Background
"Desert Core" is an unofficial name given to this boss because no real name for it has been located. It is the boss of the extra Ruins stage on the Super CD version of Gradius II. This boss is an interesting hybrid between Crystal Core (the tentacles), Big Core MK III (the 3 cores and the long lasers), Big Core MK I (the four laser attack), and Death (the missiles).
Attack Patterns
When Desert Core first appears, it will dig it's tentacles under the sand above and below where it will occasionally shoot at you as they dig out. There are also two cores that have to be destroyed and it will shoot four lasers at you, similar to Big Core MK I. After the twin cores are destroyed, it will reconvert itself and reveal another core in the center and also destroy the tentacles. The four lasers are replaced with two long lasers and it will also shoot poor tracking homing missiles at you.
Gallery
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| Gradius II | ||
| Ships | Vic Viper | |
| Stages (Arcade) | Artificial Sun • Alien • Crystal • Volcano • Revenge of Moai • High Speed Zone • Boss Rush • Gofer Ship Interior | |
| Port-Exclusive Stages | Volcano - Crystal (NES) • Enemy Base (NES) • Gofer's Lair (NES) • Temple (PC-E) | |
| Bosses | Phoenix • Big Eye • Giga (NES) • Crystal Core • Death MK II • Jumping Moai • Big Moai • Desert Core (PC Engine) • Big Core MK II • Zub Rush • Big Core • Golem • Tetran • Gaw • Intruder • Zelos Force (NES) • Covered Core • Demos • Crab • Gofer | |
| Core Warships | ||
| Big Cores | Big Core MK I • Big Core Rev. 1.2 • Big Core MK II • Big Core MK II Kai • Big Core MK III • Big Core MK IV | |
| Big Core variants | Beacon • Blaster Cannon Core • Bubble Core • Circle Core • Coreship • Crater Core • Crystal Core • Dellinger Core • Desert Core • Heaven's Gate • Juggler Core • Laser Core • Lizard Core • Neo Big Core • Perla Meralda • Rexion Core • Rolling Core • Shining Core • Super Big Core • Terra Core • Vanishing Core • Viva Core • Genocide Core • Odin Core | |
| Core-style bosses | Abaddon Warship • Bubble Eye • Covered Core • Covered Core MK II • Dead End • Kraken • Mayhem Warship • Metal Slave • Misfit Warship • Queensrÿche • Riot Warship • Plate Core | |
| Pseudo-Cores | Death • Death MK II (DeathDouble) • Death MK III • Beta Core • Nobil • Triple Core • Crash Bam | |
| Tetran variants | Tetran (Zylom) • Covered Tetran • Crystal Core D-X02 • Laser Tetran • Tenny Rop | |
