SpiritSphere Preview

SpiritSphere is a 2D, 16 bit inspired hockey game developed by Eendoorn Games, think Zelda: Link To The Past meets tennis and you won’t be too far away from the what the product is. I do feel the need to stress that the game is currently in Early Access, the version I previewed was in beta; so the game does not currently represent the full product.

We’ve all played air hockey right? There’s always one in your local cinema, and definitely one in every arcade. Those little noisy flat tables that endlessly clink are friendship ending monsters. Why you ask? Those things can turn the closest of friends into the most competitive people you’ve ever met, and that is pretty much the concept of SpiritSphere.

You and three other pals can battle it out in a selection of Super Nintendo inspired arena’s, adding various modifiers if you wish. On top of this, a few of the arenas have their own rules, with some involving enemies and others give you a chance to increase your score based on where the sphere ends up behind your adversary. There’s also a single player mode where players can battle against the AI, although this quickly becomes monotonous.

A big chunk of what the game offers really does revolve around couch multiplayer, so it’s hard to recommend if you’re purchasing it to play on your own. There will likely be an expanded single player further down the line as what’s on offer right now is very bare bones. The only reason to play the single player is collecting the in-game currency, which can be used at the sphere fountain, chucking 100 coins in at a time gives you a random chance to earn a new sphere - new spheres essentially act as modifiers, which change gameplay ever so slightly.

The game’s controls can feel a little rigid at times, but this might be more to do with the game design itself given the fact Eeendoorn Games are going for a specific gameplay feel. There are three buttons, one to hit the sphere, another one that is a charge hit, adding a slight spin to the ball, and a roll button. All three can be used in mix of ways, adding variations on how to hit and move the sphere. Annoyingly, the AI always seems far more mobile than you, they are often able to zip from one side of the arena to the other, hitting your ball back with no difficulty whatsoever.

I’ve got to talk about how close some of the assets look to Link To The Past and Link’s Awakening, it’s cool to take inspiration from title but they look a little too close for my liking. I do wonder what Nintendo would think if they came across it, they can be pretty darn spiteful with the DMCA Takedowns. Having said that, the game does look great: a true ode to the SNES era of gaming, one that resonates with my inner 90s child.

As it currently stands, SpiritSphere is pretty bare, but there is definitely solid foundation for what could be a great game in the future. From what I can tell the developer is regularly updating the game and intends to support it in the future. I feel the game would also majorly benefit from some online multiplayer options as well, so here’s hoping!