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STARWHAL is fully released!!

It's finally fully released! We made it! Narwhals are soon to be running amok all over the place!

Here are the goods:

New Stuff!

  • New versus levels:
    • Stasis
    • Ameoba
    • The Gate
    • Perch
    • Tumble Dry
    • Squall
    • Pneumatic
    • Slippery Slope

  • Challenge levels

    • 11 new Obstacle levels
    • 13 new Target levels

  • Steam stuff:

    • Steam leaderboards
    • Achievements!
    • Trading cards
    • Big Picture support
    • Badges

  • Music - 5 fresh new tracks, including the Obstacles theme shown in the launch trailer!
  • More sounds - end of match sounds, world-specific ambience, and more!
  • Even more visual effects: shockwave, heat shimmer, and lots of new particle effects!
  • Challenge modes: a ‘next level’ button has been added to stay in the groove
  • Updated challenge results screen - you can now see the required times for platinum, gold, silver, bronze medals, the difference between your current and best time, and the name of the level you just played
  • End of match visuals and sounds for GAME, TIME, and COMPLETE
  • Options: resolution can now be changed in game
  • Control: gamepads now can use both analog sticks for turning, as well as both triggers for gas - now you can play one handed like in Wave Race 64!
  • Credits - our identities have been revealed, as well as the amazing people who have helped us make it!

Changes:

  • Level name changes
    • Moebius to Möbius (big change!)
    • Fast Forward to Time Spiral
    • The Clash to Flip and Dip
    • Battlefield to Slush Puppy
    • Glacial Gate to Glacial Pass

  • Gamepads can now use the dpad for menu navigation
  • On gamepads the ‘A’ button is now used for readying up instead of the ‘X’ button
  • Challenge mode: Lava is a +5 sec penalty, Fireballs are now a +3 sec penalty
  • Challenge mode: game timer is now has .000 precision - as accurate as Olympic bobsledding - important for leaderboard rivalry!
  • New medal graphics

Balances/Fixes:

  • End of match: selecting “Restart” after a Random level was played will pick another random level
  • Level loading is improved
  • Physic calculations have been optimized
  • Game timer font has been updated

Costumes:

  • ‘?’ rider
  • Six Link

Thanks to everybody who has supported us up to this point! To any newcomers to neon space narwhal combat, good call on upgrading your existence!

Build and release context

Recorded Steam release date:

Within one calendar day of this post (UTC). The listed date does not establish an exact launch time.