Flipper Critters
Pinball + Vague narrative =
Posted October 28, 2007
Released by Ignition Entertainment, Flipper Critters is an odd hybrid of a pinball game and an adventure story. Set in a fantasy world, animals are working together to save each other on various quests. At the outset, Tiger and Monkey (yes, those are their names) head out into the world to save Bull, a sick character. The world is chock full of flippers, bumpers, ramps and essentially anything else found in a pinball machine. It’s the player’s job to propel the little creatures through the landscape via the pinball controls in order to move the story along.
The presentation is all text based and the limited animation in the cutscenes makes for a boring, static experience. Additionally, the outline offered for quest goals is terrible and the player will often wander the area in confusion until the next story element kicks in. This fault can be easily put on the guy in charge of writing the dialogue on the development team. I felt like I was reading the ramblings of a madman rather than coherent conversations that children could understand.
Gameplay
Besides the basic structure of pinball, the developer tossed in several touch screen additions to give the game a fresh feel. When the ball is launched onto certain objects, the player is required to move the stylus / finger across the screen to return the ball into play. The force of the movement often determines the direction and speed of the release. Touch additions also come into use when moving from section to section, especially when opening up a new portion of the game to explore. Besides the touch screen, flipper controls are completely reliant on the left and right triggers on the NDS.
I really liked how each pinball arena connected with the next. The player can travel forward to the next pinball board by launching the ball with the flipper correctly. The even flow gives the player a modicum of choice concerning returning to previous sections. It also offers a second chance happens to miss a shot with the flipper. I just wish the story and the screen itself better defined these areas. It’s nearly impossible to find out what objects on the levels are interactive. Trial and Error is the only method to discovery.
After a board is unlocked in the story mode, the player can return in the free play mode to crank up straight pinball action. Mini-games are spread throughout the game and offer extra balls for those who complete them. The majority are easy to complete and jives with the rest of the game, but a couple are frustrating to no end as the game employs a risk versus reward system in the mini-games. You can just as easily lose lives during the mini-game as gain them.
There isn’t a download-play multiplayer option or any online wi-fi support. Multiplayer is restricted to two copies of the game between local friends. I found it to be an afterthought rather than a full-fledged multiplayer mode. Also, I can’t imagine it will be easily for NDS owners to find anyone else with a copy of this game.
Graphics
Visually, the intensity of the color scheme pops out as the main problem with Flipper Critters. I loved all the bright, colorful designs, but it hurt my eyes to stare at the screens for more than 15 minutes. Every item in the Flipper Critter world overloads the eye with sensory information, so much that it’s often hard to keep an eye on the ball. As for the character and environmental design, the three dimensional models certainly adapt 2-D pinball into the mold. The hit detection works well, especially when smacking the ball with the flippers. The load times are minimal and the framerate isn’t an issue. The camera doesn’t follow the ball as quickly as I’d like, but it does handle the fast paced movements fairly well.
Audio
The cutesy sound effects entirely match the world created for the little Flipper Critters, but aren’t overly special. Each pop of a flipper, chime of the bumpers, or whoosh on speedy ramps hold true to typical pinball sound effects as well. The limited music matches the overall aesthetic of the title, but it easily forgettable.
Overall
While Flipper Critters debuted at a low price point, it’s hard to justify a purchase if you are looking for an entertaining narrative. On the other hand, if you can look past the lackluster story, the core elements of the pinball game do offer enjoyable gameplay. I just wish they weren’t so intertwined. Flipper Critters isn’t a bad game per se, but should definitely be rented before busting out the wallet for a full purchase.
The presentation is all text based and the limited animation in the cutscenes makes for a boring, static experience. Additionally, the outline offered for quest goals is terrible and the player will often wander the area in confusion until the next story element kicks in. This fault can be easily put on the guy in charge of writing the dialogue on the development team. I felt like I was reading the ramblings of a madman rather than coherent conversations that children could understand.
Gameplay
Besides the basic structure of pinball, the developer tossed in several touch screen additions to give the game a fresh feel. When the ball is launched onto certain objects, the player is required to move the stylus / finger across the screen to return the ball into play. The force of the movement often determines the direction and speed of the release. Touch additions also come into use when moving from section to section, especially when opening up a new portion of the game to explore. Besides the touch screen, flipper controls are completely reliant on the left and right triggers on the NDS.
I really liked how each pinball arena connected with the next. The player can travel forward to the next pinball board by launching the ball with the flipper correctly. The even flow gives the player a modicum of choice concerning returning to previous sections. It also offers a second chance happens to miss a shot with the flipper. I just wish the story and the screen itself better defined these areas. It’s nearly impossible to find out what objects on the levels are interactive. Trial and Error is the only method to discovery.
After a board is unlocked in the story mode, the player can return in the free play mode to crank up straight pinball action. Mini-games are spread throughout the game and offer extra balls for those who complete them. The majority are easy to complete and jives with the rest of the game, but a couple are frustrating to no end as the game employs a risk versus reward system in the mini-games. You can just as easily lose lives during the mini-game as gain them.
There isn’t a download-play multiplayer option or any online wi-fi support. Multiplayer is restricted to two copies of the game between local friends. I found it to be an afterthought rather than a full-fledged multiplayer mode. Also, I can’t imagine it will be easily for NDS owners to find anyone else with a copy of this game.
Graphics
Visually, the intensity of the color scheme pops out as the main problem with Flipper Critters. I loved all the bright, colorful designs, but it hurt my eyes to stare at the screens for more than 15 minutes. Every item in the Flipper Critter world overloads the eye with sensory information, so much that it’s often hard to keep an eye on the ball. As for the character and environmental design, the three dimensional models certainly adapt 2-D pinball into the mold. The hit detection works well, especially when smacking the ball with the flippers. The load times are minimal and the framerate isn’t an issue. The camera doesn’t follow the ball as quickly as I’d like, but it does handle the fast paced movements fairly well.
Audio
The cutesy sound effects entirely match the world created for the little Flipper Critters, but aren’t overly special. Each pop of a flipper, chime of the bumpers, or whoosh on speedy ramps hold true to typical pinball sound effects as well. The limited music matches the overall aesthetic of the title, but it easily forgettable.
Overall
While Flipper Critters debuted at a low price point, it’s hard to justify a purchase if you are looking for an entertaining narrative. On the other hand, if you can look past the lackluster story, the core elements of the pinball game do offer enjoyable gameplay. I just wish they weren’t so intertwined. Flipper Critters isn’t a bad game per se, but should definitely be rented before busting out the wallet for a full purchase.