Created by KaleidoGames, Slam and Roll is essentially what happens when you mix Snow Bros. with Bubble Bobble wrapped around a casual sports theme. It is a fun, old-school arcade experience especially when played in local co-op. There are even small hints of classic Buster Bros. and Dig Dug in here too.
Aliens have invaded Earth and are threatening to destroy its well-known worldly monuments. Since conventional weapons have proven ineffective, sports stars armed with their magical equipment are tasked with eradicating this threat. It is a purposely goofy plot to give players an excuse to travel to side-scrolling stages with recognizable landscapes in the background.
As a quick way to describe the gameplay, it is basically a new take on the classic Snow Bros. formula. Playing as a youth hockey player, for example, invaders must first be captured by shooting a series of pucks at it. The more projectiles that hit the target, the stronger its capture barrier becomes. Once a baddie has been incapacitated, it can be pushed to the bottom of the stage, knocking out other aliens that happen to get in the way. The more enemies that are knocked out as it rolls to the bottom, the bigger the combo and score bonus.
Gameplay is fun but always remains a challenge. While it isn’t as difficult to simply clear a stage, earning a multi-star ranking is. The only way to get stars is to roll aliens into other aliens. But the only way to do that is to first jump your way to the top of the stage, then roll a captured enemy downward, avoiding all the enemies and hazards along the way. Designed as an arcade game to steal all your quarters, the limited life bar practically demands constant perfection. Thankfully, there are unlimited continues but that doesn’t mean the 200+ stages will be a cakewalk.
Replay value is high too. There is a large roster of playable characters, each outfitted with their own stats, and there are plenty of secrets to find. Some stages can even act more like puzzle games as there might be a trick to how to earn a better star ranking. Bosses are tough while online leaderboards keep competition high. In other words, there is plenty of game here.
The pixeled art style is also quite appealing. It looks like a mid-90s arcade game but outfitted with modern flair. Animation is super fluid. The spritework is expressive. Backgrounds are detailed. Even the soundtrack fits well with the fast-paced arcade-based gameplay. From a presentation standpoint, it firmly hits the nail on the head and easily acts as one of the highlighting features of this downloadable title.
While the growly steep challenge might be a little off putting to some, Slam and Roll is a new, retro-style arcade experience done well. It respectfully acts as an homage to arcade classics while implementing modern features into one charming package.
SCORE: 8/10
Also Play: the Pang/Buster Bros. Collection
Don’t Forget About: Flynn’s Arcade published titles
Learn About: the Gameboy version of Space Invader’s 2-player link cable mode
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
X/Twitter: @ZackGaz
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