Dash Blitz

X-Joy Games

Released: Mar 20, 2018
Platforms
Last updated: 12 Sep 2026, 23:49 GMT

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20 posts

10 Mar 2023Developer post
Finishing Up With X-Joy
Hey, so, kind of following up on the last State of Development; I've made the difficult decision to close up my business as X-Joy Games. The short version is, that means it can no longer be sold; once the game is officially down, I'll be sorting out my legal obligations and closi
16 Mar 2021Developer post
State of Development
Hey, so, it's been a while. The short version is, Dash Blitz isn't my primary focus right now. It might be in the future. It's still an awesome game that I'm very proud of and I think you should play it. It even has a free demo and online (kind of). Basically, Dash Blitz ran into
06 Aug 2020Developer post
Dash Blitz - ONLINE
Dash Blitz now features online multiplayer ! This is kind of a big deal, so I haven't got any other patches or changes to go along with it. But I thought this would be worth putting out there ahead of v0.6 so people can enjoy a couple rounds with their friends - or whoever else i
26 May 2020Developer post
v0.5.5.1 - Small Bugfix
Tiny bugfix today; fixed an error (one of those tiny little embarassing one) where the game hung at the title screen on initial launches (but not subsequent launches). The game now loads into the tutorial for first-timers, as expected. That's, uh, that's it. See you in v0.6!
24 May 2020Developer post
The Developer's Challenge
I'm offering a cash prize to anyone who can beat me in a Best Of 3 versus match before July 1st. It's an $80 USD prize pool, split between all winners. No strings attached, just the thrill of competition. All you have to do is add me on Steam and message me. Then we'll figure out
12 May 2020Developer post
v0.5.5 - Racing To The Fight!!
You didn't think I'd forgotten about you, did I? It's time for more Dash Blitz ! v0.5.5 includes so much new stuff, we skipped a version number! We're well on our way to the mythical v0.6, but for now let's dive right into what you can expect! New Content Who else but Accel , of
You didn't think I'd forgotten about you, did I? It's time for more Dash Blitz!
v0.5.5 includes so much new stuff, we skipped a version number! We're well on our way to the mythical v0.6, but for now let's dive right into what you can expect!
New Content

Who else but Accel, of course! This wise-cracking self-driving car is Dash Blitz's new heavyweight, but he's no slowpoke - he's the fastest character yet!
Accel's home turf, Wild Highway, is now a playable stage! The overgrown remnants of an old-world highway, perfect for clambering around and attacking from surprising angles!
Bluster's favourite date-site, Windy Bluff, is now a playable stage! The fans are incredibly dangerous, blasting out powerful gusts of air and chopping up anyone who gets caught in the blades! But you can use the wind to your advantage, too. Try to launch enemies who are struggling over the cliff!
General Fixes

Fixed a bug with the main menu; you should be able to see what you've selected again.
Fixed a bug with the lobby where the mouse position would override cursors.
Fixed a number of transparency issues and cutscene models not following the same rules as game models.
Fixed an issue where reducing outlines to zero thickness still showed black artifacts behind the character model; this should be all better now, for those of you who prefer the classic minimalist aesthetic.
Fixed a bug that allowed you to enter some modes without any players.
Fixed a bug with music where the override option wasn't being applied after a fight.
Removed the Item menu from the Race mode screen.
General Improvements

Horizontal speed now translates into wall-scaling speed! This shouldn't be too noticeable for most characters, except for a slight feeling of momentum being carried, but newcomer Accel takes full advantage of this change!
Increased the delay on Magna Pulse to discourage spam. Also removed it from Race mode, that wasn't very fair.
Improved the UI for Race mode to have a little more flair.
Added some more voiceovers to give the overall game a little more personality.
Modified sound effects for Magna Pulse and Magna Burst.
Stages
Metro Sewers

Made some improvements to the waterspout in the centre, making it more clear when it's about to burst.
Made some changes to collision in the centre to (hopefully) prevent rolling projectiles from bouncing in the air.
Everlanche Climb

Fixed an issue where the clouds here covered up cutscenes and dialog.
Characters
#1

Amended reflect mechanics, allowing #1 to ding more effectively. His attacks should now launch projectiles in the same direction as he swings. This change also applies to all other sources of reflection.
Edge

Fixed an issue where Edge's kunai wouldn't spawn.
Also, the longer you throw kunai, the more they fan out now, giving Edge back some of his scattershot's functionality while trading out raw damage.
Bluster

Improved Vertical Full-Charge Shot's hitboxes.
Manny

Fixed an issue where Manny dropped dramatically after finishing a clamber.
Improved the height Manny jumps after exiting a clamber, which should make it easier to swing onto moving platforms.
New chainsaw noises.
Sherpa

Added partial shot-immunity to Sherpa's dash. The earlier you are in the dash the more he can shrug off. This should hopefully make it easier to wade into combat, but you're still easy to combo, so be careful.
Puffin

Added some visual feedback on Puffin's grab to better show how her enemies are frozen.
As for me, I'm feeling a lot better lately. It makes me so, so happy to be able to play this game again, and I'm happy to report it works better than I expected for Steam Remote Play.
I still can't make any promises with regards to updates, but I'm definitely in this for the long haul. I'll see you when I see you for v0.6.
Until then, I think that's everything. I hope you have fun with it!
Original post
06 Feb 2020Developer post
v0.5.3.2 - Sounds Good
Just a small one today, but I thought the fixes in it would be better to get out and try now than to wait around for v0.6. New Content We're trialing out some new sound effects - most notably the new charging, shooting and teleporting sounds. Hopefully they're a little less obnox
Just a small one today, but I thought the fixes in it would be better to get out and try now than to wait around for v0.6.
New Content

We're trialing out some new sound effects - most notably the new charging, shooting and teleporting sounds. Hopefully they're a little less obnoxious. I know I'd gotten used to the chime of the teleporter, but this new sound should be a little more sci-fi-y.
General Fixes

Taken strides to improve terrain collision, most notably to remove the weird slow-down effect in the wings of Dash Finale. If anyone gets flung through a wall, though, you know who to call.
Magna Pulse now zeroes out the momentum of affected targets, preventing them from sliding away.
Fixed some graphical bugs with certain stages.
General Improvements

You can now continue to charge shots while grappling, allowing you to more reliably connect charged shots and further expanding the uses of grappling. This has also fixed an issue where you would shoot without warning after a grapple.
You can no longer cling onto the small walls on the side of Dash Finale's main stage - this wasn't exactly a bug, but it led to some awkward interactions like Arrhic continuously body slamming anyone who got on top of him.
Characters
#1

Stagger on forward throws now persists regardless of the launch angle, so it should function as a combo properly now.
Added dinger sounds to #1's attacks where they can reflect projectiles, making it more satisfying and clarifying when it's working.
Arrhic

Sped up Arrhic's initial grab-time, making it easier to grapple foes at point-blank.
Manny

Re-implemented chainsaw noises. Go forth and rev to the extreme!
Fixed a bug with Manny teleporting back down to the ground when he finished clambering around on things.
Sherpa

Lasers now deal more damage per hit. With the tweak to grappling this makes grab combos especially devastating.
-1

Improved stagger on forward throw ala #1.
More dingers, too.
Original post
14 Jan 2020Developer post
v0.5.3.1 - whoops my finger slipped
Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday! I haven't got any real goodies to share, but I've made some fixes to a few of the things that went awry last time. No new content or balance changes just yet, but I am making notes for the future. There's still work to be done here but that's
Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday!
I haven't got any real goodies to share, but I've made some fixes to a few of the things that went awry last time.
No new content or balance changes just yet, but I am making notes for the future. There's still work to be done here but that's for another day.
General Improvements

Substantially buffed Magna Pulse; the pulse now temporarily stuns enemies, lasts longer and pulls much more forcefully. If you think that's too much, don't forget you can block the pulse much like an attack.
Improved visibility on the flash effect when taking damage.
General Fixes

Fixed some graphical glitches with certain stages and attacks. The new texture job is an on-going effort because shaders are hard, but hopefully the worst offenders have been smoothed out now.
Hopefully fixed a persistent bug where textures were being overwritten with brighter/darker versions. This was a hard one to reproduce, but I mostly saw it after playing through Onslaught. If you still see anything weird, let me know.
Fixed a bug where adjusting outline thickness modified sound effect volume. Weird how two completely unrelated things can interact, huh?
Fixed various menu bugs, where the game couldn't be exited (what a shame) and buttons couldn't be remapped.
That's all for now. Until next time, Happy Blitzing!
Original post
19 Dec 2019Developer post
v0.5.3 - Thicker and Juicier
Well, it took a lot longer than I'd like, and v0.6 is still going to be a ways off. But despite everything, Dash Blitz continues to update, marching slowly forwards towards the big 1-0! And with the advent of Steam Remote Play, it's the perfect time to share the gift of a holiday
Well, it took a lot longer than I'd like, and v0.6 is still going to be a ways off. But despite everything, Dash Blitz continues to update, marching slowly forwards towards the big 1-0!
And with the advent of Steam Remote Play, it's the perfect time to share the gift of a holiday's beating with your friends and loved ones! Don't forget there's an extensive free demo you can try out.
Now without further ado, let's get into it.
New Content

Characters now sport thick, juicy outlines! It's a very different look, and still in need of some refinement for the future, but it makes it easier to track the action at Dash Blitz's trademark high speeds. Feel free to tweak the outline thickness to whatever you're comfortable with in the menu.
Characters have faces now! This was a part of an extensive retexturing job going on behind the scenes, which led to a number of small details being added to the cast. In the future these will be animated, but for now it's just a little splash of life. If you'd prefer the original minimalist vision, you can opt out in the menu. There's some growing pains here, tied to the outline implementation, so you might see some black spots in people's faces, and regardless their faces will appear during cutscenes.
The all-new Magna System! Magnetic energy is a resource that every fighter can use. Magna Pulse to pull your foes towards you, or Magna Burst to escape a combo! Your Magna gauge will refill over time, and like charging your shots, it refills faster when you're on low health, so don't be stingy. You'll find these options discussed in the tutorial, and you can of course remap them freely.
The new health bars sit snugly on the top of the screen. This is a very minor thing but I think they look snazzy.
There's now an announcer on the character select screen, calling out the name of your choices. If you don't like it - first of all, rude. But you can just finetune the voice volume in the menu.
You can now change the song that plays in every fight! You can set it to a specific track, or even have it change according to the fighters. You'll even see a new theme for Bluster in there!
General Improvements

The same input can now be set for Pause as for Back. Pressing Mouse Right will also act as Cancel in the pause menu.
The default key for Pause and for Back is now set to Escape, which should feel more natural.
Added mouse controls to the lobby for the main keyboard player. This is a small one but it's a very nice quality of life improvement, especially if you're sitting at the desktop and playing (such as, y'know, if you were playtesting). Mouse Left acts as Select, Mouse Right acts as Cancel, and the scrollwheel allows you to change colour.
Made a number of cling swings stronger - these are the hardest attacks to land consistently and their damage potential should now better reflect that.
Allowed most swings to destroy fully-charged projectiles - in practice the most common ranged attack is the full charge shot, so swings beating out projectiles wasn't really happening. Now throwing out charged shots is marginally less safe and well-timed melee swings are better rewarded.
Added more arenas for Onslaught, so there's a bit of variety in the platform layout.
Characters
#1

Increased stagger on forward throws, making them easier to combo off of.
Besides Run Swing, ALL swings now reflect projectiles. To compensate for its gimmick being stolen, Standing Swing now reflects with much more speed and power. These changes are reflected by the Baseball Bat item.
#1 can continue to reflect projectiles with his Item Standing Swing, albeit less effectively than usual.
You can now hold in the Swing button to extend a Jump Swing. In the future this might see some more tweaks, but right now, it makes it that little bit easier to time your hits.
Edge

Edge's repeating kunai shot has been drastically weakened, with the scatter shot being removed. In future the scatter may come back, but not at the same CPU-destroying scale. Hopefully the kunai's current power level brings Edge back to where he's meant to be - a fast, dangerous melee fighter whose ranged attacks can open you up to melee.
Dash Swing does not interact with projectiles at all now. Not so much a nerf as an oversight, it'd be a bit weird blocking a bullet with your pinky toe.
Nomad

You can now hold in the Swing button to extend a Jump Swing, exactly like #1.
Arrhic

Removed damage on Arrhic's initial grab, adding more damage to his throws to compensate. Fixed a few bugs with his grapples.
Cling Swing no longer interacts with projectiles at all. Throwing your chest at people is not a defense, Arrhic.
In a unique case for a grapple, Ground Forward Throw DOES block projectiles. Throwing other people's chests at them is an acceptable defense.
Rondo

Due to Rondo's weak stature, he has retained an inability to block charged shots with his swings.
You can now hold in the Swing button to extend a Jump Swing, just like #1.
Valerie

No changes... this time. We'll see if Magna Pulse mitigates the issues with airdash spam.
Sherpa

Jump Swing now deals more damage per hit, making it one of the deadlier multi-hits.
Item swings now deal much more damage, on par with Sherpa's raw swings. I'm not sure why they weren't already, probably just an oversight on my part.
Lasers now trap in place, then launch with force. The same change has been made to the Laser Rifle item.
Puffin

As a unique property, Puffin's grab can now destroy projectiles.
Kero

Improved damage on Jump Swing, making it more rewarding to land.
-1

Increased stagger on forward throw ala #1.
Made changes to swing reflection as with #1. Charged Standing Swing does not reflect projectiles, either.
General Fixes

Fixed an issue where it was harder to escape grabs than intended.
The player input screen now correctly shows the player whose input will be changed.
Fixed race handling on Hustle Harbour so a teleporting Nomad doesn't get lost on the track.
As for me, if you'll permit me to blogpost for a second, anyone paying attention may recall I'm going through some hand trouble. And you may have noticed the year-long gap in between updates.
Believe me, I know. I'm more frustrated than anyone. I've only recently been able to get back on the keyboard regularly, and even then, only because I'm out of work.
Things are improving, in some ways. I still haven't got a real diagnosis, but I'm able to medicate and spend some time at the desk, and I'm getting by without voice recognition, thankfully. I still can't return to work proper, but I'm hopeful that I'll be able to do some part-time gigs.
And of course if you buy my game and share it around, maybe I'll be able to move back out of my parent's house and live my life again.
Jokes aside I'd love to get back to working on this game regularly. It's difficult, and I can't really play test, but this is my passion.
If you're enjoying Dash Blitz, it'd really mean a lot to me if you shared the game, liked this post or even let me know how you feel about the game. Even now I'm monitoring the inbox and this Steam community, so if there's anything you'd like to see changed, it's all up for discussion.
Please enjoy yourselves, take care, and Happy Blitzing!
Original post
19 Oct 2019Developer post
Progress Update
Hey there! It's been a little while. Seeing as updates are slow-going at the moment, I wanted to touch base so people know Dash Blitz is still in development and still making progress. I'm focusing on smaller quality-of-life updates so I can set up a basis in v0.5.3, then move in
Hey there! It's been a little while.
Seeing as updates are slow-going at the moment, I wanted to touch base so people know Dash Blitz is still in development and still making progress.
I'm focusing on smaller quality-of-life updates so I can set up a basis in v0.5.3, then move into the big picture stuff with v0.6.
Here's a short list of what you can expect:

Characters are being re-textured! For the most part this will be small, but with it comes the option for faces, which I think helps give the cast more personality. Faces will be strictly optional, so if you prefer minimalist visuals, don't sweat it.
In terms of gameplay, the Magna System will be the biggest element added. Magna is a resource available to each character that recharges over time. You can spend it on two different magnetic waves. Magna Burst is a short-ranged burst attack that you can use at any time, allowing you to escape combos. On the other hand, Magna Pulse is a long-range pulse that deals no damage and pulls targets towards you, allowing you to strike back at dodgy foes.
An announcer on the character select screen, so when you pick Sherpa, you can have a nice little reminder that you're a real man picking a real character.
Outlines for characters and objects. I'm looking to give this an option in the menu to dictate the width, and will of course be optional.
Choose the music for your battle! I'm aiming to also have an option so music defaults to character selection over stage selection.
New health bars, as in my previous post. This is still a work in progress.
I hope you look forward to it. Happy Blitzing!
Original post
16 Jul 2019Developer post
Don't call it a comeback
Things are in motion. I can't make any promises - my health is my number one priority - but I just can't keep myself away from this game. Currently working on new and improved health bars, including the Magna meter (a new resource used for bursts and to pull enemies towards you),
16 Mar 2019Developer post
Hiatus
Obviously it's been a while since the last update. Sorry. Even though it's hard working as a one-man team, I really love this game, I love working on it, and I would love nothing more than to keep sharing it and other games for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, as I've said bef
16 Dec 2018Developer post
v0.5.2.1 - Quickfix
Just a quick update today to address some issues with the latest patch - happy blitzing! General Fixes Trapping attacks now launch earlier to prevent excessive damage. Stopped an old tutorial cutscene from playing in the lobby. Improvements Made numerous improvements to the lobby
Just a quick update today to address some issues with the latest patch - happy blitzing!
General Fixes

Trapping attacks now launch earlier to prevent excessive damage.
Stopped an old tutorial cutscene from playing in the lobby.
Improvements

Made numerous improvements to the lobby.
Re-implemented the turrets on Titan Diamond.
Characters
Rondo

Fixed a bug where Rondo wouldn't stockpile shots.
Percival

Fixed a bug with Percival's shield boomerang.
Original post
13 Dec 2018Developer post
v0.5.2 - Menu Overhaul
Dash Blitz has a brand new menu system! This much more conventional system allows you to quickly and easily select your fighters and vote on stages. You'll notice a number of locked spaces in the character and stage select menus. Consider them 'reserved spaces' - I've said all al
Dash Blitz has a brand new menu system! This much more conventional system allows you to quickly and easily select your fighters and vote on stages.
You'll notice a number of locked spaces in the character and stage select menus. Consider them 'reserved spaces' - I've said all along Dash Blitz will have 20 playable characters come v1.0, and every one of those fighters deserves their own home stage. Those empty spaces are my commitment to that promise.
Dash Blitz v0.6 is still a while off - unfortunately, life gets in the way. Much as I'd like to be bringing you substantial improvements every other month, this time we just have to settle for UI upgrades. Still, it's amazing what a difference something simple can make in the long run, so I hope you enjoy it!
General Improvements

Replaced the Lobby entirely with an expanded form of the old "Quick Lobby", dividing options up into their own sections.
Added Training mode - now when you're in Versus, you're not able to proceed without at least two fighters present. To scout out stages, navigate to the Training option instead. You'll find yourself a dusty old punching bag to test your moves out on, wherever you go!
Made character icons when the camera zooms out larger, to make it easier to identify characters from a distance.
Revamped item spawns to stop the camera from jerking around.
Original post
05 Nov 2018Developer post
Upcoming v0.6
Next in line for Dash Blitz is v0.6 - and as always, that means two new characters, and you get to decide who gets in! This time we're looking at returning contestants, the alluring Alraune and the fiery Venus, along with two new fighters - the shocking Million, and the... self-d
30 Oct 2018Developer post
v0.5.1 - Post-PAX & On Sale
A tremendous thank you to everyone who came and checked out Dash Blitz at PAX AUS - it was so much fun seeing everyone enjoying themselves, and I valued all the great feedback. PAX has wrapped up just in time for a new sale! It's 25% off now and cheaper than ever, so I hope you t
A tremendous thank you to everyone who came and checked out Dash Blitz at PAX AUS - it was so much fun seeing everyone enjoying themselves, and I valued all the great feedback.
PAX has wrapped up just in time for a new sale! It's 25% off now and cheaper than ever, so I hope you take a look!
v0.6 is next in line, and with it, two new fighters. We'll figure out who makes the cut soon, in the usual way - just follow X-Joy Games on Twitter to find out who's up for the vote and have your say!
On top of that, I want to spend the time between now and then working on the AI, item mechanics, and the overall quality of animation. The moment-to-moment gameplay and character balance seems to be pretty solid right now, so it's time to roll up my sleeves and get into the presentation.
There's always room for improvements, though, so without further ado - here's all the quick fixes implemented after PAX!
General Fixes

Fixed an issue where Race Mode (Hustle Harbour) couldn't be selected with 4 players. Now you can race to your heart's content.
Finally identified and fixed a long-standing issue where player characters would keep flying upwards when defeated.
Fixed an issue where the camera would continue to follow defeated players even as they fell out of bounds.
Fixed a bug where KO'd fighters would keep blocking attacks in free-for-alls.
Added missing collision detection in Onslaught Mode, which should prevent characters from knocking each other out of bounds.
Collision detection has been improved all-around for all characters and shots. This is a work-in-progress, so please report any issues you have.
General Improvements

Tweaked the data on most of the shots in the game, mostly to make them more capable. More launch force, more hitstun, etc.
Uncharged Shots now have more launch capability when used to interrupt targets. More potent shots now carry more weight to them too, making it easier for them to bowl over weaker attacks.
Multi-hit attacks (eg. Sherpa's Full Charge Shot, Percival's Standing Swing) are no longer escapable mid-attack, making them much safer attacks and more dangerous moves.
Attacking out of a Blitz or superarmour state now leaves you with a little bit of time left, just enough to make sure you're safe to attack.
Projectiles that pass through targets no longer multi-hit shields, reinforcing that shield beats shot.
Increased volume on Dash Finale theme. It was just a bit harder to make out than the rest of the game music.
Added elevators to the stage select in the Lobby, which should make things a bit easier to navigate. Current feedback indicates that the Lobby is considerably less popular than the Quick Lobby (accessible from the Settings menu), and no amount of redesigning will get around that. I've taken it on board and will be looking into replacing the Lobby, such that a system like the Quick Lobby takes precedence, but that's for a future update.
Characters
#1

Made reflecting low-power shots more effective, improving their weight and force.
Improved hitstun on standing forward-throw.
Edge

Improved hitstun on standing forward-throw.
Substantially decreased power of kunai. Edge was getting away with far too much damage with his new rapid-fire mechanics. He should deal roughly half the DPS he had before, which is still pretty solid.
Nomad

Nomad's Full Charge Shot now behaves even more like a player, re-appearing on-stage and flashing when struck.
Arrhic

Standardised Cling Swing so it doesn't leap too high.
Arrhic's grabs now only defy gravity once per jump. No more Space Invader, old pal.
Adjusted grappling animations so that Arrhic's throws deal damage more often, if not all the time.
Canceling grabs now removes Arrhic's gravity-defiance, allowing him to jump like normal.
It should now be possible to escape Arrhic's throws with some quick thinking, just like any other throw.
Rondo

Improved hitstun on standing forward-throw and aerial down-throw.
Rondo can now parry explosive shots without suffering the explosion himself.
Parrying an Uncharged Shot now gives Rondo a Full-Charged Shot. Parrying wasn't keeping up with other character's options as the game progressed, so it felt necessary to revisit the mechanics of it and make it seem more worthwhile.
Manny

Substantially increased launch force on Uncharged Shot and Mid-Charge Shot, mostly to keep people from being trapped by grenades. The grenade itself now bounces much more, too.
Kero

Substantially increased launch force on all bubble-shots.
Percival

Buffed up damage and launch force of standing down-throw.
-1
Improved hitstun on standing forward-throw.
Original post
18 Oct 2018Developer post
v0.5 - Let's Get Ready To Blitz
It's finally here, Dash Blitz v0.5! With this, Dash Blitz is bigger and better than ever, with 12 of its 20 promised fighters playable across 11 stages! Just in time for PAX AUS - we'll be at stall 32 in the PAX Rising section, if you're in the area feel free to come play some ro
It's finally here, Dash Blitz v0.5! With this, Dash Blitz is bigger and better than ever, with 12 of its 20 promised fighters playable across 11 stages! Just in time for PAX AUS - we'll be at stall 32 in the PAX Rising section, if you're in the area feel free to come play some rounds!
Dash Blitz is currently available for $4.99 USD. But as development progresses and the game improves, that price point is subject to change. In the interests of transparency, I'd like to announce ahead of time that effective January 2019, Dash Blitz will be increasing its price to $9.99 USD. Barring any drastic unplanned improvements (e.g. online multiplayer), this price should last up to and beyond the full release of v1.0.
Anyway, until 2019, we'll be moving ahead with the current price point, so if you've been on the fence, you've still got time to make a decision.
With that out of the way, we've got a lot of ground to cover, so let's get into it!
New Content

Nomad, the teleporting ally of justice, is here! Although he can't dash, his one-of-a-kind teleporting augments allow him to jump around the battlefield in a flash. In between that and his jury-rigged explosives, Nomad's one of the trickiest fighters to enter the ring.
Arrhic, the strongest man alive, steps onto the world stage! Years ago, Arrhic was a national champion and a global sensation. Arrhic holds barely any augments, relying on his own strength - whether he's hurling javelins or victims. Nobody wrestles like Arrhic. He rushes into the fray when he grabs, then hoists his target up overhead and carries them as he pleases.
You can now fight atop the Metro City Skyline, Nomad's stomping ground, and inside The Old Collosseum, Arrhic's home arena! These stages are huge, but simple.
I̵̟̩̿̅̕ ̴̣̲̑h̶̡͉̑̓̄o̵̥̮͆̒p̷̜̾͋ȩ̴͍͒ ̵̯̽̄I̵͉̱͋͆͐'̶̬̣̚m̴̬̐ ̸̮͍̈́͒ṉ̴̫̜̑̐̒o̶̡̦̻̎̎ṱ̶͔͒͆͝ ̶͎̑f̵̨̭̫́o̶̹͚͗r̴͚͕̮̎̇̚g̵̨̰̹̏ḙ̶̿̀t̷̝̹̩̄́͂ṭ̶̺̐i̷͔̓ͅn̷̟̞̤̐̀g̴̺͎̿̆̋ ̴͎̖̓s̸͖̣̀͐ơ̶̟̺̓m̴̭͉̟͛ḙ̵̈̃͜͝ț̵͗̈h̸̟͌í̶̹̤ǹ̵̩̦̮̏g̷̪͓̟̋ğ̸̗̓g̷̻̏̚g̵̭͙̑͐ͅg̸̫̙͒̈́g̷̛̰ ̴̖̈́̈I̴̡̎̏͠ ̴̣̱̯̈̑A̸͍̰͉̾M̴͙̏͜ ̵̩̑̾̀T̷̩̐͑̿H̷̝̽̆Ĕ̷̱̝̑ ̴̮͎͕̎͘N̷̟͑̑̀ͅU̵̡̬͎̍̃M̵͉̫̿B̸̯̟̠̓E̶̻̹̟̒R̵͚̅ ̵̳͊O̵̡͇͕͛͂͂N̴͔̎̕E̷̦͆ ̸͈͇̇͆̓x̴̪͕̙͒̽Ẍ̵̡͔́́x̸̮̣̏_̷̰̻̲͐̊́s̷͓̹̑̒w̴͙̻͑J̶̢̬̽͂Ụ̸͉͍̑̆̚j̷̧̼̊ų̵̑͠U̸̩͆̚͝P̶̗̋̍͠ḓ̴̡͆w̶̡̖̋͜n̷̢̖̓̃͝Ŝ̸̯͒ͅW̴̜̝̕_̷̢̼̐x̶̙̰̌͌X̷̟̀͂̕x̸̥͔͔̐͆͑ S̴̯̘̪̻̳̩͙͍͐͑͌́̎̈́͌̋ͅò̵̤̳̺͑̒̑͛̍̿͝m̵̓̇͒͒͛́͌͑ͅę̶͚̻̪̙̗̇͆͊͋̌́̾̍ţ̵̡̢̪͓͉̦̘̭̏̉̌̅̏͋͝͝h̸̡͚̥̫̭͈͚̎̿̅̋̓̋̔ị̷͖̝̤̮̼́̐͌̾̚͘͜͠ͅn̶̹͉̥̄̇͑̉̇͘g̶̜̩̜̭̲͛̋̓̾̒̿'̵͔͌̈́̆̓s̴̘̠̪̼̠̗̿̓͑́͑̃̍ ̶̛̦̲͔̺̟̹͒̀͐͝ņ̵̜̠͔̖͆̿̔̌̈̓͘̕̕o̵̢̙̟̤͎̥̤̮͋̄̇͐̒̒ͅt̴͙̣̒̆̽͝ ̷̡̉ř̷̭̻̼͚̼̞͈̝͊́͒͒̀͝i̵̢̡͍͉͕͙̞͍̙͆͠͠͝g̸̛͚͕̓̎̿͒̊̈́h̴̨̼͎̰̥̋̓̆͘t̵̰̓̔̆̽̋̇̐̔
General Improvements

Tweaked a number of sound effects - most notably, charging up now produces the occasional sound of sparking electricity, which should be much easier on the ears.
Improved camera movements to be faster and snappier. It should keep up with the fastest attacks now.
Attacks will no longer multi-hit unless specifically designed to. This should bring some attacks back to expected damage levels, and for some fighters, will make sweetspots much more important.
Some characters' Run Swings will now deal more damage out of a sprint. This is most noticeable with Bluster's shoulder-barge.
Rolling projectiles, like Puffin's Full-Charge Shot, now change their damage and launch trajectories depending on their current state.
Modified explosive hitboxes to be more accurate and satisfying.
Tweaked a number of grabs to be more useful and overall more satisfying.
The Snowconer item now features some different projectiles, helping it stand out next to Puffin.
DTS have moved the fighters in to a much cleaner lobby, better suited to their needs. Much less wasted space. I hope you enjoy navigating the lobby!
The Quick Lobby has been improved, too! Now a label follows your cursor, and the space behind your character details their abilities.
If you leave the game unattended, there's now a prompt to pick up a controller and start playing. After about a minute of waiting, a fight between AI will begin, which you can interrupt at any point. Admittedly, this is more exciting for convention appearances than for actual gameplay.
Fixes

Fixed a bug where shooting animations would sometimes play incorrectly when a melee item was equipped.
Stages

A number of stages got a facelift - nothing mechanical, but these should be more visually interesting now.
The barriers on Dash Finale now automatically destroy any projectiles caught flying through them - making it a much safer venue for all bystanders. It's much more dangerous inside now, though, with explosives triggering as soon as they hit the wall!
Increased the amount of space available overhead in Titan Diamond.
Everlanche Climb has had an extra space carved out, connecting the upper and lower caverns.
Metro Sewers and Cold Edge Rig now feature Edge's and Manny's themes, respectively.
Characters
#1

#1 can now change the direction he's facing while he winds up to bat.
Edge

Edge no longer charges up, at all. Instead, holding in Shoot causes him to throw a steady stream of kunai. To replace his scattershot, Edge throws three at a time in a tight fan formation.
Improved the swing arc of Jump Swing, and increased its damage potential.
Edge's default KO animation has been replaced with a sneaky ninja get-away.
Bluster

Fixed a bug where active slipstreams would start generating a wind tunnel as soon as a slot was free, so Bluster would accidentally pass wind a lot.
Bluster can now only have one wind tunnel active at a time. As nature intended.
Rondo

Nothing's actually changed here, but Rondo was feeling left out.
Valerie

Improved the radius of Jump Swing and increased damage potential.
Manny

Reduced the damage potential of detonated mines to compensate for their new effectiveness.
Improved the explosive effect of Manny's Mid-Charged Shot.
Swapped Manny's animations around a little bit, so his sprinting is more bestial and his running more humanoid.
Sherpa

Sherpa didn't get any buffs either, but you don't hear him complaining.
Puffin

Replaced Puffin's Mid-Charged Shot with a snowflake which scatters ice beneath it as it flies.
Puffin now pops when defeated. It obviously doesn't help her very much, but it can hurt the attacker, so be careful in free-for-alls!
Kero

Fixed a bug where the player could move independently of Standing Swing.
Percival

Added some audio-visual feedback to Percival's Standing Swing to indicate when it's charged.
Original post
06 Sep 2018Developer post
v0.4.5.1 - The Extra 1 Stands For #11
It was heaps of fun sharing Dash Blitz with the crowds at Federation Square - more to the point, it highlighted a few things that could be cleaned up. So here's a quick little update to address some of the nagging issues that still need to be ironed out. From here on out, it's al
It was heaps of fun sharing Dash Blitz with the crowds at Federation Square - more to the point, it highlighted a few things that could be cleaned up. So here's a quick little update to address some of the nagging issues that still need to be ironed out.
From here on out, it's all-business as we finally move into v0.5!
Fixes

Corrected some outdated guide text in the Lobby and Pause Menu, as well as clarifying some existing abilities.
Corrected the laser animations for all characters.
Fixed a bug where Onslaught Mode couldn't be chosen from the Main Lobby.
Fixed a bug where AI would try to load into Race Harbour and artificially inflate the player count.
Fixed a bug where AI would lose their chosen palette on the Quick Lobby. Long may Grape Rondo prosper.
General Improvements

The opening text on the title screen now takes its time scrolling up. It's a bit more legible, too, even with the chaos going on in the background.
You can now skip anything you're not in the mood for during the Tutorial - just taunt to signal to #21 that you're done with it.
Moonbase Veracity's gates now operate on sensors rather than button presses, making it far easier to navigate. You should be able to dash straight through with no hold-up. Also, the colour palette for the base has been darkened somewhat, so it should be easier to see inside.
Cleaned up the spinning effect during hitstun, particularly so that grabbing a target doesn't set them spinning. On a similar note, items now spin more noticeably when thrown, making them more obviously threatening.
Made hit effects larger and more easily visible, making it that much more satisfying to land a solid blow. Camera shudder is now more noticeable and less smooth, making it into a quick and jerky kind of motion.
Characters
Edge

Added a dedicated Sprint animation. More of a ninja hover, really.
Bluster

Made Bluster's Cyclone attack (Fully-Charged vertical Shot) into its own distinct animation, rather than a blend between his shooting and his regular animation. The actual mechanics of the attack are unchanged from v0.4.5.
Rondo

Rondo's Overcharged Shot (gained from parrying Swings or Fully-Charged Shots) now flies through its targets, making it more potent than ever.
Rondo's Running Swing is now only animated from the waist up. Now Rondo's flailing should match up with his actual movements.
Puffin

Re-implemented slowdown on midair jumps - it seems the addition of sprinting was letting Puffin get away with more air speed than she should.
Percival

Fixed a bug where Percival wasn't vanishing into a cloud of dust when he was KO'd.
Made numerous improvements to Percival's aerial down-throw, making it an all-around more powerful attack.
Percival's shield boomerang now interacts with other attacks, allowing you to block incoming shots. This also means the shield can be knocked back by enemy attacks, or even reflected...
Original post
30 Aug 2018Developer post
v0.4.5 - A Fistful Of Fun
It's been a little while, but Dash Blitz is back with a huge update! There's been lots of tweaks for characters, some big and some small, a heap of gameplay updates, and even some new music! Most noticeable is the inclusion of two new mechanics - grappling and sprinting. This giv
It's been a little while, but Dash Blitz is back with a huge update! There's been lots of tweaks for characters, some big and some small, a heap of gameplay updates, and even some new music!
Most noticeable is the inclusion of two new mechanics - grappling and sprinting. This gives all 10 playable characters many more options!
This would've been kept for v0.5, but things are taking a bit longer than anticipated. This update sets the framework upon which v0.5 will be built, though, so look forward to new characters and stages there.
Until then, we've got a lot to get through, so let's get right into it! As per usual, everything included in the list below applies to the free demo, there's just a few less characters.
Bug Fixes

Fixed an issue with clashing attacks that would cause players to float awkwardly in midair - clashes now push both targets apart relative to the force of the involved attacks without dealing damage.
General

Guarding now ends invulnerability time. This sounds like a bad thing, but this means you can choose to blitz multiple times in a row.
Shot charge is now indicated with an overlayed circle of sparks rather than with small particles - the circle fills up with each level of charge, allowing you to quickly identify when your shot's ready.
Shot caps are now tracked separately for each type of shot a character can use, and shots produced from items are tracked separately again. Basically, even if you've filled the field with uncharged shots, you can still fire a fully-charged shot. This will go unnoticed for most characters, but for characters like Manny, this is very important.
If you have too many shots active when you try to fire one off, it will now automatically downgrade to the next available shot. Again, this is largely for characters like Manny and Puffin who have very long-lived shots.
Stages

Sherpa and Kero have their themes playing on Everlanche Climb and Trueclear Glade respectively, giving the stages a bit more personality.
Blast zones are now being replaced with out-of-bounds teleporters. Falling off-stage will take you out of the action for a bit, then pop you back onto the main stage with a bit of a damage penalty. Not only does this make launching less effective in open-air stages, but it makes a little more sense.
The water spout in Metro Sewers is now a timed hazard, launching a platform into the upper layers when the water pressure builds too high.
New Content

Grappling is here at last! Characters can now grab in the air or on the ground, and throw their targets in the four cardinal directions. Everyone approaches this in a slightly different way, so be sure to experiment!
Bridging the gap between a run and a dash, fighters can now sprint by holding in the dash button! Sprinting is slightly slower than dashing, but should prove fast enough. Sprinting doesn't open up any unique attacks, but does allow for fast Run Swings on approach.
First-time players will now be treated to a tutorial, walking them through the basics of play. You can access it from both lobbies, too, and even play along with multiple players. There's also a quick primer on the lobby system which should clear a few things up.
Removed Content

Qualifiers (time attacks) have been removed from the game. I don't like the idea of removing content, and I'm sincerely sorry to anyone who enjoyed this aspect. Without getting too deep into the reasoning behind this, Qualifiers gave the wrong impression of the type of game Dash Blitz was, and they made for poor tutorials. Race Mode also proved to be a more elegant way of handling time attack challenges. The removal of Qualifiers should allow for more time and energy to be directed towards the core of Dash Blitz. It's possible these could come back at a later date, but I have no plans to do so.
Characters
Edge

Changes have been made to Jump Swing, Hover Swing and both forms of Airdash Swing. Jump Swing is now a spinning multi-hit slash, making it a more effective air-to-ground approach and offsetting Edge's greatest weakness. His original Jump Swing has now been moved to Hover Swing, allowing him to more effectively juggle airborne foes. Airdash Swings are now more effective attacks, allowing Edge to make his hits count instead of just rushing through foes - the Horizontal Swing is a momentum-cancelling multi-hit flame attack, useful for racking up damage, and the Vertical Swing is a powerful aerial strike ideal for catching foes unawares.
Edge's hover-state now slows his descent more, making it more useful for juggling airborne enemies.
Tweaked the launch direction and stagger of Run Swing and Dash Swing to more effectively link into Edge's aerial attacks. Also improved their shield damage - they're weak attacks but they're still viable options for pressuring shields.
Improved visuals on jet-flares.
Bluster

Bluster's hover now falls a little bit slower.
Bluster's up/down full-charge shot, the cyclone, now lasts longer. This increases its damage potential but forces Bluster to commit to an unsafe attack for a long stretch of time. To compensate, he can now move at low speed in all directions during the attack. I fully anticipate this will need to be changed, so please, King of Bullies, enjoy it while it lasts.
Valerie

Made some small improvements to Valerie's model and visuals on jet-flares.
Sherpa

Sherpa's laser now more accurately extends itself, independent of Sherpa's current position - this means launching yourself around with your laser doesn't change the laser's end-point, allowing you to blast people above and below much more effectively.
Sherpa can now launch himself horizontally with his lasers - simply input the opposite direction while firing to release the inhibitors and blast away!
Removed the third hitbox on Sherpa's Dash Swing which sat underneath his forward-facing hitbox - this was intended to catch people trying to dash underneath Sherpa during the attack, but in practice just caused it to deal absurd damage. The initial hitbox has been scaled up to compensate.
Kero

Made Kero slightly bulkier to make her easier to identify at a distance.
Replaced Kero's Uncharged Shot with an improved tongue attack - officially moving Kero's swallow-and-spit ability to Uncharged Shot. This allows her to grab projectiles from any state and fire them back, too. She can even lash her tongue out vertically!
Replaced Kero's Standing Swing with a launching kick, giving her another combo tool and a more straight-forward attack.
Percival

Percival's Fully-Charged Shot now includes a melee attack right at the start as Percival sweeps his sword. The projectile itself now has a larger hitbox, better reflecting the new animation.
Original post
21 Jun 2018Developer post
v0.4.4 - Race Mode
Sometimes you need a break from all that fighting - now you can stretch your legs with the brand new race mode! While I'm looking forward to introducing new race tracks and modes to play around with in the future, lightning-fast brawls will always be the primary focus of Dash Bli
Sometimes you need a break from all that fighting - now you can stretch your legs with the brand new race mode!
While I'm looking forward to introducing new race tracks and modes to play around with in the future, lightning-fast brawls will always be the primary focus of Dash Blitz - to differentiate between types of stages, they'll now be colour-coded accordingly. So if you want to try out the races, just head to Hustle Harbour in the snazzy blue.
v0.5 is still some time away, but it'll soon be time to talk about upcoming characters. Until then, let's talk patches.
Bug Fixes

Added the pause menu to the Quick Lobby.
Fixed slow-down bug in the Quick Lobby.
You can now "Return to Lobby" from within the lobby - basically, you can use this button to get to your preferred lobby after changing your preferences. It still won't do anything if you're in the right lobby.
Improved collision with sloped rooves - sorry, space cadets, but I'm sure you'll get out of bounds again somehow.
Fixed item spawn points for Everlanche Climb.
Fixed issue with characters getting underground on Moonbase Veracity.
General

Added a controller recommendation to the opening screen. It's an extra 2 seconds on load-time, I know, but it makes a world of difference.
Plunge speeds for characters have been drastically increased across the board. This should help players snap back to the ground more easily, and is particularly useful for land cancelling. If you want to aim down but don't want to plunge, don't forget you can hold in the jump button.
Dash duration has been increased for all characters (exempting Kero, who doesn't have a fixed duration). This won't change your overall speed, but makes continuous dashing a little more forgiving.
Extended stun on landing. This only applies to attacks that stun for a reasonable period, and only when the force of the attack has all but vanished, but there'll be more moments to follow up an attack now.
Changed the Solid Smokescreen into a power item, and gave it a limited fuel supply. It was proving a little too dominant.
Changed the Paper Fan back to a standard melee item (for now).
Gate switches (such as in Luminaire Labs) can now be activated by interacting with them. I guess Professor Lumen got fed up with Rondo kicking his way in.
Multiplayer Qualifiers now feature a split-screen camera.
Removed the snail-type enemies from #1's Qualifier - they're still too clunky to have running around, and it's the first chance you get to play around with the game. I'll figure something else out.
New Content
Moonbase Veracity has seen a dramatic overhaul! Players now fight in and around the base itself. The interior of the base has normal Earth gravity. The dome itself has been scaled down, too, so there's much less wasted space.
The above-mentioned racing stage, Hustle Harbour, has been added. Races feature a new split-screen camera, so you can focus on your own actions. You'll run laps above and below the water. If you fall behind, don't give up - you'll receive a hefty boost to your dash speed, giving you an edge on straightaways.
Valerie

As a result of changes to dash duration, Valerie's flight now lasts a little while longer.
Sherpa

As a result of changes to plunge speed, Sherpa's upwards-facing laser now sends him plummeting back down to the ground.
Original post