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Dexter gets new sprites and a tidier title screen

Dexter’s Swift version has a new illustrated look and a tidier front end. The work brings more character to the owl while keeping the original movement, timing and collision data.

New sprites with steadier idle animations

The illustrated character artwork is now the permanent in-game set, replacing the temporary comparison switch. Walking, jumping, falling, disappearance and popping feathers have matched artwork, and breathing, blinking and sleepy idle animations now use 50 smoother drawings between them. Shared scaling and planted feet keep Dexter steady, avoiding the earlier whole-body inflation as he breathed.

The extra drawings run on the original animation clock. Sprite sizes, origins, collision masks and movement remain tied to the original game data, so the visual refresh is intended to preserve the familiar feel.

Illustrated Dexter breathing with his feet planted
Dexter’s smoother breathing animation in the Swift development version.

One forest for the whole menu

Play and level selection, Settings, Statistics, Credits and Briefing now open as panels within one running title scene. The forest, logo, music and owl continue between panels instead of restarting with each screen. Settings and Statistics rise into place, settle and dip away when closed.

The illustrated owl peeks from the tree hollow, blinks, climbs out, takes flight and returns. He also visits the letters in the Dexter logo, perching on either “e” or fluttering between them. His visits vary without consecutive repeats, and he flies behind open menu panels so the controls stay usable. Drifting leaves, flowing water and gently swaying grass add movement around him.

Animated Dexter title scene showing menu panels in the forest
The running title scene: the forest stays alive as menu panels change.
Dexter Settings panel over the forest title scene
The tidier Settings panel, with Dexter flying behind it.

Still in development

This update describes the current Swift development version. Full gameplay regression testing across the levels remains to be done. The existing itch.io download is the earlier GameMaker edition.