A lost 1987 cartridge, found at last. The squirrels took the orchard.
Cherry Hunt is a faithful throwback to a 1987 arcade platformer. Climb the ladders of each orchard board, scoop up every cherry with your bucket, and reach the door before the par clock runs down — all while dodging the squirrels that took over the place. Your bucket is both tool and weapon: throw it to stun a squirrel, but you can't pick a single cherry until you go and grab it back. Six boards loop forever, faster and tighter each time, feeding one leaderboard.
STORY & LORE
The Squirrels Took The Orchard
The title card says it all: THE SQUIRRELS TOOK THE ORCHARD. You're the kid with the bucket sent in to take it back one cherry at a time. It's presented as a genuine 1987 cartridge from the fictional Ridge Road Soft — CRT palette, chunky sprites, PUSH START and all.
No Bucket, No Cherries
The bucket is the whole game. You carry it to collect cherries, and you can hurl it to stun a squirrel that's in your way — but the moment it leaves your hands you can't pick anything up. Throw it, deal with the squirrel, then chase your bucket down before the clock (or another squirrel) makes you regret it.
Endless Loops
There are six hand-built boards — Orchard Gate, Twin Ladders, Acorn Alley, Treehouse Row, Red Row and Squirrel Keep — and when you clear the last one the game loops back to the first, faster, with a tighter par each time. There's no ending, only a higher score.
CHARACTERS & ENEMIES
The KidYou — with a bucket and a job to doHEROThe orchard's last hope, armed with nothing but a metal bucket. Runs and climbs on the arrows, jumps on Z, and throws the bucket on X. Starts with 3 lives and earns a fresh one every 5,000 points.
The critters that overran the orchard. They patrol the platforms and ladders and end a life on contact. A thrown bucket stuns one for a while — long enough to slip past — and some of them lob acorns at you. They get quicker every loop.
HOW IT PLAYS
Collect The Cherries
Every board is full of cherries. Grab them all and the exit door opens. You need the bucket in hand to pick them up — cherries can't be collected while the bucket is in flight or lying on the ground.
The Bucket
Press X (or J / Shift) to throw the bucket in the direction you're facing. It stuns any squirrel it hits and bounces around, but while it's gone you're unarmed and can't collect. Walk over it to pick it back up. Managing your one bucket is the core skill of the game.
Beat The Par Clock
Each board has a par time. Clear it under par and you bank a time bonus on top of your cherry points — so it's a race, not a stroll. Every loop shaves 5 seconds off every par (down to a floor of 20), so the pressure never lets up.
Lives & 1UPs
You begin with 3 lives. Touching a squirrel (or getting acorned) costs one and restarts the board with a brief moment of invulnerability. Every 5,000 points earns an extra life, so aggressive, under-par play literally keeps you alive.
Loops & Speed
Beat all six boards and the orchard loops back to the start — same layouts, faster squirrels, tighter pars. Score is the only thing that carries, and one endless leaderboard tracks how deep into the loops you got.
GALLERY
THE SIX BOARDS
Cleared in order, then looped forever. Par shown is the first-loop value; every loop cuts 5 seconds (minimum 20).
| # | Board | Par (loop 1) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orchard Gate | 45 |
| 2 | Twin Ladders | 55 |
| 3 | Acorn Alley | 60 |
| 4 | Treehouse Row | 65 |
| 5 | Red Row | 60 |
| 6 | Squirrel Keep | 70 |
CONTROLS
| Action | Keys |
|---|---|
| Move / climb | Arrow keys (or A / D) |
| Jump | Z / Space / K |
| Throw bucket | X / J / Shift |
| Start | Enter |
VERSION HISTORY
- Initial catalogued version: 6 looping boards (Orchard Gate → Squirrel Keep), bucket-throw stun mechanic, par-time bonuses, and escalating loop speed.
- 3 starting lives with a 1UP every 5,000 points; par drops 5 seconds per loop (floor 20).
- Awaiting Johnny's hand-tuning pass — numbers and content may shift in later versions.