![]() On to the co-op, then. Co-op is one multiplayer option, and as far as I could tell, uses the same maps as single player. When you unlock a level in co-op, it's available for single player, and vice versa. Two players can play at the same time, each in control of his or her own paddle, differentiated by color. Players share a pool of lives, represented by hearts on the top of the screen. When the last ball in play makes it past either player, both players die, and one life is lost. Each player has a ball to launch when the level begins, or when they respawn after dying, too. All in all, it sure feels like co-op when you have a buddy playing with you. The various power-ups are pretty much what you would expect. Your paddle can shrink or grow, multi-ball, big ball, etc. A timer for each power up appears at the corner of the screen, and they do stack, which makes for some interesting combos. Weapon power ups, like a machine gun, laser, or cannon, have a limited amount of ammo, tracked just as the timers are for other power ups. There are weather power ups, as well, and these are quite fun. Meteors, lightning storms, and intense winds all destroy the game field. A few power ups appear to have no purpose other than aesthetics. One changes the board from day to night, for example. The most noticeable part, and indeed, probably the highlight of the game, is the fantastic, creative level design. You aren't just destroying blocks here the maps are highly detailed, intricate, and basically fun to look at. When the Magic Ball hits an object on the map, it begins to break it down. Some items take more than one hit to destroy others crumble at the first bounce. There are visual cues that let you know when stuff is about to break, usually a change in color.īut Magic Ball goes a step further than just replacing blocks with pretty 3D objects. Many of the items on the playing field interact with your ball, in various ways. One of the earliest examples are the cannons in the pirate levels. When a cannon is hit by the Magic Ball, it fires a cannonball across the field, and more environment destroying fun ensues. A few of the levels feature a chain of cannons. One cannon fires, hitting another, and so on, which is quite impressive. In fact, you'll often find yourself watching the interactions at the top of the screen and the Magic Ball will slip right past you. it was so addicting. Arkanoid hit the arcades in the late 80s when the 2600 was but a fond memory. Arkanoid's retained the classic gameplay elements of Breakout, yet it felt new again with the addition of power ups and weapons. Magic Ball is the latest in this progression, adding high def graphics and 3d objects to the formula. The end result is a simple, but quite enjoyable experience. If you remember the days when Pong was state of the art video game technology, Magic Ball will seem very familiar. This same style of gameplay was updated in a fan-favorite Atari 2600 game: Breakout. Breaking all those bricks.
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