Cactus McCoy 2: The Ruins of Calavera is a flash action game developed by Flipline Studios and released on October 6, 2011. It is the second game in the Cactus McCoy series of platformer games and is a sequel to Cactus McCoy and the Curse of Thorns, following the continued adventures of Cactus McCoy the living cactus as he befriends a fellow treasure hunter and finds himself having to fight his way to the ancient Ruins of Calavera to prevent a very powerful artifact from falling into the hands of evil.
Controls[]
- Left/Right: Move left/right
- A: Jump
- A + Down: Drop down through a ledge
- Down: Pick up weapon
- S: Attack
- S + Up: Throw/shoot upwards (when using a Throwing or Shooting weapon)
Plot[]
Cactus McCoy is hunting for treasure and comes across a golden bird statue. As he goes to grab it, another treasure hunter appears and tries to take it from him. While fighting, the two accidentally trigger a booby trap and have to flee for their lives. McCoy almost dies but the mysterious newcomer saves him, revealing that she has wings in the process. The woman then introduces herself as Ella Windstorm and explains that what she was really looking for was a map hidden inside the bird statue. Ella explains that the map leads to the ruins of a sacred city called Calavera, which was once inhabited by a civilization known as the Volados and ruled by a winged shaman who used a magical item called the Serpent Blade to keep the city in balance. One day, a dark cult calling themselves the Reptaras invaded Calavera and tried to take the Serpent Blade to use its power for themselves, starting a war in the process. The war ended with Calavera crumbling down, and in the city's last moments the shaman sealed the Serpent Blade in a vault of treasures using an enchantment that could only be broken by one of the shaman's descendants. As fate would have it, Ella is a descendant of the shaman and the last of her kind, so she's looking to find Calavera and claim her ancestors' riches. She asks McCoy to help her and they agree to work together and split the treasure once they reach Calavera, but just then the notorious criminal Malana Mire ambushes the pair. She and her goons knock McCoy out cold and kidnap Ella. The next day, McCoy is awoken by his spirit guide, Popoca, who urges McCoy to go find Calavera and defeat Malana Mire to save Ella and protect the Serpent Blade.
Gameplay[]
Much like the original game, Cactus McCoy 2 involves traversing a series of levels, known as Areas, that are full of platforming challenges and Enemigos to fight. There are 12 Areas in total and they are unlocked in linear fashion. The main objective of each Area is to reach the end without losing all your health and lives. However, the Areas also have secondary objectives - Challenges, which are various tasks for McCoy to do around the level, and Secret Treasures, which are hidden in various parts of the Area. Many parts of the Areas require McCoy to defeat Enemigos that are in his way, and certain sections contain an entire mob of Enemigos that McCoy has to take down in order to progress any further. He attacks with his fists by default, but can also pick up all kinds of weapons found on the ground or dropped by Enemigos and use them to fight. Most weapons have limited use and expire after a while from being used.
Additionally, all weapons in the game are divided into five different categories, and each category can be upgraded using money you can collect from defeated Enemigos in order to increase the damage output of every weapon in whichever category you decide to upgrade. Additionally, it's possible to master a weapon type by using it enough times.
Areas and Their Challenges[]
Area 1: Tumblewood[]
- Egg on Your Face: Kill five Enemigos with Eggs.
- Cut to the Chase: Beat the level in 1:30.
- Dirty Laundry: Take all eight sheets off the clotheslines.
- Tumbler: Destroy all the tumbleweeds in the level.
- Clean Up the Town: Kill all the Enemigos in the level.
Level Treasure: Silver Scorpion
Area 2: Dustbin Road[]
- Fly the Flag: Take down all the Alpaca Flags.
- Road Runner: Beat the level in 1:45.
- Cactus Decoy: Kill all the Cactus McCoy Impostors.
- Exterminator: Destroy all the wasp nests.
- Zippy: Ride all the ziplines in the level.
Level Treasure: Jeweled Telescope
Area 3: Thistle Trail[]
- Lepidopterist: Catch all 12 butterflies in the level.
- Prairie Run: Beat the level in 2:45.
- Target Practice: Shoot nine tin cans with a BB Gun.
- Big Bang: Kill three Enemigos with one Barrel Rocket.
- Launch Into Orbit: Launch 10 Enemigos into the stratosphere by juggling them.
Level Treasure: Emerald Crown
Area 4: Prickly Prairie[]
- Wildflower Bouquet: Pick all 15 wildflowers.
- Quick Draw: Beat the level in 3:30.
- Lumberjack: Cut six logs with a Chainsaw.
- Shootout: Defeat Alpaca Jack with his own Revolver.
- Alpaca Blast: Juggle and launch Alpaca Jack into the stratosphere.
Level Treasure: Yankee Egg
Area 5: Southwind Express[]
- Train Conductor: Find six train tickets in the luggage.
- Express Train: Beat the level in 3:45.
- Look Out Below: Kill four Enemigos by dropping trunks on them.
- No Privacy: Open all the curtains on the train.
- Send Out the Clowns: Kill all the Hobo Clowns in the level.
Level Treasure: Crystal Rail Spike
Area 6: Blackstone Tunnel[]
- Rumble in the Tunnel: Find the Enemigos' hideout and finish the rumble.
- Tunnel Racer: Beat the level in 4:00.
- Cart Carnage: Kill nine Enemigos with a Mine Cart.
- Elevator Operator: Make it through the elevator ride without getting damaged.
- Follow the Bouncing Ball: Kill six Enemigos with Power Balls.
Level Treasure: Onyx Heart
Area 7: Calamity Cave[]
- Douse the Flames: Put out all the torches with Water Balloons.
- Cave Racer: Beat the level in 4:45.
- Demolition Man: Kill six Enemigos by setting off TNT explosions.
- Master Spelunker: Cross the Bottomless Cave without dying.
- Boulder Bash: Break seven boulders by any means necessary.
Level Treasure: Eternal Lamp
Area 8: Port Scamwell[]
- Coconutty: Knock all the coconuts out of the palm trees.
- Speed Through Town: Beat the level in 4:45.
- Wildlife Rescue: Rescue all the parrots trapped in cages.
- Bare Knuckle Brawl: Defeat Dumbbell using only your fists.
- Matador: Lure Dumbbell into breaking all the breakable blocks in the room.
Level Treasure: Cannonball Pearl
Area 9: Gridlock Canal[]
- Leaky Boats: Plug all the leaks on the boats.
- Canal Cruiser: Beat the level in 3:30.
- Naval Battle: Kill all the Ship Captains with a Cannon.
- Staying Dry: Reach the end of the level without falling in the water.
- Anchors Aweight!: Carry the anchor to the end of the level.
Level Treasure: Golden Wheel
Area 10: Makopa Jungle[]
- Green Thumb: Cut down all the Stinkflowers.
- Run in the Jungle: Beat the level in 4:00.
- Caught in the Crossfire: Kill eight Enemigos with Heat Seeker Rockets chasing you.
- Feed Me, McCoy!: Kill 12 Enemigos with a Fly Trap.
- On a Roll: Get a x50 combo while fighting.
Level Treasure: Jade Skull
Area 11: Whiplash Rapids[]
- Angler McCoy: Kill 16 Leaping Piranhas in the rapids.
- Run the Rapids: Beat the level in 4:30.
- Rumble in the Jungle : Find the Enemigos' hideout and finish the rumble.
- Skull Stepper: Step on all the Ancient Skull Switches.
- Hunting with Crocs: Kill 10 Enemigos with a Crocodile.
Level Treasure: Lost Cryptex
Area 12: Calavera Ruins[]
- Temple Totems: Put all the statue heads back on the temple statues.
- Rapid Rescue: Beat the level in 6:30.
- Cheat the Hangmen: Find all the Hangmen and kill them with a Rope.
- Worthy Opponent: Defeat Malana Mire without dying.
- Out of Range: Defeat Malana Mire without getting hit by any scythe blasts.
Level Treasure: Saved Ella!
Weapons[]
Punching Weapons[]
These weapons allow McCoy to attack Enemigos at melee range. His fist attack falls under this category, and all other Punching weapons serve as enhancements for this attack.
- Fists
- Boxing Gloves
- Brass Knuckles
- Brawler Gloves
- Iron
- Bear Claws
- Ironclad Gloves
- Meat Hooks
- Katar
Swinging Weapons[]
These weapons allow McCoy to attack Enemigos at a slightly longer range than with Punching weapons. There are a wide variety of Swinging weapons, ranging from slashing weapons to bludgeoning weapons.
- Machete
- Pipe
- Shovel
- Mallet
- Cactus
- Stick
- Cleaver
- Crowbar
- Guitar
- Butterfly Net
- Axe
- Sickle
- Pool Cue
- Pickaxe
- Bone
- Nunchucks
- Cutlass
- Katana
- Morningstar
- Longsword
- Macana
- Scythe
- Serpent Blade (Extremely powerful weapon that can kill any enemy in one hit and defeat bosses quickly, but can only be unlocked by 100% completing the game. Once unlocked, this weapon automatically becomes McCoy's starting weapon whenever he first enters an Area.)
Whipping Weapons[]
These weapons allow McCoy to strike multiple Enemigos at once, and at a longer range than both Punching and Swinging weapons.
- Bullwhip
- Chain
- Rope
- Rattlesnake
- Barbed Wire
- Tow Chain
- Meteor
- Fly Trap
- Cat o' Ninetails
Throwing Weapons[]
These weapons allow McCoy to throw projectiles at Enemigos from a distance. Some of these weapons have additional effects when used.
- Daggers
- Eggs
- Tomahawks
- Bottles
- Firecrackers (Explodes and creates short-lived sparks on impact)
- Fuse Bomb (Explodes on impact)
- Cherry Bombs (Explodes on impact)
- Boomerang (Flies back to you after being thrown; can be used infinitely as long as you keep catching it)
- Lanterns (Creates a few short-lived flames on impact)
- TNT (Explodes on impact)
- Power Ball (Bounces around until it hits an enemy)
- Water Balloon (Explodes on impact and puts out fires, but does low damage to Enemigos)
- Proximity Mines (Can be placed on the ground, explodes on contact with an Enemigo)
- Thorn Bomb (Explodes and releases thorns in all directions on impact)
- Ladder Spear (Sticks to surfaces and can be used as a platform, can only thrown straight ahead)
Shooting Weapons[]
These weapons allow McCoy to shoot projectiles at Enemigos from a distance. Some of these weapons have additional effects when used.
- Crossbow
- BB Gun
- Harpoon Gun
- Shotgun (Shoots a tight volley of three bullets)
- Machine Gun
- Blunderbluss (Shoots a wide volley of three bullets)
- Flamethrower (Spews flames at close range)
- Gatling Gun (Has high ammo and really fast fire rate)
- Revolver
- Roman Candle
- Dart Gun
- Flare Gun
- Hex Hatfield's Pistol
Thrusting Weapons[]
These weapons allow McCoy to deal continuous damage to multiple enemies at close range.
- Chainsaw
- Buzzsaw
- Crocodile
- Power Drill
Launching Weapons[]
These weapons are similar to Shooting weapons but fire more powerful projectiles that have stronger damage-dealing effects on Enemigos.
- Bazooka (Shoots explosive rockets)
- Grenade Launcher (Shoots explosive grenades)
- Tear Gas Launcher (Shoots tear gas bombs that generate short-lived clouds of tear gas)
- Cannon (Deals very high damage to Enemigos)
Enemies[]
Generic Enemies[]
These are standard enemies encountered all throughout the game.
- Green Swinging Enemigo: An Enemigo that wields a Swinging weapon. Sometimes uses blades (e.g. Longswords or Katanas), but mostly uses unconventional weapons (Shovels, Banjos, Bones, etc.)
- White Swinging Enemigo: An Enemigo that wields a Swinging weapon. Mainly uses conventional weapons (Nightsticks, Machetes, Cutlasses, etc.)
- Blue Swinging Enemigo: An Enemigo that wields a Swinging weapon. Mostly uses heavy blunt objects (Mallets, Maces, Morningstars, etc.)
- Punching Enemigo: An Enemigo that wields a Fist weapon. Also likes to attack by picking up nearby crates and throwing them at you.
- Throwing Enemigo: An Enemigo that wields a Throwing weapon.
- Yellow Shooting Enemigo: An Enemigo that wields a Shooting weapon. Uses larger firearms (Crossbows, Shotguns, Flamethrowers, etc.)
- Grey Shooting Enemigo: An Enemigo that wields a Shooting weapon. Uses smaller firearms (Revolvers, Roman Candles, etc.)
- Whipping Enemigo: An Enemigo that wields a Whipping weapon.
- Thrusting Enemigo: An Enemigo that wields a Thrusting weapon.
- Launching Enemigo: An Enemigo that wields a Launching weapon.
- Ship Captain: An Enemigo that mainly appears in watery areas and can be seen wielding a variety of different weapons.
- Cactus McCoy Imposter: An Enemigo disguised as Cactus McCoy, who only ever uses plant-based weapons (i.e. Cacti and Fly Traps).
Special Mobs[]
These are unique groups of enemies that first appear in large numbers at the end of a specific Area, and may return in later levels.
- The Hexagoons: A mob of Enemigos first encountered at the end of Area 1. They mainly wield Punching and Swinging weapons, and can also wield Thrusting weapons in later levels.
- The Hobos (aka Hobo Clowns): A mob of Enemigos first encountered at the end of Area 2. They use a large variety of weapon types.
- The Snap Dragons: A mob of Enemigos first encountered at the end of Area 3. They mainly wield Punching and Swinging weapons, and can also wield Thrusting weapons in later levels.
- The Railbenders: A mob of Enemigos first encountered at the end of Area 5. They mainly wield Swinging, Shooting, and Thrusting weapons, and can also wield Throwing weapons in later levels.
- The Cave Crawlers: A mob of Enemigos first encountered at the end of Area 6. They use a large variety of weapon types.
- The Kodiaks: A mob of Enemigos first encountered at the end of Area 7. They normally only wield Punching weapons, but in later levels some of them use Swinging and Throwing weapons.
- The Scallywags: A mob of Enemigos first encountered at the end of Area 9. They mainly wield Swinging, Throwing, and Launching weapons, and can also wield Punching and Whipping weapons in later levels.
- The Green Guerillas: A mob of Enemigos first encountered at the end of Area 10. They mainly wield Swinging, Whipping, and Shooting weapons, and can also wield Throwing weapons in later levels.
- The Hangmen: A mob of Enemigos first encountered at the end of Area 11. They use a large variety of weapon types.
Bosses[]
These are the game's bosses, encountered at the end of a specific Area.
- Alpaca Jack: A gun-slinging alpaca breeder encountered at the end of Area 4. He attacks by using ranged weapons while chasing you around on his alpaca; he alternates between shooting at you with a Revolver and throwing Fuse Bombs at you, and his alpaca will occasionally spit at you too.
- Dumbbell: A dimwitted but really strong pirate encountered at the end of Area 8. He attacks by punching at you, charging at you to try and ram you with the horns on his helmet, and jumping into the air to perform slam attacks with his fists.
- Malana Mire: A notorious criminal and student of the dark arts who became obsessed with the Reptara cult and took it upon herself to steal the Serpent Blade. She is the final boss of the game, encountered at the end of Area 12. Unlike the other bosses, she has two phases.
- Phase 1: In this phase, Malana attacks by slashing at you with the Serpent Blade, spinning the Serpent Blade to deflect your attacks, dashing towards you, throwing miniature blades that home in on you, and and jumping into the air to perform slam attacks with the Serpent Blade.
- Phase 2: In this phase, Malana uses all the attacks from her first phase but also gains a new ability; sometimes, she'll use the Serpent Blade's magic to surround herself with an energy shield that renders her invincible. While the shield is active, Malana will float around the room and shoot fireballs in all directions, sometimes stopping to fire a huge laser beam at you. Eventually, the shield will expire and Malana will fall to the ground exhausted for a few moments before resuming her normal attack patterns.
Badges[]
- Airborne: Launch 20 Enemigos into the stratosphere by juggling them. (Gives $200 when earned)
- Liftoff: Launch 50 Enemigos into the stratosphere by juggling them. (Gives $300 when earned)
- Enemigos in Space: Launch 100 Enemigos into the stratosphere by juggling them. (Gives $400 when earned)
- Treasure Finder: Find 10 Secret Treasures. (Gives $150 when earned)
- Treasure Collector: Find 30 Secret Treasures. (Gives $300 when earned)
- Treasure Hoarder: Find every Secret Treasure in the game. (Gives $600 when earned)
- Up to the Challenge: Complete 10 Area Challenges. (Gives $150 when earned)
- Halfway There: Complete 30 Area Challenges. (Gives $300 when earned)
- Challenge Champ: Complete all the Area Challenges. (Gives $600 when earned)
- Stat Spreader: Upgrade each of your stats to level 2 or above. (Gives $150 when earned)
- Purchasing Power: Buy any 20 stat upgrades. (Gives $250 when earned)
- Max Gunner: Max out your Shooting stat. (Gives $400 when earned)
- Max Swinger: Max out your Swinging stat. (Gives $400 when earned)
- Max Thrower: Max out your Throwing stat. (Gives $400 when earned)
- Max Puncher: Max out your Punching stat. (Gives $400 when earned)
- Max Whipper: Max out your Whipping stat. (Gives $400 when earned)
- Max Thruster: Max out your Thrusting stat. (Gives $400 when earned)
- Max Launcher: Max out your Launching stat. (Gives $400 when earned)
- Tough as Nails: Max out your Defense stat. (Gives $400 when earned)
- Life to the Fullest: Max out your Health stat. (Gives $400 when earned)
- Damage Booster: Master any weapon. (Gives $150 when earned)
- Weapon Apprentice: Master any 10 weapons. (Gives $300 when earned)
- Swing Master: Master all the Swinging weapons. (Gives $500 when earned)
- Side Arm Master: Master all the pistols. (Gives $300 when earned)
- Projectile Pro: Master all the Throwing weapons. (Gives $400 when earned)
- Master of Blasters: Master all the Launching weapons. (Gives $350 when earned)
- Power Tool Expert: Master all the Thrusting weapons. (Gives $350 when earned)
- Whip Master: Master all the Whipping weapons. (Gives $400 when earned)
- Firearms Specialist: Master all the long guns and Gatling Gun. (Gives $400 when earned)
- Melee Master: Master all the Punching weapons. (Gives $400 when earned)
- Weapon Collector: Use 10 different weapons to kill Enemigos. (Gives $150 when earned)
- Fully Loaded: Use every type of weapon in the game to kill Enemigos. (Gives $900 when earned)
- Furious Fists: Kill 150 Enemigos using only your fists. (Gives $400 when earned)
- Hack and Slasher: Kill 50 Enemigos with Swinging weapons. (Gives $200 when earned)
- Lock and Load: Kill 50 Enemigos with Shooting weapons. (Gives $200 when earned)
- Throwing Arm: Kill 50 Enemigos with Throwing weapons. (Gives $200 when earned)
- Big Brawler: Kill 50 Enemigos with Punching weapons. (Gives $200 when earned)
- Heavy Fire: Kill 50 Enemigos with Launching weapons. (Gives $200 when earned)
- Power Attacker: Kill 50 Enemigos with Thrusting weapons. (Gives $200 when earned)
- Whipped: Kill 50 Enemigos with Whipping weapons. (Gives $200 when earned)
- B.Y.O.W.: Buy a starting weapon from the Arsenal. (Gives $150 when earned)
- Stocking Up: Buy 10 starting weapons from the Arsenal. (Gives $400 when earned)
- Don't Let 'em Drop: Juggle three dying enemies at once. (Gives $250 when earned)
- Take That, and That: Juggle a dying enemy with four different weapons. (Gives $300 when earned)
- Continuous Combo: Get a x60 combo while fighting. (Gives $250 when earned)
- Blast Radius: Kill three Enemigos with one explosion. (Gives $150 when earned)
- Sinking Feeling: Kill a Ship Captain with an anchor. (Gives $150 when earned)
- Equally Matched: Kill 30 Enemigos using the same weapon they have. (Gives $250 when earned)
- Rival Contractors: Kill 30 Thrusting Enemigos with a Thrusting weapon of your own. (Gives $250 when earned)
- Enemigos Can't Swim: Lure 10 Enemigos into water. (Gives $250 when earned)
- Rocketeering: Blast through 30 Enemigos while riding a Barrel Rocket. (Gives $250 when earned)
- Demolition Area: Break through 100 weak blocks while riding a Barrel Rocket. (Gives $150 when earned)
- Break On Through: Break through 250 weak blocks while riding a Barrel Rocket. (Gives $250 when earned)
- In the Line of Fire: Indirectly kill 30 Enemigos with Heat Seeker Rockets. (Gives $250 when earned)
- Cart Crusher: Kill 20 Enemigos with moving mine carts. (Gives $150 when earned)
- Bird Basher: Kill 10 Enemigos with parrots. (Gives $150 when earned)
- Predator: Kill 10 piranhas with a Crocodile. (Gives $250 when earned)
- Prize Inside: Break 50 wooden crates. (Gives $150 when earned)
- Jailbreak: Break open a parrot cage with a spinning spiky ball. (Gives $150 when earned)
- Gardener: Uproot 60 plants. (Gives $150 when earned)
Gallery[]
Heroes and Villains[]
Enemigos[]
Enemigos (Jungle Variants)[]
Miscellaneous[]
Trivia[]
- Calavera means skull in Spanish.[1]
- Alpaca Jack's alpaca is named Daisy.
- The Hexagoons are a reference to Hex Hatfield from the first game.