Phoenix

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"Shoot it in the head!" - Gradius II Announcer

As its namesake suggests, the Phoenix is a large space bird made entirely out of fire.
It is presumably a larger version of the Fire Bird enemies found in Salamanderb
The Phoenix appears as the first boss in Gradius 2 and in Nemesis 3, where it is known as Geezer Butler.
It's weakspot is the head in all versions.

NES Design

Attack Pattern

The Phoenix has the same general attack pattern in all versions of the game, although its movement tends to differ between ports. In the original Arcade title, it warps around the screen, meaning the only safe area is towards the back, the player must time their attacks between warps and get back to a safe area. In the NES version, it actually moves to its new position, making the fight slightly easier.
The Phoenix will fire large volley of lasers from its wings, followed by a heavy volley of fireballs from its beak. The fireballs can be destroyed quite easily by staying near the mouth, but the lasers must be avoided.
It is usually dead by the time it has finished its second attack. In the PC Engine version, however, it has more health and thus will accomplish more.

Trivia

• A blue variant of Geezer Butler appears in the fan game GR3.
• Geezer Butler is the same name of the notorious bass player from Black Sabbath, one of the most famous bands from 1970's.

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