Crimson Needle 3

Creators: Kale, PlasmaNapkin, Zero-G

Average Rating
9.2 / 10
Average Difficulty
89.0 / 100
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Tags:

Adventure (2) Needle (26) Trap (3) Gimmick (20) Medley (1) Long (7) Trigger (1) x_Floor (4) Secret (1) 100F (1) floor (1) NeedleGimmick (1) Art (1) God (1) 100_Floors (1) SourPls (1) domu_game (2) domu_2_game (1) SPM (1) TheBoys (2) Perfect (1) CNTeleportation (2) Stumble-Like (1) Flow (1) Nasrano-like (1) cn3-like (1) Origin (1) Master (1)

Screenshots

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Creator's Comments:

ActualKale [Creator]
Heyo! At the request of NO ONE I decided to commentate this game.

What follows are links to a series of videos featuring me "playing"/skipping through the entirety of CN3 and commentating on the game as I go. It's around 9 hours of footage and was recorded over the course of around 2 years. Because the videos were often shot far apart there will be noticeable differences in the audio quality, in how my voice sounds, in my enthusiasm, in how comfortable I am talking etc. It also means that I might be repeating stuff I've said in previous videos but I think that's generally a good thing in order to hammer certain points home.

I did try to record with a script but it didn't work very well so instead I went with just talking off-the-cuff. Given that theses are also unedited videos this means that I will have moments of brain lag or losing my train of thought or digressing or saying "umm" a lot. Speaking to yourself in front of a camera for long uninterrupted periods of time requires a lot of practice to do well and I'm already self-conscious about it so please don't be mean :)

As stated, these videos collectively go through every single part of CN3. I don't necessarily know what other people would find interesting to hear so naturally I just talked about stuff I personally find interesting. If there's something you're interested in about the game that is not covered then just ask me privately, I'll gladly take any chance I can get to talk about the game.

Below are the links to the videos along with brief descriptions of some of the things i go over. These descriptions DO NOT cover most of the topics that are brought up and I genuinely think every video has at least some points that are interesting so if you care give it a shot...


Start to 31:

https://youtu.be/bTfBoXZ8cHM

In this video I talk for an excruciatingly long time about the title screen and about some overarching goals with CN3 and how they differ from CN2. Don't worry, I get better at not being long-winded as I go... Once that's finally done I start getting into the ideas behind the cornfield and the first 30 floors of the game.

Golden Maze and Bounce blocks (M and A):

https://youtu.be/vHYouO6Dz6c

Talk a bit about the floor 31 hub. Get into the golden maze area and the UNORTHODOX design philosophy that informed the making of that. In the bounce block stage I talk about, among other things, why working on it was so inspirational and how Denferok almost KILLED the development of the game.

Variety stage (X):

https://youtu.be/83Uzw83j-JM

I start the video a little FRUSTRATED because I had to re-record. I then go to a stage which I struggle to find a name for - the one with Plasma visuals - and because it's the first thing I made for the game I talk about how CN3 started and how it grew over time. I address the DRAMA about CN3 not being a real Crimson Needle game.

Bathhouse (I):

https://youtu.be/Jzy4-bRxS8w

I go to the Bathhouse and pass by several sections of the game I'm passionate about. I bring up what I find to be UNDERAPPRECIATED aspects of the game. I also touch on the immense satisfaction of making this stage and what I find to be really special about the secret. Also a little bit about finding inspiration in unexpected places.

Blue Puzzle Area (N)

https://youtu.be/2i2u4PIoka4

I BASH pretty hard on the area of the game I like the least.

The Bad House (A):

https://youtu.be/TA2SA4UgRGE

Before going to the Bad House and EXPLAINING WHAT IT ALL MEANS I talk a little bit about something that DISAPPOINTS me about the current state of needle and also about why Charr is a MASTERPIECE. I visit my FAVORITE room in the game.

Triple jump stage (T):

https://youtu.be/eY2DVdHON14

A video apparently recorded out of SPITE?? How some people might have MISUNDERSTOOD the game. How the music was picked, tips for finding music. I talk about finding a new inspiring approach to game design and problem-solving. I also sing the game's PRAISES a bit, talk quite a lot about design philosophy and try to explain why I find that aspects of CN3 still haven't been surpassed even as parts of the game have aged.

Blue Tower (O):

https://youtu.be/a3js0LBNYSQ

A short video for a short stage. I mention an event during development that BROUGHT ME TO TEARS.

Halls of Brilliance (R):

https://youtu.be/T-_FllUFzRU

In this one I go through the halls of brilliance talking about EVERY SINGLE GAME I'VE MADE (minus one). I also talk about how needle ideas can seep into my mind and POISON my experiences.

Capitalism stage (2):

https://youtu.be/PzLQqIc8p0o

I give a pretty interesting rundown of how the ideas for certain GIMMICKS have come about. I also bring up the TIRED gimmick vs. "pure" needle argument. I explain why the Capitalism stage was a NIGHTMARE to complete and why the quality there DIPS around the halfway mark.

Wonderful and Green tower (3 and 5):

https://youtu.be/qh3ZsRz9hXI

I address some of the backlash against Wonderful's stage and go over why I like it and why I like her design in general. I then head over to the green tower stage where I spend most of the time talking about one of the BEST game's I've made: Thank Thenewgeezer and what I find so special about it (and so lacking about the majority of needle games).

Boshy stage:

https://youtu.be/rVKXPFmLhmE

I talk about BOSHY! Give an account of how I got into Boshy and speedrunning and how that developed which gradually evolves into a kind of disjointed rambling. But there are probably some interesting parts in there..

Floor 70-100:

https://youtu.be/qzYdul5GDJA

Lots to cover in this final video. I go through the last bits of the game and remark how I feel about some of the rooms there. I go on a long rant about the INSANE last 2 weeks before release where a MAJOR CHUNK of the game was made. Why 92 had to be the way it is and why floor 100 was such a success.

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[25] Likes
Rating: N/A       Difficulty: N/A
Jan 18, 2022

109 Reviews:

Irkara
I was glad that it was Crimson Needle 3, and I'm some frustrated that it is CN3.

This game is very brilliant, one of the best gimmick-needle game. The game is more like a epic, of the needle dynasty. The introduce is superfluous. Here I want to talk something mainly about 31F and some other screen after it.

CN3 remind me of Thank thenewgeezer. The makers hope us enjoy the game, and most of us enjoy the game indeed. I can feel how much the effect in the game. The author show us his understanding about the gimmick by plenty of needles which is full of creativity in the game. To be honest, many design in screen is amazing, and that give me some new idea about needle design that I have never thought about.

But, in the game, I also feel a sense of disharmony: why this jump/route is too difficult, compared with others. In my thought, it is a kind of pride, or arrogance. Maybe we are too strict on the CN3 that it must be the PERFECT in every respect, or the mean this game want to express is actually different with us. I have no answer.

In the end, although there are some regrets, I still want to say, CN is a great series forever, and CN3 is a Wonderful game.
Thank you, Kale.

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[11] Likes
Rating: 9.9 99       Difficulty: 93 93
Jun 14, 2019
minku149
CN3 is not bad at all. But I prefer Crimson Needle 2 : )

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Tagged as: Needle Gimmick
[11] Likes
Rating: 6.4 64       Difficulty: 90 90
Jun 9, 2019
Stinkycheeseone890
pretty fun

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[11] Likes
Rating: 10.0 100       Difficulty: 95 95
Jun 8, 2019
imeG
I do not have a philosophical perspective on the world of IWBTG Fangame, but I am deeply aware of the immense thought and effort that has gone into creating this meticulously crafted game.

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[5] Likes
Rating: 9.0 90       Difficulty: N/A
Jul 27, 2024
Wolfiexe
From a platforming standpoint, this is one of the best fangames I've had the pleasure of experiencing. Crimson Needle 3 goes above and beyond what I'd have expected from a 3rd entry in this series, bringing Kale's signature needle style alongside a plethora of often simple yet well-used gimmicks to enhance the gameplay and constantly mix it up to keep me interested and surprised by what the next floor may look and play like. From the cornfields to the final floor, I enjoyed just about every bit of it.

The game starts with a very familiar style as other floor games, making use of a very varied selection of game tilesets and needle styles, all which play very smoothly and have great variation to ease you into the game and hint at the strong departure from just static needle screens. Before long, you'll be whisked away into a very momentous floor where the game really opens up. This is where I was constantly surprised to see what kind of style and gimmicks I would stumble upon next, and it was always a pleasure finding a new stage or twist on a gimmick. I was often surprised as I may not initially warm to a gimmick, only to grow very comfortable with it 10-15 minutes later. The design just always felt very carefully done, never becoming obnoxious or unfun to play around. Some personal highlights were The Bath House which utilized water and cherries in really interesting ways, and also The Colour Stage, which had different coloured water-like stripes that flew you up, down, gravity flipped etc. which initially I was unsure about, only to grow to love it soon after.

The flow of the game in the second half stays strong and managed to surprise me all the way to the very end, culminating in possibly my favourite needle grind save that I've ever done. It's not very often that I can choke in such ridiculous ways right at the end of a hard save and not be upset, because it meant that I got to play the save more.

The visuals and the music also compliment the design very well all throughout, maintaining a strong sense of variety and quality from start to finish. Sometimes I'd hear a song I wasn't too fond of, but those moments were few and far between (and only natural, given the sheer amount of music in this game). The backgrounds and tilesets always contrasted nicely and left the game looking very polished and clean.

I could ramble longer about which exact floors I loved, my favourite visuals and so on and so forth. Ultimately all that's left to be said is that Crimson Needle 3 is a fantastic piece of work, and is an excellent send-off to the series that shows a lot of passion and hard work from the development team, one that hopefully won't soon be forgotten.

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Tagged as: Needle Gimmick Long
[5] Likes
Rating: 10.0 100       Difficulty: 91 91
Jul 19, 2019