The Daily Click

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Coal

Author:

Codemonkey

Submitted:

29th September, 2009

Favourites:

Genre:

Platformer

Downloads:

394

Rated:

118th Place

(4.17 / 5)

Edited By Codemonkey on 9/29/2009

Coal started off over a year ago as a 2 week project. Now it has 100 levels, a level editor, and even a boss that has more then one active.

The controls and everything else are in the readme. The game's really hard, I doubt anyone will beat it really.

Also, big tip of the hat to RickyG who made the level editor, and Johan Hargne for yet another great soundtrack.

That is all.

Review This Download

http://www.shadypixel.webs.com/Coal.htm (9.52 mkb )

Posted by Marko

29th September, 2009

Rated :

Downloading! Downloading! Downloading! Downloading! Downloading! Downloading! Downloading! Downloading! Downloading! Downloading! Downloading! Downloading!

Posted by Marko

29th September, 2009

Rated :

Bloody awesome! What a nightmare of a game to play, coz you know you want to beat it and you know it'll take you years - the difficulty is legendary!

Great gameplay
Great game engine
Great sound effects
Great music
Great level editor
Great graphical style
Great game all round!

Posted by Codemonkey

29th September, 2009

Thanks Marko, comments like that makes it all worth it.

Posted by Sumo148

29th September, 2009

Rated :

oh, im definitely downloading this. I intend to be the first one completing all 100 levels

I'll post a screen shot once i complete it (if i complete it)

Posted by UrbanMonk

29th September, 2009

Rated :

In the great(yes it's great) world of klik we refer to anything that moves and consumes more memory than anything else an "active"

Great game!

Posted by Codemonkey

29th September, 2009

I don't know sumo, I made the last couple levels a serious pain.

Posted by OMC

29th September, 2009

Rated :

I do love this game. You don't really enjoy it to the fullest until you remember you can double jump and learn a few tricks. (Specifically jumping well away from a wall to get into tight spaces above you; bouncing against the wall keeps you from fitting) Johan's music is ace, and the controls are all tight. There's just enough of a balance of effects and simplicity, and I don't feel a need for more complicated graphics. RickyG did a stand up job with the level editor, too. All in all a rather satisfying game to play.

My only criticisms are the inability to disable replays automatically, and a few glitches here and there that aren't in gameplay. (Level titles pasting over each other, slightly jumpy title menu, etc.)

Posted by Jon Lambert

29th September, 2009

I'm on level 51.

Anyways, yeah, let me disable replays. Please.

Posted by Sumo148

29th September, 2009

Rated :

level 7 wont let me pass

My computer is slow so I cant run fast enough to the door. I always get hit at the last block. I've tried tagging up, timing my run, trying not to stop at the overhead block to keep my momentum, everything

Good game so far though!

Posted by erghhhhx

29th September, 2009

Rated :

Great game! I like this alot.

Just lemme tell you that the first guard-guy on lvl 1 scared the hell outta me.... I frkn jumped off my chair.

Posted by OMC

29th September, 2009

Rated :

I would also like to note that I usually dislike super difficult games. 42 level is win.

Posted by Jon C-B

29th September, 2009

Rated :

Awesome game! The level editor is AMAZING!!!!

Posted by Pixelthief

30th September, 2009

Rated :

Downloading Downloading Downloading!

Posted by Pixelthief

30th September, 2009

Rated :

The replay effect always got in the way which was sort of a bummer, all it did was make it take a little longer and click twice to restart a level. But the game itself is pretty nifty! Darned hard though, only made it up to level 16. But its kinda difficult to tell apart the bombs and the coins I think, they are very similar.

Posted by alastair john jack

30th September, 2009

I really like this game, it reminds me of N (except 1000 times better)

Posted by Marko

30th September, 2009

Rated :

I can't stop playing this little beaut!

Posted by Strife

30th September, 2009

Rated :

I got two bug reports for you, Codemonkey. :3

1. Doing a wall jump diagonally into the corner of a ceiling can sometimes cause you to sink into the ceiling and outside the level, like so:

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/9081/coalstuckinwall.png

Had to restart after that one.

2. Pressing the jump button after death still plays the jumping noise. Not really game-breaking, but still noticeable.

3. The replay feature is a little messed up to me. Certain objects that disappeared in the level (coins, bombs, etc) don't reappear for the replay, and guards can still run around in their exploded state. I honestly don't see the need for a replay feature when you can just record it yourself using an external program, and most players won't want to record their playthroughs anyway.

Bugs aside, this is a fantastic little platformer with a smooth, characteristic style. The special moves are pulled off very well, and the level editor is like the whip cream on an already delicious piece of apple cake. Kudos to you, and I can't wait to see how this fares in 2BeeGames!

Comment edited by Spaceman Strife on 9/30/2009

Posted by lembi2001

1st October, 2009

Rated :

Downloading this now!!! will rate later

Posted by Liquixcat

1st October, 2009

Rated :

It's a decent game. I ran into a few problems with going into the next level. Level 1 ended and froze the game but the timer remained on the screen. It happened again when I restarted the game. Hasn't happened since.

I think the little guard dudes that squeek and run in a random direction could be coded a little differently. So far it seems completely random if it's going to run and which direction it's going to go in. I don't find a game difficult because you don't know when you're going to die, I just find it frustrating that getting passed them is a gamble.

Posted by lembi2001

1st October, 2009

Rated :

Great Game!!! Love the difficulty. Just one more go, Damn! Just one more then! I will do this level. ONE MORE GO!!!

Some of the levels are easy looking but fiendishly difficult to complete. Awesome Work!

Posted by vertigoelectric

2nd October, 2009

I really loved this. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of how well you did

I only made it to level 10 before I decided I need to stop for the night. However, I noticed I couldn't double jump any more, which made it more difficult.

Posted by Strife

2nd October, 2009

Rated :

I'm up to level 98 so far, but I decided to stop there - if i'm being totally honest, I just don't see how it's physically possible to return to the starting room with the mines positioned in the way that they are. No matter where I jump off the wall, I can't prevent myself from hitting those top three mines. There isn't enough space for me to clear it without flying into them.

Has anyone gotten this far yet? Is there some kind of YouTube video I can watch of level 98 to see how that end part is done?

Anyway, I have a few more comments about the gameplay:

I'm not sure if this is intentional, but it probably isn't... Sometimes when restarting the level, the locations of the mines will shift slightly. For example, if the level is supposed to have a straight line of mines moving up and down, sometimes it'll end up jagged or zigzagged when the level restarts. I haven't run into an instance where this made the level impossible, but it's still noticeable.

The Patrols are easily the most poorly executed gameplay element. I'm going to have to agree with Liquixcat here and say that their pattern of movement is way too unpredictable for a game like this. Part of the beauty of Coal is pattern recognition - in other words, when you're playing the harder levels, you can slowly but surely figure out a pattern of movement that will get you past the obstacles. The patrols can ruin this completely with their random movements, and no matter where I encounter them, I find myself either waiting a long time for them to move out of the way, or I jump over them in hopes that they won't start running around like crazy. Sometimes they'll chase me to the end of the Earth, and other times they'll quickly turn around and run AWAY from me.

What i'm trying to say is that the Patrols add an element of luck that doesn't benefit the game at all and makes it more frustrating that it needs to be. If I could change my rating, i'd bump it down to 3 stars just because of the Patrols. Perhaps you can make it so that they never change direction until they reach a wall or an edge, rather than changing direction at random.

Posted by OMC

2nd October, 2009

Rated :

Just a note, (don't kill me codemonkey) I think you can update your rating simply by rating it again.

Posted by AndyUK

2nd October, 2009

Rated :

I played up until level 10 and, well it's a good effort but i think it still needs some work. 100 levels is pretty epic and it's all well presented. It's just a pain in the arse to play sometimes and has a few pretty bad bugs seemingly more so on the first level though.

I got stuck in a wall at the end of level 1 after bouncing on those spring pads. When watching the replay after dying the dying scream noise kept playing over and over. The score flickers when overlapping an active object and restarting a level after dying sometimes has strange effects on the game, like a restart frame bug i recall from years ago on TGF.

The gameplay itself is good for the most part but the enemies spazzing out and dashing left and right is just terrible in all honesty, if there was an actual consistent method to bypass them then great but its too unpredictable. The player's collision box could have been a bit smaller too so you don't clip the corner of things beyond it's actual head.

Iron out the bugs and you're onto a winner. Not brilliant but a great effort.

Posted by Dr. James MD

2nd October, 2009

Rated :

It was okay. I really think the replay feature should be optional (after death+victory, after victory, none). I didn't know what some objects were at times and died because of it.

Posted by Codemonkey

2nd October, 2009

That's for all the comments guys!

I agree with the patrols being too random, but by the time I felt I could actually do a good job with them, I was nervous it would make some levels impossible and I would have to test the game all over again. To be perfectly honest, I don't think I did very good with this. I would have ditched it except for how big the game was, and it would be a step up from my other weenie games. All the bugs you guys have pointed out I've seen, but I don't think it's worth fixing. I'm never opening the source again!

Yes level 98 is possible, awesome job getting there so fast!

Posted by bigredron

3rd October, 2009

Rated :

i downloaded it and in the tile screen i didnt hit a button and it took me to the first level.

I played through it OK and when I finished the replay came up and then i hit a button and it took me back to the main screen again. it said level 2 but it dodnt take me anywhere. So I hit new game again and I played the first round. When I died the game glitched out. Like the spikes and everythign spawned but the camera wouldnt move and it kept the level on the screen from when I died. I couldn't back into the menu screen or anything so I closed the game and that was it. Didnt bother playing again, seems very

oh, and your choice of font sucks.

2 stars
Comment edited by bigredron on 10/3/2009
Comment edited by bigredron on 10/3/2009

Posted by Strife

3rd October, 2009

Rated :

I don't see how a more predictable pattern would make some levels impossible... I think the only instance where you would run into problems with that is when two or more patrols are positioned on the same platform as the exit, and the only place I remember seeing that is in Patrol Central (I forget the level number). That was painful because even when I touched the door, they still managed to nail me time and time again before I could land flat on the ground and exit the level.

And level 98 is possible? Do you have a Youtube video that I can look at as a guide? I can't for the life of me figure out which block I should wall jump off of to avoid those final three mines, and I really want to see the boss. D:

Posted by Codemonkey

3rd October, 2009

I'll see if I can record me hopping back up to the door.

Posted by Jon C-B

3rd October, 2009

Rated :

Still loving this game. Here's a small level pack I made: http://www.mediafire.com/?5w5m13mzuj2

Posted by OMC

3rd October, 2009

Rated :

I must be doing something wrong, because I haven't had any of these bugs and I think the patrols are fine.

Posted by AndyUK

4th October, 2009

Rated :

Level 1 seemed to be much buggier than all the rest for me. I didn't get stuck in the wall after level 1 and the levels always loaded properly from level 2 onwards.

The problem is some people will quit after just one level.

Posted by Pixelthief

5th October, 2009

Rated :

Level 46!

Its a shame if people quit after 1 level, this is really one of those addictive games that grows on you, you know? I always loved the genre

Posted by AndyUK

5th October, 2009

Rated :

Yeah and those people will just argue that the game didn't have a good enough 'grab factor'.

But hey, you can't please everyone.

Posted by Codemonkey

5th October, 2009

I don't think I ever told you this Pixelthief but paradoxysm was the big inspiration for Coal!

Posted by Va1entine

17th October, 2009

Rated :

Great peace of art and game play, you couldn't give this less than 5 stars!!! Good job Codemonkey!!!!!

Posted by HitmanN

2nd November, 2009

Rated :

Fine game. Looks like the few annoyances have already been mentioned here, the guards being too random and the occasional 'getting stuck in wall' bug. I was also rather annoyed with not being able to do a double jump next to wall, but automatically getting a wall jump instead. God knows how many times I got bounced to a mine or gun shot when it did the wrong kind of jump. >_< I think the wall jump should require the player to press to either left or right to be performed, while stationary would make it a double jump.

Not as difficult a game as I imagined though. Got to level 56 the first evening, 81 the next. One of the better games I've played recently.

Posted by Ricky

3rd November, 2009