Super High Ball: Pinball Platformer

精密プラットフォーマーとピンボールを融合させた作品。操作は非常にシンプルで基本は左右のフリッパーと空中でもほぼ静止可能なブレーキの3ボタンのみで、所々にある砲台ではスティックも使います。コントローラー推奨ですがキーマウ操作にも対応。 効果音が気持ち良く、BGMやグラフィックも気合が入っており非常に完成度が高いと感じる内容。日本語非対応ですが英語力が必要な場面はほぼ無く、トレーラーを見てビビっと来た方は買いだと思います。 何度もデスすると出てくるゲームスピードを落としますか？というメッセージがウザいのであらかじめ設定でオフにしておく(Settings→Game→Game speed helpのチェックを外す)と快適に遊べると思います。 問題があるとすれば裏面に当たるB-rollが凶悪な難易度になっていることで、人口が少ないことも相まって後半ステージでは普通にクリアするだけで世界ランキング20位くらいのタイムが出たりします。みんなもっとプレイして(泣)

Earlier today I was cruising the “pinball” category of the Store Page to see what may have snuck/sneaked/snack past me as of late, and something named “Super High Ball: Pinball Platformer” popped up. Obviously, most Steam games classified as pinball are not even remotely any such thing, but it seemed that taking a peek was harmless enough. The Store Page indicates Super High Ball: Pinball Platformer (SHB:PP) is (du'h) a combination of a platformer and pinball. (Technically, I suppose all pinball might be considered as platformers, so this must be something beyond the typical, I surmised.) Right off the bat it looked more like the sort of pastime I engaged with as a child (a couple decades before PCs) where I made tracks in the dirt or sand to race my toy cars in, or if on a hill, to race marbles down. But the Store Page presented this as something matching my favorite childhood time-waster, yet aided with flippers, pinball enhancements, and the addition of what seemed to essentially be a form of speed/gravity control for the ball. A little pricey at first glance for 23 levels (though even at the half-way point, the levels are quite vast), which may be a bit expensive for the average gamer. (The website indicates "it will contain much more content." in the future, but also with an increased price.) But I had some extra cash laying around (since I didn’t drink any beer this week), so HECK YEAH! It is very beautiful, and overall, quite an accomplishment for a one-person shop. Within minutes with SHB:PP, I was not merely smitten, I wuz in LUV! Yes, it’s challenging, but despite already obtaining nine of the 26 achievements (including 500 deaths), I have not had a moment of frustration. (Obviously, the greatest challenge is acclimating to the game and controls, so much of the hard part comes at the beginning.) Having played thousands of hours of pinball on Steam, both online and off, I have to say that pinball skills should generally transfer very well to SBH. (Basically three buttons/triggers: left and right flipper, and a “slow down” button for ball control that allows the player to “drop” the ball with some degree of precision, based on how fast the ball is traveling.) Controllers are suggested, but not required. Each “track” (so far) has three goals: completion, completion without dying, and beating a very difficult time. Leaderboards tell you what position your best time is globally (and among friends.) Each course has numerous checkpoints (or not, as you wish), so there is no need to restart from the very beginning if a run is less than perfect. A good pinballer will be able to use their skills to take shortcuts that will shave valuable seconds off their time. I must say as a personal opinion, the SHB:PP ball physics is quite a bit better than I expected for a game that is not pure pinball. Not perfect, but quite good, and fully adequate. THAT SAID...... where SHB:PP is most like pinball is when the ball rolls down onto a flipper. Where SHB:PP is perhaps least like pinball is when the ball needs to be "stopped" against a vertical wall in order to be lowered as close as possible to a vertical flipper on that wall. (Obviously trapping the ball isn't an option in such a case.) Players must also realize that the concept of "left" and "right" flippers is not always what might be expected, but as a reflection of the nature of this game, and not a game flaw. The developer has attempted to compensate for this by color-coding each flipper, and that is a GREAT idea. (But new to pinballers, and perhaps it will take time to gain full comfort.) It's also necessary to memorize every inch of each track for better times and fewer deaths, but that can only be seen as a means to add interest, detail and complexity, and not a flaw. For more casual gamers it's not really necessary to memorize each track. The other non-issue issue is that, as mentioned on the Store Page, SHB:PP may be too difficult for those who are not experienced pinball players. I see most players never obtaining each track's default goal time. Very few playing the game thus far have managed to have done so, even on the tutorial tracks. (Still, well worth a try. After all, we should perhaps be playing for fun first and foremost, and competition after.) I’ve not played long enough to go into detail, so I’ll leave it at this for now, with the anticipation to return to this review in the near future, circumstances permitting. But I feel safe saying that if you like pinball (or racing marbles down a hill), there’s a pretty good chance you’ll enjoy Super High Ball: Pinball Platformer as much as I do. (Especially when on sale.) Thank you.

A overlooked gem with pinball mechanics underpinning the platforming. I'd recommend it if you dig this mix of two classic genres. Doesn't hurt that's its a great looking game as well.

Super Meat Boy X Pinball. Most important part of a nice pinball are the physics, and this game has really nice ones. The controls and the gameplay are polished. The respawns are fast. The music is catchy and impulsive (reminds my of the great [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/20820/Shatter/]Shatter[/url] soundtrack). If you have a favor for pinball and platformers, than give this game a chance.

Great Game. Got the game Gifted This game is Realy Original and deserves to be played! Love the soundtracks and the Challenge of the gameplay! Unique and Cool!

I never knew I needed a genre fusion of Pinball and Platformer until I played this game. Executed brilliantly, Super High Ball gives the player an amazing sense of control through each level and provides a great challenge (diamond rankings) on top of fun and unique gameplay.

Super difficult ball platformer, But you don't really control the ball - instead you use flippers like a pinball machine, as well as a slow down mechanic to help shape the ball's trajectory. SPEED! https://youtu.be/69Iojh6nkCQ

価格に比べて全体的なクオリティが高い。音と映像の質感の高さが際立っているように思う。 プレイングの最適化を肌で感じられ、成長と達成が目に見えてわかりやすい。 もっとプレイ人口が増えてほしい。

Quick Description: -Super High Ball is a precision platformer mixed w/ a traditional pinball game. I was skeptical about this hybrid going in, but it actually works really well. In order to make this combo work, a few compromises had to be made. If you can overlook these tradeoffs, focus on the gorgeous art design, top notch soundtrack, and innovative gameplay, then I think you will likely have a really fun experience. *Update: -I initially completed all of the A Roll levels before writing my review, and now I have completed all of the B Roll levels. The B Roll Levels are significantly more challenging and creative versions of the original levels, and are the highlight of this game. They are fun, well designed, and will offer the greatest challenge to those seeking it. It took me a little over 15 hrs total to complete both the A and B Roll levels. What's Good: -It's hard not to love the aesthetic. From the opening screen to the final levels, you will be greeted w/ gorgeous, sleek, clean, bright colors and architecture. Even the mountain HUB world is a visual treat to look at. -Extremely innovative and fun gameplay is the main hook in this game. You have checkpoints that drop the ball for you, and then your only way of controlling where the ball goes is based on your two bumpers, a slow down mechanic which is essential for this game to work, and whatever environmental hazards or modifiers are in play within that level. I don't play a ton of pinball, but I had so much fun playing this. This is a game that both platforming fans and pinball fans can enjoy. -Plenty of content! There are 3 tutorial levels and 25 levels in the main campaign. This will take most players 5-8 hrs to complete. You can also gain different currency for completing the levels quickly enough and not using many respawns when playing. When you complete these tasks, you will unlock the B-Roll levels which offer another 3 tutorial levels and 25 levels. All of these levels are significantly more challenging versions of the original and I assume this will add on at least another 8-12 hrs of content. -Tons of unlockable customization options. This was such a smart choice by the dev. This is a great way to incentivize players to master the levels, but it's also really fun to experiment w/ the different unlockables. You can change the color of the ball, customize the bumpers, add a smoke or streak behind your ball as it moves, and many other fun options. I normally don't care that much about these types of unlockables, but these are really fun to try out. -Really solid fundamental mechanics. Since this is a pinball game, you don't have complete control over where the ball is going to go. There is a ton of variance after hitting the ball w/ your bumber. However, the slow down mechanic allows you to gain back quite a bit of control, as as you master these mechanics, you will be able to power through exceptionally complex platforming sections. Like all precision platformers, the fundamental mechanics make or break a game. -The dev is very passionate about this project and is very quick to answer questions or fix any issues that you may come across. Upon my first playthrough, I ran into a couple of bugs and a few camera issues, but he quickly fixed all of those problems. Since those updates, I haven't ran into any bugs or fundamental issues. This is a dev that wants Super High Ball to be a really fun game that lots of ppl can enjoy; you have to appreciate that. Could Use Some Changes: -I think some sort of option to zoom out in the later levels would be really helpful. Most of the respawn points are really well positioned, but some of the later levels have 3-4 really challenging sequences between respawn points. When the screen moves in order for you to see the next sequence, you naturally want to hit the slow down mechanic in order to give you more time to figure out what to do. This is where you are extremely vulnerable. Sometimes, you must have more speed in order to complete a sequence, but you don't know this until you reach that point. This is where a lot of time and frustration could be saved if there were a zoom out option in the more challenging levels. It's possible that an option like this would make these sections too easy since you can plan far ahead, so I understand that it's a fine line when designing these levels. -There are a few points in the game where it feels like you are just waiting for the perfect bounce of the ball in order for you to move on to the next part of the level. These moments are rare, but they can feel really tedious. Not every area can be navigated by the perfect use of the slowdown mechanic. Sometimes you must hit the ball perfectly and it must bounce exactly in the line that leads towards the finish. This is one of the compromises of combining a precision platformer w/ a volatile game like pinball. -Although I think this is a great option for both platforming and pinball fans alike, I do believe that this game is a platforming game first. It's probably easier for a person w/ a lot of experience in platforming games to complete the most challenging levels, than it would be for an experienced pinball player. This is hardly a negative, but I did think that it was worth mentioning. Thoughts: -I had a really good time over my 15+ hrs playing Super High Ball. This is a really well rounded, innovative platforming pinball game. I love when devs try something new or creative, and Super High Ball deserves praise for taking a risk by combining these two genres. You can tell the dev really loves this game. Everything about the game is absolutely stunning visually. The soundtrack is great and is a perfect fit for the setting. If you are itching to try something new and enjoy either platformers or pinball games, then this is a great option for you. Consensus: -Solid Game (Tier 3 and makes up 35% of my reviews). Super High Ball just entered 1.0 and at a $12 asking price, it is such a steal. It's hard to find a game quite like this one out on the market. If you are up for a challenge, then add this to your library!

Que j’aime quand les développeurs tentent des croisements un peu fous ! C’est le cas ici avec Super High Ball, un flipper platformer, oui oui vous avez bien lu. Prenez un jeu à la Super Meat Boy, remplacez le personnage par une bille à guider jusqu’à la sortie et vous aurez une bonne idée du résultat ! Pour contrôler la bille, différents flippers seront répartis au long des niveaux et pour pimenter le tout vous pourrez également ralentir le temps. Ça aura deux effets : premièrement l’action sera très fortement freinée ce qui vous permettra de frapper la bille au bon moment pour avoir un angle parfait et, deuxièmement, la bille ayant moins de vitesse elle retombera plus vite. Si vous pressez à fond sur le ralenti il sera même possible de la faire tomber à la verticale. Évidemment, l’excellent level design jouera en permanence avec ces possibilités et vous découvrirez de nouveaux pièges et mécaniques à chaque monde (trou noir qui aspire la bille, lave, laser…). Le jeu propose actuellement 28 niveaux (3 pour apprendre les bases et 25 répartis dans 5 mondes différents) de plus en plus difficiles mais rassurez-vous, de nombreux points de passage vous permettront de progresser petit à petit sans être frustré. Super High Ball se prête parfaitement au speedrun et ça tombe bien car cet aspect n’a pas été oublié. Un leaderbord est déjà actif et votre temps s’affiche à chaque point de passage. Chaque niveau propose un objectif de temps à battre pour récupérer une ressource qui vous permettra d’acheter de nouvelles couleurs de billes. Un autre objectif sera de terminer les stages sans mourir et honnêtement bonne chance, car si les premiers deviennent faciles une fois que vous aurez le jeu bien en main, les derniers imposent des enchainements très précis demandant un gros entrainement, mais vous pourrez changez l’aspect de la bille et ça ce n’est pas négligeable ! La DA très épurée donne une excellente visibilité à l’action (même si les transitions entre les écrans sont parfois presque trop rapides) et les compositions de Pete Rypstra sont très agréables à écouter lorsqu’on se laisse aspirer par le jeu et qu’on recommence en boucle le même niveau “juste pour améliorer son temps”. Simple, très malin, Super High Ball est une excellente découverte. Son auteur travaille actuellement sur des B-side (une sorte de mode hard) ainsi que sur pas mal de petites améliorations ici ou là. Si tout se passe comme prévu il devrait sortir en version finale courant février. Si vous aimez les titres originaux, foncez ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gubCFz53wPc