Review Spinch - The world is brilliant and colorful

Publisher: Akupara Games

Developer:
Queen Bee Games

Release date: September 3, 2020

Platform:
PC, Switch

Spinch is the rare type of game that can only be described as quirky. It's basically just a simple, straightforward 2D platformer without a lot of notable new mechanics. It's something we'll often overlook in the constant stream of new game releases every week. However, to miss it is to miss out on an extremely fun and memorable platformer that captures your attention in a positive way and doesn't lose it easily.

In Spinch, you will play the role of a genuine Spinch, more specifically a small white ball that is agile and likes to run to all possible places. However, our poor Spinch faced a problem, that color itself seemed to have gone against the colorful reality out there and it started eating other small Spinchs. than. 

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It's really odd that Spinch is supposed to be the main character and hero of the game. So it set itself the task of avoiding as many colors as possible while collecting other little Spinches, and so that in the end it could shovel all of them into a large cannon and shoot them in the air. colored monster bosses.

There are six worlds to traverse and each includes several main and bonus levels that culminate in a brief encounter with bosses. The levels are a staple of the experience and thankfully they don't disappoint. 

Each level presents a new challenge that forces you to re-evaluate how you approach the action, such as the one where you have to rush between small bunkers to escape the collapse of rainbow blocks from above. Whatever it is, you're always running wild and trying to win one way or another, but the way Spinch pushes you constantly to play will surprise and delight you.

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A big part of the fun factor here is how tight your Spinch control is. The spinch may be as small as a coin, but an important part of its skill set is the dash button that is mapped to the right trigger. A quick tap on the dash will give your Spinch a sudden boost if it's on the ground and a half jump if it's in the air. 

However, the level design is all built around this one simple mechanic, and it evokes some of the design of the Genesis-era Sonic the Hedgehog game where the game also considered speed as a bonus for the game. good play. You can think of Spinch as just another stop and move platform, but the full experience is only found in ripping at breakneck speeds and learning how to perform precise timed jumps and accelerations to achieve that perfect result. 

However, Spinch is not a release for the faint of heart; this can be an extremely merciless quest, especially in a few worlds in later levels. Once the first levels have gotten you used to the rhythm of the level design, later levels waste no time in ripping apart the training wheel and increasing the difficulty up to eleven. 

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The levels still seem fair, but the margin of error is kept very thin, meaning there will be times when you'll be sent back to a checkpoint that sometimes feels like it's set a little too far. It's not quite on the level of Super Meat Boy in terms of how ruthless it is, but Spinch is certainly not as simple as it looks, meaning it's a game that only veterans of the platform can play. Switch can be fully enjoyed.

Therefore, its foundation mechanism is made as tight as expected, but what makes Spinch different is the art style. Spinch's world is strange and chaotic in its composition, and each new world brings with it a whole new glow of new background designs and terrifying rainbow creatures for you to enjoy. 

Unfortunately, the Spinch notably suffers from many of its performance issues, which are sometimes quite disappointing on many points. Weird examples such as the fact that the analog stick only works when playing in handheld mode or the sudden drop in speed can cause the screen to freeze and freeze for a while, ruining this great experience. 

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That second problem is particularly serious; as a simple pixel background will probably fail to meet the requirements of some of the more difficult levels and cause weird errors in frame rates, leaving unfair deaths. The developers have said that they are aware of these issues and that a patch is coming.

Bright visuals, technical colors, high difficulty, excellent level design and tight control are all the highlights of Spinch. This is a brief but sweet experience and certainly proves to be worth both your time and your money. Although it's unfortunate that it was plagued by unnecessary performance issues at its early launch, but Spinch is a great game that anyone should experience.

David Pac

Update 05 January 2022