“ | Great work, Henry! Now just get him to us and you'll get your life back!
|
„ |
― General Hubert Galeforce |
Relentless Bounty Hunter is one of the four different endings to Infiltrating the Airship.
After being captured by Captain Hubert Galeforce with the task of taking down the Toppat Clan for his pardon, Henry chases down the ringleader of the Toppat Clan, Reginald Copperbottom, while dealing with trouble from his Right Hand Man and the Toppats.
He completes the mission, captures Reginald and turns him over to the Government, in return Henry receives an official pardon forgiving his crimes.
Its auxiliary ending is "Rapidly Promoted Executive", sharing one single pathway up until the final choice scenario.
Plot
The pathway is kicked off by Henry Stickmin choosing to go after Reginald Copperbottom with help of the Cannon Ball.
Charles Calvin launches Henry inside the Cannon Ball towards the cockpit of the Airship. When the ball crashes into the cockpit, it completely knocks out Thomas Chestershire and Oldmin. Reginald runs away while the Right Hand Man tries to hold Henry off.
- [X] Laser - Henry fires a laser toward the Right Hand Man, but the force of the laser knocks him off of the airship. (Message: Newton's third law: one force is actually two forces, and they, uh, are the same but they're also different.) Yeahh...something like that.
- [X] Thruster - Henry tries to use a pair of thrusters on the ball, but the Right Hand Man shoots one of them and the ball goes out of control, tossing Henry into a wall. (Message: Yunno, I really expected you to go faster with those thrusters.)
- Chair - Henry uses a motorized chair to chase Reginald, and busts through the door after the Right Hand Man dives out of the way.
Henry enters the warehouse behind the cockpit, as the Right Hand Man alerts the other Toppats. While loading large pieces of coal, crane operator Herb Stokes detects Henry and prepares to crush him with the coal.
- [X] Timeout - If no option is chosen, Henry doesn't notice the giant piece of coal that falls on him, crushing and possibly killing him. (Message: Whoa! That thing was COAL-ossal!)
- [X] Spikes - Henry has the ball turn into a giant spike ball, and the spikes cause the ball to stop. However, the spikes fail to offer any protection against the coal, and Henry and the ball are crushed. (Message: I see you went with a defensive move. Good choice.)
- [X] Boost - Henry uses boosters on the ball to get past the coal, but hits a ramp near the door, knocking him out or killing him. (Message: Gotta go fast! (oh by the way there's a ramp to the door.))
- Eject - Henry ejects from the ball just before it is crushed and knocks down a door.
Henry continues the chase on foot down a hallway. Reginald tries to lose him by remotely shutting down the doors.[1]
- [X] Timeout - If no option is chosen, Henry slams into a door while running. (Message: Ok, Ok! No more quick time events. (How's your head, by the way?))
- [X] Metal Fist - Henry tries to destroy the door using metal fists, but he manages to only dent the door with the fist, while Henry himself groans in pain. (Message: I think it would've been cooler if you turned into a rhino. (Rhinos are difficult to draw .)[2]
- [X] Warp - Henry warps past the doors, but his mind cannot handle the effects of being warped. He successfully gets to the Clan Leader, but falls to the ground, frozen. (Message: Some are not mentally prepared enough for alternate dimensions.)
- Beans - Henry eats a can of beans and farts, which gives him the momentum he needs to make it past the doors in time.
However Henry goes so fast he breaks through a walkway and falls to the brig below, to the shock of Dave Panpa, while above him Reginald tries without success to open a door. Henry has to get back up to him.
- [X] Metal Bend - Henry tries to metal bend a piece of metal on the ground to lift him up, but instead ends up bending the ship engines' joints, causing them to lose power, and the ship crashes as a result. (Message: “You're a bender, Harry.” —Gandalf)
- [X] Robo Pants - Henry tries to wear a pair of mechanical trousers and walks up the wall with them, but once he gets up to the roof he falls. (Message: You forgot to wear the harness didn't you?)
- Rocket Jump - Henry uses a Rocket Launcher to get up to the platform via "Rocket Jump." This is oddly successful.
Reginald opens the door just in time and the chase continues. In the next room, the Right Hand Man catches up to them again and Henry has to fight him. There are two options. Both activate a minigame with four options on its own:
Option 1: Dirk - This option opens up a Final Fantasy-style screen. Henry has 495 health. From here, there are 4 available options.
- [X] Fight - Henry attacks the Right Hand Man, dealing a small amount damage to him. He then bombs and kills Henry. (Message: Out of all those options you chose Fight? How boring.)
- [X] Blitz - Henry uses Suplex and removes 645 health from the Right Hand Man successfully, but is killed by the Right Hand Man with a chain gun, taking 1337 damage. (Message: I thought for sure that would've done it.)
- [X] Magic - Henry calls for magic for one turn. The Right Hand Man casts Reflect on himself. Henry then casts fire on him, which was reflected back at Henry, killing him. (Message: Gee, that.. BackFIREd. (10/10 jokes here folks))
- Tools - Henry dons a white hockey mask and defeats the Right Hand Man with a chainsaw.
Option 2: Yo-Yo - This opens up an EarthBound-style game screen. Henry has 495 health and 98 PP. From here, there's also 4 available options.
- [X] Bash - Henry strikes the Right Hand Man with a Yo-Yo, dealing small damage, but Right Hand Man creates a shockwave that kills Henry. (Message: What did you expect hitting him with a yo-yo would do?)
- [X] PSI - Henry uses PSI Flash which makes the Right Hand Man start crying, but causes the Right Hand Man to fire a machine gun at him, killing Henry. (Message: I’d be crying if you flashed me too.)
- [X] Defend - Henry defends himself, but the Right Hand Man violently lashes out at Henry, killing him. (Message: “The best offense is a good defense.” -Somebody Unsuccessful)
- Goods - Henry fires a Multi-Bottle rocket and defeats the Right Hand Man.
Henry, after defeating the Right Hand Man, walks into a room with a massive gap in front of him (how Reginald crossed this gap is not shown).
- [X] Jet Boots - Henry uses Jet Boots to get across, but the boots are too heavy, causing him to stop mid-flight and fall into the gap. (Message: JetBoots production notes: find lighter material to construct boots out of)
- [X] Beef Up - Henry swallows some Beef Up, and his legs gain considerable strength, but they later explode from possible pressure. (Message: BeefUp! See results in up to eight seconds!)
- Glider - Henry gets across the gap using a Glider and proceeds to chase the Clan Leader.
Finally, Henry captures Reginald in the cargo bay. He opens the bay doors to bring his captive to the waiting helicopter, however, Reginald, impressed by Henry's achievement, surrenders the airship and leadership of the clan to Henry.
Now Henry has to choose between taking the offer or continuing his mission. There are four choices, two for each path Henry can take from here.
- Dummies - See “Rapidly Promoted Executive”.
- [X] Parachute - Henry jumps out with a parachute, holding Reginald; when the parachute opens, however, Reginald slips out of his hand, and falls to his death on the ground. Message: Butterfingers[3]
- [X] Missile - Henry fires a missile towards the helicopter. He misses, however, and Galeforce, in response, instructs Charles to return fire, in which he complies, and causes the airship to fall. Message: On second thought that might not have been such a good idea..
- Tank - Henry forces Reginald inside the tank and drives out of the airship while under attack. Charles chases the free-falling tank to the ground. The tank lands and both live without a single scratch.
Henry turns in Reginald to Galeforce and the military, and Charles provides him with a pardon document signed by president Jefferson Smithsonian. The game ends with Henry driving off into the desert with his newly acquired tank.[4]
Aftermath
- Toppat Leader Arrested - Reginald Copperbottom is absent from all four RBH pathways, with the Right Hand Man now leading the Toppats.
- Right Hand Man Defeated - RHM has been rebuilt as a cyborg and now wants to exact his revenge on Henry by having him either dead or captured. His plan goes through in the Free Man path.
- Tank Stolen - Henry is keeping the tank he stole from the Toppats in his garage. He would later use it to raid the Toppat Train in Capital Gains and Little Nest Egg.
- Pardoned by Government - Henry is cleared of all his charges and is now a government affiliate, although he only helps them if requested.
Relentless Bounty Hunter can be combined with Ghost Inmate to get Free Man, Convict Allies to get Capital Gains, Presumed Dead to get Little Nest Egg, and International Rescue Operative[5] to get Master Bounty Hunter.
Characters
- Henry Stickmin - Protagonist
- Captain Hubert Galeforce - Deuteragonist
- Rupert Price - Supporting character
- Charles Calvin - Tritagonist
- Reginald Copperbottom - Main antagonist
- Right Hand Man - Secondary antagonist
- Geoffrey Plumb
- Sledge MacRush
- Hanz Spearman
- Thomas Chestershire
- Oldmin
- Herb Stokes
- Dave Panpa
- Toppat Prisoner (Flash)
- Starman (Achievement, legacy version only)
- Cool Katie
- Benjamin Bourseious
- 3 Unknown Armed Toppats
- Matthew Norbert
- Two-Ton Tony
- Jefferson Smithsonian
- Shoop da Whoop
Italics indicate they only appear in this pathway, as well as its auxiliary ending, "Rapidly Promoted Executive." Note that Jefferson Smithsonian in the last scene only appears in this ending.
Locations
Music
Track | Composer/Artist | Notes |
---|---|---|
🎧 "Recruited" | PuffballsUnited | Opening theme for Infiltrating the Airship (Remastered) |
🎧 "Grim Melancholy" | HonorOfStyle | Opening theme for Infiltrating the Airship (Flash) |
🎧 "TCP - Elevator Music" | tijnn | "Look out for a guy in a big plastic ball-- no, no, I'm serious." (Flash) |
🎧 "Psychosis" | i9incher | Main theme for Henry's pursuit of Reginald Copperbottom. |
🎧 "The Decisive Battle"
|
Nobuo Uematsu | The Dirk battle theme. It is taken directly from Final Fantasy VI. (Flash) |
🎧 "The Conclusive Battle" | Ockeroid | The Dirk battle theme. It is based off of "The Decisive Battle". (Remastered) |
🎧 "Sanctuary Guardian"
|
Keiichi Suzuki, Hirokazu Tanaka | The Yo-Yo battle theme. It is taken directly from Earthbound. (Flash) |
🎧 "The Right Hand Man Attacks" | PuffballsUnited | The Yo-Yo battle theme. It is based off of "Sanctuary Guardian" (Remastered) |
[1] "Danger Wise"
|
Kman | Played when Henry catches Reginald Copperbottom in the Cargo Bay, (Flash) |
[2]"Grab Him" |
PuffballsUnited | Played when Henry catches Reginald Copperbottom in the Cargo Bay (Remastered) |
🎧 "Forgotten Worlds (Remas)" | CDPrMusic/Nightsung | Ending theme for the route. |
References
Isaac Newton
The fail message for the Laser option references Newtons Third Law of Motion: "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction."
Sonic X
The fail message for the Boost option references this famous line from Sonic X.
Donkey Kong Country
The Metal Fist was going to have Henry turn into a rhino from that game, but Puffballs didn't know how to draw or animate a rhino. This is referenced in the fail message.
Lego Racers
The Warp's appearance and function reference an item from this game.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Metal Bend is a skill in Avatar
Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings
Metal Bend's fail message is a reference to a famous joke in which people would intentionally misquote quotes and shove in wrong information. This message in particular references "You're a wizard, Harry." from Harry Potter, only Dumbledore is replaced with Gandalf from Lord of the Rings.
Wallace and Gromit
The Robo Pants are a reference to the Techno Trousers from Wallace and Gromit. They were even named that in the legacy version, but had to be changed in the remastered version for copyright reasons.
Team Fortress 2
The Rocket Launcher used during the Rocket Jump option is a stylized RPG-7 from this game.
The confrontation with Right Hand Man reference two games:
Final Fantasy
The Dirk leads into a Final Fantasy-esque fight scene with options very similar to the UI in those games.
Blitz is a special command exclusive to the character Sabin in Final Fantasy 6. Suplex, also called Meteor Smash, is one of Sabin's Blitz attacks.
Earthbound
The Yo-Yo triggers a fight scene and UI very similar to Earthbound.
PSI Flash is a reference to PK Flash, which can cause random status ailments on enemies. Crying enemies, like what happens to Right Hand Man, have reduced accuracy. Higher levels of PK flash can even kill enemies instantly, though this does not happen to RHM.
The Multi-Bottle Rocket is one of the most powerful items in Earthbound. Interestingly, its name was NOT changed for the remastered version, though this could be because Earthbound is not officially owned by Nintendo and therefore Puffballs cannot get sued by Nintendo for using that name.
Internet Slang
During the Blitz option, RHM deals 1337 damage to Henry. 1337 is a numbered form of "leet", which is short for "elite."
Friday the 13th
The mask Henry puts on during the Tools option looks very similar to the one Jason Vorhees wears.
Escaping the Prison
The Jet Boots were likely inspired by the Jetshoes option for Escaping the Prison, which were replaced by the Jetpack.
Fallout
Beef Up is likely a reference to Buffout from this franchise.
Pilotwings 64
The music played during the Glider option is from Pilotwings 64, though Puffballs made his own version of the track in the remastered version to avoid copyright.
Newgrounds
The Tank Henry drives at the end of this path is a reference to the famous Newgrounds tank, with Tankman on top. The Henry Stickmin games originated on Newgrounds.
Plot Holes
Captain Galeforce tells Henry that the Government has no evidence of the Toppats’ crimes, but they are still able to legally arrest Reginald at the end of this path despite this fact.
Trivia
- The Yo-Yo option says "The Right Hand Man attacked!", but he doesn't move first. If an enemy attacks you, they'd be first to attack in EarthBound.
- The pardon given to Henry was pre-written by the president, implying that the Government already believed that Henry would do the job right.
Extra
References
- ↑ If the code was entered in the keypad, Henry will go into a room and will get the Biggol Sword, leading to 'Biggol Sword' achievement.
- ↑ The latter sentence is unused in the Remastered version.
- ↑ If the word fingers is clicked, it will lead to Buttery Snack Achievement.
- ↑ Clicking on the sun during the ending will lead to "braaagghh" achievement.
- ↑ In The Henry Stickmin Collection, the player must unlock Government Supported Private Investigator or Relentless Bounty Hunter to unlock International Rescue Operative in Fleeing the Complex, otherwise, in the Phone a Friend screen the Government option remain locked. In that case, go back to Infiltrating the Airship, and complete the ending.
Ranks/Endings |
---|
Government Supported Private Investigator • Pure Blooded Thief • Relentless Bounty Hunter • Rapidly Promoted Executive |
Ghost Inmate • Convict Allies • Presumed Dead • International Rescue Operative • The Betrayed |
Toppat King • Cleaned 'em Out • Stickmin Space Resort • Little Nest Egg • Special BROvert Ops • Master Bounty Hunter • Jewel Baron • Valiant Hero • Free Man • Revenged • Toppat Civil Warfare • Pardoned Pals • Toppat Recruits • Capital Gains • Toppat 4 Life • Triple Threat Secret: Multiverse Correction |