Kryzta and Precision

By: Derek Yu

On: May 16th, 2008

Two new mini-games released by cactus recently! The first is Kryzta, an “anti-shooter” where you defeat your enemies with their own bullets. Collect the power-ups they drop to shield yourself (or press “Z” to unleash a devastating attack with them). Its fun and fast, and features another great track from John Marwin (the musician behind Clean Asia).

Kryzta was made for a minigame competition at The Poppenkast.

The second game, Precision, is all about precision platform jumping. The way jumping works in this game is interesting, though – you have no control over the jump while in mid-air. The length of your jump is determined entirely by your velocity when you leave the ground. It definitely makes it challenging to get through the game’s seven levels, but fortunately, your character leaves a trail which can be reviewed with each successive attempt.

Obviously I’m already a big fan of cactus (some have argued unfairly so!), but I feel like these two games, aside from being imbued with cactus’s inimitable style, do a great job of exploring the nuances of the game mechanics they employ with such needlepoint focus. And the fact that he can make these games so quickly (6 hours for Kryzta) reminds me that we’re at the point where game development can really be as spontaneous as doodling with pen on paper. Sweeeeeet.

(Source: Tim, via the IndieGames.com blog)

Posted in Highly Recommended | Tags: cactus, JohnMarwin

Necromian

DAMN kryzta is one tight game. My highscore so far is like 30 something. That’s something I’d probably pay for to play on Xbox live or summat. The concept kinda reminds me of missile matador though.
Stwelin

Kryzta sort of reminds me of Ray Hound. Couldn’t really get into it much. A little slow-paced considering cactus’s previous games.

Precision was refreshing. Though it would be nice to a.) start the camera at the end of the level and scroll back, so you can see what you are up against before having to run the level blind, and b.) respawn faster for those longer levels.

Very cool.
John

These are two great games. I didn’t get far in Kryzta but I had a good time.

Precision was wonderful! It took me half an hour but I beat it. I was so enamored with it that I put taking a piss when I already had to go. By the time I beat the game I was very uncomfortable. I love the penalty system in the game, I love the challenge, I love it all.

These were my 2nd and 3rd Cactus games, but I’m a believer now.
John

typo -> “…I put off taking a piss…”
muku

Yeah, just finished Precision. Took me about 26 minutes (is there a way to recover my time? It didn’t show it to me after I finished). Great concept, nicely executed (love the idea with the customizable time of day and the sun effects in sync with the music). The game should have told me that I need to collect all the bottles though, at first I thought that was kind of a bonus or something. And the last level bordered on “too frustrating”, but hey, I still finished it. Now off to try Kryzta…
muku

Kryzta is great too. Record 83 after the second game, yeah! :D
axel

I like Precision, but I can’t get past level 4. I managed to get to the last platform many, many times, but the little dude just wouldn’t grab that ladder! Even when I stopped, and walked carefully over the edge, I would just fall down to my death and have to start over again.

Frustrating little game! But still kind of fun. I’m gonna try Kryzta now!
Kloi

guess who got #6 on the high score list for kryzta?
vom

axel – if you don’t collect all the bottle things then the guy won’t climb down the ladder and finish the level. took me a few goes to work that out too.
woodwolf

Just six hours? What kind of tools are used to develop such a game in six hours? I should eat my proud and try game maker or something similar,instead of doing things from scratch every time I have an idea…
axel

Ah, thanks vom! I thought the bottles were just extra points or something.
raelz

I think the bottles actually make you harder so you jump less, not sure though, only played it once
moi

From now on my goal in coding will be to make games in the shotrest amount of time possible. No way I’ve been spending 14 months on game and Cactus manages to finish in 6 days.
John

@woodwolf, I heard that he uses GameMaker to make all of his games. I’m not 100% sure though.
John

Sure enough in the TIGdb it says the engine for Precision and Kryzta is GameMaker.
Trotim

Definitely GM. *nudge* *wink*
raelz

Yeah he indeed does use GM, I remember him saying he want’s to learn some serious programming though
John

If he does the world is in trouble. I think cactus would rule the world quickly.
woodwolf

GM then… thanks. Then it’s the eternal doubt for me. Program everything using some nice SDK (PyGame, or SDL with C++) or learn something like GM. My programmer’s pride says I should stick to programming things myself, but that’s not productive! Much less after eight hours programing at work.
Joola

Cactus is King.
grabladon

4:19 in precision.