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The Nitrome Touchy application allowed players to use touch and motion based controls by connecting their device to a Touchy compatible game. By doing so, players were also able to play Touchy compatible games in full screen.

Common interfaces[]

External[]

Level select screen with Touchy cursor CDNM

A level select cursor hovering over the level 3 option in Cheese Dreams: New Moon.

Many Nitrome Touchy compatible games, when connected, would display a compact version of the game's menu featuring a still screen and the menu options in the form of buttons that could be tapped to directly access an option. This feature was later removed in Oodlegobs and most following compatible games that used the D-pad controller. Such games would display a cursor on screen that players controlled using the directional keys and pressing the action button to select that option.

At the top right of all control interfaces was a gear icon. Sliding the gear icon to the left would display the possible configurations for the game or the Touchy controller. Every game provided the option to disconnect the controller, which would bring the player back to the Games screen on the Touchy app. In some games, such as Swindler, the gear icon also allowed players to toggle music and sound as well as restarting a level or returning back to the titlescreen directly from the device.

D-pad[]

The D-pad was the most common type of controller used for Nitrome Touchy compatible games and was purely touch based. The controller would use a skin related to the played game and have the cross shaped directional keys on the left side, with the two circle buttons on the right. Typically, the directional keys were used to move the character, while the two right buttons allowed a character to jump or perform an action such as shooting.

Players had the ability to toggle the D-pad on the Touchy app. This would allow some of the buttons to snap to the approximate area where they had been touched instead of having specific hitboxes within the buttons.

A skin related to the played game was displayed against the D-pad. This featured the cross shape on the left side and the two circle buttons on the right. The D-pad was the most common type of controller used for Touchy compatible games and was purely touch based. Not all buttons on the pad were functional in the games themselves.

Motion[]

Some Touchy controllers involved using motion to control the character. All motion-based controls also involved some form of touch interaction. Motion was often used for steering or, in the case of Super Snot Put, to build up momentum.

Games[]

Aquanaut[]

Info
Playability Premium
Interface Touch
Device menu?   Yes

Players controlled the submarine by sliding their finger within the blue control orb in the direction they wanted the submarine to move in. Additionally, they could tap within the circular area and hold to keep the submarine in motion. To deploy mines, players would tap one of the two "Mine" buttons on the bottom corners of the controller.

B.C. Bow Contest[]

Info
Playability Premium
Interface Touch
Device menu?   Yes

The control pad displayed a picture of a bow whose arrow, at rest, was outside the peripheral of the screen. The player would swipe to the left to draw back the arrow and slide up and down to adjust its height. Launching the arrow required lifting the finger off the screen. A button at the bottom of the screen allowed the player to switch weapons.

Bad Ice-Cream series[]

Info
Playability Premium
Interface Touch
Device menu?   Yes

The control's interface used the D-pad, with the skin of the character the player chose at the menu screen. Pressing and holding the arrow keys would move the ice cream character in the pressed direction. Either of the two circular buttons could be used for making or breaking ice.

All ice cream character skins were available for all Bad Ice-Cream games, with the exception of Licorice and Smokey Bacon, whose skins were only available in Bad Ice-Cream 3.

Bump Battle Royale[]

Info
Playability Premium
Interface Touch
Device menu?   Yes

Bump Battle Royale's control pad was similar in appearance to the D-pad. The screen would display a single pink button against the skin related to the selected playable character. Smaller arrows on the left and right bottom corners allowed the player to go back to the previous screen or proceed with their selection, respectively.

changeType()[]

Info
Playability Premium
Interface Touch
Device menu?   No

changeType() used a D-pad for its controls. The protagonist was controlled using the left and right directional keys. The left circular button was used to swap the properties of the objects, while the rightmost circular button was used for jumping.

Cheese Dreams: New Moon[]

Info
Playability Premium
Interface Touch
Device menu?   No

The pad had two large blue directional keys pointing left and right as well as a pink button in between the two arrows. Players would tap the cursor key and hold to move the moon in that direction. The pink button served the same function as the up arrow key on the keyboard, allowing the player to go through doors and re-access messages.

Colour Blind[]

Info
Playability Premium
Interface Touch
Device menu?   Yes

The player used the left and right arrow keys on the D-pad to move Right eye. Either one of the circular buttons could be used for jumping.


Ditto[]

Info
Playability Premium
Interface Touch
Device menu?   No

Left and right keys on the D-pad were used to move the girl and her shadow. The rightmost circular button was used for jumping, or could be pressed and held to "float".

Double Edged[]

Info
Playability Free
Interface Touch
Device menu?   Yes

The player plays as the next available character when tapping the screen to join. The directional keys on the D-pad moved the Spartan in the respective direction from the player's perspective. The right circular button was used to jump, while the left was used to attack. Players could deploy the special move by pressing both of the circular buttons at the same time.

Flash Cat[]

Info
Playability Premium
Interface Motion
Device menu?   Yes

The screen would display the control panel for the cat's vehicle, with text indicating the function of the controls. The vehicle was steered by tilting the device left or right, and a large button in the middle allowed the player to deploy a special move when possible. Two buttons, one on either side of the screen, let the player brake and jump respectively.

Magic Touch[]

Info
Playability Premium
Interface Touch
Device menu?   Yes

The player would move their finger in one continuous motion on the device screen to draw the shapes. When playing with Touchy, the wizard will be absent from the computer screen and display on the device control screen instead. Playing the game with a mouse solely will display the wizard on screen. The game will not allow mouse control if the player disconnects their device and tries to play without refreshing the page.

Mega Mash[]

Info
Playability Premium
Interface Touch
Device menu?   Yes

This game used D-pad controls that would change display a skin related to the character the player was controlling at the time, even within the same level. Players used the directional keys to move the character and the two circular buttons to execute an action. For games that only relied on one action besides directions (ie. Blast-Man Joe, Tetris, Xolstar 3), either one of the buttons would allow the player to perform that action. Games with jumping (those being Carrot Story and Ninja) had the leftmost circular button as the jump control, while the outer button executed the action (ie. picking up crates and shooting ninja stars respectively).

Off The Rails[]

Info
Playability Premium
Interface Touch
Device menu?   Yes

The player was shown a bird's eye view of the handcart. Swiping back and forth rapidly on the screen allowed the cart to move, and the player would tap the device screen to make the cart jump. Brake pads found on the top left and bottom right corners of the device screen could be pressed and held to slow down and stop the cart. A switch at the top of the control pad let the player change the direction the handcart was to move in.

Oodlegobs[]

Info
Playability Premium
Interface Touch
Device menu?   No

This game used a D-pad for its controls, which also affected the menu screen. The left and right directional keys controlled horizontal movement, while the up key was used to make the oodlegobs climb atop each other and the down key caused them to congregate. Either of the circular buttons could be used for jumping.

Plunger[]

Info
Playability Premium
Interface Touch
Device menu?   Yes

The player would swipe and hold in the direction they wanted the Plunger to move. When swiping vertically, the Plunger's ropes on screen would extend the entire height, as would swiping horizontally, which would cause the Plunger's ropes to extend the entire width.

Super Snot Put[]

Info
Playability Free
Interface Motion/Touch
Device menu?   Yes

Players had the option of using touch or motion controls to fling the snot. Once a control scheme was chosen, it could only be changed by disconnecting and reconnecting the device, which would cause the game to go back to the titlescreen.

Touch controls allowed the player to fling the snot by moving their finger on the device screen in a circular motion, then letting go to throw. For motion controls, the player had to press and hold the screen while moving their device physically in a circular motion. The snot was then flung by releasing any fingers touching the device screen.

Super Stock Take[]

Info
Playability Premium
Interface Touch
Device menu?   Yes

With the D-pad, the player used the left and right directional keys to move the chimp, and the down arrow key to pick up and let down crates. The inner circular button threw crates, while the outer circular button allowed the chimp to jump.

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