In our recent demo release, we added in a few unexpected features. There were weird new bosses, a secret difficulty level, and of course, unlockable characters. You might have come across a few already. One character is Spike, the tanky turtle who Lane’s talked about a bit, but the other’s more of a mystery. Sparky, the slippery electric eel, is unlocked if you complete the demo’s campaign on any difficulty.

Sparky’s Electric Personality

Sparky is a little eel with a big ego. She loves to be the center of attention, and her kit allows her to dazzle audiences with showy displays of skill. She specializes in dealing huge damage bursts, and avoiding enemies by zipping around them. Though Sparky has unparalleled ability to shoot and dodge her way out of difficult situations, this agility comes at a cost. With a low starting health, and no way to freeze enemies or heal herself, using Sparky demands fast reactions and skillful decision-making.

But when you get it right? Oh, it’s gonna be sweet.

Sparky’s cannon is the Shock Trooper, a swift-shooting gun with reliable long-ranged fire. The Shock trooper is really easy to use (don’t worry! The rest of Sparky’s kit is where things get interesting), but its high rate of fire means it offers a high reward for what I’ll call “switch timing,” that is, alternating to the next target right when the first one dies. Great timing — plus the use of Sparky’s movement tool, below — lets her keep pace with even the heaviest hitters like Gil.

Teleport to the Top

Sparky’s first gadget is the Teleporter, which lets her cleverly slip through whatever comes her way. Pressing the activation button down starts the process, showing a targeting reticle in the direction of the left control stick/directional keys. Releasing the button transfers her ship instantly to the reticle.

This gadget can be used to quickly position Sparky, whether that be offensively or defensively. For example, she can quickly defeat enemies on the bottom part of the screen, then immediately teleport upwards to continue her onslaught. Conversely, she might linger in the middle part of the screen, attracting a hail of bullets, only to effortlessly warp out of harm’s way.

Now, let’s consider another feature of Teleporter. While its button is held, it’s charging. As you charge up Teleporter, its maximum range increases. This offers a great reward for watching enemies closely: If you anticipate a big attack: start charging early so you can hop over whatever the foe throws at you.

Shock to the System

The Thunderbolt, Sparky’s second gadget, is where her burst specialty comes in. Pressing the activation button starts a charging process, slowing her ship down significantly. Releasing the button unleashes the charge. The longer the charge is held, the more focused the cone is and the more bullets are fired. A fully charged Thunderbolt shot fires all of the bullets in a straight line.

If you’re facing a group of weaker foes, a quick Thunderbolt shot will make short work of them. For bigger baddies, charge it up for higher efficiency, but be ready to Teleport if you get into trouble. An expert Sparky player will determine the optimal Thunderbolt to fit each situation. We’ve seen people have remarkable success combining Teleporter and Thunderbolt use. In particular ,try charging up Thunderbolts from safety, then Teleporting into position for devastating damage on an enemy’s weak point.

Sparky has been revealed! How do you feel about this new character? We’d love to hear your thoughts. You can comment here on our blog, or find us on our Twitter, Facebook and IndieDB pages.