One of the tougher bosses in this game. It starts out by swinging its appendages around and trying to hit you with them. On the ends of these appendages you’ll notice variously colored flowers–these are the boss’s weak point! Each colored flower part is vulnerable only to sword attacks from the Link with the corresponding color tunic. This is the first phase of the battle.

In the second phase, two handles will appear on this plant boss. Two Links must pull from either side to expose the boss’s weak point this time. Again, as before, strike the weak point with the appropriately colored Link. If the weak point shows two (or more) colors, then the Links of those colors must strike at the same time. This is the second phase. During the third phase, the boss will be spinning its large appendages around and shooting projectiles at you that you must dodge. Normally, the boss will focus on one player at a time, allowing the other to pull the lever. Keep up these strategies enough times, and the boss will fall.

Utilize the bushes for Fairies as needed during the battle.

Here is a multifaceted battle and probably one of the more interesting ones at that. Pegasus Shoes are your item of choice here! When you first find this slug-like boss, it will be encased in ice. Break it free by either ramming into it with Pegasus attacks or just swipe at it with your sword. At this point, it’ll start jumping all around the room. Use Pegasus Shoes to ram into it. Once you ram into it once, don’t let up the attack! Keep ramming it before it can get off another jump, and ram into the ice wall in the eastern portion of the room. This will re-freeze the boss, allowing you to swipe at it mercilessly with your sword. (Be sure not to touch the frozen wall yourself, or one of your companions will have to unfreeze you with their sword.)

In later phases of the battle, this boss takes on some curious tricks. It will split into two (or more) forms, and you must figure out which is the real one–look for the one with the shadow underneath it. In another later phase, it will become invisible to all except one player. Once the player with sight rams it, though, it will become visible to all again. During these phases, the strategy remains the same–use Pegasus Shoes to ram the tricky boss into the ice wall and then slash it.

This boss has one last trick up its sleeve. During the final phase, it’ll become very small and crawl around with four orbs on its body. You must strike the colored orb that corresponds to your Link’s color, except you can’t see which color is yours! So each player must communicate to the other which orb is which color. Also, beware: If you hit the wrong orb, Link will be electrocuted and take damage. Hack away at the correct orb, though, and the boss will go down in no time.

Utilize the bushes for Fairies as needed during the battle.

The main thing you need to be careful about here is to avoid the flames–because if hit, Link will run around uncontrollably for a brief time. The upside is that the flames that it shoots at you can be destroyed with your sword. When the boss splits into several pillars of fire, this is your chance. You must hunt down the real one and slash it with your sword. (You can tell which one is real by the sound it makes when you connect hits on it.) Soon, it’ll regather itself, and the battle goes on.

It will start emitting a colored fireball at your party. Depending on what color it is, use the appropriately colored Link to hit it with your sword. The ball will then change colors, and the Link of that color must then hit it. After enough times of this, the ball will turn a neutral color and go toward the boss, at which time it’ll split up again and become vulnerable to your sword. Note that a small degree of aiming is required when batting the ball around, but mostly it’ll go in the general desired direction. Keep these strategies up, and you will eventually claim victory.

Use the flames on the walls for Fairies as needed during the battle.

Appropriate to his title, the Wind Mage flies high above your party in a whirlwind and will sweep you up and send you flying for damage if you’re not careful. Grab hold of the Bombs in this room and throw them into Vaati’s whirlwind. Wait until the Bomb reaches the top where Vaati is, and then press the Bomb button again to detonate it. If done correctly, the whirlwind will shrink. Quickly repeat this process, whittling the whirlwind away until finally Vaati is helpless on the ground. Now run in and slash him with your sword. After he’s taken enough damage, it’s on to round 2.

Now the sky darkens, and Vaati ups the ante for the final battle. In typical Mega Man fashion, Vaati takes on the attack characteristics of the previous three bosses whom you already defeated. Most of the time, he’ll stretch his arms out and rotate them around his body as he moves around the arena trying to strike you. Avoid. After a couple laps, he’ll come to rest at the northern end of the room and open up multi-colored weak spots. Use the appropriate Links to strike the weak spot at the same time. (Don’t get careless because at the end of his vulnerable time, he’ll fire off a couple projectiles at you as he recovers.)

Sometimes Vaati will generate a circle of miniature winged one-eyed clones (think Patra from Zelda 1 here). When you hit one, it will turn into a colored ball that the appropriately colored Link must hit back with his sword, at which point it will change colors again. It’s just like in the battle with the Death Mountain boss, except this time you must aim the balls completely on your own. Bat the ball around enough times, and it’ll turn a neutral color, meaning that if it connects with Vaati then, he’ll take damage. Beware of the flashing enemy clone circling Vaati, though–hitting that one will damage Link.

Keep up these strategies, and eventually Vaati will be defeated, the princess saved, and the Wind Mage will be sealed away by the power of the Four Sword. Congratulations!