(DSiWare)

Spotto! (DSiWare)

Game Review

Spotto! Review

USA USA Version

Posted by Jon Wahlgren

Boom boom pow

When it comes to downloadable game output, Intelligent Systems is on a roll. They’ve launched us to the moon, single-handedly blasted pollution into nothingness and took a few turns around some dragon war. Now they’ve got us chucking bombs into the mouths of ghosts in Spotto! And while it may be their smallest effort yet, it manages to stand tall among the rest of DSiWare’s library with excellent execution of a simple premise.

The pastel presentation looks ripped from a storybook and cements the notion that Spotto! doesn’t take itself seriously one bit. Characters are on the goofy side and the audio sounds lifted from a toy warfare cartoon, with your bird suffering from Pokémon syndrome by yelling his own name all the time. Spotto! also boasts one of the most porn-riffic character names around with Chikkie Wowwow, the president's daughter who was kidnapped by the ghosts. Are you a bad enough bom_bird_ier to rescue her?

Spotto! has a lot of things going for it, with the most important being its addictive nature. It plays a lot like a simpler Reflect Missile/Trajectile; line up your bomb toss trajectory and try to either swoosh a ghost’s mouth directly or bank a bomb off the environment into one. Each stage gives you five bombs to start off with, but you only lose one if you miss a ghost.

Unlike Reflect Missile’s occasionally hokey aiming system, which often led to cancelled shots if you removed the stylus too early, you crank a little wheel on the bottom screen and tap to toss. It’s more consistent, but unlike in Reflect Missile you don’t always have a clear indication of where your bomb will land. It’s not really a knock per se, since aiming is where the challenge stems from, but until you get the hang of how the system works you’ll be tossing a lot of whiffers and lose a few too many bombs than you otherwise should. Once you do you'll be the Michael Jordan of ghost killing.

With 50 stages there's a decent amount of content to sink your teeth into, and perfectionists and score junkies alike will get a kick out of the Challenge mode where you're given 10 bombs and play until you run out. The problem is the stages aren't really that difficult; perfect for younger gamers but won't pose much of a threat to seasoned players. Medals are absent, as is completion time records and a level editor. Some games just beg for level editors and Spotto! is one of them.

Conclusion

For a mere 200 points you certainly get a lot of bang for your duck, and if you became hopelessly addicted to Reflect Missile/Trajectile then you’ll likely find yourself hooked until the end. The problem is the end comes fairly soon and doesn't offer much incentive to return, which is a terrible fate for a puzzle game like this. Spotto! is fun while it lasts, we just wish this bird had stronger wings.

User Comments (27)

JayArr

#4

JayArr said:

I love the art style to this game! Good review Jon, for 200 points I think I may grab this one.

grumblegrumble

#6

grumblegrumble said:

I wasn't all that impressed with this one... I feel it has a very low replay value and while alright for younger kids, I think us grown ups might get a little bored with this one. I give it 3/10

Lonnie2Hottie

#7

Lonnie2Hottie said:

I'm a grown-up and this is one of my favorite DSi ware games. I mean, for 200 points I think there is more than enough content. I would most definately recommend this download to anyone. Spotto!

Jacob

#9

Jacob said:

Compared to the quality of some things that cost 200 points on the DSi Shop, this seems worth it.

cheapogamer4life

#10

cheapogamer4life said:

a cheaper version of trajectile, may have to try this out....
@ #6 oh, never mind then........
@ #7 oh, really....

Sean_Aaron

#15

Sean_Aaron said:

Played the Japanese version for the first time yesterday and it's pretty fun. Budget releases like this I think DSiWare could stand more of.

Spot-on review!

Gizmo

#18

Gizmo said:

The review doesn't mention the hard mode after completing the story mode, where the old stages have to be managed in a more difficult way.

I would give the game an 8.

EdEN

#20

EdEN said:

Trajectile is a very good game as well and plays differently from Spotto.

Bought Spotto and finished it in a week but oh what a great week it was.

dirty_martini

#22

dirty_martini said:

love this game. Finished it but I still go back to replay. My no. 1 pick for mindless entertainment.

xxx_Kirby_xxx

#24

xxx_Kirby_xxx said:

I like this game. :D For 200 points it's a great purchase. :) You certainly get what you paid for --- a cute puzzle game with quite a lot of content for its price range. Nice review, and I agree with the rating.

xxx_Kirby_xxx

#25

xxx_Kirby_xxx said:

@nintendopower I have, and I highly recommend it. Fun little puzzle game, and not just one of those games you play just to fill in time. It's a game for fun, anytime, anywhere. And for a measly 200 points it's a great little purchase. I definitely don't regret getting it, and you get it, I don't think you will, either!

xxx_Kirby_xxx

#27

xxx_Kirby_xxx said:

It's called Bird & Bombs on my DSi. I guess my region thought that title was more logical. Idk. Fun game, though. :)

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