Ark: Magic Ball [by Dream Dale]

If you are a fan of good games and particularly Arkanoid based games, you'll really enjoy Magic Ball.  Magic Ball is a pretty good game that breaks the Arkanoid mold in a few ways.  Its main feature of course is that it is in 3D.  Much like Brixout XP from early last year, Magic Ball has tried to take the flat Breakout style to an isometric game filed.  Unlike that game, Magic Ball has really pulled it off quite well.  The main trouble with going 3D for breakout games has been centered somewhere between graphics and game play.  Magic Ball isn't perfect in either of those aspects, but it makes some notable improvements over what I've played in the past, particularly in the graphics category. 

With the game going into the 3D realm, one would think that the graphics would be much approved.  However, the lack of any dynamic lighting left Brixout XP looking rather plain, and though the graphics are very nice, the same can be said to some degree of Magic Ball.  The bigger difference between the two is that the levels on Magic Ball are simply the best designed levels on any Breakout game to date.  They are built both backwards and upwards.  Boards such as the castle tower board are amazing to behold and a lot of fun to play.  If you don't try out this game for any other reason, get the demo just to see the levels, they are a real treat.

Beyond the great boards, Magic Ball suffers a little.  The sound is interesting, but not outstanding.  The first track sounds a bit like an Indian wood flute band playing over the top of some heavy B-Bop mix.  Certainly interesting, and it works, but nothing I'd listen to on my own.  Many of the sound effects sound identical to the DX-Ball series.  Game play is probably the biggest let down of the game.  Especially for beginners, controlling the paddle is a difficult task.  I played, just watching the paddle and got much better results and determined the cause of my troubles.  The paddle is a rather large item that springs when balls hit it.  While the graphic effect is cool, it ends up making the paddle top a good ways away from the paddle bottom.  Whereas the paddle bottom would have hit the ball in many circumstances, I found myself missing the ball due to the width of the paddle.  This can easily be remedied by staring directly at the paddle, so it isn't a huge issue, but one first time players may have to fight through.

The power-ups here are most standard fare with missiles and weapons to go along with the comet and pass-through-all-bricks ball.  The visual effects are rather dull, but with such amazing level layouts, I doubt you'll spend much time looking at the brick explosions.  Magic Ball is the first game to convince me that 3D for Breakout/Arkanoid might be a good thing.  A little more dynamic lighting and special effects and this game would go from one of the better Breakout games out, to one of the best Breakout styled games ever made.

Added: November 15th 2003
Reviewer: Russell Carroll
Score:
Hits: 3327
Language: english   

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