0.4.2 release: Crystal Polishing

Publishing something is the best way to reflect on something. As soon as the first Crystal Daze file was published, I realised I'd left in config for starting with just one life, which I'd been using for testing. And since then, I've been hyper-aware of all the flaws and rough edges I left in as I rushed to the submission deadline.

These took more than the evening I originally thought they'd take, but repeatedly playing though the game has picked up some more things I really wanted to tidy up. This release, 0.4.2, is a kind of "Crystal Polishing" edition then - there are major features that stop it from becoming 0.5, but a good amount of "quality of life" fixes which it feels good to get in place Now, rather than Later.

Off the top of my head, 0.4.2 adds in a few things to make this more playable, including:

* Bugfix: Add final level, instead of ending just before it.

* Gameplay: Improve general level progression, so that things are slightly more challenging than before.

* Efficiency: Been working on improving the tile finding code, to try to make the game perform better on hardware. It's not quite there yet, and the last level or two are pushing the limits of the current code.

* Tweak: Removed the first delay when holding down the d-pad, so you can move around a bit faster.

* Tweak: Made sure you can push into a crystal while cranking.

* Tweak: Only crystals with space to grow will actually grow, which fills the screen a bit faster.

* Tweak: Crystals can't grow into the entrance now, or crash the game when trying to grow off-screen.

* Text tweaks: Various improvements to what Kingy says

* Bugfixes: Various fixes around starting a new game after finishing, and continuing games.

With those out of the way, I've got an idea for putting in a new Bomb power-up, and then I'll probably start looking at a better end game sequence, as well as - whooaaaa - sound, even?