Shmups Wiki -- The Digital Library of Shooting Games - User contributions [en]

Blue Revolver/Video Index

2026-03-31T12:40:05Z

Birb: /* Mae */

[[File:Blue-rev thm.jpg|thumb|right]]
__TOC__
{{clear}}

== Original ==
=== Normal ===
==== Mae ====
===== Cluster Missile =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| hayateblaze
| 46,613,610
| ?
| Wide
| ALL
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMiX6wnxUsg&t=1446s Youtube]
|
|}

==== Val ====
===== Hyper Laser =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| JulianSeph 842 Gamez
| 51,748,490
| 1.12
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVz8q-FeRJo&t=505s Youtube]
| Recorded from replay
|}

===== Cluster Missile =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| hkmix
| 39,272,040
| ?
| Wide
| ALL
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqDNs9m8lD8 Youtube]
|
|}

===== Arc Caster =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| clippa
| 69,505,300
| 1.12
| Power
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/1WSNFVccacw Youtube]
|
|-
| Raccoons Hideout
| 55,327,760
| ?
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/rSRnOaenqSI Youtube]
|
|-
| Team Shmup'Em-All
| 48,282,020
| 1.00
| Wide
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/2-vgAXQJOsY Youtube]
| 1-Sissy Series
|-
| Andy 464
| 47,533,420
| ?
| Wide
| ALL
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nmI9qJ6BjY Youtube]
|
|-
| Saipon
| 34,657,790
| 1.00
| Wide
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/wLcpPUL6TF4 Youtube]
|
|}

=== Hyper ===
==== Mae ====
===== Hyper Laser =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| LordBBH
| 60,685,310
| 1.00
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/cVBZk709N0g Youtube]
|
|}

===== Cluster Missile =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Wcko87
| 41,226,360
| 1.11
| Narrow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/i56hoQJncuE Youtube]
|-
| LordHypnos
| 55,988,140
| 1.11
| Narrow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/TroFnEd08Us Youtube]
|
|}

==== Val ====
===== Arc Caster =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Stephen Xu
| 62,622,310
| 1.00
| Power
| Stage 5
| [https://youtu.be/yj578w-PN9o Youtube]
|
|}

===== Hyper Laser =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Legless
| 134,619,760
| 1.12
| Follow
| All
| [https://youtu.be/eBtSHyTAWtc Youtube]
| Current Hyper WR
|-
| Legless
| 121,865,310
| 1.11
| Follow
| All
| [https://youtu.be/iddscKj-p2Y Youtube]
|-
| Jam
| 45,114,290
| ?
| Wide
| All
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPPZr0mF9IU Youtube]
|
|}

=== Parallel ===
==== Mae ====
===== Hyper Laser =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Marus MPO
| 161,122,530
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/qz1aCISKf84 Youtube]
| All breaks
|-
| Marus MPO
| 154,068,180
| 1.02
| Power
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/VvubHZRJ-V8 Youtube]
|
|-
| Marus MPO
| 112,661,930
| 1.00
| Power
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/MlySPNoJqR4?t=12 Youtube]
| Restart after selecting wrong device
|}

==== Val ====
===== Cluster Missile =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Kiwi
| 191,061,890
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/WasF6vTz-dE Youtube]
|
|-
| Kiwi
| 184,875,620
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/nzoAMxYL5YI Youtube]
| Live at Stunfest 2019! with Dev Commentary!
|-
| Kiwi
| 172,558,930
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/mFDnZsH0Y4w Youtube]
|
|-
| Kiwi
| 158,460,210
| 1.11
| Follow
| TLB
| [https://youtu.be/uPQvza8WRwk Youtube]
| Live at Stunfest 2019!
|-
| AlvaLynsis
| 126,789,920
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/kAiajz-hHBI Youtube]
|
|-
| Zaarock
| 117,829,290
| 1.11
| Wide
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/7RUJarcm_bU Youtube]
|
|}

===== Hyper Laser =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 175,487,880
| 1.12
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/cnOa8H2zZ-Q Youtube]
|
|-
| Legless
| 173,787,340
| 1.12
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/rWJCXzBnsn8 Youtube]
|
|-
| Legless
| 170,577,460
| 1.12
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/N1mfW-hKUNo Youtube]
| Replay commentary with occasional pausing by Legless
|-
| おとうふさん
| 164,024,070
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/dAMO4lA6CNM Youtube]
|
|-
| Legless
| 142,996,670
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/gt9oVtkqrg8 Youtube]
|
|-
| Zaarock
| 137,929,840
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/r4bYqm_saG8?t=5 Youtube]
| English Commentary
|-
| FlashStep
| 128,453,870
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/YpXfDzFTa98 Youtube]
|
|-
| BreedPineapple
| 127,608,810
| 1.11
| Wide
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/aptRijvE0t0 Youtube]
|
|-
| Turska
| 96,563,870
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/YB3p0gUPb48 Youtube]
|
|}

===== Arc Caster =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Jaimers
| 151,897,870
| 1.00
| Power
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/8oYt7XXHoio Youtube]
|
|-
| K_sh
| 90,645,840
| 1.12
| Wide
| ALL
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe8ANUCexPo Youtube]
|

|}

== Double Action ==
=== Normal ===
==== Mae ====
===== Plasma Lancer =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 227,386,300
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/ATp2f8T8zhQ Youtube]
|
|}
===== Cluster Missile =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 240,341,700
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/67uTz7ePoA8 Youtube]
| Current Normal WR with captions.
|}

==== Val ====
===== Hyper Laser =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| VanArtic
| 226,558,500
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/eLQ2Lr2Y01c Youtube]
|
|}

=== Hyper ===
==== Mae ====
===== Hyper Laser =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Marus MPO
| 214,437,800
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/glrCR-Hnt_w Youtube]
|
|-
| northcoast
| 127,846,000
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnMdSF5Eu7w Youtube]
| English Commentary
|}
===== Cluster Missile =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 241,895,400
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/cfa9bHo9lTo Youtube]
| Current Hyper World Record
|-
| birb
| 234,321,700
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/Bn9UMKtHnWc Youtube]
|
|}

===== Plasma Lancer =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 219,007,400
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/VAjVEH0jFkE Youtube]
|
|}

==== Val ====
===== Hyper Laser =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Van Artic
| 219,063,700
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/pZby0YWVq6c Youtube]
| 2nd place on Hyper Leaderboard
|-
| Van Artic
| 209,964,800
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/tU9boIlP-mY Youtube]
|}
===== Stasis Field =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 218,581,000
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/AJjKwwgd9xY Youtube]
|
|-
| birb
| 210,114,900
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/_a2s97pLC6M Youtube]
| Special Demonstrations #20
|}

===== Cluster Missile =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 222,956,100
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/ZrGOZutvrPQ Youtube]
|
|-
| sandman
| 206,492,900
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/mhvl3Fb7TaQ Youtube]
|}

===== Arc Caster =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| northcoast
| 134,458,700
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/Ezjv3evL_Ro?t=193 Youtube]
|}

==== Dee ====
===== Fractal Salvo =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 224,426,500
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/4ZFKvfJ-MoE Youtube]
|}
===== Cluster Missile =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 213,076,000
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/DnA5wcEhfKg Youtube]
| Run done live
|}

=== Parallel ===
==== Mae ====
===== Hyper Laser =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Marus MPO
| 250,046,400
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/JJkK-SgkL_w Youtube]
|}
===== Cluster Missile =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 279,752,700
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/Ly-A3fiPPjY Youtube]
| Current Parallel WR. Run done live.
|-
| birb
| 266,664,500
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/6pwPpYwm4XM Youtube]
|}

==== Val ====
===== Stasis Field =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Juancito Folkius
| 195,981,500
| 1.51
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/61GL2nTx1ao Youtube]
|
|-
| JayLab
| 168,575,400
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/qz3YoC86Iaw Youtube]
|}

==== Dee ====
===== Fractal Salvo =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Jaimers
| 278,740,800
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/YGTzpGVKAbI Youtube]
|
|}

===== Pierce Lancer =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Ars9
| 206,131,000
| 1.51a
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/P3Kqqcl6U80 Youtube]
|
|-
| Cannaboy
| 200,134,400
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/7jYOT8Etb9c Youtube]
|}

=== XP-Mode ===
==== Volt Cable ====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Incognito
| 345,605,900
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/ymaJSu2GLdE Youtube]
| Highest XP mode score without using the infinite pattern exploit in stage 2 boss(current WR replay lasts more than 7 hours).
|}
[[Category:Video Index]]

Blue Revolver/Video Index

2026-03-31T12:37:02Z

Birb: /* Hyper Laser */

[[File:Blue-rev thm.jpg|thumb|right]]
__TOC__
{{clear}}

== Original ==
=== Normal ===
==== Mae ====
===== Cluster Missile =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| hayateblaze
| 46,613,610
| ?
| Wide
| ALL
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMiX6wnxUsg&t=1446s Youtube]
|
|}

==== Val ====
===== Hyper Laser =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| JulianSeph 842 Gamez
| 51,748,490
| 1.12
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVz8q-FeRJo&t=505s Youtube]
| Recorded from replay
|}

===== Cluster Missile =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| hkmix
| 39,272,040
| ?
| Wide
| ALL
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqDNs9m8lD8 Youtube]
|
|}

===== Arc Caster =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| clippa
| 69,505,300
| 1.12
| Power
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/1WSNFVccacw Youtube]
|
|-
| Raccoons Hideout
| 55,327,760
| ?
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/rSRnOaenqSI Youtube]
|
|-
| Team Shmup'Em-All
| 48,282,020
| 1.00
| Wide
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/2-vgAXQJOsY Youtube]
| 1-Sissy Series
|-
| Andy 464
| 47,533,420
| ?
| Wide
| ALL
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nmI9qJ6BjY Youtube]
|
|-
| Saipon
| 34,657,790
| 1.00
| Wide
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/wLcpPUL6TF4 Youtube]
|
|}

=== Hyper ===
==== Mae ====
===== Hyper Laser =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| LordBBH
| 60,685,310
| 1.00
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/cVBZk709N0g Youtube]
|
|}

===== Cluster Missile =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Wcko87
| 41,226,360
| 1.11
| Narrow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/i56hoQJncuE Youtube]
|-
| LordHypnos
| 55,988,140
| 1.11
| Narrow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/TroFnEd08Us Youtube]
|
|}

==== Val ====
===== Arc Caster =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Stephen Xu
| 62,622,310
| 1.00
| Power
| Stage 5
| [https://youtu.be/yj578w-PN9o Youtube]
|
|}

===== Hyper Laser =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Legless
| 134,619,760
| 1.12
| Follow
| All
| [https://youtu.be/eBtSHyTAWtc Youtube]
| Current Hyper WR
|-
| Legless
| 121,865,310
| 1.11
| Follow
| All
| [https://youtu.be/iddscKj-p2Y Youtube]
|-
| Jam
| 45,114,290
| ?
| Wide
| All
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPPZr0mF9IU Youtube]
|
|}

=== Parallel ===
==== Mae ====
===== Hyper Laser =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Marus MPO
| 161,122,530
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/qz1aCISKf84 Youtube]
| All breaks
|-
| Marus MPO
| 154,068,180
| 1.02
| Power
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/VvubHZRJ-V8 Youtube]
|
|-
| Marus MPO
| 112,661,930
| 1.00
| Power
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/MlySPNoJqR4?t=12 Youtube]
| Restart after selecting wrong device
|}

==== Val ====
===== Cluster Missile =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Kiwi
| 191,061,890
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/WasF6vTz-dE Youtube]
|
|-
| Kiwi
| 184,875,620
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/nzoAMxYL5YI Youtube]
| Live at Stunfest 2019! with Dev Commentary!
|-
| Kiwi
| 172,558,930
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/mFDnZsH0Y4w Youtube]
|
|-
| Kiwi
| 158,460,210
| 1.11
| Follow
| TLB
| [https://youtu.be/uPQvza8WRwk Youtube]
| Live at Stunfest 2019!
|-
| AlvaLynsis
| 126,789,920
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/kAiajz-hHBI Youtube]
|
|-
| Zaarock
| 117,829,290
| 1.11
| Wide
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/7RUJarcm_bU Youtube]
|
|}

===== Hyper Laser =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 175,487,880
| 1.12
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/cnOa8H2zZ-Q Youtube]
|
|-
| Legless
| 173,787,340
| 1.12
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/rWJCXzBnsn8 Youtube]
|
|-
| Legless
| 170,577,460
| 1.12
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/N1mfW-hKUNo Youtube]
| Replay commentary with occasional pausing by Legless
|-
| おとうふさん
| 164,024,070
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/dAMO4lA6CNM Youtube]
|
|-
| Legless
| 142,996,670
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/gt9oVtkqrg8 Youtube]
|
|-
| Zaarock
| 137,929,840
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/r4bYqm_saG8?t=5 Youtube]
| English Commentary
|-
| FlashStep
| 128,453,870
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/YpXfDzFTa98 Youtube]
|
|-
| BreedPineapple
| 127,608,810
| 1.11
| Wide
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/aptRijvE0t0 Youtube]
|
|-
| Turska
| 96,563,870
| 1.11
| Follow
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/YB3p0gUPb48 Youtube]
|
|}

===== Arc Caster =====

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Shot
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Jaimers
| 151,897,870
| 1.00
| Power
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/8oYt7XXHoio Youtube]
|
|-
| K_sh
| 90,645,840
| 1.12
| Wide
| ALL
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe8ANUCexPo Youtube]
|

|}

== Double Action ==
=== Normal ===
==== Mae ====
===== Plasma Lancer =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 227,386,300
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/ATp2f8T8zhQ Youtube]
|
|}

==== Val ====
===== Hyper Laser =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| VanArtic
| 226,558,500
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/eLQ2Lr2Y01c Youtube]
|
|}

=== Hyper ===
==== Mae ====
===== Hyper Laser =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Marus MPO
| 214,437,800
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/glrCR-Hnt_w Youtube]
|
|-
| northcoast
| 127,846,000
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnMdSF5Eu7w Youtube]
| English Commentary
|}
===== Cluster Missile =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 241,895,400
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/cfa9bHo9lTo Youtube]
| Current Hyper World Record
|-
| birb
| 234,321,700
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/Bn9UMKtHnWc Youtube]
|
|}

===== Plasma Lancer =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 219,007,400
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/VAjVEH0jFkE Youtube]
|
|}

==== Val ====
===== Hyper Laser =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Van Artic
| 219,063,700
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/pZby0YWVq6c Youtube]
| 2nd place on Hyper Leaderboard
|-
| Van Artic
| 209,964,800
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/tU9boIlP-mY Youtube]
|}
===== Stasis Field =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 218,581,000
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/AJjKwwgd9xY Youtube]
|
|-
| birb
| 210,114,900
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/_a2s97pLC6M Youtube]
| Special Demonstrations #20
|}

===== Cluster Missile =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 222,956,100
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/ZrGOZutvrPQ Youtube]
|
|-
| sandman
| 206,492,900
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/mhvl3Fb7TaQ Youtube]
|}

===== Arc Caster =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| northcoast
| 134,458,700
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/Ezjv3evL_Ro?t=193 Youtube]
|}

==== Dee ====
===== Fractal Salvo =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 224,426,500
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/4ZFKvfJ-MoE Youtube]
|}
===== Cluster Missile =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 213,076,000
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/DnA5wcEhfKg Youtube]
| Run done live
|}

=== Parallel ===
==== Mae ====
===== Hyper Laser =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Marus MPO
| 250,046,400
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/JJkK-SgkL_w Youtube]
|}
===== Cluster Missile =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 279,752,700
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/Ly-A3fiPPjY Youtube]
| Current Parallel WR. Run done live.
|-
| birb
| 266,664,500
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/6pwPpYwm4XM Youtube]
|}

==== Val ====
===== Stasis Field =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Juancito Folkius
| 195,981,500
| 1.51
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/61GL2nTx1ao Youtube]
|
|-
| JayLab
| 168,575,400
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/qz3YoC86Iaw Youtube]
|}

==== Dee ====
===== Fractal Salvo =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Jaimers
| 278,740,800
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/YGTzpGVKAbI Youtube]
|
|}

===== Pierce Lancer =====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Ars9
| 206,131,000
| 1.51a
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/P3Kqqcl6U80 Youtube]
|
|-
| Cannaboy
| 200,134,400
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/7jYOT8Etb9c Youtube]
|}

=== XP-Mode ===
==== Volt Cable ====
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;width: 100%"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Version
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Incognito
| 345,605,900
| 1.52
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/ymaJSu2GLdE Youtube]
| Highest XP mode score without using the infinite pattern exploit in stage 2 boss(current WR replay lasts more than 7 hours).
|}
[[Category:Video Index]]

Vacant Ark

2026-03-23T09:31:40Z

Birb: /* Bugs */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life Gem will appear in the middle of the screen. Every 3 seconds it will cycle between a 2X Ratio and a Life gem then drift towards the player. '''This is how the Life Gem cycle would go: Life > Ratio > Life > Ratio > Disappear'''. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. If full lives is reached. An additional life item will give the player 10,000 points, indicated by the voice clip that says "BONUS" with the "10,000" text that displays when the life item is collected. 
[[File:BONUS.png|128px|thumb|center|BONUS]]
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three shields indicated by the Auto-Shield sound effect before you can defeat her(she dies the same way the player game overs). The pattern she will use can be identified by the position of her option(similar to the position of the players' option). But the pattern order is fixed anyways.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, aimed revenge bullets. Larger enemies shoot a fan of revenge bullets. Some bosses are more aggressive.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, defeating almost all enemies does not spawn fish gems. Instead they shoot aimed and random revenge bullets. This makes the difficulty much more chaotic and Force weapon to be essential. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. Bosses can be dismantled. And these boss parts can increase the counter value too. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Using the Force weapon to erase bullets also has the same effect as grazing the options(despite that, it is still worth it to use force in the right situations especially in Abyss where the game gives you a lot of counter value to account for the loss). Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by a flat amount. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. The amount of value rewarded when collecting gem items is relative to how high the gem counter is. ''Note: There are some oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter. In Abyss, with the right optimizations and some RNG. You can reach max counter value during the section after the 2nd boss in Zone A right before the 2nd extend drop.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for safety and a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.
* '''Recovery:''' Triggering the auto-shield is not the end of the world as 1,000 to 5,000 counter value is a mere few large enemies. The most dire situation in Vacant Ark is to lose a life when your counter is close to max value. In most situations you might as well reset. But If you are close to getting an extend drop. Then a 2X Ratio will put you right back on track. High HP enemies such as the shell enemy, the large eel-like enemies with multiple parts in Zone A, the tunnel creepers during Zone B or the shrimp men at zone C are great recovery points. Learning how to deal with those enemies is important to scoring.
* '''Avoid surplus lives''': The bonus that is rewarded when collecting surplus lives is not worth it at all and should be avoided, unless the counter value is maxed out.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.
* Minor visual bugs/missing sprites: This can happen randomly in some runs. The game was created on an engine meant for Windows 95/98 and most players run it with dgvoodoo. So graphical glitches are bound to happen.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(3 to 4 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.
* Understand how to manipulate enemy/boss patterns. Goes without saying, in a general context this is a tip that works well in any shmup. But in Vacant Ark. Lining or hoarding up bullets is a good thing as it can help you recover without switching weapons. e.g. misdirecting the bullets so that they overlap later then using cannon to deal damage to boss but also cancel the overlapping bullets into gems.

== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a wave of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in. All zones start with no music but the closest resemblance is Zone A.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.

== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-03-23T09:24:52Z

Birb: /* Difficulties */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life Gem will appear in the middle of the screen. Every 3 seconds it will cycle between a 2X Ratio and a Life gem then drift towards the player. '''This is how the Life Gem cycle would go: Life > Ratio > Life > Ratio > Disappear'''. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. If full lives is reached. An additional life item will give the player 10,000 points, indicated by the voice clip that says "BONUS" with the "10,000" text that displays when the life item is collected. 
[[File:BONUS.png|128px|thumb|center|BONUS]]
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three shields indicated by the Auto-Shield sound effect before you can defeat her(she dies the same way the player game overs). The pattern she will use can be identified by the position of her option(similar to the position of the players' option). But the pattern order is fixed anyways.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, aimed revenge bullets. Larger enemies shoot a fan of revenge bullets. Some bosses are more aggressive.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, defeating almost all enemies does not spawn fish gems. Instead they shoot aimed and random revenge bullets. This makes the difficulty much more chaotic and Force weapon to be essential. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. Bosses can be dismantled. And these boss parts can increase the counter value too. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Using the Force weapon to erase bullets also has the same effect as grazing the options(despite that, it is still worth it to use force in the right situations especially in Abyss where the game gives you a lot of counter value to account for the loss). Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by a flat amount. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. The amount of value rewarded when collecting gem items is relative to how high the gem counter is. ''Note: There are some oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter. In Abyss, with the right optimizations and some RNG. You can reach max counter value during the section after the 2nd boss in Zone A right before the 2nd extend drop.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for safety and a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.
* '''Recovery:''' Triggering the auto-shield is not the end of the world as 1,000 to 5,000 counter value is a mere few large enemies. The most dire situation in Vacant Ark is to lose a life when your counter is close to max value. In most situations you might as well reset. But If you are close to getting an extend drop. Then a 2X Ratio will put you right back on track. High HP enemies such as the shell enemy, the large eel-like enemies with multiple parts in Zone A, the tunnel creepers during Zone B or the shrimp men at zone C are great recovery points. Learning how to deal with those enemies is important to scoring.
* '''Avoid surplus lives''': The bonus that is rewarded when collecting surplus lives is not worth it at all and should be avoided, unless the counter value is maxed out.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(3 to 4 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.
* Understand how to manipulate enemy/boss patterns. Goes without saying, in a general context this is a tip that works well in any shmup. But in Vacant Ark. Lining or hoarding up bullets is a good thing as it can help you recover without switching weapons. e.g. misdirecting the bullets so that they overlap later then using cannon to deal damage to boss but also cancel the overlapping bullets into gems.

== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a wave of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in. All zones start with no music but the closest resemblance is Zone A.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.

== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-03-23T09:20:01Z

Birb: /* Secret Extend */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life Gem will appear in the middle of the screen. Every 3 seconds it will cycle between a 2X Ratio and a Life gem then drift towards the player. '''This is how the Life Gem cycle would go: Life > Ratio > Life > Ratio > Disappear'''. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. If full lives is reached. An additional life item will give the player 10,000 points, indicated by the voice clip that says "BONUS" with the "10,000" text that displays when the life item is collected. 
[[File:BONUS.png|128px|thumb|center|BONUS]]
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three shields indicated by the Auto-Shield sound effect before you can defeat her(she dies the same way the player game overs). The pattern she will use can be identified by the position of her option(similar to the position of the players' option). But the pattern order is fixed anyways.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. Bosses can be dismantled. And these boss parts can increase the counter value too. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Using the Force weapon to erase bullets also has the same effect as grazing the options(despite that, it is still worth it to use force in the right situations especially in Abyss where the game gives you a lot of counter value to account for the loss). Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by a flat amount. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. The amount of value rewarded when collecting gem items is relative to how high the gem counter is. ''Note: There are some oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter. In Abyss, with the right optimizations and some RNG. You can reach max counter value during the section after the 2nd boss in Zone A right before the 2nd extend drop.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for safety and a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.
* '''Recovery:''' Triggering the auto-shield is not the end of the world as 1,000 to 5,000 counter value is a mere few large enemies. The most dire situation in Vacant Ark is to lose a life when your counter is close to max value. In most situations you might as well reset. But If you are close to getting an extend drop. Then a 2X Ratio will put you right back on track. High HP enemies such as the shell enemy, the large eel-like enemies with multiple parts in Zone A, the tunnel creepers during Zone B or the shrimp men at zone C are great recovery points. Learning how to deal with those enemies is important to scoring.
* '''Avoid surplus lives''': The bonus that is rewarded when collecting surplus lives is not worth it at all and should be avoided, unless the counter value is maxed out.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(3 to 4 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.
* Understand how to manipulate enemy/boss patterns. Goes without saying, in a general context this is a tip that works well in any shmup. But in Vacant Ark. Lining or hoarding up bullets is a good thing as it can help you recover without switching weapons. e.g. misdirecting the bullets so that they overlap later then using cannon to deal damage to boss but also cancel the overlapping bullets into gems.

== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a wave of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in. All zones start with no music but the closest resemblance is Zone A.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.

== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-03-22T22:16:01Z

Birb: /* General Tips */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life Gem will appear in the middle of the screen. Every 3 seconds it will cycle between a 2X Ratio and a Life gem then drift towards the player. '''This is how the Life Gem cycle would go: Life > Ratio > Life > Ratio > Disappear'''. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. If full lives is reached. An additional life item will give the player 10,000 points, indicated by the voice clip that says "BONUS" with the "10,000" text that displays when the life item is collected. 
[[File:BONUS.png|128px|thumb|center|BONUS]]
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. Bosses can be dismantled. And these boss parts can increase the counter value too. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Using the Force weapon to erase bullets also has the same effect as grazing the options(despite that, it is still worth it to use force in the right situations especially in Abyss where the game gives you a lot of counter value to account for the loss). Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by a flat amount. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. The amount of value rewarded when collecting gem items is relative to how high the gem counter is. ''Note: There are some oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter. In Abyss, with the right optimizations and some RNG. You can reach max counter value during the section after the 2nd boss in Zone A right before the 2nd extend drop.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for safety and a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.
* '''Recovery:''' Triggering the auto-shield is not the end of the world as 1,000 to 5,000 counter value is a mere few large enemies. The most dire situation in Vacant Ark is to lose a life when your counter is close to max value. In most situations you might as well reset. But If you are close to getting an extend drop. Then a 2X Ratio will put you right back on track. High HP enemies such as the shell enemy, the large eel-like enemies with multiple parts in Zone A, the tunnel creepers during Zone B or the shrimp men at zone C are great recovery points. Learning how to deal with those enemies is important to scoring.
* '''Avoid surplus lives''': The bonus that is rewarded when collecting surplus lives is not worth it at all and should be avoided, unless the counter value is maxed out.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(3 to 4 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.
* Understand how to manipulate enemy/boss patterns. Goes without saying, in a general context this is a tip that works well in any shmup. But in Vacant Ark. Lining or hoarding up bullets is a good thing as it can help you recover without switching weapons. e.g. misdirecting the bullets so that they overlap later then using cannon to deal damage to boss but also cancel the overlapping bullets into gems.

== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a wave of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in. All zones start with no music but the closest resemblance is Zone A.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.

== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-03-22T22:12:41Z

Birb: /* Scoring Strategy */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life Gem will appear in the middle of the screen. Every 3 seconds it will cycle between a 2X Ratio and a Life gem then drift towards the player. '''This is how the Life Gem cycle would go: Life > Ratio > Life > Ratio > Disappear'''. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. If full lives is reached. An additional life item will give the player 10,000 points, indicated by the voice clip that says "BONUS" with the "10,000" text that displays when the life item is collected. 
[[File:BONUS.png|128px|thumb|center|BONUS]]
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. Bosses can be dismantled. And these boss parts can increase the counter value too. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Using the Force weapon to erase bullets also has the same effect as grazing the options(despite that, it is still worth it to use force in the right situations especially in Abyss where the game gives you a lot of counter value to account for the loss). Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by a flat amount. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. The amount of value rewarded when collecting gem items is relative to how high the gem counter is. ''Note: There are some oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter. In Abyss, with the right optimizations and some RNG. You can reach max counter value during the section after the 2nd boss in Zone A right before the 2nd extend drop.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for safety and a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.
* '''Recovery:''' Triggering the auto-shield is not the end of the world as 1,000 to 5,000 counter value is a mere few large enemies. The most dire situation in Vacant Ark is to lose a life when your counter is close to max value. In most situations you might as well reset. But If you are close to getting an extend drop. Then a 2X Ratio will put you right back on track. High HP enemies such as the shell enemy, the large eel-like enemies with multiple parts in Zone A, the tunnel creepers during Zone B or the shrimp men at zone C are great recovery points. Learning how to deal with those enemies is important to scoring.
* '''Avoid surplus lives''': The bonus that is rewarded when collecting surplus lives is not worth it at all and should be avoided, unless the counter value is maxed out.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(3 to 4 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.

== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a wave of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in. All zones start with no music but the closest resemblance is Zone A.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.

== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-03-22T22:10:32Z

Birb: /* Scoring */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life Gem will appear in the middle of the screen. Every 3 seconds it will cycle between a 2X Ratio and a Life gem then drift towards the player. '''This is how the Life Gem cycle would go: Life > Ratio > Life > Ratio > Disappear'''. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. If full lives is reached. An additional life item will give the player 10,000 points, indicated by the voice clip that says "BONUS" with the "10,000" text that displays when the life item is collected. 
[[File:BONUS.png|128px|thumb|center|BONUS]]
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. Bosses can be dismantled. And these boss parts can increase the counter value too. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Using the Force weapon to erase bullets also has the same effect as grazing the options(despite that, it is still worth it to use force in the right situations especially in Abyss where the game gives you a lot of counter value to account for the loss). Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by a flat amount. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. The amount of value rewarded when collecting gem items is relative to how high the gem counter is. ''Note: There are some oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter. In Abyss, with the right optimizations and some RNG. You can reach max counter value during the section after the 2nd boss in Zone A right before the 2nd extend drop.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.
* '''Recovery:''' Triggering the auto-shield is not the end of the world as 3,000 counter value is a mere few large enemies. The most dire situation in Vacant Ark is to lose a life when your counter is close to max value. In most situations you might as well reset. But If you are close to getting an extend drop. Then a 2X Ratio will put you right back on track. High HP enemies such as the shell enemy, the large eel-like enemies with multiple parts in Zone A, the tunnel creepers during Zone B or the shrimp men at zone C are great recovery points. Learning how to deal with those enemies is important to scoring.
* '''Surplus Lives''': The bonus that is rewarded when collecting surplus lives is not worth it at all and should be avoided, unless the counter value is maxed out.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(3 to 4 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.

== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a wave of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in. All zones start with no music but the closest resemblance is Zone A.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.

== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-03-22T22:09:31Z

Birb: /* Extend/2X Ratio */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life Gem will appear in the middle of the screen. Every 3 seconds it will cycle between a 2X Ratio and a Life gem then drift towards the player. '''This is how the Life Gem cycle would go: Life > Ratio > Life > Ratio > Disappear'''. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. If full lives is reached. An additional life item will give the player 10,000 points, indicated by the voice clip that says "BONUS" with the "10,000" text that displays when the life item is collected. 
[[File:BONUS.png|128px|thumb|center|BONUS]]
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Using the Force weapon to erase bullets also has the same effect as grazing the options(despite that, it is still worth it to use force in the right situations especially in Abyss where the game gives you a lot of counter value to account for the loss). Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by a flat amount. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. The amount of value rewarded when collecting gem items is relative to how high the gem counter is. ''Note: There are some oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter. In Abyss, with the right optimizations and some RNG. You can reach max counter value during the section after the 2nd boss in Zone A right before the 2nd extend drop.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.
* '''Recovery:''' Triggering the auto-shield is not the end of the world as 3,000 counter value is a mere few large enemies. The most dire situation in Vacant Ark is to lose a life when your counter is close to max value. In most situations you might as well reset. But If you are close to getting an extend drop. Then a 2X Ratio will put you right back on track. High HP enemies such as the shell enemy, the large eel-like enemies with multiple parts in Zone A, the tunnel creepers during Zone B or the shrimp men at zone C are great recovery points. Learning how to deal with those enemies is important to scoring.
* '''Surplus Lives''': The bonus that is rewarded when collecting surplus lives is not worth it at all and should be avoided, unless the counter value is maxed out.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(3 to 4 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.

== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a wave of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in. All zones start with no music but the closest resemblance is Zone A.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.

== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-03-22T21:03:14Z

Birb: /* Scoring Strategy */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life Gem will appear in the middle of the screen. Every 3 seconds it will cycle between a 2X Ratio and a Life gem. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. If full lives is reached. An additional life item will give the player 10,000 points, indicated by the voice clip that says "BONUS" with the "10,000" text that displays when the life item is collected. 
[[File:BONUS.png|128px|thumb|center|BONUS]]
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Using the Force weapon to erase bullets also has the same effect as grazing the options(despite that, it is still worth it to use force in the right situations especially in Abyss where the game gives you a lot of counter value to account for the loss). Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by a flat amount. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. The amount of value rewarded when collecting gem items is relative to how high the gem counter is. ''Note: There are some oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter. In Abyss, with the right optimizations and some RNG. You can reach max counter value during the section after the 2nd boss in Zone A right before the 2nd extend drop.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.
* '''Recovery:''' Triggering the auto-shield is not the end of the world as 3,000 counter value is a mere few large enemies. The most dire situation in Vacant Ark is to lose a life when your counter is close to max value. In most situations you might as well reset. But If you are close to getting an extend drop. Then a 2X Ratio will put you right back on track. High HP enemies such as the shell enemy, the large eel-like enemies with multiple parts in Zone A, the tunnel creepers during Zone B or the shrimp men at zone C are great recovery points. Learning how to deal with those enemies is important to scoring.
* '''Surplus Lives''': The bonus that is rewarded when collecting surplus lives is not worth it at all and should be avoided, unless the counter value is maxed out.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(3 to 4 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.

== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a wave of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in. All zones start with no music but the closest resemblance is Zone A.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.

== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-03-22T21:03:01Z

Birb: /* Scoring */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life Gem will appear in the middle of the screen. Every 3 seconds it will cycle between a 2X Ratio and a Life gem. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. If full lives is reached. An additional life item will give the player 10,000 points, indicated by the voice clip that says "BONUS" with the "10,000" text that displays when the life item is collected. 
[[File:BONUS.png|128px|thumb|center|BONUS]]
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Using the Force weapon to erase bullets also has the same effect as grazing the options(despite that, it is still worth it to use force in the right situations especially in Abyss where the game gives you a lot of counter value to account for the loss). Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by a flat amount. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. The amount of value rewarded when collecting gem items is relative to how high the gem counter is. ''Note: There are some oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter. In Abyss, with the right optimizations and some RNG. You can reach max counter value during the section after the 2nd boss in Zone A right before the 2nd extend drop.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.
* '''Recovery:''' Triggering the auto-shield is not the end of the world as 3,000 counter value is a mere few large enemies. The most dire situation in Vacant Ark is to lose a life when your counter is close to max value. In most situations you might as well reset. But If you are close to getting an extend drop. Then a 2X Ratio will put you right back on track. High HP enemies such as the shell enemy, the large eel-like enemies with multiple parts in Zone A, the tunnel creepers during Zone B or the shrimp men at zone C are great recovery points. Learning how to deal with those enemies is important to scoring.
'''Surplus Lives''': The bonus that is rewarded when collecting surplus lives is not worth it at all and should be avoided, unless the counter value is maxed out.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(3 to 4 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.

== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a wave of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in. All zones start with no music but the closest resemblance is Zone A.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.

== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-03-22T21:00:36Z

Birb: /* Extend/2X Ratio */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life Gem will appear in the middle of the screen. Every 3 seconds it will cycle between a 2X Ratio and a Life gem. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. If full lives is reached. An additional life item will give the player 10,000 points, indicated by the voice clip that says "BONUS" with the "10,000" text that displays when the life item is collected. 
[[File:BONUS.png|128px|thumb|center|BONUS]]
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Using the Force weapon to erase bullets also has the same effect as grazing the options(despite that, it is still worth it to use force in the right situations especially in Abyss where the game gives you a lot of counter value to account for the loss). Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by a flat amount. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. The amount of value rewarded when collecting gem items is relative to how high the gem counter is. ''Note: There are some oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter. In Abyss, with the right optimizations and some RNG. You can reach max counter value during the section after the 2nd boss in Zone A right before the 2nd extend drop.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.
* '''Recovery:''' Triggering the auto-shield is not the end of the world as 3,000 counter value is a mere few large enemies. The most dire situation in Vacant Ark is to lose a life when your counter is close to max value. In most situations you might as well reset. But If you are close to getting an extend drop. Then a 2X Ratio will put you right back on track. High HP enemies such as the shell enemy, the large eel-like enemies with multiple parts in Zone A, the tunnel creepers during Zone B or the shrimp men at zone C are great recovery points. Learning how to deal with those enemies is important to scoring.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(3 to 4 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.

== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a wave of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in. All zones start with no music but the closest resemblance is Zone A.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.

== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-03-20T17:43:40Z

Birb: /* Extend/2X Ratio */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life item will appear in the middle of the screen. After a few seconds it will change to a 2X ratio item and drift towards the player. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. If full lives is reached. An additional life item will give the player 10,000 points, indicated by the voice clip that says "BONUS" with the "10,000" text that displays when the life item is collected. 
[[File:BONUS.png|128px|thumb|center|BONUS]]
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Using the Force weapon to erase bullets also has the same effect as grazing the options(despite that, it is still worth it to use force in the right situations especially in Abyss where the game gives you a lot of counter value to account for the loss). Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by a flat amount. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. The amount of value rewarded when collecting gem items is relative to how high the gem counter is. ''Note: There are some oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter. In Abyss, with the right optimizations and some RNG. You can reach max counter value during the section after the 2nd boss in Zone A right before the 2nd extend drop.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.
* '''Recovery:''' Triggering the auto-shield is not the end of the world as 3,000 counter value is a mere few large enemies. The most dire situation in Vacant Ark is to lose a life when your counter is close to max value. In most situations you might as well reset. But If you are close to getting an extend drop. Then a 2X Ratio will put you right back on track. High HP enemies such as the shell enemy, the large eel-like enemies with multiple parts in Zone A, the tunnel creepers during Zone B or the shrimp men at zone C are great recovery points. Learning how to deal with those enemies is important to scoring.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(3 to 4 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.

== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a wave of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in. All zones start with no music but the closest resemblance is Zone A.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.

== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-03-20T17:43:16Z

Birb: /* Extend/2X Ratio */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life item will appear in the middle of the screen. After a few seconds it will change to a 2X ratio item and drift towards the player. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. If full lives is reached. An additional life item will give the player 10,000 points, indicated by the voice clip that says "BONUS" with the "10,000" text on screen 
[[File:BONUS.png|128px|thumb|center|BONUS]]
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Using the Force weapon to erase bullets also has the same effect as grazing the options(despite that, it is still worth it to use force in the right situations especially in Abyss where the game gives you a lot of counter value to account for the loss). Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by a flat amount. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. The amount of value rewarded when collecting gem items is relative to how high the gem counter is. ''Note: There are some oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter. In Abyss, with the right optimizations and some RNG. You can reach max counter value during the section after the 2nd boss in Zone A right before the 2nd extend drop.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.
* '''Recovery:''' Triggering the auto-shield is not the end of the world as 3,000 counter value is a mere few large enemies. The most dire situation in Vacant Ark is to lose a life when your counter is close to max value. In most situations you might as well reset. But If you are close to getting an extend drop. Then a 2X Ratio will put you right back on track. High HP enemies such as the shell enemy, the large eel-like enemies with multiple parts in Zone A, the tunnel creepers during Zone B or the shrimp men at zone C are great recovery points. Learning how to deal with those enemies is important to scoring.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(3 to 4 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.

== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a wave of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in. All zones start with no music but the closest resemblance is Zone A.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.

== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

File:BONUS.png

2026-03-20T17:40:42Z

Birb:

Vacant Ark

2026-03-07T12:00:24Z

Birb: /* Scoring */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life item will appear in the middle of the screen. After a few seconds it will change to a 2X ratio item and drift towards the player. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. 
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Using the Force weapon to erase bullets also has the same effect as grazing the options(despite that, it is still worth it to use force in the right situations especially in Abyss where the game gives you a lot of counter value to account for the loss). Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by a flat amount. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. The amount of value rewarded when collecting gem items is relative to how high the gem counter is. ''Note: There are some oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter. In Abyss, with the right optimizations and some RNG. You can reach max counter value during the section after the 2nd boss in Zone A right before the 2nd extend drop.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.
* '''Recovery:''' Triggering the auto-shield is not the end of the world as 3,000 counter value is a mere few large enemies. The most dire situation in Vacant Ark is to lose a life when your counter is close to max value. In most situations you might as well reset. But If you are close to getting an extend drop. Then a 2X Ratio will put you right back on track. High HP enemies such as the shell enemy, the large eel-like enemies with multiple parts in Zone A, the tunnel creepers during Zone B or the shrimp men at zone C are great recovery points. Learning how to deal with those enemies is important to scoring.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(3 to 4 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.

== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a wave of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in. All zones start with no music but the closest resemblance is Zone A.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.

== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark/Video Index

2026-02-24T11:44:48Z

Birb: /* Abyss */

== Shallow ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|}
== Middle ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 97,825,370
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/JBgzJwQUjd8 Youtube]
| Middle World Record.
|-
| birb
| 87,589,200
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/YrCawAPolXo Youtube]
| Score display bug.
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 67,790,120
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/oDE_VJwsLQs Youtube]
|
|-
| IcarusFW
| 44,136,270
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/0gMS1q0CaDk Youtube]
|}

== Deep ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 104,176,610
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/Nc-tAalJlRU Youtube]
| Deep World Record
|-
| 土用のうなぎ
| 55,928,630
| ALL
| [https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm28458609 Nicovideo]
|
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 55,567,360
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/RClZ6BQKfJs Youtube]
|
|-
| birb
| 30,854,440
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/hQ0V_oxkUT4 Youtube]
|
|}

== Abyss ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 107,094,030
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/cELkL66bjio Youtube]
| Abyss World Record.
|-
| しもうた
| 96,319,040
| ALL
| [https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm3230379 Nico 1] [https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm3230901 2]
|
|-
| birb
| 87,799,390
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/jhYCpLuQniI Youtube]
|
|-
| birb
| 85,891,920
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/MAa63ZQGNKE Youtube]
|
|-
| birb
| 79,157,570
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/8E-4-xYWUZY Youtube]
| Score display bug.
|-
| うえおみあ
| 77,138,600
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/7SayOq_rTDA Youtube]
| Score display bug.
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 60,205,620
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/LHQ1PEYBs40 Youtube]
|
|-
| tome_narubi
| 35,261,240
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/aafeZy1qmFk Youtube]
|
|}

Vacant Ark/Video Index

2026-02-22T16:52:57Z

Birb:

== Shallow ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|}
== Middle ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 97,825,370
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/JBgzJwQUjd8 Youtube]
| Middle World Record.
|-
| birb
| 87,589,200
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/YrCawAPolXo Youtube]
| Score display bug.
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 67,790,120
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/oDE_VJwsLQs Youtube]
|
|-
| IcarusFW
| 44,136,270
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/0gMS1q0CaDk Youtube]
|}

== Deep ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 104,176,610
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/Nc-tAalJlRU Youtube]
| Deep World Record
|-
| 土用のうなぎ
| 55,928,630
| ALL
| [https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm28458609 Nicovideo]
|
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 55,567,360
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/RClZ6BQKfJs Youtube]
|
|-
| birb
| 30,854,440
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/hQ0V_oxkUT4 Youtube]
|
|}

== Abyss ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| しもうた
| 96,319,040
| ALL
| [https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm3230379 Nico 1] [https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm3230901 2]
| Abyss World Record.
|-
| birb
| 87,799,390
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/jhYCpLuQniI Youtube]
|
|-
| birb
| 85,891,920
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/MAa63ZQGNKE Youtube]
|
|-
| birb
| 79,157,570
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/8E-4-xYWUZY Youtube]
| Score display bug.
|-
| うえおみあ
| 77,138,600
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/7SayOq_rTDA Youtube]
| Score display bug.
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 60,205,620
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/LHQ1PEYBs40 Youtube]
|
|-
| tome_narubi
| 35,261,240
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/aafeZy1qmFk Youtube]
|
|}

Vacant Ark

2026-02-22T08:41:07Z

Birb: /* Trivia */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life item will appear in the middle of the screen. After a few seconds it will change to a 2X ratio item and drift towards the player. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. 
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Using the Force weapon to erase bullets also has the same effect as grazing the options(despite that, it is still worth it to use force in the right situations especially in Abyss where the game gives you a lot of counter value to account for the loss). Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by 3,000. Subsequent triggers within a short time will decrease the counter by 2,000 then by 1,000. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. The amount of value rewarded when collecting gem items is relative to how high the gem counter is. ''Note: There are some oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter. In Abyss, with the right optimizations and some RNG. You can reach max counter value during the section after the 2nd boss in Zone A right before the 2nd extend drop.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.
* '''Recovery:''' Triggering the auto-shield is not the end of the world as 3,000 counter value is a mere few large enemies. The most dire situation in Vacant Ark is to lose a life when your counter is close to max value. In most situations you might as well reset. But If you are close to getting an extend drop. Then a 2X Ratio will put you right back on track. High HP enemies such as the shell enemy, the large eel-like enemies with multiple parts in Zone A, the tunnel creepers during Zone B or the shrimp men at zone C are great recovery points. Learning how to deal with those enemies is important to scoring.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(3 to 4 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.

== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a wave of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in. All zones start with no music but the closest resemblance is Zone A.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.

== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-02-22T08:39:04Z

Birb: /* General Tips */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life item will appear in the middle of the screen. After a few seconds it will change to a 2X ratio item and drift towards the player. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. 
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Using the Force weapon to erase bullets also has the same effect as grazing the options(despite that, it is still worth it to use force in the right situations especially in Abyss where the game gives you a lot of counter value to account for the loss). Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by 3,000. Subsequent triggers within a short time will decrease the counter by 2,000 then by 1,000. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. The amount of value rewarded when collecting gem items is relative to how high the gem counter is. ''Note: There are some oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter. In Abyss, with the right optimizations and some RNG. You can reach max counter value during the section after the 2nd boss in Zone A right before the 2nd extend drop.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.
* '''Recovery:''' Triggering the auto-shield is not the end of the world as 3,000 counter value is a mere few large enemies. The most dire situation in Vacant Ark is to lose a life when your counter is close to max value. In most situations you might as well reset. But If you are close to getting an extend drop. Then a 2X Ratio will put you right back on track. High HP enemies such as the shell enemy, the large eel-like enemies with multiple parts in Zone A, the tunnel creepers during Zone B or the shrimp men at zone C are great recovery points. Learning how to deal with those enemies is important to scoring.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(3 to 4 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.

== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a few waves of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.
== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-02-22T08:37:30Z

Birb: /* Scoring Strategy */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life item will appear in the middle of the screen. After a few seconds it will change to a 2X ratio item and drift towards the player. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. 
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Using the Force weapon to erase bullets also has the same effect as grazing the options(despite that, it is still worth it to use force in the right situations especially in Abyss where the game gives you a lot of counter value to account for the loss). Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by 3,000. Subsequent triggers within a short time will decrease the counter by 2,000 then by 1,000. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. The amount of value rewarded when collecting gem items is relative to how high the gem counter is. ''Note: There are some oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter. In Abyss, with the right optimizations and some RNG. You can reach max counter value during the section after the 2nd boss in Zone A right before the 2nd extend drop.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.
* '''Recovery:''' Triggering the auto-shield is not the end of the world as 3,000 counter value is a mere few large enemies. The most dire situation in Vacant Ark is to lose a life when your counter is close to max value. In most situations you might as well reset. But If you are close to getting an extend drop. Then a 2X Ratio will put you right back on track. High HP enemies such as the shell enemy, the large eel-like enemies with multiple parts in Zone A, the tunnel creepers during Zone B or the shrimp men at zone C are great recovery points. Learning how to deal with those enemies is important to scoring.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(2 to 3 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.
== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a few waves of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.
== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-02-22T08:36:24Z

Birb: /* Scoring */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life item will appear in the middle of the screen. After a few seconds it will change to a 2X ratio item and drift towards the player. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. 
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Using the Force weapon to erase bullets also has the same effect as grazing the options(despite that, it is still worth it to use force in the right situations especially in Abyss where the game gives you a lot of counter value to account for the loss). Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by 3,000. Subsequent triggers within a short time will decrease the counter by 2,000 then by 1,000. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. The amount of value rewarded when collecting gem items is relative to how high the gem counter is. ''Note: There are some oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter. In Abyss, with the right optimizations and some RNG. You can reach max counter value during the section after the 2nd boss in Zone A.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.
* '''Recovery:''' Triggering the auto-shield is not the end of the world as 3,000 counter value is a mere few large enemies. The most dire situation in Vacant Ark is to lose a life when your counter is close to max value. In most situations you might as well reset. But If you are close to getting an extend drop. Then a 2X Ratio will put you right back on track. High HP enemies such as the shell enemy, the large eel-like enemies with multiple parts in Zone A, the tunnel creepers during Zone B or the shrimp men at zone C are great recovery points. Learning how to deal with those enemies is important to scoring.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(2 to 3 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.
== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a few waves of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.
== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-02-22T08:17:44Z

Birb: /* Weapons */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets while traveling but have a thin hitbox. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a melee range Force field that erases bullets. Destroying enemies with Force turns them into a large explosion while bullets erased turn into small explosion. Those explosions have the same effect as Force, causing a chain reaction of explosions. In vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}

== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life item will appear in the middle of the screen. After a few seconds it will change to a 2X ratio item and drift towards the player. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. 
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by 3,000. Subsequent triggers within a short time will decrease the counter by 2,000 then by 1,000. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. When collecting the Gems the score rewarded is gem counter * 10. ''Note: There are some other oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(2 to 3 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.
== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a few waves of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.
== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark/Video Index

2026-02-21T20:13:42Z

Birb:

== Shallow ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|}
== Middle ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 97,825,370
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/JBgzJwQUjd8 Youtube]
| Middle World Record.
|-
| birb
| 87,589,200
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/YrCawAPolXo Youtube]
| Score display bug.
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 67,790,120
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/oDE_VJwsLQs Youtube]
|
|-
| IcarusFW
| 44,136,270
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/0gMS1q0CaDk Youtube]
|}

== Deep ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 104,176,610
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/Nc-tAalJlRU Youtube]
| Deep World Record
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 55,567,360
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/RClZ6BQKfJs Youtube]
|
|-
| birb
| 30,854,440
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/hQ0V_oxkUT4 Youtube]
|
|}

== Abyss ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 87,799,390
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/jhYCpLuQniI Youtube]
| Abyss World Record.
|-
| birb
| 85,891,920
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/MAa63ZQGNKE Youtube]
|
|-
| birb
| 79,157,570
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/8E-4-xYWUZY Youtube]
| Score display bug.
|-
| うえおみあ
| 77,138,600
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/7SayOq_rTDA Youtube]
| Score display bug.
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 60,205,620
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/LHQ1PEYBs40 Youtube]
|
|-
| tome_narubi
| 35,261,240
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/aafeZy1qmFk Youtube]
|
|}

Vacant Ark

2026-02-18T22:29:15Z

Birb: /* Bugs */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets on the way. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with zakos and other low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a close range Force-field that erases bullets and turns them into small explosions. Those small explosions can turn other bullets into more explosions thus causing a chain reaction. In a vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}
== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life item will appear in the middle of the screen. After a few seconds it will change to a 2X ratio item and drift towards the player. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. 
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by 3,000. Subsequent triggers within a short time will decrease the counter by 2,000 then by 1,000. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. When collecting the Gems the score rewarded is gem counter * 10. ''Note: There are some other oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will sometimes display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.

== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(2 to 3 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.
== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a few waves of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.
== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-02-18T22:28:15Z

Birb: /* Scoring */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets on the way. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with zakos and other low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a close range Force-field that erases bullets and turns them into small explosions. Those small explosions can turn other bullets into more explosions thus causing a chain reaction. In a vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}
== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life item will appear in the middle of the screen. After a few seconds it will change to a 2X ratio item and drift towards the player. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. 
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25,600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by 3,000. Subsequent triggers within a short time will decrease the counter by 2,000 then by 1,000. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. When collecting the Gems the score rewarded is gem counter * 10. ''Note: There are some other oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it while focusing on speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The calculation is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

=== Scoring Strategy ===
* '''Max out gem counter:''' This is very important as gems become lucrative throughout the whole run given the player never loses a life. Avoid collecting gems manually early on for optimization. Only 2 Double Ratio's are needed to reach +25,600 counter.
* '''Max out lives:''' Once you finish maxing out the gem counter, make sure to go for lives for a better clear bonus.
* '''Speedkilling:''' It's very easy to get overwhelmed by enemy waves. Learning which enemy to go for and which weapon to use is important. Speedkilling bosses is as important too to minimize counter depletion. Especially since a high Gem Counter can reward a large clear bonus.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.
== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(2 to 3 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.
== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a few waves of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.
== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-02-18T22:16:06Z

Birb: /* Extend/2X Ratio */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets on the way. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with zakos and other low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a close range Force-field that erases bullets and turns them into small explosions. Those small explosions can turn other bullets into more explosions thus causing a chain reaction. In a vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}
== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life item will appear in the middle of the screen. After a few seconds it will change to a 2X ratio item and drift towards the player. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. 
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a guaranteed Life/2X Ratio. The red mermaid has three phases indicated by the position of her options which imitate the players weapon options mentioned previously.

== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by 3,000. Subsequent triggers within a short time will decrease the counter by 2,000 then by 1,000. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. When collecting the Gems the score rewarded is gem counter * 10. ''Note: There are some other oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it wilst speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems. Some bosses that come to mind are Zone B-3 boss and Zone C final boss first phase.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The formula is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.
== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(2 to 3 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.
== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a few waves of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.
== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-02-18T22:08:57Z

Birb: /* Items */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets on the way. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with zakos and other low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a close range Force-field that erases bullets and turns them into small explosions. Those small explosions can turn other bullets into more explosions thus causing a chain reaction. In a vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}
== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value. It also replenishes your ammo.
|}

== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life item will appear in the middle of the screen. Wait a couple of seconds and it will change to a 2X ratio item. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. 
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a Life/2X Ratio. The player has to use a mix of Cannon and Force weapons to defeat her before she runs away.
== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by 3,000. Subsequent triggers within a short time will decrease the counter by 2,000 then by 1,000. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. When collecting the Gems the score rewarded is gem counter * 10. ''Note: There are some other oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it wilst speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems. Some bosses that come to mind are Zone B-3 boss and Zone C final boss first phase.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The formula is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.
== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(2 to 3 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.
== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a few waves of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.
== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-02-18T09:40:27Z

Birb: /* Scoring */

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets on the way. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with zakos and other low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a close range Force-field that erases bullets and turns them into small explosions. Those small explosions can turn other bullets into more explosions thus causing a chain reaction. In a vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}
== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value.
|}
== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life item will appear in the middle of the screen. Wait a couple of seconds and it will change to a 2X ratio item. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. 
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a Life/2X Ratio. The player has to use a mix of Cannon and Force weapons to defeat her before she runs away.
== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Gem Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by 3,000. Subsequent triggers within a short time will decrease the counter by 2,000 then by 1,000. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. When collecting the Gems the score rewarded is gem counter * 10. ''Note: There are some other oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it wilst speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems. Some bosses that come to mind are Zone B-3 boss and Zone C final boss first phase.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The formula is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.
== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(2 to 3 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.
== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a few waves of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.
== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-02-18T09:40:12Z

Birb: Simplified the scoring section of the page to bullet points.

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets on the way. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with zakos and other low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a close range Force-field that erases bullets and turns them into small explosions. Those small explosions can turn other bullets into more explosions thus causing a chain reaction. In a vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}
== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value.
|}
== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life item will appear in the middle of the screen. Wait a couple of seconds and it will change to a 2X ratio item. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. 
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a Life/2X Ratio. The player has to use a mix of Cannon and Force weapons to defeat her before she runs away.
== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Fish Stone Counter.]]

* '''Gem Counter:''' The crux of Vacant Ark's score system. The counter increases when defeating enemies and bosses. The amount it increases scales with enemy size/HP and difficulty. e.g. Middle gives +500 for defeating bosses. But Abyss gives +1000. The counter's max value is +25600. The counter depletes passively and from other actions. Such as grinding the options on bullets, obstacles, or enemies. Collecting gems manually decreases the counter by 40 per item. Triggering Auto-Shield will decrease the counter by 3,000. Subsequent triggers within a short time will decrease the counter by 2,000 then by 1,000. Losing a life will decrease the counter by 50% of the current value.
* '''Gem items:''' Gems are essential for ammo replenishment and scoring. When collecting the Gems the score rewarded is gem counter * 10. ''Note: There are some other oddities with how gems are calculated. Which will be confirmed after much more in-depth analysis of the game's mechanics.''
* '''Bullet cancels:''' During some boss fights. All bullets on screen turn into gems. Though, it is difficult to time it wilst speedkilling the boss to minimize counter depletion.
* '''2X Ratio Gem:''' Obtaining this item will double your current counter value. With this item, it is possible to max out the counter as soon as Zone A-2.
* '''Boss milks:''' Rare in such a game as Vacant Ark. But possible. Using Force the player can damage the boss while at the same time turning a large cluster of bullets into Gems. Some bosses that come to mind are Zone B-3 boss and Zone C final boss first phase.
* '''Clear Bonus:''' The game calculates a clear bonus after finishing a run and displays it during the ending. The formula is ''(lives * 1,000,000) + (Counter * 1,000)''. Theoretically, the lives bonus can be as high as 6,000,000. It's impossible for the counter to be at max value when a clear occurs. So a lucrative bonus of 25,600,000 is not possible.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.
== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(2 to 3 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.
== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a few waves of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.
== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark/Video Index

2026-02-18T08:52:14Z

Birb: adjusted some scores with clear bonus in mind for runs where a certain bug occured that doesn't display the clear bonus + score.

== Shallow ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|}
== Middle ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 87,589,200
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/YrCawAPolXo Youtube]
| Middle World Record. Score display bug.
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 67,790,120
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/oDE_VJwsLQs Youtube]
|
|-
| IcarusFW
| 44,136,270
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/0gMS1q0CaDk Youtube]
|}

== Deep ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 55,567,360
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/RClZ6BQKfJs Youtube]
|
|-
| birb
| 30,854,440
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/hQ0V_oxkUT4 Youtube]
|
|}

== Abyss ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 85,891,920
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/MAa63ZQGNKE Youtube]
| Abyss World Record
|-
| birb
| 79,157,570
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/8E-4-xYWUZY Youtube]
| Score display bug.
|-
| うえおみあ
| 77,138,600
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/7SayOq_rTDA Youtube]
| Score display bug.
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 60,205,620
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/LHQ1PEYBs40 Youtube]
|
|-
| tome_narubi
| 35,261,240
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/aafeZy1qmFk Youtube]
|
|}

Vacant Ark

2026-02-17T23:33:51Z

Birb:

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets on the way. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with zakos and other low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a close range Force-field that erases bullets and turns them into small explosions. Those small explosions can turn other bullets into more explosions thus causing a chain reaction. In a vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}
== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value.
|}
== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life item will appear in the middle of the screen. Wait a couple of seconds and it will change to a 2X ratio item. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. 
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a Life/2X Ratio. The player has to use a mix of Cannon and Force weapons to defeat her before she runs away.
== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Fish Stone Counter.]]

Scoring in Vacant Ark is straight forward. It involves the Fish Gems and '''Gem Counter'''. Located under the ammo chamber on the top left. This counter increases when killing enemies/bosses and doubles in amount when collecting a '''2X Ratio Gem'''. What this counter entails is that the Fish Gem(base value at 10pts) is multiplied by the current counter value. The counter's max value is at +25600 and depletes slowly but freezes when a boss is defeated. The player should find the most efficient ways to defeat bosses as fast as possible to maintain a high counter value. In some situations the player can milk fish stones by using the Force weapon to erase a large cluster of bullets. In most milking situations, damage will be dealt via the chain explosions. Also worth mentioning is that most bosses have a bullet cancel after they're defeated. After the explosion animation a lot of Gems appear on screen for collection. After a run, the clear bonus is 1,000,000 per life + (Counter × 1,000). Keeping the counter and live count high gives a huge bonus after the clear. Theoretically from max lives the player could get 6,000,000 points. The counter is very inconsistent in how it depletes. But if it is kept above +15,000 for example. It will reward 15,000,000 from that alone. 

Other factors that can affect the counter is the option. While it does help in erasing bullets and produces tick points. Whenever the options come in contact with an obstacle, wall, enemy, or a bullet. The counter starts decreasing faster. It is highly encouraged to not use options for anything other than erasing a few bullets if the player wants to score. Triggering '''Auto-Sheild''' takes away a flat 3,000 from the counter. Subsequent Auto-Shields within a short time will cut the counter by 2,000, then 1,000. Losing a life takes away 50% of the counter.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will display the score before the clear bonus is applied. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.
== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(2 to 3 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.
== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a few waves of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.
== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark

2026-02-17T23:11:16Z

Birb: added a bugs section and estimation of clear bonus under scoring section

[[File:Valogo.GIF|frameless|center]]

'''Vacant Ark'''(ヴェイカント・アーク in Japanese) is a horizontal doujin shooter developed by '''[[Buster]]''' in 2005 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP using [https://vgmdb.net/product/14207 Shooting Tkool 95]. The game takes inspiration from past shooters such as [[Ikaruga]], [[Radiant Silvergun]], [[Darius]] and [[R-Type]] series with its atmospheric deep sea setting and option/weapon system. The game spans over 3 hadal zones. In addition, there are 4 difficulties. Practice, Easy, Normal, and Hard(dubbed Shallow, Middle, Deep, and Abyss respectively). The gameplay is somewhat novel. Boasting an interesting ammo system, demanding awareness and precise execution from the player.

{{VideoIndex}}
__TOC__
{{clear}}
== Controls ==
Just like many Windows games. Vacant Ark utilizes the keyboard for controls. 

* '''Arrow Keys:''' navigates the menu and moves the character.
* '''Shift/Enter/Space:''' Confirm button in the menu.
* '''Z:''' Shoots weapon currently equipped. No autofire.
* '''X:''' Cycles to the next weapon(Cannon > Riot > Force). There is a small delay before the player can cycle again. So learning the timing is important.

=== Other controls ===
* '''Q:''' Quits back to the title screen or resets score and skips to the next zone(not much is understood about this function, but killing an enemy and collecting a gem seems to consistently do the latter).
* '''F1: ''' Pauses the game. Game can be paused at any time.

== Gameplay ==
The player controls a Cyborg mermaid with 3 cycleable weapons and 6 ammo chambers. Each weapon use consumes 1 ammo. When the player doesn't shoot. An option spawns on a position depending on what weapon is currently equipped. If the player is out of ammo. Then a close range low-damaging weapon is shot instead. The player always starts with 3 lives and full ammo. Lives can be increased up to 6. If all lives are lost, then the game will end and the player will be brought back to the main menu. There are 4 different difficulties each with their differences. And the run consists of Zone A, B and C each with 4 subzones with the exception of Zone C, which consists of 1 enemy wave, 1 boss, and the final boss with 4 phases. 

=== Player hitbox ===
[[File:Hit.gif |128px]] 

The player hitbox is placed on the chest of the mermaid indicated by the white orb. Exact size is unconfirmed.
=== Auto-Shield ===

Getting hit by a bullet or an obstacle protects the player from losing a life but empties the ammunition. Getting hit with empty ammunition will take away one life.
== Weapons ==
It's important to note that every weapon fires in front of the player sprite and that the option position has nothing to do with where it fires. Rather, the options act as a shield that erases bullets and deals tick damage to enemies.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Weapon
! Option
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:Hpcan.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Cannon
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Front'''
| Shoots a fast single-targeting projectile. Deals a considerable amount of damage and has a fast fire-rate. The projectile can sometimes erase bullets on the way. Useful for bosses and high HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hprio.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Riot
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Orbit/Rolling'''
| Shoots a barrage of bubbles. Deals relatively low damage but can be used as a shotgun and it can be aimed by moving vertically. Slow fire-rate and has semi-piercing property. Useful for dealing with zakos and other low HP enemies.
|-
| [[File:Hpfor.GIF|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | Force
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Back'''
| Enchants a close range Force-field that erases bullets and turns them into small explosions. Those small explosions can turn other bullets into more explosions thus causing a chain reaction. In a vacuum the weapon deals moderate damage with a moderate fire-rate. In the right situations becomes more destructive than the Cannon.
|}
== Items ==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Icon
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| [[File:FishStone.png|32px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Fish Gem'''
| Acts as a score item and replenishes ammo. They are obtained by defeating an enemy, erasing bullets or after defeating a boss. Auto-collection of all gems on screen is done by cycling weapons.
|-
| [[File:Life2xratio.GIF|128px|center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Life/2X Ratio'''
|
* '''Life: '''A large red gem that increases your live count.
* '''2X Ratio: '''A large blue gem that doubles your '''Gem Counter''' value.
|}
== Extend/2X Ratio ==
After killing enough enemies. A tune will play and a Life item will appear in the middle of the screen. Wait a couple of seconds and it will change to a 2X ratio item. How close the player is to getting this item is indicated by a thin red bar under the live count on the top right which only increases by defeating enemies. 
=== Secret Extend ===
[[File:Redmermaid.png|128px|thumb|center|The red mermaid during Zone C]]

Upon defeating the red mermaid during Zone C. The player will be rewarded with a Life/2X Ratio. The player has to use a mix of Cannon and Force weapons to defeat her before she runs away.
== Difficulties ==
[[File:VaModeselect.png|thumb|center|Difficulty select]]
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Name
! style="text-align:left;" | Description
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Shallow'''
| A trail mode of sorts, spawns a Gem every couple of seconds. The run ends after the first zone. The Q key can still access different zones.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Middle'''
| Easy mode, no revenge bullets. Overall slightly easier patterns and less aggressive enemies.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Deep'''
| Normal mode, minimal revenge bullets.
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Abyss'''
| Hard mode, Lots of revenge bullets. Most enemies shoot back bullets instead of rewarding Gems. Some enemies/bosses are more aggressive. 
|}

Because of revenge bullets in higher difficulties. The Riot weapon becomes a liability because it can put the player in danger. Thus, Force becomes essential especially on Abyss.

== Scoring ==
[[File:ammocounter.png|128px|thumb|center|Ammo and Fish Stone Counter.]]

Scoring in Vacant Ark is straight forward. It involves the Fish Gems and '''Gem Counter'''. Located under the ammo chamber on the top left. This counter increases when killing enemies/bosses and doubles in amount when collecting a '''2X Ratio Gem'''. What this counter entails is that the Fish Gem(base value at 10pts) is multiplied by the current counter value. The counter's max value is at +25600 and depletes slowly but freezes when a boss is defeated. The player should find the most efficient ways to defeat bosses as fast as possible to maintain a high counter value. In some situations the player can milk fish stones by using the Force weapon to erase a large cluster of bullets. In most milking situations, damage will be dealt via the chain explosions. Also worth mentioning is that most bosses have a bullet cancel after they're defeated. After the explosion animation a lot of Gems appear on screen for collection. After a run, the clear bonus is estimated to be 2,500,000 for every life at the top right. Summing up to about 15,000,000 points obtained if the player clears the game with max lives. 

Other factors that can affect the counter is the option. While it does help in erasing bullets and produces tick points. Whenever the options come in contact with an obstacle, wall, enemy, or a bullet. The counter starts decreasing faster. It is highly encouraged to not use options for anything other than erasing a few bullets if the player wants to score. Triggering '''Auto-Sheild''' takes away a flat 3,000 from the counter. Subsequent Auto-Shields within a short time will cut the counter by 2,000, then 1,000. Losing a life takes away 50% of the counter.

== Bugs ==
* End score display: After a run, the displayed score at the top of the screen in the main menu will display the score before the clear bonus is given. The actual clear bonus is displayed during the ending. If the player uses the Q button during a session. The score displayed during the ending will show '00'.
== General Tips ==
* Use the '''Shallow''' difficulty as a means to get used to the game's systems.
* In most situations you don't want to use up all of your ammo. Keep 2 to 3 shots for a potential Force use to replenish your ammo.
* Taking down enemies is important for survival, as it inches you closer towards your next extend drop.
* Never use '''Riot''' in '''Abyss''' difficulty.
* Learn how to ''Cannon Force''. It's a combo in which you use cannon(2 to 3 shots) Switch to Force and use it on a cluster of bullets, rinse and repeat. Incredibly helpful during some bosses in Zone B with high health bullets.
== Trivia ==
* Zone A starts with no music and a few waves of zakos. The music starts later when the boss appears. Which might be a nod to [[G-Darius]] Zone α. The difference is Zone α's music eventually fades in.
* The Track for Zone B-1 and B-2 is called ''zunchacha~''. A homage to [[Taito]]'s house band Zuntata.
* [[Buster]] also made another game called [[Iwanaga]]. Taking inspiration from [[Treasure]]'s Sin and Punishment series.
== References ==

# The developer's [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/game.html website] contains 3 games free to download including [[Vacant Ark]].
# Vacant Ark's online [http://kerubin.web.fc2.com/va_manu/vamanual.html Manual].
# Primary info provided by [[Birb]].
# Files and images provided from the game's files.

Vacant Ark/Video Index

2026-02-17T20:55:35Z

Birb: /* Abyss */

== Shallow ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|}
== Middle ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 77,833,200
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/YrCawAPolXo Youtube]
| Middle World Record
|-
| birb
| 60,121,230
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/01TDORSdHPU Youtube]
|
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 52,593,120
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/oDE_VJwsLQs Youtube]
|
|-
| IcarusFW
| 44,136,270
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/0gMS1q0CaDk Youtube]
|}

== Deep ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 55,567,360
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/RClZ6BQKfJs Youtube]
|
|-
| birb
| 30,854,440
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/hQ0V_oxkUT4 Youtube]
|
|}

== Abyss ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 85,891,920
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/MAa63ZQGNKE Youtube]
| Abyss World Record
|-
| birb
| 75,172,570
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/8E-4-xYWUZY Youtube]
|
|-
| うえおみあ
| 70,370,600
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/7SayOq_rTDA Youtube]
|
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 60,205,620
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/LHQ1PEYBs40 Youtube]
|
|-
| tome_narubi
| 35,261,240
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/aafeZy1qmFk Youtube]
|
|}

Vacant Ark/Video Index

2026-02-17T20:53:37Z

Birb: /* Middle */

== Shallow ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|}
== Middle ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 77,833,200
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/YrCawAPolXo Youtube]
| Middle World Record
|-
| birb
| 60,121,230
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/01TDORSdHPU Youtube]
|
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 52,593,120
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/oDE_VJwsLQs Youtube]
|
|-
| IcarusFW
| 44,136,270
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/0gMS1q0CaDk Youtube]
|}

== Deep ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 55,567,360
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/RClZ6BQKfJs Youtube]
|
|-
| birb
| 30,854,440
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/hQ0V_oxkUT4 Youtube]
|
|}

== Abyss ==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:10%;" | Player
! style="width:10%;" | Score
! style="width:10%;" | Stage
! style="width:10%;" | Video
! style="width:40%;" | Comment
|-
| birb
| 75,172,570
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/8E-4-xYWUZY Youtube]
|
|-
| うえおみあ
| 70,370,600
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/7SayOq_rTDA Youtube]
|
|-
| Anonimo Unknown
| 60,205,620
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/LHQ1PEYBs40 Youtube]
|
|-
| tome_narubi
| 35,261,240
| ALL
| [https://youtu.be/aafeZy1qmFk Youtube]
|
|}

Vacant Ark

2026-02-14T10:00:46Z

Birb:

Vacant Ark

2026-02-14T03:51:06Z

Birb: added tips section, some keyword changes and grammer corrections.

Vacant Ark

2026-02-13T19:27:40Z

Birb: /* References */

Vacant Ark

2026-02-13T19:26:35Z

Birb:

Vacant Ark/Video Index

2026-02-13T19:13:55Z

Birb: /* Abyss */

Vacant Ark/Video Index

2026-02-13T11:20:37Z

Birb: /* Deep */

Vacant Ark/Video Index

2026-02-13T11:18:04Z

Birb: /* Middle */

Vacant Ark/Video Index

2026-02-13T11:12:48Z

Birb: /* Abyss */

Vacant Ark/Video Index

2026-02-13T11:03:11Z

Birb: Created page with "== Shallow == {| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width:100%;" |- ! style="width:10%;" | Player ! style="width:10%;" | Score ! style="width:10%;" | Stage ! style="wi..."

Vacant Ark

2026-02-13T11:00:15Z

Birb:

File:Ammocounter.png

2026-02-13T10:45:49Z

Birb:

File:Redmermaid.png

2026-02-13T10:35:42Z

Birb:

Vacant Ark

2026-02-12T13:20:50Z

Birb: Vacant Ark page. Never really made a page from scratch. So I'll organize and add more later.

File:VaModeselect.png

2026-02-12T12:56:44Z

Birb:

File:Life2xratio.GIF

2026-02-12T12:24:30Z

Birb: