by Tasha Raymond

Created on: July 05, 2008   Last Updated: July 08, 2008

Rating: 5/5

If you're looking for a relaxing game that will still challenge the mind, Spring Up! is exactly what you're looking for. A downloadable game from Frozax Games, Spring Up! is something new in the realm of "puzzle" games. While the "puzzle" is as simple as knocking spheres and bricks off the grid with a shooter ball, the challenge come from the realistic physics engine of the game and the numerous obstacles that are randomly added through each level.

During game play, the player is faced with various levels of beautifully back-dropped grids of spheres and bricks mingled with obstacles to equally help and hinder. One would think that with 72 levels split into 12 worlds that the difficulty would increase level by level like other games. While the first "world" of Spring Up! is relatively easy, the challenges are thrown in as soon as the second "world" comes around. To combat this, the difficulty of the levels are mixed, meaning that every now and then you are still given an easier one, and the soundtrack to the game is very soothing, helping to keep your nerves calm and your mind focused.

Some of the games best features not only include the random assortment of difficulties and the soundtrack, but also the availability of points. Points are earned by catching anything that falls. These objects include the bricks and spheres you knock down along with your original shooter.
These points can then be used to "create" your own little garden with purchases. Many of the plants, fountains, tress, and accessories that you buy with your points can also be upgraded to more magnificent, and thus more expensive, ones.

Power-ups and downs also abound in this game and appear as you destroy certain spheres and bricks. One of the games largest drawbacks lie in these power-ups as they are hard to distinguish. While the graphics are very pleasing, it's often difficult to tell whether the power-up you are catching is really going to help you or if it's actually a power-down coming to help defeat you. If these were marked a little more clearly, it would drastically help game play.

On the creativity and innovation side of things, this game is a really creative batch of games we all grow up knowing and most of us love. With reminiscence of Atari's BreakOut, the obstacles that equally help and hinder bring into the mix some of the accents of pinball games. Mix this with a common point system found in the games of today and yester-year, and Spring Up! is a well balanced assortment of the finer points of these aforementioned computer games.

While there are a few graphic flaws in this game that can make game play frustrating to those with tired eyes, these do not take away from the game play of Spring Up! As with many games, these flaws are by far outweighed by the wonderful details, engaging levels, and beautiful soundtrack that the game presents. Taking into account all these aspects, it can be said that even after only playing the game for an hour, anyone would score this work of art a 5 out of 5.

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