⚡ Charged Up: Boomerang & Heart System Updates

Hey everyone! I’ve been working on polishing both the combat feel and the health feedback. This update brings new visual cues, sparkly effects, and clearer mechanics for charging and healing.

🪃 Boomerang Upgrades

Charging the Boomerang

The boomerang has been completely reworked to feel and play better when charged. You can now hold down the throw button to build up power in three distinct stages:

• Quick Toss (no charge)

  • Just tap throw for a fast, short-range boomerang.

  • Useful for quick hits when you don’t have time to commit to a charge.

• Level 1 Charge

  • Extends the boomerang’s flight distance beyond a tap throw.

  • Gains the ability to pierce through a single enemy or one breakable wall before returning.

  • Marked by a sparkle effect, a sound cue, and the overlay beginning to jitter and glow.

• Level 2 Charge

  • Flies even farther, staying out longer before looping back.

  • Pierces through multiple enemies or walls in a row.

  • Overlay pulses more strongly, sparkles again, and the charge sound pitch rises to signal the upgrade.

• Level 3 (Full Charge)

  • Maximum range and piercing power — the boomerang will tear through enemies and obstacles with ease before returning.

  • The overlay is at its brightest, jitteriest, and most energetic.

  • A unique full-charge loop sound replaces the normal charging loop, and a final sparkle marks that you’ve reached peak strength.

Boomerang Visual & Audio Feedback

To make charging feel satisfying, every stage of power comes with clear feedback:

• The boomerang overlay jitters, pulses, and glows brighter as charge builds.

• Each milestone triggers a sparkle burst positioned right where the boomerang hovers.

• Distinct sound cues (with rising pitch) reinforce each level-up, while the full charge swaps into its own loop sound.

Why It Matters

This system creates a smooth balance:

• You can always opt for a quick toss when you need speed.

• Or commit to a fully charged throw when you want range, piercing, and destructive power.

Every level feels rewarding and intentional — no wasted time, no confusion. You know exactly when you’ve leveled up your throw, and the boomerang itself delivers on that promise.

❤️ Heart System Improvements

The heart HUD got a major clarity upgrade. Before, damage and healing could look too similar. Now every transition has its own animation:

• Damage

  • Full → Half

  • Full → Empty

  • Half → Empty

• Healing

  • Empty → Half

  • Half → Full

  • Empty → Full

Every flash tells you exactly what happened, so you always know how much health you lost or gained.

✨ Overall

With the boomerang’s charge system fully tied to range and piercing, and the hearts redesigned for clarity, combat now feels both smoother and more readable. Every throw and every hit has a stronger sense of impact, so you’ll never wonder what just happened — the visuals and mechanics line up perfectly.

More polish is on the way, but this is a big step toward making gameplay feel satisfying, responsive, and clear.