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Mac shufflepuck3/20/2023 I mean, everything is well put together: score board, playing field and top view field. The graphics are simple but well presented. So as soon as I got my iPhone I saw this game and even without reading one single review I purchased it (well, the price is more than fair and it is a lot less than I used to pay for a Palm game). I never played it in the real world but it fascinates me due the precision (power plus direction) it requires. You can see all previously published entries, and any confirmed as upcoming, by looking at this thread.I'm always trying this kind of game since Palm days. If you would like to suggest a game for discussion, please post to this forum thread. If you are interested in writing or contributing to a future Retro Game of the Week, please see here, or declare you interest on the forums. But, of these, the Amiga port seems fairly robust, and is your best bet if you can't play the Mac original.ĭid you ever play Shufflepuck Café? Share your memories of the game in the comments below. ![]() These ports all replace the aesthetically pleasing - and thematically consistent - black and white MacPaint visuals with often-garish colour schemes that struggle to reinforce the dank and murky atmosphere of an underground café filled with dodgy-looking air hockey enthusiasts. I have only ever played Shufflepuck Café on a Mac, the platform on which it was initially released back in 1988, but there are also versions for the Amiga, DOS, NES, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, NEC PC-9801, and Apple IIGS (this last one was leaked but never officially released). And you no longer have to worry about the mouse getting stuck at the most inopportune moment. Smoothly gliding your mouse across the surface beautifully reproduces the feel of gliding an actual paddle across the thin layer of compressed air of an air hockey table. The game benefits from the march of technology, with the mouse controls feeling far more comfortable using the optical mice of today than the roller ball mice of yesteryear. But it also offers a greater depth than the likes of Punch Out!, for there is an unpredictability to the puck's motion that stems from the broad range of actions and outcomes at your disposal. Each character has their own patterns and tells, and mastering them all is a simple game of patience. The respective play-style of each of your opponents may eventually become obvious to you, but until that moment you can get stuck in seemingly endless back-and-forth rallies - neither you nor your opponent willing to give even a hair-widths advantage.įor fans of the NES, it may seem reminiscent of Punch Out! - and in many ways it is. ![]() Try to overpower your opponent and you're just as likely to overpower yourself. Get careless while trying to do a wicked bounce shot and you'll end up bumping the puck into the wrong end of the table. If anything, it can be punishingly difficult. Every sound and animation is satisfying and lends a tangibility to the experience the donks and thwacks of the puck bouncing around the table, the sneers, taunts, or grunts of your opponent, and the smashing of glass all resonate sharply, giving a sense of being there. It is a far inferior game with the audio turned off. These character quirks extend to the gameplay, with some of them even doubling as tells for what your opponent will do next. Think twice before making your own paddle ridiculously wide - it may make defence easier, but your ability to send a crazy, unstoppable shot scooting towards your opponent will be severely hampered.Įach opponent has his/her/its own patterns and idiosyncrasies - many comedic, such as the serpent Lexan who sips champagne, hiccups, and eventually passes out, or the mysteriously calm alien Nerual, who periodically opens his (her?) robe to reveal a smirking face at around chest level. ![]() In one-off matches you can customise the playing conditions - increasing the size or power of your paddle, adding a weighted block to the centre of the table for a little unpredictability, or, if competing against the robot, modifying the attributes of your opponent. This begins with the feeble novice Skip Feeney, who'll compliment you on your fine skills, then steps up to a midget alien, a seasoned veteran shufflepuck player, an increasingly inebriated champagne-loving serpent, and onwards, eventually reaching the street-tough Biff, who is the reigning champion. In a tournament, you work your way up from the weakest to the strongest opponent - at least, you try to. You can challenge these regulars to one-off matches or enter a tournament.
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