Review: Spring Fling - Plus We're giving Away a Couple Copies
by Staff Writer
November 4, 2009
Overview
We gave you a sneak peek of Spring Fling, and now that it’s in the App Store, it’s time for the in-depth review. Spring Fling is a casual game comparable to Papi Jump and Doodle Jump. In those games the character constantly jumps, and you just control their movement by tilting. Spring Fling changes the mechanic by requiring you to compress the spring each time you want it to jump. Drag down on the spring, aim to launch it in a certain direction, and release. Watch the spring propel skyward trying to reach as high as you can.
Features
Spring Fling contains five different worlds to spring through. Bounce up a tree, spring around a waterfall, or even launch up a sewer. AGON online high scores are provided for each of the worlds, as well as the top overall score in any area. As you reach higher in the different worlds you can pick up multiple items to customize your spring.. There are five different hats, and eyewear, and three mustaches. Also there are rockets, balloons, and spring power boosts to collect to help your ascent. In every level the spring power depletes over time, and with each jump. In some areas the board automatically rises, and you have to keep ahead of it. As you progress you will reach pit stops that replenish your spring power.
The Good
Spring Fling is a quick pick up and play game for anytime, anywhere for a few short minutes in your day. The gameplay is a fresh take on a tired genre that has been dominated by Doodle Jump. Having to compress the spring, aim, and launch adds to the difficulty rather than a constantly jumping character. You travel quite high on Doodle Jump before it gets difficult. Not so in Spring Fling because there are so few platforms. There is only one platform per height, and most of the time you can’t see where the next ones will be at the highest limits, and you’re jumping blind. Overall the game just provides variance instead of the same thing every time like in Doodle Jump. The controls worked perfectly allowing you to drag down anywhere on screen. Online high scores add reason to try to better your own scores.
The game looks great, from the various nicely designed moving backgrounds to the cute yellow spring itself. Each background has a lot of detail packed into them. You really connect when you have a customized spring, like my spring with a jester hat, with 3D glasses, and a handle bar moustache.
With five worlds there are also five deluxe soundtracks. Each soundtrack goes with the world you’re playing in, and have high variability, but all are nice to listen to. Intermixed is the sproing each time you jump.
