The mini-game within the latest Goddess of Victory: NIKKE story event is currently causing quite a stir. It’s a cheeky nod to those classic Flash games we all remember, and while it looks simple enough on the surface, it’s proving to be deceptively brutal. The community boards are already flooded with strategies, and some particularly dedicated players have even compiled full-blown 'cheat sheets' to help others navigate the challenge.

Solo Raid: 'Alteisen'

The Solo Raid 'Alteisen' kicked off on December 11. Given its code weakness, launchers and shotguns are your best bet. The concurrent pick-up units, Diesel: Winter Sweets (let's call her 'Winter Diesel') and Brid: Silent Track ('Winter Brid'), are tailor-made for this encounter. The boss features new interception patterns, so keep your eyes peeled. The Challenge Stage opens on the 13th, so make sure you're geared up to climb the leaderboards.

AZX SERVICE TIME Strategy

The mini-game 'AZX SERVICE TIME', tucked away in the winter story event, has become a talking point. It follows the mechanics of the 'Apple Game' that saw a surge in popularity back in early 2025. Naturally, self-proclaimed masters of the genre have emerged from the woodwork. The goal is to clear numbers by hitting a total of '10', which is simple to grasp but gets messy fast. Some users have shared 'cheat sheets' on the forums, but since the board is randomised every time, there’s no singular solution. Still, having a bit of theory under your belt might just change your perspective—if you're aiming for a high score, check the community forums.

Is the SR Nikke 'Neve' worth buying?

Goddess of Victory: NIKKE has a habit of handing out specific SSR or SR units during seasonal or anniversary events. Neve, currently available in the shop, is one such character. Being an SR unit, she isn't exactly meta-defining, but her design has earned her a fair share of fans. Newcomers are constantly asking whether she’s worth the exchange.

The veterans' advice? 'Just grab one.' Since she won't help you break the level 200 wall, there's no real need to hunt for all three copies. One copy is enough to unlock her affinity story. If you max out her affinity to 10, you can clear five episodes, netting you 50 Jewels per episode for a total of 250. It’s a solid way to pad your collection and farm some premium currency on the side.

Stop the singing! 'Diesel : Winter Sweets'

Let's take a look at the limited-time unit, Winter Diesel. She's donning a new outfit gifted by Grandma Nora, the key figure in the current story event. The design highlights include a robot packed with strawberry candy and a matching strawberry-coloured microphone.

Winter Diesel is a Burst 3, Fire Code, Attacker, Launcher-type unit. Her kit revolves around part-related effects and DoT (Damage over Time). Early testing suggests she’s on par with the high-spec unit Mihara: Bonding Chain ('Over-Mihara'), which is a testament to her raw power.

Her first skill, 'Ah, Mic Test', is the crux of her kit. Its effect shifts depending on whether or not you use her Burst skill during the first Full Burst. Using it grants the 'Intro' buff, while holding off activates the 'Climax' buff. The difference is massive: at the start of Full Burst, 'Intro' provides a 51.98% increase in DoT, while 'Climax' ramps that up to a staggering 202.98%. Given the four-fold difference, you’ll want to avoid using her Burst during that first cycle.

Her second skill, 'I'll Sing!', applies a DoT increase buff to herself upon destroying parts. Furthermore, a full charge attack grants a 289.22% increase in DoT at level 10. Given how potent these numbers are, keep in mind that 'tap-firing'—the technique used to rapidly charge the Burst gauge—is a big no-no here. Her Burst, 'La La La♬', dishes out increased damage taken and DoT to all enemies for 10 seconds. If the target is a boss, she deals even higher DoT multipliers.

Winter Diesel functions as a main DoT dealer, matching the output of Over-Mihara. However, there is a catch: unlike Over-Mihara, whose DoT is unblockable, Winter Diesel’s DoT can be neutralised by 'Debuff Immunity'. This makes her unusable against bosses like Indivilia in the Solo Raid. She’ll still find plenty of homes in encounters without debuff immunity, so plan your squads accordingly.

Diesel is notorious in the world of NIKKE for her complete lack of musical talent—she’s so tone-deaf that fans have nicknamed her after the infamous tone-deaf character from 'Doraemon'. The developers, clearly in on the joke, included a scene in the mini-game where Winter Diesel’s expressions and antics pay direct homage to the character. It’s been a hit with the community. Since the story event is fully voiced, you can hear her 'perform' yourself. If you've ever wondered just how bad she really is, do yourself a favour and don't skip the dialogue.

Jackal Costume vs. Brid Costume

Last time, we ran a balance poll: 'Eating Emma’s cooking' vs. 'Listening to Diesel’s singing'. Diesel’s singing won by a landslide. While a bit of ear-bleeding is manageable, the risk of actually dying from Emma’s cooking seems to be a hard pass for most. It’s a miracle that even the sharp-tongued Eunhwa hasn't managed to fix Emma's kitchen disasters yet. Even Crust, who handles the Ark’s culinary affairs, has basically given up.

Goddess of Victory: NIKKE keeps the wardrobe fresh with new costumes every month. While there's a distinction between Pass costumes and Special ones, the quality of the recent Pass skins has been impressive. The current offerings for Jackal and Brid are prime examples. While they don’t change the cutscenes or lines, the animations and designs have been a massive hit. If you could only snag one, who would you choose? We’ll reveal the results in next week’s Weekly Forum Highlight.