Super Stock Take

Super Stock Take is a puzzle platforming main game released on March 19th, 2013. The player plays a chimp whose job is to collect wares for the Nitrome Boss.

Early information about the game was first discovered on Aaron Steed's Twitter account, where he was asking if people would want to beta test an upcoming game (the game being Super Stock Take). Sometime later, Aaron Steed also revealed that he had done thirty levels for the game, but would only use twenty.

The game apparently takes place during the time of Nitrome Must Die - some levels taking place prior to Nitrome Must Die, a few levels during Nitrome Must Die, and several levels after Nitrome Must Die. However, it is not known whether the game does follow the timeline of Nitrome Must Die, as Austin Carter is seen behind bars on level twenty-one, and it is not known whether this is the same Austin Carter seen in Nitrome Must Die or simply just placed in the game for amusement.

Controls
up - Jump leftright - Move left/right

down - Pick up/drop box

Spacebar - Throw boxes

Levels
Super Stocktake features 22 levels. Each level contains a Nitrome object that has to be retrieved via the movement of boxes. Although all levels feature a single object to retrieve, level thirteen contains two objects to retrieve, although it is uncertain why there is a second object, as the first object the player runs into is directly in front of a box necessary to get the second.

Level 13
When the Nitrome Boss says that their new bats are bad, he references the bats from Plunger.

Level 21
This level includes Austin's cameo, who is known from Nitrome Must Die. It is not known how Austin was imprisoned by Nitrome.

Cameos
As Super Stock Take perhaps takes place in the Nitrome Must Die Nitrome Towers, before the events of Nitrome Must Die, the building obviously contains an enormous amount of Nitrome cameos. Below lists the cameos in the form of treasures, cameos in the forms of boxes, and cameos in the form of objects in the background.

Blocks
Some blocks contain Nitrome cameos. These blocks include:
 * a block that has a background that holds the venus fly trap from Feed Me
 * a block that has a first clan viking on it from the Ice Breaker series
 * a pink block with a Cuboy face on it
 * a brownish block that two small samples in it from the Toxic series
 * a yellow block with a grey box that has a radiation symbol on it (a likely reference to the Toxic series)
 * a block that has pink goo on them (a reference to Rockitty)
 * a blocks that has Austin Carter from Nitrome Must Die behind bars (on the block)
 * a block that has snot on it (a reference to the Snot Put series)

Background
Some of the background has cameos in it.
 * Two levels have manuel as a sign, one where he is happy, another where he is sad
 * All levels have a background that have:
 * two Spartan helmets in the background on the top of the far left shelf.
 * a box on the bottom of the left shelf that contains a an image of a digger bomb (despite looking also like a ninja star, the image has the spikes of the digger bomb)
 * a box at the bottom of the right shelf that has a small picture of Plunger with the face of a Cuboy
 * also at the bottom of the right shelf, to the right of the previously mentioned box, is a box that has an ice cream character from the Bad Ice-Cream series

Cuboy cameos
Cuboy makes an awful lot of cameos throughout Super Stock Take.
 * Cuboy appears on the hat of the chimp.
 * Cuboy appears on the tie of the Nitrome Boss.
 * Cuboy appears as a block on a pink block in the game
 * In the background of every level, Cuboy appears on:
 * a box on the middle row of the left shelf
 * at the bottom of the right shelf is a box that has Plunger with the head of a Cuboy.
 * a pile of boxes - to the right of the right-hand shelf - has a Cuboy painted on to it
 * an elevator has a sign on it that has a Cuboy face and an elevator separated by a →
 * Cuboy appears in yellow paint on a few boxes
 * A type of 1x1 block has the face of Cuboy on it

Beta
As Super Stock Take was distributed to fans who asked for the game on Aaron Steed's Twitter account, it is one of the few games that was available to play (minus demos) before its release date - the other games being Double Edged and Flightless.

Super Stock Take was updated six times since being distributed on February 27th 2013. During these six updates, features were added and sometimes levels were rearranged or taken out.

People who were allowed to beta test were given a link to a page that contained the game. This page had a very simple look: a completely white background with the words "Super Stock Take" at the top (in pink), below this being the game, and below this being some words in grey (such as how to play the game).

Pre Monday March 4th 2013
This was the first version of the game distributed. All the differences of Super Stock Take are not known. All that is known is that the level select screen had 18 levels, and may have been incorrectly programmed, as hovering over the box button for each level would cause an identical box to appear below the hovered over box.

This appearing box when clicked would bring the player to the desired level - indicated by the number the clicked. The first box when clicked caused nothing to happen.

Monday March 4th 2013
This version of the game was in seemingly very early development, as all menus had only colours of grey for a background. This version of the game had no music, sound, no ending for completing the last level, or a startup.

Completing the last level leaves the player with a "Level Complete" screen that only has a "Continue" link, which, when clicked, does nothing.

Menus
This version of the game had no startup, and simply backgrounds with dark grey boxes. The main menu had a light grey background, with the lower middle of the screen having four buttons (on a dark grey box) with darker grey text. The buttons were arranged in the following order: Play, Scores, Help, and Credits.

The Play button took the player to the level select screen, which was arranged in a 6x3 grid - 18 levels being able to be played. This level selection screen was the same as in the Pre March 4th 2013 version, except needing to hover over a level to play it was taken out.

The Scores button when clicked took the player to a screen with a grey background, with the word "Scores" at the top and a back bottom at the bottom of the screen. When the player comes to this screen, the word "Loading" flashes then disappears. The game high scores does not appear, likely because it has not been implemented yet.

The help section had the same setup as the scores page, except the word "Help" replacing "Scores", and no loading word flashing. Like the scores section section, the help section is completely blank, not even having a dark grey coloured page.

The credits section is the strangest - it listed Stefan Ählin as doing the Art, Simon Hunter as doing the "Legacy Art" (art that was made by an artist and used in a previous game on a Nitrome game series), Aaron Steed as doing the Programming, and Dave Cowen as doing the music, and Box 2D as providing the physics.

Peculiarly, the Nitrome logo present on this screen was yellow coloured. It is notable to say that this credits section implied that Super Stock Take had been brought into development almost five years ago. Fortunately, this entire credits section was a copy-and-paste of Rubble Trouble Tokyo or Rubble Trouble Moscow's credits section (minus the yellow background), which explains the irregularities. Super Stock Take also does not used Box 2D, as the game uses very simple physics.

Below is a video of going through the menu.

Gameplay
When entering a level, the word "Level" and the level number would appear in the middle of the screen, then slowly fade. When completing a level, the acquired ware would give off a small cloud and a few multicoloured stars when picked up. Notably, whenever the player completed the level, they always got a level score of 0 and a total score of 0, regardless of how well they did. This means that the score mechanics had not yet been implemented.

No pause button was present, instead, the player has to press the "P" keyboard button. When pressing this button, a grey screen with dark grey text will will come up, prompting the player if they would want to continue playing or quit the game.

Levels

 * Main section:' Super Stock Take

Super Stock Take in this update had 18 levels, four levels that would be taken out of the next update.

Tuesday March 5th 2013
Super Stock Take received a considerable update on this day. Art was added to all menus, new levels were added and taken out, and the credits section was fixed. Still, this version of the game lacked a startup, music, an ending for the last level, and sound - no sound at all is heard throughout this version of the game.

Completing the last level simply left the player with a grey box that contained an arrow, a box that could be clicked bu did not do anything - this button would presumably lead to the ending, but since it still had not been implemented, nothing would happen.

Menus
This version of the game added colours and designs to all menus of Super Stock Take. The main menu is now mostly the same as in the final release of Super Stock Take. The level select screen, credits screen, help screen, and game high scores now work and function correctly. The only difference between this version's menu and the game's final menu is that the help screen's text and the credit's screen "Game by Nit

Below is a walkthrough of this version's menu.

Gameplay
Entering a level will cause the word "Level" in brown isometric letters to appear, and the level's number to also appear in isometric numbers. The game still lacks a pause button, however, pressing the "P" keyboard button brings up a pause screen, styled after a wooden board with a note on it, this note has two smaller wooden boards on it.

As in the first version, the player is given the option of resuming gameplay (continue) or quitting and going to the level select screen (quit). Notably, the text for this screen is very small, so small than the word cannot be properly read. Fortunately, if the player has had any experience with previous Nitrome games, they will be able to automatically know the two words are "complete" and "quit", due to the words first letter and length of the word.

When the player completes a level, the same cloud and multicoloured stars are let off, and a wooden board is brought up, with the words "LEVEL COMPLETE" (again, in brown isometric letters). Below this is a white sheet of paper with four packaging symbols below it: ↑↑, an umbrella, a wine glass, and a bomb - the first two placed vertically on the left side of the paper, and the last two on the right side.

Below this are two wooden buttons - a button that reads "next level" (in large, readable text), and a button below this button that reads "level select" (again, in the very small, hard to read text). These two mentioned screens - the pause screen and level complete screen - were probably given small text as they would be temporary (which, is true, as they were replaced in the March 8th update).

Below (at 40 seconds) is a showing of the gameplay menus.

Levels

 * Main section: Super Stock Take

This version of Super Stock Take featured 22 levels - the games maximum amount of levels. Four levels were introduced while four previous levels were taken out, never to be used in the game again. Notably, the orders at which the levels were arranged differed greatly from the game's previous level arrangement.

Wednesday March 5th 2013
Nothing was changed in this update other than a yellow cog/gear being added at the top-right of the screen. When clicked, a small white screen wold pop up from the cog, and allow the player to reset the level, turn the sound off, turn the music off, and resume the game.

This white screen replaces the before pause screen. No other changes were made.

Friday March 8th 2013
This version of Super Stock Take added a startup to the game, increased the size of the text of some menus, and rearranged a few levels. The "Play with Touchy" banner was added also. Despite this, sound effects, music, and an ending for the game are still absent.

Completing the last level brings the player to the level complete screen, which is missing the button that leads to the level select screen. This screen contains the next level button, which, would presumably lead to an ending when clicked, but again due to the absence of an ending, clicking the button produces nothing.

Menus
The help menu and the "Game by Nitrome WWW.NITROME.COM" text were increased in size. Other than that, the menus are the same as in the final release. The "Play with Touchy" banner were also added.

Gameplay
What has changed since the previous update is the Level Complete screen and what happens once a level is completed. One the player completes a level, several peanuts are thrown in an arc in the air and fall down. After that, the Level Complete screen comes up. The screen is different in that there is a white paper behind the word "LEVEL COMPLETE", this paper having diagonal rectangles on it.

Below this are simply light brown paper with the words "time peanuts" and "total peanuts" - which is simply "time score" and "total score" having the word "score" replaced with "peanuts".

Across from each word is the score for that amount. Below this is white paper, and instead of the English "next level" and "level select button", the buttons have been replaced by visual symbols on metal - level select is now a grey rectangular button with a left 90° flipped isosceles triangle placed on the left wall with an image of an orange monkey running towards a ? pointing towards a door. The continue button is a grey square with a large arrow pointing to the right.

Levels

 * Main section: Super Stock Take

This version of Super Stock Take has a level layout mostly the same with the previous two versions, only that a few levels have been switched around and one partly modified.

Friday March 15th 2013
Exactly between 5:17 UTC to 5:21 UTC, Super Stock Take was updated. This update added sound to the previously silent game, fixed the incorrectly cut-off pink box in the startup, among other updates. The day this update was carried out is the final weekday of the week, and thus, may have been expected by many fans for the game to be released (as the previous Friday, Nitrome had stated that they may release Super Stock Take next week (which would be this week)).

From what could have been seen of the demo, it seems only the ending for the game and an update for the high scores input screen would have been all that had to be done for the game's release. However, Nitrome may have intended to add more to the game, or the game had not gone through the formal bug testing stages.

Also, a loading bar was added during this update. Instead of showing the icon and name, it just said, "null is loading" and had a percentage.

Menus
Nothing was updated. Notably, the high scores screen in the game still retains the small, hard to read buttons.

Levels
All levels were given more non-interactive scenery, along with an intro from the Nitrome Boss. Also, some levels were switched around. Other than that, nothing else was updated

Monday March 18th 2013
This update added a loading bar before the "Init." scree. This loading bar would be placed at the bottom of the screen, and would state "null is loading". This bar is present in all other Nitrome games, and would display the logo of the game and state "[name of game] is loading", [name of game] being the name of the game.

The ending for the game was also added, and a glitch in the game was also fixed. None of the levels were switched around.

Level layouts
Between versions of Super Stock Take the level layouts were changed, usually to make the game easier, or to remove or add levels.

Below lists the layout of the levels across versions March 4th, March 5th, and March 8th (Wednesday March 6th is excluded as its level selection is exactly the same as March 5th's). The number (1, 2, 3, etc.) for the level is the number that corresponds to the level's number in the official release of Super Stock Take.

For example, in the March 4th row, level 11 being under the 10 section indicates that level 11's level layout was previously used for level 10 on March 4th, and known as level 10. Levels in bold with the letter B coming before a number indicate that that level is a level that was eventually taken out of Super Stocktake.

Sections with a - in them means a level was not added at the time for that number.

Cut levels
Below lists the levels of Super Stock Take that were cut from the game.

Beta level 4
This level was included in the second version of Super Stock Take, but removed from later version. Placed eight 1x1 blocks on the left side of the wall is the finish beam, this level's ware being a sample from the Toxic series.

Placed on the ground (near the right wall) are four L blocks stacked on top of each other, in the form of a 135° right flipped pink L block, which has its horizontal beam covered over by the horizontal beam of a 45° flipped yellow L block - these L blocks forming a box. On top of these blocks are two L blocks in the same form, save for the bottom L block being orange coloured and the other being brown coloured.

Completing this level is very simple - the player has to pick up the yellow L block and place it on the small vertical upwards beam. After that, the player has to push the brown L block until it is far enough for the player to jump and reach the finish beam. The orange L block is not used at all throughout the level, it can simply be pushed off the top of the yellow L block.

It is not apparent why this level was removed. It was possible its removal is due to the level being too easy, as the space it took up could be used for a harder level.

Beta level 9
This level was included in the second version of the game, but cut from future versions. This level takes place in a vertical chasm-like room, where on the left wall are two 1x2 metal platforms, while the highest up metal platform is fourteen blocks high and contains this room's ware - the Hot Air Jr hand.

Across from the lowest metal block of the level is another metal block the same size and length. Two blocks up from the bottom of the level is a long metal beam which stretches from one side of the level to the other. Underneath this beam is a 2x3 block that has its upper middle block taken out (this block looking like a 45° left flipped [), this lower block connected to a 5x5 block above this beam, this block being hollow (but unable to bet got into) and suspended one block above the floor.

To the right of this block is a 3x3 pink block. In order to complete this level, the player has to pull the large brown block to the left a little, jump up on to the left metal platform, jump to the right on to the brown box, and jump down on to the right metal platform. After that, the player has to pull the big brown box in a bit, then pick up the pink box, jump up on to the right metal platform, and jump and throw the pink box.

The box should land on to the brown box, and once this happens, the player should pull the brown box near, jump up on top of it, push the pink box a little closer if necessary, then jump up the box and onto the finish pad. A possibility this level was cut from the game is due to the level involving the player having to precisely throw the box - too far, and the box will push the brown box even farther, too close, and the brown box will be pushed instead of the pink box landing safely on the top of the box.

Beta level 13
This level was included in the second update, and removed from subsequent ones. This level contains a rectangular structure made out of metal that pokes out of the wall and has two platforms on it that are placed in such a way they can only be moved in one direction.

Setup

Three 3x5 hollow blocks are also present, two which are yellow and one that is orange. The metal rectangle sticking out of the left wall is made up of a 1x11 beam of metal suspended six blocks above the ground, while seven blocks above it is a metal beam the same length. Between the right-hand ends of the beam is a 1x7 vertical beam which connects the two beams. At the top-left corner of the beams is the ware of the level - a mine from the Test Subject series.

On the bottom metal beam is a 1x1 metal block sticking out of the second 1x1 block; to the side of this metal block is a 45° right flipped [ block (the described block being a 2x3 block with the bottom middle block taken out), attached to this block on the other side of the metal beam being an identical block, only upside down (flipped 90°).

On the vertical beam is a 3x3 block that has its middle right block and middle block taken out; the block on the opposite side of the metal bar being identical to the previously mentioned block, except this block has been flipped 90°. The two mentioned block structures of the metal rectangle - the one on the bottom horizontal bar and the one on the vertical metal bar - are placed in such a way that the almost identical clone has its ends facing the ends of the opposite block.

Placed on the floor, against the wall, are three 3x6 blocks, the blocks necessary for completing the level. Walkthrough

The player has to pull the bottom yellow block out a bit, then push the orange block to the right a bit (without moving it off the top of the yellow block), then jump on top of it once enough space is present, push the top yellow block in a bit, jump on top of it, and move to the right off the block. When behind the blocks, jump and push the orange block a bit so that the chimp is on the bottom yellow block. Now, pick up the blocks and throw it.

Once the orange and upper yellow block is off the block, push the yellow block (that is on top of the orange block) left. Now, pick up the orange block and jump backwards on to the lonely ground yellow block. If the upper yellow block on the orange yellow block is placed properly, the upper yellow block should be caught under the outer block on the vertical metal beam, and push the aforementioned brown block up, while the player is on the bottom yellow block.

This done, the player can drop the orange block on the bottom yellow block, move up the blocks and stairs, and obtain the ware.

Possible reason for removal A likely reason for removal is that it is not apparent the player has to push up the vertical brown block. Furthermore, it is possible for the player to get confused that they have to somehow use the brown block located on the horizontal metal beam in order to solve the puzzle, when, they do not have to. Having to switch to the opposite side of the boxes can to solve the puzzle may also contribute to the level's difficulty, as it is also never apparent the player has to do this.

It is also possible that this level was removed as it was not finished yet, as the brown block on the horizontal beam is never used at all through the puzzle, and also does not seem to prevent the player from doing anything.

Modified levels
For the March 15th 2013 update, the majority of the levels in the game were updated. The majority of these updates added non-interactive scenery to levels, however, some updates added more objectives, more platforms, made the level easier, or significantly changed the levels. Also, many of the levels had their ware changed.

It should be noted that all levels prior to the Friday March 15th update do not have scenes where the Nitrome Boss speaks - he is completely absent from the game aside from an appearance in the help section.

It should be noted that a level of a different level number in the March 8th update may have been updated but given a different level number in the March 15th update. In this case, the correct levels will be shown, even if they differ in number (eg. if level 9 was updated and renamed "level 10" in the March 15th update, then level 9 will be shown as the pre update level, and level 10 as the updated level).

Hazards

 * Drills - Objects that project a spinning triangle; kill on contact, do not harm boxes.
 * Lasers - Objects that project a laser. The projected laser can be blocked with anything, although they will kill the chimp on contact. Lasers destroy cracked wood.

Glitches

 * Floating_block_glitch.png some levels, blocks would float in midair, and act if there was a platform underneath them.

Nitrome Touchy version
On March 19th 2013 (the day it was released), Super Stock Take was made Nitrome Touchy compatible for only one player. The chimp is moved with the left and right d-pad controls. The down d-pad control, when pressed, makes him pick up a block. The lower right-hand action button makes him throw the block, and the upper right-hand action button makes him jump.

Trivia

 * If the player starts any level and pauses before the Nitrome Boss opens up his speech bubble, the bubble that displays the needed ware will always have an Ice Breaker coin in it. When the player resumes gameplay, the ware will change to the desired ware.