Physics-based games are a dime a dozen in the Android universe, but only a few can stand out and retain attention among gamers. Such is the case of Nutty Fluffies Rollercoaster, the newest addition to the physics-based arcade games that is widely popular among smart phone gamers. This game, however, adds a clever combination of originality and interesting new elements not often seen in other games in its genre.
Staying On Track
Nutty Flufflies is a push-and-pull game, half the effort rests on you, and the other half on the game’s simulated gravity. The idea is to be a rollercoaster conductor and to prevent your carts from falling or toppling over and, as a result, ejecting its passengers. Sliding the carts forward will propel them forward, depending on how hard you swipe. If the carts are going too fast, you can pull them back to decrease the speed and stop the carts from lifting too far up the tracks. The goal is to finish the ride with as many carts and passengers in place. There’s a scoring meter at the end of the game, and having all passengers in their carts by the end of the game earns you a perfect score — which also rewards you with bonus points.
As in any running/racing game, there are objects to collect along the tracks — in this case hearts. Hearts determine your level in your current world — and serve as a meter as to how much you have completed. At the end of each ride, you also get rewarded with coins. Bonus coins are also given for completing the missions that are listed at the end of each game.
A Unique Gaming Sequence
One thing that’s interesting with Nutty Flufflies is that it doesn’t require you to finish all levels of a stage before moving on to the next one. You only need to earn enough coins to unlock the next stage. So if you earned enough coins in one stage, then you can use it to unlock the next stage. Each stage is played in progression by adding one cart after the end of each round. For instance, if a stage starts you off with four carts, you can play in that same stage again, but with five carts — and so on. This is a new and ingenius way of adding a bit of challenge to each round, and the game doesn’t become monotonous or too easy.
Although hopping from one stage to another might be a great idea at first, it’s more rewarding (in terms of coins) to play all levels in a stage first so you have time to hone your skills while earning enough coins and leveling up. Besides, stage-hopping makes the game look incoherent and confusing, whereas things will make more sense if you play the game in the normal chronological fashion.
The Ride And The Riders
To help you earn as much heart points as possible, you can choose the kinds of passengers that ride in your cart. The default mouse is free, but the rest (like cats and dogs) can be bought for a few coins. These passengers, although not free, return your investment immensely as they give you bonus heart points at the start and end of each game — provided they’re still riding their cart at the end.
Special abilities are also unlocked as you progress with the game — such as speed boosts, turbo-carts and the ability to buy additional carts. These definitely come in handy, especially when venturing into bigger, more challenging tracks.
More Than Just Eye Candy
The game’s graphics and sound effects are quite spot on for such a dynamic game. Aside from the fact that the visuals are sometimes too tiny on my screen, the details are still there — somewhat a similar experience to Angry Birds. Game play is hard to master at first, but a few rounds and anyone who’s ever played physics-based games before will eventually get the hang of it.
The level of difficulty in this game is pretty varied, and some levels are easier than others — depending on how long you’ve been playing the game. Since I got it five days ago, it’s pretty safe to say it took me a few tries to finally get hooked. It’s not immediately addicting, but it will keep you constantly challenged, begging to be played one more time.
The Verdict
While it’s not likely that you’ll be spending lots of time on it, Nutty Flufflies is a refreshing ride even in the small amount of time you might have to play it. It’s something new, and it’s a real challenge. It’s not just about watching a rollercoaster ride — it’s about maneuvering one to the finish — and just like in real life, it’s no easy feat in this game. So if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be the conductor of an animal-filled rollercoaster ride, this game shows you exactly that.
