Vanishing Core

Vanishing Core
Vanishing Core as it appears in Gradius IV
Japanese name	バニシングコア Banishingu Koa
Type	Core
Abilities	Tracks the player via four searchlights and launches missile barrages at them
Location(s)	Boss Rush
Appearances	Gradius IV
Theme	"Take Care!"

Vanishing Core (バニシングコア, Banishingu Koa) is the first boss of the Boss Rush in Gradius IV.

Description

Despite its name, Vanishing Core doesn't actually vanish. It uses searchlights to find the player, then it launches destructible missiles at a rapid rate from the back of its search lights. This core possesses three different attacks. It will always use its Yellow Search Light attack in between each of its other attacks.

Yellow Search Light: Vanishing Core deploys missiles that remain stationary. The core then moves up and down whilst its search lights turn yellow, and it starts to scan the area in front of it for the player. While it does this, it fires a Big Core-esque quad laser shot. Should the search lights tag the player, all search lights will target the player and the missiles will fly towards them at a rapid rate. It will keep this particular attack up for quite a while until it finds the player.

Red Search Light: Vanishing Core will slowly move up and down to the top or bottom of the screen as its search lights turn red. It rapidly deploys missiles that fly to the search light they were released from. This attack only lasts a few seconds.

Purple Search Light: Vanishing Core will move to the center of the arena as its search lights turn purple. It will rapidly rotate the four search lights while deploying missiles, which fly to the search light they were released from. Like the Red Search Light, this attack lasts only a few seconds.

Though Vanishing Core's missile barrage seems dangerous, the missiles are destructible, and the ship itself has below average barrier and core HP, meaning it dies fairly quickly. It is most vulnerable to attack during the Purple Search Light attack.