Side levels, real rewards
Run-and-gun stages are not filler. They pay coins and unlock gear that the bosses assume you own before you arrive.
Stay mobile
These levels punish standing still more than the boss fights. Keep moving, shoot ahead, and grab the coin before the screen scrolls.
Use the right weapon
A wide weapon clears crowds; a focused one kills fast. Match your loadout to the level before you start the run.
Bank the coins
Spend at the shop between fights. A fresh charm from a run-and-gun run can flip a stuck boss in your favor.
The boss database shows the fights those coins prepare you for, and the character database lists who you meet.
Bosses the side levels build toward
- The Rook (isle The King’s Leap, hp 160)
- The Pawns (isle The King’s Leap, hp 80 (Each Pawn has 10))
- Sally Stageplay (isle Dramatic Fanatic, hp 1100/1400/1700 (phases 1–3), 1750/2100 (secret phase))
- The Root Pack (isle Botanic Panic!, hp 450/360/400 (Sal Spudder), 400/425 (Ollie B))
- Dr. Kahl’s Robot (isle Junkyard Jive!, hp 1250/2075/2640)
- Rumor Honeybottoms (isle Honeycomb Herald, hp 1000/1200/1400)
- Baroness Von Bon Bon (isle Sugarland Shimmy, hp 400/430/530)
- Demon Bat (hp 800)
- Sir Waffington III (isle Sugarland Shimmy, hp 250/250/305)
- Phantom Express (isle Railroad Wrath, hp 400/425/425 (Blind Specter), 320/325/325 (The Conductor))
- Djimmi The Great (isle Pyramid Peril, hp 2320/2720/3120 2560/3060 (Secret phase))
- Esther Winchester (isle High-Noon Hoopla, hp 2250/2850/3200)
- Beppi The Clown (isle Carnival Kerfuffle, hp 1200/1550/1850)
- Moonshine Mob (isle Bootlegger Boogie, hp 439/427/495 (Spider Mobster), 536/427/495 (Light Bug))
- Ribby and Croaks (isle Clip Joint Calamity)
- Glumstone The Giant (isle Gnome Way Out, hp 1150/1500/1700)
- The Queen (isle The King’s Leap)
- Wally Warbles (isle Aviary Action!, hp 2000/2400/2800)
- Chef Saltbaker (isle A Dish To Die For, hp 1500/1700)