed to complete this challenge, and it will likely not be possible to complete it after unlocking the arena for the first time. Instead, attempt the challenge later with more powerful weapons. When completing this challenge, the strategies are much the same as before, with a focus on preserving health until the challenges against the bosses. It is indeed useful to keep the Nanotech health meter's experience points in mind, as it can prove as a useful boost after being battered by the B2 Brawler in the first fight.

A good time to complete this challenge is after completing all missions on Barlow, as a sufficient number of weapons will have unlocked by then. The Chopper, Blitz Gun, and the Seeker Gun are all useful to switch between throughout, and using the Miniturret Glove at all times will prove very helpful. Additionally, the Decoy Glove can be convenient in tough situations, and any of the Gadgetron weapons can be used when short of ammo. If ammo for other non-upgraded weapons has been exhausted, or a currently used non-upgraded weapon is proving unhelpful, there is no harm in using upgraded weapons to finish the challenge.

Timed Avoidance Challenge - Dodge Chainblade for two minutes[]

This challenge appears only during a challenge mode playthrough. The challenge is to avoid taking any damage from Chainblade for two minutes. Chainblade is not invulnerable during this challenge, but has too much health to actually defeat. He is relatively easy to avoid by simply using a lock-on mod and constantly circling him, sideflipping whenever he attacks. The Decoy Glove and Shield Charger serve as useful distraction and defense, respectively.

Wrench Expert Challenge - Don't Get Hit[]

This challenge appears only during a challenge mode playthrough. As the name implies, only the wrench can be used, and the challenge will fail upon sustaining any damage. Therefore, it is important to avoid getting near enemies entirely, and rely on the comet-strike attack to keep your distance. Using the OmniWrench 12000 is recommended, for the final round is against Chainblade. It is best to avoid him unless he is on the ground, at which point you can use a double jump and hyper-strike's combined airtime to dodge him and subsequently deal damage.

Behind the scenes[]

Maxim Garber programmed both the Galactic Gladiators arena fights and the Megacorp Games arena fights.[2]

During battles, when Ratchet takes damage, the announcer may say "I don't care what galaxy you're from, that's gotta hurt!" as a response.[3] This line was likely inspired by Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, in which the podracing announced proclaimed the similar line ("I don't care what universe you're from, that's gotta hurt!") after a contestants' podracer was destroyed by a Tusken Raider.

Citations[]

References[]

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