Cactus McCoy and the Curse of Thorns

Cactus McCoy and the Curse of Thorns is a flash action game developed by Flipline Studios and released on March 10, 2011. It is the first game in the Cactus McCoy series of platformer games, in which a cactus man named Cactus McCoy must brawl his way through the wild west to undo a curse that will turn him to stone.

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[]

One day, treasure hunter McCoy is hired by crime boss Hex Hatfield to bring him a treasure called the Thorned Emerald. McCoy finds the Thorned Emerald without a hitch and sets up camp for the night, but then discovers that the Thorned Emerald is cursed when he suddenly transforms into a cactus man. Then, a spirit named Popoca emerges from McCoy's fire and warns him that if he doesn't put the Thorned Emerald back in the Emerald Temple where he found it, the curse will worsen and McCoy will turn into a lifeless stone statue, so McCoy sets off to do just that. Meanwhile, word has spread about what happened to McCoy, and Hex Hatfield is furious because McCoy made off with the Thorned Emerald and Hatfield's money. Hatfield orders all his goons, the Enemigos, to go and take McCoy out, forcing him to fight them off on his journey to the Emerald Temple.

Gameplay[]

Cactus McCoy consists of 12 levels, known as Areas, full of platforming challenges and Enemigos to fight. 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.

Areas and Their Challenges[]

Area 1: Cactus Canyon[]

Unwanted: Take down all 10 "Wanted" posters.
Fast Learner: Beat the level in 1:40.
Brawler: Kill all the Enemigos.
Bramble Breaker: Remove all 8 bramble bushes.
Marshall McCoy: Kill 5 Enemigos using Sheriff Badges.

Area 2: Prospector Mines[]

Firefighter: Put out all the torches using a Squirt Gun.
Impatient Miner: Beat the level in 1:30.
Bare Knuckle Brawler: Kill all the Enemigos using only your fists.
Crate Carnage: Break 5 crates by throwing them at Enemigos.
Keep It Going: Hit an Enemigo into the air five times as he's dying.

Area 3: Rustler Railroad[]

Luggage Bandit: Rummage through all the suitcases.
High-Speed Train: Beat the level in 1:30.
Train Inspector: Explore all the train cars.
Cherry Bomber: Kill 20 Enemigos with Cherry Bombs.
Combo Train: Get a x50 combo while fighting.

Area 4: Shady Springs[]

Chicken Wrangler: Get all the chickens into the coop.
Quick Escape: Beat the level in 2:30.
Fireworks: Kill 20 Enemigos using a Roman Candle.
Tenderizer: Kill an Enemigo with a weapon, then hit him into the air five times with your fists.
Sneaky McCoy: Reach the end of the level without dying.

Area 5: Powderkeg Pass[]

Boulder Bane: Blow up 10 boulders with TNT crates.
Mountain Marathon: Beat the level in 2:45.
King of the Hill: Kill all the Enemigos in the Bottomless Gorge area.
Expert Climber: Cross the Bottomless Gorge without falling.
Juggler: Keep three Enemigos in the air while they're dying.

Area 6: Midnight Express[]

Chicken Train Rumble: Reach the train following behind yours, and finish the rumble with the Enemigos on that train.
Full Steam Ahead: Beat the level in 2:00.
Break Up the Band: Kill all the Guitar-wielding Enemigos with Banjos.
Crack That Whip: Kill 3 Whip Enemigos with whips.
Check Your Luggage: Throw all the luggage trunks off the train.

Area 7: Rattler Ravine[]

Scorpion March: Break the Scorpion Targets with Scorpions.
Race to the Finish: Beat the level in 2:20.
Snake Charmer: Kill 25 Enemigos using Rattlesnakes.
Target Practice: Shoot all the Gun Targets with a Derringer.
Weapon of Choice: Juggle one dying Enemigo in the air with three different weapons.

Area 8: Brimstone Mine[]

Mine for Gems: Mine for gems in the ore rocks using a Pickaxe.
No Time to Mine: Beat the level in 3:00.
Rumble Room: Find the Enemigos' hideout in the mines and finish the rumble.
Bullet Dodger: Reach the end of the level without dying.
Grim Reaper: Kill 10 Enemigos with a Scythe.

Area 9: Deadridge Railway[]

De-Thrown: Throw all the seats in the train cars off the train.
Locomotion: Beat the level in 2:30.
Fight Fire with Fire: Kill all the Flamethrower-wielding Enemigos with Lanterns.
Punch Your Ticket: Kill all the Gatling Gun Enemigos with your fists.
Hazardous Cargo: Destroy all the TNT barrels with Grenades.

Area 10: Sunset Gulch[]

Light the Torches: Light all the torches with a Flamethrower.
Run Outta Town: Beat the level in 2:35.
Cry Babies: Kill 20 Enemigos with Tear Gas.
Big Bang: Kill three Enemigos with one explosion.
Chest of Chicken: Carry a chicken to the chest at the end of the level.

Area 11: Emerald Temple[]

Temple Crasher: Break all the vases.
Temple Trekker: Beat the level in 4:30.
Idol Hands: Place 9 idol statues on their pedestals.
Shadow Walker: Reach the end of the level without dying.
Going Medieval: Kill three Longsword-wielding Enemigos with a Morningstar.

Area 12: Emerald Shrine[]

Sidetracked: Find the Squirt Gun and put out all the torches.
Let's Get This Over With: Beat the level in 2:40.
Fistcuffs Finale: Kill Hex Hatfield using only your fists.
Combo Master: Get a x60 combo without dying.
Showdown Survivor: Defeat Hex Hatfield without dying.

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
Iron

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.

2 x 4
Nightstick
Crowbar
Club
Banjo
Pool Cue
Machete
Pipe
Shovel
Mallet
Cactus
Stick
Guitar
Axe
Sickle
Pickaxe
Bone
Cutlass
Katana
Morningstar
Scythe
Longsword
Bat

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
Cat o' Ninetails
Thorn Whip

Throwing Weapons[]

These weapons allow McCoy to throw projectiles at Enemigos from a distance. Some of these weapons have additional effects when used.

Sheriff Badges
Darts
Daggers
Tomahawks
Cherry Bombs (Explodes on impact)
Lanterns (Creates a few short-lived flames on impact)
TNT (Explodes on impact)
Playing Cards
Tear Gas (Explodes and creates a short-lived gas cloud on impact)
Grenades (Explodes on impact)
Scorpions (Crawls across the ground after being thrown)

Shooting Weapons[]

These weapons allow McCoy to shoot projectiles at Enemigos from a distance. Some of these weapons have additional effects when used.

Squirt Gun (Puts out fires, does low damage to Enemigos)
Crossbow
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
Bazooka (Shoots explosive rockets)
Derringer
Hex Hatfield's Pistol (Extremely powerful weapon that can kill any enemy in only two hits, 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.)

Enemies[]

Scarecrow Enemigo: A stationary Enemigo that stands in one spot and doesn't attack you.
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.)
Brown 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.
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.
Gatling Gun Enemigo: An Enemigo that stands in one spot and wields a Gatling Gun, sometimes shooting a spray of bullets straight ahead.
Bazooka Enemigo: An Enemigo that stands in one spot and wields a Bazooka, sometimes shooting a rocket straight ahead.
Hex Hatfield: Final boss of the game, encountered in Area 12. He attacks by slashing at you with his swords, shooting at you with his pistol, and jumping into the air to perform slam attacks with his swords.

Badges[]

Juggling Apprentice: Juggle a dying enemy in the air 10 times in a row. (Gives $300 when earned)
Resourceful: Use 10 different weapons to kill Enemigos. (Gives $150 when earned)
Harvester: Cut down 20 swaths of tall grass. (Gives $200 when earned)
Box Bomber: Destroy 10 metal crates with explosive weapons. (Gives $200 when earned)
Eleven Herbs and Spices: Kill 11 Enemigos with a chicken. (Gives $400 when earned)
Treasure Seeker: Find 10 Secret Treasures. (Gives $150 when earned)
Treasure Hunter: Find 30 Secret Treasures. (Gives $300 when earned)
Treasure Completionist: Find every Secret Treasure in the game. (Gives $600 when earned)
Blunderbuster: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Blunderbuss. (Gives $200 when earned)
Wrinkle-Free: Kill 30 Enemigos with an Iron. (Gives $200 when earned)
Prospector: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Pickaxe. (Gives $200 when earned)
Rack 'em Up: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Pool Cue. (Gives $200 when earned)
Fear the Reaper: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Scythe. (Gives $200 when earned)
Home Run Derby: Kill 20 Enemigos with a Bat. (Gives $200 when earned)
Double Barrel: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Shotgun. (Gives $200 when earned)
Prehistoric: Kill 15 Enemigos with a Club. (Gives $200 when earned)
Bone Crusher: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Bone. (Gives $200 when earned)
Heeeeere's McCoy: Kill 30 Enemigos with an Axe. (Gives $200 when earned)
New Sheriff in Town: Kill 20 Enemigos with Sheriff Badges. (Gives $200 when earned)
Dueling Banjos: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Banjo. (Gives $200 when earned)
Wired: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Barbed Wire. (Gives $200 when earned)
Rockets' Red Glare: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Bazooka. (Gives $200 when earned)
KO: Kill 30 Enemigos with Boxing Gloves. (Gives $200 when earned)
Beat 'em Up: Kill 30 Enemigos with Brass Knuckles. (Gives $200 when earned)
Whip Cracker: Kill 20 Enemigos with a Bullwhip. (Gives $200 when earned)
Prickly: Kill 15 Enemigos with a Cactus. (Gives $200 when earned)
Hundred Lashes: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Cat o' Nine Tails. (Gives $200 when earned)
Chain Gang: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Chain. (Gives $200 when earned)
Cherry Picker: Kill 40 Enemigos with Cherry Bombs. (Gives $200 when earned)
Archer: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Crossbow. (Gives $200 when earned)
Prize Prier: Kill 20 Enemigos with a Crowbar. (Gives $200 when earned)
Boarding Party: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Cutlass. (Gives $200 when earned)
Swift Daggers: Kill 25 Enemigos with Daggers. (Gives $200 when earned)
Bullseye: Kill 20 Enemigos with a Darts. (Gives $200 when earned)
Pocket Pistoleer: Kill 40 Enemigos with a Derringer. (Gives $200 when earned)
Enemigo BBQ: Kill 40 Enemigos with a Flamethrower. (Gives $200 when earned)
Rapid Fire: Kill 50 Enemigos with a Gatling Gun. (Gives $200 when earned)
Fire in the Hole: Kill 40 Enemigos with Grenades. (Gives $200 when earned)
Deadly Mariachi: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Guitar. (Gives $200 when earned)
Avast!: Kill 20 Enemigos with a Harpoon Gun. (Gives $200 when earned)
Desert Samurai: Kill 40 Enemigos with a Katana. (Gives $200 when earned)
Kerosene Cactus: Kill 30 Enemigos with Lanterns. (Gives $200 when earned)
Medieval: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Longsword. (Gives $200 when earned)
Hack and Slash: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Machete. (Gives $200 when earned)
Strong Man: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Mallet. (Gives $200 when earned)
Ball and Chain: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Meteor. (Gives $200 when earned)
Bludgeoner: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Morningstar. (Gives $200 when earned)
Night Watchman: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Nightstick. (Gives $200 when earned)
Faulty Plumbing: Kill 20 Enemigos with a Pipe. (Gives $200 when earned)
52 Pickup: Kill 52 Enemigos with Playing Cards. (Gives $200 when earned)
Rattle and Rumble: Kill 40 Enemigos with a Rattlesnake. (Gives $200 when earned)
Six Shooter: Kill 40 Enemigos with a Revolver. (Gives $200 when earned)
Fireworks Show: Kill 40 Enemigos with a Roman Candle. (Gives $200 when earned)
Happy Trails: Kill 20 Enemigos with a Rope. (Gives $200 when earned)
Creepy Crawler: Kill 30 Enemigos with Scorpions. (Gives $200 when earned)
Harvest Season: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Sickle. (Gives $200 when earned)
Nature Calls: Kill 20 Enemigos with a Stick. (Gives $200 when earned)
Gangster Gunner: Kill 40 Enemigos with a Machine Gun. (Gives $200 when earned)
I'm Not Crying: Kill 40 Enemigos with Tear Gas. (Gives $200 when earned)
Desert Thorn: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Thorn Whip. (Gives $200 when earned)
Demolition Man: Kill 30 Enemigos with TNT. (Gives $200 when earned)
Flying Hatchets: Kill 30 Enemigos with Tomahawks. (Gives $200 when earned)
Triple A: Kill 30 Enemigos with a Tow Cable. (Gives $200 when earned)
Carpentry: Kill 30 Enemigos with a 2x4. (Gives $200 when earned)
Slow Drowning: Kill one Enemigo with a Squirt Gun. (Gives $300 when earned)
Sock It to 'em: Kill 150 Enemigos with a Blunderbuss. (Gives $400 when earned)
Upgraded Puncher: Max out the Punching upgrade. (Gives $400 when earned)
Upgraded Swinger: Max out the Swinging upgrade. (Gives $400 when earned)
Upgraded Whipper: Max out the Whipping upgrade. (Gives $400 when earned)
Upgraded Thrower: Max out the Throwing upgrade. (Gives $400 when earned)
Upgraded Shooter: Max out the Shooting upgrade. (Gives $400 when earned)
Swap and Juggle: Juggle a dying enemy with four different weapons. (Gives $500 when earned)
Five in the Air: Juggle five dying enemies at once. (Gives $500 when earned)
Powderkegger: Kill 20 Enemigos with TNT Barrels. (Gives $200 when earned)
Ring King: Kill 30 Boxing Glove-wielding Enemigos with Boxing Gloves. (Gives $350 when earned)
Pistols at Dawn: Shoot 50 pistol-wielding Enemigos with any type of pistol [i.e. Revolver, Derringer, or Squirt Gun]. (Gives $350 when earned)
Challenger: Complete 30 Area Challenges. (Gives $300 when earned)
Challenge Champion: Complete all the Area Challenges. (Gives $600 when earned)
Full Armory: Use every type of weapon in the game to kill Enemigos. (Gives $750 when earned)

Gallery[]

Main Characters[]

Enemigos[]

Promo Art[]

Trivia[]

The names McCoy and Hatfield are a reference to the McCoy-Hatfield feud that occurred in the mid-1800s in West Virginia and Kentucky.
Unlike most of Flipline's games, which use original music, Cactus McCoy and its sequel use music created by different artists. Said artists were credited for creating the music in Cactus McCoy 2. The music is as follows:
- Title Screen Theme: "Showdown" by Jeremy Sherman (Underscore Version)
- Cutscene Theme: "Pass the Spaghetti" by Patrick Smith
- Level Theme: "Handful of Coins" by Julian Beeston
Flipline Studios drew inspiration for the game's western theme from a Spanish website that hosted Papa Louie: When Pizzas Attack! and called the enemies in that game "enemigos" (the Spanish word for "enemies") in its description.