Believe it or not, Nitrome has just released another new game just days after Headcase and Pest Control. This one is for the MTV Arcade and it's called Twang. As the sound of the title implies, Twang is all about flinging a ball by pulling on nodes that connect pieces of platforms together. The resulting slingshot motion sends you flying around the stage hoping for a safe place to land.
Twang is entirely mouse-driven, simply grab the smiling nodes and pull back in any direction. The angle and intensity of your tug makes all the difference, so if you want to go high pull straight down, but if you want to move forward, give the node a little nudge in the opposite direction. With practice you can get the subtle nuanced flinging to send you almost anywhere you desire.
Analysis: While Twang shows the same level of polish and style as other Nitrome games, I can't help but feel it comes off as a little random. Blind luck is always a part of gaming, but in Twang every toss rolls the dice and gives you very little control over the outcome. It's the same sort of feeling I get when playing pinball. Practice, as always, curbs the randomness, but it's still a little too uncontrollable for my taste.
One of the best things about Nitrome games is the variety of new obstacles and creatures that appear as you progress through the levels. Twang is no different, introducing a number of fun twists just when you start to get used to everything.
Worth its weight in rubber bands (maybe twice over!), Twang is a fun and wacky game of platforming physics. And you just gotta love that twanging sound.
You can also play Twang at the MTV Arcade.
This game is great! I love the music!
This is awesome. First game from nitrome that is crazy fun in a long time
Whoah, does Nitrome never stop? Or do they have an army of programmers working for them?
Anyone else having trouble getting this one to load? I tried FireFox and the dread IE, but had no luck.
Loads all right for me (FF 2.0.0.9). Also:
Yay! Three Nitrome games to complete in one week! What are they planning, I ask myself? Do they want to boost the company's value before they launch it at the stock market?
I really liked this game so far (lvl 9 and going strong), but it becomes apparent once more that the small screen size is a nuisance, what with the twanging and jumping and all that.
Another game! =D This is like Christmas and my birthday and Thanksgiving all together!
Love it. The gameplay is fresh but intuitive, and actually is a nice break from other mouse-powered Nitrome games, which mostly consist of grab-onto-something-and-swing-to-continue.
The music and sound effects are charming. I love the sound the stars make when you get them. XD It's just so rewarding.
Another great game by Nitrome. :D <3 Thanks for sharing!
Great game, love the music, however:
I STILL haven't been able to send my score (after the 'Headcase' disaster)and I KNOW people are watching out for me, my fans are waiting... *big-headed*
Other than that, a great addition to the recent chain of games.
It's true, the stars' sound is soothing. Not soothing enough to keep me from shouting out four-letter-words when I miss the target in the 20s levels (23 at the moment). As usual when it comes to Nitrome games, the learning curve/balance goes up and down pretty often while you progress through the levels.
Another game from Nitrome. I like to change my other comment. This is a great game, but Headcase is good to. This web site rocks. So does Jay :]
Nice, but the physics are a bit wonky. I managed to knock myself through the "ceiling" of level 7 right before it stopped, but couldn't get back onto the course.
I LOVE slingshot-type games, this was a real treat today =)
Happy Thanksgiving, JIG!
One of the help-bubbles says "Beware, enemies will hurt your ball"
Nastly little things... :D
Yes, there are some very minor problems with the physics engine, such as the fact that you can push your ball back down through a green string although the green ones are supposed to let you through only when you're coming up. But nevertheless, this game is quite enjoyable and a lot less frustrating than the other two Nitrome games this week, Headcase and Pest Control. Still, I am wondering why Nitrome make the difficulty curve so uneven... level 24, for example, is quite difficult, whereas 25 is a Sunday afternoon walk down to the ice cream parlor.
What I enjoyed most was once more the beautiful graphics, especially the backgrounds. Oh yes, and the whimsical humour in the endscreen.
"Yay! Three Nitrome games to complete in one week! What are they planning, I ask myself? Do they want to boost the company's value before they launch it at the stock market?"
Maybe it's their way of saying "We're sorry" because of all the problems and bad reputation they have gained with their recent games?
I never noticed there was a big problem/bad reputation gained with any game apart from the YinYang rip-off accusations... would you care to expand on your comment?
I think I'm the only one that wasn't able to get the ball to get past it's starting position... sigh.
Groogokk, actually I wasn't talking about that, although it could certainly have been a contributing factor.
What I was referring to, was the many complaints that have been in the comments here, about the controls with most of their recently released games.
I read JIG a lot but I never post, but I just wanted to say that what sells this game for me is the fact that the sound the bonus stars make when you grab them is harmonically adapted to be in key with the background music at any given moment. It's such a minor detail but it's extremely novel to me. Can anyone else hear what I'm talking about and can perhaps explain it in better terms than I did?
Another great game from nitrome - but try as hard as I may, I just CANNOT get past level three! how on earth do you pass the light blue lines - which we are told "move as a group" someone please just a little help - thanks leslie
The level where all you have to do is letting that angry black ball roll dwn and clear its way is damn hard to complete without a mistake. A nice challenge.
Does anyone else have a problem where if the ball comes to rest against one of the light blue shapes, the game won't let you move the shape from any of its faces? I keep getting stuck on level 7 unable to do anything...
Ive had the same problem with it. Just double click random spots on the smiley faces on the head and on the lines until it moves. Then clicking on the smilies itself should work fine. It did for me at least.
I've had that problem as well, Xava. I find that if you pause and unpause the game, the blue shapes will move for you.
Groogokk, so you're saying that it is possible to pass level 18? that is news to me. no matter what I do i just cannot get the superhuman mouse control needed to pass that level.
@ Xava: Yes, I had that problem too and did what Seth did.
@ Sidd Finch: Well, level 18 may be nerve-racking because the light blue shapes don't always move when and how you want them to. But at least your ball comes to a rest somewhere safe most of the time, and you can take things slowly (which doesn't happen in lvl 24, for example). If you refer to the shoot-the-ball-up-the-slope action at the end of the level, I have this (however tiny) hint for you:
I noticed that the ball gets slighly faster when you push it up while it's still moving down. So don't pull the light blue shape down together with the ball, but pull the shape down quickly, wait for the ball to start rolling down and then release the blue shape to hit the ball while it's still moving downwards. That usually gives it enough momentum to go past the next light blue shape. You still have to grab that shape quickly enough to stop the ball from rolling back down, of course. :-/
If you were referring to the part of the level just before that point, where the ball does not come to a safe rest, my advice is: Take your time and do it slowly. It's not "Game over" when you run out of time, you just don't get any time bonus points.
Good luck ;-)
If you use the purple thing to get down to the lava and it's still holding on to you, you won't die :)
I can't see any possible way to beat level 8. i've been trying for half an hour. anyone have a clue?
That "light blue shape = can't move" bug is supremely annoying.
Yet another example of Nitrome pumping out potentially great ideas way too fast and not spending enough time making sure they function well.
Attention people at Nitrome: Quality is better than Quantity!
I have a theory why they might have been pumping out a lot of games quickly lately. Well, actually I have 2.
1. Maybe he's gonna get a really big break for the holidays and he;s going to hibernate this winter so he's trying to give us as much games as he can before he goes away or....
2. He's getting ready to make a new sequel for a game and i remember that last time he did that (hot air 2) there was a long time without any games so he's trying to give us as many games as he can before he starts getting busy
Why else would he have given us 3 games in one week ( this being the third)
@ newandused/level 8: While I'd be glad to help, I am unwilling to write a walkthrough for the whole level. What exactly seems to be the problem?
Gaah, did anyone else find Level 18 annoying?
With all those blue node groups...
Am I the only one that's annoyed by level 21? Any hints on getting the jumps right?
@ lvl 21: I always pulled the nodes for full power, only adjusting the angle. That keeps things simple.
You can also try to memorize where you have to pull the node compared to the background (e.g. pull it to the left of the little tree, to the middle of that slope etc.). You need to be patient with that method, however, because the background keeps scrolling for a second or two when you twang the string.
Thanks Groogokk! I'm stuck on that level, I'll try that.
Finally got the hang it and I'm loving it. Where can we download the music for this please??
i cant get past level 4!!! need a walkthrough please!!!!!
Can you explain me level 17? I cannot figure it out!
I can't get past level 21.
I keep dieing at the second higher groups of nodes.
How do you do Level 23?
@ Blechy- all I offer is... keep trying, you'll eventually do it.
Never mind, I figured it out ;)
@ person and Charlotte: If you were just a bit more specific as to what the problem in that level is, someone here might actually post help.
@ Blechy: If you've made it to the higher group of nodes, finishing the level is just a question of more practice and time. For that higher group, I actually used the advice I wrote about in my post about lvl 21 (aligning the node you pull with the background).
OK Groogok
I made it to the third high section of nodes but I died.
Naybe I just need to practice just like you and Dav said
Okay, i love this game, but i'm stuck at level 15?
can some one tell me how to do it.
I've been working for like 3 days.
helpp please!
cant get past level 17!?!?!?! how do you get it up at the top?? i cant figure it out?!?!?!? HELP
Some problem with lvl 9. Don't know how to get past every thing down the way. Some hint how to do it?
What is the song name? I really love it, but don't know the name and don't know who is singing
on level 9, if you take the first purple line at the very beginning, and pull it out straight to the right, you can go to the very end and just experement on where to let the ball drop.
any help for lvl 13?
omg someone has to help me on level 15, i just don't know what ot do and it's driving me crazy!! i've been alternating between this and headcase all week, swapping every time i get stuck!! am i looking at the puzzle all wrong, is there an easier way to get the ball up and to the right?? thanks
i need help on lvl 15 too!!
I'd rather have one good game every 3 months than three crappy ones in one week. I also believe Nitrome has hired new game developers who haven't taken any game design classes. You need some wierd combination of ESP to see what is off the screen, lightning reflexes to catch twangs as the screen flies by, and the stubbornness of a mule trying over and over again to get through this game. Being an average human, I lack two of the three, and the third just isn't what I would call "fun". In all fairness (and to end in a positive note), I think many of the Nitrome games have good background ideas, but recently they have had awful development and execution. I haven't played a Nitrome game to the end in a long time. Feel free to pass this on to them.
Level 15 is pretty straightforward for me. Could you explain what you're having trouble with? (btw, I've completed all Nitrome games, so if anyone has trouble with any of them, let me know)
Also, I uploaded some videos on Youtube showing some... bizarre things you can do on the last level of Twang.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=L9tG_Cs83Rc
http://youtube.com/watch?v=j62Zkq7OKBE
ok, on level 15, i keep getting stuck in that little crevase and you somehow have to get up to and stay on the next level of the red line. i can't get it.
Do you mean at the start? There you just shoot straight up and the ceiling curve puts the ball on track. Then there's a section where you go from red flinger to red flinger to the top, and then, following the stars and the arrow, you pull the end of the very top down to go onto a red flinger below, which you pull up and the tunnel carries you to a star shaped flinging area. Then you go from point to point, and when in the left-most point, fling yourself to the right. Then just go down to the end of the level.
I hope I answered your question.
Dearest Hydra, I can't get my ball past level 13. The one that starts with the light blue group of twang lines, which you have to use to get the ball to do a 360, practically. How???
i can't get up to the red flinger after you shoot up at the very beginning..
For 13, just pull the flinger straight back as far as it can go, maybe slightly down too, and release once the ball is against it. It should go around relatively easily.
For 15, do you mean the V shape with the \ / above it? If you do, just pull straight down until it stops, then release. It should go between the \ /, hit the ceiling, and go to the next section.
no. i can get past that part.
it's just right after that.
thanks
Ok, on the bottom red slope, fling yourself up and to the right to the red bumper. Pull that, fling yourself to the left to a red V. Fling yourself to the right, and and pull the end of the red curve to make yourself fall down to the right, following the stars and the arrow.
Thank you so much! I thought it was the light blu twang lines bug, but it isn't. Thank you! I was stuck for f3 days on that one...>
Some one please tell me how to complete Level 17??
It seems impossible to me :/
Thanks!
I can't get past level 11, please help!!
11 - down, down, right, right, up, right, down, down, right, down, left, left, down, right, right.
17 - Just keep going up. There's really not much to say.
i need help on level 15
the part where its a pink line but then a blue one on top
hey! i can't get past level 13 after you get through the swirly thing! help! please and thank you!
LEVEL 24 HELP?
13 - An evil level. Fling yourself to the left, hit a bumper, and have it bounce you into the sign. The whole of that level is made of similar concepts. There's not really a secret to passing it, just be patient and keep trying.
15 - Move left a little. Fling up to the right, up to the left, up to the right, pull down the line to follow the stars and arrow down to the right.
24 - Sorry, I have no info to give here, as it's a level that I myself despise and have trouble passing. All I can say is good luck, it's a stinker.
How do you get past level 12? At the end.
What I do for level 12 is use the purple stretchy, use the end to hold Black Ball against the left wall, and then lift him up to victory. It's easy, fast, safe, and not the way you're supposed to do it. ^_^
I'd upload videos, but Youtube seems to be having troubles... >_>
Im really thick and having a blonde moment...how do you get past the first bit on level 1?
Can someone please tell me how to beat level 18
@ J: Please mention where you are stuck. If you can't even start, go to help or try adjusting the angle of the string - so instead of pulling it down, pull it down AND towards the left (i.e.: instead of \/, do |/ ).
@ Anonymous: Please tell us/me where's your problem. Also check older posts - they might help. You don't have to read all of them - just press Cntrl+F and type in '18'. Hope this helps! Also, pull back the light blue nodes to the maximum, then wait till the ball almost touches it and release. Sometimes this may not be enough, so try doing this and catching the ball with the next group of nodes. Worked for me!
In level 11, how do you go up that first time in the walkthrough?
Can anyone help me get pass level 7?
Could someone please help with level 13!?
@ Q: To go up next to the cantankerous orange pirate flying thing - or whatever you call it,
pull the top node/red twang-stringand place it beside the ball
(hope the ASCII below works - how do you do monospace font tags???)
An ASCII Guide
Key: O = bad guy
# = you (the ball)
| = half of a twang string/node
1. Your ball is inside the square with the enemy.
______
| O |
|#_____|
2. You pull back the left node/twang string, then release it!
______ _____
/ O | => | O |
/#______| => twang! | ____#|
3. You pull back the top node/twang string, putting it behind the ball. (Tip: so as not to put the ball back in its original place - see 1. - click and hold to the string, then without moving it, just pull your mouse to the left along it. Here you have a shorter node!)
|\ O |
|_\#__|
4. Move it a bit to the right (touch the corner with the ball) and up we go!
The bad guy is under the node/twang string
____#
| \ | => | |
|__ \#| => |_____|
Hope this helps!
HELP ON 21!!!!!!
@ MJB: Look at the older posts, but I'm having problems with that level too. On the other hand, here's a tip:
1. Just imagine there's a line between all of the nodes:
\ /\/____\/
Now, if we still imagine the line, pull back the node ALONG the invisible line
\/ => |/
And release. Just adjust the angle, as Hydra said sometime ago.
All I can say is, keep trying until you eyes fall out of your head and you throw your computer out the nearest window. I can not stand level 21, and all I can say is good luck. I typically die 10-20 times trying to pass that level. :-P
help with level 15?
There's already quite a bit of info here on level 15, I suggest you take a look. ;-)
It's a miracle! After 2 weeks I finished level 21!!! YES!!! Just like Hydra said, my eyeballs were popping out, I was ready to throw out the computer thru the window and myself after it. My advice - keep trying...
PS Remember that before posting questions, scroll or find (Ctrl+F) any advice that might have beeen already posted about that level. Also, specify where your problem is.
I have the newest version of Internet Explorer (it's 7...I think!!!) and in the old one I had all the plug-ins such as the newest version of Flash. Before when I didn't, a window popped out saying that this sight requires ... from ... By clicking it you installed it but now I can't play Twang - I can't get Flash! Does anybody else have this problem? When you click Internet Explorer it leads you not to your homepage but to a site saying that all of your applications/acessories/applets (rough Polish-English translation) are turned off. When you go in tools you can't turn them on, though. Anybody???
Hmmm, the only recommendation I can think of is to switch to Firefox. IE is bust, slow, and overall horrible. Firefox has handy features such as tabs (they got them before IE did) and ad-blocking. I gave up using IE long ago.
Please help.
Cant get past the very first bit on level 13.
Really starting to annoy me.
How do i get through the level??
Hmm...Thanks Hydra! But it's not my computer - I'll have to ask first. Oh well.
Lvl 17 help plz help how do you get past the starrting point!!! Thanks
13 - Pull the flinger to the left and slightly down and black ball should make it around no problem.
17 - Pull straight down and release.
i've read thru all the lvl 15 help, and none of it is helping.
i'm stuck at the very beginning. i've flung from the v uner the \ /, off of the blue barrier and into this trap. i keep trying to fling out of it and onto the next red barrier, but i'm not quick enough to catch the barrier.
try as i might, i just can't move forward. i figure i've gotten this far, i can finish it if i just get past this point. i'm sure someone else has had issues with it.
blaaa!!! i can't get up the hill on level 18!! it's the third blue thing hen i try and catch the ball in it it keeps falling back down and i can't push it up. please help me!
15 - Well, I really have nothing to say. Sometimes you have to be really fast to pass a level.
18 - Do not wait for Black Ball to settle on the flingers. Often there's really high friction in Twang, and you can use that to your advantage. Fling the bumps as Black Ball is about to hit them, and they will fling him uphill. Waiting for Black Ball to settle on the flinger bumps just makes things difficult.
Hi everybody, hope your all having a good time playing, but isn't it time someone wrote a walkthrough? People are starting to repeat similar questions and we have practically all the info - I even started making an ASCII guide, which I can continue :P. Um...by the way...there is no info on level 23 and they all just get harder!!! Grr...How do you pass it? The blue pulsing balls, I mean.
I found a place on level 6.This place has a lot of stars
I've found that place on level 6 too.
23 - Keep your ball at a low point and transfer from low point to low point. It takes practice but it gets easier.
Anyway, if uploading videos on Youtube will work for me again, I could do a video walkthrough for Twang like I did for Hot Air 1. It's just not as fun a thing to walkthrough though as I'm not nearly as good at it as I am at Hot Air.
i need help on lvl 20 pleasee!!
i need some help on level 15 plzz!?
I really need help with level 14, this is super hard! :(
i don't get level 20....help...PLEASE?!?
plzz help me on level 24! i am really stuck! i sometimess get up to the FIRST level but then whenever i try to get to the next, either i hit a blue electricity thing or i just slide off! :S any advice?
Lvl 18 - I am now willing to kill myself.
i need some help on level 15!!!
i get stuck in the little space with the red lines and the blue line on top.
not the \/ but right after.
i cant pass lvl 13 can somone help?!?!?!i dont know how to get rounf the dark blue spirally thing!i can go inside it but cant foce twang through it aagain!!!!
some1 plz help!
16 is a challenge!! ;D
OMG!!!! How do you pass level 17!! Someone help.
Level 21 please!
how do you beat lv. 13
I completed the game ages ago, but here's what the ending says:
Black Ball grinned as he looked at his winnings. Blue Ball looked on tearful. Why did he have to bet that Black Ball could cross the magic ocean without getting wet?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's a completly different matter:
Why did Microsoft remove the XP Media Center theme for the release of Vista? It was a nice theme, and it requires Luna, which they also ditched. I hope Windows 7, the next version of Windows, provides us with them.
Never mind. Found one :-). Yay!
Could someone tell me how to get past Lvl 10? The place where it says,"If you want to get into the right-hand basket, you'll have to pick the perfect moment!" Please!
I am totally stuck on level 15. Right after you fling up through the \/ section I get trapped where the blue lines are above me. I've been able to fling myself up a little to grab onto another pink section, but that does me no good because when I let go I just get stuck again.
LVL 7 walkthrough:
Lift up the first blue one and let him through.
Lift up the second blue one and let him through.
Lift up the third blue one, let him through then put it under him it use it as an elevator-like to put him on the dark blue ones.
When you go on the pink lines, fling into the right-up and lift the blue thing to let him through.
Lift him into the one right-up and when the dino-thing is into let him through.
Do the same with the second one.
The third one, put the purple face in the hole, It takes a few trys but you CAN get it right.
Lift up the blue one and let him through.
Then lift down the blue line and lift it up again when you get on, do this FAST.
Roll into the other line and when you're on lift it up to the other line, do this fast too.
Now, you are at the finish!
There.
But how do you get through LVL 15?
I can't get past level 15. Help please.
How do you get past level 1? I just can't figure it out.
I know i'm about a year late but can anyone help me with 18?
I have been working on level eight for about 7 days now! Help with level 8!
Spoiler would be nice.
I remember why I quit this game the first time I tried it. I'm getting really frustrated by level after level that depends entirely on your luck at grabbing a node while the screen is bouncing all around, and if you fail, you have to repeat a whole string of difficult moves all over again.
The screen needs to sit still more, or allow me to zoom out. This is really frustrating, especially on level 15.
Again, level 21 help?
I know no one is on at the moment, but when someone sees this could they please tell me how to beat lvl 14? I can't pass the first cannon guy!! xp Plz help!
level 14, that was a bit easy for me but, I did it first time. Do you want to know how to do it?
ok then
Its all about timing. Just twang into the second red pot. Then ping straight up at the right moment and that advice will help you all the time on this level
Hope it helps you Natty.
Someone help me out on level 11!!! I know it is probably easy but it is early in the morning and i am tired and can't figure it out! help me please!!!!
[Edit: Please do not only use capitals. Thanks, Kayleigh]
How do you do level 15? I can't get past the part where there's an almost flat platform, because I keep slipping off! :( wahh a spoiler please.
I need a walkthrough for level 13! I stuck at the very begining please help if you can!
thanks
Hey, so I need help on LEVEL 18.
Specifically, you know when there's a sign that says something like, "WARNING! Unstable fixed shapes ahead. Be very careful whilst twanging."
I keep falling down once there's a hole then a triangle part. Any tips?
Update