Frantic Dimension

Setting and Gameplay

The game stars a treasure hunter named Jason Allen who explores a mysterious portal that opens deep in the woods. He is transported to the dimension of an alien race called the Yadcians (named after the creator's game Yet Another Defender Clone). After trying to shoot one of them, they declare him a threat, forcing him to flee. He manages to find and steal the "Million," a prototype laser pistol that can kill the Yadcians in a single hit. The player controls him as he tries to escape the Yadcian's fortress while collecting as many treasures as he can.

The player starts out in a room inside a 6x6 square dungeon armed with a hitscanning laser and room-clearing smart bombs. They must explore the rooms to find treasure while fending off enemies within each room and enemies that will follow the player across rooms. Entering a room will cause a forcefield to appear behind them, preventing them from leaving the way they came until they move far enough away from it.

Though the treasures don't score points when they're picked up, they pay off immensely when the player leaves the level with them, giving lots of points for one-ups (awarded every 10,000 points) and "money" that turn into more smart bombs (awarded every 10 "money"). But if the player is killed, they drop ten of their treasures, which they'll then have to go back to get from the room they died in. There is also a large point bonus for exploring every room in the level. Thus, the player must decide between choosing to explore for more treasure and possibly attempt to fully explore the floor or head to the exit to cash in the treasures they have for extra lives and smart bombs. Like its 80s inspirations, the game has no end. It continues until the player runs out of lives.

Treasures

There are five types of treasures, with more valuable treasures appearing on later floors:

Plasma Brooch: 500 points, 1 money

Glowing Pencil: 1000 points, 2 money

Alien Ocarina: 1500 points, 3 money

Millium Gem: 2000 points, 4 money

White Crown: 2500 points, 5 money

Enemies

There are twelve enemies that can appear together in each room, with more dangerous enemies appearing on later floors. Most enemies don't follow you across rooms, though some can. All enemies but one - the Evil Face - can be killed in a single hit.

Yadcian Shock Troopers: (no score) A purple squid-like commander can randomly spawn at any time, setting off an alarm that causes blue squid-like troopers to begin swarming and firing bullets at the player. They will follow the player across rooms, and the faster moving commanders will continue to call more troopers as long as it is alive. Two will spawn at a time when the player has explored enough rooms.

Robot Guards: (100 pts) Yellow robots holding rifles that move to the player and shoot at them on sight.

Death Square: (50 pts) A floating mine that always moves toward the player.

Treasure Keeper: (150 pts) A red flashing almond-looking thing that only appear in rooms that have treasure in them, but have the chance to spawn if the player drops treasure. They move in the direction the player moves and fire flashing balls that can bounce off surfaces, though they can be destroyed by shooting them.

Mine Planter: (150 pts) A diamond that typically runs away from the player on sight and quickly flies around the area dropping mines that temporarily remain on the screen.

Cruiseroids: (150 pts) A circle on treads that fires slow moving homing projectiles that penetrate walls. The missiles can be destroyed by shooting them, and disappear when the Cruiseroid is killed.

Evil Face: (250 pts) An Evil Otto style pressure enemy that appears anytime the player stays too long in a room. It immediately chases the player, including through walls, and will appear in the same place it was in if the player goes to another room while it's still alive. It takes three shots or a single smart bomb detonation to kill it. If the player stays in the same room after killing the first one, another one will spawn that flies much faster at the player. It will appear more often after the player has explored enough rooms. Later levels have it chase the player faster from its first appearance.

Bullet Case: (500 pts if shot, 1000 pts if caught) A small flashing circle with wings that flies in diagonal lines, bounces off walls, and can move across rooms. They score 1000 points if the player touches them, and they shoot three bullets at the player if they are killed.

Corner Zapper: (400 pts) Appearing in fully empty rooms, four orange flashing right angles at each corner of the room fire continually a hitscan laser between two of them. They can only fire one laser at a time, and can only fire between two posts, meaning that destroying a single post makes it impossible for the other posts to fire at that corner. But unless all four posts are destroyed in one go, they will all respawn when the player leaves the room.

Corner Cannon: (400 pts) The same as the Corner Zappers but flashing blue, they each fire three bullets at the player simultaneously. They will continue to fire as long as they are alive, and they will all respawn if the player leaves the room without destroying all of them.

Treasure Ghost: (200 pts) A blue entity with flashing eyes, it will appear in later floors after the player has acquired enough treasure. It will follow the player across rooms similar to the Evil Face, but won't hurt the player. If it touches the player, it will latch on to them and force them to drop treasures until it gets off. Killing it will only cause it to disappear for a time, but it will respawn soon after. Two will spawn at a time when the player has explored enough rooms.

The Core: (2000 pts and a smart bomb) Appears every fourth floor. A large flashing circle with a smaller circle inside, it is surrounded by a forcefield of multiple squares and fires many giant bullets in rapid succession. The player will have to shoot through the forcefield to reveal the Core, and then shoot it in its dead center.