Overball
         Download the demo from www.wildtangent.com
                     - follow the links
        Or play on the Internet at www.shockwave.com

                      Reviewed by Sue

I'm not a great arcade gamer - I'm not even a passable arcade
gamer! But every so often I get an email about a new game and
sometimes I think 'That sounds like fun' and I have a go.

The email for Overball really grabbed me. You control the ball in
the game and have to roll around a series of landscapes overcoming
obstacles, opening doors, avoiding or destroying enemies ... you
know the sort of thing. There are four themes landscapes - Japan,
Greece, Egypt and Graveyard. Each has its own themed soundtrack.
The full game has 17 levels. The demo has four and only allows 10
free plays.

There are two ways to play. Collection mode or Timed mode. I
preferred Collection. Having a time limit put too much pressure on
me! Control is by keyboard or mouse. I found the mouse easier.

Overland has lots of flower beds. If you roll over a flower, it
grows and blooms.  To open doors you have to make a certain number
of flowers of a particular colour grow. If you're skilled enough
to roll over 13 flowers in a row, you get a star. You'll know if
you're doing it right because musical notes will gradually rise in
tone. Stars can earn you bronze, silver and gold balls at the end
of a level.  A better ball increases your score by 2x or more.

You can also collect Life Shards. These look like blue crystals.
If you collect 16 you get an extra ball (ie an extra life). How do
you lose lives? In the demo I rolled the ball off the edge of the
playing area and was killed by monsters. Yes, there are baddies
trundling about too.  They'll destroy your ball if they touch you.
But if you can pick up a bomb, you have 5 seconds to roll up to
them and blast them!

Control is the name of the game. The ball is great on the flat but
a nightmare on slopes until you get used to it, especially if
you're trying to avoid a baddie or grow 13 flowers in a row. I
found the mouse easier and after I'd got the hang of moving I
found it really exhilarating, sweeping along the levels, avoiding
nasties and getting more proficient. I even got good enough to get
a bronze and then a silver ball!

Yes, I'd recommend this game. It's good fun and very colourful.
And if I can finish the demo, fairly easy!

The full game costs $19.95 by downloading a code from their
website at www.shockwave.com/store/overball/index.html







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