Crusher

Crushers are hazards which appear in the Secret Base (Stage 8) in Balloon Kid, Hello Kitty World, and Balloon Fight GB.
== Appearance ==
Similar to the head of a piston in an engine, these objects appear to be large metal cylinders. In the middle of side of the object, there is a circular indent, possibly a screw or connection point. The bottom of the crusher has two ribbed tiers, and the side are curved upward at the top. In the game, they only ever appear connected to a track. In Hello Kitty World, the sprite is very similar, although the ribbed sections at the bottom are larger, and the circular indent was moved up as well.
== Function ==
These objects move in a cycle, first slowly moving up to the top of their track and then falling down quickly until they hit the ground. If the player is caught underneath one as it hits the ground or on top of one as it approaches the ceiling, both of their balloons will be instantly popped, and then they will lose a life, similar to if they had been crushed by the screen scrolling. All other sides of the object are safe to touch or walk on, and the bottom will not hurt the player unless they are on the ground. Unlike a standard enemy or any other dangerous obstacle, the player can land on top of crushers even while holding balloons, rather than being bounced away. The crusher will also make a crashing sound when it hits the ground if the player isn't caught by it.
== Trivia ==
* The point at which the crusher actually crushes the player on the ground is much lower than the point where it first reaches the top of the player, allowing the player to possibly avoid being crushed.