Crazy Hedgy

• Title — Crazy Hedgy • Developer — Cybertime • Publisher — Cybertime • Platforms — iOS, Android • Released — * iOS • December 20, 2011 • Android • January 14, 2016 • Genre — 3D platformer, Beat 'em up • Modes — Single-player • Director — Chris Graham • Producer — Raffael Leb Nikolay Blagoev • Programmer — Nikolay Blagoev Tino Eppensteiner • Artist — Fritz Dorfner • Composer — Sound of Games

The game sees the titular protagonist Hedgy finding out that something is wrong in the fictional cartoon fantasy setting of Green Hedges, leading him to search for the cause. On the way, he encounters various enemies like the mushroom-themed Spankos, forcing him to jump and fight his way to the end. • Illustration — Screenshot from the Android version of the game Played as a linear 3D platformer, in its main story mode, players must navigate through 35 levels, broken up into three themed worlds (each concluding with a boss fight), with the aim of reaching their end while avoiding bottomless pits, enemy NPCs and traps. Hedgy has the ability to double jump, levitating for a short time by blowing bubble gum in the air. Additionally, vehicle sections on rafts or in buckets force players to quickly dodge oncoming obstacles. The game's enemies can be dealt with by either jumping on their heads, punching or grabbing them, with the latter making it possible to throw them in the direction of other enemies, objects or traps which react naturally in accordance with the title's physics engine (with battling being the main focus in the game's arena mode, unlocked after collecting enough coins). Doing so will start a combo, awarding higher scores. When damaged, the player loses one of three hearts, which can be replenished by finding and eating apples. Upgrades such as protective helmets, stronger boxing gloves, earthquake-inducing slam abilities or a bubble gum gun can be purchased either with the collectible gems found throughout each level or with coins earned by completing a stage. While the title originally lacked any microtransactions, later updates allowed players to purchase more gems and coins with real currency or by watching advertisements. Initially, movement was exclusively controlled via tilt controls, as tilting the device would cause Hedgy to roll into the respective direction. Tapping the right side of the screen caused a jump and tapping the left triggered a punch, with occasional quick time events demanding players tap designated spots on the touchscreen. With version 2.5, this was changed to a tank controls system, where Hedgy's direction would be determined by tilting, while forward or backward movement was determined by a touch-controlled slider on screen.

Since its founding in 2001, the Vienna-based animation studio Cybertime had specialised in creating 3D animations and special effects. According to founder and CEO Raffael Leb, development of a 3D mobile game was viewed internally as a novel opportunity to apply these existing skillsets, leading to the establishment of an in-house games department. After an estimated 6,000 hours of development time, spread across three years, the title was released for iOS devices on December 20, 2011. It would go on to receive substantial updates afterwards: • Update 2.0, intended to improve the game's graphics, was issued on June 21, 2012. • Update 2.1 added support for newer mobile devices, new upgrades, as well as in-game challenges on December 19, 2012. • Update 2.5 shifted the title to a free-to-play model (removing the original $2.99 price tag, but introducing microtransactions), as well as changing parts of the soundtrack, Hedgy's character design and the control scheme on March 10, 2015. • Update 2.5.3, issued on September 10, 2019 to add iOS 10 and iOS Metal support, was the last update to the iOS version of the game before it was delisted sometime after 2021. An Android version, originally intended to be released in early 2012, was published on January 14, 2016, but would eventually be delisted on January 9, 2018.