Ultimate Bullseye II – Ultimate Headaches

These are moments that may have forced you to question your love for Turtum and all his arrows in the first place. I too share your pain and have cursed my spacebar indefinitely - only to come crawling back soon after, praising that same spacebar for hitting a double balloon shot!

Here are my Top 3 UBII Ultimate Headaches, all of which I have experienced on multiple occasions. Brace yourselves for the reliving of painful in-game memories from your past!

#3. Your "Friend" the Inverted Target Power-up

You're not playing one of your better games. Most of your first shots have hit the wood on the outside of the target, or have just been a measly one point. Before giving up, you type in the Secret Code (with pride – only true UBII lovers know and use the Secret Code, you tell yourself) and are rewarded with an Inverted Target power-up. Based on your pattern of lackluster shots, you decide that now would be a perfect time to make use of this opportunity. The target appears in all of its blue and white glory, and you decide not to change your technique because hey – you've been hitting the outside all game. Confidently, you strike your spacebar and release it, holding your breath the whole time. The arrow flies through the air in a graceful arc landing exactly... where you DON'T want it to go – the center! Our good buddy Turtum then proceeds to let us know that we have scored a whopping ZERO points this round. And all across Meridell (maybe even all of Neopia) the sound of heads against keyboards can be heard, usually along with cries of disbelief.

#2. The Fire Hoop Catastrophe

You have a Fire Hoop power-up (booyah!) that you've patiently kept for a few rounds, trusting your gut that the time you select it will be the same time a balloon (or two!) appear. The time has come, you click that magical power-up knowing that this moment could make this game a High Score or World Challenge win, and then click one more time to show the playing field. Oh My King Hagan – a gold balloon IS there! And it's perfectly attainable in front of that wonderful target, too! Fingers hovering over your spacebar, you line up the shot and – argh! Your hovering fingers accidently HIT your spacebar, and the arrow that was supposed to change this game (FOREVER) drops to the ground, right next to the ballista. It is at this time that a roar of "Curse you, King Hagan!!!" would be appropriate, or also (my personal favorite) the traditional yelling at your fingers as if they are a separate entity – "Why did you DO that? I was going to make that shot!"

And finally, the moment that will cause even the most patient and dedicated of Ultimate Bullseye II players to lose their cool...

#1. The Double Balloon Bust

You've played lots of games today, but just can't seem to get lucky with balloons or power-ups to boost your score despite your mind-blowing shot accuracy (King Skarl himself would want you to defend him you've been hitting so many 5's and 10's). Not even Punchbag Bob is making an appearance to celebrate your greatness and give you a chance at some more points.

Then, as if on command, The Game You've Always Wished For (TGYAWF – pronounced Tuh-Gee-Off) appears. Two shots in you get a balloon, a nice red one not that far from the target. You've made tons of these shots before – this one is no problem, you tell yourself. You line up the shot, use your spacebar like you have every time before that, and... miss. Completely. You shake it off as just a simple error, no big deal, and when a gold balloon shows up a round later you tell yourself that this is your game – the Meridell heroes are practically handing it to you on a silver (no - gold!) platter. So you line up the shot and... miss. Again.

At this point you may feel your insides start bubbling slightly, as frustration slowly creeps into your being and tries to take over. 'You're an experienced UBII player,' you tell yourself – you can handle this. In fact, your next shot you hit your target right on for 10 points! The shot after, the Meridell gods shine down on you again, granting you with a shiny red balloon that you finally nail for a balloon bonus and 5 points! Riding this wave of emotion, you feel that for your last few shots you are prepared for anything. You're back in form despite a few slip ups, and instead of thinking about the points you lost, you focus on what you can still achieve with the few shots remaining. And then just before the end of the game, Ultimate Bullseye II hands you an opportunity of Ultimate proportions – not one but TWO balloons! One red and one gold, right in front of that target taunting you with all of the points they reward in a single turn.

This is IT.

This is YOUR moment.

This is YOUR time to shine and get those points despite the points you missed out on earlier.

This is Neopia saying, "Here, you made a mistake or two so I'm going to give you one more chance to prove your awesomeness," Once again holding your breath (you'll have time to breathe after this is over with) you line up the shot, taking your time and understanding what is at stake here. The double balloon shot is rare, and you don't know the next time you may have this opportunity again. With no hesitation (confidence is key) you hit the spacebar and release, knowing that you are past the point of no return. The arrow soars across the playing field, as if in slow motion to you – flying right past not one but BOTH balloons and missing the target completely.

Time stands still. You remember to breathe and what you are thinking could never be published in the Neopian Times, let alone said aloud for fellow Neopians to hear.

Every UBII player will handle this tragic event in their own way (generally with rage of massive proportion or epic sorrow), and it is a moment in time that will never be forgotten despite how many double balloon shots you achieve in the future.

Despite the heartbreak of all of these situations, Ultimate Bullseye II keeps you coming back for more. I can assure you, having lived through these experiences, that once you DO hit your target or that difficult shot you've been having trouble with that it will ease the pain (slightly). In order to be a powerhouse UBII competitor, you have to use these headaches as opportunities to learn from and not dwell on them. I promise that as your high score improves, you will be able to look back on your 30-and-under scores and laugh at your reactions to these inevitable moments!

In conclusion, despite the frustration that can occur Ultimate Bullseye II is a game worth learning, or at least trying. Now that you know the risks and can prepare yourself to deal with in-game anguish, go on and give it a try; show Turtum who's boss!

As for the players who can relate and have dealt with these situations on their own - I feel your pain, and am sending positive double balloon vibes out every time I start a game! Happy Bullseye-ing!