Bzzzt is a platformer game released in 2023. In that game, you play as a ZX 8000, a robot who has to navigate various hazards.
The gameplay is a typical for a precision platformer, inspired from platformers of the past. While the player encounters enemies, they can't be defeated if there aren't player-operated turrets nearby.
Bzzzt contains examples of
- 100% Completion: To 100% the game, the player needs to complete every level within a set time limit while collecting all the bolts.
- Acid Pool: Acid is one of the obstacles ZX 8000 encounters. There are only a handful in the game.
- Air-Dashing: One of the abilities ZX 8000 has is an ability to dash mid-air for unlimited number of times, as long as there's air.
- Bottomless Pits: Falling into bottomless pits results a restart of a level.
- Confused Question Mark: ZX 8000 emits a question mark during the final boss fight.
- Conspicuous Electric Obstacle: A common hazard in this game are electric bolt emitter pair that shoots orange lightning. Some are on all the time, some periodically switch on and off. Then there are pair of floating metal balls with electricity moving through them.
- Damage Is Fire: Damaged machines start burning.
- Death Course: Early levels are filled with hazards specifically to test robots.
- Directionally Solid Platforms: Thin platforms can be jumped from below and also be dropped down from.
- Double Jump: ZX 8000 quickly gains an ability to jump again mid-air. Later, jump repeaters are introduced that temporarily give ZX 8000 multiple mid-air jumps.
- Energy Ball: Some of the enemies fire balls of energy as projectiles.
- Flame Spewer Obstacle: Flame traps appear as a hazard, emitting damaging flames at regular intervals. A more dangerous form is a grill that shoots out a flame of unlimited distance at periodic intervals.
- Floating Platforms: Some platforms that float are rocket-propelled.
- Hearts Are Health: Health is represented by heart symbols.
- Laser Hallway: Some corridors are filled with deadly lasers instead.
- Level Goal: A device with an arrow and blue glowing floor indicates a goal of a level.
- Mechanical Animals: Once ZX 8000 leaves the lab, the robots resemble animals such as a beetle or a fish.
- Pressure Plate: There are big red buttons on the floor that do various things such as open doors, activate turrets or move platforms. Some of them need to be stood on for them to remain active.
- Power-Up Magnet: During the shoot'em up section, the plane has slight ability to attract nearby bolts.
- Rise to the Challenge: A few level feature laser emitter that slowly rises, making the player having to outrun it.
- Saw Blades of Death: Saw blades, static or moving, appear in the early levels.
- Sea Mine: Water in outside stages contains metal spheres on chains that explode upon contact.
- Selective Gravity: Majority of the collectible bolts are spinning mid-air, with a few exceptions.
- Smashing Hallway Traps of Doom: Early in the game, crushers with spikes are introduced that smash anything below it. Later, rocket-powered crushers are introduced.
- Speedrun Reward: Completing a level within a set time limit awards player a badge.
- Spikes of Doom: A fairly common hazard. Some spikes cosmetically retract and protract at fast pace, others are larger that extend only near ZX 8000. Then there are thorns that also act as spikes.
- Springs, Springs Everywhere: Steam emitters propel the player high up in the air.
- Temporary Platform: The game has platforms that switch on and off in a set period of time. It also has platforms that crumble shortly after stood on.
- Tin-Can Robot: ZX 8000 is clearly a metal robot with flexible arm tubes.
- Unexpected Shmup Level: One of the levels has ZX 8000 piloting a plane to head towards the enemy base.
- Variable Mix: During the energy transfer, music gets more echo-y.
- Wall Jump: Blue glowing walls indicate walls that can be jumped off of.
