Ark: Alpha Ball [by Dekovir]

As someone who has played the majority of the Arkanoid games available, I take pride in feeling like I have a good grasp of the arkanoid genre of games.  So whenever a new game comes out, I try to make sure that I play it and get a feeling for how it fits into the genre.  When I saw Alpha Ball, I had 2 other 3D breakout games already sitting on my desktop waiting to be installed.  It seems that 3D brick breaking games have become a popular foray into the world of Arkanoid.  I personally feel that these games are inferior to their 2D counterparts as the graphics tend to be a bit too blocky for my tastes.

Alpha ball does offer up the blocky graphics that I disdain, but otherwise provides one of the best 3D breakout games I've played. (if not the best)  This game is one that I would consider more of a casual breakout game.  The game is very calm and relaxed instead of running at the frenzied pace that most breakout games run at.  The levels are very well thought out, reminiscent of Magic Ball.  Large, impressive-looking structures have been built with the bricks that are very interesting to look at.  In fact, it is unfortunate that a level designer is not present as one gets the feeling that creating levels of your own would be a fun thing to do.

Alpha Ball has a very clean look to it, and it actually comes of a bit better than any of the other 3D breakout games in terms of graphics alone.  The sound is also well-done, though the music in the background will definitely start to grate on you as play.

Probably the single strongest point of the game is game play itself.  Many arkanoid-based games have a tendency to skip over game play and spend most of their time on graphics and special effects.  This leads to a pretty good looking game that is very difficult to play.  This is certainly not the case with Alpha Ball.  There is an immediate connection when you begin to play the game, and the paddle moves effortlessly to exactly where you want it to be.  In fact, with so much focus on physics in breakout games, its a wonder that a company like Chronic Logic hasn't yet made one. 

The power-ups in the game are rather standard affair.  The only different power-ups that I saw were the three sets of guns.  The cannon gun was fun to fire, but even it wasn't all that different from the other power-ups that have been offered in arkanoid games in the past.

Alpha Ball is a joy to play, and while a difficult game to complete due to the number of levels, the pacing of the levels is quite relaxing.  The graphics work well for a 3D breakout game, and the special effects are also very well done.  This is a game that any fan of the arkanoid genre should check out, as it is clearly one of the best games in this genre currently available.

Added: January 19th 2004
Reviewer: Russell Carroll
Score:
Hits: 1522
Language: english