pray is one of those games that makes the little girl in me giggle – no matter how hard I might try to hold it in. A game built entirely around the concept of platforming through an environment with an arsenal of liquids will do that. There is something undeniably funny about coating an entire map in vomit.  Intrigued? Read on to find out more. 

If you have not heard much about Spray yet, you are not alone. Spray is currently in development by EKO Software, and is on track to be published as part of Tecmo’s holiday lineup. The title is exclusive to the Nintendo Wii as the motion controls cater perfectly the bizarre and quirky gameplay.

Spray follows the journey of young Prince Ray, who is pitted against an evil Queen that has come to his village on a mission of vengeance. Worse, she has brought along an army of anti-matter soldiers to do her bidding. To combat this force Prince Ray must don a mysterious crown that manifests his good and evil sides into spirits perched on his shoulders. However, these Angelic and Wicked spirits are not your typical manifestations of human duality – they have the odd ability to spray liquids on command. The devilish entity on your left shoulder can spray vomit and slime – yes, you read that correctly. Your less repulsive companion can spray water and ice. This Spirited Prince Ray – yep, SPRay has a deeper significance than the simple reference to shooting liquid – must use his companions to traverse levels, solve puzzles and take on enemies impossible to fight alone. 

So how specifically are these liquids used? Most puzzles and action sequences can’t be solved without the use of some type of viscous projectile. For example, vomit is considered a “discovery” liquid. By aiming with your Wii remote you can coat hidden platforms or enemies with the substance in order to make them visible. Water will allow you to put out fire-wielding baddies and make them more vulnerable to attack. Slime is a glue-like substance that allows you to stick to walls, walk upside-down and hurl yourself at moving targets. You can even use the slime to slow down tornado-esq enemies. Spraying ice allows you to move faster across platforms in order to make large jumps. Liquids can also be used to move levers and hit targets. The best thing about these liquids is that they are persistent.  They don’t simply disappear after you move to a different room. While you can wash them away with another liquid – it is a bit fun to leave a room covered floor-to-ceiling in vomit.

Eventually you will widen your arsenal and gain control of more liquids. We are told you even get to wield anti-matter in the latter levels of the game. Unfortunately, while Prince Ray has an unlimited supply of water and vomit, slime and ice deplete with use. Not to worry, you can refill your supply by defeating enemies and collecting mushrooms. 

As far as the basic gameplay – Spray is an action/adventure title with strong platforming elements. You perform basic attacks by waving the Wii remote and hold down Z on the Nunchuck to perform combos. There is no block command in Spray, but you can use evasive maneuvers to avoid loosing health. Prince Ray has unlimited lives and restarts from a nearby checkpoint when bested by a foe or after taking a tumble off a cliff. Although that particular feature may seem like a move to appeal to less-seasoned gamers – the gameplay is actually quite challenging and requires precise timing on the players part. Spray also includes a guiding compass to keep you on track and text instructions for basic commands.

Spray is broken down into six levels, each with five missions. In order to progress to the next level, Prince Ray must locate and collect a crystal which will allow him to continue on his mission. In addition, each level includes an anti-matter coated egg, which will respawn baddies until it is broken for good. The single player mode should top out at eight to 10 hours of gameplay.

Spray also includes four-person local multiplayer. The multiplayer is executed in a mini-game format and pits players against each other in unusual challenges – such as seeing who can coat their section of a city in slime first. Sounds fun right?

Well, it is. Strangely enough, I had a sense of nostalgia traceable back to playing Ocarina of Time when navigating the large environments and solving Spray’s puzzles. While Spray does not feature cutting-edge graphics or particularly noteworthy storytelling – at least in the portion I had a chance pick up – it is undeniably fun to play. In the end, I think Spray teeters on a balance between relying and capitalizing on the unique capabilities of the Nintendo Wii.

Spray is expected to ship October 28, so you won’t have too long to wait before you can get your hands on it and decide for yourself.