Aquas — Underwater Mission

Overview

Aquas is the Blue-Marine submarine mission on the hard route, reached from Sector Y with 100+ hits. Fox McCloud dives beneath the ocean waves of Aquas in the Blue-Marine sub to investigate Andross's underwater bioweapon facility. The stage features unique submarine combat — torpedoes instead of lasers, slower movement, and mine deployment — in an environment unlike any other mission in the campaign.

Aquas has only one exit: complete the mission by defeating Bacoon to proceed to Zoness. There is no routing pressure here, but the 200-hit medal threshold and unfamiliar controls make Aquas a challenging stage for first-time hard route attempts.

Route Triggers

Aquas is a linear stage with no branching:

• Zoness (automatic): Defeat Bacoon the bioweapon to proceed to Zoness. This is the only exit and is required to continue the hard route toward the true ending.

Your entry to Aquas confirms you are on the hard route. From this point forward, every remaining stage — Zoness, Sector Z, Area 6, and Venom II — must be completed flawlessly for the true ending.

Boss Strategy

Bacoon: A giant mutant octopus bioweapon guarding the Aquas ocean floor. Bacoon attacks with tentacle sweeps, ink clouds that obscure vision, and spawning smaller bioweapons from its body.

Target Bacoon's exposed eye when it opens — charged torpedoes deal the most damage. When Bacoon releases ink clouds, navigate through or wait for them to dissipate before resuming attacks. Destroy spawned bioweapons quickly to prevent them from overwhelming the Blue-Marine. Bacoon's tentacle sweeps cover a wide arc — descend or ascend to dodge rather than strafing horizontally. The sub's mine drop is effective against spawned minions clustered near Bacoon's body.

Medal Tips

Aquas requires 200 hits — challenging in the Blue-Marine because torpedoes travel slower than laser shots and the sub's movement limits rapid target switching. Destroy bioweapons, underwater mines, and facility structures throughout the stage for steady hit accumulation.

Slippy provides hints about Bacoon's weak points — the eye is the primary target. Do not ignore smaller enemies en route to the boss; their hit points add up significantly over the stage length. Practice torpedo leading in Training Mode before attempting a medal run. See the medal requirements page for the full threshold list.

Wingmate Advice

Wingmates do not fly alongside the Blue-Marine — Fox operates the sub alone. However, Slippy's radio commentary provides tactical hints throughout the mission. He identifies Bacoon's weak points and warns about incoming bioweapon swarms.

Peppy monitors the mission from Great Fox and provides progress updates. Since wingmates are not present, their survival is guaranteed for this stage — Aquas is one of the few missions where you cannot lose a wingmate. Focus entirely on combat performance and hit scoring without worrying about rescue calls.

Switch 2 Remake Notes

The Blue-Marine sub handles differently from the Arwing — spend time in Training Mode learning torpedo leading before a hard route attempt. Aquas underwater visuals are enhanced on Switch 2 with improved lighting through the ocean depths. Bacoon's ink clouds obscure more of the screen in co-op, so communicate with your partner about boss positioning when playing shared-screen.

Facility structures along the ocean floor contain torpedo pickups and hidden bioweapons — destroy every crate and pipe section for hit score before reaching Bacoon's arena. The sub's mine drop clears clustered minions efficiently when Bacoon spawns adds during the fight.

Related Missions and Routes

Aquas leads to Zoness on the hard route. Study the Zoness stealth requirements before leaving Aquas — it is the hardest routing check remaining. The vehicles guide covers Blue-Marine handling in detail.

Related Guides

• Zoness Mission Guide Next hard route stage — stealth challenge
• Sector Y Mission Guide Previous hard route stage
• Vehicles Guide Blue-Marine controls explained