There are five Ratchet arena challenges in the mess hall of the Prison Planet in Secret Agent Clank. These are the second set of Ratchet challenges. Most enemies are the same enemy types as in the Max-Security Cells challenges, but tougher, while two new enemy types are introduced. At this point vendors are available, allowing the player to buy mods for Ratchet's weapons.
Challenges[]
| Challenge | Description | Reward | Rounds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | Second | |||
| Nails for Breakfast | I know, all you wanted was a carton of milk and some home fries. Hey, at least now you don't have to worry about finding a place to sit. | Slim Cognito's Bolt Extractor | 2,000 bolts | 6 |
| Tyhrranoid Recycling | The Tyhrranoids have taken over the tube machinery! Survive against their onslaught and thin their numbers until security returns to the cafeteria! | 9,000 bolts | 2,250 bolts | |
| It's Raining Phlegm! Hallelujah! | Everyone said the only way to make the cafeteria food more toxic was to cover it in 500 pounds of living waste. Looks like somebody got their wish... | 10,000 bolts | 2,500 bolts | 6 |
| Meatloaf Tuesdays | The power of the meatloaf does indeed compel you, assuming "compel" is code for "kills, slowly". Better finish the arena challenge before the poison finishes you! | 11,000 bolts | 2,750 bolts | 6 |
| Mega Challenge: Cafeteria | The last of the cafeteria mob are large and in charge. They always come back for seconds. | Titanium bolt | 2,000 bolts | 5 |
Nails for Breakfast[]
The first challenge involves six rounds against different groups of enemies. The first round is against basic tyhrranoids, dispatched easiest with the Shard Gun. The second introduces both lizard thugs and Megacorp gladiators, where the former still use lasers, and the latter use clubs made of giant chicken wings.
The second round also introduces a new mechanic: bolt cranks near the outskirts of the arena can be turned to prevent new tyhrranoids from spawning through the pipes. This should be done as soon as possible to reduce the threats available. In addition, a new enemy type, the spider divers, appear. These are tough enemies with slow movement that fire long-ranged plasma blasts at Ratchet. In the fifth round, reapers will also appear, and should be defeated with similar methods.
In later rounds, it is important to prioritize the bolt cranks to prevent the tyhrranoids overwhelming Ratchet. This will allow Ratchet to focus on the larger threats and then clear that round. Mega gladiators (larger Megacorp gladiators; red in the PSP version) appear in the final round, capable of both the usual attacks and of charging their weapon before slamming it to create a large shockwave. Against these, the Dual Lacerators and Mine Launcher are the only viable options, as Ratchet should not be close enough to them to allow them to use these attacks. Keeping a distance and firing at them is best.
Tyhrranoid Recycling[]
This challenge requires 100 enemies (mostly tyhrranoids, with lizard thugs, Spider-Bots, gladiators, and reapers appearing periodically) be killed in 3 minutes. Bolt cranks cannot be used to shut off tyhrranoids. Because only the number of kills is important, prioritizing the small tyhrranoids—the weakest of the enemies—can complete the challenge quickest.
The Shard Gun is an extremely useful weapon here, due to its ability to take out many tyhrranoids at once, and its strength against the mega tyhrranoids that appear later on, against whom slowing them is very effective.
It's Raining Phlegm! Hallelujah![]
This challenge is a typical arena challenge where amoeboids are fought and toxic waste appears as hazards throughout the battlefield. The medium-sized amoeboids spit toxic waste at Ratchet as long-range attacks which can spawn smaller amoeboids; after they are hit, they will also split into smaller amoeboids. The smaller amoeboids are weaker enemies with only basic melee attacks. The Shard Gun and Walloper are effective against both, while the Dual Lacerators and Mine Launcher are useful against the larger amoeboids.
The largest possible amoeboids appear in the third round onward, which split into two medium amoeboids that in turn split into the smaller ones. Reapers and both standard and mega gladiators appear in the fourth round onward, and as usual, should be defeated with long-range weapons. The Mine Launcher can also be very effective, due to how the enemies will overwhelm Ratchet with numbers. Around the arena, bolt cranks must also be turned to prevent more amoeboids from appearing.
Meatloaf Tuesdays[]
This challenge involves damage being dealt to Ratchet over time through poison. As such, it is more important than ever to use long-range weapons and avoid being hit, as Ratchet will be able to sustain less damage.
The challenge opens with Spider-Bots in the first round, followed by amoeboids and gladiators in the second, tyhrranoids and Spider-Bots in the third, and gladiators and reapers in the fourth. Against these enemies, the same tactics as usual apply. In the fifth round, reapers and mega reapers, along with Spider-Bots and mega Spider-Bots and then lizard thugs and mega lizard thugs in the sixth round. The mega reapers are capable of a powerful long-range attack that must be avoided by strafing. The mega Spider-Bots can charge up a laser that sweeps across the field in addition to their usual plasma attacks, which must be jumped over.
Mega Challenge: Cafeteria[]
This challenge involves rounds against enemies and their mega variant. Lizard thugs and mega lizard thugs appear in the first round, the second round feature Spider-Bots and their mega variants. The third round features the tyhrranoids and gladiators with their mega variants. Mega reapers and tyhrranoids appear in the fourth round. This requires the bolt cranks turned to slow the number of tyhrranoids, before the mega reapers can be defeated with usual long-range weapons. The final round features both Spider-Bots and reapers along with their equivalents.
At this point it might be beneficial to pay a quick visit to a vendor and buy an upgrade such as the Ordnance Mod or Seeker Mod, both which greatly improve the Mine Launcher and Dual Lacerators, respectively. The former especially becomes the most useful weapon once V2 has been reached due to its damage and explosion radius.