Feed Me

Feed Me (originally called Miracle Grow[ 1 ]) is a platforming main game released in 2006. the game is about a venus fly trap who is trying to escape a rather dangerous greenhouse. It is Nitrome's fifth released game.

Controls
Click and hold mouse - Venus Fly Trap bites in clicked direction.

Levels
Along with getting to the exit, three Watering Cans per level can be collected for score boosts.

1 - Entrance Hall
This is the first level of the game. There are a lot of signs that can help the venus fly trap on how to move through the level, as well as how to play the game. This level contains only flies and thorns. The maximum neck length is 150.

To complete the level, the player should eat the fly, then follow the targets on the floor, and then eat the two flies, and collect the first Watering Can. Climb on the ceiling until it ends, then go up the wall.

Now go back on the ceiling, but move a little left of the first target on the second ceiling to find Watering Can two. Now, after getting back on ground, eat all of the flies. Finally climb the ceiling after getting the Watering Can to continue to the next level.

2 - Plum Run
Structures that appear in this level include purple trees with purple fruits, and two platforms. There are flies, bees and thorns. The maximum neck length is 130.

To pass the level, at the start, the venus fly trap should eat the two flies and the watering can. Move on the ceiling for a while, then stop over the fly, but stay on the ceiling. Now, when the platform comes, drop onto it. Eat the fly, and use the increased neck length to reach a watering can.

Now, on the lower level, bees are introduced and should be eaten, along with a fly. Grab on to the bottom of the platform, and move to the end. Before this, on either side, the venus fly trap may stretch out over the thorns to get the last 500-point watering can in this level.

3 - Dragonfly Alley
This level contains big mushrooms and a bush at the end of the level that makes big green melons. There are dragonflies, thorns and melons. The maximum neck length is 120.

This level has two rows; the bottom row has mud and dragonflies, and the top has melons. The watering cans are in indents in the ceiling. First of all, try to eat all the dragonflies that the venus fly trap can reach, then try to get the watering cans with the better neck length (the mud will make getting the watering cans difficult).

The player should now climb up by biting in the walls, then go up so the melons do not hurt the venus fly trap. When the venus fly trap is near the thorns, fall and move quickly, because another melon will appear.

4 - Orange Orchard
In this level appears some orange trees and bushes. There are bugs and thorns. The maximum neck length is 115.

Get the first watering can and go into the hole for the second. Eat all the bugs and then continue right. Get across the spikes by grabbing all of the small platforms and then dropping down. Try to land on the platform by grabbing the wall, then eat the last Watering Can. Grab across the lower parts of the platforms to get to the door.

5 - Pineapple Factory
In this level appears bushes, giant carrots and small carrots. There are snails, flies, bees and thorns. The maximum neck length is 120.

In the first part of the level, conveyor belts are introduced. After eating the snail, the player can go through a false wall to get a Watering Can. Proceed up and then eat the snail, followed by some climbing and fly eating. The player must then eat the watering can, although if he doesn't want to fall, he can miss it, as all watering cans are optional.

Climb the ceiling and eat the bee, and get the watering can if it is found to be safe. Proceed on the ceiling and climb onto the conveyor belt. After a little resisting, climb the wall and get to the door.

6 - Beetroot Juice
In this level there are big plants, mud, and some tomato plants. There are bugs, tomatoes, spiders, thorns and caterpillars. The maximum neck length is 165.

The player will start on mud near a tomato plant and a bug. They must pass the tomato plant and eat the bug, and climb the wall if he wants a watering can. The player will then fall and must eat the bug, and the newly introduced spiders (when calm) to proceed. The player can collect the watering can by the same means as above, or skip it.

On the lowest part of the level, the player must grab the ceiling to pass above the thorns, and then drop down, slide on the mud, and proceed on the next non-thorny ceiling passing the thorns, the player can eat five bugs and a Watering Can, then climb up a floor the player must grab the ceiling and cross the spikes, then ascend to the next floor, go back on the ground, and eat the caterpillar.

For the last part, the player must climb as high as he can go, and stop as the spider comes, then keep climbing. Then he must just drop, avoid the thorns, and finally exit through the door.

7 - The Pit
Small fat cacti, large thin cacti and lots of vines appear in this level. The walls are rocks, so they cannot be climbed. In this level the screen can only move vertically, not horizontally. Flies only appear on this level, and the maximum neck length is 125.

At the bottom, the player can eat the flies and watering can. As the walls cannot be climbed, the player must use the vines to get to the top. The player must shift vines as they get close, but they can risk of falling to get the other two watering cans, as well as three more flies. At the last vine, the player must cling to the little notch near the exit's ceiling, then move off when ready.

8 - Tulip Dome
Normal bushes, large bushes, short bushes and purple and blue tulips appear in this level. There are stalactites that the player can climb for to avoid the thorns, rock walls and a platform. Spiders, thorns, bugs, caterpillars and bees appear in this level. The maximum neck length is 130.

At the start there is a watering can and a spider. Eat both, then cross the spikes on the ceiling, drop down, eat the bug, and fall. Now the player should cross over on the bottom of the platform, climb onto the ceiling, get the watering can if wanted, and drop onto the platform. The player must then climb the wall/ceiling and get the last watering can, followed by getting to the top and, finally, leaving.

9 - Melon Kong
This is the ninth level of the game and in it are very tall palm trees, tall palm trees and melon bushes. There are thorns, bugs, and melons. The maximum neck length is 120.

In this level, the player must dodge melons in four rows, by clinging to the ceiling's deeper parts as they come. The corners are hard, but if the player is fast, they can drop down, get a watering can, and come back up. All three watering cans are obtained this way.

10 - Flower Power
In this level there are very tall flowers, tall flowers and platforms. In this level appear flies, bees, woodlices, butterflies, spiders, hoppers and thorns. The maximun neck legth is 175. In this level there are a lot of types of bugs.

To start, drop down on both platforms, then, cling to the wall and then the bottom of the second platform to ensure a safe landing. The player can then either go up a perilous climb for a watering can, or skip it and fall. Drop on the ground to meet a new bug, the woodlouse. cling to the ceilings as it rolls, or it will hurt the plant. Proceed right, until a wall appears. Climb it, making sure to change sides so the Plant is always on or above solid ground.

At the top, the player can either go up for a Watering Can or hurry to the end by going on the bottom. After a large drop, the player can choose whether or not to get that last Watering Can. This one is really dangerous too, so if the plant is low on health, don't try this. Drop down between the thorns and then eat the butterfly, followed by clinging to the bottom of the platform then to the ceiling. Then, finish on the ceiling or floor to the exit.

11 - Tomato Nursery
In this level there are mud areas, some bushes, a lot of bugs, a lot of tomato plants, and thorns. The maximum neck length is 135.

The fastest and safest way is to use a glitch to get right to the end by eating all the bugs, going back to the start, and constantly grabbing the ceiling and upper wall until the plant is at the end. But if the player wants to get the watering cans, he must cross the thorn patches on the ceiling while dodging tomatoes, and then get to the second floor. The watering cans are simply encountered on the path to the end.

12 - Transporter Room
Eat the fly and the watering can, then cross above the spikes on the ceiling, fall, and then eat the second watering can. Proceed over the backwards conveyor belt on the ceiling, then take a shortcut and drop down, endure about three hearts of damage, and then drop onto the conveyor belt, eat the watering can, and leave.

13 - Cactus Climb
Climb on the bottom of the first reach-able platform, then grab the other two and drop on the one with a caterpillar. Eat the caterpillar, then climb to the top of the wall and either drop down and eat the Watering Can in mid-air, or just cling to the moving platform at top and skip it.

Drop onto the stairs and go down for a watering can or skip it and go for the vine at the top. Grab the vine and ride it to the top, Then grab the Watering Can, and drop onto the platform and ride it. Finally, grab the ledge, go into the little nook, and then go through the door.

14 - Thorney Pavilion
Start by dropping down and eating as many bugs as possible and the watering can. grab the right wall and climb up, and grab the ceiling, and then drop down, grab the platform from the bottom.

Then ascend the steps to a wall, and climb it all the way up for watering can #2. Continue on the bottom of platforms and make it to the door, with the option of getting the last Watering Can.

15 - Rose Enclosure
Eat the butterfly and then drop onto the platform, and grab the optional watering can. When the platform reaches the part where a watering can is in sight, then risk 2-3 hearts of damage and drop through the thorns, get the last watering can, (skip the second) and wait on the left side for a left-moving platform, and, finally, go through the door to the end of the last level.

Bugs
"Main article: Bugs (Feed Me Series)"

All bugs can be eaten to increase the venus fly trap's neck length. Some bugs, however, are dangerous to the character and may attack if the player is too close.


 * Flies - Fly in a circle.
 * Bees - Sting when angry.
 * Hoppers - Hop around.
 * Bugs - Serve the same purpose as flies.
 * Snails - Crawl on the ground.
 * Caterpillars - The same as snails but more agile.
 * Butterflies - Fly in one place.
 * Spiders - Only edible as they come up their webs.
 * Dragonflies - Fly back and fourth.
 * Woodlouse - They randomly get angry and roll at the plant.

Plants
Plants cannot be eaten. They cause harmful effects to the player and must be dodged.
 * Thorns - They are very common and hurt the Player on contact.They are only on walls, floors, and ceilings.
 * Melons - They roll on the ground and spawn from a bush. They break when they hit the start or end of a level, Thorns, or the Venus Fly Trap.
 * Tomatoes - They fall from the ceiling and hurt the Plant if they land on him.

Glitches

 * When encountering the small, disjointed set of platforms in Orange Orchard (level 4), the Venus flytrap can attach to a platform, then aim for the top right corner of the platform below. This causes the flytrap to become embedded in the ground. It may remain stuck there for the duration of the level or its body will fall through the platform to the next open area with a ceiling of thorns.
 * Sometimes the camera will stop tracking the fly trap, causing it to go off the screen, but allowing the player to still remain in control of it.
 * In the level 7, "the pit", the fly trap can sometimes ride the vine up through the stone walls.
 * Often times when the fly trap if the player attaches to a surface quickly while falling, the fly trap's pot will swing horizontally to where the head is supposed to be, while the head is seen clamped onto nothing.
 * In the level select screen, locked levels can be clicked and will appear as if they were playable. However, if the mouse is hovered over after this the little circles turn dark again.
 * Sometimes tomatoes will become displaced, and spawn on the ground and fall off the level or spawn while already falling.

Inspiration
During an interview with the site gotoAndPlay, Mat revealed that the idea for Feed Me came when he saw a "Venus Fly Trap in a garden centre and wondering how it would work if it were the main character in a game".

Scenery
There is an unused image of small curling green vines with blue flowers on the end.

Name
Feed Me, prior to release, was called "Miracle Grow". This is evident by looking at the game's sprites or action script with a SWF decompiler, as they state that these objects were retrieved from Packages.com.nitrome.miraclegrow. , being the name of the retrieved object. Also, accessing the beta testing page for the game states that the game's name is titled "Miracle Grow" (see below section).

Beta testing
Feed Me underwent beta testing as early as July 2nd 2006. Who could beta test the game was restricted in some way, as although the link was publicly accessible, in order to view the content of the page one had to have some sort of credentials. This beta testing page identified the game's name as "Miracle Grow" instead of "Feed Me", as Miracle Grow was the name of the game before it was renamed "Feed Me" (see Feed Me).

Trivia

 * The name and gameplay of Level 9 is based on the old arcade and video games, Donkey Kong.
 * A frequent glitch is that the venus fly trap will actually end up in a wall; it may even fall off the screen, forcing the player to restart the level.
 * It is a common misconception that flies originated from Pest Control, when, in fact, they originated from Feed Me. Flies are seen as originating from Pest Control due to being on the logo of Pest Control and on Pest Control's menu.
 * When the player completes the last level, the "Continue" button should be seen, but is not, thus the player cannot see the end screen. And sometimes the "Submit Score" button cannot be seen.
 * The ending can only be seen once, the next time the player completes the last level the ending cannot be seen.
 * On level 11: Tomato Nursery, there's a glitch that when the player ate lots of flies, the player can go at the start of the level again, and then go through the roof completing easily the level. This can only happen rarely times.
 * This is one of the Nitrome games with the most glitches, along with it being one of the first Nitrome games made.