Boomerang Kid is a short platform game released as part of the Quattro Adventure game cart released by Camerica. Like other games on the cart, Boomerang Kid is filled with warps which allow the player rapid progression, but they are well hidden. The game has a visually clean style and decent music, but is more well known for its awkward mechanics. This run uses warps and careful routing to beat the game as quickly as possible.
- Emulator used: FCEUX 2.2.2
- Uses Warps
- Completes the game as quickly as possible.
Comments:
I was inspired to do this run after seeing rchokler's WIP as I working through Super Robin Hood. The WIP had already worked out warp locations which made the game very fast while still showing off a lot of platforming action. So, not wanting to let good work go to waste, I took up the WIP and polished it up for this submission. My contributions were re-routing a couple of level choices to faster ones as well as optimizing most of the levels.
Mechanics:
You won't get to see it, but after most stages you get a choice to go either left or right and choose the next stage. Of course stages with warps are preferred. If no warp is available both possible paths have to be routed, as it's not always obvious which level is faster.
The other important concept here is falling and jumping. You can only fall a certain distance before dying. When you walk off a ledge, you begin falling instantly. When you jump off a ledge, you will descend below your starting height before you start 'falling.' So counter-intuitively, you can reach lower platforms by jumping up first. You can tell when 'falling' starts when Boomerang Kid is falling straight down.
The final important mechanic here, which is not at all obvious, is that holding select decreases your remaining time. This is used to bring the timer to zero at the end of each level. Otherwise it will count down before the next level starts (adding points.)
Boomerang Kid does not use any of the boomerangs he collects, in fact there is no use for the B button in this game.
Stage by stage comments
Stage 1: The Dream Time: Standard platforming. The snake above where you starts in just the wrong spot to keep you from jumping over him after getting the boomerang.
Stage 2: Shark City: Warp
Stage 3: Cliff Edge Corner: You will start noticing a lot of the 'jump to go down' mechanic here.
Stage 4: Shark Fin Creek: Warp cleverly hidden below a breakaway platform.
Stage 5: Jagged Jungle: This is the first route change over rchokler's WIP. Standard Platforming.
Stage 6: One Way Ticket Bridge: The last stage of the first world. The first and last stages of a world are not choices.
Stage 7: Lord Grimdown's Castle: I have no idea who Lord Grimdown is.
Stage 8: Tower of the Forgotten Knights: Warp
Stage 9: The Secret Chamber: With a secret warp right behind you : )
Stage 10: Nightmare Mansion: Another route change. The kid is JUST able to hit the platform timings.
Stage 11: The House That Came To Life: Some standard platforming. A note about the conveyors. They will move you if you aren't moving, but if you are, you still move at normal speed, in both directions, so a pretty poorly implemented mechanic.
Stage 12: Chamber of Horrors: Last castle level, something of a switch maze.
Stage 13: Home Base: Home Base?
Stage 14: Stalactite City: Ahhh another platform that simply can't be reached, boomerang kid is forced to sit and wait. The alternative level unfortunately is still longer, due to an annoying bat on the route.
Stage 15: Hopping Mad Halt: Warp
Stage 16: The Cave of Penultimate Evil: Interesting cave maze.
Stage 17: The Cave of Ultimate Evil: Tricky platforming to finish the game!
Other comments:
I would like to thank rchokler for agreeing to let me coauthor and finish up this run.
I had fun with this game, I hope you enjoy watching.
feos: Accepting to Moons.
