You might just lose yourself in the caverns of Spoing [99¢ / HD] Chillingo’s newest platformer is a moody affair that sees you playing the titular Spoing, a spiky ball with a lot on his mind. Someone’s stolen all the rainbow diamonds on his watch, and he needs to gather them up and find the thief.
To solve this mystery, Spoing travels through long, dark caverns and seeks out friends to guide him. He travels by bouncing from one elastic platform to the next, with your help to aim him (similar to the mechanic in Parachute Ninja [99¢], among others). You can also collect green gems that let you create your own platforms. Sometimes the path will be laid out for you, other times you’ll be forging your own way through the caverns. Occasionally you’ll need to choose the best path from a few different options.
You’ll need to choose wisely, because your performance is rated by how long it takes you to reach the rainbow diamond at the end of each level. You earn Level Points based on your speed. Getting one or two is pretty simple, but the third is often a serious challenge. To master a level you’ll need to earn three Level Points and make it through the level without hitting a wall or a monster. You’ll be well-rewarded for your success – each level has its own Crystal/Game Center leaderboard and an achievement for mastery.
If gameplay alone isn’t enough to keep you going, the lonely environments and minimalistic music might draw you in. While the game offers four built-in music tracks and the option to play your own tunes, you’ll be missing out if you don’t plug in your headphones and play with the ambient track. There’s no rhythm integration, but the music blends beautifully with the sparse piano-note sound effects. It’s the perfect soundtrack to accompany your journey through the deep, dark caves of Spoing.
Despite all that, I can’t help but feel that games2be, Spoing’s developers, spent a too much time on building levels, giving us 50 to explore, while spending too little time differentiating them. The difficulty goes up and down by the level so there’s no feel of steady progression. And the environments hardly change at all. This wouldn’t be too bad, but you may find yourself grinding to hit experience and Level Point milestones to progress at times. Replaying levels only to unlock the next group of near-identical levels is disheartening
Spoing also suffers from a bit of a clumsy story. The dialog is clunky, so it’s probably for the best that there’s very little of it. Mysteriously, I also couldn’t find the ending. Despite the long set up for a climactic showdown with the rainbow diamond thief, I finished all 50 levels and found nothing. No ending scene, no indication of what to do next, just an open invitation to keep playing. I played a bit longer, hoping to reach whatever milestone the game expected me to have hit, but I never found it. I don’t know if this is a bug or if I just needed to keep replaying levels, but it was pretty disappointing.
When it comes down to it though, it’s not story that will keep you progressing through Spoing’s 50 levels, but solid gameplay and enticing (if repetitive) atmosphere. While I’d love to see more variety in the level dressing, I can’t really complain. Spoing gave me hours of fun that always stayed challenging, and that’s the core of a great gaming experience. Hopefully games2be will have the chance to improve the game around that core in future updates.
They could have picked any action scenario and they picked undercover gang bang hustling in East L.A.?
I'm not playing this game yet again...
Wait, are you telling me Gameloft is releasing a game where this is not very clear indication of what the source material is?
Did you realize that the soundtrack has obscenities in it? Mother-f'er! I sorta think you should take it down and put up a clean version. You can delete my post, too, if you want. I just wanted to let you know in case it slipped by.
Are you serious?!? Dude, relax, everything is gonna be alright. They're just words.
words have feelings too, ya know?
I agree. Absolutely no need for it. I cringe in NOVA 2 every time one of the bad guys shouts out 'kill that b*stard*'. It adds nothing.
Are you serious? What, are you 10?
You don't expect a game with guns, strippers and narcotics to be E for everyone. Grow up dammit
Hey, it's just my opinion. Tbh, I'm all for all-out carnage in games, but for some reason swearing feels wrong and pointless. But hey, if a 'f@ck' here and a 'sh@t' there floats your boat, I'm happy for you...tosser;)
Complain about profanity then you call someone a "tosser"... :\
Go F*ck Yourself! You Twat!
facepalm.jpg
Hi CRASH: ) I really meant that comment as a joke, hence the smiley. Sorry it didn't come across like that. Also, please ignore this other guy who keeps spamming the comments with my user name who is clearly a bit bored.
Ah.. ok. Didn't realize it was a different user.
Yup, he's spamming loads many posts trying to bring my name to shame. I guess some people have nothing better to do... : /
I don't condone what's happening to you, but maybe you should grow a pair and stop saying things like " I cringe in NOVA 2 every time one of the bad guys shouts out 'kill that b*stard*'". You actually cringe at that? The word "b*stard" really upsets you? I call bullsh*t, you're a troll, you were just trying to get attention, and you got it.
I cringe when I hear bad words, I can't help it, and I still think the above trailer should be banned from this site.
Then I don't feel bad for you, Troll.
I call timeout. My one opinion seems to have caused such a crazy reaction. If I'd known that would happen, I'd never have bothered writing it.
Tell Frumius and Dmarcoot to think before they write too. This is an adult forum, cursing is part of that. If you play a mature game, you're gonna get mature language, don't push your views on us.
Frumius, how long have you been trolling?
Ha, cool, Apathy, Celph Titled and good ol' B Real, got this song the iPod.
Whoa a True Crime ripoff wasn't expecting that this looks promising
Looks way too incredible to me. Reflection (on rear view mirror), incredible amount of geometry, shadow - it looks better than GTA:San Andreas back in 2004. Its either a fake (end product not looking like this) or have I miss some great advance in technology?
Maybe. Gameloft said that they wanted to develope later games using the Unreal engine. So probably this is the first one.
I'm sorry, I dont have kids, but every parent I know who does would not want there CHILDREN hearing that song. Where did it say anyway where that this site would have that content? A responsible parent cannot even make an educated choice to not allow their child who likes games (the misson of this sit , right?) to enjoy is other non sociopathic content.
This game is clearly not for kids, so the song shouldn't matter.
You are clearly a troll, stop trolling! Also, your comments are boring and unoriginal.
I'm gonna throw something out there, see what you all think.......unreal engine? I remember hearing that gameloft were working on a new game using the UE, looking at the GFX this could well of been it!
It's a song, with words, on the internet. Get over it.
pretty. boring. unoriginal.
Why are you commenting that every game is boring and unoriginal? Find something better do to.
because it looks boring
So empty... Feels like a completed required feature and scene checklist without any human feelings.
Yet another cheap Gameloft ripoff with no taste, no style and none of that magic of the copied original. Sad, really sad.
kind looks good. Might be first gameloft game in a while I'll buy. Hope it has a good story and in depth gameplay.
Wow, very good graphics.
Sooo, Gameloft decides that if Gangstar will copy GTA then 9mm will copy True Crime... Arrests, slow motion gunplay, perp grappling, that's all True Crime, Strees of LA and New York City. Gameloft is probably bummed that Activision cancelled True Crime: Hong Kong, otherwise they'd have more to copy for future Gameloft games in this series.
Also, when I watch porn, I hate it when there's nudity in it. I get seriously offended when I see a penetration shot. PLEASE CLEAN UP THE PORN!! What if kids were watching it? Please release clean versions of pornography from now on, thank you.
I agree, what if CHILDREN stumbled upon a porn site?!? They need to clean up all of those porn websites in order to make them kid friendly.
Not unlike True Crime: Streets of LA. And speaking of Gangstar, when are they going to fix Miami Vindication?
couldn't agree more .. I bought miami vindication when it was on sale, and still can't play it till today ..
Yes, definitely LOOKS like UE, the animations look like gameloft though ;)
Eager to NOVA 3 announcement, though :)
@the people complaining about gangstar, they updated it like a month ago, I've already finished it
Too many people making a big fuss over nothing. So what if it is a True Crime clone...if you don't like it, don't buy it.
I think the graphics look nice and the gameplay looks fun. Im guessing this will play and look great on my iPad 2 so I hope they release this sooner than later.
I swear people go on the Internet just to complain and be angry. This is just a video game not politics lol.
I've bought a few Gameloft games and they are decent at best. Usually just nice looking. Obviously they just blatantly rip-off games. I think it's pretty understandable people get tired of the same ole formula. I don't really personally care, but I can understand where people are coming from. I haven't bought a Gameloft game in a while.. not because they clone games but just because they don't offer the same fun to me as a lot of the smaller indie games do.
Well normally when Gameloft release trailers it is when they are about to release the finished game i think they will release it in a couple of weeks at most :D
This game better not have any harsh language! I hate hearing words like
damn, lame, and hell in video games and movies. Why can't all games be
rated E, and all movies be G?
So now you're attempting to be sarcastic or what?
No, I stand by my morals, I actually cringe when I hear the word 'Bastard' in NOVA 2.
"Why can't all games be rated E, and all movies be G?"
Yeah this guy is definitely trolling.
He is a dude trying to use another person's nickname, read above...
Eastside is still a fairy, he was offended by the 9mm trailer. What a tool bag.
Hey Eastside, the sound of your piss hitting the urinal sounds feminine.
So uh..... about the game....
you are a (). so go f*ck your self
My comment wasn't about the game. The game is fine. It's the language in the trailer for it that appears on the front page of this site, which I know kids visit regularly in order to read up on the latest games. It would not be difficult to write about that game without the profanity, would it? Think it bothers me, personally? No. I can swear every one of you under the table. I merely point this out for the kids, both mine and my kid's friends, and theirs, who read this site.
I'm hardly a troll. I'm an active participant on these forums with a forum account I established in 2009, and have over 700 posts about the games written up here (mainly in the F.A.S.T. and Skies of Glory threads, two of this forum's longest threads.) Perhaps the ones who feel the need to call names are the trolls.
P.S. to Touch Arcade: Why aren't these article comments tied to our forum accounts? One guy above posted as me, the one talking about porn sites. If these comments were tied to our forum accounts, perhaps we would get fewer trolls and impostors.
Are you serious, the foul language in that trailer offended you? I don't want this site censored because of people like you. If you don't like harsh language in video games, then go back to the convent. "The game is fine, It's the language in the trailer that appears
on the front page of this site, which I know kids visit regularly in
order to read up on the latest games" You're a moron if you think "kids" own $400 iPhones. This is NOT a kids site, so stop pushing your moral views on the rest of us you panzy.
A*shole I'm 15 and own a 64gb iPod touch 4th gen an iPad 2 and a f*king iPhone 4. Now who's to say a kid can't afford more than a douche like you? C*nt backup your shi*
spoiled much.
kid = 10 and younger.
The sound of your piss hitting the urinal sounds feminine too.
GATOR DONT NEED NO SHIT
:)
I say GO FOR IT GAMELOFT. Since ROCKSTAR ain't doing pretty much nothing in terms of a 3D GTA-esque game. There is more than enough room for both anyways.
LOLOLOLOL. best. keyboard. warrior. fight. ever. on toucharcade.
Wow, so much hate on this page.
i love that so many people are butthurt about the song. Search some more stuff up on Apathy & Celph Titled, I'd suggest Mother Molesters... 2 of the best MC's ever in my humble opinion