Assault Android Cactus

Witch Beam layered an optional kill-chain score on a game anyone can finish. In Assault Android Cactus, killing every enemy is enough to win, but a chain that continues only if the next kill comes within a couple of seconds multiplies points up to 10 times for 10 or more foes. Chaining every enemy in a stage earns an S+ rank.

Holding the chain changes how the game is played: "You'll need to play much more aggressively, prioritise enemies, and think more carefully about using your special weapon." Red enemies take more than two seconds to kill with the standard weapon, so they have to be handled carefully to avoid breaking it.

The novice's battery panic mirrors the veteran's chain panic. A battery drains constantly, so new players frantically kill enemies to pick up refills, while veterans frantically kill to keep the chain alive. Both feel high-intensity pressure where every split second counts.

The stakes differ: one player is at the edge of failure, the other at the edge of ruining a perfect run.

Hide the score-driven mode until players prove they are ready. Pro Mode unlocks only after a player chains every enemy in a single level. In it, an S+ medal sits on screen and falls apart as soon as the chain breaks.

Hiding it stops beginners from being demoralised by poor medals early on, a problem players raise with harsh grades in Platinum games. Players who never look for it need not know it exists, and no difficulty setting changes, only better play.