Wonder what pong would be like If turn into a side-scroller, Look no further than FlingSmash.
The best way to describe this game is side-scrolling gameplay mix with Pong, the game is pretty unique and simple though can be challenging as well(having trouble why not ask a family member/friend to help you out, a 2nd player can come to your rescue If needed)just flicking/swinging the Wii Remote in the direction you want send Zip (Male) or Pip (Female) flying (press A or 1 to stop them while flying around), If you wait for a bit(not too long or else you'll get eaten by the Hydracoil which kind of resemble Cerberus, only apply If you're hugging the back wall for too long)either hero will start charging up for a Power Shot which you can than flick/swing the Wii Remote causing him/her to shot out like a rocket, this is really great for clearing out blocks in your way alot easier especially the blue blocks which can only be taken out via Power Shot.
On the lower right-hand side is a indicator that let you know exactly your line of fire so pay attention to it(can be helpful sometime), the main objective is to collect atleast 3 out of 5 medals to receive a Sacred Pearl at the end of a stage than move on to the next stage(There 8 Worlds total, 3 Stages per Worlds, and a Boss Battle), while playing any stage you'll run into a variety of ways to score points from hitting red blocks that start a chain reaction that cause other red blocks to start rotating, at this time you must break the other red blocks(six in total per set)before they stop spinning doing so will be counted as a combo chain that grant you a good bonus in points.
Other ways to get points is by collecting stars, running through red spinner, and hitting a target(Gem Switch)that switches blocks into gems that you can collect for good amount of points though it last for a limited time so be quick, picking up fruit icons will give you points too and once you get three of the some fruit the hero/heroine will do a transformation, Just to name two, Split(three cherries)is where the hero/heroine split into three for triple the trouble, or Big(three pears I believe)which cause either hero to grow giving you a better chance to hit more stuff, they last for a limited time as well(picking up that specific fruit icon again will extend the time), during these transformations you really want to take advantage as collecting items and hitting enemies will give you a bit of a multiplier effect toward your score.
Another thing to get some medals you have to keep hitting these bummer with number on them which indicate how many time you must hit it to make the medal appear and hopefully grab it in time, Dark Space is another way to obtain a medal this is trigger when you hit a certain enemy, upon contact you'll be send to Dark Space which is like an alternate realm, here you'll be lock into a challenge(time limit)that varies from stage to stage some example are breaking glass like bummer that have number on them, the number indicate the order you must hit them in screw up and you have to start over again starting with the number one bummer, complete the trial and you'll get the medal you rightfully deserve, another challenge is a ping-pong battle with a enemy(or some enemies)the medal is behind your opponent(s) so all you have to do is get pass him/them and get that medal, there a few other but those are the most common ones you'll run into.
Reaching the end of each stage you're come to the goal barrier which you have to smash your way through to end the stage hitting the red areas will give you points, after a stage you get your overall performance rating, ending score detail, and your medal rank(S of course being the highest. A being good, and B being the worst, get 3 A's in a world and you'll get a mini-game, 3 S's will unlock an extra stage, there 8 mini-games and 8 extra stage in total).
Once you pass through all three stage of a world you have to face a boss to than proceed to the next world, the bosses you face are pretty interesting not too difficult I personally like the Crab boss you fight that grab a hold of you with his pincer, when he does a meter show up here you have to flick the Wii Remote up at the right time(when the bar is up high), do it right and you'll yank him out of the water giving you the chance to go in for the attack,
The graphics in FlingSmash are colorful and pleasing to look at, the music in the background are pretty good though most might say there forgettable, the game does have a bit of a story that will unravel as you progress, alternate routes will cost you to play levels again to see where the other path leads you, I'll admit the game can get frustrating at time mostly with the extra stages you unlock they're really challenging, not many control issues on my part except a few times I swung to a specific direction and Zip end up doing the opposite of that, though It might've been due to me not paying attention to the indicator at times(tough to check while being focus on the action at hand)to see where I was actually swinging to, when my nephews were playing I saw a bit of gestures/swings not registering right though to be fair they were swinging the Wii Remote like madman, as long as you do it conservatively you should be alright.
Overall FlingSmash is a great game that charming and worth picking up If you have a Wii, one of the few Motion Plus games of this year, so I recommend getting It when you can you don't want Red Steel 2 to feel all lonely now do you?, also It doesn't hurt that It come bundle with the New Wii Remote Plus too(Sweet), also big applause to Artoon for delivering a fresh new experience on the Wii that anyone can play and enjoy.
My Score: 9.5