Smash Hit
| Smash Hit | |
|---|---|
 App icon | |
| Developer(s) | Mediocre |
| Publisher(s) | Mediocre |
| Designer(s) | Henrik Johansson |
| Programmer(s) | Dennis Gustafsson |
| Artist(s) | Henrik Johansson |
| Composer(s) | Douglas Holmquist |
| Platform(s) | Android, iOS |
| Release | March 6, 2014 |
| Genre(s) | Rail shooter[1] |
| Mode(s) | Single-player Multi-player |
Smash Hit is a first-person rail shooter[1] developed by the Swedish indie game studio Mediocre, and released for iOS and Android smartphones.
Gameplay[edit]
Smash Hit is an abstract rail shooter in which the player travels forward at a constant speed, with dynamic music that changes as the player progresses. The player has to shoot metal balls to destroy glass obstacles, but must aim carefully with a limited supply of ammunition as the game ends if it ever depletes.[2][3] Any collision with an obstacle results in the loss of ten balls.[4]
Obstacles can either be directly destroyed with the balls,[5] or otherwise moved out of the way by shooting a button. More balls can be gained by destroying blue glass crystals of various shapes. Players can earn power-ups and activate them for a certain amount of time. Each power-up gives a special effect when activated, such as giving the player an infinite supply of balls, turning all their balls explosive, or slowing time down.
There is a combo mechanic in which the player can destroy the same blue crystals used for gaining balls to regain a certain amount of ammunition. Destroying a consecutive sequence of crystals will increase the player's streak, allowing them to shoot as many as five balls at once while only using one ball in their ammunition. Missing a crystal or taking damage ends the multiball streak and resets the player's rate of fire to just one ball.[4]
Successful completion of the main campaign will lead to endless mode, a stage which is repeated infinitely until the player is out of balls.
Reception[edit]
On Metacritic, Smash Hit received a score of 80.[6] Common Sense Media gave the game 5 out of 5, praising it as "a therapeutic experience", and "utterly hypnotizing".[7]
Legacy[edit]
In 2015, an adaptation of the game for Samsung Gear VR titled Smash Hit VR was released.[8]
The game would receive multiple major updates after its initial release in 2014, including adding new checkpoints and both new singleplayer and local mutliplayer game modes.[9][10]
See also[edit]
- PinOut – another game from Mediocre involving balls
- Teardown – another physics-based game progammed by Dennis Gustafsson
References[edit]
- ^ a b Starr, Michelle (March 11, 2014). "Smash Hit brings the thrill of destruction". CNet. Archived from the original on November 13, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ Miller, Charlie (March 11, 2014). "Smash Hit Review". 148Apps. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ Carter, Chris (March 27, 2014). "Smash Hit Review – Madness with Marbles". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ a b Sheridan, Trevor (March 7, 2014). "Smash Hit Review - Living Up To Its Name, Smashingly - AppleNApps". AppleNApps. Archived from the original on March 13, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
- ^ The New York Times (March 18, 2014). "Reviews: Smash Hit, Castlevania, Calculords and Threes!". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
- ^ "Smash Hit". Metacritic. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ "Smash Hit". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on November 13, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ "Mobile success 'Smash Hit' is even better in VR - UploadVR". UploadVR. October 9, 2015. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
- ^ Mediocre. "New Levels!". Mediocre blog. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
- ^ Mediocre. "Three New Game Modes Released!". Mediocre blog. Retrieved August 29, 2023.