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Description
With her path blocked by Bone Wolf, Dobinxette prepares to fight.

Bone Wolf is a unique boss in that it is broken up into a number of phases, and its body is divided into a number of segments. Due to its sheer size, only the front two segments will be on-screen and targetable. However, by destroying segments, Bone Wolf can be shortened, and once it is down to one segment, it will collapse from the strain, rendering the head vulnerable to being inhaled. If it is not, it will simply reassemble itself and heal all damage it has taken.

Once inhaled, the duo must battle and defeat the head, causing Dobinxette to spit it out. However, the battle does not end there, as Bone Wolf will fully reassemble itself, exposing its heart in the process. The heart segment must then be brought onto the screen and KO'd to finally end the battle.

On top of all of this, pairs of Fetches will periodically enter the battle. These enemies will heal Bone Wolf each turn, and will simply reassemble themselves when KO'd by Dobinxette, requiring her to inhale them and the duo to fight them to deal with them. Additionally, if they are in the battle when Bone Wolf collapses, they can be inhaled with the head, requiring the duo to fight them as well. In these circumstances, they can heal the head as well.

In the heart phase, Bone Wolf gains a second attack turn. Bone Wolf has several attacks.

Its first attack is to charge at Dobinxette, requiring her to punch it back, damaging the front-most section and causing Bone Wolf to raise it. Bone Wolf will charge again for each segment it has, until it is balancing on its rear segment. It will then fall on Dobinxette, requiring her to hit it away with an uppercut punch, damaging the hit segment in the process. If Bone Wolf is short enough, then she can hit the head by countering this attack, damaging it in the process. If a charge hits, it can trip, and if Dobinxette is hit by the fall, she can suffer the 'Dizzy' status effect. During the heart phase, Bone Wolf will charge faster and fall at varying speeds.

Its second attack is to run in clockwise circles around Dobinxette, requiring her to punch its front segment to knock it off course and end the attack, otherwise it will eventually turn around and charge into her, sending her flying and possibly tripping her on landing. While Bone Wolf is circling, she can punch the other segments to damage them, although they will not be destroyed until the attack has finished. During the heart phase, Bone Wolf will run faster and for a shorter duration, and will sometimes circle in the other direction.

Its third attack is to burrow into the ground and resurface in front of Dobinxette, requiring her to punch it back. Sometimes, it will resurface right in front of her, requiring her to duck under it as it passes, as it will be too close to punch. Alternatively, it will resurface further away from her, requiring her to hit it away with an uppercut punch, as it will try to dig down on top of her.

Its fourth attack is to charge at Dobinxette and try and trap her in one of its segments, requiring her to punch it away. If it traps her, she must rapidly struggle to free herself, as it will gradually leech HP from her onto its heart segment, possibly dealing her the 'Sick' and 'STAT-Down' status effects in the process. Bone Wolf can only use this attack during the heart phase.

While fighting the duo, Bone Wolf's head will gain feet, and has its own set of attacks.

Its first attack is to quickly leap at one of the duo and try to bite them, requiring them to hit it away with a hammer counter. If the bite hits, it can deal the 'Poisoned' status effect.

Its second attack is to try and inhale the duo. However, it is not strong enough to do so, so instead it will begin sucking in various items from the left. Spiky balls will roll at the duo, requiring them to jump over them. Bones will bounce at the duo, bouncing over their heads, requiring them to not jump. Sphinxy Snacks will heal the first character to touch them, meaning if the duo avoids the snack, it will heal Bone Wolf's head instead. If a character is hit by a ball or a bone, they will lose their balance and get inhaled by Bone Wolf, causing it to chew on them, leeching HP and deal the 'STAT-Down' status effect, before spitting the out.

Its third attack is to charge at one of the duo, requiring them to jump over or on it to avoid or counter. Sometimes, Bone Wolf will look up and gnash its teeth as it charges. If the target jumps on it in this state, they will instead take damage and possibly suffer the 'DEF-Down' status effect.

Fetches also have their own attacks while fighting the duo. They can attack by spitting their bones at the duo, requiring their targets to jump over the bones to avoid them. If there are two Fetches, they will both attack at the same time, and each Fetch's eyes will glow either grey or red to indicate their target. Sometimes the Fetches will target both of the duo, or both target the same character, and can spit at the same time or one after the other. Being hit by a bone can deal the 'STAT-Down' status effect.

Alternatively, a bone will be dangled behind one of the duo, causing a Fetch to rabidly chase after it, passing through the duo as it does, requiring the character in front of the bone to jump. The bone will then circle over the duo and the Fetch will follow it. The duo must only jump after the bone has passed but before the Fetch reaches them, otherwise they will jump into the bone and get hit both by it and the Fetch.

Once Bone Wolf is defeated, Dobinxette's path will be clear, and she will be able to leave Twilight Trail.

Another favourite boss of mine is Bone Wolf. For a regular boss, this guy is an absolute unit, especially in the remake, and his design is very much functional in terms of his gimmick, that being the segments and how they contribute to his attacks. In the remake, not that much is different. The attacks are all basically the same, with the only differences being minor changes and status effect changes.

Description
With her path blocked by Bone Wolf, Dobinxette prepares to fight.

Bone Wolf is a unique boss in that it is broken up into a number of phases, and its body is divided into a number of segments. Due to its sheer size, only the front two segments will be on-screen and targetable. However, by destroying segments, Bone Wolf can be shortened, and once it is down to one segment, it will collapse from the strain, rendering the head vulnerable to being inhaled. If it is not, it will simply reassemble itself and heal all damage it has taken.

Once inhaled, the duo must battle and defeat the head, causing Dobinxette to spit it out. However, the battle does not end there, as Bone Wolf will fully reassemble itself, exposing its heart in the process. The heart segment must then be brought onto the screen and KO'd to finally end the battle.

On top of all of this, pairs of Fetches will periodically enter the battle. These enemies will heal Bone Wolf each turn, and will simply reassemble themselves when KO'd by Dobinxette, requiring her to inhale them and the duo to fight them to deal with them. Additionally, if they are in the battle when Bone Wolf collapses, they can be inhaled with the head, requiring the duo to fight them as well. In these circumstances, they can heal the head as well.

In the heart phase, Bone Wolf gains a second attack turn. Bone Wolf has several attacks.

Its first attack is to charge at Dobinxette, requiring her to punch it back, damaging the front-most section and causing Bone Wolf to raise it. Bone Wolf will charge again for each segment it has, until it is balancing on its rear segment. It will then fall on Dobinxette, requiring her to hit it away with an uppercut punch, damaging the hit segment in the process. If Bone Wolf is short enough, then she can hit the head by countering this attack, damaging it in the process. If a charge hits, it can trip, and if Dobinxette is hit by the fall, she can suffer the 'Dizzy' status effect. During the heart phase, Bone Wolf will charge faster and fall at varying speeds.

Its second attack is to run in clockwise circles around Dobinxette, requiring her to punch its front segment to knock it off course and end the attack, otherwise it will eventually turn around and charge into her, sending her flying and possibly tripping her on landing. While Bone Wolf is circling, she can punch the other segments to damage them, although they will not be destroyed until the attack has finished. During the heart phase, Bone Wolf will run faster and for a shorter duration, and will sometimes circle in the other direction.

Its third attack is to burrow into the ground and resurface in front of Dobinxette, requiring her to punch it back. Sometimes, it will resurface right in front of her, requiring her to duck under it as it passes, as it will be too close to punch. Alternatively, it will resurface further away from her, requiring her to hit it away with an uppercut punch, as it will try to dig down on top of her.

Its fourth attack is to charge at Dobinxette and try and trap her in one of its segments, requiring her to punch it away. If it traps her, she must rapidly struggle to free herself, as it will gradually leech HP from her onto its heart segment, possibly dealing her the 'Sick' and 'STAT-Down' status effects in the process. Bone Wolf can only use this attack during the heart phase.

While fighting the duo, Bone Wolf's head will gain feet, and has its own set of attacks.

Its first attack is to quickly leap at one of the duo and try to bite them, requiring them to hit it away with a hammer counter. If the bite hits, it can deal the 'Poisoned' status effect.

Its second attack is to try and inhale the duo. However, it is not strong enough to do so, so instead it will begin sucking in various items from the left. Spiky balls will roll at the duo, requiring them to jump over them. Bones will bounce at the duo, bouncing over their heads, requiring them to not jump. Sphinxy Snacks will heal the first character to touch them, meaning if the duo avoids the snack, it will heal Bone Wolf's head instead. If a character is hit by a ball or a bone, they will lose their balance and get inhaled by Bone Wolf, causing it to chew on them, leeching HP and deal the 'STAT-Down' status effect, before spitting the out.

Its third attack is to charge at one of the duo, requiring them to jump over or on it to avoid or counter. Sometimes, Bone Wolf will look up and gnash its teeth as it charges. If the target jumps on it in this state, they will instead take damage and possibly suffer the 'DEF-Down' status effect.

Fetches also have their own attacks while fighting the duo. They can attack by spitting their bones at the duo, requiring their targets to jump over the bones to avoid them. If there are two Fetches, they will both attack at the same time, and each Fetch's eyes will glow either grey or red to indicate their target. Sometimes the Fetches will target both of the duo, or both target the same character, and can spit at the same time or one after the other. Being hit by a bone can deal the 'STAT-Down' status effect.

Alternatively, a bone will be dangled behind one of the duo, causing a Fetch to rabidly chase after it, passing through the duo as it does, requiring the character in front of the bone to jump. The bone will then circle over the duo and the Fetch will follow it. The duo must only jump after the bone has passed but before the Fetch reaches them, otherwise they will jump into the bone and get hit both by it and the Fetch.

Once Bone Wolf is defeated, Dobinxette's path will be clear, and she will be able to leave Twilight Trail.

Another favourite boss of mine is Bone Wolf. For a regular boss, this guy is an absolute unit, especially in the remake, and his design is very much functional in terms of his gimmick, that being the segments and how they contribute to his attacks. In the remake, not that much is different. The attacks are all basically the same, with the only differences being minor changes and status effect changes.