Is the Machine Gun or the Spur better in Hard Mode?

I'm not sure which weapon to choose, the Spur or the Machine Gun. I've checked all over the place and the opinions are differing for the weapon of choice in Cave Story (Hard Mode)

I know that Machine Gun gives the extra range, but should I stick with MG or Spur? Which is more effective against bosses?

Concurrently I am in the Sand Zone, and still in the process of getting the dogs for Jenka, which means I can still trade the Polar Star for the MG.

Solution 1:

If all you're concerned with are bosses, I'd stick with the Spur. It's a fun gun and does the damage you want for bosses.

The Machine Gun is great but I use it mostly for the added mobility; being able to float to make tricky jumps/ect is extremely helpful in some situations and very fun in others. The MG takes apart normal enemies just fun but the Spur is better for single target damage. The MG can help you dodge during boss fights as well, but it's not always helpful.

For not taking hits the MG is probably better as you can (with skill) dodge certain boss attacks and keep a better distance; as a bonus you don't have to aim as carefully either, but your fights will be a bit longer.

As noted, the Rocket Launcher is probably the best against bosses, but you'll run out of rockets before killing later bosses, so you can't depend on it.

Solution 2:

Spur is good and it's great for a big, high damage shot, but the Machine Gun is my pick. This may be controversial, but it's utility is absolutely S tier, and you can upgrade it's ammo refill with the turbocharger later on. It has a higher dps as well which is my main reason for choosing it over the Spur. With the Spur, as great as it is for bosses, you can do even more damage to them with the Sword and it has a very poor dps