Ruse Of An Ooze is a level in Inkwell Isle One, where the fight with Goopy Le Grande takes place. It is represented on the map by a few trees. This is one of the three initially available levels along with Forest Follies and Botanic Panic!.
The level is set on a clearing in the forest, where a river can be seen in the background behind the trees.
Location
The location of Ruse Of An Ooze is to the top of Porkrind's Emporium. There is no need to defeat any other bosses in Inkwell Isle One to get to Ruse Of An Ooze. After defeating Ruse Of An Ooze, you unlock the path to the blueprint of the plane with a staircase, and subsequently Threatenin' Zeppelin with a bridge.
Strategy
- Dashing is the key to beating him. Not only does he come down fast (faster in Expert Mode), but his third phase's slam attack can come down on you when least expected.
- Walking away from Goopy's punch attacks from Phase 1-2 is unwise. It's better to crouch under the attack.
- Chaser and Lobber are good options for fighting him. Spread can also be considered, due to his second phase's large size and third phase being in the background.
Battle
"With a face like mine is it a crime to be bouncing all the time?"
—Goopy Le Grande, Phase 1 Death Screen
Before the battle begins, Goopy Le Grande is shown taking off the top part of his head, which is revealed to be a hat. He seems to be greeting Cuphead and Mugman.
Goopy Le Grande has two attacks:
- Goopy will bounce around the map attempting to bounce onto Cuphead/Mugman. This attack is easy to dodge; simply move left or right to dodge Goopy's bounces. Use the Dash when needed. Note that camping at the edge won't work if he's falling.
- After a while, Goopy will stop moving, and prepare for his second attack. Goopy's second attack is where he'll turn himself into a boxing glove, and do a short-ranged attack. This attack can be dodged by crouching, though walking away is another (but not recommended) option.
Since Goopy moves around a lot, it's recommended to either use Chaser or Lobber, as they can score free hits on him. Spread is also a good choice, especially when he tries to punch you.
After taking enough hits, Goopy will take out a jelly bean, which then spawns three pink question marks around him. Note that this is the only parry in the stage, so parry them all to get a high grade. But after Goopy blinks a few times, he'll turn giant and laugh at Cuphead/Mugman. His parryable question marks may be a trap, since when Goopy turns big, he pushes the question marks away.
"I'm a handsome slime bringing pain -- one bounce at a time!"
—Goopy Le Grande, Phase 2 Death Screen
In this phase Goopy turns giant. He now covers more space, and is harder to dodge. He has the same attacks as his last phase, but they've been upgraded:
- Goopy will still jump around, but now every bounce now covers more ground. Doing this without dashing is near-impossible, so make sure you're well acquainted with dashing.
- His second attack is still him punching you, but this time, instead of turning himself into a punching glove, he actually grows an arm with a punching glove to punch you. Once he punches you, the best way is to duck/crouch and continue shooting at the same time. The first time he does this, he blinks at you.
Once again, since he still bounces around, it is recommended to use the Chaser or Lobber. But now, since he has a bigger hitbox, you'll be able to use other weapons easier.
After taking enough damage, Goopy will stop and look dazed. Then his grave will come and squish him into little Goopy bits. This commences the third and final phase. Note that when the tombstone falls on him, he is not dead.
When defeated in Simple Mode, the fight will end there.
"I'm very smashing... even in grave situations!"
—Goopy Le Grande, Final Phase Death Screen
This phase isn't fought in Simple Mode.
In this phase, Goopy is a living tombstone. He only has one attack in this phase:
Goopy Le Grande will slide left and right, then slam Cuphead/Mugman after sliding a few times. Be sure to keep moving during this phase, and dash when he slams. Note that the only way to damage him during this phase is to hit his face; this can only be achieved by shooting upwards or jumping while shooting him.
It is recommended to use the Chaser because Goopy moves very fast in this phase. This phase will take a long time as you cannot attack him as often as the other phases, so be sure to constantly use the EX move.
After enough hits, the fight will end. Goopy's tombstone will crack in half, and he'll now have crosses for eyes.
Walkthrough
Soundtrack
Gallery
Two Goopy's that were not in the final game
Trivia
- Ruse Of An Ooze's background has shown the most revisions out of all the other stages, progressively getting more forested. This can partially be because the first time Goopy was shown was back in the first trailer released in 2013.
