WOW! This game! Holy shit, I figured I'd dig this, but I didn't know it was going to feel/play this well/good! I was a big fan of the original Fluidity on Wii, but from the first 8 stages I played of 3DS one, it destroys it! Talk about a polished, tight package. I love the fact that they finally gave context to your water and the world/stages. Call it a guilty pleasure or whatever, but I love mascot/icon platformers. Your little water guy looks like he was pulled straight out of Dewey's Adventure on the Wii (which is a game that I fucking loved). Sure, he's a little dopey looking, but I'd rather have something like this than nothing at all. I do wish they could get a better artist for their storyboard characters though. The wizard in the intro looks like he's out of some knock off Disney (Yen Sid) cartoon that would air on Fox Kids. That just comes with the territory/pedigree/developer, I suppose. Anyway, there's so much great detail in the background too compared to the original. The colors/visuals just look so rich and detailed. The trees and bushes sway in the breeze, the animations of the stage assets (the dinosaurs) look great, it's all pretty classy.
This feels like one of those perfect late 90's, early-to-mid 2000's platformers. These guys, Curve Studios, definitely get it. I swear, I feel like Nintendo of Japan (I know that NOA published it here) had some sort of hand in the crafting of this though. It just feels too well designed. It almost feels like a Nintendo developed game (just like the Wii one did, at times). These Fluidity games (especially this one) feel like they have had their ideas/stages funneled through to Nintendo of Japan for some sort of quality control, hah! I mean, I could totally be wrong, but I refuse to believe that a London based studio, who have only developed Explodemon, Stealth Bastard, and some PSP Buzz games, could craft something like this solely on their own. I'm curious what the credits will show. Regardless, this game shot RIGHT up there alongside Crimson Shroud and Mighty Switch Force. The eShop's been on fire! =D
Edit: Oh, and I forgot. The music is pretty good too. The title screen/menu makes sounds STRAIGHT out of Bomberman 64. I swear, whoever is the composer, they're using the same exact lead synth/key (or is it the bass?). Just listen to this track from B64 and then boot up Spin Cycle. I think you will here what I'm talking about. I love it!
Green Garden