SNAILS (itch)

"SNAILS" is a retro-themed 3-D brawler, generated within a primitive aesthetic  which is designed to emulate the characteristics of late-90's era PS1 games.  Such distinctive features reminiscent of this era include:

• meshes with low-polygon counts
• 320x240 resolution
• pixelated and unfiltered textures
• lack of Z-buffering
• short draw distances
• crude pre-rendered cinematic cutscenes replete with unrefined primitives and other low-production characteristics
• tank controls

Other Features:

• 7 levels worth of gigantic snail-infested mayhem
• load level features
• 24-page PSX style-manual rife with background information, tips, tricks & so on.

Heavily inspired by "Nightmare Creatures", "Fighting Force", and other action-oriented titles of the PSX-era, "SNAILS" combines simplistic fighting mechanics with limited inventory management.

Do you have what it takes to withstand the malevolent hordes of oversized mutants infesting your community?

And more importantly, do you have what it takes to relive the 90's all over again?

Play and find out!

The so-called "Story":

Alas, poor Dora Ditze.  

Bed-ridden with the flu, this innocuous 7-year old had barely recovered into the afternoon phase of the following day, only to find her neighborhood overrun by  a menacing horde of giant mutant snails from outer space.

Having feasted on the majority of the town's inhabitants during the course of the morning, these malevolent slugs have since narrowed their attention on the few remaining appetizers (aka "survivors") in their vicinity.  Dora will certainly make for a satisfying, if unsubstantial, meal.

Alone and overcome with desperation, she can find no alternative at her disposal other than to seek refuge at the local elementary school, whilst hopefully foregoing the monsters' pleasure of a late-afternoon snack.  

GAMEPLAY

The objectives in "SNAILS" is fairly straight-forward;  simply fight your way to the finish of each level, whilst accumulating as many kills as you can.   Employ dodging maneuvers, rear attacks, and the ever-important "straddle kick" maneuver as essential tools for survival

Meanwhile, make use of your inventory system, either by acquiring cookies, which can be used to replenish health, or keys, with which you can unlock doors. 

CONTROLS

Various Survival Tips:

• Holding down the "attack" key is the quickest and most efficient way of piling on damage.
• Employ "rear attack" frequently when surrounded by enemies.
• The "straddle-kick" maneuver ("left"+ "right"+ "Z") is an effective means of dispersing enemies converging from the sides.
• When confronted by Spitting Snails, try using other enemies in your vicinity as cover, if possible.
• Don't forget to dodge.  If you find yourself getting clobbered, try diving away from the melee, then re-engage from a more advantageous position.

Additional notes:

To skip cutscenes, simply hold down the "ESC" for a second or two.

DEMO VERSION:

The demo version of this product can be obtained from the following page:

https://dl43.itch.io/snails-demo

Notes on features and deficiencies of Demo Version:

• Only 2 levels
• No "Load Game" features
• The sustained attack only functions by holding down the "Z" button and does not respond effectively to repetitious key-presses (this defect has been remedied in the full version)
•  Picking up cookies requires very close proximity in order to function effectively (this issue has also been rectified in the full version).