Because It's Just Plain Fun To Break Stuff

About 5 days ago, I asked my 15 yr. old daughter if she would play a game on the kindle.  I had gotten a game that I hadn’t played, nor knew anything about for our class.  After she said yes, I told her that I knew nothing about it, and that I needed her to play it for at least 30 minutes.  In addition, I told her that I wanted her to take notes about what she thought about it and how it taught her to learn it.  Lastly, I told her that I wouldn’t look at her notes until after I had played it for at least 30 minutes.  In addition, I will write what I think before I read her notes.

The game is Smash Hit by Mediocre.  It is a first person game where the player goes through areas throwing balls (yes metallic balls,) at objects, namely pyramids and barriers all of which are breakable (presumably glass or at least that’s what they sound like when you break them).  You start out with 10 balls and you accrue additional balls as you hit specific targets and take out bonus targets, etc.  To make matters more interesting, you move at the game’s speed.  Awesome, because I love being out of control or at a computers mercy as to how fast to move.  My take;

Holy cow do I like breaking stuff!! But I have noted after having played for a bit that that if the player has an “itchy-trigger-finger” the game can be lot more difficult.  Specifically, at varying degrees throughout different levels the player learns to be a little more judicious with what targets they go after.  You only have a certain number of balls and accrue more as you hit targets, however if your count goes to zero you get to start the stage over. Fun.  Ok, well I don’t excel at being judicious when I feel like since my ball count is 45+ for example…. Let’em fly.  And fly I did, in volleys.  Well, that’s only cool if you’re hitting targets as you blast through level 3.  And holy by golly do I mean BLAST… ridiculous speed!  And unfortunately I don’t think there is a bonus allocated for ‘really no joke destroying a target’ kind of obliteration.  

 Nonetheless, here are my daughter’s notes (her notes transcribed word for word)… Beginner level 1: made it 600 feet before dying (running out of balls) Only instruction is tap to throw balls & hit crystals. First obstacle- didn’t know how to avoid it. Later discovered you must hit & break them. Various checkpoints, saves to continue after death.  With 9 minutes left (me; out of 30) Checkpoint 3, 3444 distance. @ 30 minutes died in same place 2x. At 50 mins- 3569=best. Screen starts to twist. Crystals=harder to find. 3844 @ 1 hr best distance.  Next Morning 4046 best distance.

I can’t help but to laugh at our similar distances and in what time (okay, she was quite a bit better).  Interesting.  My best distance in 30 was 3313.  Oh, in case anyone is wondering, I uninstalled the app after she played and reinstalled for my play.  My daughter is awesome!  But, I already knew that!  Wait till you see both my daughter's in action...