Cactus McCoy 3: Wrath of The Ghost Lord

Title Screen

**Cactus McCoy 3: Wrath of The Ghost Lord** or **CM3: WoTG** for short, is the latest installment of the Cactus McCoy series.

## Sneak Peeks

* **08/8/20** - A weird little poem whose meaning none of the ~~nincompoop~~ users managed to guess.
* **10/8/20** - Name announced along with an image of the protagonist.
* **10/8/20** - Image of Ella Windstorm released.
* **16/8/20** - Release date announced.

## New Features

* A more futuristic 2.5-D interface instead of only childish pixelated scenes.

* Animated intros and endings.

* A little stream of blood squirts out whenever an enemigo is hit. This can be switched off in the Options though.

* No more juggling. Killing an enemigo will result in it being thrown to the ground where he will stay before disappearing after a while.

* More weapons! More stats to upgrades! More enemigos! And much more!
	+ A new weapon class: stabbing weapons.
	+ The new stats are: Weapon Availability, increasing the chance of an enemigo to drop his weapon; and Cash Increment, increasing the amount of cash dropped when an enemigo is hit.

## Gameplay

The gameplay follows the same formula as the previous versions. There are 15 levels each with 5 treasures and 5 missions. There are also tons of badges to be earned. The ghost of Ella serves as a checkpoint instead of Popoca's.

Once you've completed the game 100%, meaning you've completed all levels and missions, earned all the badges and treasures, and mastered all the weapons, you will be prompted to attempt the last level. Then after a special ending, you will earn the Ghost Lord's weapon, the Spirit Sabres and would be able to select either McCoy or Ella to play. Also, the checkpoints are replaced with green flags with a white cactus design.

## Intro

The scene starts with McCoy and Ella romantically strolling around in the Midnight Meadows. A rustle is heard among the bushes and a zombified anthropomorphic cactus jumps out. Ella gets shocked and charges at it, slicing off its head with her sword. McCoy then approaches the headless body and shouts, "That's Popoca! What did you do Ella!?"

"Wait I, I didn't know..."

"Duck!" McCoy tackles Ella to the ground as a figure fires machinegun rounds at them. They look up and see a gang of enemigos running towards them. The couple gets up and fights them.

During the fight, a ghost materializes and punches McCoy to the ground. He unsheathes his swords and speeds towards him. But Ella jumps out and punches the ghost. He then stabs his swords into Ella's gut (for obvious reasons, the scene would pan out into a silhouette). She looks at the ghost and her eye twitches as she disintegrates into a wisp of vapour. "Nooo!" McCoy shouts as he charges at the ghost. But enemigos get hold of him and start beating him up.

"Hehehe," cackles the ghost, "fighting for your dead love. How noble. How about you join her too!" He punches and throws McCoy to the edge of a cliff. He gets up but an enemigo with a revolver fires a round in his shoulder and McCoy falls off the cliff. The screen darkens.

In the next scene that appears, McCoy seems to be miraculously alive lying on the grass. He looks around in a stupor as Ella's ghost appears and calls him, "McCoy."

"Ella?" McCoy reaches out to her, "Is that you?"

"Yes, it is. I want you to fight the Ghost Lord, if not for my revenge but for the sake of the entire world. He's planning to turn the entire world into his personal zombie playground. It's up to you, McCoy, to save the world."

"I...I see, and how am I supposed to find him?" McCoy asks.

"I'll show you. Follow me."

The screen then darkens.

## Ending

The scene starts with The Ghost Lord badly wounded, his form shimmering. McCoy then orders him to give up and turn Ella back. The Ghost Lord then laughs and swipes his swords around and disappears. McCoy looks around the ruins and sees Ella removing her shackles and floating towards him. They both stare at each other and reach out to touch each other's fingers, but Ella's hand evaporates on contact with McCoy's. The screen then darkens.

### Special Ending (After completing 100% of the game)

The scene starts with McCoy aiming a roundhouse kick at The Ghost Lord's face. He staggers back and McCoy throws a water balloon at his face. He shouts and covers his eyes, dropping his swords. McCoy runs and grabs the swords, and stabs them into the Ghost Lord. His form dissipates and gets absorbed into the swords, making them glow green. With a shout, he stabs them in the ground, sending out a green shockwave which knocks out all enemigos out cold. After everything returns to normal, McCoy takes out the swords and turns to see the enemigos hefting their weapons. They panic and run away.

Just then Ella calls out "McCoy!"

McCoy turns around and sees Ella.

Ella's expression turns to shock and she asks, "McCoy, what happened to you? You're...you're human again!"

McCoy looks at himself and gets surprised seeing himself back as a human. He gets overjoyed and they both kiss. The screen then darkens to the words: The End.

## Area

There are 15 levels, each with 5 missions and a special group of enemigos at the name. Each level has its own description given by Ella at the start of it.

### Area 1: **Lazy Lane**

#### Description

*"So glad you could make it McCoy. Welcome to Lazy Lane. A really boring town with nothing exciting but I've heard some local gangs have teamed up and have started harrassing the locals. Teach them a lesson. Love, Ella."*

#### Missions

* **Laundry Man** - Take all the 7 clothes off the line.
* **Town Racer** - Complete the level in 1:30.
* **Cool Drink** - Find all 5 Tropical Punches.
* **Bottled Up** - Kill 5 enemigos with bottles.
* **Clean Up The Town** - Kill all the enemigos in the level.

### Area 2: **Dustbin Road**

#### Description

*"You didn't die? Good job McCoy! Find this place familiar? Yep, this is the dirty Dustbin Road. You went here about 5 years ago. The Hobo Clowns have returned and have set up smuggling stations. Go, and tell them something about the law!"*

#### Missions

* **Wire Hanger** - Ride all 10 zip-lines.
* **Road-Runner** - Complete the level in 1:50.
* **Municipal Worker** - Set all 7 dustbins upright.
* **Clowning Around** - Kill at least 5 Hobo Clowns with a Mallet.
* **Exterminator** - Kill all 5 raccoons around the road.

### Area 3: **Shady Oases**

#### Description

*"I told you to take a right at Highway 13, not a left! Great, now you're stuck in this hot wasteland. Try to get out of here, possibly alive, and beware of the nomadic bandits. And don't forget your sunblock, I don't want a charbroiled weed saving my hide."*

#### Missions

* **Desert Gardener** - Cut all 12 cacti in the level.
* **Hot on Your Feet** - Complete the level in 2:10.
* **Daredevil McCoy** - Complete the initial bike ride without losing a life.
* **Like the Wild West** - Find the Sheriff Enemigo and kill him with a revolver.
* **Rock in Lake** - Throw all 7 rocks in the lake.

### Area 4: **Sunset Gulch**

#### Description

*"Now you've escaped the oases, head towards the Sunset Gulch: the place where we first shared feelings. The Ghost Lord has ravaged much of the town and has hired some weirdo musicians. They don't look too menacing but you should defeat them before they change their minds."*

#### Missions

* **Catch Me, Oops** - Lure 10 enemigos to fall to their deaths.
* **Before Dark** - Finish the level in 2:40.
* **It's Not Santa** - Blow up all the 14 chimneys on the roofs.
* **Lover Boy** - Find the photograph of Ella with you.
* **Chicken Wrangler** - Find and put all 5 chickens in the coop.

### Area 5: **Scamwell Slums**

#### Description

*"Remember the Gridlock Canal? After you took care of the Scallywags, this place started getting poorer and poorer and is now just a shadow of its former self. But something seems wrong. Please be careful McCoy."*

#### Missions

* **Robin Hood** - Give some alms to the poor.
* **Street Racer** - Finish the level in 3.00
* **Fruit Ninja** - Slice all the 15 fruits lying around.
* **Firefighter** - Find the fire extinguisher and beat Dumbell with it.
* **Scaredy Cat** - Find the alternative route to the end of the area.

### Area 6: **Snapvine Tundra**

#### Description

*"The Ghost Lord is getting stronger but I didn't realize he could reanimate our past enemies. All the more reasons to take him down. Your heading to the Snapvine Tundra McCoy, if the frostbite doesn't get you the sentient vines will. Gear up McCoy and take care."*

#### Missions

* **Head Hunter** - Find all the "dragon" skulls.
* **Run and Gun** - Finish the level in 3:40.
* **No Privacy** - Check in all the 5 huts for enemigos.
* **Toasty** - Kill 15 enemigos with a Flame Thrower.
* **Weedwacker** - Find and kill the Vine-Men.

### Area 7: **Greyridge Lagoon**

#### Description

*"Looks like the only way is through this lagoon. McCoy I know a guy, mention me and he'll provide you with a wetsuit and all the needed equipment. This would help you move through this lagoon and find the hidden cave to get out of here."*

#### Missions

* **Fishmonger** - Spear 15 fish.
* **Escape from the Deep** - Finish the level in 4.00.
* **Shark Bait** - Escape the first area without dying.
* **Idol Hands** - Place all 5 statue heads on their bodies.
* **Poseidon** - Kill 8 enemigos with the Trident.

### Area 8: **Ashpoint Railway**

#### Description

*"Good to see you didn't become chum. Now you have to head to the Emberleaf Forest. It's a really long way so you're going to board the Ashpoint Express. I've heard it was hijacked by some ruffians and they are using it to smuggle contraband. Go and stop them and please avoid falling off the cabins.*

#### Missions

* **Ticket Please** - Rummage through all the 12 suitcases and find the tickets.
* **Express Train** - Finish the level in 3:40.
* **Brawl on Wheels** - Find the enemigo train and finish the rumble battle.
* **Dynamite Dilemma** - Find and disarm all the 8 dynamite on the train.
* **Hazardous Cargo** - Throw all 15 crates full of contraband off the train.

### Area 9: **Emberleaf Forest**

#### Description

*"After you took down the Green Guerillas, they shifted their base of operations to this place. This place was prone to wildfire and had tough vegetation, so it was a perfect place to hide and do their dirty work. Teach them a lesson."*

#### Missions

* **Trap Takedown** - Disarm all 10 booby traps.
* **Race Against The Tangle** - Finish the level in 4.30.
* **Plant Dad** - Collect 20 Emberflowers.
* **Tarzan McCoy** - Swing by all 14 ropes.
* **Bear Food** - Lure 6 enemigos to their deaths in bear dens.

### Area 10: **Wildflower Highlands**

#### Description

*"Welcome to the Wildflower Highlands—a vast, untamed prairie where danger lurks beneath the tranquil beauty. This is the lair of Cassandra Moonclaw, a formidable archer with strange powers. Good luck McCoy, go defeat her"*

#### Missions

* **Lumberjack** - Cut 10 logs with a Chainsaw.
* **Cut To The Chase** - Finish the level in 4.40.
* **Tooth and Nail** - Find the legendary Wolf Tooth Dagger and kill 5 enemigos with it.
* **Archery Showdown** - Defeat Cassandra using only a Longbow.
* **Taming The Beast** - Don't let Werewolf Cassandra's energy blasts hit you.

### Area 11: **Silvermine Outpost**

#### Description

*"Smart work getting a truck McCoy, the Silvermine Outpost isn't exactly nearby. Once a bustling town, it's now nothing more than rusty mine-carts ever since the mercenary miners took over and start selling the precious gems in the black market. Take care McCoy."*

#### Missions

* **Get Out The Way** - Kill 8 enemigos by running them over with a mine-cart.
* **Tunnel Speedster** - Finish the level in 4.50.
* **Demolitionist** - Blow up 10 boulders.
* **Gold Digger** - Mine for 10 gems in ores.
* **Big Bang** - Kill 5 enemigos with an explosion at once.

### Area 12: **Powderkeg Pass**

#### Description

*"Get your hiking boots ready McCoy. You'll be trekking across the Stonetooth Range, hopefully this will lead to where the Ghost Lord is. Be careful and avoid falling to your death in the chasms."*

#### Missions

* **Hide and Seek** - Find the hideout of the enemigos and complete the rumble battle.
* **Hill Jogger** - Finish the level in 5.00.
* **Target Practice** - Shoot 15 targets with a gun.
* **Master Spelunker** - Finish the level without falling off the hills.
* **Bomber Man** - Kill 6 enemigos by setting off TNT explosives.

### Area 13: **Gloomshade Grotto**

#### Description

*"Augh! That surge of energy...I recognize it. McCoy, that explosion was done by the Reptaras, the cult that exterminated my people. I will not let them take away my loved ones anymore. Go and beat them McCoy. I know you can do it."*

#### Missions

* **Fun Guy** - Pick up 20 glowing mushrooms.
* **Speed Demon** - Finish the level in 5.20.
* **Grim Reaper** - Kill 14 enemigos with a Scythe.
* **Skull Stepper** - Step on 8 Jade Skull switches.
* **Evenly Matched** - Kill 3 Reptaras with the same weapons they have.

### Area 14: **Skyward Summit**

#### Description

*"You're getting closer to the Ghost Lord. His lair is just at the temple over these cliffs. Go McCoy but please be careful, his powers are incredibly strong here and he has brought forth some of his very loyal and very powerful henchmen. Defeat them."*

#### Missions

* **Statue Smasher** - Break 12 statues of the Ghost Lord.
* **Race to the Top** - Finish the level in 5.00
* **Predator** - Kill 20 jumping piranhas with a Crocodile.
* **Going Medieval** - Kill 8 Longsword enemigos with a Morningstar.
* **Ghost Catcher** - Find the Enchanted Crossbow and kill 4 Ghostly Wisps.

### Area 15: **Shadowgate Citadel**

#### Description

*"There is the Ghost Lord. Right there at that temple over the hill. Hurry McCoy, take him down before it's all over."*

#### Missions

* **Shoot Out** - Kill 10 Machine Gun enemigos with a Machine Gun.
* **Quick Draw** - Finish the level in 5.40.
* **Light the Torch** - Light 14 torches.
* **Evade and Avoid** - Avoid slashes from the Spirit Sabres.
* **Combo Master** - Get a x60 combo while fighting.

## Trivia

* The reason why this game is developed by Cutterfish Games alone is because Flipline Studios didn't want to create a game with a 13+ rating.

Missions