Review Sergeant_Arcade 5/5 · Apr 26, 2018
A Break from the Norm
Most Rhythm games on the market follow the standard "Guitar Hero" formula, or some slight variant. Hit the notes in sequence when they reach you, get a Full Combo, and maybe use some kind of Star Power mode to maximize your point earnings. One trait that all games within this genre share (aside from having some rocking tunes) is that …
Most Rhythm games on the market follow the standard "Guitar Hero" formula, or some slight variant. Hit the notes in sequence when they reach you, get a Full Combo, and maybe use some kind of Star Power mode to maximize your point earnings. One trait that all games within this genre share (aside from having some rocking tunes) is that they are extremely linear. There isn't much room for creativity or self expression.
When Floor Kids came out last year, I was blown away. Often compared to Tony Hawk Pro skater, the game takes place in a bustling city where people have forgotten the power of Funk. As an up and coming B-Boy, you travel to establishments such as an art studio, a grocery store, and the arcade to prove your break dancing skills and recruit new members.
The game is still point based. Using moves from all four categories--Uprock, Downrock, Freeze, and Power--You put on a performance like no other. Each character has their own strengths and weaknesses, and each has a unique style. Noogie has amazing Toprock moves, and Hiyo Ono's bizzare style can be described as "Contemporary". My personal favorite is O-Live, who reminds me of young Michael Jackson.
The main joy of the game is chasing after all five scoring factors. "Funk" can be improved by properly timing button presses and hitting all of the correct notes in the chorus section (a break in the action that acts as a sort of callback to traditional rhythm games). "Variety" is based on how many moves and tricks you utilize during your performance. You need to stay moving, keep your balance, and perform combos to get a good "Flow" score, and incorporate crowd requests to rack up mad points from the "Fire" factor. "Flyness" is a bit abstract; you need to perform tricks like hops, poses, holds, flips, and strobes. You can discover these in the sub menus.
All of this amounts to an exhilarating balancing act; trying to stay "fresh" while pleasing the crowd, performing combos and tricks, and keeping your rhythm is incredibly fun. If you're a gamer, the control scheme is hard to explain verbally but easy to grasp after a few performances. Floor Kids, with all of its funky original tracks and colorful cast, has a lot of replay value, and there is a multiplayer showdown mode which also includes a "burn" attack that can mess up your opponent.
One thing that kind of sucks is transitioning to power moves; it usually works, but depending on where you begin to rotate the stick, you may end up doing a flip instead or switching from toprock to downrock. It can be worked around with practice, though.
Overall, I love Floor Kids. Underappreciated at its Switch launch, it remains one of my favorite Indie games of all time. Absolutely worth it if you're a fan of rhythm games and want something fresh and freeform.