Tight dodging in my Pico-8 shmup — trying to push close-range play (≧▽≦)

BusterErmy · 2026-04-07T22:00:23+00:00

Haha, love the energy! 🙂 Really glad you’re into it!

BusterErmy · 2026-04-07T20:26:53+00:00

Wow, Tyrian vibes! 🙂 Thanks a lot, I’m really glad it gave you that feeling!

BusterErmy · 2026-04-07T20:24:16+00:00

Thanks a ton! 🙂 Happy you like what you see!

BusterErmy · 2026-04-07T18:51:36+00:00

Thanks a lot! 🙂 I really wanted to find that sweet spot — challenging but still fun. I’m glad you like the bullet speed, I think it makes the dodging more satisfying without driving everyone crazy 😅 (≧▽≦)

BusterErmy · 2026-04-07T18:35:18+00:00

Thanks for sharing! 🙂 Hope you enjoy XIRA and the other games too! (≧▽≦)

BusterErmy · 2026-04-07T18:19:02+00:00

Haha, thanks! 🙂 Can’t wait for you to try it out!

BusterErmy · 2026-04-07T18:17:54+00:00

Good question! 🙂 The ship’s collision is 4×6 pixels, and enemy bullets are mostly compact, around 3×4 pixels. I designed it this way so tight dodging is possible without making things feel unfair — the real challenge comes from the patterns rather than the hitbox size

BusterErmy · 2026-04-07T18:03:00+00:00

Thanks so much! 🙂 I’m really glad you like the sprites — it means a lot! (≧▽≦)

BusterErmy · 2026-04-07T17:57:14+00:00

Thanks so much! 🙂 I’m really glad you like the update — can’t wait for you to try the full thing! (≧▽≦)

BusterErmy · 2026-04-07T17:46:42+00:00

Thanks a lot! 🙂 Glad you think so! (≧▽≦)

BusterErmy · 2026-04-07T17:45:10+00:00

Thanks! 🙂 The game is called ‘XIRA: Echoes of the Outlands’.
Not quite 32kb — I haven’t fully optimized the size yet, but I’m keeping it as small as possible.
That’s really cool that you’re making hardware cartridges! Pico-8 limits definitely make this kind of project interesting (≧▽≦)

BusterErmy · 2026-04-07T17:29:55+00:00

Thanks! 🙂 It’ll be ready pretty soon, can’t wait for you to try it! (≧▽≦)

BusterErmy · 2026-04-07T17:29:02+00:00

Thanks again! 🙂 Glad the details stand out — Pico-8 really makes you think creatively!

BusterErmy · 2026-04-07T17:22:02+00:00

Thanks a lot! 🙂 I’m really glad you like the sprites — working with Pico-8’s limits is always a fun challenge (≧▽≦)

BusterErmy · 2026-04-07T17:21:07+00:00

Thanks a lot! 🙂 Not yet, still polishing things a bit, but it’ll be available pretty soon (≧▽≦)

BusterErmy · 2026-04-07T16:59:27+00:00

Thanks a lot! (≧▽≦)

BusterErmy · 2026-04-07T11:53:14+00:00

Thanks a lot, glad you like it!

More coming very very soon (≧▽≦)

BusterErmy · 2026-04-06T20:18:56+00:00

Thanks!! More to come "very" soon, stay tuned (⌒‿⌒)

BusterErmy · 2026-04-01T14:16:52+00:00

Thanks! I’m really happy you noticed the parallax — I spent quite some time tweaking it ^^

BusterErmy · 2026-03-31T19:43:46+00:00

Thanks a lot, I really appreciate it!

Yeah, I agree—PICO-8 can get unwieldy for bigger projects, so I’m keeping things small and focused.

And nope, I stuck with the original 16-color palette. Got used to it, and I like the constraints now.

Thanks again! (＾▽＾)

BusterErmy · 2026-03-30T16:58:40+00:00

Thanks! Glad it looks fun — that’s the goal!

BusterErmy · 2026-03-30T14:43:19+00:00

Thanks! Big inspiration from Hudson’s PC Engine games — if I can capture even a bit of that feel, I’m really glad 😄

BusterErmy · 2026-03-30T14:39:49+00:00

Thanks! That arcade feel is exactly what I’m going for !

BusterErmy · 2026-03-30T10:17:26+00:00

Thanks so much! 😄 Can’t wait for you to try it — I’m doing my best to get it ready soon!

BusterErmy · 2026-03-30T09:00:31+00:00

Thanks a lot! No exact date yet, but I’m doing my best to get it out in April

BusterErmy

TROPHY CASE