I've added a debug menu (really just a level select) to make testing levels easier. I should've done this earlier, but here it is.

Now you can change your power up status in the debug menu.

I also added a fun little message to anyone accessing my debug menu.

Hopefully this will be the last level I make for this game. I only plan on having 8. The old level 7 is now level 8.

And if you noticed, I didn't change the tile assets in the level editor.

I guess this level is going to be about storming some alien base. I don't know. I never bothered writing a story for this game.

I've programmed a freeze frame when you die.

Are you happy now, Sakurai?

I've added a red flash effect to the hit stop.

Now there is a hit stop effect when defeating a boss.

I wasn't going to make anymore bosses, but since I have 8 levels, I need to have 8 bosses unless I want to have a repeated boss. I decided to make it ones of those shmup bosses where you have to destroy their shield (which has orbiting generators) in order to damage it.

No gameplay screenshots because I only got the class definitions started.

Something I just noticed. I have alien hut tiles which I place to make small alien villages (only a few tiles big), yet on the same level, I have a huge alien base that is hundreds of tiles long. So, this alien base is probably the size of a fucking region.

Whatever.

Finally got the 8th boss to work. I just need to create a texture for the shield, but I got the orbiting shield generators.

Got a basic texture for the force field. Still not complete, obviously.

The shield generators now explode when they're destroyed and flash red when hit.

Improved the texture for the boss's force field.

Boss 8 now attacks. (It only shoots directly at the player)

Adjusted the bullet speed a little bit.

Finally swapping the placeholder music with free to use music. (Which I can't show because I can't get OBS to record audio)

A lot of the music I find doesn't fully fit with the level but I'm trying my best to find music that fits as closely as possible.

Also, reminder that if you are a music composer and have scores laying around, consider uploading them to sites like OpenGameArt so other people can use them.

I finally got OBS to record audio. Now, you can hear the BGM that I used for level 1 and the boss battle.

@xianc78 lol xD i think if the camera and other ships stop moving and your ship blows up and plays an exploding sound effect, then the screen just fades to black for a game over, that would be perfect. if you still have lives left, then it'll break up the flow a bit.

@beardalaxy According to Sakurai in his video, a freeze frame is necessary in shmups because sometimes you die so quickly, you don't even know how you die. So it's best to have a freeze frame to show what hit you.

I could also replace the tile background with a solid color for an added effect.

@xianc78 Suggestion if possible:
Have you considered a white flash once the boss is destroyed? Makes explosions look bigger imo, kinda like this but not as long
m.youtube.com/watch?v=DqzmVvga_so

@ItsSkyDragonz There is a white explosion at the end but I cut off the recording before it happens.

It's kind of ironic that you showed Kirby as an example because I got the whole hit stop effect idea from Masahiro Sakurai's new gamedev channel.

https://invidious.poast.org/watch?v=OdVkEOzdCPw

@xianc78 looks amazing!

@xianc78 there are size and proportion issues with a lot of games, especially old school ones. as long as it looks good and gets the message across, i don't think it's that big of a deal.