The weapon upgrade system in Bat Lizard has always bugged me. There are many limitations on the NES when it comes to shmups, and I was working with a code base that was never optimized for shooters. So, the game is shackled in certain respects. Nonetheless, I have finally achieved a workable and engaging weapon upgrade system.

With this update, the first time you pickup the weapon upgrade icon, you unlock the bomb ability usable with the A button. The second time you pick it up, if you already have the bomb ability, it unlocks a secondary bomb that can be deployed while holding B and pressing A. Every subsequent upgrade icon that is collected while all weapon upgrades are unlocked will result in a screen-clearing SMT bomb. Of course, all these upgrades are lost upon death.

In addition to these updates, I've gone ahead and made some other minor changes that should make for an overall smoother experience.

Bat Lizard is nearing a final state. As always, if you run into any weirdness or bugs, let me know.

Cheers,

John