This is part 2 of 3 of the Ceda Cedovic review, part 1 is here:
https://froginaboxstudio.blogspot.com/2026/09/games-from-frogs-box-25-at-least-there.html
WORLD 3: FLASHLANDS WORLD
You'd think with this world being based on flash games, I would've gotten more of the references here, but no. I recognized ONE stage out of six. The obscurity of the sources in this game cannot be overstated, seriously.
Anyway, most of the levels in this world are kind of inconsequential, but there's a few zingers in here.
3-1: CASTLEVANIA 10
I thought this name was a joke at first. It is not, Castlevania 10 is a real game you can play on Glorious Trainwrecks. And it looks almost exactly like this. This level isn't gonna set your world on fire, but it does introduce a couple important concepts for later.
Another new enemy appears, these weird dancers that bounce all over the walls. And there are a lot of them, so you'd better hope you have an external attack.
However, the real attraction is the introduction of colored keys- red, blue, and yellow- that open up respective colored blocks. And you'll need all three to get out in this stage, which is far more open and nonlinear than the usual.
Also new are the S-switches, which function just how you'd expect. Hit them, the blocks appear for a bit, and you gotta rush to get where you need to go. Get all the keys, and you can make your escape.
This level isn't an earth-shattering one like the last few, but it is a welcome break after the previous boss, and a good introduction to new mechanics. Breather levels have a place too, it aids digestion.
3-2: SHIFT
HOO BOY. This stage. My jaw dropped when seeing it, and immediately getting the reference, to the classic flash game series SHIFT. Everything is colored black and white, just like its game of origin, but just you wait- it gets even better.
The gravity-flipping mechanics get introduced here- touch these arrows, and both your gravity and the stage's color palette will get totally inverted. It looks cool, plays well, and there's a lot of cool setups with it.
Like this part with the arrows scattered over lava pits on the floor and ceiling, with bees flying around you have to dodge...
Sadly, there is a bit of a blemish on this stage... a couple of the collectibles are SO far out of the way that they're one of the few times I had to look up how to get them. Namely, this bit with the stairs. Breaking that block opens a secret passage... but that's a BIT too obscure for my liking since you can only get up there with the gravity inverted.
At least all three sausages are centrally located around the checkpoint, but it's still not a fun time if you die and get stuck with one hit point to make your way back to the bricks. This is still a good level with clever design and a sweet gimmick, but it's a bit TOO clever for its own good at times.
3-3: CABLE CAPERS
Another thing NEVER heard of before, this stage is based on Cable Capers 2.
This stage introduces another new enemy, these crocodiles that work like Rexes from SMW. Stomp 'em once, they go flat. Stomp 'em twice, they die. They're absolutely adorable, look how goofy they are!
And if you sneak up to the left, you can get a new powerup, the KNIFE, which boomerangs around. It's incredibly useful if you get your hands on it, but it's hard to come by.
The main attraction, though, are these blocks that explode EVERYTHING around them if they're thrown (but not you, thankfully). They're so much fun to use, whether you're blowing up enemies or blocks with them.
There's some neat setups here, like this bit with the switch blocks- you have to catch the BOOM block on the way down, lest it fall into the lava- while not getting dunked yourself. Only then can you get the sausage behind the bones.
Or this segment with outrunning the elevator while it carries you up to cheese blocks- better not get crushed!
Again, this level isn't a real standout- it's too short to really stick in your head, but that's fine. Not every stage needs to be an earth-shattering event. I have to mention the music here, a Hotel Mario and Sr. Pelo remix. It's a real banger.
3-4: AQUA ENERGIZER
This stage is based on ANOTHER flash game I've never heard of. Anyway, this game doesn't have swimming controls- it takes the Mega Man approach to a water level, having you jump higher like you're on the moon. Granted, it's a bit more slippery- even with this game's usual slickness- but the stage is so open and free-flowing that you don't really have to worry about that.
This stage does introduce Urchins that run around blocks, such as over this moving platform. Get used to those, you'll have to platform on much smaller blocks like this later.
There's a surprising amount of alternate paths
in this level, where you can go up high to get around a bunch of enemies
or hazards or whatnot- or to find the sausages.
Sadly, this level is over REALLY quickly... but it's a fun, bite-sized level with some chill vibes. Can't fault it for that.
3-5: STARSHIP 11
Just so you don't have to take excess hits, there's a power-down that works like a Poison Mushroom found in appropriate blocks. This level LOOKS complicated, but the level design has a subtle way of funneling you all around to where you need to go.
Even outside of the confusion, this level has some devious setpieces. Combining the space/water physics with inverted gravity makes for some tricky platforming, especially with all the enemies to dodge around.
Take a look at this bit, where you hit the switch and all the bouncing dancer enemies come pouring out from behind the walls, while you scramble to get out. Good panic moment.
There's also a new enemy in this stage, these flying saucers with spikes flying around them. Jumping on them is possible, but only with careful timing. And the amount of spikes they have- and their orientation, is highly variable, so there's a lot of different configurations.
The stage saves its best moment for last- a long gauntlet of precise gravity-flip arrows that you have to dive into or die. Especially with this part, with them attached to a moving platform. Better not fall!
This is the sternest test in the game of both your platforming and puzzle skills yet, and it's one of the standout levels in the entire game. Also the Tim Curry "SPACE" clip in the soundtrack sent me into the stratosphere. Great bit.
3-6: GOLIMAR
Yes, really. Indian Michael Jackson from the bootleg thriller. When I saw this, I was falling out of my chair laughing- I'd been watching that goddamn video for YEARS.
Though, this is specifically a reference to the classic flash game "Leonidas Wants a Whopper", which i had never heard of before this. Deep cuts all around.
Don't get caught too off guard, though- Golimar is a tricky opponent to deal with. Like Barbarian, you have to deal with a sequence of autoscrolling levels while he sticks around and harasses you- tossing around bowls of curry and spinning razor blades. (Which are continued references to his game of origin, by the way.)
UNlike Barbarian, his stage is vertical, and filled with all sorts of hazards... and it's a bit difficult to focus on those with him harassing you constantly. He'll also cover the entire screen in danmaku, forcing you to hide behind bricks...
Or fire GIANT LASERS that take up the bottom half of the level. Better platform up quick- and grab the BOOM boxes to toss at his head. As the stage goes on, tougher and tougher obstacles will appear, culminating in having to jump on a group of enemies to dodge his laser...
Before finally tossing the last BOOM box at his head, where he explodes in a shower of stock Game Maker explosion graphics. Glorious shitposting. The music is just the icing on the cake- something resembling a Sparta Remix, but with Indian Bootleg Thriller clips and Tunak Tunak Tun sprinkled in. It's glorious, and as threatening as it is catchy.
Golimar is a huge step up in difficulty and memery from the previous bosses, and it's amazing to behold.
WORLD 4: SHAREWARE CITY WORLD
Now, this world is where the game really starts to bare its teeth difficulty-wise, though not to an absurd extent. Yet. But not one level in here is a throwaway anymore. From here on out, you'll have to earn your keep.
Also, more obscure references I didn't catch ANY of.
4-1: BUILDING PANIC
This level introduces two new enemies, one of which is this construction worker that tosses hadoukens of CHEESE at you- that turn into blocks, that you can toss right back at 'em and smack them around. Of note, is that you can't kill them with a jump thanks to their helmets. Better hope you have another power-up, or you can just rush right past them.
The second, and the more annoying, are these Ice Climber-lookin' dudes that climb on ropes and toss hammers. They can be pretty nasty to deal with, since they can be placed well outside your ability to jump on them, like this bit with three of them behind a solid floor.
I have to mention this bit, where you have to break the block with a CD case but if you kill both the enemies with those, you're screwed- yeah, I don't like that part. It feels like it should be for a secret rather than mandatory level progression.
On the platforming side, the central feature of this stage are these hanging platforms that take you all across the map- and usually through plenty of hazards and projectiles. There's not much else to say about it, but it can get pretty clustered in there- so keep your reaction time up and you'll be fine.
This is another competent level, with a bunch of clever gimmicks and some fun enemy placements. A lovely start to World 4.
4-2: BUBBLE BOBBLE NOSTALGIE
Hoo boy, this level turns up the heat. (LAUGHS)
No but seriously this stage is a real barn-burner. (LAUGHS MORE) Okay I'll stop now.
The first half of this stage is literally just Bubble Bobble arcade layouts, but filled with new enemy placements and also EVERYTHING IS PLUNGED INTO THE DEPTHS OF HELL.
The major gimmick here is the old Mario classic, bars of fire. They're big, too, so dodging around them can be quite dangerous. Especially with how cramped the layouts can get in here.
Plus, a new enemies- the ghost of Baron Von Blubba, which functions like a Boo. Just look at him, he's so cute! He's not terribly threatening on his own, but in this stage specifically he can be a bear to get rid of.
The later parts of the level ditch the rectangular rooms in favor of cramped hallways full of stuff, which makes it even harder to get around him.
If you want the secrets in this level, you're gonna have to go hunting for fake walls. Keep an eye out for differently symbols from the surrounding tiles. This is the good kind of fake wall secret- you'll miss it if you're rushing, but if you pay attention you'll catch it.
Shoutouts to the bit where you're scrambling for the goal while smashing glass blocks and outrunning Blubbas. This level is a great time, with a memorable theme and some solid gimmicks to deal with. Probably one of my favorites so far.
4-3: PHARAOH'S CURSE
Can I just say, I love this level's background, this complex machinery resembling faces, infinitely repeating... it's very neat aesthetically. Anyway, this stage keeps the new enemies coming, with these guys called YEETS (no, really) that pick up whatever blocks are around and toss them at you.
They can be pretty aggravating to deal with if you're not careful, but eventually they'll run out of blocks to throw, and that's when you can bonk them.
This stage is fairly understated for the most part, but it does have a few standouts. A memorable segment early on is this bit with the switch blocks, featuring some tight jumps- and if you want that floppy disk, an extra detour that costs you MORE time... and the sausage is behind more of those blocks, too. Tick-tock, tick-tock!
Or THIS alternate path, where it seems innocuous other than the GIANT BARRAGE OF FIRE BARS creeping up behind you for one hell of a jumpscare.
The level closes out with a Gravitron-esque navigation puzzle, with lava and flying saucers scattered along the path, and only one half of the room is safe for part of it. Great stuff.
Overall, this stage doesn't jump up and down and demand your attention like some others, but it stuck out to me a lot for the creativity of its obstacles.
4-4: SNOOPY V1.0
This level's fairly unassuming on first glance, but some nasty gimmicks pop up here.
First is another new enemy- these floating skulls that travel in one direction, with only small gaps. Can't kill 'em, so all you can do is slip past them.
As for platforming gimmicks, one of the deadliest is introduced as well. These lasers flash in and out every second or so, forcing some REALLY tight timing, especially when they get clustered up. Thankfully they're not an instant kill, so you can just tank a hit if you're desperate. And their timing is 100% consistent, unlike some other hazards like this I could think of (cough quick man, cough-)
The disk in this level is pretty obnoxious- you have to grab the blue key, then bounce on top of an enemy to get enough height to make it back through the cheese blocks, grab the disk, then get BACK.
The lasers pick up even more when purple ones appear that activate on the off-beats of the red ones. Timing is key, lest the ice blocks careen you right into laser-y death.
This is a short stage, but a fierce one. I like it, but its gimmicks are used to much greater effect later. Still, it's a vital ingredient in this game's difficulty curve.
4-5: SVEN ZWO
Yes, it's really spelled that way. The last standard level of World Four is another romp starring another Eternal Powerup, this time the Axe, and you know what that means- ripping and tearing your way through everything in your path.
First, though, there's a detour for a Sausage, featuring a long, slow fall with a Cape and a lot of golden teapots. But after that, it's right back into the action, with plenty of enemies to tear through with the axe.
Plus, there's a new enemy again, these guys that carry around water bottle cannons and jump whenever you do. There's a bit that's required to kill them and orient their cargo in a specific way, and even then they're pretty tough to dodge sometimes. Especially since these guys are required for accessing some secrets.
This level is chock-full of hazards from the rest of World 4, scattered about in increasingly dangerous configurations. The construction site guys, Blubba, firebars, it's all here to mess you up.
As you progress, this bird will appear and rain down his children on you. They're not hard to dodge, but they can cause problems if they appear in a suboptimal spot while you're trying to dodge something else. Thankfully, you can mostly just outrun him.
It's a fun romp of a level, if a bit of a step down from Starship 11 in terms of platforming. But it makes up for that in excessive carnage and cute theme.
The boss will make up for that complaint, don't worry.
4-6: MURPHY'S REVENGE
If the boss level being represented as a glitched-out mess of circuit boards on the map wasn't intimidating enough, this cutscene certainly raises the stakes with an unknown foe analyzing Ceda and marking him for elimination. Uh oh.
Unlike all the other boss stages so far, this one starts you off with a real level, set inside a circuit board filled with wires and chips. It's got some great aesthetics with the circuit boards, and it's neither too cramped nor too empty, pulling gimmicks from all across the game up to this point to get in your way.
But this game is never content to sit idle for too long. The BOOM boxes are given a new twist here. Now they take the form of explosive floppy disks that pop out of generators, that are mandatory to get through by blowing up parts of the environment. You're not immune to their blast, so don't be too close to the wall when you toss 'em!
Thankfully, you can set them down and they'll explode on their own, for situations that don't allow for reckless throwing of them. And naturally, Yeets can toss the explosive disks as well, and they're smart enough to WAIT until you get on their level to toss 'em. Can't bait em out, just have to dodge.
However, the major threat here is Murphy himself- a red, evil pacman-looking bastard that talks in Sinistar quotes, and chews through the level to get to you. Always announcing his presence through rumbling and loud chomping sounds, he can only be outrun, or, if you manage to get an explosive disk, toss it at him to stun him.
Later on you'll find these circular bombs, that if they drop down, blow up anything in their way. Special care is required not to drop them right on your head.
(Honestly I wonder if this is a reference to Boulder Dash, I wouldn't put it past this game honestly.)
I do love this bit where you think you'll have to blow up a bunch of blocks tediously, but Murphy just comes along and devours them all for you. It's a fun scare, but also very convenient level design.
It all culminates in this tense chase through a cheese-lined passage while Murphy's bearing down on you, followed by him literally eating the platform you're standing on. All this... and that's just the LEADUP to the boss.
Murphy himself is quite a complicated opponent, to the point of literally ALTERING THE ARENA AROUND YOU MID-FIGHT. He has a lot of deadly attacks to worry about, too. Chasing you around the arena, firing huge lasers in like five different directions...
Or, you know, drop a ton of bombs on your head that threaten to BLOW UP THE ENTIRE FLOOR BENEATH YOU. It's unbelievably hectic, especially as the fight goes on- there might be barely and solid ground left when he's done with that! As the fight goes on, he eats more of the floor, so the bombs have even less of your stable footing to erase.
Your only chance to hit him is when he spawns explosive disks, but not only do you have to grab those, you also have to dodge the ones that you can't grab, hold onto your prize, then toss it at his face when he charges.
It's a hectic fight with a ton of stuff going on, but damn if it isn't a satisfying payoff to the level leading up to him that uses the level gimmicks in fun and exciting ways. Few other bosses in this game have this level of hype and excitement, and the way it combines all the gimmicks of the level is sensational. Easily one of the standouts in the entire game.
The music for Murphy's fight, "Supaplexy", just makes it even better- one of the few songs with zero obvious memery, it's an entrancing and menacing techno beat that hypes up Murphy even more.
WORLD 5: SPOOKY HILL WORLD
Oh boy. Here we go. This is my favorite world of the ENTIRE GAME. It's an entire world themed around Mario World creepypasta hacks, and as soon as I realized the bit, my jaw hit the floor. And it's not just the theming, either- pretty much every level here is elaborate beyond belief, and challenging to boot. I love it to bits.
5-1: EXODUS TO DEATH
The spooks start off strong in this level, with the literal river of bones all around and the blood-red sky- and the music with a "Rattle Me Bones" soundbite sprinkled in. That river isn't just for show, though- it'll keep rising as time passes, coming to meet you and chip away your life!
The only way to get rid of it is to hit these blue blocks that make it recede... temporarily. But they won't last long, so Ceda's gotta keep moving lest he drown in the calcium river. And even when you're not near it, the boney landscape isn't any better, since it's covered in deadly enemies.
Like these guys- blood bugs that scatter drops of damaging blood upon being killed. Sometimes the deadly droplets even hit you after you jump on them if you're not careful. Treat them with a wide berth, and if you HAVE to kill them, know where the red death liquid is going to land.
While you're dealing with that, the sausages require some death-defying stunts, like running across the blood river while sugared up...
But what truly makes this level hard is the fact that there's *no checkpoints* in it. You have to do the whole thing, collectables and all, in one run. Thankfully this game doesn't pull this trick on any other elvels, because lord it got aggravating in places...
Especially this part that you have to run through while small, with Blubbas chasing you around. Still a good level- and an appropriate spooky and challenging introduction to World 5.
5-2: CALL OF CTHULHU
Now was where I realized the theme of the world and lost my mind. (I LOVE SMW: Call of Cthulhu. Expect it to be covered on this blog at some point.) And it starts off with a bang, with a distorted remix of Spooky Scary Skeletons.
This stage in particular is based off a lategame level from that hack, I do love how the stage's tiles have been redrawn at a higher resolution, they look great, gross and fleshy. This entire stage feels cramped and nasty, like you're inside something you shouldn't be.
The central gimmick of the stage is these red walls and floors- if you're on the floor, your jump is nerfed.
But on the wall, you can bounce off them and back on, essentially being a wall jump in disguise. It's so much fun to use once you get used to it- and you'll need to to not fall into the green slime everywhere.
The other major gimmick of the level are these skull platforms that fall down if you stand on them too long. (they respawn, don't worry). But in this cramped deathtrap of a stage, they can be nerve-wracking to cross.
There's also a new enemy in here- C-MOON from JoJo of all people, that flips up and down its own center of gravity. (They're not that difficult to deal with.)
All of the collectables in this stage are hard to obtain, but i REALLY have to shout out this bit with the Disk. You have to jump down through these platforms while the gravity's inverted, make your way across a death course to flip yourself back, then climb out while the platforms are falling under you and lasers are blasting away. It's great stuff.
By far the hardest part of the stage is this bit with the two moving platforms- don't mess up and miss the jump, or you'll have a nice dunk in the slime and have to go back to before two collectables. Fun!
Still, all the myriad elements of this stage combine to make a challenging, spooky, grimy delight of a level- easily one of my favorites in the game.
5-3: EYELESS
Just like the title- and the hack of the same name- nothing in the level has eyes. Not you, not the enemies, nothing. This and the black and white aesthetics really make an impression.
ANOTHER new enemy debuts here- the infamous Evil Otto of Berzerk fame. No idea why he got to keep his eyes, though. He bounces around annoyingly, but one quick jump will take care of him.
Anyway, this level is fairly short, but it does have some tricky platforming- like slipping through these three-way bones while jumping up a wall for a sausage.
Or leaping across ice while dodging between ghosts, trying not to land on the cheese blocks that are a LOT harder to parse from the rest of the stage thanks to the black and white graphics.
The standout part of this stage is the ending, where you hit a switch only to drop a bunch of Evil Ottos on your head. It's fun, but I wish the rest of the stage had more meat to it. The lack of checkpoints is really the only reason it's a decently hard stage.
Even though this level's a bit mid in the gameplay side of things, the fantastic aesthetics help keep it memorable for me.
Side note: I have no idea what this easter egg is supposed to mean. If somebody can explain that, let me know.
5-4: 'THE
Holy shit this level. this is one of my favorites, bar none. It's INCREDIBLE. I'm a huge fan of 'The/Coronation Day, and this stage is a GREAT tribute to it while still bringing its own twists and turns.
Starting with the familiar washed-out colors, fog, and music that sounds like a staticked-up radio broadcast, this stage sets a moody tone already, and carries it through to the end. The message box saying "again?" is ripped straight from the source.
Plus, if you scroll the camera to the left, you can see Ghost Peach staring at you...
Throughout the stage, you'll see message boxes telling you some Serbian words that correspond to numbers. Note those, they'll be important later. In terms of enemies and platforming, this stage isn't difficult at all at first- but it's just building tension.
The first sausage is pretty aggravating to get, honestly- your timing has to be PERFECT to not just hit the wall or fall into the pit.
This level also has a surprising amount of puzzles to it, one of which being this simple riddle- match the suits to the cards. (I'm not ashamed to admit I had to look this up, because i haven't used a regular deck of cards in a while.)
Then, though, when you get out from that room, Ghost Peach appears and starts chasing you to the tune of a dance remix of the Ao Oni theme. Don't be too busy laughing, though- she flies in erratic circles around you and tosses her fucking head your way! Trying to get the collectables along the way makes this a very tense chase.
(It's actually more fair of a chase scene than the real hack...)
Then, you get to the familiar cabin, with a sequence of inputs depending on gravity flipping. 6 turns into 9 when it's upside down, remember.
And for your reward, you get the best powerup in the game, the L KNIFE- gets tossed in arcs and kills everything- including ghosts! Shame it barely appears, but the shop stocks it. And now, you get to run wild with it, chopping up Blubbas, bone munchers, urchins...
The only real interruption to the carnage is this harrowing bit with jumping atop a bunch of skull platforms while Boos are on the other side.
The second-to-last room is a sentence in Serbian that has a bunch of numbers in it- best hope you took notes to hit the blocks in the right order.
Then, at the end of the level, Ghost Peach appears again, and you can cut her in HALF with the L Knife, and she goes down as anticlimactically as possible.
This stage is fantastic, a great tribute to the source material, and a really fun level full of unique challenges besides. It's a real standout for me.
5-5: GAME.BPS
Not as good as the last level, but barely anything can top that. And Game.bps is still a good level, filled with newly-introduced conveyor belts, buzzsaws, and all manner of nasty enemies.
I love how the Ghost House tiles look in this higher resolution, they really pop in this purple shade.
The conveyor belts you really gotta get used to, since they go FAST and can smack you right into enemies if you're not careful.
The buzzsaws reign supreme in this map, buzzing about all over the place often in tight spaces, like this elevator. If you kept the L Knife from the previous stage, you can get rid of them, but good luck doing that with all these hazards.
The final challenge in the level is this harrowing bit, with conveyor belts, cheese blocks, and buzzsaws galore. It's certainly difficult... but I think this level pulled its punches a bit given its shortness.
But perhaps after 'The, a breather was necessary.
5-6: LIZARDMAN
A loving tribute simultaneously to the classic 'pasta I HATE YOU, and gaming creepypastas in general, Lizardman is a real winner of a boss fight, turning into a different flavor of creepypasta creature for every phase- for three hits each. This is a LONG boss, and i wouldn't have it any other way.
First up is a Ben nod, which just swoops back and forth at you between launches of giant energy projectiles. His swoop is fast enough that it's deceptively hard to get hits in. After every hit, different parts of the bridge will fall down, shrinking your footing more and more.
Not only that, but its main attack is blasting out an entire spread of blood balls- better slip between or jump over them. Making it worse is the fact that buzzsaws roll in after you deal hits on it- so don't dally.
Oh, and after you land a hit, he'll stay up high and blast you with MORE blood for a few moments. Fun!
After the last form is destroyed, The Lizardman is put down with one last I HATE YOU reference, and then the world is over. Phenomenal capper to the world and a great use of the theme.
Next part will cover worlds 6, 7, and an additional secret fun thing.
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