( I made and published this review first on Japanesenintendo.com)
Who would have thought I’d ever play a game about trying to throw a ball in a cup? I didn’t, but when I got the chance to review this game, I couldn’t pass it up of course. So I took a shot at Super Ping Pong Trick Shot, developed by Sims and published by Starsigns. The game is downloadable in the Switch eShop for $ 4,99 or £ 4,49.
From the first go, it’s your task to throw a ball across the room and have it land in a cup on the other side of the room. Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a challenge if there weren’t any obstacles to hinder the curve of the ball. Or so you would think: I ashamedly have to admit that it took me forever to get the ball to land in the cup in the first simple level.
The challenge mode in the game offers 80 unique levels, adding more obstacles, intending to make it ever make re difficult to get that ball into the cup. Think moving platforms, switches and blocks with special properties. There is a limit to the number of attempts you can make too, and if you take too long you go straight back to the start of the level. This is especially hard because levels have sub-objectives. I was so glad to finally get a teensy bit farther, but in the end, I was thrown back all the way to the beginning of the level.
The game has a single player and a 2 player vs mode. There are various ways to handle the controls. You can do it with buttons, touch controls, detach your joy-cons for a different kind of button controls. You can also use gyro controls when the joy-cons are detached, reminiscent of the way the motion controllers on the Wii worked.
For me, the button controls worked best. I tried the touch screen, but got nowhere. At least with the button controls I was able to finish some stages. The sound the ball makes when falling into the cup is very satisfying somehow. At the left hand side you can see a camera depicted, allowing you to change the perspective. In some levels it makes it easier to see where the ball is going, especially when the there are a lot of barriers.
To tell you the truth, I haven’t seen many levels, as this game really is too hard for me to accomplish. But I will readily agree too that it’s primarily my own shortcoming. It reminded me of the shrines in Zelda Breath of the Wild, where I had to manipulate a platform in a way that a ball rolled where I wanted it too. Not my finest hour, let me tell you. In Super Ping Pong Trick Shot, the ball bounces nicely, flies, floats and rebounds like you’d expect a real ball to do. And reaching a new level is satisfying, and I should think it appeals to competitive people.
The player versus player mode will be fun to play with a friend: you have to aim at a single cup to see who can earn the most points. What’s fun is that you can use items and power ups to give you the edge.
Conclusion
I’ll be honest, this isn’t a game I’d truly enjoy. But that has little to do with the game itself, and all with the way I love my gaming. If you are into these kinds of challenges to set for yourself, and figuring out how to make physics work for you, this game is everything it promises to be.
There isn’t much in the way of exiting artwork, but there are lots of levels to play and the player versus player mode adds fun with a friend. The price of the game is low, and for that money you get hours of fun. I’m giving the game a 6 out of 10. Nothing super exiting, but good fun for your money.