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"Ball Drop One" -- pinball without flippers

Written by Peter R. Bloomfield | Saturday, 13 December 2008 23:12 | 0 comments

Pretty much any pinball game you play (whether on the computer or in real life) has the flippers at the bottom which you can use to save the ball from disaster, and guide it where you need it to go... but it wasn't always the way. Many versions of the game (particularly older ones) involve simply dropping the ball and hoping for the best on the way down.

"Ball Drop One" is an excellent pinball-style casual game, but there are no flippers in this one. You simply drop the ball (with some control over its size), and then largely just watch it interact with different pin-type elements in the game, such as circles which shrink or disappear when you hit them. There are some interactions you can do, almost all of which are exploratory... you just try it and see what happens. There are helpful hints which appear at the bottom of the screen too.

The graphics in this game are fairly basic, but the sound effects are well chosen, and as a whole it plays nicely. You gain points by making lots of bounces and gaining other bonuses, and more points unlocks more levels, so there is a good incentive to keep playing. There is a level editor too, although I haven't tried that out myself.

A large amount of the game is effectively luck (unless you are ridiculously good at predicting complex bounces), which may frustrate some folks. However, it's a really nice, quirky little game, which is worth a try. It felt a little uncomfortable to play at first, as you really go in blind and learn as you go, which goes against the grain for me a little! However, I've found myself going back to it and enjoying it... so give it a go!

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