I have many fond memories of playing Air Hockey at the arcades, games rooms of holiday resorts, bowling alleys, and the likes throughout my childhood. Each game was fast paced, frantic and at times hilarious, not to mention always ending up with a sore arm by the end of it.
Indie video game developer ROOT 76’s title Clash Cup Turbo is a frantic multiplayer game with up to 4 players that takes the idea of Air Hockey and turns it into a video game with equal results. It’s fast paced, frantic and leads to some pretty good and memorable moments when playing friends and family.
Disclaimer: Clash Cup Turbo is currently in a pre-alpha stage of development, this preview does not represent a complete or finished product.
Let the games begin
In the build I have available to me, there is currently only three of four game modes available — Elimination, Regulation, and Training. There is also only local multiplayer available, with the exception of training mode but online multiplayer is planned for a later release.
Elimination is where you must be the last player standing at the end of the match. The object of the game is to score goals against your opponents, resulting in a strike. Each time a goal is scored against a player they lose one life, once all are lost, they are eliminated from the game.
Regulation works just like a regular game of Air Hockey, the first player to reach the score limit wins the game. As for Training, it is exactly as the name suggests, a single player mode where you can practise and hone your skills.
At the beginning of each round, every player’s goal is defended with barriers. As the puck hits the barriers the overall barricade begins to break down, leaving the goal open. The player can stop the barricade breaking or a goal being scored against them by hitting the puck away. If you play a game with four players but there are only two goals, you will play a teamed match of two.
If you play a game with four players but there are only two goals, you will play a teamed match of two versus two, adding a whole new gameplay experience.
There is a fourth game mode planned called Multipuck, which I can only assume at this time will result in there being multiple pucks in the arena at any one time. It is a mode that is bound to create some crazy gameplay and moments once implemented.
The modes that were available to me were awesome and allowed for plenty of fun alongside family and friends. It is an engaging game that you all get really sucked into and it turns from a case of just one more game to well over half a dozen.
A unique roster of enemies to choose from
In total there are eight unique characters to choose from each with their own special move stats. In my build, there were five of the characters available to play as:
- Samurai, a half man, half robotic sword-wielding badass.
- TeeVee, a being who is essentially a walking TV.
- Fey, a fairy type character.
- Android, a mechanical being.
- Golem, a massive juggernaut of rock.
Most of the characters have their own attack power and movement stats, which affect how hard they hit the puck and how fast they can move. Generally, they will be either a more all-rounder character or a hard hitter but slower moving.
Each of the characters special moves act differently, for example, Samurai using an ability that calls upon his ancestors allowing his next hit to be supercharged. TeeVee has a power that gives him the power to mirror, creating an additional two versions of himself.
The characters are all colourful and unique, allowing for a very different gameplay experience when playing with each one. It also results in having to take into consideration the stats and powers of your opponents and dealing with their differences throughout a match.
They are all fun to use and experimenting with each one to find which is just right for you is entertaining and I can’t wait to try out the rest of the roster.
Make sure to bring controllers for a local game
If you are planning on playing this game with a few friends or family members on the one machine, it is essential to have a few controls. While the game does support up to four players using the keyboard, as I am sure you can imagine, it near impossible.
Having just two players on the keyboard at any one time is a cramped enough experience with elbows hitting off each other and during intense moments hitting the others controls. It does lead to some hilarious moments but it is as uncomfortable as gaming gets.
If possible I would recommend three controllers and one player on the keyboard, but if not then two controllers and two on the keyboard. Overall, however, this is but a minor issue in an otherwise superb game.
A title to get excited about
Clash Cup Turbo is definitely a game to get excited about. Its gameplay is excellent and extremely fun, it’s visuals are beautiful and it is a really good party game. Once it releases with all the features promised, it is looking to be one of those awesome games to play with friends over a few beers — be it in one room or online and it is at its best when you have four players.
Clash Cup Turbo is a real testament to an era of gaming long gone with the now ultra powerful internet era that we live in. If there was one thing I could say on this it would be; this game gives you everything you would want from the party game days of yore.
Disclaimer: A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for the purposes of this preview.
