Kaiju Kite Attack

Kaiju Kite Attack
Kaiju Kite Attack is a horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up/platformer hybrid game developed and published by PWCA (pronounced 'pookah') in October, 2019. It is the first, ever, philosophically, story-driven SHMUP-platformer, combining elements of both genres with procedural generation and a quirky sense of humor, while excluding standard SHMUP-genre tropes, such as scoring and leaderboards, in an effort to highlight narrative, employ a unique philosophy over endless bean-counting, and explore the bounds and possibilities of the SHMUP genre.

Defunct Games wrote in 2019, "Kaiju Kite Attack is one of the wildest, craziest and most exciting shoot 'em ups of the year!...Kaiju Kite Attack is a silly, weird and sometimes surreal shoot 'em up that is more than just a goofy premise...It's a fever dream that combines procedurally-generated platforming stages with traditional 2D shooting to create something kind of magical.”

Gameplay Overview
In Kaiju Kite Attack, the player assumes the role of the Kite Knight, an unassuming kite-enthusiast, who stumbles upon and is witness to the septuagenarian slaughter of one young boy's grandmother at the hands of a killer Kaiju. The Kite Knight must spring into action, kite in hand, to challenge the interstellar Kaiju invasion, and in turn, save earth from the claws and jaws of the towering beast's attacks.

The Kaiju are coming to town to burn it down. Save your Meemaw! Save the universe! Get your kite in the sky! FLY OR DIE!

Controls
Keyboard:
 * Arrow keys: Fly kite
 * Left Alt: Shoot kite
 * Spacebar: Jump
 * W: Switch weapon

Xbox Controller:
 * Left Analog: Fly kite
 * Y: Shoot kite
 * X: Jump
 * Right trigger: Select next weapon
 * Left Trigger: Select previous weapon

NES/SNES Retro USB Controllers:
 * D pad: Fly kite
 * B: Shoot kite
 * A: Jump
 * Select button/right trigger: Switch weapon

Unlockable Secrets
The game released with the ability to unlock a secret bonus game, "Bird Life", once every level of Kaiju Kite Attack had been completed. As of March 31, 2020, "Bird Life" has been made available to all players, regardless of the player's current progress in Kaiju Kite Attack. The bonus game "Bird Life" is intended as a continuation and direct connection to the narrative and philosophy of Kaiju Kite Attack, as when you complete Kaiju Kite Attack in full, you escape the Underworld by being reborn, via a human mother, as a bird. In "Bird Life", the player assumes the role of said bird, while flying back and forth across the screen, laying exploding eggs down upon the ensuing chaos between frantic police, police cars, and residents/citizens of society. "Bird Life" was designed with a strong ATARI-esque look and feel in mind, embodying the feeling one might have felt when sitting down and playing their ATARI 2600, back in the day, while being confronted with a polarizing take on today's current social ills, and a sense of escape one might experience if one could detach themselves from such an experience while taking on the role of a bird, flying far above the entanglements of society/being human. It also just felt rad to drop exploding eggs on cops and cop cars!

An alternate title PWCA considered for "Bird Life" was "The Blues Brother Simulator".

Characters

 * Kite Knight: You just wanted to go to the park and fly your kite. Now the fate of the universe is depending on your kite-flying skills!


 * Nino: The Kite Knight's trusted friend and guide. Little Nino needs your help, and in turn, will help you find your way.


 * Meemaw: The ancient hand of Meemaw, Nino's grandmother, reaches from beyond the grave to aid you in your battle against the looming threat of colossal chaos!

Weapons
The Kite Knight begins the game with the standard Lightning shot. New weapons and abilities can be obtained by defeating each carnivorous Kaiju, a la Mega Man 2.


 * Fireballs: Complete Stage 1
 * Bubbles: Complete Stage 2
 * Fish: Complete Stage 2
 * Flies: Complete Stage 3
 * Little Weirdos: Complete Stage 3
 * Toxic Tears: Complete Stage 4
 * Hairy Legs: Complete Stage 4
 * Dirty Money Complete Stage 5
 * Witch's Head Complete Stage 5

Items

 * Meemaw: You can gain Meemaw as an ally in battle. She will encircle you for a short amount of time, doing her best to absorb incoming projectiles.