Carazu

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Overview

Carazu is a platformer for the original Game Boy handheld system by Martin Holtkamp, written entirely in assembly with the RGBDS assembler and linker.

You play as a mouse trying to reach the final level while collecting bubbles along the way. There are three worlds, plains, caves and sky city, and a secret level is hidden in each of them. Holtkamp noted that the ROM had to use 9 ROM banks, most of that being map data for the levels.

Along the way the mouse picks up three runes, each announced on its own screen: the Fermata Rune (press A in mid-air to double jump), the Bass Rune (press B to fire the bass cannon) and the Allegro Rune (a move speed bonus).

Made by: Martin Holtkamp

Controls guide

Playing

Button and key	Action
Left/Right	Run
A`X`	Jump; hold it for a higher, floatier jump. With the Fermata Rune, press it again in mid-air to double jump
B`Z`	With the Bass Rune: fire the bass cannon the way you are facing
Up	Go through a door you are standing in

Menus and screens

Button and key	Action
Up/Down	Choose New Game or Continue
A`X`	Confirm
Start`Enter`	Close a rune screen, or leave the ending screen

Cheatsheet

Items

Heart: Restores one heart, up to three
Bubble: Collectable, counted in the corner of the screen
Fermata Rune: Double jump; found late in the plains
Bass Rune: Bass cannon, one shot on screen at a time; found in the caves
Allegro Rune: Raises top running speed by half; found in the sky city
Secret treasures: One in each secret level; once found it appears on the title menu

Enemies and hazards

Slime: Walks or hops; stomp it or shoot it
Birdy: Flies, some in zig-zags or dropping bombs; stomp it or shoot it
Shooter: Fires bullets; harmless to touch but can't be stomped, and blocks cannon shots
Spike: Hurts on any contact; plain ones can be shot, black ones can't, and some give chase
Platform: Moving platform to ride
Spike tiles: Instant death, whatever your hearts
Springs: Launch you up, down, left or right

Tips

Stomping works on anything that isn't a spike, shooter or platform, as long as you were above it the frame before contact; landing on one gives a small bounce.
The jump is buffered for a few frames, so pressing A just before touching the ground still jumps on landing.
The double jump recharges every time you land, including on moving platforms, so you can chain it from platform to platform.
Losing all three hearts restarts the current level with two hearts, and the bubble count goes back to what it was when the level began, so a risky detour for bubbles only pays if you get out alive.
The ending screen shows how many bubbles you collected and your total time, and keeps the best of each, so there are two records to chase: most bubbles and fastest run.

Secrets

Secret level in the plains

In the sixth level of the first world the exit door is high up on the right, but a second door sits at the very bottom of the map about halfway along. Stand in it and press Up to reach a bonus level holding the first secret treasure. Its door takes you back to the start of the level you came from.

Secret level in the caves

In the third level of the second world you start at the bottom left and the exit is at the bottom right; the secret door is at the very top of the map, near its left end. Press Up in it to reach the bonus level with the second treasure.

Secret level in the sky city

In the fourth level of the third world, drop straight down from the starting point to the bottom-left corner of the map, where the secret door is. Press Up in it for the third treasure.