After taking 63 shots on stage 8, I decided this probably wasn't the game for me. If it were easier to slow down the hammer when it's spinning too fast, that would help. It would also help if the whoosh sound effect during spinning came at the same point in the spin, so there was some audio feedback that could help me gauge when to release. Oh well! It's a nice idea, just I'm not very good at playing it.
Also, snowflakes have 6 arms, not 8.