Untitled Document
Cosmic Smash is a heavily stylised sports game with the emphasis placed strongly
on arcade gameplay, which received only a small budget release in Japan. A big
departure for respected Sega Rally developers Sega Rosso, realism is dropped in
favour of immediate gameplay, funky music and pre-eminent cool. Ushering us in
to this gaming metaverse, an announcer simply declares 'Welcome to Cosmic Smash',
in a manner so laid back you imagine it took quite some effort.
Cosmic Smash delivers a claustrophobic gaming environment based on the game
of squash, set in enclosed cuboid arenas. A single humanoid figure faces off
against transparent blocks, racing against a ticking clock projected onto the
playfield floor. Escape from this pressurised container is granted when each
court's blocks are defeated, which takes our faceless protagonist onto the next
stop on a surreal bus route. Following different routes, each destination brings
ever more complex arrangements of blocks, with 50 stops in total and one secret
level.
Clearly inspired by Atari's classic Breakout arcade game (itself derived from
Pong), the gameplay of Cosmic Smash more closely follows that of Virtua Tennis.
Using digital controls you have two basic moves available using the face buttons:
Smash and Jump. Shots can be controlled in a familiar way, by holding a direction
whilst charging a Smash. The ball can bounce off any surface, and level arrangements
encourage you to try bouncing a shot around various surfaces to strike as many
blocks as possible. Lining up a shot requires quite a bit of skill - the height
a ball comes at you is crucial, so setup shots can be used to skilfully position
the ball.
The Jump action allows you to intercept shots mid air, but with the normal
Smash shot timing needs to be spot on. Extending this basic skill set is the
Trick Smash, which charges the ball upon contact, allowing it to travel through
blocks and take more of them out in a single shot. The Trick Smash also has
the special ability to slow down the ball and suck it towards your racquet,
if timed correctly. Trick Smashes take longer to perform, and speed up the countdown,
so they need to be used sparingly.
Holding the control stick in different directions when charging a Trick Smash
can produce a variety of stylish Tricks. Your on-screen alter ego can fire off
shots between his legs while gambolling mid-air, encouraging you to strive for
more visually impressive moves. A bonus score is awarded for finishing each
arena with a Trick Smash, complete with a celebration pose, and an even larger
bonus is available if you can complete the game with a Trick finish in every
court.
While the controls are enjoyably intuitive, it is the level arrangements and
tight time limit that hook you in to this game. Starting with 80 seconds, each
round is a frantic rush that keeps the adrenalin flowing despite the relaxed
presentation. You are rewarded with only 20 additional seconds at the beginning
of each new level, so managing precious time to survive the more difficult areas
is an essential part of the game. A few simple mistakes early on, and your game
will be over in a few scant minutes.
Blocks can be of different sizes, indestructible, or require several hits to
destroy. Some blocks contain power ups when smashed, either causing small blue
balls to fly around the court, or giving you a green spin power up making the
ball more controllable. Some blocks have the ability to move along straight
lines or in circles, all of which allows for creative level design. Sometimes,
judicious use of the Trick Smash is needed to clear many multi-hit blocks, other
times perfectly hooking the ball behind indestructible blocks to take out normal
ones is the right approach. Moving blocks follow a pattern, so timing your shot
when they converge, or controlling a moving block that is hemmed in can be advantageous.
Managing time, carefully choosing your route and mastering different level
designs is key to improving at Cosmic Smash. Like most good arcade games the
challenge is open ended, pushing your high score further and further is the
main aim and addictive hook. Cosmic Smash does have some obvious flaws, however.
The game options allow you to increase the time limit, which greatly diminishes
the challenge for less patient gamers. Once learned, most levels are easily
negotiated and the game is short enough to be finished in a few minutes by a
skilled player.
Visually, Cosmic Smash is a virtuoso performance in minimalist retro-future
chic, instilling pure joy in anyone old enough to remember the beautiful artificial
vistas of Tron. Playing arenas are either clean white with grey line details
and strong, disembodied light sources, or pitch black with green neon strips
of colour defining the room. The player model and ball both emit light that
gives enjoyable, subtle lighting effects in white areas, and a warm glow in
black ones. Blocks are shiny and transparent, casting reflections on arena walls.
The player model is entirely transparent, save for an internal stickman structure.
This stick skeleton features a brain, rounded joints, and along the spine spinning
plates which all glow red when the character exerts himself. The model is outlined
in a similar fashion to cell shading, and crackles with orange and yellow energy
when charging a Trick Shot. This clean, simple design is extended to the game's
presentation and menus, which include a beautiful attract mode featuring an
exciting selection of dynamic camera angles. The game's visual style is even
extended to the packaging, which features a transparent DVD case and inlay.
The red-printed GD-ROM is clipped into the front of the slip case, becoming
part of the cover art.
While gameplay is fast, fun, simple and addictive, it is best enjoyed only
in quick bursts. Learning the optimum bus route, mastering the levels, and pushing
that high score are all enjoyable activities, but limited ones. Unapologetically
so, in fact: this no frills conversion of the arcade game wears its heritage
on its sleeve. These are not so much design flaws as they are design choices.
As an expression of style and design simplicity Cosmic Smash succeeds handsomely,
but is a game that would benefit from greater depth.
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