Spare Parts (video game)
Encyclopedia
Spare Parts is a platform
video game developed by EA Bright Light and published by Electronic Arts
. It was released on January 18, 2011 for PlayStation 3
and January 19, 2011 on Xbox 360
. It features cooperative gameplay
for up to two players. Players can unlock new abilities which can be upgraded, and can also unlock new characters to play as. The story revolves around a pair of robots which become stranded on a planet by a race known as the Krofax. As the robots explore the planet they discover an abandoned spaceship. The ship's computer (voiced by Simon Pegg
) informs them that they can find the parts necessary to repair the ship scattered throughout the planet. The robots then set off to find the necessary parts in the hopes of escaping the planet.
The game received mediocre reception from reviewers. Scores average in the 50% range for both the PlayStation 3 at aggregate website GameRankings. Reviewers gave generally high remarks for the presentation of the game, with some commenting on the bright colors of the environment and voice acting by Simon Pegg as points of praise. Gameplay was subject to mixed reception from critics. While some critics enjoyed the simplicity of the combat, others felt it did not engage the player enough to be enjoyable. Negative comments were also directed towards the game's camera system; critics felt that the fixed camera did not allow the freedom of similar platform games. In its first two weeks, Spare Parts moved over 15,000 units.
. It features local and online cooperative gameplay, and players can drop in and out on the fly. The game features incentives for cooperative play, such as special moves that can only be executed with two players. The game does not feature an AI companion when playing single player. The game has an average play length of between five to seven hours to complete the game, with approximately ten hours to reach 100% completion.
The player characters can be upgraded with different items which enhance abilities or grant new ones, such as x-ray vision, power arms, which allow the character to lift heavy objects, and rocket boots which allow temporary flight. Items acquired can be upgraded via in-game currency found throughout the game. Additionally, during cooperative games players may receive bonuses when certain items are equipped and in use simultaneously. Players will also be tasked with rescuing other robots stranded on the planet. Once found and repaired, players can use these robots to play through the game.
Mar-T and Chip journey across the planet, rescuing other stranded robots and recovering parts for the craft. Shortly after exiting one of the planet's caves the robots learn from Con-Rad that the Krofax have constructed a surface-to-air laser that will destroy the ship upon takeoff if not disabled. Con-Rad further reveals that the Krofax leader, Lord Krung, wants to capture the spaceship and use Con-Rad's technologies for nefarious purposes. The robotic pair sabotage the laser which fires lethal shot to Lord Krung's cruiser as it explodes. Awakening on the surface of the planet, Krung sets the self-destruct on what remains of his vessel, threatening to destroy the entire planet.
Krung is confronted within the remains of his ship. The robotic duo defeat the Krofax leader and disarm the self-destruct. Krung makes an attempt at escape, however he and his minions defeated just outside by Mar-T and Chip. Krung drops the final crucial part for Con-Rad's spacecraft, and the robots return to the ship and begin their escape from the planet. As the vessel begins to leave orbit, Con-Rad detects movement in the hangar bay; Lord Krung survived their recent battle and has stowed away. Mar-T and Chip open the cargo bay doors, depressurizing the cargo bay. The equip their magnetic boots and eject Krung from the ship, victorious.
Spare Parts was developed by EA Bright Light and published by Electronic Arts
. It was announced June 11, 2010 and subsequently shown three days later at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. The ship's computer is voiced by English actor Simon Pegg
, known for the lead role in Shaun of the Dead
. Pegg cited HAL 9000
from the Space Odyssey series, Mother from the film Alien
, and GERTY from the film Moon
as inspirations for his character. Of the game's cooperative emphasis, Pegg said during an interview with IGN
"it's a great exercise in cooperation [...], it's like team building."
In an interview with Casualgaming.biz, EA Bright Light's Gary Napper said of the target audience "I like to think that we’ve made a game for everybody. It feels like it’s a young person's game, but it’s the sort of game I hope a lot of older players, like myself, will play." Napper cited Ratchet & Clank
series as one source of inspiration for the game. He also cited the platform genre in general, adding that he "couldn’t really call out a specific title" as the main influence for the game. In his interview with IGN, Simon Pegg commented on the visual influences for the game. He cited Japanese manga
and cyberpunk
elements and added "it's a good representation of contemporary science fiction."
The developers placed emphasis on cooperative gameplay, and provided incentives available only when playing cooperatively. In an interview with Destructoid
, Gary Napper stated "we didn't want to make it just two players running around and doing the same thing, we want to make it so they can do stuff better." Napper further explained the dynamic in his interview with Casualgaming.biz. "There’s things in the game that you can do, like if you both double jump at the same time, you perform a high-five which gives you a health pack" stated Napper. Napper said that the developers wanted players to work together, so the incentives provide a way to encourage cooperative play. Other examples of cooperative play incentive include puzzles which require a second player. While none of these puzzles are necessary to solve in order to complete a level, bonus items and other robot characters can be unlocked by completing these sequences.
. The PlayStation 3 version of the game fared similarly, with an aggregate score of 50.20% at GameRankings and 50/100 at Metacritic. Individual review scores ranged from a 40% approval from Eurogamer
's Dan Whitehead to an 80% approval rating from Chris Buffa of RunDLC. In its first two weeks, Spare Parts moved over 15,000 units.
Critics were generally favorable of the game's art design and audio. Multiple critics praised the use of comedic actor Simon Pegg. Chris Buffa of RunDLC stated that Pegg's performance "gives Spare Parts much needed personality, thanks to often times humorous dialogue." David Collins, reviewer for GameFocus, also gave high marks for Pegg's performance. Collins felt, however, that it was "unfortunate that the script work didn’t use Simon Pegg as well as it could have." He did however give high commentary to the game's visuals. "The cartoony art style and vibrant color pallet is sure to appeal to all ages" said Collins. GameSpot
's Jeremiah Leif Johnson stated the Spare Parts has "colorful, lively characters and environments" and added "Mar-T and Chip have a few endearing animations, the minions ooze with diabolical cuteness, and the world is unfailingly colorful and upbeat."
Multiple reviewers expressed frustration with the game's camera system. Specifically, they commented on the set camera angles and the fact that the camera could not be rotated. Some reviewers added that the fixed camera angles often caused problems when playing cooperatively. Kristine Steimer and Colin Moriarty of IGN
stated players will "end up fighting with your partner for the stubbornly-fixed camera's attention." Dan Whitehead stated simply that the camera system in cooperative mode was "horrible".
Gameplay mechanics received mixed commentary from reviewers. Chris Buffa of RunDLC praised the fact that the game has several items for the player to find and collect. He also gave high marks for the various upgrades which can be equipped to the characters. GameSpot's Jeremiah Leif Johnson felt that the game lacked direction in regards to its upgrades and their use in the game environment. "[It's] often impossible to figure out which of these tools you need to use next without resorting to help" he noted. Johnson also felt the combat consisted of "repetitive button-mashing". David Collins of GameFocus noted that the although the game allows players to defeat all enemies by "[spamming] the basic attack button" that each enemy had a weakness which was more susceptible to a specific combat move.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game developed by EA Bright Light and published by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
. It was released on January 18, 2011 for PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and January 19, 2011 on Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. It features cooperative gameplay
Cooperative gameplay
Cooperative gameplay is a feature in video games that allows players to work together as teammates. It is distinct from other multiplayer modes, such as competitive multiplayer modes like player versus player or deathmatch...
for up to two players. Players can unlock new abilities which can be upgraded, and can also unlock new characters to play as. The story revolves around a pair of robots which become stranded on a planet by a race known as the Krofax. As the robots explore the planet they discover an abandoned spaceship. The ship's computer (voiced by Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg is an English actor, comedian, writer, film producer, and director. He is best known for having co-written and stared in various Edgar Wright features, mainly Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and the comedy series Spaced.He also portrayed Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the 2009 Star Trek film...
) informs them that they can find the parts necessary to repair the ship scattered throughout the planet. The robots then set off to find the necessary parts in the hopes of escaping the planet.
The game received mediocre reception from reviewers. Scores average in the 50% range for both the PlayStation 3 at aggregate website GameRankings. Reviewers gave generally high remarks for the presentation of the game, with some commenting on the bright colors of the environment and voice acting by Simon Pegg as points of praise. Gameplay was subject to mixed reception from critics. While some critics enjoyed the simplicity of the combat, others felt it did not engage the player enough to be enjoyable. Negative comments were also directed towards the game's camera system; critics felt that the fixed camera did not allow the freedom of similar platform games. In its first two weeks, Spare Parts moved over 15,000 units.
Gameplay
Spare Parts is a platform gamePlatform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
. It features local and online cooperative gameplay, and players can drop in and out on the fly. The game features incentives for cooperative play, such as special moves that can only be executed with two players. The game does not feature an AI companion when playing single player. The game has an average play length of between five to seven hours to complete the game, with approximately ten hours to reach 100% completion.
The player characters can be upgraded with different items which enhance abilities or grant new ones, such as x-ray vision, power arms, which allow the character to lift heavy objects, and rocket boots which allow temporary flight. Items acquired can be upgraded via in-game currency found throughout the game. Additionally, during cooperative games players may receive bonuses when certain items are equipped and in use simultaneously. Players will also be tasked with rescuing other robots stranded on the planet. Once found and repaired, players can use these robots to play through the game.
Synopsis
The story is set around a pair of robots, Mar-T and Chip, who become stranded on a junkyard planet by an alien race known as the Krofax. As they journey they discover an abandoned spacecraft. Con-Rad, the ship's computer, informs the pair that the planet contains enough spare parts to repair the ship, but they are scattered throughout the landscape. The duo then set off to acquire the parts needed to be able to repair it and leave the planet.Mar-T and Chip journey across the planet, rescuing other stranded robots and recovering parts for the craft. Shortly after exiting one of the planet's caves the robots learn from Con-Rad that the Krofax have constructed a surface-to-air laser that will destroy the ship upon takeoff if not disabled. Con-Rad further reveals that the Krofax leader, Lord Krung, wants to capture the spaceship and use Con-Rad's technologies for nefarious purposes. The robotic pair sabotage the laser which fires lethal shot to Lord Krung's cruiser as it explodes. Awakening on the surface of the planet, Krung sets the self-destruct on what remains of his vessel, threatening to destroy the entire planet.
Krung is confronted within the remains of his ship. The robotic duo defeat the Krofax leader and disarm the self-destruct. Krung makes an attempt at escape, however he and his minions defeated just outside by Mar-T and Chip. Krung drops the final crucial part for Con-Rad's spacecraft, and the robots return to the ship and begin their escape from the planet. As the vessel begins to leave orbit, Con-Rad detects movement in the hangar bay; Lord Krung survived their recent battle and has stowed away. Mar-T and Chip open the cargo bay doors, depressurizing the cargo bay. The equip their magnetic boots and eject Krung from the ship, victorious.
Development and marketing
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
. It was announced June 11, 2010 and subsequently shown three days later at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. The ship's computer is voiced by English actor Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg is an English actor, comedian, writer, film producer, and director. He is best known for having co-written and stared in various Edgar Wright features, mainly Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and the comedy series Spaced.He also portrayed Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the 2009 Star Trek film...
, known for the lead role in Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 British zombie comedy directed by Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and written by Pegg and Wright. Pegg plays Shaun, a man attempting to get some kind of focus in his life as he deals with his girlfriend, his mother and stepfather...
. Pegg cited HAL 9000
HAL 9000
HAL 9000 is the antagonist in Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction Space Odyssey saga. HAL is an artificial intelligence that interacts with the astronaut crew of the Discovery One spacecraft, usually represented as a red television-camera eye found throughout the ship...
from the Space Odyssey series, Mother from the film Alien
Alien (film)
Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which...
, and GERTY from the film Moon
Moon (film)
Moon is a 2009 British science fiction drama film about a man who experiences a personal crisis as he nears the end of a three-year solitary stint mining helium-3 on the far side of the Earth's moon. It is the feature debut of director Duncan Jones. Sam Rockwell stars as the employee Sam Bell, and...
as inspirations for his character. Of the game's cooperative emphasis, Pegg said during an interview with IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
"it's a great exercise in cooperation [...], it's like team building."
In an interview with Casualgaming.biz, EA Bright Light's Gary Napper said of the target audience "I like to think that we’ve made a game for everybody. It feels like it’s a young person's game, but it’s the sort of game I hope a lot of older players, like myself, will play." Napper cited Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank is a 3D platformer/shooter video game for the PlayStation 2, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Released in 2002, it is the first game in the Ratchet & Clank series....
series as one source of inspiration for the game. He also cited the platform genre in general, adding that he "couldn’t really call out a specific title" as the main influence for the game. In his interview with IGN, Simon Pegg commented on the visual influences for the game. He cited Japanese manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
elements and added "it's a good representation of contemporary science fiction."
The developers placed emphasis on cooperative gameplay, and provided incentives available only when playing cooperatively. In an interview with Destructoid
Destructoid
Destructoid is an independent video game-focused blog based in San Francisco, California that was founded in March 2006. It has since grown into one of the most widely read video game sites on the Internet, reaching more than 3 million unique visitors per month...
, Gary Napper stated "we didn't want to make it just two players running around and doing the same thing, we want to make it so they can do stuff better." Napper further explained the dynamic in his interview with Casualgaming.biz. "There’s things in the game that you can do, like if you both double jump at the same time, you perform a high-five which gives you a health pack" stated Napper. Napper said that the developers wanted players to work together, so the incentives provide a way to encourage cooperative play. Other examples of cooperative play incentive include puzzles which require a second player. While none of these puzzles are necessary to solve in order to complete a level, bonus items and other robot characters can be unlocked by completing these sequences.
Reception
Spare Parts received moderate reviews from critics. The Xbox 360 version of the game holds a score of 56.10% at GameRankings and 54/100 at MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. The PlayStation 3 version of the game fared similarly, with an aggregate score of 50.20% at GameRankings and 50/100 at Metacritic. Individual review scores ranged from a 40% approval from Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
's Dan Whitehead to an 80% approval rating from Chris Buffa of RunDLC. In its first two weeks, Spare Parts moved over 15,000 units.
Critics were generally favorable of the game's art design and audio. Multiple critics praised the use of comedic actor Simon Pegg. Chris Buffa of RunDLC stated that Pegg's performance "gives Spare Parts much needed personality, thanks to often times humorous dialogue." David Collins, reviewer for GameFocus, also gave high marks for Pegg's performance. Collins felt, however, that it was "unfortunate that the script work didn’t use Simon Pegg as well as it could have." He did however give high commentary to the game's visuals. "The cartoony art style and vibrant color pallet is sure to appeal to all ages" said Collins. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's Jeremiah Leif Johnson stated the Spare Parts has "colorful, lively characters and environments" and added "Mar-T and Chip have a few endearing animations, the minions ooze with diabolical cuteness, and the world is unfailingly colorful and upbeat."
Multiple reviewers expressed frustration with the game's camera system. Specifically, they commented on the set camera angles and the fact that the camera could not be rotated. Some reviewers added that the fixed camera angles often caused problems when playing cooperatively. Kristine Steimer and Colin Moriarty of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
stated players will "end up fighting with your partner for the stubbornly-fixed camera's attention." Dan Whitehead stated simply that the camera system in cooperative mode was "horrible".
Gameplay mechanics received mixed commentary from reviewers. Chris Buffa of RunDLC praised the fact that the game has several items for the player to find and collect. He also gave high marks for the various upgrades which can be equipped to the characters. GameSpot's Jeremiah Leif Johnson felt that the game lacked direction in regards to its upgrades and their use in the game environment. "[It's] often impossible to figure out which of these tools you need to use next without resorting to help" he noted. Johnson also felt the combat consisted of "repetitive button-mashing". David Collins of GameFocus noted that the although the game allows players to defeat all enemies by "[spamming] the basic attack button" that each enemy had a weakness which was more susceptible to a specific combat move.