It’s been a while since we made time to do a roundup of some of the smaller indie releases out there. We’re doing four of them today, with reviews of Smoots Pinball, Paradiddle, Crashy Laps and Evil Diary.
Smoots Pinball review (PS5)
Smoots Pinball, developed by Kaneda Games and published by JanduSoft for the PlayStation 5, aims to offer the “ultimate multiplayer pinball experience” with five tables inspired by the Smoots game series – which is quite a lofty goal when you consider some of the other pinball games and franchises out there. Smoots Pinball falls a little short of those claims, lacking the thoughtful design and polish seen elsewhere. The tables can feel a bit disjointed by how they’re designed, and the physics feel very floaty, leaving both pinball enthusiasts and newcomers unimpressed. What doesn’t help are the game’s dated graphics, where a busy design often makes it difficult to navigate the tables, hindering the pinball experience.
While the controls are functional, Smoots Pinball’s simplified and somewhat unrealistic portrayal of pinball mechanics contributes to less-than-engaging gameplay. The various (mostly sports-themed) tables, which are all based on Smoots games like Baseball, Summer, Tennis, Golf, and Zombie, offer distinguishable and colorful designs, but we didn’t find a table that could compete with what you’ll find in Pinball FX.
On a positive note, Smoots Pinball features a multiplayer mode for a bit of competition, and the game also includes special missions on each table, adding an extra layer of incentive. The unlockable extras, such as music and images, also provide lasting appeal. But despite these features, the game’s shortcomings in design, physics, and visuals make it difficult to recommend this one to both pinball enthusiasts and younger gamers alike. The best part about this one is that you get five tables at a budget price point, which makes it worth a try.
Paradiddle review (Quest)
Paradiddle, published by Emre Tanirgan and initially released on PC-based headsets before arriving on the Meta Quest platform, brings its virtual reality (VR) drumming experience to Quest users. This immersive game, which positions itself as being more than a virtual drum kit, caters to drummers of all levels, provides a customizable and noise-free drumming experience. Once you start exploring its options, Paradiddle’s versatility shines through, offering an intuitive gameplay experience that mimics real-life drumming and features an extensive library of over 50 percussion instruments, from xylophone to glockenspiel.
The game’s appeal partly comes from its inclusivity for both beginners and experienced drummers. The immersive qualities of VR add a lot here, allowing those who know how to drum to maintain their drumming skills without the need for a large physical kit that doesn’t travel well and/or takes up a ton of space in your house (and annoys the neighbors). Paradiddle’s convenience stands out in that regard, eliminating the constraints involved with traditional drum sets and offering various playing styles at the same time, with its large library of instruments.
Those looking for more game-like elements might be a tad disappointed with Paradiddle’s more sandbox-like experience rather than offering something more akin to a rhythm game, but that doesn’t change the fact that Paradiddle is a standout choice for (wannabe) drummers seeking a good VR option to play around with – especially on the tetherless Quest.
Crashy Laps review (PS5)
Crashy Laps, developed by CheapeeSoft Games and published by JanduSoft on all major platforms, attempts to revive the charm of old-school top-down or isometric racers like Super Sprint, Micro Machines and Iron Man Offroad. However, the game falls short of capturing the essence that made those classics enjoyable, as Crashy Laps struggles with poor visuals and unimpressive audio – and the gameplay could have been more polished as well.
Speaking of gameplay, Crashy Laps introduces four competitions (Time Trial, Quick Race, Grand Prix and Championship) across four distinct areas with their own settings. Unfortunately, the game’s visual style hinders your enjoyment, making it sometimes difficult to properly navigate tracks when elements blend into one another or aren’t clear enough. The twitchy controls, combines with tracks that are too narrow, result in frequent collisions and crashes, though perhaps that ties in well to the game’s title.
Crashy Laps does feature a learning curve that is well implemented, forcing you to complete laps in Time Trial before accessing Championship races – letting you get familiar with a track before competing. The game also locks later races behind certain early accomplishments, offering a bit of motivation for improvement. However, these positive aspects are overshadowed by the game’s rougher edges, which keep this one from being a truly enjoyable top-down racing experience. From its outdated visuals to a lack of engaging gameplay, there have been many better attempts at doing the Super Sprint thing since that one originally launched over 35 years ago.
Evil Diary review (PS5)
Evil Diary, developed by 9Ratones and Angelo Gamedev, and published by Ratalaika for the PlayStation 5, offers a simple and budget-friendly apocalyptic action experience. It provides a brief but enjoyable side-scrolling shooter where players navigate through 32 combat levels, facing hordes of mutants. The premise revolves around a post-apocalyptic world where the protagonist, Eve, embarks on a perilous journey documented through short diary entries before each level.
The game’s strength lies in its affordability and straightforward gameplay mechanics. Evil Diary effectively combines shooting and slashing elements, allowing players to dispatch enemies using a basic gun and melee attacks. The inclusion of two additional unlockable characters, a visor-wearing duck with a chainsaw and another with heart-shaped dual bullets, adds a touch of variety. The diary entries contribute to a sense of purpose in the protagonist’s quest for safety in a world overrun by infected enemies – though calling this a narrative-drive game would be way too much of a stretch.
Evil Diary isn’t the deepest game out there though. The levels often end when a certain number of enemies are killed, and while some variations on that theme exist, the game tends to stick to this basic premise of “destroy everything in sight.” The gathering of coins lacks meaningful engagement, as the only use for them is unlocking the additional characters. The absence of options to spend coins on upgrades or weapons limits the game’s progression and fails to enhance the overall experience. Once you unlock the characters, it’s a pretty mindless affair.
In summary, Evil Diary, with its budget-friendly price and simple mechanics, delivers a brief yet enjoyable action-packed adventure. The inclusion of diary entries adds a small hint of a narrative, and the variety introduced by additional characters brings some freshness to the gameplay. However, the lack of depth and a sense of monotony that eventually sets in prevent the game from reaching higher levels of excitement and engagement, making it a more suitable choice for those seeking a quick and affordable gaming experience.
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