Tips and tricks for playing FOAMSTARS
Want to get an edge over your rivals in FOAMSTARS? This handy advice should help you become the life of the party.The FOAMSTARS party has begun!
The game is now out and available as a PlayStation Plus Monthly Game, meaning anybody with an active subscription can download and start playing!
If you’re about to jump into the fray and start building your rank across the multiple game modes, you may need a few tips and tricks to get you started. Don’t worry - we’re here to help.
Read on for some general advice on how to party with the best of them… and some handy pointers for each of the FOAMSTARS themselves!
General tips
Stay on the move!
FOAMSTARS is fast-paced and fiercely frantic. Your characters move quickly, especially when surfing on their team’s foam, so you should use this agility to your advantage.
Stay on the move to chase down opponents and objectives, and whatever you do, never stand still unless you have to. A static target is an easy target.
Be a team player!
The team that sprays together stays together. In team-based modes like Smash the Star and Rubber Duck Party, it pays to work with your comrades to achieve victory.
For example, working in groups or pairs is a good way to quickly foam up your rivals and set them up for an easy chill. Alternatively, having backup is useful to get you out of trouble when you get overwhelmed by the opposition.
There are lots of ways to help your teammates out - create foam paths for them to ride on, remove enemy foam to clear the way, build towers and structures for long-range attackers and so forth.
If you’re playing with friends, work together to find your own tactics, and if you’re joining strangers, try to stick close to another teammate as much as possible.
On that note…
Saving a teammate is as valuable as chilling a rival
There’s nothing more satisfying than taking down an opponent. That moment where you slide-kick into a foamed-up foe is a visceral thrill that never goes away. It’s so satisfying, in fact, that it’s all-too easy to get razor-focused on chilling your enemy above all else.
But remember - teamwork makes the dream work. If you see an ally foamed up, you can slide into them to release them from their predicament… and deprive your foe of their chill in the process.
Protecting your teammates can be just as important as taking out your opponents - especially in Smash the Star, where every chill takes you or your rivals closer to victory…
Experiment with different characters to find your perfect playstyle
There are multiple characters in FOAMSTARS, and they all have unique weapons, abilities, and playstyles. For example, Rave Breaker’s wide firing weapon offers a very different set of tactical options to the Baristador’s long-range hose.
We’ve put some tips and tricks for each character below, but the best way to learn their ins and outs is to use them. Experiment with all the different characters, use their abilities and discover their strengths and weaknesses.
You’ll soon discover the ones that feel best for you, whether you choose to mainline one or mix and match to suit different situations.
Use your abilities - don’t hoard them!
Every character has three Skills - two that are fired off with the shoulder buttons, and a Superstar Skill that requires charging before use.
As your standard Skills require a cool-down, it can be tempting to hoard them for the ‘perfect’ time to unleash them. But take our advice: don’t hold back, especially when you’re just starting out.
Skills recharge relatively quickly, and they can be real game changers when used. Depending on the character, they can help you lay down foam quickly, remove rivals’ surfaces, chill foes, force them out of position and more.
In other words, they’re there to be used. So, use them!
Use your foam to speed up or slow the rubber duck
In Rubber Duck Party, your goal is to take possession of the titular Rubber Duck and lead it to the goal. There’s a neat trick you can do to give yourself an edge in this endeavor.
Spray foam in front of the duck and - if your team is in possession - it will move faster! If you see that your team is amassed on the marvelous mallard, you can lay down a path to make your journey to the goal that little bit smoother.
But what if your opponents have control of the Duck? Spraying your foam in front of it can actually hinder its progress, slowing it down, just as you slow down when trudging on your rivals’ bubbles.
Defend dancers
In Rubber Duck Party, you can give your buoyant buddy a burst of speed by dancing on its head. It takes a while to ramp up to those killer moves though, and the dancer is completely vulnerable while they strut their stuff.
In other words, they’re easy prey for the opposition, so if you see someone winding up on the Duck, be ready to turn bodyguard and do whatever you can to keep them safe. That speed burst is incredibly useful, so help your team dance their way to success!
Learn level layouts
The stages in FOAMSTARS are filled with boosters, paths and more that can zip you around the map quickly. Take some time to learn the layout of the stage you’re on, and you can shave valuable seconds off your travel time and get back into the fray faster.
It’s particularly important to know your way round in Happy Bath Survival. If you’re playing support on the upper levels, it’s vital to get around quickly so you can keep pace with your targets and support your teammates below. And if you’re one of the embattled players in the midst of the action, an understanding of routes could give you an edge over your rival.
Character tips
Next up, we’ll offer up a few tips of each of the characters available at launch:
Soa
Soa's shots cover a wide area if you fire them in the air. You can use this to cause confusion and deal the final blow to fleeing rivals.
You can use the left stick to affect how Soa sprays foam with Bubble Step. If you can predict which way your target will move, you could land a skillful hit.
Soa’s Gotta Crush Superstar Skill moves faster when you roll downhill. The faster you move, the further she can jump at the end of it.
ΔGITO
If you can get close to your opponent, you can hit multiple bubble shots into your rival at once. It also puts you in a perfect position to slide in for the chill.
ΔGITO's Deep Blue Gank Skill is a great way to get up close to an opponent without them spotting you. Even better, when you leap out, your Bubble Beastie KIRIMΔRU leaps out too - potentially hitting your opponent and giving you an opening to strike!
When using ΔGITO's THX GG Superstar Skill, KIRIMΔRU will hunt down whatever rival is dead ahead when it appears.
Tonix
When the foam bubbles from Tonix’s Ms. Fuzzy Turret III Skill land from a height, they bounce and keep on rolling. Try placing it on a high platform or even a tower of foam for maximum range!
Charging Tonix’s shots can create exploding foam shots that create tall heaps of foam. It’s a great way to foam up an area fast, or block foes.
The Ms. Fizzy Turret III and Mr. Bouncy Bubble Skills can be wiped out if they take too many hits, so be careful where you place them
Penny Gywn
Penny Gwyn’s Toboggan Bomb Skill is great to create paths of foam for your team to traverse. Use it for tactical approaches or escaping the opposition.
Penny Gwyn’s foam gun can fire shots over quite a distance. It makes for a flexible weapon, especially at mid-range.
The Penguin Squad Skill is great at hitting your opposition with a barrage of foam, but it’s also a great way to build up mountain of foam very quickly. It’s a defensive tool as well as an offensive one
Jet Justice
If you want to land Jet Justice’s Cosmic Dive Skill early, you can press the button again mid-jump. It’s great if you need to come down to earth in a hurry.
Charging Jet Justice’s shots let him fire off giant bursts of foam that roll forward along the ground. These do more damage than standard shots and can force your rivals onto the move.
Jet Justice's Galactic Bubble Shield Superstar Skill is enormously useful, but it’s not invincible. For example, explosions will go right through it, so watch out!
The Baristador
This coffee-lovers weapon has a very long range, so you can use it to back up your allies from a distance. Be warned though - up close it’s far less effective.
Holding the button down while using Bitter Drip will build a wall of foam wherever you aim.
The Super City Roast Skill can instantly create long paths and cut through opponent’s bubbles. It’s great for making a route for you and the team - or clearing a big pile of rival foam.
Mel T
Once you lock onto a foe, aiming sideways or upwards before you fire mean that your shot will travel in a wide arc before homing in. This can let you avoid obstacles in the way, such as rival foam stacks.
Mel T’s Superstar Skill, Force Beam Tasting, is extremely powerful, but it also leaves her vulnerable. Be aware of your surroundings when you use it, as it could give your rivals the opening they need to take you down.
The Sumptuous Promo Skill offers different ways to pile up foam. You can hold the button to create a continuous straight line or create scattered heaps of foam.
Remember to grab the game at no extra cost before it leaves PlayStation Plus Monthly Games in March! Those were just some basic tips, but we’re sure you’ll find your own strategies as you play.
Be sure to share them with fans and our social media channels:
FOAMSTARS is available now for PS4 and PS5. It’s included in this month’s PlayStation Monthly Games, so subscribers can pick it up at no additional cost:
See you at the party!