Nodes (Plunger)

Nodes are a type of object in Plunger. Encountered throughout the game, the majority of nodes are harmful and can kill the player, while other nodes are unharmful but can impair the player.

General appearance
Nodes generally appear as a square with a single coloured square going around the inner square, this inner square usually having some sort of design on it.

General game information
As mentioned before, the majority of nodes are harmful. Many can kill the player, while others only impair the player, impaired usually so that other enemies can kill the player.

Helpful nodes
Of all nodes in Plunger, only two are helpful - regular nodes and + and - nodes.

Regular nodes
Regular nodes are the first type of node introduced in Plunger.

Appearance
Regular nodes appears as purple boxes with a yellow circle in the middle. When they are lit up, the purple part turns gold.

Game information
Regular nodes are the most common nodes seen in Plunger, found in every level and necessary for completion of the level and game. Regular nodes are scattered around the level in pairs, with transparent circles between the area the player must either shoot vertically or horizontally in order to activate the node.

Activating nodes is necessary for level completion; once the last node is activated, Plunger will do a little dance and the level will be completed.

+ and - nodes
+ and - nodes are interactive objects in Plunger. These nodes are introduced rather late in the game, close to the end.

Appearance
+ and - nodes appears as a purple block, with either a yellow + or - in the middle.

Game information
+ and - nodes are placed in pairs, with two pairs of a - node across from a + node. These pairs are usually on the ends of gates. To open the gate, the player has to fire their plungers so that one plunger hits a - node and one hits a + node.

This has to be done for each pair. Once done, the gate will open. When one pair has been activated, a transparent line will be between the activated + and - node. This line is passable, and only serves to remind the player that these nodes have been activated.

Hazardous nodes
Nodes in this category can kill the player. '

Fire nodes
Fire nodes are the first hazardous type of node found in Plunger.

Appearance
Fire nodes appear as a bronze box with an orange inner box.

Game information
Fire nodes are placed on walls. When the player fires their rope into a fire node, a flame of fire will advance down their rope. The longer the fire is on the rope, the faster it moves. Fire disappears once the player switches ropes.

Eater nodes
Eater nodes are a type of harmful node in Plunger.

Appearance
Eater nodes appear as a red block with two eyes and a black, simple, smile. Around this red block is a white outline, around this outline being a black outline.

Game information
Eater nodes at first appear as kind and unharmful nodes. However, as soon as the player fires a rope onto an eater node, the red face of the node will turn into a spinning 1x3 pixel that will rotate around the perimeter of the red box.

This rotation will pull the player downwards. Although the player will be able to resist and move in the opposite direction slowly, eventually, the node will pull the player in the direction they do not want to go. When this is done, the player will be incapable of resisting and be pulled down, unless they shoot their ropes in the direction opposite what they are down.

If the player is pulled down into the block, they will be pulled into the block's mouth and eaten, death being instantaneous. The eater block will then finish by making a burping sound.

Non-harmful nodes
These nodes do not harm the player, but can impair the player momentarily. Impairment like this can usually be fatal, as nearby hazards and enemies can easily finish the player off when they are impaired.