A Boxing Bulldog? Join the Fever Dream That Is Smash X
In July last year, I reviewed Deep Rush from Kalamba. This was, for me, the first time a crash game really appealed to me. It was tense and surprising and beautifully illustrated. It took the simple mechanics of the genre and paired it with a theme that drew me in and kept me coming back for more.
With Smash X, SmartSoft Gaming has tried to do something similarly disruptive with a crash game.
A missed opportunity?
The game has clearly been designed with mobile players in mind. This means that the desktop experience isn’t optimal. In fact, it’s a little disappointing. The blackness to the left and the right appears to be in the process of consuming the tiny sliver of the game in the middle. I really feel like this was such a missed opportunity. In the areas of darkness, an overhead light could suddenly flicker on, revealing something. It could be a memory of the bulldog’s boxing past or a view of an admiring audience. This would really have helped build a narrative that could have elevated the game’s appeal.
Smash X doesn’t do much better with its theme. The boxing bulldog is fun. However, SmartSoft missed, in my opinion, on having a boxing boxer instead. Then there’s the gold box built into a brick floor that looks ripped straight out of a Mario game. I really can’t tell if this is an Easter egg or if the reference was unintentional. Either way, it left me a little confused.
A light at the end of the tunnel?
I really do love the bulldog. I think it’s executed with a really interesting style that lends itself to the arcade-like feel of the game. He does look a little sad, though. I also liked the action. When the boxing bulldog gets going, the movements are very reminiscent of the old Street Fighter, which again feeds into this arcade theme the slot seems to have going on.
The base mechanics of the slot are also interesting. The minimum bet is $0.05. In most online casino games, if you bet at the minimum, you aren’t able to play for the maximum win amount. However, thanks to the unlimited multiplier, even a $0.05 bet allows players to take a shot at up to $10,000 in winnings with Smash X. However, the wait to get to $10,000 from a $0.05 bet would be a long one, and you’ll need to make sure you don’t have any preexisting heart conditions. The game also has an RTP rating of 96%.
Is Smash X a knockout or a split decision?
SmartSoft Gaming is releasing some amazing titles right now. Foxy Hot 20 slot came out at around the same time as Smash X and is my favorite game of the year thus far. The provider has even recently released another crash-style game called Mine Island. The game has you jump a kangaroo along a rock path. The game is surprisingly engaging and had me hooked. That being said, I think that Smash X was not the company’s finest work. I do, however, still believe that there is an awesome game in there. I’d love to see a Smash X 2 or Smash Double X.