The idea is simple: take Pong and put inside a Frisbee and six characters from aesthetics typically “nineties.” The matches take place one against one, in fields that resemble those of tennis. The difference is that the long sides of the field serve as shores, so frisbee can bounce to create unpredictable trajectories. Just about the trajectories and the speed of response is based on the gameplay of Windjammers.
Depending on the speed with which the Frisbee relaunches, shooting will be faster, with the execution of the “supersonic shot” following the perfect timing of relaunch. In addition to the normal shot you can make a lob, with which you earn two points if the frisbee falls to the ground. Normally, a missed shot can yield three or five points, depending on the area where the frisbee is impacted, respectively yellow or red.
Each field also has differences in size. There are narrower bands where the bouts will be played by the rebounders’ show, or some that have the palette at the same time as the net, which will make the frisbee trajectories even more unpredictable. Windjammersit’s all about reflexes and speeds, but not just because there are some technicalities that make the game deeper and not a smasher smudge.
For normal shoots, it is also possible to apply a frisbee effect to half a moon with the analogue (or the more commonly crossed digital cross) in one of the directions to bend the frisbee in its direction. In addition to the differences in speed and power of shooting, each character is capable of performing a special shot. Doing it is not easy, because you need to receive the frisbee with a completely immobile defense, so that the object does a trajectory in the air for a few moments.
At that time, you will have to move under the frisbee and load the shot, always motionless, which may be normal but also a very high speed ball. Every character has his shot, we said, that he is yelled at him as if he were a special move of a Japanese cartoon.
Vabbé, we pull
DotEmu has also done a good job with regard to aesthetics. The game spins healthy plant without radical variations of sorts. You can choose whether to play in 16: 9 or 4: 3 (I strongly recommend this last option), where in this case you can also select a theme frame to fill the screen.
Also a number of filters have been added to modify the screen, with the emulation of the CRT effect, annoying but enjoyable for aficionados of the technological vintage. Apart from these solutions, the only changes are in the menus and the aesthetics of off-screen characters so to speak. Of course, sprites and pixel art are all wasted, all well-integrated in the Windjammers theme .
That being said, single player mode is represented by the classic arcade, in which they dress the role of one of the characters to face all the others and defeat them. Already in normal difficulty the game is a great challenge as well as an excellent tutorial to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of each athlete.
In the arena there are two mini-games (also played separately for being played individually), Dog Distance and Bowling. In the first one, you have to launch the frisbee and, as a dog, try to chase it then collect it by dodging the beach lazy bathers and other obstacles. On bowling there is little to say, except that in place of the three-hole ball you pull the frisbee.
