Switchball
| Switchball | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Atomic Elbow |
| Publisher(s) | Vivendi Games[a] |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 (XBLA), PlayStation 3 (PSN) |
| Release | Windows: June 26, 2007 Windows Retail: October 23, 2007 Xbox 360: November 7, 2007 PlayStation 3: September 17, 2009 |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Switchball is a 3D action-puzzle game, made by the Swedish developer Atomic Elbow, which was released for Microsoft Windows on June 26, 2007, on Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360 on November 7, 2007, and on PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3 on September 17, 2009.[1][permanent dead link]
Gameplay
The game puts the player in the role of a marble, which is guided through a narrow winding course suspended in mid-air in five different environments: Skyworld, Iceworld, Caveworld, Cloudworld and Lavaworld.
Using PhysX as its core physics engine, the marble can be "morphed" into different balls with unique physical properties, like a Marble Ball, a Power Ball (which can be charged and have an accelerated "dash", a "jump" ability or switchable "magnetism" properties), a Steel Ball (which can push heavy objects around), and so forth. Each course contains obstacles and traps, such as wooden blocks, sheets of cloth, spinning fans, magnets, and cannons. The game uses physics-based puzzles as well, such as moving boxes or weighting ramps; also, different balls react to the environment in different ways; Steel Balls, for example, will tear cloth platforms.
Each level is timed, and players are rewarded with Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, depending on how quickly they complete the level.
Development
Originally called Crazy Ball, the game won "Best PC Game" during the 2005 Swedish Game Awards and was a finalist in the "Technical Excellence Class" during the 2006 Independent Games Festival. Crazy Ball was developed in five months.[2]
The gameplay is similar to Atari's 2004 game Ballance, but features worlds instead of levels.
Reception
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Computer and Video Games | 7.9/10 (Windows)[3] |
| Eurogamer | 7/10 (Xbox 360)[4] |
| GameSpot | 7.5/10 (Xbox 360)[5] |
| GamesRadar+ | 8/10 (Windows)[6] |
| IGN | 8.4/10 (Xbox 360)[7] |
| PlayStation Official Magazine – UK | 6/10 |
| Official Xbox Magazine (UK) | 7/10 |
| Official Xbox Magazine (US) | 8/10 (Xbox 360)[8] |
| Play | 75% (Playstation 3)[9] |
| TeamXbox | 9.4/10 (Xbox 360)[10] |
GamesRadar awarded the PC version of Switchball 8 out of 10, praising the AGEIA physics engine, commenting "the rolling and bumping and knocking and flinging are all exquisitely well done. And physics, the best thing to happen to games since explosive barrels, has a way of making you care."[6] Team Xbox awarded the Xbox 360 version a 9.4 of 10, stating "Switchball is certainly one of the best puzzle games on XBLA."[10] IGN commended the AGEIA physics engine, saying "The real star of Switchball throughout the entire experience, online or off, is the physics system."[7]
CVG criticized the difficulty of the later level puzzles in its review of the PC version, saying, "It doesn't run out of brains, but in later chapters it does succumb to that misguided urge to crank up the pressure. This goes badly. Switchball is a thoughtful puzzle game, but neither its camera nor controls are up to the dexterity-driven tasks it sets here."[3]
Xbox Live Arcade re-release
On March 26, 2008, Switchball was re-released on Xbox Live Arcade with a patch that enhanced graphics and tweaked the scoring.[11]
See also
Notes
- ^ Released under the Sierra Online brand name
References
- ^ "Sony Online Entertainment Gets the Ball Rolling With Switchball for the PlayStation Network". Sony Online Entertainment. 2009-09-18. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "2006 IGF Competition Entrants - Crazy Ball". Independent Games Festival. CMP Media. Archived from the original on January 11, 2006.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b Francis, Tom. "Switchball". CVG. Future Publishing. Archived from the original on September 21, 2007.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Bowden, Mike (November 18, 2007). "Switchball". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017.
- ^ Navarro, Alex. "Switchball Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b Francis, Tom (October 16, 2007). "Switchball review". GamesRadar. Future US. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b Ahearn, Nate. "Switchball Review". IGN. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 10, 2007.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Price, Tom (December 2007). "Switchball". Official Xbox Magazine US. No. 78. Future US. p. 73. ISSN 1534-7850.
- ^ "Store Roundup: Switchball". Play. No. 191. Imagine Publishing. May 2010. p. 93. ISSN 1747-7859.
- ^ a b Tuttle, Will (November 2, 2007). "Switchball Review (Xbox 360)". TeamXbox. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 5, 2007.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Ransom-Wiley, James (March 24, 2008). "This Wednesday: TiQal blazes XBLA, Switchball re-released". Joystiq. Weblogs. Archived from the original on March 25, 2008.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)