Slap City
- March 5, 2018
- Ludosity
- 7h median play time
Slap City is a lighthearted platform fighter game featuring characters from the Ludosity universe. Players can battle it out in ranked or casual matches, both locally and online, or try their hand at the unique team-based game mode, Slap Ball. Each character has a distinct playstyle, ensuring a fresh experience for all players.
Reviews
- Slap City offers a fun and wacky experience with a unique cast of characters, each with their own distinct movesets.
- The game features smooth and responsive controls, making it easy to pick up while still offering depth for competitive play.
- The inclusion of advanced mechanics like wavedashing and the 'clutch' button adds a layer of complexity that appeals to both casual and hardcore players.
- The online player base is small, making it difficult to find matches outside of specific times or communities.
- The character roster is limited, which can lead to repetitive gameplay over time.
- Some players have reported issues with lag and connectivity during online matches, impacting the overall experience.
- gameplay277 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Slap City" is widely praised for its smooth mechanics and engaging combat, drawing heavy inspiration from "Super Smash Bros. Melee" while introducing unique elements like the "clutch" mechanic. Players appreciate the balance between accessibility for newcomers and depth for competitive play, with a diverse roster of characters that each offer distinct movesets. Despite some criticisms regarding the repetitiveness of the story mode and minor mechanical issues, the overall experience is described as fun, fast-paced, and filled with personality, making it a standout platform fighter.
“Personally, I really love this mechanic as it encourages you to get creative with the characters’ move sets and find the hidden items.”
“The gameplay is fast and fluid, online runs smooth for the most part, the characters are fun and full of personality, and the variety of game modes (with more coming) is very much welcomed.”
“The clutch mechanic is very fun and opens up tons of possibilities.”
“The gameplay is slow as hell; I can't see it as a Smash clone if it is so damn slow.”
“There is just one simple flaw that I must address: the story modes, the three included thus far at least, are nearly identical in terms of actual gameplay.”
“The mechanics are awful; there is noticeable input lag online, it's floaty, the character designs are very bad, the UI is bad, and each character's moveset is bad.”
- humor121 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its wacky, absurd, and charming nature, with players highlighting the hilarious character designs and animations that contribute to a fun and light-hearted atmosphere. Many reviews mention that the game successfully blends humor with solid gameplay mechanics, making it enjoyable for both casual and competitive players. Overall, the game's comedic elements, including funny dialogue and quirky character interactions, enhance the overall experience, making it a standout in the platform fighter genre.
“The characters are hilarious and light-hearted.”
“It's hilarious, silly, and a ton of fun with friends.”
“The combat is funky and the character design is irregular yet hilarious.”
“Not funny, didn't laugh.”
“Too much hitstun; I know the game is supposed to be funny, but the amount of hitstun is a little ridiculous.”
- story108 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story mode is generally praised for its humor, engaging character perspectives, and unlockable content, making it a fun experience despite some repetitiveness in level design. Players appreciate the quirky writing and character interactions, although some note that the platforming stages can feel similar across different characters. Overall, while the story mode offers enjoyable content, it could benefit from more varied gameplay elements to enhance replayability.
“Brawl, the story is told through each character’s perspective with each having their own different endings.”
“The story mode is amazing, its storyline adds some interesting lore to the game, and the ability to collect new costumes, music, and extras is very cool indeed.”
“One of the best platform fighters out there, with a meaty and extremely well-written story mode to boot.”
“The story mode is lazy junk.”
“There's a story mode for each character but they all play through the exact same levels; the developers couldn't even bother to rearrange the blocky assets into new levels.”
“So the story mode is the exact same thing repeated seven times but with different dialogue, dialogue that most of the time is completely contrived and phoned in to begin with.”
- music101 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received a largely positive reception, with many players praising its catchy and diverse soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. However, some users noted that the main theme can be repetitive and grating, and there are calls for more customization options for music selection. Overall, the soundtrack is described as charming and memorable, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“Overall, the presentation has to be one of the best I have seen in any video game, and Ludosity’s artists, musicians, and audio effects artists really knocked it out of the park here.”
“The soundtrack is fantastic, with 'Drop the Accordion' being my favorite.”
“The music is surprisingly good and the whole game has a really stupid and silly charm.”
“Most importantly, the main menu theme is very bad, and there is no way to change it or mute it without muting all of the game's music.”
“The ost leaves something to be desired, but that's what the options menu is for, right?”
“However, most of the music is forgettable and can barely even be heard.”
- graphics92 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the charming, colorful art style and cel-shading, while others criticize the simplistic and occasionally amateurish visuals. Despite some players finding the graphics dated or lacking polish, the overall aesthetic is often described as whimsical and fitting for the gameplay, contributing to a fun and engaging experience. While the visuals may not compete with higher-budget titles, they are seen as endearing and complement the game's quirky character designs and humor.
“Visually speaking, I absolutely love the art style of the game, especially the cel-shading of the characters. The background stages also look awesome to play in, especially the story mode levels.”
“The colorful, vibrant art style immediately draws you in, and it's home to a quirky cast of characters, some of which you might recognize from other indie games.”
“The graphics are pretty good and funny for a small game, but some of my less fortunate friends with toasters for computers do have to decrease their graphics quality to play.”
“Great gameplay, but horrendously bad graphics.”
“The graphics might be pretty bad, but everything else is extremely good.”
“The lack of polish in the aesthetic departments makes it a lot harder to play the game for long periods of time, while it also makes it harder to frequently come back to the game, since it doesn't really catch your eye just from looking at it.”
- character development18 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highlighted by its unique and whimsical character designs, which are both charming and memorable, contributing to a fun and engaging gameplay experience. Players appreciate the variety and creativity in character abilities, as well as the humorous writing that enhances the overall presentation. While some critiques mention a limited number of characters and mechanical issues, the overall sentiment is that the character designs and their distinct movesets are a standout feature that keeps players invested.
“Tight, precise controls like melee along with the new 'clutch' button to make the game bonkers at times on multiple levels, goofy story mode that keeps you wanting to grab all the color changes, outfits for characters, and hidden audio tracks, not to mention behind the scenes of each character development, which by the way all are free and can be unlocked; nobody is doing that anymore lol.”
“The character designs are on point, with every single character in it having multiple fun tricks up their sleeve and none that feel like clones from smash games.”
“I adore this game, the character designs are wacky and unique, but they work.”
“The mechanics are awful, there is noticeable awful input lag online, it's floaty, the character designs are very bad, the UI is bad, each character's moveset is bad.”
“The character designs and moves are just so very humorous, although this game doesn't have items (power-ups etc), which would be good for party game chaos.”
“Character designs are goofy and charming with the signature of the bunch being Mr. Fish-Duck-Man that throws 120-pound dumbbells and flattens you by doing a trust fall exercise.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, optimization feedback for the game is mixed; while some players report excellent performance with no frame rate drops on various devices, others experience significant stuttering and performance issues, particularly in multiplayer modes. Despite these inconsistencies, many users appreciate the game's ability to run smoothly on lower-end hardware.
“The performance in this game was awesome and consistent; I did not experience any frame rate drops on my Steam Deck.”
“I had great performance and the gameplay was very smooth with no notable glitches, probably a game worth trying if you enjoy platform fighters.”
“The game was unplayable in multiplayer with intense stuttering and performance drops.”
“Other than that, and a bit of stuttering online, it seems like this is going to be a game I'm coming back to very often.”
“The engine is really optimized; I managed to play this at 30 fps on my low-spec laptop with integrated Intel 3000 graphics at a resolution that isn't complete garbage.”
- emotional7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, highlighting its ability to evoke strong feelings ranging from heartbreak over its demise to joy and laughter during gameplay. The blend of intense competition and heartfelt moments leads to experiences that can trigger both tears of frustration and joy, showcasing the game's profound impact on players' emotions.
“For a few days, this game made me feel like I wasn't fatigued, jaded, and old.”
“Something about this one just seems more heartfelt.”
“Once I lost, I cried; I cried so much that I cried a lot.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its goofy and lighthearted aesthetic, enhancing the overall enjoyment and immersion. The music and stage designs contribute to a fun, competitive environment that balances humor with solid gameplay mechanics, making it accessible yet challenging. Overall, it successfully captures the casual party vibe that defines platform fighters, setting it apart from more serious competitors.
“The atmosphere this game has makes it more enjoyable as it capitalizes on the goofy nature of its aesthetic, and never really taking itself too seriously, which works great with this sort of gameplay.”
“The music in this game is wonderful, and each stage has an interesting atmosphere which helps me get immersed into this great game.”
“Rather than trying to just copy high-level melee as many of its peers do, Slap City instead captures the casual party atmosphere that platform fighters excel at.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, particularly through the enjoyment of mastering different characters, making it a worthwhile purchase for single-player experiences. However, it lacks the extensive replayability found in titles like Smash, and players suggest that adding more characters and features like a map creator could enhance longevity. Overall, while the game is fun and accessible, its replay value may vary depending on player preferences.
“The single player is also extremely fun with replay value for each character, that makes it worth the $20 price tag alone.”
“This is a genuinely great game that runs on every potato I throw at it and the amount of replayability is unbelievable.”
“Doesn't have the replayability that Smash does.”
“Add in more playable characters and maybe a map creator, and this will fill you over until SSBU.”
“Replayability: in a game like this, most of the replayability will be learning the characters.”
- stability6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
Overall, "Slap City" offers a smooth gameplay experience with great performance, though it is still in early access and has some bugs that can be amusing. While most players report minimal glitches, issues with netcode, particularly during multiplayer matches, can lead to freezing, especially with four players. Despite these stability concerns, many find the game enjoyable and worth trying for fans of platform fighters.
“It runs great; I didn't feel any different from playing locally with a Wii U adapter and two GameCube controllers.”
“It's like melee except all of the glitches melee has are intentional here.”
“Overall, Slap City may still be in early access, so it is quite buggy but laughable and still worth the price as of now.”
“The only negative thing I've stumbled across is the netcode is basically Super Smash Bros for Wii U/3DS where it freezes and takes a decade to finally catch up and continue the action.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players note that grinding is a significant aspect of the game, often requiring substantial time investment to progress, with some suggesting that a second life or additional resources may be necessary to manage the grind effectively.
“Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
“The grind is satisfying and offers a real sense of progression.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Grinding feels like a never-ending chore that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
“The amount of grinding required to progress is overwhelming and tedious.”