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Space Ark
Release Date: June 2010
Reviewed On: PC (Also available on Xbox 360 Live Arcade)
Developer: Strawdog Studios
Publisher: Strawdog Studios
Space Ark is an upcoming Xbox Live Arcade and PC title from Strawdog Studios. The premise is simple but has so far proven to be incredibly addicting. A black hole has passed through the galaxy sucking up the life from a number of planets. Your role, as a member of the Arkonauts is to collect DNA and bring back life to each planet.
It's a simple concept but there is a good amount of gameplay depth here that will keep you playing for many months to come.
The Arkonauts travel around in their "Space Ark" to each of the five main worlds to restore life to the 168 game levels. To accomplish this, the player bounces their Arkonaut of choice high into the air to collect as much DNA as possible. Think of the bouncing game mechanic as a great throw back to the old arcade titles of Breakout or Arkanoid.
A single bounce pad is used to catch the Arkonaut as they fall back to the planet's surface. Use the bounce pad properly and you fly high into the air to collect more DNA, fail to do so and you not only lose a life but any combo points you had accumulated. Once the level’s entire DNA has been collected a portal opens up and the level can be exited.
The beauty of the game comes not from the simplicity that gamers of all ages will enjoy, but from the fact that the game rewards the player for collecting multiple DNA samples in one bounce. Combo multipliers are awarded for nabbing similar DNA strands and most levels have a combo goal that much be earned in order to complete the level. Higher combos result in fruit pieces being exposed to the player. Snag these fruit pieces and it fills up a separate multiplier bonus meter for the level. Simply put, the more items you pick up, the higher your score and multiplier will be in the end.
In the preview build level goals were not that hard to obtain but then again, there are a ton of levels left unexplored and they are sure to test even the best gamers out there. Each level presents a new challenge, with some levels containing clouds that can be used to reach higher areas not normally reachable by a simple bounce pad leap. Still other levels contain rollers that will push your Arkonaut along a set path. In the full game, players can expect to come across fans, teleports, switches, flippers, and a slew of other path altering devices.
Controls in Space Ark are incredibly simple. Move the bounce pad left and right with the left analog stick and move your Arkonaut in mid-flight by using the right analog stick. Mid-flight controls are a bit limited as gravity still has the biggest impact on direction, but it is possible to boost your Arkonaut into the higher reaches of the world's atmosphere to snag a few rogue DNA. Again, the control scene is simple but with good reason. When you have fruit falling, an Arkonaut falling, power-ups falling, and "BONUS" letters falling, it can become very hectic very quickly and an overly complex control scheme would have just been murder. This is especially true if you're someone who must achieve a "perfect" on every round, which includes obtaining all pieces of fruit and DNA in a level.
Some worlds also contain falling letters that spell out "BONUS." Pick up each of these letters and you're whisked away to a bonus level that requires you to meet a certain goal for big prizes. The one particular bonus level in the demo involved a constant stream of falling fruit. Collection of every piece of fruit yielded a lovely health bonus good for one Arkonaut life.
Other items that fall frequently in the levels are power-ups. The most common power-up seen was the shield that provided just one free bounce off of the ground, saving your Arkonaut's life and your collection of DNA multipliers. Other power-ups encountered included a machine gun of sorts, a cannon, a fruit vacuum, and a dual machine gun. To use these items simply catch the falling power-up capsule and the power-up is activated. When it came to the "weapons" collection of the capsules transformed your innocent bounce pad into a DNA collecting machine. Shooting the gun into the air, each DNA or piece of fruit the gun's projectiles hit would be automatically collected without the need for your Arkonaut to touch it. This is an invaluable tool for those looking to max out their high score on each level.
Space Ark is a lot of fun if you're a fan of addictive titles that push upon you the idea that you can always do better to achieve a higher score. Online leaderboards ensure that you're never competing against yourself all the time, but with all of the future Space Ark owners out there. The game includes various single player game modes and a split screen multiplayer mode.
Single player modes include Mission Mode which is the meat and potatoes of the title. This is the mode that sends players from planet to planet terraforming them from desolate waste lands into planets teeming with life. Complete each planet in order to unlock new planets, levels, and Arkonauts.
Survival Mode is a pure race against the clock. The player attempts to beat the timer on their way towards finishing six levels. More points are awarded based on how much time remains on the clock at the end of each level.
Time Attack Mode is the third single player mode that once again pits the player against the clock. Unlike the Survival Mode, the clock starts at zero and increases from there until you finish a level. Speed through a level and see how your best completion time stacks up against the online competition.
The lone multiplayer mode is a split screen affair that finds two players competing to finish each level and thus win the game. It's, again, simple in concept but great for those with a competitive streak in their blood. For preview purposes, only the single player Mission Mode was available for us to try.
The game's visuals are bright, vibrant, and quite colorful. It may be off putting to those "hardcore" gamers out there who see these shots and think this game is only for the kiddie crowd. Don't let the visuals fool you, this is not just for the kids when you mix in the solid gameplay. To say that my first impression of the game's visuals were that it reminded me of Katamari Damacy would not be a lie. The rings of colors and abstract nature of the loading screens were visually appealing and let me know I was in for a fun time. It's hard to explain but the visuals really put you in the mood to play this game and want to keep playing for hours on end.
During a round, the on screen clutter never seemed to be much of an issue. With words popping up, DNA being collected in a small shower of pops, multipliers floating around your character in bubbles, and a plethora of other events taking place, it built up the tension that you were doing something spectacular in a level. It honestly felt as though you were on your way to busting out a high score any time the screen filled up with notifications and falling items of every sort.
Space Ark is slated to be released later this month on the Xbox 360 and PC platforms. It is the perfect game for those who are fans of old school arcade Arkanoid style games but with modern enhancements to the audio, visuals, and social leaderboards. Be sure to keep an eye out for the upcoming release and we'll also be sure to toss some news up once the game is publicly available.
Additional Media
External Links
Official Space Ark Webpage
Release Date: June 2010
Reviewed On: PC (Also available on Xbox 360 Live Arcade)
Developer: Strawdog Studios
Publisher: Strawdog Studios
Space Ark is an upcoming Xbox Live Arcade and PC title from Strawdog Studios. The premise is simple but has so far proven to be incredibly addicting. A black hole has passed through the galaxy sucking up the life from a number of planets. Your role, as a member of the Arkonauts is to collect DNA and bring back life to each planet.
It's a simple concept but there is a good amount of gameplay depth here that will keep you playing for many months to come.
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The Arkonauts travel around in their "Space Ark" to each of the five main worlds to restore life to the 168 game levels. To accomplish this, the player bounces their Arkonaut of choice high into the air to collect as much DNA as possible. Think of the bouncing game mechanic as a great throw back to the old arcade titles of Breakout or Arkanoid.
A single bounce pad is used to catch the Arkonaut as they fall back to the planet's surface. Use the bounce pad properly and you fly high into the air to collect more DNA, fail to do so and you not only lose a life but any combo points you had accumulated. Once the level’s entire DNA has been collected a portal opens up and the level can be exited.
The beauty of the game comes not from the simplicity that gamers of all ages will enjoy, but from the fact that the game rewards the player for collecting multiple DNA samples in one bounce. Combo multipliers are awarded for nabbing similar DNA strands and most levels have a combo goal that much be earned in order to complete the level. Higher combos result in fruit pieces being exposed to the player. Snag these fruit pieces and it fills up a separate multiplier bonus meter for the level. Simply put, the more items you pick up, the higher your score and multiplier will be in the end.
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In the preview build level goals were not that hard to obtain but then again, there are a ton of levels left unexplored and they are sure to test even the best gamers out there. Each level presents a new challenge, with some levels containing clouds that can be used to reach higher areas not normally reachable by a simple bounce pad leap. Still other levels contain rollers that will push your Arkonaut along a set path. In the full game, players can expect to come across fans, teleports, switches, flippers, and a slew of other path altering devices.
Controls in Space Ark are incredibly simple. Move the bounce pad left and right with the left analog stick and move your Arkonaut in mid-flight by using the right analog stick. Mid-flight controls are a bit limited as gravity still has the biggest impact on direction, but it is possible to boost your Arkonaut into the higher reaches of the world's atmosphere to snag a few rogue DNA. Again, the control scene is simple but with good reason. When you have fruit falling, an Arkonaut falling, power-ups falling, and "BONUS" letters falling, it can become very hectic very quickly and an overly complex control scheme would have just been murder. This is especially true if you're someone who must achieve a "perfect" on every round, which includes obtaining all pieces of fruit and DNA in a level.
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Some worlds also contain falling letters that spell out "BONUS." Pick up each of these letters and you're whisked away to a bonus level that requires you to meet a certain goal for big prizes. The one particular bonus level in the demo involved a constant stream of falling fruit. Collection of every piece of fruit yielded a lovely health bonus good for one Arkonaut life.
Other items that fall frequently in the levels are power-ups. The most common power-up seen was the shield that provided just one free bounce off of the ground, saving your Arkonaut's life and your collection of DNA multipliers. Other power-ups encountered included a machine gun of sorts, a cannon, a fruit vacuum, and a dual machine gun. To use these items simply catch the falling power-up capsule and the power-up is activated. When it came to the "weapons" collection of the capsules transformed your innocent bounce pad into a DNA collecting machine. Shooting the gun into the air, each DNA or piece of fruit the gun's projectiles hit would be automatically collected without the need for your Arkonaut to touch it. This is an invaluable tool for those looking to max out their high score on each level.
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Space Ark is a lot of fun if you're a fan of addictive titles that push upon you the idea that you can always do better to achieve a higher score. Online leaderboards ensure that you're never competing against yourself all the time, but with all of the future Space Ark owners out there. The game includes various single player game modes and a split screen multiplayer mode.
Single player modes include Mission Mode which is the meat and potatoes of the title. This is the mode that sends players from planet to planet terraforming them from desolate waste lands into planets teeming with life. Complete each planet in order to unlock new planets, levels, and Arkonauts.
Survival Mode is a pure race against the clock. The player attempts to beat the timer on their way towards finishing six levels. More points are awarded based on how much time remains on the clock at the end of each level.
Time Attack Mode is the third single player mode that once again pits the player against the clock. Unlike the Survival Mode, the clock starts at zero and increases from there until you finish a level. Speed through a level and see how your best completion time stacks up against the online competition.
The lone multiplayer mode is a split screen affair that finds two players competing to finish each level and thus win the game. It's, again, simple in concept but great for those with a competitive streak in their blood. For preview purposes, only the single player Mission Mode was available for us to try.
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The game's visuals are bright, vibrant, and quite colorful. It may be off putting to those "hardcore" gamers out there who see these shots and think this game is only for the kiddie crowd. Don't let the visuals fool you, this is not just for the kids when you mix in the solid gameplay. To say that my first impression of the game's visuals were that it reminded me of Katamari Damacy would not be a lie. The rings of colors and abstract nature of the loading screens were visually appealing and let me know I was in for a fun time. It's hard to explain but the visuals really put you in the mood to play this game and want to keep playing for hours on end.
During a round, the on screen clutter never seemed to be much of an issue. With words popping up, DNA being collected in a small shower of pops, multipliers floating around your character in bubbles, and a plethora of other events taking place, it built up the tension that you were doing something spectacular in a level. It honestly felt as though you were on your way to busting out a high score any time the screen filled up with notifications and falling items of every sort.
Space Ark is slated to be released later this month on the Xbox 360 and PC platforms. It is the perfect game for those who are fans of old school arcade Arkanoid style games but with modern enhancements to the audio, visuals, and social leaderboards. Be sure to keep an eye out for the upcoming release and we'll also be sure to toss some news up once the game is publicly available.
Additional Media
External Links
Official Space Ark Webpage