Universal Spinkanoid (by Fronne) [Free]

In another thread by this developer I've been asked to share my i̶n̶v̶a̶l̶u̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶s̶i̶g̶h̶t̶s̶ opinion on Spinkanoid so don't mind me if I do.

The first thing I noticed are the overall visuals of course. Might be just my professional deformation but I really care how the game looks. For me personally it's the indicator how much effort was put into making the game. I know there's a lot more about making a game than how it looks. I'm just saying it's important to me. The best word to describe the overall look of the UI would be u̶g̶l̶y̶ ̶a̶f̶ "amateurish" as mentioned in very first reaction post here. Graphics is very simple but not in good "minimalistic" way. Just very basic. Also the game's very lowres on my iPad. Definitely not HD. Background image/video during the gameplay is visibly ragged.

On the other hand, once you come across ghosts during gameplay you're gonna love 'em. They seem like from a different game. They look and sound great, their animations are perfect. It feels like they were made by completely different person. Funny. Or strange do I say?

Another negative aspect of the game would be the physics. It's not terrible! There are 2 issues though. I don't like the fact the ball's constantly decreases. I understand it's to avoid being stuck bouncing at the same height level occasionally, it just feels weird. Especially when you're playing upside down after catching a phone power-up. Than it feels like the ball is floating. Like it's a balloon. The 2nd issue is the weight of the ball. Or the lack of it actually. It doesn't feel like I'm hitting it with the paddles. It just bounce. No visible change of speed. It feels like playing in a vacuum. As I said, it's not terrible, but in Unity you can do much better.

Well, so much for the cons actually. Spoiler alert, there are only pros ahead. Playing the game is very satisfying to be honest. Combination of Arkanoid and Pinball works surprisingly well. I dived in simply as a fan of Arkanoid, but using pinball paddles to control the ball breaking bricks is such a great idea. Switching between them and a pad during a gameplay based on power-ups keeps it fresh and enjoyable. Sudden change of orientation after catching a falling iPhone is just a cherry on top. Playing upside down is refreshing and the necessity to adapt to it immediately is a must.

There's a lot going on simultaneously on the screen. It's fast and challenging even when playing stages marked as "very easy". Watching the ball bounce rapidly between unbreakable walls waiting for it to make its way out through the small hole and catching it needs an attention and good reflexes. Avoiding falling skulls or hitting them with paddles while trying to catch a multiplier or score doubler requires some practice. But that's what these highscore chasers are all about, isn't it?

I'm pleasantly surprised by complexity of Spinkanoid. After seeing two other games from this developer I didn't expect it to be so enjoyable and well done. True, it's not as good-looking as I̶ ̶w̶i̶s̶h̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ it could be, but in this case, the gameplay trumps graphics for me. It's easily 4 out of 5 star game and I'll make sure my opinion is reflected in the positive review on the App Store as well. Also, reading the Easter post on previous page made me chuckle a few times but most importantly made me realize Franco "the dev" is quite a funny character. Oh, and that's where the strikethrough font inspiration is coming from, obviously. Anyway, good job on Spinkanoid, sir. A damn good job!

 

Actually, I really do appreciate all reviews, ̶e̶x̶c̶e̶p̶t̶ even reviews written by you!

It seems I have to buy an artist, doing the art part in an attempt to satisfy you. Seriously, you're right about the crappy UI, I thinks that's the biggest mistake (among many other big mistakes) I made in Spinkanoid...
In 2015 if I remember correctly, I never heard of an iPad or HD in those days, but I guess you're right on that one too......

True, I purchased the ghosts Assets on GraphicRiver (Envato Market), they are so Funny, I LOVE them too...

You really Hit the Nail on the Head with all of these points ! I guess, I have to accept the fact that your ̶o̶p̶i̶n̶i̶o̶n̶ invaluable insights really do mean a lot to me, well done!

Thank you so much for sharing your ̶o̶p̶i̶n̶i̶o̶n̶ most invaluable insights, you did a damn good job yourself as well!

 

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Nah.. I’m just playing upside down. True, it’s kinda weird the red control buttons are suddenly up there, but tapping at the same place as where they were before actually works like a charm. No point in losing precious time and concentration with spinning my device. Not to mention spinning big ass iPad requires much more effort to do so. Nevertheless, very educational video indeed

 

I've decided to do something about the "ugly UI" and improve the physics, Spinkanoid was my first Unity game and I struggled with some parts of the Physics Engine.

I would be honured, if you can advise me during the development of (the new) Spinkanoid, perhaps as a Beta Tester or if you can't do that by watching some videos to get an impression...

Please let me know, if you can do that or not, I love to read your invaluable insights before the game is published...
I can use a few other Beta Testers as well, if you're interested to become a Beta Tester, contact me by mail...

Cheers!

 

Oct 26, 2019

We posted Five new Promo Codes for 1.000.000 coins in Spinkanoid, with 1.000.000 you can purchase a VIP Membership, Remove All Ads and have enough coins to play with all extra's for almost forever...

You can find them in this Thread...

Enjoy!
Franco Palmieri, Yvonne Slagveld - AKA Fronne