Another Ball Review

Another Ball is a game modeled after the classic game Arkanoid. In case you aren’t “in the know�, Arkanoid is the game with the paddle, the ball and the many blocks to break above. Not only is this game more advanced than its classic predecessor, it is more enjoyable.

The premise of the game is the same as the hundreds of other Paddle and Ball type games but Paragon has spiced it up a bit by adding rewards and risks. There is not just one type of brick to break in the game. There are bricks that have to be hit twice, glass bricks which can not be seen until they have been hit once and bricks that will not break, no matter what. Every so often a brick will be hit with a ball and a bonus item will fall from it. These bonuses can be good, for example extra lives and a ball that breaks more than one ball at a time. But, the “bonuses� can also be bad. Smaller paddles, faster speeds and sudden death have all plagued me on my quest to beat my high score.

The path of the ball can be changed by the angle at which it is hit. If the ball hits the end of the paddle it’s going to leave at an angle almost parallel to the paddle. If the ball is hit in the middle of the paddle, the ball will go almost straight up. It’s a good system, but I have fallen in love with the old Hardball for Palm’s system of changing the direction of the ball based on the movement of the paddle, but this way works too.

The graphics in this game are all that you could ask for. Everything runs smoothly and there is never an instance with questionable graphics. While not superb, they are quite good and do the job intended for them beautifully. The sound, like other Palm games, is just minor beeps to add a little something to the game. I prefer to play with the sound off anyway.

This game may not have much to it, but I still found myself playing it…a lot. It’s mind numbing and apparently a good thing because I know Another Ball is going to stay on my Palm for the foreseeable future. If you are into games that you can play for a few minutes and then forget about, this is for you. If you’re the type of gamer that is into games that require all of your attention, well, this is for you too. This game will appeal to a wide range of audiences and is well recommended.