Spring Up Harmony Review

Spring Up Harmony is perhaps best defined as a physics-based puzzle game with a penchant to be Peggle, but this in no way should be misconstrued as a pejorative description. While not quite as exceptional as the inspirer, this game still offers fun and entertainment by the truck-load; surely that’s what gaming is all about, right?

The player controls a cannon which releases orbs of various different colours, with the intention to hit as many other orbs of the same colour as possible until all objects are removed from the level. Items with which you make contact don’t simply vanish from the screen however; rather they descend to the bottom of the screen where the player must collect them with a bucket in order for points to be accumulated.

Time limits apply to each level though, often resulting in some thrilling culminations, with success or failure often determined by a last gasp accurate/misplaced shot. It’s actually surprising how often the pace of the game shifts with these time restrictions; therefore what can initially begin as a rational, premeditated procedure of precision can within seconds become a rapid fire blitz.

Ah, so these are what the 'Frayed Ends of Sanity' look like!

What makes Spring Up Harmony stand out from the proverbial crowd of Peggle doppelgangers is the implementation of a fairly accurate and consistent physics system. Objects are of various shapes and sizes, ranging from balls to triangles and even hexagons. Larger objects tend to leisurely float about the level, whilst the smaller balls ricochet across the screen at greater velocity, adding an extra layer of depth and strategy to the gameplay.

Various power-ups can also be ‘bucketed’ which can offer a lump sums of points, precious extra seconds or bucket growth, to name a few perks. Be careful not to pocket the various downgrades however, as they can result in pretty dramatic gameplay changes, such as the reversal of mouse movement for the user-controlled bucket, which can initially be disorientating and result in the loss of several valuable items and hence points lost.

The single-player component consists of 35 levels and should take between 60 and 90 minutes to complete. Extra incentive to replay levels lies with real-time global leaderboards. At the time of completing the ‘campaign’ (there is no story present in this game) I was actually 3^rd in the global rankings… 3^rd! Still that wasn’t enough and I found myself repeating several levels to become numero uno; this is still a work in progress!

The multiplayer is where most of the fun can be had though, with two players working co-operatively to clear their instructed coloured bricks. A greater deal of patience is required in multiplayer which can lead to some frustrations, but the reward is ultimately more satisfying when everything comes together.

A 'Harvester of Sorrow' this game is not

While the game is undeniably fun there are some apparent flaws. I said earlier that the physics system was fairly accurate and consistent… well; it fails when the orb you release collides with the boundaries of the level. No matter the speed at which the orb crashes against the walls, it decidedly rebounds without any real conviction; therefore it is advised to avoid the walls as much as possible, as lining up a collision with an object from a wall is unnecessarily inaccurate. In addition, the bucket can move at a fairly brisk pace, so be sure to have a steady hand when playing this game.

Some exhilarating moments can be experienced when you achieve chain collisions, with the screen exploding into a schizophrenic cacophony of colour; always a sight to behold. Unfortunately the music is severely lacking, with just one track repeated over, and over, and over, and over… you get the gist. While the background music is at first charming and harmonious, hearing the same track 35 times over – assuming you successfully complete every level at the first attempt – quickly becomes annoying. I actually proceeded with listening to Metallica’s …And Justice For all; it’s incredible how disparity can end up creating such symbiosis! But seriously, choose to listen to something else over the music on offer here. Sound effects predominantly consist of clatters similar to those of marbles colliding, making for pertinent, if unspectacular accompanying noise. Again, user music preferred.

What Frozax Games have created overall though is an excellent game that does enough to stand out from the crowd of Peggle wannabes. The vibrant aesthetics and gratifying gameplay make for one of the most entertaining indie experiences currently available. Spring Up Harmony is worth a purchase even just for the single-player, as constantly updated leaderboards justify subsequent playthroughs. Add a friend into the equation and you will get even more longevity and enjoyment out of this already addictive and fun game.

Now you’ll have to excuse me, I must reach that number one spot. I can’t accept being ‘that one’ from Destiny’s Child. Which one is that? You know, the one that is neither Beyoncé Knowles nor Kelly Rowland?

If you’d like to play Spring Up Harmony, check this out.