Spheroids

Spheroids for WiiU, PSV and etc. is a hilarious 2D platformer game set in a colorful, pixel-art world. Spheroids was created by Eclipse Games – a Spanish developer known for such titles as Tachyon Project (an arcade shooter) or Super Toy Cars (a racing game). When designing Spheroids, the creators were inspired by the classic Super Mario Bros. and the Pang (Buster Bros) series, from which the characteristic harpoon was borrowed. Umihara Kawase – a Japanese series of platformers, was another source of inspiration for the creators – the protagonist of the said series can swing on a rope attached to elements of the environment. The protagonist in Spheroids has a similar ability.

Plot

An eccentric scientist called Otto and a nervous boy by the name of Lucas are the main characters here – they live on an alternative version of Earth, where everything is angular. Otto believes in a conspiracy theory that says the government of this world has been keeping the existence of alternative dimensions in concealment. The theory turns out to be true, when the angular world falls victim to an invasion of aliens from another reality. Those are the titular Spheroids resembling balls in their shape, and their goal is to turn everything and everyone into round-shaped things and entities. Armed with a modified, rapid-fire drill and having the Otto's literacy in technology, the young Lucas begins to fight the Spheroids in order to save his angular world.

Mechanics

Spheroids for WiiU, PSV and etc. is a two-dimensional, side-scrolling platformer. The player explores subsequent levels and fights the Spheroids roaming around. These sphere-shaped enemies can be eliminated using a special tool that launches the harpoon, which is then followed by a spring made of iron. What makes the gameplay harder is the fact that said missile can be launched vertically – either upwards or downwards (when performing a jump). What is a minor compensation for this, however, is that the player doesn’t have to hit an enemy with the harpoon itself to hurt them – if a Spheroid that is performing a jump bumps into the spring that follows the harpoon damage is also dealt. Obviously, the iron springs do not remain wherever the harpoon was launched forever – they curl up swiftly, so the player needs to use them when close to the enemies.

The protagonist's drill is not only a weapon, but also a useful tool, as the player can destroy certain parts of the environment with it. This has to be done in order to gain access to new rooms and to obtain useful items, which remain hidden in the blocks. The enemies defeated drop bonuses and power-ups sometimes; certain ones can be purchased in game machines located in different places. For an adequate amount of angular money (a lot of it has been scattered throughout the maps), the player can buy additional lives, a cover, or a pack of dynamite.

Apart from the drill, a grappling hook is an important piece of equipment used by the protagonist. The player can launch the rope to attach it to marked blocks. By swinging on the rope like Indiana Jones, the player can make it over holes or even wide pits, making use of grapple-blocks, one located close to another. Later in the game, the player also gains access to anti-gravity shoes, which allow the protagonist to make brief runs on vertical or upside-down surfaces.

Although the game's levels are two-dimensional, some of them have active backgrounds that constitute a form of additional map. The protagonist can go from one plane to the other, using teleportation platforms.

Game modes

Spheroids for WiiU, PSV and etc. offers 32 levels, taking the player to angular versions of real-existing places. Certain sets of maps have features specific for them – for instance, on the levels located in Russia, the player oftentimes moves on ice blocks, making the protagonist slide.

Technical aspects

The game comes with colorful, visuals filled with hilarity and created mostly in the pixel art style. The player visits many different locations, such as Egypt (beige colors), Russia covered with ice, or the drooping Japan, which resembles locations from the classic Super Mario Bros.

Last updated on 27 February 2017