FlingSmash (Hands-On) (Wii) Preview

FlingSmash is very much a game that I can see appealing to both the gamer and non-gamer. It’s simple enough to be played by anybody, but there is certainly challenge to be had if you want to aim for the best scores. Taking control of a character that resembles the result of procreation between a paintbrush and a space hopper, you do exactly what the title suggests - fling a ball about and smash through blocks and enemies.

Already I can imagine a few of you are thinking of this as a waggle-fest of a game, and I suppose it could be played like that. However, the true way to play is to think amongst the frantic action and move the Wii Remote in specific directions to angle your throws. MotionPlus-exclusivity means that each of your throws must be properly weighted and directed; wherever you want the character to go, he will go, provided MotionPlus is calibrated correctly (a playtest early on in the day was flawless in its accuracy, while one later on felt a little sluggish). Aside holding a button to freeze your character, throwing motions are the only controls you need. This doesn’t mean everybody will play the same, however - some may choose to swing where they want to go directly, whereas I favoured angling my throws down to the ground so that I could bounce my character where I wanted him to go with extra force.

Each level is short and their conclusion can usually be reached within just a few minutes. This is due to the screen constantly scrolling; stop behind too long and dragons will attempt to eat your bouncy creature. Throughout each, though, you will find multiple paths and lots of point-scoring extras. The aim is, ultimately, to collect three medals per stage so that you can grab a pearl at the end, thus winning the level. Though it does not play anything like it, FlingSmash reminds me of Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat in the way that it feels like a score challenge - you constantly want to better yourself and can immediately see how to do so.

Two of the worlds on offer at Nintendo’s media summit had you acting as the standard bouncy ball, but the final one gave you a metallic sheen. In this ball-bearing form you are heavy, and thus you must alter your movements to compensate for the extra weight. Hopefully in the final version there will be a multitude of ball types to keep the game fresh. At the end of each world you will take on a boss character. One I faced looked like a cross between a limbless version of Kirby’s Metaknight and a puffer fish, inflating and deflating as you attempt to bounce around his metal masked-face to deal damage to his soft, rubbery body.
Mike Mason, Reviews Editor.

Personally, Span Smasher had completely gone under my radar, meaning that when it reared its head as FlingSmash at the Nintendo Media Event, my reaction was hardly one of great enthusiasm. What gave me hope, and forced me to give it an extended whirl was not only the fact that the woman demonstrating it was extremely attractive and overly friendly, but that the developer behind this is Artoon. Many will know Artoon for its work with Mistwalker on Blue Dragon, as well as the Blinx games for the Xbox 360. However, the team is noteworthy to myself for its sterling work on the tilt-enabled Yoshi’s Universal Gravitation on the Game Boy Advance, the fantastic Yoshi’s Island DS and Mistwalker’s quirky RPG, AWAY: Shuffle Dungeon on DS.

According to the lovely Nicolette, there were eight worlds to play through, but only three were being shown off at the event, along with three mini-games (including a great tennis-like event). There was also the ability to change from the yellow, funky male blob-like character to a far cuter (in her opinion) female ball called Pip, a name that apparently means something rude in French…Anyway, the game asks players which hand they prefer to use (the answer changes the direction in which the levels scroll) and then launches them into brightly coloured, automatically side-scrolling stages filled with power-ups, enemies, special spinning blocks that need to be hit before they become stationary, keys to unlock new pathways and much more. Smart movement of the Wii Remote, complete with its MotionPlus attachment in tow, is required to deftly flick your way around, gently at times, and more forcefully at others in order to bash through blockades.

There is plenty of challenge involved, with the temptation to merely shake the controller around randomly really not resulting in anything other than failure, apart from the odd occasion where luck intervenes. Those that loved how responsive Wii Sports Resort was will definitely take to this entertaining experience straight away. There is no real learning curve required, with any demographic or gender able to launch into the physics-filled, pinball-esque action and have great fun. In fact, if playing through the mini-games and main stages is not satisfying enough, there is even the option for two-player co-operative play, as well as a whole host of boss battles to wade through. FlingSmash is firmly on my radar now, and could well be the surprise ‘smash’ hit of 2010!
- Adam Riley, Senior Editor.