Ballistix for TurboGrafx-16

Image: MobyGames

Ballistix

Balls Pong

Genre: sports - other

Publisher: NEC

Year: 1992

System: TurboGrafx-16

Gameplay Score: 2

Gameplay Notes:

This is Air Hockey. In a video game sense, it's Windjammers, Sanrio World Smash Ball!, Firestriker, or just Fancy Pong. In this game you fire balls at the actual ball in hopes of knocking it into your opponent's goal. Three goals wins. From a gameplay perspective it's as shallow as it sounds. You can move your ball-shooter anywhere on screen, like you could in air hockey. The annoying thing is that the balls you shoot stay on screen and bounce around almost indefinitely. Will they hit "the ball" and change its trajectory? When will they go away? Why are they even there? Who knows. It's distracting at minimum and annoying at worst.

Level Design Score: 1

Level Design Notes:

Every stage is the same. It's two screens tall and one wide with no obstacles or other features. Boring Also no modes. Just a long series of exhibition matches.

Theme Score: 2

Theme Notes:

Has a post apocolyptic setting. Reminiscent of Running Man combined with satanic monsters.

Art Style Score: 2

Art Style Notes:

Amiga graphics. Almost has a Flash game look where the sprites are very obviously different from the background. The huge number of sprites on screen is impressive, but they're just a bunch of orbs so, whatever.

Audio Score: 2

Audio Notes:

Minimal music so mostly you only hear the shooting of balls. Hmm, that doesn't sound right. But yeah, sound isn't this game's strong suit.

Overall Score: 35

Review ID: 1430