Delicious FruitCrimson Needle 3
Creators: Kale, PlasmaNapkin, Zero-G
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Speedrun Leaderboards Tags:
Adventure (2) Needle (27) Trap (3) Gimmick (20) Medley (1) Long (8) Trigger (1) x_Floor (4) Secret (1) 100F (1) floor (1) NeedleGimmick (1) Art (1) God (1) 100_Floors (1) SourPls (1) domu_game (2) domu_2_game (1) SPM (1) TheBoys (2) Perfect (1) CNTeleportation (2) Stumble-Like (1) Flow (1) Nasrano-like (1) cn3-like (1) Origin (1) Master (1)Screenshots
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Creator's Comments:
ActualKale [Creator]
Heyo! At the request of NO ONE I decided to commentate this game.
What follows are links to a series of videos featuring me "playing"/skipping through the entirety of CN3 and commentating on the game as I go. It's around 9 hours of footage and was recorded over the course of around 2 years. Because the videos were often shot far apart there will be noticeable differences in the audio quality, in how my voice sounds, in my enthusiasm, in how comfortable I am talking etc. It also means that I might be repeating stuff I've said in previous videos but I think that's generally a good thing in order to hammer certain points home.
I did try to record with a script but it didn't work very well so instead I went with just talking off-the-cuff. Given that theses are also unedited videos this means that I will have moments of brain lag or losing my train of thought or digressing or saying "umm" a lot. Speaking to yourself in front of a camera for long uninterrupted periods of time requires a lot of practice to do well and I'm already self-conscious about it so please don't be mean :)
As stated, these videos collectively go through every single part of CN3. I don't necessarily know what other people would find interesting to hear so naturally I just talked about stuff I personally find interesting. If there's something you're interested in about the game that is not covered then just ask me privately, I'll gladly take any chance I can get to talk about the game.
Below are the links to the videos along with brief descriptions of some of the things i go over. These descriptions DO NOT cover most of the topics that are brought up and I genuinely think every video has at least some points that are interesting so if you care give it a shot...
Start to 31:
https://youtu.be/bTfBoXZ8cHM
In this video I talk for an excruciatingly long time about the title screen and about some overarching goals with CN3 and how they differ from CN2. Don't worry, I get better at not being long-winded as I go... Once that's finally done I start getting into the ideas behind the cornfield and the first 30 floors of the game.
Golden Maze and Bounce blocks (M and A):
https://youtu.be/vHYouO6Dz6c
Talk a bit about the floor 31 hub. Get into the golden maze area and the UNORTHODOX design philosophy that informed the making of that. In the bounce block stage I talk about, among other things, why working on it was so inspirational and how Denferok almost KILLED the development of the game.
Variety stage (X):
https://youtu.be/83Uzw83j-JM
I start the video a little FRUSTRATED because I had to re-record. I then go to a stage which I struggle to find a name for - the one with Plasma visuals - and because it's the first thing I made for the game I talk about how CN3 started and how it grew over time. I address the DRAMA about CN3 not being a real Crimson Needle game.
Bathhouse (I):
https://youtu.be/Jzy4-bRxS8w
I go to the Bathhouse and pass by several sections of the game I'm passionate about. I bring up what I find to be UNDERAPPRECIATED aspects of the game. I also touch on the immense satisfaction of making this stage and what I find to be really special about the secret. Also a little bit about finding inspiration in unexpected places.
Blue Puzzle Area (N)
https://youtu.be/2i2u4PIoka4
I BASH pretty hard on the area of the game I like the least.
The Bad House (A):
https://youtu.be/TA2SA4UgRGE
Before going to the Bad House and EXPLAINING WHAT IT ALL MEANS I talk a little bit about something that DISAPPOINTS me about the current state of needle and also about why Charr is a MASTERPIECE. I visit my FAVORITE room in the game.
Triple jump stage (T):
https://youtu.be/eY2DVdHON14
A video apparently recorded out of SPITE?? How some people might have MISUNDERSTOOD the game. How the music was picked, tips for finding music. I talk about finding a new inspiring approach to game design and problem-solving. I also sing the game's PRAISES a bit, talk quite a lot about design philosophy and try to explain why I find that aspects of CN3 still haven't been surpassed even as parts of the game have aged.
Blue Tower (O):
https://youtu.be/a3js0LBNYSQ
A short video for a short stage. I mention an event during development that BROUGHT ME TO TEARS.
Halls of Brilliance (R):
https://youtu.be/T-_FllUFzRU
In this one I go through the halls of brilliance talking about EVERY SINGLE GAME I'VE MADE (minus one). I also talk about how needle ideas can seep into my mind and POISON my experiences.
Capitalism stage (2):
https://youtu.be/PzLQqIc8p0o
I give a pretty interesting rundown of how the ideas for certain GIMMICKS have come about. I also bring up the TIRED gimmick vs. "pure" needle argument. I explain why the Capitalism stage was a NIGHTMARE to complete and why the quality there DIPS around the halfway mark.
Wonderful and Green tower (3 and 5):
https://youtu.be/qh3ZsRz9hXI
I address some of the backlash against Wonderful's stage and go over why I like it and why I like her design in general. I then head over to the green tower stage where I spend most of the time talking about one of the BEST game's I've made: Thank Thenewgeezer and what I find so special about it (and so lacking about the majority of needle games).
Boshy stage:
https://youtu.be/rVKXPFmLhmE
I talk about BOSHY! Give an account of how I got into Boshy and speedrunning and how that developed which gradually evolves into a kind of disjointed rambling. But there are probably some interesting parts in there..
Floor 70-100:
https://youtu.be/qzYdul5GDJA
Lots to cover in this final video. I go through the last bits of the game and remark how I feel about some of the rooms there. I go on a long rant about the INSANE last 2 weeks before release where a MAJOR CHUNK of the game was made. Why 92 had to be the way it is and why floor 100 was such a success.
[25] Likes
What follows are links to a series of videos featuring me "playing"/skipping through the entirety of CN3 and commentating on the game as I go. It's around 9 hours of footage and was recorded over the course of around 2 years. Because the videos were often shot far apart there will be noticeable differences in the audio quality, in how my voice sounds, in my enthusiasm, in how comfortable I am talking etc. It also means that I might be repeating stuff I've said in previous videos but I think that's generally a good thing in order to hammer certain points home.
I did try to record with a script but it didn't work very well so instead I went with just talking off-the-cuff. Given that theses are also unedited videos this means that I will have moments of brain lag or losing my train of thought or digressing or saying "umm" a lot. Speaking to yourself in front of a camera for long uninterrupted periods of time requires a lot of practice to do well and I'm already self-conscious about it so please don't be mean :)
As stated, these videos collectively go through every single part of CN3. I don't necessarily know what other people would find interesting to hear so naturally I just talked about stuff I personally find interesting. If there's something you're interested in about the game that is not covered then just ask me privately, I'll gladly take any chance I can get to talk about the game.
Below are the links to the videos along with brief descriptions of some of the things i go over. These descriptions DO NOT cover most of the topics that are brought up and I genuinely think every video has at least some points that are interesting so if you care give it a shot...
Start to 31:
https://youtu.be/bTfBoXZ8cHM
In this video I talk for an excruciatingly long time about the title screen and about some overarching goals with CN3 and how they differ from CN2. Don't worry, I get better at not being long-winded as I go... Once that's finally done I start getting into the ideas behind the cornfield and the first 30 floors of the game.
Golden Maze and Bounce blocks (M and A):
https://youtu.be/vHYouO6Dz6c
Talk a bit about the floor 31 hub. Get into the golden maze area and the UNORTHODOX design philosophy that informed the making of that. In the bounce block stage I talk about, among other things, why working on it was so inspirational and how Denferok almost KILLED the development of the game.
Variety stage (X):
https://youtu.be/83Uzw83j-JM
I start the video a little FRUSTRATED because I had to re-record. I then go to a stage which I struggle to find a name for - the one with Plasma visuals - and because it's the first thing I made for the game I talk about how CN3 started and how it grew over time. I address the DRAMA about CN3 not being a real Crimson Needle game.
Bathhouse (I):
https://youtu.be/Jzy4-bRxS8w
I go to the Bathhouse and pass by several sections of the game I'm passionate about. I bring up what I find to be UNDERAPPRECIATED aspects of the game. I also touch on the immense satisfaction of making this stage and what I find to be really special about the secret. Also a little bit about finding inspiration in unexpected places.
Blue Puzzle Area (N)
https://youtu.be/2i2u4PIoka4
I BASH pretty hard on the area of the game I like the least.
The Bad House (A):
https://youtu.be/TA2SA4UgRGE
Before going to the Bad House and EXPLAINING WHAT IT ALL MEANS I talk a little bit about something that DISAPPOINTS me about the current state of needle and also about why Charr is a MASTERPIECE. I visit my FAVORITE room in the game.
Triple jump stage (T):
https://youtu.be/eY2DVdHON14
A video apparently recorded out of SPITE?? How some people might have MISUNDERSTOOD the game. How the music was picked, tips for finding music. I talk about finding a new inspiring approach to game design and problem-solving. I also sing the game's PRAISES a bit, talk quite a lot about design philosophy and try to explain why I find that aspects of CN3 still haven't been surpassed even as parts of the game have aged.
Blue Tower (O):
https://youtu.be/a3js0LBNYSQ
A short video for a short stage. I mention an event during development that BROUGHT ME TO TEARS.
Halls of Brilliance (R):
https://youtu.be/T-_FllUFzRU
In this one I go through the halls of brilliance talking about EVERY SINGLE GAME I'VE MADE (minus one). I also talk about how needle ideas can seep into my mind and POISON my experiences.
Capitalism stage (2):
https://youtu.be/PzLQqIc8p0o
I give a pretty interesting rundown of how the ideas for certain GIMMICKS have come about. I also bring up the TIRED gimmick vs. "pure" needle argument. I explain why the Capitalism stage was a NIGHTMARE to complete and why the quality there DIPS around the halfway mark.
Wonderful and Green tower (3 and 5):
https://youtu.be/qh3ZsRz9hXI
I address some of the backlash against Wonderful's stage and go over why I like it and why I like her design in general. I then head over to the green tower stage where I spend most of the time talking about one of the BEST game's I've made: Thank Thenewgeezer and what I find so special about it (and so lacking about the majority of needle games).
Boshy stage:
https://youtu.be/rVKXPFmLhmE
I talk about BOSHY! Give an account of how I got into Boshy and speedrunning and how that developed which gradually evolves into a kind of disjointed rambling. But there are probably some interesting parts in there..
Floor 70-100:
https://youtu.be/qzYdul5GDJA
Lots to cover in this final video. I go through the last bits of the game and remark how I feel about some of the rooms there. I go on a long rant about the INSANE last 2 weeks before release where a MAJOR CHUNK of the game was made. Why 92 had to be the way it is and why floor 100 was such a success.
Rating: N/A
Difficulty: N/A
Jan 18, 2022
101 Reviews:
mainreason
Pretty fun game. The 80s were especially good and probably the best part of the game with Bathhouse.
Overall, there is little to complain about except for the fact that a few saves were too hard compared to everything else around them (for example: the blue demon being far harder than the other three demons.)
[2] Likes
Overall, there is little to complain about except for the fact that a few saves were too hard compared to everything else around them (for example: the blue demon being far harder than the other three demons.)
Rating: 9.0 90
Difficulty: 85 85
Aug 4, 2022
Kyara
CN3 is undeniably an amazing game with needle that feels amazing to pull off (for the most part), very interesting gimmicks and an honestly very immersive world, with a ton of variety, which is obviously always a plus. Unfortunally there's some specific saves that really tainted my experience with the game. Those saves/areas being Golden Area, Wonderful Area, 74F, 87F, 90F and Green Demon Area, I'd share my opinion on each of them but I feel like that'd be unfair to the game as a whole, since this game is so massive and ~10 saves definitely aren't why I'm slightly underrating this game.Those are only the saves I heavily disliked, but there's several small issues I had with a good portion of saves, most notably the weird consistancy with the difficulty of saves. I know it's definitely hard to balance a save well, specially when dealing with gimmicks which different people will struggle more or less on, but there's some saves in this game where it just felt like I was bashing my head on a wall waiting until I get lucky at one jump. Note: When I played this game, it was way harder than anything I had done in fangames, so this might sound like me just complaining about difficulty, but I think a game with so much hype built around it should at least try to be somewhat accessible, that meaning if your game has long saves, trying to balance out the difficulty is preferrable). Speaking of difficulty, this game does not have a good difficulty curve at all. There's barely anything above 70 difficulty in CN3, and then at the end of Bad End, you come across 90F, which is a huge difficulty spike, with the only thing coming close to that being 87F.
Since I don't want this review to sound only negative, I'll end on a high note. 100F is easily my favorite needle save of all time. It feels satisfying to pull off, the balancing issues aren't major and the fact that I didn't die on pink at all, fluking pink and the last jump of blue shows how fair this save is, ontop of being some of the most fun I've ever had on a fangame.
So yeah, despite some problems, CN3 is absolutely an amazing game that everyone in the fangame community should experience to some extent.
[2] Likes
Since I don't want this review to sound only negative, I'll end on a high note. 100F is easily my favorite needle save of all time. It feels satisfying to pull off, the balancing issues aren't major and the fact that I didn't die on pink at all, fluking pink and the last jump of blue shows how fair this save is, ontop of being some of the most fun I've ever had on a fangame.
So yeah, despite some problems, CN3 is absolutely an amazing game that everyone in the fangame community should experience to some extent.
Rating: 10.0 100
Difficulty: 90 90
May 18, 2021
YaBoiMarcAntony
The first thing you hear when you begin your journey with Crimson Needle 3 is one befitting that of a walk through a cornfield. It has the energies of a bucolic landscape, one hidden away from all the ugliness of life surround. This particular song is one that I've developed a rather special love for. It's not flashy, nor is it especially grand, but it just sets the scene perfectly for what's to come - the grandiosity is in its simplicity. Those heavenly harp-like chords which flutter through the middle section take me with them in their love-filled dance and it feels like you're not just beginning a needle game, it feels as if you are setting out on a massive journey, one through many different landscapes, some alien and hostile, others familiar and loving - all beautiful!
I feel as if there is no point in describing the positives and negatives of CN 3 because they're all well known by this point. 31 is no longer a revelation, the highly experimental nature of the game is a well-established fact, the game no longer finds itself in a position of being a surprise. In fact, I wasn't even here during all the hullabaloo surrounding the release of CN 3; I was a late-comer to the party! Of course, I myself am no stranger to fangames - in fact, I was apart of the community near the beginning, if not the beginning altogether (my memories remain fuzzy in this regard). Nonetheless, I left in 2016 and didn't come back until April of 2020, choosing Crimson Needle 3 as I believe the first game to try that released in my absence. I had never been a great fangame player, and four years of rust ain't nothing to sneeze at, so I had a lot of difficulty with even the first 30 screens. I did stick it out, though, despite how difficult it was for me, and so I came to floor 31. As I said before, I wasn't here to experience the controversy/excitement of release week, and so I knew nothing about CN 3 by this point. Imagine, then, showing this game to someone back in 2016, someone that didn't even begin to consider just how far fangames could go. This was more or less the context for my floor 31 experience. To say it was one hell of a ride is a bit of an understatement. For 50 hours, I toiled away at floor 31, all the while being utterly astounded by everything I was experiencing. I spent seven long hours in Wonderful area, lamenting my inability to beat the last two screens but inevitably doing so, as well as spending a similar amount of time in Golden area. Clearing the double diamond secret took me four hours in which I could feel every single passing second, but I did it. I worked so hard to beat floor 31 that just seeing the warp upon getting every letter was a moment of ecstasy in its own right - and then came the 70s.
At least, the first four levels.
I spent a decent amount of time grinding out 73, that being the first real challenge, and I did eventually clear it, I did! 74 was a great challenge for me as well, but then something awful happened, something truly horrendous - I factory reset my computer. Now, something I didn't know at the time was that games made in Studio store their saves in the AppData folder, something that was wiped in that factory reset. So, I found myself with a lost save and a broken heart. I could have just asked Plasma for a new save, but I decided to do something far more difficult and time-consuming, I decided to do it all over again!
My second playthrough through floors 1-31 was a much smoother experience, but it was just as incredible as the first. This is the sort of game you could play over and over again and come to love it more and more every single time through - even with the loss of that first playthrough experience, you find yourself introduced to this new, even greater love, that of familiarity and experience. You may develop a great sense of love for someone you've only just met, but that love is multiplied tenfold as your relationship with them grows deeper. As you come to know their various secrets and quirks, you realize much more clearly what it is about them that makes you love them so fiercely. This is what my replay of CN 3's first half taught me.
All told, it took around 20 something hours to reach my previous best in CN 3, that of floor 74, thus beginning the final grind, that grind towards the end. Truth be told, it was not hugely eventful, though it was no less exciting for me. While the excitement of floor 31 was over and done with, there was a new source of joy to draw from in going from floor to floor, each one vastly different from the other, so on and so forth until I found myself at the bad end screen. Though it was an ending of sorts, it felt strangely empty. I was happy with all that I had done, but it was naturally not the ending that I wanted - I needed to see this out to the end.
91-99 feel vastly different from everything before. Though they hold the same design philosophies and general aesthetic, they feel so much more magnificent than what came before, holding the weight of their finality. In my time playing these floors, I was so happy to be coming to the end, but each successful screen was one step closer to just that - an ending.
I've become rather familiar with endings in the past year or so. My life has gone through so many changes, and so much of what made me happy before is gone. The chapter of my life in which I lamented so much while missing all the ecstasies which crowded around was done with and I wanted nothing more but to go back and re-live those times forever. The loss of my mother of course fuels this want even more, but I miss the times when I would ride to school with my best friend and we would share music with each other, or when we would go to church and sing to each other on the way there. I miss the bus rides to a band competition and just shooting the shit with my friends, lost in the happiness of relationships. I miss being in political science and just never really caring about anything because I was around people that I loved, or performing stupid church songs while I listened with more love in my heart than I've ever felt to my best friend singing those saccharine songs. Most of all though, I do miss coming home and telling my mom how my day went. All things, however, come to an end, whether or not you want them to. I will never get those times back, I will never again experience any of these things, and that's okay. Though these times may have come to an end, they will never be forgotten - and in that sense, they go on forever.
I waited a long time to actually sit down and beat the final floor of Crimson Needle 3. It was intimidating, to be sure, but more importantly I just didn't want it to be over. This was something that I had been experiencing more or less for over a year, so to say goodbye to something like that was difficult for me. But, all things must come to an end, and we can only hope that immutable ending is as fantastic as that which came before it. And of course, that is the case for Crimson Needle 3.
Beating Crimson Needle 3 is the hardest thing I've ever done. It was a journey which took me through more than any other game, and it was all created by just a few people. I am so thankful for this experience, and though I mourn the ending, I shall always celebrate this journey of mine.
[2] Likes
I feel as if there is no point in describing the positives and negatives of CN 3 because they're all well known by this point. 31 is no longer a revelation, the highly experimental nature of the game is a well-established fact, the game no longer finds itself in a position of being a surprise. In fact, I wasn't even here during all the hullabaloo surrounding the release of CN 3; I was a late-comer to the party! Of course, I myself am no stranger to fangames - in fact, I was apart of the community near the beginning, if not the beginning altogether (my memories remain fuzzy in this regard). Nonetheless, I left in 2016 and didn't come back until April of 2020, choosing Crimson Needle 3 as I believe the first game to try that released in my absence. I had never been a great fangame player, and four years of rust ain't nothing to sneeze at, so I had a lot of difficulty with even the first 30 screens. I did stick it out, though, despite how difficult it was for me, and so I came to floor 31. As I said before, I wasn't here to experience the controversy/excitement of release week, and so I knew nothing about CN 3 by this point. Imagine, then, showing this game to someone back in 2016, someone that didn't even begin to consider just how far fangames could go. This was more or less the context for my floor 31 experience. To say it was one hell of a ride is a bit of an understatement. For 50 hours, I toiled away at floor 31, all the while being utterly astounded by everything I was experiencing. I spent seven long hours in Wonderful area, lamenting my inability to beat the last two screens but inevitably doing so, as well as spending a similar amount of time in Golden area. Clearing the double diamond secret took me four hours in which I could feel every single passing second, but I did it. I worked so hard to beat floor 31 that just seeing the warp upon getting every letter was a moment of ecstasy in its own right - and then came the 70s.
At least, the first four levels.
I spent a decent amount of time grinding out 73, that being the first real challenge, and I did eventually clear it, I did! 74 was a great challenge for me as well, but then something awful happened, something truly horrendous - I factory reset my computer. Now, something I didn't know at the time was that games made in Studio store their saves in the AppData folder, something that was wiped in that factory reset. So, I found myself with a lost save and a broken heart. I could have just asked Plasma for a new save, but I decided to do something far more difficult and time-consuming, I decided to do it all over again!
My second playthrough through floors 1-31 was a much smoother experience, but it was just as incredible as the first. This is the sort of game you could play over and over again and come to love it more and more every single time through - even with the loss of that first playthrough experience, you find yourself introduced to this new, even greater love, that of familiarity and experience. You may develop a great sense of love for someone you've only just met, but that love is multiplied tenfold as your relationship with them grows deeper. As you come to know their various secrets and quirks, you realize much more clearly what it is about them that makes you love them so fiercely. This is what my replay of CN 3's first half taught me.
All told, it took around 20 something hours to reach my previous best in CN 3, that of floor 74, thus beginning the final grind, that grind towards the end. Truth be told, it was not hugely eventful, though it was no less exciting for me. While the excitement of floor 31 was over and done with, there was a new source of joy to draw from in going from floor to floor, each one vastly different from the other, so on and so forth until I found myself at the bad end screen. Though it was an ending of sorts, it felt strangely empty. I was happy with all that I had done, but it was naturally not the ending that I wanted - I needed to see this out to the end.
91-99 feel vastly different from everything before. Though they hold the same design philosophies and general aesthetic, they feel so much more magnificent than what came before, holding the weight of their finality. In my time playing these floors, I was so happy to be coming to the end, but each successful screen was one step closer to just that - an ending.
I've become rather familiar with endings in the past year or so. My life has gone through so many changes, and so much of what made me happy before is gone. The chapter of my life in which I lamented so much while missing all the ecstasies which crowded around was done with and I wanted nothing more but to go back and re-live those times forever. The loss of my mother of course fuels this want even more, but I miss the times when I would ride to school with my best friend and we would share music with each other, or when we would go to church and sing to each other on the way there. I miss the bus rides to a band competition and just shooting the shit with my friends, lost in the happiness of relationships. I miss being in political science and just never really caring about anything because I was around people that I loved, or performing stupid church songs while I listened with more love in my heart than I've ever felt to my best friend singing those saccharine songs. Most of all though, I do miss coming home and telling my mom how my day went. All things, however, come to an end, whether or not you want them to. I will never get those times back, I will never again experience any of these things, and that's okay. Though these times may have come to an end, they will never be forgotten - and in that sense, they go on forever.
I waited a long time to actually sit down and beat the final floor of Crimson Needle 3. It was intimidating, to be sure, but more importantly I just didn't want it to be over. This was something that I had been experiencing more or less for over a year, so to say goodbye to something like that was difficult for me. But, all things must come to an end, and we can only hope that immutable ending is as fantastic as that which came before it. And of course, that is the case for Crimson Needle 3.
Beating Crimson Needle 3 is the hardest thing I've ever done. It was a journey which took me through more than any other game, and it was all created by just a few people. I am so thankful for this experience, and though I mourn the ending, I shall always celebrate this journey of mine.
Rating: 10.0 100
Difficulty: 90 90
Apr 1, 2021
Wifie
The first 30 floors are very good without doubt,but it turns out to be bad in 31 which is a big mix of gimmick. Jumps are annoying , and punishment room is a bad design ever.I couldn't enjoy it.
Well,it's an interesting game at all. I think I should dissipate prejudices of gimmick needle games.( 2021/08/24)
[2] Likes
Well,it's an interesting game at all. I think I should dissipate prejudices of gimmick needle games.( 2021/08/24)
Rating: 8.3 83
Difficulty: 90 90
Jul 31, 2020
maxg26
Incredible needle game, as someone who much prefers to play avoidance this got me hooked so hard, i thoroughly enjoyed pretty much every segment of this game aside from a few iffy screens, but that's bound to happen with a project this large, thank you guys for making this game, by far my favorite needle game.
Tagged as: NeedleGimmick
[2] Likes
Rating: 10.0 100
Difficulty: 90 90
Jul 6, 2019